General Affairs
India, China Discuss Terror, But No Word On Ban On Masood Azhar
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NEW DELHI: India and China agreed to continue "the pace of high level exchanges" on subjects of mutual interest and concern, including counter-terrorism, during a meeting between National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, an official statement said on Saturday.
The statement was silent on whether the two sides had discussed issues related to India's NSG membership or India's move for a ban on Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar.
Mr Doval met with Mr Jiechi, the Chinese State Councillor, on Friday in Hyderabad. It was Mr Jiechi's third visit to India in the last two months.
Mr Doval and Mr Jiechi are the Special Representatives on the Boundary Question of India and China.
"The discussions, conducted in a friendly, open and cordial environment, covered a wide agenda spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest," according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement.
"They agreed to maintain the pace of high level exchanges including in the political, economic, defence and counter-terrorism fields."
The statement said the officials also agreed that the forthcoming high level engagement on counter-terrorism "is yet another manifestation of growing convergence of views of the two countries on this pressing challenge facing international community".
However, there was no word if Mr Doval raised the issues related to China hindering India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
The statement also didn't mention if they discussed China's vetoing of Indian efforts to get Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, banned by the United Nations.
However, the statement said, "the two leaders agreed that their consultations during which they exchanged views on various important and pressing bilateral issues have helped to enhance mutual understanding and will contribute to greater mutual trust".
"The two sides appreciated that 2016 is an important year for bilateral engagement with President Xi Jinping's visit to India for BRICS Summit and PM Modi's visit to China for G-20 Summit being the major highlights of high level exchanges. The two officials also agreed to hold the 20th Round of Special Representatives Talks on the Boundary Question in India next year."
The statement was silent on whether the two sides had discussed issues related to India's NSG membership or India's move for a ban on Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar.
Mr Doval met with Mr Jiechi, the Chinese State Councillor, on Friday in Hyderabad. It was Mr Jiechi's third visit to India in the last two months.
Mr Doval and Mr Jiechi are the Special Representatives on the Boundary Question of India and China.
"The discussions, conducted in a friendly, open and cordial environment, covered a wide agenda spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest," according to a Ministry of External Affairs statement.
"They agreed to maintain the pace of high level exchanges including in the political, economic, defence and counter-terrorism fields."
The statement said the officials also agreed that the forthcoming high level engagement on counter-terrorism "is yet another manifestation of growing convergence of views of the two countries on this pressing challenge facing international community".
However, there was no word if Mr Doval raised the issues related to China hindering India's membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
The statement also didn't mention if they discussed China's vetoing of Indian efforts to get Masood Azhar, chief of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror outfit, banned by the United Nations.
However, the statement said, "the two leaders agreed that their consultations during which they exchanged views on various important and pressing bilateral issues have helped to enhance mutual understanding and will contribute to greater mutual trust".
"The two sides appreciated that 2016 is an important year for bilateral engagement with President Xi Jinping's visit to India for BRICS Summit and PM Modi's visit to China for G-20 Summit being the major highlights of high level exchanges. The two officials also agreed to hold the 20th Round of Special Representatives Talks on the Boundary Question in India next year."
Terrorist Killed In Encounter With Security Forces In Jammu And Kashmir's Shopian
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SRINAGAR: One terrorist was killed and a soldier was injured today in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district. The encounter took place shortly after security forces launched a search operation in a village in the district, police said.
Police assisted by security forces cordoned off Dobjan village, 60 kms from Srinagar, after getting information about the presence of four terrorists, a police official said.
He said that the terrorists who were hiding in a hose started firing as the security forces moved in. The terrorists kept firing in an attempt to break the cordon, the police official said.
The security forces retaliated the fire. One terrorist was killed, and a soldier was injured, the official said.
Police assisted by security forces cordoned off Dobjan village, 60 kms from Srinagar, after getting information about the presence of four terrorists, a police official said.
He said that the terrorists who were hiding in a hose started firing as the security forces moved in. The terrorists kept firing in an attempt to break the cordon, the police official said.
Like Bihar, We'll Chase Away BJP From UP Too, Says Lalu Yadav At Samajwadi Party Function
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LUCKNOW: Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav today said that they have come to Uttar Pradesh to strengthen the Samajwadi Party and "chase away" the BJP from the state, just like they did in Bihar.
"We are in UP to strengthen Samajwadi Party. We have chased away BJP in Bihar. Just like 'geedad' (jackal) is chased away, we will chase the BJP away from UP too," Lalu Yadav said before leaving Samajwadi Party's silver jubilee celebrations.
Answering a question about the possibility of a coalition, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda said, "We are not in field here. A situation might arise after UP, Gujarat and Punjab polls. We are here to attend silver jubilee celebrations on the invitation of Samajwadi Party."
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said they have come to attend the function as they have "old relations" with Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party.
"There are no talks of coalition now. Mulayam Singh Yadav can tell better. Samajwadi Party is the bigger party here. Talking much on this will not be appropriate at this time," he said.
"We are in UP to strengthen Samajwadi Party. We have chased away BJP in Bihar. Just like 'geedad' (jackal) is chased away, we will chase the BJP away from UP too," Lalu Yadav said before leaving Samajwadi Party's silver jubilee celebrations.
JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said they have come to attend the function as they have "old relations" with Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party.
"There are no talks of coalition now. Mulayam Singh Yadav can tell better. Samajwadi Party is the bigger party here. Talking much on this will not be appropriate at this time," he said.
'Let Us Fight Together': Mamata Banerjee Calls For Front Against Centre
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KOLKATA: Accusing the BJP-led government at the centre of "political vendetta", West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said opposition parties should raise a united resistance against it.
The 61-year-old leader said the government's handling of a row over a veteran's suicide allegedly over the centre's military pension scheme and the encounter of eight men from the banned group Students Islamic Movement of India or SIMI near Bhopal reeked of political bullying.
That Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted Bengal's top bureaucrat on a employment guarantee project recently and not her, has also not gone down with her.
"Political vendetta is going on everywhere. Even in development work. Why is the prime minister consulting the chief secretary instead of the elected chief minister? Unprecedented," she said.
"I am fighting this battle alone. I am requesting all my friends from other political parties to come together, set up a front, may be federal front... But let us fight together. If anyone comes, I will be very happy. If anyone calls me, I shall be happy to attend," she added.
She slammed the centre, which controls Delhi's police, for preventing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from meeting the family of a retired Army man who committed suicide over the One Rank One Pension or OROP scheme this week.
"He is the CM of Delhi. Why he was detained in his own state? Police said upar say instruction aya (got instructions from above). Why instruction, who gave instruction?" she said.
Ms Banerjee also echoed most opposition parties over the encounter near Bhopal, where eight men were killed hours after a jailbreak on Monday but questions have been raised whether they were given a chance to surrender.
"We want an impartial enquiry. Supreme Court can set up a judicial enquiry. Any sitting judge may enquire it in the interest of the country," she said.
The 61-year-old leader said the government's handling of a row over a veteran's suicide allegedly over the centre's military pension scheme and the encounter of eight men from the banned group Students Islamic Movement of India or SIMI near Bhopal reeked of political bullying.
"Political vendetta is going on everywhere. Even in development work. Why is the prime minister consulting the chief secretary instead of the elected chief minister? Unprecedented," she said.
"I am fighting this battle alone. I am requesting all my friends from other political parties to come together, set up a front, may be federal front... But let us fight together. If anyone comes, I will be very happy. If anyone calls me, I shall be happy to attend," she added.
She slammed the centre, which controls Delhi's police, for preventing Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi from meeting the family of a retired Army man who committed suicide over the One Rank One Pension or OROP scheme this week.
"He is the CM of Delhi. Why he was detained in his own state? Police said upar say instruction aya (got instructions from above). Why instruction, who gave instruction?" she said.
Ms Banerjee also echoed most opposition parties over the encounter near Bhopal, where eight men were killed hours after a jailbreak on Monday but questions have been raised whether they were given a chance to surrender.
"We want an impartial enquiry. Supreme Court can set up a judicial enquiry. Any sitting judge may enquire it in the interest of the country," she said.
PM Narendra Modi Most Criticised Person Post Independence: Amit Shah
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CANACONA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the "most bitterly criticised" person post Independence, BJP chief Amit Shah said on Friday, adding that if criticism was targeted against the country, it cannot be called freedom of expression.
"Sab se jyada katu alochana agar kisi ek vyakti ki hui hai azadi ke baad, to wah hai Narendra Modiji ki. (After the Independence, if there is one person who has received the most bitter criticism, it is Narendra Modiji)," he said at the inauguration of 'India Idea Conclave 2016' Canacona .
"Alochana ka swagat hai. Alochana ko sahan bhi karna chahiye. Magar Narendra Modi ji ki alochana se ek kadam aage jakar agar isko desh ke virodh ki disha mein le jayenge to kshama karna ye sacchi swatantrata nahi hai abhivyakti ki.
(Criticism is welcome and it should be tolerated. But if someone goes beyond that and targets the country, it cannot be pardoned or termed as freedom of expression)," he said.
Mr Shah said although dissent was part of the democracy, if it continued in an unwarranted way, there could be no development.
"If people do not understand this, the purpose of democracy will collapse. The purpose of democracy is to ensure that development reaches the last man in the society - who can utilise the same to explore his maximum potential to realise his freedom," he said.
The BJP chief alleged that the country got good governance after 68 years of Independence, when the Modi-led government came to power.
"We spoke about the all-inclusive development. In the 2014 elections, after 30 years a single party got majority in Parliament," he said, adding that the government has implemented reforms in every sector.
Referring to the row over the issue of triple talaq, Mr Shah said, "When the Union government has taken a stand, there was no scope for confusion on the issue."
"The Constitution has given right to every woman to live safely here. Had you ever imagined that women's issues could be a part of Prime Minister's speech on Independence Day? But when BJP came to power, it became part of the PM's speech," he added.
"Sab se jyada katu alochana agar kisi ek vyakti ki hui hai azadi ke baad, to wah hai Narendra Modiji ki. (After the Independence, if there is one person who has received the most bitter criticism, it is Narendra Modiji)," he said at the inauguration of 'India Idea Conclave 2016' Canacona .
"Alochana ka swagat hai. Alochana ko sahan bhi karna chahiye. Magar Narendra Modi ji ki alochana se ek kadam aage jakar agar isko desh ke virodh ki disha mein le jayenge to kshama karna ye sacchi swatantrata nahi hai abhivyakti ki.
