GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS ISSUE AUGUST 2015

GENERAL AWARENESS – AUGUST 2015 1
GENERAL AWARENESS
AUGUST 2015
Vol. 4, Issue 02
A PUBLICATION OF GYANM EDUCATION &
TRAINING INSTITUTE PVT. LTD.
SCO 13-14-15, 2ND FLOOR, SEC 34-A, CHANDIGARH
Contents
CURRENT AFFAIRS
APRIL TO JUNE 2015
01-36
BULLET NEWS
JAN TO MARCH 2015
37-53
SSC CORNER / QUIZ 54-60
LATEST 100 GK MCQs 61-66
SBI PRELIMS PAPER 67-77
6 MONTHS GK BYTES 78-100
FIGURES TO REMEMBER
REPO RATE (02.06.2015) 7. 25%
REVERSE REPO RATE 6.25%
MARGINAL STANDING
FACILITY RATE
8.25%
STATUTORY LIQUIDITY RATIO 21.5%
CASH RESERVE RATIO 4.00%
BANK RATE 8.25%
BASE RATE(s)
(of various banks)
9.70 to
10 %
INDIA’S RANK IN
Global Competitiveness 44th
In terms of Peace 143rd
Motherhood Index 140th
Environmental Democracy Index 24th
Human Capital Index 100th
Global Resilience Index 119th
Global E-Waste Monitor 5th
World Happiness Report 117th
Global Networked Readiness 89th
Social Progress Index 101st
Open Government Index 2015 37th
Press Freedom Index 2015 136th
Talent Competitiveness 78th
Travel and Tourism Index 65th
Corruption Perceptions Index 85th
The Web Index 2014 48th
Global Terrorism Index 2014 6th
Global Slavery Index 2014 1st
Gender Gap Index 114th
NATIONAL NEWS
JUNE 2015
INDIA BREAKS TWO GUINNESS RECORDS
Led by the Prime Minister himself, India broke two Guinness records – one for
the largest yoga assembly of 35,985 at a single venue and the other for
participation from 84 nationalities in a single event on the occasion of the
International Yoga Day at Rajpath, New Delhi.
The Department of Posts released a special stamp on yoga and the Finance
Ministry released coins of the denomination of Rs 10 and Rs 100 on the
occasion.
MODI VISITS BANGLADESH
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Dhaka on June 6 on a two-day visit to
Bangladesh. 22 agreements were signed between two countries during the
visit and a credit line of $2 billion was announced for the neighbouring country.
Mr Modi also received the “Bangladesh Liberation War Honour” on
behalf of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in recognition of his role
in the Bangladesh Liberation War.
The two countries agreed to start Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala (466+152
kms) bus service and Guwahati – Dhaka (496 kms) bus services.
PRESIDENT VISITS SWEDEN
President of India visited Sweden on May
31 on his five- day visit to the country and
Belarus. This is first ever visit by an Indian
President to Sweden. Several agreements
were signed with Sweden to boost ties and
to find ways for investment in India’s
defence sector under the ambitious ‘Make
in India’ initiative.
INDIA, BELARUS SIGN SIX AGREEMENTS
During the visit of Indian President, the Belarus Goernment signed six
agreements in fields like textiles, double taxation, media etc. Besides, the
State University of Belarus conferred the Professor Honoris Causa degree on
the President. India has extended a USD 100 million line of credit to Belarus.

INDIA BEST CHOICE FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT
As per the Baseline Profitability Index (BPI) compiled in
New York, USA, India has been ranked the best country
in terms of attracting foreign investors, in a study of 110
countries. China has secured the 65th position and the
U.S. is at the 50th place.
INDIA GOOD FOR INVESTMENTS
According to a World Bank report, India figures among
top five emerging economies for the highest investment
commitments in private sector, infrastructure sectors -
energy, transport and water. The top five countries are
Brazil, Turkey, Peru, Colombia and India.
DUTCH PRIME MINISTER VISITS INDIA
Mark Rutte, Prime
Minister of Netherland,
arrived in New Delhi on
a two-day visit to India.
The two countries
announced a joint
working group on
counter terrorism and
working closely in areas
such as extremism,
defence, maritime and
cyber security while the Dutch expressed interest in
supporting the Make in India and Clean India campaign.
MINIMAL ELDER ABUSE IN INDIA
A new global study reveals that elder abuse in India is
the lowest in Asia with an incidence of 14 per cent only
while it is the highest in China at 36 per cent. In other
countries, it varied from 2 percent in Ireland to 61
percent in Croatia.
Elder abuse includes psychological, physical and sexual
abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.
GITA MARKS ITS DEBUT IN CHINA
Bhagavad Gita, the
sacred ancient Indian
scripture, has made its
debut in China after its
Chinese version was
released during an
international yoga
conference held in
Dujiangyan in the south-
western Sichuan, China.
NATHU LA ROUTE OPENED BY CHINA
China opened the second land crossing in Tibet via
Nathu La in Sikkim, 4,000 metres above the sea level to
allow the first batch of Indian pilgrims undertaking the
arduous Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra. The route was
closed after the 1962 clash with China.
PRABHU ATTENDS G 20 MEET AT ISTANBUL
At the G-20 sherpa
meeting in Turkey, India
pressed for petroleum
pricing reforms globally
to ensure stability in the
energy sector. Railway
Minister Suresh Prabhu
represented India at the
meet.
'Sherpa' is a senior official responsible for preparing the
agenda for top leaders for a big meet.
E C SUSPENDS NATIONAL PEOPLE’s PARTY
The Election Commission has suspended the recognition
of former Lok Sabha speaker P.A. Sangma’s National
People’s Party because it failed to submit its poll
expenditure statement within the specified time frame
of 90 days since the general election last year.
IIT TO VENTURE INTO MEDICAL SCIENCE
Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur will soon
become the first engineering institute in India to
venture into medical education. The super-specialty
hospital named Dr BC Roy Institute of Medical Science &
Research is to become operational by 2017.
HEALTH AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH USA
India and USA have signed a series of agreements for
cooperation in health sector in areas like cancer
research, medical infrastructure development and
application of new diagnostic technologies etc.
TALKS HELD WITH JAPAN, AUSTRALIA
India, Australia and Japan held trilateral talks in New
Delhi to discuss a range of issues including the security
situation in the Asia Pacific as also infrastructure and
developmental projects.
INDIA SIGNS GLOBAL TAX TREATY
India has joined the Multilateral Competent Authority
Agreement (MCAA) on Automatic Exchange of Financial
Account Information by signing the pact in Paris. This
will enable India to access the data related to bank
accounts from across the world, including tax havens
that had refused to cooperate earlier.
54 countries have already joined the MCAA. India is
among the six countries that signed the pact, taking the
number to 60. The target is to reach 94 countries by 2017.
INDIA STILL LOW IN COMPETITIVENESS
India was ranked 44th in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based business
school, which cited problems like high corporate taxes
and a parallel economy for the low ranking. The USA
ranked number one in the study.

INDIA HOME TO 24% OF WORLD’S HUNGRY
India is home to the highest number of hungry people in
the world, at 194 million, surpassing China, according to
the United Nations annual hunger report - 'The State of
Food Insecurity in the World 2015' by FAO. India
accounts for over 24 per cent of the total 795 million
hungry people in the world.
INDIA RANKED 143RD IN TERMS OF PEACE
According to research by Australia-based Institute for
Economics and Peace (IEP), India ranked among 20
most violent places globally, standing at 143rd rank in
2014. Syria and Afghanistan were rated the least
peaceful countries in the world while Iceland held its
position as most peaceful, followed by Denmark.
INDIA RANKS HIGH IN CARBON EMISSIONS
Data released by the US based
World Resources Institute shows
that in terms of emissions of
climate - damaging greenhouse
gases, India ranks fourth in world,
accounting for roughly 7 per cent
of emissions.
The top three are China, USA and European Union.
However, in terms of per capita emissions, India ranks far
below at the 10th place.
 The three-day World Bangla Conference organized by
the Vishwa Bangla Sammelan was held in Nagpur,
Madhya Pradesh.
 India has emerged as Britain's third biggest job
creator in 2014 as it saw a 65% increase in FDI from
India, leading to 9,350 new jobs in 122 projects.
 India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh signed a Motor
Vehicles Agreement for the regulation of passenger
and cargo vehicular traffic.
 India emerged the top donor country for Nepal by
pledging $ one billion aid for reconstruction of earth-
quake hit Nepal
 World Bank gave a $250 million loan for Jhelum and
Tawi Flood Recovery Project for reconstruction of
flood-affected infrastructure in J&K.
MAY 2015
MODI VISITS THREE NATIONS
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a six day (May 14-
20) visit to three countries – China, Mongolia and South
Korea.
May 14 - Reached Xi'an city, home town of Chinese
President in Shaanxi province. Breaking the protocol,
President Xi Jinping received him in Xi’an city and
accompanied him on his local sightseeing. Modi visited
the famous Terracotta Warriors Museum, which has a
large collection of clay sculptures depicting the armies
of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China.
May 15- He met Chinese Premier (Prime Minister) Le
Keqiang. The two leaders launched the State and
Provincial Leaders’ Forum in Beijing. Mr Modi
announced to extend electronic tourist visas to Chinese
nationals.
India and China signed 24 agreements to strengthen
bilateral relationship in several fields including trade
and commerce, railways, education, skill development,
human resource and other areas.
May 16-17 - Arrived in Mongolian capital Ulaan Baator,
making the first ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister
to Mongolia. He met Prime Minister Chimed
Saikhanbileg and announced a $1-billion credit line to
Mongolia for infrastructure development. He received a
brown race horse named Kanthaka as gift.
President: Tsakhiagiin Elbegdorj Currency: Togrog
Parliament: State Great Khural
May 18-20 - Arrived in Seoul, capital of South Korea. A
slew of agreements were signed, including one on
Double Taxation Avoidance Convention, cooperation in
shipping and logistics, audiovisual co-production,
transport, highways and electric power development in
new energy industries.
South Korea agreed to provide $ 10 billion to India for
infrastructure, development of smart cities, railways,
power generation.
President: Park Geun-hye
Parliament: National Assembly
Currency: South Korean Won

PRESIDENT VISITS RUSSIA
President Pranab Mukherjee visited Russia from May 7
to 10. He was conferred with honorary Doctorate by the
Russian Diplomatic Academy. He attended the
magnificent celebrations of the 70th Victory Day Parade.
Eight agreements in the field of science and
technology and higher education were signed during the
visit. The Institutions of higher learning in India and
Russia signed eleven Memorandum of Intent to
establish Network of Institutions of Higher Education
50 YEARS OF CONQUERING MOUNT EVEREST
Indian Mountaineering Foundation celebrated 50 years
of first climbing by Indian team, of Mt. Everest, the
world’s highest peak, on 20 May 1965. Indian team was
led by Captain Mohan Singh Kohli of Indian Navy and
team’s Sherpa, Nawang Gombu was the first person to
reach the peak.
DELHI AIRPORT RANKS FIRST IN WORLD
Indira Gandhi International Airport at New Delhi has
been adjudged the world's best airport for the year
2014, under the category of handling 25 to 40 million
passengers per annum by the Airports Council
International of Canada.
CABINET NOD FOR EXCHANGE OF ENCLAVES
The Parliament passed the Constitution (119th
Amendment) Bill 2013 to implement the land boundary
agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh. It is 100th
Amendment to the constitution and was approved by
President on May 28, opening the process for exchange
of identified territories (enclaves) between the two
countries. Enclaves are tiny landlocked territories that
each country has within the borders of the other nation.
SC BANS USE OF PHOTOS IN GOVT ADs
The Supreme Court issued guidelines to place a ban on
the use of photographs of ministers and party leaders in
the advertisements released by government institutions,
public sector undertakings, local bodies and other
autonomous bodies established under a statute to
prevent ruling politicians from misusing tax payers’
money to enhance their image or of their parties.
Further, official advertisements cannot carry the name
of any political party, political symbol, logo or flag.
The ban, however, would not cover late national leaders,
while the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India
(CJI) were free to use or not to use their photographs in
such advertisements.
INDIA RANKS POOR IN ENVIRONMENT CARE
India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries in the first
Environmental Democracy Index that evaluates nations'
progress in enacting laws to promote transparency,
accountability and citizen engagement in environmental
decision making. Lithuania tops the list released by the
Washington-based World Resources Institute and
Access Initiative.
INDIA RANKS 140TH IN MOTHERHOOD INDEX
Save the Children's 'State of the World's Mothers' report
for 2015 shows that India ranks at 140th place in a study
of 179 countries to assess risk of maternal death, under-
five mortality rate, expected number of years of formal
schooling, the gross national per capita income and
participation of women in government.
Norway was ranked first, followed by Finland.
 India ranks 100th on 124 nations Human Capital
Index, which measures countries on development and
deployment of human capital. Finland topped the list.
 A commemorative coin released to mark the birth
centenary of Swami Chinmayananda to honour his
work in the field of education and social reform.
 World Bank to offer $ 250 million to Bihar govt as
part of a programme to help improve effectiveness of
elementary school teachers in the state
 India and Vietnam signed a Joint Vision Statement
on Defence Cooperation in New Delhi to promote
the mutual cooperation in maritime security.
 6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was
held in New Delhi on 15 May 2015.
 The 10th World Hindi Conference will be held from
10 September to 12 September 2015 in Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh.

APRIL 2015
NEPAL DEVASTATED BY EARTHQUAKE
A massive earthquake struck Nepal with a devastating
impact, killing over 5000 persons and injuring double
this number. The quake left several landmark sites, like
the Durabl square and the 203 feet high Dharahera
Towers completely flattened.
India responded quickly, under its “Operation Maitri” by
dispatching several National Disaster Response Force
(NDRF) teams, along with tonnes of relief supplies.
The earthquake was a typical Himalayan tremor caused
due to the “collision” of the Indian and the Eurasian
plates. The epicenter of the earthquake that measured
7.9 on the Richter scale lay at a depth of 30 km, at
Lamjung, around 80 km northwest of Kathmandu.
Tremors were also felt in several Indian states
especially Bihar, NCR, Punjab and Haryana.
17 AGREEMENTS SIGNED WITH FRANCE
During PM Modi’s 3-day visit to France, an agreement
was signed for the supply of 36 Rafale fighter jets in
flyaway condition as quickly as possible under a
government-to-government deal. An agreement was
also reached to promote the stalled nuclear power
project in Jaitapur in Maharashtra where French
company Areva, in collaboration with Indian company
Larsen and Toubro, is to set up six nuclear reactors with
a total power generation capacity of about 10,000 MW.
MODI INAUGURATES HANNOVER FAIR
During his three Germany visit, PM Modi jointly, with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, inaugurated the
world’s largest industrial technology fair - Hannover
Fair in Hannover. He said India had a huge potential to
become a global manufacturing hub and invited the
whole world to partner with the fastest growing
economy in the ‘Make in India’ mission. He highlighted
the 3D strengths of India as under:
– Democracy ensuring fair and equal opportunity to
everyone
– Demography refers to the huge, young manpower in
the country
– Demand refers to the huge demand in the country for
almost anything
CANADA AGREES TO SUPPLY URANIUM
The Prime Minister during his three-day visit to Canada
inked 13 agreements on skill development with the host
country. Canada also agreed to supply 3,000 metric
tonnes of uranium to India from this year under a $254
million five-year deal. Only two other countries - Russia
and Kazakhstan supply uranium to India. PM Modi also
announced the inclusion of Canada in the list of nations
receiving a visa-on-arrival from India.
‘OPERATION RAHAT’ RESCUED 5600 PERSONS
The Indian Navy conducted ‘Operation Rahat’ for about
ten days to dramatically evacuate Indians and several
other persons from war-torn Yemen. Over 5,600
persons were evacuated, including 4,640 Indians and
about 960 foreigners from 41 countries.
People were evacuated from Aden, a port in Yemen and
brought safely to Djibouti (a nearby country) on board
ship INS Sumitra, from where the Indian Air Force and
Air India aircraft flew them to Mumbai and Kochi.
Yemen has been witnessing a fierce battle between the
Saudi-led coalition and Shiite rebels, who have battled
their way into various cities including capital town
Sana’a, the former stronghold of President Abedrabbo
Mansour Hadi, who has fled overseas.
“MODI INDIA’s REFORMER-IN-CHIEF” - OBAMA
PM Narendra Modi was featured in the Time magazine’s
list of 100 most influential people for this year with an
article by U.S. President Barack Obama, who titled it
‘India’s Reformer-in-Chief.’ “Today, he is the leader of
the world’s largest democracy, and his life story — from
poverty to PM — reflects the dynamism and potential of
India’s rise,” Mr. Obama wrote.
Dr. NASIM ZAIDI IS THE NEW CEC
The President has appointed Election Commissioner Dr.
Nasim Zaidi as the new Chief Election Commissioner of
India. He assumed charge after the present incumbent
Hari Shankar Brahma demitted office upon his
retirement. Zaidi will have tenure up to July, 2017 when
he attains the age of 65.
The CEC has tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65
years, whichever is earlier. He is appointed by the
President, on the recommendations of the Union
Government. He enjoys the same official status, salary and
perks as available to the Judges of the Supreme Court and
the High Courts.

FIRST PRIVATE BILL PASSED IN RAJYA SABHA
The Rajya Sabha has unanimously passed the Rights of
Transgender Persons Bill, 2014, which seeks to protect
the rights of the transgender community, making it the
first Private Member’s Bill to be cleared by the House in
46 years (the last private members bill was passed in
the year 1968). The bill now will be moved in the Lok
Sabha. The Bill envisages a comprehensive national
policy to ensure the development and welfare of the
transgender community.
Ms. SWARAJ VISITS INDONESIA
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj paid a 5-day
visit to Indonesia to attend the 60th commemoration of
the 1955 Asian-African Conference and to attend the
10th anniversary celebrations of the New Asian-African
Strategic Partnership.
INDIA ELECTED TO FOUR UN AGENCIES
India has been elected to four key subsidiary bodies of
the United Nations' Economic and Social Council
including the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
The other three bodies are - Executive Board of the
World Food Programme, Commission on Crime
Prevention and Criminal Justice and Governing Council
of the UN Human Settlements Programme.
FREE TREATMENT FOR ACID VICTIMS
The Supreme Court has asked all private hospitals in
India to provide full free treatment to acid attack
victims, including medicines and expensive
reconstruction surgeries.
The order came on a public interest litigation petition
filed by Laxmi, an acid attack victim, following a nine year
fight for the rights of acid attack victims.
LAW COMMISSION REPORT ON LEPROSY
The 20th Law Commission headed by Justice (retd.) Ajit
Prakash Shah has submitted its report titled
‘Eliminating Discrimination against Persons Affected by
Leprosy’ to the Union Ministry of Law and Justice. It
recommended the repealing of The Lepers Act, 1898
and removal of the word ‘leper’ from various statutes as
it was considered ‘derogatory.’
INDIA LOW IN BUSINESS RESILIENCE
India has been ranked 119th out of 130 countries on
the 2015 FM Global Resilience Index which measures
business resilience based on economic, risk quality and
supply chain factors. Norway tops the index for being
the best suited for companies seeking to avoid
disruptions in their global supply chain.
INDIA 5TH IN PRODUCING E-WASTE
The ‘Global E-Waste Monitor 2014 report by the United
Nations University says that India is the fifth biggest
producer of e-waste in the world, discarding around 1.7
million tonnes of electronic equipment in 2014. The list
is topped by USA, followed by China, Japan, Germany.
INDIA RANKS BELOW PAK IN ‘HAPPINESS’
As per the 2015 World Happiness Report published by
the Sustainable Development Solutions Network of UNO,
India comes at the 117th spot out of 158 countries,
faring below even Pakistan (81) and Bangladesh (109).
The index takes into account per capita GDP, life
expectancy, social support and freedom to make life
choices as indicators of happiness. Switzerland claimed
the first rank, followed by Iceland, Denmark & Norway.
INDIA RANKS 89TH IN USAGE OF ICT
India has slipped six places to rank 89th in Global
Networked Readiness Index compiled by the World
Economic Forum, showing a "widespread" weakness in
its potential to leverage information and
communications technologies (ICT) for social and
economic gains.
INDIA BELOW NEPAL IN ‘SOCIAL PROGRESS’
Out of the 133 countries rated in the Social Progress
Index on indicators of well-being such as health, water
and sanitation, personal safety, personal freedom and
choice, India ranks at the 101st place. Even Nepal and
Bangladesh rank higher than India. Norway has bagged
the first rank on the index.

‘GREENPEACE’ FACES HEAT FROM THE GOVT
The government has frozen the bank accounts of the
international environment campaign group- Greenpeace
India for six months by invoking the Foreign
Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), accusing it of
encouraging “anti-development” protests in the country.
The Home Ministry said it was “a threat to national
economic security”.
It is suspected that foreign-funded NGOs were blocking
the expansion of nuclear power and the introduction of
genetically modified products.
 India Post released special commemorative stamps to
mark 50 years of Indo-French co-operation in space
research at a function held in Puducherry.
 Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, Afghanistan President
arrived in New Delhi on April 27 on a 3 day visit.
 The 5th meeting of the Health Ministers of SAARC
countries held in New Delhi in April 8.
NEWS FROM STATES
JUNE 2015
KERALA STARTS PUBLIC DIGITAL LOCKERS
Kerala Government launched the Digital locker system
‘Akshay’, under which the public can store important
records and certificates such as birth and marriage
certificates, pan card, school/ college transfer certificate,
passport etc. in the digital format. The records can be
downloaded as and when required.
RAJASTHAN TOPS IN SOLAR POWER
Data released by the Union Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy shows that Rajasthan, with an
installed capacity of 1147 megawatt for solar power,
topped the list of states commissioning grid connected
solar power projects in the country, followed by Gujarat
(1,000 mw).
HEMIS FESTIVAL HELD AT LADAKH
A two-day long annual Hemis festival dedicated to Guru
Padmasambha was held in Ladakh region of Jammu and
Kashmir the largest monastery of Ladakh - Hemis
monastery.
3 MORE DISTRICTS COME UNDER NCR
The Government has decided to include Muzaffarnagar
district of Uttar Pradesh and the Jind and Karnal
districts of Haryana as part of the urban conglomerate
of National Capital Region (NCR).
LIPULEKH PASS OPENED FOR BUSINESS
The 17,500-feet high Lipulekh Pass in Pithoragarh
district of Uttarakhand was opened for this year's India-
China trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. The route
will remain open till October 31.
 Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro
systems in the country, has been thrown open to
public.
 India’s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre for Mumbai Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust and ONGC near Mumbai was inaugurated.
 Steffi Graf, Tennis legend from Germany, has been
appointed the brand ambassador for Ayurveda by
Kerala.
MAY 2015
BLUE WHALE FOUND NEAR MAHARASHTRA
A group of researchers has spotted for the first time,
two Blue Whales (mother-calf pair) and four Bryde’s
whales near Kunkeshwar off the Sindhudurg coast in
Maharashtra. This is for the first time after 100 years
that the Blue Whales were sighted off the coast of
Maharashtra.
 Punjab becomes first state to issue Soil Health Cards
to all its farmers. The cards will show the details of
the soil composition for every farm.
 In Gujarat, the number of Asiatic lions in Gir
sanctuary and its surrounding areas has gone up to
523, registering 27 percent increase since 2010.
 World’s largest solar power plant is to be set up at
Gurh tehsil in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh
to produce 750 megawatt (MW) of electricity.
 Govt of Tripura withdrew on May 27 the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the
remaining areas of the state with immediate effect.
 Among Indian states, Maharashtra attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil Nadu.

APRIL 2015
‘SUBODHAM’ PROJECT LAUNCHED IN KERALA
The Kerala government, supported by UNICEF, has
launched a major campaign Subodham, to wean people
away from liquor addiction. The project aims to free
one lakh persons each year from alcohol addiction,
through comprehensive, systematic awareness
campaigns.
GIFT CITY LAUNCHED IN GUJARAT
The Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, GIFT
City was inaugurated near Gandhinagar, Gujarat. It is
intended to be a global financial hub. The domestic
banks will be allowed to open, for the first time in India,
International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) as
offshore banking units. They will be exempted from the
SLR and CRR requirements and but will not be allowed
to handle cash transactions.
THANE WINS RENEWABLE ENERGY AWARD
An 11-member international jury has declared Thane, a
city in Maharashtra as the India’s National Earth Hour
Capital as it won the Earth Hour City Challenge held in
Seoul, South Korea.
Seoul was declared the Global Earth Hour Capital 2015.
The year-long competition among cities is aimed at
promoting renewable energy and preparations for
climate change.
20 WOOD SMUGGLERS SHOT DEAD IN ANDHRA
At least 20 labourers hired by suspected red sanders
wood smugglers were shot dead on in a violent
encounter with the task force of the Andhra
Pradesh police in the Seshachalam forests on the
outskirts of the temple town Tirupati, district Chitoor.
 The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to
name its new capital as Amravati, considering its
historic, mythological and spiritual significance.
 Punjab has launched ‘Padho Punjab-Khedo Punjab
Mission’ to provide school students a separate period
40-50 minute period exclusively for playing games.
 The Kudermukh National Park, Karnataka and Rajaji
National Park, Uttarkhand declared ‘tiger reserves’
by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
 Assam to erect bio-fences with thickets of thorny
bamboos to replace the electric fences, to ward off
straying elephants.
GOVERNMENT
INITIATIVES
JUNE 2015
3 SCHEMES LAUNCHED FOR URBAN INDIA
Prime Minister launched three schemes to rejuvenate
the urban infrastructure in India.
Smart Cities Mission for applying smart solutions to
improve infrastructure and service delivery in the cities.
The Rs 48,000 crore mission aims to develop the overall
quality of life for citizens in 100 selected cities and make
them role models for others to follow.
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation-AMRUT: A Rs 50,000 crore project
for infrastructure development of 500 cities with
population of over one lakh, covering basic
infrastructure like sanitation, drinking water, solid and
waste management and transport.
Housing For All: To ensure decent houses for all the
needy, particularly the economically weaker sections
and low income group in all the 4041 notified towns
across the country. The scheme aims to construct 2
crores house for urban poor with central assistance of
Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2.3 lakh to promote slum-free cities.
NAND-GHAR YOJANA LAUNCHED
The government launched the first modernised
Anganwadi centre of India at Hasanpur village of
Sonepat in Haryana.. The centre has been set up as part
of Nand-Ghar Yojana of Union Government which aims
to transform the anganwadi centres.
JAL KRANTI ABHIYAN LAUNCHED
Ministry for water resources launched a Jal Kranti
Abhiyan from Jaipur on June 6 aimed at turning at least
one water stressed village in each district of the country
into a water surplus village.

HEALTH PHONE PROGRAMME LAUNCHED
Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in collaboration
with Ministry of Women and Child Development
launched the IAP Health Phone programme, the
world's largest digital mass education programme to
address malnutrition in women and children.
WEBSITE LAUNCHED FOR ‘MISSING CHILDREN’
The Women and Child Development Ministry has
launched a new website - www.khoyapaya.gov.in to
serve as a platform for people to not only report a
missing child but also track the efforts towards his or
her recovery. The website will answer all queries as to
what action is to be taken when a child goes missing.
APP LAUNCHED TO CLEAN GANGA
The Centre has started a mobile application, Bhuvan
Ganga, where the public can upload pictures of pollution
sources of the Ganga River for further action by the
authorities concerned. The app will be supported by
the National Remote Sensing Centre and ISRO.
EPFO MAKES ‘UAN’ MANDATORY
Employees Provident Funds Organisation - EPFO has
decided to make Universal Account Number (UAN)
mandatory for all employers covered under the EPF and
Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952.
BILL TO REPLACE BIS ACT 1986
The government approved a new bill to replace the
existing Bureau of Indian Standards, BIS Act 1986 to
ensure supply of quality products and services to the
consumers. Currently, only products and systems come
under the ambit of standards and the bill proposes to
include services under the standardisation regime.
FREE WI-FI HOT SPOT AT TAJ MAHAL
Visitors to Taj Mahal will soon be able to access internet
through wi-fi hotspots with launched by the BSNL from
June 16. The service will be free of cost for 30 minutes
in 24 hours and shall be charged subsequently. BSNL
plans to set up 40,000 such Wi-Fi hotspots across the
country in three years at a cost of Rs. 6,000 crore.
INSURANCE POOL FOR NUCLEAR RISKS
The Union government has launched an insurance pool
of Rs. 1,500 crore, mandatory under the Civil Liability
for Nuclear Damage Act to offset the financial burden on
foreign nuclear suppliers in case of an accident. Under
the pool, nuclear operators’ liability and suppliers’
special contingency insurance policies will be offered.
WORKDAYS UNDER NREGA INCREASED TO 150
Govt. has decided to increase the number of workdays
under NREGA scheme from 100 days to 150 days, only
in drought affected areas. The scheme will be
applicable only to those households which complete 100
days of work.
SMS WEATHER ALERTS FOR FARMERS
The government has launched a web portal and weather
alert system for the benefit of farmers called Crop
Insurance Portal www.farmer.gov.in/insurance, which
will give information on adverse weather condition to
farmers through SMS. So far, one crore farmers have
registered with the portal for receiving SMS alerts.
APP LAUNCHED FOR BLOOD BANK LOCATION
Government has launched a mobile application for easy
access of information regarding the nearest blood bank
in the country. Prepared by the National Blood
Transfusion Council, it covers all the 2760 licensed
blood banks of the country.
RAILWAY TIES UP WITH AIRLINES
Railways have entered in to a tie-up with Spice Jet and
Go Air airlines to enable the train travellers whose ticket
is wait-listed to cancel the train ticket and instead get on
to a flight of either airline by paying some extra fare.
NEW INCOME TAX RETURN FORMS
Union Finance Ministry has introduced two new forms
for filing income tax returns (ITR) for the year 2014-15 -
ITR-2 and ITR-2A. Form ITR-2 is for individuals and
Hindu Undivided Families (HUF) having income from
more than one house property and capital gains. Form
ITR-2A is for individuals who have income from more
than one residence.
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 Individuals having income only from salary /
interest will fill Form ITR-1 (Sahaj) and those
having income from business will fill Form ITR-4S.
 The Govt has decided to rename Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI) as the Renewable
Energy Corporation of India (RECI).
 The Government has withdrawn the customs import
duties for drugs and test kits used to treat HIV and
AIDS infections.
 The Railway Ministry has decided to run Suvidha
trains from next month with dynamic fares to
address the rush during the peak travel season.
 The second border haat (rural market) opened at
Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district of Tripura
bordering Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
 Indian Renewable Energy and Development
Agency has been awarded the Mini Ratna-I status
by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
 Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail running
between Ahmedabad-Haridwar as Yoga Express to
commemorate the International Yoga Day.
 The Railways has commenced the SMS alerts to
inform the passengers about the cancelled trains to
enable them to make alternative arrangements.
MAY 2015
‘KISSAN CHANNEL’ LAUNCHED FOR FARMERS
A farmer-centric 24 hour TV channel by Doordarshan
named DD Kissan was formally launched on May 26. The
channel programmes would focus on promoting
development of agriculture sector and rural India. It
will be mandatory for every cable and DTH operator to
relay this channel.
THREE SOCIAL SECURITY SCHEMES LAUNCHED
Prime Minister launched three social security schemes
at Kolkata on May 9. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima
Yojana for accidental insurance cover of Rs two lakh for
a premium of Rs.12. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana for life insurance cover of Rs two lakh for a
premium of Rs. 330. Atal Pension Yojana to address old
age income security needs.
ANTI BLACK MONEY BILL PASSED
Seeking to unearth unaccounted funds
and assets stashed by Indians abroad,
Parliament on May 13th passed the
historic “Undisclosed Foreign Income and
Assets (Imposition of New
Tax) Bill, 2015”. For the first time,
unlawful, undisclosed income abroad has been taxed
under this law at a tax rate of 30 per cent with an
additional 30 percent penalty. Further, it provides for
120 % tax and penalty in addition to 10-year jail term.
LOK SABHA CLEARS GST BILL
The Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed by the Lok
Sabha on May 6, clearing its way to Rajya Sabha. The
GST is proposed to be implemented from 1st of April
next year. It seeks to create a new indirect tax regime
which will replace various central and state levies like
sales tax, excise and services tax except taxes on the
supply of alcohol for human consumption and
petroleum products.
WHAT GST IS ALL ABOUT
The government is set to introduce a bill in parliament to
amend the constitution to pave the way for the introduction
of the goods and services tax (GST), a levy that was to have
been in place five years ago. ET takes a look at what this
much-anticipated indirect tax reform is all about and why
you should
WHAT IS GST?
It is a tax levied when a consumer buys goods or services.
This is how what consumption is taxed in most developed
countries.
1) CUTTING THROUGH THE COMPLEXITY:
The goods we buy include a number of taxes. GST will
replace these taxes with a single levy. The taxes that will go
are:
CENTRAL TAXES
1) Central Excise Duty
2) Additional Excise Duties
3) Excise duty levied under the Medicinal and Tollet
Preparations (Excise Duties) Act. 1955
4) Service tax
5) Additional customs duty. Commonly known as
countervalling duty
6) Special additional duty of customs
7) Central surcharges and cesses that relate to the supply of
goods & services
STATE TAXES
1) Value added tax/sales tax
2) Taxes on lotteries, betting and gambling
3) Entertainment tax, excluding such taxes levied by local
bodies
4) Central sales tax, Octroi and entry tax, Purchase tax,
Luxury tax
5) State cesses and surcharges that relate to goods and
services

OTHER REQUIREMENTS
A constitutional amendment is needed to allow states and
the Centre to concurrently have powers to tax goods and
services and also make relevant laws. At present States
cannot tax services while the Centre cannot impose levies
similar to sales tax
ARTICLE 246A
The bill will introduce a new article that says Parliament,
and subject to some conditions, the legislature of every
state will have power to make laws with respect to goods
and services tax imposed by the Union or the state
2) WHO WILL ADMINISTER THE LEVY?
The bill provides for a GST Council, a joint body of the
states and the Centre for monitoring the implementation of
GST.
GST COUNCIL
Chairperson: Union Finance Minister
Other Member from Centre: Minister of State for Finance
Vice-Chairperson: One of the state finance ministers
Members: State finance ministers
VOTING STRENGTH IN COUNCIL
Centre: 1/3 vote in council
States: 2-3 weight in council
Decision to be taken by 75% vote support
3) SOME CONCERNS OF STATES
COMPENSATION TO MANUFACTURING STATES
1) GST will be levied on buyers of goods and services or
where the service is consumed
2) This means big consumer states such as Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal and Kerala will get a high share of taxes
3) Manufacturing states such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra
and Gujarat fear they will lose revenues
4) The bill provides for 1 percentages point extra tax on
goods for at least two years
5) This extra revenue will go the state from which the goods
originated, or where it was manufactured
COMPENSATION FOR LOSS OR REVENUE
There are fears that states may lose some revenue because
of the introduction of GST. However, the bill allows for
compensation for revenue loss to states for a period of 5
years.
Source: Economic Times: 5th
May 2015
SOCIAL SECURITY FOR MNREGA WORKERS
The Centre has asked all the states to enroll all MNREGA
workers under the three newly-launched social security
schemes and open bank accounts for each worker under
the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. The three schemes
include Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana,
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Atal Pension
Yojana.
CABINET APPROVES SMART CITIES MISSION
Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart Cities
Mission for development of 100 smart cities with an
outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore. It also approved the Atal
Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
(AMRUT) for 500 cities with outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore
to replace the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban
Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
GOLD MONETISATION SCHEME LAUNCHED
The government on May 19 unveiled the draft of the
Gold Monetisation Scheme aimed at getting gold-
hoarding Indians to deposit their holdings with banks in
return for an interest payment. The finance ministry
has sought the comments from the public on the scheme
by June 2. A minimum 30 grams of gold could be
deposited and Banks will decide the rate of interest.
Minimum deposit period is one year, after which the
customer may ask for gold or cash.
GOVT TO START HIGHWAY RADIO
In a move to keep highway commuters updated about
road blocks, crashes, bad road condition and even
weather forecast, government plans to start Highway
Advisory Radio (HAR) system like a radio channel.
Besides broadcasting music/ songs, it will also provide
uninterrupted real-time information on traffic
condition, local points of interest, suggest alternate
routes etc.
USTAAD SCHEME FOR BANARAS WEAVERS
Union Government formally launched USTAAD
(Upgrading the Skills and Training in Ancestral
Arts/Crafts for Development) Scheme in Varanasi, Uttar
Pradesh in order to improve degrading conditions of
world famous Banarasi Saree weavers and other
artisans of the state.

20,000 CR FOR ‘NAMAMI GANGE’ PROGRAMME
The Union Cabinet approved a massive Rs 20,000 crore
budget for the ‘Namami Gange Programme’ for the next
five years. The amount is a five-fold increase over the
money spent in the last three decades towards the
conservation of the river. The government plans to
involve people living on the banks of the river to attain
sustainable results.
LOK SABHA PASSES JUVENILE JUSTICE BILL
After elaborate discus-
sions on the merits of
trying juveniles as adults
in case of grave offences
such as the 2012 Delhi
gang rape, the Lok Sabha
passed on May 7 the
controversial Juvenile
Justice (Care and
Protection of Children)
Bill, 2014 which allows
16 to 18 year old child
offenders in heinous
crimes to be tried like adults.
The law defines heinous offences as IPC offences with
minimum punishment of seven years. These include rape,
murder, dacoity, kidnapping, and even attempted murder.
LOK SABHA PASSES N I ACT AMENDMENT
The Lok Sabha passed the Negotiable Instruments
(Amendment) Bill, 2015, on May 13. The amendment
aims at easing the process of lodging court cases for
cheque-bouncing. Now all such cases can only be filed at
the place where the account of beneficiary is there i.e.
place where the cheque was deposited for clearance.
CHILDREN BELOW 14 ALLOWED TO WORK
The government has approved a proposal for allowing
children below 14 years of age to work only in family
enterprises or entertainment industry with certain
conditions, while completely banning their employment
elsewhere. It also says that children up to 18 years of
age will not be allowed to work in the hazardous
industries.
FIPB POWERS RAISED TO 3,000 CRORE
With an aim to expedite FDI clearance process, the govt
has enhanced FIPB's powers to recommend foreign
investment proposals of up to Rs. 3,000 crore, against Rs
1,200-crore limit at present. The FIPB recommended
proposals are cleared by the Finance Minister and any
investment beyond the new ceiling of Rs. 3,000 crore will
go to Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)
headed by the Prime Minister.
FIPB: Foreign Investment Promotion Board
CHANGES TO COMPANIES ACT NOTIFIED
New amendments to the Companies Act have done away
with the norms of minimum capital requirement of Rs 1
lakh for private limited company and Rs 5 lakh in case of
a public sector unit. Besides, the concept of company
seal has also been done away with.
PAN CARD MUST FOR EXCISE REGISTRATION
Ministry of Finance has made quoting the Permanent
Account Number (PAN) mandatory for private firms
seeking central excise registration to facilitate efficient
online collection of excise duty. Applicant shall also
quote his or her e-mail address and mobile number in
the application form for quick and online
communication with the department.
 Govt launched “Kayakalp” scheme for awarding
public health facilities to encourage improvement in
keeping the facilities clean and hygienic.
 “Credit Enhancement Guarantee Scheme for SC”
launched to finance to the SC entrepre-neurs. The
scheme will be implemented by the IFCI Ltd.
 Doordarshan News has launched an app to enable
live streaming of DD news channel by lakhs of smart
phone users in the country.
 Govt approves continuation of minimum monthly
pension at not less than Rs 1000 for pensioners under
the Employees' Pension Scheme
 Amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act,
1988 approved for enhancing the penalty under it to
a maximum of 7 years imprisonment from 5 years.
 A 10-member panel formed under Vijay Kelkar to
revisit and revitalise public private partnership mode
of infrastructure development.
APRIL 2015
P M LAUNCHES AIR QUALITY INDEX
In a concerted effort to tackle the menace of air
pollution, PM Modi has launched India's first Air Quality
Index. The index will provide information on the quality
of air / air pollution in 10 major cities in the country on
a daily basis.
Delhi's air pollution has been in focus in recent months, as
the city has surpassed Beijing as the most polluted city in
the world.

