Feb Capsule Eng PDF

GK Digest – February 2016
WHO declares Zika virus outbreak as

International International Emergency
US Air force tested Minuteman missile from
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has
California
declared an international public health
The US InterContinental Ballistic Missile
emergency over the explosive spread of the
Minuteman 3 was launched from
mosquito-borne Zika virus.
Vandenberg Air force Base in California.
The missile blasted off at 34 PM towards
 This is the fourth time the WHO has
west base of Los Angeles.
declared an international public
It carried a re-entry vehicle that can target
health emergency.
4200 Miles away to the Marshall Islands of
Pacific Ocean.
 Zika virus is a mosquito-borne virus
transmitted by Aedes aegypti
World Cancer Day observed on 4th Feb
mosquitoes.
World Cancer Day (WCD) 2016 observed
Sri Lanka lifts unofficial ban on Tamil national
today across the world. The day was anthem on Independence Day
observed with year’s theme – We can. I can.
Lifting an unofficial ban, Sri Lanka’s national
 More than 8.2 million people died in anthem was sung in Tamil at a ceremony in
2012 due to cancer, making it a Colombo to mark the country’s
leading cause of death throughout
the world. www.BankExamsToday.com
independence day, in an effort to achieve
reconciliation with the ethnic minority
community.
India, Afghanistan ink pact for visa-free travel
by envoys
 School children rendered the Sinhala
and Tamil versions of the national
India and Afghanistan have signed an
anthem at a colour ful celebration at
agreement for visa-free travel for
the Galle Face Green park to mark
diplomatic passport holders of the two
countries. the 68th anniversary of Sri
Lanka’s independence from Britain.
 The move, despite opposition from
 This agreement was signed after
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of some quarters, is being seen as an
Afghanistan Government Abdullah effort by the government to reach
Abdullah met Indian Prime Minister out to the Tamil minority after the
Narendra Modi in New Delhi. nearly 26-year war with the
 Both leaders also shared views on Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
further deepening the India- (LTTE) that ended in 2009. About
Afghanistan relationship both in the 100,000 people were killed during
bilateral and regional context and the civil war.
also to reenergised the strategic
partnership between the two
countries.
www.BankExamsToday.com Page 1
UN releases stamps on LGBT issue for first time ambitious One Belt One Road
(OBOR) initiative part of revived Silk
The United Nations Postal Administration Road diplomacy.
(UNPA) had released a set of six dedicatory
stamps on Lesbian Gay Bisexual Japan launches ASTRO-H satellite to study
Transgender (LGBT) issue. This is the first black holes
time the global body’s post office had
released the stamps with an LGBT theme. Japan has successfully launched ASTRO-H
space observation satellite to probe
 Objective :To promote awareness mysterious black holes.
and global education about the
equality of LGBT.  The satellite was launched by H2A
rocket after it had successfully lifted
3rd US-ASEAN summit session begins in off at the Tanegashima Space
California Centre.
 ASTRO-H satellite has been
The summit between leaders from the developed by the Japan Aerospace
Associations of Southeast Asian Nations and Exploration Agency (JAXA) in
The United States has begun in California. cooperation with National
Aeronautics and Space
 The agenda of 2 day meeting Administration (NASA) and others.
includes Maritime security in the  It will orbit earth at an altitude of

South China Sea.
The focus will also be around
www.BankExamsToday.com
about 580 kilometres and observe X-
rays emanating mainly from black
innovation and entrepreneurship. holes and galaxy clusters.
1st Silk Road Train Arrives In Tehran From India And Myanmar Sign Standard Operating
China Procedure On Joint Patrol
The first cargo train to connect Iran and The 4th edition of India-Myanmar
China has arrived in Tehran. Coordinated Patrol (IMCOR) was conducted
jointly by ships of both navies along the
 The train had started its journey International Maritime Boundary Line in the
from China’s eastern Zhejiang Andaman Sea since 2013.Indian Navy ships
province and it took 14 days to Saryu and Bitra along with Union of
reach final destination. Myanmar ships Aung Zeya and FAC 563
 The trains will run between both participated in the patrol.
countries once in every month and
the frequency will be increased if  During the Ceremony of 4th IMCOR,
necessary. the Standard Operating Procedure
 These trains will be run by private (SOP) for IMCOR was also signed
companies using existing routes. between Indian Navy and Myanmar
 It marks the revival the ancient Silk Navy.
Road and gives impetus to China’s
 Cmde Atul Anand VSM from Indian incident prevention, detection and
Navy and Cmde Aung Zaw Hlaing response in both organisations, in
from Myanmar Navy signed the line with their decision making
document in the presence of H.E autonomy and procedures.
Gautam Mukhopadhaya, the
Ambassador of India to Myanmar.
13 February: World Radio Day
India Australia Energy Security Dialogue Held The United Nations Educational, Scientific
At Canberra, Australia and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is
celebrating
To implement the Prime Minister’s vision of World Radio Day on 13 February.
affordable energy for all, Shri Piyush Goyal
Union Minister of State (IC) for Coal, Power  This year, the UNESCO theme for
and New and Renewable had an Energy World Radio Day is “Radio in Times
Security Dialogue with Australian Minister of Emergency and Disaster”.
for Resources, Energy and Northern  It was proclaimed on 3 November
Australia, Mr Josh Frydenberg at Canberra. 2011 by UNESCO's 36th General
Conference after originally proposed
 In this, both the countries discussed by the Kingdom of Spain.
the issues, business cooperation in
coal bed methane and LNG
production and trade.
Discovery of The Centuary : Gravitational
Waves
 The several roundtables have
organized during the Energy Security Scientists have observed a stunning
Dialogue with a view to getting to discovery in their quest to fully understand
know the state of art technologies in gravity.
the relevant areas.The policy
collaboration on issues pertaining to  They have observed the warping of
LNG trade have also been discussed. space time generated by the
collision of two black holes more
EU and NATO cyber defence cooperation than a billion light-years from Earth.
 The scientist team says the first
The European Union and NATO have signed detection of these gravitational
a Technical Arrangement between the waves will usher in a new era for
NATO Computer Incident Response astronomy.
Capability (NCIRC) and the Computer  The gravitational waves were
Emergency Response Team – European predicted by Albert Einstein in his
Union (CERT-EU). general theory of relativity 100 years
ago in 1915. The gravitational waves
 The agreement facilitates technical were detected on September 14,
information sharing between NCIRC 2015 by LIGO detectors, located in
and CERT-EU to improve cyber
Livingston, Louisiana, and Hanford,  The system, connecting Muong Hoa

Washington, USA. Valley and Fansipan mountain in Lao
Cai, some 250 km northwest of
Colorado state honors life of Gandhi capital Hanoi, has a capacity of
US state of Colorado had honored the life of 2,000 passengers per hour with each
Mahatma Gandhi. cabin accommodating 35 people.
 Colorado State honored Gandhi for

dedicating his whole life for the sake
of country. National
 Some of the freedom moments led
by Gandhi are Civil disobedience 42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival Begins In MP
moment, Dandi Salt March, Quit The 42nd Khajuraho Dance Festival began in
India moment, Champaran and the temple town of Khajuraho, Chhattarpur
Kheda Satyagraha, Khilafat district in Madhya Pradesh. The world
movement, Non-cooperation famous dance festival began with Odissi
movement. group dance of Ranjna Gauher and others.
The festival will showcase classical dances,
including Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Odissi and
Kuchipudi, depicting the ancient tales like
India exported six metro train coaches to
Mahishasur Mardini' and 'Krishna Rasa,' an
Australia
official said. Madhumita Roy and Madhuri
According to the Union Ministry of
Shipping, India has exported six metro
Majumdar gave presentation of Kathak-
Kuchipudi and Purvadhanashree presented
coaches to Australia from Mumbai port.
Bharatnatyam.
The festival has gained international
 The shipment was made as part of a
recognition with a world heritage site being
deal with Australian government to
its venue. Khajuraho temples witness the
export 450 made-in-India coaches in
maximum footfalls of foreign tourists in
two and a half year period.
Madhya Pradesh.
Vietnam gets world’s longest cable car system
Vietnam today inaugurated the world’s
India and Armenia Sign MoU on Agriculture
longest three-rope cable car system in Lao
Cooperation
Cai province.
India and Armenia have signed an
agreement for cooperation in the
 With a total length of 6,292.5
agriculture sector.
metres, the system was recognized
by the Guinness World Records as
An memorandum of understanding (MoU)
the world’s longest three-rope cable
was signed by Agriculture Minister Radha
car route, and also the world’s
Mohan Singhand Armenian Agriculture
biggest height gap between its
Minister Sergo Karapetyan.
departure and arrival stations of
1,410 metres.
The MoU provides for setting up of a joint The Union Ministry of Urban Development
working group (JWG) and preparation of approved projects worth more than Rs.12
work plans in priority areas of farm sector. crore for improving tourist infrastructure in
heritage locations in Amaravati in Andhra
Pradesh and Warangal in Telangana.
Bihar-The Sixth State To Enter Into Uday  An official press release said an
Scheme
Inter-Ministerial National
UDAY(Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) is a Empowered Committee for the
tripartite memorandum between Bihar Heritage City Development and
government, state Discoms and the Power Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY)
ministry for the revival of debt ridden state approved the projects, which
distribution utilities to save 9000 crores. include a heritage park in Amaravati
and developmental works at the
Bihar is the sixth state to join this UDAY 1000 Pillar Temple and Kazipet
scheme. Durgah and rejuvenation of pondat
It is the second Non-UPA state after Uttar Padmakshi Temple in Warangal city.
Pradesh to join this scheme.
It will help the debt ridden distribution MoU on Health and School Renovation
system of the state to save 9000 crores in between India and Sri Lanka
the next 3 years. India and Sri Lanka signed two
memorandum of understanding (MoUs) in
"Swachh Paryatan" Mobile App Launched By the health sector and renovation of schools.
The Centre
The Ministry of Tourism in co-ordination
 Under the MoU on health, India will
construct a surgical unit at the
with Ministry of Culture has launched the
Batticaloa Teaching Hospital in the
Swachh Paryatan mobile app in order to
island nation's Eastern province and
facilitate general public to communicate
supply medical equipment. In the
their complaints about any unclean
second MoU, India will aid in the
area/garbage piles in and around tourist
renovation of 27 schools in the
destinations.
Northern Province.
According to the Ministry of Tourism the
app will be soon available on Android
Phones of Apple and Microsoft as well.
The objective is to increase citizens’
participation in the protection and upkeep Odisha govt lifts ban on visit of foreign tourists
of heritage monuments in India. to tribal areas
It shall be monitored by the Project The Odisha government has relaxed the
Monitoring Unit of Swachh Bharat Mission restrictions on visit of foreign tourists to
in Ministry of Tourism. tribal areas in the state allowing them to
again trek and learn the lifestyle of
primitive tribes living in the hilly terrain and
Centre Approves Heritage Development
lush green forest areas.
Projects In Andhra & Telangana
 Odisha is home to 62 tribal editions were being held off South

communities, including 13 Africa.
categorized as Particularly  The primary aim of the exercise is to
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG). increase interoperability amongst
 The ban was lifted after three years. the three navies as well as develop
common understanding and
procedures for maritime security
operations.
India to host 3rd Asia Ministerial Conference
on Tiger Conservation
India will host the first ever Global Maritime

Summit
 India will host Asia Ministerial Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India
Conference on Tiger Conservation will host the first ever Global Maritime
from 12 April 2016 to save tigers. It Summit in April this year and called for
will be inaugurated by Prime maritime cooperation stating that the seas
Minister Narendra Modi. must be used to build peace, friendship,
 They are Bangladesh, Bhutan, trust and curb conflict.
Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia,
Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal,  The Prime Minister said that
Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam. international maritime stability
cannot be preserved by a single
 India is home to nearly 70% of the nation with the complexity of
world’s tiger population and modern day challenges.
according to the 2014 tiger census,  He also said India is and has always
there are 2,226 tigers in the country. been a maritime nation.
 State-wise, Karnataka has the
highest number of tigers (406) DIAL launches mobile application 'DIAL Cargo'
followed by Uttarakhand (340), Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) has
 Madhya Pradesh (308), Tamil Nadu launched a mobile application 'DIAL Cargo'
(229), Maharashtra (190), Assam for cargo operations to reduce paperwork
(167), Kerala (136) and Uttar and track movement of shipments on real
Pradesh (117). time basis.
Exercise IBSAMAR begins in Goa  DIAL runs the international airport in

