sign in sign up
<<
Home , 2016 Asia Cup, 2016 Miami Open, Ajay Banga, Anil Kumble, Dipika Pallikal Karthik, Padma Sachdev

CURRENT ISSUES OF JAN-JUNE 2016

for

UPSC Engineering Services Examination

State Engineering Service Examination & Public Sector Examination.

(BHEL, NTPC, NHPC, DRDO, SAIL, HAL, BSNL, BPCL, NPCL, etc.)

IES MASTER PUBLICATION IES MASTER Publication F-126, Katwaria Sarai, Lower Basement New -110016 Phone : 011-41013406, Mobile : 8130909220, 9711853908 Web : www.iesmaster.org E-mail : [email protected]

© No part of this booklet may be reproduced, or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise or stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior permission of IES MASTER PUBLICATION, . Violaters are liable to be legally prosecuted.

ISBN :

Typeset at : IES Master Publication, New Delhi-110016 CONTENTS

1. POLITICAL ISSUES ...... 1 – 17

 Draft National Policy for Women, 2016  Single Window Portal For Medical Tourism  Mahila e-Haat  Neeranchal National Watershed Project E-enabled PMIS App for Proper Monitoring of  Agreement for Global Promotion of Traditional  Projects Systems of Medicine  Rail Development Authority  IT-Based Initiatives for Citizen Centric Health Services  What is Public Interest Litigation (PIL)? What is uniform civil code?  Becomes First State to Achieve 100%  Primary Education  What is Sedition?  National Deworming Initiative  What is Defamation?  NSSO’s 71st Round of Survey on Social Con-  What is an ordinance? sumption: Education  What is Money Bill? Operation Smile-II   What is contempt of court? Khoya Paya Web Portal Launched   What is Capital Punishment?  Scheme for Development of Particularly Vulner-  IPC 377 able Tribal Groups Revised  Haryana’s Jind, Karnal Districts and Uttar  NJAC Declared Unconstitutional Pradesh’s Muzaffanagar District included in National Capital Region (NCR)  Aadhaar Enrolments Allowed for NRIs, PIOs, OICs  EPFO bags National Award on e-governance  7th Pay Commission Report  33 Per cent Reservation for Women in Para-  National Court of Appeal military Forces  Proposal for simultaneous LS, Assembly Elec-  Lodha Committee Recommendations (BCCI) tions  Krishna River Water Dispute

2. SCHEMES & POLICIES ...... 18 – 39

 Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAANJHI)  Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Shramev Jayate Karyakram  Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin  Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana  Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana or DAY  Mid-Day Meal Scheme (iv)

 Digital Gender Atlas for Girls Education  Credit Support Programme  Saraansh Scheme  Mobile app-Himmat  Unnat Bharat  Elderly In 2016  MGNREGA-Mahatma Gandhi National Rural  A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Industry & Entrepreneurship (ASPIRE)  Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan  Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)  Gender Budgeting Scheme  India Inclusive Innovation Fund  Sukanya Samruddhi Yojana  Marketing Development Assistance (MDA)  Ujjawala Scheme  Marketing Assistance Scheme  SABLA  International Cooperation Scheme  Mission Indradhanush  Rajiv Gandhi Udyami Mitra Yojana (RGUMY)  Janani Suraksha Yojana  National Child Labour Project & INDUS  National Optical Fibre Network  National Career Service Portal  National Scholarships Portal  Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana  Jeevan Pramaan  Social Security Schemes  Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana  National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme  Krishi Kalyan Cess  Insurance scheme for passengers travelling on  Krishi Sichayi Yojana e- ticket  Neeranchal Watershed Programe  Accessible E-Library Sugamya Pustakalaya  Parampragat Krishi Vikas Yojana  Baristha Bunakar Sahayata Yojana  Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana  Union Government launches MAA, nation-wide breast feeding programme  PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation)  Rajasthan becomes first state to approve sew- age & waste water policy  Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) Himayat Scheme  UDAY (Ujjwal Discom Assurance Scheme)  DISHA Programe for timely implementation of  Deendayal Upadhayaya Gram Jyoti Yojana  Central Schemes  Nai Manzil  Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana USTAAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in   Manual Scavenging Act TraditionalIES Arts/Crafts for Development) MASTER  Sports Talent Search Scheme  Deen dayal disabled Rehab Scheme

