Issue 5, May 2016

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

where career starts www.toprankers.com

Accomplishment - Charles Borromeo resigned from Tata Steel Sports Department -14

- Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, elected to key Republican position - 14

- Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright claimed to be creator of Bitcoin- 15

- Sameer Chadha appointed as Partner and CEO of KPMG - 15

- Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa selected as executive secretary of UNFCCC - 16

- Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba appointed as Chief of the Naval Staff- 16

- Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security-17

- Manohar Kumar takes over as Director (Engg) in NPCC-17

- Dilip Tuli appointed as Senior Vice President of Housing.com -18

- Kishore Biyani appointed as Managing Director of Bharti Retail-18

- Yash Chopra’s statue is in Switzerland-19

- Shashank Manohar resigns as BCCI president-18

- Uday Kotak, only Indian in Forbes Most Powerful People in the Financial World list-20

- President approves name of Four Judges for Supreme Cour-20

- Manjit Singh, appointed as member of President‘s Advisory Council-21

- Fatma Samoura named first female secretary general of FIFA-22

- Hinupur Pradeep Rao appointed as the Deputy CAG-22

-Justice Tinlianthang Vaiphei sworn in as acting Chief Justice of Tripura High Court-23

- Indian Army Successfully Summits Mount Everest-23

- Tsai Ing-wen sworn-in as first women President of Taiwan-24

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 tt

- Kiran Bedi appointed Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry-25

- Ratan P Watal appointed as Niti Aayog’s Principal Adviser-25

- Erdogan ally to be new Turkish Prime Minister-26

- Anurag Thakur becomes BCCI‘S one of the youngest president-27

- Lt General SK Saini new commandant of Indian Military Academy-27

- Sonowal becomes BJP‘s first Chief Minister in Assam-28

- Govind Rajan became CEO of Snapdeal owned Freecharge-29

- Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee sworn in as Chief Minister of West Bengal-29

- V Narayana-swamy to be Puducherry Chief Minister-30

Awards

- Swat activist Tabassum Adnan won 2016 Nelson Mandela Award -31

- Former bureaucrat NK Singh selected for Japan’s highest civilian award-31

- President Pranab Mukherjee conferred 63rd National Film Awards-32

- President Pranab Mukherjee confers Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards-32

- Indian Parashar Kulkarni wins 2016 Commonwealth Short Story -33 - President Mukherjee presents gallantry awards to defence personnel-34

- Indian-American Revathi Balakrishnan named as 2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year-34

- Hockey India recommended Ritu Rani and VR Raghunath for Arjuna Awardt-35

- President confers Florence Nightingale Awards.-35

- Anjali Chandrashekhar comes 3rd in UN Poster for Peace contest-36

- Harvey Milk Foundation to Honor Bollywood Actress Celina Jaitlyt-36

- 5 Indians posthumously awarded with Dag Hammarskjold Medal of UN-37

where career starts tt

- South Korea‘s Jan Kang won Man Booker Internationalt-38

- “Vesak Samman Prashasti Patra-2016” Awards Presented to Buddhist scholars-38

- I, Daniel Blake‘ won Palme d‘Or at Cannes 2016-39

- Routes 2 Roots, a Delhi-based Non-profit organization-39

- Sunil Bharti Mittal, received the Harvard B-School Alumni award-40

- Indian-American scientist Arnab De has received the prestigious Springer Theses Award.-40

- President Pranab Mukherjee presented Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar 2016 -41 - Rehman conferred Japan‘s Fukuoka Prize- 41 NATIONAL NEWS - Railways launch Indrail Pass for foreigners-43

- Centre government LED scheme launched in Madhya Pradesh-43

- Maha Govt to develop textiles park at Amravati- 44

- Union Government banned import of dogs for commercial breeding.- 44

- Supreme Court banned all diesel cabs in NCR-Delhi from May 1. -45 - Indian Railways to plant trees alongside Railway Track-45

- NRDC signed agreements for commerci-alization of Ghar Sodhon-46

- Supreme Court appointed RM Lodha-panel to reform Medical Council of India-46

- BHEL commis-sioned 600 MW thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh.-47

- Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched Wi-Fi hotspot-47

- Banihal-Baramulla Fast Passenger (DEMU) and Budgam-Baramulla-48

- Two laning with formation of four lane of Shimla Bypass on NH-22 Approved.-49

- Portal for Contract Labour Payment-49

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 t

- Dial 112 for any Emergency throughout India from 1 January 2017- 50

- Telangana govt to set up Monkey rescue and rehabilitation centre-50

- Indian Railways launches Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims.-51

- Uttarakhand Floor Test: Harish Rawat-51

- Rural Sanitation Initiatives for Ganga-52

- Ministry Of Road Transport & Highways Sets-53

- Maharashtra declares drought in 29000 villages.-53

- Nitin Gadkari Launches INFRACON,-54 - NTPC tied-up with Coal India Limited-55 - India‘s first driverless train was flagged off by Union Minister-55

- TMC got huge majority ever in the History of West Bengal‘s election.-56

- LDF will make government in Kerala-56

- BJP to form its 1st government in ASSAM-57

- Jaya lalitha retains power in Tamil Nadu-58

- Odisha to launch Green Passage-59

- BHEL commissions 250 MW thermal unit in Maharashtra-59

- Cyclone Roanu hits coastal area of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh-60

- Gujarat launched Smart Village program-61

- World Bank loans 100 million dollar for Karnataka water projects-62

- Hubballi-Dharwad, the second largest urban center in Karnataka,-62

- Sikkim bans disposable foam food containers.-63

where career starts 7

- 13 new cities announced for smart cities Projects-64 - Cabinet approves 1st ever Capital Goods Policy-64

- Human Resource Development-65

- Union cabinet gives approval to 6 New IITs-66

- Andhra Pardesh to introduce e -office system in all districts.-66 - India‘s first multilingual dictio-nary“ Bhara-tvani“ launched-67

- Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal-67

- Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) in the country-68 - Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology-68 SPORTS - Indian shooters bagged 3 gold, 1 bronze in ISSF Junior World Cup-70

- Mark Selby won World Snooker Championship-70

- Indian shuttlers qualify for Rio 2016-71

- India finishes fourth in junior shooting World Cup-71

- Bicycle highway between Taj and lion safari-72

- Charlotte Edwards, England women’s cricket captain,-72

- Max verstappen becomes youngest F1 GP winner.-73

- Sania -Hingis won Rome Masters women‘s double pair-73

- Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic to win first Italian Open title-74

- Sudha breaks 3000 M steeplechase record-74

- Women‘s relay team sets new national records-75

- Sevilla won 3rd consecutive Europa League title-75

- Barcelona lifted 28th Copa Del Rey title-76

- Pankaj Advani 1st to hold continental, world title-76

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 t

- India claims silver in Asian Team Snooker Championship-77

- Real Madrid won its 11th Championship League title-77

- Two Indian Americans won US Spelling Bee 2016-78

- Sunrisers Hydrabad won their maiden IPL title-78

- Sandhu 1st Indian to play in European Laegue-79

- Alastair cook became youngest player to reach 10,000 Test runs-80

- Weir sets world record in 1 mile wheelchair race-80

ECONOMICS - The small Industries Development Bank of India has inked with SAARC-82

- Maharashtra is the biggest contributor to income tax collections in India-82

- NABARD partners Germany for food security initiative-83

- Rahuri in Ahmednagar becomes first to have digi-locker.-83

- Union Commerce Ministry launched EXIM Analytics-84

- Reliance to sign 15 new industrial license agreements in the defense sector-85

- Google acquires business technology startup Synergyse-85

- BRICS bank became the first partner with ICICI Bank in India-86

- MoC between Ministry of Women & Child Development and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-87

- ECB decided to end production and issuance of 500 euro banknote-87

- India ranks Ninth in Crony-Capitalism Index-88

- RBI to issue 1000 Rupees Banknotes with inset letter R-88

- Infosys Foundation has signed a pact with Indian Institute -89

- Commemorative Coin of 100 rupees & Circulation Coin-89

- Union Cabinet approves for MoU between SEBI and FSRA Abu Dhabi-90

where career starts 9

- Apple invested $1 billion in Chinese taxi service Didi Chuxing-90

- Apple opens Development Office in Hyderabad-91 - PNB tops list of worst losses in Indian banking history-91

- Nepal SBI Bank launches payment gateway-92

- Demand of Consolidation in Indian Banking sector.-92 - Samsung to launch 1st nationwide loT Network-93

- Intel India announced new initiatives to support Digital India-94

- Infosys‘ Rs 600-cr SEZ project-94 DEFENCE - Offshore patrol vessel ICGS Shaurya launched.-96

- US Navy tested world‘s largest unmanned surface vessel, Sea Hunter-96

- Two Harbour Defence Systems commissioned-97

- Indian Air Force’s Electronic Maintenance-97

- “Ashwin” an indigenous Air Defence interceptor missile, has been -98 - A joint US-Australian military research team successfully-98 - India and Russia have agreed to export BrahMos-99

- BrahMos supersonic cruise missile test fired-99

- Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology-100 Obituaries - Famous American actor William Schallert died-101

- Nirankari Spiritual leader Baba Hardev Singh dies in-101

- French scientist André Brahic died-102

- Diwaliben Bhil passed away-102

- Veteran leader of CPI(M) K Anirudhan passed away-103

- Marathi litterateur and critique R.G. Jadhav passed away.-103

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 t- 10

SCIENCE

- China developed world‘s first graphene electronic paper-105

- University of Cambridge have built the world’s smallest (nanoscale) working engine-105

- CAIPEEX a process to understand Rain Formation in Clouds-106

- Astronomers discovered 3 Earth like planets using TRAPPIST telescope-106

- UN launches Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Zika virus response-107

- Flying Observatory SOFIA detects Atomic Oxygen in Martian Atmosphere-107

- Indian scientist Manvendra K Singh bags SGD-108

- China launched Yaogan -30 remote sensing satellite-108

- First penis transplant in U.S. performed in Boston-109

- Department of Electronics and Information Technology-109

- Scientists discover new form of light-110

- World’s first Zika virus clone developed-111

- ISRO launches India‘s first reusable space shuttle -112

- India lauded for Medicines with the Red Line campaign on antibiotics-112

- ISRO to test rocket that takes its fuel from air-113

- China to launch world‘s 1st Quantum satellite-113

- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration-114

- Fossils of oldest multi-cellular organism found-115 PROMINENT RECORD - Kohima In Nagaland becomes ‘Smoke-Free City’-116

- BSF To Unveil tallest national flag.-116

- Renewable energy country attractiveness index 2016 - 117

- Punjab gets world‘s largest rooftop solar plant-117

where career starts 11

- Australian engineers set solar cell efficiency world record-118

- Malyaysian women weave world‘s longest Rug-118 - World‘s largest cruise ship „Harmony of the seas“ starts Maiden voyage-119 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP - India, Papua New Guinea signed four agreements-120 - India, New Zealand signed Air Services Agreement.-120

- India-UAE currency swap agreement Approved-121

- Inter-gover-nmental agreement between India and Mauritius-121

- India and Slovenia sign Protocol amending-122 - India, Oman signed 4 Agreements on defence cooperation-122

- India ,Thailand ,Myanmar to be linked by Highway-123

- India Iran Afghanistan sign transport corridor pact-124

- India and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)-124 LEGAL UPDATE - Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015- 126 - Supreme Court asked Delhi Government not to register New Diesel Cars-126

- Supreme Court upholds validity of Criminal Defamation Law-127

- Union Cabinet approves National Intellectual Property Rights Policy.-127

- Union Cabinet gives approval to Amendments in Constitution ST Order, 1950 -128 DAYS AND DATE - International Labour Day celebrated.-129 - National Technology Day observed on May 11- 129

- May 21 observed as Anti Terrosism Day-130

- Menstrual hygiene day observed on 28 May- 130

- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2016 - 131

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 t 12

- 31 May- World No Tobacco Day -131

SCHEME AND POLICY - UJALA will be implemented across country by 2019- 133

- Alberta Wildfire: State of Emergency declared by Canada Government.-133

- Prime Minister launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia-134 Miscellaneous - Indian Railways creates Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to explore --advertising in train coaches-135

- Saraswat Bank donates Rs 1 crore for drought relief-135

- Urgent action needed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030: UN Report.-136

- Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle-136

- There has always been conspiracy theories about the war US had in middle east.-137

- World‘s oldest stone axe found in Australia-137

- The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan unveiled-138

- Musharraf declared offender in high treason case-138

- Beti a non-fiction short film invited in 42nd edition of Seattle International-139

- World‘s First Robot Lawyer Hired By U.S. Firm-139

- The World Bank has launched Pandemic Emergency Finance Facility-140

- Mandatory for public transport buses to install emergency buttons-140

- 56 Indian firms in Forbes‘s “world‘s 2,000 list”-141

- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-141

- India, US held first Maritime Security Dialogue-142

- Researchers create mirror image of DNA-copying protein-143

- US House of Representatives gave nod to bolster-144

where career starts 13

- The Union Ministry of Railways has decided to undertake-144

- The Union Government has given its final approval to setting up of National Investment-145

- Facebook wins trademark case in China-146 Environment

- Iran’s Zabol most polluted: WHO-147

- April 16 was hottest April ever on Record :NASA-147

- India records its Highest temperature at 51 C- 148

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 14

ACCOMPLISHMENT

Charles including Japan and China, where he 1 Borromeo again won gold medals. resigned • He was awarded the Arjuna Award in from Tata 1982 and the Padma Shri in 1984. Steel Sports Department Harmeet 2 Kaur Dhillon, Charles elected to key Borromeo on Republican Charles Borromeo 28 April 2016 position. resigned from the head of the Tata Steel sports department An Indian post. American Sikh woman from Harmeet Kaur Vigilance department officials of the company California, had questioned him in connection with alleged Harmeet Kaur irregularities in tender process of 4.40 crore Dhillon, got elected in the Republican Party at rupees. the US national level.

• He won a gold medal of 800 m at the She was elected as the newest national 1982 Asian Games held in Delhi committee woman of the Republican National • He was also a part of Indian Olympic Committee on 1 May 2016. contingent that took place at Los Angeles in 1984. Earlier she was the vice chairman of the • He joined Tata Steel as sports assistant California GOP. She is the first woman elected in 1979 to this position in California Republican Party. • In 1982, he topped the six-nation Athletic Meet in Mumbai by winning the • She was born in India, but raised in rural Inter-State Championship at Kozhikode North Carolina after her Sikh parents • He won bronze medal at the Peking moved to the US. International Games in China • She is a nationally recognized trial lawyer, • Tata honored him as the Best Sportsman boardroom advisor and advocate for in 1984. individual, corporate and institutional • He also represented India at a number of clients across numerous industries and track and field meets around the world, walks of life.

where career starts 15

• She has been awarded the prestigious • He worked in information technology for designation of Northern California various companies, including OzEmail, Super Lawyer in business litigation by K-Mart and the Australian Securities Thomson/West Publishing, an accolade Exchange, as well as working as a reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the security consultant for Mahindra & jurisdiction. Mahindra. • Dhillon’s practice in New York, London, • He was the CEO of the technology firm and the San Francisco Bay Area has Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence Group focused on federal and state commercial (Hotwire PE). Hotwire planned to launch litigation and arbitration, with a particular Denariuz Bank, the world‘s first Bitcoin- emphasis on unfair competition/trade based bank, though it encountered secret misappropriation, intellectual. regulatory difficulties with the Australian Tax Office and failed in 2014. Australian • Since the system works without a central 3 entrepreneur repository or single administrator, the Craig Wright U.S. Treasury categorizes bitcoin as a claimed to decentralized virtual currency. be creator of Bitcoin Sameer Chadha 4 appointed as Australian Partner and entrepreneur CEO of KPMG Craig Steven Craig Steven India Wright on 2 May 2016 publicly identified himself as the creator On 3 May 2016 of Bitcoin, digital cryptocurrency. He claimed Sameer Chadha to be the real person behind the pseudonym was appointed KPMG Indiaa Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin, as the partner a claim that is disputed within the Bitcoin and Chief community. Executive Officer (CEO) of KPMG‘s offshore arm in India. • Wright graduated from high school in 1987 from Padua College in Brisbane. Chadha joined KPMG Global Services (KGS) • He completed 18 SANS Institute courses from Barclays Shared Services, and was the world‘s first person to receive GIAC certification in Compliance Chadha has 25 years of experience with leading and Audits, and was a SANS Institute organisations across the financial services and Mentor. consumer goods sectors.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 16

in July 2016. • He began his career with Nestle India. • Prior to working with Barclays, he • Before this she was serving as Mexico’s held strategic leadership roles at firms ambassador to Germany Earlier she had such as Bank of America, First Source served as Mexico’s representative at the Solutions and Lehman Brothers. UN in New York • He is a chartered accountant and holds • She used to work in the field of drug a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the traffic, human rights, women promotion, Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi social development and children’s rights. University. • She will be implementing the Paris • KPMG was established in India in Agreement on Climate Change that was September 1993 approved by 195 countries in December • KPMG India Pvt Ltd offers financial 2015 during UNFCCC’s COP 21 held in advisory services, business advisory Paris, France. services, tax and regulatory services and • The UNFCCC is an international risk advisory services. environmental treaty negotiated at the • The firm operates from its offices Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Kolkata, • It came into force in 1994. Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi, • It has 196 countries and European Chandigarh and Ahmadabad in India. Union (EU) as its members. • It is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto 5 Mexican Protocol which was ratified by 192 of the diplomat UNFCCC Parties. Patricia • The ultimate objective of both treaties Espinosa is to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHGs) selected as concentrations in the atmosphere. executive secretary of 6 Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba UNFCCC appointed as Chief of the Naval Staff Patricia Espinosa Ban Ki- moon has selected Mexican diplomat Patricia Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, got appointed as the Espinosa as the executive secretary of next Chief of the Naval Staff on 5 May 2016. the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). • He will assume the charge on 31 May 2016 as the 23rd chief of Indian Navy . • She will replace the incumbent • He will succeed present Navy Chief Christiana Figueres when her term ends Admiral Robin K. Dhowan.

where career starts 17

• He was commissioned into the Executive civil aviation security. Branch of Indian Navy on 1 January • In January 1978, the BCAS was 1978. established as a department of the • His sea Command includes commanding Directorate General of Civil Aviation. the minesweeper INS Kakinada, frigate • BCAS became an independent agency of INS Himgiri and Executive Officer of INS the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1 April Viraat, the aircraft carrier. 1987 after the 1985 bombing of Air India • Before FOC-in-C, Western Naval Flight 182. Command, he was FOC-in-C, Southern • The main responsibility of BCAS is to lay Naval Command, down standards and measures in respect • He was also the Vice Chief of the Naval of security of civil flights at international Staff and Commandant, National and domestic airports in India. Defence College. • He is a qualified specialist in navigation Manohar and direction course. 8 Kumar takes • He attended the course at the Royal over as Director College of Defence Studies, UK. (Engg) in NPCC He was Born on 17 July 1957, and has been recipient of Param Vishist Seva Manohar Kumar Medal and Ati Vishist Seva Medal. has taken over as Director Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed (Engineering) NPCC 7 Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation on the Board Security. of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited On 5 May 2016 IPS Officer Kumar Rajesh (NPCC). Chandra got appointed as the Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. • He is a graduate from the then Delhi College of Engineering. Chandra has been appointed in place of IPS • He later did MBA from MDU, Rohtak. officer G S Malhi. • NPCC is a PSU under Ministry Water Resources, River Development and • Chandra is a 1985 batch IPS officer of Ganga Rejuvenation. Bihar cadre. • National Projects Construction • He is currently working as Additional Corporation Limited (NPCC) was Director General (Modernisation), Bihar established on 9th hJanuary 1957 as a Police. premier construction company to create • BCAS acts as regulatory authority for necessary infrastructure for economic

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 18

development of the country in the core • Housing.com is a Mumbai-based real sectors of irrigation and water resources, estate search portal. power and heavy industries. • It allows customers to search for housing • Its administrative control was transferred based on geography, number of rooms, from Ministry of Irrigation and Power and various other filters. to Ministry Water Resources, River • The company has 6000 brokers and Development and Ganga Rejuvenation serves 40 cities in India . (earlier named as Ministry of Water • A group of twelve students from the Resources) in 1989. Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay NPCC ltd comply with Quality founded Housing.co.in in June 2012. management requirements of ISO 9001- • It is the fastest-growing company in the 2008 for execution of Civil Works for online real estate space. Thermal & Hydro Electric Projects’, River • It is led by passionate problem-solvers Valley Projects, Industrial Structures, and backed by top investors. Project Management Consultancy services for buildings, Housings, Roads, Kishore Biyani Bridges and Infrastructure Projects. 10 appointed as Managing Dilip Tuli Director of 9 appointed as Bharti Retail Senior Vice President of On 3 May 2016 Housing.com Future Group‘s CEO Kishore On 1 May Kishore Biyani Biyani was 2016 Dilip Tuli appointed as was appointed Managing Director (MD) of Bharti Retail. Dilip Tuli the new Senior Vice President - • Biyani on 1 May 2016 had resigned from Strategy & New Business Initiatives of Future Retail Ltd Housing.com. • Future Retail Ltd is the largest listed • Dilip Tuli graduated from the SRCC, retail companies, which operates Big Delhi University. Bazaar and Food Bazaar. • He holds nearly 15 years of consulting • He will continue to hold office as non- experience. executive director of Future Retail Ltd. • He was a Director with the Deal Advisory • Rakesh Biyani, who has also been practice in KPMG. appointed as Joint Managing Director of • He started his career at PwC. Bharti Retail.

where career starts 19

• In May 2015, Future Group had agreed • Ministers and senior bureaucrats from to merge its retail business with Bharti the Swiss government attended the Retail in an all-stock deal worth 750 inauguration event that was organized crore rupees to create one of the biggest by Interlaken Tourism and Jungfrau supermarket chains with 15000 crore Railways. rupees turnover. • The government of Interlaken awarded • Bharti Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary him the honorary title of “Ambassador of of Bharti Enterprises. Interlaken” in 2011, • Bharti Retail operates a chain of multiple • Jungfrau Railways named a train after format stores. him — an honour shared only with the • Future Group owns and operates Big railway’s founder, Adolf Guyer. Bazaar, combined retail operations with • The five-star Victoria Jungfrau Grand Easyday in May 2015. Hotel & Spa in Interlaken also named a • This collaboration has made it India‘s suite after Yash Chopra. biggest retail chains with more than 570 stores in 243 cities in India. Shashank 12 Manohar 11 Yash Chopra’s statue is in resigns as BCCI Switzerland president

Yash Chopra, who shot most of his romantic On 10 May dramas in the lush mountains of Switzerland, 2016 Shashank has been honoured with a special statue by the Vyankatesh government. Manohar resigned Shashank Manohar as the President • The bronze statue of the Yash Chopra, of BCCI. which weighs about 250 kilos, was inaugurated on 11 May 2016 by his • He also stepped down as the BCCI wife Pamela and daughter-in-law Rani representative in the International Mukerjee. Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket • Chopra, who opened a legacy of South Council . Asian tourists flocking to Switzerland, • He served as the president of the loved to spend time in the country cricketing body from 25 September 2008 besides shooting his movies. to 19 September 2011. • This statue is installed at the heart of • He is holding the office of the president of Interlaken, inside the Kursaal area, near the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) the Congress Centre which is a prime, who is one of the three full members in popular spot with tourists. the state of Maharashtra.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 20

• He is also referred to as Mr. Clean and is Chase & Co, America’s largest bank. also known for his spotless track record The candidates on the list were judged and integrity in cricketing circles. on net worth, assets under management • Meanwhile in the Supreme Court, or overseen, three-year track records BCCI was questioned about their and influence on markets. apprehensiveness to implement the Lodha Committee reforms. President approves name of Four 14 Judges for Supreme Court Uday Kotak, only 13 Indian in Forbes Most Powerful On 11 May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee People in the signed the warrant for the appointment of four Financial World judges to the Supreme Court. list • On 4 May 2016 These names were On 11 May 2016 recommended by the Supreme Court Forbes magazine Collegium headed by Chief Justice Uday Kotak released the list of of India TS Thakur . These are the the Most Powerful suggested names People in the Financial World. • Justice AM Khanwilkar of the Madhya Pradesh High Court • The only Indian in the list is Uday Kotak, • Justice DY Chandrachud of the the CEO of the Kotak Mahindra Bank. Allahabad High Court • He is ranked 33rd in the list • Justice Ashok Bhushan of the Kerala • He has a net worth of 7.1 billion dollars High Court to the Supreme Court and oversees assets worth 34.6 billion • L Nageshwar Rao dollars. • These four will be sworn in as Supreme • The list has been topped by Stephen Court judges on 13 May 2016. Schwarzman of Blackstone Group • The judicial strength of the Supreme • Next on the list is David Tepper of Court will move up to 28. Appaloosa Management and Jamie • They are the first appointments Dimon of JP Morgan Chase & Co. since the collegium system of judicial • Stephen Schwarzman is the CEO of appointments was restored after Blackstone Group, the world’s biggest the National Judicial Appointments private equity firm. Commission Act was struck down. • David Teppere is the CEO of Appaloosa Management. • Jamie Dimon is the CEO of JPMorgan

where career starts 21

Manjit Singh, 15 appointed as member of President‘s Advisory Council

On 12 May 2016 US President Barack Obama Manjit Singh appointed an Indian-American engineer, Manjit Singh, as the member of President‘s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

The announcement came along with several other appointments made by the US President.

• Singh is the President of Agilious, a software technology consulting firm he founded in 2013. • He is the co-founder of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, a national Sikh American media, policy and education organization. • He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Guru Gobind Singh Foundation and also as a Member- at-Large of The Board of the Interfaith Conference of Metropolitan in Washington. • He is an engineering graduate of Bombay University. • He also received a Master of Science degree from the State University of New York in US. • Council work for : • Identifying best practices and successful

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 22

modes of delivering social services. experience and vision who has worked • Evaluating the need for improvements on some of the most challenging issues in the implementation and coordination of our time. of public policies relating to faith-based • Since starting her UN career as a senior and neighborhood organizations. logistics officer with the World Food • Making recommendations to the Programme in Rome in 1995, Samoura President and the Administration on has served as country representative changes in policies, programs, and or director in six countries, namely practices. Djibouti, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Madagascar and Nigeria. 16 Fatma Samoura • She speaks French (her mother tongue), named first English, Spanish and Italian. female secretary • Prior to joining the UN, Samoura general of FIFA spent eight years in the private sector, working in the fertiliser trading sector On 13 May for Senchim, a subsidiary of Industries 2016 FIFA Chimiques du Senegal. Council named a Senegalese UN Fatma Samoura Hinupur Pradeep diplomat Fatma 17 Rao appointed Samba Diouf Samoura as its first female as the Deputy Secretary General (SG). CAG

Samoura, 54-year-old, will assume the role of Senior audit FIFA Secretary General before mid-June after service officer undergoing an eligibility check administered Hindupur by an independent review committee. Pradeep Rao was Hinupur Pradeep Rao today appointed The announcement was made by FIFA as Deputy President Gianni Infantino at the 66th FIFA Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Congress in Mexico City. • Rao, a 1981 batch officer of Indian • Samoura is a 21-year veteran of United Audit and Account Service, is presently Nations programmes who is currently working as Additional CAG. the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian • The Appointments Committee of the Coordinator and UNDP Resident Cabinet has approved the appointment Representative in Nigeria. of Rao as Deputy CAG with effect • Fatma is a woman with international from July 1, 2016, an order issued by

where career starts 23

Department of Personnel and Training • High Court of the state of Tripura was said. established in March 2013. • The Comptroller and Auditor General is • Prior to the establishment, a bench of country‘s top auditing body. the Gauhati High Court used to have • In another order, the ACC has appointed jurisdiction over the state. A K Mittal as Member (Engineering) in • The seat of the High Court is at Agartala, Railway Board here. the capital of Tripura. • Mittal, who belong to Indian Railway • Deepak Gupta worked as the first Chief Service of Engineers, is presently General Justice of the court. Manager of East Central Railway. • This article empowers the President of • He has been appointed to the new post India to appoint acting Chief Justice to with effect from June 1, 2016. a High Court. • Appointment of acting Chief Justice 18 Justice takes place when the office of Chief Tinlianthang Justice of High Court is vacant. Vaiphei sworn • Such an appointment also takes place in as acting when any such Chief Justice is, by Chief Justice reason of absence or otherwise, unable of Tripura High to perform the duties of his office. Court Indian Army Justice 19 Successfully Tripura High Court Tinlianthang Summits Mount Vaiphei on 16 May Everest 2016 was sworn in as the acting Chief Justice of Tripura High Court. He was administered A team of six the oath of office by the Governor Tathagata Indian Army Roy at the Raj Bhavan in Agartala. mountaineers led by Lieutenant • At present Vaiphei is the Acting Chief Mount Everest Colonel Ranveer Justice of the Gauhati High Court. He Jamwal has replaced Deepak Kumar Gupta, who successfully summitted Mount Everest (8848 was transferred as the chief justice of metres) at dawn on 19th May 2016. the Chhattisgarh High Court. • Vaiphei was appointed as an Additional • Concurrently, the Lhotse Summit Judge in the Gauhati High Court in Team under Major Nooruddin Ahmed July 2003. He was elevated as the Chief is attempting to summit Mount Lhotse, Justice (Acting) in October 2015. the fourth highest peak in the world at

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 24

8501 metres. but that Beijing must respect Taiwan‘s • The Indian Army climbers were amongst democracy. the initial lot of mountaineers to • Earlier in January 2016, Tsai led the successfully climb Everest after a hiatus Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to of two years as the peak was closed a landslide win in parliamentary and due to the devastation caused by the presidential elections. earthquake in Nepal last year. • This is the only second time that DPP • The 30-member Indian Army’s Everest has won an election in Taiwan. The Massif Expedition 2016 was flagged off Kuomintang (KMT) has been in power by Lt Gen MMS Rai, Vice Chief of the for most of the past 70 years. Army Staff, on 30th March, 2016. • The DPP has traditionally leaned • Five members of the team will also be towards independence from China, and participating in the tough and intensive its victory has led to a cooling of cross- ‘Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon’ on straits relations. China sees Taiwan 29th May 2016, considered to be one as a breakaway province, which it has of the toughest trail marathons in the threatened to take back by force if world. necessary.