CABINET AMENDS JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT
The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to try
juveniles, who are 16 to 18 years and are accused of
heinous crimes, under the laws meant for adults. The
Juvenile Justice Board will have the power to assess
whether the perpetrator of a heinous crime aged
between 16 and 18 should be tried under the regular
laws or not.
‘E-SAMIKSHA’ LAUNCHED BY RAILWAYS
The Railways has launched a new web portal ‘E-
Samiksha’ to focus on Budget Review, Board Meetings,
Zonal Railway Review, Infrastructure Targets and
Project Implementation Review.
RSBY SHIFTED TO HEALTH MINISTRY
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) of the
Labour and Employment Ministry will now be
implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare. The scheme provides IT-enabled and smart
card-based cashless health insurance, including
maternity benefit cover up to Rs. 30,000 per annum on a
family floater basis to the BPL families.
LAND RECORDS TO HAVE FIELD FOR ‘GENDER’
The government has asked the states to introduce a
"gender" field for land owners in their property records.
The move has been undertaken as part of the central
government's National Land Records Modernisation
Programme. Once the share of women in land
ownership is ascertained, the data will be used to direct
policy initiatives in this area.
NJAC ACT NOTIFIED
The Government has the notified the National Judicial
Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, also known as
constitution (99th Amendment) Act, 2014, which will
replace the 23-year-old collegiums system for
appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and the
High Courts.
Under the Act, the SC and HCs will have judges appointed
by a six-member panel headed by the Chief Justice of India
and comprising two senior most SC judges, the Union Law
Minister and two eminent persons.
NEW ‘e-TOURIST VISA’ SCHEME LAUNCHED
The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to change the
name of the scheme 'Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic
Travel Authorization' to 'e-Tourist Visa' (eTV). The
scheme will be extended to more countries and airports
in a phased manner.
GOVT TO PROMOTE ECO FRIENDLY VEHICLES
Union Government has launched Faster Adoption and
Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles (FAME) –
India Scheme. The scheme was launched as part of the
National Mission for Electric Mobility to boost eco-
friendly vehicle sales in the country.
RESTRICTIONS ON GIFTS TO IAS/IPS OFFICERS
According to the recently amended all India Services
Rules, the IAS and IPS officers now will have to take
prior permission from the Central Government before
accepting gifts worth more than Rs 5,000. They also
need to inform the government, if they accept gifts of
over Rs. 25,000 from their relatives or friends on
customary occasions like weddings, anniversaries,
birthdays etc.
APP LAUNCHED FOR RAIL TICKETS BOOKING
The Railway launched the ‘UTS on mobile’ (unreserved
ticket system) app to relieve suburban train passengers
from the serpentine queues for getting tickets. The new
service allows the travellers to produce e-tickets or
carry the ticket image on their mobile phones for
suburban train services.
P & S BILL PASSED BY THE PARLIAMENT
The payments and settlements systems amendment bill
2014 was passed by the Parliament on April 27. The bill
aims to address the problem of insolvency in the
payment and settlement system by increasing
transparency and stability.
TRANSPORT ALLOWANCE EXEMPTION RAISED
With effect from April 1, 2015, the transport allowance
exemption for employees has been raised to Rs 1600
per month from Rs 800 for the purpose of Income tax.
The exemption limit for the blind and orthopedically
handicapped employees has been raised to Rs 3200 per
month from the earlier Rs 1600.
 The Govt. has set up a task force chaired by B N
Navalawala to examine relevant issues to expedite
the work on the interlinking of rivers in the country.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
JUNE 2015
GDP GROWS BY 7.3% IN 2014-15
According to the data released by the Central Statistics
Office (CSO), the Indian economy grew at 7.3 per cent in
2014-15 (base year 2011-12) due to improvement in
the performance of both services as well as
manufacturing sectors. It was 6.9 per cent in 2013-14.
The fourth quarter (January-March) of last fiscal saw the
economy grow at 7.5 per cent.
INDIA MAY GROW BY 8 %: NOMURA
Global brokerage firm Nomura said in a research note
that lower inflation, easier financial conditions, policy
efforts and rising profit margins are expected to back up
a cyclical recovery in Indian economy that may grow by
8 per cent this fiscal.
INDIA TO TOP IN GROWTH – WORLD BANK
The latest Global Economic Prospects report from the
World Bank says that India is expected to top the
growth chart in world, growing by 7.5 per cent this year,
surpassing China which is projected to grow at 7.1 per
cent this year.
OECD PUTS INDIA’s GROWTH AT 7.3%
Paris-based think tank Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said that
India’s economic growth is projected to remain “strong
and stable” at 7.3% in 2015 on the back of revival in
investments even as more reforms are needed to reduce
uncertainties over taxation norms.
RBI LOWERS GDP GROWTH TO 7.6%
The Reserve Bank has lowered the economic growth
forecast for the year 2015-16 to 7.6 per cent from 7.8
per cent projected in April, citing various risks,
including poor monsoon and rising crude oil prices.
Both lower than average monsoon and higher food
inflation would lead to reduction in demand and hamper
growth.
TRADE DEFICIT SHRINKS TO $10.4 BILLION
India's exports dipped by 20.19 per cent in May to USD
22.34 billion mainly due to global slowdown and dip in
crude oil prices that impacted overseas shipments of
petroleum products. Imports, too, declined by 16.52 per
cent for the month to $32.75 billion. Trade deficit
narrowed to a three month low of $10.4 billion.
IIP GROWTH JUMPS BY 4.1 %
Growth in the country's industrial output, as measured
by the Index of Industrial Production, rose to a two-
month high of 4.1 per cent in April this year, mainly
lifted by the manufacturing sector.
 Shrinking for the second straight month, output of
eight core sector industries shrank 0.4 % in April this
year, due to poor performance by most sectors.
 India's foreign exchange reserves crossed $355 billion
for the first time, growing by $1.171 billion in the
week to June 19 to reach a level of $355.46 billion.
MAY 2015
UN REPORT PUTS INDIA’s GROWTH AT 8.1%
Indian economy is likely to clock 8.1 per cent growth in
the current financial year, spurred by strong consumer
spending amid low inflation, infrastructure projects and
government's reform measures, says a UN report.
INDIA TO GROW BY 7.5 % - MOODY’s
Global rating agency Moody's says that India will grow
at a strong pace of 7.5 per cent in 2015-16, the highest
among G20 economies, helped by the reforms drive and
lower oil prices.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION DOWN BY 5.25%
As per the third advance estimates released for 2014-
15, India’s foodgrain production is estimated to decline
by 5.25 per cent to 251.12 million tones. Production of
most of the Kharif crops fell because of the poor
monsoon last year and Rabi crops due to the recent
unseasonal rain and hailstorms. The country had
registered a record foodgrain production of 265.04
million tonnes in 2013-14 crop year.

APRIL 2015
M STANLEY PUTS INDIA’s GROWTH AT 7.9%
Multinational financial services corporation Morgan
Stanley says that India's economy will grow at 7.9 per
cent this fiscal and 8.4 per cent in financial year 2016-17
due to government's determined efforts to implement
policy actions, reviving productive investment and
cutting back less effective policies.
INDIA’s GDP SET TO GROW BY 7.5% - IMF
The International Monetary Fund, in its latest World
Economic Outlook says that India will overtake China as
the fastest growing emerging economy in 2015-16 by
clocking a growth rate of 7.5 per cent on the back of
recent policy initiatives, pick-up in investments and
lower oil prices.
MOODY’s UPGRADES INDIA’s RATING
Rating agency Moody's has raised the rating outlook for
India from stable to positive, saying that there is a
higher probability that the policy initiatives will
enhance the country's economic strength and, in turn,
the sovereign's financial strength in future.
ECONOMY & INDUSTRY
JUNE 2015
MSP FOR PADDY AND PULSES HIKED
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has
increased the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy
by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per quintal for this year, as per the
recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural
Costs and Prices (CACP).
Commodity
(Rs. per
quintal)
Commodity (Rs./quintal)
Paddy 1410 Ragi 1650
Paddy 1450 Tuar / Urad 4625
Jowar 1570 Moong 4850
Bajra 1275 Groundnut 4030
Maize 1325 Sunflower Seed 3800
Cotton Med. 3800 Cotton long 4100
TARGET FOR SOLAR ENERGY UP BY 5 TIMES
The Cabinet has approved stepping up of India’s solar
power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru
National Solar Mission by five times, reaching 1,00,000
Mega Watt by 2022. The target will principally comprise
of 40,000 mega watt Rooftop and 60,000 mega watt
through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar
Power Projects.
TWO COMMITTEES FOR GST IMPLEMENTATION
Finance Ministry has set up two committees for
facilitating the implementation of Goods and Services
Tax from 1st of April next year. The first committee will
suggest tax rates and look into IT preparedness for the
new indirect tax regime. The second committee would
monitor the progress of IT preparedness of
GSTN/CBEC/Tax authorities.
LITTLE INDIAN MONEY IN SWISS BANKS
As per the latest data released by Switzerland's central
banking authority SNB (Swiss National Bank), Indians'
money in Swiss banks declined by over 10 per cent to
about 1.8 billion Swiss francs (USD 1.98 billion or Rs
12,615 crore) in 2014. India has moved down to the
61st place in terms of foreigners' money in Swiss banks,
having a share of just 0.123 per cent.
MEP HIKED FOR ONIONS
The government has hiked the Minimum Export Price
(MEP) of onion by 175 dollar per tonne to 425 dollar
per tonne to discourage exports and ensure adequate
supply in the domestic market and contain price rise of
the commodity
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LISTING NORMS RELAXED FOR STARTUPS
The Securities & Exchange Board of India has
announced relaxed listing norms and liberalized several
other terms to encourage the booming start-up industry
to tap the local market so that local investors can also
access to the dramatic growth opportunities offered by
such firms.
IPO NORMS REVISED BY SEBI
Investment in all IPOs (Initial Public Offering) opening
on or after 1 January 2016, has been made cheque-free
by SEBI by making ASBA (Application Supported by
Blocked Amount) mandatory for investors. Further, in a
bid to reduce the time period between the closure of an
IPO to its listing, the time allowed has been reduced
from the current 12 days to 6 days.
In the ASBA facility, the required amount is blocked in the
investor’s bank account and is debited only when the
shares are allotted to the investor. This helps in doing
away with the entire refund process that normally takes a
couple of days.
MUMBAI MOST EXPENSIVE IN INDIA
Luanda, capital of Angola has been rated as the world’s
costliest city to live in, as per Global HR firm Mercer’s
"Cost of Living Survey 2015". Mumbai was rated as the
most expensive city in India.
INDIA HAS GOOD NUMBER OF SUPER RICH
India is home to the fourth largest number (928) of
ultra-high-net-worth households that have more than
100 million dollars in private wealth, according to the
Boston Consulting Group's 'Global Wealth 2015 report.
USA stands at number one (5201), followed by China
(1037) and UK (1019).
VEDANTA TAKES OVER CAIRN INDIA
India’s largest private miner Vedanta, headed by
billionaire Anil Agarwal, decided to absorb oil firm Cairn
India in a $2.3-billion all-share deal to create India’s
largest diversified natural resources company.
IMPORT PRICE HIKED FOR ARECA NUTS
The government has decided to increase the Minimum
Import Price, MIP on import of Areca nuts from existing
Rs 110 per kilogram to Rs 162 with immediate effect in
order to protect local growers from the cheaper
imports.
PROJECT LAUNCHED FOR WATERWAYS
The 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project on
River Ganges, which envisages developing a 1620 kms
water way between Allahabad and Haldia stretch, has
taken off with a $3.5 million funding from World Bank.
 Bangladesh has granted permission to Life
Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India to do business
in the country
 India has agreed to be a partner country in Russia’s
major Industrial Fair named INNOPROM-2016 to be
held at Yekaterinburg, Russia in July 2016
 World Bank granted a $400-million loan for the
Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project
to improve services in urban local bodies.
MAY 2015
NORTH EAST GETS ITS FIRST MEGA FOOD PARK
The first mega food park of the North East was
inaugurated on May 28 at Nathkuchi in Nalbari distt. of
Assam. The park has 27 food processing units spread
over 50 acre of land. The park will prevent wastage of
local farm produce and find ready customers.
NGT IMPOSES ‘SEWAGE CESS’ IN DELHI
The National Green Tribunal has directed every
household in Delhi that is generating sewage, to pay a
monthly charge proportionate to their property tax or
water bill and, in the case of unauthorized colonies, a
minimum of Rs.100 per family, on the polluters pay
principle. The collected funds shall be utilized for
cleaning of drains and Yamuna River.
MoU SIGNED WITH IRAN FOR CHABAHAR PORT
India and Iran have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the development of the strategically
important Chabahar Port in Iran. The port will be used
to ship crude oil and urea, saving India transportation
costs. India will get sea-land access route to Afghanistan
bypassing Pakistan.
BIG BAZAAR MERGES WITH BHARTI RETAIL
Owners of Big Bazaar retail chain, Future Retail Ltd have
agreed to merge its retail operations with rival Bharti
Retail Ltd to create one of India's biggest retail chain
with more than 570 stores across the country.

INFOSYS JOINS RE100 GROUP
The Climate Group, the global NGO working for climate
change has announced that Indian IT giant Infosys has
become the first Indian company to join RE100, a global
platform for corporates committed to use 100%
renewable power.
 SEBI has replaced the three colour risk code with a
'riskometer' that will help investors to better
understand the risks involved in mutual funds.
 Asian Development Bank signed a 31 million US
dollars loan agreement to boost water availability in
selected river basins in Karnataka.
 Government has cleared the lone bid of Airbus-TATA
consortium for replacing Indian Air Force's ageing
fleet of Avro transport aircraft for Rs 11,930 crore.
 P M dedicated the Rs 16,000-crore revamped IISCO
Steel plant at Burnpur, West Bengal to the nation. It
now has largest blast furnace in India.
 Govt decides to sell 10% stake in Indian Oil
Corporation and 5% in NTPC to mop up Rs 13,600
crore in this fiscal’s first disinvestment approval.
 Finance Ministry has clarified that LPG subsidy
received by individuals in their bank accounts will
continue to be exempt from income tax.
 Reliance Industries tops the 56 Indian companies
listed in the world's 2000 largest and most powerful
public companies list compiled by the Forbes.
APRIL 2015
FOREIGN TRADE POLICY ANNOUNCED
The government has announced its Foreign Trade Policy
(FTP) for the period 2015-20. The policy aims to push
manufacturing and services exports, simplification of
procedures, focus on the ease of doing business and
integrating programmes like Make in India with the
export push.
It aims to increase exports to USD 900 billion by 2019-20,
from USD 466 billion in 2013-14 and raise India's share in
world exports from 2 percent to 3.5 percent.
WOMEN DIRECTOR MUST FOR LISTED COs.
Taking to task the companies without a woman direc-
tor, the SEBI has announced a penalty of a minimum Rs
50,000 on such companies for non-compliance beyond
September, 2015. The fine will be levied by the stock
exchanges as it violates the Listing Agreement.
Around 1,000 companies on the BSE and nearly 200 on
the NSE are guilty of non-compliance with the rule. The
SEBI rules require every listed company to have at least
one woman director on their board.
MoC ON TRANSPORTATION WITH USA
India and USA have signed a Memorandum of
Cooperation on transportation to enable India to use the
world's latest technology available with the USA for
projects like development of waterways and multi-
modal hubs. It would cover highways, urban
transportation, safety and environmental protections,
vehicle and behavioral safety, fuel efficiency, rail
transportation and maritime shipping.
ROURKELA STEEL PLANT EXPANDED
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation an
expansion and modernization project worth Rs 12,000
crore at Rourkela Steel Plant, Odisha.
It is the first Integrated Steel Plant of India set up in the
public sector. It was set up in the 1960s with German
collaboration.
TARGET SET FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
The conference of Power, Renewable Energy and Mines
ministers of all states and union territories of India was
held in Guwahati. A target of generating 1 lakh 75
thousand megawatt of renewable energy in the next 5
years has been set by the Central Government
I GATE ACQUIRED BY CAPGEMINI
The Paris based IT giant Capgemini has acquired the
New Jersey-based IT company I-GATE, for $4 billion in
cash. The deal, one of the largest in the Indian
information technology sector, will see the exit of IGATE
co-founders Ashok Trivedi and Sunil Wadhwani.
PPF INTEREST RATE REMAINS 8.7%
The government has decided to keep the rate of interest
on General Provident Fund and Public Provident Fund
(PPF) contributions unchanged at 8.7 per cent for 2015-
16. The interest rates for senior citizens savings
schemes will now be 9.3 per cent and for the Sukanya
Samriddhi Account for the girl child, 9.2 per cent, w.e.f.
April, 2015
MOBILE TARRIFS REDUCED BY TRAI
Starting May, mobile calls made during roaming will be
cheaper by up to 23 per cent while a local SMS will cost
only 25 paise, a steep cut of 75% from the present Re 1,
as regulator TRAI has slashed ceiling tariffs.
TRAI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

INDIA NOT YET READY FOR E-COMMERCE
India has been ranked 83rd on a new index compiled by
the UN trade body UNCTAD for assessing the readiness
of countries for electronic commerce. In terms of the
number of complaints made against companies selling
online, India ranks pretty high at the 4th place.
 Snapdeal.com has picked up a majority stake in
digital financial products platform, RupeePower to
enter Rs 4,500 crore online financial services market.
 As per a World Bank report, India tops in receiving
remittances from its global migrant workforce,
receiving around $ 70 billion in 2014.
BANKING & FINANCE
JUNE 2015
RBI LOWERS REPO RATE TO 7.25%
Reserve Bank of India has cut the repo rate by 25 basis
points to 7.25 per cent from 7.5% in its first monetary
policy review on June 2. The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)
was kept unchanged at 4%.
This is the third reduction in rates during this
year aimed at boosting investment and growth. It is
expected that now the banks may lower the interest rate
on loans, leading to reduction in the amount of EMIs.
The new rates are as under: (w.e.f. 02.06.2015)
Repo Rate………………………7.25%
Reverse Repo…………………6.25%
Marginal Standing Facility…8.25%
Bank Rate…………………………8.25%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio…..21.5%
Cash Reserve Ratio……………4.0%
NEW DOCUMENTS FOR ADDRESS PROOF
Reserve Bank of
India has allowed
postpaid mobile
service, piped gas
and water supply
bills to be
submitted as proof
of address (not
more than 2
months old) for
opening bank account of low-risk persons. The
government has amended the Prevention of Money
Laundering (Maintenance of Records) Rules, 2005 for
providing these relaxations.
Some other documents approved as officially
valid documents (OVDs) for proof of address include
Bank/ post office account statement; pension or family
pension payment orders (PPOs), letter of allotment of
accommodation from official bodies.
NEW SAFER 100 RUPEE NOTE
The RBI has issued Rs 100 denomination bank notes in
Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 with new security
features. Now the numerals in both the number panels
of these bank notes will be in ascending size from left to
right, while the first three alpha0numeric characters
(prefix) will remain constant in size.
BANKS ALLOWED BORROWING FROM ABROAD
The Reserve Bank has allowed the banks to borrow
from global multilateral financial institutions for general
banking business. They can do so without seeking the
central bank’s approval. The objective is to make the
funding process easier.
RBI ALLOWS RUPEE LINKED BONDS OVERSEAS
RBI has permitted Indian corporates, eligible to raise
external commercial borrowings (ECBs), to issue rupee-
linked bonds overseas. The RBI has proposed that the
subscription, coupon payments and redemption might
be settled in foreign currency.
NEW RBI RULES FOR GOVT SECURITIES
The RBI has issued the final guidelines for the 6-year
and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate Futures (IRF) on
government securities with residual maturity of 4-8
years and 11-15 years, respectively, under the Interest
Rate Futures (RBI) Directions, 2015.
BANKS TO TAKEOVER LOANEE COMPANIES
The Reserve Bank has allowed the banks to take control
of debt-laden companies by converting loans into equity
if a debt restructuring fails to revive them within a
stipulated time frame. Allowing loan conversion will
now be a pre-condition for all debt restructuring deals.
In a first such case, IDFC has replaced the
promoters of SV Power and brought in a new equity
investor to revive the company that missed payment
schedules.
NSFR GUIDELINES ISSUED BY RBI
The Reserve Bank has issued the draft guidelines on the
net stable funding ratio (NSFR) under Basel III
framework on liquidity standards for banks and sought
comments from all stakeholders by June 26.
The NSFR is defined as the amount of available stable
funding relative to the amount of required stable funding.

PAYMENT NORMS FOR BANK DIRECTORS
The Reserve Bank has capped the remuneration of non-
executive director of private banks to Rs 10 lakh per
annum while the compensation of non-executive part-
time chairman will require a prior approval from the
RBI. Banks will have to disclose the remuneration paid
to the directors on an annual basis in their annual
financial statements.
CARD FREE PAYMENT APP FROM HDFC BANK
HDFC Bank has launched a mobile phone application,
PayZapp, for online payments and money transfer.
Customers would be able to make money transfers, e-
shopping, buy tickets, pay utility bills and recharge their
mobile and DTH connections with just one click and a
single PIN entry, without using debit / credit cards.
SBI TO PROMOTE ‘YOUTH FOR INDIA’
State Bank of India has selected 100 highly qualified
candidates for its 13-month fellowship programme
`Youth for India'. These candidates will work with one
of the seven NGOs that have a partnership with the bank
to work in rural areas.
PURI IS HIGHEST PAID CEO IN INDIAN BANKS
Aditya Puri, the Managing Director of HDFC Bank, has
again become the highest paid bank chief in the country,
earning a salary of Rs 7.39 crore compared to Rs 6.07
crore last year, up 21.74%. The next in line is Chanda
Kochhar, CEO ICICI Bank at Rs 5.85 crore, followed by
Shikha Sharma, CEO, Axis Bank at Rs 4.17 crore.
10 LAKH CARD SWIPE MACHINES FROM SBI
State Bank of India will install 10 lakh payment card
swipe machines (point of sales terminals) across the
country, which will double the number of places where
card payments are accepted. The bank will also launch a
huge campaign to make public aware about the cash
withdrawal of up to Rs 1,000 at these terminals to
reduce pressure on ATMs.
 The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a deal
with CMS Info Systems to personalise over 15 million
debit cards for its savings account holders.
 The RBI has extended the date for exchange of pre-
2005 currency notes by six months to December 31,
2015. The earlier deadline was to expire on June 30.
 Reserve Bank of India has allowed non-resident
Indians (NRIs) to invest in chit funds to encourage
flow of capital into the country.
 ICICI Bank became the first bank to partner with
Alibaba.com for providing trade finance to their
India-based sellers
 Kolkata-based micro lender Bandhan Financial
Services has been cleared by the RBI to start
functioning as Bandhan Bank from August 23.
 SBI has launched an internet-based platform ‘SBI
eforex’, to enable customers to book their foreign
exchange transactions online.
MAY 2015
BANKS TO HAVE THEIR OWN OMBUDSMAN
The Reserve Bank has asked all public sector banks and
large private and foreign banks to appoint internal
ombudsman for resolution of customer complaints. The
internal ombudsman would be designated Chief
Customer Service Officer (CCSO) and he should not be
from the same bank in which he is being appointed.
NFC PAYMENTS ALLOWED UP TO Rs. 2000
The Reserve Bank has relaxed the additional factor of
authentication (AFA) requirement for transactions by
cards up to Rs.2,000 per transaction to facilitate contact-
less payments (without PIN authentication) through
NFC (Near Field Communications technology). Further,
banks were free to facilitate their customers to set lower
per transaction limits.
‘EARLY WARNING SYSTEM’ FOR BANK LOANS
To check the rising instance of frauds in the banking
system, the Reserve Bank has asked banks to put in
place early detection and prompt reporting mechanism
in place. The early warning signals in a loan account
should immediately put the bank on alert regarding a
weakness or wrong doing which may ultimately turn
out to be fraudulent.
Besides, the central bank will set up a Central
Fraud Registry that can be accessed by all banks to
identify borrowers having committed frauds with any
bank in the past.
A new concept of a ‘Red Flagged Account’ (RFA)
is being introduced. An RFA is one where a suspicion of
fraudulent activity is thrown up by the presence of one
or more early warning signals.

NFC CARDS LAUNCHED BY SBI
State Bank of India has launched the contactless debit
and credit cards-SBIinTouch. These cards are more
secure and hassle-free to use at merchant outlets or
ATMs as they use the NFC technology to enable users to
make payments by waving or tapping the card near the
contactless reader instead of swiping or dipping it.
SBI LAUNCHES PLATINUM DEBIT CARD
State Bank of India in association with National
Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) launched ‘State
Bank RuPay Platinum Debit Card’ targeting the affluent
segment. It offers a range of value added benefits such
as 5 % cash-back on utility bill payments, up to one per
cent fuel surcharge waiver and complimentary airport
lounge access.
BANKS PENALIZED FOR VIOLATING KYC NORMS
RBI imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5 crore each on Bank of
Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of
Commerce for violation of Know Your Customer (KYC)
norms and anti-money laundering norms.
 RBI has asked banks to issue only chip-based and
PIN-enabled debit/credit cards from September 1
onwards to protect customers from frauds.
 RBI has advised that the urban coop banks can issue
only general purpose cards to their customers and
not allowed to issue co-branded credit cards.
 The RBI has done away with the mandatory calendar
of reviews for boards of banks in order to make their
functioning of more effective.
 The Reserve Bank has dropped the condition of its
prior permission for distribution of mutual fund
products by non-banking finance companies (NBFCs).
 India’s largest private sector bank, ICICI Bank opened
its branch in Shanghai, China. It was inaugurated by
the Prime Minister Modi on May 16.
 Scheduled commercial banks' credit grew at 10.16%
to Rs 66.32 trillion in the fortnight ended May 15, and
deposits were up by 11.85% to Rs 87.39 trillion.
 ICICI Bank launched a service where customers can
make transactions using just their voice, without
using other means of authentication like a password.
 IDBI Bank plans to roll out e-huts to provide services
to people in rural areas. E-hut is a western concept
set up at relatively populated areas, such as malls.
APRIL 2015
PRIORITY SECTOR LENDING NORMS MODIFIED
The Reserve Bank has revised the Priority Sector
Lending norms and has asked the banks to give 8 per
cent of their total credit to small and marginal farmers.
It will be within the overall target of 18 per cent for
agricultural loans. Further, new segments like medium
enterprises, social infrastructure and renewable energy
firms have been brought under the ambit of priority
sector lending.
Housing loans to individuals, up to Rs. 28 lakh in metros
and up to Rs. 20 lakh in other centres will be covered
under priority sector lending, provided the overall cost
of the house does not exceed Rs.35 lakh and Rs. 25 lakh,
respectively.
The banks are required to give 40 per cent of their total
loans to the priority sector.
RBI MAKES NO CHANGES IN KEY RATES
The RBI has not changed any key policy rate in its first
bimonthly monetary policy statement in April. It
projected the GDP growth rate in 2015-16 at 7.8 per
cent, up from 7.5 per cent in 2014-15 and expected
retail inflation to be stabilize between 5 -5.5 per cent in
2015-16.
RBI TURNS 80 ON APRIL 1
Addressing the 80th anniversary celebrations of the RBI
in Mumbai, the Prime Minister asked the RBI to prepare
a 20-year road map for “financial inclusion” and asked
the banks to be considerate in giving loans to the poor.
DIFFERENTIAL INTEREST ON BANK DEPOSITS
The Reserve Bank has advised that now the banks will
have the discretion to offer differential interest rates for
term deposits of above Rs.15 lakh and these deposits
can be made without the option of premature
withdrawal as well. However, all term deposits of Rs.15
lakh and below should, necessarily, have premature
withdrawal facility.

KYC NORMS RELAXED FOR PROPRIETORS
The Reserve Bank has relaxed the Know Your Customer
norms for sole proprietor firms and has allowed them to
open accounts in co-operative banks by submitting a
single proof of their business. Earlier, they were
required to submit two such documents.
INTEREST SUBVENTION TO CONTINUE
The RBI has instructed the banks to continue the
existing interest subvention scheme till June 30.
Currently, an interest subvention of 2 per cent is
available for short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 lakh per
farmer, subject to conditions. Further, an additional
interest subvention of 3 per cent is available to the
farmers, who repay their loans on time.
PM LAUNCHES MUDRA BANK
PM Modi has launched the Pradhan Mantri Mudra
Yojana, wherein MUDRA (Micro Units Development and
Refinance Agency) with a corpus of Rs 20,000 crore. It
will give credit to small businesses and regulate micro-
finance institutions, to promote their growth and
creating more jobs.
The bank will have three main loan schemes - Shishu for
loans up to Rs 50,000; Kishor for loans above Rs 50,000
and up to Rs 5 lakh and Tarun for loans above Rs 5 lakh
and up to Rs 10 lakh.
ICICI LAUNCHES ‘TAP-N-PAY’ SERVICE
The ICICI Bank, in arrangement with Tech Mahindra has
launched a contactless payment service based on
the Near Field Communications (NFC) technology.
Called, ‘Tap n Pay’, it is a pre-paid facility open to all,
wherein the users need to just tap the NFC- enabled tag
or mobile phone at the merchant’s point-of-sale device
to make payments.
CENTRAL BANK WORST IN TERMS OF NPAs
The latest RBI data places the Central Bank of India on
the top of the public sector banks having a high
percentage of bad loans including restructured assets as
21.5 % of its total loans are NPAs. The other banks
suffering from high gross NPAs include the United Bank
of India - 19.04 %, Punjab & Sind Bank - 18.25% and
Punjab National Bank - 17.85 % as on December, 2014.
GOOD GROWTH IN BANK LOANS & DEPOSITS
Recent RBI data show that the Bank loans grew at a
healthy rate of 11.47 per cent to Rs 68,30,965 crore in
the fortnight ended April 3, from Rs 60,64,660 crore in
the same fortnight last year and the deposits rose 12.63
per cent to Rs 89,11,484 crore from Rs 79,01,619 crore
in the same period last year.
 To facilitate bank account opening by the
transgenders, RBI has directed banks to include a
column 'third gender' in their forms/ applications.
 The RBI has penalized 16 central co-operative banks
with a fine of 5 lakh rupees each for non-adherence to
‘KYC’ and ‘Anti-Money Laundering’ guidelines.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE
& TECHNOLOGY
JUNE 2015
INS VIKRANT COMPLETES FIRST PHASE
India crossed a major milestone in defence shipbuilding
when its first indigenous aircraft
carrier INS Vikrant was undocked on completion of
structural work at the Cochin Shipyard Ltd. The ship
will undergo a series of fitment and trial processes
before it is ready for induction in the Navy.
ARMY KILLS 50 MILITANTS IN MYANMAR
Indian Army, in coordination with the Air Force, carried
out surgical operations (cross-border operation) inside
Myanmar to target the militant groups responsible for
killing of 18 Indian soldiers. In this first-of-its-kind
cross-border operation, about 50 militants of groups
namely NSCN (K) and KYKL were killed.
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DEFENCE AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH USA
India and US have signed a new strategically important
10-year defence framework agreement setting the stage
for co-development of defence equipment
manufacturing and technology.
AJEYA WARRIOR, joint military exercise of India and
UK held from June 13 to 28 in UK. The exercise is held
biannually in the two countries, alternately.
CSIR SETS UP MAV TEST TUNNEL
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has
set up a first-of-its-kind in India, Micro Air Vehicle
Aerodynamics Research Tunnel (MART) in Bengaluru to
test the fixed-wing, flapping-wing and rotary-wing
MAVs (Micro Air Vehicle).
ANDROID APP ‘SAKAAR’ LAUNCHED BY ISRO
ISRO has developed an android-based, augmented
reality application named ‘Sakaar’ to highlight the
achievements of the Department of Space during the
past one year.
Augmented Reality is a live, direct view of a physical,
real-world environment whose elements are augmented
(or supplemented) by computer-generated 3D models,
animations, videos etc.
COLOUR CHANGING SKIN INVENTED
Scientists led by an Indian-origin researcher in USA
have developed the world's first full-colour, flexible
ultra-thin nano-structured film that can change colours
by applying voltage. Traditional displays like those on a
mobile phone require a light source, filters and glass
plates but this new method doesn't need its own light
source. Rather, it reflects the ambient light around it,
just like colour changing by octopus and chameleons.
OPTION TO ‘UNDO’ SENT MAIL
Technology giant Google has now introduced an ‘Undo’
option that will help its users to cancel the delivery of
misdirected or inappropriate emails within 30 seconds
of hitting the send button.
GALAXY NAMED AFTER RONALDO
A team of European scientists has discovered the
brightest galaxy in the early universe – CR-7 that
contains the first generation of stars, and have
nicknamed it after popular Portuguese football player
Cristiano Ronaldo.
CHINA MAKES WORLD’s FIRST ELECTRIC PLANE
China has made the world's first electric passenger
aircraft that could be used in pilot training, tourism,
meteorology and rescue operations. Named BX1E, it can
carry a payload of up to 230 kgs. at an altitude of 3,000
meters. Its charging is completed within two hours,
allowing a flight time of 45 minutes to one hour, at a
maximum speed of 160 km per hour.
PHILAE WAKES UP TO SAY ‘HELLO EARTH’
The European space probe Philae woke up overnight on
June 13 after seven months-long sleep as it hurtled
towards the Sun on the back of a comet. "Hello Earth!
Can you hear me?" the tiny robot lab tweeted under the
hashtag #WakeUpPhilae.
The 100-kilogramme robot lab touched down on the
comet "67P /Churyumov-Gerasimenko” on November 12,
2014, after a 10-year trek piggybacking on space ship
Rosetta.
WATER BASED COMPUTER DEVELOPED
A computer that operates using the unique physics of
moving water droplets has been developed by Manu
Prakash, an Indian-origin scientist and his team at
Stanford University, California, USA.
Chinese researchers have successfully developed the
first ATM with facial recognition technology to reduce
the risk of frauds related to ATMs.
MAY 2015
MIRAGE 2000 LANDS ON HIGHWAY
In a first in the history of Indian Air Force, a Mirage
2000, supersonic fighter jet of Indian Air Force landed
successfully on Yamuna Expressway in U P on May 21as
part of developing road runway for emergency landing.
NAVY GETS NEW SUBMARINE–SINDHUKIRTI
INS Sindhukirti, the Russia made diesel electric
submarine of Indian Navy, was launched for sea trials on
May 21, after successful completion of retrofitting at
Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam.

JOINT NAVAL EXERCISE WITH SINGAPORE
Indian Navy along with The Republic of Singapore
Navy conducted the annual Singapore-Indian
Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX), from 23 to 26
May in sea east of Singapore.
‘AKASH’ JOINS INDIAN ARMY
The Army inducted on May 5 its first regiment of the
indigenously-developed Akash surface-to-air missile
system, capable of targeting a multitude of aerial threats
up to a range of 25 km.
 INS Sardar Patel, new naval base commissioned in
Porbandar, Gujarat for better coordination of ships,
submarines deployed in coastal regions of Gujarat.
 Indian Navy's latest anti-submarine warfare class
stealth corvette, the INS Kavaratti was launched on
May 19 at Kolkata
ISRO MAKES INDIA’s GPS- ‘GAGAN’
ISRO and Airports Authority of India have implemented
the GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation-GAGAN
project as a Satellite Based Augmentation System
(SBAS) for the Indian Airspace. It will be also be useful
for intelligent transportation, maritime, highways,
railways, surveying, geodesy, security agencies, telecom
industry, personal users of position location
applications etc
LHC CREATES NEW WORLD RECORD
The world’s largest particle smasher- the Large Hadron
Collider [LHC] broke the record for energy levels on May
20 when it successfully collided protons at the record-
breaking energy of 13 TeV for the first time. The LHC’s
previous highest energy for collisions was 8TeV,
reached in 2012.
NEW SUPER METAL DISCOVERED
Scientists in Japan have discovered a new state of
matter called the ‘Jahn-Teller-metal’ that appears to be
an insulator, superconductor, metal and magnet all
rolled into one. The research could help develop new
molecular materials that are superconductors at even
higher temperatures.
SCIENTISTS LOCATE FARTHEST GALAXY
Astronomers have found the most distant exceptionally
luminous galaxy, EGS-zs8-1, located some 13.1 billion
light-years away from Earth. This is the largest distance
ever measured between Earth and another galaxy.
The light from distant galaxies we see via today's
advanced telescopes travels for billions of years before it
reaches us - so we're seeing what those galaxies looked
like billions of years ago.
‘MESSENGER’ CRASHES IN TO MERCURY
NASA's Messenger spacecraft has ended a four-year
mission to Mercury by crashing into the planet after
running out of fuel. Messenger (an acronym for MErcury
Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and
Ranging) was launched in 2004 and travelled more than
6½ years before it started orbiting Mercury in March,
2011. It was the first spacecraft to orbit the planet
closest to the sun.
FIRST FULLY WARM-BLOODED FISH
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, USA, discovered the world’s first fully
warm-blooded fish species named Opah. These fish are
found in the deep waters off the US, Australia and
several other countries.
 India has reached to sixth position, up from 10th last
year, in terms of publishing scientific research papers
in different journals in the world.
 Microsoft launched Edu-Cloud, a cloud computing-
based offering to enhance digital learning and
teaching in schools and higher education institutions.
APRIL 2015
JOINT INDO-FRENCH NAVAL EXERCISE
The 14th Indo-French Naval Exercise named VARUNA-15
commenced off the coast of Goa. The French Navy will
be led by the Aircraft Carrier Charles de Gaulle and the
Indian Navy by the Aircraft Carrier INS Viraat.
INS VISAKHAPATNAM LAUNCHED
INS Visakhapatnam,
the Indian Navy's most
powerful indigenously
built stealth destroyer
was launched into
water at Mazagaon
Dock in Mumbai. The
Kolkata class warship
will be inducted in Navy for operations in 2018.
INDIA TO TAKE PART IN TALL SHIPS’ RACE
INS Tarangini, the sail training ship of the Indian Navy
left Kochi on an eight-month-long voyage through
Europe to participate in the annual Tall Ships’ Races and
other events organised under the aegis of Sail Training
International.

AKRAMAN II CONDUCTED IN RAJASTHAN
The Chetak Corps of the Army held its major battle
exercise “Akraman-II” in the deserts of Rajasthan, along
with the contingents of Indian Air Force to test the new
generation of weapons and weapon platforms.
BSF GETS HI TECH Mi-17 V5 HELICOPTERS
Two Russian-made Mi-17 V5 military helicopters,
capable of withstanding small arms fire and operating in
a nuclear disaster, were inducted into the Border
Security Force. The helicopters will be used mainly in
operations in the Maoist-affected areas and along the
India-China border.
INDIA GETS ITS FIRST ‘SCORPENE’ SUBMARINE
The first of the six India-France joint venture Scorpene
stealth submarines was launched for sea trials from the
Mazagon Docks Limited in Mumbai. It has been named
INS Kalvari, after a deep sea tiger shark. It will be
formally inducted into the Indian Navy in 2016.
 India test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-surface
Agni-III ballistic missile, with a range of over 3,000
km, from the ITR near Chandipur in Odisha.
 India successfully test-fired the nuclear-weapon
capable Dhanush missile for its full range of 350
kms, off the Odisha coast.
 An integrated Indian Army-Air Force operational war
exercise code named ‘Bramhshira’ was conducted in
the Suratgarh area in Rajasthan in last week of April.
 Japan's state-of-the-art Maglev train clocked a new
world speed record in a test run, smashing through
the 600 kilometre per hour mark it had made earlier.
INTERNATIONAL
JUNE 2015
S KOREA SUFFERS ATTACK OF MERS
Hundreds of schools
were closed in South
Korea as officials
struggled to ease
growing panic over an
outbreak of the MERS
(Middle East Respir-
atory Syndrome) virus
that had infected 181
persons and claimed
over 31 lives.
MERS has now infected 1,161 people globally, with 436
deaths in more than 20 countries, with most cases in
Saudi Arabia. The virus found in Arabian Dromedary
camels, has no known cure or vaccine and, thus, is
considered a deadly disease.
AGREEMENT SIGNED FOR FORMING AIIB
57 countries, including India, signed an agreement in
Beijing for the formation of China sponsored Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The bank will
have an authorised capital of $100 billion. The bank is
expected to be operational by the end of this year.
800 YEARS OF MAGNA CARTA
On June 15, Britain marked the 800th anniversary of the
historic charter Magna Carta.
The Magna Carta, Latin for 'Great Charter' that was also
an inspiration for the US Constitution, is hailed as the
cornerstone of parliamentary democracy. On June 15,
1215, King John had met disgruntled barons and agreed
to a list of basic rights under which the foundations of
parliamentary democracy, human rights and the
supremacy of the law over the crown were first enshrined.
G-7 SUMMIT HELD IN GERMANY
The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41st summit at
Schloss Elmau, southern Germany. Russia is no more a
member of this elite group as it has been accused of
forced annexation of Crimea.
G-7 is a group of seven most industrialized nations of the
world and includes the European Union also.
26 AFRICAN STATES SIGN TRADE AGREEMENT
African leaders have agreed to create the continent's
largest free trade zone, covering 26 countries in an area
from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. The deal
named as The Tripartite Free Trade Area, aims to ease
the movement of goods across member countries which
represent more than half the continent's GDP.
US TOPS IN OIL PRODUCTION
The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the
world's biggest oil producer in 2014 by producing 11.6
million barrels of oil per day to topple Saudi Arabia's
11.5 million bpd production. Russia with 10.8 million
bpd oil production was placed third.
WORLD’s LONGEST FREIGHT TRAIN LAUNCHED
China launched the world’s longest freight train route,
linking the city of Harbin in northeast China with the
German city of Hamburg, via Russia’s Trans-Siberian
line, covering a distance of 9820 km passing through
Mongolia, Russia, Belarus and Poland in 15 days.

