Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

SINCE 1993

SINCE 1993

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

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Economy
Banking

The RBI governor Raghuram Rajan left key rates

unchanged in his policy review on 3 Feb.
Highlights

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The bank undertook its sixth bi-monthly monetary

policy review, 2014-15 on 3 Feb.
The RBI cut statutory liquidity ratio (SLR), the
portion of deposits banks must invest in govt bonds,
by 50 basis points to 21.5 per cent.
The repo rate, the rate at which RBI lends overnight
funds to banks, remained unchanged at 7.75 per
cent.
RBI also retained the cash reserve ratio (CRR), the
portion of deposits that banks have to maintain with
RBI, at 4 per cent.
Banks will have headroom to lend about `42,000
cr additionally following the RBIs move to cut SLR
by 50 basis points.
The apex bank also introduced a new category of
unbreakable or non-callable deposits fixed
deposits which cannot be withdrawn prematurely
where banks will offer higher interest rates.
The RBI will soon issue details relating to tenure
and interest rates for unbreakable FDs. The move
is aimed at overcoming the asset-liability mismatches
for banks.
The RBI expects that economic growth will pick up
to 6.5% in FY16, which will result in an increased
demand for funds in the banking sector.
To incentivise banks to clean bad loans from their
books, RBI has allowed lenders to write back excess

provisions if bad loans are sold.

By reducing SLR, RBI has not only released funds
for lending but has also helped banks migrate to
Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) norms with ease
which are part of the international Basel III prudential
norms.
The repo rate was cut outside the policy review
cycle (on Jan 15), from 8 per cent to 7.75 per cent.

The Reserve Bank of India has asked banks to display

loan interest rates and processing fees on their websites
from 1st Apr.

The State Bank of India (SBI), Indias largest bank, and

the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European
Unions long-term lending institution, signed a loan
agreement for Euro 100 mn to be utilised for on-lending
to private businesses in the country.

Faced with competition from digital wallet companies

and from the imminent launch of payment banks, ICICI
Bank has responded with Pockets an app-based
digital wallet. The ICICI Bank says that it is Indias first
digital Bank on mobile phones. This service will enable
users to instantly send money to any e-mail id, mobile
number, friends on Facebook and bank account.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 13 Feb said that it

would soon put in circulation of currency notes in one
rupee (`1) denomination. The notes will be printed by
the Govt of India.

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Highlights

The govt had discontinued printing `1 notes in Nov

1994 due to higher printing costs.
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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

IDFCs loan book stood at `54,000 cr.

The Reserve Bank of India on 9 Feb directed banks to
report all kinds of Kisan Vikas Patra (KVP) transactions
on a daily basis, failing which bank or their branches
may face penal action, including de-authorisation. The
new KVP rules came into effect from Sep 2014. The RBI
further directed the banks to approach its Central
Account Section based in Nagpur for necessary
arrangements to report KVP 2014 transactions with
immediate effect.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines on

when it would require Indian banks to maintain a
countercyclical capital buffer (CCCB), an additional
layer of loss-absorbing capital on top of banks increased
minimum capital requirements under Basel III.

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The RBI Act confers upon the central bank the

right to issue all notes, except `1. Such notes are
issued by the govt and bear the signature of finance
secretary.
All other denomination notes are signed by the
governor of RBI.
As per the RBI Annual Report for 2013-14, there
were 38424 mn pieces of `1 coins in circulation (Mar
2014) and had seen a 7.07 per cent growth in its
volumes compared to Mar 2013.
The RBI in its release on 13 Feb has said that these
currency notes (of `1) are legal tender as provided
in The Coinage Act 2011 and the existing currency
notes in this denomination in circulation will also
continue to be legal tender.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has the authority
to issue bank notes of denominational values of `2,
`5, `10, `20, `50, `100, `500, `1,000, `5,000 and
`10,000.
The one-rupee note was printed and issued by the
Central Govt.
The Govt of India also has the sole right to mint
coins of all denominations.

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SINCE 1993

The private sector lender, Yes Bank has succeeded in

floating the countrys maiden green infrastructure bond
issue for `500 cr, against which it has received
commitments of over `450 cr at sub-9 per cent interest
rates. The proceeds of the bonds, which are for a tenor
of 10 years, will be invested in renewable-energy projects
such as solar power, wind power, biomass and small hydel
projects.

The Reserve Bank of India has doubled the eligibility

limit for foreign exchange remittances under the
Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) from $125,000
to $250,000 per person per year.

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The asset purchase plan of Euro 60 bn a month by the

European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to help the
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to boost its foreign-exchange
reserves further. This is likely as India will continue to
attract foreign flows and the central bank might not allow
the rupee to appreciate significantly against the dollar.

On Oct 1 this year, when IDFC becomes a bank, only 30

per cent of its eligible loan book will be exempted from
statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) and cash reserve ratio
(CRR) stipulations, against expectations of 100 per cent
relief. After that, all its incremental loans will also be
exempted from such stipulations. On Jan 1 this year,

The State Bank of India, the countrys largest bank that

controls 17 per cent of the loan market in the country,
has gone off the beaten track by deciding to slow down
its pace of growth a decision that is in tune with the
macro-economic scenario.

The monthly index released by the countrys largest

lender SBI has slipped from 52.1 (moderate growth) in
Jan 2015 to 48.3 (low decline) in Feb 2015. The SBI
Composite Index, an indicator for tracking Indias
manufacturing activity, has registered a month-on-month
decline in Feb.

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Cardless cash withdrawal will be available from one lakh

bank ATMs by the end of the current year for remittances
initiated by customers of these banks. This service has
been possible because of the IMT Payment System
conceptualized and built by EMpays Payment System
founded by Ravi Rajagopalan.

The govt has decided to infuse additional capital in nine

public sector banks (PSBs) to an extent of `6,990 cr. For
the current fiscal, the amount budgeted (by the UPA
govt) for bolstering the capital of PSBs was `11,000 cr.
So, the actual amount that will be released is just over 50
per cent of the budgeted amount. Only nine banks will
get this instalment of govt money. At the top of the table
is State Bank of India (`2,970 cr), Bank of Baroda (`1,260
cr) and Punjab National Bank (`870 cr). Other banks,
which fall in this category, are Canara Bank (`570 cr),
Syndicate Bank (`460 cr), Allahabad Bank (`320 cr),
Indian Bank (`280 cr), Dena Bank (`140 cr) and Andhra
Bank (`120 cr).

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SINCE 1993

The hackers have been active since at least the end of

2013 and infiltrated more than 100 banks in 30 countries,
according to Russian security company Kaspersky Lab.

The World Bank has barred an Indian firm from

participating in its projects for indulging in fraudulent
activities, taking the total number of banned India-based
entities to 13. The latest Indian entity to face debarment
is Puducherry-based KRG Associates as it was found to
have provided forged certificates with respect to a
tsunami reconstruction project funded by the World Bank.

HSBCs Indian banking unit is at the heart of fresh

revelations around tax evasion, days after a global expose
showed tax dodging through accounts in the British
majors Swiss banking unit.

The Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) foreign exchange

reserves rose to an all-time high of $ 330.21 bn for the
week ending Feb 6.

