MACE MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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  APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 1 MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS   M  A C  E  C O  M  M  U  N  IQ  U  E   APRIL EDITION KEY HIGHLIGHTS PM Narendra Modi visits France  Aahar food scheme Launched in Odisha MUDRA BANK YOJANA Raja Rajeswari, first Indian-America n woman judge of New York Japan's Maglev train sets world record: 603 kph India ranks 119 on 2015 FM Global Resilience Index  Sania Mirza : Indian female tennis player ranked World No.1 in Womens Doubles  MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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Current Affairs Magazine for all the competititve examinations like IAS, IBPS, SSC etc,

Transcript of MACE MONTHLY MAGAZINE

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 1

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    MACE COMMUNIQUE

    APRIL EDITION

    KEY HIGHLIGHTS

    PM Narendra Modi visits France

    Aahar food scheme Launched in Odisha

    MUDRA BANK YOJANA

    Raja Rajeswari, first Indian-American woman judge of New York

    Japan's Maglev train sets world record: 603 kph

    India ranks 119 on 2015 FM Global Resilience Index

    Sania Mirza : Indian female tennis player ranked World No.1 in Womens Doubles

    MONTHLY MAGAZINE

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 2

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Punjab Government launches Padho Punjab- Khedo Punjab Mission

    Punjab Government has launched Padho Punjab- Khedo Punjab Mission i.e. Learn Punjab- Play Punjab Mission. It is a special mission launched to provide school students a separate period in the curriculum for playing along with studies. The purpose of the mission is to encourage more youngsters towards sports to produce quality players for the country. This will also inculcate the sportsmanship spirit and competitiveness amongst them. Under this mission a 40 to 50 minute special period has been kept for sports. During this period, students of middle schools will be taught various games including the games played locally. Missions pilot project was launched by State Education Minister Dr. Daljeet Singh Cheema at a government girls school in Rupnagar district of state. As part of it, five teachers have been trained for purpose Padho Punjab-Khedo Punjab Mission. They will further give training to other teachers to physically train students in sports.

    Odisha Government launches Aahar scheme Odisha Government on 1 April 2015 launched Aahar- cheap meal scheme for providing subsidised food to urban poor. It was launched by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar on the occasion the foundation day of the state i.e. Utkala Dibasa. Facts about Aahar - cheap meal scheme: It aims at providing meal at Rs. five to the urban poor. In the first phase, scheme was launched simultaneously in five cities of state including Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, Cuttack, Berhampur and Sambalpur. The subsidised meals will be provided at four crowded places each in these five cities to people visiting urban areas for various work . Following companies have sponsored the scheme in particular city Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. Odisha Power Generation Corporation (OPGC) in Rourkela. Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) in Sambalpur. Tata Steel in Berhampur.

    Andhra Pradesh government has approved Amaravathi as name of the new capital city of the state coming up in the Vijayawada-Guntur region The name Amaravathi was chosen in view of the historical and spiritual significance as it was ancient seat of Satavahana rulers kingdom. Decision in this regard was taken by Andhra Pradesh Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Apart from this, cabinet also approved the first phase of the master plan prepared by Singapore government.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give it Up campaign Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Give it Up campaign. The campaign was launched at the annual energy-focussed summit Urja Sangam 2015. The campaign seeks to extort the better off sections of society to forego their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy, which would be utilised in providing subsidised LPG connections to the poor. The Prime Minister asked companies and banks to encourage their employees to give up the subsidy on LPG. The Give it Up campaign should be taken up on the lines of Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao initiatives.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Union Government unveils new Foreign Trade Policy

    Union Government has unveiled new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) to make India an exporting powerhouse in the next five years. The new trade policy will incorporate government ambitious initiatives such as Make in India, Digital India mission, Skill India programme, ease of business in order to boost jobs and take Indias exports to 900 billion dollars by 2020. The goals of the new policy will be achieved by simplifying complex procedures, addressing infrastructural bottlenecks and eliminating manufacturing hurdles. Focus areas of the new FTP are: Labour intensive sectors to generate more employment. Boosting to environment-friendly products. High tech value addition. Involving skill India programme to promote entrepreneurship. Moving towards branding of products. Incentives for units located in SEZs. Making the life of traders easier. Key facts FTP also takes into consideration e-commerce. Under the new policy, Indias nascent, e-commerce sector would also be extended sops. The new trade policy will be based on two new schemes: Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) and Services Exports from India Scheme (SIES). Under these two schemes, government has merged all earlier export promotion schemes. MEIS is for export of specified goods in specified markets with the rate of rewards range from 2 to 5%. SIES is for increasing exports of notified services and the selected services will be rewarded at the rates of 3 to 5%. The new also move to-wards paperless working. In this regard, a facility has been created to upload documents in exporter/ im-porter profile in order to avoid need of repeatedly submitting documents.

    India ranks 119 on 2015 FM Global Resilience Index

    The Index measures business resilience of 130 nations. It is based on economic, risk quality and supply chain factors. The higher ranking of country in this index indicates that it is best suited for companies seeking to avoid disruptions in their global supply chain opera-tions. In recently released 2015 FM Global Resilience Index, India has been ranked a low 119 out of 130 coun-tries; India despite having scope and global potential was ranked 119 compared to 112th rank in 2014 Global Resilience Index; India is ranked 115 position on the economic parameter that takes into account GDP, political risk and oil intensity. This rank is same as in year 2014; In the risk quality factor, India is ranked 109 for its quality of natural hazard and fire risk management. In this parameter, India has shown slight improvement from its 113th rank in 2014. Norway topped the ranked first while Venezuela ranked last.

    88th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan begins in Ghumaan, Punjab

    It was inaugurated by Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari along with the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. The three-day long sammelan is dedicated to Marathi Saint Bhagat Namdev (Sant Namdeo). In this conference large contingent of Marathi litterateurs is going to take part. The President of 88th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan is Dr. Sadanand More. Apart from inaugurated the sam-melan, foundation stone of Bhagat Namdev Degree College was also laid in the Ghumaan village. Village Ghumaan is the place where Marathi Saint Bhagat Namdev had spent 18 years of his life and gave valuable teachings to the society. It is believed that in Ghuman, Sant Namdeo had composed his shlokas in Awadhi, Marathi and Punjabi. His 61 shabads were included in holy scripture of the Sikhs i.e. Guru Granth Sahib.

    CENTRE EXTENDS NFSA DEADLINE BY 6 MONTHS The Union Government has extended the time limit of completing identification of beneficiaries and other preparatory measures to September 30, 2015 to implement the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) in the State Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, while intimating the extension of time period has requested to review the progress in identification of beneficiaries for coverage under NFSA. The Union Minister has said the Act provided one year for identification of eligible households for coverage. However, the Centre has extended the time limit four times and now the last ex-tension is till 30 September, 2015, by which all these jobs are to be completed. In order to ensure leakage free and effective delivery of benefits of the Act, necessary strengthening of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) has to go hand in hand, Paswan said.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) has won the prestigious Golden Peacock National Quality Award for the year 2015. DIAL was bestowed this award for their efforts in building a culture of Total Quality across Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport. United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister for culture, youth and development Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan will present this award to DIAL at a specially organized presenta-tion ceremony to be held in Dubai on April 20, 2015. DIAL is a joint venture (JV) company comprising of Airports Authority of India (AAI), GMR Group, Fraport and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

    Golden Peacock National Quality Award GPNA have been instituted in 1991 by Institute of Direc-tors (IOD) a registered non-profit apex association of company directors. Since its inception, it is globally regarded as a benchmark of corporate excellence. The Award is bestowed annually to encourage total im-provement in each sector of the business

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches National Air Quality Index to give pollution information

    In a concerted effort to deal with the menace of air air pollution, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Indias first Air Quality Index. The index shall be operational in ten Indian cities to begin with; The air caliber index will inform the general public concerning the degree of air pollution within the air on a day-by-day foundation in actual-time ; AQI has been developed for six pollutants- nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, Particle Pollution (PM)2.5, PM10 and carbon monoxide.

