Indian Surgeons Removed World

Indian surgeons removed world's largest kidney weighing 2.
75 kgs
Published on: 21-APR-2015
Important for Exam: 14 people agreed
The operation was done by the Surgeons of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRM), Delhi.
Ninth Civil Services Day was observed across India on 21 April
To mark the Day, a two-day programme was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances.
Indian Navys new missile destroyer ship named Visakhapatnam launched
This 163-metre-long vessel warship is entirely made of Indian steel and weighs approximately 3000 tons.
It is propelled by four gas turbines and is capable to achieve maximum speed of over 30 knots.
Virat Kohli announced to set up chain of gyms with the investment of 90 crore rupees
The gyms will be launched under the brand name Chisel.
Former Bengal U-19 Cricket captain Ankit Keshri died
Keshri had captained the Bengal U-19 team in Cooch Behar Trophy and was in the 30-member India U19 probables list for the 2014 Colts World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Nasim Zaidi assumed charge as Chief Election Commissioner of India
Zaidi who became Indias 20th CEC succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on 18 April 2015.
Former Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballabh Patnaik died
Patnaik was a senior leader of Indian National Congress and served Odisha as its Chief Minister from
1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999. He was also Governor of Assam from 2009 to 2014.
13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Doha
The Summit concluded with the adoption of Doha Declaration.
Sitaram Yechury elected as General Secretary of CPI (M)
Sitaram Yechury succeeds Prakash Karat, who was the General Secretary of the party from 2005 to April
2015.
Shah Rukh Khan, Zayn Malik honoured at the 5th Asian Awards
Khan was awarded with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Cinema award, while, Malik was
conferred with Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Chhurim Sherpa, first woman to climb the Everest summit twice in a week
She accomplished this feat in 2012, by climbing Everest on 12 May 2012 and 19 May 2012 and the fete
was verified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2013.
World Heritage Day 2015 observed globally
The day marks the necessity of protecting the historical monuments and sites located in every part of the
world by making collective efforts at international level.
PM Narendra Modi concluded his three-nation visit to France, Germany and Canada
Major agreements reached during the three-nation visit included nuclear deal, purchase of 36 Rafale
fighter aircraft, return of the Khajuraho sculpture and others.
Vankadarath Saritha joined as first woman bus driver of the DTC
Saritha started her career as an autorickshaw driver and has worked as a bus driver earlier in Hyderabad
too
World Hemophilia Day 2015 observed globally with theme Building a family of support
17 April was chosen as a day to observe Hemophilia day in 1989 to honor Frank Schnabel the founder of
WFH, whose birthday falls on the same date.
Stanislav Gross, Former Czech Republic Prime Minister, died
He was the youngest Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2004 to 2005 at the age of 34.
Narendra Modi gifted Miniature Painting titled Guru Nanak Dev to Stephen Harper
The painting is the work of Virendra Bannu, a Jaipur-based artist, who is the seventh generation artist in
his family and is taking forward the legacy of his family in specialized miniature art form.
PM of India, Canada paid tributes to victims of 1985 Kanishka incident at Humber Bay Park
The memorial was unveiled on 22 June 2007 in Toronto in the memory of the 329 victims in the 23 June
1985 terrorist attack on Air India Flight 182 or Emperor Kanishka.
Satya Nadella honoured with the White House Champions of Change
Champions of Champs honour is given to those who support working families and help make change in
their companies or communities.
Vikram Patel named among the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World List 2015
The Time Magazine described him as a well-being warrior for his contributions in the field of psychiatry.
Jamal Benomar, United Nations peace envoy to Yemen, resigned
He was serving as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen since 2012.
Ancient Indian sculpture Parrot Lady presented to PM Narendra Modi by Canadian PM
Parrot Lady is a life-sized, sandstone sculpture and is said to be around 900 year old.
Dr. Mohan Kumar appointed as Ambassador of India to France
He is a 1981-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
India successfully test-fired Agni III ballistic missile from Wheelar Island
The intermediate-range ballistic missile was test-fired by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) from the
Wheelar Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.
Chemical scientists Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015
The awards were presented to them at the Tenth International Conference on Methods and Applications
of Radio-analytical Chemistry for their outstanding contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear
chemistry.
Former Nepalese Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa died
Thapa had served as the prime minister of the country for five terms in a political career spanning more
than 50 years. He had worked under three different kings.
Fourth Lighthouse Museum of India to be opened at Kannur, Kerala
The other three lighthouses museums have been set up at Alappuzha in Kerala and Chennai and
Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.
Union Government planned to push for Green Bonds to meets its target of renewable energy
Like normal bonds, these bonds can be issued by governments, multi-national banks or corporations.
Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as first lady judge of Sikkim HC

Meenakshi Madan Rai, who is the first female judge of the Sikkim High Court, is also the third High Court
judge who hails from the small border state.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Germany
During his three day visit, the Prime Minister interacted with the Chancellor, business leaders and Indian
Diaspora.
Justice AR Dave recused from Constitutional Bench hearing petitions challenging NJAC Act, 2014
NJAC Act, 2014, notified on 13 April 2015, provides for constitution of NJAC comprising of the Chief
Justice of India (CJI) as the chairperson, two senior most judges of the SC, Union Law Minister and two
eminent personalities as members.
Fifth Normandy Group Foreign Ministers meet held in Berlin
The meeting reviewed the progress in implementing the truce pact reached between pro-Russia forces
and Ukraine to end the ongoing conflict in the Donbass region of Ukraine.
Assamese film director, actor Bidyut Chakraborty died
He won Indira Gandhi national award for Best First Film of a Director n 1996 for his film Rag Biraag, a film
based on a novel written by Jnanpith award-winner Mamoni Raisom Goswami.
TRAI received over three lakh e-mails in support of Net Neutrality
The e-mails were in response to a consultation paper released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI), which proposed that the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can impose differential charges
on social networking sites which are providing voice and calling services.
Union Government constituted Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers
The task force chaired by BN Navalawala will take up all issues for expediting the work on interlinking of
rivers in the Country. It would also consider alternative plans in place of infeasible links in the present
plan.
Over Hundred people killed during Songkran festival in Thailand
The accident occurred after Thais took trains, planes, cars and bikes to head home to their parents and
families to celebrate the festival which started on 10 April 2015 evening.
Mahatma Gandhi statue in Johannesburg defaced
The statue in Johannesburg is believed to be the only one in the world showing Gandhi as a young lawyer
in his court robes.
Ernst & Young released a report titled Global IPO Trends 2015
As per the report, Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) became the world leader in Initial Public Offerings
(IPO) for the first time, outshining rivals, New York and Hong Kong during the 2015 Q1. In 2015 Q1, SSE
raised 5.4 billion US dollars.
Arun Jaitley inaugurated Vividh Bharati Service of Delhi on FM Mode
With this launch, the services of Vividh Bharti of All India Radio (AIR) will be available to listeners in and
around Delhi.
Ri Su Yong, the Foreign Minister of North Korea, visited India
Foreign Minister level talks were held were issues of mutual interest including Indias security concerns
were discussed and Yong was informed about the significance of peace and stability in the Korean
peninsula for Indias Act East policy.
Prime Minister Naredra Modi visited France
In the first leg of his visit, Modi was given a ceremonial reception in the French capital, Paris by Thierry
Braillard, Minister of State for Sports of France.
Baba Ramdev to be accorded the status of Cabinet Minister by Haryana Government
Ramdev, the Brand Ambassador for promotion of yoga and ayurveda in Haryana, will be given status
equivalent to Cabinet Minister.
Nobel laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass died
His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the destruction and guilt that
remained after defeat of Germany.
NASA named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai, the winner of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
The asteroid is situated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid orbits the sun
every five-and-a-half years.
PM Narendra Modi gifted painting titled Tree of Life to French President Francois Hollande
Bhaskar Mahapatra, an Odisha artist based in Raghurajpur created the painting. He has been practicing
the art form for last thirty years along with rest of his family.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman hanged by Bangladesh for 1971 war crimes
He was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh rejected his appeal against
a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide and torture of civilians during the conflict.
1971 War Hero Lt General Hanut Singh Died
He led the 17 Poona Horse regiment in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the 1971 war in the
Basantar battle, leading to heavy losses on the Pakistan Army by destroying a number of Pakistani tanks.
President inaugurated Songs and Dances of Northeast event in New Delhi
The event was intended to showcase richness of Northeast to people living outside Northeast.
Bharat Hari Singhania became the president of JK Organization
He is an industrialist with over forty-four years of experience in managing various industries including
cement, tyres, paper and succeeded Gaur Hari Singhania who died on 4 April 2015.
Arun Kumar Jha appointed as CEO of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
As the CEO of KVIC, he will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the commission and report about its
activities to the Union Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).
India to chair Ninth Meeting of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Council
India will chair the meeting of the 21 member council, which will guide the agencys future programmes
and activities and helps set the agenda for the meeting of the annual Assembly to be held in January
2016.
India successfully test-fired Dhanush ballistic missile
Strategic Force Command (SFC) of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) test-fired the nuclear
capable missile from a naval ship off the Odisha coast.
Former Air Chief Marshal of IAF Hrushikesh Moolgavkar died
His biography, Leading from the Cockpit: A Fighter pilot's story was published in 2009.
Book titled Suleiman Charitra written by Kalyana Malla translated from Sanskrit to English
The book is a work of translation from Sanskrit to English by diplomat-writer A.N.D. Haskar. The original
book Suleiman Charitra was written by a 16th century poet Kalyan Malla.
Former Australia Cricket Captain Richie Benaud died

In his test career, Benaud played 63 Tests, 28 as captain and never lost a series as captain. He was the
first player to score 2000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets.
Jnanapith awardee Tamil writer Jayakanthan died
Jayakanthan, known as JK among his friends, focussed on the marginalised sections in his writing and
several of his characters reflect their suffering. He was the founder of the Indo-Russian Cultural and
Friendship Society.
Sumit Mazumder elected as President of Confederation of Indian Industry for the year 2015-16
Dr. Naushad Forbes was elected as the President-designate and Shobana Kamineni was elected as the
Vice-President of the CII for the year 2015-16
Dr. Nasim Zaidi appointed as Chief Election Commissioner of India
Zaidi will succeed Hari Shankar Brahma who will demit his office on 18 April 2015. Zaidi will have tenure
up to July 2017 when he attains the age of 65.
Gopaldas Neeraj, Uday Pratap Singh conferred with Sahitya Shiromani Samman of Uttar Pradesh
Along with the award, Gopaldas Neeraj and Uday Pratap Singh also received a cash prize of 21 lakh
rupees.
Noted singer EM Hanifa died
He was known for his song Iraivanidam Kaiyenthungal (look up to God he never says no) was an
evergreen liked by all crossing across religious barriers.
Supreme Court lifted 1990 ban on performance of play Jesus Christ Superstar
The ban on the staging of the play was imposed by the Kottayam District administration through a
notification in 1990.
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry constituted Ajay Shankar committee to simplify
clearances
The Expert Committee examines the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing
regulatory mechanism and prepares draft legislation for this purpose.
Mayilsamy Annadurai appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)

As the Director of ISAC he will oversee development of satellite technology and implementation of
satellite systems for scientific, technological and application missions.
Piplantri village of Rajasthan, a village that plants 111 trees for every girl born
The village not only embraces daughters but also created a tradition of planting 111 trees every time on
the birth of a girl child. The plants are planted in her honour.
World Health Day 2015 observed globally with the theme From farm to plate, make food safe
On this day WHO conducted various programmes across the world in close cooperation with government
agencies and civil society to spread awareness on food safety issues related to the entire spectrum of
food supply chain.
Pratap Singh, an Indian-origin schoolboy, won Institute of Physics Prize for his Cosmic-ray project
He was awarded for conducting an experiment that verified an effect of Albert Einsteins theory of special
relativity at the Bing Bang Fair held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham.
Delhi International Airport Limited won Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2015
The award will be presented to DIAL by the UAE Minister for Culture, Youth and Development Sheikh
Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan at a ceremony to be held in Dubai on 20 April 2015.
Keshari Nath Tripathi sworn-in as 16th Governor of Mizoram
Keshari Nath Tripathi on 4 April 2015 took additional charge as Governor of Mizoram. He also holds the
office of Governor of West Bengal and Bihar. His term would end in 2017.
President presented National Geoscience Awards 2013
The annual awards are presented to honour individuals and team of scientists for their outstanding
contributions in the field of fundamental or applied Geosciences, Mining and Allied areas.
Pedro Cateriano Bellido appointed as 7th Prime Minister of Peru
Bellido replaced Ana Jara, who was sacked on 30 March 2015 after losing the vote of confidence in
Congress.
Prime Minister released a book titled Pre-Modern Kutchi Navigation Techniques and Voyages
The book is a depiction and transcription of Malam Ni Pothis, a collection of Gujarati manuscripts which
describe the pre-modern navigation technology of Gujarat between the 17th and the 19th century.
Indias ace mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu died
Babu who hailed from Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh was regarded as the fastest seven summiteers
of the world, that is, he was the fastest mountaineer to climb seven summits of the world in record 172
days in 2006.
FM Global released Global Resilience Index 2015 Report
Norway topped the Index which used three factors namely Economic Productivity, Risk Quality, and
Supply Chain to assess business resilience of the 130 countries or regions surveyed.
Minor planet named after former Chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand
With this naming, Grandmaster Vishwanathan has registered his name into the books of planetary
science. Other world chess champions whose names are registered in celestial objects are Alexander
Alekhine and Anatoly Karpov.
Mariyam Asif Siddiqui, Muslim girl won Bhagwad Gita contest
Siddiqui who studies in Class 6 in a school at Mira Road near Mumbai won the prize for explaining the
teachings of the Bhagwad Gita.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give it Up campaign
The campaign seeks to extort the better off sections of society to forego their liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) subsidy, which would be utilised in providing subsidised LPG connections to the poor.
Indian-origin nurse Subadhra Devi Rai named for 2015 International Achievement Award
Subadhra Devi Rai became the first Singaporean to get the prestigious biennial prize since its introduction
in 1999.
Sunita Tomar, the face of India's anti-tobacco campaign, died
In 2014, she shot a 30-second video title Sunita highlighting the devastating effect of smokeless tobacco
which was used by the government for its anti-tobacco drive.
Jaish al-Fatah army group captured Syrian city Idlib
The city is strategically located on the highway which connects countrys largest city Aleppo with the
Syrian capital Damascus.
Renowned Hindi poet Kailash Vajpeyi died

Kailash Vajpeyi published 28 books, including 14 volumes of poetry. Some of his works includes
Sufinama, Sankrant, Dehant se Hatkar (Away from Death), Teesra Andhera (Third Darkness), and
Rajnadhi.
India launched Operation Raahat to evacuate 4000 Indian nationals from Yemen
Operation Raahat will involve total of five ships and four aircraft to evacuate about 4000 Indian nationals
from strife-torn Yemen.
Mustafa Kamal resigned from the post of President of International Cricket Council
Mustafa Kamal sent out the resignation letter to the ICC. He had succeeded Alan Isaac as the 11th
President of the ICC in June 2014 for a period of two years.
Vice President released a book titled Aatank Ke Saaye Men written by Garima Sanjay
The book mainly dwells upon the menace of the burning problem of terrorism in most of the countries
worldwide
Amazon and IBM announced plans to enter Internet of Things (IoT) Marketspace
The IoT is a virtual network of devices embedded with electronic sensors and transmitting technologies.
The network helps in sharing information on a real time basis.
Fourteenth Multi-Parametric Geophysical Observatory (MPGO) inaugurated in Port Blair
Published on: 31-MAR-2015
The observatories are set up by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) to study seismic activities by
using multi techniques.
WJP released Open Government Index 2015 Report
The Index used four dimensions to assess openness in government functioning. India is placed at the
37th position among 102 countries surveyed.
Gods Bankers authored by Gerald Posner released
Posner through this book has tried to present the secret side of the 200-year history of Vatican finances
and the Vatican Bank, the Catholic Church's completely independent financial institution.
Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took over as Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command
Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took the charge from Vice Admiral SPS Cheema at the Naval base in Kochi.
Balbir Singh Senior conferred with Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award of Hockey
India
Balbir Singh Senior was a member of three Olympic gold medal winning Indian team, viz., London
Olympics (1948), Helsinki Olympics (1952) and Melbourne Olympics (1956).
Japan organised Worlds first Otaku Expo
The Expo was organized as a part of a special comic book fair held every five years, which attracts about
half a million visitors.
Former Union Minister and veteran Congress Party leader Paty Ripple Kyndiah died
He had served as the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Union Minister for Development of North
Eastern Region (DoNER) in 2004 under the UPA-I government led by Manmohan Singh.
Earth Hour 2015 observed globally from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm local time
The tagline for the Earth Hour 2015 is Change Climate Change and it was observed across 172 nations
and territories and around 1400+ iconic landmarks of the world switched off the lights.
Madan Mohan Malaviya posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna
Pandit Malaviya was born on 25 December 1861 in Allahabad. He studied in Calcutta University and
became a school teacher and later a lawyer and even a newspaper editor. He was the founder of Banaras
Hindu University (BHU) and Hindu Mahasabha.
Aditi Arya won the fbb Femina Miss India 2015 title
She was crowned Miss India 2015 in the 52nd edition of the beauty contest held in Mumbai.
President presented Bharat Ratna award to Atal Bihari Vajpayee
The award giving ceremony is usually held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, but an exception was
made keeping in mind the poor health of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ISRO won Gandhi Peace Prize 2014
The Indian space agency successfully launched Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and at a very cost effective
price of 450 crore rupees.
Virat Kohli announced to set up chain of gyms with the investment of 90 crore rupees