The Reserve Bank on 30 Jan constituted a high-powered

panel to re-examine and recommend appropriate set of
businesses, size, conversion and licensing terms for the
urban cooperative banking sector. The committee under
the chairmanship of RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi has
been set up on the recommendation made by the Standing
Advisory Committee (SAC) on UCBs last year. The
committee will determine the modalities of implementing
the suggestion of the Malegam Committee.

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The Reserve Bank on 22 Jan allowed people to carry

high-value denomination notes while travelling to Nepal
and Bhutan. The bank issued a circular easing the
restriction on export and import of bank notes of `1,000
and `500 denominations for Nepal and Bhutan that it
had imposed since May 2000.

US technology giant Apple has reported the biggest

quarterly profit ever made by a public company. The
company reported to have sold 74.5 mn iPhones in its
fiscal first quarter ended Dec 27. Its revenue rose to
$74.6 bn from $57.6 bn a year earlier. Apple became the
first company to reach a market value of $700 bn on 10
Feb as shares vaulted amid upbeat news on the US tech
giants gains in the smartphone market and soon-to-arrive
smartwatch.

In a bid to prevent money laundering and to combat

financing terrorism, the Forward Markets Commission
(FMC) has issued guidelines for commodity markets. As
per the FMC circular, it has asked commexes to maintain
all records of transactions and preserve information

The Mumbai-based pharma major Cipla has been

awarded $ 188.95 mn (about `1174.79 cr) contract by
Global Fund for supplying anti-retrovirals (ARV) drugs.
Cipla has been selected as a Panel Supplier for a supplier
partnership agreement.
Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group on 12 Feb announced
its foray into the high-growth defence and aerospace
manufacturing sector that are estimated to touch a market
size of $100 bn in 10 years. Reliance Defence Systems,
Reliance Defence Technologies and Reliance Defence
and Aerospace (RDA).

Disinvestment

Capital/Commodity Market

The High Level Committee for Restructuring of Food

Corporation of India on 21 Jan submitted its report to the
Prime Minister. The Committee was chaired by Shanta
Kumar.

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Committee

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related to nature, amount, date and parties of

transactions.

The Reserve Bank of India has signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) on cooperation and exchange of
information with Banco Central do Brasil (BCB). With
this, the RBI has signed 23 such MoUs, one letter for
supervisory cooperation and one statement of
cooperation with overseas regulators or supervisors.

em

Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

The govt on 30 Jan successfully offloaded 10 per cent

stake in Coal India to raise around `22,400 cr in Indias
biggest-ever equity offering. State-owned Coal India is
the countrys largest coal miner and biggest supplier of
coal for the domestic market. The company commands
market capitalisation of `2.28 lakh cr and is among the
countrys top 10 most valued. Following the 10 per cent
disinvestment, the govts holding in the company will
drop to 70 per cent.

Energy

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The auction of apex court-cancelled coal blocks is finally

underway, with GMR and Reliance Cement bagging a
mine each.
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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

The growth in Chinas foreign investment had

benefited the services sector as manufacturing had
slowed in 2014.
Hong Kong stood at the second spot after China
and ahead of US with foreign investment of 111 bn
dollars.
The top 5 foreign investment destinations of 2014
are China, Hong Kong, US, Singapore and Brazil.
UNCTAD was formed in 1964 with its headquarters
in Geneva, Switzerland.

Insurance

The General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re)

has turned to the capital market for solutions to create
the underwriting capacity required for providing liability
insurance cover to nuclear operators. The corporation is
eyeing an insurance-linked bond issue equivalent to the
value of `750 cr, which will beef up the proposed nuclear
pool to be set up by all the general insurance companies
in the country. The govt-owned GIC Re is the only
reinsurance company that operates in India.

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Five coal blocks have been excluded from auction

till the govt reviews change in their end use.
Number of mines on offer: 204
Number of mines being auctioned in the first round:
110
Present output from the mines on offer in the first
round: 350 million tonnes
65 mines are available for auction to private parties;
45 for nomination to state firms.
Steel, power and cement makers are eligible bidders
for the mines on offer.
Of the 42 operational coal mines, 23 are being
auctioned to private firms.
There are nine cases in high courts of Delhi, Kolkata
and Jabalpur.
Sarda Energy, Usha Martin, Sesa Sterlite had issues
of qualification but the courts have allowed these
firms to participate in the auction.
Cases challenging two-phased auction process and
multiple bidding by companies are set to be heard
by the Delhi HC on 18 Feb, while those related to
compensation, on 23 Feb.
Winners so far
Reliance Cement
GMR
Hindalco

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SINCE 1993

Indias FDI increased by 26 per cent in 2014 to an

estimated 35 bn US dollars with maximum growth in the
services sector despite the decline in global Foreign
Direct Investment inflows. This was revealed in the latest
Global Investment Trade Monitor report released by
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) recently. This figure is one of the highest in
recent years, though in 2008 FDI peaked in India with 47
bn dollars followed by 35.6 bn dollars in 2009.

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FDI

As per the United Nations Conference of Trade and

Development (UNCTAD) report released on Jan 29, 2015,
China has overtaken the United States (US) as the top
destination for foreign direct investment (FDI).
Highlights

This is an achievement for China primarily because

the US was on top as a foreign investment
destination for past 11 years, since 2003.
In 2014, foreign firms had invested 128 bn dollars in
China compared to 86 bn invested in the US.

PF

While shifting jobs, many employees dont transfer their

Employee Provident Fund to the new organisation as
they either forget or find the procedure too complex. The
numbers are surprising. As of last financial year, about
`26,496 cr of provident fund money was lying with
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) in
inoperative accounts.

Power

Inaugurating the first Renewable Energy Global

Investors Meet (RE-Invest) in New Delhi on 15 Feb, PM
Narendra Modi called for collaboration between the 50
nations with abundant solar power to develop
technological solutions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis thrust on putting India

on the renewable energy map is luring big corporates to
invest in this segment. In the latest such investment in
the sector, the Hinduja Group on 16 Feb said it was
looking to pump in about a bn dollars to set up solarbased power units in the country to generate 1,000 MW.
The company has identified locations in three States,
including Rajasthan and Gujarat.

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For the establishment of solar power plants generating

10,000 megawatt in the state, a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) was signed between the Rajasthan
govt and Adani Enterprises Limited on 9 Feb.

PSUs

Trade

As part of its diversification programme, the state-owned

Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation
(IDCO) on 7 Feb signed an MoU with public sector Indian
Rare Earth Ltd (IRE) to set up a mineral separation plant
in Odishas Ganjam district.

Taxation

Telecom

The stage is set for the launch of probably the biggest

auction ever of telecom spectrum in India. On the final
day for the filing of applications, eight telecom operators,
including Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Jio
Infocomm Ltd and Indias largest telco Bharti Airtel Ltd,
decided to participate in the auction starting 4 Mar.

Indias Alphonso mangoes will return to European market

after the European Commission on 20 Jan voted to lift a
ban imposed on imports last year. The ban on imports of
four vegetables bitter gourd, brinjal, snake gourd
and taro from India will, however, stay for now.

Others

Facebook has tied up with Reliance Communications to

offer free access to subscribers of Anil Ambani-led firm
to the social networking site as well as about three dozen
general information websites. With Facebook seeking to
connect more people in the worlds second-biggest
mobile market with Internet, India will become the first
country in Asia to get the new Internet.org app.

