current affairs

www.talentsprint.com

TALENTSPRINT | © Copyright 2015 1

June 2015 Current Affairs

1st June 2015

World Milk Day celebrated

This day was initiated on 1st June 2001 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of

the United Nations to celebrate all aspects of milk as a global food.

India, Sweden ink six agreements during President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit

These include MoUs on Sustainable Urban Development, Micro, Small and Medium

Enterprises, health and visa waiver programme for diplomatic passport holders. The

agreements were signed in presence of President Pranab Mukherjee and Swedish Prime

Minister Stefan Lofven at Stockholm

Following agreements were signed

MoU on Cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development- It aims

to foster closer and long term cooperation between both nations in the field of

sustainable development and protection of the environment.

MoU on cooperation in the field of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

(MSMEs) – It aims at promoting partnership projects, institution and enterprise

level cooperation related to MSMEs. It also seeks development of MSMEs and

facilitating exchange of business mission by initiating technology transfer and

sustainable business alliances

Agreement on Visa Exemption for diplomatic passports- It aims to strengthen

the friendly relations by facilitating the entry of citizens of both nations holding

diplomatic passports.

Letter of Intent (LoI) on Collaboration in Polar and Ocean Research- It seeks

to encourage collaboration in the areas of Polar (Antarctic and Arctic) and Ocean

Research. Signatory parties are Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) of India

and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (SPRS)

Memorandum of Intent (MoI) between Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)

and the Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) for

cooperation in the field of ageing research and health.

MoI between India‘s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and

Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA) for complimentary cooperation between

both nations in the area of health, electronic submissions, pharmacovigilance, drugs,



clinical trials, medical devices and diagnostic kits etc.

South Korea has reported 17 cases of MERS since a man tested positive following

a trip to Saudi Arabia and became the country’s first MERS patient earlier this

month.

More than 680 people have been placed in isolation after having contact with those infected

with the virus that has killed hundreds of people in the Middle East.

Facts about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

MERS belongs to the family of coronaviruses which includes large family of viruses

such as common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). It was

discovered in 2012 and was mostly centered in Saudi Arabia.

Source: MERS is a betacoronavirus derived from bats. Camels have shown to have

antibodies to MERS, but the exact source of infection in camels has not been

identified.

China develops world’s first ATM with Facial Recognition Technology

China has unveiled the world‘s first ATM with facial recognition technology, which its

designers say will help reduce theft and fraud. The ATM was developed in a joint venture

between Tsinghua University and Tzekwan Technology in China‘s eastern Zhejiang

province, The Company specializes in security protection for financial transactions.The ATM

is equipped with a camera, which takes a photograph of the user and then compares it to

ID photos. It will also be linked to the local police and banks.

Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sworn-in as Arunachal Pradesh Governor

Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa was sworn-in as the 19th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. Acting

Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court Justice K Sreedhar Rao administered the oath of office

as per provisions of Article 159 of Constitution. President Pranab Mukherjee had appointed

him as Governor on May 12, 2015 after then Governor Lt General (Retired) Nirbhay

Sharma was transferred to Mizoram. Mr. Rajkhowa is a retired Indian Administrative

Service (IAS) officer from 1968 batch. He is the former Chief Secretary of Assam and had

retired from service in 2004. During his service he had he served in various remote areas

of the Northeast India including in Mizo Hills during the peak of the Mizo rebellion.

2015-16 to be observed as `Year of Development': Punjab CM Parkash Singh

Badal



Punjab government has announced that year 2015-16 will be will be observed as

development year to give further fillip to the all-round development of the state. It was

announced by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, in Dhuri Assembly segment of the state.

For this state government will make concerted efforts for the overall development of the

urban and rural areas in the state. In this regard, state government will be to provide ultra-

modern civic amenities to the people in urban and rural areas and major schemes will be

implemented in the current fiscal. In urban areas state government will focus to provide

the facility of water supply, sewerage, Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs), streetlights,

roads and parks.

Gurpreet Singh secures quota place in shooting for 2016 Rio Olympics

Ace Indian shooter Gurpreet Singh has secured India a fifth quota place in shooting for the

2015 Rio Olympics. He achieved this feat by finishing fourth in the Men‘s 10 metre Air Pistol

final at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) Shooting World Cup held in

Munich, Germany. In the final qualification round Gurpreet scored 154. He became second

Indian to have secured a 2016 Rio berth at the ongoing World Cup. Earlier, in same world

cup Abhinav Bindra, India‘s only individual Olympic gold-medalist had won a quota place

with a sixth place finish in the Men‘s 10 metre Air Rifle final.

Deepika Kumari wins bronze at Antalya Archery World Cup

Ace Indian archer Deepika Kumari has clinched the bronze medal in the women‘s individual

Women‘s Recurve event at Antalya Archery World Cup held in Turkey. To win bronze medal

Deepika outclassed Chang Hye Jin of South Korea in straight sets 6-2 (26-25, 29-26, 26-

28, 28-27). She was the only Indian who made it to the last four in the in individual

women‘s recurve competition as veteran Dola Banerjee, Satbir Kaur and Snehal Divakar all

lost in the first round. In the Antalya 2015 recurve women‘s event Misun Choi and Bo Bae

Ki from South Korea won gold and silver medal respectively.

Dilwar Singh of Haryana wins Pedal for Kashmir cycling race

Dilawar Singh of Haryana has won ‗Pedal for Kashmir‘ cycling competition, held along the

banks of picturesque Dal Lake in Srinagar. During this cycling, Singh pipped local champion

Mohammad Akbar Khan who came runner up, followed by another local cyclist Mohammad

Adil Teli. While in the under-19 category of the competition for Boys, Mohit Kumar won the

first prize. Wahid Ahmad Ganie was placed second, while Amir Sadiq Gojriin finished third.

In the girls under-19 category, Komal Deshmuk from Maharashtra, beat local girl Bushra Ali



to the first position. State Minister for Public Works Altaf Bukhari gave away the prizes to

the winners.

Pinaka Mark-II rockets successfully tested at Pokhran

Advanced version of indigenous Pinaka mark-II rockets were successfully tested on 30 May

2015 in Pokhran field firing ranges in Rajasthan. They were test-fired using a multi-barrel

rocket launcher (MBRL). In the test six rounds were successfully tested which had hit the

target situated 53 kms from the firing point. The MBRL version of Pinaka has high

operational mobility, flexibility and accuracy which is capable of acting as a force multiplier

and has been developed to supplement artillery guns.

||<><><>||

2nd June 2015

RBI cuts repo rate by 0. 25 percent; Lowers GDP growth forecast from 7.8 to 7.6

percent for current fiscal

Repo rate is the rate at which RBI lends to banks generally against government securities.

In line with market expectations, the RBI has cut repo rate by 25 basis points in its second

bi-monthly monetary policy released. Subsequently, the policy repo rate under the liquidity

adjustment facility (LAF) will come down from 7.5 per cent to 7.25 per cent with immediate

effect. Consequently, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 6.25 per cent,

and the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 8.25 per cent.

Ravi Shastri named interim cricket coach for Bangladesh tour.

Former Cricket Captain, Ravi Shastri was today named interim coach of the Indian cricket

team for the tour of Bangladesh starting from 10th of this month. Announcing the decision

the BCCI, Secretary Anurag Thakur said that BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya has named

Ravi Shastri as the interim coach of the Indian team.

E-visa for Swedish nationals soon: Pranab

―India and Sweden: co-creating a brighter future,‖ Mr. Mukherjee said, ―If India and

Sweden pooled their innovative energies to address the challenges that India faces, the

solutions that they come up with may benefit not just the two countries but the whole

world.‖ The President met the CEOs of the Swedish companies where he asked them to

invest in India. The CEOs told the President that they were eagerly awaiting the outcome of



government‘s decision on Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Mauritius designated Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as its first woman President

Government of Mauritius has designated internationally renowned biodiversity scientist and

biologist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as their new President. This designation will make her

Indian Ocean island nation‘s first woman and sixth President, a top ceremonial position.

Now this appointment is subject to Mauritian Parliament approval. She will succeed Former

president Kailash Purryag, who had stepped down as the island‘s figurehead and was

appointed in 2012 by then Labour party government of former premier Navin Ramgoolam.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee to be conferred ‘Friends of Bangladesh Liberation

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be conferred with Friends of Bangladesh

Liberation War Award by Bangladesh government. He will be bestowed this award for his

outstanding support for the Bangladesh‘s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was

member of Lok Sabha. Bangladesh Government will hand over this award to Prime Minister

Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6, 2015.

Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman inducted in BCCI's advisory

panel

Former Indian cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V V S Laxman have joined

the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI‘s) newly-constituted Cricket Advisory

Committee. They were nominated by BCCI President Jagmohan Dalmiya with immediate

effect. The advisory committee will guide BCCI in all matters related to the game and the

national team on various progressive steps needed for future challenges on overseas

engagements. It will also provide direction to improve BCCIs talent pathway and take steps

to strengthen domestic cricket to better prepare our players to handle the rigours of

International Cricket

Meena Hemchandra appointed as executive director of RBI

Meena Hemchandra was in charge of department of supervision. She has also been

Principal of Reserve Bank's College of Agriculture Banking at Pune. Earlier she has worked

in department of external investment and operations. A chartered financial analyst from

Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India, she also holds a post graduate degree in

economics.



Hemant Sonawala, pioneer of Indian IT industry passes away

Hemant Sonawala, one of the pioneer founders of India‘s information technology (IT)

industry passed away on 30 May 2015 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He was 78. As a visionary

industrialist and entrepreneur he had played important role laying the foundations of Indian

IT industry which has grown and subsequently shown meteoric rise in past two decades.

Sonawala was chairman of Hinditron Group which was started in 1966 and engaged in IT,

scientific instrumentation and Tele-communication services. Company‘s computer division

was started in 1971.

Sepp Blatter quits as FIFA president after corruption scandal

FIFA, ruled over by Blatter since 1998, was rocked this week by the announcement of a US

investigation into alleged widespread financial wrongdoing stretching back for years. Swiss

authorities mounted their own criminal probe into the award of the 2018 and 2022 World

Cups to Russia and Qatar.

||<><><>||

3rd June 2015

India and Belarus sign six agreements to enhance bilateral co - operation.

These include agreement on Textiles, protocol to amend the agreement between two

countries to avoid double taxation, MOU between Prasar Bharati and National State TV and

Radio Company of Belarus Broadcasting Corporation in the presence of President Pranab

Mukherjee and his Belarussian Counterpart Mr. Alexander v Lukashenko. Mr. Mukherjee

also had delegation level talks with the President of Belarus and called for strengthening

bilateral relations and cooperation in trade culture and other areas. The State University

of Belarus will confer President Pranab Mukherjee the Professor Honoris Causa degree at a

function tonight

2004 Nobel Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a

way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for

diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died. He was 88.

Union Government launches IAP Health Phone programme

Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi launches IAP Health Phone programme, IAP Health Phone is

the world's largest digital mass education programme to address malnutrition in women



and children This unique and innovative initiative will add to the Ministry's efforts on

tackling malnutrition

State aims to add 14,400 MW to renewable energy portfolio by 2020

The Maharashtra government has set its sights on enhancing installed capacity for

renewable energy to 21,100 MW in the next five years, from about 6,700 MW at present,

with a thrust on solar power. The state cabinet on Tuesday approved a policy to add 14,400

MW by 2020 to the renewable energy capacity through public-private partnerships and

captive power projects, and rolled out a slew of incentives for developers of these power

projects. More than 50 percent or 7,500 MW is expected to come from solar power. The

target is also to add 5,000 MW from wind energy.

Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway

Edward Snowden, former US security contractor and electronic surveillance whistleblower

has been awarded a Norwegian prize for freedom of expression (also known as Bjornson

Prize). The award was bestowed upon him by the Norwegian Academy of Literature and

Freedom of Expression for his work protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US

surveillance of its citizens and others. In 2013, Snowden had uncovered the most extensive

US global electronic surveillance programmes carried out by National Security Agency

(NSA). Presently, he is leaving his exile in Russia.

Union Government launches Khoya Paya web portal to trace missing kids

Union Government has launched Khoya Paya web platform for people to directly report,

track and upload information on missing children. It was jointly launched by the Union

Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi and Union Minister of

Communication & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad in New Delhi. Khoya Paya is joint initiative of the

Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) and the Department of Electronics

and Information Technology (DeitY). The first-of-its-kind web portal will serve as a platform

for people to not only report a missing child but also track the efforts towards his or her

recovery.

