I S S U E 5 , M AY 2 0 1 6

TM

where career starts

www.toprankers.com

Accomplishment
- Charles Borromeo resigned from Tata Steel Sports Department -14
- Harmeet Kaur Dhillon, elected to key Republican position - 14
- Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright claimed to be creator of Bitcoin- 15
- Sameer Chadha appointed as Partner and CEO of KPMG - 15
- Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa selected as executive secretary of UNFCCC - 16
- Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba appointed as Chief of the Naval Staff- 16
- Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation Security-17
- Manohar Kumar takes over as Director (Engg) in NPCC-17
- Dilip Tuli appointed as Senior Vice President of Housing.com -18
- Kishore Biyani appointed as Managing Director of Bharti Retail-18
- Yash Chopras statue is in Switzerland-19
- Shashank Manohar resigns as BCCI president-18
- Uday Kotak, only Indian in Forbes Most Powerful People in the Financial World list-20
- President approves name of Four Judges for Supreme Cour-20
- Manjit Singh, appointed as member of Presidents Advisory Council-21
- Fatma Samoura named first female secretary general of FIFA-22
- Hinupur Pradeep Rao appointed as the Deputy CAG-22
-Justice Tinlianthang Vaiphei sworn in as acting Chief Justice of Tripura High Court-23
- Indian Army Successfully Summits Mount Everest-23
- Indian Army Successfully Summits Mount Everest-23
- Tsai Ing-wen sworn-in as first women President of Taiwan-24

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

- Kiran Bedi appointed Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry-25

- Ratan P Watal appointed as Niti Aayogs Principal Adviser-25
- Erdogan ally to be new Turkish Prime Minister-26
- Anurag Thakur becomes BCCIS one of the youngest president-27
- Lt General SK Saini new commandant of Indian Military Academy-27
- Sonowal becomes BJPs first Chief Minister in Assam-28
- Govind Rajan became CEO of Snapdeal owned Freecharge-29
- Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee sworn in as Chief Minister of West Bengal-29
- V Narayana-swamy to be Puducherry Chief Minister-30

Awards
- Swat activist Tabassum Adnan won 2016 Nelson Mandela Award -31
- Former bureaucrat NK Singh selected for Japans highest civilian award-31
- President Pranab Mukherjee conferred 63rd National Film Awards-32
- President Pranab Mukherjee confers Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards-32
- Indian Parashar Kulkarni wins 2016 Commonwealth Short Story -33
- President Mukherjee presents gallantry awards to defence personnel-34
- Indian-American Revathi Balakrishnan named as 2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year-34
- Hockey India recommended Ritu Rani and VR Raghunath for Arjuna Awardt-35
- President confers Florence Nightingale Awards.-35
- Anjali Chandrashekhar comes 3rd in UN Poster for Peace contest-36
- Harvey Milk Foundation to Honor Bollywood Actress Celina Jaitlyt-36
- 5 Indians posthumously awarded with Dag Hammarskjold Medal of UN-37

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- South Koreas Jan Kang won Man Booker Internationalt-38

- Vesak Samman Prashasti Patra-2016 Awards Presented to Buddhist scholars-38
- I, Daniel Blake won Palme dOr at Cannes 2016-39
- Routes 2 Roots, a Delhi-based Non-profit organization-39
- Sunil Bharti Mittal, received the Harvard B-School Alumni award-40
- Indian-American scientist Arnab De has received the prestigious Springer Theses Award.-40
- President Pranab Mukherjee presented Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar 2016

-41

- Rehman conferred Japans Fukuoka Prize- 41

NATIONAL NEWS
- Railways launch Indrail Pass for foreigners-43
- Centre government LED scheme launched in Madhya Pradesh-43
- Maha Govt to develop textiles park at Amravati- 44
- Union Government banned import of dogs for commercial breeding.- 44
- Supreme Court banned all diesel cabs in NCR-Delhi from May 1. -45
- Indian Railways to plant trees alongside Railway Track-45
- NRDC signed agreements for commerci-alization of Ghar Sodhon-46
- Supreme Court appointed RM Lodha-panel to reform Medical Council of India-46
- BHEL commis-sioned 600 MW thermal power plant in Madhya Pradesh.-47
- Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu launched Wi-Fi hotspot-47
- Banihal-Baramulla Fast Passenger (DEMU) and Budgam-Baramulla-48
- Two laning with formation of four lane of Shimla Bypass on NH-22 Approved.-49
- Portal for Contract Labour Payment-49

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

- Dial 112 for any Emergency throughout India from 1 January 2017- 50
- Telangana govt to set up Monkey rescue and rehabilitation centre-50
- Indian Railways launches Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims.-51
- Uttarakhand Floor Test: Harish Rawat-51
- Rural Sanitation Initiatives for Ganga-52
- Ministry Of Road Transport & Highways Sets-53
- Maharashtra declares drought in 29000 villages.-53
- Nitin Gadkari Launches INFRACON,-54
- NTPC tied-up with Coal India Limited-55
- Indias first driverless train was flagged off by Union Minister-55
- TMC got huge majority ever in the History of West Bengals election.-56
- LDF will make government in Kerala-56
- BJP to form its 1st government in ASSAM-57
- Jaya lalitha retains power in Tamil Nadu-58
- Odisha to launch Green Passage-59
- BHEL commissions 250 MW thermal unit in Maharashtra-59
- Cyclone Roanu hits coastal area of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh-60
- Gujarat launched Smart Village program-61
- World Bank loans 100 million dollar for Karnataka water projects-62
- Hubballi-Dharwad, the second largest urban center in Karnataka,-62
- Sikkim bans disposable foam food containers.-63

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where career starts

- 13 new cities announced for smart cities Projects-64

- Cabinet approves 1st ever Capital Goods Policy-64
- Human Resource Development-65
- Union cabinet gives approval to 6 New IITs-66
- Andhra Pardesh to introduce e -office system in all districts.-66
- Indias first multilingual dictio-nary Bhara-tvani launched-67
- Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal-67
- Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) in the country-68
- Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology-68

SPORTS
- Indian shooters bagged 3 gold, 1 bronze in ISSF Junior World Cup-70
- Mark Selby won World Snooker Championship-70
- Indian shuttlers qualify for Rio 2016-71
- India finishes fourth in junior shooting World Cup-71
- Bicycle highway between Taj and lion safari-72
- Charlotte Edwards, England womens cricket captain,-72
- Max verstappen becomes youngest F1 GP winner.-73
- Sania -Hingis won Rome Masters womens double pair-73
- Andy Murray beats Novak Djokovic to win first Italian Open title-74
- Sudha breaks 3000 M steeplechase record-74
- Womens relay team sets new national records-75
- Sevilla won 3rd consecutive Europa League title-75
- Barcelona lifted 28th Copa Del Rey title-76
- Pankaj Advani 1st to hold continental, world title-76

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

- India claims silver in Asian Team Snooker Championship-77

- Real Madrid won its 11th Championship League title-77
- Two Indian Americans won US Spelling Bee 2016-78
- Sunrisers Hydrabad won their maiden IPL title-78
- Sandhu 1st Indian to play in European Laegue-79
- Alastair cook became youngest player to reach 10,000 Test runs-80
- Weir sets world record in 1 mile wheelchair race-80

ECONOMICS
- The small Industries Development Bank of India has inked with SAARC-82
- Maharashtra is the biggest contributor to income tax collections in India-82
- NABARD partners Germany for food security initiative-83
- Rahuri in Ahmednagar becomes first to have digi-locker.-83
- Union Commerce Ministry launched EXIM Analytics-84
- Reliance to sign 15 new industrial license agreements in the defense sector-85
- Google acquires business technology startup Synergyse-85
- BRICS bank became the first partner with ICICI Bank in India-86
- MoC between Ministry of Women & Child Development and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-87
- ECB decided to end production and issuance of 500 euro banknote-87
- India ranks Ninth in Crony-Capitalism Index-88
- RBI to issue 1000 Rupees Banknotes with inset letter R-88
- Infosys Foundation has signed a pact with Indian Institute -89
- Commemorative Coin of 100 rupees & Circulation Coin-89
- Union Cabinet approves for MoU between SEBI and FSRA Abu Dhabi-90

TM

where career starts

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

- Apple opens Development Office in Hyderabad-91
- PNB tops list of worst losses in Indian banking history-91
- Nepal SBI Bank launches payment gateway-92
- Demand of Consolidation in Indian Banking sector.-92
- Samsung to launch 1st nationwide loT Network-93
- Intel India announced new initiatives to support Digital India-94
- Infosys Rs 600-cr SEZ project-94

DEFENCE

- Offshore patrol vessel ICGS Shaurya launched.-96

- US Navy tested worlds largest unmanned surface vessel, Sea Hunter-96
- Two Harbour Defence Systems commissioned-97
- Indian Air Forces Electronic Maintenance-97
- Ashwin an indigenous Air Defence interceptor missile, has been -98
- A joint US-Australian military research team successfully-98
- India and Russia have agreed to export BrahMos-99
- BrahMos supersonic cruise missile test fired-99
- Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University of Technology-100

Obituaries
- Famous American actor William Schallert died-101
- Nirankari Spiritual leader Baba Hardev Singh dies in-101
- French scientist Andr Brahic died-102
- Diwaliben Bhil passed away-102
- Veteran leader of CPI(M) K Anirudhan passed away-103
- Marathi litterateur and critique R.G. Jadhav passed away.-103

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

10

SCIENCE
- China developed worlds first graphene electronic paper-105
- University of Cambridge have built the worlds smallest (nanoscale) working engine-105
- CAIPEEX a process to understand Rain Formation in Clouds-106
- Astronomers discovered 3 Earth like planets using TRAPPIST telescope-106
- UN launches Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Zika virus response-107
- Flying Observatory SOFIA detects Atomic Oxygen in Martian Atmosphere-107
- Indian scientist Manvendra K Singh bags SGD-108
- China launched Yaogan -30 remote sensing satellite-108
- First penis transplant in U.S. performed in Boston-109
- Department of Electronics and Information Technology-109
- Scientists discover new form of light-110
- Worlds first Zika virus clone developed-111
- ISRO launches Indias first reusable space shuttle -112
- India lauded for Medicines with the Red Line campaign on antibiotics-112
- ISRO to test rocket that takes its fuel from air-113
- China to launch worlds 1st Quantum satellite-113
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration-114
- Fossils of oldest multi-cellular organism found-115

PROMINENT RECORD
- Kohima In Nagaland becomes Smoke-Free City-116
- BSF To Unveil tallest national flag.-116
- Renewable energy country attractiveness index 2016 - 117
- Punjab gets worlds largest rooftop solar plant-117
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- Australian engineers set solar cell efficiency world record-118

- Malyaysian women weave worlds longest Rug-118
- Worlds largest cruise ship Harmony of the seas starts Maiden voyage-119

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIP
- India, Papua New Guinea signed four agreements-120
- India, New Zealand signed Air Services Agreement.-120
- India-UAE currency swap agreement Approved-121
- Inter-gover-nmental agreement between India and Mauritius-121
- India and Slovenia sign Protocol amending-122
- India, Oman signed 4 Agreements on defence cooperation-122
- India ,Thailand ,Myanmar to be linked by Highway-123
- India Iran Afghanistan sign transport corridor pact-124
- India and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)-124

LEGAL UPDATE
- Lok Sabha passed the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015-

126

- Supreme Court asked Delhi Government not to register New Diesel Cars-126
- Supreme Court upholds validity of Criminal Defamation Law-127
- Union Cabinet approves National Intellectual Property Rights Policy.-127
- Union Cabinet gives approval to Amendments in Constitution ST Order, 1950

DAYS AND DATE

- International Labour Day celebrated.-129
- National Technology Day observed on May 11-

129

- May 21 observed as Anti Terrosism Day-130

- Menstrual hygiene day observed on 28 May-

130

- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers 2016 -

131

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

-128

12

- 31 May- World No Tobacco Day -131

SCHEME AND POLICY

- UJALA will be implemented across country by 2019-

133

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

- Prime Minister launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana at Ballia-134

Miscellaneous
- Indian Railways creates Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to explore --advertising in train coaches-135
- Saraswat Bank donates Rs 1 crore for drought relief-135
- Urgent action needed to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030: UN Report.-136
- Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle-136
- There has always been conspiracy theories about the war US had in middle east.-137
- Worlds oldest stone axe found in Australia-137
- The Drowned Detective by Neil Jordan unveiled-138
- Musharraf declared offender in high treason case-138
- Beti a non-fiction short film invited in 42nd edition of Seattle International-139
- Worlds First Robot Lawyer Hired By U.S. Firm-139
- The World Bank has launched Pandemic Emergency Finance Facility-140
- Mandatory for public transport buses to install emergency buttons-140
- 56 Indian firms in Forbess worlds 2,000 list-141
- United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-141
- India, US held first Maritime Security Dialogue-142
- Researchers create mirror image of DNA-copying protein-143
- US House of Representatives gave nod to bolster-144

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

- The Union Government has given its final approval to setting up of National Investment-145
- Facebook wins trademark case in China-146

Environment
- Irans Zabol most polluted: WHO-147
- April 16 was hottest April ever on Record :NASA-147
- India records its Highest temperature at 51 C- 148

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

14

ACCOMPLISHMENT
including Japan and China, where he

Charles

again won gold medals.

Borromeo

resigned
from

Tata

Steel

Sports

He was awarded the Arjuna Award in

1982 and the Padma Shri in 1984.
Harmeet

Department

Kaur

elected to key

Charles
Borromeo
Charles Borromeo

28

April

resigned

Dhillon,

Republican

on

position.

2016
from

An

the head of the Tata Steel sports department

American Sikh

post.
Harmeet Kaur

Vigilance department officials of the company

had questioned him in connection with alleged
irregularities in tender process of 4.40 crore

Indian

woman

from

California,
Harmeet

Kaur

Dhillon, got elected in the Republican Party at

rupees.

the US national level.

She was elected as the newest national

He won a gold medal of 800 m at the

1982 Asian Games held in Delhi

He was also a part of Indian Olympic

contingent that took place at Los Angeles
in 1984.

He joined Tata Steel as sports assistant

in 1979

In 1982, he topped the six-nation

Athletic Meet in Mumbai by winning the

committee woman of the Republican National

Committee on 1 May 2016.
Earlier she was the vice chairman of the
California GOP. She is the first woman elected
to this position in California Republican Party.

North Carolina after her Sikh parents

Inter-State Championship at Kozhikode

He won bronze medal at the Peking

International Games in China

Tata honored him as the Best Sportsman

in 1984.

He also represented India at a number of

track and field meets around the world,

She was born in India, but raised in rural

moved to the US.

She is a nationally recognized trial lawyer,

boardroom advisor and advocate for
individual, corporate and institutional
clients across numerous industries and
walks of life.
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She has been awarded the prestigious

He worked in information technology for

California

various companies, including OzEmail,

Super Lawyer in business litigation by

K-Mart and the Australian Securities

Thomson/West Publishing, an accolade

Exchange, as well as working as a

reserved for the top 5% of lawyers in the

security consultant for Mahindra &

jurisdiction.

Mahindra.

designation

of

Northern

Dhillons practice in New York, London,

He was the CEO of the technology firm

and the San Francisco Bay Area has

Hotwire Preemptive Intelligence Group

focused on federal and state commercial

(Hotwire PE). Hotwire planned to launch

litigation and arbitration, with a particular

Denariuz Bank, the worlds first Bitcoin-

emphasis on unfair competition/trade

based bank, though it encountered

secret misappropriation, intellectual.

regulatory difficulties with the Australian

Tax Office and failed in 2014.

Australian

Since the system works without a central

repository or single administrator, the

entrepreneur
Craig

U.S. Treasury categorizes bitcoin as a

Wright

claimed

decentralized virtual currency.

to

be creator of
Bitcoin

Sameer Chadha

appointed
Partner

Australian
Craig Steven

and

CEO of KPMG

entrepreneur
Craig

as

India

Steven

Wright on 2 May
2016 publicly identified himself as the creator

On 3 May 2016

of Bitcoin, digital cryptocurrency. He claimed

Sameer Chadha

to be the real person behind the pseudonym

was

KPMG Indiaa

Satoshi Nakamoto, the creator of Bitcoin,

as the partner
and

a claim that is disputed within the Bitcoin

appointed
Chief

Executive Officer (CEO) of KPMGs offshore

community.

arm in India.

Wright graduated from high school in

1987 from Padua College in Brisbane.

Chadha joined KPMG Global Services (KGS)

He completed 18 SANS Institute courses

from Barclays Shared Services,

and was the worlds first person to

receive GIAC certification in Compliance

Chadha has 25 years of experience with leading

and Audits, and was a SANS Institute

organisations across the financial services and

Mentor.

consumer goods sectors.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

16

in July 2016.

He began his career with Nestle India.

Prior to working with Barclays, he

Before this she was serving as Mexicos

ambassador to Germany Earlier she had

held strategic leadership roles at firms

served as Mexicos representative at the

such as Bank of America, First Source

Solutions and Lehman Brothers.

He is a chartered accountant and holds

UN in New York

She used to work in the field of drug

traffic, human rights, women promotion,

a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the

Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi
University.

social development and childrens rights.

She will be implementing the Paris

Agreement on Climate Change that was

KPMG was established in India in

approved by 195 countries in December

September 1993

2015 during UNFCCCs COP 21 held in

KPMG India Pvt Ltd offers financial

advisory services, business advisory
services, tax and regulatory services and

Paris, France.

The

The
in

firm

operates

Mumbai,

Pune,

from

its

Delhi,

offices
Kolkata,

Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochi,

Chandigarh and Ahmadabad in India.

It came into force in 1994.

It has 196 countries and European

Union (EU) as its members.
It is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto
Protocol which was ratified by 192 of the
UNFCCC Parties.

Patricia

The ultimate objective of both treaties

is to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHGs)

Espinosa

concentrations in the atmosphere.

as

executive

of

Vice

Ban

as

the

executive

secretary

Kiof

the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework

Convention on Climate Change).

She

will

replace

the

Sunil

Lanba

Staff

moon has selected Mexican diplomat Patricia

Espinosa

Admiral

appointed as Chief of the Naval

UNFCCC
Patricia Espinosa

international

diplomat

secretary

an

Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992

Mexican

selected

is

environmental treaty negotiated at the

risk advisory services.

UNFCCC

Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba, got appointed as the

next Chief of the Naval Staff on 5 May 2016.

He will assume the charge on 31 May

2016 as the 23rd chief of Indian Navy .

incumbent

Christiana Figueres when her term ends

He will succeed present Navy Chief

Admiral Robin K. Dhowan.
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civil aviation security.

He was commissioned into the Executive

Branch of Indian Navy on 1 January

January

1978,

the

BCAS

was

established as a department of the

His sea Command includes commanding

Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

BCAS became an independent agency of

INS Himgiri and Executive Officer of INS

the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 1 April

Viraat, the aircraft carrier.

1987 after the 1985 bombing of Air India

Before

FOC-in-C,

Western

Flight 182.

Naval

Command, he was FOC-in-C, Southern

In

1978.
the minesweeper INS Kakinada, frigate

The main responsibility of BCAS is to lay

Naval Command,

down standards and measures in respect

He was also the Vice Chief of the Naval

of security of civil flights at international

Staff

and domestic airports in India.

and

Commandant,

National

Defence College.

He is a qualified specialist in navigation

and direction course.

Manohar
Kumar

takes

He attended the course at the Royal

over as Director

College of Defence Studies, UK.

(Engg) in NPCC

He was Born on 17 July 1957, and has

been recipient of Param Vishist Seva

Manohar Kumar

Medal and Ati Vishist Seva Medal.

has taken over

as

Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed

(Engineering)

NPCC

Chief of Bureau of Civil Aviation

Director

on

Security.

of

the

Board

National

Projects Construction Corporation Limited

On 5 May 2016 IPS Officer Kumar Rajesh

(NPCC).

Chandra got appointed as the Chief of Bureau

of Civil Aviation Security.

He is a graduate from the then Delhi

College of Engineering.

Chandra has been appointed in place of IPS

He later did MBA from MDU, Rohtak.

officer G S Malhi.

NPCC is a PSU under Ministry Water

Resources,

Development

and

Ganga Rejuvenation.

Chandra is a 1985 batch IPS officer of

Bihar cadre.

River

National

Projects

He is currently working as Additional

Corporation

Director General (Modernisation), Bihar

established on 9th hJanuary 1957 as a

Police.

premier construction company to create

BCAS acts as regulatory authority for

necessary infrastructure for economic

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Limited

Construction
(NPCC)

was

18

development of the country in the core

estate search portal.

sectors of irrigation and water resources,

power and heavy industries.

It allows customers to search for housing

Its administrative control was transferred

based on geography, number of rooms,

from Ministry of Irrigation and Power

and various other filters.

to Ministry Water Resources, River

(earlier named as Ministry of Water

ltd

comply

with

founded Housing.co.in in June 2012.

Quality

management requirements of ISO 9001-

Thermal & Hydro Electric Projects, River

It is led by passionate problem-solvers

and backed by top investors.

Valley Projects, Industrial Structures,

Management

It is the fastest-growing company in the

online real estate space.

2008 for execution of Civil Works for

Project

A group of twelve students from the

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Resources) in 1989.
NPCC

The company has 6000 brokers and

serves 40 cities in India .

Development and Ganga Rejuvenation

Housing.com is a Mumbai-based real

Consultancy

services for buildings, Housings, Roads,

Kishore

10

Bridges and Infrastructure Projects.

appointed
as

Dilip
Senior

Vice

of

On 3 May 2016

Housing.com

Future

Groups

CEO

Kishore

On

May

Kishore Biyani

2016 Dilip Tuli

Dilip Tuli

was

appointed

Housing.com.

as

Biyani on 1 May 2016 had resigned from

Future Retail Ltd

Future Retail Ltd is the largest listed

Dilip Tuli graduated from the SRCC,

retail companies, which operates Big

Delhi University.

Bazaar and Food Bazaar.

He holds nearly 15 years of consulting

He was a Director with the Deal Advisory

He will continue to hold office as nonexecutive director of Future Retail Ltd.

experience.

appointed

was

Managing Director (MD) of Bharti Retail.

Strategy & New Business Initiatives of

Biyani

the new Senior

Vice President -

of

Bharti Retail

as

President

Managing

Director

Tuli

appointed

Biyani

Rakesh Biyani, who has also been

practice in KPMG.

appointed as Joint Managing Director of

He started his career at PwC.

Bharti Retail.
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In May 2015, Future Group had agreed

the Swiss government attended the

Retail in an all-stock deal worth 750

inauguration event that was organized

crore rupees to create one of the biggest

by Interlaken Tourism and Jungfrau

supermarket chains with 15000 crore

Railways.

The government of Interlaken awarded

Bharti Retail is a wholly owned subsidiary

him the honorary title of Ambassador of

of Bharti Enterprises.

Interlaken in 2011,

Bharti Retail operates a chain of multiple

Jungfrau Railways named a train after

format stores.

him an honour shared only with the

Future Group owns and operates Big

railways founder, Adolf Guyer.

Bazaar, combined retail operations with

Ministers and senior bureaucrats from

to merge its retail business with Bharti

rupees turnover.

The five-star Victoria Jungfrau Grand

Easyday in May 2015.

Hotel & Spa in Interlaken also named a

This collaboration has made it Indias

suite after Yash Chopra.

biggest retail chains with more than 570

12

stores in 243 cities in India.

11

Yash

Chopras

statue

is

Shashank
Manohar
resigns as BCCI

in

Switzerland

president

Yash Chopra, who shot most of his romantic

On

dramas in the lush mountains of Switzerland,

2016

has been honoured with a special statue by the

Vyankatesh

government.

Manohar resigned
Shashank Manohar

10

May

Shashank

as the President
of BCCI.

The bronze statue of the Yash Chopra,

which weighs about 250 kilos, was
inaugurated on 11 May 2016 by his

He also stepped down as the BCCI

wife Pamela and daughter-in-law Rani

representative

Mukerjee.

Cricket Council and the Asian Cricket

Chopra, who opened a legacy of South

Council .

Asian tourists flocking to Switzerland,

in

the

International

He served as the president of the

loved to spend time in the country

cricketing body from 25 September 2008

besides shooting his movies.

to 19 September 2011.

This statue is installed at the heart of

He is holding the office of the president of

Interlaken, inside the Kursaal area, near

the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA)

the Congress Centre which is a prime,

who is one of the three full members in

popular spot with tourists.

the state of Maharashtra.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

20

He is also referred to as Mr. Clean and is

also known for his spotless track record

Chase & Co, Americas largest bank.

on net worth, assets under management

and integrity in cricketing circles.

Meanwhile
BCCI

in

was

the

Supreme

questioned

apprehensiveness

to

or overseen, three-year track records

Court,

about

and influence on markets.

their

implement

the

Lodha Committee reforms.

14

Indian in Forbes
Most

Powerful

People

in

the

Financial World
list

signed the warrant for the appointment of four

judges to the Supreme Court.

of India TS Thakur . These are the

released the list of

suggested names

People in the Financial World.

The only Indian in the list is Uday Kotak,

He is ranked 33rd in the list

He has a net worth of 7.1 billion dollars

and oversees assets worth 34.6 billion
dollars.
The list has been topped by Stephen
Schwarzman of Blackstone Group
Next on the list is David Tepper of
Appaloosa

Management

and

Jamie

Dimon of JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Stephen Schwarzman is the CEO of

Blackstone Group, the worlds biggest
private equity firm.

Justice AM Khanwilkar of the Madhya

Pradesh High Court

the CEO of the Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Justice

DY

Chandrachud

of

the

Allahabad High Court

Justice Ashok Bhushan of the Kerala

High Court to the Supreme Court

L Nageshwar Rao

These four will be sworn in as Supreme

Court judges on 13 May 2016.

The judicial strength of the Supreme

Court will move up to 28.

They

are

the

first

appointments

since the collegium system of judicial

appointments
the

National

was
Judicial

restored

David Teppere is the CEO of Appaloosa

Jamie Dimon is the CEO of JPMorgan
TM

where career starts

after

Appointments

Commission Act was struck down.

Management.

These names were

Collegium headed by Chief Justice

Forbes magazine
the Most Powerful

On 4 May 2016

recommended by the Supreme Court

On 11 May 2016
Uday Kotak

Judges for Supreme Court

On 11 May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee

President approves name of Four

Uday Kotak, only

13

The candidates on the list were judged

21

Manjit

15

Singh,

appointed

as

member

of

Presidents
Advisory Council

On 12 May 2016
US

President

Barack

Obama

appointed

Manjit Singh

an

Indian-American

engineer, Manjit Singh, as the member of

Presidents Advisory Council on Faith-Based
and Neighborhood Partnerships.
The announcement came along with several
other appointments made by the US President.

Singh is the President of Agilious, a

software technology consulting firm he
founded in 2013.

He is the co-founder of the Sikh American

Legal Defense and Education Fund, a
national Sikh American media, policy
and education organization.

He served as a member of the Board

of Directors of the Guru Gobind Singh
Foundation and also as a Memberat-Large of The Board of the Interfaith
Conference

of

Metropolitan

in

Washington.

He is an engineering graduate of Bombay

University.

He also received a Master of Science

degree from the State University of New
York in US.

Council work for :

Identifying best practices and successful

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

22

modes of delivering social services.

experience and vision who has worked

Evaluating the need for improvements

on some of the most challenging issues

in the implementation and coordination

of public policies relating to faith-based
and neighborhood organizations.

Making

recommendations

to

of our time.

Since starting her UN career as a senior

logistics officer with the World Food

the

Programme in Rome in 1995, Samoura

President and the Administration on

has served as country representative

changes in policies, programs, and

or director in six countries, namely

practices.

Djibouti,

16

Fatma Samoura
named

first

female secretary
general of FIFA
13

2016

Prior

to

joining

May

Hinupur Pradeep

17

Fatma

Rao
as

undergoing an eligibility check administered

made

by

Hinupur Pradeep Rao

FIFA

Congress in Mexico City.

Samoura is a 21-year veteran of United
Resident/Humanitarian
and

UNDP

Resident

Representative in Nigeria.

audit

service

officer

Fatma is a woman with international

today
as

appointed
Deputy

Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

Rao, a 1981 batch officer of Indian

Audit and Account Service, is presently

Nations programmes who is currently

Coordinator

Senior

Pradeep Rao was

President Gianni Infantino at the 66th FIFA

UNs

Deputy

Hindupur

by an independent review committee.

the

the

FIFA Secretary General before mid-June after

appointed

CAG

Samoura, 54-year-old, will assume the role of

was

Samoura

Chimiques du Senegal.

Secretary General (SG).

announcement

UN,

for Senchim, a subsidiary of Industries

Samba Diouf Samoura as its first female

The

the

working in the fertiliser trading sector

named

diplomat

She speaks French (her mother tongue),

spent eight years in the private sector,

a Senegalese UN

Fatma Samoura

Guinea,

English, Spanish and Italian.

FIFA

Council

Chad,

Madagascar and Nigeria.

On

Cameroon,

working as Additional CAG.

The Appointments Committee of the

Cabinet has approved the appointment
of Rao as Deputy CAG with effect
from July 1, 2016, an order issued by
TM

where career starts

23

Department of Personnel and Training

High Court of the state of Tripura was

established in March 2013.

said.

The Comptroller and Auditor General is

Prior to the establishment, a bench of

countrys top auditing body.

the Gauhati High Court used to have

In another order, the ACC has appointed

jurisdiction over the state.

A K Mittal as Member (Engineering) in

The seat of the High Court is at Agartala,

the capital of Tripura.

Railway Board here.

Mittal, who belong to Indian Railway

Deepak Gupta worked as the first Chief

Justice of the court.

Service of Engineers, is presently General

Manager of East Central Railway.

This article empowers the President of

He has been appointed to the new post

India to appoint acting Chief Justice to

with effect from June 1, 2016.

a High Court.

18

Appointment of acting Chief Justice

Justice

takes place when the office of Chief

Tinlianthang

Justice of High Court is vacant.

Vaiphei

sworn

in

acting

when any such Chief Justice is, by

Justice

reason of absence or otherwise, unable

as

Chief

Such an appointment also takes place

of Tripura High

to perform the duties of his office.

Court

Tripura High Court

Indian

19

Justice

Army

Successfully

Tinlianthang

Summits Mount

Vaiphei on 16 May

Everest

2016 was sworn in as the acting Chief Justice

of Tripura High Court. He was administered

the oath of office by the Governor Tathagata

Indian

Roy at the Raj Bhavan in Agartala.

mountaineers led
by

At present Vaiphei is the Acting Chief

Mount Everest

Justice of the Gauhati High Court. He

team

of

six

Army
Lieutenant

Colonel

Ranveer

Jamwal

has

replaced Deepak Kumar Gupta, who

successfully summitted Mount Everest (8848

was transferred as the chief justice of

metres) at dawn on 19th May 2016.

the Chhattisgarh High Court.

Vaiphei was appointed as an Additional

Concurrently,

the

Lhotse

Summit

Judge in the Gauhati High Court in

Team under Major Nooruddin Ahmed

July 2003. He was elevated as the Chief

is attempting to summit Mount Lhotse,

Justice (Acting) in October 2015.

the fourth highest peak in the world at

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

24

8501 metres.

but that Beijing must respect Taiwans

The Indian Army climbers were amongst

democracy.

the

initial

lot

of

mountaineers

to

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to

of two years as the peak was closed

a landslide win in parliamentary and

due to the devastation caused by the

presidential elections.

This is the only second time that DPP

The 30-member Indian Armys Everest

has won an election in Taiwan. The

Massif Expedition 2016 was flagged off

Kuomintang (KMT) has been in power

by Lt Gen MMS Rai, Vice Chief of the

for most of the past 70 years.

