Current Affairs Current Affairs - 4 August 2016

General Affairs

No Proposal From Apple To Make iPhones In India As Yet, Lok Sabha Told

NEW DELHI: Apple CEO Tim Cook during his visit met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and spoke of possibilities of manufacturing, but the company has not submitted any proposal with the IT Ministry to set up its plant in India, parliament was informed today.

Mr Cook visited Hyderabad on May 20 to launch the technology centre relating to their maps division in presence of Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrashekar Rao, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology PP Chaudhary said in a reply to the Lok Sabha.

"He also called on the Prime Minister on May 21, 2016. He shared Apple Inc's future plans for India and spoke of possibilities of manufacturing and retailing in India. There is no proposal with this ministry from Apple Inc to set up a manufacturing unit in the country," Mr Chaudhary said.

After meeting senior officials from manufacturing giant Foxconn, partner of Apple, the then telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in May had said the Cupertino-based technology major was coming to manufacture iPhones in India.

Apple has been lobbying hard for exemption from the mandatory 30 per cent local sourcing on the ground that its products have such high-end technology that these cannot be sourced locally.

The government in June relaxed FDI norms by giving a three-year exemption from local sourcing to foreign players in single-brand retail and a further five-year relaxation for 'state-of-the-art' and 'cutting-edge' technology.

BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missiles To Be Deployed Along Indo-China Border

NEW DELHI: The government has sanctioned induction of additional BrahMos supersonic missiles, with steep dive capability and 290 km range, to be deployed in the Eastern sector to ramp up its capabilities along the border with China.

Defence sources said the government has cleared the fourth BrahMos regiment at a cost of over Rs. 4,300 crore.

The regiment consists of around 100 missiles, five mobile autonomous launchers on 12x12 heavy-duty trucks and a mobile command post, among other hardware and software, sources said.

The missile was under test by the Army and last known test of the missile in the Eastern sector was done in May, 2015.

The steep-dive attack cruise missile can hit enemy targets hidden in the shadows of mountains.

The Indian Army has already inducted three regiments of BrahMos in its arsenal. All are equipped with Block-III version of the missile.

The land-attack version of BrahMos has been operational in the Indian Army since 2007.

The fire-and-forget BrahMos has the capability to take on surface-based targets by flying a combined hi-lo trajectory, thus evading enemy air defence systems. Fire-and-forget missiles do not need further guidance after launch.

BrahMos is a stealth supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft or land and has been inducted in all the three services.

Railway Ministry Proposes Rs. 1.19 Lakh Crore Fund For Safety Works

NEW DELHI: Railways Ministry has mooted a proposal for creating a R
s. 1.19 lakh crore fund for safety related works to be operationalised over the next five years, the government told the Lok Sabha today.

Assuring the House that track renewal works are prioritised for safe running of trains, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said total railway track length stood at 1,17,996 kilometres as on March 31, 2015 and their renewal is a continuous activity.

"A proposal for creation of graded Rastriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) of total Rs. 1,19,183 crore for safety-related works to be operated over the next five years has been sent to the Ministry of Finance for reconsideration," Mr Prabhu said during Question Hour.

Under the fund, Rs. 44,979 crore is expected to be spend on civil engineering assets including track renewal, rehabilitation of bridges and isolation of railway lines, among others.

Track length of 2,950 km has been sanctioned for renewal in the current financial year compared to 1,028 km sanctioned in 2014-15, Mr Prabhu said.

According to the minister, if any stretch of railway track is not renewed on time, suitable speed restrictions are imposed to ensure safe running of trains.

"The sanctioned track renewal yet to be completed have reduced from 7,258 kilometres for the year 2008-09 to 5,300 kilometres for the year 2014-15. Further, it has reduced to 5,100 kilometres in 2015-16," he said.

Further, Mr Prabhu said track renewal works are prioritised depending on overall availability of funds ensuring all the time that track is in sound condition for safe running of trains.

Terror Groups Hold Protests As Home Minister Rajnath Singh Lands In Islamabad

NEW DELHI: Home minister Rajnath Singh was greeted today by protests in Islamabad, where he has gone to attend the 7th SAARC meeting for home and interior ministers.

As the minister reached, terrorists like Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salauddin openly held a protest in Pakistan's capital over the situation in Kashmir, where unrest is on since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani on July 8. Scattered protests in took place in Rawalpindi also.

Pakistan has lionised Wani, declaring him a martyr and the locals blame the Indian government for the situation in Kashmir.

Both Salauddin and Lashkar chief Hafiz Saeed had warned of protests against the Home Minister, prompting the Indian government to increase the minister's security.

Mr Singh, 65, is the first senior Indian minister to visit Pakistan since January's attack at Pathankot air base.

With no bilateral meeting scheduled with Pakistan's Home Minister, Mr Singh is expected to raise India's concerns on terrorism strongly at the multilateral forum.

Sources say the slow probes into the 26/11 and the Pathankot attacks will both be brought up as well as cross border terrorism from Pakistan through groups like the Lashkar-e Taiba and the Jaish-e Mohammad.

Apart from terrorism, the other key issues to be discussed include liberalisation of visas, illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, and small arms.

Over 500 Kilometres Of Metro Rail Under Construction, Says Government

NEW DELHI:  More than 500 kilometres of Metro rail is under construction across the country and new projects will depend on availability of funds as well as feasibility, Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today.

He also told the Lok Sabha that the government is not considering any change to the National Urban Transport Policy (NUTP) which provides a broad framework for development of urban transport.

"About 316 kilometres of Metro rail is under operation and more than 500 kilometres is under construction. This includes metro/mono rail systems promoted by state governments and private bodies under their own arrangements," Mr Naidu said.

During the Question Hour, he said there is a demand for having metros in different cities and decisions would be taken after taking into consideration availability of funds as well as feasibility of projects.

Since urban transport intertwined with urban development is a state subject, planning, execution and development of urban transport facilities are done by the states and union territories concerned, Mr Naidu said.

Meanwhile, the Urban Development Ministry has provided financial assistance to 11 cities for construction of 504 kilometres Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).

According to the minister, around 222 kilometres of BRTS is operational and the remaining 282 kilometres is under construction.

"Funding under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) has been continued till March 31, 2017 for 7,059 busines and 25 ancillary infrastructure projects (sanctioned during the transition phase ie. 2012-13 and 2013-14).

Additional Central Assistance amounting to Rs. 2,740 crore has been released. More than 18,000 buses have been procured so far," Mr Naidu said.

Business Affairs

All about GST and what it means for consumers

Banking on the support of Congress and other parties, the long-pending GST Bill was listed for consideration and passage in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill, which has been in the making for over a decade, entails introduction of a single indirect tax regime across the country. "The GST Bill is listed for consideration and passage on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha and we seek support of all political parties. The mood is in favour of its passage," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said.

According to top government sources, a fresh round of talks was held on Monday with Congress and other parties, including the Left and Samajwadi Party, for building a consensus on the key tax reform legislation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley held further consultations with senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma and chalked out details of the contentious bill aimed at bringing about a consensus on the key bill, sources said. Jaitley also met CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, besides some other leaders. Later, along with Kumar, he met Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

ALL ABOUT GST

The goods and services tax (GST) is the most far-reaching tax reform in postindependence India, which aims to end the cumbersome regime of multiple taxes on goods and services and bring them under one rate.

Central Excise duty, additional Excise duty and State level taxes like, VAT or sales tax, Central Sales tax, Entertainment tax, Entry tax, Purchase tax, Luxury tax and Octroi will be subsumed in GST

There will be a Central GST (CGST) and a state GST (SGST)

Petroleum & petroleum products (crude, high speed diesel, petrol, jet fuel and natural gas) shall be subject to GST on a date to be notified by the GST Council

Provision for removing imposition of entry tax/Octroi across India would result in a smoother and quicker movement of goods across the country and bring to an end the serpentine truck queues at state borders

The system will change from the current production-based taxation to being consumption-based

Along with bringing about uniformity in taxes across states, this is expected to increase efficiency & compliance

Estimates by various think tanks expect the country's GDP to go up anywhere between 0.5 to 2 per cent with the ease of doing business and efficiency that the new tax regime will bring.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CONSUMER

Most goods are expected to turn cheaper while services will become more expensive with the introduction of the new goods and services tax (GST) regime. For manufactured consumer goods, the current tax regime means the consumer pays approximately 25-26% more than the cost of production due to excise duty and value added tax. With the GST rate expected at 18%, most goods are expected to become cheaper.

"There are a large number of taxes on the goods industry which are going to be subsumed in the GST. The final rate of around 18% GST proposed on all goods is less than the cumulative tax rate presently due to various taxes. Also all credits would be available for the entire supply chain. Accordingly, the final cost of most goods should decrease and goods may become cheaper for the consumers," Bipin Sapra Indirect tax expert of Ernst and Young told Mail Today.

"On the other hand the final rate of tax on services is going to go up in GST and accordingly, most services may become costlier for the consumers,'' Sapra added. Certain essential items such as raw food articles are not taxed at present and this is expected to continue, he said. Processed food such as breakfast cereals and chocolates will continue to be taxed, but the applicable GST is likely to be lower than the current combined tax on such products. Hence, expect these to become slightly cheaper. On the other hand, for goods where the current duty structure is lower, can get more expensive.

SERVICES THAT COULD GET COSTLIER
The effective service tax rate at present is 15% and it applies to almost all services other than essential ones such as ambulance services, cultural activities, certain pilgrimages and sports events. If GST is implemented, this rate will increase to 18% making services more expensive. Consequently, eating out, staying at hotels and air travel will turn costlier. Similarly, insurance premiums and investment management which attract a service tax currently, will also become costlier with the higher rate of GST. According to an HSBC Global Research report services would see a rise in tax rates while manufactured consumer goods may see a fall. The two are likely to offset each other resulting in a limited net impact on inflation based on the consumer price index.

As Goods and Services Tax looms, many companies unprepared to cope with changes

Throughout years of political gridlock, the risk that India might pass its biggest tax reform since independence appeared reassuringly remote for many businesses.

Until now.

Suddenly, the prospect that a new Goods and Services Tax (GST) could enter force next year has bosses panicking at the likely impact and seeking advice on how to cope.

The expected passage by parliament on Wednesday of a key constitutional amendment would resolve crucial issues needed to transform India's $2 trillion economy and 1.3 billion consumers into a single market for the first time.

The amendment is likely to clear the Rajya Sabha after the opposition Congress party, which originally proposed the GST while in power, wrung concessions from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

Yet the vote will only fire the starting gun in a legislative marathon in which the national parliament and India's 29 federal states have to pass further laws determining the - still unknown - rate and scope of the tax.

At the same time, a huge IT system needs to be set up, tax collectors trained and companies brought up to speed on a levy that experts say will force them to overhaul business processes from front to back.

One boss who isn't ready is G.R. Ralhan, head of Roamer Woollen Mills in the northern city of Ludhiana.

"Companies, particularly smaller ones, are apprehensive," Ralhan told Reuters, calling for more time to adjust and saying a high rate of GST could put his firm out of business.

Countries that have introduced GST in the past have often faced a relative economic slowdown before the benefits of a unified tax regime feed through.

India is already the world's fastest growing large economy, expanding by 7.9 per cent year-on-year in the March quarter. Economists at HSBC forecast a boost of 0.8 per centage points from the GST within three to five years.

80-20 RULE

Tax experts say that only 20 per cent of - mostly big - firms are getting ready for the GST. The rest are taking things as they come in a country where coping with a changing tax regime has been a way of life for decades.

Yet even those actively preparing must contend with a series of unknowns as the national and state parliaments tackle the task of transforming a "model" GST law into the real thing.

The first hurdle will be for a majority of state parliaments to pass the GST amendment, which would establish a GST Council to finalise key terms of the new tax.

That could take until November and mean that the legislation to put the GST into force would only come before the national parliament's winter session.

Hitting the government's target launch date of next April 1, the start of the fiscal year, looks ambitious. Slippage to July or October 2017 is increasingly likely, say experts.

SETTING THE RATE

Modi's government favours a GST rate of 18 per cent but states are lobbying for more. While goods producers have become inured to high tax rates, service companies now paying 15 per cent would take a hit that they would either have to absorb or pass on to customers.

"I don't think a rate beyond 20 per cent would fly politically - if they do that it would be inflationary," said Harishankar Subramaniam, head of indirect tax at EY India.

Add to that a lack of clarity on where deals are transacted for tax purposes and telecoms, financial services and e-commerce players are worried.

"Services companies are looking at the GST as you would look at a snake," said Amit Kumar Sarkar, head of indirect tax at Grant Thornton.

The question for Modi will be whether the boost to economic growth materialises in time for his expected bid for a second term.

"If the tax regime stabilises, Modi can stand up in 2019 and say: 'I've passed the biggest tax reform in Indian history'," said EY's Subramaniam.

GST or no GST, Sensex, Nifty look all set to correct in near-term

Tighten your seat belts! Market may soon land into a turbulent phase as earnings released so far failed to confirm recovery, suggesting valuations might have run ahead of fundamentals. Experts believe stock market investors have already priced in the passage of the GST Bill and good monsoon. On top of it, as many as 32 stocks on BSE 500 have outperformed Sensex by five times year-to-date, another signal that market may have turned overvalued.

A look at top-performing BSE 500 stocks

Data available with database AceEquity suggest that as many as 32 stocks on BSE 500 have returned five times higher than Sensex this calendar.

