General Affairs
Election Commission Issues Notice To Mehbooba Mufti For Violating Model Code Of Conduct
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SRINAGAR: The Election Commission has issued a notice to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for violating the model code of conduct during by-elections in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
The PDP chief has been asked to explain her position within two days for allegedly misusing official machinery while filing her nomination papers.
Ms Mufti, contesting from Anantnag constituency, courted controversy on Wednesday after she drove inside the election office with the state and national flag on her official cars - a violation of the Election Commission's code of conduct.
The Opposition National Conference had filed a complaint with the Election Commission accusing Ms Mufti of misusing official machinery while filing her nomination papers.
Official sources say that the Election Commission has taken a serious note of the poll code violation.
At least two ministers accompanying her were also using official cars with flags inside the election office premises.
The PDP chief has been asked to explain her position within two days for allegedly misusing official machinery while filing her nomination papers.
Ms Mufti, contesting from Anantnag constituency, courted controversy on Wednesday after she drove inside the election office with the state and national flag on her official cars - a violation of the Election Commission's code of conduct.
The Opposition National Conference had filed a complaint with the Election Commission accusing Ms Mufti of misusing official machinery while filing her nomination papers.
Official sources say that the Election Commission has taken a serious note of the poll code violation.
At least two ministers accompanying her were also using official cars with flags inside the election office premises.
Tough Fight For Some Rajya Sabha Candidates While Others Breathe Easy
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NEW DELHI: It will be smooth sailing for ministers like Suresh Prabhu, Piyush Goyal, Vinay Sahasrabuddhe and former union minister P Chidambaram but there's a contest on the cards in at least six states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Karnataka and Haryana.
In Uttar Pradesh, there are 12 candidates for 11 seats with the last minute entry of independent Preeti Mahapatra, who has the backing of the BJP.
Each candidate needs 34 votes to make the cut, making it a fight for Congress' Kapil Sibal, who will need five votes over the Congress' 29. Similarly in Madhya Pradesh, of the three Rajya Sabha seats, two will go to the BJP. For the third seat, advocate Vivek Tankha fielded by the Congress needs one vote while BJP's Vinod Gotia who is standing as an independent needs nine.
"Two years ago, Digvijaya Singh won this election unopposed with the same numbers equation. So what has changed in these two years?" says Vivek Tankha of the Congress, "nothing but an attempt by BJP to indulge in horse-trading and try to break the Congress."
The BJP's response came from Madhya Pradesh spokesperson Hitesh Vajlayee, who said, "I am not able to understand what kind of moral ground the Congress or Vivek Tankha has as they don't even have 58 seats in assembly."
In Uttarakhand, Congress' Pradeep Tamta faces a contest from two independents. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP could decide the winner in the state along with in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
In Jharkhand the BJP has fielded Mahesh Poddar against the Congress-backed candidate Basant Soren, who needs to secure six more votes to ensure a win.
At the end of the Rajya Sabha contest, the BJP will increase its tally in the Upper House where it has had trouble with legislation. It will still not be the single largest party in the Upper House but will narrow its margin with the Congress.
The support for independents is a sign that the party will make the Congress fight for every seat. Voting for these Rajya Sabha seats will take place on June 11.
In Uttar Pradesh, there are 12 candidates for 11 seats with the last minute entry of independent Preeti Mahapatra, who has the backing of the BJP.
Each candidate needs 34 votes to make the cut, making it a fight for Congress' Kapil Sibal, who will need five votes over the Congress' 29. Similarly in Madhya Pradesh, of the three Rajya Sabha seats, two will go to the BJP. For the third seat, advocate Vivek Tankha fielded by the Congress needs one vote while BJP's Vinod Gotia who is standing as an independent needs nine.
The BJP's response came from Madhya Pradesh spokesperson Hitesh Vajlayee, who said, "I am not able to understand what kind of moral ground the Congress or Vivek Tankha has as they don't even have 58 seats in assembly."
In Uttarakhand, Congress' Pradeep Tamta faces a contest from two independents. Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP could decide the winner in the state along with in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
In Jharkhand the BJP has fielded Mahesh Poddar against the Congress-backed candidate Basant Soren, who needs to secure six more votes to ensure a win.
At the end of the Rajya Sabha contest, the BJP will increase its tally in the Upper House where it has had trouble with legislation. It will still not be the single largest party in the Upper House but will narrow its margin with the Congress.
The support for independents is a sign that the party will make the Congress fight for every seat. Voting for these Rajya Sabha seats will take place on June 11.
Haryana On Guard As Jats Begin Fresh Agitation Today
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CHANDIGARH: The Jat community in Haryana will begin a second round of agitation starting today to press on their demand of an increased quota in government jobs and educational institutes. Anticipating a repeat of February's violent protests which claimed at least 30 lives and injured hundreds, the police and administration have prepped strong.
55 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the state to check violence during the 15-day protests. Section 144 against unlawful gatherings has also been imposed in Jhajjar, Sonipat, Rohtak, Panipat, Hisar, Fatehabad, Jind and Kaithal which also covers national highways. A dedicated helpline has been provided which will be monitored by a control room in Chandigarh round-the-clock. Bulk SMS and mobile internet have been suspended in Sonipat and Rohtak districts till further notice.
A section of the community spearheaded by All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti will hold fresh protests in 15 places in the state. They say they are unhappy with the state government's quota bill which they anticipate could also be rejected by the Supreme Court on grounds of keeping total reservations under 50 per cent.
In the first phase, the protesters have promised to not block highways or railway lines and stay clear of the cities, but have warned of intensifying the agitation if their demands are not met, which also include withdrawal of criminal cases against Jats during the violent protests in February.
Dharnas are planned in 15 villages in as many districts in Haryana - Mayyad of Hisar, Dhanana of Bhiwani, Atela in Dadri, Jasiya in Rohtak, Dhani Gopal in Fatehabad, Nathusari Chaupta in Sirsa, Jhanj Khurd in Jind, Ballaganv in karnal, Titarmod in Kaithal, Jainpur in Kurukshetra, Matloda in Panipat, Pranpura-bawal in Rewari, Anaaj Mandi in Sonipat and Hussainimod in Ambala.
However, the umbrella body of Jat khaps (clans), the Sarva Jatiya Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat has said that it will not support the protests this time. The group of prominent Jat leader Hawa Singh Sangwan has also decided against participating.
55 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the state to check violence during the 15-day protests. Section 144 against unlawful gatherings has also been imposed in Jhajjar, Sonipat, Rohtak, Panipat, Hisar, Fatehabad, Jind and Kaithal which also covers national highways. A dedicated helpline has been provided which will be monitored by a control room in Chandigarh round-the-clock. Bulk SMS and mobile internet have been suspended in Sonipat and Rohtak districts till further notice.
In the first phase, the protesters have promised to not block highways or railway lines and stay clear of the cities, but have warned of intensifying the agitation if their demands are not met, which also include withdrawal of criminal cases against Jats during the violent protests in February.
Dharnas are planned in 15 villages in as many districts in Haryana - Mayyad of Hisar, Dhanana of Bhiwani, Atela in Dadri, Jasiya in Rohtak, Dhani Gopal in Fatehabad, Nathusari Chaupta in Sirsa, Jhanj Khurd in Jind, Ballaganv in karnal, Titarmod in Kaithal, Jainpur in Kurukshetra, Matloda in Panipat, Pranpura-bawal in Rewari, Anaaj Mandi in Sonipat and Hussainimod in Ambala.
However, the umbrella body of Jat khaps (clans), the Sarva Jatiya Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat has said that it will not support the protests this time. The group of prominent Jat leader Hawa Singh Sangwan has also decided against participating.
Muhammad Ali Remembered As Boxer Who Transcended Sports World
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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA: The death of Muhammad Ali, the former heavyweight champion known as much for his political activism as his boxing brilliance, triggered a worldwide outpouring of affection and admiration for one of the best-known figures of the 20th century.
Ali, who had long suffered from Parkinson's syndrome which impaired his speech and made the once-graceful athlete almost a prisoner in his own body, died on Friday at age 74.
The cause of death was septic shock due to unspecified natural causes, a family spokesman said on Saturday. Ali was admitted to a Phoenix-area hospital, HonorHealth, with a respiratory ailment on Monday.
"He'll be remembered as a man of the world who spoke his mind and wasn't afraid to take a chance and went out of his way to be a kind, benevolent individual that really changed the world," the family spokesman, Bob Gunnell, said at a press conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Despite Ali's failing health, his youthful proclamation that he was "the greatest" rang true until the end for millions of people around the world who respected him for his courage both inside and outside the ring.
Along with a fearsome reputation as a fighter, Ali spoke out against racism, war and religious intolerance, while projecting an unshakeable confidence that became a model for African-Americans at the height of the civil rights era and beyond.
Stripped of his world boxing crown for refusing to join the U.S. Army and fight in Vietnam, Ali returned in triumph by recapturing the title and starring in some of the sport's most unforgettable bouts.
Bursting onto the boxing scene in the 1960s with a brashness that threatened many whites, Ali would come to be embraced by Americans of all races for his grace, integrity and disarming sense of humor.
"In the end, he went from being reviled to being revered," civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson told CNN on Saturday.
Pam Dorrough, a tourist in New York's Times Square, admired Ali's refusal to apologize for what he believed.
"The confidence - and I know everybody thought it was an arrogance about him - he always projected a confidence," she said. "And he stood by that."
President Barack Obama, the first African-American to reach the White House, said Ali was "a man who fought for us" and placed him in the pantheon of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.
"His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail," Obama said in a statement. "But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today."
"I am happy my father no longer struggles," his daughter Maryum said on Saturday. "He is in a better place. God is the greatest."
Few could argue with his athletic prowess at his peak in the 1960s. With his dancing feet and quick fists, he could - as he put it - "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."
But Ali became much more than a sportsman. He spoke boldly against racism in the '60s as well as against the Vietnam War.
During and after his championship reign, Ali met scores of world leaders, and for a time he was considered the most recognizable person on Earth, known even in remote villages in countries far from the United States.
TRIBUTES POUR IN
Ali's diagnosis of Parkinson's came about three years after he retired from boxing in 1981. Despite his failing health, he appeared at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, stilling the tremors in his hands enough to light the Olympic flame. He also took part in the opening of the London Games in 2012, looking frail in a wheelchair.
From Africa to East Asia to the US South, news of Ali's death brought tributes across the world of sport, entertainment and politics.
In Kinshasa, the city where he battled George Foreman in the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" - a city which was then part of Zaire and is now the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo - the fight is remembered as much for its political symbolism as for Ali's tactical brilliance in beating his hulking opponent.
Ali "was an African. He was a Congolese," David Madiawi, a salesman on Kinshasa's Avenue de Commerce, said on Saturday. "He came to Congo to return to the land of his ancestors."
Foreman said Ali was one of the greatest human beings he had met. "No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age. To put him as a boxer is an injustice," he said.
Manny Pacquiao, a boxer and politician in the Philippines, where Ali fought Frazier for a third time in a brutal 1975 match dubbed the "Thrilla in Manila," paid homage to Ali's legacy outside the ring.
"We lost a giant today. Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali's talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity," he said.
Flags were flown at half staff in Louisville, Kentucky, where Ali's modest childhood home on Grand Avenue has been turned into a museum. A funeral will be held in his hometown on Friday.
"His journey from Grand Avenue to global icon serves as a reminder there are young people with the potential for greatness in the houses and neighborhoods all over our city, our nation and our world," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said at a memorial service.
"LOUISVILLE LIP"
In the brutal world of prize fighting, Ali set himself apart with his wit and fondness for playful verse. "The Louisville Lip," as he was called early in his career, loved to talk - especially about himself.
"Humble people, I've found, don't get very far," he once told a reporter.
But his taunts could be brutal. "Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head," he once said about his arch rival. He also dubbed Frazier a "gorilla," but later apologized.
Once asked about how he wanted to be remembered, Ali said: "As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him ... who stood up for his beliefs ... who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love.
"And if all that's too much, then I guess I'd settle for being remembered only as a great boxer who became a leader and a champion of his people. And I wouldn't even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was."
Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, a name shared with a 19th century slavery abolitionist. He changed his name after his conversion to Islam.
Ali is survived by his wife, the former Lonnie Williams, who knew him when she was a child in Louisville, along with his nine children.
Ali, who had long suffered from Parkinson's syndrome which impaired his speech and made the once-graceful athlete almost a prisoner in his own body, died on Friday at age 74.
The cause of death was septic shock due to unspecified natural causes, a family spokesman said on Saturday. Ali was admitted to a Phoenix-area hospital, HonorHealth, with a respiratory ailment on Monday.
Despite Ali's failing health, his youthful proclamation that he was "the greatest" rang true until the end for millions of people around the world who respected him for his courage both inside and outside the ring.
Along with a fearsome reputation as a fighter, Ali spoke out against racism, war and religious intolerance, while projecting an unshakeable confidence that became a model for African-Americans at the height of the civil rights era and beyond.
Stripped of his world boxing crown for refusing to join the U.S. Army and fight in Vietnam, Ali returned in triumph by recapturing the title and starring in some of the sport's most unforgettable bouts.
Bursting onto the boxing scene in the 1960s with a brashness that threatened many whites, Ali would come to be embraced by Americans of all races for his grace, integrity and disarming sense of humor.
"In the end, he went from being reviled to being revered," civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson told CNN on Saturday.
Pam Dorrough, a tourist in New York's Times Square, admired Ali's refusal to apologize for what he believed.
"The confidence - and I know everybody thought it was an arrogance about him - he always projected a confidence," she said. "And he stood by that."
President Barack Obama, the first African-American to reach the White House, said Ali was "a man who fought for us" and placed him in the pantheon of civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr and Nelson Mandela.
"His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail," Obama said in a statement. "But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today."
"I am happy my father no longer struggles," his daughter Maryum said on Saturday. "He is in a better place. God is the greatest."
Few could argue with his athletic prowess at his peak in the 1960s. With his dancing feet and quick fists, he could - as he put it - "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee."
But Ali became much more than a sportsman. He spoke boldly against racism in the '60s as well as against the Vietnam War.
During and after his championship reign, Ali met scores of world leaders, and for a time he was considered the most recognizable person on Earth, known even in remote villages in countries far from the United States.
TRIBUTES POUR IN
Ali's diagnosis of Parkinson's came about three years after he retired from boxing in 1981. Despite his failing health, he appeared at the opening ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, stilling the tremors in his hands enough to light the Olympic flame. He also took part in the opening of the London Games in 2012, looking frail in a wheelchair.
From Africa to East Asia to the US South, news of Ali's death brought tributes across the world of sport, entertainment and politics.
In Kinshasa, the city where he battled George Foreman in the 1974 "Rumble in the Jungle" - a city which was then part of Zaire and is now the capital of Democratic Republic of Congo - the fight is remembered as much for its political symbolism as for Ali's tactical brilliance in beating his hulking opponent.
Ali "was an African. He was a Congolese," David Madiawi, a salesman on Kinshasa's Avenue de Commerce, said on Saturday. "He came to Congo to return to the land of his ancestors."
Foreman said Ali was one of the greatest human beings he had met. "No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age. To put him as a boxer is an injustice," he said.
Manny Pacquiao, a boxer and politician in the Philippines, where Ali fought Frazier for a third time in a brutal 1975 match dubbed the "Thrilla in Manila," paid homage to Ali's legacy outside the ring.
"We lost a giant today. Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali's talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity," he said.
Flags were flown at half staff in Louisville, Kentucky, where Ali's modest childhood home on Grand Avenue has been turned into a museum. A funeral will be held in his hometown on Friday.
"His journey from Grand Avenue to global icon serves as a reminder there are young people with the potential for greatness in the houses and neighborhoods all over our city, our nation and our world," Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said at a memorial service.
"LOUISVILLE LIP"
In the brutal world of prize fighting, Ali set himself apart with his wit and fondness for playful verse. "The Louisville Lip," as he was called early in his career, loved to talk - especially about himself.
"Humble people, I've found, don't get very far," he once told a reporter.
But his taunts could be brutal. "Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head," he once said about his arch rival. He also dubbed Frazier a "gorilla," but later apologized.
Once asked about how he wanted to be remembered, Ali said: "As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him ... who stood up for his beliefs ... who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love.
"And if all that's too much, then I guess I'd settle for being remembered only as a great boxer who became a leader and a champion of his people. And I wouldn't even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was."
Ali was born in Louisville, Kentucky, on January 17, 1942, as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr, a name shared with a 19th century slavery abolitionist. He changed his name after his conversion to Islam.
