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News Related to Banking, Finance & Economy
Highlights of RBI 1st monetary policy review of FY 201516

Following are the highlights of RBIs first bi-monthly
monetary policy statement, 2015-16:
Short-term lending rate (repo) unchanged at

7.5%
Cash Reserve Ratio unchanged at 4%
Retains Statutory Liquidity Ratio at 21.5%
Estimates GDP growth at 7.8% in FY16, up from

7.5% in FY15
Forecasts CPI inflation at 5.8% by March 2016
CPI inflation to dip to 4% in August 2015
Hailstorms in March affected 17% of the rabi crop sown

area
Future rate cuts will depend on interest rate reduction by
banks
India better prepared to deal with volatility post US
Federal Reserve rate action
State cooperative banks to be allowed to set up offsite/
mobile ATMs without prior approval from RBI
RBI to formulate scheme for market making by primary
dealers in semiliquid and illiquid GSecs
Second bi-monthly policy statement on June 2
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 1 April 2015

sanctioned the scheme of amalgamation of ING Vysya
Bank Ltd. with Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. The Scheme will
come into force with effect from 1 April 2015. With this
sanction, all branches of ING Vysya Bank will function as
branches of Kotak Mahindra Bank with effect from 1 April
2015.
Struggling to rein in the fiscal deficit at 4.1 per cent of the

gross domestic product (GDP) during 2014- 15, the Centre
has received a good news on the indirect tax front-collections under this head exceeded the Revised
Estimates (RE) by Rs 4,000 crore.
5/4/2015
Cancellation or change in nomination in insurance policies

now comes at a cost as regulator IRDAI has allowed life
insurers to charge up to Rs. 100 for any such modification.
For policies obtained online, the fee is up to Rs. 50. The
IRDAI guidelines for Registering Cancellation or Change of
Nomination have come into effect from April 1, 2015.
Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Limited on 3 April

2015 launched Smart Traveller that offers global coverage
for students, individuals, families and frequent travellers.
The SmartTraveller Insurance policy offers a choice of two
major plans catering to Individuals and Families and
frequent travelers through a variant known as Annual
Multi Trip International travel insurance plan.
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry on 2 April 2015

unveiled Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-2020. The policy
was unveiled by Minister of State for Ministry of
Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman at Vigyan
Bhawan, Delhi.
The new five year Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20 provides a
framework for increasing exports of goods and services as
well as generation of employment and increasing value
addition in the country, in keeping with the Make in India
vision of Prime Minister.
Highlights of the FTP 2015-20
In the new policy FTP2015-20, two new schemes

Merchandise Exports From India Scheme (MEIS)
and Services Exports From India Scheme (SEIS)
were introduced.
MEIS is for export of specified goods to specified

markets and SEIS is for increasing exports of
notified services. Duty credit scripts issued under
MEIS and SEIS and the goods imported against
these scrips are fully transferable. For grant of
rewards under MEIS, the countries have been
categorized into 3 Groups, whereas the rates of
rewards under MEIS range from 2% to 5%. Under
SEIS the selected Services would be rewarded at
the rates of 3% and 5%.
Measures have been adopted to nudge

procurement of capital goods from indigenous
manufacturers under the EPCG scheme by
reducing specific export obligation to 75% of the
normal export obligation.
Downloaded from www.exampundit.in
This will promote the domestic capital goods

manufacturing industry.
Central Bank of India has topped the list of public sector

banks with maximum bad loans including restructured
assets as a percentage of total advances. According to the
data provided by the RBI to the Finance Ministry, Central
Bank of Indias 21.5 per cent assets are either bad or have
been restructured to save them turning non-performing
assets (NPAs).
Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7

April 2015 approved two FIIs (Foreign Institutional
Investors) proposals worth 4187 crore rupees in the
pharmaceutical majors Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. and
Glenmark Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the

government's decision to raise by 50 per cent the
quantum of compensation to farmers affected by crop
losses due to recent unseasonal rains. Besides, the
criterion of 50 per cent crop damage for providing
compensation to farmers has been reduced to 33 per cent,
which will help more people get better compensation for
the crop loss.
Global ratings agency Moodys on Thursday reaffirmed

Indias rating at Baa3 but raised the rating outlook to
Positive from Stable. India, however, remains at the last
rung of investment grade by all agencies.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 8 April

2015 raised the transaction limit in exchange traded
currency derivatives to 15 million US dollars for both
foreign and domestic investors without having any
underlying exposure. Earlier, the limit was 10 million
dollars.
Indias first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC)

at GIFT City near Gandhinagar became operational on 10th
April. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled rules and
regulations for this global financial hub. The regulations
are aimed at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in
Dubai and Singapore and check the flight of trading in
rupee and Indian securities to such offshore financial hubs.
5/4/2015
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the

retirement fund body, on 9 April 2015 suspended the
1000 rupees minimum monthly pension scheme from
April 2015. The end of the minimum monthly pension
provided under Employee Pension Scheme (EPS)-95 will hit
about 32 lakh pensioners.
Foreign Fund Inflows Cross Rs 81K Cr Mark in 2015.
India to clock 7.9% GDP growth in FY16: Morgan Stanley.
Introducing an innovative business model, Kochi Metro

Rail Limitedwhose 25-km-long, Rs. 5,300-crore Kochi
Metro project is half-way throughhas tied up with Axis
Bank for an automated fare collection system (AFC) for the
metro.
Reserve Bank of India asks banks to add 'third gender'

column in all forms.
ICICI Bank, Indias largest private sector bank, has

partnered with Tech Mahindra to launch contactless
payment service to 'tap and pay'. Based on the Near Field
Communications (NFC) technology, this payment service
enables anyone (account holder of ICICI Bank or not) to
make over-the-counter payments without using cash. It
allows users to just tap the NFC enabled tag or mobile
phone at the merchants point-of-sale device to make
payments, ICICI Bank said in a statement. Tap n Pay is a
prepaid account, which can be availed by customers of any
bank by registering for it and transferring money online
from any bank account. ICICI Bank customers can also
transfer money to the Tap-n-Pay account through an SMS.
To reduce rupee volatility on account of higher inflows and

increase forex reserves to cushion any external shock, the
Reserve Bank bought the highest amount of dollars, after
a gap of seven years, at $49.2 billion in April-February of
the past fiscal.
National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX)

announced a tie up with Gujarat International Finance Tec
City (GIFT City) for setting up an International Commodity
and Derivatives Exchange.
Government has allowed retirement fund body EPFO to

invest 5 per cent of its corpus in exchange traded funds
which will result into an inflow of around Rs. 5,000 crore
into the stock markets during this fiscal.
The Coal Ministry, Railway Ministry and Government of

Odisha signed a memorandum of understanding to form a
joint venture which identify and execute railway line
projects for evacuation of coal in the State. Coal India will
hold 64 per cent stake in the joint venture while the Indian
Railways will hold 26 per cent and the Odisha Government
will hold 10 per cent.
Indian petrochemicals sector to touch $100 b turnover by

2020: Assocham.
Cricketer Yuvraj Singhs start-up fund Youwecan Ventures

has invested an undisclosed amount in mobile beauty and
wellness platform Vyomo, in a seed funding round. This is
the first investment of the Youwecan Ventures, which has
a corpus of Rs. 50 crore.
Zomato extends the service, ties up with Uber to arrange

the cab as well.
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for

General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes
at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by
the Finance Ministry on 21 April 2015. The interest rate for
senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per
cent to 9.3 per cent and the interest rate for Sukanya
Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl
child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent. The
interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at
8.7 per cent.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 April 2015 issued revised

guidelines on Priority Sector Lending. These revised
guidelines will replace the existing guidelines issued on 1
July 2014 and became effective from the date of issue. In
addition to the existing categories, the new guidelines add
Medium Enterprises, Social Infrastructure and Renewable
Energy under priority sector. As a result, the number of
categories under priority sector lending are agriculture,
micro, small and medium enterprises, export credit,
education, housing, social infrastructure, renewable
energy and others.
5/4/2015
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India jumped about 63

per cent to USD 3.28 billion (about Rs. 20,820 crore) in
February, 2015. In February 2014, the country had
received FDI of USD 2.01 billion. During the April-February
period of 2014-15, the foreign fund inflows have grown by
39 per cent, year-on-year, to USD 28.81 billion, according
to the data of Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP).
The Rajya Sabha on 27 April 2015 passed Payments and

Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014 with voice
vote. With this the bill has been passed by both the houses
of Parliament. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 9
December 2014.
The bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement
Systems Act, 2007 so as to address the problem of
insolvency in the payment and settlement system by
increasing transparency. It is also aimed at bringing India's
banking payment system in sync with international
practices.
Main highlights of the Bill
It seeks to extend the application of the 2007 Act to a
designated trade repository, or issuer, in relation to
payment systems. It has introduced three definitions in
regard to this and they are
a) Issuer: It means a person who issues a legal entity
identifier or similar unique identification, as specified by
the RBI from time to time.
b) Legal entity identifier: It is a unique identity code
assigned to a person by an issuer to identify that person in
such derivatives or financial transactions, as specified by
the RBI.
c) Trade repository: It is a person who is engaged in the
business of collecting, collating, storing, processing or
disseminating electronic records or data relating to such
derivatives or financial transactions, as specified by the
RBI.
Bank of Baroda (BoB) on 25 April 2015 tied-up with UAE

Exchange to offer instant money transfer facility to its
Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers. In this regard, an
agreement was signed between both the firms.
The Muthoot Group has announced a partnership with