In order to speed up its probe into cases of illegal funds

stashed abroad, the Special Investigation Team (SIT)
on black money has roped in one more economic
intelligence agency, Central Economic Intelligence
Bureau (CEIB), as the main coordinating body
between all the investigative and enforcement agencies
which are part of the high-powered panel. The SIT on
black money, headed by Justice (retired) MB Shah and
with Justice (retd) Arijit Pasayat as its Vice Chairman,
has as its members the heads or top officials of various
departments and agencies.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has

issued draft regulations to facilitate full mobile number
portability (MNP), which is set to start from May 3. The
full or nationwide MNP will allow consumers to change
the service provider in any part of the country while
retaining their existing number. At present, mobile number
portability allows consumers to change their service
provider within a telecom circle, which, in most cases, is
limited to a State.

The Cabinet on 10 Feb approved increasing the National

Minorities Development & Finance Corporation
(NMDFC)s authorised capital from `1,500 cr to `3,000
cr and restructuring of its shareholding pattern. It was
constituted as a non-profit-making company to provide
loans at concessional interest rates for self-employment
and economic development activities to the minority
communities Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists,
Jains and Parsis.

Aiming to spare the public from levying at highways,

the govt has announced it will scrap 125 toll plazas in the

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The two-day meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and

Central Bank Governors was held in Istanbul, Turkey on
9-10 Feb. India was represented by Minister of State for
Finance Jayant Sinha and RBI Governor Raghuram
Rajan at the meeting. Emerging countries like India,
China, Brazil and Russia have been asking for increased
voting rights in IMF, which would reflect their growing
share in the world economy. Quota reform, if implemented,
will increase Indias voting share from current 2.44 per
cent to 2.75 per cent, following which the country will
become the eighth largest quota holder at the IMF, up
from 11th position.

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The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) asked its

field formations on 29 Jan to not treat income arising out
of a share transfer by Indian subsidiaries of multinational
companies (MNCs) to its parent and other related entities
as taxable. It, thus, extended the principle of law laid
down by the high court at Mumbai in the Vodafone case
to all like cases. This would give relief to those involving
Shell, IBM, Cairn and Essar, among others.

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The Finance Ministry has imposed definitive antidumping duty on all imports of graphite electrodes from
China.

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

SINCE 1993

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SINCE 1993

Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

The per capita income at current prices has been

estimated at `64,316, `71,593 and `80,388 for the
years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 respectively.
The nominal Net National Income (NNI) for 2011-12
stands at `78.5 lakh cr, while the estimates for 201213 and 2013-14 are `88.4lakh cr and `100.6 lakh cr
respectively.
The changes have reduced the gap between the
way India calculates GDP and the methodology used
by the International Monetary Fund.
Indias economy is projected to be $2.1 tn under
new GDP measure.
The growth of the Indian economy is projected to
accelerate to 7.4 per cent in the current fiscal
compared with 6.9 per cent last year. The estimated
growth for 2014-15 is the same as Chinas growth
for 2014.
Earlier, both the International Monetary Fund and
the World Bank had said Indias growth would
exceed Chinas by 2016-17.

Every five years, the Ministry of Statistics and

Programme Implementation (MOSPI) updates the base
year of its gross domestic product (GDP) calculations.
Till recently, GDP estimates used 2004-05 as the base
year which the govt has changed to 2011-12. The base
year was last revised in Jan 2010.
Highlights

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Real GDP or GDP at constant (2011-12) prices stands

at `92.8 lakh crore and `99.2 lakh crore, respectively
for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14, showing growth
of 5.1 per cent during 2012-13, and 6.9 per cent
during 2013-14.
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at factor cost
will no longer be discussed; instead Gross Value
Added (GVA) will be analysed in releases.
As is the practice internationally, industry-wise
estimates will be presented as GVA at basic prices,
while GDP at market prices will henceforth be referred
to as GDP.
The rate of Gross Capital Formation at constant
(2011-12) prices, however, has decreased from 37.2
per cent in 2012-13 to 33.4 per cent in 2013-14.

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country by Feb-end. The Union Road Transport Minister

Nitin Gadkari said toll collection at some 65 road projects
have already stopped. The govt has also decided to
make projects toll-free where less than `50-cr
investment has been made.

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A strong govt, easing inflation and growth recovery has

revived consumer optimism in India, says a Credit Suisse
report. India tops the Credit Suisse Emerging Consumer
Scorecard 2015, being the only country to score in the
top three for medium-term expectations of personal
finances, expectations of inflation, and household income
trends alongside their immediate spending intentions.

Nation
Feb also asked various departments to be ready with
Bills they propose to introduce during the Budget session
of Parliament, including those to replace some of the key
ordinances brought by the govt after the winter session.

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Centre

The Centre has asked all the schools and higher

educational institutions to celebrate Feb 21 as
Matrubhasha Divas by organising day-long activities
like group songs and essay competitions in Indian
languages, with the Unesco recently declaring it as
International Mother Tongue Day.

The Centre has fixed wheat procurement target for the

2014-15 rabi marketing season at 300.59 lakh tonnes
(LT) against the actual procurement of 280.23 LT.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) govt is

considering a constitutional amendment to have 50 per
cent reservation for women in urban local bodies. The
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on 16

Heeding the long-pending demand of states, Prime

Minister Narendra Modi on 8 Feb formed a sub-group of
chief ministers under NITI Aayog to suggest further
rationalisation of 66 centrally funded schemes. The BJPled National Democratic Alliance govt also set up subgroups on skill development and Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan.

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jagat

Prakash Nadda has declared 10 Feb as the National
Deworming Day.

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SINCE 1993

The govt is expected to take a decision within a month

on Roongta Committee Recommendations on bringing
reforms in central public sector enterprises (CPSEs).
Former SAIL Chairman SK Roongta-headed panel had
submitted its report during the UPA regime in Nov 2011.

The two-day annual conference of state Governors

concluded on 12 Feb. In his concluding remarks at the
annual 46th Governors Conference, President Pranab
Mukherjee said the Governors have an important role to
play in making cooperative federalism a reality.

States

Arvind Kejriwal took oath as the eighth chief minister

of Delhi at the Ramlila Maidan on 14 Feb. He surprised
observers by not keeping any Cabinet portfolio and
decided to delegate his work to colleagues. The deputy
CM Manish Sisodia got key portfolios.

The Maharashtra govt will observe 17 Sep as Industries

Day as part of its effort to provide balanced growth to
existing small, medium and large-scale enterprises and
render assistance for setting up new industries to boost
the states financial health.

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In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh

Chouhan inaugurated the fourth river festival at
Bandrabhan in Hoshangabad district. The theme of the
river festival is River, its catchment area, chemicals
and crisis. Experts brainstormed on the means and ways
to save our rivers at Bandrabhan bank of Narmada River.

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The Centre will declare Minimum Support Price (MSP)

for Kharif crops in May this year, allowing farmers to
take an informed decision regarding crop sowing. The
Union minister of state for agriculture Mohan Kundariya
made this announcement. Generally, the Union govt
announces MSP for Kharif crops after the sowing ends
in Aug.

sub-divisional police officers and three police ranges

along with state crime records bureau.

The Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,

N Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrasekhar Rao, met
in the presence of Governor ESL Narasimhan to resolve
the river water dispute between the two States that took
an ugly turn on 13 Feb evening when police of both
sides clashed with lathis at Nagarjunasagar dam.

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The Union Home Ministry on 12 Feb announced a threemember Special Investigation Team (SIT) for reinvestigation of the 1984 anti-Sikh riot cases, mainly in
Delhi and other States. The SIT will be headed by
Pramod Asthana, an IPS officer of 1986 batch.

The Maharashtra govt on 7 Feb signed an MoU worth

`949 cr with engineering and construction major Larsen
& Toubro (L&T) for setting up CCTV-based surveillance
in the city. As per the MoU signed by the company and
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, 6,000
CCTVs will be installed across the metropolis and
suburbs by Sep 2016.

Taking serious note of inordinate delay in completing

Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), the govt
has warned that Central assistance to States for building
rural houses and welfare pensions would be blocked if
they fail to complete the exercise before Mar 15. In year
2015-16 and onwards, this SECC data will be the base on
which the beneficiaries for the Indira Awas Yojana (IAY)
and the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)
will be selected so far as the Rural Development Ministry
is concerned and those states who failed in selecting the
beneficiaries from this database would not receive
financial assistance. The Centres move came in the wake
of a PIL petition filed by human rights body Peoples
Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) in which they alleged
that non-completion of SECC by states and UTs is the
main reason for delay in implementation of National Food
Security Act (NFSA).

The Maharashtra govt has decided to allow agricultural

bodies and companies to conduct field trials of five
genetically-modified (GM) crops. According to a source
in the know, no-objection certificates (NOC) have been
given for trials of brinjal, rice, maize, chickpea (chana)
and cotton on 29 Jan. Besides Maharasthra, Punjab,
Haryana, Delhi and Andhra Pradesh have given NOCs
for field trials of some biotech crops, while states like

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

The report of the World Bank entitled Scaling the

Heights: Social Inclusion and Sustainable Development
in Himachal Pradesh has lauded the state for its
achievements. Himachal Pradesh has made great strides
in reducing poverty and attaining best human
development outcomes, says the report.
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh on 11
Feb launched the Crime and Criminal Tracking
Network System (CCTNS) project in the state. The `19cr project will help in connecting 177 sites and 114 police
stations in the state besides 13 district headquarters, 26

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have banned such

research activities.

Maharashtra Govt is planning to revamp the Jeevan

Amrut Yojana (blood-on-call) scheme which is aimed at
facilitating blood supply to patients scheduled to undergo
surgeries and medical procedures in remote areas.
The Bihar govt on 3 Feb decided to provide free
education to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes
(ST) and girl students till Post Graduation (PG) level in
the state.

Defence

The Indian Air Force will be acquiring 14 Dornier light

utility aircraft for `1,090 cr from the state-run Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Apart from the HAL Do-228
aircraft, the contract includes six reserve engines, one
flight simulator and associated equipment.

A large-scale exercise was conducted by the Indian Navy

to test its readiness for handling tsunami-like disasters.
The drill took place on Feb 9, 2015 in Lakshadweep
Islands (Kavaratti, Aggatti, Kalpeni and Androth). The
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster relief (HADR)
exercise involved various aircraft and over 20 ships from
the Western and Eastern Fleets of the aircraft of Indian
Navy.

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India has successfully test-fired indigenously developed,

inter-continental surface-to-surface nuclear-capable
ballistic missile Agni-5 from Wheelers Island off
Odisha coast.

The Navy is learnt to have taken the call to retire the

decrepit warhorse INS Viraat, the aircraft carrier that has
had a service life of 56 years as on date first as HMS
Hermes in the Royal British Navy and in its present
avatar since 1987.

Judiciary

Over 56,000 cases across the country were on 14 Feb

disposed of by the third National Lok Adalat which also
saw disbursal of `265 cr as claims towards final
settlement in bank recovery and cheques bounce cases.

The Centre on 13 Feb told the Supreme Court that it

would go ahead with the Unique Identification Authority
of India (UIDAI) project, Aadhaar.

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The Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on 14 Feb

addressed the sailors and officers of the newly-inducted
aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya after witnessing two
days of Theatre Readiness Operational Level Exercise
(TROPEX-2015), off the coast of Goa in the Arabian
Sea.

The Supreme Court has held that the election of a

candidate, who has concealed his or her criminal
antecedents during nomination process, should be
declared null and void.

Several promoters of distressed companies dragged the

Reserve Bank of India to the Supreme Court, alleging
that its prudential norms defy the right to equality under
Article 14 of the Constitution of India. The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on 13 Feb directed CBI to probe RBI

and SEBI, saying these regulatory bodies cannot turn a
blind eye to the multi-crore chit-fund scam spreading
across several states.

Others

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on 28 Jan upheld the definition of bad loans as amended

in 2004 under Section 2(1)(o) of the Securitisation and
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of
Security Interest (Sarfaesi) Act, 2002.

SINCE 1993

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) will soon

be issuing weather forecasts specific to each tehsil or
block in the country. These are primarily meant to assist
local farmers. At present, forecasts are available only for
some districts.

The first batch of 50 Indian pilgrims to take the new

route via Nathu La in Sikkim to Kailash Mansarovar in
Tibetan Autonomous Region will crossover on Jun 21.

A study conducted by the Forest Survey of India that

was recently published points out that West Bengals
forest cover has increased by 3,810 sq km, which is
followed by Odisha, where increase in forest cover has
been 1,444 km, and Kerala, where the increase has been
about 622 sq km.

India has been ranked 136 in terms of press freedom in

2015, out of 180 nations. The rank marks an improvement
from 140 in 2014, although its absolute score has declined
from 40.34 to 40.49. The World Press Freedom Index
(WPFI) is produced by Reporters Without Borders
(RSF). Finland, Norway and Denmark were on the top
of the rank list, whereas Turkmenistan, North Korea and
Eritrea were on the opposite end of the list. Russia, Iran
and China ranked 152, 173 and 176 respectively. The US
has ranked 49 in 2015.

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World
The Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena arrived in
New Delhi on 15 Feb evening on a four-day state visit,
which is his first abroad visit after he defeated long-time
president Mahinda Rajapaksa.

India has ceremonially handed over to Bangladesh a

vintage Dakota aircraft, which played a crucial role in the
countrys 1971 liberation war. The aircraft played a crucial
role in the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and
formation of Bangladesh Air Force (BAF).

Japans economy rebounded from recession in the final

quarter of last year but growth was weaker than expected
as household and corporate spending disappointed. The
annualised 2.2 per cent expansion in Oct-Dec was smaller
than a 3.7 per cent increase forecast in a Reuters poll,
suggesting a fragile recovery as the hangover from last
years sales tax hike lingered.

The UN Human Rights Council has delayed by six

months the release of a report into alleged war crimes
committed during Sri Lankas civil war, following request
by the countrys newly-elected govt for more time to
conclude its internal probe. The report, which was earlier
scheduled to be released on Mar 25 during the 28th
session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), will
now be out in Sep this year.

