Exclusive GA Refresher For SBI PO Main May 2017

Vision SBI PO: May 2017 GA Refresher
Banking & Economy

RBI to introduce New Re.1 Note
The Reserve Bank of India has announced that new one rupee note has been printed by the government and will
be soon put into circulation.
The new Re.1 one will be predominantly pink-green on the obverse and reverse in combination with other
colours.
The new one rupee note will bear the rupee symbol. It will be 9.7 by 8.3 cm in dimension.
The new note will feature Bharat Sarkar on its masthead, and Government of India printed below that.
The watermarks of the Re 1 note will include the Ashoka Pillar, the hidden numeral 1 and the hidden word
Bharat in Hindi).
The note will also feature an image of the Sagar Samrat oil exploration rig.
Swachh Bharat App Launched
Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma has launched Swachh Bharat app at the National Museum in New Delhi.
The app will enable visitors to report garbage on the premises of the ASI monuments across the country.
Around 30 galleries in the National Museum have already been equipped with a device that will make use of the
intranet to connect to the app.
The services of the app will be soon rolled out in 116 monuments under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)
across the country.
Paytm Launches Payments Bank
Paytm has rolled out its Payments Bank operations by launching its first physical branch in Noida.
With this launch, there are three payments bank operational in the country, the other two being Airtel Payments
Bank Ltd and India Post Payments Bank Ltd.
The Paytm Payments Bank will be the first bank in the country to offer cashbacks on deposits.
As a Payments Bank, Paytm will be able to accept deposits upto Rs 1 lakh per customer in wallet and
savings/current accounts.
Further it can also offer other services like Debit Cards, Online Banking and Mobile Banking. It will not be
allowed to lend to customers.
Paytm Payments Bank will provide services such as Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), Unified Payment
Interface (UPI) and National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT) free of cost to its customers.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had given in principle approval to Paytm Payments Bank Ltd, an entity majority
owned by One97 Communications earlier this year. I
The Paytm Payments Bank aims to plans to roll out operations in 31 branches and 3,000 customer service points
in the first year.
Karnataka Bank, LIC ink pact
Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Life Insurance Corporation
(LIC) of India for selling life insurance products of LIC.
The bank will provide vast choice of life insurance products to its customers across all its 769 branches with this
MoU.
LIC will strive hard to create customized insurance solutions for the customers of Karnataka Bank, and is
committed for reaching a new benchmark in claim settlement process.
52nd Annual General Meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB)
The 52nd Annual General Meeting of African Development Bank (AfDB) is being held at Gandhinagar in Gujarat
from May 22-26, 2017. This is for the first time that this meeting is being held in India.
www.bsc4success.com bsc4success@gmail.com
African Development Bank Group (AfDB) also known as Banque Africaine de Developpment (BAD) was
founded in 1964 with a mission to fight poverty and improve living conditions of the people of African continent
by promoting investment in government and private capital in development projects.
India had joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 1983.
The bank is made of three entities viz. African Development Bank, African Development Fund, and Nigeria Trust
Fund. Its headquarters are at Abidjan, Cte dIvoire (Ivory Coast).
The motto of the bank is Building today, a better Africa tomorrow and currently, it has total 78 members
including India.
India is a non-African member country for this bank.
Some other non-African member countries include US, Japan, Germany, Canada, France, China etc.
RBI to Reconstitute Oversight Committee to Tackle Bad Loans
The Reserve Bank of India is set to reconstitute Oversight Committee to operationalise the banking ordinance,
which was recently cleared by the Union Cabinet to amend the Banking Regulation Act for the sake of giving
more powers to Reserve Bank of India for effectively dealing with non-performing assets (NPAs) in the banking
sector.
The existing Oversight Committee was constituted by the Indian Banks Association (IBA).
The move is aimed at containing the bad loans which have reached to over Rs 8 lakh crore.
Karnataka Bank pact with HDFC Asset Mgmt
Karnataka Bank Ltd has entered into a distribution agreement to sell the mutual fund products of HDFC Capital
Asset Management Ltd (HDFCAML).
Mahabaleswara MS, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Karnataka Bank, and Rajiv Maniar,
Senior Vice-President and Head Sales (East and South), HDFCAML, exchanged the memorandum of
understanding in Mangaluru.
Goldman, Citigroup among 5 bankers selected for IOC stake sale
The Govt has selected five merchant bankers, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, to manage the
governments 3 per cent stake sale in IOC which could fetch about Rs.6,000 crore to the exchequer.
The other bankers who have been selected by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management
(DIPAM) for managing the stake sale are Deutsche Equities, SBI Capital Markets and ICICI Securities.
Govt currently holds 58.28 per cent stake in Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
It plans to sell 3 per cent stake in the nations largest oil retailer through an offer for sale.
The government has set a target of raising Rs. 46,500 crore through minority stake sale and Rs. 15,000 crore from
strategic disinvestment.
RBI puts restriction on UCO Bank's business
Reserve Bank of India has put restriction on UCO Banks lending and branch expansion plans as the state-run
lender made net losses for the two successive fiscal amid severe stress on asset quality.
There would be check on management compensation and directors fees as well as the sector regulator has
invoked prompt corrective action (PCA) for the bank, aiming to bring it back on recovery path.
UCO has become the second lender to face business restrictions after IDBI Bank after RBI revised its PCA
framework last month.
The central bank of Asias third largest economy has been on a mission to clean up the banking system which saw
a surge in stressed-assets.
Forex Reserves reach Life-Time High of $375.71 billion
According to RBI, Indias foreign exchange (Forex) reserves have increased by $2.985 billion to touch a lifetime
high of $375.71 billion in the week that ended on May 5.
The increase was due to increase in foreign currency assets (FCAs). The reserves had increased by $2.474 billion
to $351.53 billion in the previous week.
The components of Indias Foreign Exchange Reserves include: Foreign currency assets (FCAs), Gold, Special
Drawing Rights (SDRs) and RBIs Reserve position with International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Out of all the components, FCAs constitute the largest component of the Forex Reserves.
FCA rose by $2.474 billion to $351.53 billion in the reporting week.
FCAs consist of US dollar and other major non-US global currencies.
It also comprises of investments in US Treasury bonds, bonds of other selected governments, deposits with
foreign central and commercial banks.
FCAs include with them the effects of appreciation or depreciation of non-US currencies like the euro, pound, and
the yen and is expressed in terms of dollars.
The gold reserves increased $569.9 million to $20.438 billion. SDRs value decreased marginally by $0.4 million
to $1.459 billion.
RBIs reserve position with the IMF declined $58.4 million to $2.288 billion.
Home Ministry asks NGOs to open Bank Accounts in Core Banking format
The Home Ministry has instructed 5,845 NGOs to open their accounts in banks having core banking facilities.
The NGOs are also required to furnish the account details for real time access of security agencies in case of any
discrepancy.
The move is aimed at checking errant NGOs especially those organizations receiving foreign funding.
Around 3,768 NGOs have been told that their accounts in banks does not have core banking facilities.
Another 2,077 NGOs have been instructed to furnish their bank accounts details as such details are not available
with the home ministry.
India will Grow at 7.7% in 2018-19: IMF
The International Monetary Fund in its regional economic outlook has predicted the growth rate of India as
7.2% in the 2017-18 fiscal and 7.7% in 2018-19 fiscal.
The report has stated that the disruptions caused by the demonetisation would be offset by a favorable monsoon
and continued progress in resolving supply-side bottlenecks.
According to the report, IMF has recommended the removal of long-standing structural bottlenecks to enhance
market efficiency.
International Monetary Fund (IMF) was established on December 27, 1945 with stated objectives to promote
international economic cooperation, international trade, employment, and exchange rate stability, including by
making resources available to member countries to meet balance of payments needs. Its headquarters are in
Washington, D.C.
RBI tightens Rules for JLFs
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened the rules around making the Joint Lenders Forum (JLF) more
effective, directing banks not to break any rules and to meet all deadlines.
The RBI has said that any breach of rules would attract a monetary penalty.
As per the new norms, RBI has lowered the threshold needed for implementing the corrective action plan (CAP).
Now, the decisions agreed to by a minimum of 60% of creditors by value and 50% of creditors would now be
valid to implement the CAP.
JLFs are meetings held to revitalise stressed assets.
In JLF banks attempt to red-flag stress early and check them by putting in place a corrective action plan (CAP).
President approves ordinance to amend Banking Act
President Pranab Mukherjee approved an ordinance with amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949,
allowing the Reserve Bank of India to take timely action against loan defaulters.
The Central govt may by order authorise the Reserve Bank to issue directions to any banking company or banking
companies to initiate insolvency resolution process in respect of a default, under the provisions of the Insolvency
and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
The central bank may issue directions to banking companies for the resolution of stressed assets.
Non-performing assets or NPAs of banks have risen to about 17 per cent of total loans, the highest level among
major economies.
They are about 8.4 per cent of the GDP, according to Credit Suisse.
AIIB grants $160 mn for Andhra Pradesh power project
China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) approved USD 160 million loan for a power
project in Andhra Pradesh, the first credit from the bank for an Indian project.
The AIIB, in which India is the second largest shareholder after China, has approved the project with the
objective to strengthen the power transmission and distribution system in Andhra Pradesh, said a bank statement.
The 24x7 Power for All project is part of Government of Indias Power for All programme that was launched
in 2014 to provide an efficient, reliable and affordable electricity to all consumers across selected states within
five years from the start of implementation.
The project is co-financed by the World Bank. Andhra Pradesh is one of the first states selected for the roll out of
the programme.
The project aims to support Andhra Pradesh by strengthening the transmission and distribution network,
increasing network capacity, improving system reliability and supporting operational reforms to improve the
commercial performance of the states distribution companies.
It will directly contribute to the economic development of the State of Andhra Pradesh and India by increasing
delivery of reliable, grid-based electricity to households, business and the agricultural sector.
The AIIB opened for business last year with 57 founding members and authorised capital of USD 100 billion.
China is the largest shareholder with 26.06 per cent voting shares.
India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 per cent followed by Russia with 5.93 per cent and Germany 4.5
per cent.
$770 billion Worth of Black Money entered into India during 2005-2014: GFI
US-based think tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI) in its report titled Illicit Financial Flows to and from
Developing Countries: 2005-2014, has estimated that $770 billion worth of black money entered India during
2005-2014.
During the same time period, the think tank estimates the exit of $165 billion in illicit money out of the country.
It translates into 3% of Indias total trade of $5500.744 billion between the time period 2005-2014.
This is the first global study that has placed equal emphasis on illicit outflows and inflows. As per the report, in
2014 alone, $101 billion black money entered India while USD 23 billion exited.
RBI asks ARCs to have a minimum net corpus of Rs100 crore by 2019
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked all the existing asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) to have a
minimum net owned fund (NOF) of Rs100 crore by March 2019.
This decision has been taken by RBI in accordance with its last bi-monthly monetary policy in which it had
proposed to stipulate a minimum NOF of Rs100 crore taking into consideration the enhanced role and greater
cash based transactions carried out by ARCs.
As per amended SARFAESI Act, 2016, ARCs cannot carry on the business of securitisation or asset
reconstruction without having NOF of not less than Rs 2 crore or any other amount stipulated by the RBI.
As per the notification of RBI, the existing ARCs not meeting the minimum NOF criteria need to achieve the
minimum NOF of Rs100 crore latest by 31 March 2019.
Paytm to start payments bank operations from May 23
Digital payment and commerce company Paytm has received the final nod from the Reserve Bank of India and is
set to launch Paytm Payments Bank on May 23.
One97 Communications Pvt. Ltd owns the digital payment and commerce company Paytm.
Paytm is the third company from the 11 other applicants to launch payments bank after Airtel and IndiaPost.
Mumbai-based Finopay Tech is also likely to launch its operations by next month.
As per the directions of RBI, the company will be transferring its wallet business to the newly incorporated
payments bank entity, Paytm Payments Bank Ltd.
IT Department Launches Operation Clean Money
Income Tax Department (ITD) has initiated Operation Clean Money to investigate tax evaders.
As a part of the operation, the govt has launched a website on Operation Clean Money operation.
The Operation Clean Money portal has been designed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Initial phase of the operation involves identification of around 18 lakh persons who have made large deposits or
purchases in between 9th November to 30th December 2016, which do not appear to be in line with the tax
payers profile.
World banks Power Accessibility List: India jumps 73 Spots to be ranked 26th
India has jumped 73 spots to be ranked 26th in World Banks electricity accessibility list.
The country was ranked 99th in 2014.
Out of the 18,452 villages which lacked electricity, over 13,000 has been provided access to electricity.
In addition, a person applying for new electricity connection would be able to get the connection within 24 hours
in areas where power infrastructure is available and in areas where there is no power infrastructure, electricity
connection would be given in a week.
The governments rural electrification programme is on track for completion within the targeted 1,000 days.
The flagship scheme Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) was launched by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi with an aim to provide 247 uninterrupted electricity supply to each rural household across the
country by 2022.
It aims to strengthen sub-transmission and distribution network to prevent power losses.
The Ministry of Power has also launched a new app, GARV-II to provide real-time data of all six lakh villages of
the country.
Facebook starts Express Wifi services in 700 villages
Facebook has officially announced its Express Wifi Internet services in India, which are available at 700 hotspots
across Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.
Facebook has partnered with 500 local entrepreneurs who will sell these services through physical and online
vouchers that are priced at Rs. 10-20 for a day or Rs. 200-300 for a month.
Unlike Facebooks previous attempt at connecting people to the Internet through the Free Basics intiative, which
gave consumers access to select apps and portals, Express Wifi offers Internet at speeds upwards of 10Mbps
without any per day limit or restrictions on accessing any part of the internet.
The Express Wifi initiative is also live in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Indonesia and being handled by Seth
from Facebooks Gurgaon office.
Apples Cash Reserve worth 2/3rd of Indias Forex Reserve
Apple has reported over $256 billion in cash and marketable securities.
In the previous year, Apples earnings report for the January-March quarter was $233 billion.
According to the rating agencies, the cash reserve possessed by the company is more
than Google, Microsoft and Amazons total cash.
Compared to Apples $256 billion, Microsoft has $126 billion, Alphabet has $92 billion, Amazon has $22 billion
and Facebooks quarter one earnings stood at $29.45 billion.
Interestingly, Apples cash reserve is 70% more than that of Indias foreign exchange reserve.
Indias Current Sovereign Ratings
Fitch, in its latest rating review, has affirmed Indias sovereign rating at BBB-, which is the lowest investment
grade rating.
Although Fitch acknowledged Indias strong growth and recent economic reforms, it has a given a BBB- rating
owing to the weak state of the governments finances.
According to the rating agency, Indias general government debt burden was 67.9% of GDP whereas the BBB
median is 40.9%.
Also, Fitch has estimated a wide fiscal balance of -6.6% of GDP for FY17.
In India, the average per capita GDP remains low at $1,714, whereas the BBB range median is $9,701.
National News
BSNL inks pact with Facebook, Mobikwick & Disney India
BSNL, a state-owned telecom operator has signed various agreements with Facebook and MobiKwik as it is
eyeing to popularise the internet and its value added services among its users.
The pacts were signed to commemorate the World Telecommunication and Information Society Day.
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) and Facebook, under the signed MoU, will provide connectivity for the social
network's 'Express Wi-Fi Program'.