3. SOCIAL ISSUES ...... 40 –60

 Maternity Benefits (Amendment) Bill, 2016  Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016  Central Agricultural University (Amendment) Bill,  The Lokpal and Lokayuktas (Amendment) Bill, 2016 2016 (v)

 Amendments Proposed in Prevention of Corrup-  Haryana Assembly passes bills for mandatory tion Act educational criteria for urban local bodies elec- tions  Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws Amendment Bill, 2016  Haryana Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Act , 2015  Employee’s Compensation (Amendment) Bill, 2016  Haryana Reservation Bill  Mental Health Care Bill  Aadhaar (Target of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016  Government proposes steps for safe Transport System  Punjab Assembly passes Agriculture Indebted- ness Bill, 2016  Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill, 2016 Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation)  Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016  Bill, 2016 NIT, Science Education & Research (Amend-  Carriage by Air amendment Bill, 2015 ment) Bill, 2016   Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016  Indian Medical Council (Amendment Bill), 2016  Expert panel to review Specific Relief Act, 1963  Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016 Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)  Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)  Amendment Act, 2015 Amendment Bill, 2016 The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of  Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill,  Children) Act, 2015 2016 The Sugar Cess (Amendment) Bill, 2015  Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2016   Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Act,  Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation 2015: of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2016  Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Act  Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code Bill, 2016  The Atomic Energy (Amendment) Act, 2015  Bill on potable alcohol Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and  Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016  Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts  The Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2015 Act, 2016  The Payment of Bonus (Amendment) Act, 2015  Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amend-  The National Waterways Act ment) Bill,IES 2016 MASTER  The whistleblowers Protection Act, 2014  Sikh Gurdwaras (Amendment) Bill, 2016  Basic Facts of Constitution  Maharashtra Prohibition of Social Boycott Act, 2015 4. ECONOMIC ISSUES ...... 61 – 106

 Project Development Fund and CLMV countries  JNPT signs ECB Agreement with SBI and Devel- opment Bank of Singapore  MoU between CERT-In and CERT-UK (vi)

 Merger of various banks with SBI  National Capital Goods Policy, 2016  National Committee on Trade Facilitation  India, and four others courtiers sign pact on tax info sharing  India ratifies Trade Facilitation Agreement of WTO  TRAI penalty on Telcos for call drops illegal: SC  Liberalization of FDI norms for NBFCs  NPPA fixes ceiling price of 54 drug formulations  Union Government fixes an inflation target of 4 percent for five years  UBIN drive for budding entrepreneurs  Basic Economic Terminologies  RBI extends Currency Swap Arrangement with SAARC nations  BRICS Employment Working Group  India-UAE currency swap agreement  Bilateral Investment Treaties and India SIDBI inks MoU with SAARC Development Fund G-20 Finance Ministers pledge to boost global   SHORT economy SIDBI India extends 1 billion dollar Line of Credit India Inc first to formally adopt UN’s Sustainable   to Mongolia Development Goals India replaces China as top FDI destination in 7 Indian companies on 2016 Fortune 500 list   2015: FDI Intelligence Report  India, Japan ink Social Security Agreement  Union Government renames Department of Dis-  CCEA approves disinvestment of 15% in NBCC investment as DIPAM  India sets up apparel training centre in Kaduna,  Highlights of Union Budget 2016-17 Nigeria  Expansion of India-Chile Preferential Trade Agree-  India’s Number One Rank in FDI ment  100% FDI in Aviation, Defence and e-commerce  Anti-dumping duty on Plastic-Processing imports sectors and N-Butyl Alcohol  India, South Korea launch Korea Plus platform  US launches anti-dumping probe on tyres from to promote investments India, Sri Lanka  Civil Aviation Policy, 2016  India world’s largest remittance recipient in 2015: World Bank  NIIF and Qatar Investment Authority inks MoU to boost infrastructure investments  Bharti Airtel’s payments Bank Unit  Axis Bank launches India’s first certified GREEN  North East-ASEAN Business Summit in Imphal BOND at London Stock Exchange  NEW IPR POLICY  India becomes third largest oil consumer  Indian Intellectual Property Panorama  RBI rates unchanged in 2nd bi-monthly monetary  India’s first Defence Industrial Park at Ottappalam policy reviewIES for year 2016-17 MASTER  Defence Procurement Procedure 2016  Key Terminology related to RBI South Asia Regional Training and Technical As- BRICS bank to issue first Yuan-denominated   sistance Center bonds  IFC launches Uridashi Masala Bonds  Union Government approves NIMZ in in Kalinganagar, Odisha  Make in India Week concludes in  Union Government clears Infosys proposal to set  Jharkhand gets first Mega Food Park at Ranchi up IT SEZ in Bengaluru  India’s first Aviation Park to come up in Gujarat (vii)

