Current Affairs March PDF Capsule 2015 by AffairsCloud PDF

Current Affairs March 2015 PDF Capsule
Published by www.AffairsCloud.com
Current Affairs Capsule: March 2015
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Ma ti C o e I du ted i to the I te atio al C i ket Cou il s C i ket Hall of Fa e
Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He
represented his country on ICC Cricket World Cup 1992. Martin Crowe became the third New Zealander
and 79th Cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Other New Zealanders include Sir
Richard Hadlee and Debbie Hockley. The induction ceremony was organized during the innings break of the
New Zealand-Australia match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at Eden Park.
Bollywood Actress Rani Mukerji Awarded
Famous Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji has been given the national award by the National Institute of
Gender Justice (NIGJ) for creating awareness about the child trafficking. She is the first personality from
the Cinema industry to be felicitated with this prestigious award. The award was presented to Rani by
Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, the chairperson NIGJ, in New Delhi.
Rani Mukherji, in her film Mardhaani, played a powerful role of cop, who prevents crime against women,
especially girl child trafficking. Apart from acting, Rani Mukerji is actively involving herself in humanitarian
causes, also gives her voice against child trafficking and exploitation of women.
Ti e s Most I flue tial People o the I te et
The Time Magazine has released a list of 30 most Influential People on the Internet. They were selected on
the basis of social-media followings, site traffic, and overall ability to drive news. The Magazine has named
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the 30 influential people on the internet. Modi has around 38
million total followers on Facebook and Twitter. Modi has been extensively using social media in the last
three years and this helps a lot in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections too.
Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba wins Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership 2014
Hifikepunye Pohamba, outgoing Namibian P eside t has o the o ld s ost alua le i di idual a a d-
Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership for year 2014. Hifikepunye Pohamba Pohamba was born in 1935 in
Na i ia a d as a fo e e el ho fought fo his ou t s i depe de e. He has se ed as Namibian
President two terms.
The Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership prize is given each year to an elected leader who has governed
well, raised living standards and then left office. It is named after Mo Ibrahim, a British-Sudanese mobile
communications entrepreneur and philanthropist who had made billions of fortune from investing in
Af i a. It is the o ld s ost alua le i di idual a a d a d a ies o eta a a d of illio dolla a d
also $ 200,000 a year for life. The inaugural prize was awarded to Joaquim Chissano, former president of
Mozambique.
Kerala Tourism Department wins the Golden Gate Award
Kerala Tourism Department wins the silver prize of Golden Gate award for its global multimedia campaign
to promote the backwaters of Kerala. The award was presented at the Internationale Tourismus-Borse
Berlin (ITB-Berlin) 2015, Germany. The ITB-Be li is o side ed as the Wo ld s la gest tou is t ade fai .
Kerala Tourism Secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao and Joint Secretary in the Union Tourism Ministry Suman
Billa have received the prestigious award.
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March 2015 - AffairsCloud.com
This is the second consecutive time that the campaign has been recognized at ITB Berlin. In 2014, the
Kerala Tourism had won the Gold Prize in the print category. Goa Tourism has won the international award
i the Best Weddi g a d Ho e oo Desti atio atego . The a a d as gi e Pa ifi A ea T a el
Writers Association.
TCS named Top Employer in Europe for Third Consecutive Time
An employers certification agency Top Employers Institute has named Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as
the top employer in Europe. The company is awarded for the third consecutive year. The award is given
based on the nine core human resources areas. TCS has been certified as the leading employer in eight
European countries. ie United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, and
Switzerland.
Veerappa Moily Chosen for Saraswati Samman Award
Former congress Minister, Veerappa Moily has been chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2014 for
his literary work Ramayana Mahanveshanam, which was released in 2007 and has been translated to
English, Telgu, and Hindi. The Saraswati Samman comprises a prize amount of 5 Lakh Rupees and honour.
The poe is di ided i to fi e olu es hi h e plo ed the a aj a f o the ode ie poi t.
I dia s Wate Ma o fe ed ith to khol Wate P ize
Environment activist of India Rajendra Singh has been conferred with Stockholm Water Prize to recognize
his enormous efforts for instilling life in the villages of Rajasthan through water. The award comprises a a
ash p ize of , , UD a d it ll e p ese ted ede s Ki g Ca l Gusta .
Three South Asian women selected for International Women of Courage Award 2015
Three South Asian women have been selected for the prestigious International Women of Courage Award
for the year 2015 by the United States. They are,
Captain Niloofar Rahmani from Afghanistan Air Force
Nadia Sharmeen- Jou alist a d o e s ights a ti ist f o Ba gladesh
Tabassum Adnan- founder of Khwendo Jirga from Pakistan.
These women were selected for the award for their demonstrating exceptional courage and leadership in
advocating for peace, justice, human rights and gender equality.
Fourth National Photography Awards
A total of 13 outstanding photojournalists were conferred with the National Photography Awards, in New
Delhi. The Awards were presented by the Secretary of Information and Broadcasting, Bimal Julka.
The awards were given in 5 categories namely
Life-Time Achievement Award
Amateur Photographer of the Year
Professional Photographer of the Year
Special Mention Category in Amateur Segments
Special Mention Category in Professional segments
The colorful ceremony was organized by the Photo Division under the Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting. Renowned cinematographer, Santosh Sivan and Chairman of the Jury Committee, Anil Risal
Singh attended the ceremony.
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The theme for Professional Photographer category Ha a a Bha at a hh Bha at

The theme for Amateur Category Mothe a d Child
The Award Winners
Life-Time Achievement Award- Surendra R Patel
Best Professional Photographer of the Year- Swarup Duta
Best Amateur Photographer of the Year- Sasikumar.
Special Mention Award in Professional Category

Jayesh Navinchandra Shah
Atul Vasant Ghag
Pravin Rawat
Arvind Kumar Jain
Umesh Nikam
Special Mention Award in Amateur Category

Joydeep Mukherjee
Akhil Hardia
Nimai Chandra Ghosh
Mukesh J Thakkar
Tabeenah Anjum Qureshi
Lata Mangeshkar conferred with Voice of the Century Award
Lege da i ge Lata Ma geshka as o th Ma h p ese ted the Laadli Voi e of the Ce tu

award here during the sixth edition of the national Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender
Sensitivity. The award, which was handed over by Mr. Fadnavis, was accepted by Mr. Bhimani on her
behalf.
Smriti Irani named as Young Global Leader by WEF
Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani has been named as Young Global Leader from
I dia the Wo ld E o o i Fo u WEF . The WEF des i ed I a i as ose f o s eepi g floo s i a fast
food estau a t to e o e a top politi ia i I dia . The list o p isi g a total of You g Global Leaders
across the World. There were 18 young global leaders in South Asia, out of which 11 were from India.
Other than Smriti Irani, the Indians, who are named in the list are,
Gaurav Gogoi MP and son of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi.
Aditya Ghosh IndiGo President
Ashish Goyal Portfolio Manager at Bluecrest Capital
Kiran Kumar Grandhi GMR Group
Krithi Karanth Centre for Wildlife Studies
Neha Kirpal Founder and Director of India Art Fair
Shalini Puchalapalli CEO Lehar Foods (Pepsi)
Shweta Punj Associate Editor India Today Group/Co-Founder at Whypoll
Prashant Sarin Bain and Company
Ameera Shah Managing Director and CEO Metropolis Healthcare.
Every year, the World Economic Forum releases a list of outstanding young leaders, who are aged below 40
years, from around the world.
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Minoti Apte named as Woman of the Year 2015 in New South Wales
Indian pancreatic cancer researcher in Australia, Minoti Apte has been named as New South Wales (NSW)
Woman of the year 2015 for her enormous contributions to medical research, tertiary education and the
Indian community. She received the award from NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Women Pru
Goward.
No Indian University in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings
Not a single I dia U i e sit is ega ded a ade i s i te atio all as ei g a o g the o ld s ost
prestigious Times Higher Education world reputation Rankings released on 12th March 2015. According to
the 2015 list, Harvard ranks First, followed by University of Cambridge and university of Oxford. US takes
eight positio s i Top a d Top List a d UK has the se o d highest u e . Japa s U i e sit of
Tokyo at No. 12th tops Asian list in global reputation league.
1. Harvard university in US
2. Cambridge university in UK
3. University of Oxford in UK
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5. Stanford University in US
6. University of California,Berkeley in US
7. Princeton university in US
8. Yale University in US
9. California Institute of Technology in US
10. Colombia Institute of Technology in US
Ti es Highe edu atio o ld eputatio a ki g e plo the o ld s la gest a ade i opi io su e to

provide the definitive list of Top 100 most powerful universities brands.
Bha ti Khe o fe ed ith F a e s K ight of the O de of A ts a d Letters
Artist Bharti Kher of India on 23 March 2015 was conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and
Lette s. he as a a ded fo he o t i utio i o te po a a t la ds ape. Khe s a t o ks spa se e al
mediums like painting, sculpture and installation. The artist is renowned for her remarkable
experimentation with bindis that have over time come to be recognised as her signature style.
Veteran poet Gopaldas Neeraj conferred with National Kavi Pradeep Samman Award
Noted Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj has received the first National Kavi Pradeep Samman at a function held
in Bhopal. He was presented the award on 24th March 2015. He was presented the award by Madhya
Pradesh Culture Minister Surendra Patwa at a function held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This award carries
a cash prize of Rs two lakh, a shawl and a citation. On the occasion, Neeraj mesmerised the audience by
reciting some of his select poems. The award has been instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government in
the memory of Kavi Pradeep.
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62nd National Film Awards : An Overview
The 62nd National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Centre, New Delhi. The awards
were announced by the jury chairpersons directors Bharathiraja, Kamal Swaroop and Govind Kumar. The
National Awards will be presented by President Pranab Mukherjee on 3rd of May in Vigyan Bhawan (New
Delhi).
Complete list of winners:
Best Hindi Film: Queen
Best Bengali Film: Nirbashito
Best Tamil Film: Kuttram Kadithal
Best Marathi Film: Killa
Best Kannada Film: Harivu
Best Konkani Film: Nachom IA Kumpasar
Best Malayalam Film: Ain
Best Assamese Film: Othello
Best Odiya Film: Aadim Vichar
Best Punjabi Film: Punjab 1984
Best Telugu Film: Chandamama Kathalu
Best Rabha Film: Orong
Best Haryanvi Film: Pagdi The Honour
Best Music Direction:
Songs Haider (Hindi)
Background Score Nineteen Eighty Three (Malayalam)
Best Choreography: Bismil for Haider
Special Mention Ain (Malayalam)
Nachom IA Kumpasar (Konkani)
Killa (Marathi)
Bhootnath Returns (Hindi)
Best Educational Film: Komal & Behind the Glass Wall
Best Exploration/Adventure: Film Life Force I dia s Weste Ghats
Best Investigative Film: Phum Shang
Best Animation Film: Sound of Joy
Best Short Fiction Film: Mitraa
Best Film Critic: Tanul Thakur
Best Writing on Cinema : Silent Cinema: (1895-1930)- Pasupuleti
Purnachandra Rao
Best Writing on Cinema : G. Dhananjayan for Pride of Tamil Cinema
(Special Mention)
Best Costume Designer: Dolly Ahluwalia for Haider
Best Female Playback Singer Uttara Unnikrishanan for song Azhagu in Saivam (Tamil)
Best Male Playback Singer Sukhwinder Singh for song Bismil from Haider
Best Actress Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Supporting Actress: Baljinder Kaur for Pagdi The Honour (Haryanavi)
Best Supporting Actor: Bobby Simhaa for Jigarthanda (Tamil)
Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada)
Best Direction: Srijit Mukherji for Chotushkone (Bengali)
Best Film On Environment Conservation/ Preservation: Ottaal (Malayalam)
Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom
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Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director: Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali)
Best Feature Film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)
Akhil Sharma wins Folio Prize for Fiction
The Indian-American writer Akhil Sharma has been named winner of the second Folio prize for fiction for a
o el hi h took hi lo g a d pai ful ea s to o plete, ha ti g o e e ig a t fa il s hea t
wrenching search for the American dream. He won this prize for his second book, Family Life. Writing it
as a halle gi g task fo hi . I glad the ook e ists, I just ish I had t ee the gu ho ote it, he
said. William Fiennes, who chaired the Judges, praised the novel, currently a bestseller in the U, as lu id,
o passio ate, uietl fu .
Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014
President Pranab Mukherjee awarded Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014 to six illustrious women on International
Wo e s Da fo thei disti guished se i es fo the uplift e t of o e . The award was given in six
categories named after eminent women personalities in the Indian history. They are Kannagi, Rani
Gaidinliu Zaliang, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, Rani Lakshmibai, Rani Rudramma Devi and Mata Jijabai. These
women are famous for their personal courage and integrity.
Awardees of Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014
Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award: Sister Mariola (Rajasthan).
Rani Lakshmibai Award: Seema Prakash (Madhya Pradesh).
Rani Rudramma Devi Award: Astha Sansthan- NGO (Rajasthan).
Mata Jijabai Award: Chandraprabha Bokey (Maharashtra).
Kannagi Award: P. Bhanumati (Kerala). Devi Ahily
Amitav Ghosh shortlisted for Man Booker International Prize
A ita Ghosh o d Ma h e e ged as the o l I dia autho a o g fi alists fo this ea s

Man Booker International Prize for his contribution to English language writing.
About Amitav Ghosh
Amitav Ghosh is a Bengali Indian author best known for his work in English fiction. His First job was in
Indian Express in New Delhi. Ghosh is the author of The Circle of Reason (his 1986 debut novel) which won
Prix Mdicis tranger. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 2007.
About Man Booker International Prize
It is an international literary award given every two years to a living author of any nationality for a body of
work published in English or generally available in English translation. The introduction of the International
Prize was announced in June 2004. This Prize is sponsored by the Man Group. The award is worth 60,000
and an author can only win once. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan won the 2014
Man Booker International Prize.
Bangladesh wins Women in Parliaments Award
Bangladesh has won the prestigious Women in Parliaments (WIP) Award for regional leadership in the
South and Southeast Asia category for closing the gender gap in politics. The award was presented by WIP
Glo al Fo u at a ual su it held i Addis A a a, Ethiopia. O ehalf of Ba gladesh s P i e Mi iste
Sheikh Hasina, Minister of State (MoS) for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam received the award. Bangladesh is
only country in the world where the Prime Minister, Parliament speaker, Leader of the Opposition, Deputy
Leader of the house, and a major opposition leader are all women. In the World Economic Forum report it
has been placed among the top 10 countries in the world in reducing gender gap.
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Balbir Singh Senior awarded with Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award
Veteran hockey player Balbir Singh Senior was awarded Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award
by Hockey India. The award comprises a trophy along with a cheque of Rs 30 lakh was presented to Balbir
Singh at the inaugural Hockey India Annual Awards ceremony held at New Delhi.
In his hockey career, Balbir Singh Senior had represented Indian team in three Olympics games including
London Olympics (1948), Helsinki Olympics (1952) and Melbourne Olympics (1956). In all three Olympics
the team had won the gold medal. He was captain of Indian team during Melbourne Olympics. His record
of most goals (five) in an Olympic final in 1952 still remains unbeaten and he also figures in the list of 16
iconic Olympians of all-time.
Nobel Laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan to head Royal Society in UK

India-born Nobel Prize Winner Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has been confirmed as the President elect
of U ited Ki gdo s highl estee ed Royal Society. Venkatraman will assume the post on December 1,
2015. He will be the first Indian-origin scientist to hold the post. Ramakrishnan will replace Famous
GeneticistSir Paul Nurse, who is also a Nobel laureate.
Bollywood Actor Shashi Kapoor chosen for Dada Saheb Phalke Award
All time Charming Actor, Shashi Kapoor, has been chosen for Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2014. The Gem
of Bollywood Industry will be the 46th winner of this highly celebrated award. The Dada Saheb Phalke
Award is the highest award in Indian cinema. The award is presented every year at the National Film
Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award comprises a Swarn
Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh and a shawl.
President Pranab Mukherjee gives away Chakra Awards to Defence Personnel
Pranab Mukherjee conferred one Kirti Chakra award and 11 Shaurya Chakra awards on armed forces
personnel. Among these, 11 awardees three were conferred posthumously for gallantry.
Kirti Chakra is the second highest peace time gallantry award i.e. awarded for valour, courageous action or
self-sacrifice away from the field of battle.
Shaurya Chakra is the third highest peacetime gallantry award i.e. awarded for valour, courageous action
or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy.
The Award Winners
Kirti Chakra
Captain Jaidev of Parachute Regiment.
Shaurya Chakra (Posthumously)

Subedar Prakash Chand
Lieutenant Commander Manoranjan Kumar
Major Abhijai of Corps of Engineers.
Shaurya Chakra
Major Mukul Sharma
Commander Gosavi Kaustubh Vijaykumar
Major R Vamshi Krishnan
Rifleman Manga Ram
Wing Commander Huvey Upadhyaya
Major Abhishek Kumar
Major Satnam Singh
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Naik Ansaigra Basumatary.
Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) presented its sixth Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Awards
Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) presented its sixth Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Awards on 24
March 2015 in New Delhi. The awards were given in recognition of performance excellence and their
contribution to the economy. Fifteen PSUs were selected under various categories based on their
performance in the year 2014.
The performance assessment was based on a model developed by KPMG considering various financial
parameters such as
Productivity,
Efficiency
Efficacy
Profitability
Corporate social responsibility
Name of PSUs that were selected:
S. No Awards Name of the Company