Life insurance Corporation gets clearance to do business in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has granted permission to India‘s state-owned insurance group Life insurance

Corporation (LIC) to do business in the country. It was announced by M Shefaq Ahmed,

Chairman of Bangladesh Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA). LIC will



start its operations in Bangladesh as a joint venture (JV) entity to be called LIC Bangladesh

Ltd with a paid up capital of one billion Taka. In this JV entity LIC will hold half of the

amount while the rest would be owed by its Bangladeshi partners. The capital will be raised

from the Bangladesh‘s capital market and local entrepreneurs. Earlier in 2013, Bangladesh

IRDA had rejected LIC‘s proposal to operate in the country citing small capital base.

||<><><>||

4th June 2015

India, US ink new 10-year defence framework

India and United States (US) have signed a new strategically important 10-year defence

framework agreement on 3 June 2015. The agreement was signed between Union Defence

Minister Manohar Parrikar and visiting US Defence Secretary Dr. Ashton Carter in New

Delhi. The framework agreement provides avenues for high level strategic discussions

between both nations along with continued exchanges of armed forces and strengthening

of defence capabilities. Apart from signing this agreement both nations also agreed to

expedite discussions to take forward co-operation on jet engines, aircraft carrier design and

construction and other areas. Pursue co-development and co-production projects that will

offer tangible opportunities for American defence industries to build defence partnership

with the Indian industries under Make in India programme.

World Bank approves $ 250 million loan for Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery

Project in J&K

World Bank has approved 250 million US dollars loan for Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery

Project in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). The project will be funded by loan credit from

International Development Association (IDA), a World Bank‘s concessionary with a maturity

of 25 years, including a 5 year grace period. About Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery

Project.The recovery project will play important role in reconstruction of flood-affected

public infrastructure. It includes roads, bridges and public infrastructure. It will also

strengthen the capacity of state government to respond and better manage natural

disasters in future. It will focus on 20 districts of state and help to rebuild damaged public

buildings such as schools, hospitals, higher education buildings, fire stations, selected block

and district offices.

Maharashtra government for first time invokes MCOCA against ration mafia

Maharashtra government has invoked stringent provisions of the Maharashtra Control of



Organized Crime Act (MCOCA) against ration mafia. With this, state government aims at

weeding out the widespread corruption by taking stringent action against those who tamper

the public distribution system (PDS) mechanism. The first case in this regard was

registered against five persons from Nashik for allegedly being ration mafia and was

involved in the pilferage of food grains meant for PDS. The accused were involved in the

infamous Surgana scam which had misappropriated nearly 3,000 metric tonnes (MT) of

food grain supplied under the PDS to the tribal-dominated Surgana region of Nashik.

India signs global pact on automatic exchange of information on financial accounts

India has joined the global pact on exchange of information on financial accounts, a move

expected to give a big boost to its fight against black money. This system, when fully

implemented, will enable India to receive information from almost every other country in

the world including offshore financial centers. The information will help prevent

international tax evasion and be instrumental in getting Indian tax authorities information

on assets of Indians held abroad including through entities in which Indians are beneficial

owners.

Centre to provide full funding to projects under the Clean Ganga programme.

Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti has

said that the government has proposed for doing away with contributions from states for

Namami Gange project. Her Ministry has devised a strategy to tackle pious refuse in Ganga

and it has been done in such a way that it can provide livelihood to fishermen community.

Ex-IB chief is Prime Minister’s special envoy on counter-terror

Signaling its growing concern over IS terror and radicalization, the government has

appointed the former Intelligence Bureau Chief Asif Ibrahim to a key post in the Prime

Minister‘s office. Mr. Ibrahim, who retired in December 2014, will be the PM‘s ‗Special

Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism,‘ with a charter to liaise with governments

in West Asia, Af-Pak and South East Asia. His role will include both the international and

domestic dimensions of countering international terrorism, which is of great concern to the

government.

Jayalalithaa announces Rs 40.97-crore aid for Cauvery delta farmers

Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday announced a financial aid of Rs 41

crore for farmers in the Cauvery delta region to improve the kuruvai cultivation (short-term



cultivation). The 'kuruvai package' announced by the government includes financial

assistance to farmers and free supply of micro nutrients. Farm machines will be leased out

to farmers free of cost. Besides, three phase power would be provided for 12 hours per day

for irrigation.

India jumps six places in Fifa rankings

India has jumped six places to the 141st position in the latest rankings released by world

football's governing body Fifa on Thursday.India were previously in the 147th spot. They

are at the 22nd position among the Asian countries. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian team

in the list, followed by Japan (52) and South Korea (58). World Champions Germany

continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second place, a place above World Cup

runners-up Argentina.

||<><><>||

5th June 2015

Union Government inks loan pact with World Bank for Tamil Nadu Urbanization

Project

Union Government has signed a loan and project agreement with World Bank to provide

$400 million to the Tamil Nadu government for its Sustainable Urban Development Project.

The loan agreement, signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic

Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Onno Ruhl, Country director of World Bank (India). Tamil

Nadu‘s sustainable Urban Development Project aims at improving urban services in

participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in a financially sustainable manner. It also seeks at

piloting improved urban management practices in selected cities.

World Environment Day celebrated

The World Environment Day was celebrated by various organizations in Coimbatore and the

Nilgiris. It is observed annually on June 5 by the United Nations to stimulate worldwide

awareness of environment issues. Environment Conservation Group (ECG), a Coimbatore-

based NGO, joined hands with Pumpuhar Residens Welfare Association in Idayarpalayam to

plant 70 saplings.

India Loses Poultry Case against America at WTO

The WTO Appellate Body largely upheld a panel's ruling last October that India's restrictions



on import of poultry meat, eggs and live pigs from the US were not based on international

scientific standards on animal health and were discriminatory. India will have 12-18 months

to implement this ruling, after which the US can begin exports of these products to India.

"The Appellate Body agreed with the Panel's finding that India's AI (avian influenza)

measures are inconsistent because they are not based on a risk assessment

Sundaram Ravi becomes 2nd Indian to be inducted in ICC Elite Panel of Umpires

India‘s Sundaram Ravi was inducted into the Elite Panel of International Cricket Council

(ICC) Umpires for year 2015-2016. Decision in this regard was taken by the ICC Umpires

Selection Panel consisting of Chairman Geoff Allardice and others members after annual

review and selection process. Apart from Ravi, New Zealand‘s Chris Gaffaney was also

inducted in this elite panel. Both of them were promoted from the International Panel to

the Elite Panel. With this appointment, Sundaram Ravi became second Indian umpire after

S Venkataraghavan to be inducted into the ICC‘s elite panel. S Venkataraghavan was

inducted in this panel in 2004.

Poovamma, Joseph win silver medals in Asian Athletics Championships

India‘s Machettira Raju Poovamma and Liksy Joseph have won silver medal each in 21st

Asian Athletics Championships held in Wuhan, China. Quarter-miler Poovamma won silver

medal in women‘s 400m finals event by clocking 53.07 secs. China‘s Yang Huizhen (52.37

sec) won the gold medal and Anastasiya Kudinova (53.41 sec) of Kazakhstan won bronze

medal in this event. While heptathlete Joseph won the silver medal in the 800m race with a

time of 2:13.44. Her teammate and former Asian junior champion Purnima Hembram won

bronze medal in this event. Earlier, G. Lakshmanan had won bronze medal in Men‘s 5,000

metre race. With this India‘s medal tally in 21st Asian Athletics Championships is now is 1

Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze. On the opening day of the Championships, Inderjeet Singh had

won gold in Shot put event.

Delhi Metro gets first driver-less train from Korea

The Delhi Metro on Thursday received its first train which is capable of running without a driver.

Manufactured at Changwan in South Korea, the new-age train that arrived at the Mukundpur depot

will eventually run unattended, guided by Delhi Metro's operations control centres, a statement said.

The train arrived by sea at the Mundra port in Gujarat and was brought to Delhi by road. "These

trains will run on the upcoming Majlish Park-Shiv Vihar (Line 7 - 58.596 km) and Janakpuri West-

Botanical Garden (Line 8 - 38.235 km) corridors of Phase 3



Nitin Gadkari inaugurates first Oil Spill Response Centre for Mumbai & JNPT

Harbour

India‘s first of its kind Tier-I Oil Spill Response Centre (OSRC) for Mumbai Port Trust (MBT),

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and ONGC‘s facilities at Nhava and Uran was

inaugurated on 5 June 2015. It was inaugurated by Union Minister of Road Transport &

Highways and Shipping, Nitin Gadkari to tackle pollution and oil spills in and around

Mumbai.

Facebook announces Lite version for slow networks like in India

Facebook has released a ‗Lite‘ version of its application that was tailored for people using

Android smartphones in places where wireless data bandwidth is scarce. ―Facebook Lite is

less than 1MB in size and includes Facebook‘s core experiences like News Feed, status

updates, photos, notifications and more,‖ according to Vijay Shankar, Product Manager for

Facebook Lite.

||<><><>||

6th June 2015

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived on a twoday "historic" visit to

Bangladesh.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s maiden visit to Dhaka, India and Bangladesh on

Saturday sealed a historic agreement that will settle a 41-year-old land boundary dispute

through exchange of territories, removing a major irritant in bilateral ties. The two sides

exchanged documents regarding the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) that was passed

unanimously by the Parliament last month in the presence of Mr. Modi and his Bangladeshi

counterpart Sheikh Hasina besides West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. ―History is

made as the Instruments of Ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement are exchanged,‖

Mr. Modi tweeted.

Uma Bharti launches Jal Kranti Abhiyan

Union minister for water resources Uma Bharti on Friday launched a Jal Kranti Abhiyan

aimed at turning one water stressed village in each district of the country into a water

surplus village. On the occasion Bharti assured Rajasthan for full support of the Centre in

solving its water problems. Under the campaign a village with acute water scarcity will be

selected as 'Jal Gram' on a pilot project. For the identified village a comprehensive



integrated development plan will be framed and several water conservation activities will be

launched. "As pilot project, activities will be run in one water stressed village in each 672

districts in the country" said Bharti while launching the program. "Any planning cannot

become a successful unless it reaches out to the people in villages and on roads. It should

be converted into a mass movement".

Prominent scientist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim sworn-in as first woman president of

Mauritius

Prominent scientist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was sworn in as President of Mauritius. With this

she became first woman to become President of Indian Ocean island nation which is a

ceremonial position. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is an alumnus of the universities of Exeter and

Surrey of United Kingdom. She is also the chair of organic chemistry at Mauritius

University. She is internationally renowned biodiversity scientist and biologist Ameenah

Gurib-Fakim as their new President. She had worked with the World Bank and other

international institutions. She also had served as the Managing Director of Centre

International de Développement Pharmaceutique (CIDP) Research & Innovation.

India’s first green police station was inaugurated at Maurice Nagar in north Delhi.

India‘s first green police station was inaugurated on the occasion of World Environment Day

at Maurice Nagar in north Delhi. It was inaugurated by Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim

Sain Bassi. The police station has various provisions for preservation and safety of the

environment. Students of Delhi University along with police officials had worked on the

renovation of this police station to make it unique.

US doctors perform world’s first skull-scalp transplant

In a major breakthrough in transplant surgery, U.S. doctors have successfully performed

the world‘s first skull-scalp transplant on a 55-year-old man who suffered a large head

wound from cancer treatment. Doctors at the MD Anderson Cancer Centre and Houston

Methodist Hospital announced on Thursday that they performed the 15-hour operation.

K.V. Kamath steps down, Infosys appoints Seshasayee as Chairman

India‘s second largest software services firm, Infosys has appointed R Seshasayee as non-

executive chairman. He will replace KV Kamath, who stepped had down to take over as

President of the Shanghai based BRICS New Development Bank. Since 2011, Seshasayee

had served as an independent director of Infosys and was the chairperson of the company‘s

audit committee. Presently, he is also member of Infosys‘ nominations committee. He is



also non-executive vice chairman of Ashok Leyland and Chairman of IndusInd Bank. R

Seshasayee is a chartered accountant by profession. He had started his career with

Hindustan Lever Limited in 1971.

Kotak Mahindra, ING Bank ink MoU for cross-border biz

Kotak Mahindra Bank and ING Bank have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for

exploring opportunities arising from cross-border business, investment and trade flows

across various regions, including Europe. It was signed between the two parties and covers

an array of co-operation in various areas such as trade remittances, finance. It also

includes services related to non-resident Indians, corporate relationships, funding to

counterparties‘, fee-based products, direct banking and digital strategy and cross-border

debt capital markets, mergers and acquisitions. Under the ambit of MoU, ING Bank will give

its clients from The Netherlands and the other 39 countries commercial banking access to

Kotak‘s services in the vast Indian market. At the same time it will also offer the combined

clients in India the opportunities of ING‘s international network.

French open: Serena Williams wins 20th grand slam title

World number one Serena Williams survived a mid-match meltdown to beat Czech Lucie

Safarova 6-3 6-7(2) 6-2 to win the French Open on Saturday, her 20th grand slam trophy.