    Bangladesh Cabinet approves revised trade deal with India Bangladesh cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ap-proved the revised India-Bangladesh trade agreement. The revised agreement will facilitate both countries to use each others land and water routes for trade with a third country and remove long standing barrier in regional trade. With this Bang-ladesh will be able to use Indian railways, roads and waterways in transhipment of goods to Bhutan and Nepal. While, India will be able to send goods to Myanmar through Bangladesh.

    The National Green Tribunal (NGT) announce that all diesel vehicles heavy or light which are more than 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi and NCR: The judgment was given by bench headed by NGT Chairman Justice Swatanter Kumar on a petition filed by Vardhaman Kaushik who had contended that the level of particulates in Delhi is raising manifold.

    April 7: World Health Day World health Day was observed all over the world on April 7, 2015. Theme for year 2015 was food safety with the slogan from farm to plate, make food safe. The theme highlights Need to make food free from viruses, microbes and chemicals substances that are responsible for more than 200 diseases. Indirectly unsafe food is linked to the annual deaths of some 2 million people, mostly children. Need to create awareness about food safety as it possesses challenges from the changes in food production, distribution and consumption. Changes in the environment and new emerging pathogens and antimicrobial resistance are also challenge to food safety. In this regard, WHO is also working with countries to strengthen efforts to detect, prevent and respond to foodborne disease outbreaks in line with the Codex Alimentarius. About World Health Day Every year on April 7, World Health Day is celebrated under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO). Purpose: To focus on increasing the life expectancy by adding good health to the lives of people and promoting healthier living habits. This day marks the WHOs founding and is observed since 1950, Since then April 7 every year is seen as an opportunity by the WHO to draw worldwide attention to a subject of major importance to global health each year.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Seychelles becomes 161st member of World Trade Organisation

    Seychelles became the 161st member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) which headquarters in Ge-neva. Seychelles archipelago of 90000 inhabitants became one of its smallest members. WTO (World Trade Organization) was established on 1 January 1995.Besides, Seychelles is also the 33rd government to accede to the rules-based multilateral trading system through Article XII negotiations. Pierre Laporte, for-mer Minister of Trade, Finance and Investment of Seychelles and WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo were signed the Protocol of Accession. On 31 May 1995, Seychelles had applied for WTO membership and its accession was approved by the WTO members on 10 December 2014. This approval by WTO ended the 20-year long wait of the country for becoming a member of WTO, as the country was negotiating its acces-sion terms since 31 May 1995. Earlier, WTO had 160 counties of member. In 2001, china had jointed as the member of WTO in Doha summit and WTO allowed 28 Agreement which related to the trade.

    Union Cabinet gives nod to amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its nod to amendments to the Preven-tion of Corruption Act (PCA), 1988 by pursuing the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013.

    The proposed amendments in the bill to amend parent Act mainly aim at laying down more stringent measures to tackle corruption.

    It also seeks to fill in the perceived gaps in the domestic anti-corruption law as per the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).

    Key Amendments

    Proposes more stringent punishment for the offences of bribery, both for the bribe giver and the bribe taker.

    Enhances punishment from the minimum 6 months to 3 years and from the maximum five years to seven years.

    Extends the protection of prior sanction for prosecution to public servants who cease to hold office due to retirement and resignation.

    Non-monetary gratification is also be covered within the definition of the word gratification in the PCA 1988.

    Background

    The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in August 2013. But the Bill was not passed in Rajya Sabha.

    The amendment Bill incorporates the recommendations given by the 20th Law Commission headed by Justice (retd) AP Shah in its 254th Report in order to bring anti-corruption law in line with the UNCAC.

    India ranks 13th in generating electricity from nuclear source

    India ranks at 13th position among the thirty one countries in the world which are generating electricity from nuclear source. Indias current installed nuclear power capacity is 5780 MW. It is expected to increase to 10080 MW by 2019 on progressive completion of projects. This information was given by Minister of State (MoS) Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply in the Rajya Sabha to an unstarred question. Accord-ing to the report, the ranking was based upon the data published by Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2014. Union Government also has accorded sanction for two more projects with a total capacity of 3400 MW. The total requirement of nuclear fuel i.e. natural uranium is over 5 five years is estimated to be around 5,940 tons. In future, India more nuclear power projects based both on indigenous technologies and with international cooperation is planned.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    India, Japan ink action agenda to boost trade, investment

    India and Japan have signed a Five-point action agenda to increase bilateral trade and investment between the two nations. It was signed between Japans Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry Yoichi Miyazawa and Minister of State (independent charge) for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman. The five-point agenda between India and Japan. These includes are- Development of selected townships in India as Japanese industrial townships. Promotion of investment and infrastructure development. Further development and cooperation in IT sector. Enhancing cooperation in strategic sectors. Asia-Pacific economic integration. In 2014, Indian PM Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Japan and this five-point action agenda is a follow-up of in 2014 and will play important role in improving the trade relationship between India and Japan. Japan is the fourth largest foreign direct investment (FDI) contributor to India. Its major FDI in-terests is in automobiles, pharmaceuticals and services sectors which accounts for 7.46 per cent of total FDI equity inflows into India.

    Union Government extends e-Tourist Visa scheme to 31 more countries Union Government has extended e-Tourist Visa scheme to 31 more countries with an effect from 31 May 2015. In this regard, Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a notification. With this the total number of countries under the scheme has gone up to 76. The 31 countries are: Antigua & Barbuda, Anguilla, Bahamas, Bolivia, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Chile, Cayman Island, Dominic an Republic, Dominica, Estonia, El Salvador, Ecuador, France, Grenada, Georgia, Haiti, Honduras,Vatican, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Nicaragua, Montserrat, St.Kitts & Nevis Paraguay, and Seychelles

    3 Super-Earths Orbiting Nearby Star Discovered Three planets, each with a mass 7 to 8 times that of Earth, have been discovered orbiting a nearby star that is only 54 light-years away, scientists say. All three planets orbit their star at a distance closer than Mercury orbits the Sun, completing their orbits in just five, 15, and 24 days, researchers said. The team discovered the new planets by detecting the wobble of the star HD 7924 as the planets orbited and pulled on the star gravitationally.

    The Automated Planet Finder (APF) Telescope at Lick Observatory in California and WM Keck Observatory on Maunakea, Hawaii traced out the planets' orbits over many years using the Doppler technique that has successfully found hundreds of mostly larger planets orbiting nearby stars. The Automatic Photometric Telescope (APT) at Fairborn Observatory in Arizona made crucial measurements of the brightness of HD 7924 to assure the validity of the planet discoveries.

    International Day of Yoga logo launched in New Delhi The logo for International Day of Yoga was launched in New Delhi on 29 April 2015.

    It was launched by Union External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Union

    Minister of State (MoS) for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik.

    The logo was selected by the Committee of Yoga experts, which was constituted by Union Ministry of AYUSH and has been approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Sri Lankan Parliament amends constitution to reduce Presidents power Sri Lankan Parliament has amended the constitution to reduce the power of Executive President and to put into place a Constitutional Council for making key government appoints. In this regard, the Parliament has adopted 19th (19A) Amendment of the Constitution. The reform amend-ment bill overwhelmingly received 215 votes in favour and just one vote against it in the 225-member assembly. The bill brings reforms to

    Ensure an independent judiciary and police.

    Curbs and checks Presidents power to dissolve the parliament.

    Two-term limit of Presidents is restored.

    The term of the President is reduced from 6 to 5 years. This amendment will also now put into place several independent commissions that will handle key areas of governance such as elections, public service, police and the judiciary and will function outside the influence of the Executive.

    Parliament passes Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014

    Parliament has passed RRBs (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was first passed in Lok Sabha on 22 December 2014 and later in Rajya Sabha on 28 April 2015. This bill amends RRbs Act, 1976 and aims to strengthen the Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) and deepen their financial inclusion. According to the Act, It should be noted that the parent Act of 1976 mainly has provisions for the incorpo-ration, regulation and winding up of RRBs. This amendment bill increases the authorised capital of each RRBs from Rs 5 crore to Rs 2000 crore divided into Rs 200 crore of fully paid share of Rs 10 each and as per the parent Act the Rs 5 crore share capital of RRBs is split into 5 lakh shares of Rs 100 each. The Bill allows RRBs shareholding to raise capital from sources other than the central and state governments, and sponsor banks. Board of director also mentions that directors will be elected by shareholders based on the total amount of equity share capital issued to such shareholders. The bill raises the tenure of directors to 3 years from existing 2 years. The Bill also states that no director can hold office for a total period exceeding six years. The parent Act had provision which mentioned that the balance books of RRBs should be closed and balanced by 31st December every year.