National Thermal power corporation
1. Maharatna of the year Manufacturing
Limited (NTPC)
2. Most Efficient Maharatna Manufacturing Bharat Heavy electrical Limited (BHEL)
Fastest Growing Navaratna of the year -Non Rural electrification Corporation
3.
Manufacturing Limited(REC)
4. Best General Insurance Company of the year New India Assurance Company
Outstanding Performance in Mega Project
5. Steel Authority of India (SAIL)
Implementation
National Buildings Construction
6. Highest Wealth Creator among listed PSUs
Corporation Ltd. (NBCC)
Power Finance Corporation Limited
7. Navratna of the year Non-Manufacturing
(PFC)
8. Outstanding performer in Retail Banking Canara Bank
Most Consistent Performer of the year- General
9. United India Insurance Company
Insurance
Oil and Natural gas Corporation
10. Maharatna of the year Non-Manufacturing
Limited (ONGC)
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism
11. Biggest e-commerce portal in India
Corporation (IRCTC)
Most Efficient Miniratna of the year- Non- Container Corporation Of India Limited
12.
Manufacturing (CONCOR)
13. Most Efficient Public Sector Bank Bank of Baroda
National Mineral Development
14. Most Efficient Navratna Non- Manufacturing
Corporation (NMDC)
15. Fastest Growing Maharatna Non-Manufacturing COAL INDIA
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Government of India felicitated the winners of the Web Ratna Awards
Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Minister of Communications & IT, has presented the 2014 Web Ratna awards at a
ceremony held at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The objective of this award is to
promote and uphold the use of World Wide Web (WWW) for enhancing the efficiency as well as the
transparency of Government Mechanism and encouraging its speedy transition towards Digital India.
The awards were given for 6 categories, which include Citizen Centric Service, Open Data Champion,
Outstanding Content, Innovative Use of Technology, Comprehensive Web Presence Ministry and
Comprehensive Web P ese e tate/UT.
List of Award and Awardees
Citizen Centric Service Category
Plati u A a d: Passpo t e a P oje t
Gold A a d: Natio al afai Ka ha i Fi a e De elop e t Co po atio
il e A a d: Natio al I stitute of Ope hooli g
Open Data Champion category
Plati u A a d: Offi e of egist a Ge e al & Ce sus Co issio e
Gold A a d: Pla i g Co issio a d U io Mi ist of tatisti s & P og a I ple e tatio
il e A a d: U io Mi ist of Wate esou es
Outstanding Content category
Plati u A a d: Mi ist of E te al Affai s.
Gold A a d: Mi ist of T i al Affai s a d Ke ala Tou is
il e A a d: Mi ist of De elop e t of No th Easte egio
Innovative Use of Technology category
Plati u A a d: MKisa -Government of India Portal for Farmer Centric Services
Gold A a d: Madh a P adesh Co e ial Ta Depa t e t a d Depa t e t of Co e ial Ta , Ta il
Nadu
il e A a d: E-Sahakar, an online Cooperative Society Process Management System of Maharashtra
Government
Comprehensive Web presence category
Plati u A a d: Mi ist of I fo atio & B oad asti g
Gold A a d: U io Mi ist of Health & Fa il Welfa e
il e A a d: Co t olle Ge e al of A ou ts
Comprehensive Web Presence State category
Plati u A a d: Maha asht a
Gold A a d: Ta il Nadu
il e A a d: Utta akha d
Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee conferred with Bharat Ratna
Honorable President Pranab Mukherjee has presented India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna to
former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Lutyen's Delhi. The event was
attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, senior leader LK Advani, Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with some close family members. The
event was completely kept away from the media.
Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 won by ISRO

Indian space agency, Indian Space Research Organization has been selected for the prestigious Gandhi
Peace Prize 2014. The grand award was chosen for ISRO by the jury under the chairmanship of the PM Shri
Narendra Modi.
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The year 2014 was the most successful year for ISRO. The agency successfully launched Mangalyaan or
Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and at a very low cost of 450 crore rupees. The successful launch makes India
the fi st Asia ou t to e te the Ma tia sphe e of i flue e. The o t i utio of IO fo the atio s
development is very high. The agency provides satellite based education, health care and connectivity to
community activities for sustainable economic development.
Abel Prize 2015 jointly won by Nash and Nirenberg
American Mathematician Dr. John Forbes Nash and Canada-born American Louis Nirenberg have been
named as joint winners of the 2015 Abel Prize, which is considered as the Nobel Prize in Mathematics. The
Abel Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences & Letters since 2003. The award is named in
the memory of famous Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. The award comprises a cash reward of
US$750,000.
The press release states that Nash a d Ni e e g a e e og ized fo st iki g a d se i al o t i utio s to
the theo of o li ea pa tial diffe e tial e uatio s a d its appli atio s to geo et i a al sis .
Nash was conferred with Nobel Prize in economics in 1994 for his work in ga e theo . The fil A
Beautiful Mi d as ased o Nash s life a d his ole as po t a ed a to ussell C o e. The
Mathematical giants will accept the prize from King Harald V of Norway during a ceremony in Oslo on May
19.
Adoor Gopalakrishnan honoured with Bishwaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award
Acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan on 29 March 2015 was honoured with Bishwaratna Dr Bhupen
Hazarika International Solidarity Award. He was presented the award by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi
at the function held at Guwahati, Assam.
The Award is a biennial award instituted in 2013 and named in the memory of the cultural doyen Dr
Bhupen Hazarika. The award carries a memento, citation, collection of books and cheque of 5 lakh rupees.
The award was instituted by the Asam Sahitya Sabha and sponsored by the Numaligarh Refinery Limited
(NRL).
Aditi Arya Crowned Femina Miss India 2015
Aditi Arya from Gurgaon, the industrial and financial capital at the NCR (National Capital Region), Delhi was
crowned the Femina Miss India 2015. The 52 nd edition of the event was held at Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai
on March 28th 2015.
The outgoing Miss India 2014 Koyal Rana conferred the crown to Aditi Arya. Aafreen Rachel Vaz and
Vartika Singh followed her as the first and second runner-ups. It was contested by 21 contestants in the
final audition round.
Femina Miss India contest is conducted in India annually, as a national beauty pageant to conclude the
representatives of India for the International pageant events like Miss World, Miss International and Miss
Continental. Miss India is to represent India for the International beauty pageant Miss World 2015. The
first and second runner-ups will represent Miss International 2015 and Miss Continental 2015 respectively.
Thereby the Femina Miss India 2015 concluded with the Indian representatives for all the International
Beauty pageants which are as follows
Aditi Arya - Represents India for Miss World 2015
Aafreen Rachel Vaz - Represents India for Miss International 2015
Vartika Singh - Represents India for Miss Continental 2015
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Madan Mohan Malviya conferred with Bharat Ratna
Veteran freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malviya was conferred with Bharat Ratna
(posthumously), highest civilian award of the country. His family members received the award from
President Pranab Mukherjee at the glittering function held at Durbar hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New
Delhi.
ACTS AND BILLS
Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha unanimously passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to amend Motor Vehicles Act,
1988, to help e-rickshaw ply in Delhi.
Here are key highlights below:
Date of passing: 3rd March 2015 by voice note.

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 introduced by Minister of State for Road Transport.
This bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988and replace the ordinance promulgated in this
regard in January.
The bill defines e-rickshaw and e-carts as special purpose battery powered vehicles with power up to
4000 watts.
If the bill will passes at Rajya Sabha, it will going to benefit 1 lakh e- rickshaw owners and drivers in the
capital. Road transport Minister Nitish Gadkari said while ensuring the livelihood of one lakh e-rickshaw
drivers, government will not compromise with the safety.
The driver of the vehicle will be owner and no one else will get the license.
An earlier Bill to regularize e-rickshaws was passed by the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session but as it was
stuck in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued the ordinance. The earlier bill was withdrawn.
The new rules provide that e-rickshaw will be allowed to carry four passengers and 40 kg
luggage whilee-carts would transport goods up to 310 kg.
The bill empowers Union Government to make the rules specifications, conditions and manner for
issuing driving license.
Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha passed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015to amend Citizenship Act, 1955. The bill was
introduced in Lok Sabha on 27th February 2015. The bill, if enacted will be considered to come into effect
on 6th January 2015. Here are key highlights below:
Date of passing: 2nd March 2015 by voice note

It allows the Union Government to relax the requirement of 12 months stay or service if special
circumstances exist in cases related to citizenship by registration and naturalization. Relaxation up to
30 daysmay be permitted by the government.
It provides additional grounds for registering an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card such as
o Minor children whose parent(s) are Indian citizens,
o spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI/ PIO cardholder subjected to certain conditions,
o great-grandchild of a person who is a citizen of another country ,but meets one of several
conditions of Citizenship Act, 1955
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A new provision is introduced, allowing the union government to register a person as an OCI
cardholdereven if he does not satisfy any of the listed qualifications.
It merges PIO and OCI cardholders.

It allows the union government to cancel the OCI card where it is obtained by the spouse of an Indian
citizen or Overseas Citizen of India cardholder,
o if the marriage is dissolved by a court, or
o The spouse enters into another marriage.
o It also says the government may shift a PIO cardholder, who enjoys fewer benefits, to be
OCI cardholders from a specified date.
Lok Sabha Passes Land Aquisition Bill
In the Lok Sabha, the new bill, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 was passed by Voice note after incorporating nine
amendments moved by governments. Arguing that Land Aquisition bill should not be sent in standing
committee, the congress walked out of Lok sabha.
Key Highlights of Bill are stated below
1. Date of Passing: 10th March 2015 by Voice note.

2. The bill was passed by incorporating Nine amendments.
3. Important Amendments are:
Land Acquisition only for industrial corridors set up by Government.Ordinance did not clarify the
inclusion of projects by private players.
Land acquired for industrial corridor cannot exceed 1 km on either side of designated rail line or road.
Compulsory employment for one member of affe ted fa la o e s fa il i the p oje t o i g up o
land.
Court can take cognizance of offence by government employee
Ordinance had sought govt sanction for prosecution;now it would be easy to pull up an official below
the rank of Joint Secretary.
Local redressal of complaints on Compensation.
Social infrastructure projects not exempt from consent clause and social impact assessment.
No acquisition for schools and hospitals by private persons.
Redressal of grievances at district level and prescribe that state determine the acquisition is for bare
minimum.
The opposition moved 52 amendments which were either nullified or were not pressed by members. Later
Congress, SP, TMC left and others walked out to let the bill passed by voice note. The Akali Dal has insisted
to restore the Co se t lause e esto ed a d the Shiv Sena remain stuck not to vote for the bill.
Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 gets Rajya Sabha Nod

Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 gets final a nod from Upper House on 12th March 2015. Seven
Years after it was first introduced by UPA, with the help of Congress. A bill seeking to raise Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) cap in insurance sector from 26% to 49% was approved by Rajya Sabha.
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Key Highlights of The Bill
The insurance laws (Amendment) Bill 2015 will replace the ordinance promulgated by government last
year.
The bill was passed on 12th March 2015 by Voice note.
It was first introduced in 2008.
The bill makes IRDA ( Insurance Regulatory Development Authority), the sole operator to impose
penalty, impose a ceiling on expense management or fix a remuneration etc..on insurance sector.
The FDI limit has been increased to 49% which may lead to inflow of $8 to $10 billion in insurance
sector.
It will also help in penetrating the insurance sector.
The bill was passed through voice note after a 3 hours debate which saw the left clashing with treasury
bench. the left parties, which has opposed the bill insisted that amendment they have moved be put to
electronic voting. Despite their opposition to bill, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal
(United) walked out and making it convenient to pass the bill.
Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015
This bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957
Key highlights of bill
Date of passing: 3rd March 2015

The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 24 February 2015.
It replaces an ordinance promulgated in January.
It was passed even it was protested by members from TMC, BJD, and RSP.
Legislation, steel and mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that bill once enacted will increase the
o Transparency
o End discretion
o Increase production
o Benefit the local population.
The bill encourages spending of fixed percentage of revenue generated from mining on the
o development of local areas
o abolition of discretionary power enjoyed by governments, which in turn will decrease corruption
Addition of a new 4th Schedule in to parent Act in order to include bauxite, iron ore, limestone and
manganese ore as notified minerals.
It allows the union government to increase the area limits for mining, instead of providing additional
leases.
It creates a new category of mining license named, the prospecting license-cum-mining lease, which is
a two stage-concession for the purpose of undertaking prospecting operations (exploring or proving
mineral deposits) followed by mining operations.
It changes the lease period for all minerals other than;

o Coal
o Lignite and
o Atomic minerals.
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o Mining leases for minerals shall be granted for a period of 50 years.
On expiry of the lease, the leases shall be put up for auction, instead of being renewed.
The tenure of the mineral concession has been increased from the existing 30 years to 50 years.
It specifies that any lease granted before the commencement of the Bill, shall be extended
o up to 31 March 2030 for minerals used for captive purpose and up to 31 March 2020 for minerals
used for other than captive purpose or
o Till the completion of renewal period or
o for a period of 50 years from the date of grant of such lease,
Whichever is later.
It states that union government shall prescribe the terms and conditions and procedure for auction for
the selection of bidders.
For mining leases, the government may reserve particular mines for a specific end use and allow only
eligible end users to participate in the auction.
It states that the holder of a mining lease or prospecting license-cum-mining lease may transfer the
lease to any eligible person, with the approval of the state government and as specified by the Union
government.
The DMF (District Mineral Foundation) is to be established by the state government and NMET
(National Mineral Exploration Trust) shall be established by the union government for regional and
detailed mine exploration.
There is separate provision for contribution to the DMF not exceeding 1/3rd of the royalty rate in the
respective minerals.
This sector forms over two percent of total GDP.
This will also deters illegal miners as there are jail terms as well as special court and illegal mining bill
has a penalty of Rs 5 lakh per hectare instead of Rs 25000 earlier.
The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha on 4th march 2015, Wednesday, passed theCoal Mines (special provisions) Bill, 2015 to allow e-
auction of coal blocks after supreme court cancelled their allocation leading to uncertainty in coal sector
amid by some oppositions.
key highlights:
Date of Passing: 4th March 2015 by voice note.

Date of introduction of bill: December 10, 2014 by the Minister of Coal, Piyush Goyal.
Some of the amendments were voted out, while some of the amendment were disapproved by voice
note, CPI M e e Bad uddoza Kha s a e d e t e e oted out.
It seeks to amend the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 and the Mines and Minerals
(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
The Bill s main objective is to enable private companies to mine coal for sale in the open market.
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The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015, would replace two ordinances issued by the government
o the first on October 21 last year and
o Second in December, after the apex court cancelled the allocation of 204 blocks
Categories of mines: The Bill creates three categories of mines:
Schedule I
(i) All the 204 coal mines cancelled by the Supreme Court in August 2014,
(ii) Any land acquired by the prior allottee in or around the coal mines, and
(iii) Mine infrastructure.
Schedule II
(i) 42 Schedule I mines that are currently under production or about to start production
Schedule III
Mines includes the 32 Schedule I mines that have been earmarked for a specified end-use.
A prior allottee shall not be eligible to participate in the auction process

if he has not paid the additional levy imposed by the Supreme Court, or
If he is convicted of an offence related to coal block allocation and sentenced to imprisonment for
more than three years.
Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said that this ill ould e su e transparent and honest p o ess
of auctioning of coal blocks. He warned that if the Bill is not passed, then there could be a crisis in the
coal sector with the closure of these mines.
e-auction has ensured open bidding and no monopoly in the process.
Adequate safeguards have been put in place to ensure the end-use restrictions and stop hoarding.
The Bill provides for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the
land and mine infrastructure together with mining leases to successful bidders and allottees through
atransparent bidding process.
Dipendra Hooda said all states have put money for development of coal mines over decades and if it is
now generating some money then they should get the share of the profits.
The e-Auction proceeds from the first lot of mines are over 1 Lakh crore and Auctioning of second
auction is in process.
The central government shall appoint a nominated authority who will be an officer of the rank of a
joint secretary in the government
Prior allottees shall be compensated for land and mine infrastructure. For the purpose of such
compensation, land shall be valued as per the registered sales deed together with 12% simple interest
from the date of purchase or acquisition, till the date of the execution of the vesting order. Mine
infrastructure shall be valued as per the audited balance sheet of the previous financial year. Prior
allottees shall not be entitled to compensation till the additional levy has been paid.
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Parliament passes bill to add some communities in SC list
Parliament passed a Bill to include certain communities in Scheduled Castes category in the states
of Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Lok Sabha passed the Constitution
(Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2015, by a voice vote. The Bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha
on February 24 2015.
The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said the Union Government is
well aware of the problems being faced by the Scheduled Castes (SC) in the country and is completely
ready to consider proposals received from states regarding the inclusion of any community in this
category.
The Union Government had set up a Rs 200 crore Venture Capital fund to provide soft loan to SC people
starting their own business.
As per the bill, the newly added communities are,
Kabirpanthi and Julaha Haryana,

Bhovi, od, odde, Vaddar, Waddar Karnatka
Dhoba, Dhobi, Dom, Dombo, Duria Dom, Katia, Kela, Nalua Kela, Khadala and Turi Odisha
Chamar Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Lok Sabha passes Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Lok Sabha passes Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015 on 18th March 2015.
The Wa ehousi g Co po atio s A e d e t Bill, seeks to do a a ith the Ce te s espo si ilit

of being a financial guarantor to Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC). The bill was passed by Lok Sabha
with Customer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan ruling out any move to privatize the Mini-Ratna
Company.
The bill was brought by previous UPA government in Lok Sabha and cleared by Parliamentary Standing
Committee. However, it lapsed with the dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha.
Key Highlights of the bill
Date of Passing: 18th March 2015.