OPCW DESTROYS 90% CHEMICAL WEAPONS
The world's chemical weapons watchdog Organisation
for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has declared
that it has succeeded in destroying 90 per cent of the
global chemical weapons stockpile, calling it a "major
milestone". The stockpiles included caches containing
chemicals needed to make deadly nerve agents like
Sarin.
USA SANCTIONS SAME SEX MARRIAGES
In a landmark judgment, the US Supreme Court ruled
that same-sex couples can marry nationwide,
establishing a new civil right and handing gay rights
advocates a historic victory.
USA FREEDOM ACT PASSED BY US SENATE
The US Senate passed the USA Freedom Act, making it
the first time in over thirty years that both houses of
Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions
and oversight on the National Security Agency’s
surveillance powers.
‘JURASSIC WORLD’ CREATES RECORD
The fourth installment in the Jurassic Park series-
Jurassic World has become the first film to have
collections of more than 500 million dollars at the box
office in its opening weekend. It was the most popular
screening in all 66 countries where it was released.
The 25th African Union summit was held at Pretoria,
South Africa on 7-8. The summit is being held with the
theme, "Year of Women Empowerment
and Development towards Africa's Agenda 2063."
The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking observed globally on 26 June, 2015 with the
theme “Let’s Develop our Lives, our Communities, our
identities without Drugs”.
 China plans to form a huge gold investment fund of
about 100 billion Yuan (over $16 billion) aiming to
bolster Beijing's role in global gold trade.
 Global wealth intelligence agency Wealth-X in a
survey of self made billionaires has ranked the Bill
Gates at number one, with $86 billion of wealth.
 President of Sri Lanka dissolved the Parliament 7,
paving the way for fresh parliamentary elections in
mid August, eight months ahead of the schedule.
 France has put a ban on wearing earphones while
driving a vehicle and riding a cycle, w.e.f. July 1, 2015.
 Parliament of Japan has lowered the age of voters
from 20 to 18.
MAY 2015
USA TOPS IN COMPETITIVENESS
A study of 61 countries by the Swiss business school
IMD on the parameters of competitiveness shows that
the USA continues to enjoy top position, followed by
Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland. The rankings
were based on four aspects - Economic performance,
government efficiency, business efficiency and
infrastructure.
IRELAND APPROVES SAME SEX MARRIAGE
The Republic of Ireland became the first country in the
world to legalise same-sex marriage through popular
vote, passing a referendum on May 23 on the issue with
a resounding 62.1 per cent ‘Yes’, despite the fact that 84
percent of country’s population is Catholic.
U K GETS ITS 4th HEIR TO THE THRONE
Prince William of UK Royalty was blessed with his
second baby as his wife Kate Middleton, the Duchess of
Cambridge gave birth to a baby girl on April 2 at a
London hospital. The new baby is fourth-in-line to the
throne, behind her grandfather Prince Charles, father
Prince William and brother Prince George. The baby
named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana will be known as Her
Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge.
JAPAN TO INVEST $100 BILLION IN ASIA
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has announced a
$110 billion investment plan for infrastructure projects
in Asia in an apparent counter to China's move to launch
a new development bank - Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank.
A PAINTING SOLD FOR Rs 1,155 CRORE
A painting from Pablo Picasso set a world record for
auction of a work of art, selling for $179.4 million (about
Rs. 1,155 crore) at an auction by Christie’s at New York.
The oil painting is a vibrant, cubist depiction of nude
courtesans

WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY
May 3 is observed every year as the “World Press
Freedom Day” to assert that freedom of the press and
freedom of expression are fundamental human rights.
This year’s theme is “Let Journalism Thrive!”
 China overtook the United States as the world's top
importer of crude oil for the first time in April, and its
purchases are expected to grow further.
 The 68th World Health Assembly held in Geneva,
Switzerland from 18 to 27 May, 2015. India was
given the Presidency of the Assembly.
 Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands, 1500 kms
east of African mainland, became the 161st member
of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
 NATO forces launched the Arctic Challenge Exercise
in the Arctic sea north of Europe on May 26, involving
115 fighter planes & 3600 troops from nine countries.
 The United States economic growth slowed sharply in
the first quarter of the year to just 0.2% due to the
slowdown by unusually foul winter weather.
 68th Cannes Film Festival held at Cannes, France
from 13 to 24 May
 World Asthma Day observed on 5 May 2015. This
year’s theme is “You Can Control Your Asthma”
APRIL 2015
LANDMARK IRAN NUCLEAR DEAL SIGNED
After marathon talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, world
powers and Iran have agreed on the framework of a
historic deal aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear drive.
It marks a major breakthrough in a 12-year standoff
between Iran and the Western powers that have long
feared of Iran wanting to build a nuclear bomb.
Iran agreed to the deal in return for lifting tough
sanctions. The outline agreed now has to be finalized in a
highly complex agreement by June 30.
W B TO FOCUS ON AIR POLLUTION CONTROL
The World Bank launched Pollution Management and
Environmental Health (PHEM) program on Global
Citizen Earth Day (April 18) to focus primarily on air
quality management in countries facing rapid
urbanization and on tackling water and land pollution.
EBOLA CLAIMS 10,800 LIVES
The World Health Organisation has said that more than
26,000 people have been infected with Ebola since the
outbreak began in December, 2013 and more than
10,800 have died, almost all of them in Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone.
GLOBAL FINANCIAL INCLUSION REACHES 62%
As per Global Findex, a global database to study
financial inclusion, the percentage of adults with an
account increased from 51 per cent to 62 per cent
between 2011 and 2014, a trend driven by rise in
account ownership in developing countries and the role
of technology.
WORLD TRADE TO GROW BY 3.3%
A World Trade Organization (WTO) forecast says that
the global goods trade will grow by 3.3 percent in the
year 2015 and by 4.0 percent in 2016, mainly due to
sluggish economic growth caused by falling oil prices,
currency volatility and the slowdown in major emerging
economies.
 World Haemophilia Day was observed globally on
17th April, 2015 with the theme ‘Building a Family of
Support’.
 Air Canada to resume direct flights between Toronto
and Delhi from the coming winter season. The flights
were discontinued in 2005.
 Chinese President Xi Jinping was honoured with the
Nishan-e-Pakistan, highest Pak civilian award, during
his recent official visit to Pakistan.
 Around 900 illegal migrants trying to reach Europe
were feared killed after their boat capsized in the
Mediterranean sea, off the Libyan coast.
 Official data released by China shows that the
country’s GDP grew at its slowest pace in six years in
the first quarter of 2015, at just 7 per cent.
 Palestine formally joined the International Criminal
Court (ICC), raising hopes of a possible prosecution of
Israelis for alleged war crimes.
PERSONS IN NEWS
JUNE 2015
BENO ZEPHINE: The 25-year-old woman from Chennai
became the first ever 100 per cent visually-challenged
person to get selected for the prestigious Indian Foreign
Service.
NIKESH ARORA: India-born former Google executive
has been appointed the president of Japan’s
telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp that paid the
“rising star” a whopping $135 million for the financial
year 2014, making him the highest paid executive in the
world.
Dr BIMAL K ROY: Director of Indian Statistical Institute
(ISI) was in news as he was removed from office by the
Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation on charges of indiscipline just one-and-
a-half months before the end of his term.

OMARAL-BASHIR: Sudanese President flew out of
South Africa today, defying a court order for him to stay
as judges weighed up whether he should be arrested for
alleged war crimes and genocide.
CHIRIL GABURICI: Prime Minister of Moldova, a small
state on the border of Ukraine, was in news as he
resigned after the prosecutors questioned the
authenticity of his school-leaving certificate. He became
the PM in February, 2015.
EDWARD SNOWDEN: Former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was in
news as he was awarded a Norwegian prize for
freedom of expression (also known as Bjornson
Prize)
SEPP BLATTER: President of
world’s top football body –
FIFA was in news as he offered
to step down after a US
criminal investigation report
levied charges of corruption
against him in the functioning
of the sports body.
MAY 2015
ARUNDHATI BHATTACHARYA: SBI Chairperson and
ICICI Bank’s MD Chanda Kochhar figure at 30th and 35th
place in the world’s top 100 powerful women list by
Forbes. The list is topped by German chancellor Angela
Merkel, followed by Hilary Clinton and Milinda Gates.
ARUNA SHANBAUG: A former nurse who lived in a
vegetative state for the past 42 years after being
brutally sexually assaulted at KEM Hospital, Mumbai
died on May 18. She became the face of the debate on
euthanasia in India.
MANABI BANDOPADHYAY: She
became the first transgender in India
to head an educational institute when
she took over as Principal of
Krishnagar Women's College in Nadia
district, West Bengal.
BARACK OBAMA: On 20 May 2015, he entered
Guinness Book of World Record for reaching a million
followers in a span of mere 5 hours after going live on
Twitter, @POTUS account — named for the in-house
acronym derived from “President of the United States”.
MOHAMMED MORSI: Deposed Egyptian President was
in news as he along with his 100 supporters was
sentenced to death by a court in Cairo in connection
with a mass jail break in 2011.
APRIL 2015
VISWANATHAN ANAND, the Chess Grand Master of
India now has a planet named after him, called '4538
Vishyanand'. The planet is a minor one discovered by
Kenzo Suzuki of Japan in Toyota Observatory in 1988
but it was unnamed until now.
A minor planet is an astronomical object which is neither
a planet nor a comet. They are dwarf planets which have
been archived by the Minor Planet Centre.
MALALA YOUSAFZAI: Pakistan's
teenage education activist and the
world’s youngest Nobel Peace
Prize winner was in news as an
asteroid-316201, orbiting the sun
between the Mars and the Jupiter,
discovered by a US astronomer,
has been named after her.
RAJA RAJESWARI: She is the first India-born woman to
be appointed as a criminal court judge in the New York
City.
MOHAMMED MORSY: Ousted President of Egypt was in
news as an Egyptian criminal court sentenced him 20
years in prison over the killing of protesters in 2012.
MUSTAFA KAMAL: He resigned from the post of
President of the International Cricket Council. He is also
the President of the Bangladesh Cricket Board.
ANA JARA: Prime Minister of Peru was sacked after she
lost the vote of confidence in Congress. She was
censured for alleged spying of several key personalities.
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APPOINTMENTS
JUNE 2015
VIJAI SHARMA: New Chief Information Commissioner
K V CHOWDARY: New Central Vigilance Commissioner
R C TAYAL: Appointed new Director General of the elite
counter-terror force National Security Guards
SYED ASIF IBRAHIM: Appointed Prime Minister’s
Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism
GEORGE YEO: Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed the new Chancellor of Nalanda
University, Rajgir, Bihar.
M K SHARMA: New non-executive Chairman of the
Board of ICICI Bank
R. SESHASAYEE: Appointed Non-Executive Chairman
of the Board of IT giant Infosys Ltd.
PAWAN MUNJAL: Has taken over as Chairman,
Managing Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, world’s
number one two-wheeler company.
MOGENS LYKKETOFT: Elected President for the 70th
session of the United Nations General Assembly in
September 2015.
AMEENAH GURIB-FAKIM: First woman President of
Mauritius.
MAY 2015
PRADEEP KUMAR SINHA: New Cabinet Secretary.
Usually senior most IAS officer is appointed to this post.
Dr. S CHRISTOPHER: Director General of DRDO. He is
also the Secretary, Department of Defence Research
K.V. KAMATH: Eminent banker was appointed as head
of the 50 billion dollars New Development Bank being
set up by the five emerging economies of BRICS group,
with headquarters at Shanghai
ARUN SHRIVASTAVA: Managing Director & CEO of
Syndicate Bank.
G MOHAN KUMAR: Union Defence Secretary
M J JOSEPH: Appointed as the Controller General of
Accounts (CGA) in the Union Ministry of Finance.
NEW GOVERNORS APPOINTED
Tathagata Roy: Governor of Tripura
Draupadi Murmu: Governor of Jharkhand, first tribal
women to become Governor
V Shanmuganthan: Governor of Meghalaya
J P Rakkhowa: Governor of Arunachal Pradesh
Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma: Governor of Mizoram
Syed Ahmed: Governor of Manipur
K V THOMAS: Re-nominated as Chairman of
Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee
ACHAL KUMAR JYOTI: appointed as the new Election
Commissioner (EC), he is a retired IAS officer from
Gujarat.
MUKESH KHANNA: Appointed as the Chairperson of
the Children's Film Society of India (CFSI). He is popular
for his role of super hero ‘Shaktimaan’ and also
remembered for his portrayal of Bhishma Pitamah in
tele serial Mahabharat
SURENDER SINGH: Appointed new Director General of
Central Industrial Security Force, CISF.
ANDRZEJ DUDA: New President of Poland
DAVID GRANGER: New President of Guyana
APRIL 2015
H L DATTU: Chairman, National Judicial Appointments
Commission. He is the Chief Justice of India.
Dr. NASIM ZAIDI: New Chief Election Commissioner of
India
SITARAM YECHURY: Elected General Secretary of the
Communist Party (Marxist) of India
MOHAN KUMAR: Appointed the next Ambassador of
India to France.
SUMIT MAZUMDER: President of CII (Confederation of
Indian Industries) for 2015-16. He is the CMD of
Tractors India Ltd.
BVR MOHAN REDDY: Elected Chairman of NASSCOM -
The National Association of Software and Services
Companies for 2015-16. He is the Chairman, Cyient Ltd.
VIRAT KOHLI: Goodwill Ambassador of Uttarakhand.
PEDRO CATERIANO BELLIDO: Prime Minister of Peru
OMAR AL-BASHIR: Re-elected as President of Sudan
NURSULTAN NAZARBAYEV: Re-elected as President of
Kazakhstan
MUHAMMADU BUHARI: Elected President of Nigeria.
A former military ruler, he is the first opposition
candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria.

AWARDS & HONOURS
JUNE 2015
IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) Awards
announced at Kualalumpur, Malaysia
Best Picture: Queen by Vikas Bahl
Best Actress Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Actor: Shahid Kapoor for Haider
Best Direction: Rajkumar Hirani for PK
10th NAVLEKHAN AWARD OF BHARATIYA
JNANPITH: Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana
for the poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and novel
Ek Zindagi Ek Ek Script Bhar, respectively.
SANGITA KALANIDHI AWARD: Sanjay Subrahmanyam,
veteran Carnatic music maestro from Tamil Nadu.
SPACE PIONEER AWARD 2015: Awarded to ISRO by
the US National Space Society for its low-cost
Mangalyaan Mars orbiter mission.
BEST WELFARE ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR –
2015: Won by the National Union of Seafarers of India,
NUSI, India's oldest and largest shipping trade union.
The award is given by the U K based International
Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network.
SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE CONTEST: The
prestigious spelling contest in the USA was won by
Indian origin American children - Vanya Shivashankar,
13, and Gokul Venkatachalam, 14.
MAY 2015
THE ORDER OF THE RISING SUN, GOLD AND SILVER
STAR: Japan's highest civilian award was conferred on
eminent scientist CNR Rao for his outstanding
contributions to Science and Indo-Japan Science
cooperation. Shri Rao was honoured with Bharat Ratna
in 2013.
Pt. HARIDUTT SHARMA AWARD: To senior T V
journalist Anuradha Prasad for her contribution in the
field of Journalism
NATIONAL FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE AWARDS: 35
Nurses selected from all over India were honoured with
this prize by the President of India on International
Nurses Day – May 12, birthday of Florence Nightingale,
founder of modern nursing.
COMMONWEALTH SHORT STORY PRIZE 2015:
Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo won the prize
for Asia region for his work Umbrella Man, a tale of
surreal meditation on mental health and the
environment
WHITLEY AWARDS: (also known as Green Oscar)
won by two Indians, Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod
Patil for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
PALME d'Or: Award for best feature film at the Cannes
Film Festival won by the French thriller – ‘Dheepan’,
directed by Jacques Audiard, spotlighting the plight of
traumatised refugees from Sri Lanka.
NEERAJ GHAYWAN’S directorial debut “Masaan”, won
two awards at the Cannes Film Festival, - International
Jury of Film Critics prize and Promising Future prize in
the Un Certain Regard section.
MAN BOOKER INTERNATIONAL PRIZE 2015: Laszlo
Krasznahorkai, Hungarian writer has won Britain’s
prestigious life time achievement award for literature.
This prize is given once in two years.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION COURAGE AWARD: won
by the French satirical weekly ‘Charlie Hebdo’. The
award is given by the PEN American Center.
APRIL 2015
FBB FEMINA MISS INDIA WORLD 2015 RESULTS
The finals were held in Mumbai in March, 2015
Miss World: Aditi Arya
First Runner-up: Aafreen Rachel Vaz
Second runner-up: Vartika Singh
GOLDEN PEACOCK NATIONAL QUALITY AWARD:
Delhi International Airport Limited. The award is given
for corporate excellence by the Institute of Directors,
India.
Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award:
Balbir Singh Senior, legendary hockey player, member
of three Olympic gold medal winning teams. The award
was given by the apex sports body i.e. Hockey India.
The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015: won by
the Bharatiya Mahila Bank at Hong Kong
HEINZ AWARD IN TECHNOLOGY: Sangeeta Bhatia, an
Indian-origin scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), USA.
INTERNATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Dr
Subadhra Devi Rai, an Indian-origin nurse in Singapore.
The award is given by the Florence Nightingale
International Foundation (FNIF) of the International
Council of Nurses.
'Margarita with a Straw', a disability based Indian film,
directed by Sonali Bose has bagged the best feature film
honour at the recently concluded Washington DC
International Film festival in USA

BOOKS & AUTHORS
JUNE 2015
The Making of Miracles in Indian States: by Arvind
Panagariya and M Govinda Rao
Who Will Cry When You Die -by Robin S Sharma
Conflict Resolution in Multicultural Societies — The
Indian Experience by Jhumpa Mukherjee
Chaos of the Senses by Ahlem Mosteghanemi
Flood of Fire by Amitav Ghosh
Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit
The Crown Prince, the Gladiator and the Hope:
Battle for Change by Ashutosh.
Super Economies: America, India, China and the
Future of the World by Raghav Bahl
MAY 2015
A Practitioner’s Diary by Pradip Baijal
Me Hijra Me Laxmi by Laxminarayan Tripathi,
autobiography of a transgender, a crusader for rights of
LGBT community.
Vanessa and Her Sister by Priya Parmar,
Gandhi at First Sight by Thomas Weber
India – Central Asia Relations by Amiya Chandra
More Bad Time Tales by Humra Quraishi.
Unbelievable – Delhi to Islamabad by senior Advocate
Prof. Bhim Singh
World’s Best Boyfriend by Durjoy Datta
Your Dreams are Mine Now by Ravinder Singh
The Past Before Us by Romila Thapar
At Home in India- The Muslim Saga by Salman
Khurshid
Green Signals: Ecology, Growth and Democracy in India
by Jairam Ramesh, ex Union Minister for environment
APRIL 2015
Water, Peace, and War— Confronting the Global
Water Crisis by Brahma Chellaney;
No Free Left — The Futures of Indian Communism
by Vijay Prashad
KP: The Autobiography by Kevin Pietersen.
India Shastra— Reflections on the Nation in Our
Time by Shashi Tharoor
Secularism, Identity, and Enchantment by Akeel
Bilgrami
At The Helm— A Memoir by V. Krishnamurthy
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Mightier Than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
OBITUARY
JUNE 2015
PRAFUL BIDWAI: A veteran press journalist, author
and anti-nuclear activist, died in the Netherlands while
having dinner. He was 65.
SISTER NIRMALA: The nun who
succeeded Mother Teresa in 1997 as
the head of the Missionaries of
Charity in Kolkata, died at the age of
81, after serving at the top for 12
years. She was honoured with
Padma Vibhushan in 2009.
CHARLES CORREA: Noted America trained Mumbai
based Indian architect, known for his unique indigenous
architectural style, melding 20th-century Western
modernism with Indian traditions, died at age of 84.
SHEILA KAUL: Former Union Minister, a sister-in-law
of Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian, died after A brief illness in Ghaziabad,
UP. She was 100.
NEK CHAND SAINI: Padma Sri
awardee, creator of THE world
famous iconic ‘Rock Garden’ at
Chandigarh, passed away AT
the age of 90 years. He was an
art wizard who used waste like
broken crockery, ceramic tiles,
sanitary waste, electrical fittings, glass bangles and
other waste items to make mosaic sculptures of men,
women, animals etc.
SULEYMAN DEMIREL: Turkey’s former President and
Prime Minister, a political giant for over half a century,
heading the nation for over five times, died at 90.
SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE: Legendary English actor,
singer and writer passed away in London, United
Kingdom. He was 93. He is remembered for his
charismatic negative roles in movies such as Dracula,
The Wicker Man, James Bond, Lord of the Rings etc.
IRWIN ROSE: Noted biochemist from America who
shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry passed
away at the age of 88.

MAY 2015
AMITABHA CHOWDHURY: Veteran journalist, writer
and renowned Tagore researcher passed away in
Kolkata on May 2 at the age of 88. He was associated
with three leading Bengali dailies Anandabazar Patrika,
Jugantar and Aajkal for more than three decades.
AMALENDU GUHA: Noted historian, social scientist,
academician and author passed away in Guwahati on
May 7 at the age of 91 after a protracted illness.
SUDHA SHIVPURI: Popular Indian stage, film and
television actress died on 20 May at the age of 77. She
was very popular for her role as Baa in the longest
running TV show Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,
B.B. KING: One of the most famous electric guitar
players of all time, died in Las Vegas, USA at the age of
89. Famous as the King of the Blues, he won 15 Grammy
awards.
JOHN FORBES NASH JR: A mathematical genius whose
struggle with schizophrenia was chronicled in the 2001
movie "A Beautiful Mind," died along with his wife in a
car crash in New Jersey, USA. He was 86. He won the
Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994 for his work in game
theory. He won Abel Prize for Mathematics for 2015.
MICHAEL BLAKE: The Oscar-winning US author passed
away; famous for his novel “Dances with Wolves”
APRIL 2015
JANAKI BALLABH PATNAIK: Senior Congress leader,
former 3-time Odisha Chief Minister and ex-Assam
Governor passed away at the age of 89.
MALLI MASTAN BABU: World famous ace mountaineer
from Hyderabad, who had gone missing in the Andes
Mountains ranges in Chile, South America during a
climbing mission, was found dead.
KAILASH VAJPEYI: Renowned Hindi poet passed away
at the age of 79. He was editor of the popular Hindi
magazine ‘Dharmyug’.
JAYAKANTHAN: Tamil novelist and short story writer
(81), Gyanpith awardee, died in Chennai.
HRUSHIKESH MOOLGAONKAR: Retired Air Chief
Marshal, recipient of Param Vishisht Seva medal and
Mahaveer Chakra, passed away in Pune at the age of 95.
GUENTER GRASS: German novelist, the Nobel Prize-
winning author of “The Tin Drum”, an epic treatment of
the Nazi era, died at the age of 87.
RICHIE BENAUD: Former Australian captain and
legendary cricket commentator
CHRISTOPHER ALAN BAYLY: An eminent historian
and teacher, known for his work on colonial and post-
colonial India, died in Chicago.
PLACES IN NEWS
JUNE 2015
SHRI ANANDPUR SAHIB: Holy city of Punjab
celebrated its 350th foundation day of Takht Sri
Kesgarh Sahib in the city. The city was founded by the
9th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1665 and
here only, the foundation of ‘Khalsa Panth’ was laid by
the 10th Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh on Baisakhi day in
1699.
ASHOBAA: The cyclonic storm over east-central
Arabian Sea that was expected to hit Maharashtra and
Gujarat coast, moved away westward towards Oman.
MALVANI: Locality in Mumbai was in news as over 100
persons were killed there due to consumption of
spurious liquor.
CHANDEL: District in Manipur was in news it witnessed
on one of the worst attacks by insurgents on the Indian
Army in two decades, when they ambushed a military
convoy near Tengnoupal in the Moltuk valley, killing at
least 20 army personnel and injuring 11 others.
CHARLESTON: The historic black church in South
Carolina was in news as a 21 year old white gunman
Dylann Roof opened sudden fire, killing nine Afro–
American devotees in one of the worst racial hate
crimes in USA.
KARACHI: Pakistan's port city in south was in news as
about 1200 people, including women and children, were
killed in the city and the surrounding areas due to the
country's worst heat wave in more than a decade,
forcing the government to call in the Army to deal with
the crippling crisis.
KABUL: Capital of Afghanistan was in news as the
Parliament there was attacked by six Taliban gunmen
on June 22. All six were killed after a gun battle lasting
nearly two hours.
YANGTZE: The Eastern Star, a cruise ship carrying 456
people, capsized on the Yangtze River in China on the
night of June 1 in high winds and heavy rain. Only 14
persons survived the tragedy, leaving remaining as
missing or dead.
ACCRA: Capital of Ghana was in news as at least 150
people died in a fire at a petrol station. President of
Ghana announced three days of national mourning for
the dead.

MAY 2015
PALMYRA: Ancient city in Syria was in news as the
militants of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
seized its full control on May 21. It is an oasis in the
Syrian Desert and is a World Heritage Site because of its
ancient architecture.
MARIA ELENA SOUTH: Place in the Atacama Desert in
Chile has been discovered as the driest place on the
Earth. This site is dry as Mars and has a mean
atmospheric Relative Humidity (RH) of 17.3 percent and
a soil RH of a constant 14% at a depth of one meter.
BUENOS AIRES: According to a recent study by the
World Cities Cultural Forum, this capital city of
Argentina, with around 700 bookstores has more
bookstores per capita than any other major city in the
world.
APRIL 2015
PURNIA: The city in Bihar was in news as around 70
persons were killed there and in surrounding areas due
to a sudden cyclone that left over 2,000 people injured.
NIMRUD: Historical city of Syria was in news as the
Islamic State militants have been destroying rare
ancient relics there, dating back to the 13th century BC,
saying that they promote idolatry which violates their
fundamentalist interpretation of the Islamic law.
GARISSA: The town in Kenya was in news as at least
150 students were massacred there when Somalia's Al -
Shabaab Islamist militant group raided the Garissa
University campus.
CALBUCO VOLCANO of Chile erupted twice on 22 April
and 23 April 2015 after 42 years. Tonnes of ash rained
down following two volcanic eruptions leading to
declaration of state of emergency by the govt.
TURRIALBA VOLCANO in Costa Rica, South America,
erupted, producing a column of ash, gas, and water
vapor that reached some 6,500 feet over the volcano’s
crater, forcing the closure of the airport in the capital
city San Jose.
SPORTS WORLD
JUNE 2015
BHAMRA FIRST INDIAN TO JOIN NBA, USA
Satnam Singh Bhamra created history by becoming the
first Indian basketball player to be drafted in the
National Basketball Association (NBA) after being
picked by Dallas Mavericks in New York. The 19-year-
old, who hails from a remote village near Ludhiana in
Punjab, stands 7 feet 2 inches tall.
21st Asian Athletics Championships at Wuhan, China
Star athlete Inderjeet Singh bagged the gold medal in
the men’s shot put event at this meet. Tintu Luka won
the gold in women’s 800 mt race. Lalita Babar bagged
gold in 3000m steeplechase race while Vikas Gowda
won the gold for discuss throw. China topped the
medal tally with 41 medals while India stood third with
13 medals.
Star cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V
V S Laxman joined the BCCI in a newly-constituted
advisory panel to guide the board in all matters related
to the game.
Indian wrestlers won nine medals, including eight gold
in Men's Freestyle event in the International Wrestling
tournament in Sassari City, Italy.
Ace Indian archer Deepika Kumari clinched the bronze
medal in the women's individual Recurve event of the
World Cup at Antalya, Turkey
Sachin Tendulkar: India’s legendary batsman got the
highest number of votes to emerge on top of the list of
the 100 best Test players since 2000, in a poll conducted
by cricket.com.au. in Australia.
Bangladesh defeated Team India by 6 wickets at Mirpur,
Dhaka to register their first ever series win against
India.
Sunil Chhetri became the first Indian footballer to score
50 international goals in 87 matches. He scored his 50th
goal in the 2018 World Cup qualifying match against
Guam.
DHONI IS RICHEST INDIAN SPORTSMAN
Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni with earnings of over $
31 million in 2014-15, ranks 23rd among Forbes
magazine's 100 highest-paid sportspersons in the
world. He is the only Indian sportsman on the list that
has been topped again by American boxer Floyd
Mayweather with earnings of $300 million.

Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India bagged a
gold in shot put and 800 mt race, respectively, in the
Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in the skeet
match in the 7th International junior shotgun cup held
in Orimattila, Finland.
Leander Paes became the first Indian to play with 100
different partners on ATP Circuit.
RAVI SHASTRI: Re-appointed Director of Indian cricket
team.
Former captain Rahul Dravid has been appointed coach
of the India A and Under-19 cricket teams
India missed a chance to take part in the 2018 FIFA
World Cup as it lost to Oman in a qualifier match played
in Bengaluru.
INDIA THIRD IN DOPING IN SPORTS
According to a report for 2013 by WADA (World Anti
doping Agency), Russia has the maximum number of
dope offenders with 212 testing positive while the
figures for Turkey and India were 155 and 91
respectively.
Zaheer Abbas, Former Pakistan captain has been
selected the new President of the International Cricket
Council (ICC) for a one year term.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Austrian Grand Prix
F1 championship for the second year in a row at
Spielberg, Austria.
Halle Open ATP title won by Roger Federer (Swiss)
defeating Italian Andreas Seppi in Halle, Germany.
Barcelona lifted the UEFA Champions League Football
trophy for the fifth time by beating Juventus at Berlin,
Germany.
Defending world champion Lewis Hamilton won the
Canadian Grand Prix at Montreal, Canada beating his
rival Nico Rosberg.
FRENCH OPEN CONCLUDES IN PARIS
Men’s title was won by Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland
by beating world champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
Serena Williams of USA won the women’s singles title by
beating Czech Lucie Safarova.
The event is popularly known as Rolland Garros
tournament and is famous for its red clay courts
You are always a student
Never a master
You have to keep moving forward.
MAY 2015
19th FEDERATION CUP National Senior Athletic
Championships held in Mangalore, Karnataka.
Men’s team title won by the Indian Army team and
Kerala won in the women’s category.
The event is dubbed as a selection trial for the Asian
Athletics Championships at Wuhan (China).
5th National women hockey championship:
Railways won the title by beating Jharkhand at Saifai,
Uttar Pradesh
VIKAS GOWDA: Ace Indian discus thrower won gold in
the Jamaican International Invitation meet in Kingston,
capital of Jamaica with a throwing distance of 65.14 mts.
He also won a bronze medal in the IAAF Diamond
League series in Shanghai.
JITU RAI: Ace marksman was declared the
‘Sportsperson of the Year' by the Times of India Sports
Awards
Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a bronze
medal in the women's freestyle category in the Senior
Asian Wrestling Championship held at Doha, UAE.
International Shooting Competition: India's top rifle
shooters have won a rich haul of three gold and two
bronze medals at this competition held in Hannover,
Germany. Chain Singh, Abhinav Bindra and Gagan
Narang won the gold and Apurvi Chandela along with
Gagan Narang won the bronze.
Indian boxers completed a brilliant run at the Doha
International Boxing Tournament, winning four gold,
one silver and two bronze medals in the event.
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Gagan Narang won the bronze medal in the 50 metre
Rifle Prone Event of the ISSF World Cup at Fort Benning
in the USA
Tejaswini Sagar, Indian school girl won her maiden
world title by bagging the gold in the under-15 category
of World School Chess Championships held in Pattaya,
Thailand.
Mumbai Indians won their second IPL title defeating
Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs at Eden Gardens in
Kolkata on May 24.
Women’s World Team Chess Championship: won by
Georgia beating China at Chengdu, China. India's D
Harika and K Humpy won the silver and bronze medal
respectively, in individual category.
Kumar Sangakkara, former Sri Lanka captain was
named as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year
2015
Ajinkya Rahane, Indian batsman was named as the
CEAT Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won the Monaco Grand Prix
Formula 1 World Championship held in Monaco on May
24. He also won the Spanish Grand Prix F1
championship at Barcelona, Spain
‘MONEY’ WINS THE ‘FIGHT OF THE CENTURY’
American boxer Floyd
Mayweather Jr. (Money) of
USA defeated Manny
Pacquiao from Philippines
to win the unified World
Welterweight title. The
legendary bout termed as
‘Fight of the Century’ took
place on May 2 at Las
Vegas, USA. This was one of the most hyped fights in
the history of boxing, generating revenues of around
$400 millions. Mayweather is expected to take home
$180 million and Manny $ 120 million as prize money.
A welterweight boxer's weight is greater than 63.5 kg
(140 lb), but less than 67 kg (147 lb).
Novak Djokovic won the Rome Masters Tennis title
with beating Roger Federer in Rome, Italy. Women’s
singles title was won by Maria Sharapova by beating
Carla Suarez of Spain.
Madrid Masters Men's Singles Title: Andy Murray
beats Rafael Nadal to win the title.
Women's Singles title: Czech player Petra Kvitova
defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia
World Team Chess Championship-Men’s: China won
the championship leaving Ukraine at second place at
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
Australian Open Badminton tournament begins in
Sydney from May 26
APRIL 2015
Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first
Indian female tennis player to achieve the world
number one rank in doubles, following her stupendous
title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner
Martina Hingis, at Charleston in the USA.
Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (Hockey): India won the bronze
in tournament at Ipoh in Malaysia by beating Korea.
The tournament was won by New Zealand
Jitu Rai of India won the bronze medal in the men's 10-
metre air pistol event at the ISSF Shooting World Cup at
Changwon, S Korea. Apurvi Chandela won the bronze
in women’s 10-metre air pistol event.
Rakesh Kumar and Harpal Singh won gold in men’s
category and S Sarjubala and Pinki Jangra clinched
gold in women’s category at the 22nd President's Cup
Open International Boxing Tournament in Indonesia.
Dronavalli Harika, Indian Grandmaster won the
bronze medal in the World Women's chess
championships in Sochi, Russia.
India won Gold and a Bronze at the Asian Indoor
Rowing Championship held in Pattaya, Thailand.
5th Senior Men’s National Hockey Championship won
by Railways team beating Uttar Pradesh in Pune,
Maharashtra.
SACHIN TENDULKAR: Indian batting legend was
inducted into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy
in a glittering ceremony at Shanghai.
Three Indian race walkers, Khushbir Kaur, Manish
Rawat and Sandeep Kumar have qualified for 2016 Rio
Olympics.
The 8th edition of the grand cricket extravaganza – IPL
2015 began with a grand opening ceremony at the Salt
Lake Stadium, Kolkata in April.
The Chinnaswamy cricket stadium in Bengaluru has
become the first cricket venue in the country to have a
roof top solar power plant.
Sim Bhullar has become the first player of Indian
descent to play in the high-profile National Basketball
Association (NBA) league in the USA, making his debut
for Sacramento Kings. The 22 years old 7-foot-5-inch
Sim was born in Toronto, Canada.
Laureus Sportsman of the Year, 2015: Serbian tennis
star Novak Djokovic
Laureus Sportswoman of the Year, 2015: Ethiopian
sprinter Genzebe Dibaba.
Laureus is an international academy devoted to
recognizing and honouring sportspersons at the global
level, just like the Nobel Prizes. Every year, these honours
are given in seven categories.

Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine successfully defended
his world heavyweight boxing title for the 18th time in a
row by defeating his American challenger Bryant Jenn
ings in New York.
MIAMI MASTERS CHAMPIONSHIP, Florida, USA
Men’s singles: Novak Djokovic (Serbia) beats Andy
Murray (Britain)
Women’s singles: Serena Williams (USA) beats Carla
Suarez Navarro (Spain)
Women’s doubles: Sania Mirza and her Swiss team-
mate Martina Hingis beat Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina
Makarova, both of Russia.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia won the Monte-Carlo Masters
title of Tennis by beating Tomas Berdych in Monaco.
Daniel Vettori: New Zealand left-arm spinner has
announced his retirement from international cricket.
Badminton Asia Championship: Lin Dan of China won
the cup by beating compatriot Tian Houwei at Wuhan,
China.
Shamkir Chess Tournament: Magnus Carlsen of
Norway won the tournament by defeating Rauf
Mamedov in Shamkir city of Azerbaijan on 26 April
2015.
Lewis Hamilton: Formula One world champion won
the Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes Formula 1 driver from
Britain won the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, China.
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DAYS AND DATES
JUNE
Milk Day 01st June
International Children’s Day 01st June
World Naturist Day 03rd June
World Environment Day 05th June
Father’s Day 16th June
International Yoga Day 21st June
International Olympic Day Rath Yatra 23rd June
International Anti-Drugs day 26th June
World Diabetes Day 27th June
JULY
Architecture day / Doctor’s day 01st July
World Sports Journalists Day 02nd July
Free 4th of July 04th July
World Zonnosis Day 06th July
International day of Co-Operatives 07th July
World Population Day 11th July
Man Walks on the Moon 20th July
Kargil Vijay Divas 26th July
AUGUST
World Breast – Feeding Week 01-07 August
Friendship Day 05th August
Hiroshima Day 06th August
August Kranti Divas / Nagasaki Day 09th August
Dengue Prevention Day 10th August
International Youth Day 12th August
National Independence Day 15th August
World Photography Day 19th August
Sanskrit Day 24th August
Women’s Equality Day 26th August
National Sports Day (B’day of Dhyan
Chand)
29th August
ALL THE NEWS ITEMS IN THIS MAGAZINE HAVE BEEN SOURCED
FROM VARIOUS NEWS PAPERS AND GOVT. PRESS RELEASES

(January 2015 – March 2015)
For details please visit our website: www.gyanm.in
NATIONAL NEWS
MARCH 2015
 P M Modi visited Seychelles on March 11 and signed
four agreements for cooperation in hydrography,
renewable energy, infrastructure development
 Prime Minister visited Mauritius on March 12 and
inked five MoUs with Mauritius to give new impetus
to bilateral co-operation.
 India and Sri Lanka signed four agreements during
Mr. Modi's maiden visit to the island nation on
March 13-14.
 The agreements are on visa, customs, youth
development and building Rabindranath Tagore
memorial in Sri Lanka.
 Facility of Tourist Visa on Arrival and Electronic
Travel Authorization Scheme to Sri Lankan citizens
to start from April 14, 2015.
 India to cooperate in developing a Ramayana Trail
in Sri Lanka and a Buddhist Circuit in India.
 PM Modi (5th) and Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi
(28th) have been named among the 50 greatest
leaders in the world by Fortune magazine
 Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of Qatar visited
India and inked six pacts for cooperation in energy
sector and boosting trade and investment.
 The Supreme Court of India has nullified the Central
Government's decision to include Jats in the Other
Backward Classes (OBC) category.
 The Supreme Court has ruled that the Aadhaar card
is not compulsory for availing of various
government subsidies and any other benefits.
 A 3-day International Conference on Counter
Terrorism 2015 was held at Jaipur in March.
 The Supreme Court has struck down the section 66
a of Information Technology Act as it was
“unconstitutional” and a restriction on freedom of
speech.
 The Delhi High Court has ruled that the Attorney
General is a constitutional authority and thus falls
under the ambit of the RTI Act.
 The world’s largest and tallest Indian national flag
was unfurled in Faridabad, Haryana.
 Solar Impulse, claimed to be the world’s only solar-
powered aircraft, made a stopover in Ahmadabad
on its maiden global journey.
 The 58th All India Ayurvedic Congress was held at
Panjab University, Chandigarh – March 14-15.
 The 5th National Community Radio Sammelan held
in New Delhi – March 16.
 A three-day conference for strengthening maritime
trade and security among Indian Ocean Rim
countries held at Bhubaneshwar – March 20-22.
 The government has announced that India's first
National Skill Development University will be
established in Chhattisgarh.
 In the World Justice Project's ‘Open Government
Index 2015’ report, India was ranked 37th amongst
102 countries. Sweden was placed at first position.
FEBRUARY 2015
 Govt has accepted the recommendations of the 14th
Finance Commission for devolution of revenue
collection from the Centre to the states
 A three day Heads of the Missions Conference was
held in New Delhi from Feb 7 to 9 in New Delhi.
 The 10th edition of Aero India Show concluded in
Bengaluru.
 Bharti Airtel tied-up with UNICEF to provide health,
education and youth-focused content to its
customers in 17 African countries.
 PETA will create India's first fenced elephant
sanctuary within the Bannerghatta Biological Park
in Karnataka.
 India ranks 136TH in terms of press freedom in the
180 nations World Press Freedom Index produced
by Reporters without Borders.
 Rajya Sabha was informed that 76.83 crore Aadhaar
cards have been generated till 15 February 2015
out of a total population of 121.01 crore
 Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, President of Singapore
visited India on Feb. 10 and inaugurated the
Singapore Festival in New Delhi.

 18th National Conference on e-Governance held in
Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 30 to 31 January 2015.
 Three postage stamps on the theme of Swachh
Bharat Mission were released on 30 January 2015
to mark the Martyrdom Day of Mahatma Gandhi.
 The first National Tribal Festival “VANAJ”-2015 held
at New Delhi from 13 to 18 Feb., 2015.
 India and Sri Lanka have agreed to explore avenues
for enhancing cooperation in oil and gas sector.
JANUARY 2015
 Barrack Obama became the first U.S. President to be
the Chief Guest at the Republic Day and the first U.S.
President to visit India twice during his tenure.
 For the first time an all-women contingent from the
three defence forces-Army, Air Force and Navy,
marched down in the parade.
 India and the US signed MoUs for formulating action
plans for development of smart cities in Allahabad,
Ajmer and Visakhapatnam.
 15 persons were conferred with Pravasi Bharatiya
Samman Award at the three day Pravasi Bhartiya
Diwas, Jan 7 to 9, held at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
 Coins and stamps bearing images of Mahatma
Gandhi were released on Jan 8 at Pravasi Bhartiya
Diwas
 Number of tigers in India increased from 1,706 in
2010 to 2,226 in 2014 where Karnataka tops the list
with 406 tigers.
 India to provide Rs 6.90 crore support to Nepal for
fighting against the Iodine Deficiency Disorder
Control Programme for goitre control.
 ZEE Jaipur Literature Festival, Asia’s biggest literary
event was held at Jaipur from 21st to 25th Jan 2015.
 DSC Prize for Literature: The $50,000 prize won by
Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri for her
book, The Lowland.
 Arunadhathi Subramaniam won the Khushwant
Singh Memorial Prize for poetry for her work
“When God is a Traveler”.
 The 19th National Youth Festival began in Guwahati
on Jan 8.
 In a list of 93 countries compiled by INSEAD
Business School, India has been ranked 78th in
terms of talent competitiveness of its human capital
 India will provide 60 million dollars Line of Credit
to Guyana for its road infrastructure projects.
 Tshering Tobgay, Prime Minister of Bhutan came
to India on a weeklong visit.
 The 13th Pune International Film Festival held at
Pune in Maharashtra from January 8 to 15.
 102nd Indian Science Congress was held at Mumbai
University, Maharashtra.
 Coins of Rs 100 and 5 released in the honour of Tata
Group founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata to mark
his 175th birth anniversary.
 January 12 observed as National Youth Day on the
birth anniversary of social reformer, philosopher
and thinker Swami Vivekananda.
 India signed an agreement on transfer of prisoners
who are completing their sentence, with Hong Kong
 The first Border Haat along Tripura-Bangladesh
frontier was opened at Srinagar (Tripura) - Purba
Madhugram (Feni, Bangladesh).
 Indian Railways to run an additional weekly trip of
Maitree Express train between Kolkata and Dhaka.
NEWS FROM STATES
MARCH 2015
 In March, the Delhi high court became the first court
in India to set up dedicated commercial divisions
within it,
 'Aapki Beti Humari Beti' scheme launched in
Haryana to provide cash assistance of Rs 21,000 to
first-born girl child of SC and BPL families.
 The mass nesting of Olive Ridley sea turtles, an
endangered species, started in March near
river Rushikulya mouth in Odisha's Ganjam district.
 The Haryana Legislative Assembly passed
the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvar-dhan
Bill, 2015, which bans cow slaughter, sale of beef
 Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have been
excluded from the Protected Area Permit (PAP)
regime for foreign tourists till December 31.
FEBRUARY 2015
 The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party on Feb
10 swept to power with 67 seats in the 70-member
Delhi Assembly, leaving only three to BJP.
 Uttarakhand govt launched on Feb 7 its ambitious
“Himalaya Darshan” programme as part of its
ongoing efforts to boost tourism in the state.
 Haryana to set up Gram Sachivalayas to bring
Gram Panchayat and village level functionaries of all
departments under one roof for better functioning.
 The ten day long annual Taj Mahotsava, a cultural
extravaganza, began in Agra, UP from 18th February.
 Gujarat govt. has decided to set up ‘Plast India
International University’ in Vapi in partnership
with University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA.
 Madhya Pradesh won the 10th National Award for
excellent work in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA).