Wiki Technologies Inc of the US to open a US-India
payment corridor by leveraging the power of the WikiPay
platform.
YES Bank, Indias fifth largest private sector bank,

announced its international foray by opening its first
overseas representative office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
French IT services firm Capgemini said it will acquire USbased outsourcer IGATE for USD 4 billion, a move that will
help the former strengthen its foothold in the North
American market.
The World Bank projects India's GDP to expand to 7.5 per

cent in the current fiscal on account of increased economic
activity and greater stability.
Government decided to continue its Rs 1,000 per

minimum monthly pension scheme in perpetuity, a move
which would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under social
security scheme run by EPFO. The scheme was initially
effective only till last month.
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has simplified its claim

settlement norms for the victims of devastating
earthquake in Nepal and northern and eastern parts of
India.
Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of

Commerce have been imposed with a monetary penalty of
Rs. 15 crore each by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for
violation of Know Your Customer (KYC)/ Anti Money
Laundering (AML) norms.
In a major action against black money hoarders and

money launderers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has
5/4/2015
attached assets to the tune of Rs. 9,003 crore and filed 173
chargesheets in the financial year 2014-15.
Flipkart, Indias largest online marketplace, has acquired

New Delhi-based mobile engagement and marketing
automation company Appiterate, to strengthen its mobile
technology presence. The financial terms of the deal were
not disclosed.
India and Japan signed an action plan that will see
doubling of Japanese investments into Indian companies
in the next five years and boost two-way trade. The
agenda, India-Japan investment and trade promotion and
Asia-Pacific economic integration, was signed between
minister of state (independent charge) for commerce and
industry Nirmala Sitharaman and Japan's minister for
economy, trade and industry Yoichi Miyazawa.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, withdrew the clauses from

the Finance Bill pertaining to setting up of the proposed
Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) and the
amendments to the Reserve Bank of India Act which would
have taken away Mint Road's powers to regulate
government securities.
The Udupi-based Robosoft Technologies, a mobility

solutions partner, has developed a proprietary banking
solution for the Apple Watch. Robosoft partnered with
ICICI Bank to integrate with this solution thereby creating
one of Indias premiere banking apps for the Apple
Watch.
Rajya Sabha on 28 April 2015 passed the Regional Rural

Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014. With this, the bill has been
passed by both houses of the Parliament. It was passed by
the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2014. The Regional Rural
Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014 that seeks to amend the
Regional Rural Banks (RRB) Act, 1976 was introduced by
the Union Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley.
Main highlights of the Bill
It seeks to amend the RRB Act, 1976 which

mainly provides for the incorporation, regulation
and winding up of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
It removes the five year limit cap that was put on

the sponsor banks to assist the upcoming RRBs
under the RRB Act, 1976. As per the Act, sponsor

banks were liable to train personnel and provide
managerial and financial assistance for the first
five years.
It raises the amount of authorized capital to

2000 crore rupees and it is not to be reduced
below one crore rupees. In the 1976 Act the
authorised capital of each RRB was five crore
rupees which was not permitted to be reduced
below 25 lakh rupees.
It allows Union government to specify that the
capital issued by a RRB should be at least one
crore rupees. Under the Act, a RRB was to issue
capital between 25 lakh rupees and one crore
rupees.
The bill allows RRBs to raise their capital from
sources other than the central and state
governments, and sponsor banks as was
mandated under the RRB Act. As per the Act,
50% of capital issued was held by Union
government, 15% by concerned state
government and 35% by the sponsor banks.
The Union Cabinet on 7 April 2015 approved amendments

to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill,
2013. The bill protects the interests of millions of
consumers and curbs malpractices in the real estate
sector.
Objective of the Real Estate Bill, 2013
To create a uniform regulatory mechanism

across the country so as to enhance the growth
of construction sector
It seeks to ensure accountability and

transparency in the real estate sector to access
capital and financial markets essential for its
long term growth
Key provisions of the Real Estate Bill, 2013
It regulates transactions between buyers and

promoters of residential real estate projects.
It establishes state level regulatory authorities

called Real Estate Regulatory Authorities
(RERAs).
News Related to Industry, Business MoUs & Deals
Myntra will shut its website from May 1 to become a

mobile app-based retailer. Fashion retail website Myntra is
expected to shut down its website in favour of moving all
operations to its mobile app, according to a report in The
Times of India. Myntra was acquired by Flipkart last year
for a sum of Rs 2,000 crores.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 6 April 2015

signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD) to deepen partnership between Indian companies
and the bank in those countries where the bank has
operations.
Yuvraj Singh, the Indian Premier League's costliest player

this season, is starting a new innings as a businessman. He
is floating a venture fund that aims to support young
entrepreneurs by investing in startups across sectors. Yuvi
for millions of his fans, the 34-year-old cricketer will put
about Rs 50 crore - mostly his own money - over a period
of three to five years in the fund, YouWeCan Ventures.
The fund is expected to raise around Rs 300 crore from
other investors during the period.
5/4/2015
Major Indian Steel Companies on 6 April 2015 signed a

Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Union Ministry of
Steel for setting up of Steel Research and Technology
Mission of India (SRTMI) in New Delhi. The primary
objective of SRTMI is to promote collaborative Research
and Development (R&D) programmes between the
ministry and steel industries in priority areas of national
importance in the steel sector.
IFCI Ltd has now become a state- owned firm with the
government increasing its stake in the infrastructure
financing firm to 51.04 per cent. Government has
acquired IFCI's 6,00,00,000 Preference shares of Rs 10
each from certain scheduled commercial banks and has
consequently increased its holding from 47.93 per cent to
51.04 per cent of the paid-up share capital.
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 8 April

2015 formed an expert committee under the
chairmanship of Ajay Shankar to suggest simplified
compliance for establishing new industries. He is a former
Secretary to the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion (DIPP). The Expert Committee has been
constituted for examining the possibility of replacing
multiple prior permissions with pre-existing regulatory

mechanism and to prepare draft legislation for this
purpose. The committee is directed to submit its report
within 30 days.
Online marketplace Snapdeal has acquired mobile

transactions platform, FreeCharge, in a cash and stock
deal that is speculated to be in the range of $400 million.
e-Commerce major Amazon has chosen Telangana over

the neighbouring state of Karnataka to set up its largest
fulfilment centre (FC) in the country.
In a major milestone for the nuclear industry, India has

registered a record production of over 1,252 MT of
uranium bundles, manufacturing close to double the
annual fuel requirement of atomic reactors in the country.
The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), which
produces fuel for nuclear reactors in the country, has
produced over 30 per cent more fuel compared to its
961.023 MT production in 2013-14.
In a move to strengthen the last-mile delivery of goods to

consumers, India's leading online retailer Flipkart has
partnered with the Dabbawalas of Mumbai, the company
has said in a statement. According to Flipkart, they will
partner with the company's delivery network, eKart
Logistics. As of now, one union of the Dabbawalas will
collect Flipkart shipments from the delivery hubs and
deliver it to customers while picking up their dabbas.
In a new twist to the high profile Sebi-Sahara case, the

Indian capital markets regulator has approached a US
court with a USD 12-million claim on proceeds from sale of
a corporate jet owned by a Sahara Group firm.
Xiaomi beats Alibabas Guinness World Record for

maximum phones sold online in a day.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc on 8 April 2015 acquired BG Group
for about 70 billion US dollar. The deal would vault Shell
far ahead of rivals like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron
Corp. in the race to build market share for Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG).
5/4/2015
Canada agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium

to energy-hungry India from this year under a USD 254
million five-year deal to power Indian reactors as the two
countries decided to set in motion a new strategic
partnership.
India and the European Union (EU) forged a new digital

partnership and discussed potential for collaboration in
the fields of technology and innovation besides
cooperation to create smart cities. The first India-EU
Strategic Dialogue Series, organised by UK-based policy
platform India Inc. Alongside key players like Microsoft
and McKinsey, focussed on 'Delivering Smart
Communities' as part of the Narendra Modi government's
Digital India drive
News related India & States
India, world's largest arms importer, has signed a defence

deal worth nearly USD 80 million with South African
companies for integrated self-protection systems on its
indigenously developed Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters.
The deal, expected to give a huge boost to South African
defence industry, was signed between Dhruv's
manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and
Saab Grintek Defence for Integrated Defensive Aids Suites
(IDAS).
In a bid to increase green cover on university and college

campuses, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has
launched 'One Student, One Tree' campaign asking every
student to plant a sapling during his/her stay in an
institution.
Rajasthan Government on 31 March 2015 opened women

milk bank Jeevan Dhara in Jaipur. It was inaugurated by
Health Minister Rajendra Rathore. The move is aimed at
curbing the high infant mortality rate of Rajasthan. The
state Government launched the bank in collaboration with
Norwegian government and JK Lon Hospital.
The much-hyped 'Aahar' cheap meal scheme was

launched by Odisha government for providing subsidised
food to urban poor. The subsidised meals for people
visiting urban areas for various work would be provided at

four crowded places each in these five cities from 11 AM
to 3 PM, to about 25,000 people per day to begin with.
Union Government on 1 April 2015 launched Faster

Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric
vehicles (FAME) India Scheme. The scheme was launched
with an aim to boost sales of eco-friendly vehicles in the
country. It is a part of the National Mission for Electric
Mobility. The scheme envisages providing 795 crore
rupees support till 2020 for the manufacturing and sale of
electric and hybrid vehicles.
Characteristic Features of FAME India Scheme
It envisages providing demand incentives to

electric and hybrid vehicles from two wheelers
to buses in range of 1800 rupees to 66 lakh
rupees
Focus areas of the scheme will be technology

development; demand creation; pilot projects;
and charging infrastructure
Depending on technology, battery operated

scooters and motorcycles will be eligible demand
incentives ranging between 1800 rupees to
29000 rupees
In three-wheeler the incentives will range from