The Bill seeks to amend the Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962.
The bill put to e d the Ce t al Go e e t s espo si ilit of ei g a fi a ial gua a to to the CWC in
order to follow the criteria to be a Mini-Ratna enterprise status.
The government has also not given any guarantee besides the payment of minimum guaranteed
dividendas required under some provisions of the act.
The bill seeks to withdraw the guarantee of the government and absolves it of its responsibility of
being the guarantor,
The a ehousi g o po atio a e d e t ill has a li ited s ope a d as e essitated y a legal

e ui e e t hi h said the go e e t ill ot e a gua a to fo a g ade o e i i-ratna company like
CWC , Paswan said.
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Union Cabinet Approves Black Money Bill
The Union Cabinet on 17th March 2015 cleared a stringent law proposed in the budget to curb black
money. The Black Money bill would be introduced in the Parliament in the current session. The Union
Cabinet also approved signing of a crucial accord with the US on exchange of financial information which
ill supple e t I dia s o effo ts to ta kle the e a e of la k o e .
Points to Remember:
Black Money bill makes concealing foreign assets and income from tax authorities a crime punishable
with a 10-year jail term and 300% fine on the tax evaded.
Bill empowers the government to notify a window when people with undisclosed foreign funds can
come clean.
The duration of this window along with the tax rate and penalty will be notified once Parliament clears
the bill.
The bill also provides for prosecution and penalty of individuals, banks or institutions for abatement if
they help anyone create or hide foreign assets.
The bill would be complemented by other legislation and measures, including a new Benami
Transactions (Prohibition) Bill that is in the process of being finalized
The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill cleared by cabinet also enables
enforcement agencies to attach and confiscate these assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering
Act.
The new bill announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech requires people to declare
foreign assets and income, including the date of opening their foreign bank accounts.
Union cabinet clears 33% quota for women in Delhi police
Union Cabinet on 20th March 2015 clears 33% quota for women in Delhi and other six Union
Territories. The move aims at increasing representation of women in police and to make the force gender
sensitive. The ese atio ill e a aila le to o e agai st all su h a a ies e isti g o the date of
issue of o de a d a a ies a isi g the eafte , the o de said.
Supreme Court strikes down section 66A of Information Technology act
In a verdict related to the freedom of speech on the Internet, the Supreme Court on 24th March
2015 scrapped Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, terming it as unconstitutional. The supreme
court said that section 66A is vague and violative of the fundamental right to freedom of speech.
Justices J Chelameswar and Rohinton F Nariman passing the judgement said that 66A the court cannot go
the go e e t s assu a es that the se tio ill ot e isused as that a ot e p ope l
implemented because governments come and go but section 66A will exist forever.
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INDIAN AFFAIRS
Election Commission of India Launches NERPAP Nationwide

The Election Commission of India has launched NERPAP National Electoral Roll Purification and
Authentication Programme, all over India with the objective of bringing a totally error free and
authenticated electoral roll.
The NERPAP programme include linking of Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) data with Aadhar data for
the purpose of authentication and also on improving image quality of electors along with sorting issues like
corrections of errors/mistakes etc.
Citizens who are eligible to vote can feed their respective Aadhar number via,
SMS
email
Mobile Application
National Voters Service Portal
By making a call at 1950 to state call centres
By submitting the details of Aadhar number and EPIC number in a hard copy
Akilesh Yadav has flagged off Varanasi Kathmandu Bus Service
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akilesh Yadav has flagged off the Indo-Nepal friendship us se i e that will
link Kashi and Kathmandu directly with two buses. The Varanasi to Kathmandu Bus service is called the
Bharat-Nepal Maitri Bus Seva I dia-Nepal Friendship Bus Service). The Varanasi to Kathmandu AC bus
will depart Varanasi at 10.30 p.m. and reach Kathmandu at 10.30 a.m.the next day through Azamgarh,
Gorakhpur and Sonauli. The fare from Varanasi to Kathmandu is Rs. 1,333.
I dia ail ay lau hed Go I dia a t Ca d
Indian Railways has launched a smart card scheme called Go I dia on a pilot basis on two sectors New
Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah. The card currently enables the railway passengers to pay for
reserved and unreserved tickets that can be used at ticket counters. The scheme was announced by
Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha.
The smart card can be used for issuing tickets at
Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS)

Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters
Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs)
For the first time, a passenger should pay a minimum amount of Rs.70 to get a card. He will get Rs.20
balance. Then he can recharge the card for a minimum of Rs.20 or in multiple of Rs.50 upto Rs. 5000. The
Maximum limit on Go-India smart card is Ten thousand rupees.
The smart card has a validity of life time. If the card is kept unused for 6 months, it will be temporarily
deactivated which can be activated again by paying Rs.50. The main objective of this scheme is to reduce
the transaction time at the booking counters for the convenience of passengers.
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BBC Telecasts the Documentary on Nirbhaya I dia s Daughte
The UK based British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has released the controversial documentary I dia s
Daughter, which is about the 16th December Delhi gang-rape despite Go e e t s a . The fil as due
to be aired o I te atio al Wo e s Da ut as ought fo a d.
The Central Government has refused to allow it to be released in India because it objected to the film-
makers releasing it without their approval. The interview created uproar in Parliament. Union Home
Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the media not to broadcast the documentary.
The Delhi court has also stopped the media from publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or uploading the
controversial interview on the internet. The Union Home Ministry had asked BBC not to broadcast the
documentary anywhere. The BBC said that it would not telecast the documentary in India. But the
interview was released in UK on the night of March 4.
The Documentary has revealed the name of the victim ie Jyoti Singh.
The Documentary was Directed by Leslee Udwin.
The video went viral immediately after the release on YouTube and the Indian Government has
demanded YouTube to delete that video.
India Joins Hands with Spain for Defence Cooperation
India has signed an agreement with pai o Mutual Protection of Classified Information to p o ide the
framework for enhanced cooperation in the defence sector. The agreement was signed between Spanish
Defence Minister Pedro Moremes and Indian defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The Spanish delegation
has showed their interest in participating in the Make-in-India initiative. Spain has expressed its interest
in P75I, a project under which India plans to build six conventional submarines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Seychelles, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka
In a move to strengthen the relationship between India and other countries, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is to begin a three nation visit to Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka from March 10th.
Modi will have bilateral discussions with Seychelles President James Alexis Michel to st e gthe I dia s
maritime ties and enhance development cooperation.
On March 11-12th, the PM will have extensive meetings with Mauritius Prime Minister Sir
Anerood Jugnauth to enhance the special and unique relations between the two countries.
On March 13-14th, the Prime Minister will have meetings with the newly elected Sri Lankan President
Maithripala Sirisena and other senior leaders.
Indian Monuments and Sites Nominated for UNESCO Heritage sites
India has sent a revised list of Monuments and Sites across the country for inclusion in the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), catalogue of world Heritage sites.
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Ministry of states for culture and tourism Dr.Mahesh Sharma on 4th March, Wednesday informed the
Rajya sabha that the list contains 46 monuments and sites. On his written reply to Rajya Sabha, Dr.Sharma
told the house that the list had been sent in April 2014. In 2014 there were only 32 monuments and sites
which were included in UNESCO, Catalogue of World Heritage Sites.
Health Ministry Launched 3-day Ca paig fo Bette Wo e s Health
The Union Health Ministry has launched a three-day (March 8 to March 10) nationwide campaign for
ensuring better health for women on Inte atio al Wo e s Da (March 8). Under the program, special
health check-up camps will be held at all district hospitals, sub-district hospitals, and community health
centers.
The hospitals will screen and carry out necessary investigations and if needed, will also provide
treatment free of cost. All women aged 40-60 years will be screened for breast cancer and between 30-60
years for cervical cancer. Antenatal and postnatal care services will also be provided and Mother and Child
Protection cards will be issued to the women.
ISIS Demolishes Ancient Hatra site in Iraq

Islamic State Militants have demolished the 2000 year old ancient city of Hatra in Northern Iraq. United
Nations has condemned this as an act of Barbarism. Hatra is situated 110 km south of Mosul, the largest
city under ISIS control. Few days back the militants released a video of smashing statues and carvings in the
it s useu , ho e to p i eless Ass ia a d Helle isti a tefa ts dati g a k , ea s. The e ai s of
theAssyrian city of Nimrud was bulldozed by the militants. Archaeologists have compared the assault on
I a s ultu al histo to the Tali a s dest u tio of theBamyan Buddhas in 2001.
NPCI has linked 15 Crore Bank Account with Aadhar Number

National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) said thatit has linked 15 crore bank accounts with Aadhaar
number, the unique identification number to the citizens of India.
National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)
NPCI is the nodal agency for all retail payment systems under the Jan Dhan scheme. It has achieved a
milestone by successfully linking 15 crores bank Accounts with Aadhar Number. NPCI was incorporated in
2008 under the companies ACT 1956 as Section 25 Company.
First India-Nepal Friendship Motor Rally completes at India Gate
The first India-Nepal Friendship Motor Rallywas concluded at lawns of India Gate. The rally was flagged off
at Puri, Odisha on February 27. A total of twenty four teams and about 90 riders were participated from
both the countries. They covered a distance of 3060 Km during the ten-day rally. The objective of the rally
is to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Nepal and also to spread the message of road
safety. The rally covered religious places related to Hinduism and Buddhism in the two countries.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj congratulated the organizers for spreading the message of road
safety via the motor rally. Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Pon
Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Shri Vijay Chhibber, Cha ge d affai es of
Nepal in India, Shri Krishna Prasad Dhakal were present on the occasion.
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Government to close down the Five sick Public Sector Undertakings
The Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete said that Government has decided to close the 5 sick
Public Sector Undertakings that include HMT and its three units, and Hindustan Shipyard. He also added
that the employees, who are working in these PSUs will be provided with good VRS package.
Government has listed a total of 65 sick PSUs in India. The Minister did not name any other PSUs which are
slated to be closed down. Air India and MTNL were declared as sick PSUs, after they incurred huge losses
worth 50% or more of their average net worth during four preceding years.
Coal Scam : CBI court summons former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
The CBI court has summoned the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over accusations of criminal
conspiracy and corruption in the illegal allocation of a coal field. Special CBI judge Bharat
Parasharsummoned five other accused in the coal scam. They are Kumar Mangalam Birla, Hindalco, P C
Parakh, B Shubhendu Amitabh, and D Bhattacharya.
Union Government Launches Pharma Jan Samadhan Scheme to address consumers G ie a es
Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ananth Kumarlaunched Pharma Jan Samadhan Scheme, which
is a web enabled system created by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), for redressal of
o su e s g ie a es elati g to p i i g and availability of medicines.
This s ste is speed a d effe ti e ith espe t to add essi g the o su e s o plai ts. It ould
definitely serve as a powerful e-go e a e tool fo p ote tio of o su e s i te ests th ough
the implementation of the Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013. In case of any complaints, NPPA will initiate
action within 48 hrs of its receipt. The scheme would also prevent black-marketing, artificial medicines and
illegal drug practices.
The Minister has also released Compendium of Ceiling Prices of Essential Medicines 2015 prepared by
NPPA.
Delhi Government to ban Raw Chewable Tobacco Products soon
The newly elected Delhi government has decided to enforce ban on the storage, sale, and purchase of
all kinds of raw chewable tobacco products such asgutkha, khaini and zarda in the National Capital. The
Health Minister Satyendra Jain has taken a serious initiative for banning all kind of raw chewable products
in the National Capital and he has also finalized the proposal.
In Delhi, gutka is being supplied to retailers from neighboring states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The
last day of every month has been declared as a Dry Day for Tobacco by the Delhi government.
The Law Commission of India submits its report on electoral reforms
The Law Commission of India on 12th 2015 submitted its report on Electoral Reforms to the Union Ministry
of Law and Justice, proposing wide ranging reforms
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Following is the summary of the report:
1. Election Finance
The Law Commission has mentioned wide ranging reforms on the issue of
candidate expenditure limits

disclosure obligations of individual candidates
political parties
penalties on political parties
examining the issue of state funding of elections.
2. Regulation of Political Parties and Inner Party Democracy
The Commission recommend the requirement of accompanying memorandum/ rules/ regulations with
the pa t s appli atio . This a o pa i g do u e t, hate e a e it is alled, should also
contain a specific provision stating that the party would shun violence for political gains, and would
avoid discrimination or distinction based on race, caste, creed, language or place of residence.
A new Chapter IVC should be inserted dealing with the egulatio of Politi al Pa ties and
incorporating the Co issio s p e ious e o e datio s i its th epo t ith e tai
modifications. Thus, sections 29J to 29Q will deal with:-
o internal democracy,
o party Constitutions,
o party organisation,
o internal elections,
o candidate selection,
o voting procedures,
o the ECI s po e to de-register a party in certain cases of non-compliance.
Another section, section 29R should be inserted, providing for the de-registration of a political party for
failure to contest Parliamentary or State elections for ten consecutive years.
3. Proportional Representation
The Law Commission recommends that the findings of the 170th Law Commission Report on the
proportional system may be examined by the Government to determine whether its proposals can be
made workable in India at present.
4. Anti Defection Law in India
The Law Commission recommends a suitable amendment to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution,
which shall have the effect of vesting the power to decide on questions of disqualification on the
ground of defection with the President or the Governor, as the case may be, (instead of the Speaker or
the Chairman), who shall act on the advice of the ECI. This would help preserve the integrity of the
Nation.
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5. Strengthening the office of the Election Commission of India
The ECI should be strengthened by first, giving equal constitutional protection to all members of the
Commission in matters of
Removability;
Making the appointment process of the Election Commissioners
The CEC consultative
Creating a permanent, independent Secretariat for the ECI.
6. Paid News and Political Advertisements
In order to curb the practice of disguised political advertisement

o disclosure provisions should be made mandatory for all forms of media. T
o he purpose of disclosure is two fold
first, to help the public identify the nature of the content (paid content or editorial content)
to keep the track of transactions between the candidates and the media.
Thus, a new section 127C should be inserted in the RPA to deal with the non-disclosure of interests in
political advertising. The ECI can regulate the specifics of the disclosure required.
7. Opinion Polls
The regulation of opinion polls is necessary to ensure that

o the credentials of the organisations conducting the poll is made known to the public
o the public has a chance to assess the validity of the methods used in conducting the opinion poll
o the public is made adequately aware that opinion polls are in the nature of forecasts or predictions,
and as such are liable to error.
Consequently, new sections 126C and 126D should be inserted in the RPA.
8. Compulsory Voting
The Law Commission does not recommend the introduction of compulsory voting in India and in fact,
believes it to be highly undesirable for a variety of reasons described above such as
being undemocratic, illegitimate, expensive, unable to improve quality political participation and
awareness, and difficult to implement.
9. Election Petitions
The introduction of o e o o e ele tio e hes i ea h High Cou t, desig ated so the Chief
Justice of the particular High Court, exercising jurisdiction over all election disputes under the RPA.
A single Judge shall ordinarily exercise such jurisdiction, although the Chief Justice can assign more
judges, if they so desire.
9. NOTA and the Right to Reject
The Law Commission currently rejects the extension of the NOTA principle to introduce a right to reject
the candidate and invalidate the election in cases where a majority of the votes have been polled in
favor of the NOTA option.
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This is premised on the fact that,

o the u de l i g p e ise of the up e e Cou t s de isio i NOTA was the importance of
safeguarding the right to secrecy, this secrecy rationale does not pre-empt the right to reject.
o good governance, the motivating factor behind the right to reject, can be successfully achieved by
bringing about changes in political horizontal accountability, inner party democracy, and
decimalization However, the issue might be reconsidered again in the future.
10. The Right to Recall
The Law Commission is not in favour of introducing the right to recall in any form because
o it can lead to an excess of democracy
o undermines the independence of the elected candidates
o ignores minority interests
o increases instability and chaos
o increases chances of misuse and abuse
o is difficult and expensive to implement in practice, especially given that India follows the first past
the post system.
11. Totaliser for Counting of Votes
The Co issio eite ates a d e do ses the ECI s suggestio for introducing a totaliser for the
counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines to prevent the harassment of voters in areas
where voting trends in each polling station can be determined.
Prior to the introduction of EVMs, ballot papers could be mixed under Rule 59A of the Election Rules,
although this was not permitted for EVMs. Using a totaliser would increase the secrecy of votes during
counting, thus preventing the disclosure of voting patterns and countering fears of intimidation and
victimisation.
Thus, similar to the existing Rule 59A, the Commission proposes to amend Rule 66A to empower the
ECI to decide when, and in which constituency and polling booths, to employ a totaliser, after taking
into consideration various factors and the overall context of the elections.
12. Restriction on Government Sponsored Advertisements
The Commission recommends regulating and restricting government sponsored advertisements six
months prior to the date of expiry of the House/Assembly to
o maintain the purity of elections
o prevent the use of public money for partisan interests of,inter alia
o highlighti g the go e e t s a hie e e ts
o ensure that the ruling party or candidate does not get an undue advantage over another in the
spirit of free and fair elections.
This can be achieved by inserting a new Chapter VIIB in Part V of the RPA prohibiting State/Central
government sponsored advertisements in the print or electronic media or by way of banners and
hoarders, six months prior to date of expiry of the term of the Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha.
Ho e e , a e eptio has ee a ed out fo ad e tise e ts highlighti g the go e e t s po e t

alleviation programmes or any health related schemes
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13. Restriction on the Number of Seats from which a Candidate May Contest
The Commission recommends an amendment of section 33(7) of the RPA, which permits a candidate to
contest any election (parliamentary, assembly, biennial council, or bye-elections) from up to two
constituencies.
In view of the expenditure of time and effort; election fatigue; and the harassment caused to the
voters,section 33(7) should be amended to permit candidates to stand from only one constituency.
14. Independent Candidates
The Law Commission recommends that independent candidates be disbarred from contesting
electionsbecause the current regime allows a proliferation of independents, who are mostly
dummy/non-se ious a didates o those ho sta d ith the sa e a e o l to i ease the ote s
confusion.
Thus, sections 4 and 5 of the RPA should be amended to provide for only political parties registered
with the ECI under section 11(4) to contest Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha elections.
15. Preparation and Use of Common Electoral Rolls
The La Co issio e do ses the ECI s suggestio s ega di g the i t odu tio of :
o Common electoral rolls for Parliamentary
o Assembly and local body elections.
However, given that introducing common electoral rolls will require an amendment in the State laws
pertaining to the conduct of local body elections, the Central Government should write to the various
States in this regard. We hope that the States will consider amending their laws based on the
suggestions of the ECI and the Law Commission.
I di a Ga dhi I te atio al Ai po t to get I dia s fi st ody s a e