Ali is survived by his wife, the former Lonnie Williams, who knew him when she was a child in Louisville, along with his nine children.
Pakistan Downplays Scientist Qadeer Khan's Boastful Nuclear Remark
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NAGPUR: Pakistan on Saturday sought to downplay its nuclear physicist Abdul Qadeer Khan's remarks about his country's reported capability to hit Delhi in five minutes, saying he is a private citizen and too much should not be read into his remarks.
He is a private citizen and too much importance should not be given to his comments, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said at an interactive session with journalists and intellectuals in Nagpur.
Mr Basit was asked to comment on Mr Khan's boastful remark that nuclear-armed Pakistan has the ability to "target" Delhi in five minutes. The 80-year-old father of Pakistan's nuclear programme made the remark in late May.
The Pakistan diplomat dismissed fears about his country's atomic weapons falling into the hands of non-state actors. "We have a multi-layered security (for nuclear weapons). Its foolproof and as per global norms."
Mr Basit said not only the people of Pakistan, but also the political parties of his country are desirous of peace with India. "All political parties in Pakistan include promise of improving relations with India in their election manifesto."
He expressed hope that the Indo-Pak dialogue, stalled after the terror attack on Pathankot air base in January, would resume soon. The issue of Kashmir will figure during the discussion whenever the talks take place, the envoy said.
Confidence building measures have been initiated by both the countries and they should help in restoring good bilateral relations,the High Commissioner said.
Speaking on a range of issues, Mr Basit said Pakistan had been fighting to overcome the menace of terrorism, drug and human trafficking. "We are fighting terror for the last 35 years."
Mr Basit said he had no knowledge about the presence of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan, wanted in India for terrorism and other crimes.
He is a private citizen and too much importance should not be given to his comments, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said at an interactive session with journalists and intellectuals in Nagpur.
Mr Basit was asked to comment on Mr Khan's boastful remark that nuclear-armed Pakistan has the ability to "target" Delhi in five minutes. The 80-year-old father of Pakistan's nuclear programme made the remark in late May.
The Pakistan diplomat dismissed fears about his country's atomic weapons falling into the hands of non-state actors. "We have a multi-layered security (for nuclear weapons). Its foolproof and as per global norms."
Mr Basit said not only the people of Pakistan, but also the political parties of his country are desirous of peace with India. "All political parties in Pakistan include promise of improving relations with India in their election manifesto."
He expressed hope that the Indo-Pak dialogue, stalled after the terror attack on Pathankot air base in January, would resume soon. The issue of Kashmir will figure during the discussion whenever the talks take place, the envoy said.
Confidence building measures have been initiated by both the countries and they should help in restoring good bilateral relations,the High Commissioner said.
Speaking on a range of issues, Mr Basit said Pakistan had been fighting to overcome the menace of terrorism, drug and human trafficking. "We are fighting terror for the last 35 years."
Mr Basit said he had no knowledge about the presence of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Pakistan, wanted in India for terrorism and other crimes.
Business Affairs
Gold hits over 3-month low on global cues, muted demand
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Gold prices plunged by Rs 145 to trade at over three-month low of Rs 28,720 per ten grams at the bullion market on Friday, tracking a weak trend overseas along with sluggish demand from jewellers at spot market.
However, silver recovered by Rs 200 to Rs 38,800 per kg on scattered buying support from industrial units.
Bullion traders said apart from a weak trend overseas, muted demand from jewellers and retailers at domestic spot market mainly weighed on the prices.
Globally, gold fell 0.19 per cent to $1,210.40 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade.
In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity slipped by Rs 145 each to Rs 28,720 and Rs 28,570 per ten grams, respectively, a level last seen on February 18, 2016. The precious metals had lost Rs 135 yesterday.
Sovereign, however, held steady at Rs 22,800 per piece of eight grams.
On the other hand, silver ready recovered by Rs 200 to Rs 38,800 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 95 to Rs 38,590 per kg.
Silver coins, however, continued to trade at previous levels of Rs 66,000 for buying and Rs 67,000 for selling of 100 pieces.
Gold prices plunged by Rs 145 to trade at over three-month low of Rs 28,720 per ten grams at the bullion market on Friday, tracking a weak trend overseas along with sluggish demand from jewellers at spot market.
However, silver recovered by Rs 200 to Rs 38,800 per kg on scattered buying support from industrial units.
Bullion traders said apart from a weak trend overseas, muted demand from jewellers and retailers at domestic spot market mainly weighed on the prices.
Globally, gold fell 0.19 per cent to $1,210.40 an ounce in New York in yesterday's trade.
In the national capital, gold of 99.9 and 99.5 per cent purity slipped by Rs 145 each to Rs 28,720 and Rs 28,570 per ten grams, respectively, a level last seen on February 18, 2016. The precious metals had lost Rs 135 yesterday.
Sovereign, however, held steady at Rs 22,800 per piece of eight grams.
On the other hand, silver ready recovered by Rs 200 to Rs 38,800 per kg and weekly-based delivery by Rs 95 to Rs 38,590 per kg.
Silver coins, however, continued to trade at previous levels of Rs 66,000 for buying and Rs 67,000 for selling of 100 pieces.
Car sales remain firm in May on strong performance by market leaders
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For the first time in the last few years, sales of diesel vehicles have dropped below 50 per cent in Europe and the Indian market is mirroring a similar image with customers shifting to petrol and market leaders gaining the most from the change.
Diesel car sales have dropped to 44 per cent in April, the lowest in a decade and Maruti Suzuki that entered the market with its iconic Swift hatchback as late as 2006 posted a double digit gain of 10.6 per cent to 113,162 units sold in the domestic market and another 9,872 units exported last month.
Maruti resumed production of vehicles at its Gurgaon facilities after a three day gap hit by irregular component supplies and has gained immensely on the spectacular demand for Brezza, its new SUV coincidently sold only in diesel. Otherwise core of its sales are coming from petrol and CNG models like Alto, WagonR and Omni for the past few months.
South Korea's Hyundai Motors stood closer to the leader with a 10.4 per cent gain last month to 41,351 units in May 2016. "In a challenging market of stressed rural demand and uncertainty on diesel vehicles, Hyundai continued its positive growth momentum on the strengths of strong performance of the three Indian 'Car of the Year' brands Creta, Elite i20 and Grand i10 as the expectations of a good rains has improved sentiments during the otherwise lean monsoon season," Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President-Marketing & Sales, Hyundai Motors, said.
In the same league was French Renault, one of the fastest growing automotive companies in India, registered an astounding growth of 132 per cent with monthly domestic sales of 8,343 units in May 2016 over 3,601 units sold in the corresponding month last year. The sales remain robust on strong demand for its Kwid hatchback that enjoys waiting period of around 6-7 months and has booking backlog of over 1 lakh cars from customers.
Mahindra, India's leading SUV manufacturer, sold 19,635 units in May 2016 as against 18,135 units during May 2015, a growth of 8 per cent. Its cumulative exports in May grew 21 per cent to 4,043 units.
Commenting on sales, Pravin Shah, President & Chief Executive (Automotive), M&M said, "We are happy to have achieved an overall growth of 11 per cent during May 2016, in the midst of regulatory uncertainties. The favourable monsoon projections will definitely lead to improved buyer sentiment that would likely bring buoyancy in overall demand across all segments of the automotive industry. Going forward, we expect that our wider product portfolio will drive our growth. The upcoming e-Verito launch, on June 2, will add a new and innovative product to our EV range."
Honda Cars India, a leading manufacturer of premium cars, registered monthly domestic dip of 26 per cent to 9,954 units sold in May 2016 against 13,431 units in the corresponding month last year. Honda also exported a total of 651 units during May 2016.
Abdul Majeed, Partner, Price Waterhouse said that positive sentiments are helping vehicles sales to grow across the segments, except uncertainty around diesel vehicles, other indictors look positive and will support the growth this fiscal year. "New launches will drive the growth in the passenger car segment. Sudden shift from diesel vehicle to petrol vehicle will put a lot of pressure on supply chain ecosystem," he said
Other companies like Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Skoda are expected to release their sales data on Thursday.
For the first time in the last few years, sales of diesel vehicles have dropped below 50 per cent in Europe and the Indian market is mirroring a similar image with customers shifting to petrol and market leaders gaining the most from the change.
Diesel car sales have dropped to 44 per cent in April, the lowest in a decade and Maruti Suzuki that entered the market with its iconic Swift hatchback as late as 2006 posted a double digit gain of 10.6 per cent to 113,162 units sold in the domestic market and another 9,872 units exported last month.
Maruti resumed production of vehicles at its Gurgaon facilities after a three day gap hit by irregular component supplies and has gained immensely on the spectacular demand for Brezza, its new SUV coincidently sold only in diesel. Otherwise core of its sales are coming from petrol and CNG models like Alto, WagonR and Omni for the past few months.
South Korea's Hyundai Motors stood closer to the leader with a 10.4 per cent gain last month to 41,351 units in May 2016. "In a challenging market of stressed rural demand and uncertainty on diesel vehicles, Hyundai continued its positive growth momentum on the strengths of strong performance of the three Indian 'Car of the Year' brands Creta, Elite i20 and Grand i10 as the expectations of a good rains has improved sentiments during the otherwise lean monsoon season," Rakesh Srivastava, Senior Vice President-Marketing & Sales, Hyundai Motors, said.
In the same league was French Renault, one of the fastest growing automotive companies in India, registered an astounding growth of 132 per cent with monthly domestic sales of 8,343 units in May 2016 over 3,601 units sold in the corresponding month last year. The sales remain robust on strong demand for its Kwid hatchback that enjoys waiting period of around 6-7 months and has booking backlog of over 1 lakh cars from customers.
Mahindra, India's leading SUV manufacturer, sold 19,635 units in May 2016 as against 18,135 units during May 2015, a growth of 8 per cent. Its cumulative exports in May grew 21 per cent to 4,043 units.
Commenting on sales, Pravin Shah, President & Chief Executive (Automotive), M&M said, "We are happy to have achieved an overall growth of 11 per cent during May 2016, in the midst of regulatory uncertainties. The favourable monsoon projections will definitely lead to improved buyer sentiment that would likely bring buoyancy in overall demand across all segments of the automotive industry. Going forward, we expect that our wider product portfolio will drive our growth. The upcoming e-Verito launch, on June 2, will add a new and innovative product to our EV range."
Honda Cars India, a leading manufacturer of premium cars, registered monthly domestic dip of 26 per cent to 9,954 units sold in May 2016 against 13,431 units in the corresponding month last year. Honda also exported a total of 651 units during May 2016.
Abdul Majeed, Partner, Price Waterhouse said that positive sentiments are helping vehicles sales to grow across the segments, except uncertainty around diesel vehicles, other indictors look positive and will support the growth this fiscal year. "New launches will drive the growth in the passenger car segment. Sudden shift from diesel vehicle to petrol vehicle will put a lot of pressure on supply chain ecosystem," he said
Other companies like Volkswagen, Toyota, Nissan and Skoda are expected to release their sales data on Thursday.
BSE gets RBI nod for online bidding platform for Sovereign Gold Bond scheme
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BSE, Asia's oldest bourse, has received the Reserve Bank approval to start an online bidding platform for Sovereign Gold Bond scheme.
SGBs - government securities denominated in grams of gold - offer an alternative to holding gold in physical form.
The bond is issued by RBI on behalf of government and investors can apply for the bonds at the price as disseminated by RBI.
In a circular BSE said, it has "received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for acting as a receiving office for the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme".
The exchange plans to offer an online bidding platform for collecting bids from members and their clients for the SGB issue.
This bidding platform is part of the iBBS (Internet-based Book Building System) - exchange's existing web-based online bidding platform for IPO, Offer for Sale, offer to buy issues.
BSE said that mock bidding session in this regard would be conducted from today to test the system performance.
"The exchange shall communicate the go-live date of SGB bidding platform via separate circular," it said.
BSE, Asia's oldest bourse, has received the Reserve Bank approval to start an online bidding platform for Sovereign Gold Bond scheme.
SGBs - government securities denominated in grams of gold - offer an alternative to holding gold in physical form.
The bond is issued by RBI on behalf of government and investors can apply for the bonds at the price as disseminated by RBI.
In a circular BSE said, it has "received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for acting as a receiving office for the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme".
The exchange plans to offer an online bidding platform for collecting bids from members and their clients for the SGB issue.
This bidding platform is part of the iBBS (Internet-based Book Building System) - exchange's existing web-based online bidding platform for IPO, Offer for Sale, offer to buy issues.
BSE said that mock bidding session in this regard would be conducted from today to test the system performance.
"The exchange shall communicate the go-live date of SGB bidding platform via separate circular," it said.
Sebi plans to relax start-up listing norms by next month
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To make start-up listing platform more attractive, regulator Sebi plans to relax norms by next month to help them tap this avenue for raising funds as also to give an easier exit opportunity to their existing investors including from abroad.
The platform is aimed at providing easier exit options for angel investors, domestic and foreign venture capital funds and private equity players, who have invested in over 3,000 startups, including in new technology space, in India.
As the platform has failed to attract a single startup for listing so far, Sebi has decided to tweak the regulations to make them more attractive after incorporating some fresh suggestions from the industry and market players. Sebi's board is likely to discuss the fresh changes in its board meeting next month. Sebi Chairman UK Sinha, who is visiting the US including Silicon Valley to hard-sell India growth story among the investors there, had said in a recent interaction that the regulations are being looked into again.
"What we have noticed is that most of the companies that have got listed in past one year or so are in new technology sectors or are technology-driven businesses. This gives us an idea about the direction in which our economy is moving," Sinha said.
The Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) is yet to see any start-up listing ever since an easier set of compliance and disclosure requirements was notified in August 2015. Under the rules, start-ups can list on the separate ITP of stock exchanges such as BSE and NSE.
"Not single company has got listed on this so far, although we formulated the rules after very very detailed consultation with the industry and market players. We are again looking at revising the norms as there have been some fresh suggestions from the industry," he said. On whether some changes are in offing in startup listing regulations, Sinha had replied in affirmative.
"Yes, we have received some suggestions that we will study and incorporate them appropriately." Asked about the timeframe, he said, Sebi may take up the matter in its next board meeting in July. Under the notified rule, minimum trading lot and the minimum application size have been kept at Rs 10 lakh so that only sophisticated and large investors come in.
For their listing, Sebi had also relaxed the mandatory lock-in period for promoters and other pre-listing investors to six months, as against three years for other companies. Besides, the disclosure requirements for these companies have been relaxed. The companies can, however, graduate to the main platform later and the small investors can also invest at that time.
To make start-up listing platform more attractive, regulator Sebi plans to relax norms by next month to help them tap this avenue for raising funds as also to give an easier exit opportunity to their existing investors including from abroad.
The platform is aimed at providing easier exit options for angel investors, domestic and foreign venture capital funds and private equity players, who have invested in over 3,000 startups, including in new technology space, in India.
As the platform has failed to attract a single startup for listing so far, Sebi has decided to tweak the regulations to make them more attractive after incorporating some fresh suggestions from the industry and market players. Sebi's board is likely to discuss the fresh changes in its board meeting next month. Sebi Chairman UK Sinha, who is visiting the US including Silicon Valley to hard-sell India growth story among the investors there, had said in a recent interaction that the regulations are being looked into again.
"What we have noticed is that most of the companies that have got listed in past one year or so are in new technology sectors or are technology-driven businesses. This gives us an idea about the direction in which our economy is moving," Sinha said.
The Institutional Trading Platform (ITP) is yet to see any start-up listing ever since an easier set of compliance and disclosure requirements was notified in August 2015. Under the rules, start-ups can list on the separate ITP of stock exchanges such as BSE and NSE.
"Not single company has got listed on this so far, although we formulated the rules after very very detailed consultation with the industry and market players. We are again looking at revising the norms as there have been some fresh suggestions from the industry," he said. On whether some changes are in offing in startup listing regulations, Sinha had replied in affirmative.
"Yes, we have received some suggestions that we will study and incorporate them appropriately." Asked about the timeframe, he said, Sebi may take up the matter in its next board meeting in July. Under the notified rule, minimum trading lot and the minimum application size have been kept at Rs 10 lakh so that only sophisticated and large investors come in.
For their listing, Sebi had also relaxed the mandatory lock-in period for promoters and other pre-listing investors to six months, as against three years for other companies. Besides, the disclosure requirements for these companies have been relaxed. The companies can, however, graduate to the main platform later and the small investors can also invest at that time.