The fifth edition of exercise IBSAMAR the national capital.
between Brazil, India and South Africa  The mobile application would aid in
begins in Goa. electronic clearance of cargo
through the customs Department.
 This is the first time that Exercise  Delhi airport handled 7 lakh tonnes
IBSAMAR is being conducted in of cargo in 2014-15.
Indian waters. All the previous
Homeo Vision 2016 - Inaugurated At Nagpur
The twenty fourth National Homoeo pathic India test-fired its indigenously developed
Congress Homeo-Vision 2016 was Prithvi-II missile.
inaugurated by the Minister of State for
AYUSH (Independent Charge) and Health  This missile is capable of carrying
and Family Welfare, Shri Shripad Yesso Naik 500 kg to 1000 kg of warheads.
in Nagpur.  Prithvi II missile tested as part of a
user trial by the army from a test
 Indian Institute of Homeopathic range at Chandipur. It was
Physician (IIHP), Maharashtra State conducted by the Strategic Force
Branch, Nagpur has organized this Command (SFC) and was monitored
two-day National conference (13th by the scientists from Defense
and 14th February, 2016) to discuss Research and Development
the recent advances in technology, Organisation (DRDO).
innovative research and quality  The missile test was carried out from
education in Homeopathy. a mobile launcher from launch
 The objective of Ministry of AYUSH complex-3 of the Integrated Test
to develop the four core areas such Range (ITR).
as education, research, drug
development and health care India's 1st Lightest Gun "Nidar" Launched
delivery. India’s first indigenously developed lightest
revolver (gun) Nidar weighing merely 250
Jharkhand First Mega Food Park grams was successfully launched to boost
Union Food Processing and Industry www.BankExamsToday.com
the "Make In India" initiative.
Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal and Chief
Minister Raghubar Das inaugurated the first  It has been designed and
mega food park at Village Getalsud, Ranchi manufactured by the state-run Rifle
in Jharkhand. Factory Ishapore located in West
Bengal.
 The food park costing Rs.114.73  The Nidar is lightest revolver ever
crore is spread over 51.50 acres. made in India with cheapest price
 It will have the facilities of multi- tag of Rs 35,000 only.
chamber cold storage, dry
warehouse, vegetable dehydration
line, modern quality control and
testing laboratory and other Madhya Pradesh’s Katni To Have India’s
processing facilities for fruit and Longest Railway Bridge
vegetables. Katni in Madhya Pradesh to have India’s
 The Mega Food Park is expected to longest railway bridge of 14 km in length
provide direct and indirect which is three and half folds longer than the
employment to about 6000 people Vembanad rail Bridge that connects
and benefit about 25,000-30,000 Edappally and Vallarpadam of 4.6 Km in
farmers in its catchment area. length.
Prithvi II Missile Successfully Test Fired
Its total length would be 21 Km included the Union Minister for Information &
down line of the bridge would be 7 Km . Broadcasting ArunJaitley released 'Bharat
2016' and 'India 2016' year books.
CII Signs MoU With Dubai Exports To Boost  These books give comprehensive
Trade information about the country and
With the aim to strengthen India-UAE various States and Union Territories
economic ties, Confederation of Indian including functioning of the
Industry (CII) has signed an MoU with Dubai Government and the economy.It
Exports to boost trade and explore business also provides detailed information
opportunities. on various schemes and projects of
Government and its various
CII, a non-government organisation, has departments.
signed an memorandum of understanding  The E versions will be cheaper and
(MoU) with Dubai Exports, which works easier to store and will be priced at
with other Dubai Government Departments 75% of the print book cost.
to simplify the export process.
It develops long-term growth strategies to Tata unveils first ever India – made robot
expand businesses and maximize the ‘Brabo’
opportunities given by Dubai's unique TAL Manufacturing Solutions, a Tata Group
position as a natural trade gateway company, has designed the first ever India-
between the East and West. made robot called ‘Tata Brabo’.
 The robot will be developed for
Haryana to become the first state in India to micro, small and medium
have Aquifer mapping enterprises which require cost-
With the climate changes in the recent effective robotic solutions for their
years, the groundwater sources have gone manufacturing purposes.
down to a critical level.  Brabo will be priced at Rs 3 Lakh for
2kg payload and Rs 6 Lakh for 10kh
To find out the exact location of the Aquifer payload. The main advantage Tata
rocks a new mapping technique is to be will have is the localized
introduced in Haryana by May making it as manufacturing of the robot which
the first state to have such mapping. will help it to price the robots lower
Aquifer rock is an underground layer than foreign players.
ofwater bearing rock which has
groundwater stored in it. Now, tricolour to fly high at all central
universities
The national flag will now fly prominently at
all central universities, the Union human
Arun Jaitley releases 'India-2016' and 'bharat- resource development ministry said.The
2016' Year Books tricolour will fly on a 207-feet high mast on
the campuses to signify “strong and united”
India.
 A unanimous resolution to this  102 countries were represented in

effect was adopted by vice the mega expo and more than 8 lakh
chancellors of the central people visited the expo and other
universities in a meeting led by events, out of which 49,74 were
Union HRD minister SmritiIrani in registered delegates.
Surajkund.
Union Cabinet approves LIGO-India research
Tamil Nadu announced Free Bus Pass project on gravitational waves
The Union Cabinet has given an in-principle
Scheme for senior citizens approval to the LIGO-India mega science
proposal for research on gravitational
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa waves.
announced a free bus pass scheme for
senior citizens in Chennai.  The proposal is piloted by the
Department of Atomic Energy and
 The scheme would come into effect the Department of Science and
from 24 February 2016, the day that Technology.
coincides with the birthday of  It will establish a state of the art
Jayalalitha. gravitational wave observatory in
 People above 60 years of age can India in collaboration with the LIGO
avail the free travel facility in non- Laboratory in the US run by Caltech
AC buses being run by the state run and MIT.
Metropolitan Transport Corporation www.BankExamsToday.com
Kalikho Pul sworn in as new chief minister of
in Chennai. The beneficiaries will be
given ten tokens every month for Arunachal Pradesh
the free travel. Kalikho Pul has been sworn in as the ninth
 Based on the response to the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He was
scheme from the senior citizens, it administered the oath by governor KP
would be extended to the whole Rajkhowa at a ceremony at the Raj Bhawan
state. in Itanagar.
Make In India Week Concludes In Mumbai  Pul has the support of only 18 of the
The week long Make in India concluded in 45 Congress MLAs in the assembly.
Mumbai. But 13 opposition MLAs — two
Independents and 11 from the BJP
 It was inaugurated by Prime — have given in writing to the
Minister Narendra Modi on February Governor that they back him
13, 2016. The event has secured
investment commitments worth Rs PM Modi launches Rurban Mission from
15.2 lakh crore, with host state Chhattisgarh
Maharashtra alone accounting for Rs Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday
8 lakh crore. Besides, it received launched the ambitious Shyama Prasad
investment enquiries worth Rs 1.5 Mukherji Rurban (rural-urban) Mission from
lakh crore. Chhattisgarh's Dongargarh block. It aims to
draw an investment of over Rs 5,000 crore crops, and 1.5 percent for Rabi
in three years to "transform rural areas to crops. The premium for annual
economically, socially and physically commercial and horticultural crops
sustainable spaces." will be 5 percent.
 ·On the occasion, the Prime Minister
 Rurban would create village clusters Modi also presented a trophy of
to minimise rural migration to cities Krishi Karman Award to Chief
through skill development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
programmes.  ·On the other hand, Modi was
 The intention of launching national conferred with Kisan Mitra and Kisan
schemes from a small centre was to Hiteshi Samman on behalf of
move the government out of Delhi Madhya Pradesh government for his
and ensure it reached villagers, he historic decisions in the interest of
said. farmers’ community.
 Under the scheme, 300 clusters
would be developed with an Vibrant North East event concludes in
investment of Rs 5,100 crore in Guwahati
three years. Four clusters would be The three-day long Vibrant North East event
developed in Chhattisgarh's concluded in Guwahati, Assam.
Rajnandgaon, Dhamtari, Kawardha
and Bastar districts. This year, 100  Rural banking, Make in North East
clusters would be taken up under and Horticulture and food
the project. www.BankExamsToday.com
processing etc. were the key areas
of Vibrant North East. The event
PM Modi released guidelines for Pradhan severed as a common powerful
Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana at Kisan Mela in MP platform for the developmental
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 projects and initiatives in the
February 2016 launched the guidelines for Northeast India.
operation alization of the Pradhan Mantri  Around 500 young farmers had
Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). The guidelines undergone an orientation course at
were issued at a farmers’ convention in the expo. Seminars, business meet
Sherpur village of Madhya Pradesh. and exhibitions were also organized
during the event. Directorate of
 ·The PMFBY is a path breaking Advertising & Visual Publicity
scheme for crop insurance and was (DAVP), ISRO, National Thermal
approved by the Union Cabinet on Power Corporation (NTPC) also had
13 January 2016. participated in exhibition.
 ·The Yojna will come into force from
the 2016 Kharif season (from June to
October in India).
 ·It aims at boosting the agricultural Maharashtra government will introduce anti
sector of India and envisages a spitting bill
uniform premium of only 2 percent Concerned over the sharp rise in infectious
to be paid by farmers for Kharif disease like tuberculosis, Maharashtra
government will introduce a bill banning The 9th Indo-Nepal Combined Battalion
spitting in public places in the upcoming level Military Training Exercise Surya Kiran
state Legislature Budget session scheduled has been started off today at Pithoragarh,
next month. Uttarakhand. The 14 days military training
exercise is under the aegis of Panchshul
 According to the proposed Brigade of Central Command.
legislation, offenders spitting for the
first time will have to pay a fine of Rs  Nepalese Army would be training
1,000 and also do a day of together and sharing their
community service at public places experiences of counter-terrorism
or at government offices. operations and “jungle warfare” in
 If caught second time, the offender hilly terrain.
will be slapped a fine of Rs 3,000  The Surya Kiran series of exercises is
and do three days of community a bi-annual event which is
service. For repeated offence, the conducted alternatively in Nepal and
offenders will have to pay Rs 5,000 India.
fine and do five days of community  The training also focus on
service. humanitarian aid and disaster relief
including medical and aviation
Project Sunrise launched for prevention of support.
AIDS in the eight North-Eastern states
India’s first Aviation Park to come up in
Union Minister of Health and Family www.BankExamsToday.com
Gujarat
Welfare J.P. Naddahas launched Project The state government had decided to set up
Sunrise for prevention of AIDS in the eight the country’s first Aviation Park in Gujarat.
North-Eastern states. The project is funded The park will have an airstrip, training
by the Centre for Disease Control of the school, helipad and space for setting up
United States. small manufacturing units.
 The Project will be implemented in  The park aims to raise the

the North East, in addition to the awareness among students about
existing projects of the National the potential of the aviation sector.
AIDS Control Organization (NACO).  The park set up in Gujarat will also
 The AIDS prevention special attract national and international
programme for the North-East will industrial houses to set up their
be implemented in 20 districts of manufacturing facilities in this park
the eight states including four
districts of Manipur- Imphal East, Highlights of Economic Survey 2015-16
Bishnupur, Ukhrul and The Economic Survey is presented by the
Churachandpur. ministry of Finance in the parliament every
year, before the Union Budget.
Indo-Nepal Battalion Level Combined Exercise
Surya Kiran kicked off  The Economic Survey reviews the
developments of the Indian
economy over the previous 12 Slovakia, Trinidad & Tobago,

months, summarizes the Tajikistan, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
performance on major development
programs, and highlights the policy Lok Sabha passes Election Laws (Amendment)
initiatives of the government and Bill, 2016
the prospects of the economy in the Lok Sabha has passed Election Laws
short to medium term. (Amendment) Bill, 2016 to grant voting
 It is the Finance Ministry's view on rights to people who became citizens of
the annual economic development India following the exchange of enclaves
of the country that gives a broad between India and Bangladesh.
idea on the macro-economic data,
which will impact the budget  The bill seeks to amend the
decisions. Representation of the People Act
 This year the report is authored by (RPA), 1950 and the Delimitation
chief economic adviser Arvind Act, 2002. These Acts regulate
Subramanian. allocation of seats to the Lok Sabha
 It contains data of various and state legislatures and
macroeconomic indicators which delimitation (fixing boundaries) of
reflect the state of the economy parliamentary and state assembly
such as Gross Domestic Product, constituencies.
Gross National Product, Inflation
India makes their mark at the RichList with 111
rate, foreign exchange trends,
balance of payments etc. www.BankExamsToday.com
billionaires
The Hurun Global RichList 2016 shows an
increase of 99 billionaires to the list of
global of the wealthy taking the number up
E-Tourist Visa Scheme extended to 37 more
to 2188.
countries
The Union Government has extended e-
 Asia is the world’s new billionaire’s
Tourist Visa Scheme to 37 more countries.
hub; China overtook USA to top the
With this, the total count of countries under
pack, while India added 14 to its list
the scheme will become 150.
of richie rich for 2016.
 From 97 in 2015, India now has 111
 The new countries included in e-
billionaires with RIL chairman
Tourist Visa scheme are Austria,
Mukesh Ambani at 21 in the global
Albania, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria,
list of the wealthy.
Bosnia & Herzegovina, Comoros,
Cote d’lvoire, Cape Verde, Czech
US wins WTO dispute against India’s solar rules
Republic, Croatia, Eritrea, Denmark,
The United States won a ruling against India
Gabon, Greece, Guinea, Gambia,
at the World Trade Organization on
Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi,
Wednesday after challenging the rules on
Iceland, Lesotho, Liberia, San
the origin of solar cells and solar modules
Marino, Moldova, Namibia,
used in India’s national solar power
Romania, South Africa, Swaziland,
program.
Switzerland, Senegal, Serbia,
 In a statement, the US Trade regard, the maritime security will