3300 rupees and 61000 rupees
In four-wheeler segment incentive ranges from

13000 rupees and 1.38 lakh rupees
In case of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV)

incentive ranges from 17000 rupees to 1.87 lakh
rupees
In case of buses the incentive ranges from 34

lakh rupees to 66 lakh rupees
The Department of Heavy Industries will be

nodal department for the scheme.
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister N

Chandrababu Naidu on 1 April 2015 approved that
Amaravathi will be the new capital city of the state. The
capital will come up at Tullur in VijayawadaGuntur region
of the state.
5/4/2015
The 88th edition of the Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya

Sammelan (ABMSS) was held from April 3-5 in Ghuman
village in Gurdaspur district, where Marathi saint Namdev
spent last years of his life.
A six-member panel of experts has been formed by the

Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to review pending
cases, referred to it by CBI for sanction of prosecution
against corrupt government officials. The committee
comprises retired IAS officers Sudhir Krishna and C B
Paliwal, former IRS officer Sada Shiv Bajpai, former Indian
Audit and Accounts Service officer Sushama V Dabak,
former Special DG of CPWD P K Gupta, and ex-chairman of
LIC A K Shukla, an order issued by CVC said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 March 2015

launched Give it Up campaign. The campaign was
launched at the annual energy-focussed summit Urja
Sangam 2015. The campaign seeks to extort the better off
sections of society to forego their liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) subsidy, which would be utilised in providing
subsidised LPG connections to the poor. The Prime
Minister asked companies and banks to encourage their
employees to give up the subsidy on LPG. Gas cylinders
surrendered by them would be transferred to the poor
who use wood for cooking. The Give it Up campaign
should be taken up on the lines of Swacch Bharat and Beti
Bachao, Beti Padhao initiatives.
The Union Government on 3 April 2015 extended the

deadline for implementation of the National Food Security
Act (NFSA) deadline by six months in the states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 launched a

National Air Quality Index (NAQI) to tackle the menace of
air pollution. This National Air Quality Index will provide
information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the
country on a real-time basis. The ten cities where the
quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur,
Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai,
Bangalore and Hyderabad. Later the index will be
extended to 22 State capitals and 44 other cities with a
population exceeding one million.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the country's

first indigenously-built Scorpene submarine at the
Mazagaon Dockyard Ltd in Mumbai. The Scorpene is part
of the ambitious Project 75 of Indian Navy's submarine

programme, undertaken with French collaboration, which
will include six such vessels joining the fleet over the next
few years.
After being stuck in legal and administrative hurdles for

the past two years, the proposed BR Ambedkar memorial
at Indu Mill, Dadar, got a major push after a tri-partite
agreement was signed between the Union ministry of
textile, government of Maharashtra and the National
Textile Corporation (NTC). The agreement was signed at
New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, Union minister of state for textiles Santosh Gangwar
and state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 7 April 2015 banned all

the diesel vehicles, heavy or light, over 10 years old from
plying on Delhi roads.
The Chestnut-breasted Partridge (Arborophila mandellii)

was photographed by a Bengaluru-based wildlife
photographer Gururaj Moorching in the first week of April
2015. The bird was spotted in West Kamang district of
Arunachal Pradesh. The click was the first-ever photograph
of the bird endemic to the Eastern Himalayas whose
scientific name was given by an Italian naturalist and is
classified as hill patridge.
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)

on 7 April 2015 approved the projects for strengthening
and widening of 455 kilometers of National Highways
(NH) at a total capital cost of about 9500 crore rupees.
Four laning of 138-km stretch of Sultanpur-Varanasi
section of NH-56 at a cost of 3800 crore rupees. Four
laning of 200-km stretch of Varanasi to Ghazipur,
Gorakhpur and further to Nepal section of NH-29 at a cost
of 4400 crore rupees. Four laning or two laning with paved
shoulders of 115-km stretch of Madurai-Ramanathapuram
section of NH-49 at a cost of about 1400 crore rupees.
US aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA) has upgraded Indias safety ranking after fourteen
months of close watch paving the way for Indian
carriers to expand their services to the US and enter into
agreements with American carriers through code-share to
expand operations.
5/4/2015
India produces around 5,780 MW of nuclear power. Of

this, 4,780 MW of electricity is generated by fuel
processed at the NFC. Fuel for the Kudankulam Nuclear
Power Plant (KKNPP) unit 1 is provided by Russia, as per
the agreement.
The Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel

Authorization (TvoA-ETA) scheme, which was launched
last year to facilitate short duration visits by travellers
from as many as 44 countries, has now been renamed eTourist Visa to clarify that it is not an on-arrival scheme.
The government has issued 1.10 lakh visas under the new
scheme that was launched on November 27 last year.
According to the MHA, it will be extended to more
countries and airports in a phased manner.
Greenpeace India Loses License for 6 Months, Foreign

Funds Blocked.
State Government of Rajasthan and Hindustan Zinc, a

Vedanta group company on 8 April 2015 signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve 3056
anganwadi centres in five districts. The selected five
districts are Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Rajsamand
and Ajmer.
The Ministry of Railways and the National Institute of

Design (NID), Ahmedabad, will together set up a 'Railway
Design Centre to modernise passenger amenities and
improve coach design. An MoU was signed between
Railways and NID on Friday to set up the design centre at
the NID campus. It will be operated with the interest
accrued on the endowment fund of Rs. 10 crore deposited
by the Railway Ministry. The MoU will be for a period of
ten years and can be further extended.
Surface-to-Surface nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic

missile was successfully test-fired on 9 April 2015 from a
naval ship off the Odisha coast. The missile is a naval
variant of Indias indigenously-developed Prithvi missile.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has inducted two Russianbuilt Mi-17 V5 medium lift choppers to carry out air
support missions along the border and for anti-Naxalite
operations in the hinterland.
Mariyam Asif Siddiqui, a 12-year-old Muslim girl in March

2015 won the first position at the Shrimad Bhagwad Gita
Champion League. She won the prize for explaining the
teachings of the Bhagwad Gita. Siddiqui who studies in
Class 6 of Cosmopolitan High School at Mira Road near
Mumbai won the contest from among 4500 students of
195 schools. Shrimad Bhagwad Gita Champion League
was an inter-school competition. It was organised by the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)
in March 2015.
Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra was named as the

National Earth Hour Capital 2015 on 9 April 2015. It was
named so after it emerged as winner among the three
finalists from India viz., Thane, Rajkot and Pune, in the
Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) 2015 conducted by
World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
India's security concerns were conveyed to Ri Su Yong,

Foreign Minister of North Korea which has close military
ties with Pakistan. Ri, the first ever Foreign Minister from
his country to visit India, held discussions with his Indian
counterpart Sushma Swaraj in a "frank and and friendly
atmosphere", according to a statement by the MEA.
Flipkart has decided to pull out of an ongoing discussion

with Airtel to join the Airtel Zero platform. The move
follows criticism that the deal would violate the principles
of net neutrality.
To mark the 124 birth anniversary of the Father of the

Indian Constitution, Google has posted a doodle on its
home pages in 8 countries around the world. The BR
Ambedkar doodle was visible on Google's country-specific
home pages across three continents - Argentina, Chile,
India, Ireland, Peru, Poland, Sweden and the United
Kingdom.
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley

on 14 April 2015 inaugurated the Vividh Bharati Service of
Delhi on FM Mode in a function held at premises of New
Broadcasting House of All India Radio (AIR). The service
will be available on 100.1 Megahertz frequency.
5/4/2015
The 5th meeting of SAARC Health Ministers was held on 8

April 2015 in New Delhi. The meet ended with the
adoption of Delhi Declaration on Public Health Challenges.
The declaration focuses on issues common to member
nations of South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC). These issues include universal health coverage,
improving health regulatory systems, preparedness for
emerging and re-emerging diseases and the challenges
posed by antimicrobial resistance and non-communicable
diseases.
The Surface-to-Surface Agni III ballistic missile was

successfully test-fired on 16 April 2015 from the Wheelar
Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal. Although
the missile has a strike range of more than 3000 km, in the
present test-fire, it was tested for a lesser range.
India and Belarus on 15 April 2015 agreed to enhance

their bilateral ties especially in the field of trade and
economy. The agreement was reached during the meeting
of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir
Makei with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in
New Delhi.
The State Government of Maharashtra on 18 April 2015

decided to discontinue the colonial-era practice under
which police guard of honour was given to ministers and
top officials. Government termed the practice as a waste
of time and resources.
India Navys new stealth destroyer, Visakhapatnam,

designed indigenously and fitted with advanced features,
was launched boosting the maritime forces firepower
capability. The Kolkata-class warship, the first of Project
15-B stealth destroyers, was launched by Minu Dhowan,
wife of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan, at
Mazgaon Docks Ltd (MDL). The ship, weighing
approximately 3,000 tons during the launch, is slated to be
christened as INS Visakhapatnam on commissioning.
India and South Korea on 18 April 2015 held high level

defence talks in Seoul. The talks were held on the sidelines
of four day visit of Indian Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar to South Korea. The meeting was held with South
Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo at the Ministry of
Defence of Korea in Seoul.
Indian Railways on 21 April 2015 launched online

monitoring mechanism E-Samiksha to monitor rail
projects. It aims at monitoring implementation of various
ongoing projects of Indian Railways on real-time basis
including Rail Budget proposals.
Maharashtra Government on 20 April 2015 announced

the target of 14400 MW power generation by 2019. The
state government will produce 14400 MW electricity by
2019 by way of non-conventional methods to cut down
cost and reduce carbon footprint. The non conventional
source of energy is cheaper and far better as compared to
conventional sources.
The share of rural internet users will increase nearly

fivefold to touch 28 crore by 2018, signaling higher online
purchasers going forward from rural India, says a research
report.
The Union Cabinet on 22 April 2015 gave its approval for

signing of a shipping agreement between India and
Jordan. The agreement aims at strengthening cooperation
and providing sustained mutual assistance on merchant
shipping and other related maritime matters.
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

