RBI declared SBI and ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks

i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 31 August 2015 declared State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI
Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) in line with the D-SIB Framework released
by the RBI on 22 July 2014.
ii. These banks have been identified as D-SIBs based on the methodology provided in the D-SIB
Framework and data collected from banks as on 31 March 2015.
iii. Further, these banks have been put under associated bucket structure as required under the DSIB Framework and each bucket corresponds to the higher loss absorbency requirements that they
would be required to hold from January 2016.
iv. As a result, SBI has been put under Bucket 3 with additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)
requirements as a percentage of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) placed at 0.6percent.
v. On the other hand, ICICI Bank has been put under Bucket 1 with additional CET1 requirements as
a percentage of RWAs placed at 0.2 percent.
Union Government releases Rs 2,000 crore for Employees Pension Scheme
i. Union Government has released 2,000 crore rupees to Employees Pension Scheme (EPS), 1995
as its contribution for the year 2015-16.
ii. This contribution is in addition to the 250 crore rupees contributed by the government as grantin-aid in the EPS in order to provide minimum pension of 1,000 rupees to pensioners under the
scheme.
iii. In September 2015, Government had assured EPS pensioners a guaranteed minimum pension of
Rs 1,000 per month. In order to meet this assurance it was necessary for the Government to infuse
additional amount as grants-in- to sustain the continuance of the minimum pension.
IS damages ancient Temple of Bel in Syrias Palmyra
i. Islamic State (IS) militant group has destroyed part of historical Temple of Bel in the ancient site
of Palmyra in Syria.
ii. The ancient temple was dedicated to the Palmyrene gods and was one of the best preserved
parts of the historical sites of Palmyra.
iii. Earlier in August 2015, IS militant group had destroyed the ancient Temple of Baalshamin in
same region of Palmyra.
Highest mountain of North America Mt McKinley renamed as Denali
i. The highest mountain of North America was on 28 August 2015 renamed as Denali instead of its
existing name Mt McKinley by US President Barack Obama. This designation will now recognize the
sacred status of Denali to generations of Alaska Natives.
ii. The mountain, which sits in the 6 million-acre Denali national park, has been known as Denali in
Alaska since 1975. Now officially, the Denali name will be used by all and it will also take effect for
all federal usage and on all official maps.
Tejinder Pal Singh named as Australian of the Day by Commonwealth Bank
i. An Indian-origin driver in Australia Tejinder Pal Singh was on 31 August 2015 named as Australian
of the Day by Commonwealth Bank of Australia for feeding the homeless in Darwin for the past
three years.
ii. He dedicated the last Sunday of every month to feed the poor and homeless in northern Darwin
after his night shift as a cabbie. He cooked around 30 kg of Indian food to feed the homeless. The
free lunch comprises chickpeas, rice and vegetarian curry.
CSO released estimates of GDP for April-June quarter of 2015-16
i. Central Statistical Office (CSO) on 31 August 2015 released the estimates of Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) for the April-June quarter of 2015.
ii. As per the estimates, India grew by 7 percent during the first quarter of the 2015-16 financial
year. Thus, India remained the fastest growing major economy of the world for a second straight
quarter.
India had overtaken China as the worlds fastest growing major economy in the January-March
quarter, growing 7.5 per cent against Chinas 7 per cent.
Highlights of the CSO estimates
GDP at constant (2011-12) prices in Q1 of 2015-16 is estimated at 27.13 lakh crore rupees as
against 25.35 lakh crore rupees in Q1 of 2014-15, showing a growth rate of 7.0 percent. In terms of
GVA it is 7.1 percent.

The economic activities which registered growth of over 7 percent in Q1 of 2015-16 over
Q1 of 2014-15 are manufacturing, trade, hotels and transport & communication and
services related to broadcasting and financial, insurance, real estate and professional
services.

Growth in other areas: agriculture, forestry and fishing (1.9), mining and quarrying (4.0),
electricity, gas, water supply & other utility services (3.2), construction and public
administration, defence (6.9) and other services (2.7).

Gross Capital Formation (GCF) rate, a barometer for investments, continued to decline. It
was down to 27.8 per cent from 29.2 per cent in AprilJune 2014.
L C Goyal appointed as CMD of India Trade Promotion Organisation
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 August 2015 approved the appointment of L C Goyal as the
Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the Indian Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO).
ii. Prior to the present appointment, he retired as the secretary of the Union Home Ministry. He was
a 1979 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.mbly also passed a resolution welcoming the Peace Accord
signed between the Union Government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN)-IM.
1. India wins UNESCO Award for conserving Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala
i. India has won the UNESCO prize Award of Excellence 2015 for the conservation efforts of the
Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple in Kerala.
ii. The top award was given in the Asia Pacific Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
This award recognises the conservation effort of sacred sites and its tangible attributes with
conservation techniques emphasising on architecture and construction.
iii. These scared sites employ age-old rituals and conservation techniques drawn from vastu
shastra focusing on construction and architecture.
iv. It should be noted that, UNESCOs Award of Merit in Heritage Award was bestowed upon 150year-old Sino-Portuguese former residence of a Thai aristocrat, which now has been converted into
a local museum and historic inn.
v. Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Thrissur
district of Kerala.
2. Union Government recognizes Yoga as Sports discipline
i. Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has decided to recognize Yoga as a sports discipline
and place it in the Priority category.
ii. This decision was taken by Ministry while reviewing and revising the categorization of various
Sports disciplines.
iii. The sport of Fencing was upgraded from Others to General category based on the major past
performance at international events.
3. Los Angeles to Be U.S. Bidder to Host 2024 Olympics
i. Eight months after finishing as the runner-up to Boston, Los Angeles has officially been chosen as
the United States candidate for the 2024 Olympics, city officials announced Tuesday.
ii. Los Angeles is throwing itself into a contest along with Paris; Rome; Budapest; and Hamburg,
Germany that some cities have grown increasingly hesitant to enter in recent years, as the
financial pitfalls of hosting the Games have become more apparent.
iii. Boston, the U.S.O.C.s original choice to bid for the 2024 Games, backed out earlier this year
when concerns about costs the city might incur eroded public support.
iv. Los Angeles would face few of the financial challenges that have troubled past hosts, citing the
citys history of hosting successfully twice before, in 1932 and 1984
4. Durban in South Africa confirmed as 2022 Commonwealth Games host
i. The South African city of Durban has been selected as the host for the 2022 Commonwealth
Games at the Federations general assembly in New Zealand on Wednesday.
ii. Organisers said the Games would be held from 18 to 30 July, opening on the birth date of the
late South African President and anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.
iii. It gives me great pleasure to welcome the South African city of Durban as proud hosts of the
22nd Commonwealth Games, the outgoing CGF president Prince Tunku Imran said. As a
movement we stand together to support the very first games on African soil.
iv. The Commonwealth Games are held every four years and feature athletes from over 50
countries, mostly former British colonies. First held in 1930, 2022 will mark the first time the
Games will be held in Africa, a move that could pave the way for South Africa to make another
attempt for the Olympics after Cape Town finished third in bidding for the 2004 summer Games.
5. NASAs SERVIR-Mekong project to help monitor environment in Southeast Asia
i. NASA and US Agency for International Development (USAID) have started the SERVIR-Mekong
project, to strengthen the environmental monitoring in Southeast Asia region.
ii. It has been launched in the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center in Bangkok, Thailand to serve
the 5 countries of the Mekong River Basin viz. Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
iii. The focus of this project is to host vital issues in the Mekong river basin region in the five
countries which is often called as rice bowl of Asia.
iv. It will enable these countries better address issues of natural resource and disaster
management and support climate resilience studies including reducing greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions.
v. The project will help these Governments incorporate Earth observations and geospatial
technologies in improving management of water and natural resources.
vi. Provide early warning of dramatic changes in regional water, weather, land cover and land use
and climate and food security.
6. AK Jha appointed as interim CMD of NTPC Limited

i. A K Jha has been given additional charge of interim Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited.
ii. Presently, he is NTPCs Director (Technical) and will be interim CMD for three months from
September 1, 2015.
iii. Jha had joined NTPC as an Executive Trainee in 1977 and was directly associated with its
flagship project Singrauli (5200 MW).
iv. He has rich and varied corporate experience of 38 years in areas spanning across power projects
such as engineering and design, monitoring and project planning, construction and management.
7. Snapdeal acquires Silicon Valley startup Reduce Data
i. Snapdeal has acquired Silicon Valley-based startup Reduce Data, a programmatic display
advertising platform, the New Delhi-based online marketplace announced on Wednesday.
ii. While the financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, the Reduce Data team will join
Snapdeal, as the latter's bid to build a world class discovery platform and associated tools for
brands as well as over 200,000 sellers on the marketplace, the company said in a press statement.
iii. This is the twelfth buyout announced by Snapdeal since 2010.
iv. Founded in 2012 by Asif Ali, Reduce Data's platform uses artificial intelligence, real-time data
and other tools, to help brands deliver advertising strategies for consumers across platforms and
devices.
1. Union Government released 2000 crore rupees to EPS-95 as contribution for 2015-16
i. The Union Government on 1 September 2015 released 2000 crore rupees to Employee Pension
Scheme, 1995 (EPS-95) as its contribution for the year 2015-16.
ii. Further, a sum of 250 crore rupees was contributed as grant-in-aid for providing minimum
pension of 1000 rupees to the pensioners of EPS-95.
iii. The additional grant-in-aid became necessary as the Union Government directed the Employees'
Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in September 2015 to provide for guaranteed minimum
pension of 1000 rupees per month.
iv. Employee Pension Scheme (EPS)-95 came into effect on 16 November 1995 and the scheme
was launched under the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
v. It applies to the employees of all factories and other establishments to which the Employees'
Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 applies.
vi. The Union Government and employers contribute 1.16 percent and 8.33 percent of the monthly
wages of the members respectively.
vii. Under the scheme, monthly benefits for superannuation/ retirement, disability, survivor,
widow(er), children is provided and the amount of pension is based on average salary during the
preceding 12 months from the date of exit and total years of employment.
vii. It also provides for minimum pension on disablement and also provides for past service benefit
to participants of erstwhile Family Pension Scheme, 1971.
2. NSE seals pact with Stock Exchange of Mauritius for synergy
i. NSE today announced that it has formalised a memorandum of understanding with the Stock
Exchange of Mauritius (SEM) to facilitate co-operation between the two exchanges.
ii. "We have entered into an MoU with the Stock Exchange of Mauritius (SEM) with the objective of
fostering a deeper and more strategic relationship between the two institutions, facilitating
development of channels for knowledge sharing and developing mutual synergies for growth and
development," NSE said in a statement here.
iii. SEM started its operations in July 1989 as a domestic equity-centric exchange and has since
seen an overhaul of its operational and regulatory framework to become one of the leading
bourses in Africa and a multi-asset class international exchange.
iv. SEM operates a multi-currency capital raising, listing and trading platform in four international
currencies, namely USD, euro, pound sterling and ZAR.
v. The areas of co-operation under the MoU will encompass education, training and knowledge
transfer in securities markets, product development and indice creation as well as capacity
development in surveillance and investigation.
vi. Anerood Jugnauth, the Prime Minister of Mauritius, and S Bhadain, Minister of Financial Services,
along with other dignitaries, met the NSE delegation on this occasion.
3. Forward Markets Commission to be merged with SEBI with effect from 28 Sept 2015
i. Union Government on 28 August 2015 notified the merger of commodities market regulator
Forward Markets Commission (FMC) with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Its merging
will be effective from 28 September 2015.
ii. For this purpose, the government repealed the Forward Contracts Regulation Act (FCRA) 1952
and made a way to shift the Regulation of Commodity Derivatives Market to SEBI under Securities
Contracts Regulation Act (SCRA) 1956.
iii. An official press release said, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his Budget speech, had announced
the merger of FMC with the capital market regulator SEBI to strengthen the regulation of
commodity futures market.
iv. A unified regulator for commodities and capital markets will help streamline monitoring of
commodity futures trading and curb wild speculations.

4. ABB elevates India head Bazmi Husain as global chief technology officer
i. ABB has elevated Bazmi Husain, managing director of ABB India, as the global chief technology
officer, the Swiss-engineering major announced Wednesday.
ii. Husain, a power and automation expert who has been with ABB for 30 years, will take over the
new position in the beginning of 2016. He will be the first Indian on this position. Prior to him, Ravi
Uppal had occupied a top position at ABB group level as the president of global markets. Uppal is
now the managing director and chief executive officer of Jindal SteelBSE 1.40 % and Power.
iii. The $42 billion-ABB said that the company will appoint a new head for India operations soon.
Husain will now report to Group CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer.
iv. Heads of research and development operations at the group and division level as well as ABB's
venture capital arm, ABB Technology Ventures would be reporting to Husain. ABB spends $1.5
billion annually on R&D and employs some 8,500 technologists.
5. ICICI Lombard in bancassurance tie-up with CSB
i. ICICI Lombard General Insurance has tied up with Catholic Syrian Bank(CSB) for sale of its
products through 431 branches of the bank.
ii. Through the bancassurance tie-up, the company will able to offer general insurance solutions to
the bank's customer base in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. The 94-year-old
Kerala-based bank has a strong presence in the southern and western parts of the country.
iii. The bank had distribution network of 431 branches across 15 states and 4 union territories as on
December 31, 2014. ICICI Lombard would be able to offer its risk solutions to the bank's customer
base of 16 lakh clients (as on December 31, 2014).
iv. The bank's focus is on the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and retail client segments
apart from NRI customers.
6. West-Central Railway becomes first zone to eliminate Unmanned Level Crossings
i. The West-Central Railway (WCR) zone headquartered in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh has become
the first Railway Zone in Indian Railways to eliminate all unmanned level crossings.
ii. The target was achieved after all 118 unmanned level crossings of WCR zone were eliminated in
phase manner by August 31, 2015. 80 crossings were eliminated in the financial year 2014-15 and
the remaining 38 crossings were eliminated in August 2015.
iii. This target was achieved by constructing 33 Limited Height Sub Ways (LHs) and manning of 30
level crossings.
iv. It is a being considered as a big success in the safety initiative of Indian Railways as unmanned
railway crossings continue to remain a deathtrap in India as alone it had killed 126 people in 201415.
1. SAARC countries conference on Disaster Mitigation begins in New Delhi
i. Disaster Mitigation conference of member counties of South Asian Association on Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) has begun in New Delhi on 3 September 2015.
ii. The two day conference seeks to chalk out and undertake various joint efforts on various issues
related to disaster mapping and mitigation in the member nations.
iii. The conference is being held by keeping in mind the prevalent geo-climatic conditions as well as
increased frequency of natural disaster and calamities in the SAARC region.
iv. It is also being held in the wake of the recent Nepal earthquake (April 2015).
v. It calls for enhanced levels of preparedness and risk resilience amongst member countries.
vi. It also seeks collaborative action amongst member countries to deal jointly and individually in
disaster situations and ensure minimal loss of lives and property.
A few facts about South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx)
* India has taken the lead to begin SAADMEx, a simulation exercises on disaster management in
the region. In this regard, India has requested all SAARC countries to participate in this exercise.
* SAADMEx aims at augmenting current levels of individual and joint preparedness of member
countries in the rescue, relief and response operations during disaster situations.
* The exercise will be conducted in two phases.
* First phase is the current coordination conference which will discuss the requirements and
modalities of the main exercise.
* Second phase will cover the main exercise which will be held from November 23-26, 2015 in New
Delhi. Three components of second phase of SAADMEx are Table Top Exercise (TTx) Field Training
Exercise (FTx) and After Action Review (AAR).
2. RBI to issue Rs 5 coin on golden jubilee of 1965 Indo-Pak war
i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to issue coins of 5 rupees denomination to
commemorate golden jubilee year of Indo-Pak War 1965.
ii. These coins will be issued under in The Coinage Act, 2011 and will be considered as legal a
tender.
iii. Obverse side: It will bear Lion Capital of Ashoka Pillar in the centre and Satyamev Jayate will be
inscribed below it.
iv. Reverse side: In the centre it will bear image of Amar Jawan monument along with the design
of olive leaves branch on its left and right sides. The year 2015 will be written below the image of
the monument.

v. It will bear inscription VALOUR AND SACRIFICE in English on the right upper periphery and
Veerata Aur Balidan in Devnagri script on the left upper periphery.
vi. GOLDEN JUBILEE 1965 OPERATIONS in English will be inscribed on the lower periphery on the
reverse side of coin.
3. Haryana Government wins Skoch Order-of-Merit National award for implementing e-governance,
IT
i. Haryana Government has won the Skoch Order-of-Merit national award for implementing 6 eGovernance and IT initiatives in the state.
ii. It was announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the state Assembly on the second day
of the monsoon session. The award will be presented to the state government on 22-23 September,
2015.
iii. Haryana Government has notified 163 e-Governance services which would be delivered to the
citizens at their doorsteps with a view to provide time-bound and hassle-free services.
iv. Skoch Order-of-Merit national award Bestowed upon top performing government organisations
and private organisations working with the government. Given by Skoch Consultancy Services
Private Limited, a strategy and management consulting firm founded in 1997.
v. Recognises the best practices and governance models that aim for excellent and efficient
implementation of programmes and services delivery. It recognises the best practices of local, state
and national level government organisations in the area of Health, Education, Rural Development,
Panchayati Raj, Urban Development, Finance and Security.
4. Punjab Government establishes Special MGNREGA cell
i. Punjab Government has established a special MGNREGA cell to coordinate effective
implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in the state.
ii. It has been established by Punjab Rural Development and Panchayat Department at Chandigarh
with an outlay of 233 crore rupees.
iii. This cell will monitor implementation of Union Governments flagship 100 days employment
guarantee scheme of MGNREGA.
iv. It will also monitor the wage rate under MGNREGA which has been fixed by Union Government
on the basis of consumer Price Index- Agricultural Labourers (CPI-AL) which is implemented on 1st
April every year and will be applicable for whole financial year.
v. It should be noted that all the districts of Punjab are being covered under MGNREGA with effect
from 1st April, 2008. The recent wage rate has been revised from 202 rupees to 210 rupees with
effect from 1st April 2015. The wages will be directly transferred by state government in the bank
accounts of the beneficiaries from 15th September 2015.
5. India, Australia agree to deepen bilateral Defence Partnership
i. India and Australia have agreed to deepen their bilateral defence partnership based on their
shared strategic interests by setting up of a joint working group on defence research and material
cooperation.
ii. This decision was taken after the delegation-level talks between Union Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar and his visiting Australian counterpart Kevin Andrews in New Delhi.
iii. Focus on maritime security ties in the Indian Ocean region and acknowledged the importance of
freedom of maritime navigation.
iv. First-ever bilateral Maritime exercise AUSINDEX between both countries is scheduled to be held
in September 2015.
v. Agreed that maritime security should remain a key component of the bilateral defence
relationship between both countries.
vi. India will take part in the first ever air exercise with Australia.
vii. Implement the action plan outlined in the Framework for Security Cooperation (FSC) which was
agreed by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and his counterpart Tony Abbott in November 2014.
6. ONGC buys 15% stake in Russias 2nd-largest oil field from Rosneft
i. State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has bought a 15 per cent stake in Russias
second-largest oil field Vankor from Rosneft for about 1.35 billion US dollars.
ii. In this regard, ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) the overseas investment arm of ONGC has signed
agreements to buy 15 per cent stake in the Vankor oil field located in East Siberia.
iii. The agreement to buy stake in Vankor was signed by the OVL Managing Director Narendra
Verma and Chairman of Rosneft Management Board Igor Sechin in Vladivostok.
iv. OVL will get two seats on the Board of Directors of Vankor, a subsidiary of Rosneft that operates
the Vankor field.
v. The 15 per cent stake Vankor oil field will give OVL about 3.5 million metric tonnes of oil a year of
its total 2.5 billion recoverable reserves barrels (or 500 million tonnes). Rosneft will retain full
control of infrastructure of the Vankor cluster.
vi. Rosneft will retain full control of infrastructure of the Vankor cluster. Presently, Rosneft (Russian
national oil company) holds 100 per cent stake in Vankor which started production in 2009. With
this stake acquisition Rosneft, stake will come down to 85 per cent.
7. Union Government cancels registration of Greenpeace India

i. Union Government has cancelled licence of Greenpeace India, a non-profit Non-Governmental

Organisation (NGO) to receive foreign donations.
ii. The license was cancelled by Union Ministry of Home Affairs as per under Section 13 of Foreign
Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA), 2011. Henceforth, Greenpeace India will be not able to receive
any kind of foreign donations from its international network.
iii. Earlier in April 2015, MHA had suspended the license of Greenpeace India for six months for
mixing foreign and domestic funds and not disclosing the movement of its funds.
iv. Greenpeace India had filed a petition challenging this suspension in the Delhi High Court. The
court had allowed the NGO to use two of its accounts for the purpose of receiving and utilising
fresh domestic donations for its day-to-day functioning.
v. Greenpeace India is the subsidiary of the global environmental group Greenpeace, a non-profit
NGO. Greenpeace has its presence in 40 countries across the world including in Europe, America,
Asia and Pacific. Its operations in India run mainly in four broad campaigns viz. stop climate
change, preserving the oceans, sustainable agriculture and preventing another nuclear
catastrophe.
1. Govt to develop Bodh Gaya as spiritual capital
i. Describing Bodh Gaya as the land of enlightenment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said
his government would develop the site as the spiritual capital for it to serve as a civilisational bond
between India and the Buddhist world.
ii. The government of India would like to provide all possible support that its Buddhist cousin
nations need for the satisfaction of their spiritual needs from this holiest of holy places for them,
he said after visiting Mahabodhi Temple.
iii. Describing Buddha as a crown jewel of India, which accepts all ways of worship, he said he
revered Buddha as a reformer of not only Hinduism but also the world, who gave a new world view
and vision which is critical for survival of all.
2. Maharashtra to train 55,000 employees under KRA programme
i. The Maharashtra Government has decided to provide training to over 50,000 employees as part
of its Key Result Area (KRA) programme to enhance their performance and bring them on par in
competence with the corporate sector.
ii. During this programme, the government intends to train 55,000 employees out of total 11 lakh
across the State in the first phase. The government is focusing on training bureaucrats, including
fresh Class-I officers and those reaching the age of 50.
iii. According to Ajit Deshmukh, in-charge of the training programme, experts have set a syllabus to
train employees in a manner that will change their views and motivate them to perform better.
Deshmukh is the under secretary of General Administration Department (GAD).
iv. They will also be given training in public administration, management skills, works related to
budget and finance, using of human resource, various laws and develop skills in computer and
information technology, he added.
3. India among few bright spots in global economy, says IMF
i. The IMF on Saturday said India is among the few bright spots in the global economy as G20
finance ministers began their two-day meeting here against the backdrop of concerns over Chinese
economic slowdown looming large on world markets.
ii. The remarks from International Monetary Fund (IMF) chief Christine Lagarde came at the
meeting of G20 finance minister and Central Bank Governors where they also discussed monetary
policy uncertainties.
iii. Lagarde told the gathering that between advanced and emerging economies, there are
problems in most places in the advanced world while in emerging economies, there are problems in
China although not that big as stock markets are making it to be, according to officials present at
the meeting.
iv. Officials said that RBI governor Raghuram Rajan said at the meeting that they are surrounded by
economic gloom probably hinting at concerns over slowdown in China.
v. On Thursday, India deprecated the recent devaluation of major currencies followed by currency
depreciation in a large number of emerging markets which raises the risk of competitive
devaluations.
4. G20, OECD announce new corporate governance code
i. To safeguard minority shareholders interests and promote capital market as a key platform to
raise funds, G20 and OECD today announced new corporate governance principles for listed
companies and regulators in all member countries, including India.
ii. Consequently, regulators and policymakers across the world, which include SEBI in India, will
update their regulations for the listed firms in line with the new code.
ii. The new code calls for enhanced cross-border cooperation among regulators, including through
bilateral and multilateral arrangements for exchange of information. It also states that the
impediments to cross-border voting by shareholders should be eliminated, while shareholders
should be allowed to consult each other.

iv. The new G20/OECD Principles of Corporate Governance were released here by the OECD
Secretary General, Angel Gurria, and Turkish Deputy Prime Minister, Cevdet Yilmaz, on the sidelines
of the ongoing G20 minister level meetings.
5. World's shortest man, Chandra Bahadur Dangi, dies at 75
i. Chandra Bahadur Dangi, verified by the Guinness Book of Records as the world's shortest man at 21.5 inches (54.6cm) - died of an undisclosed illness in American Samoa.
ii. The shortest man shot to fame after his pictures with the world's tallest man, Sultan Kosen from
Turkey, were released in 2013. He was touring Samoa Islands, a US territory in South Pacific Ocean,
when he fell sick and was admitted to Lyndon B Johnson Tropical Medical Center in Pago Pago at
around midday.
iii. Thaneswar Guragai, who assisted him on his tours, was quoted in Himalayan Times: "Chandra
Bahadur Dangi's nephew, Dolakh, called me from the Samoa Islands and asked me to inform the
family about the death." Guragai was in Kathmandu when Dangi breathed his last.
iv. The 75-year-old Dangi lived in a remote village around 400km (248 miles) from Kathmandu, and
travelled the world after he was officially declared the world's smallest man in 2013.
6. Aadesh Shrivastava Dead: Madhuri Dixit Nene, Arjun Kapoor and Other Bollywood Celebs Mourn
Music Composer's Demise
i. Bollywood music composer-director Aadesh Shrivastava, who had been battling cancer, passed
away in Mumbai on Saturday at around 12:30 a.m.
ii. The "Baabul" music director was being treated at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital for
over 40 days after his cancer relapsed for the third time.
iii. His body is currently being kept at the hospital. The funeral will take place at 12:30 p.m. at
Oshiwara Crematorium, Andheri West
iv. Shrivastava rose to fame with his musical compositions for films like "Kabhie Khushi Kabhie
Gham", "Rajneeti", "Chalte Chalte", "Baabul" and "Baghban" among others.
v. As soon as news of Shrivastava's demise broke, several Bollywood celebs took to twitter to
express their condolences to the acclaimed music director.
1. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Badarpur-Faridabad Metro
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Badarpur-Faridabad Metro in Delhi National Capital
Region (NCR). The metro corridor will connect the national capital with the satellite town and give
impetus to economic growth in the region by fast transportation of people.
ii. It is also first environment-friendly metro in Indian as all the stations and depot have been
equipped with solar power plants.
iii. It is the 14 kilometre long corridor and has nine stations from Sarai (Delhi) to Escorts Mujesar. It
is an extension of the presently operational ITO-Badarpur section of the Delhi Metro.
iv. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is nodal agency in implementing this corridor and has been
built at an estimated cost of 2500 crore rupees.
2. China, Pakistan launch joint Shaheen (Eagle) 4 Air Drill
i. China and its strategic partner Pakistan have launched a joint air exercise called Shaheen (Eagle)4 in China. It is fourth edition of air exercise between the air forces of both countries which was
launched as part of a series of military exchange programmes between two countries.
ii. In this edition of exercise, Chinese contingent was represented by fighter jets, fighter bombers
and early warning planes. Pakistani counterpart included fighter jets and early warning planes.
iii. Chinese air force by this joint air exercise is willing to expand the scope of cooperation with
various countries in the region.
iv. The first edition of such joint air drill between both countries took place in Pakistan in March
2011. Late in September 2013 the second drill took place in Chinas western Xinjiang Uygur region
and third drill again took in Pakistans Punjab province in May 2014.
3. e-Pragati to pave way for Digital AP
i. With Andhra Pradesh already topping the country in e-transactions, the State government is now
rechristening the AP State Enterprise Architecture (APSEA) as e-Pragati. APSEA is a
comprehensive architecture to leverage the latest advances in e-governance tools.
ii. Developed in association with technology giant Wipro in a span of eight months, e-Pragati is a
comprehensive framework for implementing e-governance and provides e-services to citizens of
Andhra Pradesh, according to an official release.
iii. With e-Pragati, Andhra Pradesh becomes the first state in India to conceive and execute statewide enterprise architecture, the release claimed.
iv. e-Pragati extends to 33 secretariat departments and over 300 government agencies in AP. It
seeks to provide a bouquet of 745 services in the government to customer (G2C), government to
business (G2B), government to enterprise (G2E) and government to government (G2G) areas, the
release said.
4. Union Government gives nod to One Rank One Pension scheme
i. Union Government has given its nod to implement One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme for exservicemen.

ii. OROP will provide ex-servicemen of same rank and same length of service uniform pension
regardless of date of retirement. The benefit will be given with effect from 1st of July 2014 and it
will benefit all three services- Army, Navy and Air Force.
iii. Pension will be re-fixed every five years and future enhancements in rates of pension would be
automatically passed to the past pensioners. Armed forces personnel who retire voluntarily would
be not covered under OROP scheme. However, it will be applicable to personnel who have already
retired prematurely.
iv. All arrears will be paid in four half-yearly installments and all widows will be paid arrears in one
installment. Estimated cost to implement OROP scheme would be around 8000 crore rupees to
10,000 crore rupees at present and it will increase further in future.
v. Union Government also has decided to constitute one member Judicial Committee for
examination of interests of retirees of different periods and different ranks. The Committee will also
cover inter-service issues of the three forces and submit its report in six months.
5. G-20 launches W-20 grouping for gender inclusive economic growth
i. Group of Twenty (G-20), a forum of worlds 20 largest economies, including India launched W20,
an engagement grouping of women leaders in order to push for gender inclusive global economic
growth.
ii. It was launched in the on-going G-20 Summit of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in
Ankara under the Turkish Presidency.
iii. The W20 group would 20 women leaders from G20 nations. It will work as an outreach group to
promote gender inclusiveness in economic growth process by empowering women.
iv. It would host its first summit in October 2015 in Istanbul after all member countries appoint
their respective nominees. Gulden Turktan from Turkey has been appointed as the first President
W20 forum.
6. Australian Cricketer Shane Watson announces retirement from Test cricket
i. Veteran all-rounder cricketer Shane Watson from Australia has announced his retirement from
International Test cricket. ii. His decade long Test career came to an end at the Ashes opener at
Cardiff, which England won by 169 runs. In this match Watson had made 30 runs and failed to take
a wicket.
iii. He also has represented Australia in One Day International (ODI) and T20 cricket formats. He
had played as a right-handed batsman and a right-handed fast medium bowler.
iv. He debuted in international cricket in 2002, playing his first ODI against South Africa. In 2010 he
was awarded Allan Border Medal and again in 2011. He is only the second player (after Ricky
Ponting) to win back-to back Allan Border Medals.
7. Indian boxer Vikas Krishan wins silver medal in 75 kg category in Asia Championships
i. Indian boxer Vikas Krishan has won the silver medal in the Asian Championships held in Bangkok,
Thailand.
ii. In the final match of 75kg weight category, he was defeated by Uzbekistans Bektemir Melikuziev
by 0-2 score.
iii. In this edition of Asian Championships, Vikas only has won silver medal for India. Shiva Thapa
(56kg), Devendro Singh (49kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) won bronze medal each in their
respective category.
iv. Besides, six Indians also qualified for World Championships which is to be held in October 2015
and will be the first qualifying event for the 2016 Rio Olympics Games.
8. Lewis Hamilton wins 2015 Italian Grand Prix of Formula One
i. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Italian Grand Prix of Formula One. This was
his seventh victory of the season.
ii. His win for the season 2015 of Formula One began with Australian Grand Prix and later won
Chinese Grand Prix, Bahrain Grand Prix, Canadian Grand Prix, British Grand Prix and Belgian Grand
Prix.
1st position: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) of Mercedes
2nd position: Sebastian Vettel (Germany) of Ferrari
3rd position: Felipe Massa (Brazil) of Williams.
1. Arun Jaitley launched digital version of Mahatma Gandhi's collected work
i. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on 8 September 2015 launched the eversion of the 100 volumes of the Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG) in New Delhi.
ii. The works of Mahatma Gandhi compiled by a team of Scholars includes historic speeches of
Gandhi. The collection provides varied, numerous and logical profiles of Gandhis life and thought,
action and engagements.
iii. The CWMG was published by Publications Division. Electronic Master Copy of CWMG (Volumes 1
to 100) is in the form of a searchable PDF beta version.
iv. Authentic documentation of Mahatma Gandhi's available writings was carried out under the
CWMG project. The project commenced on September 1956 and concluded on 2 October 1994,
with the publication of the 100th volume.
2. DRDO names new Director General, first woman in the role

i. In a first, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), will have a woman
scientist heading an important cluster with the high rank of a Director General.
ii. J Manjula, has been appointed the new Director General (DG - Electronics & Communications
Systems or ECS) today. She will be one of the seven DG's, who are heading different clusters within
the DRDO, which has nearly 50 national laboratories and Institutes under its network.
iii. A recognised expert in electronic warfare systems for Air Force, Manjula is an Outstanding
Scientist and Director of Bengaluru-based DARE, Defence Avionics Research Establishment.
iv. She brings vast experience in EW systems, following a long stint with the Hyderabad-based,
DLRL (Defence Electronics Research Laboratory), which is a pioneer in EW systems and cutting
edge communications.
v. The over 55-year old DRDO in heirarchy has a Director General, S Christopher (appointed a few
months ago) and 7 DGs heading various clusters. The clusters are fallout of the implementation of
the P Rama Rao Committee on restructuring the Organisation. It came into effect in 2013.
3. 6th Indo-Maldives Joint Military Exercise begins in Thiruvananthapuram
i. The sixth Indo-Maldives joint Training Exercise has commenced at Pangode Military Station in
Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala.
ii. Aim of the Joint Exercise is to acquaint forces of both countries with each others operating
procedure and increase understanding and interoperability between Armies of both countries.
iii. In this edition of joint exercise, total of 45 soldiers each from Indian Army (BIHAR Regiment) and
the Maldivian National Defence Force will take part.
iv. The exercise will cover varied military training activities in order to enhance interoperability
between the two defence forces. It will conclude with tactical exercises.
v. August 2015 and it will conclude on 13 September 2015 with the closing ceremony involving
cultural events by various military display teams along with aerial acrobatics display by Sarang
Team of Indian Air force.
4. Himachal Pradesh organised organic fair and food festival to boost organic farming
i. To promote organic farming in the state, the Himachal Pradesh Government on 8 September
2015 organised a three-day organic fair and food festival in the state. The organic fair and food
festival was organised in Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh.
ii. The fair was organised by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the International
Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (ICCOA), Bengaluru. It was inaugurated by State
Agriculture Minister Sujan Singh Pathania.
iii. The fair was organised with an aim to popularise organic farming in the state where 90 percent
of the population is residing in rural areas and 79 percent families are dependent on agriculture. At
present the organic farming is being done on nearly 16 thousand hectare land in the state.
iv. Farmers from all over the state have put their different products in the exhibition, a part of this
fare in capital Shimla. The farmers are demanding proper marketing facilities for their organic
produces in the state.
5. Sahara India's para-banking license scrapped by RBI
i. In a fresh setback to the beleaguered Sahara India Pariwar, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
cancelled the license of its holding company Sahara India Financial Corporation Limited (SIFCL),
officials said on Tuesday.
ii. The action has been taken by the department of non-banking supervision of the RBI, in Kanpur.
The move comes in wake of several irregularities and ignoring financial rules and regulations by
Sahara, an official further informed.
iii. The notice cancelling its license to conduction financial business has been sent to the
Kapurthala head quarter of the Sahara India.
iv. The RBI had in 2008 barred the company from taking any deposits from the people under its chit
fund operations. Many depositors had since then complained to the RBI that they were not being
paid back their money by Sahara, following which a probe was ordered by the bank.
v. A report of the investigations was sent to the RBI HQ in Mumbai last month after which the penal
action of cancelling the license of SIFCL was taken.
6. Agriculture expert Ramesh Chand appointed to Niti Aayog
i. Agriculture expert Ramesh Chand has been appointed as new member of the Niti Aayog. Chand
is the third member to join the government's think tank which has replaced the erstwhile planning
commission.
ii. The Aayog, which is headed by eminent economist Arvind Panagariya, has two other members
economist Bibek Debroy and former DRDO chief V K Saraswat.
iii. Chand's appointment came at a time the Modi government is keen to revive the agriculture
sector and reaffirm its commitment to farmers.
iv. The BJP government has already formed a task force to suggest ways to boost agriculture sector
in a follow up to first meeting of the Niti Aayog chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
v. The task force, under the aegis of Aayog, is mandated to recommend ways to reinvigorate
agriculture, strategies for reforms and identify successful experiments from which all states can
learn.
7. Weightlifter Deepak Lather wins gold in fifth Youth Commonwealth Games

i. Indian weightlifters continued to make their presence felt on Day 2 of the fifth Youth
Commonwealth Games after Deepak Lather won a gold in the 62 kg category here today.
ii. This was India's second gold in weightlifting after Jamjang Deru stood atop the podium in the 56
kg category on the opening day of the event.
iii. The 51-year-old Deepak finished with a total of 258 kg with 120 kg in snatch -- new CYG record
-- and 138 kg in clean and jerk.
iv. India are being represented by 25 athletes in eight disciplines out of the nine being competed in
the CYG.
8. Apurvi Chandela bags silver at ISSF World Cup Final
i. Young Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela impressed again as she clinched the silver medal in
womens 10m air rifle event of the ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Finals on Saturday.
ii. The 22-year-old Jaipur girl finished second on the podium after she tallied 206.9, just 0.6 behind
Ahmadi Elaheh of Iran, who won the gold medal with a tally of 207.5.
iii. In the finals, Chandela started on a rousing note as she fired two shots of 10.8 to lead after
Series 1 of first competition stage. A total of 30.6 in the second series saw her a drop a place.
iv. London Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang and Gurpreet Singh had earlier reached the
finals of their respective events in the tournament, but missed out on medals.
Union Cabinet approved introduction of Gold Monetization Schemes
i. The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 approved introduction of Gold Monetization Schemes
that were announced by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 budget speech.
ii. Under this initiative, revamped Gold Deposit Scheme (GDS) and the Gold Metal Loan (GML)
Scheme will be implemented.These revamped schemes are in addition to the Sovereign Gold Bond
Scheme as approved by the Cabinet.
Revamped Gold Deposit Scheme
Objectives:
To mobilize the gold held by households and institutions in the country.
To provide a fillip to the gems and jewellery sector in the country by making gold available as raw
material on loan from banks.
To reduce reliance on import of gold to meet the domestic demand.
Union Cabinet approved Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme to reduce dependence on physical gold
i. The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 gave its approval for the Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme.
ii. The purpose of the scheme is to reduce the demand for physical gold and to shift part of the
estimated 300 tons of physical bars and coins purchased every year for investment into Demat
(Dematerialised) gold bonds.
Comment
The cabinet approval to the scheme is in tune with the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys 201516 budget speech.

Jaitley, on 28 Februay 2015, announced three major initiatives viz., Gold Monetisation
Scheme, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme and Indian Gold Coin to curb demand for physical
gold.

Since most of the domestic demand for gold is met through imports, this scheme will,
ultimately help in maintaining the country's Current Account Deficit (CAD) within
sustainable limits.

Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) is intended to replace both the gold deposit and gold
metal loan scheme and to allow depositors to earn interest on their gold metal accounts
jewelers to obtain loans.

Indian Gold Coin, which will carry the Ashok Chakra on its face, would help reduce the
demand for gold coins and also help recycle the gold available in the country.

Union Cabinet approved constitution of 21st Law Commission of India

i. The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 gave its approval for the Constitution of the 21st Law
Commission of India.
ii. The formation of the commission was necessitated as the term of the 20th law commission
ended on 31 August 2015. It was headed by Justice Ajit Prakash Shah.
iii. The 21st law commission will be functional for a period of three years between 1 September
2015 and 31 August 2018 and will consist of:
A full-time Chairperson;
Four full-time Members (including a Member-Secretary
Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio member
Secretary, Legislative Department as ex-officio member

Not more than five part-time Members.

Haryana Government sets minimum qualification for candidates in Panchayati Raj polls
i. Haryana Assembly has passed Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2015 that seeks to fix
matriculation as minimum educational qualification for elections to Panchayati Raj institutions
(PRIs).
ii. With this Haryana became second state in India after Rajasthan to fix educational and other
qualifications for the candidates contesting Panchayat elections.
India, Belarus set trade target of 1 billion dollar by 2018
i. India and Belarus have set the bilateral trade target of one billion dollar by 2018. The decision
was taken at the Seventh Session of the India-Belarus Intergovernmental Commission held in
Minsk, Belarus.
ii. The meeting was co-chaired by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman cochaired and her Belarusian counterpart Minister for Industry Vitali Mikhailovich Vovk.
Queen Elizabeth II becomes Britains longest-reigning Monarch
i. Queen Elizabeth II on 9th September 2015 became the longest-reigning Monarch of Britain and
the longest-reigning female monarch in history.
ii. She surpassed the previous record held by her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria who had
reigned thousand-year-old dynastical institution of Britain for more than 63 years and 7 months.
It should be noted that, presently Queen Elizabeth II (88 years old) is worlds oldest living monarch.
Pakistan SC ordered adoption of Urdu as official language
i. Supreme Court of Pakistan on 8 September 2015 ordered immediate adoption of Urdu as official
language of the country. With this order, Urdu will be used as an official language at the
government offices of Pakistan.
ii. The order was passed by a three member bench headed by Chief Justice Jawwad S Khawaja
while delivering judgment in a case. The petitioner Advocate Kokab Iqbal through his petition
wanted promotion and implementation of the national language.
iii. The Court also ruled that under the 1973 Constitution it is must to adopt Urdu as official
language.
iv. It also ordered that there should be no delay in implementation of Article 251 in line with Article
5 of the Constitution. It also issued nine guidelines for making Urdu the official language.
BSE has highest number of listed companies in the world: WFE
i. The World Federation of Exchanges (WEF), in the first week of September 2015, announced that
the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has the highest number of listed companies in the world.
ii. By the end of June 2015, a total number of 5689 companies were listed with the BSE. However,
out of 5689, only one company was a foreign company.
iii. The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) had 1750 listed companies by the end of June 2015.
Though BSE leads the world in terms of listed companies, Shanghai stock exchange of China
(having 1070 companies) was at the top in terms of value of share trading with 30 trillion US
dollars worth transactions in June 2015.
iv. The total value of transactions in the BSE was 94 billion US dollars during the same period.
BSE was established in 1855 and is considered as the oldest exchange in Asia.
Weightlifter Deepak Lather won Gold in 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games
i. Indian weightlifters Deepak Lather on 8 September 2015 won a gold medal in the 62 kg category
of the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) being held in Apia, Samoa.
ii. This was Indias second gold in weightlifting after Jamjang Deru (17-year-old) who won a gold
medal in the 56 kg category on the opening day of the event.
iii. Deepak (15-year-old) finished with a total of 258 kg with 120 kg in snatch, a new CYG record,
and 138 kg in clean and jerk. India is being represented by 25 athletes in eight disciplines out of
the nine being competed in the CYG.
Anirban Lahiri becomes 1st Indian golfer to qualify for Presidents Cup
i. Ace Indian Golfer Anirban Lahiri has become the first Indian to qualify for the prestigious
Presidents Cup of Golf.
ii. World No.40, Lahiri qualified to this prestigious cup through automatic qualifications as team
member of the International Team.
iii. The International team is set to take on United States team in the biennial Presidents Cup 2015
to be held at Incheon, South Korea.
iv. In season 2015, he has won 2 European Tour, 7 Asian Tour including the Hero Indian Open in
2015 and Malaysian Open. So far, he has won 11 National titles in India including Ahmedabad
Masters and Haryana Open. Union Government has bestowed Arjuna Award on him in 2014.
1. Union Cabinet allows 100 per cent FDI under automatic route for white label ATMs
i. The Union Cabinet has allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) under the automatic
route for white label ATM operations (WLAO).
ii. Decision in this regard was taken in Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in New Delhi.

iii. This decision will expedite and ease FDI inflows in WLAO further giving a fillip to the
governments ambitious effort to promote financial inclusion in the country, including the Pradhan
Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna (PMJDY).
iv. Prior this approval, foreign investment in WLAO was allowed through the government approval
route which required some processing time and projects were delayed.
2. Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 conferred on ISRO
i. President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2014 on Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO).
ii. ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar on behalf of the organisation received the prize at a function
held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
iii. ISRO was chosen for the prestigious award in March 2015 for its contribution in development of
space technology and satellite-based services, making space technology a catalyst of development
of India and bringing societal transformation and provided the service to the common man and
nation.
iv. Gandhi Peace Prize is awarded annually to individuals and institutions for their contributions
towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian
methods.
3. South Asian Sub-Regional Drug Focal Point meeting begins in New Delhi
i. Sub-Regional Drug Focal Point Meeting and Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme (CPDAP),
South Asia under the Drug Demand Reduction (DDR) Expert Group Consultation has begun in New
Delhi.
ii. The three-day meeting was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh which has been
organised by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
iii. The main objective is to review the progress of the Drug Demand and Supply Reduction
activities in the South Asia region.
iv. It is to facilitate exchange of views between delegates on technical aspects of the drug
cooperation programme and it aims at achieving efficiency and effectiveness.
v. CPDAP will provide a great platform to coordinate among different countries fighting for the
cause of drug menace. About 40 delegates from various participating countries are participating in
this meeting.
4. NTPC to raise Rs. 700 cr via tax free bonds
i. State-run power utility NTPC will raise up to Rs. 700 crore through tax free secured nonconvertible bonds.
ii. The government has approved the companys raising Rs. 1,000 crore through tax free bonds,
including Rs. 700 crore through public issue.
iii. According to statement, the issue will be for an amount of Rs. 400 crore (Base issue size) with
an option to retain over subscription of up to Rs. 300 crore for issuance of additional bonds
aggregating a total of up to Rs. 700 crore (issue size) fiscal 2016 (issue).
iv. A draft prospectus dated September 9, has been made public for seeking their comments on the
issue in compliance with the SEBI regulations.
5. E-payment literacy meet
i. Lack of financial literacy among the public is the main reason for common man falling prey to
fraudsters, according to Sushma Godbole, Chief Executive Officer of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat.
ii. She was speaking after inaugurating the e-Payments Literacy Workshop organised by National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), under the aegis of Nabard and Karnataka Vikas Grameen
Bank (KVGB) at Dharwad on Tuesday, a press release said.
iii. Ashok Reddy, Chairman of KVGB, said the bank has initiated several measures to educate
people on basic banking fundamentals.
iv. The event was hosted by NPCI representatives in 28 States at 120 centres supported by all 56
RRBs in the country, the release added.
6. Union Cabinet approves National Offshore Wind Energy Policy
i. Union Cabinet cleared National Offshore Wind Energy Policy to generate electricity from offshore
windmills located in areas within Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country.
ii. Offshore wind power projects and R&D activities will be carried in waters up to the seaward
distance of 200 Nautical Miles (EEZ of the country) from the base line.
iii. Union Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be nodal Ministry. National Institute of
Wind Energy (NIWE) will be nodal agency for allocation of offshore Wind Energy blocks.
iv. National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) will be nodal agency for allocation of offshore Wind
Energy blocks. NIWE has been authorized to carry out allocation of offshore wind energy blocks. It
will also frame guidelines for coordination and allied functions with related ministries and agencies.
7. India, Indonesia sign pact to cooperate on criminal matters
i. India and Indonesia have signed a pact for repatriation of wanted prisoners and cooperate in all
criminal matters, including gathering evidence.
ii. In this regard Union Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an official gazette notification for service
or execution of summons or warrant in relation to criminal matters in both countries.

iii. India will execute summons to an accused person (or any person) requiring to produce
documents and attend or a search-warrant issued by an Indonesian court.
iv. Indonesia will reciprocate with similar action to execute summons if there is any request from
any Indian court.1. National web portal for apprenticeship training launched
i. Human resource development minister Smriti Irani on Thursday launched the national web portal
for promotion of a national apprenticeship scheme. The scheme, which provides opportunities for
practical training, is for graduates, diploma holders and 10+2 pass vocational certificate holders.
ii. The portal, through the mechanism of internal complaints committee, would also offer security
for women at workplace and ensure grievance redressal for the apprentice, she said. It will also be
a multilingual platform which currently engages with the user in Marathi, Bengali, Tamil and Hindi.
iii. Irani also asked the All India Council for Technical Education and National Skill Development
Corporation to come together to expand the outreach and exposure especially for class 11 and 12
students. A logo and a slogan "Sashakt Yuva, Samarth Bharat" was also released for the portal.
iv. The ministry implements the apprenticeship training scheme for one year through board of
apprenticeship training and board of practical training at Mumbai, Chennai, Kanpur and Kolkata.
2. FIPB clears 14 FDI proposals
i. The FIPB on Friday cleared 14 foreign investment proposals including that of Shyam Sistema
Teleservices and IIFL Holdings.
ii. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) chaired by Economic Affairs Secretary
Shaktikanta Das in its meeting considered 23 FDI proposals, deferred decisions on five and rejected
four.
iii. The FIPB approved foreign investment proposals of Eros International Media, Indian Rotorcraft,
AGS Transact Technologies and O-Zone Networks, sources said.
iv. The investment proposals of Reliance Globalcom, Firefly Networks, Apollo Hospitals and Aegon
Religare Life Insurance were deferred.
v. The Aegon Religare's proposal involved hiking of stake of foreign partner in the Indian life
insurance venture. Sources said the proposal of Aegon Religare was deferred due to want of
comments from the department of financial services.
3. Union Cabinet gives nod to Constitution of 21st Law Commission of India
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval to
constitute the 21st Law Commission of India (LCI).
ii. The 21st LCI will have a period of 3 years with effect from 1 September 2015 to 31 August 2018.
iii. It will Undertake research in existing laws by reviewing them for making reforms therein and
enacting new legislations.
iv. It will Undertake studies and research to bring reforms in the justice delivery systems in the
country in order to eliminate the delays in procedures, speedy disposal of cases and cost reduction
of litigations etc.
4. Tenth World Hindi Conference begins in Bhopal
i. The Tenth World Hindi Conference ( ) has begun in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh with
the theme of Hindi Jagat-Vistar and Sambhavnaye.
ii. The three-day conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It has been
organised in Madhya Pradesh for the first time and being held in India after 32 years.
iii. It is joint event of Union Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the state Government of
Madhya Pradesh. This edition of conference will host scholars from 39 countries who are going to
discuss issues like Hindi in administration, foreign policy and law during the event. An exhibition
showcasing assimilation of Hindi with modern techniques also has been set up at the conference
venue.
iv. The First World Hindi Conference was organized in Nagpur by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
It was held from 10 to 12 January 1975. Since then every year 10th January is being observed as
the World Hindi Day.
5. Download 'Narendra Modi Mobile App'; Connect with the PM, Learn About his Day-to-Day
Activities Digitally
i. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first political leader to have a mobile app,
developed for him to digitally connect with the citizens of the country. The PM himself launched the
'Narendra Modi Mobile App' on Wednesday.
ii. The app not only connects the citizens of India with their Prime Minister, it also provides a
platform to look into "comprehensive information on initiatives and achievements of the Union
Government, including an 'infographics' section," the release said.
iii. The app has been developed for Android-powered devices and can be downloaded for free from
the Android Play Store. After launching the 'Narendra Modi Mobile App', the Prime Minister invited
people to give their feedback on the app.
iv. Ever since Modi took over as the PM of India, he has embraced technology to digitally connect
with the people of the country.
6. Shashidhar Sinha New Head of ABC
i. The CEO of IPG Mediabrands India, Shashidhar Sinha, was elected as chairman of ABC during the
67th Annual General meeting for the year 2015-16.

ii. Sinha who also chairs the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is actively involved in
other industry bodies including Advertising Standards Council of India, Media Research Users
Council, and Ad Club.
iii. The statement from the bureau noted that the immediate task before Sinha was to implement
the digital measurement project undertaken by ABC so that the industry benefited from credible
digital data from a trustworthy independent body like ABC.
iv. L Venkat of EENADU was unanimously elected as the Deputy Chairman and Madhan Kumar from
Mudra Communications will function as treasurer of ABC.
7. Indian American Jagdeep Grewal chosen as postmaster for Sacramento
i. The post service in Sacramento has got a female postmaster after a span of 166 years and the
new postmaster is an Indian American named Jagdeep Grewal.
ii. The U.S. Postal Service said that Grewal will oversee 1,004 employees who process and deliver
mail on 537 city routes and 94 rural routes and fill nearly 20,000 post office boxes
iii. Grewal started her career with the postal service as a window clerk in 1988. Five years later, she
became a manager. She has also worked as a postmaster in Pacifica-Daly City.
iv. There has been a steep decline in the usage of postal services due to the surge of Internet and
privately owned courier services. Referring to this current situation, Grewal said that she looked
forward to working with Sacramentos Postal Service employees during a challenging time.
8. Virat Kohli starts tennis innings as UAE Royals co-owner in IPTL
i. After picking up minority stake in the Goa franchise of the Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL)
last year, Indian test captain Virat Kohli has now invested in the Dubai frnachise of Mahesh
Bhupati-promoted Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL).
ii. The franchise, called UAE Royals also has on board Neelesh Bhatnagar and Sachin Gadoya as coowners.
iii. Sourav Ganguly is part of the consortium that owns the Atletico de Kolkata, the winner of the
inaugural season of the Hero ISL.
iv. Roger Federer has joined the UAE Royals franchise in the second season of the Coca-Cola IPTL
2015 that will be held from 2nd to 20th December, 2015.
1. National highways to grow by 50,000 km in 6 months
i. The road transport and highways ministry will add nearly 50,000 km of roads to the National
Highways (NH) network in the country in the next six months.
ii. This addition within two years of the Narendra Modi government will be more than twice the
length NDA-I had added in its six years and over three times of what UPA added in its 10-year
rule.iii. According to the sources,in the past 15 months, the new government has added about
7,000 km of roads to the NH length and at present it's little more than one lakh km. Road transport
and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has announced to take it to 1.5 lakh km by this year end.
2. Leander Paes, Martina Hingis won US Open Mixed Doubles Title 2015
Leander Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis won the US Open Mixed Doubles Title 2015. This fourth
seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 64, 3-6, 10-7 in a tricky final which lasted for one hour and seventeen minutes. The pair fired 32
winners and staved off four of five break points during the 77-minute affair. This is 17th Grand Slam
crown for Paes.
With this victory, they became the first team since 1969 to win three Grand Slam mixed doubles
titles in the same season at the US Open. They defeated Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic in
the Australian Open final 2015 and beat Alexander Peya and Timea Babos in the Wimbledon title
match 2015 itself.
iii. With the mixed double win, Paes surpassed compatriot and former partner Mahesh Bhupathi's
record of eight mixed doubles titles. As Paes has now eight men's doubles and nine mixed doubles
title in his pocket.
3. Rakesh Sharma appointed as MD and CEO of Canara Bank
i. Rakesh Sharma was appointed as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
Bengaluru-headquartered Canara Bank.
ii. Prior to this appointment, Sharma was the MD and CEO of Lakshmi Vilas Bank since March 2014,
where in a short span of 18 months, he helped the private sector lender excel in all parameters.
4. Radical leftist Jeremy Corbyn becomes head of Britain's Labour party
i. Jeremy Corbyn has been elected leader of the British Labour party, in a stunning first-round
victory that dwarfed even the mandate for Tony Blair in 1994.
ii. Corbyn won with nearly 59.5% of first-preference votes, beating rivals Andy Burnham, who
trailed on 19%, and Yvette Cooper who received 17%. The Blairite candidate Liz Kendall came
last on 4.5%.
iii. The north London MP is one of the most unexpected winners of the party leadership in its
history, after persuading Labour members and supporters that the party needed to draw a line
under the New Labour era of Blair and Gordon Brown.
5. Three IIA members awarded at Asia Brand ceremony
i. Three IIA members were felicitated at the 10th Asia Brand Ceremony, which is also termed as the
Oscars of Industry awards in Asia.

ii. During the ceremony, IIA members like MD of Celestial Knit & Fabs Private Limited, Noida got the
Asia Brand Annual Personality Award and Top 500 Asia Brand Award, Noida's Rajiv Bansal, Manali
Pigments Private Limited 's MD Manmohan Agrawal from Lucknow feted with awards such as Top 10
Most Influential Brand Award, Asia Famous and Fine Brand and Asia's Annual Innovative Enterprise
Award, similarly Puri Industries' MD Kush Puri, was felicitated with Asia Famous and Fine Brand
Award.
6. JK Tyre, Singapore arm to buy 100% in Cavendish Ind
i. JK Tyre & Industries (JK Tyre) and JK Asia Pacific Singapore Pte Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of JK
Tyre said that it has signed a binding term sheet with Kesoram Industries Ltd (KIL) to acquire 100
per cent equity in Cavendish Industries Ltd (CIL) at a value of 2,200 crore.
ii. CIL houses a tyre business undertaking located at Haridwar (Laksar) which manufactures a range
of tyres, tubes and flaps.
iii. JK Group has agreed for this acquisition at an enterprise value not exceeding 2,200 crore.
7. Current a/c deficit narrows to 1.2% of GDP in April-June
i. A decline in merchandise imports helped the country narrow its current account deficit to 1.2 per
cent of GDP in the first quarter of the current financial year compared with 1.6 per cent in the year
ago period.
ii. The reduction in the CAD was also enabled by higher net earnings through services exports and
lower outflow on account of primary income (profit, dividend and interest), according to RBI data on
balance of payments
iii. In absolute terms, the CAD, which arises when a countrys total import of goods, services and
transfers is greater than exports, was at $6.2 billion in the April-June quarter, compared with $7.8
billion in the year ago quarter.
8. Vice-President Hamid Ansari Releases Book by Jamia Faculty
i. The Vice President of India Shri M. Hamid Ansari released a book entitled Feminist and
Orientalist Perspectives A Study of Lady Mary Montagus Turkish Embassy Letters authored by
Dr. Farha Hiba Parvez at a function .
ii. Addressing on the occasion, the Vice President said that this book on Lady Mary Montagus
Turkish Embassy Letters is a serious work diligently done and will become an open area for many
scholars.
9. Singapore ruling party wins elections, returns to power
i. Singapore's prime minister lauded the city-state's youth vote for helping return his party to power
in a massive victory for the 12th time since independence a half-century ago.
ii. The PAP (People's Action Party) got 83 of the 89 seats in Parliament while the opposition Workers'
Party captured six. In an indication that the PAP has regained some of its lost popularity, it won
69.86 percent of the votes cast, according to the Elections Department, compared to 60 percent
votes in the 2011 elections.
iii. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who won from the Ang Mo Kio constituency, singled out the
youth, saying the results show that the young people "understand what is at stake, support what
we are doing."
10. Russian astronaut record-breaker Padalka returns to Earth
i. Russian astronaut Gennady Padalka has returned to Earth with the record for having spent the
most time in space. The 57-year-old's latest mission lasted 168 days, bringing his total to 879 days
in space over five trips. This is two months longer than the previous record set in 2005 by Russian
Sergei Krikalev over six missions.
ii. Mr Padalka and two other members from the International Space Station (ISS) landed safely in
Kazakhstan on their Soyuz spacecraft just before sunrise.
11. Indian golfer Aditi Ashok claims Singha Thailand Amateur title
i. Aditi Ashok clinched the Singha Thailand Amateur Championship after carding a one-over 73 to
finish the tournament at two-under 286, five shots ahead of Australian Gennai Goodwin and
Thailand's Chakansim Khamborn.
ii. Bengaluru's 17-year-old Aditi opened the final round with bogeys on 2nd and 3rd before firing
birdie on 11th and then dropped another shot on 14th followed by a birdie on 16th to claim the title
at the Par-72 Panya Indra Golf Club.
iii. This is the third International victory in 2015 for the current leader of Indian Golf Union ladies
order of merit after the St. Rule Trophy at St. Andrews in June and Ladies British Amateur Stroke
Play Championship in England last month.
India, Pakistan agree to maintain peace along border after DG level talks
i. India and Pakistan have started a three-day Director General (DG)-level border dialogue in New
Delhi.
ii. Director General (DG) Border Security Force (BSF) D K Pathak is leading 23 member Indian
delegation and his counterpart Major General Umar Farooq Burki, DG of Pakistan Rangers (Punjab)
is leading a 16 members Pakistani delegation.
iii. Both the delegations also have representatives from respective Home and Foreign ministries
along with officers from narcotics control and survey department.

iv. In this dialogue both sides have

(A)Decided to devise new strategies along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K)
to put an end to incidents of ceasefire violations.
(B)Agreed maintenance of peace and tranquility on the border is the most important issue and
this needs to be implemented on the ground.
v. India also has suggested that rather than debating and contesting about the past incidents,
both sides should work on a future strategy in order to make the border peaceful and safe for
the troops and civilians alike.
AUSINDEX15, first Australia and India maritime exercise begins in Visakhapatnam
i. Inaugural bilateral maritime exercise between India and Australia AUSINDEX15, commenced off
coast of Visakhapatnam.
ii. The inaugural biennial exercise began with briefings and practical demonstrations ashore
between Royal Australian Navy and Indian Navy before moving to sea.
iii. AUSINDEX15 naval exercise between navies of both countries is held in line with the Framework
for Security Co-operation. The framework was announced by the Australian and Indian Prime
Ministers in 2014.
Union Government extends e-Tourist Visa Scheme to 37 more countries
i. Union Government has announced to extend e-Tourist Visa Scheme to 37 more countries in order
to attract maximum foreign tourists in the country.
ii. It was announced by Secretary of Union Tourism Ministry Vinod Zuthsi while addressing a
function of Indian Association of Tour Operators in New Delhi.
iii. With this extension, the total 150 countries will come under the ambit of e-Tourist Visa Scheme
from present 113 countries.
iv. By August 2015, more than 22,000 tourists have used this scheme to visit India, compared to
2700 tourists in August, 2014.
Rajasthan first state to submit State Annual Action Plan under AMRUT
i. Rajasthan has become the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under Atal
Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
ii. State Government has submitted the action plan for approval by the Union Urban Development
Ministry for financial year 2015-16.
iii. The plan seeks to target two categories of AMRUT projects in the state viz. universal coverage in
respect of water supply connections, sewerage connections and urban transport to all urban
households.
2015 Singapore General Elections: PAP returns to power
i. In recently concluded 2015 Singapore General Elections, Peoples Action Party (PAP) led by Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong has emerged victorious.
ii. PAP returned to power after scoring a landslide victory by winning an absolute majority of 83
seats in the 89 member Parliament.
iii. With this victory, governing PAP has secured their 14th consecutive term in office since
independence of city-state in 1965.
iv. 2015 Singapore General Elections was countrys first election after the death of its founding
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Indra Nooyi, 2nd powerful women in 2015 Fortunes business list
i. Indra Nooyi, CEO of food and beverage giant PepsiCo is the sole Indian-origin executive in 2015
edition of Fortunes list of 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
ii. India-born Nooyi was placed at second position in this years list and has moved up by single
position from her previous third position in year 2015.
iii. This edition of the list was topped by General Motors CEO Mary Barra. She heads United States
largest auto-maker and it is her second year as head.
Renowned Water policy expert Ramaswamy Iyer passes away
i. Renowned water policy expert Ramaswamy R. Iyer passed away in New Delhi following a severe
bout of viral fever. He was 86.
ii. He was instrumental in drafting Indias first National Water Policy in 1987. Ramaswamy R. Iyer
was born in October 1929 in Thakkalai district of Tamil Nadu.
iii. He was best known for producing a rich body of commentary on water policy and environmental
issues.
iv. He was an officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IAAS) and also had served as
Secretary of Water Resources in the Union Government. His last held position was that of an
honorary research professor at the New Delhi based Centre for Policy Research.
Tenth World Hindi Conference begins in Bhopal
i. The Tenth World Hindi Conference has begun in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh with the theme of Hindi
Jagat-Vistar and Sambhavnaye.
ii. The three-day conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It has been
organised in Madhya Pradesh for the first time and being held in India after 32 years.
iii. It is joint event of Union Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the state Government of
Madhya Pradesh.

iv. This edition of conference will host scholars from 39 countries who are going to discuss issues
like Hindi in administration, foreign policy and law during the event. An exhibition showcasing
assimilation of Hindi with modern techniques also has been set up at the conference venue.
ABVP sweeps Delhi University polls
i. The Bharatiya Janata Party-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has for the second
consecutive year trounced National Students Union of India (NSUI) to win all four seats in the
student union elections of Delhi University.
ii. The Congress-backed NSUI stood on the second position on three posts including that of
president, joint secretary and secretary while AAP's student wing came second for the post of vice
president.
iii. ABVP's presidential candidate, Satender Awana won by a margin of over 6,000 votes. "Our party
has been working for the cause of students which is why we have won," Mr. Awana said soon after
the victory.
. Indian bankers top Fortunes most powerful women list
i. Bankers Chanda Kochhar and Arundhati Bhattacharya have been ranked as top two in a list of
most powerful women in Asia-Pacific prepared by the global magazine Fortune.
ii. Kochhar, 53, who heads the countrys largest private sector lender ICICI Bank, has been ranked
at the top, up from the second position last year.
iii. It has credited Kochhar with reshaping banking in the country, and for building ICICI Bank into
the nations largest and most profitable private sector lender.
iv. She is followed by Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairman of the countrys largest lender State Bank
of India, whose ranking has also moved up from the fourth spot where she was last year.
v. State-run oil marketing company Hindustan Petroleum Corporations Chairman and Managing
Director, Nishi Vasudeva, has also made it to the list at fifth rank, same as the previous.The
countrys third largest private sector lender Axis Banks Managing Director and chief executive,
Shikha Sharma, came in at the ninth spot in the list.
2. Prabhat Singh takes over as MD & CEO of Petronet LNG
i. Prabhat Kumar Singh today took over as the new Managing Director and CEO of Petronet LNG Ltd,
Indias biggest liquefied natural gas importer.
ii. Singh, 58, was the Director of Marketing at state gas utility GAIL India Ltd before his appointment
at Petronet.
iii. Petronet LNG said Singh was appointed as Managing Director & CEO of the company by the
board of directors at its meeting held on July 30.
iv. He replaced A K Balyan, who had completed his five-year term on July 15. He was eligible for an
extension till his superannuation age of 65 years in July 2016, but he was not given an extension.
v. Singh is an Engineering graduate from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur and has more
than 35 years of experience in hydrocarbon industry, having worked in both MNC and state-owned
firms.
vi. Prior to becoming Director (Marketing) in GAIL in February 2010, he headed the Upstream
Business Development and Strategy Divisions in British Gas (India).
3. Dr G Satheesh Reddy conferred with Royal Aeronautical Society Silver Medal
i. DRDO scientist Dr G Satheesh Reddy in the first week of September 2015 was conferred with the
Silver Medal of the prestigious Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). DRDO stands for Defence
Research and Development Organisation.
ii. Dr Reddy was conferred with this medal in recognition of his contributions as one of the leading
navigation and avionics experts of the Indian Defense research establishment.
iii. The award will be formally presented to him at the Wilbur and Orville Wright Lecture to be held
on 9 December 2015 in the Society's headquarters in London.
iv. He joined DRDO in 1985 after graduating from JNTU Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh. At present,
he is the Director, Research Centre Imarat (RCI) and Programme Director, medium-range surfaceto-air missile (MRSAM) system since May 2013. Also he is the Scientific Adviser to Raksha Mantri.
4. Hormusji N Cama elected as Chairman of Press Trust of India
i. Hormusji N Cama was on 14 September 2015 unanimously elected as the new chairman of the
Press Trust of India (PTI). He is the Managing Director of Bombay Smachar, which is the oldest
continuously-published newspaper in India from 1855.
ii. A member of the Press Council, Cama succeeded Mohan Gupta, Chairman and Managing Director
of the Jagran Prakashan Limited (JPL).
iii. Cama, currently the Chairman of the Readership Studies Council of India, has also served as
President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS). He is also on the Board of Council for Fair Business
Practices and Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC).
iv. Apart from him, Riyad Mathew was unanimously elected as the Vice Chairman of the PTI.
5. Classical dancer Kalamandalam Sathyabhama passes away
i. Kalamandalam Sathyabhama, doyen of classical dance form Mohiniyattam passed away in
Palakkad district of Kerala. She was 77.

ii. She was regarded as a matriarch of Mohiniyattam and was well-known for her experimental
reforms in this classical dance form which helped to preserve and popularise the traditional art
form.
ii. Kalamandalam Sathyabhama was born at Shoranur in 1937 and had started learning classical
dance at a very early age of 12. Her debut on major stage was in 1955 during the silver jubilee of
the Kalamandalam (Kerala Governments Deemed University of Art and Culture).
iv. She also was the first woman Vice Principal of Kerala Kalamandalam and later, became its
Principal till she retired in 1992. She was also well versed in other classical dances of Kerala.
6. Winners of 2015 US Open Tittles of Tennis
i. The 2015 US Open is a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean
King National Tennis Center. It was the overall 135th edition of the US Open, the fourth and final
Grand Slam event of the year 2015.
ii. Womens Singles : Italys Flavia Pennetta has lifted the Womens Singles trophy of the US Open.
In the Open Eras final match, 26th seed Pennetta defeated compatriot Roberta Vinci (Italy) in
straight sets 7-6 and 6-2.
iii. Mens Doubles : French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut won the Mens Doubles
trophy of the US Open. In the final match, they defeated, Jamie Murray (United Kingdom) and John
Peers (Australia) pair by 64, 64 score.
iv. Womens Doubles : Sania Mirza (India) and Martina Hingis (Switzerland) pair won the Switzerland
womens Doubles trophy of the US Open. In the final match, they defeated, Casey Dellacqua
(Australia) and Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) pair by 63, 63 score.
v. Mixed Doubles Title Leander Paes (India) and Martina Hingis (Switzerland) pair won the Mixed
Doubles trophy of Final Grand Slam of the US Open. In the summit clash 4th seeded Indo-Swiss pair
defeated American pair of Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 10-7.
vi. Men's Singles : Roger Federer was on a roll: new tactics, renewed confidence and 28 straight
sets won coming into the United States Open final. But once again, Novak Djokovic was the
antidote.
7. Narsingh Pancham Yadav books an Olympic berth for 2016 Rio games
i. Indian Wrestler Narsingh Pancham Yadav has secured quota for India in the 2016 Olympic Games.
ii. He qualified for Olympic Games after winning a bronze medal in the Mens 74 kg Freestyle
category at the World Wrestling Championship held at Las Vegas, United States. In the semifinal
bout, Narsingh lost the match to Unurbat Purevjav of Mongolia, thus settling to the bronze medal.
iii. With this third-place finish, Narsingh also became the lone Indian to win a medal at the
prestigious tournament as well as book a berth for the 2016 Rio Games.
iv. This is also the the first time that an Indian wrestler has earned an Olympic berth by winning
medal at the World Championship
1. Gujarat tops in ease of doing business in India: World Bank Report
i. Gujarat has been placed to top position in World Banks first ever ranking of States on the ease of
doing business in India.
ii. The World Bank report titled Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms was
released in New Delhi under the aegis of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
iii. The inaugural edition of report reflected the ease of doing business in all Indian States at subregional level.
iv. All States were assessed over a six-month period from January to June 2015 on the basis of
percentage scores in a 98-point reforms agenda. The Union Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion, CII, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI and KPMG were
involved in the exercise.
v. The largest recipients of foreign investments Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were placed at eighth
and twelfth position with less than 50 per cent scores.
2. SBI Card launches credit card for online shopping
i. SBI Card, a leading credit card issuer, on Tuesday announced a strategic partnership with 7 of
India's biggest e-commerce players for its newest offering, the SimplyCLICK SBI Card.
ii. This is billed as the first-ever credit card that is focused on online shopping across diverse
categories.
iii. For this new credit card, SBI Card has partnered Amazon India, BookMyShow, Cleartrip,
FabFurnish, Food Panda, Lens Kart and Ola Cabs -- all frontrunners in their respective categories.
iv. Launching the SimplyCLICK SBI Card in the presence of the strategic partners, Vijay Jasuja, CEO,
SBI Card, said that SimplyCLICK has been inspired by the needs and aspirations of the generation
that is always online.
3. RBI, Nepal Rastra Bank ink MoU for supervisory information exchange
i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nepal
Rastra Bank (NRB) on Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information.
ii. The MoU was signed by RBIs Executive Director Meena Hemchandra and Nepal Rastra Banks
Executive Director Narayan Prasad Paudel in New Delhi.
iii. By signing the MoU, RBI is seeking to promote greater co-operation and share supervisory
information among the authorities.

iv. So far RBI has signed 27 such MoUs, one Letter for Supervisory Co-operation (LSC) and one
Statement of Co-operation (SoC) in this regard.
4. Malcolm Turnbull Is Sworn In as Australias New Prime Minister
i. The party coup to install Malcolm Turnbull as Australias fourth prime minister in just over two
years has exposed deep unease about the resource-dependent countrys sharply slowing economy
and a political system that lets small groups of politicians oust elected leaders.
ii. The 60-year-old former investment banker unseated Tony Abbott as leader of the ruling LiberalNational coalition government late Monday in a party rebellion, as voter surveys pointed to defeat
for the ruling Liberal-National coalition at federal elections due next year. Mr. Turnbull was sworn in
on Tuesday and became the countrys 29th prime minister.
iii. Australias economy expanded just 0.2% in the second quarter from the first, the slowest pace
in four years, as Chinas slowing economy translates into less construction of skyscrapers, bridges
and railwayshurting demand for raw materials like iron ore.
iv. The latest ouster caps nearly a decade of instability in Australian politics that has splintered
both major political parties.
v. The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a lobby group, said with business and
investment confidence already fragile, lawmakers needed to put the tumult behind them and get
on with providing the stable government that voters were looking for.
5. FreeCharge Partners Yes Bank, Fino PayTech to Launch Wallet Solution
i. Snapdeal-owned mobile transactions platform FreeCharge announced its foray into the wallets
space in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
ii. FreeCharge has partnered with Yes Bank and payment bank licensee Fino PayTech to launch the
service, which will go live in a few weeks. The company claims that its wallet is able to reduce
checkout times to under 10 seconds.
iii. Kunal Shah, CEO and co-founder, FreeCharge, said that the wallet was equipped with state of
the art technology and a robust partner network, "making it a truly game-changing service that will
bring value to consumers and our partners in the ecosystem."
iv. "At Snapdeal we are building an ecosystem that powers billions of digital commerce
transactions. With the launch of the FreeCharge Digital Wallet, we will now play an even more
intrinsic role in our customers' lives," Kunal Bahl, CEO and co-founder, Snapdeal said.
v. While FreeCharge already has a credit-based wallet-like feature in its app called 'FreeCharge
Credits', that gets credited when a transaction is unsuccessful. By partnering with a payment bank
licensee, FreeCharge can integrate the wallet with savings bank accounts via IMPS and NEFT
transfers and issue ATM and debit cards.
6. Kerala: 200 people in Sastamnada village pledge organs for donation
i. Organ donation is the need of the hour and the Kerala government has been on a drive to boost it
in the state. Now 200 people from Sastamnada village have come forward to pledge their organs
for donation.
ii. The Kerala Network of Organ Sharing was launched by the Department of Health as registry.
Now, 200 people from the Sastamnada village will give letters stating their intent to donate their
organs to the KNOS nodal officer Dr. Noble Gracious on September 20.
iii. The KNOS website shows that the waitlist for kidneys is 1083 at this point. More people coming
forward to donate organs will help those in need is the KNOS opinion. Last year there were only 58
cadaver donors in the state.
7. IFCs Suryoday in rural Rajasthan
i. IFCs Lighting India program that aims to provide safe, affordable, and quality solar lights to
people with limited or no access to electricity, is increasing the availability of solar lighting
products in rural parts of Rajasthan through a consumer awareness campaign, Suryoday.
ii. The campaign, delivered in partnership with solar products rural distributor Frontier Markets, has
reached over 250 villages and about 15,000 people in Sawai Madhopur, Jhunjhunu, Jaipur, and
Dhaulpur districts of Rajasthan, IFC said in a statement.
iii. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is a global development institution focused on the
private sector in emerging markets.
8. Paytm introduces cashless payments in educational institutions
i. Paytm has introduced cashless payments in educational institutions, which will enable users to
pay school fees and dues, cafeteria bill, buy uniforms, books and merchandise.
ii. Paytm, the countrys Indias largest mobile commerce platform, has tied up with several
premium educational institutions from pre-schools to colleges such as IIT Mandi, Universal
Education Trust, KN Modi University, Vidyamandir Classes, Made Easy, Career Launcher, Jamboree,
Primus Public School, Bengaluru and Swaminarayan Gurukul Vidyalaya, among others.
iii. Paytm is in advanced stage discussions with all leading IITs, IIMs, central and state universities.
iv. As per a Fitch report, the Indian education sectors market size is estimated at $109.84 billion in
FY15, which makes India the worlds third largest market for education by size.
9. Brian Close: Former England and Yorkshire captain dies, aged 84

i. The Yorkshireman is the youngest player to have won a Test cap for England, making his debut as
an 18-year-old against New Zealand in 1949.
ii. Close, who was known for his brave batting, captained his country seven times in 22 Tests, and
led Yorkshire to four County Championship titles.
iii. Former England captain Michael Vaughan, who was coached by Close at Yorkshire, called him "a
true inspiration".
iv. Close, who lived in Baildon, West Yorkshire, died on Sunday. He leaves a widow, a son and a
daughter.
v. Left-handed batsman Close, who bowled as an off-spinner, made nearly 35,000 runs during a
first-class career that spanned 37 years, ending at the age of 55 in 1986.
1. Ashok-Alexander Sridharan from Kerala wins Bonn mayoral election
i. Ashok-Alexander Sridharan, who won a recent mayoral election in German city of Bonn, has his
roots in the South Indian state of Kerala.
ii. Sridharan, who will be appointed as the country's first Indian origin mayor, also brought the
Christian Democratic Union (CDU) to power in Bonn after over two decades by defeating the ruling
Social Democratic Party.
iii. Sridharan's father, who was an Indian diplomat, immigrated to Germany in the 1950s and
married his German mother.
iv. The 50-year-old had earlier served as treasurer and assistant mayor in the nearby Koenigswinter
town.
2. Anupam Kher honoured with certificate of recognition in US
i. Anupam Kher received the Certificate of Recognition from the California legislature for his
dedication to helping Kashmiri Hindu community.
ii. Kher, 60, a Kashmiri Hindu himself, said the recognition also adds to his sense of responsibility.
iii. "I feel honoured to get these recognitions in the US. But they also add to my sense of
responsibility towards humankind," he added.
iv. The certificate added to the list of honours Kher has received in the US. He was presented with
the Honoured Guest award by the US state of Texas and September 10 was announced as
'Anupam Kher Day' in Las Vegas.
3. UN marks International Day by stressing vital role of civil society for true democracy
i. A strong and freely operating civil society is crucial for successful and stable democracies and
must be given the space to carry out their vital functions, the United Nations emphasized today, as
it marked the International Day of Democracy.
ii. Civil society is the oxygen of democracy, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message
for the Day, observed annually on 15 September.
iii. Civil society acts as a catalyst for social progress and economic growth. It plays a critical role in
keeping Government accountable, and helps represent the diverse interests of the population,
including its most vulnerable groups.
iv. Yet, Mr. Ban pointed out, freedom to operate for civil society is diminishing or even
disappearing. An alarming number of governments have adopted restrictions that limit the ability
of non-governmental organizations to work, or to receive funding, or both. That is why, he added,
the theme of this years Day is space for civil society.
4. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina wins UN award for climate change
i. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been announced as one of the winners of the
United Nations Champions of the Earth award in recognition of her countrys initiatives to address
climate change.
ii. Serving as Prime Minister of Bangladesh one of the worlds least-developed countries Sheikh
Hasina has proven that investing in climate change is conducive to achieving social and economic
development, said the announcement issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which
confers the awards.
iii. UNEP noted that Bangladesh is one of the worlds most populated countries, with over 159
million people. It is also one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
iv. The award cites, among other initiatives, the progressive Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy
and Action Plan of 2009, which made the South Asian nation the first developing country to frame
such a coordinated action plan.
v. Bangladesh is also the first country to set up its own Climate Change Trust Fund, supported by
nearly USD 300 million of domestic resources from 2009-2012.
vi. The awards will be handed out at a special ceremony on September 27 here at the close of the
Sustainable Development Summit.
5. Indian-American Swetha Prabakaran selected for Champions of Change award in US
i. A 15-year-old Indian-American girl Swetha Prabakaran has been selected by the White House for
the prestigious Champions of Change award.
ii. She was chosen for the award in recognition of her efforts for empowering the community by
imparting education of Internet coding through her non-profit Organisation. She is among eleven
young women selected by the White House as Champions of Change.