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Facing bankruptcy, Ukraine has asked the International

Monetary Fund (IMF) to replace its programme with a
new one to restore confidence in its finances. The IMF
has agreed with Ukraine on a new bailout deal worth
15.5 bn euro ($17.5 bn) that could climb to around $40
bn over the next four years with help from other lenders
like Europe and the US.
Myanmar President Thein Sein has approved a law
allowing a referendum on changes to the constitution
a move that could eventually lift what amounts to a ban
on opposition leader and Nobel laureate Aung San Suu
Kyi from the presidency.

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India and South Africa have agreed to revive the MoU

signed in 1997 for cooperation in mining sector. The
present overall bilateral trade between the two countries
of BRICS grouping is about $11 bn. There are about 150
Indian companies working in South Africa. India is the
largest buyer of South African gold and coal.

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

SINCE 1993

Over 60 countries, including India, participated in a White

House summit on countering violent extremism from
17 Feb in the backdrop of alarming growth of ISIS and
recent terrorists attacks in France and Denmark.
Tunisias parliament on 5 Feb approved a coalition govt
led by the secular Nidaa Tounes party and including
moderate Islamist rivals Ennahda, following landmark
elections in the birthplace of the Arab Spring.
China on 9 Feb launched its first cruise liner to sail via its
ambitious transcontinental initiative Maritime Silk Road
(MSR) on its maiden voyage, during which it will visit
three South-East Asian nations.

Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany on 12

Feb emerged from marathon 16-hour talks to announce a
comprehensive peace deal for eastern Ukraine, but
questions remained whether Ukraine and the pro-Russian
rebels have agreed on all of its terms. Ukrainian President
Petro Poroshenko, however, denied that there was any
agreement about autonomy in eastern Ukraine.

Pakistan on 2 Feb successfully test-fired a new

indigenously developed cruise missile capable of
delivering nuclear and conventional warheads up to 350
km, bringing many Indian cities under its range. The
Raad missile enables Pakistan to achieve strategic
standoff capability on land and at sea, as it uses
extremely complex Cruise Technology that has been
developed by only a few countries in the world.

India will soon be a member of the Asia-Pacific Economic

Cooperation (APEC), a powerful international grouping
of 21 countries, including the United States and Japan,
which promotes free trade among its members.

In a historic debate, the House of Commons in Britain

voted by 382 to 128 to allow mitochondrial donation
through a controversial amendment to the 2008 Human
Fertilisation and Embryology Act.

The US has agreed to partner with India in developing

three smart cities in Allahabad, Ajmer and
Visakhapatnam.

Germany on 28 Jan agreed to partner with India in

developing three smart cities, and a six-member joint
committee has been set up in this regard to evolve the

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

way forward, including identification of those cities in

three months.
The Indian govt has resolved to fund the Pancheshwar
multi-purpose project of Nepal on Mahakali river to
the tune of `1500 cr after a delegation of MPs visited
Nepal and submitted their report to Modi govt. The
project would regulate and control the free flow of
Karnali and Mohana rivers. India has also reached into

The African Union (AU) has backed plans for a West

African task force of 7,500 troops to fight Boko Haram
militants. Boko Haram has seized control of a swathe of
north-east Nigeria and killed thousands in a six-year
insurgency. Four of Nigerias neighbours Benin,
Cameroon, Chad and Niger have agreed to contribute
troops to the task force.

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an agreement with Nepal to procure additional electricity

produced by the Pancheshwar project.

SINCE 1993

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Persons in News
Appointed

Ajay Banga: The US President Barack Obama has

announced to appoint the top Indian-American CEO as
member of the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and
Negotiations. He is the present president and CEO of
MasterCard.

Mary McGowan Davis: The former US judge was on 4

Feb appointed the new head of the UN inquiry into
possible war crimes during the Gaza conflict last year to
replace William Schabas, who resigned after Israel
accused him of a conflict of interest.

Ajay Shukla: He took over charge as the Member

(Traffic) in the Railway Board on 4 Feb.

Nickolay Mladenov: The UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon has appointed the Bulgarian diplomat as the new
UN envoy to the Middle East, replacing Robert Serry.

Krishna Chaudhary: The Indian Police Service (IPS)

officer has taken over as the new Director General (DG)
of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

MO Garg: He has assumed charge as the new Director

General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial
Research (CSIR).

M Ravindran: He has taken over as the Chairman of

Indraprastha Gas Ltd, the firm that sells CNG in the
National Capital.

Sunil Sood: The UKs telecom giant Vodafone on 22 Jan

appointed him as the first Indian CEO for its India
operations to replace Martin Pieters, who has been its
chief executive since 2009.

Kaptan Singh Solanki: The Haryana governor on 22

Jan took over the additional charge of Governor of
Punjab.

Anish Aggarwal: He took over as Director (Pipelines)

at Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the nations largest oil refining
and marketing company, on 2 Feb.

Saraswathi Menon: The eminent Indian academician is

among seven experts nominated by UN chief Ban Kimoon to be part of an advisory group that will conduct a
policy and institutional review of the world bodys peacebuilding architecture and make recommendations.

Nandita Chatterjee: She took over as the new Secretary

in the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation
(HUPA) on 2 Feb.

Durga Prasad: The Centre on 24 Jan appointed him as

the special director-general of the Central Reserve
Police Force (CRPF).

LC Goyal: He took charge on 5 Feb as the new Union

home secretary, replacing Anil Goswami, who had
resigned earlier.

Divya Prakash Sinha: The govt on 26 Jan appointed the

special director with Intelligence Bureau as secretary
(security) in the Cabinet secretariat.

Shekhar Sen: The eminent singer, actor, theatre director,

composer and lyricist has been appointed as Chairman

V Balasubramaniam: The Multi Commodity Exchange

of India (MCX), Indias largest commodity derivatives
trading platform, has decided to appoint him as the
managing director and chief executive officer of the
exchange.

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SINCE 1993

S Jaishankar: He has been appointed the new foreign

secretary (FS), only three days before he was scheduled
to retire as the Indian ambassador to the US. Sujatha
Singh, the erstwhile foreign Secretary, only the third
woman to hold the job, was dismissed by the govt on 28
Jan.

RR Patil: The NCP leader and Maharashtras former

deputy chief minister and home minister, popularly known
as Aaba by politicians and followers, died of cancer on
17 Feb.
Rajinder Puri: The veteran cartoonist, columnist and
political activist died recently.

Atmaram Bhende: The veteran Marathi theatre artiste

and film actor, considered the doyen of Marathi
experimental theatre, passed away in Pune, aged 91.
Kesava Reddy: The well-known novelist, writer and a
medical doctor passed away after a prolonged illness.
His novel Athadu Adavini Jayinchadu (He Conquered
Forest) was published in the 80s and probably is the
best among his works.

Richard von Weizsaecker: Germanys former President

died at the age of 94. His 10 years in office, from 1984 to
1994, spanned the period of German reunification.
Carl Djerassi: Known as the father of birth control
pills, he passed away recently. He was most famous for
leading a research team in Mexico City that in 1951
developed norethindrone, a synthetic molecule that
became a key component of the first birth control pill.

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Mala Aravindan: The veteran Malayalam comedian who

acted in close to 400 films in the last 37 years, passed
away aged 76.

Elected

Zoe Konstantopoulou: The Greek Parliament has elected

her as its new President of the country.

Sergio Mattarella: He was sworn in on 3 Feb as Italys

new president.