The gyms will be launched under the brand name Chisel.
TRAI issued recommendations on delivering Broadband
The Authority in its recommendations raised concerns about the slow penetration and adoption of
broadband in the country.
Arun Jaitley inaugurated Vividh Bharati Service of Delhi on FM Mode
With this launch, the services of Vividh Bharti of All India Radio (AIR) will be available to listeners in and
around Delhi.
Union Government planned to push for Green Bonds to meets its target of renewable energy
Like normal bonds, these bonds can be issued by governments, multi-national banks or corporations.
Fifth Normandy Group Foreign Ministers meet held in Berlin
The meeting reviewed the progress in implementing the truce pact reached between pro-Russia forces
and Ukraine to end the ongoing conflict in the Donbass region of Ukraine.
TRAI received over three lakh e-mails in support of Net Neutrality
The e-mails were in response to a consultation paper released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of
India (TRAI), which proposed that the Internet Service Providers (ISPs) can impose differential charges
on social networking sites which are providing voice and calling services.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give it Up campaign
The campaign seeks to extort the better off sections of society to forego their liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) subsidy, which would be utilised in providing subsidised LPG connections to the poor.
Jaish al-Fatah army group captured Syrian city Idlib
The city is strategically located on the highway which connects countrys largest city Aleppo with the
Syrian capital Damascus.
India launched Operation Raahat to evacuate 4000 Indian nationals from Yemen
Operation Raahat will involve total of five ships and four aircraft to evacuate about 4000 Indian nationals
from strife-torn Yemen.
Amazon and IBM announced plans to enter Internet of Things (IoT) Marketspace

The IoT is a virtual network of devices embedded with electronic sensors and transmitting technologies.
The network helps in sharing information on a real time basis.
Fourteenth Multi-Parametric Geophysical Observatory (MPGO) inaugurated in Port Blair
The observatories are set up by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) to study seismic activities by
using multi techniques.
Flight 4U 9525 of Germanwings Airbus A320 crashed in French Alps
At the time of crash, A320 Aircraft, flight 4U 9525, was flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. Authorities
recovered the Black box of the Airbus 320 from the crash site.
Narendra Modi gifted Miniature Painting titled Guru Nanak Dev to Stephen Harper
The painting is the work of Virendra Bannu, a Jaipur-based artist, who is the seventh generation artist in
his family and is taking forward the legacy of his family in specialized miniature art form.
Ancient Indian sculpture Parrot Lady presented to PM Narendra Modi by Canadian PM
Parrot Lady is a life-sized, sandstone sculpture and is said to be around 900 year old.
Fourth Lighthouse Museum of India to be opened at Kannur, Kerala
The other three lighthouses museums have been set up at Alappuzha in Kerala and Chennai and
Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu.
Over Hundred people killed during Songkran festival in Thailand
The accident occurred after Thais took trains, planes, cars and bikes to head home to their parents and
families to celebrate the festival which started on 10 April 2015 evening.
PM Narendra Modi gifted painting titled Tree of Life to French President Francois Hollande
Bhaskar Mahapatra, an Odisha artist based in Raghurajpur created the painting. He has been practicing
the art form for last thirty years along with rest of his family.
President inaugurated Songs and Dances of Northeast event in New Delhi
The event was intended to showcase richness of Northeast to people living outside Northeast.
Supreme Court lifted 1990 ban on performance of play Jesus Christ Superstar
The ban on the staging of the play was imposed by the Kottayam District administration through a
notification in 1990.
Shah Rukh Khan, Zayn Malik honoured at the 5th Asian Awards
Khan was awarded with the prestigious Outstanding Contribution to Cinema award, while, Malik was
conferred with Outstanding Contribution to Music.
Satya Nadella honoured with the White House Champions of Change
Champions of Champs honour is given to those who support working families and help make change in
their companies or communities.
Chemical scientists Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015
The awards were presented to them at the Tenth International Conference on Methods and Applications
of Radio-analytical Chemistry for their outstanding contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear
chemistry.
Gopaldas Neeraj, Uday Pratap Singh conferred with Sahitya Shiromani Samman of Uttar Pradesh
Along with the award, Gopaldas Neeraj and Uday Pratap Singh also received a cash prize of 21 lakh
rupees.
Pratap Singh, an Indian-origin schoolboy, won Institute of Physics Prize for his Cosmic-ray project
He was awarded for conducting an experiment that verified an effect of Albert Einsteins theory of special
relativity at the Bing Bang Fair held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham.
Delhi International Airport Limited won Golden Peacock National Quality Award 2015
The award will be presented to DIAL by the UAE Minister for Culture, Youth and Development Sheikh
Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan at a ceremony to be held in Dubai on 20 April 2015.
President presented National Geoscience Awards 2013
The annual awards are presented to honour individuals and team of scientists for their outstanding
contributions in the field of fundamental or applied Geosciences, Mining and Allied areas.
Mariyam Asif Siddiqui, Muslim girl won Bhagwad Gita contest
Siddiqui who studies in Class 6 in a school at Mira Road near Mumbai won the prize for explaining the
teachings of the Bhagwad Gita.
Indian-origin nurse Subadhra Devi Rai named for 2015 International Achievement Award

Subadhra Devi Rai became the first Singaporean to get the prestigious biennial prize since its introduction
in 1999.
Book titled Suleiman Charitra written by Kalyana Malla translated from Sanskrit to English
The book is a work of translation from Sanskrit to English by diplomat-writer A.N.D. Haskar. The original
book Suleiman Charitra was written by a 16th century poet Kalyan Malla.
Prime Minister released a book titled Pre-Modern Kutchi Navigation Techniques and Voyages
The book is a depiction and transcription of Malam Ni Pothis, a collection of Gujarati manuscripts which
describe the pre-modern navigation technology of Gujarat between the 17th and the 19th century.
Vice President released a book titled Aatank Ke Saaye Men written by Garima Sanjay
The book mainly dwells upon the menace of the burning problem of terrorism in most of the countries
worldwide
Union Government constituted Task Force on Interlinking of Rivers
The task force chaired by BN Navalawala will take up all issues for expediting the work on interlinking of
rivers in the Country. It would also consider alternative plans in place of infeasible links in the present
plan.
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry constituted Ajay Shankar committee to simplify
clearances
The Expert Committee examines the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing
regulatory mechanism and prepares draft legislation for this purpose.
Ministry of Railways constituted Ajay Shankar Committee to review PPP Cell functioning
The Committee will recommend measures to make the cell more effective, customer friendly and result
oriented.
Union Government constituted SIT to reinvestigate 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases
Published on: 13-FEB-2015
The SIT was constituted on recommendation of Mathur Committee which in its report asked the
government to start a fresh probe in the case. The new SIT will be headed by Pramod Asthana, an IPS
officer of 1986 batch.
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Ninth Civil Services Day was observed across India on 21 April

To mark the Day, a two-day programme was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and
Public Grievances.
World Heritage Day 2015 observed globally
The day marks the necessity of protecting the historical monuments and sites located in every part of the
world by making collective efforts at international level.
World Hemophilia Day 2015 observed globally with theme Building a family of support
17 April was chosen as a day to observe Hemophilia day in 1989 to honor Frank Schnabel the founder of
WFH, whose birthday falls on the same date.
World Health Day 2015 observed globally with the theme From farm to plate, make food safe
On this day WHO conducted various programmes across the world in close cooperation with government
agencies and civil society to spread awareness on food safety issues related to the entire spectrum of
food supply chain.
Earth Hour 2015 observed globally from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm local time
The tagline for the Earth Hour 2015 is Change Climate Change and it was observed across 172 nations
and territories and around 1400+ iconic landmarks of the world switched off the lights.
Indian Navys new missile destroyer ship named Visakhapatnam launched
This 163-metre-long vessel warship is entirely made of Indian steel and weighs approximately 3000 tons.
It is propelled by four gas turbines and is capable to achieve maximum speed of over 30 knots.
India successfully test-fired Agni III ballistic missile from Wheelar Island
The intermediate-range ballistic missile was test-fired by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) from the
Wheelar Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal.
India successfully test-fired Dhanush ballistic missile
Strategic Force Command (SFC) of India's Nuclear Command Authority (NCA) test-fired the nuclear
capable missile from a naval ship off the Odisha coast.
Indian Navy commissioned three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs) in Vishakhapatnam

These ISVs will be operated from Vishakhapatnam and will augment the Navys capabilities to protect the
porous maritime borders and offshore assets like petroleum and natural gas production sites.
29th Surajkund International Crafts Mela celebrated
Published on: 23-FEB-2015
Chhattisgarh was selected as the Theme State while Lebanon was Partner Nation for the Surajkund
Mela. Sri Lanka was chosen as Partner Nation for 28th Surajkund International Crafts Mela-201
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Sitaram Yechury elected as General Secretary of CPI (M)
Sitaram Yechury succeeds Prakash Karat, who was the General Secretary of the party from 2005 to April
2015.
Dr. Mohan Kumar appointed as Ambassador of India to France
He is a 1981-batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as first lady judge of Sikkim HC
Meenakshi Madan Rai, who is the first female judge of the Sikkim High Court, is also the third High Court
judge who hails from the small border state.
Bharat Hari Singhania became the president of JK Organization
He is an industrialist with over forty-four years of experience in managing various industries including
cement, tyres, paper and succeeded Gaur Hari Singhania who died on 4 April 2015.
Arun Kumar Jha appointed as CEO of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
As the CEO of KVIC, he will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the commission and report about its
Sumit Mazumder elected as President of Confederation of Indian Industry for the year 2015-16
Dr. Naushad Forbes was elected as the President-designate and Shobana Kamineni was elected as the
Vice-President of the CII for the year 2015-16
Dr. Nasim Zaidi appointed as Chief Election Commissioner of India
Zaidi will succeed Hari Shankar Brahma who will demit his office on 18 April 2015. Zaidi will have tenure
up to July 2017 when he attains the age of 65.
Mayilsamy Annadurai appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)

As the Director of ISAC he will oversee development of satellite technology and implementation of
Keshari Nath Tripathi sworn-in as 16th Governor of Mizoram
Keshari Nath Tripathi on 4 April 2015 took additional charge as Governor of Mizoram. He also holds the
office of Governor of West Bengal and Bihar. His term would end in 2017.
Pedro Cateriano Bellido appointed as 7th Prime Minister of Peru
Bellido replaced Ana Jara, who was sacked on 30 March 2015 after losing the vote of confidence in
Congress.
Former Bengal U-19 Cricket captain Ankit Keshri died
Keshri had captained the Bengal U-19 team in Cooch Behar Trophy and was in the 30-member India U19 probables list for the 2014 Colts World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Former Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballabh Patnaik died
Patnaik was a senior leader of Indian National Congress and served Odisha as its Chief Minister from
1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999. He was also Governor of Assam from 2009 to 2014.
Stanislav Gross, Former Czech Republic Prime Minister, died
He was the youngest Prime Minister of the Czech Republic from 2004 to 2005 at the age of 34.
Former Nepalese Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa died
Thapa had served as the prime minister of the country for five terms in a political career spanning more
than 50 years. He had worked under three different kings.
Assamese film director, actor Bidyut Chakraborty died
He won Indira Gandhi national award for Best First Film of a Director n 1996 for his film Rag Biraag, a film
based on a novel written by Jnanpith award-winner Mamoni Raisom Goswami.
Nobel laureate German Novelist Gunter Grass died
His writings mainly focused on the Nazi era, the horrors of the war and the destruction and guilt that
remained after defeat of Germany.
1971 War Hero Lt General Hanut Singh Died

He led the 17 Poona Horse regiment in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel during the 1971 war in the
Basantar battle, leading to heavy losses on the Pakistan Army by destroying a number of Pakistani tanks.
Former Air Chief Marshal of IAF Hrushikesh Moolgavkar died
His biography, Leading from the Cockpit: A Fighter pilot's story was published in 2009.
Former Australia Cricket Captain Richie Benaud died
In his test career, Benaud played 63 Tests, 28 as captain and never lost a series as captain. He was the
first player to score 2000 Test runs and take 200 Test wickets.
Jnanapith awardee Tamil writer Jayakanthan died
Jayakanthan, known as JK among his friends, focussed on the marginalised sections in his writing and
several of his characters reflect their suffering. He was the founder of the Indo-Russian Cultural and
Friendship Society.
Noted singer EM Hanifa died
He was known for his song Iraivanidam Kaiyenthungal (look up to God he never says no) was an
evergreen liked by all crossing across religious barriers.
Indias ace mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu died
Babu who hailed from Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh was regarded as the fastest seven summiteers
of the world, that is, he was the fastest mountaineer to climb seven summits of the world in record 172
days in 2006.
Sunita Tomar, the face of India's anti-tobacco campaign, died
In 2014, she shot a 30-second video title Sunita highlighting the devastating effect of smokeless tobacco
which was used by the government for its anti-tobacco drive.
Renowned Hindi poet Kailash Vajpeyi died
Kailash Vajpeyi published 28 books, including 14 volumes of poetry. Some of his works includes
Sufinama, Sankrant, Dehant se Hatkar (Away from Death), Teesra Andhera (Third Darkness), and
Rajnadhi.
Former Union Minister and veteran Congress Party leader Paty Ripple Kyndiah died