Ne Delhi s Indira Gandhi International (IGI Ai po t sterminal ID is all set to get I dia s fi st od
scanner.United states Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)will be giving a illi ete a e s a e to
IGI Airport which will be installed in coming weeks. It will be thentested by Bureau of civil aviation security
(BCAS) which will look on health and privacy concern. These scanner is used globally including US.
SC Scraps OBC quota for Jats
The Supreme Court on 17th March 2015 struck down the center controversial decision to grant reservation
to Jats Community in jobs and educational institution terming it Negative and retrograde governance.
The Supreme Court has scrapped a year-old notification by the then-ruling Congress party-led United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) granting the status of a backward class to the Jat community.
This judgment will not have any bearing in the inclusion of the community in OBC lists notified by states.
Except Gujarat, Jats are included in the list of OBCs in all the states mentioned above.
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National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority keeps a check on prices of medicines in India
Union Government brought 52 new drugs under National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) control
to keep check on prices of essential medicines. The decision was notified by NPPA on 11 December 2014.
In an attempt to empower consumers and save them from paying more for medicines, the government is
set to make it mandatory for chemists to mention in the bill whether they are selling a price-controlled
product or not. Besides, the bill will also mention the price of the medicine as capped by the government.
The majority of the new drugs involve basic painkillers, antibiotics and medicines used for ailing skin
disorders and cancer. The price capping of the medicines was based on the average of the costs of all drugs
with over one per cent market share. With the move, the government ensures the improvement of
medicinal affordability.
Aadhar card is not mandatory: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of India has cleared all the doubts regarding the validity of Aadhar card to avail of
government subsidies. The SC has confirmed that the Aadhar card is not compulsory, and further, officials
who insist on them will be taken to task. This was headed byJustice Jasti Chelameswar. The court further
said that No pe so should e de ied a e efits o suffe fo ot ha i g the Aadhaa a ds issued
U i ue Ide tifi atio Autho it of I dia.
Vividh Bharati Service in FM mode was inaugurated in Mumbai
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has inaugurated the Vividh
Bharati Service in FM mode of All India Radio in Mumbai on March 17, 2015. He was accompanied by
Actors Jackie Shroff and Vikram Gokhale. The Mi iste said that the All I dia adio s FM e vice could cover
the whole country in the next couple of years.
The Vividh Bharti Service continues to be available on short and medium waves. The FM Vividh Bharti
channel is available on Akashwani at 102.8 MHz. This service will serve around two crore people in and
around Mumbai.
The Minister has added that at present 40% of India is covered by the FM service and the government
aspires to take the remaining 60% in the next two-two and a half years. The officials conveyed that AIR is
all set to inaugurate the launch of Vividh Bharati service in FM mode in other metros, which
includes Delhi and Chennai. The Vividh Bharati service is already available in the FM mode in Kolkata.
Astra successfully test-fired from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft
I dia s Ai to Air missile, ASTRA has been successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the
Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. Ast a is I dia s i dige ousl de eloped Beyond Visual
Range(BVR) missile. It is an all-weather, state-of-the-art missile developed by DRDO. Astra is 3.8 meter long
and it can engage and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speed. It is the smallest of the DRDO-
developed missiles and can be launched from different altitudes.
The last trial of Astra was conducted from a naval range on May 4, 2014, and it was also successful. It s
expected that Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft and Mirage-2000 fighters of the Indian Air Force will be
armed with Astra missiles.
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Policy Portal launched by IT Minsiter Ravi Shankar Prasad
IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Bharatniti.in, a public policy portal that attempts to put into
pe spe ti e poli atte s usi g a a ie t et o te po a app oa h.
The launching ceremony was held on March 18 at the Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, Delhi. IT Minister Ravi
Shankar Prasad, National general Secretary of BJP Muralidhar Rao, Chairman of National Book Trust Baldev
Bhai Sharma, and Prasar Bharati Chairman A Suriyaprakash were present on the occasion.
In the official website, Bharatniti.in des i es itself as a endeavour, a platform to shape up the narrative
of contemporary India necessarily through what we believe are the intrinsic values soaked with centuries of
wisdom .
The portal comprises featured opinion pieces and comments on various topics such as economics, foreign
affairs, governance, education, religion and cultural, a d a poli that has a di e t i pa t o toda s
India. Subject Experts, Leaders, scientists and senior journalists will share their expertise for the benefit of
the readers.
A ita h Ba h ha to lead I dia s fight agai st Hepatitis B
After Polio, the government has again roped Mr. Amitabh Bachchan to be the brand ambassador of its
campaign against Hepatitis B. According to latest World Health Organistion (WHO) data, hepatitis B is
responsible for 1.4 million deaths every year globally, as compared to 1.5 million deaths from AIDS and 1.2
million each from malaria and tuberculosis. The health ministry has finalized talks with Bachchan and is set
to launch the campaign in April.
ISRO is having talks with space agencies of United States, Russia, and France
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to collaborate with other space agencies on inter-
planetary explorations. From this collaboration, India is likely to acquire the knowledge to minimize the cost
of launching complex missions and enhancing technological capabilities in spacecraft design. Currently,
ISRO is having talks with space agencies of the United States of America, Russia and France.
Mu ai s Gi gau Cho patty to e e a ed as a aj Bhoo i
The BJP government in Maharashtra has decided to rename the area at Girgaum Chowpatty as Swaraj
Bhoomi to honor the veteran freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavishas accepted a proposal in this regard by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.
Since 2014, the Lokmanya Tilak Gaurav Samiti, an Independent Organization was demanding to name the
little garden adjoining Girgau Cho patt as a aj Bhoo i as he as e ated the e.
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Government of India Unveils Grahak Suvidha Kendra to Lodge Complaints against Misleading
Advertisements
The Government of India launched a dedicated portal called G ahak u idha Ke d a in Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Bangalore, Jaipur, Kolkata and Patna to help consumers register their grievances against misleading
advertisements (like particular medicine will help increasing height of a person or help bald person grow
hair). The portal was launched by Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.
Grahak Suvidha Kendra
The complaints registered on the portal will be taken up by authorities in the state or the central
government and appropriate action would be taken on complaints.
Any consumer in any part of the country can register on the portal and can lodge a complaint against
misleading advertisements.
The portal will be linked to all state authorities.
The portal also enables consumers to be informed of the action taken.
This will provide a host of services to consumers under one roof.
The Kendras are being launched on a pilot basis in only 6 cities. Based on the performance of these pilot
centres, this scheme will be extended to other parts of the country.
Currently, the Central Government is running the National Consumer Helpline . The u e is 1800-11-
4000. Consumers can lodge telephonic complaints (24/7) regarding their grievances. It has also assisted 22
states to set up and run state help lines in regional languages.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore inaugurated a Workshop on Still Photography and Videography
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore [MoS for Information and Broadcasting] inaugurated the first national
workshop on photography and videography at New Delhi. The Workshop was designed according to
pa a ete s of Go e e t of I dia s kill I dia i itiati e . More than 25 organisations from across the
country have participated in the day-long workshop.
According to Minister, the workshop is a good attempt to sharpen the skills of government personnel
associated with photography and videography.
The day-long workshop was organised by the I&B ministry. The Workshop has been designed to cover four
sessions covering the twin themes of Photography and Videography. Renowned Cinematographer Santosh
Sivan and Rajesh Bedi, the winner of Lifetime Achievement Award in the 3rd National Photography Awards
shared their experiences at the workshop.
ata Tata to head I dia ail ays Kaya Kalp Cou il
I dust ialist ata Tata ill head Kaya Kalp , a e i o ati e ouncil of Indian Railways, which is formed
to turn around the ailing state-run rail network. The Kaya Kalp council will also have two railway union
leaders Shiv Gopal Mishra and M Raghuvaiah. The main purpose of the council is to recommend
innovative methods and processes for the improvement, betterment and transformation of railways.
29 | P a g e
Officials from Railway ministry said former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai is likely to join the
Kaya Kalp council as a member.
While Presenting the Railway Budget (on Feb 26), the Railway minister Suresh Prabhakar
Prabhu announced about the i o atio ou il Ka akalp , hi h ill pla the ai ole i usi ess e-
Engineering and also in introducing a spirit of innovation in Indian Railways.
Union Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana
The Union Cabinet of India gave its approval to thePradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), which
will be implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through theNational Skill
Development Corporation (NSDC). The total fund allocated for PMKVY is Rs. 1500 Crores.
International Conference on Counter Terrorism
I dia s fi st o fe e e o Counter-Terrorism was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan for three days (March 19 to
March 21). The conference was named as International Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015and it was
organised by India Foundation in association with the Sardar Patel University of Police Security and
Criminal Justice-Jodhpur. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Counter-
Terrorism.
Health Minister launches Media Campaign to educate public on Immunization
The Union Government of India launched 15 day multi-media campaign to educate the public about the
importance of Immunization, ahead of implementing the health p og a e Mission Indradhanush i
April. The ambitious mission aims to cover all children in India who are either unvaccinated or are partially
vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases by 2020. The diseases are tetanus, hepatitis B,
diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B, and Polio.
The campaign was launched by Union Health Minister JP Nadda in New Delhi. The mission Indra Dhanush
will also provide vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenza Type B in selected
districts. The purposeful campaign involves advertisements, workshops, and other activities to reach out
the people and also to create awareness about the benefits of immunisation.
Andhra Pradesh to name New Capital City as Amaravathi
I dia s southe state of A dh a P adesh has ee looki g fo a e apital it afte it as di ided i t o

to create the new state of Telangana last year.
According to state government officials it is likely to choose Amaravathi a famous pilgrimage center for
Hindus and Buddhists.
Points to Remember:
The actual site earmarked for the new capital is 22 miles away Amaravathi town.
Nearly 33,000 acres of land has been procured by the state government for the new capital,
The construction work will commence by the end of June and be completed in the next three years.
A Singapore firm has been assigned the job of preparing a design for the new city.
30 | P a g e
He said the fou datio sto e fo the e apital ould e laid o a auspi ious da .
Hyderabad is the joint capital of both the states, but only for a period of 10 years
Phase I of the new capital city would comprise 31 villages (including some hamlets) in three mandals
viz., Mangalagiri, Thullur and Tadepalle mandals.
Indian Railways Launched Ru-Pay pre-paid debit card

IRCTC launched the debit card service on 24th March 2015. Railway passengers can now book their tickets,
do shopping and pay service bills using RuPay pre-paid cards.
Points to remember
The service was launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in
collaboration with the Union Bank of India and the National Payment Corporation of India.
uPa is I dia s o a d pa e t gate a et o k like Visa a d Maste Ca d, a d p o ides a
alternative system for banks to provide a debit card service.
A K Manocha said the card is a first-of-its-kind in the market as both virtual as well as physical cards
are being issued to customers in two variants.
Cards can be made available from UBI offices or through IRCTC online. Initially the service will be
available for booking tickets and later on shopping and bill payments will be added.
uPa s a d holde ill get f ee s lakh a ide t i su a e o e age as pa t of the e efits to
customers.
One can have the card with a loading limit of s , ith pa tial K o You Custo e KYC
detail or Rs 50,000 loading limit with full KYC.
The first five transactions per card every month done on IRCTC for purchase of train tickets will be
free and no transaction charges will be levied to customers for six months only.
For every subsequent transaction post the free usage, customer will be charged Rs 10 per
transaction.
The transaction charge would be Rs 10 per ticket for booking a ticket through the card on the IRCTC
portal.
Government of I dia lau hes T itte a ad fo di e t o u i atio et ee Go e e ta d

citizens.
The Government of India launched Twitter Samvad, a new platform to facilitate direct communication
between leaders and citizens. It is launched in association with social networking service Twitter. The
Twitter Samvad is based on the platform provided byZipDial, which is an Indian company recently acquired
T itte , aki g this the o pa s fi st I dia se i e lau hed usi g i dige ous te h olog .
Rishi Jaitly, Twitte s Ma ket Di e to fo I dia a d outheast Asia, said: We are proud to have launched a
service here that is for the people and of the people. This can eventually give every political leader and
every government organization a mobile microphone to connect with each Indian, whether in Imphal or in
Diu or in Leh or in Pudducherry.
Ministry of Railways constituted Ajay Shankar Committee to review PPP Cell functioning
The Ministry of Railways appointed Ajay Shankar committee on 25 March 2015 to review the performance
of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) cell functioning under the Railway Board.
31 | P a g e
Points to Remember
The Committee will recommend measures to make the cell more effective, customer friendly and
result oriented.
The Infrastructure Directorate of Railway Board will be the Nodal Directorate for functioning of the
Committee and Executive Director/Traffic (PPP) Railway Board will be the Secretary to the Committee.
During the Rail budget speech in February 2015, Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had promised
to revamp the existing PPP cell in the Railways in order to make it more result oriented.
Government also had unveiled its plan to invest Rs.8.5 trillion in the railways in next 5 years.
By channelizing PPP, railways is seeking to improve its freight business and investment in its
infrastructure.
Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the National Super Computing Mission
Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved
theNational Super Computing Mission on 25 March 2015.
Points to Remember
National Super Computing Mission aims at bringing the High Performance Computing (HPC)
facilities within the reach of the scientific community by indigenous super computing infrastructure.
The mission will be implemented at an estimated cost of 4500 crore rupees over a period of seven
years.
The mission will be jointly implemented by
o the Department of Science and Technology (DST)
o Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) through the Centre for
Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
o The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore .
A vast super computing grid comprising of more than 70 High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities
will be established in national academic and Research and Development (R&D) Institutions across the
county.
The grid will be connected with the computing infrastructure set up under the National Knowledge
Network (NKN).
Advanced HPC facilities will be developed using indigenous resources to make the intended super
computing grid operational.
The above two components are in tune with Digital India and Make in India initiatives of the Union
government.
The mission also intends to develop applications of national relevance by using these new facilities
Spectrum Auction : Idea emerges largest cross-spectrum bidder
The government on 26th march 2015 announced the results of the biggest auction of 2G and 3G air waves
after Supreme Court lifted its ban. On February 26, the apex court allowed the government to go ahead
with the auction of spectrum of bands 800, 900, 1800 and 2100 for all States from March 4. However, it
said the result of the auction should not be finalised without its permission.
Points To Remeber
Idea Cellula , the ou t s thi d la gest ope ato , bid a maximum of Rs.30,306.98 crore to buy
spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2,100 MHz bands.
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Airtel bid Rs.29,130.20 crore in the same bands.

Vodafone bid Rs.29,959.74 crore in the same bands.
Mukesh Ambani-run Reliance Jio and Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communication bid bought spectrum in
800 MHz and 1800 MHz bands for Rs.10,077.53 crore and Rs.4,299.13 crore, respectively.
Tata Teleservices will shell out Rs.7,851.33 crore for radiowaves in 800 MHz and 1800 MHz.
Aircel will pay Rs.2,250 crore for spectrum in 1800 MHz band.
No a s Tele or was the only company participant not to win any spectrum.
First goods train flagged off from Lumding to Silchar by Railway Minister
The Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on 27 March 2015 flagged off the first goods train from Lumding to
Silchar in Assam.
Points to Remember
Suresh prabhu, Railway Minister, flagged off first good train on 27th March 2015.
He flagged off the train through video conferencing at a function in New Delhi.
He announced a cash award for those involved in the Lumding-Silchar gauge conversion project which
will give result to better rail connectivity in North Eastern states.
The gauge conversion of 210 kilometer Lumding-Silchar section in Assam connects Barak valley of
Assam with the rest of the country.
the gauge was completed at a cost of 3500 crore rupees.
The broad gauge line comrpises of 21 tunnels (with the longest of 3.23 kilometer length), 79 major
bridges and 340 minor bridges, 28 stations and four halt stations.
Lumding is a town and a municipal board in Nagaon district in Assam.
Silchar is the headquarters of Cachar district of Assam and lies 343 kilometres south east of Guwahati.
Hi a hal P adesh asse ly lau hes I dia s fi st E-Vidhan Mobile apps
Himachal Pradesh Government launched part one of E-Vidhan Mobile apps, that will enable all 68
members of state assembly to get the entire House business on their smartphones and tablets, laid in the
House 45 minutes before the beginning of the daily proceedings. With this Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha
became the first state assembly in the country to launch this app to facilitate smart-working.
India will host the seventh Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in 2016
The Asian ministerial conference is set to endorse a regional implementation plan of the new post-2015
framework for disaster risk reduction. This will form a key element of the initial global effort to implement
the new framework.
Points to Remember
Asian Ministerial Conference was announced on 17 March 2015.