Tsai Ing-wen Rakesh Kumar Mishra appointed 20 sworn-in as first 21 as CCMB director women President of Taiwan Rakesh Kumar Mishra, has been appointed as the new Director of the Centre for Tsai Ing-wen Cellular and Molecular Biology by the Council was sworn-in as for Scientific and Industrial Research. the President of Taiwan on 20 May • He is a noted expert in the study of President of Taiwan 2016. With this, function of genes, she became the • He had joined CCMB in 2001 as a first woman to hold the post in Taiwan. senior scientist after stints at the IISc, Bangalore, the University of Bordeaux, • Before being presented the official seal, France, Saint Louise University, USA and 59-year-old, Tsai swore the presidential the University of Geneva, Switzerland oath in front of national flag. She for post-doctoral experience. succeeded outgoing President Ma Ying- • An MSc from Allahabad University, jeou. Mishra‘s research interests include • Tsai has said she will preserve the investigating evolutionarily conserved status quo in relations with China, features of genome organisation,

where career starts 25

chromatin structure and epigenetic Virendra Kataria on July 12 barely a regulation of genes during embryonic year after he had been appointed. Lt development stages. Governor of Andaman and Nicobar • The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Island Lt Gen Ajay Singh had been given Biology or CCMB is an Indian additional charge of Puducherry. Biotechnology research establishment of • Kiran Bedi is a retired Indian Police the Council of Scientific and Industrial Service officer, social activist, former Research located in Hyderabad, India, tennis player and politician from India. and a designated Center of Excellence • She remained in service for 35 years for Global Molecular and Cell Biology before taking voluntary retirement in Network, UNESCO. 2007 as Director General, Bureau of Police Research and Development. Kiran Bedi 22 Ratan P Watal appointed 23 Lieutenant appointed as Niti Governor of Aayog’s Principal Puducherry Adviser

BJP leader and Former Finance former IPS officer Secretary,Ratan Kiran Bedi was on P Watal has been appointed as the Kiran Bedi 22nd may 2016 appointed as Ratan P Watal Principle Adviser Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. for social sector in Niti Aayog. He has been appointed to the post This post was under the additional charge of for three years. Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Island for nearly two years. The new appointment for Watal comes a fortnight after his two-month extended tenure • The appointment comes three days after ended in April. the Congress-DMK alliance won 17 seats in the 30-member state Assembly. He was to retire in February. However, Watal AIADMK, which contested the elections later got a two-month extension as the Finance on its own, won four seats while BJP Secretary. could not get even a single seat. • The LG post in the Union territory had Watal, a retired IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh been lying vacant after the Narendra cadre, had been Finance Secretary between Modi Government sacked UPA nominee August last year and April this year.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 26

Erdogan ally to • The National Institution for 24 be new Turkish Transforming India Aayog or NITI Aayog Prime Minister is a Government of India policy think- tank established by Prime Minister Turkey’s Narendra Modi to replace the Planning governing Justice Commission. and Development • The stated aim for NITI Aayog’s creation Party elected is to foster involvement and participation President Recep in the economic policy-making process Erdogan ally Tayyip Erdogan by the State Governments of India. to become its new • It has adopted a “bottom-up” approach in leader and prime minister, paving the way for planning which is a remarkable contrast a constitutional overhaul that would allow the to the Planning Commission’s tradition president to extend his powers. of “top-down” decision-making. • One of the important mandates of NITI • Binali Yildirim, the sole candidate for Aayog is to bring cooperative competitive prime minister, received votes from all federalism and to improve centre state 1,405 delegates at a party congress. relation . • Later Mr. Erdogan gave Mr. Yildirim the • This is well reflected when Indian official mandate to form a government. Prime Minister appointed three sub- • The previous Prime Minister, Ahmet groups of chief ministers for making Davutoglu, abruptly stepped down recommendations in three important on May 5 after a public rift with Mr. areas (centrally sponsored schemes, Erdogan. skill development and Swachh Bharat). • Mr. Yildirim, 60, is expected to play a • NITI Aayog will provide opportunities, subservient role to the president, and to that the previous Planning Commission push forward a series of constitutional structure lacked, to represent the amendments that would allow Mr. economic interests of the State Erdogan to establish an all-powerful Governments and Union Territories of presidential system. India. • Party leaders announced that the new government would work in harmony with the president to realize central goals for Turkey’s future. • Sentiments expressed at the party congress have been echoed by pro- government columnists, who have called for “obedience” to the “chief” since Mr.

where career starts 27

Davutoglu’s resignation. • He was elected as the Honorary Secretary of the BCCI in January 2015. 25 Anurag Thakur • He played one match in first-class becomes cricket representing Himachal Pradesh BCCI‘S one of and leading the team as captain in a the youngest match against Jammu and Kashmir in president the 2000/2001 season.

On 22 May 2016 Lt General Anurag Thakur 26 SK Saini new Anurag Thakur was unanimously commandant of elected as 34th Indian Military BCCI President at the board’s special general Academy meeting (SGM) in Mumbai. Lt General S K • He will serve as President until Saini has taken September 2017. over as the new • Thakur is a BJP MP in Lok Sabha from SK Saini commandant of Himachal Pradesh‘s Hamirpur district, prestigious Indian is the second youngest BCCI chief. Military Academy (IMA). • Fateh Singh Gaekwad in 1963 became the youngest BCCI President at the age • Lt General Saini assumed the office of of 33. commandant on May 21. Earlier, he • Thakur succeeds Shashank Manohar was a senior directing staff in National who stepped down from the position to Defence College (NDC), New Delhi, take up the ICC chief‘s job. Manohar according to press release issued by was elected the ICC‘s first independent IMA. chairman on 12 May 2016. • Lt General Saini is an alumni of National • Before being appointed as President, Defence Academy (NDA) and IMA. In Thakur resigned as BCCI Secretary. 1981, he was commissioned to seventh Thakur, 41, will also represent the BCCI battalion of Jat regiment. on the ICC executive board and the • In his career of 36 years, he has held Asian Cricket Council. many important posts. • He is the son of Prem Kumar Dhumal, • The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun the former Chief Minister of Himachal is the officer training Academy of the Pradesh. Indian Army. IMA was established in the • He has been a member of 14th, 15th year 1932. and 16th Lok Sabha. • During the Indian independence

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 28

struggle, Indian leaders recognized the join the Asom Gana Parishad in 2001, need for a local military institution to founded by his erstwhile seniors in the meet the needs of an armed force loyal students‘ organisation, and was elected to sovereign India. the party‘s MLA from Upper Assam‘s • The British Raj was reluctant to Moran constituency in 2001. commission Indian officers or to permit • In 2004, he went on to successfully local officer training. contest the Lok Sabha polls wresting the • Until World War I Indians were not seat for the first time from the Congress eligible for commission as officers in the by defeating former Union Minister Indian Army. Paban Singh Ghatowar. • He went on to become the BJP state unit Sonowal President in 2012 and was credited with 27 becomes BJP‘s raising the party‘s tally to seven from the first Chief earlier four and reducing the Congress‘ Minister in margin to three from seven in the 2014 Assam Parliamentary polls.

Sarbananda Bangar Sonowal was 28 appointed sworn in as India‘s coach for Sonowal the 14th chief Zimbabwe tour minister of Assam. Sanjay Bangar has been • Sonowal was sworn in by Governor appointed as the Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya. He head coach of took his oath in Assamese. the Indian team Sanjay Bangar • Along with Sonowal, 10 ministers for the upcoming including from alliance partners Asom limited-overs series in Zimbabwe. Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo Peoples Front (BPF) also took their oath of office • Bangar, the ex-India and Railways all at the function which was also attended rounder, had been part of the Indian by BJP President Amit Shah. team as assistant coach till the World • The two from AGP to be sworn-in were T20. Atul Bora (Jr) and Kesab Mahanta, while • The BCCI, however, didn’t appoint a the two from BPF were Pramila Rani bowling coach for the short series during Brahma and Rihan Daimary. which India will play three ODIs and as • From AASU he predictably went on to many T20 internationals, starting June

where career starts 29

11. growth, customer life cycle management • Bangar had been witnessing a fine and building marketing capabilities season as a coach, taking Kings XI across the organisation. Punjab to the IPL 7 final and winning • The deal is said to be 30% in cash and many accolades. 70% in stock. The transaction • His job in the Indian team became more was done at a $5 billion valuation for hands-on as Fletcher left after the 2015 Snapdeal. World Cup. • Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal • Sanjay Bapusaheb Bangar About this Bahl said here on Wednesday that the sound pronunciation. joint entity would create the country‘s • He is a former Indian cricketer. largest mobile commerce platform with • He was an all-rounder and had over 40 million customers. About half of represented India in Tests and One Day that comes from FreeCharge. Internationals. • Flipkart, with which Snapdeal is in • He is current batting coach of Indian fierce competition, has 30 million cricket team since August 2014 registered users. Flipkart had acquired online clothing firm Myntra for over 29 Govind Rajan $330 million last year. became CEO of Snapdeal owned Trinamool Congress supremo Freecharge 30 Mamata Banerjee sworn in as Chief Minister of West Bengal Snapdeal-owned for second successive five-year digital payments term. platform Freecharge, Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Govind Rajan has recently Banerjee sworn in as Chief Minister of West announced a top Bengal on Friday, beginning her second stint level rejig at the company with the appointment in the once-Left dominated State. of Govind Rajan as the Chief Executive Officer. • Forty-one ministers, including 17 new Freecharge had teamed up with Yes Bank faces, were sworn in along with her in to launch a digital wallet that will allow batches at a function at Red Road in consumers make payments for transactions central Kolkata. on both Freecharge and Snapdeal. • Among the new entrants in the ministry were singer Indranil Sen, cricketer • Prior to Snapdeal, Rajan was overseeing Laxmi Ratan Shukla, dissident Marxist Airtel‘s revenue and market share leader Adbur Razzak Molla, powerful

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 30

Muslim leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury general secretary, did not contest the and a couple of former IPS officers. elections. • Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and • There were three contenders for the Minister of State for Urban Development chief minister‘s post - former chief Babul Supriyo attended the swearing-in minister V.Vaithilingam, party chief ceremony. A.Namassivayam and Narayanasamy. • Her council of ministers includes five • The Congress-DMK alliance won a Minister of States (Independent Charge) simple majority by bagging 17 of the 30 and 8 MoS. Assembly seats. • West Bengal has always had a very • He is a former Member of the Parliament strong hold for Mamta. of India who represented Puducherry • Narendra Modi’s Language and his constituency. speeches also worked against the BJP • In the 2014 general elections, he which lead to the defeat of BJP in the was defeated by the NDA candidate state. R.Radhakrishnan who was backed by the ruling All India N.R. Congress. 31 V Narayana- • He is a member of the Congress Working swamy to be Committee as well as All India Congress Puducherry Committee‘s General Secretary. Chief Minister

V Narayana- swamy is going to sworn in as the Chief Minister of V Narayanaswamy Puducherry.

• The decision came after the state party leaders consulted the party high command in Delhi on the choice of chief minister. • Senior Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and party general secretary Mukul Wasnik attended the meeting as AICC observers. • Narayanasamy was elected unanimously by all the Congress legislators. • Narayanasamy, who is also a party

where career starts 31

AWAR DS

Swat activist Former 1 Tabassum Adnan 2 bureaucrat NK won 2016 Nelson Singh selected Mandela Award. for Japan’s highest civilian On 28 April award 2016 Tabassum Adnan, from Swat Former valley of Pakistan, bureaucrat and Swat activist won the Mandela NK Singh MP Nand Kishore - Graça Machel Singh have been Innovation Award 2016 in Bogota, Colombia. awarded with ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver’ which is a Japan’s highest civilian • She won the award on the concluding award. day of the International Civil Society Week held from 25 April to 28 April • He was chosen for this prestigious award 2016. for promoting economic, educational • She has been a victim of child marriage, and cultural ties between India and & was married at the age of 13. Japan. • The marriage went through domestic • He is among 91 foreign recipients to abuse, ended after 20 years . be honoured during the 2016 Spring • She is the founder of Khwendo Jirga Imperial Decoration of Japan by Emperor (Sister‘s Council), which is the first Akihito during the investiture ceremony women-only jirga in Pakistan. in May 2016. • The council meets weekly & speaks • N K Singh is a politician, economist and of women‘s right, including honour former Indian Administrative Service killings, and acid attacks. officer (IAS) from Bihar cadre. • The jirga campaigns for women in • He had served as a MP in the Rajya Swat Valley, including issues related to Sabha (2008-2014) from Bihar. women‘s security and their voting rights. • He was also Principal Secretary to • In March 2015, Adnan, was awarded the Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee. He was International Women of Courage award also connected with International in the US. organisations like World Bank, IMF and UNDP.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 32

• He also had served as Chairman, Board of • Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Governors of Management Development Film Of A Director -Neeraj Ghaywan for Institute (MDI), Gurgaon. Masaan • Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese • Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Government highest civilian established Entertainment - Bajrangi Bhaijaan in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. • Best Children‘s Film - Duronto • It is conferred in recognition of • Best Direction - Sanjay Leela Bhansali distinguished accomplishments of an for Bajirao Mastani individual. • Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film • The modern version of the order is being on National Integration - Nanak Shah given to non-Japanese recipients from Fakir 1981. • Best Film on Environment / Conservation/Preservation - Valiya 3 President Pranab Chirakulla Pakshikal Mukherjee • Best Film on Social Issue - Niranayakam conferred 63rd • Best Actor - Amitabh Bachchan for Piku National Film • Best Actress - Kangana Ranaut for Tanu Awards Weds Manu Returns • Best Supporting Actor - Samuthirakani President Pranab for Visaranai Mukherjee on • Best Supporting Actress - Tanvi Azmi for 3 May 2016 Bajirao Mastani Pranab Mukherjee conferred • Best Child Artist - Gaurav Menon for National film awards for the year 2015 in Ben various categories at the 63rd National Film • Best Male Playback Singer - Mahesh Awards Function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Kale for Katyar Kaljat Ghusali Delhi. • Best Female Playback Singer - Monali Thakur for Moh Moh Ke Dhaag (Dum • The President also conferred 2015 Dada Laga Ke Haisha) Saheb Phalke Award to Manoj Kumar. • Amitabh Bachchan received the 4 President Pranab Mukherjee Best Actor honour for his role of a confers Niryat Shree and Niryat hypochondriac father in Piku. While Bandhu Awards Kangana Ranaut received the Best Actress Award for Tanu Weds Manu On 4 May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee Returns. conferred the 15th set of Federation of Indian • Best Feature Film - Baahubali: The Export Organisations (FIEO) Niryat Shree and Beginning Niryat Bandhu Awards in New Delhi.

where career starts 33

• Reliance Industry was adjudged as US dollars). the top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years. Parashar Kulkarni is an assistant professor in • TCS bagged the Gold Award in IT Social Sciences at Yale NUS College Singapore. services. • State Bank of India got the Gold award He is one of the five winners of 2016 • President also unveiled the brand new Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Winners FIEO Logo representing growth, vibrancy, from other four regions are: innovation and entrepreneurship. • It was set up in 1965 and completed 50 • Faraaz Mahomed - ‘The Pigeon’ with its years . playful tone and unreliable narrator • The Federation recently moved to Niryat • Stefanie Seddon - Eel, a simply told and Bhawan, New Delhi. moving story of childhood • It extended its arms to support the State • Lance Dowrich - comedic ‘Ethelbert and Governments through formulation of the Free Cheese’ Export Strategy and Export Policy. • Tina Makereti - ‘Black Milk’, which • The Trade Portal developed by FIEO impressed with a lyricism that takes the has provided single window information reader into another world while keeping on all facets of international trade for them always on earth Indian Exim community. Now the regional winners will compete with each other for being selected 5 Indian Parashar as the overall winner of the 2016 Kulkarni Commonwealth Short Story Prize. This wins 2016 will be announced at the Calabash Commonwealth International Literary Festival in Short Story Jamaica on 5 June 2016. Prize for Asia The overall winner will receive 5000 Region pounds (7670 US dollars). Other Indian authors, who were Indian Parashar shortlisted for the award in the regional Parashar Kulkarni Kulkarni won the shortlist include Commonwealth • Kritika Pandey for Dirty White Strings Short Story Prize for 2016, for the Asia region. • Sumit Ray for Girdhars Mansion • Vinayak Varma for Instant Karma He was awarded for his politically grounded unpublished short fiction ‚Cow and Company‘.

He will get a cash prize of 2500 pounds (3835

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 34

President Minister Narendra Modi, Defence 6 Mukherjee Minister Manohar Parrikar, and the presents three services Chiefs were present in the gallantry awards ceremony. to defence personnel Indian-American Revathi 7 Balakrishnan named as 2016 On 10th May 2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the President Pranab Year President Mukherjee Mukherjee presented the Indian-American elementary teacher, Revathi Gallantry Awards and the Distinguished Balakrishnan was honoured by US President Service Decorations to defence personnel and Barack Obama at the White House. martyrs posthumously at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here. She was named as 2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. • Sepoy Jagdish was awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously. He made the She received the honour for her excellent work supreme sacrifice during terror attack in the field of education at Patsy Sommer at Pathankot Air Base Elementary School in Texas. • Subedar Mahendra Singh was awarded Kirti Chakra. • She is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who • Jammu and Kashmir Police Head attributes her success in the field of Constable Mohammed Shafi Sheikh education to her love of teaching. and Constable Reyaz Ahmed Lone were • She was a systems analyst with Liberty awarded Shaurya Chakra. Mutual, • Second in Command of CRPF 7th • She taught math classes in third through Batallion Hira Kumar Jha who was fifth grade at Sommer at Sommer awarded Shaurya Chakra. Elementary for six years • Commander Milind Mokashi who saved • Then she used to teach at Forest North more than 16 hundred persons from Elementary for three years. war torn Yemen was also presented with • She earned her economics degree from Shaurya Chakra. University of Madras. • Sixteen personnel were awarded Param • It identifies exceptional teachers in the Vishisht Seva Medal and Twenty Four United States of America. Personnel were awarded Ati Vishisht • The honour recognizes their effective Seva Medal. work in the classroom, engages them in • Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime a year of professional learning, amplifies

where career starts 35

their voices and empowers them to President participate in policy discussions at the 9 confers Florence state and national levels. Nightingale Awards. 8 Hockey India recommended On 12 May 2016 Ritu Rani and President Pranab VR Raghunath Mukherjee for Arjuna Award conferred Florence Nightingale the Florence On 11 May Nightingale 2016 Hockey India Awards to 35 nurses recommended Hockey India Indian women’s It was done on the occasion of International team captain Ritu Rani, VR Raghunath, Nurses Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Dharamvir Singh for Arjuna Award. Delhi. • It also recommended Sylvanus Dung Dung for Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime The day is celebrated worldwide on May 12 Achievement Award every year to commemorate the birth day of • It also recommended CR Kumar for Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses’ Dronacharya Award. contributions towards public health. • VR Ragunath debuted for Indian Hockey team in 2005 against Pakistan for • These awards are given to the outstanding bilateral series. nursing personnel employed in Union, • He was part of Indian team that won the State/Union Territories. bronze in the 2007 Sultan Azlan Shah • The awards carry 50000 rupees cash Cup and Silver in 2008. prize, a certificate, a citation certificate • Ritu Rani led the team to achieve the and a Medal. 2016 Rio Olympic berth. • Dorothy Sutherland in the year 1953 • Dharamvir Singh was also a part of the first proposed this very idea 2014 Asian Games gold medal winning • It was first celebrated by the International team. Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965. • Sylvanus Dung Dung was part of the • May 12 was declared to be celebrated as Indian team that won the gold at the the birthday anniversary of the founder 1980 Moscow Olympic Games of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale • CR Kumar is best known for guiding in January in 1974. the Indian junior men’s hockey team to glory in the 2011 Junior World Cup.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 36

Anjali Douglas, long-standing U.N. Messenger 10 Chandrashekhar of Peace. comes 3rd in UN Poster for Peace 11 Harvey Milk contest Foundation to Honor Bollywood Anjali Chand- Actress Celina rashekar, won the Jaitly third prize at the Anjali Chandrashekhar United Nations Former beauty Poster for Peace queen, Bollywood Contest. actress and Celina Jaitly global human • She received the award at the U.N. rights activist Headquarters in New York on May 3. Celina Jaitly, will be honored May 13 by the • Two of Anjali’s works were selected — Harvey Milk Foundation at the second annual ‘Break Free’ and ‘Cutting a Peace Deal’. Diversity Honors at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino • ‘Break Free’ shows white peace doves in Hollywood, Florida. fly out of a cage shaped like a nuclear warhead, while the other poster was • She is a strong supporter of repealing about affirmative action — the dove acts Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, like scissors and cuts through the image which criminalizes homosexuality, of a warhead, towards peace. • Jaitly will receive the Harvey Milk • Anajli, who studied at PSBB Senior Foundation’s Lilla Watson Global Secondary School and went on to Champion Medal at the gala co-presented graduate from Pratt Institute in the U.S., by the Harvey Milk Foundation and The is no stranger to using her talent for a Pride Center at Equality Park. cause — to raise funds and to create • Jaitly, is an official Champion of the awareness. She’s been doing it since she United Nations Free & Equal Campaign, was 10, and has participated in several will be honored for her advocacy and U.N. campaigns in the past. support for the LGBT rights movement • This campaign was to commemorate the in India. 70th anniversary of the first General • A former Miss India winner and Miss Assembly Resolution and to reaffirm the Universe runner-up, she is one of the U.N.’s historic commitment to nuclear most visible advocates against the disarmament. At the U.N., she also met criminalization of same-sex relationships the President of the General Assembly in the world’s largest democracy. Mogens Lykketoft and actor Michael • Jaitly will join other Diversity Honors

where career starts 37

notables to be celebrated for their May. commitment to transforming lives by living authentically and advancing • Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav inclusiveness. served in the U.N. Organization • Guests at Diversity Honors will preview Stabilization Mission in the Democratic the North American premiere of the Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Levi’s X Harvey Milk Foundation Pride • He made the supreme sacrifice in April 2016 Collection 2015. • The awards presentation will be hosted • Rifleman Manish Malik also served by WSVN news anchor Omar Lewis and in the U.N. Organization Stabilization will include Stuart Milk’s 2016 “State of Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Global Equality” address. the Congo. • He died in August 2015 during the 5 Indians mission. 12 posthumously • Havildar Amal Deka served in the United awarded Nations Disengagement Observer Force with Dag (UNDOF). Hammarskjold • He died in June 2015. Medal of UN • Naik Rakesh Kumar served in the U.N. Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The United • He died in January 2015. Nations in the • Gagan Punjabi was serving in MONUSCO Dag Hammarskjold third week of May in a civilian capacity under the U.N. 2016 announced Volunteers programme and died in an that four Indian peacekeepers and a civilian will incident in January 2015. be honoured along with other 124 personnel The Dag Hammarskjöld Medal is a with a prestigious U.N. medal. posthumous award given by the United Nations to military personnel, police or Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav,Rifleman civilians who lose their lives while serving Manish Malik, Havildar Amal Deka, Naik in a UN peacekeeping operation.The first Rakesh Kumar and Gagan Punjabi will be medals were awarded in October 1998. honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal awarded posthumously.

The 124 personnel will be honoured on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. The day, observed annually on 29 May, will be commemorated this year on 19

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 38

South Korea‘s Krasznahorkai (2015), Lydia Davis 13 Jan Kang won (2013), Philip Roth (2011), Alice Munro Man Booker (2009), Chinua Achebe (2007) and Ismail International Kadare (2005). • The prize is sponsored by Man Group, The South Korean who also sponsor the annual Man Booker author Han Kang prize for English language fiction. has been named the winner of the 14 “Vesak Samman Prashasti Jan Kang 2016 Man Booker Patra-2016” Awards Presented International to Buddhist scholars Prize for her novel The Vegetarian, splitting the £50,000 prize with her translator, Deborah On 21st May ‘International Buddha Poornima Smith. Diwas 2016’ was celebrated to commemorate Buddha’s Birth, Sambodhiprapti and • The Vegetarian, published by Portobello Mahaparinirvana falling on the auspicious full Books, the UK independent publisher, is moon day of the month of Vaishakh. Ms Han’s first novel to be translated into English. • Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Home • It is the strange story of Yeong-hye, a Affairs was the Chief Guest. Dr. Mahesh Korean wife who, seeking a more “plant- Sharma, Minister of State for Culture & like existence”, decides to become Tourism (I/C) and Civil Aviation, Shri vegetarian — a rebellious decision that Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home flouts the traditions of her family and Affairs and Shri Upendra Kushwaha, country. Minister of State for Human Resources • Ms Smith, 28, started to learn Korean Development were present at the only seven years ago, when she moved occasion. to Korea. • Bhaghwan Buddha was a very large • It was Ms Smith who proposed the idea hearted person and solutions to all of translating The Vegetarian. problems of mankind are contained in • She also worked on Ms Han’s second his teachings. novel to be translated into English, • Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar adopted Human Acts. Buddism as he was greatly influenced • Ms Smith is also the founder of Tilted with the sacred teachings of Bhagwan Axis Press, a non-profit publishing Buddha. house that promotes the translation of • He wished all Buddhists worldwide on literature from Africa and Asia. this auspicious occasion. • Previous prize winners include László • Ministry of Tourism has launched a

where career starts 39

programme namely “Swadesh Darshan” awarded to Delbert Mann for Marty. which has a special component of • As of 2016, Jane Campion is the only “Buddhist Circuit” which connects female director to have won the Palme all religious places of Buddhism very d‘Or for The Piano. conveniently • It previews new films of all genres, • Government of India attaches great including documentaries, from around importance to Buddh Poornima and now the world. onwards it will be celebrated every year • It was founded in 1946. like this. • On 1 July 2014, co-founder and former • UN recognizes the importance of this head of French pay-TV operator Canal+ day. The UN Day of Vesak Celebration Pierre Lescure took over as President of is internationally a cultural and the festival. humanistic festival of the United Nations Routes 2 Roots, International Organizing Committee. 16 a Delhi-based Non-profit 15 I, Daniel Blake‘ won Palme d‘Or organization at Cannes 2016 (NGO), has been awarded British director Ken Loach‘s film I, Daniel Blake prestigious on 22 May 2016 won the Palme d‘Or at Cannes Inter-cultural Film Festival. It was Loach‘s second award for Innovation best picture at the festival after 2006‘s The Award 2016 NGO Wind That Shakes the Barley. Routes 2 Roots, • Loach is an English film and television a Delhi-based Non-profit organization (NGO), director. has been awarded prestigious Inter-cultural • He is known for his naturalistic, social Innovation Award 2016. realist directing style and for his socialist ideals. • The award was given by United Nations • His 1969 film Kes was voted the 7th Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in greatest British film of the 20th century Baku, Azerbaijan. in a poll by the British Film Institute. • Under this programme, students from • The Palme d‘Or (Golden Palm) is the both countries connect with each other highest prize awarded at the Cannes through written, audio and visual Film Festival. recordings that share history before • It was introduced in 1955 by the partition and thus help in eliminating organizing committee. misunderstandings about each other’s • In 1955, the first Palme d‘Or was cultures.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 40