 WHO accords PQP certification to Indian vac-  Digitization Of PDS cine maker GreenSignal Bio Pharma  Nobel Prize in Economics  Hybrid Annuity Model for implementing Highway  ICEGATE Projects  Merger of NSEL with FTIL  India overtakes Thailand as World’s largest Rice exporter  Equalisation Levy/Google tax  World Economic Forum meeting starts in Davos,  Gender Parity Index  Gender Inequality Index  Start-up India, Stand-up India’ action plan  Multidimensional Poverty Index  India to grow at 7.8% in year 2016: World Bank  Human Developement Index Report  Global Innovation Index (GII)  Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS)  Sustainable Development index (SDI)  Conversion of MUDRA into bank  Logistics Performance Index: World Bank Re-  Unified Payment Interface (UPI) project port  India Nuclear Insurance Pool  Human Capital Index Teaser Loan   India ranks 10th in FDI inflows: UNCTAD report  Priority Sector Lending Certificates (PSLCs)  Crony-Capitalism Index  NRI’s Investment in Chit Funds  Global Connectivity Index  Easwar Panel  GRD index on ease of doing business  Bank for International Settlement (BIS)  Index of Industrial Production  Global Financial Security Index  Internet Readiness Index: IIRIS report  IMFReforms  Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2015-16  WTO Nairobi Talks  Reports published by various Organisations 5. INTERNATIONAL ISSUES ...... 107– 123

 Land Boundary Agreement Among India And  Raisina Dialogue 2016 Bangladesh  India Re-Elected As Member of International  Ashgabat Agreement Maritime Council  CHABAHAR Port  Afghanistan and Liberia Joins WTO  India RatifiedIES The Convention On Supplemen-MASTER Nepal Join Silk Road Economic Belt Through tary Compensation For Nuclear Damage (CSC) Tibet  Non-NATO Ally Status to Tunisia  CPEC  India to Join the International Energy Agency -  Project Mausam Ocean Energy Systems  Salma Dam Project in Afghanistan India Collaborates With Japan on Andaman’s   Raxaul- Amlekhgunj Oil Pipeline Project  Important Joint Military Exercises  G-7 Summit 2016  International Awards and Appointments  Nuclear Security Summit (viii)

 ASEAN  European Union  UNFCCC  Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)  SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional  BRICS Cooperation)  G4 Nations Asian Development Bank   G20  Mekong Ganga Cooperation

6. ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY ...... 124 – 150

 Udaipur Declaration on Disaster  Paris Climate Agreement  Air Pollution  World Bank Launches Climate Change Action  Water Pollution Plan New Environment Standards for Gensets  Photocatalyst to Completely Degrade Industrial  Dyes  Four Colour Classification Scheme for  Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy Industries Based on Pollution Index (Help)  National Air Quality Indices for 24 Indian Cities  Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016  IMD Changes Language in Weather  Stricter Standards for Sugar Industry Forecasting Stricter Standards for Coal Based Thermal  Standards for Common Effluent Treatment  Plants (Cetps) Across Industrial Clusters Power Plants Decentralization of Environmental Clearance  Web Based Application on Integrated Waste  Management System for Sustainable Sand Mining National Hydrology Project  New Bio-medical Waste Management Rules  Basic Ministerial Meeting on Climate Change  Impact of Climate Change on Glaciers in India  Emission Norms: India Will Leap Frog Directly  Namami Gange Programme  From BS-IV To BS-VI Fuel Standards  Ganga Gram Yojana  Importance of Tapi  National Green Highways Mission  Natural Gas in East & West Godavari Districts World’s First Electric Road  of Andhra Pradesh  India’s First Pilot Programme to Run Two  Draft National Renewable Energy Bill, 2015 Wheelers on CNG  National Renewable Energy Fund  Norway Becomes the First Country to Ban IES MASTER National Offshore Wind Energy Policy Deforestation The Public Liability Insurance (PLI) Act, 1991  US and India to Cooperate in Wildlife  Conservation  Policy on Promotion of City Compost  India’s First Integrated Web Portal to Promote  New Rules for Management of Construction Net Zero Energy Buildings Launched Waste  NGT Bans Light and Heavy Diesel Vehicles  Jal Manthan-2 Over 10 Years in Six Major Cities of Kerala  Jal Kranti Abhiyaan  Centre for Environmental Health  Project Green Port  Most Polluted Cities in the World (ix)

 I Led the Way Campaign  Cochin Airport – Completely Solar  India and Sendai Agreement for Disaster  Surya Mitra Reduction  IMD Launches SAMAR Kakrapar Nuclear Plant Shutdown   International Solar Alliance (ISA) Bioplastics   “Project Green Ports” by Ministry of Shipping  Cyclone Roanu

7. BIODIVERSITY ...... 151– 162

 GM Mustard Himalayan States  Draft National Wildlife Action Plan 2017-2031  Gangetic River Dolphin Declared City Animal  Kudremukh National Park of Guwahati  Snowflake Coral  Asia’s First Gyps Vulture Reintroduction Programme  Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) US and India to Cooperate in Wildlife  United Nations Development Programme  Conservation  Kasturirangan Report Western Ghats Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh  Vermin  Wins 2016 India Biodiversity Award  Leopard Census 2014  Mahseer Fish Conservation  Wetland Management in India Himalayan Brown Bears  Gymnothorax Indicus, new species of EEL  found in Bay of Bengal  Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015  Rhino Horn Verification Process  Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve Included in  Steps Taken by Government to Protect UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Protected Species in India Reserves  India’s First Tiger Repository  Ban on Repeat Animal Testing of Drugs  IUCN Declares Bornean Orangutan Critically  Stautus of Critically Endangered Species in Endangered India  Climate Change Impact on Animals in Five  South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN)

8. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOLGY ...... 163 – 193

Kerala GovernmentIES bans e-cigarettes MASTERChina sets up first dark sky reserve in Tibet    China launches second Shijian-16 series to limit light pollution satellite  Scientists develop world’s first 1000-  First flight of BrahMos missile from SU-30 processor microchip named Kilo-core MKI aircraft successfully conducted  ISRO sets record by successfully launching  Geo-tagging of MGNREGA assets 20 satellites in single mission NASA discovers K2-33b, youngest exoplanet  New bio-ink for 3D bio-printing with stem  cells developed around a young star (x)