Representative’s office called the sign a contract with Hindustan
ruling a significant victory that Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to
would hasten the spread of solar procure 16 Advanced Light
energy across the world and support Helicopters (ALHs) in the next three
clean-energy jobs in the United - four months.
States.  It is also exploring options to buy 14
 The United States complained to the twin-engine heavy helicopters and 6
WTO in 2013 about the Indian solar more Maritime Multi-mission
program, which sought to ease Surveillance Aircraft.
chronic energy shortages in Asia’s
third-largest economy without Union Government Releases Hydrocarbon
creating pollution. Vision 2030
Union Ministry of state for Petroleum and
Natural gas (MoPNG) has released the
Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for north-east
Dr. Mahesh Sharma Launches 24×7 toll free India.
Tourist Infoline in 12 International Languages
Dr. Mahesh Sharma launched the 24×7 Toll  The Hydrocarbon Vision 2030
Free Tourist Infolinein 12 International outlines steps to leverage the
Languages including Hindi and English. He is hydrocarbon sector for social and
the Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism & economic development of the
Culture and Minister of State for Civil www.BankExamsToday.com
north-east region.
Aviation.  The objectives of the plan are to
leverage the region’s hydrocarbon
 This project will be implemented by potential, enhance access to clean
the Ministry of Tourism. fuels, improve availability of
 The languages that will handle the petroleum products, facilitate
contact centres include ten economic development and to link
International languages that are common people to the economic
Arabic, French, German, Italian, activities in this sector.
Japanese, Korean, Chinese,
Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. UAE Crown Prince Is On 3 Day India Visit
United Arab Emirates leader and Crown
Coast Guard to Induct 38 Aircraft And Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed
Helicopter By 2020 Al Nahyan is on 3 day India visit along with
The Indian Coast Guard has proposed to seven ministers.
induct 38 more aircraft and helicopters into
its fleet by 2020. The CG at present has a  The visit is expected to witness
fleet strength of 62 airplanes and signing of a landmark civil nuclear
helicopters. cooperation pact among
agreements across sectors, including
 To boost its surveillance and search, a deal on security and information
and rescue capabilities. In this sharing
 The two countries are expected to  The Defence Ministry has given its
sign about 16 agreements, including nod to a proposal from Andhra
one on civil nuclear agreement. Pradesh Tourism Development
Corporation (APTDC) to convert the
First National Deworming day observed Centaur-class aircraft carrier into a
First National Deworming day was observed hotel-cum-museum.
across the country on 10th February.  The state government has drawn up
plans to convert Viraat into a 500-
 The initiative will be carried out at room hotel.The warship would be
schools and anganwadic entres . docked at the shores of
And aims at improving the children's Visakhapatnam to serve as a
overall health and quality of life. tourist attraction.The project to be
 The government has set a target of taken up under Public Private
deworming approximately 27 crore Partnership (PPP) model.
children across the country.
The government started the 3rd Edition OfTaj Literature Festival In Agra
deworming campaign last year The 3rd edition of the Taj Literature Festival
under which over 9 crore children scheduled to begin in Agra (UP).
out of total 10 crore 31 lakh children
received deworming tablet.  The 3-day long festival beginning on
February 26, will not have any
Maharashtra Has Topped In Internet Readiness particular theme.
Index
As per the report compiled and published
 This edition will accommodate 16
different categories ranging from
by Internet and Mobile Association of India music, theater, politics, women
(IAMAI) and Indicus Analytics, Maharashtra cooking and comedy among others
has topped in terms of the overall Internet etc.
readiness index.
Railway Ministry launches 3 IT enabled apps
 Maharashtra ranks at the top in The Union Ministry of Railways has
terms of Internet readiness with a launched 3 IT (Information Technology)
strong position in areas like e- enabled apps to bring transparency in
infrastructure, e-Governance, IT Indian Railways on the sidelines of Digital
services and consumer participation. India initiative.
 Karnataka, Gujarat, Telengana and
Tamil Nadu followed in the tally.  Three IT enabled apps are Hand
Held Terminals for TTEs: It is pilot
INS Viraat to Be Converted into luxury Hotel project of Northern Railway that will
The world’s oldest aircraft carrier, INS help in updating status of passenger
Viraat, is all set to be converted into a list of the whole train. Based on the
luxury hotel to attract tourists once it is list food-chart/occupancy chart will
decommissioned from service in June this be manually prepared.
year.
Delhi to conduct second round of odd-even a 10.1% higher than revised target of
from April 15 current year.Railways will get Rs 40,000
crore budgetary support from the
The second phase of the odd-even road government etc.
rationing scheme to reduce the Capital’s Actor Sanjay Dutt walks out free of Yerawada
notorious air pollution and traffic snarls will jail
begin for a fortnight from April 15, Delhi Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt walked free
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal announced. out of the Yerawada prison here after
completing his prison term, putting behind
 Women driving alone or with young his turbulent past as a convict in the 1993
children, several categories of VIPs Mumbai serial bomb blasts case.
and two-wheelers will be exempted.
 This means there will be no changes Clad in blue shirt and jeans, a smiling Dutt
in the exemption list that was in was escorted out of the imposing jail gates
place when the formula designed to this morning after completing formalities
allow vehicles with registration and got into a car that drove him straight to
plates ending with odd or even Lohegaon Airport here to take a chartered
numbers to run on alternate days flight to Mumbai.
was tried out from January 1 to 15.
But discussions on who should be India’s first railway auto hub will come up near
spared the curbs are still on. Chennai
The country’s first rail auto hub will soon
All About Railway Budget 2016-2017 www.BankExamsToday.com
come up in Walajabad, near Chennai, to
help automobile manufacturers in the
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu presented
his second rail budget this year. region transport vehicles to other parts of
the country. This has been one of the long-
He kept the fares unchanged. In his budget standing demands of the auto industry.
speech, he said that for this budget he owes
its inspiration to vision of PM Modi who  The announcement made by the
said: "My vision is to make railways Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on
backbone of India’s progress & economic the auto hub along with the North-
development." South dedicated freight corridor was
He outlined the 3 pillars of strategy - raise a highlight for the Southern Railway
new revenues, raise productivity and in this Railway Budget.
efficiency and revamp the processes.
He also said that the Core objective is to
become engine of economic growth, create
Virat Kohli, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal in
employment and provide customer service.
Forbes’ Asia list
Tennis star Sania Mirza, Indian batting
Here are the highlights of the Rail Budget
mainstay Virat Kohli and top-seeded
2016: The Capital plan of Rs 1.21 lakh crore.
badminton player Saina Nehwal lead the
Operating ratio kept at 92% FY17 as against
pack of over 50 Indians in Forbes’ inaugural
90% in current year. To generate revenues
of order of Rs.1,84,820 cr next year which is
list of top “promising young leaders and  The festival has been jointly
game changers” under the age of 30 in Asia. organised by Nehru Science Centre
and Vigyan Prasar. Vigyan Prasar is
 The Forbes ’30 under 30 Asia’ list an autonomous body under the
includes 300 “young and driven Ministry of Science and Technology.
entrepreneurs and game-changers”  The event was chaired by veteran
from countries including India, director Shyam Benegal and science
Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, film maker Dr Mike Panday.
Singapore, Japan, Pakistan, Vietnam  The winners will be chosen among
and Australia who are contributing the 35 short-listed entries by a jury
to their industries in a significant of eight people chaired by Shyam
way. Benegal.
Cabinet approves setting up of Atal Innovation India sets target to eliminate malaria by 2030
Mission India has set a target to eliminate malaria
The Centre today approved a proposal to disease by 2030 and will allocate
establish Atal Innovation Mission and Self infrastructure and financial resources
Employment and Talent Utilisation in NITI towards this task.
Aayog, which will encourage innovations
and entrepreneurship.  Launching the National Framework
for Malaria Elimination (NFME)
 The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime 2016-2030, which outlines India’s
Minister Narendra Modi, has given www.BankExamsToday.com
strategy for elimination of the
its approval for establishment of disease by 2030.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and  NFME 2016-2030 also defines key
Self Employment and Talent strategic approaches such as
Utilisation (SETU) in NITI Aayog with programme phasing, considering the
appropriate manpower,” an official varying malaria endemicity in the
release said. country. An enabled environment
 Establishment of AIM and AIM and necessary resources would
Directorate would result in remain critical to realise the
implementation of Mission activities objectives in the pathway to malaria
in a focussed manner, it added. elimination.
 It said that AIM would be a focal
point for innovation and Chhattisgarh And Railway Signed Joint Venture
entrepreneurship in the country. For Infrastructure Development
Indian Railway signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with Chhattisgarh
Government to establish a joint venture ( JV
The 6th National Science Film Festival Begins In ) for laying tracks and expedite
Mumbai implementation of railway projects in the
The 6th National Science Film Festival & state.
Competition (NSFF) has begun at Nehru
Science Center in Mumbai.
 Under this MoU, state government BHU turns 100 years & set to honour PM Modi
will have 51% share and Indian with Doctor of Law
Railways will have remaining 49% Established in 1916 by freedom fighter
share in the JV company. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Banaras
 The joint venture will focus on Hindu University (BHU) has completed its
project development and 100 years of foundation on 13th February
implementation, resource 2016.
mobilization, land acquisition and
monitor the progress of critical rail  BHU had played an important role in
projects in the state. the freedom movement of India.
 It was aimed to act as a bridge
Narendra Modi opens ‘Make In India’ centre in between India’s past and
Mumbai modernising world system in the
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated areas of social sciences, humanities
Make in India Centre at Bandra Kurla particularly in evolving non-colonial
Complex, a commercial complex in the history as a discipline.
suburbs of Mumbai.
Jayalalithaa announces ‘Amma Kudineer
 The Make In India week will Thittam’
conclude on 18 February. Jayalalithaa the Chief Minister of Tamil
 Make in India is the current Nadu had announced ‘Amma Kudineer
government’s flagship initiative, Thittam’ a new scheme for supplying
launched by the prime minister in www.BankExamsToday.com
drinking water.
September 2014, to encourage
international companies to  Under the Scheme the govt will
manufacture their goods in India. supply the water to those who
cannot afford to buy purified
International Radio Fair 2016 Hosted By drinking water from private players.
Bhubaneswar  Under the first phase of the scheme
International Radio Fair 2016 is to be held water supplying points will be
at Bhubaneswar. established.
 The family of poor people is
 The fair will start on the occasion of provided with 20 liters of pure water
World Radio Day i.e. 13th of every day.
February and close on 14th.  Smart cards will be issued to
 Minister of State for Information & beneficiaries
Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh
Rathore, Minister of State for
Petroleum and Natural Gas
Dharmendra Pradhan and eminent India becomes associate member of Embo
news reader Upendra Pahadsingh India is second country outside the
have given their consent join the European region to be an Associate
Radio Fair this year among others. Member State of EMBO.
 First one being Singapore which had • During the visit, he held talks with Prime
signed such agreement with Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.
European Molecular Biology • He delivered a speech at the prestigious
Conference (EMBC) in 2015. Chulalongkorn University on the topic India,
Thailand and ASEAN: Contours of a
Vice President Hamid Ansari concluded his Rejuvenated Relationship.
two-nation tour to Thailand and Brunei • He visited Wat Phra Kew (Emerald
Vice-President Hamid Ansari on 5 February Buddha) and Reclining Buddha temple in
2016 concluded his two-nation tour to the capital Bangkok.
Thailand and Brunei. • He addressed the Indian community and
met Indologists from Thailand.
• During the visit, India confirmed its
During the 5-day visit that started on 1
participation in the Cobra Gold 2016
February 2016, the Vice President held talks
amphibious military exercise that will be
with the head of governments, political held in Thailand.
leaders and Indian diaspora to enhance
bilateral relations. Prime Minister dedicated Brahmaputra
Cracker and Polymer Limited to Nation
Visit to Brunei Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5
February 2016 dedicated the Brahmaputra
• He visited the country for three days
Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) at
starting from 1 February 2016 on the
invitation of Crown Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Lepetkata, Assam to the nation.
Billah. www.BankExamsToday.com
 The 10000-crore plant is the first
• With this tour, Hamid Ansari became the
first Vice President to visit Brunei since the ever petro-chemical project in the
establishment of diplomatic relations. entire North-East and it will make
• He met the Sultan of Brunei Haji Hassanal raw material for manufacturing
Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah. plastic.
• Both the leaders discussed a number of  The Brahamputra Cracker and
issues of bilateral, regional and multilateral
Polymer Ltd was conceived as part
significance, and also hold discussions on
cooperation in ASEAN and East Asia Summit of the Assam peace accord signed
(EAS). during the tenure of Prime Minister
• During his visit, India and Brunei signed 3 Rajiv Gandhi and its foundation
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) in stone was laid in 2007 by the then
the field of health, defence and youth Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan
affairs and sports. Singh.
Visit to Thailand
CSIR launches India’s first ayurvedic anti-
• He visited the country on official invitation diabetic drug – BGR-34
of the Prime Minister of Thailand. This was The Council for Scientific and Industrial
also the first Vice Presidential visit from Research (CSIR) launched the country’s first
India after a gap of 50 years.
anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug for type two programme and state government’s
Diabetes mellitus. Make in Kerala project.
The drug was launched by Senior Principal  It will have modern common
Scientist, CSIR-NBRI, Dr A K S Rawat in at a infrastructure facilities aimed at
function in Kozhikode, Kerala. attracting component
manufacturers in the defence
India Develops World’s First Zika Vaccine industry.
Bharat Biotech, Hyderabad based vaccines
and bio-therapeutic manufacturer, claimed 30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela
to have achieved a breakthrough in started at Faridabad
developing a vaccine to fight the dreaded The 30th Surajkund International Crafts
mosquito-borne Zika virus, which causes Mela, is begins at Faridabad in Haryana.
serious birth defects in children.
 The Mela is organized by the
 Bharat Biotech is home to some of Surajkund Mela Authority and
the most brilliant minds in the world Haryana Tourism in collaboration
and began work on the Zika virus a with Union Ministries of Tourism,
year ago, Krishna Ella, CMD Bharat Textiles, Culture and External
Biotech, said. Affairs.
 This year Telangana will be the
Invest Karnataka 2016 Theme State, which is showcasing its
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unique culture and rich heritage and
today urged the global investor community www.BankExamsToday.com
the two focus countries are China
at 'Invest Karnataka 2016' to consider and Japan.
Karnataka as their partner for growth.  At least 23 countries are taking part
Citing the Global Startup Eco-system in this edition of Mela and shall host
Ranking Report 2015, Siddaramaiah pointed performances by international folk
out that Bengaluru is the only Indian city to artistes from Japan, Egypt, Congo,
be ranked amongst the 20 Startup Eco- Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia,
systems in the World. Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan.
India’s first Defence Industrial Park gets nod by