Asian Ministerial Conference was announced by Home Minister of India Rajnath at the Third UN World
Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held in Sendai, Japan.
This will be the first AMCDRR to be hosted by India in the post-2015 framework for Disaster Risk
Reduction, though India had hosted the Second AMCDRR in 2007.
The conference in 2016 will be held in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNISDR).
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The Sixth Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction was held in Thailand from 23 June to
26 June 2014.
India becomes the Third Largest Steel Producer in the World
India has become the third-largest steel producer in the world by overtaking United States (US) in first two
months of year 2015.
According to the data Reveled by world steel association (WSA), India has produced 14.56 million tonnes of
steel in the first two months of ea a d eat the U ited tates to e o e the o ld s thi d-largest
producing country.
Two interceptor boats, FPV commissioned into Indian Coast Guard s Easte Fleet
Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) named Anagh and Two Interceptor Boats named C-430 and C-417 were
o issio ed i to I dia Coast Gua d s Easte Fleet. The ee o issio ed Lieute a t Ge e al
Ajay Kumar Singh (retd), Lt Governor of Puducherry in a traditional ceremony with full military honours in
Che ai. These o issio ed ships ill e ha e Coast Gua d s apa ilit i fu the i g its a date of
maritime safety and security, environmental protection. It will also enhance the coastal security capability
and add more teeth to its existing fleet on the Eastern Sea Board.
Delhi High Court bars Glenmark from making anti-diabetes drugs
Glenmark Pharmaceuticals has been barred by the Delhi High Court (HC) from making, marketing or selling
its anti-diabetes medicines on the ground that it had prima facie infringed the patent of US drug giant
Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD).
Gle a k s medicines, Zita and Zita-Met, cost pe e t less tha MD s Ja u ia a d Ja u et, which is
due to the customs duty paid by the US firm, the court said adding no allegation has been made that MSD
sells its drugs at a relatively high price that hinders access to the drug.
A Bench of Justices S. Ravindra Bhat and Najmi Waziri, while granting an interim injunction in favour of
MSD, also said that the price difference between the drugs of the two companies is not so startling as to
compel the court to infer that allowing Glenmark to sell the drug at depressed prices would result in
increased access.
Andhra Pradesh, University of Singapore to ink MoU to promote ease of doing business
Andhra Pradesh government, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) have signed MoU to work on Ease of Doing Business in the state. It was signed for cooperation in
elatio to Maste pla o Ease of Doi g Busi ess i A dh a P adesh MEDBAP : Visio . The tripartite
MoU will be effective from April 1, 2015 and valid for three years i.e. upto March 31, 2018
BJP e o es the o ld s la gest politi al pa ty i the world
The ruling BJP has become the largest political party in the world in the past five months taking its
membership to 8.80 crore.
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Points to Remember
The Communist Party of China was until now considered the largest party with about 8.60 crore members.
The party hit the 8.80 crore mark on 29th March 2015. BJP expects its membership to cross 10 crore by the
end of the march.
Party president Amit Shah will announce the final figure at the national executive to be held in Bangalore
on 3-4 April 2015. Enrollment through missed calls is a huge improvement. The membership drive will
officially come to an end on March 31 but there are chances that it may be extended in a few states like
Maharashtra.
BANKING AND FINANCE
IMF aises I dia s g o th fo e ast to 7.2% for current fiscal
India has recovered its economy as IMF (International Monetary Fund) has termed India a Bright spot on
the global economic landscape. IMF on 11th March 2015 has raised its forecast to 7.2% for current Fiscal.
The new forecasts have taken into account a revised methodology adopted by India earlier this year for
al ulati g the GDP figu es, a out hi h IMF said that the ou t has i p o ed the a it easu es
e o o i output . Chief Ad ise A i d u a a ia a d BI Go e o aghuram Rajan have termed new
Methodolog Puzzli g .
Both Arvind Subramanian and RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan have been in IMF in the past. Last year IMF
had forecasted a growth rate of 5.6% percent for current fiscal and 6.4% for the next. IMF said that India
has become the fastest growing economy in the big emerging market and the growth rate would further
accelerate to 7.5%.
IAG to raise stake in Indian joint venture with SBI to 49%
Insurance Australia Group Ltd (IAG) has decided to raise its stake in SBI General Insurance, a joint venture
with the State Bank of India, from 26% to 49%. The IAG has made this decision within few days of
Parliament clearing the Insurance Bill. SBI General, a 74:26 joint venture between SBI and IAG of Australia,
began its operation in 2010. Now the SBI will dilute its stake in SBI General Insurance from 76 percent to 51
percent.
Max Bupa, a health insurer, is a joint venture between Max India (with 74% stake) and U.K.-based global
healthcare group Bupa (26%). In January, Bupa Insurance had said that it would raise stake to 49 per cent
from the current 26 per cent. This company also commenced its operations in 2010.
Some other Indian banks that have insurance joint ventures with foreign partners may also look at diluting
stake in the future, but not immediately.
elia e I dust ies Li ited is I dia s la gest o pa y i te s of assets
elia e I dust ies Li ited has e o e the I dia s la gest o pa i te s of asset ith the asset o th
Rs. 3.68 Lakh Crore. This offer is given by corporate Affairs Minister, Arun Jaitely by a written reply to Rajya
sabha. The list is based on data from 4,15,886 companies which had filed their balance sheets for the year
2013-14 till November 30, 2014.
The total alue of all the assets of the 4,15,886 companies amounts to Rs.117.08 lakh crore and the share
of top te o pa ies i the total alue of assets as . pe e t o Ma h , , M Jaitle said.
1. Reliance Industries Limited Rs. 3.68 Lakh Crore
2. Indian Oil Corp Rs. 2.52 lakh crore
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3. Housing Development Finance Corp Rs. 2.25 lakh crore

4. Power Finance Corp Rs 1.94 lakh crore
5. National Thermal Power Corporation Rs. 1.80 lakh crore
6. Rural Electrification Corp Rs. 1.53 lakh crore
7. Power Grid Corp Rs. 1.40 lakh crore
8. Life Insurance Corporation Housing Finance Rs. 95,777 crore
9. Steel Authority of India Rs. 91,962 crore
10. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limted Rs. 89,333 crore
In the list of top 10 Corporate in terms of assets, Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Housing
Development Finance Corp (HDFC) are the only two firms from the private sector.
Reserve Bank of India has Eased the norms for Home Loans
In a striking move, the Reserve Bank of India has eased the norms for home loans for up to 10 lakh
rupees by authorizing the banks to include stamp duty, registration, and other documentation charges to
the cost of a unit. Usually these charges from around 15 per cent of the cost of the house and place a huge
burden on people. Right now, the banks do not include stamp duty, registration and other documentation
charges in the cost of housing property.
The Reserve Bank India has also said that in case government projects, banks may pay out the loans as per
the payment stages prescribed by authorities. The RBI has also notified that the payments sought from
house buyers are not linked to the stages of construction.
Reserve Bank of India to put One Rupee note in Circulation
After a long gap of 20 years, one rupee notes are all set to come back into circulation. The Reserve Bank of
India said the notes to be issued would be legal tender as provided in The Coinage Act 2011. The official
statement The BI ill soo put i i ulatio u e otes i o e upee de o i atio . The otes ill
e p i ted the Go e e t of I dia .
Details
Dimensions 9.7 by 6.3 cm
Made of 100 per cent cotton rag content.
Weight 90 grams per sq meter
Thickness of 110 microns.
Bear Ashoka Pillar symbol as Watermark
Carry a hidden numeral in the center
Hidden word Bharat (in Hindi) will be on the right hand side of the note.
Colour Pink Green
Note carries the signature of Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi.
The currency note will contain words Bharat Sarkar and Government of India.
Also carries the rupee symbol of 2015 with Sataymev Jayate words printed on it.
The surrounding design will consist of the picture of Sagar Samart.
The printing of one rupee note was discontinued in November 1994. Printing Two Rupee and Five Rupee
notes were stopped in 1995. Only coins have been issued for this denominations and older notes are still in
circulation.
36 | P a g e
RBI barred Macau and Hong Kong citizens from buying property in India
The Reserve Bank of India has barred Macau and Hong Kong, the two special administrative regions of
China, from acquiring or transferring immovable properties in India.
The countries which are previously barred from acquiring or transferring immovable properties in India
without permission from the RBI under the Foreign Exchange Management (Acquisition and Transfer of
immovable property in India) Regulations, 2000 are
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Sri Lanka
Afghanistan
China
Iran
Nepal
Bhutan
HDFC Bank launched mobile app Chillr to instantly transfer money to any person in India
HDFC Bank announced the launch of Chillr, a mobile app which allows users to instantly transfer money to
any contact in their phone book. Chillr is a first of its kind application that is linked directly to the
usto e s a k a ou t, so the e is o eed to o a out filli g up a p epaid allet
Life Insurance Corporation of India to invest Rs.1.5 Lakh Crore in Railways
I dia s iggest i su e , the Life Insurance Corporation has committed to invest Rs 1.5 lakh crore in Indian
railways over the next five years. The MoU was signed between Financial Commissioner (Railways)
Rajalakshmi Ravikumar and LIC Chairman SK Roy and it was witnessed by Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley and the Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu.
LIC will invest in bonds issued by various railway entities such as Indian Railways Finance Corporation.
There will be a 5 year moratorium in interest and loan repayment. The rate will be linked to 10-year
benchmark plus 10 basis points. The bonds will have a tenor of 30 years and will be disbursed over the next
five years.
Insurance companies in India are mandated to invest the total premium collected in a fiscal in different
sectors. i.e.,
50% Government-approved securities

35% Equities and other instruments
15% Infrastructure.
Swachh Bharat may add 1% extra service tax to 5-star Bills
The government has identified five high e d se i es ,bills in four and five star hotels for one which will
attract additional service tax to fund PM Modi s a hh Bha at Ca paig , leaving a big dent in your
pocket. The government is expected to notify an additional 1% levy asagainst enabling provision of levying
upto 2% cess over Service tax.
37 | P a g e
The government aims to raise 14,000 crores annually for the Swachh Bharat kosh, which include 1% cess
on the five services. Levy of 200 tonn on coal, Details on other four services are not available.
The move to impose additional service tax is expected to fetch 2000 crore a year while coal is expected to
generate around 6000 crore.
Reserve Bank of India cuts Repo Rate by 25 Basis Points

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points, from 7.75 percent to 7.5
percent. The reverse repo rate moved down to 6.5 percent consequently. The cash-reserve ratio is kept
unchanged at 4 percent. It is the II change in repo rate since January 2015.
The reasons behind this cut, according to RBI governor Raghuram Rajan include better Fiscal Consolidation
and less combined fiscal deficit due to transfer of more funds to states from the center.
Bank shares are in a high demand after the announcement of new repo rate.
Current Reserve Rates
Bank rate 8.5%
CRR 4%
SLR 21.5%
Repo rate 7.5%
Reverse repo rate 6.5%
Marginal Standing 8.5%

facility rate
Na e d a Modi Fo alizes I dia s I flatio Ta get ith ese e Ba k of I dia
The Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India have signed a monetary policy agreement that will
fix a target for consumer price inflation of 4% for the 2016/17 fiscal year. As per the agreement, the RBI
will aim to bring retail inflation below 6 percent by January 2016. This is the biggest change in the
Monetary Policy of India, since the 1991 Financial Reforms.
RBI signs $400 million currency swap pact with Sri Lanka
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has signed a US $400 million currency swap agreement with the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka. The currency swap agreement will allow central banks of both nations to make
withdrawals of US Dollar or Euro in multiple tranches up to a maximum of USD 400 million or its
equivalent. The agreement will be valid for a period of three years and further economic co-operation
between the two countries. It will also bring in more financial stability in the region.
38 | P a g e
Union Government approves 10 FDI proposals worth Rs.2857.83 crore
Union Government has approved 10 Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) proposals worth 2857.83 crore
rupees. These FDI proposals were approved by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB).
Important Proposals
Ai Wo ks I dia E gi ee i g P i ate Li ited s proposal to increase foreign equity investment at Rs

40 crore.
Ost o E e g s p oposal to i est s. , o e o e e t fou -five years in wind energy assets in
India via downstream investment.
IPCA La o ato ies p oposal fo FII i est e t up to per cent i.e. Rs 900 crore.
Reckitt Benckiser (India) proposal to acquire 24.88 per cent stake in Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare
India from its foreign investor. This deal will result in a foreign fund outflow of Rs 750 crore.
ge e I te atio al s p oposal to inject 380 crore rupees through 10 per cent foreign equity
participation into the company.
Ambuja Cements proposal for acquisition of 24 per cent shares in its holding company Holcim
(India) for a share swap worth Rs 3,500 crore has been referred to the Cabinet Committee on
Economic Affairs (CCEA).
SEBI sets norms to govern international financial centres
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) approved guidelines to govern international financial
services centres (IFSC). These guidelines were approved by SEBI board meeting on 22 March 2015. The
news guidelines relax the norms for Stock exchanges and clearing corporations to set up IFSC. It also
relaxes norms and allows existing exchanges to set up their subsidiaries in the IFSC.
GOI approves 17 Mega Food Parks for food processing across the country
Government of India has approved 17 mega food parks for food processing across the country. It was
announced by Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Out of these 17 food
parks, 7 parks have been allotted to state agencies whereas 10 to private players in 11 states. The Mega
Food Park scheme aims at facilitating the establishment of a strong food processing industry in the
country. It will be backed by an efficient supply chain, which includes collection centres, central processing
center (CPC) and cold chain infrastructure.
39 | P a g e
IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed sworn in as the CM of Jammu and Kashmir
Mufti Mohammed Sayeed of People s De o ati Party (PDP) sworn in as the Chief Minister of Jammu
and Kashmir for the second time. The PDP has collaborated with Bharatiya Janata Party to form a new
oalitio go e e t a d e ded the da s of Go e o s ule i the state.
Nirmal Singh of BJP, sworn in as the new Deputy Chief Minister of the state. Totally thirteen MLAs
including Sayeed from the PDP and Twelve MLAs from BJP and Peoples Conference combine were sworn-in
as ministers. The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, L K Advani, Murli
Manohar Joshi, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Party Secretary Amit Shah and General
Secretary Ram Madhav.
Jagmohan Dalmiya set to come back as BCCI President
Former International Cricket Council (ICC)President Jagmohan Dalmiya is all set to come back as
the Boa d fo Co t ol fo C i ket i I dia s BCCI p eside t. Dalmiya will be replacing N Srinivasan, in the
oa d s a ual ge e al eeti g.
The path for Dalmiya was cleared after another former president Sharad Pawar failed to get a proposer
from East zone.
Arun Singh: New Indian Ambassador to United States of America
A u i gh, I dia s A assado to F a e, has ee a ed as the I dia A assado to U ited tates. He

ill epla e Jaisha ka u ah a a , I dia s Fo eign Secretary. Indian Government has already sent an
agreement to the Government of United States, regarding Singh as its next Ambassador and was awaiting a
response from them. However, according to the reports, the new shuffling will be only done after Modi s
proposed visit to Paris in April.
Baldev Sharma Appointed as the Chairman of National Book Trust
Human Resource and Development Minister Smriti Irani has appointed the former editor of Panchajanya,
Baldev Sharma as the new chairman of National Book Trust. Panchajanya is one of the Rashtriya
a a se ak a gh s pu li atio s. The post as p e iousl held ethu adha a , ho has a e
long literary career of nearly five decades. He authored more than 15 novels and 20 collections of short
stories.
Obama re-nominates Sunil Sabharwal as Alternate Executive Director of IMF
United States President Barack Obama has re-nominated Indian-American Investor Sunil Sabharwal as
Alternate Executive Director at theInternational Monetary Fund (IMF). He was previously nominated in
April 2014 to the same position. Mr Sabharwal has been an independent investor in the payments sector
since 2006.
40 | P a g e
RM Vishaka appointed as MD & CEO of IndiaFirst Life Insurance
R M Vishakha has been appointed as theManaging Director and Chief Executive Officer of IndiaFirst Life
Insurance. She is the first woman to lead the company. She has more than 25 years of experience in the
financial services industry including that of working with life and non-life insurers. Previously Vishakha held
the post of Chief Business Officer at IndiaFirst Life. Vishaka has replaced Dr. P. Nandagopal as MD & CEO.
Kewal K Sharma assumed charge as Chief Secretary of Delhi
Home Minister Rajnath Singh approved the appointment of Kewal K Sharma as the Chief Secretary of
Delhi. Shri Kewal Sharma, a 1983 batch Senior IAS officer, was appointed as the Chief secretary of Delhi
on 3rd March 2015. Sharma assumed charge as Chief Secretary on 9th March 2015.
Previously, he had been serving as the Chief Secretary of Goa. Sharma had rendered service in many parts
of the country, which includes Delhi, Goa, Lakshadweep, Arunachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh. He was
posted in Delhi as the principal secretary of PWD from 2011 to 2014 and has also been the Commissioner
(housing), DDA and the project Director of Dwarka sub-city.
Saif Ali Khan to promote an India-centric tourist campaign for Britain
The atio al tou is age of E gla d, Visit Britain sig ed Boll ood a to a d P odu e Saif Ali
Khan to promote an India-centric British campaign. The actor was signed for the Bolly ood Ca paig o
10th March 2015. The promotional campaign is likely to include locations like London, Oxford,
Cardiff which are popular with Indian tourists.
Mary Kom Appointed as Ambassador for North East
The Union Government has decided to appoint Olympic medallist boxer MC Mary Kom as thebrand
ambassador for north-east India to promote the region all over India and also in other countries. The
official announcement has been made by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Development of North
East Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh while addressing the 10th North East Business Summit in New Delhi.
Central Government appointed Nine Executive Directors in Public Sector Banks
The Union Government of India has appointed a total of nine Executive Directors in Public Sector Banks on
11th march 2015. The Appointments Committee has approved the appointments of these Executive
Directors. Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan headed a selection panel for these
appointments.
LIST OF APPOINTMENTS
1. Charan Singh UCO Bank