 Haryana launched e-registration of properties in all
the 130 tehsil and sub-tehsils of the State on Feb 04.
 The First World Ocean Science Congress (WOSC)
was held in Kochi, Kerala from 5 to 8 February
2015.
JANUARY 2015
 The Punjab state has banned the sale of loose
cigarettes (as single sticks) and loose tobacco,
becoming the first State to do so.
 Jammu and Kashmir won the National e-
Governance Award 2014-15 for the best district-
level initiative for their project e-Panchayat
 Scientist say that Jorhat, Assam can emerge as the
only place in the world after Kenya to become a
producer of health-rich medicinal purple tea.
 Amitabh Bachchan appointed as the Brand
Ambassador for health sector in Andhra Pradesh.
 Hampi Utsav Jan 9 – 11, cultural festival of dance,
drama, art and music held at Hampi, the erstwhile
seat of the Vijayanagar Empire in Karnataka.
 Haryana has appointed yoga guru Ramdev as the
state's brand ambassador to promote yoga and
ayurveda in a big way.
GOVT INITIATIVES
MARCH 2015
 Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana launched to
provide Rs 2 lakh cover in case of death by accident
to persons in the age group of 18-70 years at annual
premium of Rs 12 only.
 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana to offer
life insurance to persons in the age of 18 to 50 at an
annual premium of Rs 330.
 Atal Pension Yojana where persons in the age group
of 18-40 years can open pension account to receive
pension from Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 after 60 years of
age.
 The controversial Land Acquisition (Amendment)
Bill was approved by the Lok Sabha in March
despite a walkout by all opposition parties.
 The Union Cabinet has approved the Pradhan
Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with an
outlay of Rs 1,500 crore to provide skills training to
youth
 The Central government has announced 33 per cent
reservation for women in police forces of union
territories, including Delhi
 Railways Ministry has constituted the Kaya Kalp
council headed by Ratan Tata for the improvement,
betterment and transformation of the Railways.
 Pharma Jan Samadhaan scheme launched for
redressal of consumers’ grievances related to drug
pricing and availability of medicines.
 Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry has
launched a new web portal, www.inampro.nic.in to
monitor the supply of cement at all India level.
 Amitabh Bachchan appointed as brand ambassador
government’s campaign against Hepatitis B.
 Bharat-Nepal Maitri Bus Seva started between
Varanasi and Kathmandu from March 5 as per
Motor Vehicle Agreement signed with Nepal.
 The first Kisan Call Centre in N-E India was opened
in Agartala, Tripura to give information to farmers
for agriculture, fisheries and plantations etc.
 The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Bill, 2015 to bring e-rickshaws into
the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.
FEBRUARY 2015
 In the first meeting of the Governing Council of NITI
Aayog in New Delhi, three sub groups were formed
for improved functioning of ‘Team India’.
 First to study the 66 centrally-sponsored schemes
and recommend which schemes should continue,
and which to discontinue.
 Second to focus on skill development and creation
of skilled manpower within states.
 Third to promote implementation of the Swachh
Bharat Abhiyaan
 Further, two task forces to be formed to focus on
poverty alleviation and development of agriculture.
 The nationwide “Soil Health Card” scheme was
launched by the Prime Minister from Suratgarh,
Rajasthan on Feb 19
 The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched
the first National Deworming Day on Feb 10 to
reduce the threat of parasitic worm infections in
children.
 Govt launched Consular Grievances Monitoring
System named MADAD-Because You Are Us- to
register grievances pertaining to the Consular
Services
 Govt plans to construct over two crore toilets in
select villages across the country under a
programme of making India free from open
defecation by 2019.
 The government plans to launch a new scheme
'Krishi Daak Service' to distribute improved seed
varieties to farmers at their doorstep, through post-
offices.
 Govt has constituted a three-member Special
Investigation Team (SIT) headed by Pramod
Asthana for re-investigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh
riot cases.

JANUARY 2015
 Prime Minister launched the nationwide 'Beti
Bachao-Beti Padhao' (save girl child, educate her)
campaign from Panipat in Haryana on Jan 22
 Noted film actress Madhuri Dixit was roped in as
the brand ambassador of the campaign.
 A special savings scheme by the name ‘Sukanya
Samriddhi Account’ launched to encourage savings
for girl child.
 To promote entrepreneurship among the Scheduled
Castes, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
launched two schemes on Jan 16:
 Venture Capital Fund to provide financial
assistance up to Rs.15 crore for up to six years to SC
entrepreneurs.
 Green Business Scheme to provide loans up to
Rs.1 lakh at concessional rate of interest to SCs for
running e-rickshaw, solar pumps etc.
 Govt launched the Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) to preserve and
rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country.
 On Jan 1, the govt announced that the Planning
Commission has been restructured as the NITI
(National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog.
 Govt plans to set up a ‘Price Stabilisation Fund’ to
check price volatility through procurement of
selected perishable horticulture produce.
 Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
has launched a toll-free helpline (1800-11-0031) to
assist the alcoholic and drug-dependent persons.
 Govt has allowed SEZs to set up social infrastructure
like schools, hospitals and hotels also in SEZs which
can be accessed by outside people also.
 Under a new initiative by North Central Railway,
rail passengers will now be able to lodge an FIR in
the train itself.
 The Direct Benefit Transfer of LPG (DBTL) scheme,
now called ‘Pratyaksh Hanstantarit Labh’ (PAHAL),
launched in 622 districts w.e.f. Jan 1, 2015.
 Govt launched 'Green India Mission' for undertaking
eco-friendly development of the rural areas.
 Scheme launched for LED (light emitting diodes)
bulb distribution under Domestic Efficient Lighting
Programme (DELP) in Delhi on 5th January.
 ICRISAT launched a customised low-cost
combination of phone and tablet computer
‘greenphablet’ for small farmers.
 The device is powered by GreenSIM and is dust- and
shatter-proof, readable under bright sunlight;
operates from -20°C to +60°C.
 ICRISAT: International Crops Research Institute for
the Semi-Arid Tropics. HQ: Hyderbad, Telangana
 India's first integrated mobile application for
women safety called ‘Himmat' was launched in
Delhi on Jan 1.
 Country’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) -
powered train was flagged from Rewari, Haryana on
Jan 13.
 India’s first International Institute of Music will be
set up in Kerala by a trust headed by Sarod Maestro
Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and his family.
 Department of Disability Affairs has been renamed
as Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (Viklangjan Sashaktikaran Vibhag).
 President signed the Citizenship Ordinance to
merge Person of Indian Origin (PIO) and Overseas
Citizenship of India (OCI) schemes
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
MARCH 2015
 Asian Development Bank says that India’s growth
rate is expected to surpass China and improve to 7.8
per cent in next fiscal.
 As per a reply submitted in Parliament, India's per
capita annual income rose by 37.6 per cent in the
last four years to Rs 88,533 in 2014-15.
FEBRUARY 2015
 India's monthly per capita income is likely to be at
Rs 7,378.17 this financial year.
 India grew 7.5 per cent in the October-December
quarter, to become the fastest growing major
economy in the world.
 The Central Statistics Office has revised its base
year to 2011-12.
JANUARY 2015
 India's GDP growth has averaged 6.5 per cent over
the last 25 years, while in the last two years it
averaged 4.9% alongside very high inflation.
 The Expenditure Management Commission, headed
by Bimal Jalan says that the govt should cut fiscal
deficit to 3.6 per cent of the GDP during 2015-16.
 Base year for the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
changed from 2010 to 2012 for computing retail
inflation rate from January 2015 onwards.
 As per a Labour Bureau survey, unemployment rate
in the country rose to 4.9 per cent in 2013-14,
mainly on account of increase in joblessness in rural
areas.

ECONOMY
MARCH 2015
 Programme Pragati (Pro-active Governance and
Timely Implementation) launched to ensure timely
execution of mega projects across the country.
 At least 12 smart cities at ports and several coastal
economic zones will come up under the ambitious
Sagarmala project approved by the Union Cabinet.
 The Central Statistics Office released the new
Consumer Price Index with revised base year as
2012.
 The number of items in the CPI basket has been
increased to 448 from 437 in rural areas and to 460
from 450 in urban areas.
 The government has fetched about 1.10 lakh crore
rupees after rigorous bidding in the auctioning of
telecom spectrum.
 The National Green Tribunal has announced a fine
of Rs 5,000 on individuals spotted littering or
throwing waste on the railway platforms and tracks.
 As per the second advance estimates for 2014-15,
the foodgrain output in the country is estimated at
257.07 million tonnes
 The World Bank has sanctioned 100 crore rupees
for all round development of Sagar Island in South
24 Parganas District of West Bengal.
 Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) committed
Rs 1.5 lakh crore for development of various
railway projects over the next five years.
 The RBI has prohibited Macau and Hong Kong
citizens from acquiring or transferring immovable
property in India.
 As per Corporate Affairs Ministry data, Reliance
Industries Ltd is the largest corporate in India with
assets of Rs3.68 trillion
 Income Tax Department has slapped a Rs. 20,495-
crore tax demand notice on Cairn India for failing to
deduct withholding tax on alleged capital gains
 Govt to merge the National Mission for a Green
India (GIM) with MGNREGA to facilitate
afforestation on 10 million hectares of land over the
next decade.
 India and Kyrgyzstan signed a MoU to strengthen
bilateral cooperation in textiles and clothing.
FEBRUARY 2015
 Government has notified the rules for Indian
Accounting Standards (Ind AS) which are converged
with global standards IFRS.
 The ADB has inked two loan agreements worth $
350 million with India to upgrade district roads in
Madhya Pradesh
 India reclaimed its position as the leading consumer
of gold in 2014 with an estimated consumption of
880 tonnes against China’s 866 tonnes.
 World Bank agrees to grant $ 8 million loan to India
for sustainable livelihoods and adaption to climate
change project of National Rural Livelihoods
Mission.
JANUARY 2015
 India has allowed duty free access to Afghanistan’s
export products in Indian markets under the
Agreement of South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
 Leading IT company - Infosys has assured govt that
they will spend USD 250 million to fund innovations
in software and services in India.
 Government has prohibited imports of all kind of
mobile handsets with fake or duplicate Unique
Identity Numbers.
 Film PK recorded gross collection of Rs. 500 crore
worldwide within 2 weeks of its release, becoming
first ever Indian movie to have such huge collection
 Connaught Place in New Delhi has become the
world’s sixth costliest office destination, with an
annual occupancy cost of around $ 160 per square
feet,
 IRDA has been renamed as ‘Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority of India’ after the
promulgation of Insurance Laws (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2014.
 European Union has decided to lift a seven-month-
long ban on the import of mangoes from India.
 Sun Edison USA and India’s Adani Group will invest
Rs.25,000 cr in setting up one of the world’s largest
solar photovoltaic manufacturing unit in Gujarat.
 ADB to give $ 75 million loan and $1.8 million grant
to Karnataka for Integrated Urban Water
Management Investment Program.
 India and Israel have signed a joint agreement to
implement the third phase of the agriculture
cooperation project for next three years, 2015-18.
 To boost the jute sector, govt has directed
packaging of sugar and food grains in jute bags to
minimum extent of up to 90 % of production.
 To meet the fiscal deficit, the government sold 10
per cent stake in state owned Coal India Ltd to raise
about Rs 24,000 crore.
 Union Cabinet approved the hike of govt stake in
Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) Ltd.
to 51 % from around 48 % at present.

BANKING
MARCH 2015
 Citing better fiscal consolidation, the RBI cut its
main lending rate known as repo rate by 0.25
percentage points to 7.5% w.e.f. 04.03.2015.
 The RBI has decided that priority sector loans to
persons with disabilities will now be eligible for
classification under weaker sections category
 After a gap of over 20 years, Re 1 note has been
released in the country and it bears the signature
of Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
 RBI has allowed banks to include stamp duty and
registration charges in the cost of a house for home
loans for up to Rs 10 lakh
 Govt and RBI have signed an agreement whereby
the govt has set a target for RBI to bring down
inflation below six per cent by Jan. 2016.
 The Reserve Bank has removed the lending
restriction on United Bank of India as the bank
demonstrated an ability to arrest bad loans
 The National Payments Corporation of India reached
a major milestone of successfully linking 15 crore
bank accounts with the Aadhaar number.
 The Reserve Bank has directed all NBFCs to get
themselves rated by March 2016 and only investment
grade rate NBFCs will be allowed to accept deposits.
 The Reserve Bank will issue Rs 5 coins to
commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of
Jawaharlal Nehru that fell on Nov 14, 2014.
 RBI and the Central Bank of Sri Lanka signed a
Currency Swap Agreement of 1.5 billion dollar to help
keep the Sri Lankan rupee stable.
FEBRUARY 2015
 On Feb 3, the RBI cut the statutory liquidity ratio
(SLR) by 50 basis points to 21.5 per cent of their
total deposits from February 7
 RBI has estimated that the real GDP in 2015-16 is
expected to rise by 6.5 percent.
 RBI has doubled the annual overseas investment
ceiling for individuals to $250,000 per person per
year under the Liberalised Remittance
Scheme (LRS).
 The RBI has allowed banks to offer deposit schemes
up to Rs 1 crore which cannot be broken
prematurely — so-called non-callable deposits —
 Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana has entered the
Guinness Book of World Record for opening over
12.5 crore bank accounts
 RBI has advised that the overdrafts extended by
banks up to Rs.5,000 in PMJDY accounts will be
eligible for classification under priority sector
advances
 Govt will infuse Rs. 6,990 crore in nine public sector
banks for enhancing their capital to meet the global
risk norms under Basel III guidelines
 As per an agreement reached between IBA and bank
unions, public sector banks will remain closed on
second and fourth Saturdays.
 RBI has allowed banks to install Cash Deposit
Machines at locations selected by them (banks)
without getting its prior permission.
 ICICI Bank has launched ‘Pockets’, a digital banking
service, enabling users to instantly send money to
any e-mail id, mobile number, friends on Facebook
etc.
 HDFC Bank raised about Rs 8,000 crore by selling
American Depository Receipts in USA
 Reserve Bank has asked all credit institutions to
become members of all Credit Information
Companies.
 RBI has lifted the ban on import of gold coins and
medallions by banks but the sales will be permitted
against upfront payment only.
 R Gandhi, Dy. Governor RBI to head the committee
formed to review the structure and functioning of
the Urban Cooperative Banking Sector.
 HDFC Bank is set to introduce a new app, Chillr,
which will allow users to send money to any contact
in their phone books, 24X7.
JANUARY 2015
 The Reserve Bank of India on 15th January, 2015 cut
down repo rate by 25 basis points to 7.75 percent
from 8 percent, with immediate effect
 RBI has asked banks to notify the Base Rate, or the
minimum lending rate, at least once in every three
months, based on the cost of funds
 India's top PSU bankers meet 'Gyan Sangam’ held at
Pune for a brainstorming session to give a facelift to
PSU banks.
 RBI has clarified that business houses with assets
above Rs 1,000 crore and having finance companies
will not be eligible to apply for a small bank license.
 RBI said that RRBs with assets less than $175
million need not register with the US Internal
Revenue System under FATCA- Foreign Account Tax
Compliance Act.
 The RBI has signed an information sharing
agreement with US banking regulators for better
coordination in supervising financial institutions.
 RBI has asked banks to display on their website the
total fees and charges applicable on various types of
loans and tell the same to the borrower also

 ICICI Bank launched country’s first contactless
debit/ credit cards based on the near-field
communication technology
 RBI signed a MoU on “Supervisory Cooperation and
Exchange of Supervisory Information” with Banco
Central do Brasil, central bank of Brazil.
 RBI has allowed banks to act as brokers for
insurers, set up their own subsidiaries, undertake
referral services for multiple companies.
 Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched Jifi Saver, a
social savings bank account which can be
seamlessly managed via Twitter and Facebook
 The government has allowed certain eligible
branches of Post Offices to issue ATM cards for their
Savings bank accounts
 Yes Bank signed an agreement with U.S. govt’s
Overseas Private Investment Corporation for $220
million loan for on-lending to MSMEs.
 RBI and the European Central Bank signed MoU for
cooperation in the area of central banking.
 RBI has allowed Indians to carry high value notes of
Rs 500 /1000 while travelling to Nepal and Bhutan
with a cap of Rs 25,000 on the total amount.
DEFENCE, SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY
MARCH 2015
 The indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range
(BVR) air-to-air missile, Astra, was successfully
launched from a Sukhoi-30 fighter aircraft
 Indian Navy’s Theatre Level Readiness and
Operational Exercise (TROPEX) exercise concluded
on 27 February in the Arabian Sea and Northern
Indian Ocean.
 Three Immediate Support Vessels (ISVs), armed
with heavy machine guns, were commissioned by
the Indian Navy at Vishakhapatnam.
 INS Alleppey, the coastal minesweeper purchased
from Russia in the 1970s, was decommissioned in
March, after nearly 35 years of service
 Pakistan tested its Shaheen-III Surface to Surface
Ballistic Missile, having a strike range of 2750 kms.
 On March 29, India placed in orbit IRNSS-1D (Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System), the fourth
one in the navigation satellite network.
 India's first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle
(PROVe), was made operati-onal for research in
Marchin "Priyadarshini lake" in North Antarctica.
 India’s first indigenously developed and manufac-
tured rotavirus vaccine, Rotavac, was launched in
New Delhi.
 In a breakthrough, Japanese researchers have
successfully transmitted electric power wirelessly
to a pinpointed target using microwaves
 NASA's Opportunity Rover on Mars has become the
first human-made vehicle that has completed 11
years marathon in a record time.
FEBRUARY 2015
 The 8th India-Nepal Battalion level Combined
Military Training named Exercise Surya Kiran-VIII,
held at Saljhandi, Nepal.
 India test fired its ICBM Agni-V, for the first time
from a canister mounted on a Tatra truck, from the
Wheeler Island, off the Odisha coast.
 India test-fired the supersonic BrahMos cruise
missile from warship INS Kolkata, in Arabian Sea. It
has a range of 290km and a top speed of Mach 2.8.
 Indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II
surface-to-surface missile with a range of 350 kms,
tested at a test range at Chandipur in Odisha.
 The DRDO has established the world’s highest
research station at an altitude of 17,586 feet at
Chang La, about 80 km east of Leh, J&K.
 Researchers in Australia have developed the
world's first 3D-printed jet engine that could pave
the way for cheaper, lighter and more fuel-efficient
aircraft.
JANUARY 2015
 The first of the indigenously-built Light Combat
Aircraft, LCA Tejas was handed over to the Indian
Air Force on Jan 17 at Bengaluru.
 Country’s first geothermal heating plant was
launched successfully by the Snow and Avalanche
Studies Establishment of DRDO at its Manali (HP)
campus.
 Idukki district in Kerala became the first district in
the country where all gram panchayats are
connected through National Optical Fiber Network
 Microsoft has announced that its new operating
system - Windows 10 will also bring its voice-
controlled assistant Cortana to PCs.
 Apple Inc earned profit of $18 billion in quarter
ending December 2014, largest ever made by a
public company in the corporate history worldwide.
 Scientists discovered a powerful new antibiotic –
Teixobactin which can kill an array of germs
without the bugs easily becoming resistant to it
 Indian Immunologicals Limited launched a vaccine
‘Raksha-Blu’ for countering for the first time the
viral blue tongue disease among cattle.

 The year 2014 was the hottest on record, with
global average temperature increasing about 0.8
degrees Celsius since 1880, according to US
scientists.
 India’s Mars Orbiter programme team has won the
2015 Space Pioneer Award from the US based
National Space Society (NSS).
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
MARCH 2015
 Flight 4U 9525 of Germanwings went crashing into
a mountainside in French Alps on March 24, killing
all 150 persons aboard
 France, Germany and Italy have followed the UK in
joining the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank
 A report by Stockholm International Peace Research
Institute (SIPRI) reveals that India is the world’s
largest buyer of weapons and military equipment
 In a historic development, a bronze statue of
Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled in March at
Parliament Square in London.
 World reputation ranking of the 100 most
prestigious universities by Times Higher Education
of UK has placed Harvard University, USA at the top
 International Women’s Day was observed across
the world on 8 March 2015. United Nations
declared this year’s theme as ‘Make it Happen’
 Food and Agriculture Organisation observed March
21 as the International Day of Forests, with the
theme ‘Forests and Climate Change’.
FEBRUARY 2015
 China has overtaken the United States as the top
destination for foreign direct investment for the
first time since 2003.
 Britain has become the first country in the world to
allow a "three-parent" IVF (in vitro fertilization)
technique
 Apple Inc has set a world record by becoming the
first US Company to be worth more than $700
billion in terms of market capitalization
 More than 3,000 flights were cancelled in North
East USA as winter storms dumped snow, sleet and
freezing rain across the region.
 The Nepal has started a massive cleanliness
campaign in 33 municipalities of the country in
order to promote environment-friendly governance
 Summit of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors held in Istanbul, Turkey on 9-10 Feb.
2015
 The leaders of Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine
met in Minsk, capital of Belarus to find solution to
end fighting in eastern Ukraine
 Musicians from around the world will gather this
April in Paris to celebrate the International Jazz Day
which is observed on April 30.
JANUARY 2015
 Militants attacked the Paris offices of the satirical
weekly Charlie Hebdo, for publishing cartoons
lampooning Muslim leaders
 The World Economic Forum's five-day annual
jamboree of the global elite held at Davos,
Switzerland, attended by over 2500 VIPs.
 Boko Haram militants killed over 2000 persons in a
multi-day attack in the northeast of Nigeria,
focusing on the town of Baga
 Encouraged by the India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative,
Britain announced 'Great Collaborations’ campaign
to forge collaborations with Indian companies.
 AirlineRatings.com, has announced Quantas, the
national airline of Australia as the safest airline for
2015, from the 449 airlines.
 Australia has launched an Online Visa Pilot
Programme to make it easier for Indian business
and tourism visitors to apply online visa
 The biggest cultural festival of the Mahayana sect of
Buddhism in Nepal - Tamu Lhochhar, observed to
mark the New Year, celebrated in Kathmandu.
 Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, who will be 89 in April
this year, is now the world's oldest monarch
following the death of King Abdullah (90) of Saudi
Arabia.
 Lithuania becomes 19th country to adopt Euro as
its currency w.e.f. Jan 1, 2015.
PERSONS IN NEWS
MARCH 2015
VENKATRAMAN RAMAKRISHNAN: The Indian-
American scientist, whose pioneering work in molecular
biology won him the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, has
been elected to head Britain's prestigious Royal Society,
an association of the world's most distinguished
scientists.
SMRITI IRANI: Union HRD Minister has been named the
Young Global Leader from India by the World Economic
Forum (WEF), Switzerland
M. C. MARY KOM: Veteran boxer from Manipur has
been appointed a brand ambassador for north-east

India to promote the region in the rest of the country
and abroad.
SAIF ALI KHAN: ‘Visit Britain’, the national tourism
agency for Britain, has announced the appointment of
the Nawab of Pataudi, Saif Ali Khan, as the spokesperson
for the ‘Bollywood Britain’ tourism campaign in India.
AZIZ QUERESHI: Governor of Mizoram was sacked By
the President without assigning any specific reasons.
TIM COOK: CEO of the IT giant Apple Inc has
announced to donate his entire wealth totalling to $ 785
million to charity.
CHRISTINE LAGARDE: Managing Director of the
International Monetary Fund was in news as she visited
India in March.
MOHAMED NASHEED: Former Maldivian President was
sentenced to 13-year imprisonment by a criminal court
of Maldive over the detention of a judge in 2012.
MARK LIPPERT: The US ambassador to South Korea
was in news as he suffered a knife attack by a pro-North
Korean activist.
BILL GATES: stands atop Forbes magazine's annual list
of the world's richest people, with a net worth of 79.2
billion dollars.
FEBRUARY 2015
AMARTYA SEN: 81 year old Nobel laureate economist
was in news as he resigned as the Chancellor of Nalanda
University, alleging political interference in the affairs of
the University.
DEEPIKA MISRA: Squadron Leader of Indian Air Force
became the first and the only woman pilot to make it to
the helicopter acrobatic display team – ‘Sarang’ of the
Indian Air Force.
SUMITRA MAHAJAN: Lok Sabha Speaker’s name was
included in the LIMCA book of records for being the only
woman of the country to represent the same Lok Sabha
constituency on the same party ticket for eight times in
a row.
SALONI DALAL: A 12 year old school girl from
Karnataka became the youngest medal winner in the
35th National Games in Kerala by winning a Bronze
medal in the 200 meter breast stroke swimming event.
RICKY KEJ: Bengaluru-based musician was in news as
his collaborative album 'Winds of Samsara' with African
flautist Wouter Kellerman won the ‘Best New Age
Album’ award at the 57th Grammy Awards announced
in Los Angeles, USA
NEELA VASWANI: won the Grammy in the Best
Children's Album category for rendering audio version
of the book 'I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For
Education and Changed the World’ by Malala Yousafzai.
AJAY BANGA: President and Chief Executive Officer of
MasterCard and the Chairman of the US India Business
Council, has been appointed as a member of the
Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations
by the US government.
ANGELINA JOLIE: Cine actress -director of America has
been named the most admired woman in the world in a
survey by the British website dailymail.co.uk., leaving
behind ladies like Malala Yousafzai, Hillary Clinton.
JANUARY 2015
POOJA THAKUR: A Wing Commander from Indian Air
Force became the first woman to lead the ceremonial
tri-service guard of honour inspected by U.S. President
Barack Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Jan. 25, 2015.
VIKRAM CHANDRA: Indian origin Novelist was named
among the finalists for prestigious National Book Critics
Circle (NBCC) Awards of USA for his non-fiction work
Geek Sublime: The Beauty of Code, the Code of Beauty.
MS. LEELA SAMSON: She resigned as Chairperson of
Central Board of Film Certification, CBFC to protest the
clearance of the controversial film Messenger of God by
the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT).
BHAKTI SHARMA: India's 24 year old open water
swimmer has set a world record by swimming 2.25 kms
in 52 minutes in one degree temperature in the
Antarctic Ocean. She is the first Asian girl and youngest
in the world to have achieved this feat.
AVINASH CHANDER: Secretary, Defence Research and
Development cum Director General, DRDO and Scientific
Advisor to the Defence Minister was in news as he was
removed 15 months before his contract was to end.
NARENDRA MODI, REKHA: Our Prime Minister and
veteran Bollywood actress, both were crowned ‘hottest
vegetarian celebrities’ by animal rights organisation
PETA India for making plant-based foods more popular
than ever in 2014.
YINGLUCK SHINAWATRA: Former Premier of Thailand
was impeached on Jan 23 for corruption charges.
Country’s first woman Premier and the sister of former
leader Thaksin Shinawatra, suffers an automatic five-
year ban from politics.

A P P O I N T M E N T S
MARCH 2015
KSHATRAPATI SHIVAJI: Chairman and Managing
Director of Small Industries Development Bank of India.
ARUN KUMAR SINGH: India’s next Ambassador to the
USA, An Indian Foreign Service officer, currently
Ambassador to France.
JAGMOHAN DALMIYA: President of the BCCI
VIKAS SWARUP: The new spokesperson for the
External Affairs Ministry.
K M MANI: Kerala Finance Minister has been appointed
Chairman of the Empowered Committee of State
Finance Ministers on Goods and Services Tax
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Re-elected Prime Minister of
Israel.
FEBRUARY 2015
L C GOYAL: New Union Home Secretary
SHEKHAR SEN: Chairman, Sangeet Natak Akademi; he
is a renowned music composer and actor
KRISHNA CHAUDHARY: Director General, Indo-Tibetan
Border Police (ITBP).
KSHATRAPATI SHIVAJI: New CMD of SIDBI
AJIT KUMAR: Ambassador and Permanent
Representative of India to the United Nations Offices
NITISH KUMAR: Chief Minister of Bihar, 4th time
ARVIND KEJRIWAL: Chief Minister of Delhi
MOHAMMAD SAYEED MUFTI: Chief Minister of J & K
KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIC: First female President
of Croatia
Ms. ZOE KONSTANTOPOULOU: New President of
Greece, from the left wing party Syriza.
SERGIO MATTARELLA: Italy’s new President
JANUARY 2015
APPOINTMENTS IN NITI AAYOG
The following appointments have been made by the
Prime Minister to the various positions in the Aayog:
Chairman: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Vice-Chairman: Arvind Panagariya (Economist)
CEO: Sindhushree Khullar
FULL TIME MEMBERS:
Bibek Debroy, Economist
Dr. V.K. Saraswat, Former Secretary Defence R&D
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS:
Rajnath Singh, Union Minister
Arun Jaitley, Union Minister
Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister
Radha Mohan Singh, Union Minister
SPECIAL INVITEES:
Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister
Thawar Chand Gehlot, Union Minister
Smt. Smriti Irani, Union Minister
PAHLAJ NIHALANI: Chairman, Central Board of Film
Certification, CBFC. He is a noted film producer
A S KIRAN KUMAR: Chairman of Indian Space
Research Organisation- ISRO and Secretary of the
Department of Space, Govt of India
AZIZ QURESHI: Governor of Mizoram (transferred
from Uttarakhand).
K K PAUL: Governor of Uttarakhand (shifted from
Meghalaya), with additional charge of Manipur
K N TRIPATHI: Governor of West Bengal will take
additional charge as the Governor of Meghalaya
KALYAN SINGH: Governor of Himachal Pradesh
(Additional Charge); He is Governor of Rajasthan
KAPTAN SINGH SOLANKI: Governor of Punjab
(Additional Charge); He is Governor of Haryana
S. JAISHANKAR: Union Foreign Secretary
MALINI PARTHASARATHY: veteran journalist
appointed the Editor of The Hindu, the first woman
editor of the century-old newspaper
H S BRAHMA: Chief Election Commissioner
ATUL KHARE: Under-Secretary-General, Department of
Field Support (DFS) in UNO
R KOTEESWARAN: MD & CEO, Indian Overseas Bank
ANIMESH CHAUHAN: MD & CEO, Oriental Bank of
Commerce
KISHORE KUMAR SANSI: MD & CEO, Vijaya Bank

P SRINIVAS: MD & CEO, United Bank of India
LEE WAN KOO: New Prime Minister of South Korea
SALMAN BIN ABDULAZIZ AL SAUD: New king of Saudi
Arabia
ALEXIS TSIPRAS: Prime Minister of Greece, from the
anti-austerity Syriza party
KOLINDA GRABAR-KITAROVIC: First women
President of Croatia
MAITHRIPALA SIRISENA: 6th President of Sri Lanka,
from Sri Lanka Freedom Party - SLFP
MODIBO KEITA: Prime Minister of Mali, a West African
country.
AWARDS & HONOURS
MARCH 2015
62nd NATIONAL FILM AWARDS, 2014
Best Feature Film: Court (multilingual) by Chaitanya
Tamhane
Best Popular Film providing Wholesome
Entertainment: Mary Kom by Omung Kumar
Best Hindi Film: Queen by Vikas Bahl
Best Director: Srijit Mukherjee for Shotushkone
Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada)
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
DADA SAHEB PHALKE AWARD: Actor-filmmaker
Shashi Kapoor (77), who has starred in over 100 Hindi
films and best known for his powerful portrayals in hits
like Namak Halaal, Deewar and Kabhie Kabhie.
The Award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a
cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs and a shawl.
INTERNATIONAL GANDHI PEACE PRIZE 2014:
awarded to ISRO for their contribution in bringing space
to the service of the common man and in the service of
the nation.
SARASWATI SAMMAN 2014: M. Veerappa Moily,
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader for
his Kannada poem Ramayana Mahanveshanam.
FOLIO PRIZE 2015: Novelist Akhil Sharma for his
novel Family Life. The prize is given by the Folio
Academy of UK.
GOLDEN GATE AWARD: Kerala Tourism at the
Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB-Berlin)
2015, Germany for its global multimedia campaign to
promote its backwaters.
KNIGHT OF THE ORDER OF ARTS AND LETTERS:
Artist Bharti Kher of India was conferred the Chevalier
dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in French, the
highest cultural award of France.
STOCKHOLM WATER PRIZE: Rajendra Singh, eminent
environment activist from Rajasthan for his innovative
water restoration efforts and extraordinary courage to
empower communities in Indian villages.
ABEL PRIZE for 2015: US mathematician John F Nash
Jr and Canada-born American national Louis Nirenberg,
for their contributions to mathematical sciences.
GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE: Nancie Atwell, a teacher
from the USA. It is the world’s first $1 million prize set up
by the Varkey Foundation of USA to recognise one
exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding
contribution to the profession.
MO IBRAHIM PRIZE: Hifikepunye Pohamba, ex
President of Namibia for excellent leadership.
FEBRUARY 2015
60th FILMFARE AWARDS ANNOUNCED
Best film: Queen by Vikas Bahl
Best Director: Vikas Bahl for Queen
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Actor: Shahid Kapoor for Haider
THE 87th ACADEMY AWARDS, popularly known as
‘Oscars” were presented by the Academy of Motion
Picture Arts and Sciences on February 22, 2015, at
Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA.
Best Picture: Birdman by Alejandro G Inarritu
Best Director: Alejandro G Inarritu for Birdman
Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of
Everything
GRAMMY AWARDS
Announced on Feb 8 at Los Angeles, California, USA
Some major winners are as under:
 Record of the Year - "Stay with Me," Sam Smith
 Song of the Year - "Stay with Me" (Darkchild Version)
 Album of the Year - Morning Phase, Beck
 Best R&B Performance - "Drunk in Love," Beyoncé
 Best Rock Album - Morning Phase, Beck
 Best Pop Vocal Album - In the Lonely Hour, Sam
Smith
 Best Pop Solo Performance - "Happy," Pharrell
Williams
 Best Rap Album - The Marshall Mathers LP2,
Eminem

BAFTA
(British Academy of Film and Television Arts)
Awards announced on Feb 8 at London.
BEST FILM: Boyhood by Richard Linklater
BEST DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
BEST ACTOR: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of
Everything
BEST ACTRESS: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
50th JNANPITH AWARD - 2014: Bhalchandra Nemade,
Marathi novelist, known for his famous novels – Kosala,
Hindu.
STHREE SHAKTI AWARD: conferred upon Irom
Sharmila, Human rights activist from Manipur who has
been on an indefinite fast since November 4, 2000,
demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act, 1958.
BEST MARCHING CONTINGENTS Trophy for Republic
Day Parade 2015 won jointly by the Brigade of The
Guards and the Sikh Regiment awarded jointly the
AMARTYA SEN: Eminent Indian economist and Nobel
laureate has been named as the first winner of a newly
established Charleston-EFG John Maynard Keynes
Prize in the UK, in recognition of his work on welfare
economics.
JANUARY 2015
PADMA AWARDS 2015 ANNOUNCED
PADMA VIBHUSHAN – 2015 (9)
S.
No.
Name of the
Awardee
Discipline State/Domicile
1. Lal Krishna Advani Public Affairs –
Politician
Gujarat
2. Amitabh Bachchan Art - Cinema Maharashtra
3. Prakash Singh
Badal
Public Affairs Punjab
4. Dr. D V Heggade Social Work Karnataka
5. Dilip Kumar Art - Cinema Maharashtra
6. Jagadguru
Ramanandacharya
Swami
Rambhadracharya
Others - Hindu
Scholar
Uttar Pradesh
7. M. R. Srinivasan Science and
Engineering -
Nuclear Scientist
Tamil Nadu
8. K. K. Venugopal Public Affairs -
Constitutional
Lawyer
Delhi
9. Karim Al Hussaini
Aga Khan
Trade and Industry France/UK
PADMA BHUSHAN 2015 (19)
S.
No
Name of the
Awardee
Discipline State/
Domicile
1. Shri Jahnu Barua Art – Films Assam
2. Dr. Subhash C.
Kashyap
Public Affairs -
Constitutional
Expert
Delhi
3. Harish Salve Public Affairs –
Advocate
Delhi
4. Rajat Sharma Media (India TV) Delhi
5. Manjul Bhargava
(NRI/PIO)
Science & Engg,
Mathematician
USA
6. Bill Gates Social Work USA
7. Melinda Gates Social Work USA
PADMA SHRI – 2015 (75)
S.
No.
Name of the
Awardee
Discipline State/Domicile
1. Mithali Raj Sports – Cricket Telengana
2. P.V. Sindhu Sports –
Badminton
Telengana
3. Sanjay Leela Bhansali Art – Films Maharashtra
4. Prasoon Joshi Art – Films Maharashtra
5. Tarak Mehta Art – TV Gujarat
6. Jean-Claude Carriere Literature and
Education
France
7. Late Pran Kumar
Sharma alias Pran
Art – Cartoonist Delhi
ASHOK CHAKRA: The highest peacetime military
honour awardaed posthumously to Major Mukund
Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, the two
Army personnel who laid down their lives combating
militants in Kashmir Valley.
DSC Prize for Literature: The $50,000 prize won by
Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri for her book, The
Lowland at the Jaipur Literature Festival
Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for poetry won by
Arunadhathi Subramaniam for her work When God is a
Traveller, at the Jaipur Literature Festival
SOCIAL MEDIA PERSON of the Year Award 2015:
Amitabh Bachchan, conferred by the Internet and
Mobile Association of India
"GOVERNOR OF THE YEAR": Raghuram Rajan,
Governor, RBI was selected by the British magazine
‘Central Banking’ for this award at the global level.

‘AWARD FOR THE BEST BANK’: bagged by the Canara
Bank at the "MSME Banking Excellence Awards-2014" at
Bengaluru.
72ND GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS 2015
Announced at Beverly Hills, California, USA
Best Motion Picture-Drama: Boyhood
Best Director: Richard Linklater, Boyhood
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Actress: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
MISS UNIVERSE 2015: Paulina Vega of Columbia at
Miami, USA.
Martin Luther King Jr. Award: Frank Islam, an
eminent Indian-American entrepreneur and
philanthropist for his contribution to the promotion of
the civil rights in USA.
Giraffe Hero Award 2015: Renowned Indian RTI
activist Subhash Chandra Aggarwal was conferred with
the by a US-based NGO The Giraffe Heroes Project.
FIFA Ballon d'Or Award- 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo of
Portugal, earning the title of world's best football player
for the third time.
OBITUARY
MARCH 2015
VINOD MEHTA: Distinguished editor and commentator
who successfully launched a number of newspapers and
magazines, including the ‘Outlook’. He wrote his
autobiography “Lucknow Boy: A Memoir”.
LEE KUAN YEW: Great statesman and founding father
of modern Singapore passed away in March, after
dominating the politics of Singapore for over 50 years.
TERRY PRATCHETT: Famous British author, creator of
the science fantasy Discworld novels which narrate a
flat, parallel universe balanced on the back of four
elephants which stand on the shell of a giant turtle.
FEBRUARY 2015
D. RAMANAIDU: Veteran film producer from Andhra
Pradesh, Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke Award
winner, holder of the Guinness Book of World
Records for the most films produced by an individual,
having produced more than 150 films in 13 Indian
languages.
R.R. PATIL: Former Maharashtra Home Minister and
senior Nationalist Congress Party leader (16th Feb 2015)
RAJINDER PURI: Popular cartoonist, veteran columnist
and political activist (16th Feb 2015).
GAUR HARI SINGHANIA: Chairman, J K Group of
Industries that includes JK Tyres, JK Cements.
CHARLES H. TOWNES: American noble prize winner
scientist, inventor of laser –‘Light Amplification by
Stimulated Emission of Radiation’.
JANUARY 2015
R K LAXMAN: Full name Rasipuram Krishnaswamy
Iyer Laxman, legendary cartoonist, creator of the iconic
"The Common Man" cartoon published regularly for
several years in The Times of India, Padma Vibhushan
awardee. He wrote his autobiography titled ‘The
Tunnel of Time’.
B G VERGHESE: Eminent journalist, a Ramon
Magsaysay award winner and former editor of the
Hindustan Times and The Indian Express.
RAJNI KOTHARI: Noted political scientist, founder of
The Centre for the Study of Developing Societies
JASWANT SINGH RAJPUT: Two-time gold medal
winning hockey Olympian
SUBASH GHISING: Former chief of Gorkha National
Liberation Front, who gave birth to the Gorkhaland
movement
SAIYID HAMID: Noted Muslim academician,
educationist, reformist and author. He was Chancellor
of Jamia Hamdard University, ex-Chancellor Jamia Millia
Islamia and former Vice Chancellor Aligarh Muslim
University
ABDULLAH BIN ABDULAZIZ: King of Saudi Arabia
P L A C E S I N N E W S
MARCH 2015
BACHHRAWAN: The town near Rae Bareli, UP was in
news as two coaches of the Dehradun-Varanasi Janta
Express derailed there, killing around 40 persons and
injuring over 150 others.
HYDERABAD: According to the Mercer Quality of Living
Rankings 2015, Austrian capital Vienna is the city with
the best quality of living in the world, while Hyderabad,
ranked 138th, was the best Indian city to live in.
DIMAPUR: The city in Nagaland was in news as
thousands of protesters stormed the central jail there
and dragged out Syed Sarifuddin Khan, accused of
raping a 20-year-old Naga student, and lynched him to
death, after brutally thrashing him.