(I&B) on 22 April 2015 received the ISO 9001:2008
certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI). The
ISO certification was granted in respect of various licences
issued by ministry for the broadcasts, print media and
films.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on 21

April 2015 accorded final approval to Rajaji National Park,
Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this
notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve after
the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The notification was
announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat
while releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. The park
was named after the last Governor-General of
independent India, C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as
Rajaji. C. Rajagopalachari was one of the first recipients of
India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954.
India has delivered three multi-role Cheetal helicopters

along with allied equipment and spares to Afghanistan.
The fourteenth edition of Indo-French Naval Exercise

named VARUNA-15 commenced on 23 April 2015 off the
coast of Goa. The 10-day long joint naval exercise will end
on 2 May 2015.
India on 27 April 2015 launched a relief and rescue

Operation named Maitri in earthquake hit Nepal. The
operation will involve two dozen military aircraft and
choppers along with bus services through road route. India
also pressed nearly 1000 trained personnel of the National
Disaster Response Force (NDRF) into service after Nepal on
25 April 2015 was struck by the worst earthquake in 80
years in which more than 2500 people were killed. Under
the operation, more than 1000 people have been flown
from Nepal. A Multi National Coordination Centre has
been set up In PPO Pokhra, Head quarters are being
established for relief operations.
According to a Home Ministry order, the Indira Gandhi

Rajbhasha Puraskar and Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya GyanVigyan Maulik Pustak Lekhan Puraskar, launched more
than two decades ago, have given way for Rajbhasha Kirti
Puraskar and Rajbhasha Gaurav Puraskar.
Maharashtra collaborates with Tel Aviv, Israel on Smart

Cities.
Government has initiated action to create a national level

mechanism to counter cyber security threats with a
financial outlay of Rs 775 crore to be spent over a period
of five years.
Union Minister for Power, Coal and New & Renewable

Energy Piyush Goyal on 27 April 2015 flagged off three
NTPC Mobile Science Labs (MSL) for revolutionizing
education in rural India. MSL is a vehicle fitted with LCD
TV carrying working Science Models which emphasizes
curiosity based learning for children in rural India. It is an
initiative to make hands-on learning accessible amongst
underprivileged children.
Railway Launches App for Paperless Unreserved Tickets

named utsonmobile.
5/4/2015
10
The Union Cabinet has approved official amendments in

the Prevention of Corruption Act to help the bureaucracy
take faster decisions besides making more stringent
provisions against corrupt persons. The bill to amend the
act is currently pending in the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile,
the amendments have provided more stringent
punishment for the offence of bribery, both for the bribe
giver and the bribe taker. Penal provisions being
enhanced from minimum 6 months to 3 years and from
maximum 5 years to 7 years (The seven-year
imprisonment brings corruption to the heinous crime
category), the statement said.
The Department of Space and Department of Land

Resources (DoLR) on 29 April 2015 signed a MoU with
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for the
development of Web Geo Portal Shrishti and Mobile App
Drishti for monitoring the IWMP watersheds.
Mamata Banerjee declares Nadia of West Bengal first

'open defecation-free' district in India.
News Around the World

Govt Approves 10 New Sites for Nuke Projects. The
indigenous reactors would be established at Gorakhpur in
Haryana, Chutka and Bhimpur in Madhya Pradesh, Kaiga at
Karnataka and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan. Reactors with
foreign cooperation would be set up in Kudankulam in
Tamil Nadu, Jaitapur at Maharashtra, Chhaya Mithi Virdhi
in Gujarat, Kovvada at Andhra Pradesh and Haripur in
West Bengal. BHAVINI, a Public Sector Undertaking of
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is presently
constructing a Prototype Fast Breeder Reaction (PFBR) of
500 MWe capacity at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu.
Union Cabinet gave its nod to NDA governments flagship

100 smart cities project and the new urban renewal
mission with a total outlay of about Rs one lakh crore. A
meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
approved Smart Cities Mission for development of 100
smart cities and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities with outlays of Rs
48,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore respectively.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28

April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic
engine CE-20 at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This engine
will enable scientists to put satellites of up to the capacity
of four tonnes in geostationary orbit.
Government of Delhi on 28 April 2015 gave its approval

for setting up of a farmer compensation scheme named
after Gajendra Singh. Gajendra Singh is the person who
allegedly committed suicide during an AAP (Aam Aadmi
Party) rally on 22 April 2015 by hanging himself with a
tree.
5/4/2015
India has welcomed the understanding announced in

Lausanne between Iran and the E3+3 on the nuclear issue.
A significant step seems to have been taken with the
agreement on the parameters of a comprehensive
settlement to be negotiated by June 30. China, France,
Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United
States form the E3+3.
India will overtake Indonesia as the country with the

largest number of Muslims in 2050 while Hindus will
become the worlds third largest population by that time,
according to a new study by a US thinktank.
Al-Shabaab on 2 April 2015 carried out a massacre killing

147 people in the Garissa University College situated in
Garissa County in northeastern Kenya.
Michael Rudenko, a committee member of the Minor

Planet Center on 1 April 2015 officially named a minor
planet as 4538 Vishyanand, to honour Indias first chess
grandmaster, Vishwanathan Anand. The main-belt minor
planet was discovered between the orbits of Mars and
Jupiter by Kenzo Suzuki in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan,
on 10 October 1988. Since its discovery, the planet
remained unnamed.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan on 6 April 2015 signed six

agreements. The signing of the agreement was witnessed
by the Pakistan Prime Minsiter Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lanka
President Maithripala Sirisena at the PM House in
Islamabad. The six agreements pertained to advancing
cooperation in disaster management, sports, shipping,
11
socioeconomic development, education and narcotics

control.
He edged out rapper-singer CL to claim the number one

spot with 6.95 per cent of the votes in the final tally.
Kansas became the first state to ban a common secondtrimester abortion procedure that critics describe as
dismembering a foetus.
Johannesburg in South Africa was in news as on 13 April

2015 a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced by a group
of people calling him a racist. The group had placards that
read: Racist Gandhi must fall. The statue in Johannesburg
is believed to be the only one in the world showing Gandhi
as a young lawyer in his court robes.
India has been designated to chair the ninth meeting of

the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Council. The meeting is scheduled to be held in June in
Abu Dhabi. India is a founder Member of the IRENA. The
body is an intergovernmental organisation that supports
countries in their transition to a sustainable energy future.
Seoul city, the capital and largest metropolis of South

Korea, on 9 April 2015 was awarded the title of Global
Earth hour Capital 2015 after it won the Earth Hour City
Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The
challenge saw the participation of 163 cities from 16
countries.
India was elected to four important United Nations (UN)

agencies on 8 April 2015. These agencies are United
Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program
(WFP), Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal
Justice (CCPCJ) and the Governing Council of UN-Habitat.
An asteroid discovered by a US astronomer has been

named after Pakistan's teenage education activist and the
world youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala
Yousafzai. The more-than-2-mile-wide asteroidofficially
now known as 316201 Malalaorbits the sun every
five-and-a-half years in the asteroid belt between Mars
and Jupiter.
Indian students in France can now extend their stay in this

country beyond completion of their studies as can French
students in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister

Arvind Kejriwal have been voted among the 100 most
influential people in the world in an online poll by readers
of Time magazine. Russian President Vladimir Putin
emerged the winner of this years Time 100 readers poll.
5/4/2015
The term Normandy Group was in news because the fifth

meeting of the foreign ministers of the group members
was held on 13 April 2015 in Berlin, the capital of
Germany.
Researchers at Stanford University created a smartphone

battery that charges in only one minute. The project was
published on 6 April 2015. Stanford University chemistry
professor Hongjie Dai is the lead researcher of the project.
TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) on 16 April 2015

signed an agreement with two global research institutes,
namely Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) and INTASAVECARIBSAVE Group. The agreement was signed for
exchange of knowledge and cooperation on issues related
to climate change.
Russia on 13 April 2015 lifted its earlier ban on delivery of

S-300 Missile System to Iran. The S-300 Missile System is a
surface-to-air missile defense system that can be used
against multiple targets including jets and enemy missiles.
The 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal

Justice was held from 12 April 2015 to 19 April 2015 at
Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, Qatar. The
Summit concluded with the adoption of Doha Declaration.
Chhurim Sherpa, first woman to climb the 8850 metre

(29035 feet) Mount Everest summit twice in a week was
in news on 19 April 2015. Sherpa was in news as during
her third ascent to Mount Everest she will take a cricket
bat and two jerseys of deceased Australian cricketer Phil
Hughes.
12
United Nations (UN) peace envoy to Yemen Jamal

Benomar resigned on 16 April 2015. He was serving as UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen
since 2012.
NASAs New Horizons spacecraft has sent back its first

colour image of the dwarf planet Pluto and its largest
moon Charon, after more than nine years of travelling
through the solar system.
In a sign of warm personal friendship, US President Barack

Obama has written a profile for Prime Minister Narendra
Modi for TIME Magazine as it named the Indian leader
among the 100 most influential people in the world. "Like
India, he transcends the ancient and the moderna
devotee of yoga who connects with Indian citizens on
Twitter and imagines a 'digital India'," the US President
wrote.
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint

military exercises as part of their enhanced defence
cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the
Cold War-era adversaries.
Cleartrip becomes first Indian online travel agency to

feature on Apple Watch.
Egypt's ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was

sentenced to 20 years in jail by a court in Egypt over
charges related to the killing of 10 protesters when he was
in power, the first ruling against the country's first freely
elected leader.
Japan's state-of-the-art Maglev train clocked a new world

speed record of 603 kilometres an hour in a test run near
Mount Fuji, smashing through the 600 kilometre (373
miles) per hour mark, as Tokyo races to sell the technology
abroad.
A high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on the