• This engagement also facilitates the 1968 and is the highest honour given to students to ask each other questions, any alumni of the institute. thereby discovering common interests. • Mittal serves on the Prime Minister of • Intercultural Innovation Award: It has India’s Council on Trade & Industry and been instituted by a partnership between has held various prestigious positions UNAOC and the BMW Group. like Vice-Chairman of International • Formed with a vision of ‘connecting Chamber of Commerce (ICC). cultures’, constantly striving to bridge • He was also felicitated with a Padma the socio-cultural distance between Bhushan, country’s third highest India and the world through music and civilian honour, in 2007. art thereby becoming cultural diplomats • Mittal also founded Bharti Airtel, the to the world. country’s largest telecommunications • Ever since its inception (2004) our company. shows and exhibitions have traveled to • Airtel is the first company to launch 4G more than 20 cities in India and to 12 Services in India. international cities in Russia, China, • Apart from strong marketing and market United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Pakistan value Airtel has also been in many and South Africa. controversies. • It has always been the motto of R2R to • Airtel is known for its wide network bring much needed global integrity & coverage and fluent flow of data services harmony amongst people, cultures and values across borders and especially in 18 Indian-American SAARC countries. scientist Arnab De has received 17 Sunil Bharti the prestigious Mittal, received Springer Theses the Harvard Award. B-School Alumni award An Indian- American Sunil Bharti Arnab De scientist Arnab Mittal, the founder De has received and chairman the prestigious Springer Theses Award in Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti recognition for his outstanding research in Enterprises, which he developed transgenic mice to study a received the Alumni Achievement Award of critical tumor-suppressor called A20. Harvard Business School. • The award is presented annually since • Arnab De‘s thesis was nominated by

where career starts 41

New York‘s Columbia University. Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar for the year 2016 • Before this, De, who has also developed at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. peptide-based prod rugs as therapeutics for diabetes, had received the Young • The award was conferred upon 15 Investigator Award at the American teachers from Punjab for their rare Peptide Symposium. contribution in the field of education. • The thesis prize is awarded by Springer, • The awardees were facilitated with 1 lakh a leading global publisher of renowned rupees cash, certificate of excellence, a scientific journals and books, to Robe of Honour and a medal. recognize outstanding PhD research. • The initiative was mainly taken to • Winners also get a cash prize of 500 promote the quality teaching in the Euros. schools besides encouraging the • The research work was highlighted hundred percent attendance of girl by the European Molecular Biology students in the government schools. Organization (EMBO) Reports. • The Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar was • Only research considered to be of instituted by Mohinder Singh Syngle ‚fundamental relevance to a general Education & Research Society. readership‘ is chosen to be highlighted • It was instituted in honour of its founder by EMBO. Malti Mohinder Singh Syngle, eminent • Internationally top-ranked research educationist and social worker. institutes select their best thesis • Every year, government school teachers annually for publication in this series. from Punjab Government’s High & Nominated and endorsed by two Higher Secondary Schools receive this recognized specialists, each thesis is award for their contributions in the field chosen for its scientific excellence and of education. impact on research. • The teachers already awarded with the National or State Awards were not 19 President Pranab considered for this award. Mukherjee presented Malti 20 AR Rehman Gyan Peeth conferred Puraskar 2016 Japan‘s Fukuoka Prize The President of India Pranab Adding to the Mukherjee on Academy Award- Gyan Peeth Puraskar 29 May 2016 winning Jai Ho presented the AR Rehman composer‘s vast

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 42

collection of wins, the ceremony had Rahman • Allah-Rakha Rahman, born A. S. Dileep presenting a lecture on „From The Heart: The Kumar, is an Indian composer, singer- World of AR Rahman‘s Music.“ songwriter, music producer, musician and philanthropist. • The Fukuoka Prize is an honour • A.R. Rahman‘s works are noted for established in 1990 by the city of integrating Eastern classical music Fukuoka and the Yokatopia foundation. with electronic music, world music and • It was meant to pay a tribute to the traditional orchestral arrangements. works of individuals and organisations, • Among his awards are two Academy who have promoted and preserved the Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA diverse and rich culture of Asia. Award, a Golden Globe, four National • Divided into three categories — Grand Film Awards, fifteen Filmfare Awards Prize, Academic Prize and Arts and and thirteen Filmfare Awards South. Culture Prize — this year‘s winning • Rahman‘s body of work for film and list saw Rahman sharing the stage stage has given him the nickname of with historian Ameth R Ocampo from „the Mozart of Madras“, and Tamil Philippines (Academic Prize) and commentators and fans call him Isai Yasmeen Lari from Pakistan (Arts and Puyal Culture Prize).

where career starts 43

NATIONAL NEWS

• Usage of left luggage offices for storage Railways launch of luggage at nominal rates. 1 Indrail Pass for • The Indrail pass is non-transferable. foreigners It should always be carried along with

your passport. Indrail Pass makes it easier Centre for tourists, from 2 government abroad, to buy LED scheme this pass and launched in travel to any part Indrail Pass Madhya Pradesh of the country without any limitation. On 30 April 2016 Piyush • The pass will be valid for a fixed period Goyal launched of time. National LED • there would be No reservation fee for LED programme - berths or seats. Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) • Rail reservations can be arranged from in Madhya Pradesh. the UK, if the Indrail pass is purchased well in advance. The scheme is being implemented by Energy • Rail reservations are arranged FREE Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint of cost, thus saving time by avoiding venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of lengthy queues at railway stations for Power. rail bookings. • No sleeper berth surcharge for night • Under this Programme, 3 crore LED journeys for any class of accommodation Bulbs will be distributed in the next 6 (indirect saving of hotel cost). months in the State. • No extra charge for travelling by faster • UJALA will not only help reduce trains. consumers their electricity bills but • Free meals on Rajdhani & Shatabdi also contribute to the energy security of expresses. India. • Railway retiring rooms at nominal rates • The usage of LED bulbs will not only (subject to availability). result in reducing electricity bills but • Access to waiting halls at stations. also help in environment protection.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 44

• The distribution of LED bulbs will city. happen through DISCOM offices. • Raymond Ltd will extend all possible • Consumers can buy these affordable help to the state government in setting LEDs by presenting any identity card. up the Apparel Park here with a full- These bulbs come with a three year free fledged fashion designing facility. replacement warranty . • Chairman and Managing Director of • The UJALA scheme played a significant Raymond Ltd Gautam Hari Singhania role in creating awareness about energy will invest Rs 1,400 crore and the unit efficient lighting. will provide job opportunities to about • The number of LED bulbs distributed in 8,000 persons. 2015-16 has crossed 15 crore • The Nandgoan MIDC is spread across • For 2016, the Union Government is set 200 hectares in Amravati . to distribute an additional 20 crore LED • Raymond will start production by March bulbs. 31 next year • Sustained efforts under UJALA, • Raymond has a unit in Yavatmal and coupled with industry support, will help the cotton growers the government achieve its objective of • Maharashtra Industries Minister replacing 77 crore inefficient bulbs by Subhash Desai appreciated the steps March 2019. being taken by Raymond to revive the • UJALA is the largest non-subsidised life of local farmers in the region. LED programme in the world. Union Maha Govt to 4 Government 3 develop textiles banned import park at Amravati of dogs for commercial Maharashtra breeding. government has planned to On 27 April 2016 develop Amravati, Indian govt. issued as a textiles commercial breeding a notification Textiles park city to promote banning the this industry in import of dogs for commercial breeding. cotton-growing areas of the Vidarbha region. • Animal rights organizations had raised • The Nandgaon industrial estate would be concerns over foreign breed dogs developed as „textile park“ and Amravati suffering due to unsuitable climatic would soon be recognised as the textiles conditions

where career starts 45

• Humane Society International (HSI) • Extension was given so that private cab and People for Animals along with other companies could switch to CNG vehicles groups had urged the government to by 1 May 2016. ban the import on dogs for breeding as • Supreme Court allowed Delhi Police and it was resulting in the overpopulation of Delhi Jal Board to buy and register the street dogs in the country. new diesel-run vehicles of 2000 cc engine • Large number of dogs that are not capacity and above for transportation suitable for the country’s tropical climate of under trial prisoners, arms and such as St Bernards, Siberian Huskies, ammunition and supply of water. Alaskan Malamutes and others are • SC Had stopped sale of diesel SUVs and being imported by breeders in India. luxury cars with more than 2000 cc • Many imported breed dogs are being engine capacity in 2015. abandoned by the owners • Later SC asked Delhi Police to pay 30 • Animal rights groups also urged the percent of the real value of the vehicle government to review pet shop and to be purchased by it as Environment breeder regulations as recommended by Compensation Charge (ECC) or green cess the Law Commission of India. as a pre-condition for their registration • In 2015, the commission published a with the transport department. report on Need to Regulate Pet Shops • SC, exempted Delhi Jal Board (DJB) from and Dog Breeding and Aquarium Fish paying ECC on the ground that around Breeding 250 water tankers would be supplying water to the citizens of the city. 5 Supreme Court • The court allowed the plea of police and banned all diesel allowed to register on payment of ECC. cabs in NCR- Delhi from May Indian Railways 1. 6 to plant trees alongside On 30 April 2016 Railway Track The Supreme Court of India On 2 May NCR-Delhi decided to extend 2016 Indian the deadline for Railways signed keep out diesel cabs in National Capital Region a MoU with forest (NCR). Indian Railways departments of Haryana and Earlier deadline was 1 April 2016, but it was Punjab to plant trees alongside Railway Track extended for a month. on Railway Land Boundary.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 46

The MoU was signed by Pankaj Saxena, Chief the Union Ministry of Science & Technology Engineer /P&D, Northern Railway on behalf of inked licence agreements with M/s Nabagram Railways whereas it was by Dr Amrinder Kaur, Resham Shilpa Unnayan Cooperative Society Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Ltd and M/s Dariapur Rural Development from forest departments. Society, Kalia Chak of West Bengal for the commercialization of Ghar Sodhon. • Railway can contribute substantially towards the Green India Mission. • It is a user friendly and non-corrosive • Forest department is involved in the room disinfectant, devoid of the plantation as well as maintenance and requirement of labour, water, electricity disposal of trees, thus bringing in the and spraying machines. much needed expertise in afforestation. • It has been developed at the Central Silk • Plantation along the railway track Research & Training Institute (CSRTI), on railway land boundary by Forest Berhampore, West Bengal, a constituent department Research Institute under Central Silk • It will be done without declaring such Board, Bengaluru, under the Union land as protected forest with the Ministry of Textiles. provision for resumption of such land at • It is gaining popularity among the silk any time by railways . farmers of the States of West Bengal, • It will thus ensure no hindrance to Odisha and Jharkhand. railway works / developmental projects. With this agreement both organizations • Railway land will be protected from will put efforts to bring the fruits of encroachment. research for awareness and betterment • All Zonal railways have been asked to of the society. execute similar agreement between their zones and concerned State Forest 8 Supreme Court departments as early as possible. appointed RM Lodha-panel to 7 NRDC signed reform Medical agreements Council of India for commercialization of Ghar On 2 May 2016 Sodhon The Supreme Court of India National Research RM Lodha-panel appointed a Development three-member Corporation panel headed by former Chief Justice of India NRDC (NRDC), under (CJI) RM Lodha to oversee the functions of the

where career starts 47

Medical Council of India. 600 mega watts coal-based thermal power plant in M.P. The panel consists of former CAG Vinod Rai and Dr SK Sareen. • The unit was commissioned at the 1x600 MW Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP) • The court appointed the panel after MCI • Jhabua Power Ltd is A subsidiary of has been accused of corrupt. Avantha Power & Infrastructure Limited • A parliamentary committee report said (APIL) which has developed the project. that the MCI was repeatedly found short • This is the second project of APIL of fulfilling its mandated responsibilities, commissioned by BHEL. • Medical graduates lacked competence • 1×600 MW Avantha Bhandar TPP at in performing basic healthcare tasks. Raigarh in Chhattisgarh has already Instances of unethical practices been commissioned. continued to grow. The MCI was not • Madhya Pradesh has two supercritical able to spearhead any serious reforms units of 800 MW for NTPC at Gadarwara in medical education. • BHEL was established in 1964 and • Earlier, RM Lodha headed a three- completely owned by Union Government. member panel appointed by the top court • BHEL was awarded a Maharatna to look into the 2013 betting scandal in Company status in 2013. the Indian Premier league (IPL) and the • BHEL is largest engineering and functioning of the Board of Control for manufacturing company of its kind in Cricket in India (BCCI) India. • He also headed the committee appointed • It scope of work in the contract envisaged to sell assets of Pearls Agrotech design, engineering, manufacture, Corporation Ltd (PACL) and refund 49 supply, erection and commissioning of thousand crore rupees to the investors. steam turbine, generator and boiler, along with associated auxiliaries 9 BHEL commis- and electrical, besides controls and sioned 600 MW Instrumentation and electrostatic thermal power precipitators. plant in Madhya Pradesh. Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu 10 launched Wi-Fi hotspot at On 3 May 2016 Vijayawada, Kachiguda and Bharat Heavy Raipur Electricals BHEL Limited On 5 May 2016 Suresh Prabhu launched a commissioned high speed Wi-Fi hotspot at the three Railway

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 48

Stations. These stations are Vijayawada in Andhra The Union Minister of Railways Shri Pradesh, Kachiguda in Telangana and Raipur Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu in the presence in Chhattisgarh. of Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime • RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. has Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public been mandated by Ministry of Railways Grievances & Pensions, Department of to provide Wi-Fi Atomic Energy, Department of Space, • RailTel engaged with Google as the Dr. Jitendra Singh flagged off Train technology partner for setting up high 74619/74620 Banihal-Baramulla Fast speed Wi-Fi network. Passenger (DEMU) and 74617/74618 • RailTel will upgrade its backbone Budgam-Baramulla Demu through Video infrastructure to backhaul high speed Conferencing between Rail Bhawan New connectivity of approximately 1Gbps per Delhi and Anantnag Railway Station. station. • Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Ms. • Wi-Fi services to passengers will be Mehbooba Mufti graced the inaugural provided under Railwire the retail function at the Anantnag Railway Broadband distribution model of RailTel. Station along with other dignitaries. • Designed to offer users the best Internet • The State of Jammu & Kashmir has experience, Railwire Wi-Fi will be great importance from the tourism point available to any user who has a working of view where national and international mobile connection on a smart phone. tourists visit throughout the year and • Users will be able to easily stream a high thus this connectivity will give a boost definition video and surf the web. to tourism in the State. • RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. is a • Railway is also working with the help of Miniratna enterprise of Government of IRCTC to bring Jammu & Kashmir on a India. tourism map which will not only promote • It is one of the largest neutral telecom tourism but also promote its handicraft services providers in the country owning industry and its delicious cuisines a Pan-India optic fiber network. • New train services will reduce the journey • It covers all important towns and cities time of the people of Valley and will also of the country and several rural areas be cost effective as the fares of trains are covering 70% of India’s population. less as compared to road transport.

11 Banihal-Baramulla Fast Passenger (DEMU) and Budgam- Baramulla DEMU in the State of Jammu & Kashmir.

where career starts 49

Two laning with Portal for 12 formation of four 13 Contract Labour lane of Shimla Payment Bypass on NH-22 Management Approved. System launched

On 4 May 2016 On 4 May 2016 The Cabinet Piyush Goyal, Committee on launched NH-22 Economic Affairs Contract Labour ‘Contract gave its approval Labour Payment for development of two laning with formation Management System’ of four lane of Shimla Bypass (Kaithlighat to Shimla section) on National Highway-22 in • It is a new portal of Coal India Limited Himachal Pradesh. (CIL). • This will help the government to curb • The work will be completed under the problems like corruption and exploitation National Highways Development Project of contractual workers by contractors. (NHDP) Phase-III. • It has been planned to make payment • The total length of the road will be 28 to the contractors only after submitting kilometres. a system generated declaration of • The cost for the project is estimated to compliance. be 1583.18 crore rupees. • It is an integrated system for all • Total number of 4076 mandays are subsidiaries of CIL. required for construction of one • The in-house developed application will kilometre of highway. maintain a comprehensive database of • 111914 mandays will be generated all contract workers in CIL and all its locally during the construction period of subsidiaries. this stretch. • The portal will be managed by the • The development of this stretch will also Central Mine Planning and Development help in uplifting the economic condition Institute (CMPDI), Ranchi. of the State • The system has in-built mechanism to • It would also increase employment validate minimum wages paid, generate potential for local laborers for project wage slips and employment card. activities. • It provides access to all contract workers, through a Workers Identification Number (WIN) • It will allow contract workers to register

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 50

their grievance. prank calls) can be a crime. • The Nodal Officer at different locations • In over 98 percent of locations in the in the company will monitor the process. United States and Canada, dialing „9-1- • This will enhance proper monitoring 1“ from any telephone will link the caller of legal compliances under Contract to an emergency dispatch center—called Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act. a Public-Safety Answering Point (PSAP), by the telecom industry which can send 14 Dial 112 for emergency responders to the caller‘s any Emergency location in an emergency. throughout India from 1 January Telangana govt 2017 15 to set up Monkey rescue and From 1 January rehabilitation 2017112, the centre single emergency Dial 112 number that will Telangana gove- help people to rnment on 10th reach immediate services of police, ambulance may issued orders and fire department will be operational Monkey rescue for setting up a throughout India. ‚Monkey Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre‘ in Adilabad district. • The service will also be accessible even through those SIMs and landlines whose • It will be made with an investment of Rs outgoing call facility has been stopped 2.21 crore. or temporarily suspended. • There was serious man-animal conflict • A person in distress will need to call in both rural and urban areas due to only 112, which will direct the call to increased pressure on forest habitats, concerned departments immediately for coupled with increased population of help. monkeys. • Services were approved by Union • The religious beliefs and value attached Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. to monkeys also resist villagers either • 9-1-1 is the emergency for the North from killing or from other measures. American Numbering Plan (NANP), one • All these factors have contributed to the of eightN11 codes. increasing conflict between the monkeys • This number is intended for use in and the human beings. emergency circumstances only, and to • After careful examination of the proposal use it for any other purpose (such as of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests

where career starts 51

(HoFF), Telangana State government • The service offers budget-friendly package ordered establishment of Monkey Rescue for pilgrims. The package includes & Rehabilitation Centre at Chincholi train journey, road transportation, near Nirmal in Adilabad district, as pilot accommodation, sightseeing at tourist project. locations and onboard and off-board • Telangana is one of the 29 states in meals. India, in the South of the country. It was • Bharat Darshan will cover pilgrimages formed on 2 June 2014 with the city of destinations like Jagannath Puri, Hyderabadas its capital. Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham, Gaya, • Telangana is bordered by the states Banaras and Ayodhya. ofMaharashtra to the north and North • It will also cover 7 Jyotirlinga package west,Chhattisgarh to the North, Odisha and also offers “Dakshin Darshan to the north east (adjoining khammam with Shirdi” tour package that will district), Karnataka to the west, and cover Shirdi, Tirupati, Kanchipuram, Andhra Pradesh to the east and south. Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari, • Telangana has an area of 114,840 Mysore and Bangalore. square kilometres (44,340 sq mi), and a • Indian Railways is an Indian state- population of 35,193,978 (2011 census). owned enterprise, owned and operated by the Government of India through the Indian Railways Ministry of Railways. 16 launches • It is one of the world‘s largest railway Bharat Darshan networks comprising 115,000 km Tourist train for (71,000 mi) of track over a route of 65,808 pilgrims. km (40,891 mi) and 7,112 stations.

Bharat Darshan Uttarakhand Tourist train for 17 Floor Test: pilgrims to visit Harish Rawat Indian Railways Shirdi, Tirupati, wins the Test Jagannath with 33 votes in Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and favour Jyotirlingams among others has been launched by Indian Railways. On 11 May 2016 in Harish Rawat the legislative • The tourist train comprises 10 coaches assembly, the and bookings are being done by IRCTC Harish Rawat-led government got the wesbite. majority.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 52

• Harish Rawat got 33 votes against 28 Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma votes out of 61 qualified members who Bharti launched nine projects for rural voted in the assembly. sanitation initiatives in Jharkhand. • SC said that Harish Rawat can take charge as the Chief Minister of the. • The initiatives were launched under • President Rule under Article 356 was Namami Gange Programme of the imposed in Uttarakhand on 27 March Ministry. 2016 • The main aim of these projects is to • It was done on the recommendation of improve the health and quality of life the Union Cabinet. of around 45000 households located in • Conduct of ‘composite floor test’ in the 78 villages of the Ganga River basin in Uttarakhand legislative assembly was Jharkhand ordered by the Supreme Court on 5 May • The projects will cover the entire 83 2016. kilometer stretch of Ganga in Jharkhand. • On 9 March 2005 Apex court passed the • Promotion of safe, individual hygiene order for Jharkhand Assembly. practices to ensure open defecation free • It was done on the line of earlier order for status of all 78 villages along the river a composite floor test in Uttar Pradesh Ganga. in 1998. • Promotion of cost-effective, appropriate • „President‘s rule“ refers to the imposition local, low cost, easy to manage of Article 356 of the Constitution of technologies to ensure improved access, India on a State whose constitutional sustained use and maintenance of machinery has failed. infrastructure created for effective • In the event that a State government management of solid and liquid waste. is not able to function as per the • Strengthening of local institutions Constitution, the State comes under the including panchayats, village level direct control of the central government. sanitation committees and self-help groups to effectively manage, enhance Rural Sanitation and maintain facilities established for 18 Initiatives improved sanitation in the villages and for Ganga an integrated and a holistic livelihood Rejuvenation in approach. Jharkhand. • 78 units will be established in project villages for collection, storage and On 9 May 2016 composting of degradable solid waste Union Minister • 5460 households will be supported for for Water adoption of composting Ganga Rejuvenation Resources, River • 1860 households will be supported for

where career starts 53

adoption of biogas plants appropriate policy recommendations • Eight village level crematoriums and 32 to address the same in a time bound bathing Ghats will be. manner.

Ministry Of 20 Maharashtra 19 Road Transport declares drought & Highways Sets in 29000 Up Committee to villages. Frame Policy For Taxi Operators On 12 May 2016 Maharashtra The Ministry of government Road Transport declared drought Transport & Highways and Highways Maharashtra declares in over 29000 has constituted villages of the a three member committee to prepare a state, most of them in parched Marathwada policy framework for taxi and other transport and Vidarbha regions. operators. • The state is implementing various • The committee will be headed by schemes and taking measures to mitigate Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport the water scarcity in drought-hit areas, & Highways and have Joint Secretary, and more particularly in Marathwada Ministry of Road Transport & Highways and Vidarbha regions. and Delhi Transport Commissioner as • The villages that have now been declared its members. as affected by drought were already • A group of taxi and other transport receiving benefits from the government operators had met Shri Nitin Gadkari, and that the Drought Manual provided Minister of Road Transport and only for the word drought-like. Highways and Shipping. • On 7 May 2016, the Chief Minister • Supreme Court’s order dated 15th Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister December 2015 and directions of EPCA Narendra Modi and requested 10000 dated 29th April 2016 banned diesel crore rupees as relief for the parched taxis in the NCR state. • People are facing various problems as a • 7500 crore rupee was to be spent result of the ban. on completing irrigation projects in • The Ministry has decided to set up Marathwada and Vidarbha over the next the three member committee to look three years. into these issues and come up with • Maharashtra is a state in the western

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 54

region of India and is India‘s third- INFRACON and an updated version of largest state by area and is also the INAMPRO, three innovative IT initiatives world‘s second-most populous sub- of the Ministry of Road Transport national entity. & Highways, developed in house • It has over 110 million inhabitants and by NHIDCL( National Highways and its capital, Mumbai, has a population of Infrastructure Development Corporation approximately 18 million. Ltd.) • Nagpur is Maharashtra‘s second capital • ePACE (Projects Appraisal & Continuing as well as winter capital. Enhancements) is an online integrated Management Information System that Nitin Gadkari brings projects from all wings of the 21 Launches Ministry under a common platform, INFRACON, ensuring their effective and real time ePACE and up- tracking. Scaled INAM • INFRACON is the National Portal for PRO Infrastructure Consultancy Firms and Key Personnel. This portal acts as a kind Union Minister of of bridge between consultancy firms Road Transport working in the road engineering and construction sector and domain experts Nitin Gadkari & Highways and Shipping Shri and key personnel who are deployed both Nitin Gadkari has called upon stakeholders to for project preparation and supervision. make conscious and active use of innovations • INAM PRO has been developed as a web- and successful best practices from round the based application for Infrastructure world in engineering and construction of roads. and Material Providers. It is a kind of a web based market place that brings • The meet was attended by officials together the material providers and of the Ministry of Road Transport the prospective buyers on a common & Highways, and NHIDCL, besides platform. contractors, consultants, bankers and • The Minister also released the IT Task material suppliers concerned with road Force Report on the occasion. The report construction. has suggested many innovative ways • Technological initiatives have also been in which IT can be used to make the brought in like satellite based road asset working of the transport sector more management system, use of concrete efficient and transparent. for road construction, electronic toll collection, INAMPRO other IT initiatives. • Gadkari also launched ePACE,

where career starts 55

NTPC tied-up India‘s first 22 with Coal India 23 driverless train Limited was flagged off by Union State-run power Minister producer NTPC Limited on 16 Union Urban May 2016 signed Development a Joint Venture Minister M. Coal India Limited Agreement (JVA) Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu with state- and Delhi Chief run miner Coal India limited to foray into Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday flagged the Fertilizer Sector and revive plants of the off the trial run of a driverless Metro train here. Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL). • The trial run started at the Mukundpur The JVA was signed by NTPC‘s General depot of Delhi Metro and ended at Manager (BD) Arun Kumar Gupta and Coal Majalis Park station on the Majlis Park- India‘s General Manager (Coal Videsh) T Shiv Vihar corridor of phase 3. Bandopadhyay. • The new train will undergo rigorous trials to ensure these are ready for smooth • The JV company would initially operations after the commissioning of be incorporated with 50:50 equity the new corridors. participation from both. • Initially, train operators will run them • It will also contain the provision of for around a year before completely inducting strategic partners at a switching to unmanned train operations, later date depending upon business • Later, Naidu and Kejriwal stressed the requirement of JV company. need to improve public transport system • The joint venture company will take up to reduce air pollution in Delhi. the revival of FCIL plants at Sindri in • Naidu said the Delhi government‘s odd- Bihar and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. even traffic scheme was a temporary • It will set up an ammonia urea plant at measure to reduce air pollution. each location. • The driverless train is manufactured at Changwon in South Korea. It arrived in India at the Mundra port in Gujarat and was brought by road to Delhi on specially-made trailers.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 56

TMC got huge • In 2011 elections her party was able to 24 majority ever in secure just 184 seats. the History of • Prafulla Chandra Ghosh. Prafulla West Bengal‘s Chandra Ghosh (1891–1983) was the election. first Chief Minister of West Bengal, India. Election Commission on LDF will make 19 May 2016 25 government in TMC announced Kerala results of 2016 Legislative Assembly Election of West Bengal. Pinarayi Vijayan is set to be the • The elections were held in six phases chief minister of between 4 April 2016 and 5 May 2016 Kerala as Left for 294 assembly seats. Democratic Front • In the elections, ruling All India LDF (LDF) has won Trinamool Congress (TMC) of Chief 91 seats out 140 Minister Mamta Banerjee crossed the assembly seats. two-third mark by winning 211 seats. • Congress-Left combine has taken 76 • Compared to 2011 assembly elections seats while BJP has bagged three seats. when it had won 68 seats, LDF increased Independents and others have won four its tally by 24 seats in 2016 assembly seats. elections. • West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC • On the other hand, Congress Party led Supremo, Mamta Banerjee won from United Democratic Front (UDF), like in Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency. other states, is in for a huge setback. • She defeated her nearest Congress rival • It is leading only in 47 seats, a big 23 Deepa Dasmunshi by over 25 thousand seats drop compared to 2011 assembly votes. elections. • West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee • The account for BJP was opened by has won from Baruipur Paschim 86-year-old former Union minister O Constituency. Rajagopal, who won by over 8000 votes. • The huge victory in the assembly He will go down in history as the first BJP elections 2016 compared to 2011 MLA in Kerala’s 140-member assembly. elections by Mamta-led TMC can be • It was the image of Rajagopal, popularly attributed to her campaign “Maa, Maati, known as ‘Rajettan’, apart from the BJP’s Maanush.” organizational strength that helped the

where career starts 57

party to create history. He is considered BJP to form its a noble and well meaning person. 26 1st government • Anti-incumbency factor against the in ASSAM Congress chief Minister Oommen Chandy is responsible for such a Election massive setback to the grand old party Commission on in the state. 19 May 2016 • The government had been hit by a series announced of corruption scandals involving some of results of 2016 his top aides and ministers. BJP Legislative • There also has been a barrage of criticism Assembly Election following a spate of crime against women, Assam. especially the horrific rape, torture and murder of a Dalit student. • The elections were held in two phases on • Kerala has the lowest positive population 4 April 2016 and 11 April 2016 for 126 growth rate in India, 3.44%; highest assembly seats. Human Development Index (HDI), • In the election, BJP and its alliance 0.790 in 2011; the highest literacy rate, partners have won an absolute majority 93.91% in the 2011 according to the in Assam state assembly election. census data. • It has won 60 seats on its own in the 126 • The state has witnessed significant member House. Its ally AGP has won 14 emigration, especially to Arab states seats while another ally BPF has bagged of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf 12 seats. Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s, • BJP has thus made history by winning and its economy depends significantly an assembly election in the state. on remittances from a large Malayalam Ruling Congress has bagged 26 seats, expatriate community. AIUDF 13 and one seat has gone to an • Hinduism is practiced by more than half independent. of the population, followed by Islam and • BJP Chief Ministerial candidate Christianity. Sarbananda Sonowal has won from Majuli seat, defeating his nearest rival by more than 18000 votes. • Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has won in Titabar, with a margin of over 17000 votes. • This thumping win of BJP in north-east India can be seen as its entry in the north-eastern part of India or expanding