India reaffirms commitment to pursue green path to growth
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India has reaffirmed its commitment to pursue a green path to growth as leaders of 20 countries and the European Union gathered here for the seventh Clean Energy and the inaugural Mission Innovation ministerials.
At the inaugural Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial, ministers from all Mission Innovation partners released their respective governments' plans to double clean energy research and development funding over five years.
The Indian delegation at the ministerial is being led by Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan.
Ministers welcomed the European Commission on behalf of the European Union as the 21st partner in the initiative.
At the inaugural Mission Innovation, the 21 partners each pledged to seek a doubling in their governmental and/or state-directed clean energy research and development investment over five years, reaching around a combined US 30 billion per year by 2021.
These efforts under Mission Innovation represent an unprecedented acceleration of research and development efforts for innovative clean energy technologies.
Ministers also met with leaders of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition and other leading energy investors, underscoring the critical link between government innovation and entrepreneurship to bring affordable clean energy technologies to market.
"I am pleased to note that Ministers have endorsed the recommendations made by MI countries and subgroups will now work together to lead the objective of Mission Innovation," Vardhan said.
"I would like to reaffirm India's commitment to pursue green path to growth through Research Innovation and Joint Collaboration," he said.
During the meeting, Vardhan announced India's current investment (USD 72 million) and doubling plan (USD 145 million) in Clean Energy Research.
A formal announcement on new joint collaborations with Mission Innovation Countries was also made by him.
India has launched a number of collaborative research and development efforts to pursue research in solar energy, energy efficiency, advanced biofuels, electrical transmission and storage with the US, the UK, Australia, Norway, South Korea and many other countries.
Vardhan also announced expanding India's collaboration with the UK through setting up of a Joint virtual Clean Energy Centre to address the challenges to intermitting solar energy and launching a new Research Track on Smart Energy Grids and Energy Storage under Indo-US PACE-R (Partnership to Advance Clean Energy -- Research).
During the ministerial, each government also provided information on national clean energy needs, plans, priorities, and supporting policies and programmes for clean energy innovation.
A series of webinars over the coming months will provide an in-depth look on a country-by-country basis.
"Our support for Mission Innovation is crucial to funding the basic scientific research and development that will underpin the advanced clean energy solutions needed to combat climate change in the 21st century," said US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.
"These technologies will help drive down adoption costs to grow low-carbon economies and create an entirely new markets for the solutions that will reduce heat trapping emissions," he said.
European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said scaling up clean energy innovation is key to the success of the European Energy Union and to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
It also represents a major global economic and industrial opportunity.
"Mission Innovation, therefore, coheres perfectly with our upcoming research, innovation and competitiveness strategy," he said.
Meanwhile, at the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7) three new global campaigns were launched -- the Advanced Cooling Challenge, the Energy Management Campaign and the Corporate Sourcing of Renewables Campaign.
The countries also agreed to launch a new phase of collaboration -- "CEM 2.0".
As the first major gathering of global energy ministers since last December's Paris Agreement, CEM7 and the MI Ministerial brought together clean energy leaders from around the world.
This meeting represented a crucial step towards accelerating both the deployment of today's clean energy technologies and innovation for the technologies of the future.
Ministers committed to ambitious action on implementing policies and solutions to meet countries' climate and clean energy goals.
"CEM7 and MI are major driving forces for how the US and global community can achieve the commitments made under the Paris Agreement," said Moniz.
"The outcome of these two meetings can play an important role in deploying clean energy technologies today and developing tomorrow's solutions that will facilitate the world's transition to a clean energy economy," he said.
Canada, China, India, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced to join the Advanced Cooling Challenge and are committed to promote greater use of cost-effective, energy efficient air conditioning and refrigeration equipment through appliance efficiency policies and programmes.
Further the ClimateWorks Foundation announced a strategic alignment of their philanthropic programmes with CEM programmes that support power sector decarbonisation in Mexico, India, China and other CEM countries.
India has reaffirmed its commitment to pursue a green path to growth as leaders of 20 countries and the European Union gathered here for the seventh Clean Energy and the inaugural Mission Innovation ministerials.
At the inaugural Mission Innovation (MI) Ministerial, ministers from all Mission Innovation partners released their respective governments' plans to double clean energy research and development funding over five years.
The Indian delegation at the ministerial is being led by Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan.
Ministers welcomed the European Commission on behalf of the European Union as the 21st partner in the initiative.
At the inaugural Mission Innovation, the 21 partners each pledged to seek a doubling in their governmental and/or state-directed clean energy research and development investment over five years, reaching around a combined US 30 billion per year by 2021.
These efforts under Mission Innovation represent an unprecedented acceleration of research and development efforts for innovative clean energy technologies.
Ministers also met with leaders of the Breakthrough Energy Coalition and other leading energy investors, underscoring the critical link between government innovation and entrepreneurship to bring affordable clean energy technologies to market.
"I am pleased to note that Ministers have endorsed the recommendations made by MI countries and subgroups will now work together to lead the objective of Mission Innovation," Vardhan said.
"I would like to reaffirm India's commitment to pursue green path to growth through Research Innovation and Joint Collaboration," he said.
During the meeting, Vardhan announced India's current investment (USD 72 million) and doubling plan (USD 145 million) in Clean Energy Research.
A formal announcement on new joint collaborations with Mission Innovation Countries was also made by him.
India has launched a number of collaborative research and development efforts to pursue research in solar energy, energy efficiency, advanced biofuels, electrical transmission and storage with the US, the UK, Australia, Norway, South Korea and many other countries.
Vardhan also announced expanding India's collaboration with the UK through setting up of a Joint virtual Clean Energy Centre to address the challenges to intermitting solar energy and launching a new Research Track on Smart Energy Grids and Energy Storage under Indo-US PACE-R (Partnership to Advance Clean Energy -- Research).
During the ministerial, each government also provided information on national clean energy needs, plans, priorities, and supporting policies and programmes for clean energy innovation.
A series of webinars over the coming months will provide an in-depth look on a country-by-country basis.
"Our support for Mission Innovation is crucial to funding the basic scientific research and development that will underpin the advanced clean energy solutions needed to combat climate change in the 21st century," said US Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.
"These technologies will help drive down adoption costs to grow low-carbon economies and create an entirely new markets for the solutions that will reduce heat trapping emissions," he said.
European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic said scaling up clean energy innovation is key to the success of the European Energy Union and to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
It also represents a major global economic and industrial opportunity.
"Mission Innovation, therefore, coheres perfectly with our upcoming research, innovation and competitiveness strategy," he said.
Meanwhile, at the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM7) three new global campaigns were launched -- the Advanced Cooling Challenge, the Energy Management Campaign and the Corporate Sourcing of Renewables Campaign.
The countries also agreed to launch a new phase of collaboration -- "CEM 2.0".
As the first major gathering of global energy ministers since last December's Paris Agreement, CEM7 and the MI Ministerial brought together clean energy leaders from around the world.
This meeting represented a crucial step towards accelerating both the deployment of today's clean energy technologies and innovation for the technologies of the future.
Ministers committed to ambitious action on implementing policies and solutions to meet countries' climate and clean energy goals.
"CEM7 and MI are major driving forces for how the US and global community can achieve the commitments made under the Paris Agreement," said Moniz.
"The outcome of these two meetings can play an important role in deploying clean energy technologies today and developing tomorrow's solutions that will facilitate the world's transition to a clean energy economy," he said.
Canada, China, India, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced to join the Advanced Cooling Challenge and are committed to promote greater use of cost-effective, energy efficient air conditioning and refrigeration equipment through appliance efficiency policies and programmes.
Further the ClimateWorks Foundation announced a strategic alignment of their philanthropic programmes with CEM programmes that support power sector decarbonisation in Mexico, India, China and other CEM countries.
General Awareness
Latest Current Affairs - May 2016
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Appointments
Digital payments platform FreeCharge named Kunal Shah as chairman, and Govind Rajan as CEO.- Ajay Mittal appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
- Anurag Thakur elected as 34th President of BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) till September 2017.
- Ashok Leyland re-appointmented Vinod K Dasari as Managing Director(MD) for 5 years.
- Baciro Dja named as new Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau (Country in West Africa).
- Belgium's Mourad Laachraoui won gold in European Taekwondo Championships and will nocompete in this summer's Rio Olympics. Note that hs is brother of Paris Blasts Accused Najim Laachraoui.
- Bhim Sain Bassi appointed as Member of Union Public Service Commission.
- Binali Yildirim chosen as Turkey’s Prime Minster.
- Bollywood Actor R Madhavan became goodwill ambassador of LEPRA India organization that fights against diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis.
- Bombay High Court Advocate Atma Ram Nadkarni is appointed as Additional Solicitor General.
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research appointed Rakesh Kumar Mishra appointed as Director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).
- Cricketer Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for second term of 3 years. Rahuil dravid has been elected as a member.
- Cricketr Rohit Sharma became Brand Ambassador of world famous Swiss luxury watch maker Hublot.
- Deepak Gupta sworn-in as Chief Justice (CJ) of Chhattisgarh High Court.
- Enda Kenny has been re-elected as Ireland's Taoiseach (prime minister of Ireland) for a second term.
- Future Group’s Chief Executive Kishore Biyani has been appointed managing director of Bharti Retail after merger of Retails Businesses of Future Group and Bharti Retail in 2015.
- Girish Luthra appointed as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Western Naval Command while AR Karve as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Southern Naval Command.
- Global Review on Antimicrobial Resistance appreciated India’s Medicines with Red Line campaign on antibiotics. Global review was commissioned by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and was chaired by economist Jim O’Neil.
- As per report, India’s model of putting a red line on antibiotic packages to curb their over-the-counter sale can be used globally to counter rising threat of superbugs.
- Government approved joint issue of UN Women HeForShe postage stamp and a MoU has been signed between Department of Posts and United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in for this purpose.
- Hindupur Pradeep Rao appointed as Deputy Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
- IndiGo airlines appointed Rohit Philip as its new Chief Financial Officer.
- India's Mukul Mudgal appointed as Deputy Chairman of FIFA Governance Committee. While General Luis Miguel Maduro from Portugal was appointed as Chairman of FIFA’s governance committee.
- Indian American Harmeet Kaur Dhillon elected to newest national committee woman, a key position of Republican National Committee of USA.
- Indian Person Philip Abraham elected as Deputy Mayor of Loughton town in United Kingdom.
- Indian non-fiction short film on girl child education Beti has been invited for a special screening at 42nd edition of Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) 2016b (Washington DC).
- Indian-origin lawyer Murali Pillai from Singapore's ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has been elected as a member of parliament of Singapore.
- Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari appointed Sergio Marchionne as new CEO.
- J Jayalalithaa sworn in as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for record sixth time. Her party AIADMK Party won 134 / 234 seats in State Assembly elections 2016.
- Jitendra Singh has been assigned Independent charge of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports after resignation of Sarbananda Sonowal.
- Kiran Bedi has been appointed as Lt. Governor of Union Territory of Puducherry.
- Kumar Rajesh Chandra appointed as Director General in Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).
- Mamata Banerjee sworn-in as Chief Minister of West Bengal for second successive five-year term.
- Manohar Kumar appointd as Director (Engineering) of National Projects Construction Corporation Limited (NPCC).
- Mexican diplomat Patricia Espinosa is appointed as executive secretary of UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change).
- Michel Temer appointed as president of Brazil after 6-months Suspension of Dilma Rouseff.
- Mrugank Paranjape appointed as managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) of Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX).
- Naveen Sinha appointed as 31st Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court.
- Noted scientist S K Sharma appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).
- PP Khandekar assumed charge as Air Officer-in-Charge Maintenance.
- President Pranab Mukherjee approved appointment of 4 judges to Supreme Court. These names were recommended by Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur.
- AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and L Nageshwar Rao.
- With this, judicial strength of Supreme Court moved up to 28. Max being 31 (30 Justices + 1 Cheif Justice of India).
- Radha Binod Barman is appointed as Chairperson of National Statistical Commission.
- Ratan P Watal appointed as Principle Adviser for social sector in NITI Aayog.
- Rodrigo Digong Duterte won Presidential Presidential Elections of Philippines.
- S K Saini appointed as new commandant of Indian Military Academy (IMA).
- Sadiq Khan of British Labour party became first Muslim to be elected as Mayor of London (UK).
- Sameer Chadha appointed as partner and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KPMG India.
- Securities and Exchange Board of India approved appointment of Ashok Chawla as National Stock Exchange (NSE)'s new Chairman.
- Senegal's UN diplomat Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura named First Female as Secretary General of FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) Council.
- Shashank Manohar elected as ICC’s (International Cricket Council) first independent Chairman for 2 years.
- Shell India has announced Nitin Prasad as its new India head.
- Somnath Ghosh is appointed as next Ambassador of India to Tajikistan.
- Sunil Lamba appointed as Chief of Indian Navy while Karambir Singh appointed as Vice Chief of Indian Navy.
- Surajit Kar Purkayastha appointed as Director General of West Bengal Police.
- Tech Firm Apple appointed Sanjay Kaul as Head for Apple India.
- Three Indian names selected to list of 50 scientists elected as Fellows of Royal Society (premier scientific academy of UK and Commonwealth). Indians are - Sriram Ramaswamy (TIFR Centre for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Hyderabad), Ramanujan Hegde (MRC Laboratory of Microbiology, UK) and applied mathematician Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan(Harvard University).
- Tinlianthang Vaiphei appointed as acting Chief Justice of Tripura High Court.
- Tsai Ing-wen appointed as first female President of Taiwan.
- United Nations (UN) appointed Mary Robinson and Macharia Kamau as UN’s Special Envoys for El Nino and Climate.
- United States (US) President Barack Obama appointed Indian-American engineer Manjit Singh as member of President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (PACFBNF).
- V Narayanaswamy elected as Congress Legislature Party leader, to become Chief Minister of Puducherry.
- Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba will be next (23rd) Chief of Indian Navy.
- Vijay Shankar Madan is appointwed as Secretary in Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Girish Shankar appointed as Secretary in Department of Public Enterprises (Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises).
Awards
- 20th CEAT Cricket Awards 2016 -
- Lifetime Achievement - Dilip Vengsarkar
- International Cricketer - Joe Root (England)
- International Batsman - Joe Root (England)
- International Bowler - Ravichandran Ashwin
- Test Cricketer - Kane Williamson (NZ)
- ODI Cricketer - Martin Guptill (NZ)
- T20 Player - Virat Kohli
- Indian Cricketer - Rohit Sharma
- Young Player - Rishabh Pant
- Special Award – Ajinkya Rahane
- 5 Indians - Shubhkaran Yadav, Manish Malik, Rakesh Kumar and Amal Deka have been chosen posthumously for United Nation’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their courage and sacrifice. They are among 124 personnel who have been posthumously awarded a prestigious UN medal.
- Han Kang became First South Korean author to win Man Booker International Prize after she won 2016 Prize for her novelThe Vegetarian.
- Actress Celina Jaitly honoured by Harvey Milk Foundation for her contribution to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equality as a United Nations Equality Champion.
- Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project won World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in e-Agriculture category. Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda – Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS.
- Bharti Enterprises founder Sunil Bharti Mittal honored with 2016 Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award.
- British director Ken Loach's film I, Daniel Blake won Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. It was Loach's second award for best picture at the festival after 2006's The Wind That Shakes the Barley.
- Corporation Bank received excellence award on empowering MSMEs by Federation of Industry, Trade and Services (FITS).
- Former ISRO Chairman Udupi Ramachandra Rao became first Indian to be given Hall of Fame Award by International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
- Indian American professor Rakesh K. Jain will be presented 2015 National Medal of Science of USA.
- Indian American teenager from Texas Syamantak Payra won $50,000 Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award for his work in making a low-cost electronically-aided knee brace device which allows people with weakened legs to be able to walk better.s
- Indian artist Anjali Chandrashekar won 3rd prize in UN Poster for Peace contest, presented by UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) to raise awareness of need for nuclear disarmament. Her poster Cutting Barriers through Peace featured a peace dove slicing through a nuclear weapon.
- Indian author Aditi Krishnakumar won prestigious 2016 Scholastic Asian Book Award for her 32,000-word manuscriptCodex: The Lost Treasure Of The Indus.
- Indian author Parashar Kulkarni won regional Commonwealth Short Story Prize for 2016 for Asia region, for his politically grounded, funny fiction story Cow and Company (about four men in search of a cow).
- Indian-American Revathi Balakrishnan is honoured by USA as 2016 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year for her excellent work in the field of education.
- Indian-American journalist Neela Banerjee honored with Edgar A Poe award by USA along with her 3 colleagues from Inside Climate News.