(Criticism is welcome and it should be tolerated. But if someone goes beyond that and targets the country, it cannot be pardoned or termed as freedom of expression)," he said.
"If people do not understand this, the purpose of democracy will collapse. The purpose of democracy is to ensure that development reaches the last man in the society - who can utilise the same to explore his maximum potential to realise his freedom," he said.
The BJP chief alleged that the country got good governance after 68 years of Independence, when the Modi-led government came to power.
"We spoke about the all-inclusive development. In the 2014 elections, after 30 years a single party got majority in Parliament," he said, adding that the government has implemented reforms in every sector.
Referring to the row over the issue of triple talaq, Mr Shah said, "When the Union government has taken a stand, there was no scope for confusion on the issue."
"The Constitution has given right to every woman to live safely here. Had you ever imagined that women's issues could be a part of Prime Minister's speech on Independence Day? But when BJP came to power, it became part of the PM's speech," he added.
Business Affairs
'GST will come on time, but multiple rates will dilute benefits'
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India moved a step closer to creating a national sales tax but a deal on rates reached on Thursday will hit some businesses harder than others, while its complexity will dilute any boost to growth and undermine its reliability as a revenue generator.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST), due to be rolled out from April 1, 2017, had been billed as the one reform that could help Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliver on his jobs and growth agenda. In a key Modi win, parliament amended the constitution in August to clear the way for the GST, which would unify Asia's third-largest economy into a common market for the first time.
But Thursday's bargain between Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his counterparts from India's 27 state governments has exposed the difficulties of dealing with so many stakeholders.
The GST Council, set up to oversee the tax, agreed on a more steeply progressive structure for goods than earlier foreseen with rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 percent, depending on the kind of product involved. The top rate, Jaitley said, would apply to the kind of goods bought by middle-class Indians.
On top of that, essentials like grains that make up half the consumer price index would not be taxed at all. Finally, a "cess" - a separate central tax - would be added to the top 28 percent GST rate on luxury cars and harmful products like tobacco and fizzy drinks.
The total burden of this "sin" tax still has to be worked out, as does the rate applying to services that are now taxed at a rate of 15 percent.
"India is like the European Union with a central government," said Harishanker Subramanian, head of indirect tax at EY. "This is fiscal federalism. It's not easy."
Despite the loose ends, it now looks increasingly likely that parliament, which opens its winter session on Nov. 16, will be able to pass key GST laws, as state assemblies must also do, to keep the launch timeline on track.
FOGGY OUTLOOK
The GST should be a positive development for Jay Kannaiyan, who runs a startup that makes and sells low-cost air purifiers, a product in big demand because of an air pollution crisis in the capital New Delhi and other Indian cities.
Kannaiyan backs the GST because it would free his firm, Smart Air Filters Pvt Ltd, from the red tape arising from value-added tax (VAT) that is currently collected by the states and is one of several levies due to be abolished under the tax reform.
VAT rules vary widely, and the tax can be levied at different times during the transfer of goods, depending on the state.
"It is a hassle as it slows down our operations," Kannaiyan, 35, said at his tiny workspace in a dusty commercial district on Delhi's southern fringes.
His greatest worry is the possibility that consumer durables will be taxed at the top 28 percent GST rate, not the 18 percent earlier foreseen, hurting his margins. Which product is assigned to which rate still has to be worked out.
The uncertainty "hurts us, it hurts our planning," said Kannaiyan, who plans to more than double sales in the next year.
RELABELED, NOT REFORMED
It's a far cry from the attributes of a so-called "good tax" - that is low, flat and broad. And advocates of a simpler GST have gone on the offensive, denouncing the current proposal as a mere relabeling; not a genuine reform.
Officials and experts involved in the policy process say Jaitley took the path of least resistance by pitching tax rates broadly in line with the existing burden to avoid any unwelcome spike in inflation when the GST comes into force.
"The approach outlined by the authorities signals a disappointing beginning which well could have been otherwise," said Vijay Kelkar, a former finance secretary who penned a landmark 2009 report on the GST.
Jaitley argues that multiple GST rates are needed to prevent the tax falling too hard on the poor. "Air conditioners and hawai chappals cannot be taxed at the same rate," he wrote in a recent blog post, using the Hindi name for flip flops.
GROWTH BOOST DILUTED
Business groups, tax experts and economists say the GST, if passed in this form, would generate less of a lift to economic growth and state revenues than a simpler tax.
"An ideal GST would have carried one single rate with very few exemptions - instead what we've got is a multiple tax rate structure and multiple exemptions," said Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, who has halved her forecast of the GST's growth boost to 0.4 of a percentage point.
Where accountants do find fault is with the proposed cess that would raise funds for Jaitley to offset initial revenue losses to states arising from the GST.
"The concept of a cess is a distortion," said Sachin Menon, head of indirect tax at KPMG India. "The very purpose of the GST is to remove multiple taxes and to have a uniform law and uniform taxes across the country."
India moved a step closer to creating a national sales tax but a deal on rates reached on Thursday will hit some businesses harder than others, while its complexity will dilute any boost to growth and undermine its reliability as a revenue generator.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST), due to be rolled out from April 1, 2017, had been billed as the one reform that could help Prime Minister Narendra Modi deliver on his jobs and growth agenda. In a key Modi win, parliament amended the constitution in August to clear the way for the GST, which would unify Asia's third-largest economy into a common market for the first time.
But Thursday's bargain between Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his counterparts from India's 27 state governments has exposed the difficulties of dealing with so many stakeholders.
The GST Council, set up to oversee the tax, agreed on a more steeply progressive structure for goods than earlier foreseen with rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28 percent, depending on the kind of product involved. The top rate, Jaitley said, would apply to the kind of goods bought by middle-class Indians.
On top of that, essentials like grains that make up half the consumer price index would not be taxed at all. Finally, a "cess" - a separate central tax - would be added to the top 28 percent GST rate on luxury cars and harmful products like tobacco and fizzy drinks.
The total burden of this "sin" tax still has to be worked out, as does the rate applying to services that are now taxed at a rate of 15 percent.
"India is like the European Union with a central government," said Harishanker Subramanian, head of indirect tax at EY. "This is fiscal federalism. It's not easy."
Despite the loose ends, it now looks increasingly likely that parliament, which opens its winter session on Nov. 16, will be able to pass key GST laws, as state assemblies must also do, to keep the launch timeline on track.
FOGGY OUTLOOK
The GST should be a positive development for Jay Kannaiyan, who runs a startup that makes and sells low-cost air purifiers, a product in big demand because of an air pollution crisis in the capital New Delhi and other Indian cities.
The GST should be a positive development for Jay Kannaiyan, who runs a startup that makes and sells low-cost air purifiers, a product in big demand because of an air pollution crisis in the capital New Delhi and other Indian cities.
Kannaiyan backs the GST because it would free his firm, Smart Air Filters Pvt Ltd, from the red tape arising from value-added tax (VAT) that is currently collected by the states and is one of several levies due to be abolished under the tax reform.
VAT rules vary widely, and the tax can be levied at different times during the transfer of goods, depending on the state.
"It is a hassle as it slows down our operations," Kannaiyan, 35, said at his tiny workspace in a dusty commercial district on Delhi's southern fringes.
His greatest worry is the possibility that consumer durables will be taxed at the top 28 percent GST rate, not the 18 percent earlier foreseen, hurting his margins. Which product is assigned to which rate still has to be worked out.
The uncertainty "hurts us, it hurts our planning," said Kannaiyan, who plans to more than double sales in the next year.
RELABELED, NOT REFORMED
RELABELED, NOT REFORMED
It's a far cry from the attributes of a so-called "good tax" - that is low, flat and broad. And advocates of a simpler GST have gone on the offensive, denouncing the current proposal as a mere relabeling; not a genuine reform.
Officials and experts involved in the policy process say Jaitley took the path of least resistance by pitching tax rates broadly in line with the existing burden to avoid any unwelcome spike in inflation when the GST comes into force.
"The approach outlined by the authorities signals a disappointing beginning which well could have been otherwise," said Vijay Kelkar, a former finance secretary who penned a landmark 2009 report on the GST.
Jaitley argues that multiple GST rates are needed to prevent the tax falling too hard on the poor. "Air conditioners and hawai chappals cannot be taxed at the same rate," he wrote in a recent blog post, using the Hindi name for flip flops.
GROWTH BOOST DILUTED
Business groups, tax experts and economists say the GST, if passed in this form, would generate less of a lift to economic growth and state revenues than a simpler tax.
"An ideal GST would have carried one single rate with very few exemptions - instead what we've got is a multiple tax rate structure and multiple exemptions," said Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC, who has halved her forecast of the GST's growth boost to 0.4 of a percentage point.
Where accountants do find fault is with the proposed cess that would raise funds for Jaitley to offset initial revenue losses to states arising from the GST.
"The concept of a cess is a distortion," said Sachin Menon, head of indirect tax at KPMG India. "The very purpose of the GST is to remove multiple taxes and to have a uniform law and uniform taxes across the country."
Amazon India's most attractive Internet brand: TRA study
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US-based online retailer Amazon has been ranked as the most attractive Internet brand in the country ahead of rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal as well as search engine giant Google, according to India's Most Attractive Brands Study 2016.
"For the first time in three years, Amazon has been declared as the most attractive Internet brand (96th rank overall)...," said the study carried out by Trust Research Advisory (TRA).
Google emerged as the second-most attractive Internet brand in the country while its overall ranking was 102.
The study was based on primary research conducted on close to 3,000 consumers across 16 cities.
Flipkart grabbed the third position in the Internet category, jumping 221 slots to 125th rank across India, while Snapdeal saw an improvement of 63 ranks to 302nd on the list.
Social networking giant Facebook rose 202 ranks in the national rankings to 157th position in 2016, and was placed fourth in the category, the study said.
"The Internet category has seen a surprising shift in the top ranks, with Amazon ranking higher than Google, implying a serious improvement in the appeal of conducting transactions online," TRA Chief Executive Officer N Chandramouli said.
This is apparent from the fact that out of the 29 brands listed in the Internet category in 2016, 11 brands were online retailers, he added.
"Expected brands like Shopclues (461 rank) and Uber (483) were listed in the Internet category along with some surprising entrants like Koovs (477), Voonik (937) and Oyo Rooms (948)," he said.
The list was topped by Korean electronics giant LG while the Tata conglomerate slipped in ranking to the seventh spot this year (from 5 in 2014 and 4 in 2015).
Other Internet brands in the tally included WhatsApp (339), Paytm (341), Myntra (397), Youtube (500), Twitter (506), Ola (605) and JustDial (786).
