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SMC Online Education Group – June 2015

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AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Bangladesh Liberation War award for Vajpayee Bangladesh is set to honour former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for his outstanding support for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok Sabha member. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the members of Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladesh’s independence. Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayee’s “Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6. Isro Bags Space Pioneer Award for Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Mission

The country's low-cost Mangalyaan Mars orbiter mission which is in rendezvous with the Red Planet for an extended period has been presented with the Space Pioneer award for the year 2015 by the US' National Space Society.

Space Pioneer award for the year 2015 was presented to Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in the Science and Engineering category during the 34th Annual International Space Development Conference held at Toronto in Canada during May 20-24, 2015, Bengaluru-headquartered Isro said on its website.

Indian-Origin Surgeon General Vivek Murthy Presented With Pride of Community Award

Indian-origin US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has been presented with the Pride of the Community Award by a prominent Hindu advocacy group. Receiving the award by the Hindu American Foundation at its 12th Annual Day reception at Capitol Hill, Mr Murthy said that he draws inspiration from the life of Swami Vivekananda.

HAF also awarded Anantanand Rambachan, Professor of Religion at St Olaf College, Dharma Seva award; Harpreet Singh Mokha of the Department of Justice, the Mahatma Gandhi Award



for the Advancement of Pluralism; and Senator Mark Kirk and Rep Joe Crowley, HAF's Friend of the Community awards.

Vocalist Sanjay Subrahmanyam selected for ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award 2015

One of the foremost south Indian classical vocalists, Sanjay Subrahmanyam has been selected for the ‘Sangita Kalanidhi’ award 2015. It will be bestowed upon him when he will preside over the 89th annual conference of the Academy which will be held between December 15, 2015 and January 1, 2016.

President conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar

President Pranab Mukharjee on 26 June 2015 conferred Punyabhushan Award on Prataprao Pawar, Chairman of Sakal Media Group (SMG) at Balgandharva Auditorium in Pune. Pawar is the 27th recipient of the Punyabhushan award and his name was selected for the award by a committee led by scientist Raghunath Mashelkar. Besides, President also felicitated five veteran freedom fighters in the function.

Nadia district in West Bengal wins UN Public Service Award 2015 Nadia district in West Bengal has won the United Nations Public Service Award 2015 in the category of improving delivery of public services for or eliminating open defecation in the district. The award was presented by the acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad in Medellin, Colombia.

INDIAN AFFAIRS

President's visit to Sweden

President Pranab Mukherjee arrived in Sweden on the first leg of his five-day state visit to Sweden and Belarus. During his three-day State visit in Sweden, the President will meet Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, the Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, and the Leader of Opposition, Anna Kinberg Batra besides number of meetings with the King and the Queen. The visit will focus on innovation, sustainable development, urban development and scientific research with both countries exploring ways to enhance mutual exchange in the areas of trade and science.

US Defence Secretary Ashton B. Carter arrives in India



After delivering the keynote address at the crucial Shangri La dialogue in Singapore, US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter arrived in India. he will hold meetings with PM Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. During his visit.

The two countries will be signing the Defence Framework Agreement (DFA) that will define the US-India defence cooperation over the next decade.

India, Belarus agree on road map for stronger ties

India and Belarus decided to work together on defence and security issues as President Pranab Mukherjee met his Belarusian counterpart and agreed on a 17-point road map aimed at strengthening mutual trust and confidence.

The President discussed a host of issues, including increasing trade ties, besides boosting co-operation in mining, education and heavy machinery with Mr. Lukashenko. Under the agreement, the two countries will enhance coordination in science and technology, energy sector, metals and mining, potash fertilizers, give boost to raw material in textile sector, extend cooperation by Belarus in modernisation of public electric transport system in India, agriculture and agro procession.

India Signs Legal Agreement with the World Bank for IBRD Loan of US$ 400 Million

The Loan and Project Agreements for World Bank (IBRD) assistance of US$ 400 million for Tamil Nadu Sustainable Urban Development Project were signed between the Government of India/ Government of Tamil Nadu and World Bank.

The Loan Agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of Government of lndia and Mr. Onno Ruhl, Country Director, World Bank (lndia) on behalf of the World Bank.

The objective of the project is to improve urban services in participating Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in a financially sustainable manner and to pilot improved urban management practices in selected cities.

India, US ink new defence framework accord

India and the US signed a new strategically important 10-year defence framework pact envisaging joint development and manufacture of defence equipment and technology including jet engines, aircraft carrier design and construction. The framework also recognises the transformative nature of the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI).

Jayalalithaa announces aid for Cauvery delta farmers



Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa announced a financial aid of Rs 41 crore for farmers in the Cauvery delta region to improve the kuruvai cultivation (short-term cultivation). The 'kuruvai package' announced by the government includes financial assistance to farmers and free supply of micro nutrients. Farm machines will be leased out to farmers free of cost. Besides, three phase power would be provided for 12 hours per day for irrigation.

India jumps six places in FIFA rankings

India has jumped six places to 141st position in the latest rankings released by world football’s governing body FIFA. India was previously placed 147th in the rankings list. Iran (41) is the top-ranked Asian team in the list, followed by Japan (52) and South Korea (58). World Champions Germany continued to head the rankings. Belgium jumped to second place, a place above World Cup runners-up Argentina.

Essel, Rajasthan government ink Rs 4k crore pact for solar parks

Essel Group formed a 50:50 joint venture (JV) with the Rajasthan government to set up solar parks in the state. The solar parks will be set up in Bikaner and Jaisalmer regions with an investment of Rs 4,000 crore. Solar Park Project in Rajasthan will be India's turnkey project in the renewable energy space which will aid the clean energy initiatives of the Government of Rajasthan.

India, Bangladesh make history with land swap

India and Banglades sealed a historic agreement that will settle a 41-year-old land boundary dispute through exchange of territories, removing a major irritant in bilateral ties. The two sides exchanged documents regarding the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) that was passed unanimously by the Parliament last month in the presence of Mr. Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

The exchange of documents paves way for the operationalisation of the 1974 India-Bangladesh LBA that provides for exchange of 161 enclaves between the two countries. A total 111 border enclaves will be transferred to Bangladesh in exchange for 51 that will become part of India. Under the agreement, India will have an advantage of 500 acres and 10,000 acres will go to Bangladesh.

Naidu performs bhoomi pooja for AP capital

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Bhuvaneswari performed bhoomi pooja at around 8.49 a.m. for the new capital — Amaravati — at Mandadam village in Guntur district.

SpiceJet signs deal to sell tickets to waitlisted railway travellers



IRCTC's public relations officer Sandip Dutta explained that the Railways have entered the tie-up with SpiceJet and Go Air. It enables a train traveller whose ticket is wait-listed to cancel the train ticket and instead get on to a flight of either airline by paying some incremental fee.

There are no fixed sectors to which the scheme applies, no fixed number of tickets either airline must make available to IRCTC and no fixed rates. This scheme only applies to tickets booked at least three days prior to the date of the journey, these train tickets can only be cancelled on a specific website and flight tickets are available only for the day of the train journey or a day prior to it. SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh pointed out that this tie-up is promising for the airline and he expects "significant" passenger volumes to be generated through this scheme.

