970compendium June 15 PDF

Compendium- June, 2015
National
International
Appointments-National/International
Person Resigned/Retired
Sports
Honours/ Awards
Obituaries
Important Days
Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors
Compiled By
Sanjay Singh

National
India ranked 143 out of 162 countries on 2015 Global Peace Index
Global Peace Index As per recently released Global Peace Index (GPI) for year 2015, India
was placed at 143th rank out 162 countries. The report was published by Institute for
Economics and Peace (IEP). Indias rank has remained same compared to previous year
global rankings.
Key facts from Global Peace Index 2015
Top 10 peaceful countries: Iceland
(1st), Denmark (2nd), Austria (3rd), New
Zealand (4th), Switzerland (5th), Finland
(6th), Canada (7th), Japan (8th), Australia
(9th) and Czech Republic (10th).
Top 10 least peaceful countries: North Korea (153rd), Pakistan (154th), Congo (155),
Sudan (156), Somalia (157), Central Africa (158th), South Sudan (159th), Afghanistan
(160th), Iraq (161st) and Syria (162nd).
Indias neighbours: Bhutan (18th), Nepal (62nd), Bangladesh (84th), Sri Lanka (114th),
Pakistan (154th).
In 2014, the violent events had cost $14.3 trillion from the global economy. It accounted for
13.4% of global GDP. About 50 million people i.e. 0.75% of the current world population are
displaced. In 2014, deaths from terrorism were reported in 69 countries reported.
It was up from 60 in 2013 highlighting the increasing use of terror tactics. In case of India,
violence has cost it $341.7 billion i.e. 4.7% of its GDP in 2014 which is the fourth highest
cost in the world.
About Global Peace Index (GPI)
It is an annual report published by the Sydney (Australia) based Institute for Economics
and Peace (IEP) since 2007. GPI uses 22 indicators to measure levels of world peace.
Indicators range from a nations level of military expenditure to its relations with
neighboring nations and the percentage of prison population in 162 countries. It also
includes safety and security in society, extent of domestic and international conflict. The
IEP is an international and independent think tank dedicated to draw the worlds attention
towards peace as a positive, achievable, and tangible measure of human well-being and
development.
Nadia district in West Bengal wins UN Public Service Award 2015
Nadia district in West Bengal has won the United Nations Public
Service Award 2015 in the category of improving delivery of public
services for or eliminating open defecation in the district.
The award was presented by the acting Secretary General of the UN
Lenni Montiel to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of
Nadia Zilla Parishad in Medellin, Colombia.
It was a collaborative effort with the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and World
Bank along with state government and local governments.
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A Team Satyam Offering

