www.pagalguy.com

General Awareness Bullet- 2015 (Comprehensive summary of general awareness topics of July 2015)

Dear PaGaLGuY readers,

This General Awareness Bullet is a comprehensive summary of important news and events that occurred in July 2015. This bullet is relevant for Banking, SSC, Insurance and UPSC Exams . We intend to release PaGaLGuY Bullets for various exams every month.

Do print out a hard copy of this for your regular use. Our goal is to ensure that you perform well in your exams and that you have the necessary material readily available.

To receive all the material that we have, log on to http://www.pagalguy.com Prepared by - Shraddha Kakade (http://www.pagalguy.com/@shraddha141 )

RBI in news

Current Rates:

Repo Rate 7.25%

Reserve Repo 6.25%

Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) 4%

Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR) 21.5%

Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) 8.25%

Bank Rate 8.25%

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

1. Central Bank of Sri Lanka, RBI ink currency swap agreement - The RBI has signed a special currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, which allows the latter to draw up to $1.1 billion for a maximum of six months. This agreement is in addition to the existing Framework on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries. In March 2015, the RBI had signed a currency swap agreement with the same bank for $400 million under the SAARC currency swap framework within the overall limit of $2 billion.

2. RBI urges public from writing on banknotes - The Reserve Bank of (RBI) has urged public not to write on the watermark window of the banknotes as it helps in distinguishing the genuine notes from the fake ones. The RBI notification read,“ the watermark window has an important security feature which distinguishes it from a counterfeit note. Any defacement on the window will not allow the common man to identify one of the features of a genuine note.”

Financial/Banking News 1. IDBI signs refinance agreement with MUDRA Bank - The state-run IDBI Bank signed an agreement with MUDRA Bank to refinance loans given to small enterprises. As per the agreement, the bank will offer credit facilities upto Rs.10 lakh to such enterprises, at a competitive interest rate under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) and MUDRA will provide refinance assistance to the bank for eligible sanctioned loans.

2. India, US sign agreement to share tax information – On July 9, India and the United States signed an inter-governmental agreement to implement the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) to promote transparency between the two coun- tries on tax matters. It is expected that the automatic information exchange on offshore accounts under FATCA would deter tax offenders, improve tax transparency, thereby bringing in higher equity into the direct tax regime, which is necessary for a healthy economy.

3. SBT NRI Family Card launched - The State Bank of Travancore (SBT) launched the 'SBT NRI Family Card', an exclusive card targeting non-resident Indians (NRIs). It enables a card-holder in India to receive remittance from an NRI by periodic re- charging via the NRI's internet banking account.

4. Exim Bank and New Development Bank ink an MoU - Export-Import Bank of India has signed a multilateral agreement with New Development Bank (NDB) promoted by BRICS nations — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The MoU aims to share knowledge and best practices, building of capacity of personnel through project development skills, promotion of joint events and development of effective and sustainable financing solutions for projects of mutual interest.

5. India to attain 7.5% growth, says IMF - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its World Economic Outlook Update has said that India will be the world's fastest growing economy for the second consecutive year in 2015-16 with 7.5 per cent growth even as it decreased the nation’s current year global economy growth forecast to 3.3 per cent.

6. Indirect tax revenue rises 37.5% - Indirect tax collections (including excise, customs and service taxes) grew 37.5% during April-June 2015, a recap of the increase in the same quarter of 2014-15. Analysts believe that this year the government has achieved approximately 20 % of its budgeted target for indirect tax collections in the first three months itself.

7. BRICS Bank opens doors in China - The New Development Bank (NDB), conceptualized by the BRICS countries, for- mally began operations in its headquarters in Shanghai on July 21st. It will have an initial capital of USD 50 billion, that will be expanded to USD 100 billion within the next couple of years. NDB’s main aim is to finance infrastructure projects in emerging economies.

8. Government extends Interest Subvention to RRBs, public and private banks - Considering the uncertainty of monsoon and its impact on farmers, the Union Cabinet decided to lower interest rates offered to farmers for 2015-16 and increase budget allocated for interest subvention to Rs.18,110 crore. Of this, Rs.15,778 crore will be used to subsidise loans given by PSBs. The remaining amount will be used by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) to refinance loans given by regional rural banks (RRBs) and cooperative banks.

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com 9. India signs loan agreement with Asian Development Bank - India took a loan worth $300 million from the Asian Devel- opment Bank (ADB) to support the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM). It is ADB’s first health project loan in India, aimed at improving the urban population’s health status. The signatories also signed the accompanying capacity-building tech- nical assistance of USD 2 million, financed by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.