NCR gets bigger; Jind, Karnal and Muzaffarnagar districts added The sprawl of the National Capital Region (NCR) just got bigger as the nod has been given for the inclusion of Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh and the Jind and Karnal districts of Haryana as part of the conurbation.

Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu announced the decision for including the three districts in NCR after chairing a meeting today of the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) here. Naidu said that a committee has been appointed to look into the demands for the inclusion of more areas in NCR. The Union minister said that before including any area, the view of the particular state government will also have to be taken.

Haryana Chief Minister Khattar said that with the inclusion of Jind and Karnal in NCR, 57 per cent of the state's area had become part of the entity.

Government to Give Rs 6,000 Crore Interest-Free Loans to Sugar Mills

The government has approved interest-free loans for cash-strapped sugar mills to help them pay nearly 30 per cent of the record Rs 21,000 crore they owe to cane farmers, many of whom are struggling with huge debts as the first country-wide drought in six years looms.

Sugar cane prices, meanwhile, have jumped over the years due to the populist policies of state governments to raise minimum support prices for farmers. Mills in India, the world's biggest sugar producer after Brazil, have been lobbying the government for months seeking relief as prices of the sweetener have fallen below the cost of production due to ample supplies.

Union Cabinet gives nod to Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement



Union Cabinet meet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Motor Vehicle Agreement. The agreement which is similar to the SAARC Motor Vehicle Agreement (MVA) seeks to regulate the vehicular traffic of passenger, personal and cargo amongst BBIN countries.

The agreement will be signed on 15th June 2015 at the Transport Minister’s meeting in Thimpu, Bhutan. BBIN agreement aims to promote safe, environmentally sound and economical efficient road transport in the sub-region of BBIN. It also seeks to help each member country to create an institutional mechanism for regional integration. BBIN agreement will benefit member nations for mutual cross border movement of passenger and goods for overall economic development of the region.

Stanford scientist Manu Prakash makes water based computer

Manu Prakash, who amazed the world last year by building a paper microscope, has now come up with a computer that works by moving water droplets. Prakash is an assistant professor of bioengineering at Stanford University and he has developed the water computer with the help of two of his students. He was born in Meerut, India.

What Prakash did was devise a system in which tiny water droplets are trapped in a magnetic field. When the field is rotated or flipped, the droplets move in precise direction and distance. This became the basis of the computer clock, which is an essential component of any computer. Computer clocks are responsible for nearly every modern convenience. Smartphones, DVRs, airplanes, internet - without a clock, none of these could operate without frequent and serious complications.

TCS, Infosys face US probe for H-1B visa violations

The US government has opened an investigation against two of the biggest Indian outsourcing companies for possible violations of H1-B visa rules, according to a media report. The Department of Labour has opened the investigation against Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys for possible violations of rules for visas for foreign technology workers under contracts they held with an electric utility Southern California Edison

The power company had recently laid off more than 500 technology workers amid claims that many of those laid off were made to train their replacements who were immigrants on the temporary work visas brought in by the Indian firms

AP launches ‘Mee Bhoomi’ digital depository of land records

The Andhra Pradesh government has launched `Mee Bhoomi', a digital depository of land records.The portal, http://meebhoomi.ap.gov.in/, makes all land details along with Adangal/Pahani and 1-B details, available to the people.



It also lists details of land owners, area, assessment, water source, soil type, nature of possession of the land, liabilities, tenancy, and crops grown. One can also view individual/ village adangal and 1B details on the website. Besides the survey number or pattadar number, it also gives the option of entering the Aadhaar card number to view land details. Users can also search for their field measurement book (F.M.B) on the website. The details of any transactions will also be updated on the website.

50-lakh penalty on Future Generali

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has imposed a penalty of 50 lakh on Future Generali Life Insurance Company. The regulator, which had examined 34 charges on a variety of aspects related to business, said the company had violated many norms, including not settling ‘huge’ number of claims in respect of the group insurance schemes, continuation of corporate agency even after expiry of licence, use of unlicensed entities for procuring business and distribution of gift vouchers procured from Big Bazar, one of the group companies.

In Haryana village, contest of selfies with daughter to save girl child

Haryana's Bibipur village, which wants The Women's World' added to its name, has now come out with a unique idea to continue its efforts to create gender-neutral atmosphere in the state. The village panchyat has decided to organize a best selfie with daughters' contest to honour the winning family with a trophy, certificate and Rs 2,100 as cash prize. The panchayat has invited parents to send their selfies to the village sarpanch on WhatsApp by June 17 while the winner family would be announced after two days.

Utility bills valid proof of address to open account: RBI

Bills for postpaid mobile service, piped gas and water supply can now be submitted as proof of address for opening account with banks or other financial institutions, the Reserve Bank said today. Utility bill which is not more than two months old of any service provider (electricity, telephone, postpaid mobile phone, piped gas, water bill) for the limited purpose of proof of address are deemed to be Officially Valid Documents (OVDs) under 'simplified measures.

VK Singh inaugurates first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University,China Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V K Singh inaugurated first India-China Yoga College at Yunnan Minzu University in Kunming, China. This is first Indian government institution related Indian spiritual art form i.e. Yoga in China inaugurated ahead of the first UN Yoga Day to be observed on June 21. The Yoga College was established in lines with the MoU for establishing the Yoga College signed during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in May 2015. This college seeks to provide certification courses in the Indian spiritual art



with them Indian teachers who are going to help in curriculum development and training Government launches Migrant Resource Centre in Chennai Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) was set up in Chennai by the Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) and Tamil Nadu state government. The MRC will provide migrants and overseas Indian workers with information, advice, counseling and guidance on all aspects of overseas employment. Following are support functions of MRCs

Dissemination of information on safe and legal migration. Dissemination of information regarding status of recruiting agents along with other

service providers. Registration and response to complaints and grievances within the redressal forum of

MOIA. To offer counseling support in form of walk in or telephone and email support.

Union Government launched Augmented Reality Application named Sakaar

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh on 15 June 2015 launched an Augmented Reality (AR) application named Sakaar to highlight the achievements of the Department of Space. The application has been developed by Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU) of ISRO for Android devices. Sakaar consists of 3D models of MOM, RISAT, rockets (PSLV, GSLV Mk-III); videos of INSAT 3D-predicting cyclones, GSLV D5/Cryo, Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) orbit insertion, launch video of MOM, 360 degree animated view of MOM; Anaglyph of Mars surface.

Augmentation is in real time and the information is overlaid on the live view of the device’s camera. Essentially, AR requires three elements:

Android device with back camera AR application AR Markers.

PM Narendra Modi launched book titled Education of Muslims by Professor JS Rajput

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 June 2015 launched a book titled Education of Muslims: An Islamic Perspective of Knowledge and Education – Indian Context edited by Professor JS Rajput. The book is aimed at informing and educating policy-makers, scholars and readers about role of Islam in pursuit of education and knowledge. The book contains 16 articles written by various scholars and historians including JS Rajput on wide ranging issues related to



understanding of Islam religion, role of Islam and its educational institutions (madrasas) in dissemination of knowledge and educational status of Muslim children in India among others.