DIPP Anti-Leprosy Day observed on 30 January 2016
Anti-Leprosy Day was observed on 30 January
Department of Industrial Policy and 2016 nationwide to focus attention on the
Promotion (DIPP) of Union Government disease which is also known as the Hansen’s
have given its final approval to Kerala disease.
Government’s approval to set up India’s
first Defence Industrial Park at Ottappalam. Annually, the day is celebrated in the
memory of Mahatma Gandhi, who attained
 The proposed defence park will be martyrdom on 30 January 1948, in order to
established as part of Union re-memorize his selfless efforts and care for
Government’s flagship Make in India the people affected by the infectious
disease leprosy.  SME Sellers on ecommerce

platforms can apply for the loan
online and get instant sanctioning of
Trade/Banking the loan with KYC documents.
 In order to assess the sellers’
Corporation Bank inks pact with Universal creditworthiness for loan
Sompo for accident death coverage sanctioning, the bank will use
Corporation Bank has signed a proprietary platform data and
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with surrogates information from public
Universal Sompo General Insurance Co Ltd domain.
for providing accident death coverage to its  It is exclusive and easy finance that
savings bank account holders under Corp will be made available at lowest
Signature, Corp Super and Corp Saral interest rates. Collateral free loan
category. will be granted upto 10 Lakh rupees
 According to this pact the bank under MUDRA (Micro Units
provides free personal accident Development and Refinance Agency)
death cover of ₹10 lakh to its Corp scheme.
Signature and ₹5 lakh to its Corp  Women entrepreneurs will be given
Super account holders. concession of 0.25% on the loans.
TCS Rated World's Most Powerful Brand in IT

Services: Report
India's top multinational IT company Tata www.BankExamsToday.com
Union Cabinet approved $150 million Credit to
Consultancy Services has been rated as the Iran for Chabahar Port Development
world's most powerful brand in Information Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime
Technology Services by a leading global Minister Narendra Modi on 24 February
brand valuation firm, the company said on 2016 approved the proposal for loan of 150
Wednesday. million US Dollars to Iran for the
 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) development of Chabahar Port.
emerged as the IT services industry's
most powerful brand with a score of  The credit will be provided from
78.3 points - earning it an AA+ EXIM Bank and was made by Union
rating. Ministry of Shipping.
 The Cabinet authorized the
Ministers of Finance, External Affairs
and Shipping to approve the final
contract with Iran and for resolution
SBI Launches SBI e Smart SME to offer of any issue arising in
Ecommerce Loan implementation of the project.
State Bank of India (SBI) in partnership with
e-commerce platform Snapdeal has Yes Bank wins inaugural Green Bond Award in
launched SBI e-Smart SME to provide a UK
working capital loan for sellers on - India’s leading private lender Yes Bank has
ecommerce platforms. been awarded inaugural Green Bond
Pioneer Award at a ceremony held in FINO, Reliance Finance to provide credit to

London, United Kingdom. rural poor in Maharashtra, MP
Payments technology company FINO
 Yes Bank was bestowed with this PayTech (FINO) has tied up with Reliance
award in recognition for its Commercial Finance to provide credit to
pioneering efforts in the Green rural poor in Maharashtra and Madhya
Bonds market including successful Pradesh.
issuance of India’s first ever Green
Infrastructure Bonds.  The tie-up will help FINO improve
 Yes Bank was the first Indian Bank to the product bouquet for its
issue Green Infrastructure Bonds payments bank, for which it has
(GIBs) in India. It had issued India’s received in-principle approval.
first-ever GIBs worth 1,000 crore
rupees in 2015. Alphabet becomes The Most Valuable Public
Company In The World
Google’s parent company Alphabet
surpassed Apple to become the most
India’s steel output falls 1.5% in Jan valuable U.S. traded company in the world.
Steel production in India fell by 1.5 per cent
to 7.4 million tonnes (m.t.) in January 2016  Alphabet became the most valuable
compared with the output in the same publicly-traded company in the
month last year. world — coming in at a market cap
$558 billion after jumping about 8%
after the company reported its
 This is the first fall since September
2015, when the crude steel fourth-quarter earnings, and passing
production in the country had Apple, which sits at a market cap of
declined by 0.5 per cent to 7.3 m.t. $535 billion.
as against the corresponding month
of 2014. SEBI approved Mahindra AMC’s mutual fund
Mahindra Asset Management Company has
Beijing overtakes New York City as ‘Billionaire received markets regulator SEBI’s approval
Capital’ for setting up of their mutual fund
Beijing is the new “Billionaire Capital of the business.
World. The Chinese capital has overtaken
the Big Apple as home to the most  Mahindra AMC, a wholly-owned
billionaires 100 to 95 according to Hurun, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra
Shanghai firm that releases yearly rankings Financial Services (MMFS), got the
and research about the 1 per cent. regulator’s nod on February 4.
 However, the company did not
 Beijing took the title from New York disclose by when it will start offering
after minting 32 new billionaires last mutual fund products. At present,
year, while New York gained four. there are over 40 mutual fund
houses operating in the country
Rs 1 lakh crore disbursed under MUDRA The department is in the process of

Yojana: PM Narendra Modi finalising the selection of a consultant for
Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, setting up India Post’s payments bank. It
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had had shortlisted six consultants but only
approved Rs 1 lakh crore loans to small three of them submitted the bids.
entrepreneurs The India Post payments bank will primarily
target unbanked and under-banked
 MUDRA Yojana was launched in customers in rural, semi-rural and remote
April 2015. areas, with a focus on providing simple
 It aimsto make youth to be job deposit products and money remittance
creators and not job seekers. services.
 Fund will be provided to youth to
make them self sufficient. Govt. to divest 5% in NTPC
 The loan is distributed among youth The government announced it will be divesting
for their personal sector which will five per cent of its stake in NTPC through the
help them to utilize their skill and offer-for-sale route on Tuesday.
create new job opportunities.
The sale is expected to garner Rs.5,029
Ricoh India wins Rs 344 crore contract to crore at a floor price of Rs.122 per share.
supply computer hardware to Odisha schools
Printing and IT solutions firm Ricoh India The stake sale is to be spread over two
has bagged an order worth Rs 344 crore days, with institutional bidders getting to
from Kerala State Electronics Development
Corporation to supply computer hardware
buy shares on Tuesday and retail investors
on Wednesday.The retail investors have 20
to 2,000 government schools in Odisha. per cent of the shares reserved for them.
Ricoh India, a subsidiary of Ricoh Group, RBI cancels registration of 4 NBFCs

Japan, had said it is eyeing 55% growth in Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had cancelled
revenues this fiscal. the certificate of registration of 4 non-
The company said it has also planned banking financial companies (NBFCs).
investments of about Rs 300 crore over the
next one or two years for expanding its data  The 4 NBFCs whose registration is
centres. cancelled are as follow Goyal
At present, Ricoh India has two data centres Commercial Pvt Ltd Kolkata, First
- one each in New Delhi and Kolkata. Debt Management Co. of India Ltd
Nostalgia Finvest Private Limited
PIB Clears India Post's Rs 800 Cr Proposal for and Narad Realtors Private Limited
Payments Bank belongs to Mumbai.
The Public Investment Board has approved  The decision for the cancellation of
the Rs 800-crore proposal from India Post registration certificate comes under
for setting up a payments bank and it will Section 45-IA (6) of the RBI Act 1934.
be placed before the Cabinet within a
month for final approval.
ONGC Approves Rs 5,050 Cr Investment In  The prices will remain low only for
Tripura six months.These rules were not
The Public sector oil major ONGC has implemented on advance
approved an investment of Rs 5,050 crore in authorization scheme and high-
Tripura for drilling of wells and creation of grade pipes used in the petroleum
surface facilities to produce 5.1 mmscmd and natural gas industry.
gas from the states fields.
The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Andhra Pradesh Government Signs Agreement
has announced to develop northeast region With USTDA
as a dominant hydrocarbon hub as part of The US Trade and Development Agency has
its Hydrocarbon Vision 2030. signed MoU with the Department Of
Due to this geological mapping and Municipal Administration of Andhra
exploratory efforts, so far 11 gas fields have Pradesh on funding for drawing up the
been discovered by ONGC in Tripura. master plan for Visakhapatnam Smart City
and a consortium of three US companies,
India remains world’s largest arms importer comprising AECOM, KPMG and IBM.
India continues to remain the world’s
largest arms importer, accounting for 14%  The MoU was signed by Principal
of the global arms imports in the 2011-2015 Secretary (Municipal Administration)
time frame. Karikal Velavan and Country
Manager of USTDA Heather K
It was revealed by report on international Lanigan in the presence of Chief
arms transfers released by a global think- www.BankExamsToday.com
Minister and Director of USTDA
tank, Stockholm International Peace Leocadila I Zak.
Research Institute (SIPRI).
Top arms importers are: India (14%), China India and Sweden Signed MoU on Technical
(4.7%), Australia (3.6%), Pakistan (3.3%), Cooperation For Railway
Vietnam (2.9%) and South Korea (2.6%). The ministry of railways signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with
the government of Sweden for technical
cooperation.
Government imposes minimum import price
on 173 steel items  The main objective of the MoU,
The government imposed minimum import signed by Sweden's ministry of
price (MIP) on 173 steel products ranging enterprise and innovation, is
from $341 to $752 per ton. cooperation between the two
countries to promote efficiency and
 This is the government’s action to sustainability and achieve concrete
give relief to domestic steel results with regard to bilateral trade,
producers against cheap in-bound investment and technology transfer.
shipments.The discussion will
directly affect the price of raw Make In India Week : National Capital Goods
materials and will suitably give Policy Unveiled
cheap imported materials.
The Government has unveiled the National  Bookings for the Freedom 251 will
Capital Goods Policy to give an impetus to start from Thursday 18 February
the capital goods sector and a leg up to the from 6.00 am in the morning and
Make in India initiative. will close on 21 February at 8.00
pm.
 This is for the first time that a  Defence Minister Manohar Parrikkar
national policy has been framed for will launch the smartphone
the sector. ‘Freedom 251’ on February 17.
 Anant Geete, Minister, Heavy
Industry & Public Enterprise, SBI opens ‘Japan Desk’ in New Delhi
unveiled the Policy on the occasion State Bank of India (SBI) launched ‘Japan
of the Make in India Week held in Desk‘, a first-of-its-kind initiative to
Mumbai. facilitate Japanese corporates looking to
invest with banking and advisory services.
Apple to Setup Its 1st Technology Center In
India  This will serve as an one-point
Apple has confirmed its 1st technology comprehensive and reliable
centre in India at Hyderabad, at a cost of information support source for
$25 million. India-bound investments of
Japanese companies.
 Spread across 2,50,000 square feet,
the centre will help Apple develop BHEL commissions GVK Goindwal Sahib’s 270-
maps and make them available in its www.BankExamsToday.com
MW unit in Punjab
Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has
iPhones and Mac systems.
 It is set to open by June, becoming commissioned a 270-MW coal-based
fully operational by the end of the thermal power project of GVK Group in
year. The facility is projected to Punjab.
create 4,500 jobs
 The unit has been commissioned at
World's Cheapest Smartphone Is Going To Be the upcoming 540 MW (2x270 MW)
Launch By Ringing Bells Goindwal Sahib coal-fired plant of
Noida based Ringing Bells is all set to launch GVK Power & Infrastructure Ltd
the world's cheapest 3G smartphone at just located in Tarn Taran district in
Rs 251 in India. Punjab.
 BHEL had commissioned four hydel
 The smartphone with a 4-inch power units of 82.5 MW each at
WVGA resolution display, features a Alaknanda hydropower project in
1.3 Ghz quad-core processor, 1GB Uttarakhand for GVK.
RAM, 8GB total storage space and a
3.2 megapixel camera on the back. It YES Bank, UltraCash partner to launch
will have 0.3 megapixel camera on payments service
the front and has a 1450 mAh YES Bank has partnered UltraCash
battery. This is dual-SIM 3G capable Technologies to launch payments
phone. processing through sound waves.
 Ultra Cash utilises a patent-pending Vasundhara Raje at her official