US-based online retailer Amazon has been ranked as the most attractive Internet brand in the country ahead of rivals Flipkart and Snapdeal as well as search engine giant Google, according to India's Most Attractive Brands Study 2016.
"For the first time in three years, Amazon has been declared as the most attractive Internet brand (96th rank overall)...," said the study carried out by Trust Research Advisory (TRA).
Google emerged as the second-most attractive Internet brand in the country while its overall ranking was 102.
The study was based on primary research conducted on close to 3,000 consumers across 16 cities.
Flipkart grabbed the third position in the Internet category, jumping 221 slots to 125th rank across India, while Snapdeal saw an improvement of 63 ranks to 302nd on the list.
Social networking giant Facebook rose 202 ranks in the national rankings to 157th position in 2016, and was placed fourth in the category, the study said.
"The Internet category has seen a surprising shift in the top ranks, with Amazon ranking higher than Google, implying a serious improvement in the appeal of conducting transactions online," TRA Chief Executive Officer N Chandramouli said.
This is apparent from the fact that out of the 29 brands listed in the Internet category in 2016, 11 brands were online retailers, he added.
"Expected brands like Shopclues (461 rank) and Uber (483) were listed in the Internet category along with some surprising entrants like Koovs (477), Voonik (937) and Oyo Rooms (948)," he said.
The list was topped by Korean electronics giant LG while the Tata conglomerate slipped in ranking to the seventh spot this year (from 5 in 2014 and 4 in 2015).
Other Internet brands in the tally included WhatsApp (339), Paytm (341), Myntra (397), Youtube (500), Twitter (506), Ola (605) and JustDial (786).
Private sector needs to invest big-time, says Arun Jaitley
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Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said public and foreign investment remains intact, but private sector expansion is needed in a big way to let the economy start firing on all cylinders.
Observing that domestic investment continues to be a challenge, Jaitley called upon the banking sector to support corporates to propel growth.
"Indian private sector needs to expand in a big way. It needs to invest and that's when all engines of economy (will) start firing," Jaitley said while addressing a seminar on debt recovery here.
The minister spoke of liberalisation of FDI policies because of which India has emerged as a preferred destination of foreign investment.
"Foreign investors are getting far greater returns on their investment here than in any other country," he asserted.
"Public investment and foreign capital on which the economy is firing are intact... domestic investment is still a challenge."
The minister further said there is a "silver lining" visible with festive purchases, indicating upturn in rural and urban demand, but domestic investment will have to pick up in a big way for which banks need to do their bit by supporting corporates and thus boosting growth.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said public and foreign investment remains intact, but private sector expansion is needed in a big way to let the economy start firing on all cylinders.
Observing that domestic investment continues to be a challenge, Jaitley called upon the banking sector to support corporates to propel growth.
"Indian private sector needs to expand in a big way. It needs to invest and that's when all engines of economy (will) start firing," Jaitley said while addressing a seminar on debt recovery here.
The minister spoke of liberalisation of FDI policies because of which India has emerged as a preferred destination of foreign investment.
"Foreign investors are getting far greater returns on their investment here than in any other country," he asserted.
"Public investment and foreign capital on which the economy is firing are intact... domestic investment is still a challenge."
The minister further said there is a "silver lining" visible with festive purchases, indicating upturn in rural and urban demand, but domestic investment will have to pick up in a big way for which banks need to do their bit by supporting corporates and thus boosting growth.
Defaulters can't be given endless opportunities, warns Arun Jaitley
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Making a strong case for expeditious adjudication of debt recovery cases, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the doctrine of natural justice of giving opportunity to defaulters to defend themselves need not be carried to an "unnatural extent".
"It is not a usual judicial or quasi-judicial procedure when endless opportunities have to be granted to people to defend cases because if natural justice is carried on to unnatural extents, litigation will become unending. Therefore, efficiency has to be introduced into the recovery procedure as far as the defaulting parties are concerned," he said.
Close to 95,000 cases involving more than Rs 5 lakh crore are pending before debt recovery tribunals across the country.
"So, every case that the litigant manages to delay hurts the larger investment environment of the country because if money of banks are blocked with some defaulters, it prevents the bank from funding others who otherwise could have utilised this investment for fruitful purposes and benefit of the country," he said while inaugurating a seminar on debt recovery organised by the finance ministry.
The minister said the approach of the government has to make the recovery process more efficient and effective by making legislative changes and empowering banks.
"Besides making changes in the insolvency law, the government has made changes in the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi) law and debt laws. And we have cut short procedures in order to add efficiency to the whole system," he added.
RBI has been very pro-active in this, Jaitley said, adding that it has come out with various policies providing more flexibility to banks to restructure debt and change management.
Recent changes made in the recovery law set time limit for disposal of debt recovery cases and seek to improve ease of doing business by ensuring speedier resolution of defaulted loans.
The highlights of the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act, 2016, are expansion of definition of security interest, inclusion of debenture trustees and strengthening of asset reconstruction companies (ARCs).
Besides, secure creditors like banks and financial institutions (FIs), ARCs and debenture trustees will get priority over any other dues, including taxation ones of central and state governments or any local bodies, sources said.
Now, a district magistrate has to decide on applications by banks and FIs within a specific time limit of 30 days.
Making a strong case for expeditious adjudication of debt recovery cases, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the doctrine of natural justice of giving opportunity to defaulters to defend themselves need not be carried to an "unnatural extent".
"It is not a usual judicial or quasi-judicial procedure when endless opportunities have to be granted to people to defend cases because if natural justice is carried on to unnatural extents, litigation will become unending. Therefore, efficiency has to be introduced into the recovery procedure as far as the defaulting parties are concerned," he said.
Close to 95,000 cases involving more than Rs 5 lakh crore are pending before debt recovery tribunals across the country.
"So, every case that the litigant manages to delay hurts the larger investment environment of the country because if money of banks are blocked with some defaulters, it prevents the bank from funding others who otherwise could have utilised this investment for fruitful purposes and benefit of the country," he said while inaugurating a seminar on debt recovery organised by the finance ministry.
The minister said the approach of the government has to make the recovery process more efficient and effective by making legislative changes and empowering banks.
"Besides making changes in the insolvency law, the government has made changes in the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi) law and debt laws. And we have cut short procedures in order to add efficiency to the whole system," he added.
RBI has been very pro-active in this, Jaitley said, adding that it has come out with various policies providing more flexibility to banks to restructure debt and change management.
Recent changes made in the recovery law set time limit for disposal of debt recovery cases and seek to improve ease of doing business by ensuring speedier resolution of defaulted loans.
The highlights of the Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act, 2016, are expansion of definition of security interest, inclusion of debenture trustees and strengthening of asset reconstruction companies (ARCs).
Besides, secure creditors like banks and financial institutions (FIs), ARCs and debenture trustees will get priority over any other dues, including taxation ones of central and state governments or any local bodies, sources said.
Now, a district magistrate has to decide on applications by banks and FIs within a specific time limit of 30 days.
Call to exempt electric vehicles from GST ambit
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The government should exempt electric vehicles from the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST) as the sector significantly contributes in reducing vehicular pollution, industry association SMEV today said.
In a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) has requested that the government should "consider a special treatment for electric vehicles via an exemption from GST when the GST slabs are determined for the automobile sector".
SMEV is an association representing Indian manufacturers of electric vehicles and electric vehicle components.
It said that the electric vehicles (EV) are being incentivised the world over for faster adoption as they have been recognized as a significant contributor to reduction of vehicular pollution.
"Widespread usage of this vehicle is expected to gain significantly in ensuring fuel security, attain saving to the tune of Rs 42,000 crores in crude oil subsidy," it added.
About 80,000 customers have adopted electric two-wheelers, e-rickshaws and small electric cars last year.
The industry is still in a nascent stage and it is just the beginning to find its feet in the Indian automobile industry, it said adding, "It is imperative that the favorable tax structure should continue under the GST regime.
"GST on electric vehicles should ideally be fully exempted or at best be kept at 5 per cent. Anything more than that will certainly increase the prices of EVs and the EV industry that has just started seeing some green shoots will again de-grow and may collapse altogether," it said.
Given that the number of electric vehicles sold in the country is very small fraction of all automobiles sold, the impact of such an exemption would not be burdensome for the exchequer, it added.
A 4-tier GST tax structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent, with lower rates for essential items and the highest for luxury and de-merits goods that would also attract an additional cess, was decided by the all-powerful GST Council.
The government should exempt electric vehicles from the ambit of Goods and Services Tax (GST) as the sector significantly contributes in reducing vehicular pollution, industry association SMEV today said.
In a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles (SMEV) has requested that the government should "consider a special treatment for electric vehicles via an exemption from GST when the GST slabs are determined for the automobile sector".
SMEV is an association representing Indian manufacturers of electric vehicles and electric vehicle components.
It said that the electric vehicles (EV) are being incentivised the world over for faster adoption as they have been recognized as a significant contributor to reduction of vehicular pollution.
"Widespread usage of this vehicle is expected to gain significantly in ensuring fuel security, attain saving to the tune of Rs 42,000 crores in crude oil subsidy," it added.
About 80,000 customers have adopted electric two-wheelers, e-rickshaws and small electric cars last year.
The industry is still in a nascent stage and it is just the beginning to find its feet in the Indian automobile industry, it said adding, "It is imperative that the favorable tax structure should continue under the GST regime.
"GST on electric vehicles should ideally be fully exempted or at best be kept at 5 per cent. Anything more than that will certainly increase the prices of EVs and the EV industry that has just started seeing some green shoots will again de-grow and may collapse altogether," it said.
Given that the number of electric vehicles sold in the country is very small fraction of all automobiles sold, the impact of such an exemption would not be burdensome for the exchequer, it added.
A 4-tier GST tax structure of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent, with lower rates for essential items and the highest for luxury and de-merits goods that would also attract an additional cess, was decided by the all-powerful GST Council.
General Awareness
Latest Current Affairs - October 2016
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Appointments
Abdelilah Bekirane has been re-appointed as Prime Minister of Morocco for second term.- Aditya Birla Retail appointed Mohit Kampani as chief executive officer.
- Airtel Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharati Mittal elected as GSMA (Global System Mobile Association) Chairman for 2 years.
- Ajay Kumar Bhalla has been appointed as new Director General of Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
- Ajay M. Gondane appointed as India's High Commissioner to Australia.
- Amandeep Singh Gill appointed as India’s Ambassador to UN Conference on Disarmament (Geneva, Switzerland).