iii. Swetha was born in Indianapolis to Indian parents who had immigrated from Tamil Nadus
Tirunelveli in 1998. She is the founder and CEO of Everybody Code Now, a non-profit body working
to empower the next generation of youth to become scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs.
iv. The award is given by White House to those who support working families and help make
change in their companies or communities. In this regard, White House had created the
Champions of Change programme in order to feature these individuals and to empower and
inspire members of their communities.
6. IIT- Delhi, IISc figured in the top 200 World University Rankings
i. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi are two
India institutes to figure in the top 200 in QS World University Rankings of 2015-16.
ii. In this edition of annual global university ranking list, IISc Bangalore ranked 147th and IIT- Delhi
ranked 179th respectively.
iii. It was the 12th edition QS World University Rankings and has been topped by Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) of United States (US) for record fourth time.
iv. Harvard University (second), University of Cambridge (third), Stanford University (fourth),
California Institute of Technology-Caltech (fifth). In the top 10 universities, 5 are from US, 4 from
United Kingdom (UK) and 1 from Switzerland.
v. National University of Singapore (11th rank) has topped among the Asian universities.
7. Godavari, Krishna rivers to be formally linked today
i. In a good news to farmers, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will release
water of river Godavari into Krishna on Wednesday to mark the formal linking of the two rivers.
ii. The programme will be held at Ibrahimpatnam village near Vijayawada. State Water Resources
Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao told reporters that the State has created history by
completing the Krishna-Godavari linking project to divert about 80 TMC of water from river
Godavari river to Krishna.
iii. Parakala Prabhakar, Advisor (Communications) to Andhra Pradesh government, had told PTI,
The inter-linking of rivers has been on the cards and on the drawing board for a long time, from
the days when (eminent engineer) KL Rao was Irrigation Minister in the Union Cabinet (in 1950s).
iv. The linkage of Godavari water with Krishna basin is being made possible by the Pattiseema lift
irrigation scheme on Godavari river at Pattisam village in West Godavari district, he had said.
8. Pentagon sets up India Rapid Reaction Cell
i. The Pentagon has established a first-ever country special cell to speed up its defence ties with
India and accelerate the process of co-development and co-production of hi-tech military
equipment in the country.
ii. Established soon after Defence Secretary Ashton Carter assumed Pentagons leadership role in
February, India Rapid Reaction Cell (IRRC) is headed by Keith Webster, Director, International
Cooperation Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
iii. India is the only country to have a specific cell of its kind inside the Pentagon. Currently, this cell
has a staff of seven, representing various wings of the US Department of Defence.
iv. Given the new thrust on India-US defence relationship under Carter, officials say there are quite
a few on the waiting list who have shown keen interest in working at the Pentagons India Rapid
Reaction Cell.
9. Hangzhou to host 2022 Asian Games
i. The Chinese city of Hangzhou was confirmed on Wednesday as the host of the 2022 Asian
Games, the Olympic Council of Asia announced at its General Assembly in Ashgabat.
ii. The capital of Chinas Zhejiang province, Hangzhou, was the sole bidder to stage the 19th
edition of Asias biggest multi-sports event.
iii. China has hosted the Asian Games twice before, at Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010, and
has already been awarded the Winter Olympics in 2022.
iv. Held every four years, the next Asian Games will take place in Jakarta in 2018. The OCA had
wanted to switch the Asian Games to an odd-number year to avoid clashing with the Winter
Olympics and FIFA World Cup but reverted back to the same time slot after Hanoi, Vietnam
withdrew as the 2019 host.
v. Jakarta stepped in as the replacement but asked for the Games to be moved forward to 2018
because the Indonesian presidential elections are slated for 2019.
. RBI approves 10 entities to set up Small Finance Banks
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted in principle approval to 10 entities to set up small
finance banks to provide basic banking services to small farmers and micro industries.
ii. The in-principle approval will enable these entities comply with the guidelines on Small Finance
Banks and will be valid for 18 months.
iii. The 10 entities are
Au Financiers (India) Ltd
Capital Local Area Bank
Disha Microfin Private Ltd
Equitas Holdings P Limited
ESAF Microfinance and Investments Private Ltd

Janalakshmi Financial Services Private Limited

RGVN (North East) Microfinance Limited
Suryoday Micro Finance Private Ltd
Ujjivan Financial Services Private Ltd
Utkarsh Micro Finance Private Ltd.
iv. As per RBI guidelines, the small finance banks can provide basic banking services in order to
promote financial inclusion.
v. It will include services like accepting deposits and lending to the unbanked sections such as
micro business enterprises, small farmers, micro and small industries and unorganised sector
entities.
2. Nepal approves new constitution
i. Nepal's parliament has overwhelmingly approved a new constitution, which is due to come into
effect on Sunday. As it was passed by 507 votes to 25, cheers broke out in the assembly.
ii. It comes after years of political wrangling, while Nepal was governed by an interim constitution
after the monarchy was abolished in 2008. It will see Nepal divided into seven provinces but it
angered minority ethnic groups who fear discrimination and sparked protests in which 40 died.
iii. Hindu groups have also been demonstrating, demanding that Nepal be declared a Hindu state it became a secular republic after the monarchy was scrapped. Members of the Constituent
Assembly broke out in cheers on Wednesday night after the vote was passed.
iv. Prime Minister Sushil Koirala later tweeted that it was "an issue of pride for all Nepalis that the
people's constitution has been passed". Some small opposition parties boycotted the vote.
3. Union Cabinet approves additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days under
MGNREGA
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto
approval to provide an additional 50 days of unskilled manual work in the financial year over and
above the 100 days assured to job card holders, in such rural areas where drought or natural
calamities have been notified.
ii. This will enable States to provide additional wage employment to the rural poor in drought
affected areas. The poorest rural households will benefit from this, as it will help in immediate
absorption of rural seasonal unemployment, and reduce rural distress.
iii. To provide immediate relief to farmers, in view of the deficit monsoon during Kharif 2015,
the Government of India has already taken a number of decisions. Orders on these measures
have already been issued to all State Governments, which will implement them on the basis of
assessed need.
iv. The various decisions are:
Diesel Subsidy Scheme for farmers in affected areas

Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy

Interventions for saving perennial horticulture crops

Implementation of additional fodder development programme

Flexible allocation under RKVY and other centrally sponsored schemes

Crop contingency plan

4. Union Cabinet approves Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban mission for rural development
i. The Union Cabinet has approved Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban mission (SPMRM) for its
ambitious bid to spur social, economic and infrastructure development in rural areas. In this regard,
Union Government has earmarked over 5,000 crore rupees for the mission to develop 300 clusters
over next three years across the country.
ii. SPMRM through development of rurban growth clusters aims at catalyzing overall regional
growth.
iii. It seeks to achieve of strengthening rural areas and de burdening the urban areas. Thus it seeks
for balanced regional development and growth of the country by simultaneously benefiting the
rural as well as urban areas of the country.
iv. The State Governments would identify the clusters which have latent potential for growth in
accordance with the Framework for Implementation. This framework will be prepared by the Union
Ministry of Rural Development.
v. States government will prepare Integrated Cluster Action Plans for Rurban Clusters. It will be
comprehensive plan documents detailing out the strategy for the cluster development.
5. India, Cambodia ink 2 MoUs for bilateral cooperation in Tourism, Mekong Ganga Project

i. India and Cambodia have signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to boost bilateral
cooperation in the field of Tourism and another related to umbrella projects under Mekong Ganga
Cooperation initiative.
ii. These MoUs were signed in the presence of Indian Vice President M.Hamid Ansari and his
Cambodian counterpart Prime Minister Hun Sen in Phnom Penh.
iii. The second MoU for umbrella projects under Mekong Ganga Cooperation initiative covers five
Quick Impact Projects.
iv. It also included 50,000 US dollars grant for the Cambodia-India Entrepreneurship Development
Centre (CIEDC) which was launched in February 2006
6. South Indian Fertilisers to set up Kissan Kendra, agri super markets in Kerala
i. The Kochi based South Indian Fertilisers, an organic fertiliser manufacturing company, has plans
to set up Kissan Kendras and agri super markets across Kerala.
ii. The Kissan Kendra will provide all information on agriculture and make available organic
fertilisers, different varieties of seeds, organic pesticides, grow bags etc under one roof.
iii. Besides promoting organic farming, the company will extend information on the usage of latest
farming technologies at Kissan Kendras. Kendras will be started under the guidance and
supervision of agricultural experts, says Sunil Kumar, Managing Director, South Indian Fertilisers.
7. Manpreet Kaur breaks national shot put record on road to Rio Olympics
i. Railways shot putter Manpreet Kaur today became the latest Indian athlete to qualify for next
year's Olympics when she shattered an 18-year-old national record en route to a sixth title at the
55th National Open Athletics Championship today.
ii. The Patiala-based shot putter threw 17.96 metres in her second attempt to claim the gold medal,
a hat-trick of titles at the National Open after she returned to field in 2013 following a three year
hiatus because of the birth of her daughter Jasnoor.
iii. The 25-year-old, who had the previous best of 16.39 at last year's Delhi National Open, said she
was confident of breaking the 19m-mark before next year's Olympics so as to give herself some
chance at the quadrennial extravaganza.
iv. The IAAF entry standard for 2016 Rio Olympics in women's shot put is 17.80m, while the top
three in London 2012 threw 20m plus. It was also an emotional moment for Manpreet as the
previous record holder too worked in the same department of Railways where she's currently
posted.
8. Chanderpaul receives Icon Award
i. Veteran Test cricket left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul has been honoured with the Icon Award by the
Indo-Caribbean Alliance. In a ceremony held in New York recently, the 41-year-old was given the
New York City-based organisations highest award and was one of four persons honoured in a fivehour-long ceremony in Flushing, reports CMC.
ii. The others receiving awards were television personality Lakshmee Singh, New York City council
member Eric Ulrich and businessman Dave Kadernauth.
iii. Chanderpaul has been one of the most prolific run-scorers in West Indies cricket, amassing
11,867 runs from 164 Tests at an average of 51. He is only second to Brian Lara in aggregate.
However, he was sacked in May for poor form ahead of the Australia series and was also recently
overlooked for the tour of Sri Lanka beginning next month.
1. Union Government launches PMKKKY for mining affected people
i. Union Government has launched the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) for
the welfare of people affected by mining related operations.
ii. The new scheme is meant to provide for the welfare of people and areas affected by mining
related operations by using the funds collected by District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
iii. The aim is to mitigate the adverse impacts due to mining operation on the health and
environment. It also seeks to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in
mining areas.
iv. It is to to ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods to people in areas affected by mining.
2. Perumanna Grama Panchayat becomes first Panchayat in Kerala to declare a Water Policy
i. Perumanna Grama Panchayat in Kozhikode district of Kerala has become the first Panchayat in
the State, to declare its own water policy. The water policy has been framed in the lines of the
State governments water policy declared in 2008.
ii. The policy was drafted with the help of the Centre for Water Resources Development and
Management (CWRDM) Kunnamangalam.
iii. The policy notifies a 13-point action plan to ensure proper utilisation and conservation of water
in the 18 wards of Panchayat. The first of the policy to increase water literacy in the panchayat
through extensive water conservation and awareness programmes.
iv. The policy also seeks to make panchayat garbage free by 2020, thus eliminating water pollution
completely. Under the policy, Water conservation committees will be formed at ward level as well
as panchayat level.
3. Afghan refugee teacher Aqeela Asifi named for 2015 UNHCR Nansen Refugee Award
i. Afghan refugee teacher Aqeela Asifi has won the 2015 United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR) Nansen Refugee Award.

ii. As a teacher, she has been recognised for her tireless and brave dedication to educate Afghan
refugee girls in the Kot Chandana refugee village in Mianwali, Pakistan by overcoming the struggles
of life in exile.
iii. Asifi is a former teacher who fled from Kabul, Afghanistan with her family in 1992 for finding
safety in the remote refugee settlement of Kot Chandana in Pakistan.
iv. In the refugee camp she started teaching Afghan refugee girls by overcoming strict conservative
cultural traditions which does not allow Afghan women to learn.
v. The award recognizes extraordinary humanitarian work and service of an individual, group or
organization towards refugees, internally displaced or stateless people.
4. NASA may launch its Mars sample-return mission by 2022
i. A mission that could bring chunks of rock samples collected by NASAs 2020 Mars rover back to
Earth for analysis could launch as early as 2022, scientists say.
ii. NASAs Ames Research Center has developed a draft proposal for the Red Dragon project
which would see NASA team up with Elon Musks company SpaceX.
iii. The mission, which remains a concept at the moment and not an approved mission, would send
Mars rock samples back toward Earth, where researchers could examine the material for possible
signs of past life on the red planet.
iv. Mars is a cold and dry place today, but evidence gathered by NASAs Mars rover Curiosity and
other spacecraft suggests that the planet was warmer and wetter, with lots of surface water,
billions of years ago.
v. NASA aims to grab and cache samples from a potentially habitable environment with its next
Mars rover, which is scheduled to launch in 2020. But the space agency does not yet have a firm
plan or timeline for bringing this material back to Earth.
5. Krishnan Balakrishnan new CFO of GoAir
i. Wadia Group-promoted no-frills airline GoAir has appointed Krishnan Balakrishnan as its Chief
Financial Officer (CFO).
ii. Balakrishnan has replaced Siddhartha Datta who quit the airline some time back to pursue other
interests, GoAir said.
iii. Prior to moving to GoAir, Balkrishnan was holding the position of Vice President for fleet
management at Naresh Goyal-owned full service carrier Jet Airways. He is the second senior
executives to have parted ways with Jet Airways in the recent past as earlier its Chief Commercial
Officer Raj Sivakumar also quit the carrier last month.
iv. Significantly, GoAir Chief Executive Officer Wolfgang Prock-Shauer is also formerly from Jet
Airways. Prock-Shauer had quit the airline in October 2009 after serving as its CEO for around sixand-a-half year.
6. Madhya Pradesh Government launched M-Shiksha-Mitra mobile app for teachers
i. To provide various services and teaching-related work to teacher in a simple and easy way,
Madhya Pradesh Government in September 2015 launched M-Shiksha-Mitra mobile app. With this,
Madhya Pradesh became the first state to develop such mobile app for teachers.
ii. The app developed by NIC that carries several facilities can be downloaded from Google Play
Store in android mobile phone.
iii. Teachers can use Shiksha-Mitra mobile app to browse salary slip, funds sent to school under
various heads, scholarships, different circulars and GPF statement easily. Through it, they can send
SMS about their problem and know status of its redressal. The app will also be used for applying for
leave and also e-attendance. Facility of free 200 SMSs has been given in the app.
iv. The app can be logged onto by using user name and password issued for Education Portal. All
principals, head masters, school in-charge persons and teachers have been directed to register
their mobile number on education portal.
7. Union Finance Ministry launched NXT DIGITAL-Headend In The Sky platform
i. The Union Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley on 15 September 2015 launched the Headend In The
Sky (HITS) digital platform initiative, under the brand name NXT DIGITAL promoted by Hinduja
Group.
ii. The platform will provide viewers access to over 500 television channels of their choice be it
international, national, regional and local; besides a host of other services like e-applications and
TV everywhere.
iii. Customers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka will now have
greater access to channels of their choice with other states soon joining in. The customers will now
pay for what they want to see and it will also enable increase in revenues to the government due to
full transparency.
iv. The Hinduja-Hits Network will serve Multi System Operators (MSOs) as well as Local Cable
Operators (LCOs) and aims to tap the transition from analogue to digital mode of cable TV services
under the government's Digital India initiative and Make In India mission.
v. The NXT DIGITAL Broadcast Centre is a state-of-the-art next-generation MPEG-4 facility that has
been designed and purpose-built to provide a variety of services to the cable distribution fraternity
and their customers all across India.

8. EPFO increased maximum insurance cover to 6 lakh rupees

i. The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 16 September 2015 increased the life
insurance cover of its subscribers from 3.6 lakh to 6 lakh rupees.
ii. The central board of trustees (CBT), the highest decision-making body of the EPFO, also decided
that the subscriber will not be required to serve continuous employment of one year in a company
before being eligible for insurance benefit.
iii. About 40 million contributing members of the EPFO will be benefitted from the decision taken at
the 208th CBT meeting in Hyderabad.
iv. The life cover, called Employees Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI), is paid to the family of the EPF
subscriber in case of his/her demise.
9. Skeet shooter Mairaj Khan books Olympics quota
i. Veteran skeet shooter Mairaj Ahmad Khan celebrated the biggest day of his 12-year career when
he clinched a Rio Olympics quota place for India at the ongoing ISSF Shotgun World Championship
here on Thursday.
ii. Mairaj started the second day of the men's skeet competition in ninth position with a score of 74
after the first three rounds of qualification. After two more qualifications on Thursday, he entered
the final in sixth position with a total score of 122 out of a maximum possible 125.
iii. Given that all the first five shooters in qualification had already booked their Rio berths, Mairaj
secured one of the two available quota places. The other seat went to Germany's Ralf Buchheim
who ended his qualification round in eighth position with an identical score of 122.
iv. This is India's first quota place for the 2016 Olympics in the shotgun disciplines.
v. The 40-year-old Noida based Mairaj, who hails from Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh, had
previously won gold in the men's Team Skeet event at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.
1. PM Narendra Modi launches IPDS in Varanasi to ensure 247 power supply to every house
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched National Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) in
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to provide 247 power supply to every house.
ii. To start the scheme in Varanasi, PM laid foundation stone of two power substations and Union
Government will provide 572 crore rupees to implement it.
iii. Apart from launching IPDS, PM also laid the foundation stone of seven other developmental
projects in Varanasi. He also formally inaugurated the biggest Trauma centre of the country in
Banaras Hindu University.
iv. IDPS is to strengthen the transmission and distribution (T&D) networks, 100 per cent metering
urban areas and smarten it with information technology. It was announced in Union Budget 201415 and is one of the flagship schemes of the Union Ministry of Power core attempt to ensure 247
power for all.
2. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare bans sale of Diclofenac in multidose vial
i. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has banned the sale of Diclofenac in multidose vial.
Henceforth, it will be sold only in single-dose vial packaging for human use.
ii. This ban was imposed on recommendation of Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change (MoEFCC) in order to save and protect vultures from brink of extinction.
iii. In this regard, MoEFCC has published an official Gazette notification no G.S.R 558 (E) dated 17th
July, 2015, banning packaging of multi-dose vial of Diclofenac.
iv. Diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) is administered to cattle, is the chief
cause of mass extinction of vultures.
v. Vultures feeding on cattle having traces of diclofenac either die from acute kidney failure within
a few days or lose their ability to reproduce.
3. Metro Man E Sreedharan to serve UN High Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport
i. Metro Man Elattuvalapil Sreedharan has been invited to the United Nations High Level Advisory
Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST).
ii. He has been invited by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to serve on his HLAG-ST for a period
of three years. Mr. E Sreedharan has accepted this offer.
iii. Mr. E Sreedharan was born on 12 June 1932 in Palakkad district of Kerala. He is a retired Indian
Engineering Service (IES) officer.
iv. He is credited for changing the face of public transport in India. Under his leadership, Konkan
Railway and the Delhi Metro projects were completed on time. He was given the sobriquet of Metro
Man by the Indian media for his grand success in executing the completion of the Delhi Metro on
time and with stipulated budget.
4. Veteran Marathi cricket commentator Bal Pandit passes away
i. Veteran cricket Marathi commentator Bal Pandit passed away in Pune, Maharashtra. He was 89.
He is considered as pioneer of cricket commentary in Marathi who had made the game more
popular in Maharashtrian households.
ii. Bal Pandit was born on 24 July 1929 in Pune. Prior to starting his commentator career, Pandit was
cricketer and had played for Maharashtra. His cricketing debut was in the Rohinton Baria Trophy
and played for two seasons between 1951 and 1953.
iii. He is often described as an encyclopedia of Marathi synonyms for original cricketing parlance in
English. Pandit had endeared himself with fans of the cricket with his lucid live commentary of both

domestic and international matches on All India Radio (AIR) for over4 decades, before the advent of
24X7 television channels.
iv. He was also a prolific cricket writer and had written about 30 books. He also had penned
newspaper and magazine articles on cricket and enhanced knowledge of the game among readers.
5. India, Laos ink two MoUs to strengthen bilateral ties
i. India and Laos have inked two key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on Air services and
Quick Impact Projects under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) programme to strengthen
bilateral ties between the two nations.
ii. These MoUs were signed in presence of Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari and his counterpart
President of Lao Choummaly Sayasone in Vientiane.
iii. Vice President Hamid Ansari is on four-day official state visit to Cambodia and Laos. It is also first
visit of an Indian Vice President to Laos.
6. Ajinkya Rahane honoured with life membership by CCI
i. Ajinkya Rahane, India's most consistent batsman in the last couple of years, has been conferred
with the honorary life membership by the Cricket Club of India (CCI) here on Friday.
ii. Honouring the top-order batsman was CCI president Kekoo Nicholson in the presence of past
president Sevanti Parikh and other members.
iii. Rahane joins an illustrious list of sportspersons, not just cricketers, to be conferred with the CCI
membership and these include Sunil Gavaskar, Viv Richards, Geet Sethi, Michael Ferreira, Muttiah
Muralitharan and MS Dhoni, to name a few.
iv. The 27-year-old right-handed batsman who has risen from humble background, who has come a
long way from his early life in Dombivli to making centuries at the Home of Cricket, Lord's, has
been looked upon by the club as the flag-bearer of Mumbai cricket at the world stage.
Gold Monetization Scheme
Well, the answer lies in the name itself. Gold Monetization itself talk about converting the gold into
money if we talk as a layman. It is a scheme that facilitates the depositors of gold to earn interest
on their metal accounts. Once the gold is deposited in metal account, it will start earning interest
on the same. The objectives of the Gold Monetization scheme are:
(i) To mobilize the gold held by households and institutions in the country.
(ii) To provide a fillip to the gems and jewellery sector in the country by making gold available as
raw material on loan from the banks.
(iii) To be able to reduce reliance on import of gold over time to meet the domestic demand.
Opening of Gold Savings Account with the banks
When the customer produces the certificate of gold deposited at the Purity Testing Centre, the bank
will in turn open a Gold Savings Account for the customer and credit the quantity of gold into the
customers account. Simultaneously, the Purity Verification Centre will also inform the bank about
the deposit made.
Interest payment by banks:
The bank will commit to paying an interest to the customer which will be payable after 30/60 days
of opening of the Gold Savings Account. The amount of interest rate to be given is proposed to be
left to the banks to decide. Both principal and interest to be paid to the depositors of gold, will be
valued in gold. For example if a customer deposits 100 gms of gold and gets 1 per cent
interest, then, on maturity he has a credit of 101 gms.
Redemption:
The customer will have the option of redemption either in cash or in gold, which will have to be
exercised in the beginning itself (that is, at the time of making the deposit).
Tenure:
The tenure of the deposit will be minimum 1 year and with a roll out in multiples of one year. Like a
fixed deposit, breaking of lock-in period will be allowed.
Tax Exemption:
In the Gold Deposit Scheme (1999), the customers received exemption from Capital Gains Tax,
Wealth tax and Income Tax. Similar tax exemptions are likely to be made available to the
customers in the GMS after due examination.
Utilization of Deposited Gold
Under medium and long-term deposit
Auctioning
Replenishment of RBIs Gold Reserves
Coins
Lending to jewellers
Under short-term deposit
Coins
Lending to jewelers
Tax Exemption:
Tax exemptions, same as those available under GDS would be made available to customers, in the
revamped GDS, as applicable.

Gold Reserve Fund:

The difference between the current borrowing cost for the Government and the interest rate paid
by the Government under the medium/long term deposit will be credited to the Gold Reserve Fund.
Revamped Gold Metal Loan Scheme
Gold Metal Loan Account: A Gold Metal Loan Account, denominated in grams of gold, will be
opened by the bank for jewelers. The gold mobilized through the revamped GDS, under the shortterm option, will be provided to jewelers on loan, on the basis of the terms and conditions set-out
by banks, under the guidance of RBI.
Delivery of gold to jewellers:
When a gold loan is sanctioned, the jewelers will receive physical delivery of gold from refiners. The
banks will, in turn, make the requisite entry in the jewelers Gold Loan Account. Interest received by
banks: The interest rate charged on the GML will be decided by banks, with guidance from the RBI.
MoU between Banks, Refiners and Purity Testing Centres
1. The banks will enter into a tripartite MoU with refiners and purity testing centres, that are
selected by them to be their partners in the scheme.
2. The MoU will clearly lay down the details regarding payment of fee, services to be provided,
standards of service and the details of the arrangements between the banks, refiners and purity
testing centres.
BANKS BOARD BUREAU: Another Initiative for PSBs
the government announced the setting up of a Banks Board Bureau (BBB), where each bank would
be monitored on the basis of "key performance indicators".
The Banks Board Bureau will recommend appointment of directors in public sector banks (PSBs)
and advice on ways of raising funds and dealing with issues of stressed assets.
The financial services secretary Hasmukh Adhia said that the political interference in the
functioning of banks must cease. The BBB would replace the existing appointments board for PSBs.
He also said that BBB will also be a link between the government and banks and will be engaged
with banks to evolve strategies for them.
The bureau will be a six-member board comprising three from the private sector and three
government nominees, while the chairman "will be a distinguished banker or regulator".
Banks have a requirement for Rs.180,000 crore over the next four years to meet their capital
requirements. Of this, the government will provide Rs.70,000 crore. They have to raise Rs.1.1 lakh
crore from the market. The BBB will advise the banks on ways of raising fund. Also the government
plans to provide Rs.25,000 crore capital each in the current and next fiscal year, while Rs.20,000
crore would be provided during 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Facts about Bank Board Bureau
1) Bank Board Bureau (BBB) will start the functioning from next financial year i.e. from 1st April
2016 and the selection of its member will start in the next six months.
2) It will replace existing system Appointments Board in which appointments for top level jobs at
PSBs are made by an appointments committee led by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor.
3) Composition: The BBB will be a body of eminent professionals and shall consist of only one
government official. It will be six members body with at least 3 former bankers, 2 professionals and
secretary, department of financial services representing government.
4) Functions: Give recommendations for appointment of full-time Directors as well as non-Executive
Chairman of PSBs.
5) Give advice to PSBs in developing differentiated strategies for raising funds through innovative
financial methods and instruments and to deal with issues of stressed assets.
6) Guide banks on mergers and consolidations.
1. Election Commission releases NOTA symbol for all polls
i. The Election Commission (EC) has introduced a symbol for "None of the Above (NOTA)" option to
facilitate voters in exercising their NOTA option in elections, it was announced on Friday.
ii. The NOTA option was made available to the voters with effect from 11 October, 2013, pursuant
to the Supreme Court order of 27 September, 2013
iii. The symbol for NOTA option was designed by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
iv. The main objective of the NOTA option is to enable electors, who do not wish to vote for any of
the candidates, to exercise their right without violation of the secrecy of their decision
2. International Day of Peace observed globallyi. The International Day of Peace was
observed on 21 September 2015 across the world to recognise the efforts of those who have
worked hard to end conflict and promote peace. The International Day of Peace is also a day of
ceasefire.
ii. The theme of International Day of Peace for the year 2015 is Partnerships for Peace- Dignity for
All.

iii. The International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September every year. The
United Nations General Assembly has devoted this day to strengthen the ideals of peace, both
within and among all nations and peoples.
iv. On this day, the United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities
and commemorates the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.
3. Nepal adopts new Constitution
i. Nepal has adopted new Constitution marking the countrys transition to a secular and democratic
republic. The new Constitution was unveiled by Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav at a special
ceremony held in Parliament at Kathmandu.
ii. Earlier the Parliament had unanimously adopted the new Constitution by a 507-25 votes in the
601 seat Constituent Assembly (CA) after seven years of painstaking deliberations.
iii. The lawmakers of CA from Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistLeninist)
and UCPN- Maoist supported the new constitution. The new constitution defines the Nepal, a
majority Hindu nation as a secular republic divided into seven federal provinces.
iv. The new Constitution has been drafted by second Constituent Assembly (CA) which was elected
in 2013. Chairman of CA was Subash Nemwang.
4. Egypt's president swears in new government
i. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has sworn in a new government
ii. The new government, headed by former Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail, came after statefriendly media slammed the performance of his predecessor Ibrahim Mehleb and prosecutors
began investigating several officials for allegedly receiving over $1 million in bribes.
iii. The accusations stood in contrast to coverage of El-Sissi, the former general and defence
minister who led the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013. He has cultivated an
image as a leader who is above the political fray and is routinely praised by Egyptian media.
iv. Prime Minister Ismail was among the most celebrated ministers in the former Cabinet, especially
after Italy's Eni SpA revealed late last month their discovery of the "largest-ever" oil field in the
Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Egypt.
5. China launches newly-developed smaller version Long March-6 carrier rocket
i. China has successfully launched a newly-developed smaller version of carrier rocket Long March6 as part of the countrys space program. It was launched from the base in the Northern Province of
Shanxi and was carrying 20 micro satellites into the space.
ii. It uses liquid propellant fuel composed of liquid oxygen and kerosene, which is purportedly
pollution and toxicity free.
iii. These smaller rocket carries will help to make China more competitive in the lucrative market
for commercial satellite launches. Presently, China launches its own satellites along with satellites
of other countries and commercial companies.
iv. Chinas Long March rocket family has been named after an epic journey by Communist forces
led by Mao Zedong escaping the then ruling Kuomintang in the 1930s.
6. Malayalam playback singer Radhika Thilak died
i. Renowned Malayalam playback singer Radhika Thilak passed away in Kochi on 20 September
2015 due to cancer. She was 45 years old. She sung around 70 songs for Malayalam movies
including Guru, Ottayal Pattalam and Deepasthambham Mahashcharyam.
ii. Thilak was a known face on Doordarshan in the 1990s. She was one of the top-rated singers on
All India Radio and was also one of the most popular stage singers of the time.
iii. Her noted songs in Malayalam film industry are Arunakirana deepam, Deva sangeetham, Maya
manchalil, Kaithapoo manam, Thiruvathira thira nokkiya, Ente ulludukkum kotti and Ninte kannil.
7. Novelist Jackie Collins passes away
i. British-American romance novelist Jackie Collins passed away on 19 September 2015 in
California, United States. She was 77 and died due to stage 4 breast cancer.
ii. Jacqueline Jill Jackie Collins was born on October 4, 1937 in London, England. She was the
younger sister of actress Joan Collins.
iii. In her four decades of writing career, she had written more than 32 novels, all of them had
appeared on The New York Times bestsellers list.
iv. Her books have sold over 500 million copies in 40 countries and have been translated into 40
languages. Her debut novel, The World Is Full of Married Men was published in 1968.
8. BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya passes away
i. Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Jagmohan Dalmiya passed away in in
Kolkata, West Bengal. He was 75.
ii. As a cricket administrator, he is hailed as the architect for the rise of Cricket in India and its
financial superpower.
iii. Dalmiya was involved with the BCCI for more than three decades and had started his journey as
its treasurer in 1983 before becoming its secretary. For the first time, he became BCCI president in
2001 and continued till 2004. For second time, he became President of BCCI in March 2015.

iv. Dalmiya also had served as President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) from 1997 to
2000. He was first Indian and first Asian to head the ICC. He was also instrumental in organising
cricket World Cups to the Indian sub-continent in 1987 and 1996.
9. Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya won 2015 Beijing International Marathon
i. Mariko Kipchumba of Kenya on 20 September 2015 won the annual Beijing International
Marathon. He finished the 42.195-km course in 2 hours 14 minutes and 25 seconds.
ii. In womens competition, Ethiopian runner Betelhem Cherenet won the title in 2 hours 27 minutes
and 31 seconds.
iii. With the present win, forty-one-year-old Kipchumba became the first non-Ethiopian athlete to
win the event since 2011. Francis Kiprop won the 2011 event.
iv. The annual marathon race is being held in the Chinese capital Beijing since 1981. It begins at
Tiananmen Square and finishes at the National Olympic Sports Centre stadium.
10. Ajay Jayaram wins silver medal in 2015 Korea Open Badminton tournament
i. Indias Ajay Jayaram has won silver medal in 2015 Korea Open Badminton tournament in the
Mens singles category. In the final match played at Seoul, he lost to World no. one Cheng Long of
China by 14-21, 12-21 score settling to silver medal.
ii. With this Ajay Jayaram became first Indian badminton player to win a medal in Korea Open
Badminton tournament.
iii. It was Cheng Longs sixth trophy of the season and second Korea Open Badminton tournament
after he had won in 2014.
iv. Ajay Jayaram is currently ranked 32nd in the world. Earlier in the Korea Open tournament, he
had defeated Viktor Axelsen of Denmark and Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei on his way to the
Final.
11. Sebastian Vettel wins 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One
i. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel from Germany has won 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One.
ii. The race was held on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, which is the first street circuit in Asia.
iii. It was overall fourth victory for Vettel in Singapore Grand Prix as he had earlier won in 2011,
2012 and 2013. This was his third victory of the season 2015.
iv. Earlier he had won Malaysian Grand Prix and Hungarian Grand Prix.
A Brief on IPDS (Integrated Power Development Scheme)
To start the scheme in Varanasi, PM laid foundation stone of two power substations and Union
Government will provide 572 crore rupees to implement it. The Integrated Power Development
Scheme (IPDS) is one of the flagship schemes of the Ministry of Power and will be at the core
attempt to ensure 24x7 power for all.
What is objective of IPDS?
The Scheme, announced in the Union Budget 2014-15, aims at strengthening of sub-transmission
network, Metering, IT application, Customer Care Services, provisioning of solar panels and the
completion of the ongoing works of Restructured Accelerated Power Development and completion
of the Reforms Programme (RAPDRP).
The Project envisages converting area overhead lines into underground cabling in the areas around
the temples and ghats in the Varanasi city. The Scheme includes up-gradation of the electrical
assets at Sub centers, lines and distribution transformers, capacity enhancement and renewal of
the old sub stations and installation of roof-top solar panel in government buildings.
The scheme will help in reduction in AT&C losses, establishment of IT enabled energy accounting /
auditing system, improvement in billed energy based on metered consumption and improvement
in collection efficiency.
1. Two Indian Coast Guard ships Apoorva & C-421 commissioned
i. Indian Coast Guard has commissioned two new ships named Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Apoorva and
Interceptor Boat C-421.
ii. The ships were commissioned by Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, Flag Officer Commanding in Chief of
Western Naval Command (Mumbai) off the naval dockyard in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
iii. Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Apoorva is the 14th fast patrol vessel in a series of 20. It is 50-metre long
and can achieve a top speed of 33 knots and displaces 317 tonnes.
iv. The ship Apoorva synonyms with Unparalleled in English will be based at Goa. It is equipped
with state-of-the-art advanced communication, navigational and weapons.
v. Interceptor Boat C-421 is 27th in the series of interceptor boats of Indian Coast Guard. It had
been designed and constructed by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) Limited. It is water jet propelled vessel
and can achieve a maximum speed of 45 Knots. It is designed for close coast and shallow water
operations and equipped with medium range armaments.
2. Cow declared as National Animal of Nepal
i. Cow was on 20 September 2015 declared as the National Animal of Nepal as per the new secular
constitution of Nepal unveiled by Nepalese President Ram Baran Yadav at a special ceremony held
in Parliament at Kathmandu.
ii. Cow is considered as a sacred animal to Hindus and as Nepal is a Hindu country, therefore the
Nepal's government have made cow the national animal. With this, the animal has constitutional
protection and cow slaughter has also been banned.

iii. Nepal on 20 September 2015 adopted its first democratically-framed constitution with the
promulgation of the charter by the president Ram Baran Yadav. The constitution was
conceptualized, developed and adopted by a representative Constituent Assembly.
3. Urdu scholar Shamim Hanfi awarded with Jnangarima Manad Alankaran award
i. Renowned Urdu scholar Shamim Hanfi was on 20 September 2015 honoured with the Jnangarima
Manad Alankaran by Bharatiya Jnanpith in New Delhi.
ii. The award was declared at the annual Kavita Samay, an evening of poetry recitation by authors
in Hindi and Urdu. The scholar is best known for his books on criticism like, Ghazal Ka Naya
Manzarnama, Jadidiyat ki Falsafiyani Asas and Infiradi Shaoor aur Ijtemai Zindagi.
iii. Hanfi was born on 17 November 1938 in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Later, he moved to Allahabad
for higher studies. The eminent scholar has also been a freelance contributor for various Hindi and
Urdu newspapers and periodicals.
iv. Bharatiya Jnanpith instituted the Jnangarima Manad Alankaran award in 2015 to commemorate
70 years of the institution. The award identifies the contribution of writers in Indian languages. A
Saraswati statue, a silver citation and a shawl is given to the recipient of this literary honor.
4. Bharat Dynamics ties up with ECIL
i. Two public sector units have joined hands to develop missile electronics and weapon support
systems for major defence projects.
ii. Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), an unit under the Ministry of Defence, has signed a memorandum of
understanding with Electronics Corporation of India Ltd (ECIL), under the Department of Atomic
Energy, to work together.
iii. The tie-up will enable both the organisations to tap business opportunities in the area of missiles
and underwater weapon systems for upcoming defence programmes.
iv. The MoU was inked between V Udaya Bhaskar, Chairman and Managing Director, BDL, and P
Sudhakar, Chairman and Managing Director, ECIL.
5. Vikram Pawah appointed as Managing Director of Harley Davidson's India operations
i. Vikram Pawah was on 21 September 2015 appointed as the Managing Director of India operations
of US cult bike maker Harley Davidson with immediate effect. Pawah succeeded Anoop Prakash,
who was appointed as the Managing Director of Harley Davidson Canada.
ii. Pawah will manage Harley Davidson Indias leadership team responsible for in-country sales,
dealer network management, marketing, service and operations activities to expand the
companys presence in the country.
iii. Pawah has more than 24 years of experience in the auto industry, out of which he spent 21
years with Honda in India and Australia. His most recent role was as Assistant Vice President and
Operating Head - Sales with Honda Cars India Ltd.
iv. Prior to serving Honda, he worked with Jay Engineering Works Ltd, a market leader in the
manufacturing of USHA brand fans, sewing machines and fuel injection equipment.
6. Indian Wushu team won 12 medals at Pars International Cup in Tehran
i. The Indian Wushu team secured 12 medals comprising of one gold, four silver and seven bronze
medals at the Fifth International Pars Wushu Cup held in Tehran. The event was held from 19
September to 20 September 2015.
ii. Indias L. Budhachandra Singh won the gold medal after defeating Masod Ansari of Iran in the
final of the 56 kg category on the last day of the tournament. On the other hand, Mukesh
Choudhary and Rajani Deori fetched silvers for the country.
iii. The Indian team won two silver and three bronze medals in the previous edition held at Zenjan,
Iran.
iv. Wushu, traditional Chinese sports, is an exhibition and a full-contact sport. It is derived from
traditional Chinese martial arts. At present, wushu has become an international sport through the
International Wushu Federation (IWUF). The federation organizes the World Wushu Championships
every two years.
Stadiums in Australia
Adelaide Oval- Adelaide
Bundaberg Rum Stadium- Cairns
Telstra Dome- Melbourne
Manuka Oval- Canberra
Marrara Cricket Ground- Darwin
Melbourne Cricket Ground- Melbourne
Sydney Cricket Ground- Sydney
W.A.C.A. Ground- Perth
Stadiums in Bangladesh
Bangabandhu National Stadium- Dhaka
Chittagong Stadium- Chittagong
Stadiums in England
Edgbaston- Birmingham
Headingley- Leeds

Lord's- London
Old Trafford- Manchester
Sophia Gardens- Cardiff
St Lawrence Ground- Canterbury
The Brit Oval- London
Trent Bridge- Nottingham
Stadiums in India
Barabati Stadium -Cuttack
Barkatullah Khan Stadium -Jodhpur
Brabourne Stadium -Mumbai
Eden Gardens -Kolkata
Feroz Shah Kotla -Delhi
Gandhi Stadium -Jalandhar
Green Park -Kanpur
Indira Gandhi Stadium -Vijayawada
Rajiv Gandhi Port Silver Jubilee Stadium -Visakhapatnam
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium -New Delhi
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium -Hyderabad
M.Chinnaswamy Stadium -Bangalore
MA Chidambaram Stadium -Chennai
Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground -Rajkot
Moin-ul-Haq Stadium -Patna
Sardar Vallabhai Patel Motera Stadium -Ahmedabad
Sawai Mansingh Stadium -Jaipur
Vidarbha CA Ground -Nagpur
Wankhede Stadium -Mumbai
Stadiums in New Zealand
Basin Reserve-Wellington
Eden Park-Auckland
Jade Stadium-Christchurch
John Davies Oval-Queenstown
McLean Park-Napier
Stadiums in Pakistan
Arbab Niaz Stadium-Peshawar
Ayub National Stadium-Quetta
Gaddafi Stadium-Lahore
Stadiums in South Africa
Kingsmead-Durban
New Wanderers Stadium-Johannesburg
Newlands-Cape Town
St George's Park-Port Elizabeth
Centurion Super Sport Park-Pretoria
Stadium in Sri Lanka
Colombo Cricket Club Ground-Colombo
Galle International Stadium-Galle
P.Saravanamuttu Stadium-Colombo
R.Premadasa Stadium-Colombo
Sinhalese Sports Club Ground-Colombo
Stadiums in West Indies
Sabina Park Kingston-Jamaica
Antigua Recreation Ground St John's-Antigua
Guyana Cricket Stadium Georgetown-Guyana
Kensington Oval Bridgetown-Barbados
Mindoo Phillip Park Castries-St Lucia
Albion Sports Complex Berbice-Guyana
Stadiums in Zimbabwe
Bulawayo Athletic Club-Bulawayo
Harare Sports Club-Harare
Kwekwe Sports Club-Kwekwe
Queens Sports Club-Bulawayo
Stadiums in United Arab Emirates
Sheikh Zayed Stadium-Abu Dhabi
Sharjah Cricket Stadium-Sharjah
1. Indra Nooyi, Shobhana Bhartia awarded 2015 Global Leadership Award

i. Hindustan Times Group chairperson Shobhana Bharatia and PepsiCo Chairman Indra Nooyi have
been awarded 2015 Global Leadership Award of the US-India Business Council (USIBC).
ii. They were honoured with this award for their roles as top women leaders in the Business world
and their commitment to driving a more inclusive global economy.
ii. Apart from them, renowned Indian-American artist Natvar Bhavsar was awarded the Artistic
Achievement Award. He is well-known for his abstract expressionism and colour-field painting.
iv. All of them were presented the awards during the annual gala of the USIBC. US Vice President
Joe Biden, US Secretary of State John Kerry were among the dignitaris who had addressed USIBC
gala on the occasion.
2. CCS clears Military helicopters deal with US aviation giant Boeingi. The Cabinet
Committee on Security (CCS) has given its approval to a multi-billion dollar deal to purchase
Military helicopters from United States aviation giant Boeing. Under this deal, India will purchase 22
Apache Attack helicopters and 15 Chinook heavy-lift choppers from Boeing.
i. Apache Attack helicopters are equipped with Longbow gunships and are armed with deadly
Hellfire and Stinger missiles. They are potent as fighter helicopters and are capable of destroying
enemy helicopter and tank forces.
iii. There addition in Indian Air Force (IAF) will help to replace the ageing fleet of 15 Russian Mi-35
attack helicopters which already have undergone life extension upgrades.
iv. Chinook heavy-lift choppers will help IAF to enhance its heavy-lift chopper capabilities and
replace existing fleet of Russia made four gigantic Mi-26s. These choppers will play important role
in warfront as well humanitarian operations for proving logistics support.
3. Union Cabinet gives nod to amend MoU on Indo-German Partnerships in Higher
Education
i. The Union Cabinet gave its approval for minor amendments in earlier MoU signed to facilitate
implementation of Indo-German Strategic Partnerships in Higher Education Programme.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister
Narendra Modi in New Delhi. In order to make changes, a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between
India and Germany will be signed for implementation of Indo-German Strategic Partnerships in
Higher Education programme.
iii. Funding period of the programme will be changed from 2015-19 to 2016-20. Now it will be from
1 July 2016 to 30 June, 2020.
iv. Indo-German Partnership in Higher Education will help to strengthened education relationship
between both the cuntries through this JDI. It will enable the higher education institutions of both
the countries to mutually benefit by enhancing innovative partnerships in the field of education,
research and skill development.
4. Union Cabinet gives nod to set up India Sign Language Research and Training Centre
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the setting up of
Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC).
ii. ISLRTC will be set up as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and initially will be
located at the Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi.
iii. It will be established under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities which comes under Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
iv. At the centre there will be General Council consisting of a President and 12 Members. There will
be also an Executive Council consisting of a Chairperson and 9 Members. Some of these members
will be ex-officio and others will be experts from National Level Organizations of the Deaf or
Academic Institutions or Universities or and independent experts in Indian Sign Language (ISL).
v. It will seek to provide equal opportunities to hearing impaired persons to fully participate in
every sphere of life.
5. Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai of Odisha won Community Impact Award at Google
Science Fair
i. A class 9th student from Koraput district of Odisha, Lalita Prasida Sripada Srisai, bagged the
prestigious Community Impact Award at the fifth Google Science Fair held in California on 22
September 2015.
ii. Lalita is a student of DPS Damanjodi in Koraput, Odisha and she got the award for developing a
low-cost bio-absorbent based water purifier, which aimed at cleaning waste water by flowing
through difference layers of corn cobs.
iii. As a part of the award, 13 years old Lalita won 10000 US dollars as prize money. She will also
receive support from Google for one year for her project.
iv. The Google Science Fair is an online science competition sponsored by Google, National
Geographic, Galactic, Lego, Virgin and Scientific American. The competition is open for 13 to 18
years old students from all over the world. The first ever Google Science Fair award was announced
in July 2011.
6. Korea Caravan 2015 organised by Korea-Andhra Pradesh Friendship Forum held in
Vishakhapatnam
i. Korea-Andhra Pradesh Friendship Forum organized the Korea Caravan 2015 in Vishakhapatnam
on 22 September 2015. This is for the first time that Caravan was held outside New Delhi.

ii. During this, Andhra Pradesh government announced to create a Korea Desk, which would be an
exclusive cell to be opened in the State Secretariat, to issue necessary clearances and give swift
response to investors.
iii. Besides, it also called upon the Koreans to join hands with the Indians to set up various
industries in the State and in building the capital Amaravathi.
iv. On the other hand, Ambassador of Korea to India Joongyu Lee, while addressing the gathering,
reiterated the faith and confidence in the potential of Andhra Pradesh as was reflected by the
World Banks recent report on Assessment of State Implementation of Business Reforms.
v. The report ranked the state second in ease of doing business category. Andhra Pradesh was
ranked with a score of 70.12 percent, below Gujarat which stood at the top with a score of 71.14
per cent.
7. 24th Vyaas Samman conferred on eminent Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishore Goenka
i. Eminent Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishore Goenka was conferred with 24th Vyaas Samman for the
year 2014 on 22 September 2015. He was awarded for his work 'Premchand ki Kahaniyon ka Kaal
Kramanusaar Adhyayan'.
ii. Goenka's work is a critical analysis of the work by Hindi literature's towering giant Munshi
Premchand.
iii. He was awarded a citation along with a cash amount of 2.5 lakh rupees by eminent Hindi writer
Prof Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari.
iv. The award was instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation. It is presented to an outstanding
literary work in Hindi published during the last 10 years.
8. Zayn Khan elected as President of Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India
i. Zayn Khan was on 22 September 2015 unanimously elected as the President of the Federation of
Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). His appointment was necessitated by the death of R Bharath
Raj, who passed away while serving as President on August 15.
1. Mukesh Ambani Indias richest person for 9th consecutive year: Forbes
i. Industrialist Mukesh Ambani has been named as Indias richest person for ninth consecutive year
in a row with a net worth of 18.9 billion dollars in the 2015 Forbes magazines India rich list.
ii. Presently, Mr. Ambani is the Chairman, Managing director (MD) and largest shareholder of
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). It should be noted that RIL is Indias second most valuable
company by market value after Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
iii. The combined wealth of Indias 100 richest persons remained largely unchanged at 345 billion
dollars in 2015 as compared to 346 billion dollars in 2014.
iv. Flipkarts co-founders Sachin and Binni Bansal have made their debut in this edition of list. They
are placed at 86th position with a net worth of 1.3 billion dollars each. There are 12 newcomers in
this edition of list including Flipkarts founders, IndiGos co-founder Rakesh Gangwal.
v. Forbes magazine has compiled the list using shareholding and financial data obtained from
individuals and families, stock exchanges, analysts and regulators.
2. RBI draft proposes allowing cos to tap SWFs, pension funds for external debt
i. In order to encourage overseas funding, the RBI on Wednesday proposed to allow domestic
companies to borrow money from pension funds, sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) and insurance
funds as part of the ECBs.
ii. The draft framework on External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs), however, proposed to lower the
all-in cost borrowing by 0.50 percent to ensure that the funds are borrowed from abroad at a
reasonable interest rate.
iii. The modification in the ECB guidelines on which the RBI has invited comments till October 1 are
aimed at replacing the ECB policy with a more rational and liberal framework, keeping in view the
evolving domestic as well as global macroeconomic and financial conditions, challenges faced in
external sector management and the experience gained so far, the draft guidelines added.
iv. The basic thrust of the revised framework, the RBI said, is to retain more qualitative parameters
for the normal (foreign currency-denominated) ECB and to provide more liberal dispensation for
long-term borrowings in foreign currency.
v. The framework for the rupee-denominated bonds will be announced separately, it said, adding
the real estate investment trust and Infrastructure Investment Trust will be permitted to raise funds
through these instruments. The currency risk with regard to the rupee denominated ECB lies with
the lender or investor and hence the modified framework provides for minimal control for these
borrowings.
3. Union Government gives nod to IAFs Integrated Air Command & Control System
i. Union Government has given its approval for implementation of Integrated Air Command &
Control System (IACCS) project of Indian Air force (IAF) with allocation of 8,000-crore rupees.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on the proposal forwarded by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). Earlier
in November 2014, DAC had given its nod for addition of 4 more nodes IAFs IACCS.
iii. IACCS system is an automated command and control system for Air Defence (AD) which
integrates different air sensors and radars to protect Indian airspace. Presently, India has 5 IACCS

nodes. The addition of four more nodes will help IAF to cover isolated islands thereby providing a
security umbrella to the entire country.
iv. On completion of this project, the air headquarters will get a composite air situation picture as it
is going to integrate Air Force, Army, Naval and civilian radars. IACCS will help IAF to connect all of
its air, space and ground assets quickly for total awareness of a region and facilitate real-time
transport of data, images and voice amongst aircraft, satellites and ground stations.
4. Marathi film Court selected as Indias official entry to Oscars
i. Critically acclaimed Marathi film Court has been selected as Indias official entry to the Best
Foreign Language category of the 88th Academy Awards 2016 (popularly known as Oscars).
ii. The film was shortlisted from 30 other films by a Film Federation of India (FFI) jury headed by
film-maker and director Amol Palekar. It should be noted that Court is third Marathi film to be
shortlisted for Indias official entry to Oscars. Other two films are Shwaas (2004) and
Harishchandrachi Factory (2008).
iii. Court is a courtroom drama film that examines the Indian legal system through the trial of an
aging folk singer in a lower court in Mumbai. The film is directorial debut of Chaitanya Tamhane
who also has written story of the film.
iv. It has been produced by Vivek Gomber and cast includes Vira Sathidar, Vivek Gomber and
Geetanjali Kulkarni etc.The film also has won the Best Feature Film award at the 62nd National Film
Awards in 2015.
5. Arvind Panagariya replaces Suresh Prabhu as G20 sherpa
i. Arvind Panagariya, vice-chairman of Niti Aayog, has been appointed as the sherpa for G20
negotiations, a key responsibility at a time when India is asserting its presence on the global stage.
ii. A sherpa represents the government or the Prime Minister at Group of 20 countries meetings and
helps articulate the official position on critical issues. Panagariya will replace railway minister
Suresh Prabhu, who has been the sherpa for G20 talks, sources told TOI.
iii. Prabhu was appointed as the sherpa when he was not a minister and continued to hold the
position after he was named to head the railway ministry. Prabhu represented India in several vital
summits and forcefully articulated New Delhi's stand on economic and other crucial policy
challenges.
iv. Traditionally , the sherpa's position has been held by the deputy chairman of the erstwhile
Planning Commission.Montek Singh Ahluwalia played the role of sherpa during the UPA regime and
accompanied the then PM Manmohan Singh in key G20 summits.
6. Uninor re-branded as Telenor India
i. Telenor Group on 23 September 2015 announced that it had changed its brand identity along
with legal company name from Uninor, its subsidiary in India, as Telenor India Communications Pvt.
Ltd.
ii. Telenor in its release said that the renaming will not change its commitment to bring the best
value to its 40 million customers.
iii. Telenor Group is one of the leading mobile operators in the world, with 189 million mobile
subscriptions. It has mobile operations in 13 markets, as well as an interest of 33% in VimpelCom
Ltd., operating in 14 markets.
iv. The company headquartered in Oslo, Norway provides tele, data and media services in the
Nordics, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. In Asia it is operational in Thailand, Malaysia,
Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Myanmar.
v. Launched in 2009 under the brand name Uninor had emerged as a preferred mass-market brand.
It captured the fourth position in most of its operating circles.
7. India-US Ministerial Energy Dialogue 2015 held
i. The India-US Ministerial Energy Dialogue was held on 21 September 2015 at the US Department
of Energy, Washington. Indian delegation was led by Piyush Goyal, Minister of State for Power, New
and Renewable Energy and US delegation was led by Dr Ernest Moniz, the US Secretary of Energy.
ii. During the Dialogue, both the sides reviewed the progress made by the six Working Groups of
the Energy Dialogue and identified new areas for cooperation.
iii. The six Working Groups included Working Groups on
(a) Coal
(b) New Technology and Renewable Energy
(c) Petroleum and Natural Gas
(d) Power and Energy Efficiency
(e) Sustainable Development and
(f) Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE -R).
iv. The focus of the meeting revolved on various dimensions of clean energy in order to ensure that
people have access to adequate and affordable energy for better quality of life and sustainable
livelihood.
v. It was also agreed to significantly scale up Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy
(PEACE) and develop innovative mechanisms to encourage participation of private sector
investments for off-grid solutions.
1. MUDRA credit camp on Sept 28

i. The banks in Dakshina Kannada district will conduct a mega credit camp to disburse loans under
the MUDRA scheme of the Centre on September 28.
ii. A press release by the Lead Bank of the district, Syndicate Bank, said here on Thursday that the
Central Government has conceived the idea of establishing MUDRA (Micro Unit Development and
Refinance Agency) Bank through which the beneficiaries, existing and new, can get loans from all
the commercial banks and regional rural banks in the country. Such loans are termed as MUDRA
loans.
iii. To popularise the scheme and to speed up the disbursement of MUDRA loans, the Department of
Financial Services under the Union Ministry of Finance has advised the heads of all the commercial
banks and regional rural banks to launch a campaign from September 25 to October 2 for
disbursing loans under MUDRA.
iv. Sanction letters will be distributed to the beneficiaries of all the banks in Dakshina Kannada
district in the mega credit camp to be held in Mangaluru on September 28, the release said.
2. West Bengal Governor KN Tripathi got additional charge of Governor of Tripura
i. West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was appointed as Governor of Tripura by the
President Pranab Mukherjee on 24 September 2015.
ii. He will discharge the functions of the Governor of Tripura, in addition to his own duties, during
the absence of Tathagata Roy, Governor of Tripura who has gone on leave.
iii. Keshari Nath Tripathi was appointed as the 22nd Governor of Bengal in July 2014. Earlier in
November 2014, he was also appointed as Governor of Bihar to perform the tasks of Governor of
Bihar in addition to his own duties of West Bengal.
iv. He was relieved from his previous additional charge of Bihar in August 2015, after Ram Nath
Kovind was on 8 August 2015 appointed as Governor of Bihar.
v. According to article 153, there shall be a Governor for each State but the 7th Constitutional
Amendment Act 1956 facilitated the appointment of same person as governor for two or more
states.
3. Union Home Minister released a Graphic booklet on Sardar Post
i. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on 24 September 2015 released a graphic depicting the
valour and sacrifice of the CRPF personnel during the battle of Sardar Post, Rann of Kutch in the
1965 lndo-Pak War.
ii. On 9 April 1965, at the Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch, two companies of CRPF stood their
ground and repulsed the attack of full-fledged Pakistani Infantry Brigade inflicting heavy casualties.
iii. The retaliation by the CRPF men was such a profound shock to the Pakistani Army that they left
behind 34 dead bodies including 2 officers. Four Pakistani soldiers were taken as prisoners. Six
CRPF men made supreme sacrifice for the cause of the nation.
iv. CRPF has planned to publish a series of graphic booklets depicting various tales of valour and
sacrifice of the Force. The booklets will be published with an aim to instill patriotism and
nationalism in the young generation and also to let the people know about the gallantry and
sacrifice of the unsung heroes of CRPF.
4. EPFO won Skoch Award for Smart Governance Initiatives
i. Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 23 September 2015 won the Skoch Award for
Smart Governance. It was awarded at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi for its initiatives on UAN
Programme and Transformation of Social Security Agenda in India.
ii. EPFO was also awarded two SKOCH Order-of-Merits, one for launching UAN for EPFO members
and another for transformation of Social Security Agenda in India.
iii. Skoch Smart Governance Award is an initiative recognising top performing government
organisations and organisations working with the government, operating at local, state and
national level.
iv. The award is given in the area of Health, Education, Rural Development/Panchayati Raj, Urban
Development, Finance, and Security.
v. The award is given by the Skoch Group, which is a Gurgaon-based think tank dealing with socioeconomic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997. The Group was founded by Sameer
Kochhar and he is the Chairman of the Group.
5. Reserve Bank of India relaxed Change in Ownership Norms of Borrowing Entities
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 24 September 2015 announced relaxation in norms that allow
banks to upgrade credit facilities extended to borrowing entities upon a change in ownership, only
if the ownership has been changed outside Strategic Debt Restructuring Scheme (SDR).
ii. The Bankers bank announced that the banks can treat loans to stressed companies that have
undergone ownership changes as standard loans, provided the stress was due to operational or
managerial inefficiencies.
iii. The relaxation will offer more flexibility to banks to bring in a change in ownership of borrowing
entities which are under stress due to operational/ managerial inefficiencies despite substantial
sacrifices made by the lending banks.
iv. As per the announcement, the new promoter should not be a person/entity/subsidiary/associate
etc. (domestic as well as overseas), from/belonging to the existing promoter/promoter group.

v. The new promoter should have acquired at least 51 per cent of the paid up equity capital of the
borrower company.
6. Former Indian Cricket Captain Sourav Ganguly appointed President of Cricket
Association of Bengal
i. Former Indian Cricket captain Sourav Ganguly was on 24 September 2015 appointed as the
President of Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The announcement regarding this was made by
the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the state secretariat building in Kolkata.
ii. He succeeded Jagmohan Dalmiya and at the time of appointment Ganguly was serving CAB in
the capacity of Joint-Secretary.
iii. The post had fallen vacant after the sudden demise of Dalmiya at the age of 75 on 20
September 2015.
1. Volkswagen AG appoints Matthias Mueller as new CEO
i. German auto maker Volkswagen AG has appointed Matthias Mueller as its new chief executive
officer (CEO). Prior to this appointment, he was serving as CEO of Volkswagens subsidiary Porsche
AG.
ii. He will succeed Martin Winterkorn who had resigned from office following an emissions cheating
scandal (dubbed as Diesel Dope) described as a moral and political disaster.
iii. Matthias Mueller first priority as CEO would be to win back trust of investors following a plunge
in Volkswagen AG stock by 30 per cent over the Diesel Dope scandal. The scandal had damaged
the reputation of worlds largest car manufacturers in terms of sales and had threatened its
business.
2. Shivinder Mohan Singh resigned as executive vice-chairman of Fortis Healthcare
Limited
i. Shivinder Mohan Singh on 23 September 2015 resigned as the executive vice-chairman of Fortis
Healthcare Limited. Fortis is a New Delhi based hospital chain.
ii. After a brief transition period, he will be designated as non-executive vice-chairman of Fortis with
effect from 1 January 2016. He resigned from the position as he decided to take up full-time sewa
at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB), a philosophical organisation spread over 90 countries
worldwide.
iii. Shivinder, along with his elder brother Malvinder Mohan Singh, runs 55 hospitals under the
Fortis brand across India. At present, Malvinder is the executive chairman of the company.
iv. Apart from Fortis, the brothers own financial services firm Religare Enterprises Limited. In 2008,
they sold their 33.5 percent stake in Ranbaxy to Japanese drug major Daiichi Sankyo which they
inherited from its founder Bhai Mohan Singh.
3. UNGA adopted Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development
i. The 193-Member United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 25 September 2015 formally
adopted the Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development along with a
set of bold new Global Goals, that are a universal, integrated and transformative vision for a better
world.
ii. The 2030 Agenda and the Global Goals were adopted during the UN Sustainable Development
Summit that is being held at the UN headquarters in New York.
iii. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is an agenda for people to end poverty in all its
forms. It is composed of 17 goals and 169 targets to wipe out poverty, fight inequality and tackle
climate change over the next 15 years.
iv. While, the Global Goals aim to build on the work of the historic Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), which in September 2000, rallied the world around a common 15-year agenda to tackle
the indignity of poverty.
v. This Agenda, including its seventeen goals, can be met within the framework of a revitalized
global partnership for sustainable development, supported by the concrete policies and actions
outlined in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda , which is an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for
sustainable development.
4. Kolkata start-up launches portal for preparing IT returns
i. A Kolkata-based start-up has announced the launch of its portal that helps in preparing incometax returns and their filing.
ii. Alok Patnia, one of the three co-founders of the partnership firm Make Your Tax Technologies,
said the portal was driven by software developed in-house that processed individual income and
tax liabilities for the purpose of filing the individuals or familys tax returns.
iii. Abhishek Rungta, another co-founder of the portal and CEO of Indus Net Technologies, claimed
the new platform allowed tax consultants to join in, if allowed by the tax assesses, in a bulk service
providing exercise.
iv. The portal targets to have subscriptions from one lakh return filers next year and hopes to rope
in around 200 tax consultants. The portal would also use Taxmantra.com and Indus Technologiess
network of consultants and offices in other metros for marketing its services.
5. Bajaj Auto finally launches quadricycle named Qute

i. Bajaj Auto on Friday launched its much-awaited RE60 quadricycle, which has been named Qute,
at a free-on-board (FoB) price tag of $2,000 (around Rs. 1.35 lakh).
ii. The vehicle is meant only for export markets for now, as the regulations for India are not yet in
place because of an ongoing public interest litigation in the Supreme Court.
iii. FoB refers to terms requiring the seller to deliver goods on board a vessel designated by the
buyer. Depending on the duties and taxes of each country, the price will differ in each market.
iv. The vehicle will be shipped to 16 countries, including Turkey, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand,
Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru and Ecuador, starting early next month and will start with around 100
units initially.
v. The Qute has been designed in response to the evolving requirements of low-cost, last-mile
public transport across the world by optimising size, weight, cost and speed, the company said.
6. Facebook to test wireless broadband services in India
i. From being just a social media platform, Facebook is transforming itself as an enabler of Internet
access through various initiatives aimed at reaching the next billion users.
ii. On Thursday it announced partnerships with Internet Service Providers in India to launch wi-fi
enabled broadband services in rural areas. Called Wi-Fi Express, the initiative is part of Facebooks
Internet.org platform as it looks to expand its user base beyond the saturated markets in the US
and Europe.
iii. The Wi-Fi Express has gone live first in India. The initial Wi-Fi zones have been launched across
several locations in North India. The initiative is being led by Munish Seth, who was earlier the
country head of Alcatel Lucents India operations.
iv. Facebook has developed a low-cost software that will help hotspot operators at the village level
do the billing and also alert consumers about data usage.
v. Facebook has been experimenting with various technologies to provide low-cost connectivity
solutions. In its US labs, the company is working on using solar powered aircraft, codenamed
Aquila, to provide network connectivity in remote locations. The aircraft has the wingspan of a
Boeing 777 and is built to stay airborne at 60,000 feet for many months, connecting a large area
over which it hovers.
7. Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis win Guangzhou Open title
i. The top seeds Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis continued their unbeaten run as they defeated Shilin
Xu-Xiaodi You in the final to clinch the Guangzhou Open title on Saturday.
ii. The Indo-Swiss pair of Sania and Hingis registered an easy 6-3, 6-1 victory over unseeded
Chinese pair in the summit clash.
iii. With this win, Sania claimed her seventh title of the season. She has won five titles with Hingis
this season, including US Open and Wimbledon. They also won three titles in row at the start of the
partnership --Indian Wells, Miami and Charleston.
iv. Sania had won her first title of the 2015 season with Bethanie Mattek-Sands in Sydney.
1. PSLV Successfully Launches India's Multi Wavelength Space Observatory ASTROSAT
i. Isro on Monday successfully launched India's first astronomy satellite Astrosat, eleven years after
the government cleared the project.
ii. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C30) carrying Astrosat and six other satellites lifted off
from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 10am.
iii. In around 25 minutes after liftoff, PSLV-C30 injected Astrosat and other satellites -- four US nano
satellites, a microsatellite from Indonesia a nanosatellite from Canada - into their respective orbits.
This is the first time India is launching a US satellite.
iv. Astrosat was placed in an orbit 644.651km from earth, as desired. The satellite achieved an
expected inclination of 6.002 degree.
2. S K Sharma appointed as Chairman of Bhakra Beas Management Board
i. S K Sharma was appointed as the Chairman of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) with
effect from 25 September 2015. Sharma succeeded A B Agrawal, who was Chairman for a period of
about five years.
ii. A civil engineering graduate from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, Sharma joined
Haryana irrigation and water resources department in 1980 as sub divisional officer.
iii. While working in Haryana Irrigation & Water Resources Department, he has monitored various
canal regulation related hydraulic structures, pump houses, canal and drainage network, NABARD
projects etc. He has also handled training works on the river Yamuna.
iv. During working as Chief Engineer of Beas Satluj Link (BSL) project, he has been instrumental in
successfully running of dredger and other allied works, besides running and maintenance of BSL
Water Conductor System.
3. Dr. Jacob Tsimerman wins 2015 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize
i. Mathematician Dr. Jacob Tsimerman from Canada has been chosen for the prestigious 2015
SASTRA Ramanujan Prize.
ii. Presently he is an assistant professor at the University of Toronto, Canada and his mathematics
research work is primarily in the field of Number Theory and surrounding topics.
iii. He will be conferred with the prize during the International Conference on Number Theory to be
held at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu.

iv. The award has been named after great Indian Mathematician autodidact Srinivasa Ramanujan. It
was established in 2005 by Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA)
University.
v. It is an annual award bestowed on young mathematicians for his outstanding contributions to
areas of mathematics influenced by the Srinivasa Ramanujan.
4. Union Government formed B S Baswan committee to revisit civil services examination
pattern
i. Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions in the fourth week of September
revealed that an expert committee was constituted to revisit the civil services examination pattern.
ii. The seven member committee was constituted on 12 August 2015 and is headed by B S Baswan.
Also, the committee was mandated to submit report within six months from the date of its
constitution.
iii. The committee has to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing scheme of the civil services
examination in selecting suitable candidates keeping in view various factors such as inclusiveness,
fair mix of candidates from different disciplines, etc.
iv. It has to examine the time frame in which the examination is conducted and suggest suitable
changes to reduce the time taken for selection of candidates by utilizing information and
communication technologies, etc.
5. G-4 countries issue Joint Statement on UNSC Reforms
i. G-4 countries viz Brazil, Germany, India and Japan have issued a Joint Statement on United
Nations Security Council Reforms (UNSC).
ii. It was issued after G-4 meeting held in New York,US which was called by Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and was Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel
and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe.
iii. The leaders stressed on more legitimate, representative and effective UNSC reforms to address
the global conflicts and crises which have spiralled in recent years. They also shared the view that
global conflicts and crises of the international community in the 21st century which can be solved
by more Member States representing UNSC.
iv. They unanimously supported the early reforms of the Security Council as an essential element
of the overall effort to reform UN with regard to maintenance of international peace and security.
They strongly emphasized that the reform of the Security Council should be conducted in a fixed
time frame given its urgency.
6. Manipur Governor Dr. Syed Ahmad passes away
i. Manipur Governor Dr Syed Ahmad passed away in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 75.
ii. He was sworn in as the 16th Governor of Manipur in May 2015. Prior to this he had served as the
eighth Governor of Jharkhand from August 2011.
iii. Dr. Ahmad was a senior Congress leader. He had served as the cabinet minister on two
occasions during the Congress regime in Maharashtra.
iv. He was elected to Vidhan Sabha (state legislative assembly) for five times from the Nagpada
constituency in Mumbai. He also served as a state minister in Maharashtra.
v. Dr. Ahmad was also a writer and has authored Maktal se Manzil, Kafas se Chaman and JangeAzaadi Me Urdu Shayari. His autobiography is Pagdandi se Shahar Tak.
7. Lewis Hamilton wins 2015 Japanese Grand Prix title of Formula One
i. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Japanese Grand Prix title of Formula One.
This was his overall eight victory of the season.
ii. He has won Australia, China, Bahrain, Canada, United Kingdom, Belgium and Italy 2015 Grand
Prix titles of Formula One.
iii. It should be noted Lewis Hamilton has won highest number as compared to any other British
driver in the history of Formula One. He is currently 5th on the all-time list of F1 with 41 wins.
iv. It is the 66th season of the Formula One World Championship which is a motor racing
championship for Formula One cars. The championship has been recognised by the Fdration
Internationale de lAutomobile (FIA), the sports governing body as the highest class of competition
for open-wheel racing cars.
v. 2015 season began in March 2015 starting in Australia with participation 22 drivers representing
ten teams. The season is going to end in Abu Dhabi on 29 November 2015.
8. Pankaj Advani wins 2015 IBSF World Billiards Championship
i. Indias ace cueist Pankaj Advani has won 2015 IBSF World Billiards Championship (Time Format)
in Adelaide, Australia. It was his overall 14th World title.
ii. He won 2015 IBSF World title by defeating Peter Gilchrist of Singapore by 1168 points.
iii. Advani is 14-time World Billiards and Snooker Champion. He is only player in the world to win
world titles in all formats of both, Billiards and Snooker.
iv. He is the first cueist in the world to win the Grand double three times in 2005 and 2008
respectively.
v. In recognition of his achievements in sports, Union Government has bestowed several awards
upon him including Arjuna Award (2004), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2006), Padma Shri (2009).
9. September 27: World Tourism Day

i. Every year World Tourism Day (WTD) is observed on September 27 to raise awareness about the
importance of tourism.
ii. To mark 2015 WTD, Union Ministry of State for Tourism and Culture established a Medical Tourism
and Wellness Board. The board will give a new shape to medical tourism keeping in view its
importance in the country.
iii. Union Government also had declared free entry for tourists to nearly 200 ticketed monuments
and museums across India except in Bihar as a part of celebrations of 2015 WTD.
iv. United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is flagship initiative of United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO). It is observed annually since 1980.
v. United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is flagship initiative of United Nations World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO). It is observed annually since 1980. The day marks adaptation of
Statutes of the UNWTO on September 27, 1970. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on
the role of tourism within the international community.
10. Abhinav Bindra wins Gold in Asian Air Gun Championships
i. Ace Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra has clinched gold medal in the mens 10 metre Air Rifle event
of the Asian Air Gun Championships held in New Delhi.
ii. Bindra shot 208.3 points to settle at first position ahead of Kazakhstans Yurkov Yuriy (206.6) who
is current world number eight and Yu Jaechul (185.3) of South Korea.
iii. In this event, Indias Gagan Narang was placed at fourth position with a score of 164.5 points.
While another Indian, Chain Singh placed at seventh position of after notching up 122.7 points.
iv. It should be noted that, Abhinav Bindra had won gold in 2008 Beijing Olympics in 10 metre Air
Rifle event becoming first Indian to win individual gold in the prestigious games. Gagan Narang had
won a bronze in the same event in 2012 London Olympics.
1. RBI Governor has surprised with 50 bps cut
i. Most people expected a rate cut, but the expectations were for a 25 basis points cut. As many
times in the past, the RBI Governor has surprised the markets.
ii. This surprise is pleasant with the announcement of a 50 bps rate cut. But the message is clear.
Banks need to pass on this rate cut to industry and consumers.
iii. The RBI Governor is also indicating an easier posture going forward from RBI. It bodes well in
terms of the timing of the decision. Since the US rate hike has been deferred.
iv. It is important to take advantage of this. Multiple factors have driven the decision, including the
Government's ability to handle the fiscal deficit right now.
2. INS Kochi commissioned into Indian Navy
i. Indian Navy has commissioned INS Kochi, a Kolkata-class Guided Missile Destroyer in its
contingent to showcase Indias indigenous efforts in the field of underwater warfare. The ship was
commissioned by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar in Mumbai.
ii. It is a second ship of the three ships Kolkata-class Guided Missile Destroyer to be inducted.
Earlier in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had commissioned INS Kolkata. The third and last
ship of Kolkata-class Guided Missile Destroyer INS Chennai is expected to join Indian Navy in 2016.
iii. The ship drives its name from the port city of Kochi (Kerala) which had distinct maritime
character and culture and symbolises the special bond between the Indian Navy. It has been built
at Mazagaon Docks (MDL), Mumbai and it is the 10th destroyer in Indias combat fleet.
iv. It is loaded with state-of-the-art weapons, sensors and advanced stealth features including longrange BrahMos surface-to- surface missile. It has AK 630 Close In Weapon System (CIWS) and 76
mm Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM) designed to take on air and surface targets.
v. Its anti-submarine arsenal consists of indigenously built Twin-tube Torpedo Launchers (ITTL),
Indigenous Rocket Launchers (IRL) and bow-mounted new generation HUMSA Sonar Dome. INS
Kochi is also equipped to operate 2 Sea King or Chetak helicopters.
3. India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2015 begins in Pune
i. India-Sri Lanka joint military exercise MITRA SHAKTI 2015 has begun at Aundh Military Station in
Pune, Maharashtra. It is third edition of the joint training exercise between both countries that
seeks to build Military to Military co-operation and interoperability.
ii. Aim of MITRA SHAKTI 2015 Exercise is to share the best military practices between the two
Armies and promote healthy military to military relations.
iii. It also seeks to develop joint strategies between the two Armies by sharing expertise of
conducting operations. The 14 days exercises basic objective is to enhance confidence and trust
between the two militaries and engage in anti-terrorism operations including those under the UN
mandate.
iv. It will contribute immensely in developing mutual understanding and respect between armies of
both nations. It will seek to tap the rich repository of experience of each other and extract
maximum learning value from the joint training.
4. Reliance Defence inks strategic partnership MoU with Emirates Defence Industries
Co.
i. Reliance Defence has signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Emirates
Defence Industries Company (EDIC) in defence sector. The MoU seeks to boost partnership

between both countries for manufacturing, knowledge transfer, services and technology
development from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
ii. Both companies will partner to jointly explore the opportunity for manufacturing and building
capabilities in Aviation, defence vehicles and associated areas.
iii. It will also include manufacturing and building capabilities of defence equipment, armament
manufacturing, defence electronics, MRO of Military Equipment/Platforms commercial and naval
Ships etc.
iv. The partnership between both companies will aim to bring synergy in order to bring down
operational costs and leverage each others capabilities. It will also seek to leverage the
partnership to explore the opportunity in the UAE defence industry.
5. Ministry of Railways launched Indian Railway Knowledge Portal
i. Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 28 September 2015 launched Indian Railway
Knowledge Portal for dissemination of detailed information on Indian Railways.
ii. It is an initiative of the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) which allows the user to
access most of the available knowledge about Indian Railways at one location due to linkage of
websites, documents and much more.
iii. The portal was launched through video-conferencing established between Ministry of Railways,
Rail Bhawan and NAIR Headquarters at Vadodara.
iv. The portal has made it easier for users to access information about Indian Railways, Railway
Research and Development, use of ICT in Indian Railways, major International Railway Journals,
existing Indian Railway Libraries and World Railways from a single web page.
v. Indian Railway Knowledge Portal also provides e-access to existing libraries of Railways. Also,
National Informatics Centre (NIC) has clustered all the libraries to a single interface via eGranthalaya. Besides, information regarding fan clubs, heritage, and rail museums across the world
can also be accessed from the portal.
6. Union Ministry of Tourism launched new initiatives on World Tourism Day
i. The Union Ministry of Tourism on 27 September 2015 launched several new initiatives to
augment tourism related infrastructure and manpower in the country. The initiatives were launched
in New Delhi to mark the World Tourism Day.
ii. It goes into the challenges for the sector and details the way towards Vision 2030. It has been
commissioned by the Experience India Society and prepared by KPMG.
iii. It is part of the HRD division of India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.,(ITDC) a PSU under
Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. It provides the students with a world class contemporary
education to have an edge over others in the field.
iv. The courses offered will be a blend of the rich heritage and culture of India and hospitality
management education system. It will be operated from Hotel Samrat in New Delhi.
7. Indo-British van driver Dee Patel honoured with Pride of Britain Award
i. Prince Charles of Britain on 28 September 2015 awarded Indo-British van driver Dee Patel with
the Pride of Britain Award. Patel had risked his life to save others. Daily Mirror newspaper organised
a ceremony at the Governor House in London where Patel was given the award in the outstanding
bravery category.
ii. When Patel set off for his routine job on 18 May 2005, he noticed a car ahead of him that was
dangerously out of control on the M25 motorway. Soon, he realised that the driver of the car, a
young woman, slumped unconscious over the steering wheel. It was when Patel, without wasting
any time, came for the rescue of the woman.
iii. The Pride of Britain Awards was founded by Peter Willis in 1999. It is an annual award ceremony
which takes place in the United Kingdom. The award is given to British people who have shown
immense bravery in the hours of crisis.
iv. The winners for the awards are chosen by a panel of distinguished judges. The awards are
organised in association with the Daily Mirror, Lidl, Good Morning Britain and The Princes Trust.
8. India signed 123.51 Million US dollar Loan Agreement with Asian Development Bank
i. India on 28 September 2015 signed a 123.51 million US dollar loan agreement with Asian
Development Bank (ADB) to upgrade tourism infrastructure and services in Punjab, Uttarakhand
and Himachal Pradesh.
ii. The agreement was signed by M Teresa Kho, Country Director for ADB in India and Raj Kumar,
Joint Secretary (Multilateral Institutions), Department of Economic Affairs, Union Ministry of
Finance.
iii. The loan will be used for development and conservation of the places of tourist attractions. It
will also be used to improve basic tourism facilities and to build the capacity of sector agencies and
local communities in the States of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab.
iv. It will also support conservation of important heritage structures including some century-old
structures, new facilities including centers for arts and crafts in the three states. Eco-parks and
eco-tourism will also be developed to help the states attract more tourists.
v. This is the third tranche loan agreement and it is a part of the 250 million US dollar multi-tranche
financing facility named Infrastructure Development Investment Program for Tourism that was
approved by ADB in 2010.

9. Railways to get $30 billion World Bank aid: Prabhu

i. The World Bank has promised $30 billion financial assistance to the Railways, said Railways
Minister Suresh Prabhu.
ii. Maintaining that funds will not be a problem for completing infrastructural projects for the
Railways, the Minister said the capital expenditure for this year will surpass the budget estimates.
iii. The Minister was talking to reporters here on Monday on the 11th edition of International
Railway Equipment Exhibition (IREE), scheduled from October 14 to 16 at Pragati Maidan. The IREE
is organised by the Railway Ministry and the Confederation of Indian Industry. Prabhu said almost
89 per cent of the budget announcements made by him have been fulfilled.
iv. The Minister announced that the Railways has taken an ambitious programme of electrifying
about 10,000 km of railway lines in the next five years. When asked for details of the funding, he
said the government will announce it at the appropriate time. Discussions are still taking place,
he added.
1. Union Government appointed four Brand Ambassadors for Digital India Programme
i. Union Government on 29 September 2015 announced that four brand ambassadors for Digital
India programme were appointed. The appointments were took place in the first week of July 2015
as part of the Digital India Week campaign.
ii. List of Brand Ambassadors
1.

Satwat Jagwani, All India IIT-JEE Advanced Topper -2015 (Student)

2.

Krati Tiwari, All India IIT-JEE Advanced Girl Topper -2015 (Student)

3.

Ankit Fadia, Author & Ethical Hacker

4.