    The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20 at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. Cryogenic engine CE-20 will carry up to the capacity of four tonnes in geostationary orbit. The engine will also give boost to Indias interplanetary probes and manned space missions. This development marks a milestone in the countrys effort to develop a big cryogenic engine to fly satellites of up to five tonnes. Earlier, Russia given cryogenic engines which Indias GSLV powered the engine. A cryogenic engine uses Hydrogen as fuel which stored at minus 253 degrees Celsius and liquid oxy-gen as oxidizer at minus 183 degrees Celsius. Engine CE-20 is essential to master this technology for any

    space power as launching heavier satellites requires cryogenic engines even in the lower stages of the rocket. Engine CE-20 can develop the thrust needed in the final state of the rocket to put satellites, weighing two tonnes or more, into a geosynchronous orbit. But at present, India can only launch satellites of up to two tonnes. The first success came in January 2014 when India successfully launched GSLV-D5. India has been on a long arduous journey to develop an operational indigenous cryogenic engine which began around 30 years ago.

    ISRO successfully tested indigenous cryogenic engine CE-20 with four-ton capacity

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 8

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Rajya Sabha passed Payments and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014 Main Aim:

    Addressing the problem of insolvency in the payment and settlement system by increasing transpar-ency and stability in it.

    Bringing Indias banking payment system in sync with international practices.

    Key facts of Bill

    Seeks to improve the payment and settlement systems by increasing transparency and stability of Indian financial market.

    Has provision to protect funds collected from the customers by the payment system providers and to extend the Act to cover trade repository and legal entity identifier issuer. A Legal Entity Identifier will be a unique ID associated with a single corporate entity.

    Mentions that the decision of the court, tribunal or any authority will not impact the settlement which had become final prior to the issuance of the order.

    Ensure that if a system participant becomes insolvent, the dues of people whose money is with it would be cleared first.

    Norms of banking as well as companies laws would not be applicable till such dues are cleared.

    The Union government has cancelled licences of nearly 9,000 Non-Governmental

    Organisations for violation of Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA): The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA 2010) is an enactment that is relatively unknown even to practising Chartered Accountants. Besides it is a law where compliance is difficult to monitor and implementation presents practical difficulties. The result is that the law is often practised in breach.

    The Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015 is won by Bharatiya Mahila Bank. At a function held in HongKongon 23rd April 2015, as a part of Asian Banker Summit 2015, the Chairman and Managing director of Bharatiya Mahila Bank, Mrs Usha Ananthasubramanian received that award. BMB was given the award in the technology implementation category of Best Outsourcing Project [New Bank]. The main aim of this BMB is to focus on banking needs of women and to promote economic

    empowerment. Gender related issues are also in the agenda and will be helpful in financial inclusion. 1000crore seed-capital for the bank had been approved by the Union Government for the year

    2013/14. Seed capital is the funding needed to get new business started.

    Bharatiya Mahila Bank wins Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015

    INTERESTING FACT India and Bangladesh have decided to take concerted

    conservation efforts to protect the rare spectacled Langur.

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    Rajya Sabha passes The Rights of Transgender Persons Bill, 2014 For the first time in 45 years, a private members bill protecting and providing rights for the transgenders, was passed by Rajya Sabha. The bill guarantees reservations in education and jobs, financial help and social inclusion. The Rights of Transgender Persons Bills 2014 makes it easier for a law on the matter in the future.The government gave assurance that it would bring updated Bill in the Lok Sabha.While government accepts the spirit and sentiment of the Bill, the weakness present in it had to be removed.

    The passing of bill was an unanimous decision and very rare thing.

    The bill forecasts creation of national commission for transgender communities.

    The Rights Of Transgender Persons Bill 2014 moved by Trichy Siva [DMK] was passed after leader of the house Mr Arun Jaitley also supported. The bill was passed by voice vote in presence of 19 Union ministers and former Prime Minister Mr Manmohan Singh was also present. Mr Siva said 29 nations and leading democracies in the world like Australia, US, UK, Canada, Singapore, France etc has laws protecting the rights of the transgender community .There are 58 clauses and 10 chapters in the Bill illustrating various feature of transgenders from their childhood to their oldage. The last time private member bill passed was way back in 1970.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates Indias Healthcare Tourism Portal

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24 April 2015 inaugurated Indias Healthcare Tourism Portal www.indiahealthcaretourism.com at the SAAARC Trade Mart in the Global Exhibition on Services (GES).

    It was inaugurated on the occasion of three-day Global Exhibition on Services (GES) that commenced on 23 April, 2015 in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

    Key facts about Healthcare Tourism Portal

    The portal is developed by the Union Governments Department of Commerce and the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC).

    It is a comprehensive one-point information site that covers hospital and travel-related information in India.

    Presently, it covers 124 accredited medical facilities. It includes 93 medical centers, 30 Ayurveda and Wellness centers and 1 special category center.

    Among these medical facilities 74 facilities are located in Tier I cites and the rest are in Tier II cities.

    These covered accredited medical facilities on portal are easily locatable. It is also easy to find by search options by location, medical specialty, key procedures, language options etc.

    Details such as costs related to treatment in hospitals, visa and travel formalities, tariff options on stay etc are also mentioned on the portal.

    State of Assam has been awarded as the Best e-Panchayat state on 25 April 2015 on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Diwas.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the award to state Rural Development minister Rakibul Hussain in New Delhi.

    Apart from this award, 8 Panchayat Raj Institutes of state also received Rajiv Gandhi Panchayat Shasaktikaran award.

    These panchayat raj institutes are Agomoni Anchalik Parishad, Morigaon Zila Parishad, Ketri Gaon

    Panchayat, Mayong Gaon Panchayat, Boitamari Anchalik Parishad, Halakula Gaon Panchayat,

    Chandrapur Gaon Panchayat and Baghara Gaon Panchayat.

    Assam awarded as Best e-Panchayat state on National Panchayati Raj Diwas

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Every year World Malaria Day (WMD) is observed on 25 April. The day is observed to recognise the global efforts to control preventable disease malaria. The theme of this year WMD-2015 is Invest in the Future and Defeat Malaria.

    WORLD MALERIA DAY OBSERVED ON EVERY

    25 APRIL report was published by Sustainable Developments Solutions Network or SDSN which is a global initiative for United Nations. The report takes GDP per capita, life expectancy, social support, freedom to make life choices,trust,generosity etc.

    In 2013,India was in 111th position but it has gone down in 2015.

    Pakistan ranks 81 and Bangladesh 109 in the list.

    Switzerland, is ranked 1 in the list followed by Iceland , Denmark, Norway and Canada .

    Happiness is regarded as the measure of social progress and goal of public policy.

    USA is ranked 15th followed by UK at 21, Singapore ranks 24th with Saudi Arabia, Japan and China at 35,46 and 84 respectively

    Indias Ranking in global happiness index is 117 out of 158

    India fourth largest supplier of generic medicines to US India has emerged as the fourth largest supplier of generic medicines to the United States. It was announced by Minister of State (MoS) for Chemicals and Fertilizers Hansraj Ahir gave this information in the Rajya Sabha in reply to a question. Indias generic medicines exports have touched over US 4 billion dollars in 2013-14 in spite of stringent regulatory measures imposed by US. Union Government also announced that Indian pharmaceutical companies are already exporting generic medicines to Africa, West Asia and European countries.

    Indo-France naval exercise Varuna 14th begins

    India and France began their 14th edition of 10 day naval exercise Varuna where 12 Rafale fighter jets seen in full force off Goa coast with host of naval assets of both their countries. India has decided to purchase 36 Rafale fighter aircraft in fly-away condition for Indian Air Force . Indian Navy and French Navy have been conducting Naval exercises since 1983 itself. After strategic partnership in 1998 the exercises are named as VARUNA in 2001. Upto now 13 such exercises have been conducted and the last was conducted in Mediterranean sea in France in July 2012.