Indian Railways names Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express

Indian Railways has named Haridwar Mail as Yoga Express with an immediate effect. In this regard the train No 19031/19032 Ahmedabad-Haridwar-Ahmedabad famously known as Haridwar Mail has been christened as Yoga Express. This decision was taken by Indian Railways before celebration of first ‘International Yoga Day’ on 21st June which will be observed as global event.

Book titled Modi - Incredible emergence of a star in Chinese language written by Tarun Vijay

A book on Prime Minister Narendra Modi titled Modi –Incredible emergence of a star written in Chinese language by Tarun Vijay. The book was published in July 2014 by Sichuan University’s South Asia Study Centre. The book is a biography based on the life and economic vision of Narendra Modi.

BSNL to set up 40,000 wi-fi hot spots India

State owned telecommunications giant Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has announced to set up 40,000 Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) hot spots across the country. This project will come in lines with new digital architecture which is part of Union Government’s flagship Digital India Programme. The 40,000 wi-fi hot spots project will be entailed with an investment of about 6,000 crore rupees. The project is likely to be completed by 2018.

It was announced by Union Minister of Communications & IT Ravi Shankar Prasad after launching the Wi-Fi facility at Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Odisha State Co-op Bank launches Bank on Wheels

Intervening directly the Odisha State Co-operative Bank is going to launch the ‘Bank on Wheels’ to help farmers get loans on their doorstep. Twenty vans with ATM facility will move around 20 remote and tribal pockets in Keonjhar, Koraput, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Sambalpur districts for the purpose. The Centre has provided Rs 6 crore, at the rate of Rs 30 lakh for each vehicle, to agriculture department for the scheme under Rashtriya Krishi Bikas Yojana.

Union Cabinet approves Solar Power capacity target to 1 lakh MW under JNNSM by 2022



Union Cabinet approved increasing India’s solar power capacity target under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) to 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) by 2022. 1 Lakh Mega Watt (MW) target principally will comprise of 40,000 MW from Rooftop and 60,000 MW through Large and Medium Scale Grid Connected Solar Power Projects.

Union Government decided to increase number of work days under MGNREGA in drought hit areas

The Union Government on 17 June 2015 decided to increase the number of workdays under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) from 100 days to 150 days in drought-affected areas of the country. The decision to increase the wage days in drought-affected areas was taken as Government is expecting an increase in demand for wage-based employment due to drought affecting regular agricultural activities in some places.

India sets two Guinness world records on International Yoga Day

India has set two Guinness world records (GWR) in Rajpath yoga event held on the eve of first International Yoga Day led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

First record is the largest number of participants- 35,985 people had participated in largest yoga demonstration at a single venue i.e. Rajpath yoga event.

Second is the most number of nationalities at a single event– People of 84 nationalities performed yoga at one place.

The awards were received by Union AYUSH Minister Shripad Yesso Naik from representatives of Guinness World Records. In this event all participants of all ages had performed various yoga exercises on the entire two-km stretch from Rafi Marg crossing near Vijay Chowk to India Gate. This mass yoga event has broken previous world record on mass yoga exercise which was set by 29,973 students from 362 schools on November 19, 2005 led by Vivekananda Kendra at Jiwaji University Gwalior.

International Yoga Day: Stamps, coins and commerce

The government of India has released stamp s and coins of the denomination of Rs.10 and Rs.100 on International Yoga Day (IYD) on June 21. The Department of Posts is bringing out stamp and the finance ministry coins. Also, on IYD, the Discovery Channel has telecasted a short film 'The Story of Yoga' to take viewers through a journey of rediscovering the Indian ancient practice.

Maharashtra topped the list of States and UTs in IPR filing in 2013-14: IBEF report



India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) in the third week of June 2015 released a report on Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) filing in India during 2013-14. While Maharashtra topped the list of states and Union Territories (UTs), Bengaluru was the top city in IPR filing.

Rajasthan topped the list of States commissioning grid connected Solar Power projects

Rajasthan topped the list of states commissioning grid connected solar power projects in the country with an installed capacity of 1147 megawatt. The list was released by the Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy on 4 June 2015. Gujarat, which remained the undisputed leader in solar energy generation till 2014, came second with an installed capacity of 1000MW.

The state has also signed MoUs with power developers like SunEdison, Adani Enterprises, Reliance Power and Azure Power that will generate 14000 MW solar power. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) is already in the process of commissioning 680 MW in the state.

Kerala Government declares June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’

Kerala Government has declared June 22 as ‘Snake Bird Day’ in a bid to protect the endangered species which is also known as Indian darter. The formal announcement was made by State minister for forest Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan at a function organised by Snake Bird Foundation in Thiruvananthapuram. It is water bird which is also known as Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster). It has large slender long-necked water bird and is mostly black with silver wing markings.

Maharashtra declares Blue Mormon as ‘State butterfly’

Maharashtra has officially declared Blue Mormon species as State butterfly as part of state symbols. Decision in this regard was taken in State Wildlife Board meeting presided by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai. With this, Maharashtra became the first State in the country to have a State butterfly. Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) is the second largest butterfly species in terms of size, after the southern birdwing (Troides minos).

India emerges as third largest FDI source for United Kingdom

India has emerged as the third largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) source for United Kingdom (UK) in 2014-15. It was revealed in recently released report Inward Investment Report 2014-15 of UK Trade and Industry (UKTI). This FDI source was based in terms of number of projects i.e. source of inward investment. US has remained the largest source of inward investment for UK with a total of 564 projects in 2014-15 and was followed by France (124 projects) and India (122 projects).

India ranked 143rd in Global Peace Index, wasted $340 billion due to violence



The research firm based in Australia has ranked India as the 143rd out of the 162 nations listed in the Global Peace Index. The economic impact of containing and dealing with the consequences of India’s levels of violence was estimated to cost the national economy $341.7 billion in 2014.

The peace index also indicated that since the last eight years India has fallen 6% in the ranking due to the “deteriorations in indicators measuring deaths from external conflict, political terror and perceptions of criminality.”

Union Government launches Bhuvan Ganga Mobile App to aid Clean Ganga Mission

Union Government has launched Bhuvan Ganga Mobile Application and Web Portal to aid flagship mission to Clean Ganga. The app and webportal was launched by Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti in New Delhi.

Bhuvan Ganga application: It will facilitate public to upload pictures of pollution sources of the Ganga River for further action by the authorities concerned. It will also serve platform for people to monitor pollution in river Ganga and enable decision makers to prioritize interventions.

PM Narendra Modi launches Smart Cities Mission, says Centre committed to urban India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled three mega flagship schemes aimed at developing cities and towns as "new engines for growth". The three projects -- 100 smart cities, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Housing for All - will ring in a new urban era, which will entail an investment of over Rs 3 lakh crore in the next five years.