2. K Venkata Rama Moorthy Bank of Baroda
3. RP Marathe Bank of India
4. Harideesh Kumar B Canara Bank
5. NK Sahoo Allahabad Bank
6. Pawan Kumar Bajaj Indian Overseas Bank
7. Ravi Shankar Pandey Syndicate Bank
8. Kishore Piraji Kharat Union Bank of India
9. RC Lodha Central Bank of India
41 | P a g e
Ashu Suyash Appointed as the new MD & CEO of CRISIL
Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited(CRisiL) has appointed Ashu Suyash, a mutual fund
i dust ete a , as it s e Ma agi g Di e to a d Chief E e uti g Offi e . he ill e epla i gRoopa
Kudva from 1st of June. At present Suyash is the CEO of Larsen & Toubro Investment Management. She
had also worked with the Citigroup. Suyash has more than 26 years experience in the Indian financial
services industry.
Abid Ali Neemuchwala appointed as the Group President and Chief Operating Officer of Wipro
Wipro has appointed a Chief Operating Officer (COO), former TCS BPO head Abid Ali Neelmuchwala. Abid
Ali Neelmuchwala, 48, will be group president and COO with effect from April 1, 2015. As Wipro COO
Neemuchwala will head most service lines, he will head business operations, geographies comprising
continental Europe, Africa and Latinm America, and Startegic Engagements.
Ruth Porat appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Google Inc
Google Inc appointed Ruth Porat as it s e Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She replaced Patrick
Pichette who announced his retirement on 10 March 2015. She will report to Google CEO and Co-Founder
Larry Page. Currently Ruth Porat is working as Chief Financial Officer at Morgan Stanley, an American
multinational financial services corporation.
Google s sha es ose . % afte Po at s appoi t e t. It is also eleased that Google will be paying more
than $70 million a year, putting her among the highest-paid CFOs in the World.
Vikas Swarup to succeed Syed Akbaruddin as MEA spokesman
Senior diplomat Vikas Swarup has been appointed as Spokesperson in the External Affairs Ministry.
Swarup was a 1986 IFS-batch officer currently holding the charge of Joint Secretary (United Nations-
Political) in the External Affairs Ministry. Swarup will succeed Syed Akbaruddin, who has been promoted as
Additional Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry.
It should be noted that Vikas Swarup is the author of world-wide acclaimed novel Q & A which was made
i to lu dog Millio ai e . The o el Q & A has ee t a slated i to la guages. warup is expected
to take over the position from April 18th, after PM Modi Ji returns from his nine-day trip to Europe and
Canada beginning April 9th.
42 | P a g e
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Mi osoft s Paul Alle Dis o e ed Japa s WW II Wa hip Musashi
US multi-billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allenhas discovered the famous War ship of World War
II Japa s Musashi a d it s siste ship Yamato in Sibuyan Sea, a seabed of Philippines. Musashi was sunk
by American forces during the war, 70 years ago. It is one of the largest battleships in history.
Musashi was designed to take on multiple enemy ships simultaneously. It was launched in November 1940.
Musashi weighed 73,000 tonnes fully laden and carried a crew of 2,500. It could reach speeds of up to 27
knots.
The thi g hi h eated fea i e e ies a out Musashi as it s a a e t, hi h i luded the largest-
calibre guns ever fitted to a warship. A 18.1 inch cannon was mounted in three triple turrets, each capable
of firing up to two 1,460 kg armour-piercing shells a minute over a range of 26 miles.
Forbes Billionaire list 2015
The Forbes world Billionaire list is the A ual a ki g of o ld s Wealthiest people, compiled and
published by an American Magazine called Forbes every year inMarch since 1987. The Microsoft owner, Bill
gates is the richest person, a title which he has been holding for 16 of the past 21 years.
In the 29th annual List of global billionaires, a record 1,826 billionaires were named with an aggregated net
worth of $7.05 trillion which is $6.4 trillion more than last year.
Below are the Top 5 Wealthiest persons ranked by Forbes
S.No. Name Country Net worth Age Source

1. Bill Gates U.S. $ 79.2 B 59 Microsoft
2. Carlos Slim Helu Mexico $77.1 B 75 telecom
3. Warren Buffett U.S. $72.7 B 84 Berkshire Hathaway
4. Amancio Ortega Spain $64.5 B 78 Zara
5. Larry Ellison U.S. $ 54.3 B 70 Orcale
Boko Haram pledges Allegiance to Islamic State
Nige ia s te o g oup Boko Haram has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a new audio message. In
the recording, a man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram that has killed thousands,
vowed to follow Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
hekau said We a ou e ou allegia e to the Caliph of the Musli s a d ill hea a d obey in times of
difficulty and prosperity, in hardship and ease, and to endure being discriminated against, and not to
dispute about rule with those in power, except in case of evident infidelity regarding that which there is a
proof from Allah. We call on Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance to the caliph .
43 | P a g e
Wo ld s Fi st ola Po e ed Ai aft ola I pulse To Visit I dia
Switzerland based Solar Impulse, Wo ld s fi st da a d ight sola po e ed odied pla e ill ake a stop
on Ahmedabad on Tuesday, 10th March 2015. The plane, powered only by the sun, is attempting to be the
first such aircraft to fly around the world. On 9th March 2015, it completed a 13-hour flight from Abu
Dhabi.
After landing in Ahmedabad, The solar powered Aircraft founders and Pilots Andre Borschberg and Betrand
Piccard are likely to stay in city for 2 days and thereafter will leave for Varanasi.
India and Seychelles signed Four pacts to boost security cooperation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a Three-nation tour, held talks with the President of
Seychelles James Alix Michel. Modi is the first Prime Minister to visit Seychelles in the last 34 years. Late
premier Indira Gandhi had visited Seychelles in 1981. Foreign SecretarySubrahmanyam Jaishankar and
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval were part of the Indian delegates, who take part in discussion
President James Alix Michel.
The leaders have witnessed the signing of four agreements between India and Seychelles
1. Cooperation in hydrography
2. Cooperation in renewable energy
3. Cooperation in infrastructure development
4. Cooperation in sale of navigation charts and electronic navigational charts
United States declares Venezuela a National Security Threat
The United States of America has declared Venezuela (officially called the Bolivarian Republic of
Venezuela) a national security threat. The US has ordered sanctions against seven officials from the oil-rich
country in the worst bilateral diplomatic dispute since socialistPresident Nicolas Maduro took office in
2013. US President Barack Obama signed and issued the executive order, which senior administration
offi ials said did ot ta get Ve ezuela s e e g se to o oade e o o .
Japan to host United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction Meeting
D WOLD CONFERENCE ON DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (WCDRR) HAS BEEN PROPOSED TO TAKE PLACE
IN SENDAI, JAPAN FROM 14- 8 MACH 5
ABOUT THE THIRD UN WORLD CONFERENCE
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution will hold a meeting on disaster risk reduction this
weekend (14-18 March), with policymakers gathering in Japan. The conference will open in the
northeastern city of Sendai on Saturday (14th March 2015).
Ban, who will attend the gathering, has highlighted the rise in extreme weather as global warming has
a ele ated o e the past ea s. Disaster risk reduction is a front-line defense against climate change
and it is essential for sustainable development, he said i Ne Yo k on Wednesday.
44 | P a g e
India and Mauritius signed Five agreements
Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who is on Three-Nations tour, reached Mauritius and signed five
agreements with the Prime Minister of Mauritius Anerood Jugnauth atPort Louis on 12th March
2015. India also offered $500 million concessional Line of Credit to Mauritius for key infrastructure
projects.
The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between India and Mauritius is being revised amid concerns
that Mauritius is being used for round-tripping of funds into India. Mauritius has been one of the biggest
sources ofForeign Direct Investment into India.
The agreements include,
MoU between India and Mauritius in the field of Ocean Economy.

Programme for Cultural Cooperation between India and Mauritius for the year 2015-18.
Protocol between the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture of
Republic of India and the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security of Mauritius for
the importation of fresh mangoes from India.
MoU for the Improvement in Sea and Air Transportation Facilities at Agalega Island of Mauritius.
MoU on Cooperation in the field of Traditional System of Medicine and Homeopathy.
UAE to host AFC Asian Cup 2019
The United Arab Emirates won the bid on an unanimous vote to host AFC Asian Cup 2019 on 9th March
2015. The UAE o the ight u a i ousl , AFC chief Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa Quoted.
Some key points to remember:
The UAE bid proposed to organise the tournament in three cities

o Abu Dhabi,
o Dubai
o Al-Ain all of which have stadiums that could host the games.
A new stadium in Dubai with a capacity for 25,000 fans is also promised to be built for the
tournament.
The AFC (Asian Football Confederation) Asian Cup 2019 will be the 17th edition of the games.
It is the second time that UAE will hold the tournament since 1996.
For the first time tournament will have the 24 teams as against the 16 team format that had been
used since 2004.
The announcement was made by the AFC Executive Committee in a meeting at Manama, Bahrain.
Four Important Pacts signed between India and Sri Lanka
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on Three-Nations tour reached Sri Lanka on 13th of March
2015. He was received by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Foreign Minister Mangala
Samaraweeraand Port Minister Arjuna Ranatunga at Colombo Airport. Sri Lankan President Maithripala
Sirisenawelcomed Narendra Modi at the P eside t s e eta iat. Na e d a Modi s isit to the isla d
country is the first stand alone bilateral visit by an Indian PM since 1987.
45 | P a g e
In this historical meeting, four pacts are signed between India and Sri Lanka on
Visa.
Customs.
Youth Development.
Building Rabindranath Tagore memorial in Sri Lanka.
PM Na e d a Modi said We believe that early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment and going
beyond it would contribute to this process .
Defence Pact Signed between Japan and France
Japan and France signed an important defence pactregarding the transfer of military equipment and
technology. In last two years Japan had signed similar deals with Britain and Australia. The agreement with
France encourages mutual defence cooperation by confirming that transferred technology and equipment
will not be provided to a third country without the permission of the country of origin.
The two countries have agreed to work toward concluding an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement,
which provides a framework for logistic cooperation between armed forces. Japan already has signed such
agreement with the United States and Australia.
Japan is pushing to reform the United Nations Security Council as a member of the Group of Four nations
along with Germany, Brazil and India.
Maldi es s Fo e P eside t Moha ed Nasheed se te ed to yea s of i p iso e t
Maldi es Fo e P eside t Mr Mohamed Nasheed was sentenced to 13 years in prison after being found
guilty of terrorism. Nasheed ordered the arrest of a Chief judge when he was in power in 2012. He was
Maldi es first democratically elected leader and he ended the autocratic 30- ea ule of Ya ee s half-
brother,Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Countries including India and the United States have expressed concern
a out Nasheed s t eat e t a d t ial.
The verdict is likely to increase the political instability in the world famous luxury tourist destination and
appears likely to provoke street violence. Maldives is a string of more than 1,100 coral islands popular as a
holiday paradise.
Modi flagged off the first train from Thalaimannar to Madhu Road in North Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off a train service from Thalaimannar to Madhu
Road in Northern Sri Lanka. Modi was accompanied by the Sri Lankan President Maithiripala Sirisena. Modi
also unveiled a plaque inaugurating Talaimannar 1650 Pier Railway station.
The Madhu Road to Talaimannar track is 63-km long and it is the last segment of the 265-km Northern
Railway Line Reconstruction Project, which is being executed by Indian Railways Construction Company
Ltd(IRCON).
This train service has fulfilled the long-cherished dream lakhs of Tamil people, who wanted direct rail
connectivity to Colombo.
46 | P a g e
Mahata a Ga dhi s statue has ee u eiled i Lo do s Pa lia e t ua e
A statue has been unveiled of Mahatma Gandhi i Lo do s Pa lia e t ua e o th Ma h . The

Gandhi Statue Memorial Trust raised more than 1m for the o k hi h as des i ed as a ag ifi e t
t i ute . The statue as u eiled I dia fi a e i iste , h i A u Jaitel alo g ith h i A ita h
Ba ha , i a e e o hi h also i ol ed Ga dhi s g a dso , Gopalk ish a Ga dhi.
Mahatama Gandhi ji was known for his use of non-violent protest and undertook various hunger strikes to
p otest agai st the opp essio of I dia s poo est lasses.
Prime Minister David Cameron said: This statue is a ag ifi e t t i ute to o e of the ost to e i g
figures in the history of world politics and by putting Mahatma Gandhi in this famous square we are giving
hi a ete al ho e i ou ou t y.
Pakistan Test fired its Armed Drone and Laser Guided Missile
Pakistan successfully test fired its first indigenous all-weather armed drone Burraq and a laser guided
missileBarq. The test fire was witnessed by the Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif. The drone Burraq
has the ability to fly in all kinds of weather conditions and strike its targets with pinpoint accuracy.
Pakistan i du ted t o u a ed ae ial ehi les UAVs i the e e t ea s. The a e Bu a a d

hahpa . The i lusio of these t o ehi les i the Pakista A a d Ai Fo e is seen as a historic
event. Burraq and Shahpar were the first surveillance drones, which are indigenously developed.
Chi a has also epo tedl offe ed it s armed drone CH-3 to Pakistan. The CH-3 is very advancd and it is
capable of carrying two laser-guided missiles or bombs.
Facebook acquires shopping search engine TheFind.com
Facebook has acquired the shopping search engine TheFind. The acquisition aims to improve Facebook ads
experience and lift its digital advertising business. Soon the company will be merging with facebook in
order to make ads more better and relevant for consumer.
With the acquisition of TheFind, Facebook will be able to add additional shopping tools to its service. The
terms of the deal were not disclosed and its unclear how Facebook will ulti ately i teg ate TheFi d s
technology into its system.
It s likel that the so ial et o k ill le e age TheFi d s e o e datio s ste to ette ta get ads o
the site.
India and Kyrgyzstan sign a pact on textile sector cooperation
The Union Government of India and the Central Asian Republic of Kyrgyzstan have signed a pact on
cooperation in the textiles sector to strengthen bilateral cooperation in three fields:
Textiles and clothing

Silk and Sericulture
Fashion
The MoU was witnessed by I dia s Textiles MinisterSantosh Kumar Gangwar a d the isiti g K g zsta s
Minister of Energy and Industry Kubanychbek Turdubaevin New Delhi.
47 | P a g e
China becomes the Third Largest Exporter of Arms in the World
The to khol I te atio al Pea e esea h I stitute s report showed that Chi a s share of the global
arms market rose by 143 per cent from 2010 to 2014, taking its total share to five per cent.
The o ld s t o la gest e po te s: the US accounts for 31 per cent of the share of global exports, while
Russia holds 2 pe e t. Chi a s pe e t of the a ket e ai s s all o pa ed to the o i ed
percent of exports from the US and Russia
Israel Elections : Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Wins
Is ael s P i e Mi iste Benjamin Netanyahu wins the election by defeating his main rival, Isaac Herzog, and
assured himself a fourth term. Neta ahu s Likud Partyhad won 30 seats to the )io ist U io s 24.
In his campaign, Netanyahu mainly focused issues related to security. His opponents focosed on issues
such as high cost of living and also accused the Netanyahu fo ei g out of tou h ith pu li . Neta ahu s
return to power for a fourth term may spells trouble for Middle-East peace efforts and could further
escalate tensions with the United States.
Netanyahu opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, which is a key policy goal of the White House and
the international community. He also committed to expand the border in Jewish areas of east Jerusalem,
which is claimed by the Palestinians as their capital.
India ranks 37/102 in Government Transparency Index
According to Wo ld Justi e P oje t s WJP epo t, India has been ranked 37 out of 102
countries in Government Transparency Index. The index easu es the go e e t s ope ess ased o
the ge e al pu li s e pe ie es a d i sights. I dia s overall score is 0.57/1 and it is followed by Brazil,
which is at the 38th place.
The WJP Open government index analyze four categories to measure government openness. They
categories and the score of India are,
Publicized laws and government data 0.54

Right to information 0.50
Civic participation 0.65
Complaint mechanisms 0.58
The top three rankers in WJP Open Government Index 2015 are
Sweden First
New Zealand Second
Norway Third
The bottom three are
Myanmar 100th Rank

Uzbekistan 101st Rank
Zimbabwe 102nd Rank
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India and Qatar signed six pacts to boost trade and investment
India and energy-rich Qatar signed six important agreements.
Key Highlights:
One MoU will provide one on transfer of sentenced prisoners as the two countries sought to inject a
fresh momentum in their bilateral ties.
The other five MoUs will provide for cooperation in areas like information and communication
technology, atmospheric and ocean sciences and media.
The MoU in the field of information and communication technology would provide
enhanced business opportunities for Indian IT industry in Qatar.
Another MoU was signed between Ministry of Earth Sciences and Qatar Meteorological
Department for cooperation in the field of atmospheric and ocean sciences.
The pacts were signed after Emir of Qatar Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani held deep discussion with
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during which both the leaders discussed a lot of issues including
enhancing cooperation in energy sector and boosting trade and investment.
According to official figure, 96 Indians are currently languishing in various jails in Qatar which is
home to around 600,000 Indians.
A separate MoU as i ked et ee Diplo ati I stitute of Qata s Fo eig Mi ist a d Fo eig
Service Institute of External Affairs Ministry to facilitate exchange of faculty members and experts.
The two sides also finalised a pact to encourage regular exchange of radio and TV programmes and
content between Prasar Bharati and Qatar Media Cooperation.
Katsushi Inoue appointed as President & CEO of Honda Cars India Ltd
Katsushi Inoue was appointed as President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL).
He will assume charge on 1 April 2015 and succeed Hironori Kanayama who is due to retire. Inoue was
associated with Honda Motor Co for past 29 years. In his last assignment he was serving as General
Manager in Marketing Planning office in Japan headquarters.
Stephen Hawking joins the Trademark Club
tephe Ha ki g, the o ld s ost fa ous theoretical physicist, has become the latest and most
unexpected celebrity to apply for a trademark of their name. Brian Cox, a popular U.K. physicist and TV
p ese te , Ha ki g applied fo a t ade a k ea lie this o th, th ough the UK s I telle tual P operty
Office.
The two main reasons given as to why Hawking wants this trademark,
To prevent any exploitation of his name on inappropriate products