- Amrit Lugun has been appointed as India's Ambassador to Eritrea.
- Arundhati Bhattacharya got 1 year extension as Chairperson and Managing Director of State Bank of India.
- Ashish Vohra has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Reliance Nippon Life Insurance.
- Bilal Nazki is appointed as chairperson of Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission.
- Engine Lubricant Brand Valvoline Cummins signed up Cricket captain Virat Kohli as ambassador.
- Former Nasscom chairman B.V.R. Mohan Reddy has been appointed Honorary Consul of Germany in Hyderabad.
- Government appointed Karnal Singh as Director of Enforcement Directorate (ED).
- Government constituted 4 member Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) under Chairmanship of M.S. Sahoo. Other 3 members are - Ajay Tyagi, Amardeep Singh Bhatia and G.S. Yadav.
- Gurumoorthy Mahalingam has been appointed as Whole-Time Member (WTM) of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
- Haryana Government appointed wrestler Geeta Phogat as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Haryana Police.
- India born Sarabjit Singh Marwah became first Sikh to be appointed to Canadian Senate (upper house).
- India-born Rajeev Misra appointed head of SoftBank Vision Fund.
- International Hockey Federation appointed New Zealand's Jason McCracken as Chief Executive Officer.
- Jammu and Kashmir Bank appointed Parvez Ahmed as Chairman and CEO.
- Japan's Morinari Watanabe elected as President of International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
- Kersti Kaljulaid has been elected as first female President of Estonia (Northern Europe).
- Kristalina Georgieva (Bulgaria) will be appointed as CEO (chief executive officer) of World Bank, succeeding Sri Mulyani Indrawati.
- Kshatrapathi Shivaji has been appointed as Executive Director in Asian Development Bank.
- Luo Zhaohui has been appointed as China’s new Ambassador to India.
- M Sathiyavathy appointed as Secretary in Ministry of Labour & Employment.
- Mariano Rajoy Brey elected as Prime Minister of Spain for second term.
- Meeran C. Borwankar appointed as Director in National Crime Records Bureau.
- Ministry of Railways appointed Bindeshwar Pathak (founder of Sulabh International) as a Brand Ambassador for Swachh Rail Mission of Indian Railway.
- Navdeep Singh Suri appointed as Ambassador of India to United Arab Emirates (UAE).
- Nissan Motors appointed Carlos Ghosn as chairman of Mitsubishi Motors Corp (Japan's second-biggest automaker).
- R Ravindra appointed as Ambassador of India to Guinea.
- Rajeev Sharma appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of PSU Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd (RINL), corporate entity of Vizag Steel has appointed Badminton Player PV Sindhu as brand ambassador.
- Renu Pall appointed as India's Ambassador to Austria.
- S P Yadav elected as President of North Zone of Urology Society of India (NZUSI).
- SN Ghormade appointed as Director General of Naval Operations.
- SV Bhokare appointed as Commandant of Indian Naval Academy Ezhimala (Kerala).
- Salim Gangadharan appointed as non-executive chairman in South Indian Bank.
- Sanjay Singh appointed as Member Secretary in Law Commission of India.
- Sharad Kumar reappointed as Director General of National Investigation Agency for 1 year.
- Singer K J Yesudas became brand ambassador of Haritha Keralam (Green Kerala) project of Kerala government.
- Somesh Sharma has been elected as President of Indian Newspaper Society (INS) for 2016-17.
- Sunil Kumar Mishra appointed as Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Odisha.
- Sushil Chandra has been appointed as Chairperson of CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes).
- Swedish Firm Ericsson appointed Borje Ekholm as President and CEO.
- United Nations General Assembly elected Antonio Guterres (Portugal) as the new Secretary-General of United Nations, for a five-year term beginning January 1, 2017. He will succeed Ban Ki-moon.
Awards
- 3 Indian students - Aditya Pal, Amarjeet Pandde and Guhan Narayanan won 4 silver medals at 10th International Earth Science Olympiad in Japan.
- Nobel Prizes 2016 -
- Medicine - Yoshinori Ohsumi (Japan) for his work on autophagy. He becomes 23rd Japanese to win a Nobel prize.
- Physics - Britain's David Thouless, F Duncan M Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz selected for their researches on theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.
- Chemistry - Jean-Pierre Sauvage (French), J Fraser Stoddart (Scotland) and Bernard L Feringa (Netherlands) selected for their efforts in developing molecular machines.
- Peace - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
- Economics - Oliver Hart (UK), Bengt R. Holmström (Finland)
- Literature - Bob Dylan (USA).
- Actress Sonam Kapoor honored with 2016 ET Panache Trendsetter Award in Mumbai, along with several other Entrepreneurs and Social Workers. The award recognizes the efforts of entrepreneurs, innovators and athletes who inspire millions.
- All India Radio’s (AIR’s) entry Diary of a Tiger won prize in Community Service Announcement category of Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) awards 2016. All Awardees are -
CATEGORY
ORGANISATION
ENTRY TITLE
Drama
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), Iran
Vibration
Documentary
Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Hong Kong
An Age of Our Own:
War Times - 70th Anniversary Commemoration of the End of WWII
News Reporting
Radio and Television of the People's Republic of China (RTPRC) | China National Radio (CNR), China
36 Days
Community Service Announcement (CSA)
All India Radio (AIR), India
Diary of a tiger
Interactive Programme
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)
Iran
Iranian Online
Innovative Programme
Radio and Television of the People's Republic of China (RTPRC) | China National Radio (CNR), China
Chinese Voice - Chinese New Year
Special Jury Prize
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication, (BNNRC) | Radio Chillmari, Bangladesh
The Destroyed Dream
- Almatti Dam on Krishna River at Bagalkot district in North Karnataka has been chosen for World Bank’s Award of Excellence for best utilization of funds (Rs. 72 crore) for renovation to increase strength of the dam.
- British statistician David Cox won inaugural International Prize in Statistics by International Prize in Statistics Foundation. He got this honour in recognition of Survival Analysis Model (or Cox Model) Applied in Medicine, Science, and Engineering.
- C Radhakrishnan selected for Mathrubhumi Literary Award 2016.
- Comedian Bill Murray honoured with Mark Twain Prize for American Humour.
- Film Society of Lincoln Center announced Robert De Niro as recipient of 44th Chaplin Award.
- Former Director-General of CSIR, R. A. Mashelkar conferred with V Krishnamurthy Award for excellence by Hyderabad-based Centre for Organisation Development.
- Former ISRO Chairman and space scientist Udupi Ramachandra Rao became first Indian to be inducted in Hall of Fame of International Astronautical Federation (IAF).
- Former Minister Veeranna has been selected for Sri Maharshi Valimiki Jayanti Award for 2016-17, given by Karnataka government.
- Former Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has been conferred with award by Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda for promoting human values through his literature.
- G. Balakrishna from India has been crowned as Mr. Asia 2016 at the recently held 5th Phil-Asia bodybuilding championships in Philippines.
- History writer Nayanjot Lahiri won 2016 John F. Richards Prize for her book Ashoka in Ancient India.
- Indian Film-maker and elephant researcher Prajna Chowta (46) has been appointed Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) by French government.
- Indian National Award winning documentary ‘Daughters of Mother India’ won first prize in Documentary Film category at 6th CAM International Film Festival in Cairo (Egypt).
- Indian scientist Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad conferred with prestigious IAFP Young scientist scholarship award for his research on development of novel oxygen absorbing package in the field of active packaging for oxygen sensitive food products.
- Indian sprinter Srabani Nanda has won 24th Ekalabya Award 2016 as a recognition of her sporting excellence. This award is instituted by Odisha-based Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT).
- Paul Beatty became first USA author to win Man Booker Prize, after he won 2016 Man Booker Title for his racial satirical novel The Sellout. His novel tells the story of a young black man who tries to reinstate slavery and racial segregation in a suburb of Los Angeles.
- Portuguese footballer Renato Sanches won 2016 European Golden Boy award.
- Randeep Guleria (AIIMS) C S Yadav (Sir Ganga Ram Hospital) have been selected for Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy Award for excellence in medicine.
- Sangeet Natak Akademi awarss 2015 have been presented -
- C V Chandrasekhar has been named Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow (Akademi Ratna). Fellowship of Sahitya Akademi is most prestigious and rare honour, restricted to 40 numbers at any given time.
- Akademi also selected 43 artists for Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2015.
- Satish Pathak has been awarded for ‘Excellence in Technical Innovation’ by the International Society of Automation (ISA) for his innovation Digital Controlled Valve for Precise Liquid Dispensing by Gravity flow.
- Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has been honoured with Sustainable Development Leadership Award of The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), during World Sustainable Development Summit in New Delhi. Theme for summit is Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress.
- Two Yazidi women - Nadia Murad Basee and Lamiya Aji Bashar have been selected for European Union’s prestigious Sakharov Prize for Human Rights for 2016. They were among thousands of Yazidi girls and women who were abducted by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq and forced into sexual slavery in 2014.
- Uttar Pradesh government declared Yash Bharati awardees 2016 -
- 54 People selected for coveted UP award for 2016-17, for contribution in literature, fine arts, folk and classical music and sports.
- Some prominent names are - Actor Naseeruddin Shah. PayTM CEO Vijay Shekhar, Paralympic athlete Varun Kumar, Qawwali singers Aftab and Hashim (Sabri Brothers), Director Saurabh Shukla.
Books
- Book All That Man Is has been authored by David Szalay.
- Book Andhere se ujale ki aur, authored by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has been released.
- Book Born to Fly: Fighter pilot MP Anil Kumar teaches us there is no battle mind cannot win, authored by Nitin Sathe has been released.
- Book Far and Away:Reporting From the Brink of Change has been authored by Andrew Solomon.
- Book Half Lion: How P.V. Narasimha Rao Transformed India has been authored by Vinay Sitapati.
- Book Jihad in My Saffron Garden, ritten by Roxy Arora has been released.
- Book Modi’s Midas Touch in Foreign Policy, authored by Surendra Kumar has been released.
- Book Night of Fire has been authored by Colin Thubron.
- Book The Adivasi Will Not Dance, by Hansda Sowendra Shekhar has been shortlisted The Hindu Prize 2016.
- Book The Greatest Bengali Stories Ever Told, has been authored by Arunava Sinha.
- Book The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad, authored by Actress Twinkle Khanna will be launched in November 2016.
- Book The Ministry of Utmost Happiness has been authored by Arundhati Roy, which will release in June 2017.