- Indian-American scientist Arnab De received Springer Theses Award for his research on developing transgenic mice to study a critical tumor-suppressor A20.
- Indian-American student won 2016 National Geographic Bee championship, securing first three positions in 28th annual National Geographic Bee Competition in Washington. This is fifth consecutive year of National Geographic Bee championship in which an Indian-American has won. Winners - Rishi Nair (1st), Saketh Jonnalagadda and Kapil Nathan.
- Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) won the Lonely Planet Group’s Best Indian Destination for Wildlife Award.
- Musician Angelique Kidjo (USA) along with three inspirational African youth activist movements have been declared joint winners of Amnesty International top 2016 human rights award.
- Nagaland Police department won National Award for Smart Policing in the category of Road Safety and Traffic Management for initiative of SMS based Vehicle Monitoring System, by FICCI.
- Nandini Bhandaru, a PhD student at IIT-Kharagpur won Young Scientist Award of European Materials Research Society’s (E-MRS) for contribution to materials science, for her contribution to materials science and nanotechnology, particularly nano-patterning of soft films and surfaces.
- Oscar winning Legendary Indian music composer A R Rahman honored by Japan's Fukuoka prize 2016 in Grand Prize category for his outstanding contribution towards showcasing South Asian traditional fusion music.
- Pakke Tiger Reserve in East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh won India Biodiversity Award 2016 in conservation of threatened species category for its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme. Under this Programme, urban citizens contribute money to protect hornbill nests around Pakke Tiger Reserve.
- President Pranab Mukherjee conferred 15th Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards - .
- Reliance Industry - top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years.
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - Gold Award in IT services.
- State Bank of India (SBI) - Gold award among supporting institutions.
- President Pranab Mukherjee presented Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar 2016 to 15 teachers from Punjab for their contribution in education.
- President Pranab Mukherjee presented National Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nursing personnel from across the country.
- Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been conferred the prestigious Othmer Gold Medal by Chemical Heritage Foundation, for his entrepreneurial leadership.
- Renowned author of Harry Potter series, JK Rowling has been honoured with highest French civilian honour French Legion Of Honour.
- Rupa Iyer, Indian-American bio-technologist received University of Houston's highest teaching award for her contributions to education in USA.
- Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling conferred with Yug Kavi Siddhicharan Award, one of the Nepal’s prestigious literary award.
- Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics Given to Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) for momentous detection of gravitational waves. The $3 million award will be shared between two groups - 1 Milion for three founders of LIGO (Ronald W. P. Drever, Kip S. Thorne, Caltech, Rainer Weiss) and 2 Million will be distributed to 1012 contributors.
- US President Barack Obama honoured Indian-American elementary teacher Revathi Balakrishnan from Texas for her excellent work in field of education.
- USA's Frances Arnold won the Technology Academy's (Finland) Millennium Technology Prize for her work 'directed evolution' (method of rewriting DNA to improve medicines and develop green fuels). She is first female wo win this 1 million euro prize.
Books
- Book A Call to Mercy: Hearts to Love, Hands to Serve has been released. It is collection of previously unreleased writings by Mother Teresa and has been compiled by Rev. Brian Kolodiejchuk.
- Book Anubandh: Building 100-mile communities is authored by Ela Bhatt.
- Book Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East authored by Patrick Cockburn has been released.
- Book Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East, has been authored by Patrick Cockburn (Ireland).
- Book Dr. Ambedkar: Life and Mission has been authored by Dhananjay Kheer.
- Book Exploring Marxist Bengal, authored by Debraj Bhattacharya has been released.
- Book Great Acceleration: How the World is Getting Faster, Faster, is authored by Robert Colvile.
- Book Gujarat Files: Anatomy of a Cover Up, authored by Rana Ayyub has been released.
- Book Incarnations : India in 50 lives, is authored by Sunil Khilnani.
- Book India vs Pakistan: Why Can’t we just be Friends, written by Husain Haqqani has been released.
- Book Making It Big: The inspiring Story of Nepal’s first billionaire in his own words has been authored by Binod Chaudhary, Nepal's first billionaire.
- Book My Favourite Nature Stories authored by famous author Ruskin Bond has been released.
- Book Politics of the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, authored by Yeshi Choedon has been released.
- Book Tagore and Russia, written by Reba Som and Sergei Serebriany has been released.
- Book Tagore’s Vision of the Contemporary World, written by Indra Nath Choudhuri has been released.
- Book White magic: A story of heart break , Hard Drugs and Hope has been authored by Arjun Nath.
- Noted actor Shashi Kapoor’s biography Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star has been released. It has been written by Film Journalist Aseem Chhabra.
Committees
- A bug over half a metre long (62.4 centimetres ) discovered in southern China has been declared world’s longest insect amongst 807,625 known insects.
- Committee headed by T S R Subramanian set up to formulate new National Education Policy submitted its report to Human Resource Development (HRD) ministry.
- Government constituted 11 members committee under D B Shekatkar to recommend measures to enhance combat capabilities of armed forces and re-balance overall defence expenditure.
- Government constituted a 5 Member Committee under N.K. Singh, to give recommendations on FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) roadmap for future In pursuance of Budget Announcement 2016-17.
- Government constituted a committee under Sanjay Mitra (Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways), to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators.
- H.R. Nagendra Committee on Yoga Education in Universities submitted its report to the Government .
- Neeraj Kumar Gupta committee constituted by government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to boost cashless transactions.
- Parkash Singh committee submitted its report on Jat Quota in Haryana.
- Supreme Court appointed 3-three-member committee under RM Lodha to oversee functions of Medical Council of India (MCI).
Days
- 1 May - Labor Day / International Workers' Day / May Day.
- 10 May - World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) with 2016 theme Stop the Illegal Killing, Taking and Trade of Migratory Birds.
- 11 May - National Technology Day. 2016 Theme is Technology enablers of Startup India'. The day marks several technological achievements for India including -
- First of five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
- First indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and successful test of Trishul missile held on the same day.
- 117 May - World Hypertension Day. Theme is Know Your Numbers
- 14 May - World Fair Trade Day (Second Saturday of May Each Year).
- 15 May - International Day of Families. Theme for 2016 is Families, healthy lives and sustainable future.
- 16 May - National Day for Disease of Dengue. Government of India recently declared May 16 as National Dengue Day to mark the toll the deadly disease has been taking in terms of lives and to reaffirm nationwide efforts to tackle it.
- 17 May - 2016 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day. Theme is ICT entrepreneurship for social impact.
- 29 May - International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. 2016 theme is Honouring Our Heroes.
- 3 May - World Press Freedom Day, observed by United Nations. 2016 Theme is Access to Information and Fundamental Freedoms – This Is Your Right!”. 2016 UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize has been honoured to Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist from Azerbaijan.
http://www.gktoday.in/gk-current-affairs-may-4-2016/
- 3 May, 2016 - World Asthma Day (First Tuesday in May every year). 2016 theme is You Can Control Your Asthma.
- 4 May - International Firefighters' Day (IFFD).
- 7 May - World Athletics Day.
- 8 May - Birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. India held a cultural festival in Egypt on this occasion.
- 9 May, 2016 - 475th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap . Government released a Commemorative coin of Rs. 100 and a Circulation coin of Rs. 10 on this occasion.
- May 18 - International Museum Day. 2016 theme is Museums and Cultural Landscapes.
- May 22 - International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD). Theme for 2016 is Mainstreaming Biodiversity; Sustaining People and their Livelihoods.
- May 31 - World No-Tobacco Day. 2016 Theme is World No Tobacco Day – Get ready for plain packaging. The theme seeks to highlight this new trend packing trend in global efforts to control tobacco products.
- Plain packaging of tobacco products prohibits or restricts the use of logos, brand images, colours and promotional information on packaging other than brand and product names displayed in a standard colour and font style. It reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products.
- Ministry of Railways launched Rail Humsafar Saptaah as a week-long initiative to highlight significant achievements made by Indian Railways in all spheres during last 2 years -
- 26th May - Swachchta Diwas
- 27th May - Satkar Diwas
- 28th May - Sewa Diwas
- 29th May - Satarkata Diwas
- 30th May - Saamanjasya Diwas
- 31st May - Sanyojan Diwas
- 1st June - Sanchaar Diwas
Defence
- 2016 Malabar trilateral naval exercise will be hosted by Japan with naval ships of USA, India and Japan participating in it.
- ADMM-Plus (ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus) Exercise on Maritime Security and Counter Terrorism (Ex MS & CT) held in Brunei. Indian Navy Ship INS Airavat participated in it.
- Bilateral Air Force exercise between India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) - Ex-Desert Eagle-I held in UAE.
- Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) launched Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS) Shaurya.
- INS Kalvari, Indian Navy's first indigenous Scorpene-class stealth submarine, launched for first sea trial in Mumbai naval dockyard.
- India Successfully tested Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile - Ashwin. During Test, It hit target missile which another ballistic missile (Prithvi). Ashwin AAD is capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile. It is 7.5-meter long and weighs around 1.2 tonnes.
- Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired a land-attack version of supersonic cruise missile BrahMos at Pokaran (Rajasthan). It is capable of carrying a warhead of 300 kilogram and has top supersonic speed of Mach 3 (thrice the speed of sound). It can strike a target at maximum range of 290-km.
- Indian Air Force launched its Electronic Maintenance Management System (e-MMS) Project, an automated military maintenance system
- The e-MMS project is one of largest Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) IT implementation in world.
- It has been developed by Wipro, for which contract was signed in 2013. e-MMS will help IAF to get rid of paper works and heavy logbooks.
- Indian Army conducted major military training exercise 2016 Chakravyuh-II in Suratgarh (Rajasthan), in conjunction with the Indian Air Force (IAF).
- Indian Coast Guard ship Arush has been commissioned.
- Indian Navy commissioned Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli.
- Indian Navy decommissioned aging fleet of Sea Harriers, to be replaced by a squadron of Russian MIG 29k jets.
- Indian Navy launched new Harbour Defence Systems at Naval Dockyard in Visakhapatnam, including Integrated Underwater Harbour Defence and Surveillance System (IUHDSS) and Mine Warfare Data Centre (MWDC).
- Indigenously developed nuclear capable Prithvi-II surface-to-surface missile successfully test-fired. It is Capable of carrying 500 kg to 1,000 kg of nuclear as well as conventional warheadsm with Strike Range 350 km.
- Two Indian Naval Ships (INS) Veer and Nipat have been decommissioned.
Economy
- Government revised rehabilitation of bonded labour scheme, bringing it into the Central sector. Scheme proposes to increase the Budget provision from rs. 5 crore to about Rs. 47 crore per annum.
- UK-based Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) will shut down its corporate, institutional and retail banking operations in India. RBS currently operates 10 retail branches in India employing 400 people.
- Government allowed 100 % foreign direct investment (FDI) in asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) under automatic route, up from 49%.
- National stock exchange will launch a new trade receivable and credit exchange platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This It will help MSMEs to file their bill against large companies.
- AP Disaster Recovery Project (APDRP) will be funded jointly by World Bank and Andhra Pradesh government in ratio 68 (World Bank) : 32 (AP Govt.). World Bank will finance 1,550 crore and AP government will spend 670 crore) in the project.
- According to USA based global rating agency Fitch, India's economic growth rate will accelerate to 8% by 2018-2019. India's GDP to grow 7.5% in 2015-2016 and improve to 7.7% in 2016 - 2017 and 7.9% in 2017-2018.
- As per Government Data, India's GDP Growth rate in Last Quarter of 2015-16 (Jan - Mar 2016) stayed at 7.9 %, Taking India's GDP growth rate during 2015-16 to 7.6 %. In 2015-16, India's quarter wise GDP Growth has been -
- First Quarter (April 2015 - June 2015) - 7.5 %
- Second Quarter (July 2015 - September 2015) - 7.6 %
- Third Quarter (October 2015 - December 2015) - 7.2 %
- Fourth Quarter (Jan 2015 - March 2016) - 7.9 %
- As per Government Data, India's per capital income rose by 7.4 % to Rs 93,293 in 2015-16, compared to Rs 86,879 in the 2014-15.
- As per National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), India’s GDP growth rate is projected to 7.6 % in FY 16 (2015-16) and 7.7 % FY 17 (2016-17) because of a favourable monsoon.
- As per report by Assocham-KPMG, India emerged as world’s fifth largest electronic waste (e-waste) producer and India discards 18.5 lakh tonnes of e-waste each year. India is world’s second largest mobile market with 1.03 billion subscribers, nearly 25% of it end up in e-waste annually.
- Automobile giant Mahindra & Mahindra incorporated its agricultural equipment rental services arm Trringo.com as a wholly-owned subsidiary.
- Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd commissioned first 800 MW super critical thermal unit in Karnataka. This is the highest rating unit in the state.
- Classifieds business Quikr acquired Salosa, an on-demand in-home beauty services provider.
- Denmark won Thomas Cup badminton tournament for the first time by defeating Indonesia.
- E-commerce Firm Flipkart will launch its own map services in tie up with MapUnity, to better handle its shipping activities.
- E-commerce Firm Snapdeal acquired Gurgaon-based predictive marketing technology startup TargetingMantra for undisclosed amount.
- Five Indian car models failed in crash tests by Global New Car Assessment Programme (Global NCAP). Cars that failed are - Renault Kwid, Maruti Suzuki’s Celerio and Eeco, Mahindra Scorpio and Hyundai Eon.
- Global rating agency Moody's has forecasted growth rate of 7.5 % for Indian economy in 2016 and 2017.
- Google acquired business technology startup Synergyse founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra.
- Google partnered with Idea Cellular to offer direct carrier billing in India. Idea users will now be able to make purchases on Google Play Store directly through their postpaid and prepaid accounts.
- Government approved National Capital Goods Policy 2016 by Ministry of Heavy Industry & Public Enterprise for capital goods sector -
- Policy Objectives
- Increase production of capital goods from 2,30,000 crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7,50,000 crore rupees in 2025.
- Raise employment from current 84 lakh to 3 crore.
- Increase exports from 27% to 40% of production.
- Increase share of domestic production in India’s demand from 60% to 80%.
- Aim of Policy
- Facilitate improvement in technology depth across sub-sectors
- Ensure mandatory standards
- Increase skill availability and promote growth
- Capacity building of MSMEs.
- Government approved financial restructuring of Hindustan Fertilizers Corporation Limited (HFCL), including loan waiver of over 9000 crores and transfer of 56 acres of Ash Dyke land of Barauni unit to Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited (BSPGCL) to settle dues of HFCL for faster revival of Barauni Unit.
- Government approved financial restructuring of Hindustan Steel Works Construction Limited (HSCL) and its takeover by National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC).
- Government approved investment of over 5500 crore rupees for basic urban infrastructure in six states - Madhya Pradesh,Gujarat, Rajasthan,Odisha, Jharkhand and Meghalaya. It has been done under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, AMRUT.
- Government approved proposal of Infosys to set up an IT/ITeS special economic zone (SEZ) in Bengaluru, Karnataka in an area spread over 4 hectares.
- Government approved proposal of Yes Bank for increase in foreign investment limit to 74% from existing foreign equity of 41.87 %.
- Government approved revised guidelines of Performance in Credit Rating Scheme , to increase its effectiveness for both borrowers and banks.
- Fee to be reimbursed by the MSME Ministry will constitute 75 % of the fee charged by the rating agency subject to a ceiling of
- 15000 - For turnover up to 50 lakh rupees
- 30000 - For turnover between 50 lakh and 2 cr
- 40000 - For turnover above 2 cr
- Government approved to allow flexibility in optimal use of domestic coal to reduce cost of electricity generation and purchase. It will leverage coal to electricity conversion and also optimize transportation cost.
- Government constituted Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) Authority, to strengthen framework for safeguarding interest of investors. This is a step closer to setting up IEPF, which will be utilized for multiple purposes for protecting investors.
- Government launched EXIM Analytics Dashboard to provide easy access to detailed trade data of the country. This web-based dashboard will provide an accurate perspective to the general public on the facts around the trade performance in India.
- Government launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) for providing free of cost LPG (cooking gas) connections to women from BPL Households. It was launched by PM Narendra Modi from Ballia (Uttar Pradesh) with tagline - Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan.
- Under PMUY, each of the beneficiaries will receive monetary support of about 1,600 rupees to get a connection of cooking gas. It includes administrative cost, pressure regulator booklet and safety hose.
- Government opened a special Tatkal like window to expedite examination process of patent applications by start-ups as well as of entities choosing India for filing first patent. It is aiming to reduce time frame for grant of patents to 18 months from the present 5-7 years by March 2018.