The programme was initiated in 2013. In one-and-half-years, toilets were built in 5 lakh
households and over 200 cluster toilets in public places.
Indian Railways, Indian Army among worlds biggest employers: WEF Study
Worlds biggest employers Two Indian organizations, India Army and Indian Railways are
among the worlds biggest employers. It
was revealed in a research published by
the World Economic Forum (WEF). Both
organisations employ around 2.7 million
people together. Indian Railways was
placed at 8th position with 1.4 million
staff, while Indian Army was placed at 9th
position with 1.3 million employees in the
list of worlds biggest employers.
Top 10 worlds biggest employers are:
US department of Defense: It is the worlds biggest employer with over 3.2 million
employees.
Peoples Liberation Army (PLA): Chinese military is 2nd biggest employer with 2.3
million employees.
Walmart: US supermarket giant is 3rd biggest employer with 2.1 million workers.
McDonalds: Fast food giant is the 4th biggest employer with 1.9 million employees.
National Health Service of UK: It is 5th biggest employer with 1.7 million.
China National Petroleum Corporation: It is 6th biggest employer with 1.6 million
employees. It is Chinese state-run company.
State Grid Corporation of China: It is 7th biggest employer with 1.5 million employees.
Indian Railways: 1.4 million staff.
Indian Army: 1.3 million employees.
Hon Hai Precision Factory: It is known around world as Foxconn, a leading electronics
manufacturer. It is placed at 10th position with 1.2 million employees.
J Jayalalithaa launches first phase of Chennai Metro
First phase of Chennai Metro service was inaugurated by
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after she flagged off
inaugural train.
The first phase of Metro service covers the 10-km overhead
(elevated) stretch. It connects Alandur in south Chennai to
Koyabedu in the north.
The metro service will bear capacity of 1276 passengers with four coaches. It will cover
seven stations in the stretch. They are Koyambedu, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani, Chennai
Mofussil Bus Terminus, Ashok Nagar, Ekkattuthangal.
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The Corridor 2 or second phase of this metro connecting Chennai Central and St. Thomas
Mount is will be ready by end 2015. The whole project is implemented by Chennai Metro
Rail Limited (CMRL). It was approved by then Congress-led UPA government in 2009.
India ranked best for investment
A ranking of destinations for attractiveness to foreign
investors has placed India at the top among 110 countries.
China has secured the 65th position and the U.S. is at the 50th.
In the 2014 index, India was at the sixth position and Hong
Kong was number one.
The ranking is based on an index for baseline profitability
that assumes that three factors affect the ultimate success of a
foreign investment: how much the value of an asset grows;
the preservation of that value while the asset is owned; and the ease of repatriation of
proceeds from selling the asset.
The index combines measures for each of these factors into a summary statistic that
conveys a countrys basic attractiveness for investment.
NCR to have a second airport; Aviation ministry makes Jewar as first choice
The civil aviation ministry took an in-principle decision to
have a second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Among the probable sites for the airport, the ministry
zeroed in on Jewar, keeping in view the fact that
availability of land is a big problem.
On the UP governments choice of having an airport in
Firozabad, the minister said the purpose of a second
airport near Delhi would be defeated if an airport comes up in Firozabad.
With the population of NCR (National Capital Region) 8 crore, covering Delhi, Gurgaon,
Faridabad and Meerut in western Uttar Pradesh, using only one airport, there is an urgent
need for a second airport.
Rajasthan becomes No. 1 state in solar energy in India
Rajasthan has become number one state in the country in terms of total installed capacity of
solar energy. It was revealed in recently released data by the Union Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy. Rajasthan with total 1,167 megawatt (MW) installed capacity has
surpassed Gujarat (1000 MW) which was previous number one state in the country.
Top five states in India are (in terms of installed capacity) Rajasthan: 1047 MW.
Gujarat: 1000 MW. Madhya Pradesh:563 MW. Maharashtra: 363 MW. Andhra Pradesh: 247
MW.
In 2014, Rajasthan government had released its Solar Policy which aimed at installing
25000 MW of solar power in state. In this policy state government had introduced
numerous investor-friendly measures to tap full potential of solar power.
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One of the key measure introduced was to installed solar plants was through State, Private
Enterprises or Public-Private partnership (PPP). In this regard state government had inked
agreements number of private companies to develop solar parks with a cumulative capacity
of 26,000 MW.
It should be noted that Rajasthan has all natural advantage for solar parks such as abundant
barren land and high solar radiation (insolation) in the country.
PM Narendra Modi launches Smart Cities Mission, says Centre committed to urban India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled
three mega flagship schemes aimed at
developing cities and towns as "new
engines for growth".
The three projects -- 100 smart cities, Atal
Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing for
All - will ring in a new urban era, which
will entail an investment of over Rs 3 lakh
crore in the next five years.
The Smart City project seeks to enhance
quality of life in 100 selected cities with 24 hour water and power supply, world class
transportation system, better education and recreational facilities, e-governance and
environment-friendly atmosphere, among others. The Smart City project will be based on
PPP model, Naidu said.
AMRUT seeks to ensure basic infrastructure for 500 cities with a population of above one
lakh. Ensuring water supply to each household, sewer connections, sanitation and solid
waste management, provision for roads and public transportation beside implementation
of reforms in urban governance would be the focus under the scheme.
India leads FDI in South Asia with 34 billion investment in 2014
India leads regional inflow of Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) in South Asia accounting for $34 billion investment
during 2014 and the upward trend is likely to continue this
year also, according to a UN report which placed China as
the world's largest FDI recipient.
"FDI inflows to the country (India) surged by 22% to about
$34 billion" improving its position to 9th top host country
for FDI in 2014, over its rank of 15th in 2013, the UNCTAD's
World Investment Report 2015 says.
India is likely to maintain an upward trend in 2015 as economy recovery gains ground.
Union Cabinet gives nod to rename SECI as Renewable Energy Corporation of India
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Union Cabinet has given nod to rename Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) as the
Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI).
Apart from this decision, Union Cabinet also gave approval to
SECI to convert into Section 3 Company by applying to the
Registrar of Companies (ROC) from a Section 8 Company
under the Companies Act, 2013. This decision will help SECI
or renamed entity RECI.
SECI is a not-for-profit company under Section-25 of the
Companies Act 1956. it was Established in 2011 as a
facilitation and implementation institution dedicated to Solar
Energy sector. Operates under: the aegis of Union Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy,its Objective is to develop Solar
Technologies and ensuring inclusive solar power development throughout India.
India emerges as third largest FDI source for United Kingdom
India has emerged as the third largest Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) source for United
Kingdom (UK) in 2014-15.
It was revealed in recently released report
Inward Investment Report 2014-15 of UK Trade
and Industry (UKTI). This FDI source was based
in terms of number of projects e. source of
inward investment.
US has remained the largest source of inward
investment for UK with a total of 564 projects in 2014-15 and was followed by France (124
projects) and India (122 projects).
During the year 2014-15, the FDI from India increased by 65 per cent and has resulted in
creation of 7,730 jobs as well as protection of 1,620 jobs in UK. Sector wise Indian
companies had invested in healthcare, agriculture-technology, food and drink.
Cairn India to merge with Vedanta Ltd
Cairn- Vedanta Metal and mining giant Vedanta Ltd and its subsidiary oil explorer Cairn
India have announced to merge.
The merger will create Indias largest diversified natural resources company. It will also
help Cairn spread its risk from volatile oil business to other metals and commodities.
Decision in this regard was taken by Independent directors of both the companies owned
by billionaire Anil Agarwal.
The merger will be in an all share swap deal which will give the Vedanta Ltd access to Cairn
Indias 2.7 billion dollars (Rs 16,867 crore) cash pile. Vedanta will use this cash lying with
Cairn to pay off part of its 77,752 crore rupees debt For the merger each minority
shareholders of Cairn India will receive one equity share of Vedanta.
They will also receive one redeemable preference share of Rs 10 face value with 7.5%
annual dividend. Previously Vedanta was known as Sesa Sterlite Ltd. In 2013 it had
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consolidated its iron ore mining business by merging Sesa Goa Ltd with Sterlite Industries
(India) Ltd.
SoftBank Corp, Bharti Enterprises Limited and Foxconn formed a JV named SBG
Cleantech Ltd
Japan headquartered telecommunications and Internet major SoftBank Corp, Bharti
Enterprises Limited and Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group on 22 June 2015 formed
a Joint Venture (JV) named SBG Cleantech Limited. This JV is aimed at promoting the
adoption of clean and safe energy in India.
SBG Cleantech will be a harbinger of solar and wind energy. The venture will invest in
developing renewable energy plants across India. SBG Cleantech will be committed to
contribute to Union Government's mission of 24x7 power for all and achieving 100GW
solar and 60GW wind target by 2022.
SBG Cleantech will have Manoj Kohli, a Bharti Enterprises Limited veteran, as its executive
chairman and Raman Nanda will be the Chief Executive Officer of the company. The
company will be headquartered in Delh
349 new species of flora and fauna discovered in the past one year in India
Scientists and taxonomists in India have discovered 349 new species of flora and fauna in
the past one year. Of these discovered flora and fauna 173 species are genera of plants and
176 species of animals.
The list of new discovered species was published by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and
the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) both headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. Key facts
Biodiversity hotspots: Most of discoveries were from Indias two Biodiversity hotspots viz
Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas.
Western Ghats accounted for 22 per cent of the new discoveries. While, the Eastern
Himalayas accounted for 15 per cent discovered species. 25 species of seed plants were
alone discovered in Arunachal Pradesh.
Animal species: Of the 176 new animal species discovered 93 species are of insects, 7
species are of collembolans, 12 species of arachnidan, 12 species crustacean and 1 species
of mollusca.
Reptiles: 2 species of reptiles for the first time have been found in India. One was
discovered in Tamil Nadu and another in Madhya Pradesh.
Fish: 23 new fish species were discovered. Majority of fish species were discovered in
north-east India.
Amphibians: 24 new amphibian species were discovered. Most of the new species of
amphibians were discovered in the Western Ghats.
New records: Apart from the discovered new species, the BSI has also added 105 new
records species and ZSI 61 new records species. It should be noted that new records means
animals and plants that have been spotted in India for the first time and those are found
elsewhere in the world.
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In year 2014, 614 new species of plants and animals were discovered which included 366
plants and 248 animal species. With this, 96,891 species of animals and 47,791 species of
plants have been recorded so far in India.
Kerala Government declares June 22 as Snake Bird Day
Kerala Government has declared June 22 as Snake Bird Day in a bid
to protect the endangered species which is also known as Indian
darter. The formal announcement was made by State minister for
forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan at a function organised by Snake
Bird Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram.
It is water bird which is also known as Indian darter (Anhinga
melanogaster). It has large slender long-necked water bird and is
mostly black with silver wing markings.
As per IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Snake Bird is classified as
Near Threatened species. Threat: Its population is moderately
declining owing anthropogenic reasons like pollution, drainage, hunting and the collection
of eggs and nestlings.
It inhabits in shallow inland wetlands including rivers, lakes, swamps and reservoirs. In
case of India there are over 1500 snake birds in which majority are found in Kerala. These
species usually nests atop tall trees near wetlands.
Maharashtra declares Blue Mormon as State butterfly
Maharashtra has officially declared Blue
Mormon species as State butterfly as part of
state symbols. Decision in this regard was
taken in State Wildlife Board meeting presided
by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in
Mumba
With this, Maharashtra became the first State
in the country to have a State butterfly.
Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is the
second largest butterfly species in terms of size, after the southern birdwing (Troides
minos).
Blue Mormon has black, velvet wings with bright blue spots. The lower ends of its wings are
black. Its body has some red spots on one side. Distribution: It is only found (endemic to) in
Sri Lanka, Western Ghats of Maharashtra, South India and coastal belts of the country.
India sets two Guinness world records on International Yoga Day
India has set two Guinness world records (GWR) in Rajpath yoga event held on the eve of
first International Yoga Day led by Prime Minister Narendra Mod
First record is the largest number of participants- 35,985 people had participated in largest
yoga demonstration at a single venue e. Rajpath yoga event.
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Second is the most number of nationalities at a single event People of 84 nationalities
performed yoga at one place.
The awards were received by Union AYUSH Minister
Shripad Yesso Naik from representatives of Guinness
World Records.
In this event all participants of all ages had performed
various yoga exercises on the entire two-km stretch from
Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate. This mass yoga event has broken
previous world record on mass yoga exercise which was set by 29,973 students from 362
schools on November 19, 2005 led by Vivekananda Kendra at Jiwaji University Gwalior.
Indias first green police station inaugurated at New Delhis Maurice Nagar
Delhi Police Indias first green police station was inaugurated on the occasion of World
Environment Day at Maurice Nagar in north Delhi. It was inaugurated by Delhi Police
Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi.
The police station has various provisions for preservation and safety of the environment.
Students of Delhi University along with police officials had worked on the renovation of this
police station to make it unique. Key features of green police station Roof of station has
coating of fresh lime based upon Medieval Indian Construction Methodology.
It will increase Albedo of the station and reduce the heat which helps to save electrical
power. All light fittings at the police station have been changed to LED lights in order to
reduce consumption of electricity.
All fans installed at this police station will be of five star ratings. It also planned to use solar
panels to light the police station. The toilets installed in this station are biodegradable and
are capable of converting fecal matter into water and biogas through technique of
anaerobic bacterial decomposition.
It is also planned to replace the furniture with bamboo and cane which are believed to be
environment friendly as they do not require cutting of trees. 400 areca palm plants have
been planted in the police station and its premises in order to bring down the carbon
presence, as these plants are strong in carbon consumption.
Recycled paper for filing publics complaint will be used in bid to promote the use of
recycled paper.
Union Cabinet approves Solar Power capacity target to 1 lakh MW under JNNSM by 2022
Union Cabinet approved increasing Indias solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal
Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022.
1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) target principally will comprise of 40,000 MW from Rooftop and
60,000 MW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects.
After meeting this ambitious target, India will become one of the largest Green Energy
producers in the world by surpassing several developed countries.
These projects will help in generation of additional 2000 MW capacity of Grid-connected
solar power projects and create employment of about 12,000 people in rural and urban
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areas. It will also help to reduce about 3.41 Million Tonnes (MT) of carbon emissions into
the open environment every year.
Union Government decided to increase number of work days under MGNREGA in
drought hit areas
The Union Government on 17 June 2015 decided to increase the number of workdays
under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from 100
days to 150 days in drought-affected areas of the country.
The decision to increase the wage days in drought-affected areas was taken as Government
is expecting an increase in demand for wage-based employment due to drought affecting
regular agricultural activities in some places.
Earlier in February 2014, previous government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the
number of workdays under MNREGA was increased from 100 days to 150 days for tribal
areas who have received land rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
CEA-led committee to suggest GST rates, report likely in two months
A committee headed by the Chief Economic Adviser (CEA)
will recommend the possible rates of Goods & Services Tax
(GST), slated to be introduced from April 1 next year.
The setting up of two committees to facilitate
implementation of the new indirect tax regime. The other
will be a Steering Committee under the co-chairmanship of
the Additional Secretary in the Revenue Department and Member Secretary, Empowered
Committee of State Finance Ministers.
The CEA-led committee will recommend possible tax rates under GST that would be
consistent with the present level of revenue collection of the Centre and States.
While making recommendations, this Committee would take into account expected levels of
growth of economy, different levels of compliance and broadening of tax base under GST.
The Committee would also analyse the sector-wise and State-wise impact of GST on the
economy.
Pinaka Mark-II rockets successfully tested at Pokhran
Pinaka II rockets Advanced version of indigenous Pinaka mark-II rockets were successfully
tested on 30 May 2015 in Pokhran field firing ranges in Rajasthan.
They were test-fired using a multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL). In the test six rounds
were successfully tested which had hit the target situated 53 kms from the firing point.
The MBRL version of Pinaka has high operational mobility, flexibility and accuracy which is
capable of acting as a force multiplier and has been developed to supplement artillery guns.
Facts about Pinaka II rockets The Pinaka II rocket is also known as the Weapon Area
System (WAS).
Jointly and indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Army. It has battery of six launchers which can fire
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rockets with a range of 40-65 kms. WAS can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in 44 seconds with 1.2
tonne of high explosives. Can neutralise a target area of 3.9 square km and supplement
existing artillery system at a range beyond 30 km.
Can be fitted with wide range of warheads including blast-cum-pre-fragmented high
explosives to anti-tank mines. It should be noted that Pinaka had undergone several tough
tests since 1995 and already has been introduced into the Indian army.
Indian Railways names Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express
Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express with an immediate effect.
In this regard the train No 19031/19032 Ahmedabad-Haridwar-Ahmedabad famously
known as Haridwar Mail has been christened as Yoga Express.
This decision was taken by Indian Railways before celebration of first International Yoga
Day on 21st June which will be observed as global event.
RBI issued final guidelines for 6-year and 13-year Interest Rate Futures
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final guidelines for the 6-year and 13-year cash
settled Interest Rate Futures (IRF) on government securities with residual maturity of 4-8
years and 11-15 years respectively under the Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank)
(Amendment) Directions, 2015. For this purpose, RBI amended the Interest Rate Futures
(Reserve Bank) Directions, 2013 dated 5
December 2013.
For the 6-year cash settled IRF
contracts, the underlying shall be a
coupon bearing government security of
face value of 100 rupees and the residual
maturity of 6-year IRF is between 4 and 8
years on the expiry of futures contract.
For the 13-year cash settled IRF
contracts, the underlying can be a coupon bearing government security of face value of 100
rupees and residual maturity will be between 11 and 15 years on the expiry of futures
contract.
Moreover, the RBI also expanded the residual maturity for the existing 10-year cash settled
IRF from 9-11 years to 8-11 years to provide market participants a greater choice and
flexibility to hedge their interest rate risk across different tenors.
Recommendations of Bibek Debroy Committee on restructuring of Indian Railways
The committee has suggested measures for restructuring the Railway Board and its
departments so that policy making is separated from day-to-day operations.
Recommendations of Bibek Debroy committee
Establishment of an independent regulator Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI)
with a separate budget and to be independent of the Ministry.
RRAI will decide on tariffs to revamp the cash-strapped railways.
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Railway Budget should be phased out with gross
budgetary support to Indian Railways.
No privatisation of Indian Railway but allowed
participation of private sector in the railway projects.
State governments should be asked to entirely fund
the Government Railway Police (GRP).
The recommended changes should be implemented
only by Union Railways ministry in the first five years
including the resolution of the social cost issue.
Background: Union government had constituted the high-level committee in September
2014 to restructure the Railways and suggest ways for resource mobilisation. It was sevenmember panel headed by eminent economist and NITI Aayog member Bibek Debroy. The
other 6 members are former cabinet secretary K M Chandrasekhar, Gusharan Das, Ravi
Narain, Partha Mukhopadhyay, Rajendra Kashyap, Ajay Tyagi and Ajay Narayan Jha.
India Fourth Largest Carbon Emitter: WRI Analysis
Carbon Emitter India is fourth largest carbon emitter in the world in terms of per capita
emission accounting for 6.6 % of global emissions for the year 2012. It was revealed by the
World Resources Institute (WRI) in its latest analyses of the country-wise carbon emissions
of climate-damaging greenhouse gases (GHGs).
According to the analysis figures of WRI, Top 10 emitters are: China (25.26%), US
(14.4%), European Union (10.16%), India (6.69%), Russia (5.36%), Japan (3.11%), Brazil
(2.34%), Indonesia (1.76%), Mexico (1.67%) and Iran (1.65%).
Emission Disparity: Largest 10 emitters have contributed a majority of over 72% of global
GHGs emissions (excluding change in land use and forestry). Six of the top 10 emitters are
developing countries. On the other hand, the lowest 100 emitters had contributed less than
3% of global emissions.
Sector wise: energy sector is the largest source of GHGs emissions accounting for more
than 75% of global emissions. Industrial and agricultural sectors also have significantly
contributed in GHGs emissions. The WRI analysis was based on data from its Climate
Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) for the year 2012. It had analysed various economic sectors
for the overall emission from different countries.
In Haryana village, contest of selfies with daughter to save girl child
Haryana's Bibipur village, which wants The Women's World' added to its name, has now
come out with a unique idea to continue its efforts to create gender-neutral atmosphere in
the state.
The village panchyat has decided to organize a best selfie with daughters' contest to honour
the winning family with a trophy, certificate and Rs 2,100 as cash prize.
The panchayat has invited parents to send their selfies to the village sarpanch on WhatsApp
by June 17 while the winner family would be announced after two days.
Village sarpnach Sunil Jaglan said they that had already received more than 120 entries in
past four days after they announced the contest.
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Second border haat opens in Sipahijala district of Tripura
The second border haat (rural market) was opened for
common people at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district of
Tripura
bordering
Brahmanbaria
district
of
Bangladesh.
The haat was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh
Hasina by video-conferencing from Dhaka on June 6,
2015. This market is set up at the zero line of the
international border with one part on the Indian side and the other in Bangladesh.
Initially it will facilitate bilateral trade of 16 shortlisted locally produced goods. These
goods include agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding
timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden
furniture, handloom and handicraft items.
People residing within a distance of 5 km from along the border are entitled to do business
at the haat which will take place once in a week initially. No local taxes would be levied on
the goods sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries would prevail.
First border haat was inaugurated on Srinagar- Purba border area in January 2015 by
Union Commerce and Industries Minister Nirmala along with her Bangladeshi counterpart
Tofail ahmed.
Government to Give Rs 6,000 Crore Interest-Free Loans to Sugar Mills
The government has approved interest-free loans for cashstrapped sugar mills to help them pay nearly 30 per cent of
the record Rs 21,000 crore they owe to cane farmers, many
of whom are struggling with huge debts as the first countrywide drought in six years looms.
Sugar cane prices, meanwhile, have jumped over the years
due to the populist policies of state governments to raise
minimum support prices for farmers.
Mills in India, the world's biggest sugar producer after Brazil, have been lobbying the
government for months seeking relief as prices of the sweetener have fallen below the cost
of production due to ample supplies.
The federal government earlier this year approved a subsidy to export raw sugar, although
that failed to boost shipments amid a global glut.
NCR gets bigger; Jind, Karnal and Muzaffarnagar districts added
The sprawl of the National Capital Region (NCR) just got bigger as the nod has been given
for the inclusion of Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh and the Jind and Karnal districts
of Haryana as part of the conurbation.
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Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu announced the decision for including the
three districts in NCR after chairing a meeting of the National Capital Region Planning
Board (NCRPB) here.
Naidu said that a committee has been appointed to look into the demands for the inclusion
of more areas in NCR.
The Union minister said that before including any area, the view of the particular state
government will also have to be taken.
Haryana Chief Minister Khattar said that with the inclusion of Jind and Karnal in NCR, 57
per cent of the state's area had become part of the entity.
Naidu performs bhoomi pooja for AP capital
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife
Bhuvaneswari performed bhoomi pooja at around 8.49 a.m.
for the new capital Amaravati at Mandadam village in
Guntur district.
Chief Minister's son and Telugu Desam Party (TDP)
workers welfare committee convener Nara Lokesh; Union
Ministers Nirmala Sitaraman and Sujana Chowdary were among those present for the
ceremony.
The ancient city of Amaravathi is being developed separately from the new capital zone as a
heritage town with funds from the Centre.
Jaipur Metro starts operations
Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro
systems in the country, was thrown open to public.
Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje flagged off the inaugural
train on 9.6 km long route from Mansarovar to Chandpole.
Jaipur Metro commenced its regular commercial operations
from all its 9 stations-- Mansarovar, New Aatish Market,
Vivek Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Ram Nagar, Civil Lines, Railway
Station, Sindhi Camp and Chandpole.
To encourage people to travel in the metro, upto 15 per cent discount has been offered on
smart cards, which can be recharged using Jaipur Metro website or Ticket Vending
Machines installed at all stations.
RBI lowers GDP growth forecast to 7.6% for FY16
The Reserve Bank of India has marked down the projection for output growth for 2015-16
from 7.8 per cent in April to 7.6 per cent.
The RBI stated that strong food policy and management would be important to help keep
inflation and inflationary expectations contained over the near term.
Assuming reasonable food management, inflation is expected to be pulled down by base
effects till August but to start rising thereafter to about 6.0 per cent by January 2016.
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laws of India.