11 Indian companies in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under A Billion' list

As many as 11 Indian companies including Avanti Feeds LtdBSE 0.37 % and Borosil Glass WorksBSE 0.11 % are ranked among top 200 Asia Pacific corporations in Forbes Asia's 'Best Under A Billion' list. The list covers public companies with annual revenue of $5 million to $1 billion, Forbes said, adding that they should also have positive net income and should be publicly traded for at least a year. Companies from mainland China & Hong Kong (84) as well as Taiwan (36) dominated this year's list accounting for 60 per cent of the top 200 publicly-traded companies in the Asia Pacific region.

Union Cabinet gives nod to rename SECI as Renewable Energy Corporation of India

Union Cabinet has given nod to rename Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) as the Renewable Energy Corporation of India (RECI). Apart from this decision, Union Cabinet also



gave approval to SECI to convert into Section 3 Company by applying to the Registrar of Companies (ROC) from a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013. This decision will help SECI or renamed entity RECI.

India ranked best for investment

A ranking of destinations for attractiveness to foreign investors has placed India at the top among 110 countries. China has secured the 65th position and the U.S. is at the 50th. In the 2014 index, India was at the sixth position and Hong Kong was number one

India, US ink pacts to enhance cooperation in health sector

India and United States have signed a series of agreements on health in order to enhance cooperation in health sector. The multiple areas covered under such agreement include cancer research, medical infrastructure development and application of new diagnostic technologies.

MoU on cancer research, control, prevention and management: To develop collaborative research projects on population-based cancer control and implementation science. MoU on collaboration in Environmental, occupational Health and Injury Prevention and Control: Further enhance cooperation in the fields of environmental and occupational health along with injury prevention and control research.

NCR to have a second airport; Aviation ministry makes Jewar as first choice

The civil aviation ministry on Thursday took an in-principle decision to have a second airport in the National Capital Region (NCR). Among the probable sites for the airport, the ministry zeroed in on Jewar, keeping in view the fact that availability of land is a big problem. On the UP government’s choice of having an airport in Firozabad, the minister said the purpose of a second airport near Delhi would be defeated if an airport comes up in Firozabad.

Jayalalithaa launches first phase of Chennai Metro

First phase of Chennai Metro service was inaugurated by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa after she flagged off inaugural train. The first phase of Metro service covers the 10-km overhead (elevated) stretch. It connects Alandur in south Chennai to Koyabedu in the north.

The metro service will bear capacity of 1276 passengers with four coaches. It will cover seven stations in the stretch. They are Koyambedu, Arumbakkam, Vadapalani, Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, Ashok Nagar, Ekkattuthangal.

India, Thailand sign multiple agreements including double taxation avoidance treaty



India and Thailand on Monday signed a number of important agreements, including the double taxation avoidance treaty, and exchanged instruments of ratification on the extradition treaty inked in 2013, which provides for the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders. The tax treaty provides for the framework to avoid double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes so as to promote bilateral economic cooperation.

On the last day of her three-day visit, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the 7th meeting of the India-Thailand Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation. The extradition treaty signed between the two countries in 2013 provides for the legal framework for seeking extradition of fugitive offenders, including those involved in terrorism, transnational crimes, economic offences etc.

Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji written by Abdul Kalam

Book titled Transcendence: My Spiritual Experiences with Pramukh Swamiji authored by former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Arun Tiwari was released on 15 June 2015. In Transcendence, the authors Dr Kalam and Arun Tiwari have mapped a journey of self-realization reflected in the eyes of Pramukh Swamiji, painting a delightful fusion of spirituality, science and leadership.

Indian Railways, Indian Army among world’s biggest employers: WEF Study

Two Indian organizations, India Army and Indian Railways are among the world’s biggest employers. It was revealed in a research published by the World Economic Forum (WEF). Both organisations employ around 2.7 million people together. Indian Railways was placed at 8th position with 1.4 million staff, while Indian Army was placed at 9th position with 1.3 million employees in the list of world’s biggest employers. US department of Defense: It is the world’s biggest employer with over 3.2 million employees.

People’s Liberation Army (PLA): Chinese military is 2nd biggest employer with 2.3 million employees.

Bharti Airtel becomes 3rd largest mobile operator in world

Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Airtel has become the world’s third largest mobile operator with 303 million subscriber. With operations in 20 countries, Bharti Airtel, which is present in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Africa, has “become the third largest mobile operator in the world in terms of subscribers”, the company said in a statement.

HDFC Bank launches '30-min auto', '15-min 2-wheeler' loans



Country's second largest private sector lender HDFC Bank on Monday launched '30-min auto' and '15-min 2-wheeler' loan schemes, for which customers have to provide only their biometric details. The 30-minute auto loan is available for HDFC Bank customers, as well as others. With this technology-enabled solution, loans for two-wheelers can also be approved within 15 minutes

IMPORTANT APPOINTMENTS

New chairman of Engineers India Ltd Sanjay Gupta today took over as chairman and managing director of Engineers India Ltd, the state-owned engineering and consultancy, procurement and construction ( EPC) company in hydrocarbons and petrochemicals. Gupta replaced A K Purwaha who superannuated yesterday.

New VSSC chief- K.Sivan K. Sivan, Distinguished Scientist, ISRO, assumed office as the 12th Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He takes over from M.S. Dathan who has retired from service. Dr. Sivan joined ISRO in 1982 in the PSLV project and has contributed towards mission planning, design, integration, and analysis. He also spearheaded the Reusable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) project. In April 2011, Dr. Sivan joined the GSLV project as director. His leadership led to the successful flight of GSLV with an indigenous cryogenic stage.

Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa sworn-in as Arunachal Pradesh Governor Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa was sworn-in as the 19th Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. President Pranab Mukherjee had appointed him as Governor on May 12, 2015 after then Governor Lt General (Retired) Nirbhay Sharma was transferred to Mizoram. Mr. Rajkhowa is a retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from 1968 batch. He is the former Chief Secretary of Assam and had retired from service in 2004. Mr. Rajkhowa has authored a book, Central Vigilance Mechanism with special reference to P.S.E’s, and also had contributed by writing number of articles to leading newspapers. Ravi Shastri to continue as Indian team director Former captain Ravi Shastri was on Tuesday retained as director of the Indian cricket team for the tour of Bangladesh starting June 10. Shastri, who served as team director during the tour of



Australia and the subsequent World Cup earlier this year, is a stop-gap arrangement for the short trip. Mr. B. Arun, assistant coach (Bowling) and Mr. R. Sridhar, assistant coach (Fielding), will assist Mr. Shastri during the tour. Ex-IB chief is Prime Minister’s special envoy on counter-terror

The government has appointed the former Intelligence Bureau Chief Asif Ibrahim to a key post in the Prime Minister’s office. Mr. Ibrahim, who retired in December 2014, will be the PM’s ‘Special Envoy on Countering Terrorism and Extremism,’ with a charter to liaise with governments in West Asia, Af-Pak and South East Asia.