He had served as the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs and Union Minister for Development of North
Eastern Region (DoNER) in 2004 under the UPA-I government led by Manmohan Singh.
Jamal Benomar, United Nations peace envoy to Yemen, resigned
He was serving as UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen since 2012.
Mustafa Kamal resigned from the post of President of International Cricket Council
Mustafa Kamal sent out the resignation letter to the ICC. He had succeeded Alan Isaac as the 11th
President of the ICC in June 2014 for a period of two years.
Nasim Zaidi assumed charge as Chief Election Commissioner of India
Zaidi who became Indias 20th CEC succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma, who had retired on 18 April 2015.
Chhurim Sherpa, first woman to climb the Everest summit twice in a week
She accomplished this feat in 2012, by climbing Everest on 12 May 2012 and 19 May 2012 and the fete
was verified by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2013.
Vankadarath Saritha joined as first woman bus driver of the DTC
Saritha started her career as an autorickshaw driver and has worked as a bus driver earlier in Hyderabad
too
Vikram Patel named among the Time 100 Most Influential People in the World List 2015
The Time Magazine described him as a well-being warrior for his contributions in the field of psychiatry.
Justice AR Dave recused from Constitutional Bench hearing petitions challenging NJAC Act, 2014
NJAC Act, 2014, notified on 13 April 2015, provides for constitution of NJAC comprising of the Chief
Justice of India (CJI) as the chairperson, two senior most judges of the SC, Union Law Minister and two
eminent personalities as members.
Baba Ramdev to be accorded the status of Cabinet Minister by Haryana Government
Ramdev, the Brand Ambassador for promotion of yoga and ayurveda in Haryana, will be given status
equivalent to Cabinet Minister.
NASA named Asteroid 316201 after Malala Yousafzai, the winner of 2014 Nobel Peace Prize
The asteroid is situated in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid orbits the sun
every five-and-a-half years.
Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman hanged by Bangladesh for 1971 war crimes
He was hanged at Dhaka Central Jail after the Supreme Court of Bangladesh rejected his appeal against
a death sentence imposed by a special tribunal for genocide and torture of civilians during the conflict.
Minor planet named after former Chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand
With this naming, Grandmaster Vishwanathan has registered his name into the books of planetary
science. Other world chess champions whose names are registered in celestial objects are Alexander
Alekhine and Anatoly Karpov.
Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took over as Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command
Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba took the charge from Vice Admiral SPS Cheema at the Naval base in Kochi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 April 2015 returned to India after his three-nation visit to France,
Germany
and
Canada.
During his nine-day visit, which took place from 9 April to 17 April 2015, he met leaders of the three
nations namely French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian
Prime
Minister
Stephen
Harper.
The visit concluded with some major agreements which would boost Modis vision of Clean India, Make in
India and others.
Some major agreements include purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets with France, agreement for supply of
uranium with Canada for nuclear power plants in India and Airbus plan to come to India and be a part of
Make
in
India
initiative.
MoUs and agreements signed with France and Germany covered areas like Defence and Nuclear
Energy, Space, Economic relations, Railways, Energy, Tourism, Science and Technology, Skill
Development, Ayurveda, manufacturing, urban development, environment, railways, cleaning of rivers,
language
and
science
&
technology.
Agreements with Canada covered the areas of uranium, visas, terrorism, foreign investment promotion
and protection, Canada-India comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) free-trade deal,
culture
and
people-to-people
ties,
regional
and
global
issues
and
others.
The other major highlights of the visit were the gifts presented by PM Modi to the leaders of the respective
countries. The
gifts
included
A miniature painting titled Guru Nanak Dev to Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. The painting
on handmade paper with mineral colours had Guru Nanak Dev with his two disciples Bhai Mardana and
Bhai
Bala,
sitting
beside
him
is
painted
in
the
traditional
Indian
miniature
style.
A painting titled Tree of Life was gifted to French President Francois Hollande. Tree of Life: A painting
that
reflects
traditional
societal
respect
for
nature
in
India.
Some reproductions of Sir CV Ramans manuscripts and paperswere gifted to the German
Chancellor Angela Merkel. CV Raman had strong connection with Germany.
Besides, the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper presented ancientIndian sculpture Parrot
Lady to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Parrot Lady is a life-sized, sandstone sculpture and is said to be
around 900 year old and was carved for placement in one of the Khajuraho temples that form a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in the Madhya Pradesh. It was returned to India in line with the 1970 UNESCO
Convention.
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PM of India, Canada paid tributes to victims of 1985 Kanishka incident at Humber Bay Park
The memorial was unveiled on 22 June 2007 in Toronto in the memory of the 329 victims in the 23 June
1985 terrorist attack on Air India Flight 182 or Emperor Kanishka.
Mahatma Gandhi statue in Johannesburg defaced
The statue in Johannesburg is believed to be the only one in the world showing Gandhi as a young lawyer
in his court robes.
Piplantri village of Rajasthan, a village that plants 111 trees for every girl born
The village not only embraces daughters but also created a tradition of planting 111 trees every time on
the birth of a girl child. The plants are planted in her honour.
Islamic State Group bulldozed ancient city of Nimrud in Iraq

Nimrud overlooking the Tigris River was founded in the 13th century BC and was considered the jewel of
the Assyrian era.
Ernst & Young released a report titled Global IPO Trends 2015
As per the report, Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) became the world leader in Initial Public Offerings
(IPO) for the first time, outshining rivals, New York and Hong Kong during the 2015 Q1. In 2015 Q1, SSE
raised 5.4 billion US dollars.
Norway topped the Index which used three factors namely Economic Productivity, Risk Quality, and
Supply Chain to assess business resilience of the 130 countries or regions surveyed.
WJP released Open Government Index 2015 Report
The Index used four dimensions to assess openness in government functioning. India is placed at the
37th position among 102 countries surveyed.
13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice held in Doha
The Summit concluded with the adoption of Doha Declaration.
India to chair Ninth Meeting of International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Council
India will chair the meeting of the 21 member council, which will guide the agencys future programmes
and activities and helps set the agenda for the meeting of the annual Assembly to be held in January
2016.
1st Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015 held in Jaipur
The first international conference on counter-terrorism was held in Jaipur for three days from March 19
2015 to March 21 2015 to discuss emerging policy and technological issues related to counter-terrorism
activities. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Counter-Terrorism.
Indian economy to grow at 7.5 per cent in 2015: Moody's
The growth projections come soon after Moodys had revised Indias sovereign ratings outlook to positive
(Baa3) from stable. Another ratings agency, Fitch, had reaffirmed its stable outlook on India.
WEF released a report titled Urban Development Recommendations for India under FUDS initiative

The report on India is the third in the FUDS Initiative. The first two presented the results of the initiatives
engagement with three Chinese cities: Tianjin, Dalian and Zhangjiakou.
World Bank released South Asia Economic Focus report
As per the report, economic growth of the region will increase from 7 percent in 2015 to 7.6 percent by
2017
EPFO suspended 1000 rupees minimum monthly pension scheme
Government notification issued on 19 August 2014 said that the benefit of minimum pension was made
effective from 1 September 2014 to 31 March 2015.
SEBI raised the limit for currency derivatives trades to 15 million US dollar
The capital market regulator said that the FPIs and domestic clients can take position (long and short) in
foreign currency up to 15 million US Dollars or equivalent per exchange.
RBI notified hike in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) cap in Insurance Sector to 49 percent
The hike in the insurance sector from the present 26 percent to 49 percent is in tune with the DIPPs
March 2015 decision regarding operationalisation of the hike.
Union Cabinet gave nod for release of additional installment of DA and DR
With this decision, Central Government employees as well as pensioners are entitled for DA or DR at the
rate of 113 percent (an increase of 6 percent) of the basic pay with effect from 1 January 2015.
CCEA approved two FIIs proposals in pharmaceutical companies Aurobindo and Glenmark
The foreign Investments worth 4187 crore rupees will help the companies to expand their operations and
research and development facilities.
CCEA gave nod for strengthening and widening of 455-km of National Highways
The projects are aimed at improving road connectivity in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the
expenditure to be incurred on these projects will be borne by the Union Government.
Prime Minister launched MUDRA Bank under PM Jan Dhan Yojana to fund small entrepreneurs
The MUDRA Bank launched by Prime Minister seeks to go beyond the concept of credit only approach
and provides both credit plus solution for small entrepreneurs spread across the country.
Union Government launched FAME-India scheme to boost electric, hybrid vehicle sales

The scheme was launched with an aim to boost sales of eco-friendly vehicles in the country. It is a part of
the National Mission for Electric Mobility.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved uniform gas price for urea plants
As per the estimation of the Department of Fertilizer (DOF), the decision will lead to additional production
of around 37.13 lakh million tones (MT) of urea.
RBI imposed 5 lakh rupees fine on 16 Central Co-operative Banks for violation of norms
The penalty was imposed for non-adherence of the Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering
guidelines.
RBI signed Currency Swap Agreement with Central Bank of Sri Lanka
The Reserve Bank of India on 25 March 2015 signed a 400 million US Dollars currency swap agreement
with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The agreement is valid for a period of three years from the date of
signing.
Centre Party won the Parliamentary Elections of Finland
Juha Sipilas Centre Party was able to win 49 seats in the 200-member Parliament, which means that the
party will have to go for coalition support from second-placed euroskeptic Finns party, formerly known as
the True Finns.
India and South Korea held high level defence talks in Seoul
The meeting was held with South Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo at the Ministry of Defence of
Korea in Seoul.
UN released a report titled Global E-Waste Monitor 2014
As per the report, in the year 2014 volume of e-waste is estimated around 41.8 million metric tonnes
(Megatonnes Mt) and it is expected to rise by 21 percent to 50 million Mt in 2018.
Union Government decided to transfer training and apprentice divisions to Skill Development Ministry
The DGET comprises 12000 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) across the country.
Time Magazine released list of 100 most influential people in the world
The list includes four Indians namely Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director
and CEO of ICICI Bank, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Vikram Patel, co-founder of the NGO
Sangath.
Pakistan Supreme Court stayed executions by Military Courts
The order of the court came on a petition filed by the countrys Supreme Court Bar Association seeking a
stay in executions ordered by military courts.
India, Canada issued Joint Statement titled New Vigour, New Steps
Modis visit to Canada is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 42 years and the highlight of the visit was
agreement on civil nuclear cooperation under which Cameco of Canada will supply uranium to India over
the next five years to meet its energy needs.
Russia lifted ban on delivery of S-300 Missile System to Iran


Russia lifted the 2010 ban in the back drop of an informal agreement reached on 2 April 2015 between
P5+1, the EU and Iran to prepare the final draft of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by 30
June 2015.
Tennessee House voted to make Bible as official state book
The lawmakers voted 55-38 in favor of Rep. Jerry Sexton's original Bill, despite questions of
constitutionality of the Bill.
Pakistan and Russia agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercise
The two nations also agreed to promote joint participation in military exercises and resolve conflicts
through diplomatic means.
India and Canada signed nuclear agreement on supply of Uranium
PM Modi is on a three-day official visit to Canada, which is the first bilateral visit by an Indian Prime
Minister in 42 years.
India, Belarus agreed to enhance bilateral ties
The Belarusian Foreign Minister, Makei was accompanied by a 3-member business delegation
representing prominent Belarusian state enterprises dealing in potash, fertilizers, dumper trucks and
tractors.
IMF released World Economic Outlook April 2015 Update

Global growth is forecasted at 3.5 percent in 2015 and 3.8 percent in 2016 which is in line with forecasts
made in the January 2015 WEO Update.
India-Germany released Joint Statement to strengthen Strategic Partnership
The two countries agreed to utilize the momentum generated by Indias participation in the Hannover
Messe to foster stronger ties between business and industry on both sides in order to support Indias
Make in India initiative.
Delhi Declaration on Public Health Challenges adopted at 5th SAARC Health Ministers meet
Earlier SAARC Health Ministers were held in Maldives in 2012, Dhaka in April 2006, Islamabad in 2005
and New Delhi in 2003.
China quashed bid of Taiwan to become full member of AIIB
The Chinese Government said that it would welcome Taiwan in the future but under a different name.
World Bank released Migration and Development Brief
In 2014, India continued to be highest recipients of remittance
Parliament of Ukraine passed a law banning organisations that propagate Communism and Nazism

Parliament of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada, on 9 April 2015 passed a legislation that equates Communism
with Nazism (nationalist-socialist) and banned both the regimes.
Normandy Four Group agreed to form working group to implement ceasefire deal on Ukraine conflict
They agreed to support international monitors and establish four working groups to address the most
pressing issues faced by people in the embattled region, where Russian-backed separatists are fighting
Ukrainian government forces.
India and France signed 20 MoUs and Agreements to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation
Prime Minister Modi during his visit to France gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional
societal respect for nature in India to the French President Francois Hollande.
State legislature of Oklahoma passed a bill that allow use of nitrogen gas for executions
The bill that was passed by the legislature without a single dissenting vote allows use of nitrogen-induced
hypoxia as a method of execution.
India elected to four United Nations agencies
India was elected to UNICEF, WFP, CCPCJ and UN-Habitat whose activities are coordinated by the
UNECOSOC (the United Nations Economic and Social Council).
Social Progress Index 2015 released by Social Progress Imperative

India with a score of 53.06 is ranked 101st and is placed in the Low Social Progress Group. In 2014, India
with a score of 50.24 was ranked 102 out of 132 countries
India and USA signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on transportation
The MoC will enable India to make use of worlds latest technology available with the USA for projects like
developments of waterways and multi-modal hub.
University of Cape Town voted for removal of the statue of British colonialist, Cecil Rhodes
The controversial statue of Cecil John Rhodes will be removed from the University of Cape Town (UCT)
campus after the Council, voted in favour of its removal.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan signed Six Agreements
The six agreements pertained to advancing cooperation in disaster management, sports, shipping, socioeconomic development, education and narcotics control.
Pakistan President promulgated the General Elections 2013 Inquiry Commission Ordinance 2015
According to the Ordinance, A judicial inquiry commission will be set up by the Supreme Court of Pakistan
to inquire into the organization and conduct of the 2013 general elections to the lower house of the
Parliament.
Al-shabab attacked Garissa University College in Kenya

The terror attack is the second-worst in the country's history next to the bombings carried out by Al-Qaeda
on the US Embassy in Nairobi in which 213 people were killed.
Iran and P5+1 gave nod for nuclear agreement Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
According to the agreement Iran will limit its nuclear enrichment capacity, enrichment level and stockpile
for specified durations and there will be no enrichment facility other than the one at Natanz.
California Court ruled Yoga taught in San Diego County schools does not violate religious freedom
The parents of two students at an Encinitas district school near San Diego said the yoga classes, which
were taught as part of the school's physical education curriculum, infringed on their children's
constitutional rights.
General Muhammadu Buhari won Presidential Election of Nigeria
His party All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 15424921 votes and Goodluck Jonathan's People's
Democratic Party (PDP) secured 12853162 votes.
Third International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria announced 3.8 billion US dollar aid
The financial aid will help UN organisations and partners to meet urgent needs of victims of Syrias civil
war in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Peru Prime Minister Ana Jara sacked over alleged domestic spying

The Peruvian Prime Minister was forced to step down over alleged spying against the lawmakers,
reporters, business leaders and everyday citizens.
Myanmar Government and 16 Ethnic Rebel Groups signed draft cease-fire agreement
The agreement that can be a significant step towards ending decades of conflict was reached after seven
rounds of talks.
China and Sri Lanka inked five agreements during visit of Maithripala Sirisena to China
The agreements were signed during the Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena to China to deepen
development partnership between both the countries.
Cricket South Africa launched Africa T20 Cup
The tournament that will run from 4 September to 4 October 2015 will feature Zimbabwe, Kenya, Namibia,
hosts South Africa and 12 CSA affiliates.
Archana, Anezka won cadet girls doubles title at the French Junior and Cadet Open
In the title clash, Archana and Ilcikova defeated the French pair of Lucie Gauthier and Leili Mostafavi 1012, 7-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-5 and clinched the gold medal.
Neeraj Kumar appointed as Chief Adviser of Anti-Corruption & Security Unit of BCCI

Neeraj Kumar is a 1976 batch IPS officer of the AGMU cadre. Earlier, he has served as the Delhi Police
commissioner for 13 months i.e. from June 2012 to July 2013.
Novak Djokovic won Monte Carlo Masters title of Tennis
With this win, Djokovic also became the first player to sweep the opening three ATP World Tour Masters
1000 events of a season. The previous two titles were won at Indian Wells and Miami.
Three Indian race walkers Khushbir, Manish, Sandeep qualified for 2016 Rio Olympics
They qualified for the Rio Olympics after completing their race in stipulated qualification time during the
IAAF Race Walking Challenge at Rio Maiorin Portugal.
Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 conferred
Sachin Tendulkar was inducted, along with four other exceptional athletes, namely Yao Ming, Tegla
Loroupe, LiXiaopeng and Yang Yang.
Sachin Tendulkar elected as member of Laureus Sports Academy
Sachin Tendulkar was inducted, along with retired Chinese professional basketball player Yang Yang.
Allan Donald resigned as South Africa Bowling Coach

He was appointed to the position in 2011 as a member of the teams chief coach Gary Kirstens support
staff, which he continued to fulfill under the current coach Russell Domingo since August 2013.
Brijbushan Sharan Singh re-elected as President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)
As the president of the WFI he will guide the General Council of the federation and set the policy tone in
order to achieve the objectives enshrined in the WFI Constitution.
New Zealand won Sultan Azlan Shah Cup mens hockey tournament by defeating Australia
New Zealand has won the title for only the second time since inception of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
competition in 1983. New Zealands first victory came in 2012 against Argentina.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won Chinese Grand Prix of Formula 1
With the present victory, the reigning world champion Hamilton registered his second victory of the
season and his fourth in China having won the titles in 2008, 2011 and 2014.
Yuki Bhambri won ITF Uzbekistan F1 Futures Singles Title
Yuki won the title by defeating Dzmitry Zyrmont of Serbia in two straight sets 6-2 6-4 in the final match
held in Karshi, Uzbekistan.
Apurvi Chandela won Bronze in 10-m Air Rifle Women event at ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Changwon

With the present win, she has become the second Indian shooter to be qualified to represent India in the
2016 Summer Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Jitu Rai won Bronze in 10-m Air Pistol Men event at ISSF Rifle/Pistol World Cup in Changwon
It is the fourth world cup medal for Jitu Rai having won three medals including two silvers and one gold in
two separate events held in Munich and Maribor in 2014.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won WTA Family Circle Cup
With this win, Sania Mirza also became the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world
number one rank in doubles. Sania is also first female player from the country to win Grand Slam
tournaments.
Indian football team climbed to 147 position in FIFA/Coca-Cola rankings
India could improve its ranking by 26 positions due to its commendable performance against Nepal in
March 2015.
Liu Xiang, former Olympic 110m hurdles champion, retired
He became an icon in China after winning the country's first Olympic men's track and field gold medal in
the 110 metres hurdles in Athens in 2004. He held the world record in 2006 with a time of 12.88 seconds.
Dronavalli Harika won bronze in World Women's chess championship