Service tax increased to 14%
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget had proposed
to raise service tax from 12.36 percent (including
education cess) to 14 percent.
Some of the key services that will attract higher tax and
hence become costlier are: railways, airlines, banking,
insurance, advertising, architecture, construction, credit
cards, event management and tour operators.
Jaitley had proposed to raise the service tax rate to 14
percent to facilitate a smooth transition to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, which
the government wants to roll out from April 2016.
Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has become the worlds third largest mobile operator with 303
million subscriber. With operations in 20 countries, Bharti Airtel, which is present in India,
Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Africa, has become the third largest mobile operator in the
world in terms of subscribers, the company said in a statement.
Book titled Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji authored by
former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari was released on 15 June 2015. In
Transcendence, the authors Dr Kalam and Arun Tiwari have mapped a journey of selfrealization reflected in the eyes of Pramukh Swamiji, painting a delightful fusion of
spirituality, science and leadership.
Union Government has exempted builders from obtaining prior green nod for construction
of Universities, School, College and Hostel facilities. In this regard Union Ministry of
Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a circular to exempt green
nod for educational institutions provided they should follow sustainable environment
practises of construction.
State-run BSNL, with the Army's assistance, operationalised a mobile tower at an altitude of
16,000 feet in Eastern Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.The mobile tower at
Chongtash has been established with assistance from the Indian Army's Trishul Signallers
in terms of transportation, setting up and rearward connectivity.
A book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled Modi Incredible emergence of a star
written in Chinese language by Tarun Vijay. The book was published in July 2014 by
Sichuan Universitys South Asia Study Centre. The book is a biography based on the life and
economic vision of Narendra Modi.
Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended recognition of the PA Sangma-led
National Peoples Party (NPP) which was a recognized state party in Meghalaya. The
recognition of NPP was suspended under para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation
and Allotment) Order, 1968 after the party failed to file the election expenditure statement
incurred in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 June 2015 launched a book titled Education of
Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education Indian Context edited by
Professor JS Rajput. The book is aimed at informing and educating policy-makers, scholars
and readers about role of Islam in pursuit of education and knowledge.
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laws of India.

In a major policy shift, the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees Provident Fund
Organisation has decided to park 5 per cent of its funds in the equity market. Union Labour
Minister Bandaru Dattatreya said the decision was in line with the suggestions made by
Finance Minister Arun Jaitely that the EPFO invest up to 15 per cent of its funds in the
equity market.
Union Railway Ministry inaugurated Integrated Security System in Mumbai. The ISS is
aimed at improving security on Railway premises, ensuring safety of the people and
averting terror attacks.
Memorial for former PM Narasimha Rao constructed at Ekta Sthal Samadhi Complex in New
Delhi. The completion of the work coincided with his birth anniversary that falls on 28 June.
Union Government asked Bihar, TN, Rajasthan to introduce milk in mid day meal scheme.
The decision was made in a review meeting in which it was found that the State Milk
Federations of these states have surplus stock of skimmed milk powder.
Union Cabinet approved to set up a National Memorial at birth place of Lok Nayak JP
Narayan in Bihar. Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan was born at Lala Ka Tola, Sitab, Diara in
Chhapra (Saran) district of Bihar on 11 October 1902.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of six Indian Institutes of Management (IIM). These new
IIMs will be located at Amritsar (Punjab), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nagpur (Maharashtra),
Sambalpur (Odisha), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh) and Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
Union Government launched Indias first Modernised Anganwadi Centre at Hasanpur
village in Sonepat. The centre has been set up as part of Nand-Ghar Yojana of Union
Government and is based on concept of Building as a Learning Aid piloted by UNICEF.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs designated Agatti and Minicoy Islands as Immigration
Check Posts. Both the islands will be used as transit points for all classes of passengers with
valid travel documents from 30 June 2015.
Task Force report on enabling the Private Sector to grow pharmaceutical sector released.
The Task Force gave recommendations towards concerns and constraints facing the sector
and suggested measures that would augment domestic production.
CCEA approved inclusion of Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh in National Dairy
Plan- I. It also extended the implementation period for two years to 2018-19 to achieve key
outputs of National Dairy Plan- I.
Union Cabinet approved transfer of NILs land to DRDO for establishing a defence research
centre.The land will be transferred by Jadavpur University in West Bengal to DRDO on longterm lease for establishing a defence research centre namely the Jagadish Chandra Bose
Centre for Advanced Technology (JCBCAT).
Union Cabinet approved Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015. It will repeal the Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS) Act, 1986 and seeks to improve the quality of goods, services and
systems in the country.
Union Government launched website to connect employers, job seekers. The employers and
job seekers can now register at www.eex.dcmsme.gov.in.
Railway Ministry decided to run Suvidha Trains. Under Suvidha train services only
confirmed and RAC tickets will be issued and there will be no waiting list.
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laws of India.

Union Government scrapped import duties on AIDS drugs. At present, more than a third of
Indias 2.1 million HIV/AIDS patients depend on getting their daily anti-retroviral for free
from state-run distribution centers, which have been facing shortages.
Union Government launched Migrant Resource Centre in Chennai. The MRC will provide
information, guidance, advise and counselling on all aspects of overseas employment to
intending migrants and overseas Indian workers.
Union Cabinet approved proposal to promulgate the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment)
Ordinance. The intended ordinance will amend the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 that is
focused on clarifying the jurisdiction related issues for filing cases for offence committed
under section 138 of the NI Act.
Indian Army carried out cross-border operation against militants in Myanmar. The elite
commandos of the Army during this cross-border operation went few kilometers inside the
Myanmar territory and destroyed two camps of insurgents hiding along the Nagaland and
Manipur borders.
Union Ministry of Water Resources launched nationwide Jal Kranti Abhiyan from Jaipur.
The campaign aims to strengthen grass root involvement of all stake holders including
Panchyati raj institutions and local bodies in the water security and development schemes.
Union Government launched Khoya Paya web portal to exchange information on missing
children. It was jointly launched by Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister of Women & Child
Development and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Communication & Information
Technology.
Union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched IAP Health Phone programme.
This programme was developed by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in partnership
with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, UNICEF and is supported by
Vodafone India.
The Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015. The amendment deals with the Land
Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh.
Union Government simplified defence rules to woo foreign companies. In order to provide a
level-playing field to private players, the government withdrew excise and Customs duty
exemptions enjoyed by the Ordinance Factory Board and defence Public Sector
Undertakings.
President gave assent to 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and
Bangladesh. It is the 100th amendment to the Indian Constitution and amends its first
schedule.
Union Government notified Undisclosed Foreign Income as Assets and imposition of Tax
Act, 2015. The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015 was
introduced in Lok Sabha on 20 March 2015
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laws of India.

International
50 nations, including India sign 60-article agreement on China-led AIIB
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank 50
founding nations including India have
signed 60-article agreement of China-led
multilateral
Asian
Infrastructure
Investment Bank (AIIB). Australia was the
first country to sign the agreement and
was followed by 49 other members. Indian
Ambassador Ashok Kantha signed the
agreement on behalf of country. The 60article agreement provides the legal
framework for Institution of AIIB. Each members capital share and voting share.
Governance structure of AIIB. Policy-making mechanism of AIIB.
Facts about Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)
Designed to finance infrastructure projects including energy, transport and infrastructure
projects in Asia. AIIB is seen as a rival to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank
(ADB) which managed by most prominent countries like US, Japan and European etc.
Headquarters: Beijing. It will be operational by end of 2015.
Authorized capital: It will be of 100 billion US dollars. The initial subscribed capital will be
around 50 billion US Dollar and the paid-in ratio will be 20 per cent.
Regional character of the Bank: Its regional members (Asian) will be the holding around
75 percent of shares i.e. they will be majority shareholders. They have been allocated their
capital share on quota basis i.e. based on their economic size.
Voting share: for each member country it is based on the size of their economy and not on
authorised capital share to the Bank.
Largest shareholders: China is highest contributor to AIIB with 29.78 billion US dollars i.e.
with a 30.34 percent stake in authorized capital. China will have 26.06 per cent of the
voting rights along with veto powers for certain key decisions.
India: second largest shareholder with 8.52 per cent stake and voting share of 7.5 per cent.
Russia: third largest shareholder with 6.66 stake and voting share of 5.92 per cent. It
should be noted that there are 57 founder-member countries AIIB. Seven countries were
not able to sign this agreement as it was not ratified by their respective domestic
authorities. The seven countries are Denmark, Malaysia, Kuwait, Holland, Philippines and
South Africa and Thailand.
BRICS bank to be operational by end of 2015: South Africa
The emerging market BRICS nations will have their own development bank by the end of
the year.
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laws of India.

"The New Development Bank is expected to be operational by end of 2015," the South
African finance ministry said in a statement that announced the nomination of South
African banker Leslie Maasdorp as vice
president of the bank and parliamentary
ratification of two treaties concerning the
lender.
The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa - which represent
40 per cent of the world's population and
a quarter of its economic output, decided
in 2013 to create their own development
bank to step up lending for the
infrastructure projects needed to close the gap with the industrialised world.
The bank, which will be headquartered in Shanghai, is expected to have up to $100 billion
in capital.
The inaugural meeting of the board of governors of the New Development Bank will be held
in the Russian city of Ufa on July 7 to confirm the appointment of the management of the
lender.
India, US ink pacts to enhance cooperation in health sector
India and United States have signed a
series of agreements on health in order to
enhance cooperation in health sector. The
multiple areas covered under such
agreement include cancer research,
medical infrastructure development and
application of new diagnostic technologies.
MoU on cancer research, control, prevention and management: To develop collaborative
research projects on population-based cancer control and implementation science.
MoU on collaboration in Environmental, occupational Health and Injury Prevention and
Control: Further enhance cooperation in the fields of environmental and occupational
health along with injury prevention and control research.
Set up mechanism of antimicrobial resistance which also include the applications of
systems biology.
Brightest Galaxy in Early Universe named after Cristiano Ronaldo as CR7
Scientists in third week of June 2015 named a newly discovered galaxy after Portuguese
football player Cristiano Ronaldo. The galaxy was labeled as CR7 (COSMOS Redshift 7).
CR7 is three times brighter than the brightest distant galaxy known till now, called Himiko.
This brightest galaxy was discovered in the early universe that contains the first generation
of stars. For this discovery, they used ESOs Very Large Telescope (VLT).
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laws of India.