Infosys appoints Seshasayee as Chairman

Infosys Limited announced that the Company’s Board have approved the appointment of R. Seshasayee as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board with immediate effect. K.V. Kamath will be stepping down from his position as Chairman of the Board and as an Independent Director of the Company, consequent to his nomination as President of the BRICS New Development Bank.

Govt picks new DRDO chief, scientific advisor to defence minister

The government appointed S Christopher, 59, as Secretary, Department of Defence Research and Development-cum-Director Ge-neral, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). G S Reddy, 51, has been appointed as scientific advisor to the Defence Minister.

K.V. Chowdary is new CVC; Vijai Sharma new CIC

Former Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, K.V. Chowdary, was on Monday, appointed as the new Central Vigilance Commissioner, while the senior-most Information Commissioner, Vijai Sharma, is the new Chief Information Commissioner. A selection panel headed by the Prime Minister, which includes leader of the principal opposition party, and senior cabinet ministers selects the CVC, CIC, vigilance commissioners and information commissioners.

Yes Bank reappoints Rana Kapoor as MD

Yes Bank’s shareholders have approved 12 resolutions which included the re-appointment of Rana Kapoor as MD & CEO of the bank with a majority vote of 99.97%, sans the vote of the Madhu Kapur family. In the bank’s annual general meeting , the shareholders also approved through a special resolution the issuance of non-convertible debentures and bonds up to Rs 10,000 crore and also increased the borrowing limit of the bank to Rs 50,000 crore from Rs 30,000 crore currently. The bank got a majority vote to increase the combined foreign portfolio investors (FPI) and foreign institutional investors investment (FII) limits to 74% of the paid-up capital of the bank.



R C Tayal appointed as new Director General of National Security Guard

Senior IPS officer R C Tayal has been appointed as the new chief of the elite counter-terror force National Security Guard (NSG). The 1980-batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre officer is at present serving as the Special Director General in paramilitary CRPF and is heading its formation in Jammu and Kashmir. He is expected to serve as NSG DG till August next year when he is scheduled for superannuation.

ICICI Bank Appoints MK Sharma As Non-Executive Chairman

ICICI Bank on Tuesday said that its board has approved the appointment of MK Sharma as non-executive chairman for a period of five years. Mr Sharma will replace KV Kamath who would shortly step down from the board consequent to his nomination as the first president of the BRICS New Development Bank. Mr Sharma was formerly the vice chairman of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL).

Senior scientist Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar appointed as Director of CSIR-IICT

Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar was appointed Director of CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) a premier research institute of Union Government based in Hyderabad, Telangana. He was named appointed to the top post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is ex-officio Chairman of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) functioning under Union Ministry of Science and Technology. He has made significant contributions in diverse areas of organic chemistry with a special emphasis total synthesis of biologically active natural products, on chiral chemistry and pharmaceutical products.

Reliance Capital names Gopkumar as CEO of broking, distribution business

Reliance Capital, part of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, today said it has appointed B Gopkumar chief executive of its broking and distribution business. Gopkumar, who succeeds Vikrant Gugnani, has over 20 years of industry experience. He has handled various assignments across varied functions, including direct sales, priority banking, marketing, product development, broking and distribution. Reliance Capital's broking business -- Reliance Securities -- provides a varied customer base with access to equities, equity options, wealth management solutions and mutual funds.

LIC Nomura Mutual Fund CEO Nilesh Sathe appointed member, life at IRDAI



The government has appointed Nilesh Sathe, Chief Executive Officer of LIC Nomura Mutual Fund Asset Management Company, as the member-life of insurance regulator IRDAI. The post was lying vacant since the retirement of S Roy Chowdhury in February 2014. Sathe will be joining the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) on July 1 and have a four-year long tenure at the Hyderabad-headquartered insurance sector watchdog.

Archana Ramasundaram out of CBI, appointed Director of NCRB

Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram has been moved out of the CBI and appointed as Director, National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed as Additional Director in CBI in February last year amid controversy.She was not assigned any work on the direction of the Supreme Court, which is hearing a writ petition against her appointment.

Beno Zephine becomes first 100% blind officer in IFS

The 25-year-old from Chennai was informed by the external affairs ministry on Friday that she has been inducted into the Indian Foreign Service, the first 100 per cent visually-challenged person to gain entry into the 69-year-old service. Former diplomats have hailed the decision to allow 100 per cent visually challenged people into the service. She was working as a probationary officer for state bank of India.

Steffi Graf appointed Kerala's brand ambassador for Ayurveda

Tennis legend Steffi Graf was on Wednesday appointed the Ayurveda brand ambassador of Kerala. The Kerala tourism department was given sanction to sign an agreement with Graf to become Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the department's 'Visit Kerala Scheme', Chandy said.

State Bank of India appoints Anshula Kant as CFO

State Bank of India (SBI) on Thursday announced the appointment of Anshula Kant as its chief financial officer (CFO). Kant has been designated as the deputy managing director and CFO of the bank, SBI said in a filing on BSE. She joined SBI as a probationary officer in 1983 worked under various departments of the bank. Prior to her appointment, P.K. Gupta was the CFO.Gupta moved to SBI Capital as chief executive officer.

Zaheer Abbas appointed as ICC President

Former Pakistan cricket team captain Zaheer Abbas has been selected the new President of International Cricket Council (ICC) for one year term. He will be 13th President of ICC and succeeds Mustafa Kamal of Bangladesh who had resigned from the post of ICC President in April 2015.



Ericsson appoints Paolo Colella as new head of region India

Ericsson has announced the appointment of Paolo Colella as new Head of Region India. In this new role, Paolo will also take a seat on Ericsson’s Global Leadership Team, reporting to the Chairman of Region India and Senior Vice President Asia-Pacific, Mats H Olsson.

IDFC appoints former CAG Vinod Rai as independent director

Infrastructure financing firm IDFC today appointed former Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) as independent director. Rai also worked as Financial Services Secretary. He was director on several boards including the State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, IDBI Bank, and Life Insurance Corporation of India.

Rahul Agarwal is Lenovo India MD

Technology major Lenovo has appointed Rahul Agarwal as the Managing Director of its India operations with immediate effect. Agarwal succeeds Amar Babu, who will now take on a regional mandate as Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific and Chairman, Lenovo India.

FINANCE AND BUSINESS

Service tax increased to 14%

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget had proposed to raise service tax from 12.36 percent (including education cess) to 14 percent. Some of the key services that will attract higher tax and hence become costlier are: railways, airlines, banking, insurance, advertising, architecture, construction, credit cards, event management and tour operators.

RBI lowers repo rate to 7.25 per cent The Reserve Bank of India in its second bi-monthly policy announced on has reduced the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25 basis points from 7.5 per cent to 7.25 per cent with immediate effect. It has decided to keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of net demand and time liabilities (NDTL).



RBI Current Rates

Repo Rate – 7.25%

Reverse Repo Rate – 6.25%

CRR -- 4%

SLR – 21.5 %

MSF – 8.25%

Bank Rate – 8.25%

RBI lowers GDP growth forecast to 7.6% for FY16 The Reserve Bank of India has marked down the projection for output growth for 2015-16 from 7.8 per cent in April to 7.6 per cent. The RBI stated that strong food policy and management would be important to help keep inflation and inflationary expectations contained over the near term. Assuming reasonable food management, inflation is expected to be pulled down by base effects till August but to start rising thereafter to about 6.0 per cent by January 2016.