    Every year April 24 is being observed as National Panchayati Raj (PR) Diwas across India. This day marks the passing of the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24 April 1993.

    This amendment had led a defining moment in the history of India which helped in decentralization of political power to the grassroots level. In turn it had lead to institutionalization of Panchayati Raj (PR) through the village, Intermediate and District level Panchayats.

    On this day Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference every year to commemorate the National Panchayati Raj Diwas.

    Best performing Gram Panchayats are conferred with Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Purskar by the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj on this day

    National Panchayati Raj Diwas (24 APRIL)

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Union Cabinet approves agreement between India and Jordan on maritime transport

    Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval for signing of a shipping agreement between India and Jordan.

    The agreement aims at strengthening cooperation between both nations in the area of shipping and to provide sustained mutual assistance and advice on merchant shipping and other related maritime matters.

    LTC Exemption: Rules Relaxed for Unmarried Government Employees

    Unmarried central government employees can now avail benefits of Leave Travel Concession (LTC) for visiting any part of the country, as per a relaxation in the rule, which earlier restricted them to use the facility for going to their hometown only.

    "It has been decided that the facility of conversion of home town LTC to allow travel to different parts of the country, under the special dispensation scheme, will also apply to an unmarried central government servant, who is eligible to avail the benefit of LTC to visit hometown every year," a fresh order issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT)

    Govt to launch toll free helpline for TB patients The health ministry is set to launch a toll free helpline to reach out to tuberculosis patients across the country. Any suspected patient can call or even give a missed call on the helpline number and government health workers will contact the person to check the status of TB as well as provide medical intervention.

    India accounts for almost 25% of the 8.6 million TB cases reported world-wide. The number of drug resistant tuberculosis cases estimated in India is also significantly high at 110,000.

    Under the programme, the government aims to diagnose all TB cases within two weeks of symptoms and refer them to the nearest public health centre. The ministry is also evaluating schemes to incentivize patients for completing treatment. This will help the government keep a check on drug resistant TB, which generally occurs due to incomplete treatment.

    Besides, the health ministry will also work in coordination with other ministries to ensure linking of TB patients and their families to various welfare schemes of the government so that the earning of these families increases and they have nutritional support which will enhance the immunity status of each member of the family

    Zomato acquires NexTable

    Online restaurant guide Zomato has acquired United States (US) based online table reservation platform NexTable for undisclosed amount. It is Zomatos ninth acquisitions since past nine months. This acquisition also comes shortly after Zomato had acquired MaplePOS, a cloud-based POS product for restaurants. NexTable services help its users make restaurant reservations in real time and it also includes table management and marketing tools for restaurants. With this acquisition, NexTable will be renamed as Zomato Book and it will help Zomato to move beyond restaurant search and discovery into table reservations, online ordering services.

    World Bank established Pollution Management and Environmental Health program

    World Bank established Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PHEM) program. The program was officially launched on Global Citizen 2015 Earth Day in Washington, D.C. The 45 million US Dollar PMEH program will initially run from 2015 to 2020 and focus primarily on air quality management in countries facing rapid urbanization and strong needs for pollution abatement measures, but also tackle water and land pollution. In particular, the program will focus on air quality management in five major urban areas in India, China, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa.

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 12

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Railway launches mobile app for paperless unreserved tickets

    Moving ahead in line with digital India, railways today launched mobile application for paperless unreserved tickets.

    Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu introduced from here the mobile app for paperless unreserved ticketing for commuters in Egmore and Tambram suburban sections in Chennai under Southern Railway zone.

    Developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) "utsonmobile" - the paperless unreserved ticketing feature in mobile application aims to eliminate the need for printing of unreserved tickets.

    Union Cabinet approves lowering of age of Juveniles from 18 to 16 years for heinous crimes Union Cabinet has approved lowering of age of juveniles from eighteen to sixteen years for heinous crimes. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The cabinet also approved to introduce Amendment to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014. This amendment will propose and add special provisions to tackle heinous offences like murder and rape committed by juveniles in the age group of 16-18 years. The proposed bill will amend the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. The parent Act clearly defines and classifies offences as serious, petty and heinous and defines differentiated processes for each classified category .

    While the amendments in the bill adds provisions that in case a heinous crime committed by a person

    between 16 and 18 years, will be examined by the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) to assess if the crime was committed as a child or as an adult.

    Information and Broadcasting Ministry receives ISO 9001:2008

    certification Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) received an ISO 9001:2008 certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI). The ISO certification was granted to Ministry in respect of various

    permissions and licences issued by it for the broadcasting and print media and films.

    These licences or permissions include for satellite Television channels, multi-system operators, teleports, community radio stations and DTH services.

    It also includes publication of Indian editions of technical and scientific and foreign magazines of news and current affairs, facsimile editions of foreign newspapers and permission for foreign film producers. The Ministry has undertaken this initiative in order to bring in more transparency and efficiency in the processes related in granting of various permissions and licenses to the eligible applicants.

    In this regard, the Ministry has put in place a well-defined procedure and measures in order to ensure quality of services offered to the customers on the basis of ISO 9001:2008. It will also ensure delivery of

    World Book and Copyright Day (also known as International Day of the Book or World Book Day) is observed on April 23, 2015. The annually celebrated day is organized by UNESCO to promote reading, publishing and copyright. It was first celebrated in 1995. The connection between 23 April and books was first made in 1923 by booksellers in Spain as a way to honor the author Miguel de Cervantes who died on that day. Nowadays the World Book and Copyright Day is observed in over 100 countries, where schools, private businesses, voluntary organizations and lots of more peo-ple and groups come together to pay a tribute to authors and books.

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  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 13

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    NASA develops first 3-D printed copper rocket engine part

    The engineers at NASA have developed 3-D printed copper rocket engine part that can function at high temperatures and pressures.The part they had produced was combustion chamber liner using additive manufacturing technique, which is capable of performing at high temperatures and pressures. Mr Steve Jurczyk, who is associate administrator for Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA, spoke in length about the milestone achieved by building the first full scale copper rocket part with additive manufacturing technology for the ultimate mission of reaching Mars. Additive manufacturing technology helps in reducing time and cost of making.A selective laser melting machine fused 8255 layers of copper powder inorder to produce the combustion chamber in 10 days and 18hours. A copper alloy GRCo-84, the raw material used, was produced by the scientists at NASAs Glenn Research Centre ,Ohio where lots of characterisation was carried out. Mr Zach Jones,a material engineer, said since copper is very good conductor of heat so its very good material to be used as liner in combustion chamber. Only handful of copper based rocket parts have been manufactured with additive technique, so this is something amasing. Usually many types of complex parts made of various materials are assembled to form an engine which gives thrust that powers rockets. The main aim was to build rocket engine parts upto 10 times faster and reducing the cost by more than 50% and for this the additive manufac-turing technique would play very important role.

    China and Pakistan launch economic corridor plan worth $46 billion Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to unveil a $46 billion infrastructure spending plan in Pakistan that is a centerpiece of Beijings ambitions to open new trade and transport routes across Asia and challenge the U.S. as the dominant regional power.

    The plan will be known as the China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

    China sees a historic opportunity to redraw the geopolitical map by succeeding where the U.S. has largely failed.

    A cornerstone of the project will be to develop the Pakistani port of Gwadar, a warm-water port run by the Chinese on the doorstep of the Middle East.

    New species of Gecko found A new species of a gecko was spotted at the ruins of the World Heritage Site of Hampi in Karnataka. It was named as Cnemaspis adii after a young herpetology researcher Aditya Srinivasulu from Hyderabad, Telangana.

    It was spotted by the researchers from the Osmania University in Hyderabad.

    Cnemaspis adii gecko is similar to a type of lizard usually found in warm climates. It belongs to the family of day geckos which are characterized by round pupils unlike regular geckos which have vertical pupils.

    This discovery of the gecko in Hampi is significant because for the first time species of day gecko was found in the central regions of the peninsular India.

    The other species of day geckos are commonly found in Western Ghats and southern Eastern Ghats of peninsular India.