China and Australia formally sign free trade agreement
China and Australia have signed a trade agreement that is set to increase market access for
Australian beef and wine exporters while boosting Chinese carmakers and electronics
producers who wish to sell their goods to Australians.
One flashpoint is the inclusion of an investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) clause, which
grants foreign companies the right to sue governments for breaching commitments in such
agreements.
The Australian union movement has also raised concerns about the access to be granted to
Chinese citizens under labour market provisions.
The Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, said the agreement would give each nation
unprecedented access to each others markets and pointed to the reduction in tariffs
imposed on trade.
It removes barriers to Australian agricultural exports across a range of products, including
beef, dairy, lamb, wine, horticulture and seafood,
First species of Yeti crab named Kiwa Tyleri found in Antarctica
Kiwa Tyleri Team of British scientists have discovered the first species of Yeti crab from
hydrothermal vent systems in Antarctica. Study in this regard was published in the journal
Plos One. Researches have christened this species as Kiwa Tyleri after world-renowned
British deep-sea and polar biologist professor Paul Tyler.
Characteristics of Kiwa Tyleri
Kiwa Tyleri species are found usually in warm-water refuge of hydrothermal vent systems
surrounded by the cold polar waters in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. It lives in very
limited sized habitat near the warm-water hydrothermal
vent site.
This species is unable to move between vent sites because
of the hostile, low temperature and extreme polar
environment. So they, occur in highly-packed densities.
For food it is dependent on chemosynthetic bacteria which
overgrow the surfaces of hydrothermal vent chimneys. Its
body is densely covered by bristles known as setae. It has
fur like appearance due to bacteria living on it. Terms
Hydrothermal vent systems: It is a fissure releasing geothermally heated water which
comes out on planets surface.
Commonly found in active volcanic places. Chemosynthetic bacteria: They obtain energy
from exothermic oxidation of inorganic or simple organic compounds in absence of light.
This energy is utilized for metabolic processes.
US becomes world's largest oil producer, says BP Report
As per recently released report by British Petroleum (BP) Energy Company, United States
(US) became the worlds largest oil producer in 2014 surpassing Saudi Arabia.
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laws of India.

Production: US had produced 11.6 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) e. 15.9% more oil in
2014. While, Saudi Arabia was placed second position as it
had produced 11.5 million bpd in 2014. Russia was placed at
third position with 10.8 million bpd oil production.
Natural Gas Production: US also has surpassed Russia as
the worlds largest producer of natural gas.
Consumption: China had remained the worlds largest
growth market for energy in 2014
Facts related to India: Indias oil production gad declined by 1.3% at 895,000 bpd, while
the consumption had increased by 3% to 3.8 million bpd. India has shown 7.1% rise in
energy consumption.
Worlds First Electric Passenger aircraft BX1E manufactured in China
Air The worlds first electric passenger aircraft named BX1E was manufactured in China.
The aircraft was designed by Shenyang Aerospace University and Liaoning General Aviation
Academy located in the northeastern Liaoning Province of China.
Features of BX1E Electric Passenger aircraft
BX1E aircraft has a 14.5-meter wingspan and a maximum payload of 230 kgs. It can fly at an
altitude of 3,000 meters. The aircraft can charge within two hours.
Fully charged aircraft can have flight time of 45 minutes to 1 hour with a maximum speed
of 160 km per hour.
The first two BX1E aircrafts were delivered to Liaoning Ruixiang General Aviation Co. Ltd.
These aircrafts will be used in tourism, pilot training, meteorology and rescue operations.
14th June: World Blood Donor Day
World Blood Donor Day is being observed across the world on 14 June to raise the public
awareness about the need for safe blood donation.
The theme of this years campaign is
Thank you for saving my life. This years
campaign encourages donors all over the
world to donate blood voluntarily and
regularly with the slogan Give freely, give
often. Blood donation matters.
Objective
To spread awareness about the need for
safe and secure blood supplies.
Provide an opportunity to draw public attention to the importance of blood donation for
saving lives.
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laws of India.

China launches freight train service connecting Europe
China launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and Europe,
opening a new trade route to Europe covering a distance of nearly 10,000 kms.
The train left Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, carrying 49 containers of domestic
goods such as electronic products and auto parts worth US$ three million from northeast
and north China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
First translated version of Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita released in China
Bhagavad Gita Translated Chinese version of Bhagavad Gita, a sacred ancient Indian
scripture was released in China. This is the first a well-known Hindu ancient religious text
was published in China.
The book was released by Indian Ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha during an
international yoga conference. It was translated in Chinese by Professor Wang Zhu Cheng
and Ling Hai of Zhejiang University in Shanghai and was published by Sichuan Peoples
Publications.
The foreword for the book was written by K Nagaraj Naidu who had served as the consulate
general at the Indian Consulate in Guangzhou city of China. Some of Indias ancient are wellknown in China. It includes ancient Buddhist scriptures which were introduced to them by
celebrated Chinese traveler Huen Tsang after he had visited India in the 7th century.
Earlier in 2014, scholars from India and China published an Encyclopaedia on the age-old
cultural contacts between both countries which had showcased their history to over 2000
years.
TCS, Infosys face US probe for H-1B visa violations
The US government has opened an
investigation against two of the biggest
Indian outsourcing companies for
possible violations of H1-B visa rules,
according to a media report.
The Department of Labour has opened the investigation against Tata Consultancy Services
and Infosys for possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under
contracts they held with an electric utility Southern California Edison
The power company had recently laid off more than 500 technology workers amid claims
that many of those laid off were made to train their replacements who were immigrants on
the temporary work visas brought in by the Indian firms
The move by the Labour Department comes days after the NYT had reported that hundreds
of employees at entertainment giant Walt Disney were laid off and replaced with Indians
holding H1-B visas.
Union Cabinet gives nod to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle
Agreement
Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement.
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laws of India.

The agreement which is similar to the SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) seeks to
regulate the vehicular traffic of passenger, personal and cargo amongst BBIN countries.
The agreement will be signed on 15th June 2015 at the Transport Ministers meeting in
Thimpu, Bhutan.
BBIN agreement aims to promote safe,
environmentally sound and economical efficient
road transport in the sub-region of BBIN. It also
seeks to help each member country to create an
institutional mechanism for regional integration.
BBIN agreement will benefit member nations for
mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for overall economic development
of the region.
For implementation of this agreement each signatory member will bear its own costs.
Japan passes law to lower voting age to 18 from 20 years
Japan has passed a law lower the voting age to 18 years from its current 20 years. The bill
in this regard to revise the public office election law was passed by the upper house after
being approved in the lower chamber.
With passing of this law, 2.4 million of its population from 18 and 19-year-olds age group
will extend the franchise in future elections. This move also has brought Japan in line with
other developed countries in terms of voting age.
Last time, Japan had lowered the voting age from 25 to 20 years in 1945 after its surrender
in World War II. Population structure of Japan At present, around a quarter i.e. 26 percent
of Japans 127-million population is aged 65 or over indicating population ageing with
negative growth rate.
Japan is in last i.e. third stage of demographic transition as a result of low birth rates and
death deaths. The age structure of Japan is an inverted age pyramid representing large
population of elders.
Some facts: Presently, 170 nations in the world have voting age of 18 years. In case of
India, the voting age was lowered to 18 years by the Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment)
Act, 1988.
26 African countries create TFTA: Cape Town to Cairo free-trade zone
African countries have signed a historic The Tripartite Free Trade
Area (TFTA) that facilitates creation of Africas largest free-trade
zone.
This free-trade zone will cover 26 countries in an area from
southernmost tip of African continent e. Cape Town (South Africa) to
Cairo (Egypt) in the north.
The pact was signed in Egypt will intent to ease the movement of
goods across 26 member countries which represent more than half
the continents GDP. TFTA pact combines existing three trade blocs
among the African nations viz Southern African Development Community (SADC), East
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laws of India.

African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
It will remove trade barriers on most goods, making them cheaper and stimulating $ 1
trillion worth of economic activity across the region of more than 600 million people.
Stanford scientist Manu Prakash makes water based computer
Manu Prakash, who amazed the world last year by building a paper microscope, has now
come up with a computer that works by moving water droplets. P
rakash is an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and he has
developed the water computer with the help of two of his students. He was born in Meerut,
India.
What Prakash did was devise a system in which tiny water droplets are trapped in a
magnetic field. When the field is rotated or flipped, the droplets move in precise direction
and distance. This became the basis of the computer clock, which is an essential component
of any computer.
Computer clocks are responsible for nearly every modern convenience. Smartphones,
DVRs, airplanes, internet - without a clock, none of these could operate without frequent
and serious complications.
India, Bangladesh make history with land swap
India and Bangladesh sealed a historic agreement that will
settle a 41-year-old land boundary dispute through
exchange of territories, removing a major irritant in
bilateral ties.
The two sides exchanged documents regarding the Land
Boundary Agreement (LBA) that was passed unanimously
by the Parliament last month in the presence of Mr. Modi
and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.
The exchange of documents paves way for the operationalisation of the 1974 IndiaBangladesh LBA that provides for exchange of 161 enclaves between the two countries. A
total 111 border enclaves will be transferred to Bangladesh in exchange for 51 that will
become part of India.
Under the agreement, India will have an advantage of 500 acres and 10,000 acres will go to
Bangladesh.
United Kingdom celebrates 800 years of Magna Carta
United Kingdom (UK) celebrated 800 years of signing of Magna Carta on 15 June 2015. The
celebrations to observe signing of 8 century year old historic document which had laid
foundation for modern democratic society was led by Queen Elizabeth II.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron was also had joined the queen to mark the celebrations.
About Magna Carta Magna Carta is a Latin word which in English means Great Charter. It is
most important document of England signed on 15 June 1215 at Runnymede alongside the
River Thames in the English county of Surrey.
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laws of India.

It had originated as a peace and truce treaty between King John and a group of rebellious
barons within his kingdom. The document had written promises between King John and his
subjects mentioning that the king will govern England and deal with its people according to
the customs of feudal law.
Magna Carta had laid the first steps towards parliamentary democracy and the principle
supremacy of law i.e. no one is above the law. It also laid the principle of balance of power
between the governed and government. Its influence can be seen in other documents across
the world including the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on US Constitution
and Bill of Rights.
In case of India, its influence also can be seen on Part III of constitution which contains
fundamental rights, described as the magna carta of India which has been derived
inspiration from Bill of Rights.
India Signs Legal Agreement with the World Bank for IBRD Loan of US$ 400 Million
The Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US$ 400 million for
Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project were signed between the Government
of India/ Government of Tamil Nadu and World Bank.
The Loan Agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint
Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of
Finance on behalf of Government of lndia and Mr. Onno
Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank (lndia) on behalf of the
World Bank.
The objective of the project is to improve urban services in
participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in a financially
sustainable manner and to pilot improved urban
management practices in selected cities.
The total project size is US$ 600 million, out of which World Bank support is US$ 400
million.
India, US ink new defence framework accord
India and the US signed a new strategically important 10year defence framework pact envisaging joint development
and manufacture of defence equipment and technology
including jet engines, aircraft carrier design and
construction.
Both sides also finalised two project agreements for hi-tech
mobile power source and next generation protective suits
for chemical and biological warfare.
The framework also recognises the transformative nature of the Defence Technology and
Trade Initiative (DTTI).
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laws of India.