In the semi-final clash, Harika lost to Mariya Muzychuk of Ukraine. She got 20000 US Dollars for the
Bronze medal finish.
Gujarat won Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy
Wicketkeeper and opening batsman Smit Patel's unbeaten 50 helped Gujarat to win their second Syed
Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. The final match was played at the KIIT Cricket Stadium, Bhubaneshwar.
PCI President Rajesh Tomar suspended for mismanagement in Para-Athletics games
It was alleged that the participants were accommodated in unfurnished flats with unhygienic facilities in
Ghaziabad.
Rajeev Shukla appointed as Chairman of IPL Governing Council
Shukla was the IPL chairman till 2013 when he resigned from the post in the aftermath of the IPL spotfixing scandal.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the 2015 Miami Open Tennis Singles titles
The duo won the 2015 Miami Open Mens and womens singles titles by defeating Andy Murray and
Suarez Navarro respectively at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, Florida.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won 2015 Miami Open Women's Doubles title

Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the Indo-Swiss women pair of Tennis defeated the Russian pair of
Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 7-5, 6-1 in the final played in Miami.
21 weightlifters test positive, provisionally suspended by IWF
Sample B of these 21 lifters has been sent for test by IWF. In case, the sample tests positive then the
first-time offenders could face a ban for four years.
Brendon McCullum conferred with Sir Richard Hadlee Medal for 2014-15
The countrys highest cricketing honour was presented to him during the New Zealand Cricket (NZC)
Awards presentation ceremony held in New Zealands capital Auckland.
Union Sports Ministry signed MoU with IIFCL to support TOP Scheme for Badminton
Under the MOU, IIFCL shall contribute 30 crore rupees to the TOP Scheme under its initiatives for
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). IIFCL have contributed 10 crore rupees so far.
Kyle Mills of New Zealand retired from all forms of International Cricket
In October 2009, he reached his at number 1 position of first on the International Cricket Council's oneday international bowlers rankings after taking nine wickets in New Zealands series against Australia.
Daniel Vettori retired from all forms of International Cricket

Daniel Vettori is the eighth player in Test history to take 300 wickets and score 3000 runs. He is the
youngest player to represent New Zealand in Test cricket, having made his debut in 199697 at the age
of 18.
Researchers developed smart phone-based Digital Diffraction Diagnosis System to diagnose cancer
Researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) of USA developed a smart phone-based
device, called as D3 (Digital Diffraction Diagnosis) System, which performs rapid and accurate molecular
diagnosis of cancerous tumors.
Stanford Researchers created a Smartphone Battery that charges in only one minute
The battery invented is the first high-performance aluminum battery which is fast-charging, long-lasting
and inexpensive.
AIIMS study found Ashwagandha powder, Sidh Makardhwaj are effective in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) powder is derived from a plant and Sidh Makardhwaj is a formulation
of herbal and mineral ingredients.
Steel Companies partnered with Union Ministry of Steel to set up Steel Research & Technology Mission
The mission aims at increasing investment on R&D in the steel sector from the present level of 0.2-0.3 to
the international benchmark of 1-2 percent of the industry turnover.
Port Blair Magnetic Observatory inaugurated to monitor seismic activities

It is a part of network of observatories called as Multi-Parametric Geophysical Observatories (MPGO),
established by the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG).
upin launched hepatic encephalopathy drug Zaxine in Canada
The agreement to launch Zaxine drug was signed in September 2014.
Carzonrent India acquired car-pooling startup firm Ridingo
The acquisition is part of the strategy of company to build leadership into evolving sharing economy.
BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal unit of OP Jindal Thermal Power Project
In last three months, BHEL has added three units of 600 MW aggregating to 1800 MW capacity in
Chhattisgarh.
BHEL and Russian firm INTMA inked MoU to set power plant in Kazakhstan
The MoU aims to set forth a path to combine the BHEL's competence in design and manufacturing of
power plants and INTMA's strength in handling EPC contracts so as to bid and execute projects of mutual
interest in Russia and Kazakhstan.
Temasek acquired InnoVen Capital India for 300 crore rupees

With this acquisition, Temasek announced its entry into the venture debt segment.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc acquired BG Group for about 70 billion US dollar
The deal would vault Shell far ahead of rivals like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp. in the race to
build market share for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
Godrej Natures Basket joined hands with Amazon for selling its products
The company has listed a wide range of products on Amazon's platform in the first phase and the range
will increase exponentially in the coming months.
Snapdeal acquired mobile recharge service FreeCharge
As per the deal, Freecharge will continue to work as an independent platform and will offer many more
digital goods in future. Also, most of Freecharges institutional investor would get Snapdeal stock.
Rajasthan and Vedanta Group signed a MoU to improve 3056 Anganwadi Centres in five districts
The anganwadi centres of five districts are Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Rajsamand and Ajmer will be
improved in five years under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).
Dena Bank inked MoU with Life Insurance Corporation
The insurance cover will be provided under the Prime Ministers Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJBY) scheme. The scheme will come into effect from 1 June 2015.
CII and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed MoU to deepen partnership
The MoU will help Indian companies to expand their business in those countries where the bank has
operations.
DGCEI slapped 570 crore rupees excise duty fine against Cadbury India Limited
The fine was slapped for allegedly evading excise duty by fraudulently taking exemption for one of its
unopened production units in Himachal Pradesh.
Google signed strategic partnership with PricewaterhouseCoopers to target Digital India projects
With the Indian partnership, Google wants to push itself into large e-governance projects and improve the
sales for its cloud services in India.
Snapdeal acquired RupeePower to launch financial service
Snapdeal will now offer consumers a financial services marketplace, a first of its kind initiative in the ecommerce industry.
Bharti AXA General Insurance launched Smart Traveller
The SmartTraveller Insurance policy offers a choice of two major plans catering to Individuals and
Families and frequent travelers through a variant known as Annual Multi Trip International travel insurance
plan.
Satishchandra Doreswamy resigned as Chief Business Officer of Wipro
As a CBO at Wipro, he had responsibilities for Business Operations Group, Delivery Leadership and
Global Transformation charter.
Vijay L Kelkar resigned from Tata Chemicals Board
Vijay L. Kelkar is an Indian economist and academician who served as the Chairman of the Thirteenth
Finance Commission constituted by the President of India. He also served as Advisor to the Union
Ministry of Finance (20022004)
Alibaba signed digital distribution deal with German music rights group BMG
The deal will bring more than 2.5 million copyrights to Alibaba, whose music platforms already had many
of the songs from artists including Kylie Minogue, the Rolling Stones and Jean-Michael Jarre.
RBI approved the amalgamation of ING Vysya Bank with Kotak Mahindra Bank
With this approval of RBI, Kotak will come up as the countrys fourth largest private sector lender.
IBM announced to invest 3 billion US dollars to build an Internet of Things (IoT) unit
The unit will build industry-specific data services and developer tools and offer them over Cloud-based
open platform to its enterprise customers. These services will help its clients to make business decisions
in a better way.
Australia's IAG to raise stake in SBI General Insurance to 49 percent
IAG decided to increase its stake in SBIGI in the backdrop of the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015
that seeks to increase foreign investment limit in local insurers to 49 percent from 26 percent.
Katsushi Inoue appointed as President and CEO of Honda Cars India
Currently, he is working as General Manager in Marketing Planning office in Japan. He has been
associated with Honda Motor Co for over 29 years.
TC Goyal to retire from the post of Managing Director of DLF Limited
He had joined the company in 1981 and was elevated to the position of managing director in 1998. Goyal
successfully steered the company in various phases of its growth and expansion.
New species of Geckos discovered at the World Heritage Site of Hampi in Karnataka
The gecko has been named as Cnemaspis adii after a young herpetology researcher from Hyderabad,
Aditya Srinivasulu.
TERI, FNI, INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE signed MOU to further Climate & Development Agenda
The three institutes have identified cooperation in nine areas such as climate change mitigation and
adaptation, low carbon strategies and global policy advocacy among others.
Haryana Government notified forests in Aravalli range are not a forest
Mangarbani grove in Aravalli is often considered as the last remaining virgin forest in Delhi-NCR and held
sacred by local villagers.
45-day long annual fishing ban on Eastern Coast of India started
The ban is imposed to safeguard fish in their breeding season and increase the fish catch. During this
period of ban, the fishermen with mechanized boats are barred from venturing out into the sea for fishing
till mid-night of 31 May 2015.
NGT banned construction activities causing air pollution in Delhi-Nation Capital Region (NCR)
The directive was delivered by a bench headed by the NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar, in order
to check growing menace of air pollution in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Thane named as National Earth Hour Capital 2015 by WWF
Pune received a special mention from the jury for its city mobility plan and solar and waste-to-energy
initiatives while Rajkot was felicitated for the citys performance in the field of renewable energy.
Seoul won WWFs Earth Hour City Challenge to become the Global Earth Hour Capital 2015
As part of the Earth Hour City Challenge 2015, the city of Balikpapan, Indonesia was recognized as the
Most Loveable City for 2015.
Scientists detected rapid accumulation of anesthetic gases in atmosphere causing global warming
The study revealed that concentrations of potent global warmers Desflurane, Isoflurane and Sevoflurane
reached an alarming level in the global atmosphere starting from crowed urban areas to pristine Antarctic
environment.
Spiders belonging to Thomisidae family named after Telangana state
These crabs were discovered by two researchers from the Zoology Department of Osmania University,
namely, G.B. Pravalikha and Chelmala Srinivasulu during their expedition at Nagnur in Karimnagar
district.
State Environment and Forest Ministers Conference adopted Resolution on Protecting Environment
The two-day conference, which was participated by 30 ministers from different state looked upon a wide
range of issues like waste management, TSR Subramanian committee recommendations, forest, wildlife,
biodiversity and climate change.
Grey Hypocolius sighted at the Narara Marine National Park in Gujarat
Grey Hypocolius a small passerine bird species is a sole member of the genus Hypocolius and is placed
in the family of Hypocoliidae.
Union Government to re-classify industries in a three-coloured scheme based on pollution potential

The proposal to classify industries under red, orange and green was adopted during the state
environment and forests ministers conference.
National Green Tribunal ruled 10-year old diesel vehicles cannot ply on Delhi roads
A number of countries in the world are in the process or have prohibited diesel vehicles or are in the
process of doing away with them by imposing very heavy taxes. Some of these countries include
Denmark, Brazil, China and Sri Lanka.
The first-ever photograph of vulnerable Chestnut-breasted Partridge clicked
As per estimates of the IUCN, about 2500 Chestnut-breasted Partridges live in Arunachal Pradesh,
Bhutan and Lower Tibet along the Himalayas.
Scientists discovered an endangered species of plant named Oldenlandia dineshi from Western Ghats
The plant species named Oldenlandia dineshi is a shrub with long linear tapering leaves and dark blue
flower. The flowering period is from July to September and fruiting from September to October.
Narendra Modi launched National Air Quality index to monitor pollution level in 10 cities
The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Varanasi,
Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad.
Kochi arachnologists discovered rare spiders in Western Ghats

The spiders belong to the Sparassidae and Salticidae families.
Indias first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle operationalised in North Antarctica
PROVe has been deployed in Priyadarshini Lake located on the Schirmacher Oasis, which is a major
source of water for Maitri, Indias second base in the Antarctica.
China announced to shut down last coal-fired power plant in Beijing by 2016 to cut pollution
These four major coal-based power plants will be replaced by four gas-fired stations with capacity to
supply 2.6 times more electricity than the coal plants.
Maharashtra Government announced the target of 14400 MW power generation by 2019
The state government will produce 14400 MW electricity by 2019 by way of non-conventional methods to
cut down cost and reduce carbon footprint.
Maharashtra Government constituted taskforce on farm development, poverty alleviation
The taskforce on agriculture development will be headed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture),
while taskforce on poverty alleviation will be headed by Principal Secretary (Social Justice Department).
Kerala government launched Subodham project to end liquor abuse
Subodham is the first step towards Punarjani 2030 Project an initiative of Kerala government to
completely eradicate the menace of substance abuse in the state.
AP Government inked MoU with IISL Company to replace streetlights in 13 municipalities
Under the MoU, IISL will replace the existing streetlights in 13 municipalities with LED lights and maintain
them for seven years.
Maharashtra Government decided to discontinue Guard of Honour to ministers
Colonial-era practice of police guard of honour was reserved for the Governor Generals and Viceroys
during the British age.
Delhi Government launched the third phase of Mass Deworming Programme for school children
The third phase of the programme, in vogue since 2012, was launched by the Directorate of Health
Services of Delhi in collaboration with the Department of Family Welfare.
BHEL commissioned 600 MW thermal unit at Dhabra in Chhattisgarh
This is the second unit of 2 600 MW power project, commissioned by BHEL.
Indias first IFSC became operational at GIFT City, Gandhinagar in Gujarat
The regulations are aimed at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and Singapore and
check the flight of trading in rupee and Indian securities to such offshore financial hubs.
Union Government rejected Odisha government proposal to grant mining license to Posco
Union Government rejected the proposal in accordance to the Amendment to MMDR Act, 1957 that says
all leases shall be granted through auction by competitive bidding, including e-auction.
Visit Kerala 2015 campaign launched to promote Kerala tourism
The campaign is an initiative of Kerala Government to promote state-specific tourism products including
Ayurveda, Responsible Tourism and Spice route in India and abroad.
Haryana School Education Department ordered 10% reservations to EWS in private unaided schools
The 10% reservation is meant for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Below Poverty Line (BPL)
category students from Classes I to XII in private unaided schools.
Justice Sunil Kumar Sinha appointed as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court
He took charge on 30 March 2015 and had been the acting Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court since
October 2014.
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved Amaravathi as capital of the State
Amaravathi, located at Tullur between Vijayawada and Guntur on the banks of River Krishna, derives its
name from Lord Amareswara temple in the village and it is known as Dakshina Kashi (Kashi of the south).
Odisha Government launched Aahar Scheme to provide subsidised food to urban poor
The cheap meal scheme Aahar, will provide highly subsidised food to urban poor at an expense of 5
rupees.
Rajasthan Government opened women milk bank Jeevan Dhara in Jaipur
The state Government launched the bank in collaboration with Norwegian government and JK Lon
Hospital.
Gujarat Assembly passed the Gujarat Control of Terrorism and Organised Crime Bill 2015
Clause 16 of the Bill makes confessions before police officers admissible in Court and it also provides
extension of the period of investigation from the stipulated 90 days to 180 days.
Union Ministry of Finance approved 1500 crore rupees for AP Capital construction
The funds will be utilized to construct essential amenities and administrative buildings in the proposed
capital area of Andhra Pradesh.
Himachal Pradesh Government launched Indias first e-Vidhan Mobile app
The e-Vidhan system will help the state to save 8 crore rupees per annum that is spent on the paper.
1. Former Odisha Chief Minister J.B Patnaik passes away