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 58

political influence beyond its traditional to retain power in the state since 1989, heartland. as she retains R K Nagar constituency • The interesting fact of the results is defeating DMK rival by 39,545 votes. that the party managed to break into • Jayalalithaa secured 97,218 votes Congress stronghold. against Shimla Muthuchozhan who • Assam is known for Assam tea and polled 57,673 votes. Assam silk. The first oil well in Asia was • Addressing jubilant party workers, drilled here. Jayalalithaa called the victory a historic • The state has conserved the one-horned one and vowed to strive for the people Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, with renewed vigour. along with the pygmy hog, tiger and • The bad news for the AIADMK came various species of Asiatic birds. from Chennai, which was battered by • It provides one of the last wild habitats flash floods in December and whose for the Asian elephant. The Assamese voters appeared to have overwhelmingly economy is aided by wildlife tourism, turned against the ruling party. centred around Kaziranga National Park • AIADMK candidates trailed behind the and Manas National Park which are DMK in 10 of the 16 constituencies in World Heritage Sites. the capital. • Sal tree forests are found in the state, • For the first time, the elections saw which as a result of rainfall looks green several alternatives to AIADMK and all year round. Assam receives more DMK. But all drew blank at the polls. rainfall compared to most part of India. • A total of 2,873 voters in the high profile Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency, 27 Jaya lalitha where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was retains power in a contestant, preferred NOTA. Tamil Nadu • Tamil Nadu, with over 5.79 crore registered voters, had recorded 74.26 J Jayalalithaa’s percent polling in the assembly polls AIADMK today held on May 16. clearly headed to • Tamil Nadu is the eleventh-largest state retain power in in India by area and the sixth-most Tamil Nadu by populous. Jaya lalitha winning 134 seats • The state was ranked sixth among as arch rival DMK states in India according to the Human gave a strong fight bagging 89 segments. Development Index in 2011, with the second-largest state economy. • Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, set to create • Its official language is Tamil, which is history by becoming the first ever leader one of the longest-surviving classical

where career starts 59

languages in the world. • The state government will bear all cost of the orphan students. 28 Odisha to launch Green Passage 29 BHEL Scheme for commissions orphan students 250 MW thermal unit in The Odisha Maharashtra Government on 17 May 2016 State-owned decided to launch BHEL has Green Passage Scheme Green Passage commissioned Scheme for BHEL a 250 mw orphan students. thermal unit in Maharashtra. • The scheme will ensure that the orphan students get free of cost higher education • The unit has been commissioned at Parli in the state. Thermal Power Station (TPS), located in • Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also gave Beed district in the Marathwada region of his green signal for the scheme, which Maharashtra, Bharat Heavy Electricals would function under the department of Limited (BHEL) said in a BSE filing. higher education. • The project is owned by Maharashtra • Orphan students pursuing higher State Power Generation Company education from Plus-II level to post- (Mahagenco). This is the eighth coal- graduation level will no longer have to based unit commissioned by BHEL at bear the education expenses. Parli TPS. • As many as 16382 orphan students • BHEL has been a major partner in the lodged in 272 institutions across the power development programme of the state, will be exempted of admission state and has commissioned 16,000 fee, tuition fees and laboratory fees for mw of power generation capacity in higher studies. Maharashtra, its highest in any single • They will be provided free hostel facilities state. and food. • The 200-270 MW rating class sets • The state government has also directed supplied by BHEL form the backbone of all government, private, government the Indian power sector and have been aided colleges and universities to ensure performing much above the national as that the orphan students are not charged well as international benchmarks. in any form. • Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 60

owned by the Government of India, is a severe cyclonic storm. power plant equipment manufacturer • Moving northeastwards, the system is and operates as engineering and likely to cross south Bangladesh coast manufacturing company based in New between Khepupara and Cox’s Bazar on Delhi, India. Established in 1964 22 May 2016. • BHEL is India‘s largest engineering and • It issued heavy to very heavy rainfall manufacturing company of its kind. warning to coastal Andhra Pradesh, The company has been earning profits coastal Odisha and coastal Gangetic continuously since 1971-72 and paying West Bengal under the influence of the dividends uninterruptedly since 1976- cyclonic storm coupled with gusty winds 77. speeds reaching 90-100 kmph. • Fishermen have been advised not to Cyclone Roanu venture into sea as the condition along 30 hits coastal area and off Andhra Pradesh, South Odisha of Orissa and and West Bengal coasts are very likely to Andhra Pradesh be high to very high. • In Andhra Pradesh the district The cyclonic administrations have been asked to see storm ROANU that people staying in low-lying areas that emerged in are shifted to safer places. the west central Coastal area Bay of Bengal 31 President Pranab was in news. It Mukherjee came into news after India Meteorological inaugurates Department (IMD) in its prediction said that Intelligent the Cyclone is likely to intensify into a severe Operations cyclonic storm by 20 May 2016 night and will Centre and hit Andhra coast. launches Mobile App Monitor • At present, ROANU is moving Pranab Mukherjee northeastwards and lay centred at south- On 19th May southeast of Machilipatnam, about 290 President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam an Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in & 160 km south-southwest of Kakinada. Rashtrapati Bhavan. • IMD issued an orange warning message to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. President Mukherjee also launched a Mobile • IMD issued yellow message for West App Monitor for transformation of President’s Bengal as the system would turn into Estate into a smart township. The Smart

where career starts 61

President’s Estate will work around the 4H and collaborative. theme of a Humane, Hi-tech,Heritage and Happy Township. Gujarat 32 launched Smart • The IOC is a software solution designed Village program by IBM. to improve • It helps collect and make sense of the public facilities rich data streaming in from several in the village sources within the Estate to provide intelligent insights. Gujarat Chief • It offers integrated data visualization, Minister near real-time collaboration and deep Smart Village program Anandiben Patel analytics that will help agencies prepare on 22 May 2014 for problems, coordinate and manage launched the Smart Village programme to response efforts and enhance efficiency improve public facilities in villages. of services. • The Monitor mobile application is a • It was conceptualized on the lines of Residents collaboration tool of the Smart Cities initiative of the Union Intelligent Operation Center. Government under which 100 cities were • The application will help residents and chosen for infrastructure development. domain (Energy, Water, Horticulture, • Under the Smart Village programme, Waste and Security) supervisors to 300 villages will be selected. collaborate in a smarter way for their • Villages will be shortlisted by the state- observations. level committee consisting of experts • It will enable residents to report issues on the basis of Gram Panchayat’s such as broken street lights, electricity performance through a transparent failure, water wastage etc. and check process. resolution status using their mobile • The objective of the programme is to devices. make villages self-reliant, clean and • It will allow residents to report these hygienic. issues using their mobile devices in the • Toilets, cleanliness, drop-out rate in Estate on a real time basis. primary schools, malnutrition ratio, • These reported observations can be Anganwadi facilities, vaccination of used to provide enough details such children, ATVT services are some of the as location coordinates, address to parameters on which a village will be concerned departments. adjudged as a Smart Village. • This will help the residents of the Estate • These villages will get 80 lakh to 2 become more socially responsible, aware crore rupees cash assistance from the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 62

State government to implement the end of its contract period. programme. • The project will benefit about one million residents of the Hubballi-Dharwad, World Bank including estimated 160000 slum 33 loans 100 dwellers. million dollar for Karnataka water 34 Hubballi-Dharwad, the second projects largest urban center in Karnataka, will become one of Karnataka the first Indian cities to provide citywide, Government on continuous, piped water supply to its 24 May 2016 residents. signed 100 World Bank million US dollar American biochemist Frances Arnold awarded loan and project agreement with World Bank. the Millennium Technology Prize 2016

It was to support ‘Karnataka Urban Frances Arnold, the Dick and Barbara Water Supply Modernization project’. Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering, • The project will be implemented over Bioengineering and Biochemistry, has been a period of six years, initially in the awarded the Millennium Technology Prize for twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, with her „directed evolution“ method, which creates provision for other eligible cities to join new and better proteins in the laboratory using the project at a later date. principles of evolution. • The Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation has hired a professional • The Millennium Technology Prize, worth water supply operating company for one million euros (approximately $1.1 improving the water supply system, as million), is the world‘s most prominent also to manage the refurbished system award for technological innovations that through a 12-year contract in accordance enhance the quality of people‘s lives. with strict performance criteria. • Arnold received her undergraduate • The municipality will retain ownership degree in mechanical and aerospace of the water supply assets and control of engineering at Princeton University in the service delivery set up. 1979. • The project will help the Hubballi- • She earned her graduate degree in Dharwad Municipal Corporation set up chemical engineering from UC Berkeley a city-level water utility that will take in 1985. over water supply operations from the • She arrived at Caltech as a visiting professional operating company at the associate in 1986 and became an

where career starts 63

assistant professor in 1987, associate • In order to reduce creation of garbage in professor in 1992, professor in 1996, the form of used drinking water plastic and Dickinson Professor in 2000. bottles it is notified that the packaged • She is the recipient o the Charles Stark drinking water bottles may not be used Draper Prize, the engineering profession‘s during any government meetings or highest honor, and the National Medal functions. of Technology and Innovation. • It suggested that as an alternative, • She got elected to all three branches of departments can use filtered water the National Academies—the National or water from large reusable water Academy of Engineering (2000), the dispensers or reusable water bottles in Institute of Medicine (2004), and the government functions. National Academy of Sciences (2008) • Government has been initiating various • She is the first woman elected to all measures to manage the waste and three branches. maintain a clean environment but it has • The Millennium Technology Prize been found that a lot of disposable foam is awarded every two years by containers are being rampantly used not Technology Academy Finland (TAF) only in the bazar areas but also in the to „groundbreaking technological rural pockets. innovations that enhance the quality of • A huge quantity of municipal waste people‘s lives in a sustainable manner,“ is created in the form of disposable according to the prize website. products which are environmentally • Arnold is the first woman to win the hazardous and occupy a huge space in prize the landfill. • The order banned the use and sale of Sikkim bans disposable items such as cups, plates, 35 disposable foam spoons, containers, etc made from foam food containers. throughout the state with immediate effect. For effective waste • Made from polystyrene foam, such food management containers are generally white in colour. in an eco- friendly manner, the Sikkim Sikkim bans government has restricted the use of mineral water bottles in government programmes and banned the use of foam food containers all over the state.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 64

13 new cities • Of the 13 cities that qualified for the 36 announced for project, four are from BJP-ruled States smart cities while two are from Congress-governed Projects States. • Lucknow is in Samajwadi Party-ruled The Union Uttar Pradesh government • Warangal is in Telangana, which is ruled announced the by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi. names of 13 more • Chandigarh and Port Blair in Andaman smart cities Projects cities that will be and Nicobar Islands were also among developed under the winners of this round. the Centre’s “Smart City Mission.” • Assured water and power supply, sanitation and solid waste management • Lucknow in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh systems, efficient urban mobility and tops the list, followed by Warangal public transportation, IT connectivity, in Telangana and Dharamshala in e-governance and citizen participation Himachal Pradesh. are some of the highlights of the smart • These cities were chosen from the 23 city project. that failed to get representation in the • It aims to transform 100 cities by 2019- first round of a competition held in 20, with the Union government providing January, and participated in the “fast- financial support of Rs. 48,000 crore track competition.” over five years. • The results were announced by Urban 37 Development Minister M. Venkaiah Cabinet approves Naidu on 24th May 2016. 1st ever Capital • Other cities on the list are Chandigarh, Goods Policy Raipur (Chhattisgarh), New Town Kolkata, Bhagalpur (Bihar), Panaji On 25 May (Goa), Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar 2016 The Union Islands), Imphal (Manipur), Ranchi Cabinet approved (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and the National Capital Goods Policy Faridabad (Haryana). Capital Goods • The 13 cities selected in the competition Policy 2016. have proposed a total investment of Rs. 30,229 crore. • This is first ever policy for Capital Goods • The investment proposed by 33 cities sector with a clear objective of increasing under the smart city plans is now Rs. production of capital goods from 2.3 80,789 crore lakh crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7.5 lakh

where career starts 65

crore rupees in 2025. environment. • Objective is to increase the share of 38 Human Resource capital goods contribution from present Development 12 to 20 percent of total manufacturing (HRD) has activity by 2025 decided to • To become one of the top capital goods launch ASMITA, producing nations of the world by raising a student the total production to over twice the tracking system current level programme. • To improve skill availability by training HRD 50 lakhs people by 2025 The Union • New initiatives and policy actions and Ministry of Human Resource Development has they are: decided to launch, a student tracking system • Devising a long term, stable and programme ASMITA. rationalized tax and duty structure to ensure cost competitiveness of the sector • It is acronym for All School Monitoring • Drafting a comprehensive public Individual Tracing Analysis. procurement policy with amended • It will be launched under Shala Asmita qualifying criteria and introducing Yojana (SAY). special provisions in contracts for • It aims to track the educational journey domestic value addition of school students from Class I to Class • Promoting development of new XII across the 15 lakhs private and technology through indigenous sources government schools in the country. • Providing Technology Upgrade Fund • ASMITA will be an online database Support across all capital goods sub- which will carry information of student sectors attendance and enrolment, learning • Developing manufacturing clusters with outcomes, mid-day meal service and shared facilities especially for SMEs infrastructural facilities among others. • The capital goods sector operates in a • Students will be tracked through their dynamic local and global environment Aadhaar numbers and incase those not and it is imperative for the policy to having unique number will be provided undergo a periodic review and revision with it. to maintain its relevance. • The Ministry of Human Resource • The National Capital Goods Policy 2016 Development is responsible for the will be reviewed every five years and development of human resources. revised appropriately to take account of • The Ministry is divided into two progress in implementation and emerging departments: the Department of School trends in the national and international Education and Literacy, which deals

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 66

with primary, secondary and higher under the Andhra Pradesh Societies secondary education, adult education Registration Act, 2001. The approval will and literacy, and the Department give a legal entity to the NIT. of Higher Education, which deals with university education, technical Andhra Pardesh education, scholarship etc. 40 to introduce e -office system in Union cabinet all districts. 39 gives approval to 6 New IITs Andhra Pradesh is going to implement Union Cabinet e-Governance chaired by e -office system initiatives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on • It is going to be implemented in all Union cabinet 25 May t gave its districts. ex-facto approval • e-Office will be introduced on a pilot to the Amendment to The Institutes of basis in all 13 districts in June Technology Act, 1961 for incorporation • Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of six new Indian Institutes of Technology announced this program. (IITs). • It was announced during the two-day • These six new IITs will be based in : conference of district collectors. • Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh • Already 2,23,582 files with 1,72,40,119 • Palakkad in Kerala pages have been scanned and kept ready • Dharwar in Karnataka while another 2,02,193 files would also • Bhilai in Chhattisgarh be digitised soon. • Goa • The Chief Minister directed officials • Jammu in Jammu & Kashmir to constitute a Cyber Security wing to • The above Amendment is also for ensure safety of the electronic files. conversion of Indian School of Mines • A three-member committee would also (ISM), Dhanbad into an IIT by bringing be constituted to prepare the e-file it into the ambit of the Institutes of protocol. Technology Act, 1961 and also declaring • He directed the Information Technology it as an institute of national importance. Department to submit quarterly reports • The cabinet also gave ex post facto on e-files and e-Office implementation. approval to set up NIT, Andhra Pradesh • Employees associations are happy with which has been registered as a Society the e-Office system as it eases the work.

where career starts 67

• Advisor to government J Satyanarayana the content in the following main made a presentation on various sections: e-Governance initiatives. Paa Thyapustaka Kosha : Textbooks by • Chief Secretary Satya Prakash Tucker various authorities and other top bureaucrats attended. Jnana Kosha : Encyclopedic Knowledge base in all languages India‘s first Shabda Kosha: Dictionaries, Glossaries, 41 multilingual Terminologies, dictio-nary“ Bhasha Kosha: Language learning books Bhara-tvani“ Suchanaa Praudyogikii Kosha : It tools ( launched right now linked to TDIL) Bahumaadhyama Kosha: Multimedia The Union content Ministry of • More than 130 Dictionaries, Glossaries Human Resource and Terminology books have been posted Development on the web portal. These dictionaries are Bharatvani (HRD) on available in text and PDF formats. Wednesday launched a multilingual knowledge portal 42 Pakke Tiger www.bharatavani.in that has more than 130 Reserve in East dictionaries, glossaries and terminology books Kameng district in text and PDF formats. of Arunachal Pradesh has • The content in print and other formats won the ‘India will be completely digitized and put onto Biodiversity the portal in the form of searchable text. Award 2016’ • The portal has been launched in 22 scheduled languages, which eventually Pakke Tiger Reserve Pakke Tiger will be extended to 100 more languages, Reserve on 22 • The App has 35 multilingual Dictionaries May 2016 received the ‚India Biodiversity and HRD aims to extend it to 250 Award 2016‘ in one of its four categories in dictionaries in a year’s time Mumbai. • Bharatavani aims to foster national integration by emphasizing on • The Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme multilingual and cross-lingual learning of the Pakke Tiger Reserve was awarded tools and technologies. the prize under Conservation of • The Bharatavani Portal would publish threatened species category. • Besides this, Hong Niitii, Lower

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 68

Subansiri was awarded under category • At present, 10 inhabited islands of IV Biodiversity Management Committee Lakshadweep are being fed by diesel (BMC) award. mostly. • Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme It is • The plan also envisions reduction of a collaboration of Ghora-Aabhe Society, AT & C losses from current level of Nature Conservation Foundation and 21% to 6.7% till 2019 by increasing the the State Forest Departments. collection efficiency up to 99 %. • Under this programme, urban citizens • As a part of energy efficiency measures, contribute money to protect hornbill 1 lakh LED bulbs will be distributed nests around Pakke Tiger Reserve. by UT administration through Energy • It is a major step towards conservation Efficiency Services (EESL) and of four hornbill species that are found in Incandescent lamps/CFL bulbs will be the adjoining areas of the Tiger Reserve. replaced with LED bulbs under UJALA • India Biodiversity Awards are joint programme. Additionally, replacement initiative of Union Environment, Forest of 3000 conventional street lights with and Climate Change Ministry, National LED street lights is also being taken up. Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United • The ‘Power for All’ programme is a major Nations Development programme step in this direction. (UNDP). • Government of India have taken a • It recognizes the contribution of the joint initiative with respective State stakeholders towards the biodiversity Governments for preparation of State conservation. specific documents for providing 24×7 power supply to all households /homes, Lakshadweep became first Union industrial & commercial consumers and 43 Territory (UT) in the country adequate supply of power to Agricultural to sign “24×7 Power for All” consumers as per state policy. document. Union Ministry of Railways and Lakshadweep became first Union Territory 44 PEC University of Technology (UT) to sign 24×7 Power for All document. have signed a Memorandum of Representative of Government of India and Understanding. the Administration of Lakshadweep signed the document in presence of P.K. Pujari, Secretary, (MoU) for setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair Ministry of Power. on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways at the University. • The document chalks out a plan to increase solar capacity of the region Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University from 2.15 MW to 8.45 MW. of Technology have signed a Memorandum of

where career starts 69

Understanding (MoU) for setting up of Kalpana • The objective of the chair is to encourage Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for research activities of Indian Railways in Indian Railways at the University. Geo-spatial Technology. • It will also help to strengthen Railway • The MoU was signed in the backdrop of projects where use of remote sensing Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s data, Geographical information System Budget announcement in this regard. (GIS) and global positioning system • The academic chair is being instituted (GPS) is predominant. in memory of Indo–American Astronaut • The Chair will be headed as Chairman and Alumnus of PEC Late Kalpana by V.K.Gupta, Member Engineering, Chawla. She was the first woman of Railway Board and Manoj Arora, Indian origin in space. Director, PEC University of Technology, Chandigarh as Co-chairman.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 70

SPORTS Indian shooters emerge winners. 1 bagged 3 gold, 1 • They were followed by France (1841.7) bronze in ISSF and Poland (1836.3) respectively. Junior World Cup 2 Mark Selby won World Snooker On 1 May 2016 Championship Indian shooters bagged three On 2 May 2016 ISSF gold medals and Mark Selby a bronze in the won World ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany. Championship title of Snooker. • The Indians won gold each in the men‘s Mark Selby In the final 25m standard pistol and women‘s 50m match played rifle prone competitions. in Sheffield. With this win, Selby also ended • India’s Rituraj Singh won an individual Ding’s chance of being the first Asian player to gold medal in the men‘s 25m standard win the world title. pistol competition • Gaayathri Nithyanadam bagged a • This was Selby’s second trophy of the bronze in the women‘s 50m rifle prone year, earlier he had won minor Gdynia competition. Open event in Poland. • Rituraj Singh, Shivam Shukla and Arjun • This was Selby’s second World Snooker Das walked away with the gold medal title, in the team event of the men‘s 25m • First was won against Ronnie O‘Sullivan standard pistol competition, shooting a in 2014. total of 1661. • He entered the list of Steve Davis, • France won the silver medal with 1659 Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams points while Australia won the bronze and Ronnie O’Sullivan, the stars who with 1648 points. have won at least two world titles since • Indian women won gold medal in the the event rocked up in Sheffield in 1977. team event of the 50m rifle prone • 2008: Beats Ronnie O‘Sullivan 9-8 to competition. win Welsh Open • Gaayathri Nithyanadam, Sonika and • 2011: Beats Mark Williams 10-9 in Ayushi Podder shot a total of 1846.6 to Shanghai Masters final

where career starts 71

• 2012: Wins UK Championship with 10-6 consecutive Commonwealth Games, win over Shaun Murphy but struggled to cross quarters in Super • 2014: Wins World Championship 18-14 Series. against Ronnie O‘Sullivan • Olympics is considered to be kinder to • 2015: Wins German Masters and China shuttlers from outside China, Japan and Open Korea with only two pairings allowed. • 2016: Clinches second World • Olympics tend to be easier than Super Championship Series • He also won the Masters, an invitation • For Manu-Sumeeth, the first ever men’s event, in 2008, 2010 and 2013 doubles pairing to qualify for Olympics.

Indian shuttlers 4 India finishes 3 qualify for Rio fourth in junior 2016 shooting World Cup Saina Nehwal, headed to the Indian shooters Olympics for third ended their time.PV Sindhu journey at the on way to her International Junior shooting Rio 2016 maiden Games as Shooting Sport well as K Srikanth Federation Junior in men’s singles, another first timer. World Cup in Suhl, Germany at a creditable fourth position. • Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa (No. 15) have made the grade for a second • India ended this journey with three gold, straight Olympics. four silver and three bronze. • India is one of only eight countries in the • From April 29-May 5 a total of 585 junior world to qualify two entries in a category athletes from 48 countries participated — women’s singles, with PV Sindhu but only 24 nations made it to the (ranked No. 10) joining Saina Nehwal medals table (ranked No. 8). • Tally was topped by Italy with seven • Japanese Kento Momota’s suspension gold, four silver and one bronze. opens up men’s singles, but Srikanth • Russia stood second with five gold, six will to upset the last Olympic outings of silver and nine bronze the two legends, Dan and Chong Wei, • Germany came third with five gold, three and title favourite Chen Long. silver and three bronze medals. • Jwala-Ashwini, have done well at • For India, Rituraj Singh won two gold

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 72

medals in both the individual and team cost for an international cricket stadium events of the men‘s 25m Standard Pistol. in Saifai. • Shivam Shukla also won a gold and a • It decided to construct a new ultra silver. modern state-of-art model bus station • Arjun Das won a yellow metal and a at Kaiserbagh bus station in the state bronze for Team India. capital. • Yashaswini Singh Deswal won two silver medals, both in the individual and team 6 Charlotte sections of the 10m Air Pistol event. Edwards, England women’s Bicycle highway cricket captain, 5 between Taj and retires from lion safari international cricket On 11 May 2016 The Uttar Pradesh On 11 May government gave Charlotte Edwards 2016Charlotte its nod to develop Edwards, nearly 200- England’s women cricket team captain, Bicycle highway km long bicycle announced her international retirement. highway from Agra to the lion safari in Etawah The 36-year-old, Edwards will continue to play at domestic level including the first edition of • The highway will not run along the Agra- the forthcoming Women’s Super League. Etawah main road but will cover various historical and tourism centres. • She was a top-order batswomen who • It will cover areas such as Raja Bhoj ki debuted in 1995 at the age of 16 against Haveli, Bateshwarnath Temple, Mela New Zealand at Guildford. Kothi Jarar, Naugava ka Quila and • When she debuted she was the youngest other rural areas to reach lion safari in women to play for England, which now Etawah. rests with Holly Colvin who debuted at • Cabinet also approved the the age of 15, in the first Ashes Test in implementation of Prime Minister Crop 2005. Insurance Scheme from the Kharif • She is the first female cricketer to score season 2016. 2000 runs in T20 Internationals and • Cabinet also approved transfer policy for the first player either male or female, to 2016-17 for employees. score 2500 runs in T20 internationals. • The Cabinet approved the construction • She won the World T20, the World Cup

where career starts 73

and the Ashes five times for England. • He made debut aged 17 at the 2015 In Test match she Batted in 43 innings Australian Grand Prix for Toro Rosso, of 23 test matches and scored 1676 this made him the youngest driver to runs. compete in the history of the sport. • Verstappen is also the sport’s youngest Max verstappen race leader and youngest podium 7 becomes finisher. youngest F1 GP • He is also the youngest F1 point scorer winner. and the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix, both achieved 2015 season. Dutch teenager, Max Verstappen, Sania -Hingis on 15 May 2016 8 won Rome became Formula Masters women‘s Max verstappen One‘s youngest double pair race winner after winning the Spanish Grand Prix. World No. 1 women‘s doubles • His teammate Sebastian Vettel stood at team of Sania the third position. Mirza and Martina • Verstappen drove to triumph after, Sania -Hingis Hingis on 15 May Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and 2016 captured Nico Rosberg crashed out in the first lap the Italian Open title. The pair defeated Elena of the race. Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 6(5)-7, • At 18 years and 228 days, Max 10-3 in the final to clinch the title. Verstappen is the youngest race winner in F1 history. The Dutchman was two With the win, Mirza and Hingis also captured years and 210 days younger than the their 14th women‘s doubles title together. previous youngest winner, Sebastian Vettel. • Sania Mirza is currently ranked No. 1 in • Max is the son of former F1 driver Jos the women‘s doubles rankings. Verstappen who never finished better • From 2003 until her retirement from than third in his career. singles in 2013, she was ranked by the • He became the first Dutchman to win a Women‘s Tennis Association as India‘s Formula One race and just the second No. 1 player, both in singles and doubles. to stand on an F1 podium. The other is • Throughout her career, she has his father, Jos, who scored two podium established herself as the most finishes in 1994 with Benetton. successful female Indian tennis player

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 74

ever. Murray defeated the top-ranked Djokovic 6-3, • Martina Hingis is a Swiss professional 6-3. tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA. • It is Murray‘s first title in Rome and it • She spent a total of 209 weeks as the comes exactly a week before the French singles world No. 1. Open begins on 22 May 2016. • The Italian Open is an annual tennis • The only other British man to win the tournament held in Rome, Italy. tournament was George Patrick Hughes • It is one of the most prestigious red clay in 1931. tennis tournaments in the world after • He is also the first British singles the French Open. champion in Italy since Virginia Wade • The tournament is played on clay courts, won the title in 1971. currently during the second week of • On the other hand, Serena Williams May. ended a nine-month title drought with a • The event is also known as the Rome 7-6, 6-3 win over Madison Keys in an all Masters and the Italian Championships. American women‘s Singles final. • Rafael Nadal has won the title a record • Besides, Sania Mirza and her Swiss seven times. partner Martina Hingis won the Women‘s • The 2015 Italian Open women’s doubles Doubles title was won by Timea Babos and • In the final, the World Number One Kristina Mladenovic. pair defeated the 7th seeded Russians • Serene Williams is the winner of 2016 Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina Italian Open women’s singles title. 6-1, 6-7, 10-3. • Andy Murray is the winner of 2016 Italian Open men’s singles title. Sudha breaks 10 3000 M Andy Murray steeplechase 9 beats Novak record Djokovic to win first Italian Open Olympics runner title Sudha Singh, who created a Andy Murray on national record in 15 May 2016 won Sudha women‘s 3000m his first Italian steeplechase at Andy Murray Open Men‘s the International Association of Athletics Singles Tennis Federations Diamond League in Shanghai last title. In the final played in Rome, third-ranked week.