Stocks of Manappuram Finance, Vedanta, Balrampur Chini and Capital first have rallied up to 175 per cent so far this year, compared to a mere 8 per cent jump in the Sensex.

Experts said that while some of the top-performing BSE500 stocks such as Bajaj Finance have risen on strong fundamentals, rally on others such as Vedanta was sheer news-driven and may not sustain for long.

Manappuram Finance has gained a whopping 173 per cent year to date against just 11 per cent rise in Nifty Financial Services index during the same period. Other NBFC stocks such as Bajaj Finance, Bharat Financial (erstwhile SKS Microfinance) and Capital First have also made smart gains on the BSE.

GST Bill priced in

Experts said that the recent rally on the Sensex was largely driven by hopes of the passage of the GST Bill.

But the market has largely factored it in, they said.

"Currently, the market is factoring in a lot on GST bill passage in the Rajya Sabha. Any disappointment on this front may lead to nearly 5 per cent correction from current levels," said Piyush Garg of ICICI Securities.

Earnings recovery out of sight

June quarter earnings season has also not been impressive. Even IT companies, for whom the Q1 is seasonally stronger, have disappointed Street with their numbers. Private lender Axis Bank, pharma major Dr Reddy's and FMCG firms HUL, ITC also failed to deliver in the June quarter.

The GST may not be as big a cue for the market, as earnings growth is. Unfortunately, that has been missing so far. Slow pick up in earnings growth may only add to valuation concerns.

Market appears expensive

In a report last week, BofA Merrill Lynch Global Research said that the market appears expensive on most metrics of absolute valuations. It said that valuations are high, even as earnings growth forecasts have not changed meaningfully.

The brokerage pointed out that growth for BSE500 stocks slowed to 8 per cent in Q4FY16 from 12 per cent in Q3FY16. For FY17, Bloomberg consensus for NSE benchmark Nifty50 PAT growth has fallen to 17.1 per cent now, from 20 per cent in January, it said.

Piyush Garg of ICICI Securities said that the current rally on the Nifty50 may stall in the range of 8,600-8,900 as valuations look toppish.

"At the current levels, the benchmark indices are trading at nearly 19 times FY17 EPS, which is quite rich as compared to other emerging markets. Hence, the current move may stall in the range of 8,600-8,900. Any further re-rating on earnings only provides for future upward scope," said Garg.

Toll tax on national highways may be here for next 30 years

Minister of Road Transport and Highways has proposed that a bulk of the money required for construction, especially the Bharatmala project, be raised through monetisation of public funded national highways projects, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The proposal, which is likely to be approved by the union cabinet is about putting 75 projects, constructed by NHAI using public money on auction for bidding by private firms.

Private operators would be offered the toll collection rights for next 25-30 years in lieu of a lump sum payment to the government. The proposal, if implemented is expected mop up of about Rs 80,000 crore, the report said.

The projects identified for this purpose under the model called Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) have been in operation for at least two years and currently generate toll of Rs 2,700 crore per year.

The idea behind this is to generate immediate resources while ensuring that operation and maintenance of constructed highways is more efficient. The private sector is also better in terms of toll collection, the report said quoting a government source.

Last month, the government had announced that about Rs 7 lakh crore would be spent to develop around 50,000 kilometres of national highways over the next five years.

Telcos penalised Rs 2,313 cr for wrong subscriber verification

The Government has imposed a penalty of Rs 2,313 crore on telecom operators for violating subscriber verification norms till May 31, telecom minister Manoj Sinha informed Parliament on Wednesday.

"For all cases of non-compliant CAFs (Customer Acquisition Form), TERM Cells have taken actions which include imposition of penalty on non-compliant CAFs and filing of complaints/FIRs against apparently forged cases as per guidelines issued from time to time," Sinha said.

He was responding to a question on action taken by the government for violation of verification norms by telcos.

The minister shared details of Rs 2,313.05 crore penalty levied on telecom operators till May 31.

As per the data, state-run telecom firm BSNL tops the chart with a penalty of Rs 583.09 crore followed by Rs 377.51 crore on Reliance Communications, Rs 328.15 crore Tata Teleservices, Rs 300.34 crore Airtel, Rs 285.62 crore Vodafone, Rs 218.04 crore Idea Cellular, Rs 108.82 crore Aircel and Rs 53.14 crore on MTS.

Penalty on rest of the players was below Rs 20 crore.

"In case of non-compliant CAF, Service Provider has to either disconnect the connection or submit the compliant CAF to TERM Cells within 72 hours," Sinha said.

Replying to a separate question on action taken for poor broadband service quality, Sinha said "financial disincentives up to Rs 50,000 per parameter for first contravention and Rs 1 lakh for second and subsequent contraventions have been prescribed by TRAI for non-compliance with the benchmarks."

He shared data of penalty imposed by Trai in last three financial years starting 2013-14 and till July 27 of current fiscal.

As per the data, Trai has imposed Rs 1.46 crore penalty on telecom operators with highest of Rs 24 lakh being imposed on Bangalore-based Atria Convergence Technologies, followed by Rs 19 lakh on Bharti Airtel, Rs 18 lakh on MTNL, Rs 15.5 lakh on BSNL, Rs 13.5 lakh You Broadband and Rs 10 lakh on Tata Teleservices during the period.

General Awareness

Latest Current Affairs - July 2016

Appointments

IDFC Mutual Fund appointed Vishal Kapoor as its chief executive officer.

A.K.Mital has been reappointed as Chairman of Railway Board for 2 years.

Ajay Bhushan Pandey is appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

Anant Maheshwari has been appointed as president of Microsoft's India operations.

Aruna Sharma is appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Steel.

Aruna Sundararajan is appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.

Budha Rashmi Mani appointed as Director General (DG) of National Museum.

Cabinet Expansion - Transfers and New Appointments

Cabinet Ministers (Changed Portfolios)

Venkaiah Naidu - Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Ananth Kumar - Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

Prakash Javdekar - Ministry of Human Resource Development

Ravi Shankar Prasad - Ministry of Law & Justice (along with Ministry of Information Technology)

Narendra Singh Tomar - Ministry of Rural Development Ministry, Minister of Panchayati Raj and Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation

Smriti Zubin Irani - Ministry of Textiles

D. V. Sadananda Gowda - Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation

Ministers of State - 19 New Ministers of state were Inlcuded.

Vijay Goel - Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (Independent Charge)

Piyush Goyal - Ministry of Mines (Independent Charge)

Anil Madhav Dave - Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Independent Charge)

Santosh Kumar Gangwar - Ministry of Finance

Faggan Singh Kulaste - Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

S. Ahluwalia - Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

Ramdas Athawale - Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Rajen Gohain - Ministry of Railways

Jayant Sinha - Ministry of Civil Aviation

Arjun Ram Meghwal - Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs

Mahendra Nath Pandey - Ministry of Human Resource Development

Ajay Tamta - Ministry of Textiles

Anupriya Patel - Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

R. Chaudhary - Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Law & Justice

Coca-Cola appointed Sarvita Sethi as the new Vice-President (Finance) for India and South West Asia.

Conservative party's Theresa May became Prime Minister of United Kingdom. She succeeded David Cameron, who resigned after Brexit referendum. With this, she became UKs second-ever female Prime Minister after Margaret Thatcher (in office from 1979-1990).

D K Hota has been appointed as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Earth Movers Ltd. (BEML).

D Rajkumar appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).

Deepak Singhal appointed as Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh.

Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale appointed as new Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court.

European Union (EU’s) appointed Michel Barnier as its Chief Negotiator for United Kingdom’s exit from EU bloc.

Ganesh Singh appointed as Chairman of Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP) to examine provisions of Land Acquisition Amendment Bill2015.

Government appointed A.K. Patnaik as Chief Executive Officer of National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID).

Government appointed R Thiruppathi Venkatasamy as Accountant General (economic and revenue sector audit) of Tamil Nadu.

Government appointed Utpal Bora as chairman of Oil India Ltd.

Gujarat government appointed Jagdip Narayan Singh as Chief Secretary of State.

Guruprasad Mohapatra appointed as Chairman of Airports Authority of India (AAI).

ITC Limited appointed Sanjiv Puri as Chief Operating Officer.

Indian-American professor Dr. Kinshuk has been named Dean of University of North Texas College of Information in USA.

International Cricket Council (ICC) appointd Steve Elworthy as Managing Director of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, which will be held in England and Wales.

International remittance company Western Union appointed Sohini Rajola as Regional Vice President, India and South Asia.

Intex Technologies appointed actress Madhuri Dixit as its Brand Ambassador.

Iqbal Ahmed Ansari appointed as 39th Chief Justice of Patna High Court.

K B Koliwad elected as Speaker of Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

K V R Murthy appointed as chairman-cum-managing director of Jute Corporation of India Limited.

M V Dhekane appointed as Director of ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala).

Malcolm Turnbull sworn in for another term as Australias prime minister after a narrow election victory.

Manoj Kumar Unni appointed as Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).

Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) appointed R Baskar Babu as its new President of Board.

Pema Khandu of Congress Party sworn in as 10th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh. He became youngest Chief Minister in the country, at just the age of 36 years.

Rajeev Kapoor is appointed as Director in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (Mussoorie).

Rakesh Kumar Chaturvedi has been appointed as new Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).

Sanjay Gupta appointed as chairman and managing director (CMD) of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).

Satish Mathur has been appointed DGP (Director General of Police) of Maharashtra Police.

Sudarshan Sen has been appointed as Executive Director of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He will replace NS Vishwanathan who was elevated as Deputy Governor of RBI.

Sunil Kumar Kohli has been appointed as Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA).

Sushila Karki appointed as first woman Chief Justice of Nepal.

Telecom tower company Indus Towers appointed Tejinder Kalra as Chief Operating Officer.

Travel planning and booking site TripAdvisor appointed Gary Fritz as its President and Chief Growth Officer of Asia-Pacific region.

World Bank Group appointed Paul Romer (USA) as Chief Economist.

Zee Learn, education branch of Essel Group, appointed Debshankar Mukhopadhyay as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Awards

11th edition of Navlekhan award 2015 of Bharatiya Jnanpith has been awarded to Amlendu Tiwari and Balram Kawant for their novels ‘Parityakt’, ‘Sara Morila,’. Om Nagar and Tasneem Khan were awarded for their ‘Nib Ke Chire Se’ and ‘Yeh Mere Rahnuma’ respectively.

Aditya Puri, chief executive and managing director (MD) of HDFC Bank has been ranked as best banking CEO in Asia by investor community.

Advay Ramesh from Chennai won Google Community Impact Award from Asia for creating a device that enhances fishermen’s safety and productivity, named FishErmen Lifeline Terminal (FELT). FELT uses Standard Position Services (SPS) provided by Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) to increase fishermen’s safety and productivity at sea.

Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) gave this years Lifetime Achievement Award to Srinivasan K Swamy (Chairman of R K Swamy Hansa).

Anurag Kashyap's psychological thriller ‘Psycho Raman’ won Best Asian Genre Film award at 20th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) 2016 in South Korea. It is called Europe Fantastic Film Festivals Federation (EFFFF) Asian Award.

Captain Radhika Menon (India) became first woman in world to receive Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea from International Maritime Organisation (IMO). She was chosen by 116th session of IMO Council meeting held in London for displaying great courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June 2015. She rescued all seven fishermen from fishing boat Durgamma, which was adrift following engine failure.

Cookbook author and food blogger Nimi Sunilkumar won Gourmand World Cookbook Award 2015-16, for her cookbook “4 oclock Temptations of Kerala”. It was chosen for award in the ‘Best Indian Cuisine Cookbook section.

Gourmand World Cookbook Award is known as Oscar award in field of cookery. This is the only international award in this field.

Indian Model Rohit Khandelwal won Mister world 2016 Title at in Southport (England). He became first ever Asian to win this Title.

Indian author Dinesh C. Sharma won 2016 Computer History Museum Book Prize for his book “The Outsourcer: The Story of Indias IT Revolution”, by Special Interest Group for Computers, Information and Society (SIGCIS ) for History of Technology.

Kolkata's East Bengal football Club announced to give this year's Bharat Gaurav award (Pride of India) to legendary athlete Milkha Singh.

Madhya Pradesh won best state award for comprehensive development of tourism, followed by Gujarat and Karnataka, at National Tourism Awards 2014-2015.

Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur railway station received Best Tourist Friendly railway station award.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport got Best Airport award

Telangana’s Warangal won best heritage city award.

Kerala Tourism won six National Tourism awards for 2014-15 in the marketing category for states. It received two more awards, including the one for its Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative in Wayanad.

Mohun Bagan Footclub conferred its highest honour Mohun Bagan Ratna on noted Indian Footballer Syed Nayeemuddin.

Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd (MCX) won ‘Best Commodity Exchange’ award at 2016 Bullion Federation Global Convention organized by the Bullion Federation in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Neerja Bhanot conferred with Bharat Gaurav Award in London (UK) by Sanksriti Yuva Sansth, a Jaipur-headquartered NGO.

Nigerian journalist Didi Akinyelure won second BBC World News Komla Dumor Award. As part of the award, she will start a three-month placement at the BBC in London in September 2016. It will provide her opportunity to gain skills and experience by attending a course with BBC Academy.

Noted Music Director Bappi Lahiri and Filmmaker Goutam Ghose have been honoured with Mahanayak award by West Bengal Government.

President Pranab Mukherjee conferred 51st Jnanpith Award on renowned Gujarati writer and litterateur Raghuveer Chaudhari.