The American, who skipped practice on Friday because of a bout of flu, opened up a 6-3 4-

1 lead but suddenly slumped as the 13th-seeded Safarova stormed back into contention,

even moving 2-0 up in the decider. She is now third on the list of all-time major champions

behind Australian Margaret Court (24) and German Steffi Graff (22).

||<><><>||

7th June 2015

7th June: Cancer Survivors Day

A cancer survivors meet was organized in the city on Saturday to mark the National Cancer

Survivors‘ Day, observed annually on the first Sunday of June. The meet was organized by

the Valavadi Narayaswamy Cancer Centre G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital and

Coimbatore Cancer Foundation.

China, Malaysia, South Korea: FinMin imposes anti-dumping duty on some

steel imports



N C Mathur, President Indian Stainless Steel Development Associaton (ISSDA) said the

duty on has been imposed on hot rolled (HR) flat products of stainless steel grade with all

its variants originating from China at $309 per tonne $316 a tonne from Malaysia and from

Korea at $180 a tonne. ―Actually it is a move long overdue. We have been struggling to

survive. This measure will definitely give some respite to the industry,‖ Mathur said. The

commerce ministry had earlier this year said that the home-grown stainless steel industry

has sustained ―material injury due to such dumped imports‖ and that definite measure was

required to stop it.

Adani, Reliance ink MoUs for power generation in Bangladesh

Adani Power Limited (APL) and Reliance Power Limited of India have signed separate

memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Bangladesh Power Development Board

(BPDB). These MoUs were signed on the first day of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s

visit to Bangladesh. The deals were signed to set up 4,600 MW power plants in Bangladesh

worth $5.5 billion. Under the deal, APL will invest 2.5 billion dollars to set up a coal-based

power plant with a capacity of 1,600 MW. While Reliance Power will set up an imported

liquefied natural gas-based power plant with a capacity of 3,000 MW with an investment of

3 billion dollars.

Architect of modern Bhopal and ex-bureaucrat M N Buch passes away

Former bureaucrat Dr. Mahesh N. Buch who was widely regarded as the architect of

modern Bhopal, passed away following a brain stroke in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He was

80. He was known for his clear views in context of urban planning and environment

protection for betterment of Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh. Dr. Buch was born on October 5,

1934, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He graduated in Economics from the St. Stephen‘s

College of Delhi in 1954. He had joined government service in 1957, and later in 1964, he

had passed civil services examination. He was Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer

from the Gujarat cadre.

Mangalyaan mission to enter 15-day blackout phase on Monday

Starting Monday, the country's low-cost Mars mission that is in a rendezvous with the red

planet for an extended period will enter the "blackout" phase snapping communication with

the satellite. From June 8 to 22, the sun will block Mars from the earth snapping

communication with the satellite. MOM during this period will go into an "autonomous

mode" and will take its decisions

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mangalyaan-mission-to-enter-15-day-blackout-phase-on-Monday/articleshow/47572109.cms?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Mangalyaan-mission-to-enter-15-day-blackout-phase-on-Monday/articleshow/47572109.cms?



Barcelona FC wins 2015 UEFA Champions League trophy

Barcelona FC has won 2015 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Champions

League trophy for the fifth time. In the summit clash played at the Olympiastadion in

Berlin, Germany they defeated Juventus FC by 3-1 goals. Ivan Rakitic had first scored goal

for Barcelona in the fourth minute and later Luis Suárez restores at 68 minute and Neymar

scored the goal in extra time. Earlier, Barcelona FC had won UEFA Champions League

trophy in 1992, 2006, 2009 and 2011

Bangladesh confers Award of Liberation War Honour on Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Bangladesh on Sunday conferred its prestigious liberation war honour on former prime

minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his ―active role‖ in its independence struggle and

consolidating friendship with India. President Abdul Hamid handed over the Bangladesh

Liberation War Honour to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a glittering ceremony at

Bangabhaban, the President‘s house, which was attended by Premier Sheikh Hasina and

top officials.

||<><><>||

8th June 2015

India and Netherlands Signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for

Development of Vaccines during the Visit of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands

Shri Mark Rutte to New Delhi

A Memorandum of Understanding was arrived at between India and Netherlands for

development of vaccines. The MoU signed under 'Make in India' initiative of Government of

India will enable the Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Ltd (BIBCOL), a

Central PSU under Department of Biotechnology, to develop Measles - Rubella vaccine at its

plant at Chola, Bulandshahr, U.P. Translational Vaccinology (INTRAVACC) a government-

based institute of the Netherlands will extend technical support for the development of

vaccine. The MoU was signed in the august presence of the Prime Minister of The

Netherlands Shri Mark Rutte during his visit to New Delhi.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a nodal statutory agency

responsible for protecting and promoting public health in India through the regulation and



supervision of food safety. FSSAI was established under the Food Safety and Standards

Act, 2006 and operates under aegis of Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

Functions: FSSAI has been established to lay down science based standards for various

food products in order ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human

consumption. It also regulates the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of

food products for human consumption.

R C Tayal appointed as new Director General of National Security Guard

Union Home Ministry has appointed Senior IPS Officer RC Tayal as the new Director General

(DG) of India‘s elite counter-terror force National Security Guard (NSG). He succeeds JN

Choudhury who had retired on 31 May 2015. He will have tenure till August 2016. Mr. Tayal

is a 1980-batch Assam- Meghalaya cadre IPS officer. Presently, he is serving as the Special

Director General (DG) in paramilitary CRPF and is heading its formation in Jammu and

Kashmir. He hails from Haryana and earlier had served as an Additional DG in the

Sashastra Seema Bal.

Nitish Kumar to be the Chief Ministerial candidate of JD(U) - RJD alliance in the

upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.

Nitish Kumar will be the Chief Ministerial candidate of JD(U) - RJD alliance in the upcoming

assembly elections in Bihar. Announcing this in New Delhi , Samajwadi Party chief

Mulayam Singh Yadav said Mr. Kumar's name for the post was proposed by RJD

President Lalu Prasad and now a final decision has been taken. Earlier, JD(U) leader

Sharad Yadav along with RJD Chief and SP President had a meeting to discuss the alliance

issue. Mulayam Singh Yadav said all leaders of JD(U), RJD and SP will hold a joint

campaign to defeat BJP and communal forces in the state.

Centre appoints Senior most Information Commissioner Vijai Sharma as new Chief

Information Commissioner; former Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes, K V

Chowdary is the new Central Vigilance Commissioner.

Senior most Information Commissioner Vijai Sharma has been appointed as the new Chief

Information Commissioner, CIC while former Chairman of Central Board of Direct Taxes, K

V Chowdary has been named as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner, CVC. Chairman

and Managing Director of Indian Bank,

T.M. Bhasin has been appointed as the Vigilance Commissioner in the Central



Vigilance Commission.

The Indian Banks‘ Association has elected TM Bhasin, Chairman and Managing Director of

Indian Bank, as the Chairman of the Association for 2014-15. Prior to Bhasin, KR Kamath,

CMD of Punjab National Bank, was the IBA Chairman. The AGM also elected three Deputy

Chairpersons — Arun Kaul, CMD, UCO Bank; SL Bansal, CMD, Oriental Bank of Commerce,

and Chanda Kochhar, MD & CEO, ICICI Bank — and an Honorary Secretary — Arundhati

Bhattacharya, Chairman, State Bank of India.

Sudhir Bhargava, former Social Justice and Empowerment Secretary, has been

named as Information Commissioner (IC).

Bhargava as Secretary in the Social Justice Ministry will be responsible for implementation

of the government`s schemes related to the welfare of Scheduled Castes, socially and

educationally backward classes, denotified tribes, economically backward classes and senior

citizens among others.

Well-known writer Dasaradhi Rangacharya dead

Born on August 24, 1928 in Khammam District of erstwhile Hyderabad State, Dasaradhi

actively participated in fight against the Nizam‘s autocratic rule. He went underground and

took part in the Telangana Armed Struggle till Hyderabad was liberated. He was rusticated

from the school and was forced to go to Vijayawada to pursue higher education. Initially,

he worked as a school teacher and later shifted to Hyderabad and joined the municipal

corporation in Secunderabad Division where he worked for over three decades.

French Open 2015

Men‘s Singles Title Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland won his first French Open Men‘s

single title of Tennis. In the final match he defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia by 4-6, 6-4,

6-3, 6-4 score. It his first his first French Open title second grand slam title after Australian

Open 2014. This victory also makes him only the second Swiss to win French Open mens

single title after Roger Federer.

||<><><>||

9th June 2015

G7 calls for end to fossil fuel use by 2100

German Chancellor Angela Merkel says the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have



agreed that the world should phase out the use of fossil fuels by the end of this century.

That is a technical term for ending the use of oil, gas and coal but not nuclear power and

replacing them with alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar power.

NCR gets bigger; 3 more districts added

The sprawl of the National Capital Region (NCR) just got bigger as the nod has been given

for the inclusion of Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh and the Jind and Karnal districts

of Haryana as part of the conurbation. Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu

announced the decision for including the three districts in NCR after chairing a meeting on

Tuesday of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) in New Delhi.

Govt to invest Rs. 8.5 lakh crore to develop railways

Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has said that the Government will invest Rs. 8.5 lakh

crore over the next five years to develop the nation's railway services. A Memorandum of

Understanding (MoU) for a joint research on material and engineering was also signed

between IIT-BHU and Railways. Prabhu further stressed on the need the recycle the waste

in railways, saying that it would benefit the country in the long run.

World’s first ‘feeling’ prosthetic leg fitted in Austria

World‘s first prosthetic (artificial) leg capable of simulating the feelings of a real limb and

fighting phantom pain was unveiled by researchers in Vienna, Austria. The first of its kind

medical innovation is the result of a two-fold process which is developed by Professor

Hubert Egger at the University of Linz, Austria. This prosthetic leg was fitted on Wolfgang

Rangger who had lost his right leg in 2007.

16th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA)

16th edition of the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) informally known as the

―Bollywood Oscars,‖ was held in Malaysia. The award ceremony was held in Putra Indoor

Stadium Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 2015 IIFA Awards honoured the best films of 2014

and the ceremony took place from June 05 to 07, 2015. Haider was awarded the most

awards (09).

Winners

Popular Awards

Best Film:Queen.

Best Director: Rajkumar Hirani – PK.



Best Actor in a Leading Role: Shahid Kapoor –Haider as Haider Meer.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Kangana Ranaut – Queen as Rani Mehra.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Riteish Deshmukh – Ek Villain as Rakesh Mahadkar.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Tabu – Haider as Ghazala Meer.

Male Debutant Star: Tiger Shroff – Heropanti as Bablu.

Female Debutant Star: Kriti Sanon – Heropanti as Dimpy.

Best Performance in a Comic Role: Varun Dhawan– Main Tera Hero as Seenu.

Best Performance in a Negative Role: Kay Kay Menon– Haider as Khurram Meer. Best

Story: Vikas Bahl, Chaitally Parmar, Parveez Shaikh- Queen.

||<><><>||

10th June 2015

Union Cabinet approves Rs 6,000 crore interest-free loan to sugar mills

Union Cabinet approved an interest-free loan i.e. soft loan to the tune of 6,000 crore

rupees to enable sugar mills pay arrears to farmers. Decision in this regard was taken by

Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. Apart from

this decision cabinet also approved hike in prices of Ethanol. As per this decision, interest

on the loan will not be charged for a year but the interest will be borne by the Union

government from sugar development fund. The money to be paid as arrears to farmers

under this loan will be directed credited in Jan Dhan accounts of farmers. It should be

noted that Sugar mills in India owe over 21,000 crore rupees to farmers because they were

not able to sell sugar stocks which have remained unsold due to falling prices of raw sugar

in domestic and international markets.

Padmasree Warrior, India-born Chief Technology Officer of Cisco resigns

Padmasree Warrior, India-born has stepped down from her post of Chief Technology Officer

(CTO) at global IT giant Cisco. She had resigned after a significant restructuring of top

management of Cisco under incoming CEO Chuck Robbins. Now she will have advisory post

in Cisco till September 2015. She had joined Cisco in 2008 and had served as CTO and

senior vice-president of engineering during her seven years at the company.

P L Subramanian appointed as non-executive Director of India Cements Limited

P L Subramanian has been appointed as Non-Executive Director India Cements Limited

(CIL) with an immediate effect. Subramanian had joined former BCCI President N



Srinivasan-led India Cements in 1986 and had served in various responsibilities. He had

retired from service in May 2015 after serving as Executive Director (Operations) of the

company. He also had served as a Director of Andhra Pradesh Gas Power Corporation

Limited, India Cements Infrastructures Limited, Coromandel Electric Company Limited and

Trishul Concrete Products Limited.

Mahendra Kumar Sharma appointed as non-executive Chairman of ICICI Bank

Mahendra Kumar Sharma was appointed as non-executive chairman of India‘s largest

private sector lender Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Bank.