i. Former Governor of Assam and three-time Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballav Patnaik passed away
in a private hospital at Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh.
ii. He was born in Puri district on January 3, 1927. He was Chief Minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989
and again from 1995 to 1999.
iii. He was also the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly from 2004 to 2009.
iv. Mr. Patnaik, who started his career as a journalist, was a Sanskrit scholar and wrote several books.
2. Egypt President Morsy jailed for 20 years
i. An Egyptian criminal court sentenced ousted President Mohammed Morsy to 20 years in prison over the
killing of protesters in 2012.
ii. The case stems from violence outside the presidential palace in December 2012. Morsys supporters
attacked opposition protesters, sparking clashes that killed at least 10 people.
iii. 12 Brotherhood leaders and supporters, including Mohammed el-Beltagy and Essam el-Erian, also
were sentenced to 20 years in prison.
3. Sulekha.com raises Rs 175 crore from GIC, NVP
i. Chennai-based local listing services provider Sulekha.com has raised Rs. 175 crore from the sovereign
wealth fund of Singapore-GIC and Norwest Venture Partners.
ii. The Chennai-based company has about 50 lakh businesses listed on its platform.
iii. Satya Prabhakar is the Founder and CEO of Sulekha.com.
4. Japan maglev train breaks world speed record again
i. A Japanese magnetic levitation train has broken its own world speed record, hitting 603km/h (374mph)
in a test run near Mount Fuji.
ii. The train beat the 590km/h speed it had set last week in another test.
iii. Japan is known for its shinkansen that run on steel rails, but has been investing in maglev technology
which it is hoping to sell overseas.
iv. Central Japan Railway (JR Central), which owns the trains, wants to introduce the service between
Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 2027.
5. China Readies $46 Billion for Pakistan Trade Route
i. Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to unveil a $46 billion infrastructure spending plan in Pakistan that is
a centerpiece of Beijings ambitions to open new trade and transport routes across Asia and challenge the
U.S. as the dominant regional power.
ii. The plan will be known as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
iii. China sees a historic opportunity to redraw the geopolitical map by succeeding where the U.S. has
largely failed.
iv. A cornerstone of the project will be to develop the Pakistani port of Gwadar, a warm-water port run by
the Chinese on the doorstep of the Middle East.
6. E-Samiksha launched to monitor rail projects online
i. With an aim of monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects including Rail Budget proposals,
railways today launched E-Samiksha, an online monitoring mechanism.
ii. Now each and every project implementation can be monitored on real-time basis, Railway Minister
Suresh Prabhu said here after launching the system.
iii. Designed by NIC, the software is currently being used by Cabinet Secretariat, PMO and other
Ministries for monitoring progress implementation of various programmes and follow-up of meetings.
iv. Apart from budget-related projects, the E-Samiksha can also be used for monitoring the infrastructure
target and board meeting follow-up.
7. Bharatiya Mahila Bank inks MoUs with LIC, New India Assurance
i. Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd has entered into MoUs with New India Assurance Company Ltd and Life
Insurance Corporation of India to provide insurance cover to its accountholders.
ii. The insurance covers are being provided under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Bima Yojana and the
Pradhan Mantri Jeevanjyoti Bima Yojana schemes respectively.
iii. The insurance option is voluntary and comes at a premium of Rs. 12 for the PM Jan Suraksha Bima
Yojana and Rs. 330 for the PM Jeevanjyoti Bima Yojana.
iv. The age eligibility under the former is 18-70 years and under the latter 18-50 years. The enrolment
period under the schemes will be from June 1, 2015, to August 31, 2015.
Yechury is new CPI(M) chief
i. Rajya Sabha member Sitaram Yechury was elected the fifth general secretary of the Communist Party
of India (Marxist).
ii. To ensure a smooth transition by averting a vote, Mr. Pillais candidature was withdrawn paving the way
for the unanimous election of the 91-member CC, after which Mr. Karat proposed Mr. Yechury for general
secretary which was unanimously accepted.
iii. Three party veterans two former Chief Ministers, V.S. Achuthanandan from Kerala and Budhhadeb
Bhattacharya from West Bengal, and Nirupam Sen have been dropped from the CC.
ICICI launches NFC-enabled payment service Tap-n-Pay
i. ICICI Bank in collaboration with Tech Mahindra launched a payment service Tap-n-Pay based on the
near-field communications (NFC) technology, enabling customers make over-the-counter payments
without using cash.
ii. It can be used for merchant payments by merely tapping a NFC-enabled mobile phone or a tag on the
counter.
iii. For making payments, the user will have to bring the NFC tag or the mobile phone near a device at the
merchants facility and the amount will automatically get debited from the prepaid account.
Navy launches stealth destroyer INS Visakhapatnam
i. The Indian Navy launched Visakhapatnam, the first of stealth destroyers under the P15-B project.
ii. The warship is 163 metres in length and has a displacement of 7,300 tonnes.
iii. The ship is the first of the four follow follow-up order of the Kolkata class warships.
iv. The total cost of the project is little over Rs 29,600 crore.
BHEL commissions 250-MW thermal unit in Jamnagar
i. State-owned power equipment maker BHEL has commissioned a 250-mw coal-based thermal power
plant in Gujarat.
ii. The unit has been commissioned at the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Ltd's (GSECL) Sikka
thermal power station (TPS) by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL), on EPC (engineering, procurement
and construction) basis, the company said in a regulatory filing today.
iii. Sikka TPS is located near Jamnagar, an industrial town in Gujarat.
iv. Two units of 120 mw each, supplied and executed earlier by BHEL are already in operation at Sikka.
Another 250 mw unit, presently under execution at Sikka TPS, is also in an advanced stage of
commissioning.
Kerala launches project to help people overcome substance
i. The Kerala government on Sunday launched a major campaign "Subodham" to help people in the state
overcome alcohol, drug and other substance abuse.
ii. The project was launched by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Art of Living Foundation founder Sri
Sri Ravishankar in the presence of religious leaders, representatives of student organisations and NGOs
working against drug abuse.
iii. "The state government aims to wipe out the menace of substance addiction from our society through
'Subodham'. If total alcohol prohibition could save the society, the state government is ready to forego the
revenue from the sale of liquor that is around Rs 7,000 crore per annum," said Chandy.
Former Bengal U-19 captain Ankit Keshri succumbs to on-field injury
i. In another tragic on-field incident after Phillip Hughes' death last November, a promising Bengal
batsman Ankit Keshri on passed away owing to an injury sustained during a Cricket Association of
Bengal's senior one-day knock-out match.
ii. The 20-year-old, a talented right-hander, had captained the Bengal U-19 team in Cooch Behar Trophy
and was in the 30-member India U-19 probables list for the 2014 Colts World Cup in the United Arab
Emirates.
iii. Keshri was not a part of the playing XI and was the 12th man of the side in the fateful match. He came
to replace Railways Ranji all-rounder Arnab Nandi, who had taken a break.
Lewis Hamilton cruises to Bahrain GP win, Raikkonen second
i. Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row
with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen back on the podium to deny Mercedes another one-two finish under the
floodlights.
ii. The Briton's flying pole-to-flag victory at the desert track was his third win in four races this season and
36th of his career.
iii. He increased his lead over Rosberg in the standings to 27 points. The Briton now has 93 points to the
German's 66.
1. PM Narendra Modi's visit to Canada generated business worth 1.6 billion dollars
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Canada has generated business worth more than 1.6 billion
Canadian dollars, according to official figures released by the Harper government in Toronto.
ii. Sixteen commercial agreements and announcements were made by Canadian and Indian companies
and organisations during Prime Minister Modi's visit.
iii. Harper and Modi welcomed the progress made on negotiating a Bilateral Foreign Investment
Promotion and Protection Agreement and agreed to intensify discussions to finalise all outstanding
issues.
iv. agreement involving Saskatchewan-based Cameco will see the company supply India with over seven
million pounds of uranium over the next five years.
2. Vishal Sikka appointed as University Advisory Professor at ECNU
i. The East China Normal University (ECNU), one of the prestigious universities in China, announced the
appointment of Dr. Vishal Sikka, Chief Executive Officer of Infosys, as Advisory Professor.
ii. Professor Shijun Tong, CCP Secretary of ECNU, formally conferred the Advisory Professorship to Mr
Sikka.
iii. East China Normal University, commonly referred to as ECNU, is a comprehensive research university
in Shanghai, China. Established in 1951,it is the first national normal university of the People's Republic
of China.
3. SEBI bars 129 entities, suspects money laundering
i. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) barred Mishka Finance and Trading and 128 other
entities from the securities market.
ii. These entities are estimated to have shown fictitious capital gains to the tune of Rs.254 crore and just
29 of them made unlawful gains to the tune of Rs. 92 crore on an investment of just Rs. 2 crore.
iii. SEBI has suspended trading in nearly 30 listed companies for such violations while action has been
taken against more than 500 entities, including promoters and others, for tax evasion of over Rs.3,000
crore.
4. Two Indians named 2015 Yale World Fellows in US
i. Two Indians are among 16 people named by Yale University as its 2015 World Fellows, the signature
global leadership development initiative at the prestigious US institution.
ii. Zeena Johar, SughaVazhvu Healthcare Founder and journalist and author Rahul Pandita are the
Indians who are named by the university.
iii. Johar founded SughaVazhvu Healthcare (SVHC) and IKP Centre for Technologies in Public Health
(ICTPH) to create a primary- care delivery network through rural clinics.
iv. New Delhi-based Pandita has reported extensively about conflicts in Iraq and Sri Lanka and is known
for his reportage on Maoist insurgency in central and eastern India, and on the turmoil in Kashmir.
5.
World
Heritage
Day
2015
observed
globally
i. World Heritage Day was observed across the world on 18 April 2013. The day is observed with an aim
to create awareness among the people to conserve and protect the valuable assets and cultural heritage
across
the
world.
ii. The day marks the necessity of protecting the historical monuments and sites located in every part of
the world by making collective efforts at international level.
iii. The first world Heritage Day was celebrated on 18 April 1982 by the International Council on
Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) in Tunisia and was approved in 1983 by UNESCO.
iv. The 2015 World Heritage Day also marked 50th anniversary of ICOMOS.
6.
World
Hemophilia
Day
2015
observed
globally
i. World Haemophilia Day was observed globally on 17 April 2015 with theme Building a family of support.
The day provides an opportunity to talk to your extended family and friends, colleagues, and caregivers to
raise awareness and increase support for those living with an inherited bleeding disorder.
ii. Hemophilia day was established in 1989 with the support of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH).
iii. The date of 17 April was chosen to honor Frank Schnabel the founder of WFH, whose birthday falls on
the
same
date.
7.
Hinduja
brothers
win
Asian
Business
Leader
of
the
year
award
i. NRI industrialists Hinduja brothers S P Hinduja and G P Hinduja have won the Business Leader of
the Year 2015 award at the prestigious 5th Asian Awards for their outstanding achievement in the field of
business.
ii. Receiving the award, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group G P Hinduja said this year his group has been
winning one or two award every month and each award keep us going and put more responsibility on our
shoulders
to
do
better.
He
received
the
award
from
Lord
Karan
Billimoria.
iii. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan also received an award for outstanding achievement in cinema while
Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara, who scored four consecutive centuries in the recent World Cup,
won
an
award
for
achievement
in
sports.
iv. The Asian Awards honouring Asian Excellence is founded by businessman Paul Sagoo.
1. Modi Xi among Time's most influential people
i. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who entered office this year on the promise of reviving the
countrys economy, is the winner of this years reader poll for TIME Person of the Year.
ii. In the final tally, Modi received more than 16% of the almost 5 million votes cast.
iii. Readers from more than 225 countries in total participated, with U.S. votes leading the pack at 37%,
followed by India at 17% and Russia at 12%.
iv. Mr. Modi was named by TIME among the 100 most influential people in the world in its annual list on
Thursday, with U.S. President Barack Obama penning a flattering profile of him.
2. India to grow at 7.5 % in 2015: Moodys
i. A week after it revised its outlook on India to positive from stable, international credit rating major
Moodys pegged Indias growth at 7.5 percent for 2015.
ii. Low inflation rate has enabled the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to cut interest rates by 50 basis points in
early 2015 which has helped in easing pressure on the private sector.
iii. Moodys Analytics is of the view that Indias stateowned companies are notoriously inefficient, with
significant bureaucracy and endemic corruption.
3. Obama to honour Satya Nadella with 'Champion of Change' award
i. US President Barack Obama plans to honour Microsoft's Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella with the
'Champions of Change' award for bringing about change within his company to support working families.
ii. Before being named CEO in February 2014, 47-year-old Nadella held leadership roles in both
enterprise and consumer businesses across the company.
iii. the White House released a Middle Class Tax report highlighting his budget proposals to help those 44
million middle-class Americans.
iv. The 'Champions of Change' programme was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature
individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
4. RIL Reclaims Tag of Most Profitable Indian Firm
i. Reliance Industries regained its status as the most profitable Indian company after posting an 8.5 per
cent rise in consolidated net profit for the March quarter.
ii. The operator of the world's biggest refining complex reported a net profit Rs 6,381 crore for the three
months to March, 2015.
. RIL had lost its crown as India's most profitable firm to outsourcing giant TCS in the December quarter.
iv. TCS, which announced its March quarter numbers on Thursday, reported a net profit of around Rs
5,900 crore (including one-time bonus for employees).
5. UN Peace Envoy Jamal Benomar Resigns
i. United Nation (UN) peace envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar has resigned, after losing support from Gulf
countries for his mission in the conflict-riven nation.
ii. His resignation comes after UN Security Council adopted a resolution calling for the swift resumption of
peace talks and an end to violence in Yemen.
iii. The adopted resolution adopted calls on the Huthis to withdraw from Sanaa and all other areas they
have seized.
6. Pakistan, Russia to hold first-ever joint military exercises
i. Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced
defence cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the Cold War-era adversaries.
ii. The agreement was reached during a meeting in Moscow between Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja
Asif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.
iii. Asif is on an official visit to Moscow to attend a regional security conference. He held talks with the
Russian defence minister, during which the two ministers agreed to increase military cooperation in
training and import of arms and equipment.
7. Mohan Kumar appointed as new Indian Ambassador to France
i. Senior diplomat Mohan Kumar, currently India's top envoy to Bahrain, has been appointed the next
Ambassador to France to succeed Arun Kumar.
ii. A 1981-batch IFS officer, Mohan Kumar is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
iii. The official announcement for Mohan Kumar's appointment comes six days after Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's visit to France.
. Indian Prime Minister Modi inks uranium deal, talks trade with Stephen Harper
i. Canada and India have signed with a series of agreements and promises that will send Canadian
uranium to the South Asian nation, liberalize visas for Canadian travellers, soon ratify a long-awaited
foreign investment deal and lay a road map to complete stalled trade talks.
ii. Under an agreement signed between Modi had Harper, Cameco Corporation will supply 3,000 metric
tonnes of uranium over five years to India for $254 million.
iii. The two countries also decided to strengthen defence and security cooperation and decided to
cooperate to stabilise the Asia Pacific region. Modi also announced Electronic Visa Authorisation for
tourist visa for Canadian nationals.
iv. Canada's Stephen Harper returns 900-year-old Khajuraho temple sculpture to PM Narendra Modi
v. The sculpture, known as 'Parrot Lady', was handed over by Harper to Modi yesterday in accordance
with 1970 UNESCO Convention.
2. RBI allows differential interest rate on deposits
i. The Reserve Bank of India said banks will have the discretion to offer differential interest rates based on
whether the term deposits are with or without-premature-withdrawal-facility, subject to conditions.
ii. All term deposits of individuals (held singly or jointly) of Rs. 15 lakh and below should, necessarily, have
premature withdrawal facility.
iii. For all term deposits above Rs. 15 lakh banks can offer deposits without the option of premature
withdrawal as well.
3. Agni-III missile test-fired successfully by SFC
i. India on Thursday successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from the
Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3,000 k.m.
ii. it was tested for a lesser range, in today's mission.
iii. Agni-III is one of the sophisticated and accurate missiles of its class and has already been inducted
into armed forces.
iv. It is capable of carrying a payload weighing 1.5 tonnes to a distance of more than 3,000 k.m.
4. Janata Parivar announces merger
i. Leaders of six Janata Parivar parties announced their decision to merge into one larger entity. Mulayam
Singh Yadav will the head new party
ii. The new party will have a strength of 15 members in the Lok Sabha and 30 in the Rajya Sabha.
iii. With 30 MPs, the new party will be the third largest bloc behind the Congress (68) and the BJP (47) in
the Rajya Sabha, where the Modi government continues to be in a minority.
iv. In the Lok Sabha, the party will have 15 MPs, making it the eighth largest party in the House.
5. MoU to set power plant in Kazakhstan between BHEL and Russian firm INTMA inked
i. Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), an engineering and manufacturing company announced that it
has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Russian company named INTMA with an aim to
set up a gas-based power project in Kazakhstan as well as further boost its presence in the CIS
countries.
ii. BHEL, currently executing 23 major projects in 16 countries has set its footprint in over 75 countries.
iii. INTMA is one of the leading general Engineering Procurement and Construction contractors (EPC) in
Russia and Kazakhstan.
6. Asia Cup 2016 to be played in T20 format
i. Asia Cup 2016 is set to undergo a radical change and will be a Twenty20 competition instead of the 50over game.
ii. It would be revamped to include more Associate nations and to give some practice prior to the T 20
World Cup .
iii. The tournament would then revert to a 50-over tournament in 2018 ahead of the 2019 World Cup in
England and be played as a T20 competition again in 2020.
7. Sachin Tendulkar elected as member of Laureus Sports Academy
i. Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar was inducted as one of the five new members into the prestigious
Laureus Sports Academy in a glittering annual award ceremony at the Shanghai Grand theatre.
ii. Besides Tendulkar, retired Chinese professional basketball player Yao Ming, Kenyan long-distance
runner Tegla Loroupe, Chinese gymnast Li Xiaopeng and former Chinese short track speed skater Yang
Yang were the other athletes to be inducted into the Laureus academy.
iii. Tendulkar, who made his ODI debut against Pakistan way back in 1989, retired from the format after
the Asia Cup in 2013 after completing a century of international hundreds.
1. Following consumer backlash, Flipkart pulls out of Airtel Zero
i. Following popular outrage against net neutrality violations to internet apartheid, eretailer Flipkart pulled
out of the controversial Airtel Zero preferential access platform.
ii. Flipkart was one of the partners in the Airtel Zero platform which allowed Airtel's subscribers to access
select websites and services for zero data charges, as long as owners of these websites/services paid
Airtel.
iii. Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said a six-member panel has been constituted by the telecom
department to submit its recommendations regarding the same by early next month.
2. FM transmission of Vividh Bharati launched
i. The popular Vividh Bharati services of All India Radio (AIR) will now be available to listeners in and
around Delhi on mobile handsets with the launch of FM transmission of the channel.
ii. Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley, who launched the FM transmission, also delivered a
message to the listeners of the channel, saying Vividh Bharati services would reach people within a range
of 60-65 km with much clarity at all times in all weather conditions.
iii. Vividh Bharati offers a mix of film music, skits, short plays and interactive programmes. It is known to
have the largest collection of film and non-film songs in the country.
iv. Mobile applications of all channels that are livestreamed by AIR like Vividh Bharati, FM Gold, FM
Rainbow, Urdu service and several regional channels, will also be made available.
3. Indias GDP growth rate to reach 8% by 2017: World Bank
i. The World Bank has predicted a GDP growth rate of 8 per cent for India by 2017 and said that a strong
expansion in the country, coupled with favourable oil prices.
ii. In India, GDP growth is expected to accelerate to 7.5 per cent in fiscal year 2015/16. It could reach 8
per cent in FY 2017/18, on the back of significant acceleration of investment growth to 12 per cent during
FY 2016-FY 2018.
iii. The report shows that households in the region stand to gain from lower oil prices, both directly
through lower energy spending and indirectly through faster growth.
4. FDI in services sector up 47 per cent during April-January
i. FDI inflows into services sector grew by about 47 per cent to $2.64 billion in April-January last fiscal.
ii. Helped with the growth in FDI in important sector like services, overall foreign inflows in the country
rose by 36 per cent to $25.52 billion during the ten months of 2014-15.
iii. The other sectors where inflows have recorded growth are: telecom ($2.83 billion), automobile ($2.04
billion) and power ($612 million).
iv. Government has raised the FDI cap in insurance sector to 49 per cent from 26 per cent. The policy was
also relaxed in other sectors such as defence, railways and medical devices.
5. Retail inflation drops to 3-month low of 5.17% in March
i. Easing of food prices, mainly milk and vegetables, pulled down the March retail inflation to 3-month low
of 5.17 per cent.
ii. The retail inflation as measured by Consumer Price Index was 5.37 per cent in February, and 5.19 per
cent in January.
iii. It was 8.25 per cent in March last year.
iv. To calculate the CPI, price data are collected from selected towns by the field operations division of
NSSO and from selected villages by the Department of Posts.
Haryana
govt
to
give
cabinet
minister
status
to
Baba
Ramdev
i. The BJP government in Haryana has decided to give the status of cabinet minister to yoga guru
Ramdev, who was earlier made the states brand ambassador to promote yoga and ayurveda.
ii. The governments decision was announced on Monday by education minister Ram Bilas Sharma, who
said the state government would also honour Ramdev at a function at Indradhanush Auditorium in
Panchkula
on
April
21.
iii. Recently, government announced to make yoga compulsory in all schools and equip all sports
stadiums in every district with a yoga centre. Municipal bodies and Huda would construct yoga practice
halls in their areas of jurisdiction. Special coaching of physical education teachers in yoga will be
organised.
North
Korean
foreign
minister
Ri
Su
Yong
to
visit
India
i. North Koreas top diplomat, Ri Su-yong, arrived in India on a rare visit where Delhi hosted the meet.
ii. Ri became the first North Korean foreign minister to visit India in at least 25 years.
iii. In New Delhi, Ri met with his counterpart, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. According to
reports, the two discussed North Koreas nuclear weapons program and regional security issues,
including
the
stability
of
the
Korean
peninsula.
iv. In addition to Swaraj, Ri met with Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari. Ris trip to India comes ahead of
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis scheduled visit to Seoul, South Korea, which is expected in May.
1. Modi inaugurates German industrial fair