Jnanpith Award (Pronounced Gyaanpeeth) is Indias highest literary honour. It was instituted in 1961 and is presented annually by Bharatiya Jnanpith trust founded by Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family that owns Times of India newspaper group.

The award is bestowed upon any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in VIII Schedule of Constitution of India. It carries cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze.

Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016 (regarded as Asia’s Nobel Prize) -

Ramon Magsaysay Award is Asia’s highest honour and is often regarded as the region’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize. It was established in 1957 in memory of Philippines’ 3rd President Ramon Magsaysay

Total 6 awardees this year for Ramon Magsaysay Award, Including Two Indians.

2016 Awardees are

Bezwada Wilson (India): He has been recognized for asserting the inalienable right to a life of human dignity. He is the National Convener of Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA).

Thodur Madabusi Krishna (India): He has been recognized for ensuring social inclusiveness in culture. He is a Carnatic music vocalist.

Conchita Carpio Morales (Philippines): She has been recognized for restoring faith in the rule of law.

Dompet Dhuafa (Indonesia): She has been recognized for expanding the transformative impact of zakat.

Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (Japan): The organisation has been recognized for building a world of genuine solidarity.

Vientiane Rescue (Laos): The organisation has been recognized for volunteering to save lives at risk.

Renowned violinist Avasarala Kanyakumari selected for prestigious 2016 Sangita Kalanidhi Award. She beccame first female violinist to get this coveted award.

Sharad Pawar has been honored by 2016 Tilak Samman Puraskar for his contribution in Green revolution.

South African writer, filmmaker and photographer Lidudumalingani won 17th Caine Prize 2016 (referred as african booker), for his short story “Memories We Lost”.

This award was established in 2010 in United Kingdom, in memory of Sir Michael Harris Caine (former Chairman of Booker Group).

West Bengal selected for All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project Award 2015. It has been selected by 51st committee from Indira Gandhi Krishi Bikash Kendra for its achievement in four key areas including scientific research for seeds.

Books

3 books on life of former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam have been released - Dr Kalam, Prerna ki Udaan (Hindi1), Do You Know Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam (English) and Prerna Nu Zarnu : Dr Abdul Kalam (Gujarati). These books language have been written by Unnat Pandit.

Managing Piety: The Shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh has been authored by Linus Strothmann.

Autobiography of Tennis Player Sania Mirza - Ace against Odds has been released. She wrote it with her father Imran Mirza.

Book Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, written by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany has been launched.

Book Hashimpura 22 May: The forgotten story of one of India’s biggest custodial killings, authored by Vibhuti Narain Rai has been released. He was posted as Superintendent of Police in Ghaziabad district when Hashimpura massacre took place.

Book How to Be a Bawse: A Guide to Surviving Conquering Life has been written by Lilly Singh.

Book India’s Most Powerful Women has been written by Mrs. Prem Ahluwalia.

Book Ringside with Vijender, authored by Rudraneil Sengupta has been released.

Book Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time has been authored by Arianna Huffington.

Book The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable authored by Amitav Ghosh has been released.

Book The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, authored by Amitav Ghosh has been released.

Book The Sialkot Saga has been authored by Ashwin Sanghi.

Book Who Moved my Interest Rates, authored by former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Duvvuri Subbarao has been released.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh released illustrative book of Central Reserve Police Force titled Ayodhya ke Shoorvir. It depicts saga of valour of CRPF in foiling terrorist attack on Ram Janam Bhumi - Babri Masjid Complex On July 05, 2005.

Margaret Alva (Politician and Former Governor of Rajasthan), released her autobiography - Courage and Commitment.

Committees

Government constituted a Committee under Shankar Acharya (former Chief Economic Adviser), to examine desirability and feasibility of having ‘a new financial year.

Government constituted a committee under Giridhar Malviya, to prepare Draft Bill on Ganga to deal with all issues related to Ganga River.

Government constituted committee headed by Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian to tackle shortage of pulses in India.

Government constituted committee to prepare a road map for restructuring University Grants Commission (UGC) and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), under Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya. Apart from this, Arvind Panagariya committee working on restructuring of Medical Council of India (MCI), has recommended replacing MCI with National Medical Commission (NMC).

Ministry of Home Affairs has setup a committee under T V S N Prasad, for exploring other possible alternatives to pellet guns as non-lethal weapons.

Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation constituted a committee under Madhav Chitale to prepare guidelines for desiltation of river Ganga from Bhimgauda (Uttarakhand) to Farakka (West Bengal). The committee will also establish difference between desilting and sand mining and will establish need for desilting for ecology and e-flow of Ganga.

Odisha government constituted a judicial commission under Bimal Prasad Das, to study functioning of Sri Jagannath Temple, which has recently witnessed major controversies over mismanagement of rituals.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set up an inter-regulatory Working Group under RBIs Executive Director Sudarshan Sen, to study regulatory issues relating to Financial Technology (Fintech) and Digital Banking in India.

Supreme Court accepted recommendations of R M Lodha Committee on reforms in BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) -

Barring ministers and civil servants and those above 70 years of age from becoming BCCI members. Max term of members of BCCI will be 3 years.

Parliament to decide whether BCCI should come under the Right to Information Act (RTI).

Disallowing BCCI office-bearer from holding dual posts simultaneously i.e. in a state cricket association and in the BCCI.

Days

01 July - National Doctors' Day. It marks birth and death anniversary of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy, noted Indian Physician.

On this occasion, President Pranab Mukherjee presented BC Roy national awards for 2008, 2009 and 2010 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

2010 - Nikhil C. Munshi, O.P. Kalra, Tejinder Singh, Subash Gupta, Amrinder Jit Kanwar, Rajendra Prasad and Glory Alexander.

2009 - H. Sancheti, Renu Saxena, Atul Kumar, A.K. Kriplani, Kanan A. Yelikar, H.S. Bhanushali, G.V. Rao, Moti Lal Singh, C.N. Purandare and C.V. Hari Narayan.

2008 - Rajeshwar Dayal, Mammen Chandy, Neelam Mohan, Rohit V. Bhatt, Mohan Kameswaran, Harsha Jauhari, Gopal H. Badlani and Yash Gulati

15 July - World Youth Skills Day. 2016 Theme: “Skills Development to Improve Youth Employment”.

In India, President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated first edition of India Skills Competition on this occasion.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched facility of virtual and digital classrooms across 32 ITIs in state on this occasion.

He also Announced an initiative called 'Skill Sakhis' for women empowerment.

17 July - International Criminal Justice Day.

18 July - Nelson Mandela International Day (also known as Mandela Day). 2016 Theme is Take Action, Inspire Change.

26 July - Kargil Vijay Diwas, named after success of Operation Vijay. On this day in 1999, India successfully took command of the high outposts which had been lost to Pakistani intruders.

28 July - World Hepatitis Day. 2016 Theme is Elimination.

28 July - World Nature Conservation Day (WNCD.

29 July - International Tiger Day (Global Tiger Day).

30 July - United Nations International Day of Friendship. Note that some nations including India, observe First Sunday of Augustas friendship day.

30 July - World Day against Trafficking in Persons.

INS India, base depot ship of Indian Navy at New Delhi celebrated its 75th anniversary.

Jul 02, 2016 - International Co-operative Day. It is held on first saturday of July.

July 06 - World Zoonoses Day.

July 11 - World Population Day. Theme for 2016 is Investing in teenage girls.

Defence

Admiral Sunil Lanba, Chief of Naval Staff commissioned Marine Commandos Unit as ‘INS Karna at Naval Base at Bheemunipatanam near Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

Battle exercise Operation Megh Prahar conducted by Indian Army on banks of Yamuna River to test effectiveness of ultra modern Tank T-90 & BMP-2, in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh).

Cabinet Committee on Security approved 13 new armed police battalions, including one comprising mostly tribals from worst Maoist-hit districts, will be raised by the government to tackle Naxalists. Of the 12 battalions, four will be raised in Chhattisgarh, three each in Jharkhand and Odisha and two in Maharashtra.

Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully conducted proof firing tests of Armament system for 155 mm x 52 calibre New Advanced Towed Artillery Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), deveoped by Pune based Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) nodal laboratory of DRDO.

Exercise Maitree 2016 - Joint Indo - Thailand Military Exercise concluded at Krabi (Thailand).

India signed a defence deal with United States worth over $1 billion to purchase four additional Poseidon-8I (P8I) long-range maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare aircrafts. It is a follow-up to eight P-81 aircrafts already bought by India in in 2009.

Indian Air Force started operation Sankat Mochan to evacuate Indian citizens stranded in South Sudans capital Juba.

Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) announced that India Meteorological Department (IMD) will use supercomputer to forecast India’s annual summer monsoon, based on a dynamical monsoon model and will be operational from 2017.

Dynamical Monsoon Model The dynamical monsoon model works by simulating weather on powerful supercomputers and extrapolating it over particular timeframes.

This modern forecasting model is being tested at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune.

Dynamical monsoon model is also called Coupled Forecast System version 2.

Economy

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) acquired global clothing brand Forever 21 in Indian market for around Rs. 175 Crores.

Ayurvedic FMCG firm Dabur tied up with Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO's) unit Defense Institute of High Altitude Research (Leh) to promote sustainable cultivation of high-altitude medicinal plants in Ladakh. Both organizations will educate farmers and help enhance livelihood opportunities in the cold desert area.

BHEL commissioned a 250 MW unit at Bhavnagar Energy Company (BECL) 2x250 MW thermal power project. It is based on eco-friendly Circulating Fluidised Bed Combustion (CFBC) technology, using low-quality coal (lignite) as primary fuel.

BSE (Bombay Stock Exchange) introduced 'Paperless SIP' (systematic investment plans), to allow mutual fund investors to make transactions through various modes of payments. Additional feature on BSE's mutual fund platform - StAR MF - would allow MF distributors to register SIPs for their clients, who can pay SIP amounts through various modes. New facility will be available only for non-dematerialised transactions and for instalment of amount over 2 lakh.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved construction of a new dry dock within Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) at an estimated cost of Rs.1799 crores to augment shipbuilding / repair capacity of India.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved disinvestment of 15% equity of National Buildings Construction Corporation Limited (NBCC), out of Government of Indias 90% shareholding. It would bring in 1,706 crores to Government.

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved installation of Ghatampur Thermal Power Project (GTPC) of 1980 MW capacity through Neyveli Uttar Pradesh Power Limited (joint venture of Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL).

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) signed 7 unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with Indian taxpayers to reduce tax litigation. With this, CBDT has so far entered into 77 APAs (3 bilateral and 74 unilateral APAs)

APA is usually is signed between a taxpayer and central tax authority (in India it is CBDT) on an appropriating transfer pricing methodology for determining value of assets and taxes on intra-group overseas transactions. It seeks to introduce certainty in tax law by reducing compliance costs and make tax regime investment friendly.

In India, Advance Pricing Agreement mechanism was introduced in 2012 as per provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961. APAs seeks to (i) Boost economy and ease of doing business, (ii) Provide alternative path to the investors with rollback provision to reduce litigation (iii) Strengthen Governments mission of fostering a non-adversarial tax regime.

Cochin Chamber of Commerce & Industry (CCCI) launched an Aadhaar based e-Certificate of Origin service. A certificate of origin is a critical document in course of export, which is issued to exporters by to avail duty benefits under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) or prove from where the goods originated. It speeds up application, issuance process and provide a more secure documentation environment.

Commerce Ministry launched an e-marketplace portal for online purchase of goods and services by various central government ministries and departments, to bring in more transparency and streamlining the government procurement of goods and services. This e-marketplace portal has been developed by the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D).

FMCG Firm Dabur acquired South Africa-based Discaria Trading (PTY) for an undisclosed amount. Discaria Trading is engaged in manufacturing and trading of cosmetics.

Federal Bank signed agreement with Reliance Jio Money for one-click payment service. Reliance Jio Money is a wallet application that will be launched soon for mobile devices where Federal Bank will enable a direct payment option for its customers.

Fourth tranche of the Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGB) scheme opened for subscription between July 18 - 22, 2016. SGB It offers an alternative to holding gold in physical form.

Government has fixed 3,119 Rupees per gram as the issue price for the bond in this tranche.

In this tranche, subscriptions can be made between 1 gram to 500 gram per person. Earlier, minimum denomination was 5 gram.

Redemption of SGB bonds by an individual is exempted from capital gains tax.

SGB gives an interest of 2.75 % per annum and is payable every six months on initial investment.

Government uses funds raised through these bonds as part of its market borrowing programme.

From September 2016 Onwards, passengers booking tickets through IRCTC website can avail a travel accident cover of Rs 10 Lakh for a premium of Rs 1. Insurance would provide coverage against death, injury and disabilities caused due to accidents.

Governmement stated that during 2015-16, energy generated through Wind and Solar sources was 33029.39 MU and 7447.92 MU respectively. During last two years, total capacity of 5735 MW and 4131 MW have been installed for wind and solar energy respectively.

Government allocated Rs 22,915 crore capital to meet capitalization needs of 13 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in current fiscal, in line with Indradhanush initiative for restoring banking sector health. The maximum capital infusion will be for State Bank of India (SBI) at Rs 7,575 crore and the least for Allahabad Bank at Rs 44 crore. Indian Overseas Bank will be provided second highest - 3101 Crores.

Government approval raising foreign shareholding limit from 5% to 15% in Indian Stock Exchanges for a stock exchange, a depository, a banking company, an insurance company, a commodity derivative exchange. Cabinet also allowed foreign portfolio investors to acquire shares through initial allotment, besides secondary market, in the stock exchanges.