Snapdeal-Tata Housing sells house worth Rs. 1.1 cr

E-commerce firm Snapdeal and Tata Housing, which have partnered to sell homes online, have announced their largest transaction worth Rs. 1.1 crore hours after commencing the sale of premium and luxury apartments. Snapdeal is also exploring alliances for providing options such as site visit facilities and documentation services.

Snapdeal real estate category has grown 400 per cent in the last six months and currently comprise a portfolio of residential projects from developers across India including Tata Value Homes, Tata Housing, DLF, Sobha Developers, Godrej Properties, Mantri Developers, and Purvankara.

RBI issues draft norms on rupee-linked bonds overseas The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday said that Indian corporates, eligible to raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs), are permitted to issue rupee- linked bonds overseas. Corporates which are, at present, permitted to access ECB, under the approval route, will require prior permission of the RBI to issue such bonds and those coming under the automatic route can do so without prior permission of the RBI. The RBI proposed that the subscription, coupon payments and redemption might be settled in foreign currency.



RBI issued final guidelines for 6-year and 13-year Interest Rate Futures

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued the final guidelines for the 6-year and 13-year cash settled Interest Rate Futures (IRF) on government securities with residual maturity of 4-8 years and 11-15 years respectively under the Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) (Amendment) Directions, 2015. For this purpose, RBI amended the Interest Rate Futures (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2013 dated 5 December 2013.

--For the 6-year cash settled IRF contracts, the underlying shall be a coupon bearing government security of face value of 100 rupees and the residual maturity of 6-year IRF is between 4 and 8 years on the expiry of futures contract.

--For the 13-year cash settled IRF contracts, the underlying can be a coupon bearing government security of face value of 100 rupees and residual maturity will be between 11 and 15 years on the expiry of futures contract.

Moreover, the RBI also expanded the residual maturity for the existing 10-year cash settled IRF from 9-11 years to 8-11 years to provide market participants a greater choice and flexibility to hedge their interest rate risk across different tenors.

Govt okays 16 FDI proposals worth Rs. 6,751 cr.

The government on Wednesday approved 16 foreign investment proposals, including those of Torrent Pharmaceuticals and Star India Private Limited, amounting to Rs. 6,750.86 crore. The proposals were cleared during the FIPB meeting held on May 28. Broadcaster Star India Private Limited has been given approval for further issuance and transfer of shares to its foreign collaborator and acquisition of another Indian company engaged in broadcasting sector on a slump sale basis.

Govt to infuse additional Rs 11,500 cr in PSU banks in FY16

Government is likely to infuse additional USD 1.8 billion (about Rs 11,500 crore) in public sector banks this fiscal over and above USD 1.2 billion earmarked in the Budget, Finance Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said on Friday. The government has earmarked Rs 7,940 crore in the Budget for recapitalisation of PSU banks for the current fiscal.

The government has already started assessment of capital requirement of public sector banks. It has already received presentation of 14 public sector banks. According to an estimate, public sector banks would need an additional capital of Rs 2.40 lakh crore by 2018 to meet the Basel III capital adequacy norms.

RBI extends deadline for exchanging pre-2005 currency notes till December 2015



The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the date to exchange pre-2005 bank notes till December 31, 2015 for third time. RBI had set the last date for public to exchange these notes as June 30, 2015. RBI has urged people to deposit the old design notes in the bank accounts or exchange them at a bank branch.

RESIGNATION

Sepp Blatter resigned

Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter is now part of the corruption probe by US prosecutors. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro nominated Diego Maradona for the job. Jordanian Prince Ali bin al Hussein will stand in new elections for the presidency of world football's governing body.

C.S Verma steps down as SAIL CMD

State-owned SAIL on Thursday said C. S. Verma had relinquished the charge as Chairman and Managing Director on completion of his tenure and Steel Secretary Rakesh Singh has assumed the charge till a regular incumbent is appointed. Mr. Verma was appointed CMD of the country’s largest steel producer for a 5-year term in June 2010 by the previous UPA government, and was eligible for an extension till he attained the superannuation age of 60 years in September 2019.

Dick Costolo resigned as CEO of Twitter Inc

Dick Costolo on 11 June 2015 resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Twitter Inc after serving the company for five years. Costolo will demit the office of CEO on 1 July 2015. Twitter co-founder and Square Inc's CEO Jack Dorsey will take over as the Interim CEO of the company on 1 July 2015 and will stay until a replacement is found.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Snowden awarded freedom of expression prize in Norway

Former security contractor Edward Snowden won a Norwegian prize for freedom of expression. The Norwegian Academy of Literature and Freedom of Expression said the 31-year old fugitive had won the Bjornson Prize named after a Norwegian Nobel literature laureate "for his work protecting privacy and for shining a critical light on US surveillance of its citizens and others."



The academy requested assurances from the Norwegian government that Snowden would not be extradited to the US if he travelled to Norway to receive the 100,000 kroner ($12,700, 11,500 euros) prize money. Snowden was awarded Sweden's Right Livelihood Award in 2014 but chose to accept it by video link rather than leaving his exile in Russia.

RPower to invest $3 bn in Bangladesh power plant

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power signed an agreement to invest $ 3 billion in setting up a mega power plant and a floating LNG import terminal in Bangladesh which faces acute power shortages. Reliance Power will set up a 2 million tonnes a year floating LNG import terminal as well as 3,000 megawatt power plant, according to a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Sameer Gupta, Executive vice-president of Reliance Power. The company will invest in an integrated facility comprising of 3,000 MW of LNG based combined cycle power plant and LNG Terminal with a Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit (FSRU).

South Korea Tests New Ballistic Missile

South Korea successfully test fired a ballistic missile capable of hitting targets anywhere in North Korea. The test demonstrated improved ballistic missile capability that can strike all parts of North Korea swiftly, and with precision, in the event of armed aggression or provocation. The Hyunmoo-2B is an upgraded version of the Hyunmoo-2A, both of which were developed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD).

SEBI cracks down on 200 illicit fund-raising activities in 1 year

Stepping up action against illicit fund-raising in a big way, SEBI has cracked down on nearly 200 such activities in last one year relating to fraud against gullible investors and recovered Rs. 25 crore. SEBI has passed close to 200 orders in last one year against illegal fund-raising activities and barred individuals and companies from mobilising money from public.