TR Zeliang: The Nagaland Chief Minister on 5 Feb

won the trust vote in the 60-member Assembly.

Alexis Tsipras: The leader of the Syriza anti-austerity

party was sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Greece
by President Karolos Papoulias.

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Subhash Ghising: The founder of the Gorkha National

Liberation Front who spearheaded the Gorkhaland
movement in the 1980s, died in New Delhi on 29 Jan at
the age of 78.

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Died

Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman: The eminent

cartoonist, illustrator and humorist passed away in Pune
on 26 Jan.

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of Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) for a term of 5 years.

Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

Mrinalini Mukherjee: The noted sculptor passed away

recently aged 65.

Rajni Kothari: The eminent political scientist and

theorist passed away recently.

MS Narayana: The Telugu actor and comedian, a veteran

with over 750 films to his credit, passed away on 23 Jan.

King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz: Saudi Arabias king died

on 23 Jan. His brother Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud
became king after his death.

MD Hatkananglekar: The renowned Marathi literary

critic, writer and translator died aged 89.

Edgar Lungu: Zambias new President Edgar Lungu was

sworn in on 25 Jan to become the countrys sixth
president.

Robert Mugabe: Zimbabwes President was appointed

as the new chairman of the 54-nation African Union on
30 Jan.

Killed

Col. Munindra Nath Rai: The 39-year-old Army Officer

was killed 24 hours after he was awarded a gallantry
medal on the Republic Day. Colonel Rai, the highestranking military officer to be killed in the Himalayan region
in nearly a year, was the youngest of the 13 recipients of
the Yudh Seva Medal (YSM) this year.

Reinstated

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Shirani Bandaranayake: Sri Lankan President

Maithripala Sirisena has reportedly reinstated the former
Chief Justice two years after she was removed by the
previous dispensation over corruption allegations.

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

unidentified assailants near their home in Sagarmala in

Kolhapur on 16 Feb when they were out for a morning
walk.

Resigned
Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi: Yemens US-backed president
quit, refusing to make further concessions to Shiite
rebels, known as Houthis, who control the capital and
are widely believed to be backed by Iran.

Retired

Brett Lee: He has announced to bid adieu from all the

formats of game, ending a 20-year long career.

Sentenced
Francesco Schettino: The Italian Captain was found
guilty for causing the fatal shipwreck of the Costa
Concordia and has been sentenced to 16 years in prison
by a three-judge panel.

Visited

Maithripala srisena: The newly elected President of

Sri Lanka arrived in New Delhi on 15 Feb on his first
foreign trip after assuming charge.

Jacob Lew: The US Treasury Secretary, accompanied

by Vice Chairman of US Federal Reserve, Stanley Fischer,
visited India for the India-US Economic and Financial
Partnership dialogue, which was co-chaired by Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley.

Govind Pansare: The veteran Communist leader and

leading light of the anti-toll-tax movement in
Maharashtra, he and his wife were shot by two

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Paulina Vega: The Colombian was crowned Miss

Universe 2015, beating out contenders from the United
States, Ukraine, Jamaica and the Netherlands at the
worlds top beauty pageant in Florida.

Amitabh Bachchan: With his famed baritone, the

supertsar on 15 Feb made an impressive commentary
debut in the high-voltage India-Pakistan World Cup
cricket match in Adelaide.

Najib Razak: Malaysias premier is under mounting

scrutiny for cracking down on opponents, troubles in a
strategic development fund and questions over his family
assets, with even ruling-party conservatives questioning
his leadership.

Yuvraj Singh: The Indian left-hander was bought by the

Delhi Daredevils for a whopping `16 cr in the auction
on 16 Feb ahead of the eighth season of the Indian
Premier League (IPL).

Paul Gauguin: A painting of two Tahitian girls named as

Nafea Faa Ipoipo (When Will You Marry) by the French
artist has been sold for 300 mn dollars.

Yaduveer Gopal Raj Urs: He is the new heir of Mysuru

Royal Family and will continue the Dasara traditions of
the Wadiyar dynasty.

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Others

Pooja Thakur: A Wing Commander of the IAF, she has

become the first woman to lead the ceremonial Guard of
Honour which was inspected by the US President Barack
Obama at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 25 Jan.

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SINCE 1993

Places in News

Islamabad: China has opened a new embassy in Pakistans

capital city. It is Chinas largest overseas diplomatic
mission and was inaugurated by the Chinese foreign
minister Wang Yi on 13 Feb.

Copenhagen: Two people were killed and six injured in

twin shootings in the Danish capital, with one attack
targeting a cultural centre hosting a debate on Islam and
free speech.

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Faridabad: The 27th Surajkund International Crafts Mela

was organised here 1-15 Feb. As many as 1,217 artisans
from 20 countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka,
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Thailand and
African nations, participated in the mela.

Minsk: Marathon peace talks were held here, the capital

and the largest city of Belarus, aimed at ending the
bloody crisis in eastern Ukraine. A peace agreement was

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SINCE 1993

Kochi: The first World Ocean Science Congress

(WOSC) was held here in Kerala.

Varanasi: Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

inaugurated BSNLs free Wi-fi service here. The Wi-fi
service initially launched at Dashashwamedh and Shitala
Ghats will be expanded to other ghats.
Bengaluru: Aero India-2015, the 10th international
edition of the biennial aerospace and aviation exhibition,
was held here 18-22 Feb.

Bhopal: The capital of Madhya Pradesh will host the

10th World Hindi Conference in Sep this year.

Kolkata: It is all set to become the first city in the country

to have a free fourth-generation (4G) Wi-fi service.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, the company owned by
Mukesh Ambanis flagship Reliance Industries Ltd, is
rolling out a free 4G Wi-fi service that became available
on Park Street on 5 Feb. The free Wi-fi service will cover
all the 145 Municipal Wards of the city in coming months.

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Sinai (Egypt): At least 32 people were killed on 29 Jan in

a series of attacks on soldiers and police here. The govt
has struggled to contain an 18-month insurgency by
militants linked to Islamic State (ISIS) in the region.
Egypts president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi cut short a visit to
Ethiopia for an African Union summit after the attacks.

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reached between world leaders from Russia, Ukraine,

France and Germany.

Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

Sports

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Badminton

Saina Nehwal of India on 25 Jan won the womens singles

of Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold Badminton Tournament
2015. She defeated World Champion Carolina Marin of
Spain in the finals played at Babu Banarasi Das Indoor
Stadium in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Third-seeded Parupalli Kashyap beat World number five
Kidambi Srikanth to win mens singles of the Syed Modi
Grand Prix Gold badminton on 25 Jan.

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Cricket

Australia clinched the one-day international tri-series at

Perth as they beat England by 112 runs in the final.
Mitchell Starc was declared Man of the Series while
Glenn Maxwell was adjudged Man of the Match. The
third team in the tri-nation ODI series was India.

BCCI President-in-exile N Srinivasan-led India Cements

board has approved transfer of IPL team Chennai Super
Kings (CSK) to a wholly-owned subsidiary Chennai
Super Kings Cricket Ltd.

The International Cricket Council Board, after its first

meeting in Dubai on 28 Jan, has awarded India the World
Twenty20 championship in 2016.