Pranav Mistry, Samsung USA (Computer Scientist & Author of 6th Sense)

iii. The services of these Brand Ambassadors will be used for generating mass awareness for the
programme for a period of one year since their nomination.
2. Piyush Goyal launched Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity - Survey of
States Report
i. Piyush Goyal Union Minister of State (IC) for Coal, Power and New and Renewable Energy, on 29
September 2015 launched Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity - Survey of States
Report.
ii. The study was conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment & Water (CEEW) in
collaboration with Columbia University with support from the Shakti Sustainable Energy
Foundation.
iii. The analysis in the report provides a first of a kind multi-dimensional evaluation of the state of
energy access in India.
iv. The report highlights that about 300 million Indians rely on kerosene for lighting, and more than
800 million relying on traditional biomass. It says that the access to modern forms of energy is still
a significant barrier to our development.
v. It suggests that there is a need to focus beyond aggregate figures on electrification and LPG
connections, and be sensitive to the numerous drivers which will determine how India will ensure
true energy access for all.
3. NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System for the National Monument
Authority launched
i. Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma on 29 September 2015 launched the NOC Online
Application Portal and Processing System (NOAPS) for the National Monument Authority (NMA),
Ministry of Culture in New Delhi.
ii. An initiative of the National Monument Authority, NOAPS will make the approval procedure more
efficient for construction related activities in regulated/restricted areas in the vicinity of
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected monuments in different cities of India.
iii. NOAPS is designed by National Informatics Centre (NIC). The portal runs on the state of the art
technology and expertise provide by Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which is in the
process of mapping all 3886 ASI protected monuments.
iv. NOAPS will also help the citizens to apply for NOC online. The portal will provide them with a
unique registration ID with which they can check the status of their applications from time to time.
v. The NOC Online Application Portal and Processing System will offer great convenience to the
people as there will not be any need for the people to run to local offices to get NOC for their
property which is nearby to monuments.
4. Union Government unveils Green Highways Policy 2015

i. Union Government has launched Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification &
Maintenance) Policy-2015 to promote greening of National Highway corridors across the country.
The policy was unveiled by Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi.
ii. The objective of the policy is to reduce the impact of air pollution and dust by planting trees and
shrubs along the National Highways. They will act as natural sink for air pollutants and arrest soil
erosion at the embankment slopes.
iii. Monitoring Agency will be responsible for monitoring the plantation status on continuous basis
by carrying out the site visit for field verification to check survival, growth and size of plantation
and maintenance of the same. Performance audit of executing agencies will be regularly conducted
by the agency on an Annual basis. New contracts will be awarded to the agencies based on their
past performance audit.
iv. The policy will strike a balance between highways development and environmental protection. It
will also help in providing employment to 5 lakh people of the rural areas.
5. M.R. Poovamma and Babita Kumari conferred Arjuna Award 2015
i. M.R. Poovamma and Babita Kumari have been conferred with prestigious Arjuna Award 2015 for
their individual achievements in sports.
ii. The award was presented to them by Union Minister of State (MoS) for Youth affairs and Sports
Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi.
iii. M.R. Poovamma has been conferred with this award for her contributions in Athletics and Babita
Kumari in the field of Wrestling.
iv. Arjuna Awards are given by Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to sportsperson in
recognition of their outstanding achievement in National sports.
6. Indias Gurpreet Singh wins silver medal at 2015 Asian Air Gun Championship
i. Indias ace shooter Gurpreet Singh has won silver medal at 2015 Asian Air Gun Championship
held in New Delhi.
ii. In the finals of 10 metre Air Pistol event, Gurpreet shot a tally of 197.6 to stand second on the
podium. Indias Jitu Rai finished at third position wining bronze medal in this event.
iii. The gold medal in the 10 metre Air Pistol event was bagged by Boroujeni Safari of Iran with a
tally shot of 198.7.
iv. It should be noted that this fourth medal India has won in 2015 Asian Air Gun Championship.
Earlier, Abhinav Bindra had clinched the gold in the Mens 10m Air Rifle event while Ayonika Pual
won the bronze in the Womens 10m Air Rifle event.
1. India to Chair G20 in 2018
i. India is going to chair Group of Twenty (G20) nations forum in year 2018 and New Delhi could be
the host of the prestigious annual G20 summit. This decision was taken by G20 forum earlier in
September 2015 which was chaired by Turkey.
ii. Turkey will hand over the Chair for the next year i.e. 2016 to China and in 2017 Germany is going
to chair it.
ii. G20 is the premier forum (It is not an organsation) for global economic and financial cooperation.
Being a forum it does not have any permanent secretariat or management and administrative
structure.
iv. Every year one nation holds the chair of G20 known as Presidency which rotates annually among
its member groups. The presidency establishes a temporary secretariat for the duration till it holds
the Chair.
v. The forum brings together 20 nations that represent worlds major advanced and emerging
economies, representing around 85 per cent of global GDP.
2. V Shanmuganathan sworn-in as 17th Governor of Manipur
i. V Shanmuganthan has sworn in as the 17th Governor of Manipur after taking oath at ceremony
held at Raj Bhawan in Imphal. He succeeded Dr. Syed Ahmed who had died in late in September
2015.
ii. Chief justice of Manipur High Court Justice Laxmi Kant Mahapatra administered the oath of office
to him as per the provisions of Article 159 of Constitution of India. Presently V Shanmuganthan is
Governor of Meghalaya and was given additional charge of Manipur by President Pranab Mukherjee
following death of Dr. Syed Ahmed.
iii. V Shanmuganthan is a prolific writer and had written three books related to culture and social
aspects in Tamil. He was member of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and had joined it in
1962. Later he had joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) where he had served in many party
positions.
iv. Article 153 of Constitution says that there shall be Governor for each state. The 7th
Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 has facilitated the appointment of the same person as a
governor for two or more states.
3. Plestinian flag hoisted at UN headquarters for the first time
i. Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at United Nations headquarters in New York on 30
September 2015. The politically sensitive flag raising ceremony took place at 1:16 pm at the UN's
Rose Garden.

ii. The flag hosting raising ceremony was attended by the President of the Palestinian Authority
Mahmoud Abbas. Earlier on 10 September 2015, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
overwhelmingly approved the Resolution on Raising of Flags by Non-Member Observer States.
iii. The resolution said that the flags of non-member observer states like Palestine shall be raised at
UN Headquarters and United Nations Offices following the flags of the Member States of the
organization.
iv. Palestine was granted the status of a non-member observer State by the UNGA in 2012.
4. International Day of Older Persons observed across the world
i. The International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) was on 1 October 2015 observed across the world
with the theme Sustainability and Age Inclusiveness in the Urban Environment. The 2015 IDOP
celebration demonstrated that an age inclusive agenda is crucial to promote equity, welfare and
prosperity for all.
ii. The 2015 celebration of the 25th anniversary of International Day of Older Persons focused on
the impact of the new urban environment on older persons and impact of older persons on the new
urban environment.
iii. The migration of people worldwide to cities is happening at a record pace with 6 out of every 10
people in the world expected to reside in urban areas by 2030. It means that the number of people
over 60 living in cities may grow to over 900 million by 2050.
iv. On 14 December 1990, the United Nations General Assembly declared 1 October as the
International Day of Older Persons, following up on initiatives such as Vienna International Plan of
Action on Ageing, which was adopted by the 1982 World Assembly on Ageing and endorsed later
that year by UNGA.
5. China launched 20th satellite for its BeiDou Navigation System
i. China on 30 September 2015 launched a 20th new generation satellite into orbit that will support
its global navigation and positioning network.
ii. The satellite was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in the south-western province of
Sichuan. A Long March-3B carrier rocket carried the satellite.
iii. The launch of the 20th satellite for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has put China
one step closer to providing an alternative to the U.S. operated Global Positioning System (GPS).
Besides, it was the first time that the satellite featured a hydrogen atomic clock. Also, multiple
tests related to the clock will be done.
iv. Global Navigation Satellite Systems
India: Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)
United States: Global Positioning System (GPS)
Russia: GLONASS
France: Doppler Orbitography and Radio-positioning Integrated by Satellite (DORIS)
Japan: Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS)
6. Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2015 announced
i. CSIR on 26 September 2015 announced Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and
Technology 2015 for eleven scientists in recognition of their work. The awardees were announced
to mark the CSIRs 73nd Foundation day.
ii. The SSB Prize consists of a citation, a plaque and a cash prize of 5 lakh rupees. The selected
awardees in different fields are

Biological Sciences: Dr Balasubramanian Gopal of Molecular Biophysics Unit Indian Institute

of Science Bangalore

Dr Rajeev Kumar Varshney of Centre of Excellence in Genomics International Crops

Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad

Chemical Sciences: Dr D Srinivasa Reddy Division of Organic Chemistry CSIR National

Chemical Laboratory, Pune

Dr Pradyut Ghosh of Department of Inorganic Chemistry Indian Association for the

Cultivation of Science in Jadavapur, Kolkata

Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences: Dr Jyotiranjan Srichandan Ray of

Geosciences Division Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad

Engineering Sciences: Dr Yogesh Moreshwar Joshi of Department of Chemical Engineering,

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur

Mathematical Sciences: Dr K Sandeep of TIFR Centre for Applicable Mathematics,

Bangalore

Dr Ritabrata Munshi School of Mathematics Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,

Mumbai

Medical Sciences: Dr Vidita Ashok Vaidya of Department of Biological Sciences Tata

Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai

Physical Sciences: Dr Bedangadas Mohanty of School of Physical Sciences National Institute

of Science Education and Research, Bhubaneswar

Dr Mandar Madhukar Deshmukh of Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials

Science of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
7. Union Government released commemorative postal stamp on Dr BR Ambedkar
i. Union Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on 30 September 2015 released a
commemorative postal stamp on Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
ii. The government is celebrating 125th birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar in the year 2015. The
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23 July 2015 chaired the first meeting of the National Committee
on Nationwide Celebration of 125th Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
iii. The objective of year long celebrations is to make the world aware about the life and the work of
Dr. Babasaheb Ambekdar as a champion of the underprivileged.
iv. Beside this, the minister also said that it will come out with a coin in his honour. The coin that
will be released in honour of the legendary social reformer has received an approval from the Union
Finance Ministry.
v. Dr Ambedkar was posthumously given the highest civilian award of India Bharat Ratna in 1990.
He died in 1956.
8. Heena Sidhu wins gold medal at Asian Air Gun Championships
i. Indias ace shooter Heena Sidhu has clinched a Gold medal in the 10-metre air pistol event of the
Asian Air Gun Championships in New Delhi.
ii. In this event, Heena shot a total of 197.8 points to finish at the top of the podium to win the gold
medal. Shweta Singh of India by scoring total of 197 points won Silver medal. While South Koreas
Seon A Kim won the Bronze medal. Yashaswini Singh Deshwal of India was placed at fourth
position.
iii. It should be noted that Heena Sidhu is former world number one (as on April 2014) and was
Indias first pistol shooter to be ranked number one in the world.
1) Google Inc has morphed into Alphabet Inc.
i. After US markets closed on 2nd October, Alphabet replaced Google as the publicly traded
company that will house Google's search and Web advertising businesses, maps, YouTube and its
"moonshot" ventures such as driverless cars.
ii. Google's class A shares and class C shares will automatically convert into the same number of
Alphabet class A shares and class C shares and start trading on the Nasdaq from Monday. The
ticker symbols will not change.
2) Gold zooms Rs 660, biggest one day gain this year
i. Snapping its five-day falling streak, gold rebounded by Rs 660, its biggest one-day surge this
year, to trade at Rs 26,810 per ten grams at the bullion MARKET .
ii. The precious metal, after five sessions of losses, recovered 2.1% to $1,136.60 an ounce in New
York as the US payrolls rose less than expected in September and wages stagnated, weakening the
case for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this year. Bullion traders said sentiments got a
boost after gold rebounded in global markets and revival of buying by jewellers and retailers at
domestic markets at current levels.
3) ICICI brings in card-less mVisa
i. ICICI Bank has become the first institution worldwide to launch m-Visa, a card-less and deviceless solution to make the payments.
ii. ICICI Bank has incorporated the m-Visa application in its Pockets app, which allows payments to
be made by scanning a static QR code and entering the amount.
iii. "The biggest incentive for merchants to accept mVisa payments is that there is zero
investment. The merchant merely has to retain a printed QR code, which can be scanned by the
customer using the Pockets app," said Rajiv Sabharwal, executive director, ICICI Bank.
4) India's foreign reserves plunge by over $2 billion
i. India's foreign exchange (FOREX) reserves declined by $2.04 billion to $349.97 billion in the
week ended September 25, official data showed on 2nd October.
ii. The reserves had risen by $631.5 million to $352.02 billion in the previous week ended

September 18. The reserves had augmented by $2.35 billion to $351.38 billion in the week ended
September 11.
iii. The FCA constitutes the largest component of INDIA'S FOREX reserves. It consists of US dollars,
major non-dollar currencies, securities and bonds bought abroad. "
5) Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis win Wuhan Open title
i. Ace Indian tennis star Sania Mirza continued her superb run with Swiss partner Martina Hingis as
the duo clinched its seventh title together by winning the Wuhan Open women's doubles trophy on
Saturday.
ii. Ti.he top-seeded pair eased past the Romanian team of Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica
Niculescu 6-2, 6-3 in the title clash.
6) Venus Williams wins Wuhan Open
i. Venus Williams won her second title of the season at the Wuhan Open in central China after
Garbine Muguruza retired in the second set.
ii. Williams took the first set and was then handed the title by the Spaniard after 53 minutes, three
points into the second set.
7) Jordan Spieth voted PGA Tour Player of the Year
i. American world number one Jordan Spieth was named as the PGA Tour's Player of the Year after a
stellar 2014-15 campaign highlighted by two major victories among his five wins.
ii. The 22-year-old landed the coveted honour after clinching the first two majors of the season -the
Masters and US Open -before finishing one shot out of a British Open play-off in July and being
runner-up at the PGA Championship in August.
8) E-FIR system launched in Odisha
i. Nearly fifteen months after dry run, the Odisha police launched its ambitious 'e-FIR' system
under the Centre-sponsored Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project.
ii. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the system, which enables tech-savvy people to send
their complaints to police in all districts through online.
iii. All the 531 police stations in the state have been computerized to receive complaints through
online.
iv. "By browsing www.citizenportal-op.gov.in, people can avail services like lodging of complaints,
request for FIR copy, verification of tenants, applying for procession licence, permission for
protest/strike, character certificate request, employee verification, request for lost property and
complain about missing persons," ADG and director of state crime records bureau B Radhika said.
9) INS Sahyadri entered Da Nang port in Vietnam
i. INS Sahyadri entered Da Nang port in Vietnam as part of its operational deployment in the South
China Sea.
ii. Around the time Navy Chief Admiral R.K Dhowan began his official tour of Australia, an Indian
naval ship entered Vietnam waters on its way to Japan.
iii. In the backdrop of both the developments, hangs the shadow of Chinas growing naval
assertiveness in the region, and Indias new-found aggression to build partnerships both as a
response to China as well as part of its role as a major maritime force of the Indian Ocean.
10) Dr Anup K Pujari has been given additional charge of CMD of SAIL
i. Dr Anup K Pujari assumed additional charge as the Chairman and Managing Director of Steel
Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
ii. At present, he is the Secretary, Government of India, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprise (MSME). Besides as the CMD of SAIL, he was also given additional charge of the post of
Secretary in Ministry of Steel
11) India submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)
i. India on 2 October 2015 submitted its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) to
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
ii. These INDCs are for the period between 2015 and 2030.
iii. With the presentation of its INDCs, India set its tone for the Conference of Parties-21 (COP-21) in
Paris that is scheduled to meet in December 2015 to adopt an environmental new protocol for post2020 (post Kyoto Protocol) scenario. So far, 119 parties to the UNFCCC, out of 192 member
countries, have formally submitted their INDCs.
Some of the important points of the INDCs are
a) To reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 from 2005 level
b) To achieve about 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel
based energy resources by 2030, with the help of transfer of technology and low cost international
finance, including from Green Climate Fund
c) To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through
additional forest and tree cover by 2030 that will translate into increase of about 680 - 817 million
tonne of carbon stock
12) October 2: International Day of Non-Violence
i. The International Day of Non-Violence was observed on 2 October 2015 across the world. It was
celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a pioneer of the philosophy and
strategy of non-violence.

ii. The International Day of Non-Violence was created by the United Nations by a resolution of the
General Assembly on 15 June 2007.
13) PM Narendra Modi inaugurated county's first solar powered district court
i. Narendra Modi inaugurated county's first solar powered district court in Khunti, Jharkhand.
ii. Making an appeal to stop wastage of electricity, the Prime Minister said that like solar energy,
we also need to focus on energy conservation.
iii. He added that India will be successful in achieving the target of 175 Gigawatt of clean energy
by 2022.
14) Asian Development Bank (ADB) will help to finance the increased transmission
capacity of electricity link between India and Bangladesh.
i. "ADB is to help finance increased transmission capacity of a cross-border electricity link between
India and Bangladesh which will allow Bangladesh to better meet sharply rising power demand and
support increased power exchanges across South Asia."
ii. ADB's loan of $120 million to Bangladesh will double the capacity of the existing interconnection
system which links the power grid of western Bangladesh at Bheramara and the grid of eastern
India at Bharampur.
iii. The two networks were first interconnected in 2013, under a previous project financed by ADB.
New transmission capacity will rise from 500 megawatts (MW) to 1,000 MW.
1. At 17,600 Feet, DRDO sets up worlds highest terrestrial research centre
i. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) established the worlds highest
terrestrial centre at 17,600 feet above sea level at Changla near Pengong lake in Ladakh.
ii. The centre will serve as a natural cold storage for preserving rare and endangered medical
plants for generations to come. The centre was inaugurated by Director General, DRDO Dr S
Christopher.
iii. According to reports, the centre will act as an important utility for research work in frontal areas
of food and agriculture and bio-medical sciences for well being of the soldiers deployed in high
altitude cold desert.
iv. A large number of Life Sciences activities are proposed to be undertaken at this centre.
2. India and Germany sign 18 MoUs
i. India and Germany on Monday signed a deal to fast-track business approvals, an arrangement to
make it easier for German companies to operate in Asia's third largest economy that was
announced as Chancellor Angela Merkel visited New Delhi.
ii. The fast-track approvals process will ensure that German firms will have a single point of contact
in the Indian administration, helping them to navigate a web of red tape that often thwarts
business initiative.
iii. The agreement is the first of its kind and comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to
attract foreign investment in support of his "Make in India" drive to boost industrial investment and
create skilled jobs.
iv. India and Germany also agreed to enhance ties in key areas of defence manufacturing, trade,
intelligence and clean energy during wide-ranging talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel here after which 18 MoUs were inked.
3. Three scientists share Nobel Prize for medicine for work on parasitic diseases
i. The Nobel Prize for medicine has been jointly awarded this year to three scientists for their work
on parasitic diseases. Half of the award goes to Ireland's William Campbell and Japan's Satoshi
Omura, who discovered a new drug to treat infections caused by roundworm parasites.
ii. The other half goes to China's Youyou Tu, who used traditional herbal medicine to find a new kind
of antimalarial agent.
iii. Campbell and Omura discovered a new drug, Avermectin, the derivatives of which "have
radically lowered the incidence of River Blindness and Lymphatic Filariasis," the Nobel Assembly
said. River blindness, or onchocerciasis, can cause vision impairment or blindness, nodules under
the skin or debilitating itching, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
iv. Lymphatic filariasis, commonly known as elephantiasis, is a painful and extremely disfiguring
disease, the World Health Organization said.
4. Mahindra Intertrade appoints Sumit Issar as MD
i. Sumit Issar has been appointed as the new Managing Director for Mahindra Intertrade Ltd (MIL)
and Mahindra Steel Service Centre Ltd (MSSCL), a joint venture between Mahindra and Metal
OneCorporation, Japan.
ii. He takes over from Harsh Kumar who retired on September 30, 2015 and will assume fresh
responsibilities at the Mahindra Institute of Quality.
iii. Issar started his career at MIL as a graduate engineer trainee in 1995 and has performed a
multitude of roles encompassing sales and operations, product development, sourcing, supply
chain management and business development.
iv. Mahindra Intertrade is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and owns and
operates the countrys largest network of independent steel service centres in the automotive,
power and home appliances verticals. It operates steel service centres in Pune, Nashik, Vadodara,
Bhopal and Chakan in India and Sharjah in West Asia.

5. 26th edition of CORPAT between India and Indonesia began in Andaman Sea
i. 26th edition of the Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) between India and Indonesia began on 3 October
2015 in the Andaman Sea. The expanded version of the 18-day long CORPAT that will conclude on
21 October 2015 will also see the first ever bilateral exercise between the two nations.
ii. The two-day inaugural India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise is scheduled from 17 October
to 18 October 2015 in the Andaman Sea.
iii. The two navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrolling (CORPAT) along the International
Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002 with the aim of keeping this vital part of the
Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
iv. The first ever India-Indonesia Bilateral Maritime Exercise that will be hosted along with the 26th
edition of the CORPAT will help the bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Bilateral
Maritime Exercise and the CORPAT would see participation by one warship and one Maritime Patrol
Aircraft from both sides.
6. Flipkart appointed Sriram Venkataraman as Chief Financial Officer
i. Indias e-commerce giant, Flipkart, on 4 October 2015 appointed Sriram Venkataraman as the
new Chief Finance Officer (CFO) for its commerce platform (CP). The homegrown online
marketplace also appointed Pramod Jain as Vice President and Head of Taxation.
ii. Venkataraman will watch over all aspects of the finance function for CP. He will also be
responsible to drive the CP business to deliver its goals. Jain will play an important role in taking
the tax teams engagement with revenue and government authorities to the next level.
7. Ashish Bahuguna given additional charge of Chief Executive Officer of FSSAI
i. Ashish Bahuguna, the Chairman of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), on 4
October 2015 was given an additional charge of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FSSAI.
ii. The decision was taken following the shift of Yudhvir Singh Malik to NITI Aayog as an Additional
Secretary in September 2015. A retired IAS officer of 1978-batch of Rajasthan cadre and former
Agriculture Secretary, Bahuguna was appointed as Chairman of the food regulator in July 2015.
iii. He will hold the position of CEO until a new appointment is made for the position.
8. Renowned Telugu Cinema producer Edida Nageswara Rao passes away
i. Renowned Telugu Cinema Producer Edida Nageswara Rao passed away in Hyderabad, Telangana.
He was 81. He had produced numerous landmark movies Telugu Cinema (also known as Tollywood).
ii. He was born on April 24, 1934 in East Godavari district of undivided Andhra Pradesh. He had
started his career in film industry as a theatre artiste, dubbing artiste, film actor and later turned
into a film producer by launching Poornodaya Movie Creations.
iii. His debut movie as producer was Siri Siri Muvva which was a runaway hit in 1978 and was
directed by eminent director K. Vishwanath. In all he has produced 10 movies which turned out to
be very popular and were big hits.
9. Shashank Manohar elected unopposed as BCCI president
i. Shashank Manohar has been elected unopposed as President of Board of Control for Cricket in
India (BCCI) for the second term.
ii. He belongs to Vidarbha Cricket Association and was elected by Special General Meeting (SGM) of
BCCI. The meeting was called to elect President due to sudden demise of Jagmohan Dalmiya, who
had served President for 7 months after winning election in March 2015.
1. Neutrino scientists win Nobel Prize for Physics
i. Japan's Takaaki Kajita and Canada's Arthur B. McDonald won the 2015 Nobel Prize for Physics for
their discovery that neutrinos have mass, the award-giving body said.
ii. "The discovery has changed our understanding of the innermost workings of matter and can
prove crucial to our view of the universe," the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said in a
statement awarding the 8 million Swedish crown ($962,000) prize.
iii. Physics is the second of this year's Nobels. The prizes were first awarded in 1901 to honour
achievements in science, literature and peace in accordance with the will of dynamite inventor and
business tycoon Alfred Nobel.
2. Union Government launches 2nd phase of Mission Indradhanush
i. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has launched the second phase of Mission
Indradhanush to achieve full immunisation of children below two years. In the second phase, the
week-long programme will be implemented in 352 districts of the country.
ii. Mission Indradhanush depicts 7 colours of the rainbow which aims to cover all those children by
2020 who are either unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated against 7 vaccine preventable
diseases. These 7 diseases are Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Tetanus, Polio, Tuberculosis, Measles
and Hepatitis B.
iii. WHO (World Health Organisation), UNICEF, Rotary International and others are donor partners
for Mission Indradhanush.
iv. The mission was launched in December 2015 on the occasion of National Good Governance Day.
The first phase drive was started in April 2015 in 201 districts covering 45 lakh children and
immunising 20 lakh children.
3. Jack Dorsey appointed as permanent CEO of Twitter

i. Micro blogging site Twitter has appointed its co-founder and interim chief executive officer (CEO)
Jack Dorsey as permanent CEO for second time. He will succeed Dick Costolo who had resigned in
June, 2015 after serving to this top post for five years.
ii. With this new appointment he will cease to be chairman of the board of Twitter but will continue
to serve as a member of the board.
iii. Earlier from May 2007 to October 2008, he had served as Twitters president and CEO. He was
also the Chairman of the board of members of Twitter since October 2008 and has been a member
since May 2007.
iv. Currently, Dorsey also serves as CEO of Square, a mobile payments and financial services
company co-founded by him in 2009. He also serves on the board of directors of The Walt Disney
Company.
v. Twitter also has appointed Adam Bain as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the company. Prior to
this appointment he was Twitters President of global revenue and partnerships division from
September 2010.
4. World Habitat Day observed on 5 October 2015
i. United Nations on 5 October 2015 celebrated World Habitat Day. It is observed on first Monday of
October every year to generate awareness about the state of human settlements and the future of
cities.
ii. Public Spaces for All. The theme aims to recognize good public spaces in order to enhance
community cohesion and promote happiness, health and well-being of all citizens. It also seeks
fostering investment, economic development and environmental sustainability.
iii. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) through Resolution 40/202 had established World
Habitat Day in 1985. It was first celebrated in 1986. The purpose of this day is to reflect on the
state of our cities and town along with the basic right adequate shelter for all.
iv. Each year new theme is chosen by the UN which is based on current issues relevant to the
Habitat Agenda and to promote sustainable development policies for ensuring adequate shelter for
all.
5. Amo doli programme launched by Odisha government in naxal-affected Rayagada
district
i. To help patients and pregnant women from inaccessible areas to reach nearest hospital, the state
government of Odisha on 4 September 2015 launched a healthcare programme named Amo doli
programme. The programme was launched in naxal-affected Rayagada district of the state and will
benefit people of 183 remote villages to reach the hospital.
ii. Under the Amo Doli programme, a stretcher has been designed as a sling to carry patients
smoothly and with less effort. Each sling costs around 9000 rupees and the programme is being
funded under the Integrated Action Plan which is meant for Maoist-affected districts.
iii. It will help the patients and pregnant women from inaccessible areas to reach their nearest
hospital or motorable road. After reaching the nearest motorable point, the villagers can call
ambulance by dialing 102 for pregnant women or 108 for emergency services to shift a patient to
the nearest hospital.
iv. The slings will be kept either at village welfare committees or with ASHA workers. The
programme aims at helping people residing in hilly areas where no approach road to a village
exists.
v. This specially-designed sling will replace the traditional method in which people residing in
remote and tribal areas of the state used to carry a patient to hospitals by converting a bed into a
sling by tying rope on its both ends.
6. Odisha launched Citizen Portal to launch police complaints
i. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik on 3 October 2015 launched a Citizen Portal, which
enables the citizens to lodge their complaints online to the state police through internet.
ii. The facility will allow citizens to access information, request for different police services and
complaints. They can also get a copy of FIR.
iii. Citizens can avail the service of portal to get character certificates. They can seek permission
for taking out processions, rallies, protests and strikes. They can ask for permission to hold events
and performances.
iv. They can use the portal for tenants verification, employees verification. They can also track the
status of the complaints registered by them on the portal.
7. China won 2015 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship
i. China on 3 October 2015 won the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Championship
by defeating the Philippines by 78-67 in the final. The victory has won the nation a direct
qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
ii. The game was organised in front of a 7000 strong capacity crowd in Changsha, Hunan province
of China.
iii. In the final game, Yi Jianlian scored maximum runs and earned 15 rebounds. He was also
selected as the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
iv. Philippines and Iran have secured the second and third place respectively in the tournament.
India ended on eighth place in the tournament.

1. INS Astradharani commissioned into Indian Navy

i. The Indian Navy commissioned the first indigenously-designed and built torpedo launch and
recovery vessel INS Astradharani at the Naval Base in Visakhapatnam. This 50-metre twin-hulled
warship is also the first to be built at a private yard with armament fixtures.
ii. The ship was collaboratively designed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL) of
DRDO, Shoft Shipyard and IIT Kharagpur. The design of the ship was tested at the facilities at the
NSTL. It is an advanced replacement for INS Astravahini which was decommissioned on 17 July
2015.
iii. INS Astradharani will be used to carry out the technical trials of underwater weapons and
systems developed by NSTL. The ship has a complement of two officers and 27 sailors and can
carry 13 scientists.
iv. The catamaran hull configuration in the ship significantly reduces its power requirement. With a
length of 50 m, the vessel can undertake multiple trials during a single sortie and is fully equipped
with all modern amenities that warships have.
2. Union Government launches KISAN Project and Hailstorm App for crop damage
i. Union Government has launched KISAN (Crop Insurance using Space Technology and
Geoinformatics) Project to benefit farmers. This project will favour use of satellites, drones
(unmanned aerial vehicles) and other geospatial technology to collect crop yield data and to assess
damage from natural calamities.
ii. Drones will help to take high resolution imagery of crop assessment. It will be collated with
satellite imaging and other geospatial technology to get accurate data.
iii. This data will enable crop insurance companies to give proper compensation to affected
farmers. The experiment will help develop index-based data for insurance companies.
iv. It will help farmers, government agencies and insurance companies to move away from
traditional crop insurance claim calculated on the basis of crop cutting experiments. It will provide
timely and accurate data for insurance claims and make payment of claims to farmers without any
delay.
v. Union Government also launched Hailstorm App, an Android mobile phone application to assess
large-scale damage to crops from hail. Farmers by using this application on their smart phones can
immediately send photos of their crop damage due to hailstorm to officials concerned for
immediate relief.
3. 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar
i. Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar were on 7 October 2015 jointly awarded with the
2015 2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for having mapped how cells repair damaged DNA and
safeguard the genetic information at a molecular level.
ii. All the three laureates will share the prize money of 8 million Swedish kronor equally. Tomas
Lindahl is from the Francis Crick Institute, UK; Paul Modrich is from Duke University School of
Medicine, USA and Aziz Sancar belongs to University of North Carolina School of Medicine, USA.
iii. Their work provided fundamental knowledge of how a living cell functions and how it is used for
the development of new cancer treatments.
iv. Aziz Sancar mapped Nucleotide Excision Repair, the mechanism that cells use to repair UV
damage to DNA. People born with defects in this repair system will develop skin cancer if they are
exposed to sunlight. The cell also utilises nucleotide excision repair to correct defects.
v. Paul Modrich demonstrated how the cell corrects errors that occur when DNA is replicated during
cell division. This mechanism, Mismatch Repair, reduces the error frequency during DNA replication
by about a thousand fold.
4. India, Germany signed 125 million Euros Loan Agreement to fund two projects under
Green Energy Corridor
i. Government of India and Federal Republic of Germany (KFW) on 5 October 2015 signed two loan
agreements worth 125 million Euros for financing two projects under the Green Energy Corridor
programme. These two projects are in Himachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
ii. Germany will fund 57 million Euros for projects in Himachal Pradesh and 68 million Euros for
Andhra Pradesh.
iii. Green Energy Corridor programme seeks to facilitate the flow of renewable energy into the
national grid. In other words, it is aimed at synchronising electricity produced from renewable
sources, such as solar and wind, with conventional power stations in the grid.
iv. In April 2013 during the second Indo-German Government Consultations in Berlin, Germany
committed developmental and technical assistance of 1 billion euro for the project. Renewable
Energy is one of the key areas of India-German partnership. It was mentioned in the Joint
Statement of Hannover in April 2015.
5. IMF released World Economic Outlook October 2015 Update
i. International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 6 October 2015 released World Economic Outlook (WEO)
October 2015 Update titled Adjusting to Lower Commodity Prices.
ii. The report projects global growth for 2015 at 3.1 percent, which is 0.3 percentage point lower
than in 2014, and 0.2 percentage point below the forecasts in the July 2015 World Economic
Outlook (WEO) Update.

iii. Indias growth is expected to strengthen from 7.3 percent 2015 and last year to 7.5 percent in
2016. Also, Domestic demand in India is projected to remain strong.
iv. In advanced economies, contagion risks from Greece related events to other euro area
economies, while lower than earlier in the year, remain a concern, as do risks from protracted weak
demand and low inflation.
6. RBI relaxed norms of FPI investment in Government Securities
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6 October 2015 relaxed the norms of Foreign Portfolio
Investors (FPIs) of government debt and also announced higher investment limits in rupee terms in
government securities with a view to bring in an additional 1.2 lakh crore rupees by March 2018.
ii. The RBI fixed the FPI investment limits in rupee terms and raised the limits in phases to reach 5
percent of the outstanding stock by March 2018.
iii. The RBI issued these directions in perusal of the announcement made in the fourth Bi-monthly
Monetary Policy Statement for the year 2015-16 issued on 29 September 2015, wherein a Medium
Term Framework (MTF) for FPI limits in Government securities was announced to provide a more
predictable regime.
7. Utkal starts 'Project Saksham' to empower rural women
i. In its bid to empower rural women, Utkal Alumina International Limited (UAIL), a unit of Aditya
Birla Group, has launched a unique project for the welfare of communities living in the vicinity of its
project area in Odisha.
ii. Christened 'Project Saksham', the new initiative involves an advanced training-cum-garment
manufacturing unit at Tikiri in Rayagada district to help unemployed rural women engage in a
sustainable livelihood and become self-reliant, said Vijay Sapra, Unit Head and President, UAIL.
8. 2016 Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference to be held in New Delhi
i. The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference 2016 will be held in New Delhi from 8 January to
10 January 2016.
ii. The PBD Conference 2016 will be organised with an objective for developing a new paradigm for
engagement with the Diaspora over the next decade.
iii. The 2016 PBD Conference will be an attempt to do an expert study on various issues concerning
the Diaspora and areas of mutual benefit to India and to them, while the previous PBDs focused
only on meetings with the Diaspora.
iv. The traditional PBD convention will be held every alternative year, with the partner State. Such
a convention would be held in 2017. Beside this, the Union Government also announced that it will
organise the 9th Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas (RPBD) at Los Angeles California, USA on the 14
November and 15 November 2015.
9. Sergey Karjakin wins 2015 World Cup Chess Championship
i. Sergey Karjakin of Russia has won 2015 World Cup Chess Championship held at Baku, Azerbaijan.
ii. In the final match he defeated Peter Svidler (Russia) by 6-4 score. The title of this championship
was decided in the tie-breakers after both competitors had won two classical games each.
iii. He is Ukrainian-born Russian chess grandmaster and chess prodigy.
iv. He holds the record for being worlds youngest Chess Grandmaster at the age young of 12 years
and 7 months.
v. Karjakin has won the World Rapid Chess Championship (2012), twice Norway Chess Tournament
(2013, 2014) and Corus Chess Tournament (2009).
1. Svetlana Alexievich Wins Nobel Prize in Literature
i. Svetlana Alexievich, a Belarussian journalist and prose writer, won the Nobel Prize in Literature
on Thursday for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time, the
Swedish Academy announced.
ii. Ms. Alexievich, 67, is the 14th woman to win the literature prize. Born to a Belarussian father and
a Ukrainian mother, in what is now Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, Ms. Alexievich is best known for giving
voice to survivors of the Second World War, the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan that lasted from
1979 to 1989, and the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986.
iii. Because of her criticism of the regime in Belarus, a former Soviet republic, Ms. Alexievich has
periodically lived abroad, in Italy, France, Germany and Sweden, among other places.
iv. The prize of 8 million Swedish kronor (around $960,000) was announced in Stockholm by Sara
Danius, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, which awards the prize.
2. Hoesung Lee elected as Chairman of IPCC
i. Hoesung Lee of South Korea has been elected Chairman of Inter-governmental Panel for Climate
Change (IPCC). He was elected in on-going 42nd session IPCC in Dubrovnik, Croatia by 78 votes to
56 in a run-off election with Jean-Pascale van Ypersele from Belgium.
ii. Lee succeeds environmentalist R.K. Pachauri of India who had resigned following the sexual
abuse scandal in which he was allegedly involved.
iii. Presently, he professor in the economics of climate change, energy and sustainable
development. Previously he had served as one of the Vice-Chairs of the IPCC. He has been
associated with IPCC in various capacities including as Co-Chair of Working Group III for Second
Assessment Report of 1992.

iv. He is also the founding president of the Korea Energy Economic Institute. He also has served as
President of International Association for Energy Economics. He had also had served on various
boards including as a member of the ADB Presidents advisory board, executive member of the
Korean Academy of Environmental Sciences etc.
v. IPCC is the leading international body for the assessment of climate change.
3. SC refuses to allow voluntary use of Aadhaar card for welfare schemes
i. Supreme Court has refused to allow some states and statutory bodies like RBI, SEBI to voluntary
use of Aadhaar card for welfare schemes other than PDS and LPG schemes. Ruling in this regard
was given by SC bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar and made it clear modification in this
matter will be heard by a larger constitution bench of SC.
ii. This order was given by SC on applications of Union Government, RBI, IRDA, SEBI, TRAI, Pension
Fund Regulatory Authority and states like Gujarat and Jharkhand.
iii. They have pitched strongly for voluntary use of Aadhaar cards for providing benefits of various
schemes, other than PDS and LPG for the aged and the weaker sections. The applications in this
case are being transferred to a constitution bench in order to decide on issues like right to privacy.
iv. Earlier in August 2015, SC had ruled that Aadhaar card will remain optional for availing welfare
schemes of the government. It had clearly mentioned that authorities will not use Aadhaar card for
the purposes other than PDS and LPG distribution system.
4. Union Cabinet approved Protocol on Double Taxation Avoidance with Israel and
Vietnam
i. The Union Cabinet on 7 October 2015 approved the Protocol between India and Israel and
between Indian and Vietnam for avoidance of double taxation and for prevention of fiscal evasion
with respect to taxes on income and on capital.
ii. The Protocol with both the countries provides for internationally accepted standards for effective
exchange of information on tax matters including bank information and information without
domestic tax interest.
iii. With this, the information received from Israel and Vietnam in respect of a resident of India can
be shared with other law enforcement agencies with authorisation of the Competent Authority of
both the countries and vice versa.
5. Union Cabinet approved setting up of three AllMS under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya
Suraksha Yojna
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 October 2015 approved the
setting up of three new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AllMS) under Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).
ii. These three new AIIMS will come up at Nagpur in Maharashtra, at Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh
and at Kalyani in West Bengal. All the three AIIMS will cost 4949 crore rupees to the exchequer with
AIIMS at Manglagiri costing 1618 crore rupees, at Nagpur costing 1577 crore rupees and at Kalyani
costing 1754 crore rupees respectively.
iii. These AIIMS will be established as institutes of national importance for providing quality medical
education, nursing education and also to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of these
locations.
iv. Further, the proposed institution will have a hospital with capacity of 960 beds. In addition,
these will also have an AYUSH block, nursing college, hostel and residential facilities among others.
v. Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) launched in 2006, so far six AIIMS
have been made functional. Also construction of AIIMS, Rae Barely is under progress.
vi. The AIIMS which have become functional are at Patna (Bihar), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Bhopal
(Madhya Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Rishikesh (Utaranchal).
6. CCEA approved World Bank assisted National Watershed Management project
Neeranchal
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7 October 2015 approved implementation
of the World Bank assisted National Watershed Management Project Neeranchal with a total outlay
2142.30 crore rupees.
ii. The project will be implemented at the national level as well as in the nine states of Andhra
Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and
Telangana. The governments share in the project is 50 percent and the rest cost will be borne by
the World Bank.
iii. The project aims at achieving the major objectives of the Watershed Component of the Pradhan
Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) and for ensuring access to irrigation to every farm (Har Khet
Ko Pani) and efficient use of water (Per Drop More Crop).
7. Union Cabinet approved construction of National War Memorial in Delhi
i. The Union Cabinet on 7 October 2015 approved the construction of National War Memorial and a
National War Museum at Princess Park near India Gate, Delhi in memory of all Indian soldiers who
have made the supreme sacrifice for the country post-independence.
ii. The estimated cost of the project will be around 500 crore rupees and the total time for
completion of the entire project is estimated to be five years.

iii. This prestigious project will be monitored by an empowered Steering Committee chaired by
Defence Secretary and assisted by a dedicated project management team, to ensure that the
proposed project is completed within scheduled time frame.
8. Cyclist Deborah Herold became first-ever Indian to win five medals at Taiwan Cup
i. Indian cyclist Deborah Herold in the first week of October 2015 bagged one gold, three silver and
one bronze medal at the 2015 Taiwan Cup held at the Hsin Chu Velodrome, Hsin-Chu city in Taiwan.
With this, she became the first ever Indian cyclist to win in women's elite section.
ii. Deborah fetched the gold medal in Taiwan Cup Track International Classic I by defeating the
Malaysian top rider. On the other hand, she ended on second place in the keirin event and 500m
time trial.
iii. In November 2014, the Indian cyclist had won four gold medals at the Track Asia Cup Cycling
Championship 2014.
1. ICICI Bank Launches mVisa Electronic Cardless Transactions for Pockets App
i. The ICICI Bank on Thursday launched a service enabling customers to make electronic payments
from their smartphones at physical stores, e-commerce portals, radio taxis and utility billers,
among others, without swiping a debit card.
ii. The service is based on 'mVisa', a new mobile payment solution from Visa. ICICI Bank, India's
largest private bank, is the first bank globally to launch a mobile app based on 'mVisa' solution for
consumers and merchants.
iii. The service has been introduced for its customers in Bengaluru only with 1,500 merchants
brought under the fold of mobile electronic payments. The service will be rolled out in other cities
shortly.
iv. The process involves scanning a Quick Response code at a merchant location without swiping
the card.
2. China launched the first phase of China International Payment System
i. China on 8 October 2015 launched the first phase of China International Payment System (CIPS),
a milestone in bolstering Yuans global usage and furthering cross-border clearing of its currency
from the Chinese mainland instead of offshore centres abroad.
ii. The launch of the CIPS was expected to boost the Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) launched in
2013 as a test bed for new reforms.
iii. Developed and administered by the People's Bank of China, CIPS enables market participants
outside China to clear Yuan transactions with their Chinese counterparts directly from 9 am to 8
pm.
iv. The CIPS provides capital settlement and clearing services for cross-border Yuan transactions for
financial institutions domestically and abroad.
v. It will enhance efficiency and increase global use of the Chinese currency. CIPS will help shore up
Chinas real economy and promoting the going abroad strategy of domestic enterprises.
vi. Previously, cross-border Yuan clearing was done either through one of the offshore Yuan clearing
banks in places like Hong Kong, Singapore and London, or else with the help of a corresponding
bank on the Chinese mainland.
3. Nobel Peace Prize 2015 awarded to Tunisian mediator group
i. Four Tunisian civil society groups have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their contribution
to the countrys transition from dictatorship to democracy. The Nobel panel described its award to
the National Dialogue Quartet on Friday as an encouragement to the Tunisian people that showed
the value of dialogue in a region riven by conflict.
4. Indo-China Joint Military Exercise Hand-In-Hand 2015
i. India-China Joint Military Training Exercise HAND-IN-HAND 2015 will be conducted at Kunming
Military Academy of Yunnan province in China from 12 to 23 October 2015. It will be the fifth joint
military exercise in the Hand-in-Hand series between armies of both countries which had started in
2007.
ii. Broaden and strengthen interoperability and cooperation between armies of both countries as
well as complement a number of other exchanges between the two forces.
iii. This edition of exercise will lay emphasis on joint handling of insurgency at sub-unit level and
related issues. It will also cover aspect of Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief at formation
headquarters level.
5. World Egg Day observed on 9 October 2015
i. World Egg Day was observed on 9 October 2015 as it is being celebrated every year on second
Friday of October as per the directives of International Egg Commission.
ii. Celebration of this day gives a unique opportunity to help propagate the nutritive value of eggs
in human nutrition. It also helps in increasing egg consumption, which is the main source of
protein.
iii. On this day to promote awareness about the nutritional value of the egg, National Egg Coordination Committee (NECC) is conducting several programmes and campaign.
iv. Union government has decided to celebrate the day in four places in the country, Bhubaneswar
(Odisha), Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).
6. Music composer AR Rahman named as Cultural Ambassador of Seychelles

i. Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman was on 8 October 2015 named as the Cultural Ambassador
of Seychelles for his contribution in enhancing the countrys Art and Culture Development.
ii. One of the most globally popular Indian music icons, Rahman has won two Academy Awards, two
Grammy Awards, a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe, besides national recognition in his illustrious
career.
1. The 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics awarded to Angus Deaton
i. Angus Deaton, a British economist, has won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economics for his analysis
of consumption, poverty, and welfare.
ii. To design economic policy that promotes welfare and reduces poverty, we must first understand
individual consumption choices. More than anyone else, Angus Deaton has enhanced this
understanding. By linking detailed individual choices and aggregate outcomes, his research has
helped transform the fields of microeconomics, macroeconomics, and development economics,
the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said.
2. YES Bank gets RBI nod for mutual fund, AMC and trustee company
i. Private sector lender YES Bank on Monday said it has got the RBI's approval to set up a mutual
fund, asset management company (AMC) and a trustee company.
ii. In a regulatory filing, YES Bank said it "has received an approval from the RBI to sponsor a
mutual fund, and to set up an asset management company and a trustee company."
iii. Asset management companies and trustee companies will be wholly owned subsidiaries of YES
Bank, it added. The lender said its AMC will channelise savings of retail and institutional investors
in equity and debt capital markets.
iv. "This will complement YES Bank's retail liabilities strategy and also allow the AMC to leverage
the Bank's distribution network for customer acquisition," it added.
3. Hamilton wins Russian Grand Prix, closes in on F1 world title
i. Lewis Hamilton has won the Russian Formula One Grand Prix in Sochi, taking a massive step
toward winning the drivers championship in the process. Russias Daniil Kvyat managed to finish in
the points as he claimed sixth place.
4. PM lays foundation stone of 4th terminal of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of fourth terminal of countrys largest
container port Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) in Mumbai.
ii. The ambitious project will augment JNPTs present capacity situated off the financial capitals
eastern seafront by doubling it in next two years.
iii. The fourth terminal project will be carried out in two phases at estimated cost of 7,900 crore
rupees and will be complete by the end of 2017. The project involves construction of two berths of
1 km in each of the two phases.
5. Veteran Tamil actress Manorama died
i. Legendary Tamil actress Gopishantha, popularly known by her stage name Manorama, died on 10
October 2015 due to multiple organ failure in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She was 78.
6. K P Sharma Oli of CPN-UML elected as the new Prime Minister of Nepal
i. Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)-CPN-UML was
elected as new Prime Minister of Nepal. With this victory, he became first Prime Minister of Nepal
under the newly adopted secular, republic and federal Constitution of Himalayan country. It was
adopted in 20 September 2015.
ii. In the election for PM post in Nepalese Parliament, Mr. Oli received 338 votes out of a total of
598. He had secured 39 votes more than the 299 votes needed to get elected as PM as per
provisions of new constitution. His rival Sushil Koirala of Nepali Congress President on the other
hand received 249 votes.
7. Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal to win 2015 China Open Mens Singles title
i. Novak Djokovic on 11 October 2015 won the China Open Mens Singles title by defeating Rafael
Nadal of Spain.
ii. In the summit clash held at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing the top seeded Serbian
overpowered Nadal by 6-2 6-2. For Djokovic, it was the fourth consequent win in Beijing and the
fourth consequent title since 2012.
8. Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis win China Open
i. Extending their incredible unbeaten record, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis today lifted their
eighth trophy of the season and fourth in a row, winning the WTA China Open on Saturday.
ii. The top seeds faced stiff resistance from sixth seed Taipei girls Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan
Chan before winning 6-7 (9) 6-1 10-8 in the final which lasted one hour and 40 minutes.
9. Mission Abaas launched in Odisha to provide affordable houses to urban poor
i. The Odisha Government on 11 October 2015 launched Mission Abaas, states urban housing
mission, to provide affordable houses to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS), Low Income Groups
(LIG) and slum dwellers.
ii. The scheme aims at fulfilling the promise of protection and welfare of slum dwellers by providing
affordable housing along with basic amenities such as piped water supply, electricity, concrete
roads, drainage and community centre.
10. Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram won 2015 Dutch Open Mens Singles title

i. Ajay Jayaram of India on 11 October 2015 defended the 2015 Dutch Open Mens Singles
badminton title. In the summit clash held at Almere in Netheralnds, the World Number 26 ranker
defeated Estonias Raul Must by 21-12 21-18.
1. Indian diaspora in UK launches 'Modi Express' bus ahead of Modi's November visit
i. The Indian community in the United Kingdom launched a 'Modi Express' bus that will take the
travellers on a tour around iconic landmarks ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit
to the country in November.
ii. Over 400 community organisations have come together to launch the 'Modi Express' for 'Bus Pe
Charcha' in London. "We have had 'Chai Pe Charcha' in India, now we will have 'Bus Pe Charcha' in
the UK," the 'UK Welcomes Modi' organising committee's Mayuri Parmar said, PTI reported
iii. The bus, which started its journey on Sunday, stopped at Ealing Road or 'Little India street' in
Wembley where the Indian community is planning to host an Olympics style reception for Modi
during his visit next month.
iv. The 'Modi Express' bus will then head to Trafalgar Square to celebrate Diwali with the Indian
Prime Minister. Modi is expected to address the Indian community at Wembley Stadium on 13
November -- the day of Diwali celebrations.
v. Indian-origin Parliamentarian Keith Vaz also urged people to join him in the tour on 'Modi Express'
bus from Leicester. "Even if you've left your oyster cards at home, be sure to bring your 'Modi
cards' to join the 'Modi Express' wherever you are," he said.
2. India inks Rs 130-crore deal for 194 microlight aircraft
i. India signed a Rs 130 crore deal for 194 microlight aircraft from Slovenian company Pipistrel
Aircraft, for use by its National Cadet Corps (NCC), Air Force and Navy.
1ii. The contract was inked by Pipistrel CEO, Ivo Boscarol with the MoD. Talking to FE, Wg Cdr (retd)
Sanjay Thapar said: This is the largest single order for microlight aircraft placed on any aircraft
manufacturer in the world.
iii. With the IAF as the lead agency to evaluate, select and buy these 194 planes, the microlight
aircraft chosen for the purchase is the Pipistrel Aircrafts Virus SW80, and is tentatively christened
the Garuda in the Indian service.
3. Telenor rejigs global team; Sharad Mehrotra to head ops
i. Norwegian telecom major Telenor Group on Monday announced restructuring of Executive
Management team to represent all the 13 markets globally, a move aimed at ensuring faster
execution of the Group strategy.
ii. Telenor, which has 189 million mobile subscriptions in these 13 markets, will see the India
operations being headed by Sharad Mehrotra with effect from November 1. All 13 markets will be
represented in the new Executive Management team to ensure faster execution of the Group
strategy and a closer connection to the customers, Telenor group said in a statement.
iii. In addition, the company has set up functions of Markets and Technology to improve and
develop customer experiences, and to secure networks and IT systems. The Norwegian firm said
the current India head Vivek Sood will move to a global role as the EVP and Chief Marketing Officer.
Besides, Ruza Sabanovic will be Chief Technology Officer, Wenche Agerup Chief Corporate Affairs
Officer and Jon Gravrak as Chief Digital Officer.
iv. Sharad Mehrotra, who has been appointed CEO of Telenor India, was previously serving as Chief
Marketing Officer for Telenor Myanmar. He has also been part of Telenor India's management team
for more than four years from 2008.
4. Jayakumar takes over as MD and CEO of Bank of Baroda
i. P S Jayakumar, the former chief executive of VBHC Value Homes, on Tuesday took charge as the
new MD and CEO of the state-owned Bank of Baroda for three years.
ii. P S Jayakumar, 53, has taken over as the chief of BoB at a time when the bank is under the
investigation glare for an alleged fraud and black money transactions worth over Rs 6,000 crore.
5. Infosys appoints Ranganath D Mavinakere as new CFO
i. Indias second largest software services firm, Infosys has appointed Ranganath D Mavinakere as
new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He will succeed Rajiv Bansal who was Executive Vice President
(EVP) and the CFO of Infosys and had resigned from the company.
ii. Prior to this appointment, Mavinakere was EVP and head of strategic operations and CEOs office
of Infosys. He has rich experience of about 18 years across banking and IT services industries. In
his 15-year career with Infosys, he has held several leadership positions in the company.
6. India funded 5 million US dollars grant to Palestine as Budgetary assistance
i. India on 12 October 2015 granted a cheque of 5 million US dollars to the Palestinian government
as a budgetary support. The grant was handed over by Indian President Pranab Mukherjee during
his visit to Palestine.
7. Veteran filmmaker I.V. Sasi honoured with J.C. Daniel Award
i. Renowned Malayalam filmmaker I.V. Sasi on 12 October 2015 was awarded with the prestigious
J.C. Daniel Award for the year 2014 for his contributions towards the Malayalam entertainment
industry.
1. Jamaican writer Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction

i. Jamaican writer Marlon James on 13 October 2015 won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for
his novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. With this, James became the first Jamaican author to win
the prize in its 47-years of history.
ii. James was honoured with the prize money of 50000 Euros, a trophy and a designer bound
edition of his book. He was also awarded with additional 2500 Euros for being shortlisted for the
prize.
2. Arun Jaitley chosen 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia' by Emerging Markets
i. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was chosen as 'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia' by Londonbased publication Emerging Markets in October 2015.
ii. The magazine in an article said that Jaitley too deserves some recognition for Indias relative
economic success over the last 18 months. It says that without his decisions and stewardship of
Indias financial direction, India would not have achieved what it has.
iii. Apart from this, Atiur Rahman, the Governor of Bangladesh Bank was named as the Central
Bank Governor of the Year, Asia 2015. He was awarded for generating considerable strength and
resilience in the economy of Bangladesh.
iv. In 2014, the magazine had named governor of the Reserve Bank of India, Raghuram Rajan for
Central Bank Governor of the Year award for Asia. In 2010, it also chose Pranab Mukherjee as
'Finance Minister of the Year, Asia'.
3. Reliance Power appointed N Venugopala Rao as CEO
i. Reliance Power on 13 October 2015 appointed N Venugopala Rao as its Chief Executive Officer
(CEO) with immediate effect. Rao, who has obtained an MBA degree in Finance & Marketing, holds
a rich experience of about 35 years in project development, project finance, project planning,
contracts management and Finance & Accounts.
ii. Prior to the appointment, Rao was the CEO of Sasan Power Limited, a 100 percent subsidiary of
Reliance Power, which developed the worlds largest integrated coal mine and power project, Sasan
Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP), with an investment of nearly 27000 crore rupees.
iii. Reliance Power Limited, a part of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, was founded in
2007 and is headquartered in Navi Mumbai.
4. Delhi government launched Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao scheme
i. The Delhi Government on 13 October 2015 launched Bill Banvao, Inaam Pao scheme to
encourage people to receive or demand proper bills for purchases.
ii. Citizens will be eligible for the scheme only on a bill or cash memo/retail invoice of not less than
100 rupees for purchases made from a registered dealer in Delhi. The maximum prize to be given
under the scheme is 50000 rupees.
iii. To avail the reward, the purchaser can upload the bill/cash memo on the website of the
Department of Trade and Taxes within seven days of purchase. A snapshot of the bill can also be
sent to the designated number of the department through Whatsapp. After the bill is sent to the
department, a unique ID will be generated for each bill and sent to the customer via SMS.
5. Green Indian Mission plans approved for 4 states
i. Union Environment Ministry has approved annual plans of National Mission for Green India (GIM)
of four states viz. Kerala, Mizoram, Manipur and Jharkhand. In this regard, National Executive
Council (NEC) has approved the Perspective Plans (PP) and Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) of GIM
submitted by 4 states.
ii. The approval has been granted for alternative energy devices such as biogas, LPG, solar devices,
biomass-based systems and improved stoves. These devices in turn will help to reduce pressure on
forests and provide carbon emission benefits, along with health and other associated benefits.
iii. GIM is one of the 8key Missions outlined under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
It aims at protecting, enhancing and restoring Indias decreasing forest cover and responding to
climate change by a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures.
6. China operationalises Zam Hydropower Station on Brahmaputra in Tibet
i. China has operationalised the Zam Hydropower Station built on Brahmaputra River which has
raised concerns in India over the likelihood of disrupting water supplies of River.
ii. The dam is considered to be the worlds highest-altitude hydropower station and largest of its
kind. Annually it will produce produces 2.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. The power station is
located in the Gyaca County of Tibet and is considered as the largest in this region.
iii. It has six stations to harnesses the rich water resources of Brahmaputra River which is known as
Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet and flows through Tibet into India and later into Bangladesh.
7. India climbs 16 places in WEFs Global Competitiveness Index
i. In a rather dramatic turnaround, India has climbed a spectacular 16 places to the 55th position
among 140 economies in this years World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Competitiveness Index,
ending five years of decline.
ii. The list was topped by Switzerland, followed by Singapore, the US, Germany and the
Netherlands. Among the larger emerging markets, South Africa progressed seven places to 49th
place, while China held steady at 28, Indonesia was 37th (down three) and Brazil was 75th, the
WEF said.

iii. Indias dramatic reversal is largely attributable to the momentum initiated by the election of
Narendra Modi, whose pro-business, pro-growth and anti-corruption stance has improved the
business communitys sentiment toward the government.
iv. The quality of Indias institutions is judged more favourably (60th, up 10), although business
leaders still consider corruption to be the biggest obstacle to doing business in the country.
8. Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo wins record fourth Golden Boot
i. Cristiano Ronaldo has received a record fourth Golden Boot after topping Europe's goalscoring
charts for the 2014/15 season. The Real Madrid star scored 48 goals in 35 La Liga appearances last
term to win the honour for the third time at Madrid, with his other triumph coming during the
2007/08 season at Manchester United.
ii. It means Ronaldo becomes the first player in the awards' illustrious 47-year history to win the
accolade four times.
1. Kailash Satyarthi selected for 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Award
i. Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been selected for the prestigious 2015 Harvard
Humanitarian of the Year Award. He has been awarded this award in recognition for championing
the cause of child reform and ending all forms of violence against children.
ii. It is annual award is given by US based Harvard University. It recognise the works and deeds
individuals who have improved the quality of lives and inspired people to greater heights. Some of
the recipients of are Kofi Annan, Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Javier Perez etc
iii. Kailash Satyarthi is an adherent of Gandhian philosophy and as upheld Mahatma Gandhis
practice of engaging and conducting peaceful protests against the exploitation of children for
financial gain. He is the founder of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement).
iv. Through his NGO, he campaigns for protection of child rights and to abolish illegal human
trafficking.
2. DRDO Missile Complex renamed as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex
i. The countrys prestigious DRDO Missile Complex in Hyderabad was on 15 October 2015 renamed
as Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during an event at
Research Centre Imarat on the occasion of the 84th Birth Anniversary of Dr Kalam, the Missile Man.
ii. Dr Kalam joined the Missile Complex, DRDO in 1982 and was a part of it for nearly two decades.
The Missile Complex comprises Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Defence Research and
Development Laboratory (DRDL) and Research Centre Imarat (RCI), which are considered to be the
brain child of Dr Kalam.
iii. As founder Director, Dr Kalam conceived and steered RCI as a generator of critical missile
technologies.
iv. Parrikar also inaugurated two advanced R&D facilities of RCI- Outdoor RCS Test Facility ORANGE
at Dundigal and Kautilya Advanced Research Centre at RCI, Hyderabad.
3. India, US and Japan navies kick off 2015 Malabar Naval Exercise
i. India, United States and Japan navies have started 2015 Malabar Naval Exercise of the eastern
coast in Bay of Bengal and India Ocean. The high-end warfighting and complex trilateral exercise is
part of annual series of exercises conducted to advance multi-national maritime relationships and
mutual security issues.
ii. The five-day exercise includes both ashore and at-sea training exercises, that would share
knowledge on carrier strike group operations, anti-submarine warfare, maritime patrol etc. Militaryto-military coordination, submarine familiarisation, air defence and surface warfare exercise
sessions will be also undertaken at-sea.
iii. The joint fleet of 3 navies will include warships, aircraft carriers and fast attack submarines.
Total Ten ships, five from India, four from US and one from Japan are participating.
4. Pranab Mukherjee becomes 1st Indian President to address Israeli Parliament
Knesset
i. Pranab Mukherjee became first Indian President to address Israeli Parliament Knesset. He
addressed the Knesset as last leg of his official visit to 3 countries of west Asia viz. Jordan, Palestine
and Israel. He is also is first Indian President to make a state visit Israel.
ii. Indias consistent policy had been to build a strong, mutually beneficial and substantive
relationship with Israel. Appreciates Israels support to Indias bid for a permanent seat in the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
iii. There is no other option to resolve conflicts other than negotiation and peaceful settlement as a
long term measure. Condemed all forms of violence and India always sought a peaceful resolution
of disputes.
5. Union Cabinet gives nod to RCE for Kaladan Multi Modal Project in Myanmar
i. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of 2904.04 crore
rupees for the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar. Decision in this regard
was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
ii. To create a multi-modal mode of transport for cargo shipment from the eastern ports of India to
Myanmar. It will provide an alternate access route to Indias north east region and contribute
towards the regional economic development.

iii. The strategic link will promote economic, commercial and strategic links between India and
Myanmar as it will connect North-East, thereby reducing pressure on the Siliguri Corridor.
6. Union Cabinet approved MoU with Mozambique for cooperation in renewable energy
i. The Union Government on 14 October 2015 approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India and Mozambique.
ii. The agreement aims at establishing a cooperative institutional relationship to encourage and
promote technical bilateral cooperation, investment promotion and partnership on new and
renewable energy issues on the basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity.
iii. The agreement was inked between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the
Government of India and the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy, Government of
Mozambique in New Delhi on 5 August 2015.
7. Tata Housing tied-up with Facebook to sell its affordable homes online
i. Real estate developer Tata Housing on 14 October 2015 tied-up with social networking firm
Facebook to sell its affordable homes online. For this purpose, Tata Housing launched the new
campaign titled Social sell on Facebook.
ii. Through this new campaign Social sell, the company plans to sell around 250 units of its new
five-acre residential project in Goa called Goa Paradise. The initiative is in line with the companys
target to generate over 30 percent of its overall sales online in the next five years.
iii. Tata Housing started selling homes online in India in 2013 through its partnership with Google as
part of The Great Shopping Festival. Currently, the company has sold around 2000 homes online in
the last three years.
8. Dell Inc acquired EMC Corporation for 67 billion US dollars
i. Dell Inc and EMC Corporation on 12 October 2015 signed a definitive agreement under which
Dell, together with its owners will acquire EMC Corporation, while maintaining VMware as a
publicly-traded company.
ii. This will the biggest tech deal in history with a 67 billion US dollars acquisition of EMC Corp by
Dell. The owners of Dell include Michael S Dell, founder, chairman and CEO of Dell, MSD Partners
and Silver Lake, the global leader in technology investing.
iii. VMware Inc is a US company that provides cloud and virtualization software and services. It is a
subsidiary of EMC Corporation.
9. Portugal became the first European country to sign the MoU on establishment of
Nalanda University
i. Portugal on 9 October 2015 became the first European country to sign the Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on the establishment of Nalanda University.
ii. The MoU was signed in New Delhi by Portuguese Ambassador to India Ana Martinho and Dr
Jitendra Nath Misra, the Ambassador of India to Portugal. With this, Portugal became the 17th
country overall and the fourth outside the East Asia Summit to do so.
10. Uttar Pradesh Government launched mobile app mSehat for health workers
i. Uttar Pradesh government on 13 October 2015 launched the mobile app mSehat for health
workers to record maternal and infant data in real-time.
The application was developed by Kellton Tech, a company that was selected as the technology
partner for the initiative by State Innovations in Family Planning Services Agency (SIFPSA).
ii. The application is aimed at improving the infant mortality rate outcomes. mSehat is a cloudhosted solution to facilitate remote access and enrolment from across the region through 2Genabled mobile devices. The recorded data will be stored in the cloud, which will act as the central
repository.
1. Govt flags off Science Express special train on climate change
i. The government flagged off the Science Express Climate Action Special train from Delhi, as part
of its initiative to sensitize the masses, especially children and the youth, about the issue of climate
change, in the run-up to the global climate summit in Paris slated for December.
ii. Exhibits on the 16-coach air-conditioned train would cover specific topics like adaptation,
mitigation, Indias action on mitigation, international climate change negotiations, nature
conservation, innovations in India, science lab, biotechnology applications and others.
iii. The train will run till 7 May 2016 and during the course of these eight months, it would stop at
64 locations across India, covering over 19,500 kilometres. Some of these locations are Patiala,
Jaisalmer, Agra, Ambala, New Jalpaiguri, Vishakhapatnam, Vellore, Rameswaram, Mangalore and
Gandhinagar.
2. President Pranab Mukherjee concluded his 3-nation tour to Jordan, Palestine and
Israel
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 15 October 2015 concluded his 3-nation tour to Jordan, Palestine
and Israel. During his 6-day visit, which took place from 10 October to 15 October 2015, President
Pranab signed various agreement and MoUs with three nations to boost the bilateral ties.
ii. During his visit, he also met the leaders of the three nations namely President and Prime Minister
of Israel Reuven Rivlin and Benjamin Netanyahu respectively, His Majesty King Abdullah-II Ibn Al
Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, President and Prime Minister of Palestine Mahmoud
Abbas and Rami Hamdallah respectively.

iii. During this tour, he stayed in Jordan (10 to 12 October 2015), Palestine (12 to 13 October 2015)
and Israel (13 to 15 October 2015). Mukherjees visit to these three countries was the first ever
visit by an Indian President.
iv. President invited Israel to participate in the transformation of India and sought Israels
participation in Digital India programme. He was conferred honorary doctorate by Hebrew
University in Jerusalem, University of Jordan and Al-Quds University, Palestine.
3. SC allowed use of Aadhar Card for all Central and State Welfare schemes on
voluntary basis
i. The Supreme Court on 15 October 2015 allowed the use of Aadhaar cards for all central and state
schemes, including Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA),
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and employee provident fund and pension schemes, on voluntary
basis.
ii. After the concession, the citizens can avail benefits under welfare schemes. Also, the absence of
an Aadhaar card will not disallow people from benefiting from these schemes.
4. Rameswaram, birthplace of Dr. Abdul Kalam, included as 498th town under AMRUT
i. Union Minister of Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu on 15 October 2015 declared that former
President Dr. Abdul Kalams birth place Rameswaram has been included in Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for providing basic urban infrastructure.
ii. The announcement was made on the occasion of 84th birth anniversary of Dr. Kalam at a
programme organised at DRDO. Rameswaram is the 498th to be included in the Mission. With the
addition of Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu would have 32 cities and towns under Atal Mission.
5. Central Victim Compensation Fund set up with 200 crore rupees by Union
Government
i. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 14 October 2015 introduced a scheme called Central
Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) with an initial amount of 200 crore rupees. The scheme aims at
enabling support to victims of various attacks, such as rape, acid attacks, human trafficking and
women killed or injured in the cross border firing.
6. RBI formed Financial Inclusion Fund with 2000 crore rupees corpus
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 15 October 2015 formed a single Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF)
with a corpus of 2000 crore rupees. The fund was formed by merging the Financial Inclusion Fund
(FIF) and Financial Inclusion Technology Fund (FITF).
ii. The RBI also finalised the new scope of activities and guidelines for utilisation of the new FIF in
consultation with the Union Government. The new FIF will be administered by the reconstituted
Advisory Board constituted by Union Government and will be maintained by NABARD.
iii. The overall corpus of the new FIF will be 2000 crore rupees. Contribution to FIF would be from
the interest differential in excess of 0.5 percent on RIDF and STCRC deposits on account of shortfall
in priority sector lending kept with NABARD by banks.
7. Zaheer Khan retired from International Cricket
i. Zaheer Khan, one of Indias finest pacers, on 15 October 2015 retired from all forms of
international and first-class Cricket. However, he will continue to play in IPL for one more season.
ii. Zaheer, with 311 wickets, is the fourth highest Indian wicket-taker in Tests behind Anil Kumble
(619), Kapil Dev (434) and Harbhajan Singh (417). He was also the third highest wicket-taker in
international cricket among left-arm pacers.
1. Civil Aviation Minister inaugurates International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015
i. Union Minister of Civil Aviation Sh. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the International Civil
Helicopters Conclave 2015 in New Delhi today. Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Culture and
Tourism (I/C) Dr Mahesh Sharma was also present on the occasion. Speaking at the inaugural
ceremony Shri Raju called upon all stakeholders to come up with new ideas to give a boost to the
civil aviation sector as a whole, and the helicopter industry in the country in particular.
ii. He said that a new Civil Aviation Policy is in the process of being drafted. Once it is ready,
response and comments of stakeholders will be sought, so that a vibrant and forward looking policy
can be put in place. The minister also said that the facility of flying should not be restricted to only
the privileged people in the country. We should put policies in place so that flying becomes
affordable and reaches the masses.
2. GR Chandak appointed as Director of CDFD
i. G R Chandak, has been appointed as the Director, Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics
(CDFD), Hyderabad, under the Department of Biotechnology.
ii. A group leader at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, here, Chandak received his MD
in Biochemistry from Benaras Hindu University and PhD from Osmania University.
3. M.K. Surana appointed new HPCL CMD
i. M.K. Surana will be the new chairman and managing director of Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd
(HPCL), Indias third largest oil marketing company. The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB)
selected Surana for the top job at HPCL after interviewing a dozen candidates. Surana, 53, is
currently the chief executive officer of Prize Petroleum Co. Ltd, the upstream oil exploration arm of
HPCL.
ii. He will replace Nishi Vasudeva on her retirement at the end of March 2016.

4. Nepal Elects First Woman as Parliament Speaker

i. Nepalese lawmakers today elected the country's first woman speaker of Parliament following
formation of a new government after promulgation of the Constitution. Parliament unanimously
elected UCPN-Maoist lawmaker Onsari Gharti Magar as the Speaker of the House.
ii. Nepal's Constituent Assembly was converted into the legislative Parliament after the
promulgation of the Constitution on September 20 following which K P Sharma Oli was elected as
the new prime minister defeating incumbent Sushil Koirala in a contest which became necessary
after parties failed to forge a consensus amid violent protests over the country's new Constitution.
5. AMFI elects Leo Puri as chief
i. The Association for Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the industry body for mutual funds, on Friday
elected Leo Puri of UTI AMC as its new Chairman and retained A Balasubramanian as ViceChairman. The former chairman had been Sundeep Sikka of Reliance AMC.
6. Mumbai metro users can recharge their smartcards on Paytm
i. Paytm, a leading mobile commerce platform, has tied up with the Mumbai metro to offer online
ticketing and recharges on the Paytm platform.
ii. With this initiative, Paytm has further widened its bouquet of offerings to consumers and added
another use case for the Paytm wallet.
iii. With this initiative, Paytm has further widened its bouquet of offerings to consumers and added
another use case for the Paytm wallet.
iv. This facility is available across the Paytm app, website and mobile site and is seeing significant
traction among the Mumbai travellers. Paytm is also promoting this offer aggressively among their
customer base in Maharashtra.
v. "Recharging a Metro Card online is a frequent need, and we believe our consumers will find it
very useful", Shankar Nath, Sr. Vice President, Paytm, said in a statement.
7. PM Narendra Modi says India proud to host India-Africa Summit
i. Ahead of the India-Africa Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said India was proud to
host the event which reflects a desire by the two sides to engage more intensively for a better
future. In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said Indias engagement with Africa has been
scaled up and trade has been growing remarkably in recent years.
ii. India is proud to host @indiafrica2015. The Summit reflects India & Africas desire to engage
more intensively for a better future, he tweeted. Indias relations with Africa are historic. India is
a major investor in Africa & trade has been growing remarkably in recent years, he said.
8. Prasoon Joshi gets award
i. Bank of Baroda has conferred poet, lyricist and advertising guru Prasoon Joshi with Maharaja
Sayajirao Bhasha Samman.
ii. The bank said in a statement that the award, in memory of Bank of Barodas founder Maharaja
Sayajirao Gaekwad-III, was given to Joshi for his outstanding contribution in promoting Hindi.
9. China launches new communication satellite for HK firm
i. China today put into orbit a new communication satellite in a commercial mission by the Long
March-3B carrier rocket from the southwestern Xichang Satellite Launch Centre.
ii. Developed using Chinas homegrown DFH-4 platform for the Hong Kong-based APT Satellite
Company Ltd, APSTAR-9 is designed to stay in service for at least 15 years. It will replace its
predecessor APSTAR-9A, which was launched in 1998 with a designed mission life of 15 years
also.
iii. With the new satellite, APTs APSTAR fleet will be able to cover some three quarters of global
population in Asia, Europe, Africa and Australia to provide TV transmission and transponder, data
and satellite communication services.
iv. Todays launch is the 214th mission of the Long March carrier rocket series developed by China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC).
1. Indian short film An Old Dogs Diary wins award at 2015 London Film Festival
i. An Indian short film, An Old Dogs Diary has won prestigious Best Short Film Award at the 2015
London Film Festival (LFF). The award was bestowed by the British Film Institute (BIF) at 59th
edition of LFF.
ii. The 11-minute film has been directed by Shai Heredia and Shumona Goel. It story of film reveals
the cultural conditions of Indian avant-garde painter Francis Newton Souzas work and its
institutionalisation by assembling the puzzle-piece evocations of his portrait. Earlier the film was
showcased in the Wavelengths category at 2015 Toronto International Film Festival.
2. Swadhar Greh scheme approved by Haryana Government for women in distress
i. The Haryana Government on 18 October 2015 approved Swadhar Greh scheme, which will assure
economic and social security to women in distress. The scheme aims at creating a supportive
institutional framework catering to their primary needs in difficult situations.
ii. The scheme will work upon providing basic amenities, such as shelter, food, clothing and health
along with economic and social security to women in distress. Also, the scheme will make sure
that the special needs of these women are taken care of.

iii. Under the scheme, Swadhar Greh will be set up in every district with capacity to accommodate
30 women. The Greh will cater to the needs of shelter, food, clothing, medical treatment and care
of the women in distress. It will enable them to regain their emotional strength.
iv. The scheme promises to provide the benefits to women who are deserted and are without social
and economic support, prisoners released from jail and are without family, survivors of natural
disasters left homeless and are without social and economic support.
v. Swadhar Greh will also cover female victims of domestic violence, family tension or discord, who
are made to leave their homes without any means of subsistence and have no special protection
from exploitation and/or facing litigation on account of marital disputes.
3. Telecom operators to compensate consumers by Rs 1 for call drop: TRAI
i. Telecom Regulatory Authority of Indian (TRAI) has made it mandatory for telecom operators to
compensate consumers by Rs.1 for call drops with effect from 1 January 2016.
ii. As per new TRAI rules The compensation will be limited to three dropped calls in a particular day.
It is mandatory for telecom operators to send a message to the calling customer within 4 hours of
the occurrence of call drop along with details of amount credited in his account.
4. Typhoon Koppu hits northern Philippines
i. Powerful Typhoon Koppu (also known as Lando) has hit the northern Philippines battering the
coast with powerful winds with speed of 240 kph.
ii. The eye of tropical cyclone (typhoon) Koppu has struck the remote northern coastal town of
Casiguran which is 215 kms northeast of Philippines capital city Manila. US militarys Joint Typhoon
Warning Center has categorised this typhoon equivalent of a Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson
Hurricane Wind Scale.
5. Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence by Maithili Rao launched
i. The book titled Smita Patil: A Brief Incandescence authored by Maithili Rao was launched on 18
October 2015. The book, which was launched on Smita Patils 60th birth anniversary, acquaints the
readers with a remarkable journey of the short-lived actress.
ii. It traces the journey of the actress from her childhood to stardom. The book shows glimpses of
Patils controversial marriage and untimely tragic death.
6. Great Britain beat India to win Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey tournament
i. Great Britain on 18 October 2015 defeated Indian junior men's hockey team and captured Sultan
of Johor Cup (SOJC). Great Britain defeated defending champions India by 4-3 in sudden death
penalty shootout in the final after the match had ended 2-2 in regulation time.
ii. For the third place, the host Malaysia defeated Argentina to settle for Bronze.
7. Renowned Egyptian writer Gamal al-Ghitani died
i. Renowned Egyptian novelist and journalist Gamal al-Ghitani died on 18 October 2015 in Cairo,
Egypt. He was 70. Al-Ghitani was born on 9 May 1945 in Gihena, Egypt. He began writing at a
young age. His first short story was published when he was only 14.
8. Post-doctoral fellowship in name of APJ Abdul Kalam
i. The ministry of environment, forest and climate change has announced the launching of postdoctoral research fellowships in the name of APJ Abdul Kalam on his 85th birthday.
ii. The post-doctoral fellowship programme of the ministry is targeted towards young scientists
working in the area of environment and ecology in the country, said the press release issued by
ministry of environment and forest.
iii. The target group of this programme are young scientists who have completed their PhD, or are
about to complete their PhD, in areas related to environment and ecology and possess a good,
academic record. The applicants should preferably be below the age of 35 years.
9. Infosys to acquire Noah Consulting for $70 mn
i. IT major Infosys today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Noah Consulting, LLC, a
provider of advanced information management consulting services for the oil and gas industry in a
$70 million all-cash deal.
ii. Noah Consulting helps upstream oil and gas companies, including super majors, independents
and oil field service companies plan, architect and deploy information solutions to unlock the value
of their oil and gas assets.
iii. Noahs domain expertise in upstream oil and gas, coupled with their tools, solution accelerators
and proprietary methodologies, makes them a leader in driving strategic data management
engagements.
i10. Housing.com appointed Mani Rangarajan as CFO
i. Realty giant Housing.com on 18 October 2015 appointed Mani Rangarajan as its Chief Financial
Officer (CFO). The appointment was made to strengthen its senior management team.
ii. Rangarajan holds over 20 years of experience and has successfully played executive level roles
in companies such as Yahoo! and Citigroup. He also played vital roles in many Silicon Valley startup companies, like Boku, Kosmix and Media Boost.
iii. Rangarajan obtained an MBA degree from the Stanford Universitys Graduate School of
Business. He also received a post graduate management diploma from IIM Calcutta and is also a
Cost & Works Accountant.

iv. Housing.com is a Mumbai-based real estate search portal, which was founded by a group of 12
students from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in June 2012. The website allows the
users to search for housing based on location, number of rooms, budgets and various other filters.
11. Chinas Xuerui Li wins 2015 Denmark Open Title of Badminton
i. Chinas Xuerui Li has won the prestigious 2015 Denmark Open Badminton Title in the womens
single category. In the final match played at Odense, Denmark, she defeated P V Sindhu of India by
19-21, 12-21 score. It was Lis second title of Denmark Open and earlier she had won it in 2014.
ii. In the mens single category, Chinas Chen Long has won the 2015 title. He has won the title for
record 3rd time after he had earlier won it in 2013 and 2014 .
iii. It is formerly known as Danish Open and is organized by Danmarks Badminton Forbund.
12. Saketh Myneni wins 2015 Vietnam Open Tennis Trophy
i. Indias ace tennis player Saketh Myneni has won the 2015 Vietnam Open trophy. In the summit
clash which lasted for one hour and 27 minutes he defeated Australias Jordan Thompson by 7-5, 63 score.
13. Novak Djokovic won 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title
i. World Number 1 ranking Novak Djokovic on 18 October 2015 won the 2015 Shanghai Rolex
Masters tennis title in the mens singles category. To clinch the title, the top seeded Serbian player
defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4 in the final match held in Shanghai, China.
ii. It was the third Shanghai title for Djokovic in four years, having defeated Andy Murray (the UK)
and Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) in the 2012 and 2013 finals respectively.
1. Narendra Modi inaugurates IDFC Bank
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the IDFC Bank in New Delhi. IDFC Bank Limited, which
started its operations on 1 October 2015, is an Indian Banking company with headquarters in
Mumbai that forms a part of IDFC, an integrated infrastructure finance company.
ii. IDFC Bank was granted a universal banking license in July 2015 by the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI).
iii. IDFC was incorporated on 30 January 1997. It founded a non-operative financial holding
company (NOFHC) in 2014 to manage its five subsidiaries IDFC Bank, IDFC MF, IDFC Alternatives,
IDFC IDF & IDFC Securities to conform with RBI guidelines.
2. PM Narendra Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee to launch one stop research funding
mechanism 'IMPRINT'
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee will next month launch a single
window funding clearance mechanism backed with a Rs 1,000-crore kitty to get Indian technical
institutions to conduct original research in areas where the country is heavily dependent on foreign
technology.
ii. An Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) is being set up as the single window mechanism that will screen
research projects and proposals by India's leading research and technology institutes and then
approve them and earmark funds for the same.
iii. The IMG will have on board the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), Ministry of
Defence, Department of Science & Technology, Department of Biotechnology, and Ministry of Rural
Development, among others.
iv. Named 'IMPRINT' the one stop research funding mechanism to boost indigenous technology
and research will be launched by the PM and President on November 5 at the Visitor's Conference.
3. RBI, UAE Central Bank ink MoU for supervisory information exchange
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Supervisory Cooperation and Exchange of
Supervisory Information.
ii. It was signed at Abu Dhabi, UAE by Saeed Abdulla Al Hamiz, Assistant Governor of Central Bank
of UAE and Meena Hemchandra, Executive Director of RBI.
4. NATO launched military exercise Trident Juncture in Italy
i. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies and partner nations on 19 October 2015
launched the Alliances Trident Juncture military exercise at the Trapani air force base in Italy.
Trident Juncture will end on 6 November 2015.
ii. The three week long intensive training involves 36000 troops from more than 30 nations across
Italy, Spain and Portugal.
6. VK Malhotra appointed as head of the All India Council of Sports
i. The Union Government on 19 October 2015 named veteran sports administrator Vijay Kumar
Malhotra as the President of the All India Council of Sports. His position will be in the rank of
Minister of State. The council also includes former sportspersons, including PT Usha, Limba Ram, N
Kunjarani Devi, IM Vijayan, Baichung Bhutia and P Gopichand.
ii. Malhotra acted as the Senior Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the
acting President of the IOA after the arrest of Suresh Kalmadi in connection with the alleged
irregularities in awarding contracts for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
7. Urvashi Rautela crowned Miss Diva 2015

i. Model-actress Urvashi Rautela on 18 October 2015 was crowned as Yamaha Fascino Miss Diva
2015 at a star-studded event in Mumbai. With this, she became Indias representative for the Miss
Universe pageant.
ii. Natasha Assadi from Bangalore was crowned 1st runner up while Naveli Deshmukh from
Aurangabad was crowned 2nd runner-up.
iii. Born on 25 February 1994 in Nainital, Uttarakhand, Rautela had won the I Am She Miss
Universe India in 2012 but was dethroned from crown due to a controversy over her age. She had
also been a winner of the title of Miss Asian Supermodel 2011 in South Korea.
8. Konkan Railway to set up a tunnel technology institute at Margao in Goa
i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced on 19 October 2015 that Konkan Railway will
establish a tunnel technology institute at Goa's Margao town. The institute will enable training for
the technology, which is still not available in India.
ii. The institute, which is first of its kind in the nation, will be established in the honour of former
Railway Minister George Fernandes, who is said to be the driving force behind the Konkan Railway.
The institute will be called as George Fernandes Institute of Tunnel Technology.
10. Aditya Birla Group launches fashion portal abof.com
i. The profile of the $41-billion Aditya Birla Group is increasingly changing. Announcing the launch
of abof.com, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group said, "The e-commerce sector is
a sunrise sector from an investment point of view".
ii. Although there are no profitability estimates now, the e-commerce fashion vertical as a whole is
expected to see a potential demand of $15 billion in five years. The new venture will compete with
the likes of Flipkart-owned Myntra and Rocket Internet-backed Jabong, besides horizontal ecommerce players such as Amazon and Snapdeal.
1. Bank of Baroda first PSU bank to join Chillr platform
i. Bank of Baroda has become the second bank after HDFC Bank to join the Chillr payment platform
which enables peer-to-peer payment through a mobile application.
ii. Only those whose banks are integrated with Chillr can use the application for remitting funds.
However, customers of any bank can receive funds using Chillr.
iii. This app is presently made available on Android platform for fund transfer and will be made
available for IOS and Windows platform shortly."
iv. It added that utility bill and merchant payments on Chillr app will be enabled for Bank of Baroda
customers soon. The Chillr application was developed by Kerala-based start up Mobme Wireless. It
was subsequently farmed out into a separate company promoted by Sony Joy, founder and CEO
Chillr.
3. Snapdeal appointed Anup Vikal as CFO
i. E-commerce firm Snapdeal on 20 October 2015 appointed Anup Vikal as its Chief Financial Officer
(CFO). Vikal replaced Aakash Moondhra, who had quit the company in October 2015.
ii. Before joining Snapdeal, Vikal was working as the CFO of Aircel since January 2013.
iii. Before Aircel, he worked as the group-CFO & head of strategy and IT with budget carrier IndiGo's
parent InterGlobe Enterprises, wherein he handled multiple responsibilities like incubating and
developing new business, mergers and acquisitions and portfolio management. He also served as a
part of Bharti Airtel's finance team for around seven years before joining Colt, where he worked for
a few years.
iv. Anup Vikal learned mechanical engineering from NIT, Surat. He obtained his MBA degree from
South Gujarat University.
4. Justin Trudeau elected as Canadas new PM
i. Justin Trudeau of Liberal Party has been elected as 23rd Prime Minister of Canada. He is eldest
son of Canadas former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau who was in office for 16 years and led the
country till 1984.
ii. With this Justin Trudeau (age 43 years) became the second youngest Prime Minister of Canada
and the first to follow a parent into office. The youngest Prime Minister was Joe Clark (age 40 years)
of Conservative party who was elected to office in 1979. Trudeau is a former school teacher and
was elected as Member of Parliament for first time in 2008 and again in 2011 and 2015.
5. Reva Khetrapal selected as Lokayukta of Delhi
i. Former Delhi High Court judge Reva Khetrapal has been selected as Delhis new Lokayukta. The
post was lying vacant since 2013 after retired Justice Manmohan Sarin had relinquished office after
completing five-year term.
ii. With this, she will become the fourth Lokayukta of Delhi and shall have five years terms as per
Delhi Lokayukta and Uplokayukta Act, 1995.
iii. Justice Khetrapal was chosen as head of anti-corruption ombudsman unanimously by a fourmember panel. The panel included Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Chief
Justice of Delhi High Court G Rohini and Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta.
6. Veteran Kannada film-maker K.S.L. Swamy passes away
i. Renowned Kannada filmmaker Kikkeri Shamanna Lakshminarayana Swamy (KSL Swamy) passed
away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He was 77. He was popularly known Ravee and was also Kannada
film producer, actor and playback singer.