Army Staff, on 30th March, 2016.

Earlier in January 2016, Tsai led the

successfully climb Everest after a hiatus

earthquake in Nepal last year.

The

DPP

has

traditionally

leaned

Five members of the team will also be

towards independence from China, and

participating in the tough and intensive

its victory has led to a cooling of cross-

Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon on

straits relations. China sees Taiwan

29th May 2016, considered to be one

as a breakaway province, which it has

of the toughest trail marathons in the

threatened to take back by force if

world.

necessary.

20

Tsai

Ing-wen

Rakesh Kumar Mishra appointed

21

sworn-in as first

as CCMB director

women President

of Taiwan

Rakesh Kumar Mishra, has been

Tsai

appointed as the new Director of the Centre for

Ing-wen

was sworn-in as

Cellular and Molecular Biology by the Council

for Scientific and Industrial Research.

the President of
Taiwan on 20 May
President of Taiwan

function of genes,

2016. With this,

she became the

He is a noted expert in the study of

He had joined CCMB in 2001 as a

senior scientist after stints at the IISc,

first woman to hold the post in Taiwan.

Bangalore, the University of Bordeaux,

Before being presented the official seal,

France, Saint Louise University, USA and

59-year-old, Tsai swore the presidential

the University of Geneva, Switzerland

oath in front of national flag. She

for post-doctoral experience.

succeeded outgoing President Ma Ying

An MSc from Allahabad University,

jeou.

Mishras

Tsai has said she will preserve the

investigating evolutionarily conserved

status quo in relations with China,

features
TM

where career starts

research
of

interests

genome

include

organisation,

25

chromatin

structure

and

Virendra Kataria on July 12 barely a

epigenetic

year after he had been appointed. Lt

regulation of genes during embryonic

Governor of Andaman and Nicobar

development stages.

Island Lt Gen Ajay Singh had been given

The Centre for Cellular and Molecular

Biology

or

CCMB

is

an

Indian

Biotechnology research establishment of

additional charge of Puducherry.

Kiran Bedi is a retired Indian Police

Service officer, social activist, former

the Council of Scientific and Industrial

Research located in Hyderabad, India,
and a designated Center of Excellence

tennis player and politician from India.

She remained in service for 35 years

before taking voluntary retirement in

for Global Molecular and Cell Biology

2007 as Director General, Bureau of

Network, UNESCO.

Police Research and Development.

Kiran

22

Bedi

appointed
Lieutenant
Governor

23

Former

P Watal has been

Kiran Bedi was on

appointed as the

22nd may 2016

Ratan P Watal

as

Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.

Finance

Secretary,Ratan

former IPS officer

Principle

Adviser

for social sector in

Niti Aayog. He has been appointed to the post

This post was under the additional charge of

Lt Governor of Andaman and Nicobar Island
for nearly two years.

for three years.

The new appointment for Watal comes a
fortnight after his two-month extended tenure

The appointment comes three days after

the Congress-DMK alliance won 17
seats in the 30-member state Assembly.
AIADMK, which contested the elections
on its own, won four seats while BJP
could not get even a single seat.

appointed as Niti

BJP leader and

Watal

Adviser

appointed

Aayogs Principal

of

Puducherry

Kiran Bedi

Ratan

The LG post in the Union territory had

been lying vacant after the Narendra
Modi Government sacked UPA nominee

ended in April.
He was to retire in February. However, Watal
later got a two-month extension as the Finance
Secretary.
Watal, a retired IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh
cadre, had been Finance Secretary between
August last year and April this year.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

26

The

National

Institution

24

for

be new Turkish

Transforming India Aayog or NITI Aayog

Prime Minister

is a Government of India policy think-

tank established by Prime Minister

Turkeys

Narendra Modi to replace the Planning

governing Justice

Commission.

and Development

The stated aim for NITI Aayogs creation

Party

is to foster involvement and participation

President

in the economic policy-making process

Tayyip

Erdogan ally

by the State Governments of India.

Erdogan ally to

elected
Recep
Erdogan

to become its new

It has adopted a bottom-up approach in

leader and prime minister, paving the way for

planning which is a remarkable contrast

a constitutional overhaul that would allow the

to the Planning Commissions tradition

president to extend his powers.

of top-down decision-making.

One of the important mandates of NITI

prime minister, received votes from all

federalism and to improve centre state

1,405 delegates at a party congress.

This is well reflected when Indian

Prime Minister appointed three sub-

Later Mr. Erdogan gave Mr. Yildirim the

official mandate to form a government.

The previous Prime Minister, Ahmet

groups of chief ministers for making

Davutoglu,

recommendations in three important

on May 5 after a public rift with Mr.

areas (centrally sponsored schemes,

Erdogan.

skill development and Swachh Bharat).

Binali Yildirim, the sole candidate for

Aayog is to bring cooperative competitive

relation .

abruptly

stepped

down

Mr. Yildirim, 60, is expected to play a

NITI Aayog will provide opportunities,

subservient role to the president, and to

that the previous Planning Commission

push forward a series of constitutional

structure

amendments

economic

lacked,

to

interests

represent
of

the

the
State

would

allow

Mr.

Erdogan to establish an all-powerful

Governments and Union Territories of

India.

that

presidential system.

Party leaders announced that the new

government would work in harmony
with the president to realize central
goals for Turkeys future.

Sentiments

expressed

at

the

party

congress have been echoed by progovernment columnists, who have called

for obedience to the chief since Mr.
TM

where career starts

27

Davutoglus resignation.

He was elected as the Honorary Secretary

of the BCCI in January 2015.

25

Anurag

Thakur

He played one match in first-class

becomes
BCCIS
the

cricket representing Himachal Pradesh

one

of

and leading the team as captain in a

youngest

match against Jammu and Kashmir in

president

the 2000/2001 season.

On 22 May 2016
Anurag
Anurag Thakur

Lt

26

Thakur

General

SK

Saini

new

was unanimously

commandant of

elected as 34th

Indian

Military

BCCI President at the boards special general

Academy

meeting (SGM) in Mumbai.

Lt General S K

He

will

serve

as

President

Saini has taken

until

over as the new

September 2017.

Thakur is a BJP MP in Lok Sabha from

commandant

SK Saini

prestigious Indian

Himachal Pradeshs Hamirpur district,

Military Academy (IMA).

is the second youngest BCCI chief.

Fateh Singh Gaekwad in 1963 became

the youngest BCCI President at the age

commandant on May 21. Earlier, he

Thakur succeeds Shashank Manohar

was a senior directing staff in National

who stepped down from the position to

Defence

take up the ICC chiefs job. Manohar

according to press release issued by

was elected the ICCs first independent

IMA.

(NDC),

New

Delhi,

Lt General Saini is an alumni of National

Defence Academy (NDA) and IMA. In

Thakur resigned as BCCI Secretary.

1981, he was commissioned to seventh

Thakur, 41, will also represent the BCCI

battalion of Jat regiment.

In his career of 36 years, he has held

many important posts.

Asian Cricket Council.

College

Before being appointed as President,

on the ICC executive board and the

Lt General Saini assumed the office of

of 33.

chairman on 12 May 2016.

of

He is the son of Prem Kumar Dhumal,

The Indian Military Academy, Dehradun

the former Chief Minister of Himachal

is the officer training Academy of the

Pradesh.

Indian Army. IMA was established in the

He has been a member of 14th, 15th

year 1932.

and 16th Lok Sabha.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

During

the

Indian

independence

28

struggle, Indian leaders recognized the

join the Asom Gana Parishad in 2001,

need for a local military institution to

founded by his erstwhile seniors in the

meet the needs of an armed force loyal

students organisation, and was elected

to sovereign India.

the partys MLA from Upper Assams

The

British

Raj

was

reluctant

commission Indian officers or to permit

Moran constituency in 2001.

to

In 2004, he went on to successfully

local officer training.

contest the Lok Sabha polls wresting the

Until World War I Indians were not

seat for the first time from the Congress

eligible for commission as officers in the

by defeating former Union Minister

Indian Army.

Paban Singh Ghatowar.

27

Sonowal

He went on to become the BJP state unit

President in 2012 and was credited with

becomes

BJPs

raising the partys tally to seven from the

first

Chief

earlier four and reducing the Congress

in

margin to three from seven in the 2014

Minister
Assam

Parliamentary polls.

Sarbananda
Sonowal
Sonowal

sworn
the

14th

minister

28

was
in

Bangar

as

appointed
Indias coach for
Zimbabwe tour

chief

of

Sanjay

Assam.

has

been

Sonowal was sworn in by Governor

appointed as the

Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya. He

head

took his oath in Assamese.

Bangar

Along

with

Sonowal,

10

Sanjay Bangar

ministers

including from alliance partners Asom

coach

of

the Indian team

for the upcoming

limited-overs series in Zimbabwe.

Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo Peoples

Front (BPF) also took their oath of office

Bangar, the ex-India and Railways all

at the function which was also attended

rounder, had been part of the Indian

by BJP President Amit Shah.

team as assistant coach till the World

The two from AGP to be sworn-in were

T20.

Atul Bora (Jr) and Kesab Mahanta, while

The BCCI, however, didnt appoint a

the two from BPF were Pramila Rani

bowling coach for the short series during

Brahma and Rihan Daimary.

which India will play three ODIs and as

From AASU he predictably went on to

many T20 internationals, starting June

TM

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29

11.

growth, customer life cycle management

Bangar had been witnessing a fine

and

season as a coach, taking Kings XI

Punjab to the IPL 7 final and winning
many accolades.

Sanjay Bapusaheb Bangar About this

70% in stock. The

He is a former Indian cricketer.

He

was

an

all-rounder

Snapdeal co-founder and CEO Kunal

Bahl said here on Wednesday that the
joint entity would create the

and

He is current batting coach of Indian

over 40 million customers. About half of

that comes from FreeCharge.

Flipkart, with which Snapdeal is in

fierce competition, has 30

cricket team since August 2014

29

Govind

online clothing firm Myntra for over

Rajan

$330 million last year.

became CEO of

30

Freecharge

digital payments
platform
recently

level rejig at the company with the appointment

of Govind Rajan as the Chief Executive Officer.
Freecharge had teamed up with Yes Bank

supremo

Mamata Banerjee sworn in as

for second successive five-year

term.
Trinamool

supremo

Mamata

Bengal on Friday, beginning her second stint

in the once-Left dominated State.

Forty-one ministers, including 17 new

faces, were sworn in along with her in
batches at a function at Red Road in

consumers make payments for transactions

on both Freecharge and Snapdeal.

Congress

Banerjee sworn in as Chief Minister of West

to launch a digital wallet that will allow

central Kolkata.

Prior to Snapdeal, Rajan was overseeing

Airtels revenue and

Congress

Freecharge,
announced a top

Trinamool

Chief Minister of West Bengal

Snapdeal-owned

has

million

registered users. Flipkart had acquired

Snapdeal owned

Govind Rajan

countrys

largest mobile commerce platform with

had

Internationals.

for

Snapdeal.

represented India in Tests and One Day

transaction

was done at a $5 billion valuation

sound pronunciation.

capabilities

The deal is said to be 30% in cash and

hands-on as Fletcher left after the 2015

marketing

across the organisation.

His job in the Indian team became more

World Cup.

building

market share

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Among the new entrants in the ministry

were

singer

Indranil

Sen,

cricketer

Laxmi Ratan Shukla, dissident Marxist

leader Adbur Razzak Molla, powerful

30

Muslim leader Siddiqullah Chowdhury

general secretary, did not contest the

and a couple of former IPS officers.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and

Minister of State for Urban Development

elections.

chief ministers post - former chief

Babul Supriyo attended the swearing-in

minister

ceremony.

Her council of ministers includes five

Minister of States (Independent Charge)
West Bengal has always had a very
strong hold for Mamta.

which lead to the defeat of BJP in the

The

Narayana-

swamy

to

be

Puducherry
Chief Minister

constituency.

In

the

2014

general

elections,

he

was defeated by the NDA candidate

the ruling All India N.R. Congress.

He is a member of the Congress Working

Committee as well as All India Congress
Committees General Secretary.

Narayana-

sworn in as the
Chief Minister of

V Narayanaswamy
decision

Puducherry.
came

after

the

state

party leaders consulted the party high

command in Delhi on the choice of chief
minister.
Senior Congress leader and former
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and
party general secretary Mukul Wasnik
attended the meeting as AICC observers.
Narayanasamy was elected unanimously
by all the Congress legislators.

won

of India who represented Puducherry

swamy is going to

alliance

He is a former Member of the Parliament

Congress-DMK

R.Radhakrishnan who was backed by

31

The

chief

Assembly seats.

state.

party

simple majority by bagging 17 of the 30

Narendra Modis Language and his

speeches also worked against the BJP

V.Vaithilingam,

A.Namassivayam and Narayanasamy.

and 8 MoS.

There were three contenders for the

Narayanasamy, who is also a party

TM

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31

AWARDS
Swat

activist

Tabassum Adnan

bureaucrat

NK

won 2016 Nelson

Singh

Mandela Award.

for

Japans

highest

civilian

On

28

2016

Swat activist

Former
selected

award

April

Tabassum

Adnan, from Swat

Former

valley of Pakistan,

bureaucrat

won the Mandela

NK Singh

- Graa Machel

Innovation Award 2016 in Bogota, Colombia.

and

MP Nand Kishore
Singh have been

awarded with Order of the Rising Sun, Gold

and Silver which is a Japans highest civilian

She won the award on the concluding

award.

day of the International Civil Society

Week held from 25 April to 28 April

2016.

for promoting economic, educational

She has been a victim of child marriage,

and cultural ties between India and

& was married at the age of 13.

Japan.

The marriage went through domestic

He is among 91 foreign recipients to

abuse, ended after 20 years .

be honoured during the 2016 Spring

She is the founder of Khwendo Jirga

Imperial Decoration of Japan by Emperor

(Sisters Council), which is the first

Akihito during the investiture ceremony

women-only jirga in Pakistan.

in May 2016.

The council meets weekly & speaks

N K Singh is a politician, economist and

of womens right, including honour

former Indian Administrative Service

killings, and acid attacks.

officer (IAS) from Bihar cadre.

The jirga campaigns for women in

Swat Valley, including issues related to

womens security and their voting rights.

He was chosen for this prestigious award

He had served as a MP in the Rajya

Sabha (2008-2014) from Bihar.

He was also Principal Secretary to

In March 2015, Adnan, was awarded the

Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee. He was

International Women of Courage award

also

in the US.

organisations like World Bank, IMF and

UNDP.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

connected

with

International

32

He also had served as Chairman, Board of

Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut

Governors of Management Development

Film Of A Director -Neeraj Ghaywan for

Institute (MDI), Gurgaon.

Masaan

Order of the Rising Sun is a Japanese

Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome

Entertainment - Bajrangi Bhaijaan

Government highest civilian established

in 1875 by Emperor Meiji.

It

is

conferred

in

recognition

of

Best Childrens Film - Duronto

Best Direction - Sanjay Leela Bhansali

for Bajirao Mastani

distinguished accomplishments of an

individual.

Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film

The modern version of the order is being

on National Integration - Nanak Shah

given to non-Japanese recipients from

Fakir

1981.

Best

Film

on

Environment

Conservation/Preservation

President Pranab
Mukherjee

Valiya

Chirakulla Pakshikal

Best Film on Social Issue - Niranayakam

conferred

63rd

Best Actor - Amitabh Bachchan for Piku

National

Film

Best Actress - Kangana Ranaut for Tanu

Awards

Weds Manu Returns

Best Supporting Actor - Samuthirakani

for Visaranai

President Pranab
Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee

May

on

Best Supporting Actress - Tanvi Azmi for

Bajirao Mastani

2016

conferred

Best Child Artist - Gaurav Menon for

Ben

National film awards for the year 2015 in

various categories at the 63rd National Film

Best Male Playback Singer - Mahesh

Kale for Katyar Kaljat Ghusali

Awards Function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New

Delhi.

Best Female Playback Singer - Monali

Thakur for Moh Moh Ke Dhaag (Dum

Saheb Phalke Award to Manoj Kumar.

Amitabh

Bachchan

received

the

Best Actor honour for his role of a

Laga Ke Haisha)

The President also conferred 2015 Dada

President

Pranab

Mukherjee

confers Niryat Shree and Niryat

hypochondriac father in Piku. While

Bandhu Awards

Kangana Ranaut received the Best

Actress Award for Tanu Weds Manu

On 4 May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee

Returns.

conferred the 15th set of Federation of Indian

Best Feature Film - Baahubali: The

Export Organisations (FIEO) Niryat Shree and

Beginning

Niryat Bandhu Awards in New Delhi.

TM

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33

Reliance Industry was adjudged as

US dollars).

the top foreign exchange earner and leading

exporter of last 50 years.

Parashar Kulkarni is an assistant professor in

TCS bagged the Gold Award in IT

Social Sciences at Yale NUS College Singapore.

services.

State Bank of India got the Gold award

He is one of the five winners of 2016

President also unveiled the brand new

Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Winners

FIEO Logo representing growth, vibrancy,

from other four regions are:

innovation and entrepreneurship.

It was set up in 1965 and completed 50

playful tone and unreliable narrator

years .

The Federation recently moved to Niryat

It extended its arms to support the State

Export Strategy and Export Policy.

Lance Dowrich - comedic Ethelbert and

the Free Cheese

Governments through formulation of

Stefanie Seddon - Eel, a simply told and

moving story of childhood

Bhawan, New Delhi.

Faraaz Mahomed - The Pigeon with its

Tina Makereti - Black Milk, which

The Trade Portal developed by FIEO

impressed with a lyricism that takes the

has provided single window information

reader into another world while keeping

on all facets of international trade for

them always on earth

Indian Exim community.

with each other for being selected

Indian Parashar

as the overall winner of the 2016

Kulkarni

Commonwealth Short Story Prize. This

wins

2016

will be announced at the Calabash

Commonwealth

International

Short

Jamaica on 5 June 2016.

Prize

Story
for

Asia

Region
Indian

Literary

Festival

in

The overall winner will receive 5000

pounds (7670 US dollars).

Parashar Kulkarni

Now the regional winners will compete

Other

Indian

authors,

who

were

shortlisted for the award in the regional

Parashar

shortlist include

Kulkarni won the

Kritika Pandey for Dirty White Strings

Short Story Prize for 2016, for the Asia region.

Sumit Ray for Girdhars Mansion

Vinayak Varma for Instant Karma

Commonwealth

He was awarded for his politically grounded

unpublished short fiction Cow and Company.

He will get a cash prize of 2500 pounds (3835
ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

34

President

Minister

Mukherjee

Minister Manohar Parrikar, and the

presents

three services Chiefs were present in the

gallantry awards

ceremony.

to

and

Defence

Revathi

Balakrishnan named as 2016

On 10th May 2016

Texas Elementary Teacher of the

President Pranab

Year

Mukherjee
presented

Awards

Indian-American

Gallantry

Modi,

defence

personnel

President Mukherjee

Narendra

the

the

Indian-American elementary teacher, Revathi

Distinguished

Balakrishnan was honoured by US President

Service Decorations to defence personnel and

Barack Obama at the White House.

martyrs posthumously at a ceremony at the

Rashtrapati Bhavan here.

She was named as 2016 Texas Elementary

Teacher of the Year.

Sepoy

Jagdish

was

awarded

Kirti

Chakra posthumously. He made the

She received the honour for her excellent work

supreme sacrifice during terror attack

in the field of education at Patsy Sommer

at Pathankot Air Base

Elementary School in Texas.

Subedar Mahendra Singh was awarded

Kirti Chakra.

Jammu

and

Constable

Kashmir

Mohammed

Police
Shafi

Head

attributes her success in the field of

Sheikh

and Constable Reyaz Ahmed Lone were

education to her love of teaching.

awarded Shaurya Chakra.

Second in Command of CRPF 7th

She taught math classes in third through

Batallion Hira Kumar Jha who was

fifth grade at Sommer at Sommer

awarded Shaurya Chakra.

Elementary for six years

Commander Milind Mokashi who saved

war torn Yemen was also presented with

She earned her economics degree from

University of Madras.

Sixteen personnel were awarded Param

Vishisht Seva Medal and Twenty Four

Personnel were awarded Ati Vishisht
Seva Medal.
Vice-President

Then she used to teach at Forest North

Elementary for three years.

Shaurya Chakra.

She was a systems analyst with Liberty

Mutual,

more than 16 hundred persons from

She is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who

It identifies exceptional teachers in the

United States of America.

The honour recognizes their effective

work in the classroom, engages them in

Hamid

Ansari,

Prime

a year of professional learning, amplifies

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35

their voices and empowers them to

President

participate in policy discussions at the

confers Florence

state and national levels.

Nightingale

Hockey

Awards.

India

recommended
Ritu

Rani

VR

Raghunath

On 12 May 2016

and

President Pranab
Mukherjee

for Arjuna Award

conferred

On 11 May

2016 Hockey India

Hockey India

recommended
Indian

womens

team captain Ritu Rani, VR Raghunath,

Dharamvir Singh for Arjuna Award.

It also recommended Sylvanus Dung

Dung for Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime
Achievement Award

It also recommended CR Kumar for

Dronacharya Award.

VR Ragunath debuted for Indian Hockey

team in 2005 against Pakistan for
bilateral series.

Cup and Silver in 2008.

Dharamvir Singh was also a part of the

2014 Asian Games gold medal winning
team.

Sylvanus Dung Dung was part of the

Indian team that won the gold at the

It was done on the occasion of International
Nurses Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New
Delhi.

The day is celebrated worldwide on May 12
every year to commemorate the birth day of
Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses
contributions towards public health.

These awards are given to the outstanding

nursing personnel employed in Union,
State/Union Territories.

The awards carry 50000 rupees cash

prize, a certificate, a citation certificate
and a Medal.

Dorothy Sutherland in the year 1953

first proposed this very idea

It was first celebrated by the International

Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965.

1980 Moscow Olympic Games

Florence

Awards to 35 nurses

Ritu Rani led the team to achieve the

2016 Rio Olympic berth.

the

Nightingale

He was part of Indian team that won the

bronze in the 2007 Sultan Azlan Shah

Florence Nightingale

CR Kumar is best known for guiding

the Indian junior mens hockey team to
glory in the 2011 Junior World Cup.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

May 12 was declared to be celebrated as

the birthday anniversary of the founder
of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale
in January in 1974.

36

10

Douglas, long-standing U.N. Messenger

Anjali

of Peace.

Chandrashekhar
comes 3rd in UN

Harvey

11

Poster for Peace

contest

Foundation
Actress

Chand-

third prize at the

Nations
Anjali Chandrashekhar United
Poster for Peace

Headquarters in New York on May 3.

Two of Anjalis works were selected

Break Free and Cutting a Peace Deal.

Break Free shows white peace doves

fly out of a cage shaped like a nuclear
warhead, while the other poster was

of a warhead, towards peace.

Celina Jaitly

Jaitly will receive the Harvey Milk

Foundations

Lilla

Watson

Global

Champion Medal at the gala co-presented

by the Harvey Milk Foundation and The
Pride Center at Equality Park.

Jaitly, is an official Champion of the

United Nations Free & Equal Campaign,
will be honored for her advocacy and
support for the LGBT rights movement
in India.

A former Miss India winner and Miss

Universe runner-up, she is one of the

Assembly Resolution and to reaffirm the

most

U.N.s historic commitment to nuclear

visible

advocates

against

the

criminalization of same-sex relationships

disarmament. At the U.N., she also met

Mogens Lykketoft and actor Michael

She is a strong supporter of repealing

which criminalizes homosexuality,

U.N. campaigns in the past.

the President of the General Assembly

activist

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code,

was 10, and has participated in several

70th anniversary of the first General

rights

in Hollywood, Florida.

awareness. Shes been doing it since she

This campaign was to commemorate the

human

Diversity Honors at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

graduate from Pratt Institute in the U.S.,

global

Harvey Milk Foundation at the second annual

Secondary School and went on to

cause to raise funds and to create

and

Celina Jaitly, will be honored May 13 by the

Anajli, who studied at PSBB Senior

is no stranger to using her talent for a

beauty

actress

about affirmative action the dove acts

like scissors and cuts through the image

Former

queen, Bollywood

Contest.
She received the award at the U.N.

Celina

Jaitly

rashekar, won the

to

Honor Bollywood

Anjali

Milk

in the worlds largest democracy.

Jaitly will join other Diversity Honors

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notables to be celebrated for their

May.

commitment to transforming lives by

living

authentically

and

advancing

Constable
the

U.N.

Yadav

served

Guests at Diversity Honors will preview

Stabilization Mission in the Democratic

the North American premiere of the

Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

in

Shubhkaran

inclusiveness.

Levis X Harvey Milk Foundation Pride

Organization

He made the supreme sacrifice in April

2015.

2016 Collection

Head

The awards presentation will be hosted

Rifleman Manish Malik also served

by WSVN news anchor Omar Lewis and

in the U.N. Organization Stabilization

will include Stuart Milks 2016 State of

Mission in the Democratic Republic of

the Global Equality address.

the Congo.

12

Indians

posthumously

mission.

awarded

Havildar Amal Deka served in the United

Nations Disengagement Observer Force

with

Dag

(UNDOF).

Hammarskjold

He died in June 2015.

Medal of UN

Naik Rakesh Kumar served in the U.N.

Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

The
Nations
Dag Hammarskjold

He died in August 2015 during the

United
in

the

He died in January 2015.

Gagan Punjabi was serving in MONUSCO

third week of May

in a civilian capacity under the U.N.

2016 announced

Volunteers programme and died in an

incident in January 2015.

that four Indian peacekeepers and a civilian will

be honoured along with other 124 personnel

The Dag Hammarskjld Medal is a

posthumous award given by the United

with a prestigious U.N. medal.

Nations to military personnel, police or

Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav,Rifleman

civilians who lose their lives while serving

Manish Malik, Havildar Amal Deka, Naik

in a UN peacekeeping operation.The first

Rakesh Kumar and Gagan Punjabi will be

medals were awarded in October 1998.

honoured with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal

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

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

38

South

13

Jan Kang
Man

Krasznahorkai

Koreas

Kadare (2005).

prize for English language fiction.

author Han Kang

has been named

14

the winner of the

2016 Man Booker
International
Prize for her novel The Vegetarian, splitting
the 50,000 prize with her translator, Deborah

The prize is sponsored by Man Group,

who also sponsor the annual Man Booker

The South Korean

Jan Kang

Davis

(2009), Chinua Achebe (2007) and Ismail

Booker

Lydia

(2013), Philip Roth (2011), Alice Munro

won

International

(2015),

Vesak

Samman

Prashasti

Patra-2016 Awards Presented

to Buddhist scholars

On 21st May International Buddha Poornima

Smith.

Diwas 2016 was celebrated to commemorate

Mahaparinirvana falling on the auspicious full

Buddhas

The Vegetarian, published by Portobello

Books, the UK independent publisher, is
Ms Hans first novel to be translated into
English.

decides

to

Tourism (I/C) and Civil Aviation, Shri

become

Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home

Affairs and Shri Upendra Kushwaha,

flouts the traditions of her family and

Minister of State for Human Resources

country.

to Korea.

Development

Ms Smith, 28, started to learn Korean

only seven years ago, when she moved

novel to be translated into English,

house that promotes the translation of

literature from Africa and Asia.

Previous prize winners include Lszl

the

Bhaghwan Buddha was a very large

his teachings.

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar adopted

Buddism as he was greatly influenced
with the sacred teachings of Bhagwan

Ms Smith is also the founder of Tilted

Axis Press, a non-profit publishing

at

problems of mankind are contained in

Human Acts.

present

hearted person and solutions to all

It was Ms Smith who proposed the idea

She also worked on Ms Hans second

were

occasion.

of translating The Vegetarian.

Rajnath Singh, Union Minister for Home

Sharma, Minister of State for Culture &

vegetarian a rebellious decision that

and

Affairs was the Chief Guest. Dr. Mahesh

Korean wife who, seeking a more plantexistence,

Sambodhiprapti

moon day of the month of Vaishakh.

It is the strange story of Yeong-hye, a

like

Birth,

Buddha.

He wished all Buddhists worldwide on

this auspicious occasion.

Ministry of Tourism has launched a

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39

programme namely Swadesh Darshan

which has a special component of
Buddhist

Circuit

which

conveniently

As of 2016, Jane Campion is the only

female director to have won the Palme
dOr for The Piano.

It previews new films of all genres,

including documentaries, from around

Government of India attaches great

importance to Buddh Poornima and now
onwards it will be celebrated every year
like this.

connects

all religious places of Buddhism very

awarded to Delbert Mann for Marty.

the world.

It was founded in 1946.

On 1 July 2014, co-founder and former

head of French pay-TV operator Canal+

UN recognizes the importance of this

Pierre Lescure took over as President of

day. The UN Day of Vesak Celebration

is

internationally

cultural

the festival.

and

humanistic festival of the United Nations

16

International Organizing Committee.

15

Routes 2 Roots,
a

Non-profit
organization

I, Daniel Blake won Palme dOr

(NGO),

at Cannes 2016

been

Innovation

Film Festival. It was Loachs second award for

best picture at the festival after 2006s The

NGO

Wind That Shakes the Barley.

Loach is an English film and television
He is known for his naturalistic, social
realist directing style and for his socialist
ideals.

in a poll by the British Film Institute.

has been awarded prestigious Inter-cultural

Innovation Award 2016.

Baku, Azerbaijan.

The Palme dOr (Golden Palm) is the

Film Festival.
It was introduced in 1955 by the
organizing committee.

The award was given by United Nations

Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in

highest prize awarded at the Cannes

a Delhi-based Non-profit organization (NGO),

His 1969 film Kes was voted the 7th

greatest British film of the 20th century

Award 2016
Routes 2 Roots,

director.

awarded

Inter-cultural

on 22 May 2016 won the Palme dOr at Cannes

has

prestigious

British director Ken Loachs film I, Daniel Blake

Delhi-based

In 1955, the first Palme dOr was

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Under this programme, students from

both countries connect with each other
through

written,

audio

and

visual

recordings that share history before

partition and thus help in eliminating
misunderstandings about each others
cultures.

40

This engagement also facilitates the

1968 and is the highest honour given to

students to ask each other questions,

any alumni of the institute.

thereby discovering common interests.

Intercultural Innovation Award: It has

Indias Council on Trade & Industry and

been instituted by a partnership between

has held various prestigious positions

UNAOC and the BMW Group.

like

Formed with a vision of connecting

Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

cultures, constantly striving to bridge

the

socio-cultural

distance

between

art thereby becoming cultural diplomats

of

International

He was also felicitated with a Padma

countrys

third

highest

civilian honour, in 2007.

Mittal also founded Bharti Airtel, the

to the world.

countrys largest telecommunications

Ever since its inception (2004) our

company.

shows and exhibitions have traveled to

more than 20 cities in India and to 12

international cities in Russia, China,

Vice-Chairman

Bhushan,

India and the world through music and

Mittal serves on the Prime Minister of

Airtel is the first company to launch 4G

Services in India.

Apart from strong marketing and market

United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Pakistan

value Airtel has also been in many

and South Africa.

controversies.

It has always been the motto of R2R to

bring much needed global integrity &

Airtel is known for its wide network

coverage and fluent flow of data services

harmony amongst people, cultures and

18

values across borders and especially in

SAARC countries.

17

Indian-American
scientist

De has received
Sunil

Bharti

the

prestigious

Mittal, received

Springer Theses

the

Award.