Government approved introducing amendments to Benami Transactions (Prohibition) (Amendment) Bill 2015, to strengthen Benami Transaction (Prohibition) Act 1988. The Bill seeks to Amend definition of benami transactions to widen scope for legal action, Specify penalties for entering into benami transactions and establish adjudicating authorities and Appellate Tribunal to deal with benami transactions.

Government cleared changes in Goods and Service Tax (GST) Constitutional Amendment Bill, providing guarantee to compensate states for any revenue loss in the first 5 years of rollout of proposed indirect tax regime, GST. Also, Removal of 1% additional tax on inter-state sales as proposed in the Constitutional Bill. Removal of 1% additional manufacturing levy tax by manufacturing States from GST Bill.

Government collected over 920 Crores through fourth tranche of Sovereign Gold Bond scheme, highest achieved yet. With issue price fixed at Rs. 3,119 per gram, amount was mobilised through over 1.95 lakh applications representing around 2.95 tonnes of gold.

Government has so far brought 74 schemes of 17 Ministries and Departments under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Government released Rs 100 crore towards its co-contribution for Atal Pension Yojana (APY) for 2015-16.

APY provides minimum guaranteed pension ranging between Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per month for subscribers from age of 60 years.

Under this scheme, individuals who registered before March 31, 2016 will get a co-contribution from government, which will be 50 % of the subscriber contribution up to a maximum of Rs 1,000. The co-contribution will be for 5 years from 2015-16 to 2019-20.

Government rescinded (Ccncelled) earlier decision of Congresss led UPA Government to set up Concurrent Evaluation Office (CEO) for managing Concurrent Evaluation Network (CENET) in Ministry of Rural Development.

Government revised schedule for making payments under Income Declaration Scheme 2016. Now, minimum amount of 25 % of tax is to be paid by 30th November 2016. Further amount of 25 % by 31st of March 2017 and balance amount can be paid by 30th September 2017.

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company and Shamrao Vithal Co-operative (SVC) Bank held bancassurance partnership to provide a range of non-life insurance offerings to customers of SVC bank.

Haryana Government announced to develop an industrial township in state at an expense of 33000 Crore. This industrial township will spread in over 1500 acres of land in Sohna and Manesar areas of Gurgaon. For this, Haryana Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) signed MoU with China Fortune Land Development (CFLD) Company.

Hinduja National Power Corporation Limited (HNPCL) commissioned its 1,040 MW coal fired thermal power project on coast of Bay of Bengal in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). Andhra Pradesh is implementing 24X7 “Power for All Scheme.” State had initiated the power sector reforms in 1998 and now has a total installed capacity is 15,311 MW. It aims to achieve 29,000 megawatts installed capacity by 2019.

Housing Development Finance Corp (HDFC) will be first Indian company to sell masala bonds, a rupee-denominated bond sold to foreign investors and listed on an overseas exchange.

It plans to raise Rs 3,000 crores through sale of such bonds.

These bonds will bear a fixed coupon and will have a incumbency period of 3 years and 1 month.

ICICI Bank and Axis Bank are first Indian banks to sign up for Swift’s global payments innovation initiative. Belgium-based Swift is a global member-owned cooperative and a leading provider of secure financial messaging services. It aims to enhance cross-border payments by using its messaging platform.

ICICI Bank organised a coin exchange mela during the 'Rath Yatra' festival at RBI financial literacy camp in Bholanath Vidyapith, Puri(Odisha).

IDFC Bank acquired Tamil Nadu-headquartered microfinance institution Grama Vidiyal in an all-cash deal.

India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $100 million loan agreement to improve water management in Vennar sub-basin of Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu.

India has been ranked 3rd on business optimism index for April-June quarter of 2016, as per the latest Grant Thorntons latest International Business Report (IBR). After remaining on top globally for the two preceding quarters, Indias rank has dropped due to delays in key reforms such as Goods and Services Tax (GST), non-resolution of tax disputes, NPA issues in banking.

Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) signed agreement with State Bank of India to create plan for promotion of rail ticketing activities, including internet ticketing and unreserved ticketing system.

Indian travel agency Yatra Online has been mergered with Terrapin 3 Acquisition Corp (a Nasdaq-listed special purpose acquisition firm) for $218 million (Rs 1,458 crore).

Japanese payments company OKI installed 600 automatic teller machines with cash recycling abilities for country's largest bank State Bank of India.

Karnataka Bank started a programme called solar light scholarship to provide solar lights in the non-electrified houses of students in rural area, in association with Manipal-based Bharatiya Vikas Trust.

Karnataka Government has set-up a dedicated start-up cell for speeding up the implementation of initiatives under its start-up policy.

Kerala Government has proposed a Fat Tax on fast food items like burgers, pizzas, donuts and pasta etc. served in branded restaurants in a bid to discourage junk food culture. It will be 14.5 % of value of food items.

Lafarge-Holcim signed agreement with Nirma to sell its 100% holding in cement maker Lafarge India for value of $1.4 billion.

Low-cost airline with pink and white themed Air Carnival launched its operations with its maiden flight from Coimbatore to Chennai. The airline will focus on short-haul services with ATR72-500 aircraft.

Manipur became First North Eastern State to Join UDAY Scheme, meant for restructuring debt of State's Power Utilities. Manipur's Joinig UDAY will derove net benefit of 263 Crores.

Markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) initiated first phase of its new enterprise portal to facilitate accurate and timely circulation of information to internal and external stakeholders. The portal is developed by firm Tech Mahindra, provides a platform to intermediaries to interact in a secure manner with SEBI.

Ministry of Tourism sanctioned 25 projects under Swadesh Darshan scheme worth Rs. 2048 Crore.

Online classifieds platform Quikr acquired Bengaluru-based online recruitment firm Hiree for an undisclosed amount.

Online marketplace Snapdeal partnered with e-ticketing platform BookMyShow to extend its offerings. Now, customers can now book tickets for movies on Snapdeal.

Online pharmacy Company 1mg acquired diagnostic labs aggregator Medd (HolaMed Healthcare Technologies Pvt. Ltd) for an undisclosed amount.

1mg operates an online marketplace for medicines, besides facilitating medical appointments and diagnostic test bookings.

Orissa Integrated Power Ltd's 4000 UMPP(ultra mega power project) received First Stage Approval. Area required is 1302 hectares for this Rs 29000 mega power project.

Over 14 lakh LPG connections have been released to women of BPL families under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) that aims at providing LPG connections to five crore below-poverty-line beneficiaries over next three years.

Public Sector Bank Corporation Bank launched a new Green PIN facility as an online module for generation of Personal Identification Number (PIN) for credit card holders.

Railway Ministry launched a project to install Solar Panels in all Railway Buildings in order to reduce expenditure on electricity. As part of this, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu laid foundation stone of one Megawatt (MW) solar power plant at Amritsar Railway station in Punjab.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has put penalty on Bank of Baroda (5 Crore), HDFC Bank (2 Crore), Allahabad Bank(2 Crore), UCO Bank (2 Crore) and Rs 1 crore on Bank of India for violation of anti-money laundering norms.

Reserve Bank of India asked banks to exchange up to 20 pieces of soiled currency notes with a maximum value of Rs. 5,000 free of charge in an effort to improve customer service.

SBI Cards and Payment Services launched a premium credit card 'Elite', as a bundle of several privileges and benefits for high net worth individuals (HNIs). It is launched on Master Card World platform, enabled with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology.

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) partnered with Yes Bank under Partial Risk Sharing Facility (PRSF) for financing energy efficiency projects programme sponsored by World Bank. As per agreement, SIDBI will guarantee 75% of loans of up to Rs. 15 crore extended to energy efficiency projects.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money recommended ban on cash transactions of above 3 lakh rupees in a day and a separate law to declare such transactions as illegal and punishable.

Start-up India States’ Conference organized by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion ( DIPP) in New Delhi, to give momentum to start-up India initiative.

State Bank of India (SBI) and Brookfield Asset Management set up a joint venture (JV) of RS 7000 Crores to make investments in businesses with stressed assets. SBI will commit approx 5 % of total investment.

State Bank of India (SBI) launched SBI Mingle, a social media banking platform for Facebook and Twitter users. It will allow SBIs customers to access various banking services via these social platforms.

State Bank of India (SBI) signed MoU with Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) at IIT Bombay to promote innovation by start-ups in the financial sector.

State Bank of India (SBI) signed agreement worth $625 million USD with World Bank to support its grid connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (GRPV) programme, aimed ar geenrating 400 MW solar capacity across country.

State Bank of India (SBI) tied up with e-commerce firm Flipkart to offer new pre-approved Equated Monthly Installment(EMI) facility for SBI account holders. Under this, SBI will provide overdraft facility to its customers purchasing goods worth Rs. 5,000 and above on Flipkart for tenor of 6, 9, and 12 months, withPersonal loan interest (14%) applicable for such purchases. Purpose is to provide finance to credit worthy individuals for online purchase, without applying for a personal loan for simple purchases.

State Bank of India Launched Digital Village Campaign and selected 21 villages across country, on State Bank Day (1st July).

State Bank of India has launched a payment system at its ATMs which will allow account holders to transfer the money by usingmobile phone number as an identifier. It works on instant money transfer (IMT) platform which will enable a payment of up to Rs 10,000 from any SBI bank account and recipient can withdraw funds instantly from an IMT-enabled ATM without using a debit card. IMT is a unique payment system launched by Eempays Payment Systems Pvt Ltd.

State of Electricity Production in India -

As per Government, Total 169503 MW elecricity will be produced in India this year, which is 2.3 % more than demand of 165253 MW. Although, 30 % power gets wasted in terms of Transmission Loss (22 %) and stealing (8 %).

India is now self sufficient in terms of producing enough power to fulfill its needs. Government has set target of Power to All by 2019 (changed from 2022 earlier).

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and US-based Bell Helicopter signed a deal to jointly develop helicopter market in India.

Tata Consultancy Services has been ranked as top employer in Indian IT industry, as per a report by Nasscom. TCS had a total headcount of 3.62 lakh while Infosys and Wipro had 1.97 lakh and 1.73 lakh, respectively.

Tata STRIVE (an initiative of Tata Community Initiatives Trust) launched its first Skill Development Centre (TSSDC) centre in Hyderabad. It will equip youth in State with skills in BPO, banking, financial services, insurance and retail industries to make them employable.

Telecom Ministry cleared 3,500-crore 4G spectrum trading deal between service providers Bharti Airtel and Aircel. Under this, Airtel acquired rights to use 4G spectrum of Aircel in 8 telecom circles.

US-based A10 Networks, an application networking and security company acquired Appcito, a provider of Software-As-A-Service (SaaS)-based multi-cloud Application Delivery Controllers (ADC) solutions.

Uttar Pradesh government signed a MoU with Netherlands to set up a skill development center to help farmers. It would ensure that farmers would get information in food processing and modern techniques for better produce of sugarcane, potato, dairy development and flowers.

Vodafone M-Pesa, a mobile phone-based money transfer service, has tied up with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to enable consumers pay their electricity bills instantly.

Worlds first digital incubator for student start-ups “SV.CO” launched in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala). Students can form teams and apply for admission to the digital incubator. Once selected, they will be guided right from selecting an idea to building a prototype and its launch to early customers within 6 months.

Yes Bank got approval from Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to sponsor a mutual fund and to setup an Asset Management Company (AMC) and a trustee company in India.

e-Commerce Firm Flipkart acquired online fashion portal Jabong through its fashion unit Myntra. Deal is said to be around 450 Crores.

e-commerce firm Amazon launched Prime premium service in India, available to customers in 100 Indian cities. With this, customers can avail 1 -2 day delivery on lakhs of eligible products.

International

7th edition of Mountain Echoes literary festival 2016 will be held in Thimpu (Bhutan) in August 2016. It is an initiative of India-Bhutan Foundation in association with Siyahi, a literary organization.

Bornean orangutan species has been declared critically endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). IUCN found that population of Bornean orangutans dropped by nearly two-third since 1970s. It is expected to further decline to 47,000 by 2025 representing population loss of 86%.

A Coup Attempt by Military neutralized in Turkey, aimed at dethroning current president Tayyip Erdogan.

According to a survey conducted by Skytrax,

Top 5 best airlines - Emirates (1st), Qatar Airways (2nd), Singapore Airlines (3rd), Cathay Pacific (4th), ANA All Nippon Airways (5th).

As per latest report by WaterAid - ‘Caught Short–How lack of toilets and clean water contribute to malnutrition’, India has highest number of children suffering from stunting (less growth) in world. 4.8 crore children in India suffer from stunted growth.

Bangladesh and India signed agreement for construction of a 1,320 megawatt (MW) coal fired power plant near Sundarbans. India's Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) was selected under an open international tender for constructing super thermal plant at Bangladeshs southwestern Rampal near the Sundarbans.

Brazilian scientists identified Culex quinquefasciatus mosquito as another type of Zika-transmitting mosquito. It was identified by researchers from the public Brazilian laboratory Fundacion Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz). Upto now, transmission of Zika virus was only known through Aedes aegypti mosquito, that spreads Dengue and Chikungunya. Culex quinquefasciatus is known as domestic mosquito in Brazil.

China inducted its largest indigenously-built transport aircraft named as Y-20.

China showcased world’s largest amphibious aircraft - AG 600. Key Features are -

Massive seaplane AG600 is far larger than any other plane built for marine take-off and landing. The aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 53.5 tonnes. It has maximum range of 4,500 km and is intended for fighting forest fires and performing marine rescues.