 Three Earth-like planets discovered orbiting US law firm dwarf star  Nuclear Capable Prithvi-II missile test fired  NASA’s Kepler telescope finds largest trove from Odisha of exoplanets  IIT-Kharagpur’s Nandini Bhandaru wins  Jupiter-like planet Kepler1647b orbiting two European Materials Research Society Award suns discovered  Indigenous Advanced Air Defence interceptor  NASA’s Kepler spacecraft finds 100 new alien missile, Ashwin successfully test fired planets orbiting other stars  First National Intellectual Property Rights  ISRO to test indigenously developed Policy scramjet engine  May 11: National Technology Day  Sunway-TaihuLight: World’s powerful  NASA unveils first global topographic model Supercomputer of Mercury  Ban on use of cancer causing chemical  34 satellites are operational in India: Potassium Bromate as food additive Government  Scientists unveil synthetic Human Genome  Union Government makes panic button, GPS Project-Write compulsory in all mobiles  Scientists detect Gravitational waves for  Super computer Param Kanchenjunga second time unveiled at NIT Sikkim  Hubble Telescope spots solitary dwarf galaxy  Nuclear-capable K-4 ballistic missile UGC 4879 successfully tested from INS Arihant  Four new elements in Periodic table get  Indian Scientists develop biopolymer for water names purification  23rd BeiDou Navigation Satellite launched  India, US ink MoU for setting up LIGO observa- by China tory in India  Google, Tata Trusts launch ‘Internet Sathi’  Asia’s largest optical telescope ARIES at in West Bengal to empower rural women Nainital  Malware Infection Index  India’s first indigenous rotavirus vaccine  World’s first 3D printed plane THOR unveiled Rotavac by Airbus  ISRO establishes GIRI Radar System near  Scientists create Bionic leaf that turns Tirupati sunlight into liquid fuel  Punjab Government notifies swine flu under  India’s firstIES reusable space shuttle MASTERRLV-TD Epidemic Disease Act launched  Plastic degrading bacteria Ideonellasakaiensis  Hypersonic superjet technology successfully 201-F6 isolated tested in Australia  ISRO gears up for launch of India’s first solar Mosquito-borne Zika virus creates panic over mission Aditya-L1 birth defects in Latin America  CGPDTM issues revised patent guidelines  Scientists develop world’s first Zika virus for Computer Related Inventions clone  ISRO successfully test cryogenic engine of  World’s first robot lawyer ‘ROSS’ hired by GSLV Mark 3 rocket (xi)

 Five hot Jupiter like planets discovered  TranServ has launched country’s first Social  Google’s Project Loon begins its operations Mobile Wallet named Udio. in Sri Lanka  Union Government launches River Information System 9. SPORTS ...... 194 – 213

 Olympics at a glance footballer to play in Europa League  Amul to officially sponsor Indian contingent  India shooter Sanjeev Rajput wins silver at Rio Olympics 2016 medal in ISSF World Cup  Union Sports Ministry grants recognition to  wins silver medal in ISSF World Paralympic Committee of India Cup  Wrestler Narsingh Yadav fails Dope Test:  Chile wins 2016 Copa America Football NADA tournament  PM Narendra Modi flags off Run for Rio  India wins Silver medal at Archery World Cup in Antalya  Nita Ambani becomes first Indian woman member of IOC  Boxing legend Muhammad Ali passes away  Angela Ruggiero appointed Head of IOC  Sonia Lather wins silver medal in Women’s Athletes’ Commission World Boxing Championships  Usain Bolt becomes first athlete to win 9  Real Madrid FC wins 2016 UEFA Champions gold medals in sprinting events of Olympics League  Wrestler wins India’s first medal  Pankaj Advani creates history by winning at Rio Olympics Asian 6-Red Snooker title  AbhinavBindra to Head NRAI Review  Mohun Bagan wins 2016 Indian Federation Committee on Rio Debacle Cup football tournament  Gujarat to host 2016 Kabaddi World Cup  wins 2016 Italian Open title  Cristiano Ronaldo crowned UEFA Best  Pakistan wins 2016 Asia Kabaddi Player in Europe award Championship Cup  Dipika Pallikal wins PSA  Mark Selby wins 2016 World Championship title of Snooker  Abijit Gupta retains Commonwealth Chess championship crown  Leicester City crowned English Premier League Champion  Patna Pirates wins 4th season of Pro Kabaddi League  Indian shooters win 3 Gold, 1 Bronze medals in ISSF Junior World Cup  Syed Nayeemuddin conferred Mohun Bagan IES MASTER Indian team won one silver, two bronze in Ratna Archery World Cup  , won 73rd Senior National Championship  Nour El Sherbini becomes youngest World Squash Champion  wins Fide Women’s Grand Prix trophy of Chess  equals world record in recurve event at Archery World Cup  Portugal wins 2016 UEFA European football championship  India to host 2018 Commonwealth Judo Championships  Gurpreet Singh Sandhu becomes first Indian (xii)