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened on Sunday the Hanover Messe, the worlds largest industrial fair,
alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
ii. India is the partner country of this year's trade fair, which brings together about 6,500 exhibitors from 70
nations.
iii. Germany is Indias largest trading partner in Europe and total bilateral trade between the two countries
was valued at 16.08 billion euro (17 billion dollars) in 2013. There are currently more than 1,600 IndoGerman business collaborations and 600 Indo-German joint ventures in operation.
2. Larsen & Toubro inks MoU with AREVA
i. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has announced signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with AREVA of
France for co-operation to maximise localisation of the EPR nuclear power plant to be built at Jaitapur,
Maharashtra.
ii. This partnership will add new dimensions to the capabilities of Indias manufacturing sector in the
nuclear business.
iii. AREVA will transfer technology to utilise the forging capabilities of L&T Special Steels and Heavy
Forgings (a joint venture with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.).
3. SBI Cuts home loan rate by another 10 bps for new buyers
i. State Bank of India (SBI), has cut the interest rate for new home loans by another 10 bps, to 9.9 per
cent.
ii. In effect, the interest rate for new home loans will be reduced by 25 bps. For the existing ones, 15 bps
is the reduction.
iii. The move comes amid the RBI directive that an interest rate differential will not be allowed if customer
profiles are similar.
4. Gujarat government launches industrial tourism to showcase development
i. In a first of its kind initiative in the country, Gujarat government is promoting a tour package covering
major industrial installations which have earned global acclaim for the state.
ii. Some of the major attractions of this recently launched tour package include a visit to Tata Nano plant
in Sanand, Pipavav port near Amreli, Alang ship breaking yard in Bhavnagar and Amul Dairy in Anand.
iii. The package, called Industrial Tour of Gujarat, has been offered by city-based Akshar Travels Pvt Ltd,
official partner of state-run tourism agency Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL), which is promoting
the tour on its website.
5. German Nobel laureate Guenter Grass dies at age 87
i. Guenter Grass, the Nobel-winning German writer who gave voice to the generation that came of age
during the horrors of the Nazi era has died. He was 87.
ii. Grass was lauded by Germans for helping to revive their culture in the aftermath of World War II and
helping to give voice and support to democratic discourse in the post war nation.
iii. Grass made his literary reputation with The Tin Drum, published in 1959. It was followed by Cat and
Mouse and Dog Years, which made up what is called the Danzig Trilogy after the town of his birth, now
the Polish city of Gdansk.
6. Sania seals historic world no. 1 rank with Charleston title
i. Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world
number one rank in doubles.
ii. Sania achieved her stupendous title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis.
iii. The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak 6-0 6-4 in just 57 minutes
in the lop-sided final of the $731,000 clay court event.
iv. Before Sania, only Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi had achieved the top rank when they
dominated mens doubles circuit in the last 90s.
1. Jitu Rai wins bronze at ISSF World Cup
i. Ace Indian shooter Jitu Rai on 12 April 2015 won a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the
International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup in Changwon, South Korea.
ii. Rai won the bronze medal after he scored 181.1 points in the final and had missed out for the gold
medal shoot-out by 0.4 points.
iii. Jitu Rai after winning won silver in the 50m Free Pistol event in 2014 at the World Championships in
Granada, Spain had qualified for the 2016 Olympics.
2. 17 Agreements signed between India and France during PM Narendra Modis visit
i. India and France on 11 April 2015 signed 17 agreements in various fields during Prime Minister (PM)
Narendra Modis visit to France.
ii. They were signed in presence of Indian PM and his counterpart French President Francois Hollande
after they had held wide-ranging talks in Paris.
Some of key agreements signed are
MoU between Larsen and Tubro and AREVA- It aims at improve the financial viability of the
Jaitapur Nuclear plant project by reducing cost by increasing localization. It will also enable
France to transfer of technology to India for development of indigenous nuclear energy industry in
India.
Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) between NPCIL and Areva- It intends to bring clarity on all
technical aspects of the plant. It will help all parties including AREVA, Alstom and NPCIL to fix
their price and optimise all provisions for risks (still included at this stage) in the costs of the
project.
MoU between CNES and ISRO on Megha Tropiques satellite- It extends MoU for two more
years of joint project for sharing and use of data from the satellite. The satellite was launched in
October 2011 on board of Indian launch vehicle PSLV.
MOU between ISRO, CNES and ONERA- It proposes cooperation in the areas of satellite
remote sensing, satellite communications and satellite meteorology and others field.
MoU between Union Sports Ministry and French Ministry of Sports- It envisages cooperation
and exchange of experiences in the fields of sports medicine and institutional cooperation.
Railway protocol between Union Railways Ministry and French National Railways (SNCF)It seeks to establish cooperation between Indian and French Railways for semi-high speed rail
and station renovation.
Other agreements signed between both nations in the fields of economy, energy, culture, tourism,
conservation, Ayurveda, skill development and science and technology. Note- NPCIL (Nuclear
Power Corporation of India), CNES (French National Centre for Space Studies), ISRO (Indian
Space Research Organisation).
3. Asteroid 316201 named after Malala Yousafzai

i. Asteroid 316201 was named as 316201 Malala after the youngest Nobel laureate and girls education
campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
ii. The asteroid was named after her by Amy Mainzer, astronomer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
California, United States under the International Astronomical Union rules.
iii. In 2010, Mr. Mainzer had discovered the asteroid which was known as 316201. As a discoverer of the
asteroid he had owned the rights to name it.
iv. Asteroid 316201 Malala is located in the Main Belt between Mars and Jupiter. It orbits around the Sun
every 5.5 years and is more-than 2 mile wide.
4. Yuki Bhambri wins $15,000 ITF Futures tournament title
i. Yuki Bhambri on 11 April 2015 has won the 15,000 US Dollar ITF Futures tournament title. In the final
he recorded a straight-set win over Dzmitry Zhyrmont of Belarus played at Karshi, Uzbekistan.
ii. Bhambri defeated his rival with Bhambri with 6-2 6-4 score. This win has pocketed 27 ranking points on
Bhambri which will take him to a rank between 215 and 220. It was also Yukis 10th ITF Futures singles
title.
iii. This win also has ensured Yukis entry into the French Open qualifying event which will be the Clay
Court Grand Slam that will begin on the19 May 2015.
About ITF Futures tournament title
ITF Futures tournament title is a series of professional tennis tournaments held around the world.
These tournaments are organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
This title represents the lowest rung of the mens professional tennis ladder.
These tournaments are incorporated into the ATP rankings which helps young professionals to
progress on to the ATP Challenger Tour and then in ATP World Tour.
5. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates Songs and Dances of the North East festival
i. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated first Songs and Dances of the North East, a cultural festival in
New Delhi.
ii. The day long festival was organized by Government of Meghalaya and sponsored by the North Eastern
Council (NEC).
iii. The purpose of festival is to showcase the culture of Indias northeast region and highlight the
immense contribution made by the people of the region in nation building.
iv. This festival will be held by rotation in different parts of the country as part of the series of events
planned by NEC and Union Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER).
v. All eight States of the northeast region will collaborate to host the festival in different parts of the
country with an aim to attract investors and visitors to the region.
6. Bharat Hari Singhania became the president of JK Organization
i. Bharat Hari Singhania assumed the presidency of JK Organization. The company issued a formal
statement on 9 April 2015 in this regard.
ii. He succeeded Gaur Hari Singhania who died on 4 April 2015.
iii. The JK Group is 125-year-old and has footprint in 100 countries. It has overseas manufacturing
operations in Indonesia, Mexico, Romania, Belgium, Portugal and the UAE.
About Bharat Hari Singhania
He is an industrialist with over forty-four years of experience in managing various industries

including cement, automotive tyres, paper, synthetics, audio magnetic tapes and high yielding
hybrid seeds.
He has been the Chairman of JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd., the holding company of Hansdeep
Industries and Trading Company Ltd., since May 2013.
He has been a Director of Bengal and Assam Company Ltd. since February 2009.
He is also the chancellor of JK Lakshmipat University, Jaipur.
7. Arun Kumar Jha appointed as CEO of Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
i. Arun Kumar Jha was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC).
ii. The decision in this regard was taken on 10 April 2015 by the Department of Personnel and Training
(DoPT) of the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
iii. As the CEO of KVIC, he will oversee the day-to-day functioning of the commission and report about its
iv. Before this appointment, he had been working as the Director General of National Institute of
Entrepreneurship and Small Business Development (NIESBUD) functioning under the Union Ministry of
MSME.
v. Jha is a 1985-batch Indian Economics Service (IES) officer.
About KVIC
It is a statutory body established by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act, 1956.
It functions under the aegis of Union Ministry of MSME.
Its primary objective is to create self-reliance amongst the poor and build strong rural community
spirit by producing saleable articles and providing employment.
8. Lewis Hamilton wins Chinese Grand Prix of Formula One

i. Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton from Britain on 12 April 2015 won Chinese Grand Prix of
Formula One on the Shanghai International Circuit in China. This was his second win of the season and
his fourth Chinese Grand Prix win.
ii. It was also Lewis Hamiltons overall 35th Grand Prix win.
iii. In Chinese Grand Prix, Hamilton was followed by teammate Nico Rosberg at second place.
1. SBI, ICICI, HDFC Bank heed Raghuram Rajan's call, cut base rate
i. State Bank of India was the first off the block to impress the regulator by reducing its base rate, forcing
private sector peers HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank to follow suit as they took heed of RBI governor
Raghuram Rajan's stern message to ensure transmission of monetary policies.
ii. State Bank of India lowered its base rate by a token 15 basis points from 10% to 9.85%. HDFC
Bank lowered its base rate by 15 bps to 9.85%, while ICICI Bank cut it by 25 bps to 9.75%, the lowest in
the industry now.
iii. SBI's new base rate is effective from April 10, while HDFC Bank's will come into effect from April 13.
ICICI Bank said its existing floating rate customers will get the benefit of the new rate from April 10, while
new borrowers will get it from July 1.
iv. HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank have also reduced deposit rates by 25 bps for medium-term deposits of
up to Rs 1 crore.
Base rate is the minimum rate at which a bank can lend. One basis point is one-hundredth of a
percentage point.
2. Rs 20,000 cr MUDRA Bank launched by PM Narendra Modi
i. PM Narendra Modi launched the Rs 20,000 cr Micro Units Development Refinance Agency (MUDRA)
Bank and said , the aim of the bank is to fund the unfunded small entrepreneurs and to strengthen
savings habit in the country.
ii. MUDRA Bank will provide credit of up to Rs 10 lakh to small entrepreneurs and act as a regulator for
Micro-Finance Institutions (MFIs).
iii. The roles envisaged for MUDRA include laying down policy guidelines for micro enterprise financing
business and registration of MFI entities as well as their accreditation and rating.
iv. MUDRA is to be set up through a statutory enactment. It would be responsible for developing and
refinancing through a Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana.
v. MUDRA would also partner with state/regional level coordinators to provide finance to Last Mile
Financiers of small/micro business enterprises.
3. Narendra Modi announces compensation for farmers
i. Coming to the rescue of farmers hit by unseasonal rains and hailstorm, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
announced higher compensation for crop damage and eased criteria for them to avail government
support.
ii. Modi said criteria of 50 per cent crop damage for providing compensation to affected farmers has been
reduced to 33 per cent which will help more farmers to get compensation for their crop loss.
iii. Following Mr. Modi's footsteps the Reserve Bank has instructed banks to restructure loans of farmers
whose crops have been damaged by the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
iv. In its first bi - monthly monetary policy on 7th April 2015, the RBI said that the adverse impact of
unseasonal rains and hailstorms in March is still unfolding.
4. Snapdeal acquires FreeCharge
i. Online marketplace Snapdeal acquired Indias fastest growing mobile transaction platform FreeCharge.
ii. With this acquisition, Snapdeal has become Indias largest mobile commerce firm with 40 million users
and the largest mobile transactions base for any company.
iii. Now Snapdeal can offer wide range of services and products including financial services, mobile
recharge and utility payments to its growing user base.
5. Mayilsamy Annadurai appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)