Important Committees

Name of the Committee Objective of the committee

1. Deepak Mohanty Committee The RBI has constituted a committee to review the existing fi- nancial inclusion policy and work out a five-year measurable action plan for the same. It is to articulate policies and the in- stitutional framework for financial literacy and consumer pro- tection. It will also study mechanisms to financially aid households and small businesses, especially in rural areas, through group-based credit delivery mechanisms, among other activities. 2. BCCI ’s four -member panel (former Indian cricket team The four -member panel has been constituted to work on the captain Saurav Ganguly, BCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur, recommendations of Justice Lodha Committee and also draw BCCI's Treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary and IPL chairman a roadmap for IPL 9. Rajeev Shukla. BCCI's legal head U N Banerjee will act as advisor)

New Appointments - India and Abroad:

INDIA 1. Neeraj Kumar - Appointed as the Chief Advisor of the Anti -Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of BCCI for the Twenty20 World Cup 2016

2. Pankaj Munjal - Appointed as the CMD of Hero Motors Group

3. Bhanu Pratap Sharma - Appointed as the Chairperson of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

4. Ananth Narayanan - Appointed as CEO Myntra, fashion store owned by Flipkart

5. R S Sharma - Appointed as the chairman of Telecom and Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

ABROAD

1. Eric Lange - Appointed as vice -president of Product Management, Flipkart

2. Maurice Obstfeld - Appointed as the Chief Economist at IMF

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com Summits/Conferences around the World: (i) Oslo Education Summit - Oslo Education Summit aimed at creating "strong and renewed political commitment" for children without access to education, and to enhance understanding for those who attend school. 14 Noble laureates across the world led by India's Kailash Satyarthi appealed to the UN and he International community to contribute financially and invest in education to give children across the world a bright future.

(ii) BRICS and SCO Summit - PM Narendra Modi in July, participated in BRICS and Shanghai Co-operation Organisation SCO summit in Ufa, Russia. The BRICS Summit saw discussions on how nations can enhance economic coopera- tion, establish a multi-currency financial order that reduces dependence the U.S. dollar and the Euro in global transactions, among other things. This was the sev- enth BRICS summit, some of the highlights are :

. BRICS to create currency pool under Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).

. Launch BRICS's New Development Bank.

. NDB & CRA to enable countries emerge from the shadow of the West's financial clout.

. To have direct transactions in local currencies.

. NDB to have opening capital of $100 billion.

. Founding members to equally share opening capital of $50 billion.

. CRA to have opening capacity of $100 billion.

. CRA will be based on currency swap among member countries.

. CRA to help members overcome short-term liquidity pressure.

. CRA to meet members' unexpected risks or balance of payment burdens.

Deaths

Name of Personality and Origin Field of work

1. Yogesh K Sabharwal (Indian) Former Chief Justice of India

2. Abdullah Hussain (Pakistani) Renowned Urdu novelist

3. M S Vishwanathan (Indian) Legendary music composer

4. Joan Sebastian (Mexican) Renowned Mexican musician

5. Jules Bianchi (French) F1 - Motorsport star who played for Marussia

6. Tom Moore Creator of the Archie Comics

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com Name of Personality and Origin Field of work

7. P R Chari Noted supporter of nuclear disarmament

8. A P J Abdul Kalam Former Indian President

New Books & Authors Title of the Book Author

1. Green Signal - Ecology, Growth & Democracy in India Jairam Ramesh

2. Ghosts of Calcutta Sebastian Ortiz

Persons in news

1. APJ Abdul Kalam passes away - Former Indian President and one of India’s eminent scientist A P J Abdul Kalam (83), passed away on July 28th, 2015. He was distinguished in his field and had the honour of receiving doctorates from 30 uni- versities and institutions. He was the 11th president of India and was in office between 2002 and 2007. It was under his leadership that India conducted its nuclear test in 1998. Apart from his scientific achievements, he was popular with youth and adult alike. He reveled in reaching out to them through lectures and public interactions during his presidentship and later. One of his initiatives on which he worked continuously, was PURA – or the Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas – a theme he referred to often in his travels abroad.

2. Professor Kamal Bawa elected to Royal Society of - Professor Kamal Bawa along with 2 other Indian-origin sci- entists were elected as fellows and foreign members of Royal Society of London on July 10th. Physicist Ajay Sood and mo- lecular biologist John Kuriyan, were among others who were inducted. The 450-year-old society elects eminent scientists from England and the Commonwealth countries.