He will replace K V Kamath who had resigned from top most in order to join as President of

the Shanghai based New Development Bank established by the BRICS nations. Presently,

Sharma is an independent director of two subsidiaries of ICICI Bank viz ICICI Lombard

General Insurance Company and ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company. Earlier

from 2003 to 2011, he also had served as an independent director on the board of ICICI

Bank.

Trios of 3800-year-old statuettes found in Vichama, Peru

Researchers in Peru have discovered trios of statuettes which belong to some 3,800 years

ago. They were discovered by research team led by archaeologist Ruth Shady. The final

discovery announcement was made by the Peruvian Cultural Ministry in Lima. The mud

statuettes were found inside a reed basket in a building at the ancient city of Vichama in

northern Peru.

||<><><>||

11th June 2015

Nepal PM Sushil Koirala invites PM Narendra Modi to address donors’ conference

in Kathmandu

Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala on Thursday invited his Indian counterpart Narendra

Modi to visit the country on June 25 to address the first donors' conference being hosted in

Kathmandu. Prime Minister Koirala also briefed Prime Minister Modi on the steps his

Government is taking for the rehabilitation and reconstruction in Nepal following the

earthquakes in April and May. He also mentioned that he has sent his Finance Minister,

Ram Chandra Mahat, to Delhi with a personal invitation for Prime Minister Modi.



Africa creates TFTA - Cape to Cairo free-trade zone

African leaders have agreed to create the continent's largest free-trade zone, covering 26

countries in an area from Cape Town to Cairo. The deal, signed in Egypt, is intended to

ease the movement of goods across member countries which represent more than half the

continent's GDP. Three existing trade blocs - the Southern African Development Community

(Sadc); the East African Community (EAC) and the Common Market for Eastern and

Southern Africa (Comesa) - are to be united into a single new zone. With this agreement

comes into fruition a century-old dream to link the continent from the Cape to Cairo.

India has unlocked its first indigenously ¬built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at a

ceremony at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL).

India on Wednesday undocked its first indigenously-built aircraft carrier INS Vikrant at a

simple ceremony at Cochin Shipyard Limited here. The ship, built at CSL, will undergo a

series of fitment and trial processes before it is ready for propulsion and inducted into the

Navy, CSL officials said.

India's largest aircraft carrier, INS Vikrant's induction into the Navy will be done after a

series of static and dynamic trials, they said. The successful completion of the 40,000 tonne

aircraft carrier puts India in the elite group of four nations - the US, Russia, the UK and

France - in the world capable of designing and constructing aircraft carriers.

Senior scientist Srivari Chandrasekhar has been appointed Director CSIR Indian

Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT)

Srivari Chandrasekhar has been appointed as director of CSIR- Indian Institute of Chemical

Technology (IICT). The appointment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is also the

president of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was announced on Tuesday.

Chandrasekhar was born in Hyderabad and did his entire education in the city before

joining IICT in 1986 as Junior Research Fellow to his PhD.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today handed over the Bangladesh Liberation War

Honour to the family members of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today handed over the Bangladesh Liberation War Honour to

the family members of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, an official statement

said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today "handed over the Bangladesh Liberation War

Honour to the family members of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee - Ranjan

Bhattacharya, Namita Bhattacharya, and Niharika Bhattacharya", a statement from the



Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said

Bangladesh conferred the award on Mr Vajpayee for his contribution to the South Asian

nation's fight for liberation from Pakistan.

Indian Cricket Team Captain, MS Dhoni, is the only cricketer in the top¬100 of

Forbes' list of the world's highest ¬paid athletes.

Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is among Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in

the world, the only Indian sportsman on the list that has been topped again by American

boxer Floyd Mayweather and includes golfer Tiger Woods, tennis star Roger Federer and

Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.

Dhoni has been ranked 23rd on the Forbes list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2015,

dropping a notch from his ranking of 22 last year. Dhoni's total earnings stood at $31

million, including amount from salary/winnings at $4 million and endorsements worth $27

million.

||<><><>||

12th June 2015

Delhi government launches education loan scheme for students

The Aam Aadmi party government on Thursday launched a higher education and skill

education guarantee scheme to provide a Rs.10 lakh bank loan to students from Delhi.

"Under the scheme, regardless of the student's financial condition, they would be provided

Rs.10 lakh as loan without any collateral or third-party guarantee or margin money. There

would be no processing charges for the loan

RBI allows NRIs to invest in chit funds

The Reserve Bank today allowed non-resident Indians (NRIs) to invest in chit funds on non-

repatriation basis without any ceiling, a move that will encourage flow of capital into the

country. However, the subscription to the chit funds should be brought in through normal

banking channel, including through an account maintained with a bank in India. Earlier in

May 2000, non-residents were barred from investing in a company or firms engaged in the

business of chit fund.

12th June: World Day against Child Labour observed



This day was first launched in the year 2002 by International Labour Organization (ILO)

aiming to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour. ―The law is fine, but the

problem remains in its implementation at the ground level. And unless the community

decides to act against employing children, the law can't alone solve the problem,‖ said Dola

Mahapatra, national director, Child Fund India. Moreover, the anti-Child Labour Act does

not prohibit all forms of child labour, nor has the existing law been implemented effectively.

―It needs to be harmonised and brought in line with the Right to Education Act, 2009

China conducts fourth test of Wu-14 nuclear delivery hypersonic vehicle

China has conducted the fourth successful test of a new Wu-14 hypersonic strike vehicle

which is capable of delivering nuclear weapons. The test was conducted on 7 June 2015

and the vehicle launched atop a ballistic missile fired from a test facility in western China.

The vehicle has ability to executed extreme maneuvers that may be able to render US anti-

missile defense systems obsolete.

Renewable energy targets quadruple globally in 10 years: IRENA

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has announced that in past one

decade renewable energy targets have quadruple globally. It was mentioned IRENA

Renewable Energy Target Setting report which was released by IRENA Director-General

Adnan Z. Amin on the side lines of IRENA‘s 9th Council meeting in Dubai. As per report,

164 countries have adopted at least one type of renewable energy target compared to 43

countries in 2005. All nations are adopting renewable energy targets to meet multiple

objectives including energy security, environmental sustainability and socio-economic

benefits.

Google Launches Special Search Mode for Slower 2G Phone Network for India,

Brazil

World‘s largest search engine giant Google Inc has launched a new lite mode of Google

search engine for India and Brazil on 2 Generation (2G) network. This lite mode has been

developed by keeping the 2G network speed in mind. Before launching this feature in India,

Google had tested it in Indonesia, where the network speed is similar to India. The new lite

mode of Google search engine loads pages four times faster than the traditional webpages

and consume 80% less data and penetrate 50% faster connection compared to before. This

feature is currently limited to Android smart phones.



Legendary actor Christopher Lee passes away: Interesting characters he played

"You can never be a proper actor without good instincts", were the famous words spoken

by the legendary actor Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee. He breathed his last on

Sunday, on June 7, although his wife did not let the news become public till June 11. His

filmography career spanned for nearly 7 decades as he appeared regularly in both films and

television. The veteran actor was not only known for his films but he was also a stage

artist, singer, and author and served in the military during World War II. Lee had a deep,

baritone voice which he lent to many films and video games, earning him credits as a voice

actor.

Nek Chand Saini, creator of Chandigarh’s Rock Garden passes away

Nek Chand Saini, creator of Chandigarh‘s iconic Rock Garden passed away on 11 June 2015

in Chandigarh. He was 90. He was born in Berian Kalan village in Shakargarh region (now

in Pakistan). He was as a self-taught Indian artist. He had emigrated to India with his

family during the partition in 1947 and had settled in Chandigarh in 1950. In 1951, Nek

Chand had started working as a road inspector of the Chandigarh‘s Public Works

Department (PWD). During this time Chandigarh was redesigned as a modern utopia by the

Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier and became first planned city in India. Awards: Nek

Chand was awarded the Padma Shri in 1984.

||<><><>||

13th June 2015

US opens probe against Indian IT giants TCS, Infosys for H1B visa violations

United States (US) government has opened an investigation against two of the biggest

Indian Information Technology (IT) outsourcing companies for possible violations of H1-B

visa rules. The two IT giants are Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Infosys. The

investigation is being carried by US Department of Labour for against both companies for

possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under contracts they

held with an electric utility Southern California Edison. US Department of Labour

investigation move comes after the power company had recently had laid off more than

500 technology workers from US. These laid off workers were made to train their

replacements who were immigrants on the temporary work visas brought in by the Indian

firms.



US becomes world's biggest oil producer in 2014, surpasses Saudi Arabia

The United States has overtaken Saudi Arabia as the world's biggest oil producer in 2014

while India has recorded the highest growth in energy consumption among major

economies. The US produced 15.9% more oil in 2014 at 11.6 million barrels of oil per day

to topple Saudi Arabia's 11.5 million bpd production, according to BP Plc's Statistical Review

of World Energy

Government sacks Dr Bimal K Roy, Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)

Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has sacked Dr Bimal K

Roy as the Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). He was removed from the office on

charges of indiscipline one-and-a-half months before the end of his term. Roy who is a

renowned cryptologist was appointed Director of ISI in August 2010. In April 2015, he was

conferred with India‘s fourth highest civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution in the

discipline of literature and education. Professor Sanghmitra Bandyopadhayay now will

replace Dr Bimal K Roy as the Director of ISI. With this appointment she has become the

first woman to lead the institute.

V K Singh inaugurates first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University,

China

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V K Singh inaugurated first India-China Yoga

College at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming, China. This is first Indian government

institution related Indian spiritual art form i.e. Yoga in China inaugurated ahead of the first

UN Yoga Day to be observed on June 21. The Yoga College was established in lines with the

MoU for establishing the Yoga College signed during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s

visit to China in May 2015. This college seeks to provide certification courses in the Indian

spiritual art with them Indian teachers who are going to help in curriculum development

and training. Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) will provide two teachers to the

university.

Government launches Migrant Resource Centre in Chennai

Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) was set up in Chennai by the Union Ministry of Overseas

Indian Affairs (MOIA) and Tamil Nadu state government. The MRC will provide migrants

and overseas Indian workers with information, advice, counseling and guidance on all

aspects of overseas employment. It will include legal and regulatory requirements apart



from documentation and policies, procedures, problems faced while working aboard by

migrants and workers.

Twitter Inc CEO Dick Costolo resigns

Dick Costolo has resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter Inc after leading

the company for five years. He will demit the office of CEO on 1 July 2015. Till his

replacement is found Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and Square Inc‘s CEO will take over

as the Interim CEO. Under the technological leadership of Costolo, Twitter had evolved

from a startup to a public company. He was also had pioneered for introducing Twitter‘s

famous 140 character messaging service which had gained cultural prominence and had

become a powerful tool for worldwide celebrities, activists and citizen journalists to

propagate their views.

Wesley Hall inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of fame

Former West Indies paceman Wesley Hall has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of

Fame, raising the tally of cricketers from the Caribbean to 18 in an illustrious field of 80

players who have been bestowed with the prestigious award to date. Hall received his

commemorative cap from fellow ICC Cricket Hall of Famer, Courtney Walsh, during the

lunch break on the opening day of the second Test between the West Indies and Australia

at the Sabina Park

Musicians, film-maker chosen for Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships

Musicologist S.R. Janakiraman, film-maker M.S. Sathyu, classical singer Vijay Kichlu and

musician Tulsidas Borkar have been chosen for the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi

fellowships for the year 2014. The General Council also selected 36 artists from the fields of

music, dance, theatre and puppetry for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi

Puraskar) for the year 2014.

China launches freight train service connecting Europe by linking Harbin and

Hamburg

China has launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and

Europe. The 9,820-km-long distance rail route will open new trade options for Chinese

goods in the European Market. It was launched by HAO Logistics Co. Ltd which is a joint

venture company that runs the freight service. The train carrying 49 containers of domestic

goods such as electronic products and auto parts worth US 3 million dollars started its



journey from Harbin capital of Heilongjiang province.

||<><><>||

14th June 2015

14th June: World Blood Donation Day observed

The World Voluntary Blood Donation Day was observed here on Saturday. The NSS unit of

the Andhra University College of Arts and Commerce conducted an awareness programme

on voluntary blood donation, safe blood transfusion and the need to donate blood to save

lives.

China confirms test of supersonic nuclear delivery vehicle amid tension in the

South China Sea; US describes it as an extreme maneuver.

China has confirmed the test of a supersonic nuclear delivery vehicle, a move described by

the US as an extreme maneuver amid tension in the South China Sea. Chinese defence

ministry has, however, denied the charge saying the tests are normal and not targeted at

any country reported the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post. The fourth

successful test of hypersonic glide vehicle -which the US has dubbed as the "Wu-14" - was

carried out on Sunday. The Wu-14 was assessed as travelling up to 10 times the speed of

sound, and is considered a high-technology strategic weapon capable of delivering nuclear

or conventional warheads while traveling on the edge of space.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, to sign motor vehicle pact tomorrow for

better transport facility.