Harvard

B-School Alumni

award

An

American

Sunil

Arnab De

Bharti

Mittal, the founder

Sunil Bharti Mittal

Arnab

and
of

scientist

IndianArnab

De has received

chairman

the prestigious Springer Theses Award in

Bharti

recognition for his outstanding research in

Enterprises,
received the Alumni Achievement Award of

which he developed transgenic mice to study a

critical tumor-suppressor called A20.

Harvard Business School.

The award is presented annually since

Arnab Des thesis was nominated by

TM

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41

New Yorks Columbia University.

Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar for the year 2016

Before this, De, who has also developed

at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

peptide-based prod rugs as therapeutics

for diabetes, had received the Young

teachers from Punjab for their rare

Peptide Symposium.

contribution in the field of education.

The thesis prize is awarded by Springer,

The awardees were facilitated with 1 lakh

a leading global publisher of renowned

rupees cash, certificate of excellence, a

scientific

Robe of Honour and a medal.

journals

and

books,

to

The initiative was mainly taken to

Winners also get a cash prize of 500

promote the quality teaching in the

Euros.

schools

The research work was highlighted

hundred percent attendance of girl

by the European Molecular Biology

students in the government schools.

Organization (EMBO) Reports.

The award was conferred upon 15

Investigator Award at the American

recognize outstanding PhD research.

encouraging

the

The Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar was

Only research considered to be of

instituted by Mohinder Singh Syngle

fundamental relevance to a general

Education & Research Society.

readership is chosen to be highlighted

It was instituted in honour of its founder

Malti Mohinder Singh Syngle, eminent

by EMBO.

besides

Internationally
institutes

top-ranked

select

their

educationist and social worker.

research

best

thesis

Every year, government school teachers

annually for publication in this series.

from

Nominated

two

Higher Secondary Schools receive this

recognized specialists, each thesis is

award for their contributions in the field

chosen for its scientific excellence and

of education.

and

endorsed

by

impact on research.

19

Governments

High

&

The teachers already awarded with

the National or State Awards were not
considered for this award.

President Pranab
Mukherjee
presented Malti
Gyan

20

AR

Rehman

conferred

Peeth

Puraskar 2016

Japans Fukuoka

Prize

The

Gyan Peeth Puraskar

Punjab

President

of India Pranab

Adding

Mukherjee

on

Academy Award-

May

2016

winning Jai Ho

presented

the

29

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

AR Rehman

to

composers

the

vast

42

collection of wins, the ceremony had Rahman

Kumar, is an Indian composer, singer-

presenting a lecture on From The Heart: The

songwriter, music producer, musician

World of AR Rahmans Music.

The

Fukuoka

Prize

is

and philanthropist.
an

honour

works of individuals and organisations,

list saw Rahman sharing the stage

with historian Ameth R Ocampo from
Philippines

(Academic

Prize)

and

Yasmeen Lari from Pakistan (Arts and

Among his awards are two Academy

Award, a Golden Globe, four National
Film Awards, fifteen Filmfare Awards

Divided into three categories Grand

Culture Prize this years winning

music

Awards, two Grammy Awards, a BAFTA

diverse and rich culture of Asia.

Prize, Academic Prize and Arts and

classical

traditional orchestral arrangements.

who have promoted and preserved the

Eastern

with electronic music, world music and

Fukuoka and the Yokatopia foundation.

It was meant to pay a tribute to the

A.R. Rahmans works are noted for

integrating

established in 1990 by the city of

Allah-Rakha Rahman, born A. S. Dileep

and thirteen Filmfare Awards South.

Rahmans body of work for film and

stage has given him the nickname of
the Mozart of Madras, and Tamil
commentators and fans call him Isai
Puyal

Culture Prize).

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43

NATIONAL NEWS
Railways launch

Indrail Pass for

foreigners

Usage of left luggage offices for storage

of luggage at nominal rates.

The Indrail pass is non-transferable.

It should always be carried along with

Indrail
makes

your passport.

Pass
it

easier

abroad,
this
Indrail Pass

to

buy

pass

and

Centre

for tourists, from

government
LED
launched

travel to any part

of

the

On
Goyal

Rail reservations can be arranged from

the UK, if the Indrail pass is purchased
well in advance.

Rail reservations are arranged FREE

of cost, thus saving time by avoiding
lengthy queues at railway stations for
rail bookings.

No sleeper berth surcharge for night

journeys for any class of accommodation
No extra charge for travelling by faster
trains.

(subject to availability).

LED
-

in Madhya Pradesh.
The scheme is being implemented by Energy
Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint
venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of
Power.

Under this Programme, 3 crore LED

Bulbs will be distributed in the next 6
months in the State.

UJALA

will

not

only

help

reduce

consumers their electricity bills but

Free meals on Rajdhani & Shatabdi

Railway retiring rooms at nominal rates

launched

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA)

also contribute to the energy security of

expresses.

Piyush

programme

(indirect saving of hotel cost).

April

National

LED

there would be No reservation fee for

berths or seats.

30

2016

The pass will be valid for a fixed period

of time.

in

Madhya Pradesh

country

without any limitation.

scheme

India.

The usage of LED bulbs will not only

result in reducing electricity bills but

Access to waiting halls at stations.

also help in environment protection.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

44

The distribution of LED bulbs will

happen through DISCOM offices.

city.

Raymond Ltd will extend all possible

help to the state government in setting

Consumers can buy these affordable

up the Apparel Park here with a full-

LEDs by presenting any identity card.

These bulbs come with a three year free
replacement warranty .

fledged fashion designing facility.

Chairman and Managing Director of

Raymond Ltd Gautam Hari Singhania

The UJALA scheme played a significant

will invest Rs 1,400 crore and the unit

role in creating awareness about energy

will provide job opportunities to about

efficient lighting.

The number of LED bulbs distributed in

2015-16 has crossed 15 crore

For 2016, the Union Government is set

to distribute an additional 20 crore LED
bulbs.

Sustained

efforts

under

UJALA,

coupled with industry support, will help

the government achieve its objective of

8,000 persons.

The Nandgoan MIDC is spread across

200 hectares in Amravati .

Raymond will start production by March

31 next year

Raymond has a unit in Yavatmal and

the cotton growers

Maharashtra

being taken by Raymond to revive the

March 2019.

life of local farmers in the region.

UJALA is the largest non-subsidised

LED programme in the world.

Maha

Govt

Union

to

Government
banned

develop textiles

of

park at Amravati

On 27 April 2016

to

Indian govt. issued

develop Amravati,
as

textiles

city

to

promote

this industry in
cotton-growing areas of the Vidarbha region.

for

government

Textiles park

dogs

breeding.

Maharashtra
planned

import

commercial

has

Minister

Subhash Desai appreciated the steps

replacing 77 crore inefficient bulbs by

Industries

The Nandgaon industrial estate would be

developed as textile park and Amravati
would soon be recognised as the textiles

commercial breeding

notification

banning

the

import of dogs for commercial breeding.

Animal rights organizations had raised

concerns

over

foreign

breed

dogs

suffering due to unsuitable climatic

conditions
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Humane

Society

International

(HSI)

Extension was given so that private cab

companies could switch to CNG vehicles

and People for Animals along with other

groups had urged the government to
ban the import on dogs for breeding as

by 1 May 2016.

Supreme Court allowed Delhi Police and

Delhi Jal Board to buy and register the

it was resulting in the overpopulation of

new diesel-run vehicles of 2000 cc engine

street dogs in the country.

capacity and above for transportation

Large number of dogs that are not

of under trial prisoners, arms and

suitable for the countrys tropical climate

such as St Bernards, Siberian Huskies,
Alaskan Malamutes and others are

ammunition and supply of water.

SC Had stopped sale of diesel SUVs and

luxury cars with more than 2000 cc

being imported by breeders in India.

Many imported breed dogs are being

abandoned by the owners

engine capacity in 2015.

Later SC asked Delhi Police to pay 30

percent of the real value of the vehicle

Animal rights groups also urged the

to be purchased by it as Environment

government to review pet shop and

Compensation Charge (ECC) or green cess

breeder regulations as recommended by

as a pre-condition for their registration

the Law Commission of India.

In 2015, the commission published a

report on Need to Regulate Pet Shops

with the transport department.

SC, exempted Delhi Jal Board (DJB) from

paying ECC on the ground that around

and Dog Breeding and Aquarium Fish

250 water tankers would be supplying

Breeding

water to the citizens of the city.

Supreme

Court

The court allowed the plea of police and

allowed to register on payment of ECC.

banned all diesel

cabs

in

NCR-

Delhi from May

1.

plant

trees

Railway Track

On 30 April 2016
The

Supreme

Court

of

On

India

decided to extend
the deadline for

Indian Railways

(NCR).

2016

Indian

Railways

signed

departments
Haryana

Earlier deadline was 1 April 2016, but it was

May

a MoU with forest

keep out diesel cabs in National Capital Region

extended for a month.

to

alongside

NCR-Delhi

Indian Railways

of
and

Punjab to plant trees alongside Railway Track

on Railway Land Boundary.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

46

The MoU was signed by Pankaj Saxena, Chief

Engineer /P&D, Northern Railway on behalf of
Railways whereas it was by Dr Amrinder Kaur,
Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF)
from forest departments.

inked licence agreements with M/s Nabagram

Resham Shilpa Unnayan Cooperative Society
Ltd and M/s Dariapur Rural Development
Society, Kalia Chak of West Bengal for the
commercialization of Ghar Sodhon.

Railway can contribute substantially

towards the Green India Mission.

the Union Ministry of Science & Technology

It is a user friendly and non-corrosive

room

Forest department is involved in the

much needed expertise in afforestation.

Plantation

along

the

railway

Research & Training Institute (CSRTI),

track

Berhampore, West Bengal, a constituent

Research Institute under Central Silk
Board, Bengaluru, under the Union

It will be done without declaring such

as

protected

forest

with

the

provision for resumption of such land at

Ministry of Textiles.

It is gaining popularity among the silk

farmers of the States of West Bengal,

any time by railways .

It will thus ensure no hindrance to

railway works / developmental projects.

Odisha and Jharkhand.

With this agreement both organizations

will put efforts to bring the fruits of

Railway land will be protected from

research for awareness and betterment

encroachment.

of the society.

All Zonal railways have been asked to

execute

similar

agreement

between

their zones and concerned State Forest

departments as early as possible.

NRDC

Supreme

reform

signed

On 2 May 2016
The
Court

National Research
Development
Corporation
under

Medical

Sodhon

to

Council of India

commerci-

(NRDC),

RM

Lodha-panel

alization of Ghar

NRDC

Court

appointed

agreements
for

the

It has been developed at the Central Silk

department
land

of

and spraying machines.

on railway land boundary by Forest

devoid

requirement of labour, water, electricity

plantation as well as maintenance and

disposal of trees, thus bringing in the

disinfectant,

RM Lodha-panel

Supreme
of

India

appointed

three-member
panel headed by former Chief Justice of India
(CJI) RM Lodha to oversee the functions of the
TM

where career starts

47

Medical Council of India.

600 mega watts coal-based thermal power

The panel consists of former CAG Vinod Rai

and Dr SK Sareen.

The court appointed the panel after MCI

has been accused of corrupt.

plant in M.P.
The unit was commissioned at the 1x600
MW Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP)

Jhabua Power Ltd is A subsidiary of

Avantha Power & Infrastructure Limited

A parliamentary committee report said

that the MCI was repeatedly found short
of fulfilling its mandated responsibilities,

Medical graduates lacked competence

in performing basic healthcare tasks.
Instances

of

unethical

This is the second project of APIL

commissioned by BHEL.

1600 MW Avantha Bhandar TPP at

Raigarh in Chhattisgarh has already

practices

continued to grow. The MCI was not

able to spearhead any serious reforms
in medical education.

(APIL) which has developed the project.

Earlier, RM Lodha headed a threemember panel appointed by the top court

to look into the 2013 betting scandal in
the Indian Premier league (IPL) and the
functioning of the Board of Control for

been commissioned.

Madhya Pradesh has two supercritical

units of 800 MW for NTPC at Gadarwara

BHEL was established in 1964 and

completely owned by Union Government.

BHEL

He also headed the committee appointed

to

sell

assets

of

Pearls

Agrotech

BHEL

design,

along

with

associated
and

Suresh

auxiliaries
electrostatic

Prabhakar

launched
Vijayawada,

Heavy

Wi-Fi

Prabhu

hotspot

Kachiguda

at
and

Raipur

Electricals
commissioned

manufacture,

precipitators.

10

Limited

engineering,

Instrumentation

On 3 May 2016

BHEL

and

and electrical, besides controls and

plant in Madhya

Bharat

engineering

steam turbine, generator and boiler,

power

largest

supply, erection and commissioning of

sioned 600 MW

Pradesh.

is

It scope of work in the contract envisaged

commis-

thermal

Maharatna

India.

thousand crore rupees to the investors.

BHEL

manufacturing company of its kind in

Corporation Ltd (PACL) and refund 49

awarded

Company status in 2013.

Cricket in India (BCCI)

was

On 5 May 2016 Suresh Prabhu launched a

high speed Wi-Fi hotspot at the three Railway
ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

48

Stations.
These stations are Vijayawada in Andhra

The Union Minister of Railways Shri

Pradesh, Kachiguda in Telangana and Raipur

Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu in the presence

in Chhattisgarh.

of Minister of State for Development

of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. has

Ministers

been mandated by Ministry of Railways

Grievances & Pensions, Department of

to provide Wi-Fi

Atomic Energy, Department of Space,

RailTel engaged with Google as the

Dr. Jitendra Singh flagged off Train

technology partner for setting up high

74619/74620 Banihal-Baramulla Fast

speed Wi-Fi network.

Passenger (DEMU) and 74617/74618

infrastructure to backhaul high speed

Conferencing between Rail Bhawan New

connectivity of approximately 1Gbps per

Delhi and Anantnag Railway Station.

upgrade

its

Mehbooba Mufti graced the inaugural

provided

function

under

Railwire

the

retail

Designed to offer users the best Internet

at

the

Anantnag

Railway

Station along with other dignitaries.

The State of Jammu & Kashmir has

be

great importance from the tourism point

available to any user who has a working

of view where national and international

mobile connection on a smart phone.

tourists visit throughout the year and

Users will be able to easily stream a high

thus this connectivity will give a boost

definition video and surf the web.

to tourism in the State.

Railwire

Wi-Fi

will

RailTel Corporation of India Ltd. is a

Railway is also working with the help of

Miniratna enterprise of Government of

IRCTC to bring Jammu & Kashmir on a

India.

tourism map which will not only promote

It is one of the largest neutral telecom

tourism but also promote its handicraft

services providers in the country owning

industry and its delicious cuisines

a Pan-India optic fiber network.

Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Ms.

Wi-Fi services to passengers will be

experience,

Public

Budgam-Baramulla Demu through Video

will

Broadband distribution model of RailTel.

Personnel,

backbone

RailTel

station.

Office,

New train services will reduce the journey

It covers all important towns and cities

time of the people of Valley and will also

of the country and several rural areas

be cost effective as the fares of trains are

covering 70% of Indias population.

less as compared to road transport.

11

Banihal-Baramulla

Fast

Passenger (DEMU) and BudgamBaramulla DEMU in the State of

Jammu & Kashmir.
TM

where career starts

49

Two laning with

12

13

formation of four

for

Contract Labour

lane of Shimla

Payment

Bypass on NH-22

Management

Approved.

System launched

On 4 May 2016

On 4 May 2016

The

Piyush

Cabinet

Committee

on

Contract

Contract Labour

gave its approval

for development of two laning with formation

Goyal,

launched

Economic Affairs

NH-22

Portal

Labour

Payment

Management System

of four lane of Shimla Bypass (Kaithlighat to

Shimla section) on National Highway-22 in

Himachal Pradesh.

(CIL).

problems like corruption and exploitation

National Highways Development Project

of contractual workers by contractors.

to the contractors only after submitting

kilometres.

The cost for the project is estimated to

compliance.

Total number of 4076 mandays are

required

for

construction

of

one

generated

declaration

of

It is an integrated system for all

subsidiaries of CIL.

The in-house developed application will

maintain a comprehensive database of

111914 mandays will be generated

all contract workers in CIL and all its

locally during the construction period of

subsidiaries.

The portal will be managed by the

The development of this stretch will also

Central Mine Planning and Development

help in uplifting the economic condition

Institute (CMPDI), Ranchi.

of the State

system

kilometre of highway.

this stretch.

It has been planned to make payment

The total length of the road will be 28

be 1583.18 crore rupees.

This will help the government to curb

The work will be completed under the

(NHDP) Phase-III.

It is a new portal of Coal India Limited

The system has in-built mechanism to

It would also increase employment

validate minimum wages paid, generate

potential for local laborers for project

wage slips and employment card.

activities.

It provides access to all contract workers,

through

Workers

Identification

Number (WIN)

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

It will allow contract workers to register

50

their grievance.

prank calls) can be a crime.

The Nodal Officer at different locations

In over 98 percent of locations in the

in the company will monitor the process.

United States and Canada, dialing 9-1-

This will enhance proper monitoring

1 from any telephone will link the caller

of legal compliances under Contract

to an emergency dispatch centercalled

Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Act.

a Public-Safety Answering Point (PSAP),

by the telecom industry which can send

14

Dial
any

112

for

emergency responders to the callers

Emergency

location in an emergency.

throughout India
from 1 January

Telangana

15

2017

govt

to set up Monkey

rescue

From 1 January

rehabilitation

2017112,

centre

the

and

single emergency

number that will

Telangana

help

to

rnment on 10th

reach immediate services of police, ambulance

may issued orders

Dial 112

and

fire

department

will

be

people

operational

Monkey rescue

throughout India.

gove-

for setting up a
Monkey

Rescue

and Rehabilitation Centre in Adilabad district.

The service will also be accessible even

through those SIMs and landlines whose

outgoing call facility has been stopped

or temporarily suspended.

2.21 crore.

There was serious man-animal conflict

A person in distress will need to call

in both rural and urban areas due to

only 112, which will direct the call to

increased pressure on forest habitats,

concerned departments immediately for

coupled with increased population of

help.

monkeys.

Services

were

approved

by

Union

The religious beliefs and value attached

Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

to monkeys also resist villagers either

9-1-1 is the emergency for the North

from killing or from other measures.

American Numbering Plan (NANP), one

It will be made with an investment of Rs

All these factors have contributed to the

of eightN11 codes.

increasing conflict between the monkeys

This number is intended for use in

and the human beings.

emergency circumstances only, and to

use it for any other purpose (such as

After careful examination of the proposal

of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests
TM

where career starts

51

(HoFF), Telangana State government

for

& Rehabilitation Centre at Chincholi

train

near Nirmal in Adilabad district, as pilot

accommodation, sightseeing at tourist

project.

locations and onboard and off-board

Telangana is one of the 29 states in

meals.

pilgrims.

The

journey,

package

road

includes

transportation,

Bharat Darshan will cover pilgrimages

formed on 2 June 2014 with the city of

destinations

Hyderabadas its capital.

Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham, Gaya,

Telangana is bordered by the states

Banaras and Ayodhya.

ofMaharashtra to the north and North

The service offers budget-friendly package

ordered establishment of Monkey Rescue

India, in the South of the country. It was

like

Jagannath

Puri,

It will also cover 7 Jyotirlinga package

west,Chhattisgarh to the North, Odisha

and

to the north east (adjoining khammam

with Shirdi tour package that will

district), Karnataka to the west, and

cover Shirdi, Tirupati, Kanchipuram,

Andhra Pradesh to the east and south.

Rameshwaram, Madurai, Kanyakumari,

Telangana has an area of 114,840

Mysore and Bangalore.

square kilometres (44,340 sq mi), and a

also

offers

Dakshin

Darshan

Indian Railways is an Indian state-

population of 35,193,978 (2011 census).

owned enterprise, owned and operated

by the Government of India through the

16

Indian Railways
launches
Bharat

Ministry of Railways.

It is one of the worlds largest railway

Darshan

networks

comprising

115,000

km

Tourist train for

(71,000 mi) of track over a route of 65,808

pilgrims.

km (40,891 mi) and 7,112 stations.

Bharat

Darshan

Tourist train for

Indian Railways

Uttarakhand

17

Floor

pilgrims to visit

Harish

Shirdi,

wins

Tirupati,

Rawat
the

Test

with 33 votes in

Jagannath
Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and

favour

Jyotirlingams among others has been launched

by Indian Railways.

Test:

The tourist train comprises 10 coaches

Harish Rawat

On

11

May

2016

the

legislative

assembly,

in
the

and bookings are being done by IRCTC

Harish Rawat-led government got the

wesbite.

majority.
ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

52

Harish Rawat got 33 votes against 28

Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma

votes out of 61 qualified members who

Bharti

voted in the assembly.

sanitation initiatives in Jharkhand.

Namami

imposed in Uttarakhand on 27 March

Ministry.

Gange

Programme

of

the

The main aim of these projects is to

the Union Cabinet.

of around 45000 households located in

Conduct of composite floor test in the

78 villages of the Ganga River basin in

Uttarakhand legislative assembly was

Jharkhand

The projects will cover the entire 83

kilometer stretch of Ganga in Jharkhand.

On 9 March 2005 Apex court passed the

Promotion of safe, individual hygiene

order for Jharkhand Assembly.

practices to ensure open defecation free

It was done on the line of earlier order for

status of all 78 villages along the river

a composite floor test in Uttar Pradesh

Ganga.

in 1998.

rural

improve the health and quality of life

2016.

for

It was done on the recommendation of

ordered by the Supreme Court on 5 May

projects

The initiatives were launched under

President Rule under Article 356 was

2016

nine

SC said that Harish Rawat can take

charge as the Chief Minister of the.

launched

Promotion of cost-effective, appropriate

Presidents rule refers to the imposition

local,

of Article 356 of the Constitution of

technologies to ensure improved access,

India on a State whose constitutional

sustained

machinery has failed.

infrastructure

In the event that a State government

management of solid and liquid waste.

is not able to function as per the

low

cost,
use

Strengthening

easy

and

to

maintenance

created
of

manage

for

local

Constitution, the State comes under the

including

panchayats,

direct control of the central government.

sanitation

committees

of

effective

institutions
village

and

level

self-help

groups to effectively manage, enhance

18

Rural Sanitation

and maintain facilities established for

Initiatives

improved sanitation in the villages and

for

an integrated and a holistic livelihood

Ganga

approach.

Rejuvenation in

Jharkhand.

villages

On 9 May 2016

composting of degradable solid waste

Union

Minister

for
Ganga Rejuvenation

78 units will be established in project

Resources,

collection,

storage

and

5460 households will be supported for

adoption of composting

Water
River

for

1860 households will be supported for

TM

where career starts

53

appropriate

adoption of biogas plants

manner.

bathing Ghats will be.

19

Road

20

Of

Transport

Maharashtra
declares drought
in

& Highways Sets

Frame Policy For

On 12 May 2016

Taxi Operators

Maharashtra

government

The Ministry of
Transport

Transport & Highways and

Highways

has

constituted

a three member committee to prepare a

policy framework for taxi and other transport
operators.

The

Maharashtra declares

will

be

headed

Transport

and

Highways and Shipping.

Supreme

Courts

order

dated

into these issues and come up with

The villages that have now been declared

On 7 May 2016, the Chief Minister

Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and requested 10000
crore rupees as relief for the parched
state.

7500 crore rupee was to be spent

on completing irrigation projects in
Marathwada and Vidarbha over the next

The Ministry has decided to set up

the three member committee to look

various

only for the word drought-like.

result of the ban.

implementing

and that the Drought Manual provided

dated 29th April 2016 banned diesel

People are facing various problems as a

is

receiving benefits from the government

December 2015 and directions of EPCA

state

as affected by drought were already

15th

taxis in the NCR

The

and Vidarbha regions.

operators had met Shri Nitin Gadkari,

Road

the

and more particularly in Marathwada

A group of taxi and other transport

of

of

the water scarcity in drought-hit areas,

its members.

Minister

29000

schemes and taking measures to mitigate

& Highways and have Joint Secretary,

over

and Vidarbha regions.

Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport

and Delhi Transport Commissioner as

in

state, most of them in parched Marathwada

by

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

declared drought
villages

committee

29000

villages.

Up Committee to

Road

recommendations

to address the same in a time bound

Eight village level crematoriums and 32

Ministry

policy

three years.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Maharashtra is a state in the western

54

INFRACON and an updated version of

region of India and is Indias third-

INAMPRO, three innovative IT initiatives

largest state by area and is also the

sub-

of the Ministry of Road Transport

It has over 110 million inhabitants and

by NHIDCL( National Highways and

worlds

second-most

populous

&

national entity.

Nagpur is Maharashtras second capital

ePACE (Projects Appraisal & Continuing

Enhancements) is an online integrated
brings projects from all wings of the

Gadkari

Ministry under a common platform,

Launches

ensuring

INFRACON,
ePACE and upScaled

INAM

their effective and real time

tracking.

INFRACON is the National Portal for

Infrastructure Consultancy Firms and

PRO

Key Personnel. This portal acts as a kind

of bridge between consultancy firms

Union Minister of
Nitin Gadkari

house

Management Information System that

Nitin

Road

in

Ltd.)

as well as winter capital.

21

developed

Infrastructure Development Corporation

its capital, Mumbai, has a population of

approximately 18 million.

Highways,

working in the road engineering and

Transport

construction sector and domain experts

& Highways and

Shipping

and key personnel who are deployed both

Shri

Nitin Gadkari has called upon stakeholders to

make conscious and active use of innovations

for project preparation and supervision.

INAM PRO has been developed as a webbased

and successful best practices from round the

application

for

Infrastructure

world in engineering and construction of roads.

and Material Providers. It is a kind of

together the material providers and

a web based market place that brings

The meet was attended by officials

the prospective buyers on a common

of the Ministry of Road Transport

& Highways, and NHIDCL, besides
contractors, consultants, bankers and
material suppliers concerned with road
construction.

Technological initiatives have also been

brought in like satellite based road asset
management system, use of concrete

platform.

The Minister also released the IT Task

Force Report on the occasion. The report
has suggested many innovative ways
in which IT can be used to make the
working of the transport sector more
efficient and transparent.

for road construction, electronic toll

collection, INAMPRO other IT initiatives.

Gadkari

also

launched

ePACE,
TM

where career starts

55

NTPC

22

tied-up

23

with Coal India

was

off

by

power

Minister

producer

NTPC

Union

16

train

flagged

State-run

on

first

driverless

Limited

Limited

Coal India Limited

Indias

Union

Urban

May 2016 signed

Development

a Joint Venture

Minister

Agreement

(JVA)

with

state-

Union Minister

Venkaiah

M.
Naidu

and Delhi Chief

run miner Coal India limited to foray into

Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday flagged

the Fertilizer Sector and revive plants of the

off the trial run of a driverless Metro train here.

Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).

The trial run started at the Mukundpur

The JVA was signed by NTPCs General

depot of Delhi Metro and ended at

Manager (BD) Arun Kumar Gupta and Coal

Majalis Park station on the Majlis Park-

Indias General Manager (Coal Videsh) T

Shiv Vihar corridor of phase 3.

Bandopadhyay.

The new train will undergo rigorous trials

to ensure these are ready for smooth

The
be

JV

company

incorporated

would

with

50:50

for around a year before completely

inducting

switching to unmanned train operations,

strategic

partners

at

Later, Naidu and Kejriwal stressed the

requirement of JV company.

need to improve public transport system

The joint venture company will take up

to reduce air pollution in Delhi.

the revival of FCIL plants at Sindri in

Initially, train operators will run them

It will also contain the provision of

later date depending upon business

the new corridors.

equity

participation from both.

operations after the commissioning of

initially

Naidu said the Delhi governments odd-

Bihar and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.

even traffic scheme was a temporary

It will set up an ammonia urea plant at

measure to reduce air pollution.

each location.

The driverless train is manufactured at

Changwon in South Korea. It arrived
in India at the Mundra port in Gujarat
and was brought by road to Delhi on
specially-made trailers.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

56

TMC

24

got

huge

majority ever in
the

History

West

of

Bengals

secure just 184 seats.

Commission
May

on

announced
of

LDF

25

2016
2016

Pinarayi

elections,

ruling

All

Kerala

Congress-Left combine has taken 76

seats while BJP has bagged three seats.

LDF

Supremo, Mamta Banerjee won from

She defeated her nearest Congress rival
Deepa Dasmunshi by over 25 thousand
West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee
has

won

from

Baruipur

Paschim

The

huge

elections

victory
2016

in

the

compared

attributed to her campaign Maa, Maati,

Maanush.

On the other hand, Congress Party led

It is leading only in 47 seats, a big 23

seats drop compared to 2011 assembly
elections.

The account for BJP was opened by

86-year-old former Union minister O
Rajagopal, who won by over 8000 votes.
He will go down in history as the first BJP

2011

elections by Mamta-led TMC can be

Compared to 2011 assembly elections

other states, is in for a huge setback.

assembly
to

91 seats out 140

United Democratic Front (UDF), like in

Constituency.

won

elections.

votes.

has

its tally by 24 seats in 2016 assembly

Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency.

(LDF)

when it had won 68 seats, LDF increased

seats.
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC

Left

assembly seats.

Independents and others have won four

as

Democratic Front

Trinamool Congress (TMC) of Chief

two-third mark by winning 211 seats.

Vijayan

chief minister of

India

Minister Mamta Banerjee crossed the

in

is set to be the

for 294 assembly seats.

the

make

The elections were held in six phases

In

will

Kerala

between 4 April 2016 and 5 May 2016

Prafulla

government

Legislative Assembly Election of West Bengal.

Ghosh.

India.

Election

results

Chandra

first Chief Minister of West Bengal,

TMC

Prafulla

Chandra Ghosh (18911983) was the

election.

19

In 2011 elections her party was able to

MLA in Keralas 140-member assembly.

It was the image of Rajagopal, popularly

known as Rajettan, apart from the BJPs
organizational strength that helped the
TM

where career starts

57

party to create history. He is considered

Anti-incumbency

factor

Congress

Minister

Chandy

chief
is

against

responsible

BJP to form its

26

a noble and well meaning person.

1st government

the

in ASSAM

Oommen

for

such

Election

massive setback to the grand old party

Commission

in the state.

19

The government had been hit by a series

results

his top aides and ministers.

especially the horrific rape, torture and

murder of a Dalit student.

BJP

There also has been a barrage of criticism

following a spate of crime against women,

Kerala has the lowest positive population

Development

Index

(HDI),

0.790 in 2011; the highest literacy rate,

The state has witnessed significant

in Assam state assembly election.

seats while another ally BPF has bagged

12 seats.

BJP has thus made history by winning

an assembly election in the state.
Ruling Congress has bagged 26 seats,
AIUDF 13 and one seat has gone to an

Hinduism is practiced by more than half

Christianity.

It has won 60 seats on its own in the 126

member House. Its ally AGP has won 14

expatriate community.
of the population, followed by Islam and

In the election, BJP and its alliance

partners have won an absolute majority

on remittances from a large Malayalam

The elections were held in two phases on

assembly seats.

of the Persian Gulf during the Gulf

and its economy depends significantly

Legislative

4 April 2016 and 11 April 2016 for 126

emigration, especially to Arab states

Boom of the 1970s and early 1980s,

2016

Assam.

93.91% in the 2011 according to the

census data.

of

Assembly Election

growth rate in India, 3.44%; highest

Human

2016

announced

of corruption scandals involving some of

May

on

independent.

BJP

Chief

Ministerial

candidate

Sarbananda Sonowal has won from

Majuli seat, defeating his nearest rival
by more than 18000 votes.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has won in

Titabar, with a margin of over 17000
votes.

This thumping win of BJP in north-east

India can be seen as its entry in the
north-eastern part of India or expanding

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

58

to retain power in the state since 1989,

political influence beyond its traditional

as she retains R K Nagar constituency

heartland.