technology through which payment residence.
data is securely transferred from  Ruhl conveyed that World Bank was
one device to the other using unique working with the Rajasthan
ultra-high frequency sound waves. government on energy reforms and
 Ultra Cash’s sound wave technology a detailed report has been prepared
enables mobile payments to be focusing on conventional and non-
done without the need for Internet conventional sources of energy.
connectivity using any of the
options, such as bank accounts and MP, Rajasthan set up SPV for implementation
cards. of Smart City Plans
 Ultra Cash will issue YES Bank- Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
branded digital wallets to consumers Government have set up Special Purpose
to aid quicker, seamless and friction- Vehicles (SPV) for the implementation of
free payments. Smart City Plans.
Punjab to sign MoU with British Pig  SPVs have been set up for five cities
Association – Jabalpur, Indore and Bhopal in
The Punjab government plans to sign a Madhya Pradesh and Jaipur and
MoU with British Pig Association (BPA) to Udaipur in Rajasthan.
develop and promote piggery in the State.  These cities are among the first
batch of 20 winners of Smart City
 The tie-up of State Animal www.BankExamsToday.com
Challenge Competition held by the
Husbandry department with BPA Union Ministry of Urban
would turn around the stagnant Development. The Ministry will
economy of the peasantry, which is release 200 crore rupees for each of
grappling with low returns from the 20 selected cities only after SPVs
conventional farming. are set up. SPVs shall have 50:50
 The company will export high- equity that will held by the states
quality meat products from the and respective urban local bodies.
upcoming plant to ensure better Private equity is also allowed but the
prices to pig farmers. management control will rest with
the Governments only.
World Bank to help Rajasthan in energy
reforms Swachh Himachal Padhai bhi, Safaibhi
The World Bank has decided to lend campaign launched
support to the Rajasthan government on Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association
energy reforms and a detailed project has (HPCA) has launched ‘Swachh Himachal –
been prepared in this regard. Padhaibhi, Safaibhi’ campaign in
Dharamsala.
 The decision was taken at a meeting
between World Bank’s country  With this unique campaign, HPCA
director in India, OnnoRuhl and became the first cricket association
Rajasthan Chief Minister in the country to work towards
Swatch Bharat Abhiyan initiated by India. It will be later augmented to

the Union Government. 200 MW by October 2016 and 600
 The campaign aims at involving MW by December 2017.
youth to promote good health and
sanitation in urban and rural areas in
the Himalayan state. Its objective is
to showcase Himachal’s beauty as Indian Government Sanctions Rs. 580 Crore For
India’s cleanest and greenest state. Railway Link With Bangladesh
 Under it, the sport of cricket will be The Indian government has sanctioned
linked with Swatch Bharat Abhiyan Rs.580 crore for the vital rail link.
and youth’s will be termed as
Swatch Captain and teachers as  As it expected to complete the work
Swatch Coach. on the 15-km-long rail line to
connect Agartala with Akhaura in
India, Nepal ink nine Agreements that country by 2017. Of the 15 km
India and Nepal have signed nine railway track, 10 km falls in the
agreements for cooperation in various Bangladesh side and the rest in
fields. These agreements were signed at a India.
summit meeting of Prime Minister  The entire project cost would be
Narendra Modi and his visiting Nepali borne by the Center and over Rs
counterpart KP Sharma Oli in New Delhi. 1,000 crore was sanctioned for
completion of the track in
 MoU on Post-earthquake www.BankExamsToday.com
Bangladesh side.
reconstruction assistance: It deals  The 1,700 km distance between
with utilization of US 250 million Agartala and Kolkata through
dollars Grant component India’s Chicken Neck near Siliguri would be
Assistance package for Post- reduced to 350 km.
earthquake reconstruction  Currently, India and Bangladesh
assistance of Nepal. MoU on have four rail links with West
strengthening of road infrastructure Bengal.
in Nepal: It will enable speedy
implementation of remaining work Facebook Shuts Down Free Basics in India
on 17 Roads in Terai area of Facebook has shut down its controversial
Nepal. MoU in the field of Free Basics project in India, days after a
performing arts Singed between Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai)
Nepal Academy of Music and Drama ruling barred operators from charging
and Sangeet Natak Academy. It aims different rates for Internet access based on
to enhance relations in the field of content, dealing a blow to Facebook's Free
performing arts between both Basics and other such plans.
countries.
 Facebook had met a backlash in
 Inauguration of Muzaffarpur- India from "net neutrality"
Dhalkebar transmission line: Initial advocates, who say that because
supply of 80 MW from Nepal to Free Basics only allows access to
selected websites it violates the to sell the book through its online
principle that the entire Internet platform.
should be available to everyone on
equal terms. BoB exhibited Highest Ever Loss by a PSB
 The service was available in India via Vadodara headquarter Bank of Baroda
RCom but had been shuttered in publicized its net loss of Rs 3,342 crore for
December after Trai ordered its the December quarter in comparison with
closure pending its verdict on Rs 332 crore profit last year. It is considered
differential pricing. as the highest-ever quarterly loss by an
Indian bank.
Wipro To Buy US Healthcare Services
Global software major and India's 3rd  The reason behind this huge loss is
largest exporter Wipro has made an the provisions against bad loans
announced buying "Health Plan Service" which have jumped to Rs 6,164
business in the US for $460 million crore against Rs 1,262 last year and
(Rs.3,150 crore). increase in NPA percentage to 9.68%
from 3.85%.
 Health Plan Services is a leading
independent technology and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa unveils
Business Process as a Service new projects worth Rs 1,002.02 crore
(BPaaS) provider in the US health
insurance market that offers J Jayalalithaa Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
solutions to health insurance firms. www.BankExamsToday.com
had inaugurated a series of projects
worth Rs 1,002.02 crore which are taken
 By partnering with Health Plan,
Wipro will have first-mover up by Highways and Minor Ports
advantage in the high growth public Department.
and private exchange space for
individual, group and ancillary  The project includes construction of
markets. new bridges, railway over bridges
and buildings.
Amazon To Invest In Westland ( A Tata Group  Foundation stone for construction of
Company ) five bridges and five railways over
Ecommerce company Amazon has made an bridges had been laid down.
investment in Westland, a Trent Ltd
subsidiary ( Tata Group ) in support of its
publishing business. RBI keeps key rates unchanged
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) maintained
 The investment will help to expand a status quo in its sixth bi-monthly
its international reach and scale its monetary review policy for year 2016
physical and digital book announced today.
businesses.
 Westland had also signed a two-  Keeping the rates unchanged, the
month exclusive deal with Amazon apex bank has kept its stance on the
credit policy accommodative.
Current Rates are as follows – clock and available at more than

double the locations as branches
1. Repo Rate – 6.75% (Unchanged) (4,281).
2. Reverse Repo Rate – 5.75%  The ‘click to call’ option enables the
(Unchanged) bank to work around the ‘do not
3. CRR (Cash Reserve ratio) – 4% disturb’ customers and the applicant
(Unchanged) can choose any number for a call-
4. Bank Rate – 7.75% (Unchanged) back.
5. MSF (Marginal Standing Facility) –
7.75% (Unchanged) ZTE Soft inks pact with AP
6. SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio) – Chinese technology company ZTE has inked
21.5% (Unchanged) a pact with the Andhra Pradesh
government to work on smart city projects
SBI Launches FlexiPay Home Loan Scheme For in the state. As a company associated with a
Professionals number of smart city projects, the
State Bank of India introduced a new home diversified telecom and technology major
loan scheme ‘SBI FlexiPay Home Loan’ for ZTE plans to engage itself with the state and
young working professionals/executives. work on the upcoming smart city projects in
Andhra Pradesh.
 Under the scheme, borrowers will
get higher loan amount compared to Govt bans zero duty import of capital goods for
their loan eligibility under normal power plants
home loan schemes and they will www.BankExamsToday.com
The government today banned duty-free
import of capital goods for power
also have the option of step-up
monthly repayments. generation and transmission projects under
 Further, to lower the impact of such the EPCG Scheme.
additional loan amount on monthly
repayments in the form of equated  The decision is aimed at encouraging
monthly instalments (EMIs), manufacturing of power equipment
customers taking home loans under and giving a push to domestic capital
the new scheme will also be offered goods sector, with an aim to boost
the option of paying only interest the overall economy.
during the moratorium (pre-EMI)  The Export Promotion Capital Goods
period of three to five years. (EPCG) scheme allows import of
capital goods for pre-production,
HDFC Bank to sell loans to non-customers production and post-production at
through ATMs zero Custom duty.
HDFC Bank, is now using its ATM network to
grab new customers, including those of
other banks who happen to use the bank’s
ATMs. Indo-Pak agreement on rail link extended for
three years
 ATMs is a game changer for the India and Pakistan have extended their
bank as ATMs are open round the agreement relating to rail communication
by mutual consent through diplomatic A third generation police from his family .He
channels for next three years. was Deputy Commissioner before being
appointed to the post and will replace
 The agreement has been extended Tajuudin Mohammed.
from January 19, 2016 to January
18, 2019, a statement issued by the
Ministry of External Affairs said.
Rahul Dravid in ICC’s Anti-Corruption Oversight
Appointments Group
Batting great Rahul Dravid has been named
in ICC’s newly appointed Anti-Corruption
Samariya given additional charge as CPFC
Oversight Group as part of the
HL Samariya, a 1985 batch IAS officer from
recommendation from its Integrity Working
the Telangana cadre, has been given
Party of the parent body.
additional charge as Central Provident Fund
Commissioner (CPFC), for three months or
 Dravid is currently coaching the
till the appointment of a regular incumbent
Indian team in the ongoing U-19
or till further orders, a release said.
World Cup, which is being held in
Bangladesh.
Ban Ki Moon appoints Major General Menon
Indian Origin Singaporean Is Diamond Trade
as UNDOF head
Body’s New President
Major General Jai Shanker Menon of the
Indian Army, a veteran of peacekeeping www.BankExamsToday.com
Vishal Mehta, A 34-year-old Indian-origin
man based in Singapore was today
operations, has been appointed as the head
appointed President of the newly- formed
of a key United Nations force stationed in
International Grown Diamond Association
Golan to maintain the ceasefire between
(IGDA).
Israeli and Syrian forces.
 Vishal Mehta, CEO of a Singapore-
based company which makes lab
 U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
diamond, was named President of
has named Major General Menon as
the IGDA, a platform of more than
the Head of Mission and Force
10 leading grown diamond
Commander of the United Nations
producers, distributors and retailers.
Disengagement Observer Force
(UNDOF). Archana Ramasundaram became first woman
to head a paramilitary force
Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram
appointed Director General of Sashastra
Indian-origin Sikh appointed Kuala Lumpur
Seema Bal (SSB), thus became the first
Police Commissioner
woman to head a paramilitary force.
Amar Singh from Indian-origin Sikh
Community has been appointed the Police
 The 1980-batch officer is the current
Commissioner of the Capital city of
head of the National Crime Records
Malaysia.
Bureau (NCRB).
 She has been appointed to the post Justice Dhirendra Hiralal Waghela was
till the date of her superannuation appointed the Chief Justice of the Bombay
— September 30, 2017 — an order High Court.
issued by the Department of
Personnel and Training (DoPT) said.  Justice Waghela, currently serving as
the Chief Justice of the Orissa High
R.K. Pachauri Appointed As Executive Vice Court, has been asked to assume
Chairman And Mathur As New DG Of TERI charge by 16 February 2016.
Pachauri headed TERI, which works in the  The Bombay High Court has been
field of sustainable development, energy functioning with an officiating Chief
and climate change, for the past 35 years. Justice since October 2015, after the
retirement of Justice Mohit S Shah in
 Not-with-standing allegations of September 2015.
sexual harassment by a former
colleague, TERI Chief RK Pachauri
was appointed Executive Vice
Chairman of the green body after Justice Dinesh Maheshwari sworn-in as Chief
new Director General Ajay Mathur Justice of Meghalaya HC
took over the charge from him. Justice Dinesh Maheshwari was sworn-in as
 In February last year, a junior the new Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High
colleague had accused him of sexual Court.
harassment following which he had
to proceed on leave but joined work www.BankExamsToday.com
 He succeeds Justice Uma Nath Singh
who retired as Chief Justice, since
in July with a court quashing the
internal committee report that then, Justice Sudip Ranjan Singh was
found him guilty of misconduct. serving as the acting Chief Justice of
the state high court.
Brijbhushan Sharan Singh Appointment As
President Of SAWF Govt appoints 3 information commissioners in
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief CIC
Brijbhushan Sharan Singh has been The Centre today appointed Amitava
appointed as the president of the South Bhattacharyya, , Bimal Julka & Divya
Asian Wrestling Federation (SAWF). Prakash Sinha as information
commissioners in the Central Information
 Ajgar of Pakistan, U.H. Neville Commission (CIC)
Pdmashri from Sri Lanka and Raj
Mohammed Ansari of Nepal were  Amitava Bhattacharyya is
elected vice presidents. a former Chairman, Staff Selection
Commission, Bimal Julka is a
former Secretary, Ministry of
Information and Broadcasting, and
Justice Dhirendra Hiralal Waghela appointed as Divya Prakash Sinha is a
Chief Justice of Bombay High Court former Secretary (Security), Cabinet
Secretariat.
Engineers (India), Institution of