    India 5th biggest generator of e-waste in 2014: UN report India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of

    electronic and electrical equipment in 2014, a UN report has said warning that the volume of global e-waste is likely to rise sharply by 21 per cent in next three years.

    The 'Global E-Waste Monitor 2014', compiled by UN's think tank United Nations University (UNU), said at 32 per cent, the US and China produced the most e-waste overall in 2014.

    India came in fifth, behind the US, China,Japan and Germany, the report said. Most e-waste in the world in 2014 was generated in Asia at 16 Mt or 3.7 kg per inhabitant. The top

    three Asian nations with the highest e-waste generation in absolute quantities are China (6.0 Mt), Japan (2.2 Mt) and India (1.7 Mt)

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 14

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    JAPAN'S MAGLEV TRAIN SETS WORLD RECORD: 603 KPH A Japanese magnetic levitation train has broken its own world speed record, hitting 603km/h (374mph) in a test run near Mount Fuji.

    The train beat the 590km/h speed it had set last week in another test.

    Japan is known for its shinkansen that run on steel rails, but has been investing in maglev technology which it is hoping to sell overseas.

    Central Japan Railway (JR Central), which owns the trains, wants to introduce the service between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya by 027. {Maglev (derived from magnetic levitation) is a transport method that uses magnetic levitation to move vehicles without touching the ground. With maglev, a vehicle travels along a guideway using magnets to create both lift and propulsion, thereby reducing friction and allowing higher speeds}

    ESAMIKSHA LAUNCHED TO MONITOR RAIL PROJECTS ONLINE With an aim of monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects including Rail Budget

    proposals, railways launched E-Samiksha, an online monitoring mechanism. It is a very good beginning and now each and every project implementation can be monitored on

    real-time basis, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here after launching the system. Designed by NIC, the software is currently being used by Cabinet Secretariat, PMO and other

    Ministries for monitoring progress implementation of various programmes and follow-up of meetings. Apart from budget-related projects, the E-Samiksha can also be used for monitoring the infrastructure

    target and board meeting follow-up. Ninth Civil Services Day was observed across India on 21 April 2015. The day is observed by all Civil

    Services to re-dedicate and re-commit themselves to the cause of the people. To mark the Day, a two-day programme was organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms

    and Public Grievances began from 20 April 2015. A series of Panel Discussions was organised at the Vigyan Bhawan. The Ninth Civil Services Day

    focuses on Minimum Government, Maximum Governance with specific sectoral emphasis on Social Sector, Housing, Employment & Skill Development and Agriculture.

    On this occasion, all officers of Central and State Governments are honoured for excellence in public administration. The Prime Minister will confer the Awards to winners of outstanding initiatives in Public Administration for the years 201213 and 2013-14.

    The award will be present in three categories. Under this scheme of awards instituted in 2006, all the officers individually or as group or as organization are eligible.

    During the event, a book on Best Practices Tomorrow is Here was also released by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 15

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    INS Vishakhapatnam Indian Navy's new stealth destroyer ship launched

    In yet another boost to India's defence preparedness, the Indian Navy launched thestealth destroyer INS Vishakhapatnam at Mumbai's Mazagon dock.

    INS Vishakhapatnam is the first of P15-B stealth destroyers. The 163 m long ship, which will be propelled by four gas turbines, is designed to achieve a speed of over 30 knots at a displacement of approx 7300 tons. This indigenously designed stealth destroyer will have state-of-the-art weapons, sensors, an advance Action Information System, in Integrated Platform Management system, sophisticated Power Distribu-tion System and a host of other advanced features, according to the Defence Ministry release. It will be fitted with supersonic surface-to-surface missile system. The system enables the ship to engage shore-based and naval surface targets at long range making it a lethal platform for strike against enemy targets. The ship's air defence capability, de-signed to counter the threat of enemy aircraft and anti-ship cruise missiles, will revolve around the verti-cal launch and long range surface to air missile system. Four 30 mm rapid-fire guns will provide the ship with close-in-defence capability while an MR gun will enable her to provide effective naval gunfire support. Indigenously developed twin tube torpedo launchers and rocket launchers will add punch to the ship's anti-submarine capability. The vessel is follow-on of P15A-Kolkota class destroyers with enhanced features "The indigenization content in P15-B class destroyers is a notch above her illustrious predecessors in line with the Make in India policy of the Government of India. The vessel is expected to be commissioned in the Navy in 2018," says the Ministry's release.

    Kerala government launches campaign Subodham

    The Kerala Government on Sunday launched a major cam-paign, Subodham a campaign to help people overcome alcohol, drugs and other substance abuse in Kerala. This project was launch by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Oommen Chandy and the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravishankar. This project launch happened in the presence of various religious leaders, student representatives from student organizations and also NGOs working against drug abuse. The state government aims to wipe out the menace of substance addiction from our society through Subodham. If total alcohol prohibition could save the society, the state government is ready to forego the revenue from the sale of liquor that is around Rs 7,000 crore per annum, said the Chief Minister of Kerala, during his speech. Subodham has been envisaged to the excise department and it will be worked on and implemented by a high level committee comprising of experts from various different fields. Excise Minister of Kerala, K. Babu, ,is the chairman of Subodham. The state Education department has also agreed and are taking steps to include anti- drug and alcohol awareness content in the state curriculum. The project is supported by the United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF).Several non-governmental organisations (NGOs), religious leaders and other stake holders are also participating in the project.

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    ANDHRA PRADESH inks MoU with IISL Company Andhra Pradesh Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IISL Company to replace the existing streetlights in 13 municipalities with LED lights in the state for 7 years. By installing LED streetlights, state government aims to reduce the power consumption by 50 per cent

    Oil India commissions 54 MW capacity wind energy projects in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh

    Indias second largest state-owned oil explorer company, Oil India Limited (OIL) has commissioned 54 MW wind energy projects saddled between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The spilt capacity of project between both states is 38 MW plant located at Chandgarh in Madhya Pradesh and 16 MW plant located at Patan in Gujarat. The Project is fully funded by OIL and its total cost is Rs 439 crore that includes Rs 126.5 crore for the Gujarat plant and Rs 312.45 crore for the Madhya Pradesh plant. The Project is being run by Chennai based Gamesa Wind Turbines who are the project developers. Delhi based Power and Energy Consultants are the project Management consultants. With commissioning of these plants, OILs installed renewable energy capacity i.e. commercial wind energy and solar energy projects capacity has rose to 126.60 MW.

    Dighi Port & RVNL sign MoU to connect the port by rail The Prime Ministers vision of port-led growth is taking shape in Maharashtra with the signing of a memo-randum of understanding (MoU) between Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) and Dighi Port Ltd (DPL) for developing rail connectivity from Dighi Port to Roha, and integrating the region with the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC), highlighted a release. The MoU was inked on April 18, in the presence of Mr Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Suresh Prabhu, Minister of Railways, Mr Anant Geete, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Mr Manoj Sinha, Union Minister of State for Railways, among others.

    Punjab to release Gharials in rivers to promote eco-tourism Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal , approved the release of gharials in Sutlej and Beas rivers in the state to promote eco-tourism. "To promote eco-tourism in Punjab, government has chalked out a programme for release of gharials - the last surviving species of the family Gavialidae - in the river Sutlej-Beas with Harike Wildlife Sanctuary as the starting point .

    India-Canada Uranium Deal Narendra Modi, the Indian Prime Ministers visit to Canada yielded the energy starving Indian nation to secure the Uranium supplied for its nuclear plants. Narendra Modi signed the deal with Canadas Prime Minister Stephan Harper at Ottawa. Canada is to supply the Uranium to India for a time span of 5 years with it worth $280 million. According to the deal 3,220 metric tonnes of uranium concentrate will be supplied for the Indian nuclear power reactors which are starving for fuels. The uranium, source of nuclear fuel is to be procured from the northern Saskatchewan mines of Cameco, the worlds third-largest uranium producer. According to reports the company sources 16% of the worlds Uranium supplies.