ii. Swamy was born in 1938 in Kikkeri in then Mysore Kingdom of British India. He had started his
cinematic journey as an assistant director to legendary filmmakers such as G.V. Iyer and M.R. Vittal.
7. AB de Villiers named brand ambassador of MRF
i. Tyre manufacturing giant MRF Limited on 20 October 2015 named South African batsman AB de
Villiers as its brand ambassador. As per company norms, the association is for a period of three
years.
ii. AB de Villiers, the ODI captain of South Africa team, in his new role will endorse the companys
products and services through advertising campaigns and other such promotional programmes
during the term of the agreement.
8. Yuki Bhambri is first Indian to enter top 100 since 2010
i. Yuki Bhambri on Monday cracked the coveted top-100 bracket by achieving a career-best rank of
99, a reflection of his consistent progress in the last few months.
ii. In his last three ATP Challenger tournaments, the 23-year-old Yuki won the Shanghai Challenger,
was a runner-up in Taiwan and ended a semifinalist at the USD 125000 Tashkent event last week.
9. Golf: Anirban Lahiri wins Asian Tour Golfer of the Month award
i. Anirban Lahiri added another feather to his already crowded cap by winning the inaugural Hilton
Asian Tour Golfer of the Month award. As part of Hilton Worldwide's newest partnership with the
region's Tour, the Asian Tour Hilton Golfer of the Month award aims to recognise outstanding efforts
of Asian Tour members both at home and abroad.
10. Sehwag retired from all forms of International Cricket, IPL
i. Indian cricketer Virender Shewag on 20 October 2015 retired from all forms of international
Cricket and Indian Premier League (IPL).
ii. Sehwag revealed his decision after signing up to play in 2016 Masters Champions League
Twenty20 tournament in Dubai. Masters Champions League, a UAE-based Twenty20 tournament
requires its participants to have retired from all international formats.
1. PM Narendra Modi lays foundation stone for Andhra Pradeshs new capital city
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone Amaravati, a new capital city of Andhra
Pradesh on the occasion of Dussehra and Vijaya Dashmi. The foundation stone of new futuristic
capital city of the state was laid at a grand ceremony held in Guntur district.
ii. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu along with other guests participated in the
rituals to mark laying the foundation.
iii. The name Amaravathi was chosen in view of the historical, spiritual and mythological
significance as it was ancient seat of Satavahana kingdom. Located between Vijayawada and
Guntur region of state on the banks of Krishna River. It is only place where river flows north
direction instead of east or south.
2. RBI issued direction on implementation of Gold Monetisation Scheme 2015
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 22 October 2015 issued a Direction to all Scheduled
Commercial Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) on implementation of the Gold Monetisation
Scheme, 2015 notified by the Union Government.
ii. The RBI issued the direction to banks in exercise of powers conferred on it under Section 35A of
the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. The GMS 2015 will replace the existing Gold Deposit Scheme,
1999.
3. Alok Rawat becomes first male member of National Commission for Women
i. Senior IAS officer Alok Rawat became first male person to be appointed as member of National
Commission for Women (NCW). His appointment fills the fourth seat in the five-member body that
seeks to review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women.
ii. Alok Rawat is 1977 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre. Prior to this appointment, he had served at
various senior level posts at different Union Ministries. He had served as Director (joint secretary)
in Union Ministry of Defence and Union Ministry of Road transport and Highways.
iii. He also had served as secretary (UPSC) and secretary (Coordination and Public Grievances) in
the Union Cabinet Secretariat and secretary in Union Ministry of Water Resources, River
Development and Ganga rejuvenation.
iv. NCW is a statutory body established under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990. It
was established in January 1992 to review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women. It
recommends remedial legislative measures, advise Government on all policy matters affecting
women and facilitate redressal of grievances related to women.
4. Sam Pitrodas autobiography Dreaming Big- My Journey to Connect India released
i. Autobiography of Sam Pitroda named Dreaming Big: My Journey to Connect India has been
released. It is written with the help of an American author David Chanoff.
ii. The autobiography describes the journey of Satanarayan Gangaram Pitroda (famously known as
Sam Pitroda), who is known as father of Indian telecommunication revolution.
iii. The book embarks a life long journey of Sam Pitroda starting from his birth in 1964 in Titilagarh
in Odisha to his revolutionary career in United States and India.
5. Government divides Maharashtra and Gujarat Naval Areas into two Separate
Headquarters

i. Union Ministry of Defence has divided erstwhile Maharashtra and Gujarat (MnG) Naval Area into
two separate headquarters in order to enhance operational and administrative organizational
structure. They have been divided under Flag Officer Maharashtra Area and Flag Officer Gujarat
Naval Area.
ii. The division will help for better vigilance on the sea border with Pakistan and in better
communication and coordination with the respective state governments, local authorities and
fishermen.
iii. The charge of Flag Officer Maharashtra Area was assumed by Rear Admiral Satish Namdeo
Ghormade. While, Rear Admiral Murlidhar Pawar will assume as Flag Officer of Gujarat Naval Area.
6. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe awarded 2015 Confucius Peace Prize by China
i. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has been awarded 2015 Confucius Peace Prize by China.
The Prize is dubbed as Chinese equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. He has been chosen for this
edition of prize for his inspirational leadership and service to pan-Africanism and African
independence.
7. Prime Minister laid foundation stone of Shri Venkateswara Mobile & Electronics
Manufacturing Hub
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2015 laid the foundation stone of Shri Venkateswara
Mobile and Electronics Manufacturing Hub in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The hub will be a
dedicated mobile handset manufacturing facility.
ii. The foundation stone of this mobile handset manufacturing facility was laid during PM's visit to
Andhra Pradesh to lay the foundation stone for new Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati.
iii. Shri Venkateswara Mobile & Electronics Manufacturing Hub will create more than 10000 jobs
within a year. The hub is expected to contribute at least 5 percent of all-India target of 15 lakh jobs
by 2019.
8. Union Government cleared first batch of AMRUT projects for 89 cities worth 2786
crore rupees
i. The Union Ministry of Urban Development on 22 October 2015 gave its nod to the first batch of
state level Action Plans under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
The approved Action Plans have a total of 143 projects in 89 AMRUT cities in Andhra Pradesh,
Gujarat and Rajasthan.
9. Renowned marine biologist Syed Zahoor Qasim died
i. Renowned marine biologist Syed Zahoor Qasim died on 20 October 2015 in New Delhi. He was
88. He is considered as the founder of Polar Biology in India and was part of the first Indian
expedition to Antarctica in 1981-82.
10. RIP Labh Janjua: Bollywood mourns London thumakda singers demise
1) Basel Committee is related with: Banking Industry
2) IBRD Head-qurter is located at- Washington DC
3) Where is the Head-quarter of Indian Bank?- Chennai
4) Shishu Kishor are a part of?- MUDRA BANK
5) DRDO Highest Reseach Centre in which state? Leh, Ladakh, J&K
6) Name the DSIB Banks? ICICI & SBI
7) Egypt currency - Pound
8) Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award- Sania Mirza
9 Syria Capital? - Damascus
10) KVP lock period? 30 Months
11) What is not the function of a payment Bank?
12) Ist Micro Finance Company to change into Bank? Bandhan Bank
13) What is the portal launched by Finance Minister on Education Loan? www.vidyalakshmi.co.in
14) Physical Noble Prize Winners? Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald
15) What is the time limit given to Small Banks to be in Operation? 18 Months
16) NPS focus on?
17) Housing for all till?- 2022
18) 25 DEC is observed as- Good Governance Day.
19) White label ATM- 100% FDI
20) Export risk insured by which financial institution-ECGC
21) Banking ombudsmen appoint by- RBI
22) Buxa national park- West Bengal
23) Literacy rate-74.04
24) Bank Bureau Board top official- RBI governor
25) NHB regulator- RBI
26) Frank Tyson cricketer country- England
27) 1st bharat ratna- C. Rajagopalachari, CV Raman
28) Sushma swaraj constituency- Vidisha,MP
29) Bhartiya Maliha Bank CMD who recently became CMD of PNB? Usha Subramanium
30.) IBA headquarters - Mumbai

31.) BBPS (Bharat Bill Payment System) - useful for Bill payments
32.) UUIN university Tokyo
1) Nobel prize in literature? Svetlana Alexievich
2) Lima is the capital of? Peru
3) What is the currency of Egypt? Egyptian pound
4) Question related to SMILE scheme launched by SIDBI? MSME
5) Which committee framed the RRB Act? Narsimham Committee
6) Ravindra Jain who passed recently was a? Music Composer
7)What is the full form of C in MICR? Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
8) Which scheme registered its name in Guinness book for record one day
registrations?- PM Jhan Dhan Yojana
9) What is the cost of Delhi National Memorial Cost? 500 crore
10) Rupay is launched by? NPCI
11) Where is BIS located? Switzerland
12) Where is Central bank of India headquarters? Mumbai
13) Betla national park is located at? Jharkhand
14) Federal Reserve is the Central Bank of which country?
15) India the future is now book written by? Shashi Tharoor
16) Bank with head office in Kolkata? Bandhan Bank
17) For Make in India initiative, 1000 crores reserved is made by18) Constituency of Nitin Gadkari? Nagpur
19) Bi-monthly policy by is formed by? - RBI
20) Highest rural population in which state according to the Census 2011 ? U.P.
21) World custom organisation? Brussels, Belgium
22) 1st dec is celebrated as? Aids Day
23) 1st baharat ratna awardee posthumously? Lal Bahadur Shastri
24) rrb are funded by central govt state govt and ___? Sponsored bank
25) Bank Board Bureau appoints head of? Public Sector Banks
26) President of Iran? Hassan Rouhani
27) Name the scheme of Skill Development for minorities? Nai Manzil
1. Indian mountaineers climbed an untouched mountain peak, named it after APJ Abdul
Kalam
i. Two mountaineers Arjun Vajpai and Bhupesh Kumar in third week of October 2015 created history
by becoming first people to climb 6180 meter high unnamed peak in Himachals Spiti Valley. The
duo named the peak as Mout Kalam, in honour of former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam.
ii. Newly named Mt. Kalam is located near Bara Shigri Glacier, largest glacier located in Himachal
Pradesh. Bara-Sigri glacier is the second longest glacier in Himalaya after Gangotri both are around
30 km long.
2. President gives away Sangeet Natak Akademi awards, fellowships
i. President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Awards for
the year 2014 at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Friday.
ii. While leading musicologist S R Janakiraman, theatre doyen and noted filmmaker M S Sathyu, and
musicians Vijay Kumar Kichlu and Tulsidas Vasant Borkar were awarded fellowships of the Sangeet
Natak Akademi, 35 eminent personalities were honoured with Akademi Awards in the categories of
music, dance, theatre, traditional folk/tribal music/dance/theatre and puppetry and overall
contribution/scholarship in the performing arts.
3. Ratan Tata invests in virtual cash start-up Abra
i. Abra, a Silicon Valley bitcoin startup, on Thursday revealed it had raised money from Tata Sons
chairman emeritus Ratan Tata and American Express, as part of its $12-million Series-A funding.
ii. Abra raising funds was reported last month, but the company did not reveal Tatas participation
then. These are the first investments in the crypto-currency world for both American Express and
Ratan Tata.
iii. Bitcoin is a system of electronic money, used for buying and selling online and without the need
for a central bank. Bitcoin is also a unit of the bitcoin electronic system of money.
iv. Tata has been investing in Indian, as well as international start-ups, for about a year. He has
invested in companies such as Ola, Paytm, Snapdeal, Urban Ladder, Bluestone, and CarDekho. Tata
has invested in at least 12 start-ups in the past year. He is also an advisor to private equity firms
IDG Ventures, Kalaari Capital, and Jungle Ventures.
4. Japan offers soft loan to India for bullet train project
i. Japan has offered soft loan of 15 billion dollars (Rs 90,000 crore) at an interest rate of less than 1
per cent to Indias ambitious first bullet train project viz. Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail
corridor along with technology.
ii. In this regard, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has submitted its report to the
Union Railway Ministry. In its report JICA has envisaged a reduction in the travel time on the 505-km
long corridor between the two western cities to 2 hours from the existing period of over 7 hours.
5. Himachal Pradesh to host Indias first Paragliding World Cup

i. Indias first Paragliding World Cup has begun at Bir Billing near Baijnath town in Kangra district of
Himachal Pradesh. Snow leopard is the official mascot of this World Cup. It is for the first time that
Paragliding World Cup is being organised in a South Asian country. Union Civil Aviation Minister
Ashok Gajapathi Raju flagged off the event.
ii. In this one week competition, more than 130 registered pilots including 14 women pilots from 35
countries would take part. Indian side is represented by 8 flyers and 6 among them are from the
Himachal Pradesh.
iii. The Paragliding World Cup will have different categories of competition including Paragliding,
Hot air ballooning, Hand gliding and Acrobatic shows.
6. First World Indigenous Games begins in Palmas, Brazil
i. First World Indigenous Games has kicked off in the northern Brazilian city of Palmas. The lavish
opening ceremony of the multi-sport event was attended by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff.
ii. The first of its kind international multi-sport event will involve around 2000 indigenous athletes
belonging to different indigenous ethnic groups from 30 countries. Participants from countries like
Ethiopia, Brazil, Mongolia, Australia, Philippines, Russia, Ethiopia and New Zealand are
participating.
iii. The first World Indigenous Games will host sporting events like archery, canoeing, spear tossing
and a race through the forest. Besides, non-competitive events will be also hosted to showcase
different traditions of indigenous ethnic groups.
7. Indian-origin Ashok-Alexander Sridharan sworn in as mayor of Bonn in Germany
i. Indian-origin Ashok-Alexander Sridharan on 21 October 2015 sworn in as the mayor of Bonn in
Germany. Bonn is the 18th most populated city in Germany and the provisional capital of erstwhile
West Germany. Sridharan was elected to the office as a candidate of the German Chancellor Angela
Merkel-led Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) party in an election held in September
2015.
ii. With this win, Sridharan became the first Person of Indian Origin (PIO) to be elected as the mayor
of a major city in the country. Further, he also became the citys first mayor from an immigrant
background.
8. Hurricane Patricia struck Mexico's Pacific coast
i. Hurricane Patricia, one of the most powerful storms on record, struck Mexico's Pacific coast on 23
October 2015. The hurricane carrying destructive winds with a speed of 165mph forced thousands
to flee homes and beach front resorts.
ii. Patricia landed about 55 miles west-northwest of Manzanillo, home to the largest container port
on Mexico's Pacific seaboard. There were no reported casualties and officials said the damage
might not be as catastrophic as feared.
9. Western Digital to buy SanDisk for 19 billion US dollar
i. Western Digital Corporation on 21 October 2015 announced that it entered into a definitive
agreement with SanDisk Corporation to buy it for 19 billion US dollar. Both the Multi National
Corporations (MNCs) are based in the USA.
ii. The acquisition is expected to pave the way for utilization of complementary product lines of
both the companies and will provide the foundation for a broader set of products and technologies
from consumer to datacenter.
1. Doordarshan emerges most watched Hindi channel
i. Public broadcaster Doordarshan today claimed that it has emerged as the most watched Hindi
channel in terms of time spent per viewer ahead of top General Entertainment Channels.
ii. The "monumental development" comes in as Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC)
released the much awaited All India viewership data, which includes rural India, for the very first
time, a statement released by Doordarshan said.
iii. This indicates that after tuning to the channel, viewers preferred to continuously watch it for a
longer duration of time rather than frequently switching the channels, as compared to other GECs,
it added.
2. India's first double-decker Shatabdi train to run between Mumbai, Goa
i. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has announced that the Railways would soon start country's firstever double decker Shatabdi Express that would ply between Mumbai and Goa.
ii. Residents of Goa seeking Rajdhani luxury train services have to rely on the Trivandrum Rajdhani
which passes through Goa and makes a halt at Margao in South Goa.
iii. Responding to concerns to allow more tourists to make train journeys into Goa, Prabhu said the
Railways can also start holiday train for tourists.
3. NDRF ties up with 30 PSUs to jointly tackle emergencies
i. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has partnered with about 30 Public Sector Undertakings
(PSUs) to jointly tackle and mitigate man-made or natural disasters or emergencies.
ii. In this regard, a coordination meeting was held between NDRF and prominent PSUs like ONGC,
Air India, GAIL and others involved in the mining and shipping and heavy industries sector.
iii. The maiden meeting was attended by over 40 senior officials from these PSUs for enhancing
each other others capabilities for disasters or emergencies.
4. Ministry of Railways flagged off Vigithon to fight against corruption

i. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on 25 October 2015 flagged off Vigithon marathon in Mumbai to
sensitise people for a fight against corruption at the grass-root level. Vigithon was a run for
corruption free India and was organised by public sector lender Union Bank of India.
ii. Several school children, common people, customers and employees of the bank participated in
Vigithon. It brought in all the stakeholders together on a common platform to create sensitisation
against corruption.
iii. Vigithon was aimed at educating the people about several instances of corruption and
empowering them with the means to fight the problem. The run will be organised at other metro
centres across the country as well.
5. World Polio Day observed globally
i. World Polio Day was observed on 24 October 2015. The day was observed to create awareness
about the hazards of the crippling disease. The Day was established by Rotary International over a
decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine
against poliomyelitis.
ii. Use of this inactivated poliovirus vaccine and subsequent widespread use of the oral poliovirus,
developed by Albert Sabin, led to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)
in 1988. Since then, GPEI has reduced polio worldwide by 99percent.
6. Sin Tax to be imposed on alcohol, tobacco during ST regime
i. Sin Tax has been included under the proposed Goods and Services Tax (GST) law that will be
effective from 1 April 2016. GST is being seen as one of the biggest tax reforms in the country.
ii. Sin tax is an excise tax levied on products and services like alcohol, tobacco and gambling
considered bad for health or society.
7. Renowned Hollywood actress Maureen OHara passes away
i. Renowned Irish-American actress and singer Maureen OHara passed away in Boise, US. She was
95. She was one of the last living stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood of the 1940s and 1950s.
She was known for playing fiercely passionate but sensible heroines roles.
ii. OHara was born in 1920 in Dublin in then United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland (present
Ireland). She started her career in 1939 after she was brought to Hollywood by legendary actor
Charles Laughton.
iii. Her first film was The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). Since then she had she had starred in
more than 60 films.
8. Bengali actor Pijush Ganguly passes away
i. Bengali film, television and stage actor Pijush Ganguly passed away in Kolkata, West Bengal. He
was 50. Ganguly died because of multiple organ failure after he was critically injured in a road
accident on 20 October 2015 at Santragachi in Howrah district.
ii. Ganguly was born on 2 January 1965 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. He had started his career as an
employee of NABARD and later shifted to acting career.
i. His acting career began as a stage actor and later worked in television and films. He had started
his television career with TV series Abar Jakher Dhan.
9. Abhishek Verma became first Indian to win Silver Medal in Archery World Cup Final
i. Indian archer Abhishek Verma 24 October 2015 created history by winning a silver medal in the
Archery World Cup Final medal in the compound section held in Mexico City. With this, he became
the first ever Indian to bag Archery World Cup Final medal.
ii. Verma went down 143-145 to Turkey's Demir Elmaagcli in the summit clash.
iii. In 2014, Verma bagged the gold medal in the men's compound archery team event along with
Rajat Chauhan and Sandeep Kumar, and the silver medal in the men's individual compound event
at the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea.
10. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix title
i. Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on 25 October 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1 United States
Grand Prix title. It was the third title for Hamilton at the Circuit of the Americas in Elroy, Texas of
the USA where championship is being held annually.
ii. In the final race, while his team-mate Nico Rosberg of Germany stood at the second position,
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel (Germany) was at the third.
1. Third India-Africa forum summit begins in New Delhi
i. The third India-Africa forum summit (IAFS) began in New Delhi on 26 October 2015. The four day
summit (from 26 October to 30 October 2015) is one of the largest gatherings of African countries
outside Africa as all 54 nations of the continent have participated.
ii. It will address the key challenges faced by African nations which include food, health and
environmental security etc. Provides India an opportunity to forge a constructive and deeper
alliance with the resource-rich continent.
iii. India hopes to create favourable conditions through this summit to stimulate trade and
investment flows between India and African countries. Both sides are expecting to reinforce their
partnership on the global platform and deepen security cooperation including on countering
terrorism and maritime security.
2. Department of Heavy Industries drafted National Policy on Capital Goods

i. The Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) came out with draft national policy on capital goods.
This is the first time that such a policy is being framed after active consultation with industry
associations.
ii. The Policy on Capital Goods is focused on the most critical sector for achieving the vision of
Make in India and also is envisages unlocking the potential for this promising sector and establish
India as a global manufacturing hub.
iii. The policy proposes a governance mechanism for smooth implementation and effectiveness of
the policy. The mechanism will be in the form of inter-ministerial and inter-departmental
committees at the highest level to ensure due consideration of the interests of all stakeholders.
3. Financial powers of Health Institutions enhanced to 5 lakh rupees per patient under
Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi
i. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare enhanced delegated financial powers of designated
Central Government Hospitals and institutes under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) scheme.
ii. After the enhancement, only cases for financial assistance beyond 5 lakh rupees would now be
required to be referred to the Ministry from the earlier upper limit of 2 lakh rupees per patient.
The move is aimed at curtailing procedural delays for treatment, which would bring relief to
thousands of patients annually.
4. FIIs/RFPIs can now invest up to 74 percent in DEN Networks Limited: RBI
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 26 October 2015 notified that the Foreign Institutional
Investors (FIIs)/Registered Foreign Portfolios Investors (RFPIs) can now invest up to 74 percent of
the paid up capital of DEN Networks Limited under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).
ii. DEN Networks Limited has passed resolutions at its Board of Directors level and a special
resolution by the shareholders, agreeing for enhancing the limit for the purchase of its equity
shares and convertible debentures by FIIs/RFPIs.
iii. The purchases could be made through primary market and stock exchanges. The purchases
would be subject to Regulation 5(2) of FEMA Notification and other terms and conditions stipulated
by the Reserve Bank.
iv. The Reserve Bank notified this under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
5. Guatemala elected comedian Jimmy Morales as the President
i. Jimmy Morales, a former TV comedian, swept to power in Guatemala's presidential election. He
will take the office on 14 January 2016. In the presidential election, Morales won more than 67
percent of votes. On the other hand, the ex-first lady Sandra Torres received less than 33 percent of
votes.
ii. In 2015, Morales was nominated as the presidential candidate of National Convergence Front
(FCN/Nation). Initially, he was considered an outsider. However, he finished first in the first round of
the election and qualified for the runoff.
6. China launched third mapping satellite of Tianhui-1 series
i. China successfully launched the Tianhui-1C mapping satellite into its designated orbit from
Jiuquan satellite launch centre in the north-western province of Gansu. A Long March-2D carrier
rocket carried the Tianhui-1C mapping satellite blasts off from the launch pad.
ii. The satellite will offer a boost to country's ability to carry out scientific experiments, land
resource surveys, mapping, crop yield estimation and disaster relief.
7. BlackBerry appoints Narendra Nayak as Managing Director of India operations
i. BlackBerry today said it has appointed Narendra Nayak as the Managing Director of its India
operations to steer the Canadian handset maker's restructuring efforts. He replaces Sunil Lalvani,
who had quit the organisation in June.
ii. Based in New Delhi, Nayak will be responsible for driving BlackBerry's software and services
business through all channels in India direct enterprise customers, network operators, distribution
partners, the company said in a statement.
iii. Nayak will also be responsible for BlackBerry's growing ecosystem of indirect channels in India
that includes Value-Added Reseller (VAR), systems integrator and reseller partners, it added.
8. Yes Bank advances after operationalising IFSC Banking Unit in GIFT city
i. has operationalised its IFSC Banking Unit in Gujarat International Finance Tec City. The bank made
announcement during market hours today, 27 October 2015.
ii. The IBU will propel the bank's growth plans further by providing it access to international
financial markets, as well as provide a comprehensive product suite to its corporate clients
requiring foreign currency funding.
iii. It will also allow the bank to raise foreign currency funding through MTNs and other routes as
appropriate. Besides, the IBU will help the lender in further diversification and expansion of cross
border asset products as well as widen the scope and depth of liabilities base.
9. RBI, Bangladesh Bank ink MoU on information exchange
i. The Reserve Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh Bank for
exhange of supervisory information.
ii. RBI has entered into Memorandam of Understanding, Letter for Supervisory Co-operation and
Statement of Co-operation with supervisors of a few countries to promote greater cooperation and
share supervisory information.

10. RIL first corporate to sign revised listing pact with BSE
i. Reliance Industries today became the first corporate to sign the revised listing agreement with
the BSE as mandated under the newly introduced Listing Regulation notified by SEBI.
ii. Earlier, the listing agreement was a bilateral agreement between the stock exchange and the
company and market regulatory SEBI didn't have regulations on this. Thus each company's
agreement with stock exchange could be at variance and lacking the full force of SEBI's rigour.
iii. SEBI last month came out with such regulations and a six-month deadline for all companies in
which it prescribed the listing agreement. With the signing of the agreement with BSE, RIL is the
first listed company to conform to SEBI norms, a statement said.
11. Indian-American farmer Anita Adalja to be honoured for exemplary agriculture work
i. Indian-American farmer is among 12 individuals from across the country who will be recognised
as White House Champions of Changefor sustainable and climate-smart agriculture at an event in
the US.
ii. Anita Adalja, is social worker who merged her career with farming. Currently, she is working as a
manager at the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.
iii. Anita said, she is committed to food access solutions, community building and sustainable land
stewardship. Before being called to farming, she was a social worker in Brooklyn. While working
with formerly homeless, mentally ill adults in a supportive housing facility, Anita co-founded a
rooftop farm on top of the building.
12. Hashim Amla becomes fastest to score 6000 ODI runs, breaks Virat Kohli's record
i. South African batsman Hashim Amla has broken yet another record held by India's ODI vicecaptain Virat Kohli.
ii. This time, the right-handed opener has broken Kohli's record of by becoming fastest 6000 runs in
the ODIs. For this Amla took just 123 innings as compared to Kohli, who achieved this feat in his
136th innings.
iii. Earlier in January this year, Amla bettered a joint record owned by Kohli and Sir Vivian Richards
of West Indies to become the fastestto 5,000 ODI runs club.
13. Deepika Kumari won silver medal in Archery World Cup Final
i. Indian archer Deepika Kumari on bagged the silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final held in
Mexico City. Kumari went down 2-6 in finale to South Koreas Chou Misun.
. India ranked 130 in ease of doing business: World Bank
i. World Bank on 27 October 2015 announced that India ranked 130 out of the 189 countries
surveyed in terms of ease of doing business for domestic firms. It was revealed in the report
entitled Doing Business 2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency.
ii. As per the report, India could improve its ranking by 12 places from the 142nd position of the
2015 report by undertaking significant improvements in the regulatory framework for starting new
businesses. The findings of the report were based on collection of data in Mumbai and Delhi
between June 2014 and May 2015.
2. Union Government constituted RV Easwar Committee to simplify The Income Tax Act,
1961
i. The Union Government on 27 October 2015 constituted RV Easwar Committee with a view to
simplify the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The committee will be headed by Justice RV
Easwar (Retd.), former Judge of Delhi High Court and former President of ITAT.
ii. The members of the committee are VK Bhasin, Vinod Jain, Rajiv Memani, Ravi Gupta, Mukesh
Patel, Ajay Bahl, Pradip P. Shah, Arvind Modi and Dr. Vinay Kumar Singh.
3. 4th edition India, Sri Lanka bilateral naval exercise SLINEX 15 begins in Sri Lanka
i. The fourth edition of Sri Lanka-India bilateral naval exercise SLINEX 2015 began off Trincomalee
coast, Sri Lanka. The six days exercise seeks to reinforce the strong neighbourly ties underscored
by extensive maritime interaction and improved understanding between neighbouring both
countries.
ii. SLINEX 15 seeks to enhance the capability of both navies to work together at sea and contribute
towards maritime security in the region. It commenced with a Harbour Phase in which both
participant navies were engaged in professional, cultural and social interactions.
4. Sylvie Lucas appointed as Chair of the IGN on UNSC reforms
i. Luxembourg ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Sylvie Lucas on 27 October 2015 was
appointed as the Chair of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UN Security Council (UNSC)
reforms. Lucas, who was appointed by 70th UN General Assembly session President Morgens
Lykketoft, replaced Ambassador Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica.
ii. Her appointment came ahead of the next round of negotiations to begin on the UNSC reforms.
Earlier, she served as the president of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
from January 2009 to January 2010.
5. Union Finance Ministry launched E-Sahyog Pilot Project to facilitate Taxpayers
i. The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 27 October 2015 launched the e-Sahyog pilot project
of the Income-Tax Department to facilitate taxpayers by reducing their need to physically appear
before tax authorities. The e-Sahyog project is aimed at reducing compliance cost, especially for
small taxpayers.

ii. The objective of e-Sahyog is to provide an online mechanism to resolve mismatches in Incometax returns of those assesses whose returns have been selected for scrutiny, without visiting the
Income Tax Office. The Income-Tax Department will provide an end to end e-service using SMS, emails to inform the tax assesses of the mismatch.
6. Barclays names former JP Morgan banker as new boss
i. Troubled British bank Barclays today announced the appointment of former JP Morgan investment
banker James Staley as its new chief executive. The 58-year-old American will take up his new role
on December 1, the bank announced in a statement, indicating a renewed focus on its investment
division.
ii. Staley, also known as Jes, declared that he would seek to preserve and enhance trust in the
lender, whose reputation has been badly damaged by foreign exchange and Libor benchmark
interest rate rigging scandals.
. Tata Trusts, Harvard University announce collaboration
i. Tata Trusts and Harvard University South Asia Institute (SAI) today announced collaboration on
knowledge creation and capacity building for social and economic empowerment in India.
ii. A key component of the project is the opportunity for budding social entrepreneurs and
institutions in India to apply for social innovation grants totalling Rs. 50 lakh that will spur
interventions and scale up existing initiatives resulting in greater impact in select geographies.
8. Citibank appointed Samiran Chakraborty as Chief Economist for India
i. Citibank on 27 October 2015 announced that it has appointed Samiran Chakraborty as Chief
Economist for India.
ii. Prior to joining Citi, Chakraborty was Managing Director and Head of Macro Research for South
Asia at Standard Chartered Bank. Earlier, he served ICICI Bank as Chief Economist and Delhi School
of Economics as faculty for mathematical economics and open-economy macroeconomics.
9. P K Gupta elevated as SBI Managing Director
i. K Gupta will be elevated as Managing Director of country's largest lender State Bank of India in
place of Corporate Banking head P Pradeep Kumar, who is superannuating this month-end. Gupta,
who is of Deputy Managing Director (DMD) rank, is presently Managing Director of the bank's
investment banking arm SBI Caps.
ii. The appointment of the 1960-born Gupta is for a period of over four years (till March 2020),
when he will be superannuating, Vijay Malhotra, according to a notification.
iii. Six officials from the bank were interviewed for the post last month and Gupta was the seniormost among them. Others included Varsha Purandare (DMD and Chief Credit Officer), Dinesh Khara
(MD, SBI Mutual Fund) and Sunil Srivastava (DMD Corporate Services and New Business).
iv. The other three serving MDs at SBI are B Sriram (national banking group), V G Kannan
(associates and subsidiaries) and Rajnish Kumar (compliance and risk).
10. ABIL, Versace to develop new project in South Mumbai
i. Pune-based realty developer ABIL (Avinash Bhosale Group) is partnering with Versace to develop
a new exclusive residential project in Hughes Road, South Mumbai.
ii. The residences with interior design by Versace Home will be the first of its kind in India, offering
a selection of apartments with bespoke interiors, created under the artistic direction of Donatella
Versace.
iii. Established in 1979, ABIL has set up St. Regis Hotel in Mumbai, The Westin Pune, Le Meridien in
Nagpur, W Retreat and Spa in Goa (under construction) and the Sun-n-Sand hotel in Pune. The
Group has developed over 7.8 million square feet of residential and commercial property in
Maharashtra and is developing approximately 14 million square feet of property across the State.
11. J&K to host South Asian Rugby 7S Championship in 2016
i. Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Youth Services and Sports Molvi Imran Raza Ansari on 27
October 2015 announced that Kashmir Valley will host South Asian Rugby 7S Championship in
2016.
ii. The decision was made during the 131st Standing Committee meeting of J-K State Sports
Council, which was chaired by Ansari. As per the decision, the championship will be held at Bakhshi
Stadium from 18 June to 20 June 2016.
iii. The Championship will be participated by eight teams consisting of 180 participants from
various countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India.
12. IOC allowed refugees to compete in Olympics for the first time
i. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach on 26 October 2015 announced
that all the highly qualified athletes who are refugees will be allowed to compete in the Olympic
Games. This is for the first time that refugee athletes will be competing in any Olympic Games.
ii. As per the announcement, all the eligible athletes will be able to compete for the 2016 Summer
Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Asia Pacific Region most disaster prone part of the world, says UN Report
i. The Asia Pacific region is the most disaster prone part of the world as it had suffered around
1,625 disasters in the decade through 2014.
ii. It was revealed in recently released 2015 United Nations Asia-Pacific Disaster Report.

Key highlights from Report

Disasters in Asia Pacific region accounted for 40 percent of the global total and claimed
over half a million of lives over the decade.

The disasters in past decade have affected around 1.4 billion people and caused over 523
billion dollars in economic damage.

Around 772 million poor people from this region which tends to be worlds populous region
are vulnerable to disasters.

Majority of disasters are cross-border in nature including floods, cyclones, droughts and
earthquake. So, regional cooperation is crucial among nations in region.
Govt. appoints 5 member committee to review Research Grants offered by UGC
i. Union Government has appointed a 5 member committee to review the research grants offered
by University Grants Commission (UGC).
ii. The Review Committee will submit its report to the Ministry by December 2015.
iii. The ministry also has directed the UGC not to implement its decision to discontinue the nonNET fellowships and continue all existing fellowships.
India, France ink MoU on preserving Written Heritage at National Library in Kolkata
i. Indian and France have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conserve, develop and
publicize written heritage at the National Library in Kolkata, West Bengal.
ii. It was signed by Sreya Guha, Joint Secretary (Library) in the Union Ministry of Culture and Bruno
Racine, President of the National Library of France.
Key facts of MoU.
Entails development of digital co-operation, competency and skill-building, sharing of technical and
other expertise and cultural co-operation between the two countries.

It will assist a programme on digitization of old manuscripts and documents which had
begun in France 7 years ago.

It will also make Indian side to gain experience and high quality expertise in this field from
France.
MP Government announces 33 percent quota for women in government jobs
i. Madhya Pradesh government has decided to provide 33 percent reservation to women in
government jobs.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by state cabinet meeting presided over by Chief Minister
Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
iii. With this, the reservation to women in government jobs in the state has been increased from
present 30 per cent to 33 per cent.
Bidhya Devi Bhandari elected as first female President of Nepal
i. Bidhya Devi Bhandari of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist)-CPN-UML
has been elected as first female President of Nepal.
ii. With this, she also became first President under newly promulgated Constitution of Nepal and
second President since the Himalayan nation became a republic after abolishing the centuries-old
monarchy.
Najib Shah appointed as Chairman of CBEC
i. Senior IRS officer Najib Shah was on 28 October 2015 appointed as Chairman of Central Board of
Excise and Customs (CBEC), apex body on Indirect Taxes. His appointment was approved by the
Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC).
ii. Shah will serve the office till 11 March 2017, when he will attain the age of superannuation that
is 60 years. Shah is a 1979 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise).
Prior to this appointment, he has been working as Member of the CBEC since May 2015.
191 UNGA-members voted a resolution condemning US embargo on Cuba
i. United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 27 October 2015 overwhelmingly approved the
Resolution condemning an economic embargo imposed by the US on Cuba. It stated that existence
of such restrictions undermines multilateralism and credibility of the UN.
ii. 191 countries from the 193 member states demonstrated a concerted and international stand
with Cuba and voted in favour of the resolution. The United States and Israel were the only two
countries that voted against the resolution.
iii. This is the 24th time that the UNGA has adopted the resolution that seeks ending the economic,
commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, despite
resumption of relations between the two countries.
Hockey India signed three years partnership with Sports Authority of India

i. Hockey India (HI), the top body governing the sport in the country, on 28 October 2015 signed a
three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sports Authority of India (SAI) to help regain
hockey its position as the top sport of the country.
ii. As per the terms of agreements, SAI will promote hockey, which is amongst the worlds most
popular sports, as a tool for youth development and excellence in sports.
RBI allows NRIs to subscribe to National Pension System
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to subscribe to the
National Pension System (NPS) enabling them access old age income security.
RBI has taken this decision in consultation with Union Government under the Prime Minister
Narendra Modis efforts to appease NRIs.
Key acts

NPS will act as an investment option for NRIs under Foreign Exchange Management Act
(FEMA), 1999.

NRIs may subscribe to the NPS through normal banking channels and the person is eligible
to invest as per the provisions of the PFRDA Act, 2013.

NRIs should pay the subscription amounts of NPS either by inward remittance through
normal banking channels or out of funds held in their NRE/NRO/FCNR account.

No restriction will be imposed on repatriation of the annuity or accumulated savings of NPS.

RBI allows Indian corporate to issue offshore rupee-denominated bonds outside India
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted permission to the Indian corporate to issue offshore
rupee-denominated bonds outside India.
ii. In this regard, Union Government has considered the matter of taxation of income from such
bonds under Income Tax (IT) Act, 1961.
iii. Such bonds will attract a withholding tax of 5 per cent and gains arising in case of appreciation
of rupee against the foreign currency.
China abandons its decades old One Child Policy
i. China, world most populous country has announced to abandon its three decades-long one-child
policy and changed it two-child policy.
ii. The ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) in this regard has issued an official communiqu at
the end of partys 4 day plenary session headed by President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
iii. The change of policy is intended to Balance population development worlds second largest
economy.
iv. Address the challenge of unnatural negative demographics due rising numbers of old age
population as well as concerns over declining labour force.
Raif Badawi wins EUs Sakharov Prize 2015
i. Saudi blogger Raif Badawi has been selected for European Unions prestigious Sakharov Prize for
human rights for year 2015.
ii. European Parliament assembly in Strasbourg, France has honoured Mr. Bidawi with this award
considering him as a symbol of the fight for freedom of speech.
John Magufuli elected as President of Tanzania
i. John Pombe Magufuli of ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has won the 2015 Tanzanian
Presidential lection.
ii. With this victory he became fifth President of Tanzania since its independence from United
Kingdom in 1961.
iii. John Magufuli won this Presidential election by securing 58.46 per cent of the total votes and
defeated Edward Lowassa of opposition Chadema party who received 39 per cent votes.
Chinas first lunar rover Yutu sets record for longest stay on Moon
i. Chinas first lunar rover, Yutu, has set the new record for the longest stay by a rover on the lunar
surface.
ii. With working on the Moon for almost two years it has surpassed previous record of Soviet
Unions (USSRs) 1970 launched rover Lunokhod 1, which had spent 11 months on the Moon.
Activist Bindeshwar Pathak selected for New York Global Leaders Dialogue
Humanitarian Award
i. Sociologist and founder of Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak on 29 October 2015 was
selected for the prestigious New York Global Leaders Dialogue Humanitarian Award for his
contribution to sanitation and improving the quality of life for millions of manual scavengers.
ii. Pathak will be presented with the award on 12 April 2016 in New York, US.
India-Africa Forum Summit 2015 held in New Delhi
i. India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) 2015 was held for four days between 26 October and 29
October 2015 at Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi.

ii. Besides PM Narendra Modi, the summit was attended by top leaders of 40 African nations.
iii. The purpose of the meeting was to enable consultations at the highest political level between
54 nations across Africa and the Indian government.
Amit Kumar won silver in men's club throw F51 event of IPC Athletics World
Championships
i. Indian para-athlete Amit Kumar Saroha on 28 October 2015 won silver medal in men's club throw
F51 event in the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. With this, Amit sealed a berth for
2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
ii. Amit clinched silver with an effort of 25.44m, behind Serbia's Zeljko Dimitrijevic who won gold in
a championship record of 26.29m. Milos Mitic of Serbia bagged the bronze in 25.40m. Economic
affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das nominated on RBI Central Board
i. Union Government has nominated Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das to the Central
Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
ii. Mr. Dase is IAS officer of 1980 batch from of Tamil Nadu cadre. His nomination is effective from
October 30, 2015 and until further orders.
About Central Board of Directors of RBI

RBIs affairs are governed by the Central Board of Directors (CBD) which also responsible
for its general superintendence and direction.

Composition: There are 21-members in CBD of RBI. It comprise of Governor , 4 Deputy

Governors, 2 Finance Ministry representatives.

10 Directors are nominated by Union Government in order to represent important elements

from Indias economy.

4 directors are from local boards of RBI which are headquartered at Mumbai, Kolkata,
Chennai and New Delhi.
Paul Ryan elected as 54th Speaker of US House of Representatives
i. Republican Paul Ryan was elected as the 54th speaker of the US House of Representatives after
fetching the votes of 236 members by the full House of Representatives.
ii. Following his election, Ryan was sworn in as Speaker of the House. He took the oath on his own
copy of the New American bible and kept the gavel he wielded as Chairman of the powerful tax
writing committee.
National Unity Day observd across India
i. The National Unity Day was observed across India on 31 October 2015 to commemorate the
birthday of Sardar Vallabhai Patel.
ii. On this occasion of 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, PM Narendra Modi
flagged off Run for Unity at Rajpath in New Delhi.
iii. Moreover, on this day, all ministries and departments of the government and all the state
governments and administrators of all the Union Territories organise programmes including the
Pledge-taking Ceremony, Run for Unity involving people from all sections of society.
Ministry of Civil Aviation released Revised Draft National Civil Aviation Policy
i. The Ministry of Civil Aviation on 30 October 2015 released Revised Draft National Civil Aviation
Policy (NCAP 2015).
ii. The policy aims at providing a favourable environment and a level playing field to various
aviation sub-sectors, such as Airlines, Airports, Cargo, Maintenance Repairs and Overhaul (MRO)
services and so on.
Railways launches Vikalp for waitlisted passengers to get confirmed berth
i. Railway is launching a new scheme under which waitlisted passengers can get confirmed
accommodation in next alternative train if they opt for the option while booking their tickets online.
ii. Known as Viklap, the alternative train accommodation scheme will take off in trains running on
Delhi-Lucknow and Delhi-Jammu sectors from November 1, on a pilot basis.
GSAT-15 to be launched on November 10 from French Guiana
i. ISROs latest communication satellite GSAT-15 is all set to be launched on November 10, 2015
from French Guiana on board Ariane 5.
ii. The Indian space agency, as part of augmenting telecommunication services, had earlier
launched communication satellites GSAT-14 and GSAT-6, respectively.
iii. The satellite would provide C and Ku band telecommunications and navigation services to India.
1. BrahMos missile test-fired from Indian Navy's stealth destroyer INS Kochi, hits target
i. Supersonic cruise missile BrahMos, with a strike-range of over 290 kms, was test-fired from the
navy's newest stealth destroyer INS Kochi successfully hitting a decommissioned target ship in the
Arabian Sea.

ii. The second of Project 15A 'Kolkata-class' guided missile destroyers test-fired the advanced
missile system as part of 'Acceptance Test Firing' during a naval drill being conducted along the
country's west coast.
iii. The world's fastest cruise missile, after performing high-level and extremely complex
manoeuvres, successfully hit decommissioned target ship 'Alleppey' located at a distance covering
nearly the full range of the missile with high precision, defence officials said.
2. Punjab to set up bio-ethanol refinery
i. In what a major step towards tackling the menace of wheat and paddy straw burning in Punjab,
the State government on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up a
bio-ethanol refinery.
ii. The MoU was inked with a consortium of Beta Renewables, Novozymes and CVC India
Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. for an estimated project worth Rs. 950 crore, during the Progressive Punjab
Investor Summit, 2015.
iii. Punjabs Renewable Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the bio-refinery could solve the
chronic problem of straw burning, besides helping the farmers who would be paid for the agrobased produce. It would also help in containing the loss of fertility and damage to environment, the
Minister and industry players at the summit said.
iv. During the summit, 12 other MoUs worth Rs. 21,305 crore were also signed. These include 300
MW solar plant and 150 MW solar plant with Neuron Power Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Biomass Power Plant
by Sukhbir Agro Energy Ltd., 100 MW waste-to-energy projects by AG Dauters Consulting Pvt. Ltd.,
100 MW power generation unit by Navrattan Group, Co-Generation power plant by Indian Sucrose
Ltd. and 50 MW solar power plant by Imperial Solution Pvt. Ltd.
3. Ex-Cabinet Secy. to head panel on new education policy
i. Former Cabinet secretary T.S.R. Subramanian has been appointed chairperson of a committee set
up by the Human Resource Development Ministry to draft the new education policy.
ii. The committee, which has been mandated to submit the draft of the new policy no later than
December 31, 2015, also has on board Shailaja Chandra, former Chief Secretary, NCT of Delhi;
Sewaram Sharma, former Home Secretary, NCT of Delhi; Sudhir Mankad, former Chief Secretary of
Gujarat, and J.S. Rajput, former Director, NCERT.
4. AK Jha takes over as CMD, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited
i. Anil Kumar Jha today took over the charge of Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Mahanadi
Coalfields Ltd (MCL), a leading subsidiary of Coal India.
ii. Jha, with 32 years of industrial experience, was Director (Production & Planning) in MOIL Limited
before assuming the charge, MCL said in a release.
iii. The officer brings with him a rich and diverse experience of mine planning, production,
management supervision, direction and control of underground as well as open cast coal mines, it
said.
5. Hero MotoCorp's Brijmohan Lall Munjal, doyen of India's 2-wheeler industry, passes
away
i. Hero MotoCorp patriarch and doyen of Indian two-wheeler industry, Brijmohan Lall Munjal, passed
away this evening after a brief illness. He was 92.
ii. Munjal passed away at a private hospital in South Delhi, according to family sources. He is
survived by three sons and one daughter. The cremation will be done tomorrow.
iii. Munjal had retired from active role and become Chairman Emeritus of the over $4-billion group
earlier this year and remained on the board of the company as non-executive member.
iv. The Hero Group, which officially came into existence in 1956, had started its activities in the
early 1940s as a bicycle-maker run by the four brothers.
6. Reliance Communications to merge Sistema Shyam Tele with itself
i. Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications Ltd (R-Com) is merging the telecom business of
Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd (SSTL) that operates MTS brand with itself in an all-stock deal
worth Rs.4,500 crore, marking the start of the much-anticipated consolidation in Indias telecom
sector.
ii. R-Com on Monday signed a definitive agreement with Sistema JSFC, a publicly-traded holding
company in Russia, for demerger of SSTL. As a result, SSTL will acquire and hold a 10% equity
stake in R-Com.
7. Khel Ratna to be conferred posthumously on former footballer Late Ram Bahadur
Chetri
i. The names of former footballer and Asian games gold medallist late Ram Bahadur Chetri and
renowned athletics coach Renu Kohli have been officially approved by the state sports ministry for
the prestigious Khel Ratna (posthumous) and Devbhoomi Uttarakhand Dronacharya respectively
this year.
ii. While former weightlifter Hansa Manral Sharma has been would be conferred life time
achievement award.
iii. The names were approved by a committee headed by Sports Minister Dinesh Agarwal during a
meeting held on Saturday night. Sports secretary, Sailesh Bagoli, was also present during the
meeting.

8. Nico Rosberg wins Mexican Grand Prix

i. Nico Rosberg claimed victory at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Mercedes teammate
and newly-crowned world champion Lewis Hamilton.
ii. The German won by 1.954sec to claim his fourth win of 2015.
9. New Zealand All Blacks run over Australia to win record third Rugby World Cup
i. New Zealand cemented their status as the greatest team in rugby history when they
overwhelmed Australia 34-17 at Twickenham on Saturday to become world champions for a record
third time, and the first nation to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
ii. Tries from Nehe Milner-Skudder and Ma'a Nonu had the All Blacks cruising 21-3 early in the
second half before Ben Smith's yellow card opened the door for Australia, who got back to within
four points with tries by David Pocock and Tuvita Kuridrani.
iii. But flyhalf Dan Carter, who missed most of the 2011 tournament through injury and who is
retiring from international rugby after Saturday's match, stepped up with an exquisite drop goal
and a 50-metre penalty to put the result beyond doubt.
10. Sania-Hingis pair in final, extends streak to 21 games
i. Sania Mirza caps her wins with a victory jig. Her hands cover her face in childlike fashion as she
bounces up and down, duly joined by her partner Swiss legend Martina Hingis. The celebration was
a little more pronounced on Saturday after the top seeds rallied to beat Taipei's Hao-Ching Chan
and Yung-Jan Chan to make the title round of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals.
1. Project Loon in India: Google, govt working on balloon Internet project
i. Internet giant Google is working with the government on a pilot project for providing Internet connectivity by
using large balloons.
ii. Google, under its Project Loon, is using big balloons floating at a height of 20 kilometers above earth surface
for transmission of Internet services. It has already tested this technology in New Zealand, California (the US)
and Brazil.
iii. Google may initially partner with BSNL for testing this technology by using broadband spectrum in 2.6 Ghz
band. The technology, used for 4G services, has potential to replace mobile towers as it can directly transmit
signals on 4G mobile phones.
iv. To use LTE, Project Loon partners with telecommunications companies to share cellular spectrum so that
people will be able to access the Internet everywhere directly from their phones and other LTE-enabled devices.
v. Google uses solar panel and wind to power electronic equipment in the balloon throughout the day. The source
said that Google may operate as technology service provider and not as internet service provider.
2. Facebook and BSNL partnered to set up 100 WiFi hotspots in rural India
i. US-based social networking giant Facebook on 31 October 2015 partnered with state-owned Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) to create 100 WiFi hotspots in rural areas of western and southern India.
ii. During the partnership, Facebook will invest 5 crore rupees per annum for buying bandwidth from BSNL. The
hotspots will be set up by BSNL selected vendor Quad Zen and Trimax.
iii. Under the joint initiative, Facebook has chosen 100 villages to provide Wi-Fi hotspots on a revenue-sharing
model. The social media major will spend 5 lakh per site a year for buying bandwidth from BSNL for a period of
three years.
iv. As per the project, the first half an hour will be free for the consumers. In addition, the WiFi network will have
a capacity to allow an average of 2000 individuals to latch on at the same time.
v. Qaud Zen will be responsible for equipment sourcing and sales and marketing initiatives for the south-west
region while Trimax will work out for the northern region in an open process.
BSNL expects to complete the WiFi rollout by 31 December 2015.
3. First International Film Festival for the persons with disabilities to be held in Delhi
i. To recognise the spirit of the persons with disabilities, first international film festival for the persons with
disabilities (IFFPD) will be held in Delhi from 1 December to 3 December 2015.
ii. The announcement with regard to the three-day event was made by Secretary, Department of Empowerment
of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Lov Verma on 2 November 2015.
iii. The three-day-long event will see the screening of 40 films comprising of 10 feature films, 16 short films and
14 documentaries. All these films have been selected from 541 entries from India and abroad. The film festival
will conclude on 3 December, which is observed as International day of Persons with Disabilities.
iv. IFFPD 2015 will felicitate the Best Director and Best Film in each of the 3 categories of Films with cash
awards with the First and Second Runner Up receiving trophies and citations from the Department.
4. Mana Patel, Virdhawal won best swimmers' award in 69th senior National Aquatic
Championships
i. Mana Patel and Virdhawal Khade emerged as the best swimmers of the 69th senior National Aquatic
Championships 2015 that concluded in Rajkot on 2 November 2015.
ii. Mana from Gujarat was adjudged the best swimmer in the women's category of the competition. She broke
her national record by 13 micro second in womens 50m backstroke race.
iii. She completed the 50m backstroke event in 30.25 second. Earlier in 2014, she had set a record in the 50m
backstroke event taking time of 30:38 seconds.
iv. On the other hand, Khade from Maharashtra was declared best swimmer in men's category. He bagged three
gold medals in the events 50m freestyle, 50m and 100m butterfly, with a national record in the 100m butterfly.
v. Swimmer from Tamil Nadu, AV Jayaveena set a national record in 100m breaststroke event, beating the
previous record of 1:16.76 with a record time of 1:16.25.
5. Punjabi became third most common language in Parliament of Canada
i. Punjabi in the first week of November 2015 became the third most common language, after English and
French, in the House of Commons of Canada after 20 Punjabi-speaking candidates were elected to the
parliament in October 2015.

ii. On 19 October 2015, 23 Members of Parliament of South Asian origin were elected to the House of Commons,
Parliament of Canada during parliamentary elections, out of which 20 speak Punjabi.
iii. Out of the 20 candidates, 8 are Liberals and two are Conservatives. Among the newly-elected Punjabispeaking MPs, 14 are men and 6 are women. Twelve candidates were elected from Ontario, 4 from British
Columbia, 3 from Alberta three and one belongs to Quebec.
iv. As per the Statistics Canada's 2011 National Household Survey, 430705 Canadians identified Punjabi as their
mother tongue, making it the third most common language after English and French.
v. In addition, 430705 native Punjabi speakers make up about 1.3 percent of Canada's population and the 20
Punjabi-speaking MPs represent almost 6 percent of the House of Commons.
6. ICGS Arinjay commissioned in Kochi
i. An Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Arinjay was on 1 November 2015 commissioned by Vice Admiral Sunil
Lanba PVSM, AVSM Flag Officer Commanding-in-chief, Southern Naval Command at a ceremony held at Naval
Base in Kochi.
ii. The ship will be based at Okha under the administrative and operational control of the commander, coast
guard region (north west). The ship is commanded by Commandant AK Mudgal and has complement of four
officers and 31 enrolled personnel.
iii. The ship is 15th in the series of 20 Fast Patrol Vessels (FPV). The 50-metre indigenous FPV has a
displacement of 290 tonnes and can achieve a maximum speed of 33 knots with an endurance of 1500 nautical
miles at economical speed of 13 knots.
iv. It is equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and advanced communication and navigational equipment. The
ship is capable of undertaking multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue and
medical evacuation.
7. National Tribal Crafts Mela Aadishilp-2015 begins in New Delhi
i. 11th National Tribal Crafts Mela Aadishilp has begun in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of
Tribal Affairs Jual Oram.
ii. This edition of Crafts Mela has been organised by Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of
India Limited (TRIFED) and will be open till November 11, 2015.
iii. More than 90 tribal artisans from all over the country are going showcase their unique and exquisite tribal
artefacts. The main objective of Aadishilp is provide tribal artisans an important platform to showcase their
talents through their valuable products to urban India.
iv. Tribals will be also able to sell their traditional art and craft works directly to the customers and get their
valuable feedback.
v. The mela will showcase hand crafted items, handloom products, cane and bamboo products, dry flowers,
tribal
jewellery, Dhokra craft, tribal paintings, tribal weaves and embroidery etc.
8. Lionel Messi appointed Tata Motors global brand ambassador
i. Tata Motors has roped in Football star Lionel Messi as the global brand ambassador for its passenger vehicles.
To start with, Tata Motors will roll out the association campaign, #madeofgreat, starring Lionel Messi tomorrow.
1. Maharashtra Government approves APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna
i. The Maharashtra state Government has approved a revised scheme, named APJ Abdul Kalam Amrut Yojna, for
pregnant and lactating women in the tribal areas of the state. The scheme aims at providing at least one full
hot cooked nutritious food to every pregnant lady and lactating mother.
ii. The scheme will be rolled out on 15 November 2015. The anganwadis workers, the tribal women and the
local meal committees will implement the scheme. The Women and Child Welfare Department will spend 10
crore rupees in stipend to anganwadi workers.
iii. The scheme will be executed in 16 districts having tribal population. A four-member meal committee will be
constituted in every tribal village across 16 districts. A woman panchayat member will head the committee,
along with two pregnant or lactating mothers and an anganwadi worker.
iv. The food will be provided for six months, beginning from third trimester of pregnancy to the three months
period after delivery. The meal will include pulses, rice, fruits, vegetables and boiled eggs with occasional
supply of milk.
2. Justice T S Thakur will be next Chief Justice of India.
i. Justice T S Thakur (63) will be next Chief Justice of India. His name has been recommended by current CJI
Justice Dattu. Current CJI Justice Dattu will retire on December 2, 2015. Presently, Justice Thakur is the senior
most judge of the Supreme Court. He would be the 43rd CJI.
ii. Justice Thakur was born on January 4, 1952 and enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972. Later, he started
practising in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. His father D D Thakur was an eminent advocate who became
a judge of J& K High Court and later also as a union minister.Justice Thakur worked in Karnataka High Court,
Delhi High Court and Punjab and Haryana High Court.
3. UNGA Disarmament Committee adopts draft resolution backing abolition of nuclear arms
i. The United Nations General Assemblys (UNGA) Disarmament Committee has adopted a draft resolution
submitted by Japan calling for the abolition of nuclear arms. The resolution was adopted by 156 member
countries, while 17 abstaining and 3 voting against it including China and Russia. But it failed to secure
endorsement US, Britain, France and other key powers as they abstained from voting despite supporting it.
ii. The resolution Stresses the inhumanity of nuclear weapons and urges nuclear powers to be more transparent
in their disarmament efforts. The resolution asks world leaders to visit the two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki which were devastated by the nuclear attacks. Since 1994, Japan has been spearheading efforts
UNGA Disarmament Committee to introduce resolutions on nuclear arms every year.
iii. The UNGA Disarmament Committee or First Committee deals with disarmament, threats to peace and global
challenges that affect the international community. It seeks out solutions to the challenges in the international
security regime.
5. Impose AFSPA in Garo Hills: Meghalaya High Court
i. The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Centre to consider enforcing Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,
1958 (AFSPA) in militancy-hit Garo Hills region in the state to help the administration restore the rule of law.

ii. Recently the Meghalaya state is witnessing a rise in number of militancy incidents in the region especially in
Garo Hills including abduction of a Meghalaya Government Officials by Garo National Liberation Army militants.
Though in past decade the insurgency was more or less contained in the state, but in last 2 years there has
been a rise in the number of violence as several dormant insurgent groups in state started resurfacing.
6. Mysuru Railway Station became the first blind-friendly Railway Station in India
i. Mysuru Railway Station (Karnataka, India) became the first blind-friendly Railway Station in India. The visually
impaired friendly facilities at Mysuru Railway Station has been inaugurated by Mysurus Member of
Parliament Pratap Simha. Tactile maps of the railway station and train schedules in Braille were unveiled on the
occasion of inauguration. The authorities have also put up 400 metal signages in Braille along the railings of the
staircases leading to various platforms.
ii. Anuprayaas, a Non Governmental Organisation assisted the railways in making Mysuru railway station
blind-friendly. The Railway Budget 2015-16 stated that 200 more stations will be constructed under Adarsh
Station scheme which will include facility of WiFi at B stations, facility of self-operated lockers to be made
available at stations, provision of concierge services through IRCTC at major stations, online booking of wheel
chair on payment basis for senior citizens, patients and the differently-abled passengers through IRCTC on
selected stations.
7. Tropical Cyclone Chapala hits Yemen triggering heavy floods
i. A rare tropical Cyclone Chapala has slammed into Yemen triggering heavy flooding and causing damage in
coastal region of the war racked country. The cyclone made landfall in the south eastern provinces of
Hadramawt and Shabwa along the Gulf of Aden coast of Yemen in Arabian Sea bringing winds of speed more
than 100 kms per hour.
ii. Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has categorized Cyclone Chapala as a Category 4 equivalent storm
on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is believed that Cyclone Chapala is the most powerful storm that
has hit Yemen in last five decades.
iii. It is the second-strongest cyclone on record over the Arabian Sea, only after Cylone Gonu (2007). The rainfall
brought by cyclone has caused flooding of rivers which are usually dry causing destructive mudslides. Earlier
the cyclone had wreaked havoc on the island of Socotra, located 350 kilometers off the Yemeni mainland.
8. Priyanka Chopra bags Peoples Choice Awards nomination
i. The 33-year-old Mary Kom actress, who has made it to the top five, will be competing with big names like
Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Marcia Gay Harden and Lia Michele. In her debut American TV thriller
Quantico the Gunday star plays the lead role of a young FBI recruit Alex Parish. The news of her being one of
15 actresses vying for a final nomination in the category came last month.
ii. Apart from the actress, the show has also bagged the final nomination in the Favourite New TV Drama
category.
9. Pakistani Cricketer Shoaib Malik announces retirement from Test Cricket
i. Veteran Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, who made a spectacular comeback into the Pakistani Test squad
after five years, has announced retirement from the longest format of the game. The 33-year-old said that he
wanted to vacate the place for youngsters who are ready to fill in his shoes. Malik added that he wanted to
focus more on ODIs and is willing to play the 2019 World Cup. In the first Test of the on-oing three-match series,
Malik slammed 245 runs against England at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The match ended in a draw.
ii. Malik has played 35 Tests for Pakistan where he has scored 1898 runs at an average of 35.14.
10. Inzamam to be Afghanistan coach for Two years
1. PM Narendra Modi launched three gold related schemes
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 November 2015 launched three gold related schemes. The schemes are
Gold Monetization Scheme, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme and Indian Gold Coins.
ii. The three schemes were announced by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 budget speech
in February 2015.
iii. The primary purpose of the schemes is to reduce dependence on imported gold, recycle the unutilized gold
in the country and most importantly, streamline the gold business in the country. At present, India is the largest
consumer of gold in the world.
2. RBI notified Operational Guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds 2015-16
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 November 2015 notified the Operational Guidelines of the Sovereign
Gold Bonds 2015-16. These bonds will be issued by the RBI from 5 November 20 November 2015.
ii. Joint holding and nomination: Multiple joint holders and nominees (of first holder) are permitted. Necessary
details may be obtained from the applicants as per practice.
iii. Interest on application money: Applicants will be paid interest at prevailing savings bank rate from the date
of realization of payment to the settlement date that is the period for which they are out of funds.
iv. Processing through RBIs e-kuber system: Sovereign Gold Bonds will be available for subscription at the
branches of scheduled commercial banks and designated post offices through RBIs e-kuber system.
v. Servicing and follow up: Receiving offices like branches of the scheduled commercial banks and designated
post offices will own the customer and provide necessary services with regards to this bond. Receiving offices
will be required to preserve applications till the bonds are matured and are repaid.
3. Forbes list of World's Most Powerful People 2015 released
i. The Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful People 2015 was released on 4 November 2015. This was Forbes
seventh annual ranking of Worlds Most Powerful People. The list provided the annual ranking of the Worlds 73
Most Powerful People.
ii. The list was topped by Russian President Vladimir Putin for the third year in a row. Putin is followed by
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (rank 2) who moved up 3 spots from 2014, and President Barack Obama
(rank 3) dropped 1 spot, making it the first year a sitting US President has not made it into the top 2 spots.
iii. Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi was ranked as the worlds ninth most powerful person. In 2014, Modi
was placed at 14th position.
4. PM Narendra Modi launched research project Imprint India

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 November 2015 launched Imprint India, a Pan-IIT and IISc joint initiative.
The project encourages the Indian technical institutions to develop a blueprint for research to crack major
engineering and technology challenges relevant to the nation.
ii. Imprint India is a 1000 crore rupees project, which aspires to identify areas of immediate relevance to society
requiring innovation and Direct scientific research into identified areas
iii. This is to ensure higher funding support for research into these areas and Measure outcomes of the research
effort with reference to impact on the standard of living in the rural/urban areas
iv. The Imprint India will focus on 10 themes and each will be coordinated by one IIT/IISc.
5. Navtej Singh Sarna appointed as Indian High Commissioner to United Kingdom
i. Navtej Singh Sarna was on 31 October 2015 appointed as Indian High Commissioner to United Kingdom (UK).
Sarna is a 1980 batch Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer.
ii. Prior to this appointment, Sarna was working as Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs where he
was responsible for looking after countrys diplomatic affairs with the UK and other European nations.
iii. Earlier, he had served in Indian missions in Moscow, Warsaw, Thimphu, Geneva, Tehran and Washington DC.
He has also served as Indian Ambassador to Israel.
iv. Sarna has also authored many books including The Exile- a novel based on the life of Maharaja Duleep Singh,
We Werent Lovers Like That- a novel and a non-fiction The Book of Nanak.
6. Union Government constituted Empowered Committee to approve schemes under Nirbhaya Fund
i. The Union Government on 4 November 2015 constituted an Empowered Committee to approve schemes
proposed under the Nirbhaya Fund.
ii. The Committee comprises officials from various ministries, including Women and Child Development, Home
Affairs, Road Transport and Railways.
iii. The Secretary of the Women and Child Development Ministry will be the chairperson of the committee. The
Members of the Empowered Committee may nominate an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary as
representative to the Empowered Committee of Officers.
iv. The Empowered Committee of Officers will take decision on the sanction of schemes/projects from Nirbhaya
Fund within 15 days of the date of receipt of the proposal by the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
v. The Nirbhaya Fund has a total of 3000 crore rupees fund as 1000 crore each was allocated to it in 2014-15
and 2015-16 on top of 1000 crore rupees initial corpus.
7. V Sivaramakrishnan appointed as MD of Oxford University Press India
i. Oxford University Press India (OUPI) has appointed V Sivaramakrishnan (Siva) as the managing director, with
regional responsibilities including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
ii. He will join OUP India from Manipal Global Education Services, privately owned service provider to the higher
education and training sectors.
iii. In progressing from chief marketing officer to executive president for education services, Siva has overseen
seven years of strong business development, improved quality assurance, and the effective delivery of
supporting technology platforms.
iv. Prior to moving into the education sector, he led a team that built and ran a successful online news,
shopping, and gaming portal. He also spent nearly ten years with the Ford Motor Company including time
based in the UK and US and held various consumer branding roles within Proctor and Gamble.
8. RBI imposes Rs 1 cr penalty on Dhanlaxmi Bank
i. The Reserve Bank has imposed Rs 1 crore penalty on Dhanlaxmi Bank for violation of Know Your Customer
(KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) norms.
ii. It had issued a Show Cause Notice to the bank for not complying with KYC and AML guidelines in respect of a
current account under investigation of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Mumbai.
iii. After considering the banks reply, as also, personal submissions, information submitted and documents
furnished, RBI came to the conclusion that the bank had violated the instructions/guidelines issued, from time
to time, which warranted imposition of monetary penalty on it.
iv. RBI further said that this action is based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and is not intended to
pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank and its customers.
9. Indian-born Harjit Sajjan sworn-in as Defence Minister of Canada
i. Indo-Canadian Sikh Harjit Sajjan was on 4 November 2015 sworn-in as Defence Minister of Canada. Sajjan
succeeded Conservative Defence Minister Jason Kenney.
ii. He is one of the Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus 30-member Cabinet that was sworn-in at a public ceremony
held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada. Trudeau was sworn-in as the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada.
iii. Sajjan is a decorated Lt Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces who was elected as a MP for Vancouver South.
He has served in Bosnia and had three deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan. He has received numerous
military honours, including the Meritorious Service Medal in 2013.
iv. As the new Defence Minister, Sajjan will work with Trudeau on reshaping Canada's combat mission fighting
ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Sajjan was born in India and later moved to Canada with his family when he was fiveyears-old.
10. Michelle Payne became first female jockey to win Melbourne Cup
i. Michelle Payne on 3 November 2015 became the first female jockey to win 6.2 million Australian dollars
Melbourne Cup. Payne rode rank outsider Prince of Penzance to a famous victory in Australia's richest and most
prestigious horse race.
ii. Payne, born on 29 September 1985, won in her first race at Ballarat. On 10 October 2009, she won her first
Group One race, the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield Racecourse aboard Allez Wonde. Later, she emerged as the
third female jockey to ride in the Caulfield Cup. In 2010, she came out as a winner in the Thousand Guineas at
Caulfield aboard Yosei.
iii. The Melbourne Cup is one of Australia's most prestigious Thoroughbred horse races. The race is conducted
annually by the Victoria Racing Club on the Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Victoria.
11. Jitu Rai won silver in 13th Asian Shooting Championship

i. Ace shooter Jitu Rai on 4 November 2015 won India's first senior medal at the 13th Asian Shooting
Championship in Kuwait City. He bagged the silver in the finals of the men's 50 metre pistol event.
1. Indian Army successfully test-fired BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in Rajasthan
i. Indian Army on 7 November 2015 successfully test-fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile at the Pokhran
Test Range in Rajasthan. It was launched from an Autonomous Mobile Launcher (AML). For BrahMos, it was the
50th test-flight. The previous test-firing was from INS Kochi off the west coast on 1 November 2015.
ii. It is the first supersonic cruise missile known to be in service and is capable of carrying a conventional and
nuclear warhead of 300 kilogram. It is a two-stage missile having Solid propellant in the first stage and Ramjet
liquid propellant in the second stage.
iii. It can be launched from land, Sea, Sub-seas and air. It operates on Fire and Forget Principle by adopting
varieties of flights on its way to the target.
iv. The missile has been developed by the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited. It is a joint venture between
Russian Federation's NPO Mashinostroeyenia and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) and the missile derives its name from the names of two rivers, namely the Brahmaputra of India and
the Moskva of Russia.
2. Union Government decided to impose 0.5% Swachh Bharat Cess on all services
i. Union Ministry of Finance on 6 November 2015 decided to impose 0.5 percent Swachh Bharat Cess (SBC) on
all taxable services. It will be levied in addition to the 14 percent service tax that is in force now. The SBC will
come into force on 15 November 2015. Its proceeds will be exclusively used to support Swachh Bharat
initiative.
ii. The decision to impose SBC is in tune with the announcement made by the Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley in his budget 2015-16 budget speech advocating for 2 percent additional cess to fund Swachh Bharat.
iii. As per an estimate, the SBC is expected to fetch additional 4000 crore rupees per annum in tax revenues to
the government.
iv. The Union Government under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is planning to spend around 134000 crore
rupees by 2019 to construct 11 crore 11 lakh toilets in the country.
3. Rajasthan government launched the Agro-Processing and Agri-Marketing Promotion Policy 2015
i. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on 5 November 2015 launched the Rajasthan Agro-Processing and
Agri-Marketing Promotion Policy 2015. The policy seeks to promote agro-processing and to reduce post harvest
losses at the farm gate.
ii. The Agriculture Department of Rajasthan Government will be the nodal department for the policy and
Rajasthan State Agricultural marketing Board will act as nodal agency for the policy.
iii. The policy aims to promote agro-processing and to reduce post harvest losses at the farm gate thus ensuring
maximum prices of farmers agri produce. The state government also signed 112 MoUs with private companies
in different sectors during the launch of policy.
iv. Rajasthan Agro-Processing and Agri-Marketing has been included as the thrust sector under Rajasthan
Investment Promotion Scheme, 2014 to provide higher incentives than normal provisions.
v. In addition, additional incentives provisions of subsidy for product patent, product registration, quality
certification, sending samples abroad, project report preparation, transport of on fruits and vegetables and
spices abroad also have been made.
4. 'India in Shanghai Cultural Week inaugurated at Shanghai
i. An Indian culture week called India in Shanghai was on 5 November 2015 inaugurated at China Shanghai
International Arts Festival (SIAF) at the Shanghai Grand Theatre. The SIAF annual festival began on 16 October
2015 and will continue till 16 November 2015.
ii. The culture week was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador Ashok K Kantha along with Zhong Yanqun, Vice
Chair of The Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress.
iii. This is the first time in the 17-year history of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival that India was
designated as the guest country during the festival.
iv. The events at the India Culture Week will showcase the best of contemporary Indian arts. The India Culture
Week aims to provide Chinese friends a glimpse of the multi-faceted cultural traditions of India as well as
enable a better understanding of India among Chinese people. The cultural performances are also expected to
lead to a greater collaboration between Indian & Chinese performing Arts and corresponding institutions.
v. As 2015 is named as Visit India Year in China, it is expected that this Festival will encourage more Chinese
tourists to travel to India and see for themselves the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India.
5. RBI issued Uniform Guidelines on Internet Banking for Cooperative Banks
i. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 5 November 2015 issued revised and uniform guidelines on Internet Banking
for all licensed cooperative banks including Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs), Cooperative Banks (StCBs) and
Districts Co-operative Banks (DCBs). These guidelines relate to Internet Banking (View Only) facility and
Internet Banking with Transaction facility.
ii. In case, any service offered under view only facility requires two-factor authentication or One Time
Password (OTP), banks may adopt the security features related to internet banking as prescribed by RBI, as
appropriate to such services.
iii. The cooperative banks offering this facility to their customers should ensure that the facility is strictly for
non-transactional services such as balance enquiry and balance viewing among others.
iv. The cooperative banks have to report commencement of the service to the concerned Regional Office of RBI
(and also NABARD in case of StCBs/DCCBs) within one month of operationalisation of this facility.
6. 21st INCOFYRA to be organised in Bengaluru in 2016
i. The 21st International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research and its Applications (INCOFYRA) will be held
from 3 to 7 January 2016 at Prashanti Kutiram, Bengaluru. The summit will be organized by the Vivekananda
Yoga Anusandhana Sansthana. The 21st INCOFYRA will bring together the traditional and modern medical
systems.
ii. The theme of the conference is Yoga in Integrated Healthcare Systems.