It could potentially be used to display China’s ability to conduct a variety of operations in the disputed South China Sea.

China’s internet regulator has put a ban on major online companies, to stop original news reporting.

Chinese electronics firm LeEco announced to buy American TV manufacturer Vizio for $2 billion.

Facebook’s Internet drone named ‘Aquila’ passed first full-scale test. The flight test was undertaken in Arizona (US) went for 96 minutes. Aquila is solar solar-powered internet drone being designed to beam the Internet service to remote areas of the world. It is developed by Facebook’s Connectivity Lab.

First direct bus service between Pokhara (Nepal) and New Delhi (India) launched.

First international film, arts and animal welfare festival Animal-Human-Nature Continuum started in Mumbai (India0. It will highlight relationship among animals, humans and nature.

Forbes list of worlds highest paid celebrities -

Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan and Akshay Kumar were only Indian celebrities in list.

Shahrukh khan is ranked 86th with annual earnings of 33 Million USD.

Akshay Kumar is ranked 94t with 31.5 million USD earnings.

Musician Taylor Swift is at top of list with $170 million USD yearly earnings.

Government approved Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) with Cambodia. The Treaty promotes and protects investments from either country in territory of other country, with objective of increasing bilateral investment flows.

Government approved MoU with Tunisia for strengthening cooperation in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Digital Economy.

Government approved Revised Cost Estimate of ongoing 1020 MW Punatsangchhu-II Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Bhutan, that seeks provide surplus power to India.

Government approved signing Air Services Agreement with Mozambique, To promote air connectivity between two countries.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and French firm Safran Helicopter Engines will establish a support centre in India for rotorcraft customers.

India and Cyprus revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA), under which capital gains tax will be levied on the sale of shares of investments made after April 1, 2017.

India approved MOU with Mauritius in field of Rural Development and Poverty Alleviation.

India approved MOU with Tanzania in field of Traditional Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy.

India approved MoU with Mozambique in field of Drug demand reduction and prevention of illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs. Government also approved a long-term contract with Mozambique for import of pulses.

India contributed 100,000 USD to United Nations’ Trust Fund in support of victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers. With this India became the first country to make a contribution to the fund and to start UN fund for sex abuse victims. The Trust Fund was established in March 2016 under United Nations Department of Field Support (DFS).

India will be Partner Country of INNOPROM 2016 (largest annual international industrial trade fair of Russia). Commerce Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman will Lead Indian Delegation Of 110 Companies To Russia.

Indian Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and U.S Agency for International Development (USAID) launched second phase of Feed the Future India Triangular Training Programme, bringing specialized agriculture training to 1,500 agricultural professional across Africa and Asia.

International Cricket Council official Rankings -
Top 3 teams in ICC Test Rankings

Rank

Team

Matches

Points

Rating

1

Australia

32

3765

118

2

India

20

2238

112

3

Pakistan

20

2227

111

Top 3 teams in ICC ODI Rankings

Rank

Team

Matches

Points

Rating

1

Australia

40

4916

123

2

New Zealand

41

4631

113

3

India

48

5278

110

Top 3 teams in ICC T20 Rankings

Rank

Team

Matches

Points

Rating

1

New Zealand

20

2635

132

2

India

25

3212

128

3

West Indies

18

2192

122

International Monetary Fund announced $5.34 billion program for Iraq to help strengthen its finances, that are hit by crash in oil prices and fight against the Islamic State group.

Karnataka Region Economic and Trade Organisation (KRETO) and Sanya People Municipal Government (China) signed MoU to foster trade between Sanya City and Karnataka.

Mahindra Aerostructures, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra got a Tier 1 supplier contract to supply airframe parts for Airbuss AS565 MBe Panther helicopter. With this, Mahindra Aerostructures becomes first Indian company to receive a direct manufacturing contract from Airbus as a Tier 1 supplier.

Mother Teresa International Film Festival (MTIFF) will start from Kolkata in August 26 and will travel across world to mark canonisation of Mother Teresa on September 4, 2016.

Networked Readiness Index (NRI) Report by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF). It measures countries success in creating the necessary conditions for a transition to a digitised economy and society -

Top-5 countries - Singapore (1st) Finland (2nd), Sweden (3rd), Norway (4th), United States (5th).

India was placed at 91st position in the recently released 2016.

Noted Social Activit and Writer Mahasweta Devi passed Away.

Oracle acquired NetSuite (first cloud company), for 9.3 billion USD.

PM Narendra Modi and PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated Petrapole Integrated Check Post (ICP), through video-conference. Petrapole ICP is located in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Petrapole is the Indian side of Petrapole-Benapole border checkpoint between India and Bangladesh.

PM Narendra Modi radio programme Mann Ki Baat will now also be telecast to Bangladesh, on All India Radio's upcoming Bangla language service channel Akashvani Maitree. Purpose is to strengthen bilateral ties and break stranglehold of Pakistani and Chinese radio channels in Bangladesh.

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in Hague (Netherlands) rejected Chinas claims to economic rights across large swathes of South China Sea, as part of case brought by Philippines. Ruling came from an arbitration tribunal under United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which China and Philippines have signed.

Peru declared Zika Virus outbreak as a health emergency across northern half of country after 102 people were infected with the virus.

Researchers from Laval University in Quebec (Canada) will conduct world’s first Zika vaccine test on humans.

Russia approved a legislation consisting of a package of controversial anti-terror amendments, named as Big Brother law. The nick-name Big Brother law was coined by Edward Snowden (USA intelligence contractor turned privacy activist).

It Boosts surveillance powers for security services and grants them access to any users messages without any judicial oversight.

It maked Mandatory for communication service providers to store users calls, messages, photographs and videos for six months and metadata for 3 years, so that government agencies can access it.

Scimago Institutions Rankings 2016

India's Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked 12th in world among government institutions. CSIR was being ranked 14th for past 3 years. Overall global ranking of CSIR also improved from 110 to 99th position.

Out of 746 institutions, France's National Centre for Scientific Research was ranked first followed by Chinese Academy of Science.

Scimago rankings is a classification of academic and research related institutions, combining 3 different sets of indicators based on research performance, innovation outputs and societal impact measured by their web visibility.

Scotland Based oil energy explorer Cairn asked Indian Government to pay nearly $6 billion as compensation for hurting its business through a tax dispute of $1.6 billion raised by India. Cairn then took its case to international arbitration court in The Hague.

Cairn said that taxes sought were related to transactions carried out to reorganise company's structure to prepare for Cairn India Limited's stock market flotation in 2007.

Cairn sold its majority stake in Cairn India to Vedanta Resources in 2011. Cairn said that tax department's investigation, started in January 2014 and stalled sale of its outstanding holding in Indian venture, worth about $700 million.

Search Giant Google acquired Moodstocks, a startup based out of Paris that develops machine-learning based image recognition technology for smartphones.

Social Security between India and Japan shall come into force from 1st October 2016. With this, number of India's operational Social Security Agreements (SSA) will be 16. SSA are concluded by Ministry of External Affairs along with Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).

Solar Impulse 2 become first aircraft to circle globe using solar energy after landing in Abu Dhabi. It travelled 26744 miles since starting from Abu Dhabi in March 2015. Solar Impulse 2 is a Swiss long-range solar-powered aircraft project.

Sun Pharma rolled out Gemcitabine InfuSMART in Europe. InfuSMART is a technology in which oncology products are developed in a ready-to-administer (RTA) bag. Sun Pharma become worlds first pharmaceutical company to manufacture and launch a licensed RTA oncology product.

Oncology is study and treatment of tumours.

Sustainable Development index (SDI) 2016 -

SDI assesses countries where they stand with regard to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

India has been ranked 110th out of 149 countries.

Top 10 Countries: Sweden (1st), Denmark (2nd), Norway (3rd), Finland (4th), Switzerland (5th), Germany (6th), Austria (7th), Netherlands (8th), Iceland (9th) and United Kingdom (10th).

Bottom 5 Countries: Chad (145th), Niger (146th), Congo (147th), Liberia (148th) and Central African Republic (149th).

India’s neighbours: Pakistan (115th), Myanmar (117th), Bangladesh (118th) and Afghanistan (139th), China (76th).

Tropical storm Typhoon Nepartak struck Chinas Fujian Province.

Turkey declared 3-month emergency across nation after a failed military coup to overthrow democratically elected government.

UN General Assembly approved agreement to make International Organisation for Migration part of UN as a related organisation.

IOM assisted 2 crore migrants in 2015. It is an intergovernmental organisation with more than 9,500 staff and 450 offices worldwide. It was Founded after World War II to resettle refugees from Europe.

USA Department of Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated top officials of North Korean regime along with Leader Kim Jong-Un for abuses of human rights. This is the first time that USA has sanctioned North Korean leader over human rights abuses.

World Health Organisation (WHO) declared Brazil free of measles, after no case of the disease was registered in 2015. Eradication of measles in Brazil is conclusion of work of WHO and Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO).

World Health Organization (WHO) has certified India as Yaws, Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus free country.

Yahoo has developed a new online abuse detecting algorithmm, better than most existing products. It uses machine laerning and carries 90 % accuracy in recognizing unsuitable speeches.

Meetings

11th Asia-Europe Meeting Summit (ASEM11) or ASEM2016 held in Ulaanbaatar (capital of Mongolia). Theme of the Summit is ‘Partnership for the Future through Connectivity‘ and it is attended by leaders of 51 member countries. It was attended by Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari on India's behalf. He unveiled a stone statue of MK Gandhi at Pethub Monastery in Mongolian capital.

2-day long NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Summit 2016 held in Warsaw (Poland). It was 27th summit biannual summit of NATO since its inception in 1949.

BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue concluded in Patna (Bihar) with theme Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.

BRICS Youth Summit 2016 held in Guwahati (Assam) with Theme Youth as bridge for Intra-BRICS Exchanges.

Finance Ministers from Group of 20 (G-20) economies met in Chinese city of Chengdu.

Finance Ministry imposed anti-dumping duty on purified terephthalic acid (PTA) imports from China, Iran, Taiwan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Anti-dumping duty is a tariff that governments impose on foreign imports that it believes are priced below fair market value.

First Annual Meeting of Board of Governors of the BRICS New Development Bank held at Shanghai (China). Mr Raj Kumar (Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs) represented India.

First meeting of BRICS Employment Working Group (BEWG) held in Hyderabad (Telangana).

First meeting of BRICS Working Group on Energy Saving and Energy Efficiency held in Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

India will host meet of heads of anti-narcotics agencies of BRICS nations in October 2016, to discuss issues related to narco-terrorism and money laundering.

International summit on tobacco-control will be hosted by India in Noida on November 2016.

SAARC Tourism Summit will be hosted by Aurangabad (Maharashtra) in October 2016, with an aim to tap Foreign Direct Investment ( FDI) under “Make in India” and “Make in Maharashtra” schemes. Ministry of External Affairs chosen Aurangabad because 2017 will be celebrated as “Visit Maharashtra Year” and 2018 will observe 200th anniversary of discovery of world heritage Ajanta caves (Maharashtra).

Second anti-drug working group meeting of heads of anti-narcotics agencies of BRICS countries held in New Delhi to discuss issues related to narco-terrorism and money laundering.

National

13 districts in Madhya Pradesh will be covered under upcoming phase of Government's Mission Indradhanush initiative aimed at full immunization of all children in country.

2016 Hemis festival held at Hemis Monastery in Ladakh (Jammu and Kashmir ), to celebrate birthday of Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). He is believed to be local savior who banished demons and evil spirits.

2nd unit of India’s largest nuclear power plant, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu became operational. It now has 2 unit of 1000 MW each. Both units of the Kudankulam plant have been made at a cost of over Rs. 22,000 crore.

Kudankulam Nuclear Plant's Technology is backed by Russia. This atomic reactor will provide electricity to Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala and Karnataka.

India currently operates 21 reactors that can generate 5,780 MW of electricity besides giving India its atomic weapons. India hopes to generate 63,000 MW of nuclear power by 2032.

40th sesion of UNESCO's World Heritage Committee (WHC) at Istanbul in Turkey.

Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) in Sikkim named First Indian world heritage site to qualify in Mixed Category - Both Natural and Cultural.

Archaeological site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) in Bihar.

Capitol Complex in Chandigarh also made it to the list, thus bringing all three nominations this session into the heritage roll of honour.

This is first time that any country got three sites inscribed in the Word Heritage List at a single session of the committee meeting

India now has 35 sites, including 27 cultural properties, seven natural sites and one mixed site, notified as World Heritage Sites.

Other UNESCO world herirage sites declared during same session - Ani (Turkey), Qanat (Iran), Artificial islets of Nan Madol (Micronesia), Stecci Sites (Bosnia, central and western Montenegro, southern Croatia and western Serbia), Ancient Philippi (Spain), Antequera Dolmens (Spain), Gorhams Cave Complex (Britain).

Turkish musician Kudsi Erguner was appointed as the UNESCO Artist for Peace by the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova.

Besides, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also listed Swiss-French architect Le Corbusiers works among its World Heritage Sites list.

Le Corbusier's works were added in list in recognition of his contribution in modern architectural movement after World War I. His 17 sites across spread across seven countries France, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, Argentina, Japan and India have been added in the World Heritage Sites list.

4th Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival held in Guwahati (Assam). This festival pays homage to rich culture of northeast India and is dedicated to film fraternity of region.