- HDFC Bank launched SmartUp, a dedicated solution for startups to fulfil all their banking needs. It was launched in association with Mumbai-based accelerator Zone Startups India (ZSI).
- ICICI Bank launched India's first contactless business credit card in association with Jet Airways for small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs), named as Jet Airways ICICI Bank Business Advantage Card. Card is powered by VISA payWavecontactless technology.
- ICICI Bank signed MoU with BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) for partnership in bond issuances, co-financing, treasury management and human resources.
- IREDA (Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency) will be converted into a Green Bank to enable its access funding from overseas banks, to entitled it to avail of certain benefits supported by Power Ministry.
- IT & Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad stated that payments bank of India Post will start functioning from March 2017.
- IT services Firm Tech Mahindra will acquire UK based Target Group to strengthen its BFSI portfolio, for $164 million USD.
- Income Declaration Scheme 2016 / 4 month window for declaration of domestic black money (Dhan Wapsi) will be effective from 1st June 2016. It provides an opportunity to all persons who have not declared income correctly in earlier years to declare their undisclosed incomes. Under this,
- Declared income would be taxed at rate of 30 % plus ‘Krishi Kalyan’ cess of 25 % on taxes payable and a penalty at rate of 25 % of taxes payable. Thus, total tax to be paid will be 45% of income declared.
- Declarations can be filed online or with the Principal Commissioners of Income-tax. The surcharge and penalty must be paid by 30th November, 2016.
- Income Tax (IT) department launched electronic grievance redressal system e-nivaran to fast track taxpayer grievances and ensure early resolution of their complaints.
- India Signed An agreement for Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Grant of USD 9.20 Million with World Bank for"Efficient and Sustainable City Bus Service Project.
- Indian Railways created a Non-Fare Revenue Directorate to carry out advertisements in rail Assets, to increase revenue substantially from non-tariff sources. Mobility Directorate will also be constituted, to focus on areas like speed enhancement.
- Indian Signed loan agreement with World Bank for US$ 100 million for Karnataka Urban Water Supply Modernization project.
- JSW Energy bought a 1,000 MW power plant of Jindal Steel and Power, located in Chhattisgarh.
- Japanese financial company Nomura exited its mutual fund joint venture with India's Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC).
- Karnataka Bank launched cash back campaign for its VISA debit cardholders.
- Kerala based South Indian Bank tied-up with National Australian Bank (NAB) for online inward remittances from Australia at a competitive rate.
- Leading cloud telephony company, Knowlarity acquired Delhi-based customer engagement platform Smartwards.
- Lok Sabha passed Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2015 that seeks to ensure time-bound settlement of insolvency. The Code creates time-frame of 180 days for resolution of insolvency of companies and individuals. If insolvency is resolved in stipulated time, assets of borrowers may be sold to repay creditors.
- Ministry of Women & Child Development has been administering Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme since 1986-87, to impart training to women in modern skills as well as traditional ones and enable women to become self-employed/ entrepreneurs.
- NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies) signed MoU with Social network Facebook to build a product design initiative for Indian entrepreneurs.
- National Aluminium Company (Nalco) signed MoU with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) for Research and Development (R&D) in fields of mutual interest.
- National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) approved projects worth Rs. 2446 crores for Development of Ganga Ghats.
- Ola signed MoU with National Safai Karamcharis Finance and Development Corporation (NSKFDC) to Build a sustainable framework by supporting entrepreneurship and self-defence courses for Safai Karamcharis and Scavengers.
- Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy launched Contract Labour Payment Management System for Coal India Limited.
- Public sector Bank Punjab National Bank reported largest net loss of rs. 5,367.14 crore for 4th quarter ended 31st of March, 2016. This is the biggest quarterly loss in Indian bank history.
- RBL Bank will launch an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) programme for fintech start-ups, to enhance engagement with start-ups.
- Reliance Jio Infocomm launched digital wallet service named JioMoney Wallet. It's prepaid wallet that will easy mobile-based transactions for Indians for purchasing goods and services.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released consultation paper on Peer to Peer (P2P) lending to classify it as Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC).
- Peer to Peer lending is a form of crowd -funding which can be defined as the use of an online platform that matches lenders with borrowers in order to provide unsecured loans.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will issue banknotes of 1000 rupees denominations with inset letter R in both the number panels.
- Retirement fund body EPFO decided to almost double maximum sum assured under its insurance scheme from 3.6 lakh to Rs 6 lakh for its 4 crore subscribers.
- SBI's Overseas subsidiary, Nepal SBI Bank launched payment gateway to facilitate transactions between Nepal and India.
- Saudi Arabia based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will open its first branch in India at Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
- Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) made mandatory for Participatory Notes (P-Notes) users to follow Indian anti-money laundering laws and report any suspicious transactions. Issuers of P-Notes will report transfer trail of P-Notes to SEBI on monthly basis in addition to present reporting details of their holders.
- P-Notes are instruments issued by registered foreign institutional investors to overseas investors, who wish to invest in Indian markets without registering themselves directly in India to save time.
- State Bank of India decided to merge its five associate public sector banks (PSBs) and Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) with itself. 5 subsidiary banks are - State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore.
- Supreme Court of India ruled that Telecom companies will not compensate mobile phone users for inconvenience caused by call drops and the TRAI Regulation that made it mandatory for telecom companies to compensate subscribers for call drops from January 2016, stands illegal.
- Tata Group entered into e-commerce with launch of 'Tata CliQ'. Products purchased through this platform will be accepted for return at physical stores of Westside or Croma.
- To Promote ease of doing business, Government started process for issuance of Unique Business Identification Number (UBIN) to help budding entrepreneurs.
- World Bank approved 625 million USD loan to support India’s grid connected rooftop solar programme to generate clean energy. Loan has maturity of 20 years and a 19.5 year grace period.
- World Bank's subsidiary International Finance Corporation (IFC) will invest US$68 million (about INR 460 crore) in Apollo Health & Lifestyle ltd (AHLL) and $20 million in FCEL (Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd).
- World's largest single rooftop solar power plant of 11.5 MegaWatt (MW) capacity inaugurated at Dera Baba Jaimal Singh in Beas near Amritsar in Punjab. It is spread over 82 acres of rooftop in single campus with installed capacity of 19.5 MW. Cost has been around 139 crores and would generate clean and green energy sufficient to power approximately 8,000 homes. It will also help in abating 4-lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in next 25 years.
- Yes Bank received Custodian of Securities licence from SEBI to allow Yes Bank to offer custodial services to financial market participants (FIIs , foreign portfolio investors).
- e-Commerce Firm PayTm has tied up with Wipro IT services for implementing technology infrastructure for PayTm's upcoming Payment bank business.
International
- Central Asian state leaders inaugurated Central Asia South Asia (CASA-1000) transmission line in Tajikistan to link Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan and to promote regional stability.
- India’s renewable energy sector has been ranked third in the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI) with China at second and the US on top. Index ranks 40 markets on the attractiveness of their renewable energy investment and deployment opportunities.
- Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines will conduct coordinated sea patrols and establish a hotline to combat piracy and kidnappings in waters bordering the three nations.
- 19 Singaporean terms and 13 Hong Kong terms were added into Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and became officially recognised as acceptable English. Some of words are -
- Wah - expression of delight or surprise.
- Shiok - cool / great / delicious / superb.
- Yum cha - a type of Chinese brunch.
- Wet market - a market selling fresh meat and produce.
- Blur - confused / ignorant.
- Sabo - to harm or play a prank on.
- Sandwich class - informal term used to refer to middle class
- Milk tea - drink made from black tea and milk
- Shroff - a cashier, especially at a car park
- 3 Indian origin persons have been named among 100 highest-paid CEOs globally. PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi (22.2 Million USD), LyondellBasell’s Bhavesh Patel (24.5 Million), Microsoft's Satya Nadella ($18.3 Million).
- 57km (35-mile) twin-bore Gotthard base tunnel opened in Switzerland. It is now world's longest Train Tunnel and will provide high-speed rail link under Swiss Alps between northern and southern Europe. It is meant to revolutionise European freight transport. The tunnel has overtaken Japan's 53.9km Seikan rail tunnel as the longest in world.
- Diameter is 8.5 Metres, 2300 Metre Depth and it has been built by cost of 12.27 Billion USD (80000 Crore Approx).
- About India - India's Longest rail tunnel is Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir with Length of 11.215 KM.
- A Genetic study confirmed that Bene Israel community living in the western part of India has roots of Jewish Religion.
- A massive wildfire struck city of Fort McMurray in Alberta province of Western Canada, causing huge damages.
- According to IMF (International Monetary Fund), Financial inequality is highest in India and China among Asia Pacific countries. China and India's rapid growth has been accompanied by increasing levels of inequality. Inter provincial inequality is lower in India than in China, and rising inequality in India is primarily in urban phenomenon.
- According to a study by Organisation Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Union’s Intellectual Property Office, India is 5th biggest exporter of fake goods in world. List is topped by China, followed by Turkey, Singapore and Thailand.
- As per Forbes, India's HDFC has been ranked 7th among world's top 10 biggest and most powerful companies in consumer financial services sector. List is topped by global major American Express. In overall list of world's 2,000 largest companies, HDFC is ranked 404th with total 56 Indian companies on list, in which Reliance Industries ranked India's highest.s
- As per SocialCops' analysis of World Bank data -
- India is 137th out of 210 countries on electrification with 78.7% of its population having access to electricity.
- There are 87 countries with 100% access to electricity, 40 countries with 90-99%, and 6 countries with 80-89%.
- As per World Cities Report 2016 – Urbanization and Development: Emerging Futures’ report by UN Habitat -
- Urban areas contributing 60% of the GDP and an extra 30 crore urban residents are projected by 2050. Government of India will need to build 100 new cities with low infrastructure, denser and low energy to tackle needs of such population growth.
- As per recent World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Urban Air Quality Data -
- Top 10 Polluted Cities - Iran’s Zabol (217), India’s Gwalior (176) and Allahabad (170), Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh (156) and Al Jubail (152), India’s Patna (149) and Raipur (144), Cameroon’s Bamenda (132), China’d Xingtai (128) and Baoding (126).
- As per recent study by The Economist , -
- India is ranked ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 % of gross domestic product (GDP). In India, non-crony sector wealth is 8.3 % of GDP.
- Top countries in the list: Russia (1st), Malaysia (2nd), Philippines (3rd) and Singapore (4th). Top ranking in the list indicates countries are engaged more in crony capitalism.
- Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials.
- Australian state of Victoria, Swinburne University sigend two agreements with India in medical technology to address major health challenges in India.
- Bangladesh Government approved Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power’s first phase of the 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant at Meghnaghat in Narayanganj district. It will be largest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in Bangladesh with a potential investment of over 8,700 crore rupees (1.3 billion dollars).
- Barack Obama became first incumbent USA president to visit Hiroshima memorial site in Japan. It is world’s first atomic bombing dropped on August 6, 1945 and killed over 140,000 people.
- Bharti Airtel and networking player GBI partnered to increase Airtel's reach in West Asian countries.
- British Royals launched Heads Together campaign at Queen Elizabeth Park in East London, with aim of changing national conversation on mental health and wellbeing.
- China launched 3 (1 domestic (Ziyuan III 02 ) and foreign (NewSat)) by a Long March 4B rocket. Ziyuan III 02 satellite is a new civilian high-resolution mapping satellite and second in remote-sensing mapping system that China plans to build by 2030.
- China signed agreements with Sudan to build 600-megawatt atomic reactor.
- China successfully launched Yaogan-30 remote-sensing satellite into sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) using Long March-2D rocket.
- Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademark granted patent to USA's Gilead Sciences for its Hepatitis C drug Sofosbuvir (brand name Sovaldi) in India.
- England automative brand Jaguar Land Rover tied up with UK-based Bullitt Group to develop mobile devices and a range of accessories.
- European Central Bank (ECB) announced to stop producing 500 euro banknote by the end of 2018.
- Google won US court battle with software firm Oracle after a jury ruled it did not unfairly appropriate parts of the Java programming language. Oracle had argued that Google had infringed its copyright and had sought nearly 9 billion dollars in damages.
- Government approve MoU between Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) of Abu Dhabi for co-operation and technical assistance.
- Government approved MOU with Japan for promoting sustainable, stable and low-carbon thermal power development in India.
- Government approved MOU with Maldives for cooperation in field of tourism.
- Government approved Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) between Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) for cooperation in Information and Communication Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring (ICT-RTM) of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and other related technical matters.
- Government approved MoU between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement.
- Government approved MoU between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and United Arab Emirates Space Agency (UAESA) for cooperation in exploration and user of outer space for peaceful purposes.
- Government approved for adoption of 10 United Nations Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics.
- Health Minister J P Nadda launched Kayakalp Fortnight at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi with aim of intensifying Kayakalp initiative under Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan.
- IT services Firm Wipro inaugurated Saudi Arabia's first all women business and technology park (WBP) in Riyadh.
- India and Bangladesh concluded a nuclear agreement to engage bilateral neighborhood relationship. Indian nuclear deal will equip and train Bangladesh to import their first nuclear power plant from Russia.
- India and Canada, Iceland, Israel, New Zealand and China have signed OECD’s (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement, for boosting automatic exchange of information on tax issues and developing new tools to tackle tax evasion.
- India and Mauritius signed protocol for amendment of Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for checking Tax Evasion.
- India and Slovenia signed Protocol amending existing Convention and Protocol between two countries for avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion.
- India and United States (US) held their first Maritime Security Dialogue in New Delhi for deepening evolving partnership in maritime domain.
- India banned its nationals from travelling to Libya, in view of prevailing security situation in that country.
- India signed Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) with World Health Organization (WHO) for cooperation on promoting effectiveness of traditional and complementary medicines. PCA aims at supporting WHO in development of WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy.
- India's BIRAC (Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council) and Horticulture Innovation Australia signed MOU to enhance research and development capabilities in biotechnology.
- International Monetary Fund Economic Outlook for Asia and Pacific -
- India’s growth rate will be at 7.5 % in 2016-17.
- Growth in Asia and the Pacific is expected to be 5.3 % in 2016-2017
- China's growth is forecast to moderate from 6.9 % in 2015, to 6.5 % in 2016 and 6.2 % in 2017.
- Japan's growth will be 0.5 % in 2016 and -0.1 % in 2017.
- Iran has stopped free shipping of oil to Indian refiners from April 2016. Note tat Iran since 2013, has offered free shipping due to international sanctions imposed on it because of its nuclear program.
- Italian parliament passed legislation legalizing same-sex civil unions. With this, italy became last country in Western Europe to do so. The new law grants same-sex couples many of the same rights as married heterosexual couples.
- Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of Fiji visited India.
- Kenyan Government hasdecided to close Dadaab refugee camp, referred to as world’s largest refugee camp having 330000 refugees mostly from Somalia.
- Kotak Mahindra Bank Chief Uday Kotak (Net worth $7.1 billion), is sonly Indian in Forbes' 'Money Masters: The Most Powerful People In The Financial World' list of 40. List topped by Blackstone Group's CEO Stephen Schwarzman (worth $10.2 billion).
- MOU Signed Between NITI Aayog and Singapore Cooperation Enterprise for launching the Urban Management Programme in India, to tap expertise of Singapore in urban sector to build capacities.
- Memorandum of Understanding signed with Qatar for cooperation in Information Communication Technology.
- MoU signed between India and Maldives for Conservation and Restoration of Ancient Mosques and other Historical Monuments in Maldives.
- Mount Sinabung volcano in Karo plateau of Indonesia erupted.
- Nepal recalled its Ambassador to India (Deep Kumar Upadhyaya) over charges of non-cooperation and indulging in anti-government activities.
- Nokia Technologies and HMD global Oy (HMD) signed 10-year licensing agreement to market Nokia-branded phones and tablets.
- PM Modi Visited Iran. 12 MoUs signed with Iran on this occasion. Some are -
- India, Iran and Afghanistan signed three-way land transit agreement on Iran’s strategic southern port of Chabahar.
- National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) signed MoU with Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), to explore possibility of setting up smelter- cum-gas based power plant on joint venture in Iran for proposed smelter plant in Chabahar Free Trade Zone. NALCO will supply alumina from its refinery in India.
- MoU between EXIM Bank and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).
- Confirmation Statement between EXIM Bank and Central Bank of Iran (CBI).
- IRCON and CDTIC - to enable IRCON to provide requisite services for the construction of Chabahar-Zahedan railway line.
- MoU on India-Iran Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP).