USA Freedom Act Passes
The Senate passed the USA Freedom Act by 67-32, marking the first time in over thirty
years that both houses of Congress have approved a bill placing real restrictions and
oversight on the National Security Agencys surveillance powers.
The Bill ends a system exposed by former National
Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden. The
spy agency collected and searched records of phone calls
looking for terrorism leads but was not allowed to listen
to their content.
The new law would require companies such as Verizon
Communications Inc and AT&T Inc, to collect and store
telephone records the same way that they do now for billing purposes.
05 June: World Environment Day
Every year World Environment Day (WED) is observed on 05 June to raise global
awareness to take positive environmental action to protect
nature and the planet Earth.
The theme for year 2015 is Seven Billion Dreams. One
Planet. Consume with Care.
The theme highlights the need to respect the carrying
capacity of the planet earth and to manage natural resources
efficiently to ensure prosperity and wellbeing globally.
Observing this day is global initiative of United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). The host country for the
WED 2015 is Italy.
To mark this day Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a tree plantation campaign
across India by planting Kadamb sapling at the lawns of his Race Course Road residence.
About World Environment Day (WED)
WED was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening
of United Nations Conference on the Human Environment 1972 which began in Stockholm.
The first World Environment Day was observed in 1973 and since then it is being held
every year with a different themes.
South Korea Tests New Ballistic Missile
South Korea successfully test fired a ballistic missile capable of hitting targets anywhere in
North Korea.
The test demonstrated improved ballistic missile capability that can strike all parts of North
Korea swiftly, and with precision, in the event of armed aggression or provocation.
The Hyunmoo-2B is an upgraded version of the Hyunmoo-2A, both of which were
developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD).
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laws of India.

Three-drug lethal injection protocol use did not violate Constitution: US Supreme Court.
The court in its ruling said that the use of Midazolam does not violate the Constitution in
terms of being cruel and unusual punishment as per Eighth Amendment of the US
Constitution
US Supreme Court ruled against EPA limiting mercury emissions from power plants. The
case looked at the EPA's regulation of mercury and other emissions from power plants
under the Clean Air Act, 1970.
India, Thailand signed five MOUs during the 7th Meeting of India-Thailand Joint
Commission. The agreements were signed during three days the Visit of Minister of
External Affairs to Thailand from 27-29 June 2015.
Sri Lankas President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved Parliament. Sirisena dissolved the
parliament within 160 days after assuming his office in January 2015.
US Supreme Court legalized Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide. The court ratified the Bill of
Rights and added the Fourteenth Amendment that states no state shall deprive any person
of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.
US Supreme Court gave nod to subsidies under US Health Care Law in States without health
exchanges. The judgment was delivered by a 9-judge bench in the King v. Burwell case with
6-3 division
International Conference on Nepals Reconstruction concluded. The Conference was
attended by at least 35 countries, including China, Britain, Norway, Japan, Sri Lanka, the
European Union besides the UN, World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
Union Cabinet approved signing of MoC between India and Japan on Industrial Property.
The MoC will focus on capacity building, human resource development and awareness
generation.
Austria to file complaint against UK's Hinkley Point C nuclear project in European Court of
Justice. The petition is expected to be filed on 29 June 2015.
India to be the Partner Country for Russian Industrial Trade Fair Innoprom 2016. Nirmala
Sitharaman was on a three day visit to Russia to participate in annual St. Petersburg
International and Economic Forum (SPIEF) held on 18-20 June 2015 at St Petersburg,
Russia.
Nepal-India Treaty of Transit amended to facilitate import of vehicles into Nepal. The four
border points are Raxaul-Birgunj, Jogbani-Biratnagar, Sunauli-Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj
Road-Nepalgunj border points.
EU launched Operation EU NAVFOR Med against migrant-traffickers. During the operation,
ships will operate in international waters and airspace until the EU can secure a UN
Security Council resolution endorsing its effort and permission from Libyan officials to
enter their territory.
Pitcairn Island passed law to allow same-sex marriage. Pitcairn Island, a tiny speck in the
Pacific with a small population of 48 people, passed the law on suggestion of British
authorities after England, Wales and Scotland legalised the same-sex marriage in 2014.
India placed at 61st position in terms of foreigners money in Swiss banks. The countries to
top the list are the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) with UK alone
accounting for 22 percent of total global funds in Swiss banks.
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laws of India.

Commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo concluded. The
anniversary is celebrated to remember the June 1815 battle in which Napoleons French
army was defeated by Duke of Wellingtons allied forces.
France announced ban on earphones for Drivers and Cyclists. Those found using earphones
while driving a vehicle or riding a cycle will be fined 135 Euro (214 dollar) and lose three
license points.
Department of State of USA released Country Reports on Terrorism 2014. As per the report,
Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria accounted for more than 60 percent of
terrorist attacks in 2014.
India, Tanzania signed six MoUs during the visit of President of Tanzania to India.
Agreement on establishing a collaborative program in official statistics was inked between
Tanzanias EASTC and Indias NSSTA.
Blue Opposition Bloc led by Lars Loekke Rasmussen won Denmarks Parliamentary
Elections. Incumbent Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the first woman Prime
Minister of Denmark, conceding defeat quit as the head of Social Democrat Party.
Hong Kong lawmakers rejected Beijing-backed election reform package. The election
reform package was voted down by 28 votes to eight in the Legislative Council (known as
legco) of 70 legislators.
China and Australia signed Free Trade Agreement. The China-Australia Free Trade
Agreement (ChAFTA) will ensure 85 percent of all exports of Australia to China tariff-free.
Union Cabinet approved agreement with Spain on abolishing visa requirements for
diplomatic passports. Similar agreements on abolishing visa requirements for diplomatic
passports holders have been signed by India with 40 countries.
Commission on GSJG released the Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance report. The
report says that the United Nations and other global institutions aren't equipped to tackle
today's global challenges ranging from massive violence in fragile states to runaway climate
change.
India and Poland set trade target of 5 billion US dollars by 2018. The decision was taken on
15 June 2015 at the fourth session of the bilateral Joint Commission on Economic
Cooperation, held in Warsaw, capital city of Poland.
Australia applied holding order to Maggi Noodles from India. The department took this
measure in response to reports of levels of lead that are potentially noncompliant with the
permissible levels in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
RTA of UAE included four Indian languages into its driving tests. Out of seven languages
included are Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil and Bengali (Indian languages) and Chinese, Russian
and Persian.
Israeli government approved bill to force feed prisoners. The Bill is called as Law to Prevent
Harm Caused by Hunger Strikes.
Spain passed law awarding citizenship to descendants of expelled Jews. Tens of thousands
of Jews were expelled in 1492 during the Spanish Inquisition, who were forced to convert
them to Catholicism or were burnt at the stake.
India, Japan and Australia held first ever trilateral dialogue. The representatives of three
countries discussed prospects of cooperation in the fields of economy and security with
special emphasis on maritime security.
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laws of India.

Nepal political parties reached agreement on proposed Constitution framework. The
agreement is related to the number of federal states, form of governance and electoral and
judicial systems to be set out in the constitution.
Justice and Development Party won Turkey's parliamentary polls. According to preliminary
results, the pro-Kurdish left-wing Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP) which crossed the 10
percent threshold, managed to enter Parliament for the first time.
India and Bangladesh signed 22 bilateral documents. Instruments of Ratification of 1974
Land Boundary Agreement and its 2011 Protocol as well as letters on Modalities for
implementation of 1974 Land Boundary Agreement were exchanged.
WTOs Dispute Settlement Board ruled against Indias ban on poultry imports from the US.
The appellate body agreed with the panel's finding that India's AI (avian influenza)
measures are inconsistent, because they are not based on a risk assessment
India and the Netherlands signed agreements to enhance bilateral cooperation. The
agreements were signed during the visit of Prime Minister of Netherland Mark Rutte to
India.
India and Belarus signed six Agreements during the visit of President to Belarus. The two
nations inked a protocol amending the agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and
the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Property (Capital)
of the 27 September 1997.
India joined MCAA on Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information (AEOI). The
declaration to comply with the provisions of the Multilateral Competent Authority
Agreement (MCAA) was signed in Paris by Mohan Kumar, the Indian ambassador to France.
President Pranab Mukherjee concluded two-nation visit to Sweden and Belarus. He visited
Sweden from 31 May to 2 June and Belarus from 2 June to 4 June 2015 and these visits were
first ever by an Indian President to either country.
US President Barack Obama signed USA FREEDOM Act 2015 into law. This Act has limited
governments ability to collect phone data, which was done through a policy named as 2001
USA Patriot Act, which was in existence since the attacks of 11 September 2001.
South Korea and China signed bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It aims to gradually
remove tariffs on more than 90 percent of traded goods between both the countries within
20 years.
Trial run of Kolkata-Dhaka-Agartala bus service began. In its journey, the bus will cross two
international checkpoints and they are Petrapole on West Bengal-Bangladesh border and at
Akhuara on Tripura-Bangladesh border.
India, Sweden signed 6 agreements during visit of Pranab Mukherjee to Sweden. Mukherjee
who is on a five-day long visit to Sweden and Belarus between 31 May and 4 June 2015 is
the first ever Indian head of state to visit Sweden.
US removed Cuba from terror blacklist to strengthen ties with Cuba. The removal of Cuba
from the terror list would also help in the process of lifting economic sanctions.
Union Cabinet approved Agreement on Coastal and Maritime Shipping between India and
Bangladesh. The agreement paves the way for the commencement of coastal shipping
between the two countries.
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laws of India.

Appointments-National/International
Afghan prez Ghani nominates first female judge to Supreme Court
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani nominated a female judge to the Supreme Court in an
unprecedented move that has angered some Islamic
conservatives.
Anisa Rasouli, the head of the Afghan Women Judges
Association and a former juvenile court judge, was the only
female nominated to the nine-member bench after the
announcement was delayed due to opposition by a group of
Islamic conservatives earlier this month.
President Ghani's wife Rula stepped into the limelight
during the presidential election last year and has been actively campaigning for women's
rights since then.
Zaheer Abbas appointed as ICC President
Former Pakistan cricket team captain Zaheer Abbas has been
selected the new President of International Cricket Council
(ICC) for one year term.
He will be 13th President of ICC and succeeds Mustafa Kamal
of Bangladesh who had resigned from the post of ICC President
in April 2015.
Decision in this regard was taken during the ICC Annual
Conference week in Barbados. Zaheer Abbas was a righthanded batsman. He had played 78 Tests and 62 One-Day
Internationals (ODIs) in his 22-year long illustrious career
spanning from 1969 to 1985.
He had scored 5,062 runs in Test career and 2,572 runs in ODI career. He also had
represented Pakistan in three World Cups in 1975, 1979 and 1983. He also captained
Pakistan in 14 Tests and 13 ODIs matches. In his career, he had scored 108 centuries.
He was the only Asian batsman to score 100 first-class centuries and was also first batsman
to score three consecutive centuries in ODIs.
Prominent scientist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim sworn-in as first woman president of
Mauritius
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim Prominent scientist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim was sworn in as
President of Mauritius. With this she became first woman to become President of Indian
Ocean island nation which is a ceremonial position.
Ameenah Gurib-Fakim is an alumnus of the universities of Exeter and Surrey of United
Kingdom. She is also the chair of organic chemistry at Mauritius University. She is
internationally renowned biodiversity scientist and biologist Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as
their new President.
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laws of India.

She had worked with the World Bank and other international institutions. She also had
served as the Managing Director of Centre International de Dveloppement
Pharmaceutique (CIDP) Research & Innovation.
Ameenah had authored numerous academic and research papers. She has received several
accolades and honours including Laureate for the LOreal-UNESCO Women in Science
Award for Africa (2007), African Union Award for Women in Science for the Easter African
Region (2009) etc.
Steffi Graf appointed Kerala's brand ambassador for Ayurveda
Tennis legend Steffi Graf was appointed the Ayurveda brand ambassador of Kerala.
The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to
sign an agreement with Graf to become Ayurveda brand
ambassador as part of the department's 'Visit Kerala
Scheme', Chandy said.
The tourism department had already held discussions
and reached an agreement with the German former
World number one tennis player, who had bagged 22
Grand slam single titles.
Kerala's Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care which is famous for its holistic effect on
body and mind, attracts a large number of people from the country and abroad every year.
Beno Zephine becomes first 100% blind officer in IFS
The 25-year-old from Chennai was informed by the
external affairs ministry that she has been inducted into
the Indian Foreign Service, the first 100 per cent visuallychallenged person to gain entry into the 69-year-old
service.
Former diplomats have hailed the decision to allow 100
per cent visually challenged people into the service.
She was working as a probationary officer for state bank of India.
UN elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft to head General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 15 June 2015 elected Denmark's Mogens
Lykketoft as its President for its upcoming 70th session in September 2015.
He will have tenure of one year and succeeds Uganda's Sam Kutesa to preside over the 193member body.
Lykketoft presently is the speaker of Danish Parliament since 2011 and is a member of the
Social Democrats party.
Earlier from 1993 to 2001, Lykketoft served Denmark as its Foreign and Finance Ministers.
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laws of India.