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, BBIN, will sign a Motor Vehicle pact tomorrow to

facilitate seamless transport between these countries. The agreement will be signed by the

Transport Ministers at a meeting in Thimpu, Bhutan. It will enable seamless transit of

passenger and cargo vehicles among these nations. The agreement was approved by the

Union Cabinet on the 10th of this month.

Recommendations of Bibek Debroy committee on restructuring of Indian Railways

Improving accountability, decentralising power and setting up an independent regulator are

the key elements for the restructuring of Indian Railways, NITI Aayog member Bibek

Debroy says. The panel on restructuring of the Indian Railways, headed by Mr. Debroy The

committee has set a five-year timeframe for implementing its recommendations and has



suggested doing away with the Railway Budget

Former Union Minister Sheila Kaul passes away

A five-time MP, Kaul was born on February 7, 1915. She was an arts graduate from Lahore

Women‘s College and had a degree in teaching from Sir Ganga Ram Training College,

Lahore. She was married to renowned botanist Kailash Nath Kaul. Kaul is survived by sons

Gautam Kaul, a retired IPS officer, and Vikram Kaul, an international sports administrator,

besides daughter Deepa Kaul, a former Information Minister in U.P.

Govt sets up Rs. 1500-crore nuclear insurance pool

The government has launched an insurance pool to the tune of Rs. 1,500 crore which is

mandatory under the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLND). This was announced by

Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh. Several projects such

as the long-pending Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojna (GHAVP) that were held up in

its absence, are now expected to move forward after setting up of the pool.

Comet lander Philae wakes up from hibernation

Philae comet lander has taken on the surface of Comet 67P (Churyumov-Gerasimenko)

from seven-month hibernation. It was announced by European Space Agency (ESA) after

the comet lander managed to communicate with Earth for more than a minute. In

November 2014, Philae comet lander had created space history by becoming first to probe

landed on a comet. The historic feat was achieved after it was dropped on to the surface of

Comet 67P by its mothership Rosetta. After successfully landing on the comet it had

worked for 60 hours and had conducted experiments and transmitted that data to Earth

before going into hibernation after its solar-powered battery ran flat.

BSNL to launch free roaming from tomorrow.

BSNL will launch free roaming from tomorrow, which will allow all its mobile customers

across the country to receive incoming calls at no cost. In a statement, Chief Managing

director of BSNL Anupam Shrivastava said, it will benefit crores of existing as well as new

subscribers of BSNL. On 2nd of this month, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had

made an announcement to this effect.

||<><><>||



15th June 2015

Indian, Chinese firms sign 26 pacts worth $22 billion

Leading companies from India and China on Saturday signed 26 deals here, worth $22

billion. Among the Indian firms that signed the deals were Adani Group, Bharti Airtel and

Welspun. The agreements spanned a range of sectors, including renewable energy, power,

steel, and small and medium enterprises. Among the major agreements was Bharti‘s tie-up

for a credit facility of $2.5 billion with China Development Bank and Industrial and

Commercial Bank of China

FDI inflows in services sector increased by 46% in 2014-15

With the government taking steps to improve ease of doing business and attracting

investments, FDI inflows into the services sector grew by over 46 per cent to $3.25 billion

in 2014-15. The services sector, which includes banking, insurance, outsourcing, R&D,

courier and technology testing, had received foreign direct investment (FDI) worth $2.22

billion in 2013-14.

Vedanta-Cairn India merger plan comes under flak

Proxy advisory firm In Govern Research Services has red flagged the proposed merger

between Vedanta Ltd and Cairn India Ltd stating that it would be against the interest of

Cairn India‘s minority shareholders. It said the minority shareholders of Vedanta Ltd will

gain at the detriment of the minority shareholders of Cairn India. Cairn India is a debt-free

company. As a result of this merger, public shareholders of a debt-free Cairn will become

shareholders of a heavily levered Vedanta Ltd. In other words, the merger will socialize the

debt of Vedanta Ltd across the minority shareholders of both Vedanta and Cairn India.

However, the promoter Vedanta Plc. will continue to hold majority control (50.1 per cent)

over the combined entity

Rohan Bopanna-Florin Mergea win Stuttgart Open title

Indo-Romanian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea clinched the men's doubles title

at the 574,965-euro Stuttgart Open on the grass courts of Tennis Club Weissenhof. The

fourth seeds took just an hour and 12 minutes to beat Austrian-Brazilian third seeds

Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares5-7, 6-2, 10-7 in the final.

Supreme Court cancels All India Pre-Medical Test 2015; Directs CBSE to re-



conduct test within four weeks.

A vacation bench of Justices R.K. Agrawal and Amitava Roy directed the re-examination in

view of large-scale cheating in the test with students getting answers in the examination

hall at any places. The apex court had reserved its order on friday on petitions seeking

reconduct of AIPMT 2015 which was held on May 3. The petitions in the Supreme Court

were filed by candidates who claimed that mass cheating during the examination had

vitiated the process. CBSE was to declare the results of the examination on June 5. Over

6 lakh students has appeared for the AIPMT exam this year.

400 million people don't have access to key health care services

World Bank and World Health Organization (WHO) in their latest report have reported that

around 400-million people worldwide lack access to essential health services. It was

revealed in a report by the World Bank and WHO on tracking universal health care (UHC)

coverage. It is the first report to measure health service coverage and financial protection

and to assess countries‘ progress towards UHC.

Vice President Hamid Ansari confers Pt. Haridutt Sharma Award to Anurradha

Prasad

Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari announced the Pt. Haridutt Sharma Award to

senior journalist Anurradha Prasad in New Delhi. Haridutt Sharma was selected for her

contribution in the field of Journalism, Writing and Social Services. She is wife of former

Minister of State (MoS) for Parliamentary Affairs Rajeev Shukla.

||<><><>||

16th June 2015

Britain celebrates 800 years of Magna Carta

Royalty returned to Runnymede 800 years after a group of rebellious barons forced a

medieval king to put his seal on a historic document that established the foundations of

parliamentary democracy, human rights and the supremacy of law. Eight centuries after

the sealing of Magna Carta by King John in a boggy meadow on the banks of the Thames in

Surrey, Queen Elizabeth joined thousands on Monday who had travelled from around the

world to stand in that field to mark the anniversary with a ceremony heavy on symbolism,

speeches and flags.



General Assembly elects former Danish Foreign Minister as President of 70th

session

The United Nations General Assembly has elected by acclamation Mogens Lykketoft of

Denmark as President of its upcoming 70th session. Addressing delegates immediately

after his election today at UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Lykketoft, who has served

both as Denmark‘s Foreign and Finance Ministers, declared that his Presidency would be

marked by a ―commitment to action‖ towards building ―a more fair and stable world‖ in line

with the objectives set out by the UN Millennium Development Goals.

India Inks Landmark Motor Pact With 3 SAARC Nations

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari today signed the Bangladesh, Bhutan,

India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) for Regulation of Passenger,

Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic along with transport ministers of the other three

nations at Bhutan's capital Thimpu. Besides, in a major breakthrough, India, Myanmar and

Thailand have agreed to develop a similar motor vehicle pact on the lines of the draft

SAARC Motor vehicle agreement.

'Sakaar' app lets you watch everything live

In a major stride towards witnessing the physical events occurring anywhere in the

country, the government on Monday launched its own augment reality (AR) app "Sakaar".

Developed by the development and educational communication unit of the Indian Space

Research Organisation (ISRO), 'Sakaar' would enable the Android and tablet give users a

live direct view of physical, real world environment whose elements are augmented by

computers-generated 3D models, animations and videos. The technology would also enable

users to assess the reality in a better and pronounced manner.

Indian Railways names Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express

Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express with an immediate effect. In this

regard the train No 19031/19032 Ahmedabad-Haridwar-Ahmedabad famously known as

Haridwar Mail has been christened as Yoga Express. This decision was taken by Indian

Railways before celebration of first ‗International Yoga Day‘ on 21st June which will be

observed as global event. However, the train timings and its composition have not been

changed. Yoga Express run between Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Haridwar (Uttarakhand) on

daily basis covering 1208 km distance in 26 hours 05 mins.



National Dairy Development Board inks MoU with DD Kisan channel

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) with DD Kisan channel to provide meaningful content related to farm

and dairy sector. This association will benefit millions of dairy farmers across India. The

content will be based on ground realities, actual problems and issues faced by farmers,"

NDDB Chairman T Nanda Kumar said in a statement.

||<><><>||

17th June 2015

17th June: World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought observed

The United Nations' World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought is annually observed

on June 17 to highlight the urgent need to curb the desertification process. It also aims to

strengthen the visibility of the dry lands issue on the international environmental agenda.

Vladimir Putin announces Russia will add more than 40 intercontinental ballistic

missiles to nuclear arsenal in 2015

The Russian president made the announcement during his opening address at the Army-

2015 Expo, an international military forum near Moscow. Mr Putin said that "more than 40

new intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) able to overcome even the most technically

advanced anti-missile defence systems" would be added to Russia's nuclear arsenal this

year.

Prime Minister launches ‘Narendra Modi Mobile App’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the ‗Narendra Modi Mobile App‘ to

provide instant updates and an opportunity to receive messages and emails directly from

him. The Android-based application is also aimed at giving a chance to people to interact

with him and share ideas and suggestions. The application description said, ―Download the

app and get the latest updates anywhere, anytime! Highlights of the Narendra Modi app

include receiving the latest news and updates, exclusive opportunity to receive E—Mails &

Messages directly from the PM and ‗Mann Ki Baat‘ with the PM.‖

BSNL to invest Rs. 6,000 cr for setting up 40,000 wi-fi by 2018



BSNL will set up 40,000 wifi hot spots across the country and the project is likely to be

completed by 2018,‖ Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said while launching wi—fi

facility at Taj Mahal. The minister added that estimated investment by BSNL for this would

be around Rs. 6,000 crore.

Legendary architect and town planner Charles Correa passes away.

Charles Correa, the face of modern architecture in India, passed away in Mumbai last night

after a brief illness. He was 84. Correa played a defining role in developing architecture of

post-Independence India and has designed some of the most outstanding structures. He

was the man behind the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in Ahmadabad and Madhya Pradesh

assembly building.

Central government approves ‘Housing for all by 2022′ project

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for launch of

‗Housing for All by 2022′ aimed for urban areas with following components to States and

Union Territories and cities. Approval was given for rehabilitation of slum dwellers with

participation of private developers using land as a resource; promotion of affordable

housing for weaker section through credit linked subsidy; affordable housing in partnership

with public and private sectors; and subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house

construction or enhancement.

Election Commission suspends recognition of PA Sangma-led National People’s

Party

Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended recognition of the PA Sangma-led

National People‘s Party (NPP) which was a recognized state party in Meghalaya. The

recognition of NPP was suspended under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation

and Allotment) Order, 1968 after the party failed to file the election expenditure statement

incurred in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

World’s thinnest bulb created from grapheme

Researchers have created the world's thinnest light bulb using graphene, an atomically thin

and perfectly crystalline form of carbon, as a filament. Led by Young Duck Kim, a

postdoctoral research scientist in James Hone's group at Columbia University School of

Engineering, a team of scientists from Columbia, Seoul National University, and Korea

Research Institute of Standards and Science said that they have demonstrated for the first



time — an on-chip visible light source using graphene as a filament. They attached small

strips of graphene to metal electrodes, suspended the strips above the substrate, and

passed a current through the filaments to cause them to heat up.

U.S. to curb trans fats by 2018

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it will seek to eliminate

majority of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) from the country‘s food supply by 2018. The

decision comes after years of lobbying by health advocates and scientists that artificial oils,

commonly called ―trans fats‖, clog arteries and raise the risk of heart disease.

||<><><>||

18th June 2015

Govt raises solar power target to 100,000 MW by 2022

The government raised the solar power generation capacity addition target by five times to

1, 00,000 MW by 2022, which will entail an investment of around Rs. 6 lakh crore. Union

Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its approval for stepping up of

India‘s solar power capacity target under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM)

by five times, reaching 1,00,000 MW by 2022.

India third in global doping report for 2013 by WADA

India may be considered a sporting minnow but in terms of doping by its athletes, it has

been ranked third behind Russia and Turkey in a World Anti-Doping Agency Report for 2013

with as many as 91 from the country testing positive for banned substances in that year.

Russia has maximum number of dope offenders with 212 testing positive while the figures

for Turkey and India were 155 and 91 respectively. Of the 91 Indians, 20 were women

athletes.