iii. The conference targets to promulgate the research findings in the field of integrative medicine and give
directions to future research on Dialectology, Oncology, Cardiology, Mental Health, and so on. The Prime
Minister of India Narendra Modi will inaugurate the conference.
iv. The 21st INCOFYRA will offer a platform for national and international experts and practitioners in traditional
systems of medicine to show findings of evidencebased research regarding impact of Yoga on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
7. From today, trucks passing through Delhi to pay green tax
i. After a six-day delay in the implementation of the Environment Compensation Charge or environment cess
on trucks entering Delhi, the concessionaire SYMR Consortium LLP has begun to collect the tax at its toll
booths.
i. From Saturday, apart from the toll tax, an environment tax to the tune of Rs 700 on light-duty vehicles and Rs
1,300 for three-axle vehicles and above, would be charged at all entry points to the national capital. However,
trucks destined to Delhi will not have to pay the environment cess; only trucks passing through the capital
would have to pay it.
iii. The new tax, implemented on the directions of the Supreme Court, would lead to at least a 30 per cent drop
in the number of trucks entering Delhi, according to the concessionaire.
iv. The delay in the collection of environment cess was due to the concessionaires queries concerning the
implementation of the tax. On Wednesday, the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA) had held a
meeting with officials at the state and municipal corporations, and prepared an 11-point reply to the
reservations expressed by the concessionaire.
v. The consortium will collect this tax on behalf of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), which would
be deposited in the account of the Delhi government through the transport department every Friday. The toll
collected by the concessionaire goes to the coffers of the SDMC.
8. WHO officially declares Sierra Leone Ebola-free
i. Sierra Leone has been declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organisation, prompting nationwide
celebrations tinged with sadness over the loss of 4,000 victims to the disease. The capital Freetown was
transformed into a giant carnival on Friday night as ecstatic crowds took to the streets in an emotional
outpouring.
ii. The relief that the 17-month nightmare was virtually over was reflected in candle-lit prayers and spontaneous
parties.
iii. In a low-key ceremony in the capital on Saturday morning, the WHO country director, Anders Nordstrm,
confirmed 42 days had passed without any new cases, thereby satisfying criteria that transmission of the virus
has ended.
iv. Sierra Leone will now enter a 90-day period of heightened surveillance to make sure the virus does not
return. The National Ebola Response Centre will remain operational until the end of the year and swabbing of all
dead bodies for Ebola will be mandatory until June 2016.
v. But while the atmosphere overnight was jubilant, there was also nervousness over the continuing outbreak in
neighbouring Guinea, where four new cases were recorded over the past fortnight. In a grim reminder of how
Ebola cuts through families, all four are children of a mother who contracted the disease from a relative and
died.
9. Presidents of China and Taiwan Shake Hands in First Ever Meeting
i. President Xi Jinping of China met with Ma Ying-jeou, the president of Taiwan, on Saturday in the first ever
encounter between the leaders of the neighbors and longtime rivals, an act both sides described as a
breakthrough gesture meant to promote peace and mutual prosperity.
ii. The two began their brief talks with a handshake that went on for more than a minute, with both men smiling
broadly and turning side to side so the hundreds of reporters in the meeting room at the Shangri-La Hotel in the
city-state of Singapore could document the moment.
iii. The meeting is a high point in the two leaders efforts to bridge the divisions of civil war and decades of
animosity.
iv. When the two men sat down to start their talks, Mr. Xi spoke first and said their encounter was a historic step
that opened a new chapter in relations between the two sides. Mr. Xi said that the people of China and Taiwan
were compatriots, one family with blood that is thicker than water.
v. It was the first meeting of the leader of the Republic of China, more commonly called Taiwan, and the leader
of the Peoples Republic of China. The two governments have been rivals since 1949, when Chiang Kai-shek, the
leader of the Chinese Nationalists, fled to Taiwan after losing a civil war to Maos Communists, who established
the Peoples Republic of China that year. Those two leaders last met in 1945.
10. Heena Sindhu won gold in 13th Asian Shooting Championship
i. Indias Heena Sindhu on 6 November 2015 won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol womens event at the
13th Asian Shooting Championship. The championship was started on 1 November 2015 and will be held for 12
days in Kuwait City.
1. Nuclear capable surface-to-surface Agni-IV missile successfully test-fired
i. Indian Armys Strategic Forces Command (SFC) on 9 November 2015 successfully test-fired surface-to-surface
Agni-IV missile. The nuclear capable missile was test-fired from the Wheeler Island off the Odisha coast.
ii. SFC is entrusted with the task of handling strategic weapons of the country. It is 20 meters in length weighs
17 tonnes and carries a pay load of one tone. With light weight, the missile has two stages of solid propulsion
and a payload with re-entry heat shield.
iii. It was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). It is the fourth missile in the
series of Agni missiles. It was earlier known as Agni-II prime
2. Prof Ashok Misra headed Committee of Eminent Persons CEP on JEE submitted its report
i. The Committee of Eminent Persons (CEP) on 5 November 2015 submitted its report. It was constituted by the
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Council under the Chairmanship of Prof Ashok Misra to suggest reforms to the
Joint Entrance Examination (JEE).
ii. A National Testing Service shall be set up by early 2016, mandated to conduct an Aptitude Test, which should
test the scientific aptitude and innovative thinking ability. The Aptitude test may be offered 2 or more times in a

year and would be an online test. The testing shall test the scientific thinking and cannot be gamed through
coaching
iii. Based on this performance, about 4 lakh candidates shall be short-listed for taking the JEE. The JEE itself will
be on the lines of the current JEE (Advanced) and designed to test the knowledge in Physics, Chemistry and
Mathematics; and will be conducted by the IITs.
iv. From this, ranks will be issued to 40,000+ students who can seek admission in IITs and NITs based on a
common counselling. The IITs be requested to set up a system for developing mock JEE examinations which will
help students prepare for the JEE significantly and wean them away from the coaching industry. The possibility
of using the MOOCS platform can also be explored.
v. MHRD may take measures for the improvement of school education and the method of examination of the
Boards, so that students with the Science aptitude are well prepared in the concepts by the time they reach
12th grade, without dependence on coaching institutions.
3. Union Government launched E-Pathshala, Saransh, Shaala Siddhi Portals
i. The Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on 7 November 2015 launched the e-Pathshala,
Saaransh and National Programme on School Standards and Evaluation Framework (Shala Siddhi) web portals/
mobile apps.
ii. These portals were launched during the edNEXT, the National Conference on ICT in School Education that was
held at New Delhi. During the Conference, Shala Darpan, MDM-IVRS and Ekta project from Alwar, Rajasthan
were also show-cased.
iii. E-Pathshala is a web portal which hosts educational resources for Students, Teachers, Parents, researchers
and educators. It contains textbooks and other e-books as E-Pub 3.0 and Flipbooks in English, Hindi and Urdu. It
is available through especially developed mobile app interface on Android, IOS and windows platforms for wider
access.
iv. Shaala Siddhi web portal is a comprehensive instrument for school evaluation which enables the schools to
evaluate their performance in more focused and strategic manner. The web-portal will help all schools to assess
themselves and the results can be seen by all enabling them to provide feedback.
v. Saransh is a tool which allows the schools to identify areas of improvement in students, teachers and
curriculum to facilitate and implement change. The platform is presently available for classes 9th to 12th and
provides a comprehensive overview of standard 10th performance since 2007 and standard 12th performance
since 2009 till the current academic session.
4. What Happened to Netaji? authored by former journalist Anuj Dhar released
i. Book titled What Happened to Netaji? authored by former journalist Anuj Dhar was released October 2015.
The book talks about Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose in form of an unseen holy man of Faizabad in disguise who
lived in several parts of Uttar Pradesh from 1050s to 1980s.
ii. The book provides three prominent theories of Boses death zeroing in on what has come to be known as the
Faizabad angle of the Bose mystery. The book talks about the controversy surrounding the fate of Subhas
Chandra Bose and lights the factual position with regard to the air crash that reportedly killed Netaji in 1945.
iii. The book also questions the truth behind Subramaniun Swamy's belief that Netaji was killed in Soviet Russia
at Jawaharlal Nehru's behest? How do the biggest names of the past and present, from Mahatma Gandhi and
Vallabhbhai Patel to President Pranab Mukherjee, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee fare in India's longest-running
controversy?
iv. The book talks about the Gumnami Baba of Faizabad, and if indeed he was Netaji, why did he not surface?
Above all, what is preventing the Narendra Modi government from declassifying the Netaji files? The answers
would make you believe that truth is stranger than fiction.
5. Santoor maestro Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma honoured with Kala Shikhar award
i. Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma on 7 November 2015 was honoured with the Aditya Vikram Birla
Kala Shikhar Award for lifetime achievement. The governor of Maharashtra C Vidyasagar Rao presented the
award to the 77-year old Santoor player in Mumbai.
ii. On the other hand, Murad Ali Khan (Sarangi) and Satyajit Talwalkar (Tabla) were awarded with the Kala Kiran
Awards. Special Jury Award was given to Shehnai players Sanjeev and Ashwani Shankar.
iii. After starting his career as a vocalist, Pandit Sharma emerged out as the master instrumentalist of the
Santoor. He is credited with making Santoor a popular Classical Instrument.
The Santoor maestro is also the recipient of the Padma Shri and the Padma Vibhushan.
iv. The Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Shikhar Puraskaar was instituted by the Sangit Kala Kendra in the memory of
Aditya Vikram Birla. The award is conferred on a distinguished artist for his/her lifetime achievement in the
chosen field of the performing and visual arts.
6. FIPB clears four FDI proposals worth Rs. 384 cr
i. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has cleared four FDI proposals worth 384 crore including that
of pharma firm Lupin. Based on the recommendations of FIPB in its meeting held on October 19, 2015, the
Government has approved four proposals of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) amounting to Rs. 384.45 crore, a
Finance Ministry statement said.
ii. The proposal of Lupin pertained to grant of ESoPs to non-resident employees of the company amounting to
Rs. 331.64 crore. BF Elbit Advanced Systems Rs. 37.8 crore proposal for increasing foreign shareholding from
26 per cent to 49 per cent was also cleared.
iii. Besides, proposals of Eucare Pharmaceuticals and Hanon Systems were cleared by the meeting of FIPB,
which is chaired by Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das. However, the Board deferred five FDI proposals
including that of telecom sector firm FireFly Networks Ltd.
iv. Also the proposals relating to defence sector Quantum Simulators Pvt Ltd, RoltaMeprolightPvt Ltd and
Singapore-based LLP Diarough Far East Holdings Pte Ltd were deferred. The FIPB also rejected four proposals
including that of Reliance Globalcom Ltd, Barefoot Resorts and Leisure lndia and Franklin Templeton Asset
Management.
7. SBI's Arundhati Bhattacharya Most Powerful Woman In Indian Business: Fortune India

i. Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chairperson of country's largest bank SBI, remains the most powerful woman in the
Indian business sector, according to Fortune India. ICICI Bank's Chanda Kochhar and Shikha Sharma of Axis
Bank follow Bhattacharya at the second and third place, respectively.
ii. Besides, HPCL Chairperson and Managing Director (MD) Nishi Vasudeva has bagged the fourth position, while
AZB & Partners Co-Founder Zia Mody and Aruna Jayanthi Chief Executive of Capgemini India shared the fifth
rank.
iii. Interestingly, all the top-five rank holders retained their positions from the previous year barring Jayanthi
who was at seventh position last year. Moreover, there are only two debutantes in the Fortune India list of 50
most-powerful businesswomen for 2015.
iv. Meena Ganesh MD and CEO at Portea and Jyoti Deshpande Group MD and CEO at Eros International have
made their debuts at 43rd and 50th positions, respectively.
8. N Srinivasan removed as ICC Chairman
i. N Srinivasan was today dethroned as the ICC Chairman after the BCCI decided to recall him and nominate its
recently-elected President Shashank Manohar as the chief of the world body. The decision to remove Srinivasan
was taken at the BCCIs 86th Annual General Meeting here today, virtually signalling the end of his hold on
Indian cricket.
BIS elects Raghuram Rajan as its vice-chairman
i. Raghuram Rajan, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor who has been a vocal votary for increased coordination among central banks, has been elected vice-chairman of the Bank of International Settlement (BIS).
Mr. Rajan will have a three-year term as vice-chairman of the BIS.
ii. Mr. Rajan is the first Indian central bank Governor to become the vice-chairman of BIS. BIS is headquartered
in Basel, Switzerland, and acts as a coordinating body among central banks to ensure global monetary and
financial stability. The BIS board meets at least six times a year.
iii. The BIS board comprise all central bankers. The board includes U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, Bank
of England Governor Mark Carney and Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda.
iv. Mr. Rajan was appointed Governor of the RBI in September 2013, and was given a three-year term. This new
role of Mr. Rajan will surely boost his chances for an extension next year, according to central bank watchers.
v. The former International Monetary Fund chief economist, who is widely credited for predicting the global
financial crisis of 2008, was appointed RBI Governor amid a currency crisis in 2013 which he was able to tackle
soon after he assumed charge.
vi. He was also able to bring down inflation from double digit levels in the last two years and had proposed
radical changes in the areas of monetary policy and banking reforms in India.
World Science Day for Peace and Development 2015 observed
i. The World Science Day for Peace and Development, dubbed World Science Day, was observed on 10
November 2015 across the world. The theme for 2015 is Science for a Sustainable Future.
ii. To mark the day, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) conducted
several discussions, special campaigns, visits to science museums for school children, etc to raise awareness of
benefits of science worldwide.
iii. For 2015, the theme Science for a Sustainable Future is chosen against the backdrop of 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development as approved by the UN.
iv. World Science Day was created as follow-up to the World Conference on Science, organized jointly by
UNESCO and the International Council for Science in Budapest (Hungary) in 1999.
India re-elected to UN Commission on International Trade Law
i. India on 9 November 2015 was re-elected by the General Assembly to a six year term on the United Nations
Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
ii. Apart from India, 22 other countries including the United States and Pakistan were also re-elected to the
UNCITRAL. The Monday election was the fifth election that India has won in 2015. The country also won the reelection to the UN Human Rights Council held in 2014.
iii. In April 2015, the UN Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) elected India to the executive councils of
UNICEF and the World Food Programme, the governing council of the United Nations Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat) and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
iv. The United Nations General Assembly by its Resolution 2205 (XXI) of 17 December 1966 established the
United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to promote the progressive harmonization
and unification of international trade law.
v. The Commission is a legal body with universal membership specializing in commercial law reform worldwide
for over 40 years. It carries out its work at annual sessions held alternately in New York City and Vienna.
Justice AP Shah appointed as the Ethics Officer (Ombudsman) at BCCI
i. Former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court, Justice Ajit Prakash Shah, was on 9 November 2015 appointed as the
ethics officer (ombudsman) at Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). He will preside as the sole decision
maker on all conflict of interest issues plaguing Indian cricket.
ii. The decision to appoint an ombudsman was taken at the Board's 86th Annual General Meeting to end the
problem on conflict of interest in the Board. This is being considered as a BCCIs clean-up operation.
iii. The clean-up operation has been triggered by the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal, which was investigated by
the Supreme Court-appointed RM Lodha committee.
iv. The apex court-appointed panel had suspended Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals for two years for
their officials' involvement in the scandal. Justice Shah, 67, is known for his bold judgments, including the July
2009 ruling that found India's 150-year-old statute prohibiting homosexual acts as discriminatory and therefore
a violation of fundamental rights.
Ministry of Defence launched Army Cloud, Data Centre & Digi-Locker for the Indian Army
i. Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 9 November 2015 launched Army Cloud, Software Defined Data
Centre and Digi-Locker facilities for the Indian Army at the Army Headquarters in New Delhi.
ii. The three initiatives are aimed at catalysing automation and digitization of the Indian Army and help in
transforming it from a Platform Centric to a Network Centric Force.

iii. Army Cloud includes a Central Data Centre, a Near Line Data Centre, both in Delhi and a Disaster Recovery
site for replication of its critical data along with virtualised servers and storage in an environmentally controlled
complex.
iv. The latest technologies in the field have been incorporated in its implementation wherein all the resources
could be provisioned to different applications on the Cloud, on click of a button.
v. Digi Locker will provide a secure and exclusive data storage space to all the units and formation headquarters
of the Army over its dedicated data network. It is similar to e-Locker of Digital India program and has all the
advanced features like digital signatures and watermarking.
vi. It is an important step towards implementation of cyber security as it precludes carriage of soft copies of
data on CDs/DVDs and removable media. By using this facility, users can store, share and access the data from
anywhere any time on the Army Data Network.
Union Government signed Loan Agreement with Asian Development Bank
i. The Union Government on 9 November 2015 signed 273 million US dollar loan agreement with Asian
Development Bank (ADB) to continue improving rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya
Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
ii. The loan agreement was signed by S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary (Bilateral Cooperation), Department of
Economic Affairs and Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB.
iii. The loan represents the third tranche, which is also the last tranche of the 800 million US dollars financing
facility under the Rural Connectivity Investment Program. The loan will help in constructing over 6000
kilometers of all-weather rural roads and will benefit over 4200 rural habitations.
iv. The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) is the executing agency of the project at the central level,
while the State Governments of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal will be
handling the overall implementation at the respective State level.
v. The third tranche is expected to be completed by December 2017. The implementing agencies at the State
level will be the respective State Rural Roads Development Agencies.
vi. This loan will also be used to make further investments as well as supporting improved road design, road
safety and asset management measures and training with women actively involved in all aspects.
India-Russia Joint Military Exercise Indra-2015 begins in Rajasthan
i. The seventh edition India-Russia Joint Military Exercise Indra-2015 has begun in Bikaner district of Rajasthan.
This edition of exercise is focusing on Counter Terrorism Operations in Desert Terrain under a United Nations
Mandate.
1. Jayant Sinha is planning to meet Chief Executives of State-run banks every 45 days
i. Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance, is planning to meet Chief Executives of State-run banks every 45
days to take stock of various performance parameters and discuss evolving issues.
ii. The move comes at a time when public sector banks are witnessing increasing pressure on asset quality,
which is eroding their capital and profitability. This meeting is in addition to the meeting with the Union Finance
Minister, which takes place every quarter, primarily to review the quarterly performance of banks.
2. Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd. (IHFL) has acquired a 40 per cent stake in OakNorth Bank of the
U.K.
i. Sameer Gehlaut led Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd. (IHFL) has acquired a 40 per cent stake in OakNorth Bank
of the U.K. for $100 million, making it the largest shareholder of a full service universal bank.
ii. The investment has been identified and approved by the Strategic Investment Committee for Liability
Franchise Develop- ment, headed by K. C. Chakrabarty, an independent director on the board and ex-Deputy
Governor of the Reserve Bank of India.
3. Rhythm and Blues legend Allen Toussaint died
i. Rhythm and Blues legend Allen Toussaint died at the age of 77 after suffering two heart attacks.
ii. The legendary New Orleans R&B songwriter and producer, known for hit songs such as Working in the
coalmine and Southern Nights suffered a heart attack shortly after performing on stage at Madrids Teatro
Lara , according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
4. SBI has announced partnership deal with Emirates NBD
i. A leading UAE-based bank has announced a partnership deal with State Bank of India to help NRI customers
in the gulf to carry out their remittances instantly and more conveniently.
ii. Emirates NBD has expanded its partner bank network in India to include State Bank of India (SBI) for the
DirectRemit 60 seconds remittance platform.
iii. With this partnership, the banks Non-Resident Indian (NRI) customers who also bank with SBI can now avail
themselves of the fastest remittance service in the UAE more easily.
5. Budweiser maker Anheuser-Busch InBev finalized takeover of SAB Miller
i. Anheuser-Busch InBev says it has finalized the terms of a $107 billion takeover of SABMiller that will combine
the planets two biggest brewers and create a company that makes almost a third of the beer consumed
worldwide.
ii. As part of the deal, SABMiller will sell its stake in a venture with Molson Coors.
iii. AB InBev is seeking to bolster growth by acquiring SABMillers brands in Africa and Asia as changing tastes
and craft beers cut sales in developed markets. The two companies own hundreds of brands including
Budweiser, Corona, Grolsch and Stella Artois.
6. Ministry of Railways issued Letter of Award to GE Global Sourcing India Pvt Limited
i. Ministry of Railways issued a Letter of Award (LoA) to USA-based GE Global Sourcing India Pvt Limited for
setting up of Diesel Locomotive Factory (DLF) at Marhowra, Saran district, Bihar and for procurement and
maintenance of mainline Diesel Electric Locomotives.
ii. With this, a Joint Venture Company between Union Ministry of Railways and GE Global Sourcing India Pvt
Limited will be formed soon to construct and run the factory. The factory will manufacture modern diesel
electric locomotives of 4500 HP and 6000 HP to Indian railways.
iii. The Railways Ministry will hold 26 percent equity in the JV Company subject to a maximum of 100 crore
rupees. The factory is expected to be established within a period of three years at a cost of about 1000 crore
rupees.

7. Union Government issued notification for implementation of OROP

i. Union Government issued the notification regarding implementation of One Rank One Pension (OROP) in
respect of Defence Forces personnel. The notification is in tune with the modalities for implementation
announced on 5 September 2015.
ii. Features of OROP scheme Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners retiring in the same rank and with the same length of service as the
average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013.
The benefit will be given with effect from 1 July 2014 to the ex-service men of all the three forces.
Those drawing pensions above the average will be protected.
In future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.
Arrears will be paid in four half-yearly instalments.
All widows, including war widows, will be paid arrears in one instalment.
Personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the scheme.
The estimated cost to the exchequer would be 8000 to 10000 crore at present, and will increase further in
future.
8. Supreme Court upheld Kerala Governments ban on online lotteries
i. The Supreme Court of India (SC) upheld Kerala Governments ban on online lotteries.
ii. The judgment was delivered by a bench headed by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) H L Dattu while hearing the
All Kerala Online Lottery Dealers Association Vs State of Kerala & Ors. case in which Sikkim Government is also
one of the petitioners opposing the ban.
iii. While upholding the ban, the bench stated that lottery is a form of gambling and it was condemned as a
vice by the Rigveda, Smritis and Arthashastra.
9. Belgian court ordered Facebook to stop tracking non-members
. A court of Belgium asked Facebook to stop tracking the country's Internet users who are not members of the
US-based social networking website. It gave 48 hours to the social networking site to stop tracking people in
Belgium.
ii. The ruling was pronounced on a case lodged in June 2015 by the Belgian Privacy Commission, which said
Facebook indiscriminately tracks Internet users when they click like or share on the website. It said that the site
uses a special cookie called Datr that lodges on internet users device to track their activities.
iii. The court said that the company was obliged to obtain consent to collect the information being gathered. If
Facebook fails to comply, it could face a fine of up to 250000 euros (269000 dollars) per day to the Belgian
Privacy Commission.
10. Richard Proud-chaired Independent Commission on Doping in Sports submitted its report to
WADA
i. Richard Proud-chaired Independent Commission (IC) on Doping in Sports submitted its report to the World
Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The report was submitted on 9 November 2015 in Vienna, Switzerland.
ii. WADA launched the IC in December 2014 to investigate the validity of allegations of doping practices,
corrupt practices around sample collection, results management, etc that implicate Russian Government
agencies, labs, athletes, coaches among others.
iii. The allegations were based on a documentary titled Top Secret Doping: How Russia makes its Winners that
was aired by the German television channel ARD.
11. Odisha's Barabati stadium excluded from BCCI's new Test venues
i. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on 9 November 2015 excluded Barabati stadium in Cuttack,
Odisha from the list of newly declared Test venues.
1. India's GSAT-15 communication satellite launched successfully
i. Indigenously made communications satellite GSAT-15 was launched successfully on 11 November 2015 by the
European Ariane 5 VA-227 launch vehicle at 3:04 am.
ii. The launch took place from Kourou in French Guyana in South America. The Ariane-5 rocket was hired at a
cost of approximately 581 crores rupees.
iii. The 3164 kilogram GSAT-15 carries communication transponders in Ku-band as well as a GPS Aided GEO
Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload operating in L1 and L5 bands. An Arabsat communications satellite
also accompanied the GSAT-15 on the same launch.
iv. The GSAT-15 was launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) after its co-passenger Arabsat-6B
(BADR-7) was injected into space.
v. The Indian Space Research Organisations Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka took over the
command and control of GSAT-15 immediately after its separation from the launch vehicle.
vi. After the completion of orbit raising operations, the two solar arrays and both the antenna reflectors of GSAT15 will be deployed. Afterwards, the satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration.
2. Abraham M Keita from Liberia won the 2015 International Children's Peace Prize
i. Liberian teenager Abraham M Keita was on 10 November 2015 awarded with the prestigious International
Childrens Peace Prize 2015. He was awarded for his extraordinary and peaceful fight for justice for child victims
of physical or sexual violence, and for successfully campaigning for the Liberian parliament to adopt the
Childrens Law.
ii. Seventeen-year-old Keita received the prize from Nobel Peace Laureate and his countrywoman Leymah
Gbowee in The Hague. Gbowee in 2011 became the first Liberian to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her
nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in Liberias peacebuilding process.
iii. International Childrens Peace Prize is awarded annually to child from across the world for his or her
dedication to childrens rights. The prize is an initiative of Marc Dullaert, Chairman and Founder of the Dutch
KidsRights Foundation.
3. India inked MoUs with six countries in the International Civil Aviation Negotiations
i. The Government of India announced on 12 November 2015 that it signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with six countries. These countries are: Finland, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, and
Oman and Ethiopia.

ii. In addition, Agreed Minutes were signed with Serbia, Greece, and European Commission. The Record of
Discussions was signed with Brunei Darussalam and Qatar.
iii. The MoUs were signed during International Civil Aviation Negotiations (ICAN) 2015, which was held in
Antalya, Turkey from 19 to 23 October 2015.
4. Indian-origin barrister Kalyani Kaul sworn-in as Circuit Judge in the UK
i. Indian-origin barrister in UK, Kalyani Kaul was sworn-in as a Circuit Judge in the UK on 9 November 2015. Now,
she will be sitting at Snaresbrook Crown Court with immediate effect.
ii. 54-year-old Kalyani is known for her extensive and wide ranging experience in heavy-weight criminal defence
work. She has spent 32 years defending serious and high profile cases.
iii. She was called to the Bar in 1983 and later in 2009, she was appointed as a Recorder by Queen Elizabeth II.
As a Recorder she prepared cases for trial and presided over hearings in county courts.
iv. Kalyani, who was the third highest-paid barrister in terms of legal air payments in 2005, studied law from the
London School of Economics (LSE).
v. From 2013 to 2014, she was the Senior Circuit representative on the Bar Council, a vice president (former
chair) of the Association of Women Barristers, and one of the two Diversity Officers for the South Eastern
Circuit.
5. Subir Gokarn appointed as IMF's Executive Director
i. Former Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India Subir Vithal Gokarn on 12 November 2015 was appointed
as an Executive Director on the board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
ii. Gokarn will replace Rakesh Mohan at the IMF. Mohans three year tenure ends in November 2015. Gokarns
name was cleared by Appointments Committee of Cabinet presided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as per an
order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.
iii. The former Deputy Governor of RBI will represent India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Bhutan on IMF's
Executive Board. The Board is responsible for conducting the day-to-day business of the multilateral institution.
iv. IMF's Executive Board is composed of 24 Directors, who are elected by member countries or by groups of
countries, and the Managing Director, who serves as its Chairman. The Board conducts its meeting several
times in a week and carries out its work largely on the basis of papers prepared by IMF management and staff.
6. Defence Minister commissioned Indias Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel Samarth
i. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 10 November 2015 commissioned the India Coast Guard Offshore Patrol
Vessel (OPV), Samarth at Vasco in Goa. It is Coast Guards largest OPV.
ii. The Ship built by Goa Shipyard limited is the first in the series of six off Shore Patrol vessels. The 105m OPV is
fitted with most advance technology, navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery. It has
a maximum speed of 23 knots and has an endurance of 6000 nautical miles at economical speed.
iii. Samarth that will be based in Goa is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment to contain any oil
spill at sea. The vessel will also carry one twin-engine helicopter and five high-speed boats.
iv. The OPV will be extensively used for Exclusive Economic Zone and other duties as it is set to be exploited
extensively on the Western Seaboard.
v. The induction of a sophisticated and state of the art Offshore Patrol vessel will provide the desired fillip to the
maritime protection of the coastal state of Goa in particular and the India coast in general.
7. Sameer Panda-led Indian team won NASA award for Burst Prevention & Puncture Curative
technology
i. A team of Indian scientist led by Sameer Panda from Odisha on 6 November 2015 won the NASA award for an
innovative technology named Burst Prevention & Puncture Curative (BPPC) technology. Udit Bondia, KN Panda
and Smitiparna Satpathy are the other members of the team.
ii. They won the award in the Create the Future Design Contest- 2015 conducted by NASA Tech Brief in New
York. Tech Brief is a contest jointly organized by NASA and Society of Automobile Engineers, International.
iii. They won the award for Mild Run Flat Tyre based on BPPC technology and developed by TycheeJuno, a firm
working on Disruptive and Breakthrough Innovation in technology mostly related to automotive division.
iv. The tyre is a multi-chambered tubeless tire with sealant inside the chamber to take care of puncture in tread
and sidewall.
v. The technology decreases the possibilities of bursts, takes care of punctures and dynamic wheel balancing. It
helps to increase fuel efficiency and life and can also be manufactured with existing technology.
8. Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival begins in Meghalaya
i. Annual Hundred Drums Wangala Festival has begun on a cultural fervor at Asanang near Tura town in
Meghalaya.
1. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurates 35th IITF in New Delhi
i. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated 35th edition of India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan
in New Delhi. The 14 day fair has been organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), under aegis of
Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
ii. In this edition over 7,000 firms from India and overseas are participating.
iii. This year Afghanistan has been roped as the partner country and Bangladesh is the focus country. Within
Indian states, Goa and Jharkhand are roped as partner states, while Madhya Pradesh is the focus state.
iv. Theme of 2015 edition of IITF is Make in India in order to encourage companies to manufacture their
products in India.
v. The major objective behind this international trade festival is to focus on 25 sectors of Indian economy for
skill enhancement and job creation. Some of these sectors are: automobiles, chemicals, Information Technology
(IT), textiles, ports, pharmaceuticals, leather, aviation, tourism and hospitality, railway, auto components,
wellness, design manufacturing, renewable energy, mining, bio-technology, and electronics etc.
2. PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Ambedkar memorial in London
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the recently acquired Ambedkar memorial by Maharashtra
Government at King Henrys Road in London, United Kingdom. On this occasion, Prime Minister unveiled a
plaque to mark the dedication of the Memorial and was accompanied by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis.

ii. Maharashtra government had bought this house in London where social reformer and architect of the Indian
Constitution Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar had stayed as a student in the 1920s.
iii. In September 2015, Maharashtra Government had purchased the house for 32 crore rupees and had
converted into an international memorial consisting of a public museum and a library owing to its cultural and
national importance and pride of millions of people of India.
iv. Apart from it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also unveiled a Basaveshwara Statue at Lambeth in London.
Basaveshwara (1105-1167 AD) was a great philosopher and social reformer who had fought against social evils
of his time, and worked for the strengthening of democracy at the grassroots.
3. 2017 announced as the UK-India Year of culture
i. Britain announced 2017 as the UK-India Year of Culture to mark the 70th Anniversary of Indian Independence.
ii. To mark the Occasion, UK Institute will partner with Indian Institutes for the program and the British Library
will digitize 2,00,000 pages from its South Asian Archives.
iii. The government will send Shakespeares First Folio and the 800 year old Magna Carta to tour India.
4. Naval Ship Vishwakarma commissioned
i. INS Vishwakarma, the erstwhile Shipwright School (SWS) and a premier training establishment of the Indian
Navy has been commissioned. It was commissioned by Admiral RK Dhowan, Chief of the Naval Staff at a formal
ceremony held at Visakhapatnam.
ii. INS Vishwakarma was commissioned in keeping with the Navys thrust towards indigenisation and Make in
India initiative. It also was commissioned keeping in view the role of the SWS which has assumed greater
significance presently in honing Indian Navys warship and submarine design.
iii. Shipwright School (SWS) was established in 1941 at INS Shivaji for training shipwright artificers of Indian
Navy. SWS was a premier technical establishment and alma mater for Naval Architect Officers, Shipwright
Officers and Shipwright Sailors of the Indian Navy.
iv. It was subsequently shifted in 1943 to Naval Barracks, Mumbai (now INS Angre). In 1981, it was again shifted
to the present premises at Visakhapatnam as a dedicated training establishment with independent facilities for
training of shipwright apprentices.
5. India, UK announced commercial deals worth 9 billion pounds
i. India and the UK announced commercial deals worth 9 billion pounds in London. The deals took place
between the companies operating from both the countries and were agreed upon during the Prime Minister
Narendra Modis visit to the UK.
ii. The deal included HDFC, Indias largest housing finance company, which has announced the proposal to issue
rupee denominated bonds overseas of up to 490 million pounds.
iii. Bharti Airtel Ltd announced that it intends to issue its maiden sterling bond of up to 500 million pounds to be
listed on the London Stock Exchange.
iv. Major UK-based insurance companies like Standard Life, Bupa and Aviva have committed to invest a
combined total of approximately 238 million pounds worth of FDI in their Indian joint ventures.
v. London Stock Exchange Group and Yes Bank will sign a MoU to foster the development around bond and
equity issuance, with a strong focus on green infrastructure finance. As part of this MoU, the bank is expected
to list a green bond of up to 330 million pounds through Medium Term Notes by December 2016.
vi. State Bank of India (SBI) and London Stock Exchange Group have announced a collaboration to create the
FTSE-SBI India Bonds Indices to be used initially by a new investment fund run by SBI. These indices, to be
launched in the first half of 2016, will facilitate investment into Indias bond markets and support market
liquidity and pricing.
6. Terrorist attack in Paris; Hundreds Killed
i. Terrorists attacked six locations around Paris killing around 160 civilians and injuring another 200 people and
security personnel.
i. While majority of the deaths occurred in the Bataclan concert venue, around 80000 football fans in the Stade
de France (National Stadium of France) came under the deadliest attacks who were watching a friendly match
between France and Germany.
iii. To deal with impending attacks, France President Francois Hollande, who was at the venue during the attack,
immediately convened an emergency cabinet meeting outside the stadium and announced a state of
emergency.
1. First AMRIT outlet opened at AIIMS Delhi for selling affordable drugs
i. Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 15 November 2015 launched the Affordable Medicines and
Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy outlet at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in
New Delhi.
ii. The purpose of the first of its kind outlet is to reduce the expenditure incurred by patients on treatment of
cancer and heart diseases by 50 to 60 percent.

iii. It is a retail pharmacy outlet that sells drugs and implants for the two ailments-cancer and heart diseases-at
highly discounted rates. It would be selling 202 cancer and 186 cardio-vascular drugs and 148 types of cardiac
implants at very affordable prices.
iv. It has been floated in a tie-up with government-owned HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL). Based on the outcome of the
AIIMS outlet, this initiative will be taken to other central government hospitals and Regional Cancer Centres in
partnership with the HLL.
2. International Day for Tolerance observed across the world
i. The International Day for Tolerance was observed globally on 16 November 2015 with an aim to educate
people about the need for tolerance in society and help them understand the negative effects of intolerance.
ii. In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) by its resolution 51/95 invited UN Member States to
observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational
establishments and the wider public.

iii. This action came in the wake of the United Nations Year for Tolerance 1995, proclaimed by the UNGA in
1993. On 16 November 1995, the UNESCO member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance
and Follow-up Plan of Action for the year.
3. Maareech, an Advanced Torpedo Defence System, handed over to Indian Navy
i. The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar handed over the Maareech - Advanced Torpedo Defence System
developed by DRDO to the Navy Chief Admiral Robin K. Dhowan in Vishakhapatnam.
ii. Maareech is a joint project of Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kochi and NSTL,
Visakhapatnam. It is a state-of-the-art indigenous system for torpedo detection and countermeasures.
iii. The system provides a complete solution to detect and locate the incoming torpedo and to apply
countermeasures to protect naval platform against torpedo attack. The system is capable of detecting,
confusing, diverting and decoying the incoming torpedoes.
iv. Two production grade Maareech systems have been developed and user evaluation trials completed onboard
two Indian Navy ships. Besides, Parrikar also dedicated to the nation the Seakeeping and Manoeuvring Basin
(SMB). It is a one of its kind platform in the country set up as a joint effort of DRDO and Indian Navy.
4. Jharkhand Government introduced Mobile Governance
i. The Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on 15 November 2015 introduced Mobile Governance in the state
to realise the dreams of Digital India during the occasion of 16th Foundation Day of the state.
ii. The State Government launched 14 mobile applications and three web portals on the State Foundation Day
to deliver the benefits of information technology to the people of the state in order to bridge the gap between
the government and public.
iii. To facilitate quick clearance for industries, the state government introduced Advantage Jharkhand Portal, the
country's first single window portal.
iv. The mobile applications were developed by Jharkhand Space Applications Centre (JSAC). These are designed
to bring services from government, civic bodies and police force to the Android smartphones of the
beneficiaries.
v. All the mobile applications can be downloaded free of cost from apps.jharkhand.gov.in portal. Although, they
have not been put up on any popular application distribution platform yet, this option is open for exploration in
future.
5. Children's book writer Kamala Laxman dead
i. A well-known author of children's books, Kamala Laxman, passed away in Pune on 14 November 2015 due to
old age issues. She was 90.
ii. Widow of legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman, Kamala was commissioned by the India Book House in the 1970s
to write stories for children, such as Thama and His Missing Mother and tales of Tenali Raman. The Tenali Raman
stories penned by her were later memorably serialised into 13 and telecast on Doordarshan.
iii. Kamala was born in Chennai. She attended St. Thomas' Convent and later graduated from Delhi's
Indraprastha College. She also studied interior decoration from Sir J.J. School of Arts in Mumbai.
6. Saeed Jaffrey passes away
i. Veteran actor, Saeed Jaffrey, who was seen in films like Shatranj Ke Khiladi and Ram Teri Ganga Maili, passed
away on Sunday, November 15, 2015. He was 86.
ii. Jaffrey's niece, Shaheen Aggarwal, broke the unfortunate news on Facebook. She wrote, "Today, a generation
of Jaffreys has passed away. Saeed Jaffrey has joined his brothers and sister and is rejoicing in the lap of his
Heavenly Father, eternally. The entire Jaffrey Family bids you, "adieu", you beautiful, beautiful man See you in
heaven!"
iii. Saeed Jaffrey was the first Indian actor to tour Shakespeare, taking his company across the United States. He
had also won the Filmfare Award for the film, Shatranj Ke Khiladi, in the Best Supporting Actor category.
7. ICICI Bank Canada launches student programme
i. ICICI Bank Canada, a subsidiary of private lender ICICI Bank, has launched Student GIC (Guaranteed
Investment Certificate) Program for students aspiring to study in Canada.
ii. As per the terms of the programme, the amount of C$10,000 is paid back to the student while he/she is
studying in Canada in 12 equal instalments along with the interest amount. The processing fee for applying to
this programme is C$150.
iii. ICICI Bank Canada is the first Indian bank to be authorised by Canadian High Commission to accept GIC from
Indian students. This programme enables students from India to fulfil the prerequisite of purchasing a GIC by
transferring funds from any bank account held by them in India to their ICICI Bank Canada account. Students
can do this while they are in India.
iv. Aspirants can apply for the Student GIC Program can register online and fill an application form sent to their
email address. It can be submitted online itself as well as designated forex branches of ICICI Bank in India and
transfer the required amount.
8. Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent name new India, MEA heads
i. Nokia announced that Sandeep Girotra would become the head of India and Amr Karim El-Leithy would
become the head of Middle East and Africa as part of the planned combination of Nokia and Alcatel-Lucent,
after and subject to the successful closing of the public exchange offer for Alcatel-Lucent securities announced
on 15 April.
i. Both would oversee the combined company's customer operations across India and Middle East and Africa,
driving the execution of strategy and ensuring superior customer service, underpinned by a strong focus on
innovation and quality.
iii. Sandeep Girotra joined Nokia Networks in 1996 and has held a number of different roles in India, heading the
region since 2011. The proposed appointments are effective only after the successful closing of the public
exchange offer and is subject to the completion of the relevant works council consultation procedures.
iv. Amr Karim El-Leithy is currently president for Middle East, Turkey and Africa for Alcatel-Lucent. He joined the
company in 2009.
9. Practo, Uber enter into pact
i. Healthcare booking platform Practo and taxi-hailing platform Uber today announced a global partnership to
help people reach doctors easily.

ii. Across India, Indonesia, Philippines and Singapore, those who book an appointment on Practos mobile
application will be able to view the closest Uber available along with the appointment reminder alert.
iii. The next phase of integration will involve notifying the user to request for an Uber, an hour prior to the
appointment.
iv. The partnership comes with an India-specific inaugural offer where any existing or new user booking an
appointment on Practo till November 30, will get a free ride to and from the doctors clinic.
10. Thomas Cook India signs pact with OYO Rooms
i. Travel services provider Thomas Cook India has entered into a partnership with online aggregator of budget
hotels, OYO Rooms, offering access to over 3,200 hotels, spread over 140 cities across India.
ii. The companys partnership with OYO Rooms aims at providing a wide range of standardised stay options,
optimal locations (both business and leisure areas) and maximised savings, Thomas Cook India said.
iii. The companys partnership with OYO Rooms aims at providing a wide range of standardised stay options,
optimal locations (both business and leisure areas) and maximised savings, Thomas Cook India said.
11. Saina Nehwal wins silver medal at 2015 China Open
i. Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal has won silver medal at 2015 China Open Superseries Premier Badminton
tournament after finishing at second position in the Womens Singles category.
ii. In the final match played at the Haixia Olympic Sports Centre in Fuzhou, the defending champion and top
seeded Saina lost to sixth placed Xuerui Li from China by 12-21, 15-21 score.
iii. Saina and Li had met 12 times against each other and Saina has won just 2 of those games. The final of
China Open tournament was overall Sainas fifth final of the year 2015 and the third instance in 2015 that the
World No. 1 has come out second best.
12. Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton to win Brazilian Grand Prix
i. German Formula One motor racer Nico Rosberg on 15 November 2015 defeated Lewis Hamilton to grab the
Brazilian Grand Prix trophy. Sebastian Vettel grabbed the third position in the race.
1. PRASAD and Swadesh Darshan schemes of Ministry of Tourism
i. PRASAD (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) and SWADSH
DARSHAN schemes of the Union Ministry of Tourism were in news in the second week of November 2015. The
two initiatives, along with Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs), were launched to achieve 1 per cent share of
international tourist arrivals by 2016-17 from the present 0.68 per cent.
ii. Both the schemes are under implementation in mission mode and aimed at developing world-class tourism
related infrastructure.
iii. PRASAD's objective is to augment religious and spiritual tourism in the country as India is a land of many
religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism and Sufism.
iv. As part of SWADSH DARSHAN scheme, theme based tourism circuits are identified for infrastructure
development across the country. Theme Based Tourist Circuit (TBTC) is defined as a tourist circuit around
specific themes such as religion, culture, ethnicity, niche, etc. A TBTC could be confined to a state or could be a
regional circuit covering more than a state or union territory (UT).
2. Governing Council of NIIF constituted under the chairmanship of Finance Minister
i. Union Ministry of Finance on 13 November 2015 constituted the Governing Council (GC) of the National
Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). The GC will be chaired by the Union Finance Minister and the
members included Secretary: DEA, Secretary: Financial Services, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Hemendra Kothari,T V
Mohandas Pai.
ii. The GC was mandated to consider approval of guidelines for Investment of Trust property/Corpus of NIIF and
parameters for appointment and performance of investment managers/ advisors among others.
iii. Its objective is to back new and stressed projects and help restart the investment cycle. It was proposed by
the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget 2015-16.
iv. It was approved by the Union Cabinet on 23 July 2015 with an initial corpus of 20000 crore rupees. It was set
up as a fund under the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.
3. VHP leader Ashok Singhal dead
i. The patron of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Ashok Singhal passed away on 17 November 2015 in Gurgaon
due to a prolonged illness. He was 89. Singhal served as the international working president of the Hindu
organisation for over 20 years.
ii. Singhal was a key organiser of the first VHP Dharma Sansad held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi in 1984. The
Sansad gave birth to the movement for reclaiming the Ramjanmabhoomi temple. Later, he became the main
leader of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement.
iii. Born in Agra on 15 September 1926, Singhal obtained his bachelors degree in Metallurgical Engineering
from the Benaras Hindu University Institute of Technology in 1950. After graduation, he became a full time
pracharak of RSS.
iv. In 1980, the leader was deputed to the VHP and became its joint general secretary.
4. AMRUT Action Plans for 81 cities approved with total project outlay of 5748 crore rupees
i. An inter-ministerial Apex Committee on 16 November 2015 approved State Annual Action Plans (SAAP) of 81
mission cities in 5 states-Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Mizoram under AMRUT for 201516.
ii. The meeting of the committee was headed by Shri Madhusudan Prasad, Secretary, Union Ministry of Urban
Development, which is the nodal ministry for implementation of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT).
iii. As per the approved SAAPs, the Union, State governments and urban local bodies together will invest 5748
crore rupees. Out of this, Central assistance will be provided to an extent of 2440 crore rupees.
iv. And, Out of the five states, Tamil Nadu with 27 AMRUT cities would invest 3249 crore followed by Madhya
Pradesh (32 cities)-1,656 crore, Odisha (9 cities)-456 crore, Jharkhand (7 cities)-313 crore and Mizoram will
invest 73 crore rupees in the lone mission city of Aizawl.
v. With this approval, number of cities covered under AMRUT went up to 170 across 8 states with a total project
expenditure of 8534 crore rupees.
5. Standard Chartered names Zarin Daruwala as new India CEO

i. Zarin Daruwala will join as the India chief executive officer at Standard Chartered Bank, the international
lender said in a statement on Tuesday. Daruwala was president of the wholesale lending team at ICICI Bank Ltd.
Daruwala will report to Ajay Kanwal, regional CEO, ASEAN & South Asia at Standard Chartered.
ii. In July, Standard Chartered had announced a revamp of its core management team. Sunil Kaushal, who was
heading the India operations, was moved and appointed as regional chief for Africa and Middle East.
iii. Daruwala, who had taken over as head of ICICI Banks wholesale banking team in July 2010, has led teams in
corporate banking, project finance, structured finance, financial institutions, government and public sector
banking, and has also helped build ICICIs rural and agri-finance offering.
iv. ICICI Bank said its board has appointed Vishakha Mulye as executive director. Mulye, who is managing
director and chief executive officer of ICICI Venture Funds Management Co, will be in charge of the wholesale
banking business at ICICI Bank, after her appointment.
6. Global cancer summit on Nov 18-20
i. Global Cancer Summit, a three-day programme focussed on understanding and suggesting strategies to
tackle cancer, will be organised from November 18-20 at the Indian Institute of Science.
ii. The event is organsied by BioGenesis - the Euro-Indian Health Cluster (India), Global Cancer Foundation and
supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research. iii. The conclave is expected to have 700 experts in the
field of oncology and related sectors and is dedicated to the late US senator Ted Kennedy.
7. Axis MF launches Childrens Gift Fund
i. Axis Mutual Fund today announced its new fund offer, the Axis Children's Gift Fund. This is Axis' first goalbased investment option, the MF house said. Investments can only be made for a minor, represented by a
parent or guardian.
ii. According to the company, such an investment would be better than taking an education loan in the future
for a child's education. The NFO comes with an optional lock-in period till the child turns 18 years old.
iii. The open-ended balanced scheme will invest up to 60 per cent in equity and equity derivatives, a maximum
of 55 per cent in debt and a maximum of 15 per cent in cash arbitrage.
iv. The minimum application amount is Rs. 5,000. The fund will be benchmarked against the Crisil Composite
Bond Fund Index.
8. World Bank, AP ink $75-m credit deal for rural project
i. The Centre, Andhra Pradesh and the World Bank have inked a $75 million (500 crore) credit deal for the
Andhra Pradesh Rural Inclusive Growth Project. The project seeks to enhance agricultural incomes of small and
marginal farmers and ensure increased access to services related to health, nutrition, sanitation and social
entitlements.
ii. It will focus on increasing economic opportunities for small and marginal farmers, especially from Scheduled
Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) households in the 150 most backward mandals.
iii. In addition, it will invest in developing a network of social enterprises for food, nutrition, sanitation and other
social enterprises which operate at community and district level. The agreement was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint
Secretary (Department of Economic Affairs), Ministry of Finance; Sunitha Kolaventy, Finance Secretary, Andhra
Pradesh; and Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director in India.
iv. The Project will help link small and marginal farmers to urban markets and make them competitive across
the value chain. Investments will be made for increasing the nutritional content of products such as milk,
vegetables and poultry.
9. Syed Akbaruddin appointed as next Permanent Representative of India to UN
i. Syed Akbaruddin was on 16 November 2015 appointed as the next Permanent Representative of India to the
United Nations at New York. He will replace Asoke Kumar Mukerji who assumed the office in April 2013.
ii. In this position, Akbaruddin will head Indias diplomatic mission in the UN and articulates the countrys stand
on critical issues at the global forum.
iii. Akbaruddin is a 1985 batch officer of Indian Foreign Service and currently, he is serving as Additional
Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. He also served as MEA spokesperson and was Chief Coordinator of
successful India Africa Foreign Summit held in New Delhi from 26 October to 29 October 2015.
iv. So far, excluding Akbaruddin, 19 diplomats served as Permanent Representative of India to the UN. Notable
among them are the incumbent Vice President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari (1993-95), Brajesh C Mishra
(1979-81), Nirupam Sen (2004-09) and Hardeep Singh Puri (2009-13) among others.
10. FIFA banned Nepal football Chief Ganesh Thapa for 10 years for corruption
i. FIFA, the governing body of football, on 16 November 2015 banned Nepal's football chief Ganesh Thapa for 10
years for corruption. The body also banned the president of the Laos federation Viphet Sihachakr for two years
for bribery.
ii. In the context of the 2009 and 2011 elections at the Asian Football Confederation congress, FIFA accused
Thapa of committing various acts of misconduct, which includes the solicitation and acceptance of cash
payments from another football official, for personal and family gain.
iii. FIFA's ethics committee also stated that he had specifically been bribed over elections for the FIFA executive
committee in 2009 and 2011.
iv. Earlier, it was revealed by The Associated Press that Thapa received an illegal gift of 100000 US dollars from
Bin Hammam in 2009. The money was deposited into the personal bank account of Thapas son. Apart from the
ban, Thapa was fined 20000 Swiss francs by the ethics committee's adjudicatory chamber.
11. Siril Verma clinched silver at World Junior Badminton Championships
i. Young shuttler Siril Verma on 15 November 2015 grabbed a silver medal at the BWF World Junior
Championships held in Lima, Peru. Chinas Chia Hung Lu clinched the gold medal at the Boys' singles event.
ii. With this, Verma joined the ranks of Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, R.M.V. Gurusaidutt, H.S. Prannoy and Sameer
Verma, who have won medals for India in the World junior championships.
iii. Verma came into limelight when he clinched the Junior U15 Asian Championships title in 2013. He also
became the first Indian player to win the Badminton Asia Youth Championships in 2013.
iv. The 15-year-old shuttler trains at the Pullela Gopichand Academy. Verma was born on 25 December 1999 in
Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana).

v. The BWF World Junior Championships is also known as the World Junior Badminton Championships. It is a
tournament organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to crown the best junior badminton players
(under-19) in the world.
12. Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson retires from International cricket
i. Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson (age 34) has announced his retirement from all forms of international
cricket. He made this announcement after conclusion to the second Test match against New Zealand at WACA.
1. Kiren Rijiju conferred with Disaster Risk Reduction Asia Champion honour by UN
i. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, was on 17 November 2015 designated as the Disaster
Risk Reduction (DRR) Champion for the Asia Region by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
(UNISDR). Rijiju also became the first Indian to be conferred with this honour.
ii. The honour was conferred Margarete Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary
General for Disaster Risk Reduction, during the inaugural session of the Asia Leaders Meeting towards
Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR in Asia.

iii. Rijiju is the first regional champion for DRR after the Sendai Agreement, giving an impetus to Union
Government efforts to facilitate regional support towards enabling community resilience in the Asia-Pacific
region.
iv. UNISDR recognizes individuals as Disaster Risk Reduction Champions for using their political influence to
lobby for disaster risk reduction in their country, region and beyond. This is a non-remunerated honorary
position.
v. Only the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of UNISDR may
designate a Disaster Risk Reduction Champion by issuing a letter of designation. It advocates and promotes the
goals and priorities of the Hyogo
2. RAW former Chief Sankaran Nair died
i. Former Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) K. Sankaran Nair passed away on 17 November 2015
in Bengaluru. He was 94. Nair, who hailed from Ottapalam village in Kerala, was a part of the Intelligence
Bureau. Later, he was inducted into RAW in 1968, as the deputy to Rameshwarnath Kao.
ii. Nair was also credited with the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971. It was under his leadership
that RAW helped find the guerrilla fighters troupe Mukti Bahini and train them.
iii. In 1977, Nair was appointed as the Chief of RAW. However, he resigned just three months after taking over.
He protested against the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai downgrading the post of chief of RAW to director
from Secretary (R).
iv. Nair also served as Indias High Commissioner to Singapore from 1986 to 1988. In 1985, the former RAW
Chief was honoured him with a Padma Bhushan.
3. PM Narendra Modi concluded his two-nation tour to UK and Turkey
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 January 2015 returned to India after his two-nation tour of the United
Kingdom and Turkey.
ii. During his five-day visit which took place from 12 November to 16 November 2015, Modi participated in G-20
summit at Antalya in Turkey and met with Queen Elizabeth II, British Prime Minister David Cameron, Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and others.
iii. During this tour, he stayed in UK (12 to 14 November 2015) and Turkey (14 to 16 November 2015).
iv. Modi inaugurated Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar Memorial in London. He unveiled Basaveshwara Statue in
London and addressed the Indian Community at Wembley Stadium, London. Modi paid homage at Gandhi
Statue in London and met with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. With this, he became the first Indian
head to address the British parliament
v. Modi held delegation level talks with Prime Minister David Cameron of United Kingdom and also met Leader
of the Labour Party and the Leader of the Opposition. Modi attended the UK-India CEO Forum. He also visited
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) plant, a subsidiary of Indias Tata Motors, in Solihull
4. Foundation stone of first Mega Food Park of Telangana laid
i. Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on 16 November 2015 laid the foundation
stone of the first Mega Food Park in Telangana. The park is promoted by Smart Agro Food Park Pvt. Ltd. at
Village Lakkampally and Chimrajpally, Nandipet Mandal, District Nizamabad, Telangana.
ii. Besides, two more Mega Food Parks have been sanctioned to be set up in Khammam and Mahboobnagar
districts in Telangana.
iii. The park will have facilities of 5000 MT Multi Commodity Cold Storage, 5000 MT Raw Material Warehouse,
5000 MT Finished Good Warehouse, 5000 MT Grain Silos, 500 MT Deep Freeze, 20 MT/day Turmeric Processing
Facility and modern food testing lab.
iv. The Mega Food Park Scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries in the
country to give a major boost to the Food Processing Sector. The scheme will also facilitate creation of modern
infrastructure for food processing along the value chain from the farm to the market.
5. Tianhe-2: Worlds powerful Supercomputer for the sixth consecutive time
i. Chinas Tianhe-2 supercomputer has emerged as the worlds most powerful supercomputer system for the
sixth consecutive time. It was unveiled in 46th edition of Top500 list of supercomputers.
ii. The Chinese Supercomputer is capable of performing calculations with processing speed of 33.86 petaflops
per second (Pflop/s). It has held the title since June 2013. Supercomputer Titan of the US Department of Energy
has been placed at second position. It has a performance of 17.59 Pflop/s.
iii. Supercomputer Sequoia of Tech giant IBM was placed at third position. It has processing speed of 17.17
Pflop/s. K computer of Fujitsu was placed at fourth position. It has processing speed of 10.51 Pflop/s.
Supercomputer Mira of IBM placed at fifth position. It has processing speed of 8.58 Pflop/s.
iv. Supercomputer Tianhe-2 or Milky Way 2 has been developed by Chinas National University of Defense
Technology. It has processing speeds of 33.86 petaflops (1000 trillion calculations) per second. Presently, it is

deployed at the National Supercomputer Center in Guangzhou and is playing important role in boosting Chinas
capabilities in both scientific and defence fields.
6. Intels 'Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur begins in Telangana village
i. Chip-maker Intel has rolled out its Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur programme towards rural digitisation in 10 States
from Nadimpalle villlage in Telangana.
ii. Announcing the setting up of the first Unnati Kendra at the village in Mahabubnagar District, Intel Vice
President-Sales and Marketing Group and Managing Director-South Asia Debjani Ghosh said the company will
work with Central and the State governments to identify best framework for digitisation.
iii. Creating a blueprint to drive technology-enabled transformation at the grassroots in the select States is the
objective of the programme. While work with Telangana was underway for sometime now -- the Kendra at the
Common Service Centre has been functioning since June -- Intel was yet to decide on the other nine States and
number of villages in Telangana, Ms.Ghosh told presspersons at the launch function in Hyderabad on
Wednesday.
iv. Effective digitisation of rural India will be central to the success of Digital India programme, she said, while
underscoring the need to make such initiatives relevant to the people. It should lead to increase in the income
and improved livelihood for rural people.
7. Delhi to host the first International Qawwali Festival 2016
i. Delhi will host the first International Qawwali Festival 2015 titled Taali Ho that is scheduled to be held from 12
February 2015 to 14 February 2015. This was announced during the performance by Qawwali singers from India
and Pakistan at India Islamic Centre providing a glimpse of the festival.
ii. The festival aims to reinforce a notion that music is not restricted to any borders. The event is also set to
showcase the evolution that Qawwali has undergone with artistes performing a fusion of old genre of music
with a modern touch.
iii. Hailing from the Sikandrabad Gharana, the Nizami Brothers are going to perform at the event. They are
among the most popular Qawwali singers in Astana Gayki as well as the modern Qawwali tradition.
iv. Other Qawwali singers who will be a part of the event are Warsi brothers from Hyderabad, Hamza Akram and
Taimoor Akram from Pakistan, Tahir Hussain Faridi Qawwal from US and Ahmed Sham Sufi Qawwal from
Afghanistan.
8. CCI imposed penalties on 3 Airlines for concerted action in Fixing Fuel Surcharge
i. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 17 November 2015 imposed penalties upon 3 Airlines for
concerted action in fixing and revising Fuel Surcharge (FSC) for transporting cargo. These 3 Airlines are Jet
Airways (India) Ltd, InterGlobe Aviation Limited and Spice Jet Limited.
ii. The matter was filed by Express Industry Council of India under section 19(1)(a) of the Competition Act, 2002
against Jet Airways (India) Ltd, InterGlobe Aviation Limited, Spice Jet Limited, Air India Limited and Go Airlines
(India) Limited alleging contravention of the provisions of section 3 of the Act which deals with anti-competitive
agreements.
iii. The Commission noted that the Airlines acted in parallel in collusion in fixing FSC rates. Such conduct was
found to have resulted in indirectly determining the rates of air cargo transport and thereby in contravention of
the provisions of section 3(1) read with section 3(3)(a) of the Competition Act, 2002.
iv. Accordingly, penalties of 151.69 crore rupees, 63.74 crore rupees and 42.48 crore rupees were imposed
upon Jet Airways (India) Ltd., InterGlobe Aviation Limited and Spice Jet Limited respectively. Besides, cease and
desist order was also issued against the Airlines. No penalty was imposed upon Air India Limited as its conduct
was not found to be parallel with other Airlines.
9. Indian Red Cross Society Secretary General SP Agarwal died
i. Eminent neurosurgeon and secretary general of Indian Red Cross Society Satya Paul Agarwal died on 17
November 2015. He was 70. He is survived by his wife Sarita Agarwal, son Tushar Agarwal and daughter Ashima
Sharma.
ii. Since 2005, Agarwal was serving the Indian Red Cross Society as its Secretary General. He was also the Chair
of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Advisory Body on Sustainable Development and
Health.
iii. He was a well-known public health administrator and played a pivotal role in execution of various disaster
relief operations and control of disease outbreak and epidemics in the country. From 1996 to 2005, he was
Director General of Health Services of Union Government.
iv. In 2014, he received Belgian Redcross Flanders Gold Medal. In 2010, he was honoured with the Padma
Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of medicine and public health. In 2005,
he was honoured with the Life Time Achievement award for TB.
10. Kosmos 2510, the first satellite of EKS (Tundra) system, launched by Russia
i. Russia successfully on 17 November 2015 launched the first satellite for its newest early warning system,
named EKS or Integrated Space System. The satellite was officially named Kosmos 2510 (Tundra 11L).
ii. This new-generation satellite is designed to restore Moscow's capability to detect, track and identify
worldwide missile launches from space. The satellite was carried by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Site 43/4 at the
Plesetsk Cosmodrome, located in Northern Russia.
iii. The launch was carried out under the command of Deputy Commander of Russian Aerospace Defence Forces
(VKO) Commander of the Space Troops Alexander Golovko.
iv. RKK Energia, a Russian manufacturer of spacecraft and space station components, built the Tundra
spacecraft. The satellite will be operated by the Russian Aerospace Defence Forces. It was delivered into a
highly elliptical geosynchronous orbit, called a Tundra orbit.
11. Czech Republic defeated Russia to retain Fed Cup
i. The Czech Republic on 15 November 2015 successfully defended its Fed Cup crown after beating Russia in
final day's play in Prague.
Union Govt to roll out BSV norms from April 1, 2019
i. Union Government has decided to advance the date for implementation of Bharat Stage (BS) V and BS VI
emission norms for four-wheelers in order to reduce vehicular air pollution from road transport sector.

ii. As per advance dates, BS V norms will be rolled out from 1st of April, 2019 and BS VI norms from 1st April,
2021.
iii. In this regard draft notification was issued Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as per the Auto
Fuel Policy, 2003.
About Bharat stage (BS) norms
Bharat stage (BS) norms are emission standards decided by the government to regulate the amount of air
pollutants from vehicles. They were adopted in line with European regulation standard Euro norms in
2000.
So far, 4 states of Bharat stage (BS) norms have been issued by government. In each stage certain limit is
specified on the released pollutants and in the succeeding higher stages, the BS norms reduces the limit of
pollutant emission.
Issued BS stages are:
BS-I - Euro 1 2000
BS-II - Euro 2 2005
BS-III - Euro 3 2010
BS-IV - Euro 4 - 2015 (63 cities till 1 April 2015)
India-Israel co-developed LRSAM misile successfully tested
i. Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) co-developed by India and Israel was successfully test-fired for the
first time from an Israeli Naval Platform.
ii. Test: The trial test was undertaken by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in the presence of Defence Research
Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists. During the test the missile achieved the desired goal by hitting
the incoming target.
About Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM)
LRSAM is also called Barak 8 missile in Israel which in Hebrew language means Lightning.
Barak 8 is an advanced, long-range missile defence and air defence system. Its main features are long range,
active radar seeker missile, vertical launch and multiple simultaneous engagements.
For the LRSAM, DRDO has developed dual pulse propulsion system along with other safety arm mechanisms for
Solid Propulsion system.
The LRSAM programme consists of Missiles, Weapon Control System, MFSTAR (Radar), Vertical
NHAI approves pilot project for developing greenbelts along National highway
i. National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI) has approved a pilot project for undertaking scientific studies
on designing greenbelts along national highways.
ii. Proposal in this regard was submitted by Nagpur based National Environmental Engineering Research
Institute (NEERI).
Key facts

The pilot project will be implemented on a 5 km stretch on NH-7 (Varanasi to Kanyakumari) between
Jam and Hinganghat in Nagpur region.

Around 20,000 scientifically chosen species of trees are proposed to be planted on both sides of this
stretch in multiple rows at an estimated cost of 11 crore 80 lakh rupees. The project will run for five
years time span. During this period various experiments will be conducted in NEERI laboratory to
record the impact of greenbelt development.
CBDT signs 11 more Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements
i. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 11 more unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements
(APAs) with Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies operating in various segments of the economy.
ii. Of the total eleven APAs, seven were having rollback provisions in them with maximum period of 9 years,
while the other four are extension agreements for future five years i.e. till 2020.
iii. With this, CBDT so far has entered into 31 APAs (30 unilateral and one bilateral) and is now aiming to
finalise another 30 to 40 APAs in order to provide stability and confidence among the foreign enterprises
operating in India.
What is Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs)

APA usually is signed between a taxpayer and the central tax authority (in case of India it is CBDT) for
multiple years on an appropriating transfer pricing methodology.

The APA Programme was introduced in 2012 as per the provisions of the Income Tax (IT) Act, 1961. It
helps in determining the price and ensuing taxes on intra-group overseas transactions.
BBIN Friendship Motor Car Rally flagged off from Silchar
i. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Friendship Motor Car Rally was flagged off from Silchar, Assam.
ii. The international rally aims at highlighting connectivity in the sub-region and seamless movements of
vehicles across the borders in the 4 nations through implementation of BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA).
Key facts

The Car Rally has been jointly organised by the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Kalinga
Motor Sports Club (Odisha) in partnership with the counterpart clubs of the neighbouring countries.

The 19-days rally will culminate at Kolkata (West Bengal) on December 2, 2015 next after covering the
capitals of Indian states and neighbouring countries.

Sindhu seizes Macau Open title for third time

i. Sindhu produced a dominating game to notch up a 21-9 21-23 21-14 win against sixth seed Mitani in a
womens singles match.
iii. Two-time defending champion P. V. Sindhu completed a hat-trick of womens singles title at the $ 120,000
Macau Open Grand Prix Gold after defeating Japans Minatsu Mitani in the finals here today.
iii. Sindhu produced a dominating game to notch up a 21-9 21-23 21-14 win against sixth seed Mitani in a
womens singles match that lasted an hour and six minutes here.
1. World Toilet Day observed on 19 November with the theme Sanitation and Nutrition
i. World Toilet Day (WTD) was observed on 19 November 2015 across the world with the theme Sanitation and
Nutrition. The aim of WTD is to raise awareness about the people in the world who dont have access to a toilet,
despite the fact that it is a human right to have clean water and sanitation.
ii. The effort of the WTD in 2015 was to draw the worlds attention to the importance of toilets in supporting
better nutrition and improved health. WTD has been celebrated by the World Toilet Organisation since 2001. It
was later became an official UN day on 24 July 2013 as the 67th session of UN General Assembly approved it
through the Sanitation For All resolution.
iii. About 2.4 billion people around the world still do not have adequate sanitation and 1 billion among them still
defecate in the open. Poor sanitation increases the risk of disease and malnutrition, especially for women and
children.
iv. While 1000 children die each day due to poor sanitation, women and girls risk rape and abuse because they
have no toilet that offers privacy. In September 2015, the UN General Assembly approved the Sustainable
Development Goal 6 that aims at access to water and sanitation for all.
2. Mobile app to locate eToilet
i. Eram Scientific Solutions, manufacturer of electronic toilets, has unveiled a new eToilet mobile app. The
Andriod app is downloadable for free from Google Playstore by typing the keyword etoilets.
ii. It helps locate the nearest etoilets via a map and address listings, Anvar Sadath K, CEO, Eram, says. It also
provides details on mode of access and information on facilities such as napkin-vending machine and
incinerator.
iii. The app enables sharing feedback on the user experience of eToilet along with image uploading. The public
can also use the app to suggest new places for installing eToilets. eToilets have opened a new era in the public
sanitation sector with its unmanned, self-cleaning and remote monitoring features, Sadath said.
iv. The app has been launched as part of establishing a new connected eToilet Infrastructure (CeTI) on the
occasion of the World Toilet Day (November 19).
3. V Raja is MD of Philips India
i. Philips India has appointed V Raja as the Vice-Chairman and Managing Director effective December 1.
ii. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving and building the healthcare and consumer lifestyle
businesses of the company in India.
iii. He takes over from A Krishna Kumar who took over the new role of Head of the Emerging Businesses Group
for Philips globally.
iv. Raja is joining from TE Connectivity, where he was the President, India Operations, since 2011.
4. Vijay Keshav Gokhale appointed as Indias ambassador to China
i. Senior diplomat Vijay Keshav Gokhale has been appointed as Indias Ambassador to China. He will replace
Ashok Kantha, who was appointed as envoy to China in January 2014 for a two-year term i.e. till January 2016.
ii. Currently, Mr.Gokhale is serving as the Indias Ambassador to Germany. He is a 1981 batch India Foreign
Service (IFS) officer. Prior, to his appointment as Indias top envoy to Germany, he had served at different Indian
missions including in Hong Kong, Hanoi, Beijing and New York.
iii. Mr.Gokhale also had held the posts of director (China and East Asia) and joint secretary (East Asia) in the
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) headquarters in New Delhi, . He is known to be one of the most
knowledgeable Indian diplomat who is well versed with international affairs of China.
5. Union Cabinet approved signing of Tripartite Agreement on IBSA Fund for Poverty Alleviation
i. The Union Cabinet on 18 November 2015 approved the signing of the Tripartite Agreement among India,
Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) on the IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger. The decision will help
in strengthening the IBSA Fund which is a unique vehicle in the context of South-South cooperation.
ii. The IBSA countries contribute 1 million US dollars each annually to the Fund, which till January 2015 has
accumulated to 28.2 million US dollars, with total implemented/approved projects commitment of 26.2 million
US dollars. Remaining 2.09 million US dollars is available for programming. India on its part has contributed 9.1
million US dollars so far to the Fund.
iii. The IBSA Fund undertakes development projects in third countries. The first project to be financed by the
IBSA Fund was in support of agriculture and livestock development. It was conferred with the South-South
Partnership Award at the 2006 UN Day event held in New York in December 2006.
iv. The IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger was set up in 2004 as one of the three pillars of
cooperation under the IBSA Dialogue Forum. The other two pillars are consultation and coordination on global
political issues and trilateral collaboration in concrete areas and projects.
7. WHO launched World Antibiotic Awareness Week with the theme Antibiotics: handle with care
i. The World Health Organisation (WHO) on 16 November 2015 launched the World Antibiotic Awareness Week
with the theme Antibiotics: handle with care.
ii. The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness and encourage best practices among the public, policymakers,
health and agriculture professionals to avoid the further emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance.
iii. The campaign is part of the WHOs recent efforts to fight against antibiotic resistance due to growing
misuse. In May 2015, the Sixty-eighth World Health Assembly a global action plan to improve awareness and
understanding of antimicrobial resistance through effective communication, education and training.
iv. Antibiotics, also known as antibacterials, are types of medications that destroy or slow down the growth of
bacteria in order to contain bacteria-caused illness. Though all bacteria are not harmful, few of them do cause
such illnesses as syphilis, tuberculosis, salmonella, and some forms of meningitis.
8. Justice T S Thakur appointed Chief Justice of India

i. The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 18 November 2015 appointed Justice Tirath Singh Thakur as the
Chief Justice of India. Justice Thakur will take over the office from 3 December 2015 as the 43rd Chief Justice of
India. His tenure will be till 3 January 2017.
ii. Justice Thakur was enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972 and joined the Chamber of his father D.D. Thakur.
He practised in Civil, Criminal, Constitutional, Taxation and Service matters in the High Court of Jammu &
Kashmir.
iii. He was elected as the President of the Bar Association in 1986 and was designated as a Senior Advocate in
1990. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir on 16 February 1994 and
later was transferred as Judge of the High Court of Karnataka in March 1994.
iv. In July 2004, he was transferred as a Judge of the High Court of Delhi. He was appointed as Acting Chief
Justice of Delhi High Court on 9 April 2008. He took over as Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab and
Haryana on 11 August 2008. He was elevated as Judge of Supreme Court and assumed the charge on 17
November 2009.
9. Indian Resource Panel (InRP) on Resource Efficiency constituted
i. Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar on 18 November 2015
announced formation of Indian Resource Panel (InRP) on Resource Efficiency. India is the first country to
constitute a National Resource Panel.
ii. The InRP was formed with an aim to promote sustainable development of the country by utilising secondary
resources to meet developmental needs.
iii. The four of the 10 members of the InRP are former environment secretaries and they are Viswanath N
Anand, RH Khwaja, Tishyarakshit Chatterjee and Prodipto Ghosh. Other six members are Ashok Khosla from
Development Alternatives, Director-General of Bureau of Energy Efficiency Ajay Mathur, Ravi Agarwal of Toxics
Link; CSE Director-General Sunita Narain, Seema Arora from CII and Prasad Modak of Environmental
Management Centre.
iii. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) will partner with relevant ministries of the
Union Government, private and public enterprises for creation of a facilitative environment for recycling to
promote sustainability and decouple growth from environment degradation.
10. CCEA approved disinvestment of 10 percent paid up equity capital in Coal India Limited
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 18 November 2015 approved the disinvestment of 10
percent paid up equity capital of Coal India Limited (CIL).
ii. With this disinvestment in CIL, the Union Government is expecting to mop up around 20000 crore rupees. As
at current market capitalisation, based on CIL stock price, 10 percent stake sale could fetch about 21137.71
crore rupees.
iii. This disinvestment implies divesting of 631636440 shares of Face Value of 10 rupees each out of the Union
Government shareholding of 78.65 percent through public offering in the domestic market. This figure has been
estimated after adjusting one percent equity to be offered for sale to the employees of CIL as per CCEA decision
in September 2014, which is under process of implementation.
iv. The paid up equity capital of the CIL is 6316 crore rupees. After the disinvestment of 10 percent equity, the
Government's shareholding in CIL would come down to 68.65 percent. The disinvestment transaction will be an
Offer for Sale (OFS) of shares by the Promoters through the Stock Exchange Mechanism method as per the
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Rules and Regulations.
11. Union Cabinet approved German as additional foreign language in Kendriya Vidyalayas
i. Union Cabinet on 18 November 2015 gave its ex-post approval to the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) between
the Ministry of Human Resource Development and Federal Foreign Office of Germany. The JDI seeks to promote
German as an additional Foreign Language in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) schools.
ii. With this approval, German language will now be taught as an additional foreign language in KVs in
conformity with the National Education Policy, 1986. The approval also gives green signal to promotion of
teaching of Modern Indian Languages in Germany.
iii. German was taught as a foreign language in KVs since September 2011 when a MoU was signed between
Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) and Goethe-Institute, Max Mueller. The validity of the MoU expired in
September 2014.
iv. Due to some inconsistencies in the MoU vis--vis National Education Policy and the National Curriculum
Framework relating to the three language formula, it was not renewed further.
12. Technology Acquisition & Development Fund under National Manufacturing Policy launched
i. Union Government on 18 November 2015 launched the Technology Acquisition and Development Fund (TADF)
under the National Manufacturing Policy, 2011. The TADF was launched by Minister of State for Commerce &
Industry Nirmala Sitharaman.
ii. The fund will facilitate acquisition of clean, green and energy efficient technologies. It will also catalyse the
manufacturing growth in Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector with an aim to contribute to Make
in India initiative.
iii. The scheme will be implemented through Global Innovation and Technology Alliance (GITA), a joint venture
company. GITA was launched in 2007-08 by CII and Department of Science & Technology to stimulate private
sector's investment in R&D.
iv. Proposals from Indian industry will be invited for reimbursement of 50 percent of technology transfer fee or
20 lakh rupees, whichever is lower.
v. Financial support will be provided in acquiring of patent from across the globe based on applications received
from MSMEs. Technology/Patent will be licensed to selected companies and the selected companies will get a
subsidy of 50 percent of the mutually agreed value or 20 lakh rupees.
13. India ratified Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 18 November 2015 gave its approval for
the ratification and submitting of the Articles of Agreement (AoA) of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
(AIIB).

ii. India will be the second-biggest shareholder with 8.4 percent, followed by Russia, which will have a 6.5
percent stake.
iii. Establishment of the AIIB will help India and other signatory countries to raise and avail resources for their
infrastructure and sustainable development projects. It will enable India to play a prominent role in the
governance of a multilateral institution.
iv. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a proposed international financial institution which is
focused on supporting infrastructure construction in the Asia-Pacific region.
v. The bank was proposed by China and supported by 37 regional and 20 non-regional Prospective Founding
Members, 53 of which have signed the AoA that form the legal basis for the proposed bank.
14. Delhi Government approved Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015
i. The Delhi Cabinet headed by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on 18 November 2015 approved the Delhi Jan
Lokpal Bill, 2015. The Bill envisages the establishment of an independent authority to investigate offences
under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It also covers the Chief Ministers Office.
ii. The bill drafted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia largely resembles the
provisions contained in Uttarakhand Lokayukta Bill, 2011.
iii. The bill prescribes time-bound investigation of offences within six months and states that as far as possible
the trial in such cases should be completed in six months. It also allows authorities to provisionally attach
assets acquired by corrupt means.
iv. It provides that punishment for any act of corruption cannot be less than six months and a maximum of 10
years. In rarest or rare cases, the corrupt public servant can be sentenced to life imprisonment. It seeks to bring
Delhi Police, Delhi Development Authority and municipal bodies under its ambit.
v. The Delhi Janlokpal Bill, 2015 is the newer version of Janlokpal Bill, 2014, that had led CM Arvind Kejriwal to
resign in February 2014 after being at the helm of Delhi Government for 49 days. He had resigned after the
version 2014 was unable to get through the legislative assembly.
15. Indian cyclists won five medals on the opening day of Track Asia Cup
i. Indian men and women elite cyclists on 18 November 2015 won five medals on the opening day of the Track
Asia Cup. The cyclists won one gold medal, three silver medals and one bronze medal at the event held in IG
Stadium Complex Velodrome, New Delhi.
1. Nitish Kumar sworn-in as Bihar Chief Minister
i. Senior JDU leader Nitish Kumar was sworn-in as Chief Minister of Bihar for the fifth time on 20 November
2015. The swearing-in ceremony was held at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna.
ii. Governor Ramnath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Nitish Kumar. He also administered
the oath of the office to other council of ministers belonging to RJD, JD(U) and Congress parties.
ii. RJD president Lalu Prasad's sons, first time MLA Tejaswi Prasad Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, were also sworn
in.
iv. In the elections held in five phases from October 12 October and 5 November 2015 Grand Alliance of
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Janata Dal (United) (JDU) and Indian National Congress (INC) emerged as the winner
of the election with thumping two-third majority. RJD, a part of the grand Alliance with 80 seats emerged as the
largest party.
2. TCS, Intel launched Centre of Excellence for IoT in Hyderabad
i. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India's largest software exporter, on 18 November 2015 launched a new
Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Internet of Things (IoT) in collaboration with Intel. The CoE is located at the TCS
campus in Hyderabad.
ii. Its focus is to integrate IoT solutions developed by TCS on Intel IoT platforms and to fast-track creation of
end-to-end solutions. It will augment developing new use cases for various industries for global customers in
manufacturing, retail, hi-tech, semiconductors, healthcare and telecom industries.
iii. It will enable the creation of indigenous and innovative solutions, establish a strong ecosystem of IoT, cloud
computing, and a software-defined network. It will help in creating new business opportunities; simplify product
development and help customers deal with rapid changes in technology.
iv. It refers to a network of internet connected devices which are embedded with electronic sensors and data
transmitting technologies. By using the Internet, the data collected by sensors in the IoT devices like cars,
power systems and even as small as tooth brushes transmitted to other networked devices and data processing
systems.
3. World Economic Forum released Global Gender Gap Report 2015
i. World Economic Forum (WEF) on 19 November 2015 released the Global Gender Gap Report 2015. It ranked
145 economies according to how well they are leveraging their female talent pool, based on economic,
educational, health-based and political indicators.
ii. As per the report, the global gender gap across health, education, economic opportunity and politics has
closed by only 4 percent in the past 10 years suggesting it will take another 118 years to close this gap
completely.
iii. And, out of the 145 countries surveyed, while Iceland topped the Gender Gap Index for the seventh year in a
row, India stood at the 108th position.
iv. Top 5 countries with high gender equality are Iceland (1), Norway (2), Finland (3), Sweden (4) and Ireland (5)
and five countries with least gender equality are Iran (141), Chad (142), Syria (143), Pakistan (144) and Yemen
(145).
v. Among the G20 countries, while India and Saudi Arabia have the lowest rate of labour participation (40
percent), the USA has the highest participation rate that is at around 80 percent.
vi. In Economic Participation and Opportunity segment, Indias performance was one of the lowest (139 rank)
among the surveyed countries. While the labour force participation rate among women was 29 percent, it was
83 among men.
4. 23rd APEC Economic Leaders Summit held at Manila
i. 23rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Summit was held at Manila, Philippines
from 18 November to 19 November 2015. The summit was chaired by Philippines President Benigno S. Aquino
III.

ii. The theme of the Summit was Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World. After the conclusion of
the summit, the leaders from 21 member-countries issued the 2015 Leaders Declaration titled Building
Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World: A Vision for an Asia-Pacific Community
iii. Peru will chair APEC throughout 2016 and host the 24th APEC Economic Leaders Meeting. The idea of APEC
was firstly publicly broached by former Prime Minister of Australia Bob Hawke during a speech in Seoul, Korea
on 31 January 1989. Ten months later, 12 Asia-Pacific economies met in Canberra, Australia to establish APEC.
iv. China, Hong Kong, China and Chinese Taipei joined in 1991. Mexico and Papua New Guinea followed in 1993.
Chile acceded in 1994. And in 1998, Peru, Russia and Viet Nam joined, taking the full membership to 21.
5. University of East London awarded honorary doctorate to Ashok Amritraj
i. Tennis champion-turned Hollywood filmmaker Ashok Amritraj on 19 November 2015 was awarded with an
honorary doctorate of Arts by the University of East London. Amritraj was honoured for promoting talented
moviemakers from across the world, including India.
ii. Born on 22 February 1956 in Chennai, Amritraj started his career as a tennis player who represented India on
an international level. He competed in doubles at Wimbledon and the US Open. He reached the third round of
the US Open in 1977. He also gained victories over Paul McNamee and his brother Vijay Amritraj in singles.
iii. His filmography as producer includes movies such as Bringing down the House, Premonition, Machete, Blue
Valentine and Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. He sat on the board of the Motion Picture and Television Fund
(MPTF) for seven years.
6. 7th Central Pay Commission submitted its report; recommended 23.55% hike
i. The 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) headed by Justice AK Mathur submitted its report on 19 November
2015 to the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The commission recommended 23.55 percent hike in pay and
allowances of government employees.
ii. The recommended pay revision will come into effect from 1 January 2016. The minimum pay for government
employees is recommended to be set at 18000 rupees per month. The maximum pay is recommended to be
225000 rupees per month for Apex Scale and 250000 per month for Cabinet Secretary and others presently at
the same pay level.
iii. The increase in pay will be 16 percent, increase in allowances will be 63 percent and increase in pension will
be 24 percent. The present system of pay bands and grade pay has been dispensed and a new pay matrix has
been designed. Grade Pay has been subsumed in the pay matrix. The status of the employee, determined by
grade pay, will now be determined by the level in the pay matrix.
iv. One Rank One Pension proposed for civilian government employees on line of OROP for armed forces.
Increase in Military Service Pay and revised pension formula for civil employees including Central Armed Police
Forces (CAPF) and Defence Personnel retiring before 1 January 2016.
7. CCEA approved extension of Indian Development and Economic Assistance Scheme
i. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on 18 November 2015 approved extension of Indian
Development and Economic Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) for five years from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The extension
was approved by the Prime Minister-headed CCEA in view of continued relevance of the scheme.
ii. During the extended period, about 3771 crore rupees will be utilized as part of the scheme. In fact, it was the
second extension since its inception in 2005-06. The first extension was granted in 2009-2010 for five years.
iii. IDEAS attempts to promote India's strategic political and economic interest abroad by positioning it as an
emerging economic power, investor country and partner for developing countries. The fund is towards
payment of Interest Equalization Support on Line of Credits (LoCs) to the lending bank.
iv. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) forwards the proposals for LoC to the Department of Economic Affairs
(DEA) of the Ministry of Finance. The LoC will be operated through Export Import Bank of India or any other
willing bank/ lending agency decided with the approval of Finance Minister.
8. UNHCR chosen for Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2015
i. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was on 19 November 2015 chosen for the
Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2015.
ii. A decision in this regard was taken by the international jury of the prize, headed by Vice President of India
Mohammad Hamid Ansari on the occasion of birth annniversary of Indira Gandhi. The UNHCR was chosen for
the award in recognition of its immense contributions in assisting millions of refugees in their rehabilitation and
resettlement.
iii. It was established on 14 December 1950 by the UN General Assembly with a mandate to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its headquarters is in
Geneva, Switzerland and operates in 123 countries across the world.
iv. Since its inception, it has helped tens of millions of refugees, returnees, internally displaced persons (IDPs)
and stateless people. Its ongoing work in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and the Mediterranean region to deal with the
European Migration Crisis has been appreciated worldwide.
v. It is the prestigious annual award accorded annually by Indira Gandhi Trust since 1986. It is presented to
individuals or organizations in recognition of creative efforts towards promoting international peace,
development and a new international economic order.
9. Srishti Pandey won Indiana FIDE Rating Chess Tournament
i. Maharashtras chess player Srishti Pandey on 18 November 2015 clinched the second Indiana All India FIDE
Rating Chess tournament. The tournament was organised by Nagpur Taluka Chess Association, which concluded
at Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti Hall, Reshimbagh, Nagpur. 1. ADB pledges $120 million loan to finance
India, Bangladesh electricity link under SASEC Programme
i. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to provide 120 million dollar loan in order to finance crossborder electricity link between Bangladesh and India under SASEC Programme. In this regard, loan agreement
was signed by ADB Country Director Kazuhiko Higuchi and Mohammad Mejbahuddin, Senior Secretary of
Bangladesh Finance Ministry.
ii. The loan fund would be used for Second Bangladesh-India Grid Inter connectivity project under the ambitious
South Asia Sub-regional Economic Co-operation (SASEC) Programme. The projects under SASEC Programme
aim to promote regional prosperity through improved cross-border links in trade, power, road and rail links
between India and Bangladesh.