- MoU on Policy Dialogue between Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks.
- MoU between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and School of International Relations, Iran’s MoFA.
- Implementation Protocol on Cooperation in Science and Technology.
- Pfizer Inc (USA) will buy Anacor Pharmaceuticals (USA) in a $5.2-billion (£3.61 billion).
- Red Flag Aerial combat exercises between US, NATO and allied forces and India Air Force (IAF) concluded in Alaska (USA). This was second time India in such an exercise after 2008.
- Report Protecting People through Nature: Natural World Heritage Sites as Drivers of Sustainable Development by World Wildlife Fund for nature (WWF) -
- As per study, 114 World Heritage sites out of 229 in 96 countries have oil, gas or mining concessions overlapping them or are under threat from at least one harmful industrial activity.
- South American nation Argentina adopted the Social Fridge Policy to to feed needy ones who are facing hardship due to increase in job cuts and inflation in the country.
- Genesis of‘social fridge’ or ‘solidarity fridge’ is in recent economic crisis of Europe during which countries like Spain and Germany saw the mushrooming of such fridges. It is called so because people leave food in outdoor "social fridges" for those who need it.
- Switzerland Government honoured late Indian filmmaker Yash Chopra by unveiling bronze statue at Interlaken, weighing about 250 kilos.
- US House of Representatives passed amendments to National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA)- 2017 to enhance country’s defence cooperation with India and bring India at par with US’s NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies for technology and equipment sale.
- US jury of St Louise ordered Johnson & Johnson (J&J) to pay 55 million USD to Gloria Ristesund, who claimed that company’s talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer.
- USA lifted its embargo on sales of lethal weapons to Vietnam, its one-time enemy in 1970's.
- USA Navy tested world's largest unmanned surface vessel named Sea Hunter. It is a self-driving 132-foot ship able to travel up to 10000 nautical miles on its own.
- USA President Barack Obama National Bison Legacy Act for officially making American bison the country's first national mammal.
- USA Senate approved 1.1 billion USD emergency funding to combat Zika virus in 2016 and 2017.
- USA activated a land-based missile defence station (Aegis Ashore Missile Defence System) in Romania, as part of NATO’s larger European shield to protect member countries from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from Middle East.
- USA's private space transport service company, SpaceX launched Japanese JCSAT-14 communication satellite by SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released report Global Environment Outlook (GEO-6): Regional assessment for Asia and the Pacific -
- As per report, India is at top with nearly 4 crore Indians will be at risk from rising sea levels by 2050 as worst impacts of climate change are projected to occur in the Pacific and South and South-East Asia.
- United Nations Environment Programme released report Actions on Air Quality, during second United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-2) in Nairobi (Kenya). As per report, with decline of global air quality, action in some air quality areas points to political will to tackle it.
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) launched inaugural World Wildlife Crime Report, highlighting how poaching and illegal trade of thousands of different species across globe present real environmental dangers.
- United Nations launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak.
- World Health Organisation released World Health Statistics 2016 - Monitoring Health for the SDGs. Global life expectancy for children born in 2015 was 71.4 years (73.8 years for females and 69.1 years for males), while in India it was 68.3 (66.9 for males and 69.9 for females). Highlights of World Health Statistics 2016 -
- With average lifespan of 86.8 years, women in Japan live longest while Switzerland's men have longest average 81.3 years lifespan.
- People in Sierra Leone have world’s lowest life-expectancy for both - 50.8 years for women and 49.3 years for men.
- Globally, life expectancy increased by 5 years between 2000 and 2015, the fastest increase since the 1960s.
- Increase was greatest in the African Region of WHO where life expectancy increased by 9.4 years to 60 years.
- Healthy life expectancy, a measure of the number of years of good health that a newborn in 2015 can expect, stands at 63.1 years globally (64.6 years for females and 61.5 years for males)
- Every year -
- 303000 women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth
- 5.9 million children die before their fifth birthday
- 2 million people are newly infected with HIV, and there are 9.6 million new TB cases and 214 million malaria cases
- 800000 people commit suicide, 1.25 million from road traffic injuries, 4.3 million due to air pollution by cooking fuels, 3 million due to outdoor pollution and 475 000 people are murdered.
- Zimbabwe (Country in South Africa) decided to put some of its wild animals for sale, in view of severe drought and worsening finances.
- Zimbabwe will print its own version of US dollars i.e. bond notes in order to ease cash shortage. Specially-designed $2, $5, $10 and $20 bond notes will have same value as their US dollar equivalents.
Meetings
- 2016 Women Economic Forum (WEF) hosted by New Delhi (India) under theme Women: Uplifting and Uniting the World.
- 42nd G7 summit held in Ise-Shima (Japan). G7 Consits of Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, USA.
- 49th Annual Meeting of Board of Governors’ of Asian Development Bank (ADB) held in Frankfurt (Germany), attended by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on India's Behalf.
- Annual Master General of Ordnance (MGO) Industry Cooperation Meet (AMICOM-2016) held in Delhi with themeIndigenisation. AMICOM Series is an initiative of Indian Army to engage with indigenous defence industry.
- First World Conference on Tourism for Development (WCTD) held in Beijing (China) with theme Tourism for Peace and Development.
- First-ever World Humanitarian Summit since World War II, held in Istanbul (Turkey).
- Fourth South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) Ministerial Meeting held in New Delhi.
- International Buddhist conference held in Lumbini (Nepal) with theme Lumbini, Nepal: the birth place of Lord Buddha and the fountain of Buddhism and world peace.
- National Meet on Mining Sector held in Jaipur (Rajasthan).
- Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh organized 3-day International Vichaar Mahakumbh conference at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh.
- Rwanda hosted 26th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF) in its capital Kigali. Theme is - Connecting Africa's Resources through Digital Transformation.
- University Grants Commission (UGC) brought out new norms for deemed universities. An institution will be eligible to become a deemed university if -
- It has undergraduate and 5 post-graduate programmes with research in existence for 3 years.
- A deemed university should have a min 40 % open space of total built up area.
- Institution must have either highest NAAC or NBA accreditation rating for three cycles consecutively or an ‘A’ grade at the time of application and a position among top 20 institutions under the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF).
- Deemed universities will be able to open off-campus centres only after five years of their existence.
- World Bank Group launched Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility and launched a $500 million fund to fight Pandemics in poor countries and creating the world's first insurance market for pandemic risk. FEP is a financing mechanism designed to quickly mobilize funds to tackle global disease outbreaks and create a new insurance market for pandemic risk. It was unveiled at G-7 Finance Ministers Summit in Ise-Shima (Japan).
National
- All four Southern languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia are now Included in classical languages of India, Earlier, Sanskrit alone had this status.
- 11th Habitat Film Festival 2016 Held in New Delhi with showcasing some of best films of 2015-2016.
- 51 Enclaves (Approx 7000 acres) in Coochbehar district of West Bengal voted for the first time since independence. They came into India in 2015 after an agreement signed between India and Bangaldesh in 1974 was bought into force on 31-07-2015.
- According to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, first bullet train will run in India in 2023. It will connect Mumbai and Ahmedabad and is expected to cover 508 km in 2 hours, running at maximum speed of 350 kmph.
- All India Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) under leadership of Mamata Banerjee won 2016 West Bengal Assembly Elections by winning 211 / 295 seats.
- Andhra Pradesh Government launched Chandranna Bima Yojana as an insurance scheme for working class people in State. Under this, Rs. 5 lakh would be paid if insured worker met with an accidental death or permanent disability and 3 lakh for partial disability.
- Andhra Pradesh will become first Indian State to make all of its urban areas Open Defecation Free by October 2016.
- BJP formed NEDA (North East Democratic Alliance) to boost development agenda in North-Eastern states.
- Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited got 1,600 crores order from joint venture company of National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) to set up a coal based thermal power project in Odisha.
- Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) commissioned a 600 MW coal-based thermal power plant in at Jhabua Thermal Power Project (TPP) in Seoni (Madhya Pradesh).
- Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its alliance partners won majority in 2016 Assam state assembly election by winning 87 / 126 seats. BJP won 60 seats. Sarbananda Sonowal will be next chief minister of Assam.
- Bihar Government announced ban on sale, distribution, storage, manufacture, consumption and publicity of tobacco products like gutka and pan masala.
- Bihar government MDM scheme, UNICEF and Bihar based Rajendra Agriculture University signed agreement to curb malnourishment among women and children in the state.
- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved offering an improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) package based on 2007 notional pay scales for employees of Hindustan Vegetable Oils Corporation (HVOC). It will bring relief to employees of HVOC. that were suffering due to financial sickness of the company.
- Chief Executive Office of Apple Inc., Tim Cook Visited India.
- Apple opened a new Development Office in Hyderabad, Telangana.The facility will focus on development of Maps for Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. This investment will accelerate Maps development and create up to 4000 jobs.
- Coalition of Left Democratic Front (LDF) won 2016 Kerala Assembly Elections by winning 91 / 140 seats . Communist Party of India (Marxist) became largest party by winning 58 seats. Pinarayi Vijayan will be next chief minister of Kerala.
- Cyclonic storm ROANU over west central Bay of Bengal Hits Indian Coastal states of Odisha, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
- Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal released draft of State of Delhi Bill 2016 that seeks to establish State of Delhi as 30th State in country.
- Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) conducted trial run of country’s first ever driverless Metro train. Driverless trains will run on over 58 km-long Majlish Park-Shiv Vihar (Line 7) and over 38 km-long Janakpuri (West)- Botanical Garden (Line 8) corridors of Phase-III.
- Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities will now be known as 'Divyangjan' Sashaktikaran Vibhag in Hindi and dropped word 'viklangjan'.
- For effective waste management in an eco-friendly manner, Sikkim government banned disposable foam food containers like cups, plates, spoons, containers, etc., and has restricted the use of mineral water bottles in government programmes all over the state.
- Google launched Free Public Wi-Fi Service at 5 Indian Railway Stations (Ujjain, Jaipur, Patna, Guwahati and Allahabad) as part of RailWire initiative of RailTel Corporation .
- Government approved National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy 2016 to promote IP regime and to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship with theme - Creative India; Innovative India. The Policy lays down seven objectives - IPR Awareness, Generation of IPRs, Advertisement Legal and Legislative Framework, Administration and Management, Commercialization of IPRs, Enforcement and Adjudication and Human Capital Development.
- Government approved Odisha Government's proposal to set up Kalinganagar National Investment and Manufacturing Zone in Jajpur district with cost approx 4200 crores. This is third Investment and Manufacturing Zone of India involving a massive area of 163 sqr km.
- Government approved establishment of National Institute of Technology (NIT) Andhra Pradesh. It was on August 20, 2015 registered as a Society in the state under Andhra Pradesh Societies Registration Act, 2001.
- Government approved status of Central University for Rajendra Agriculture University, PUSA, Samastipur (Bihar).
- Government approved to amend Institutes of Technology (IIT) Act, 1961 for incorporation of 6 new IITs - Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Palakkad (Kerala), Dharwar (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), Goa, Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir).
- Government approved undertaking cadre review of Indian Postal Service for enabling Department of Posts to meet the functional requirements and strengthening cadre structure.
- Government launched 9 projects initiatives for rural sanitation initiatives for conservation of river Ganga in Jharkhand. Under this, villages located on 83 Km. stretch of Ganga River in Jharkhand will be covered to improve the health and quality of life.
- Government launched affordable Faecal Incontinence Management System (FIMS) Qora.
- Fecal incontinence (FI) is a medical condition marked by inability to control one’s bowel (Intestine) movements.
- It causes feces (stool) to leak unexpectedly from the rectum.
- Government launched named MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) initiative for up gradation of tourism sector in India.
- Government modified list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Puducherry -
Sl.No.
State / Union Territory
Inclusion / Exclusion / Rectification / Identification
Community
1.
Assam
Inclusion
Boro, Boro Kachari, Bodo, Bodo Kachari, Karbi (Mikir)
2.
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Inclusion
Rectification of Hindi Version of the Notification
iii) Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, Bhuyan
iv) Dhanuhar / Dhanuwar
v) Kisan
vi) Saunra, Saonra
vii) Dhangad
3.
Jharkhand
Inclusion
viii) Bhogta, Deshwari, Ganjhu, Dautalbandi (Dwalbandi), Patbandi, Raut, Maajhia, Khairi (Kheri)
ix) Puran
4.
Tamil Nadu
Inclusion
x) Malayali Gounder
xi) Narikoravan,
Kurivikkaran
5.
Tripura
Inclusion
xii) Darlong
6.
Puducherry
Identification (First Order)
xiii) Irular (including Villi and Vettaikaran)
- Gujarat Government has accorded minority status to Jain community in state.
- Gujarat Government launched Smart Village program to improve public facilities in villages. Under this, 300 villages will be selected for Smart Village program.
- Gujrat government launched 2 state-wide campaigns - Bal Amritam and Mission Shakti , against malnutrition. As part of these campaigns, iron-rich supplementary food would be provided to children and women.
- HRD Minister Smriti Zubin Irani launched multilingual knowledge portal www.bharatvani.in as largest online repository of dictionaries in India. It has been launched in 22 scheduled languages, which eventually will be extended to 100 more languages and will help showcase the Indian culture and heritage to the world.
- Harish Rawat led Congress Government won floor test in Uttarakhand legislative assembly. Mr Rawat will now assume as Chief Minister after President’s rule revoked in state recently.
- Himachal Pradesh Government has launched ‘PEHAL’, a vision document of the Shimla District administration for raising education standards.
- Himachal Pradesh fisheries department started an artificial propagation programme for conservation of Golden Mahseer fish.
- India will to develop regional connectivity projects worth $5 billion in South Asia, including road corridors connecting India with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan through West Bengal and India-Myanmar through Manipur.
- Indian Pharmaceutical Firm Strides Shasun received tentative approval from U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for Efavirenz HIV tablets USP, 600 mg. Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) that is used as part of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) for treatment of a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type 1.
- Indian Railways conducted first ever trial run for high-speed Talgo trains of Spain on Bareilly-to-Moradabad stretch in Uttar Pradesh with speeds averaging 80-115 kmph. Talgo consumes 30% less energy and can run on curves without decelerating. It can complete journey between Delhi and Mumbai in about 12 hours against present 17 hours.
- Infosys Foundation signed pact with Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune to support students from economically weaker section to pursue ‘high quality’ education.
- Jammu and Kashmir government signed MoU with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi for setting up an IIT in Jammu.
- Kalraj Mishra, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) inaugurated Harmukh Khadi Gram Udyog Sansthan in Srinagar (Jammu & Kashmir).
- Karnataka Government decided to establish Asia's first Rice Technology Park at Gangavati in Koppal district. A Maize Technology Park will be established at Ranebennur in Haveri district.
- Lakshadweep became first Union Territory (UT) to sign 24x7 Power for All document, that states a plan to increase solar capacity of the region from 2.15 MW to 8.45 MW. As part of energy efficiency measures, 1 lakh LED bulbs will be distributed by UT administration through Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and Incandescent lamps/CFL bulbs will be replaced with LED bulbs under UJALA programme.
- Madhya Pradesh government will launch Nagaroday Abhiyan, under Gramoday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan in July-August 2016, with focus on welfare of people of urban localities.
- May 21 - Nationsl Anti-Terrorism Day. It Marks death anniversary of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was assassinated at an election rally near Chennai by a suicide bomber from LTTE on 21 May 1991.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Ministry of Railways and Forest Department of Haryana & Punjab for plantation of trees alongside Railway Track on Railway Land Boundary.
- Military tourism initiative Veer Yatra has been launched by Maharashtra Ex-servicemen's Corporation (MESCO) in Pune (Maharashtra) to strengthen bond between military establishment and civilians.
- Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda launched Centre for Environmental Health in New Delhi to assess impact of environment-related problems on health.
- Minister of Railways launched an application - Project Management & Information System (PMIS) for proper Monitoring of all Railway projects throughout country.
- Ministry of Environment and Forests launched a web-based application on Integrated Waste Management System (www.iwms.nic.in), for better management of waste.
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries organized national conference on ‘Gaushalas’ (cowsheds) in New Delhi.
- Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched ASMITA (All School Monitoring Individual Tracing Analysis )under Shala Asmita Yojana (SAY).
- SAY aims to track educational journey of school students from Class I to Class XII across 15 lakhs schools in country.
- ASMITA will be an online database with information of student attendance and enrolment, learning outcomes, mid-day meal service and infrastructural facilities.
- Ministry of Power and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched India’s first integrated web portal (www.nzeb.in) designed to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in India. Portal provides complete information about Net Zero Energy Buildings (those that generate as much energy as they use).