- Book The Sleepwalker's Dream, authored by Dhrubajyoti Borah has been released. It narrates journey of a group of militants towards an elusive freedom and an uncertain future.
Committees
- Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) appointed committee (headed by Mata Prasad) suggested an overhaul in transmission planning to facilitate transfer of power on economic principles.
- Culture and Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma chaired first meeting of Reconstituted Central Advisory Board on Culture (CABC).
- Finance Ministry constituted a committee to consolidate regulation of pension products that is currently being done by three different entities - SEBI, IRDA and PFRDA. Committee will look into issue of bringing these companies which are offering pension plans under different regulators under the purview of PFRDA.
- K.S. Valdiya committee submitted report to Water Resources Ministry and concluded that Saraswati River so far considered mythical, actually existed.
- Saraswati River originated in the Himalayas and was approximately 4,000 km in length and flowed through India (3000 KM) and Pakistan (1000 KM) before meeting Arabian Sea through Rann of Kutch.
- Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) constituted a 3-member committee headed by IIT-Kharagpur Director Partha Pratim Chakraborty to suggest ways to reduce number of seats falling vacant at IITs and NITs every year.
- Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation constituted a committee to report Cauvery basin area's ground realities and suggest improvements in Policy. GS Jha will be Chairman of this team.
- One-man judicial committee on One Rank One Pension (OROP). It consists of etired Chief Justice of Patna High Court L Narasimha Reddy.
Days
- 24 Oct, 2016 - 55th Raising Day of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
- 27 October: World Day for Audiovisual Heritage.. The theme for the day was It's Your Story - Don't Lose It.
- Oct 01 - United Nations’ International day of Older Persons. 2016 theme is Take a Stand Against Ageism.
- Oct 01 - World Vegetarian Day.
- Oct 02 - UN International Day of Non-Violence. It commemorates birthday of M K Gandhi. It is also birthday of Former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
- On 147th birth anniversary of M K Gandhi. India handed over its Instrument of Ratification of Paris Agreement on climate change to United Nations. India accounts for 4.1 % of global Green House Gas Emissions and became 62nd country to ratify agreement, responsible for almost 52% of global Green House Gases (GHG) emissions. Paris Agreement on climate change will enter into force one month after countries that account for 55% of global GHG emissions ratify it.
- Oct 05 - World Teachers’ Day. 2016 theme is Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status.
- In India, Teacher's Day is held on September 05 Every Year. It is birth date of second President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
- Oct 08 - Indian Air Force (IAF) Day. 2016 observes 84th anniversary of IAF.
- Oct 09 - World Post Day. 2016 Theme is “Innovation, Integration and Inclusion”.
- Oct 10 - World Mental Health Day. 2016 theme is Psychological First Aid.
- Oct 11 - International Day of the Girl Child. 2016 Theme is Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girls.
- Oct 13 - International Day for Disaster Reduction. 2016 Theme is “Live to Tell: Raising Awareness, Reducing Mortality”.
- Oct 13, 2016 - World Sight Day. It is held on 2nd Thursday of October every year. 2016 theme is Stronger Together.
- Oct 14 - World Standards Day (WSD). 2016 theme is Standards Build Trust.
- Oct 15 - International Day of Rural Women. 2016 Theme is Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.
- Oct 15 - World Students’ Day. It is observed on Birth anniversary of India’s 11th President and great scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. It was announced by UN in 2010.
- Oct 16 - World Food Day. 2016 Theme is Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too.
- Oct 17 - International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. 2016 Theme is Moving from humiliation and exclusion to participation: Ending poverty in all its forms.
- Oct 20 - National Solidarity Day.
- Oct 20 - World Osteoporosis Day. It is aimed at raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. 2016 theme is “Love Your Bones - Protect your Future”.
- Oct 21- Police Commemoration Day.
- Oct 24 - United Nations Day. It marks anniversary of UN into force after UN Charter (the founding document of UNO) in 1945.It is also United Nations’ (UN) World Development Information Day.
- Oct 24 - World Polio Day.
- Oct 28 - National Ayurveda Day. It is Held every year on Lord Dhanvantari Jayanti. 2016 Theme is Ayurveda for Prevention and Control of Diabetes.
- Oct 31 - Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day). It was introduced by PM Narendra Modi in 2014 and it commemorates birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Also called Iron Man of India). 2016 observes his 141st Birth Anniversary.
- October 31 - World Cities Day . 2016 Theme is Inclusive Cities, Shared Development
- October 4 - World Animal Day.
- World Habitat Day - Observed every year on the first Monday of October throughout world (Oct 03 in 2016).
Defence
- Indo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise Surya Kiran-X held in Nepal.
- 28th India and Indonesia Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) and Second Bilateral Maritime Exercise began at Belawan, Indonesia in Andaman Sea.
- 4th India-Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise ‘MITRA SHAKTI 2016’ held in Sri Lanka.
- Anil Ambani led Reliance Group and French aerospace firm Dassault Aviation signed deal to set up a joint venture called Dassault Reliance Aerospace, that will execute offsets for recently concluded India-France deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets. It will be the largest offset contract to be executed by any defence company in India, valued at Rs. 30,000 crore.
- India and France recently signed Agreement for 36 Rafale jets worth €7.87 billion (about Rs. 59,000 crore), 50% offset of which is to be executed by Dassault Aviation and its partners in India. Through the offsets, government wants to bring in much needed expertise to build domestic defence and aerospace industry.
- Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapathi Raju launched Regional Connectivity Scheme UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagarik). UDAN is first-of-its-kind scheme globally will create affordable yet economically viable and profitable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns.
- Under this, Government will provide higher a subsidy to airlines that operate flights between 2 airports under Regional Connectivity Scheme.
- Subsidy given to airlines operating between 2 less served airports will be 10% more than sum offered to airlines that connect only one regional airport.
- Subsidy will be provided under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam naagrik) scheme for 3 years. It will be provided to airlines to fund their losses by offering airfares at Rs. 2,500 for an hour’s flight on half seats under Regional Connectivity Scheme. Subsidy amount for airlines connecting to one regional airport will vary between Rs. 2,350 and Rs. 5,100 per seat.
- Fast Patrol Vessels Aryama, Atulya and Rani Gaidinliu commissioned into Indian Coast Guard, developed by Cochin Shipyard.
- India and Russia agreed to double range of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from 290 km to over 600 km.
- It was decided during meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Goa on sidelines of BRICS summit.
- Earlier, India was denied access to the missile technology with range over 300 km as it was not member state of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). But India’s recent inclusion MTCR has allowed Russia to provide the critical systems and technology to extend the range of the missile beyond 300km.
- India induced its first indigenously built strategic nuclear submarine INS Arihant into service and completed its nuclear triad.
- India is fourth country to have a nuclear triad i.e. capable of delivering nuclear weapons by aircraft, ballistic missiles and submarine launched missiles. Other countries having nuclear triad are Russia, United States and China.
- INS Arihant is nuclear submarine capable of carrying nuclear tipped ballistic missiles. Thus it belongs to class referred to as Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN).
- Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarine. It was built with Russia’s help under Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project started in the 1980s.
- It weighs 6000 tonnes and is 112 metre long. It is powered by 83 MW pressurised light water nuclear reactor with enriched uranium fuel.
- Indian Navy commissioned a Car Nicobar Class water jet fast attack craft (WJFAC) INS Tihayu.
- Indian and Chinese armies held Second Joint Exercise “Sino India Cooperation 2016” in Ladakh, as a sequel to the first Joint Exercise held in Feb 2016.
Economy
- 4 public sector banks (PSBs) may struggle to make coupon payments on their additional tier 1 (AT1) bonds due to heavy losses after a surge in bad loans.
- AT1 bonds are hybrid bonds that combine debt and equity elements. They are also called as contingent convertible capital instruments (CoCos). These have their roots in financial crisis when governments were forced to bail out banks. They are riskiest debt issued by banks and do not have any set maturity date.
- According to the data by RBI ,India’ banking system reported total deposits of Rs 100 lakh crore for first time ever in September 2016. With demand deposits of 10 lakh crore and time deposits of Rs 90 lakh crore.
- Aditya Birla Group pledged investment of Rs. 20,000 crore in Madhya Pradesh, during Madhya Pradesh Global Investors Summit.
- As per World Bank’s report South Asia Economic Focus, India's GDP growth will remain 7.6 % in 2016 and 7.7 % in 2017.
- As per World Economic Outlook (WEO) report of International Monetary Fund (IMF), India’s GDP growth forecast has been raised to 7.6 % for FY17 (2016-17 ) and FY18 (2017-18).
- BSE Data on Market Capitalization -
- TCS is India’s most valuable company with a market capitalization of Rs4.66 trillion, followed by Reliance Industries (3.49 Trillion INR), HDFC Bank (3.21 Trillion INR) and ITC Limited (2.90 Trillion INR).
- Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) beat Infosys become 5th most valuable company in India (2.37 Trillion INR), while Infosys is valued at (2.36 Trillion INR)
- Bank of Maharashtra tied up with United India Insurance Company. UIIC products can now be bought at any branch of Bank of Maharashtra1.
- Banknotes of denomination of Rs.2,000 will be in circulation very soon, as per a Reserve Bank of India report.
- Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2016, designed to curb black money and passed by parliament in August 2016, came into effect. New law amended Benami Transactions Act 1988 and renamed it as Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions (PBPT) Act 1988. The amendment act strengthens parent Act in terms of legal and administrative procedure and proposes imprisonment upto 7 years for indulging in benami transactions.
- Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) asked public sector banks to share their reports relating to all loan frauds involving funds over 1 crore rupees. Till date, such reports were shared with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) only.
- Essar Group paid back Approx 2.5 Billion Loan to three banks - ICICI Bank, Axis Bank and StanChart.
- Finance MinisterArun Jaitley chaired Commonwealth Finance Ministers’ Meeting held at IMF Headquarters in Washington D.C. (USA). He also attended Governing Council Meeting of the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement (CRA).
- Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of Baroda signed MoU on Commonwealth Small States Trade Finance Facility, to make available up to US $100 million of incremental trade finance over 3 years.
- India also pledged £ 1,022,100 to Commonwealth Fund for technical cooperation.
- Finance Ministry has set up a Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC), with task of streamlining government borrowings and better cash management for deepening bond markets.
- PDMC will be upgraded to a statutory Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA). It will allow separation of debt management functions from RBI to PDMA , without causing market disruption.
- Fixed Term Employment has been introduced by Ministry of Labour and Employment in Apparel Manufacturing sector. It has been done keeping in viewb the seasonal nature of sector and will ensure same benefits for fixed term employee in sector as a regular employee.