India slips to 143 among 162 nations in peace stakes

When asked to name a strife-torn country in a dangerous neighborhood, India may not be

the first to come to mind. And yet, India ranks a lowly 143 out of 162 countries on the

Global Peace Index 2014—two ranks below its score last year. While Iceland ranked

number one, Syria was at the bottom of the index, compiled by global think-tank Institute

for Economics and Peace (IEP).



Finance Ministry forms two committees to facilitate the implementation of Goods

and Services Tax from April next year.

Finance Ministry has set up two committees for facilitating implementation of Goods and

Services Tax from 1st of April next year. The committee will suggest tax rates and look into

IT preparedness for the new indirect tax regime. Committee has been formed under the

chairmanship of the Chief Economic Advisor of Finance Ministry. The Committee will

recommend possible tax rates under GST that would be consistent with the present level of

revenue collection of Centre and states. The Committee will also analyze the sector-wise

and state-wise impact of GST on the economy.

US Federal Reserve keeps interest rate unchanged at near zero level.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar held

comprehensive talks with Myanmarese President U Thein Sein and Top Defence officials on

border security cooperation in Nye pe taw. Ministry of External Affairs' spokesperson Vikas

Swarup informed that they have also held discussions with Commander in Chief and

Foreign Minister of Myanmar. The national security advisor and the foreign secretary are on

visit to Myanmar. The discussion covered the entire gamut of India-Myanmar bilateral ties

but they focused specifically on continued security co-operation and co-ordination along the

Indo-Myanmar border.

Punjab to celebrate 350th foundation day of Anandpur Sahib

The Punjab government will commemorate the 350th foundation day of religious town

Anandpur Sahib in June this year. The town is home to Takht Keshgarh Sahib, the second

most important Sikh shrine after 'Harmandar Sahib' (popularly known as Golden Temple),

and is known as the birthplace of the Khalsa panth - the modern day Sikh religion.

Union Cabinet gives nod to introduction of Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015

Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved introduction

of Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 in coming session of Parliament. The new bill

seeks to replace the existing Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986 with an aim to

bring in more products under the mandatory standard regime and end the inspector raj.

President gives assent to Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015

President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to Negotiable Instruments (Amendment)

Ordinance, 2015. The ordinance amends Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881. Earlier in June



2015, Union Cabinet had recommended promulgation of this ordinance to the President.

The ordinance will help to tackle issues related to cheque bounce cases and allow filing of

cheque bounce case at the place where the cheque was presented for clearance and not at

the place of issue. It will benefit around 18 lakh people facing cheque bounce cases across

the country.

Kirk Kerkorian, casino tycoon, movie mogul, auto investor dies at 98

Kirk Kerkorian, the son of poor Armenian immigrants who used his gambler's instincts to

become a multibillionaire Las Vegas casino tycoon, Hollywood mogul, airline owner and

auto industry investor, died at age 98. Kerkorian, who founded MGM Resorts International

and was its largest shareholder, died in Los Angeles on Monday night

Japan’s Parliament handed a Bill to decrease voting age from 20 to 18

Japan has passed a law lower the voting age to 18 years from its current 20 years. The bill

in this regard to revise the public office election law was passed by the upper house after

being approved in the lower chamber. With passing of this law, 2.4 million of its population

from 18 and 19-year-olds age group will extend the franchise in future elections. This move

also has brought Japan in line with other developed countries in terms of voting age. Last

time, Japan had lowered the voting age from 25 to 20 years in 1945 after its surrender in

World War II.

||<><><>||

19th June 2015

India offers Tanzania expertise in natural gas sector

India on Friday offered its expertise to Tanzania in development of its potentially rich

natural gas sector and decided to extend e-tourist visa to people of the African nation even

as the two countries signed eight MoUs to expand engagements in diverse areas. During

extensive talks Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho

Kikwete, both the countries also decided to establish a Joint Working Group to strengthen

cooperation in counter terrorism. The MoUs signed included a loan agreement between

Exim Bank and Tanzanian government on a line of credit for $ 268.35 million for extension

of a pipeline project and cooperation in the field of hydrology, tourism and agriculture.

Union Agriculture Minister Launched Nowcast and Insurance Web-Portals for

Farmers



Union Agriculture Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh, said that a number of applications

which have been completed and passed through all the required checks and audits are now

ready for nationwide rollout. Few of the services we launched include Insurance Portal and

Weather alert service NOWCAST. The Ministers of State for Agriculture, Dr. Sanjeev Kumar

Balyan and Shri Mohanbhai Kalyanjibhai Kundariya were also present on the occasion. The

Mission Mode Project in Agriculture under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A) aims to

achieve rapid development of agriculture in India through the use of ICT by ensuring timely

access to agriculture related information for the farmers of the country.

Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita debuts in Communist China

Bhagavad Gita, a sacred ancient Indian scripture, has made its debut in China after its

Chinese version was released during an international yoga conference being held in the

Communist nation. Translated by Professor Wang Zhu Cheng and Ling Hai of Zhejiang

University in Shanghai and published by Sichuan People's Publications, the book was

launched at a function attended by eminent yoga teachers from India who had converged

at Dujiangyan in southwestern Sichuan province to attend the Yoga Festival. The book was

released by Indian Ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha

HDFC Bank launches 10-second paperless instant loan plan

Country's second-largest private sector lender, HDFC Bank on Thursday launched a 10-

second paperless instant loan plan for its existing customers. HDFC Bank will now disburse

personal loans to its customers in just 10 seconds. With this product, existing customers

will have a pre-approved loan amount available to them 24x. The entire process of availing

the loan is completely paperless, and users can simply log into their bank account via net-

banking or mobile banking and avail of this loan at a click

CNR Rao gets Japan's highest civilian award

Eminent scientist and recipient of Bharat Ratna CNR Rao was conferred Japan's highest

civilian award for promoting academic interchange and mutual understanding in science

and technology between the two countries. He was presented with the 'Order of the Rising

Sun, Gold and Silver Star' and certificate by Japanese ambassador to India Takeshi Yagi in

the presence of senior officials of the Department of Science and Technology, which Rao

has helped shape up over the years.

China produces first electric plane



The BX1E has a 14.5-meter wingspan and a maximum payload of 230 kgs. It can fly at an

altitude of 3,000 meters. The 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, state-run Xinhua

news agency reported.

MS Dhoni, Mustafizur Rahman fined for breaching ICC Code of Conduct

India Cricket team captain of One Day International (ODI) Mahendra Singh Dhoni and

Bangladesh fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman were fined for breaching the International

Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct. They were fined after being found guilty of

breaching Code of Conduct during the first of ODI match between both nations played at

Mirpur, Bangladesh. Dhoni was fined 75 per cent of his match fees and Mustafizur was fined

50 per cent of his match fees.

||<><><>||

20th June 2015

World Refugee Day

The United Nations' (UN) World Refugee Day is observed on June 20 each year. This event

honors the courage, strength and determination of women, men and children who are

forced to flee their homeland under threat of persecution, conflict and violence. People

honor the spirit and courage of millions of refugees worldwide on World Refugee Day. It is a

day to recognize the contributions of refugees in their communities. Organizations such as

Amnesty International and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) often get involved in

various activities for the day.

Jharkhand bans sale of thermocol plate

Jharkhand Government has imposed a ban on the sale of thermocol plates in the state. It

was announced by Chief Minister Raghuvar Das. By banning thermocol plates, the state

government aims at Promoting of leaf plates in the state Generate employment for the poor

and tribals who are engaged in making leaf plates.

Historian-author Ramachandra Guha to receive Japan's Fukuoka Prize

Historian-author Ramachandra Guha has been selected for Japan's prestigious Fukuoka

Prize in the Academic category. Guha's fellow winners this year are Thant Myint-U (Grand

Prize) and Minh Hanh (Arts and Culture). Fukuoka Prize honours those who have made



outstanding contributions to academia, arts and culture across Asia. "Ramachandra Guha, a

leading Indian historian, pioneered the new horizon of environmental history viewed from

the general public's viewpoints. His works present thorough explanations of the complex

history of India, a country with a great diversity of languages, ethnicities, religions, and

castes.

Haryana launches Village Mentoring Project to uplift villagers

The Haryana Government today launched a Village Mentoring Project (VMP) to improve

healthcare and education of the villagers with a special emphasis on girl child. The project

would create awareness among the villagers about various issues including educating girl

child, health, financial matters etc

Humans driving Earth to sixth mass extinction

As per recently published study in the journal Science Advances, humans are driving Earth

to sixth mass extinction. The study was led by team of experts from Stanford University,

Princeton University and the University of California, Berkeley of United states. The analysis

of study was based on documented extinctions of vertebrate species such as frogs, tigers,

reptiles and from fossil records and other historical data. Researchers had compared the

modern rate of species loss to the natural rates of species disappearance before human

activity was dominated. As per natural rate of extinction, two species go extinct per 10,000

species in 100 years.

Brightest early galaxy named after Ronaldo

Scientists have discovered the brightest galaxy in the early universe that contains the first

generation of stars, and have nicknamed it after popular Portuguese football player

Cristiano Ronaldo. These massive, brilliant, and previously purely theoretical objects were

the creators of the first heavy elements in history — the elements necessary to forge the

stars around us today, the planets that orbit them. The newly found galaxy, labelled CR7, is

three times brighter than the brightest distant galaxy known till now. The name was

inspired by 30-year-old Ronaldo, who is known as CR7.

||<><><>||

21st June 2015



Today (third Sunday of June) is Father's Day.

International Father‘s Day in the city on Sunday was marked by a demonstration by

activists supporting the cause of shared parenting. Organised under the banner of

Children‘s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), the members called for shared

parenting to be made mandatory and demanded the speedy implementation of the Law

Commission report pertaining to the guardianship and custody laws. A release said that

CRISP members and activists recognised the effects of parental alienation of children due

to single-parent families on account of divorce or separation. It said that incidents of

divorce and separation were high due to loosely drafted family laws.

First International Yoga Day being celebrated across the globe today

International Day of Yoga is being observed across the globe today. From the heavenly

abode of Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Siachen glaciers to Thar desert and in high oceans,

India heralded the first-ever International Yoga Day today. President Pranab Mukherjee and

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the first of its kind International Yoga Day celebrations in

the country from India's seat of power, New Delhi. In Delhi, the main event was held at

Rajpath. Over 35 thousand enthusiasts performed yoga exercises at historic Rajpath lawns.

Mr Modi himself spread his mat among rows of people, including his Cabinet colleagues and

foreign diplomats, at the venue that was transformed into one sprawling yoga ground.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

to mark the global event at UN headquarters and Times Square

In New York, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will preside over the function at UN

Headquarters and Times Square this evening. She will be joined by UN Secretary General

Ban Ki Moon, President of the General Assembly Sam Kutesa, US Congresswoman Tulsi

Gabbard, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and several other diplomats. Ban Ki Moon

has expressed his excitement at the first International Day of Yoga during his meeting with

Mrs Swaraj, saying the day has garnered unprecedented enthusiasm from people around

the world.

Nikesh Arora appointed Soft Bank president

India-born former Google executive Nikesh Arora has been appointed the president of

Japan‘s telecommunications giant SoftBank Corp that paid the ―rising star‖ a whopping USD

135 million for the financial year 2014. Mr. Arora was appointed company president and

chief operating officer at a general meeting of shareholders in Tokyo on Friday.



||<><><>||

22nd June 2015

India set two world records on maiden International Yoga Day celebrations at

Rajpath.

India created two world records at the main event of the first International Yoga Day

celebrations at Rajpath in New Delhi. Around 36,000 participants performed asanas making

it the largest yoga session, while 84 nationalities were present in a single Yoga event.

Minister of AYUSH, Shripad Naik said it is a matter of pride for India that the country has

broken two records in one day. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has

congratulated all for the record set and successful conduct of the event.

China opens Nathu La as 2nd route for Kailash pilgrims

China on Monday opened the second land crossing in Tibet via Nathu La to allow the first

batch of Indian pilgrims undertaking the arduous Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra, in the latest

confidence-building measure between the two neighbours. The opening of the second route

through the Himalayan pass of Nathu La in Sikkim, 4,000 metres above sea level, was

officially announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s visit to China last month and will

allow more Indians to undertake the pilgrimage.

Coveted ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ title for Sanjay Subrahmanyan

Vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyan — one of the foremost south Indian classical vocalists — will

receive the coveted ‗Sangita Kalanidhi‘ award of The Music Academy this year. He will

preside over the 89th annual conference of the Academy to be held between December 15,

2015 and January 1, 2016. ―He is the unanimous choice of the executive committee of the

Academy and in selecting Mr. Subrahmanyan we have restored the practice of awarding the

title both to veteran and young musicians who are at the peak of their career. The practice

existed till the late 1970s. Mr Subrahmayan is a vocalist par-excellence and torchbearer of

his generation of Carnatic musicians

Commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo held in

Belgium

A commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo was held in Belgium.