6th Indian Languages Festivals (ILF)- Samanvay 2016 will be held in New Delhi in November 2016 with theme Language as Public Action.

7-day long Kharchi Puja festival started at Chaturdas Devta Temple in Old Agartala (Tripura). In this century old festival of Tripura, Puja is offered to head-images of 14 God and Goddesses, that are bought outside only during first week of Shukla Paksha of Ashad of Bengali calendar year.

A Garden Waste Management Unit (GWMU) inaugurated in President’s Estate in Delhi, as part of advancing Swachh Bharat Mission. GWMU will process green waste such as fallen leaves, pruned plant material, cut grass and litter into organic compost.

A motorcycle rally named Ride for Accessibility organized in Delhi with a message to empower Divyangs (differently abled persons).

A new study of Pre-historic megaliths indicate that Meghalayas Khasi tribe has been residing in the state since around 1200 BCE. The study was conducted on the megaliths and tools discovered in Meghalayas Ri-Bhoi district. A megalith is a large stone that forms part of a prehistoric monument.

Actor Amitabh Bachchan will be face of city compost campaign under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) to encourage citizens to use compost produced from municipal solid waste.

An Apparel Training Centre established in Kaduna (Nigeria) under Cotton Technical Assistance Programme (Cotton TAP) for Africa which is being implemented by Department of Commerce, Government of India under 2nd India Africa Forum Summit.

Andhra Pradesh government laid foundation stone for a Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises technology centre under Technology Centre Systems Programme (TCSP) at Pudi in Visakhapatnam district.

Andhra Pradesh government launched Mission Harita Andhra Pradesh, with theme “Green cover for a happy living”.Purpose is to increase green cover in state to 50 % by 2029.

Andhra Pradesh government will conduct a 'Smart Pulse Survey' for collecting socio-economic data of 1.48 crore households in the state.

As per Government, Majority of glaciers in India including Gangotri are retreating (melting) at varying rates ranging from 5 to 20 metre per year due to global warming.

As per the data under Census 2011, details of Work Participation Rate (WPR) amongst major religious groups are -

Major religious groups

WPR

Hinduism

41%

Islam

32.6% (Lowest)

Christianity

41.9%

Sikhism

36.3%

Buddhist

43.1%

Jains

35.5%

Other religions and persuasions

48.5%

Religion not stated

31.3%

All

39.8%

The recruitment of minorities in Government, Public Sector Banks, Public Sector Undertakings was 8.57% in 2014-15.

Bihar government lifted ban on sale and consumption of toddy (palm wine) in state.

Byculla Zoo in Mumbai became firts Indian zoo to have Penguins, after 8 Humboldt penguins bought in from Seoul (South Korea).

Cleanliness report of Railway stations -

Gujarat has 5 out of top 10 cleanest stations and Bihar has 5 out of top 10 dirtiest stations in India.

5 cleanest stations - Beas (Punjab), Gandhidham (Gujarat), Vasco Da Gama (Goa), Jamnagar (Gujarat), Kumbakonam (Tamilnadu).

5 dirtiest stations - Madhubani (Bihar), Ballia (UP), Bhaktiyarpur (Bihar), Raichur (Karnataka), Shahganj (UP).

Election Commission of India (ECI) launched National Electoral Roll Purification (NERP) 2016. 2016 motto of ECI is “No voter to be left behind”. NERP 2016 aims to improve health of electoral rolls (ERs) and optimize polling station (PS) location and area.

Elephant Dakshayani in Travancore Devasom Board will enter Guinness World Records as oldest living elephant (86 years age).

Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) recommended a green cess of 20-22 percent on diesel vehicles. EPCA is a Supreme court-appointed Green Panel for Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

Fortune 500 Companies List 2016 -

Seven Indian companies have made it to Fortune 500 list of the world’s biggest corporations in terms of revenue - Indian Oil Corporation (161st), Reliance Industries (215th), Tata Motors (226th), State Bank of India (232nd), Bharat Petroleum (358th), Hindustan Petroleum (367th) and Rajesh Exports (423rd).

Global top 10 companies - Walmart (1st), State Grid (2nd), China National Petroleum (3rd), Sinopec Group (4th), Royal Dutch Shell (5th), Exxon Mobil (6th), Volkswagen (7th), Toyota Motor (8th), Apple (9th) and BP (10th).

The world’s 500 largest companies generated collectively generated 27.6 trillion dollars in revenues and 1.5 trillion dollars in profits in 2015. Together, 2016 Fortune Global 500 companies employ 6.7 crore people worldwide and are represented by 33 countries.

Gangajal delivery scheme has been launched by India Post in Patna (Bihar0. Under this scheme, pious Gangajal brought from Gangotri and Rishikesh, would be delivered at doorsteps of people at nominal prices.

Global Retirement Index (GRI) 2016 by Natixis Global Asset Management -

India has been ranked 43rd out of 43 countries in the 2016 .

List is topped by Norway, followed by Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden and Germany.

purpose of this index is to provide a global benchmark for retirees and future retirees so that they can evaluate and compare suitability of various nations, and plan their retirement accordingly.

Goa government granted scheme for students of local language schools. Under this, aided primary schools having Konkani and Marathi as Medium of Instruction (MoI) will be provided a special grant of Rs.400 per student per month for 10 months in a year.

Goverment approved Interest Subvention Scheme for farmers for 2016-17, bearing cost of 18276 Crore Rupees. It will help farmers getting short term crop loan payable within one year up to 3 lakhs Rupees at only 4% per annum.

Government will provide interest subvention of 5% per annum to all farmers for short term crop loan up to 1 year for loan upto 3 lakhs rupees for 2016-17. Thus, farmers will have to effectively pay only 4% as interest. In case they fail to repay loan in time they would be eligible for interest subvention of 2% as against 5% available above.

Government abolished existing "Separate Guidelines for establishing Joint Venture Companies by Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)", that were notified in February 2012. Guidelines issued by Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and Ministry of Finance (MoF) that which are applicable to all Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) will now also be applicable for DPSUs to set up JV companies.

Government approved 1600 crore rupees for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) under skill development initiative Himayat programme. Under it, youths from J&K would be given training in job-intensive vocational courses over next 3 years.

Government approved Bill for change of name of Rajendra Central Agricultural University in Pusa (Bihar) to Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University.

Government approved High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill 2016 to change names of High Courts based on nomenclature of cities they are located in. It willn facilitate changing names of ‘Madras High Court as Chennai High Court and ‘Bombay High Court as Mumbai High Court respectively.

Government approved National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) for providing apprenticeship training to over 50 lakh youngsters by 209-20, with outlay of 10,000 crore rupees.

It will be implemented by Director General of Training (DGT) under Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).

Government will provide incentives to employers to engaging apprentices and will share 25% of total stipend payable to an apprentice with employers. Government will bear 50% of the total expenditure incurred on providing basic training to an apprentice.

Government approved Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) with outlay of 12000 crores, to impart skilling to 1 crore people by 2020. PMKVY will impart fresh training to 60 lakh youths and certify skills of 40 lakh persons acquired non-formally under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

Government approved Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2016 to protect them from discrimination. It will lead greater inclusiveness and will make transgender persons productive members of society.

Government approved amendment in Central Agricultural University Act (CAU) 1992 to include State of Nagaland under jurisdiction of CAU, Imphal. Now, the College of Veterinary Sciences in Nagaland will produce much-needed professional manpower in the fields of animal husbandry, which will facilitate socio-economic growth in region. It will help Nagaland to get the benefit of CAU (Manipur). CAU was established for entire North Eastern Region.

Government approved establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda (Punjab), under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) at a cost of 925 crores. Note that earliewr government had approved a new AIIMS at Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh).

Government approved establishment of new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), at cost of Rs. 1011 crores.

Government approved incorporation of Sagarmala Development Company (SDC) to push port-led economic development under Sagarmala project.

SDC will be under Ministry of Shipping and It will provide equity support to the project Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and funding support to the residual projects under Sagarmala Programme.

Government approved joint issue of postage stamps between Department of Posts of India and Portugal.

Government approved renaming Mhow railway station in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh after BR Ambedkar as he was born there.

Government approved revised cost estimate for Rs. 3727.30 crore for National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP). NATRIP is an important Initiative by Government for establishment of global test centres in India. This will address R&D requirements of the automotive industry.

Government approved revival of 3 fertilizers defunct Fertilizer Units - Barauni (Bihar) unit of Hindustan Fertilizers Corporation Limited (HFCL), (ii) Urea unit of Fertilizer Corporation India Limited (FCIL) at Sindri (Jharkhand) and (iii) Urea unit of FCIL at Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh).

Government approved setting up a Major port at Enayam near Colachel in Tamil Nadu.

Government constituted District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) for effective development and coordination of Central Government’s programme. It will be known as DISHA and will monitor implementation of 28 schemes and programmes of several Ministries.

Government launched Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) portal (kvk.icar.gov.in), to provide information and advisory to farmers and facilitate online monitoring of KVK activities.

Government launched Transforming India Website (www.transformingindia.mygov.in), a repository for sharing the impact of various governance initiatives with citizens in real-time. It was launched by Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Law and Justice and Communication and Information Technology.

Government notified UIDAI (Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairperson and Members) Rules 2016 to give legal status to Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). These rules have been framed as per provisions of Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act 2016.

Government of Delhi launched online payment system for licensing and registration of Food Business Operators (FBOs).

Government of Himachal Pradesh, NTPC & NHPC signed MoU for setting up Hydro Engineering College in Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh), to promote technical education in State.

Government will drop 20 out of 106 districts described as being Maoist-affected. The list is called Red Corridor. Dropping of these districts from list will result in drying of aid given to these districts (approx 30 crore rupees annually). Red corridor expands in 106 districts of 10 states - Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Government will provide assistance of 400 crore rupees for developing airports at varioous locations in Uttar Pradesh.

Haryana Government announced to open Yoga centres across all municipal units. 1 yoga centre would be opened in each municipal committee, two within jurisdiction of each municipal council and four in each municipal corporation.

Haryana Government launched Pashudhan Bima Yojana, an insurance cover scheme for cattle breeders in state. Insurance cover will be provided at a premium of Rs 100 for cows, buffaloes, bulls, camels and at Rs 25 for sheep, goat and pig for 3 years.

Haryana Government notified "Freight Assistance Scheme" for exporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) located anywhere in State. It has given time till September 9 to submit claim application for 2015-16. The decision was taken in view of additional cost borne by MSMEs exporting unit located in state due to large distances from sea ports.

Haryana Government will introduce online filing of Performance Appraisal Report (PAR) through Smart Performance Appraisal Report Recording Online Window (SPARROW) for all its IPS officers, to be recorded online at ips.gov.in.

Haryana's Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with non-profit public organization namely Global Village Foundation (GVF) for collaborative studies and research on social and economic public policies.

Human Resource Development Minsitry organised Gun Gaurav event to felicitate 46 students who achieved high marks in XII exams despite adverse conditions.

Indias first Centre of Excellence on Internet of Things (CoE– IoT) launched in Bengaluru (Karnataka) jointly set up NASSCOM, Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DEITY) and Education and Research Network (ERNET). It has been created as a catalyst for developing IoT SME/Startup ecosystem of India to scale for industrial and societal needs. The centre has capacity to incubate 40 startups and allows them to build a prototype and test them.

Indias first Commercial Court and Commercial Disputes Resolution Centre inaugurated at Raipur (Chhattisgarh).

Indias first multi-city marathon The Great India Run started from New Delhi. It will pass through Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and will end at Mumbai on August 6, 2016.

India’s first Green Rail Corridor inaugurated on 114-km long Rameswaram-Manamadurai stretch in Tamil Nadu. Green Rail Corridor ensures zero toilet discharge on rail tracks as part of its commitment to clean environment under the ‘Swachh Rail-Swachh Bharat’ initiative.

India’s first e-court (paperless court) opened at High Court of Hyderabad (common high court for states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana).

International Transgender Arts Festival, a performing arts festival for transgenders will be organized at National Gallery for Modern Arts in Bengaluru from July 29 - 31, 2016.

Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Maharashtra) became first Indian port to implement logistics data bank tagging system of containers, as part of its Ease of Doing Business initiatives.

Jharkhand government will form a separate cell for Primitive Tribes Group (PTG) in Welfare Department.

Joint Venture Agreement Signed between Railways and Haryana Government for expanding Railways network in Haryana.

Karnataka government has recently imposed an unconditional ban on the sale and possession of Chinese manja and other non-biodegradable threads used to fly kites.

Kerala Assembly passed Legislative Assembly (Removal of Disqualifications) Amendment Bill 2016, to pave way for VS Achutanandan's appointment as the Administrative Reforms Committee Chairman with Cabinet rank. Bill seeks to add a subsection that says No person shall be disqualified from being member of legislative assembly (MLA) on grounds that it holds the office of profit in term of being Chairman of Administrative Reforms Commission.

Kerala Government constituted a State Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (STAGI) on lines of National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI). It will advise State government on policies to be adopted and implemented under National Immunisation Programme.

Kerala Government launched Kochi Water Metro project, first ever Water Metro project in the country. It project aims to provide water connectivity to people living between islands in the Kochi agglomeration area and city.

Lifeline Express, worlds first hospital on a train of Indian Railways has completed 25 years of service to underprivileged masses of rural India. Lifeline Express is also known as the Magic Train of India. It was launched on 16 July 1991.

Lok Sabha passed Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill 2016 for opening six new IITs in Palakkad (Kerala), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), Goa, Dharwar (Karnataka), Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) and Bringing Indian School of Mines Dhanbad (Jharkhand) within ambit of parent Act.