iii. The second project under will double the existing capacity from 500 MW to 1000 MW of the inter-connectivity
link connecting power grid at Bheramara in western Bangladesh and the grid of eastern India at Bahrampur
(Odisha). It should be noted that the networks under the first project were connected in 2013 and was financed
by ADB under the SASEC Programme.
iv. Set up in 2001 to bring together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka in a project-based
partnership. This sub-regional partnership aims to Strengthening regional economic cooperation and boosting
trade among member countries.
2. Russia inks deal to build Egypts first nuclear plant at Dabaa
i. Russia has signed two agreements with Egypt to finance and build its first nuclear power plant at Dabaa on
the Mediterranean coast in the northwest of the country. As per one of the agreement, Russia will extend a loan
to Egypt to cover the cost of construction of the nuclear plant which is expected to be completed by 2022.
ii. Russia will grant a 35-year loan to the Egypt which is the Arab worlds most populous country. However in the
agreement the loan has been not disclosed as the details of the credit agreement are still under discussion.
iii. Dabaa Nuclear plant will be third-generation plant with four reactors with total capacity of 1,200 MW. On
completion the plant will make Egypt a regional leader in terms of civil nuclear technology.
iv. Since 1980s, Egypt has been pursuing its plan to have a peaceful nuclear programme for the production of
electricity at Dabaa. But the North African country had frozen its nuclear programme plans after disputes with
local residents due to the Chernobyl disaster in 1986.
3. Walmart offers entrepreneur development programme for women
i. Walmart India today announced an entrepreneur development programme for women, a move to encourage
women owned businesses (WOBs) in the supply chain. This will include softer payment terms for them in their
first year of empanelment with Walmart India.
ii. Speaking at the launch of Andhra Pradesh Rural Inclusive Growth Project on Thursday, Krish Iyer, President &
CEO, Walmart India, said, Andhra Pradesh will be one of the first states in India where we will start an
entrepreneurial programme for women in collaboration with Society for Elimination of Rural Poverty. Under this
programme, we will guide and advise aspiring women entrepreneurs in starting modern Kirana stores in their
communities.
iii. As an ongoing commitment to empowering women around the world and helping WOBs succeed and grow,
Walmart has committed to source $20 billion from women for its US business and double sourcing from women
in international markets, the statement said.
iv. Wal-Mart India Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores Inc., owns and operates 21 Best Price
Modern Wholesale stores in 9 states across India. The company plans to open 50 more stores by 2020.
v. Walmart has also trained 17,891 women with life skills in India through its Women in Factories (WiF) training
programme. Launched in 2011, WiF is working toward empowering 60,000 women working in 150 factories that
supply products to retailers in Bangladesh, Central America, China, and India.
4. AAI signed MoU with IL&FS to bolster overseas expansion
i. Airports Authority of India (AAI) on 20 November 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
IL&FS Global Financial Services to spread its wings overseas. IL&FS Global Financial Services is a subsidiary of
infrastructure giant IL&FS.
ii. Through this tie-up, AAI aims to go global from local, considering its expertise and capabilities in airport
development and operation and management. The authority will get an opportunity to identify airport
development opportunities in Middle East, Africa regions as well as in CIS countries.
iii. Over a period of time, AAI has developed more than 60 airports in metro and non-metro cities in India.
iv. Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS) is one of India's leading infrastructure
development and finance companies.
5. Rajasthan Government signed 295 MoUs attracting 3.3 lakh crore rupees investment
i. Rajasthan Government on 20 November 2015 signed 295 MoUs attracting about 3.3 lakh crore rupees
investment during the Resurgent Partnership Summit 2015. With this, a task force will be formed to get the
projects implemented in a time-bound manner.
ii. It aims to provide around 239694 lakh jobs in the state. The Energy sector got MoUs worth 190000 crore
rupees followed by Petroleum with 77657 crore rupees worth MoUs. Infrastructure got MoUs worth 17038 crore
rupees while Manufacturing sector of the state fetched MoUs worth 11760 crore rupees.
iii. Roads and Highways fetched 10000 crore rupees MoUs. Tourism was allotted with 5783 crore rupees MoUs,
Medical and Health with 4752 crore rupees MoUs, Agriculture with 2402 crore rupees and Education got 1807
crore rupees MoUs. Besides, award of sanctions in roads and highways got MoUs worth 25446 crore rupees.
iv. Adani Group Chief Gautam Adani announced to investing 10000 crore rupees in the state over the next four
years. Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla committed to invest 7000 crore rupees in the
cement sector.
6. Harshavardhan Neotia elected as President of FICCI
i. Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman of Ambuja Neotia group, was on 20 November 2015 elected as the President
of industry body Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) for the year 2016.
ii. Neotia will succeed the current FICCI President Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson and Managing Director of Bharat
Hotels Ltd, during the chamber's AGM in December 2015.
iii. Currently, Neotia is the Senior Vice President (VP) of FICCI. He is also a member of the Rajasthan Chief
Minister's Advisory Council and West Bengal Chief Minister's Core Committee on Industry.
iv. Harshavardhan Neotia is the Chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group that covers the entire spectrum of the Real
Estate industry including housing, hospitality, health care and education. In 1999, Neotia was conferred with
Padma Shri for his outstanding initiative in social housing.
7. Rajasthan, South Australia signed Sister-State Agreement
i. Rajasthan and South Australia on 20 November 2015 signed the historic Sister-State Agreement to boost
export and investment opportunities between the two states.
ii. The agreement was signed by South Australia Trade and Investment Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith
and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in Rajasthan.

iii. The sister-state relationship between South Australia and Rajasthan is based on a two-way exchange of
research, policy and technical capabilities. The agreement provides partnership opportunities across key
sectors where South Australian business will offer services and product support.
iv. The expertise of South Australia in sustainable water management will also play a critical role to further
improve water access and security for businesses and communities in Rajasthan.
v. In November 2015, the South Australian Government released research showing that 65000 South Australian
jobs are linked to international exports. It showed export jobs are not just limited to traditional export sectors
like agriculture but also to services, health care, communications, transport.
8. UN Security Council approved French-sponsored resolution urging action against ISIS
i. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on 20 November 2015 unanimously adopted a French-sponsored
resolution 2249 (2015) calling all nations to take all necessary measures to prevent and suppress the terrorist
acts of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other extremist groups.
1. Francois Hollande to be Chief Guest at 2016 Republic Day celebrations
i. French President Francois Hollande will be the Chief Guest at the 67th Republic Day parade of January 26,
2016. The announcement might have been finalised during the talks between French Foreign Minister Laurent
Fabius and his counterpart Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.
ii. The visit of Mr. Hollande to New Delhi for the mega event will be symbolic. It would also send a strong
message of a worldwide solidarity among the democratic countries against terrorism of the Islamic State (IS)
which had staged barbaric attacks on November 13, 2015 in Paris.
iii. Mr. Francois Hollande would be the 5th highest dignitary from France to be Chief Guest of Indian Republic
Day parade after Prime Minister Jacques Chirac (1976), President Valry Giscard dEstaing (1980), President
Jacques Chirac (1998) and President Nicolas Sarkozy (2008).
iv. With this invitation, France now holds distinction of being the guest of honour for the maximum five times of
Indian Republic Day parade followed by Bhutan (four times); Mauritius and USSR/Russia (three times each).
2. Swachh Delhi Abhiyan launched in Delhi
i. A special cleanliness drive, Swachh Delhi Abhiyan has been launched in the national capital Delhi to remove
debris and garbage lying in various localities. The drive was launched by Urban Development Minister Venkaiah
Naidu and shall continue in New Delhi till the end November 2015 month.
ii. Launched as part of Union Governments flagship Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. It is being undertaken up by the
Union Government, Delhi government and all the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi.
iii. Under the campaign, 3 municipal bodies in Delhi will clear the garbage and the concrete waste will be lifted
by the Public Works Department (PWD) of Delhi government.
iv. Earlier, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had launched a special mobile application to give a push to the
drive. Using this app and appilication people can send photographs of debris and garbage lying in their areas so
that the concerned agencies could take steps to remove them.
3. UP Governments Clean UP, Green UP initiative earns place in Guinness Book
i. Uttar Pradesh governments ambitious Clean UP, Green UP initiative has earned itself a place in the Guinness
Book of World Records. Under state governments green drive initiative 10 lakh saplings were planted in one
day within a span of eight hours on November 7, 2015 at 10 locations in the state.
ii. This new record has surpassed the earlier record for plantation of maximum number of tree that was 8 lakh
50 thousand trees in a single day. The certificate for UP Governments record-setting performance was awarded
to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the function held in Saifai in Etawah district.
iii. On the eve of state governments Clean UP, Green UP initiative Chief Minister himself had planted peepal
plant at Maudaha dam in Hamirpur district. The initiative was executed through coordinated efforts of state
forest, irrigation departments along with Noida and Greater Noida Authority.
4. Supersonic interceptor AAD missile successfully test fired
i. Indigenously developed supersonic Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile was successfully test fired
from the Abdul Kalam Island off the Odisha coast.
ii. The supersonic interceptor missile was launched after getting signals from tracking radars. The missile
moved through the trajectory path and destroyed the incoming electronically prepared target missile in mid-air
at an endo-atmospheric altitude. During the test, the kill effect of the interceptor missile was analysed from
data collected by multiple tracking sources.
iii. The interceptor AAD missile has been indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) under Ballistic Missile Defence Programme.
iv. AAD missile is capable of destroying any incoming ballistic missile at lower (endo-atmospheric) altitude,
giving full-fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system to country.
v. It is a 7.5-meter tall and single stage solid rocket
5. ASEAN leaders sign declaration for launching ASEAN Economic Community
i. Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders have signed a declaration for launching ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC) which would be similar to European Union (EU)-style regional economic bloc.
ii. In this regard, Kuala Lumpur declaration on the establishment of the AEC was signed by the leaders of 10nation grouping chaired by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak at its 27th Summit held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia. It was signed in front of world leaders including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
iii. AEC would make ASEAN a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour in the region.
Integrate Southeast Asias diverse 10 economies which has combine population of 620 million people and a
combined gross domestic product (GDP) of 2.4 trillion US dollars.
iv. Abolish tariffs on imports within the bloc member countries and promote the liberalization of service
industries such as retailing and tourism. Calls for more free movement of and skilled labour within the region
including of doctors, architects and others with special skills.
v. Apart from this AEC, ASEAN leaders also adopted the declaration on ASEAN 2025, forging ahead together.
The ASEAN 2025 document charts the path for building AEC over the next 10 years.
6. Mahatma Gandhi International Centre inaugurated in Matale by Sri Lankan President

i. The President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena on 22 November 2015 inaugurated the Mahatma Gandhi
International Centre (MGIC) inaugurated in Matale. The Indian High Commissioner YK Sinha was also present at
the inauguration ceremony.
ii. The center was inaugurated as a tribute to the contribution of Mahatma Gandhi to humanity and the
continuing relevance of his principles and philosophy to mankind.
iii. The centre was built at a cost of over 4 crore rupees. The Centre consists of an auditorium, library,
meditation centre and a conference hall. It was funded under the Indian government's Development
Cooperation Partnership with Sri Lanka.
iv. It will provide a platform to reinforce the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi and promote harmony among
different communities. It will enrich the lives of people through meditation and yoga and can also be used as a
resource centre for cultural activities. It will also help the youth to enhance their knowledge in various fields
through seminars, workshops and conferences.
7. Swati Dandekar appointed Executive Director to Asian Development Bank by Obama
i. Indian-American politician Swati Dandekar was on 20 November 2015 nominated as executive director to the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) with ambassadorial rank by US President Barack Obama.
ii. Dandekar, 64, will succeed Robert M Orr, who has held the position since 2010. Dandekar will serve as one of
12 international directors and hold the title of ambassador.
iii. Obama announced his intent to nominate Dandekar to this top US position in Asian Development Bank (ADB)
along with other key administration appointments and nominations.
iv. Swati Dandekar was the first-ever Indian-American to be elected to Iowa House of Representatives in 2003.
She was the first Indian-born American citizen to win a state legislature seat in the United States. She served in
the Iowa House and Senate from 2003 to 2009 until she was appointed to the Iowa Utilities Board in 2011.
8. Djokovic became 1st player to win ATP World Tour Finals for 4th consecutive time
i. World number one Novak Djokovic on 22 November 2015 won the season-ending ATP World Tour finals. In the
title clash played in London, Djokovic defeated third seed Roger Federer, in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.
ii. With this, he also became the first player to win ATP world tour finals for the fourth consecutive time. He also
surpassed Ivan Lendl's 1987 feat, when he had won his third straight Tour Finals title in New York.
iii. Overall, this was the fifth time that Djokovic won this tournament. He ends the year with 11 titles, including
three Grand Slams, taking his total to 10 majors.
iv. Besides, in the Doubles, the eighth seeded Indo-Romanian team of Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea has
ended as runner up. They lost to the second seeded Dutch-Romanian team of Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau,
6-4, 6-3.
v. Bopanna was appearing in his second season-end Finale, having reached the final with Mahesh Bhupathi in
2012.
9. India Juniors won 8th Men's Junior Asia hockey cup by defeating Pakistan
i. Indias junior mens hockey team on 22 November 2015 lifted the 8th Mens Junior Asia hockey cup. In the
finals played at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium in Kuantan, Malaysia, India defeated arch rivals Pakistan 6-2.
ii. Harmanpreet Singh was the top scorer with four goals, Armaan Qureshi and Manpreet chipped in with a goal
each. For Pakistan, the two goals were scored by Muhammad Yaqoob and Muhammad Dilber.
iii. Both nations have reached the final of Asias Premier Junior tournament six times in the last 27 years and on
22 November 2015 India and Pakistan squared off once again for the fourth time.
iv. Korea defended a 2-1 lead against Japan till the end to clinch the bronze medal. This was third bronze for
medal for Koreans in the 27-year history of the Junior Asia Cup.
10. Pankaj Advani clinches 15th world title
i. Indias most successful cueist Pankaj Advani added another feather in his cap by winning the IBSF World
Snooker Championship after battling past his Chinese opponent Zhua Xintong in the final to take his world title
count to 15. Advani, 30, once again mesmerised the green baize to prevail over the teenage sensation 8-6 in
the best-of-15 final at Sunrise Crystal Bay resort.
1. Urban Development Minister launched portal for small traders e-lala
i. Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu on 23 November 2015 inaugurated e-lala, an e-commerce
portal of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) in New Delhi. The e-lala initiative is aimed at promoting the
interests of 5.77 crore small businesses in the context of rapid expansion of e-commerce in the country.
ii. E-lala will enable physical stores to have their own online stores enabling them to retain their customer base
besides additional source of growth in business. E-lala, a city and location based portal, seeks to promote
business-to-business and trader-to-customer transactions in a city.
2. Rishi Gour appointed as Country President of Sodexo India On-site Services
i. Rishi Gour was on 23 November 2015 appointed as Country President of Support services company Sodexo
India On-site Services with effect from 1 September 2015.
ii. Gour joined Sodexo in 2011 and has since then worked towards the brand's promise of delivering quality of
life services to over 400 corporate, education and healthcare clients. Prior to joining Sodexo, Gour was
associated with WNS Global Services, Accenture and CITIL across various functional areas.
iii. He has a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT-Varanasi and a Post-Graduate degree in
Management from IIM Ahmedabad.
3. SEBI signed MoU with Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission on bilateral cooperation
i. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 22 November 2015 signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) on bilateral cooperation and technical
assistance.
ii. The MoU was signed by UK Sinha, Chairman, SEBI and Dr M Khairul Hossain, Chairman, BSEC at Dhaka,
Bangladesh. This MoU will further facilitate training and technical assistance program between the two
jurisdictions.
iii. The MoU seeks to promote further development of economic links and cooperation between the two
signatories. It aims at enhancing investor protection and creating conditions for an effective development of
securities markets in the two countries.

iv. In the past, SEBI has been actively engaging with the securities market regulators in the SAARC region. Till
date, SEBI has signed 20 bilateral MoUs with a number of countries. India and Bangladesh both are signatories
to the multilateral MoU of International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).
4. Marathi actor Prashant Damle selected for Dinanath Mangeshkar award
i. Noted Marathi actor Prashant Damle was on 23 November 2015 selected for the Master Dinanath Mangeshkar
Award. He will be conferred with the award by Lata Mangeshkar in April 2016 on the occasion of the death
anniversary of Master Dinanath.
ii. He was chosen for the award for his outstanding contribution in the field of theatre, film and music. The
announcement was made by Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar at the 100th show of Damle's Marathi play Karti
Kaljat Ghusli. Hridaynath was the chief guest for the 100th show of the the Marathi play.
iii. He is a leading actor of the Marathi theatre and has acted in numerous Marathi dramas, movies and
television serials for over 33 years. He has been associated with Marathi Theatre since 1983 and till date has
performed in 26 different plays and variety of roles.
iv. In the journey of performing arts, he has been honoured with many prestigious awards. Till date he has 4
Limca Book Records by his name. He has also performed in 37 Marathi Feature Films and 24 marathi serials.
v. Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar award was instituted in 1999 in the memory of Dinanath Mangeshkar, father of
Lata Mangeshkar. The prestigious annual award is given to personalities from Marathi and Hindi theatre, music
and films.
5. Kuldip Nayar honoured with Ramnath Goenka Lifetime Achievement Award
i. Kuldip Nayar, a veteran journalist, columnist and author was honoured with Ramnath Goenka Lifetime
Achievement Award on 23 November 2015. He was awarded for his contribution to journalism. He was
conferred with the award at the eighth edition of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence awards ceremony
held in Delhi.
ii. The award for the years 2013 and 2014 was handed over by Information and Broadcasting minister Arun
Jaitley, who also handed several awards in different categories to over 56 journalists for their exceptional
reportage in print as well as broadcast media.
iii. Kuldip Nayar is former editor of Indian Express. For leading a protest against the excesses of the
administration during the Emergency (21-month period in 197577), he was jailed under the Maintenance of
Internal Security Act (MISA). At the time of emergency, he was a Urdu press reporter.
iv. Some other awardees includeed Prakash Kardaley Memorial Award for Civic Journalism (2014), Prakash
Kardaley Memorial Award for Civic Journalism (2013),
6. Michael Keating appointed as Special Representative for Somalia and Head of UNSOM
i. The Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 23 November 2015 announced the appointment of Michael Keating of
United Kingdom as Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia
(UNSOM).
ii. Keating will succeed Nicholas Kay, who will complete his assignment in December 2015. Kay was associated
with UNSOM for over the past two and a half years.
iii. Keating along with him brings an extensive experience in supporting political and peace building transitions,
as well as leading complex humanitarian and recovery programs in Afghanistan, the Middle East, and Africa.
iv. While being Associate Director of Chatham House since 2012, he concurrently served as Senior Advisor to
the Secretary-Generals Special Envoy to Syria. He was Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary.
7. Joint Statement on enhanced Malaysia-India Strategic Partnership released
i. The Prime Minister of Malaysia Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 23
November 2015 released the Joint Statement on enhanced Malaysia-India Strategic Partnership during Narendra
Modi's official visit to Malaysia.
ii. The dialogue mechanisms at Ministerial and Official level between both the sides also provided a framework
to harness the full potential of the Strategic Partnership established between the two countries in October
2010.
iii. Both the leaders acknowledged the contribution made by Malaysia and India in promoting growth, economic
development and stability in the AsiaPacific region. Both the Prime Ministers also witnessed the signing of one
Agreement on Cultural Exchange Programme for 2015-2020.
8. Argentina's president-elect Macri promises an end to divisive politics
i. Mauricio Macri has upended Argentina's political establishment by defeating the ruling leftist party, in power
for more than 12 years, in Sunday's election.
ii. Mr. Macri, the scion of an influential family and a former president of a popular soccer clubs, tapped into a
groundswell of support among voters fatigued by the abrasive leadership of President Cristina Fernndez de
Kirchner.
iii. "The plan is to govern for everyone," he said, adding that he would seek cross-party dialogue. Progress, he
said in his victory speech hours earlier, "will not be the result of one enlightened person," alluding to President
Kirchner and other past leaders seen as centralizing power in the presidency and diminishing the role of other
branches of the government.
iv. Macri won with 51.4 percent of the vote in Sunday's runoff election, beating Daniel Scioli, who ran as
Kirchner's successor. Macri has promised market-oriented reforms to revive the economy. These could include a
currency devaluation, lower energy subsides, and easing protectionist policies like currency controls. He is also
likely to distance Argentina from Latin America's hard-left governments like that of Venezuela.
9. Noted labour economist T.S. Papola passes away
i. Noted labour economist Dr. T.S. Papola passed away in New Delhi. He was 74. He had served as an advisor
with the erstwhile Planning Commission of Union Government for eight years from 1987 to 1995.
ii. Papola was specialised in labour and employment, industrial economics, development planning, regional
development and enterprise development. Papola had over 4 decades of experience in teaching, research and
advisory assignments.
iii. He had taught at the various universities in India and abroad including in University of Lucknow and Bombay,
Indian Institute of Management (Ahmedabad) and University of Cambridge, UK.
10. HRD Ministry sets up exclusive panel on Sanskrit promotion

i. The human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry has constituted a 13-member expert committee exclusively
on Sanskrit in its attempt to revive interest in the ancient language.
i. Headed by N Gopalaswami, the former chief election commissioner (CEC) and now Chancellor of Rashtriya
Sanskrit Vidyapeeth in Tirupati, the committee has been asked to recommend measures to integrate the study
of the ancient language with other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, medical science and
law, suggest changes in Sanskrit education in schools and universities and recommend ways to impart Sanskrit
education through modern tools.
iii. The committee is also tasked with charting out an action plan to develop the language in the next 10 years.
iv. This is the second committee set up by the Smriti Irani-led ministry on Indian languages. Although the first
panels broader brief included promotion of classical languages, the second one is exclusively dedicated to
Sanskrit. Notified on November 18, the committee is expected to submit its report in three months.
11. Foodpanda ties up with IRCTC
i. Food ordering portal Foodpanda has tied up with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) for
order and delivery of food to the passengers. IRCTC is Indian railways catering, tourism and online ticketing
platform.
1. Nuclear-capable Dhanush missile successfully test fired from warship Subhadra
i. The nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile was successfully test fired from warship Subhadra, off the Puri
coast of Odisha in the Bay of Bengal. The test was conducted by Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and it was a perfect mission as the missile hit the target point with high degree of
accuracy.
ii. One of the five missiles indigenously developed by the DRDO under its strategic Integrated Guided Missile
Development Programme (IGMDP). The surface-to-surface missile is a naval variant of Prithvi-II missile and can
carry both conventional as well as a nuclear payload of 500 kg.
iii. The missile has a length of 8.53 meters and is 0.9 meter wide. It is single-stage, liquid propelled which can
hit both land and sea-based targets upto strike range of 350 kms. The missile already has been inducted into
the armed Services. Naval variant of the missile was first successfully tested in 2012.
2. Writer, Journalist Mahip Singh Passes Away
i. Writer, columnist and journalist Mahip Singh passed away at a private hospital in Gurgaon today after a brief
illness, family members said. He was 85.
ii. According to his family members, Singh was admitted to the hospital on November 16 when he faced
problems in breathing and he took his last breath at around 1 pm today. His last rites would be performed
tomorrow.
iii. Singh is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter. Singh was born on August 15, 1930 at a village in Unnao
district of Uttar Pradesh. His family later shifted to Kanpur.
iv. Collection of his first short stories 'Subah ke Phool' was published in 1959 and later on more than 20 short
stories collections were published. His famous novels include 'Ye Bhi Nhi', Abhi Shesh Hai' and 'Bich ki Dhoop'.
He had been editing literary magazine 'Sanchetna' for the past 45 years. He established Bhartiya Lekhak
Sangathan in 1978.
3. Japan successfully launches its first commercial satellite
i. Japan has successfully launched its first commercial satellite on 24 November 2015 as part its national space
programme. Japanese H-IIA rocket carrying Canadian TELSTAR 12V communications and broadcasting satellite
for operator Telesat was successfully lifted off from Tanegashima Space Centre (TSC).
ii. With this, Japan is entered into the commercial satellite launch business which is mainly dominated by
European and Russian companies.
iii. The first commercial satellite launch was overseen by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Japan is aiming to become a major player in the commercial satellite launching
business which is worth 2.5 billion dollars a year.
iv. India had launched its first commercial satellite successfully in 2007 using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) carrying Italian satellite AGILE for space exploration.
4. 2019 new deadline for completion of PMGSY
i. Union Government has reduced the deadline for completion of flagship Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
(PMGSY) for rural connectivity through all- weather roads from 2022 to 2019. The annual allocation of the
Central release for PMGSY works during year 2015-16 also has been increased by 5,000 crore rupees.
ii. With this, the total Central allocation to states under PMGSY would now be 15,100 crore rupees. By providing
enhanced financial allocation through a modified funding pattern in the PMGSY scheme, Government is seeking
to accelerate the implementation of rural connectivity.
iii. It is also considering giving financial incentives to the states achieving the targets allocated to them under
the PMGSY. Government also has accepted the recommendation of the Sub-Group of Chief Ministers on
Rationalization of Centrally Sponsored on modified sharing pattern.
iv. The sub group has recommended that fund sharing pattern of PMGSY between the Centre and States for all
states will be in the ratio of 60:40. But for all land locked 8 North Eastern states and 3 Himalayan states, the
fund sharing pattern of PMGSY between the Centre and States will be in the ratio of 90:10.
5. I-T dept launches PAN-based litigation management system
i. Aimed to reduce lengthy proceedings and time taken in litigation, the Income Tax department has activated a
PANbased online system which enables the taxman to access cases in their jurisdiction on a click, amongst a
building database of over 5 lakh appeals and 1.50 lakh judgments.
ii. The new facility is part of the National Judicial Reference System (NJRS), an electronic repository of cases
under the direct taxes category or income tax pending in legal forums like the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal
(ITAT), Authority for Advanced Ruling (AAR), various High Courts and the Supreme Court.
iii. The tax department is on a spree to ensure more and more number of people and taxpayers in the country
use the PAN card. It has recently launched a business application software which uses PAN to track all the
transactions and financial records of an individual and entity across the country.

iv. Authorities working in the resource management wing of the NJRS database said the facility will also be
made fully accessible for taxpayers in the near future so that they can check the status of their appeals on this
portal.
6. Karnataka launches 'Tourist Mitras'
i. The Department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka, along with the Karnataka State Tourism Development
Corporation (KSTDC) and the State Home Department, today launched in Bangalore Tourist Mitra, a 175member friendly force, to reinforce smooth and secure experiences for visitors to the states tourist spots.
ii. The launch was inaugurated by R.V. Deshpande, Minister for Large & Medium Industries and Tourism,
Government of Karnataka
iii. In the first phase of the project, 175 home guards underwent three weeks of lectures followed by practical
training for a month before stationing them across select destinations 13 districts.
iv. The training includes imparting basic language skills, lectures by senior tourism and police officers and
efforts are also underway to teach the guards conversational skills in Russian, Chinese, French and German
languages.
v. The mitras will have both static and patrol duties in the tourist locations. Presently, they will be on a 12-hour
duty and there would be special helplines as per the needs of the relevant districts.
7. Operation Inherent Resolve to tackle ISIS
i. US military operation for the intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Operation Inherent
Resolve (OIR) was in news in fourth week of November 2015. It came into news after the Paris terror attack on
13 November 2015 in which about 130 people were killed and several were injured.
ii. OIR is the US military operation name for the intervention against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS),
including both the campaign in Iraq and the campaign in Syria. Effective 22 September 2015, III Corps is
responsible for Combined Joint Task Force- Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR).
iii. There was news that French President Francoise Hollande wants to draw Russia closer to the 65-nation
coalition against ISIS. He looked forward to link Russia in the 65-nation coalition after Paris attack, the foreign
ministers of Russia and US stated that they would explore closer counterterrorism cooperation.
iv. Both the countries differ in their approach. On the one hand, Russia wants to achieve these objectives in the
order presented. On the other hand, US want to achieve the objective simultaneously and think that these
objectives are complementary to each other.
8. India-Singapore signed 10 agreements on mutual co-operation
i. India and Singapore on 24 November 2015 signed 10 agreements on mutual co-operation. These include
Defence, Civil Aviation, National Planning and cyber Security.
ii. The agreements were signed in presence of Prime Minster of Narendra Modi and Singapore Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong. Narendra Modi was on a two-day visit to Singapore (23 November to 24 November 2015).
iii. Agreement on the Extension of Loan of Artifacts to the Asian Civilisations Museum of Singapore Executive
Programme on Cooperation in the Fields of the Arts, Heritage, Archives and Library for the Years 2015-2018.
iv. Operationalisation of the Technical Agreement on Sharing White Shipping Information was signed between
the Indian Navy and the Singapore Navy signed on 21 July 2015.
v. Different MoUs signed are
MoU on Cooperation in the area of Cyber Security
MoU in Civil Aviation
MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Planning
MoU on Cooperation to Combat Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substance and their Precursors
9. Union Government announced 10 New/Revised Schemes for Disabled Persons under the National
Trust
i. Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot on 24 November 2015 announced
the launching of 10 new/revised schemes for the disabled persons in New Delhi.
These schemes were launched under the National Trust for the welfare of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy,
Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities.
ii. The list of the schemes are:
DISHA: Early Intervention and School Readiness Scheme
VIKAAS: Day Care Scheme
SAMARTH: Respite Care Scheme
GHARAUNDA: Group Home for Adults Scheme
NIRAMAYA: Health Insurance Scheme
SAHYOGI: Caregiver training scheme
GYAN PRABHA: Educational support Scheme
PRERNA: Marketing Assistance Scheme
SAMBHAV: Aids and Assisted Devices Scheme
BADHTE KADAM: Awareness and Community Interaction Scheme
iii. he also announced to increase the number of categories of disability from 7 to 19, so that more number of
disabled could be brought into the ambit of Governments new initiatives.
iv. Further, a new website http://thenationaltrust.gov.in/content/ for the National Trust was launched. This new
website is made disabled friendly, more interactive. Registration of NGOs and paying donations can be done in
the website itself.
10. 10th East Asia Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
i. The 10th East Asia Summit (EAS) was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The years summit held under the
theme Our People, Our Community, Our Vision. It was the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the East
Asia Summit.
ii. The summit was chaired by the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak and attended by the Heads of
State/Government of ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, Russia and the
United States of America.

iii. The 2005 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Establishment of the EAS. The 2010 Ha Noi Declaration on the
Commemoration of the 5th Anniversary of the EAS. The 2011 Declaration of the EAS on the Principles for
Mutually Beneficial Relations
11. Anju Bobby George appointed Chairperson of Target Olympic Podium Scheme
i. Anju Bobby George, the former long jump world champion, was on 24 November 2015 appointed as the
chairperson of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). She will be assuming the charge in the first week of
December 2015.
ii. Her appointment was approved by the Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. The post of the chairperson
was lying vacant after the resignation of Anurag Thakur, the BJP parliamentarian and Secretary, Board for
Control of Cricket in India (BCCI).
iii. She is presently a member of the TOPS' identification committee, which also includes national badminton
coach Pullela Gopichand and former Indian cricket captain Rahul Dravid.
iv. Anju from Kerala was the first Indian athlete who won the bronze medal in the World Athletics Championships
held in Paris in 2003.
v. In 2005, she with a jump of 6.75 meters had won a silver medal at the Monte Carlo World Athletics
Championships. However, in 2014, she was declared winner of Monte Carlo Athletic Championship by the IAAF
following disqualification of Gold Medalist Tatyana Kotova of Russia for doping.
vi. The TOP Scheme under the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) was formulated with the objective of
identifying and supporting potential medal prospects for 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. The focused
disciplines of the scheme were Athletics, Archery, Badminton, Boxing, Wrestling and Shooting.
12. Ministry of Railways, TERI University signed MoU to set up Railway Chair on Sustainable
Mobility
i. The Ministry of Railways and TERI University on 23 November 2015 signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to set up Railway Chair on Sustainable Mobility at the premises of TERI University.
ii. The MoU was signed by Rajiv Seth, Vice Chancellor, TERI University and Manoj Pandey, ED of Training and
Man Power, Ministry of Railways. The Chair would focus and promote research on issues of sustainable mobility,
use of energy efficient technology and green energy initiatives.
iii. It will be called Indian Railways Chair for Sustainable Mobility. It will focus on research in various aspects of
railways that emerged as a crucial mode of transport to achieve sustainable development in the country. It will
aim for imparting knowledge and enriching professionals in all aspects of sustainability with a multi-dimensional
perspective relevant to Indian Railways. 1. Sunil Kanoria appointed as President of ASSOCHAM
i. Sunil Kanoria was on 25 November 2015 appointed as the President of The Associated Chamber of Commerce
and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Kanoria has succeeded Rana Kapoor, Yes Bank Managing Director and CEO.
ii. Kanoria has an impeccable record as an expert in the field of finance. He has been instrumental in bringing
over 34000 crore rupees of consolidated assets under SREI which became one of the first NBFCs to get listed on
the London Stock Exchange.
iii. Kanoria is the Vice Chairman of reputed non-banking finance company SREI Infrastructure Finance Limited.
He is also the joint Managing Director of SREI BNP Paribas, a joint-venture between SREI Infrastructure Finance
Limited and BNP Paribas Leasing Group, France.
iv. He is currently a council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) as a nominee of the
Union Government. He conceptualized the brand Quippo, the country's largest infrastructure equipment rental
company.
v. He has been associated with several industry associations - Construction Industry Development Council
(CIDC), Hire Purchase and Lease Association, Kolkata (HPLA), Merchants' Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata (MCC)
and Federation of Indian Hire Purchase Association (FIHPA).
2. National Milk Day observed in India
i. The National Milk Day (NMD) was on 26 November 2015 observed across India to mark 94th birth anniversary
of the Father of the White Revolution Dr Verghese Kurien. The idea of observing National Milk Day was first
mooted by Indian Dairy Association (IDA) in 2014 on the lines of World Milk Day that is observed on 1 June
every year under the aegis of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
ii. The first NMD was observed on 26 November 2014 by all Indian diary sector majors including National Dairy
Development Board (NDDB), IDA along with around 22 state level milk federations.
iii. Dr. Verghese Kurien is also known as the Milkman of India and the architect of Operation Flood, the idea that
transformed India from a milk-deficit country into the worlds largest milk producer. He founded around 30
institutions of excellence (like AMUL, GCMMF, IRMA, NDDB) which are owned, managed by farmers and run by
professionals.
iv. Kurien was pioneer in establishment and success of the Amul brand of dairy products. Under his
chairmanship, Amul achieved key invention of milk powder processed from buffalo milk. In 1963, he received
Ramon Magsaysay Award and in 1989, he was named for the World Food Prize by World Food Prize, USA.
3. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women observed
i. International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women was observed across the world on 25
November 2015. The day is observed to raise awareness about violence against women and discuss solutions
that would work for women community.
i. The observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women will be marked by
organisation of an event called Orange the world: End violence against women and girls across the world.
iii. The event is being organized under the UN Secretary Generals Campaign called UNiTE to End Violence
against Women. As part of the event, 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence Campaign will be held
from 25 November 2015 to 10 December 2015 (Human Rights Day).
iv. The 16 Days of Activism Campaign will see coming together of governments, UN agencies, civil society
organizations and individuals from all countries of the world to step up efforts to end violence against women
and girls.
v. The Day was observed in India by lighting the iconic India Gate in orange colour, as a part of global Orange
the World event. The event was organised by UN Women Indian along with UNFPA India, UNDP and UN in India

as part of the United Nations global campaign that is set to continue till 10 December, designated as the UNs
Human Rights Day.
4. 26th November: Constitution Day
i. The Constitution Day of India is being observed on 26th November to spread awareness of Indian
Constitution and its architecture Dr. B R Ambedkar.
ii. On the day in 1949, constitution of India was adopted which came into force on January 26, 1950 marking the
beginning of a new era in the history of free India.
iii. 2015 Constitution Day is the first edition of this day and part of year-long nationwide celebrations of 125th
birth Anniversary of Dr. B R Ambedkar, Chairman of the Drafting Committee of Constituent Assembly. Union
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJE) is the nodal Ministry for celebration of Constitution Day.
iv. It has organised number of activities on the occasion of the first Constitution Day in order to spread
awareness the supreme law of the country and living document which makes the government system work
effectively.
5. India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile
i. India today successfully test-fired its indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II missile, which has a
strike range of 350 km, as part of a user trial by the army. The missile test was carried out from a mobile
launcher from launch complex-3 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur near here at 1210 hrs.
ii. The surface-to-surface Prithvi-II missile is capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of warheads and is thrusted
by liquid propulsion twin engines. It uses advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit
its target.
iii. The downrange teams on board a ship deployed near the designated impact point in the Bay of Bengal
monitored the terminal events and splashdown, they said.
iv. Inducted into Indias armed forces in 2003, Prithvi-II, the first missile to be developed by DRDO under Indias
prestigious IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program), is now a proven technology.
v. Such training launches clearly indicate Indias operational readiness to meet any eventuality and also
establishes the reliability of this deterrent component of the countrys strategic arsenal, they said. The last user
trial of Prithvi-II was successfully conducted on February 19, 2015, from the same test range in Odisha.
6. Nitish announces liquor ban in Bihar from April 1
i. Bihar will go dry from April 1, 2016, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Chief Minister made the announcement
a part of his election pledge at an official function to mark Prohibition Day here. He said the poorest of the
poor had been consuming liquor, badly hitting their families and their childrens education.
ii. Increasing liquor consumption was also a major cause for domestic violence, particularly against women, and
had contributed to a rise in crimes. Women are suffering more than anyone else due to increasing liquor
consumption, he said.
iii. An official at the Chief Ministers office said Mr. Kumar took the decision after a high-level meeting with
officials here. In July, Mr. Kumar had declared that prohibition would be imposed if he retained power in the
assembly elections. Bihar Excise and Prohibition Minister Abdul Jalil Mastan had earlier said that the state
government would soon take steps to impose a liquor ban.
iv. The decision is expected to derail the governments financial health. The excise department went into an
overdrive in 2007 following a new policy and started issuing licences for marketing liquor across the state. The
revenue collection of excise department registered a more than 10-fold jump, from Rs.319 crore in 2005-06 to
Rs.3,650 crore in 2014-15.
7. ISB to host Angel Summit in Hyderabad on Nov 28
i. Angel Hub is holding the first edition of The Angel Summit at the Indian School of Business (ISB) campus in
Hyderabad on November 28. The day-long meet would have several women entrepreneurs and executives
speaking on their experiences in building enterprises, raising funds and managing the entities.
ii. Women from various fields such as business, art, technology and cinema will discuss issues to foster
awareness, inspiration and turn ideas that matter into action, Sita Pallacholla, founder and Chief Executive
Officer of The Angel Hub, has said.
iii. About 20 start-ups, mostly founded or managed by women entrepreneurs, would pitch in their ideas to angel
and venture capital funds. A panel discussion on Be The Captain of Your Own Ship Rising in Leadership Roles
and Staying On Top would focus on the challenges involved in building businesses and growing up the
executive ladder.
8. Ratan Tata invests in Singapores data start-up
i. Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata has invested an unspecified amount in Crayon Data, a Singaporebased startup. Given Tatas experience and knowledge of our key focus verticals, we are excited by his
validation of our vision. We hope to tap into his experience as we scale globally and fulfill our ambitions of
mapping the worlds choices, Crayon co-founder Srikant Sastri said in a statement from Singapore on Tuesday.
1. Dhoni becomes brand ambassador for Dubai-based company
i. Indias ODI cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has bagged his first endorsement deal outside the country,
signing up to be the brand ambassador of Dubai-based hospitality and event management company Grand
Midwest Group for three years.
ii. Established by UAE businessman Zafar Shah Khan, the Grand Midwest Group owns hotel properties in Dubai,
UK and Ireland. The company also has interests in the entertainment business in India and currently owns a
local cricket team in the UAE.
iii. The groups event management arm GM Sports was recently in the news for announcing the launch of
a Twenty20 international cricket tournament called the Masters Champions League (MCL), which is scheduled to
be played starting end of January next year.
2. HSBC to shut down private banking business in India
i. HSBC Holdings Plc is shutting its private banking unit in India, marking the exit of another foreign bank from
the cut-throat wealth management business in Asia's third-largest economy.
ii. Many foreign wealth managers had scrambled to open up shop in India a few years ago and aggressively
ramped up operations to take advantage of robust economic growth, only to find themselves struggling.

iii. Even though India's economy has been minting millionaires at a strong pace, it has failed to translate into
profits for the foreign wealth managers that have set up teams of well-paid bankers to help manage those
riches.
iv. Banks including Royal Bank of Scotland and Morgan Stanley have sold their onshore India private banking
units in the recent past, as part of their global business restructuring.
v. The Mumbai-based HSBC spokesman said it would offer private banking clients the choice to move to HSBC
Premier, the bank's global retail banking and wealth management platform. The process is likely to be
completed in the first quarter of 2016.
3. Govt. extends RuPay insurance cover period
i. The government has extended the usage criterion of the RuPay debit cards in order to avail of the in-built
insurance cover, according to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Finance. Earlier, cardholders had to
use the card within 45 days prior to claim the insurance claim. This has now been extended to 90 days.
i. One of the stipulations of meeting the claim under Accidental Death and/or Permanent Disablement was that
the RuPay Card holder has to carry-out at least one successful financial or non-financial transactionsup to 45
days prior to the date of incident resulting into Accidental death / Permanent Disability. This condition was
posing problem to the RuPay Card holders, according to the statement.
iii. The National Payment Corporation has extended the usage clause to 90 days for RuPay Classic cardholders
fromNovember 25.
iv. Only accidents arising on or after November 25 will be considered for the extended period. Claim intimations
on accidents having occurred before November 25 will remain under the previous eligibility criterion of 45 days.
v. Under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana 16.54 crore accounts have been provided a RuPay debit card.
4. Israel tests Barak-8 missile co-developed with India
i. The Israeli military has conducted another successful test of the Barak-8 missile, jointly developed with India,
as it intercepted a small drone simulating an enemy target, defence sources said. In the first of its kind
operation test on Thursday, Barak 8 missile fired from an Israeli Navy ship successfully intercepted an enemy
target registering 100 per cent success, Israeli military sources told PTI.
ii. INS Kolkata is the Indian ship likely to be used for the testing as the launchers and radars to track missiles
are already installed on the vessel. The missile is being jointly developed by the Defence Research &
Development Organisation (DRDO), Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israels Administration for the
Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and other companies.
iii. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will be assigned the task of producing the missiles with 32 initial ones to be
fitted on INS Kolkata. Israeli security sources said that the advanced surface-to-air missile system will be
deployed to secure the countrys offshore gas fields.
iv. The system will extend the range of Israels aerial defence and should be operational in about two years. It
will also help defend Israeli navy ships from anti-ship missiles like the Yakhont missile which is believed to be
possessed by Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah and poses a major threat to Israels security.
v. The Barak-8, an upgraded version of the Barak missile system already being used by India and Israel, is
designed to defend naval vessels against incoming missiles, planes and drones.
5. Canara Bank CSR drive
i. Canara Bank has tied up with the Navodhan Charitable Foundation in its efforts for timely detection of cancer.
It has helped the foundation acquire a mobile cancer detection unit fitted with the best facilities as part of its
corporate social responsibility (CSR) drive.
ii. To coincide with the launch the mobile unit, the Bank will join the Foundation to host a one-day cancer
detection camp at its Circle Office here on Friday.
iii. VS Sivakumar, Minister of Health, will launch the camp in the presence of Elizabeth Antony, founding
president of the foundation, and N Sivasankaran, General Manager, Canara Bank.
6. India successfully test-fires Agni-I missile
i. India today successfully test-fired the indigenously built nuclear-capable Agni-I missile, capable of hitting a
target at a distance of 700 km, from a test range off the Odisha coast as part of Strategic Forces Command
(SFC) training exercise.
ii. The surface-to-surface, single-stage missile, powered by solid propellants, was test-fired from a mobile
launcher at 1002 hours from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler
Island).
iii. The trajectory of the trial was tracked by a battery of sophisticated radars, telemetry observation stations,
electro-optic instruments and naval ships from its launch till the missile hit the target area with accuracy, they
said.
iv. The Agni-I missile is equipped with a sophisticated navigation system which ensures it reaches the target
with a high degree of accuracy and precision.
v. The missile, which has already been inducted into the armed forces, has proved its excellent performance in
terms of range, accuracy and lethality, the sources said. Weighing 12 tonnes, the 15-metre-long Agni-I is
designed to carry a payload of more than one tonne. Its strike range can be extended by reducing the payload.
7. RBI permitted Foreign Portfolio Investors to buy Defaulted Bonds
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 26 November 2015 permitted the Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) to buy
fully or partly defaulted bonds in the repayment of principal on maturity or principal installment in the case of
amortising bond. The permission was given as part of the drive to promote investments by FPIs in corporate
bonds.
ii. The revised maturity period of such NCDs/bonds that are restructured based on negotiations with the issuing
Indian company should be three years or more.
iii. The FPI that proposes to acquire such NCDs/bonds under default should disclose to the Debenture Trustees
the terms of their offer to the existing debenture holders from whom they are acquiring.
iv. Such investment should be within the overall limit prescribed for corporate debt from time to time (currently
2443.23 billion rupees). All other existing conditions for investment by FPIs in the debt market remain
unchanged.
8. World Robot Olympiad, 2015 held in Doha; 2016 session to be held in Delhi

i. World Robot Olympiad (WRO), 2015 was held in Doha, Qatar from 6 November to 8 November 2015. The
2015 session of the event was held with theme Robot Explorers. The event saw participation of students from
more than 55 countries.
ii. This is the first time in the history of WRO that Indian students were able to win three medals (1Gold & 2
Silver) and one position (Eighth).
iii. Storm Divers from Ahmadabad won first rank. Participants included Aaman Shah, Aarav Savla and Shaurya
Goenka. Thunder Divers from Ahmadabad won second rank. Participants included Vir Gandhi, Ishan Patel and
Param Adani.
iv. Shadow Bots from Delhi won second rank. Participants included Jayant Sharma, Aman Thakur and Rohan
Verma. Path Finders from Delhi won eighth rank. Participants included Dhariya Gupta, Ishaan Saini and Laxman
Prasad.
v. Teams from over 225 different schools across India participated in this event to showcase their talent and
creativity. The Indian delegation was led by Arvind Manjit Singh, JS (Culture).
vi. Besides, the Minister of State (Independent charge) for Culture and Tourism Dr Mahesh Sharma on 26
November 2015 announced that for the first time the 13th World Robot Olympiad will be held in Delhi in
November 2016. It will be organized by National Council of Science Museums (NCSM) with India STEM
Foundation (ISF).
9. GRSE handed over ASW Corvette 'Kadmatt' to Indian Navy
i. The second Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette Kadmatt built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers
Limited (GRSE) was formally handed over to Indian Navy at Kolkata on 26 November 2015. The Corvette would
be joining the Eastern Fleet shortly.
ii. The super-sophisticated frontline warship was handed over by Rear Admiral (Retd) AK Verma, Chairman and
Managing Director of GRSE to the Commanding Officer of the ship Mahesh C Moudgil.
iii. The ship is equipped with total atmospheric control ventilation system making it fully capable to fight in
nuclear, biological and chemical warfare environments.
iv. It is 109 metres long with a displacement of 3200 tons. It has a maximum speed of 25 Knots. It is designed
to accommodate 17 officers and 106 sailors. Its main role is to protect nation's maritime interests against
possible submarine attack. It is a potent platform for neutralising the enemy submarines using weapons like
torpedoes, rocket launchers and helicopter.
v. It has been built in the country with indigenously developed special grade high-tensile (DMR249A) steel
produced by the Steel Authority of India. Its hull encompasses the bulk of sensors and weapon systems which
are also indigenously manufactured.
10. South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise 2015 concluded
i. The South Asian Annual Disaster Management Exercise (SAADMEx) 2015 was on 26 November 2015
concluded by the Union Government in Delhi. This was the first-ever joint exercise to be conducted by the
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) of India.
ii. This joint exercise was attended by South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member
countries from 23 November to 26 November 2015. The member countries are Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
iii. It aimed to synchronise efforts to institutionalise regional cooperation on disaster response among SAARC
member countries. The main focus was to test the inter-governmental coordination, create synergy and
synchronise efforts to institutionalise regional cooperation on disaster response among the member countries
of SAARC.
iv. Through the exercise, the important aspects of responding to disasters by pooling of resources/expertise
were addressed. Joint Field Training Exercise on Collapsed Structure Search & Rescue (CSSR) techniques was
conducted by NDRF with active participation of all eight member nations of SAARC.
v. In the Joint Field Training Exercise, NDRF successfully painted the real disaster like scenario that was dealt by
the Rescue Team of each SAARC nation to understand their CSSR capabilities. Joint Field Training Exercise on
Chemical Emergency was also conducted by NDRF with active participation of SAARC nations where rescue
teams of these countries promptly responded to the scenario of leakage of gases that was painted by NDRF.
11. Union Government approved 3120 crore rupees investment for infra boost in 102 AMRUT cities
i. The Ministry of Urban Development on 26 November 2015 approved an investment of 3120 crore rupees
investment plans for basic urban infrastructure boost for 102 cities approved under Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
ii. The plans will enhance water supply, sewerage network services, storm water drains, non-motorised
transport and availability of public spaces in 102 cities, under AMRUT.
iii. Besides, an inter-ministerial Apex Committee approved State level Annual Action Plans for 2015-16 with an
investment of 438 crore rupees for Haryana (18 AMRUT cities), 573 crore rupees for Chattisgarh (9 AMRUT
cities), 416 crore rupees for Telangana (12 AMRUT cities), 588 crore rupees for Kerala (9 AMRUT cities) and
1105 crore rupees for West Bengal (54 AMRUT cities).
iv. The Apex Committee approved investments in different basic urban infrastructure areas as proposed by
respective state governments. Ministry of Urban Development will provide an assistance 1540 crore rupees
which is about 50 perecnt of total approved project expenditure. Total investment in water supply projects in 58
mission states will be 2386 crore rupees.
v. Sewerage projects will demand an investment of 495 crore rupees in 17 cities. A total of 106 crore rupees will
be invested on storm water drains in 9 cities. Urban transport will seek an investment of 61 crore rupees in 9
cities. Around 72 crore rupees will be invested on development of parks and green spaces in all the 102 cities.
12. Australia, New Zealand started playing the historic first day-night Test at Adelaide Oval
i. First day-night Test will be played at the Adelaide Oval from 27 November to 1 December 2015 with a pink
Kookaburra ball.
ii. For the first time in 138 years, a Test match will be played with a ball that is not red. For the first time in 138
years, a Test match will be played at night. Test Number 2188 will have a five-day limit, six-ball overs and a pink
ball.

1. RBI granted in-principle approval to NPCI to function as the central unit for Bharat Bill Payment
Systems
i. The Reserve Bank of India on 24 November 2015 decided to grant in principle approval to the National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to function as the Bharat Bill Payment Central Unit (BBPCU) in Bharat Bill
Payment System (BBPS).
ii. The BBPS is an integrated bill payment system which will function as a tiered structure for operating the bill
payment system in the country with a single brand image providing convenience of anytime anywhere bill
payment to customers.
iii. As the central unit, NPCI will set necessary operational, technical and business standards for the entire
system and its participants. Besides, NPCI will undertake clearing and settlement activities. The present scope
of BBPS will include utility bill payments, such as, electricity, water, gas, telephone and Direct-to-Home (DTH).
iv. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) was incorporated in December 2008 and the Certificate of
Commencement of Business was issued in April 2009. It has been incorporated as a Section 25 company under
Companies Act.
2. P Uday Bhaskar appointed as Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission
i. P Uday Bhaskar was on 26 November 2015 appointed as the Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Public Service
Commission (APPSC). The post has been lying vacant for quite some time now. There had been no permanent
Chairman of the APPSC since 2014. Sivanarayana, who is one of the member of APPSC, had been the Interim
Chairman but he retired in June 2015.
ii. Dr Uday Bhaskar is a professor of Civil Engineering and Director of Foreign Universities and Alumni Relations
of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada (JNTU-K).
iii. He is also the Director of evaluation at the JNTU-K. He worked at JNTU-K in various capacities including head
of civil engineering, chief coordinator of several consultancy and research projects.
iv. He published more than 20 research papers in the national and international journals and conferences. Dr
Uday Bhaskar did his Post Graduation and Doctoral degrees in Environmental Engineering from Indian Institute
of Technology, Kanpur.
3. Patricia Scotland appointed as Secretary General of Commonwealth of Nations
i. Dominica-born British lawyer Patricia Scotland was on 27 November 2015 appointed as the Secretary General
of the Commonwealth of Nations. With this, Patricia become the first British citizen and first woman as well to
hold the role in the 66-year history of 53-member Commonwealth.
ii. Scotland succeeds India's Kamalesh Sharma and will join the office on 1 April 2016. She will receive a salary
of nearly 160000 British Pound as well as a four storey mansion in Mayfair. She was selected during the 24th
biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta on 27 November 2015.
iii. Scotland was the first black woman to be made a Queens Council in 1991. Patricia Scotland is prominent
lawyer and was created Baroness Scotland of Asthal in 1997. She became a member of House of Lords (Upper
House) of the British parliament in 1997.
iv. The Commonwealth Secretary-General is the head of the Commonwealth Secretariat, the central body that
has served the Commonwealth of Nations since its establishment in 1965. The Secretary-General can now
serve a maximum of two four-year terms.
4. RBI granted in-principle approval to three applicants for setting up TReDS
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 24 November 2015 granted in-principle approval to three applicants to set
up and operate Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS). The three organisations have been asked to set
and operate TReDS in accordance to the Guidelines issued on 3 December 2014 under the Payment and
Settlement System (PSS) Act 2007.
ii. Organisations which got in-principle approval was granted are
NSE Strategic Investment Corporation Limited (NSICL) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI),
Mumbai. Axis Bank Limited, Mumbai
Mynd Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, Haryana
iii. The in-principle approval granted will be valid for a period of 6 months, during which time the applicants
have to comply with the requirements under the Guidelines and fulfill the other conditions as may be stipulated
by the Reserve Bank.
iv. On being satisfied that the applicants have complied with the requisite conditions laid down by it as part of
in-principle approval, the RBI would consider granting to them a Certificate of Authorisation for commencement
of the business of TReDS.
5. UNESCO Fellini medal to be awarded at IFFI for the first time
i. The UNESCO Fellini medal will be awarded in India for the first time at the 46th International Film Festival of
India (IFFI) in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication
(ICFT), Paris. The medal is given to a film that reflects UNESCOs ideals.
ii. The Fellini medal was unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1995. The medal holds a double
significance - to honour Italian director Federico Fellinis contribution to film as an art form, and to
commemorate the centenary of the birth of cinema (1895-1995). Italian painter Valerio Adami designed the
fragmented, interlocking images of the medal.
iii. The obverse side features a profile of Fellini with his signature hat, facing the inscription 8 1/2, the title of
one of the most famous films in the history of cinema. The reverse is inscribed Fellini (1920-1993) UNESCO.
6. India to launch $1-b equity fund for renewable energy
i. India proposes to launch a $1-billion equity fund, with seed capital from public sector units, to support
renewable energy companies.
ii. Addressing a Talkathon ahead of the 2015 Paris Climate Conference or COP-21, Piyush Goyal Minister of
State (Independent Charge) Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy, said, While we hope the Paris talks will
help developed countries provide long-tenor low-cost funding, we are also preparing ourselves to see how we
can finance our renewable energy thrust.
1. Mahesh Gupta takes over as PHDCCI President

i. The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) has a new President in Mahesh Gupta. Gupta, a
seasoned entrepreneur, is currently Chairman of Kent RO Systems Ltd, which is a leading player in water
purifier industry.
ii. He is a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from IIT Kanpur (1975) and Post Graduate in Petroleum
Conservation from IIP, Dehradun. Gupta succeeds Alok Shriram who demited office as PHDCCI President on
Friday.
iii. Kent RO Systems Ltd is an Indian healthcare products company, headquartered in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. It
makes water purifiers, based on the process of Reverse Osmosis (RO) purification. Kent is a household brand
with more than 40% market share in RO Water Purifiers.
iv. Gupta started his entrepreneurial journey in 1999 from scratch by inventing the countrys first dual
technology water purifier.
2. Dubai bank Mashreq appoints new retail bank head
i. Nov 26 Mashreq, Dubai's third-biggest bank by assets, said on Thursday Subroto Som had been appointed
head of its retail banking group.
ii. The former Standard Chartered banker takes over from Farhad Irani, who is leaving after almost five years at
the helm to rejoin his family in Australia, Mashreq said in a statement.
iii. Som's last assignment with Standard Chartered was head of consumer banking for the ASEAN region, the
statement said. (Reporting By Tom Arnold. Editing by Jane Merriman)
3. Saudi Arabia Women to Vote and Contest in Municipal Elections for the First time
i. For the first time, Saudi Arabia allowed women to vote and contest in municipal elections. As per a royal
decree issued in 2011, the authorities on 29 November 2015 allowed 979 women to register and campaign for
284 municipal councils.
ii. They were out of the total 6917 registered candidates who obtained campaign permits from the authorities in
the capital Riyadh.
iii. Earlier, Saudi Arabia held municipal elections in 2005 and 2011, but only men were allowed to take part.
iv. At present, women make up a quarter of the country's Shura Council (Consultative Assembly of Saudi
Arabia), an unelected body appointed by the king that can propose laws but cannot pass them.
4. Three-day Mayyazhi Mahotsavam kicked off in Mahe, Puducherry
i. The Mayyazhi Mahotsavam (Fete de Mahe), a three-day cultural extravaganza, started on 29 November 2015
at Mahe, Puducherry. The festival is being organised jointly by the Department of Tourism and the Legislative
Assembly Secretariat at Mahe, which is Puducherrys exclave in Kerala. The festival will conclude on 1
December 2015.
ii. The Aayi Mandapam, the main venue, will witness the performance of artists of national and international
acclaim. A parade of classical and folk-ritual art forms, including Kathakali, Mohiniyattam and Theyyam, are
part of the fete.
iii. E. Valsaraj, long-serving Mahe MLA, will be felicitated on his completion of 25 years of distinguished service
in the constituency. Valsarajs paintings will also be featured at an exhibition. There will be the performances by
playback singers Chithra and Mano.
iv. Actress Remya Nambeesan will perform Lasyam, a type of dance. Artists camp, painting and photo
exhibitions, seminar on Waste is Wealth and a debate will also be held.
5. Hyundai launches traffic safety campaign
i. The country's second largest passenger car manufacturer Hyundai Motor India (HMIL) on Monday launched its
CSR initiative -- Safe Move-Traffic Safety Campaign -- in association with the Ministry of Road Transport and
Highways.
ii. The campaign constitutes four main pillars -- 'Safe move, green move, happy move and easy move' -- to
promote best practices of road and traffic safety habits among children.
iii. The initiative will have both online and offline engagement channels.
iv. "It is our responsibility to apprise children about the importance of traffic safety for a better future. Children
are the future of a nation and 'traffic safety campaign' is an effort to reach out to the children to educate them
with best practices of the traffic safety," YK Koo, Managing Director, HMIL, said.
v. As Hyundai's corporate brand ambassador, actor Shah Rukh Khan will participate in this CSR initiative.
6. Interceptor boat ICGS C-422 commissioned into Indian Coast Guard service
i. Indian Coast Guard has commissioned interceptor boat ICGS C-422 into its fleet to further enhance its vigil
along Pondicherry and South Tamil Nadu coast in the Bay of Bengal.
ii. It was commissioned in a traditional ceremony held at Karaikal port in Tamil Nadu by Puducherry Assembly
Speaker V Sabapathy.
iii. ICGS C-422 is the 36th interceptor boat to be inducted into the Coast Guard service. The boat is capable of
multiple tasks including interdiction, surveillance and search and rescue.
iv. It has been fitted with state-of-the-art communication, navigational equipment along with adequate fire
power. Presently, Indian Coast Guard has two fast patrol vessels ICGS Rani Durgavati and ICGS Ameya along
with two interceptor boats C-428 and C-415 stationed at Karaikal port.
7. Great Britain defeated Belgium to win 2015 Davis Cup tennis title
i. Great Britain on 29 November 2015 won the 2015 Davis Cup tennis title by defeating Belgium 3-1 at Ghent in
Belgium. While Leon Smith was the captain of the winning team, Andy Murray played a crucial role in the
victory as he beat Belgium's David Goffin to clinch the decisive point.
ii. Murray beat Goffin by 6-3 7-5 6-3 to give Great Britain 3-1 lead in the best-of-five tie. With this win, Murray
joined John McEnroe and Mats Wilander as the only men to have an 8-0 singles record in a Davis Cup year.
iii. For Great Britain, it was the first title since 1936 which was won by defeating Australia. Overall, it was the
tenth title for the team in the competitions 116-year history.
iv. It is the premier international team event in men's tennis and considered as the world cup of tennis. It is run
by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries
in a knock-out format.

v. It began in 1900 as a challenge between Great Britain and the United States. The women's equivalent of the
Davis Cup is the Fed Cup. So far, Australia, the Czech Republic and the United States are the only countries to
have held both Davis Cup and Fed Cup titles in the same year.
8. ICC suspended West Indies spinner Sunil Narine for illegal bowling action
i. International Cricket Council (ICC) on 29 November 2015 suspended West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine from
bowling in international cricket with immediate effect. The ICC took a decision after an independent assessment
found his bowling action to be illegal.
ii. Thereafter, a test was performed on 17 November 2015 at the ICC's accredited testing centre in
Loughborough University. The assessment revealed that all variations of his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees
level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.
iii. Narine's bowling action was reported after the third ODI match against Sri Lanka in Pallekele on 7 November
2015.
iv. In accordance with Article 6.1 of the regulations, Narines international suspension will also be recognised
and enforced by all National Cricket Federations within domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction.
9. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg won 2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
i. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg on 29 November 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix title at
the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, UAE. To win the title, the German driver defeated the defending champion
and his team mate Lewis Hamilton of the UK.
1. UN chief launched Anticipate, Absorb, Reshape Initiative to build climate resilience
i. The United Nations (UN) Chief Ban Ki-moon along with the agencies of the UN system on 30 November 2015
launched initiative titled Anticipate, Absorb, Reshape to build climate resilience in the worlds most vulnerable
countries.
ii. The initiative was launched during the United Nations climate change conference (COP21) in Paris. The
initiative was launched in the wake of economic losses that have increased by more than half over the past
decade. Ecosystems, and food and water supplies are under increasing pressure.
iii. It will strengthen the ability of countries to anticipate hazards, absorb shocks, and reshape development to
reduce climate risks. It is expected to address the needs of the nearly 634 million people, or a tenth of the
global population who live in at-risk coastal areas just a few meters above existing sea levels.
iv. It will also help those living in areas at risk of droughts and floods. It will mobilize financing and knowledge;
create and operationalize partnerships at scale, help coordinate activities to help reach tangible results,
catalyze research, and develop new tools over the next five years.
2. IMF approved China's Yuan as Elite Reserve Currency
i. International Monetary Fund (IMF) on 30 November 2015 included China's Yuan into its elite reserve currency
basket. Yuan's entry into the basket takes effect from 1 October 2016.
ii. Yuan also known as the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) was included in the basket after it met the existing criteria
for its inclusion. The action was taken after the executive board at IMF completed the regular five-yearly review
of the basket of currencies that make up the Special Drawing Right (SDR).
iii. Yuan will be a freely usable currency and will be included in the SDR basket as a fifth currency, along with
the US Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and British Pound. Launching the new SDR basket on 1 October 2016 will
provide sufficient lead time for the Fund, its members and other SDR users to adjust to these changes.
iv. The inclusion of the RMB will enhance the attractiveness of the SDR by diversifying the basket and making it
more representative of the worlds major currencies. Inclusion of Yuan in the SDR is considered as a big political
victory for China as Yuans desirability as a reserve currency for investors will increase and undermine the
hegemony of the dollar as a global reserve currency.
v. The SDR basket, upon which the SDRs value is based, is typically reviewed every five years by the IMFs
executive board. It is reviewed to ensure that it reflects the relative importance of currencies in the global
trading and financial systems.
3. World leaders launched Mission Innovation for accelerating clean energy revolution
i. World leaders on 30 November 2015 launched Mission Innovation for accelerating clean energy revolution
across the world. The mission was launched by 20 participating countries, including India, at the United Nations
Climate Change Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris-Le Bourget, France.
ii. As part o
f this initiative, the participating countries double their clean energy research and development funding by
2020. And, it was launched alongside Bill Gates led Breakthrough Energy Coalition that aims at reducing
demand for fossil fuels.
iii. It aims to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean
energy widely affordable. It will augment the efforts to provide affordable and reliable energy for everyone and
to promote economic growth.
iv. Working with existing international institutions, participating countries will cooperate and collaborate to help
governments, private investors and technology innovators. The collaboration will cover areas such as- sharing
of data, technology expertise and analysis in order to promote commercialization and dissemination of clean
energy technologies.
4. Hinduja Brothers received lifetime achievement award at Asian Business Leadership Forum 2015
i. Hinduja Brothers on 29 November 2015 were honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at
the annual Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series in Dubai. The prestigious award recognizes the most
powerful and influential business leaders.
ii. ABLF Series' Royal Patron and the UAE's Minister of Culture Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan presented the
award to Gopichand P Hinduja, Co-Chairman, Hinduja Group of Companies, The Hinduja Group, UK.
iii. The Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) Series is Asias most prestigious annual business leadership
event series. The ABLF enjoys royal patronage in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
iv. The ABLF is headed by the Governors Board who are responsible for shaping and projecting the vision, path
and broad scope of the ABLF. The ABLF Series has two distinct arms: The ABLForum and the ABLF Awards.
5. Dr Abdul Kalam IGNITE award presented by President Pranab Mukherjee

i. President Pranab Mukharjee on 30 November 2015 presented Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE awards 2015 to a
total of 40 school students of 27 districts from 18 states. The awards were given away for 31 grass root
innovations at the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A). At present, President is on a
three day visit to Gujarat.
ii. Besides, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel instructed Gujarat government and IIMA to implement some
of its innovations targeted to ease out the work of farmers and hawkers in the state.
iii. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam IGNITE Award is a national competition of original technological ideas and innovations by
children up to class 12 or those out of school up to the age of 17 years.
iv. The competition is organized by National Innovation Foundation (NIF) in association with Central Board of
Secondary Education (CBSE), Honey Bee Network, other State Educational Boards and other partners every
year to promote creativity and originality among children.
v. The awards of IGNITE competition are announced every year on 15 October, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam's birthday,
which is celebrated as the Children's Creativity and Innovation Day by NIF.
6. Robert Lewandowski awarded with four Guinness World Record certificates for scoring five goals
in nine minutes
i. Polish professional footballer Robert Lewandowskis nine-minute, five-goal haul for German Football Club
Bayern Munich against Wolfsburg was officially recognised on 30 November 2015 by Guinness World Record.
ii. Lewandowski was presented with four separate official Guinness World Records certificates for his goal
scoring spree during a special press conference which took place at Bayern Munichs ground.
iii. On 22 September 2015, the Polish star scored five goals during the league encounter with Wolfsburg in nine
minutes, the fastest in any major European football league since records have been kept.
iv. He broke a series of records including Fastest Bundesliga hat-trick (3 minutes 22 seconds), Fastest Four
Goals in a Bundesliga Match (5 minutes 42 seconds), Fastest Five Goals Scored in a Bundesliga Match (8
minutes 59 seconds), Most Goals Scored by a Substitute in a Bundesliga Match (5 goals).
v. Lewandowski started his career at Varsovia, where as a teen he played for seven years. Soon, he moved to
Delta Warsaw where he managed to play in the first team, scoring four goals. On 3 January 2015, he signed a
five-year contract with Bayern Munich. He was officially presented as a Bayern Munich player on 9 July 2014.
7. Union Government launched IPV injection as part of Global Polio Endgame Strategy
i. The Union Government on 30 November 2015 launched the injectable Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) as part
of its commitment to the Global Polio Endgame Strategy.
ii. The IPV injection was launched in New Delhi by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda. It is
part of next step in India's universal immunization programme to fight against polio in the country.
iii. The first phase this vaccine will be introduced in six states, viz Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya
Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. IPV injection will be given to children below one year of age along with the third
dose of the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) at the routine immunization sessions free of cost.
iv. New evidences now clearly show that IPV and OPV together will further strengthen the childrens immune
system and will provide double protection against polio. The introduction of IPV in routine immunization is as
per recommendation made in World Health Assembly in May 2015 and endorsed by Global Polio Endgame
Strategy.
v. IPV will roll-out to 126 countries which are only using OPV in the National program and it will be the largest
and fastest globally-coordinated vaccine introduction project in history.
8. NMPT holds trade meet in Mysore
i. New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT), in association with Mysore Chamber of Commerce and Industry and
Nanjangud Industries Association, organized a trade meet in Mysore recently.
ii. A press release by NMPT said here on Monday that the exporters of commodities such as textiles, tyres,
automobile parts, machinery, agarbathis, pharmaceuticals, etc., and mainline container operators attended the
meet.
iii. The purpose of the meet was to interact with importers and exporters of Karnataka, especially from the
Mysore-Nanjangud region, where a large volume of container cargo is generated.
iv. PC Parida, Chairman of NMPT, requested the trade and industry to make use of New Mangalore Port, which is
close to Mysore, for moving their cargo. He also explained about the infrastructure and ongoing developmental
works at the port.
v. Suresh P Shirwadkar, Deputy Chairman of NMPT; AS Satish, President of Mysore Chamber of Commerce and
Industry; and Ram Prasad, Secretary of Nanjangud Industries Association, spoke on the occasion.
9. Russian film-maker Eldar Ryazanov died
i. Eldar Ryazanov, one of the most popular Russian film directors of the Soviet era, died on 30 November 2015
following the prolonged illness. He was 88.
1. Union Government launches GIAN Scheme to boost higher education
i. Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has launched Global Initiative of Academic Networks
(GIAN) Scheme to boost the quality of higher education in India. It was launched by Union HRD Minister Smriti
Irani at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campus.
ii. GIAN Scheme aims at improving the quality of higher education in the country through international
collaboration. Facilitate participation of high quality international academicians for delivering short-term
courses and programs in Indian institutions.
iii. Initially 500 international faculties will be engaged in conducting courses and later in subsequent years 1000
faculties would be engaged under GIAN throughout India. Under this scheme, academicians will cover 13
disciplines and 352 courses to be taught in 68 national institutions.
iv. These courses will vary in duration from one to three weeks depending on the subject and will be free for
students of the host institution and available for nominal fees for others. These courses will be webcasted live
for students across the country through web portal www.gian.iitkgp.ac.in designed by IIT Kharagpur.
2. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery Observed globally

i. The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was observed globally on 2 December 2015. The day is
observed to focus on the elimination of human trafficking, child labour and other forms of modern-day slavery.
ii. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), there are currently an estimated 21 million forced
labour victims worldwide, creating 150 billion US dollars in illegal profits in the private economy each year.
iii. To tackle with the situation, ILO has adopted a new legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global
efforts to eliminate forced labour and which will enter into force in November 2016.
iv. International Day for the Abolition of Slavery marks the date of adoption of the United Nations Convention
for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others by UN General
Assembly on 2 December 1929.
v. The day focuses on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual
exploitation, and the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use
in armed conflict.
3. India, France launched International Solar Alliance
i. India and France on 30 November 2015 launched the International Solar Alliance in Paris. The alliance was
launched jointly by PM Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande during the United Nations climate
change conference (COP21).
ii. The alliance also invited all countries located fully or partly between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn to
join the group. It will function from the National Institute of Solar Energy in India, Gurgaon.
iii. It aims to bring 121 tropical countries together to tap solar energy. The Alliance will enable solar-rich
developing countries to make the best use of an abundant, free natural resource. It seeks to share collective
ambitions to reduce the cost of finance and technology that is needed to deploy solar power widely.
iv. It would adapt the generation and storage technologies to the individual countries needs. Among the tasks
that the Alliance would pursue are, cooperation in training, building institutions, regulatory issues, common
standards, and investment including joint ventures.
4. Delhi Development Authority awarded with E-India Award
i. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was on 1 December 2015 awarded with the E-India Award for
adopting technology to serve the public better and using resources efficiently through mobile applications.
ii. The award was received by VS Tomar, Director (Systems) DDA during the e-INDIA SUMMIT 2015 in Mumbai.
iii. It bagged the award under the category of Digital India IT initiatives for extraordinary IT initiatives in the field
of land protection and engineering projects. It was awarded for the vacant land photo uploading system app
wherein officials of the land and engineering department upload photographs of vacant land to keep a check on
encroachment.
iv. The second award winning app of DDA was the Measurement Books for e-filing of measurement of
engineering projects for exact estimation of parameters and project requirements.
5. Renowned violinist L Subramaniam to be honoured with ITC Sangeet Samman
i. Renowned violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam will be honoured with the Sangeet Samman at the ITC
Sangeet Sammelan 2015 beginning on 4 December 2015 at the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata. The ITC
Sangeet Research Academy Executive Director Rabi Srinibasan on 1 December 2015 announced the name of
the artist for the award.
ii. Born on 23 July 1947, Subramaniam was trained in the classical Carnatic music tradition and Western
classical music. The artiste is known for his virtuoso playing techniques and compositions in orchestral fusion.
iii. The violinist has also composed the film scores for the films like Salaam Bombay and Mississippi Masala
directed by Mira Nair.
iv. Subramaniam has been awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Limca Book of Records in 2012. He
also won the President's Award for Best Violinist, All India Radio in 1963. In 2001, the renowned violinist was
honoured with the Padma Bhushan.
6. Sarangi maestro Ustad Sabri Khan passed away
i. Renowned sarangi player Ustad Sabri Khan died on 30 November 2015 in New Delhi due to breathing
problems. He was 88. Born on 21 May 1927 in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, Khan belonged to the Sainia Gharana,
which traces the tradition of its music back to Tansen.
ii. The sarangi maestro was initiated into Sarangi by his grandfather Ustad Haji Mohammed Khan. Later, Sabri
Khan continued his training under his father Ustad Chajju Khan.
iii. For his contribution to the Classical Music of India, Ustad Sabri Khan had received numerous honours and
awards, including the Sahitya Kala Parishad Award, UP Sangeet Natak Academy iv. Award, National Sangeet
Natak Academy Award. The Government of India also honoured him with the prestigious Padma Shree Award in
1992 and Padma Bhushan Award in 2006.
7. President gave nod to Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to allow women to work in night shifts
i. President Pranab Mukherjee on 1 December 2015 gave assent to Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2015 of
Maharashtra. Among other things, the bill amends Section 66(1)(c) of the Factories Act, 1948 that restricts
women from working at a factory between 7 PM and 6 AM.
ii. The Factories (Amendment) Bill, 2015 was passed by the Maharashtra legislature in July 2015. Later, it was
reserved for consideration of the President by the State Governor C Vidyasagar Rao under article 200 of the
Constitution.
iii. The other proposed changes to the Factories Act, 1948 include
(a) Workers to be eligible for paid leave after working for 90 days in a year instead of the existing 240 days or
more.
(b) It would not be mandatory for workers to take the management's permission for overtime, the limit for
which in three months will be increased to 115 hours from the current 75.
(c) It will prevent inspectors from filing cases on petty matters against factories and consequently, will help in
curbing corruption and harassment from factory inspectors.
(d) If a factory inspector has to file a case, he has to take prior permission from the chief factory inspector.
iv. The decision of the state government to change the 67-year-old existing law will bring a much needed help
for workers working in more than 14000 factories across the state.
8. Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan assumed Presidency of the Royal Society.

i. Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan on 1 December 2015 assumed Presidency of the Royal Society in London. He
was elected to the office in March 2015 by the societys council and will serve for up to five years.
ii. With this appointment, he became the 61st president of the society. And, he joined the elite club that has
included Christopher Wren, Samuel Pepys, Isaac Newton, Joseph Banks, Humphry Davy, and Ernest Rutherford.
iii. He studied how genetic information is translated by the ribosome to make proteins and the action of
antibiotics on this process. The Indian-American scientist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan received the Nobel Prize
for Chemistry in 2009 with Tom Steitz and Ada Yonath. He was awarded a knighthood in 2012
iv. He has a B.Sc in physics from Baroda University, India and a PhD from Ohio University in the USA. He studied
biology at the University of California, San Diego and worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Yale University.
Subsequently, he was a biophysicist at Brookhaven National Laboratory and professor of biochemistry at the
University of Utah before he moved to the UK in 1999.
9. Indias Thakur Anoop Singh won gold medal in World Bodybuilding and Physique Championships
i. Indias Thakur Anoop Singh on 28 November 2015 won gold medal in the 7th WBPF World Bodybuilding and
Physique Championships.
ii. He won the medal in the fitness physique category. Overall, India won 11 medals in the championships that
saw participation from 47 nations. The championships were held in Bangkok, Thailand.
1. Justice Tirath Singh Thakur sworn in as 43rd Chief Justice of India
i. Justice Tirath Singh (TS) Thakur was on 3 December 2015 sworn in as 43rd Chief Justice of India (CJI) by
President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. Thakur succeeded incumbent Justice H L Dattu
who retired on 2 December 2015.
ii. He will have the tenure as CJI for over one year and will retire on 4 January 2017. Born on 4 January 1952,
Justice Thakur enrolled as a Pleader in October 1972. He was designated as a senior advocate in 1990.
iii. In February 1994, he was appointed as an additional judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and was
transferred as a judge of the Karnataka High Court in March 1994. He was appointed as a permanent judge in
September 1995 and transferred to the Delhi High Court in July 2004.
iv. He was appointed as acting Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court in April 2008 and in August 2008, he took
over as Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court
on 17 November 2009.
2. Industrialist MAM Ramaswamy died
i. Industrialist, founder of Chettinad Group, former parliamentarian MAM Ramaswamy passed away on 2
December 2015 in Chennai due to prolonged illness. He was 84.
ii. Popularly known as MAMR in political, business and sports circles, Ramaswamy was born on 30 September
1931 into a respected family in the Nattukottai Chettiar community, also known as The Rajah Family.
iii. MAMRs grandfather Rajah Sir Annamalai Chettiar and his father Rajah Sir MA Muthiah Chettiar along with his
uncles MRM Ramanathan Chettiar and MA Chidambaram Chettiar built the Chettinad Group into a business
empire in Tamil Nadu.
iv. MAMR transformed the Annamalai University in Chidambaram, founded by his family in 1929, into an
institution with 48 departments.
v. The industrialist also served as the Member of the Parliament of India representing Karnataka in the Rajya
Sabha.
3. Adidas Indias Pulin Kumar won prestigious INBA Award
i. Pulin Kumar, Group Senior Legal and Compliance Director of Adidas India, on 26 November 2015 was
conferred with the Indian National Bar Association's (INBA) General Counsel of the year 2015 - Retail Award in
New Delhi.
ii. Senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani presented the award to Kumar on the occasion of INBA's Annual International
Conference-66th National Law Day. The Indian National Bar Association has constituted 12 awards categories
for general counsel in the field of technology, infrastructure, real estate, retail, corporate, privacy and data
protection, law firm and insurance.
iii. INBA Awards also acknowledge top women lawyers, young women general counsel, young emerging lawyers
and global general counsel. Every year, INBA invites nominations for the awards. The jury panel for
consideration of the awards constitute renowned people from the legal field.
4. Union Cabinet approved signing of MoU between India and Iran on visa facilitation
i. The Union Cabinet on 2 December 2015 approved the signing of the agreement between India and Iran on
visa facilitation for Diplomatic, Official/Service and Ordinary passport holders.
ii. As per the agreement, upon presentation of an official note by the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs along with
the visa application, the resident Diplomatic Missions in the host country would, within 20 working days, issue a
gratis visa valid for 90 days for the holders of valid Diplomatic/Official/Service passports, assigned on long-term
missions to the Diplomatic Missions or the Consulates General.
iii. Appropriate gratis visas of three months' validity for visiting close family members (blood relations such as
parents, siblings, adult children as well as in-laws) and visas for other close relatives of the assignees, on the
payment of visa fees due would be issued.
iv. The agreement says that on presentation of an official note by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating the
purpose of the visit, a non-extendable gratis entry visa will be issued within three working days, with a validity
of up to fifteen days, to political authorities and officials travelling for specific bilateral purposes or to
participate in a conference or seminar.
v. This Agreement can be amended at any time as decided and mutually agreed upon in writing by the Parties.
Any dispute arising out of the interpretation, implementation or application of any provision of this Agreement
shall be settled amicably through consultation or negotiation between the Parties.
5. Navy inducts decoy system Maareech
i. A fully indigenous decoy system, that can divert underwater torpedo attacks on ships and submarines, has
been developed by Visakhapatnam-based Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL).
ii. The torpedo defence system, Maareech, was recently inducted into the Indian Navy. Maareech has been
termed a complete package involving sensors and decoys for defence against torpedoes.

iii. Maareech is a joint project of the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, Kochi, and NSTL. Sources
said two production-grade Maareech systems have been developed and user evaluation trials were completed
onboard two Indian Navy ships.
iv. Maareech is capable of diverting incoming torpedoes and is an advanced version of the regular decoys.
While submarines use decoys as anti-torpedo systems, the system has been developed for the first time for
surface ships.
v. Maareech has been termed an excellent model of synergy between the DRDO (Defence Research and
Development Organisation), Indian Navy, and public and private industries.
6. Brazil entered longest recession since 1930s
i. Brazils economy contracted by 1.7 percent during July-September 2015 compared to April-June period in
2015. An announcement in this regard was made by the government on 1 December 2015.
ii. It was Brazil's third consecutive quarter of contraction starting from January 2015 and thus, making it the
country's longest recession since the 1930s.
iii. Inflation rose to over 10 percent, the highest in 12 years, in October 2015. Unemployment rate was pegged
at 8.9 percent during July-September 2015 up from 6.8 percent in 2014-15. Due to lower earnings, household
spending fell by 4.5 percent during July-September 2015.
7. Union Government approved setting up of 6 new IITs
i. The Union Cabinet on 2 December 2015 approved setting up of six new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in
Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Goa, Jammu, Kerala and Karnataka.
ii. The Cabinet also approved the operationalisation of these IITs by forming Societies under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860 in order to give a legal status to them till the amendment for their incorporation in The
Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 is enacted.
iii. Each new IIT will have an initial intake of 180 students in its first year from temporary / transit which would
increase to 450 in the second year and to 928 in the third year of their operation. The new IITs will be operated
from their temporary campuses for the initial period of three years before shifting into their permanent
campuses in the 4th year.
8. Indian-American Dr Vijay M Rao named as Chairperson of RSNA
i. Indian-American Dr Vijay M Rao was named as the chairperson of the prestigious Radiological Society of North
America (RSNA) Board of Directors on 2 December 2015.
ii. As the chairperson at RSNA, Dr Rao brings her expertise in health services and policy matters to bear in a
shifting healthcare landscape of increasing complexity and declining reimbursements.
ii. At the time of appointment in RSNA, Dr Rao was the David C Levin Professor and Chairperson of Radiology at
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University.
9. Vijay Kumar Choudhary elected as Bihar Assembly Speaker
i. Senior Janata Dal (United) leader Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on 2 December 2015 was unanimously elected new
Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. Chaudhary was elected to the post after consensus was generated
on his name among all political parties of the state, including the opposition.
ii. The pro-tem Speaker and Congress MLA Sadanand Singh announced the election of Chaudhary as the new
Speaker.
iii. Chaudhary debuted in politics after untimely demise of his legislator father in 1982. In the same year, he
won the subsequent by-election from Dalsinghsarai on a Congress ticket.
10. Union Cabinet approved DTAC agreement with Japan
i. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2 December 2015 approved signing and
ratification of Protocol between India and Japan for amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC)
in order to facilitate tax-related exchange of information.
ii. DTAC was signed between the two countries in 1989 for avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal
evasion through a protocol.
iii. The protocol will facilitate exchange of information as per accepted international standards on tax matters,
including bank information and information without domestic tax interest.
11. Axis Bank launches country's first 'display variant' debit card
i. Country's third largest private sector lender Axis BankBSE 0.70 % today said it has launched a 'display
variant' debit card which does away with the hassles of generating one time password (OTP) over SMS while
transacting.
ii. The card, which is being made available for high-value NRE customers, has an embedded EMV chip, a display
screen and a touch-sensitive button which helps generating the OTP on the card itself.
1. ICBC to become Tata Groups strategic banking partner
i. Tata Sons Ltd and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) have formed a long-term partnership,
under which ICBC will become a strategic banking partner to the Tata group. Tata Sons is the principal
investment holding company of $108 billion Tata Group and promoter of Tata companies.
ii. Under the alliance, ICBC will provide the Tata group with financing products, global cash management,
consulting, international trade finance business, investment banking, foreign exchange, derivatives trading, and
other global financial services, Tata Sons said in a statement on Wednesday.
iii. ICBC will also create a global service team which will support Tata groups strategic development plans, it
said. The alliance will be a global one with the geographies covered, including India, China, Singapore, Europe,
the US, and South America.
iv. As a natural fall out of this alliance, the Tata group will consider proposals from ICBC and solicit its
participation on bilateral transactions and tender offers.
v. A team of Tata executives, led by Tata Group chairman Cyrus P. Mistry, met with Jiang Jianqing, chairman of
ICBC
2. Himachal Pradesh became first state to launch Rotavirus vaccination project
i. Himachal Pradesh on 3 December 2015 became the first state of India to launch Rotavirus vaccination
project. The vaccine will help in controlling the child mortality rate (under five years of age) due to diarrhoea.
ii. Rotavirus vaccines are administered orally to infants in three dose course at ages of six, ten and fourteen
weeks and are part of Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The project was launched by the state Chief

Minister Virbhadra Singh at Dharamsala in Kangra district. Singh administered the Rotavirus drops to children
aged under five years.
3. Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation announced
i. A broad coalition of nations, river basin organizations, business and civil society on 2 December 2015
announced the creation of the international Paris Pact on Water and Climate Change Adaptation.
ii. The announcement was made at the Water Resilience Focus event held under the Lima to Paris Action
Agenda on climate change. And, the event was held on the sidelines of the United Nations Climate Change
Conference 2015 (COP21) in Paris, France.
iii. Its objective is to make water systems the very foundation of sustainable human development - more
resilient to climate impacts. Almost 290 water basin organisations are engaged under the Paris Pact on Water
and Climate Change Adaptation. It involves a wide geographic coalition of national and cross-border river basin
organisations, overnments, funding agencies, local governments, companies and civil society.
4. Lok Sabha passed bill to establish BIS as National Standards Body
i. The Lok Sabha on 3 December 2015 passed the Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 to establish the Bureau
of Indian Standards (BIS) as a National Standards Body. The bill seeks to establish harmonious development of
standardization and assessment and quality assurance of goods, processes and services.
ii. The bill broadens BIS ambit, and allow the Union Government to make it mandatory for certain notified
goods, articles and processes to carry the standard mark. It allows multiple types of conformity assessment
schemes in tune with best global practices.
iii. It contains provision to make misuse of Standard mark as a cognizable offence. Contravention of provisions
of the law will attract imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine of at least one lakh
rupees.
5. First India International Science Festival began at IIT-Delhi
i. The first India International Science Festival (IISF) began on 4 December 2015 at IIT-Delhi. The five day
festival will explore ways to translate academic research into industrial applications benefiting the common
man and encourage culmination of scientific temperament among youngsters, especially school children.
ii. Exposing the fruits of Science & Technology to the masses. Building strategy to instill scientific temper
among the masses. Showcasing Indian contributions in the field of Science and Tech over the years. Providing
platform to young scientists for exchange of knowledge & ideas
iii. Supporting flagship programs like Make in India, Digital India, Start-ups, Smart Villages, Smart Cities, etc.
initiated by the Govt. of India
6. NTC signed Integrity Pact with Transparency International India
i. National Textile Corporation (NTC) Limited on 3 November 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with Transparency International India (TII) for adopting Integrity Pact (IP).
With this signing, NTC became the 51st Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) and 49th Central PSU to sign a MoU
with TII.
ii. Integrity Pact is a tool which ensures that all activities and transactions between a Company or Government
Department and their Suppliers are handled in a fair, transparent and corruption-free manner. It also prohibits
any kind of bribing, favour or any other unethical practice, which is closely monitored by honorary Independent
External Monitors (IEMs).
iii. NTC is a Schedule-A Public Sector Undertaking engaged and entrusted with Management and operation of
Sick Textile Undertakings taken over and nationalized through various Acts. From a sick corporation NTC Ltd has
moved to a turnover of 12 billion rupees in the year 2013-14 and operation loss to Zero.
7. US-India business meet
i. Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC) will hold an interactive session on US-India business:
Opportunities and Challenges at 5.30 pm on December 4 at CR Board Room, BCIC Office.
ii. The session will be addressed by Ron Somers, Founder & CEO, India First Group of the US, and Clifford
Samuel, SVP, Access Operations and Emerging Markets, Gilead Sciences in the US.
iii. The session will highlight on the strategic consulting based on extensive experience in the US-India
business/government arena.
8. YouTube opens first video production studio in India
i. Stepping up its India focus, YouTube along with Subhash Ghai-owned film school Whistling Woods
International, has opened its first video production studio in the country.
ii. Called YouTube Spaces, it has similar collaborations in Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, New York City, Sao Paulo,
Paris and Berlin. The company said that the watch-time of its content in India was growing at 80 per cent on a
year-on-year basis while the content uploaded to India has grown by 90 per cent.
9. GAIL, ISRO launch satellite-based portal to monitor pipelines
i. GAIL (India) Limited in collaboration with National Remote Sensing Centre, a unit of Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO), has launched a surveillance geo-portal Bhuvan-GAIL Portal that utilises space
technology for its pipeline safety application.
ii. The launch took place in the presence of B.C. Tripathi, Chairman GAIL (India) Ltd, V.K. Dadhwal, Director
NRSC, ISRO and senior officials from GAIL and ISRO, according to a statement issued here.
1. Uttar Pradesh Government launches first International festival on Birds
i. Uttar Pradesh Government has launched International festival on Birds in a bid to promote state as an
international bird-watching destination. The first-of-its-kind festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh
Yadav at the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS).
ii. It has been jointly organised by the State Forest department in collaboration with Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI). The three-day international festival (from 4 to 6 December 2015) on
birds will be held the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS) in Agra. Over 80 Indian ornithlogists and around 25 top
international bird experts and are participating in the first-of-its-kind festival.
iii. NCS was set up in 1979 as a riverine sanctuary along the Chambal River. It is managed by the Wildlife wing
of the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department and its head-quartered are located at Agra.