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

Title of Award Award winner Details

1. Golden Peacock Award Environment (a) Tata Steel ’s West Bokaro Division The company was awarded for its re- Management Award (GPEMA) 2015 sponsible environmental practices, re- source management and employee skill upgradation.

(b) The Krishanpatnam Port, Andhra The company was awarded for its re- Pradesh sponsible environmental practices, re- source management and employee skill.

2. Frost and Sullivan Awards 2015 Make in India initiative The Frost and Sullivan, USA presented the 2015 Asia - Pacific Economic Development Innovation: Policy and Program Implementation Excellence Award in Manufacturing to the Depart- ment of Industrial Policy and Promotion for the Make in India initiative on 14th July 2015.

3. Annual PetroFed Oil and Gas Industry (a) Leading Oil and Gas Corporate of The annual PetroFed Oil & Gas Industry Awards the year award - Bharat Petroleum Awards for 2014 for excellence in per- Corp (BPCL) formance includes 12 awards given in 11 (b) Exploration & Production Company categories for performance during the fi- of the Year - Oil and Natural Gas nancial year 2013-14. Corp (ONGC) (c) Refinery of the Year award - Reli- ance Industries Ltd. (RIL) (d) The Oil & Gas Pipeline Transporta- tion Company of the Year' award - Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) (e) Human Resources Management Company of the Year' award - In- dian Oil Corp (IOC) (f) The 'Woman Executive of the Year' award - Ritu Mathur (Team Leader, Aviation HR, BPCL)

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com 4. The Grand Prix World Press Cartoon Pa marthy Shankar The award -winning sketch of Nelson 2014 Award Mandela was drawn by Shankar post the death of the iconic South African anti- apartheid leader, in December 2013. Shankar's caricature was displayed at a World Press Cartoon exhibition at Cas- cais along with top 50 works by other cartoonists in 2014.

5. Madrid International film festival Vivek Agnihotri Vivek Agnihotri’s, 'Buddha in a Traffic Jam' has been awarded with Best Origi- nal Screenplay Award in the foreign lan- guage category at the Madrid Interna- tional Film Festival.

6. Forbes Asia Fabulous 50 India has claimed the second highest po- Indian companies included in the list sition in the Forbes Asia Fabulous 50 list are- Aurobindo Pharma, HCL Technolo- with 10 firms. gies, HDFC Bank, Lupin, Motherson Sumi Systems, Sun Pharmaceutical In- dustries, Tata Consultancy Services,

Tata Motors, Tech Mahindra & Titan.

China features first in the list with 25 companies.

Sanjiv Chaturvedi, is an Indian Forest 7. Ramon Magsaysay Award 2015 India’s Sanjiv Chaturvedi and Anshu Officer and Anshu Gupta is the founder Gupta of the NGO Goonj. Of the five awardees of Magsaysay awards 2015, two were Indians. Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia's highest honour and is awarded to every year to individuals or organisa- tions in Asia who exhibit selfless ser- vice.

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com Important News - India & Abroad

1. UN declared level-3 emergency in Yemen - Taking the humanitarian conditions under consideration, the UN declared a level-3 emergency in Yemen, the highest in its scale, earlier in July. In the central city of Taez, Yemen pro-government forces launched a manhunt for 1,200 escaped prisoners. Both Aden and Taez have witnessed ruthless fighting as supporters of exiled President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi battle to repel Shiite Houthi rebels with the support of a Saudi-led air war that was launched in March.

2. Two new cases of Ebola reported in Liberia - Nearly two months after it was declared Ebola free, two new cases have been reported in Liberia. The epidemic has thus far killed over 4,800 Liberians before the WHO declared the country Ebola-free on May 9. Neighbouring nations Guinea and Sierra Leone are also battling the outbreak, which has killed more than 11,000 people.

3. US and Cuba to reopen embassies - US President Barack Obama and Cuban counterpart Raul Castro exchanged letters on 1st July 2015, declaring restoration of diplomatic relations on July 20. Relations between two countries had snapped since early 1960s when the US broke links and imposed a trade embargo on the Communist island. The nations however, agreed to normalise ties at the end of 2014.

4. UNHRC adopts resolution on Palestine - The resolution on "ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of inter- national law in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem" was adopted at the UN Human Rights Council with 41 votes in favour, five abstentions and one vote against. India for the first time abstained from voting on a resolution on Palestine that calls for accountability by parties involved in last year's conflict in Gaza.

5. Emergency declared in Tunisia - A state of emergency is declared in Tunisia after 38 tourists, mainly Britons, died in an attack in the resort city of Sousse. The emergency will be in place for a renewable period of 30 days. Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, stated the need for "exceptional measures" to tackle the situation. Emergency gives security forces more powers and limits the right of public assembly.