To mark this occasion several events were in Belgium and United Kingdom to remember

the battle which led to defeat of French in June 1815. The Battle of Waterloo was a pivotal

moment in modern History of Europe. In this battle around ninety thousand French troops

led by Napoleon Bonaparte were defeated which had ended their quest of conquering major

parts this region.

Afghan Parliament attacked

The Taliban on Monday launched an attack on the Afghan Parliament, with a suicide car

bomber striking at the entrance and gunmen battling police as lawmakers were meeting

inside to confirm the appointment of defence minister, police and witnesses said. All the six

gunmen who attacked Parliament were killed and the gunfire had stopped, the police said.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said the attack began with a car bomb explosion

near the entrance. Gunmen then attempted to storm the compound but were pushed back

by security forces. They took refuge in a nearby building under construction and police

surrounded the structure.

Ex-hockey skipper Shashi Bala, son die in road accident

Hockey India is deeply saddened by the untimely demise of former India women team

captain Shashi Bala and her son Agrim Thakur. The entire Indian Hockey fraternity

expresses its grief on losing a prominent personality, who was known for her immense

contribution towards Indian Hockey. Bala made her international debut in 1987 and was a

member of the national team in the 1998 FIH Women World Cup in the Netherlands. She

was captain of the Indian team during the 1997 FIH Women World Cup qualifier held in

Harare, Zimbabwe.

Nico Rosberg wins Austrian Grand Prix

Nico Rosberg celebrated his 30th birthday with a third win in four races on Sunday when he

beat Mercedes team-mate and series leader Lewis Hamilton to triumph in an incident-filled

Austrian Grand Prix.

Roger Federer wins eighth Halle Open ATP title of Tennis in Germany

World number two Roger Federer has won the Halle Open ATP title in Germany. In the final

match he defeated Andreas Seppi of Italy by 7-6, 6-4 score. It was Federer‘s eighth Halle

Open ATP title after he had won in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2013 and 2014. It was

also his fourth title of the season 2015 after Brisbane, Dubai and Istanbul and overall 86th



title of his career. It was also his 15th career title on grass.

||<><><>||

23rd June 2015

Mother Teresa's successor Sister Nirmala passes away in Kolkata.

Former Superior General of Missionaries of charity Sister Nirmala passed away in Kolkata

last night. She was 81. A Missionaries of Charity official said, Sister Nirmala was not

keeping well for the past few days and her health was gradually deteriorating. Sister

Nirmala took over the highest post in Missionaries of Charity after the death of Mother

Teresa. Padma Bhushan Awardee Sister Nirmala was the Superior General of Missionaries

of Charity till 2009. Sister Mary Prema was elected to succeed Sister Nirmala during a

general chapter held in Kolkata in April 2009. Our correspondent reports Sister Nirmala's

body has been kept at St. Paul's Church in Kolkata.

India, South Africa renew science and technology cooperation pact

South Africa and India have renewed an agreement to extend cooperation in the field of

social innovation, astronomy, agriculture, biotechnology and indigenous knowledge systems

for the next three years. Relations between the two sides in science and technology dates

back to 1995, when they signed a bilateral agreement. The instrument to implement this

agreement is a programme of cooperation, which is renewed every three years.

Sri Lanka, China begin joint military training exercise ‘Silk Route- 2015′

Joint military training exercise code named ‗Silk Route- 2015′ between China and Sri Lanka

has begun at Buttala in Central Sri Lanka. It is three-week long joint military training

exercise will be conducted in three phases. Phase 1 will be held June 22-28, 2015; Phase 2

will be held from June 28-July 5, 2015 and Phase 3 will be held from July 5 – July 13, 2015.

In the first phase of the 2nd joint exercise involves Sri Lankan Army and People‘s Liberation

Army (PLA) of China have participated. This training will focus on weapon handling, live

firing, VIP protection study and other warfare and battle skills related fields.

'Titanic' music composer James Horner dies

Oscar winning music composer James Horner died at the age of 61 in a plane crash near

Santa Barbara on Monday. Horner was piloting the small aircraft when it crashed into a



remote area about 60 miles north of Santa Barbara, officials said. His death was confirmed

by Sylvia Patrycja, who is identified on Horner‘s film music page as his assistant. Horner

captured the Oscar for Original Dramatic Score, and he nabbed another Academy Award for

Original Song (shared with lyricist Will Jennings) for ―My heart will go on‖, performed by

Celine Dion. His score for Titanic sold a whopping 27 million copies worldwide.

NUSI gets global award

National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), India's oldest and largest shipping trade union,

has been honoured with the ‗Best Welfare Organization of the Year – 2015‘ award,

promoted by the United Kingdom-based International Seafarers‘ Welfare and Assistance

Network. At a function held in London recently, the prestigious award was presented to

NUSI general secretary-cum-treasurer Abdulgani Y Serang by Secretary General of

International Maritime Organization Koji Sekimizu. NUSI has got around 80,000 seafarers

as members working aboard Indian as well as foreign cargo ships.

Kerala Government declares June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’

Kerala Government has declared June 22 as ‗Snake Bird Day‘ in a bid to protect the

endangered species which is also known as Indian darter. The formal announcement was

made by State minister for forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan at a function organised by

Snake Bird Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram.

||<><><>||

24th June 2015

US National Security Agency spied on 3 French Presidents in 2006-12, claims

WikiLeaks.

WikiLeaks has claimed that the United States National Security Agency, NSA, spied on

French Presidents Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande in 2006-12. The

whistleblower website cites top secret intelligence reports and technical documents from

the NSA. The NSA was earlier accused of spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Wikileaks said it began publishing the files under the heading Espionnage Elysee, a

reference to the French presidential palace.

BJP Lok Sabha MP Dilip Singh Bhuria passes away.

Senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Ratlam-Jhabua seat in Madhya Pradesh, Dileep



Singh Bhuria passed away today at a hospital in Gurgaon after a brief illness. The 71-year-

old tribal leader suffered from brain hemorrhage and heart attack following which he died

at around11 AM. He is survived by his wife, two sons and four daughters. Bhuria a six time

Lok Sabha MP had also been Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes

and Scheduled Tribes. Prime Minister has expressed grief over the demise of Mr. Bhuria.

Prime Minister to launch three flagship schemes tomorrow, including Smart Cities

Mission, for revamp of urban areas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch three flagship schemes tomorrow for urban

revamp. The projects are Smart Cities Mission, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban

Transformation, AMRUT, and Housing For All. Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah

Naidu said the schemes will be an important milestone for urban development in the

country.

India emerges as third largest FDI source for U.K.

India has emerged as the third largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for United

Kingdom (UK) after United States (US) and France in terms of number of projects.

According to a recent report released by UK Trade and Industry (UKTI), the U.S. remained

the largest source of inward investment, with a total of 564 projects in 2014-15, followed

by France (124 projects) and India (122 projects). During the year, investment from India

increased by 65 per cent. This resulted in creation of 7,730 jobs as well as protection of

1,620 jobs.

EPFO makes UAN mandatory for all employers under its purview

Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has notified an order to make Universal

Account Number (UAN) mandatory for all its employers. It will be mandatory for all

employers covered under the Employees Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act,

1952. The UAN facility was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2014. It is

portable throughout the lifetime of an employee and removes the need for employees to

apply for PF transfer claims while changing jobs

Maha Govt to invoke MPDA Act against sand mafia, black marketers

Maharashtra government has decided to evoke Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous

Activities Act (MPDA), 1981 against those involved in black marketing of essential

commodities and sand mafia. Decision in this regard was taken by state cabinet meeting

chaired by Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. Cabinet also approved proposal to amend parent



Act in order to include criminal activities related to sand mafia and black marketing. The

decision to impose MPDA was taken by government in order to tackle the menace of black

marketing of essential commodities and sand mafia in state and to prevent organised

attacks against revenue officials and employees by sand mafias and smugglers.

Rajasthan pips Gujarat in solar power, becomes No. 1 in country

Rajasthan has become number one state in the country in terms of total installed capacity

of solar energy. It was revealed in recently released data by the Union Ministry of New and

Renewable Energy. Rajasthan with total 1,167 megawatt (MW) installed capacity has

surpassed Gujarat (1000 MW) which was previous number one state in the country.

||<><><>||

25th June 2015

Union Cabinet gives nod to rename SECI as Renewable Energy Corporation of

India

The Centre has decided to change the name and nature of Solar Energy Corporation of

India, a four-year-old central public sector undertaking set up as a not-for-profit company

to promote solar energy in India. SECI will be renamed as Renewable Energy Corporation

of India (RECI) and as such its activities will embrace all branches of renewable energy, not

just solar. RECI, however, will not be a not-for-profit company. It will be allowed to seek

and make profits, according to a press release from the Ministry of New and Renewable

Energy.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Receive Colombia's Highest Civilian Award

Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be honoured with Columbia‘s highest civilian award

on June 24. A letter sent by the president of Colombia‘s House of Representatives, Fabio

Raul Amin Saleme, recognised the spiritual leader‘s contribution in spreading the message

of peace in society, inter-mediation in war, reducing stress and combating violence through

yoga and breathing exercises. It also commended the organisation set up by Shankar in the

country, ‗The Art of Living Foundation,‘ which has helped communities and groups, which

have been forgotten, to rehabilitate

Cabinet nod to raise cap to build eastern, western freight corridor

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved the nearly



threefold increase in cost to build the eastern and western dedicated freight corridor (DFC)

project, a key infrastructure project that will increase Indian Railways‘ freight carrying

capacity and cut transportation cost for companies. The revised cost estimate is Rs.81, 459

crore and will include land costs and financing plan.

Bal Sahitya Puraskar announced

The Sahitya Akademi, announced the Bal Sahitya Puraskar for this year, in which five

novelists, four writers of short stories, and three authors of poetries, among others, have

been awarded for their contribution to children‘s literature. Instituted by the Sahitya

Akademi, the award comprises Rs 50,000 and a casket containing an inscribed copper

plaque and a citation. Tiren Boro (Bodo), Sowmya Rajendran and Nivditha Subramaniam

(English), Ramnath G Gawade (Konkani), Ramdeo Jha (Maithili) and Mukti Upadhyay ‗Baral‘

(Nepali) have been awarded for their novels

Pakistan's Zaheer Abbas appointed as new ICC president

Zaheer Abbas, the former Pakistan captain, was appointed president of the International

Cricket Council at the sport's governing body's annual conference. Zaheer, 67, filled the

vacancy in the largely honorary role left by Mustafa Kamal, who resigned in April after

falling out with the ICC's Indian chairman over who should hand out the World Cup trophy.

Kamal, as the titular head of the ICC, expected to present the trophy but chairman N

Srinivasan awarded it to the victorious Australian side at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in

late March.

Cabinet nod for six new IIMs

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the proposal for the setting up of six new Indian

Institutes of Management (IIMs) in the country, which will start offering courses from the

coming academic session. The new IIMs will be located at Visakhapatnam (Andhra

Pradesh), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh), Nagpur (Maharashtra),

Sambalpur (Odisha) and Amritsar (Punjab). Each institute will start with an intake of 140

students for the post-graduate course, the flagship programme of the IIMs, admission for

which will be through Common Aptitude Test (CAT) exam.

India pledges $1 billion to quake-hit Nepal

India on Thursday pledged $1 billion in assistance to quake-ravaged Nepal for its massive

reconstruction programme. The announcement was made by External Affairs Minister



Sushma Swaraj at the Donors' Conference in Kathmandu. ―This pledge is over and above

our existing bilateral developmental assistance of another one billion US dollars over the

next five years, forty per cent of which would be Grant

AP inks MoU with Australian firm

The State Government gas partnered with leading Australian mining firm NSL Consolidated

Limited for beneficiation of low grade iron ore from the reserves in Kurnool and Kadapa. A

memorandum of understanding to this effect was signed between AP Mineral Development

Corporation and NSL Mining Resources India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of NSL Consolidated in

the presence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Steven Ciobo, parliamentary

secretary to Australian Minister for Trade and Investment. Mr. Ciobo accompanied by a high

level delegation consisting of businessmen/industrialists operating in financial sector,

pharmaceutical industry, food-processing, energy and infrastructure from Australia.

||<><><>||

26th June 2015

India leads FDI in South Asia with 34 billion investments in 2014

India leads regional inflow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in South Asia accounting for

$ 34 billion investment during 2014 and the upward trend is likely to continue this year

also, according to a UN report which placed China as the world's largest FDI recipient. FDI

inflows to the country (India) surged by 22 per cent to about $ 34 billion" improving its

position to 9th top host country for FDI in 2014.