- Goods and Services Network (GSTN) signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for sharing of foreign exchange realisation and Import Export code data. It is expected to strengthen processing of export transactions of taxpayers under GST, increase transparency and reduce human interface.
- Government approved support of Rs 718 Crores to HMT Ltd. for payment of outstanding salaries and other employee related dues. It also approved closure of HMT Tractor Division by offering attractive VRS / VSS at 2007 notional pay scales.
- Government proposed 4 GST rate slabs for new indirect tax regime, ranging 0 to 26 %, during meeting of GST Council headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
- Standard GST rate will be 18 %, applicable for most of Goods. Few suggested exceptions are -
- 6 % - Costly items and necessary food items.
- 12 % - FMCG and Food Items
- 26 % - Luxury Items
- Others Outcomes of Meeting Include -
- Secular growth rate of 14% will be taken into consideration for calculating the revenue of each state in the first five years of implementation of the GST.
- Base year for calculating the revenue of states will be 2015-16.
- ICICI Bank became first Indian Bank to complete a banking transaction using Blockchain technology. This remittance transaction has been completed in partnership with West Asia's Emirates NBD.
- IT Firms HCL and IBM entered into 15-year partnership for automation, development and operations.
- India signed Loan Agreement of US$ 650 million with World Bank, for Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor-III (EDFC-III) Project of Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL). Objective of EDFC-III Project is to augment rail transport capacity, improve service quality and enhance freight carriage throughput on 401 km Ludhiana-Khurja section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.
- India's foreign exchange reserves reached a new high of USD 371.99 billion.
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) stated that adoption of GST (Goods and Services) tax will boost India’s medium-term growth, in form of enhanced business investments.
- MMTC joined hands with HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and Andhra Bank to retail gold coins with a new buyback option.
- Besides its own outlets, MMTC has tied up with Indian Overseas Bank, Vijaya Bank, Federal Bank and YES Bank to sell gold coins in denominations of 5 gm and 10 gm coin and 20 gm bar.
- Ministry of Corporate Affairs Launched Simplified Proforma for Incorporating a Company Electronically (SPICe) e-Form, to provide speedy incorporation related services within stipulated time frames.
- National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) commissioned its 50 MW wind power project (WPP) in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
- NHPC is constructing 5 power projects aggregating to a total installed capacity of 4290 MW including 1000 MW (Pakal Dul hydroelectric project).
- Power Grid Corporation approved 3 proposals to invest 1184 crores in transmission projects across country, including transformation capacity in the southern region, sub-station works in Vemagiri in Andhra Pradesh, and a transmission system for Ultra Mega Solar Park at Tumkur in Karnataka.
- Power Minister Piyush Goyal assured 100 % electrification of India by May 1, 2017.
- Punjab Agricultural University and FieldFresh Foods signed MoU to carry out a corn productivity research programme.
- Rani ki Vav (Gujarat) (UNESCO World Heritage Site) named as Cleanest Iconic Place (among top 25 Adarsh Monuments) by Ministry of Culture at Indian Sanitation Conference (INDOSAN) 2016.
- Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected historical monuments and archaeological sites as polythene-free zones, up to 300 meters from protected boundaries.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Working Group on Rationalisation of Branch Authorisation Policy, chaired by Lily Vadera has proposed easing bank branch norms, like a building, number of employees etc to facilitate financial inclusion.
- Bank branches (including those having business correspondents) providing minimum 4 hours of service for 5 days a week, should be allowed to be treated as a full-service branch. Any other fixed point unit of the bank not complying with minimum working period should be considered a ‘part-time banking outlet’.
- Reserve Bank of India (RBI) permitted startups to raise external commercial borrowings (ECBs) of up to $3 million in a financial year for three year tenure.
- State Bank of India (SBI) declared Silchar as its 5th zone in North East to facilitate banking issues for the customers of Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur along with the Barak Valley of North east India.
- State Bank of India opened a foreign branch in Yangon (Myanmar) and became the first domestic bank of India to open a branch in Myanmar.
- Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) recommended Department of Telecom (DoT) to impose penalty of 3,050 crore rupees on Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea cellular, for denying interconnectivity to newcomer Reliance Jio.
- To help in doubling farmers' income by 2022, NABARD sanctioned loan of 19 702 crore to National Water Development Agency (NWDA) for 50 irrigation projects from 11 States under Long Term Irrigation Fund (LTIF).
International
- 16 Asia-Pacific nations Group RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership)' meet will be held in Philippines in Nov 2016.
- 15 Members of RECP are concerned over giving greater market access to Chinese goods without gaining in return, as it will mainly help China.
- India may have a separate list of items that won't be applicable for RCEP, making chinese imports costly for those items. Otherwise, it will help china and India's trade deficit with china wil rise (which is already hight at 52 Billion USD in 2015 - 16).
- 2016 Global Power City Index by by Japan-based Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies
- London topped the List of 42 major cities of world (across six key measures - economy, research and development, culture, accessibility, environment and livability).
- Mumbai is only Indian city (ranked 39th) on list.
- 2016 Global Youth Development Index Report released by Commonwealth Secretariat. This list measures countries’ prospects for young people in employment, education, health, civic and political spheres.
- Top 10 countries - Germany, Denmark, Australia, Switzerland, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal and Japan.
- India Facts -
- India has been ranked 133rd out of 183 countries in List.
- Neighbours - Sri Lanka (31), Bhutan (69) and Nepal (77), China (118), Pakistan (154), Bangladesh (146)
- India has nearly 20% of the global youth population, with nearly 345 million young people between ages of 15 and 30.
- India’s rank in 2016 YDU is relatively low, but it has registered an 11% improvement in scores over last five years (from 2010 and 2015).
- A Saudi Arabian Prince Turki bin Saud al-Kabir was executed for shooting a man, Adel al-Mohaimeed.
- AT&T Inc agreed to buy Time Warner Inc for 85.4 billion USD, aimed at transforming phone company into a media giant.
- According to World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin level of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions -
- CO2 in atmosphere reached record high of global average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 2015. It is expected to surge again to new records in 2016 on the back of the very powerful El Niño event.
- Antartica’s Ross Sea declared as world’s largest Marine Protected Area (MPA) to protect Earth’s most pristine marine ecosystem.
- It was announced after international agreement among 24 countries and European Union in Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting in Hobart, Australia.
- Ross Sea is one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the world, with 1.6 million square kilometers area. MPA status to Ross Sea will bring blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three quarters of its area for 35 years.
- Ross Sea in Southern Ocean is home to 38% of world’s Adelie penguins, 30% of world’s Antarctic petrels and around 6% of world’s population of Antarctic minke whales.
- As per new study by International Commission on Financing Global Education Opportunity (Education Commission), India’s school education system is under-performing in terms of quality in female literacy when compared to its neighbours.
- Proportion of women who completed five years of primary schooling in India and were literate was 48%, much less than 92% in Nepal, 74% in Pakistan and 54% in Bangladesh.
- India was ranked 38th among the 51 developing countries for female literacy rates.
- Bangladesh and China agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to strategic partnership, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Bangladesh. This is the visit by a Chinese President to Bangladesh in 3 decades since President Li Xiannian’s visit in March 1986. Both countries signed of 26 agreements on different sectors.
- Bangladesh introduced temporary ban on catching hugely popular hilsa fish.
- Bank of America unveiled a virtual assistant called Erica, that uses artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to learn consumers' personal spending habits and offer financial advice.
- Biopharmaceutical Competitiveness & Investment (BCI) Survey by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America -
- Indian pharmaceutical companies ranked at 19th position with an overall score of 59 out of 100 among 28 countries, with USA at Top.
- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved ONGC Videsh Limited's proposal to buy 11% stake in JSC Vankorneft from Rosneft Oil Company (Russia).
- China critisized USA for its interventions in Asia as tensions are growing between China and USA for territorial disputes in South China Sea (SCS).
- China launched its longest-ever manned mission by taking two astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong into orbit, on board of Shenzhou-11 (heavenly vessel) spacecraft by a Long March-2F carrier rocket. Astronauts will spend a month aboard an experimental space laboratory Tiangong-2 (Heavenly Palace 2).
- China’s experimental space lab Tiangong-2 orbiting Earth with two astronauts on board has successfully launched a micro-satellite Banxing-2 (47 Kilograms).
- Two astronauts were launched into space onboard of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft carried two astronauts on 11 October 2016. It docked with Tiangong-2 on 13 October 2016.
- Chinese currency Yuan officially became member of International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s Special Drawing Rights (SDR) basket, which determines currencies that countries can receive as part of IMF loans.
- European Union (EU) and Canada signed Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) as a landmark trade deal in Belgium.
- CETA is a free free-trade agreement (FTA) between Canada and EC, that aims to revoke roughly 9,000 tariffs, covering many industrial goods and agricultural and food items.
- It will add around €11.6 billion to the EU economy and around €8.2 billion to Canada’s economy.
- First elephant sanctuary in Latin America opened in Brazil to provide a home for an estimated 50 circus animals from across the region.
- France became first country to ban disposable plastic cups and plates by passing a law that will go into effect in January 2020. The law will require all disposable tableware to be made from 50% biologically-sourced materials that can be composted at home, to be enhanced to 60% by 2025.
- Freedom House (USA) released Freedom of the Press 2016 report with theme The Battle for the Dominant Message -
- In 2015, Press freedom declined to its lowest point in 12 years.
- Only 13 % of world’s population enjoys a free press, 41 % have Partly Free press while 46 % live in Not Free media environments.
- In India -
- Freedom to press is partly free with a total score of 41 out of 100.
- Global Hunger Index 2017 by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) -
- India ranked 97th among 118 countries, with a score of 28.5. It reflects serious condition of nourishing food availability in India.
- In India, About 15% of under 5 children are 'wasted' and 39% of under-5 children are ‘stunted’. Under-5 mortality rate is 4.8%.
- Though India runs two of the world’s biggest children’s nutrition programmes - ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) for children under 6 years and mid-day meal programme for school going kids up to the age of 14. Still, malnutrition is a serious Issue in India.
- India's Neighbours -
- China- Rank - 29, Score - 7.7
- Nepal - Rank - 72, Score - 21.9
- Sri Lanka - Rank - 84, Score - 25.5
- Bangladesh - Rank - 90, Score - 27.1
- Pakistan - Rank - 107, Score - 33.4
- Best and Worst Ranked Nations in GHI 2016 -
- Best - Argnetina, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Belarus (Under Score of 5)
- Worst - Central African Republic (Score - 46.1), Chad (Score - 44.3), Zambia (Score - 39)
- Government approved Agreement with Estonia on the transfer of sentenced persons.