6. PM visits Kazakhstan- PM Modi, visited Kazakhstan as a part of his tour to Russia and the central Asian nations, to promote stronger economic ties.

7. Myanmar to go for polls on 8th November – In a crucial step towards establishing full democracy, Myanmar will hold its first open general elections in 25 years on 8th November 2015. Reforms in the country have been underway since 2010, when the military rule was replaced by a civilian government backed by military.

8. India gets permanent membership of SCO - India accepted full membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an international alliance of countries like China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Pakistan was also declared permanent member. India, which had an observer status for a decade, will technically become a member by 2016.

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

9. UNESCO adds 24 new sites in the World Heritage Sites list - UNESCO's World Heritage Committee concluded its annual meeting in Bonn, Germany, adding 24 new sites to the list. Of the total 30 sites that were examined this year, 24 sites were granted world heritage status for their outstanding universal value. The total number of sites thus is 1,031.

The newly added sites are: * Blue and John Crow Mountains (Jamaica). * Tusi Sites (China), * Christiansfeld, a Moravian Church Settlement (Denmark). * Par Force Hunting Landscape in North Zealand (Denmark). * Climats, terroirs of Burgundy (France) * Champagne Hillsides, Houses and Cellars (France) * Speicherstadt and Kontorhaus District with Chilehaus (Germany) * Susa (Iran) * Cultural Landscape of Maymand (Iran) * Necropolis of Beth She'arim-a Landmark of Jewish Revival (Israel). * Arab-Norman Palermo and the Cathedral Churches of Cefalu and Monreale (Italy) * Sites of Meiji Industrial Revolution: Iron and Steel, Shipbuilding and Coal Mining (Japan) * Baptism Site "Bethany Beyond the Jordan" (Al-Maghtas, Jordan) * Baekje Historic Areas (South Korea) * Aqueduct of Padre Tembleque Hydraulic System (Mexico) * Great Burkhan Khaldun Mountain and its surrounding sacred landscape (Mongolia) * Rjukan-Notodden Industrial Heritage Site (Norway) * Rock Art in the Hail Region (Saudi Arabia) * Singapore Botanic Gardens (Singapore) * Ephesus (Turkey) * Diyarbakir Fortress and Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape (Turkey) * Fray Bentos Industrial Landscape (Uruguay) * The Forth Bridge (United Kingdom and Northern Ireland) * San Antonio Missions (United States)

10. EU approves 7.16 billion euro loan to Greece - 28 member states of the European Union (EU) agreed to lend an emergency loan to Greece to prevent the nation’s immediate default. The short-term loan of 7.16 billion euros will come from European Financial Stabilisation Mechanism (EFSM), an emergency funding programme, which relies on funds raised through the markets and guaranteed by the European Commission using EU’s budget as collateral.

11. UNSC endorses Iran deal - The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on July 20, unanimously adopted a resolution promoting the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the six world powers, namely China, France, Russia, UK, USA and Germany. This agreement effects a liberal and conditional lifting of sanctions that have been crippling Iran's economy. In return, Iran promised to curtail its nuclear activities.

12. UNESCO declares Conakry as World Book Capital for 2017 - The United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) has declared Conakry, the capital of Guinea in West Africa as the World Book Capital for 2017.

13. India ranked 12th in terms of power generation from nuclear source - According to the data published by the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), India features 12th in terms of power generation from nuclear source. India is also at the 6th position for the number of reactors in operation in the country. It will

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com gain upper ranks once the Gorakhpur Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) & Kudankulam Units with total capacity of 3,400 MW, are operationalised.

14. Italy seeks judgement from ITLOS in Marines case - The Italian government sought judgment from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in the Marines case. ITLOS is one the four forums available for resolution in this case. Italy wishes that India should refrain from enforcing any judicial or administrative measures and ensure that the restrictions on liberty, security & movement of the Marines are lifted immediately.

15. World's first malaria vaccine gets regulatory approval - After over 30 years of research, world's first malaria vaccine, named Mosquirix got a regulatory approval from London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) on July 24. The vaccine is now being examined by the WHO, which will give its recommendations in November this year. If approved, the vaccine could be used to treat children across Africa in the next few years.

Important News - India and the states

1. Union Cabinet approves NIIF - The Cabinet has approved setting up of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) with an initial corpus of Rs.20,000 crore as proposed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in the 2014-15 budget. The objective of setting up NIIF is to boost infrastructure development, provide equity support to non-banking financial companies and institutions that are set up to fund infrastructure projects across sectors. It may also extend debt support to commercially viable infrastructure projects.