The Securities Laws Amendment Act, which was notified by the government in August 2014, empowers SEBI to pass orders for attachment of properties, arrest of defaulters and to access call data records. A majority of orders against deemed public issues were in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. The same for CIS activities are in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

China launches freight train service connecting Europe

China today launched a freight train service between its northeastern city of Harbin and Europe, opening a new trade route to Europe covering a distance of nearly 10,000 kms. The train left Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, carrying 49 containers of domestic goods such as



electronic products and auto parts worth US$ three million from northeast and north China, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

US becomes world's largest oil producer, says BP Report

As per recently released report by British Petroleum (BP) Energy Company, United States (US) became the world’s largest oil producer in 2014 surpassing Saudi Arabia. UN elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft to head General Assembly

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 15 June 2015 elected Denmark's Mogens Lykketoft as its President for its upcoming 70th session in September 2015. He will have tenure of one year and succeeds Uganda's Sam Kutesa to preside over the 193-member body.

BRICS bank to be operational by end of 2015: South Africa

The emerging market BRICS nations will have their own development bank by the end of the year. "The New Development Bank is expected to be operational by end of 2015," the South African finance ministry said in a statement that announced the nomination of South African banker Leslie Maasdorp as vice president of the bank and parliamentary ratification of two treaties concerning the lender.

The BRICS nations - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - which represent 40 per cent of the world's population and a quarter of its economic output, decided in 2013 to create their own development bank to step up lending for the infrastructure projects needed to close the gap with the industrialised world. The bank, which will be headquartered in Shanghai, is expected to have up to $100 billion in capital. The inaugural meeting of the board of governors of the New Development Bank will be held in the Russian city of Ufa on July 7 to confirm the appointment of the management of the lender.

Mboweni heads for Brics bank

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene announced on Friday that former Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni has been appointed as the non-executive director to the board the Brics New Development Bank (NDB). He added that Cabinet had endorsed the nomination of Leslie Maasdorp for vice-president of the NDB. Maasdorp recently parted ways with AdvTech where he was chief executive. He was previously the president of Merrill Lynch for southern Africa.

Exim Bank lends $268 million to Tanzania to extend water pipeline

Export-Import (Exim) Bank has extended a line of credit of $268.35 million to Tanzania for financing extension of Lake Victoria pipeline. With this agreement, Exim Bank has now in place 198 LOCs, covering 63 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, Oceania and the CIS, with credit commitments of over $12.10 billion, available for financing exports from India.



SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Jaipur Metro starts operations

Jaipur Metro, touted as one of the fastest built metro systems in the country, was thrown open for public. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje flagged off the inaugural train on 9.6 km long route from Mansarovar to Chandpole. Jaipur Metro commenced its regular commercial operations from all its 9 stations-- Mansarovar, New Aatish Market, Vivek Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Ram Nagar, Civil Lines, Railway Station, Sindhi Camp and Chandpole. To encourage people to travel in the metro, upto 15 per cent discount has been offered on smart cards, which can be recharged using Jaipur Metro website or Ticket Vending Machines installed at all stations.

IOC to invest Rs 15,000 crore to raise Panipat refinery capacity

Indian Oil Corp, nation's largest oil firm, plans to invest about Rs 15,000 crore in raising capacity at its Panipat refinery in Haryana by 34% to 20.2 million tonnes (MT) by 2020. IOC owns and operates eight refineries and has only a few weeks back added ninth refinery at Paradip in Odisha. Its eight refineries have a cumulative refining capacity of 54.2 MT of crude oil and addition of 15 MT at Paradip refinery has helped it regain the top refiner slot in the country.

Microsoft begins rebranding of Nokia Priority Stores

In order to increase its presence in emerging markets like India, Microsoft on Wednesday kick-started rebranding of Nokia Priority Stores as Microsoft Priority Resellers. India is the first country among Microsoft's global markets to roll out the new look for its retail outlets. This is perhaps one of the biggest rebranding exercises undertaken by a mobile manufacturer and we wanted India to lead the way being a priority market for us. For many consumers, the rebranded shops will be their first experience of Microsoft as a consumer hardware manufacturer.

HAL delivers ‘Orbiter Craft Module Structure’ of Chandrayaan-2 to ISRO

HAL has delivered ‘Orbiter Craft Module Structure’ of Chandrayaan-2 to ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC). The Orbiter Craft Module structure is a 3 tonne category bus structure made out of a central composite cylinder, shear webs and deck panels. The Chandrayaan-2 mission is aimed at placing an Orbiter around the moon and sending a Lander and Rover to the surface of the moon. It will be launched by a Geo-Stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-MKII).



OBITUARY

2004 Nobel Chemistry winner Irwin Rose dies

Irwin Rose, a biochemist who shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering a way that cells destroy unwanted proteins the basis for developing new therapies for diseases such as cervical cancer and cystic fibrosis has died. He was 88. Rose had a “formidable intellect and unwavering curiosity about fundamental biological and chemical processes that are the foundation for life

Legendary actor Sir Christopher Lee passes away

Legendary English actor, singer and writer Sir Christopher Lee passed away in London, United Kingdom. He was 93. The veteran actor was famously known as the master of horror for his famous villainy acting roles in numerous movies such as Dracula, The Wicker Man, James Bond, Lord of the Rings trilogy etc.

Charles Correa, face of contemporary architecture in India passes away

India’s greatest contemporary architect Charles Correa passed away in Mumbai following a brief illness. He was 84. He was Chief Architect for Navi Mumbai along with Shirish Patel and Pravina Mehta from 1970–75. He also had served as first Chairman of the National Commission on Urbanization and was appointed by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985.He is founder of Mumbai’s Urban Design Research Institute (established in 1984) dedicated to protect the environment and improve lives of urban communities.

iv. He had been awarded the Padma Shri (1972), Padma Vibhushan (2006) by Government of India. He was also awarded Royal Gold Medal for Architecture (1984) by the Royal Institute of British Architects, 7th Aga Khan Award for Architecture (1998), Praemium Imperiale of Japan.

Former Indian women hockey captain Shashi Bala passes away

Former Indian women hockey team captain Shashi Bala passed away on 21 June 2015. Shashi was killed in a car accident along with her son in Kahma village of Punjab. ii. She was a former hockey player and had made international debut in 1987. She had captained Indian hockey team for women in Women Hockey World Cup Qualifier held in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1997. She was also team member of the Indian hockey team for women in 1998 World Cup played at Netherlands.

Sister Nirmala Joshi, successor of Mother Teresa passes away



Sister Nirmala Joshi, former Superior General of Missionaries of Charity passed away in Kolkata after brief illness at the age of 81. She had taken over as Superior General in March 1997 after the death of Mother Teresa.

SPORTS

Shooter Gurpreet Singh qualifies for Rio 2016 Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gurpreet Singh became India's fifth shooter to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games finishing fourth in the 10m Air Pistol category at the ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol event being held in Munich. The 28-year-old shot a total of 154.8 points to finish fourth in the Final. Joao Costa of Portugal who shot a total of 201.4 in the event won the gold medal. The other Indians to have earned India the earlier four quota places are Jitu Rai, Olympic bronze medallist Gagan Narang, Apurvi Chandela and India's only individual Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra. Bhanot elected Asian Athletics Association vice-President

Scam-tainted former IOA Secretary General Lalit Bhanot was elected vice-President of the Asian Athletics Association (AAA) in polls held in Wuhan, China.Tainted in the corruption scandal that engulfed the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Mr. Bhanot served as secretary of AFI for more than a decade and was the Secretary General of the IOA when it served a 14-month suspension by the IOC. Cricket greats Sachin, Ganguly, Laxman inducted into BCCI's high-powered advisory panel Former greats Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, and VVS Laxman on Monday joined the BCCI in a newly-constituted advisory panel to guide the board in all matters related to the game. De Villiers crowned South African cricketer of the year

AB de Villiers won as many as five awards, including the South African Cricketer of the Year for a second consecutive time at a gala function, hosted by Cricket South Africa (CSA) in Johannesburg. The 27-year-old batsman was named the ODI Cricketer of the Year, Cricketers’ Cricketer of the Year, SA Fan’s Cricketer of the Year and also got the ‘So Good Award’ for scoring the fastest century in the history of ODI cricket against the West Indies in December 2014.