 Mairaj Ahmed Khan wins silver medal at  Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 Monaco Grand ISSF World Cup of shooting Prix of F1  2016 Laureus World Sports Awards  Nico Rosberg wins 2016 Chinese Grand Prix  became first Indian woman  Nico Roseberg wins 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix gymnast to qualify for Olympics  Pietro Fittipaldi wins 2015 MRF Challenge  Danny Willett wins 2016 US Masters Golf Formula 2000 Anthony Joshua wins 2016 IBF world title   Jehan Daruvala wins 2016 Lady Wigram  India wins 2016 Asian Nations Cup Chess Trophy motor race tournament  Formula 1 Grand Prix of 2016  Cyprian Kotut wins 40th Paris marathon 2016  Neeraj Chopra becomes 1st Indian to set  Wrestler Hardeep Singh wins silver medal world record in Jr athletics Championship in Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament  Long jumper Prem Kumar wins silver medal  Services won 70th Santosh Trophy football in Asian Indoor Athletics title 2016  Kerala wins 61st National School Athletics Rahul Sachdev wins 1st All India Open  championship Invitational Snooker Championship 2016  Lohmann, Morris, Muralidaran and Rolton to Dnipro FC wins 2016 Nagjee International  be inducted into the ICC Hall of Club Football Tournament Fame  Brendon McCullum hits fastest Test century  Manavaditya Rathore and Anant Naruka win  wins gold medal in Bronze medal in Junior World Cup women’s individual squash at SAG  becomes first Indian to  Sapna Devi wins gold medal in women score double century outside India Wushu Taulu competition  SC accepts Lodha committee’s 12th South Asian Games begins in Guwahati  recommendations on structural reforms in  Apurvi Chandela set world record in 10m air BCCI rifle at Swedish Cup Grand Prix  BCCI appoints as the head  India won 2015 SAFF football championships coach of Indian Cricket Team  Amputee mountaineer scales  Rahul Johri takes charge as first ever CEO Mount Aconcagua in Argentina of BCCI Shiva Keshavan wins silver medal at Asian   Anurag Thakur unanimously elected BCCI Luge Championship President Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 German Grand   Anil Kumble re-appointed ICC Cricket Prix of F1 IES MASTERCommittee chairman Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 Hungarian Grand   West Indies wins 2016 ICC T-20 Cricket Prix of F1 World Cup Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 British Grand Prix   Rest of India wins 2015-16 Cricket of F1 Title Lewis Hamilton wins 2016 Austrian Grand   India wins 2016 T20 trophy Prix of F1 West Indies wins ICC U-19 Cricket World  NicoRosberg wins 2016 European Grand Prix Cup 2016 of F1 (xiii)

 Pranav Dhanawade hits world record by  wins 2016 Open scoring 1009 runs at school level tournament title  Gujarat wins maiden title  wins 2016 WTA Brisbane International trophy  Mumbai wins 2016 , win 2016 WTA  ICC Rakings  Brisbane International Tennis trophy  wins 2016 ATP Toronto B Sai Praneeth wins 2016 Open Masters  Grand Prix Badminton title  Winners of 2016 Wimbledon Championships wins of Tennis  Super Series Badminton title  International Tennis Federation bans Maria HS Prannoy wins 2016 Swiss Open Grand Sharapova for two years  Prix Gold badminton title  Novak Djokovic wins 2016 Mutua Madrid Lin Dan wins 2016 All Badminton Open  title  wins 2016 Barcelona Open  Kidambi Srikanth wins 2016 Syed Modi  Rafael Nadal wins 2016 Monte Carlo Badminton Title in Men’s Singles Masters title of Tennis  PV Sindhu wins 2016 Malaysia Masters  Stan Wawrinka wins 2016 Dubai ATP Tennis Grand Prix Gold Badminton title title  Argentina women’s team wins 2016  Novak Djokovic wins 2016 Title Champions Trophy title of Hockey Novak Djokovic wins 2016 Australian Open   Russian ice Hockey player Artemi Panarin Men’s Singles Title of Tennis wins 2015-16 Calder Memorial Trophy Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis win 2016   Australia wins 2016 Champions Trophy title Australian Open title of Tennis of Hockey wins 2016 WTA Apia   Lucknow to host 2016 Junior hockey World International title of Tennis Cup SaniaMirza, Martina Hingis win 2016 WTA   Australia wins 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Apia International title of Tennis Hockey Tournament Marat Safin Inducted Into International Tennis   2016 Hockey India Annual Awards Hall of Fame  Upcoming Games and their Host Countries 10. MISCELLANEOUSIES...... MASTER214 – 231  Rodrigo Duterte sworn in as President of Philip-  Lionel Messi announces retirement from pines Argentinean Football team  CAG Shashi Kant Sharma gets honorary  Social entrepreneur Zubaida Bai bags UN professorship in China honour for corporate sustainability initiative  Indian-origin lawyer Yasmin Sooka to chair UN  Gudni Johannesson wins 2016 Presidential commission on human rights in South Sudan election of Iceland  Quiz master, educationist Neil O’Brien passes  Sujoy Bose appointed as first CEO of NIIF away (xiv)