2. Cabinet clears GST Bill amendment - The Union Cabinet, headed by PM Modi, cleared amendments to the goods and ser- vices tax (GST) bill to compensate states for revenue loss for a period of five years after the tax is levied, as per suggestions of the Rajya Sabha Select Committee. The Cabinet has decided to finalise the levy of 1 percent tax over and above the GST rate by states as well as the 'band' rate while framing the rules. It also approved a new Consumer Protection Bill 2015, replac- ing the existing law and proposes to set up a regulatory authority to curb unfair trade practices.

3. SC’s judgment grants guardianship of child to unwed mother - The bench headed by Justice Vikramajit Sen passed a landmark judgement, stating that there was no need for the consent of the father to award guardianship of a child to an unwed mother. It also mentioned that the lower courts should revisit the woman's plea for sole guardianship.

4. C-DOT launches solar-powered and long distance Wi-Fi - The Union Minister for Communication & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad launched four new products in the capital on 6th July 2015. This includes solar-powered Wi-Fi hotspots and long dis- tance Wi-Fi. This can be helpful in smart cities, rural schools or panchayats, extending broadband connectivity to remote places. It can also be used in ship-to-ship communications on deep seas. The new product launch is a part of the 'Digital In- dia Week'.

5. Socio-Economic & Caste Census 2011 released- Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley released the Socio-Economic and Caste Census 2011 on 3rd July. This is the first such census released after 1932 and contains various details with respect to specific regions, communities and economic groups and measures the household progress in India, among other details.

6. Suresh Prabhu launches paperless mobile ticket system – Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu launched the paperless mobile ticket system on 's Western Railway on July 8. Passengers can now use unreserved ticketing service or the UTS App available on Windows and Android mobile platforms to maintain a balance in their R-wallet. It enables them to buy multiple tickets for any class following which an image in PDF format will be received on the phone that cannot be forwarded or edited.

7. Trade Unions may get mandatory recognition in all factories - The Union Labour Ministry has proposed that a factory’s trade union should be empowered as the 'principal bargaining agent' for settling disputes or engaging in discussion with employees. Presently, there is no provision for recognition of trade unions in India's labour laws, and hence would be inserted in the proposed Industrial Relations Bill, after discussions with industry and workers' representatives on July 14. However, states will be free to

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com either frame their own laws or follow the one mandated by the Parliament as the subject falls under the concurrent list. If these changes fall through, factories across the country might soon have to recognize a trade union as representative of its workforce.

8. Rajasthan may adopt Maharashtra's flagship water conservation scheme - Impressed with the progress of Maharashtra's Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan, Rajasthan may soon adopt the state's flagship water conservation and integrated water management scheme. Rajasthan's Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje sent a delegation comprising a minister and senior bureaucrat to tour Maha- rashtra and learn about the project.

9. Northeast to get 8 postal ATMs - The Department of Post will soon launch 8 ATMs in the Northeast region. Further, 15 more locations are under the process of getting ATMs. The DoP has a network of around 1.55 lakh post offices out of which 2,920 are in the Northeast at present.

10. Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2015 begins - A mega religious congregation, which is held every 12 years in Nashik on the banks of the Godavari River, Simhastha Kumbh will continue for over two months this year. Kumbh Mela is known as one of the biggest peaceful gatherings on the Earth and is held in Allahabad, Nashik, Haridwar & Ujjain.

11. One of the five PPP rail lines launched in Gujarat - Government launched the Gandhidham - Tuna - Tekra rail line, built under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in the Indian Railways. It was commissioned on 14th July 2015. The new line between Gandhidham and Tuna -Tekra port is built by Kandla Port Trust under "participative models for rail connectivity and capacity augmentation.” The total length of the line is 17.02 km and the project costs about Rs.185 crore.

12. Patnitop Tunnel set to open in 2016 - At 9.2 kms, the Patnitop tunnel between Chenani & Nashri is India's longest road tunnel. It is a part of India's ambitious 286 kms long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Due to snowfall & avalanches in Patnitop during winter, traffic disruptions are regular on NH1A. This tunnel will avoid such disturbances and also keep communications steady.

13. DoT releases Net neutrality report - On July 18th, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT), released the Net neutrality report. The committee led by AK Bhargava stated that 'over-the-top services' such as WhatsApp, Viber, Skype, YouTube, etc. should be actively encouraged. Citing Facebook's Internet.org, the committee said that content and application providers (like Facebook) cannot be permitted to act as gatekeepers, "even if it is for a public purpose".