where career starts 75

• The 4x100m women relay team, included • Sudha‘s new record — 9:26:55secs — Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, HM rewritten 15 days after Asian champion Jyoti and Merlin Joseph, clocked 44.03 Lalita Babar‘s national mark in New seconds to finish the race. Delhi, has intensified the friendly rivalry • The clocked time broke the 18-year-old between the duo who train under same record of 44.43s created by the quartet foreign coach Nikolai Snesraev. of Saraswati Dey, Rachita Mistry, EB • Lalita has already qualified for the Shyla and PT Usha on 22 July 1998 in Rio Olympics in women‘s 3000m Fukuoka, Japan. steeplechase. • The China A and the China B team • For Sudha, the the IAAF Diamond League grabbed the first and third position race was her first international outing on respectively while Japan finished track since the 2014 Asian Games and second. she admitted to have butterflies in her • The China A team clocked 42.65s for the stomach prior to the prestigious event in gold medal. Shanghai, where she finished eighth in • Japan finished the race in 43.81s for the the women‘s 3000m steeplechase. silver medal. • Sudha, finished fourth in her pet event • The China B team finished third for the at the 2014 Asian Games. bronze medal by clocking 43.89s. • Lalita, who finished eighth in the World Championships in Beijing last year, said 12 Sevilla won 3rd she could not run her natural race in consecutive Shanghai. Europa League title Women‘s relay 11 team sets new Sevilla achieved national records a remarkable hat-trick as The Indian it became the Sevilla 4x100m women‘s first club to win relay team on 18 three successive May 2016 broke Europa League titles with victory over Jurgen the 18-year-old Klopp‘s Liverpool . national record National records to finish in 4th • The Spanish club came from behind position at the IAAFWorld Challenge held in to defeat its English opponent 3-1 at Beijing, China. the St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel, Switzerland, with Kevin Gameiro

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 76

canceling out Daniel Sturridge‘s in the same season. beautifully controlled first half strike • The Catalan club also lost Luis Suarez before a brace from Coke sealed Sevilla‘s with an apparent muscle injury early success. in the second half. The Uruguay • The victory marks Sevilla‘s fifth Europa striker, who cried on the bench after League success in 11 years and ensures it being substituted, had been crucial will qualify for next season‘s Champions for Barcelona in the final stages of the League. Spanish league, scoring 14 goals in the • Liverpool, meanwhile, will miss out on last five matches. European competition altogether next • Sevilla, trying to win its sixth Copa year having finished a poor eighth in the title and first since 2010, controlled English Premier League this season. possession after Barcelona went a man • This win is being great achievement for down and was close to scoring several the team as the level of enthusiasm is on times, with its best chance coming on week. a low shot from outside the area by Banega that struck the post in the 50th. Barcelona lifted 13 28th Copa Del 14 Pankaj Advani Rey title 1st to hold continental, Barcelona world title finished its season on a high India’s ace cueist by capturing the Pankaj Advani on Copa Del Rey 22 May 2016 won title. the Asian 6-Red Barcelona Pankaj Advani • Jordi Alba snooker title. scored seven minutes into extra time and Neymar sealed the victory late to • To win this tile for the first time, he give Barcelona a 2-0 win over Sevilla for defeated Malaysian Keen Hoh Moh 7-5 its second straight Copa Del Rey title. in the finals held in Abu Dhabi. • Neymar closed the scoring in stoppage • To reach the finals, he defeated Aditya time after another perfect set-up by Mehta, an Indian player, 6-1 in a semi Messi to give Barcelona its 28th Copa final match. trophy. • With this win, Advani became the first • It was the seventh time in team history in the world to hold both world and that Barcelona won both domestic titles continental titles in 6-Red snooker at the same time.

where career starts 77

• Earlier, in August 2015, he retained the the continent’s 6-Red champion, lost World 6-Reds Snooker title in Karachi, to Soheil Vahedi 7-54. Amir and Soheil Pakistan. then joined hands to trounce the Indian • He has been winning titles like: pair of Advani and Mehta 1-77. • IBSF World Snooker Championship • Pankaj then came back to win against • IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Amir 69-64 to make it 2-2. In the do-or- Championship - Gold die clash, Aditya lost to Soheil 40-74. In • IBSF World 6-Red Snooker the semi-finals, India thrashed Pakistan Championship - Gold (a world record of 3-0. winning world titles in both billiards and • The World Snooker Championship is snooker in all formats) the leading snooker tournament both in • World Team Billiards Championship - terms of prestige and prize money. Gold (highest number of world titles by • The first championship was held in any Indian sportsperson) 1927 and was won by Joe Davis. Davis • World Billiards Championship (a record won the first 15 championships before 8 world titles for a 27-year-old) retiring from the event, undefeated, after • Asian Billiards Championship (a record his 1946 success. 5 times) • In the 1950s snooker went into a period of decline and the championship was not India claims held after 1952, although an unofficial 15 silver in Asian championship was held until 1957. Team Snooker • In 1964 the championship was revived Championship on a challenge basis and in 1969 the championship became a knock-out India managed to event again. win a silver medal in the Asian Real Madrid Snooker team 16 won its 11th championship in Asian Team Championship Abu Dhabi after League title they lost to Iran 2-3 yesterday. • Mehta, India’s lone professional snooker Real Madrid player gave the country a good start has won the after he beat Iran’s Amir Sarkosh 65- 11th Champions 53 in the opening game, according to League final, information provided by the team coach Real Madrid beating Atletico Derek Sippy. Madrid 5-3 on • Thereafter, Advani, recently crowned penalties following a 1-1 draw at the San Siro

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 78

in Milan. • Thirteen-year-old Jairam is the younger brother of the 2014 co-champion, Sriram • Atletico, has now suffered a third loss in Hathwar. a European cup final, the most recent • Nihar, at age 11, is the youngest winner being the defeat to Real Madrid in the of the bee on record. 2014 decider. • Each will receive a trophy and $45,000 • Shoot-out winner Ronaldo described in cash and prizes. Real Madrid‘s win as unbelievable, ahead • Because the best spellers become fluent of what will be a gruelling European in Latin and Greek roots, the bee went Championships campaign with Portugal. to words derived from trickier or more • The opener came via Sergio Ramos, who obscure languages, including Afrikaans, famously equalized against Atletico in Danish, Irish Gaelic, Maori and Mayan. the dying seconds of the 2014 final. • Jairam’s winning word was Feldenkrais, • Real Madrid commonly known as which is derived from a trademark and Real Madrid, or simply as Real, is a means a system of body movements professional football club based in intended to ease tension. Madrid, Spain. • Niram won with gesellschaft, which • Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football means a mechanistic type of social Club, the team has traditionally worn a relationship. white home kit since inception. Snehaa Kumar of Folsom, California, • The word Real is Spanish for Royal finished third, and Sylvie Lamontagne of and was bestowed to the club by King Lakewood, Colorado, was fourth. Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the royal crown in the emblem. 18 Sunrisers Hydrabad won their maiden IPL title 17 Two Indian Americans won Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched the 2016 IPL US Spelling Bee title by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore 2016 in the final. The Hyderabad unit successfully defended 209 runs even after fifties from Chris The Scripps Gayle and Virat Kohli for RCB. National Spelling Bee ended in a • In a battle between IPL‘s best batting tie for the third and bowling line-ups, the Orange Army US Spelling Bee consecutive year came up trumps despite initial blitzkrieg on Thursday from Chris Gayle and Kohli, defending night, with Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga their total of 208 for seven by restricting declared co-champions. the home team to 200 for seven.

where career starts 79

• It was David Warner‘s batting and have won the tournament and then astute captaincy complemented by some defended it the next season, winning in inspirational death overs bowling by 2010 and winning again in 2011. Mustafizur Rahaman (1/37 in 4 overs) • 2008: Rajasthan Royals and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/25 in 4 • 2009: Hyderabad Dakkn Chargers overs) that clinched the issue. • 2010: Chennai Super Kings • Warner, who hit 69, finished second in • 2011: Chennai Super Kings run-getters‘ list with 848 runs. • 2012: Kolkata Knight Riders • The turning point certainly would be • 2013: Mumbai Indians the 24 runs that Ben Cutting (39 no • 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders and 2/35) got in the final over off Shane • 2015: Mumbai Indians Watson‘s bowling during Sunrisers • 2016: Sunrisers innings and then came back to dismiss a rampaging Gayle. Sandhu 1st • Gayle (76 off 38 balls) and skipper 19 Indian to play Kohli (54 off 35 balls) had a scintillating in European opening stand of 114 in 10.3 overs as Laegue it looked like a cakewalk for the home team. Indian goalkeeper • Stuart Binny hit Mustafizur down the Gurpreet Singh ground for a six as the equation came Sandhu etched down to 37 from 3 overs. his name into Indian football’s • But Bhuvneshwar bowled a brilliant European Laegue 18th over keeping everything in the history book after blockhole as only 7 came off the over. becoming the first player in the history of the • Out of the thirteen team that have nation to play in a game in the top division of a played in the Indian Premier League, European league. three have won it twice, while three have won it once each. • The former East Bengal star achieved • The Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata the feet as he was named in Norwegian Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians are side Stabaek’s starting line-up for their the most successful teams in league‘s Tippeligaen game against Start. history. • However, this week, Gurpreet made • The other three teams who have history when he was named a starter won the tournament are the Deccan in Stabaek’s starting eleven in a bottom Chargers,Rajasthan Royals and of the Norwegian league clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Start. Thus, after waiting for nearly • The Super Kings are the only team to two long years, Gurpreet finally got his

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 80

break. • Tendulkar was 31 years and 326 days • The 6’6” keeper’s start was made even old when he reached the landmark sweeter as he kept a clean sheet as his against Pakistan at Eden Gardens in side romped home to a 5-0 win. 2005. • The win helped Stabaek pull away from • The England skipper became the 12th the bottom and they now stand only batsman overall to reach the milestone a point away from getting out of the and he achieved it in his 128th Test. relegation zone at the midway point of • Alastair Nathan Cook, MBE (born 25 their season. December 1984) is an English cricketer. • Indian composer and musician AR • A left-handed opening batsman, he is Rahman was conferred with Japan‘s the captain of the England Test team Fukuoka prize for 2016 on Monday. and former ODI captain, and plays • The Oscar-winning music maestro was county cricket for Essex. reportedly honoured with the Grand • Cook played for Essex‘s Academy and Fukuoka prize for his outstanding made his debut for the first XI in 2003. contribution to Asian culture through • He played in a variety of England‘s youth music. teams from 2000 until his call up to the Test side in 2006. 20 Alastair cook became Weir sets world youngest player 21 record in 1 mile to reach 10,000 wheelchair race Test runs Paralympian Alastair Cook David Weir made achieved a world history by fabulous becoming the Alastair cook milestone as he first wheelchair broke Sachin Paralympian David race to complete Tendulkar‘s record and became the youngest a mile in less to reach 10,000 runs in Tests on the fourth than three minutes on Sunday. day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in • Posting a time of two minutes and 57 Durham. seconds, Weir shaved six seconds off his previous best performance at the • Cook became the first England player to Westminster Mile reach the landmark of 10,000 runs and • Six-time gold medalist Weir said after he also became the youngest at 31 years the race: „I‘ve always said I could do it. and 158 days to achieve the landmark. • Sunday‘s victory was Weir‘s fourth

where career starts 81

consecutive Westminster Mile title, • Athletes are classified in accordance beating South African rival Ernst. with the nature and severity of their • Wheelchair racing is the racing of disability or combinations of disabilities. wheelchairs in track and road races. • Like running, it can take place on a • Wheelchair racing is open to athletes track or as a road race. with any qualifying type of disability, • The main competitions take place at the amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral Summer Paralympics which wheelchair palsy and partially sighted (when racing and athletics has been a part of combined with another disability). since 1960.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 82

ECONOMICS The small 1 institution aimed to aid the growth Industries and development of micro, small and Development medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs). Bank of India • In 1996, a first funding mechanism has inked with was created in SAARC, ‘South Asian SAARC Development Fund (SADF), merging Development the SAARC Fund for Regional Projects Bank (SDF) (SFRP) and the SAARC Regional Fund.

SIDBI • SADF objectives were to support industrial development, poverty alleviation, protection of environment, • The Small Industries Development Bank institutional/human resource of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with development and promotion of social SAARC Development Fund (SDF) and infrastructure development projects • This has been done to promotte for in the SAARC region. mutual cooperation and collaboration. • The MoU was signed by Deputy Managing Maharashtra Director of SIDBI A K Kapur and SDF 2 is the biggest CEO Sunil Motiwal. contributor • MoU initiates SDF and SIDBI to work to income tax together in co-funding of projects in collections in Indian MSMEs on risk sharing basis in India identified sectors.

• Development of suitable financial Maharashtra products for SME financing for MSMEs contributed Rs. of other Saarc states, the Finance Income tax 2,77,720.11 Ministry said in a statement. crore, of the total • Technology transfer and making Rs. 6,95,788.85 crore in income tax collections, available software to MFIs regarding in financial year 2014-15. loan tracking systems in other SAARC states. • This detail was released by the country‘s • Capacity development of SDF, SIDBI income tax department for the first time and SME funding institutions in SAARC on 29th April 2016. countries. • There are 10 categories of income tax • SIDBI is an independent financial

where career starts 83

in India – individuals, corporates, • This is part of the German government‘s trusts, local authorities, government, special initiative ‚One World, No Hunger‘ partnership firms, Hindu Undivided initiative. Family (HUF), body of individuals, • India is the only country in Asia to be association of persons and artificial part of this initiative. juridical person. • NABARD is anchoring two major • The number of individual tax payers programmes — soil conservation has decreased by 3.70 lakh between and rehabilitation of degraded land financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14. programme in Maharashtra and Madhya • In 2013-14, 4.87 crore individuals Pradesh. paid taxes, which was 4.90 crore in the • It is also conducting innovation of previous year. watershed development and climate • In all, 7.14 lakh companies paid change adaptation programmes corporate tax in financial year 2013-14, in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, a bit more than 7.03 lakh companies in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan. the previous year • Germany’s ‚One World, No Hunger‘ • Overall, the number of income tax payees focuses on food and nutrition security, declined to 5.17 crore in financial year promotion of innovation, protection and 2013-14 from 5.21 crore in the previous sustainable use of natural resources so financial year. as to create stable livelihood in rural areas and promotion of responsible land NABARD use and access to land. 3 partners • This initiate has been happily welcomed Germany for by many countries across the globe. food security initiative Rahuri in 4 Ahmednagar In April 2016 becomes first to National Bank have digi-locker. for Agriculture

NABARD and Rural Rahuri Municipal Development Council of (NABARD) collaborated with German Ahmednagar government for a special programme on district in ‚Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food Digital locker Maharashtra Security‘. became the first Municipal Council to attain the status of

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 84

integrated with digital locker for the issuance (I/C) for Commerce and Industry Nirmala of all essential Documents. Sitharaman on 3 April 2016 launched EXIM Analytics Dashboard to provide an easy access • Digitalization of governance was to detailed trade data of the country. essentially meant to bring in transparency in the administration • It will ensure the following: and restore peoples’ confidence in • The export turnover of the country, how Government. it performs over time? • Department of Information Technology • What are the export destinations? will also help all municipal bodies in • What items are being exported? digitalizing governance and making • Which are the ports – inland, sea or administration paperless. airports from which the exports are Dilipji Gandhi, Member of Parliament taking place? personally took interest in the initiative • This will enable small and upcoming • The Website is integrated as an issuer businessmen to foray into global trade and Requester with DigiLocker where based on reliable information directly the Citizen will have access to all these accessible through government sources. documents at any time. • Export Overview: It provides analysis of • They will have freedom to access them data by time period, export destinations from anywhere in the world at any time. and ports of export. • The citizen of the area can now apply for • Import Overview: It provides analysis of the certificates like Birth, Marriage and data by time period, countries of Import Death Certificates online without going and ports of import. to Municipal Council • Balance of Trade (BOT): BOT can be • This will also ensure them the peace of analysed over time periods for different mind provided by the easy security of Regions, Countries and Ports. their documents forever. • The data for analysis is presented as a month’s aggregate at its lowest 5 Union granularity, namely, at the level of Commerce country, commodity, port etc. Ministry • At present, monthly data from April 2014 launched EXIM till January 2016 has been provided on Analytics the analytics. Progressively additional Dashboard for dashboards and data for older period export, import will be added. data EXIM Analytics Minister of State

where career starts 85

Reliance to sign Google acquires 6 15 new industrial 7 business license technology agreements in startup the defense Synergyse sector Google has Reliance Defence, acquired business subsidiary technology Reliance Defence of Reliance Synergyse startup Synergyse Infrastructure founded by an Limited, the company last week received 15 Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra. industrial licenses for making a wide array of high technology equipment ranging from heavy • The financial detail was disclosed by the weapons, armored vehicles, ammunition, Google. electronic warfare systems, UAVs and directed • Synergyse was launched in 2013 to teach energy weapon systems. users how to use Google Applications. • With this acquisition, Synergyse will be • 10 pertain to land systems, three for joining the Google Apps team and help the naval systems and remaining two it to accelerate its mission and build covering niche technologies across the Google Apps. defense spectrum. • Entrepreneur Varun Malhotra has over • Reliance will be competing with a host 10 years of experience in the enterprise of established companies like the TATA, space. L&T, Baba Kalyani Group, Mahindras • Google is an American multinational among others, to get orders. technology company specializing in • Reliance is focusing on defence deals Internet-related services and products. including Army’s plans to spend an • These include online advertising additional Rs. 50,000 crore over next technologies, search, cloud computing, ten to fifteen years and software. Most of its profits are • This investment has to be done in derived from AdWords. different combat vehicles, air defence • An online advertising service that places missile systems among others. advertising near the list of search • Reliance Defence also intends to address results. a large potential international market • Google was founded by Larry Page for combat vehicles in the Middle East, and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. Africa and South America. students at Stanford University. • Together, they own about 14 percent of

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 86

its shares and control 56 percent of the On 5 May 2016 National Association of stockholder voting power through super Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) voting stock. signed a partnership agreement with Facebook • They incorporated Google as a privately held company on September 4, 1998. • This is done to build a product design initiative in India. 8 BRICS bank became the first • This initiative is aimed towards partner with ICICI Bank in India encouraging Indian entrepreneurs to become problem solvers and develop ICICI Bank on 5th may 2016 became the solutions. first financial institution in the country • Nasscom Product Council aim at to tie up with the BRICS Grouping- supporting over 500 product start-ups promoted New Development Bank (NDB) on product design. • This tie up has been done for a • It focuses on training over 5000 product partnership in bond issuances, co- designers in two years. financing, treasury management and • This is the second time that NASSCOM human resources. and Facebook have partnered to promote • NDB‘s first president is ICICI Bank entrepreneurship and startup initiatives veteran KV Kamath in India. • NDB‘s mandate includes partnering with • Earlier in 2015, NASSCOM partnered local development banks in member- with Facebook for its initiative called countries and this MoU will help it Leaders Building for the Next Billion. leverage the deep market access and • Facebook is a corporation and an online insight of ICICI Bank in the country‘s social networking service headquartered financial markets. in Menlo Park, California, in the United • ICICI Bank and NDB will also leverage a States. mutually beneficial partnership in other • Its website was launched on February areas such as treasury risk management, 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his account and cash management services. Harvard College roommates and fellow • Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB students Eduardo Saverin, Andrew began operations with an initial capital McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris of $100 billion last year as a multilateral Hughes. development bank promoted by Brazil, • The founders had initially limited the Russia, India, China and South Africa. website‘s membership to Harvard students, but later expanded it to 9 NASSCOM inks MoU with colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy Facebook to develop a product League, and Stanford University. design initiative • It gradually added support for students

where career starts 87

at various other universities and later to Centers (AWCs) in 162 high burden high-school students. districts of eight participating States. • Since 2006, anyone in general who has • Technical support at the national attained an age of 13 years or more has and state level for strengthening their been allowed to become a registered capacities to deliver nutrition especially user of the website, though variations during pre-conception, pregnancy and in the minimum age requirement exist first two years of life. depending on applicable local laws. • The Common Application Software (CAS) will be developed by the BMGF 9 MoC between with support of their partners. Ministry of • It will be made available to the Ministry Women & Child free of cost along with its Source Code Development for hosting by MWCD with NIC. and Bill & Melinda Gates 10 ECB decided to Foundation end production and issuance On 4 May 2016 of 500 euro MWCD Union Cabinet banknote approved the signing of Memorandum of Co-operation On 4 May 2016 between Ministry of Women & Child The European Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda Central Bank 500 euro banknote Gates Foundation (BMGF). (ECB) announced to permanently • The MoC will be signed for the stop producing the 500 euro banknote by the cooperation in Information and end of 2018. Communication Technology Enabled Real Time Monitoring of Integrated Child • 500 euro banknote, like the other Development Services (ICDS). denominations of euro banknotes, • The MoC will cover 162 high malnutrition will always retain its value and can be burden districts of eight states. exchanged at the national central banks • Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, of the Euro system. Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya • On 20 April 2010, money exchange Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh offices in the United Kingdom stopped are those 8 states. selling 500 euro notes because of money • The phase-I of ISSNIP will roll out ICT- laundering. RTM through one Lakh Anganwadi • The five hundred euro note is the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 88

highest-value euro banknote. Management, Aditi Gandhi and Michael • It is one of the highest value circulating Walton of Centre for Policy Research of banknotes in the world, worth around New Delhi, and others in 2014. 558 USD, 3634 Chinese Yuan, 62700 • Due to its limitations the index was not Japanese Yen, 544 Swiss Franc or 395 recognized internationally. Pound sterling. • It also aims to measure the increase • The note is used in the 23 countries. trend in the number of economic rent- • It is the largest note measuring 160 × 82 seekers. mm and has a purple colour scheme. 12 RBI to issue • The five hundred euro note contains 1000 Rupees several security features such as Banknotes with watermarks, invisible ink, holograms inset letter ‚R‘ and microprinting. On 9 May 2016 11 India ranks The Reserve Ninth in Crony- Bank of India Capitalism Index 1000 Rupees announced that it will shortly issue India is ranked at 1000 rupees denomination banknotes with the ninth position in inset letter ‚R‘ in both the number panels. crony-capitalism index that was • It will be done in the Mahatma Gandhi released by the Series – 2005 Crony-Capitalism Economist in the • It will carry the signature of Dr. first week of May Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve 2016. Bank of India on the obverse. • The banknotes of 1000 rupees banknotes • As per the latest crony-capitalism index will have six angular bleed lines in four the non-crony sector wealth in India sets of 1-2-2-1 lines on the obverse in amounts to 8.3 per cent of the GDP both, the upper left and right hand edge • Russia topped the list of the banknotes. • It was followed by Malaysia, the • These will facilitate identification of these Philippines and Singapore. notes by visually impaired persons. • Russia fares worst in the index, wealth • All the banknotes in the denomination from the country‘s crony sectors of 1000 rupees issued by the Reserve amounts to 18 per cent of its GDP. Bank in the past, including 1000 rupees • It was based on the work by Ruchir denomination banknotes with ascending Sharma of Morgan Stanley Investment size of numerals in the number panels

where career starts 89

but without bleed lines and enlarged have excelled in their research work, the identification mark, will continue to be company added. legal tender. • Grant is aimed at fulfilling the Foundation’s objective of creating equal Infosys opportunities for students from poorer 13 Foundation background and advancing the quality has signed of research done at Indian institutions. a pact with • The establishment of scholarships, Indian Institute fellowships and travel awards provides of Science opportunities for students at different Education academic levels to gain from the grant, and Research it said. (IISER), Pune, Infosys Commemorative Coin of 100 • This is to 14 rupees & Circulation Coin of support students from economically 10 rupees on Maharana Pratap weaker section to pursue ‘high quality’ released education. • The Memorandum of Understanding On 9 May 2016 The Union Government aims at providing opportunities for released a commemorative coin of hundred economically weaker students to rupees and a circulation coin of ten rupees on pursue high quality science education Maharana Pratap. and research through scholarships, fellowships and travel awards, Infosys • The coin was released as a part of said in a release. 475th Birth Anniversary celebrations of • It said as part of the MoU, the corpus Maharana Pratap. fund of Rs. 5 crore named as ‘The Infosys • The coin was released by Minister of Foundation Endowment Fund’, State (Independent Charge) for Culture • This fund will continue in perpetuity and Tourism Dr Mahesh Sharma in New to benefit a minimum of 50 students Delhi. annually. • Maharana Pratap was a brave warrior, • The grant will be used towards the successful organizer and ingenious establishment of Infosys Foundation strategist, who fearlessly fought the Scholarships which will be awarded to Mughals and protected his people until BS-MS students, Infosys Foundation his death. Fellowships endowed to integrated • He was a ruler of Mewar, a region in PhD students and Infosys Foundation north-western India in the present day Travel Awards to PhD students who state of Rajasthan.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 90

• His birth anniversary is celebrated • It would also contribute towards every year on the 3rd day of the Jyestha strengthening the information sharing Shukla phase. framework between the two regulators. • He was the eldest son of Maharani Apart from Abu Dhabi, SEBI also signed Jaiwanta Bai and Udai Singh II, founder bilateral agreements with a number of Udaipur. of countries which include Mauritius, • He belonged to the Sisodia clan of Bangladesh etc Rajputs. SEBI is a signatory to global market • Union Ministry of Culture has been regulators‘ grouping IOSCO‘s MoU which celebrating the 475th Birth Anniversary encourages the exchange of information of Maharana Pratap in association with and assistance the State Government of Rajasthan. 16 Apple invested 15 Union Cabinet $1 billion in approves for Chinese taxi MoU between service Didi SEBI and FSRA Chuxing Abu Dhabi Apple said it The Union invested $1 billion Cabinet chaired in Chinese ride- Apple by Prime Minister hailing service SEBI Narendra Modi on Didi Chuxing. 12 May 2016 gave its approval to Securities and Exchange Board Didi is the world’s largest mobile transportation of India (SEBI) to sign a Memorandum of service platform that offers mobile technology- Understanding (MoU) with Financial Services based transportation options across over 400 Regulatory Authority (FSRA), Abu Dhabi. major Chinese cities, including taxi hailing, private car hailing, social ride-sharing, • The MoU is for mutual co-operation and Chauffeur, DiDi Bus, DiDi Test Drive and DiDi technical assistance between the two Enterprise Solutions. financial regulators. • It will promote further development of • Company saw a total of 1.43 billion rides economic links and cooperation between on its platform in 2015. the two signatories • In February 2016, DiDi became the • It will help to create conditions for world’s second largest online transaction development of securities markets in the platform. two countries. • The company said it completes more

where career starts 91

than 11 million rides a day, with more • At present, Apple leads the world in than 87 percent of the market for private innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, car-hailing in China. Apple Watch and Apple TV. • One of the major reasons behind making • Across India, Apple supports over the investment was the chance to learn 640000 iOS app developer jobs and other more about certain segments of the positions related to the iOS ecosystem. China market. • Apple is entirely confident of growing 18 PNB tops list of business in the the long term in China’s worst losses in economy. Indian banking Apple opens history 17 Development Office in Punjab National Hyderabad Bank reported a net loss of Rs Apple Inc. on 5,367.14 crore 19 May 2016 PNB for the fourth opened a new quarter ended Development March 2016 against net profit of Rs 306 crore Office in in the same quarter a year ago. Apple Hyderabad, Telangana. • Provisions of the bank jumped nearly 3 times, 173 per cent, to 10,485.23 crore • The office was formally opened by Apple’s for the quarter under review from Rs CEO Tim Cook. 3834.19 crore in the same quarter last • The facility will focus on development year. of Maps for Apple products, including • The asset quality of Punjab National Bank iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. deteriorated as gross non-performing • This investment will accelerate Maps assets rose to 12.90 per cent of gross development and create up to 4000 jobs. advances during the quarter, from 6.55 • With iOS 9 Apple added Transit, offering per cent in the year-ago period. a combination of trains, subways, buses • Gross NPAs were Rs 55,818.33 crore in and walking, which is already available the quarter against Rs 25,694.86 crore for more than 300 cities around the last year. world. • Bad loans as a percentage of net • Apple revolutionized personal technology advances stood at 8.61 per cent during with the introduction of the Macintosh the last quarter of 2015-16, from 4.06 in 1984. per cent year ago.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 92

• Net interest margins of Punjab National transactions between the Himalayan nation Bank slid 27 per cent to Rs 2767.71 and India. crore in Jan-Mar 2016 period against • With the launch of above services, the Rs 3791.58 crore in the same period last customer of Nepal SBI Bank can utilise year. various features of mobile banking and • For the full fiscal, the lender reported a other value added services along with net loss of Rs 3,974.39 crore compared the platform of the payment gateway, with a net profit of Rs 3,061.58 crore in the bank said in a statement. corresponding last fiscal. • The Payment Gateway was inaugurated • At 12.47 am, shares of public sector by SBI Managing Director B Sriram, and bank erased their initial gains and were Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae. trading 0.07 per cent at Rs 73.85. • Nepal SBI Bank is providing banking • With this huge loss, Punjab National services from its 70 Offices including 59 Bank is now among the several public branches and 3 Regional Offices. sector banks that have reported losses • Besides, Sriram also handed over a due to bad loans. cheque for Rs 5.21 crore to Nepal Prime • Syndicate Bank reported a net loss Minister K P Oli for PM Natural Disaster of Rs 2,158.17 for the quarter ending Relief Fund. March 2016 due to more than three- • As a part of social responsibility initiatives fold rise in provisions for bad loans and of Nepal SBI, Sriram also inaugurated contingencies. construction of main entrance gate of • Bank of Baroda, UCO Bank, Central Pashupati area development trust on Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and the theme of UNESCO World Heritage Dena Bank have earlier reported losses Design. due to bad loans. Demand of 20 Consolidation in 19 Nepal SBI Indian Banking Bank launches sector. payment gateway India’s largest lender State Bank Nepal SBI of India (SBI) Bank, one of the formally started largest overseas SBI merger of 5 subsidiaries of associative banks Nepal SBI Bank SBI, has launched and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with itself. The payment gateway merged entity will have India’s one-fourth of to facilitate online trade and non-trade the deposit and loan market.

where career starts 93

is not driven by the inherent strength Post-consolidation, SBI’s market share will of the banking system. It is resorted to increase from 17 per cent to 22.5-23 per cent, escape from the problem of NPAs. while the total business of the merged entity • There are apprehensions among the will be over 35 lakh crore rupees. labour unions that the consolidation will lead to job losses. Against this backdrop, it is pertinent to analyse pros and cons of consolidation in the Indian Samsung to banking sector. 21 launch 1st nationwide loT • Consolidation will help in leveraging Network the synergies among the banks that have diverse portfolios, focus areas and Samsung coverage areas. Electronics will • As the government is the only common partner with SK owner of all the PSBs, the process Telecom to build of consolidation is much easier and Samsung Electronics a LoRaWAN effortless. network for the • Indian companies are going global. Now Internet of Things that will cover all of South we are home to many multinational Korea. companies that have presence in various sectors of the economy. Again • The two companies claim that this is the this context, big-ticket Indian banks world’s first nationwide IoT network. are the most proper platforms to deliver • LoRaWAN stands for “long-range wide- financial services to them. area network,” and is specifically • At present, there is not a single Indian designed for Internet-connected, bank in the top 50 global banks list. The battery-operated objects. consolidation is expected to fill this gap, • South Korea may be getting the first and, consequently, help build the ‘Brand countrywide IoT network, but LoRaWAN India’ among international investors. has already been used to build a citywide • International experience is also IoT data network in Amsterdam that favourable towards consolidation. Banks launched last August. in Japan gained a lot as a result of large • Samsung Electronics and SK Telecom’s scale merger and acquisition process IoT network will be available throughout between 1990 and 2004. South Korea by the middle of this year. • Experts argue that consolidation should • The South Korean government has said take place in a positive environment. that it plans to invest 100 billion won by The present process of consolidation 2024 in smart cars and IoT as part of a

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 94

drive to promote the country’s startup online and up-skill their technology industry and decrease its dependence know-how. on semiconductor manufacturing. • Trained personnel at these centers are • South Korea’s Internet speeds are also conducting in-depth sessions on already among the fastest in the world. digital literacy, computer skills and internet facilities, along with dedicated 22 Intel India guidance sessions in entrepreneurship, announced new language and vocational training, with initiatives to the goal of creating opportunities for support „Digital non-urban education, employment and India“ empowerment.