 IIT-Kanpur professor Sanjay Mittal awarded 2015  Former Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi GD Birla Award appointed UPSC member  Virginia Raggi became first female mayor of  AR Rahman conferred with Japan’s Fukuoka Rome prize 2016 Admiral Sunil Lanba takes charge as Navy chief  IAF creates history by inducting 3 women fighter  pilots for first time  Indian-American scientist Arnab De wins Springer Theses Award  Sunil Mittal elected as Chairman of International Chamber of Commerce  Indian author Aditi Krishnakumar wins 2016 Scholastic Asian Book Award  Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway appointed as UN Women Goodwill Ambassador  Mamata Banerjee sworn-in as West Bengal Chief Minister for a second term  Margaret Atwood wins 2016 Pen Pinter Prize becomes first US president to  Peter Thomson elected as President of 71st  visit Hiroshima bomb site session of United Nations General Assembly Sunil Mittal receives 2016 Harvard Alumni award  President receives highest  civilian award of Ivory Coast  Indian-American students sweep top three spots in 2016 National Geographic Bee Contest  Renowned Hindi writer Mudrarakshasa passes away  Bioengineer Frances Arnold becomes first woman to win Millennium Technology Prize  G Kalyanakrishnan took over as Chief Executive of Nuclear Fuel Complex  Pinarayi Vijayan sworn-in as Kerala Chief  Indian-American Author Akhil Sharma wins 2016 Minister International Dublin Literary Award  Sarbananda Sonowal sworn-in as Assam Chief  Veteran theatre personality Achyut Lahkar Minister passes away  S K Sharma appointed CMD of Nuclear Power  Veteran journalist Inder Malhotra passes away Corporation of India  Major General Per Lodin appointed head of  J Jayalalithaa sworn-in as Chief UNMOGIP Minister for sixth time  Russia honours UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-  President appoints Kiran Bedi as Lieutenant moon with Order of Friendship Award Governor of Puducherry  Father of modern Nepali music Ambar Gurung  Sikkim CM Pawan Chamling conferred with passes away Nepal’s literary award  Dia Mirza named ambassador for Swachh Saathi  Ratan P Watal appointed as principal adviser programmeIES MASTERfor social sector in NITI Aayog  V Narayanasamy sworn in as Puducherry CM  UN appoints Mary Robinson, Macharia Kamau  PM Narendra Modi conferred Afghanistan’s as special envoys for El Nino, Climate highest civilian honour  Tsai Ing-wen sworn-in as first women President  India’s first Mr Universe Manohar Aich passes of Taiwan away  Indian-American Rupa Iyer awarded highest  Boxing legend Muhammad Ali passes away teaching award in US  Dr. R Seetharaman conferred with 2016 Green  Indian journalist Philip Abraham elected Deputy Economy Visionary Award Mayor in UK (xv)