For charitable and educational purposes.
The t ade a k is fo ha ita le pu poses , hi h ould e a le Stephen Hawking to set up his own
foundation, dedicated to motor-neurone disease, which Hawking was diagnosed with (ALS) in 1963. If
successful, Stephen Hawking can decide how his name is used on goods, from postcards to educational
books, according to the official document.
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OBITUARY
Former Bihar Chief Minister Ram Sundar Das dies
Former Chief Minister of Bihar and senior JD(U) leaderRam Sundar Das has passed away at the age of 95 in
Patna due to age-related problems. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has announced a state funeral for
Ram Sundar Das. Ram Sundar Das se ed as Biha s Chief Mi iste i .I Lok a ha Ele tio , Das
had defeated Ram Vilas Paswan in Hajipur, but in the 2014 Lok Sabha Elections, Das had lost to Paswan.
Pioneer of Israeli cinema Lia van Leer passes away
Lia van Leer, pioneer of Israeli cinema passed away in Jerusalem, Israel. She was 90. She was the founder of
Israel Film Archive, Jerusalem Cinematheque, Haifa Cinematheque and the Jerusalem Film Festival.
Veteran Journalist Vinod Mehta is Dead
Veteran Journalist and former Editor of Outlook, Vinod Mehta, passed away after a prolonged illness at the
age of 73. He has died of multiple-organ failure at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Mehta
was born inRawalpindi (now in Pakistan) in 1942 and he was known for his bold journalism.
Mr. Mehta was served as the editor of several publications such as The Pioneer, The Sunday Observer, The
Independent and The Indian Post. He has authored a biography of Meena Kumari and Sanjay Gandhi.
Mehta s Lucknow Boy: A memoir received varied comments from the critics and it was published in 2011.
Veteran singer Bombay S Kamal passes away
Veteran singer and music composer Bombay S. Kamal passed away on 17 March 2015 in
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala at the age of 85. He was suffering from respiratory ailments. In past six
decades, he had active presence in the field of music especially in Malayalam film music.
Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov Shot Dead
Former Russian Deputy Prime Minister Boris Nemtsov, has been shot dead in Moscow. He was a leading
Russian Opposition Politician. He was shot four times while crossing a bridge by an unidentified shooter
from a car. Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama have condemned this brutal
murder.
Boris Nemtsov
Nemtsov was a Russian Scientist and a Liberal Politician. Played a major role in introducing Capitalism in
Russian Economy. After Chernobyl disaster, he organized a protest movement, which effectively stopped
the construction of new nuclear plant. Nemtsov was considered as a bridge between Russia and Ukraine.
Popular Fantasy Author Sir Terry Pratchett passed away
Fa tas autho i Te P at hett has died aged at the age of due to Alzhei e s disease in London, UK.
The author was very famous for his Discworld fantasy series. Terry penned more than 70 books during his
career and completed his final book during last summer.
50 | P a g e
Terry was born on April 28, 1948 in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire to David and Eileen Pratchett. The
Ca pet People as his de ut o el, hi h as pu lished i . The Colo of Magi as Te s Fi st
Discworld novel, which was published in 1983.
Sir Terry was knighted by the Queen in 2009. At the turn of the century, Terry was B itai s se o d ost-
read author, surpassed only by JK Rowling. He was also awarded the World Fantasy Award for Life
Achievement in 2010.
Veteran Sports Journalist K Baskaran passed away
Veteran Sports Journalist K Baskaran died at the age of 80 on March 11, 2015, after a prolonged illness in
Mumbai. Baskaran will be remembered as one of the top sports journalists of the country.
He has worked with the Free Press Journal
Indian Express, Newsday (defunct)

The Times of India.
Most part of his career spent at The Times of India where he worked for some 25 years - before being
superannuated. Shri K Baskaran has reported on various sports. He has widely reported in Indian
football for four decades. He was also admired for his coverage in basketball.
Renowned ornithologist K.S. Lavkumar Khachar passes away
Renowned ornithologist and environmentalist K.S. Lavkumar Khachar passed away in Rajkot, Gujarat. He
was 84. As environmentalist he had a long association with the environmental conservation intuitions like
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) India.
Leonard Nimoy, famous Star Trek Actor, dies aged 83
Leonard Nimoy, who played the human-alien philosopher and first officer Mr Spock in the Original Star
Trek series, has died in Los Angeles. He was 83 years old and was suffering from end-stage chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease.
The Unites States Preside t Ba a k O a a said Long before being nerdy was cool, there was Leonard
Nimoy. I loved Spock .
Bard of Maharashtra Shahir Krishnarao Sable passes away
Bard and Marathi folk legend Krishnarao Ganpatrao Sable passed away on 20 March 2015 in Mumbai,
Maharasht a. He as . He had ought Maha asht a s folk si gi g a d theat e t aditio s to the e t e
stage a d his so gs e i hed Maha asht a s ultu e.
Founder of Modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew passes away
Lee Kuan Yew, the founder of modern Singapore, who was both feared for his authoritarian tactics and
admired worldwide fo tu i g the ity state i to o e of the Wo ld s i hest atio s while in power for 31
years, died on 23rd march at the age of 91.
51 | P a g e
About Lee Kuan Yew
He was the First Prime minister of Singapore.

He has ee des i ed as the fou di g fathe a d a hite t of ode i gapo e.
He was one of the most influential political figures in Asia
Lee was admitted to Singapore general Hospital on February 5, 2015.
He was suffering from severe pneumonia and was later put on life support.
Veteran Gandhian Narayan Desai Passed Away
Veteraian Gandhian Narayan Desai, an Indian Gandhian and Author, Passed away on 15th March 2015 in
Surat at the age of 90. His demise is a great loss to the Nation. He will be remembered for his lecture series
on Gandhi Ji known as Ga dhi Katha , which he took to all over the world and received acclaim for it.
Narayanbhai Desai will be remembered as a scholarly personality who brought Gandhi ji closer to the
masses. Sad to hear of his demise. RIP , the Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote in a condolence message
on Twitter.
Desai has several awards to his credit including the Sahitya Akademi Award for Gujarati in 1993 and the
Jamnalal Bajaj Award in 1999 and the UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and
Non-Violence in 1998. He was also associated with anti-nuclear activism.
Former CM of Mizoram Brigadier (Retd) Thenphunga Sailo passes away
Former Chief Minister (CM) of Mizoram Brigadier (Retd) Thenphunga Sailo passed away in Aizawl,
Mizo a . He as o e of the p o i e t oi es agai st the hu a ights iolatio the a ed fo es i
1970s in the insurgency-hit Mizo hills.
Famous Malayalam Poet Yusuf Ali Kechery died
Veteran poet and film personality Yusuf Ali Kechery passed away at a private hospital on 21st March 2015
afte a lo g ill ess. He as . i e the egi i g of this ea , Yusuf Ali Ke he s health as
deteriorating and was in the hospital for long. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy des i ed Ke he s death
as a loss for the state.
Yusuf Ali Kechery was a poet, film lyricist, film producer and director from Kerala. He was one of the
leading poets of the modern era Malayalam poetry and has won numerous awards. He had served the post
of Assistant Secretary and Executive Member of the Kerala Sangeeta Nataka Academy and Advisory
Committee Member of All India Radio, Thrissur. He has also served as the president of the Kerala Sathiya
Academy.
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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Scientists found out a No el ay to u e Alzhei e s disease
esea he s ha e fou d out a o el a to t eat Alzhei e s disease. O e of the iggest halle ges i
t eati g Alzhei e s disease is the lood-brain barrier. A Research Team led by Jurgen Gotz of Queensland
Brain Institute, Australia, was able to send a drug across the blood-brain barrier using a combination of
microbubbles and ultrasound waves. They tested the method on mice.
Alzhei e s disease AD i ol es the fo atio of pla ues of eta-amyloid in the brain. In case of other
parts, it can be treated easily by sending drugs through the blood stream. But when it comes to AD, this is
not possible because of blood-brain barrier, which is a group of closely packed cells that normally protects
the brain.
Dr. Hynynen had used a novel method to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier by injecting
i o u les i to the ai s lood st ea . These u les iggle agai st the lood-vessel walls
temporarily dislodging the barrier when ultrasound waves excite them. Thus the blood can then leak into
the p o le ati a ea, helpi g i t eati g Alzhei e s.
Usi g D . H e s st ateg , D . Gotz a d his tea i je ted i os opi u les i to i e ith

Alzhei e s. It as fou d that the i e hose lood-brain barrier had been made permeable showed
marked improvement in memory. Several types of beta-a loid tissue i the i e s ai s had edu ed i
size.
Wo ld s fi st ele t i satellites su essfully lifted off y pa eX o ket
Wo ld s fi st ele t i satellites e e su essfull lifted off by a Space Exploration (SpaceX) Technologies

o ket f o Cape Ca a e al Ai Fo e tatio , U ited tates. The o ket as a i g Boei g s t o all-
electric commercial satellites. The satellites are owned by the French satellite provider Eutelsat and Asia
B oad ast atellite AB . Eutelsat s satellite is pa t of its -member commercial network. It will provide
services like mobile, internet, video and other communications services to expand its reach into the
Americas. While, ABS new satellite will serve its customers in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.
Prime Minister launches Vaccine for Rotavirus Rotavac
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the vaccine called Rotavac, the first indigenously developed
and manufactured Rotavirus vaccine. The vaccine is developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech and
the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). It will be available for sale from next week in India.
The vaccine development process has taken 15 years and around 300 scientists have worked very hard for
the successful completion of the project. Foreign companies currently sell Rotavirus vaccines in India
at Rs.1,100 per dose. Bharat Biotech has proposed to sell Rotavac for just Rs.63 per dose to the GOI and
other low income countries. The company has filed four global patents around the technology of Rotavac
in more than 20 countries.
In India, every year, diarrhea caused by rotavirus causes up to 10 lakh hospitalizations and kills around one
lakh children under the age of 5 years. Globally this virus causes 4.5 lakhs deaths per year.
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People with Blood group A are more vulnerable to Malaria
Malaria, the dreadful mosquito-born infectious disease infects more than 200 million people a year fatally.
Malaria is transmitted by an infected female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bite introduces the
pa asites i to a pe so s lood, hi h t a el i side the od a d ea hes li e , he e the atu e a d
reproduce. A total of five species of Plasmodium can infect humans. Of this 5, most deaths are caused by P.
falciparum. The other species P. vivax, P. ovale, and P. malariae generally cause a milder form of malaria.
The species P. knowlesi rarely causes disease in humans.
Recently, in a research, it was found that, the protein (RIFIN) produced by some strains of the malarial
parasite can cause red blood cells to form clumps. These clumps increases the severity of disease,
especially in people with Blood Group A. These clumps are formed due to sticking of one cell to the other
cell and also to the walls of blood vessels. They obstruct the blood flow, damage the tissues, and leads to
death.
In another research it was found that, the protein produced by the strains of the malarial parasite bound
weakly to the people with Blood Group O. And it does not affect these people as serious as it affects
people with blood group A.
Union Government gives nod to AWACS project
Union Government gave its approval to build core strategic project of next-generation Airborne Warning
and Control Systems (AWACS). The decision was taken by Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. DAC gave its nod for two AWACS, which includes buying two
Airbus A330s, worth 5,113 crore rupees. Airbus was the lone bidder for the programme.
NAA s Hu le teles ope spots o ea o Jupite s oo Ga y ede
NAA s Hu le pa e Teles ope has spotted assi e salt ate o ea u de the i ust of Jupite s
largest moon Ganymede. Scientists believe that this finding could potentially support life. Hubble Space
Teles ope s fi di g was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics. The finding was
ased o the esults o tai ed afte a al zi g Ga ede s ag eti field a d au o ae eated a d
o t olled it a d its i te a tio ith Jupite s ag eti field. NAA s Galileo mission also had provided
first evidence of ocean in Ganymede after measuring its magnetic field in 2002.
Astronomers from the Cambridge University discovered nine Dwarf planets orbiting around Milkyway
Astronomers from the University of Cambridge have discovered Nine Dwarf planet orbiting around the
milky way in the northern Hemisphere. It is the largest number ever discovered at once. The Nine Satellites
includes 3 minute galaxies. These nine galaxies were found near the large and small Magnetic cloud in orbit
around the Milkyway.
These newly discovered objects are,
a billion times dimmer than the Milky Way

a million times less massive.
Since they contain up to 99 percent dark matter and just one percent observable matter, dwarf galaxies
are ideal for testing whether existing dark matter models are correct. Dark matter which makes up 25
percent of all matter and energy in our universe is invisible, and only makes its presence known through
its gravitational pull.
54 | P a g e
The closest is about 95,000 light years away, while the most distant is more than a million light years away.
NAA s Da pa e P o e ea hes o it a ou d D a f Pla et
Natio al Ae o auti s a d pa e Ad i ist atio s NAA Da pa e P o e a i ed at Ce es o th Ma h

2015 and become the first spacecraft ever to circle a Dwarf planet, as well as the first to orbit two bodies
beyond the Earth-moon system. Previously Dawn studied the protoplanet Vesta up close from July 2011
through September 2012. Dawn is still in move and will be there for 6 more weeks.
NAA s Cu iosity o e dis o e s useful Nit oge o Ma s
A tea usi g the a ple A al sis at Ma s AM i st u e t suite a oa d NAA s Cu iosit o e has ade
the first detection of nitrogen on the surface of Mars from release during heating of Martian sediments.
The nitrogen was detected in the form of nitric oxide, and could be released from the breakdown of
nitrates during heating. Nitrates are a class of molecules that contain nitrogen in a form that can be used
by living organisms.
The discovery adds to the evidence that ancient Mars was habitable for life. Scientists believe that the
detected nitrogen in the form of nitric oxide could be released from the breakdown of nitrates during
heating of sediments from Mars. However, there is no evidence suggesting that the discovered nitrogen
molecules found by the rover was created by life on the red planet.
It should be noted that Nitrogen is essential part for all known forms of life as it used in the building basic
blocks of larger molecules like DNA and RNA that encode the genetic instructions for life. It is also essential
in proteins that is used to build structures like hair and nails in living organisms.
Cipla launches generic version of drug Sofosbuvir in India
Cipla Ltd on 25th Ma h said it ill i t odu e a ge e i e sio of Gilead ie e s lo k uste

Hepatitis C d ug o aldi. The d ug ill e sold i I dia Cipla u de the a d a e Hep i .
The announcement follows a non-exclusive licensing agreement between Cipla and Gilead in September. It
is estimated that 12-18 million people in India are infected by the virus.
Under the non-exclusive licensing agreement, Cipla is allowed to set its own price for its version of the
drug, and will pay a royalty on sales to Gilead.
Sovaldi, whose generic name is Sofosbuvir, was introduced in the US in December. Cipla is one of the seven
Indian pharmaceutical companies that have been allowed by US-based Gilead Sciences to manufacture and
market generic of drug Sofosbuvir.
I dia s first Polar Remotely Operated Vehicle (PROVe) successfully operationalised in North Antarctica
by NIOT
I dia s Pola e otel Ope ated Vehi le POVe , i dige ousl uilt Natio al I stitute of O ea
Technology, was operationalised for research on 25th March 2015 in North Antarctica after 2 month of
rigorous research.
PROVe has been indigenously built by National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) under the Union
Ministry of Earth Sciences. With the help of PROVe, Monsoon prediction and reading of pattern will
55 | P a g e
become easier in the future.It will measure parameters like ocean currents, temperature and salinity in the
Arctic.
Leukemia cells can be converted into Immune cells
Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a method that can change the
dangerous leukemia cells in the lab to mature into harmless immune cells called macrophages that may
help fight cancer.
Ravi Majeti of Stanford University and his team members collected leukemia cells from a patient and they
were keeping the cells alive in a culture plate. They noted that some of the cancer cells in culture were
changing macrophages. When the early B-cell mouse progenitor cells are exposed to certain transcription
factors, this change occurs.
Majeti and his team members hope that when the cancer cells become macrophages they will not only be
neutralized, but may actually assist in fighting the cancer.
The esea he s e t step is to fi d a d ug that is apa le of p o pti g the sa e ea tio . If the fou d
the drug successfully, it may serve as the basis for a therapy for the leukemia.
ISRO successfully launches fourth navigation satellite IRNSS 1D
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has successfully launched fourth navigation satellite Indian
Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)-1D. It was launched by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C-
27 into the orbit from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The satellite is similar
to, and follows the IRNSS 1A, 1B and 1C which were launched in April 2013, July 2014 and October
2014respectively. IRNSS-1D will be launched into a sub Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (sub GTO). It weighs
1,425 kg and carries a navigation payload and CDMA ranging payload in addition with a laser retro-
reflector.
Applications of IRNSS
Terrestrial, Aerial and Marine Navigation.

Disaster Management.
Vehicle tracking and fleet management.
Integration with mobile phones.
Precise Timing.
Mapping and Geodetic data capture.
Terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travellers.
Visual and voice navigation for drivers.
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SPORTS
Dubai ATP Tennis Championship 2015
The 2015 Dubai Tennis Championships is also called 2015 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. This
tournament was inaugurated in 1993. The winners of 2015 Championship are,
Me s i gles
itze la d s Roger Federer defeated e ia sNovak Djokovic, 63, 7 . It is oge s e e th Du ai C o .
Wo e s i gles
o a ia s Simona Halep defeated Czech Republic Karolna Plko , 64, 76(74)
Me s Dou les
I dia s Rohan Bopanna a d Ca ada s Daniel Nestor defeated Pakista s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and
e ia s Ne ad )i o ji, 64, 61
Wo e s Dou les
Hu ga s Tmea Babos and France Kristina Mladenovic defeated pai s Garbie Muguruza andCarla
Surez Navarro, 63, 62
Argentina Open 2015 : Rafael Nadal wins the Title
pai s sta Tennis player Rafael Nadal has won the 2015 Argentina Open by defeating Juan Monaco of
Argentina with a score of 6-4, 6- . It is Nadal s th title in clay and first title of 2015. Nadal, the World
Nu e Pla e , is efe ed as The King of Clay .
He has won a total of,
14 Grand Slam singles titles

27 ATP World Tour Masters 1000
15 ATP World Tour 500
2008 Olympic gold medal in singles
This is Nadal s th title i a d it akes hi to o e up to the V position in the Open Era for the most
titles. He now stands behind,
Jimmy Connors 109 wins

Ivan Lendl 94 wins
Roger Federer 84 wins
John McEnroe 77 wins
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Kumar Sangakkara : The Second Cricketer to Cross 14K ODI Runs
Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara became the second batsman to cross 14,000 runs in One Day
International (ODI) cricket after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. Till now Sangakkara scored 14,065 runs in
402 ODIs (Sachin Tendulkar 18,426 runs 463 ODIs). He became the first Sri Lankan batsman to reach
14,000 runs in ODIs. He is also the first batsman to score three consecutive hundreds in World Cup
matches. Sangakkara scored his 23rd ODI century against England in just 70 balls.
Sangakkara announced that he will retire from test cricket by the end of August 2015 (After India-Sri Lanka
3 match test series). He has already announced his retirement from ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals. He
will quit ODI cricket post the ongoing World Cup.
All England Badminton Championship: Saina Nehwal Loses to Carolina Marin
Ol pi o ze edallist a d I dia s sta pla e ai a Neh al s has lost to pai s Ca oli a Ma i i the All
England Badminton Championship 21-16 14-21 7-21. Saina made a fantastic start, but Marin bounced back
e st o gl a d left ai a i di e st aits. I the Me s si gle ha pio ship, Che Lo g of Chi a defeated
De a k s Ja Jo ge se -21 21-17 21-15.
World Cup 2015: Kumar Sangakkara slams Fourth Consecutive Ton
Sri Lankan batsman Kumar Sangakkara slams his fourth consecutive ton in the World Cup 2015 series and
he also becomes the first batsman to score 4 consecutive centuries in One Day Internationals. Sangakkara
has achieved this feat in a World Cup Pool A at h agai st otla d u s . a gakka a s Ce tu sp ee
in the World Cup 2015 includes,
105 Bangladesh
117 England
104 Australia
Indian Women wins the Hero Hockey World League Round 2
I dia o e s Ho ke Tea o the p estigious He o Hockey World League Round 2 by defeating