The interesting fact of the results is

that the party managed to break into

defeating DMK rival by 39,545 votes.

against

Congress stronghold.

Assam is known for Assam tea and

Assam silk. The first oil well in Asia was

along with the pygmy hog, tiger and

Sal tree forests are found in the state,

rainfall compared to most part of India.

27

Jaya

Tamil Nadu

several alternatives to AIADMK and

DMK. But all drew blank at the polls.

A total of 2,873 voters in the high profile

Dr. Radhakrishnan Nagar constituency,
where Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was
a contestant, preferred NOTA.

Tamil

Nadu,

with

over

5.79

crore

percent polling in the assembly polls

today

retain

power

in

Tamil

Nadu

by

winning 134 seats

held on May 16.

populous.

history by becoming the first ever leader

The state was ranked sixth among

states in India according to the Human
Development Index in 2011, with the

gave a strong fight bagging 89 segments.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, set to create

Tamil Nadu is the eleventh-largest state

in India by area and the sixth-most

as arch rival DMK

For the first time, the elections saw

registered voters, had recorded 74.26

clearly headed to

Jaya lalitha

AIADMK candidates trailed behind the

the capital.

Jayalalithaas

AIADMK

The bad news for the AIADMK came

DMK in 10 of the 16 constituencies in

workers,

turned against the ruling party.

lalitha

retains power in

party

voters appeared to have overwhelmingly

which as a result of rainfall looks green

all year round. Assam receives more

jubilant

flash floods in December and whose

and Manas National Park which are

World Heritage Sites.

Addressing

from Chennai, which was battered by

for the Asian elephant. The Assamese

centred around Kaziranga National Park

who

with renewed vigour.

It provides one of the last wild habitats

economy is aided by wildlife tourism,

Muthuchozhan

votes

one and vowed to strive for the people

various species of Asiatic birds.

Shimla

97,218

Jayalalithaa called the victory a historic

The state has conserved the one-horned

Indian rhinoceros from near extinction,

secured

polled 57,673 votes.

drilled here.

Jayalalithaa

second-largest state economy.

Its official language is Tamil, which is

one of the longest-surviving classical
TM

where career starts

59

languages in the world.

The state government will bear all cost

of the orphan students.

Odisha to launch

28

Green

29

Passage

Scheme

for

BHEL
commissions
250

orphan students

thermal unit in

The
17

Maharashtra

Odisha

Government
May

on

State-owned

2016

BHEL

decided to launch
Green Passage Scheme Green
Scheme

MW

Passage

BHEL

for

has

commissioned
a

250

mw

thermal unit in

orphan students.
Maharashtra.

The scheme will ensure that the orphan

students get free of cost higher education

Thermal Power Station (TPS), located in

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also gave

Beed district in the Marathwada region of

his green signal for the scheme, which

Maharashtra, Bharat Heavy Electricals

would function under the department of

Limited (BHEL) said in a BSE filing.

Orphan

students

pursuing

The project is owned by Maharashtra

State

higher

Power

Generation

Company

education from Plus-II level to post-

(Mahagenco). This is the eighth coal-

graduation level will no longer have to

based unit commissioned by BHEL at

bear the education expenses.

Parli TPS.

As many as 16382 orphan students

BHEL has been a major partner in the

lodged in 272 institutions across the

power development programme of the

state, will be exempted of admission

state and has commissioned 16,000

fee, tuition fees and laboratory fees for

mw of power generation capacity in

higher studies.

Maharashtra, its highest in any single

They will be provided free hostel facilities

state.

and food.

The unit has been commissioned at Parli

in the state.

higher education.

The 200-270 MW rating class sets

The state government has also directed

supplied by BHEL form the backbone of

all government, private, government

the Indian power sector and have been

aided colleges and universities to ensure

performing much above the national as

that the orphan students are not charged

well as international benchmarks.

in any form.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

60

severe cyclonic storm.

owned by the Government of India, is a

power plant equipment manufacturer

Moving northeastwards, the system is

and

likely to cross south Bangladesh coast

manufacturing company based in New

between Khepupara and Coxs Bazar on

Delhi, India. Established in 1964

22 May 2016.

and

operates

as

engineering

BHEL is Indias largest engineering and

It issued heavy to very heavy rainfall

manufacturing company of its kind.

warning to coastal Andhra Pradesh,

The company has been earning profits

coastal Odisha and coastal Gangetic

continuously since 1971-72 and paying

West Bengal under the influence of the

dividends uninterruptedly since 1976-

cyclonic storm coupled with gusty winds

77.

speeds reaching 90-100 kmph.

Cyclone

30

Roanu

venture into sea as the condition along

hits coastal area

and off Andhra Pradesh, South Odisha

of

and West Bengal coasts are very likely to

Orissa

and

Andhra Pradesh

be high to very high.

In

Andhra

Pradesh

the

district

The

cyclonic

administrations have been asked to see

storm

ROANU

that people staying in low-lying areas

that emerged in
the west central
Coastal area

Fishermen have been advised not to

Bay

of

Bengal

was in news. It

are shifted to safer places.

31

President Pranab
Mukherjee

came into news after India Meteorological

inaugurates

Department (IMD) in its prediction said that

Intelligent

the Cyclone is likely to intensify into a severe

Operations

cyclonic storm by 20 May 2016 night and will

Centre

hit Andhra coast.

launches Mobile

and

App Monitor

At

present,

ROANU

is

moving

northeastwards and lay centred at south-

Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab

On

Mukherjee

19th

May

southeast of Machilipatnam, about 290

President

inaugurated

km south-southwest of Visakhapatnam

an Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) in

& 160 km south-southwest of Kakinada.

Rashtrapati Bhavan.

IMD issued an orange warning message

to Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

President Mukherjee also launched a Mobile

IMD issued yellow message for West

App Monitor for transformation of Presidents

Bengal as the system would turn into

Estate into a smart township. The Smart

TM

where career starts

61

and collaborative.

Presidents Estate will work around the 4H

theme of a Humane, Hi-tech,Heritage and
Happy Township.

Gujarat

32

launched Smart
Village program

The IOC is a software solution designed

by IBM.

It helps collect and make sense of the

to

improve

public

facilities

rich data streaming in from several

in the village

sources within the Estate to provide

intelligent insights.

Gujarat

It offers integrated data visualization,

Minister

Chief

analytics that will help agencies prepare

Smart Village program Anandiben Patel

on 22 May 2014

for problems, coordinate and manage

launched the Smart Village programme to

response efforts and enhance efficiency

improve public facilities in villages.

near real-time collaboration and deep

of services.

The Monitor mobile application is a

Residents

collaboration

tool

of

Smart Cities initiative of the Union

the

Intelligent Operation Center.

Government under which 100 cities were

The application will help residents and

chosen for infrastructure development.

domain (Energy, Water, Horticulture,

collaborate in a smarter way for their

Villages will be shortlisted by the statelevel committee consisting of experts

It will enable residents to report issues

on the basis of Gram Panchayats

such as broken street lights, electricity

performance

failure, water wastage etc. and check

process.

through

transparent

The objective of the programme is to

devices.

make villages self-reliant, clean and

It will allow residents to report these

hygienic.

issues using their mobile devices in the

observations.

resolution status using their mobile

Under the Smart Village programme,

300 villages will be selected.

Waste and Security) supervisors to

It was conceptualized on the lines of

Toilets, cleanliness, drop-out rate in

Estate on a real time basis.

primary

These reported observations can be

Anganwadi

used to provide enough details such

children, ATVT services are some of the

as location coordinates, address to

parameters on which a village will be

concerned departments.

adjudged as a Smart Village.

This will help the residents of the Estate

become more socially responsible, aware

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

schools,

malnutrition

facilities,

ratio,

vaccination

of

These villages will get 80 lakh to 2

crore rupees cash assistance from the

62

end of its contract period.

State government to implement the

programme.

The project will benefit about one million

residents

World

33

loans

Bank

including

100

dwellers.

million dollar for

34

Karnataka water
projects

Hubballi-Dharwad,

estimated

160000

slum

Hubballi-Dharwad,

the

largest

center

urban

second
in

the first Indian cities to provide citywide,

Karnataka
Government
World Bank

the

Karnataka, will become one of

24

of

May

signed

on
2016
100

million US dollar

loan and project agreement with World Bank.

continuous, piped water supply to its

residents.

American biochemist Frances Arnold awarded
the Millennium Technology Prize 2016

It was to support Karnataka Urban

Frances

Water Supply Modernization project.

Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering,

The project will be implemented over

Bioengineering and Biochemistry, has been

a period of six years, initially in the

awarded the Millennium Technology Prize for

twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad, with

her directed evolution method, which creates

provision for other eligible cities to join

new and better proteins in the laboratory using

the project at a later date.

principles of evolution.

The

Hubballi

Dharwad

Dick

and

Barbara

The Millennium Technology Prize, worth

water supply operating company for

one million euros (approximately $1.1

improving the water supply system, as

million), is the worlds most prominent

also to manage the refurbished system

award for technological innovations that

through a 12-year contract in accordance

enhance the quality of peoples lives.

with strict performance criteria.

the

Municipal

Corporation has hired a professional

Arnold,

Arnold

received

her

undergraduate

The municipality will retain ownership

degree in mechanical and aerospace

of the water supply assets and control of

engineering at Princeton University in

the service delivery set up.

1979.

The project will help the Hubballi-

She earned her graduate degree in

Dharwad Municipal Corporation set up

chemical engineering from UC Berkeley

a city-level water utility that will take

in 1985.

over water supply operations from the

professional operating company at the

She arrived at Caltech as a visiting

associate in 1986 and became an
TM

where career starts

63

assistant professor in 1987, associate

the form of used drinking water plastic

professor in 1992, professor in 1996,

bottles it is notified that the packaged

and Dickinson Professor in 2000.

drinking water bottles may not be used

She is the recipient o the Charles Stark

during any government meetings or

Draper Prize, the engineering professions

highest honor, and the National Medal
of Technology and Innovation.

functions.

or water from large reusable water

the National Academiesthe National

dispensers or reusable water bottles in

Academy of Engineering (2000), the

National Academy of Sciences (2008)

government functions.

The
is

Millennium
awarded

Technology
to

Technology

every

two

maintain a clean environment but it has

Academy

Finland

groundbreaking

been found that a lot of disposable foam

Prize

years

containers are being rampantly used not

by

only in the bazar areas but also in the

(TAF)

technological

innovations that enhance the quality of

rural pockets.

products which are environmentally

according to the prize website.

hazardous and occupy a huge space in

Arnold is the first woman to win the

prize

35

the landfill.

Sikkim

spoons, containers, etc made from foam

disposable foam

throughout the state with immediate

food containers.
For effective waste

effect.

management
in

an

eco-

friendly manner,
the
Sikkim bans

Sikkim

government

has

restricted

the

The order banned the use and sale of

disposable items such as cups, plates,

bans

A huge quantity of municipal waste

is created in the form of disposable

peoples lives in a sustainable manner,

Government has been initiating various

measures to manage the waste and

She is the first woman elected to all

three branches.

It suggested that as an alternative,

departments can use filtered water

She got elected to all three branches of

Institute of Medicine (2004), and the

In order to reduce creation of garbage in

use of mineral water bottles in government

programmes and banned the use of foam food
containers all over the state.
ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Made from polystyrene foam, such food

containers are generally white in colour.

64

13

36

new

cities

announced

States.

The

Union

government
announced

the

names of 13 more
under

the Centres Smart City Mission.

and

the winners of this round.

Dharamshala

These cities were chosen from the 23

track competition.
The results were announced by Urban
M.

city project.

Venkaiah

It aims to transform 100 cities by 201920, with the Union government providing
financial support of Rs. 48,000 crore
over five years.

37

Cabinet approves
1st ever Capital
Goods Policy

Other cities on the list are Chandigarh,

Raipur
Kolkata,

(Chhattisgarh),
Bhagalpur

New

Town

(Bihar),

Panaji

On

Imphal

(Jharkhand),

(Manipur),

Agartala

and

Capital Goods Policy

Faridabad (Haryana).

30,229 crore.

The investment proposed by 33 cities

under the smart city plans is now Rs.
80,789 crore

the
Capital

National
Goods

Policy 2016.

The 13 cities selected in the competition

have proposed a total investment of Rs.

May

Cabinet approved

Ranchi

(Tripura)

25

2016 The Union

(Goa), Port Blair (Andaman and Nicobar

Islands),

supply,

are some of the highlights of the smart

Naidu on 24th May 2016.

power

e-governance and citizen participation

January, and participated in the fast-

Minister

and

public transportation, IT connectivity,

first round of a competition held in

Development

water

systems, efficient urban mobility and

in

that failed to get representation in the

Assured

sanitation and solid waste management

Himachal Pradesh.

Chandigarh and Port Blair in Andaman

and Nicobar Islands were also among

tops the list, followed by Warangal

Telangana

Warangal is in Telangana, which is ruled

by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Lucknow in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh

in

Lucknow is in Samajwadi Party-ruled

Uttar Pradesh

cities that will be

developed

while two are from Congress-governed

cities

Projects

Of the 13 cities that qualified for the

project, four are from BJP-ruled States

for

smart

smart cities Projects

This is first ever policy for Capital Goods

sector with a clear objective of increasing
production of capital goods from 2.3
lakh crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7.5 lakh
TM

where career starts

65

crore rupees in 2025.

38

Objective is to increase the share of

Human Resource

capital goods contribution from present

Development

12 to 20 percent of total manufacturing

(HRD)

activity by 2025

decided

To become one of the top capital goods

launch ASMITA,

producing nations of the world by raising

the total production to over twice the

tracking system

current level

programme.

To improve skill availability by training

has
to
student

HRD

50 lakhs people by 2025

environment.

The

Union

New initiatives and policy actions and

Ministry of Human Resource Development has

they are:

decided to launch, a student tracking system

Devising

long

term,

stable

and

programme ASMITA.

rationalized tax and duty structure to

ensure cost competitiveness of the sector

Drafting

procurement
qualifying
special

comprehensive
policy

criteria

provisions

with
and
in

Individual Tracing Analysis.

public
amended

for

Promoting

development

of

XII across the 15 lakhs private and

new

government schools in the country.

technology through indigenous sources

Providing Technology Upgrade Fund

ASMITA will be an online database

Support across all capital goods sub-

which will carry information of student

sectors

attendance

Developing manufacturing clusters with

outcomes, mid-day meal service and

shared facilities especially for SMEs

infrastructural facilities among others.

The capital goods sector operates in a

and

enrolment,

learning

Students will be tracked through their

dynamic local and global environment

Aadhaar numbers and incase those not

and it is imperative for the policy to

having unique number will be provided

undergo a periodic review and revision

with it.

to maintain its relevance.

It aims to track the educational journey

of school students from Class I to Class

domestic value addition

It will be launched under Shala Asmita

Yojana (SAY).

introducing

contracts

It is acronym for All School Monitoring

The

Ministry

of

Human

Resource

The National Capital Goods Policy 2016

Development is responsible for the

will be reviewed every five years and

development of human resources.

revised appropriately to take account of

The

Ministry

is

divided

into

two

progress in implementation and emerging

departments: the Department of School

trends in the national and international

Education and Literacy, which deals

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

66

under the Andhra Pradesh Societies

with primary, secondary and higher

Registration Act, 2001. The approval will

secondary education, adult education

and
of

literacy,
Higher

with

and

the

Education,

university

which

education,

deals

technical

education, scholarship etc.

Union

39

give a legal entity to the NIT.

Department

Andhra Pardesh

40

to

all districts.

cabinet

Andhra

6 New IITs

is

by
Minister

Narendra Modi on
25 May t gave its
ex-facto approval
to the Amendment to The Institutes of
Technology Act, 1961 for incorporation
of six new Indian Institutes of Technology
(IITs).

These six new IITs will be based in :

Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh

Palakkad in Kerala

Dharwar in Karnataka

Bhilai in Chhattisgarh

Goa

Jammu in Jammu & Kashmir

The above Amendment is also for

conversion of Indian School of Mines

e -office system

to

it into the ambit of the Institutes of

Technology Act, 1961 and also declaring

approval to set up NIT, Andhra Pradesh

which has been registered as a Society

It is going to be implemented in all

e-Office will be introduced on a pilot
basis in all 13 districts in June

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu

announced this program.

It was announced during the two-day

conference of district collectors.

Already 2,23,582 files with 1,72,40,119

pages have been scanned and kept ready
while another 2,02,193 files would also
be digitised soon.

The Chief Minister directed officials

to constitute a Cyber Security wing to
ensure safety of the electronic files.

A three-member committee would also

be constituted to prepare the e-file
protocol.

He directed the Information Technology

Department to submit quarterly reports

it as an institute of national importance.

The cabinet also gave ex post facto

initiatives.

districts.

(ISM), Dhanbad into an IIT by bringing

going

e-Governance

Cabinet

chaired

Union cabinet

Pradesh

implement

Prime

-office system in

gives approval to

Union

introduce

on e-files and e-Office implementation.

Employees associations are happy with

the e-Office system as it eases the work.
TM

where career starts

67

Advisor to government J Satyanarayana

the

made

sections:

presentation

on

various

e-Governance initiatives.

in

the

following

main

Paa Thyapustaka Kosha : Textbooks by

various authorities

Chief Secretary Satya Prakash Tucker

and other top bureaucrats attended.

content

Jnana Kosha : Encyclopedic Knowledge

base in all languages

Indias

41

first

Shabda Kosha: Dictionaries, Glossaries,

multilingual

Terminologies,

dictio-nary

Bhasha Kosha: Language learning books

Bhara-tvani

Suchanaa Praudyogikii Kosha : It tools (

launched

right now linked to TDIL)

The

of

Kosha:

Multimedia

content

Union

Ministry

Bharatvani

Bahumaadhyama

More than 130 Dictionaries, Glossaries

Human Resource

and Terminology books have been posted

Development

on the web portal. These dictionaries are

(HRD)

available in text and PDF formats.

on

Wednesday

42

launched a multilingual knowledge portal

www.bharatavani.in that has more than 130

Pakke

Tiger

Reserve in East

dictionaries, glossaries and terminology books

Kameng district

in text and PDF formats.

of

Arunachal

Pradesh

The content in print and other formats

won the India

will be completely digitized and put onto

Biodiversity

the portal in the form of searchable text.

Award 2016

The portal has been launched in 22

Pakke Tiger Reserve

scheduled languages, which eventually

Pakke

Tiger
on

22

The App has 35 multilingual Dictionaries

May 2016 received the India Biodiversity

and HRD aims to extend it to 250

Award 2016 in one of its four categories in

dictionaries in a years time

Mumbai.

Bharatavani aims to foster national

integration

Reserve

will be extended to 100 more languages,

has

by

emphasizing

on

The Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme

multilingual and cross-lingual learning

of the Pakke Tiger Reserve was awarded

tools and technologies.

the

The Bharatavani Portal would publish

threatened species category.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

prize

Besides

under

this,

Conservation

Hong

Niitii,

of

Lower

68

Subansiri was awarded under category

At present, 10 inhabited islands of

IV Biodiversity Management Committee

Lakshadweep are being fed by diesel

(BMC) award.

mostly.

Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme It is

The plan also envisions reduction of

a collaboration of Ghora-Aabhe Society,

AT & C losses from current level of

Nature Conservation Foundation and

21% to 6.7% till 2019 by increasing the

the State Forest Departments.

collection efficiency up to 99 %.

Under this programme, urban citizens

As a part of energy efficiency measures,

contribute money to protect hornbill

1 lakh LED bulbs will be distributed

nests around Pakke Tiger Reserve.

by UT administration through Energy

It is a major step towards conservation

Efficiency

of four hornbill species that are found in

Incandescent lamps/CFL bulbs will be

the adjoining areas of the Tiger Reserve.

replaced with LED bulbs under UJALA

India Biodiversity Awards are joint

programme. Additionally, replacement

initiative of Union Environment, Forest

of 3000 conventional street lights with

and Climate Change Ministry, National

LED street lights is also being taken up.

Biodiversity Authority (NBA) and United

Nations

Development

programme

(UNDP).

Services

(EESL)

and

The Power for All programme is a major

step in this direction.

Government of India have taken a

It recognizes the contribution of the

joint initiative with respective State

stakeholders towards the biodiversity

Governments for preparation of State

conservation.

specific documents for providing 247

power supply to all households /homes,

43

Lakshadweep became first Union

industrial & commercial consumers and

Territory (UT) in the country

adequate supply of power to Agricultural

to sign 247 Power for All

consumers as per state policy.

document.
Union Ministry of Railways and

44

Lakshadweep became first Union Territory

PEC University of Technology

(UT) to sign 247 Power for All document.

have signed a Memorandum of

Representative of Government of India and

Understanding.

the Administration of Lakshadweep signed the

document in presence of P.K. Pujari, Secretary,

(MoU) for setting up of Kalpana Chawla Chair

Ministry of Power.

on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways

at the University.

The document chalks out a plan to

increase solar capacity of the region

Union Ministry of Railways and PEC University

from 2.15 MW to 8.45 MW.

of Technology have signed a Memorandum of

TM

where career starts

69

Understanding (MoU) for setting up of Kalpana

The objective of the chair is to encourage

Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for

research activities of Indian Railways in

Indian Railways at the University.

Geo-spatial Technology.

It will also help to strengthen Railway

The MoU was signed in the backdrop of

projects where use of remote sensing

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhus

data, Geographical information System

Budget announcement in this regard.

(GIS) and global positioning system

The academic chair is being instituted

(GPS) is predominant.

in memory of IndoAmerican Astronaut

The Chair will be headed as Chairman

and Alumnus of PEC Late Kalpana

by V.K.Gupta, Member Engineering,

Chawla. She was the first woman of

Railway

Indian origin in space.

Director, PEC University of Technology,

Board

and

Manoj

Chandigarh as Co-chairman.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Arora,

70

SPORTS
Indian shooters

bagged 3 gold, 1
bronze in ISSF
Junior

emerge winners.

and Poland (1836.3) respectively.

World

Cup

ISSF

They were followed by France (1841.7)

Mark Selby won

World

On 1 May 2016

Championship

Indian

shooters

bagged

three

On 2 May 2016

gold medals and

Mark

Selby

a bronze in the

won

World

ISSF Junior World Cup in Suhl, Germany.

Championship
Mark Selby

The Indians won gold each in the mens

25m standard pistol and womens 50m

Snooker

title of Snooker.
In
match

the

final
played

rifle prone competitions.

in Sheffield. With this win, Selby also ended

Indias Rituraj Singh won an individual

Dings chance of being the first Asian player to

gold medal in the mens 25m standard

win the world title.

pistol competition

Gaayathri

Nithyanadam

bagged

bronze in the womens 50m rifle prone

year, earlier he had won minor Gdynia

competition.

Open event in Poland.

Rituraj Singh, Shivam Shukla and Arjun

Das walked away with the gold medal

in the team event of the mens 25m
total of 1661.

First was won against Ronnie OSullivan

in 2014.

He entered the list of Steve Davis,

France won the silver medal with 1659

Hendry, John Higgins, Mark Williams

points while Australia won the bronze

and Ronnie OSullivan, the stars who

with 1648 points.

have won at least two world titles since

Indian women won gold medal in the

the event rocked up in Sheffield in 1977.

team event of the 50m rifle prone

competition.

This was Selbys second World Snooker

title,

standard pistol competition, shooting a

This was Selbys second trophy of the

Gaayathri Nithyanadam, Sonika and

Ayushi Podder shot a total of 1846.6 to

2008: Beats Ronnie OSullivan 9-8 to

win Welsh Open

2011: Beats Mark Williams 10-9 in

Shanghai Masters final
TM

where career starts

71

2012: Wins UK Championship with 10-6

consecutive

win over Shaun Murphy

but struggled to cross quarters in Super

2014: Wins World Championship 18-14

Series.

against Ronnie OSullivan

Games,

Olympics is considered to be kinder to

2015: Wins German Masters and China

shuttlers from outside China, Japan and

Open

Korea with only two pairings allowed.

2016:

Clinches

second

World

Olympics tend to be easier than Super

Series

Championship

Commonwealth

He also won the Masters, an invitation

For Manu-Sumeeth, the first ever mens

doubles pairing to qualify for Olympics.

event, in 2008, 2010 and 2013

Indian shuttlers

qualify

for

Rio

India

fourth in junior
shooting

2016

Rio 2016

finishes

Cup

Saina

Nehwal,

headed

to

Indian

the

Olympics for third

ended

time.PV

Sindhu

journey

on

to

way

World

her

Junior shooting

maiden Games as

shooters
their
at

the

International
Shooting

Sport

Federation Junior

well as K Srikanth

World Cup in Suhl, Germany at a creditable

in mens singles, another first timer.

fourth position.

Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa (No.

15) have made the grade for a second

four silver and three bronze.

straight Olympics.

India is one of only eight countries in the

athletes from 48 countries participated

womens singles, with PV Sindhu

but only 24 nations made it to the

(ranked No. 10) joining Saina Nehwal

medals table

have

done

Germany came third with five gold, three

silver and three bronze medals.

and title favourite Chen Long.

Jwala-Ashwini,

Russia stood second with five gold, six

silver and nine bronze

will to upset the last Olympic outings of

the two legends, Dan and Chong Wei,

Tally was topped by Italy with seven

gold, four silver and one bronze.

Japanese Kento Momotas suspension

opens up mens singles, but Srikanth

From April 29-May 5 a total of 585 junior

world to qualify two entries in a category

(ranked No. 8).

India ended this journey with three gold,

well

at

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

For India, Rituraj Singh won two gold

72

medals in both the individual and team

cost for an international cricket stadium

events of the mens 25m Standard Pistol.

in Saifai.

Shivam Shukla also won a gold and a

It decided to construct a new ultra

silver.

modern state-of-art model bus station

Arjun Das won a yellow metal and a

at Kaiserbagh bus station in the state

bronze for Team India.

capital.

Yashaswini Singh Deswal won two silver

medals, both in the individual and team

sections of the 10m Air Pistol event.

Charlotte
Edwards,
England womens

Bicycle highway

cricket captain,

between Taj and

retires

lion safari

international

cricket

On 11 May 2016

The Uttar Pradesh

Charlotte Edwards

government gave
its nod to develop
nearly
Bicycle highway

200-

On

from

11

May

2016Charlotte
Edwards,

Englands

women

cricket

team

captain,

km long bicycle

announced her international retirement.

highway

from

Agra to the lion safari in Etawah

The 36-year-old, Edwards will continue to play

at domestic level including the first edition of

The highway will not run along the Agra-

the forthcoming Womens Super League.

Etawah main road but will cover various

historical and tourism centres.

It will cover areas such as Raja Bhoj ki

debuted in 1995 at the age of 16 against

Haveli, Bateshwarnath Temple, Mela

New Zealand at Guildford.

Kothi Jarar, Naugava ka Quila and

women to play for England, which now

Etawah.

rests with Holly Colvin who debuted at

Cabinet
Insurance

When she debuted she was the youngest

other rural areas to reach lion safari in

also

approved

the

the age of 15, in the first Ashes Test in

implementation of Prime Minister Crop

She was a top-order batswomen who

Scheme

from

the

Kharif

2005.

She is the first female cricketer to score

season 2016.

2000 runs in T20 Internationals and

Cabinet also approved transfer policy for

the first player either male or female, to

2016-17 for employees.

score 2500 runs in T20 internationals.

The Cabinet approved the construction

She won the World T20, the World Cup

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and the Ashes five times for England.

He made debut aged 17 at the 2015

In Test match she Batted in 43 innings

Australian Grand Prix for Toro Rosso,

of 23 test matches and scored 1676

this made him the youngest driver to

runs.

compete in the history of the sport.

Max verstappen

race

becomes

finisher.

youngest F1 GP

leader

and

youngest

podium

He is also the youngest F1 point scorer

winner.

and the youngest driver to start a Grand

Prix, both achieved 2015 season.

Dutch

teenager,

Max Verstappen,

Sania

on 15 May 2016
Max verstappen

Verstappen is also the sports youngest

-Hingis

won

Rome

became Formula

Masters womens

Ones

double pair

youngest

race winner after

winning the Spanish Grand Prix.

World

No.

womens doubles

His teammate Sebastian Vettel stood at

team

the third position.

Mirza and Martina

Verstappen drove to triumph after,

Sania

Hingis on 15 May

Sania -Hingis

2016

Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and

of

captured

Nico Rosberg crashed out in the first lap

the Italian Open title. The pair defeated Elena

of the race.

Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 6(5)-7,

At

18

years

and

228

days,

Max

10-3 in the final to clinch the title.

Verstappen is the youngest race winner

in F1 history. The Dutchman was two

With the win, Mirza and Hingis also captured

years and 210 days younger than the

their 14th womens doubles title together.

previous youngest winner, Sebastian

Vettel.

Max is the son of former F1 driver Jos

Verstappen who never finished better

Sania Mirza is currently ranked No. 1 in

the womens doubles rankings.

From 2003 until her retirement from

than third in his career.

singles in 2013, she was ranked by the

He became the first Dutchman to win a

Womens Tennis Association as Indias

Formula One race and just the second

No. 1 player, both in singles and doubles.

to stand on an F1 podium. The other is

Throughout

her

his father, Jos, who scored two podium

established

herself

finishes in 1994 with Benetton.

successful female Indian tennis player

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

career,
as

she
the

has
most

74

Murray defeated the top-ranked Djokovic 6-3,

ever.

Martina Hingis is a Swiss professional

tennis player who is currently ranked
world No. 1 in doubles by the WTA.

6-3.

It is Murrays first title in Rome and it

comes exactly a week before the French

She spent a total of 209 weeks as the

singles world No. 1.

The Italian Open is an annual tennis

Open begins on 22 May 2016.

The only other British man to win the

tournament was George Patrick Hughes

tournament held in Rome, Italy.

It is one of the most prestigious red clay

tennis tournaments in the world after

in 1931.

He is also the first British singles

champion in Italy since Virginia Wade

the French Open.

The tournament is played on clay courts,

currently during the second week of

won the title in 1971.

On the other hand, Serena Williams

ended a nine-month title drought with a

May.

7-6, 6-3 win over Madison Keys in an all

The event is also known as the Rome

Masters and the Italian Championships.

Rafael Nadal has won the title a record

American womens Singles final.

Besides, Sania Mirza and her Swiss

partner Martina Hingis won the Womens

seven times.

The 2015 Italian Open womens doubles

title was won by Timea Babos and

Doubles

In the final, the World Number One

pair defeated the 7th seeded Russians

Kristina Mladenovic.

Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina

Serene Williams is the winner of 2016

6-1, 6-7, 10-3.

Italian Open womens singles title.

Andy Murray is the winner of 2016

Italian Open mens singles title.

Sudha

10

Andy

Murray

beats

Novak

3000
record

Olympics runner

first Italian Open

Sudha

title

who

Sudha

15 May 2016 won

Andy Murray

Open
Singles

Italian
Mens
Tennis

title. In the final played in Rome, third-ranked

Singh,
created

national record in

Andy Murray on
first

steeplechase

Djokovic to win

his

breaks

the

International

womens

3000m

steeplechase
Association

of

at

Athletics

Federations Diamond League in Shanghai last

week.
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Sudhas new record 9:26:55secs

Dutee Chand,

rewritten 15 days after Asian champion

Jyoti and Merlin Joseph, clocked 44.03

Lalita Babars national mark in New

seconds to finish the race.

Delhi, has intensified the friendly rivalry

The clocked time broke the 18-year-old

record of 44.43s created by the quartet

foreign coach Nikolai Snesraev.

of Saraswati Dey, Rachita Mistry, EB

Lalita has already qualified for the

Shyla and PT Usha on 22 July 1998 in

Rio

Fukuoka, Japan.