Richter scale struck Nepal on 25 April 2015. The epicenter
of the quake was 80km east of Pokhra near Kathmandu,
Nepal at a shallow depth of 11 kilometers (7 miles). The
powerful quake that rocked Nepal killed at least 7000
5/4/2015
people and several were injured. It also led to collapse of

houses and centuries-old temples.
UNESCO World Heritage Site Dharahara Tower Collapses
in Kathmandu After 7.9 Earthquake.
One of NASAs crowning glories, the Hubble Space

Telescope, marked its 25th anniversary this month.
A 3,133 square metres blanket, knitted together by people

of six countries including India to pay tributes to the legacy
of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, set
a new Guinness World record.
China, Pakistan signed an agreement on Economic

Corridor plan worth 46 billion US dollars.
Jordan's Crown Prince Hussain bin Abdullah Becomes

Youngest to Chair UN Council Meet.
Thirty shorts,
documentaries and
feature films will be
screened at the annual
New York Indian Film
Festival, which opens
next month with Kalki
Koechlin-starrer
Margarita with a Straw.
The six-day festival, its
15th year, will see the
films screened at
prestigious venues
around New York city
from May 4 to 9.
FRANCE
Capital - Paris
Currency Euro & Franc
President - Franois
Hollande
Prime Minister - Manuel
Valls
Incumbent President of Sudan Omar Hassan al-Bashir on

27 April 2015 won the Presidential election of the country.
He won another term in office with 94 percent of votes.
NASA has launched an ambitious project that will lead the

search for signs of life beyond our solar system. The Nexus
for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) initiative will bring
together the best and brightest and marshal the
13
expertise of 10 universities, three NASA centres and two

research institutes, the US space agency said.
Visit to France
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited France

between 9 April and 12 April 2015 as part of his threenation tour to France, Germany and Canada.
During the visit, Modi met with French President Francois
Hollande and had talks with business leaders of select
French companies in defence and infrastructure sectors.
The meeting saw India and France agreeing to further
deepen and strengthen bilateral ties based on shared
principles and values.
The visit saw the signing of 20 Memorandum of
Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements between India
and France to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation
between the two nations. The details of the MoUs are
given below.
The agreements covered the fields of Defence and Nuclear
Energy, Space, Economic relations, Railways, Energy,
Tourism, Science and Technology, Skill Development and
Ayurveda.
Other events that happened during Modis visit to France
1.
He addressed the Indian Community at Carrousel

du Louvre in Paris
2.
He also addressed the UNESCO at its

headquarters on the occasion of its 70th
anniversary on 10 April 2015
3.
He gifted India and the Great War - a publication

by Ministry of External Affairs at World War-I
(WWI) Memorial for Indian soldiers in Neuve
Chapelle, France
4.
He paid homage to the Indian Soldiers at WWI

Memorial for Indian soldiers in Neuve Chapelle,
France
5.
He visited the CNES (National Centre for Space

Studies) and the Airbus A 380 Assembly Line
Facility in Toulouse, France
6.
He gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting

traditional societal respect for nature in India to
the French President Francois Hollande
5/4/2015
India and France signed 20 Memorandum of

Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements on 10 April 2015
to give new impetus to bilateral co-operation between the
two nations.
The two nations signed agreements covering the fields of
Defence and Nuclear Energy, Space, Economic relations,
Railways, Energy, Tourism, Science and Technology, Skill
Development and Ayurveda.
The MoUs and Agreements were signed during visit of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France between 9 April
and 12 April 2015.
Details of MoUs
Defence and Nuclear Energy
MoU between L&T and AREVA: The MoU aims at cost

reduction by increasing localization, to improve the
financial viability of Jaitapur project. It will also enable
transfer of technology and development of indigenous
nuclear energy industry in India.
Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) between NPCIL and
Areva: It was signed with an aim to bring clarity on all
technical aspects of the plant so that all parties (AREVA,
Alstom and NPCIL) can firm up their price and optimize all
provisions for risks still included at this stage in the costs
of the project.
Space
MoU between on Megha Tropiques: The MoU seeks to

extend the sharing and use of data from the Megha
Tropiques satellite by 2 more years. The satellite, a joint
project between ISRO and CNES, was launched aboard
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on 12 October 2011.
MOU for Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian

tropical region: It envisages cooperation between ISRO,
CNES and ONERA for implementation of the project
concerning Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian
tropical region.
Programme between ISRO and French National Centre

for Space Studies (CNES): It proposes cooperation in the
areas of Remote sensing, satellite communications and
satellite meteorology; space sciences and planetary
exploration amongst others.
Sports
14
MoU on Cooperation in Sports: The MoU envisages

cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of
sports medicine, management and coordination of sports
federations and establishment of National Institute of
Sports in India based on French model of INSEP.
Economic Relations
MoU on cooperation in the field of renewable energy: It

seeks to encourage and promote technical bilateral
cooperation on new and renewable energy issues. It would
cover solar, wind, bio-energy, tidal and wave energy
sectors.
Railways
Railway protocol between Indian Ministry of Railways

and French National Railways (SNCF): The Protocol seeks
to establish cooperation between Indian and French
Railways for semi-high speed rail and station renovation.
Energy
Guarantee Agreement with AFD Financing of Energy

Efficiency Services Limited (EESL): The Agreement seeks to
finance Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)
Culture, Heritage Conservation, Tourism, People-ToPeople Contacts
Administrative Arrangement in the field of Cultural

Heritage: The Administrative Arrangement between the
Indian Ministry of Culture and French Ministry of Culture
and Communication envisages cooperation in the field of
cultural heritage, through training of Indian heritage
conservation professionals at the Institute National du
Patrimoine (INP).
Letter of Intent (LoI)on Tourism: Seeks to increase

cooperation in tourism sector between India and France
and promote sustainable bilateral tourism between the
two countries The LoI also seeks to facilitate twinning of
sites having historical, natural and cultural significance in
India and France for promoting them as tourist
destinations.
Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Archaeological Survey

of India (ASI) and National Institute of Preventive
Archaeological Research (INRAP): The LoI envisages
collaboration on preventive archaeology projects,
initiatives to disseminate culture and promote
archaeology, training programmes for specialists of ASI
and deployment of expertise, in particular, in the field of
underwater archaeology.
MoU between School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi

and National Architecture Institute in Paris, France: It
envisages cooperation to undertake joint planning and
geographical studies in India and France and training of
local counterparts in modern urban and regional planning.
MoU between Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation

(IHCN) and Association Nationale des Villes et Pays dArt
et dHistoire et villes a secteurs sauvegards et protgs
(ANVPAH): It envisages cooperation in the fields of
sustainable development, urban planning, heritage
conservation and up-gradation of basic services.
Volontariat International en Entreprise (VIE) scheme: The

scheme offers Indian Visa for 12 months renewable once
for a period of 12 months for 250 French students and a
second residence permit of 12 months for the Indian
students in France following the 12 months already
granted.
Letter of Intent on Ayurveda between Ministry of Ayush

and University of Strasbourg: It allows both the parties to
strengthen their relationships and cooperation in the area
of Ayurveda education and research and conducting joint
workshops/conferences on Ayurveda as complimentary
medicine in France
Skill Development
MoU between National Skill Development Agency

(NSDA), India and the National Commission for
Vocational Qualifications (Commission Nationale de la
Certification Professionnelle CNCD):The agreement will
facilitate exchange of information and knowledge about
maintenance of qualification registers through information
exchanges, visits and other suitable meetings.
Science and Technology
MoU on cooperation in the field of Science &
5/4/2015
15
Technology: For cooperation between the two countries in

the areas of applied mathematics, physics, Information &
communication technology, water resources and
environment, life sciences amongst others and
establishment of Virtual Joint Laboratories, and
establishment of Joint Research Centres.
MoU on Collaboration for establishment of a National

Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in
India: The proposed MoU seeks to establish a National
Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in India,
with a Hub and Spoke network of laboratories spanning
Indias marine regions from the Andaman to Lakshadweep.
Apart from this, India also agreed to buy 36 multi-role
Combat Aircraft Rafale fighter jets in a flyway condition.
Prime Minister Modi during his visit to France also gifted a
painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal
respect for nature in India to the French President Francois
Hollande.
The Tree of Life, with multiple roots and branches like a
banyan tree, is a motif for a trees benevolence, fruit,
seeds, shelter, healing, procreation and regeneration
faculties that sustain life and clean the environment.
India is a partner country at the Hannover Messe 2015 fair,

which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
PSUs sign 6 pacts at Hannover Messe to boost 'Make in

India'
Public sector firms, including BHEL, Instrumentation Ltd

and HMT, have firmed up six MoUs with companies from
Germany, Switzerland, Russia and Bulgaria for scaling up
Indian manufacturing in high-tech areas.
The Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed
yesterday at an event organised by engineering exporters'
body EEPC India at the ongoing Hannover Messe fair in
Germany.
Power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd
(BHEL) inked a pact with Russian Joint stock company
INTMA for upcoming projects in Russia and Kazakhstan.
While Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd and
Bulgaria-based Milkotronics Ltd signed an MoU to
manufacture milk analyzers in India, Instrumentations Ltd
and German firm KE Kauer Engineering inked an
agreement for production of control valves.
Visit to Germany
Three MoUs were signed by Hindustan Machine Tools

(HMT), the release said. HMT inked pact with Switzerlandbased Num Controls for manufacturing of CNC controls,
systems and drives.
India-Germany Joint Statement was released on 14 April