- Government approved MoU with African Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) for capacity building in rural development.
- Government approved MoU with European Union in field of water resources.
- Government approved MoUs -
- With Qatar on cooperation in field of Youth and Sports.
- WithHungary on cooperation in field of water management.
- MOU between Export Import Bank of India and BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
- Government approved new Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit with Bhutan.
- Government extended anti-dumping duty on import of certain Chinese products, used in garments, toys and footwear manufacturing, for upto 2021.
- Great Britain Pound (GBP) set a new record with sudden collapse against USD of over 6% to $1.1841 in 2 minutes.
- India and Russia signed agreement for development of a network of 25 integrated infrastructure Agro irradiation centres.
- Agreement signed to form a Joint Venture between Hindustan Agro Co-Op Ltd (HACL) and United Innovation Corporation (UIC) of Russia, with HACL holdin 51%. In first phase 7 centers will be set up in Maharashtra.
- India needs network of Agro Irradiation Centres as post-harvest losses in food and food grains are around 40-50%, mainly due to microbiological contamination, insect infestation, physiological changes and poor shelf life. It accounts annual loss of 2,50,000 crores.
- Food irradiation is a technology in which food products are subjected to a low dosage of radiation to treat them for germs and insects, increasing their longevity and shelf life.
- India and South Korea signed a revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.
- India decided to eliminate use of HFC - 23 (Hydrofluorocarbons 23), a greenhouse gas (GHG) that harms ozone layer by 2030. It is 14800 times more harmful to ozone layer, than CO2. It was announced during 28th Meeting of the Parties to Montreal Protocol at Kigali (Rwanda).
- Montreal Protocol -
- It is an international treaty that came into force in 1989, aimed at protecting ozone layer by reducing consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS). It has been ratified by all 197 UN Nations and has phased out over 95% of ODS so far.
- India donated Rs. 9.3 million (Approx 58 Crores) to Nelson Mandela Foundation to help it in its welfare work for people of South Africa.
- India received first parcel of 2 million barrels of crude oil from Iran to partly fill strategic storage in southern India as part of India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs) storage, imported by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL). India will fill half of storage with 6 million barrels of Iranian oil, while for remainder India is in talks with UAE and Saudi Arabia. Second parcel of such reserve will be procured by Bharat Petroleum Corp.
- It is important for India to have strategic storage as India imports around 80% of its crude oil requirement.
- India signed MoU with Palestine for setting up of Palestine-India Techo Park at Ramallah in Palestine.
- India will host Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR). This is first AMCDRR after advent of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRRR), adopted at 3rd UN World Conference in Sendai, Japan in March, 2015.
- First World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016 at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.
- Indian Pharmaceutical Firm Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd entered into a strategic collaboration with Gland Pharma, to distribute a diverse portfolio of eight injectable Abbreviated New Drug Applications (ANDAs).
- Indian pharmaceutical Firm Cipla signed MOU for South Africa’s first biosimilars manufacturing facility to be set up at a cost of nearly USD 91 million.
- Indo-Italian Joint Committee established under Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement re-launched cooperation in sectors of science, technology and innovation, signed originally in 2003.
- International Union for Conservation of Nature makrked Kashmir Stag (Hangul) as a critically endangered species.
- Iraq’s Parliament passed a law banning Alcohol completely.
- Israel suspended co-operation with UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, accusing it of denying Judaism's connections to the religion's holiest sites. The action came after UNESCO approved a draft resolution, which repeatedly used only the Islamic name for a hilltop complex, which is also the holiest site in Judaism.
- Maldives government decided to leave 53-member Commonwealth of Nations after the organisation warned Maldives of suspension by Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) if it failed to take further steps to promote the rule of law and democracy.
- Microsoft launched Its first Cybersecurity Engagement Center (CSEC) in India at Delhi, and seventh worldwide.
- Milan city (Italy) bestowed honorary citizenship on Dalai Lama, opposed by China.
- Miss International 2016 (56th Miss International pageant), held in Tokyo (Japan) -
- Kylie Verzosa from Philippines won the title.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) completed construction of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) after over 20 years of hard work. This largest-ever space telescope is expected to launch in 2018 following testing. Highlights Include -
- It has 18 large mirrors that will collect infrared light, sheltered behind a tennis-court-size sun shield.
- It is considered as the successor to NASA's iconic Hubble Space Telescope.
- It is a 8.8 billion US dollars worth space observatory built to observe the infrared universe like never before.
- Oil India Limited (OIL) signed MOU with University of Houston, for augmenting its reserves base and maximising recovery from its aging oilfields.
- Oxford English Dictionary hasincluded Aiyoh and Aiyah, defined as In southern India and Sri Lanka, expressing distress, regret, or grief".
- Pakistan warned India of military action if India violates Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
- Indus River is important for Pakistan as 65% of the Pakistan’s geographical area including entire Pakistan’s Punjab province is part of Indus basin. The water of Indus River is lifeline of Pakistan and is source of irrigation, hydro power and drinking water for millions of Pakistanis. If the water from rivers is stopped by India it can surely cut lifeline of Pakistan.
- Pakistan's media regulatory authority enforced complete ban on Indian TV and radio contents.
- PetroFed, an apex society of entities in Hydrocarbon sector, signed MoU with TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) to undertake study on Climate Change Risks: Preparedness for Oil and Gas Sector.
- Russia invited India to join in developing next-generation nuclear reactors and to participate in its fast-reactor research project (MBIR).
- MBIR project is based on the closed fuel cycle which involves recycling the nuclear waste as new fuel. It essentially signifies research on a sodium-cooled Generation 4 fast reactor to design an advanced fast neutron reactor for use in nuclear power plants. MBIR’s design includes three independent loops that can be used to test different coolants like gas, lead and molten salt. It makes it possible to conduct material testing research in those different environments.
- Fast neutron reactor - It this, nuclear fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons. Such reactor needs no neutron moderator like normal water, which serves such a purpose in thermal reactors.
- Russia vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution demanding an end to bombing of Aleppo city in Syria. The draft text proposed by France and Spain.
- Russian President Vladimir Putin Visit to India
- Participated in 8th BRICS Summit and 17th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in Goa.
- Russian consortium led by Rosneft Oil Company acquired India’s second biggest private oil firm Essar Oil for US $13 billion. Consortium includes Rosneft Oil Company, Netherlands-based commodities trader Trafigura and private investment group United Capital Partners.
- Defence Deals -
- Rs 39,000 crore Deal with Russia to purchase five state of art S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defence systems.
- S-400 ‘Triumf’ Air Defence System are long-range air defence missile systems and one of most advanced long-range defence systems in world. It is referred to as SA-21 Growler by NATO.
- It is an upgraded version of the S-300 defence system and is manufactured by Almaz-Antey. It has been in service in Russia since 2007.
- It is capable of firing three types of missiles. Thus, it creates a layered defence, and simultaneously engaging 36 targets.
- It has capability to destroy incoming all airborne targets at ranges of up to 400 km. With it, India can destroy Pakistani aircrafts even when they are in their airspace.
- India is second customer of S-400 Missile defence systems after China.
- Ka-226T helicopters (Kamov 226T)
- Light multipurpose helicopter designed for work in difficult conditions like high mountains, hot climate and marine areas.
- It will replace the aging Cheetah and Chetak choppers. After induction, Kamov helicopters will operate at 20,000 feet .
- Stealth frigates -
- India and Russia will built four stealth frigates which will be improved versions of Krivak or Talwar class stealth frigates Two frigates will be built in Russia and other two will be constructed at an Indian shipyard with Russian cooperation.
- India signed agreement with Russia to lease second Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN), worth $2 billion. This second nuclear submarine will arrive in India in 2020-21.
- Other agreements -
- International Information Security, Bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
- Developing smart cities in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.
- >MoU between Gazprom and Engineers India Limited (EIL) for the joint study of a gas pipeline to India from Russia and other areas of cooperation.
- Agreement between Rosneft Oil Company and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) in Education and Training.
- MOU for setting up an investment fund of $1 billion by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
- MoU for Cooperation between Railways in increasing the speed of trains between Nagpur- Hyderabad/ Secundrabad.
- MoU between ROSCOSMOS and ISRO on Mutual Allocation of Ground Measurement Gathering Stations for NAvIC and GLONASS.
- S&P Global Ratings announced that India's GST indirect tax law will make India grow at around 8% GDP growth Rate. Report was titled - ‘Asia-Pacific steadies while China goes silent.
- Scientists discovered a secret Nazi base of German dictator Adolf Hitler located 1000 kilometres from North Pole in Antartica. Location of this mysterious site known as Schatzgraber or Treasure Hunter on Alexandra Land had remained unknown.
- Standard Chartered Bank tied up with Uber under which its credit cardholders will get a cash-back of up to 25 per cent for hailing cabs from Uber app. Nations includd are India, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and UAE.
- In India, SCB cardholders will get a 20 % cash-back on all Uber rides, subject max 600 per month.
- Strong Typhoon Chaba hit Japan and South Korea.
- Strong Typhoon Haima hit Philippines, with winds of more than 225 KM/H.
- Switzerland's Minister for Justice and Police, Simonetta Sommaruga visited India and signed 3 agreements - Mutual Visa Exemption, Return of Illegal Migrants and Arrangement for Dependent Persons of Diplomatic and Consular Mission to Perform Gainful Employment.
- US Navy commissioned its largest and technologically advanced destroyer Zumwalt. The 610-foot-long ship costs nearly USD 4.4 billion.
- US Stated that India is now 12th largest holder of Governmwent Bonds of USA, with total value $123.7 billion.
- United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a report stating that nearly 6.9 Crore new teachers are needed to provide quality universal primary and secondary education by 2030, the deadline of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- World Bank pledged 2 billion USD aid to Bangladesh to tackle climate change over next 3 years, as part of World Bank’s fund for poorest countries. Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to climate change and accounts for almost 70% of all storm surges in the world.
- World Bank will provide US $1 billion aid to Bangladesh over the next three years to fight child malnutrition.
- World Bank’s ease of doing business Report 2017 (190 Nations) -
- Title of 2017 Report is - Equal Opportunity for All.
- India ranked at 130th place among 190 countries in List. In previous report, India was ranked at 131st.