The company along with MobiKwick will work together to co-create a BSNL mobile wallet to facilitate payment
for its services and products, under the MoU.
In addition to this, the digital payments firm will through its app and website exclusively also enable "digital sale"
of BSNL sim cards.
The telecom operator in its filing to the exchange also added that it has inked a third MoU with Disney India
which will provide its telecom customers premium online gaming services.
Prime Minister Releases Book Series written by MS Swaminathan
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released a two-part book series written by the eminent agricultural
scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan.
The series is titled M.S. Swaminathan: The Quest for a world without hunger.
He is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India for his leadership and success in introducing and
further developing high-yielding varieties of wheat in India.
Madhav Chitale Committee Recommends Measures for De-silting Ganga
The Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation had constituted a
committee to prepare guidelines for desiltation of Ganga River last year.
The four member committee is headed by Madhav Chitale (Expert Member of National Ganga River Basin
Authority).
The other members of the committee include Secretary, Union Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
& Ganga Rejuvenation, Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change and Dr. Mukesh
Sinha, Director, Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune.
Free Wi-Fi facility inaugurated at 28 Railway Stations
On May 21, Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu inaugurated free Wi-Fi facility at 28 Railway Stations of
Konkan Railway from Kudal Railway Station in Maharashtra.
Indian Railways has tied with SYSCON/JOISTER for providing 2 Mbps peer-to-peer and 24 hrs Free Wi-Fi
bandwidth at 28 railway stations of Konkan Railway.
In line with Govts Digital India initiative, SYSCON/JOISTER is providing the JOISPOT brand Wi-Fi in Pune
and Mumbai educational institutions in Maharashtra state.
The company has now undertaken as a part of their CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) activity of providing
free Wi-Fi to rural area on the Konkan Route.
Indias First Underwater Rail Tunnel Completed
The two organizations Afcons Transtonnelstroy and Kolkata Metro Railway Corporation Ltd (KMCRL) involved
in implementing the East West Metro have completed boring the Indias first underwater tunnel under the
Hooghly River to link Howrah and Kolkata.
The length of Kolkatas East West Metro is 16.6 km long.
Out of which a length of 502 metres is under the Hooghly river.
The project is built by Afcons Transtonnelstroy and implemented by KMRCL.
Afcons Transtonnelstroy is an Indo-Russian joint venture.
The project connects Howrah to the west and Salt lake to the east.
A massive tunnel boring machine called Rachna was used for boring the underwater tunnel.
Inauguration of Integration of eSanad with CBSEs Academic Repository
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar and IT Minister Ravi Shankar
Prasad has jointly inaugurated the integration of E-Sanad with CBSEs digital repository Parinam Manjusha in
New Delhi.
E Sanad is an e-service for online verification and attestation of documents of Indian citizens.
E-Sanad, an initiative under the Digital India programme, aims to offer faceless, cashless, contactless and
paperless document attestation/apostille services.
It will benefit the applicants in India and those travelling abroad as it will enable them to get their documents
attested and verified.
Govt Lays off 129 Non-Performing Officers in Public Interest
According to Union Minister Jitendra Singh, the government has forced 129 government officers to retire for non-
performance in the past few months.
In total, 30 Group A and 99 Group B officers has been forced to retire in the past few months.
Govt bans Sale of Cattle for Slaughter
The Ministry of Environment and Forests have come up with new regulations that bans the sale of cattle for
slaughter.
The central regulation for cow protection has been notified at the backdrop of rising cases of violence against cow
traders by Hindu vigilante groups.
The rules have been notified under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.
Govt Amends Definition of Start-Ups
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which is the nodal body for Start-up India, has
amended the definition of a start-up.
As per the new definition, an entity will be considered as a Start-Up if its turn over is less than Rs 25 crore and
has not completed seven years from the date of its incorporation/registration.
In the definition, the change is with respect to the time period which is currently five years.
The new definition has increased it to 7 years taking into the consideration the long gestation period involved in
establishing start-ups.
An entity that has completed 7 years from the date of its incorporation or if its turnover exceeds Rs 25 crore, it
will cease to be a start-up.
The process of recognition of an entity as a start-up will be through an online application made over the mobile
app/portal set up by the DIPP.
Poll Candidates have to Declare their and Spouses Source of Income
Election contestants will have to declare their own and their spouses sources of earning in the affidavits filed
before contesting polls.
At present, it is mandatory for the poll contestants to disclose the details of assets and liabilities for self, spouse
and three dependents in Form 26 at the filing of nomination papers but not the source of income.
Anti-Ragging Mobile App Launched to Fight Ragging
Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar has launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App of the
University Grants Commission (UGC) to help students register complaints against the menace of ragging in the
country.
Previously, students were required to visit the website to register a complaint against ragging.
The new app will work on android platform and will facilitate students to register a complaint against ragging
instantaneously.
Students can log in and register their complaints immediately.
Darwaza Band Campaign Launched
The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has launched a nationwide campaign titled Darwaza Band to
promote toilet use and freedom from open defecation across the villages of the country.
The campaign has been launched in Maharashtra in the presence of actor Amitabh Bachchan, Union Minister for
Drinking Water and Sanitation, Narendra Singh Tomar, and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis.
The campaign will run under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Darwaja Band symbolically stands for shutting the door on open defecation. The campaign is supported by the
World Bank.
It envisages bringing about a behaviour change in men who have toilets but are not using them.
Actress Anuskha Sharma is also part of the campaign that will encourage women to stand up for this issue and
assume leadership roles in their villages.
Tropical Cyclone Mora
A deep depression in the Bay of Bengal has been declared intensified into a tropical cyclone named Mora.
This is second cyclone in the Bay of Bengal after Maarutha, which helped bring in the Monsoon earlier by a week
over Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
The tropical Cyclone Mora is likely to hit Bangladesh coast in next 24 hours and expected to cause heavy rains in
West Bengal and North East Indian states.
It may also help to pull monsoon faster over mainland.
India Mobile Congress (IMC 2017) to be held in September
India Mobile Congress 2017 (IMC 2017) was held as a three day event from 27th to 29th September 2017 in New
Delhi.
This was announced by the Union Minister for Communications Manoj Sinha.
This is the first time India hosted its own mobile mega show.
The Indian telecom market is the second-largest in the world after China.
India has a total subscriber base of over 1.18 billion subscribers.
The India Mobile Congress will be the countrys first and biggest platform that will bring together all
stakeholders of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and government on a common platform.
It will help to attract investments towards programmes like Digital India
Prakash Javadekar launches UGC App to fight Ragging
Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar launched an Anti-Ragging Mobile App
introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC) here in New Delhi.
The app will help students register complaints to counter the menace of ragging.
The app will work on android system on which students can log in and register their complaints immediately.
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan Scheme Launched
The Minister of State for Communications Manoj Sinha has launched three new initiatives, namely, BSNLs
satellite phone service; Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award Scheme & Pandit Deen
Dayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan Scheme.
BSNLs satellite phone service will be offered in a phased manner.
In the first phase, the service will be extended to the government agencies handling a disaster, state police,
railways, Border security forces and other government agencies.
In the subsequent phases, the phone service would be offered to those people who are travelling in flight and
ships. Global satellite phone service is modern satellite phone service.
Under Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Sanchar Kaushal Vikas Pratisthan Scheme, the ministry will impart training
to 10,000 people from 10 States/UTs in the first phase. States like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab and
Haryana will get benefitted in the first phase.
In addition, a new award called Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Telecom Skill Excellence Award has been instituted to
recognize achievers and talents in Telecom sector.
Maa committee to check mid-day meal quality in UP schools
Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh govt has decided to form 'Maa' committees as a Mothers Day gift for lakhs of
children and their moms in Uttar Pradesh to keep an eye on mid-day meals served to students in state-run primary
schools.
This will be a committee of six mothers, from all sections of society, whose students are studying in that school.
Maa will now keep an eye on mid-day meals served to students in state-run primary schools to ensure that they
get nutritious food prepared in hygienic conditions.
From cleanliness in kitchen, to quality of food being served to children, they will keep an eye on minute details.
Adiyogi Shiva statue in Tamil Nadu declared largest bust by Guinness World Records
The 112-feet tall bust of Adiyogi Lord Shiva at the Isha Yoga Foundation has been declared the worlds largest
bust by the Guinness Book of World Records.
The Guinness had made the announcement in its website.
The bust at the Isha Yoga Foundation on the outskirts of Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu was unveiled by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on February 24 this year.
The 112-feet iconic statue of Adiyogi Lord Shiva was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Isha
Foundation in Coimbatore on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.
The face of Adiyogi, set up by the Isha Foundation led by spiritual guru Jaggi Vasudev, attracts thousands of
people every day.
It is 112.4 feet high, 24.99 metres wide and 147 feet long.
The bust refers to source of Yoga and symbolises the 112 methods of self-transformation that the first Yogi or
Adiyogi (originator of yoga) offered.
Isha Foundation plans to set up three more statues of similar height across the country.
This is the second time the foundation had accomplished a Guinness record.
On October 17, 2006, the foundation had entered the Guinness Book of World Records for planting 8.52 lakh
saplings, the release added.
GST Council Announces GST Rates
The GST Council headed by finance Minister Arun Jaitley has finalised tax rates and has approved all the
seven rules for the GST regime that is scheduled to be implemented from July 1.
The remaining two rules of the GST pertaining to transition and return is under the examination of the legal
committee.
In total, the council has fixed the rates of 1211 items.
It will decide rates of some other items and services in the coming days.
Out of 1211 items, 81% of the items will attract tax of 18% or less.
Only the remaining 19% of items will attract a highest rate of 28% Household items like Sugar, Tea, Coffee and
edible oil will attract 5% levy.
Cereals and milk will be exempted from the tax.
Manufactured goods will attract 18% levy.
Luxury cars will attract 28% GST in addition to a cess of 15%.
Small petrol cars will attract 28% GST plus a 1% cess, and diesel cars will be taxed at 28% plus 3% cess.
Capital goods, a key asset for the manufacturing sector, will be taxed at 28%.
Aerated drinks will fall under the 28% tax bracket.
GST regime is expected to unify the whole of the country into a common market eliminating both Central and
State levies.
National Green Tribunal Bans Open Defecation and Waste Dumping on Yamuna Floodplains
A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar has banned open defecation and waste dumping
on the floodplains of the Yamuna.
It has also slapped an environment compensation of Rs 5,000 for people who violated the order.
NITI Aayog Conducts First Samavesh Meeting
NITI Aayog has conducted the first Samavesh meeting of the National Steering Group and other knowledge
partners under the co-chairmanship of Amitabh Kant, CEO and Ratan P Watal, Principal Adviser, NITI Aayog.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of four States- Kerala, Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The objective of the meeting was to bring together 32 premier educational and policy research institutions to
boost the development process, improve institutional capacity and forge a field level interface with the
community in pursuance with the Prime Ministers call for a New India 2022.
In the meeting, Memorandum of Understands (MoUs) were signed between NITI Aayog and major think tanks
across the country with an aim to create an atmosphere of evidence based policy research.
This network is expected to promote efficient knowledge sharing and information exchange among all partners in
order to achieve a sustainable and more inclusive development in line with the National Development Agenda,
Sustainable Development Goals and the 15 year Vision, 7 year strategy and 3 year action plan.
As a part of Samavesh initiative, NITI Aayog will launch a new link in its website that would serve as a major
repository of knowledge based reports and case studies across different sectors of the economy.
NITI Aayog or National Institution for Transforming India was established on January 1, 2015 through a
government resolution.
NITI Aayog is essentially an advisory body that seeks to provide critical directional and strategic inputs across
spectrum of key elements of policy to the centre as well as to the states.
Lhakpa Sherpa Breaks Female Everest Record with 8 Summits
A 44-year-old Nepalese mountaineer has broken her own world record for the most Everest summits by a woman
after scaling the world's tallest peak for the eighth time.
Lhakpa Sherpa, the mother of three, conquered Mt Everest for the eighth time from the North Col (Tibetan side),
according to expedition organisers.
Anshu Jamsenpa becomes the first Indian Women to scale Mount Everest Four Times
Anshu Jamsenpa, a native of Bomdila in Arunachal Pradesh has scripted history by becoming the first Indian
woman to scale Mount Everest for the fourth time.
Anshu Jamsenpa, who is a mother of two children, had already had ascaled Mount Everest twice in a season that
too taking only a gap of 10 days between the two climbs.
She scaled the highest peak twice in May 2011.
She again conquered the peak on May 18, 2013.
Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal were the first climbers to conquer Mount Everest.
They achieved this feat on May 29, 1953.
PM Launches Narmada Seva Mission for Conservation of Narmada
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Narmada Seva Mission for the conservation of river Narmada,
which is a lifeline of Madhya Pradesh.
Prime Minister released a road map for the series of steps to be taken for the conservation of Narmada river.
The roadmap envisaging the conservation efforts has been taken after wide-ranging consultations with various
stakeholders, including environmentalists, river conservation experts among others.
The event was held at Amarkantak in Anooppur district of Madhya Pradesh.
The event also marked the conclusion of Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra.
Namami Devi Narmade Sewa Yatra was launched on December 11, 2016 from Amarkantak, the origin place of
the River Narmada.
The yatra covered a distance of 3,344 km and passing through over 1,100 villages and towns and concluded on
May 15, 2017.
The river Narmada originates from the Maikal hills and flows 1,312 km before draining through the Gulf of
Khambhat into the Arabian Sea.
Railways to install CCTV Surveillance System under Nirbhaya Fund
Indian Railways will install 19,000 high definition CCTV cameras at over 983 stations across the country under
the Nirbhaya Fund at an approved cost of Rs 500 crore in order to ensure round-the-clock security to passengers
including women.
Indian Railways has about 8,000 stations.
Of these only 344 stations have been installed with CCTV cameras so far.
Apart from them, the Shaan-e-Punjab Express is fully covered with CCTV cameras.
Nirbhaya fund was announced with a corpus of Rs.1000 crore by the UPA government after the December 16,
2012 Delhi gang rape incident.
Nirbhaya Fund was announced in 2013 Union Budget to support initiatives by the government and NGOs
working towards protecting the dignity and ensuring safety of women in India.
The Fund is administered by Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) of the finance ministry.
Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal Ministry to appraise schemes under the Nirbhaya Fund.
New IIP, WPI Series Introduced
The govt has released new-look index of industrial production (IIP) and the wholesale price index (WPI) , which
have been built on the new series of data.
The new IIP and WPI series has been released by Chief Statistician of India and Secretary, Ministry of Statistics
& Programme Implementation, and Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion to usher in greater
accuracy and improved synchronisation leading to better policies.
Instead of the earlier 2004-05, base year for the IIP and the WPI will be 2011-12.
Already, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and gross value addition etc., have
2011-12 as the base year.
The common base year of 2011-12 is aimed at reducing discrepancies.
Ransomware Cyber Attack Plays Havoc in Several Countries including India
A global cyberattack has crippled nearly hundred countries, including India.
A cyber gang called Shadow Brokers, which is a mysterious organisation is held responsible for this massive
cyberattack.
The organisation has carried out the attack by stealing a hacking tool called Eternal Blue from the National
Security Agency (NSA), Americas powerful military intelligence unit.