2015 with an aim to upgrade and further strengthen the
Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
It also signed pacts with FT Machine Tools, Germany, for

collaborating on flow forming machines and Enit GmbH for
total engineering solutions.
The Joint Statement was released after the meeting

between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hannover and Berlin. PM
Narendra Modi is on a three-day visit to Germany.
As part of the statement, the two nations agreed to take
proactive steps to advance collaboration in the areas of
manufacturing, skill development, urban development,
environment, railways, cleaning of rivers, language and
science & technology.
The Hannover Messe 2015 Fair
Industry chamber
FICCI also signed an
MoU with Hannover
Milano Fairs India to
organise a platform
to discuss and
showcase new
solutions and
innovations in urban
development in 201516, partnership and
opportunities in this
sector.
Addressing at the fair,
Department of Heavy
5/4/2015
GERMANY
Capital - Berlin
Currency - Euro
Chancellor - Angela
Merkel
President - Joachim Gauck
16
Industry Secretary Rajan Katoch said that the German

industry has opportunities to participate in India's plan for
creation of about 100,000 MW generation capacity in the
short term.
They welcomed the setting up of the India Nuclear

Insurance Pool with potential participation of foreign
companies as a positive step towards facilitating such
cooperation.
Visit to Canada
India and Canada issued Joint Statement title New Vigour,
New Steps ( , ) to elevate their bilateral
relations to a strategic partnership. The joint statement
was issued on 15 April 2015 during the visit of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi to Canada from 14 April to 16
April 2015. Modis visit to Canada is the first by an Indian
Prime Minister in 42 years.
Details of the Joint Statement
Bilateral Relations
The two nations signed agreements covering the fields of
uranium, visas, terrorism, foreign investment promotion
and protection, Canada-India comprehensive economic
partnership agreement (CEPA) freetrade deal, culture and
people-to-people ties, regional and global issues and
others. Economy, Trade and Investment
MoU was signed on Cooperation in Rail Transportation
between Indias Ministry of Railways and Transport
Canada, dealing with technical cooperation.
MoU was signed on Civil Aviation between Transport
Canada and Indias Ministry of Civil Aviation, which will
establish a Joint Working Group to bring together key
industry and Government stakeholders to advance
opportunities for cooperation in civil aviation.
The two sides agreed to establish a Finance Ministers
Dialogue for the purpose of deepening the IndiaCanada
economic and financial relationship.
Civil-Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement signed between the Department of Atomic
Energy of the Government of India and Cameco of Canada
for long-term supply of uranium to India to meet its
energy needs. The agreement would impart a new
significance to India-Canada Civil Nuclear Cooperation.
They agreed to encourage a collaborative programme to
leverage their industries respective strengths in the field
of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor technology for mutual
benefit, as well as for the benefit of global nuclear energy
needs.
They agreed to explore mutually beneficial partnerships in
the application of radio-isotopes for societal benefits.
5/4/2015
List & Indexes
Out of 133 countries rated on indicators of well-being such

as health, water and sanitation, personal safety, access to
opportunity, tolerance, inclusion, personal freedom and
choice India has secured the 101th place.
This is lower than Indias rank, of 93, for GDP per capita
income. Even Nepal and Bangladesh rank higher than India
on the Social Progress Index (SPI) ratings to be released
globally.
Norway has bagged the first rank; the U.S. is at the 16th
place.
On the parameter Tolerance and inclusion India ranks
128th and is at the 120th place on health and wellness
that, says economist and executive director of the SPI,
Michael Green, is the toughest parameter for a country to
excel at.
2015 FM Global Resilience Index
India has been ranked a low 119 out of 130 countries on

an index that measures business resilience of nations
based on economic, risk quality and supply chain factors,
dropping seven
notches from last
year.
The 2015 FM Global
Resilience Index has
been topped by
Norway for being
the country best
suited for
companies seeking
to avoid disruptions
in their global supply
chain operations.
Venezuela is ranked
last on the list. India,
"despite its scope
CANADA
Capital - Ottwa
Currency Canadian
Dollar
Prime Minister Stephen
Harper
17
and global potential", ranks 119, falling from 112th rank in

2014
World Bank released Migration and Development Brief
Among the top 10 countries that are most resilient,

Norway is followed by Switzerland (2), Netherlands (3),
Ireland (4), Luxembourg (5), Germany (6), Qatar (7),
Canada (8), Finland (9) and the US (10).
World Bank on 13 April 2015 released Migration and

Development Brief. In 2014, India continued to be highest
recipients of remittance. The top five remittance recipient
countries, in terms of value of remittances, continue to be
India, China, Philippines, Mexico and Nigeria.
Biggest Phillanthropists in 2015 List by American lifestyle

Town and Country Magazine
Ernst & Young released a report titled Global IPO Trends

2015
Three Indian-Americans are among 50 biggest

philanthropists of 2015, that includes top business
honchos like Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Apple CEO
Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The list compiled by American lifestyle Town and Country
Magazine figures New York-based Adarsh Alphons,
Reshma Saujani and Shaila Ittycheria, all under 40 years
of age. Saujani, 39, is the founder of 'Girls Who Code', a
three- year-old nonprofit that teaches computer skills to
girls from low-income communities to close technology's
gender-gap.
India 19th Among Top 30 Merchandise Exporters: WTO

Report
India's rank remained unchanged at 19th in 2014 among
the top 30 merchandise exporters of the world, while
China continues to hold the top slot, according to the WTO
report. Similarly, New Delhi's rank as a leading importer
too has not changed in 2014 at 12th position. In imports,
the US topped the list.
World Bank released South Asia Economic Focus report

World Bank on 13 April 2015 released South Asia
Economic Focus report. The report has projected the
economic growth of South Asia for the year 2016 and
2017.
The report highlighted that India has already taken
encouraging steps to decouple international oil prices
from fiscal deficits and to introduce carbon taxation to
address the negative externalities from the use of fossil
fuels. The challenge will be to stay the course in the event
of oil price hikes something that may well happen in the
medium term.
5/4/2015
Top six countries by deal volume in 2015 Q1 were China

(98 deals), US (28 deals), Japan (24 deals), UK (12 deals),
France (11 deals) and Australia (9 deals).
IMF released World Economic Outlook April 2015 Update

Indias growth is projected to strengthen from 7.2% in
2014 to 7.5 % in 2015 and 2016. For the first time since
1999, Indias growth rate may eclipse Chinas and there is
increasing divergence in the growth paths of the two
countries.
India Slips to 89th Place in Global Networked Readiness

Index
India has slipped six places to rank 89th on a global
Networked Readiness Index, showing a "widespread"
weakness in its potential to leverage information and
communications technologies for social and economic
gains. While Singapore has replaced Finland on the top of
the 143-nation list, prepared by World Economic Forum
(WEF), it has called for improvement in India's business
and innovation environment, infrastructure and skills
availability.
In the top 10, Singapore is followed by Finland, Sweden,
the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the US, the UK,
Luxembourg and Japan, which has climbed an impressive
six places year-on-year to 10th position.
India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world,

discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and
electrical equipment in 2014, a UN report has said warning
that the volume of global e-waste is likely to rise sharply
by 21 per cent in next three years. The 'Global E-Waste
Monitor 2014', compiled by UN's think tank United
Nations University (UNU), said at 32 per cent, the US and
China produced the most e-waste overall in 2014. India
18
came in fifth, behind the US, China, Japan and Germany,

the report said.
The Indian passport has been ranked 48th in a list of 50

most powerful travel document in the world, according to
a global survey topped by Sweden. Germany-based Go
Euro travel comparison website ranked the top 50
countries of the world based on their passport's eligibility
for visa-free entry, cost of application as well as number of
hours worked to acquire the document. India, which came
towards the bottom of the ranking, offered visa-free entry
to 52 countries and cost USD 24 and 87 hours of working
time. Sweden topped the chart with 174 visa-free
countries, costing USD 43 and just one hour of working
time. Finland, Germany, the UK and US completed the top
5 with 174 visa-free countries all round.
The World Happiness Report 2015 was released on 23

April 2015. The report was published by the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network (SDSN) an initiative under
the United Nations. India ranked 117 out of 158 nations in
the list. The report was topped by Switzerland followed
by Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada. The World
Happiness Report examined 158 countries and is aimed at
influencing government policy. Togo, Burundi, Benin and
Rwanda, with civil-war wracked Syria, were least happy.
South Asia has the worlds most skewed gender wage gap
and is among the few regions where the gender labour
force participation gap is both large and growing, a new
report from UN Women has found.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains the third most

followed world leader on the micro-blogging site Twitter
while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is the most
followed foreign minister, according to a latest study by
Twiplomacy Study 2015. The three most followed world
leaders were US President Barack Obama with 56,933,515
followers, Pope Francis with 19,580,910 followers on his
nine different language accounts, and Modi with
10,902,510 followers.
India stands at the 13th place world-wide in generating

electricity from nuclear source and expects to increase
the installed nuclear power capacity from 5,780 MW to
10,080 MW by 2019.
5/4/2015
Awards & Honors

India
Bihari Puraskar for Writer-Journalist Om Thanvi
Gopaldas Neeraj, Uday Pratap Singh conferred

with Sahitya Shiromani Samman of Uttar
Pradesh.
Padma Vibhushan Azim Premji was conferred

with the CII President's Award at the CII National
Conference and Annual Session 2015.
Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Dadasaheb

Phalke Film Foundation Award 2015. Actor
Rajkummar Rao won the prestigious award for
his performance in the critically acclaimed film
Citylights, which was released in 2014. Actress
Huma Qureshi bagged an award for her
memorable performance in the movie Dedh
Ishiqya.
Veteran singer S P Balasubramaniam has been

selected for this year's prestigious
"Harivarasanam" award instituted by the Kerala
government.
Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has been felicitated

with the prestigious Deenanath Mangeshkar
Award.
IT Department awarded with the Prime