14. First All-Women Trans Continental Road Expedition flagged off from New - The All-Women Trans Continental Road Expedition has been flagged off from Delhi to London by Union Minister for Chemical & Fertilisers & Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports. The 3 participants will travel via Myanmar, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Poland Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium & France for almost 55 days. The drive is approximately 12,000 kms from Delhi to London.

15. Rajahmundry city to be renamed - The city of Rajahmundry in east Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh will be renamed by the state government as Rajamahendravaram. The city acquired the name Rajahmundry during the British era. Rajamahendrava- ram is an ancient name derived from an 11th century ruler of Eastern Chalukya Dynasty, Raja Raja Narendra who ruled the city around 1022A.D.

16. Japanese Encephalitis outbreak in Assam - The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda, held a review meeting with senior ministry officials on July 25 to address the outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis in Assam. Till date, 365 positive cases and 66 deaths have been reported in the state.

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

Important Agreements/ Deals/ Acquisitions/Mergers - India and abroad

A. Agreements

(i) India signs a Financing Agreement worth $250 million with World Bank - India and World Bank on July 16th, signed a Financing Agreement worth $250 million to assist Andhra Pradesh Disaster Recovery Project. The project will help the state enhance its capacity to respond promptly and effectively during crisis.

(ii) Agreement between India and Central Asian countries - Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to India after his six- nation tour to Russia & other Central Asian countries namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan & Turkmenistan. During this visit PM Modi also attended the 7th BRICS summit & Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's (SCO) 2015 summit held in Ufa city, Russia. The agreements signed between India and the five Central Asian countries include

(a) India & Kyrgyzstan have inked 4 mutual cooperation agreements in the field of defence, elections, sphere of standards & culture.

(b) India & Turkmenistan have signed 7 agreements to improve bilateral cooperation, in the fields of supply of chemical prod- ucts, sports, science and technology, yoga & traditional medicine, tourism and defence. An MoU was signed between Foreign Service Institutes of both nations.

(c) India & Kazakhstan have inked 5 agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation, in the fields of defence, railways, uranium supply, sports and transfer of sentenced prisoners.

(d) India & Tajikistan have pledged to intensify measures to combat terrorism. Both the countries have also signed two agree- ments in the fields of culture & skill development.

(iii) India & Georgia join hands for electoral cooperation - India & Georgia signed a MoU for cooperation in the field of election management & administration. This MoU focuses on the following points -

(a) Strengthening mutual cooperation between Election Commission of India & Central Election Commission of Georgia.

(b) Improving voter education, new technologies & capacity-building for electoral stakeholders.

(c) Exchange of information, material expertise & training of personnel.

(d) Participation of women and minorities in the election process.

(iv) India and Canada agree to co-operate in civil aviation - The Union Cabinet approved an MoU between India and Canada in the field of civil aviation on July 16th, 2015. www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com Important features of the MoU are:

(a) A platform will be formalised for exchange of views to foster economic cooperation and sharing of technical experience between the two countries in the field of civil aviation.

(b) Cooperation programme for safety of aircraft operations and related issues will be de- veloped. This will provide the Directorate General of Civil Aviation with up-to-date knowledge about best international practices and latest International Civil Aviation Or- ganisation's safety oversight programme requirements.

(c) Indian firms would also benefit from the technical know-how of Canadian companies. In turn, Canadian firms could gain from access to India's fast developing civil aviation in- dustry.

(V) MoD & MSDE sign MoU to increase employability of ex-servicemen - The Union Ministry of Defence (MoD) & Union Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepre- neurship (MSDE) have signed an MoU to facilitate strategic partnership on skill develop- ment & entrepreneurship. The aim is to boost employment opportunities for ex-service- men when they retire from the force. This is an initiative to contribute towards nation building & 'Make in India' initiative.

B. Business Acquisitions/ Deals

(i) TASL and Boeing to collaborate in aerospace and defence manufacturing - Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) signed an agreement with Boeing to join forces in aerospace, defence manufacturing and potential integrated systems development opportunities, including unmanned aerial vehicles. TASL already has a contract to manufacture aerostructures for Boeing's CH - 47 Chinook and AH - 6i helicopters.

(ii) Reliance Group arm inks MoU with Augur - Reliance Unmanned Systems, an entity of Reliance Group, has signed an MoU with Augur Oversees Operation of Singapore, a subsidiary of Augur Aeronautical Centre. The agreement opens avenues for the firms to manufacture Aerostats & Airships in India. Both the firms will work together on new technologies on civil & military market as part of the Indian Government's Make in India initiative.