    Pak, Russia to hold first-ever joint military exercises

    Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced

    defence cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the Cold War-era adversaries. The agreement was reached during a meeting in Moscow between Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 17

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Agni-III ballistic missile India successfully test-fired nuclear weapons-capable Agni-III ballistic missile from the Wheeler Island off Odisha coast. Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3,000 k.m., it was tested for a lesser range. The suface to surface missile was launched by the personnel of Strategic Forces Command (SFC) from a mobile launcher as part of regular training exercise for the user. It was picked up randomly from the production lot and test fired. The SFC is tasked with handling strategic weaons systems. After the command for auto-lanuch was given, the two-stage solid-propelled missile took off on a flight of 1,200 seconds and homed onto the pre-designated target area in the bay of bengal with accuracy. . Various parameters and trajectory of the 17-meter tall missile were tracked and monitored in real time by radars along the east coast, as also by the telemetry and electro-optical systems. Two down-range ships near the impact point recorded the terminal event. Agni-III is one of the sophisticated and accurate missiles of its class and has already been inducted into armed forces. It is capable of carrying a payload weighing 1.5 tonnes to a distance of more than 3,000 k.m.

    Nuclear-Capable Dhanush Missile Successfully test-fired from Ship India on Thursday successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off the Odisha coast. Dhanush, a manoeuvring missile is a naval variant of Indias indige-nously-developed Prithvi missile and can carry a nuclear payload of 500 kg., was test fired from a ship in the Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence force. It can target both land-based and sea-based targets. The missile has already been inducted into the armed services. Facts about Dhanush Missile

    Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 to 1000 kilogramand can hit both land and sea-based targets within 350 km range.

    Indigenously developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

    Its a variant of the surface-to-surface/ship-to-ship Prithvi III missile.

    The missile gives the Indian Navy the capability to strike enemy targets with great precision.

    April 1

    April 5

    April 7

    April 13

    April 14

    April 18

    April 22

    April 23

    IMPORTANT DAYS IN APRIL

    Orissa Day

    National Maritime Day

    World Health Day

    Jallianwallah Bagh Massacre Day (1919)

    B.R. Ambedkar Remembrance Day

    World Heritage Day

    World Earth Day

    World Books Day

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 18

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    India registers record production of nuclear fuel In a major milestone for the nuclear industry, India has registered a record production of over 1,252 MT of uranium bundles, manufacturing close to double the annual fuel requirement of atomic reactors in the country. The production has also exceeded countrys annual fuel requirement of 650 MT for the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), which means the country has surplus nuclear fuel, for at least a few months. The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex, which produces fuel for nuclear reactors in the country, has produced over 30 per cent more fuel compared to its 961.023 MT production in 2013-14.

    India and US sign MoC on Transportation India and United States (US) have signed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) transportation between both countries. It was signed by Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari and Anthony Foxx, US Secre-tary of Transportation in New Delhi. The MoC aims at fostering cooperative work between both nations on key issues of mutual interest for all modes of transportation, coordinating public and private sector resources and expertise to advance safe, secure, efficient and integrated transportation systems. It seeks to cover areas like urban transportation, highway transportation, safety and environmental protections. It will also cover rail transportation, fuel efficiency, vehicle and behavioral safety, intermodal transportation and maritime shipping. The MoC will enable India to make use of worlds latest technology which is available with the US for developments of waterways and multi-modal hub projects.

    BHEL, Russian firm INTMA ink MoU to set up power plant in Kazakhstan Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Russian company INTMA to set up a gas-based power project in Kazakhstan

    Interlinking of rivers: Centre forms Task Force to bring States on board Seeking to overcome the hurdles in interlinking of rivers, the Centre constituted a Task Force to work on forging consensus among different States for speedy implementation of the NDA governments ambitious project. The Union Water Resources Ministrys decision came in the backdrop of opposition from a couple of States over interlinking of rivers. A statement here said that the Task Force would be chaired by B N Navalawala and take up all issues for expediting the work on interlinking of rivers in the country. Apart from examining the existing links that are laid out as per the National Perspective Plan under both Himalayan and Peninsular components, the Task Force would also consider alternative plans in place of infeasible links in the present plan, the release added. The panel would facilitate interlinking of intra-state and intra-basin rivers also along with that of inter-state and inter-basin links. It would recommend time schedules for completion of feasibility studies and DPRs of all the links, implementation schedule of all the links and also suggest on various means of funding mechanisms for the interlinking of rivers project, the statement added. The Task Force would also provide guidance on norms of appraisal of individual projects in respect of economic viability, socio-economic, environmental impacts and preparation of resettlement plans. It would also device suitable mechanisms for bringing about speedy consensus among the States and also propose suitable organisational structure for implementing the interlinking of rivers, the release said. The Task Force would also try to forge a consensus among the States in order to take forward the speedy implementation of the project.

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 19

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    BSF launches nationwide tele-medicine programme for troops The programme will address medical and health-related problems of its troops deployed in far-flung frontier areas and difficult regions in the hinterland in case of an emergency or illness.

    FM transmission of Vividh Bharati Service was launched by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley It was launched at function held at New Broadcasting House of All India Radio (AIR) in Delhi. Key facts Vividh Bharti service will be available on 100.1 Megahertz (MHz) frequency. It will be also available on mobile phone. It will be available to listeners in and around Delhi within a range of 60-65 km. Listeners will now enjoy the programmes with much clarity at all times in all weather conditions without any hitch.

    Ministry of Home Affairs renames Visa on Arrival scheme to e-Tourist visa The Union home ministry has decided to rename the tourist visa-on-arrival scheme as 'e-tourist visa' scheme . The step is aimed at avoiding inconvenience to foreign tourists who, misled by scheme's nomenclature, would fly into India presuming that they would be granted visa on arrival upon landing. e-Tourist Visa Scheme is a pre-authorization of Visa to foreigners that being given prior to travel. Under the scheme, a foreign tourist is required to apply for a visa online by uploading his photograph and passport and also paying his visa fee online. Then visa authorities will process his application and send him an electronic travel authorization, or simply e-visa, via e-mail within 72 hours.

    BHEL commissions 600-MW thermal unit in Chhattisgarh

    Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on 13 April 2015 commissioned 600 MW unit of a thermal power project for the Dainik Bhaskar Power Limited (DBPL) at Dhabra in Janjgir Champa district of Chhattis-garh. The commissioned unit is the second unit of DBPLs 2 600 MW power project. The first 600 MW Unit was commissioned in 2014. BHEL is partner in the power development programme of the state of Chhattisgarh. With this commissioning of second unit, BHELs cumulative installed capacity has increased at 11,400MW in Chhattisgarh and accounts for 68 per cent share of the total installed capacity in the state.

    Turkey begins construction of first nuclear power plant Turkey began the construction of its first nuclear power plant located at Akkuyu in Mersin province on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It will be built by Akkuyu Project Company, a subsidiary of Russias nuclear agency Rosatom. Key Facts In 2010, Turkey and Russia had signed an agreement to set up $20 billion Akkuyu nuclear project. Akkuyu Project Company will own, build and operate the plant that comprises four 1,200 MW VVER units. The site was chosen at Akkuyu by Turkish government because it has low population density and low risk of earthquakes Akkuyu nuclear plant is the first of three nuclear power plants planned by Turkey. Second plant is due to be built in the Black Sea city of Sinop by a French-Japanese consortium and third plants location is not final-ised yet

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 20

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    Gujarat government launches industrial tourism to showcase development Gujarat government has launched industrial tourism package to promote its development by showcasing its major industrial installations which have earned global acclaim for state. It is a first of its kind initiative India, offered by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) in collaboration with Ahmedabad based Akshar Travels Pvt Ltd. The tour package is called as Industrial Tour of Gujarat and will cover some of the major industrial attractions of the state. It includes Tata Nano plant in Sanand, Amul Dairy in Anand, Alang ship breaking yard in Bhavnagar and Pipavav port near Amreli. It will also include Mrbi-based ceramic industry, Tata Chemicals factory in Mithapur, Asias biggest Ajanta clock factory, Reliance Refinery in Jamnagar. The package will also take tourists to salt pans near Okha and Kadi in Mehsana, which has the highest number of cotton gins in Asia.