Ministers Award for Excellence in Public
Administration.
ITBP Officer Manjeet Singh Gets Shaurya Chakra

for Foiling Kabul Terror Bid.
Prime Minister conferred 50th Jnanpith Award

on Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade
World
Indian-Origin Nurse Dr Subhadra Devi Rai in

Singapore to Be Given International
Achievement Award by the Florence Nightingale
International Foundation.
Indian-American Professor Rajani Ganesh Pillai

Wins Peltier Award in Teaching in South Africa.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on 5

April 2015 won the prestigious Golden Peacock
National Quality Award for the year 2015.
19
Indian Banker Suvro Sarkar Named 'Retail Banker

of the Year in Middle East'.
Pratap Singh, a student at The Perse School,

Cambridge, has won the 500 pounds Institute of
Physics (IOP) prize at the Big Bang Fair held at
the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham,
UK.
Professors Sushanta Lahiri and Kattesh V. Katti

received Hevesy Medal Award 2015 for their
outstanding contributions in the fields of radio
and nuclear chemistry.
Indian-origin diplomat Gopinath Pillai has been

bestowed with 'Outstanding Service Award' for
his services to the city-state by the National
University of Singapore (NUS).
Microsofts Indian-origin CEO Satya Nadella was
honoured with the White House Champions of
Change on 16 April 2015.
The East China Normal University (ECNU), one
of the prestigious universities in China,
announced the appointment of Dr. Vishal Sikka,
Chief Executive Officer of Infosys, as Advisory
Professor.
Indian journalist Rahul Pandita and Zeena Johar,
founder and CEO of SughaVazhvu Healthcare,
based in Tamil Nadu, are among the 2015 Yale
World Fellows selected this year. With the
addition of Pandita and Johar, the global Yale
World Fellows network now includes 17 Indian
Fellows, more than any other country since the
programme was established in 2002.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan won an

Outstanding Contribution to Cinema honour at
the fifth annual The Asian Awards. The Hinduja
brothers were awarded as Business Leaders of
the Year.
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra-starrer Mary

Kom, directed by Omung Kumar, has been
named best film at the Stockholm International
Film Festival Junior in Sweden.
A debut film titled Penile Code by an Indian

journalist, focusing on re-criminalisation of
homosexuality, has been shortlisted for the
Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival.
5/4/2015
The 2015 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded by the Pulitzer

Prize Board for work during the 2014 calendar year. Prize
winners and nominated finalists were announced on April
20, 2015. The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements
in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and
musical composition in the United States. Palani Kumanan,
who is a software architect with Dow Jones that publishes
the Wall Street Journal, was a part of the winning project's
graphics team.
The 2015 Pulitzer Prize Winners
1.
Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in

Journalism: The New York Times Staff for
covering Ebola
2.
Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting: The

Seattle Times Staff
3.
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Novel: All the Light We

Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
4.
Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Between Riverside and

Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis
5.
Pulitzer Prize for History Novel: Encounters at

the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan
People by Elizabeth A. Fenn
6.
Pulitzer Prize for Biography: The Pope and

Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the
Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer
7.
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Digest by Gregory

Pardlo
8.
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction: The Sixth

Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth
Kolbert
9.
Pulitzer Prize for Music: Anthracite Fields by

Julia Wolfe
Pakistan conferred its top civilian award

Nishan-e-Pakistan on Chinese President Xi
Jinping for his outstanding contribution in
promotion of relationship between the two
countries.
Google India has bagged the Randstad Award

2015 for Most Attractive Employer in India,
while Sony India has been adjudged the runnerup.
IOC President Thomas Bach named ambassador

of HeForShe by UN Women.
20
Author Rana Dasgupta's literary potrait of Delhi

Capital is among six books shortlisted for the
George Orwell Prize for political writing 2015.
The book is the third work of fiction by Dasgupta
who had previously won the 2010
Commonwealth prize for his work Solo.
Vise President Hamid Ansari Releases Book on

Indian Diplomacy Through Three Decades
by Surendra Kumar.
Days
Indian-Origin Soldier Adiel Yosef Awarded

President's Medal in Israel.
World Health Day 2015 observed globally with

the theme From farm to plate, make food safe
Indian-Origin Scientist Sangita Bhatia at MIT

Wins USD 250,000 Heinz Award.
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) Ltd on 23 April

2015 won the Asian Banker Achievement Award
2015. It was awarded for Technology
Implementation in the category of Best
Outsourcing Project (New Bank). Others were,
The Technology Leadership Achievement Award
for the Year: Amit Sethi, Chief Information
Officer, Axis Bank and The Asian Banker Vendor
Satisfaction Survey Gold Award: Infosys.
World Autism Awareness Day celebrated on

April 2nd. 2015 Theme: Employment: The Autism
Advantage
National Safe Motherhood Day 2015 Observed

on 11th April with the theme "Nothing About Us
Without Us"
World Heritage Day was observed across the

world on 18 April 2015.
World Haemophilia Day was observed globally

on 17 April 2015 with theme Building a family of
support.
Ninth Civil Services Day was observed across

India on 21 April
World Malaria Day observed on 25th April with

theme Invest in the Future. Defeat Malaria
World Book and Copyright Day celebrated on 23

April with the theme Read the World"
International Mother Earth Day observed on

22nd April with theme Its Our Turn to Lead
National Panchayati Raj Day observed on 24

April 2015
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2015

celebrated on 28th April with the theme Join in
building a culture of prevention on OSH
(Occupational Safety and Health).
Logo for International Day of Yoga Launched.

The United Nations General Assembly had on
December 11 adopted an India-led resolution
declaring June 21 as the 'International Day of
Yoga'. The theme for 2015 International Yoga
Day is Yoga for Harmony and Peace.
Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo has

won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
for Asia region for "Umbrella Man", a tale of
surreal meditation on mental health and the
environment.
Margarita, with a Straw directed by Shonali
Bose of India in the fourth week of April 2015
won the Audience Award for Best Feature Film
at the Washington DC International Film
festival.
Two Indians namely Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr
Pramod Patil on 29 April 2015 won the
prestigious Whitley Awards (also known as
Green Oscar) for their contribution to wildlife
conservation.
An Indian-American Harvard Professor Tejal K
Gandhi, has been named as one of the Top 25
Women in Healthcare in the US by Modern
Healthcare magazine.
Books & Authors
Book titled Suleiman Charitra written by Kalyana

Malla translated from Sanskrit to English
World Dance Day observed globally on 29th

April
Vice President released a book titled Aatank Ke

Saaye Men written by Garima Sanjay
The 2015 International Jazz Day celebrated on

30th April in Paris, France, which has been
designated the 2015 Global Host City.
5/4/2015
21
25-meter pool. She was the sole competitor in the 100 104-year-old category at a short course pool in Ehime,
western Japan.
Sports News
Mustafa Kamal on 1 April 2015 stepped down as the

President of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He
sent out the resignation letter to the ICC. The Bangladeshi
cricket administrator had succeeded Alan Isaac as the 11th
President of the ICC in June 2014 for a period of two years.
Kyle Mills of New Zealand on 31 March 2015 retired from

all forms of International Cricket. His decision to retire
gives an end to his 14-year international career in Cricket.
The 36-year-old Mills was a member of New Zealands 15man World Cup Squad but didnt play in any of its nine
matches.
Chinas former Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang plans

to announcement his retirement following years of
nagging injuries.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the 2015 Miami

Open Mens and Womens singles titles of the
respectively at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami,
Florida. Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 5 April 2015 beat the
third seeded Andy Murray of Britain 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0 to
win his fifth Miami Open title. Serene Williams of the US
on 4 April 2015 defeated the twelfth seed Suarez Navarro
of Spain 6-2, 6-0 to secure the title for eighth time.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the Indo-Swiss women

pair of Tennis, on 5 March 2015 won the Miami Open
Tennis women's doubles title. In the title clash played in
Miami, Florida, the duo defeated the Russian pair of Elena
Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova, 7-5, 6-1.
Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika won the bronze

medal along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling by
virtue of making it to the semifinals of World Women's
chess championship.
Gujarat cricket team on 7 April 2015 won the 2014-15

Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy played at the KIIT Cricket
Stadium, Bhubaneshwar. In the final clash, Gujarat
defeated Punjab by two wickets.
Kings' Sim Bhullar becomes first player of Indian descent to

play in NBA.
The Indian football team took a leap of 26 places to occupy

147th spot in the latest FIFA ranking after scoring a win
and a draw against Nepal last month in the 2018 World
Cup Qualifiers Round One.
Commonwealth Games gold medal winning Indian shooter

Apurvi Chandela qualified for next year's Olympic Games
after notching up the 10m air rifle bronze in the ongoing
ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Changwon, Korea.
Four Indian junior tennis players -- Shashank Teertha,

Sacchitt Sharma, Prinkle Singh and Mahak Jain -- sealed
their place in the England's national grass court
championship by emerging as the finalists of the 'Road to
Wimbledon' event which concluded.
Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first female

tennis player from India to achieve the world number
one rank in doubles, following her stupendous title win at
the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis.
Sania took 470 points from the win to take her tally to
7965 as she jumped past Italy's Sara Errani (7640) and
Roberta Vinci (7640) to sit atop the ranking table.
India defeated South Korea 4-1 (6-3) on penalties to win

the bronze medal in the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
hockey tournament. New Zealand won Sultan Azlan Shah
Cup mens hockey tournament by defeating Australia.
A 100-year-old Japanese woman has become the world's

first centenarian to complete a 1,500-metre freestyle
swim. Mieko Nagaoka, from Yamaguchi Prefecture, took
just under an hour and 16 minutes to finish the race in a
5/4/2015
22
Ace India shooter Jitu Rai fired his way to win a bronze
medal in the 10m air pistol event at the ongoing ISSF
World Cup in Changwon, Korea.
Yuki Bhambri clinched the USD 15,000 ITF Futures

tournament with a straight-set win over Dzmitry Zhyrmont
and ensured that he will get entry into the French Open
qualifying event.
Lewis Hamilton led teammate Nico Rosberg home for a