Permanent Way (India) and Indian
HL Dattu selected as the new Chairman Institute of Bridge Engineers.
of NHRC
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) HL Dattu
is selected as the next Chairperson of
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee sworn-in as
He will have tenure of five years. Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court
Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee on 23
 The post was lying vacant since 11 February 2016 took oath as the 28th Chief
May 2015, when KG Balakrishnan Justice of the High Court of Karnataka.
demitted office after five-year term.
Justice Cyriac Joseph had been  Governor Vajubhai R. Vala
functioning as the acting administered the oath to Justice
chairperson since then. Mukherjee in a ceremony held at
the Raj Bhavan.
KN Vyas took charge as Director of BARC
Eminent Scientist KN Vyas took charge as Rohit Sharma named Nissan’s global
Director of the Bhabha Atomic Research ambassador
Centre (BARC). Japanese car manufacturer Nissan has
named Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma as
 He took it over from Dr Sekhar Basu, their new global ambassador.
who is the Chairman of Atomic
Energy Commission and Secretary to
 In its partnership with the
the Union Government, Department International Cricket Council (ICC),
of Atomic Energy. Nissan also named West Indies all-
rounder Andre Russell and New
Zealand women’s team captain
R K Verma : New Secretary Of Railway Board Suzie Bates as its ambassadors.
A 1980 batch officer of Indian Railway
Services Of Engineers Mr. R K Verma has
assumed the charge as Secretary, Railway
Board.
 Earlier he has served as Adviser Harinder Sidhu to be new Australian High

(Public Grievance) to the Minister of Commissioner to India
State (MoS) for Railways. Australia has appointed Harinder Sidhu as
 In his previous assignments, he has its next High Commissioner to India three
worked with various railways, years after another diplomat of Indian
including Southern, North-East origin, Peter Varghese, served in this key
Frontier Eastern and Western post.
comprising of Indian Railways
Institute of Civil Engineering.He also  Sidhu is a senior career officer with
has Life Fellowship of Institution of Australia's Department of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, having served
most recently as first assistant appointed to the leadership of one

secretary of the Multilateral Policy of 13 Policy Commissions under the
Division. She previously served ICC.
overseas in Moscow and Damascus,  Currently he is the chief executive of
according to a note by the Australian the Singapore based law firm Drew
foreign ministry. & Napier. He was the member of
Singapore Parliament from 1988-
Secretary-General Appoints Tamar Hahn of 2006.
Israel Director of United Nations Information
Centre Ashok Chawla Appointed As Chairman of TERI
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki- TERI's governing council appointed Ashok
moon has appointed Tamar Hahn of Israel Chawla as its new chiarman.
Director of the United Nations Information
Centre (UNIC) in Buenos Aires, which serves  Chawla is the former Union Finance
Argentina and Uruguay. She assumes her Secretary and former Chairman of
duties on 10 February. the Competition Commission.
 The Council decided after the
 Prior to this appointment, Ms. Hahn elevation of climate scientist R.K.
was the Regional Adviser for Pachauri indicted in a sexual
Resource Mobilization and harassment case to the post of
Partnerships at the United Nations Executive Vice Chairman on
Population Fund (UNFPA) Regional Monday, received widespread
Office for Latin America and the
Caribbean in Panama City, Panama,
criticism from the media and
women’s rights lawyers.
since 2013.  The Research and Resources
 She developed strategic approaches Institute (TERI) re announced that
for UNFPA resource mobilization the new Director General, Ajay
and co-financing. She also Mathur, as a Member of the Council
established and managed will operate with full executive
partnership networks and provided powers. Mr. Mathur was brought in
strategic communications support. to replace Mr. Pachauri on DG's
post.
Indian Origin Lawyer Davinder Singh
Appointed As Vice - Chairman Of ICC
A top Indian origin lawyer has been named Kamlesh Kumar appointed as Chief
as Vice-Chairman of the Paris based Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities
International Chamber of Commerce
Commission (ICC) on Corporate Kamlesh Kumar Pandey was appointed as
Responsibility and Anti-corruption. the Chief Commissioner for Persons with
Disabilities (CCPD) for a period of three
 Davinder Singh, 58, is one of the top years.
Indian origin lawyer in Singapore. He
is the only Singaporean lawyer to be
 Before joining the post of CCPD, His predecessor Ri Yong-Gil was reportedly
Pandey was associated with executed early this month in what would be
Saksham, an NGO working in the the latest in a series of purges and
field of disability. executions of top officials. Ri Yong-Gil was
 He is a Science Graduate from accused of forming a political faction and
University of Allahabad and Medical corruption.
Graduate from Agra University in
1990. Vinod Rai appointed Chairman of Banks Board
Bureau
Sri Srinivasan : To Become The 1st Indian Vinod Rai has been appointed first
American Judge Of US Supreme Court Chairman of the Banks Board Bureau.
Sri Srinivasan to become the first Indian-
American Judge of the U S Supreme Court  The BBB (Banks Board Bureau) will
to replace Justice Antonin Scalia after his advise the government on top-level
unexpected death. appointments at public sector
lenders and ways to address the bad
 He made history in 2013 when he loans problem among other issues.
became the first Asian American and  Vinod Rai was the 11th Comptroller
Indian American to serve in the and Auditor General of India (CAG)
Court of Appeals in the D.C. Circuit, between January 2008 and May
long cited as the stepping stone to 2013, during which a number of CAG
the uppermost echelon, the reports led to various scams
Supreme Court. www.BankExamsToday.com
including in the telecom and coal
 He mostly defended views other sectors coming to light.
than his own, arguing for both
Republicans and Democrats.
Ri Myong Su Appointed As New Military Chief Prof. Yogesh Tyagi : New Vice Chancellor Of
Of North Korea Delhi University
North Korean state media has confirmed President Pranab Mukherjee appointed
the country has a new military chief, Yogesh Tyagi, dean of the law faculty at
following earlier reports in Seoul that the South Asian University (SAU), as the new
former holder of the post had been Vice Chancellor of Delhi University (DU).
executed.
 The HRD ministry appointed Tyagi
Ri Myong-Su, former People's Security for a term of five years after his
Minister, was referred to as "chief of the name was chosen from a panel of
Korean People's Army General Staff" when four persons by President Pranab
the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) Mukherjee, who is the Visitor of all
reported on an army exercise guided by central universities.
leader Kim Jong-un.  . The appointment of the Delhi
Ri Myong-Su was again mentioned in a University Vice Chancellor had been
separate KCNA report on Mr Kim's pending for three months since
inspection of an air force exercise. Singh left that office on October 28
last year and Sudheesh Pachauri was The 1986 IFS batch officer Dr.Ketan Shukla
the acting Vice Chancellor. is appointed as the new High Commissioner
to the Republic of Botswana .
U.K. Sinha Gets Extension As SEBI Chairman
UK Sinha will continue to lead India's capital • He succeeds Ms.Hemalata C. Bhagirath as
and commodities market regulator for one the High commissioner of the African state.
more year. The government extended
Sinha's term as the chairman of Securities
and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) till J K Garg takes over as MD of Corporation Bank
March 01, 2017. J K Garg has taken over as Managing
Director and CEO of Corporation Bank
 Sinha took over as Sebi chairman in following the retirement of S R Bansal.
2011 with a three-year term. After
that he was given a two-year  Prior to this appointment, Garg was
extension. Executive Director in UCO Bank,
Corporation Bank said in a
Christine Lagarde appointed for second term statement.
as IMF chief  He had started his career at
Christine Lagarde has been re-appointed as Corporation Bank in 1986, and
its Managing Director for a second five-year would head the bank for three
term after an uncontested election. years.
 The Executive Board of the

International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi appointed as India’s
on Friday selected 60-year-old Envoy to Mexico
Lagarde to serve as IMF Managing Senior IFS officer Muktesh Kumar Pardeshi
Director for a second five-year term was appointed as India’s Ambassador to
starting on July 5, 2016, IMF said in a Mexico.
statement. The Board’s decision was
taken by consensus.  He is currently posted as Joint
 Ms Lagarde, 60, a former French Secretary (Passport division) in the
Finance Minister, took over as head Union Ministry of External Affairs.
of the IMF in 2011 following  He served as the Deputy Head of
Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s Mission at the Embassy of India in
resignation amid scandal. Ms Jakarta from 2007 to 2010. During
Lagarde said she was “delighted” to 1993-2001, he worked with Indian
accept a second term to lead the Missions in Mexico, Colombia and
IMF, which represents 188 member Nepal.
countries.
Aruna Sethi appointed as first women
Ketan Shukla appointed as the new HC Of head of ICaAs
Botswana
Aruna Sethi, took over charge as the head
of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS).
With this appointment, she became the first  It has set up 22 centres across the
woman to occupy the post. country (including 10 centres
exclusively for training of women).
 Prior to the present elevation,
Aruna, a 1985 batch ICoAS officer,
held important portfolios in Mumbai win Ranji Trophy title
Government of India including Mumbai defeated Saurashtra by an innings
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and 21 runs today in the Ranji Trophy final
at Pune to win their 41st Ranji title.
DJ Pandian appointed AIIB Vice-President  The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-

Former chief secretary of Gujarat DJ class cricket championship played in
Pandian has been appointed vice-president India between teams representing
and chief investment officer of the newly- regional cricket associations.
created Asian Infrastructure Investment  The competition currently consists
Bank (AIIB). of 27 teams, with 21 of the 29 states
in India and Delhi (which is an Union
 China had nominated its former Territory), having at least one
finance minister Jin Liqun as the first representation.
president of AIIB.  The competition is named after first
 China, India and Russia are the three Indian Cricketer who played for
largest shareholders, taking 30.34 England and Sussex, Ranjitsinhji who
per cent, 8.52 per cent, 6.66 per www.BankExamsToday.com
was also known as “Ranji“.
cent stake, respectively, in the  A 28th team from Chhattisgarh will
newly-formed bank. Their voting take part in the tournament from
shares are calculated at 26.06 per the 2016–17 Ranji Trophy.
cent, 7.5 per cent and 5.92 per cent,
respectively.
Kerala emerges as winner of 61st National
 Sports School Athletics championship
The National School Athletics championship
began on January 29 and concluded
ICICI Academy aims to impart skills training to
yesterday, i.e on February 2. Kerala
one lakh youth by 2017
emerged as the overall winner for the 19th
The academy and the RSETIs will train close
consecutive time. The national School
to 45,000 candidates in the 2017 fiscal and
Athletics championship was held at
take the total number of trained youth to
Olympian Rahman Stadium in Kozhikode,
over a lakh.
Kerala.
 The academy has in the last two
 Kerala, the host of the championship
years (since inception in 2013)
got 306 points winning 39 gold, 29
trained 25,200 youths (of which 32
silver and 17 bronze medals. On the
per cent were women) belonging to
other hand, Tamil Nadu stood at
the economically weaker sections.
second position with 116 points
winning 11 gold, 8 silver and 13 keeper batsman has scored over

bronze medals. 6000 test runs at an average of 39.
Maharashtra with 101 points obtained the

third position. The venue of this event of
Athletics is at the Olympian Abdurrahman Shrikanth wins Syed Modi International
Stadium in Medical College Ground at Championships
Kozhikode, Kerala. Ace Indian shuttler K. Srikanth has clinched
the Men’s Singles title of the Syed Modi
International Grand Prix Gold Badminton
Rajkot franchise IPL team name as ‘Gujarat Championships.
Lions’
Intex Technologies, which owns the newly  In the final played at Lucknow last
formed Rajkot IPL team, announced its evening, Srikanth, who was the top
official name as ‘Gujarat Lions’. seed, defeated China’s Huang
Yuxiang, 21-13, 14-21, 21-14 to win
 The team also announced Suresh his fifth title overall.
Raina as its captain. Other key  The Women’s Singles trophy was
players in the team include Brendon bagged by the second seeded
McCullum, Ravindra Jadeja, James Korean, Sung Ji Hyun. She beat the
Faulkner and Dwayne Bravo. Brad fifth placed Japanese, Sayako Sato,
Hodge has been named as the coach 12-21, 21-18, 21-18.
of the team. www.BankExamsToday.com
 This will be the first IPL team from
the state of Gujarat, where Intex has
a strong presence. Aditya Mehta won 83rd Senior National
Snooker Championship
Australia rank world No.1 in ICC Test rankings Aditya Mehta defeated Manan Chandra 6-3
In Cricket, Australia has replaced India at in the final to won the 83rd Senior National
the top of the world’s test rankings with a Snooker Championship held in Indore,
2-nil test series victory over New Zealand in Madhya Pradesh.
Christchurch today.
 In another event, Vidya Pillai won
 Captain Steven Smith and Joe Burns the National Snooker Championship
hit fifties on the final day as in the women’s category by
Australia achieved target of 201 set defeating Amee Kamani 4-2. For 38-
by the hosts losing just 3 wickets in year-old Vidya, it was her ninth
their second innings. national title.
 Joe Burns was selected as man of
the match for his 170 and 65 runs
from both innings. With this match,
New Zealand skipper Brendon Fukuoka to host 2021 World Aquatics
McCullum bid farewell to test Championships
cricket. The 34- years old wicket
The International Swimming Federation Fittipaldi won two of the four races which
(FINA) announced that the Japanese city of earned him the required points to clinch the
Fukuoka will host the 2021 World Aquatics title with a tally of 244 points while
Championships. And the Qatar capital Doha Colombian Tatiana Calderon finished
will host the 2023 event. second (199), just eight ahead of Nikita
Troitckii of Russia (191).
 The FINA World Championships or
World Aquatics Championships are
the World Championships for
aquatics sports: Swimming, Diving, India won three-match T-20 series against
High Diving, Open Water Swimming, Australia, 3-0
Synchronized Swimming and Water India on 31 January 2016 won the three-
Polo. match T-20 series against Australia, 3-0. In
 The event was first held in 1973 and the third and final Twenty20 match played
is now held every two years. in Sydney, India defeated Australia by seven
wickets.
Dnipro FC Wins 2016 Nagjee International Club