The hacking tool Eternal Blue gives unprecedented access to all computers using Microsoft Windows.
It was developed by NSA to gain access to computers used by terrorists and enemy states.
The cyberattack is considered as the biggest ransomware attack of its kind.
As per security software company Avast, its researchers have observed more than 75,000 attacks worldwide in 99
countries including the UK, Russia, Ukraine, India, China, Italy, and Egypt.
Ransomware is a type of malicious software when infected restricts the user access until a ransom is paid to
unlock it.
Hackers have spread ransomware known as WannaCry, WanaCrypt0r 2.0, WannaCry and WCry, often through
emails.
Finance ministers and central bank governors of G7 nations such as the United States, Canada, Japan, France,
Germany, Italy and Britain have agreed to strengthen cooperation to counter cyber threats such as the
present global online attack.
India to Skip OBOR summit in China
India will skip the two day grand OBOR summit organised by China to showcase its plans to build a network of
trade routes under the One Belt, One Road (OBOR).
OBOR is an ambitious Chinas ambitious development strategy and framework that aims to boost its connectivity
and trade that will that will connect Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Europe.
It was proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013.
The summit is expected to be attended by nearly 65 countries.
Indias Concerns China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which is a 3000 km project connecting Pakistans
deep-water port Gwadar and Chinas Xinjiang falls under the OBOR initiative of China.
The CPEC passes through Gilgit-Baltistan region of the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
CASO to be Reintroduced as Part of Counter Terrorism Operations
Indian Army has planned to re-introduce cordon and search operations (CASO) as a part of its counter terrorism
operations after a gap of 15 years.
The major objective behind the reintroduction of combing operations is to bring the situation in the Kashmir
Valley under control.
Here afterwards, Army will carry out CASO in a major way to flush out militants in the militancy-hit areas of
Kulgam, Pulwama, Tral, Budgam and Shopian in south Kashmir, indicating a change in strategy.
CASO was a regular feature of Armys counter-terrorism operations in the 1990s. The security forces made use of
area domination and sweep operations in the 1990s.
UPSC to share Online Scores of Candidates to boost Hiring
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has decided to share online scores of candidates taking
competitive exams in order to boost hiring by the private sector.
As per the governments proposal, the scores of the candidates taking part in the competitive exams will be linked
to the Integrated Information System for Public Recruitment Agencies, which will be a dedicated website being
developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
The scores made available in the website will act as a useful database for other employers to identify good,
employable candidates.
Under the proposal, the UPSC has decided to disclose information such as name, date of birth, category (whether
SC, ST or physically handicapped) educational qualifications, total marks obtained in the written examination and
interview, address, e-mail id and mobile numbers of those candidates who have reached the final stage of
examination (interview) but were not recommended by the commission.
As per the proposal, the candidates can either opt in or out of the disclosure scheme by making an appropriate
response in the application form.
The UPSC will dispense information about the disclosure scheme in its notice to various exams covered by this
scheme.
However, candidates appearing for the recruitment exams for the armed forces and those applying for limited
departmental competitive examinations and the Central Industrial Security Force will not be covered under the
disclosure scheme.
Indian Railways to acquire EoTT Equipments to run Trains without Guards
The Indian Railways has planned to acquire the End of Train Telemetry (EoTT) equipments to run nearly 1,000
trains without guards in the current fiscal.
The EoTT system is designed in such a way that it will perform the guards job. EoTT system comprises two
units, namely, cab display unit (CDU) which is fitted on the locomotive and sense and brake unit (SBU) which
is fitted on the last coach of the train.
The units will be fitted with radio transmitter which can communicate with each other.
The transmitter will send signals at regular intervals to the last coach to ensure that the train is running intact.
The Indian Railways will initially acquire 1,000 EoTT equipments for its container operations and later on more
units will be procured to be fitted on all trains.
Supreme Court begins hearing Final Arguments on the Constitutional Validity of Triple Talaq
A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India JS Khehar has begun hearing petitions challenging the
practice of triple talaq.
The petitions that have been filed in the past two years by Muslim women, who have been affected by the practice
of Triple Talaq, has prayed for the abolition of the practice as it was discriminatory and biased and violated their
right to equality.
The lead petition has been titled Quest for Equality vs Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind.
India protests Participation of Canadas PM at Khalsa Day
India has protested the participation of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Khalsa Day in Toronto that
saw felicitation of Sikh separatist elements and featured Khalistani flags and posters of Jarnail Singh
Bhindranwale.
Mr. Trudeau has become the first Canadian PM to attend the Khalsa Day event in a decade since Paul Martin in
2005.
The Khalsa Day event was organised to mark the Sikh new year.
In a First for a Government Owned Company Kochi Metro Appoints Transgenders
Kochi Metro will employ 23 members from the transgender community.
This is the first time a government owned company has formally appointed members of the transgender
community.
PM Inaugurates Supreme Courts ICMIS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Supreme Courts Integrated Case Management Information
System (ICMIS).
This digital filing system will mark Supreme Courts first towards becoming a paperless, digital court.
The inaugural function was held at Vigyan Bhavan when Prime Minister Modi uploaded the Integrated Case
Management System with the Supreme Court website.
The event was also attended by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and other judges of the Supreme Court.
ICMIS is hailed as the Biggest and highest leap in judicial system. Subsequently, all High Courts, District Courts,
Sub-Division Courts will be integrated with the new system. Later on, all the jails in the country will be Integrated
by ICMIS software.
ICMIS will help litigants access data and obtain information about the filing, delays etc.
Prime Minister to attend UN Vesak Day Celebrations in Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Modi will travel to Sri Lanka to attend the Buddhist festival Vesak Day (Buddha Jayanti) that
commemorates birth, enlighten and death of Buddha.
This will be Prime Minister Modis second visit to Sri Lanka since becoming the Prime Minister.
International Day of Vesak celebrations will be held in Colombo from May 12 to 14.
As a part of the celebrations, International Buddhist Conference will be held in which over 400 delegates from
more than 100 countries will participate.
Vesak is the most important day in the Buddhist calendar. This is the first time Sri Lanka will host the festival.
The Buddhist link between India and Sri Lanka dates back to 2nd century BC. During the reign of Emperor
Ashoka, Buddhism was made as the official religion of India.
Ashokas daughter Sanghamitta is believed to have brought a branch of original Bodh tree to Anuradhapura.
Theravada Buddhism is widely practiced in Sri Lanka.
Govt Sets Up Task Force for Reliable Employment Data
The govt has set up a task force headed by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya to come up with a
methodology to generate timely and reliable employment data.
The other members of the task force are labour secretary M. Sathiyavathy, secretary of the statistics department
T.C.A. Ananth, NITI Aayogs Pulak Ghosh and Manish Sabharwal, chairman and co-founder of staffing firm
Teamlease Services Ltd.
SC holds Vijay Mallya Guilty of Contempt of Court
The Supreme Court has held UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya guilty of contempt of court for transferring 40
million dollars to his children in violation of the courts order.
The Supreme Court has ordered Vijay Mallya who is in the United Kingdom to appear before on the 10th of July
to argue on the quantum of punishment.
The State Bank of India led consortium of banks is seeking to recover more than Rs9,000 crore from Vijay
Mallya.
Home Ministry asks States to Link Prisons with Courts via Video Conferencing
The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked all the state govts to link prisons with courts through video
conferencing in order to expedite trials and to save costs of escorting undertrials to courts.
The Home Ministrys advisory to the states has been issued following a national conference of heads of prisons in
states and UTs on prison reforms.
Supreme Court Sentences Justice Karnan to 6 Months Imprisonment
A seven-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice J S Khehar has sentenced the
Calcutta High Court judge, Justice C S Karnan to six months of imprisonment for repeated incidents of contempt
of court.
This is the first time that the Supreme Court has sent a high court judge to jail on charges of contempt.
India to Organise Cultural Festival in Egypt to mark Tagores 156th Birth Anniversary
India will organise Tagore cultural Festival in Egypt to mark the 156th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore
from May 8-12.
Tagore Festival will be organised by the Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC), which is the cultural
wing of the Indian Embassy in Cairo.
The fest will be organised in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, Cairo Opera House, Cultural
Production Sector, Dancers Guild and the Indian Community Association in Egypt.
The festival will feature a dance show, film screening, a play and painting competition.
As a part of the festival, a dance drama based on Tagores work called Chitrangada will be performed by the
Kolkata-based Dancers Guild. Chitrangada is the warrior princess in the epic, Mahabharata.
India elected as President of UN-Habitat
India has been unanimously elected as the President of the UN-Habitat.
UN-Habitat, an organ of the United Nations Organisation (UNO) reports to the United Nations General
Assembly.
It promotes socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements across the world.
India has been elected as the President of UN-Habitat after a gap of 10 years.
This is only the third time that India has been elected as the President of UN-Habitat after 2007 and 1988. The
UN-Habitat was established in 1978.
It aims to promote integral and comprehensive approach to human settlements, assist the countries and regions in
addressing human settlement problems and strengthen cooperation among countries over the issue of human
settlement.
Union Minister of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation M.Venkaiah Naidu will chair the 26th Meeting of 58
member Governing Council of UN-Habitat in Nairobi, Kenya.
The theme of the meeting is Opportunities for effective implementation of the New Urban Agenda.
UN-Habitat, also known as United Nations Human Settlements Program is a UN agency responsible for
sustainable urban development and human settlements.
It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters in the UN Office at Nairobi, Kenya.
Indias First Private Sector Small Arms Manufacturing Plant Inaugurated
Indias first private sector small arms manufacturing plant has been inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh to supply
world class weapons to the armed forces in line with the Indias defence indigenisation programme.
The plant is a joint venture between Indias Punj Lloyd and Israel Weapon Systems.
The plant will manufacture four products, namely, X95 carbine and assault rifle, Galil sniper rifle, Tavor assault
rifle and Negev Light Machine Gun (LMG).
SAMPADA Scheme
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved re-structuring the schemes of the Ministry of Food
Processing Industries (MoFPI) under new Central Sector Scheme called as SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine
Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) for the time period 2016-20.
SAMPADA is an umbrella scheme incorporating ongoing schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries
(MoFPI) such as Mega Food Parks, Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, Food Safety and
Quality Assurance Infrastructure, etc.
It will also incorporate the new schemes like Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Creation of Backward
and Forward Linkages, as well as Creation / Expansion of Food Processing & Preservation Capacities.
SAMPADA with an allocation of Rs. 6,000 crore is expected to benefit 20 lakh farmers and generate 5,30,500
direct and indirect employment opportunities in the country by the year 2019-20.
The objective of SAMPADA is to supplement agriculture, modernize processing of agri products and decrease
their wastage.
Draft Rules for No Fly List for Banning Unruly Passengers Unveiled
The government has released draft rules for a no-fly list for banning unruly passengers.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation had set up a committee to come up with the final draft of the new set of rules.
The new rules would be opened for public comments for a period of one month.
Worlds Highest Railway Bridge to Come up Over Chenab River
Worlds highest railway bridge which will be 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower is to come up over the
Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of around Rs. 1,100 crore in around two years from now. The
bridge will connect Bakkal (Katra) and Kauri (Srinagar).
The bridge will be a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. Once completed, the bridge will
be an engineering marvel.
The project is expected to be completed by 2019.
After completion of the bridge it will surpass the record of the Beipan river Shuibai railway bridge (275 m) in
China.
The bridge is expected to contribute to the economic development of the state and improve its accessibility.
The new railway bridge will be of an arch-shaped structure in hostile terrain.
It will be constructed using over 24,000 tonnes of steel and will rise 359 m above the river bed.
Odishas Sualgiri, Swalgiri Communities Notified as Scheduled Castes
Sualgiri and Swalgiri communities of Odisha have been notified as Scheduled Castes after President Pranab
Mukherjee gave his assent to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Act, 2017.
Rajya Sabha had passed the bill after it was cleared by the Lok Sabha in March.
Tejas Express: New Premier Train between Mumbai and Goa
Indian Railways is expected to launch a new 20 coach premier train called the Tejas Express connecting Mumbai
and Goa in June.
The Tejas service aims to provide comfort to passengers in the inter-city journeys. Once the Mumbai-Goa run
becomes operational, the Railways is likely to extend the Tejas service in Delhi-Chandigarh route.
The Tejas service was promised in the Union Railway Budget 2016-17.
The Tejas Express will be the first train of Indian Railways to have automatic doors and secured gangways for all
coaches.
The coaches of Tejas Express would have integrated braille displays, digital destination boards, and electronic
passenger reservation charts.
Indias Second Tallest Flag Pole inaugurated in Kolhapur
Indias second tallest flag pole has been Inaugurated in Kolhapur.
The pole which is 303 feet high has been constructed in the Police training academy garden as a part of the
Kolhapur beautification project.
The poll is 90 metres tall and 60 metres wide and weighs 24 tonne.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the pole by unfurling a national flag of 5400sq ft as a part of the
Maharashtra Din celebrations in the state.
The Police training academy garden which was also inaugurated is host to different types of flowering plants from
India as well as other countries.
The countrys tallest flag pole is located at the Indo-Pak Attari Border and is 360 feet high.
HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar launches Vidya-Veerta Abhiyan
The Minister for Human Resource and Development, Prakash Javadekar has launched Students for soldiers- a
nationwide Vidya Veerta Abhiyan to encourage Universities and educational institutions across the country to
display portraits of Param Veer Chakra-decorated soldiers.
The portraits of Param Veer Chakra decorated soldiers were handed over to the Vice Chancellors of Jawaharlal
Nehru University, Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia, Jammu and IIT Delhi, among others, to put it in their
educational institutions.
Department of Telecommunications launches Portal for Information on Mobile Tower Radiation
The Department of Telecommunications has launched a web portal called the Tarang Sanchar web portal that
will allow tracking of radiation emitted from mobile towers within their locality and check for their compliance
with the Electromagnetic field (EMF) emission norms defined by the government.
India to give Rs 35 cr to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh
India will give Rs. 35 crore rupees to children of freedom fighters in Bangladesh under the new Muktijodha
scholarship scheme in the next five years.
Under the scheme, students at higher secondary level will get a one-time grant of Tk 20,000 (Rs 15,370) and
students at the undergraduate level will get a grant of Tk 50,000 (Rs 38,430).
Real Estate Act comes into effect
The Real Estate Act which aims to protect the interests of homebuyers by ensuring transparency has come into
effect.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (HUPA) has asked all the states and Union Territories to
implement the Act with letter and spirit.
Indian Railways to Track Wagons and Coaches with RFID tags
Leveraging information technology in a big way, the Indian Railways is set to make use of the radio-frequency
identification tags (RFID) for tracking of wagons, coaches and locomotives to ensure the effective and transparent
functioning of the system.
For this purpose, the RFID tags have been designed by the Centre for Railway Information System (CRIS) at an
estimated cost of Rs 1000 per tag.
For the first phase of implementation of this project, the Railways have sanctioned a sum of Rs 57 crore.
STATE News
PM lays Foundation Stone for AIIMS at Changsari
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone for All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
at Changsari in the Kamrup District of Assam.
The institute will be constructed at a distance of 26 km from Guwahati.
The institute will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,123 crores as part of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha
Yojana.
The institute will have a hospital comprising of 750 beds, 22 super speciality departments including 16 operation
theatres.