2. RBI bars 56 NBFCs from conducting business

i. The Reserve Bank of India has cancelled the certificate of registration of 56 non-banking finance companies
(NBFCs), including ABNL, Future Ventures India and Bajaj Finserve.
ii. Following the cancellation of registration certificate, these companies cannot transact in the business of an
NBFC as laid down under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. A Bajaj Finserv spokesperson said since Bajaj
Finance is already an NBFC and Bajaj Finserv is now a core investment company, the NBFC registration for the
latter would not have served any purpose.
iii. ABNL Investments share in Aditya Birla Nuvos net profit was miniscule at 0.17 per cent. Future Ventures
India has now metamorphosed into Future Consumer Enterprise, a sourcing-to-supermarket food company of
the Future Group.
3. Centre to support rural entrepreneurs under MUDRA
i. In an effort to support rural entrepreneurs of India, the Centre on Saturday said it would think of giving loans
under the Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) Yojana of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
ii. Speaking on the e-Commerce Services: Enhancing Rural Entrepreneurship through Common Services
Centres (CSCs), Communications and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that he would request the Prime
Minister and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the purpose.
iii. CSCs need to be funded, and being small-time entrepreneurs, they are fully qualified to get banking
assistance under the MUDRA scheme. I will take up the matter with the Finance Ministry and the Prime Minister
as CSCs will play a major role to make Digital India successful, Prasad said.
iv. The Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) was launched in April, under which the overall loan disbursement
target has been set at around 1.22 lakh crore for this financial year.
4. 44th Navy Day observed on 4 December
. 44th Navy Day was observed on 4 December 2015. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended greetings to naval
personnel and commended their dedication to protect the maritime interests of nation. The occasion saw
screening of Navy Telefilm 2015 titled Empowering India Through Maritime Security and Indigenisation on DD
National.
5. RBI announced revised Priority Sector Lending norms for Regional Rural Banks
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms for Regional Rural
Banks (RRBs).
ii. Among other things, the PSL target was increased to 75 percent of total outstanding from the existing 60
percent. The revised target will be effective from 1 January 2016. The PSL norms have been revised considering
the growing significance of RRBs in pursuit of financial inclusion agenda.
iii. As on March 2015, there were 56 RRBs operating in the country with a network of 20059 branches. They
cover 644 notified districts in 26 states and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
iv. Medium enterprises, social infrastructure and renewable energy were included under PSL category.
International Volunteer Day observed globally
i. The International Volunteer Day (IVD) was on 5 December 2015 observed across the world with the theme
The world is changing. Are you? Volunteer!.
ii. This year's theme challenges everyone to be a part of implementing the newly launched Global Goals, the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through volunteerism the person can impact the sustainable
development agenda by mobilizing and engaging governments and communities.
Delhi Assembly passes Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015
i. The Delhi Assembly has unanimously passed the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015 for establishment of statutory
anti-corruption ombudsman.
ii. The Bill provides powers to Lokpal to act against any government functionary including those of the Centre
and in the national capital territory (NCT) of Delhi through its own investigation wing.
key provisions of Jan Lokpal Bill, 2015 Composition:
Janlokpal will be a three member body with Chairperson and two members. They would be appointed by on
recommendation of selection committee consisting of Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition and Speaker of Delhi
Legislative Assembly.
Jurisdiction: On receiving corruption complaints from the government or from members of public Janlokpal is
empowered to investigate an allegation of corruption in the NCT including the Chief Ministers office.
China 1st manned electric aircraft gets licence for production
i. China has granted a license for production of first manned two seater electric aircraft RX1E known as RX1E by
the Civil Aviation Administration of China.
ii. The aircraft has been designed by Shenyang Aerospace University and Liaoning General Aviation Academy in
northeastern Liaoning province.
Key facts:
RX1E electric light-sport aircraft and it is Chinas first manned electric light aircraft. This plane is powered by
lithium batteries and is capable of flying a maximum altitude of 3000 meters.
The plane has a 47-foot wingspan and has a charging time of 90 minutes enables it to fly for 45 to 60 minutes.
The plane can take the maximum takeoff weight of 480 kg.
India's forest & tree cover increased by 5,081 sq km: ISFR 2015
i. According to the recently released India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2015, Indias forest and tree cover has
been increased by 5081 Square kilometre.
ii. The report was released by the Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar in New Delhi.
South Western Railway Zones introduces Biodiesel for trains
i.The South Western Railways (SWR) Zone with headquarters in Hubli, Karnataka has introduced biodiesel for
trains, operating under its zone.
ii. In this regard, SWRs first train Hubballi-Bengaluru Janshatabdi Express powered by five per cent biodiesel
blended with High Speed Diesel was flagged off from Hubli.
iii. The main aim of the initiative is to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission and carbon footprint and also
to make fuel consumption more efficient.
CEA Dr Arvind Subramanian Committee suggests GST rate of 17-18%

i. Chief Economic Advisor Dr Arvind Subramanian led Committee has recommended standard rate for Goods
and Services Tax (GST) at 17 to 18 per cent.
ii. The Committee has submitted its report to Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in New Delhi.
Recommendations of Dr Arvind Subramanian Committee
Standard GST rate of 17 to 18 per cent. It is the rate at which most products would likely be taxed. Not to
specify GST rate in Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Revenue-neutral rate of 15 to 15.5 per cent. It is a single rate at which there will be no revenue loss to the
centre and states in the GST regime. Eliminate all taxes on inter-state trade including one per cent inter-state
tax on transfer of goods.
Two options for states: Single rate of 1 per cent or a range of 17-18 per cent. Allocation to states will depend on
revenues raised by Centre and states. Three-tier GST rate structure: Essential goods will be taxed at a lower
rate of 12 per cent.
Himachal Pradesh becomes 1st state to launch Rotavirus vaccination project
i. Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in the country to start Rotavirus vaccination project under the
Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).
ii. The project was launched by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from Dharamsala in district Kangra by
administering the Rotavirus vaccine drops to the children aged less than 5 years.
iii. Rotavirus vaccination project is based on the analogy of the polio vaccine. Under it Rotavirus drops would be
administered to the children at 6, 10 and 14 weeks after birth. The vaccination project will help in controlling
the deaths amongst small children due to Diarrhoea.
Uttar Pradesh Govt launches 1st Intrnational festival on Birds
i. Uttar Pradesh Government has launched International festival on Birds in a bid to promote state as an
international bird-watching destination.
ii. The first-of-its-kind festival was inaugurated by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav at the National Chambal
Sanctuary (NCS). It has been jointly organised by the State Forest department in collaboration with Federation
of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI).
iii. The three-day international festival (from 4 to 6 December 2015) on birds will be held the National Chambal
Sanctuary (NCS) in Agra. Over 80 Indian ornithlogists and around 25 top international bird experts and are
participating in the first-of-its-kind festival.
Australia passes Anti-Terrorism Law to strip citizenship
i. Australias Federal Parliament has passed Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill,
2015 to strip citizenship of convicted persons on terrorism charges.
ii. The new legislation allows government to strip dual nationals of their citizenship if they are convicted of
terrorism offences.

1. AP, Jharkhand join UDAY scheme to bolster Discoms

i. The Andhra Pradesh government has conveyed its in-principle decision to the Ministry of Power of joining
UDAY (Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana) scheme.
ii. On receiving the official communication, Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New &
Renewable Energy, lauded Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu for joining the scheme.

iii. It seeks to reduce interest burden, cost of power and transmission and commercial losses. Consequently,
Discom would become sustainable to supply adequate and reliable power enabling 24x7 power supply. The
scheme provides that States would take over 75 per cent debt of Discoms, as on September 30, 2015 in two
years.
iv. The UDAY scheme has inbuilt incentives encouraging State governments to voluntarily restructure their
debts. These incentives include taking over of Discom debt by the States outside the fiscal deficit limits,
reduction in the cost of power through various measures such as coal linkage rationalisation, liberal coal swaps,
coal price rationalisation, correction in coal grade slippage, allocation of coal linkages at notified prices,
priority/additional funding through schemes of Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
and, reduction in interest burden.
2. Tata Trusts partnered with Khan Academy for free online education
i. Tata Trusts and Khan Academy on 6 December 2015 announced a five-year, not-for-profit partnership to
enable free online education for the Indian market. The partnership will adapt and build on Khan Academy's
existing resources and tools to serve the specific needs of the Indian learner.
ii. The five-year partnership will be divided into two phases. The first two years will focus on designing a robust
set of educational resources tuned to the needs of middle- and low-income students in urban environments.
iii. The next phase will see diversification into other content areas, including offering classes in regional
languages such as Marathi, Tamil and Bangla.
iv. Khan Academy is US-based non-profit educational organization which was founded in 2006. It was founded
by educator Salman Khan to provide a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.
v. The academy produces short lectures in the form of YouTube videos. Khan Academy is significantly backed by
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Broad Foundation, Google, and many other philanthropic
organizations.
3. Ministry of Railways flagged off first double decker Goa-Mumbai train
i. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu on 6 December 2015 flagged off the first Goa to Mumbai double-decker
Shatabdi train through video conference from Panaji, Goa.
ii. The fully air-conditioned double-decker train is the first-of-its-kind in India.

iii. The train will run thrice a week between Margao and the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) in Mumbai.
iv. The double decker train will cover the distance in around 12 hours. It has eight compartments with a seating
capacity of 120 in each compartment.
4. Sigapore replaced Mauritius as top source of FDI into India
i. Singapore replaced Mauritius as top source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India during AprilSeptember of 2015-16 financial year. An announcement in this regard was made by the Department of
Industrial Policy and Promotion of Ministry of Commerce and industry in the first week of December 2015.
i. As per the data, between 15 April and 15 September 2015, India received 43096 crore rupees as FDI from
Singapore. In the same period FDI from Mauritius was 23490 crore rupees.iii. In the same period, While
Netherlands was at number three with 7017 crore rupees of investment, the USA stood at the stood fourth with
5435 crore rupees.
iv. However in terms of cumulative inflows between April 2000 and September 2015 Mauritius still leads the
investment list. While Mauritius contributed to 34 percent of total FDI investments, it was only 15 percent in the
same period.
5. Commemorative coins of Rs 125, Rs 10 released in honour of Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 December 2015 released two commemorative coins of 125 rupees and 10
rupees, as part of the 125th birth anniversary year celebrations of Dr. Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar.
ii. The coins were issued on his death anniversary, which is observed as Mahaparinirvan Divas of Babasaheb
Ambedkar. He breathed his last on 6 December 1956.
iii. He was born on 14 April 1891 in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. He was an Indian jurist, economist, politician and
social reformer. He inspired the Modern Buddhist Movement and campaigned against social discrimination
against Untouchables (Dalits), while also supporting the rights of women and labour.
iv. He was Independent India's first law minister and the principal architect of the Constitution of India. In 1990,
the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, was posthumously conferred upon Ambedkar. Ambedkar's
legacy includes numerous memorials and depictions in popular culture.
6. Atlas V rocket lifted off with Cygnus Cargo Spaceship to ISS
i. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V (401 configuration) rocket carrying the OA-4 Cygnus cargo spacecraft with
much needed supplies blasted off towards the International Space Station (ISS) on 6 December 2015.
ii. The rocket lifted off from Space Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after three days of
delay due to poor weather.
iii. The current Cygnus mission would be the first US delivery of cargo since April, the last time SpaceXs Dragon
capsule reached the station. A Cygnus last reached the station in July 2014.
iv. Supplies at the station are running low due to several failed delivery runs and botched rocket launches. The
capsule carries more than 3500kg of food, clothing, computer gear, spacewalk equipment, science experiments
and other supplies.
7. Kaher Kazem appointed General Motors India head
i. General Motors has appointed Kaher Kazem as President and Managing Director of its India operations,
effective January 1. Kazem, who is currently chief operating officer (COO) of GM India, will be replacing Arvind
Saxena who has decided to retire after leading the company since early 2014, the carmaker said in a
statement.
ii. Kazem's proven track record will enable the company to deliver to Indian consumers the great vehicles they
want and the world-class customer experience they deserve, he added. Kazem joined GM Holden in Australia in
1995 as a senior engineer. He later held several leadership positions at GM Holden Manufacturing Operations.
iii. In 2009, he was appointed vice president of Manufacturing and Quality for GM Thailand/Asean. Prior to
taking on his current position earlier this year, where he managed the industrial side of the business, Kazem
was president and MD of GM Uzbekistan from 2012.
iv. "I want to thank Arvind, who has helped lay the foundation for the future success of GM India. We look
forward to a smooth transition to ensure the continued execution of our business transformation," Jacoby said.
8. NRDC enters into pact with CSIR-IICT
i. The National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) has entered into a memorandum of agreement with
CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad for marketing the latters inventions/innovations,
patents, formulations, know-how/processes and also collection of premia and royalties.
ii. The Chairman & Managing Director of NRDC, H Purushotham, said CSIR-IICT has generated a large number of
technologies, know-how/processes which can be transferred to industries for commercial exploitation and for
social benefits.
iii. The main strength of CSIR-IICT is its rich pool of scientists and PhD students numbering over 600. CSIR-IICT
has active collaborations with several countries, including France, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Italy, USA,
Australia, Japan, and Korea.
iv. In another development, the NRDC has in association with the office of the Controller General of Patents,
Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM), launched a series of IPR awareness and capacity building workshops in 25
universities/institutions in 21 States.
v. The objective of the workshops is to create awareness about IP in academia in the wake of new IPR policy
being launched by the Government of India and connecting IPRs to the 'Make in India and 'Start up India
programmes, Purushotham said in a press release.
9. Cochin Shipyard launches fast patrol vessels for Coast Guard

i. The public sector Cochin Shipyard Ltd has launched the nineteenth of the 20 Fast Patrol Vessels being built for
Indian Coast Guard. The vessel was named ICGS Atulya and launched by Hema Subramaniam, wife of
Commodore K. Subramaniam, Chairman & Managing Director, CSL.
ii. As on date, 15 ships out of 20 have been handed over to the Indian Coast Guard. Cochin Shipyard has
successfully delivered 15 ships in a span of just 25 months with an average delivery interval of 1.6 months,
against the contractual commitment of 3 months interval.
iii. The last vessel of the order is to be delivered by Mar 2017 as per the contract with ICG. However, with the
current pace of construction, the yard is targeting to accomplish this by mid of 2016, much ahead of schedule.
iv. The yard also paid a dividend of Rs. 16.99 crore to Government of India. The company is paying dividend for
the seventh consecutive year, a release said.
10. Australia defeated Belgium to win Hockey World League Final
i. Australia on 6 December 2015 defeated Belgium by 2-1 to win 2014-2015 Mens Hockey World League Final,
which was held at Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Stadium, Raipur. India defeated world number two and defending
champions Netherlands by 3-2 in the penalty shoot-out, and clinched the bronze medal in the tournament.
1. Maharashtra becomes first state to allow MLAs raise online question
i. The Maharashtra legislature has become the first in the country to launch an online mechanism for its
members to send questions and move different motions in the House. In this regard state government has
launched a website mls.org.in as part of Digital MLAs initiative in the winter session of state legislature in
Nagpur.
ii. This system has been launched in an effort of state government to move towards complete digitization of the
legislative process that aims at bringing the paper work to minimum. All MLAs and MLCs have been given
unique user names and passwords to access to website so that they can send their questions and requests
online.

iii. Facilitates them to move different motions like calling attention and half-an-hour discussion questions for
legislature sessions. The system has been designed by the Maharashtra Knowledge Corporation Limited (MKCL).
2. Indo-Russia bilateral naval exercise Indra Navy-15 began in Visakhapatanam
i. Indo-Russia bilateral maritime exercise Indra Navy 2015 commenced on 7 December 2015 in
Vishakhapatanam. The exercise epitomises the strategic relationship between the two nations. The 8th edition
of Indra Navy will be conducted in the Bay of Bengal till 12 December 2015.
ii. The primary aim of Indra Navy 2015 is to increase interoperability between the two navies and develop
common understanding of procedures for maritime security operations. The scope of the exercise includes
wide-ranging professional interactions during the Harbour phase and a diverse canvas of operational activities
at sea across a spectrum of maritime operations.
iii. The Indian Navy will be represented by INS Sahyadri an indigenous frigate, INS Ranvijay, a guided missile
destroyer and INS Shakti a Fleet Support Ship. The Russian Federation Navy (RFN) will be represented by Vadm
Ryabukhin Andrey, Deputy Commander of the Pacific Fleet.
iv. The exercise will be progressed in two phases: the Harbour Phase (from 7-9 December 2015) at
Visakhapatnam and the Sea Phase (from 10-12 December 2015) off Visakhapatnam. The Harbour Phase will
encompass table-top exercises and planning conferences ashore, prior progressing to sea. The Sea Phase will
include various facets of fleet operations.
3. SC directed State and UT Governments to consider acid-attack victims under Disabled Quota
i. The Supreme Court on 7 December 2015 directed State and Union Territory (UT) Governments to consider
acid-attack victims under the disabled quota. The decision was made to make sure that the acid-attack
survivors can be able to get reservations in government jobs as well as education benefits as disabled person.
ii. A bench of Justice MY Eqbal and Justice C Nagappan its order asked the states and Union territories to
consider the plight of such victims and take appropriate steps with regard to inclusion of their names under the
disability list.
ii. It directed Government to compensate, rehabilitate and provide free treatment to the survivors of acid
attacks in pursuance of guidelines issued by it earlier. The court also said that its decision should be sent to
chief secretaries of all states and UTs who would have to ensure that the order reaches to district magistrates.
iv. The order was pronounced while hearing a petition filed by Bihar-based NGO Parivartan Kendra that in its
plea said that the state (Bihar) had not adequately compensated the victim for an incident that occurred over
two years ago. The PIL said the victim had been paid only around 1.5 lakh rupees so far.
v. The court asked Bihar government to pay a compensation of 10 lakh rupees to an acid-attack victim, besides
providing her free treatment including reconstruction surgery. It also asked the state to pay 3 lakh rupees to the
victim's sister who has been providing her all help.
4. India launched I-LTEO programme to monitor 8 different biomes
i. India on 7 December 2015 launched the Indian Long Term Ecological Observatories (I-LTEO) programme to
scientifically monitor eight different biomes (natural landscapes) across the country. The initiative was launched
on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties-21 (COP-21) of UNFCCC in Paris.
ii. The programme aims to identify and monitor targeted socio-ecological challenges and help build capacity
within India. The studies under the programme will indicate the need for imminent adaptation measures.
iii. Under this programme, students and young scientists will also be trained through sustained long-term
support for research in the area of climate change. The initiative will also help the country to have its own
scientific data-base in this key area without depending on studies done abroad.
iv. The new initiative will cover all the major biomass of the country from Western Himalayas to Western Ghats,
Eastern Himalayas to Andaman & Nicobar Islands, central India to the Sunderbans and from Jammu & Kashmir

to Rajasthan and Gujarat. Moreover, long term scientific monitoring of the natural landscapes, water resources,
grasslands, mammals, birds, fishes and insects will also be carried out.
v. The focus would be to pick up signals and patterns of how changes in climate are affecting natural and
closely associated human systems of agriculture and pastoralism. It will also enable its scientists to join
international initiatives on the subject and provide empirical data on actual impacts on various eco-systems.
5. Beijing issued first-ever Red Alert on Air Pollution
i. Authorities in Chinese capital Beijing on 7 December 2015 issued its first-ever red alert on air pollution
ordering schools to close due to hazardous air quality. Red alert is the highest possible state of caution.
ii. The order was issued after acrid smog enveloped the capital for the second time in December 2015. The
order will last from 7am (local time) on 8 December 2015 morning until midday on 10 December 2015, when
the weather is expected to change and blow away the smog.
iii. The red alert was announced for the first time since an emergency air-pollution response system (four-tier
system) was introduced in 2013. Beijing got severe new law to control hazardous Smog and Air Pollution
iv. Half of private cars in the city will be ordered off the road during the period with an odd-even number plate
system in force. Government agencies will have to keep 30 percent of their automobiles off the streets.
v. The other extra measures to be enforced include halting outdoor construction, banning fireworks and outdoor
barbecues. Schools and nurseries will be required to close.
6. SmartCity Kochi to open next month
i. The much-delayed first phase of SmartCity Kochi, a joint venture of SmartCity Dubai and the Kerala
Government, is ready for opening and will most likely take place in January.
ii. The exact date of the opening will depend on the convenience of Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Bin
Rashid Al-Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates, who is also the Emir of Dubai. Built-up area of around 6.5 lakh
square feet will be open for commercial utilisation once the first phase is opened and nearly three-fourths of the
space has already been taken by major companies in the IT and ITES sector.
iii. Along with the opening of the first phase, the work on the second phase, which aims to build a much larger
space than the first, will also begin. On Monday, State Chief Secretary Jiji Thomson reviewed the progress of the
project as well as that of ancillary infrastructure development.
iv. SmartCity, a much-hyped development project in Kochi, has been delayed for several years mainly because
of the financial meltdown in Dubai around the turn of the decade and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
7. Biz Bridge meet in Kolkata
i. Loan applications worth Rs. 50 crore were received from micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), both
existing and prospective, from the eastern region, particularly West Bengal, at the end of the four-day Biz
Bridge 2015 organised here in the city.
ii. Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry, Biz Bridge 2015 had about 100 exhibitors coming from
across the country and drew over 10,000 high-end visitors.
ii. According to a release from CII, the apex chamber will take forward the loan applications through its Finance
Facilitation Centre (FFC) for further action with all its 13 partner banks and non-banking financial companies
(NBFCs).
iv. The CII-Finance Facilitation Centre had also put up a special stall drawing a large number of entrepreneurs,
said Saugat Mukherjee, Regional Director, CII Eastern Region.
v. Countrywide, loans applications that have been made and processed through CII-FFC are worth Rs. 475 crore
so far, the industry body claimed.
8. Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2015 introduced in Lok Sabha
i. Union Government on 7 December 2015 introduced Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2015 in the Lok Sabha
to facilitate and fast track setting up of new nuclear projects in the country. The Bill seeks to amend the Atomic
Energy Act, 1962.
ii. The Atomic Energy Act, 1962 empowers the Union government to produce, develop, control, and use atomic
energy.
iii. It expands the definition of paid-up share capital in parent Act to include joint ventures (JV) of public sector
undertakings (PSUs). The whole of the paid up share capital would be held by one or more PSUs and empowers
the Union government to constitute its Board of Directors for such JV.
iv. It proposes to make a consequential amendment in Section 14 of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 to enable the
Central Government to issue licence to such joint-venture companies to set up nuclear power plants, take
measures for safe operation and ensure safe disposal of nuclear material.
v. It states that any license, granted for matters such as (i) producing atomic energy and (ii) acquiring and using
substances or minerals from which atomic energy can be obtained etc., will be cancelled if a licensee ceases to
be a government company.
9. GRSE launches fifth ship of Indian Navy's LCU MK IV project
i. The fifth ship of Indian Navy's LCU MK IV project, was launched on Monday at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and
Engineers Ltd (GRSE) in Kolkata. LCU L-55 is the fifth vessel in the series of eight Landing Craft Utility Ships
being designed and built by GRSE for the Indian Navy.
ii. The chief guest, Vice Admiral AV Subhedar, AVSM, VSM, Chief of Material, Chairman & Managing Director
GRSE were present on the occasion.
iii. Vice Admiral AV Subhedar asserted that the Indian Navy has been supporting the drive for indigenous
construction of warships leading to advancement of our shipbuilding industry and acknowledged the role of
GRSE as a reliable partner in pursuing the national goal of 'Make in India'.
iv. He further stated that Indian Navy is eagerly looking forward towards induction of LCU-MKIV class of ships,
which would be based at Port Blair. The ship can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations,
humanitarian and disaster relief operations and evacuation from distant islands.

v. The first ship of the class 'LCU-L51' was launched on March 12, 2014 and is presently undergoing trials at
GRSE. The vessel is likely to be delivered shortly to Indian Navy.
10. Tech Mahindra bags 'Forbes Top 100 Middle East - Global Meets Local 2015' Award
i. Tech Mahindra, a specialist in digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering, has been
awarded the prestigious 'Forbes Top 100 Middle East - Global Meets Local 2015' Award. ii. The award was
presented at a special event hosted by Forbes Middle East in Dubai, celebrating the top management
executives that are heading up regional offices in the Middle East for the world's most powerful companies.
1. Indian-American entrepreneur Frank Islam to be conferred with Uttar Pradesh Ratna Award
i. Frank Islam, an Indian-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, will be conferred with Uttar Pradesh Ratna
Award on 4 January 2016 at the inaugural UP Pravasi Diwas in Agra. The Uttar Pradesh Government will be
honouring Islam to recognise his achievements and outstanding contributions in a foreign country.

ii. Born in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Islam moved to the United States in the early 1970s to study at University
of Colorado where he obtained his Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Computer Science. In 1994, he founded
an Information Technology firm the QSS Group, which he sold in 2007.
iii. After selling the QSS Group, he established the FI Investment Group. He has also authored two books,
Working the Pivot Points: To Make America Work Again, and Renewing the American Dream: A Citizens Guide
for Restoring Our Competitive Advantage.
iv. The UP Ratna Award is conferred to the NRIs, who hail from the state. It is awarded to the NRIs who have
made significant contribution to the field of science, technology, culture, medicine, education, public service
and commerce in foreign countries.
2. Centre sets up `SETU to support start-up businesses
i. A mechanism known as SETU to support all aspects of start-up businesses and other self- employment
activities has been set up by the government, Lok Sabha was informed today.
ii. Union Minister for Skill Development Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the National Policy for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurs envisaged fostering entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation by providing support in terms of
fiscal incentives, creation of grass root technology innovation hubs, legal support and market linkages.
iii. Rudy said government has also launched in August 2015 India Aspiration Fund (IAF) under the Small
Industries Development Bank of India with a capital of Rs. 2,000 crore to give a boost to startup ecosystem in
the country.
iv. The objective of the IAF is to catalyse tens of thousands of crores of equity investment into startups and
MSMEs creating employment to lakhs of persons, mostly educated youth, over the next four to five years, he
said.
v. The Minister said the Department of Electronics and Information Technology is implementing a scheme
entitled Technology Incubation and Development of Entrepreneurs (TIDE) under which 147 startups have
been supported at 25 TIDE centres established in premier institutes like IITs, NITs, IIMs etc.
3. MSDE and DHI signed MoU for skill development in manufacturing sector
i. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for skill development in the manufacturing sector was signed on 8
December 2015 between Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Department of
Heavy Industry (DHI). The MoU focused on capital goods and automotive sector.
ii. The purpose of the MoU is to create centres of excellence for different manufacturing skills and a multilocation national institute of manufacturing technologies for training education and research by
utilizing/upgrading the existing training facilities of Central PSUs such as HMT, BHEL and Instrumentation Ltd.
under the DHI.
iii. The centres of excellence will ensure that a robust national ecosystem for development of skills in the
manufacturing sector is created in the country and internationally known best practices in this field are brought
in with active participation of countries like Germany.
iv. Under the MoU, all Central PSUs have committed to invest at least 20 percent of their Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) funds for skilling purpose. The Central PSUs have also committed to provide equipment
and machinery, which has been phased out of production line, but could still be used for training purposes to
training institutions.
v. The MoU will also enable significant scale up of apprentice training in the central PSUs under the Department
of Heavy Industry and promote adoption of ITIs by the Central PSUs.
4. Chen Long and Carolina Marin bagged 2015 BWF Player of the Year Awards
i. Chinas Chen Long and all England and World champion Carolina Marin on 7 December 2015 bagged the
Badminton World Federation (BWF) Male and Female Player of the Year Awards respectively in Dubai. Marin held
off competition from Zhao Yunlei, Saina Nehwal and Bao Yixin. On the other hand, Long retained the Male Player
of the Year award that he won last year.
ii. Chinas rising star and World Junior Champion in Mixed Doubles and Mens Doubles Zheng Si Wei grabbed the
Eddy Choong Award for Most Promising Player of the Year.
iii. BWF, for the first time, honoured para-badminton players with the year-end awards. Lee Sam Seop of Korea
was named Male Para-Badminton Player of the Year. Helle Sofie Sagoy was awarded with the Female ParaBadminton Player of the Year.
iv. Spains Carolina Marin is currently ranked No. 1 in the world by Badminton World Federation Women's Singles
2015. She became world champion in women's singles in 2014 and 2015. In 2009, she became the first Spanish
badminton player to win a silver medal at the 2009 European Junior Badminton Championships.

v. She also became the first Spanish badminton player to win gold medal at the 2009 European U17 Badminton
Championships. She was the first Spanish badminton player to win a Grand Prix Gold title after winning the
2013 London Grand Prix Gold.
5. Hetero became first Indian company to receive DGCIs approval for hepatitis C drug
i. Hyderabad-based Hetero Drugs on 8 December 2015 announced that it received the approval of Drug
Controller General of India (DCGI) to launch fixed-dose combination therapy Ledipasvir-Sofosbuvir. The product
will be available under the brand name Ledisof in India.
ii. With this approval, Hetero became the first company in the country to get approval from DGCI to launch
hepatitis C medicines. In September 2014, Hetero signed a non-exclusive licensing agreement with the USAbased Gilead Sciences in to manufacture and market chronic hepatitis C medicines.
iii. This fixed-dose combination is the generic version of Gileads brand Harvoni. It was approved by US FDA for
the treatment of chronic hepatitis genotype 1 in both treatment nave and treatment-experienced patients.
And, Sofosbuvir in combination with Ledipasvir has shown to have high cure rates of around 90 percentage.
iv. It is a growing public health concern, particularly in developing countries. In India alone, it is estimated that
12-18 million patients are infected with Hepatitis C which is several fold greater than those with HIV/AIDS.
6. Singapore's Changi airport to run Jaipur, Ahmedabad airports
i. Passengers using Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports can soon look forward to a retail and food and beverages
experience that passengers going through Singapores Changi airport enjoy at present.
ii. This follows the Governments of India and Singapore signing an agreement for Singapore airport developer
Changi being nominated for taking up the operations and management of the two Indian airports.
iii. The agreement was signed on November 24 during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the island
city state and will see Changi manage the retail space inside the terminal building and car parking space, a
senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said. The operations of the airport will remain with AAI.
iv. The Government-to-Government agreement does away with the need for AAI to put out a tender for deciding
on who they should tie-up with for operations and management of its airports and puts the enture process on a
fast track, AAI officials said.
v. A team from Changi is expected in India by the end of the year to do due diligence on the two airports and
make an offer to AAI, which owns and manages Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports. The entire process is expected
to be completed by April 1 next year by when Changi should be in a position to start working at these two
Indian airports, officials said.
vi. The two are airports which are seeing a jump in passenger demand and it is estimated that by 2023-24
Ahmedabad will see 7.87 million passengers passing through it up from 5.05 million while Jaipur will see 3.75
million passengers through it in 2023-24 up from the current about 2 million.
7. Karnataka govt signs EoI with Reitzel Group
i. Karnataka delegation, which is touring France to promote Invest Karnataka 2016 (global investment meet),
has signed an Expression of Interest (EoI) agreement with Reitzel Group.
ii. As per the EoI, the company is expected to invest 3 million Euros (about Rs. 20 crore) and create about 50
new jobs to the already 200 existing jobs. Reitzel is a Paris-based family-owned company in the agri and food
processing industry.
iii. The agreement signed in the presence of R V Deshpande, Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium
Industries and Tourism at Paris is for Reitzels expansion of its existing Gherkin production plant at Kunigal,
Tumakuru district.
iv. Gaurav Gupta, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Department of Industries and
Commerce signed the agreement on behalf of the state government while Pierre B Darmon, Deputy CEO,
Reitzel signed the same on behalf of Reitzel.
v. Delegation on arrival in France as part of road show to attract companies for the forthcoming Invest
Karnataka 2016 event scheduled from February 3 to 5, 2016 in Bengaluru interacted with the existing and
potential investors, organised by MEDEF International and GIFAS with a special focus on manufacturing and
aerospace sectors.
vi. Addressing member companies of MEDEF and GIFAS at two separate events in Paris, Deshpande, highlighted
the several steps initiated by the state government to decongest Bengaluru and disperse industry to tier 2 and
tier 3 cities.
8. New Zealand formally becomes member of AIIB
i. New Zealand has formally become a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Finance
Minister Bill English said Tuesday. New Zealand's ratification would contribute to the AIIB reaching the 50percent threshold of the needed for the AIIB to establish operations, English said in a statement.
ii. The move followed the passage of the International Financial Agreement Amendment Act in the New Zealand
Parliament in November. New Zealand was the ninth country to formally become a founding member.
iii. The AIIB would have around 100 billion U.S. dollars of initial capital to promote sustainable development in
the region. New Zealand's paid in capital will be around 125 million NZ dollars (83.05 million U.S. dollars), paid
over five years.
iv. AIIB investments would include improving transportation links, providing sanitation and clean drinking water,
and supporting cleaner and more sustainable energy.
9. Pune, Rajkot became interim IPL franchises to replace CSK, RR
i. Pune and Rajkot on 8 December 2015 became the interim franchises in the Indian Premier League (IPL) till
2017. The will take place of the suspended teams of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR).
ii. CSK and RR are facing two-year suspensions which were imposed by the Supreme Court-mandated RM Lodha
panel following the 2013 IPL corruption scandal. CSK and RR stand suspended till 2017.

1. Sustained co-operation needed for cleaning Ganga: Bharati

i. Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharati today called for sustained co-operation from the HRD Ministry
for ensuring successful implementation of the 'Namami Gange' programme, by intervening in areas like rural
sanitation and adult education on environment.
ii. Addressing a meeting regarding role of IITs and educational institutes in the ambitious programme here
today, she mentioned areas where HRD's intervention is "specifically" required.
iii. Bharati also mentioned the major challenge before the government is to keep the Ganga clean with
approximately 20 crore people taking dip in it every year. "Small stretches of rural areas can be adopted by
educational institutes for treatment of small drains carrying rural sewage and solid waste and facilitate in
providing 100 per cent rural sanitation," the ministry quoted Bharti as saying in a statement.
iv. Speaking on the occasion Union Minister for HRD Smriti Irani proposed a three-pronged approach for the
involvement of her ministry in the programme. It was mutually agreed that secretaries of both the ministries
will discuss these possible approaches and identify actionable points through which HRD Ministry can be
involved in the programme. The action plan will include 'goal posts' for three months and review of the progress
every six months.
2. ADB released Asian Economic Integration Report 2015
i. Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 8 December 2015 released a report entitled Asian Economic Integration
Report 2015: How Can Special Economic Zones Catalyze Economic Development? The report examined current
trends in trade, finance, migration, remittances and other economic activities in the region, with a special
chapter on the role of special economic zones (SEZs).
ii. Asias income elasticity of trade declined from 2.69 before the global financial crisis (2008-09) to 1.30 in
2015. The value of Asias intermediate goods tradealmost 60 percent of total tradecontracted 2.6 percent in
2014.
iii. Structural factors for the above decline include a general trend of rebalancing away from export and
investment toward consumption and services. And, the slowdown in the expansion of global and regional value
chains after decades of rapid expansion and Chinas growth moderation.
iv. However, regional trade integration is moving steady and Asia in general trades more with regional partners
than outside the region. Asia has become an important source of outbound investment, with FDI outflows
outstripping inflows, growing over 45 percent between 2010 and 2014.
v. Special economic zones (SEZs) can be a driving force for increased trade, investment and economic reform in
Asia at a time the region is experiencing a slowdown in trade, provided the right business environments and
policies are put in place. The expansion in the number of SEZs from about 500 in 1995 to over 4300 in 2015
shows the strong and rising interest to this form of policy experiment, though the success record is somewhat
mixed.
3. 2016: UK-INDIA Year of Education, Research and Innovation launched
i. India and United Kingdom on 9 December 2015 launched a joint initiative 2016: UK-INDIA Year of Education
and Research in New Delhi. It was launched by visiting Secretary of State, Business Innovation and Skill of the
UK Sajid Javid along with Human Resource Development (HRD) minister Smriti Irani.
ii. In 2016, it will allow UK academicians to come to India under Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN)
programme. It will enhance partnership in research work in ten research priority areas under IMPRINT
(IMPacting Research Innovation and Technology).
iii. It will help the two nations to deepen their bilateral relationship across education, research and innovation.
To increase employability in India, the programme will help in development of community colleges and
polytechnics of India, blended learning courses. These things will be done with the help of United Kingdom with
focus on manufacturing and service sectors, which will help in meeting the requirements of Make in India.
iv. Javid also said that he looks forward to launch third phase of UK-India Education and Research Initiative
(UKIERI-III) which could build upon good work already done under earlier phases of UKIERI. The third phase of
UKIERI-III, with higher budgetary allocation of 3 million Pounds per year from each side, will commence on 1
April 2016.
v. Apart from 2016: UK-INDIA Year of Education and Research, Sajid Javid also announced the launch of 20th
year of Chevening Gurukul Fellowship programme for Leadership and Excellence.
4. Indias Kartik Sawhney and Neha Swain won 2016 Queen's Young Leaders Award
i. Two Indians, Kartik Sawhney and Neha Swain, have won the 2016 Queen's Young Leaders award in the United
Kingdom which will be presented by the British monarch in Buckingham Palace in June 2016. Sawhney and
Swain have won the prestigious award for their exceptional work in transforming the lives of others and making
a lasting difference in their communities.
ii. Kartik Sawhney was born blind. He discovered that blind students were unable to pursue science after Grade
10. Therefore, he appealed and enrolled as India's first Grade 11 blind science student. He founded Project
STEMAccess, which offers hands-on science workshops in India, as well as virtual training sessions. He is
acknowledged for his exceptional work highlighting universal access to education for all.
iii. Neha Swain is a youth facilitator and co-founder of NGO Rubaroo. The NGO provides an inclusive space for
young people, irrespective of their socio-economic background, to develop their leadership skills through
interactive workshops. Her team provides workshops to schools in India free of charge and has so far worked
with nearly 2000 young people in Hyderabad.
iv. The Queens Young Leader Award recognises and celebrates exceptional people aged 18-29 from across the
Commonwealth. The award is given to youths who are taking the lead in their communities and using their skills
to transform lives.
5. Luxembourg became the 10th country to ratify AoA of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

i. Luxembourg on 8 December 2015 became the 10th country to ratify the Articles of Agreement (AoA) that will
lay the legal framework for the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). Apart from
Luxembourg, Australia, Austria, Brunei Darussalam, China, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Singapore and
United Kingdom ratified the 60-article agreement so far.
ii. These 10 countries are among the 57 founder-member countries of the multilateral bank that has its
headquarters in the Chinese capital Beijing. Among the 57 founder-member countries, except the Philippines all
other 56 countries have signed the AoA and 46 countries are yet to ratify it.
iii. Earlier, on 29 June 2015, delegates of 50 countries signed the AoA enmasse including India. Though the
Union Cabinet on 18 November 2015 gave its approval for the ratification and submitting of the AoA, formalities
in this regard are yet to be completed.
iv. Representatives from 21 Asian countries signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on 24 October 2014 in Beijing. It is designed to finance infrastructure
building in Asia and is headquartered in Beijing.
6. Mahela Jayawardene awarded honorary lifetime membership of MCC
i. Former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene on 9 December 2015 was awarded with an honorary life
membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). MCC awarded the honorary life membership of the club to
recognise Jayawardene's stellar career in which he played 149 Test matches and scored 11814 runs at an
average of 49.84.
ii. Jayawardene became the 14th Sri Lankan to be awarded with MCC Honorary Life Membership. Kumar
Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas were awarded with the same.
iii. MCC is a cricket club in London. It was founded in 1787. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St
John's Wood, London NW8. It was formerly the governing body of cricket both in England and Wales as well as
worldwide. In 1993, many of its global functions were transferred to the International Cricket Council (ICC).
7. IISc Banglore bagged solar panel research and development contract from US Military
i. The prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Banglore on 9 December 2015 bagged a US military contract
for research and development on solar powered micro-grid. It is one of the rare instances that an Indian
scientific institute has been awarded a federal contract by the US military.
ii. The federal contract worth 52900 US dollars was awarded by the US Pacific Air Forces, Yokota Air Base in
Japan. The contract is awarded to develop solar powered micro-grid with battery and supercapacitor energy
storage system.
iii. Indian Institute of Science is a public university for scientific research and higher education located in
Bengaluru. The institute was established by Jamsetji Tata in 1909. It acquired the status of a Deemed University
in 1958.
iv. As per the criteria of Citations per Faculty in 2014 and 2015, the institute has been ranked at number 11 and
18 respectively worldwide. It was the first Indian institute to feature on Times Higher Education World University
Rankings for engineering and technology in the year 2015-16 at 99th position.
8. Human Rights Day observed across the world
i. Human Rights Day was on 10 December 2015 observed across the world. It aimed to promote and raise
awareness of the two Covenants of Human Rights Day- International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural
Rights (ICESCR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
ii. On the occasion of the day that marks 50th anniversary of these two International Covenants, the United
Nations (UN) Human Rights Office launched Our Rights. Our Freedoms. Always, a year-long campaign to shine a
light on the inalienable and inherent rights of global citizens.
iii. The Our Rights. Our Freedoms. Always campaign revolves around the timeless themes of rights and freedom
and the relevance of the work that continues in securing and ensuring them.
iv. At its core, FREEDOM underpins the International Bill of Human Rights- freedom from fear, freedom of
speech, freedom of worship and freedom from want.
v. Human Rights Day commemorates the day on which the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all
States and interested organizations to observe 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.
9. TIME Magazine named German Chancellor Merkel as 2015 Person of the Year
i. German Chancellor Angela Merkel was named as 2015 Person of the Year on 9 December 2015 by Time
Magazine. The magazine cited her role in Europes crisis over migration and Greek debt.
1. Modi, Shinzo Abe to visit Varanasi on Dec 12
i. Marking a new chapter in centuries-old ties between India and Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his
Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will visit this ancient temple town tomorrow.
ii. The visit assumes significance as it comes against the backdrop of Partner City Agreement between Kyoto
and Varanasi, Modis Lok Sabha constituency, signed by the two leaders during the Prime Ministers visit to
Japan in August last year.

iii. Abe, who is on a three-day visit to India from today, along with Modi will attend the Ganga Arti, a beautifully
choreographed ritual worship of the holy river performed daily at the fabled Dashashwamedh Ghat.
iv. A gigantic make-shift stage has been erected on the river bed with the help of pontoons and a music system
is being installed with special permission from the Allahabad High Court.
v. The ancient temple town, situated less than 15 kms from Sarnath where Buddha delivered his first sermon
upon attaining enlightenment, boasts of a special place in the religious and cultural consciousness of Japan as
well as most of the South East Asian countries with sizeable Buddhist populations.

. Kapil Chopra to head world tourism council

i. Kapil Chopra, President, The Oberoi Group, has been appointed as the Chairman of World Travel & Tourism
Council, India Initiative (WTTCII) for 2016, a statement from the hotel group said on Thursday.
ii. The Annual General Meeting of the WTTCII was held on December 9. Chopra, who served as the councils
Vice-Chairman for 2015, takes over from Manav Thadani, Chairman, HVS, South Asia. iii. Ashwani Lohani,
Chairman & Managing Director, Air India, has been appointed as the Vice-Chairman of WTTCII for 2016.
3. A portal to help SMEs get bank loans
i. While the SMEs that have managed to get timely finance from banks prefer not to comment on the difficulties
in getting the support, there are many that are not even aware of the support system. According to an IFC
survey, there are about 55 million registered SMEs, of which just about 35 per cent are in the banking system.
ii. Jyotsna and HD Sheriff, founders of the Chennai-based start-up said they specifically decided to address this
gap when they mooted the venture. The portal, which went live in August has till date registered 5,000 visitors.
iii. Interestingly, the applicants are from tier-II and III towns, including Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Erode and
Ahmedabad among others.
iv. Quickrupee has tied up with 16 bankers (mostly private banks and NBFCs) and another seven are in the
pipeline, Jyotsna said.
4. India and South Korea ink MoU on taxation treaty
i. India and South Korea have inked a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) on suspension of collection of
taxes during pendency of mutual agreement procedure.
ii. This MoU will relieve the burden of double taxation for taxpayers in both the countries during the pendency
of Mutual Agreement Procedure (MAP) proceedings. Besides, both countries also have agreed that transfer
pricing dispute cases will be taken up for MAP under the revised Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA)
between India and Korea.
iii. MAP is an alternate dispute resolution mechanism that allows competent authorities of particular nation and
its treaty partner to negotiate a mutually acceptable settlement. Under it, two signatory sides can negotiate
settlement on a case that can subsequently be taken off from the formal legal process.
iv. As a resolution process, MAP draws up parameters for taxation in one country for which credit would be
available in another. Eliminates of double taxation arising out of transfer pricing tax disputes, characterisation
of income and attribution of profits and existence of Permanent Establishment.
5. Worlds first dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, approved for use in Mexico
i. The Mexican authorities on 9 December 2015 approved the use of the first-ever vaccine against dengue
fever, which will be publicly available for the first time. French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur declared that the
Mexican authorities have granted marketing authorization to Dengvaxia, the vaccine against dengue fever.
ii. Sanofi has requested regulatory approval of Dengvaxia vaccine in 20 countries across Asia and Latin
America, but Mexico was the first to green flag it. The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary
Risks (COFEPRIS) approved Dengvaxia for the prevention of disease caused by all four dengue virus serotypes
in preadolescents, adolescents and adults, 9 to 45 years of age living in endemicareas.
iii. The COFEPRIS approval of Dengvaxia is based on results from an extensive clinical development program
involving over 40000 people of different ages, geographic and epidemiological settings, and ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds living in 15 countries.
iv. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) report published in late 2014, the vaccine had an average
rate of effectiveness of about 60.8 percent in protecting against the four strains of dengue now circulating.
v. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Overall, the disease is a
potential threat to almost half of the worlds population.
6. Sharad Pawars autobiography On My Terms released
i. Sharad Pawar's On My Terms: From the Grassroots to the Corridors of Power, an autobiography of Sharad
Pawar was released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 10 December 2015. The book was released on the 75th
birthday of Pawar, the Maratha strongman and the leader of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
ii. In this book, Pawar has detailed his experiences of political and social issues spanning 50 years. He, in his
book, has provided a detailed account of the reason which helped in creation of rough patches in his relation
with Rajiv Gandhi. He tells that his proximity with Chandra Shekhar brought rough patches to his ties with Rajiv.
iii. Born on 12 December, 1940 in Katewadi village of Baramati tehsil of Maharashtra, he is the only leader of
the state, who became Chief Minister 4 times. He also held cabinet minister portfolio in several Congress led
Government's at the centre.
iv. A heavyweight in national politics and NCP President Sharad Pawar has completed 75 years of his life and a
political innings of 55 years.
7. Myanmar inaugurated Yangon Stock Exchange
i. Myanmar on 9 December 2015 inaugurated a new stock exchange, named Yangon Stock Exchange (YSX),
with plans for six companies to start trading in March 2016.
ii. Initially, the Yangon Stock Exchange will be open only to Myanmar companies and investors and will
eventually allow foreigners to invest in Myanmar shares.
iii. The exchange was set up by local companies in a joint venture with Daiwa Institute of Research Japan and
Japan Exchange Group, which operates the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
iv. It is hoped that the opening of stock market will help companies raise capital and fuel economic
development in Myanmar, which is one of Asia's poorest countries. Myanmar's economy was stunted by
decades of international sanctions until military rulers yielded to a civilian government in 2010.
8. Udai Kumar to take over as MD & CEO of Metropolitan SE

i. The Metropolitan Stock Exchange (formerly MCX Stock Exchange) is set to appoint its interim Managing
Director and CEO Udai Kumar as MD & CEO. The equities and commodities market regulator SEBI is expected to
clear the appointment soon. Kumar was the lead runner among the two other candidates shortlisted from
foreign and public sector banks, said sources.
ii. The appointment will create a vacancy for the MDs post at the exchanges clearing corporation as Kumar
was playing the dual role of heading both the organisations. In October, Kumar was asked to lead the exchange
as a stop-gap arrangement after the incumbent Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Saurabh Sarkar
resigned.
iii. Kumar, who has experience of over two decades, is expected to play a key role in the turnaround strategy of
the exchange, which posted a loss of Rs. 15 crore during the September quarter against Rs. 12 crore in the
same period last year.
iv. He has worked in senior capacity with large institutions, such as JM Financial Consultants, JM Morgan Stanley,
Centrum Capital and Fortune Financial. He joined Metropolitan Clearing Corporation from Inter-connected Stock
Exchange where he was Managing Director.
9. ABB India appoints Sanjeev Sharma as MD
i. ABB India Ltd has appointed Sanjeev Sharma as Managing Director with effect from January 1, 2016, to
continue the path of next level of growth across utilities, industries and infrastructure in the country.
ii. Sanjeev Sharma first had joined ABB in 1990 and since then has held a number of global senior management
roles. He brings extensive experience in industrial automation and electrification across market segments and
geographies and has led several successful change management initiatives across global operations.
iii. Prior to this appointment, Sanjeev was the global Managing Director for ABBs Low Voltage Systems business
unit, where he was based in Malaysia. He started his career working for ABB in India and has also worked in
Germany and Switzerland.
iv. Sanjeev brings over 25 years of experience in ABB in diverse roles across various locations and functions,
where he has most notably been responsible for running successful global business units, said Frank Duggan,
Chairman of the Board, ABB India Ltd.
v. ABB in India has been steadily growing despite a challenging market environment, therefore we look forward
to welcoming Sanjeev to the team where he will be responsible for driving the next level of growth for ABB in
India, which is a key market and an important resource base for ABB.
10. Naseeruddin Shah receives lifetime achievement award at DIFF
i. Veteran Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah was honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the Dubai
International Film Festival (DIFF). French actress Catherine Deneuve also received the award. The stars shared
the podium with the likes of Egyptian actor Ezzat Al Alayli, award-winning French-Tunisian actor Sami Bouajila at
the gala Wednesday night opening.
1. UNESCO designated Varanasi and Jaipur as members of Creative Cities Network
i. Two Indian cities, Varanasi and Jaipur, on 11 December 2015 have made it to the Creative City Network of the
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the first time ever. Varanasi and
Jaipur made it to the network in the categories, City of Music and City of Crafts and Folk Art respectively.
ii. UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, announced the designation of 47 cities from 33 countries as new
members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. India had applied for the first time to UNESCO in these
categories in 2015.
iii. Varanasi was advocated as a perfect example of India's intangible cultural heritage as a combination of a
temple city with its rich tradition in music. The Varanasi School of Music or the Benaras Gharana is named after
the holy city of Varansi. Semi classical genres like Hori, Chaiti, Tappa, Daadra trace citys rich musical heritage.
iv. The Government of Rajasthan nominated Jaipur under the Creative Cities Network for its art and craft. The
city identifies 36 varieties of crafts including the ones related to Sculpture, Pottery Textiles and Jewellery
making. Right from King Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in 18th Century to his successors, the city has been nurtured
as a centre of artistic excellence.
2. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis recommended to make it a Permanent and Statutory
Body
i. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis presented its Annual Report 2014-15 to the Union Minister for
Social Justice and Empowerment Thawar Chand Gehlot on 11 December 2015.
ii. It recommended make the Commission a permanent and statutory body with powers of Civil Court to lend it
more credibility. The Contract system should be abolished and ensure payment of minimum wages for Safai
Karamcharis. Death victims among Safai Karamcharis should be compensated with a minimum 10 lakh rupees
as has already been ordered by the Supreme Court
iii. National Commission for Safai Karamcharis was constituted on 12 August 1994 for a period of 3 years under
the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993. It was constituted to promote and safeguard the
interests and rights of Safai Karamcharis.
iv. The Commission comprises of a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson and five Members. All the members of the
Commission are nominated from amongst the persons of eminence connected with the socio-economic
development and welfare of Safai Karamcharis, by the Central Government. It also provides that at least one of
the Members shall be a woman.
3. Prakash Kumar Singh is new SAIL chairman
i. After remaining headless for over three months, state-run Steel Authority of India (SAIL) on Thursday got a
new chairman in 57-year-old Prakash Kumar Singh.
ii. The task of the new chairman would be daunting considering the current state of affairs of the industry and
the company which has reported a net loss for the first two quarters of the current fiscal and is set to report a
net loss after a gap of 13 years.

ii. SAIL has incurred a net loss of R1,378 crore in H1, FY16 which includes a net loss of R1,056 crore during the
second quarter. The situation of the industry is unlikely to change in the immediate future in the face of
galloping imports and subdued consumption. Though the government has tried to rein in inward shipment
through various trade barriers, these are yet to beard desired results.
iii. From a management trainee appointed in 1980, P K Singh was chosen to become the chairman of the
countrys largest steelmaker in the public sector by government head-hunter Public Enterprises Selection Board
(PESB) recommended in September the name of Singh.
iv. The post of permanent chairman in the company has been lying vacant since incumbent CS Verma was
refused an extension by the government in June.
4. India, Japan sign deals on bullet train, defence, civil nuclear energy
i. Taking their robust bilateral ties to a new level, India and Japan on Saturday inked a number of pacts in key
areas of defence and nuclear energy as well as building of first bullet train network between MumbaiAhmedabad at a cost of about Rs 98,000 crore.
ii. The strategic pacts were inked after the summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese
counterpart Shinzo Abe during which they also discussed international and regional issues of mutual
importance including UN security reforms.
iii. Addressing a joint press meet with Abe, Modi said, No friend will matter more in realising Indias economic
dreams than Japan while describing Abe as a personal friend and a great champion of India-Japan
partnership.
iv. The bullet train network will link the Indias financial hub Mumbai with Ahmedabad, the capital of Modis
home state, Gujarat. Bullet train between the two cities will cut travel time on the 505 kilometre route from
eight hours to around three. The approx. cost of the project is estimated to be around Rs 98,000 crore.
v. The two sides also inked agreements - one concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology
and another related to Security Measures for Protection of Classified Military Information.
5. Salman Rushdie honoured with Mailer Prize for Lifetime Achievement
i. India-born author Salman Rushdie on 10 December 2015 was awarded the prestigious Mailer Prize for lifetime
achievement. American experimental performance artist Laurie Anderson presented the award to Rushdie at
Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York City. The prestigious Mailer Prize honours writers who fully exercise their
freedom of creativity and thrive on dialogue and debate.
ii. Rushdie is the author of famous books like, Booker Prize winner Midnights Children, and controversial The
Satanic Verses. His most recent novel, Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, was published in the
English language in September 2015.
iii. He is a Fellow of the British Royal Society of Literature. He has received the Whitbread Prize for Best Novel
(twice), the Writers Guild Award, the European Unions Aristeion Prize for Literature, the London International
Writers Award and a US National Arts Award.
iv. The Mailer Prize is an American literary award established in 2009 by The Norman Mailer Center and The
Norman Mailer Writers Colony. The prize is named after renowned American writer Norman Mailer, considered
among the most influential writers of the second half of the 20th century.
v. The prize is given to writers whose work over the years has challenged readers perspectives on the world
around them.
6. India and Japan signed protocol to amend double taxation avoidance pact
i. The Government of India and the Government of Japan on 11 December 2015 inked a protocol for amending
the existing convention for the avoidance of double taxation and for the prevention of fiscal evasion with
respect to taxes on income.
i. The existing convention was signed in 1989. The protocol was signed by Dr Hasmukh Adhia, Revenue
Secretary on behalf of India. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan signed the protocol on behalf of the
Government of Japan.
iii. The protocol provides for internationally accepted standards for effective exchange of information on tax
matters including bank information and information without domestic tax interest.
iv. It provides that the information received from Japan in respect of a resident of India can be shared with other
law enforcement agencies with authorisation of the competent authority of Japan and vice versa.
v. It also provides that India and Japan will lend assistance to each other in the collection of revenue claims. It
provides for exemption of interest income from taxation in the source country with respect to debt-claims
insured by the Government/Government owned financial institutions.
7. Wipro won 2015 Aegis Graham Bell Award for innovation in IoT
i. Global software giant Wipro on 11 December 2015 announced that it won the 2015 Aegis Graham Bell Award
for developing a solution for the Internet of Things (IoT). Wipros IoT solution, Universal Data Parser (UDP),
fetched the prestigious award.
ii. The Aegis School of Business established the Aegis Graham Bell Awards as a tribute to the father of the
telephony, Sir Alexander Graham Bell.
iii. The award is intended to promote innovation, entrepreneurship in the field of Telecom, Internet, Media &
Edutainment (TIME) and to provide recognition for outstanding contributions in this field in India.
iv. The awards are organized with support of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), and Telecom Centres
of Excellence (TCOE) India.
8. Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurates India-Laos conference in Delhi
i. India values its relations with Laos as the two countries share a long history of cultural relations over
centuries, Union Tourism and Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma said today.

ii. Inaugurating an international conference on 'India-Laos: Inter-Cultural Relations', he said, "Laos is a peaceloving country and we value our relation with Laos in a big way. We have a long heritage and cultural relations
over centuries."
iii. Stating that India has several cultural linkages in Indonesia, Laos and other East Asian countries such as
sculptures and temples, Sharma said, "A lot needs to be done with regard to existence of our cultural heritage
present in those parts of the world." The event organised by Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts was
attended by delegates from Laos, Cambodia, France, Vietnam as well as scholars from various parts of the
country.
iv. Ambassador of Lao People's Democratic Republic Southam Sakonhninhom narrated the elements of cultural
linkages between his country and India as he appreciated the organisers for holding the seminar on the subject.
v. Prof Sachchidanand Sahay, who gave the keynote address at the seminar, highlighted the rich cultural
linkages between India and many other South East Asian countries, including linguistic and architectural.
9. Myanmar launched its first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Inle Lake
i. Myanmar on 11 December 2015 launched its first UNSECO Biosphere Reserve Inle Lake in Shan state. The Inle
Lake was designated as UNESCO Biosphere reserve in Paris in June 2015. With this, Myanmar fulfilled its
commitment to bio-diversity and eco-system conservation under the UNESCOs Man and Biosphere Prorgamme.
ii. The inscription of Inle Lake as one of the world natural heritage sites by the UN Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) came after that of Myanmar's three Pyu ancient cities in June 2014.
iii. The Inle Lake is spread in an area of 489721 hectares and located in Nyaungshwe township, Taunggyi district
in Myanmar's eastern Shan state. The lake gets funding from the government of Norway under the framework
of the Inle Lake Conservation and Rehabilitation project.
iv. The wetland ecosystem of this freshwater lake is home to 267 species of birds, out of which 82 are wetland
birds, 43 species of freshwater fishes, otters and turtles. The Inle Lake is reported to be the nesting place for
globally endangered Sarus crane.
10. Elizabeth Susan Koshy clinched gold in 59th National Shooting Championships
i. Keralas Elizabeth Susan Koshy on 11 December 2015 won the Women's 50m Rifle 3 Positions Gold at the
59th National Shooting Championships held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting range in New Delhi. Haryanas
Anjum Moudgil won the silver medal and Gaayathri N of Tamil Nadu fetched the bronze in the championship.
ii. On the other hand, Commonwealth Games gold medalist Tejaswini Sawant along with veteran Anjali Bhagwat
and Priyal Keni won the team gold for Maharashtra in the event, in which the Railways won silver and Haryana
won bronze.
iii. Born on 10 May 1994, Koshy made her international debut at the Junior meet in Germany in 2011. In 2011,
she won five gold medals in Thiruvananthapuram at the State championship.
iv. She won silver in the Asian Shooting Championships and represented India in the 2013 and 2014 World
Cups. She won gold in the 2015 National Games women's 50m Rifle Prone event, the first for Kerala.
11. Indian cyclist Deborah Herold became World No. 4 Cyclist
i. Indian cyclist Deborah Herold on 11 December 2015 became the first Indian female cyclist to be ranked fourth
in the World Elite Women Ranking for the 500m time trial event. The ranking was issued by cycling world body
International Cycling Union (UCI).
ii. Besides, the Indian team also improved its world ranking to 13th. India is the highest ranking Asian country in
500m time trial. China fetched the 15th spot in the ranking
Dilip Kumar gets Padma Vibhushan award
i. Legendary actor Dilip Kumar was today presented the Padma Vibhushan by Union Home Minister Rajnath
Singh at the thespians residence in suburban Bandra.
ii. Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, were among other dignitaries
present at the actors home when he received the award.
iii. The announcement to honour Bollywood veterans Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan and a few others with the
prestigious Padma Vibhushan award was made by the government on the eve of Republic Day on January 25,
2015.
iv. However, Kumar, due to ill-health, could not attend the special function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in
April when other Padma awardees were honoured by President Pranab Mukherjee.
v. Born as Muhammad Yousuf Khan in Peshawar, Kumar made his debut as an actor in the film Jwar Bhata in
1944 produced by Bombay Talkies.
vi. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan award in 1991, the Dadasaheb Phalke
Award in 1994 and the Padma Vibhushan earlier this year, for his exceptional and distinguished contribution to
the Indian cinema.
\NGT bans registration of new diesel-run vehicles in Delhi
i. National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered ban on registration of new diesel-run vehicles in Delhi to curb the
growing menace of air pollution in the capital city.
ii. This ruling was given by NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar and also questioned
Delhi governments odd-even formula for vehicles to check pollution in the city.
Key facts

The ban on registration of new diesel vehicles will be valid till 6th January 2016 as interim steps i.e. till
the next date of hearing of NGT on Delhi pollution.

NGT also ordered the central and state government to stop buying diesel cars in Delhi.

On Delhi governments odd-even formula for vehicles, the tribunal mentioned that might encourage
people to buy two cars.

Background

Presently around 23 per cent of the cars registered in Delhi are running on diesel. The cars running are
likely to emit 7.5 times more particulate matter (PM) compared to petrol cars. As per WHO, emissions
from Diesel cars produce more toxic nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and may cause cancer.

Earlier in April 2015, NGT had banned diesel vehicles over 10 years old in the national capital which
has been labelled as one of worlds most polluted city. In November 2015, Delhi government had
decided that private vehicles with odd and even registration numbers will ply on odd and even dates
from 1st January 2016 for two week.

About National Green Tribunal

Renowned agro-economist Sharad Joshi passes away

i. Renowned agro-economist and veteran leader of farmers Sharad Anantrao Joshi passed away in Pune,
Maharashtra. He was 81.
ii. He was founder of Shetakari Sanghtana (farmers Organisation) an NGO dedicated to the cause of farmers in
Maharashtra.
About Sharad Joshi

Sharad Joshi was born in 1935 in Satara district of Maharashtra. Prior to establishing Shetakari
Sanghtana in 1979 he had worked with Pune University as lecturer of Economics and Statistics and
later worked with United Nations (UN).

He had served as a member of Advisory Board of the World Agricultural Forum (WAF).

Joshi had spearheaded numerous agitations, protests, fasts throughout the state to highlight the issue
of reasonable prices for agricultural produce.

He was Rajya Sabha member from 2004 to 2010. He was the sole MP in Upper House to vote against
the bill providing 33% reservation for women in Parliament and assemblies.

Union Govt inks MoU for establishing IIITs at Ranchi, Nagpur & Pune
i. The Union Government has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing three Indian
Institute of Information Technology (IIITs) in the country.
ii. The agreement to this effect was signed between Department of Higher Education (DoHE) and private
agencies including Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Motors, ADCC Infocad and Hubtown.
Key facts

These IIITs are being set up at Ranchi (Jharkhand), Nagpur and Pune (Maharashtra).

Apart from the Central Government, these institutions will be operated on a Public-Private-Partnership
(PPP) mode with participation of state government and industry.

These IIITs are expected to bring out high quality Information Technology (IT) manpower required for
building up IT industry in the country.

The admission process in all the three IIITs will be done through Joint Entrance Examination (JEE)-2016
and shall have intake of 120 students in each institutions.