Olympics

in

womens

3000m

The China A and the China B team

For Sudha, the the IAAF Diamond League

grabbed the first and third position

race was her first international outing on

respectively

track since the 2014 Asian Games and

second.

she admitted to have butterflies in her

Shanghai, where she finished eighth in

Japan

finished

gold medal.

Japan finished the race in 43.81s for the

silver medal.

the womens 3000m steeplechase.

Sudha, finished fourth in her pet event

The China B team finished third for the

bronze medal by clocking 43.89s.

at the 2014 Asian Games.

while

The China A team clocked 42.65s for the

stomach prior to the prestigious event in

Srabani Nanda, HM

between the duo who train under same

steeplechase.

The 4x100m women relay team, included

Lalita, who finished eighth in the World

12

Championships in Beijing last year, said

she could not run her natural race in

Sevilla won 3rd

consecutive
Europa

Shanghai.

League

title

11

Womens
team

relay

sets

new

Sevilla

national records

hat-trick

The

Indian

4x100m womens

National records

it

Sevilla

achieved

remarkable
as

became

the

first club to win

relay team on 18

three successive

May 2016 broke

Europa League titles with victory over Jurgen

the

Klopps Liverpool .

18-year-old

national

record

to finish in 4th

The Spanish club came from behind

position at the IAAFWorld Challenge held in

to defeat its English opponent 3-1 at

Beijing, China.

the St. Jakob-Park stadium in Basel,

Switzerland,

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

with

Kevin

Gameiro

76

canceling

out

Daniel

beautifully controlled first half strike

The Catalan club also lost Luis Suarez

before a brace from Coke sealed Sevillas

with an apparent muscle injury early

success.

in

The victory marks Sevillas fifth Europa

striker, who cried on the bench after

League success in 11 years and ensures it

being substituted, had been crucial

will qualify for next seasons Champions

for Barcelona in the final stages of the

League.

Spanish league, scoring 14 goals in the

Liverpool, meanwhile, will miss out on

last five matches.

European competition altogether next

in the same season.

Sturridges

the

second

half.

The

Uruguay

Sevilla, trying to win its sixth Copa

year having finished a poor eighth in the

title and first since 2010, controlled

English Premier League this season.

possession after Barcelona went a man

This win is being great achievement for

down and was close to scoring several

the team as the level of enthusiasm is on

times, with its best chance coming on

week.

a low shot from outside the area by

Banega that struck the post in the 50th.
Barcelona lifted

13

28th

Copa

14

Del

Rey title

1st

Advani

to

continental,

Barcelona

world title

finished

Barcelona

Pankaj

hold

its

season on a high

Indias ace cueist

by capturing the

Pankaj Advani on

Copa

22 May 2016 won

Del

Rey

title.

Jordi

Pankaj Advani

Alba

the Asian 6-Red

snooker title.

scored seven minutes into extra time

and Neymar sealed the victory late to

To win this tile for the first time, he

give Barcelona a 2-0 win over Sevilla for

defeated Malaysian Keen Hoh Moh 7-5

its second straight Copa Del Rey title.

in the finals held in Abu Dhabi.

Neymar closed the scoring in stoppage

To reach the finals, he defeated Aditya

time after another perfect set-up by

Mehta, an Indian player, 6-1 in a semi

Messi to give Barcelona its 28th Copa

final match.

trophy.

With this win, Advani became the first

It was the seventh time in team history

in the world to hold both world and

that Barcelona won both domestic titles

continental titles in 6-Red snooker at

the same time.
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Earlier, in August 2015, he retained the

the continents 6-Red champion, lost

World 6-Reds Snooker title in Karachi,

to Soheil Vahedi 7-54. Amir and Soheil

Pakistan.

then joined hands to trounce the Indian

He has been winning titles like:

IBSF World Snooker Championship

IBSF

World

6-Red

pair of Advani and Mehta 1-77.

Snooker

Pankaj then came back to win against

Amir 69-64 to make it 2-2. In the do-or-

Championship - Gold

IBSF

World

6-Red

die clash, Aditya lost to Soheil 40-74. In

Snooker

the semi-finals, India thrashed Pakistan

Championship - Gold (a world record of

winning world titles in both billiards and
snooker in all formats)

The World Snooker Championship is

the leading snooker tournament both in

World Team Billiards Championship Gold (highest number of world titles by

any Indian sportsperson)

3-0.

terms of prestige and prize money.

The first championship was held in

1927 and was won by Joe Davis. Davis

World Billiards Championship (a record

won the first 15 championships before

8 world titles for a 27-year-old)

retiring from the event, undefeated, after

Asian Billiards Championship (a record

5 times)

India

15

his 1946 success.

In the 1950s snooker went into a period
of decline and the championship was not

claims

held after 1952, although an unofficial

silver in Asian
Team

Snooker

Championship

championship was held until 1957.

In 1964 the championship was revived

on a challenge basis and in 1969 the

championship

India managed to

Asian Team

the

Asian

Snooker

team

championship in

16

Madrid
its

11th

League title

Mehta, Indias lone professional snooker

Real
has

after he beat Irans Amir Sarkosh 65-

Madrid
won

the

11th Champions

53 in the opening game, according to

information provided by the team coach

Real Madrid

Derek Sippy.
Thereafter, Advani, recently crowned

Real

Championship

Abu Dhabi after

player gave the country a good start

knock-out

won

they lost to Iran 2-3 yesterday.

event again.

win a silver medal

in

became

League

final,

beating

Atletico

Madrid

5-3

on

penalties following a 1-1 draw at the San Siro

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

78

in Milan.

being the defeat to Real Madrid in the

2014 decider.

brother of the 2014 co-champion, Sriram

Atletico, has now suffered a third loss in

a European cup final, the most recent

Shoot-out winner Ronaldo described

Real Madrids win as unbelievable, ahead
of what will be a gruelling European

Hathwar.

Real

Madrid

commonly

known

as

to words derived from trickier or more

obscure languages, including Afrikaans,
Danish, Irish Gaelic, Maori and Mayan.

football

club

based

means a system of body movements

in

Madrid, Spain.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football

intended to ease tension.

The word Real is Spanish for Royal

relationship.

Lakewood, Colorado, was fourth.

Alfonso XIII in 1920 together with the

royal crown in the emblem.

17

18
won

US Spelling Bee
2016
Scripps

National Spelling
Bee ended in a
tie for the third
consecutive year
on

Thursday

night, with Jairam Hathwar and Nihar Janga

declared co-champions.

maiden IPL title

Sunrisers Hyderabad clinched the 2016 IPL

title by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore
in the final. The Hyderabad unit successfully

US Spelling Bee

Sunrisers Hydrabad won their

Indian

Americans

The

Snehaa Kumar of Folsom, California,

finished third, and Sylvie Lamontagne of

and was bestowed to the club by King

Two

Niram won with gesellschaft, which

means a mechanistic type of social

Club, the team has traditionally worn a

white home kit since inception.

Jairams winning word was Feldenkrais,

which is derived from a trademark and

Real Madrid, or simply as Real, is a

professional

Because the best spellers become fluent

in Latin and Greek roots, the bee went

famously equalized against Atletico in

Each will receive a trophy and $45,000

in cash and prizes.

The opener came via Sergio Ramos, who

the dying seconds of the 2014 final.

Nihar, at age 11, is the youngest winner

of the bee on record.

Championships campaign with Portugal.

Thirteen-year-old Jairam is the younger

defended 209 runs even after fifties from Chris

Gayle and Virat Kohli for RCB.

In a battle between IPLs best batting

and bowling line-ups, the Orange Army
came up trumps despite initial blitzkrieg
from Chris Gayle and Kohli, defending
their total of 208 for seven by restricting
the home team to 200 for seven.
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79

have won the tournament and then

It was David Warners batting and

defended it the next season, winning in

astute captaincy complemented by some

inspirational death overs bowling by
Mustafizur Rahaman (1/37 in 4 overs)
and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (0/25 in 4
overs) that clinched the issue.

Warner, who hit 69, finished second in

run-getters list with 848 runs.

The turning point certainly would be

the 24 runs that Ben Cutting (39 no
and 2/35) got in the final over off Shane
Watsons

bowling

during

Sunrisers

2010 and winning again in 2011.

2008: Rajasthan Royals

2009: Hyderabad Dakkn Chargers

2010: Chennai Super Kings

2011: Chennai Super Kings

2012: Kolkata Knight Riders

2013: Mumbai Indians

2014: Kolkata Knight Riders

2015: Mumbai Indians

2016: Sunrisers

innings and then came back to dismiss

a rampaging Gayle.

19

Gayle (76 off 38 balls) and skipper

Kohli (54 off 35 balls) had a scintillating

Stuart Binny hit Mustafizur down the

ground for a six as the equation came

But Bhuvneshwar bowled a brilliant

Out of the thirteen team that have

played in the Indian Premier League,
three have won it twice, while three have
won it once each.

European Laegue

The

other

three

teams

who

etched

name

Indian

into

footballs

history book after

European league.

The former East Bengal star achieved

the feet as he was named in Norwegian
side Stabaeks starting line-up for their
Tippeligaen game against Start.

have

won the tournament are the Deccan

However, this week, Gurpreet made

history when he was named a starter
in Stabaeks starting eleven in a bottom

and

of the Norwegian league clash against

The Super Kings are the only team to

two long years, Gurpreet finally got his

Chargers,Rajasthan

Royals

Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Sandhu

nation to play in a game in the top division of a

Knight Riders, and Mumbai Indians are

history.

Singh

becoming the first player in the history of the

The Chennai Super Kings, Kolkata

the most successful teams in leagues

European

Gurpreet
his

down to 37 from 3 overs.

blockhole as only 7 came off the over.

play

Indian goalkeeper

team.

18th over keeping everything in the

in

to

it looked like a cakewalk for the home

Indian

1st

Laegue

opening stand of 114 in 10.3 overs as

Sandhu

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Start. Thus, after waiting for nearly

80

break.

The 66 keepers start was made even

old when he reached the landmark

sweeter as he kept a clean sheet as his

against Pakistan at Eden Gardens in

side romped home to a 5-0 win.

2005.

The win helped Stabaek pull away from

batsman overall to reach the milestone

a point away from getting out of the

and he achieved it in his 128th Test.

Alastair Nathan Cook, MBE (born 25

December 1984) is an English cricketer.

their season.

The England skipper became the 12th

the bottom and they now stand only

relegation zone at the midway point of

Tendulkar was 31 years and 326 days

Indian composer and musician AR

A left-handed opening batsman, he is

Rahman was conferred with Japans

the captain of the England Test team

Fukuoka prize for 2016 on Monday.

and former ODI captain, and plays

The Oscar-winning music maestro was

county cricket for Essex.

reportedly honoured with the Grand

Fukuoka

prize

for

his

made his debut for the first XI in 2003.

outstanding

contribution to Asian culture through

Test side in 2006.

Alastair
cook

became

Weir sets world

21

youngest player

record in 1 mile

to reach 10,000

wheelchair race

Test runs

Paralympian

Alastair
achieved
Alastair cook

He played in a variety of Englands youth

teams from 2000 until his call up to the

music.

20

Cook played for Essexs Academy and

Cook

David Weir made

world history by

fabulous

becoming

milestone as he

first

broke

Sachin

Paralympian David

Tendulkars record and became the youngest

the

wheelchair

race to complete
a

to reach 10,000 runs in Tests on the fourth

than three minutes on Sunday.

day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in

mile

in

less

Posting a time of two minutes and 57

seconds, Weir shaved six seconds off

Durham.

his previous best performance at the

Westminster Mile

Cook became the first England player to

reach the landmark of 10,000 runs and

the race: Ive always said I could do it.

he also became the youngest at 31 years

and 158 days to achieve the landmark.

Six-time gold medalist Weir said after

Sundays victory was Weirs fourth

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81

consecutive

Westminster

Mile

title,

Athletes are classified in accordance

beating South African rival Ernst.

with the nature and severity of their

Wheelchair racing is the racing of

disability or combinations of disabilities.

wheelchairs in track and road races.

Wheelchair racing is open to athletes

with any qualifying type of disability,

Like running, it can take place on a

track or as a road race.

The main competitions take place at the

amputees, spinal cord injuries, cerebral

Summer Paralympics which wheelchair

palsy

racing and athletics has been a part of

and

partially

sighted

(when

combined with another disability).

since 1960.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

82

ECONOMICS
1

The

small

institution aimed to aid the growth

Industries

and development of micro, small and

Development
Bank

of

India

has inked with

medium-scale enterprises (MSMEs).

In 1996, a first funding mechanism

was created in SAARC, South Asian

SAARC

Development

Development

SIDBI

SADF

objectives

development,

CEO Sunil Motiwal.

Maharashtra
is
to

together in co-funding of projects in

Income tax

Ministry said in a statement.

and

making

available software to MFIs regarding

loan tracking systems in other SAARC
states.

Capacity development of SDF, SIDBI

SIDBI

is

an

independent

financial

contributed

Rs.

2,77,720.11
crore, of the total

Rs. 6,95,788.85 crore in income tax collections,

in financial year 2014-15.

This detail was released by the countrys

income tax department for the first time

and SME funding institutions in SAARC

countries.

in

Maharashtra

of other Saarc states, the Finance

transfer

tax

financial

products for SME financing for MSMEs

Technology

income

India

identified sectors.

biggest

collections

Indian MSMEs on risk sharing basis in

suitable

the

contributor

MoU initiates SDF and SIDBI to work

of

resource

in the SAARC region.

The MoU was signed by Deputy Managing

Development

poverty

and infrastructure development projects

This has been done to promotte for

Director of SIDBI A K Kapur and SDF

support

development and promotion of social

mutual cooperation and collaboration.

to

institutional/human

SAARC Development Fund (SDF)

were

alleviation, protection of environment,

The Small Industries Development Bank

of India (SIDBI) has inked MoU with

merging

(SFRP) and the SAARC Regional Fund.

industrial

(SADF),

the SAARC Fund for Regional Projects

Bank (SDF)

Fund

on 29th April 2016.

There are 10 categories of income tax

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where career starts

83

in

India

individuals,

corporates,

trusts, local authorities, government,

partnership
Family

firms,

(HUF),

Hindu

body

of

This is part of the German governments

special initiative One World, No Hunger

Undivided
individuals,

association of persons and artificial

juridical person.

The number of individual tax payers

initiative.

India is the only country in Asia to be

part of this initiative.

NABARD

programmes

has decreased by 3.70 lakh between

In

2013-14,

4.87

crore

previous year.

In

all,

7.14

lakh

companies

change

adaptation

Andhra

programmes
Telangana,

promotion of innovation, protection and

sustainable use of natural resources so
as to create stable livelihood in rural
areas and promotion of responsible land

NABARD

use and access to land.

partners
Germany
food

for

In

This initiate has been happily welcomed

by many countries across the globe.

security

initiative
April

National
for
and

2016

Rahuri

with

in

Ahmednagar
becomes first to

Bank

have digi-locker.

Agriculture

Rural

Rahuri Municipal

Development
collaborated

Pradesh,

climate

focuses on food and nutrition security,

financial year.

(NABARD)

and

Germanys One World, No Hunger

2013-14 from 5.21 crore in the previous

NABARD

development

Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

declined to 5.17 crore in financial year

watershed
in

a bit more than 7.03 lakh companies in

Overall, the number of income tax payees

conservation

It is also conducting innovation of

corporate tax in financial year 2013-14,

soil

major

Pradesh.

paid

the previous year

two

programme in Maharashtra and Madhya

individuals

paid taxes, which was 4.90 crore in the

anchoring

and rehabilitation of degraded land

financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14.

is

Council

German

of

Ahmednagar

government for a special programme on

district

Soil Protection and Rehabilitation for Food

Digital locker

Security.

in

Maharashtra
became the first

Municipal Council to attain the status of

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

84

integrated with digital locker for the issuance

of all essential Documents.

Digitalization
essentially

of

Sitharaman on 3 April 2016 launched EXIM

Analytics Dashboard to provide an easy access

governance

meant

to

was

bring

in

to detailed trade data of the country.

It will ensure the following:

in

The export turnover of the country, how

Department of Information Technology

What are the export destinations?

What items are being exported?

Which are the ports inland, sea or

transparency

in

and

peoples

restore

the

administration
confidence

Government.

(I/C) for Commerce and Industry Nirmala

will also help all municipal bodies in

digitalizing

governance

and

making

it performs over time?

airports from which the exports are

administration paperless.

Dilipji Gandhi, Member of Parliament

personally took interest in the initiative

taking place?

businessmen to foray into global trade

The Website is integrated as an issuer

based on reliable information directly

and Requester with DigiLocker where

the Citizen will have access to all these
documents at any time.

accessible through government sources.

The citizen of the area can now apply for

and ports of export.

to Municipal Council

and ports of import.

their documents forever.

Regions, Countries and Ports.

The data for analysis is presented

as a months aggregate at its lowest
granularity, namely, at the level of

Union

country, commodity, port etc.

Commerce

Ministry
launched
Dashboard

At present, monthly data from April 2014

EXIM

till January 2016 has been provided on

for

dashboards and data for older period

Analytics
export,

Balance of Trade (BOT): BOT can be

analysed over time periods for different

This will also ensure them the peace of

mind provided by the easy security of

Import Overview: It provides analysis of

data by time period, countries of Import

the certificates like Birth, Marriage and

Death Certificates online without going

Export Overview: It provides analysis of

data by time period, export destinations

They will have freedom to access them

from anywhere in the world at any time.

This will enable small and upcoming

import

the analytics. Progressively additional

will be added.

data
EXIM Analytics

Minister of State
TM

where career starts

85

Reliance to sign

Google acquires

15 new industrial

business

license

technology

agreements
the

Reliance Defence

in

startup

defense

Synergyse

sector

Google

Reliance Defence,

acquired business

subsidiary

technology

of

Reliance

Limited, the company last week received 15

startup Synergyse

Synergyse

Infrastructure

has

founded

by

an

Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra.

industrial licenses for making a wide array of

high technology equipment ranging from heavy
weapons,

armored

vehicles,

ammunition,

electronic warfare systems, UAVs and directed

Google.

energy weapon systems.

joining the Google Apps team and help

the naval systems and remaining two

it to accelerate its mission and build

covering niche technologies across the

Google Apps.

10 years of experience in the enterprise

of established companies like the TATA,

space.
Google is an American multinational
technology

Reliance is focusing on defence deals

Internet-related services and products.

These

company

include

specializing

online

in

advertising

additional Rs. 50,000 crore over next

technologies, search, cloud computing,

ten to fifteen years

and software. Most of its profits are

This investment has to be done in

derived from AdWords.

different combat vehicles, air defence

among others, to get orders.

including Armys plans to spend an

Entrepreneur Varun Malhotra has over

Reliance will be competing with a host

L&T, Baba Kalyani Group, Mahindras

With this acquisition, Synergyse will be

10 pertain to land systems, three for

defense spectrum.

Synergyse was launched in 2013 to teach

users how to use Google Applications.

The financial detail was disclosed by the

An online advertising service that places

missile systems among others.

advertising near the list of search

Reliance Defence also intends to address

results.

a large potential international market

Google was founded by Larry Page

for combat vehicles in the Middle East,

and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D.

Africa and South America.

students at Stanford University.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Together, they own about 14 percent of

86

its shares and control 56 percent of the

On 5 May 2016 National Association of

stockholder voting power through super

Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM)

voting stock.

signed a partnership agreement with Facebook

They incorporated Google as a privately

held company on September 4, 1998.

initiative in India.
BRICS bank became the first

solutions.

Nasscom

Product

Council

aim

at

supporting over 500 product start-ups

promoted New Development Bank (NDB)

on product design.

It focuses on training over 5000 product

designers in two years.

This is the second time that NASSCOM

human resources.

and Facebook have partnered to promote

NDBs first president is ICICI Bank

entrepreneurship and startup initiatives

veteran KV Kamath

in India.

NDBs mandate includes partnering with

Earlier in 2015, NASSCOM partnered

local development banks in member-

with Facebook for its initiative called

countries and this MoU will help it

Leaders Building for the Next Billion.

leverage the deep market access and

Facebook is a corporation and an online

insight of ICICI Bank in the countrys

social networking service headquartered

financial markets.

in Menlo Park, California, in the United

ICICI Bank and NDB will also leverage a

States.

mutually beneficial partnership in other

Its website was launched on February

areas such as treasury risk management,

4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg with his

account and cash management services.

Harvard College roommates and fellow

Headquartered in Shanghai, the NDB

students

began operations with an initial capital

McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris

of $100 billion last year as a multilateral

Hughes.

development bank promoted by Brazil,

Russia, India, China and South Africa.

towards

to tie up with the BRICS Grouping-

financing, treasury management and

aimed

become problem solvers and develop

partnership in bond issuances, co-

is

This tie up has been done for a

initiative

encouraging Indian entrepreneurs to

first financial institution in the country

This

partner with ICICI Bank in India

ICICI Bank on 5th may 2016 became the

This is done to build a product design

Eduardo

Saverin,

Andrew

The founders had initially limited the

websites

membership

to

Harvard

students, but later expanded it to

NASSCOM

inks

MoU

with

colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy

Facebook to develop a product

design initiative

League, and Stanford University.

It gradually added support for students

TM

where career starts

87

at various other universities and later to

Centers (AWCs) in 162 high burden

high-school students.

districts of eight participating States.

Since 2006, anyone in general who has

Technical

support

at

the

attained an age of 13 years or more has

and state level for strengthening their

been allowed to become a registered

capacities to deliver nutrition especially

user of the website, though variations

during pre-conception, pregnancy and

in the minimum age requirement exist

first two years of life.

depending on applicable local laws.

The

Common

Application

MoC

between

Ministry

of

with support of their partners.

free of cost along with its Source Code

Development

for hosting by MWCD with NIC.

Bill

Melinda

&

10

Gates

Foundation

MWCD
of

between

Memorandum

Ministry

of

ECB decided to
end

production

and

issuance

On 4 May 2016

of

Union

banknote

Cabinet

approved
signing

It will be made available to the Ministry

Women & Child

and

of

the

Co-operation

Women

&

Child

The
500 euro banknote

cooperation

will

be

in

Communication

signed

for

Information
Technology

the
and

(ECB) announced
permanently

stop producing the 500 euro banknote by the

end of 2018.

500 euro banknote, like the other

Development Services (ICDS).

denominations

The MoC will cover 162 high malnutrition

will always retain its value and can be

burden districts of eight states.

exchanged at the national central banks

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh,

of the Euro system.

Jharkhand,

Bank

Enabled

Real Time Monitoring of Integrated Child

European

Central
to

MoC

euro

On 4 May 2016

Gates Foundation (BMGF).

The

500

Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda

Software

(CAS) will be developed by the BMGF

national

Maharashtra,

Madhya

of

euro

banknotes,

On 20 April 2010, money exchange

Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh

offices in the United Kingdom stopped

are those 8 states.

selling 500 euro notes because of money

The phase-I of ISSNIP will roll out ICT-

laundering.

RTM through one Lakh Anganwadi

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

The five hundred euro note is the

88

highest-value euro banknote.

Management, Aditi Gandhi and Michael

It is one of the highest value circulating

Walton of Centre for Policy Research of

banknotes in the world, worth around

New Delhi, and others in 2014.

558 USD, 3634 Chinese Yuan, 62700

Japanese Yen, 544 Swiss Franc or 395

Pound sterling.

recognized internationally.

The note is used in the 23 countries.

It is the largest note measuring 160 82

security

features

such

seekers.

12

The five hundred euro note contains

several

It also aims to measure the increase

trend in the number of economic rent-

mm and has a purple colour scheme.

Due to its limitations the index was not

RBI

to

1000

as

issue
Rupees

Banknotes

with

watermarks, invisible ink, holograms

inset letter R

and microprinting.

On 9 May 2016

11

India

ranks

The

Ninth in Crony-

Bank

Capitalism Index

of

India

announced that it

1000 Rupees

Reserve

will shortly issue

India is ranked at

1000 rupees denomination banknotes with the

ninth position in

inset letter R in both the number panels.

crony-capitalism
index

that

released

Crony-Capitalism

by

was

the

Economist in the

Series 2005

first week of May

It

will

carry

the

signature

of

Dr.

Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve

2016.

Bank of India on the obverse.

It will be done in the Mahatma Gandhi

The banknotes of 1000 rupees banknotes

As per the latest crony-capitalism index

will have six angular bleed lines in four

the non-crony sector wealth in India

sets of 1-2-2-1 lines on the obverse in

amounts to 8.3 per cent of the GDP

both, the upper left and right hand edge

Russia topped the list

of the banknotes.

It

was

followed

by

Malaysia,

the

Philippines and Singapore.

notes by visually impaired persons.

Russia fares worst in the index, wealth

from

the

countrys

crony

These will facilitate identification of these

sectors

All the banknotes in the denomination

of 1000 rupees issued by the Reserve

amounts to 18 per cent of its GDP.

Bank in the past, including 1000 rupees

It was based on the work by Ruchir

denomination banknotes with ascending

Sharma of Morgan Stanley Investment

size of numerals in the number panels

TM

where career starts

89

but without bleed lines and enlarged

have excelled in their research work, the

identification mark, will continue to be

company added.

legal tender.

Grant

is

aimed

at

fulfilling

the

Foundations objective of creating equal

13

Infosys

opportunities for students from poorer

Foundation

background and advancing the quality

has

of research done at Indian institutions.

pact

with

of

scholarships,

of

opportunities for students at different

Science

Education

academic levels to gain from the grant,

and

it said.

Research

This

is

14

to

Commemorative Coin of 100

rupees & Circulation Coin of

support students from economically

10 rupees on Maharana Pratap

weaker section to pursue high quality

released

education.

The Memorandum of Understanding

On 9 May 2016 The Union Government

aims at providing opportunities for

released a commemorative coin of hundred

economically

rupees and a circulation coin of ten rupees on

and

weaker

students

to

research

through

Maharana Pratap.

scholarships,

fellowships and travel awards, Infosys

The coin was released as a part of

said in a release.

475th Birth Anniversary celebrations of

It said as part of the MoU, the corpus

Maharana Pratap.

fund of Rs. 5 crore named as The Infosys

The coin was released by Minister of

Foundation Endowment Fund,

State (Independent Charge) for Culture

This fund will continue in perpetuity

and Tourism Dr Mahesh Sharma in New

to benefit a minimum of 50 students

Delhi.

annually.

establishment

fellowships and travel awards provides

pursue high quality science education

The

Indian Institute

(IISER), Pune,

Infosys

signed

Maharana Pratap was a brave warrior,

The grant will be used towards the

successful

establishment of Infosys Foundation

strategist, who fearlessly fought the

Scholarships which will be awarded to

Mughals and protected his people until

BS-MS students, Infosys Foundation

his death.

Fellowships

endowed

to

integrated

organizer

and

ingenious

He was a ruler of Mewar, a region in

PhD students and Infosys Foundation

north-western India in the present day

Travel Awards to PhD students who

state of Rajasthan.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

90

His birth anniversary is celebrated

every year on the 3rd day of the Jyestha

He was the eldest son of Maharani

Jaiwanta Bai and Udai Singh II, founder

Union Ministry of Culture has been

MoU

SEBI is a signatory to global market

regulators grouping IOSCOs MoU which
encourages the exchange of information
and assistance

the State Government of Rajasthan.

16

Cabinet

approves

Apart from Abu Dhabi, SEBI also signed

Bangladesh etc

of Maharana Pratap in association with

15

Apple
$1

for

between

SEBI and FSRA

SEBI

Union
Apple

by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on

of India (SEBI) to sign a Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) with Financial Services
Regulatory Authority (FSRA), Abu Dhabi.
The MoU is for mutual co-operation and
technical assistance between the two
financial regulators.
It will promote further development of
economic links and cooperation between
the two signatories

It will help to create conditions for

service

Didi

said

it

in Chinese ridehailing

service

Didi Chuxing.
Didi is the worlds largest mobile transportation
service platform that offers mobile technologybased transportation options across over 400
major Chinese cities, including taxi hailing,
private

car

hailing,

social

ride-sharing,

Chauffeur, DiDi Bus, DiDi Test Drive and DiDi

Enterprise Solutions.

Company saw a total of 1.43 billion rides

on its platform in 2015.

In February 2016, DiDi became the

worlds second largest online transaction

development of securities markets in the

two countries.

taxi

invested $1 billion

chaired

its approval to Securities and Exchange Board

in

Chinese

Apple

12 May 2016 gave

billion

Cabinet

invested

Chuxing

Abu Dhabi
The

towards

of countries which include Mauritius,

celebrating the 475th Birth Anniversary

Union

contribute

bilateral agreements with a number

He belonged to the Sisodia clan of

Rajputs.

also

framework between the two regulators.

of Udaipur.

would

strengthening the information sharing

Shukla phase.

It

platform.

The company said it completes more

TM

where career starts

91

than 11 million rides a day, with more

At present, Apple leads the world in

innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac,

than 87 percent of the market for private

car-hailing in China.

One of the major reasons behind making

Apple Watch and Apple TV.

Across

Apple

China market.

18

Apple is entirely confident of growing

business in the the long term in Chinas

PNB tops list of

worst losses in
Indian

economy.

17

Development
in

Hyderabad

19

Inc.

May

opened

on

new

Office

in

Hyderabad,

for

the

crore
fourth
ended

Provisions of the bank jumped nearly 3

for the quarter under review from Rs

The office was formally opened by Apples

3834.19 crore in the same quarter last

The facility will focus on development

year.

assets rose to 12.90 per cent of gross

This investment will accelerate Maps

With iOS 9 Apple added Transit, offering
a combination of trains, subways, buses

advances during the quarter, from 6.55

per cent in the year-ago period.

world.

Gross NPAs were Rs 55,818.33 crore in

the quarter against Rs 25,694.86 crore

and walking, which is already available

for more than 300 cities around the

The asset quality of Punjab National Bank

deteriorated as gross non-performing

development and create up to 4000 jobs.

5,367.14

in the same quarter a year ago.

iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch.

reported

times, 173 per cent, to 10,485.23 crore

of Maps for Apple products, including

Bank

March 2016 against net profit of Rs 306 crore

CEO Tim Cook.

National

quarter

Telangana.

PNB

2016

Development
Apple

Punjab

a net loss of Rs

Apple

banking

history

opens

Office

over

positions related to the iOS ecosystem.

more about certain segments of the

Apple

supports

640000 iOS app developer jobs and other

the investment was the chance to learn

India,

last year.

Apple revolutionized personal technology

with the introduction of the Macintosh
in 1984.
ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Bad loans as a percentage of net

advances stood at 8.61 per cent during
the last quarter of 2015-16, from 4.06
per cent year ago.

92

Net interest margins of Punjab National

transactions between the Himalayan nation

Bank slid 27 per cent to Rs 2767.71

and India.

crore in Jan-Mar 2016 period against

Rs 3791.58 crore in the same period last

customer of Nepal SBI Bank can utilise

year.

various features of mobile banking and

For the full fiscal, the lender reported a

other value added services along with

net loss of Rs 3,974.39 crore compared

the platform of the payment gateway,

with a net profit of Rs 3,061.58 crore in

the bank said in a statement.

corresponding last fiscal.

by SBI Managing Director B Sriram, and

bank erased their initial gains and were

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae.

services from its 70 Offices including 59

Bank is now among the several public

branches and 3 Regional Offices.

Besides, Sriram also handed over a

due to bad loans.

cheque for Rs 5.21 crore to Nepal Prime

Syndicate Bank reported a net loss

Minister K P Oli for PM Natural Disaster

of Rs 2,158.17 for the quarter ending

Relief Fund.