PM lays Foundation Stone for IARI at Gogamukh
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the Foundation Stone of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute at
Gogamukh in Assams Dhemaji district located on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.
This will be the third Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI).
Apart from IARI in the national capital, the work on setting up of second IARI in Ranchi, Jharkhand has
commenced.
The setting up of a new institute is envisaged to help in the overall development of agriculture sector in North-
East India.
Goa Bans Thin Plastic Bags
The Goa State govt has decided to ban buying and selling of plastic bags below 50 microns.
Goa has already banned the use of plastic bags below 40 microns.
The ban will come to effect from July onwards.
Initially, violators of the ban will be asked to pay a fine of Rs. 500 and subsequently the fine amount would be
raised to Rs 5000 depending upon the initiatives success.
It aimed at tackling the menace of garbage and litter in public places.
Newly Built Aeronautical Test Range at Chitradurga in Karnataka
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has inaugurated the newly built Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) of the Defence
Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) at Chitradurga in Karnataka.
Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) is the first of its kind range that has been set up by the Aeronautical Development
Establishment (ADE), one of the premier laboratories of the DRDO.
ADE works on a range of UAVs (unmanned air vehicles).
Vadodara creates Guinness record for most people sweeping street
Vadodara, which was declared the 10th cleanest city in the country made a new Guinness world record on May 29
for the maximum number of people sweeping a single venue.
According to Vinod Rao, Vadodara municipal corporation commissioner, about 5,058 residents of the city came
together to achieve the feat at the venue which was a bridge that connected Akota, an urban area, with Dandia
bazaar in the city, spread over 1km.
Pune city police receive FICCI Smart Policing Award 2017
The Pune city police have received the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) Smart
Police Award for the year 2017.
Pune Police Commissioner Rashmi Shukla received the award from BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi during a
programme organised by FICCI and Vivekanand International Foundation on Homeland Security in Delhi on
May 25.
The programme focussed on the use of modern technology for countering internal security issues.
Pune city police got the award for their initiatives on women and cyber security.
Deveshwar, Soumitra Chatterjee conferred Bengal's highest civilian award
Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee and India's longest serving boss Y.C. Deveshwar were conferred the Banga
Samman, West Bengal's highest civilian award, by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The Banga Samman awards were instituted in 2011, after Banerjee came to power.
Celebrated artistes, singers, sportspersons, filmmakers, intellectuals have been honoured with these awards in the
past.
Two categories of awards are presented as part of Banga Samman - Banga Bhushan and Banga Bibhushan.
Industrialist Deveshwar, pulmonologist Dhiman Ganguly, former Mizoram Governor Arun Prasad Mukherjee,
veteran actor Chatterjee, and acclaimed poet Nirendranath Chakraborty were conferred the highest category of
awards, the Banga Bibhushan.
Recipients of Banga Bhushan this year are Bangladeshi singer Rezwana Chowdhury Banya, folk singer Hidmat
Fakir, Chapal Bhaduri, the last living female impersonator in folk theatre in India, baul exponent Lakshman Das
Baul and Liver Foundation secretary and gastroenterologist Abhijit Chowdhury.
Cochin Port Trust bags two awards
Cochin Port Trust has received two Best Performance Awards from Ministry of Shipping for the highest growth
in operating surplus and also for achieving third highest growth in cargo traffic among the major ports in the year
2016-17.
The awards were received from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari by
P Raveendran, Chairman and A V Ramana, Dy Chairman, Cochin Port Trust at a function held at Goa.
Cochin Port Trust has registered an operating profit of Rs. 127.72 crore during 2016-17 as against Rs. 70.89 crore
during 2015-16 recording a growth of 80 per cent. Operating profit during 2014-15 was Rs. 19.55 crore.
The Port handled 25.01 MMT cargo during 2016-17 with a growth of 13.2 per cent over 22.10 MMT handled in
2015-16.
PM Inaugurates Countrys Longest Bridge in Assam
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated Indias longest river bridge the Dhola-Sadia Bridge in Assam.
The construction of the bridge began in 2011.
The cost of the project is about Rs 2056 crores.
Dhola-Sadia Bridge is a three lane bridge stretching 9.15 kilometre built over river Lohit, which is a tributary of
the Brahmaputra river.
The bridge was built by Navayuga Engineering Co. Ltd. The Dhola-Sadiya bridge is 3.55 km longer than the
BandraWorli Sea Link in Mumbai which is the longest bridge in the country as of now.
The bridge will connect Sadia, which is 540 Km from Guwahati and Dhola, situated 300 Km from Itanagar.
The bridge has been designed to withstand the weight of 60-tonne battle tanks.
This will be the only bridge in the region that will be strong enough to withstand the travel of tanks to Tinsukia, a
place from where Indian troops usually enter Arunachal.
Indias First Electric Mass Mobility System Launched in Nagpur
Maharashtras chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated Indias first multi-modal electric vehicle project
at the Nagpur Airport Complex.
The pilot project will have a fleet of 200 electric vehicles including taxis, buses, e-rickshaw and autorickshaws.
All these electric-powered public transport vehicles will be fully owned by cab aggregator Ola.
For the project Mahindra & Mahindra has manufactured 100 e2o electric taxis.
Madhya Pradesh Signs MoU with IIT-Kharagpur for Developing Happiness Index
IIT Kharagpurs Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness and Madhya Pradesh
governments Rajya Anandam Sansthan (Department of Happiness) has signed an MoU to collaborate on the
development of a Happiness Index for measuring the well-being of the residents of the state.
The MoU was signed in the presence of MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and IIT-KGP Director Prof P
P Chakrabarti at Bhopal. S
The Happiness index would be developed by IIT-KGP and the data collected by the state government would
be analysed to assess the happiness levels of people of the state and to suggest recommendations to enhance
happiness levels in the state.
India has been ranked at 122 out of 155 countries in the 2017 United Nationss World Happiness Index (WHI).
Hyderabads Turbo Megha Airways first private airline to get UDAN licence
Turbo Megha Airways has become the first private airline to get a licence to fly under UDAN, the govt scheme
for subsidized regional flights.
The Hyderabad-based airline, which flies as TruJet, will launch flights on Hyderabad-Cuddapah, Hyderabad-
Nanded and Nanded-Mumbai routes.
TruJet is one of the five operators who have been awarded a total of 128 routes under the UDAN scheme. The
airline will use three ATR-72 aircraft, and will add more planes later.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the first flight under the scheme on the Shimla-Delhi route on 27 April.
Under the scheme, fares have been capped at Rs2,500 for a one-hour flight.
The five airlines awarded the rights to fly UDAN flights are Air India, SpiceJet, Turbo Megha, Air Odisha and
G.R. Gopinath led Deccan Air.
Madhya Pradesh bans Sand Excavation in Narmada River
The State Govt of Madhya Pradesh has put an indefinite ban on the sand excavation in the Narmada River.
This announcement has been made by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal.
The govt has also set up a committee to suggest the scientific ways of mining the rivers.
This committee will submit the report to state government after exploring ways for sand excavation without
harming rivers.
The Chief Minister has been travelling alongside Narmada River to make Save Narmada a peoples movement
through his Namami Narmada Yatra.
Mumbai and Kota among Worlds most crowded
World Economic Forum citing UN-Habitat data has named two Indian cities-Mumbai and Kota among
the worlds most crowded cities.
Dhaka has topped the list followed by Indias financial capital Mumbai.
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh has a population density of 44,500 people per square kilometre.
Mumbai has a population density of 31,700 people per square kilometre.
Kota in Rajasthan with 12,100 people per square kilometre has been ranked seventh in the list.
Medellin in Columbia with a population density of 19,700 people per square kilometre has been ranked third
followed by Manila, Philippines at 4th place with a density of 14,800;Casablanca, Morocco at 5th place with a
density of 14,200.
It was established in 1978 and has its headquarters in the UN Office at Nairobi, Kenya.
It is also a member of UNDP.
Country's first ornamental fish park to come up at Chennai
India's first Aquatic Rainbow Technology Park, an ultra-modern exclusive facility for ornamental fish equipped
with multi-species hatchery and live feed culture units, would become operational at Chennai in three months.
Fulfilling a major requirement of the industry for mass production of high value aquarium fish, the facility was
being developed by Fisheries College and Research Institute (FCRI), Ponneri in Tamil Nadu, the second largest
exporter of ornamental fish after West Bengal.
The Rs 10 crore facility, being funded by the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives of the state government, would be
equipped with advanced infrastructure and technical expertise for boosting production of high value ornamental
fish species.
West Bengal makes Bengali Mandatory in all Schools
West Bengal State govt has made Bengali mandatory in all schools, including private English medium schools.
Henceforth, it would be compulsory for all schools including English medium schools affiliated to boards other
than West Bengal Board of Secondary Education to teach Bengali as an optional subject from Class I so that
students can study it either as a second or third language.
At present, teaching of Bengali is not mandatory in the schools.
Apart from Bengali, English and Hindi, students can opt for other languages such as Urdu, Gurumukhi, Nepali
and Ol-chiki as the medium of instruction in schools of the State.
CRPF Command Shifted from Kolkata to Chhattisgarh
The strategic anti-Naxal operations command headquarters of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been
shifted back from Kolkata to Raipur.
In 2010, the central zone command headquarters was shifted from Raipur to Kolkata owing to logistics and
connectivity issues.
Indias First Bio Refinery Plant inaugurated in Pune
Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari has inaugurated Indias First
Integrated Bio refinery for Renewable Fuels & Chemicals for producing ethanol from a variety of biomass.
The plant is situated at Rahu in Pune district of Maharashtra. The demonstration plant has been built
by Praj industries.
The inaugurated Bio refinery plant is capable of producing one million litres of ethanol per annum by processing
a variety of biomass like rice and wheat straw, cotton stalk, bagasse, cane trash, corn cobs & stover with superior
product yields.
Odisha to introduce boat ambulances in four districts
Odisha will introduce boat ambulance service in four districts where people face difficulties in getting health
service.
The boat ambulance service will be available in the districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kendrapara and Kalahandi
where people face problems in availing 108 ambulance service due to intervening large water bodies in the form
of rivers and dams disrupting road communication.
Assam declared as Disturbed Area Under AFSPA for 3 More Months
The govt has declared the entire Assam as a disturbed area under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act for
another 3 months.
As per the notification, the entire Assam besides bordering areas of Meghalaya has been declared as Disturbed
Areas.
In addition, the govt has placed three districts of Arunachal Pradesh, namely, Tirap, Changlang and Longding and
other areas falling under 16 police stations bordering Assam as disturbed area under the AFSPA.
The govt has cited various violent activities carried out by certain insurgent groups like ULFA, NDFB and others
as a reason behind the extension of AFSPA.
The AFSPA has been under force in the three Arunachal Pradesh districts since January 2016.
Banganapalle Mango of Andhra Pradesh gets GI Tag
The Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai, has accorded GI Tag for the much famed
Banganapalle Mango of Andhra Pradesh.
Henceforth, Andhra Pradesh government will be the registered proprietor of the GI tag for Banganapalle
mangoes.
A GI tag specifies that the product comes from a specific region.
Vijayawada Airport becomes International Airport
The Union Cabinet has granted international airport status for the Vijayawada Airport.
The approval was given as per provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.
The decision was taken as the airport is witnessing significant growth in passenger traffic and also to cater to the
demands made by airlines as well as the Andhra Pradesh government.
The airport is currently undergoing infrastructural upgradations and improvement in facilities for international
operations.
The upgradation works are being carried out by the Airports Authority of India.
The international status accorded to the airport will help in boosting the domestic and international tourism
besides promoting socio-economic development.
It will also improve connectivity to the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Vijayawada is metropolitan city situated on the banks of the River Krishna in Andhra Pradesh.
The city forms a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region and the hosts the headquarters of Andhra Pradesh Capital
Region Development Authority.
The city is one of the major trading and business centres of the state and hence called as The Business Capital of
Andhra Pradesh.
Madhya Pradesh becomes First State to Shift Financial Year to Jan-Dec Format
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in the country to shift its financial year from the present April-March
cycle to January-December.
The states budget session for the next financial year would be held in December-January.
Hence, the state government plans to finish the current budget proceedings by December this year.
Shifting of the financial year format to January-December would require shifting of the tax assessment year.
The decision of the Madhya Pradesh state government comes in the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modis
suggestion of shifting the fiscal year to January-December period during NITI Aayog governing council meeting
on April 23 held at New Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh: An Ambulance Service for Cows Flagged-Off
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has flagged off an ambulance service that would
cater to the needs of the cows.
Under the Gauvansh Chikitsa Mobile Vans service, initially, 5 ambulances were flagged off to cover Lucknow,
Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Mathura and Allahabad.
The ambulance will have a veterinary doctor along with an assistant to rescue ill or injured cows and transport
them to gau shalas or take them for treatment to the veterinary hospital.
In addition, a gau seva toll-free number has also been released to enable common people to come forward to
help the cows.
The ambulance service will be run in collaboration with the MNREGA Mazdoor Kalyan Sanghathan.
Mazdoor Kalyan Sanghathan is an organization that claims to work for the welfare of the labourers and others
employed in the informal sector.
The organization has a presence in 5 states. A similar initiative to save cows was initiated in Khargone district of
Madhya Pradesh a few days ago.
Maharashtra becomes First State to Use Automated Weather Stations (AWS) for Farmers
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has inaugurated the states first automatic weather station at
Dongargaon in Nagpur.
The state government proposes to install around 2,065 such weather stations across the state on a public private
partnership (PPP) mode in this year and 1,000 in next year.
The weather stations will be helpful in measuring the wind direction, wind speed, air temperature, relative
humidity and record amount of rainfall.
International News
Worlds First Philosophical Novel on God Unveiled
IAS officer Haulianlal Guite has recently published a philosophical novel for God titled Confessions of a dying
mind: the blind faith of atheism.
The book was unveiled by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at august gathering of Civil Services Officers Institute in
New Delhi.
The book is touted as the worlds first philosophical novel for God.
Haulianlal Guite is hailed as the first civil servant to write on Philosophy after John Stuart Mills work titled On
Liberty published in 1858.
The book explores interesting arguments against atheism.
It also explores the nature of science, religion, evidence and love in light of latest findings of modern science and
the solid theories in philosophy.
The unveiled book is the first part of the three volumes.
Nauru Ratifies International Solar Alliance Framework Pact
The tiny island of Nauru which is the worlds smallest republic has become the sixth country to ratify
the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework pact.
Still five more nations namely the Comoros, Cote dIvoire, Somalia, Ghana and Djibouti have committed to ink
the International Solar Alliance Framework Pact in the ongoing annual meeting of the African Development
bank in Gandhinagar.
This is the first time that India is hosting the annual meetings of the AfDB and its sister institutions.
Apple Opens First Official Store in South East Asia at Singapore
Apple has opened its first store in Southeast Asia at Singapores upmarket shopping district.
Apple expects this store to be one of the most popular stores in the world.
Most of the earnings for Apple comes from the sales of its flagship iPhone, which of late faces increasingly tough
competition in a saturated market.
Construction Commences on Worlds Largest Telescope in Chile
Construction works for building Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) has commenced in Chile.
After completion, the Extremely Large Telescope will become the worlds largest optical telescope which will
be five times larger than the top observing instruments that are in use today.