Intel India Infosys‘ Rs 600-cr SEZ project announced a 23 series of initiatives Infosys will set up its second Intel that strengthen biggest facility worth nearly Rs 600 its support for crore in Bangalore. the Digital India programme launched by the Government of India. Intel detailed three • It received necessary clearances from projects designed to accelerate digital literacy the Karnataka Government. at the grassroots level by reaching out to the • The new facility will be set up in north population in non-urban India, up-skill citizens Bangalore in tier II cities and beyond, and encourage • It can accommodate 8,000 employees. innovation from the local level • The Karnataka Government cleared Infosys‘ proposal to set up an ‘Special • Building on the momentum of its ‚Ek Economic Zone‘ (SEZ) near the Bangalore Kadam Unnati Ki Aur‘ initiative, the International Airport. company aims to accelerate access to • According to Industries Department technology in non-urban India, Intel officials, the company had sought an India e-launched its latest ‚Unnati additional 60 acres of land adjacent to Kendra at Common Service Centre‘ (UK the 40 acres of land already allotted to at CSC) in Karnal. it. • Intel India also announced the Digital • In May, Infosys received clearance for Unnati website, being set up in 7.23 acres of land near its existing IT collaboration with the CSC e-Governance SEZ campus in South Kanara. Services India Ltd. • Infosys had said that it plans to open a • It will enable Village Level Entrepreneurs software development centre of 2 million (VLEs) to learn how to assemble a PC built up sq ft area with an investment of

where career starts 95

Rs 700 crore. • The land will be allotted by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board • It will also provide 13 lakh litres of water a day. • Wipro has also received formal approval, both from the State Government and the SEZ Board of Approval to build and operate an SEZ in Bangalore.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 96

Defence

GSL chairman and managing director 1 Offshore Shekhar Mital said that all the six ships patrol vessel would be delivered to the Coast Guard ICGS Shaurya by 2017. launched. US Navy tested On 5 May 2016 2 world‘s largest Goa Shipyard unmanned Limited (GSL), surface vessel, ICGS launched Indian Sea Hunter Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya at Vasco. On 2 May 2016 US Navy tested This 105-metre new generation OPV that was the world‘s largest launched by the Governor of Goa, Mridula unmanned US Navy Sinha will be delivered to the Coast Guard surface vessel after sea trials are completed. named Sea Hunter in San Diego. • The vessel is capable of cruising at a speed of 23 knots and has a range of • It is a self-driving 132-foot ship able to 6000 nautical miles. travel up to 10000 nautical miles. • It will be fitted with state-of-the-art • It is designed to travel thousands of machinery like the integrated machinery miles out at sea without a single crew control system and integrated bridge member on board. system. • The Pentagon‘s research arm, the • The vessel carries four boats for boarding Defense Advanced Research Projects party operations. Agency (Darpa) developed the ship with • One 30 mm gun and two 12.7 mm guns Virginia-based Leidos. associated with fire control system form • The ship is powered by two diesel the main weaponry package. engines. • The indigenously designed ship is • It is a 132ft-long (40-metre) unarmed capable of search and rescue operations, prototype ship. pollution control and external • The ship underwent two years of testing firefighting. which includes verifying that it can safely follow international norms for

where career starts 97

operating at sea. • Both the IUHDSS and MWDC will • It is the naval equivalent of Google‘s self- function under the control of the Naval driving car. Officer-in-Charge Commodore Sanjiv • It marks the first step toward sending Issar. unmanned cargo vessels between • Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence countries, according to military officials, and Surveillance System is a multi- who showed off the ship in San Diego sensor system that can detect, identify, today before it was put in the water. track and generate warnings for all • The Pentagon‘s research arm, the types of surface and underwater threats Defense Advanced Research Projects to Vizag harbor. Agency (Darpa) developed the ship along • Mine Warfare Data Centre collates, with Virginia-based Leidos. analyses and classifies the data collected • Darpa will test it in conjunction with by the Navy‘s Mine Hunting Ships the Navy over the next two years off • This technical advancement might California‘s coast. greatly raise the confodence of Indian • The tests will largely focus on its ability Navy and its security concerns to react on its own to avoid collisions • Its been so long for India to wait for such with seafaring traffic. technology and finally its here • During the testing phase, the ship will have human operators as a safety Indian Air net, but once it proves to be reliable, 4 Force’s the autonomous surface vessel will Electronic maneuver itself able to go out at sea for Maintenance months at a time. Management System launched 3 Two Harbour Defence Systems commissioned Indian Air Force has launched On 11 May 2016 Integrated Underwater Indian Air Force’s its Electronic Harbour Defence and Surveillance System) and Maintenance Mine Warfare Data Centre were inaugurated Management System (e-MMS) Project, an automated military maintenance system. • They were inaugurated by Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval • It was inaugurated by the Chief of Air Command Vice Admiral HCS Bisht. Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at the • The two Harbour Defence Systems Air Force Station in Pune, Maharashtra. would enhance the Navy‘s surveillance • The e-MMS project is one of the largest capability. Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) IT

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 98

implementation in the world. The project long single-stage solid rocket propelled has been designed and developed by the guided missile equipped with a Indian IT giant Wipro. navigation system, a hi-tech computer • IAF had signed the contract for the and an electro-mechanical activator. project e-MMS with Wipro as a System • It weighs around 1.2 tonnes and has a Integrator (SI) in 2013. diameter of less than 0.5 meter. • The e-MMS system has a central console • With this, India became the fourth that will help IAF to get rid of paper country to have successfully developed works and heavy logbooks. It seeks to this anti-ballistic missile system. seamlessly connect squadrons, wings, • The other three are United States, commands, and Air Headquarters after Russia and Israel. its implementation. • This is inspired by late President of India • It will transform IAF’s paper-based Shri Abdul Kalam legacy maintenance system to an online • This interceptor missile is enough to system as it will be implemented in IAF’s destroy various demo. hierarchy and functioning. 6 A joint US- “Ashwin” an Australian 5 indigenous military Air Defence research team interceptor successfully missile, has been tested a successfully hypersonic tested technology in the Australian US-Australian military India on 15 May desert Ashwin 2016 successfully test fired an • A two-hour flight from Sydney to London indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence is a step closer to reality after the latest interceptor missile, Ashwin. successful test Wednesday of hypersonic technology in the Australian desert. • It was launched from the complex of • A joint US-Australian military research Abdul Kalam Island (formerly known as team is running a series of 10 trials at Wheeler Island) off Odisha coast. the world‘s largest land testing range, • Ashwin is capable of destroying any Woomera in South Australia, and at incoming hostile ballistic missile. Norway‘s Andoya Rocket Range. • Indigenously developed by DRDO, the • Scientists have said hypersonic ADD interceptor missile isa 7.5-meter technology could cut travelling time

where career starts 99

from Sydney to London to as little as two Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of hours for the 17,000-kilometre (19,540- Russia. mile) flight. • Russia is the partner country in the • Hypersonic flight involves travelling at BrahMos joint venture with its consent more than five times the speed of sound discussions with several other countries, (Mach 5). including Philippines, South Korea, • Scientists involved in the programme -- Algeria, Greece, Malaysia, Thailand, called Hypersonic International Flight Egypt, Singapore, Venezuela and Research Experimentation (HIFRE) -- Bulgaria . are developing an engine that can fly at • BrahMos has: 3 times more velocity, 2.5 Mach 7 to 3 times more flight range, 3 to 4 times • Each test builds on previous ones, with more seeker range, 9 times more kinetic the latest used to measure heat on the energy. outside of a vehicle in hypersonic flight, • The missile has identical configuration Smart said. for land, sea and sub-sea platforms and • The next test, scheduled for 2017, would uses a Transport Launch Canister (TLC) involve the scramjet engine separating for transportation, storage and launch. from the rocket booster and flying on its own, he added. 8 BrahMos • The first test was conducted in 2009 with supersonic the project expected to be completed in cruise missile 2018. test fired

7 India and Russia have agreed to India on 27th export BrahMos May successfully test fired the over India and Russia have agreed ‘in 290-km range principle’ to export the world’s fastest BrahMos BrahMos land- anti-ship cruise missile, BrahMos, to attack supersonic UAE, Vietnam, South Africa and Chile. cruise missile. • BrahMos was developed jointly by India’s Defense Research and Development • The system was put to check by the Organization (DRDO) and Russia’s NPO Indian Air Force, which has acquired Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), which in a squadron of it consisting of over 50 1998 established the company BrahMos missiles, at about 1200 hours in the Aerospace. Pokharan firing range. • The name BrahMos is a portmanteau • The unique BrahMos weapon system on formed from the names of two rivers, the numerous occasions has established its

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 100

supremacy in the world of supersonic Indian origin in space. cruise missile. • The objective of the chair is to encourage • The flight conducted has met its mission research activities of Indian Railways in parameters in a copybook manner. Geo-spatial Technology. • The missile met all flight parameters the • It will also help to strengthen Railway formidable weapon successfully hit and projects where use of remote sensing annihilated the designated target. data, Geographical information System • DRDO chief is S Christopher. (GIS) and global positioning system • The accuracy was recently re-established (GPS) is predominant. in a campaign conducted by the Indian • The Chair will be headed as Chairman Army in the eastern sector last year. by V.K.Gupta, Member Engineering, • This formidable missile system has Railway Board and Manoj Arora, empowered all three wings of the armed Director, PEC University of Technology, forces with impeccable anti-ship and Chandigarh as Co-chairman. land attack capability.

Union Ministry of Railways and 9 PEC University of Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding

(MoU) for setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways at the Universit

Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways at the University.

• The MoU was signed in the backdrop of Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s Budget announcement in this regard. • The academic chair is being instituted in memory of Indo–American Astronaut and Alumnus of PEC Late Kalpana Chawla. She was the first woman of

where career starts 101

Obituaries

• His portrayal of Martin Lane on The 1 Patty Duke Show was recognized as No. 39 on its list of 50 Greatest TV Dads. Famous American actor Nirankari William Schallert 2 Spiritual leader died Baba Hardev

Singh dies in On 8 May 2016 Canada road American actor accident William Schallert William Schallert passed away in On 13 May 2016 California, U.S. Baba Hardev Singh, the He was 93.The actor was best known for his Baba Hardev Singh Spiritual leader work as Martin Lane on the hit series The Patty and chief of Nirankari Mission, died in a road Duke Show, accident in Montreal, Canada. He was 62.

This show was aired on ABC from 1963 until • Born on 23 February 1954, Baba Hardev 1966. Singh became a member of the Nirankari Seva Dal in 1971. • He was Born on 6 July 1922, • In 2005, he established the Nirankari • He began acting in University of Southern Museum in Sant Nirankari Sarovar California in Los Angeles. complex in New Delhi. • In 1946, he helped found the Circle • He had 10 to 15 million followers around Theatre with Sydney Chaplin and several the world. fellow students. • The mission was established in 1929, • In 1948, he was directed by Sydney‘s by Baba Buta Singh who previously father, Charlie Chaplin, in a staging of belonged to the Nirankari sect. He was Somerset Maugham‘s Rain. succeeded by Baba Avtar Singh. • He starred in Philbert, an innovative • The mission began as a reform movement 1964 TV pilot for ABC within Sikhism. • He appeared in many films and television • It started in form of the Sant Nirankari series as Perry Mason, The Smurfs, Movement or Universal Brotherhood Jefferson Drum among others.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 102

Movement that believed in the • It was his interest in Saturn and its rings importance of a living leader. which led him to launch his Neptune • The mission flourished after base of the research. mission was shifted to Delhi from West • Neptune’s outermost ring is divided Punjab, after partition of India in 1947. into three arcs to which Brahic gave the • As of 2016, the organization has 2000 names Liberte, Fraternite and Egalite. centers and millions of followers all over • In 1990 an asteroid, number 3488, was the globe. named Brahic in his honour.

French scientist Diwaliben Bhil passed away 3 André Brahic 4 died

André Brahic Folk singer and Padma award winner Diwaliben was an expert Punjabhai Bhil passed away on 19th May in on the solar her hometown Junagadh. system, in 1984. He launched • Her final rites were performed in Junagadh in presence of local political André Brahic a programme which led to leaders, folk artists among others. the discovery, with US astronomer William • A primary school dropout, Diwaliben was Hubbard, of the rings around the gaseous a self-taught folk artist who rose from planet Neptune. humble background to gain acclaim both in India and around the world. • Born into a modest family in Nazi- • Diwaliben, began her singing career occupied Paris in 1942, Brahic was from a local Garbi, has become the voice initiated into astrophysics after the war of hundreds of Gujarati folk songs and by Evry Schatzman, considered the garbas, father of the discipline in France. • Born in a tribal family, she worked • In the 1980s, Brahic became a specialist at a primary school as part of the in exploring our solar system with the government‘s literacy programme, before help of the NASA Voyager and later US- her talent was recognized. Europe Cassini unmanned missions, • Besides Gujarati folk songs, Diwaliben which continue to this day. has also sung many garba and bhajans, • He was an astrophysicist at the and even given voice to numerous Commission for Atomic Energy and Gujarati film songs. Alternative Energies (CEA) and a • Diwaliben Bhil got major recognition professor at the University of Paris. with her song „Aiwa Aiwa“ on the album

where career starts 103

‚Mann ke Manjeere‘ released in April 2001 Veteran leader Marathi litterateur and critique 5 of CPI(M) K 6 R.G. Jadhav passed away. Anirudhan passed away Marathi litterateur and critique R.G. Jadhav, Veteran and passed away at his residence following a former MLA and prolonged illness. MP K Anirudhan passed away at • He was best known for his 91 reflective K Anirudhan his residence on poems on Mahatma Gandhi. 23rd May 2016 at • A prolific literary critic, Professor Jadhav, the age of 92. who was born at Vadodara in Gujarat, taught Marathi literature in various • Anirudhan was suffering from age- colleges across Maharashtra, including related ailments for some time and died Elphinstone College in Mumbai and last night, the sources said. Milind College in Aurangabad, among • Known for his significant contribution to others. build the Communist party movement in • Prof. Jadhav presided over the 2004 southern parts of the state, Anirudhan Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at was elected to the state assembly in Aurangabad and served as chief editor 1963, 1965, 1979 and 1980. of the ‘Marathi Vishwakosha’ based in • Anirudhan, also an active trade union Wai between 2000 and 2002. leader, had represented the then Conceived along the lines of the World Chirayinkeezhu constituency near here Almanac and the Encyclopaedia in Lok Sabha after defeating former chief Britannica, the ambitious ‘Vishwakosha’ minister R Sankar in the 1967 elections. project, launched by the State • He is survived by wife Sudharma and government in 1960 in an effort to inform sons, CPI-M Lok Sabha MP A Sampath and edify the Marathi-speaking world and Kasthuri. on modern science and arts, began as • He was attracted to the independence a print concept before moving online in movement during his school days. 2011. • He was forced to join a school in nearby Barack Obama became first incumbent Kanyakumari district as he was expelled US president to visit Hiroshima Memorial from both St Joseph School and SMV Barack Obama became the first sitting School for participating in the freedom U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where struggle. he called for a „world without nuclear

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 104

weapons“ during his remarks at the city‘s Peace Memorial Park. • In the Hiroshima museum‘s guest book • Hiroshima Peace Memorial commonly before his speech, the President wrote called the Atomic Bomb Dome, in that he hoped the world will „find the Hiroshima, Japan, is part of the courage, together, to spread peace, and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was pursue a world without nuclear weapons designated a UNESCO World Heritage • Obama’s visit, the first to Hiroshima by Site in 1996. a sitting U.S. president, comes as an • The ruin serves as a memorial to the acknowledgement from the American people who were killed in the atomic leaders towards the suffering of the bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August estimated 140,000 killed during the 1945. bombing on Aug. 6, 1945. • That figure includes 20,000 Koreans who had been forced by the Japanese military to work in the city for the imperial war machine.

where career starts 105

Science

lower than for traditional e-papers, China developed 1 which use the rare, expensive metal world‘s first indium. graphene electronic paper University of

2 Cambridge China has have built the developed a new world’s smallest electronic paper, (nanoscale) which has been Electronic paper working engine heralded as „the

world‘s first On 2 May graphene electronic paper. 2016Cambridge Cambridge researchers have Compared with traditional e-papers, graphene built the world‘s e-paper is more pliable and has more intensity smallest working engine. The research was and its high-light transmittance means optical published in the journal of the National displays will be much brighter. Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS). E-papers have been produced on a commercial scale since 2014. • The engine is few billionths of a meter in size and uses light to power itself. Compared with liquid crystal displays, • The nano scale engine can set a e-papers are thinner, bendable and energy benchmark for nano-machines that can efficient, meaning products are more portable. navigate in water, sense the environment around them, or even enter living cells • Graphene is the world‘s strongest and to fight disease. lightest known material.it can conduct • Professor Jeremy Baumberg from heat and electricity. the Cavendish Laboratory, who led • The material can be used to create hard the research, has named the devices or flexible graphene displays, used in Actuating Nano-Transducers. electronic products such as e-readers • Device is made of tiny charged particles of and wearable smart devices. gold, bound together with temperature- • Graphene is derived from carbon, responsive gel. meaning production costs will be much • When the engine is with a laser, it stores

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 106

large amounts of elastic energy in a • The research data has been used to fraction of a second. formulate ice nucleation scheme for • This has the effect of forcing the gold inclusion of such processes in the nano particles to bind together into tight forecast models. clusters. Artificial rain making techniques • However, when the device is cooled, the involving cloud seeding cannot be used polymers take on water and expand, and for bringing rain clouds to rainfall the gold nano particles are strongly and deficit/drought areas quickly pushed apart. 7 Astronomers discovered 3 Earth CAIPEEX a process to understand like planets using TRAPPIST 6 Rain Formation in Clouds & telescope impact of Randomized Cloud Seeding. Astronomers discovered three planets which have similar sizes and temperatures those of Minister of State for Science & Technology and Venus and Earth Earth Sciences, YS Chowdary first used the term CAIPEEX in Parliament. This was found using the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory. On 4 May 2016 In Lok Sabha, the minister informed that the Indian Institute of Tropical • The discovery was published in the Meteorology (IITM) is putting its effort in Journal Nature on 2 May 2016. understanding the rain formation in clouds • Ultra-cool dwarf star 2MASS through this research program. J23062928-0502285, now also known as TRAPPIST-1. • Under this experiment, air borne • They found that the dim and cool star observations are taken through faded slightly at regular intervals which randomized cloud seeding and the indicated that several objects were impact is recorded. passing between the star and the Earth. • Aircraft observations have to be • On the detailed analysis, it showed that conducted before and after the seeding to three planets are present around the determine the environmental conditions star. and the quantum of seeding material. • It is much cooler and redder than the • These operations include detailed Sun and barely larger than Jupiter. measurements of aerosols, cloud • Despite being so close to the Earth, the droplets, raindrops and ice particles, star is too dim and too red to be seen registering the growth of clouds before with the naked eye or even visually with and after the seeding. a large amateur telescope.

where career starts 107

• Two of the planets have orbital periods of • In case of humans, the virus causes about 1.5 days and 2.4 days respectively, mild illness known as Zika fever (Zika or and the third planet has a orbital period Zika disease). in the range 4.5 to 73 days. • Since January 2015, 61 countries and territories have reported local UN launches transmission of Zika. 8 Multi-Partner • The recent rise in the spread of the virus Trust Fund in some countries has been accompanied for Zika virus by an unprecedented rise in the number response of children being born with unusually small heads On 6 May 2016 • On 1 February 2016, WHO announced United Nations that the cluster of cases of microcephaly announced the and other neurological disorders. Multi-Partner establishment of the UN Zika 9 Flying Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund to finance Observatory critical unfunded priorities in the response to SOFIA detects the Zika outbreak. Atomic Oxygen in Martian It fund was announced by UN Secretary- Atmosphere General Ban Ki-moon. Atomic Oxygen • The Fund aims to provide a rapid, was detected in Flying Observatory flexible and accountable platform to the upper layers support a coordinated response from of the Martian the UN system and partners. atmosphere known as Mesosphere. • It will directly support the Zika Strategic Response Framework, developed by the Atomic oxygen affects how other gases escape World Health Organization (WHO Mars .It therefore has a significant impact on • Under the programme, the donors will the planet’s atmosphere. contribute to a central point and an Advisory Committee will direct funds The research was published in the journal to the highest-priority activities in the Astronomy and Astrophysics. affected countries. • Zika virus (ZIKV) is transmitted by • These more recent observations were daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such possible due to SOFIA’s airborne as A. aegypti. location, flying between 37000-45000

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 108

feet, above most of the infrared-blocking • The scientist has been awarded the moisture in Earth’s atmosphere. fellowship to pursue research in the field • The last measurement of the atomic of congenital and adult cardiovascular oxygen in Martian atmosphere was diseases. diagnosed by Viking and Mariner • He works as an assistant professor at missions of the 1970s. Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore. • Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared • He is also an adjunct assistant professor Astronomy (SOFIA) at National Heart Research Institute • SOFIA is a Boeing 747SP jetliner Singapore modified to carry a 100-inch diameter • He obtained his masters degree in telescope. Biotechnology from Madurai Kamaraj • It is a joint project of NASA and the University. German Aerospace Center. • After completing his masters, he • SOFIA program is managed by NASA’s joined MD/Ph.D program in Molecular Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Medicine at Hannover Medical School, California. Germany. • The aircraft is based at NASA’s Armstrong • The National Research Foundation was Flight Research Center‘s hangar set up on 1 January 2006. • It is a department within the Prime Indian scientist Minister‘s Office. 10 Manvendra K • The NRF sets the national direction for Singh bags SGD research and development (R&D) by 3 million grant developing policies, plans and strategies from Singapore‘s for research, innovation and enterprise. NRF China launched Dr Manvendra 11 Yaogan -30 K Singh, was remote sensing Manvendra K Singh awarded a grant satellite of SGD 3 million by Singapore’s National Research Foundation China has (NRF). successfully launched a • He is a scientist from Uttar Pradesh‘s remote sensing Gorakhpur city Yaogan -30 satellite which • He is among the seven young scientists will focus on from across the world to be endowed experiments on survey of land, crop yields and with the Singapore NRF fellowship. disaster relief.

where career starts 109

• The satellite named Yaogan 29 was recovering well and showing no signs of carried by a Long March 4C rocket rejecting the transplant. after it was launched on Thursday • Manning, a bank courier in Halifax, from Taiyuan in the country’s northern Mass., underwent the operation on May Shanxi province. 8 and 9. • This is the 219th mission for the Long • The surgeons who led the 15-hour March rocket family. China launched procedure, Curtis Cetrulo and Dickens the first “Yaogan” series satellite, Ko, said they were „cautiously optimistic“ Yaogan—1, in 2006. Manning will regain full urinary and • The satellite will be used for experiments, sexual function. land surveys, crop yield estimates and • Manning has been cancer free for about disaster relief, state—run Xinhua news four years, the physicians said.The agency reported. surgeons stressed the psychological • Western analysts believe the series of aspects of such transplants. satellites are of a military nature, using • Team plans to further develop transplant electronic intelligence, electro—optical protocols on civilians, noting that and synthetic aperture radar sensing Defense officials are hesitant about equipment. supporting experimental surgeries for • This launch comes weeks after China service members. had successfully launched Yaogan—28. • A team of South Africa surgeons performed the world‘s first successful First penis penis transplant in a nine-hour operation 12 transplant in in December 2014. U.S. performed in Boston Department of 13 Electronics and Surgeons in Information Boston have Technology performed the to built first first penile social security Penis transplant transplant in the platform United States, a procedure that soon could help severely India‘s first wounded troops, surgeons at Massachusetts IT to bulit national social General Hospital . security platform will be developed by the Department of • Thomas Manning, 64, whose penis was Electronics and Information Technology ( removed in 2012 due to penile cancer, is DeitY ), which has been entrusted with the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 110

task following the intervention of the Prime Yojana for old age pension. Minister‘s Office to end the tug of war between three central ministries. Scientists 14 discover new • Officials said the PMO stepped in after form of light the ministries of labour, finance, and communications and IT could not reach Researchers in consensus on who should set up the Ireland have backbone for distributing social security discovered a new benefits. form of light. • Finance minister Arun Jaitley had in his Their discovery budget speech said that the government Scientists discover is expected will develop a national social security to reshape platform for handing out monetary scientists‘ understanding of light‘s basic benefits. nature. • Officials said that once the platform is established, beneficiaries under various • Angular momentum describes the schemes will have to enrol with the rotation of a light beam around its ministries concerned which are offering axis. Until now, researchers believed benefits under the particular schemes. the angular momentum was always • Multiple Benefits Providing social a multiple of Planck‘s constant -- a security to Indians has been one of the constant ratio that describes the key focus areas of various schemes relationship between photon energy and launched by the Narendra Modi -led frequency, and also sets the scale for NDA government. Most of these schemes quantum mechanics. require the beneficiary to pay a small • The newly discovered form of light, amount as premium or contribution. however, features photons with an • While the Jan Dhan scheme launched in angular momentum of just half the value 2014 aimed to provide a bank account of Planck‘s constant. The difference along with a Rupay debit card to every sounds small, but researchers say the Indian household, the Jan Suraksha significance of the discovery is great. Scheme launched in 2015 aimed to • „For a beam of light, although traveling provide a social security net to Indians. in a straight line it can also be rotating • Under Jan Suraksha, the government around its own axis,“ John Donegan, brought in three schemes - Suraksha a professor at Trinity College Dublin‘s Bima Yojana providing an accident cover, School of Physics, explained in a news Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana providing a release. „So when light from the mirror life insurance cover and the Atal Pension hits your eye in the morning, every

where career starts 111

photon twists your eye a little, one way • Cloning the virus unlocks scientists’ or another.“ ability to more quickly develop • „Our discovery will have real impacts for countermeasures and explore whether the study of light waves in areas such or how the Zika virus has evolved to as secure optical communications,“ spread more quickly and cause more Donegan added. severe diseases in people. • Researchers made their discovery after • For 60 years, the Zika virus remained passing light through special crystals obscure, with few identified cases in to create a light beam with a hollow, people and mild disease symptoms. screw-like structure. Using quantum • However, since 2007, the virus mechanics, the physicists theorized has sparked frequent epidemics that the beam‘s twisting photons were associated with serious diseases such being slowed to a half-integer of Planck‘s as microcephaly and Guillain-Barre constant. syndrome. The researchers from The • The team of researchers then designed University of Texas Medical Branch a device to measure the beam‘s angular (UTMB) first constructed the Zika virus momentum as it passed through the clone. crystal. As they had predicted, they • Five fragments spanning the complete registered a shift in the flow of photons viral genome were individually cloned caused by quantum effects. and assembled into the full-length clone • The researchers described their of the Zika virus. discovery in a paper published this week • The infectious complementary DNA in the journal Science Advances. (cDNA) clone allows researchers to make Zika virus from test tube and cells on World’s first petri dishes. 15 Zika virus clone • The researchers then used the UTMB- developed developed Zika mouse model to demonstrate that the cloned virus Scientists have infected the mice and gave them genetically neurological disease. engineered a • Furthermore, the team engineered a clone of the Zika luciferase reporter Zika virus. Luciferase virus strain, an is the chemical in fireflies that gives Zika virus advance that them their signature glow. may aid the • The “glowing” reporter virus could be development of vaccine and therapies against used for antiviral drug screening and to the infection which has been linked to serious track Zika virus infection in mosquitoes birth defects. and small animal models.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 112