Kapil Mishra to Succeed Jitender Tomar as Delhi's Law Minister
Delhi Jal Board vice chairman Kapil Mishra will succeed Jitender Tomar as Delhi's law
minister. A letter has been sent to the president in this regard.
Mr Tomar had stepped down after being arrested over allegations that he had faked his law
degree.
Mr Mishra, the legislator from northeast Delhi's Karawal Nagar, was placed in the crucial Jal
Board to help realise the Aam Aadmi Party's election promise of providing cheap water to
Delhiites.
R C Tayal appointed as new Director General of National Security Guard
Senior IPS officer R C Tayal has been appointed as the new
chief of the elite counter-terror force National Security
Guard (NSG).
The 1980-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer is at
present serving as the Special Director General in
paramilitary CRPF and is heading its formation in Jammu
and Kashmir.
He is expected to serve as NSG DG till August next year
when he is scheduled for superannuation.
NSG was raised in 1984 as a federal contingency force with a specific aim to undertake
counter-terror and counter-hijack operations and it was later tasked to protect high-risk
VVIPs.
K.Chowdary is new CVC; Vijai Sharma new CIC
Former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes,
K.Chowdary, was appointed as the new Central Vigilance
Commissioner, while the senior-most Information
Commissioner, Vijai Sharma, is the new Chief Information
Commissioner.
A selection panel headed by the Prime Minister, which
includes leader of the principal opposition party, and senior cabinet ministers selects the
CVC, CIC, vigilance commissioners and information commissioners.
The Central Vigilance Commission is headed by a CVC and comprises two vigilance
commissioners and appointment constitutes the full Commission.
In the CIC, there are vacancies of four Information Commissioners. The incumbents are
Basant Seth, Yashovardhan Azad, Sharat Sabharwal, Manjula Prasher, M A Khan Yusufi and
Madabhushanam Sridhar Acharyulu.
Govt picks new DRDO chief, scientific advisor to defence minister
The government appointed S Christopher, 59, as Secretary, Department of Defence
Research and Development-cum-Director Ge-neral, Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO).
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laws of India.

G S Reddy, 51, has been appointed as scientific advisor to the Defence Minister.
DRDO has been functioning without a full-time head since January 31, when Avinash
Chander resigned.
Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sworn-in as Arunachal Pradesh Governor
Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa was sworn-in as the 19th
Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.
President Pranab Mukherjee had appointed him as
Governor on May 12, 2015 after then Governor Lt
General (Retired) Nirbhay Sharma was transferred to
Mizoram.
Mr. Rajkhowa is a retired Indian Administrative Service
(IAS) officer from 1968 batch. He is the former Chief
Secretary of Assam and had retired from service in 2004.
Mr. Rajkhowa has authored a book, Central Vigilance Mechanism with special reference to
P.S.Es, and also had contributed by writing number of articles to leading newspapers.
Dravid for India Under-19 coach
BCCI has announced Rahul Dravid as the coach of India A
team and Indian U 19 cricket team.
Working with the under-19 and 'A' teams might be the
perfect solution as Dravid can make a tangible contribution
without placing too much demand on his time.
Dravid had a short stint as mentor of the Indian team before
the series in England last year and several players spoke highly of their interactions with
the former India captain.
Aakar Patel appointed as Executive Director of Amnesty International India. Patel as the
organizations chief political advisor, strategist and spokesperson will give direction to its
goal of being an independent, effective, and deep-rooted organization in India.
G Gurucharan given additional charge as Director General of Bureau of Indian Standards.
Presently, he is serving as an Additional Secretary in Department of Food and Public
Distribution.
Archana Ramasundaram appointed as Director of National Crime Records Bureau.
Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet on 17 June 2015 approved her posting to
NCRB by curtailing her tenure as Additional Director of the CBI, New Delhi.
Prof S Bandyopadhayay appointed as Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). She
replaced Dr Bimal K Roy who was removed on charges of indiscipline by the Union Ministry
of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI).
Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar appointed as Director of CSIR-IICT. The appointment was made
by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is President of the CSIR (Council of Scientific
and Industrial Research).
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laws of India.

Syed Asif Ibrahim appointed as PMs Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and
Extremism. In this new capacity, he will liaise with governments in West Asia, Afghanistan,
Pakistan and South East Asia, among others, in setting up channels for the exchange of
intelligence and information on terror groups.
K Sivan appointed as Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), ISRO. Before the
present appointment, he was the Distinguished Scientist and Director of Liquid Propulsion
Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram.
S Somanath appointed as Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO. Before the
present appointment, he was an Associate Director (Projects), VSSC as well as Project
Director of GSLV Mk-III.
P Kunhikrishnan appointed as Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR. He
succeeded MYS Prasad, who superannuated in May 2015.
Philipose G Pynumootil appointed as Assistant Chief of Naval staff (Air). Being a Flag officer,
he has commanded the 1241 RE corvette, INS Nashak, the missile corvette INS Kirpan and
the Guided Missile Frigate INS Brahmaputra.
Meena Hemchandra appointed as Executive Director of RBI. As an ED, She will look after
Department of Banking Supervision, Department of Co-operative Banking Supervision and
Department of Non-Banking Supervision.
Muhammadu Buhari assumed the office of President of Nigeria. He became the 5th
President of the country by defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the
March 2015 general election.
Former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo appointed as Chancellor of Nalanda
University. Yeo succeeds the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, who withdrew his candidature
for a second term as Chancellor of the Nalanda University in February 2015.
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laws of India.

Person Resigned/Retired
Government sacks Dr. Bimal Roy, Director of Indian Statistical Institute
Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) has sacked Dr Bimal
K Roy as the Director of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). He was removed from the office on
charges of indiscipline one-and-a-half months before the end of his term.
Professor Sanghmitra Bandyopadhayay now will replace Dr Bimal K Roy as the Director of
ISI. With this appointment she has become the first woman to lead the institute.
Roy who is a renowned cryptologist was appointed Director of ISI in August 2010. In April
2015, he was conferred with Indias fourth highest civilian honour Padma Shri for his
contribution in the discipline of literature and education.
Dick Costolo resigned as CEO of Twitter Inc
Dick Costolo on 11 June 2015 resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter Inc
after serving the company for five years. Costolo will demit
the office of CEO on 1 July 2015.
Twitter co-founder and Square Inc's CEO Jack Dorsey will
take over as the Interim CEO of the company on 1 July
2015 and will stay until a replacement is found.
Costolo joined the company in 2009 as its Chief Operating
Officer. In 2013, he helped the company to go public and
recently he struggled to attract new users to the service.
Justice Gian Parkash Mittal resigned from the Office of the Judge of Delhi High Court. Mittal
tendered his resignation from the office of the Judge of Delhi High Court, in pursuance of
provision (a) to clause (1) of article 217 of the Indian Constitution.
Said Djinnit, UN envoy to Burundi crisis, stepped down as mediator. Till date, Djinnit was
hosting talks between the governing party and those who do not want President Pierre
Nkurunziza to stand for re-election.
Sepp Blatter resigned as FIFA president amid corruption scandal. Blatter, who was reelected as FIFA president on 29 May 2015, will exercise his functions as FIFA president
until an election is held.
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laws of India.

Sports
Winners of 2015 French Open title of Tennis
Mens Singles Title
Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland won his first French Open Mens single title of Tennis. In
the final match he defeated Novak Djokovic of Serbia by 4-6,
6-4, 6-3, 6-4 score.
It his first his first French Open title second grand slam title
after Australian Open 2014. This victory also makes him only
the second Swiss to win French Open mens single title after
Roger Federer.
Womens Singles Title
Serena Williams of United States won French Open womens

single title. In the final match she defeated Lucie Safarova of Czechoslovakia by 6-3 6-7 (2)
6-2 score.
This was her third French Open title (earlier she had won in 2002, 2013) and overall 20th
Grand Slam title.
Mens Doubles Title
Ivan Dodig (Croatia) and Marcelo Melo (Brazil) pair won Mens Doubles Title. In the final
match they defeated Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan pair from US by 67(57), 76(75), 75
score.
Womens Doubles Title
Bethanie Mattek-Sands (US) and Lucie afov (Czech Republic) won Womens Doubles
Title. In the match they defeated Casey Dellacqua (Australia) and Yaroslava Shvedova
(Kazakhstan) pair by 36, 64, 62 score.
Mixed Doubles Title
Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Mike Bryan pair from United States won Mixed Doubles Title. In
the final match they defeated Lucie Hradeck (Czech Republic) and Marcin Matkowski
(Poland) pair by 76(73), 61 score.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar voted best Test player of 21st century
Sachin Tendulkar Indias legendary batsman and Bharat Ratna recipient Sachin Tendulkar
has been voted the Best Test player of the 21st
century in an online poll. The online poll was
conducted by Cricket Australias website for the list
of the 100 best Test players since 2000.
In this poll, Sachin got the highest number of votes
to emerge top on the list. Sri Lankas Kumar
Sangakkara received the second highest votes. He
was followed by Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist
in the third position.
In this list Sachin is lone Indian cricketer to be
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laws of India.

figured in the top-10 list, while there are four Australian, three South African and two Sri
Lankan cricketers. Sachin Tendulkar in his 24 years cricket career had played for India in
200 Tests, 463 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and one Twenty20 International.
Test career: In 200 Test matches he had scored 15,921 runs at an average of 53.78. It
comprised of 51 centuries and 68 half centuries. Highest test score was 248 runs (not out).
ODI career: In 463 ODI matches he had scored 18,426 runs at an average of 44.83. It
comprised of 49 centuries and 96 half centuries.
Highest ODI score was 200 runs (not out). He had retired from international cricket in 2013
after playing his 200th Test. He is the only batsman to have hit 100 international centuries
and holds the record for highest run scorer in both Tests and ODIs.
Deepika Kumari wins bronze at Antalya Archery World Cup
Deepika Kumari Ace Indian archer Deepika Kumari has clinched the bronze medal in the
womens individual Womens Recurve event at Antalya Archery World Cup held in Turkey.
To win bronze medal Deepika outclassed Chang Hye Jin of South Korea in straight sets 6-2
(26-25, 29-26, 26-28, 28-27). She was the only Indian who made it to the last four in the in
individual womens recurve competition as veteran Dola Banerjee, Satbir Kaur and Snehal
Divakar all lost in the first round.
In the Antalya 2015 recurve womens event Misun Choi and Bo Bae Ki from South Korea
won gold and silver medal respectively.
Adelaide Oval to host cricket's first ever day-night Test
Australia and New Zealand will play cricket's first daynight Test in Adelaide from late November.
The Test, running November 27-December 1, will feature
pink balls that Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland
believes will hold up to Test match play.
The Test is one of six at home for the Australians - three
each against New Zealand and West Indies - from
November 5 until January 7.
Jwala Gutta, Ashwni Ponappa win womens doubles title of Canada Open Badminton
tournament
Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the womens doubles title of the
Canada Open Badminton tournament.
In the finals match played at Calgary, Canada they defeated Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and
Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16. It is their first title of this season.
Michelle Li of Canada won the womens single title, by defeating Kaori Imabeppu of Japan
by 21-17 25-23 score in the final match.
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laws of India.