The telescope will be constructed at a 3,000 meter-High Mountain in the middle of the Atacama desert.
The telescope is scheduled to commence its operations in 2024.
The ELT is funded by the European Southern Observatory.
China, ASEAN Countries Agree on Framework for South China Sea Code of Conduct
China and the 10 member of the ASEAN grouping have agreed to a framework of a legally binding code of
conduct aimed at preventing disputes in the strategic South China Sea.
Though the draft of the framework has been finalised, no details about the text of the framework agreement has
been released.
Antarctica is Turning Green
According to a new study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of Exeter in the UK, plant life on
Antarctica is growing rapidly due to climate change.
The scientists have observed a sharp increase in biological activity in Antarctica in the last 50 years.
For ascertaining the growth, the scientists conducted tests at five cores from three sites and has observed the
occurrence of major biological changes across the Antarctic Peninsula.
The study has been published in the journal Current Biology.
US to sell high-tech chemical protective clothing to India
The United States will be selling high-tech Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST)
protective clothing worth $75 million to India.
For the first time, the Pentagon has notified the sale of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear)
Support Equipment, the Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST) protective clothing, to the
US Congress.
The entire package includes 38,034 M50 general purpose masks, 38,034 units of suits, trousers, gloves, boots and
NBC bags; 854 aprons; 854 alternative aprons; 9,509 Quick Doff Hoods; and 114,102 M61 filters.
ICJ Stays Kulbhusan Jadhavs Hanging
India has received a stay order preventing Pakistan from executing the death sentence awarded to the former naval
officer Kulbhushan Jadhav from the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
Indias team of lawyers led by senior advocate Harish Salve accused Pakistan of gross violations of international
laws.
They also pointed out the violations of the Geneva convention that deals with Consular relations.
Pakistan had denied consular access to India despite 15 attempts.
It also refused to give any details of Jadhavs arrest and trial until the death sentence was passed.
India has rarely approached the ICJ especially when it comes to Pakistan.
India is always hesitatant to internationalise its bilateral relations.
But given the nature of Jadhavs case in which Pakistan refused to follow any established principle India was
forced to take the extreme measure of taking the case to the ICJ.
International Court of Justice was established in 1945 via the UN Charter and its jurisdiction is worldwide.
It is located in The Hague in Netherlands. It is a part of the United Nations.
India & Japan to Strengthen Defence Cooperation
India and Japan has decided to strengthen their military cooperation and hopes to pursue a strategic partnership
for ensuring regional peace and stability.
The visit of Defence minister Arun Jaitley to Tokyo comes at the backdrop of rising tension in the region such as
territorial rows over the South China Sea and nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
The purpose of visit of Arun Jaitley to Tokyo was to attend an annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.
India and Japan have been increasing their defence cooperation amid Chinas increasing assertiveness in the
region.
India has welcomed the conduct of a planned trilateral naval exercise among the US, India and Japan in July as a
means to strengthen cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.
The Malabar trilateral exercise between Japan, the U.S. and India are slated to be held in the Bay of Bengal from
July 10.
Russia, Turkey and Iran Sign Deal on Safe Zones in Syria
Russia and Iran which are allies of the Syrian regime as well as the rebel supporter Turkey signed a Russia-
backed plan for creating safe zones in Syria.
The pact which was signed in the Kazakh capital Astana was meant to halt fighting in the war-torn Syria.
Adani signs steel supply deal with Australian group Arrium
Energy giant Adani signed a 74 million dollar landmark deal with Australian steel group Arrium to buy steel for a
400-km rail line for its controversial Carmichael coal mine project.
Under the landmark deal, Arriums division OneSteel Manufacturing Pty Ltd will supply 54,000 tonnes of steel to
build the rail line linking Adanis proposed coal mine in central Queensland with the Abbot Point port.
China to Launch its Own Encyclopaedia as a Rival to Wikipedia
China plans to launch its own online encyclopaedia next year rivalling Wikipedia and Britains Encyclopaedia
Britannica.
The main objective of this project is to guide public thought.
China fears that its citizens who use Wikipedia are being corrupted by foreign influences.
India-Turkey inks Three Agreements
India and Turkey have signed three agreements following delegation-level talks between Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
This is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans first foreign visit after winning the April 16 referendum that
will transform Turkey into a presidential form of democracy.
In total three agreements were signed by both the sides in the fields of ICT, training and culture:
An agreement for a cultural exchange programme for the years 2017-2020 was signed.
A MoU was signed between the Foreign Services Institute (FSI) of India and the Diplomacy Academy of
Turkey.
A MoU was signed for cooperation in the area of information and communication technologies (ICT).
Dubai becomes First City in World to gets its Own Microsoft Font
Dubai has become the first city in the world to have its own Microsoft-designed font. The font will have typeface
both in Latin and Arabic script.
It will be made available in 23 languages Afrikaans, Arabic, Basque, Britannic, Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English,
Finnish, French, Gaelic, German, Icelandic, Indonesian, Italian, Norwegian, Farsi, Portuguese, Sami, Spanish,
Swahili, Swedish and Urdu.
The font was launched by the Crown Prince of Dubai Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The font will be used by UAEs government bodies and also by 100 million Office 365 users around the world.
Science & Defence

ISRO gets Indira Gandhi Prize for 2014
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
Disarmament and Development for the year 2014.
The prize was presented to ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar by former Prime Minister and Indira Gandhi
Memorial Trust (IGMT) trustee Dr. Manmohan Singh.
The ISRO was selected for the prize in 2014 by a jury headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
It consists of a trophy made of banded Haematite Jasper, with a portrait of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
in Jaipur miniature paintings, a cash award of 1 crore and a citation.
ISRO was awarded in recognition of its path-breaking achievements, culminating in the Mars Orbiter Mission and
its contributions in strengthening international cooperation.
NASAs Juno Spacecraft Discovers Earth-Sized Storms on Jupiter
NASAs Juno spacecraft has discovered Earth-sized cyclones at the poles of the Jupiter.
It has also unveiled the presence of the storm systems that travel deep into the heart of the planet.
Both the poles of the Jupiter were found to be covered with Earth-sized swirling storms which are densely
clustered and rubbing together.
The findings were the result of the Juno probes first data-collection pass on August last year.
The spacecraft flew for about 4,200 kilometres of Jupiters swirling cloud top.
The magnetic field in the planet is in the order of 7.766 Gauss which is about 10 times stronger than the strongest
magnetic field found on Earth.
Its the first solar powered spacecraft to orbit Jupiter.
NASA Names New Species after Abdul Kalam
NASA has named a new bacteria discovered on the filters of the International Space Station, ISS, as Solibacillus
kalamii to honour the late president Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
The genus is Solibacillus and the species name is kalamii.
Researchers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory have found that the bacteria remained on board the International
Space Station for 40 months.
The new organism is found only on the ISS and has not been found anywhere on the earth.
In 1963, Dr. Kalam had his early training at NASA before setting up Indias first rocket launching facility at
Thumba in Kerala.
Worlds Largest Aircraft, Airlander 10 Completes Test Flight
Airlander 10, the worlds largest aircraft has successfully completed a test flight by flying for a total of 180
minutes in Cardington, UK.
During the test flight, the aircrafts handling and improved landing technology were tested thus bringing it a step
closer to commercial use.
Airlander 10 is hybrid ship i.e. it is a partly plane and partly airship filled with helium gas. It combines technology
from airplanes, helicopters and airships.
It is 92-metre-long and 43.5m wide. It can fly at up to 6,100 meters and reach speeds of 148 kilometres per hour.
It can also carry a 10-tonne payload. It can stay airborne for more than two weeks unmanned and up to five days
if manned.
Second Prototype of Light Utility Helicopter Completes Maiden Flight
The second prototype of the Light Utility Helicopter, LUH PT2, has successfully completed its first flight by
flying smoothly for 22 minutes in Bengaluru.
The second prototype is the improved version of the PT1, which undertook its first flight on September 6, 2016
and later in the Aero India 2017 show in February.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is developing the three-tonne-class LUH as a reconnaissance and
surveillance aircraft for military and civili users.
HAL is expected to finalize the helicopters design by the year end. After getting necessary certificates the
LUH is being designed to fly 350 km nonstop at a speed of 220 kmph.
The aircraft is capable of reaching a maximum height of 6.5 Km and can carry a payload of 400 kg.
DIPP to Grant Industrial Licenses for Defence Manufacturing
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has been given back the power to grant licenses for
defence manufacturing.
The decision was taken considering the workload of Home Ministry which has to look after security concerns of
the entire country.
US for the First Time Successfully Tests ICBM Defense System
United States for the first time has successfully tested its defence system against an intercontinental ballistic
missile (ICBM).
During the test, a ground based interceptor launched from the California air base had shot down a mock
intercontinental ballistic missile target which was fired from the Reagan Test Site in the Marshall Islands.
A rocket from the Ground-based Midcourse Defence (GMD) entered into space and deployed its exo-atmospheric
kill vehicle that smashed the target destroying it.
Scientists at IIT Kharagpur Develop New Technology to Manufacture Biofuel
Scientists at IIT Kharagpur has come up with a new technology known as soil-to-soil manufacturing
technology for manufacturing cheaper, quicker and pollution-free.
The technology is in the process of being patented.
Biofuels are fuels which are in some way derived from biomass.
The term covers solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases and also denotes Biodiesel, Bio alcohol and bio-
gasoline.
The new technology makes use of natural resources to extract gaseous and liquid biofuel and then converts the
wastes into bio fertilizer.
Scientists at IIT Delhi Develops Cheapest Respiratory Filter
Scientists at Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have developed the device Nasofilters which is capable of
restricting up to 95% of dust and air pollutants.
Involving a cost of Rs 10, it is the cheapest naso filter available.
The nano-respiratory filter is now ready for commercialisation.
The researchers involved in the project were recently awarded with the National Startups Award by President
Pranab Mukherjee.
The Nasofilter employs an incredible filter technology that gives protection against the finest particulate
pollutants especially the PM2.5 concentration.
It offers protection for at least eight hours and therefore helps in reducing the risk of respiratory diseases.
Indian Army gets its First Artillery Gun in 30 Years
Nearly after 30 years after the induction of Bofors howitzers, Indian Army will get its first artillery guns
called M777 from BAE Systems.
Swedish Bofors guns were inducted in late 1980s after which Army has not inducted any modern artillery guns.
The two M777s has arrived in New Delhi and will be tested at the Pokhran field firing range in Rajasthan.
The two M777 guns will be used for compilation of firing tables.
Indian Army has plans to equip 169 regiments with 3,503 guns by 2020.
Indian teen makes 'world's smallest satellite' for NASA
The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launches the worlds smallest satellite
KalamSat on June 21, it will be the first time ever that it would be piloting an experiment by an Indian student.
Developed by Rifath Sharook, an 18-year-old boy, from Tamil Nadus Pallapatti town, KalamSat weighs only 64
grammes.
KalamSat, named after India's nuclear scientist and former President, APJ Abdul Kalam, will be launched from
a NASA facility in Wallops Island.
Sharooks project, the first to be manufactured via 3D printing, got selected through a competition, Cubes in
Space', sponsored jointly by NASA and 'I Doodle Learning'.
The project aims to take the performance of new technology to space.
Bilateral Exercise SIMBEX-17 between Indian & Republic Of Singapore Navy Commences
The 24th bilateral exercise involving Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy has commenced in South
China Sea.
SIMBEX stands for Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercises.
The exercise will be held from May 18, 2017 to May 24, 2017.
This edition of the bilateral exercise aims at increasing the interoperability among the two navies as well as
developing a common understanding and procedures among the two navies for maritime security operations.
The exercise would be conducted into two phases-the Harbour Phase and the Sea Phase.
Mt Lhotse records First Summit in 3 years
Mt Lhotse has recorded its first summit in 3 years.
Mt Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain in the world.
Indian climber Debasish Biswas and a woman climber from New Zealand were the first to successfully climb Mt
Lhotse after a team of Sherpas fixed the route to summit.
John Snorri Sigursson of Iceland and Cian O Brolchain of Ireland also scaled Mt. Lhotse becoming the first
mountaineer from their respective countries to summit Mt Lhotse.
Mt Lhotse (8,516 metre) is the fourth highest mountain in the world after Mt Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga.
It is present on the border between Tibet and the Khumbu region of Nepal.
In addition to the main summit, the mountain also comprises of smaller peaks like Lhotse Middle (8,414 m),
Lhotse Shar (8,383 m).
BSF to use Invisible Laser Wall Kavach to Secure Border
The Border Security Force will make use of a newly developed technology that is capable of detecting intrusions
and relaying information to the nearest post for action to safeguard the 198 km India-Pakistan international border
in Jammu and Kashmir.
The technology developed by the Delhi-based defence IoT firm, CRON Systems is expected to bolster BSFs
defences amid strained ties and increase in the number of infiltration bids and ceasefire violations.
The new technology called Kavach (KVx) series laser walls has been built indigeneously and is a notch higher
than the existing laser walls.
BSF is presently pilot testing the Kavach walls along the Samba sector border in Jammu and Kashmir.
Tejas Successfully Test Fires Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range Missile
Tejas, the Light Combat Aircraft has successfully test fired Derby Air-to-Air Beyond Visual Range (BVR)
missile in RADAR guided mode.
The test was performed on a Manoeuvrable Aerial Target at the Interim Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.
The objective behind the test was to assess the Derby integration with aircraft systems on-board Tejas including
the aircraft avionics, fire-control radar, launchers and Missile Weapon Delivery System and evaluate its
performance.
The test firing achieved all its planned objectives and the missile hit directly on the target with complete
destruction of it.
The Indian Light Combat Aircraft is the worlds smallest, light weight, multi-role combat aircraft in its class
amongst modern supersonic aircraft.
It is a single seat, single jet engine developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for the Indian Navy and the Air
Force.
Scientists discover First Natural Human Antibodies against Ebola Virus
A team of scientists from the United States have discovered a possible cure for Ebola viruses.
They have discovered the first natural human antibodies that are capable of neutralizing and protecting animals
against all three major disease-causing ebola viruses.
The findings could lead to the discovery of first effective ebolavirus therapies and vaccines.
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness in humans.
It was first identified in 1976 in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a village near the Ebola River, from which
it takes its name.
It is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human
transmission. Fruit bats are natural host of this virus.
New Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine against Pneumonia Launched
Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda has launched new Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine, PCV, for
Pneumonia at Lal Bahadur Shastri Medical College Hospital in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
The vaccine is a part of governments Universal Immunization Programme (UIP).
In India, more than 1 lakh children die of pneumonia every year.
The vaccine will provide protection against 13 types of pneumococcal bacteria which results in pneumonia.
This is the twelfth disease for which the Health Ministry has launched a vaccine.
NASA detects Signs of Water in a distant Neptune Sized Planet
Scientists have detected a strong water signature in the atmosphere of a distant Neptune-sized planet
called HAT-P-26b.
The study conducted using NASAs Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes has showed that HAT-P-26b has a
primitive atmosphere composed almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.
Although the planet is not a water world, its atmosphere which is relatively clear of clouds has a strong water
signature.
Researchers have detected the presence of water by pooling data obtained from four transits when the planet
passed in front of its host star.