Football Tournament  Winning the toss and electing to bat,
Ukraine’s Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Football Australia was able to score 197 for 5
Club (FC) has won the 2016 Sait Nagjee in 20 overs after which India
International Club Football Tournament in
Kozhikode. The goalscorers on the evening
surpassed the target of 198 by
making 200 for three in their 20
were Ihor Kohut (40'), Denys Balanuik (62')
overs.
and Yuri Vakulko (85').
The Ukrainian FC also created a record in  Virat Kohli of India was declared as
the Sait Nagjee tournament that was the player of the series.
brought alive after 21 years with
Ronaldinho inaugurating the same, as they  Meanwhile, Indian men's team also
scored the most number of goals in the became the number one side in the
championship (10) and also kept a clean
ICC T20 rankings after whitewashing
sheet in all their three games.
Australia in the three-match series
in Sydney.
Pietro Fittipaldi won 2015-16 MRF Challenge Novak Djokovic beats Andy Murray to win the
Formula 2000 2016 Australian Open final
Brazilian racing driver Pietro Fittipaldi on 31 Novak Djokovic is Australian Open
January 2016 clinched the 2015-16 MRF champion for the sixth time, equalling Roy
Challenge Formula 2000 at Madras Motor Emerson’s record, but it is unlikely he will
Racing Track in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu. be spending much time analysing a final in
which he eked out a sub-par 6-1, 7-5, 7-6 (7-
3) win over Andy Murray here on Sunday
night. It was Djokovic’s fourth win over Brendon McCullum who retired
Murray in the final of these championships from One-Day International (ODI)
– and the most ordinary – and his 11th in cricket after the match.
their past 12 matches.  They also retained the Chappell-
Hadlee trophy by putting
Yasir Shah suspended for three months for tremendous bowling and fielding
breach of anti-doping code display.
Yasir Shah Pakistan leg-spinner had been
banned for three months for breaching the Indian Wrestlers Win 14 out of 16 Gold In
International Cricket Council’s (ICCs) anti- South Asian Games
doping code. Indian wrestlers simply grabbed, scooping
14 gold medals out of a total 16 on offer as
 He had temporarily suspended in the wrestling competition in the 12th South
late December because he had Asian Games.
taken banned substance Cloralti
done, which was found in his body  Indian wrestlers ended their
for a blood test during Pakistan’s campaign with a whopping 14 gold
2nd One-Day International (ODI) and two silver.
against England.  India won gold in all the eight
 He breaks Article 2.1 of the ICC’s women's categories, while their men
anti-doping code that deals with counterparts won 6 gold and 2
“the presence of Prohibited silver. Pakistan won 2 gold.
Substance in a Player’s body. www.BankExamsToday.com
Chinappa Wins Gold In South Asian Games
New Zealand cricketer Brendon Barrie India’s ace squash player Joshna Chinappa
McCullum retired from One-Day Internationals has won the gold medal in women’s
Brendon Barrie McCullum (New Zealand) on individual category at the 12th South Asian
8 February 2016 retired from One-Day Games (SAG).
Internationals (ODIs). However, He
announced his retirement on 22 December  she defeated Pakistan’s Maria Wazir
2015. by 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7
score.With this she became first
 He played 260 ODIs and scored 6083 Indian squash player to win
runs matches. They include 5 individual gold medal in 2016 SAG.
centuries and 31 half-centuries.
Under 19 World Cup : West Indies Beat India
New Zealand cricket team won Chappell- To Win First Title
Hadlee Trophy The West Indies won the Under-19 World
New Zealand on 8 February 2016 won the Cup for the first time in their history after
three-match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy of beating India by five wickets in Dhaka,
cricket against Australia, 2-1. Bangladesh.
It was the eleventh edition of the Under-19
 This win of the Black Caps can be Cricket World Cup, and the second to be
termed as the best farewell gift for held in Bangladesh, after the 2004 event.
Gijon that sent them six points clear at the

Mirza-Hingis Win St Petersburg Title top of the table.
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Swiss
partner Martina Hingis extended their  This was his 301st goal in 334
winning streak to 40 after clinching the St. matches in La Liga .
Petersburg Ladies Trophy.  With this, Lionel Messihas become
the fifth player to notch 300 goals in
 The top-seeded pair continued their a single league.
imperious form as they swept aside  Jimmy Graves, Gird Muller, Dixcy
the Russian-Czech pair of Vera Dean and Steve Bloomer have
Dushevina and Barbora Krejcikova 6- scored 300 goals in different
3, 6-1 in the finals of the women’s leagues.
double event that lasted for an hour.
 With the win, the Indo-Swiss pair Hockey India League 2016: Punjab Warriors
bagged their 13th women’s double beat Kalinga Lancers to clinch maiden title
titles. Earlier this year, the Indo- Having lost the final in the last two seasons,
Swiss duo won their third the Jaypee Punjab Warriors finally struck
consecutive women’s doubles Grand gold to become third-time lucky as they
Slam title by lifting the Australian clinched their Hockey India League (HIL)
Open trophy. title in the fourth edition of the six-team
tournament at the Birsa Munda Hockey
ICC Cricket for Good and UNICEF launched Stadium.
Team Swachh clinics in partnership with BCCI
International Cricket Council (ICC) and
 The Chandigarh-based outfit beat
United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund Kalinga Lancers 6-1 in the summit
(UNICEF) had launched the Team clash where Armaan Qureshi, Matt
Swachh clinics in partnership with BCCI Gohdes and Satbir Singh scored a
during the ICC WT20 Host City Tour. field goal each for the Warriors.
Skipper Moritz Fuerste scored the
 The Team Swachh clinics were Lancers' lone goal of the match,
launched at the HPCA Stadium in coming in a penalty corner.
Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh.  The unique feature of the
 This is the first in the series of tournament was that each field goal
alliance between the ICC and counted for two.
UNICEF under the aegis of Cricket
for Good. Brendon McCullum scores fastest 100 in Test
 The alliance aims at building a social Cricket History
movement for sanitation and toilet New Zealand Skipper Brendon McCullum
use with the impact of cricket. has smashed the fastest ever Test ton in his
final international match on day one of the
Lionel Messi first to score 300 La Liga goals Second Test Match between Australia and
Lionel Messi became the first player to New Zealand at Christchurch.
notch 300 La Liga goals as his double blast
powered Barcelona to a 3-1 win at Sporting
 A 54-ball effort that broke the committee, headed by BCCI

record jointly held by Viv Richards president Shashank Manohar and
and Misbah-ul-Haq. comprising Jyotiraditya Scindia and
 Australia chose to field and had New Niranjan Shah, finally announced the
Zealand in trouble at 74/4 but ban on him today.
McCullum, along with Corey  Rauf had been withdrawn by
Anderson, changed the entire Pakistan from the ICC’s elite panel
course of the match. after the allegations against him
broke out.
Nirban Lahiri wins Hilton Asian Tour Golfer of Kavita Raut Clinched Gold In SAG Marathon
the Year award India long distance runner Kavita
The Indian triumphed at the Maybank Raut clinches gold in marathon.
Malaysian and Hero Indian Open before
going on to finish tied fifth at the PGA  The 30 year old Raut easily clinched
Championship last year. the marathon gold in 2 hours 38
minutes and 38 seconds to become
 He also became the first Indian to the 4th Indian women to have
feature at The Presidents Cup and qualified for Rio Games women’s
ended the year by winning the Asian marathon.
Tour Order of Merit title and  Nashik girl Raut is the lone athlete to
finishing in 40th place in the world have qualified for the Olympics from
rankings. www.BankExamsToday.com
the 12th SAG.
 Lahiri won the award ahead of  With these two gold and one
Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, bronze, India ended the athletics
Malaysia's Danny Chia and competition with 28 gold, 22 silver
Philippines' Miguel Tabuena. and 9 bronze, medals thereby
establishing their unrivalled
BCCI bans Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf for 5 superiority in the South Asian
years region.
Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf was today
banned for five years by the BCCI after its Lionel Messi Named La Liga Player of Month
disciplinary committee found him guilty of FC Barcelona forward Lionel Andres Messi
corrupt practices and bringing the game has been named Liga BBVA Player of the
into disrepute. Month for January, for the first time.
 The 59-year-old Rauf, who was part  The award has been given out since
of the ICC’s elite panel and officiated the beginning of the 2013-14
in Test matches, was accused of Primera División season but the five-
accepting expensive gifts from times Ballon d’Or winner had not
bookies besides placing bets on IPL won it until now.
matches in the 2013 edition.  Messi is the only football player in
 After a decision on his fate was history to win the FIFA Ballon d'Or
deferred for several weeks, the five times, four of which he won
consecutively, and the first player to Long-distance runner Lalita Babar was
win three European Golden Shoes. today named as the Sports Person of the
Year in the India Sports Awards 2015.
India Women Lose Final T20I vs Australia,  The Indian Sports Award were were
Clinch Series 2-1 given away here at the conclusion of
Australia women clinched the third and final day one of ‘Turf 2015-16’, organised
Twenty20 International by 15 runs but visitors by the Federation of Indian
India lifted the trophy with a 2-1 series victory
Chambers of Commerce and
at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on
Industry (FICCI) with the support of
Sunday.
the Sports Ministry. Babar qualified
for Rio Olympics recently im the
 Put into bat, Australia posted a total
3000m steepelchase event and is
of 136/5 in 20 overs before halting
the current Indian national record
the visiting team at 121/8.
holder.
 The Indian women cricketers
 Besides Babar, gynmast Dipa
created history at the Melbourne
Karmakar was named as the
Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday
Breakthrough Sports Person of the
where their 10-wicket win resulted
Year while Amateur Kabaddi
in their first bilateral series victory
Federation of India was conferred
over Australia, the defending World
with the Best National Sports
Twenty20 champions who are
Federation recognition.
eyeing their fourth successive world
title in March, in any format.
Aryabhatta award conferred on Avinash
Awards Chander
Geetu Mohandas wins Global Filmmaking
award at Sundance Film Festival 2016
Actress-filmmaker Geetu Mohandas has
received the Global Filmmaking award at Avinash Chander, former Scientific Adviser
Sundance Film Festival 2016. to Defence Minister and Director General of
the DRDO, has been conferred with the
 The award is given to emerging Aryabhata Award of the Astronautical
filmmakers from the World Cinema Society of India.
stage on the basis of their next
screenplay and the 34-year-old  The award was presented to Avinash
director received it for her upcoming Chander by R Chidambaram,
feature “Insha’ Allah”. Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt.
of India and A S Kiran Kumar,
Chairman ISRO during the ASI-ISRO
Lalita Babar named as the Sports Person of the Awards function held at Space
Year Applications Centre (SAC),
Ahmedabad.
 He is at present the National

Rajendra Singh appointed as the DG of Coast Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant
Guard Chair Professor at the University of
Rajendra Singh has been appointed as the Hyderabad. He served as the
Director General (DG) of Coast Guard, the Director of the IISc, Bengaluru
country’s coastal protection force. (1998-2005) and was also President
of the Indian National Science
 He will replace Vice Admiral HCS Academy (INSA).
Bisht who has been promoted as the
Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of
the Eastern Naval Command.
 This is the first time that an officer
who is not from the Indian Navy has Pandit Ram Narayan selected for Bhimsen
been promoted as the Chief Joshi Award
of Coast Guard since it was set up in
1978. Sarangi maestro Pandit Ram Narayan was
selected for the prestigious Bharat Ratna
Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Classical Music Award
for 2015-2016.
Afghan cyclist nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Afghanistan’s national women’s cycling  Narayan’s selection for the award
team has been nominated for the 2016 was announced by Maharashtra’s
Nobel Peace Prize. www.BankExamsToday.com
Cultural Affairs Minister Vinod
Tawde in Mumbai.
 Following an online campaign, 118
Italian ministers voted to nominate ‘Phum Shang’ bags the Golden Conch Award at
them for the Nobel Peace Prize. MIFF
 The team has used the bicycle as a Manipuri documentary film ‘Phum Shang’
vehicle for social justice, enduring won the coveted Golden Conch Award for
violence and social stigma. In 2013, the best documentary at the 14th Mumbai
it became the first Afghan women’s International Film Festival (MIFF).
team to compete on the
international stage, at the Asian  Directed by Hao Bam Pabankumar,
Cycling Championships in Delhi, ‘Phum Shang’ critically examined the
India. serious ecological problems
encountered at Loktak Lake, the
Goverdhan Mehta conferred Germany’s largest fresh-water lake in northeast
prestigious award India.
Goverdhan Mehta, a well-known researcher
in Chemical Sciences & former Vice- Malayalam Film ‘Ottal’ Wins Award At Berlin
Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad Film Festival
(UoH), has been conferred with Federal The National award winning Malayalam film
Republic of Germany’s prestigious `Cross of 'Ottal' has been named the best children's
the Order of Merit’. film at the 66th Berlin International Film
Festival and honored with the Crystal Bear distinguished performances,

award in the 'Generation KPlus' section. innovative abilities, outstanding
The film is about the story of an old contribution in the field of
fisherman and his grandson directed by productivity and exhibition of
Jayaraj Rajasekharan Nair. Jayaraj is known exceptional courage and presence of
for adapting literary classic into films. mind.
He has earlier made films based on  This year, 9 nominations for the
Shakespeare's works such as "Othello" and Shram Bhushan Award, 19
"Antony and Cleopatra". nominations for ShramVir/ Shram
Veerangana and 26 nominations for
Shram Shree / Shram Devi Awards
have been selected.
Nana Patekar will get the ‘Godavari Gaurav’
award BAFTA Awards : 69th British Academy Film
Well-known actor Nana Patekar will get the Awards
‘Godavari Gaurav’ award, instituted by city- The 69th British Academy Film Awards held
based ‘Kusumagraj Prathishthan’. on 14 February 2016 in London. It has taken
place in Central London at the Royal Opera
 The other awardees include dancer House.
KanakRele, Chetana Sinha, DrShashi
Kumar Chitre, Dr. Balkrishna Joshi  The Revenant' scooped the best
and endurance cyclists Hitendra and film, best actor and best director
Mahendra Mahajan for their www.BankExamsToday.com
awards at the 69th edition of the
contribution in various fields. biggest film awards outside the U.S.
 The award carries a prize of Rs  The other award of BAFTA's are as
21,000 and a memento. The awards follow : Outstanding British Film:
will be presented by Marathi writer Brooklyn. Best Director: Alejandro G.
Madhu Mangesh Karnik on March Iñárritu (The Revenant). Best Actor:
10 – the death anniversary of well- Leonardo Di Caprio (The Revenant).
known poet and writer V V Best Actress: Brie Larson (Room).
Shirwadkar, who was popularly Most awards: The Revenant (5
known as ‘Kusumagraj’. wins). Most nominations: Bridge of
Spies and Carol (9 nominations
PM Shram Awards Announced For The Year each).
2014
The Government of India has announced President Pranab Mukherjee Conferred Infosys
the Prime Ministers Shram Awards for the Prize 2015
year 2014. President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred
Infosys Prize 2015 on six winners for their
 The award will be awarded to 54 outstanding contribution in the research
workers employed in the fields in New Delhi.
Departmental Undertakings and
Public Sector.The award has been  The awards were received by Prof
given in recognition of their Umesh Waghmare, Prof Jonardon
Ganeri, Dr. Amit Sharma, Prof pioneering contribution towards the