ZOKHAWTHAR: The small town in Champhai district of
Mizoram was in news as a land customs station was
inaugurated there at the Indo-Myanmar border.
SANAA: The capital of Yemen was in news as over 150
persons, mainly Shia muslims were killed there in the
bomb attacks by the Sunny militants of the IS group.
TUNIS: The capital of Tunisia was in news as Islamic
militants stormed its Bardo National Museum killing 17
foreign tourists and three Tunisians.
CYCLONE PAM: A super cyclone slammed the south
Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, east of Australia, leaving
complete devastation in its wake.
FEBRUARY 2015
MELBOURNE & CHRISTCHURCH: Cities in Australia
and New Zealand, respectively were in news as they
were host to the cricket extravaganza ICC World Cup.
JANUARY 2015
PERIYAR TIGER RESERVE: Sanctuary in Kerala won
the National Tiger Conservation Authority award for
encouraging local public participation in managing the
reserve.
MALIHABAD: Area of Lucknow was in news as around
50 lives were lost their due to a hooch tragedy that
occurred in its nearby villages. Hooch is a type of local
liquor, usually of inferior quality.
BAGA: A town in north east Nigeria was in news as the
Islamic militant group Boko Haram executed over 2000
persons there and in adjoining villages.
SPORTS WORLD
MARCH 2015
AUSTRALIA LIFTS WORLD CUP FOR 5TH
TIME
Lead by Captain Michael Clark Australia beat New
Zealand by seven wickets to lift their fifth World Cup
trophy on Final played on March 29 at Melbourne,
Australia.
TOP ACHIEVERS
Man of the Tournament: Mitchell Starc, bowler from
Australia.
Man of the Match (final): James Faulkner,Australia
Top scorer Martin Guptil (New Zealand) 547
Best strike rate: B Mc Cullum (NZ) 188.5
Top wicket taker Trent Boult (NZ) and Mitchell Starc
(Aus), both 22 each
Best economy rate: Mitchell Starc (Aus) – 3.5
HIGHLIGHTS OF WORLD CUP 2015
M S DHONI: By beating Bangladesh in Melbourne, he
became the first Indian captain and third in the world
history to win 100 ODI matches. He reached this
milestone in 178th ODI. The other two achievers are
Australian pair of Ricky Ponting (165 wins) and Allan
Border (107 wins).
MARTIN GUPTILL of New Zealand made the highest
score in the World Cup history with 237 not out against
West Indies in the match played at Wellington,
Australia.
KUMAR SANGAKKARA of Sri Lanka became the first
cricketer to score four successive one-day international
centuries as he scored 124 against Scotland at a World
Cup match played at Hobart, Australia. Also, he is the
only batsman having scored 4 centuries in one world
cup tournament.
Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara of Sri
Lanka have announced their retirement from the One
Day International (ODI) format of Cricket.
Pakistan cricketers Misbah-ul-Haq and Shaid Afridi
have also bid adieu to One Day International cricket.
The 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup will be hosted by
England and Wales in June 2019.
SAINA – INDIA’s FIRST WORLD NO 1
Saina Nehwal created history on March 28 as she
became the first Indian woman shuttler to attain the
world number one ranking after her closest challenger
for the spot, Spain's Carolina Marin, lost in the India
Open Super Series semifinal played in Delhi.
Later on March 29, she won the prestigious India Open
Badminton Championship at New Delhi beating
former world champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand.
KIDAMBI SRIKANTH became the first Indian to win
the Swiss Grand Prix Gold badminton championship
beating Viktor Axelsen in Basel, Switzerland. He again
defeated Axelsen to win the India Open at New Delhi
RANJI TROPHY: Defending champions Karnataka
clinched their eighth title as they thrashed Tamil Nadu
in the final played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
Karnataka lifted the Irani Cup after beating the Rest of
India team in the finals played in Bengaluru.
The 69th National Football Tournament for Santosh
Trophy held at Ludhiana. The Services team won the
trophy beating the Punjab team.
The Indian team won the Women's Hockey World
League Round Two competition title by beating Poland
in New Delhi.

WONDER KID CREATES ARCHERY RECORD
Two-year-old girl Cherukuli Dalli Shivani from
Vijaywada has achieved a stunning feat by scoring 200
points over five and seven-metre distances, setting a
new record in Archery.
VIV BEATS SACHIN TO RANK NO 1 ODI PLAYER
West Indian star batsman Viv Richards has been voted
as the greatest ODI player in the history of cricket,
ahead of Sachin Tendulkar (second) in an online poll
conducted by ESPN cricinfo’s magazine ‘Cricket
Monthly’ and a jury of 50 eminent cricketers.
Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic to win the
Dubai Championship title for Tennis at Dubai.
Rafael Nadal won the Argentina Open title for Tennis
defeating Juan Monaco of Argentina at Buenos Aires,
Argentina.
BNP PARIBAS OPEN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP:
Novak Djokovic won the Men's Singles at Indian Wells,
Californea (USA) beating Roger Federer.
 Women’s singles title was won by Simona Halep
beating Jelena Jankovic.
 Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the women’s
doubles title.
LEWIS HAMILTON of Britain won the Australian Grand
Prix Formula 1 race held in Melbourne, Australia.
SEBESTIAN VETTEL of Germany won the Malaysian
Grand Prix on March 29 at Sepang, Malaysia, beating
World Champion Lewis Hamilton of Britain.
FEBRUARY 2015
35TH NATIONAL GAMES
The 14 day sports extravaganza – The 35th National
Games that started on 31st January, came to an end on
14th Feb. at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
 In all, sportspersons competed for the 1334 medals
comprising of 405 Gold, 406 Silver and 523 Bronze
medals.
 Services created a record by topping the medal tally
for the third consecutive time. The group won 159
medals that included 91 golds. They won the Raja
Bhalendra Singh Trophy for best performance.
 Amongst states, Kerala topped the tally with 162
medals, including 54 gold.
 National Games mascot Ammu, the Great Hornbill,
has been selected for entry in to the Limca Book of
Records.
 The 36th National Games will be hosted by Goa in
2016.
Anirban Lahiri won his second European Tour title at
the Hero Indian Open Golf Championship on Feb 22 in
New Delhi.
Anil Kumble, former India Captain and ace Leg Spinner
has been chosen to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall
of Fame with all times greatest cricketers
Hero Hockey India League 2015: Ranchi Rays won the
championship by defeating Jaypee Punjab Warriors in
the finals played at New Delhi.
All India Football Federations (AIFF) has declared Sunil
Chhetri and Bala Devi as Player of the Year 2014 in
men and women category, respectively.
Paul van Ass of Netherland was appointed Head Coach
of India’s men’s Hockey team.
67th National track cycling championship held at
Thiruvananthapuram
A glittering opening ceremony of the ICC Cricket World
Cup 2015 was held on Feb 12 at two places - at
Christchurch New Zealand and at Melbourne, Australia.
France has become the first team in handball history to
win World Handball Championships for the 5th time
beating the Qatar at Doha, Qatar.
Omega Dubai Desert Classic: World No. 1 Rory
McIlroy of UK won the prestigious golf cup.
Simona Halep of Romania won the WTA (Women's
Tennis Association) championship in Dubai.
Nicol David: World Women’s Squash champion from
Malaysia has set a new record for topping the world
rankings for the 106th month.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN held at Melbourne, Australia
Men’s: Novak Djokovic of Serbia won his 5th Australian
Open title beating Andy Murray of Britain
Women’s: Serena Williams of USA beats Maria
Sharapova of Russia. It was her 19th Grand Slam title.
She is tied for third on a list of the most Grand Slam
singles won by women.
Mixed Doubles: Leander Paes of India and Martina
Hingis of Switzerland won the title.
JANUARY 2015
The Sports Ministry revised its ‘Scheme of Special
Awards’ to medal winners in international events by
increasing the award money in Olympic and
Paralympics Games (summer and winter) from Rs 50
lakh to 75 lakh for gold, Rs 30 lakh to 50 lakh for silver
and Rs 20 lakh to 30 lakh for bronze.
Sania Mirza along with her American partner Bethanie
Mattek-Sands won doubles title at the Sydney
International Tennis Tournament.
Anirban Lahiri, Indian professional golfer voted as the
2014 Players’ Player of the year in Asian Tour.

National Billiards Championship: Pankaj Advani won
the national title in Kolkata beating Dhruv Sitwala.
Arantxa Sanchis won the women’s title.
Senior National Snooker Championship: Pankaj
Advani won the title defeating Varun Madan at Kolkata.
Amee Kamani won the women’s title.
Youth National Weightlifting Championship: Jimjang
Deru of Arunachal Pradesh created national record by
lifting 238 kilograms under the 56 kilograms category in
Yamuna Nagar, Haryana.
Bengaluru FC won the Federation Cup football title at
Margao, Goa, beating Dempo Sports Club
76th Table Tennis National Championship:
Petroleum Sports Promotion Board team won both -
men's and women's titles at Puducherry.
The 79th Senior National Badminton Championship
held in Vijayawada from January 29 to February 5.
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland won the ATP
Chennai Open Tennis Singles title beating Aljaz
Bedene of Slovenia in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni Indian cricket captain has
decided to retire from Test cricket, citing strain of
playing all formats. He would prefer to concentrate on
ODI and T20 formats.
India will host the 2016 Twenty 20 World Cup from
11th of March to 3rd of April 2016.
Stephen Constantine appointed head coach of Indian
men's football team.
O P JAISHA: Indian runner broke the 19-year-old
national record of women marathon at the 12th
Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon in Mumbai,
clocking a time of 2:37:29.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal has won the FIFA Ballon
d'Or award for 2014, earning the title of world's best
football player for a third time.
Brett Lee: Australian cricketer, rated as third fastest
bowler in world, announced his retirement from all
forms of cricket after a 20-year career.
AB de Villiers, South Africa's cricket captain hit the
fastest century in one-day internationals cricket history,
31 balls to 100 against the West Indies in Johannesburg,
South Africa. He scored 149 runs off 44 balls.
Roger Federer of Switzerland reached the 1,000 ATP
Tour wins milestone as he won the Brisbane
International title on Jan 11, defeating Canada's Milos
Raonic at Brisbane, Australia. He becomes the third man,
after Jimmy Connors (1253) and Ivan Lendl (1071), to
secure 1,000 ATP wins. ATP: Association of Tennis
Professionals
Sean Abbott, the Australian bowler has been named
Australia's young cricketer of the year, winning the Sir
Bradman Award. He is the same bowler whose delivery
led to the death of Phillip Hughes.
BOOKS & AUTHORS
BOOK AUTHOR
On Religion Late Khushwant Singh
God's Bankers: A History of
Money and Power at the
Vatican
Gerald Posner
Prince of Gujarat Rajmohan Gandhi
Sahib: the British Soldier
in India
Richard Holmes
Scion of Ikshvaku Amish Tripathi. He is the
author of the immensely
popular Shiva Trilogy. His
next series is on Lord Rama
and this one is the first in
the new series.
Indian Parliamentary
Diplomacy- Speaker's
Persp-ective
Smt. Meira Kumar, former
Speaker, Lok Sabha
'The Modi Effect: Inside
Narendra Modi's Campaign
to Transform India'
Lance Price
Editor Unplugged: Media,
Magnates, Netas and Me
Vinod Mehta
The Ever After of Ashwin
Rao
Padma Viswanathan
The Bookman’s Tale Charlie Lovett
Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee, author of
world famous novel “To Kill
a Mockingbird”
Recasting India: How
Entrepreneurship is
Revolutionizing the
World’s Largest
Democracy
Hindol Sengupta
'Neither a Hawk nor a
Dove'
Khurshid M Kasuri,
Pakistan's Ex-Foreign
Minister
The Red Sari Javier Moro; the book is the
story of Sonia Gandhi,
originally written in
Spanish

The Indian Parliament – A
Critical Appraisal
Sudha Pai and Avinash
Kumar
The Fault in Our Stars John Green
At Home in India: The
Muslim Saga
Salman Khurshid
The Tunnel of Time R. K. Laxman
(autobiography)
Vande Bharatam Pandit Prabodh Kumar
Mishra.
How Modi Won It Harish Khare
The Last Illusion Porochista Khakpour
Adultery Paulo Coelho
Life is What You Make it Preeti Shenoy
In God’s Hands Desmond Tutu Templeton
prize winner
Family Life Akhil Sharma, the book has
been selected by The New
York Times Book Review as
one of the ten Best Books of
2014.
Born Again on the
Mountain
Arunima Sinha, the first
Indian female amputee to
climb Mount Everest.
2014: The Election That
Changed India
Rajdeep Sardesai
Next China-India War -
World's First Water War –
2029
Gen. Sundarajan
Padmanabhan, former
Indian Army Chief
Your Dreams are Mine
Now
Ravinder Singh
7 Secretes of the Goddess Dev Dutt Pattnaik
The Dramatic Decade: The
Indira Gandhi Years
Pranab Mukherjee,
President of India
The Scatter Here is Too
Great
Bilal Tanweer of Lahore
won the 2014 Shakti Bhatt
First Book Prize
Truth Always Prevails Sadruddin Hashwani
The Rich John Kampfner
Final Test: Exit Sachin
Tendulkar
Dilip D’Souza
The Narrow Road to the
Deep North
Richard Flanagan
A Man and A Motorcycle,
How Hamid Karzai Came
to Power
Bette Dam

SSC CORNER
BLOOD - COMPONENTS, FUNCTIONS,
CLOTTING AND GROUPING
BLOOD
Human blood consists of
(i) Red Blood Corpuscles (R.B.C.) or Erythrocytes
(ii) White Blood Corpuscles (Leukocytes, W.B.C.)
(!!!) Thrombocytes and
(vii) Plasma
COMPONENTS OF BLOOD –
RBC, WBC AND PLASMA
They are circular, bi-convex disc-like in shape and can
be seen under a microscope. Pale yellow in colour, they
contain haemoglobin, a compound of iron. They give the
blood its typical colour due to their greater number,
their ratio being 500:1 for (RBC: W.B.C.) respectively.
The haemoglobin present in RBCs reacts with pure
oxygen to form oxy-haemoglobin, which is carried to
different body parts for oxygen supply.
White Blood Corpuscles are very few and have no
definite shape. Their movements are like those of an
Amoeba. Also called leucocytes, they act like soldiers of
the body and protect it from microbial attacks. Plasma is
a pale yellow liquid and contains 90% water. The
corpuscles float in this medium.
CLOTTING OF BLOOD: Plasma consists of fibrinogen
and serum. In case of an external cut or injury on the
body, fibrinogen is converted into fibrin which, being
insoluble in serum, forms a network, in the meshes of
which, blood corpuscles get trapped. It leads to the
formation of a blood clot, which stops further bleeding,
thereby helping the body conserve this crucial resource.
Some people, due to a hereditary defect, do not
experience the clotting of blood in case of injury. This
medical condition is known as haemophilia.
FUNCTIONS OF BLOOD
(a) It supplies oxygen to various organs of the body.
(b) It removes nitrogenous waste products of the
body.
(c) It supplies digested food to various organs of the
body.
(d) It defends the body against the attack of germs.
(e) It carries the secretions of ductless glands
(hormones) to different organs.
(f) It helps maintains a constant internal temperature
inside the body, which is crucial to normal
physiological working of the body.
BLOOD TRANSFUSION: It refers to the introduction
of the blood with a similar composition and nature into
a person suffering from a deficit of blood. It is absolutely
safe to donate 250 c.c. or 8% of blood volume at a time if
the blood groups have been properly matched. Blood
Banks are there in all big cities where people can donate
blood, which is stored at low temperatures and used
later. These days, it is possible to segregate different
components of blood and use them separately for
different patients as per their specific needs. This
process avoids any kind of wastage of blood
components.
BLOOD GROUPS: Karl Landsteiner (1901) is credited
with the idea of classification of blood. This idea is based
on the concept of antigen-antibody reactions. His
classification of blood groups is : AB, A, B, and O.
Patients must be given a blood transfusion of their own
group with the exception of Group O, which is a
universal blood group (Can donate blood to any other
blood group). A person with blood group AB, as per this
system, is the universal recipient i.e. can receive blood
of any other blood group.
Another popular classification of blood groups is based
on the presence or absence of a chemical factor known
as Rh factor (derived from Rhesus monkey). If a person
has the Rh factor in his blood, he is referred to as Rh+
while an Rh - person does not have such a factor in his
blood. This is an aspect to be considered while
transfusing blood because mixing Rh+ with Rh – blood
leads to agglutination (clumping together) and
immediate death.

VOCABULARY QUIZ -02
DIRECTIONS: Given below are some words in bold,
followed by five answer choices each that describe the
meaning the word given in bold. Pick the right choice in
each case.
1. Archaic
A. Historical B. Old-fashioned
C. Related to earth D. Incomplete
E. From the start
2. Callous
A. Not bothered B. Loud
C. Bold D. Invisible
E. Ill-formed
3. Magnificent
A. Big in size B. In good shape
C. Poor D. Praiseworthy
E. Brilliant in appearance
4. Quizzical
A. Confused B. Pointed in reply
C. Fulsome D. Lacking knowledge
E. Curious
5. Responsive
A. Culinary
B. Taking responsibility C. Perceptive
D. Receptive E. Able to understand
6. Judicious
A. Legal B. Laughable
C. Of a sensible mind
D. Well-informed
E. Having good memory
7. Laconic
A. Of a foreign land B. Shining surface
C. Related to words
D. Brief and meaningful reply
E. Of doubtful origin
8. Apt
A. Technical B. Like an expert
C. Arousing laughter D. Suitable
E. Well-timed
9. Megalomania
A. Fear of snakes
B. Delusions of greatness C. Technical expertise
D. Lack of balance E. Dreamy
10. Haughty
A. Self-conceited B. Aggressive in style
C. Polite in manners D. Confused
E. Selfish
11. Valour
A. Bravery B. Purposefulness
C. Clarity of thought D. From South India
E. Of rural areas
12. Bovine
A. Very fast B. Winding
C. Related to cows D. Reclining on a bed
E. Of horses and their speed
13. Ostracism
A. Digging the earth B. Living in a city
C. Looking intently D. Self-analysis
E. Boycott by a community
14. Florid
A. Full of pictures B. Flowery language
C. Well-justified
D. Stitched using paper E. Beautiful style
15. Arid
A. Due to soil B. Looking fashionable
C. Dirty in appearance D. Containing mud
E. Having little water
ANSWER KEY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 B 2 A 3 E 4 E 5 D
6 C 7 D 8 D 9 B 10 A
11 A 12 C 13 E 14 B 15 E
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Profit And Pleasure
ON SCIENCE
Profit and Pleasure not
only tickles your nerve
cells but also makes you
learn interesting facts
about the world. This
time around, we are focusing on some people and what
they did. Here we go!
1. It has been hailed as one of the Superfoods of
tomorrow by the World Health Organization as
one gram of this food contains protein equivalent
to those found in several kilograms of vegetables.
Doctors frequently recommend it to people with
protein deficiency and it is easily available in
capsule form worldwide. Which ultimate source of
protein are we talking about?
2. His theory on the birth and death of stars had
been largely ignored when made public but he
worked relentlessly for many decades to prove its
truth. Finally, it culminated in a well-deserved
Nobel Prize for Physics in 1983. The mass limit
beyond which the stars collapse is named after
this man, who was nephew of CV Raman, India’s
first Nobel laureate in Physics. Can you name
him?
3. This husband–wife duo has the rare distinction of
winning a Nobel Prize in science each. To cap it,
even their daughter was a Nobel Prize winner
later. Can you identify the woman in question?
4. Viagra is a blockbuster drug for erectile
dysfunction marketed by Pfizer. In reality, its
origins lie in a medicine for heart ailments, which
was incidentally found to have some other uses
as well. Can you name the chemical (salt)
involved?
5. Most refined oils these days carry a label like 99%
PUFA-rich oil or something similar. Such refined
oils claim to be good for your heart. What exactly
does PUFA mean?
6. He was constantly trying to generate electricity
from a magnetic field but met with no success.
One evening, dejected with the results, he threw
the magnet in his hand towards his equipment
and suddenly, the ammeter showed a slight
movement. His eyes sparkled as finally, he could
produce an electric current from a magnetic field.
Later, he invented the first electric motor and
dynamo. Can you recall the name of this famous
scientist?
7. This blood grouping was discovered based on
experiments on a certain type of monkey found in
Africa. Besides routine blood groupings i.e. A, B,
AB and O, a mention of this blood grouping is also
required in medical diagnosis. Which grouping
are we talking about?
8. The king of Greece gave an important assignment
to a famous scientist in those days to find out a
way to decide whether his throne was made of
genuine gold or not. The scientist took to the task
with exceptional dedication ad was deeply
involved in finding an answer all the time but
success eluded him. One morning, when he
plunged into his bathtub, an idea suddenly
occurred and excited with it, he jumped out of the
bathtub, on to the streets of Athens, shouting
“Eureka! Eureka! (I have found)”. Which famous
scientist is being talked about?
9. This well-known medieval scientist scribbled a
mathematical problem on the margins of his
diary and also wrote that he knew the solution
but would not reveal it. The problem has
troubled the mathematicians till date, with
several claims of a solution to it but no final
answers. Which problem are we discussing?
10. “Hello, Mr. Watson, I need you”. These famous
words marked the successful invention of a
revolutionary technology. Can you identify this
famous invention?
ANSWER KEY
1. Spirulina, algae
2. Subramaniam Chandershekhar
3. Marie Curie
4. Sildenafil Nitrate
5. Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids
6. Michael Faraday
7. Rh+ and Rh- (based on
Rhesus monkey)
8. Archimedes
9. Fermat’s Last Theorem
10. Telephone

GYANM QUIZ - 03
How much do you know about the world around you?
Take the quiz below to find out for yourself and WIN
some exciting prizes as rewards.
1. Who among the following is called the Bard of
Avon?
A. TS Elliot B. John Keats
C. Goethe D. William Shakespeare
2. Ajinomoto, which is added to Chinese dishes
as a flavor enhancer, is chemically called
A. Potassium Permanganate
B. Mono Sodium Glutamate
C. Glacial Acetic Acid
D. Sodium Metabenzoate
3. The El Nino effect is related to
A. Global warming
B. Ozone depletion
C. Artificial rains
D. Weather fluctuations
4. How many times can one become the
President of India?
A. There is no bar on the number of times a
person can become the President
B. Once only
C. Twice only D. Thrice Only
5. God’s Own Country ---- This is how …….. tries to
promote itself to the tourists.
A. Singapore B. Switzerland
C. Kerala D. Goa
6. Kerosene rises up a wick due to
A. Fluid properties B. Elasticity
C. Moment of inertia D. Capillary action
7. The ex-President of which country was
sentenced to death recently for a mass jail
break incident?
A. Bangladesh B. Singapore
C. Egypt D. Thailand
8. The first-ever population census in India was
conducted in
A. 1951 B. 1971
C. 1911 D. 1872
9. The Government of India makes borrowings
from the market through the
A. Prime Minister’s Office
B. Reserve Bank of India
C. Finance Ministry
D. State Bank of India
10. The largest population of Muslims is found in
A. Pakistan B. India
C. Bangladesh D. Indonesia
Heartiest congratulations to the winners of Gyanm
Quiz-03!
1. Nandani Avasthi, Kanpur
2. James Mathews, Goa
The winners are being informed by post.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: ____________________________________
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
PIN: _____________________
Mobile: ___________________________________ _
My answers to Gyanm Quiz - 01 are:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10.
Signature _______________
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. Please send your responses to the quiz, along with
your COMPLETE ADDRESS and PIN CODE, by 25th
July, 2015. The responses can be sent
By e-mail to gynam.college@gmail.com OR
On Whatsapp mobile number 09646888377 OR
By post to Gyanm College of Competitions,
SCO 13-15, 2nd Floor, Above Domino’s, Sector 34-A,
Chandigarh-160034
2. ONLY the residents of India are eligible to
participate.
3. In case of multiple correct entries, a draw will be
held to decide the winner/s.
3. The Prize/s CANNOT be exchanged for cash.
4. The decision of the jury shall be FINAL and
BINDING on all the participants.
5. The winners’ names shall be announced in the
September, 2015 issue.

Financial
Glossary
…… continued from previous issue
DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS -
DFIs
These financial institutions have been set up under
different acts of parliament, each for a specific
purpose. They do not have a banking license and
hence, cannot issue their own cheques. They have
limited public dealings and generally, they deal
with banks and other financial institutions. In
India, there are five major DFIs as under:
1. NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and
Rural Development): Set up in 1982 under
the NABARD Act 1981, it works for
development of agriculture and rural economy.
It is also the regulator of cooperative banks and
RRBs. It is owned by the Government of India
(99.50%) and RBI (0.50%)
Head Office: Mumbai
2. EXIM Bank (Export Import Bank of India):
Set up in 1982 under the Export-Import Bank
of India Act 1981, wholly owned by
Government of India, it works for the
promotion and financing of exports.
Head Office: Mumbai
3. NHB (National Housing Bank): Set up in 1988
under the National Housing Bank Act, 1987, it
is owned by the Reserve Bank of India and
works for the development of housing finance
sector and also regulates the housing finance
companies.
Head Office: New Delhi
4. SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank
of India): Set up in 1990 under the SIDBI Act,
1989 for the promotion, financing and
development of the Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprise (MSME) sector. Promoted by IDBI, it
is owned by a number of financial institutions.
Head Office: Lucknow
5. IFCI (Industrial Finance Corporation of
India):
Established in 1948 under an act of parliament,
it is the first Development Financial Institution
(DFI) in the country to cater to the long-term
finance needs of the industrial sector. The
government holds a majority share in IFCI
along with several other FIs.
Head Office: New Delhi
INDIAN FINANCIAL SYSTEM
The Indian Financial System has four
components:
1) Central Banking Authority– RBI – for
regulating money supply, currency, banks,
NBFCs, MFIs, Govt debt.
2) Capital Market Regulator–SEBI– protecting
investors’ interests, regulating stock
exchanges, mutual funds
3) Insurance Regulator – IRDA - for regulating
insurance companies
4) Pension Fund Regulator–PFRDA – for
regulation and management of Pension
Funds and Pension Schemes.
BANKING
RESERVE BANK OF INDIA
The Reserve Bank of India was set up on the basis
of the recommendations of the Royal Commission
on Indian Currency and Finance also called Hilton-
Young Commission. It is the central bank of the
country, responsible for the formulation and
implementation of the monetary and credit policy.
It is fully owned by the Government of India and
acts as a banker to the government and is the sole
issuer of currency.

 It was established in 1935 under the Reserve
Bank of India Act, 1934, with a capital of Rs 5
crore. Sir Osborne Smith was its first Governor
while its first Indian Governor was C. D.
Deshmukh.
 Later, it was nationalized in January 1, 1949. Its
financial year runs from July 1 to June 30.
 Governor – Dr. Raghuram G Rajan HQ –
Mumbai, Offices: 28 (19 regional offices, 9 sub-
offices).
 Deputy Governors (4): H.R. Khan (RBI), Dr. R.
Gandhi (RBI) Dr. Urjit Patel (Economist), S.S.
Mundra (Banker). Both, the RBI Governor and
the Dy. Governors have a tenure of five years
each.
FUNCTIONS
The RBI gets all its powers to control and regulate
the banks and to issue necessary directions to the
banks from time to time, under Section 35-A of the
Banking Regulation Act 1949. Some major
functions of the RBI are as under:
 Issue of notes and currency management
 Formulation and administration of Monetary &
Credit Policy
 Controller and regulator of the banking
business in India
 Banker to the Government
 Makes Ways and Means Advances (temporary
overdrafts) to Central and State Governments
 Banker’s Bank (banker of the last resort)
 Custodian of Foreign Exchange reserves
 Acts as the agent of the Government policy with
respect to India’s membership of the IMF and
the World Bank
OTHER IMPORTANT FACTS ABOUT THE RBI
 The Central Office of the Reserve Bank was
initially established in Calcutta, which was
later shifted to Mumbai in 1937.
 The RBI emblem depicts a Panther under a
Palm tree.
 Dr. Manmohan Singh was the only Prime
Minister who has also been the RBI Governor
(1982-1985).
 First women deputy Governor of RBI --- K J
Udeshi
 Note printing presses of RBI: Bharatiya Reserve
Bank Note Mudran Pvt. Ltd. at Salboni, West
Bengal and Mysore, Karnataka.
 The design of the currency note is approved by
the Government of India on the
recommendation of the RBI.
 The design of Symbol ` was conceived by D.
Uday Kumar.
BANKING OMBUDSMAN SCHEME 2006
The RBI introduced this scheme to acclerate the
resolution of complaints regarding certain services
rendered by the banks and to facilitate the
settlement of such complaints to the satisfaction of
the customer. The Ombudsman is appointed area
wise covering all the banks in that area and has the
jurisdiction to pass awards upto Rs. 10 lacs in
banking matters and up to Rs 1 lakh in credit card
cases.
APPELLATE AUTHORITY: Anybody not
satisfied with the decision of the Banking
Ombudsman can file an appeal with the Deputy
Governor of the RBI.
BANKING CODES AND STANDARDS BOARD
OF INDIA
It is an industry watch dog set up by the RBI to
monitor and assess the compliance with its codes
and the minimum standards of service to
individual customers, as prescribed by the RBI.
NATIONAL PAYMENTS CORPORATION OF
INDIA-NPCI
The NPCI was formed in 2009 by ten major banks
to consolidate and integrate all electronic retail
payment systems in India. The NPCI aims to ensure
that all these systems are customer friendly and
available round the clock and affordable to all. The
major services run by it include the National
Financial Switch for ATMs, RTGS, NEFT and ECS,
Cheque Truncation System and Immediate
Payment Service – IMPS for mobile phone banking.
IBA (Indian Banks Association)
It is the official industry association of all the banks
in India. It acts as a bridge between the banks on
one hand and the government and the staff unions
on the other.
Chairman: T. M. Bhasin, CMD of Indian Bank.
…………To Be Continued
SOURCE: FINANCIAL GLOSSARY,
A GYANM PUBLICATION

Latest MCQs
ON CURRENT AFFAIRS
JUNE GK TEST – 01
1. Manabi Bandopadhyaya was in news recently
as she
A. Became the first-ever transgender in India to
become the head of an educational institution
B. Swam across the English Channel in the
shortest time
C. Became the first-ever transgender in India to
become a TV news reader
D. Became the Director General, Indo Tibetan
Border Police
E. None of these
2. PALME d'Or, the award for best feature film at
the Cannes Film Festival, was bagged by
A. Dheepan B. Masaan
C. The Budapest Grand Hotel
D. Birdman
E. The Theory of Everything
3. The New Development Bank has been set up
by the …….. countries in ……….
A. SAARC, New Delhi B. G20, Shanghai
C. OECD, Vienna D. G8, Paris
E. BRICS, Shanghai
4. The USTAAD scheme is designed to help
A. rural artisans B. tribal sportspeople
C. traditional craftsmen and weavers
D. tribal musicians
E. sports coaches in general
5. In the recent elections to the House of
Commons in the UK, the ……… defeated the
…….. to capture power once again.
A. Labour Party, Conservative Party
B. Democratic Party, Republican Party
C. Conservative Party, Democratic Party
D. Republican Party, Democratic Party
E. Conservative Party, Labour Party
6. Which of the following book-author pairs is
WRONG?
A. World’s Best Boyfriend: Durjoy Dutta
B. Flood of Fire: Amitav Ghosh
C. Who Will Cry When You Die: Robin S Sharma
D. The Scion of Ikshvaku: Amish Tripathi
E. Half Girlfriend: Salman Khurshid
7. Japanese telecom giant SoftBank Corp has
appointed India-born ……… as its CEO.
A. Satya Nadella B. Vishal Sikka
C. Nikesh Arora D. Rohan Murthy
E. Anshu Gupta
8. The number of work days allowed per year to
the beneficiaries under MNREGA for drought
affected areas has been increased to
______________.
A. 180 B. 100
C. 125 D. 200
E. 150
9. The best solar-powered state in the country is
A. Rajasthan B. Haryana
C. Goa D. Punjab
E. Gujarat
10. The chemical responsible for the recent hooch
tragedy in Mumbai was
A. Ethyl Alcohol B. Glacial Acetic Acid
C. Methyl Alcohol
D. Mono Sodium Glutamate
E. None of these
11. The Election Commission has de-recognized
the ………. for non-compliance with statutory
disclosures.
A. National People’s Party
B. Bahujan Samaj Party
C. Republican Party of India
D. Trinamool Congress
E. Tamil Manila Congress
12. Which route to the Kailash Mansarovar Lake
was recently thrown open to Indian pilgrims
by the Chinese authorities for the first time
after 1962?
A. Silk Route B. Nathu la
C. Leh-Ladakh D. Shangri la
E. None of these
13. Charles Correa, who passed away recently,
was a legendary
A. Economist B. Architect
C. Photographer D. Painter
E. Musician
14. Bandhan is a/an
A. subsidy scheme launched to provide
subsidized meals to poor people in all towns

B. new player in the life insurance business
C. scheme launched by the government for the
welfare of the girl child
D. new player in the banking sector
E. anganwadi modernization scheme launched by
the government
15. WADA is an organization engaged in
A. anti doping work
B. sports management
C. organizing world cup for soccer
D. global criminal investigation
E. None of these
16. Britain recently observed 800 years of the
enactment of
A. Monarchy
B. Parliamentary democracy
C. Bill of Rights D. Magna Carta
E. None of these
17. Vedanta will acquire …………..in a $2.3-billion
all-share deal to create India’s largest
diversified natural resources company.
A. Hindustan Aluminum Ltd
B. Sesa Goa C. Cairn India
D. Sterlite E. JSW Steel
18. The validity of which controversial law passed
by the President Barack Obama has been
upheld by the Supreme Court of USA?
A. Indo-US Nuclear Deal B. Obamacare
C. US – China Nuclear Deal
D. Climate Control Issue
E. None of these
19. Which of the following bodies is responsible
for setting quality standards for the packaged
food industry in India?
A. Food and Civil Supplies Ministry
B. Food Safety Office
C. Food Corporation of India
D. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
E. Food and Drugs Administration
20. Anandpur Sahib in Panjab recently celebrated
its …….. foundation day.
A. 450th B. 300th
C. 400th D. 200th
E. 350th
21. The Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, which
had been set up by Mother Teresa, was
headed by ……. until recently.
A. Sister Mamta B. Sister Nirmala
C. Sister Ananda D. Sister Euphrasia
E. Sister Prema
22. The Parliament building in which country was
attacked by terrorists?
A. Syria B. Iran
C. Afghanistan D. Pakistan
E. Iraq
23. A state of emergency has been declared in
……….. due to the extreme heat wave
conditions prevailing there.
A. Syria B. Iran
C. Afghanistan D. Pakistan
E. Iraq
24. The G-20 Sherpa meeting was organized
recently in
A. Istanbul B. Geneva
C. Rome D. Islamabad
E. Qatar
25. The world’s longest 9280 km-long freight
train runs between
A. Beijing and Hamburg
B. Istanbul and Hamburg
C. Harbin and Yew
D. Harbin and Hamburg
E. Siberia and Guangzhou
26. The year 2015 marks the ……. anniversary of
the ………..
A. 50th, Liberation of Bangladesh
B. 40th, Janata Party government in India
C. 50th, Chinese attack on India
D. 40th, Emergency in India
E. 40th, Indo-Russia Friendship Treaty
27. Pick out the wrong pair:
A. National Commission for Women: Nirmala
Sitaraman
B. Gajendra Chauhan: Film and Television
Institute of India
C. Dr. Nasim Zaidi: Chief Election Commissioner
D. Mukesh Khanna: Children’s Film Society of
India
E. Pahlaj Nihalani: Central Board of Film
Certification
28. The full form of MSG, which dominated the
headlines last month for excessive levels
found in Maggi Noodles is:
A. Mono Saturated Gluconic Acid
B. Methyl Sulphonic Glutamate
C. Medium Grade Sulphate
D. Methyl Sodium Glutamate
E. Mono Sodium Glutamate
29. Which of the following union and state
ministers of a ruling party have been in news
recently for alleged wrongdoings?
1. Smriti Irani
2. Sushma Swaraj 3. Vasundhra Raje
4. Pankaja Munde
A. 1, 3 B. All of these
C. 1, 2, 3 D. 1, 2
E. 2 and 3
30. Currency notes in the denominations of Re.
500 and Re. 1000 issued prior to the year ……
are being withdrawn by the Reserve Bank of
India.
A. 2001 B. 2004

C. 2009 D. 2002
E. 2005
31. Which of the following is NOT a scheme
started by the central government?
A. AMRUT B. USTAD
C. Pradhan Mantri Surkasha Beema Yojana
D. SMART
E. Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
32. Which among the following Indo-Americans
has declared his intention to run for the
upcoming US presidential elections?
A. Keith Vaz
B. Bobby Jindal
C. Avtar Singh Chatwal D. SPS Oberoi
E. Didar Singh Bains
33. Which British Parliamentarian of Indian
origin is alleged to have helped Lalit Modi, ex-
IPL Commissioner get an extended stay in the
UK?
A. Keshubhai Patel B. Preet Singh Gill
C. Keith Vaz D. Tony Greg
E. Kelley Burton
34. Pick the odd one out.
A. State Bank of India
B. Federal Reserve Bank
C. Riksbank
D. European Central Bank
E. Reserve Bank of India
35. ……. has been appointed the Ayurveda brand
ambassador by Kerala.
A. Maria Sharapova B. Serena Williams
C. Martina Navratilova D. Steffi Graf
E. None of these
36. The International Yoga Day was observed on
June 21. Which other important day is
observed on June 21?
A. International Music Day
B. International Book Day
C. International Day of the Elderly
D. International Dance Day
E. International Environment Day
37. Which of the following is/ are the urban
development initiatives launched by the
government recently?
1. Smart Cities Mission
2. Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation-AMRUT
3. Housing For All
A. 2, 3 B. 1, 3
C. 1, 2 D. 1 Only
E. 1, 2, 3
38. The Nand Ghar Yojana launched by the
government aims to
A. bring about an improvement in the status of
Indian cows
B. improve the urban infrastructure in Mathura-
Vrindavan
C. improve the anganwadis in different states
D. improve the school children’s health
E. preserve all important places associated with
the life of Lord Krishna
39. Malwani in Maharashtra was in news recently
on account of a
A. a hooch tragedy there
B. communal riot which killed many people
C. landslide due to heavy rains
D. new defence establishment set up there
E. None of these
40. The International Cricket Council is to be
headed by
A. Sepp Blatter B. Imran Khan
C. Jagmohan Dalmiya
D. Zaheer Abbas
E. N Srinivasan
41. Which sporting body was caught in a big
scandal involving allegations of corruption
against its chief?
A. IOC B. IAA
C. WWF D. ICC
E. FIFA
42. Ajeya Warrior, which was in news recently,
is/was
A. a joint military exercise between the Indian
and the British armies
B. a new Indian Naval Vessel
C. the latest pilotless, target aircraft
D. a new medal introduced by the Army to
honour its men of merit
E. movie on the Army life
43. As per a recent Mercer Survey, …….. is the
costliest city in the world.
A. New York B. Tokyo
C. Mumbai D. Amsterdam
E. Luanda
44. Same-sex marriages have been made legal by
means of a referendum held recently in
A. Switzerland B. The Netherlands
C. Ireland D. All US states
E. The UK
45. The minimum support prices for farm
commodities are proposed by the
A. NITI Aayog
B. Food and Civil Supplies Ministry
C. Agricultural Prices Commission
D. Indian Council of Agricultural Research
E. Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices
46. The first-ever electric plane has been tested
by the scientists in
A. India B. France
C. China D. The USA
E. The UK
47. MERS, which was in news recently, refers to
A. a new regional bloc B. a disease
C. a new development bank

D. a newly discovered fundamental particle
E. None of these
48. Which new bank licensed by the Reserve Bank
of India will start its operations shortly?
A. India Post Bank B. IDFC Bank
C. Reliance Bank D. Bandhan
E. Raymond’s Bank
49. Which of the following is a cartel?
A. ASEAN B. WTO
C. OECD D. OPEC
E. NAFTA
50. Which minister of Delhi Government was
embroiled in a fake degree case?
A. Somnath Bharti B. Smriti Irani
C. Alka Lamba D. Jitender Tomar
E. Rakhi Bidlan
JUNE GK TEST – 02
1. Which of the following movies has created a
new world record for the highest first week
box office receipts?
A. The Unbendable B. PK
C. Fast and Furious D. Jurassic World
E. Inception
2. Which Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has
decided to start a medical education
programme?
A. IIT Delhi B. IIT Kharagpur
C. IIT Mumbai D. IIT Kanpur
E. IIT Chennai
3. The Asian Athletics Grand Prix was held in
A. Bangkok B. Jakarta
C. Tokyo D. Taiwan
E. Shanghai
4. Mustfizur Rahman, the cricket player, belongs
to
A. Sri Lanka B. Bangladesh
C. West Indies D. Pakistan
E. The UK
5. A cheque drawn on a bank must be presented
to the bank within …… of its issue before it
becomes a stale cheque.
A. 3 months B. 4 months
C. 6 months D. 1 year
E. None of these
6. Select the wrong pair.
A. Charles Correa: Architecture
B. Praful Bidwai: Journalism
C. Ruskin Bond: Literature
D. John Nash: Game Theory
E. Sitara Devi: Classical music
7. Nick Wallenda, who was in news recently, is
a/an
A. mountaineer B. sportsman
C. artist D. adventurist
E. scientist
8. Who among the following is/are NOT
proponent/s of Yoga?
1. BK Iyengar 2. Acharya Balkrishan
3. Baba Kalyani 4. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev
A.2 and 3 B. 1 only
C. 3 Only D. 1 and 4
E. All of them are proponents of Yoga
9. Bangladesh awarded its highest honour War
Liberation Award, during Prime Minister
Modi’s visit, to
A. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
B. Indira Gandhi
C. Sh. Lal Bahadur Shastri
D. Rajiv Gandhi
E. Jawahar Lal Nehru
10. The cases of money laundering by Indian
citizens are probed by the
A. National Investigative Agency
B. Income Tax Department
C. Enforcement Directorate
D. Serious Frauds Investigation Office
E. Intelligence Bureau
11. The Indian Army conducted a surgical strike
to destroy some terrorists’ camps in the
neighbouring
A. China B. Pakistan
C. Bangladesh D. Nepal
E. Myanmar
12. Murrah is a variety of
A. Rice B. Cow
C. Wheat D. Buffalo
E. Goat
13. As per the latest data, the no. 1 producer of
milk worldwide, is
A. Holland B. India
C. Denmark D. The USA
E. China
14. Pick the odd one out.
A. Wisden B. BCCI
C. ICC D. T-20
E. Put
15. The Kalchakra ceremony was observed
recently in
A. Lhasa B. Thabo monastery
C. Sarnath D. Sanchi
E. Dharamshala
16. The first-ever Indian player to be a part of the
NBA team in America is
A. Sim Bhullar B. Monty Panesar
C. Satnam Singh D. Kali Charan
E. None of these
17. The US Supreme Court has delivered a historic
judgment, which legalizes which of the
following :
A. all same-sex marriages in all American states
B. oral talaq for those practicing Islam