    Union Government suspends Greenpeace Indias registration for 6 months

    Union government has suspended the registration of Greenpeace India, a non-profit environmental organization for six months with immediate effect. Decision in this regard was taken by Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after Greenpeace India had prejudicially acted against the public interests and economic interests of the country. As per MHA, Greenpeace India has used its funds received from foreign sources for unauthorised purposes and has violated the rules mentioned Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010. If Greenpeace India fails to make a satisfactory presentation to the Union government in this regard, its licence may be cancelled permanently

    India and France signed 17 agreements in various fields during Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modis visit to France They were signed in presence of Indian PM and his counter-part French President Francois Hollande after they had held wide-ranging talks in Paris. Some of key agreements signed are : MoU between Larsen and Tubro and AREVA- It aims at improve the financial viability of the Jaitapur Nuclear plant project by reducing cost by increasing localization. It will also enable France to transfer of technology to India for develop-ment of indigenous nuclear energy industry in India. Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) between NPCIL and Areva- It intends to bring clarity on all technical aspects of the plant. It will help all parties including AREVA, Alstom and NPCIL to fix their price and optimise all provisions for risks (still included at this stage) in the costs of the project. MoU between CNES and ISRO on Megha Tropiques satellite- It extends MoU for two more years of joint project for sharing and use of data from the satellite. The satellite was launched in October 2011 on board of Indian launch vehicle PSLV. MOU between ISRO, CNES and ONERA- It proposes cooperation in the areas of satellite remote sensing, satellite communications and satellite meteorology and others field. MoU between Union Sports Ministry and French Ministry of Sports- It envisages cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of sports medicine and institutional cooperation. Railway protocol between Union Railways Ministry and French National Railways (SNCF)- It seeks to establish cooperation between Indian and French Railways for semi-high speed rail and sta-tion renovation.

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 21

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    India elected to four key bodies of UN ECOSOC

    India was elected to four key bodies of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC). Four key subsidiary bodies are Executive Board of United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) --- India is elected for a 3 year term beginning January 2016. It was elected, along with 13 other nations. Executive Board of World Food Programme (WFP) India is re-elected to the for a 2 year period starting from January 2016, along with 5 other nations. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) India is elected for a 3 year period starting from January 2016. India was elected along with 19 other nations. Some of them are Iran, Pakistan, Austria, France, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and US. Governing Council of United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) India is elected for a 3 year period starting from January 2016 along with 13 other nations.

    Newly discovered Spider named after Telangana state

    Newly discovered spiders of Thomisidae family have been named as Telangana crab spider (Thomisus telanganensis) i.e. after Indian state of Telangana. These spiders were discovered by G.B. Pravalikha and Chelmala Srinivasulu, wildlife and taxonomy researchers from the Zoology Department of Osmania University at an expedition at Nagnur in Karimnagar district of Telangana.

    Indias first IFSC becomes operational at GIFT City in Gujarat

    Indias first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) became operational at Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City in Gandhinagar district of Gujarat. It became operational after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled the rules and regulations for this global financial hub. Key facts of IFSC rules and regulations Aim at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and Singapore. They also seek to check the flight of trading in rupee and Indian securities to such offshore financial hubs. These rules will allow companies incorporate outside India to raise money in foreign currencies by issuance and listing of their equity shares on stock exchanges within the IFSC. They will also allow individual and institutional investors from India and abroad, including NRIs to trade. Allows foreign and Indian stock exchanges to set up separate bourses within IFSC as subsidiaries. Relaxes capital and other requirements for some time in order to facilitate exchanges, clearing corpora-tions and depositories to set shop in the IFSC. Allows alternative investment funds and mutual funds that have set up in the IFSC to invest in the securities listed there.

    Book titled Suleiman Charitra written by Kalyana Malla translated from Sanskrit to English. Pre-Modern Kutchi Navigation Techniques and Voyages. Aatank Ke Saaye Men written by Garima Sanjay. Gods Bankers authored by Gerald Posner released.

    IMPORTANT BOOKS RELEASED IN APRIL

  • APRIL EDITION MACE COMMUNIQUE 22

    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    RBI penalises 16 Central Co-operative Banks (CCBs) The Reserve Bank of India penalised 16 central cooperative banks with a fine of Rs 5 lakh each for non-adherence of the Know Your Customer and Anti-Money Laundering guidelines. The lenders were issued show-cause notices and the action was taken after going through the responses. The penalties were imposed on these co-operative banks in exercise of powers vested in RBI under the provisions of Section 47(A) read with Section 46 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949

    Kotak Mahindra-ING Vysya merger gets RBI approval The merger deal between Kotak Mahindra Bank and ING Vysya Bank has received the Reserve Bank's ap-proval, which would create the country's fourth largest private sector lender. "The scheme of amalgamation (of Kotak Mahindra Bank and ING Vysya Bank) shall come into effect from April 1, 2015," Kotak Mahindra Bank said in a statement quoting RBI approval. Following the merger, all the tangible and intangible assets have been transferred to Kotak Mahindra Bank. The merged entity has now 1,214 branches, with a wide-spread pan-India network. ING Vysya had around 10,000 employees, while Kotak Bank has around 29,000.

    Snapdeal acquires majority stake in RupeePower E-commerce marketplace Snapdeal has acquired a majority stake in digital financial distribution platform RupeePower for an undisclosed amount. Snapdeals entry into online financial services is a first for an e-commerce company in India. Following the deal, the SoftBank-backed Snapdeal will offer consumer loans through the RupeePower network. The online financial services market in India is estimated at Rs 4,500 crore. The latest development is part of Snapdeals $1-billion acquisition spree. Founded in 2011, RupeePower has partnered 12 banks, including the State Bank of India, and non-banking financial companies.

    Indirect tax collection exceeds target by Rs 4,000 crore in FY15 The collection of indirect taxes has surpassed the revised estimates by Rs 4,000 crore to reach Rs 5.46 lakh crore for the fiscal ended March 2015. The total collection as on March 31 is Rs 5,46,479 crore, based on the provisional report as against revised estimates of Rs 5,42,325 crore for 2014-15The total collection as on March 31 is Rs 5,46,479 crore, based on the provisional report as against revised estimates of Rs 5,42,325 crore for 2014-15.

    Bharti AXA General Insurance launched Smart Traveller Bharti AXA General Insurance (GI) Company Ltd. has launched 'Smart Traveller' that offers global coverage for students, individuals, families and frequent travellers. The SmartTraveller Insurance policy offers a choice of two major plans catering to Individuals and Families and frequent travelers through a variant - known as Annual Multi Trip International travel insurance plan

    Myntra to close internet site from 1 May; to be accessible as a cellular app solely After closing its cellular internet site final month, on-line style retailer Myntra is now relocating to an app-solely technique by shutting down its desktop internet site. Myntra is on the right track to comprehensive Rs 2,000 crore in gross sales or gross merchandise worth (GMV) for the existing economic yr. *GMV refers back to the entire income generated by on-line retailers via sale of items on the on-line platforms.

    BUSINESS NEWS

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Dena Bank inks MoU with Life Insurance Corporation to provide insurance cover

    State owned Dena Bank has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Life Insurance Corpora-tion (LIC) of India to provide insurance cover to its all Aadhaar-linked savings account holders in the age group of 18 to 50 years. LIC will provide insurance cover under the Union Governments flagship Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJBY) scheme. Under the MoU: LIC will give a life cover of Rs 2 lakh in case of death of the insured person. In this re-gard, a nominal premium of 330 rupees per annum will be charged from account holder. Those who join the scheme before completing 50 years can continue to have the risk of life cover up to the age of 55 years.

    Highlights of RBI financial coverage evaluate Following are the highlights of RBIs first bi-month-to-month financial coverage assertion, 2015-16: Short-time period lending price (repo) unchanged at 7.5% Cash Reserve Ratio unchanged at 4% Retains Statutory Liquidity Ratio at 21.5% Estimates GDP progress at 7.8% in FY16, up from 7.5% in FY15 Forecasts CPI inflation at 5.8% by March 2016 CPI inflation to dip to 4% in August 2015. Hailstorms in March affected 17% of the rabi crop sown environment Future fee cuts will depend upon rate of interest discount by banks India greater organized to focus on volatility publish US Federal Reserve price motion State cooperative banks to be allowed to arrange offsite/ cellular ATMs with out prior approval from RBI. RBI to formulate scheme for market making by main sellers in semiliquid and illiquid DSecs. Second bi-month-to-month coverage assertion on June 2

    Flipkart acquires mobile marketing firm Appiterate Online marketplace Flipkart has announced the acquisition of Appiterate, a mobile engagement and marketing automation company based out of Delhi. Appiterate helps ecommerce companies target con-sumers better and increase sales by using push notifications and in app messages.