By studying how the signatures of the starlight changes, researchers can come up with the chemical composition
of the atmosphere. The study has been published in the journal Science.
China Simulates Lunar-like Environment
China has set up a 160-square-meter (1,720-square-foot) laboratory dubbed as Yuegong-1, or Lunar
Palace for simulating a lunar-like environment.
Four Postgraduate students from the Beijings astronautics research university will live in the laboratory for up to
200 days in a bid to prepare for Chinas long term goal of putting humans on the moon.
The student volunteers would be sealed inside the cabin with no input from the outside world in order to
simulate long-term, self-contained space mission.
The Lunar Palace is hailed as the worlds third bio regenerative life-support base and the first to be developed in
China.
The Lunar Palace is the first of its kind facility to involve animals and microorganisms as well as plants and
humans.
It has two plant cultivation modules and a living cabin consisting of four bed cubicles, a common room, a
bathroom, a waste-treatment room and a room for raising animals.
India- Indonesia Co-Ordinated Patrol Commences
The 29th IndiaIndonesia CORPAT has commenced at Port Blair under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar
Command.
The bilateral exercise is scheduled to be held from 9th to 25th May.
The Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Sutedi Senoputra has arrived to take part in the 29th series of INDINDO
CORPAT.
The bilateral exercise aims to enhance mutual understanding and interoperability between the two navies.
India launches South-Asia satellite
The South Asia satellite for use by countries of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) region has been launched on May 5.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the satellite as an invaluable gift of India to South Asia and has
further stated that the satellite will go a long way in addressing South Asias economic and developmental
priorities.
The beneficiaries of the satellite will be Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
The total cost of launching the satellite (around Rs 235 crore) would be met by the Government of India.
The 2,230 kg satellite called GSAT-09 has been built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
Proxima B likely to have Water and Support Alien Life
An Earth like Planet called Proxima B orbiting the closest neighboring Star, Proxima Centauri, which is about 4.2
light years away is expected to have liquid water and the potential to support alien life.
The planet Proxima B was discovered in the last year.
Earlier studies have concluded that the planet is present in the habitable zone of its star Proxima Centauri so much
so that it receives the right amount of light to sustain liquid water on its surface.
The planet is of similar size to the Earth and is expected to have an Earth-like atmosphere.
In contrast to Earth, the light from Proxima B was found to be mostly in the infra-red.
Chinas C919 Passenger Jet completed its Maiden Flight
Chinas home-grown C919 passenger jet has completed its maiden flight.
Chinas C919 is a symbol of Chinas ambitions to take market share from Boeing and Airbus in the lucrative
global jet market estimated to be worth $2 trillion over the next two decades.
It is a part of Chinas broader Made in China 2025 plan aimed at boosting its domestic high-tech
manufacturing.
Biggest Combing Operation in 15 years conducted in South Kashmir
The Army, security forces and police had launched a massive cordon and combing operation in south Kashmirs
Shopian district following the recent militant attacks on policemen and banking facilities.
This is the first time in 15 years that the combing operation of this magnitude has been conducted by the security
forces.
Agni-II Ballistic Missile Test Fired Successfully
India has successfully carried out a fresh user trial of Agni-II ballistic missile from a defence test facility in the
Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
The objective of the test was to re-establish the operational effectiveness of the weapon system.
Agni-II missile is a nuclear-capable, surface-to-surface missile which forms a part of Indias strategic forces
arsenal for nuclear deterrence with a range of over 2000 km.
It can carry a payload of 1000kg.
It is equipped with an advanced high accuracy navigation system and guided by a novel state-of-the-art command
and control system.
It is powered by a solid rocket propellant system and already been inducted into the army.
Agni-II weighs 17 tonnes and the range of the missile can be increased to 3000 km by reducing the payload.
It can be fired from both rail and road mobile launchers and it takes only 15 minutes for the missile to be readied
for firing.
The Agni-II missile being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is one of
the sophisticated weapons that can act as a deterrent against nuclear-armed neighbours.
The state government of Odisha has renamed the Wheeler Island in Bhadrak district as Abdul Kalam Island as a
humble tribute to former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
Prior to the renaming, the island was named after an English commandant Lieutenant Wheeler.
Indian Army Test-Fires Advanced Version of Brahmos Cruise Missile
Indian Army has successfully test-fired advanced Block-III version of Brahmos cruise missile in the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands.
During the test, the Brahmos cruise missile had successfully hit the land-based target with desired precision in a
top attack configuration demonstrating its high level and complex manoeuvring and its unmatched lethality of
hitting the target with at most precision.
Recently, on April 22, the Indian Navy had successfully carried out its first test-firing of the sea-to-land attack
version of Brahmos.
The Brahmos is a supersonic cruise missile developed by a joint-venture between Russias Mashinostroyenia and
Indias Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
It operates on fire and forget principal and is capable of being launched from land, sea, sub-sea and air against
sea and land targets.
It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram and has top supersonic speed of Mach 2.8 to 3 (that is roughly
three times the speed of sound).
BAT Repeats Brutality by Beheading Two Indian Soldiers
Pakistans border action team (BAT) has beheaded two Indian soldiers by sneaking 200 metres into Indian
Territory in the Krishna Ghati sector in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
During the raid, bodies of Naib Subedar Paramjit Singh (22 Sikh Regiment) and head constable Prem Sagar (200
BSF Battalion) were left mutilated.
This is the third such barbaric episode since the conduct of surgical strikes against terror launch pads in
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) on September 29.
In the same Krishna Ghati sector, BAT had beheaded Lance Naik Hemraj and severed the head of Lance Naik
Sudhakar Singh of 13 Rajputana Rifles in 2013.
Scientists at IIT Create Low Cost Solar Cells using Jamun
Scientists at IIT Roorkee have used Indian summer fruit, Jamun, to create low cost and more efficient solar cells.
To create the solar cells, the researchers made use of naturally occurring pigment present in jamun as an
inexpensive photosensitizer for Dye Sensitised Solar Cells (DSSCs) or Gratzel cells.
Gratzel cells are nothing but thin film solar cells made of a porous layer of titanium dioxide (TiO2) coated
photoanode, a layer of dye molecules that are capable of absorbing sunlight, an electrolyte for regenerating the
dye, and a cathode.
RANKING & REPORTS
India ranks at 24 in the revised UNWTO Rankings
With the inclusion of non- resident Indians among international tourists, India has jumped 16 places in the revised
World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) rankings to settle at 24th for 2014 and 2015.
Earlier, it was ranked 41st and 40th in 2014 and 2015, respectively, as per the global ranking.
The rank of India in international tourist arrivals (ITA) in both 2014 and 2015 in the latest UNWTO's World
Tourism Barometer, as of March 2017, is 24th as against the previous ranks of 41st and 40th in 2014 and 2015,
respectively.
UNWTO is the United Nation's agency managing promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally
accessible tourism and its barometer ranks countries in terms of their ITAs- comprising both foreign tourist
arrivals as well as non- resident arrivals.
Visakhapatnam railway station cleanest, Darbhanga dirtiest: Survey
Visakhapatnam railway station is the cleanest, followed by the one in Secunderabad, among the 75 busiest
stations.
According to a survey, the report was released by Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, the Jammu railway station
occupied the third spot, while the New Delhi station stood at 39th.
The Darbhanga railway station in Bihar was the dirtiest.
The survey was carried out by the Quality Council of India.
The survey was carried out on 407 stations, of which 75 are in the A1 category, or busiest stations, and 332 are in
the A category.
This was the third survey on cleanliness done by the railways to keep a tab on its premises as part of Swachh Rail
campaign.
Anand Vihar railway station stood fifth.
Nizamuddin station was placed at 23rd, while Old Delhi was at 24th.
The one in Varanasi, the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ranked 14th.
The Beas railway station was the cleanest, followed by Khammam, in the A category.
Jogbani was the dirtiest in the A category.
The railways has about 8,000 stations which are classified into A1, A, B, C, D, E and F categories based on
annual passenger revenue.
Harsh Malhotra Committee on Scouts and Guides Submits Report to the Sports Ministry
A seven-member High-Level Committee on Scouts and Guides has submitted its Final Report to Minister for
State (Independent Charge) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Vijay Goel with various recommendations.
The committee has suggested for the constitution of an Enquiry Committee to take stock of complaints and
grievances and submit its report.
The committee has suggested for completely revamping the Bharat Scout & Guides and Hindustan Scouts and
Guides.
It has stressed upon the need for streamlining the organizational set up of Bharat Scouts and Guides and
Hindustan Scouts and Guides.
The committee has suggested for the nomination of government nominees on the Boards of both the
organizations.
Indias GDP Growth Forecast for 2017 Revised Downward by UN
In the report titled, World Economic Situation and Prospects, the UN has projected a 7.3% growth for India in
2017.
Earlier in the reports January edition, UN had forecasted a growth of 7.7% for the year.
The revised report also has predicted an impressive 7.9% GDP growth for the year 2018 which is an increase
from its January estimate of 7.6%.
According to the report, despite Indias growth being revised downward, India remains one of the fastest
growing developing economies which is ahead of China.
China is projected to grow at 6.5% in 2017 and 2018.
World gross product is likely to expand by 2.7% in 2017 and 2.9% in 2018.
This is an improvement over 2.3% growth experienced in 2016.
World Economic Situation and Prospects is UN/DESAs flagship report on the state of the global economy.
India to clock 7.1% GDP this year, 7.5% in 2018: UN
India is expected to clock 7.1 per cent growth this year before edging up to 7.5 per cent in 2018, according to a
UN report.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) launched The Economic and Social
Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2017 report.
It warned that the country faces heightened risks related to the concentration of bad loans in the public sector
banks.
The economic growth for India is projected to be stable at 7.1 per cent in 2017 before edging up to 7.5 per cent in
2018, underpinned by higher private and public consumption and increased infrastructure spending.
Inflation is projected to reach 5.3-5.5 per cent in 2017 and 2018, which is somewhat above the official target of
4.5-5 per cent.
India GDP to grow 7.4% in FY18: ADB
Asian Development Bank (ADB) said that the Indian economy will grow at 7.4 per cent this fiscal and 7.6 per
cent in the next year.
Ahead of its 50th annual meeting to be attended by finance minister and central bank governors of member
nations, the multilateral agency's Chief Economist Yasuyuki Sawada said the reforms like the Goods and Services
Tax (GST) and the new bankruptcy law will make it easier to do business in India.
The growth rate compares to 7.1 per cent of the previous fiscal.
PFRDA-CRISIL Report: India Ageing Gradually with Every 5th Person to be in 60s by 2050
As per the PFRDA-CRISIL report titled, Financial security for Indias elderly The imperatives, India will begin
ageing gradually and transform from young to a greying with every 5th Indian to be in 60s in contrast to every
12th person at present.
By 2050, persons above the age of 60 would increase from the present 8.9% of the population to 19.4 %.
Also, by 2050, the population of people above 80 is likely to increase from 0.9% to 2.8%.
As of 2015, almost 90% of the population was below the age of 60 years and the proportion of working age
population stood at 44% .
Public Affairs Index 2017 (PAI-2017)
Kerala and Tamil Nadu have secured first and second rankings for the second consecutive year in public affairs
index (PAI) released by the Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bengaluru.
Gujarat has been ranked third followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra at the fourth and fifth position respectively
in governance indicators.
The last four positions among the large states has been occupied by Bihar (18th), Jharkhand (17th), Odisha (16th)
and Assam (15th).
Among the 12 small states which have been categorised as small as they have population less than two
crore, Himachal Pradesh has been ranked first followed by Goa and Mizoram.
Delhi which occupied third position in 2016 index has slipped to ninth position in 2017.
Public Affairs Centre (PAC), Bengaluru had come up with a Public Affairs Index (PAI) to rank governance inter-
state by using data available in the public domain in key areas of governance.
The genesis of PAC is attributed to Dr. Samuel Paul in the early nineties.
Indian Exclusion Report (IXR): Historically Disadvantaged Groups remain Worst Off
According to the 2016 Indian Exclusion Report (IXR) released by the Centre for Equity Studies (CES), in terms
of exclusion from access to public goods, Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims continue to remain the worst-hit
communities.
Three out of Four Wealthiest in Britain are Indians
As per the Times Rich List 2017, three India-born citizens are among top 5 richest people in Britain.
The 29th edition of the Sunday Times Rich List released the names of UKs 1000 wealthiest people including 40
Indian-born citizens.
Hinduja Brothers Srichand and Gopichand have topped the list to become the top of 134 billionaires in the
country.
The Hinduja borthers has estimated assets worth 16.2 billion pounds.
Their investments in various industries include oil and gas, automotive, IT, energy, media, banking, property and
healthcare sectors.
The Mumbai-born David and Simon Reuben have been placed at the third position in this years list with a net
estimate of approximately 14 billion pounds.
Swachh Sarvekshan-2017: Indore is the Cleanest City
Union Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has announced the Cleanest Cities in the Country and the
fastest moving cities on sanitation ladder under Swachh Sarvekshan-2017.
Indore has been adjudged as the cleanest city in India while Gonda in Uttar Pradesh has been ranked as the dirtiest
city among surveyed.
In total, 434 cities and towns with a population of one lakh and above were surveyed.
The top ten highly ranked cities are: Indore (1st), Bhopal (2nd), Visakhapatnam (3rd), Surat (4th), Mysuru (5th),
Tiruchirapally of Tamil Nadu (6th), New Delhi Municipal Council (7th), Navi Mumbai (8th), Tirupati of Andhra
Pradesh (9th), Vadodara (10th).
Overall, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh have emerged as the best performing states in Swachh Survekshan, 2017.
States like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh have performed well in sanitation rankings.
The worst performing cities are: Gonda of Uttar Pradesh (434th), Bhusawal of Maharashtra (433rd), Bagaha of
Bihar (432nd), Hardoi of Uttar Pradesh (431st), Katihar of Bihar (430th).
India Ranked 100th in FIFA Rankings
As per the updated FIFA world football rankings, the Indian national football has managed to secure a 100th spot
and entered into the top 100 of FIFA rankings.
This is the first time in 21 years that India has been ranked into top 100.
India has been placed 100th alongside Nicaragua, Lithuania and Estonia with a total of 331 points.
India had ranked 101st in the FIFA rankings for April.
Tata Group Named Countrys Most Valuable Brand in Brand Finance List
Brand finance in its 2017 report that lists Indias 100 most valuable brands has named Tata Group as the most
valuable brand in India at an estimated brand value of $13.1 billion.
Brand Finance is a global brand valuation and strategy consultancy firm.
Tata Group has managed to top the list despite its brand value declining 4% from $13.7 billion in 2016.
As per the report, the total brand value of Indias top 100 brands has surged 15% in 2017 compared to the global
average of 11%.
Telecom operator Airtel at an estimated valuation of $7.7 billion has been ranked second in the list followed
by Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) with $6.8 billion.
IT firm Infosys and State Bank of India have been ranked fourth and fifth in the list with an estimated value
of $6.2 billion and $5.5 billion respectively.
Mukesh Ambani Tops the List of Forbes Global Game Changers
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has topped the Forbes list of Global Game Changers.
Mukesh Ambani has been ranked at the top for his efforts to bring the internet to Indias masses.
This is Forbes second annual Global Game Changers list and includes 25 intrepid business leaders who are
known to transform their industries and effect changes to the lives of billions of people around the globe.