March 2016 due to more than three-

Nepal SBI Bank is providing banking

With this huge loss, Punjab National

sector banks that have reported losses

The Payment Gateway was inaugurated

At 12.47 am, shares of public sector

trading 0.07 per cent at Rs 73.85.

With the launch of above services, the

As a part of social responsibility initiatives

fold rise in provisions for bad loans and

of Nepal SBI, Sriram also inaugurated

contingencies.

construction of main entrance gate of

Bank of Baroda, UCO Bank, Central

Pashupati area development trust on

Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and

the theme of UNESCO World Heritage

Dena Bank have earlier reported losses

Design.

due to bad loans.

19

Demand

20
Bank

Consolidation in

SBI

Indian

launches

sector.

Nepal

of
Banking

payment
gateway

Indias

lender State Bank

Nepal

of

SBI

Bank, one of the

largest
Nepal SBI Bank

to

facilitate

online

trade

overseas

subsidiaries

SBI

of

largest

India

(SBI)

formally

started

merger

of

associative banks

SBI, has launched

and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with itself. The

payment gateway

merged entity will have Indias one-fourth of

and

non-trade

the deposit and loan market.

TM

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93

is not driven by the inherent strength

Post-consolidation, SBIs market share will

of the banking system. It is resorted to

increase from 17 per cent to 22.5-23 per cent,

escape from the problem of NPAs.

while the total business of the merged entity

There are apprehensions among the

will be over 35 lakh crore rupees.

labour unions that the consolidation

will lead to job losses.

Against this backdrop, it is pertinent to analyse

pros and cons of consolidation in the Indian
banking sector.

Samsung

21

loT

have diverse portfolios, focus areas and

Samsung

coverage areas.

Electronics

As the government is the only common

partner with SK

owner of all the PSBs, the process

Telecom to build
Samsung Electronics

will

LoRaWAN

network for the

Indian companies are going global. Now

Internet of Things that will cover all of South

we are home to many multinational

Korea.

that

have

presence

in

various sectors of the economy. Again

this context, big-ticket Indian banks

are the most proper platforms to deliver

The two companies claim that this is the

worlds first nationwide IoT network.

LoRaWAN stands for long-range wide-

financial services to them.

area

At present, there is not a single Indian

designed

bank in the top 50 global banks list. The

battery-operated objects.

consolidation is expected to fill this gap,

network,
for

and

is

specifically

Internet-connected,

South Korea may be getting the first

and, consequently, help build the Brand

countrywide IoT network, but LoRaWAN

India among international investors.

has already been used to build a citywide

International

IoT data network in Amsterdam that

experience

is

also

favourable towards consolidation. Banks

in Japan gained a lot as a result of large

nationwide
the synergies among the banks that

companies

1st

Network

effortless.

launch

Consolidation will help in leveraging

of consolidation is much easier and

to

launched last August.

Samsung Electronics and SK Telecoms

scale merger and acquisition process

IoT network will be available throughout

between 1990 and 2004.

South Korea by the middle of this year.

Experts argue that consolidation should

The South Korean government has said

take place in a positive environment.

that it plans to invest 100 billion won by

The present process of consolidation

2024 in smart cars and IoT as part of a

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

94

drive to promote the countrys startup

online and up-skill their technology

industry and decrease its dependence

know-how.

on semiconductor manufacturing.

South

Koreas

Internet

speeds

are

Trained personnel at these centers are

also conducting in-depth sessions on

already among the fastest in the world.

digital literacy, computer skills and

internet facilities, along with dedicated

22

Intel

India

guidance sessions in entrepreneurship,

new

language and vocational training, with

to

the goal of creating opportunities for

support Digital

non-urban education, employment and

India

empowerment.

announced
initiatives

Intel
announced
Intel

Infosys Rs 600-cr SEZ project

23

India
a

series of initiatives

Infosys will set up its second

that

biggest facility worth nearly Rs 600

its

strengthen
support

for

crore in Bangalore.

the Digital India programme launched by

the Government of India. Intel detailed three

projects designed to accelerate digital literacy

at the grassroots level by reaching out to the

It received necessary clearances from

the Karnataka Government.

population in non-urban India, up-skill citizens

The new facility will be set up in north

Bangalore

in tier II cities and beyond, and encourage

It can accommodate 8,000 employees.

innovation from the local level

The

Karnataka

Government

cleared

Infosys proposal to set up an Special

Building on the momentum of its Ek

Economic Zone (SEZ) near the Bangalore

Kadam Unnati Ki Aur initiative, the

International Airport.

company aims to accelerate access to

technology in non-urban India, Intel

officials, the company had sought an

India

Unnati

additional 60 acres of land adjacent to

Kendra at Common Service Centre (UK

the 40 acres of land already allotted to

at CSC) in Karnal.

it.

e-launched

its

latest

Intel India also announced the Digital

Unnati

website,

being

set

up

in

Services India Ltd.

In May, Infosys received clearance for

7.23 acres of land near its existing IT

collaboration with the CSC e-Governance

According to Industries Department

SEZ campus in South Kanara.

Infosys had said that it plans to open a

It will enable Village Level Entrepreneurs

software development centre of 2 million

(VLEs) to learn how to assemble a PC

built up sq ft area with an investment of

TM

where career starts

95

Rs 700 crore.

The land will be allotted by the Karnataka

Industrial Areas Development Board

It will also provide 13 lakh litres of water

a day.

Wipro has also received formal approval,

both from the State Government and
the SEZ Board of Approval to build and
operate an SEZ in Bangalore.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

96

Defence

GSL chairman and managing director

Offshore

Shekhar Mital said that all the six ships

patrol
ICGS

vessel

would be delivered to the Coast Guard

Shaurya

by 2017.

launched.

On 5 May 2016
Goa
ICGS

US Navy tested

Shipyard

worlds

largest

unmanned

Limited

(GSL),

surface

vessel,

launched

Indian

Sea Hunter

Coast Guard Ship

On 2 May 2016

(ICGS) Shaurya at Vasco.

US Navy tested
the worlds largest

This 105-metre new generation OPV that was

launched by the Governor of Goa, Mridula

unmanned

US Navy

Sinha will be delivered to the Coast Guard

after sea trials are completed.

surface

vessel

named

Sea

Hunter in San Diego.

The vessel is capable of cruising at a

speed of 23 knots and has a range of

travel up to 10000 nautical miles.

6000 nautical miles.

It will be fitted with state-of-the-art

miles out at sea without a single crew

control system and integrated bridge

member on board.

The

Pentagons

research

arm,

the

The vessel carries four boats for boarding

Defense Advanced Research Projects

party operations.

Agency (Darpa) developed the ship with

One 30 mm gun and two 12.7 mm guns

Virginia-based Leidos.

associated with fire control system form

The

indigenously

designed

ship

is

firefighting.

control

and

external

It is a 132ft-long (40-metre) unarmed

prototype ship.

capable of search and rescue operations,

pollution

The ship is powered by two diesel

engines.

the main weaponry package.

It is designed to travel thousands of

machinery like the integrated machinery

system.

It is a self-driving 132-foot ship able to

The ship underwent two years of testing

which includes verifying that it can
safely follow international norms for
TM

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97

operating at sea.

Both the IUHDSS and MWDC will

It is the naval equivalent of Googles self-

function under the control of the Naval

driving car.

Officer-in-Charge

It marks the first step toward sending

Issar.

unmanned

cargo

vessels

between

Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence

and Surveillance System is a multi-

who showed off the ship in San Diego

sensor system that can detect, identify,

today before it was put in the water.

track and generate warnings for all

Pentagons

research

arm,

the

types of surface and underwater threats

Defense Advanced Research Projects

Agency (Darpa) developed the ship along

to Vizag harbor.

Mine Warfare Data Centre collates,

with Virginia-based Leidos.

analyses and classifies the data collected

Darpa will test it in conjunction with

by the Navys Mine Hunting Ships

the Navy over the next two years off

This

technical

advancement

might

Californias coast.

greatly raise the confodence of Indian

The tests will largely focus on its ability

Navy and its security concerns

to react on its own to avoid collisions

Its been so long for India to wait for such

with seafaring traffic.

Sanjiv

countries, according to military officials,

The

Commodore

technology and finally its here

During the testing phase, the ship

will have human operators as a safety

Indian

net, but once it proves to be reliable,

Air

Forces

the autonomous surface vessel will

Electronic

maneuver itself able to go out at sea for

Maintenance

months at a time.

Management
System launched

Two Harbour Defence Systems

commissioned

Indian Air Force

has

launched

its

Electronic

On 11 May 2016 Integrated Underwater

Indian Air Forces

Harbour Defence and Surveillance System) and

Mine Warfare Data Centre were inaugurated

Maintenance

Management System (e-MMS) Project, an

automated military maintenance system.

They were inaugurated by Flag Officer

Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval

It was inaugurated by the Chief of Air

Command Vice Admiral HCS Bisht.

Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at the

The

Air Force Station in Pune, Maharashtra.

two

Harbour

Defence

Systems

would enhance the Navys surveillance

capability.

The e-MMS project is one of the largest

Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) IT

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

98

implementation in the world. The project

long single-stage solid rocket propelled

has been designed and developed by the

guided

Indian IT giant Wipro.

Integrator (SI) in 2013.

The e-MMS system has a central console

that will help IAF to get rid of paper

commands, and Air Headquarters after

its implementation.

It will transform IAFs paper-based

legacy maintenance system to an online
system as it will be implemented in IAFs

It weighs around 1.2 tonnes and has a

With this, India became the fourth

country to have successfully developed
this anti-ballistic missile system.

The other three are United States,

Russia and Israel.

This is inspired by late President of India

Shri Abdul Kalam

This interceptor missile is enough to

destroy various demo.

an

Defence

research
tested

successfully

technology

US-Australian military

India on 15 May
2016 successfully
fired

an

indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence

It was launched from the complex of

Abdul Kalam Island (formerly known as

A two-hour flight from Sydney to London

technology in the Australian desert.

A joint US-Australian military research

team is running a series of 10 trials at
the worlds largest land testing range,
Woomera in South Australia, and at

incoming hostile ballistic missile.

ADD interceptor missile isa 7.5-meter

desert

successful test Wednesday of hypersonic

Ashwin is capable of destroying any

Indigenously developed by DRDO, the

Australian

is a step closer to reality after the latest

Wheeler Island) off Odisha coast.

the

in

interceptor missile, Ashwin.

hypersonic

tested

team

successfully

missile, has been

test

US-

military

interceptor

Ashwin

joint

Australian

indigenous
Air

diameter of less than 0.5 meter.

hierarchy and functioning.

Ashwin

with

and an electro-mechanical activator.

works and heavy logbooks. It seeks to

seamlessly connect squadrons, wings,

equipped

navigation system, a hi-tech computer

IAF had signed the contract for the

project e-MMS with Wipro as a System

missile

Norways Andoya Rocket Range.

Scientists

have

said

hypersonic

technology could cut travelling time

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99

Brahmaputra of India and the Moskva of

from Sydney to London to as little as two

hours for the 17,000-kilometre (19,540mile) flight.

Russia.

Russia is the partner country in the

BrahMos joint venture with its consent

Hypersonic flight involves travelling at

discussions with several other countries,

more than five times the speed of sound

including

(Mach 5).

Egypt,

called Hypersonic International Flight

are developing an engine that can fly at

outside of a vehicle in hypersonic flight,

energy.

The missile has identical configuration

for land, sea and sub-sea platforms and
uses a Transport Launch Canister (TLC)
for transportation, storage and launch.

involve the scramjet engine separating

from the rocket booster and flying on its

BrahMos

own, he added.
The first test was conducted in 2009 with

supersonic
cruise

the project expected to be completed in

India

India and Russia have agreed to

India

and

Russia

have

agreed

in

anti-ship cruise missile, BrahMos, to

UAE, Vietnam, South Africa and Chile.
BrahMos was developed jointly by Indias
Defense

Research

BrahMos

and

Development

(NPOM), which

The name BrahMos is a portmanteau

BrahMos

land-

The system was put to check by the

Indian Air Force, which has acquired
a squadron of it consisting of over 50
missiles, at about 1200 hours in the

1998 established the company BrahMos

range

cruise missile.

in

Aerospace.

290-km

attack supersonic

Organization (DRDO) and Russias NPO

Mashinostroyenia

27th

test fired the over

principle to export the worlds fastest

on

May successfully

export BrahMos

missile

test fired

2018.

and

more seeker range, 9 times more kinetic

The next test, scheduled for 2017, would

Venezuela

to 3 times more flight range, 3 to 4 times

Smart said.

Singapore,

BrahMos has: 3 times more velocity, 2.5

Each test builds on previous ones, with

the latest used to measure heat on the

Korea,

Bulgaria .

Mach 7

South

Algeria, Greece, Malaysia, Thailand,

Scientists involved in the programme -Research Experimentation (HIFRE) --

Philippines,

Pokharan firing range.

formed from the names of two rivers, the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

The unique BrahMos weapon system on

numerous occasions has established its

100

Indian origin in space.

supremacy in the world of supersonic

cruise missile.

The objective of the chair is to encourage

The flight conducted has met its mission

research activities of Indian Railways in

parameters in a copybook manner.

Geo-spatial Technology.

The missile met all flight parameters the

It will also help to strengthen Railway

formidable weapon successfully hit and

projects where use of remote sensing

annihilated the designated target.

data, Geographical information System

DRDO chief is S Christopher.

(GIS) and global positioning system

The accuracy was recently re-established

(GPS) is predominant.

in a campaign conducted by the Indian

The Chair will be headed as Chairman

Army in the eastern sector last year.

by V.K.Gupta, Member Engineering,

This formidable missile system has

Railway

empowered all three wings of the armed

Director, PEC University of Technology,

forces with impeccable anti-ship and

Chandigarh as Co-chairman.

land attack capability.

Union Ministry of Railways and

PEC University of Technology
have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding

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

The MoU was signed in the backdrop of

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhus
Budget announcement in this regard.

The academic chair is being instituted

in memory of IndoAmerican Astronaut
and Alumnus of PEC Late Kalpana
Chawla. She was the first woman of
TM

where career starts

Board

and

Manoj

Arora,

101

Obituaries

His portrayal of Martin Lane on The

Patty Duke Show was recognized as No.
39 on its list of 50 Greatest TV Dads.

Famous
American

actor

Nirankari

William Schallert
died

Spiritual
Baba

Singh

On 8 May 2016
American
William Schallert

Duke Show,

Baba Hardev Singh

1966.

Singh,
Spiritual

the
leader

and chief of Nirankari Mission, died in a road

Born on 23 February 1954, Baba Hardev

Singh became a member of the Nirankari
Seva Dal in 1971.

He was Born on 6 July 1922,

He began acting in University of Southern

In 1946, he helped found the Circle

Theatre with Sydney Chaplin and several
fellow students.
In 1948, he was directed by Sydneys

complex in New Delhi.

He appeared in many films and television

series as Perry Mason, The Smurfs,

The mission was established in 1929,

by Baba Buta Singh who previously
belonged to the Nirankari sect. He was

Somerset Maughams Rain.

1964 TV pilot for ABC

He had 10 to 15 million followers around

the world.

father, Charlie Chaplin, in a staging of

He starred in Philbert, an innovative

In 2005, he established the Nirankari

Museum in Sant Nirankari Sarovar

California in Los Angeles.

Hardev

accident in Montreal, Canada. He was 62.

This show was aired on ABC from 1963 until

road

On 13 May 2016
Baba

work as Martin Lane on the hit series The Patty

in

passed away in

He was 93.The actor was best known for his

dies

accident

William Schallert

California, U.S.

Hardev

Canada

actor

leader

succeeded by Baba Avtar Singh.

The mission began as a reform movement

within Sikhism.

Jefferson Drum among others.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

It started in form of the Sant Nirankari

Movement or Universal Brotherhood

102

Movement

that

believed

in

the

It was his interest in Saturn and its rings

which led him to launch his Neptune

importance of a living leader.

The mission flourished after base of the

mission was shifted to Delhi from West

research.

Neptunes outermost ring is divided

into three arcs to which Brahic gave the

Punjab, after partition of India in 1947.

As of 2016, the organization has 2000

centers and millions of followers all over

names Liberte, Fraternite and Egalite.

In 1990 an asteroid, number 3488, was

named Brahic in his honour.

the globe.

Andr

Diwaliben Bhil passed away

French scientist
Brahic

died

Andr

Brahic

was

an

expert

on

the

solar

system, in 1984.
He
a

Andr Brahic

launched

Folk singer and Padma award winner Diwaliben

Punjabhai Bhil passed away on 19th May in
her hometown Junagadh.

led

to

the discovery, with US astronomer William

by Evry Schatzman, considered the

father of the discipline in France.

garbas,

Europe Cassini unmanned missions,

governments literacy programme, before

her talent was recognized.

astrophysicist

at

Energies

(CEA)

and

professor at the University of Paris.

and even given voice to numerous

the

Commission for Atomic Energy and

a

Besides Gujarati folk songs, Diwaliben

has also sung many garba and bhajans,

which continue to this day.

an

Born in a tribal family, she worked

at a primary school as part of the

in exploring our solar system with the

help of the NASA Voyager and later US-

Diwaliben, began her singing career

of hundreds of Gujarati folk songs and

In the 1980s, Brahic became a specialist

Alternative

A primary school dropout, Diwaliben was

from a local Garbi, has become the voice

initiated into astrophysics after the war

was

in

both in India and around the world.

Born into a modest family in Nazi-

He

performed

humble background to gain acclaim

occupied Paris in 1942, Brahic was

were

a self-taught folk artist who rose from

planet Neptune.

rites

leaders, folk artists among others.

Hubbard, of the rings around the gaseous

final

Junagadh in presence of local political

programme

which

Her

Gujarati film songs.

Diwaliben Bhil got major recognition

with her song Aiwa Aiwa on the album
TM

where career starts

103

Mann ke Manjeere released in April

2001
Veteran

of

leader

CPI(M)

Marathi litterateur and critique

R.G. Jadhav passed away.

Anirudhan

passed away

Marathi litterateur and critique R.G. Jadhav,

Veteran

and

former MLA and

passed away at his residence following a

prolonged illness.

MP K Anirudhan
passed away at
K Anirudhan

his residence on
23rd May 2016 at

He was best known for his 91 reflective

poems on Mahatma Gandhi.

the age of 92.

A prolific literary critic, Professor Jadhav,

who was born at Vadodara in Gujarat,
taught Marathi literature in various

Anirudhan was suffering from age-

colleges across Maharashtra, including

related ailments for some time and died

Elphinstone College in Mumbai and

last night, the sources said.

Milind College in Aurangabad, among

Known for his significant contribution to

others.

build the Communist party movement in

Prof. Jadhav presided over the 2004

southern parts of the state, Anirudhan

Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held at

was elected to the state assembly in

Aurangabad and served as chief editor

1963, 1965, 1979 and 1980.

of the Marathi Vishwakosha based in

Anirudhan, also an active trade union

Wai between 2000 and 2002.

leader,

had

represented

the

then

Conceived along the lines of the World

Chirayinkeezhu constituency near here

Almanac

in Lok Sabha after defeating former chief

Britannica, the ambitious Vishwakosha

minister R Sankar in the 1967 elections.

project,

He is survived by wife Sudharma and

government in 1960 in an effort to inform

sons, CPI-M Lok Sabha MP A Sampath

and edify the Marathi-speaking world

and Kasthuri.

on modern science and arts, began as

He was attracted to the independence

a print concept before moving online in

movement during his school days.

2011.

He was forced to join a school in nearby

Kanyakumari district as he was expelled

from both St Joseph School and SMV

and

the

launched

Encyclopaedia
by

the

State

Barack Obama became first incumbent

US president to visit Hiroshima Memorial

Barack Obama became the first sitting

School for participating in the freedom

U.S. president to visit Hiroshima, where

struggle.

he called for a world without nuclear

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

104

weapons during his remarks at the

citys Peace Memorial Park.

In the Hiroshima museums guest book

Hiroshima Peace Memorial commonly

before his speech, the President wrote

called the Atomic Bomb Dome, in

that he hoped the world will find the

Hiroshima,

courage, together, to spread peace, and

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was

pursue a world without nuclear weapons

designated a UNESCO World Heritage

Obamas visit, the first to Hiroshima by

Site in 1996.

a sitting U.S. president, comes as an

is

part

of

the

The ruin serves as a memorial to the

acknowledgement from the American

people who were killed in the atomic

leaders towards the suffering of the

bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August

estimated 140,000 killed during the

1945.

bombing on Aug. 6, 1945.

Japan,

That figure includes 20,000 Koreans

who had been forced by the Japanese
military to work in the city for the
imperial war machine.

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Science
1

lower than for traditional e-papers,

China developed
worlds

which use the rare, expensive metal

first

indium.

graphene
electronic paper

China

University
Cambridge

has

have

developed a new

working engine

heralded as the

first

On

graphene electronic paper.

e-paper is more pliable and has more intensity

and its high-light transmittance means optical
displays will be much brighter.

scale since 2014.

Cambridge

crystal

displays,

e-papers are thinner, bendable and energy

published in the journal of the National

America (PNAS).

heat and electricity.

navigate in water, sense the environment

around them, or even enter living cells
to fight disease.

Graphene

is

derived

from

Jeremy

Baumberg

from

the research, has named the devices

Actuating Nano-Transducers.

Device is made of tiny charged particles of

gold, bound together with temperature-

carbon,

meaning production costs will be much

Professor

the Cavendish Laboratory, who led

or flexible graphene displays, used in

and wearable smart devices.

The nano scale engine can set a

benchmark for nano-machines that can

The material can be used to create hard

electronic products such as e-readers

The engine is few billionths of a meter in

size and uses light to power itself.

Graphene is the worlds strongest and

lightest known material.it can conduct

have

smallest working engine. The research was

efficient, meaning products are more portable.

researchers

built the worlds

liquid

May

Academy of Sciences of the United States of

E-papers have been produced on a commercial

with

2016Cambridge

Compared with traditional e-papers, graphene

Compared

the

(nanoscale)

which has been

worlds

built

worlds smallest

electronic paper,
Electronic paper

of

responsive gel.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

When the engine is with a laser, it stores

106

large amounts of elastic energy in a

The research data has been used to

formulate ice nucleation scheme for

fraction of a second.

inclusion of such processes in the

This has the effect of forcing the gold

nano particles to bind together into tight
clusters.

forecast models.

Artificial

deficit/drought areas

the gold nano particles are strongly and

quickly pushed apart.

term CAIPEEX in Parliament.

informed that the Indian Institute of Tropical

Meteorology (IITM) is putting its effort in
understanding the rain formation in clouds

Astronomers discovered three planets which

Venus and Earth
This was found using the TRAPPIST telescope

randomized

are

taken

cloud

seeding

air

borne

Journal Nature on 2 May 2016.

observations

and

the

to

be

have

determine the environmental conditions

and the quantum of seeding material.
These

operations

measurements

of

include
aerosols,

detailed
cloud

droplets, raindrops and ice particles,

registering the growth of clouds before
and after the seeding.

dwarf

star

2MASS

They found that the dim and cool star

faded slightly at regular intervals which
indicated

that

several

objects

were

passing between the star and the Earth.

On the detailed analysis, it showed that

three planets are present around the

conducted before and after the seeding to

Ultra-cool

J23062928-0502285, now also known

through

impact is recorded.
Aircraft

The discovery was published in the

as TRAPPIST-1.

experiment,

observations

TRAPPIST

telescope

through this research program.

this

using

at ESOs La Silla Observatory.

On 4 May 2016 In Lok Sabha, the minister

Under

planets

have similar sizes and temperatures those of

Earth Sciences, YS Chowdary first used the

like

Rain Formation in Clouds &

Minister of State for Science & Technology and

Astronomers discovered 3 Earth

CAIPEEX a process to understand

Seeding.

techniques

for bringing rain clouds to rainfall

polymers take on water and expand, and

impact of Randomized Cloud

making

involving cloud seeding cannot be used

However, when the device is cooled, the

rain

star.

It is much cooler and redder than the

Sun and barely larger than Jupiter.

Despite being so close to the Earth, the

star is too dim and too red to be seen
with the naked eye or even visually with
a large amateur telescope.
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107

Two of the planets have orbital periods of

In case of humans, the virus causes

about 1.5 days and 2.4 days respectively,

mild illness known as Zika fever (Zika or

and the third planet has a orbital period

Zika disease).

in the range 4.5 to 73 days.

Since
and

UN

territories

have

61

countries

reported

local

The recent rise in the spread of the virus

Trust

Fund

in some countries has been accompanied

for

virus

by an unprecedented rise in the number

Zika

response

of children being born with unusually

small heads

On 6 May 2016
United

On 1 February 2016, WHO announced

that the cluster of cases of microcephaly

Nations

announced
Multi-Partner

2015,

transmission of Zika.

launches

Multi-Partner

January

and other neurological disorders.

the

establishment

of the UN Zika
Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund to finance

Flying
Observatory

critical unfunded priorities in the response to

SOFIA

detects

the Zika outbreak.

Atomic

Oxygen

in

Martian

It fund was announced by UN Secretary-

Atmosphere

General Ban Ki-moon.

Atomic

The Fund aims to provide a rapid,

Flying Observatory

flexible and accountable platform to

the upper layers

the

Martian

atmosphere known as Mesosphere.

the UN system and partners.

was detected in
of

support a coordinated response from

Oxygen

It will directly support the Zika Strategic

Response Framework, developed by the

Atomic oxygen affects how other gases escape

World Health Organization (WHO

Mars .It therefore has a significant impact on

Under the programme, the donors will

the planets atmosphere.

contribute to a central point and an

Advisory Committee will direct funds

The research was published in the journal

to the highest-priority activities in the

Astronomy and Astrophysics.

affected countries.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is transmitted by

These more recent observations were

daytime-active Aedes mosquitoes, such

possible

as A. aegypti.

location, flying between 37000-45000

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

due

to

SOFIAs

airborne

108

feet, above most of the infrared-blocking

moisture in Earths atmosphere.

fellowship to pursue research in the field

The last measurement of the atomic

of congenital and adult cardiovascular

oxygen in Martian atmosphere was

diseases.

diagnosed

by

Viking

and

Mariner

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared

SOFIA

is

Boeing

747SP

He obtained his masters degree in

telescope.

Biotechnology from Madurai Kamaraj

It is a joint project of NASA and the

University.

German Aerospace Center.

Singapore

jetliner

modified to carry a 100-inch diameter

He is also an adjunct assistant professor

at National Heart Research Institute

Astronomy (SOFIA)

He works as an assistant professor at

Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.

missions of the 1970s.

The scientist has been awarded the

After

completing

his

masters,

SOFIA program is managed by NASAs

joined MD/Ph.D program in Molecular

Ames Research Center in Moffett Field,

Medicine at Hannover Medical School,

California.

Germany.

The aircraft is based at NASAs Armstrong

Indian scientist

10

Manvendra

The National Research Foundation was

set up on 1 January 2006.

Flight Research Centers hangar

Singh bags SGD

3 million grant
from Singapores

It is a department within the Prime

Ministers Office.

The NRF sets the national direction for

research and development (R&D) by
developing policies, plans and strategies
for research, innovation and enterprise.

NRF

Dr
K
Manvendra K Singh

Manvendra
Singh,

China launched

11

Yaogan

-30

remote sensing

was

awarded a grant

satellite

of SGD 3 million

by Singapores National Research Foundation

China

(NRF).

successfully

has

launched

remote

He is a scientist from Uttar Pradeshs

Yaogan -30

Gorakhpur city

he

satellite
will

He is among the seven young scientists

a
sensing
which

focus

on

from across the world to be endowed

experiments on survey of land, crop yields and

with the Singapore NRF fellowship.

disaster relief.
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The satellite named Yaogan 29 was

recovering well and showing no signs of

carried by a Long March 4C rocket

after it was launched on Thursday
from Taiyuan in the countrys northern

rejecting the transplant.

Manning, a bank courier in Halifax,

Mass., underwent the operation on May

Shanxi province.

This is the 219th mission for the Long

March rocket family. China launched
the

first

Yaogan

series

8 and 9.

The surgeons who led the 15-hour

procedure, Curtis Cetrulo and Dickens

satellite,

Ko, said they were cautiously optimistic

Yaogan1, in 2006.

Manning will regain full urinary and

The satellite will be used for experiments,

land surveys, crop yield estimates and
disaster relief, staterun Xinhua news

sexual function.

Manning has been cancer free for about

four years, the physicians said.The

agency reported.

surgeons

Western analysts believe the series of

satellites are of a military nature, using
electronic intelligence, electrooptical

protocols

12

U.S.

Surgeons
Boston
performed
first
Penis transplant

in

team

of

13

Electronics

of
and

Information
Technology

the

to

penile

built

social

first

security

platform

States,

Indias

wounded troops, surgeons at Massachusetts

IT to bulit

General Hospital .

removed in 2012 due to penile cancer, is

surgeons

Department

have

Thomas Manning, 64, whose penis was

Africa

in December 2014.

a procedure that soon could help severely

South

penis transplant in a nine-hour operation

transplant in the
United

that

performed the worlds first successful

performed

noting

service members.

in

in Boston

civilians,

supporting experimental surgeries for

penis

transplant

on

Defense officials are hesitant about

This launch comes weeks after China

First

psychological

Team plans to further develop transplant

equipment.
had successfully launched Yaogan28.

the

aspects of such transplants.

and synthetic aperture radar sensing

stressed

national

first
social

security platform

will be developed by the Department of

Electronics and Information Technology (
DeitY ), which has been entrusted with the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

110

Yojana for old age pension.

task following the intervention of the Prime

Ministers Office to end the tug of war between

Scientists

14

three central ministries.

discover
form of light

Officials said the PMO stepped in after

the ministries of labour, finance, and

Researchers

communications and IT could not reach

Ireland

consensus on who should set up the

form

benefits.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley had in his

Scientists discover

budget speech said that the government

will develop a national social security
platform for handing out monetary
benefits.

Officials said that once the platform is

established, beneficiaries under various

scientists

Providing

brought in three schemes - Suraksha

Bima Yojana providing an accident cover,
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana providing a
life insurance cover and the Atal Pension

lights

basic

Angular

momentum

describes

the

ratio

that

describes

the

The newly discovered form of light,

angular momentum of just half the value
of Plancks constant. The difference
sounds small, but researchers say the

along with a Rupay debit card to every

Under Jan Suraksha, the government

of

however, features photons with an

2014 aimed to provide a bank account

reshape

quantum mechanics.

While the Jan Dhan scheme launched in

provide a social security net to Indians.

to

frequency, and also sets the scale for

amount as premium or contribution.

Scheme launched in 2015 aimed to

expected

relationship between photon energy and

launched by the Narendra Modi -led

Indian household, the Jan Suraksha

is

understanding

constant

key focus areas of various schemes

discovery

a multiple of Plancks constant -- a

security to Indians has been one of the

require the beneficiary to pay a small

Their

the angular momentum was always

social

NDA government. Most of these schemes

light.

axis. Until now, researchers believed

benefits under the particular schemes.

Benefits

of

rotation of a light beam around its

ministries concerned which are offering

Multiple

have

nature.

schemes will have to enrol with the

in

discovered a new

backbone for distributing social security

new

significance of the discovery is great.