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ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 officially began with the

two-act opening ceremony taking place in Christchurch
and Melbourne on Feb 12. And the action on field began
with the double header New Zealand vs Sri Lanka and
Australia vs England taking place on Feb 14.
Highlights

It is the 11th edition of Cricket World Cup.

The 49-match schedule and fixtures will be played
over the span of one-and-a-half months with 14
nations participating.
The tournament will be held from Feb 14 to Mar 29,
2015.
Former Indian great Sachin Tendulkar has been
roped in as the ambassador of the tournament for
the second time in row.
Defending champion India had defeated Sri Lanka
in 2011 to claim their second World Cup title.
The ICC World Cup 2015 is co-hosted by Australia
and New Zealand.
The 14 nations have been divided into two groups
Pool A and Pool B.
Pool A: England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
New Zealand, Afghanistan and Scotland.
Pool B: South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies,
Zimbabwe, Ireland and United Arab Emirates.

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SINCE 1993

Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

Mixed doubles: Indian veteran Leander Paes and

Swiss ace Martina Hingis turned back the clock to
post a sensational win in the Australian Open mixeddoubles final over Daniel Nestor and Kristina
Mladenovic.

France has become the first team in handball history to

win five World Championships on 1 Feb. In the finals,
they defeated hosts and surprise finalists Qatar, 25-22.

Golf

Anirban Lahiri secured his breakthrough European Tour

title by overhauling Austrian Bernd Wiesberger in a
dramatic final round of the Malaysian Open on 8 Feb.

Squash
World squash champion Malaysian Nicol David has set
a new record for topping the world rankings for the 106th
month.

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The international governing body of swimming, FINA,

has approved the National Games held in Kerala, as the
qualifying event for the World Championships to be held
in Kazan, Russia from Jul 24 this year.

Tennis

Others

Swimming

The Australian Open is a major tennis tournament held

annually in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is
chronologically the first of the four Grand Slam tennis
events of the year.

Winners

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Mens singles: Serbias world number one Novak

Djokovic won a fifth Australian Open title, beating
Britains Andy Murray in four sets in the final.
Womens singles: Serena Williams defeated
Russian Maria Sharapova in final. At 33, she also
became the oldest woman to win the title in the Open
era, taking her tally at Melbourne Park to six titles in
six appearances in the final.
Mens doubles: Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini
became the first all-Italian pair to win a Grand Slam
mens doubles title in almost 60 years when they
beat Frances Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas
Mahut.
Womens doubles: American Bethanie MattekSands and her Czech partner Lucie Safarova won
their first grand slam womens doubles title at the
Australian open with victory over Chinas Zheng
Jie and Taiwans Chan Yung-jan.

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Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland beat defending

champion Tomas Berdych for the sixth straight time on
15 Feb to clinch the World Tennis tournament for his
ninth career title.

The 2015 National Games of India, also known as the

35th National Games of India, were held from 31 Jan 2015
to 14 Feb 2015 across seven districts in Kerala. It was the
second time that Kerala hosted the National Games after
it hosted the 27th National Games in 1987.

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Handball

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Highlights

The mascot of the 35th National Games was Ammu,

the Great Hornbill, or the Great Indian Hornbill, the State
bird of Kerala.
Retired batting legend Sachin Tendulkar was the
goodwill ambassador for the National Games.
Services topped the medals tally with 91 gold, 33 silver
and 35 bronze. Hosts Kerala were in second position
with 54 gold, 47 silver and 61 bronze. Haryana with 39
gold, 40 silver and 27 bronze, is placed third in medals
tally.
Golden boy, Sajan Prakash of Kerala, with his sparkling
performance in swimming was, adjudged the Man of
Sports. The 21-year-old, working as junior staff with
Railways, not only won eight medals, including six gold,
but also set five new records in individual events.
Akanksha Vora was declared the best female athlete for
her feat of five gold medals and a silver.
Kerala was declared the best among all the states for an
unprecedented 162 medals.
There were 33 sports disciplines in 2015 National Games.
Yachting was newly included event. Aquatics (50
disciplines) and Athletics (44 disciplines) were the
biggest and most popular events, while Shooting (38
disciplines) was another big event.
The Games flag was handed over to the delegation of
Goa, the hosts of the next National Games in 2016.
The mascot of the 35th National Games, Ammu, made
into the Limca Book of Records as a play Kalikkunna
Kuttikalkkayi Bharatham Kathirikkunnu (India Awaits
Children Who Play) featuring the Ammu was on 9 Apr

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SINCE 1993

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has

revised the Scheme of Rashtriya Khel Protsahan

em

Puruskar. This scheme was introduced by govt in 2009

to encourage involvement of corporates and sports
promotion boards in the development of sports in the
country.

2014 staged in 147 schools (the most) across seven

districts of Kerala.

Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

Awards
Chhattisgarh was felicitated for emerging as one of the
best performing states in the renewable energy segment.

An Indian-origin scientist has received a $500,000 award

to develop ultrathin metal sheets that can help produce
better rechargeable batteries. The prestigious $500,000
National Science Foundation CAREER award was won
by Gurpreet Singh, assistant professor of mechanical
and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University.

Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural

University (CCSHAU) has been selected for the
prestigious Mahindra Samridhi India Agri Award 2015 in
recognition of its contribution in increasing agriculture
productivity and rural prosperity.

Distinguished journalist Vinod Mehta has been conferred

Uttar Pradeshs highest civilian award Yash Bharti by
the State govt.

Indian economist and Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has

been awarded the inaugural Charleston-EFG John
Maynard Keynes Prize.

The Jnanpith award for the year 2014 has been awarded
to eminent Marathi litterateur Bhalachandra Nemade.
His hugely celebrated works for Kosala (Cocoon), 1963,
to his recently published great work Hindu, have earned
him a reputation as a self-aware, globally conscious and
alert writer.

Madhya Pradesh won the 10th National Award for

excellent work in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) on Feb
2, 2015.

Major Mukund Varadarajan and Naik Neeraj Kumar

Singh, the two army personnel who laid down their lives
combating militants in Kashmir Valley, were on 26 Jan
awarded posthumously the highest peacetime military
honour, the Ashok Chakra, by President Pranab
Mukherjee.

At a ceremony at the Jaipur Literature Festival, the USbased writer Jhumpa Lahiri turned out to be the
unexpected winner of the DSC Prize for South Asian
Literature 2015 for her novel The Lowland.

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Best new artist: Sam Smith

This year two Indians have won Grammy Awards.
Ricky Kej: His collaborated album Winds of Samsara
won the Best New Age Album Trophy.
Neela Vaswani: She won award in Childrens Album
category for her album I Am Malala: How One Girl
Stood Up For Education And Changed The World
(Malala Yousafzai)

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The 68th British Academy of Film and Television Arts

(BAFTA) awards were presented to the outstanding
performances in films and documentaries screened at
British Cinemas in 2014.
Winners

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Best Film: Boyhood

Outstanding British Film: The Theory of Everything
Best Director: Richard Linklater (Boyhood)
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything)
Best Actress: Julianne Moore (Still Alice)
Best Film Not in English Language: Ida
Best Animated Film: The Lego Movie
Best Documentary: Citizenfour
Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema: BBC Films

Grammy Awards (originally were called Gramophone

Awards) are the recording industrys most prestigious
award presented annually by National Academy of
Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) of the United
States.
List of awardees

Best album of the year: Morning Phase (Beck Hansen)

Best record of the year: Stay With Me (Sam Smith)
Best song of the year: Stay With Me (Sam Smith)

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

The Periyar Tiger Reserve, spread over 925 sq km in

Kerala, bagged the National Tiger Conservation
Authority (NTCA) biennial award for encouraging local
public participation in managing the reserve.