Poland 3-1 in a nail-biting final at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, New Delhi. Indian star Player
Deepika as de la ed as the pla e of the at h a d Pola d s skippe Ma le a a ha has a olade ith
the player of the tournament award. From Indian side, the goals are scored by Vandana Katariya, Rani, and
Ritu Rani. The lonely goal scorer from Poland was Oriana Walasek.
Services lifts the 2015 Santosh Trophy
Services won the 69th Santosh Trophy Football title by defeating Punjab 5-4 tie-breaker in a nail-biting
match at Guru Nanak Stadium, Ludhina, Punjab. This is the fourth time that Services lifting the trophy.
Previously the Services team had won in year 1961, 2012, 2013.
Kidambi Srikanth wins Swiss Grand Prix Championship
I dia s ou g shuttle Kida i ika th has su essfull o the p estigious iss G a d P i Gold
ha pio ship title, defeati g De a k s Vikto A elso in a tough final. Srikanth, the world number 4
player showed his extra ordinary skill to prevail over World number six Axelson, 21-15, 12-21, 21-14 in the
nail-biting summit clash of the $120,000 event that lasted for 47 minutes.
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Kidambi Srikanth was the first Indian to win a Grand Prix Gold title (Thailand) in June 2013. Injuries slowed
do ika th s p og ess a d the ai fe e i Jul , al ost killed hi . His e tal a d ph si al
strength as well as the hard work rewarded him.
Lewis Hamilton wins the Australian Grand Prix
British Driver Lewis Hamilton completely dominated the Australian Grand Prix by defeating his rival Nico
Rosberg. It was the 34th career victory for two-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and underlined the
continued dominance of Mercedes as he and Nico Rosberg pulled well clears of their nearest challengers.
After the victory Lewis was congratulated Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was in town for the Arnold Classic
bodybuilding competition.
Michael White wins first ranking title at Indian Open
Michael White defeated Ricky Walden 5-0 in the final of the 300,000 pounds Indian Open World ranking
snooker tournament in just 57 minutes in Mumbai.
Michael White is a Welsh professional snooker player from Neatherlands. At the age of nine he became
the youngest player to have made a century break in competitive play and he was the world amateur
champion by 14. Currently he has won his first ranking event title at 2015 Indian Open.
Karnataka Defeated Tamilnadu to Retain the Ranji Trophy
Karnataka defended the Ranji Trophy by defeatingTamil Nadu by an innings and 217 runs in the final
match played at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. With this victory, Karnataka clinched a total of eight
Ranji titles. The a of the at h a a d as gi e to Ka ataka s Karun Nair, who had scored 338 runs. In
Last season, Karnataka defeated Mumbai in the finals.
Saina Nehwal First Indian Woman to become World Number One
I dia s sta shuttle ai a Neh al e o es the fi st I dia o a to ea h Wo ld u e o e a ki g

after defeating her Japanese opponent Yui Hashimoto in the India Open Super series semifinal match in
New Delhi. Saina defeated Hashimoto 21-15, 21-11 in a 43 minutes match. Saina is the second Indian
player to reach world number one after legendary Prakash Padukone. In 2010, Nehwal ranked second and
she has been a top-10 player since 2009.
Two-year-old archer Cherukuli Dalli Shivani enters her name into India Book of Records
A two-year-old girl archery prodigy Cherukuli Dalli Shivani from Vijaywada achieved a stunning feat by
setting a new record and entering her name into the India Book of Records.
Shivani is the sister of late Indian coach and international archer Cherukuri Lenin who died in a road
accident soon after 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. She became the youngest Indian to shot 36 arrows
each from five metres and seven metres to score 388 points.
hi a i s fathe , Che uku i at a a a a a, ho u s the a ade i e o of his late so Le i , said

that her daughter will now attempt to enter her name into the Guinness Book of World Records.
Reports said that Shivani was conceived through surrogacy after the death of her brother Lenin. She was
trained at the Volga Archery Institute run by her father Ch Satyanarayana.
59 | P a g e
Title Winners of 2015 BNP Paribas Open
The Indian Wells Masters is also known as BNP Paribas Open, which is an annual tennis tournament held
in Indian Wells, California, United States. The tournament is played on hard courts. The tournament was
founded by Charlie Pasarell and Raymond Moore i . The tou a e t is also alled Grand Slam of
the West .
The Winners of 2015 BNP Paribas Open are,
Me s i gles Title
e ia s Novak Djokovic defeated itze la d s Roger Federer by 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 score.
With this win Novak Djokovic has won his fourth Indian Wells Open title and overall 50th tour-level
title.
Wome s i gles Title
o a ia s Simona Halep defeated e ia s Jelena Jankovic by 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 score.

It is Halep s thi d WTA titles i apa t f o he zhe Ope a d Du ai Ope .
Me s Dou le Title
Vasek Pospisil (Canada) and Jack Sock (US) pair defeated Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Fabio
Fognini 64, 67 (3), 107 score.
Wo e s Dou le Title
Sania Mirza (India) and Martina Hingis (Switzerland) defeated Russian pair Ekaterina
Makarova and Elena Vesnina by 6-3, 6-4 score.
It is a ia Mi za s se o d title of the season 2015 and 24th overall.
FIFA 2022 World Cup to be played in November/December in Quatar
The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) World Cup 2022 will be held in Qatar in the
months of November and December. The finals of the game will be held on December 18, 2022, which is
also the ou t s atio al da .
Important Announcements from FIFA
The FIFA 2022 World cup will be played over for only 28 days instead of the traditional 32 days.
As summer temperature in Qatar exceeds 110 degrees, the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be conducted
during November/December.
The venues for some important matches in 2018 FIFA World World Cup was announced.
The bidding process to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup will kick off in 2015.
Ne )eala d s Ma ti Guptill e o es highest s o e i Wo ld Cup histo y
New Zealand cricketer Martin Guptill scored 237 runs against West Indies in a semi-final qualifying match
and becomes the highest scorer in the World Cup history. Guptill is the first New Zealander to hit a double
century in a One Day International (ODI) cricket format. At the end of the innings, Guptill scored 237* from
just alls. Guptill s i i gs i lude si es a d fou s. The Ne )eala d team scored a massive total
60 | P a g e
of u si o e s a d lost o l i kets. The West I dies i i gs e ded ith just u si

overs.
Australia wins ICC Cricket World Cup for V time
Australia won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 for the record fifth time. In the final match Australia
defeated co-hosts of the tournament, New Zealand by 7 wickets played at the iconic Melbourne Cricket
Ground (MCG), Australia. In the final match, New Zealand had won the toss and had chosen to bat first.
They had set the target of 183 runs to Australia after losing all wickets in the 45th over. Australian team
easily overhauled the target in the 34th over with 7 wickets in hand.
Australia had won the Cricket World Cup in 1987, 1999, 2003 and 2007. It was first time of New Zealand to
e te fi al of C i ket Wo ld Cup. I the p e ious o ld up s the e e defeated fo si ti es i the se i-
finals.
Man of the Series Award Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Most Runs Martin Guptill (New Zealand)
Most Wickets Mitchell Starc (22) and Trent Boult (22) (New Zealand)
Man of the Match James Faulkner (Australia)
India Open Super Series Badminton 2015 Title Winners
Me s i gles Title
I dia s ika th Kida i defeated De a k s Vikto A else i th ee ga es -21, 21-13 and 21-12.
Me s Dou les Title
Chi a s Chai Biao a d Ho g Wei pai defeated De a k s Co ad-Petersen Mads and Pieler Kolding Mads
pair by 21-18, 21-14 score.
Wo e s i gles 5 Title
ai a Neh al defeated Thaila d s at ha ok I ta o i the fi al at h pla ed at iri Fort Indoor Complex

in New Delhi in straight sets 21-16, 21-14.
Wo e s Dou les Title
Number one ranked Japanese pair of Misaki Matsutomo and Ayaka Takahashi has defeated Chinese pair
Japanese pair by 21-19, 21-19 score.
Mixed Doubles Title
Second-ranked Chinese pair of Yixin Bao and Cheng Liu number one ranked Danish pair of Christinna
Pedersen and Joachim Fischer Nielsen by score 21-19 21-19.
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Australian cricketer Michael Clarke retires from ODI cricket
Australian cricketer Michael Clarke has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODI)
cricket format. However, he will continue to represent Australia in the Test matches. He made his last ODI
appearance in the final World Cup match against New Zealand. In this match he was captain of team and
had scored 74 runs which and helped Australia win the 2015 World Cup by 7 wickets for fifth time.
Michael Clarke had started his ODI cricket career in 2003 and test career in 2004. In his ODI career, he had
played 245 matches and had scored 7981 runs. His highest score was 130 runs. He had bowled in 106
innings and had taken 57 wickets.
New Zealand cricketer Daniel Vettori announces retirement from international cricket
New Zealand cricketer and former captain Daniel Vettori has announced his retirement from international
cricket. He made this announcement after playing last match in ICC World Cup 2015 Final against Australia.
He had started his international cricket career in 199697 at the age of 18. He was the youngest player to
ep ese t Ne )eala d i Test i ket. He as o side ed as Ne )eala d s ost-capped test cricketer.
In his ODI career he had played 295 matches and scored 2253 runs in ODIs. He also had bowled in 277 ODI
innings and took 305 wickets. In his test career, Vettori has scored 4531 runs. His highest score was 140. In
test career, he had bowled in 187 innings and took 362 wickets.
Zimbabwe's Brendan Taylor retiring from international cricket
Taylor, who stood in as captain for Zimbabwe's last World Cup clash with Ireland, has scored 1,493 from his
23 Tests at an average of 34.72 since debuting against Sri Lanka as an 18-year-old in 2004.
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene retire from ODIs
Both the batsmen had revealed their retirement plans that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 will be their last
match in Sri Lankan ODI jersey. Jayawardene chose to retire from all forms of international cricket, but
would play franchise-based format, while Sangakkara chose to hang his boots from the limited-overs
format but will continue to play Tests for Sri Lanka.
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IMPORTANT DAYS
March 01 2015
Remembered Day: Zero Discrimination Day

Purpose: To create awareness to people from all corners of the world, about the evil consequences of
discrimination, to celebrate diversity, and to reject discrimination.
Theme: Open Up, Reach Out.
March 03 2015
Remembered Day: World Wildlife Day

Purpose: To aise a a e ess of the Wo ld s flo a a d fau a.
Theme: Wildlife C i e is se ious, let s get se ious a out ildlife i e .
Remembered Day: National Defence Day
March 04 2015
Remembered Day: National Security Day (Rashtriya Suraksha Diwas)

Purpose: To praise the work of security forces, who plays a major role in maintaining peace
and security of the people in India.
Remembered Day: World Day of Fight Against Sexual Exploitation.

Purpose: To create awareness against sexual exploitation, which overwhelmingly involves women and
Children.
March 08 2015
Remembered Day: Wo ld Wo e s Da
Purpose: To celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality.
Theme: Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity: Picture it!
March 10 2015
Remembered Day: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Raising Day

Purpose: CISF is a dedicated force which provides security to a wide range of critical infrastructure assets
of India.
March 12 2015
Remembered Day: World Kidney Day

Purpose: To create awareness among the people globally, about the importance of the kidneys and also to
reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health issues.
Theme: Kidney Health For All
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March 13 2015
Remembered Day: World Rotaract Day

Purpose: To recognize the services offered by the Rotaractors through out the World.
March 14 2015
Remembered Day: Pi Day

Purpose: Students, mathematicians and math enthusiasts all around the world celebrate Pi Day by
participating in pi themed activities and contests that include making and eating pies, converting numbers
such as the time or one's age using pi, and reciting the digits of pi.
March 15 2015
Remembered Day: World Consumer Rights Day

Purpose: to promote the basic rights of all the consumers, to demand that those rights are respected and
protected.
Theme: Helping consumers choose healthy diets.
March 18 2015
Remembered Day: O d a e Fa to ies Da

Purpose: The day is celebrated by displaying the rifles, guns, artillery, ammunition..etc in exhibitions all
over India.
March 20 2015
Remembered Day: International Day of Happiness

Theme: "Your happiness is part of something bigger"
Remembered Day: World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People
Purpose: Celebrated and promoted by professionals making work for young audiences all over the world.
Remembered Day: World Sparrow Day

Purpose: To create awareness of the house sparrows and other birds to the rapidly changing
environments, and of threats to their populations.
March 21 2015
Remembered Day: International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Purpose: Ai s to e i d people of a ial dis i i atio s egati e o se ue es. It also e ou ages
people to remember their obligation and determination to combat racial discrimination.
Theme: "Learning from historical tragedies to combat racial discrimination today"
Remembered Day: World Poetry Day

Purpose: To promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world
64 | P a g e
Remembered Day: International Day of Nowruz

Purpose: To celebrates the start of the Persian spring festival March 21 ever year. It occurs on or around
the time of the March equinox.
Remembered Day: World Down Syndrome Day

Purpose: To raise public awareness and create a single global voice for advocating for the rights, inclusion
and well being of people with Down syndrome.
Remembered Day: International Day of Forests

Purpose: To raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests and of trees outside forests.
Theme: Fo ests a d Cli ate Cha ge
March 22 2015
Remembered Day: World Water Day

Purpose: To create awareness among the people about the importance of conservation of this valuable
finite resource for the future generations.
Theme: Water and Sustainable Development
March 23 2015
Remembered Day: World Meteorological Day

Purpose: To support the all the countries by providing meteorological services related to natural disasters,
climate and water.
Theme: Cli ate k o ledge fo li ate a tio
March 24 2015
Remembered Day: World Tuberculosis Day

Purpose: To create awareness to the public about the dreadful tuberculosis (TB) and efforts to eliminate
the disease.
Theme: Reach, Treat, Cure Everyone.
Remembered Day: International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations
and for the Dignity of Victims
Purpose: To promote the importance of the right to truth and justice.
Remembered Day: International Day for Achievers
March 25 2015
Remembered Day: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave
Trade
Purpose: It honors the lives of those who died as a result of slavery or experienced the horrors of the
transatlantic slave trade. It is also an occasion to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and
prejudice.
Theme: Women and Slavery
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Remembered Day: International Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members
Purpose: Date is the anniversary of the abduction of Alec Collett, a journalist who died while working for
the UN.
March 27 2015
Remembered Day: World Theatre Day
March 28 2015
Remembered Day: Earth Hour [ 8.30PM to 9.30PM ]

Purpose: To create awareness for global warming and Earth Hour is a global campaign with a simple
message to switch off non-essential lights for one hour
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66 | P a g e

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AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Ma ti C o e I du ted i to the I te atio al C i ket Cou il s C i ket Hall of Fa e

Bollywood Actress Rani Mukerji Awarded

Ti e s Most I flue tial People o the I te et

Kerala Tourism Department wins the Golden Gate Award

TCS named Top Employer in Europe for Third Consecutive Time

Veerappa Moily Chosen for Saraswati Samman Award

I dia s Wate Ma o fe ed ith to khol Wate P ize

Fourth National Photography Awards

The theme for Professional Photographer category Ha a a Bha at a hh Bha at

Special Mention Award in Professional Category

Special Mention Award in Amateur Category

Lata Mangeshkar conferred with Voice of the Century Award

Lege da i ge Lata Ma geshka as o th Ma h p ese ted the Laadli Voi e of the Ce tu

Smriti Irani named as Young Global Leader by WEF

No Indian University in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings

Ti es Highe edu atio o ld eputatio a ki g e plo the o ld s la gest a ade i opi io su e to

Bha ti Khe o fe ed ith F a e s K ight of the O de of A ts a d Letters

62nd National Film Awards : An Overview

Akhil Sharma wins Folio Prize for Fiction

Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014

Amitav Ghosh shortlisted for Man Booker International Prize

A ita Ghosh o d Ma h e e ged as the o l I dia autho a o g fi alists fo this ea s

Bangladesh wins Women in Parliaments Award

Nobel Laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan to head Royal Society in UK

President Pranab Mukherjee gives away Chakra Awards to Defence Personnel

Shaurya Chakra (Posthumously)

Naik Ansaigra Basumatary.

Name of PSUs that were selected:

S. No Awards Name of the Company

Government of India felicitated the winners of the Web Ratna Awards

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee conferred with Bharat Ratna

Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 won by ISRO

Abel Prize 2015 jointly won by Nash and Nirenberg

Aditi Arya Crowned Femina Miss India 2015

Madan Mohan Malviya conferred with Bharat Ratna

ACTS AND BILLS

Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Here are key highlights below:

Date of passing: 3rd March 2015 by voice note.

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Date of passing: 2nd March 2015 by voice note

It merges PIO and OCI cardholders.

Lok Sabha Passes Land Aquisition Bill

Key Highlights of Bill are stated below

1. Date of Passing: 10th March 2015 by Voice note.

Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 gets Rajya Sabha Nod

Key Highlights of The Bill

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015

Key highlights of bill

Date of passing: 3rd March 2015

It changes the lease period for all minerals other than;

o Mining leases for minerals shall be granted for a period of 50 years.

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015

Date of Passing: 4th March 2015 by voice note.

(iii) Mine infrastructure.

A prior allottee shall not be eligible to participate in the auction process

Parliament passes bill to add some communities in SC list

As per the bill, the newly added communities are,

Kabirpanthi and Julaha Haryana,

Lok Sabha passes Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Wa ehousi g Co po atio s A e d e t Bill, seeks to do a a ith the Ce te s espo si ilit