RBI extends deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes till December 2015

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the date to exchange pre-2005 bank notes

till December 31, 2015 for third time. Earlier in December 2014, RBI had set the last date

for public to exchange these notes as June 30, 2015. RBI has urged people to deposit the

old design notes in the bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch. The apex bank

also has stated that the notes can be exchanged for their full value and all such notes

continue to remain legal tender.

India, US ink pacts to enhance cooperation in health sector

India and United States have signed a series of agreements on health in order to enhance

cooperation in health sector. The multiple areas covered under such agreement include



cancer research, medical infrastructure development and application of new diagnostic

technologies. Signed Agreements are MoU on cancer research, control, prevention and

management: To develop collaborative research projects on population-based cancer

control and implementation science. Apart from it will seek development of projects in the

areas of pre-clinical model development, basic and epidemiological research, clinical

research and oncology care delivery etc. Letter of Intent (LoI) on Anti-microbial Resistance

Research: Set up mechanism of antimicrobial resistance which also include the applications

of systems biology. It will also seek to comparative testing and assisting the validation of

new diagnostics and development of novel interventions MoU on collaboration in

Environmental, occupational Health and Injury Prevention and Control. Further enhance

cooperation in the fields of environmental and occupational health along with injury

prevention and control research.

Union Government exempts educational institutions from prior green nod

Union Government has exempted builders from obtaining prior green nod for construction

of Universities, School, College and Hostel facilities. In this regard Union Ministry of

Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a circular to exempt green

nod for educational institutions provided they should follow sustainable environment

practices of construction. These educational institutions are exempted from prior green nod

under the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006

subject to sustainable environmental management.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar voted best Test player of 21st century

India‘s legendary batsman and Bharat Ratna recipient Sachin Tendulkar has been voted the

‗Best Test player‘ of the 21st century in an online poll. The online poll was conducted by

Cricket Australia‘s website for the list of the 100 best Test players since 2000. In this poll,

Sachin got the highest number of votes to emerge top on the list. Sri Lanka‘s Kumar

Sangakkara received the second highest votes. He was followed by Australian cricketer

Adam Gilchrist in the third position. In this list Sachin is lone Indian cricketer to be figured

in the top-10 list, while there are four Australian, three South African and two Sri Lankan

cricketers.

||<><><>||

27th June 2015



Tribal women entitled to inherit property in accordance with Hindu Succession Act

Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that the daughters in tribal areas in the state shall

inherit the property in accordance with Hindu Succession Act, 1956. This landmark

judgment will help to bring a new resolution in the tribal society‘s inoder to grant equal

rights to the girls and bring down gender disparity. The ruling was given by Justice Rajiv

Sharma by upholding the earlier order passed by District Judge of Chamba in 2002 to grant

legal rights to women in family property.

Light Combat Helicopter successfully clears hot weather trials at Jodhpur

Ndigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) prototype has been successfully

cleared hot weather trials at Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The testing involved temperature survey

of engine bay and hydraulic system apart from handling qualities, assessment of

performance and loads at different all up weights etc. With this successful test it will pave

way for the Initial Operational Clearance (IOC), which is expected to receive it by the end

2015 and is likely to enter production from 2017-18.

Australia to join China led AIIB

Australia has said it will join a China-led infrastructure bank as a founding member,

contributing 930m Australian dollars ($718.5m; £455m) over five years. The move will

make Australia the sixth biggest shareholder of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

(AIIB). More than 50 members have signed up to the lender, which is widely seen as a rival

to the Western-led World Bank. The US and Japan have refused to join, however. Both

countries have raised concerns over the bank's standards of governance, while there are

concerns in the US that the AIIB could be used by China to extend its political influence.

India becomes most attractive investment destination

India has become most attractive investment destination in world after it was ranked first

among 110 countries in a ranking of destinations for attractiveness to foreign investors.

The ranking was based on baseline profitability index (BPI) 2015. In this edition of China

was placed at the 65th position and US was placed at the 50th. India has emerged as top

investment destination in BPI 2015 compared to previous 6th position held in the 2014

index. It should be noted that high ranking in this index indicates high returns and

improving economic institutions.

India Fourth Largest Carbon Emitter: WRI Analysis



India is fourth largest carbon emitter in the world in terms of per capita emission

accounting for 6.6 % of global emissions for the year 2012. It was revealed by the World

Resources Institute (WRI) in its latest analyses of the country-wise carbon emissions of

climate-damaging greenhouse gases (GHGs). According to the analysis figures of WRI, Top

10 emitters are: China (25.26%), US (14.4%), European Union (10.16%), India (6.69%),

Russia (5.36%), Japan (3.11%), Brazil (2.34%), Indonesia (1.76%), Mexico (1.67%) and

Iran (1.65%).

Satnam Singh Bhamara becomes first Indian to be drafted by a NBA team

Satnam Singh Bhamara became the first Indian to be drafted by a NBA team when he

emerged as the 52nd pick – snapped by Dallas Mavericks. The 19 year-old 7 foot 2 inches

from Ballo Ke village in Punjab created history at 9.20 IST in Brooklyn, New York after he

was picked by the Texas franchise. The historic feat is a culmination of five years the

freakishly tall and stunningly hardworking teen has spent at the IMG Academy at Florida

sharpening his skills in an environment he has slowly acclimatized to – knowing not an iota

of English nor having ever been in a big city before the age of 15

||<><><>||

28th June 2015

Prime Minister to launch Integrated Power Development Scheme in Varanasi

today to ensure 24x7 powers to all. Also to lay foundation stone of Indian

Agricultural Institute at Hazaribagh in Jharkhand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Hazaribagh in Jharkhand to lay the foundation stone

of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. In the presence of Mr Modi, an MoU to set up

a new steel plant will be signed between the Union Steel Ministry, the National Mineral

Development Corporation Limited and the State Mineral Development Corporation Limited

of the Jharkhand Government. A Special Purpose Vehicle will be set up under this

agreement. Our correspondent reports that after this agreement, Jharkhand will be a

pioneer in steel production producing about 300 million tonnes by 2025.

Prime Minister calls for making Beti Bachao Beti Padhao a mass movement in the

country.

Expressing concern over declining child sex ratio in 100 districts of the country, Mr Modi



said, the situation particularly in Haryana is very grave. In his Mann ki Baat programme on

All India Radio today, the Prime minister lauded Sarpanch of Bibipur village in Haryana,

Sunil Jaglan for taking initiative and posing a selfie with his daughter. Mr Modi urged all

fathers to follow Jaglan's example and post selfie with their daughters on social media

Paraguay knocks out Brazil in Copa America Football tournament at Chile.

Despite Brazil‘s lacklustre form in the tournament, Paraguay‘s victory on penalties in the

last eight still stands as the shock of the tournament so far – particularly given the manner

in which the South American minnows saw off their illustrious rivals for the second Copa

América in a row to advance to a semi-final against Argentina.

||<><><>||

29th June 2015

India and Thailand sign a number of agreements, including Extradition and

Double Taxation Avoidance treaties.

India and Thailand signed a number of important agreements, including the double taxation

avoidance treaty. They also exchanged instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty

inked in 2013, which provides the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive

offenders. The tax treaty provides for the framework to avoid double taxation and prevent

fiscal evasion with respect to taxes so as to promote bilateral economic cooperation. The

agreements were signed by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Thai Deputy Prime

Minister and Foreign Minister Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn.

Metro rail service begins in Chennai.

In Chennai, Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa flagged off the first phase of Metro Train services.

The Chennai Metro Train services have started on a 10 kilo meter stretch in the first phase

after a long wait of about 8 years since the construction works began. It links 7 stations

along the arterial 100-feet road in 19 minutes, reducing travelling time by more than

45minutes during peak hours with more comfort for the passengers. The Rs 14,600 crore

projects is aimed at linking a total of 45 kilo meter distance with 32 stations through

elevated and underground two-way tracks connecting densely populated areas. Works are

also in fast pace on other stretches, with the hope of augmenting the transport

infrastructure in the city in a big way.



Primakov, former prime minister who turned Russia away from the U.S., dies at

85

Former Prime minister Yevgeny Primakov passed away in Moscow after a prolonged illness.

He was 85. He had served as PM for just eight months between September 1998 and May

1999. During his long political career, he also had served as Foreign Minister (1996 to

1998), Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (in 1989) and chief of the

intelligence service. Prior to Gulf war, he had played a prominent role in negotiations with

former dictator of Iraq Saddam Hussein.

Jwala Gutta, Ashwni Ponappa win women’s doubles title of Canada Open

Badminton tournament

Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the women‘s doubles title of the

Canada Open Badminton tournament. In the finals match played at Calgary, Canada they

defeated Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16. It

is their first title of this season.

Men’s Single title: Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia won the men‘s single title, by defeating Ng

Ka Long Angus of Hong Kong by 17-21 13-21 score in the final match.

Women’s Single title: Michelle Li of Canada won the women‘s single title, by defeating

Kaori Imabeppu of Japan by 21-17 25-23 score in the final match.

Mixed doubles title: It was won by Chinese pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen. In the final

match, they defeated Chinese pair Kaixiang Huang and Sijie Wang by 17-21 21-12 21-18

score.

||<><><>||

30th June 2015

India joins Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank; becomes second largest

shareholder among 50 founding countries.

India and representatives from 49 other founding countries, have signed an agreement that

provided legal framework for the China-led '100 Billion' US Dollar, Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank or AIIB. The 60-article agreement specified each member's share as well

as governance structure and policy-making mechanism of the bank, which is designed to

finance infrastructure in Asia. The delegates from 50 founding countries gathered at the

Great Hall of the People in the Chinese capital Beijing. India and representatives from 49



other founding countries, have signed an agreement that provided legal framework for the

China-led '100 Billion' US Dollar, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or AIIB. The 60-

article agreement specified each member's share as well as governance structure and

policy-making mechanism of the bank, which is designed to finance infrastructure in Asia.

The delegates from 50 founding countries gathered at the Great Hall of the People in the

Chinese capital Beijing.

Indian Railways, Army among world's biggest employers.

Two Indian organizations, India Army and Indian Railways are among the world‘s biggest

employers. It was revealed in a research published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Both organizations employ around 2.7 million people together. Indian Railways was placed

at 8th position with 1.4 million staff, while Indian Army was placed at 9th position with 1.3

million employees in the list of world‘s biggest employers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to launch Digital India Week tomorrow to empower

people of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Digital India Week in the national capital

tomorrow with a view to empower the people of the country through the Digital India

Programme and to transform the country into a digitally empowered knowledge economy.

Apart from the event in the national capital, 600 districts across 29 states and 7 Union

Territories of the country will organize various events in their centres to sensitise people

about the ongoing activities under the Digital India platform.

Growth in the country's eight core sectors rises to a six-month high of 4.4 per

cent in May.

Growth in the country's eight infrastructure sectors rose to a 6-month high of 4.4 per cent

in May this year, mainly due to a surge in output of coal and refinery products. These core

sectors had grown 3.8 per cent in May last year. Coal output rose 7.8 percent; refinery

products output increased 7.9 per cent, and electricity generation rose 5.5 per cent in May

this year. Crude oil production increased 0.8 per cent, and steel and cement grew 2.6 per

cent, each, during the month. Fertiliser output increased 1.3 per cent. But natural gas

recorded negative growth of 3.1 per cent in May.

First 3D anatomic heart model printed using multiple imaging techniques

Team of heart experts including an Indian-origin surgeon Dr. Joseph Vettukattil for first



time have printed three dimensional (3D) anatomic heart model using multiple imaging

techniques. This hybrid 3D model of heart was successfully printed using integration of 3D

transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) and computed tomography (CT). The team had

used specialized software to register images in order to selectively integrate datasets and

produce an accurate anatomic model of the heart. This study is considered as a huge leap

for individualized medicine in the medical field of cardiology and congenital heart disease.

Rahul Agarwal appointed as Managing Director of Lenovo India

Technology major Lenovo has appointed Rahul Agarwal as the Managing Director (MD) of

its India operations. He succeeds Amar Babu who has been promoted to regional mandate

as Chief operating Officer (COO), Asia Pacific and Chairman of Lenovo India. Agarwal has

rich work experience and was associated with Lenovo India since past 10 years. Over the

last three years, he had led Lenovo‘s commercial business and has managed various roles

in sales and marketing in the past.

Nadia district in West Bengal wins UN Public Service Award 2015

Nadia district in West Bengal has won the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 in the

category of improving delivery of public services for or eliminating open defecation in the

district. The award was presented by the acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel

to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad in Medellin, Colombia.

It should be noted that Nadia district is the first open defecation free district in India. The

district had achieved this feat by making toilets available for all under state governments

flagship programme Sabar Shouchagar.

current affairs

Documents

cases of mers

mers patient

swedish research council

field of ageing research

ocean research

field of micro

enterpriselevel cooperation

area of health