• There are a number of possible factors which is expected to take 10-15 years. that may account for the current Zika • The government has invested Rs 95 virus epidemic that can now be tested crores in the project. with the UTMB clone. • ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar said that it • For instance, the Zika virus may have is essentially an attempt bring down the evolved in a way that enhances mosquito cost of making infrastructure for space. transmission, leading to it spreading • The RLV is a mechanism to bring much more quickly. down the cost of launch. We intend • This idea could be tested by comparing to go through a series of technology how infectious the original Zika strains demonstration exercises, the first one are to mosquitoes with current strains, of which we call HEX-01, that is a followed by manipulating the clone to hypersonic experiment. It is called a test the effects of recent mutations on winged body,“ Kumar said. mosquito transmission. • This is the first of a series of experiments • The study was published in the journal and India still have a long way to go Cell Host and Microbe. till it reach the actual RLV, which will give a tremendous capacity in terms of ISRO launches launching at a very low cost. 16 India‘s first reusable space India lauded for shuttle 17 Medicines with the Red Line The ISRO campaign on successfully antibiotics launched the first ‚Made in India‘ The term ISRO space shuttle Medicines with the Red campaign • It is called the Reusable Launch Vehicle. Red Line campaign was appreciated • It was launched early on 23rd May by the Global morning from Sriharikota in Andhra Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. Pradesh. • The review was commissioned by the UK • The test launch is important because Prime Minister David Cameron in 2014 in 2011, the U.S.‘s Nasa abandoned its and chaired by economist Jim O’Neil. reusable space shuttle project • As per the review, India led the way so • The RLV-TD is described as „a very far with its idea of a ‘Red Line Campaign’ preliminary step“ in the development of for antibiotics packaging. a reusable rocket, the final version of • It has several key messages - learn how

where career starts 113

to identify prescription drugs; curb self aims at using oxygen present in the medication; and become more aware of atmosphere up to 50 km from the earth’s the dangers of misusing antibiotics. surface to burn the fuel stored in the • The campaign was named so as it was rocket. mandated that all prescription only • The new propulsion system, once drugs should be marked with a vertical mastered, would complement ISRO’s red line on the pack. aim to develop a reusable launch vehicle • The packs with red lines should be that would have longer flight duration. consumed only on doctor’s advice and • The Dual Mode Ramjet (DMRJ), the the patients need to complete full course ramjet-scramjet combination, is as prescribed by the doctor. currently under development, which • The campaign was launched by the will operate during the crucial Mach 3 Union Ministry of Health and Family to Mach 9 ascend flight of the launch Welfare in February 2016. vehicle. • The launch of the campaign became • ISRO is now evolving and testing various inevitable due to growing misuse of technologies to bring down the cost of antibiotics across the country. launch vehicles. • The national space agency has earlier ISRO to test developed rockets that can send multiple 18 rocket that takes satellites in a single mission. its fuel from air 19 China to After successfully launch world‘s testing a 1st Quantum reusable launch satellite vehicle, Indian Space Research China will ISRO Organisation launch its first (ISRO) is planning experimental to test an air-breathing propulsion system, quantum which aims to capitalise on the oxygen in the Quantum satellite communication atmosphere instead of liquefied oxygen while satellite in July. in flight. • Its communications cannot be • Generally, vehicles that are used to intercepted. launch satellites use combustion of • It will be the first quantum communication propellants with oxidizer and fuel. through a satellite in the world. • The air-breathing propulsion system • Quantum communication boasts ultra-

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 114

high security as a quantum photon can The National Aeronautics and Space neither be separated nor duplicated. Administration (NASA) has successfully • It is hence impossible to wiretap, deployed the first experimental inflatable room intercept or crack the information attached to the International Space Station transmitted through it. (ISS). • The CAS’s project includes launch of a satellite and building of four ground • The experimental inflatable room dubbed stations for quantum communication as BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity and one space quantum teleportation Module) was deployed after it was experiment station. successfully expanded and pressurized. • Chinese scientists have taken five years • The inflatable room BEAM has been built to develop and manufacture the first by Nevada Company Bigelow Aerospace. quantum satellite. It will be attached to the ISS for a two- • It will be transported to Jiuquan Satellite year test and is the first such habitat to Launch Centre in June. hold humans in orbit. • Upon completion, the satellite will be • It is made up of aluminium and soft able to establish quantum optical links fabric which expands in space. It is light simultaneously with two ground bases weight and also takes minimal space. It thousands of kilometers apart. creates place for astronauts to live and • Chinese scientists have taken five years work. to develop and manufacture the first • It is 4 metres long and 3.2 metres in quantum satellite. diameter with 16 cubic metres of interior • It will be transported to Jiuquan Satellite volume when fully expanded. Launch Centre in June, CAS said. • Its 2 year orbital test is intended to pave the way towards the use of such The National habitable rooms for long space trips, 20 Aeronautics including to Mars and Moon. and Space Administration (NASA) has successfully deployed the first experimental inflatable room NASA attached to the International Space Station (ISS)

where career starts 115

Fossils of oldest environment. 21 multi-cellular organism found

The researchers, writing in the journal Nature Communications, said they had

Multi-cellular uncovered fossils showing that complex life on Earth began more than 1.5bn years ago.

• After first emerging from the primordial soup, life remained primitive and single- celled for billions of years, but some of those cells eventually congregated like clones in a colony. • Scientists took to calling the later part of this period the “boring billion” because evolution seemed to have stalled. • Previously, eukaryotes of comparable size had not been known to appear in the fossil record until about 600m years ago, when a multitude of soft-bodied creatures inhabited the world’s oceans. • Their very existence 1.56bn years ago would mean that “oxygen levels were sufficiently high to allow for such large organisms to subsist”. • Antcliffe suggested the fossils were more likely corresponded to colonies of bacterial cells, rather than a single complex organism. • Truly multicellular creatures display three-dimensional form in which only some cells are in direct contact with the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 116

PROMINENT RECORD

smoke-free state in India, and in 2014 1 Kohima In Himachal Pradesh became the second. Nagaland 2 becomes BSF To Unveil ‘Smoke-Free tallest national City’ flag.

On April 29 The Border Nagaland’s Security Force Smoke-Free City capital Kohima (BSF) has was declared announced ‘smoke-free’. Unveil Tallest plans to unveil a 350-feet-high • Announcement has been done by the national flag, the tallest in the country, near Deputy Commissioner Rovilato Mor. the Attari-Wagah border by January 2017. • A campaign was initiated by the students of 22 educational institutes, to raise • It can be seen both from Lahore as well awareness about the harmful effects of as Amritsar. smoking. • The current record is held by the • It was organized by the District Tobacco flag on top of a 293-feet-high mast in Control Cell (DTCC) and Department of Jharkhand’s Ranchi. Health and Family Welfare. • Apart from that various new high altitude • As part of the campaign, the students flags have been put across the nation. held placards, some of which read • one such flag is also situated in New “tobacco kills us”, “Smoking is Paying Delhi central park which is now a great Someone to Kill You” and “Say No to tourist attracttion Tobacco and Yes to Life”. • Such initiatives raise the patriotism and • They also shouted slogans “Make respect for the country into the hearts of Kohima, Smoke Free City” and “Breathe people. Healthy, Live Happy”. • Chandigarh was declared the first smoke-free city in 2007. • Kottayam in Kerala and Shimla also came into this list. • In 2010, Sikkim was declared the first

where career starts 117

Renewable attractiveness index (RECAI) ranks 3 energy country 40 markets on the attractiveness of attractiveness their renewable energy investment and index 2016 deployment opportunities. released: India • The ranking is given based on a number Placed at 3rd of macro, energy market and technology- Position. specific indicators.

Global 4 Punjab gets Index 2016 released organization world‘s largest EY on 10 May rooftop solar 2016 released the Renewable energy country plant attractiveness index 2016. World’s largest The report reveals 40 countries on the Single Rooftop attractiveness of their renewable energy Solar Power investment and deployment opportunities Plant with based on a number of indicators. Solar plant capacity of11.5 MegaWatt (MW) • The emerging markets now represent was inaugurated at Dera Baba Jaimal Singhat half of the countries in the 40-strong Beas, in Amritsar, Punjab. index, including four African markets featuring in the top 30. • It was inaugurated by Punjab Chief • Index was topped by the United States Minister Prakash Singh Badal on 18 (US) and was followed by China at 2nd May 2016. position and India at 3rd position. • This is the largest Solar Power Plant • Countries like Chile at 4th position, spread over 82 acres of rooftop in single Brazil at 6th position and Mexico at 7th campus on multiple roofs with installed position climbed higher in the index top capacity of 19.5 MW. 10. • The plant has been set up with the cost • While Germany and France fell in of 139 crore rupees. the ranking to 5th and 8th position • The project will generate clean and green respectively. energy sufficient to power approximately • Argentina was the highest-scoring new 8000 homes. entrant in the index. The transformation • This solar power project at Dera Beas of the country’s economy brought it into will help in abating about 4lakh tonnes the index in 18th position. of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in next 25 years • The Renewable energy country • This is equivalent to plant nearly 2 lakh

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 118

trees. wavelengths. The new result, however, • Considering the fact that pollution level was achieved using normal sunlight and global temperature has gone up ----- with no concentrators. ------like anything, any such initiative is quite commendable. Malyaysian 6 women weave Australian world‘s longest 5 engineers Rug set solar cell efficiency world The rug was record created as a symbol of local Engineers from culture and the University of Malyaysian women tradition, as the New South Wales Kayan people UNSW (UNSW) have from Borneo are well known for being skilled set a new world rattan mat weavers. record for solar efficiency, converting sunlight to electricity at a rate of about two-thirds the • It was organised by a local women’s theoretical limit. organisation called Peng Doh Belaga. • The entire rug was expertly hand-woven • The new world record for unfocused by women from all over Malaysia, before sunlight saw the engineers achieve a the individual pieces were gathered and conversion rate of 34.5 per cent. joined together. • This marks nearly a 50 per cent leap • Guinness World Records adjudicator on the previous record of 24 per cent Rishi Nath confirmed that the enormous efficiency, set by Alta Devices of the mat had broken the previous record - United States, a 797.51 m long rug manufactured in • For the new record, the UNSW Sweden in 2010. researchers used a 28-cm2 four-junction • The women began constructing the rug mini-module embedded in a prism in January this year, and over the past • he result was obtained by the same five months they have been filmed for a UNSW team that set a world record in documentary called ‘Mat Weaver‘s Tale’. 2014, achieving an electricity conversion • The film follows their record-breaking rate of over 40% by using mirrors to journey and celebrates the region’s concentrate the light – a technique known heritage of mat weaving. as CPV (concentrator photovoltaics) – and then similarly splitting out various

where career starts 119

World‘s largest 7 cruise ship • The Royal Caribbean ship has capacity for „Harmony of 6,000 people and has facilities including the seas“ starts its waterslides, an Ampitheatre, and Maiden voyage high-street restaurants. • Harmony of the Seas, which cost almost The world‘s £800million to build and weigh 227,000 largest ship tonnes. sailed past the Isle of Wight last which is 330ft night on its way to the Netherlands on Maiden voyage longer than the the four-night cruise infamous Titanic • The ship was carried out of the port by today set sail from Southampton on its several tugs which had to turn the huge maiden voyage to Rotterdam. vessel and guide it out to the open sea. • Harmony of the Seas, which cost almost • There‘s no passengers on board but the £800million to build and weigh 227,000 ship which is nearly 330 foot longer tonnes. than Titanic, has around 500 crew as its • The huge ship, which it is claimed burns continues its sea trial until Sunday. 1,147 gallons of fuel an hour - equivalent to 376million cars - will return later this week before heading off to Cherbourg for a three-night cruise, then to Barcelona later this month.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 120

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP India, Papua New Council of Agricultural Research and 1 Guinea signed PNG University of Technology, Lae, four agreements Papua New Guinea. Papua is one of the most culturally On 29 April diverse countries in the world. 2016 India and 852 languages are spoken in country Papua New • Over 7 million people lives in customary Guinea signed communities, which are as diverse as four agreements/ the languages. Papua New Guinea MoUs • Only 18 percent of its people live in urban centres. These agreements have been done to boost the • It is one of the world’s least explored bilateral relations. nations, culturally and geographically.

These MoUs were inked during the two-day India, New visit (28 to 29 April 2016) of President Pranab 2 Zealand signed Mukhrejee to Papua New Guinea. Air Services Agreement. This visit was the first ever presidential visit from India to Papua New Guinea. On 1 May 2016 India and New • MoU between the Union Ministry of Zealand signed Health and Family Welfare and the an Air Services Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of Air Services Agreement which Papua New Guinea has been signed will introduce • MoU for a USD 100 Million Credit direct flights between the two countries. Line was signed for development of infrastructure in the island-nation • The agreement was signed in the presence between the Government of Papua New of the President Pranab Mukherjee and Guinea and the Export Import Bank of the New Zealand Prime Minister John India. Key. • MoU for cooperation in agricultural • Mukherjee was on an official tour to research was signed between the Indian Papua New Guinea (April 28-29, 2016)

where career starts 121

and New Zealand (April 30 to May 2, Bank of UAE will consider signing a 2016). bilateral Currency Swap Agreement on • The agreement will lead to easier mutually agreed terms and conditions. connectivity that has halted both • The MoU will help to further strengthen business travel and people-to-people the close economic cooperation and contact in the past. relationship between India and UAE. • Business, Education and Tourism • A currency swap involves exchange of sector has boomed between India and principal and interest in one currency New Zealand in recent years. for the same in another currency. • There are nearly 175000 Indians in • It is considered to be a foreign exchange New Zealand of which about 15000 are transaction. Indian students. Reserve Bank of India is India‘s central • The two-way trade has doubled between banking institution, which controls the the two countries in the last few years. monetary policy of the Indian rupee. • The two-way tourist traffic has also It commenced its operations on 1 witnessed rise April 1935 during the British Rule in accordance with the provisions of the India-UAE Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. 3 currency swap agreement Inter-gover- Approved 4 nmental agreement The Union between India Cabinet gave its and Mauritius approval for the MoU between The Union India-UAE Reserve Bank of Cabinet chaired India (RBI) and by Prime Minister Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) India and Mauritius Narendra Modi on co-operation concerning currency swap on 12 May 2016 agreement. approved to sign the inter-governmental agreement between India and Mauritius. • The Agreement was signed in February, 2016 during the official visit of Crown This is based on cooperation in cooperatives Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed and related fields. Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India. • The MoU commits that RBI and Central • The agreement between the two countries will be for duration of five years.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 122

• It provides for promoting cooperation evasion. through short and medium term programmes. • The protocol was signed by Indian Both countries also signed a protocol on ambassador to Slovenia Sarvajit taxation that amend the convention for Chakravarti, and Slovenian Finance the avoidance of double taxation and the Minister Dusan Mramor on behalf of prevention of fiscal evasion with respect Slovenia. to taxes on income and capital gains on • This agreement will widen the scope of 10 May 2016. the existing framework of exchange of • A joint meeting was held on September tax related information. 2012 in Department of Agriculture, • The framework is likely to help curb tax Cooperation & Farmers Welfare followed evasion and tax avoidance between the by Ministerial level meeting after a year two countries. in September, 2013. • It will also enable mutual assistance in • It was discussed for the possibility collection of taxes. of signing an MoU between the two • Slovenia, formerly a part of erstwhile countries for exchange of legislation Yugoslavia, attained Independence in governing cooperatives, exchange of 1991. India recognized Slovenia on 11 information and technicalities pertaining May 1992. to the cooperative sector, establishment • Soon after recognition, the then Foreign of institutional linkages and deputation Minister of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel of experts under ITEC programme. visited India on 18 May 1992. • Slovenia opened its resident mission 5 India and in New Delhi on 1 August 2002. While, Slovenia India opened its resident Mission in sign Protocol Ljubljana in February 2007. amending India-Slovenia India, Oman Double Taxation 6 signed 4 Avoidance Agreements Convention on defence cooperation Double Taxation India and Central European country Slovenia signed a protocol in second week India and Oman on May 2016 to amend an existing double on 22 May taxation avoidance treaty in Ljubljana. This India, Oman 2016 signed 4 new agreement will curb tax avoidance and tax Memorandums of

where career starts 123

Understanding in Muscat. They were signed Naseem Al Bahr. during the visit of Indian Defence Minister • The Indian Navy has berthing rights in Manohar Parrikar to Oman. Oman and has been utilizing Oman‘s • MOU on Defence Cooperation between ports as bases for conducting anti- the Ministry of Defence of Sultanate of piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. Oman and Ministry of Defence of India • MOU between the Royal Oman Police India ,Thailand (Coast Guard) and the Indian Coast 7 ,Myanmar to Guard in the field of Marine Crime be linked by Prevention at Sea Highway • MOU between the Government of the Sultanate of Oman and India on The Asian Maritime Issues highway linking • Protocol between the Government of the India, Myanmar Sultanate of Oman represented by Royal and Thailand Air Force of Oman and the Government has been put into Linked by Highway of India represented by the Indian Air service. Force on Flight Safety information • Myanmar Vice President U Nyan Tun, Exchange Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid • Defence cooperation with Oman is of Jatusripitak and Chairman of the Kayin importance for India due to Oman’s National Union General Saw Mutu Sae strategic location at the mouth of the Po attended an inaugural ceremony of Persian Gulf. the service on 22nd May 2016, Xinhua • Bilateral relation between Indian and reported. Oman were formally established with • With the 25.6-km-long section becoming signing of a 1953 Indo-Oman Treaty of operational, travel time between friendship, Navigation and Commerce, a Thinggan Nyenaung and Kawkareik first between India and an Arab country. will be reduced from three hours to 45 • A military protocol was signed in minutes. 1972, and the two air forces together • The construction of the Asian highway conducted Exercise Eastern Bridge in section started in 2012 with the 2009 in Oman and in 2011 in India. assistance of Thailand. • Since 1993, navies of both the countries • The Asian highway runs from Moreh in have been conducting joint exercises - India to Thailand‘s Maesot via Myanmar‘s Naseem Al Bahr. Tamu, Mandalay and Myawaddy. • The most recent exercise was conducted • The section, also part of the East-West in the Arabian Sea off Goa coast in economic corridor of the Greater Mekong January 2016. It was the 10th edition Subregion, will not only enhance trade

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 124

between Myanmar and Thailand, but is complementary to the agreement also contribute to better links among on Trilateral Transit and Transport people in the region. Corridor. • A cornerstone laying ceremony was • Under the agreement, India will develop also held at Myawaddy on Sunday for the Chabahar port in Iran at an estimated the building of Myanmar-Thailand cost of 150 million US dollars. Friendship Bridge No.2 to link Thailand‘s Maesot with Myanmar‘s Myawaddy. India and Australia have signed a 9 Memorandum of Understanding India Iran (MoU) to enhance research and 8 Afghanistan development (R&D) capabilities sign transport in biotechnology. corridor pact Seeking to stimulate and enhance the strategic On 23 May 2016 research and innovation capabilities of the India, Iran and Indian biotech industry, BIRAC, a PSU under Afghanistan the Ministry of Science and Technology signed signed the MoU with Horticulture Innovation Australia for launching a joint funding call. India Iran Afghanistan agreement on Trilateral Transit and Transport Corridor. • The focus of the call is to undertake horticultural research in order to • The agreement was signed in the develop and deploy modern tools of presence of Prime Minister Narendra plant biotechnology to improve crop Modi, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran productivity. and the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani • The event was presided over by in Tehran. Australian High Commissioner to India • The purpose of the agreement is to Harinder Sidhu and Vijay Raghavan. facilitate seamless transport of goods • Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort between India and Afghanistan via Innovation) is a not-for-profit, grower- the Chabahar port that is strategically owned Research and Development and located in the South East of Iran. marketing company for Australia‘s • This agreement is expected to bring horticulture industry. down cargo tariffs and boost regional • It works collaboratively with industry, economic development. the Australian government and the • Besides, India and Iran also signed nation‘s leading research institutions to an agreement for the development of deliver ground-breaking advancements the Chabahar port. This agreement in areas such as agri-technology, pest

where career starts 125

management, and trade and industry promotion. • Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to develop or make products, or „any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use“ (UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Art. 2). • Depending on the tools and applications, it often overlaps with the (related) fields of bioengineering, biomedical engineering, bio-manufacturing, etc.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 126

LEGAL UPDATE Lok Sabha Laws said that quality of forest cover 1 passed the has declined between 1951 and 2014, Compensatory with poor quality of compensatory Afforestation afforestation plantations being one of Fund Bill, 2015 the reasons behind the decline.

On 3 May 2016 2 Supreme Court Lok Sabha asked Delhi passed the Government not Compensatory to register New Lok Sabha Afforestation Diesel Cars Fund bill, 2015. On 10 May 2016 It is intended to establish setting up of a The Supreme National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Court asked the and also a State Compensatory Afforestation New Diesel Cars Delhi Government Fund. to not register the new diesel cars. • The Bill establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund under • It relaxed its April 30 order of imposing the Public Account of India, and a State ban on diesel taxis in Delhi-NCR from 1 Compensatory Afforestation Fund under May 2016 the Public Account of each state. • It allowed the existing All India Tourist • These Funds will receive payments for: Permit (AITP) diesel taxis to operate in (a) compensatory afforestation, (b) net the national capital till the expiry of present value of forest (NPV), and (c) their permit. other project specific payments. • The permits which are issued for a • These Funds will be primarily spent on period of five years, however, will not be afforestation to compensate for loss of renewed after expiry. forest cover • It further underlined that diesel taxis • The Bill establishes the National and will eventually have to go off the roads State Compensatory Afforestation Fund • It is likely to free up more than 60000 Management and Planning Authorities taxis, which had to go off roads since to manage the National and State Funds. they had not switched to CNG. A High Level Committee on Environment • The court-mandated stipulation

where career starts 127

regarding fare compliance with • It said that defaming a person amounts government norms may affect ‘surge to offence against society and the pricing’ used by taxi aggregators, which government is entitled to lodge a the Delhi government had sought to stop case against a person under criminal during odd-even phase 2. defamation law. • The bench in its 268-page verdict 3 Supreme Court dismissed apprehensions and said that upholds validity criminal defamation may have a chilling of Criminal effect on the freedom to circulate one’s Defamation Law independent view.

On 13 May 2016 • Besides, the petitioners who are facing The Supreme criminal defamation trial were given Court agreed with eight weeks time to approach the High constitutional Court’s concerned under Article 226 Criminal Defamation validity of and Section 482 of the Cr. penal laws on defamation. 4 Union Cabinet approves National Intellectual Property Rights The two-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misra Policy. and Justice Prafulla C Pant said the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to On 12 May 2016 The Union Cabinet approved reputation. the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy that will lay the future roadmap for • It said that the current criminal intellectual property in India. defamation law is constitutionally valid. • It held that criminalization of defamation The National Intellectual Property Rights to protect individual dignity of life and (IPR) Policy will endeavor for a “Creative India; reputation is a reasonable restriction on Innovative India the fundamental right of free speech and expression. • The National IPR Policy is a vision • The court said that Sections 499 and document that aims to create and 500 of the Indian Penal Code make exploit synergies between all forms of defamation a criminal offence. intellectual property (IP), concerned • The bench said that the freedom of statutes and agencies. right to speech and expression does not • It sets in place an institutional confer any right to a person to trample mechanism for implementation, the reputation of others. monitoring and review.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 128

• It aims to incorporate and adapt global Bhuyan, iv) Dhanuhar / Dhanuwar, v) best practices to the Indian scenario. Kisan • This policy shall weave in the strengths • vi) Saunra, Saonra, vii) Dhangad of the Government, research and • Jharkhand - viii) Bhogta, Deshwari, development organizations, educational Ganjhu, Dautalbandi (Dwalbandi), institutions, corporate entities Patbandi, Raut, Maajhia, Khairi (Kheri), including MSMEs, start-ups and other ix) Puran stakeholders in the creation of an • Tamil Nadu - x) Malayali Gounder, xi) innovation-conducive environment. Narikoravan, Kurivikkaran • The Policy recognizes that India has • Tripura - xii) Darlong a well-established TRIPS-compliant • Puducherry - xiii) Irular (including Villi legislative, administrative and judicial and Vettaikaran)• framework to safeguard IPRs. • Besides, it also seeks to identify new • Foster creativity and innovation and communities in the Union Territory of thereby, promote entrepreneurship and Puducherry. enhance socio-economic and cultural • After the Bill becomes an Act, members development of the communities included in the list • Focus on enhancing access to healthcare, of Scheduled Tribes will be able to derive food security and environmental benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes protection, among other sectors of vital under the existing schemes. social, economic and technological • Further, existing entries in list of importance. Scheduled Castes (SCs) in case of Union Cabinet gives approval to Jharkhand and Other Backward Classes 5 Amendments in Constitution ST (OBCs) /Most Backward Classes (MBCs) Order, 1950 of Central /State lists would be modified. • Under Article 342 of the Constitution of Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister India certain privileges/concessions to Narendra Modi on 25 May 2016 gave the ex- the members of Scheduled Tribes has post facto approval to the amendments in the been provided. Constitution (Schedule Tribes) Order, 1950. • As per the approved Modalities of June 1999, later modified in June 2002, any • The approval was given to modify the proposal for inclusion/exclusion by list of Scheduled Tribes in respect of five the concerned State Government/UT States, namely, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Administration shall be in concurrence Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura with the both the Registrar General • Assam - i) Boro, Boro Kachari, Bodo, of India (RGI) as well as the National Bodo Kachari, ii) Karbi (Mikir) Commission for Scheduled Tribes • Chhattisgarh - iii) Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, (NCST).

where career starts 129 dAYS AND DATE 1 International 2 National Technology Day Labour Day observed on May 11 celebrated. On 11 May 2016 National Technology Day was 1st May is celebrated across India. International Labour Day, • The function was headed by the President known as May Pranab Mukherjee in Vigyan Bhawan in Day. New Delhi. Labour Day • The theme for celebrations of the • The theme of International Labour Day Technology Day 2016 is Technology of 2016 is „Celebrating the international enablers of Startup India. labour movement“. • The day commemorates the anniversary • The whole world celebrates 1st May of first of the five tests of Operation every year as International Labour Day Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test which to highlight the significance of hard work was held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, and the result we get through it. Rajasthan. • This is also known as International • National Technology Day is a very special Worker‘s Day and May Day. day for Indian Technology since 1999. • 80 countries across the world have • It is so significant because India achieved declared national holiday on this day. a huge technological advancement on • The first demand for an eight hour the day. The first, indigenous aircraft working day and better working “Hansa-3” was test flown at Bangalore conditions gained momentum in early on this day. 19th century. • India also performed successful test • On the first of May in 1886, four firing of the Trishul missile on the same striking workers of a harvesting plant day. India also executed three successful at Haymarket in Chicago were killed in nuclear tests, carried out at Pokhran, in police firing. Rajasthan May 11. • It was protested all over and ever since, first of May is observed as workers day. • Labour is one of the four key factors of production along with Land, Capital and organisation.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 130

May 21 Menstrual 3 observed as Anti 4 hygiene day Terrosism Day observed on 28 May Anti-Terrorism Day observed Menstrual Across India on Hygiene means all 21 May 2016. The of the ways that day is celebrated you manage your Anti Terrosism Day as Death Menstrual Hygiene monthly cycle: Anniversary of from the products former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi. you use, to the way you clean them, to how it impacts your day-to-day life. • Every Year Union Home Ministry administers the Anti-Terror pledge to • It is rather a lack of knowledge and the Government employees. ability to access sanitary products can • The staff of the Northeast Frontier have serious negative consequences for Railway Construction Organisation some menstruating people. observed Anti Terrorism Day by pledging • Menstruation affects about half of the to work for promoting peace. world’s population; yet in many parts • The objective behind the observance of of the world, the stigma and shame, as Anti-Terrorism Day is to wean away the well as lack of sanitation and education people from terrorism and violence. around menstruation, negatively • The Day is observed to generate impacts the lives of millions of women awareness in the country among all and girls. sections of people, about the danger of • Menstrual Hygiene Day is an effort to terrorism and violence and its effect on raise awareness of these barriers to the people, society and the country as a menstruation. whole. • Menstrual Hygiene Day, a day dedicated to building awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene and the taboos surrounding menstruation, is observed on May 28th. • Menstrual hygiene day is an annual awareness day, on 28 May, that aims to break taboos and raise awareness about the importance of good menstrual hygiene management for women and

where career starts 131

adolescent girls worldwide. Peacekeepers was so designated by • It was initiated by the German-based United Nations General Assembly NGO WASH United in 2014. Resolution 57/129, on 11 December 2002. 5 International • It was designated after an official Day of United request of the Ukrainian Peacekeepers Nations Association and the Government of Peacekeepers Ukraine to the UN General Assembly. 2016 observed • The day was first celebrated in 2003. with theme • The date, May 29, marks the anniversary honouring Our of the creation of the United Nations Heroes Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) in 1948 to monitor the ceasefire after United Nations The International the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which was Day of United the first ever UN peacekeeping mission. Nations Peacekeepers 2016 was observed on 29 May 2016 with the theme Honouring Our 6 Heroes. 31 May- World No Tobacco Day • The day offers a chance to pay tribute to the Blue Helmets’ invaluable contribution People, non- to the work of the Organization and to governmental honour more than 3400 peacekeepers organizations who have lost their lives serving under and governments the UN flag since 1948, including 128 in unite on World 2015. No Tobacco Day No Tobacco Day • On the other hand, the UN Postal to draw attention Administration (UNPA) also issued a set to the health problems that tobacco use of six new stamps for the occasion. can cause. It is held on May 31 each • Honour the memory of the UN year. peacekeepers who have lost their lives • Hand saying no thanks to a packages of in the cause of peace. cigarettes offered • Pay tribute to all the men and women • World No Tobacco Day focuses on who have served and continue to serve informing people about health problems in UN peacekeeping operations for their associated with tobacco use. high level of professionalism, dedication • World No Tobacco Day is a day for and courage. people, non-governmental organizations • The International Day of United Nations and governments organize various

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 132

activities to make people aware of the • The introduction of bans on smoking in health problems that tobacco use can particular places or types of advertising. cause. These activities include: • Meetings for anti-tobacco campaigners. • Public marches and demonstrations, • Moreover, laws restricting smoking in often with vivid banners. particular areas may come into effect • Advertising campaigns and educational and wide reaching health campaigns programs. may be launched. • People going into public places to encourage people to stop smoking.

where career starts 133

SCHEME AND POLICY and make it cheaper. 1 UJALA will be • State energy minister Rajendra Shukla implemented ingfrmed that after selling the targetted across country 3 crore LED bulbs, Madhya Pradesh by 2019 would order for 7 crore more bulbs.