- Ministry of Urban Development shortlisted 13 cities in list of 2nd batch of Smart Cities Mission, topped by Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. 13 shortlisted smart cities (Rank wise) are
- Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
- Warangal (Telanagana).
- Dharmashala (Himachal Pradesh).
- Chandigarh (UT of Chandigarh).
- Raipur (Chattisgarh).
- New Town Kolkata (West Bengal).
- Bhagalpur (Bihar).
- Panaji (Goa).
- Port Blair (UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
- Imphal (Manipur).
- Ranchi (Jharkhand).
- Agartala (Tripura).
- Faridabad (Haryana).
- MoU signed between Ministry of Textiles and NDTV Ethnic Retail Ltd. for popularizing India Handloom textiles as a fashionable product for youth.
- NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog decided to come up with a 15-year vision document in relation with global trends and economic growth. It will replace five-year plans continued since 1951.
- First 15-year vision document will come into effect from 2017-18 after end of 12th Five year plan.
- It will be formulated with central objective of eradication poverty.
- It will come along with a seven-year National Development Agenda which will lay down the programmes schemes, and strategies to achieve the long-term vision.
- NTPC signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with Coal India to revive plants of Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL).
- National Academy For Training & Research In Social Security (NATRSS) has been renamed as Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya National Academy of Social Security (PDUNASS).
- National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned over 10 years old diesel vehicles in six cities of Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kollam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.
- National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixed ceiling price of 54 drug formulations used for treatment of cancer, bacterial infections, diabetes and hypertension.
- Odisha Government launched Green Passage scheme for orphan students to ensure that they get free of cost higher education in the state.
- Odisha Government promulgated Odisha Official Language (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 to ensure use of Odia in all government systems.
- PM Narendra Modi has launched India's first solar powered e-boats at Assi Ghat in river Ganga, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
- Postal department of India went high tech by geo tagging 1.5 Lakh post offices on Bhuvan Portal (ISRO) and monitoring timely clearance of letter boxes through a mobile app.
- President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Intelligent Operations Centre (IOC) desiged by IBM in Rashtrapati Bhavan and a mobile application Monitor.
- Railways launched Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit several Pilgrims.
- Railways renamed Bengaluru city station after Karnataka's 19th century revolutionary freedom fighter and warrior Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna.
- Railways signed MOU with PEC University of Technology for setting up Kalpana Chawla Chair on Geospatial Technology for Indian Railways at PEC University, Chandigarh.
- Rajasthan became first Indian state to issue newspaper advertisements for the post of Vice Chancellor (VC) of government universities.
- Rajasthan's Bundi is stepping into virtual world with an 'e-municipal council' to make all informative rsources digitally accessible.
- Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari launched 20 Nirbhaya buses of Rajasthan State Transport Corporation with multiple safety measures to better protect women passengers. These include Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), CCTV and panic buttons on every seat.
- Road, ransport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari launched ePACE, INFRACON and an updated INAMPRO IT initiatives, developed by National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
- ePACE(Projects Appraisal & Continuing Enhancements) - integrated Management Information System that brings projects from all wings of Ministry under a common platform, ensuring their effective and real time tracking.
- INFRACON is the National Portal for Infrastructure Consultancy Firms and Key Personnel.
- INAM PRO has been developed as a web-based application (www.inampro.nic.in) for Infrastructure and Material Providers.
- Routes 2 Roots, Delhi-based Non-profit organization (NGO) has been awarded Inter-cultural Innovation Award 2016 by United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) in Azerbaijan. The award was bestowed upon NGO for their unique Student Exchange Program, which allowed children in schools from India and Pakistan to connect with each other.
- Single emergency number, 112 will be operational throughout India from January 1, 2017 to help people reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire department.
- Tata Power Renewable Energy will develop 2 solar-grid connected photovoltaic projects of 50 mw capacity each in Pavagada Solar Park in Tumkur district of Karnataka.
- Telangana government signed MoU with US-based healthcare tech firm Eclat Health Solutions. Eclat will invest USD 15 million in state to provide 1000 jobs.
- Telangana state Government entered Limca Book of Records for its Intensive Household Survey conducted in August 2014, that compiled all kinds of information about each household in state with an aim to prepare a data-bank for its social welfare and development programmes.
- Tripura ranked first in overall performance in Implementation of MGNREGA. Testing was done on basis of 3 indicators - efficiency in providing guaranteed 100 days of employment, regular wage payment, work completion rate.
- Uttar Pradesh Government will develop over 197 km long bicycle highway from Agra up to the lion safari in Etawah to encourage eco-tourism in vicinity of Taj Mahal.
Persons
- 102 years old, world's oldest Olympic champion Sandor Tarics passed away. He was member of Hungarian Waterpolo team that won in Berlin Olympics staged by Nazi government in 1936.
- Australian entrepreneur Craig Wright publicly identified himself as creator of virtual currency Bitcoin. He claimed that he is real person behind pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, creator of Bitcoin which was launched in 2009. Satoshi Nakamoto’s online cash system work in 2009 was the key for creation of online cash system, but he remained anonymous since then.
- Britain granted political refugee status to ousted former President of Maldives Mohamed Nasheed.
- Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Myanmar for India-Myanmar Business Conclave at Yangon.
- Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Bahrain.
- Deepak Shodhan, India's oldest Test cricketer and 2nd Indian to score a memorable test century in his debut innings, has passed away.
- Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar visited Oman.
- Foreign Secretary of India, S Jaishankar visited Bangladesh.
- French astrophysicist Andre Brahic, knwon for discovery of Neptune's rings, Passed away.
- H.E. Maithripala Sirisena, President of Sri Lanka visited India. PM Narendra Modi along with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena released ‘Simhastha Declaration’ at Ninora village in Ujjain.
- HASE Hiroshi, Japan's Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology visited India.
- Han Zheng, Party Secretary of Shanghai and Member of Politburo of Communist Party of China Visited India.
- Indian Har Parkash Rishi made Guinness World Record for fitting nearly 500 straws and over 50 burning candles in his mouth. He already holds world record for having maximum number of flags (366) tattooed on his body.
- Mikhail Myasnikovich, Chairman of Council of Republic of National Assembly of Belarus Visited India.
- Noted US actor William Schallert passed away.
- Noted Gujarati singer Diwaliben Bhil passed away.
- Noted Kannada writer D Javare Gowda passed away.
- Noted Marathi litterateur R G Jadhav passed away.
- Noted actor Suresh Chatwal passed away.
- Shashank Manohar resigned as President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
- Sweden's Minister for Justice & Migration, Morgan Johansson visited India.
- Tony Cozier, legendary West Indies commentator passed away.
- US-based Nepali Lhakpa Sherpa climbed Mount Everest for seventh time, breaking her own record for the most summits of the world’s highest mountain by any woman.
Science
- A joint US-Australian military research team successfully tested a hypersonic technology in Australian desert. During the test, scramjet attached to a rocket booster was successfully sent to an altitude of 278 km at Mach 7.5 (seven times speed of sound).
- Hypersonic flight involves travelling at more than 5 times the speed of sound (Mach 5). For this, scientists are working in Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) programme.
- Scramjet is a supersonic combustion engine that uses oxygen from the atmosphere for fuel. It is lighter and faster than fuel-carrying rockets and is suitable for flying at hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) speed. Scramjet engines do not have moving parts, It has rotating compressor and turbine in a jet engine.
- Scramjet technology can revolutionise global air travel and also provide cost-effective access to space.
- After successful test of Reusable launch Vehicle- Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will test an Air-breathing Propulsion System, aimed to capitalize on oxygen in atmosphere instead of liquefied oxygen while in flight. These activities are part of ISRO's efforts to to bring down cost of launch vehicles.
- Astronomers discovered 3 planets with similar size and temperatures as those of Venus and Earth, using TRAPPIST telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory. They ar orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star at approx 40 light-years from Earth.
- Australian researchers at University of Newcastle built world’s first scanning helium microscope (SHeM). It would enable scientists to study human, animal and plant samples, as well as pharmaceutical drugs and computer chips in their true state.
- China will launch world's first quantum communication satellite in July 2016, to improve security of data transmission. It will use quantum photons, which cannot be separated or duplicated, making communication immune to wiretapping or interceptions.
- Government announced that currently 34 Indian satellites are operational in space. These satellites are
- 13 Communication Satellites: INSAT-3A, INSAT-3C, INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR, GSAT-6, GSAT-7, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-12, GSAT-14, GSAT-15 and GSAT-16.
- 12 Earth Observation Satellites - Resourcesat-2, RISAT-1, RISAT-2, Cartosat-1, Cartosat-2, Cartosat-2A, Cartosat-2B, Oceansat-2, SARAL, Kalpana-1, Megha-Tropiques and INSAT-3D.
- 7 Navigational Satellites - IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G.
- 2 Space science Satellites: Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and Astrosat
- Group of researchers from University of Cambridge built world’s smallest (nanoscale) working engine, led by Jeremy Baumberg from Cavendish Laboratory. They named it ANTs (Actuating Nano-Transducers). This Nanoscale engine is just a few billionths of a metre in size and uses light to power itself.
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) is putting studying rain formation in clouds through a research program called Cloud Aerosol Interaction and Precipitation Enhancement Experiment (CAIPEEX). Under this experiment, air borne observations are taken through randomized cloud seeding and the impact is recorded.
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) established Nozzle Testing Laboratories (NTL) at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram (Andhra Pradesh) to carry out advanced R&D esearch in area of rocket nozzle.
- Indian Space Research Organization successfully tested a Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator at Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). With this, India moved a step close to developing a space vehicle that can fly numerous times into space.
- NASA's unmanned Kepler space observatory discovered largest trove (group) of exoplanets outside our solar system. Of the new trove of 1,284 exoplanets, nearly 550 are said to be rocky planets like Earth.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully deployed first experimental inflatable room attached to International Space Station (ISS). Experimental inflatable room is dubbed as BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module), built by Nevada Company Bigelow Aerospace.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully launched a super pressure balloon to conduct near-space scientific investigations, from South Island Wanaka Airport (New Zealand). The balloon is 532,000 cubic metres and aims to remain airborne for more than 100 days.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled first global digital elevation (topographic model) of Mercury, made by 10000 images captured by NASA’s MESSENGER ((MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) mission.
- Scientists at University of Montreal (Canada) developed world’s Smallest (Nano) Thermometer using DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) structures that can resize at specifically defined temperature functions. World’s smallest thermometer is 20,000 times smaller than a human hair and is fully programmable.
- Scientists from Queen’s University (Canada) developed world’s first holographic flexible smartphone named HoloFlex, that lets users to interact with 3D Media without using any headgear or glasses. HoloFlex features a high-definition Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) touch-screen display.
- Scientists from Trinity College Dublin’s School of Physics and CRANN Institute discovered a new property of light based on Angular Momentum, opening up ways to alter basic understanding of fundamental nature of light.
- Unexpected new property of light was seen based on concept called ‘angular momentum’, during passing of light through crystals.
- Earlier, physicists thought that in all forms of light, angular momentum (measures how much a beam of light is rotating) is multiple of Planck’s constant (physical constant that sets the scale of quantum effects). But now scientists found angular momentum of each photon (a particle of visible light) takes only half of this value.
- This new property causes a beam of light to be confined to fewer than three dimensions.
- Significance - Help in study of light waves in areas such as secure optical communication which will open up new means for faster internet connections.
- Scientists from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) developed world's first genetically engineered clone of Zika virus strain. They dubbed it as infectious complementary DNA (cDNA) clone.
- Scientists have detected atomic oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars for the first time. It was detected using an instrument onboard the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
- United Kingdom’s first baby named Biagio Russo was born in Oxford using Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) method. This method uses a revolutionary In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technique resulting in better selection of embryos to transfer during the treatment.
- World's first robot lawyer ROSS has been employed by a US law firm BakerHostetler. It will assist the law firm in legal research.
Sports
- 3-member Indian women's archery team comprising Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi and Laxmirani Majhi named for Rio Olympics after several selection trials.
- 6th Senior Men’s National Hockey championship 2016 won by Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) by defeating Hockey Punjab.
- Ashok Kumar became ecomes first Indian Kabaddi Refree to officiate in 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
- BCCI nominated Virat Kohli for prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award 2016 and Ajinkya Rahane for Arjuna Award.
- Charlotte Edwards, England’s women cricket team captain announced her retirement.
- China won Uber Cup badminton championship by defeating India in China. It was china's 14th Uber cup title.
- Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar has been made India’s goodwill ambassador for the 2016 Rio Olympics, along with Actor Salman Khan and Olympic shooting champion Abhinav Bindra.
- Discus thrower Seema Punia qualified for Rio Olympics with a 62.62m throw at Pat Young’s Throwers Classic 2016 at Salinas in USA. She crossed 61 Metre Olympics qualification standard.
- England Cricket Awards 2016 -
- Joe Root won 3 awards - Test Player of the Year, Limited Overs Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year.
- Anya Shrubsole - women's cricketer of the year
- Callum Flynn - best cricketer with a disability.
- David Lloyd - special achievement award, for his 50-year stint as a player, umpire, commentator and coach.
- England cricketer Alastair Cook became youngest Cricketer to score 10000 test runs. He achieved this at age of 31 years, during test match against Sri Lanka.
- FC Barcelona were crowned La Liga champions for second straight time and 24th time overall, after they defeated FC Granada.
- Former South African cricketer Mickey Arthur is appointed as Pakistan cricket team’s head coach.
- Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry named as NBA (National Basketball Association)'s Most Valuable Player for second straight year.
- Government will launch Mission 11 Million to engage more than 11 million children in activities relating to Football in October, 2016. Note that FIFA U-17 Football world cup will be held in India.
- ISSF (International Shooting Sport Federation) Junior World Cup held in Suhl (Germany).
- India Finished 4th in Commonwealth Judo Championship 2016 in Port Elizabeth (South Africa) with 12 Medals (5 Gold). South Africa stayed at top with 266 Medals (65 Gold).
- India's Biliards player Pankaj Advani won Asian 6-Red Snooker title in Abu Dhabi. He became first in world to hold both world and continental titles in 6-red snooker at same time.
- Indian 4x100m women’s relay team broke 18-year-old national record to finish 4th at IAAF World Challenge in Beijing (China). Team included Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda, HM Jyoti and Merlin Joseph clocked 44.03 seconds to finish race.
- Indian Boxer Vijender Singh recorded his 5th consecutive victory in Professional Boxing after defeating Matiouze Royer (France).
- Indian boxer Sonia Lather won silver medal at AIBA Women's World Championships in Astana (Kazakhstan). She was defeated by Mesiano Alessia.
- Indian boxers won 4 medals at 7th Asian Youth Championships in Kazakhstan.
- Indian para athlete and Arjuna Awardee Amit Kumar Saroha from Haryana won gold medal in men’s club throw (F-51) at 2016 French Open Athletics Championship in Paris. He broke Asian record with a throw 26.58m.
- International Cricket Council (ICC) lifted provisional suspension imposed on Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batsman Kusal Perera.
- Italian Open Tennis 2016 -
- Men's Singles - Andy Murray (Britain) defeated Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
- Women’s Singles - Serena Williams (USA) defeated Madison Keys (USA).
- Women’s Doubles - Sania Mirza (India) and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis. defeated Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
- Men’s doubles - Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (USA) defeated pair of Vasek Pospisil (Canada) and Jack Sock (United States).
- Leicester City named champions of English Premier League 2015-16 season. They were crowned after nearest challenger Tottenham Hotspur FC had 2-2 draw with Chelsea FC. The draw placed Tottenham at second position and was not able to surpass Leicester City FC’s seven point lead at top of table.
- Leicester City's Jamie Vardy named 2015-16 Footballer of Year by Football Writers Association (FWA).
- Malaysia won women's Asian Team squash Championships in Chinese Taipei, by defeating India.
- Mark Selby from England won 2016 World Championship title of Snooker by defeating China's Ding Junhui.
- Mercedes F1 driver Lewis Hamilton from Britain won 2016 Monaco Grand Prix.
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
-
Grand Prix Date Winner Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany) Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany) Spain 15 May Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Monaco 29 May Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Canada 12 June Europe 19 June Austria 3 July Britain 10 July Hungary 24 July Germany 31 July Belgium 28 August Italy 4 September Singapore 18 September Malaysia 2 October Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Mohun Bagan FC won 2016 Indian Federation Cup football tournament title for 14th time, defeating Aizawl FC.