Mercedes one-two finish in the 2015 Formula 1 Chinese
Grand Prix.
Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on 15 April 2015

was elected as member of prestigious Laureus Sports
Academy. He was named as member at the 16th Laureus
World Sports Awards ceremony in Shanghai, China.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 20 April 2015 won his second

Monte-Carlo Masters title of Tennis. In the final clash
played at Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Djokovic defeated Tomas
Berdych of Czech Republic 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Archana Girish Kamath and Anezka Ilcikova, the IndoCzech Republic pair won the cadet girls doubles table
tennis title at the French junior and cadet open on 19
April 2015 in Metz, France.
Japan to host FIFA Club World Cup in 2015 and 2016.
Bangladesh on 22 April 2015 won the three-match One

Day International (ODI) Series against Pakistan in Dhaka by
3-0. This was Bangladesh's first series whitewash against
an Asian Test-playing nation.
The Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 were
given in seven categories on 15 April 2015 at Shanghai in
China. Ace tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia and
sprinter Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia were named as the
Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the 2015
respectively.
The Union Sports Ministry on 22 April 2015 suspended

the recognition of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI)
with immediate effect. It was suspended for poor
management and conduct of 15th National Para-Athletics
Championships held in Ghaziabad in March 2015.
Asia Cup 2016 is set to undergo a radical change and will

be a Twenty20 competition instead of the 50- over game,
outgoing Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief executive Syed
Ashraful Haq revealed.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on 21 April 2015 announced a

new tournament to be known as the Africa T20 Cup. The
tournament was planned to promote the game and
nurture young talent in the continent.
India's Y Pranjala clinched the Asian Junior Tennis

championship title after a come-from-behind victory over
top seed Chinese Zheng Wushuang.
The Indian government has finally recognised motor sports

as a sport by including governing body FMSCI in the list of
sports ministry-backed National Sports Federations (NSF).
Three Indian race walkers, Khushbir Kaur, Manish Rawat

and Sandeep Kumar on 19 April 2015 qualified for 2016
Rio Olympics. They qualified for the Olympics during the
IAAF Race Walking Challenge at Rio Maiorin Portugal.
BCCI nominates Rohit Sharma for Arjuna award.
Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli on 20 April 2015 announced to

set up his chain of gyms and fitness centres with the
investment of 90 crore rupees. The gyms will be launched
under the brand name Chisel.
5/4/2015
India crowned champions for the first time at 22nd

President's Cup Boxing Tournament.
Lin Dan of China on 26 April 2015 won the men`s title at

Badminton Asia Championships 2015 held in the central
23
city of Wuhan, China. He won the title by defeating

compatriot Tian Houwei 21-19, 21-8.
succeed Harishankar Brahma who will demit his

office on 18 April 2015.
Sumit Mazumder, Chairman and Managing

Director of TIL Ltd., succeeded Ajay Shriram as
President of the Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) for 2015-16.
M Annadurai takes over as Director of ISRO

Satellite Centre.
Rajeev Shukla was, reappointed chairman of the

powerful Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing
Council. Sourav Ganguly was a new entrant to
the IPL Governing Council while the senior
national selection committee led by Sandeep
Patil was retained for another season. Team
India Director Ravi Shastri also remained in the
IPL Governing Council.
West Bengal Governor K N Tripathy Sworn In As

Mizoram Governor on April 4.
Arun Kumar Jha was appointed as Chief

Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village
Industries Commission (KVIC).
Georgia on 29 April 2015 won the Womens World Team

Chess Championship by defeating China. Russia won the
silver medal. Mariya Muzychuk was declared as the 2015
Women's World Champion. D Harika and Koneru Humpy
came up with fine individual performances to win a silver
and a bronze, respectively, even as the Indian eves
finished fourth in the womens world team chess
championship
Meenakshi Madan Rai on 15 April 2015 was

sworn in as the first lady judge of the Sikkim
High Court. Her oath of the office was
administered by the Governor Srinivas Patil at
Ashirwad Hall at Raj Bhavan in Gangtok.
Vankadarath Saritha was in news as on 17 April

2015 she became the first woman bus driver of
the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).
Mukesh Khanna Appointed Chairperson of

Children Film Society of India (CFSI).
Appointments
The Supreme Court of India (SC) on 17 April 2015

appointed Vivek Priyadarshi to head the team
probing the Indian Premiere League (IPL)
scandal. The decision was taken by a SC bench
headed by Justice TS Thakur.
Nasim Zaidi, assumed charge as the 20th Chief

Election Commissioner succeeding H.S. Bramha
who retired on Saturday after completing his
term.
Neeraj Kumar appointed as Chief Adviser of

Anti-Corruption & Security Unit of BCCI
Yuvraj Singh ties up with Delhi Daredevils for cancer

awareness.
Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) on 28 April 2015

won 5th Senior Mens National Hockey championship
2015. In the final match played in Pune, Maharashtra,
Railways defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey (UPH) by 5-3.
Sunil Narine banned from bowling off-spinners in IPL by

BCCI.
China won the World Team Chess Championship which

was held at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia from 18 April 2015 to
29 April 2015. China emerged champion, with 15 points.
Ukraine finished runner-up with 12 points, while host
Armenia was third with 11. India finished the
championship at ninth position with seven points, losing
the final round match 3-1 to China.
India
Gulshan Rai, the Director General of Indian

Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In),
took over as India's first Cyber Security chief.
Justice Sunil Kumar Sinha appointed as Chief

Justice of the Sikkim High Court.
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 9 April

2015 appointed Dr. Nasim Zaidi as the Chief
Election Commissioner (CEC). He will assume the
charge of office of the CEC with effect from 19
April 2015. Zaidi is the 20th CEC of India and will
5/4/2015
24
World
Pedro Cateriano Bellido was appointed as the

seventh Prime Minister of Peru on 2 April 2015.
He was appointed by the President Ollanta
Humala in a ceremony held at the Government
Palace in Lima, Peru.
Bharat Hari Singhania assumed the presidency of

JK Organization. The company issued a formal
statement on 9 April 2015 in this regard.
Brijbushan Sharan Singh re-elected as President

of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Senior diplomat Mohan Kumar, currently India's

top envoy to Bahrain, has been appointed the
next Ambassador to France to succeed Arun
Kumar.
Indian-American Vivek Murthy Takes Oath As US

Surgeon General
Reinsurance Group of America appointed former

LIC Head Thomas Mathew as MD & CEO for
India
Volvo names Scania chief Martin Lundstedt as

new CEO
Loretta Lynch Becomes First Black Woman in US

Attorney General Post
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania

appointed as the New Special Envoy to Yemen
Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari is New Yorks first

Indian-American woman judge
Over But Not Out (2010)
Former Air Chief Marshal of Indian Air Force (IAF)

Hrushikesh Moolgavkar died in Pune on 9 April 2015. He
was 95. Moolgavkar had the honour of leading the fly-past
on Indias first Independence Day on 15 August 1947, and
also on Republic Day on 26 January 1951. He had led the
fly-past as a Squadron Leader.
Jnanpeeth Awardee, Tamil novelist, short story writer and

literary critic Jayakanthan died in Chennai on 8 April 2015.
Malli Mastan Babu, the 40-year-old missing Indian

mountaineer, was found dead in the Andes mountain
ranges in Chile in South America by the helicopter search
teams. Mastan Babu had the distinction of setting a
Guinness Book record by surmounting seven peaks in
seven continents in 172 days in 2006.
Renowned Hindi poet Kailash Vajpeyi died on 1 April 2015

due to cardiac arrest in a private hospital of Saket in New
Delhi.
Sunita Tomar, the face of Indias anti-tobacco campaign,

died on 1 April 2015 at her native village in Bhind district
of Madhya Pradesh. She was 28.
Gunter Grass, the Nobel-winning German writer who gave

voice to the generation that came of age during the
horrors of the Nazi era but later ran into controversy over
his own World War II past and stance toward Israel, has
died. He was 87.
Obituaries
Assamese Filmmaker Bidyut Chakraborty passes away.
Richie Benaud, the former Australian cricket captain and
legendary commentator died in Sydney on 10 April 2015.
He died after fighting a long battle with skin cancer. He
was 84.
Books by Voice of Cricket Richie Benaud
Anything But (1998) Autobiography
My Spin on Cricket (2005)
5/4/2015
In another tragic on-field incident after Phillip Hughes

death last November, a promising Bengal batsman who
was the former captain of Bengal U-19 Ranji team Ankit
Keshri passed away owing to an injury sustained during a
Cricket Association of Bengals Senior one-day knock-out
match on April 17.
25
Former Governor of Assam and three-time Chief Minister

of Odisha Janaki Ballabh Patnaik died on 21 April 2015 in
Tirupati. He was 89. He also served Assam as its Governor
from 2009 to 2014.
Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died

on 20 April 2015 in Chicago due to heart attack. His death
was announced by the Centre for South Asian Studies at
the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
Dan Fredinburg, Google Executive Killed on Everest After

Nepal Earthquake
India swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya, the only man

with amputated legs to cross the English Channel in 1997
passed away.
The Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie

passed away on 27 April 2015 following a fatal heart
attack. He was 59. Lesnie was famously known for his
cinematography in movies Lord of the Rings series and The
Hobbit. He also shot the remake of King Kong (2005), The
Lovely Bones (2009) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes
(2011) during his career. Lesnie won the Oscar (Academy
Award) as a cinematographer in 2002 for the first part of
Lord of the Rings filmThe Fellowship of the Ring.
5/4/2015
26

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