The Centre’s Alberta Wildfire: State of ambitious 2 Emergency declared by Canada National LED Government. programme - UJALA Unnat Jyoti by On 5 May 2016 a state of emergency was Affordable LEDs declared in the city of Fort McMurray due to for All (UJALA) - will be implemented across a massive wildfire destroyed several of homes. the country by 2019. • At least 80000 residents were ordered to • Total of 9 crore LED bulbs were sold in leave the northern Alberta city. the country, which means people will • Wind whipped wildfires, which broke get the benefit of Rs 5,500 crore in their out on 1 May 2016, have destroyed at electricity bills. least 1600 homes and forced more than • Almost 77 crore incandescent bulbs 80000 residents to flee. will be replaced till 2019 in the country • More than 250 firefighters are battling which will ensure an annual benefit the blaze that was actively burning in of Rs 40,000 crore to the people in residential areas. their electricity bills and it will reduce • Officials also issued mandatory dependability on coal. evacuation orders for the Anzac, Gregoire • The cost of a 9-W LED bulb under the Lake Estates . scheme is Rs 85 only. • Alberta is a western province of Canada. • Madhya Pradesh has set a target of • It is Canada‘s fourth-most populous switching over to this mode in the next province and the most populous of one-and-a-half year. Canada‘s three Prairie Provinces. • The world’s largest solar power plant is • Alberta and its neighbor Saskatchewan coming up in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa were districts of the Northwest Territories district. until they were established as provinces • Govt. is urging people to replace old on September 1, 1905 lamps with LED bulbs to save power

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 134

Prime Minister country. 3 launched • The scheme is aimed at replacing the Pradhan Mantri unclean cooking fuels mostly used in Ujjwala Yojana the rural India with the clean and more at Ballia efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).

On 1 May 2016 Indian PM launched the PMUY Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.

• The scheme aims to provide cooking gas connections to five crore BPL beneficiaries over. • LPG spread predominantly in Urban and Semi Urban Areas • But the rural poor have limited access to Clean fuel (LPG). • Use of fossil fuels and conventional fuel like cow dung are having serious health implications for women and Children. • According to WHO,5 Lakhs die every year due to heart disease, pulmonary diseases etc. • 5 crore LPG connections will be provided to BPL families with 1600 rupees. • Connections will be given in the name of Women. • EMI Facility for meeting the cost of Stove and Refill cost. • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an ambitious social welfare scheme of Narendra Modi Government. • Under the PM Ujjwala Yojana, the government aims to provide free LPG connections to BPL households in the

where career starts 135

Miscellaneous passengers annually. It also carried Indian Railways 1058.81 million tons of freight in the 1 creates Non- year. Fare Revenue • In 2014–2015, Indian Railways had Directorate revenues of 1634.50 billion rupees. to explore • Indian Railways is the world‘s seventh advertising in largest commercial or utility employer train coaches • It has over 1.376 million employees as of last published figures in 2013. On 4 May 2016 Indian Railways Indian Railways Saraswat Bank (IR) announced 2 donates Rs 1 creation of Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to crore for drought carry out advertisements in rail coaches, along relief the track and near stations. • Advertisements on coaches, wagons, The Saraswat locomotives and at stations will be Bank has donated explored. of Rs one crore • It will be headed by a senior railway towards drought official. Saraswat Bank relief work. • Revenues are estimated to be increased by 10 per cent to 20 per cent from the • The Bank has donated Rs 50 lakh each current 5 per cent from the non-tariff to the Maharashtra Chief Ministers sources. Drought Relief Fund, and to the NAAM • Railways were first introduced to India Foundation, an NGO started by actors in 1853. Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure, • Indian Railways is an Indian state- specifically aimed at alleviating the owned enterprise, owned and operated impact of drought, a release issued here by the Government of India. said. • It is one of the world‘s largest railway • Gautam E Thakur, Vice Chairman of network the bank handed over a cheque of Rs • It has more than 115000 km of track 50 lakh to Maharashtra Chief Minister over a route of 65808 km and 7112 Devendra Fadnavis. stations. • Kishore Rangnekar, Director, handed • In 2014-15, railway carried 8.397 billion over another cheque of Rs 50 lakh

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 136

to Nana Patekar, Founder, NAAM society has played in securing many Foundation. of the gains made and the leadership • Saraswat Bank is an urban co- provided by people living with HIV. operative banking institution based in • The report also calls the shortfalls in Maharashtra, India and operating as a the implementation of the 2011 Political co-operative bank since 1918. Declaration on HIV and AIDS distressing. • In 1988, the Bank was conferred with • The report draws attention to regions „Scheduled“ status by Reserve Bank of where new HIV infections are continuing India. to rise, such • The Bank is the first co-operative bank • The report gives strong emphasis to to provide Merchant Banking services. the links between the response to HIV • The Bank got a permanent license to and the success of the Sustainable deal in foreign exchange in 1978. Development Goals (SDGs). • Presently the Bank is having • To reach these goals include reaching correspondent relationship in 45 the 90–90–90 treatment target for 2020. countries covering 9 currencies with over 125 banks. In 1992, the Bank 4 Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis completed 75 years. and the West in the Struggle • Platinum Jubilee Celebrations were inaugurated on 14 September 1992 and The book titled Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis the Bank also crossed the business level and the West in the Struggle for the Middle of Rs. 700 Crores. East authored by Patrick Cockburn exposes how millions of people were killed by a series of 3 Urgent action needed to end disastrous Western interventions in West Asia. the AIDS epidemic by 2030: UN Report. • It drawपs together a careful selection of Cockburn’s writings from the frontlines On 6 May 2016 United Nations released a new of the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, report terming Fast-Track stress on to end the Libya and Syria AIDS epidemic . • It also presents the author’s fear that dividing the region will repeat the horrors • It reveals that the extraordinary of Partition. acceleration of progress made over the • Patrick Oliver Cockburn is an Irish past 15 years could be lost. journalist. • UN through report urges all partners to • He has been a Middle East correspondent ensure that the global AIDS epidemic is since 1979 for the Financial Times and, ended as a public health threat by 2030. presently, The Independent. • It also underlines the critical role civil • He has written four books on Iraq‘s

where career starts 137

recent history. • The India Handloom Brand was • He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 2005 7th August, 2015 • He also won The James Cameron Prize • The main objective is to promote the in 2006 production of quality products with new designs for winning the trust and There has always been conspiracy confidence of customers. 5 theories about the war US had in • The registration under the brand is middle east. People think it as given after stringent testing of samples a conspiracy for oil and other in Govt. of India laboratories. speculations are also there. World‘s oldest Government inks MoU with NDTV Ethnic Retail 6 stone axe found Ltd. to popularize India Handloom products in Australia

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) On 11 May has been signed between The Development 2016 Australian Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of archaeologists Textiles, Government of India and NDTV Ethnic announced Retail Ltd. for popularizing India Handloom discovery of textiles as a fashionable product for youth. World‘s oldest stone a piece of the world‘s oldest axe. • The three-year MoU was signed on 10th May, 2016 at Udyog Bhawan. • It was found in the remote Kimberley • Government will support the project with region of Western Australia. incubation and production support. • The axe fragment is about the size of a • India Handloom Brand will also provide thumbnail and dates back to a Stone an interface where fashion professionals Age period of 45000 to 49000 years ago. will be able to accesses facilities such as • It is an axe with a handle attached. Weavers Service Centres and handloom • Its antiquity coincides with or clusters. immediately follows the arrival of • The initiative will connect fashion humans on the Australian landmass. designers with Handloom sector in an • New studies of the fragment revealed organized manner. that it comes from an axe that had been • Shri Aneesh Nair, Chief Innovation shaped from basalt then polished by Officer, NDTV Ethnic Retail Limited was grinding it on another rock until it was also present on the occasion of signing very smooth. of the MoU. • The axe fragment was initially excavated

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 138

in the early 1990s by Professor O’Connor Original Screenplay for The Crying • This type of axe must have been very Game. useful for a variety of tasks like chopping • He also won the Silver Bear for Best down or taking the bark off trees. Director at the Berlin International Film Festival for The Butcher Boy. The Drowned 7 Detective by Neil Musharraf Jordan unveiled 8 declared offender in high The Drowned treason case Detective authored by Former Pakistan Neil Jordan president General depicts genre- (Retd.) Pervez Neil Jordan defying story Musharraf has about a private Musharraf been declared investigator. a proclaimed offender in a high treason case. Investigator arrived in a small Eastern European city because he was told about the • The special court, ordered for advertising opportunities opening up in former Soviet the verdict in an English and Urdu daily countries. each. • The court, also directed to place the • The book’s first few pages are about a copy of the order outside Musharraf‘s wayward minister who cheats on his residences and before it wife. • The former military ruler was in March • The minister is tracked by the detective 2014 formally charged with treason for whose name is Jonathan. imposing emergency and the Provisional • One day, an elderly couple approached Constitutional Order on November 3, Jonathan to investigate the 2007. disappearance of their daughter. • Pervez Musharraf is a Pakistani politician • Jonathan feels compelled to find the and a retired four-star army general daughter as the faded photograph of who tenured as the tenth President of the little girl reminds him of his own Pakistan from 2001 until tendering daughter. resignation, to avoid impeachment, in • Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish film 2008. director, screenwriter and novelist. • On 31 March 2014, Musharraf was • He won an Academy Award for Best booked and charged with high treason

where career starts 139

for implementing emergency rule and dream for the future. suspending the constitution in 2007. • The Seattle International Film Festival • Pervez Musharraf was born on 11 August (SIFF), held annually in Seattle, 1943, to an Urdu-speaking family in Washington since 1976, is among the Delhi. top film festivals in North America. • He is the son of Syed and Zarin • Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006 Musharraf. festival had 160,000 attendees. • His father, Syed Musharraf, graduated • In recent years, the SIFF has run for from Aligarh Muslim University, in more than three weeks (24 days), in May/ Aligarh, India and was a civil servant June, and features a diverse assortment under Government of India. of predominantly independent and foreign films and, in recent years, a Beti a non- strong contingent of documentaries. 9 fiction short film invited in 42nd edition of Seattle 10 World‘s First International Robot Lawyer Film Festival Hired By U.S. 2016 Firm

Beti, a four minute The world‘s Film Festival 2016 documentary first artificial film on girl intelligence child education from India, has been invited lawyer has been Robot Lawyer for special screening at the 42nd Seattle employed by a law International Film Festival (SIFF), Washington firm in the U.S., DC. which will use the robot to assist its various • Beti is the only short film from India to be teams in legal research. featured amongst 421 films representing 85 countries and will be screened on 30 • The robot called ‚ROSS‘ is built upon May 2016, which is Seattle Memorial Watson, IBM‘s cognitive computer. Day at the SIFF. • With the support of Watson‘s cognitive • The film was made by young student computing and natural language filmmakers of Chandigarh. processing capabilities, lawyers can ask • The movie is directed by Shivain Arora. ROSS their research question and the • The short film promotes girl child by robot reads through the law, gathers narrating the real life story of three girls evidence, draws inferences and returns from a government school and their highly relevant, evidence-based answers.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 140

• ROSS also monitors the law around • This facility addresses a long, collective the clock to notify users of new court failure in dealing with pandemics. decisions that can affect a case. • The PEF facility launch announcement • ROSS Intelligence, the company that came few days ahead of the May 26-27 built ROSS, began out of research at the Summit of Group of Seven Leaders in University of Toronto in 2014 Ise-Shima, Japan. • Robot culture seems to be very vast and • G7 leaders had urged the World Bank clear. This is this reason why team is Group to develop the initiative during looking forward to it. their May 2015 summit in Schloss- Elmau, Germany. 11 The World Bank • Japan became the first donor to the PEF has launched initiative and committed $ 50 million. Pandemic • Innovative financing for crisis responses Emergency by PEF, together with financing for Finance Facility preparedness and prevention in peacetime, including through IDA, are The World important to mitigate human and social Bank Group losses and to help quickly recover in the has launched event of a crisis. The World Bank Pandemic Emergency Mandatory for Finance Facility a new financing mechanism to 12 public transport quickly mobilize funds to tackle global disease buses to install outbreaks and create a new insurance market emergency for pandemic risk. buttons

• PEF is expected to bring the much needed It is going to be coordination and speed for future global mandatory for disease outbreak response efforts. public transport • Pandemics pose some of the biggest buses to install Public transport threats in the world to people’s lives emergency and to economies, and for the first time buttons, CCTV cameras and vehicle tracking we will have a system that can move devices to ensure the safety of women funding and teams of experts to the commuters, Road Transport and Highways. sites of outbreaks before they spin out of control • Government will issue a notification on • Jim Yong Kim is the President of the June 2, laying down the safety measures World Bank Group. to be installed in public transport buses

where career starts 141

across the country. to 121 from 142 last year, with a market • The statement came at an event at value of USD 50.6 billion and assets Bikaner House in Delhi where Gadkari worth USD 91.5 billion. launched 20 such Rajasthan government • Reliance is followed by State Bank of buses. India which is ranked 149 and has a • The 20 Mahila Gaurav Express buses 23.3 billion dollar market value. that would run between Delhi and • The other Indian companies on the list Rajasthan are part of a pilot project. are Oil and Natural Gas ranked (220), • The Rajasthan government plans to • ICICI Bank (266), eventually bring over 2,300 more buses • HDFC Bank (275), under the project’s ambit. • Indian Oil (371), • Many women are also scared of the • Tata Consultancy Services (385), ‘consequences’ of confronting harassers. • NTPC (400), Only 36% of those surveyed say they • Bharti Airtel (453), would help a co-passenger being • Axis Bank (484), harassed; 22% others feel it’s safer to • Infosys (590), ignore such regular incidents. • Bharat Petroleum (650), • Wipro (755, 56 Indian firms • Tata Steel (1178) 13 in Forbes‘s • Adani Enterprises (1993) “world‘s 2,000 • Coal India (465), list” • Larsen and Toubro (505), • ITC (781), Mukesh Ambani- • Kotak Mahindra Bank (899), led Reliance • Mahindra and Mahindra (901) and Industries leads • HCL Technologies (943). the pack of 56 World‘s 2,000 list Indian firms in 14 United States Agency for Forbes‘s annual International Development list of the world‘s 2,000 largest and most (USAID) launched India’s first powerful public companies, integrated web portal designed to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy • US is leading the list with 586 companies. Buildings (NZEB) in India. • The 2016 Forbes ‚Global 2000‘, a snapshot of the world‘s largest companies, shows The United States Agency for the dominance of US and China in the International Development (USAID) and the current global business landscape. Ministry of Power today launched India’s first • Reliance improved its ranking this year integrated web portal designed to promote and

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 142

mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) LatinAmerica, the Middle East, and in India. Eastern Europe.

• The portal (www.nzeb.in (link is external)) 15 India, US held was launched by Mr. Pradeep Kumar first Maritime Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of Power, and Security Ambassador Jonathan Addleton, USAID Dialogue Mission Director to India. • A first of its kind, the portal provides India and the complete information about Net Zero United States Energy Buildings – those that generate (US) on 16 May as much energy as they use – as well as 2016 held the how to achieve near-zero energy status Maritime Security first round of through the use of efficient lighting and discussions equipment, integration of renewable under the recently-constituted Maritime energy technologies, and best practice Security Dialogue. The dialogue was held design strategies. between the officials of Defence and External Affairs ministries and their US counterparts. • The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is The Indian side was represented by Shambhu the United States Government agency Kumaran, Joint Secretary in-charge of Planning which is primarily responsible for and International Cooperation (PIC) and Munu administering civilian foreign aid. Mahawar, Ministry of External Affairs Joint Secretary, Americas (AMS). • President John F. Kennedy created USAID from its predecessor agencies While, David Shear, Assistant Secretary of in 1961 by Executive Order. USAID‘s Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs; programs are authorized by the Manpreet Anand, Deputy Assistant Secretary Congress in the Foreign Assistance of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Act, which the Congress supplements Vice Admiral Aucoin, Commander, US Seventh through directions in annual funding Fleet, were the officials from the American side. appropriation acts and other legislation. • Although it is technically an independent • Both the sides discussed various agency, USAID operates subject to the issues including Asia-Pacific maritime foreign policy guidance of the President, challenges, naval cooperation, and Secretary of State, and the National multilateral engagement. Security Council. • They also agreed for the white shipping • USAID operates in Africa, Asia, technical arrangement to improve data

where career starts 143

sharing on commercial shipping traffic. of a protein responsible for two life-critical • Navy-to-Navy discussion on submarine functions:, copying DNA and transcribing it safety and anti-submarine warfare was into RNA also undertaken. • The dialogue was one of the several • Crucial step in someday making reverse- new initiatives agreed between Indian versions of molecules that could be more Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar resistant to viral attacks. and his US counterpart Ashton Carter • Have to build their own reverse version during the latter’s visit to India in April of the DNA polymerase that coordinates 2016. copying, which drastically slowed down • It was created as a part of the maritime the process. security objectives under the India-US • Scientists have been making mirror Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific images of DNA for years, so the Tsinghua and Indian Ocean Region. researchers were able to order many • The newly constituted Maritime Security parts of their experiment, but they did Dialogue between India and US is a sign have to build their own reverse version of the growing relations between our two of the DNA polymerase that coordinates countries. copying, which drastically slowed down • The dialogue comes as India and the US the process. are cautiously eyeing the rise of China. • That will need to speed up to make • The US wants its regional allies to adopt the process financially rewarding, but a more united stance against China over biochemical companies are already the South China Sea, where tension looking at the lucrative potential for has spiked since China‘s construction mirror-image molecules, which could of artificial islands with facilities for more efficiently operate inside the body military use. without being degraded by enzymes that break down typically-oriented Researchers molecules. 16 create mirror image of DNA- copying protein

Scientists at Tsinghua University in Beijing have DNA-copying created a mirror- image version

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 144

US House of the US-India Defence Technology and 17 Representatives Trade Initiative (DTTI). gave nod to • On the bilateral front, the legislative bolster defense approval is an important milestone in the ties with India US-India relations as it addresses one of on par with the tricky issues of defence technology NATO transfer and sale. • The legislation will give enough leverage On 20 May 2016 to the executive branch of the US The US House The US House of Government in dealing with India. For Representatives India, it encourages the government to gave its nod to a bipartisan legislation to authorize enhanced military planning improve defence ties with India. with the USA. • The future missions of mutual interest In this regard, an amendment to the National will be such as humanitarian assistance Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) was and disaster relief, counter piracy, and approved by the House. The amendment is maritime domain awareness. dubbed as ‘Enhancing Defence and Security Co-operation with India’. The Union 18 Ministry of • The legislation, once approved by the Railways has Senate and the President, will bring the decided to country’s bilateral relations with India undertake a on par with its NATO allies and Israel. week long ‘RAIL • It seeks to promote greater defence HAMSAFAR trade and encourage additional military SAPTAAH‘ cooperation between the United States and India. Ministry of Railways Ministry of • The legislation is primarily aimed at Railways has easing restrictions on sale of defence decided to undertake a week long RAIL equipment and technology transfer to HAMSAFAR SAPTAAH‘ from 26th May to 1st India. June, 2016. • It encourages the executive branch to designate an official to focus on US- • Each day of the week will focus on a India defence cooperation. particular theme and hence the days • It will facilitate the transfer of defence have been named as technology and maintain a special office • 26th May-Swachchta Diwas, in the Pentagon dedicated exclusively to • 27th May-Satkar Diwas,

where career starts 145

• 28th May-Sewa Diwas, announced setting up of sixteen national • 29th May-Satarkata Diwas, investment and manufacturing zones • 30th May-Saamanjasya Diwas, (NIMZs) under National Manufacturing • 31st May-Sanyojan Diwas and Policy (NMP). • 1st June-Sanchaar Diwas. • Till 2013-14, 16 NIMZs have been set • Shri Mohd. Jamshed shall be the Nodal up. Member. • Ahmedabad-Dholera Investment Region, • CRB and Board Members may also Gujarat be visiting and participating in these • Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Part city near activities as per their programmes. Aurangabad, Maharashtra • Minister of Railways Shri Suresh • Manesar-Bawal Investment Region, Prabhakar Prabhu has directed that all Haryana the General Managers should personally • Khushkhera-Bhiwadi-Neemrana supervise various activities. Investment Region, Rajasthan • This practice is being done after a long • Pithampur-Dhar-Mhow Investment time of regular complaint regarding Regioin, Madhya Pradesh features and qualities of railway services. • Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad investment Region, Uttar Pradesh The Union Government has • Dighi Port Industrial Area, Maharashtra 19 given its final approval to setting • Jodhpur-Pali-Marwar Region in up of National Investment & Rajasthan Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in • Nagpur in Maharashtra Kalinganagar,Odisha. • Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh • Medak in Andhra Pradesh (now The Union Government on 26 May 2016 Telengana) approved establishment of a National • Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in • Tumkur in Karnataka Odisha. • Kolar in Karnataka • Bidar in Karnataka • For execution of the project, the Union • Gulbarga in Karnataka Ministry of Commerce and Industry has approved the 4241 crore rupees. • Of this fund, estimated 3816 crore rupees will be invested for the first phase of the project which will be completed by 2020. • In order to boost manufacturing sector, the Union Government in 2014

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 146

Facebook wins • Facebook has been trying to break the 20 trademark case ice with China for years. He met Chinese in China President Xi Jinping during his visit to the US last year. The Beijing High • Zuckerberg also met Alibaba Group Court has ruled Holdings’s executive chairman Jack Ma in favour of the and discussed about innovation during facebook the visit. • Last week, Apple lost an appeal in China Facebook for its iPhone trademark. • A lower court ruled that a Chinese • It said that a Chinese company should company Xintong Tiandi can use the not have been allowed to register the “iPhone” mark on its leather goods. “face book” trademark back in 2014. • The Zhongshan Pearl River Drinks Factory in southern Guangdong province had registered the brand name “face book,” • It produces food products like potato chips and canned vegetables. • Twitter, Facebook etc are currently blocked to nearly 700 million internet users in China. • But many people are using virtual private networks (VPNs) to access the site.

where career starts 147

Environment guidelines. 2 1 Iran’s Zabol most polluted: April 16 was WHO hottest April ever on Record On 12 May :NASA 2016 The World Health Last month Organisation was the hottest (WHO) in a Hottest April April on record WHO survey globally – and the announced that seventh month in a row to have broken global New Delhi is no longer the worst polluted city temperature records. in the world in terms of air quality. • The latest figures smashed the previous However, India is home to four of the five cities record for April by the largest margin in the world with the worst air pollution. ever recorded. • It makes three months in a row that the • The dirtiest air was recorded at Zabol in monthly record has been broken by the Iran, which suffers from months of dust largest margin ever, and seven months storms in the summer. Zabol clocked in a row that are at least 1C above the PM2.5 measure of 217. 1951-80 mean for that month. • The next four cities in the list were • Figures released by Nasa over the Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur. weekend show the global temperature • New Delhi was the survey‘s 11th of land and sea was 1.11degree celcius worst city, measured by the amount of warmer in April than the average particulate matter under 2.5 micrograms temperature for April during the period found in every cubic metre of air. 1951-1980. Delhi had an annual average PM2.5 • The new record broke the previous one measurement of 122. by 0.24C, which was set in 2010, at • Populations in low-income cities are the 0.87C above the baseline average for most impacted. April. That record itself broke one set • 98% of cities in low- and middle income three years earlier at 0.75C above the countries with more than 100000 baseline average for April. inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality • The current blast of hot air around the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016 148

globe is being spurred by a massive El • April and May tend to be the hottest Niño, which is a release of warm water months in northwest India, and this across the Pacific Ocean. But it’s not year has been exceptionally so. the biggest El Niño on record and that • Christopher C. Burt, a weather historian spike in temperatures is occurring over at Weather Underground, posited that a background of rapid global warming, April‘s heat wave was the most intense pushing temperatures to all-time highs. ever observed in Southeast Asia. • The record temperatures were wreaking • In India it lasted for weeks - but the heat havoc with ecosystems around the world. never truly dissipated, dragging on into They’ve triggered the third recorded May. Hundreds of people have died from global coral bleaching, and in Australia heat-related illness. 93% of the reefs have been affected by • Northern India and Nepal have been bleaching along the 2,300km Great battling their worst wildfires in years. Barrier Reef. In the northern parts of the Officials have on occasion banned reef, it’s expected the majority of coral is daytime cooking in an attempt to prevent dead, and on some reefs over 90% of the accidental fires that killed nearly 100 coral is dying. people in late April. • The India Meteorological Department India records issued a „severe heat wave warning“ for a 3 its Highest huge swath of the country on Thursday, temperature at which will continue through Saturday. 51 C • The department expects temperatures will remain above average through at A small city in least May 27. northwest India • A similar period of extreme heat killed scored 51 degrees over 2,500 people in 2015. Celsius on Highest temperature 19th may 2016 afternoon, and broke the country‘s record for all-time hottest temperature.

• The previous record, 50.6 degrees Celsius, was set in 1886. • The record was broken in Phalodi, which is just 125 miles away from the city that, up until this afternoon, claimed fame as the hottest location in India - Pachpadra.

where career starts TM

where career starts

Plot No. 53, Kariyammana Agrahara Road, Devarabisana Halli (Next to Intel Junction Flyover), Outer Ring Road Bangalore - 560 103 www.toprankers.com