Important Schemes launched by Union Government and state governments

1. Government introduces foreign investment composite cap - Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley on July 16th announced that all FIIs, NRIs and other foreign investments will be clubbed. It will be constituted as a composite cap. At present there are different caps for these categories. Thus, this step aims to simplify the FDI policy, attract more foreign invest- ments and enhance ease of conducting business in India.

2. HRIDAY launched at Amritsar - The National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) was launched on July 14 for 12 cities including Amritsar where the launch took place. The government has sanctioned Rs.69.31 crore as 100% grant for Amritsar city.

3. Maharashtra cabinet approves Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Scheme - Maharashtra government has ap- proved the Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Jan Van Vikas Scheme, which aims at comprehensive development of villages around tiger reserves. The idea is to reduce man-animal conflict & achieve sustainable development in the region. This scheme will also reduce villagers' dependence on forests by boosting employment possibilities through supplementary businesses and farming activities. It will be launched on project basis from 2015-16 to 2019-20. www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

4. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana launched - PM Narendra Modi has launched Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for power sector reforms in rural India to ensure round the clock electricity supply to farmers & rural households. This scheme is a flagship programme of Power Ministry with an objective to provide 24x7 power supply. The existing scheme, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) will be replaced by this scheme.

Science, Technology & Defence News

1. 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck off at Solomon Islands - A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck Solomon Islands early in July. The islands are part of the popularly known Pacific "Ring of Fire", a zone of tectonic activity known for frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

2. Indigenously made Akash inducted into Indian Air Force - The Akash Missile System, developed by Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL), was inducted into the Indian Air Force at a ceremony held at the Gwalior Air Force base on July 10th.

3. ISRO launches satellite-based navigation system - ISRO has launched its satellite-based air navigation services, lining India with a league comprising US, European Union (EU) & Japan, which have similar systems. Known as GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system, it is intended to provide accurate navigational services over the Bay of Bengal, South East Asia, Indian Ocean, Middle East & the African region. GAGAN fills an important gap in coverage ar- eas of the EU's European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) & Japan's Multi-functional Satellite Aug- mentation System (MSAS) coverage areas.

4. 11,000-ft high mountains found on Pluto - NASA's New Horizons (interplanetary spacecraft) recently sailed past Pluto after travelling a journey of 3 billion miles (4.88 billion km) that began nine-and-a-half years ago. New Horizons probe dis covered a great mountain range on Pluto with peaks as high as 11,000-ft above the surface. Data also suggests that the plan et's surface was formed no more than 100 million years ago, which is very young in the 4.56 billion-year-old solar system.

5. Radiative impact of volcanic aerosol slowing down global warming - A study published in July by a team of international researchers in the Journal Nature Communications, has attributed the decline in global warming to the radiative impact of volcanic aerosol in the lowermost stratosphere. Scientists said that volcanic aerosols have acted as a natural umbrella for the last decade, helping to slow down global temperature increase from greenhouse gases.

6. NASA's Kepler telescope discovers evidence of Earth-like planet - Evidence from NASA's Kepler telescope indicates existence of a planet closely resembling Earth. The planet is about 60 percent bigger than Earth in size and is located about 1,400 light years away in the constellation Cygnus.

Sports Scan

Cricket News

(i) Ashes 2015 - Australia beat England by 405 runs - England had a catastrophic defeat against Australia, allowing Aus- tralia to level the series by 1-1. The defeat by 405 runs is the fourth highest suffered by England in terms of runs.

(ii) India retains 2nd position in ICC ODI - The Indian Cricket team managed to retain the second spot in the ODI ranking list after finishing as semifinalists in the recently-concluded ICC Cricket World Cup. With 116 points, India stands six points behind world champion Australia, which has 122 rating points to its credit. India is followed by South Africa (112), Sri Lanka (108), New Zealand (107), England (101), Pakistan (95).

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

Football News

(i) Hat trick win for US at Women's FIFA World Cup - The US Women's National Football National Team claimed the FIFA World Cup Trophy for an unprecedented third time with a 5-2 victory over Japan on July 5th. The US is the only country to win thrice successively and to score most goals in the Women's World Cup Finals (WWC). In the first 16 minutes of the game Carli Lloyd scored a hat trick, taking the score to 4-0 against Japan, with Lauren Holiday adding a goal to put the team up by a wide margin.

(ii) Mexico wins CONCACAF Gold Cup for a record seventh time - Mexican team, El Tri, won the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 final with a dominant 3-1 triumph over Jamaica at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on July 25th. El Tri now has seven Gold Cup titles while their arch-rival, the United States, has only five.