C. Nomination of non-Americans for the
presidential office race
D. euthanasia in all American states
E. all restrictions imposed by the government on
online posts
18. Ganga Bhuvan is best described as a/an
A. new tourist facility
B. mobile app
C. adventure sports academy
D. Ganga clean up mission
E. Both B and D
19. The Employees Provident Fund Organization
has decided to invest ….. % of its total corpus
in equity.
A. 5 B. 10
C. 50 D. 25
E. 15
20. The revised rate of Service Tax, as proposed
in the Budget 1015-16, is
A. 12.36% B. 14%
C. 14% plus cess D. 12% plus cess
E. 16%
21. Pick the odd man out.
A. MERS B. Ebola
C. Common Cold D. AIDS
E. Dengue
22. The India International Film Awards were
organized in
A. Goa B. Dubai
C. Thailand D. Singapore
E. Malaysia
23. The Chairman of the NITI Aayog is
A. Appointed separately by the government
B. The President of India
C. The Finance Minister
D. The Prime Minister of India
E. The Finance Secretary
24. The primary deficit of the Union Government
is
A. fiscal deficit + borrowing charges
B. equal to its fiscal deficit
C. the same as monetized deficit
D. fiscal deficit – borrowing charges
E. equal to borrowing charges
25. Which of the following acronyms is NOT
related to telecom technology?
A. GSM B. COAI
C. CDMA D. LTE
E. MNP
26. Which of the following scams rocked the
Maharashtra Government recently?
A. Housing scam B. Stamp paper scam
C. Fodder scam D. Chikki scam
E. Irrigation scam
27. Who has been declared the Greatest Cricketer
in an online poll recently?
A. Sir Vivian Richards B. Sir Garry Sobers
C. Don Bradman D. Richard Hadlee
E. Sachin Tendulkar
28. A massive recruitment and admission scandal
rocked which Indian state recently, leading to
the creation of a Special Investigation Team to
probe it?
A. Uttrakhand B. Chhattisgarh
C. Madhya Pradesh D. Uttar Pradesh
E. Haryana
29. Select the odd one out.
A. BAFTA B. Golden Globe
C.OSCAR D. Golden Panda
E. Grammy
30. The One Rank One Pension system proposed
by the government will ensure
A. equal pension to all those retiring at the same
time
B. equal pension for Ex Servicemen retirees of
equal ranks, irrespective of the date of retirement
C. equal pension for all retirees, irrespective of
the date of retirement
D. equal pension to government employees on
retirement
E. None of these
31. The Atal Pension Yojana has replaced which
existing scheme :
A. Swavlamban B. Sahaayata
C. Swayam D. Jagannath
E. Sampoorna
32. An Indian student recently bagged the ………
held in the USA.
A. National Spelling Bee
B. National Mathematics Olympiad
C. Space Olympiad
D. Biology Olympiad
E. English Olympiad
33. The buffer stock of foodgrain is maintained by
the government to
A. meet foodgrain shortages
B. help check prices in case of foodgrain
shortages
C. distribute it among the BPL families
D. Only A E. Both A and B
34. The total budget earmarked for 100 smart
cities in India is (approximately) Rs.
A. 48000 Crore B. 98000 Crore
C. 4800 Crore D. 163000 Crore
E. None of these
35. Which of the following states is likely to go to
Assembly elections this year?
A. Goa B. Delhi
C. Uttar Pradesh D. Haryana
E. Bihar
36. Sepp Blatter, who dominated the headlines
recently, is a
A. sportsman
B. sports administrator

C. sports coach D. politician
E. None of these
37. Mohammed Morsi, ex –President of ……, was
sentenced to death by a court.
A. Egypt B. Bangladesh
C. Yemen D. Syria
E. Afghanistan
38. Which ex-President of the International
Monetary Fund was acquitted by a court of
sexual harassment charges?
A. Robert McNamara B. Louis Strauss Kahn
C. James Wolfenson D. Joseph Stiglitz
E. None of these
39. Which of the following companies was
recently involved in a controversy regarding
the safety of its products?
A. Hindustan Unilever B. Hershey’s
C. Nestle D. Cadbury’s
E. Coca Cola
40. The acronym GST stands for
A. General Sales Tax
B. Goods and Services Tax
C. Generalized Sales Tax
D. Government Sales Tax
E. General Standard of Taxation
41. Hawala is a term related to
A. Illegal selling practices
B. Futures and options
C. Sports D. Stock markets
E. Money laundering
42. A two day Hemsi Festival was recently held in
A. Ladakh B. Dharamshala
C. Varanasi D. Kathmandu
E. Lhasa
43. As per the latest SEBI guidelines, the shares
issued through an Initial Public Officer must
be listed within ……. days of the closure of the
issue.
A. 12 B. 4
C. 6 D. 8
E. 30
44. The International Day Against Drug Abuse
was observed on
A. June 5 B. April 23
C. March 15 D. March 8
E. June 26
45. Charleston in South Carolina was in news as
due to a
A. a bombing incident B. a train accident
C. a cyclone D. firing incident
E. None of these
46. The minimum support price for paddy has
been hiked to ……. a quintal.
A.Rs. 1360 B. Rs. 1410
C. Rs. 1460 D. Rs. 1510
E. Rs. 1580
47. A deal to create a Tripartite Free Trade Area
has been signed by some countries in
A. South America B. North America
C. Asia D. Africa
E. Europe
48. Which of the following is NOT a town recently
included in the National Capital Region?
A. Jind B. Karnal
C. Muzzafarnagar D. Sonepat
E. Kurukshetra
49. Chandel in Manipur was in news due to
A. insurgents trouble
B. an Army cross-border operation
C. police firing D. bombing incident
E. None of these
50. The OPCW is a global organization engaged in
A. destroying nuclear weapons
B. working for the release of illegal detainees
C. destroying chemical weapons
D. addressing issues of health
E. addressing labour issues
ANSWER KEY – 1
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 A 2 A 3 E 4 C 5 E
6 E 7 C 8 E 9 A 10 C
11 A 12 B 13 B 14 D 15 A
16 D 17 C 18 B 19 D 20 E
21 B 22 C 23 D 24 A 25 D
26 D 27 A 28 E 29 B 30 E
31 D 32 B 33 C 34 A 35 D
36 A 37 E 38 C 39 A 40 D
41 E 42 A 43 E 44 C 45 E
46 C 47 B 48 D 49 D 50 D
ANSWER KEY – 2
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 D 2 B 3 A 4 B 5 A
6 E 7 D 8 C 9 A 10 C
11 E 12 D 13 B 14 E 15 B
16 C 17 A 18 E 19 A 20 C
21 E 22 E 23 D 24 D 25 B
26 D 27 E 28 C 29 E 30 B
31 A 32 A 33 E 34 A 35 E
36 B 37 A 38 B 39 C 40 B
41 E 42 A 43 C 44 E 45 D
46 B 47 D 48 E 49 A 50 C

SBI PO PRELIM( Based on Memory )
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
DIRECTIONS: Rearrange the following six sentences
(A), (B), (C), (D), (E) & (F) in a proper sequence to
form a meaningful paragraph, then answer the
questions given thereafter.
(A) Take, for example, the market for learning dance.
(B) This could never happen if there was a central
board of dancing education which enforced strict
standards of what will be taught and how such
things are to be taught.
(C) The Indian education system is built on the
presumption that if something is good for one
child, it is good for all children.
(D) More importantly, different teachers and
institutes have developed different ways of
teaching dance.
(E) There are very different dance forms that attract
students with different tastes.
(F) If however, we can effectively decentralize
education, and if the government did not
obsessively control what would be the “syllabus”
and what will be the method of instruction, there
could be an explosion of new and innovative
courses geared towards serving various niches of
learners.
1) Which of the following should be the LAST
(SIXTH) sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) F
c) D d) C
e) B
2) Which of the following should be the THIRD
sentence after the rearrangement?
a) A b) B
c) F d) D
e) E
3) Which of the following should be the SECOND
a) A b) B
c) C d) D
e) F
4) Which of the following should be the FIRST
a) A b) B
c) C d) D
e) E
5) Which of the following should be the FOURTH
a) A b) B
c) C d) E
e) D
DIRECTIONS: Read the following passage carefully
and answer the questions given thereafter. Certain
words/phrases have been given in bold to help you
locate them while answering some of the questions.
Manufacturers of consumer packaged good (CPG)
face two key challenges this year. The first is continued
slow or negative growth in people’s disposable incomes.
The second is changing consumer attitudes toward
products and brands, as the great fragmentation of
consumer markets take another turn. In response,
companies must dramatically shift the route they take to
reach consumers in terms of both product and
distribution. In many markets, consumer wages have
been static for five years now. Even where economies
are starting to perform better, the squeeze on after-tax
wages, especially for the middle class, younger people
and families, is depressing consumer spending.
Although growth in developing countries is still better
than in the United States and Europe, a slowdown in
emerging countries such as China - where many
countries had hoped for higher sales- has translated
quickly into lower-than-expected consumer spending
growth.
Meanwhile, what we call the great fragmentation
is manifested in consumer behavior and market
response. In both developed and emerging markets,
there is a wider variety among consumers now than at
any time in the recent past. Growth is evident both at
the top of the market (where more consumers are
spending for higher-quality food – and other packaged
goods) and at the lower end (where an increasing
number of consumers are concentrating on value). But
the traditional middle of the market is shrinking.

Further, individual consumer behavior is more
pluralistic. We are used to seeing, for example, spirits
buyers purchasing a premium band in a bar, a less costly
label at home for personal consumption and yet another
while entertaining guests. But this type of variegated
shopping has now spread to the grocery basket as well.
Fewer consumers are making one big stocking-up trip
each week. Instead, shoppers are visiting a premium
store and a discounter as well as a supermarket, in
multiple weekly stops- in addition to making frequent
purchases online. During recession, more shoppers
became inclined to spend time hunting for bargains and
as some traditional retailers either went out of business
or shuttered down, retail space was freed up and was
often filled by convenience stores, specialty shops, and
discounters.
A decade ago, VCPG companies had only a
handful of sales channels to consider supermarkets,
convenience stores, hypermarkets in advanced
economies and traditional small and large retailers in
emerging countries. Since then, various discounters
have made significant inroads, including no frills, low
variety outlets, such as Europe’s Aldi and Lidi, which sell
a limited range of private-label grocery items in smaller
stores and massive warehouse clubs, such as Costco and
Sam’s club, which initially operated solely in the U.S. but
are now expanding internationally. In addition, dollar
stores, specialized retailers, and online merchants are
having an impact on the CPG landscape. Economising
consumers have been pleasantly, surprised by the
savings generated by spreading their business among
multiple channels, as well as by the variety and product
quality they find. The result has been greater demand
for more products and brands, with different sizes,
packaging and sales methods. At most CPG companies,
SKUs are proliferating despite there being little increase
in overall consumption. A better outcome can be seen at
smaller food and beverage suppliers, which are
benefiting from consumer demand for variety and
authenticity. A recent report found that in the U.S., small
manufacturers (with revenues of less than US$1 billion)
grew at twice the compound annual rate of large
manufacturers (with revenues of more than $3 billion)
between 2009 and 2012.
Consumers’ media usage has also fragmented
with the rise of digital content and the proliferation of
online devices. Each channel- from the Web, Mobile and
social sites for radio, TV, and print- has its own
requirements, audience appeal and economics, needing
specialized attention. But, at the same time, media
campaigns need to be closely coordinated for effective
consumer messaging.
Collectively, these shifts challenge the way CPG
companies manage their brand and business portfolios
and call for a rethinking of their go-to-market approach,
with an emphasis on analytics. Our work with INSEAD
shows that among business leaders, applying analytics-
especially for tracking consumer behavior and product
and promotional performance-considered one of the
most effective ways to improve results and outpace the
competition. But it’s not just about insight. It’s also
about using the insight wisely to determine how to
manage costs. The more knowledgeable about customer
needs and preferences a company is, the smarter and
more focused it must be in managing its own economics
to cost-effectively deliver both variety and value to the
squeezed consumer.
6) The central theme of the given passage is
a) The shrinking market.
b) Shift towards offering luxury goods to
consumers.
c) Products to offer consumers with squeezed
pockets.
d) To highlight the products consumed by the
middle class.
e) Gaining insight into changing consumer
behavior towards CPGs.
7) In the context of the passage, which of the
following brands existed otherwise but is now
being manifested in buying groceries as well?
a) Consumers purchasing the same products for
over a period of time.
b) Consumers willing to purchase goods for a
longer period of time.
c) Consumers preferring luxury goods over
regular goods.
d) Consumers are more aware of their rights.
e) Consumers prefer buying goods from a variety
of stores.
8) Which of the following is most nearly the
OPPOSITE in meaning to the word
‘DEPRESSING’ as used in the passage?
a) encouraging b) sunny
c) doubtful d) light
e) nil
9) As mentioned in the passage, CPG companies
may have to reassess their present strategies
of operating to
(A) retain their customers.
(B) keep pace with changing consumer
preference as they have access to multiple media
channels.
(C) make more cost-effective decisions.
a) Only A b) Only B
c) All the three A, B and C

d) Only C e) Only A and B
10) Which of the following is true in the context of
the passage?
a) In the US, during the three year period after
2009, small manufacturers did not fare well as
compared to their larger counterparts.
b) The impact on disposable incomes of people
barely affects the CPG manufacturing industry.
c) Post-tax wages, especially for the middle class,
are one of the critical factors which have reduced
spending behavior of consumers.
d) CPG have always been a favourite among
consumers.
e) None of the given options is true.
11) Which of the following correctly explains the
meaning of phrase ’a handful of’ as used in the
passage?
a) Boundless b) Planned
c) Satisfactory d) Limited
e) Imperfect
12) As mentioned in the passage, one of the most
critical factors that aids in catering to the
needs of consumers is
a) persuading them to purchase the goods
produced by the organization.
b) assess their requirements and appropriately
plan to meet them.
c) offering them products that an organization
regularly manufactures.
d) concentrating only on being aware about the
consumers’ changing preferences.
e) None of the given options.
SAME in meaning to the word ‘SHRINKING’ as
used in the passage?
a) developing b) annoying
c) narrowing d) wasting
e) rising
SAME in meaning to the word ‘VARIEGATED’
as used in the passage?
a) diverse b) composite
c) strong d) narrow
e) valued
OPPOSITE in meaning to the word
‘SHUTTERED’ as used in the passage?
a) closed b) retail
c) flourished d) gratified
e) nearest
DIRECTIONS: Read this sentence to find out whether
there is any grammatical mistake/error in it. The
error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence.
Mark the part with the error as your answer. If there
is no error, mark ‘No Error’ as your answer. (Ignore
the errors of punctuation, if any)
16) After his term in the Department of
Defence/he was appointed Secretary of
Energy/a job in which he was strongly
supported the use/ of alternate sources of
energy such as nuclear energy.
a) After his term in the Department of Defence
b) he was appointed Secretary of Energy
c) a job in which he was strongly supported the
used
d) of alternate sources of energy such as nuclear
energy.
e) No error
17) As GDP growth is half of what it/is just a few
years ago, the country/desperately needs to
cut the red tape and improve/the
infrastructure to boost investment and
growth.
a) As GDP growth is half of what it
b) is just a few years ago, the country
c) desperately needs to cut red tape and improve
d) infrastructure to boost investment and growth.
e) No error
18) When elections in the country due
shortly/people are determined to register as
voters and to vote for/ candidates based on
their track record and the programmes/ that
they intend to implement for the betterment
of the country.
a) When elections in the country due shortly
b) people are determined to register as voters
and to vote for
c) candidates based on their track record and the
programmes
d) that they intend to implement for the
betterment of the country.
e) No error
19) At least a quarter of the world’s corals have
lost/over the past twenty-five years and as
climate change warms/the oceans the
additional carbon dioxide will make/the
water more acidic, further destroying coral
reefs.
a) At least a quarter of the world’s corals have
lost
b) over the past twenty-five years and as climate
change warms

c) the oceans the additional carbon dioxide will
make
d) the water more acidic, further destroying coral
reefs.
e) No error
20) The Prime Minister’s speech laid out how/it is
important to encourage female
participated/in the economy yet the
percentage of female law-makers in/the
lower house of parliament has fallen to 8
percent.
a) The Prime Minister’s speech laid out how
b) it is important to encourage female
participated
c) in the economy yet the percentage of female
lawmakers in
d) the lower house of parliament has fallen to 8
percent.
e) No error
DIRECTIONS: The question has two blanks each
blank indicating that something has been omitted.
Choose the set of words for each blank that best fits
the meaning of the sentence as a whole.
21) Three unknown assailants _________on
motorcycles and opened __________ barely a few
metres from where the actor was shooting.
a) came, shooting b) rode, rounds
c) arrived, fire d) approached, hitting
e) climbed, shots
22) The police _________ in ___________ a car theft case
within a matter of two hours of registration of
the complaint.
a) achieved, solving b) victorious, catching
c) famed, arresting d) succeeded, cracking
e) failed, assigning
23) The health ministry has approved a major
expansion of post-graduate seats in key
departments of AIIMS to __________ the severe
__________ of specialists across the country.
a) address, dearth b) correct, loss
c) improve, damage d) rectify, limits
e) good, shortage
24) With the _________ wedding season, people are
leaving no stone unturned to make their
wedding cards look _________.
a) prolonged, beyond b) ongoing, special
c) instant, great d) sudden, while
e) estimated, legible
25) The tourism data ____________ that Indians are
____________ the biggest spenders while on
holidays.
a) says, within b) reveal, amongst
c) proclaims, between d) states, surrounded.
e) speaks, amid
DIRECTIONS: In the given passage, there are blanks,
each of which has been numbered. Against each, five
words are suggested, one of which fits the blank
appropriately. Find out the appropriate word in
each case.
A strong economy would improve livelihoods and give
hope for the future, but the lack of reliable electricity in
the country has contributed to holding back prosperity.
Over the past five years, GDP growth has averaged 3
percent, too …..(26)….. to fight poverty and create jobs.
Demand for power outstrips what the country can
produce and …..(27)…... Planned and unplanned
electricity outages of 12 to 16 hours daily nationwide
…..(26)….. business, aggravate unemployment and
spark angry protests. The country has …..(29)….. energy
resources- an estimated 186 billion tons of coal, over
100,000 megawatts of hydro potential and wind
potential of up to 3,46,000 megawatts. But the
technology and investment to …..(26)….. these
resources are limited. An overreliance on imported fuel
has exposed the country to high oil prices and there isn’t
enough money to keep the system- a mix of private and
state run enterprises- running or to fix faulty
infrastructure that leaks electricity. A resolution of
power crisis is, thus, very critical to the survival of the
country.
26) a) much b) low
c) required d) tough
e) minimal
27) a) represent b) sufficient
c) adequate d) amount
e) deliver
28) a) run b) happens
c) plans d) effect
e) hurt
29) a) ample b) fix
c) worst d) frequent
e) paucity
30) a) lack b) solve
c) waste d) exploit
e) advantage

QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
1) At present, P is 6 years older to R. The
respective ratio between the present ages of P
and M is 3:4. At present R is 14 years younger
to M. What is R’s present age?
a) 15 years b) 17 years
c) 23 years d) 18 years
e) 38 years
Directions (Qs 2-6):In the question two equations
numbered I and II are given. You have to solve both
the equations and mark the appropriate answer.
2)
I. 4x2 + 17x + 15 = 0
II. y2 - 5y + 6 = 0
a) x ≥ y b) x ≤ y
c) x > y d) x < y
e) relationship between x and y cannot be established
3)
I. 3x2 - 17x + 22 = 0
II. 5y2 - 21y + 22 = 0
a) x ≥ y b) x ≤ y
c) x > y d) x < y
4)
I. 3x2 + 11x + 10 = 0
II. 2y2 + 13y + 21 = 0
a) x ≥ y b) x ≤ y
c) x > y d) x < y
5)
I. 3x2 + 13x + 14 = 0
II. 8y2 +26y + 21 = 0
a) x ≥ y b) x ≤ y
c) x > y d) x < y
6)
I. 3x2 – 14y + 15 = 0
II. 15y2 – 34y + 15 = 0
a) x ≥ y b) x ≤ y
c) x > y d) x < y
Directions (Qs 7-11): Study the table to answer the
given question.
Data related to expenses by companies A, B, C, D and
E in the April 2012
Companies Total
Expenses
(in Lakh
rupees)
Expenses (in
percentage)
Marketing Legal
A 90 24 18
B 80 23 8
C 74 30 25
D 65 20 10
E 70 15 9
(Note: Other than the mentioned expenses under
the given heads, there may also be some other
expense. For calculation purposes, please consider
the given expense heads only.)
7) What is the respective ratio between the
marketing expense of company A and the
marketing expenses of company C?
a) 31 : 32 b) 37 : 33
c) 40 : 41 d) 36 : 37
e) 31 : 38
8) Total expenses of Company E in October 2012
was 20% more than the given expenses of the
same company in April 2012. How much was
the Marketing expenses of the same Company
in October 2012, if it was 25% of the total
expenses of the same month? (in Rs. Lakhs)
a) 23 b) 24
c) 15 d) 21
e) 20
9) Marketing expenses of company D is less than
marketing expenses of Company B, by
approximately what percent?
a) 12 b) 10
c) 31 d) 59
e) 29
10) What is the average total expense of all the
companies? (in Rs. Lakhs)
a) 76.8 b) 75.8
c) 75.12 d) 62.8
e) 82.25
11) What is the difference between the total
expenses made by company C in legal and
marketing together and the total expenses
made by company E in legal and marketing
together? (in Rs. Lakhs)
a) 25.4 b) 25.3
c) 29.2 d) 23
e) 23.9

Direction (Qs 12-16): What approximate value will
come in place of the question mark (?) in the given
question? (You are not expected to calculate the
exact value)
12) 6399 x 1
8
5
+ 353 = 10444 + ?
a) 309 b) 208
c) 107 d) 310
e) 311
13) (624) x 14.02 + (404) x 15.97 = ?
a) 670 b) 507
c) 806 d) 514
e) 621
14) 8461  11.99 – 24.01  5/100 = ?
a) 658 b) 100
c) 856 d) 900
e) 225
15) 14.85% of 679 + 19.9% of 219.89 = ?
a) 155 b) 145
c) 756 d) 105
e) 568
16) 1441  ? + 149.98 x 14.99 = 3006
a) 10 b) 15
c) 2 d) 6
e) 9
Directions (Qs 17-21): What will come in place of ?
in the following questions.
17) 19 30 44 67 117 ?
a) 236 b) 272
c) 264 d) 248
e) 254
18) 7 9 18 46 111 ?
a) 245 b) 229
c) 233 d) 248
e) 237
19) 7 24 58 109 ? 262
a) 183 b) 189
c) 171 d) 163
e) 177
20) 19 20 16 25 9 ?
a) 32 b) 38
c) 34 d) 42
e) 48
21) 7.4 9.2 11.4 14 17 ?
a) 19.8 b) 22.6
c) 23 d) 21
e) 20.4
22) A bag contains 5 red balls, 6 yellow balls and 3
green balls. If two balls are picked at random,
what is the probability that either both are
red or both are green in colour?
a) 3/7 b) 5/14
c) 1/7 d) 2/7
e) 3/14
23) A vessel contains 60 litres of a mixture of milk
and water in the ratio of 13 : 2. How much
water has to be added to it so that the ratio of
milk and water in the resultant mixture may
be 4 : 1 ?
a) 5 litres b) 6 litres
c) 4 litres d) 3 litres
e) 8 litres
24) In a stream running at 2 km/hr, a motorboat
goes 10 km upstream and back again to the
starting point 55 minutes. Find the speed of
the motorboat in still water. (In km/hr)
a) 25 b) 21
c) 26 d) 22
e) None of these
25) Two partners invests Rs. 1,50,000 & Rs. 75000
respectively in a business & agree that 60% of
the profit should be divided equally between
them & the remaining profit treated as
interest on capital. If one partner gets Rs. 500
more than the other, find the total profit made
in business.
a) Rs. 4000 b) Rs. 5000
c) Rs. 3500 d) Rs. 3750
e) Rs. 3000
26) The length of a rectangle is 4m more than the
side of a square and the breadth of the
rectangle is 4m less than side of the same
square. If the area of the square is 625 sq. m.,
what is the area of the rectangle? (in sq. m)
a) 609 b) 621
c) 651 d) 690
e) 619
27) A man purchases a certain number of oranges
at 4 per rupee & the same number at 5 per
rupee. He mixes them together & sells them at
4 per rupee. What is his gain or loss%?
a) 142/7% b) 111/9%
c) 17% d) 19 %
e) None of these
28) 18 men can reap a field in 50 days. In how
many days will 30 men reap the field?
a)
3
2
30 days b) 31 days
c) 32.5 days d) 30 days
e) None

29) Rs. 16, 000 was invested for three years,
partly in Scheme A at the rate of 5% Simple
Interest per annum and partly in scheme B at
the rate of 8% Simple Interest per annum.
Total Interest received at the end was Rs.
3480. How much sum of money was invested
in Scheme A?
a) Rs. 6,000/- b) Rs. 6,500/-
c) Rs. 4,500/- d) Rs. 4,000/-
Directions (Qs 30-35): Refer to the graph and
answer the given question.
Data related to number of hats sold by two stores
(M and N) during six given months:
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
Numberofhatssold
M 640 400 780 600 660 440
N 380 560 480 720 520 720
JANUA
RY
FEBRU
ARY
MARC
H
APRIL MAY JUNE
30) Number of hats sold by store M during January
is what percent of the total number of hats
sold by the store N during March and April
together?
a) 51
3
1
b) 55
3
2
c) 47
3
1
d) 53
3
1
e) 57
3
2
31) What is the average number of hats sold by
store N during January, March, May and June?
a) 535 b) 525
c) 515 d) 500
e) 530
32) Stores M and N sells only two types of hats:
Fedora Hats and Trilby Hats. If the respective
ratio of total number of Fedora hats to total
number of Trilby hats sold by stores M and N
together during March is 9 : 5, what is the total
number of Fedora hats sold by stores M and N
together during March?
a) 990 b) 900
c) 720 d) 630
e) 810
33) If the total number of hats sold by stores M
and N together in July is 15% more than the
total number of hats sold by the same stores
together during June, what is the total number
of hats sold by the same stores together
during July?
a) 1298 b) 1316
c) 1356 d) 1284
e) 1334
34) Number of hats sold by store M increased by
what percent from February to May?
a) 75 b) 55
c) 65 d) 70
e) 60
35) Monthly salary of D is 1/4th of his father’s
monthly salary. D’s sister’s monthly salary is
2/5th of their father’s monthly salary. D’s
sister pays Rs. 12,800, which is 1/4th of her
monthly salary as study loan. Savings and
expenses made out of the monthly salary, by D
is in the respective ratio 3 : 5. How much does
D save each month?
a) Rs. 12,000/- b) Rs. 10,600/-
c) Rs. 10,400/- d) Rs. 12,600/-
e) Rs. 12,400/-
REASONING ABILITY
Study the information carefully and answer the
given question.
A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H are sitting around a
circular area of equal distances between each other, but
not necessarily in the same order. Some of the people
are facing the centre while some face outside. (i.e. in a
direction opposite to the centre)
NOTE: Same direction means if one person is facing the
centre then the other faces the centre and vice-versa.
Opposite direction means that if one person is facing the
centre then the other faces outside and vice-versa.
D sits third to the right of B. E sits second to the
left of B. Immediate neighbours of B face the same
direction (i.e. if one neighbour faces the centre the other
neighbour also faces the centre and vice-versa) C sits
second to the left of E. E faces the centre. F sits third to
the right of C. G sits second to the left of H. H is not an
immediate neighbour of B. G faces the same direction as
D. Immediate neighbours of E face opposite directions

(i.e. if one neighbour faces the centre the other
neighbour faces outside and vice-versa.). Immediate
neighbours of F face opposite directions (i.e. if one
neighbour faces the centre the other neighbour face
outside and vice-versa.)
1) How many people in the given arrangement
face the centre?
a) Two b) Three
c) One d) Four
e) Five
2) Which of the following is true regarding A as
per the given seating arrangement?
a) H sits second to the left of A
b) A faces outside
c) Only two people sit between A and B.
d) C is one of the immediate neighbours of A.
e) Only three people sit between A and G.
3) Four of the following five are alike in a certain
way based on the given seating arrangement
and so form a group. Which is the one that
does not belong to that group?
a) F b) H
c) B d) G
e) D
4) What is E’s position with respect to H?
a) Third to the left
b) To the immediate left
c) To the immediate right
d) Second to the right
e) Third to the right
5) Who sits second to the left of G?
a) H b) A
c) B
d) Other than those given as options
e) F
Step the given information carefully and answer the
given question.
 A, B, C, D, K, L and M live on seven different floors of
a building but not necessarily in the same order.
The lowermost floor of the building is numbered
one, the one above that is numbered two and so on
till the topmost floor is numbered seven. Each one
of them also likes different games namely-Snooker,
Badminton, Chess, Ludo, Cricket, Hockey and Polo
(but not necessarily in the same order.)
 Only three people live between B and K. B lives on
one of the floors above K. K does not live on the
lowermost floor.
 Only one person lives between B and the one who
like Chess. The one who likes Polo lives on one of
the even numbered floors above the one who like
Chess.
 Only two people live between M and the one who
like Chess. The one who likes Snooker lives
immediately above M. A lives immediately above L.
A does not like Chess.
 The one who likes Ludo lives on one of the odd
numbered floors below L. M does not like Ludo. D
lives on one of the floors above C. Only one person
lives between the one who likes Cricket and the one
who likes Hockey.
 D does not like Cricket. M does not like Badminton.
6) Which of the following games does B like?
a) Snooker b) Ludo
c) Polo d) Badminton
e) Chess
7) Who amongst the following lives on the floor
numbered 4?
a) The one who likes Hockey
b) The one who likes Chess
c) A d) L
e) B
8) Which of the following statements is true with
respect to the given arrangement?
a) Only two people live between K and M.
b) The one who likes Hockey lives immediately
above K.
c) C likes Chess
d) C lives on an even numbered floor.
e) None of the given options is true.
9) If all the people are made to sit in alphabetical
order from top to bottom, the positions of how
many people will remain unchanged?
a) None b) Three
c) Two d) One
e) Four
10) Which of the following combinations is true
with respect to the given arrangement?
a) Polo – C b) Ludo – B
c) Cricket – K d) Chess – L
e) Snooker – A
11) A person starts walking from his office
towards a party hall. He walks for 30m
towards East. He takes a 900 right turn and
walks for 15m. He again takes a 900 right turn,
and walks for another 20m. He then walks for
25m after taking a 900 left turn. Turning 900
towards his right he walks for 10m to reach
the party hall. How far and in which direction
is the party hall from his office?

a) 40m towards West
b) 40m towards South
c) 45m towards South
d) 45m towards North
e) 40m towards North
In this question, two/three statements followed by two
conclusions numbered I and II have been given. You
have to take the given statements to be true even if they
seem to be at variance from the commonly facts and
then decide which of the given conclusions logically
follows from the given statements disregarding
commonly known facts.
12) Statement: Some wins are trophies. Some
trophies are cups. No cup is a prize.
Conclusion I: Atleast some cups are wins.
Conclusion II: All prizes being trophies is a
possibility.
a) Only conclusion I is true
b) Only conclusion II is true
c) Either conclusion I or II is true
d) Both conclusion I and II are true
e) Neither conclusion I nor II is true
13) Statements: No layer is a coat. All coats are
deposits. All deposits are sheets.
Conclusion I: All coats are sheets.
Conclusion II: All deposits can never be layers.
14) Statements: Some flats are apartments. No
apartment is a hall. Some halls are rooms.
Conclusion I: Atleast some rooms are flats.
Conclusion II: No apartment is a room.
15) Statements: Some wins are trophies. Some
trophies are cups. No cup is a prize.
Conclusion I: No trophy is a prize.
Conclusion II: No prize is a win.
16) Statements: Some codes are secrets. All secrets
are puzzles.
Conclusion I: All secrets being codes is a
possibility.
Conclusion II: Atleast some puzzles are codes.
17) Point A is 40m to the north of point B. Point C is
20m to the west of point A. Point D is 30m to the
south of point C. Point E is exactly midway
between points D and F in such a manner that
Point D, E and F form a horizontal straight line of
30m. Point F is to the east of point D. Point G is
30m to the north of point F. How far and in which
direction is point G from point A?
a) 30m towards West b) 40m towards North
c) 10m towards East d) 20m towards East
e) 30m towards East
18) Statements I: L = P  W < V  K  Q; B < L; K = M
Conclusion I: B < V
Conclusion II: M > P
19) Statements: L = P  W < V  K  Q; B < L; K = M
Conclusion I: L  Q
Conclusion II: W = M
20) Statements: R  U = B < S; B  X
Conclusion I: X > R
Conclusion II: X = R
21) Statement: C > U  S < T = O > D  Y; Z = O  P
Conclusion I: U > D
Conclusion II: S < P

22) Statements: C > U  S < T = O > D  Y; Z = O  P
Conclusion I: Z > Y
Conclusion II: C < O
Study the following information and answer the
given question.
 J is the sister of T. T is married to D. D is the father
of R.
 M is the son of the H. T is the mother-in-law of H.
 D has only one son and no daughter.
 J is married to B. L is the daughter of B.
23) How is L related to T?
a) Niece b) Sister
c) Cannot be determined
d) Daughter e) Mother
24) How is M related to D?
a) Nephew b) Uncle
c) Brother d) Son
e) Grandson
25) How is J related to R?
a) Sister b) Aunt
c) Mother-in-law
d) Mother
e) cannot be determined
Study the given information carefully to answer the
given question.
In a certain code language,
‘efforts required in teaching’ is written as ‘dp kj te hy’
‘teaching kids is tough’ is written as ‘dp op cs mb’
‘task required huge efforts’ is written as ‘hy kj re ba’
(All codes are two letter codes only)
26) In the given code language, what does the code
‘kj’ stand for?
a) in
b) either ’required’ or ‘efforts’
c) either ‘huge’ or ‘kids’
d) task e) huge
27) What is the code for ‘teaching’ in the given
code language?
a) hy b) te
c) op
d) other than those given as options
e) kj
28) What is the code for ‘kids’ in the given code
language?
a) either ‘mb’ or ‘cs’ b) either ‘op’ or ‘gr’
c) dp
d) other than those given as options
e) re
29) What will be the code for ‘in task’ in the given
code language?
a) te hy b) dp kj
c) ba kj
d) ba te
e) other than those given as options
30) What may be the possible code for ‘quite
tough heart’ in the given code language?
a) uc ba re b) gr uc re
c) op uc gr d) op kj hy
e) op gr kj
Study the following information to answer the given
question.
 Eight friends E, F, G, H, L, M, N and O are seated in a
straight line, facing North, but not necessarily in the
same order.
 sits at the extreme right end of the line. Only four
people sit between O and G.
 Only two people sit between M and L. L is not an
immediate neighbour of O.
 N sits second to left of E.
31) What is the position of L with respect to G?
a) Third to the right
b) To the immediate left
c) Second to the right
d) Fourth to the right
e) Second to the left
32) Based on the given arrangement, which of the
following is true with respect to N?
a) Only three persons sit between N and O.
b) None of the given options is true
c) Only one person sits to the right of N.
d) E sits to immediate right of N.
e) Both L and F are immediate neighbours of N.
33) Who amongst the following people represents
the person seated at the extreme left end of
the line?
a) E b) N
c) L d) F
e) H
34) How many persons are seated between O and
E?
a) Two b) Three
c) None d) Four
e) One
35) Who amongst the following sit exactly
between M and L?
a) E, N b) F, O
c) F, G d) E, G
e) H, N

ANSWER KEY
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 B 2 E 3 A 4 C 5 E
6 E 7 E 8 A 9 C 10 E
11 D 12 B 13 C 14 A 15 A
16 C 17 B 18 A 19 A 20 B
21 C 22 D 23 A 24 B 25 B
26 B 27 E 28 E 29 A 30 D
QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 D 2 D 3 A 4 C 5 D
6 A 7 D 8 D 9 E 10 B
11 E 12 A 13 A 14 E 15 B
16 C 17 D 18 E 19 E 20 C
21 E 22 C 23 A 24 D 25 D
26 A 27 B 28 D 29 D 30 D
31 B 32 E 33 E 34 C 35 A
REASONING ABILITY
Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A. Q. A.
1 E 2 B 3 B 4 B 5 A
6 D 7 A 8 B 9 D 10 D
11 B 12 B 13 A 14 E 15 E
16 D 17 C 18 D 19 C 20 C
21 B 22 A 23 A 24 E 25 B
26 B 27 D 28 D 29 D 30 C
31 E 32 B 33 C 34 C 35 C

Latest G.K. Bytes
JUNE – 2015
1) According to the data released by the Central
Statistics Office (CSO) on May 29, the Indian
economy grew at __________ per cent in 2014-15: 7.3
2) Union Finance Ministry has introduced two new ITR
forms for what purpose: For Income Tax Returns
3) According to United Nations annual hunger report -
'The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015' by
FAO, which country accounts for over 24 per cent of
the total 795 million hungry people in the world:
India
4) Which ministry has launched a new website -
www.khoyapaya.gov.in: Women and Child
Development Ministry
5) What is the objective of the recently launched
khoyapaya.gov.in website: To report about a
missing child and to track the efforts towards his
or her recovery
6) OPCW is the global chemical weapons watchdog.
What is its full form: Organization for the
Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
7) Name the two countries that were visited by the
President of India in the first week of June: Sweden
and Belarus
8) Which country has plans to form a huge gold
investment fund of over $16 billion to play a bigger
role in the global gold trade: China
9) In which recent international sports event, Indian
participants captured eight gold medals:
International Wrestling Tournament, Italy
10) Deepika Kumari won a bronze medal in the women's
individual Recurve event of the World Cup at
Antalya, Turkey. She participated in which game:
Archery
11) Name the prestigious spelling contest of USA which
was won by Indian origin American children - Vanya
Shivashankar, 13, and Gokul Venkatachalam, 14:
Scripps National Spelling Bee Contest
12) Name the three star cricketers who joined the BCCI
in a newly-constituted advisory panel to guide the
board in all matters related to the game: Sachin
Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V V S Laxman
13) Which country has successfully developed the first
ATM with facial recognition technology to reduce the
risk of frauds related to ATMs: China
14) George Yeo, Former Foreign Minister of Singapore
has been appointed as the new Chancellor of which
prestigious university of India: Nalanda University,
Rajgir, Bihar
15) Ameenah Gurib-Fakim has been elected as the first
woman President of which country: Mauritius
16) _________ has taken over as Chairman, Managing
Director and CEO of Hero MotoCorp, world’s no one
two wheeler company: Pawan Munjal
17) Vijai Sharma has been appointed to which top
constitutional post: Chief Information
Commissioner
18) __________ has been appointed as the new Central
Vigilance Commissioner: K V Chowdary
19) The book “Men Explain Things to Me” has been
written by which author: Rebecca Solnit
20) Name the book written on Indian political scenario
recently by the noted journalist Ashutosh: The
Crown Prince, the Gladiator and the Hope: Battle
for Change
21) On May 2 RBI reduced the repo rate by ______ basis
points to 7.25%: 25
22) After the recent cut in repo rate, what is the new
bank rate: 8.25%
23) RBI lowered the GDP growth rate for 2015-16 to
7.6% on what grounds: Lower than average
monsoon and higher food inflation
24) The Reserve Bank has capped the remuneration of
non-executive director of private banks to Rs.
______lakhs per annum: 10
25) RBI has issued the draft guidelines on the NSFR
under Basel III framework on liquidity standards for
banks. What is the full form of NSFR: Net Stable
Funding Ratio
26) The 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project
has been launched on which river: Ganga
27) The 1620 kms long National Waterway–1 is
proposed to be launched between which two cities:
Allahabad and Haldia
28) Global brokerage firm Nomura has projected that
India will grow by 8% in 2015-16. This firm is based
in which country: Japan
29) India was ranked at ______ rank in the annual global
competitiveness report by a Switzerland-based
business school: 44th
30) In terms of competitiveness, which country has been
ranked at the top in a recent Swiss study: USA
31) On June 3 India joined the Multilateral Competent
Authority Agreement for what purpose: For
Automatic Exchange of Financial Account