For a beam of light, although traveling

in a straight line it can also be rotating
around its own axis, John Donegan,
a professor at Trinity College Dublins
School of Physics, explained in a news
release. So when light from the mirror
hits your eye in the morning, every
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111

photon twists your eye a little, one way

or another.

ability

Our discovery will have real impacts for

countermeasures and explore whether

the study of light waves in areas such

or how the Zika virus has evolved to

as

spread more quickly and cause more

secure

optical

communications,

Researchers made their discovery after

quickly

develop

For 60 years, the Zika virus remained

obscure, with few identified cases in

to create a light beam with a hollow,

people and mild disease symptoms.

mechanics,

the

physicists

However,
has

theorized

since

sparked

2007,

the

frequent

virus

epidemics

that the beams twisting photons were

associated with serious diseases such

being slowed to a half-integer of Plancks

as

constant.

syndrome. The researchers from The

The team of researchers then designed

University of Texas Medical Branch

a device to measure the beams angular

(UTMB) first constructed the Zika virus

momentum as it passed through the

clone.

crystal. As they had predicted, they

more

passing light through special crystals

screw-like structure. Using quantum

to

severe diseases in people.

Donegan added.

Cloning the virus unlocks scientists

microcephaly

and

Guillain-Barre

Five fragments spanning the complete

registered a shift in the flow of photons

viral genome were individually cloned

caused by quantum effects.

and assembled into the full-length clone

The

researchers

described

of the Zika virus.

their

discovery in a paper published this week

The

infectious

complementary

DNA

(cDNA) clone allows researchers to make

in the journal Science Advances.

Zika virus from test tube and cells on

Worlds

15

first

Zika virus clone

petri dishes.

developed

developed

infected

have

Zika virus

the

mouse

that
mice

the

model

to

cloned

virus

gave

them

and

neurological disease.

genetically
engineered

Zika

demonstrate

Scientists

The researchers then used the UTMB-

Furthermore, the team engineered a

clone of the Zika

luciferase reporter Zika virus. Luciferase

virus strain, an

is the chemical in fireflies that gives

advance

them their signature glow.

may

aid

that
the

The glowing reporter virus could be

development of vaccine and therapies against

used for antiviral drug screening and to

the infection which has been linked to serious

track Zika virus infection in mosquitoes

birth defects.

and small animal models.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

112

There are a number of possible factors

that may account for the current Zika

which is expected to take 10-15 years.

virus epidemic that can now be tested

with the UTMB clone.

ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar said that it

For instance, the Zika virus may have

is essentially an attempt bring down the

evolved in a way that enhances mosquito

cost of making infrastructure for space.

The RLV is a mechanism to bring

much more quickly.

down the cost of launch. We intend

This idea could be tested by comparing

to go through a series of technology

how infectious the original Zika strains

demonstration exercises, the first one

are to mosquitoes with current strains,

of which we call HEX-01, that is a

followed by manipulating the clone to

hypersonic experiment. It is called a

test the effects of recent mutations on

winged body, Kumar said.

mosquito transmission.

crores in the project.

transmission, leading to it spreading

The government has invested Rs 95

This is the first of a series of experiments

The study was published in the journal

and India still have a long way to go

Cell Host and Microbe.

till it reach the actual RLV, which will

give a tremendous capacity in terms of

ISRO

16

launches

Indias

launching at a very low cost.

first

reusable

space

India lauded for

17

shuttle

The

ISRO

ISRO

Medicines

with

the

Red

Line

campaign

on

successfully

antibiotics

launched the first

Made

The

term

Medicines

with

in

India

space shuttle

the Red campaign

It is called the Reusable Launch Vehicle.

It was launched early on 23rd May

was
by

appreciated
the

morning from Sriharikota in Andhra

Review on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Pradesh.

Global

The review was commissioned by the UK

The test launch is important because

Prime Minister David Cameron in 2014

in 2011, the U.S.s Nasa abandoned its

and chaired by economist Jim ONeil.

reusable space shuttle project

Red Line campaign

As per the review, India led the way so

The RLV-TD is described as a very

far with its idea of a Red Line Campaign

preliminary step in the development of

for antibiotics packaging.

a reusable rocket, the final version of

It has several key messages - learn how

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113

to identify prescription drugs; curb self

aims at using oxygen present in the

medication; and become more aware of

atmosphere up to 50 km from the earths

the dangers of misusing antibiotics.

surface to burn the fuel stored in the

The campaign was named so as it was

rocket.

mandated that all prescription only

The

new

propulsion

system,

once

drugs should be marked with a vertical

mastered, would complement ISROs

red line on the pack.

aim to develop a reusable launch vehicle

The packs with red lines should be

that would have longer flight duration.

consumed only on doctors advice and

The Dual Mode Ramjet (DMRJ), the

the patients need to complete full course

ramjet-scramjet

as prescribed by the doctor.

currently under development, which

The campaign was launched by the

will operate during the crucial Mach 3

Union Ministry of Health and Family

to Mach 9 ascend flight of the launch

Welfare in February 2016.

vehicle.

The launch of the campaign became

combination,

is

ISRO is now evolving and testing various

inevitable due to growing misuse of

technologies to bring down the cost of

antibiotics across the country.

launch vehicles.

ISRO

18

to

The national space agency has earlier

test

developed rockets that can send multiple

rocket that takes

satellites in a single mission.

its fuel from air

19

After successfully
testing

to

launch
1st

worlds
Quantum

reusable

launch

satellite

vehicle,

Indian

Space
ISRO

China

Research

China

will

Organisation

launch

(ISRO) is planning

experimental

to test an air-breathing propulsion system,

Quantum satellite

which aims to capitalise on the oxygen in the

atmosphere instead of liquefied oxygen while

its

first

quantum
communication
satellite in July.

in flight.

Generally, vehicles that are used to

launch satellites use combustion of

communications

cannot

be

intercepted.

propellants with oxidizer and fuel.

Its

It will be the first quantum communication

through a satellite in the world.

The air-breathing propulsion system

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Quantum communication boasts ultra-

114

high security as a quantum photon can

neither be separated nor duplicated.

It

is

hence

intercept

or

impossible

to

crack

information

the

wiretap,

transmitted through it.

The CASs project includes launch of

a satellite and building of four ground
stations for quantum communication

The

Administration

to develop and manufacture the first

able to establish quantum optical links

successfully expanded and pressurized.

It will be attached to the ISS for a twoyear test and is the first such habitat to
hold humans in orbit.

weight and also takes minimal space. It

creates place for astronauts to live and

Chinese scientists have taken five years

quantum satellite.

work.

The

20

Aeronautics
and

volume when fully expanded.

National
Space

It is 4 metres long and 3.2 metres in

diameter with 16 cubic metres of interior

It will be transported to Jiuquan Satellite

Launch Centre in June, CAS said.

It is made up of aluminium and soft

fabric which expands in space. It is light

thousands of kilometers apart.

to develop and manufacture the first

The inflatable room BEAM has been built

by Nevada Company Bigelow Aerospace.

simultaneously with two ground bases

The experimental inflatable room dubbed

Module) was deployed after it was

It will be transported to Jiuquan Satellite

Upon completion, the satellite will be

Its 2 year orbital test is intended to

pave the way towards the use of such
habitable rooms for long space trips,
including to Mars and Moon.

Administration
(NASA)

has

successfully
deployed the first
experimental
inflatable
NASA

successfully

as BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity

Launch Centre in June.

has

Space

(ISS).

quantum satellite.

(NASA)

and

attached to the International Space Station

experiment station.
Chinese scientists have taken five years

Aeronautics

deployed the first experimental inflatable room

and one space quantum teleportation

National

room

attached to the
International

Space Station (ISS)

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Fossils of oldest

21

multi-cellular
organism found

The researchers,
writing

in

journal

the

Nature

Communications,
said
Multi-cellular

they

had

uncovered fossils
showing

that

complex life on Earth began more than 1.5bn

years ago.

After first emerging from the primordial

soup, life remained primitive and singlecelled for billions of years, but some of
those cells eventually congregated like
clones in a colony.

Scientists took to calling the later part of

this period the boring billion because
evolution seemed to have stalled.

Previously, eukaryotes of comparable

size had not been known to appear in
the fossil record until about 600m years
ago, when a multitude of soft-bodied
creatures inhabited the worlds oceans.

Their very existence 1.56bn years ago

would mean that oxygen levels were
sufficiently high to allow for such large
organisms to subsist.

Antcliffe suggested the fossils were

more likely corresponded to colonies
of bacterial cells, rather than a single
complex organism.

Truly multicellular creatures display

three-dimensional form in which only
some cells are in direct contact with the

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

environment.

116

PROMINENT RECORD
smoke-free state in India, and in 2014

Kohima

In

Nagaland
becomes

BSF

tallest

City

flag.

April

capital

(BSF)

Kohima
declared

Unveil Tallest

announced
plans

It can be seen both from Lahore as well

as Amritsar.

The current record is held by the

It was organized by the District Tobacco

flag on top of a 293-feet-high mast in

Control Cell (DTCC) and Department of

Jharkhands Ranchi.

Apart from that various new high altitude

flags have been put across the nation.

As part of the campaign, the students

one such flag is also situated in New

tobacco kills us, Smoking is Paying

Delhi central park which is now a great

Someone to Kill You and Say No to

tourist attracttion

Tobacco and Yes to Life.

They

also

shouted

slogans

Make

Kohima, Smoke Free City and Breathe

Such initiatives raise the patriotism and

respect for the country into the hearts of
people.

Healthy, Live Happy.

Chandigarh

was

declared

the

first

smoke-free city in 2007.

Kottayam in Kerala and Shimla also
came into this list.

350-feet-high

A campaign was initiated by the students

held placards, some of which read

unveil

the Attari-Wagah border by January 2017.

Health and Family Welfare.

to

Deputy Commissioner Rovilato Mor.

smoking.

has

national flag, the tallest in the country, near

awareness about the harmful effects of

Force

Announcement has been done by the

of 22 educational institutes, to raise

Border

Security

national

Nagalands
was

Unveil

The

29

smoke-free.

To

Smoke-Free

On
Smoke-Free City

Himachal Pradesh became the second.

In 2010, Sikkim was declared the first

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117

Renewable

attractiveness

energy

40 markets on the attractiveness of

country

index

(RECAI)

ranks

attractiveness

their renewable energy investment and

index

2016

deployment opportunities.

released:

India

Placed

at

The ranking is given based on a number

3rd

of macro, energy market and technology-

Position.

specific indicators.

Global
Index 2016 released

organization
EY on 10 May

Punjab

gets

worlds

largest

rooftop

solar

2016 released the Renewable energy country

plant

attractiveness index 2016.

Worlds

largest

The report reveals 40 countries on the

Single

attractiveness

energy

Solar

Power

opportunities

Plant

with

investment

of

and

their

renewable

deployment

Solar plant

based on a number of indicators.

capacity
MegaWatt

Rooftop

of11.5
(MW)

The emerging markets now represent

was inaugurated at Dera Baba Jaimal Singhat

half of the countries in the 40-strong

Beas, in Amritsar, Punjab.

index, including four African markets

featuring in the top 30.

Index was topped by the United States

Minister Prakash Singh Badal on 18

(US) and was followed by China at 2nd

May 2016.

position and India at 3rd position.

spread over 82 acres of rooftop in single

Brazil at 6th position and Mexico at 7th

campus on multiple roofs with installed

position climbed higher in the index top

capacity of 19.5 MW.

The project will generate clean and green

respectively.

energy sufficient to power approximately

Argentina was the highest-scoring new

8000 homes.

entrant in the index. The transformation

The plant has been set up with the cost

of 139 crore rupees.

While Germany and France fell in

the ranking to 5th and 8th position

This is the largest Solar Power Plant

Countries like Chile at 4th position,

10.

It was inaugurated by Punjab Chief

This solar power project at Dera Beas

of the countrys economy brought it into

will help in abating about 4lakh tonnes

the index in 18th position.

of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in next 25 years

The

Renewable

energy

country

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

This is equivalent to plant nearly 2 lakh

118

trees.

wavelengths. The new result, however,

Considering the fact that pollution level

was achieved using normal sunlight

and global temperature has gone up -----

with no concentrators.

-------- like anything, any such initiative

is quite commendable.

Malyaysian

women

weave

Australian

worlds

longest

engineers

Rug

set

solar

cell

efficiency world

The

record

created

symbol

Engineers

culture

from

the University of

Malyaysian women

UNSW

(UNSW)

have

set a new world

was
as

of

a
local
and

tradition, as the
Kayan

New South Wales

rug

people

from Borneo are well known for being skilled

rattan mat weavers.

record for solar efficiency, converting sunlight

to electricity at a rate of about two-thirds the

theoretical limit.

organisation called Peng Doh Belaga.

The entire rug was expertly hand-woven

The new world record for unfocused

by women from all over Malaysia, before

sunlight saw the engineers achieve a

the individual pieces were gathered and

conversion rate of 34.5 per cent.

joined together.

This marks nearly a 50 per cent leap

Guinness World Records adjudicator

on the previous record of 24 per cent

Rishi Nath confirmed that the enormous

efficiency, set by Alta Devices of the

mat had broken the previous record -

United States,

a 797.51 m long rug manufactured in

For

the

new

record,

the

Sweden in 2010.

UNSW

researchers used a 28-cm2 four-junction

It was organised by a local womens

The women began constructing the rug

mini-module embedded in a prism

in January this year, and over the past

he result was obtained by the same

five months they have been filmed for a

UNSW team that set a world record in

documentary called Mat Weavers Tale.

2014, achieving an electricity conversion

The film follows their record-breaking

rate of over 40% by using mirrors to

journey and celebrates the regions

concentrate the light a technique known

heritage of mat weaving.

as CPV (concentrator photovoltaics)

and then similarly splitting out various
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119

Worlds

largest

cruise

ship

Harmony

6,000 people and has facilities including

the seas starts

its waterslides, an Ampitheatre, and

Maiden voyage

high-street restaurants.

The
largest
which

The Royal Caribbean ship has capacity for

of

Maiden voyage

is

Harmony of the Seas, which cost almost

worlds

800million to build and weigh 227,000

ship

tonnes. sailed past the Isle of Wight last

330ft

night on its way to the Netherlands on

the four-night cruise

longer than the

infamous Titanic

The ship was carried out of the port by

today set sail from Southampton on its

several tugs which had to turn the huge

maiden voyage to Rotterdam.

vessel and guide it out to the open sea.

Harmony of the Seas, which cost almost

Theres no passengers on board but the

800million to build and weigh 227,000

ship which is nearly 330 foot longer

tonnes.

than Titanic, has around 500 crew as its

The huge ship, which it is claimed burns

continues its sea trial until Sunday.

1,147 gallons of fuel an hour - equivalent

to 376million cars - will return later this
week before heading off to Cherbourg for
a three-night cruise, then to Barcelona
later this month.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

120

INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONSHIP
1

India, Papua New

Council of Agricultural Research and

Guinea

PNG University of Technology, Lae,

signed

four agreements

On

Papua New Guinea.

29

Papua is one of the most culturally

April

diverse countries in the world.

2016 India and

852 languages are spoken in country

Papua

Over 7 million people lives in customary

Guinea

New
signed

communities, which are as diverse as

four agreements/
MoUs

Papua New Guinea

the languages.

Only 18 percent of its people live in

urban centres.

These agreements have been done to boost the

It is one of the worlds least explored

bilateral relations.

nations, culturally and geographically.

These MoUs were inked during the two-day

India,

visit (28 to 29 April 2016) of President Pranab

New

Zealand

Mukhrejee to Papua New Guinea.

Air

signed
Services

Agreement.
This visit was the first ever presidential visit

from India to Papua New Guinea.

On 1 May 2016
India

Zealand

Health and Family Welfare and the

an

Ministry of Health and HIV/AIDS of

Air Services

Papua New Guinea has been signed

and

MoU between the Union Ministry of

MoU for a USD 100 Million Credit

Air

New
signed

Services

Agreement which
will

introduce

direct flights between the two countries.

Line was signed for development of

infrastructure

in

the

island-nation

The agreement was signed in the presence

between the Government of Papua New

of the President Pranab Mukherjee and

Guinea and the Export Import Bank of

the New Zealand Prime Minister John

India.

Key.

MoU for cooperation in agricultural

research was signed between the Indian

Mukherjee was on an official tour to

Papua New Guinea (April 28-29, 2016)
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121

and New Zealand (April 30 to May 2,

Bank of UAE will consider signing a

2016).

The

agreement

connectivity

will

that

lead

has

to

halted

bilateral Currency Swap Agreement on

easier
both

business travel and people-to-people

mutually agreed terms and conditions.

The MoU will help to further strengthen

the close economic cooperation and

contact in the past.

Business,

Education

and

Tourism

sector has boomed between India and

relationship between India and UAE.

A currency swap involves exchange of

principal and interest in one currency

New Zealand in recent years.

There are nearly 175000 Indians in

New Zealand of which about 15000 are
Indian students.

The two-way trade has doubled between

for the same in another currency.

It is considered to be a foreign exchange

transaction.

Reserve Bank of India is Indias central

banking institution, which controls the

the two countries in the last few years.

monetary policy of the Indian rupee.

The two-way tourist traffic has also

It commenced its operations on 1

witnessed rise

April 1935 during the British Rule in

accordance with the provisions of the

India-UAE

currency

Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

swap

agreement

The

Inter-gover-

Approved

nmental
agreement

Union

between

Cabinet gave its

and Mauritius

approval for the

MoU
India-UAE

between

The

Reserve Bank of

Cabinet

India (RBI) and

India and Mauritius

on co-operation concerning currency swap

approved

The Agreement was signed in February,

2016 during the official visit of Crown
Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed
Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India.

The MoU commits that RBI and Central

Union
chaired

by Prime Minister

Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE)

agreement.

India

to

sign

the

Narendra

Modi

on 12 May 2016
inter-governmental

agreement between India and Mauritius.

This is based on cooperation in cooperatives
and related fields.

The agreement between the two countries

will be for duration of five years.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

122

It provides for promoting cooperation

through

short

and

medium

term

programmes.

Both countries also signed a protocol on

evasion.

The protocol was signed by Indian

ambassador

taxation that amend the convention for

Slovenia.

This agreement will widen the scope of

the existing framework of exchange of

A joint meeting was held on September

2012 in Department of Agriculture,
Cooperation & Farmers Welfare followed

tax related information.

The framework is likely to help curb tax

evasion and tax avoidance between the

by Ministerial level meeting after a year

in September, 2013.

It was discussed for the possibility

of signing an MoU between the two
countries for exchange of legislation
governing

cooperatives,

exchange

two countries.

It will also enable mutual assistance in

collection of taxes.

Slovenia, formerly a part of erstwhile

Yugoslavia, attained Independence in

of

1991. India recognized Slovenia on 11

information and technicalities pertaining

to the cooperative sector, establishment
of institutional linkages and deputation

May 1992.

Soon after recognition, the then Foreign

Minister of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel

of experts under ITEC programme.

India

visited India on 18 May 1992.

and

Slovenia opened its resident mission

in New Delhi on 1 August 2002. While,

Slovenia
sign

India opened its resident Mission in

Protocol

Ljubljana in February 2007.

amending
India-Slovenia
Double Taxation

Avoidance

Oman

signed

on

defence

cooperation

India and Central

European country

Slovenia signed a protocol in second week

India and Oman

on May 2016 to amend an existing double

taxation avoidance treaty in Ljubljana. This

India,

Agreements

Convention
Double Taxation

Sarvajit

Minister Dusan Mramor on behalf of

prevention of fiscal evasion with respect

10 May 2016.

Slovenia

Chakravarti, and Slovenian Finance

the avoidance of double taxation and the

to taxes on income and capital gains on

to

India, Oman

new agreement will curb tax avoidance and tax

on
2016

22

May

signed

Memorandums of
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123

Understanding in Muscat. They were signed

during the visit of Indian Defence Minister
Manohar Parrikar to Oman.

Naseem Al Bahr.

The Indian Navy has berthing rights in

Oman and has been utilizing Omans

MOU on Defence Cooperation between

ports as bases for conducting anti-

the Ministry of Defence of Sultanate of

piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.

Oman and Ministry of Defence of India

MOU between the Royal Oman Police

India

(Coast Guard) and the Indian Coast

Guard in the field of Marine Crime
Prevention at Sea

MOU

between

the

Government

of

Protocol between the Government of the

Linked by Highway

of India represented by the Indian Air

Safety

information

Exchange

Defence cooperation with Oman is of

protocol

was

signed

conducted Exercise Eastern Bridge in

Since 1993, navies of both the countries
have been conducting joint exercises The most recent exercise was conducted
in the Arabian Sea off Goa coast in

travel

time

Nyenaung

and

between
Kawkareik

will be reduced from three hours to 45

minutes.

The construction of the Asian highway

section

started

in

2012

with

the

assistance of Thailand.

The Asian highway runs from Moreh in

India to Thailands Maesot via Myanmars

Naseem Al Bahr.

service.

With the 25.6-km-long section becoming

Thinggan

2009 in Oman and in 2011 in India.

has been put into

Myanmar Vice President U Nyan Tun,

operational,

in

1972, and the two air forces together

Thailand

reported.

first between India and an Arab country.

military

Myanmar

the service on 22nd May 2016, Xinhua

Bilateral relation between Indian and

linking

Po attended an inaugural ceremony of

friendship, Navigation and Commerce, a

highway

National Union General Saw Mutu Sae

Persian Gulf.

signing of a 1953 Indo-Oman Treaty of

Asian

Jatusripitak and Chairman of the Kayin

strategic location at the mouth of the

Oman were formally established with

The

Thai Deputy Prime Minister Somkid

importance for India due to Omans

by

linked

and

Air Force of Oman and the Government

Flight

be

India,

Sultanate of Oman represented by Royal

on

to

Maritime Issues

Force

,Myanmar
Highway

the Sultanate of Oman and India on

,Thailand

Tamu, Mandalay and Myawaddy.

January 2016. It was the 10th edition

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

The section, also part of the East-West

economic corridor of the Greater Mekong
Subregion, will not only enhance trade

124

is complementary to the agreement

between Myanmar and Thailand, but

on Trilateral Transit and Transport

also contribute to better links among

people in the region.

A cornerstone laying ceremony was

Corridor.

Under the agreement, India will develop

the Chabahar port in Iran at an estimated

also held at Myawaddy on Sunday for

the

building

of

cost of 150 million US dollars.

Myanmar-Thailand

Friendship Bridge No.2 to link Thailands

India

transport

corridor pact
On 23 May 2016
Iran

signed

research and innovation capabilities of the

the

MoU with Horticulture Innovation Australia for

and Transport Corridor.

agreement

in biotechnology.

Indian biotech industry, BIRAC, a PSU under

on
India Iran Afghanistan agreement
Trilateral Transit

The

development (R&D) capabilities

and

Afghanistan

(MoU) to enhance research and

Seeking to stimulate and enhance the strategic

India,

the Ministry of Science and Technology signed

launching a joint funding call.

was

signed

in

and the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

facilitate seamless transport of goods

Besides, India and Iran also signed

an agreement for the development of
the Chabahar port. This agreement

The

event

was

presided

over

by

Harinder Sidhu and Vijay Raghavan.

Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort

Innovation) is a not-for-profit, growerowned Research and Development and
marketing

located in the South East of Iran.

economic development.

to

Australian High Commissioner to India

the Chabahar port that is strategically

down cargo tariffs and boost regional

order

productivity.

between India and Afghanistan via

This agreement is expected to bring

in

plant biotechnology to improve crop

in Tehran.
The purpose of the agreement is to

research

develop and deploy modern tools of

the

Modi, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran

The focus of the call is to undertake

horticultural

presence of Prime Minister Narendra

Memorandum of Understanding

Iran

Afghanistan
sign

India and Australia have signed a

Maesot with Myanmars Myawaddy.

company

for

Australias

horticulture industry.

It works collaboratively with industry,

the Australian government and the
nations leading research institutions to
deliver ground-breaking advancements
in areas such as agri-technology, pest
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management, and trade and industry

promotion.

Biotechnology

is

the

use

of

living

systems and organisms to develop or

make products, or any technological
application that uses biological systems,
living organisms or derivatives thereof,
to make or modify products or processes
for specific use (UN Convention on
Biological Diversity, Art. 2).

Depending on the tools and applications,

it often overlaps with the (related) fields of
bioengineering, biomedical engineering,
bio-manufacturing, etc.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

126

LEGAL UPDATE
Lok

Sabha

Laws said that quality of forest cover

the

has declined between 1951 and 2014,

passed

Compensatory

with

Afforestation

afforestation plantations being one of

Fund Bill, 2015

the reasons behind the decline.

Sabha

passed
Lok Sabha

quality

On 3 May 2016
Lok

poor

of

compensatory

Supreme

Court

asked

Delhi

Government not

the

Compensatory

to register New

Afforestation

Diesel Cars

Fund bill, 2015.

On 10 May 2016
The

It is intended to establish setting up of a

National Compensatory Afforestation Fund

New Diesel Cars

and also a State Compensatory Afforestation

Supreme

Court asked the

Delhi Government
to not register the

Fund.
new diesel cars.

The

Bill

establishes

the

National

Compensatory Afforestation Fund under

ban on diesel taxis in Delhi-NCR from 1

Compensatory Afforestation Fund under

May 2016

(a) compensatory afforestation, (b) net

the national capital till the expiry of

present value of forest (NPV), and (c)

their permit.

The permits which are issued for a

These Funds will be primarily spent on

period of five years, however, will not be

afforestation to compensate for loss of

renewed after expiry.

It further underlined that diesel taxis

will eventually have to go off the roads

The Bill establishes the National and

State Compensatory Afforestation Fund

It allowed the existing All India Tourist

Permit (AITP) diesel taxis to operate in

forest cover

These Funds will receive payments for:

other project specific payments.

It relaxed its April 30 order of imposing

the Public Account of India, and a State

the Public Account of each state.

It is likely to free up more than 60000

Management and Planning Authorities

taxis, which had to go off roads since

to manage the National and State Funds.

they had not switched to CNG.

A High Level Committee on Environment

The
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court-mandated

stipulation

127

regarding

fare

compliance

with

It said that defaming a person amounts

government norms may affect surge

to offence against society and the

pricing used by taxi aggregators, which

government

the Delhi government had sought to stop

case against a person under criminal

during odd-even phase 2.

defamation law.

Supreme

is

entitled

to

lodge

The bench in its 268-page verdict

Court

dismissed apprehensions and said that

upholds validity

criminal defamation may have a chilling

of

effect on the freedom to circulate ones

Criminal

Defamation Law

independent view.

On 13 May 2016
The
Criminal Defamation

Besides, the petitioners who are facing

Supreme

criminal defamation trial were given

Court agreed with

eight weeks time to approach the High

constitutional

Courts concerned under Article 226

validity
penal

of
laws

and Section 482 of the Cr.

on

defamation.

Union Cabinet approves National

Intellectual

The two-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misra

Policy.

Property

Rights

and Justice Prafulla C Pant said the right

to life under Article 21 includes the right to

On 12 May 2016 The Union Cabinet approved

reputation.

the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

Policy that will lay the future roadmap for

It

said

that

the

current

criminal

intellectual property in India.

defamation law is constitutionally valid.

It held that criminalization of defamation

The National Intellectual Property Rights

to protect individual dignity of life and

(IPR) Policy will endeavor for a Creative India;

reputation is a reasonable restriction on

Innovative India

the fundamental right of free speech and

expression.

The National IPR Policy is a vision

The court said that Sections 499 and

document that aims to create and

500 of the Indian Penal Code make

exploit synergies between all forms of

defamation a criminal offence.

intellectual

The bench said that the freedom of

statutes and agencies.

right to speech and expression does not

It

sets

in

property
place

(IP),
an

confer any right to a person to trample

mechanism

the reputation of others.

monitoring and review.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

for

concerned
institutional

implementation,

128

It aims to incorporate and adapt global

Bhuyan, iv) Dhanuhar / Dhanuwar, v)

best practices to the Indian scenario.

Kisan

This policy shall weave in the strengths

vi) Saunra, Saonra, vii) Dhangad

of

Jharkhand - viii) Bhogta, Deshwari,

the

Government,

research

and

development organizations, educational

Ganjhu,

institutions,

Patbandi, Raut, Maajhia, Khairi (Kheri),

corporate

entities

Tripura - xii) Darlong

Puducherry - xiii) Irular (including Villi

well-established

TRIPS-compliant

and Vettaikaran)

framework to safeguard IPRs.

communities in the Union Territory of

thereby, promote entrepreneurship and

Puducherry.

After the Bill becomes an Act, members

development

of the communities included in the list

Focus on enhancing access to healthcare,

of Scheduled Tribes will be able to derive

food

benefits meant for Scheduled Tribes

security

and

environmental

under the existing schemes.

protection, among other sectors of vital

social,

economic

and

technological

Further,

existing

entries

in

list

of

Scheduled Castes (SCs) in case of

importance.

Besides, it also seeks to identify new

Foster creativity and innovation and

enhance socio-economic and cultural

Kurivikkaran

The Policy recognizes that India has

legislative, administrative and judicial

Tamil Nadu - x) Malayali Gounder, xi)

Narikoravan,

innovation-conducive environment.

(Dwalbandi),

ix) Puran

including MSMEs, start-ups and other

stakeholders in the creation of an

Dautalbandi

Union Cabinet gives approval to

Jharkhand and Other Backward Classes

Amendments in Constitution ST

(OBCs) /Most Backward Classes (MBCs)

Order, 1950

of Central /State lists would be modified.

Under Article 342 of the Constitution of

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister

India certain privileges/concessions to

Narendra Modi on 25 May 2016 gave the ex-

the members of Scheduled Tribes has

post facto approval to the amendments in the

been provided.

Constitution (Schedule Tribes) Order, 1950.

As per the approved Modalities of June

1999, later modified in June 2002, any

The approval was given to modify the

proposal

list of Scheduled Tribes in respect of five

the concerned State Government/UT

States, namely, Assam, Chhattisgarh,

Administration shall be in concurrence

Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura

with the both the Registrar General

Assam - i) Boro, Boro Kachari,

Bodo,

for

inclusion/exclusion

by

of India (RGI) as well as the National

Bodo Kachari, ii) Karbi (Mikir)

Commission

Chhattisgarh - iii) Bhuinya, Bhuiyan,

(NCST).
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Scheduled

Tribes

129

dAYS AND DATE

1

International
Labour

Day

National

Technology

Day

observed on May 11

celebrated.

1st

On 11 May 2016 National Technology Day was

May

is

celebrated across India.

International
Labour
known

as

May

Pranab Mukherjee in Vigyan Bhawan in

celebrations

of

the

enablers of Startup India.

The day commemorates the anniversary

The whole world celebrates 1st May

of first of the five tests of Operation

every year as International Labour Day

Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test which

to highlight the significance of hard work

was held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran,

and the result we get through it.

Rajasthan.

This is also known as International

National Technology Day is a very special

day for Indian Technology since 1999.

80 countries across the world have

It is so significant because India achieved

declared national holiday on this day.

a huge technological advancement on

The first demand for an eight hour

the day. The first, indigenous aircraft

working

Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore

day

and

better

working

on this day.

India also performed successful test

On the first of May in 1886, four

firing of the Trishul missile on the same

striking workers of a harvesting plant

day. India also executed three successful

at Haymarket in Chicago were killed in

nuclear tests, carried out at Pokhran, in

police firing.

Rajasthan May 11.

It was protested all over and ever since,

first of May is observed as workers day.

for

of 2016 is Celebrating the international

19th century.

theme

Technology Day 2016 is Technology

conditions gained momentum in early

The

The theme of International Labour Day

Workers Day and May Day.

The function was headed by the President

New Delhi.

labour movement.

Day.