Lok Sabha passed National Institute of Technology, Science, Education and Research (Amendment) (NITSER) Bill 2016, that aims to establish a new National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Andhra Pradesh.

Madhya Pradesh became first Indian state in to have ‘Happiness Department’ that will work as knowledge resource centre on subject of happiness on the lines of Bhutan.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis launched a pilot project of e-complaint system on an experimental basis in Pune. Citizens can now register a police complaint online at any city police station from anywhere. As per current laws, FIRs have to be registered at police station only.

Maharashtra government crossed target in its initiative for plantation of about 2 crores trees, aimed at benefittig the environment.

Maharashtra police launched four mobile apps for timely intervention into emergency situations - Pratisaad Ask, Police Mitra, Vahanchoritakrar and Railway helpline app.

Ministry of Culture will upgrade Infrastructure for one State Central Library and one District Library in each State / Union Territory as a Model Library under National Mission on Libraries (NML).

Ministry of Earth Sciences held its 10th anniversary and Foundation Day. It was established in 2006.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched Intensified Diarrhoea Control Fortnight (IDCF) to check child diarrhoeal deaths. IDCF drive will be observed from 11th - 23rd July 2016, as a cost -effective intervention to curb risk of spread of diarrhoea that scales up during monsoon season.

Ministry of Tourism released data on domestic and foreign tourist visits -

Domestic Tourist Visits

Number of Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) to States and UTs was 14.32 Crores, up from 12.82 Crore in 2014. Tamil Nadu stayed at top in domestic tourism with 3.3 crore domestic visits.

Foreign Tourist Visits -

India garnered 2.3 crore visits in 2015 as compared to 2.23 crore in 2014.

Tamil Nadu is at top with 46.8 lakh visits. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh secured second and third place. with 44 lakh visits and 31 lakh visits respectively.

NITI Aayog signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with Intel India to set up 10 Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in India to promote creativity and imagination among young innovators. ATL is a part of Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and aims to build relevant skill sets among youngsters.

National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) conferred rare and singular species genetic recognition tag to the threatened breed of Kendrapara sheep found in Odisha, under registration number INDIA_SHEEP_1500_KENDRAPADA_14042. It became 42nd sheep breed in India to receive such tag. The genetically rare status will help to boost conservation effort to protect these domesticated threatened sheep.

National E-Vidhan Academy will be set up in Tapovan (Himachal Pradesh), where Himachal Vidhan Sabha is situated in Dharamshala. The academy will train MPs, MLAs and staff of such institutions from different states.

National Green Tribunal has put ban on over 10 year old diesel vehicles in Delhi.

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) signed MoU with National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (Nagpur) to develop 12 sewage treatment plants (STP).

Parliament passed Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill 2016, aimed at establishment of funds under public accounts of Centre and State levels for compensatory afforestation.

It Establishes National Compensatory Afforestation Fund (NCAF) under Public Account of India, and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund under Public Account of each state. NCAF will get 10% of funds collected and remaining 90% will go to respective State Fund.

Collected funds will be utilised for afforestation, regeneration of forest ecosystem, wild life protection and forest related infrastructure development. Establishes National and State Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authorities to manage the funds.

Parliament passed Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill 2016 to provide statutory status to existing Regional Centre for Biotechnology in Faridabad, Haryana. It will provide legislative backing to Regional Centre and also confers upon it status of an institution of national importance.

Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague (Netherlands) ruled against Antrix Corporation in case with Devas Corporation over sharing of spectrum on satellites. Case is -

In 2005, Devas Corporation and Antrix Corporation struck a deal which had provided for launch of 2 satellites. These satellites were to establish a hybrid satellite and terrestrial communications network to supply wireless audio-visual, broadband and mobile internet service across India.

But later, Antrix Corporation terminated contract citing changes in Indian policy and that the allocation of S-band Spectrum to companies unconnected with India’s space programme was now regarded as a risk to national security.

Devas moved to PCA, citing Antrix had contended that national security and force majeure issues reasons for termination of deal as “contrived excuses”. It also asked damages of 1.6 billion USD from Indian Government under UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law) Arbitration Rules.

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated Swami Vivekanand Sabhagar at Kathak Kendra of Sangeet Natak Akademi in New Delhi.

President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a smart model village pilot project, to be implemented in five selected villages in Haryana than later on will be spread across country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and revival of fertilizer factory which was closed for the last three decades in Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh).

Puducherry government will form ‘Swachh Bal Senas’ to make sure cleanliness across union territory.

Punjab Government launched Rapid Rural Police Response System (RRPRS) to ensure prompt and effective police response in 12,000 villages across state.

Railway Ministry flagged off first broad gage train service Tripura Sundari Express from Agartala (Tripura) to Delhi.

Rajasthan become first state in India to introduce minimum wages for part time workers, bringing part time workers in state under Minimum Wages Act 1948. As per new rule, it is now mandatory for employer to pay 50% of the prescribed a day minimum wage to a person who works for less than four hours in a day. Besides, government also increased minimum wages in all categories of scheduled employments by 104 Rupees / month.

Rajasthan government will hold Global Rajasthan Agritech Meet (GRAM) in Jaipur from November 9 - 11, aimed at doubling income of farmers by 2022. The event will showcase investment opportunities in agricultural sector in state.

Rajya Sabha passed Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2016 that seeks to amend Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986. Key facts are -

Prohibition of employment of children below 14 years in all occupations or processes except where child helps his family.

A new category is called - adolescent. They are person between 14 and 18 years of age. Employment of adolescents is prohibited in hazardous occupations.

Government may add or omit any hazardous occupation from list included in Bill.

Punishment for employing any child is increased to imprisonment between 6 months to two years (from earlier 3 months-one year) or fine of 20,000 to 50,000 Rupees (from earlier 10,000 to 20,000 Rupees).

Proposes penalty for employing an adolescent in a hazardous occupation i.e. imprisonment between 6 months and 2 years or a fine of 20,000 to 50,000 Rupees or both.

Ramayana Masam began in Kerala in Malayalam month “Karkidakam”, will end on August 16. The famous Malayalam version of Ramayana titled “Adhyatma Ramayanam Kilippattu” written by Thunchath Ezhuthachan is recited in this month.

Second phase of Haritha Haram programme of Telangana government launched. It aims to plant 46 crore plants to improve green belt.

Strategic Forces Command (SFC) which forms part of National Command Authority (NCA) has been added to Second Schedule of Right to Information Act (RTI) 2005 as a subsection of Section 24 of RTI. Section 24 of RTI exempts security and intelligence establishments from its purview.

Supreme Court ordered restoration of former Chief Minister Nabam Tukis Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.

Supreme Court quashed Governors decision advancing session of the state assembly by a month, stating that it is violative of Constitution.

Now BJP's government in Arunachal Pradesh, headed by Chief Minister Kalikho Pul will step down and make way for then Congress government headed by Nabam Tuki.

It is first time in history that Supreme Court has put back a state government that had been dismissed by Centre under Presidents rule (under Article 356).

Background -

In November 2015, 21 of Congress legislators of total 47 rebelled against CM Nabam Tuki. It reduced Congress government to 26 legislators (minority) in 60-member assembly. Following it, Government imposed Presidents rule under Article 356 of Constitution on January 26, 2016 and Later, Kalikho Pul was sworn in as 9th Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu government launched free bus pass scheme for school and college students for 2016-17, aimed to benefit students from poor backgrounds.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are first states where Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) will be launched. It will integrate courts, police stations, prosecution, forensic science laboratories and jails.

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched MySpeed mobile application for measuring real time mobile Internet speed that consumers get.

Tuluni festival is celebrated every year on July 8 by Sumi Naga tribe of Nagaland to mark end of dry season and the beginning of new fruits.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) declared Bihar's ancient site - Ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara, a World Heritage Site. It is 98 km away from Patna and is second UNESCO Heritage Site in Bihar after Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya.

Nalanda Mahavihara was founded by Kumargupta I of the Gupta dynasty in 5th century CE. It was patronized by various rulers including King Harshavardhana of Kannauj (7th century CE) and Pala rulers (8th – 12th century CE) as well as various scholars. About six centuries after Nalandas decline, the site was first discovered and reported by Sir Francis Buchanan.

Uma Bharti, Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation launched 231 projects under ‘Clean Ganga project, as part of Namami Gange Campaign of Government.

West Bengal Government will set up 3 biotechnology hubs in in Bardhaman, Kalimpong and Medinipur districts, to bring more biotechnology innovations.

West Bengal government has set a target to construct toilets across all villages of the state by March 2019 to enable open defecation free (ODF) rural Bengal.

Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi launched a cyber-cell to check online abuse and harassment of women and children on social media platforms. WCD Ministry has advised women and children to send their complaints, if they are being abused or harassed on social media platforms using the hashtag #IamTrolledHelp.

World Health Organisation 2015 Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) Global Survey report -

The report highlights need to intensify national action to meet global targets governments have agreed to protect people from heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and lung diseases.

Globally, four NCDs, which are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, represent largest cause of death in people aged under 70 years.

Worlds largest Charkha unveiled at Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in New Delhi. This Charkha is made from high-quality Burma teak wood and weighs four-tones and is 9 feet wide, 17 feet tall and 30 feet long.

Persons

18-year-old Indian-American girl Sruthi Palaniappan became youngest delegate at Democratic National Convention which nominated Hillary Clinton as the party's presidential candidate.

Amal Dutta, noted former India footballer passed away.

American author James Alan McPherson has passed away. He was first black author to receive Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1978.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur will be commissioned into Territorial Army (TA) as a regular officer. He will be the first serving BJP MP to join Army.

Canada Open Grand Prix Badminton tournament 2016 -

Men's Singles - B. Sai Praneeth (India)

Women's Singles - Michelle Li (Canada)

Men's Doubles - Manu Attri and B. Sumeeth Reddy (India) - They are also first Indian mens doubles pair to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games.

Women's Doubles - Setyana Mapasa and Gronya Somerville (Australia)

Mixed Doubles - Do Tuan Duc and Pham Nhu Thao (Vietnam)

Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Malaysia visited India.

Fourth Home Minister level talks held between India and Bangladesh on oaccasion of Asaduzzaman Khan (Home Minister of Bangladesh) visiting India.

Indian Hockey Olympian Player Joe Antic passed away.

Linda Burney become first Indigenous woman elected to House of Representatives (lower house) of Parliament of Australia.

Madhya Pradesh government approved Madhya Pradesh Tax on Entry of Goods in Local Areas Amendment Bill 2016. The Bill seeks to levy 6 percent entry tax on goods brought to local areas for consumption after purchase under e-commerce. The step has taken in wake of losses to the state exchequer due to the online shopping.

Malaysian Navy chief Ahmad Kamarulzaman bin Haji Ahmad Badaruddin visited India.

Malik Samarawickrama, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade of Sri Lanka visited India.

Michelle Kakade from Pune became first person to complete Indian Golden Quadrilateral on foot. It took her 193 days, 1 hour & 9 minutes to cover 5968.4 kms of the Golden Quadrilateral that connects the 4- major metros of India.

National Memorial Foundation Stone Laying Ceremony of former President APJ Abdul Kalam held at Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu), on the occasion of his death anniversary (July 27).

Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as a Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament (MP).

Nepal's Prime Minister, Khadga Prasad Oli resigned.

Noted agricultural scientist Neelamraju Ganga Prasada Rao passed away. He is famously known as Father of Hybrid Sorghum.

Noted Canadian - American Historian William H McNeill passed away.

Noted Indian hockey player Mohammed Shahid passed away.

Noted Iranian Film director Abbas Kiarostami Passed Away. His 1997 film "Taste of Cherry" won Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival.

Noted Tabla maestro Pandit Lachu Maharaj passed away.

Noted USA Film Director Michael Cimino Passed Away.He is director of Vietnam War classic The Deer Hunter.

Noted communist leader and former World Peace Council president Romesh Chandra passed away.

Noted music director Om Prakash Sonik passed away.

Noted music director Om Prakash Sonik passed away.

Noted painter S.H. Raza passed away.

Noted playback singer Mubarak Begum passed away.

PM Narendra Modi released a book and souvenir on the life of Banda Bahadur on the occasion of 300th Martyrdom Anniversary of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.

Pakistani philanthropist, social activist and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi passed away. He was known as Pakistans ‘Father Teresa, and was Pakistans most respected figure for his humanitarian work.

Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari visited USA.

Skydiver Luke Aikins from USA became first person to jump from 25,000 feet (mid-tropospheric altitude) without a parachute and landing safely in a net. He fell safely into 100x100ft net in Simi Valley, southern California after two-minute free fall.

Science

Indian Railways launched project to instal Terrain Imaging for Diesel Drivers- Infrared Enhanced Optical and Radar Assisted(Tri-NETRA) system to avoid train accidents. The system will be installed on locomotives for enhancing the vision of Locomotive Pilots in inclement weather.

Device uses infrared and radar technology to collect signals up to a distance of 2-3 km and displays the information (composite video image) on a screen fitted inside the locomotive.

Tri-Netra will alert drivers of any physical obstruction on tracks ahead and thus giving ample time to apply brakes.

It will be very useful during fog, heavy rain and nights, when drivers have to constantly look outside the locomotive to judge condition.

This system consists a high sensitivity infra-red video camera, high-resolution optical video camera and a radar-based terrain mapping system.