Serbia edge Brazil in final to clinch FIFA U-20 World Cup title.
Serbia pulled off a historic 2-1 win in extra time to beat heavily favoured Brazil in the final
of the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Auckland.
Serbia, playing in the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time as an independent nation, will
leave as its champions.Auckland's North Harbour Stadium. Nemanja Maksimovic's decisive,
118th-minute goal settled the final 2-1 in favour of the delirious Serbians, and left five-time
champions Brazil to settle for silver.
Sunil Chhetri becomes first Indian to score 50 international goals
Prolific striker Sunil Chhetri became the first Indian
footballer to score 50 international goals during his
team's 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Guam.
Chhetri's feat, though, came in a losing cause, as India
suffered their second successive defeat in the
preliminary joint qualification second round.
Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia stays at the second
spot with 42 goals in 107 matches while IM Vijayan has 40 goals from 79 games. This
meanwhile, was Chhetri's 87th match.
For the record, it was Chhetri who scored India's all the goals in the team's four joint
preliminary round 2018 World Cup qualifying games so far.
Forbes list: Dhoni only Indian among world's richest athletes
Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only Indian sportsman
in Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in the world.
Dhoni has been ranked 23rd on the Forbes list of The World's
Highest-Paid Athletes 2015 dropping a notch from his
ranking of 22 last year.
Dhoni's total earnings stood at $31 million, including amount
from salary/winnings at $4 million and endorsements worth $27 million.
The earnings figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses paid out between June
2014 and June 2015.
Tintu Luka finally strikes gold as India finishes 3rd at Asian Athletics Championships
Tintu Luka bagged her maiden gold in a major
international event by winning the women's 800m finals as
India finished with five medals on the final day of
competitions to sign off third in the 21st Asian Athletics
Championships here.
India secured a medal haul of 4 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze
in the championships to finish third behind China (15, 13, 13) and Qatar (7, 2, 1). Japan (4,
3, 11) and Bahrain (3, 3, 2) finished fourth and fifth respectively.
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laws of India.

This was India's best finish after 2007 in Amman, Jordan where the country was placed
second.
National record holder Luka clocked her season's best timing of 2:01.53 to clinch the gold at
Wuhan Sports Center.
This was 26-year-old Luka's first individual title in a major international event after
breaking into the scene in 2008-09 with a lot of promise under the tutelage of the legendary
P T Usha.
India jumps six places in FIFA rankings
India has jumped six places to 141st position in the latest rankings released by world
footballs governing body FIFA.
India was previously placed 147th in the rankings list. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian
team in the list, followed by Japan (52) and South Korea (58).
World Champions Germany continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second
place, a place above World Cup runners-up Argentina.
Five-time world champions Brazil are fifth, a spot below Colombia. Brazil is followed by the
Netherlands, Portugal (seventh), Uruguay (eighth), and France (ninth).
Satnam Singh Bhamara became first Indian basketball player to join NBA. He will play for
Dallas Mavericks during the 2015-16 season.
Wei, Li won men's & womens singles of Canada Open Badminton tournament 2015. In the
finals played at Calgary, Wei defeated Ng Ka Long Angus 17-21 13-21 and Li defeated Kaori
Imabeppu 21-17 25-23.
International Cricket Council approved amendments to playing conditions in ODIs and
T20Is. The approvals were given during the ICC Annual Conference held in Barbados.
Veselin Topalov won the Norway Chess Tournament 2015. Topalov secured 6 points
while Anand ended the tournament in second place with 6 points.
Leander Paes became 47th player to join 100 partners club on ATP Circuit. Of these 100
partners, While 71 played with him on the tour level, 29 at the Challenger level.
Bangladesh won 3-match ODI series against India 2-1. Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh
claimed the Man of the Series Award for his outstanding bowling performance. He picked
up 13 wickets in the three matches.
Inderjeet Singh, Jinson Johnson won gold at Asian Athletics Grand Prix. In the first leg, India
won a total of eight medals which included 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals
Indian Railway Team won World Railway Championship 2015 in Tennis and Volleyball. In
2011, the Indian Railway Tennis Team won Silver Medal during last USIC Tennis
Championship and it won Bronze Medal during the USIC Volleyball Championship.
Russia won European Team Athletics Championships 2015. In totality, Russia won the
368.5 points, 22 points ahead of Germany which secured second place.
World Anti-Doping Agency published Anti-Doping Rule Violations Report for 2013. It is the
first of its kind report released by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on ADRVs.
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laws of India.

Jordan Spieth of US won US Open of Golf. Overall, he is the fourth-youngest player to win
two majors and the sixth to win the Masters and US Open in the same year.
China won 2015 Nongfu Spring World Cup of Snooker. India stood at the third position in
the competition that was held at Wuxi near Shanghai in China.
Andy Murray won the mens singles of Aegon Tennis Championships at the Queens Club.
Murray, who has won the title at the Queens Club in 2009, 2011, 2013 and now 2015,
defeated South African Kevin Anderson 6-3, 6-4.
Serbia won 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil 2-1. It is Serbias first title since
it became an independent nation in 2006.
Roger Federer won Gerry Weber Open tennis title for eighth time. It is Federers 10th Halle
final and his most at a single event in his career.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Austrian Grand Prix of Formula One. It is
the eleventh overall championship title for Rosberg and the second title in Austria having
won the 2014 title too.
Indian paddlers won team titles at South Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis
Championships. To retain the title in junior boys section, the Indian paddlers won all the
four matches without dropping a set. Similarly, cadet girls won all their matches without a
hiccup.
Sharad Pawar re-elected as President of Mumbai Cricket Association. Former Indian
cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar along with Ashish Shelar was elected as Vice-President of the
MCA.
AIBA constituted Ad-hoc committee chaired by Kishan Narsi for boxing in India. The ad-hoc
committee will be chaired by Kishan Narsi and other members are Jay Kowli, Manisha
Malhotra and Injeti Srinivas.
Documentary on cricket titled Death of Gentleman screened at Sheffield. The documentary
made in four years came into news as it raised questions on existence of Tests Cricket in
future and shows the its decline.
Harbhajan Singh became 9th highest wicket-taker in Test Cricket. The 'Turbanator' is now
only 20 wickets short of beating Kapil Dev's 434 Test wickets to become second highest
wicket-taker in history of Indian Test cricket after Anil Kumble's 619 wickets.
Rafael Nadal won Stuttgart Open. It was Rafael Nadals third Stuttgart Mens single title and
with this victory he also became first tennis player to win titles at the event on both clay
and grass surface.
Englands cricketer Matt Prior retired from all forms of cricket. The first English
wicketkeeper to score a century on debut was not able to play any match since July 2014
due to the recurring Achilles tendon injury.
FC Barcelona won 2015 UEFA Champions League title. This was the fifth time Barcelona has
been crowned with the title and their fourth in the last decade after their victories in 2006,
2009 and 2011.
Shah Rukh Khan acquired CPL T20 team Trinidad & Tobago. Shah Rukh Khan is the first
owner of an Indian Premier League team to own an overseas cricket franchise.
40 |

laws of India.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Canada Grand Prix of Formula 1. For
Hamilton, it was the fourth victory at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Montreals Isle NotreDame, where he earned his first Grand Prix win in 2007.
Momota and Ratchanok won Indonesia Open Badminton titles. Japanese rising star shuttler
Kento Momota and Thailand's Ratchanok Intanon won the mens and womens singles
respectively of the Indonesia Open Badminton tournament.
Manchester United Football Club became Worlds most valuable brand with 1.2 billion US
dollars. Also, it became the first club to pass the 1 billion US dollar mark.
Justin Gatlin finished 100m race at Rome Diamond League in record time. With this, he has
become the fastest man in the history of Rome Diamond League in 100m discipline having
broken the track record held by Usain Bolt of Jamaica.
AIFF signed an agreement with French Football Federation. The agreement was signed by
Praful Patel, President, AIFF in the presence of Kushal Das, General Secretary of AIFF.
Sundaram Ravi inducted into Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires for 2015-16. Sunder Ravi
has become the first Indian after S Venkataraghavan who was inducted into the elite panel
in 2004.
Inderjeet won gold in shot put at 21st Asian Athletics Championships. Inderjeet heaved the
iron ball to a new championship record of 20.41 metres, which he achieved in his fourth
attempt.
Ravi Shastri re-appointed as Director of Indian Cricket team. Team India's tour to
Bangladesh will start from 10 June 2015. During the tour, India will play one Test and three
One-Day Internationals matches.
Footballer Rio Ferdinand announced his retirement. Ferdinand last played for Queens Park
Rangers (QPR) in March 2015.
Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman inducted in BCCIs Cricket Advisory Committee. This Cricket
Advisory Committee will advise the BCCI on various progressive steps needed to enable
Indian Cricket to be better prepared for the challenges of the future.
Mohun Bagan won I-League title of football after 13 years. In the final clash at Kanteerva
Stadium in Bengaluru, Mohun Bagan managed a 1-1 draw against the defending champions
Bengaluru FC.
Barcelona Football Club won King's Cup title for 27th time. This was 27th Copa del Rey title
for Barcelona and second of the season after La Loga.
Gurpreet Singh became 5th Indian to get quota place in shooting for 2016 Rio
Olympics.Singh became the fifth Indian shooter to win a quota place for the Rio Olympics
after Gagan Narang, Jitu Rai, Apurvi Chandela and Abhinav Bindra.
41 |

laws of India.

Honours/ Awards
C.N.R. Rao conferred with Japans highest civilian award Order of the Rising Sun, Gold
and Silver Star
C.N.R. Rao Eminent scientist and Bharat Ratna
awardee C.N.R. Rao was conferred with Japans
highest civilian award the Order of the Rising Sun,
Gold and Silver Star.
He was presented with the award by Japanese
Ambassador to India, Takeshi Yagi for his
outstanding contributions to science and IndoJapanese science cooperation.
About
C.N.R.
Rao
Ramachandra Rao)
(Chintamani
Nagesa
C.N.R Rao is eminent scientist and worlds foremost solid state and materials chemists. He
has worked mainly in solid-state and structural chemistry. He was first Indian scientist to
reach the h-index of 100. He has authored of around 1600 research papers. He also has
authored and edited 45 books.
He is also an elected member of almost all scientific academies across the globe and had
served as Chair of the Scientific Advisory Council to Prime Ministers of India. He is also the
Honorary President of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advance Scientific Research, Bengaluru
and a former Chair of the Japan-India Science Council.
Awards: In 2014, he was awarded with Indias highest civilian award Bharat Ratna along
with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. He has been bestowed with about 70 honorary
doctorates and also has received the highest civilian award from several nations. Note: hindex also called the Hirsch index or Hirsch number is a tool that measures the productivity
and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar.
Historian-writer Ramachandra Guha selected for Japans Fukuoka Prize
Ramchandra Guha Eminent Historian-writer Ramachandra
Guha has been selected for Japans Fukuoka Prize 2015 in n
the Academic category. Apart from him Thant Myint-U
(Grand Prize category) and Minh Hanh (Arts and Culture
category) were also chosen for this edition of award.
They have been selected for their outstanding contributions
to academia, arts and culture across Asia. The awards will be
presented to them on September 17, 2015 at the Fukuoka
International Congress Centre. During this award ceremony
Mr Guha will give a lecture on Gandhi, India and the World.
About Ramchandra Guha
He is historian and writer. His research interests include social, political, environmental
and cricket history.
42 |

laws of India.

He also write as a columnist in various newspapers including The Telegraph and Hindustan
Times and also pens for the magazines The Caravan and Outlook. His famous bibliography:
Gandhi Before India (2013), Patriots and Partisans (2012), Makers of Modern India (2010),
India after Gandhi: The history of the worlds largest democracy (2007) etc.
Awards: Padma Bhushan (2009), Sahitya Akademi award (2011) for India After Gandhi.
For year 201112, he had served as the Philippe Roman Chair of International Affairs and
History at the London School of Economics.
About Fukuoka Prize
Established: in 1990 by the Japanese city of Fukuoka and the Yokatopia Foundation. It is
an annual prize that honours the outstanding work of individuals or organizations in
preserving or creating Asian culture.
Prize has three categories: Grand Prize, Academic Prize, and Arts and Culture Prize. The
award ceremony is held in every year in September (which is also known as Asian Month in
Fukuoka) along with the public forums by the prize winners. Winners of 2014 are
Mohammad Yunus, Romila Thapar, Ashis Nandy and Mo Yan.
Wes Hall inducted into ICC Hall of Fame
Former West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
during the lunch break on the opening day of the Sabina Park Test between West Indies and
Australia.
He became the fourth cricketer to receive the honour this year after Betty Wilson, Anil
Kumble and Martin Crowe.Hall, 77, received his commemorative cap from fellow Hall of
Famer Courtney Walsh, and is now the 18th cricketer from the Caribbean to be bestowed
with the award.
Hall, who played 48 Tests for West Indies between 1958 and 1969, said he was "privileged"
and "honoured" to receive the award which put him in the company of the "many greats of
the game"
Indian-Origin Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Presented With Pride of Community Award
Indian-origin US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been
presented with the Pride of the Community Award by a
prominent Hindu advocacy group.
Receiving the award by the Hindu American Foundation at
its 12th Annual Day reception at Capitol Hill, Mr Murthy
said that he draws inspiration from the life of Swami
Vivekananda.
HAF also awarded Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of
Religion at St Olaf College, Dharma Seva award; Harpreet Singh Mokha of the Department of
Justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Award for the Advancement of Pluralism; and Senator Mark
Kirk and Rep Joe Crowley, HAF's Friend of the Community awards.
43 |

laws of India.