Information
32) Name the 17,500 feet high mountain pass in
Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand that was opened
on June 1 for this year's India-China trade and
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra: Lipulekh Pass
33) With which country India signed a 10-year defence
framework agreement for co-development of
defence equipment manufacturing: USA
34) World Bank has approved $250 million loan for
reconstruction of flood-affected public
infrastructure of which State: Jammu and Kashmir
35) President of India was conferred the Professor
Honoris Causa degree recently by which country:
Belarus
36) Irwin Rose, noted biochemist from America who
shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, was in
news for what reasons: He passed away
37) In collaboration with which ministry Indian
Academy of Pediatrics has started the world's
largest digital mass education programme to
address malnutrition in women and children:
Ministry of Women and Child Development
38) Edward Snowden, former US security contractor
and electronic surveillance whistleblower was
honoured with which international prize recently:
Norwegian prize for freedom of expression
39) Bangladesh has granted permission to which
Indian insurance company to book business in
Bangladesh: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of
India
40) World Bank granted a $400-million loan to which
state to improve services in urban local bodies:
Tamil Nadu
41) The 21st Asian Athletics Championships were held
at which place in China: Wuhan
42) Name the star athlete who bagged the gold medal in
the men’s shot put event at the 21st Asian Athletics
Championships: Inderjeet Singh
43) Tintu Luka won the gold medal in which event at the
Asian Athletics Championship: 800 m race
44) Ace Indian athlete Vikas Gowda won the gold medal
at the 21st Asian Athletics Championship in which
event: Discuss throw
45) Name the country that won the highest medals in the
recently held Asian Athletics Championship: China
46) In which Indian city local metro was started on June
3, 2015: Jaipur
47) Name the veteran cricketer who has been appointed
as the Director of the Indian cricket team: Ravi
Shastri
48) World Milk Day is observed on which date: June 1
49) Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of ______arrived in New
Delhi on a two-day (June 5-6) visit to India:
Netherland
50) The government has decided to increase the
Minimum Import Price of which item to protect local
growers from the cheaper imports: Areca Nuts
51) The leaders of G-7 countries held their 41st summit
on June 7-8 in which country: Germany
52) The G-7 group includes as member an international
union of states also. Which is that: European Union
53) Which country was visited by our Prime Minister on
June 6: Bangladesh
54) Name the honour that was conferred on Sri Atal
Bihari Vajpayee by the Bangladesh Govt.:
Bangladesh Liberation War Honour
55) Name the three Indian cities which now have direct
bus service with Dhaka, Bangladesh: Kolkata,
Agartala and Guwahati
56) Which country recently suffered an outbreak of
deadly virus disease MERS: South Korea
57) What is the full form of MERS: Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome
58) The virus of MERS is suspected to have come from
which animal: Camel
59) French Open 2015 Men’s title was won by Stan
Wawrinka. He is from which country: Switzerland
60) _____________ won the women’s title in the French
Open 2015: Serena Williams, USA
61) French Open tournament is popularly known by
which other name: Rolland Garros
62) A cruise ship carrying 456 people, capsized in which
river in China, killing almost all the occupants:
Yangtze River
63) In which state recently insurgents killed over 20
army personnel in an unprecedented ambush:
Manipur
64) The Department of Post (India Post) has signed a
deal with which IT company to personalise over 15
million debit cards for its savings account holders:
CMS Info Systems
65) R. Seshasayee has been appointed Non-Executive
Chairman of the Board of which Indian IT major:
Infosys Ltd.
66) International Indian Film Academy – IIFA award
ceremony was recently held at which place:
Kualalumpur, Malaysia
67) ______________ film was declared as the best feature
film for 2014 at IIFA awards: Queen
68) IIFA award for best actor and best actress was won
by: Shahid Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut
69) Name the cricketer who has been appointed coach of
the India A and Under-19 cricket teams: Rahul
Dravid
70) The Canadian Grand Prix held at Montreal, Canada
was won by this person: Lewis Hamilton
71) Name the programme launched from Jaipur on June
6 aimed at turning at least one water stressed village
in each district of the country into a water surplus
village: Jal Kranti Abhiyan
72) Which bank has selected 100 highly qualified
candidates for its 13-month fellowship programme

`Youth for India' to work in rural areas: State Bank
of India
73) The book titled ‘Flood of Fire’ has been written by
which author: Amitav Ghosh
74) The 25th African Union summit was held at_________,
South Africa on June 7-8: Pretoria
75) Railways have tied up with which airlines to enable
its wait-listed passengers to book airline tickets at
some extra cost: Spice Jet and Go Air
76) Ashobaa is the name of the cyclonic storm that
developed over __________ sea recently: Arabian
77) In a relief to the bankers, RBI has allowed banks to
take what action against the defaulting borrowers:
Banks have been allowed to take over the control
of defaulting company
78) R C Tayal has been appointed as the new Director
General of which elite counter-terror force: National
Security Guard
79) __________ has been appointed as the new non-
executive Chairman of the Board of ICICI Bank: M K
Sharma
80) Which Indian organization has been awarded Space
Pioneer Award – 2015 by the US National Space
Society: ISRO
81) ISRO has won Space Pioneer Award – 2015 for
which achievement: For Mars Orbiter Mission
82) Anantjeet Singh Naruka won the gold in which event
in the 7th International junior shotgun cup held in
Orimattila, Finland: Skeet
83) India’s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response
Centre has been started near which city: Mumbai
84) Govt. has decided to include _______ district of Uttar
Pradesh and the ___________and __________ districts of
Haryana as part of the urban conurbation of National
Capital Region (NCR): Muzaffarnagar, Jind and
Karnal
85) IREDA has been awarded the Mini Ratna (Category-
I) status by the Govt. of India. What is the full form of
IREDA: Indian Renewable Energy and
Development Agency
86) The latest Global Economic Prospects report from
World Bank says that __________is expected to top the
growth chart in world, growing by 7.5 per cent this
year: India
87) Name the free trade agreement signed by 26 African
countries down from South Africa upto Egypt: The
Tripartite Free Trade Area
88) As per latest data, which are the top 3 crude oil
producing countries of the world: USA, Saudi
Arabia and Russia
89) Name the India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier that
was brought out from the Cochin Shipyard Ltd. on
June 10: INS Vikrant
90) HDFC Bank Ltd has launched a multipurpose
banking mobile app named ___________: PayZapp
91) In a one of the first-of-its-kind cross-border
operation, about 50 militants of groups namely
NSCN (K) and KYKL were killed by Indian army on
June 9. What specific name is given to such
operations: Surgical Operation
92) India, Australia and Japan held trilateral talks on
June 10 in which city to discuss the security situation
in the Asia Pacific: New Delhi
93) RBI has allowed bills of postpaid mobile service,
piped gas and water supply as OVDs for proof of
address for opening bank account. What is OVD:
Officially Valid Document
94) As per Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid
sportsperson in the world, __________ is the richest
sportsperson of the world: Floyd Mayweather
95) As per Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid
sportsperson in the world, __________ is the richest
sportsperson of the India: MS Dhoni
96) Name the Padma Sri awardee, creator of world
famous iconic ‘Rock Garden’ at Chandigarh, who
passed away on June 12 at the age of 90 years: Nek
Chand Saini
97) Prime Minister of which country resigned after the
prosecutors questioned the authenticity of his
school-leaving certificate: Moldova
98) Union Cabinet has approved the signing of BBIN
Motor Vehicle Agreement. The term BBIN stands for
what: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
99) Railway Ministry has decided to run ________ trains
from next month with dynamic fares to address the
rush during peak travel seasons: Suvidha
100) The second border haat (rural market) was opened
for common people at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala
district of _______ bordering Brahmanbaria district of
Bangladesh: Tripura
101) RBI has allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to
invest in __________ to encourage flow of capital into
the country: Chit Funds
102) Name the legendary English actor, singer and writer
famous for his charismatic negative roles in movies
such as Dracula, The Wicker Man, James Bond, Lord
of the Rings etc, who passed away recently: Sir
Christopher Lee
103) Government has given exemption from which levy
on import of drugs and test kits used to treat HIV
and AIDS infections: Import Duty
104) National Blood Transfusion Council has launched a
mobile app that covers all the 2760 licensed blood
banks of the country, for what purpose: To know
location of nearest blood bank
105) Name the movie that has become the first film to
have collections of more than 500 million dollars at
the box office on its opening weekend: Jurassic
World
106) On June 15, Britain observed the 800th anniversary
of which historic event: Signing of Magna Carta
107) The historic charter Magna Carta is hailed as the

cornerstone of which type of democracy:
Parliamentary
108) The European space probe Philae that woke up on
June 13 after seven months-long sleep, is stationed
on which celestial body: Comet 67P
109) Govt. has launched an insurance pool of Rs. 1,500
crore to offset the financial burden on foreign
________________ in case of an accident: Nuclear
Suppliers
110) Name the India’s largest private miner company that
acquired the oil firm Cairn India in a $2.3-billion all-
share deal to create India’s largest diversified
natural resources company: Vedanta Ltd.
111) China launched the world’s longest freight train
route on June 13 linking city of Harbin in northeast
China with which German city: Hamburg
112) ISRO has developed an android based augmented
reality application named ___________ to highlight the
achievements of the Department of Space during
past one year: Sakaar
113) India is home to the ________ largest number (928) of
ultra-high-net-worth households that have more
than 100 million dollars in private wealth: Fourth
114) Name the former Union Minister, a sister-in-law of
Jawaharlal Nehru and oldest surviving former
parliamentarian who died recently: Sheila Kaul
115) Indian Railways has named which train as Yoga
Express to commemorate International Yoga Day on
June 21: Haridwar Mail
116) On June 16 BSNL started limited free wi-fi hotspots
at which prominent historical tourist monument:
Taj Mahal
117) Govt. has decided to increase the number of
workdays under NREGA scheme from 100 days to
150 days in which areas: Only in drought affected
areas
118) Govt. has launched Crop Insurance Portal
www.farmer.gov.in to give information on what
issue to the farmers through SMS: Adverse Weather
Conditions
119) The CCEA on June 17 increased the minimum
support price of paddy by Rs 50 to Rs 1,410 per
quintal for this year. What is full form of CCEA:
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs
120) In terms of MSP which is the costliest daal (pulse):
Moong (Green Lentils)
121) The Cabinet has approved stepping up of India’s
solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission by five times, reaching
__________ Mega Watt by 2022: One Lac
122) Name the govt. project launched to focus on
rehabilitation of slum dwellers in the urban areas:
Housing for all
123) According to a report for 2013 by WADA, India has
third largest number of dope offenders in sports.
What is Wada: World Anti-doping Agency
124) Which country has made the world's first electric
passenger aircraft: China
125) State Bank of India has launched SBI eforex, an
internet- based platform to enable customers to do
what type of transactions online: Foreign exchange
transactions
126) _____________ became the first Indian footballer to
score 50 international goals in 87 matches: Sunil
Chhetri
127) As per Global HR firm Mercer’s "Cost of Living
Survey 2015”, __________was rated as the most
expensive city in India: Mumbai
128) A new global study reveals that incidence of
elder abuse is highest in ___________ among
Asian countries: China
129) Which major industrial country has lowered
the age of voters from 20 to 18: Japan
130) The Navlekhan award of Bharatiya Jnanpith is given
to which category of persons: Upcoming Hindi
Writers
131) Bangladesh defeated Team India by 6 wickets on
June 21 to register their first ever series win against
India. The match was played at which place: Mirpur,
Dhaka
132) EPFO has decided to make UAN mandatory for all
employers covered under the EPF and Miscellaneous
Provisions Act 1952. Write full form of UAN:
Universal Account Number
133) At the G-20 sherpa meeting in Turkey on June 16,
India was represented by which minister: Suresh
Prabhu
134) Name the noted America trained Mumbai based
Indian architect, known for his unique indigenous
architectural style, who passed away recently:
Charles Correa
135) __________ became the first bank in India to partner
with Alibaba.com to provide easier trade finance to
India-based sellers on the portal: ICICI Bank
136) Name the bank formed by a Kolkata-based micro
lender that has been cleared by the RBI to start
functioning as a bank from August 23: Bandhan
bank
137) ____________ is the author of the book titled ‘World’s
Best Boyfriend’: Durjoy Dutta
138) Name the IIT that will soon become the first
engineering institute in India to venture into medical
education: IIT Kharagpur
139) India broke which two Guinness world records in
the Yoga event organized at Rajpath in New Delhi on
June 21: Largest Yoga assembly and participation
by largest number of nationalities in a single
event
140) Finance Ministry released coins of the denomination
of Rs _____ and Rs ______ on the occasion of
International Yoga Day: 10 and 100
141) India has moved down to _______ place in terms of

foreigners' money in Swiss banks, having a share of
just 0.123 per cent: 61st
142) European scientists have discovered the brightest
galaxy and have nick named it CR-7 after which
popular football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
143) With an installed capacity of 1147 megawatt for
solar power, _______________ topped the list of states
commissioning grid connected solar power projects
in the country: Rajasthan
144) The Election Commission suspended the recognition
of which Party on June 16 because it failed to submit
its poll expenditure statement in time: National
People’s Party
145) Which Pakistani city was in news as hundreds of
persons died their due to severe heat wave
conditions: Karachi
146) Capital of which country was in news as the
Parliament there was attacked by six armed
militants on June 22: Afghanistan
147) China opened which mountain pass on Sikkim
border to facilitate Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra:
Nathu La
148) Nico Rosberg won the Austrian Grand Prix F1
championship for the second year in a row at
Spielberg, Austria on June 21. He is from which
country: Germany
149) From June 21, the Railways commenced the SMS
alerts to inform the passengers about which issue:
About the cancelled trains
150) Which city in South Carolina, USA was in news due
to killing of nine Afro–American devotees in one of
the worst racial hate crimes in USA: Charleston
151) Turkey’s former President and five times Prime
Minister was in news as he expired recently. What
was his name: Suleyman Demirel
152) Sangita Kalanidhi Award is given every year in
Chennai for excellence in which field of music:
Carnatic Music
153) Name the lady who became the first ever 100 per
cent visually-challenged person to get selected for
the prestigious Indian Foreign Service: Beno
Zephine
154) India has agreed to be a partner country in the
Russia’s major Industrial Fair named __________ to be
held at Yekaterinburg, Russia in July 2016:
INNOPROM-2016
155) For what reasons the holy city of Punjab – Shri
Anandpur Sahib was in news recently: Celebrating
its 350th foundation day
156) Name the joint exercise held between the armies of
India and UK, from June 13 to 28 in UK: Ajeya
Warrior
157) Which country has put a ban on wearing earphones
while driving a vehicle and riding a cycle, w.e.f. July
1, 2015: France
158) Name the nun who succeeded Mother Teresa in
1997 as the head of the Missionaries of Charity in
Kolkata and died recently at the age of 81: Sister
Nirmala
159) Govt. has started a mobile application
named___________, where the public can upload
pictures of pollution sources of the Ganga River for
further action by the authorities concerned: Bhuvan
Ganga
160) Steffi Graf, tennis legend from Germany has been
appointed the brand ambassador for Ayurveda by
which state: Kerala
161) Former Pakistan captain _______ has been selected as
the new President of the International Cricket
Council (ICC) for a one year term: Zaheer Abbas
162) Name the three schemes that have been launched on
June 25 for rejuvenation of urban infrastructure in
India: i) Smart Cities Mission ii) Atal Mission for
Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation iii)
Housing for All
163) Name the Rs. 48000 cr. scheme launched for
developing 100 smart cities in India: Smart Cities
Mission
164) Govt. has launched which scheme for improvement
of basic infrastructure in 500 cities with population
of over 1 lac.: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and
Urban Transformation-AMRUT
165) Name the govt. scheme that has been launched to
promote slum free cities: Housing for all
166) “Housing for All” scheme aims at constructing
_____________ crore houses for the urban poor in all the
4041 towns of India: Two
167) India’s first Nand-ghar has been opened in which
state: Haryana
168) Govt. has launched a scheme for modernization of
Anganwadi centres by which name: Nand-ghar
Yojana
169) Name the Indian cricketer who has been rated as the
best test player of the world in a recent survey:
Sachin Tendulkar
170) Name the veteran Indian press journalist, author and
anti-nuclear activist, who passed away accidently in
Netherlands: Praful Bidwai
171) Malvani was in news as over 100 persons were
killed there due to consumption of spurious liquor.
Where is this place: In Mumbai
172) Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India bagged
gold in shot put and 800 mts race, respectively, in
the Asian Athletics Grand Prix. It was held at which
place: Bangkok, Thailand
173) What is the new name for the Solar Energy
Corporation of India (SECI): Renewable Energy
Corporation of India (RECI)
174) Bhagavad Gita, the sacred ancient Indian scripture,
has made its debut recently in which country: China
175) The annual Hemis festival dedicated to the Guru
Padmasambha is held in which place: Ladakh, J&K

176) __________________, MD of HDFC Bank has been ranked
as the highest paid banker of India in 2014: Aditya
Puri
177) In a recent study, India ranked among 20 most
violent places in the world. Which is the most
peaceful country of the world: Iceland
178) The Reserve Bank has recently allowed banks to
borrow from global multilateral financial
institutions for what purpose: General Banking
Business
179) SEBI has announced relaxed listing norms and
liberalized several other terms to encourage which
particular category of business: Startups
180) SEBI has made investment in all IPOs cheque free by
making subscription through ASBA mandatory.
What is the full form of IPO and ASBA: Initial Public
Offering & Application Supported by Blocked
Amount)
181) Name the Indian basketball player who became first
Indian to be drafted by the National Basketball
Association (NBA) of USA: Satnam Singh Bhamara
182) Google has now introduced an ___________ option that
will help its users to cancel the delivery of the
misdirected or inappropriate emails within 30
seconds of hitting the send button: Undo
183) The RBI has extended the date for exchange of pre-
2005 currency notes by ____ months to December 31,
2015: Six
184) _____________ has emerged as the top donor country by
pledging one billion dollars aid to earth quake hit
Nepal for reconstruction work: India
185) World Bangla Conference organized by the Vishwa
Bangla Sammelan was held in _________, Madhya
Pradesh: Nagpur
186) The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit
Trafficking observed globally on which date: 26
June
187) ________ became the first Indian to play with 100
different partners on ATP Circuit: Leander Paes
188) The validity of which controversial law passed by
the President Barack Obama has been upheld by the
Supreme Court of USA: Obamacare
189) As per the Baseline Profitability Index (BPI)
compiled in New York, USA ___________ has been
ranked as the best country in terms of attracting
foreign investment: India
190) Scientist in which country have developed the
world's first full-colour, flexible ultra-thin nano-
structured film that can change colours by applying
voltage: USA
191) Data released by the US based World Resources
Institute ______________ is the country which produces
highest amount of climate damaging greenhouse
gases: China
192) Which Indian State has launched the Digital locker
system ‘Akshay’ on June 27 under which public can
store important records and certificates: Kerala
193) Which Indian bank plans to install 10 lakh payment
card swipe machines (point of sales terminals)
across the country: State Bank of India
194) RBI has issued Rs 100 denomination banknotes in
Mahatma Gandhi Series - 2005 with which new
security feature: Both the number panels of these
banknotes will be in ascending size from left to
right
195) With which country India has signed a series of
agreements for cooperation in health sector: USA
196) Supreme Court of which country has allowed
marriage of same gender couples across the country:
USA
197) The government has hiked the Minimum Export
Price (MEP) of ____________ by 175 dollar per tonne to
425 dollar per tonne to discourage its exports:
Onion
198) In which of our neighbouring country, the President
dissolved the Parliament on June 27, paving the way
for fresh parliamentary elections in mid August: Sri
Lanka
MAY – 2015
199) Union cabinet has launched a new scheme to replace
the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal
Mission (JNNURM). What is its formal name: Atal
Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT)
200) Union Cabinet on April 29 approved the Smart Cities
Mission for development of ________ smart cities with
an outlay of Rs. 48,000 crore: 100
201) Messenger spacecraft has ended a four-year mission
to Mercury by crashing into the planet after running
out of fuel. The space craft was managed by which
country: USA
202) The Union cabinet has decided that the minimum
monthly pension under the Employees Pension
Schemes will not be less than Rs. ________: 1000
203) The Union Cabinet approved amendments to the
Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 for enhancing
the penalty under it to a maximum of ________years
imprisonment from the present five years: seven
204) ___________ has been appointed as the Chairperson of
the Children's Film Society of India: Mukesh
Khanna
205) Mukesh Khanna, a renowned TV / Film artist is
known for his role of which Super Hero:
Shaktimaan
206) Name the book for which Siddhartha Gigoo won the
Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2015 for Asia
region: Umbrella Man
207) As per recent RBI guidelines, urban co-operative
banks are not allowed to issue ________ credit cards:
Co branded
208) Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Money) recently won

the $180 million prize money by securing World
Welterweight title. He is from which country: USA
209) Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge from UK
Royalty gave birth to a baby girl who is _________in
line to the throne. 4th
210) What is the name of the over all trophy for the
national senior athletics championships held in
Mangaluru, Karnataka: The Federation Cup
211) Recently, two Indians, Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr
Pramod Patil won the Whitley Award for their
contribution to wildlife conservation. What is its
popular name: Green Oscar
212) Which country won the World Team Chess
Championship (Men’s) leaving Ukraine at second
place at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia: China
213) Indian chess players __________ and _________ won the
silver and bronze medal respectively, in individual
category at World Chess Championship: D Harika
and K Humpy
214) Which country conferred its highest civil award “The
Order of The Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’
recently on an Indian scientist: Japan
215) Name the Indian scientist honoured recently by the
Japan Govt. with its highest civilian award: CNR Rao
216) Surender Singh has been appointed new Director
General of which paramilitary force: Central
Industrial Security Force, CISF
217) 5th National women hockey championship was held
at which place: Saifai, Uttar Pradesh
218) Who won the 5th National women hockey
championship: Railways
219) Among Indian states, ______________ attracts largest
number of foreign tourists followed by Tamil Nadu:
Maharashtra
220) Which city has a unique distinction of having more
bookstores per capita than any other major city in
the world: Buenos Aires, Argentina
221) Which country became the 161st member of the
World Trade Organization (WTO): Seychelles
222) SEBI has replaced the mandatory three colour risk
code with a new pattern that will help investors to
understand better the risks involved in mutual fund
investments. What is its name: Riskometer
223) Which Indian airport has been adjudged the world's
best airport for the year 2014, under the category of
handling 25 to 40 million passengers per annum:
Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi
224) At which international event India's top rifle
shooters have won a rich haul of three gold and two
bronze medals: International Shooting
Competition
225) May 3 is observed every year as the “World Press
Freedom Day”. What is the theme for this year: Let
Journalism Thrive
226) Name the two big names in the Indian retail
operations who have joined hands to create one of
India's biggest retail chain with more than 570
stores across the country: Future Retail Ltd. And
Bharti Retail Ltd.
227) World’s largest solar power plant is proposed to be
set up at Gurh tehsil in Rewa district of which state
to produce 750 megawatt (MW) of electricity:
Madhya Pradesh
228) Name the veteran journalist, writer and renowned
Tagore researcher who passed away in Kolkata on
May 2 at the age of 88: Amitabha Chowdhury
229) The Reserve Bank has imposed a penalty of Rs 1.5
crore each on Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and
Oriental Bank of Commerce for violation of which
rules: KYC norms
230) The Goods and Services Tax Bill was passed by the
Lok Sabha on May 6. Once it becomes an act, it will
replace which type of taxes: Indirect Taxes like
sales tax, excise and service tax
231) India and Iran have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding for the development of which
strategically important port in Iran: Chabahar
232) President of India visited recently which super
power: Russia
233) The 119th amendment bill to the Indian constitution
refers to which matter: Land boundary
agreement with Bangladesh
234) Name the indigenously-developed missile whose
first regiment was inducted in the Indian army on
May 5: Akash
235) Akash is which category of missile and what is its
range: Surface to air, 25 Kms
236) Name the ex Union Minister for environment who
wrote the book Green Signals: Ecology, Growth and
Democracy in India: Jairam Ramesh
237) What is the name of the cloud computing-based
offering by Microsoft that will enhance digital
learning and teaching in schools and higher
education institutions, in India: Edu-Cloud
238) Name the Oscar – winning US author, famous for his
novel “Dances with Wolves”, who died recently:
Michael Blake
239) The Lok Sabha passed on May 7 the Juvenile Justice
(Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014 which
allows _____ to _______ year old child offenders in
heinous crimes to be tried like adults: 16 to 18
240) Achal Kumar Jyoti, a retired IAS officer from Gujarat
has recently been appointed to which important
national level post: Election Commissioner
241) Geeta Phogat and Lalita Sherawat, each won a
bronze medal in women's category of which sports:
Wrestling

242) Name the satirical French weekly that won the
Freedom of Expression Courage Award by the PEN
American Center: Charlie Hebdo
243) Govt. has launched Credit Enhancement Guarantee
Scheme for Scheduled Castes to provide easy finance
to the upcoming SC entrepreneurs. The scheme will
be implemented by which financial institution:
Industrial Finance Corporation of India Ltd.
244) Which Indian company figures at the top of the 56
Indian companies listed in the world's 2000 largest
and most powerful public companies list compiled
by the Forbes's magazine, USA: Reliance Industries
245) The Union Cabinet has approved the renewal of the
existing double taxation avoidance agreement
(DTAA) with which country: South Korea
246) The Reserve Bank has asked banks to issue only
_____________ and PIN-enabled debit and credit cards
from September 1 onwards, a move aimed at
protecting customers from frauds: Chip-based
247) World Asthma Day is observed on which date: 5th
May
248) What is the theme of this year’s World Asthma Day:
You can control your Asthma
249) Name the Indian politician who has written the Book
“At Home in India- The Muslim Saga”: Salman
Khurshid
250) Prime Minister launched three social security
schemes at Kolkata on May 9. Name these schemes:
1) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, 2)
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, 3) Atal
Pension Yojana
251) What is the age group of the persons in eligible
under Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana: 18-70
years
252) Name the politician who has been re-elected as the
Prime Minister of UK: David Cameroon
253) Which particular party regained power in the recent
general elections held in Britain: Conservative
Party
254) Which major political party of Britain is popularly
known as Tories: Conservative Party
255) What is the name of the parliament of UK:
Parliament
256) What is the name of the lower house of the British
parliament to which MPs are elected: House of
Commons
257) As per the 'State of the World's Mothers' report for
2015, which country tops the list: Norway
258) India has been placed at which rank in the 'State of
the World's Mothers' report for 2015: 140th
259) The Reserve Bank has recently issued a set of “early
warning signals” to monitor the performance of
which banking product: Loans
260) With an aim to expedite FDI clearance process, the
FIPB's powers to recommend foreign investment
proposals have been hiked to Rs. _____ crore, against
Rs 1,200-crore limit at present: 3000
261) The abbreviation FIPB stands for: Foreign
Investment Promotion Board
262) Asian Development Bank signed a 31 million US
dollars loan agreement to boost water availability in
selected river basins of which State: Karnataka
263) Prime Minister released a commemorative coin on
May 8 to mark the birth centenary of Swami
Chinmayananda. Swami ji worked in which field:
Education and Social Reform
264) The National Green Tribunal has directed every
household of which city to pay a monthly charge
proportionate to their property tax or water bill as
Sewage Cess: Delhi
265) Which Indian state is home to the largest gathering
of Asiatic lions: Gujarat
266) Name the tennis star who won the Madrid Masters
Men's Singles Title: Andy Murray
267) 68th Cannes Film Festival was held at which place:
Cannes, France
268) Name the MP who has been re-nominated as
Chairman of Parliament’s Public Accounts
Committee: K V Thomas
269) INS Sardar Patel is the name of a new _____________ of
the Indian navy: Operational Base
270) The new naval base – INS Sardar Patel is located at
which city: Porbandar
271) Name the noted historian, social scientist,
academician and author who passed away in
Guwahati on May 7 at the age of 91: Amalendu
Guha
272) __________________, ace marksman was declared the
‘Sportsperson of the Year' by the Times of India
Sports Awards: Jitu Rai
273) Who is the author of the book, ‘Unbelievable – Delhi
to Islamabad’ : Prof. Bhim Singh
274) President of India recently honoured 35 persons
from which field with the National Florence
Nightingale Awards: Nursing
275) Name the eminent banker who was appointed as
head of the 50 billion dollars New Development
Bank: K V Kamath
276) The New Development Bank has been setup by
which international organization: BRICS
277) Headquarters of the New Development Bank are to
be located in which city: Shanghai
278) In a recent global study, __________ overtook the
United States as the world's top importer of crude oil
for the first time in April 2015: China
279) Nico Rosberg won which international sports event
held at Barcelona, Spain: Grand Prix F1
championship
280) Formula 1 car racing champion Nico Roseberg is
from which country: Germany
281) Name the Ace Indian discus thrower who won gold
and a bronze medal recently at two international

meets: Vikas Gowda
282) Prime Minister dedicated revamped IISCO Steel
plant at Burnpur with largest blast furnace in India
to the nation on May 10. It is located in which State:
West Bengal
283) The government has approved a proposal for
allowing children below _____ years of age to work
only in family enterprises or entertainment industry
with certain conditions: 14
284) As per the law, children up to ________ years of age are
not to be allowed to work in the hazardous
industries: 18
285) With reference to the office of the Ombudsman, what
are the recent directions of the RBI: Banks asked to
appoint their internal Ombudsman
286) A painting by which artist set a world record for
auction of a work of art, selling for $179.4 million
(about Rs. 1,155 crore) at an auction by Christie’s at
New York: Pablo Picasso
287) Which Indian state recently got its 1st tribal women
governor: Odisha, Draupadi Murmu
288) Tathagata Roy has been appointed as governor of
which State: Tripura
289) Name the city of China which was the first stop over
of Prime Minister’s recent visit to China: Xi’an city
290) Xi’an city of China is famous in the world for which
monument: Terracotta Warriors Museum
291) Prime Minister Modi met the Chinese Premier
_________ in Beijing: Le Keqiang
292) Tejaswini Sagar, Indian school girl won her maiden
world title by bagging the gold in the under-15
category in which sports: Chess
293) Parliament on May 13 passed the historic anti black
money bill to curb the menace of black money. What
is its formal name: “Undisclosed Foreign Income
and Assets (Imposition of New Tax) Bill, 2015”
294) The Union Cabinet approved a massive Rs. ________
crore budget for the ‘Namami Gange Programme’ for
the next five years: 20,000
295) As per a recent amendment to the Negotiable
Instruments Act, the court case for taking action
against the issuer of the bounced cheque can only be
filed at ___________: Place where the cheque is
deposited
296) Government has cleared the lone bid of _____________
consortium for replacing Indian Air Force's ageing
fleet of Avro transport aircraft for Rs 11,930 crore:
Airbus-TATA
297) State Bank of India has launched the contactless
debit and credit cards- SBIinTouch based on NFC
technology. What is NFC: Near Field
Communications
298) To facilitate contact less payments through NFC
technology, RBI has relaxed the additional factor of
authentication (AFA) requirement for transactions
upto which amount: Rs. 2000
299) Union government recently launched USTAAD
scheme in which city of Uttar Pradesh: Varanasi
300) The acronym USTAAD stands for what: Upgrading
the Skills and Training in Ancestral Arts / Crafts
for Development
301) Recently launched USTAAD schemes focuses on the
problems of which particular category of artisans:
Banarasi Saari weavers
302) PM Modi visited ____________, the capital of Mongolia
on May 16: Ulaan Baator
303) Pandit Haridutt Sharma Award for excellence in
journalism has been won this year by which person:
Anuradha Prasad
304) B.B. King, one of the most famous electric guitar
players of all time, winner of 15 Grammy Awards
died recently. He was from which country: USA
305) ________ has become the first state in India to issue
Soil Health Cards (SHCs), to its all farmers: Punjab
306) In the recently compiled 124 nation Human Capital
Index India has been placed at which rank: 100th
307) Name the central government initiative for awarding
public health facilities to encourage improvement in
keeping the facilities clean and hygienic: Kayakalp
308) Scientists in which country have discovered a new
state of matter called the ‘Jahn-Teller-metal’ that
appears to be an insulator, superconductor, metal
and magnet all rolled into one: Japan
309) Central govt plans to start Highway Advisory Radio
for what purpose: To keep highway commuters
updated about road conditions
310) Aruna Shanbaug, a nurse by profession, who died at
the age of 67, was in news for what reasons: She
lived in a vegetative state for the past 42 years
311) During his visit to South Korea, Prime Minister Modi
met the President of South Korea. What is her name:
Park Geun-hye
312) Which artificial line forms the international border
between South Korea and North Korea: 38th North
Latitude
313) Name the deposed Egyptian President who was in
news as he along with his 100 supporters was
sentenced to death by a court in Cairo in connection
with a mass jail break in 2011: Mohammed Morsi
314) Arun Shrivastava has been appointed Managing
Director & CEO of which bank: Syndicate Bank
315) 6th National Conference on Nuclear Energy was held
in which city: New Delhi
316) Scientists have discovered the world’s first fully
warm-blooded fish species. What is its name: Opah
317) Which private sector bank recently opened its first
branch in Shanghai, China, that was inaugurated by
the Prime Minister Modi on May 16: ICICI Bank
318) ____________ ____________ won the Rome Masters Tennis
title with beating Roger Federer in Rome, Italy:
Novak Djokovic
319) Women’s singles title of the Rome Masters was won

by which player: Maria Sharapova
320) As per the 70 countries Environmental Democracy
Index, India has been placed at which rank: 24th
321) Indian Mountaineering Foundation celebrated 50
years of first climbing by Indian team, of Mt. Everest.
This team was led by which person: Captain Mohan
Singh Kohli
322) Which city will host the 10th World Hindi Conference
in Sept. 2015: Bhopal
323) The 68th World Health Assembly held in which city
of Switzerland: Geneva
324) Laszlo Krasznahorkai, Hungarian writer has won
Britain’s prestigious life time achievement award for
literature. What is its name: Man Booker
International Prize 2015
325) Name the Indian Navy's latest anti-submarine
warfare class stealth corvette, that was launched on
May 19 at Kolkata: INS Kavaratti
326) Which Bank plans to roll out e-huts to provide
services to people in rural areas: IDBI Bank
327) World Bank will offer a credit of 250 million US
Dollar to Bihar government for what purpose: To
promote primary school teachers
328) Name the popular Indian stage, film and television
actress who died on 20 May at the age of 77: Sudha
Shivpuri
329) What type of vessel is INS Sindhukirti which was
launched for sea trials on May 21: Submarine
330) What is India’s rank in terms of publishing scientific
research papers in different journals in the world:
6th
331) The world’s largest particle smasher- the LHC broke
the record for energy levels on May 20. What is the
full form of LHC: Large Hadron Collider
332) Which is the first Indian company to join RE100, a
global platform for corporates committed to use
100% renewable power: Infosys Ltd.
333) Name the supersonic fighter jet of Indian Air Force
that landed successfully on Yamuna Expressway in U
P on May 21as part of developing road runway for
emergency landing: Mirage 2000
334) Name the world leader who entered Guinness Book
of World Record for reaching a million followers in a
span of mere 5 hours after going live on Twitter,
@POTUS account: Barack Obama
335) Which famous big fish specie has been spotted for
the first time of the Maharashtra Coast: Blue Whale
336) Name the ancient city in Syria that was in news as
the militants of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) seized its full control on May 21: Palmyra
337) Which Asian country has announced a $110 billion
investment plan for infrastructure projects in Asia:
Japan
338) What is the minimum amount of gold that can be
deposited under the recently announced Gold
Monetisation Scheme: 30gm
339) Gold deposited under the Gold Monetisation Scheme
has to be kept in the bank at least for a period of
_____________: One year
340) Which country has become the first country in the
world to legalise same-sex marriage: Republic of
Ireland
341) Which award is given for the best feature film at the
Cannes Film Festival: Palme d'Or
342) Which film won the Palme d’Or – award for the best
feature film at the Cannes film festival: Dheepan
343) Which team won the IPL title 2015 defeating
Chennai Super Kings by 41 runs at Eden Gardens in
Kolkata on May 24: Mumbai Indians
344) Indian boxers completed a brilliant run at which
international event, winning four gold, one silver
and two bronze medals: The Doha International
Boxing Tournament
345) Name the film from India that won two awards at
the Cannes Film Festival: Masaan
346) Name the naval exercise conducted jointly by
Indian Navy along with Singapore Navy: SIMBEX
2015
347) What is the full form of SIMBEX: Singapore-
Indian Maritime Bilateral Exercise
348) The joint naval exercise conducted jointly by
Indian navy along with Singapore Navy –
SIMBEX 2015 was held at which place: In Sea
East of Singapore
349) Which bank has launched a service where customers
can make transactions using just their voice, without
using other means of authentication like a password:
ICICI Bank
350) G Mohan Kumar has been appointed to which
important national level govt. office: Union Defence
Secretary
351) Andrzej Duda has been elected as the new
_________________ of Poland: President
352) The book “More Bad Time Tales” has been written by
which person: Humra Quraishi
353) Laxminarayan Tripathi, author of the book Me Hijra
Me Laxmi is known for which activity: He is a
crusader for rights of LGBT community
354) David Granger has been elected as the new President
of which South American country: Guyana
355) Central Govt. has taken what steps recently to
enhance the social security of MNREGA workers:
They are to be enrolled for three recently
launched social security schemes
356) ISRO launched its own GPS system by the name
GAGAN. What is the full form of GAGAN: GPS Aided
Geo Augmented Navigation
357) Which organization is the first user of the recently
launched GAGAN project: Airports Authority of
India
358) As per the New amendments to the Companies Act,
what is the minimum capital requirement for

starting a Pvt. Ltd. and Public Ltd. company: No limit
359) The central govt. has asked all the state governments
to enroll which category of workers into the recently
launched three security schemes. MNREGA
Workers
360) As per a recent study by the Swiss business school
IMD on the parameters of competitiveness, which
country enjoys the top position in terms of
competiveness: USA
361) The first mega food park of the North East was
inaugurated on May 28 in which state: Assam
362) Which Indian Business women has been ranked as
no. 1 in India and 30th in world by the Forbes list of
most powerful women in world: Arundhati
Bhattacharya
363) What is the name of the new TV channel launched by
the doordarshan to focus on promoting development
of agriculture sector and rural India: DD Kissan
364) Which international organization launched the
Arctic Challenge Exercise in the Arctic sea north of
Europe on May 26, involving 115 fighter planes and
3600 troops from nine countries: NATO – North
Atlantic Treaty Organization
365) Manabi Bandopadhyay, a transgender educationist
was in news recently for what reasons: She became
the first transgender in India to head a college
366) With which country India signed a Joint Vision
Statement on Defence Cooperation for 2015-2020 in
New Delhi on May 25 to promote the mutual
cooperation in maritime security: Vietnam
367) Australian Open Badminton tournament was held at
which place: Sydney
368) Who is the author of the book “A Practitioner’s
Diary”: Pradip Baijal
369) Name the former Sri Lanka captain who was named
as the CEAT International Cricketer of the Year
2015: Kumar Sangakkara
370) Which Indian batsman was named as the CEAT
Indian Cricketer of the Year 2015: Ajinkya Rahane
371) Which state has decided to withdraw the Armed
Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the
remaining areas of the state with immediate effect:
Tripura
372) Dr. S Christopher has been appointed to which
important national office: Director General of
DRDO
APRIL – 2015
373) __________ has been crowned as the FBB Femina Miss
World: Aditi Arya
374) In the FBB Femina Miss India World contest, letters
FBB represents what: Fashion at Big Bazaar
375) Name the legendary hockey players honoured with
Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award:
Balbir Singh Senior
376) India has been ranked a lowly ______ on a new index
compiled by the UN trade body UNCTAD for
assessing the readiness of countries for electronic
commerce: 83rd
377) What action is planned under Punjab’s special
project named as ‘Padho Punjab-Khedo Punjab
Mission’: A separate period only for playing
games
378) RBI has penalised 16 central co-operative banks
with a fine of 5 lakh rupees each for what laps:
Non-adherence of the Know Your Customer
norms
379) Daniel Vettori, the left-arm spinner has announced
his retirement from international cricket. He is
from which country: New Zealand
380) Prime Minister dedicated to the nation an
expansion and modernisation project worth Rs
12,000 crore for which steel plant: Rourkela Steel
Plant
381) India’s 1st integrated steel plant established at
Rourkela in early 60’s was setup with which
country’s collaboration: Germany
382) Muhammadu Buhari has recently been elected as
President of which African country: Nigeria
383) Name the President of Bangladesh Cricket Board
who was in news as he resigned from the post of
President of International Cricket Council: Mustafa
Kamal
384) Govt. has decided to shift implementation of the
Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) from the
Labour and Employment Ministry to which
ministry: The Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare
385) Ana Jara, Prime Minister of Peru was in news for
what reasons: She was removed by the
parliament
386) Who is the author of the book God's Bankers: A
History of Money and Power at the Vatican: Gerald
Posner
387) What is the name of the book written by Rajmohan
Gandhi about a famous prince of Gujarat: Prince of
Gujarat
388) What is India’s rank the 2015 FM Global Resilience
Index: 119th
389) Recently the government announced its Foreign
Trade Policy (FTP)for which period: 2015-20
390) FTP policy 2015-20 aims to Increase exports to USD
_______billion by 2019-20, from USD 466 billion in
2013-14: 900
391) FTP policy 2015-20 aims to raise India's share in
world exports from 2 percent to ____ percent: 3.5
392) What is the proposed name for new capital of
Andhra Pradesh: Amaravati
393) Name the renowned Hindi poet (79) passed away
on April 1: Kailash Vajpeyi
394) Headquarters of International Criminal Court (ICC)
are located at which place: The Hague, Netherland