 Indian American Syamantak Payra wins $50,000  President nominates 6 eminent members to Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award Rajya Sabha  Indian-American Rakesh K Jain to receive US  Chadian President Idriss Deby wins fifth term National Medal of Science Award  Goa Government appoints Justice PK Mishra  South Korean author Han Kang wins 2016 Man as Lokayukta Booker International Prize  Geeta Johri appointed as first woman DGP of  Fatma Samoura named first female secretary Gujarat general of FIFA Council  Hero group co-founder Satyanand Munjal passes  President presents National Florence Nightingale away Awards to 35 nursing personnel  Government renames Panagarh airbase after  US President honours Indian-American former IAF Chief Arjan Singh elementary teacher Revathi Balakrishnan  Union Government appoints Susmita Pande as  Union Government releases commemorative chairperson of National Monument Authority coin on Maharana Pratap  Master Card CEO appointed as  Shashi Kapoor’s Biography ‘Shashi Kapoor – member of US cybersecurity body the Householder, the Star’ released  Sushila Karki: First female Chief Justice of  Indian author Parashar Kulkarni wins 2016 Nepal’s Supreme Court Commonwealth Short Story Regional Prize  Dogri Poetess Padma Sachdev selected for  President Pranab Mukherjee presents 63rd 2015 National Film Awards 2015  Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wins 2016 Global  Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright claims to Indian of the Year award be Bitcoin creator  Ex-army chief JJ Singh gets highest French  Bhupendra Kainthola takes charge as FTII civilian honour Director  Khadija Ismayilova selected for 2016 UNESCO/  Three Indian Scientists elected as Fellows of Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize The Royal Society  UN to observe 125th birth anniversary of  Lokesh Chandra and Mansura Haider honoured Ambedkar with Mongolia’s highest award  Hashim Thaci sworn in as new President of  Former bureaucrat NK Singh selected for Kosovo Japan’s highest civilian award  CP Gurnani appointed as Chairman of  Swat activist Tabassum Adnan wins 2016 Nelson NASSCOM Mandela Award  Justice (Retd) Permod Kohli sworn in as  Indian AcademicianIES Radha Kumar appointedMASTER to Chairman of CAT UN University Council  Vietnam Police Chief Tran Dai Quang sworn in  Lobsang Sangey re-elected as PM of Tibetan as 9th President Government-in-exile  Faustin Archange Touadera sworn in as new  IIT scholar K Ashok Kumar wins International President of Central African Republic Plant Nutrition Scholar Award  Mehbooba Mufti sworn in as first woman Chief  Union Government constitutes Ashok Dalwai Minister of & Kashmir committee for doubling farmers’ income by 2022  Htin Kyaw sworn in as first elected President of Myanmar (xvi)

 Playback Singer P. Susheela enters Guinness  Commemoration of Tatya Tope’s 200th birth World Records anniversary  India-born Surya Deva appointed UN Adviser on  M Devaraja Reddy elected as ICAI President Human Rights and Businesses  Ashok Chawla appointed as new Chairman of  Arvind Kejriwal named among World’s 50 TERI Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine  Noted Urdu poet passes away  Justice H L Dattu appointed as member of  DJ Pandian appointed AIIB Vice-President International Coordinating Committee Bureau of Major General Jai Shanker Menon appointed NHRI-ICC  as UNDOF head  Ritu Beri appointed as advisor of KVIC  Saroj Kumar Jha appointed as Senior Director  Ashley Judd appointed as Goodwill Ambassador in World Bank of UN Population Fund appointed  Justice Sanjay Mishra appointed as Lokayukta  Shehnai exponent Ustad Ali Ahmad Hussain of Uttar Pradesh Khan passes away  Tabla maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh passes  Mother Teresa to be canonised as Saint away  Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan appointed as  Atulesh Jindal appointed as new chairman of Chairman of 21st Law Commission of India CBDT  E-mail inventor Ray Tomlinson passes away  Binny Bansal appointed as CEO of Flipkart  Forbes’s 2016 billionaires list: Bill Gates retains  Sailesh appointed as Registrar General and title as World’s Richest Person Census Commissioner  Gianni Infantino elected as President of FIFA  J&K Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed  KN Vyas appointed as Director of Bhabha passes away Atomic Research Centre  Sam Pitroda appointed as Technical Advisor of  Christine Lagarde appointed as MD of IMF for Odisha Government a second term  Filippo Grandi takes charge as UN High  US writer Harper Lee passes away Commissioner for Refugees  Sameer Anjaan creates world record by  RK Mathur sworn in as 8th Chief Information composing 3524 songs Commissioner  appointed as Chairman of GST  4th January: World Braille Day committee of State FMs  Indian-origin cancer expert Harpal Singh Kumar  Renowned Indologist David Shulman awarded knighted Israel PrizeIES MASTER 10. OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS ...... 232 – 278