With this, the total number of IIITs in the PPP mode has gone up to 16.
1. COP 21 under UNFCCC adopted Paris Agreement on Climate Change
i. Conference of the Parties 21 (COP 21) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) on 12 December 2015 adopted the Paris Agreement on Climate Change which was attended by 192
parties. India was represented by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash
Javadekar.
ii. The agreement facilitates enforcement of global green house emission reduction measures in the post-2020
(post Kyoto Protocol) scenario. It was prepared based on consensus among the parties incorporating Intended
Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) of the respective parties including that of India.
iii. And, the agreement took into account the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibilities
and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances.

iv. The primary objective of the protocol is to limit the global average temperature to well below 2 C above preindustrial levels. Efforts will be made to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels so
that it will be possible to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.
v. The global environmental protocol took into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibility
(CBDR) to ensure climate justice which has been advocated by India for a long time. It strikes the right balance
between national developmental needs of developing and small island nations and global environmental
necessities by incorporating the INDCs under which countries will publicly outline what post-2020 climate
actions they intend to take.
vi. It was adopted in the light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in particular its goal 13 that
advocates for urgent action to combat climate change.
2. Losar, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Festival, began in Ladakh region
i. Losar, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Festival began on 12 December 2015 in Ladakh region of Jammu and
Kashmir. The festival marks the beginning of New Year for Buddhists. The annual festival is celebrated by
people of the area with traditional and religion fervor. The festival begins with illumination of religious and
residential places.
ii. Buddhists of Ladakh celebrate Losar as their new year. Before the rule of Jamiang Namgyal (1555 to 1610)
this day was celebrated on the first day of Ladakhi Buddhist Year which is based in the moon and sun (quite
similar to Hindus). However, the day was advanced by two days after Jamiang Namgyal decided to invade
Skardu before the New Year.
iii. Since then, Losar is celebrated on the last two days of the 10th Bodhi month that coincides with December
of Christian calendar.
iv. During this, people of Ladakh specially remember ancestors of their family. On this day, people visit
graveyards of their family members and pray for peace of the departed soul. Apart from this, people also visit
each other houses for exchange of Losar greetings.
3. Saudi voters elected women candidates for first time in Municipal council polls
i. Saudi Arabian voters on 12 December 2015 voted to elect women in at least 18 municipal council seats. This
was a historic local elections in Saudi Arabia in which women were allowed to vote and run for office for the first
time. This event occurred for the first time in the history of the country. The results of the election were
declared on 13 December 2015.
ii. The winners hailed from different parts of the nation, ranging from largest city to the small village near
Islams holiest site. The conservative capital of Riyadh saw the most women candidates win, with four elected.
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi was elected to the council of Madrakah, a region in Mecca.
iii. Though there are no quotas for female council members, an additional 1050 seats are appointed with
approval by the king who could use his powers to ensure more women are represented. Women are still not
allowed to drive and are governed by guardianship laws that give men final say over aspects of their lives like
marriage, travel and higher education.
iv. The women were allowed to vote and contest in the municipal election in accordance to the royal decree
issued in 2011. As per the decree, only 978 women were registered as candidates on 284 councils, however
many were barred from registering by the authorities.
4. Construction work of TAPI Gas Pipeline started
i. Construction work on the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) Gas Pipeline project started in
Turkmenistan on 13 December 2015. The work started after the button to begin the welding process of the
project was pressed.
ii. The button was pressed by Vice President of India Hamid Ansari along with Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz
Sharif, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimohamedov.
iii. The TAPI project is intended to deliver Caspian Sea natural from the energy-rich former Soviet republic
Turkmenistan to three South Asian countries.
iv. The pipeline will carry the gas from the Dauletabad gas field in Turkmenistan to the Indian town of Fazilka, in
the Punjab near the Pakistan-India border. The pipeline will cross the Afghan cities of Herat and Kandahar as
well as Pakistan cities of Quetta and Multan.
v. Turkmenistan will lead the consortium to build the project and the remaining members will invest according
to the techno-commercial viability, shareholders agreement and investment agreement.
vi. The abbreviation TAPI comes from the first letters of those countries. Proponents of the project see it as a
modern continuation of the Silk Road.
5. Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed appointed as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
i. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on 11 December 2015 appointed Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed
as the Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.
ii. His appointment to the post will fill the vacancy which was lying vacant since retirement of Hamid Ali Rao in
April 2015. Javed, a 1980-batch IPS officer from Maharashtra Cadre, is scheduled to retire on 31 January 2016.
iii. With this, Javed became the 20th Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. He is also the fourth IPS officer to be
appointed as an Ambassador, which is generally is a domain of Indian Forest Service officers.
iv. IPS officer Julio Ribeiro, who was Mumbai Police Commissioner from 1982 to 1985, also served as Indian
Ambassador to Romania.
6. Mascot and Logo of 2016 South Asian Games unveiled
i. Orgnaising committee of 12th South Asian Games (OC-SAG) on 13 December 2014 unveiled mascot of the
games and logo at ITA Cultural Center Machkhowa in Guwahati, Assam.
ii. The mascot Tikhor is a one horned rhino and is the brand ambassador of the games carries the message of
peace, stability, amity and progress in the South Asian region. On the other hand, the logo has eight petals
representing the countries participating in the mega event.

iii. The mega event will be jointly held in Guwahati and Shillong from 6 February to 16 February 2016.
7. Security expo in Capital concludes
i. UBM India recently concluded its 9th International Fire & Security Exhibition and Conference (IFSEC) India
Expo 2015 in the Capital. It was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia.
ii. Sisodia said, We need better security systems this is somewhat mandatory in the current scenario. Such
shows allows us to choose from a wide spectrum under one roof. I could sense that there is interesting
equipment displayed that could be seriously considered for home security and public safety net.
iii. The event showcased security solutions by over 300 companies from 20 countries from December 10 to
December 12. The expo was supported by the Asian Professional Security Association, ASIS International,
British Security Industry Association, and Electronic security Association of India.
iv. The sessions centred around security in public transport, cybercrime, disaster prevention, and Internet of
Things, among others.
8. Indian-origin writer J M Sali won 2015 South East Asian Write Award for Singapore
i. Indian-origin Tamil writer Jamaludeen Mohamed Sali on 11 December 2015 was declared as the winner of the
prestigious South East Asian Write Award for Singapore. Sali will receive the award for literary excellence on 14
December 2015 at a ceremony in Bangkok.
ii. Born in Madras in 1939, J M Sali was invited to Singapore at the age of 25 to be an assistant editor at the
Tamil Murasu newspaper by its founder, the late G Sarangapani. Sali worked for local broadcasting station,
Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, as a broadcast journalist.
iii. He produced books on famous people including martial art icon Bruce Lee and legendary boxer Muhammad
Ali. He retired in 2000 from journalism to do full-time writing and translation work. His famous short stories and
novels are Vellai Kodugal (White Lines) and Alaigal Pesuginrana (The Sound of the Waves). They are now
studied by Tamil literature students in Singaporean and Indian universities.
iv. Since 1979, the Southeast Asian Write Awards (S.E.A. Write Awards) is presented annually to poets and
writers of Southeast Asia. The awards are given to the writers from each of the countries that comprise the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, though not all countries in ASEAN are represented every year. The
award is sometimes given for a specific work by an author, or it could be awarded for lifetime achievement.
9. Japan's Nozomi Okuhara, Kento Momota won singles titles at World Dubai Superseries Finals
i. Japanese shuttlers Kento Momota and Nozomi Okuhara on 13 December 2015 won Men's singles and
Womens singles title respectively at the BWF World Superseries finals held at the Hamdan Sports Complex,
Dubai.
ii. Okuhara defeated Chinas Wang Yihan by 22-20, 21-18 to grab the womens singles crown. Not much later,
Momota crushed Denmarks Viktor Axelsen by 21-15, 21-12 and clinched the Mens singles title.
iii. Born 1 September 1994, Kento Momota is known for his explosive movements on court and his unpredictable
style of play. He was the winner all of the matches he competed in Japan's maiden Thomas Cup victory in 2014.
He was the first Japanese player to win the Singapore Open. He was the first Japanese player to win a medal in
BWF World Championships 2015 held in Jakarta.
iv. Born on 13 March 1995, Nozomi Okuhara is a female Japanese badminton player who is a singles specialist.
In 2011, she became the youngest women's singles champion ever at the Japanese National Badminton
Championships. In 2012, she won her first Grand Prix title at the 2012 Canada Open Grand Prix.
10. Vijay Kumar won gold in the 59th National shooting championship
i. Vijay Kumar on 13 December 2015 won the centre fire pistol gold in the 59th National shooting championship
at the Dr Karni Singh Range in Tughlakabad in New Delhi. The 15 day event began on 1 December 2015.
ii. To win the gold, Vijay Kumar scored 588 points to pip Gurpreet Singh by two points. Vijay Kumar won the
silver medal in the 25m rapid fire pistol event in 2012 Olympics held in London.
1. Maharashtra Government constituted a task force for setting up an IFSC in Mumbai
i. The Maharashtra government on 11 December 2015 constituted a task force for setting up an International
Financial Service Centre (IFSC) in Mumbai. The task force will be headed by Union Minister of State for Finance
Jayant Sinha.
ii. The task force includes, Union Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha (chairman), Lok Sabha MP from
Mumbai North Central Poonam Mahajan (deputy chairman), Maharashtra Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshtriya,
MMRDA Commissioner UPS Madan, Principal Secretary Urban development Nitin Kareer, A representative from
the Department of Economic Affairs, Union Government, OSD in the Chief Ministers Office (CMO) Kaustubh
Dhavse will be Member Convenor.

iii. The task force will be required to plan and oversee the development of designated areas at Bandra Kurla
Complex (BKC). They will also review the process of all stakeholders, take various decisions and issue directives
to departments of the state and the Union Government.
iv. Apart from this, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will also assist the task
force in arranging meetings with various groups and site visits. Logistics shall be provided by MMRDA as
required by the committee.
v. As per plan, the IFSC will be developed within the BKC in suburban Bandra. Developing a designated area in
BKC is one of the most ambitious projects of the Maharashtra Government.
Earlier in the first week of December 2015, the state government issued a Government Resolution (GR) to make
sure that the initiative is completed within time.
2. United Nations Human Development Report 2015 released

i. The United Nations Human Development Report 2015 was released on 14 December 2015 with the title Work
for Human Development in Ethiopia. As per the report, 2 billion people lifted out of low human development in
last 25 years.
ii. The report urges governments to act to ensure no one is left behind in the fast-changing world of work. It
calls for equitable and decent work for all.
iii. In the 2015 report, India with a score of 0.609 has been ranked 130 out of 188 countries in terms of Human
Development Index (HDI). In the 2014 report, India was ranked 135 out of 187 countries.
iv. The report proposes a three-pronged action agenda for creating work opportunities and ensuring workers
well-being. The agenda A New Social Contract between governments, society, and the private sector, to ensure
that all members of society, especially those working outside the formal sector, have their needs taken into
account in policy formulation.
v. It encourages governments to look beyond jobs to consider the many kinds of work, such as unpaid care,
voluntary, or creative work that are important for human development. It calls to reduce the inequality between
men and women, societies need new policies, including better access to paid care services.
3. Mahindra Group acquired Italian auto design firm Pininfarina
i. Tech Mahindra and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, part of the Mahindra Group, on 14 December 2015 acquired
Italian car designer Pininfarina SpA for 165 million US dollars in an all-cash deal. Pininfarina is well-known for
designing cars for Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce and Cadillac.
ii. For the acquisition of Milan-listed Pininfarina, Tech Mahindra and Mahindra and Mahindra have formed a
60:40 joint venture. The joint venture will acquire 76.06 percent in Pininfarina from its controlling shareholder
Pincar Srl at a price of 25.3 million euros.
iii. The joint venture will buy out the remaining 23.94 percent ordinary shares of Pininfarina through an open
offer. The JV will also infuse 20 million euros into Pininfarina by way of a rights issue, which would be executed
before the end of 2016.
iv. Tech Mahindra and Mahindra and Mahindra have also signed definitive agreements with the lenders and
creditors of Pininfarina to restructure the existing debt. It will also provide a corporate guarantee not exceeding
114.5 million euros to the lenders, creditors and lessors of Pininfarina.
4. West Bengal Government honoured Bappi Lahiri and Kumar Sanu with Lifetime Achievement
Awards
i. The West Bengal Government on 14 December 2015 honoured music composer Bappi Lahiri and singer
Kumar Sanu with Lifetime Achievement Awards. State Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee handed over the awards
at the inauguration of the annual Bangla Sangeet Mela.
ii. Besides, Bollywood musician Shantanu Moitra was awarded with the Sangeet Mahasamman Award. The
Bishesh Sangeet Samman was awarded to Dwijen Mukhyopadhyay, Ajoy Chakraborty and Sandhya Mukherjee.
iii. Vocalists Nachiketa, Sriradha Bandyopadhyay, Dileep Kumar Bose and Fakir Alamgir were honoured with
Special Sangeet Samman.
iv. In addition, it was announced at the function that Sangeet Mela will be held for the next 10 days at different
venues where 5000 artists will participate. A monthly honorarium of 1000 will be given to 50000 folk artists.
5. Union Government appointed L Narasimha Reddy to head Judicial Committee on OROP
i. The Union Government on 14 December 2015 appointed Justice L Narasimha Reddy, retired Chief Justice of
Patna High Court, to head the Judicial Committee which will look into the implementation of One Rank One
Pension (OROP) scheme for the ex-servicemen.
ii. The Committee has been given a six-month deadline for submission of its recommendations. It may give
interim reports to the Government on any of the matters related to its terms of reference.
iii. In making its recommendations, the Committee shall take into account the financial impact of its
recommendations. The Committee will devise its own procedure and may call for such information and take
such evidence, as may be considered necessary. Ministries and Departments of Government of India will furnish
such information and documents and other assistance as may be required by the Committee.
iv. The Committee will have its headquarters in Delhi. All administrative support to the committee will be
provided by Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence.
6. Operation Smile-II to start from 1 January 2016
i. Union Government on 14 December 2015 requested the states and Union Territories (UT) to start Operation
Smile-II from 1 January 2016. The operation will end on 31 January 2016.
ii. In this regard, the Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Mehrishi has written a letter to the Chief Secretaries of all
states and Union Territories for participation in Operation Smile-II in their respective State/UT.
iii. Operation Smile-II is a campaign to rescue/rehabilitate the missing children. It is a follow up of the exercise
Operation Smile that helped in rescuing and rehabilitating 9146 missing children.
iv. All children residing in shelter homes, platforms, bus stands, roads, religious places and others will be
screened by trained police personnel. Before 1 January 2016, the Police Personnel from each state will be
properly trained in methodology to extract information from such children tactfully without their getting
intimidated.
v. The police personnel will also be trained about various provisions like Protection of Children from Sexual
Offences (POCSO) Act, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) JJ Act, Protection of Child Right Act and
others.
7. Indian-origin politician Pravin Gordhan becomes South Africas Finance Minister
i. An Indian-origin politician, Pravin Gordhan has been appointed as South Africas new Finance Minister. With
this he becomes countrys third Finance Minister in a week. He replaces David van Rooyen who was appointed
on 10 November 2015. Earlier President Jacob Zuma had sacked incumbent Nhlanhla Nene from Finance
Ministry.

ii. Born 12 April 1949 in Durban. He is trained and worked as a pharmacist in Durban He was one of the main
negotiators in the drafting of South Africas democratic constitution from 1991-1994.
iii. He had served as a commissioner in South Africas revenue service (SARS) from 1999-2009 Gordhan had
served as Finance Minister from 2009-2014 and was widely respected for his work.
iv. Prior to this appointment he was serving as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
8. GIFT City Phase-2 work launched
i. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) on Monday announced the launch of the Phase-2
development, which will be focused on International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) to be set up in GIFT SEZ.
ii. With the launch of Phase-2 development, GIFT City has invited proposals from developers to build office
towers in SEZ and non-SEZ areas, an official statement said here.
iii. GIFT Citys Phase 1 has received overwhelming response from realty developers as well as leading BFSI and
IT players. So far, allotments of over 14 million square feet of built up area (BUA) has been made in the SEZ and
Non-SEZ area for development of office towers, residential apartments and social facilities to be developed at
an estimated investment of around Rs. 9,600 crore.
iv. GIFT IFSC has already made allotment to around 20 institutions, including leading names such as SBI, IDBI
Bank, ICICI Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and YES Bank. GIFT has also signed Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with various leading Capital Market players namely, BSE, NSE, MCX and DMCC.
v. Indias first IFSC is already operational with the commencement of IFSC banking units by Yes Bank & Federal
Bank in November 2015.
9. Anirban Lahiri wins Order of Merit crown of Asian Tour
i. Indias star golfer Anirban Lahiri (28) has won the coveted Order of Merit crown of Asian Tour for year 2015. In
the 2015 season world No. 41, Lahiri has earned $1,139,084 a way ahead of second-placed Scott Hend of
Australia who has earned $491,631.
Vijay Diwas observed across the country to commemorate Indias victory in 1971 war
i. Vijay Diwas was observed across the country on 16 December 2015. On this day, nation remembers martyrs,
who laid down their lives during Indo-Pak War of 1971.
ii. On this occasion, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Army Chief D S Suhag, Navy Chief R K Dhowan and Air
Chief Arup Raha remembered martyrs and paid tributes at Amar Jawan Jyoti in New Delhi.

World Bank approved 1.5 billion US dollar loan to support Clean India Campaign
i. The World Bank on 15 December 2015 approved a 1.5 billion US dollar loan for the ambitious Clean India
Campaign (Swachh Bharat Mission). The loan was granted to support the government in its efforts to ensure all
citizens in rural areas have access to improved sanitation and end the practice of open defecation by 2019.
ii. The loan will be used for Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Support Operation Project.
Combined Commanders Conference held on INS Vikramaditya off Kochi coast
i. Combined Commanders Conference, an annual tri-services event chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
was held on board INS Vikramaditya about 50 kms off Kochi coast. This is the first time when the conference
was held outside New Delhi.
ii. It was attended by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, all
three services chiefs and other senior officers of three armed services.
Key facts

The Conference is also known as the Unified Commanders Conference (UCC).

During this conference Indias defence policy, doctrine and operational challenges are discussed in
detail.

Prime minister also reviewed exercise like firing of surface-to-surface missile by INS Nirghat during this
conference.

Prior to conference PM revived the tri-services guard of honour at Southern Naval Command.
SC appoints Virendra Singh as Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh
i. The Supreme Court has appointed Justice (Retd) Virendra Singh as new Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh.
ii. The Court exercises its right under Article 142 of the Constitution to make the appointment while regretting
that its several orders have not been "heeded" by the Constitutional functionaries the Chief Minister, the
leader of opposition and the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court.
iii. In an unusual order, the Supreme Court on Wednesday exercised its Constitutional authority and appointed
former High Court judge, Justice Virendra Singh, as Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh after the State government
failed to comply with its directives.
iv. The Supreme Court observed that

The failure of constitutional functionaries to comply with the orders of the apex court of the country is
deeply regretted and astonishing.

Expressed displeasure that Chief Minister, leader of opposition and Chief Justice of High Court failed to
comply with its order.

Supreme Court bans registration of new diesel SUVs, luxury cars in

i. Supreme Court has banned the registration of all diesel SUVs (Sports Utility Vechiles) and luxury cars in the
entire National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi.
ii. The ban will be valid to SUVs, luxury cars with engine capacity of 2000 cc or more till March 31, 2016. The
SC ruling aims at curbing the alarming pollution level in Delhi.
iii. Presently, over 23 percent (around 8.5 million) of the vehicles on Delhi roads run on diesel and more than
1,400 new cars are added every day. These diesel vehicles produce much more carcinogenic nitrogen oxide
than petrol cars and are one main source of Particulate Matters.
Pakistan successfully tests nuclear-capable Shaheen-IA ballistic missile
i. Pakistan has successfully tested the nuclear-capable Shaheen-IA ballistic missile with a range of 900 km.
ii. The test of the missile was aimed at re-validating several design and technical parameters of the weapon
system. However the location of the test was not disclosed by Pakistan Government.
iii. It is second nuclear capable missile test to be undertaken by Pakistan in December 2015. Earlier Shaheen-III
surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 2,750 km was tested.

Saudi Arabia announces 34 nations Islamic coalition to fight terrorism

i. Saudi Arabia has launched Islamic Military Coalition, a new military alliance of 34 nations mainly Muslim
nations to fight terrorism.
ii. It has been established in pursuance of the objectives and principles of the charter of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It calls for all member states to cooperate to combat terrorism in all its forms and
manifestations.
IAEA ends 12 year Iran Nuclear Weapon probe
i. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has ended its 12-year investigation into concerns that Iran might
be developing nuclear weapons.
ii. In this regard, IAEA Board of Governors have passed a resolution ending its long-running inquiry against Ian
but allowing inspectors to continue to police the countrys nuclear programme.
iii. Earlier IAEA has concluded that Iran had conducted nuclear weapons-related research until 2003 and to a
lesser extent until 2009, but found no evidence was found.
iv. The move is seen as a key step towards lifting UN, EU and US sanctions and a symbolic victory for Iran.
Arun Kumar Jain appointed as Chairman of CBDT
i. Senior revenue service officer Arun Kumar Jain appointed Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
ii. His appointment was approved by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
Arctic Region hits record high temperature over land: NOAA
i. The average temperature over Arctic land for the year ending in September 2015 was the highest on record
indicating that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as other parts of the Earth.
ii. It was revealed by the annual Arctic Report Card of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), a federal agency of US for monitoring condition of the oceans and the atmosphere.
iii. The temperatures in areas at latitude 60 degrees north and higher i.e. over Arctic were 1.3 degrees Celsius
above average for the year ending in September 2015.
Renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman won 2016 Genesis Prize
i. Renowned Israeli-US violinist Itzhak Perlman on 14 December 2015 was announced as the 2016 Genesis Prize
Laureate for his accomplishments as a musician, teacher and advocate for people with disabilities.
ii. Perlman will receive the award on 23 June 2016 from Israels Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at a
ceremony in Jerusalem.
Lok Sabha passed Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2015
i. The Lok Sabha on 14 December 2015 passed the landmark Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill, 2015. The bill
seeks to overcome difficulties encountered in the setting up of new nuclear projects and enhancement of
nuclear power generation.
ii. The bill was passed with a voice vote from both treasury as well as opposition benches. It will now be
referred to Rajya Sabha for ratification.
Apurvi Chandela wins gold medal at National Shooting Championship
i. Apurvi Chandela from Rajasthan has won a Gold medal in the 59th National Shooting Championship in Delhi.
ii. She won the gold medal in 10-metre Air Rifle event in womens category by shooting 207.8 score in the
finals.
iii. She was followed by Geetakshi Dixit (Rajasthan) at second spot and Anjum Moudgil (Haryana) at third spot.
1. ISRO PSLV-C29 successfully launched 6 Singapore satellites into space
i. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 16 December 2015 successfully launched 6 satellites of
Singapore into Space. The satellites were launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C29 from the
first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikotta in Andhra Pradesh.

ii. For the PSLV, it was the 32nd flight overall, and 31st consecutive successful launch. It was also the 50th
launch of a big rocket from the SDSC since the launch of SLV-3 on 10 August 1979.
iii. On the technical front, the PSLV-C29 is significant for the ISRO. In this launch, the rocket engine was switched
off for some time and then switched on successfully in the space. This mid-space switch on & off facility is very
crucial for a launch vehicle to place on-board satellites into different orbits.
iv. With the present launch, ISRO has put into orbits 57 foreign satellites belonging to 20 countries successfully.
Significantly, the list of countries includes scientifically advacned countries like the USA, the UK, France and
Germany among others.
2. Union Cabinet approved MoU with BRICS for energy conservation
i. The Union Cabinet on 16 December 2015 gave its ex-post facto approval to a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) signed between India and BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa) for strengthening
energy efficiency cooperation.
ii. The MoU provides for Joint scientific and technological research and Conferencing and holding of lectures and
seminars. Capacity building and technology transfer and Technology development, sharing policies and best
practices was also included in the MoU. It also included Encouragement of use of energy efficient and energy
saving approaches and instruments in the work of the business entities of the BRICS countries, carried out
within the BRICS countries in Consultation with the host country.
iii. Under the present MoU, the BRICS countries intend to examine the practicability of development of the
comprehensive programme of cooperation in energy saving and energy efficiency promotion that includes
specific common projects, applicable methods and instruments of energy saving and energy efficiency increase
in their economies.
3. Justice Reva Khetrapal took oath as Delhi's Lokayukta
i. Former Delhi High Court judge Reva Khetrapal on 17 December 2015 took oath as Delhi's new Lokayukta. The
post of the anti-corruption ombudsman was vacant since November 2013, when retired Justice Manmohan Sarin
renounced the office.
ii. A four-member panel comprising Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Justice of
Delhi High Court G Rohini and Leader of Opposition leader in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta had unanimously
chosen Justice Khetrapal in October 2015 for the post. Her name was officially recommended by Lt Governor
Najeeb Jung to the President of India Pranab Mukherjee in October 2015.
iii. The Delhi Government recommended Khetrapals name along with retired Chief Justice of Orissa High Court
Bilal Nazki and retired Chief Justice of Haryana and Punjab High Court Jasbir Singh to the Chief Justice of Delhi
High Court in July 2015.
iv. Reva Khetrapal was born in Shimla and studied at Miranda House College and the Law Faculty of the Delhi
University. She worked as the additional judge in the Delhi High Court between 28 February 2006 and 22
September 2014. She also acted as the Additional District and Sessions Judge in 1991 and was posted as
Special Judge (Narcotics) in 1994.
4. RBI liable to disclose information about banks under RTI Act: Supreme Court
i. The Supreme Court on 16 December 2015 held that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is liable to disclose
information about the banks and financial institutions for their action against the loan defaulters including
industrialists under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
ii. The Court further ruled that RBI has statutory duty to uphold public interest and not the interest of individual
banks. It has no legal duty to maximise the benefit of any public sector or private sector bank, and thus there is
no relationship of trust between them.
iii. It also added that RBI does not place itself in a fiduciary relationship with the financial institutions as the
reports of inspections, statements of bank and information related to business obtained by the RBI are not
under pretext of confidence or trust.
iv. The bench made the remark while dismissing pleas filed by RBI and other private and nationalised banks
against the Central Information Commission's (CIC) order to SBI and other banks for disclosure of information
under the RTI Act.
v. The Bench gave the ruling against the petition filed by PP Kapoor, who had asked about the details of the
loans taken by the industrialists that have not been repaid and he had asked about the names of the top
defaulters who have not repaid their loans to public sector banks.
5. Union Cabinet approved revised Model Text for Indian Bilateral Investment Treaty
i. The Union Cabinet, presided by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 16 December 2015 gave its approval for
the revised Model Text for the Indian Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).
ii. The revised Indian model text for BIT will replace the existing Indian Model BIT. The revised model BIT will be
used for re-negotiation of existing BITs and negotiation of future BITs and investment chapters in
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements (CECAs)/ Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements
(CEPAs) / Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
iii. The new Indian Model BIT text will provide appropriate protection to foreign investors in India and Indian
investors in the foreign country, in the light of relevant international precedents and practices. Besides, it will
maintain a balance between the investor's rights and the Government obligations.
iv. A BIT increases the comfort level and boosts the confidence of investors by assuring a level playing field and
non-discrimination in all matters while providing for an independent forum for dispute settlement by arbitration.
In turn, BITs help project India as a preferred Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) destination as well as protect
outbound Indian FDI.
6. The Bose Brothers and Indian Independence An Insiders Account authored by Madhuri Bose

i. The Bose Brothers and Indian Independence An Insiders Account: Madhuri Bose, the grand-niece of Netaji
Subhas Chandra Bose. The book titled The Bose Brothers and Indian Independence An Insiders Account
authored by Madhuri Bose was released on 1 November 2015.
ii. The book came in news after grand-niece of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and author of the book, Madhuri
Bose presented a copy of her book to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 17 December 2015.
iii. Through the book, the author has tried to present a never-before account into the life of the iconic Bose
Brother, Sarat and Subash Chandra Bose.
iv. It chronicles the role of the Bose Brothers in the Indian freedom struggle, drawing from first-hand accounts of
Amiya Nath Bose who was close to them as a family, political ally, confidant and trusted envoy.
v. The book takes the readers through the turbulent political arena of India in the 1920s and unravels the
politics of the Indian Nationalist Movement as experienced by Sarat and Subhash Chandra Bose. It reveals their
interactions with contemporary leaders like Chittaranjan Das, Jinnah, Motilal and Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai
Patel and Mahatma Gandhi down the years till Partition in 1947, an event which Sarat Bose relentlessly
opposed.
7. IRCTC ties up with Paytm for e-catering payments
i. Train passengers will now find it easier to make online payments for the food ordered through e-catering with
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) entering into a tie-up with Paytm, a leading payment
and e-commerce shopping website.
ii. Our tie-up with Paytm will provide an additional payment gateway for food of their choice. In the new age,
we have to offer passengers not only novel food options but also more convenient payment methods. The
arrangement with Paytm is an effort in that direction, he pointed out.
iii. In order to popularise our operations, IRCTC has created a user-friendly website and has been sending SMS,
E-mail to all e-ticket passengers. For e-catering facility, known as Food on Track, IRCTC has already tied up
with online delivery firm Food Panda, enabling consumers to order from a variety of cuisine options. We are in
talks with several other reputed catering companies and fast food giants like McDonalds, Bikanerwala, Nirulas,
Sagar Ratna, Wangs Kitchen, Sarvana Bhavan and Bittu Tikki Wala, he informed.
iv. Currently, IRCTC provides e-catering facility in 1516 trains without pantry cars. In addition, it provides
station- based Food On Track facility at 45 stations including Howrah, New Delhi, Chennai Central, Mumbai
Central, Delhi, Bangalore City, Patna, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar, Madurai and Amritsar among others.
v. The e-catering facility allows passengers to order meals while travelling, either online on
www.ecatering.irctc.co.in or by making a phone call to 0120-2383892-99 or the toll-free number at 1800-1034139. They can also choose to do so through an SMS to 139 by giving details of their PNR and seat number.
8. Lalit Modi back as Rajasthan Cricket Association president
i. After being ousted as president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) for 14 months, former IPL
commissioner Lalit Modi was, on Wednesday, reinstated.
i. On Tuesday, Amin Pathan withdrew the no confidence motion against Modi, following which retired Justice
Gyan Sudha Mishra reinstated Modi. Justice Mishra said 15 RCA member-districts had withdrawn their no
confidence motion in the interests of the game.
iii. Modi had been ousted in October 2014. In March, this year, Pathan had brought the no confidence motion,
after which the court intervened and RCA was temporarily barred from functioning for the past nine months.
iv. In 2013, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had banned Modi for life after it found him guilty of
committing acts of serious misconduct and indiscipline. The BCCI later suspended RCA after Modi was made its
president.
v. However, Team Rajasthan is participating in tournaments under the courts permission even though there is
no funding from the BCCI.
9. Rohit Sharma to launch cricket comic series 'Hyper Tygers
i. Cricketer Rohit Sharma along with Graphic India, UK-based ISM Komix and Cornerstone Sport are set to launch
a new environmental superhero team called 'Hyper Tygers. The digital comic will be free to read on all devices
from February 1 through Sharmas Facebook page and the Graphic POP! Mobile app. 1. American University
announces APJ Abdul Kalam Fellowship for Indian students
i. The University of South Florida (USF) has announced a postgraduate fellowship in the name of former
president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam to support accomplished and talented Indian students looking to study abroad.
ii. Launching the fellowship at the Global Higher Education summit of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII),
USF provost Ralph Wilcox said "Dr. Kalam left an indelible mark on the academic community, one that will now
continue over time through this most prestigious Kalam Fellowship".
iii. The fellowship is open to Indian students who wish to pursue PhD in specified fields in science and
engineering at USF. Fellowship holders will receive a tuition waiver amounting to $84,500 in four years, plus a
stipend of $18,000 per year. With this fellowship in place, the university is also looking to have a larger
enrolment of Indian students, making US their preferred country for higher education. (USF currently has 800
Indian students.)The fellowship will be effective from the next academi.

iv. According to Provost Wilcox, "Dr. Kalam was an honoured visitor to the University of South Florida, and he
spoke at great lengths about the importance of green energy and sustainability. We want to honour the great
man and his extraordinary life through this award and offer a platform to support highly talented young Indians
and the next generation of global innovators and entrepreneurs."
v. During his visit to India, Provost Wilcox and Dean Moez Limayem of USF's Muma College of Business also
visited Infosys in Bangalore, Manipal University; Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, H.R. College
of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai for partnership discussions.

vi. The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global, research university dedicated to student success.
USF is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the top tier of research ..
2. International Migrants Day observed across the world
i. International Migrants Day was observed across the world on 18 December 2015. Since 2014, more than
5000 women, men and children lost their lives in search of protection and a better life while migrating.
ii. The year 2015 will be remembered as a year of human suffering and migrant tragedies. Tens of thousands
have been exploited and abused by human traffickers. And millions have been made into scapegoats and
become the targets of xenophobic policies and alarmist rhetoric.
iii. With the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, world leaders vowed to protect the
labour rights of migrant workers, combat transnational criminal human trafficking networks and promote wellregulated migration and mobility.
iv. The UN General Assembly on 4 December 2000 took into account the large and increasing number of
migrants in the world and proclaimed 18 December as the International Migrants Day. The International
Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families was adopted
by the General Assembly on 18 December 1990.
3. Indian-origin official Sanjay Pradhan to lead Open Government Partnership
i. The Open Government Partnership (OGP) on 16 December 2015 selected Indian-origin World Bank official
Sanjay Pradhan to lead the organization. Pradhan will help ensure that OGP continues to succeed in its mission
to promote government transparency, accountability and responsiveness to citizens. Currently vice president
for Change, Leadership and Innovation at the World Bank Group, Pradhan will assume the new charge by mid2016.
ii. At present, Sanjay Pradhan leads the overall coordination of the internal reform process, and spearheads the
leadership, learning and innovation for development agenda of the World Bank Group. Previously, he was the
Vice President leading the World Bank Institute where he championed an open development approach centred
around knowledge, learning, collaboration and innovation.
iii. Open Government Partnership is an international organization promoting multilateral initiative. It was
formally launched on 20 September 2011, when the 8 founding governments (Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico,
Norway, the Philippines, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States) endorsed the Open
Government Declaration, and announced their country action plans.
iv. It seeks strong commitments from participating government institutions to promote transparency, increase
civic participation, fight corruption, and harness new technologies to make government more open, effective,
and accountable.
4. RBI released final guidelines of Marginal Cost of Funds Methodology to calculate Interest Rates
i. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 17 December 2015 released the final guidelines on computing interest
rates on advances based on the Marginal Cost of Funds Methodology. The guidelines will come into effect from 1
April 2016.
ii. The new methodology is aimed at bringing uniformity among BRs of banks so that they will be more sensitive
to any changes in policy rates of the RBI like Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR), etc.
iii. All rupee loans sanctioned and credit limits renewed with effect from 1 April 2016 will be priced with
reference to the Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) which will be the internal benchmark for
such purposes. The MCLR will be a tenor linked internal benchmark. Actual lending rates will be determined by
adding the components of spread to the MCLR.
iv. The MCLR prevailing on the day loan is sanctioned will be applicable till the next reset date, irrespective of
the changes in the benchmark during the interim period. Existing loans and credit limits linked to the Base Rate
may continue till repayment or renewal, as the case may be. Existing borrowers will also have the option to
move to the MCLR linked loan. Banks will continue to review and publish Base Rate as hitherto.
v. This new methodology will help improve the transmission of policy rates into the lending rates of banks. The
guidelines are also expected to ensure availability of bank credit at interest rates which are fair to the
borrowers as well as the banks.
5. WTO approved Afghanistans membership terms to join as 163rd member
i. World Trade Organisation (WTO) on 17 December 2015 unanimously approved Afghanistans WTO
membership at the WTOs Tenth Ministerial Conference (MC10) in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. With this,
Afghanistan will become the 163rd WTO member and the ninth least-developed country to become a WTO
member since the organization was established in 1995.
ii. The Protocol of Accession (PoA) was officially signed by Director General Roberto Azevedo and Afghanistans
First Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Khan Rahmani.
iii. Now to be the full-fledged WTO member, Afghanistan will have to ratify the deal b 30 June 2016. After the
ratification and notification of the acceptance of its PoA to the WTO Director Genral, it will have to wait for next
30 days.
iv. Afghanistan applied for WTO membership in 2004 and members of the Working Party concluded the
negotiations on 11 November 2015.
6. Sahitya Akademi awards announced for the year 2015
i. Sahitya Akademi on 17 December 2015 announced the Sahitya Akademi Awards for the year 2015 in 23
languages. Poetry and short story writers dominated the awards.
ii. Among the winning books are six poetry collections, six books of short stories and four novels, besides two
books each of essays and criticism.
iii. The awards were recommended by distinguished jury members representing 23 Indian languages and
approved by the Executive Board of the Akademi, under its President Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari. The award in
Bengali is to be announced at a later date.

iv. The award comprising an engraved plaque, a shawl and a cheque of one lakh rupees will be presented to the
writers at a function on 16 February 2016 during Festival of Letters, the annual festival of the Akademi.
7. MLAs of Arunachal Pradesh Assembly passed resolution to remove Speaker Nabam Rebia
i. Out of the total 60 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly, 33
members on 16 December 2015 passed a resolution to remove the Speaker Nabam Rebia.
ii. The resolution was passed by voice vote by the 33 MLAs. Among them, 20 were rebel Congress MLAs, 11
belonged to the BJP and 2 were Independents. As per the article 179 (c) of the constitution, to remove the
Speaker of the house, a resolution of the Assembly should be passed by a majority of all the then members of
the Assembly.
iii. Though the majority of 33 MLAs satisfies, even exceeds by 3 members, the criterion of the article 179(c) the
resolution became controversial due to the circumstances in which it was passed. The proceedings of the
house, during the passage of the resolution, were boycotted by 27 members of the House, including the Chief
Minister Nabam Tuki, his Ministerial colleagues and 16 MLAs of the ruling Congress.
iv. And, the House was also convened at the makeshift venue of a community hall after the district
administration closed the Assembly Secretariat Complex in view of law and order problem.
v. By considering the above circumstances of passage of the resolution, the Guwahati High Court on 17
December 2015 put on hold all the resolutions of the Assembly and related decisions of the Governor in this
regard. The court's bar will be applicable till 2 February 2016.
8. AP Shah Committee appointed to look into ONGC, RIL dispute on KG gas fields
i. Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on 15 December 2015 appointed a single-member committee to
look into the dispute between Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Reliance Industries Limited
(RIL) on Krishna Godavari (KG) gas fields. The committee will be headed by the Chairman of the 20th Law
Commission of India Justice (retd) Ajit Prakash Shah.
ii. The committee will look into acts of omission and commission and recommend compensation to ONGC from
the RIL on account of undue advantage the latter has received due to enrichment of its gas fields from the
adjacent blocks belonging to ONGC. The recommendations of the committee will be based on D&Ms report on
the dispute and will be submitted within three months from the date of its constitution.
iii. In the Krishna-Godavari Basin, ONGC owns Krishna Godavari basin KG-DWN-98/2 (KG-D5) and the GodavariPML gas fields. These two fields are connected with Dhirubhai-1 and 3 (D1 & D3) fields located in the KG-DWN98/3 (KG-D6) Block of RIL.iv. In 2014, the ONGC contended that RILs fields were being enriched due to
migration of gas from its idle fields. Against this backdrop, the Union Government appointed the US-based
consultant DeGolyer and MacNaughton (D&M) to look into the matter.
iv. D&M, which submitted its report on 30 November 2015, concluded that out of the 58.68 billion cubic meters
(bcm) of gas produced from KG-D6 block between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2015, 49.69 bcm belongs to RIL
and the rest 8.981 bcm could have come from ONGCs fields.
9. CII-ITC Sustainability Awards 2015 for Excellence in Sustainable Business conferred
i. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-ITC Awards 2015 for Excellence in Sustainable Business were
conferred on 15 December 2015 in New Delhi. They were conferred on 26 awardees in 4 main categories and 9
sub categories.
ii. The awards are a part of the CII-ITC Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Developments efforts to create
awareness, promote policy and practices, and create capacity to mainstream sustainability practices.
iii. The Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu was the special guest at the award presentation ceremony.
10. NSE launches three new group indices
i. The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has launched three separate indices on three corporate houses of India
viz. Tata, Aditya Birla and Mahindra Group. The first of its kind three separate indices based on corporate
houses have been designed to reflect the performance of companies belonging to the respective corporate
group. Each of three indices will comprise all the companies of the respective business group.
ii. Nifty Tata Group Index: It includes 25 companies across 12 sectors with a total market capitalisation of 7.51
lakh crore rupees. It represents 7.83 per cent of the total market capitalisation of companies listed on the NSE.
iii. Nifty Aditya Birla Group Index: It consists of eight companies across seven sectors with the market
capitalisation of 2.08 lakh crore rupees. It represents 2.17 per cent of the total market capitalisation of
companies listed on the NSE.
iv. Nifty Mahindra Group Index: It consists of seven companies with a market capitalisation of about 1.64 lakh
crore rupees. It represents 1.71 per cent of the total market capitalisation of companies listed on NSE.
v. These three indices have been created by the NSEs group company India Index Services & Products Ltd
(IISL). The company is planning to launch indices on other corporate groups and third-party products based on
such indices.
11. R.K. Mathur appointed as CIC
i. Former Defence Secretary R.K. Mathur has been appointed as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), breaking
away from the convention of appointing the head from among the serving Information Commissioners.
ii. The post had fallen vacant after Vijai Sharma completed his tenure on December 1. R.K. Mathur has been
selected as Chief Information Commissioner, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told PTI. He will
have tenure of about three years, till he attains the age of 65 years.
iii. The 62-year-old Mr. Mathur, a retired IAS officer of Tripura cadre, was made Defence Secretary for a fixed
two-year term on May 28, 2013. Mr. Mathur, who did his graduation from Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
and post graduation from IIT, Delhi, has held various positions in his cadre state and at the Centre.
iv. He had been Secretary in Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, and Defence Production and
Supplies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee, which has Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and

leader of Congress Party in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjuna Kharge, as its members, had on Wednesday finalised Mr.
Mathurs name.
v. President Pranab Mukherjee has given his assent for appointment of Mr. Mathur as CIC, official sources said.
As per RTI Act, CIC is appointed by the President on the recommendation of the selection committee. The
Central Information Commission had been headless twice since the BJP government came into power in 2014.
Earlier, it was without a chief for nearly 10 months after completion of the tenure of the then Chief Information
Commissioner Rajiv Mathur in August 2014.
12. Theatre artiste Chatla Sriramulu no more
i. Noted writer and theatre artiste Chatla Sriramulu (84) passed away at Secunderabad on Friday. He was a
railway employee who hailed from Vijayawada city.
ii. Mr. Sriramulu was awarded Best Actor twice by Andhra Nataka Kala Parishad and was also a recipient of
Central Governments Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1982. He was the first artiste from Andhra Pradesh to
receive Emeritus Fellowship from the Human Resources Department of Government of India.
iii. He was awarded the certificate of Producer and Teacher by the British Drama League, London in 1970. Mr.
Sriramulu was instrumental in the establishment of popular literary and cultural organization Rasaranjani which
dedicated to the field of theatre arts.
iv. He acted in and directed more than 100 plays and wrote several books on a wide range of subjects.
13. President Pranab Mukherjee earns Garwood Award for Outstanding Global Leader in Open
Innovation
i. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee received Garwood Award for Outstanding Global Leader in
Open Innovation from UC Berkeley-Haas School of Business today (December 17, 2015) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Prof. Solomon Darwin, Executive Director Garwood Center for Corporate Innovation presented the award to the
President.
1. British Novelist Peter Dickinson passed away
i. British Novelist Peter Dickinson passed away on 16 December 2015 following a brief illness in Winchester,
Hampshire. He was 88. He was a prolific novelist for adults and children.
ii. He wrote almost 60 books which have been translated into 53 different languages.His first novel for children
The Weathermonger was published in 1968 and was followed swiftly by Heartsease (1969) and The Devils
Children (1970).
iii. He was the first and so far only author to win the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award for two
consecutive novels for his detective books Skin Deep in 1968 and A Pride Of Heroes in 1969.
iv. Two of his books Tulku (1979) and City of Gold (1980) won the Carnegie Medal.
v. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and former chairman of the Society of Authors.
vi. His last book In The Palace Of The Khans was published in 2012.
2.Jeff Williams appointed as Chief Operating Officer of Apple Inc
i. Jeff Williams was on 18 December 2015 appointed as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Apple Inc. The post
of COO of the company had been lying vacant since Tim Cook's ascension to position of Chief Executive Officer
of Apple Inc in 2011.
ii. Jeff joined Apple in 1998 as head of worldwide procurement and in 2004 he was named vice president of
Operations.
iii. Since 2010, he has overseen Apples entire supply chain, service and support, and the social responsibility
initiatives.
iii. He played a key role in Apples entry into the mobile phone market with the launch of iPhone.
iv. He continues to supervise development of Apples first wearable product Apple Watch.
v. Before joining Apple, Williams worked at IBM for three years in engineering and operations roles.
3. Harvard Universitys Public Health School opening Mumbai centre
i. The Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health is to open its new centre in Mumbai, the first in South Asia, this
Sunday, in a bid to help broaden and coordinate the Schools nearly 60 years of collaboration to improve health
in India and around the world.
ii. The centre is to open at the Piramal Tower Annexe, in a space that has been provided by Swati Piramal and
Ajay Piramal, two Harvard alumni. Swati Piramal, Vice Chairperson of Piramal Enterprises, graduated from
Harvards School of Public Health in 1992.
iii. Ajay Piramal, is a graduate of Harvard Business School and is the Chairman of the Piramal Group.Harvard TH
Chan School of Public Health is part of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Harvard Business
School has had a centre in Mumbai since 2006.
4. 2nd World Internet Conference concluded in Wuzen, China
i. The three-day long 2nd World Internet Conference was concluded on 18 December 2015 at Wuzen in China.
Wuzen is located in Zhejiang Province in eastern China.
ii. The conference was held with theme An Interconnected World Shared and Governed by AllBuilding a
Cyberspace Community of Shared Destiny.
iii. It was jointly organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the People's Government of Zhejiang
Province.
iv. The conference focused on facilitating strategic-level discussions on global Internet governance, cyber
security, the Internet industry as the engine of economic growth and social development, technological
innovation and philosophy of the Internet.
5. Mumbais iconic Marine Drive turns 100

i. Mumbais iconic boulevard Marine Drive, also popularly called the Queens Necklace, completed 100 years,
and residents of the citys western waterfront flagged off the centenary celebrations with a postcard
showcasing the crescent-shaped bay off the Arabian Sea.
ii. A part of citys collective consciousness associated with the name Bombay, Marine Drive was part of the
great revival as the metropolis transitioned from its 19th century fort ramparts to a modern city in the 1860s
during the tenure of British Governor Sir Bartle Frere. In the rebuilding process, the city was blessed with two
great architectural styles the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco.
6. Narendra Modi hands over Shyamjis UK Bar certificate to CM Anandiben Patel
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday recalled nationalist leader Shyamji Krishna Varma as the first nonBrahmin to have received a degree of Pandit in Varanasi.
ii. He was speaking after handing over the certificate of reistatement of Varma to the UK Bar to Chief Minister
Anandiben Patel at an event here.
iii. The certificate was given to Modi in the presence of UK Prime Minister David Cameron, during his visit to
London last month. Modi, visiting the state only the third time after becoming Prime Minister, was in Kutch to
inaugurate the three-day annual DGPs conference, being held at Dhordo in the White Rann.
7. DAC approved purchase of Russian S-400 Triumf Air Defence Missile System
i. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on 18 December 2015 approved the purchase of Russian advance S400 Triumf Air Defence Missile Systems from Russia at an estimated cost of 40000 crore rupees.
ii. The approval was given by Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar during DAC meeting in New Delhi.
iii. This system is capable of destroying incoming hostile missiles, aircraft and even drones within a range of up
to 400 km.
iv. This air defence system is capable to take on upto 36 targets at range of over 150 kilometres.
PFRDA switches to PAN for online enrolment under NPS
i. Pension fund regulatory body PFRDA has started using PAN instead of Aadhaar for validation of new
customers who can now be registered online under the National Pension System (NPS) scheme.
ii. The Aadhaar-based online NPS account facility was started on a pilot basis, but following a Supreme Court
judgment on usage of Aadhaar, it had to be discontinued.
Afghanistan becomes 163rd member of WTO
i. Afghanistan has become 163rd member nation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), global trade body
after 11 years of negotiations.
ii. WTO has formally approved Afghanistans membership proposal at its ongoing 10th ministerial conference in
the Nairobi, Kenya.
iii. In this regard, Protocol of Accession (PoA) was signed by WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo and
Afghanistans First Deputy Chief Executive Mohammad Khan Rahmani.
iv. The final accession to become a full member will come in to effect after PoA is ratified by Afghanistan
Parliament till June 2016. It will be the 36th least developed country (LDC) to join the global trade body.
US Security Council unanimously adopts resolution on Syria peace plan
i. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a resolution No. 2254 outlining a peace
process in Syria.
ii. The resolution endorses an international roadmap for a Syria peace process to end Syrias five-year-long civil
war.facts

The resolution endorses formal talks on a political transition between the President Bashar al-Assad led
Syrian government and opposition in early January 2016.

Calls for implementation of a ceasefire in parallel with the talks on a political transition. Offensive and
defensive actions against such terrorist groups in Syria such as ISIS will continue.

Calls for establishment of credible, inclusive and non-sectarian governance in Syria within six months.
Free and fair elections to be held in Syria under UN supervision within 18 months.

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates top Police Officers' Conference in Gujarat

i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has formally inaugurated the All-India conference of Directors General of Police
(AICDGPs) at Dhordo in white Rann of Kutch region near Bhuj, Gujarat.
ii. Three day conference was inaugurated in the presence of Union Minister for Home Rajnath Singh, Minister of
State for Home Kiran Rijju and Haribhai Patel.
WB Govt approves proposal for formation of 5 new districts
i. West Bengal Government has approved proposal for formation of five new districts in the state. With this the
total number of districts of Bengal will increase to 25.
ii. Decision in this regard was taken by state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in
Kolkata.
iii. Following are the new districts:

Kalimpong

Sundarbans

Basirhat

Burdwan (Indutrial)

Jhargram

India's biggest wildlife rescue centre commissioned in Nagpur

i. Indias biggest Wildlife Rescue Centre named as Gorewada Zoo and Wildlife Rescue Centre has been
commissioned at Gorewada near Nagpur, Maharashtra.
ii. The centre was inaugurated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in presence of State Forest
Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar. Key facts
ZSI Scientists discovered a new eel species named Bengal moray eel
i. Scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have a discovered a new species of eel named Bengal moray
eel (Gymnothorax mishrai) along the coast of Digha in Purba Medinipur district of West Bengal.
ii. The Eels are mainly snake-like fishes with fins and gills and are mostly found at bottom of rivers and seas.
Dhoni to remain captain till World T20
i. The National selectors decided that M.S. Dhoni will remain captain of the limited-overs sides till the World T20
championship in March.
ii. Before announcing the teams for Indias upcoming tour of Australia next month, BCCI secretary Anurag
Thakur announced the decision regarding Dhoni.
1. UN launched 2016 International Year of Pulses
i. Union Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh on 18 December 2015 announced that Union Government
had been taking considerable steps to improve production of pulses in order to reduce countrys dependence on
imports.
ii. These steps are in tune with the 2016 International Year of Pulses launched by the United Nations. The UN on
10 November 2015 launched the year at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in
Rome, Italy. It was launched with the theme nutritious seeds for a sustainable future.
iii. The purpose of the launch is to raise awareness of the many benefits of pulses, boost their production and
trade, and encourage new and smarter uses throughout the food chain.
iv. Pulses are important food crops for the food security of large proportions of populations, particularly in Latin
America, Africa and Asia, where pulses are part of traditional diets and often grown by small farmers.
2. Eugenson Lyngdoh and Bala Devi bagged top AIFF honours
i. Bengaluru FC (BFC) midfielder Eugeneson Lyngdoh and striker Bala Devi on 20 December 2015 was named
the 2015 All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player-of-the-Year and woman Footballer-of-the-Year respectively.
The awards were announced at the AIFF Annual General Body Meeting held in Margao, Goa.
ii. Lyngdoh was chosen the winner on basis of votes from Coaches of I-League Clubs and he will be presented a
prize of 2 lakh rupees along with a Trophy. Bala Devi will be presented with a Trophy along with a prize of 1 lakh
rupees.
iii. Pritam Kotal was declared the 2015 AIFF Emerging Player of the Year. Besides, AIFF also introduced a new
award the 2015 AIFF emerging Woman Footballer of the Year, which went to Pyari Xaxa. Furthermore, Football
Association of Odisha (FAO) bagged the 2015 AIFF Award for Best Grassroots Programme.
iv. The 2015 AIFF Award for long time contribution to Indian Football was awarded to Coca Cola. CR Srikrishna
won 2015 AIFF Award for Best Referee while the 2015 AIFF Award for Best Assistant Referee was awarded to
Sapam Knnedy.
3. Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach crowned Miss Universe 2015
i. Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was on 20 December 2015 crowned Miss Universe 2015 at the final of
64th edition of Miss Universe held in Las Vegas, the USA.
She was crowned by Miss Universe 2014 winner Paulina Vega of Columbia.
ii. Urvashi Rautela who represented India in the contest couldnt make it to top 15 semi-finals round. She is a
Filipino-German actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder.
iii. She finished her secondary education with the ABS-CBN Distance Learning Center and studied culinary arts
at the Center for Asian Culinary Studies in Metro Manila, Philippines.
iv. She worked as a cosmetics model. At the age of 11, under the screen name Pia Romero, she worked as an
actress.
v. She is currently a stylist and writer for the lifestyle section of a leading newspaper in the Philippines.
4. Miss Spain Mireia Lalaguna Royo crowned Miss World 2015
i. Miss Spain Mireia Lalaguna Royo on 19 December 2015 was crowned Miss World 2015 at the Beauty of Crown
Theater in Sanya, China. Rolene Strauss of South Africa crowned Mireia Lalaguna as her successor at the end of
the event. It is the first time Spain has won the title of Miss World.
ii. Mireia, a 23-year-old medical college student and a pianist from Barcelona, was crowned Miss World Spain
2015 on 24 October 2015 after participating at the 2015 edition of Miss World Spain held in Malaga, Spain.
iii. Miss Russia Sofia Nikitchuk was the runner-up, while Miss Indonesia Maria Harfanti stood third in the
pageant.
iv. Miss India Aditi Arya won the Peoples Choice Award which ensured her direct entry in the competition. Yet
the Indian beauty queen failed to make it to the final top 20 contestants.
5. West Bengal Government approved proposal for formation of 5 new districts
i. The West Bengal Government on 18 December 2015 cleared the proposal for setting up five new districts in
the state. These five new districts will increase the number of districts of West Bengal to 25.
ii. Earlier, state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised about setting up new districts for better
administrative control and for deliverance of public service at the door steps of the people staying in remote
areas.

iii. Kalimpong: It will be carved out of Kalimpong subdivision of the States Darjeeling district.
iv. Basirhat: It will be formed out of North 24 Parganas district.
v. Sunderbans: It currently stretches across parts of the North and South 24 Parganas districts.
vi. Jhargram: It will be carved out of Paschim Midnapore district.
vii. Burdwan (Industrial) and Burdwan (Rural): The existing Burdwan district will be bifurcated into Burdwan
(Industrial) and Burdwan (Rural).
viii. At least six months to a year will be taken to create the new districts after getting necessary court orders,
infrastructure and funds.
6. Miss Iraq beauty pageant held for the first time since 1972
i. Miss Iraq beauty pageant was held for the first time since 1972. It was held on 20 December 2015 at a hotel
in the capital Baghdad and involved eight contestants. In the final event of the pageant, Shaymaa Qasim
Abdelrahman was crowned Miss Iraq. She is a 20-year-old from multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk which is situated in
the north of Iraq.
ii. In the week running up to the event, the eight finalists embarked on a string of pre-pageant activities,
including a visit to a camp for displaced people in Baghdad. They also participated in a tree-planting ceremony
near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon.
iii. The contest was held successfully despite the death threats from Islamic militant organistaions like ISIS
(Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). It, now, allows Iraq to send its representative for the international Miss
Universe contest.
iv. It has been cancelled for the last four decades due to unrest in the Middle East. For the last time, it was held
in 1972 when the country was stable and prosperous.
7. Kane Williamson became first-ever Kiwi batsman to top ICC Test rankings
i. Kane Williamson, 25, on 21 December 2015 became the first cricketer from New Zealand to top the
International Cricket Councils (ICCs) Test rankings. He clinched the spot after guiding the Black Caps to a
series-clinching five-wicket win in the second Test against Sri Lanka in Hamilton.
ii. With this, Williamson moved above England's Joe Root (886 points) and South Africa's AB de Villiers (881) to
sit on 889 points.
iii. Besides, 2015 has been a golden year for Williamson, who took aggregate to 1172, the highest by a New
Zealander in a calendar year.
8. Abhay Singh won U-19 Singapore Squash Open
. Indias Abhay Singh on 20 December 2015 won the Under-19 Singapore Squash Open. In the final of the Old
Chang Kee Singapore Open, he defeated second seed Alwin Chai of Malaysia.
He defeated Chai 11-8, 11-3, 11-8 in the final played at Singapore.
ii. With this win, Abhay, the world number one junior player, has won seven junior titles in the year 2015. Out of
seven titles, two of them are international titles.
iii. In the first round, Abhay defeated Vivek Palaniappan of Singapore 11-2, 11-2, 11-1. He followed this up with
a fighting win over Yusuke Ogata of Japan 13- 15, 11-3, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6.
iv. In the semi-finals, he beat Kojiro Tan of Singapore 7-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-7 for a place in the title round.
9. Chennaiyin FC crowned 2015 ISL champion
i. Chennaiyin FC was crowned as the champions of the 2nd Indian Super League (ISL) Football tournament on
20 December 2015. In the final played at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Fatorda, Goa, Chennaiyin defeated
the hosts FC Goa, 3-2.
ii. Goa was leading 2-1 till the 87th minute, but an own goal from their keeper, Laxmikant Kattimani, in the 90th
minute and Colombian Stiven Mendoza's strike seconds later helped Chennai win the title.
iii. Mendoza, who finished as the tournament's highest scorer with 13 goals, bagged the 'Golden boot' as well as
the 'Hero of the League' award.
10. FC Barcelona won 2015 FIFA Club World Cup
i. FC Barcelona on 20 December 2015 won the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup. To win the title, Barcelona defeated
Argentinas River Plate by 3-0. The final match was held at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
ii. From Barcelona, Luis Surez of Uruguay scored two goals, while the remaining goal was made by Lionel Messi
of Argentina. With this goal, Messi became the first player to score in three finals after leading Barca to victory
in 2009 and 2011.
1. Union HRD Ministry launched the 6th All India Survey on Higher Education
i. The Union Minister of Human Resource Development Zubin Irani on 21 December 2015 launched the 6th All
India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) in New Delhi.
ii. The survey covers all the Higher Education (HE) institutions of the country including Universities, Colleges
and Stand-Alone institutions from 2010-11 to 2014-15.
iii. It brings out the correct and complete picture of the higher education system so that relevant statistics are
available to the Central Government as well as State Governments in order to devise future educational
policies.
iv. The major findings of the AISHE 2014-15 included increase in overall enrolment from 27.5 million in 2010-11
to 33.3 million in 2014-15 and improvement in Gross Enrolment Ratio which is a ratio of enrolment in higher
education to population in the eligible age group (18-23) years from 19.4 percent on 2010-11 to 23.6 percent in
2014-15.
2. Odisha Government launched Anwesha scheme to provide free education to SC/ST students

i. The Odisha Government on 21 December 2015 launched Anwesha scheme to provide free education to
scheduled caste and scheduled tribe students. Under the scheme, 5000 SC and ST children will annually be
enrolled into Standard I in leading private schools in urban areas of the state.
ii. State Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the scheme at Saragi Phul- a three day children's festival for
ST, SC children held at Adivasi Ground, Bhubaneswar.
iii. The government will bear all expenses for education of the students under the scheme which will be
implemented in 17 districts. The expenses for fees, uniform, books, hostel accommodation as well
transportation will be sponsored by the government.
iv. The government aims to enrol a total of 50000 SC and ST students in phases. Over 3.5 lakh ST and SC
students staying in hostels are to continue their education while 2 lakh more will avail the facility soon. For each
student, government will give 25000 rupees for school fees per annum excluding hostel cost and scholarship.
v. Separate hostel will be constructed for these children and counsellor will be appointed to help students in
self-studies in hostels.
3. Nepal Cabinet decided to amend Constitution to address Madhesis' demands
i. Government of Nepal on 20 December 2015 decided to amend the Constitution to address two key demands
of agitating Madhesis regarding proportional representation and constituency delimitation.
ii. A decision in this regard was approved at an emergency cabinet meeting held at Singha Durbar in
Kathmandu. The decision to amend the constitution assumes significance against the backdrop of continuing
agitation by Madhesis, since the adoption of the Constitution on 20 September 2015, which led to death of
around 50 civilians.
iii. The Madhesi people inhabit the flat southern region of Nepal known as the Madhesh. Their dissatisfaction
with the new Constitution was with the fact that the Pahadi or hill communities, who constitute 50 percent of
the population, got 100 seats in the parliament, while Madhesis got only 65 seats.
iv. Madhesis were also fighting against the Constitutional scheme related to proposed boundaries of the new
provinces. Unlike the earlier structure in which majority Madhesis were within a single administrative region,
the new schemes proposes its split in two and force them to share their provinces with hill districts.
4. SpaceX successfully launched and landed Falcon 9 rocket
i. American aerospace company SpaceX on 21 December 2015 achieved the historic feat of successfully
launching and landing Falcon 9 rocket.
ii.he Falcon 9 rocket was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying 11 satellites to low-Earth
orbit and was also successfully landed after 10 minutes to the Earth.
iii. It is the first time in the history of rocketry that a rocket has returned back after delivering a spacecraft to its
orbit, so that it could potentially fly again. This exercise of using reusable rockets will help in reducing the cost
of access to space making explorations a more realistic goal.
iv. The 230-foot Falcon 9 blasted off from Launch Complex with 1.5 million pounds of thrust and carrying 11
commercial satellites. It marks the company's first flight since an accident in June 2015 that destroyed a cargo
ship bound for the International Space Station.
v. Success of SpaceX's mission is significant as the NASA is heavily relying on this private company for transport
to the International Space Station after the US Space Shuttle program ended in 2011.
5. Delhi Government appointed Gopal Subramanium Commission on DDCA scam
i. Delhi Government on 21 December 2015 appointed a one-member commission of inquiry on Delhi and
District Cricket Association (DDCA) scam. A decision in this regard was taken in a cabinet committee meeting
headed by the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
ii. The commission will be headed by former Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium. It will probe the alleged
financial irregularities by the administrators of the DDCA.
iii. The commission was appointed on the basis of recommendation of the three-member committee headed by
Chetan Sanghi. The committee was constituted to probe alleged financial irregularities in DDCA after the Chief
Ministers office received serious complaints about its functioning.
iv. The committee, which submitted its report on 17 November 2015, suggested the Delhi Government to set up
a commission under the Commission of Enquiries Act 1952 to probe affairs of the cricket administrators.
6. 10th WTO Ministerial Conference adopted Nairobi Package
i. The five-day long 10th World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial Conference concluded on 19 December
2015 in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference concluded with the adoption of the Nairobi Package that is aimed at
benefitting organizations poorest members.
ii. The conference was attended by trade ministers of 162 member countries of the WTO. India was represented
by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman. It is for the first such
meeting hosted by an African nation.
iii. The Nairobi Package contains a series of six Ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton and issues related to
least-developed countries.
iv. The conference agreed on the timetable for implementing a landmark deal to eliminate tariffs on 201
information technology products valued at over 1.3 trillion US dollars per year.
v. Negotiations on the expanded ITA were conducted by 53 WTO members, including both developed and
developing countries, which account for approximately 90 per cent of world trade in these products.
7. China launched DAMPE satellite to shed light on mysterious dark matter
i. China on 17 December 2015 launched the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE) Satellite to shed light on
mysterious dark matter.

ii. It was the country's first space telescope and launched on a Long March 2-D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite
Launch Center.
ii. The purpose of the satellite is to search for smoking-gun signals of dark matter, invisible material that
scientists say makes up most of the universe's mass.
iv. The satellite will be place in a sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 500 kilometers to observe the direction,
energy and electric charge of high-energy particles in space.
v. The satellite was nicknamed "Wukong" after the Monkey King with penetrating eyes in the Chinese classical
fiction Journey to the West.
8. National Mathematics Day observed to commemorate birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan
i. India on 22 December 2015 celebrated National Mathematics Day. The day was observed to commemorate
the birth anniversary of great Indian Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
ii. On this occasion, India and UNESCO agreed to work jointly in spreading the joy of mathematics and
knowledge to students and learners across the world.
iii. To this end, Conferences on the Zero at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, as well as at the Indian Institute of
Science, Bangalore were held in recognition of Aryabhatas role in the invention of zero. The conferences
brought together academics, mathematicians and teachers to explore and discuss key associated concepts.
iv. The declaration to observe 22 December as National Mathematics Day was made by former Prime Minister
Dr. Manmohan Singh on 26 February 2012 at Madras University on the occasion of 125th birth anniversary of
Ramanujan.
v. Srinivasa Ramanujan was born on 22 December 1887 in Erode district of Tamil Nadu. He died at a young age
of 32 years on 26 April 1920. Ramanujan made important contributions in number theory, infinite series,
mathematical analysis, and making formulas and equations.
9. New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum announced retirement
i. New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum on 22 December 2015 announced retirement from all forms
of international cricket. He will retire after the two home test series against Australia, which will begin in
February 2016.
ii. At present, the batsman and wicket-keeper, is New Zealands captain in all three forms of the international
game viz., tests, ODIs and twenty20.
ii. In ODIs, he made his debut as a 20-year-old batsman in 2001 against Australia at Sydney. He made his test
debut against South Africa in 2003 and has played 99 tests so far. He scored 6273 test runs with 11 hundreds,
including the only triple century by a New Zealand batsman, and 31 half-centuries at an average of 38.48. He
scored double Test Century against Pakistan in Sharjah in November 2014 and in the process scored the fastest
test century by a New Zealander.
iv. In ODIs, he scored 5909 runs from 254 matches. They include 5 centauries and 31 half-centauries. He is the
first and so far only player to have scored two Twenty20 International centuries and 2000 runs in T20
Internationals. In Indian Premier League, he played for Chennai Super Kings in 2014 and 2015 and picked up by
Rajkot for 2016 and 2017 editions. He successfully lead the team to their first ever ICC Cricket World cup final in
March 2015 in which Australia won by 7 wickets.
10. Andy Murray won 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award
i. Andy Murray of the UK on 20 December 2015 received the 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in
London. The Scottish tennis-player was presented the award by Irish boxing legend Barry McGuigan.
ii. Murray was chosen for the award after a public vote in which he received 361446 of the 1,009,498 votes
cast. The voting was based on performance of sports personalities in 2015.
1. Modi inaugurates new Afghan Parliament built by India in Kabul
i. Prime Minister Modi received a warm embrace and welcome by Afghan president Ashraf Ghani in Kabul where
he arrived on Friday for delegation-level bilateral talks and for inaugurating the new Afghan Parliament building.
Calling India and Afghanistans friendship antiquated and bound by a thousand ties, Ghani thanked India for
its valuable assistance as Afghanistan weathers hard times.
ii. Pleased to welcome PM Modi to Kabul. Though, India & Afghanistan need no introduction, we are bound by a
thousand ties We have stood by each other in the best and worst of times, Ghani tweeted.
iii. Delegation-level bilateral talks between the two countries were held at Dilkosha Palace, the Afghan
presidential office. Modi later inaugurated the Afghan parliament building that was constructed by India at a
cost of USD 90 million. The Prime Minister also addressed the two houses.
iv. Ghani and Modi toured the parliament building and arrived at the main session hall in the presence of the
guests, including member of the Afghan parliament, Khaama press reported.
2. IndianOil, Oil India sign MoU with Rosneft
i. Indian Oil Corporation and Oil India Ltd have signed a memorandum of understanding with Russian national
oil company Rosneft for cooperation in geologic survey, exploration and production of hydrocarbons in select
onshore areas in Russia.
ii. The MoU document was signed during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russia. In all, 16
agreements were signed between Indian and Russian firms in the field of nuclear energy, hydrocarbon, defence
and other sectors.
iii. The MoU document lays the foundation for a long-term partnership between IndianOil, OIL and Rosneft. As a
first step, the parties have agreed to examine the possibility of cooperation in respect of the Taas-Yuryakh
Neftegazodobycha LLC asset, an official statement from IndianOil stated.
iv. Implementation of the terms of the agreement signed will give additional impetus to the development of
one of the largest oil assets in East Siberia, the statement added.
3. Veteran actress Sadhana passes away in Mumbai

i. Yesteryear Hindi film actress Sadhana, known for popularising the fashionable Sadhana cut (fringe haircut),
passed away in Mumbai at the age of 74, according to reports.
ii. Known for memorable films, such as Love in Shimla, Parakh, Waqt, Woh Kaun Thi, Mera Saaya, Geeta Mera
Naam among others, Sadhana was known for her on-screen simple looks as well glamour quotient, and is
closely associated with some of the most memorable Hindi film songs during the 1960s.
iii. Sadhana was said to be ailing for some time and had been operated for a lesion in her mouth last year.
iv. RIP Sadhana aunty...Your legacy of beauty, poise and utmost grace....will live on forever..., tweeted Karan
Johar, well-known Hindi film producer and director.
4. Reliance Defence signs $6 billion pact with Russian arms firm as Modi visits Moscow
i. Reliance Defence said on Thursday it had signed a manufacturing and maintenance deal potentially worth $6
billion with Russia's Almaz-Antey, the maker of an air defence system that sources said the Indian military was
poised to buy.
ii. The partnership between the Indian firm controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani and the Russian firm was
announced as Prime Minister Narendra Modi began a trip to Moscow aimed at strengthening defence ties.
iii. Earlier this week, Indian defence ministry sources said the government had cleared the purchase of five S400 air defence systems that are estimated to cost about $4.5 billion in a bid to modernise the country's
defences against airborne attacks.
iv. India is forecast to spend $250 billion over the next decade to upgrade its military and Modi's government
wants a greater role for Indian state and defence firms. Reliance is forging close ties with Russia to jumpstart its
ambitions to develop a defence business from scratch. It said it had also discussed joint implementation of
modernisation, repair and overhaul of Almaz-Antey systems already in service in India.
v. The company also plans to bid for contracts for local manufacture of helicopters, submarines and ships.
Earlier this month, Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure took sole management control of Pipavav Defence and
Offshore Engineering Co which has built patrol vessels for the Indian navy.
5. Reserve Bank of India Invites Applications for Innovative Payment Solutions
i. Indias central bank The Reserve Bank of India has invited applications for Payment System Innovation
Awards to encourage innovative solutions in the field of Payment and Settlement System. With this initiative,
the RBI is hoping to transform the way transactions are processed in the worlds fastest growing emerging
economy.
ii. Some broad areas which the contest will hope to cover are:

Payment security including fraud prevention

Customer convenience and cost reduction

Mobile payments

Acceptance/electronic payment infrastructure

Use of emerging technologies for payments

iii. The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), which is the technology arm of
the RBI, will organize the competition. A panel of experts will shortlist the most innovative applications, and the
best three will be rewarded with citations/prizes. The winners may also be given a chance to present their
ideas/ technologies to the industry representatives.
iv. Among the most revolutionary technologies that are disrupting the payments sector is the blockchain
technology, which is the technology underpinning the cryptocurrency bitcoin. The blockchain is able to serve
the crucial purpose of cutting down transaction costs while facilitating fast, reliable, and secure payments. The
initiative by the central bank will also lend confidence to the cryptocurrency businesses in India as the regulator
has often maintained a cautious stance on the digital currencies.
v. RBI has already issued new licenses to 10 small banks and 11 payment banks that would use technology to
disrupt banking. India has been lagging behind in the fintech race, but similar initiatives may catapult the
nation to a higher spot.
1.PM goes to Lahore, makes a Christmas date with history
i. With two unannounced stops, in Kabul and Lahore on Christmas day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rewrote
the recent history of geopolitics in the region on Friday.
ii. Officials in Delhi and Islamabad told that Mr. Modi had telephoned Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from Kabul to
wish him on his birthday, and during the call, made plans to travel to Lahore to wish him personally a few hours
later.
iii. Mr. Modi meet PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on 25th December.
2.Bangladesh signs $12.65 billion deal with Russia for nuclear power plants
i. Bangladesh's state-run Atomic Energy Commission signed a deal with Russia to set up two nuclear power
plants, each with 1,200 MW capacity, an investment totalling $12.65 billion

ii. The Work will begin early next year at Ruppur in Iswardi, 160km (100 miles) from Dhaka, said Kamrul Islam
Bhyian, spokesman for the ministry of science and technology.
iii. "Russia will finance up to 90 per cent of the total cost as credit with an interest rate of Libor plus 1.75 per
cent,"
Bhyian
told
Reuters.
iv. Bangladesh will clear the total loan within 28 years with a 10-year grace period.Bangladesh finance minister
Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said it would be the country's biggest power project.
3.Former Wicket-Keeper Syed Kirmani nominated for 2015 Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement
Award
i. Former Indian Wicket-Keeper nominated for the 2015 Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. A decision
in this regard was taken at a meeting of the Col. CK Nayudu Awards Committee. The meeting was held at the
BCCIs
headquarters
in
Mumbai.
ii. Kirmani represented India at the international level between 1976 and 1986. His record includes 160 catches
and
38
stumpings
in
tests
and
27
catches
and
9
stumpings
in
ODIs.
iii. The award was instituted by the BCCI in 1994 to celebrate the birth centenary of Col. Cottari Kanakaiya
Nayudu, the countrys first test captain.
4.India, Russia signed 16 pacts to deepen bilateral cooperation
i. India and Russia signed 16 Agreements/Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) to deepen bilateral
cooperation in the fields of energy, security, technology, etc. The pacts were signed after the conclusion of the
16th
India-Russia
Annual
Summit
in
Moscow.
ii. After the summit, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin,
both the leaders issued a joint statement with the theme Shared Trust,New Horizons.
Some Agreements/MoUs signed were:
(1) Protocol amending the agreement on simplification of requirements for mutual travels of certain categories
of citizens of the two countries.
(2) Protocol amending agreement between India and Russia on mutual travel regime for holders of Diplomatic &
Official Passports.
(3) Cooperation in the field of Helicopter Engineering
(4) Plan for Cooperation between the Federal Customs Service of the Central Board of Excise and Customs,
Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, India and the Russian Federation for combating Customs violations
in 2015 2017.
5.Indian-origin software engineer wins UK award
i. An Indian-origin software engineer named Nandagopal Lakshminarayanan has won a prestigious award in the
UK for creating an innovative electronic smart key system which enables the creation and management of keys
and locks that cannot be copied or picked.
ii. He has been working as a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) associate at Lincoln Security Ltd for the past
two years, won the Business Leader of the Future award at Innovate UK's 'KTP Best of the Best Awards 2015' at
a ceremony in London.
6.World Bank to give $35mn to Pakistan for Indus River Basin
i. The World Bank has approved an additional financial assistance to Pakistan of $35 million to support
improved management, planning and development of water resources in the Indus River Basin in Pakistan.
ii.This $35 million is in addition to the $38 million given earlier towards improvement of water resources
management in the Indus River system, the Bank said.
7.Kusal Perera faces 4-year ban
i. Sri Lankan wicketkeeper Kusal Perera is facing the prospect of a four-year ban after his B sample tested
positive
for
a
banned
substance.
ii. "The ICC has informed that he faces a four-year ban, as his urine sample was tested positive in Qatar after
the
ICC
had
originally
found
it
contained
banned
substance.
iii. Consequently Perera had to drop out of Sri Lanka's current tour of New Zealand. Sri Lanka lost the series 02. Perera is Sri Lanka's second player to flunk a dope test. Left-hander batsman Upul Tharanga was suspended
for three months after testing positive for a banned substance during the 2011 World Cup.
8.Good Governance Day 25 December
i. Good Governance Day was observed on 25 December 2015 across the country. The day was observed to
mark the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
ii. To mark the occasion, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda announced four new IT-based
initiatives
for
providing
citizen-centric
health
services.
iii.Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honor former-Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering
awareness among the Indian people of accountability in governance.
9.Reliance, AlmazAntey to jointly develop air defence missile system
i. Reliance Defence Limited and Russian AlmazAntey, have decided to work jointly on the entire range of AD
Missile and Radar Systems that are required for Indian defence forces. The development comes alongside Prime
Minister
Narendra
Modis
ongoing
visit
to
Moscow.
ii. According to the release, vice chairman of AlmazAntey VF Medovnikov said that Working with Reliance
Defence will help us develop new directions for both companies to address future requirements of the Indian
Armed Forces.

0.Direct-selling FMCG firm Amway India announced Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar as its brand
ambassador to promote Nutrilite range of the products
i. Amway India CEO Anshu Budhraja in her statement said that they needed a strong and credible face who
could help people understand the role of supplementation in addition to balanced diet and exercise as part
of leading a healthy lifestyle, that's why Farhan Akhtar was an obvious choice. Action plan for Start up
India to be unveiled on Jan. 16
i. Seeking to boost entrepreneurship at the grassroots level, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the action plan
for Start up India, Stand up India will be unveiled on January 16.
ii. Mr. Modi said the programme will focus on ensuring benefits reach the youth from the lowest strata of the
society.
iii. He said the Start up India, Stand up India campaign has brought in new opportunities for the youth.
Indian Oil Corp tops in 2015 Fortune 500 companies in India list
i. State-run Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has emerged as the countrys biggest company in terms of annual
revenue as per an annual list of 2015 Fortune 500 companies in India.
ii. IOC topped the list for consecutive sixth year with annual revenue of Rs. 4,51,911 crore. IOC was followed by
Mukesh Ambani-led private sector Reliance Industries at the second place with a revenue of Rs. 3,82,565 crore.
iii. Top ten companies

Indian Oil Corp (IOC)

Reliance Industries

Tata Motors

State Bank of India (SBI)

Bharat Petroleum (BPCL)

Hindustan Petroleum

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)

Tata Steel

Hindalco Industries

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tech Mahindra launches contactless wallet MoboMoney
i. IT major Tech Mahindra has launched first of its kind Tap N Pay contactless digital payment wallet
MoboMoney for the Indian masses.
ii. MoboMoney has been billed as Indias first commercial NFC ecosystem rollout that would allow consumers to
convert cash into e-cash for making payments.
iii. MoboMoney is a prepaid wallet issued in the form of a Near Field Communication (NFC) contactless tag that
could be used to Tap N Pay for goods and services.
Union Govt brings 376 drugs under the NLEM
i. The Union Government has added 106 drugs including that of HIV/AIDS, Cancer and Hepatitis C to the
National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).
ii. In this regard, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfares core committee has revised the NLEM. The
committee was headed by V.M. Katoch, former secretary of Department of Health Research.
iii. The revision includes addition of 106 essential medicines and deletion of 70 medicines.
iv. With this total number of essential medicines in the list has gone up to 376 from earlier 348 medicines. This
move will ensure their availability across the country at affordable prices.
v. The new list takes cues from the World Health Organisation (WHOs) 2015 list of essential drugs and
medicines that satisfies the priority healthcare needs of people and ensure affordability.
Veteran Bollywood actress Sadhna passes away
i. Veteran Bollywood actress Sadhna Shivdasani (mononymously known as Sadhana) passed away in Mumbai,
Maharashtra. She was 74.
ii. She was renowned for his style statement and acting prowess in Bollywood in the 1960s and 70s.
PM NaMo inaugurates new building of Afghanistan Parliament in Kabul
i. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new building of Afghanistan Parliament in the capital city Kabul
built by India.
ii. It was inaugurated during Narendra Modis first official visit to Afghanistan after becoming Prime Minister.

iii. He also named one block of Parliament as Atal Block after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
iv. Prime Minister also handed over 4 Mi-25 attack helicopters to Afghanistan Air Force symbolising a shift in
Indias position on supplying offensive equipment.
Seychelles Govt allows India to build Naval Base on its Assumption Island
i. Seychelles government allowed India to build its first Naval Base on the Assumption Island in the Indian
Ocean region (IOR) as a joint project between both countries.
ii. In this regard, Seychelles government has allocated a plot of land on in its Assumption Island which will help
to enhance mutual security along our western seaboard in IOR.
1. Reliance Jio launched 4G telecom service
i. Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL) or Reliance Jio on 27 December 2015 launched 4G telecom service. The
service was launched at the Reliance Corporate Park in Navy Mumbai to mark the birth anniversary of Dhirubhai
Ambani, founder of the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL).
ii. However, at present, it is limited to 85000 employees and their families of the company, while the
commercial services are expected to begin by April 2016.
iii. It has three-pronged focus on broadband networks, affordable smart phones and the availability of rich
content and applications. It offers a unique combination of telecom, high speed data, digital commerce, media
and payment services.
iv. It provides data services with a speed up to 1 gigabyte per second. Under the project, around 2.5 lakh
kilometers of fibre optic cables
2. AP Government signed MoU with Microsoft India on technology initiatives
i. Government of Andhra Pradesh on 28 December 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with
Microsoft India on a range of technology initiatives. The MoU was signed after a meeting between the Chief
Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Microsofts CEO Satya Nadella in Hyderabad.
ii. The purpose of the MoU is to improve use of information and communication technologies, drive digital
inclusion and provide IT-based decentralised citizen services. The initiatives will help in checking school
dropouts, improving agricultural productivity and providing better citizen services.
iii. By applying Microsoft Azure Machine Learning and Advanced Visualization method, the company will provide
technical knowledge to the AP Government and support building three proof-of-concept (PoC) solutions. The
three PoC solutions are related to the fields of education, agriculture and eCitizen services.
iv. The PoC solutions will be built and deployed to address specific problems within each of the fields to achieve
better outcomes for the State. For data gathering, analysis, predictive analysis and policy planning, the lab
method will used by the Microsoft India.
3. Union Government announced 4 new IT-based initiatives for citizen-centric health services
i. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on 25 December 2015 announced 4 new Information
Technology-based initiatives to provide citizen-centric health services. The initiatives include three applications,
namely, Kilkari, Mobile Academy and M-Cessation and a dedicated toll free number 1800-116666 which will
provide round the clock counselling and treatment support services for TB patients.
ii. The initiatives were announced on the occasion of the Good Governance Day which is being celebrated
annually to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
iii. Kilkari is an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly audio messages to families about pregnancy,
child birth and child care. Each pregnant woman and infants mother would receive weekly voice messages
relevant to the stage of pregnancy or age of the infant. Those who are registered in Mother and Child Tracking
System (MCTS), a web- enabled name-based system to monitor and ensure delivery of full spectrum of services
to all pregnant women and children, will be benefitted from the service.
iv. Mobile Academy is a mobile-based application aimed at providing training services to 9 million ASHAs. This
will aid in enhancing their inter-personal skills. Once registered, ASHAs can access the 240-minute course via
their mobile phones. They can then complete the standardized course at their convenience. Digital
bookmarking technology enables ASHAs to complete the course at their own pace.
4. Former CJ of Karnataka & Kerala High Courts Justice VS Malimath died
i. Former Chief Justice of Karnataka and Kerala High Courts Justice V S Malimath died on 22 December 2015 at
Manipal hospital in Bengaluru. He was 86-years old and survived by wife Prema Devi V Malimath, a son and four
daughters.
ii. He was born on 12 June 12 1929, secured first rank in LL.B. and had a post Graduate Diploma in Public
International Law from University of London in 1952. He commenced practicing in the High Court of Bombay in
1952 and later shifted to Bengaluru in late 1956.
iii. He was appointed as a Judge in the Karnataka High Court in March 1970. Subsequently, he was appointed as
Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court in 1984.
iv. Post retirement, he was appointed as Chairman of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). He served as a
member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). He headed the Committee on Reform of Criminal
Justice System in India. He was the United Nations Representative to monitor human rights enforcement in
Nigeria and Sri Lanka.
5. Indigenously developed Air-to-Air missile Astra successfully test fired
i. Indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was on 25 December 2015
successfully test fired. The test was conducted by the Indian Air Force off the coast of Odisha near the
Integrated Test Range (ITR), Balasore.

ii. In addition to this air trial, the missile underwent successful ground based trials in early December 2015 near
Pune. The tests were aimed at validating the ECCM (electronic counter-counter measure) features of the missile
to overcome any jamming.
iii. After carrying out some more trials, including air launch trial with a warhead, the missile is expected to be
inducted into the Air Force in 2016. Astra is Indias first beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is
capable of engaging its target at ranges of 37 km or beyond. It has operational range of 60km. The all-weather
missile has been indigeniously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
iv. It is a state-of-the-art missile in the sense that it travels at supersonic speed (4780 km/h), possesses Single
Shot Kill Probability (SSKP) with active radar terminal guidance, uses smokeless propulsion system to evade
enemy radars and has the capacity to engage in multi-target scenario.
6. Make in India Week to start from Feb 13
i. Taking a cue from the biennial investor congregation - Vibrant Gujarat Summit - held every alternate year in
Gujarat the Central Government is organising Make in India Week in Mumbai during February 13-18, 2016.
ii. The week-long event, being organised by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Union
Ministry of Commerce and Industry, will have investors meet for the manufacturing sector under Make in India.
iii. Following the ambitious initiative of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage investments in the
manufacturing sector in the country, the government will conduct the 'Make in India Week' on the lines of threeday Vibrant Gujarat Summit. The event will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on February 13.
iv. The meet will also discuss issues related to SMEs and start-ups. "We have interacted with entrepreneurs and
they have raised valid issues faced by them. These include infrastructure, tax related issues, and demand to
reduce compliance burden for small industries. They have given suggestions on how to resolve these issues,"
said Amitabh Kant, secretary, DIPP during a road-show for the event in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
7. Karan Adani new CEO of APSEZ
i. Karan Adani, son of Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani, has been appointed as the CEO of Adani Ports and
SEZ (APSEZ) with effect from January 1, 2016. He will take over the top job from outgoing CEO Sudipta
Bhattacharya, who is moving to the US as the CEO for North America, APSEZ said in a regulatory filing.
ii. The Board has accepted the resignation of Bhattacharya as the CEO of APSEZ with effect from December 31,
2015, it added. It also approved the appointment of Karan, Executive Director (nonboard position) as CEO of
the company with effect from January 1, 2016, the filing said.
iii. Karan, who looks after strategic development of Adani ports across India, has been involved in managing
various port operations for the firm since 2009. He aims to build the Groups identity around an integrated
logistics business model, backed by his sound understanding of new processes, systems and macroeconomic
issues, the filing said.
8. China amended One Couple, One Child Policy
i. Chinas National People's Congress Standing Committee, countrys top law making body, on 27 December
2015 gave its approval to amending One Couple, One Child Policy. The amended policy, which will come into
force on 1 January 2016, will lift the restrictions on couples from having only one child.
ii. The amended policy is aimed at balancing the country's population structure by allowing all couples to have
two children. The amendment came after the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on 29
October 2015 issued a communiqu in this regard.
iii. The overhaul of the policy is in continuation of gradual relaxation of the policy in recent years. In 2013,
couples were allowed to have a second child if either parent was an only child.
9. CRI Pumps bags export quality excellence award
i. Pump manufacturing major CRI Pumps has bagged 'Export Quality Excellence' award for the 11th time in a
row.
ii. The Joint Managing Director of CRI Pumps, G Selvaraj, received the EEPC award given in recognition of the
company's high quality and innovative pumping solutions from the Governor of Karnataka, Vajubhai Vala, at an
award ceremony held in Bengaluru last week.
iii. The company has, according to a release, retained its position of being the largest exporter of pumping
equipment among Indian pump exporters. The company's has emerged as a turnkey solution provider across
segments, including residential, industrial, agricultural, mining, and water treatment.
10. Wicked Ride launches utility bike rental service
i. Wicked Ride, a start-up founded in 2014 by Vivekananda H.R., Anil G and Varun Agni, has launched its brand
Apna Ride for utility bike rentals, targeted primarily at budget conscious bike enthusiasts.
ii. The service would be initially available at Bengaluru, Mysore and Jaipur and bookings can be done through
www.apnaride.com.
iii. While Wicked Ride would focus on renting high-end luxury bikes like Harley-Davidson, Triumph, Ducati and
Royal Enfield, Apna Ride would focus on utility motorcycles, electric bikes and scooters.
11. Shiva Keshavan clinched silver at Asian Luge Championship
i. Shiva Keshavan on 27 December 2015 grabbed a silver medal in the 18th edition of the Asian Luge
Championship held in Nagano, Japan. The first place was claimed by defending champion Hidenari Kanayama of
Japan. On the other hand, South Korea's Kim Dong-hyeon grabbed the third place.

ii. Born on 25 August 1981, Keshavan is the posterboy of Indian winter sports. He is a five time Olympian and
the first Indian representative to compete in luge at the Winter Olympic Games. He set a new Asian speed
record at 134.3 km/h after beating the previous record of 131.9 km/h.
iii. In Asia Cup 2011, he grabbed the gold medal. In 2012, he set a new Asian track record at 49.590 seconds.
He was offered to represent Italy in 2002, but refused.