i. Mayilsamy Annadurai is appointed as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bengaluru.
ii. He took over as Director, ISAC from Dr SK Shivakumar who superannuated on 31 March 2015.
iii. As the Director of ISAC he will oversee development of satellite technology and implementation of
iv. Before the present appointment he had been the Programme Director of Indian Remote Sensing
Satellites (IRS) and Small Satellite Systems (SSS) at the ISAC since 2011.
6. Government raises stake in state-owned IFCI to 51%
i. IFCI Ltd has now become a stateowned firm with the government increasing its stake in the
infrastructure financing firm to 51.04 per cent.
ii. Government has acquired IFCI's 6,00,00,000 Preference shares of Rs 10 each from certain scheduled
commercial banks and has consequently increased its holding from 47.93 per cent to 51.04 per cent of
the paid-up share capital.
7. World Cup heartache fades as fresh IPL season starts
i. The Indian Premier League (IPL), with its heady cocktail of cricket, money and glamour, begins its
eighth edition on 8th April 2015. The T20 tournament brings together the superstars of the game in an
epic festival of club cricket at its best.
ii. The first and final match of IPL 2015 will both be played at the Eden Gardens. The title clash will take
place on May 24.
iii. Yuvraj Singh - bought by Delhi for Rs 16 crores - is the most expensive player in the tournament. His
amount is 3.5 crores more than even that of Dhoni.
K.N. Tripathi sworn in as Governor of Mizoram

i. West Bengal and Bihar Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi took additional charge of Mizoram .
ii. He was sworn in as 16th Governor of Mizoram on 4 April 2015.
iii. Justice Michael Zothankhuma of the Gauhati High Court administered oath of office to him at Raj
Bhavan in Aizawal.
iv. Tripathi was given additional charge of Mizoram after Union Government had sacked then Governor
Aziz Qureshi.
Pedro Cateriano Bellido appointed as Prime Minister of Peru
i. Pedro Cateriano Bellido was appointed as Prime Minister of Peru by the President Ollanta Humala.
ii. He will replace Ana Jara, who had lost a confidence vote and was sacked by Peruvian Congress amid
allegations of corruption.
About Pedro Cateriano Bellido
a. Prior to this appointment, he was serving as Perus Defence Minister and was appointed in July 2012,
Cateriano, by profession is a lawyer and is specialized in constitutional law.
b. He was member of the Peruvian parliament from 1990 to 1992. Cateriano also had served as deputy
justice minister from 2001 to 2002. He also teaches law at the University of Lima.
Malli Mastan Babu, India's ace mountaineer passes away
i. Malli Mastan Babu, one of Indias top mountaineers passed away. His dead body was recovered in the
Andes Mountains between Argentina and Chile after he went missing on 24th March, 2015 during an
expedition to Cerro Tres Cruces Sur.
ii. Babu was regarded as the fastest 7 summiteer that is fastest mountaineer to climb summits in all
seven continents from India.
iii. In 2006, he had famously scaled 7 summits of the world in record 172 days.
iv. He was the first Indian mountaineer to summit the tallest peak in Antarctica, Mt Vinson Massif. He was
also the first person from Andhra Pradesh to scale the Mt Everest.
v. Babu hails from Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh and was a 2000-2002 IIM Kolkata pass out. He also
had a degree from IIT Kharagpur.
i. The Index offers powerful insights to help business executives target their investments towards more
reliable returns and to protect their customers from unforeseen disruption.
ii. Out of the 130 countries and regions assessed Norway topped the list in terms of business resilience
and Venezuela came at last.
iii. The Index used nine core drivers that are categorized into three factors namely Economic Productivity,
Risk Quality, and Supply Chain to assess business resilience of the countries or regions surveyed.
Indias position in the Index
India has been placed at the 119th position in the 2015 Index compared to 112th rank it secured
in the 2014 Index.
India is ranked at the 115th position in the Economic Productivity category that takes into account
GDP per capita, political risk and oil intensity. This rank is same as in the Index 2014.
In the Risk Quality factor, India is placed at the 109th position from 113th rank in 2014 which took
into account exposure to natural hazard, Quality of natural hazard risk management and Quality
of fire risk management.
In the Supply Chain category, which takes into account control of corruption, Infrastructure and
local supplier quality, India has improved its rank from 100th position in the year 2014 to 89th
position.
According to the report, despite Indias huge economic potential it is placed at the 119th position
because one third of its population is still living below the poverty line-one of the highest
incidences outside sub-Saharan Africa.
1. Interest payable on savings bank accounts is.

(A) not regulated by RBI
(B) regulated by Sate Governments
(C) regulated by Central Government
(D) regulated by RBI
(E) regulated by Finance minister
2. Fixed deposits and recurring deposits are.
(A) repayable after an agreed period
(B) repayable on demand

(C) not repayable
(D) repayable after death of depositors
(E) repayable on demand or after an agreed period as per banks choice
3. When a bank returns a cheque unpaid, it is called.
(A) payment of the cheque
(B) drawing of the cheque
(C) cancelling of the cheque
(D) dishonor of the cheque
(E) taking of the cheque
4. Which of the following states became the first state in the country to launch RBIs e-payment
system for commercial tax payers?
(A) Andhra Pradesh
(B) Kerala
(C) Gujarat
(D) Maharashtra
(E) Karnataka
5. NEFT means
(A) National Electronic Funds Transfer system (B) Negotiated Efficient Fund Transfer system
(C) National Efficient Fund Transfer solution (D) Non Effective Fund Transfer system
(E) Negotiated Electronic Foreign Transfer system
6. Largest shareholder (in percentage shareholding) of a nationalized bank is.
(A) RBI
(B) NABARD
(C) LICI
(D) Govt. of India
(E) IBA
7. Banks in our country normally publicise that additional interest rate is allowed on retail
domestic term deposits of.
(A) Minors
(B) Married women
(C) Senior citizens
(D) Govt. employees
(E) Rural residents
8. A centralized database with online connectivity to branches, internet as well as ATM-network
which has been adopted by almost all major banks of our country is known as.
(A) investment banking
(B) core banking
(C) mobile banking
(D) national banking
(E) specialized banking
9. With a view to facilitate payment of balance in the deposit account to the person named by the
depositor without any hassles in the event of death of the account holder, the following facility
was introduced for bank accounts in our country
(A) Will
(B) Registration
(C) Nomination
(D) Indemnity
(E) Guarantee
10. What is money laundering?
(A) Conversion of assets into cash
(B) Conversion of Money which is illegally obtained
(C) Conversion of cash into gold
(D) Conversion of gold into cash
(E) Conversion of gold with foreign currency
11. Which one of the following is not a salient feature of debit card?
(A) No bad debts to banks and no suits for recovery
(B) No interest earning for banks
(C) Works like a normal withdrawal slip
(D) 45 days credit is given to the card holder
(E) All the above
12. Which of the following is a measure taken by Reserve Bank of India to control inflation in our
country?
(A) Increase in CRR
(B) Increase in SLR
(C) Contraction of supply of currency
(D) Raising of Repo / Reverse Repo Rate
(E) Decrease the SLR
13. What type of loan is granted by banks for purchase of white goods?
(A) Consumption loan
(B) Mortgage loan
(C) Consumer durables loan
(D) Home loan
(E) None of these
14. What is a stale cheque?
(A) A cheque issued without drawers signature (B) A cheque with only signature of the drawer
(C) A cheque which has completed six months from its date of issue
(D) A six months post dated cheque
(E) Anyone of these
15. Which one of the following constitutes the largest percentage of Retail loans in India?
(A) Auto loans
(B) Personal loans
(C) Personal overdrafts
(D) Consumer loans
(E) Home loans

Answers
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. (E)
(D)
(B)
(D)
(E)
(A)
(D)
(C)
(E)
(C)
(B)
(D)
(D)
(C)
(C)
1. The govt has set up a three-member SIT to probe 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases. The SIT will be
headed by _________.
1) Kumar Gyanesh
2) Rakesh Kapoor
3) Pramod Asthana
4) Anil Goswami
5) None of these
2. Which of the following pairs is the winner of the mens doubles title of the 2015 Australian Open
tennis tournament?
1) Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini
2) Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut
3) Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
4) Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo
5) None of these
3. The freelance journalist Kenji Goto, who was beheaded by the Islamic State militants recently,
was a ___________citizen.
1) Jordanian
2) US
3) French
4) Japanese
5) South Korean
4. Who has been appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner w.e.f 19th Apr15?
1) Umesh Sinha
2) A Y Qureshi
3) Nasim Zaidi
4) Harishankar Brahma
5) None of These
5. PM Narendra Modi on 8 Apr announced farmers will now be eligible for input subsidy if
__________of their crop has been damaged.
1) 50 per cent
2) 40 per cent
3) 33 per cent
4) 25 per cent
5) None of these
6. The CCEA has approved the four-laning of the Sultanpur-Varanasi section of National Highway56 in Uttar Pradesh. The NH-56 connects ___________.
1) Lucknow and Varanasi
2) Lucknow and Gorakhpur
3) Lucknow and Agra
4) Lucknow and Kanpur
5) None of these
7. Areva, the world's largest nuclear company, will set up nuclear power plants in Jaitapur in
Maharashtra. Areva is a ________firm.
1) US
2) Japanese
3) Chinese
4) French
5) German
8. Who among the following has taken over as the new Director of the Indian Space Research
Organisation's (ISRO) Satellite Centre (ISAC) situated in Bengaluru?
1) Shailesh Nayak
2) SK Shivakumar
3) M Annadurai
4) AS Kiran Kumar
5) None of these
9. Which of the following banks is all set to become the first in the country and among the few in
the world to deploy voice-recognition technology for biometric authentication?
1) Axis Bank
2) HDFC Bank
3) Yes Bank
4) ICICI Bank
5) SBI
10. ___________has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing
Council recently.
1) Ranjib Biswal
2) Ajay Shirke
3) Ravi Shastri
4) Sourav Ganguly
5) Rajeev Shukla
11. The 14th Finance Commission had recommended the Centre to transfer ________from the
divisible tax pool to states for a period of five years, starting from the current financial year
(FY16).
1) 32 per cent
2) 42 per cent
3) 45 per cent
4) 49 per cent
5) 51 per cent
12. The 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament was held in Malaysia from Apr 5 to 12. It is
associated with the game of __________.
1) Cricket
2) Hockey
3) Football
4) Tennis
5) None of these
13. The Joint Conference of Chief Ministers of States and Chief Justices of High Courts was held
on 5th Apr15 in _____.
1) Bengaluru
2) Agra
3) Panaji
4) Chandigarh
5) New delhi
14. The World Bank has sanctioned Rs 100 cr for all round development of Sagar Island which is
situated in _____________.
1) Odisha
2) West Bengal
3) Jharkhand
4) Karnataka
5) Andhra Pradesh
15. Who among the following has been appointed as the Chairman of the Empowered Committee
of State Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax (GST)?
1) Manish Sisodia
2) Jayant Malaiya
3) Saurabh Patel
4) KM Mani
5) None of these
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13
14.
15. 4
1
4
3
3
1
4
3
4
5
2
2
5
2
1). Who has won the womens singles title of the Australian Open 2015?
a) Ana Ivanovic
b) Sarah Brandner
c) Serena Williams
d) Eugenie Bouchard
e) Maria Sharapova
2). As per the news published in financial newspapers, nine public sector banks are getting fresh
capital infusion as announced by the Finance Minister in Union Budget 2014-15. How much money
was earmarked in the budget for same?
a) Rs. 11,200 cr
b) Rs. 16,800 cr
c) Rs. 12,500 cr
d) Rs. 15,200 cr
e) None of these
3). The 2015 G-20 Summit, the 10th annual meeting of the G-20 heads of Government, will be held
on 15-16 November 2015 in __________.
a) Brishbane, Australia
b) Antalya, Turkey
c) Athens, Greece
d) Saint Petersburg, Russia
e) Cannes, France
4). With regard to health insurance policies provided by general insurers, what is the term used
for the facility that lets you avail the hospitalisation benefits without any advance payments?
a) Paperless policy
b) Universal policy
c) Cashless facility
d) No-frills facility
e) None of these
5). The Periyar Tiger Reserve has bagged the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
biennial award for encouraging local public participation in managing the reserve. Where it is
situated?
a) Andhra Pradesh
b) Arunachal Pradesh
c) Kerala
d) Assam
e) Chhattisgarh
6). National Voters Day is observed on______
a) 10 February
b) 7 February
c) 25 January
d) 23 January
e) 21 January
7). Headquarters of National Insurance Company Ltd (NICL) was established at_____.
a) Kolkata
b) New Delhi
c) Mumbai
d) Chennai
e) Hyderabad
8). Who has been crowned as Miss Universe 2015?
a) Paulina Vega
b) Nia Sanchez
c) Koyal Rana
d) Diana Harkusha
e) Gabriela Isler
9). The Union Government has launched a scheme called DAY to impart skills to rural and urban
poor. Here the term DAY stands for________.
a) Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana
b) Deendayal Anna Yojana
c) Deendayal Aahar Yojana
d) Deendayal Aawas Yojana
e) None of these
10). Who is the first chairman of private sector banks association?
a) P. N Joshi
b) Kiran Kumar
c) Harpeet Singh
d) M K Sinha
11. In which year does the RBI has introduced the Banking Ombudsman Scheme?
a) 2002
b) 2000
c) 1998
d) 1995
12). Recently, Alexis Tsipras has become the new Prime Minister of ________.
a) Norway
b) Greece
c) Italy
d) Sweden
e) None of these
13). Among the following term, which is NOT used in the field of insurance?
a) Amnesty
b) Annuity
c) Death Benefit
d) Deductible
e) Attained Age
14). The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) comprises a 10-member
team consisting of a chairman. ___________ is the present chairman of IRDAI?
a) Rahul Khullar
b) Arvind Panagariya
c) Bibek Debroy
d) Nripendra Misra
e) TS Vijayan
15). Who is the author of the book- Dramatic Decade: The Indira Gandhi Years?
a) Mohammad Hamid Ansari
b) Natwar Singh
c) Sanjaya Baru
d) Pranab Mukherjee
e) Manmohan Singh
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. d
c
a
b
c
c
c
a
a
a
a
d
b
a
e
1. The Chinese Grand Prix formula one was won by who among the following on 12 Apr?
(a) Torro Rosso
(b) Kimi Raikkonen
(c) Sebastian Vettel
(d) Nico Rosberg
(e) Lewis Hamilton
2. In which year, the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act was enacted in India?
(a) 1950
(b) 1952
(c) 1962
(d) 1975
(e) 1978
3. The Nobel laureate Gunter Grass, who died recently, was known as the voice of memory of
(a) France
(b) Canada
(c) Germany
(d) Italy
(e) Spain
4. Which of the following is related to microfinance?
(a) Bimal Jalan committee
(b) S Sen committee
(c) Narsimhan Committee
(d) Malegam committee
(e) All of above
5. In a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Berlin on 14th Apr15, PM
Narendra Modi urged the international community to treat _______ as "sensitively" as nuclear
proliferation.
(a) Terrorism
(b) Global Warming
(c) Make In India

(d) River Cleaning
(e) None of These
6. Kapoor committee, 1999 is related to ____.
(a) Micro-finance
(b) Restructuring of RRBs
(c) Capital Account convertibility
(d) Co-operative Banking Reforms
(e) None of these
7. ______ is a cheque or an act or rather an amount of cheque, which is above the balance
available in the account of the payer.
(a) Overdraft
(b) Cross cheque
(c) Cross selling
(d) Open end
(e) None of these
8. The Government has constituted a task force comprising experts and senior officials to be
chaired by B N Navalawala, Ex-Secretary of Ministry of Water Resources. What is the major
responsibility of the task force?
(a) Combat Terrorism
(b) Interlinking of Rivers
(c) Green Energy
(d) Skill Development
(e) Decreasing Global Warming
9. Which of the following banks in India acquired the diamond/jewellery financing business of
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) recently?
(a) Yes Bank
(b) Kotak Mahindra Bank
(c) ICICI Bank
(d) IndusInd Bank
(e) None of these