395) Which Indian naval ship played a critical role in the
Operation Rahat: INS Sumitra
396) The book Scion of Ikshvaku by Amish Tripathi has
been written about which famous Hindu god: Lord
Rama
397) In which country Somalia's Shebab Islamist group
raided the campus of Garissa University, killing
over 150 students: Kenya
398) In which place marathon talks were held between
the world powers and Iran to reach a historic deal
aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear drive: Lausanne,
Switzerland
399) Which apex financial institution of India celebrated
its 80th anniversary on April 1: RBI
400) Speaking on 80th anniversary of RBI, the Prime
Minister asked the bank to prepare a 20 year road
map for what purpose: Financial Inclusion
401) Dr. Subadhra Devi Rai was honour with
international achievement award for excellence in
which field: Nursing
402) Recently a minor planet was named after a
legendary sports person of India. Who is he:
Viswanathan Anand
403) What is the name of the index that has been
launched to provide information on the quality of
air / level of air pollution in 10 major cities in the
country on daily basis: Air Quality Index
404) _____ is the most polluted city in India: New Delhi
405) _____ is the most polluted city in the world : Beijing
406) The Reserve Bank has relaxed the Know Your
Customer norms for which type of firms to allow
them opening of account by submitting a single
proof of their business: Sole proprietor firms
407) Miami Masters Tennis Championship were held in
which state of USA: Florida
408) ________ won the men’s single title of the Miami
Masters Tennis Championship: Novak Djkovic
409) ________ won the women’s single title of the Miami
Masters Tennis Championship: Serena Williams
410) In its first bimonthly monetary policy statement
made on April 7, the RBI changed which policy rate:
No change
411) Name the Indian Grandmaster who won the bronze
medal in the World Women's chess championships:
Dronavalli Harika
412) The World Women's chess championship was held
at which place: Sochi, Russia
413) __________ has been appointed as the good will
ambassador of Uttarakhand: Virat Kohli
414) What is the name of the first Scorpene Submarine
launched for sea trial in India on April, 6: INS
Kalvari
415) Scorpene Class Submarines are being built in India
in collaboration with which country: France
416) Pedro Cateriano Bellido has been elected as the
new Prime Minister of which south American
country: Peru
417) Golden Peacock National Quality Award is given for
excellence in which field: Corporate governance
418) Union Government on 1 April 2015 launched Faster
Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric
vehicles (FAME) – India Scheme for what purpose:
To boost eco-friendly vehicles sales in the
country
419) Prime Minister launched the Pradhan Mantri Mudra
Yojana on April 8. The acronym MUDRA stands for
what: Micro Units Development and Refinance
Agency
420) What is the amount of corpus with which MUDRA
Yojana has been started: Rs. 20,000 crore
421) What is the objective of starting the Pradhan Mantri
Mudra Yojana: To extend credit to small
businesses and regulate micro-finance
institutions
422) The proposed MUDRA bank will have three main
loan schemes, named as _______: Shishu, Kishore
and Tarun
423) The proposed MUDRA bank can give loans upto a
maximum amount of Rs. _________ : 10 lac
424) Which index has ranked India at 101st place in
terms of indicators of well-being such as health,
water and sanitation, personal safety, personal
freedom: Social Progress Index
425) _________ has been elected as the President of CII
(Confederation of Indian Industries) for 2015-16:
Sumit Mazumder
426) B V R Mohan Reddy has been elected as Chairman
of which national level business body: NASSCOM
427) The 5th meeting of the Health Ministers of SAARC
countries held in which place: New Delhi
428) Opening match of the 8th edition of the grand
cricket extravaganza – IPL 2015 was held in which
stadium: Salt Lake Stadium, Kolkata
429) During his recent foreign visit to Europe, PM Modi
visited which city first of all: Paris
430) As per recent data from RBI, ____________ ranks first
in the public sector banks having highest
percentage of bad loans, at 21.5 % of its total loans:
Central Bank of India
431) As per SEBI guidelines, it is mandatory for every
listed company to have at least __________ woman
director on their board: One
432) For what reasons Govt. of India froze the bank
accounts of Greenpeace India: For their alleged
encouragement of “anti-development” protests
in the country
433) Who is the appointing authority for the Chief
Election Commissioner of India: President of India
434) Chief Election Commissioner of India can hold the
office up to the age of maximum ___________ years: 65
435) Status of the Chief Election Commissioner is
equivalent to that of which official: Judge of the

Supreme Court
436) The CEC has tenure of __________ years, or up to the
age of 65 years, whichever is earlier : Six
437) Hi-Tech Mi-17 V5 military combat helicopter have
been sourced from which country: Russia
438) Name the retired Air Chief Marshal, recipient of
Param Vishisht Seva medal and Mahaveer Chakra,
who passed away recently: Hrushikesh
Moolgaonkar
439) Legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud who
died recently, was from which country: Australia
440) India successfully test-fired the nuclear-weapon
capable Dhanush missile recently. What is its full
range: 350 km
441) Which Indian state proposes to setup bio-fences
with thickets of thorny bamboos to ward off
straying elephants: Assam
442) Gyanpith awardee Jayakanthan passed away
recently. He was from which field: Tamil Novelist
443) The 20th Law Commission in its report on Leprosy
has recommended removal of which word from
various statutes as it was considered ‘derogatory’:
Leper
444) Which Indian city won the Earth Hour City
Challenge held in Seoul, South Korea for best
champion of renewable energy: Thane
445) With which country India signed a Memorandum of
Cooperation on development of waterways and
multi-modal hubs in India: USA
446) The Supreme Court has asked all private hospitals
in India to provide full treatment free to _____________
victims, including medicines and expensive
reconstruction surgeries: Acid attack
447) The conference of Power, Renewable Energy and
Mines ministers of all states and union territories of
India was held at which place: Guwahati
448) Which French company has agreed to restart the
work in the nuclear power project at Jaitapur,
Maharashtra: Areva
449) France has agreed to supply 36 __________ fighter jets
to India in a flyaway condition: Rafale
450) India’s first hi-tech financial city – GIFT has been
launched in which state: Gujarat
451) What is the full form of acronym GIFT: Gujarat
International Finance Tec-City
452) Govt. has allowed banks to open for the first time in
India, IFSC as offshore banking units. What is IFSC:
International Financial Services Central
453) The World Bank has predicted that the GDP growth
in India is expected to accelerate to ________percent
in the FY 2015 -16, supported by investment
growth: 7.5
454) _____________ created history by becoming the first
Indian female tennis player to achieve the world
number one rank in women’s doubles: Sania Mirza
455) Sultan Azlan shah cup of hockey was held at which
place in Malaysia: Ipoh
456) __________of India won the bronze medal in the men's
10-metre air pistol event at the ISSF Shooting
World Cup: Jitu Rai
457) The ISSF Shooting World Cup was held at _________
South Korea: Changwon
458) In which sea around 900 illegal migrants trying to
reach Europe were feared killed after their boat
capsized: Mediterranean Sea
459) Name the world’s largest industrial technology fair
held in Germany that was recently inaugurated by
the Indian Prime Minister: Hannover Fair
460) Guenter Grass, ______ novelist, the Nobel Prize-
winning author of “The Tin Drum”, died recently:
German
461) In terms of usage of Information Communications
Technologies (ICT), India stands at _____ rank as per
an index compiled by the World Economic Forum:
89th
462) A World Trade Organization (WTO) forecast says
that the global goods trade will grow by ____percent
in the year 2015 and by ____percent in 2016: 3.3,
4.0
463) Name the historical city of Syria that was in news as
the Islamic State militants have been destroying
rare ancient relics there dating back to the 13th
century BC: Nimrud
464) Malala Yousafzai, Pakistan's teenage education
activist and the world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize
winner was in news recently for what reasons: An
asteroid has been named after her
465) India test-fired its nuclear-capable surface-to-
surface Agni-III ballistic missile from the ITR near
__________in Odisha: Chandipur
466) ________ has been declared as the Laureus
Sportsman of the Year, 2015: Novak Djokovic
467) Genzebe Dibaba has been declared as the Laureus
Sportswoman of the Year, 2015. She is from which
field and country: Sprinter, Ethiopia
468) Which country has recently agreed to supply
uranium to India, becoming third such country:
Canada
469) An interest subvention of ___% is available for
short-term crop loans up to Rs. ___ lakh per farmer,
subject to conditions. 2, 3
470) Indian batting legend_______, was inducted recently
into the prestigious Laureus Sports Academy:
Sachin Tendulkar
471) In a article written by Mr. Barack Obama in Time
Magazine, he described Prime Minister Modi as
_______ of India: Reformer in Chief
472) RBI has allowed banks to offer differential interest
rates on term deposits of above what amount:
Rs.15 lakh
473) Mohan Kumar has been appointed the next
Ambassador of India to which country: France

474) What is the short name of a book written by India
by the Indian Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor:
India Shastra
475) Mightier Than the Sword is a popular novel written
by _________: Jeffrey Archer
476) Total exports of India during 2014-15 fell short by
$29.5 billion of its annual target of $ ________ billion:
340
477) The government has asked the states to introduce a
new field for indicating _______ of the land owners in
their property records: Gender
478) After a gap of almost a decade, Air Canada will
resume direct flights between _______ and Delhi from
the coming winter season: Toronto
479) World Haemophilia Day is observed globally on
which date: 17th April
480) As per a global study on financial inclusion, roughly
_______ per cent of world population has a bank
account: 62
481) The Kerala government, supported by UNICEF, has
launched a major campaign Subodham to wean
people away from which addiction: Alcohol
482) As per new rules, IAS and IPS officers have to take
prior permission from govt. before accepting gifts
worth more than Rs. _______: 5,000
483) IAS / IPS officers need to inform the government, if
they accept gifts of over Rs. ______from their
relatives or friends on customary occasions like
weddings, anniversaries, birthdays etc: 25,000
484) In terms of production of e-waste, India ranks _____
in the world: 5th
485) ____ is the largest producer of the e-waste in the
world, followed by China and Japan: USA
486) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj paid a 5-
day visit to ________ to attend the 60th
commemoration of the 1955 Asian-African
Conference: Indonesia
487) Name the Indian Navy's most powerful
indigenously built stealth destroyer was launched
into water at Mazgaon Dock in Mumbai: INS
Visakhapatnam
488) Which bank has launched a contactless payment
service based on the Near Field Communications
(NFC) technology: ICICI Bank
489) What is the name of the new contactless payment
service launched by the ICICI bank: Tap-N-Pay
490) _______, Formula One world champion won the
Bahrain Grand Prix for the second year in a row:
Lewis Hamilton
491) “KP, the Autobiography” is the life story of which
famous cricketer: Kevin Pietersen
492) Sukanya Samriddhi Account for the girl child will
earn interest @ _____per cent, w.e.f. April, 2015: 9.2
493) ________ train clocked a new world speed record in a
test run, smashing through the 600 kilometre per
hour: Maglev, Japan
494) Christopher Alan Bayly was an eminent _____ known
for his work on colonial and post-colonial India:
Historian
495) The Kudermukh National Park in Karnataka and
Rajaji National Park in Uttarkhand have been
declared _________ by the National Tiger
Conservation Authority: Tiger Reserves
496) ______________ has been appointed as the Chairman of
National Judicial Appointments Commission: H. L.
Dattu
497) The New York Times won this year’s Pulitzer Prize
for journalism for its courageous coverage of which
international event: Ebola outbreak in West
Africa
498) _______ of Serbia won the Monte-Carlo Masters title
of Tennis by beating Tomas Berdych in Monaco:
Novak Djokovic
499) With effect from April 1, 2015, the transport
allowance exemption for employees has been
raised to Rs. _______ per month from Rs 800 for the
purpose of Income tax: 1600
500) The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to try
juveniles, of age _______ years and are accused of
heinous crimes, under the laws meant for adults:
16 to 18
501) Outbreak of deadly disease ebola has claimed over
10,800 lives till date, mainly in three African
countries. Name the countries: Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone
502) Which international financial giant has launched
Pollution Management and Environmental Health
(PHEM) program on Global Citizen Earth Day:
World Bank
503) As per revised Priority Sector Lending norms banks
have to give _____ per cent of their total credit to
small and marginal farmers: 8
504) Housing loans to individuals, up to Rs. ___ lakh in
metros and up to Rs. ____ lakh in other centres are
now covered under priority sector lending: 28, 20
505) As per revised Priority Sector Lending norms, the
foreign banks will have to make ______ per cent of
their total loans under priority sector in the near
future: 40
506) The Rajya Sabha, for the first time in 46 years
passed a private members bill to protect the rights
of which particular community: Transgender
507) As per the 2015 World Happiness Report, India has
been placed at ___ spot out of 158 countries
surveyed for level of happiness among the citizens:
117th
508) The railways has launched a new app called _____
for booking of sub-urban train tickets through
mobile phones: UTS on mobile
509) The 14th Indo-French Naval Exercise named ______
commenced off the coast of Goa: VARUNA-15
510) Which city in Bihar was in news as around 70

persons were killed there and in surrounding areas
due to a sudden cyclonic storm: Purnia
511) In which country of South America, sudden violent
eruption of Turrialba Volcano forced closure the
San Jose airport: Costa Rica
512) The Chetak Corps of the Army held its major battle
exercise named _________ in the deserts of
Rajasthan: “Akraman-II”
513) Indian women's hockey team lifted the Hero
Hockey World League Round Cup defeating which
country at New Delhi: Poland
514) Name the Indian origin scientist who recently won
the prestigious Heinz Award in Technology:
Sangeeta Bhatia
515) ___________ of Ukraine successfully defended his
world heavyweight boxing title for the 18th time in
a row: Wladimir Klitschko
516) Who is the author of the book Water, Peace, and
War— Confronting the Global Water Crisis:
Brahma Chellaney
517) Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of ______
arrived in New Delhi on April 27 on a three day
visit: Afghanistan
518) Omar Al-Bashir has been re-elected as President of
which country: Sudan
519) Bhartiya Mahila Bank has won which prestigious
award recently at Hong Kong: The Asian Banker
Achievement Award 2015
520) Name the European IT giant that acquired the New
Jersey-based I T company I-GATE, for $4 billion in
cash: Capgemini
521) India won Gold and a Bronze at the Asian Indoor
Rowing Championship which was held at
____________: Pattaya, Thailand
522) Name the Chinese player who won the Badminton
Asia Championship held at Wuhan, China: Lin Dan
523) In which country severe eruption of Calbuco
volcano took place, forcing its president to declare a
state of emergency: Chile
524) Indian navy’s ship INS Tarangini which is going to
take part in the annual Tall Ships’ Races is what
type of ship: Sail training ship
MARCH – 2015
525) Mo Ibrahim Prize is given for what achievement:
for excellence in public governance
526) Mo Ibrahim Prize is given in which part of the
world: Africa
527) Who has been elected as the new President of the
BCCI: Jagmohan Dalmiya
528) What is the full form of the BCCI – the apex body
governing the game of cricket in India: Board of
Control for Cricket in India
529) The government has, for the first time, fixed a
inflation target for the RBI, at what level: 6% by
January 2016
530) RBI has been given inflation target as per the
recommendation of which committee: Dr. Urjit
Patel Committee
531) Arun Kumar Singh has been appointed India’s next
Ambassador to which country: USA
532) As per the Forbes magazine's annual list of the
world's richest people, ___________ has topped the list
for the 8th year: Bill Gates
533) Growth of core sector was lowest in January in past
13 months at 1.8 per cent. How many industries are
there in the core sector: Eight
534) As per recent data the per capita annual income in
India has been recorded at Rs. __________in 2013-14:
Rs. 80,388
535) Which wing of defence forces recently conducted
its operational exercise ‘TROPEX 2015’: Navy
536) Write the full form of the abbreviation TROPEX:
Theatre Level Readiness and Operational
Exercise
537) Indian navy recently conducted TROPEX 2015
exercise in which area: Arabian Sea
538) Roger Federer defeated Novak Djokovic to win
which title in Dubai: Dubai Championship
539) the Argentina Open title of Tennis was won by
__________ beating Juan Monaco of Argentina: Rafael
Nadal
540) Reserve Bank of India cut its main lending rate--the
repo rate by _______ percentage points to 7.5% on
Mar 4, 2015: 0.25
541) At which place world’s largest and tallest Indian
national flag was unfurled on March 3: Faridabad,
Haryana
542) The Lok Sabha has passed the Motor Vehicles
(Amendment) Bill, 2015 to bring which category of
vehicles into the ambit of the Motor Vehicles Act
1988: e-rickshaws and e-carts
543) Name the popular news magazine that was founded
by Vinod Mehta, the eminent journalist who passed
away recently: Outlook
544) What is the name of the autobiography of Vinod
Mehta: Lucknow Boy
545) Reserve Bank of India eased the norms for home
loans for up to which amount: Rs. 10 lac
546) Name the new scheme that will be offered by all
Public Sector General Insurance Companies for
giving insurance cover against death by accident:
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
547) The PMSBY is available to all persons in age
group_________ years, having a bank account: 18 to
70
548) What is the annual premium amount payable for
joining PMSBY: Rs. 12
549) What is the amount of cover available under PMSBY
in case of accidental death: Rs. 2 lac
550) The PMJJBY is available to all persons in age

50
551) What is the annual premium amount payable for
joining PMJJBY: Rs. 330
552) What is the amount of cover available under
PMJJBY in case of death by any reason: Rs. 2 lac
553) The APY is available to all persons in age
40
554) Name the badminton player who became the first
Indian woman to reach the finals of the All-England
Badminton Championship: Saina Nehwal
555) According to the Mercer Quality of Living Rankings
2015, which Indian city has been selected as the
‘Best Indian City’ to live in: Hyderabad
556) Name the three states that have recently been
excluded from the Protected Area Permit (PAP)
regime for foreign tourists till December 31:
Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland
557) International Women’s Day was observed across
the world on which date: March 8
558) United Nations declared this year’s theme for
women’s day as _________ to encourage effective
action for advancing and recognizing women: Make
it Happen
559) Name the special bus service that has been started
between Varanasi and Kathmandu from March 5:
Bharat-Nepal Maitri Bus Seva
560) What was the name of the world’s only solar-
powered aircraft which made a stopover in
Ahmadabad on March 11: Solar Impulse
561) Name the India’s first indigenously developed and
manufactured rotavirus vaccine which was
launched in New Delhi: Rotavac
562) Rotavirus is the most common cause of
severe ________ among infants and young children:
Diarrhea
563) Ambassador of which country to South Korea was
in news as he suffered a knife attack by a pro-North
Korean activist: USA
564) Saraswati Samman is given for excellence in which
field: Literature
565) Saraswati Samman for 2014 has been awarded to
which eminent author: M. Veerappa Moily
566) Which state tourism won the silver prize of Golden
Gate award at the Internationale Tourismus-Borse
Berlin (ITB-Berlin) 2015, Germany. Kerala
567) Which country tested its Shaheen-III Surface to
Surface Ballistic Missile, having a strike range of
2750 kms: Pakistan
568) In which city first Kisan Call Centre (KCC) in North-
Eastern India was opened on 9 March 2015:
Agartala
569) Which is the top corporate in the list of top 10
corporates in terms of assets, compiled by the
Corporate Affairs Ministry: Reliance Industries
Ltd.
570) Which is the largest public sector corporate entity
in India in terms of its assets: Indian Oil
Corporation
571) A recent Delhi High Court has clarified about which
high public office that it is covered under the RTI
Act: Attorney General of India
572) Which state government has launched 'Aapki Beti
Humari Beti' programme to provide cash assistance
of Rs 21,000 families having girl child: Haryana
573) National tourism agency of which country has
appointed film star Sai Ali Khan as its brand
ambassador in India: Britain
574) Name the Sri Lankan Cricket Star who became the
first cricketer to score four successive one-day
international centuries: Kumar Sangakkara
575) Which Indian organization has committed Rs 1.5
lakh crore for development of various railway
projects over the next five years: Life Insurance
Company of India
576) Which cricketer has been voted as the greatest ODI
player in the history of cricket by recent survey: Viv
Richards
577) The new Consumer Price Index released by the
Central Statistics Office, number of items in the CPI
basket has been increased to _____ from 450 in
urban areas: 460
578) The base year for the ‘Consumer Price Index’ has
been revised from 2004-05 to ________: 2011-12
579) Name the university that has topped the list of the
100 most prestigious universities compiled by
Times Higher Education of UK: Harvard
University, USA
580) The final match of Ranji Trophy (Cricket) was
played on March 12 at which place: Mumbai
581) Which team won the prestigious Ranji Trophy on
March 12: Karnataka by beating Tamil Nadu
582) 58th All India Ayurvedic Congress was held in which
place on March 14: Chandigarh
583) Which Union Ministry has launched a new web
portal, www.inampro.nic.in to monitor the supply of
cement at all India level: Road Transport &
Highways
584) Terry Pratchett who passed away recently was a
famous science fantasy novelist from which
country: Britain
585) Name the new scheme that has been launched for
redressal of grievances of consumers related to
drug pricing and availability of medicines: Pharma
Jan Samadhaan Scheme
586) Which Indian ministry has launched the Pharma Jan
Samadhaan Scheme: Chemicals and Fertilizers
587) A former President of which country was sentenced
to 13-year imprisonment by a criminal court:
Maldives
588) In which country India has agreed to build a
Rabindranath Tagore memorial: Sri Lanka

589) Name the super cyclone which slammed into the
south Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu, east of
Australia, leaving complete devastation in its wake:
Pam
590) Indian navy decommissioned the INS Alleppey on
March 13. It was what type of ship: Coastal
Minesweeper
591) On which corporate the Income Tax Department
recently slapped a tax demand notice of Rs. 20,495
crore: Cairn India
592) The 5th National Community Radio Sammelan held
in which city: New Delhi
593) Santosh Trophy is awarded for winning which
national tournament: Football
594) Name the winner of the 2014 Santosh Trophy:
Services Team
595) A historic bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi was
unveiled on March 14 at Parliament Square in
which international city: London
596) Name the Indian sports star who clinched the Swiss
Grand Prix Gold badminton championship title
beating Viktor Alexson in Basel, Switzerland:
Kidambi Srikanth
597) Which state has opened the largest number of
Sukanya Samridhi Account in last two months:
Karnataka
598) As per RBI guidelines, loans to which new category
of persons will now be included in the priority
sector lending: Persons with disabilities
599) As per RBI guidelines, banks are required to make
_____ per cent of their loans to the weaker section:
10
600) Priority sector lending target for all banks in India
is fixed at ____ per cent of their total loans: 40
601) Name the Chief of International Monetary Fund
(IMF) who visited India recently: Christine
Lagarde
602) Headquarters of IMF are located in _____________ in
USA: Washington DC
603) ___________ is known as the currency of IMF: SDR
604) Name the team that won the Women's Hockey
World League Round Two competition title: India
605) Final match of the Women's Hockey World League
Round Two competition was held in which city:
New Delhi
606) The world’s first $1 million prize – Global Teacher
Prize is given in which country: USA
607) Which State has passed The Gauvansh Sanrakshan
and Gausamvardhan Bill, 2015 to ban cow
slaughter and sale of beef: Haryana
608) Supreme Court has reversed central government
decision to include Jats in the ____________ category:
Other Backward Classes (OBC)
609) Out of France, Germany, Italy and Spain, which
country has not decided to join Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank: Spain
610) _______ is the main promoter country of the Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank: China
611) Union cabinet recently approved the Undisclosed
Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of New Tax)
Bill, 2015 for which objective: To unearth black
money and illicit assets stashed abroad
612) Which Indian State is famous for mass nesting by
Olive Ridley: Odisha
613) Olive Ridley, known for their mass nesting practices
are which type of animal: Sea Turtle
614) Capital of which country was in news as Islamic
militants stormed its Bardo National Museum
killing 17 foreign tourists and three locals: Tunisia
615) Name the indigenously developed Beyond Visual
Range (BVR) air-to-air missile that was
successfully tested recently: Astra
616) The Astra missile is launched from which type of
platform: Aircraft
617) Which Union Minister has been named Young
Global Leader from India by the World Economic
Forum (WEF) of Switzerland: Smriti Irani
618) _________ has been re-elected as the Prime Minister
of Israel: Benjamin Netanyahu
619) A three-day conference for strengthening maritime
trade and security among Indian Ocean Rim
countries was held at which place: Bhubaneshwar
620) Name the Nobel Laureate who has been elected to
head Britain's prestigious Royal Society:
Venkatraman Ramakrishnan
621) Ministry of Railways has constituted the________
council to recommend innovative methods and
processes for the improvement, betterment and
transformation of the Railways: Kaya Kalp
622) Name the prominent industrialist who has been
asked by the government to head the Kaya Kalp
council of railways: Ratan Tata
623) M S Dhoni became the first Indian captain to score
victory in 100 ODI matches. He achieved this fete in
the match played against which country:
Bangladesh
624) Capital of which country was in news as over 150
persons, mainly Shia muslims were killed there in
the bomb attacks: Yemen (Sanaa)
625) The Central government has announced ___ per cent
reservation for women in police forces of union
territories, including Delhi: 33
626) Name the team that won the Irani Cup after beating
Rest of India in the finals played in Bengaluru:
Karnataka
627) Government has directed regional rural banks to
cut down on which aspect of their operations: Staff
Strength
628) Name the scheme that aims to provide skills
training to youth, including Class 10 and 12 drop
outs: Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
629) Which union ministry has been assigned the task of

aggregating all the stake holders linked with
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana: Ministry of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
630) Reserve Bank will issue Rs. ____ coins to
commemorate 125th birth anniversary of
Jawaharlal Nehru that fell on Nov 14, 2014: 5
631) The government has roped in _______ _________as
brand ambassador for its campaign against
Hepatitis B: Amitabh Bachchan
632) Name the author of the book “Indian Parliamentary
Diplomacy- Speaker's Perspective”: Smt. Meira
Kumar, former Speaker, Lok Sabha
633) _________ of New Zealand made the highest score in
the World Cup history with 237 not out against
West Indies: Martin Guptill
634) Which UN organization is associated with
observing March 21 as the International Day of
Forests: Food and Agriculture Organization
635) What is the theme of this year’s International Day
of Forests: Forests and Climate Change
636) Lee Kuan Yew, a great statesman who passed away
on March 23 was credited with development of
which country: Singapore
637) BNP Paribas Open Tennis Championship 2015
Men’s singles title was won by which player: Novak
Djokovic
638) BNP Paribas Open Tennis Championship 2015
Women’s singles title was won by which player:
Simona Halep
639) Which country is associated with the awarding of
Stockholm Water Prize: Sweden
640) Name the eminent Indian environment activist who
has been selected for Stockholm Water Prize:
Rajendra Singh
641) A three day International Conference on Counter
Terrorism 2015 was held at which place: Jaipur
642) Stockholm Water Prize winner Rajendra Singh
works in which part of India for promoting
conservation of water resources: Rajasthan
643) Prime Minister has launched Pragati programme to
give impetus to stalled projects and ensure their
timely execution across the country. What is the full
form of Pragati: Pro-active Governance and
Timely Implementation
644) The Supreme Court on March 24 struck down the
controversial section 66A of which Act:
Information Technology Act
645) The Asian Development Bank says that India’s
growth rate is expected to surpass China and
improve to _____ per cent in next fiscal: 7.8
646) Name the film that won the National Award for Best
Feature Film: Court
647) The Hindi film Mary Kom was honoured with Best
Film in which category of National Film Awards:
Best Popular Film providing Wholesome
Entertainment
648) Which film won the National Award for Best Hindi
Film: Queen
649) Name the male actor who won the National Award
for Best Actor: Vijay
650) Name the female actor who won the National
Award for Best Actor: Kangana Ranaut
651) Veteran actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor (77), who
has starred in over 100 Hindi films has been
honoured recently with which National Award:
Dada Saheb Phalke Award
652) What is the amount of cash prize given in Dada
Saheb Phalke Award: Rs. 10 lacs
653) India's first National Skill Development University
will be established in which State: Chhattisgarh
654) Indian navy recently inducted 3 ISVs at
Vishakhapatnam. What is ISV: Immediate Support
Vessel
655) For the development of which popular pilgrimage
centre, world bank has sanctioned a fund of Rs. 100
crore: Ganga Sagar Tirath, West Bengal
656) After a rigorous bidding in the auctioning of which
item the government recently fetched about Rs.
1.10 lac crore: Telecom spectrum
657) The Reserve Bank signed a $400 million currency
swap agreement with the Central Bank of which
country for a period of three years: Sri Lanka
658) Two-year-old girl Cherukuli Dalli Shivani from
Vijaywada was in news for her exceptional record
achievement in which field: Archery
659) With which country India recently signed 6 pacts
including one for the transfer of sentenced Indian
convicts in that country to complete their
remaining sentence in India: Qatar
660) Which international prize given in the field of
Mathematics is popular as the Nobel of Maths: Abel
Prize
661) Zokhawthar, a small town in Champhai district of
_________was in news as a land customs station was
inaugurated there at the Indo-Myanmar border
trade centre: Mizoram
662) Who has been appointed as the new spokesperson
for the External Affairs Ministry: Vikas Swarup
663) By which country Indian artist Bharti Kher has
been honoured with ‘Knight of the Order of Arts
and Letters’: France
664) Which high court became the first court in India to
set up dedicated commercial divisions within it, in
line with recommendation of the Law Commission:
Delhi
665) India's first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle
(PROVe), was made operational at which place in
North Antarctica: Priyadarshini Lake
666) Name the ambitious project that aims to develop 12
smart cities at ports and several coastal economic
zones to promote tourism and economic growth:
Sagarmala

667) The Reserve Bank on March 25 removed the
lending restriction on which bank to allow it to
restart normal lending operations: United Bank of
India
668) At which place Prime Minister Modi paid homage to
3 great revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and
Sukhdev on March 23, 2015: Hussainiwala,
Ferozepur, Punjab
669) For which offence the British govt. awarded the
death sentence to the revolutionaries Bhagat Singh,
Rajguru and Sukhdev: Killing British Police
Officer Mr. Saundras.
670) International Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 is given for
what purpose: For promoting peace and
harmony in public life
671) What is the amount of cash award in the
International Gandhi Peace Prize: Rs. 1 cr
672) Which organization has been selected for the
international Gandhi peace prize 2014: ISRO
673) Name the two Indians who have been named
among the 50 greatest leaders in the world by
Fortune magazine in its annual list of extraordinary
men and women transforming business,
government and philanthropy: Narendra Modi
and Kailash Satyarthi
674) Name the airlines whose aircraft went crashing into
a mountainside in French Alps on March 24, killing
all 150 persons aboard: Germanwings
675) Name the space vehicle that became the first
human-made vehicle that has completed 11 years
marathon on a planet: Opportunity Rover of NASA
676) Final match of Cricket World Cup – 2015 was
played in which stadium: Melbourne Cricket
Ground (MCG)
677) Name the cricketer who scored highest runs in the
Cricket World Cup 2015: Martin Guptil (NZ) - 547
678) Which cricketer declared as the ‘Man of the
Tournament’ in Cricket World Cup 2015: Mitchell
Starc (Aus)
679) _______________ was declared as the ‘Man of the
Match’ in the final match of Cricket World Cup
2015: James Faulkner (Aus)
680) Name the women badminton player of India who
created history by becoming the first Indian women
to be ranked as No. 1 in world: Saina Newal
681) Saina Nehwal defeated world champion
_______________ to win the women’s singles title in the
India Open Badminton Championship: Ratchanok
Intanon
682) Name the male Indian badminton player who won
the recently held India Open Badminton
Championship: Kidambi Srikanth
683) The prestigious India Open Badminton
Championship was held in March 2015 at which
place: New Delhi
684) _____________ will host the 2019 ICC Cricket Word
Cup: England and Wales
FEBRUARY – 2015
685) The first Grand Slam of the tennis for 2015 –
Australian Open was held at which place:
Melbourne, Australia
686) Name the winner of men’s singles title at the
Australian Open tennis tournament: Novak
Djokovic
687) Name the winner of women’s singles title at the
Australian Open tennis tournament: Serena
Williams
688) Name the Indian tennis player who won the mixed
doubles title at the Australian Open: Leander Paes
689) Name the Indian Union Minister who recently
visited China on a four day official visit, to launch
the “Visit India Year” in China: Sushma Swaraj
690) Nicol David, World Women’s Squash champion has
set a new record for topping the world rankings for
the 106th month. She is from which country:
Malaysia
691) Country’s GDP growth rate was revised upwards to
________ per cent for 2013-14, as against 4.7 per cent
estimated earlier: 6.9
692) The base year for measuring National Accounts has
recently been revised to _______ from 2004 – 05
earlier: 2011-12
693) India test fired its Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile
(ICBM), __________ for the first time from a canister
mounted on a Tatra truck, from the Wheeler Island,
off the Odisha coast: Agni-V
694) What is the approximate range of India’s ICBM Agni
– V: 5000 kms
695) Sergio Mattarella has been elected as the new
President of which country: Italy
696) Rory McIlroy is the world’s no. 1 player in which
sports: Golf
697) Rory McIlroy is from which country: Britain
698) _______ has been appointed Head Coach of India’s
men’s Hockey team: Paul Van Ass
699) 18th National Conference on e-Governance was
held in which city: Gandhinagar, Gujarat
700) Name the film that won the Filmfare Award for the
best film for 2014: Queen
701) The Filmfare award for the best actor for 2014 was
won by _________: Shahid Kapoor for Haider
702) The Filmfare award for the best actress for 2014
was won by _________: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
703) The Filmfare award for the best director for 2014
was won by _________: Vikas Bahl for Queen
704) Krishna Chaudhary has been appointed Director
General of which paramilitary force: Indian
Tibetan Boarder Police (ITBP)
705) Name the renowned music composer and actor
who has been appointed Chairman of Sangeet
Natak Akademi: Shekhar Sen

706) Charles H. Townes, American noble prize winner
scientist passed away recently. He was known for
which popular invention: Laser lights
707) What is the full form of the word laser: Light
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of
Radiation
708) India's first fenced elephant sanctuary is to be
setup in which Biological Park in Karnataka:
Bannerghatta
709) The RBI recently slashed the statutory liquidity
ratio by how many basis points: 50
710) What will be the impact of recent reduction of SLR
by 50 basis points on the inflation front in the
country: It may go up
by 50 basis points on the growth of the economy of
the country: It may go up
by 50 basis points on the bank loans: It may go up
713) What will be the impact of this reduction of SLR by
50 basis points on the interest rates of the bank
loans: It may go down
714) Which is the only country to win the Handball
World Championships for the record five times:
France
715) Which country secured the no. 1 position in world
in consumption of gold in 2014: India
716) India overtook which country in becoming the top
consumer of gold in the world: China
717) Which American celebrity has been elected as the
most admired women in the world in a recent
survey: Angelina Jolie
718) Winner of the “Most Admired Women” title,
Angelina Jolie is from which field: Cinema
719) The Reserve Bank on Feb. 3 doubled the annual
overseas investment ceiling for individuals to
$_________ per person per year under the Liberalised
Remittance: 250,000
720) The deposit accounts in the banks in which there
are no transactions for 10 years or more are called
_______ accounts: Unclaimed
721) Under which project Govt plans to construct over
two crore toilets in select villages to make India
free from open defecation by 2019: MNREGA
722) The Reserve Bank has allowed banks to install
which type of machines at locations selected by
them (banks) without getting its prior permission:
Cash Deposit Machines
723) Which country has overtaken the United States as
the top destination for foreign direct investment for
the first time since 2003: China
724) According to the UNCTAD, foreign firms invested
128 billion dollars in China and 86 billion in the US
last year. Write the full form of UNCTAD: United
Nations Conference of Trade and Development
725) Which country has become the first country in the
world to allow a "three-parent" IVF (in vitro
fertilization) technique: Britain
726) Who is the author of world famous novel “To Kill a
Mockingbird”: Harper Lee
727) Saloni Dalal, a 12 year old girl became the youngest
medal winner in the 35th National Games in Kerala
by winning a Bronze medal in which field: 200
meter breast stroke swimming event
728) Which state won the 10th National Award for
excellent work in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA):
Madhya Pradesh
729) Which state launched e-registration of properties in
all the 130 tehsil and sub-tehsils of the State on Feb
04: Haryana
730) Who has been appointed as the new Union Home
Secretary: LC Goyal
731) Gaur Hari Singhania, a noted industrialist passed
away recently. He was associated with which
corporate group: J K Group of Industries
732) ________ has been appointed as member of the
Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and
Negotiations by the US government: Ajay Banga
733) Which state has decided to set up ‘Plast India
International University’ in partnership with
University of Massachusetts Lowell, USA: Gujarat
734) Who is the author of the book “The Bookman’s
Tale”: Charlie Lovert
735) Which Indian Bank raised about Rs 10,000 crore by
selling American Depository Receipts in the largest
follow-on offer by a private sector firm: HDFC
Bank
736) Ms. Zoe Konstantopoulou has been elected as the
new President of which country: Greece
737) In which country Shiite Houthi rebels dissolved the
Parliament and took over the reins of the
impoverished nation: Yemen
738) Noted novelist Bhalchandra Nemade has recently
been honoured with which prestigious literary
award: Jnanpith Award
739) Jnanpith Award winner Mr. Nemade writes in
which language: Marathi
740) Name the Indian musician who won the ‘Best New
Age Album’ award at the 57th Grammy Awards:
Ricky Kej
741) Name the Indian who won the Grammy in the Best
Children's Album category for rendering audio
version of the book 'I Am Malala’: Neela Vaswani
742) The Grammy award for the record of the year and
song of the year went to which song: Stay with me
743) BAFTA awards are given for excellence in which
field: Cinema
744) The abbreviation BAFTA stands for what: British
Academy of Film and Television Arts
745) Which film won the BAFTA award for the best film:
Boyhood

746) Government has decided to infuse Rs. 6,990 crore
in nine public sector banks to comply with which
international norms / guidelines: Basel III
747) Basel III guidelines have been issued for what
purpose: To ensure capital adequacy in banks
748) Basel III guidelines have been issued by which
international authority: Bank for International
Settlements
749) Name the politician whose name name was
included in the LIMCA book of records for being the
only woman of the country to represent the same
Lok Sabha constituency on the same party ticket for
eight times in a row: Sumitra Mahajan
750) Which state launched the “Himalaya Darshan”
programme as part of its ongoing efforts to boost
tourism in the state: Uttarakhand
751) Dr. Tony Tan Keng Yam who visited India recently
is the President of which country: Singapore
752) National Deworming Day is observed on which
date: Feb 10
753) Medicine Albendazole is orally administered to pre-
school and school-going children between one and
nineteen years for what purpose: For de-worming
754) Which Indian economist has been named as the
first winner of a newly established Charleston-EFG
John Maynard Keynes Prize in the UK: Amartya
Sen
755) Which bank has launched ‘Pockets’, a digital
banking service, enabling users to instantly send
money to any e-mail id, mobile number, friends on
Facebook and bank account: ICICI Bank
756) The RBI has allowed banks to offer extra interest on
deposit schemes up to Rs 1 crore which cannot be
broken prematurely. Such deposits are called
_________ deposits: Non Callable
757) Reserve Bank has given the directions that all credit
institutions, banks and NBFCs should become
members of all the CICs in the country. The
abbreviation CIC stands for: Credit Information
Company
758) Summit of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank
Governors held in _______ on 9-10 February 2015:
Istanbul
JANUARY – 2015
759) The 13th Pune International Film Festival was held
at Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra
from January 8 to 15. What was the theme this
year: War against War
760) Name the biggest cultural festival of the Mahayana
sect of Buddhism in Nepal, observed to mark the
beginning of the New Year: Tamu Lhochhar
761) The famous new year festival of Nepal – Tamu
Lhochhar is held at which place: Kathmandu
762) ADB has agreed to give $ 75 million loan and $1.8
million grant to which state in India for Integrated
Urban Water Management Investment Program for
improving the water resource management:
Karnataka
763) Name the top Indian cricketer who has decided to
retire from the Test Cricket: MS Dhoni
764) Name the country that has recently adopted the
Euro as its currency: Lithuania
765) How many countries in Europe have adopted Euro
as their currency: 19
766) President gave his assent to the NJAC Act, nearly
ending the two-decade-old Collegium System for
appointment of judges to the Supreme Court and 24
high courts. NJAC stand for what: National Judicial
Appointments Commission
767) The NJAC will be headed by ___________ and will have
______ other members: Chief Justice of India, Five
768) Name the India's first integrated mobile application
for women safety launched in Delhi on Jan 1:
‘Himmat'
769) Saiyid Hamid, noted Muslim academician,
educationist, reformist and author passed away
recently. He was Chancellor of which educational
institution: Jamia Hamdard University and Jamia
Millia Islamia
770) What is the new name of the Insurance Regulatory
and Development Authority (IRDA) after the
promulgation of Insurance Laws (Amendment)
Ordinance, 2014: Insurance Regulatory and
Development Authority of India
771) On Jan 1, the government announced that the
Planning Commission had been revamped and
rechristened as NITI Aayog. What is the full form of
NITI: National Institution for Transforming
India
772) _____________ is the Chairman of the NITI Aayog:
Prime Minister
773) Name the newly appointed vice chairperson of the
NITI Aayog: Arvind Panagariya
774) Ms Sindushree Khullar has been appointed CEO of
which important national level office: NITI Aayog
775) In which development financial institution
government has decided to increase its stake to
51% from around 48% at present: Industrial
Finance Corporation of India – IFCI
776) Which is the only state in India that has the
potential to grow the rare ‘purple tea’: Assam
777) ______________ is the only country in the world that
produces unique purple tea: Kenya
778) India's top PSU bankers and select policy makers
gathered in Pune for a two-day (Jan 2-3) retreat
that was named ______________: Gyan Sangam
779) 102nd Indian Science Congress was held at which
place: Mumbai
780) Who is the author of the book ‘The Fault in Our
Stars’: John Green

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781) Name the senior politician who has authored the
book titled, ‘At Home in India: The Muslim Saga’:
Salman Khurshid
782) The RBI has signed an information sharing
agreement with which country for better
coordination in supervising financial institutions:
Unite States of America
783) As per revised norms, NBFCs have been asked to
review KYC norms in their high risk category
accounts every _________ years: Two
784) Two commemorative coins of Rs 100 and five were
released in the honour of Tata Group founder
________________ to mark his 175th birth anniversary:
Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata
785) Indian railways runs the Maitree Express train
between which two stations: Kolkata – Dhaka
786) Name the project launched by government for
under taking eco friendly development of the rural
areas: Green India Mission
787) Govt. has launched domestic efficient lighting
programme in Delhi. What is the highlight of this
project: LED bulbs to be supplied at an initial
payment of Rs. 10
788) What is the full form of LED: Light Emitting
Diodes
789) What is the name of the customized low-cost
combination of phone and tablet computer
launched for farmers by ICRISAT: Greenphablet
790) In which country its first women premier was
impeached on Jan 23 for corruption charges:
Thailand
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Education and Training Institute Pvt. Ltd., SCO 13-14-15, 2nd Floor, Sector 34-A,
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GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS ISSUE AUGUST 2015

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GYANM GENERAL AWARENESS ISSUE AUGUST 2015