Mukesh Ambani of India has topped the list followed by Ziv Aviram, Amnon Shashua of Israel, Stewart
Butterfield of United States, John and Patrick Collison of United States and James Dyson of United Kingdom .
The Youngest person to be featured in the list is Stripe co-founders John and Patrick Collison, 26 and 28, as well
as the Snapchat creator Evan Spiegel, 26.
The oldest person to feature on the list is Christo Wiese, 75, who is credited for creating Africas largest retail
empire.
APPROVALS & MoUs

Union Cabinet approvals
Approves Abolition of FIPB
The Union Cabinet has approved the abolition of 25 year old FIPB.
Henceforth, concerned ministries will be responsible for direct approval of foreign investment proposals.
FIPB was constituted in the mid-nineties under the Prime Ministers Office following economic liberalisation.
Rationale Over 90% of the FDI inflows in value terms enters through automatic route.
The government expects that scrapping of FIPB would help in ease of doing business.
FDI proposals would be approved by the ministries concerned by following the standard operating procedure
approved by the Cabinet.
In proposals related to security, the proposals will also need to require the approval of Home Ministry.
The FDI proposals above Rs 5,000 crore will continue to come under the purview of the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA).
Approves National Procurement Policy Giving Preference to Make in India
The Union Cabinet Chaired by Prime Minister has given its approval for a national procurement policy that gives
preference to Make in India in government procurements.
The policy aims to maintain the balance between promoting Make in India and ensuring timely, quality
and value-for-money products for the procuring government entities.
Approves Allocation of 2.5% of Central Road Fund for National Waterways Development
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for allocating 2.5% of the Central Road Fund (CRF) for the
development of the National Waterways.
Central Road Fund is a duty on excise and customs levied on petrol and high-speed diesel.
The allocation will provide around Rs 2000 crore annually for the development and maintenance of the National
Waterways which in turn will boost inland water transport.
According to the Inland Waterways Authority of India, the development of National Waterways would require Rs
25,000 crore till 2022-2023.
India and Mauritius Inks Four Agreements
India and Mauritius have signed four agreements after delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Kumar Jugnauth in New Delhi.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has chosen India as a destination of his first visit since taking over as prime
minister of Mauritius early this year.
India has extended a 500 million dollar line of credit to Mauritius.
The Line of Credit has been signed between SBM Mauritius Infrastructure Development Co. Ltd and Export-
Import Bank of India.
Four Agreements are:
Agreement on Maritime Security
Memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up of a civil services college in Mauritius.
MoU was signed between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Mauritius Oceanography
Institute in marine sciences and technology.
Submission of instrument of ratification of International Solar Alliance (ISA) by Mauritius.
India and Fiji Inks Agreement on Defence Cooperation
India and Fiji has signed an MoU on defence cooperation after the delegation level talks between Minister of
Defence, Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley and the Minister of Defence and National Security of Fiji,
Ratu Inoke Kubuabola in New Delhi.
The MoU envisaged cooperation on defence industry, military training, humanitarian assistance & disaster
management.
In particular, Defence partnership as well as the maritime security and naval cooperation were identified as an
area of promise.
The MoU provides for stepping up of defence and security ties in defence production and military training.
Amul Signs MoU with ISRO
Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) which markets its product under the brand name
Amul has signed an MoU with ISRO for fodder acreage assessment using satellite observation and space
technology.
As per the MoU signed, ISRO would help in identification between food and fodder crops at the village level.
ISRO will also help in establishing suitable areas at village level for green fodder cultivation.
The Space Applications Centre (SAC) of ISRO has already carried out assessment that concluded that green
fodder availability for dairy livestock at district and village level through remote sensing is feasible.
This will help the milk producing farmers of Gujarat to reap benefits of fodder cultivation.
Amul is procuring around 150 lakh litres of milk every day from around 35 lakh milk producers living in 18,500
villages.
Space Applications Centre (SAC) is one of the major centres of ISRO. It was established in the year 1972.
It primarily focuses on the design of space-borne instruments for ISRO missions.
It is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
India and Spain Sign Seven Agreements
India and Spain have signed seven agreements following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his
Spanish counterpart Mariano Rajoy at the Moncloa Palace in the Spanish capital.
The visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Spain in nearly 30
years.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed Spains infrastructure, tourism, energy and defense companies to
invest in priority sectors in India.
Spain is Indias 7th largest trading partner in the European Union.
Seven Agreements are:
Agreement for Transfer of Sentence Persons
MoU on Cooperation in Organ Transplantation
MoU on Cooperation in Cyber Security
MoU on Cooperation in Renewable Energy
MoU on Technical Cooperation in Civil Aviation
Agreement on visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports.
MoU between Foreign Service Institute and Diplomatic Academy of Spain.
India and Germany ink 12 Pacts
India and Germany has inked 12 agreements after delegation level talks between Prime Minister Modi
and German chancellor Angela Merkel on a range of issues like trade, skill development, cyber security and
terrorism.
The 12 agreements include 9 joint declarations of intent (JDIs) and 3 memoranda of understanding (MoU).
They are:
Agreement on collaboration between the Ministry of Skill Development and Germanys BMBF (Federal Ministry
of Education and Research). This agreement would facilitate training of Indian skill development officers and
cluster managers.
JDI between Ministry of Science and Technology and the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and
Research) for the establishment of a Indo-German Centre for Sustainability.
JDI between the Ministry of External Affairs and the German Foreign Office on cooperation on cyber policy.
JDI between the Ministry of Finance and BMZ (Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development) on Indo-German Development Cooperation.
JDI between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and BMWi (Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and
Energy) over continuation of cooperation in the field of advanced training of corporate and junior executives from
India.
JDI between the Department of Heavy Industries and BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research) on
cooperation in vocational education and skill development for machine tools.
Agreement between Ministry of Health and BMG (Federal Ministry of Health) on cooperation in health sector.
Agreement between the AYUSH and BMG (Federal Ministry of Health) over cooperation in alternative medicine.
JDI between the Ministry of External Affairs and the German Foreign Office on collaboration between Foreign
Service institutes of both the country.
JDI between the Ministry of Railways and German Ministry of Transport on cooperation in railway safety.
JDI between the Ministry of Urban Development and German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and
Development on cooperation for sustainable urban development.
Prasar Bharati signs MoU with Morocco's SNRT
Govt-run Prasar Bharati has got into an agreement with Morocco's Societe Nationale de Radiodiffusion et de
Television (SNRT) to step up cooperation in the broadcasting sector.
The MoU was signed during the the fifth India Morocco Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Rabat, Morocco's
capital.
Union Cabinet Approves Pharma Mission to Develop Bio-Pharmaceuticals
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a collaborative mission between industry and
academia called Innovate in India empowering biotech entrepreneurs and accelerating inclusive innovation that
is aimed at accelerating research for early development of bio-pharmaceuticals.
The mission would attract an investment of Rs 1,500 crore from the central government over a period of five
years.
Half of the funding would be funded through a loan from World Bank.
The mission will focus on key areas that would supplement countrys technological and product development
capabilities in the biopharmaceutical sector to enable the sector to become globally competitive over the next 10-
15 years.
BSNL Signs MoU with Facebook and MobiKwik
BSNL has inked agreements with Facebook and MobiKwik in order to popularize the internet and its value added
services among its customers.
Further, BSNL has also signed a third MoU with Disney Land India to offer premium online gaming services to
its mobile customers.
The series of MoUs signed by BSNL comes at the backdrop of a stiff competition faced by BSNL from private
telecom companies like Airtel and Reliance Jio.
As per the terms of agreement signed with Facebook, BSNL will facilitate connectivity for Facebooks `Express
Wi-Fi Program.
Express Wi-Fi service program of the Facebook has been launched commercially in India and the service is now
available via 700 hotspots across four states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya.
Express Wi-Fi is a part of Facebooks global initiative to expand internet connectivity.
As per the MoU signed with the digital payments firm Mobikwik, BSNL and MobiKwik will work together to
create a BSNL mobile wallet to facilitate payment for its products and services.
In addition, MobiKwik will also facilitate digital sale of BSNL SIM cards through its app and website.
Union Cabinet clears proposal to build 10 Atomic Reactors
The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal allowing for the construction of 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy
Water Reactors (PHWR).
The reactors will have a capacity of 700 MW.
These reactors will add 7000 MW capacity and will ramp up nuclear power generation in the country.
It aims to ramp up nuclear power generation in the country.
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as both moderator and coolant.
Indias first PHWR was constructed at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan in technical cooperation with the Atomic Energy
Canada Ltd (AECL).
Indias first nuclear power plant with a different design was built at Tarapur in Maharashtra.
PHWR units are in operation in Rawatbhata, Kaiga, Kakrapar, Kalpakkam and Narora.
CCEA gives Approval to New Coal Linkage Policy
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a new coal linkage policy to ensure adequate
supply of the fuel to power plants through reverse auction.
The new policy will help in ensuring fuel supplies to the power plants in an organised manner.
India and Palestine Inks 5 Agreements
India and Palestine has signed five agreements during the 4 day visit of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to
India.
This is Abbass fifth visit to India and the third state visit after his earlier visits in 2008 and 2012.
These 5 MoUs signed were on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holder, agriculture cooperation,
cooperation in field of IT & Electronics, health sector and cooperation in the field of youth affairs and sports.
MoU Signed between Indian Navy and Space Application Centre
Indian Navy and the Space Application Centre have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Data Sharing
and Scientific cooperation in the field of Meteorology and Oceanology.
As per the MoU, the scientific advancements and expertise achieved by SAC would be synergised into the Indian
Naval efforts in order to keep the Indian Navy abreast with rapid developments that has taken place in the field of
Environment Sciences and Satellite Data acquisition technology.
The MoU has further enhanced the already established collaboration between the two organisations.
Space Applications Centre (SAC) is one of the major centres of ISRO. It was established in the year 1972.
It is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
It primarily focuses on the design of space-borne instruments for ISRO missions.
Union Cabinet clears Ordinance to tackle Bad Loans
The Union Cabinet has cleared an ordinance that seeks to amend the Banking Regulation Act to give more powers
to Reserve Bank of India to deal with non-performing assets (NPAs) in the banking sector.
The ordinance has been sent to the President for assent.
It will empower RBI to act against loan defaulters and defaulting companies under the bankruptcy code.
It will enable RBI to set up multiple oversight committees to deal with NPAs.
It will be made to make sure that bankers opting for resolution of bad debts are ring-fenced from any regulatory
backlash.
The ordinance would empower RBI to speed up the NPA resolution process.
Union Cabinet Clears New National Steel Policy
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for National Steel Policy (NSP) 2017 to give impetus to the steel
sector.
The policy aims to enhance domestic steel consumption and transform Indian steel industry into a technologically
advanced and globally competitive steel industry.
The new policy favors the domestic manufacturers.
Appointment
Appointment Appointee
President of Iran Hassan Rouhani
Deputy Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal PN Pradhan
(Operations)
Tata Sons CFO Saurabh Agrawal
Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus
Chairman of IAMAI Rajan Anandan
Secretary of CBSE Anurag Tripathy
Second Indian Judge to US Circuit Court of Amul Thapar
Appeals
Vice-Chairman of National Commission for George Kurian
Minorities
First Woman Chancellor Of Jamia Millia Najma Heptulla
Islamia
Coffee Board Chairman M S Boje Gowda
Deputy Executive Secretary in UNFCCC Ovais Sarmad
PM of France Edouard Philippe
Goodwill Ambassador for Hepatitis in South- Amitabh Bachchan
East Asia Region
Chairman of FIFA Governance committee Justice Mukul Mudgal
Indias next ambassador to France Vinay Mohan Kwatra
Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra
Secretary in the Textiles Ministry Anant Kumar Singh
Secretary in Ministry of Tourism Rashmi Verma
Secretary in the Ministry of Woman and Rajiv Srivastava
Child Development
Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs Leena Nair
Secretary in the Dept. of Consumer Affairs Jagdish Prasad Meena
Additional Secretary in the Home Ministry BR Sharma
Twitter Country Director for India Taranjeet Singh
President of South Korea Moon Jae-in
Member of Federal Energy Regulatory Neil Chatterjee
Commission (FERC)
President of France Emmanuel Macron
Chairman of the Tea Board Prabhat Kamal Bezboruah
Chairman of the Coffee Board M S Boje Gowda
New Chairman of PAC Mallikarjun Kharge
Chairman of the Indian Council of Social Braj Bihari Kumar
Science Research (ICSSR)
President of the Confederation of Indian Shobana Kamineni
Industry (CII)
Controller General of Accounts (CGA) Anthony Lianzuala
Major Appointments in Bank

Appointment Appointee
MD of Allahabad Bank Usha Ananthasubramanian
MD of Syndicate Bank Melwyn Rego
MD & CEO of Union Bank of India Rajkiran Rai G
MD & CEO of Indian Overseas Bank R Subramaniakumar
MD of PNB Sunil Mehta
MD and CEO of Bank of India Dinabandhu Mohapatra
MD and CEO of Vijaya Bank R A Sankara Narayanan
Awards
ISRO gets Indira Gandhi Prize for 2014
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was presented with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
Disarmament and Development for the year 2014.
The prize was presented to ISRO Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar by former Prime Minister and Indira Gandhi
Memorial Trust (IGMT) trustee Dr. Manmohan Singh.
The ISRO was selected for the prize in 2014 by a jury headed by Vice-President Hamid Ansari.
It consists of a trophy made of banded Haematite Jasper, with a portrait of the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi
in Jaipur miniature paintings, a cash award of 1 crore and a citation.
ISRO was awarded in recognition of its path-breaking achievements, culminating in the Mars Orbiter Mission and
its contributions in strengthening international cooperation.
Indian Boy wins Intel International Science Award in US
Prashant Ranganathan has emerged winner in the worlds largest pre-college science competition in the
environment engineering category for his work on biodegradation of pesticides.
He is among the 20 high schools students from various parts of the country who participated in the Intel
International Science and Engineering Fair held in the US.
He is a student of Carmel Junior College in Jamshedpur.
His project titled Biodegradation of Chlorpyrifos using native bacteria is aimed at helping farmers to biodegrade
the harmful pesticides.
Prestigious Whitley Award for Sanjay Gubbi
Sanjay Gubbi of Karnataka and Purnima Barman of Assam have won the prestigious Whitley Award, popularly
known as Green Oscars, for their efforts in wildlife conservation.
The awards are instituted by the U.K.-registered charity Whitley Fund for Nature, which supports nature
conservationists in their endeavour to conserve wildlife and nature.
While Mr. Gubbi has been awarded for his work to protect tiger corridors in Karnataka, Ms. Barman has won the
award for her work in conservation of Assams Greater Adjutant Stork and its habitat.
The two wildlife scientists from India were among the six selected out of 169 applicants from across the world
working on conservation issues.
Ravichandran Ashwin Wins International Cricketer of the Year Award
Indias Ravichandran Ashwin has won the international cricketer of the Year Award at the CEAT Cricket Rating
(CCR) International awards 2017.
He was presented with an award at a function held at the Cricket Club of India by former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar
and Harsh Goenka of RPG Enterprises.
Ashwin has taken 99 wickets in the past 12 months.