Dravid for India Under-19 coach

BCCI has announced Rahul Dravid as the coach of India A team and Indian U 19 cricket team. Working with the under-19 and 'A' teams might be the perfect solution as Dravid can make a tangible contribution without placing too much demand on his time.



Stan Wawrinka stuns Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams wins French Open after beating Lucie Safarova in final

Date – 24 May- 7June

Edition – 114th

Prize Money -- €28,028,600

Surface – Clay

Location – Paris, France

Men's Singles -- Stan Wawrinka(Switzerland)

Women's Singles -- Serena Williams(US)

Men’s Double -- Ivan Dodig(Croatia) / Marcelo Melo(Brazil)

Women’s Double -- Bethanie Mattek-Sands(US)/ Lucie Šafářová(Czech Republic)

Mixed Doubles -- Bethanie Mattek-Sands(US)/ Mike Bryan(US)

Tintu Luka finally strikes gold as India finishes 3rd at Asian Athletics Championships

Tintu Luka bagged her maiden gold in a major international event by winning the women's 800m finals as India finished with five medals on the final day of competitions to sign off third in the 21st Asian Athletics Championships. India secured a medal haul of 4 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze in the championships to finish third behind China (15, 13, 13) and Qatar (7, 2, 1). Japan (4, 3, 11) and Bahrain (3, 3, 2) finished fourth and fifth respectively. This was India's best finish after 2007 in Amman, Jordan where the country was placed second. National record holder Luka clocked her season's best timing of 2:01.53 to clinch the gold at Wuhan Sports Center.

Forbes list: Dhoni only Indian among world's richest athletes

Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only Indian sportsman in Forbes magazine's 100 highest-paid athletes in the world. Dhoni has been ranked 23rd on the Forbes list of The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2015 dropping a notch from his ranking of 22 last year. Dhoni's total earnings stood at $31 million, including amount from salary/winnings at $4 million and endorsements worth $27 million. The earnings figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses paid out between June 2014 and June 2015.

Wes Hall inducted into ICC Hall of Fame



Former West Indies fast bowler Wes Hall was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame during the lunch break on the opening day of the Sabina Park Test between West Indies and Australia. He became the fourth cricketer to receive the honour this year after Betty Wilson, Anil Kumble and Martin Crowe.Hall, 77, received his commemorative cap from fellow Hall of Famer Courtney Walsh, and is now the 18th cricketer from the Caribbean to be bestowed with the award.

Sunil Chhetri becomes first Indian to score 50 international goals

Prolific striker Sunil Chhetri became the first Indian footballer to score 50 international goals during his team's 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Guam. Chhetri's feat, though, came in a losing cause, as India suffered their second successive defeat in the preliminary joint qualification second round. Former captain Bhaichung Bhutia stays at the second spot with 42 goals in 107 matches while IM Vijayan has 40 goals from 79 games. This meanwhile, was Chhetri's 87th match. For the record, it was Chhetri who scored India's all the goals in the team's four joint preliminary round 2018 World Cup qualifying games so far.

Federer Wins Weber Title for Eighth Time

Roger Federer showed he was ready for Wimbledon by defeating Andreas Seppi of Italy, 7-6 (1), 6-4, on Sunday in Halle, Germany, to claim his record-setting eighth Gerry Weber Open title. It was Federer’s fourth title of the season, after wins at Brisbane, Dubai and Istanbul, and a timely boost for Wimbledon eight days before the tournament begins.

Nico Rossberg of Mercedes wins Austrian Grand Prix of F1

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg from Germany has won the Austrian Grand Prix Formula One (F1) World Championship title. It is Rosberg’s eleventh overall championship title and the third win in the 2015 season.

Inderjeet Singh, Jinson Johnson won gold at Asian Athletics Grand Prix

Inderjit Singh and Jinson Johnson of India on 23 June 2015 bagged gold at the first leg of the Asian Athletics Grand Prix in Bangkok, Thailand. Inderjit won the gold in Shot Put by throwing 19.83 meters while Johnson won the gold in 800 meter event with a time of 1:48.52. This was Inderjeet's second gold in an international event in June 2015, having won the shot put event at the Asian Championships in Wuhan, China on 3 June 2015.In the first leg, India won a total of eight medals which included 2 Gold, 1 Silver and 5 Bronze medals.

R Ashwin breaks into top 10 of ODI bowlers’ rankings

Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has jumped two places to the 10th position in the ICC bowler’s rankings issued today. Ashwin, who bagged six wickets in the three ODIs against



Bangladesh, was India’s leading wicket-taker in the just-concluded three-match series against Bangladesh and is also the only Indian to feature in the top-10 list. Bengal medium-pacer Mohammed Shami, who missed the series, which was India’s first bilateral loss to Bangaldesh (1-2), due to injury is the only other Indian bowler in the top-20 list at the 12th position.

Satnam Singh Bhamara: All about India's first NBA player

Satnam Singh Bhamara, the first Indian-born player to be drafted in the NBA League, was introduced to basketball by his father, who is a farmer. Picked by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Draft, Singh has made history. But, there's a long way to go. Born in Ballo Ke, a village in Punjab where there are no basketball courts and no cable television, he started playing the game at an early age. At the age of 12, he was sent to the government-funded Ludhiana Basketball Academy, where he spent two years away from home studying and training and honing his basketball skills.

Topalov wins title

A quick but frustrating draw for Viswanathan Anand proved enough for Veselin Topalov to claim the Norway Chess 2015 title in Stavanger, Norway, on Thursday. All the expectations of a thrilling battle for the title between the two leading players of the elite field came to naught once Topalov managed a safe position arising out of the Queen’s Gambit Declined. But in the biggest surprise result of the competition, Jon Ludvig Hammer upstaged World champion Magnus Carlsen in the battle between two home players.

Jwala Gutta, Ashwni Ponappa win women’s doubles title of Canada Open Badminton tournament

Indian pair of Jwala Gutta and Ashwni Ponappa won the women’s doubles title of the Canada Open Badminton tournament. In the finals match played at Calgary, Canada they defeated Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek in straight games of 21-19, 21-16. It is their first title of this season. Michelle Li of Canada won the women’s single title, by defeating Kaori Imabeppu of Japan by 21-17 25-23 score in the final match.

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