Labour Day

Day,

Labour is one of the four key factors of

production along with Land, Capital and
organisation.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

130

May

21

observed as Anti

Anti Terrosism Day

Menstrual

hygiene

day

Terrosism Day

observed on 28

May

Anti-Terrorism

Day

Menstrual

observed

Across India on

Hygiene means all

21 May 2016. The

of the ways that

day is celebrated

you manage your

as

Menstrual Hygiene

Death

Anniversary

monthly

from the products

of

former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi.

cycle:

you use, to the way you clean them, to how it

impacts your day-to-day life.

Every

Year

Union

Home

Ministry

administers the Anti-Terror pledge to

It is rather a lack of knowledge and the

Government employees.

ability to access sanitary products can

The staff of the Northeast Frontier

have serious negative consequences for

Railway

some menstruating people.

Construction

Organisation

observed Anti Terrorism Day by pledging

Menstruation affects about half of the

to work for promoting peace.

worlds population; yet in many parts

The objective behind the observance of

of the world, the stigma and shame, as

Anti-Terrorism Day is to wean away the

well as lack of sanitation and education

people from terrorism and violence.

around

The

impacts the lives of millions of women

Day

is

observed

to

generate

negatively

and girls.

awareness in the country among all

sections of people, about the danger of

menstruation,

Menstrual Hygiene Day is an effort to

terrorism and violence and its effect on

raise awareness of these barriers to

the people, society and the country as a

menstruation.

whole.

Menstrual

Hygiene

Day,

day

dedicated to building awareness about

the

importance

of

good

menstrual

hygiene and the taboos surrounding

menstruation, is observed on May 28th.

Menstrual hygiene day is an annual

awareness day, on 28 May, that aims
to break taboos and raise awareness
about the importance of good menstrual
hygiene management for women and
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131

adolescent girls worldwide.

Peacekeepers was so designated by

It was initiated by the German-based

United

NGO WASH United in 2014.

Resolution 57/129, on 11 December

Nations

General

Assembly

2002.

International
Day

of

It

United

was

designated

after

an

official

request of the Ukrainian Peacekeepers

Nations

Association and the Government of

Peacekeepers

Ukraine to the UN General Assembly.

2016

observed

The day was first celebrated in 2003.

theme

The date, May 29, marks the anniversary

with
honouring

United Nations

Our

of the creation of the United Nations

Heroes

Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

in 1948 to monitor the ceasefire after

The International

the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which was

Day

the first ever UN peacekeeping mission.

of

United

Nations Peacekeepers 2016 was observed on

29 May 2016 with the theme Honouring Our

Heroes.

31 May- World
No Tobacco Day

The day offers a chance to pay tribute to

the Blue Helmets invaluable contribution

People,

to the work of the Organization and to

governmental

honour more than 3400 peacekeepers

organizations

who have lost their lives serving under

and governments

the UN flag since 1948, including 128 in

unite

No Tobacco Day

2015.

World

No Tobacco Day
to draw attention

Administration (UNPA) also issued a set

to the health problems that tobacco use

of six new stamps for the occasion.

can cause. It is held on May 31 each

Honour

the

memory

of

the

UN

year.

in the cause of peace.

Hand saying no thanks to a packages of

cigarettes offered

Pay tribute to all the men and women

World No Tobacco Day focuses on

who have served and continue to serve

informing people about health problems

in UN peacekeeping operations for their

associated with tobacco use.

high level of professionalism, dedication

on

On the other hand, the UN Postal

peacekeepers who have lost their lives

non-

World No Tobacco Day is a day for

and courage.

people, non-governmental organizations

The International Day of United Nations

and

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

governments

organize

various

132

activities to make people aware of the

health problems that tobacco use can
cause. These activities include:

Public marches and demonstrations,

often with vivid banners.

Advertising campaigns and educational

programs.

People going into public places to

The introduction of bans on smoking in

particular places or types of advertising.

Meetings for anti-tobacco campaigners.

Moreover, laws restricting smoking in

particular areas may come into effect
and wide reaching health campaigns
may be launched.

encourage people to stop smoking.

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133

SCHEME AND POLICY

and make it cheaper.

UJALA

will

be

State energy minister Rajendra Shukla

implemented

ingfrmed that after selling the targetted

across

3 crore LED bulbs, Madhya Pradesh

country

by 2019

would order for 7 crore more bulbs.

The

Centres

ambitious
National
UJALA

Unnat

Jyoti

Wildfire:

State

of

Emergency declared by Canada

Government.

LED

programme

Alberta

by

On 5 May 2016 a state of emergency was

LEDs

declared in the city of Fort McMurray due to

for All (UJALA) - will be implemented across

a massive wildfire destroyed several of homes.

Affordable
the country by 2019.

Total of 9 crore LED bulbs were sold in

the country, which means people will

Wind whipped wildfires, which broke

out on 1 May 2016, have destroyed at

electricity bills.

least 1600 homes and forced more than

Almost 77 crore incandescent bulbs

80000 residents to flee.

More than 250 firefighters are battling

which will ensure an annual benefit

the blaze that was actively burning in

of Rs 40,000 crore to the people in

residential areas.

their electricity bills and it will reduce

leave the northern Alberta city.

get the benefit of Rs 5,500 crore in their

will be replaced till 2019 in the country

At least 80000 residents were ordered to

Officials

also

issued

mandatory

dependability on coal.

evacuation orders for the Anzac, Gregoire

The cost of a 9-W LED bulb under the

Lake Estates .

scheme is Rs 85 only.

Alberta is a western province of Canada.

Madhya Pradesh has set a target of

It is Canadas fourth-most populous

switching over to this mode in the next

province and the most populous of

one-and-a-half year.

Canadas three Prairie Provinces.

The worlds largest solar power plant is

Alberta and its neighbor Saskatchewan

coming up in Madhya Pradeshs Rewa

were districts of the Northwest Territories

district.

until they were established as provinces

Govt. is urging people to replace old

on September 1, 1905

lamps with LED bulbs to save power

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

134

Prime

Minister

launched

country.

The scheme is aimed at replacing the

Pradhan

Mantri

unclean cooking fuels mostly used in

Ujjwala

Yojana

the rural India with the clean and more

at Ballia

efficient LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas).

On 1 May 2016

PMUY

Indian

PM

launched

the

Pradhan

Mantri

Ujjwala

Yojana

(PMUY) at Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.

The scheme aims to provide cooking

gas

connections

to

five

crore

BPL

beneficiaries over.

LPG spread predominantly in Urban and

Semi Urban Areas

But the rural poor have limited access to

Clean fuel (LPG).

Use of fossil fuels and conventional fuel

like cow dung are having serious health
implications for women and Children.

According to WHO,5 Lakhs die every

year due to heart disease, pulmonary
diseases etc.

5 crore LPG connections will be provided

to BPL families with 1600 rupees.

Connections will be given in the name of

Women.

EMI Facility for meeting the cost of Stove

and Refill cost.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana is an

ambitious social welfare scheme of
Narendra Modi Government.

Under the PM Ujjwala Yojana, the

government aims to provide free LPG
connections to BPL households in the
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Miscellaneous
passengers annually. It also carried

Indian Railways

1058.81 million tons of freight in the

creates

year.

Fare

NonRevenue

In 20142015, Indian Railways had

Directorate
to

revenues of 1634.50 billion rupees.

explore

advertising

Indian Railways is the worlds seventh

in

train coaches

largest commercial or utility employer

It has over 1.376 million employees as of

last published figures in 2013.

On 4 May 2016
Indian Railways

Indian
(IR)

Saraswat

Railways
announced

Bank

donates

Rs

creation of Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to

crore for drought

carry out advertisements in rail coaches, along

relief

the track and near stations.

Advertisements on coaches, wagons,

The

locomotives and at stations will be

Bank has donated

explored.

of Rs one crore

It will be headed by a senior railway

towards

Saraswat Bank

official.

relief work.

The Bank has donated Rs 50 lakh each

current 5 per cent from the non-tariff

to the Maharashtra Chief Ministers

sources.

Drought Relief Fund, and to the NAAM

Railways were first introduced to India

Foundation, an NGO started by actors

in 1853.

Nana Patekar and Makarand Anaspure,

Indian Railways is an Indian state-

specifically aimed at alleviating the

owned enterprise, owned and operated

impact of drought, a release issued here

by the Government of India.

said.

It is one of the worlds largest railway

Gautam E Thakur, Vice Chairman of

network

the bank handed over a cheque of Rs

It has more than 115000 km of track

50 lakh to Maharashtra Chief Minister

over a route of 65808 km and 7112

Devendra Fadnavis.

stations.

drought

Revenues are estimated to be increased

by 10 per cent to 20 per cent from the

Saraswat

In 2014-15, railway carried 8.397 billion

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

Kishore Rangnekar, Director, handed

over another cheque of Rs 50 lakh

136

to

Nana

Patekar,

Founder,

society has played in securing many

NAAM

of the gains made and the leadership

Foundation.

Saraswat

Bank

is

an

urban

co-

operative banking institution based in

provided by people living with HIV.

The report also calls the shortfalls in

the implementation of the 2011 Political

Maharashtra, India and operating as a

co-operative bank since 1918.

In 1988, the Bank was conferred with

Declaration on HIV and AIDS distressing.

The report draws attention to regions

where new HIV infections are continuing

Scheduled status by Reserve Bank of

India.

The Bank is the first co-operative bank

to rise, such

The report gives strong emphasis to

the links between the response to HIV

to provide Merchant Banking services.

and the success of the Sustainable

The Bank got a permanent license to

deal in foreign exchange in 1978.

Presently

the

correspondent

Bank

is

relationship

having
in

Development Goals (SDGs).

the 909090 treatment target for 2020.

45

countries covering 9 currencies with

over 125 banks. In 1992, the Bank

completed 75 years.

Platinum

Jubilee

Celebrations

were

inaugurated on 14 September 1992 and

the Bank also crossed the business level
of Rs. 700 Crores.

Urgent action needed to end

the AIDS epidemic by 2030: UN

The book titled Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis

and the West in the Struggle for the Middle
East authored by Patrick Cockburn exposes
disastrous Western interventions in West Asia.

report terming Fast-Track stress on to end the

AIDS epidemic .

of the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq,

Libya and Syria

that

the

extraordinary

past 15 years could be lost.

UN through report urges all partners to

of Partition.

ended as a public health threat by 2030.

It also underlines the critical role civil

Patrick Oliver Cockburn is an Irish

journalist.

He has been a Middle East correspondent

since 1979 for the Financial Times and,

ensure that the global AIDS epidemic is

It also presents the authors fear that

dividing the region will repeat the horrors

acceleration of progress made over the

It draws together a careful selection of

Cockburns writings from the frontlines

On 6 May 2016 United Nations released a new

reveals

and the West in the Struggle

It

Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis

how millions of people were killed by a series of

Report.

To reach these goals include reaching

presently, The Independent.

He has written four books on Iraqs

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recent history.

The

India

Handloom

Brand

was

He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in

launched by Honble Prime Minister on

2005

7th August, 2015

He also won The James Cameron Prize

The main objective is to promote the

production of quality products with

in 2006

new designs for winning the trust and

There has always been conspiracy

theories about the war US had in

confidence of customers.

The registration under the brand is

given after stringent testing of samples

middle east. People think it as

in Govt. of India laboratories.

a conspiracy for oil and other

speculations are also there.

Worlds

Government inks MoU with NDTV Ethnic Retail

oldest

stone axe found

Ltd. to popularize India Handloom products

in Australia

On

11

has been signed between The Development

2016

Australian

Commissioner

archaeologists

Memorandum

of

Understanding

(Handlooms),

(MoU)

Ministry

of

May

Textiles, Government of India and NDTV Ethnic

announced

Retail Ltd. for popularizing India Handloom

discovery
Worlds oldest stone

textiles as a fashionable product for youth.

piece

of
of

the

worlds oldest axe.

The three-year MoU was signed on 10th

May, 2016 at Udyog Bhawan.

region of Western Australia.

Government will support the project with

incubation and production support.

thumbnail and dates back to a Stone

an interface where fashion professionals

Age period of 45000 to 49000 years ago.

will be able to accesses facilities such as

It is an axe with a handle attached.

Weavers Service Centres and handloom

Its

The

initiative

antiquity

immediately
will

connect

coincides

follows

the

with

or

arrival

of

humans on the Australian landmass.

fashion

designers with Handloom sector in an

The axe fragment is about the size of a

India Handloom Brand will also provide

clusters.

It was found in the remote Kimberley

New studies of the fragment revealed

organized manner.

that it comes from an axe that had been

Shri Aneesh Nair, Chief Innovation

shaped from basalt then polished by

Officer, NDTV Ethnic Retail Limited was

grinding it on another rock until it was

also present on the occasion of signing

very smooth.

of the MoU.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

The axe fragment was initially excavated

138

in the early 1990s by Professor OConnor

Original Screenplay for The Crying

This type of axe must have been very

Game.

useful for a variety of tasks like chopping

He also won the Silver Bear for Best

down or taking the bark off trees.

Director at the Berlin International Film

Festival for The Butcher Boy.

The

Drowned

Detective by Neil
Jordan unveiled

Musharraf
declared
offender in high

The

treason case

Drowned

Detective

authored
Neil
Neil Jordan

by

Former Pakistan

Jordan

president General

depicts

genre-

defying

story

about

(Retd.)
Musharraf

private

investigator.

Pervez

Musharraf
been
a

has

declared
proclaimed

offender in a high treason case.

Investigator

arrived

in

small

Eastern

European city because he was told about the

The special court, ordered for advertising

opportunities opening up in former Soviet

the verdict in an English and Urdu daily

countries.

each.

The books first few pages are about a

copy of the order outside Musharrafs

wayward minister who cheats on his

residences and before it

wife.

2014 formally charged with treason for

whose name is Jonathan.

imposing emergency and the Provisional

One day, an elderly couple approached

Constitutional Order on November 3,

Jonathan

2007.

to

investigate

the

Pervez Musharraf is a Pakistani politician

Jonathan feels compelled to find the

and a retired four-star army general

daughter as the faded photograph of

who tenured as the tenth President of

the little girl reminds him of his own

Pakistan from 2001 until tendering

daughter.

resignation, to avoid impeachment, in

Neil Patrick Jordan is an Irish film

2008.

director, screenwriter and novelist.

The former military ruler was in March

The minister is tracked by the detective

disappearance of their daughter.

The court, also directed to place the

He won an Academy Award for Best

On 31 March 2014, Musharraf was

booked and charged with high treason
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139

for implementing emergency rule and

suspending the constitution in 2007.

Pervez Musharraf was born on 11 August

dream for the future.

The Seattle International Film Festival

(SIFF),

1943, to an Urdu-speaking family in

He is the son of Syed and Zarin
Musharraf.

His father, Syed Musharraf, graduated

from Aligarh Muslim University, in

festival had 160,000 attendees.

In recent years, the SIFF has run for

more than three weeks (24 days), in May/
June, and features a diverse assortment
of

predominantly

10

edition of Seattle
International

Worlds
Robot

Festival

Hired

2016

documentary
on

girl

By

U.S.

Robot Lawyer

International Film Festival (SIFF), Washington

DC.
Beti is the only short film from India to be
featured amongst 421 films representing
85 countries and will be screened on 30
May 2016, which is Seattle Memorial
Day at the SIFF.
The film was made by young student
The movie is directed by Shivain Arora.

The short film promotes girl child by

worlds

first

artificial

lawyer has been

employed by a law
firm in the U.S.,

which will use the robot to assist its various

teams in legal research.

The robot called ROSS is built upon

Watson, IBMs cognitive computer.

filmmakers of Chandigarh.

The

intelligence

for special screening at the 42nd Seattle

Lawyer

child education from India, has been invited

First

Firm

Beti, a four minute

film

and

strong contingent of documentaries.

invited in 42nd

Film Festival 2016

independent

foreign films and, in recent years, a

non-

fiction short film

Film

Seattle,

Audiences have grown steadily; the 2006

under Government of India.

a

in

top film festivals in North America.

Aligarh, India and was a civil servant

Beti

annually

Washington since 1976, is among the

Delhi.

held

narrating the real life story of three girls

from a government school and their

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

With the support of Watsons cognitive

computing

and

natural

language

processing capabilities, lawyers can ask

ROSS their research question and the
robot reads through the law, gathers
evidence, draws inferences and returns
highly relevant, evidence-based answers.

140

ROSS also monitors the law around

failure in dealing with pandemics.

the clock to notify users of new court

decisions that can affect a case.

This facility addresses a long, collective

The PEF facility launch announcement

ROSS Intelligence, the company that

came few days ahead of the May 26-27

built ROSS, began out of research at the

Summit of Group of Seven Leaders in

University of Toronto in 2014

Ise-Shima, Japan.

Robot culture seems to be very vast and

G7 leaders had urged the World Bank

clear. This is this reason why team is

Group to develop the initiative during

looking forward to it.

their May 2015 summit in Schloss-

11

Elmau, Germany.
The World Bank
has

launched

Pandemic

The World Bank

Japan became the first donor to the PEF

initiative and committed $ 50 million.

Innovative financing for crisis responses

Emergency

by PEF, together with financing for

Finance Facility

preparedness

peacetime, including through IDA, are

and

prevention

in

The

World

important to mitigate human and social

Bank

Group

losses and to help quickly recover in the

has

event of a crisis.

launched

Pandemic
Emergency

Mandatory

12

Finance Facility a new financing mechanism to

quickly mobilize funds to tackle global disease

for

public transport
buses to install

outbreaks and create a new insurance market

emergency

for pandemic risk.

buttons

PEF is expected to bring the much needed

It is going to be

coordination and speed for future global

mandatory

disease outbreak response efforts.

public

Pandemics pose some of the biggest

Public transport

threats in the world to peoples lives

for

transport

buses to install
emergency

and to economies, and for the first time

buttons, CCTV cameras and vehicle tracking

we will have a system that can move

devices

funding and teams of experts to the

commuters, Road Transport and Highways.

to

ensure

the

safety

of

women

sites of outbreaks before they spin out

of control

Government will issue a notification on

Jim Yong Kim is the President of the

June 2, laying down the safety measures

World Bank Group.

to be installed in public transport buses

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141

to 121 from 142 last year, with a market

across the country.

value of USD 50.6 billion and assets

The statement came at an event at

Bikaner House in Delhi where Gadkari
launched 20 such Rajasthan government

worth USD 91.5 billion.

Reliance is followed by State Bank of

India which is ranked 149 and has a

buses.

The 20 Mahila Gaurav Express buses

that would run between Delhi and
Rajasthan are part of a pilot project.

HDFC Bank (275),

Indian Oil (371),

Tata Consultancy Services (385),

NTPC (400),

Bharti Airtel (453),

Axis Bank (484),

Infosys (590),

Bharat Petroleum (650),

Wipro (755,

Tata Steel (1178)

Adani Enterprises (1993)

Coal India (465),

list

Larsen and Toubro (505),

ITC (781),

Mukesh Ambani-

Kotak Mahindra Bank (899),

Mahindra and Mahindra (901) and

HCL Technologies (943).

consequences of confronting harassers.

Only 36% of those surveyed say they
a

co-passenger

being

harassed; 22% others feel its safer to

ignore such regular incidents.

13

are Oil and Natural Gas ranked (220),

Many women are also scared of the

help

56 Indian firms
in

Forbess

worlds

led

2,000

Reliance

Industries

leads

the pack of 56
Worlds 2,000 list

The other Indian companies on the list

ICICI Bank (266),

under the projects ambit.

would

The Rajasthan government plans to

eventually bring over 2,300 more buses

23.3 billion dollar market value.

Indian
Forbess

firms

14

in

annual

International

Agency

for

Development

integrated web portal designed

to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy

US is leading the list with 586 companies.

The 2016 Forbes Global 2000, a snapshot

of the worlds largest companies, shows
the dominance of US and China in the
current global business landscape.

States

(USAID) launched Indias first

list of the worlds 2,000 largest and most

powerful public companies,

United

Reliance improved its ranking this year

Buildings (NZEB) in India.

The

United

States

Agency

for

International Development (USAID) and the

Ministry of Power today launched Indias first
integrated web portal designed to promote and

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

142

LatinAmerica, the Middle East, and

mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB)

Eastern Europe.

in India.

15

The portal (www.nzeb.in (link is external))

was launched by Mr. Pradeep Kumar

as much energy as they use as well as

Maritime Security

how to achieve near-zero energy status

The

United

States

Agency

for

the United States Government agency

is

primarily

responsible

for

administering civilian foreign aid.

USAID from its predecessor agencies

in 1961 by Executive Order. USAIDs
are

authorized

by

the

Congress in the Foreign Assistance

Act, which the Congress supplements
through directions in annual funding
appropriation acts and other legislation.

Although it is technically an independent

under

Secretary of State, and the National

Security Council.
operates

first

round

the
of

the

recently-constituted

Maritime

Security Dialogue. The dialogue was held

between the officials of Defence and External

The Indian side was represented by Shambhu

Kumaran, Joint Secretary in-charge of Planning
and International Cooperation (PIC) and Munu
Mahawar, Ministry of External Affairs Joint

While, David Shear, Assistant Secretary of

Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs;
Manpreet Anand, Deputy Assistant Secretary
of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and
Vice Admiral Aucoin, Commander, US Seventh
Fleet, were the officials from the American side.

in

Africa,

Asia,

Both

the

sides

discussed

various

issues including Asia-Pacific maritime

challenges,

foreign policy guidance of the President,

USAID

held

discussions

agency, USAID operates subject to the

2016

Secretary, Americas (AMS).

President John F. Kennedy created

programs

States

Affairs ministries and their US counterparts.

International Development (USAID) is

which

the

(US) on 16 May

Energy Buildings those that generate

and

United

complete information about Net Zero

design strategies.

Maritime

India

A first of its kind, the portal provides

energy technologies, and best practice

first

Mission Director to India.

equipment, integration of renewable

held

Dialogue

Ambassador Jonathan Addleton, USAID

through the use of efficient lighting and

US

Security

Pujari, Secretary, Ministry of Power, and

India,

naval

cooperation,

and

multilateral engagement.

They also agreed for the white shipping

technical arrangement to improve data
TM

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143

sharing on commercial shipping traffic.

Navy-to-Navy discussion on submarine

safety and anti-submarine warfare was
also undertaken.

The dialogue was one of the several

of a protein responsible for two life-critical

functions:, copying DNA and transcribing it
into RNA

versions of molecules that could be more

new initiatives agreed between Indian

Defence

Minister

Manohar

Parrikar

and his US counterpart Ashton Carter

resistant to viral attacks.

copying, which drastically slowed down

2016.
It was created as a part of the maritime
security objectives under the India-US

the process.

researchers were able to order many

and Indian Ocean Region.

parts of their experiment, but they did

The newly constituted Maritime Security

have to build their own reverse version

Dialogue between India and US is a sign

of the DNA polymerase that coordinates

of the growing relations between our two

copying, which drastically slowed down

countries.

The dialogue comes as India and the US

are cautiously eyeing the rise of China.

the process.

The US wants its regional allies to adopt

a more united stance against China over
the South China Sea, where tension
has spiked since Chinas construction
of artificial islands with facilities for
military use.

create
image

the process financially rewarding, but

biochemical

mirror
of

DNA-

Scientists
at

Tsinghua

University
Beijing

in
have

created a mirrorimage

version
ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

companies

are

already

looking at the lucrative potential for

mirror-image molecules, which could
more efficiently operate inside the body
without being degraded by enzymes
break

molecules.

copying protein

DNA-copying

That will need to speed up to make

that
Researchers

16

Scientists have been making mirror

images of DNA for years, so the Tsinghua

Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific

Have to build their own reverse version

of the DNA polymerase that coordinates

during the latters visit to India in April

Crucial step in someday making reverse-

down

typically-oriented

144

17

US

House

of

the US-India Defence Technology and

Representatives
gave

nod

bolster

to

Trade Initiative (DTTI).

defense

approval is an important milestone in the

ties with India

US-India relations as it addresses one of

on

the tricky issues of defence technology

par

with

NATO

transfer and sale.

The US House

On the bilateral front, the legislative

The legislation will give enough leverage

On 20 May 2016

to the executive branch of the US

The US House of

Government in dealing with India. For

Representatives

India, it encourages the government to

gave its nod to a bipartisan legislation to

authorize enhanced military planning

improve defence ties with India.

with the USA.

The future missions of mutual interest

In this regard, an amendment to the National

will be such as humanitarian assistance

Defence

and disaster relief, counter piracy, and

Authorisation

Act

(NDAA)

was

maritime domain awareness.

approved by the House. The amendment is

dubbed as Enhancing Defence and Security

of

The legislation, once approved by the

Railways

has

Senate and the President, will bring the

decided

countrys bilateral relations with India

undertake

on par with its NATO allies and Israel.

week long RAIL

It seeks to promote greater defence

HAMSAFAR

trade and encourage additional military

SAPTAAH

cooperation between the United States

Ministry of Railways

The legislation is primarily aimed at

to
a

Ministry

of

Railways

has

easing restrictions on sale of defence

decided to undertake a week long RAIL

equipment and technology transfer to

HAMSAFAR SAPTAAH from 26th May to 1st

India.

June, 2016.

It encourages the executive branch to

designate an official to focus on US-

Union

Ministry

and India.

The

18

Co-operation with India.

Each day of the week will focus on a

India defence cooperation.

particular theme and hence the days

It will facilitate the transfer of defence

have been named as

technology and maintain a special office

26th May-Swachchta Diwas,

in the Pentagon dedicated exclusively to

27th May-Satkar Diwas,

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145

28th May-Sewa Diwas,

announced setting up of sixteen national

29th May-Satarkata Diwas,

investment and manufacturing zones

30th May-Saamanjasya Diwas,

(NIMZs) under National Manufacturing

31st May-Sanyojan Diwas and

Policy (NMP).

1st June-Sanchaar Diwas.

Shri Mohd. Jamshed shall be the Nodal

up.

Member.

Minister

of

Railways

Shri

Suresh

the General Managers should personally

Manesar-Bawal

Investment

Region,

Haryana

Prabhakar Prabhu has directed that all

Khushkhera-Bhiwadi-Neemrana
Investment Region, Rajasthan

supervise various activities.

Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Part city near

Aurangabad, Maharashtra

activities as per their programmes.

Ahmedabad-Dholera Investment Region,

Gujarat

CRB and Board Members may also

be visiting and participating in these

Till 2013-14, 16 NIMZs have been set

This practice is being done after a long

Investment

Regioin, Madhya Pradesh

time of regular complaint regarding

features and qualities of railway services.

Pithampur-Dhar-Mhow

Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad

investment

Region, Uttar Pradesh

19

The

Union

Government

has

Dighi Port Industrial Area, Maharashtra

given its final approval to setting

Jodhpur-Pali-Marwar

up of National Investment &

Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in
Kalinganagar,Odisha.

Region

Rajasthan

Nagpur in Maharashtra

Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh

Medak

in

Andhra

Pradesh

Telengana)

The Union Government on 26 May 2016

National

Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh

Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) in

Tumkur in Karnataka

Odisha.

Kolar in Karnataka

Bidar in Karnataka

Gulbarga in Karnataka

approved

establishment

of

For execution of the project, the Union

Ministry of Commerce and Industry has
approved the 4241 crore rupees.

Of this fund, estimated 3816 crore

rupees will be invested for the first phase
of the project which will be completed by
2020.

In

order

to

boost

in

manufacturing

sector, the Union Government in 2014

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

(now

146

20

Facebook

wins

trademark

case

ice with China for years. He met Chinese

in China

President Xi Jinping during his visit to

The Beijing High
Court has ruled

the US last year.

and discussed about innovation during

facebook

the visit.

Facebook
It said that a Chinese company should
face book trademark back in 2014.
The

Zhongshan

Factory

in

Last week, Apple lost an appeal in China

for its iPhone trademark.

not have been allowed to register the

Zuckerberg also met Alibaba Group

Holdingss executive chairman Jack Ma

in favour of the

Facebook has been trying to break the

Pearl

southern

River

A lower court ruled that a Chinese

company Xintong Tiandi can use the
iPhone mark on its leather goods.

Drinks

Guangdong

province had registered the brand name

face book,

It produces food products like potato

chips and canned vegetables.

Twitter, Facebook etc are currently

blocked to nearly 700 million internet
users in China.

But many people are using virtual

private networks (VPNs) to access the
site.

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147

Environment
1

Irans

guidelines.

Zabol

April

most polluted:

hottest

WHO
12

The

World

Last

Health

was

Organisation
(WHO)

in

survey
announced that

New Delhi is no longer the worst polluted city

in the world in terms of air quality.

Hottest April

Delhi

was

the

surveys

of land and sea was 1.11degree celcius

warmer

than

100000

inhabitants do not meet WHO air quality

average

The new record broke the previous one

April. That record itself broke one set

three years earlier at 0.75C above the

98% of cities in low- and middle income

more

the

0.87C above the baseline average for

most impacted.
with

than

by 0.24C, which was set in 2010, at

Populations in low-income cities are the

countries

April

1951-1980.

measurement of 122.

in

temperature for April during the period

particulate matter under 2.5 micrograms

Figures released by Nasa over the

weekend show the global temperature

worst city, measured by the amount of

Delhi had an annual average PM2.5

It makes three months in a row that the

1951-80 mean for that month.

11th

found in every cubic metre of air.

The latest figures smashed the previous

in a row that are at least 1C above the

Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur.

New

globally and the

largest margin ever, and seven months

storms in the summer. Zabol clocked

record

monthly record has been broken by the

The dirtiest air was recorded at Zabol in

The next four cities in the list were

on

ever recorded.

Iran, which suffers from months of dust

hottest

record for April by the largest margin

PM2.5 measure of 217.

the

temperature records.

in the world with the worst air pollution.

April

month

seventh month in a row to have broken global

However, India is home to four of the five cities

April

:NASA

May

2016

WHO

was

ever on Record

On

16

baseline average for April.

ISSUE 5, MAY 2016

The current blast of hot air around the

148

globe is being spurred by a massive El

April and May tend to be the hottest

Nio, which is a release of warm water

months in northwest India, and this

across the Pacific Ocean. But its not

year has been exceptionally so.

the biggest El Nio on record and that

Christopher C. Burt, a weather historian

spike in temperatures is occurring over

at Weather Underground, posited that

a background of rapid global warming,

Aprils heat wave was the most intense

pushing temperatures to all-time highs.

ever observed in Southeast Asia.

The record temperatures were wreaking

In India it lasted for weeks - but the heat

havoc with ecosystems around the world.

never truly dissipated, dragging on into

Theyve triggered the third recorded

May. Hundreds of people have died from

global coral bleaching, and in Australia

heat-related illness.

93% of the reefs have been affected by

Northern India and Nepal have been

bleaching along the 2,300km Great

battling their worst wildfires in years.

Barrier Reef. In the northern parts of the

Officials

reef, its expected the majority of coral is

daytime cooking in an attempt to prevent

dead, and on some reefs over 90% of the

accidental fires that killed nearly 100

coral is dying.

people in late April.

The India Meteorological Department

its

Highest

huge swath of the country on Thursday,

at

which will continue through Saturday.

The department expects temperatures

will remain above average through at

A small city in

least May 27.

India

scored 51 degrees
Celsius

A similar period of extreme heat killed

over 2,500 people in 2015.

on

19th may 2016

afternoon,

and

broke the countrys record for all-time hottest

temperature.
previous

record,

50.6

degrees

Celsius, was set in 1886.

banned

issued a severe heat wave warning for a

northwest

The

occasion

records

51 C

on

India

temperature

Highest temperature

have

The record was broken in Phalodi, which

is just 125 miles away from the city that,
up until this afternoon, claimed fame as
the hottest location in India - Pachpadra.
TM

where career starts

TM

where career starts

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

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