Astronomers led by University of Arizona sighted a Jovian planet orbiting a triple star system, named as HD 131399Ab. ThIS strange planet was discovered using SPHERE instrument on European Southern Observatorys (ESO) Very Large Telescope in Chile.

China completed work on worlds largest radio telescope, to be used to explore space and help in hunt for extraterrestrial life. It is a 500 Metre Aperture Spherical Telescope, size of 30 football fields and has been cut out of a mountain in the south-western province of Guizhou.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) signed Agreements with IIT-Bombay and Madras to establish a bi-nodal ‘Centre of Propulsion Technology (CoPT) at these two institutions. It aims to achieve synergy between DRDO and IITs for channelising research efforts for developing products and related critical aerospace technologies.

Joint expeditions by India, USA and Japan discovered large, highly enriched accumulations of natural gas hydrate (an icy form of fuel) in Bay of Bengal (Indian Ocean). This is the first of its kind discovery in the Indian Ocean that has potential to be producible and opens up a new resource to meet energy needs of India.

Juno spacecraft of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) successfully entered Jupiters orbit. Junos aim is to understand the origin and evolution of Jupiter. It travelled 2.7 billion kilometres since its launch to reach Jupiter. Juno will have mission life of 20 months from July 2016 to Feb 2018. In its mission life, the spacecraft will circle the Jupiter 37 times before finally making a death plunge in 2018.

Ministry of Science and Technology launched Solar Power Tree as an innovative way to generate electricity by harnessing maximum solar energy in a limited space. It was launched by Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi. Key Features are -

Solar Power Tree has been developed by CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI).

It can harnesses solar energy for producing electricity with an innovative vertical arrangement of solar cells.

It takes only 4 square feet of land for installing a 5 KW Solar Power tree. But in a conventional horizontal layout for generating 5 KW it requires 400 square feet of land.

It can harness up to 10-15% more power in comparison to a conventional layout on ground.

It has a battery back-up of 2 hours on full load and can give light even after sunset. It is facilitated with water sprinkler at the top for self-cleaning of panels which help to increase the efficiency of solar panels.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) approved extending its New Horizons mission to investigate a mysterious object deep in Kuiper Belt. New Horizons space probe will now investigate a mysterious object known as 2014 MU69 located deep in Kuiper Belt.

Rare Marbled Map butterfly was sighted in Eastern Ghats near PM Kota village of Maredumilli mandal in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. This is first time that the Marbled Map butterfly species, usually found in the north-east, was sighted in South India.

Researchers from University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in Belgium have built a super-sensitive electronic nose comprising of chemical sensors metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The super-sensitive e-nose has ability to detect pesticides and nerve gas in very low concentrations by analyzing their chemical makeup.

Scientists named a newly discovered species of tarantula (a big hairy spider) as Kankuamo Marquezi after the famed Colombian novelist and 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Scientists will undertake field trials of 3 new strains of oil-degrading bacteria in Kochi (Kerala). Field trials will be conducted by Malabar Botanical Garden, MBG Institute of Plant Sciences (Kozhikode) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). Study will pave the way for development of bioremediation agents to clean up petroleum pollutants from the environment.

Oil-degrading bacteria (microorganisms) have enzyme systems to degrade and utilise hydrocarbons as a source of carbon and energy. Based on this concept, scientists from MBGIPS successfully isolated key hydrocarbon-degrading enzyme produced by the bacteria.

New strains isolated by MBGIPS include two species of Burkholderia and one species of Pseudomonas.

Bioremediation is an environment-friendly mechanism that uses microorganisms to degrade environmental pollutants.

USA Space Cmpany SpaceX successfully launched its Dragon Cargo capsule filled with supplies for astronauts aboard International Space Station, using Falcon 9 rocket. After successful take off, Falcon 9 rocket successfully landed back on solid ground.

Sports

14th edition of Homeless World Cup 2016 started in Glasgow (Scotland). It is an annual football tournament focusing on advocating a global awareness about homelessness. Slum Soccer also partnered with Tata Trusts and Football Players Association of India (FPAI) for India’s participation in world cup. Slum Soccer organization uses football as a tool for social upliftment of downtrodden and at-risk youth.

2016 Swiss Open Gstaad, a men's tennis tournament has been won by Spainish player Feliciano Lopez. He defeated Robin Haase of Netherlands.

2016 Wimbledon Championships winners (130th edition) -

Mens Singles - Andy Murray (Britain) won by defeating Canadas Milos Raonic. It was his second Wimbledon title after 2013.

Womens Singles - Serena Williams (USA) won by defeating Germanys Angelique Kerber. It is Williams seventh Womens Singles Wimbledon title (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2015) and overall 22nd Grand Slam title.

Mens Doubles - French pair of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut defeated French pair Julien Benneteau and Édouard Roger-Vasselin.

Womens Doubles - USA pair of Serena Williams and Venus Williams defeated Tímea Babos (Hungary) and Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan).

Mixed Doubles - Henri Kontinen (Finland) and Heather Watson (UK) defeated Robert Farah (Colombia) and Anna-Lena Grönefeld (Germany).

73rd Senior National Squash Championship (held in Mumbai (Maharashtra))-

Mens singles - Saurav Ghosal won by defeating Harinderpal Singh Sandhu (he won this title for 11th time).

Women's Singles - Dipika Pallikal Karthik won by defeating Joshna Chinappa.

Dipa Karmakar became First Indian gymnast to be named a ‘Gymnaste de Classe Mondaile (World class gymnast) by International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

German football team captain Bastian Schweinsteiger retired from national team.

Gordon Reid (Great Britain) won first-ever Wimbledon wheelchair tennis mens singles title 2016 by defeating Swedens Stefan Olsson.

Gurpreet Singh Sandhu became first Indian football player to play in UEFA Europa League, after being named in Norwegian club Stabaek FCs squad for qualifying match against Connahs Quay Nomads FC in Europa League.

Herbalife International India entered into a two-year partnership with Indian Olympic Association to be official nutrition sponsor of Indian Olympic contingent to Rio De Janeiro Olympics 2016.

Himachal Pradesh won 41st All India Electricity Board Kabaddi tournament 2016 by defeating Punjab.

IWAS (International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports) U-23 World Games held in Prague (Czech Republic). India's para-swimmer Niranjan Mukundan won eight medals in these games, including three golds.

India jumped 11 places to occupy 152nd spot in latest world football rankings issued by FIFA.

India named Parveen Rana as a replacement for dope-tainted wrestler Narsingh Yadav for Rio Olympics in 74kg freestyle category. Narsingh Yadav has been foundb guilty in a dope test.

India will host 2016 Kabaddi World Cup to be held in October 2016.

India will host world's first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) 'Super Fight League' from August 26 to October 1, 2016. This league will feature eight teams - DELHI, Uttar Pradesh, Mumbai, Haryana, Bangalore, Punjab, Pune and Goa.

India's Wrestling Entry for Rio Olympics, Narsingh Yadav failed dope test after he was tested positive for a banned substance steroid. Besides, Shot Putter Inderjeet Singh also failed dope Test.

Indian Badminton Player B Sai Praneeth won 2016 Canada Open Grand Prix Badminton title by defeating Lee Hyun II of South Korea. Mens doubles title was won by Indian pair Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy.

Indian Para swimmer Niranjan Mukundan won 8 medals at IWAS (International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports) U-23 World Games held in Prague (Czech Republic).

Indian professional boxer Vijender Singh won 2016 WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title after defeating former WBC European champion Kerry Hope (Australian).

Indian shooter Manavaditya Rathore (son of Athens Olympics silver medallist Rajyawardhan Rathore) won trap bronze medal in Champion of Champions match at Junior World Cup in Porpetto (Italy). Anant Naruka also won a bronze.

Indian test cricket team captain Virat Kohli became first Indian captain to score a double century outside India. He achieved this after scoring 200 runs against West Indies on second day of first Test.

Indias Chess Grand Master Harika Dronavalli won Fide Womens Grand Prix trophy in Chendu (China) by defeating Russias Olga Girya.

International Weightlifting Federation suspended 8-member Russian team from Rio Olympics due to doping offences.

Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra (18 years age) became first Indian Junior athlete ever to create a World Record in Junior athletics Championship. He achieved this after a throw of record 86.48 metre distance furing Under-20 World Athletics Championships in Bydgoszcz (Poland).

Javeline thrower Annu Rani beat her national record with a 59.87m throw at 56th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Hyderabad.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain has won the 2016 Austrian Grand Prix.

2016 Formula One season -

Total 21 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Europe 19 June Nico Rosberg (Germany)

Austria 3 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

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

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain has won the 2016 British Grand Prix.

2016 Formula One season -

Total 21 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Europe 19 June Nico Rosberg (Germany)

Austria 3 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Britain 10 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

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

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain has won the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix title of Formula One.

2016 Formula One season -

Total 21 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Europe 19 June Nico Rosberg (Germany)

Austria 3 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Britain 10 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Hungary 24 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Germany 31 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

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

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton from Great Britain has won the 2016 Hungarian Grand Prix title of Formula One.

2016 Formula One season -

Total 21 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Europe 19 June Nico Rosberg (Germany)

Austria 3 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Britain 10 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

Hungary 24 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain)

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

Muttaiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), Australia's Arthur Morris, Karen Rolton and George Lohmann of England will be included in ICC hall of fame. Muttaiah Muralitharan will be first Sri Lankan to be included in ICC's Hall of Fame.

Noted sprinter Sameer Mon won gold in 100 meters in 56th National Inter-state Athletics (Hyderabad) by completing in 10.60 seconds.

Odisha government announced 60 lakh rupees cash special incentive for 6 sportswomen of the state who qualified for Rio Olympics. The six sportspersons are - Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda and four hockey players Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo, Lilima Minz and Sunita Lakra.

Olympians Association of India, India's first-ever association for Indian Olympians has been launched. It's official Twitter account - @IndianOlympians, will serve as the platform for real-time updates of Indian contingent at upcoming Rio Olympics.

PM Narendra Modi Completed his Visit to 4 African Nations - South africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya

Mozambique

India and Mozambique signed 3 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) in areas of drug trafficking, pulse trading and sports. These MoUs were signed at Maputo (Mozambique Capital), in presence of Filipe Nyusi, President of Mozambique.

India handed over 30 SUVs to Mozambique. With this, India completed delivery of 4.5 million US dollar grant assistance as part of supporting institutions of Mozambique.

South Africa

India and South Africa signed MoUs in four areas of bilateral co-operation in Tourism, Grass root innovation (Science and Technology), Information and Communication technology (ICT), Arts and Culture.

MoUs were signed in presence of South African President Jacob Juma in Pretoria (South Africa).

Tanzania

India and Tanzania have signed five agreements in Dar-es-Salaam in presence of Tanzanian President John Pombe Joseph Magufuli.

Agreements were for -

Establishment of Vocational Training Centre at Zanzibar

Visa waiver agreement for Diplomatic/Official passport holders

Cooperation in the water resource management and development

Line of Credit (LoC) of US 92 million dollars for rehabilitation and improvement of water supply system in Zanzibar

Joint Action Plan (JAP) between National Small Industries Corporation of India (NSIC) and Small Industries Development Organization Tanzania (SIDO).

Kenya

India and Kenya signed seven agreements in presence of Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi

Agreements were -

MoU on Defence Cooperation.

MoU in space Technology partnership.

Revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).

Agreement on exemption of Visa for holders of Diplomatic passports.

MoU on Cooperation in National Housing Policy Development and Management.

MoU on Cooperation in of expertise sharing, standardisation and mutual trade between Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and Bureau of Kenya Standards (BKS).

Line of Credit (LoC) Agreement for US $29.95 million to Kenyan Government for upgradation of Rift Valley Textiles Factory (RIVATEX East Africa Limited).

LoC Agreement for US $15 million (first tranche of $30 million) to Kenya’s IDB Capital Limited for development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya.

Besides, PM Narendra Modi also announced that

India will finance a cancer hospital in Kenya and India will also donate medicines for AIDS patients in Kenya.

India would provide concessional credit of 60 million dollars for power transmission project to Kenya.

PM Narendra Modi flagged off Run for Rio event to encourage Indian contingent at 2016 Rio Olympics beginning on August 5, 2016.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq became oldest captain to score Test hundred as he scored 110 against England at First test at Lord's.

Patna Pirates won 4th edition of STAR Sports-ProKabaddi League by defeating Jaipur Pink Panthers. It was second consecutive title of Patna Pirates.

Portugal won 2016 UEFA European football championship (Euro Cup 2016) by defeating host France. It was Portugals first UEFA European Championship title.

Saudi Arabia elected as 39th Associate Member of International Cricket Council’s (ICC) during its meeting in Edinburgh (Capital of Scotland).

South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) Zone Qualifying Round of FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 held in Bangalore (Karnataka).

Spinner Yasir Shah ranked number one in ICC Test rankings, becoming first Pakistani bowler to do so since Mushtaq Ahmed in December 1996. He took 10 qickets in macth against England at Lord's.

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Rank	Team	Matches	Points	Rating
1	Australia	32	3765	118
2	India	20	2238	112
3	Pakistan	20	2227	111

Major religious groups	WPR
Hinduism	41%
Islam	32.6% (Lowest)
Christianity	41.9%
Sikhism	36.3%
Buddhist	43.1%
Jains	35.5%
Other religions and persuasions	48.5%
Religion not stated	31.3%
All	39.8%

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	Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
Europe	19 June	Nico Rosberg (Germany)
Austria	3 July	Lewis Hamilton (Britain)
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