Batsman Shubhman Gill has been awarded with the Young Player of the Year award for his stellar
performance during the India-England U-19 ODI series
Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar for Satyabrata Rout
Satyabrata Rout has been awarded Sangeet Natak Akademi Puraskar for the year 2016.
He is a professor from the Department of Theatre Arts, S N School of Arts and Communication, University of
Hyderabad (UoH).
He has been awarded for developing a unique method of teaching and practicing direction and design achieved
from his experience working with eminent theatre practitioners and scholars.
ISKCON's Govardhan Eco Village wins Smart Village Award
Govardhan Eco Village, set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in
adjoining Thane district, has won an award for being a sustainable project in rural Maharashtra.
The village at Wada taluka is located 108km north of Mumbai at the foothills of the Sahyadri mountains.
The award, "Smart Village," has been instituted by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which also
gives awards in various other categories.
The award was received by Nimai Lila Das, Chief Sustainability Officer of Govardhan Eco Village,
in New Delhi.
Govardhan Eco Village won the honour jointly with Ecosoft.
IIT-Hyderabad professor bags INSA Young Scientist award
Aravind Kumar Rengan, a professor at Indian Institute of Technology - Hyderabad has been awarded the
prestigious Indian National Science Academy (INSA) award in the Young Scientist category for 2017.
Assistant Professor in Department of Biomedical Engineering, he is being recognized for having devised a novel
way of nano delivery using liposomes and gold nanoparticles.
The award will be presented to him by the INSA President during the anniversary general meeting in December
2017.
Indian Scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni Wins Prestigious Dan David Prize
Indian scientist Shrinivas Kulkarni has won the prestigious Dan David prize as a recognition for his contributions
made in the field of astronomy.
Shrinivas Kulkarni, a professor of astrophysics and planetary science at California Institute of Technology in
Pasadena, is a pioneer in the field of time-domain astrophysics.
Shrinivas kulkarni would share the award with Andrej Udalski of the University of Warsaw and Neil Gehrels of
NASA for their discoveries on time-domain astrophysics in the Future category of the prize.
Pawan Kumar Chamling conferred with first BS Shekhawat award by President
Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling was conferred with the first Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Lifetime
Achievement Honour in Public Service by President Pranab Mukherjee.
The award was conferred during the first Bhairon Singh Shekhawat memorial lecture delivered by the President.
Known as the 'Land of Flowers' with a population of around six lakhs, Sikkim is gaining popularity as a fully
organic state in India.
Sachin Tendulkar conferred with Fellowship Award in UK
India's cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar plans to support charities and various initiatives to help the under-privileged
people in the second innings of his life.
Tendulkar made the remarks here while receiving the Fellowship Award at the 7th annual Asian Awards last
night.
The award for outstanding achievement in Cinema was posthumously conferred on Om Puri who died earlier this
year at the age of 66.
India's playback singer Adnan Sami won the award for 'Outstanding achievement in Music."
Hollywood Actor Emma Watson bags first ever genderless award
Hollywood actor Emma Watson has received the first-ever Genderless Acting Award for the Best Actor category
at the MTV Movie and TV Awards.
This is the first ever genderless award that doesnt separate nominees based on their sex.
The 2017 edition of the MTV Movie & TV Awards were held on May 7, 2017, in Los Angeles, California.
It was the 26th edition of the awards.
Indian Origin Scientists Elected Fellows of UK Royal Society
Three Indian Scientist have been elected as the Fellows of The Royal Society, a premier scientific academy of the
United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, for their outstanding contributions to science.
Eminent scientists, engineers and technologists from or living and working in the UK and the Commonwealth are
elected every year as the Fellows of The Royal Society.
Krishna Chatterjee from Cambridge University has been recognised for his discoveries of genetic disorders of
thyroid gland formation, regulation of hormone synthesis and hormone action.
Subhash Khot from New York University is a theoretical computer scientist who is known for his definition of the
Unique Games problem.
Yadvinder Malhi from Oxford University is an ecosystem ecologist who is recognised for his works on
understanding the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems and its response to the pressures of global change,
including climate change, degradation and loss of large animals.
Kashmir based Saqib Majeed has bagged 2016 Wisden-MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year Award
Kashmir based freelance photographer has bagged prestigious 2016 Wisden-MCC (Melbourne Cricket Council)
Cricket Photograph of the Year for capturing a stunning image of boys playing cricket at the Nishat garden in
the outskirts of Srinagar.
With this Saqib Majeed has become the first Kashmiri and second Asian after Atul Kamble to receive the
prestigious award.
Every year MCC publishes a book with a title Wisden Cricketer Almanack that includes best sports pictures that
were taken across the globe.
Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu selected for USIBC Award
The US-India Business Council (USIBC) has selected Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Chandrababu Naidu for the
Transformative Chief Minister Award for his role in advancing the US-India partnership at the state level.
The award will be presented to him at the USIBC West Coast Summit in the Silicon Valley on May 8th.
The USIBC West Coast Summit will see the participation of Indian government officials and 150 industry leaders
from sectors such as information technology, banking, food processing, healthcare, clean energy, digital
payments, and manufacturing to explore the impacts of manufacturing in India, digitisation, move towards
adoption of a cashless society and the future of the US-India trade relations.
Sanjay Pratihar bags INSA Medal for Young Scientist
Sanjay Pratihar, a scientist at Assams Tezpur University, has been selected for the prestigious Indian National
Science Academy (INSA) medal for the Young Scientist Award, 2017, for his contribution to multi-metal
complexes, theoretical understanding, selective sensing of Hq2+ions and important applications in agriculture.
Sports
Indian Mens Team Wins Compound Gold in World Cup Archery
The Indian Mens compound archery team has managed to win gold after defeating Columbia 226-221 in
the archery World Cup stage 1 championships held in Shanghai, China.
Indian archery team was represented by Abhishek Verma, Chinna Raju Srither and Amanjeet Singh.
In the Womens event, South Korea, Denmark and Russia emerged as winners in that order.
India wins all 10 Gold Medals at South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships
The South Asian Junior Table Tennis championship was held in Mount Lavinia, near Colombia in Sri Lanka.
In a stunning performance, the paddlers from India have won all the 10 Gold Medals on offer in this tournament.
Apart from 10 gold medals, the Indian participants have also won 14 medals, thus taking the medal tally to 14.
In this championship, top seeded Manav Thakkar won Junior Boys final; while Archana Girish Kamath won
Junior Girls final.
In Cadet Boys final, top-seed H. Jeho won the Gold Medal. India led the championship with eight points,
followed by Sri Lanka (six points).
C.A. Bhavani Devi becomes first Indian to win a Gold in International Fencing tournament
Indias C.A Bhavani Devi has become first Indian to win a Gold Medal in an international fencing tournament.
She has won the gold medal in the sabre event of the Turnoi Satellite Fencing Championship held at Reykjavik in
Iceland. In the final, she beat Sarah Jane Hampson of Great Britain 15-13 on points.
ICC Test Ranking: India Retains No.1 Spot
Indian cricket team has retained its top position in the latest ICC Test rankings with 123 points.
Indian team is six points ahead of second placed South Africa.
Australia has been placed at the third place with 100 points followed by England at 4th (99 points), New
Zealand at 5th (97 points), Pakistan at 6th (93 points), Sri Lanka at 7th (91 points), West Indies at 8th (75
points), Bangladesh at 9th (69 points) and Zimbabwe at 10th with zero points.
In the recent matches, India registered series wins against West Indies last year and defeated New Zealand,
England and Australia in home series.
Out of the total 13 matches played in India, the Indian team have registered 10 wins, 2 loses and one draw.
In the ICC ODI Championship Rankings, Indian team has been placed at third position after South Africa and
Australia.
In the ICC Twenty-20 Championship Rankings, India occupies fourth position after New Zealand, England and
Pakistan.
In the ICC Womens Championships Rankings, Indian Womens team is at fourth position after
Australia, England and New Zealand.
Indias Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut Sets new Record
The partnership of Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut scored 320 in 45.3 overs in 45.3 overs to become the
worlds first pair, either male or female, to forge a 300-run opening-wicket partnership in One-Day
Internationals (ODIs).
The earlier best partnership for the first wicket in mens cricket was 286 scored by Sri Lankas Upul Tharanga
and Sanath Jayasuriya against England in 2006, and the best partnership for the first wicket for womens
cricket was 268 scored by Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins against South Africa in 2008.
Arjun Maini becomes First Indian to Win a GP3 Race
The 19-year-old Motorsports Indian driver Arjun Maini, who drives for Jenzer Motorsport, has become the first
Indian to win a GP3 Series (a feeder series to GP2) race at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona.
Arjun Maini is supported by JK Racing and TVS. This victory has moved Arjun Maini into third place in the
drivers championship standings after completion of the first round of the eight-round GP3 series.
Rafael Nadal Wins Madrid Open Title
Rafael Nadal beat Dominic Thiem to clinch his fifth Madrid Open title.
With this victory, he has won three straight titles after Barcelona Open and Monte Carlo Masters victories.
Nadal has won his 30th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title tying the all-time record with Serbias
Novok Djokovic.
Lewis Hamilton Wins Spanish Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton has won the Spanish Grand Prix from pole position in the Formula One championship.
This is Hamiltons 55th career win and second wins of the season.
Mercedess Hamilton finished 3.4 seconds ahead of Ferraris Sebastian Vettel.
Third position was occupied by Australian Daniel Ricciardo.
Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race which is one of the oldest of its kind in the world.
Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat & Divya Kakran bags Silver Medals at the Asian Wrestling Championship
Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat & Divya Kakran have bagged silver medals at the Asian Wrestling
Championship held at the KD Jadhav Stadium in New Delhi.
Though wrestler Sakshi, Indias bronze medallist at the Rio Olympics was strong in her first two rounds against
Uzbekistans Nabira Esenbaeva and then Kazakhstans Ayaulym Kassymova, she was defeated by Rio Gold
medallist Risako Kawai of Japan and got settled for a silver medal in the 60 kg category.
Divya Kakran and Vinesh Phogat bagged silver in the 69 kg and 55kg categories respectively.
In the championship, 112 freestyle,103 Greco-Roman and 83 female wrestlers are competing for 24 Gold and
Silver, and 48 bronze medals.
Asian Wrestling Championships are organized every year by the Asian Associated Wrestling Committee
(AAWC).
While the mens wrestling tournament began in 1979, womens tournament began in 1996.
Indias Harpreet Singh wins bronze in Asian Wrestling Championship
Harpreet Singh has bagged bronze medal in Greco-Roman weight divisions in the Asian Wrestling Championship
held at the K.D.
Jadhav arena in the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi.
Harpreet clinched the bronze medal after beating his rival Jun Ji Na of China in 80 kg category.
Jhulan Goswami named Highest Wicket-Taker in Womens One-Day Internationals
Jhulan Goswami has become the highest wicket-taker in one-day internationals. Goswami has so far taken 181
wickets in 153 matches.
She has broken the world record held by Australia fast bowler Cathryn Fitzpatrick who has
taken 180 wickets during Indias ongoing match against South Africa in the Womens Quadrangular Series in
Potchefstroom.
Great Britain stuns Australia to win first Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
Great Britain won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup title after a gap of 23 years with a rousing 4 -3 victory in the final
against defending champions Australia in Malaysia on Saturday.
Entering the final for the first time since their lone title win in 1994, Great Britain led all the way after securing an
early lead in the eighth minute.
India outplayed New Zealand 4-0 to claim the bronze medal, while Malaysia beat Japan 3-1 in the playoff for the
fifth spot.
Shiva Thapa settles for silver at Asian Boxing Championships
Fourth seed Shiva Thapa settled for a silver medal in 60kg category at the Asian Boxing Championships, in
Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
He became the first Indian to claim three back-to-back medals at the continental showpiece.
The World Championships are due to be held in August- September and the top six boxers from each weight
category will qualify for the mega-event in Germany.
Aizawl FC become First Northeastern Club to Win I-League
Aizawl FC has won its maiden I-League title against Shillong Lajong in their final game of the league season to
become the first ever club from the northeast to win the I-League title.
This was the 10th edition of the I-League held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shillong.
Leander Paes Wins Tallahassee Challenger Title
The top-seeded Indo-American pair of Leander Paes and Scott Lipsky defeated Argentine third seeds Leonardo
Mayer and Maximo Gonzalez to win the Tallahassee Challenger title of the mens double.
This title win is Paes 2nd Challenger level title of the season.
The 2017 Tallahassee Tennis Challenger was played on green clay courts between 24 and 29 April 2017.
BOOKS & Authors

Aurangzeb: The Man and the Myth Audrey Truschke
Confessions of a dying mind: the blind faith of atheism Haulianlal Guite
MS Swaminathan: The Quest for a World without Hunger MS Swaminathan
This Wide Night Sarvat Hasin
The Ceaseless Chatter of Demons Ashok Ferrey
In Hot Blood; The Nanavati Case That Shook India Bachi Karkaria
The Queen Anita Sivakumaran
Faith, Unity, Discipline: The ISI of Pakistan Hein G Kiessling
How I Became a Tree Sumana Roy
The Sun and Two Seas Vikramajit Ram
Friends of My Youth Amit Chaudhuri
Demonetisation and Black Money C Rammanohar Reddy
Finks: How the CIA Tricked the World's Best Writers Joel Whitney
Shadow Armies: Fringe Organisations and Foot Soldiers of Hindutva Dhirendra K Jha
South Haven Hiresh Sawhney
The Essential Ambedkar Bhalchandra Mungekar
Dialogue of the Deaf: The Government and the RBI TCA Srinivasa-Raghavan
Indian Railways: The Weaving Of A National Tapestry Bibek Debroy, Sanjay Chadha and Vidya
Krishnamurthi
The Indian Spy: The True Story of The Most Remarkable Secret Agent of World War II Mihir Bose
Important days
01 May: May Day, International Labour Day
03 May: World Press Freedom Day; World Press Freedom Day
04 May: International Firefighters Day, Star Wars Day
05 May: International Midwives Day
08 May: World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
09 May: Europe day
11 May: National Technology Day
12 May: International Nurses Day; World Migratory Bird Day; International Nurses Day
15 May: International Day of Families; International Day of Families
16 May: National Dengue Day
17 May: World Hypertension Day; World Telecommunication and Information Society Day; World
Telecommunication and Information Society Day; World AIDS Vaccine Day; International Day Against
Homophobia and Transphobia
18 May: International AIDS Candlelight Memorial; International Museum Day 20 May: Vesak, the Day of the
Full Moon
21 May: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development;
22 May: International Day for Biological Diversity; World Goth Day
23 May: World Turtle Day
25 May: Geek Pride Day
29 May: International Day of UN Peacekeepers 31 May: World No-Tobacco Day; World No-Tobacco Day
8-9 May: Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World
War 12-13 May: World Migratory Bird Day
1st Tuesday of May: World Asthma Day
2nd Saturday of May: World Fair Trade Day
Obituary
Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave
Led Operation Black Thunder KPS Gill
Veteran Bollywood actress Reema Lagoo
Former Puducherry Chief Minister S Ramassamy
legendary sitar player Ustad Rais Khan
First Woman Chief Justice of a Justice Leila Seth
State High Court
ALL THE BEST !!

Exclusive GA Refresher For SBI PO Main May 2017

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