Poet Arundhathi Subramaniam won the inaugural

Khushwant Singh Memorial Prize for Poetry for her work
When God is a Traveller.

Following is the list of the 104 persons conferred Padma

Awards. These include nine Padma Vibhushan, 20
Padma Bhushan and 75 Padma Shri awardees.
Padma Vibhushan

Padma Bhushan

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LK Advani (Public Affairs), Amitabh Bachchan (Art),

Prakash Singh Badal (Public Affairs), D Veerendra
Heggade (Social Work), Dilip Kumar (Art), Jagadguru
Rambhadracharya (Others), Malur Ramaswamy
Srinivasan (Science and Engg), Kottayan K Venugopal
(Public Affairs), Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan (Trade
and Industry)

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Jahnu Barua (Art), Vijay Bhatkar (Science and

Engineering), Swapan Dasgupta (Literature and
Education), Swami Satyamitranand Giri (Others), N
Gopalaswami (Civil Service), Subhash C Kashyap (Public
Affairs), Pandit Gokulotsavji Maharaj (Art), Ambrish
Mithal (Medicine), Sudha Ragunathan (Art), Harish
Salve (Public Affairs), Ashok Seth (Medicine), Rajat
Sharma (Literature and Education), Satpal (Sports),
Shivakumara Swami (Others), Kharag Singh Valdiya
(Science and Engg), Manjul Bhargava (Science and
Engg), David Frawley (Others), Bill Gates (Social Work),
Melinda Gates (Social Work)

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Padma Shri

Manjula Anagani (Medicine), S Arunan (Science and

Engg), Kanyakumari Avasarala (Art), Bettina Sharada
Baumer (Literature and Education), Naresh Bedi (Art),
Ashok Bhagat (Social Work), Sanjay Leela Bhansali
(Art), Lakshmi Nandan Bora (Literature and Education),
Gyan Chaturvedi (Literature and Education), Yogesh
Kumar Chawla (Medicine), Jayakumari Chikkala
(Medicine), Bibek Debroy (Literature and Education),
Sarungbam Bimola Kumari Devi (Medicine), Ashok
Gulati (Public Affairs), Randeep Guleria (Medicine), KP
Haridas (Medicine), Rahul Jain (Art), Ravindra Jain (Art),
Sunil Jogi (Literature and Education), Prasoon Joshi

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(Art), Prafulla Kar (Art), Saba Anjum (Sports), Ushakiran

Khan (Literature and Education), Rajesh Kotecha
(Medicine), Alka Kriplani (Medicine), Harsh Kumar
(Medicine), Narayana Purushothama Mallaya (Literature
& Education), Lambert Mascarenhas (Literature and
Education), Janak Palta McGilligan (Social Work),
Veerendra Raj Mehta (Social Work), Tarak Mehta (Art),
Neil Herbert Nongkynrih (Art), Chewang Norphel
(Others), TV Mohandas Pai (Trade and Industry), Tejas
Patel (Medicine), Jadav Molai Peyang (Others), Bimla
Poddar (Others), N Prabhakar (Science and Engg),
Prahalada (Science and Engg), Narendra Prasad
(Medicine), Ram Bahadur Rai (Literature and Education),
Mithali Raj (Sports), PV Rajaraman (Civil Service), JS
Rajput (Literature and Education), Kota Srinivasa Rao
(Art), Bimal Roy (Literature and Education), Shekhar
Sen (Art), Gunvant Shah (Literature and Education),
Brahmdev Sharma (Literature and Education), Manu
Sharma (Literature and Education), Prof Yog Raj Sharma
(Medicine), Vasant Shastri (Science and Engg), SK
Shivkumar (Science and Engg), PV Sindhu (Sports),
Sardara Singh (Sports), Arunima Sinha (Sports), Mahesh
Raj Soni (Art), H Thegtse Rinpoche (Social Work),
Hargovind Laxmishanker Trivedi (Medicine), Huang
Baosheng (Others), Jacques Blamont (Science and
Engg), Late Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin (Others),
Jean-Claude Carriere (Literature and Education),
Nandrajan Raj Chetty (Literature and Education), George
L Hart (Others), Jagat Guru Amrta Suryananda Maha
Raja (Others), Late Meetha Lal Mehta (Social Work),
Tripti Mukherjee (Art), Dattatreyudu Nori (Medicine),
Raghu Rama Pillarisetti (Medicine), Saumitra Rawat
(Medicine), Annette Schmiedchen (Literature and
Education), Late Pran Kumar Sharma alias Pran (Art),
Late R Vasudevan (Civil Service)

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SINCE 1993

List of awardees at the 87th Academy Awards:

Best picture: Birdman
Best director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for
Birdman
Best actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of
Everything
Best actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Best foreign-language film: Ida (Pawe Pawlikowski)
Best animated feature film: Big Hero 6
Best original song: Glory (from Selma)
Best original score: Alexandre Desplat (The Grand
Budapest Hotel)

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Miscellany

Observing that there are diversities in evaluation systems

in the country, President Pranab Mukherjee said students
in the past have suffered in the acceptance of their
credentials across the university system and in accessing
employment opportunities. The initiative of Choice
Based Credit System (CBCS) will ensure seamless
mobility of students across higher education institutions
in the country as well as abroad.

The Global business school INSEAD has released the

2014 edition of its Global Talent Competitiveness Index
(GTCI) in Davos, Switzerland. India has been ranked
78th globally in terms of talent competitiveness of its
human capital, which shows a shortage of skilled
workforce in the country. Switzerland has topped the
list of 93 countries, followed by Singapore and
Luxembourg in second and third places, respectively.

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The US space agency NASA is planning to send a

nuclear-powered submarine to explore one of the
methane seas located on Saturns moon Titan.

You can now book a rail ticket online and get it delivered
at home where the payment can be made. Initiating this
cash on delivery (CoD) system rail ticketing, IRCTC is
targeting those customers who are reluctant to use their
credit or debit cards as well as those who dont have
net-banking facility.

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Indias Premier Banking / SSC Institute

SINCE 1993

The 17th edition of Bharat Rang Mahotsav, established

a decade ago by the National School of Drama (NSD),
was held in the national capital 1-18 Feb.

India has improved its rank marginally on the intellectual

property (IP) index released by the US Chamber of
Commerce on 4 Feb.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

an international animal rights and conservation group
and the Bannerghatta Biological Park, Karnataka have
joined hands to create Indias first elephant sanctuary
in a fenced, forested space that allows elephants to move
around freely within the secure area.

Facebook has reportedly introduced a new feature that

will allow people to have their account deleted
permanently when they die or appoint a friend or family
member to take care of some aspects of their account.

NASA, through its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has

released an incredibly detailed video of what the Moon
looks on the side that is never visible from the Earth. As
the Earth spins around and around, it only ever faces
one side of our orbiting Moon.

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