Hockey News (i) Indian Women's Hockey Team beat Japan with 1-0 score to finish fifth in semifinals but fails to reach Hockey World League Finals.

Tennis News

(i ) Sania Mirza the first Indian woman to win the women's doubles Grand Slam trophy - Sania Mirza, with her Swiss partner Martina Hingis made history on July 10. The former became the first Indian woman to win women's doubles Grand Slam trophy. Mirza and Hingis battled past the second-seeded Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina scoring 5-7 7-6 (4) 7-5 in a thrilling match. She became India's first woman player to win a Grand Slam when she won the Australian Open with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009. She later added the French Open title (2012 with Bhupathi) and US Open title (2014 with Bruno Soares) to her mixed doubles collection.

(ii) Some of the important titles won at 2015 Wimbledon Championship are: a) Serbian player Novak Djokovic defeated Switzerland's Roger Federer in men's singles finals and claimed his third Wimble- don title. b) In the women's singles final, top-seeded American player Serena Williams won the title after defeating Spain's Garbine Mu- guruza in straight sets. It is her fourth consecutive Grand Slam title. c) Indian player Sania Mirza along her with her Swiss partner Martina Hingis defeated second-seeded Russian pair Ekaterina Makarova & Elena Vesnina in women's doubles final. With this win Mirza became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam trophy in women's doubles category.

www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com d) Veteran tennis player Leander Paes made India proud by winning a Wimbledon mixed doubles title with his Swiss partner Martina Hingis against Austrian player Alexander Peya and his Hungarian partner Timea Babos. e) Netherlands player Jean-Julien Rojer along with his Romanian partner Horia Tecau triumphed in the men's doubles final. f) 17-year-old Indian player Sumit Nagal also bagged a Wimbledon title this year in the boy's doubles category with his Viet- namese partner L Hoàng Nam.

(iii) Davis Cup - India beat New Zealand 3-2: India's Yuki Bhambri defeated Micheal Venus of New Zealand by 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in the deciding match of the Asia Oceania Group I tie in Christchurch. With this India clinched the Asia Oceania group I tie with a 3-2 score line.

Badminton News (i) and win the title after upstaging the top seeded Dutch pair and .

Formula 1 (i) Sebastian Vettel wins Hungarian Grand Prix - German driver Sebastian Vettel has claimed victory for Ferrari in Hungarian Grand Prix. This is his 2nd victory of the season after the Malaysian Grand Prix 2015 win.

Other Sports News

(i) Shubham Jaglan wins World Junior Golf Championship - Shubham Jaglan defeated Australia's Jeffrey Yu Guan by a single stroke to win the World Junior Golf Championship in California. The 10-year-old golf player scored a total of 7-under 179 in three days of play at the Fountain course in Welk resort.

(ii) Indian-American Amitoj Chhabra wins powerlifting championship 2015 - 20-year-old Indian American Amitoj Chhabra has bagged the US Junior Powerlifting Championship 2015 title.

(iii) Indian women archery team makes it to Olympics - The Indian women's archery recurve team has made it to the 2016 Olympics that will be held in Rio de Janeiro after getting past seventh seed in the round-of-16 match at the World Archery Championship in Copenhagen on 29th July 2015. The women's team - led by Deepika Kumari, Laxmirani Majhi and Rimil Buriuly - had shot together 1907 points after 216 arrows to finish 10th, with the former world No. 1 Deepika finishing eighth in the individual competition.

Important Days of the Month

Date The Significance of the day

1. 18th July Nelson Mandela International Day

2. 15th July World Youth Skills Day

3. 23rd July National Broadcasting Day

4. 26th July 16th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas

5. 28th July World Hepatitis Day

6. 29th July International Tiger Day www.pagalguy.com www.pagalguy.com

Good Luck! To get fresh and daily updates about Banking, SSC & Other Exams on your Facebook & Twitter timelines, subscribe to our pages created specifically for them. We will be posting only those exam specific links on these pages:

Bank PO: FB: https://www.facebook.com/pagalguybankpo || Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaGaLGuYBankPO

SSC: FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pagalguy - SSC - CGL - Others/879667042056262 Twitter: https://twitter.com/pagalguyssc

UPSC: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pagalguy-UPSC/951926044840262 Twitter: https://twitter.com/PaGaLGuYUPSC

MBA: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaGaLGuy Twitter: https://twitter.com/pagalguy

Engineering: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pagalguy-Engineering/840872815954703 Twitter: https://twitter.com/pagalguyengg

www.pagalguy.com