Mahan Mj, Prof G Ravindra Kumar Indian software industry and nation-
and Dr. Srinath Raghavan. building.
 The Prize were given across five
categories: Engineering and Vidya Balan receives Pride of Kerala award
Computer Science, Life Sciences, The 38-year-old Bollywood actress Vidya
Mathematical Sciences, Physical Balan has been awarded with the ‘Pride of
Sciences and Social Sciences and the Kerala’ award by the World Malayalee
Humanities. Council and Kairali TV.
Robin Chaurasiya Nominated For ‘Global  The National award-winning actress

Teacher Prize’ has starred in films like “Parineeta”,
Robin Chaurasiya, an Indian teacher who “Paa”, “No One Killed Jessica”, “The
runs a non-profit school in Mumbai for girls Dirty Picture” and “Kahaani”.
from the city’s red light areas has been
named in the top 10 short-list for a global
prize for teachers. Titli became first Indian film to win Best First
Foreign Film award by FSCC
 Robin Chaurasiya, founder of Kranti, Indian film-maker Kanu Behl directorial Titli
will compete with teachers from the on 1 February 2016 bagged the Best First
UK, US, Nairobi, Palestine, Japan, Foreign Film Award conferred by the French
Finland, Australia and Pakistan to Syndicate of Cinema Critics 2016 (FSCC).
win the $1-million Global Teacher www.BankExamsToday.com
 Titli has earlier won at various
international film festivals at places
Prize 2016.
 The top ten have been narrowed like Bordeaux, Hawaii, New York,
down from 8,000 nominations and Turkey and Spain.
applications from 148 countries
from around the world.
Deaths
NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell died
Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year Award NASA Astronaut Edgar Mitchell, who was
2015 the sixth man to walk on the Moon, died in
Chief Executive Officer Vinita Gupta and West Palm Beach, Florida.
managing director Nilesh Gupta, Lupin Ltd  The lunar module pilot on Apollo 14
have been chosen the EY Entrepreneur Of died at the age of 85.
The Year 2015.
 His death occurred on the eve of the
45th anniversary of his lunar
 An 11-member jury led by Adi
landing, which took place on 5
Godrej selected the winners.
February 1971.
 F. C. Kohli, former Vice-Chairman of
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), has Former Loksabha Speaker Balram Jakhar
been honored with the Lifetime Passes Away
Achievement Award for his
Veteran Congress leader and former Lok (COPD) and has also been receiving
Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar passed away treatment for “tongue cancer”.
in New Delhi on Wednesday. He was 92.  Koirala was appointed President of
the party ( Congress ) in 2008 by
 Jakhar served as Speaker of Lok President Girija Prasad Koirala.
Sabha from 1980 to 1989 during
which he contributed to the Noted Poet NidaFazli Is No More
establishment of Parliament Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli has taken his last
Museum. He also served as breath on 8th Feb.He was an Indian Hindi
Agriculture Minister in the Cabinet and Urdu poet. He was 78.
of former Prime Minister Narasimha
Rao.  He has got many awards for his work
 Jakhar also served as Governor of in his entire career, some of them
Madhya Pradesh from 30 June, 2004 are as follows In 1998 Sahitya
to 30 May, 2009 Akademi Award in Urdu for Khoya
Hua Sa Kuchh, In 2003 Star Screen
Singer-songwriter Dan Hicks passed away Award for Best Lyricist for Sur, In
Renowned American singer-songwriter Dan 2003 Bollywood Movie Award - Best
Hicks passed away after a two-year long Lyricist for Aa Bhi Ja from Sur and In
battle with throat and liver cancer. He was 2013 Padma Shri; the Government
74. of India.
 He was known for his traditional mix www.BankExamsToday.com

Biraja Prasad : Indian Ambassador To
Tajikistan Passes Away
of folk, jazz and country music.
 His musical career was started in San Biraja Prasad, India’s Ambassador to
Francisco in the 1960s playing drums Tajikistan passed away following a massive
for rock band The Charlatans. His cardiac arrest.
last album was Live at Davies which
 He was the youngest Indian Foreign
was released in 2013 to cap over
forty years of music career. Service (IFS) officer to be appointed
 Some of his famous songs are I Scare as India’s Ambassador to any
Myself, Canned Music and How Can country.
 Mr. Biraja Prasad , who belonged to
I Miss You When You Won’t Go
Away?. Odisha started his career as
diplomat.
Former Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala
Passes Away Rajamani : Music Director And Composer
Passes Away
Nepal's former prime minister Sushil Koirala Rajamani, southern music director and
passed away at his resident.He was 78. composer has passed away.
 He was 60. He suffered a sudden

 Koirala was suffering from Chronic
Obstructive Pulmonary Disease cardiac arrest and passed away in
Chennai, Tamilnadu.
 He had predominantly worked in

Malayalam film industry and had Veteran vocalist Abdul Rashid Khan dead
composed music for around 70 Veteran Indian classical vocalist Abdul
films. Rashid Khan passed away here due to old
age problems, West Bengal Chief Minister
Former UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali Mamata Banerjee said. He was 107.
passes away
Former United Nations (UN) Secretary-  Born in a family of musicians of the
General Boutros Boutros-Ghali passed away Gwalior 'gharana', Rashid Khan
in Cairo, Egypt. He was 93. received his initial training from his
father Chhote Yusuf Khan and uncle
 Mr. Boutros-Ghali was Egyptian Bade Yusuf Khan as also other elders
politician and diplomat who had from the family. The
served as sixth UN Secretary- SangeetNatakAkademi awardee was
General from 1992 to 1996. a resident guru at the ITC Sangeet
 He was United Nations’ first Research Academy in the city.
secretary-general from Africa.  His traditional compositions have
been recorded by reputed
K Garudachar, India’s oldest first-class broadcasters and institutes like BBC,
cricketer, passed away Iraq Radio and Uttar Pradesh
India’s oldest living first-class cricketer K SangeetNatakAcademi,
Garudachar, who represented Mysore (as Lucknow. Equally adept at khayal,
Karnataka was called till 1974), United
Province and Bombay, died in Bangalore on
thumri, dhrupad and dhamar, he
was a regular performer in
Friday aged 99. Akashvani and Doordarshan and
reputed national and regional
 A right-hand batsman and a leg- conferences.
break bowler, Garudachar scored  In 2013, he was honoured with the
1126 runs at an average of 29.63 Padma Bhushan, becoming the
from 27 matches in first-class cricket oldest person ever to be conferred a
between 1935 and 1946. Padma award.
Malayalam director Rajesh Pillai passes away US writer Harper Lee dies at the age of 89
The Malayalam film director Rajesh Pillai, Harper Lee, one of America’s most
on Saturday, passed away at a private celebrated novelists whose masterpiece “To
hospital located in Kochi. Kill a Mockingbird” was read by millions
worldwide, has died at the age of 89.
 The director was due for a liver
transplant and was suffering from  She was a country girl who just
liver cirrhosis. He had postponed the wanted to tell an honest story about
transplant in order to complete the life as she saw it. Former, US
shooting of his latest film ‘Vettah’ President George W Bush, who
which released in theatres on Friday. awarded her the Presidential Medal
of Freedom in 2007, said she was a farming family in Betadur village in

legendary novelist and lovely lady. Kundagoltaluk of Dharwad district.
Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Leslie Bassett : Pulitzer Winner Composer
Passes Away
Eco passed away Leslie Bassett, Pulitzer winning composer
passed away in Oakwood, Georgia. He was
Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco, 93.
best known for his novel ‘The Name of the
Rose’, has died at the age of 84 years.  He had also served as trombonist,
composer and arranger in the US
 The ‘Name of the Rose’ was made Army and Europe during World War
into a film in 1989 starring Scottish II.
actor Sean Connery. Eco, who also  Bassett received the Pulitzer in 1966
wrote the novel Foucault’s for “Variations for Orchestra,” which
Pendulum. had been given its United States
premiere by the Philadelphia
Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy
the year before.
Veteran director Aurobindo Mukherjee passes
away Padma Vibhushan awardee O N V Kurup
Veteran film director Aurobindo Mukherjee passes away
passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal after
ailing from geriatric problems. He was 97.
Padma Vibhushan awardee, eminent
Malayalam poet, lyricist, professor and
environmentalist O N V Kurup passed away
 Mukherjee was the maker of cult due to cardiac arrest. He was 84.
Bengali classics like ‘Mouchak,
‘Agniswar” and ‘Nishipadma’, all of  He was one of the leading lyricists in
them starred matinee idol Uttam Malayalam film, drama and album
Kumar in the early 1970s. industry and also the much
respected teacher of Malayalam
literature.
Siachen Avalanche Survivor Lance Naik
Hanamanthappa Passes Away
Lance Naik Hanamanthappa, who had been Former Deputy Governer S.S.Tarapore passes
battling for life at the Army’s Research & away
Referral hospital, breathed his last on Today S.S. Tarapore, former deputy governor of
morning. “Really sorry to inform everyone the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and a noted
that LNk Hanamanthappa is no more..He economist, passed away in Mumbai on
was 33. Tuesday.
 Tarapore joined the RBI in 1961 and
 Hanamanthappa, hailed from Koppal retired in 1996 as deputy governor,
in Karnataka. He belonged to a having been involved in almost all
aspects of monetary policy.
Books
Book titled Nathuram Godse - The Story of an
Assassin released
The book titled Nathuram Godse - The Story
of an Assassin authored by Anup Ashok
Sardesai was released on 30 January 2016.
The book narrates the story of Nathuram

Vinayakrao Godse who died an untimely
death and his brother suffered a life of
immense mental torture. It also speaks of
the family of Godse who faced countless
abuses and humiliations.
Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography enters Limca

Book of Records
He might have bid adieu to cricket but
Sachin Tendulkar continues to make records
with the his autobiography 'Playing It My
Way' entering the Limca Book of Records
for being the best-selling adult hardback
across both fiction and non-fiction
categories.
 The book, published by Hachette

India, was released on November 6,
2014 and has broken all records for
an adult hardback across both
fiction and non-fiction categories
with 1,50,289 copies confirmed on
order subscriptions.
 The book's orders, on day one,
already saw it pulling ahead of both
pre-order and lifetime sales of the
world's top adult hardbacks Dan
Brown's Inferno, Walter Issacson's
Steve Jobs and JK Rowling's Casual
Vacancy.
 Boria Majumdar was the co-author
of Tendulkar's autobiography.

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Swatch Bharat Abhiyan initiated by India. It will be later augmented to

Current Rates are as follows – clock and available at more than

Engineers (India), Institution of

 Earlier he has served as Adviser Harinder Sidhu to be new Australian High

most recently as first assistant appointed to the leadership of one

 The Executive Board of the

DJ Pandian appointed AIIB Vice-President  The Ranji Trophy is a domestic first-

winning 11 gold, 8 silver and 13 keeper batsman has scored over

Maharashtra with 101 points obtained the

Dnipro FC Wins 2016 Nagjee International Club

Gijon that sent them six points clear at the

 A 54-ball effort that broke the committee, headed by BCCI

 He is at present the National

Festival and honored with the Crystal Bear distinguished performances,

Ganeri, Dr. Amit Sharma, Prof pioneering contribution towards the

Robin Chaurasiya Nominated For ‘Global  The National award-winning actress

 He was known for his traditional mix www.BankExamsToday.com

 He was 60. He suffered a sudden

 He had predominantly worked in

of Freedom in 2007, said she was a farming family in Betadur village in

The book narrates the story of Nathuram

Sachin Tendulkar's autobiography enters Limca

 The book, published by Hachette

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