10. The standard rate at which the RBI buys or rediscount bills of exchange and other commercial
paper eligible for purchase under RBI act, is known as _____
(a) Base rate
(b) Repo rate
(c) Bank rate
(d) Reverse repo rate
(e) None of these
11. Name the separate non-political group announced by the Aam Aadmi Party rebels Yogendra
Yadav and Prashant Bhushan on 14th Apr15?
(a) Aam Samaj Party
(b) Swaraj Party
(c) Swaraj Samaj Party
(d) Swaraj Abhiyan Party
(e) None of These
12. Which e-commerce company decided to not be a part of the new Airtel Zero platform that was
attacked for allowing users to access partner applications without any charges for data?
(a) Amazon
(b) Flipkart
(c) Snapdeal
(d) PayTm
(e) eBay
13. Who is the sole authority for issue of currency in India?
(a) GOI
(b) RBI
(c) (a) & (b) together
(d) RBI & SBI
(e) None of these
14. Which of the following statement is not correct about co-operative banks?
(a) These have been established under the co-operative societys act of different states
(b) These follows three tier system
(c) Banking regulation act of 1949 is fully applicable to commercial banks
(d) These banks functions on the principle of co-operation and not entirely on commercial parameters
(e) All are correct
15. Which is the first bank to launch EMI facilities on debit cards?
(1) SBI
(2) Axis
(3) ICICI
(4) HDFC
(5) HSBC
Answers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. C
E
B
C
D
A
D
A
B
D
C
D
B
B
C
1. How many firms are committed to generate 266 GW renewable energy in five years under REInvest programme by government of India?
a) 193
b) 293
c) 393
d) 493
2. Which edition of the Indian Premier League is going on?
a) 7
b) 8
c) 9
d) 10
3. AAP will launch Jai Kisan Abhiyan in which state of India?
a) Punjab
b) Haryana
c) Maharashtra
d) Goa
4. Around...............toilets has been constructed under Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan.
a) 5.1 lakh
b) 6.1 lakh
c) 7.1 lakh
d) 8.1 lakh
5. Which company will invest USD 10 billion for building renewable projects?
a) CIL
b) SAIL
c) NTPC
d) BHEL
6. Who among the following Indian-origin scientist Professor has ..................... received CAREER
Award by the National Science Foundation of the United States?
a) Shashi Shankar
b) Tapan Misra
c) Rashad Hussain
d) Srikanth Jagabathula
7. Yelahanka Air Force Station in the IT city hosts the...........edition of the five-day international
edition of the aerospace and aviation exhibition.
a) 10
b) 11
c) 12
d) 13
8. Which major e-commerce retail website will create exclusively Indias first online luxury mall?
a) Flipkart
b) Snapdeal
c) Rediff
d) Junglee
9. Which country has proposed triangular partnership with India and Sri Lanka?
a) Myanmar
b) Japan
c) Bangladesh
d) China
10. ............... news portal Mashable and India.comhave partnered to launch Mashable India to
generate original domestic content.
a) US
b) UK
c) Russia
d) Spain
11. The Supreme Court on 22 Jan barred N Srinivasan from contesting BCCI elections. His name is
associated with which of the following firms?
1)Madras Cements
2) Deccan Cements
3)Andhra Cements
4) India Cements
5)Ambuja Cements
12. The biggest producer of crude oil in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) is
1) Venezuela
2) Saudi Arabia
3) UAE
4) Qatar
5) Iran
13. Chief Minister T R Zeliang won the trust vote in the 60-member Assembly in which of the
following states recently?
1) Mizoram
2) Tripura
3) Nagaland
4) Manipur
5) Arunachal Pradesh
14. Rajni Kothari passed away recently. He was an eminent
1) political scientist
2) biologist
3) chemist
4) geologist
5) historian
15. What is Indias ranking in the 2014 edition of the Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI)
released by the Global business school INSEAD?
1) 21st
2) 23rd
3) 36th
4) 65th
5) 78th
16 Prominent actress Faten Hamama passed away recently. Also known as The Lady of the Arab
Screen, she belonged to
1) Egypt
2) UAE
3) Jordan
4) Iran
5) None of these
17. The central govt has launched a scheme to support entrepreneurs from Scheduled Caste
community. Which of the following is NOT correct in this regard?
1) It is named Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes.
2) It was launched by Union Social Justice Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
3) It has been launched with an initial capital of Rs 200 cr.
4) Initially about 30 persons a year would benefit from this scheme, each can avail loans up to Rs 15 cr.
5) None of these
18. Which of the following automobiles manufacturers stayed at the top in global vehicle sales in
2014?
1) Ford
2) General Motors
3) Toyota Motor
4) Volkswagen
5) Renault
19. The govt is expected to soon take a decision on Roongta committee recommendations. These
recommendations are related to bringing reforms in
1) Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
2) Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs)
3) Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs)
4) Microfinance Institutions (MFIs)
5) None of these
20. The banknote of Rs 5 is signed by who among the following in India?
1) Governor, RBI
2) One of deputy the governors, RBI
3) Finance Minister
4) Finance Secretary
5) None of these
1. B
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. C
6. D
7. A
8. B
9. D
10. A
11. 4
12. 2
13. 3
14. 1
15. 5
16. 1
17. 2
18. 3
19. 2
20. 1
1) Saina Nehwal created history she became the first Indian woman shutters to attain the world
number one ranking. Who has the distinction of being the first world No. 1 badminton player from
India?
(A) Syed Modi
(B) Pullela Gopichand
(C) Prakash Padukone
(D) Chetan Anand
(E) None of These
2) Ninth edition of Earth Hour was observed. The day is organized by?
(A) United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

(B) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
(C) World Health Organization (WHO)
(D) World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
(E) None of These
3) Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched Indias fourth navigation
satellite named?
(A) IRNSS 1-E
(B) IRNSS 1-D
(C) IRNSS 1-C
(D) IRNSS 1-B
(E) None of These
4) Poonam Mahajan recently became the first woman president of which among the following
sports Federation?
(A) Basketball Federation of India
(B) All India Football Federation
(C) Badminton Association of India
(D) Sports Authority of India
(E) None of These
5) Aziz Qureshi was removed as the Governor of which state?
(A) Gujarat
(B) Goa
(C) Arunachal Pradesh
(D) Mizoram
(E) None of These
6) Which state government recently passed a law that bans the slaughter, trading and
unauthorised transportation of camels?
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Maharashtra
(C) Himachal Pradesh

(D) Jammu and Kashmir
(E) None of These
7) Which Australian cricketer recently announced his retirement from ODIs?
(A) David Warner
(B) Mitchell Starc
(C) Shane Watson
(D) Michael Clarke
(E) None of These
8) Isro launched India's 4th navigation satellite IRNSS 1D recently using?
(A) PSLV-C27
(B) PSLV-C29
(C) PSLV-D24
(D) PSLV-E21
(E) None of These
9) World Water Day was globally observed. What was the theme for the day in 2015?
(A) Water and Sustainable Development
(B) Water and Energy
(C) Water Cooperation
(D) Water and Food Security
(E) None of These
10) Sania Mirza and _____ began their partnership on winning note as they won BNP Paribas
Open tennis women's doubles title on 22 March 2015?
(A) Cara Black
(B) Martina Hingis
(C) Martina Navratilova
(D) Kim Clijsters
(E) None of These
11) International Day of Forests is observed on?

(A) March 24
(B) March 22
(C) March 21
(D) March 23
(E) None of These
12) Lee Kuan Yew who passed away on 22 March 2015 was the founding father and first Prime
Minister of which country?
(A) South Korea
(B) Singapore
(C) Malaysia
(D) Bhutan
(E) None of These
13) Novak Djokovic defeated which player to win the BNP Paribas Open Tennis title 2015 recently?
(A) Roger Federer
(B) Andy Murray
(C) Rafael Nadal
(D) Stanislas Wawrinka
(E) None of These
14) President Pranab Mukherjee confered Chakra awards to ____ defence personnel?
(A) 11
(B) 10
(C) 9
(D) 12
(E) None of These
15) Railways have recently hiked the cost of platform tickets from Rs.5 to Rs.____?
(A) Rs.10
(B) Rs.8
(C) Rs.9
(D) Rs.15
(E)Rs.20
Answers:
1) (C)
2) (D)
3) (B)
4) (A)
5) (D)
6) (A)
7) (D)
8) (A)
9) (A)
10) (B)
11) (C)
12) (B)
13) (A)
14) (D)
11. National Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Awareness Week was launched on ___.
A. 15th Mar15
B. 16th Mar15
C. 17th Mar15
D. 18th Mar15
E. 19th Mar15
2. Name the Chief of International Monetary Fund who was on a recent visit to India?
A. Horst Kohler
B. Rodrigo De Rato
C. Dominique Strauss Kahn
D. Christine Lagarde
E. Jim Yong Kim
3. As per the Supreme Courts recent order, which card is not compulsory to avail the subsidies
associated with numerous govt. schemes?
A. Voter ID Card
B. Aadhar Card
C. Ration Card
D. PAN Card
E. None of the above
4. How many digits are there in IFSC Code?

A. 10
B. 9
C. 12
D. 13
E. 11
5. World Consumer Rights Day was observed on ____.
A. 15th March
B. 16th March
C. 17th March
D. 18th March
E. 14th March
6. As per the latest data on international arms transfer released by Stockholm International Peace
Research Institute (SIPRI) which country becomes the worlds largest arms importer?
A. India
B. China
C. Saudi Arabia
D. Pakistan
E. Japan
7. Name the women cab service launched by New Delhi Municipal Council?
A. Mahila Cab Service
B. Shakti
C. Naari Shakti
D. Mahila Shakti
E. None of these
8. What is the full form of NIM?
A. Net Interest Margin
B. Net Involvement Margin
C. Net Involution Margin
D. National Income Margin
E. None of These
9. What is the full form of MTSS?
A. Money Transfer Service Scheme
B. Medium Transfer Service Scheme
C. Moderate Transfer Service Scheme
D. Money Transfer Service Strategy
E. Minimum Transfer Service Scheme
10. Winner of Ranji Trophy-2015 is __?
A. Maharashtra
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Karnataka
D. Andhra Pradesh
E. Kerala
11. In which country, Indian Prime Minister has inaugurated the first of the eight Coastal
Surveillance Radar Systems (CSRS) being set up by India?
A. Seychelles
B. Mauritius
C. Sri Lanka
D. Maldives
E. Myanmar
12. Which state has launched the "Momai Tamuli Barbaruah Krishak Bondhu Scheme" to increase
agricultural production in state in March this year?
A. West Bengal
B. Odisha
C. Arunachal Pradesh
D. Assam
E. Rajasthan
13. Who has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador for the North East?
A. Baichung Bhutia
B. Ranbir Kapoor
C. Priyanka Chopra
D. Meiyang Chang
E. Mary Kom
14. In which city the statue of Mahatma Gandhi made by British sculptor Philip Jackson was
unveiled by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in March this year?
A. New York
B. Berlin
C. London
D. Paris
E. Rome
15. Name the person known as Noted Gandhian and son of Mahatma Gandhi's personal secretary
who passed away recently?
A. Mahadev Desai
B. Narayan Desai
C. Mohan Desai
D. Mayank Gandhi
E. None of These
ANSWERS
1
11
12
13
14
15
10
1. Certificate of Deposit (CD) is a _____ instrument.

(1) Shot term
(2) long term
(3) negotiable money market
(4) unsecured money market
(5) None of these
2. Which one of the following is not a 'Money Market Instrument'?
(1) Treasury Bills
(2) Commercial Paper
(3) Certificate of Deposit
(4) Equity Shares
(5) None of these
3. "CRAR" stands for?
(1) Currency to risk weighted assets ratio
(2) Capital to risk weighted assets ratio
(3) Capital to risk weighted accurate ratio
(4) Capital to rest weighted assets ratio
(5) None is correct
4. Central Bank of India was the first public bank to introduce:
(1) Credit card
(2) ATM Card

(3) Mobile ATM
(4) Internet Banking Facility
(5) None of these
5. Slogan of Federal Bank is _________?
(1) For all your needs
(2) One family one bank
(3) Together we can
(4) Your Perfect Banking Partner
(5) Trusted Family Bank
. What does WPI stand for?
(1) Wholesale Price Index
(2) Wholesale Price India
(3) Wholesale Price International
(4) Wholesale Price Industrial
(5) Wholesale Prices Industries
7. What does CRISIL stand for?
(1) Credit Rating and Industrial Services of India Limited
(2) Cash Rating and Industrial Services of India Limited
(3) Credit Rating and Investment Services of India Limited
(4) Currency Rating and Investment Services of India Limited
(5) Cash Rating and Investment Services of India Limited
8. Base Rate regime was introduced with effect from
(1) 1st August 2009
(2) 1st July 2009
(3) 1st August 2010
(4) 1st July 2010
(5) None of these
9. Full Form of CDR

(1) Commercial Debt Recovery
(2) Corporate Debt Restructuring
(3) Credit Debit Rate
(4) Currency Default Ratio
(5) Company Debt Recovery
10. FD in a commercial bank can be done for a maximum period of
(1) 15 yrs
(2) 25 yrs
(3) 10 yrs
(4) No limit
(5) None of these
11. Which of the following conducts the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI)?
(1) Central Statistics Office
(2) National Sample Survey Organisation
(3) Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises
(4) Ministry of Economy
(5) Ministry of Finance
12. The beneficiaries of Micro finance business are _____________
(1) Land Less labour
(2) Marginal farmers
(3) Vendors in the small markets
(4) Hawkers
(5) All the above
13. NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) established JLG to extract the
productive capability from rural population. JLG stands for ?
(1) Junior Link Group
(2) Join Life Group
(3) Joint Line Group

(4) Joint Liability Group
(5) None of these
14. Foreign Exchange Reserves of India are kept in the custody of which of the following ?
(1) International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(2) Internatinal Monetary Fund
(3) Goverment Treasury
(4) RBI
(5) SBI
15. One of the delivery channel for Micro Finance is SHG model. SHG means ?
(1) Soar Help Group
(2) Sake Help Group
(3) Self Hope Group
(4) Store Help Group
(5) Self Help Group
ANSWERS
1
11
12
13
14
15
10
1. Banking sector comes under which sector?
(a) Services sector

(b) Manufacturing sector
(c) Realty sector
(d) Industrial sector
(e) None of these
2. What is STT?
(a) Standard Transaction Tax
(b) Securities Transaction tax
(c) Securities Transfer tax
(d) Standard Transfer tax
(e) None of these
3. Where is the headquarters of World Bank situated?
(a) Paris
(b) New York
(c) Basel
(d) Vienna
(e) Washington D.C.
4. Which of the following scheme is related to Financial Inclusion?
(a) AADHAR
(b) AAY
(c) Swabhiman
(d) Swavalamban
(e) All of the above
5. Which of the following is not a credit rating agency?
(a) WADA
(b) Fitch
(c) CRISIL
(d) Moody
(e) S & P
6. What is MZM in money market?
(a) Money with highest return
(b) Money with zero maturity
(c) Money with sovereign guarantee
(d) Monetary base or total currency
(e) None of these
7. The Tier-1 capital of banks does not include _______.
(a) Paid-up capital
(b) Revaluation reserves
(c) Statutory reserves
(d) Investment fluctuation reserves
(e) None of these
8. Where is National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM) located?
(a) Nasik
(b) Mumbai
(c) Pune
(d) New Delhi
(e) None of these
9. International Day of Rural Women is observed on ?
(a) September 15
(b) July 15
(c) December 15
(d) October 15
(e) November 15
10. Which of the following is a fully-owned subsidiary of RBI?
(a) NHB
(b) DICGC
(c) BRBNMPL
(d) All of the above
(e) Only (a) and (b)
11. Loan taken by the person, not telling the purpose of taking loan is called ?
(a) Impersonal Loan
(b) NPA
(c) Personal Loan
(d) Concealed Loan
(e) Hidden Loan
12. Public Sector Banks include ?
(a) 20 Nationalized Banks + State Bank of India + 5 SBI Associates + IDBI
(b) 20 Nationalized Banks + 6 Private Banks
(c) 14 Nationalized Banks + 6 SBI Associates + 7 Private Banks
(d) 20 Nationalized Banks + State Bank of India + 5 Private Sector Banks + IDBI
(e) 19 Nationalized Banks + State Bank of India + 6 SBI Associates
13. The formal way of lending includes lending from ?
(a) Private Sector Banks
(b) Co-operative Banks
(c) Public Sector Banks
(d) RRB
(e) All of the above
14. Which commission distributes the taxes between centre and states ?
(a) NITI Ayog
(b) Board of Direct Taxes
(c) Finance Commission
(d) National Development Counsel
(e) National Advisory Council
15. The facility not available in the BSBDA is ?
(a) deposit amount

(b) withdrawing of cash
(c) ATM Card
(d) withdrawal form facility
(e) All above facilities available
ANSWERS
1
11
12
13
14
15
10

Indian Surgeons Removed World

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Indian surgeons removed world's largest kidney weighing 2.

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