    PropTiger acquires Makaan.com Real estate portal PropTiger.com has acquired its rival Makaan.com to ramp up its presence in Indias secondary property market. After tvhe acquisition both portals will run separately.

    Capgemini acquires IGATE for $4 bn in all-cash deal French IT services firm Capgemini has announced its plan to acquire US based information technology (IT) outsourcer IGATE for US 4 billion dollars. This acquisition will help Capgemini to strengthen its foothold in the North American market.

    Bank of Baroda ties up with UAE Exchange for instant money transfer Leading Indian public sector bank Bank of Baroda (BoB) has partnered with UAE Exchange to offer Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers an instant cash transfer facility. In this regard agreement was signed between both parties. This agreement will facilitate customers can send money within minutes to their desired bank accounts in BoB in India. This facility is also supported by SMS alert, which will notify the moment the amount is credited in the bank account of desired customer.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    ICICI Bank, Tech Mahindra launch tap and pay service ICICI Bank, Indias largest private sector bank, has partnered with Tech Mahindra to launch contactless payment service to 'tap and pay'. Based on the Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, this payment service enables anyone (account holder of ICICI Bank or not) to make over-the-counter pay-ments without using cash. It allows users to just tap the NFC enabled tag or mobile phone at the merchants point-of-sale device to make payments, ICICI Bank said in a statement.

    Tap n Pay is a prepaid account, which can be availed by customers of any bank by registering for it and transferring money online from any bank account.

    ICICI Bank customers can also transfer money to the Tap-n-Pay account through an SMS.

    Sulekha.com raises Rs. 175 crore from GIC, Norwest Venture Partners Sulekha.com, a digital platform for local services, has raised Rs. 175 crore from Singapores sovereign wealth fund GIC and global investment firm Norwest Venture Partners.

    The Chennai-based company will use the proceeds for expanding its platform that connects users and local service providers, apart from investing in technology and branding, the company said in a statement.

    Bhartiya Mahila Bank inks MOUs with LIC , New India Insurance Bharatiya Mahila Bank Ltd has entered into MoUs with New India Assurance Company Ltd and Life Insurance Corporation of India to provide insurance cover to its account holders.

    The insurance covers are being provided under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Suraksha Bima Yojana and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan jyoti Bima Yojana schemes respectively.

    The insurance option is voluntary and comes at a premium of Rs. 12 for the PM Jan Suraksha Bima Yojana and Rs. 330 for the PM Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana.

    The age eligibility under the former is 18-70 years and under the latter 18-50 years.

    The enrolment period under the schemes will be from June 1, 2015, to August 31, 2015.

    MakeMyTrip acquires travel guide startup Mygola Online travel services provider MakeMyTrip.com has acquired Mygola, a startup travel guide firm. The acquisition was done through MakeMyTrips Innovation Fund, which invests in early-stage or start-up companies in the travel technology space. With this acquisition, MakeMyTrip will get a greater foothold in the mobile space as Mygolas entire team has joined them.

    Nokia announces to buy Alcatel- Lucent Finnish telecom network equipment maker Nokia on 16 April 2015 announced acquisition of French telecom network firm Alcatel- Lucent. This merger will create the worlds largest supplier of telecom equipments that powers mobilephone networks by surpassing Ericsson and Huawei. As part of the deal, The merged entity will be called Nokia and current Nokia Chairman Risto Siilasmaa will chair it. Nokia will buy Alcatel- Lucent in an all-stock deal valued at 15.6 billion euros ($16.6 billion). Nokia is going to give Alcatel-Lucent sharehold-ers 0.55 shares in the merged company for each of their old shares. In the combined entity Nokia shareholders will own 66.5 per cent shares of the company and Alcatel- Lucent shareholders will own 33.5 per cent shares. The deal is likely to be completed in the first half of 2016

    Zomato acquires Delhi based data firm MaplePOS Online restaurant guide Zomato on 14 April 2015 acquired MaplePOS, a cloud-based point of sale product for restaurants developed by Delhi based MapleGraph. After the acquisition, Zomato has renamed Maple-POS product to Zomato Base which will help the company and its restaurant partners to manage busi-ness into online orders and payments.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Mobile commerce platform Paytm inked memorandum of understand-ing MoU with National Centre for Trade Information (NCTI) to pro-mote Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

    Paytm will set up payment gateways platform for online ticketing and membership fees for NCTI. This tie-up will play a pivotal role in the growth of MSMEs by providing them with value-added trade information generally for the trading community. It will also provide platform to NCTI members that will serve as an opportunity to trade online and scale faster.

    MUDRA bank launched PM Modi, launched the MUDRA bank with a corpus of Rs. 20,000 crore and credit guarantee of Rs. 3,000

    crore.

    The bank will be responsible for refinancing micro-finance institutions in the business of lending to small

    entities.

    While big industrial houses provide jobs to only 1.25 crore people, small entrepreneurs have given employment

    to nearly 12 crore people, Mr. Modi said. The postal network would be used for increasing access to the formal

    financial system.

    Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the MUDRA Bank was a step in the right direction for funding the

    unfunded. He had proposed the MUDRA Bank in his budget speech in February.

    MUDRA will be set up through a statutory enactment. It will be responsible for developing and refinancing all

    micro-finance institutions (MFIs) which are in the business of lending to micro and small business entities

    engaged in manufacturing, trading and service activities.

    Banks role

    It will also partner with State and regional-level coordinators to provide finance to last-mile financiers of small

    and micro business enterprises. Its proposed role includes laying down policy guidelines for micro enterprise

    financing business, registration, accreditation and rating of MFI entities. The agency will also lay down responsible financing practices to ward off over-indebtedness and ensure proper client protection principles and methods of recovery, according to an official release. These measures are targeted towards mainstreaming young, educated or skilled workers and entrepreneurs, including women entrepreneurs, the release said. A vast part of the non-corporate sector operates as unregistered enterprises and formal or institutional architecture has not been able to reach out to meet its financial requirements. Providing access to institutional finance to such micro, small business units, enterprises will not only help in improving the quality of life of these entrepreneurs, but also turn them into strong instruments of GDP growth and employment generation,

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Ms. Raja Rajeswari became the first Indian-born woman to be appointed a judge in New York City. She was sworn-in as a criminal court judge in New York by Mayor Bill de Blasio along with 27 other judges.

    Raja Rajeswari, first Indian-American woman judge of New York

    APPOINTMENTS

    Loretta Lynch sworn-in as first black female Attorney General of US

    Sudans President Omar al-Bashir has won Presidential re-election

    Former Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar was appointed as chief adviser of the Board of Control for Cricket in Indias (BCCI) Anti-Corruption & Security Unit (ACSU). He will suc-ceed Ravi Sawant as his term ended and will have term of one year.

    Dr Nasim Zaidi : 20th Chief Election Commissioner, Succeeded Hari Shankar Brahma

    Chief Election Commissioner

    Mohan Kumar appointed as new Indian Ambassador to France Dr. Mohan Kumar, (IFS:1981), presently Ambassador ofIndia to Bahrain, has

    been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to France.He is expected to take up his assignment shortly.

    The official announcement for Mohan Kumars appointment comes six days after Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to France.

    Pankaj More appointed as Technology Head of Walmart India

    Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai sworn in as first lady judge of Sikkim High Court

    Mrs. Meenakshi Madan Rai was sworn in as the first lady judge of the Sikkim High Court. Governor of Sikkim Srinivas Patil administered the oath of office to her at Raj Bhavan in Gangtok. It should be noted that Mrs. Rai is also the third High Court judge who hails from Sikkim.

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    MATRIX ACADEMY FOR COMPETITIVE EXAMINATIONS

    Mohammed bin Nayef appointed as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Nayef was appointed as Crown