- Music composer AR Rahman has been made Goodwill Ambassador for Rio Olympics. Rahman is India's fourth Goodwill Ambassador after Bollywood actor Salman Khan, Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
- Mutua Madrid Open Tennis title -
- Men's Singles - Novac Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Andy Murray (Britain)
- Women’s Singles - Simona Halep (Romania) defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
- Nico Rosberg (Germany) won 2016 Formula One Russian Grand Prix 2016.
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
-
Grand Prix Date Winner Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany) Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany) Spain 15 May Monaco 29 May Canada 12 June Europe 19 June Austria 3 July Britain 10 July Hungary 24 July Germany 31 July Belgium 28 August Italy 4 September Singapore 18 September Malaysia 2 October Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Noted Tennis Player Roger Federer withdrawn from 2016 French Open due to back injury.
- Nour El Sherbini (Egypt, age - 20) became youngest ever Women's squash World champion by defeating Laura Massaro of England.
- Pakistan won 3rd edition of Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) by defeating India.
- Real Madrid FC won 2016 UEFA Champions League for record 11th time by defeating Atletico Madrid FC by 5-3 goals.
- Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen (18 years age) from Netherlands became Formula One’s youngest winner, after he won 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
-
Grand Prix Date Winner Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany) Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany) Spain 15 May Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Monaco 29 May Canada 12 June Europe 19 June Austria 3 July Britain 10 July Hungary 24 July Germany 31 July Belgium 28 August Italy 4 September Singapore 18 September Malaysia 2 October Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Rio Olympics qualified sprinter Sudha Singh set a new national record in 3,000-meter steeplechase category by clocking 9 minutes and 26.55 seconds in IAAF Diamond League race in Shanghai.
- Rwandan cricket captain Eric Dusingizimana has set a new Guinness world record by batting out a straight 51 hours as longest individual net session. He beat record set last year by India's Virag Mane (50 hours).
- Sanjay Bangar appointed as India's head cricket coach for team's tour to Zimbabwe.
- Seven Indian shuttlers (Badminton players) earned qualification for forthcoming Rio Olympics in August 2016 in Brazil. They are - Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, K. Srikanth, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy.
- Sevilla named champions of UEFA Europa League for third straight year after they defeated Liverpool.
- Sunrisers Hyderabad defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to win its First IPL (Indian Premier League) title.
- As per report, India’s model of putting a red line on antibiotic packages to curb their over-the-counter sale can be used globally to counter rising threat of superbugs.
- AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan, and L Nageshwar Rao.
- With this, judicial strength of Supreme Court moved up to 28. Max being 31 (30 Justices + 1 Cheif Justice of India).
- Lifetime Achievement - Dilip Vengsarkar
- International Cricketer - Joe Root (England)
- International Batsman - Joe Root (England)
- International Bowler - Ravichandran Ashwin
- Test Cricketer - Kane Williamson (NZ)
- ODI Cricketer - Martin Guptill (NZ)
- T20 Player - Virat Kohli
- Indian Cricketer - Rohit Sharma
- Young Player - Rishabh Pant
- Special Award – Ajinkya Rahane
- Reliance Industry - top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years.
- Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) - Gold Award in IT services.
- State Bank of India (SBI) - Gold award among supporting institutions.
- First of five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.
- First indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore and successful test of Trishul missile held on the same day.
http://www.gktoday.in/gk-current-affairs-may-4-2016/- Plain packaging of tobacco products prohibits or restricts the use of logos, brand images, colours and promotional information on packaging other than brand and product names displayed in a standard colour and font style. It reduces the attractiveness of tobacco products.
- 26th May - Swachchta Diwas
- 27th May - Satkar Diwas
- 28th May - Sewa Diwas
- 29th May - Satarkata Diwas
- 30th May - Saamanjasya Diwas
- 31st May - Sanyojan Diwas
- 1st June - Sanchaar Diwas
- The e-MMS project is one of largest Maintenance Repair Overhaul (MRO) IT implementation in world.
- It has been developed by Wipro, for which contract was signed in 2013. e-MMS will help IAF to get rid of paper works and heavy logbooks.
- First Quarter (April 2015 - June 2015) - 7.5 %
- Second Quarter (July 2015 - September 2015) - 7.6 %
- Third Quarter (October 2015 - December 2015) - 7.2 %
- Fourth Quarter (Jan 2015 - March 2016) - 7.9 %
- Policy Objectives
- Increase production of capital goods from 2,30,000 crore rupees in 2014-15 to 7,50,000 crore rupees in 2025.
- Raise employment from current 84 lakh to 3 crore.
- Increase exports from 27% to 40% of production.
- Increase share of domestic production in India’s demand from 60% to 80%.
- Aim of Policy
- Facilitate improvement in technology depth across sub-sectors
- Ensure mandatory standards
- Increase skill availability and promote growth
- Capacity building of MSMEs.
- Policy Objectives
- Fee to be reimbursed by the MSME Ministry will constitute 75 % of the fee charged by the rating agency subject to a ceiling of
- 15000 - For turnover up to 50 lakh rupees
- 30000 - For turnover between 50 lakh and 2 cr
- 40000 - For turnover above 2 cr
- Fee to be reimbursed by the MSME Ministry will constitute 75 % of the fee charged by the rating agency subject to a ceiling of
- Under PMUY, each of the beneficiaries will receive monetary support of about 1,600 rupees to get a connection of cooking gas. It includes administrative cost, pressure regulator booklet and safety hose.
- Declared income would be taxed at rate of 30 % plus ‘Krishi Kalyan’ cess of 25 % on taxes payable and a penalty at rate of 25 % of taxes payable. Thus, total tax to be paid will be 45% of income declared.
- Declarations can be filed online or with the Principal Commissioners of Income-tax. The surcharge and penalty must be paid by 30th November, 2016.
- Peer to Peer lending is a form of crowd -funding which can be defined as the use of an online platform that matches lenders with borrowers in order to provide unsecured loans.
- P-Notes are instruments issued by registered foreign institutional investors to overseas investors, who wish to invest in Indian markets without registering themselves directly in India to save time.
- Wah - expression of delight or surprise.
- Shiok - cool / great / delicious / superb.
- Yum cha - a type of Chinese brunch.
- Wet market - a market selling fresh meat and produce.
- Blur - confused / ignorant.
- Sabo - to harm or play a prank on.
- Sandwich class - informal term used to refer to middle class
- Milk tea - drink made from black tea and milk
- Shroff - a cashier, especially at a car park
- Diameter is 8.5 Metres, 2300 Metre Depth and it has been built by cost of 12.27 Billion USD (80000 Crore Approx).
- About India - India's Longest rail tunnel is Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir with Length of 11.215 KM.
- India is 137th out of 210 countries on electrification with 78.7% of its population having access to electricity.
- There are 87 countries with 100% access to electricity, 40 countries with 90-99%, and 6 countries with 80-89%.
- Urban areas contributing 60% of the GDP and an extra 30 crore urban residents are projected by 2050. Government of India will need to build 100 new cities with low infrastructure, denser and low energy to tackle needs of such population growth.
- Top 10 Polluted Cities - Iran’s Zabol (217), India’s Gwalior (176) and Allahabad (170), Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh (156) and Al Jubail (152), India’s Patna (149) and Raipur (144), Cameroon’s Bamenda (132), China’d Xingtai (128) and Baoding (126).
- India is ranked ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 % of gross domestic product (GDP). In India, non-crony sector wealth is 8.3 % of GDP.
- Top countries in the list: Russia (1st), Malaysia (2nd), Philippines (3rd) and Singapore (4th). Top ranking in the list indicates countries are engaged more in crony capitalism.
- Crony capitalism is a term describing an economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials.
- India’s growth rate will be at 7.5 % in 2016-17.
- Growth in Asia and the Pacific is expected to be 5.3 % in 2016-2017
- China's growth is forecast to moderate from 6.9 % in 2015, to 6.5 % in 2016 and 6.2 % in 2017.
- Japan's growth will be 0.5 % in 2016 and -0.1 % in 2017.
- India, Iran and Afghanistan signed three-way land transit agreement on Iran’s strategic southern port of Chabahar.
- National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO) signed MoU with Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization (IMIDRO), to explore possibility of setting up smelter- cum-gas based power plant on joint venture in Iran for proposed smelter plant in Chabahar Free Trade Zone. NALCO will supply alumina from its refinery in India.
- MoU between EXIM Bank and Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO).
- Confirmation Statement between EXIM Bank and Central Bank of Iran (CBI).
- IRCON and CDTIC - to enable IRCON to provide requisite services for the construction of Chabahar-Zahedan railway line.
- MoU on India-Iran Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP).
- MoU on Policy Dialogue between Governments and Interaction between Think Tanks.
- MoU between Foreign Service Institute, MEA and School of International Relations, Iran’s MoFA.
- Implementation Protocol on Cooperation in Science and Technology.
- As per study, 114 World Heritage sites out of 229 in 96 countries have oil, gas or mining concessions overlapping them or are under threat from at least one harmful industrial activity.
- Genesis of‘social fridge’ or ‘solidarity fridge’ is in recent economic crisis of Europe during which countries like Spain and Germany saw the mushrooming of such fridges. It is called so because people leave food in outdoor "social fridges" for those who need it.
- As per report, India is at top with nearly 4 crore Indians will be at risk from rising sea levels by 2050 as worst impacts of climate change are projected to occur in the Pacific and South and South-East Asia.
- With average lifespan of 86.8 years, women in Japan live longest while Switzerland's men have longest average 81.3 years lifespan.
- People in Sierra Leone have world’s lowest life-expectancy for both - 50.8 years for women and 49.3 years for men.
- Globally, life expectancy increased by 5 years between 2000 and 2015, the fastest increase since the 1960s.
- Increase was greatest in the African Region of WHO where life expectancy increased by 9.4 years to 60 years.
- Healthy life expectancy, a measure of the number of years of good health that a newborn in 2015 can expect, stands at 63.1 years globally (64.6 years for females and 61.5 years for males)
- Every year -
- 303000 women die due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth
- 5.9 million children die before their fifth birthday
- 2 million people are newly infected with HIV, and there are 9.6 million new TB cases and 214 million malaria cases
- 800000 people commit suicide, 1.25 million from road traffic injuries, 4.3 million due to air pollution by cooking fuels, 3 million due to outdoor pollution and 475 000 people are murdered.
- It has undergraduate and 5 post-graduate programmes with research in existence for 3 years.
- A deemed university should have a min 40 % open space of total built up area.
- Institution must have either highest NAAC or NBA accreditation rating for three cycles consecutively or an ‘A’ grade at the time of application and a position among top 20 institutions under the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF).
- Deemed universities will be able to open off-campus centres only after five years of their existence.
- Apple opened a new Development Office in Hyderabad, Telangana.The facility will focus on development of Maps for Apple products, including iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. This investment will accelerate Maps development and create up to 4000 jobs.
- Fecal incontinence (FI) is a medical condition marked by inability to control one’s bowel (Intestine) movements.
- It causes feces (stool) to leak unexpectedly from the rectum.
- Sl.No.State / Union TerritoryInclusion / Exclusion / Rectification / IdentificationCommunity1.AssamInclusionBoro, Boro Kachari, Bodo, Bodo Kachari, Karbi (Mikir)2.ChhattisgarhChhattisgarhInclusionRectification of Hindi Version of the Notificationiii) Bhuinya, Bhuiyan, Bhuyaniv) Dhanuhar / Dhanuwarv) Kisanvi) Saunra, Saonravii) Dhangad3.JharkhandInclusionviii) Bhogta, Deshwari, Ganjhu, Dautalbandi (Dwalbandi), Patbandi, Raut, Maajhia, Khairi (Kheri)ix) Puran4.Tamil NaduInclusionx) Malayali Gounderxi) Narikoravan,Kurivikkaran5.TripuraInclusionxii) Darlong6.PuducherryIdentification (First Order)xiii) Irular (including Villi and Vettaikaran)
- SAY aims to track educational journey of school students from Class I to Class XII across 15 lakhs schools in country.
- ASMITA will be an online database with information of student attendance and enrolment, learning outcomes, mid-day meal service and infrastructural facilities.
- Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).
- Warangal (Telanagana).
- Dharmashala (Himachal Pradesh).
- Chandigarh (UT of Chandigarh).
- Raipur (Chattisgarh).
- New Town Kolkata (West Bengal).
- Bhagalpur (Bihar).
- Panaji (Goa).
- Port Blair (UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands).
- Imphal (Manipur).
- Ranchi (Jharkhand).
- Agartala (Tripura).
- Faridabad (Haryana).
- First 15-year vision document will come into effect from 2017-18 after end of 12th Five year plan.
- It will be formulated with central objective of eradication poverty.
- It will come along with a seven-year National Development Agenda which will lay down the programmes schemes, and strategies to achieve the long-term vision.
- ePACE(Projects Appraisal & Continuing Enhancements) - integrated Management Information System that brings projects from all wings of Ministry under a common platform, ensuring their effective and real time tracking.
- INFRACON is the National Portal for Infrastructure Consultancy Firms and Key Personnel.
- INAM PRO has been developed as a web-based application (www.inampro.nic.in) for Infrastructure and Material Providers.
- Hypersonic flight involves travelling at more than 5 times the speed of sound (Mach 5). For this, scientists are working in Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) programme.
- Scramjet is a supersonic combustion engine that uses oxygen from the atmosphere for fuel. It is lighter and faster than fuel-carrying rockets and is suitable for flying at hypersonic (Mach 5 and above) speed. Scramjet engines do not have moving parts, It has rotating compressor and turbine in a jet engine.
- Scramjet technology can revolutionise global air travel and also provide cost-effective access to space.
- 13 Communication Satellites: INSAT-3A, INSAT-3C, INSAT-4A, INSAT-4B, INSAT-4CR, GSAT-6, GSAT-7, GSAT-8, GSAT-10, GSAT-12, GSAT-14, GSAT-15 and GSAT-16.
- 12 Earth Observation Satellites - Resourcesat-2, RISAT-1, RISAT-2, Cartosat-1, Cartosat-2, Cartosat-2A, Cartosat-2B, Oceansat-2, SARAL, Kalpana-1, Megha-Tropiques and INSAT-3D.
- 7 Navigational Satellites - IRNSS-1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F and 1G.
- 2 Space science Satellites: Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and Astrosat
- Unexpected new property of light was seen based on concept called ‘angular momentum’, during passing of light through crystals.
- Earlier, physicists thought that in all forms of light, angular momentum (measures how much a beam of light is rotating) is multiple of Planck’s constant (physical constant that sets the scale of quantum effects). But now scientists found angular momentum of each photon (a particle of visible light) takes only half of this value.
- This new property causes a beam of light to be confined to fewer than three dimensions.
- Significance - Help in study of light waves in areas such as secure optical communication which will open up new means for faster internet connections.
- Joe Root won 3 awards - Test Player of the Year, Limited Overs Player of the Year and Fans' Player of the Year.
- Anya Shrubsole - women's cricketer of the year
- Callum Flynn - best cricketer with a disability.
- David Lloyd - special achievement award, for his 50-year stint as a player, umpire, commentator and coach.
- Men's Singles - Andy Murray (Britain) defeated Novak Djokovic (Serbia)
- Women’s Singles - Serena Williams (USA) defeated Madison Keys (USA).
- Women’s Doubles - Sania Mirza (India) and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis. defeated Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina.
- Men’s doubles - Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan (USA) defeated pair of Vasek Pospisil (Canada) and Jack Sock (United States).
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
Grand Prix Date Winner Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany) Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany) Spain 15 May Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Monaco 29 May Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Canada 12 June Europe 19 June Austria 3 July Britain 10 July Hungary 24 July Germany 31 July Belgium 28 August Italy 4 September Singapore 18 September Malaysia 2 October Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Men's Singles - Novac Djokovic (Serbia) defeated Andy Murray (Britain)
- Women’s Singles - Simona Halep (Romania) defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia.
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
Grand Prix Date Winner Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany) Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany) Spain 15 May Monaco 29 May Canada 12 June Europe 19 June Austria 3 July Britain 10 July Hungary 24 July Germany 31 July Belgium 28 August Italy 4 September Singapore 18 September Malaysia 2 October Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
- 2016 Formula One season -
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
Grand Prix Date Winner Australia 20 March Nico Rosberg (Germany) Baharain 3 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) China 17 April Nico Rosberg (Germany) Russia 1 May Nico Rosberg (Germany) Spain 15 May Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Monaco 29 May Canada 12 June Europe 19 June Austria 3 July Britain 10 July Hungary 24 July Germany 31 July Belgium 28 August Italy 4 September Singapore 18 September Malaysia 2 October Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 19 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
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