Prince Harry knighted
Prince Harry was knighted by his grandmother the Queen
as a sign of her personal esteem.
The fifth in line to the throne was made a Knight
Commander of the Royal Victorian Order in a private
ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
The Order was founded in April 1896 by Queen Victoria as a
way of rewarding personal service to her, on her own initiative rather than by ministerial
recommendation and remains entirely within the Sovereign's personal gift.
De Villiers crowned South African cricketer of the year
AB de Villiers won as many as five awards, including the South African Cricketer of the Year
for a second consecutive time at a gala function, hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA) in
Johannesburg.
The 27-year-old batsman was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year, Cricketers Cricketer of
the Year, SA Fans Cricketer of the Year and also got the So Good Award for scoring the
fastest century in the history of ODI cricket against the West Indies in December 2014.
Morne van Wyk won the T20 Cricketer of the Year, Dale Steyn received the Delivery of the
Year and Rilee Rossouw was named the SA Newcomer of the Year.
Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway
Former security contractor Edward Snowden won a Norwegian
prize for freedom of expression.
The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of
Expression said the 31-year old fugitive had won the Bjornson
Prize named after a Norwegian Nobel literature laureate "for
his work protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US
surveillance of its citizens and others."
The academy requested assurances from the Norwegian government that Snowden would
not be extradited to the US if he travelled to Norway to receive the 100,000 kroner
($12,700, 11,500 euros) prize money.
Snowden was awarded Sweden's Right Livelihood Award in 2014 but chose to accept it by
video link rather than leaving his exile in Russia.
Bangladesh Liberation War award for Vajpayee
Bangladesh is set to honour former Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee for his outstanding support for the countrys
independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok Sabha
member.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to
honour the families of the members of Indian armed forces for
sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladeshs
44 |

laws of India.

independence.
Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayees Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6.
Famous Writer Vishwanath Tripathi chosen for 28th Moorti Devi Award. Moorti Devi
award was founded by Bharatiya Jnanpith and is given away to the authors who have
contributed in the field of contemporary creative writing in modern Indian languages.
President conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar. Punyabhushan award
constituted by Tridal, Pune is annually announced on 23 March to commemorate memory
of Indian revolutionary martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, and Rajguru.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conferred with Columbias highest civilian award. The Order of the
Democracy Simon Bolivar was created in 1980 to honour the outstanding citizens for their
service to the nation in any field. It is granted by the House of Representatives of Columbia
Sahitya Akademi announced Bhasha Samman. The Bhasha Samman is given to 3-4 persons
every year in different languages on the basis of recommendation of experts' committees
constituted for the purpose.
Sahitya Akademi announced Bal Sahitya Puraskar for the year 2015. The awards were
conferred on five novelists, four writers of short stories and three authors of poetries, one
book of one-act play and eleven writers for their contribution to childrens literature.
UK-based philanthropist Benni Joseph Mavelil selected for VK Krishna Menon Award 2015.
At present, Mavelil is a registered Manager and Director for the Ideal Fostering in
Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Three Indians won inaugural Queen's Young Leaders Award in UK. These three Indians are
among 60 others who received the Queen's Young Leaders award from the British monarch
at a gala ceremony in Buckingham Palace.
Sanjay Subrahmanyam selected for Sangitha Kalanidhi award for the year 2015. With this
nomination, Subrahmanyan joined the league of stalwarts like Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar,
Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, who received the award before turning 50.
Hindi writers Babusha Kohli, Upasana won 10th Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith.
Kohli was awarded for poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and Upasana for her novel Ek Zindagi
Eke K Script Bhar.
Sangeet Natak Akademi announced awardees for 2014 Akademi Awards and fellowships.
The Akademi recognizes the contribution of outstanding musicians, dancers and theatre
artists by bestowing them the Fellowships and Awards on yearly basis
ISRO presented with 2015 Space Pioneer Award for Mars Orbiter Mission. The award was
presented by National Space Society (NSS) of USA in recognition of ISROs efforts in
accomplishing Mars Orbiter Mission in its very first attempt.
Parkash Singh Badal conferred with 2015 Sant Namdev National Award. Badal was
honoured with a citation, a prize amount of 101000 rupees and a memento by the
foundation.
International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards 2015. The 16th IIFA Awards were
presented in the first week of June 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
45 |

laws of India.

Eleven Indo-Canadians honoured with ICCC Annual Awards 2015. The award was
presented by Toronto Mayor John Tory and President of the Indo-Canada Chambers of
Commerce (ICCC) DP Jain at the annual gala award ceremony held at Toronto.
UK Author Ali Smith won 2015 Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. Baileys Prize was set up
in 1996 with an aim to celebrate and promote international fiction by women throughout
the world. Earlier it was known as the Orange Prize.
Suresh Kalmadi conferred with Asian Athletics Association Presidents award. Kalmadi is
credited of introducing top events like Asian Grand Prix series, Asian Indoor
Championships and Asian All Star Meet and others during his tenure as the president of
AAA from 2000 to 2013.
McCullum, Hesson honoured in Queens Birthday Honoursin New Zealand. The head of the
New Zealand World Cup organizing committee, Therese Walsh, was made a Dame
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Uttarakhands Health Minister SS Negi conferred with World No Tobacco Day Award 2015.
He was one of the six awardees from the WHO South-East Asia Region.
46 |

laws of India.

Obituaries
Sister Nirmala Joshi, successor of Mother Teresa passes away
Sister Nirmala Joshi, former Superior General of Missionaries of
Charity passed away in Kolkata after brief illness at the age of 81.
She had taken over as Superior General in March 1997 after the
death of Mother Teresa.
Sister Nirmala was elected as Superior General of the Missionaries
of Charity six months before Mother Teresas death (September 5,
1997).
She was bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan, Indias second highest civilian award in 2009
for her services to the nation.
Russias former PM Yevgeny Primakov passes away
Yevgeny Primakov Former Prime minister Yevgeny Primakov passed away in Moscow after
a prolonged illness. He was 85. He had served as PM for just eight months between
September 1998 and May 1999.
During his long political career, he also had served as Foreign Minister (1996 to 1998),
Speaker of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (in 1989) and chief of the intelligence
service. Prior to Gulf war, he had played a prominent role in negotiations with former
dictator of Iraq Saddam Hussein.
Primakov was born in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev in 1929 in erstwhile Soviet Union. He
had studied Arabic at the Moscow Institute for Oriental Studies. Prior joining politics, he
had worked as a journalist for Soviet radio and for Pravda newspaper as a Middle Eastern
correspondent.
Nek Chand Saini, creator of Chandigarhs Rock Garden passes away
Nek Chand Saini Nek Chand Saini, creator of
Chandigarhs iconic Rock Garden passed away on
11 June 2015 in Chandigarh. He was 90. He was
born in Berian Kalan village in Shakargarh region
(now in Pakistan).
He was as a self-taught Indian artist. He had
emigrated to India with his family during the
partition in 1947 and had settled in Chandigarh in
1950.
In 1951, Nek Chand had started working as a road
inspector of the Chandigarhs Public Works
Department (PWD).
During this time Chandigarh was redesigned as a modern utopia by the Swiss/French
architect Le Corbusier and became first planned city in India. Awards: Nek Chand was
awarded the Padma Shri in 1984.
47 |

laws of India.

About Rock Garden
Initally, Nek Chand Saini had built Chandigarhs iconic Rock Garden secretly from waste and
other unused household materials in a forest near Sukhna Lake which is spread over an
area of 40-acres.
His secret environmental marvel was later discovered in 1972 by the municipal authorities.
Later he was provided with a team of labourers and financial support to enable him to
continue his work.
The site famously came to be known as the Rock Garden. It was officially recognised in
1976 and became a key tourist attraction of Chandigarh.
Former Indian women hockey captain Shashi Bala passes away
Former Indian women hockey team captain Shashi Bala
passed away on 21 June 2015. Shashi was killed in a car
accident along with her son in Kahma village of Punjab.
She was a former hockey player and had made
international debut in 1987.
She had captained Indian hockey team for women in
Women Hockey World Cup Qualifier held in Harare,
Zimbabwe in 1997. She was also team member of the Indian hockey team for women in
1998 World Cup played at Netherlands.
Rock Band Yes Guitarist Chris Squire died. Squire formed Yes band in 1968 with Jon
Anderson and their debut single titled Sweetness and first album titled Yes were released in
1968.
Patrick Macnee, star of The Avengers, died. He was born as Daniel Patrick Macnee on 6
February 1922 in London and grew up in Lambourn.
Veteran Journalist Praful Bidwai passed away. He was also an anti-nuclear activist and a
founding member of Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace that was set up after the
1998 pokhran nuclear tests.
Titanic composer James Horner died. In 1997, Horner won two Oscars (Academy Awards)
for Best Original Score and along with Best Original Song for My Heart Will Go On in the
movie Titanic.
Former Turkey President Suleyman Demirel died. Demirel launched his political career in
the aftermath of the 1960 military coup that deposed the Government of Prime Minister
Adnan Menderes.
Renowned architect Charles Correa passed away. He was the Chief Architect behind the
development of Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta.
Las Vegas casino tycoon Kirk Kerkorian died. Kerkorian founded MGM Resorts
International (MGM.N) and was its largest shareholder.
Sheila Kaul, former Governor of Himachal Pradesh, died. Kaul, sister-in-law of Jawaharlal
Nehru, was the oldest surviving former Parliamentarian was a Member of Parliament (MP)
for five times.
48 |

laws of India.

Veteran actor Sir Christopher Lee died at the age of 93. Lee was knitted in 2009 for services
to drama and charity. In 2011 and 2013, he was awarded with the Bafta fellowship and BFI
Fellowship, respectively.
Big Band Leader James Last passed away. James was born as Hans Last in the northern city
of Bremen in 1929 and was originally a piano player.
Former Indian Cricketer Hemant Kanitkar died. Kanitkar, a stalwart of domestic cricket,
played two Tests as a wicketkeeper-batsman in the home series against Clive Lloyds West
Indies in 1974-75.
Telugu writer Dasaradhi Rangacharya died at 87. Inspired by Marxism and socialism,
Rangacharya wrote several books that highlighted the life and agony of the people at the
grass roots level especially in the then Telangana region.
Hollywood actor Hiroshi Koizumi died. Making debut in 1951 on silver screen, Koizumi
appeared in a string of monster films including Mothra vs Godzilla, Ghidorah, the ThreeHeaded Monster and Dogara, the Space Monster.
Wrestler Prem Nath passed away. Prem Nath, a Presidents Medal-winning retired Delhi
Police official, was known for his efforts to popularise wrestling in Delhi.
Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Irwin Rose passed away. Rose won the Nobel Prize for
discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins for developing new therapies for
diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis.
Hollywood actress Betsy Palmer passed away. Betsy was famously known for playing the
character of Jason Voorhees' mother in Friday the 13th movie in 1980.
Hemant Sonawala, the pioneer of Indias IT industry, died. Sonawala the chairman of
Hinditron was also the founder of Digital Equipment India (DEI), which was the first
technology IPO in India.
Doris Hart, winner of three Wimbledon titles in a day, died at 89. She retired from
professional tennis in 1955 and was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in
1969.
49 |

laws of India.

Important Days
June 1
Global Day of Parents
June 5
World Environment Day
June 8
World Ocean Day
June 12
World Day against Child Labour
June 14
World Blood Donor Day
June 18
Goa Revolution Day
June 20
World Refugee Day
June 21
International Yoga Day
June 23
International Widows' Day
June 23
The United Nations Public Service Day
June 26
International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking
June 29
National Statistics Day
Foreign Visits / Foreign Visitors

State Visit of the President of United Republic of Tanzania, Jakaya Kikwete to India in
between 17-21 June 2015.
Official Visit of Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mark Rutte to India in
between June 05-07, 2015.
Compiled By
Sanjay Singh
50 |

laws of India.

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