- India rank in different metrices -
Topics 2015 Rank
2016 Rank
2017 Rank
Getting Electricity
137
70
26
Enforcing Contracts
186
178
172
Starting a Business
158
155
155
Registering Property
121
138
138
Resolving Insolvency
137
136
136
Construction Permits
184
183
185
Getting Credit
36
42
44
Protecting Minority Investors
7
8
13
Paying Taxes
156
157
172
Trading Across Borders
126
133
143
- 10 indicators are - starting business, getting electricity, dealing with construction permits, registering property, protecting investors, getting credit, employing workers, trading across borders, paying taxes, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.
- Top 10 Countries - New Zealand (1st), Singapore (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Hong Kong (4th), South Korea (5th), Norway (6th), UK (7th), US (8th), Sweden (9th) and Macedonia (10th).
- BIRCS - Russia (40), South Africa (74), China (78), Brazil (123) and India (130).
- Neighbours - Bhutan (73), China (78), Nepal (107), Sri Lanka (110), Pakistan (144) and Bangladesh (176).
- Somalia is ranked Last, shows that is is worst in terms of doing business
- World Economic Forum (WEF) Report on Safety and Security -
- Finland is safest Nation, followed by Qatar and UAE. El Salvador is ranked last (least safe).
- World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2016 (144 Nations) -
- India has been ranked 87th, climbing 21 spots from 108th position in 2015.
- In this edition, India overtook China which is ranked 99th.
- The report measures gender gap as progress towards parity between men and women in four areas (i) Educational attainment, (ii) Health and survival, (iii) Economic opportunity and (iv) Political empowerment.
- Top 5 - Iceland (1st), Finland (2nd), Norway (3rd), Sweden (4th) and Rwanda (5th).
- Yemen is worst in terms of Gender Gap (144th), while pakistan is second worst (143rd).
Meetings
- 19th World Congress of International Association of Educators for World Peace (IAEWP) held in Nashik (Maharashtra) with theme “Peace Education for Good Governance and Nonviolence”.
- 2016 BRICS trade ministers Meet and BRICS Trade Fair and Exhibition held in New Delhi.
- 20th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) - Heads of Defence Universities / Colleges / Institutions Meet (HDUCIM) held at National Defence College in Delhi.
- 22nd meeting of Western Zonal Council held at Mumbai, Maharashtra under Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
- 23rd World Energy Congress held in Istanbul (Turkey) -
- Russia and Turkey agreed to intensify military and intelligence contacts. They also have agreed on the need for aid to get to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
- 23rd Rehabilitation International World Congress at Edinburgh (Scotland) with theme Create a More Inclusive World. It has been attended by Thaawarchand Gehlot (Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment), on India's Behalf.
- 28th Accountants General Conference held in New Delhi.
- 3rd SAARC Sufi festival will be held in Jaipur (Rajasthan).
- 4th BRICS Science, Technology and Innovation Ministerial Meeting held at Jaipur (Rajasthan).
- 6th BRICS Science & Technology Senior Official Meeting (SOM) for setting priorities for cooperation amongst BRICS countries in Science, Technology and Innovation has been organized in Jaipur (Rajasthan).
- 8th BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit held in Goa -
- Attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma.
- Theme for the summit was Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions -
- BRICS nations agreed to set up an independent Rating Agency, to challenge western hegemony in world of finance.
- BRICS - BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) meet held. BIMSTEC Nations - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
- MOUs Signed within BRICS Nations -
- MoU for Establishment of BRICS Agricultural Research Platform
- Regulations on Customs Cooperation Committee of the BRICS
- MoU on Mutual Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies
- Election Commission of India hosted first ever International Conference on Voter Education in New Delhi.
- First edition of World Sustainable Development Summit with theme ‘Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress’ organized The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi).
- First meeting of National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) held in New Delhi to discuss ways for developing roadmap for implementation of WTOs trade facilitation agreement. It was headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha.
- G-20 Seminar on Corruption & Global Economy and G-20 Anti Corruption Working Group (ACWG) meeting held in Paris (France). Indian delegation is headed by Devesh Chaturvedi.
- International Forum on adopting ICT Perspective to Education and LearningHeld in New Delhi. It has been organised by International Bureau of Education (IBE), UNESCO in partnership with Google and Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development.
- PETROTECH 2016, 12th International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition will be organised by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in New Delhi in December, 2016.
- PM Narendra Modi will launch first National Tribal Carnival in Delhi on October 25, 2016.
- Second BRICS Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ meeting held in Goa.
National
- 104th Indian Science Congress (ISC) 2017 will be held at Sri Venkateswara University in Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) in January 2017.
- 43rd edition of India International Knit Fair 2016 held at India Knit Fair Complex in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.
- 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa in November 2016.
- Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu announced that South Korean director Im Kwon-taek will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
- 5th India International Silk Fair (IISF) 2016 held at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
- Abhaneri festival held at Abhaneri village in Dausa (Rajasthan), to promote rural tourism in area.
- According to 2011 census data, 61 % of population of Differently abled persons in age-group of 5-19 (65 lakh total) in 2011 were attending educational institutions.
- According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), Delhi’s air quality is very poor. The average (24-hour rolling) of PM2.5 and PM10, suspended respirable pollutants, were recorded as 120.8 and 248 micrograms per cubic metre as against safe limits of 60 and 100.
- Andhra Pradesh government signed a FinTech Cooperation agreement with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to promote innovation in financial services.
- As per a study by National Council of Applied Economic Research, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) has played important role in reducing ‘socioeconomic disparities’ existing in maternal care.
- BHEL commissioned 660 Mw coal-based supercritical thermal power unit in Uttar Pradesh, at 3x660 Mw Prayagraj super thermal power project in Allahabad district.
- Bathukamma floral festival celebrated by Hindu women in Telangana.
- Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved mechanism for revision of ethanol price for supply to Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). Revised price will facilitate OMCs to carry out Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme for 2016-17.
- Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport's Terminal 3 (IGIA) achieved Platinum rating from Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
- Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung dissolved Delhi Waqf Board, referring It’s constitution to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe for alleged corruption.
- Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and World Bank's Ease of Doing Business India Report 2016 -
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana jointly topped Ease of Doing Business Reforms Ranking 2015-16.
- States were ranked on their implementation of DIPP-proposed 340-point Business Reform Action Plan in 2015 - 2016. These are broadly under six key categories - tax reforms, single-window systems, environment and labour reforms, construction permits, inspection reforms and commercial disputes and paper-less courts.
- Top 10 - Andhra Pradesh (Score 98.78%), Telangana (98.78%), Gujarat (98.21%), Chhattisgarh (97.32%), Madhya Pradesh (97.01%), Haryana (96.95%), Jharkhand (96.57%), Rajasthan (96.43%), Uttarakhand (96.13%) and Maharashtra (92.86).
- National implementation average of reforms stands at 48.93%, higher than 2015 national average of 32.
- 12 states scored over 90 while 17 states / UTs including Kerala, Goa and most north-eastern states score poor 0-40%.
- Department of Personnel & Training (Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions) launched Employees Online (EO) App. The mobile application aims to update on Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointments and postings on real time basis and to bring transparency.
- Doordarshan signed agreement with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) regarding the transmission of 4 Gyan Darshan Educational channels.
- Election Commission of India (ECI) amended Conduct of Election Rules 1961 to facilitate e-transfer of postal ballot.
- It will empower a returning officer in any constituency to send postal ballots to an eligible voter by electronic means. It will make voting feasible to all voters who may not vote due to not being physically available at the booth.
- Under it, returning officer can send ballot through a web portal with a ‘One Time Password (OTP)’ to voters. Voter needs to download the ballot for voting. The voter after voting will physically return the ballot through post.
- It will ease logistical issues involved in ensuring that the ballot paper of the constituency, where a voter is eligible to vote, is sent in time. Thus, it will cut time in transmission of the ballot paper and help the EC overcome logistical problems.
- Election Commission of India (ECI) collaborated with Facebook to register young voters in 5 states going to polls in 2017 - Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand.
- Global Conference to Strengthen Arbitration and Enforcement in India held in delhi with title - National Initiative On Strengthening Arbitration And Enforcement In India.
- Goa Tourism department launched vessels popularly known as ‘Duck Boats’ to boost tourist footfall.
- Government allowed HLL Lifecare (Miniratna PSU) to sub-lease over 300 acres of land for setting up India’s first Medipark (Medical Park) at Chengalpet near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
- Government announced to set up 30 inland waterways and will soon float invite bids for the same. This move will help to tap the huge potential in the so-far-untapped inland waterways transport segment despite India being endowed with natural rivers suitable for it.
- Earlier, Parliament allowed 106 rivers across India to be converted into National Waterways (NWs) in addition to existing 5 such National Waterways.
- Government approved 515 crores for development of proposed Sagar Port project in West Bengal.
- Government approved Cadre Review of Indian Posts & Telecommunications Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS).
- Government approved establishment of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) at Jammu in a temporary campus at Old Government College of Engineering & Technology from 2016-17.
- Government approved establishment of National Academic Depository (NAD) within next three months. NAD will be rolled out throughout country in 2017-18.
- Finance Minister's Budget Speech of 2016-17 included commitment to establish a Digital Depository for school learning certificates, degrees and other academic awards of Higher Education Institutions, on the pattern of a Securities Depository.
- NAD would be operationalised by NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures, Limited (CVL).
- Academic institutions would be responsible for the authenticity of data digitally uploaded by them into system.
- NAD will provide digital or a printed copy of the academic award with security features to students or other authorized users.
- Requests for access to academic awards, for example, from potential employers, and academic institutions would be only on the basis of consent of the student.
- Government approved formation of an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Berhampur (Odisha), at cost of Rs 152 crores for initial three years (2016-19).
- Seven IISERs are - Berhampur, Tirupati, Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali, Kolkata and Pune.
- Government brought final draft of National Water Framework Bill 2016 to provide uniform national legal framework to manage water in a better way by proposing model law for all states. However, water being a State subject under VII Schedule of constitution the law will be not binding on States for adoption.
- Government constituted a Committee Under Joint Commissioner, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries (Munialappa) to Monitor situation arising out of avian influenza (H5N8), Also called Bird Flu.
- Government decided to establish at least one Krishi Vigyan Kendra in each of districts in country, to provide technical assistance to farmers.
- Government held tripartite talks with Kuki National Organisation (KNO) and United People's Front (UPF) of Manipur to find solution to their long standing demand of homeland and political future.
- Government integrated 250 mandis in 10 states with electronic national agriculture market (e-NAM) in first phase. Target is to integrate 585 mandis by March 2018.
- Government launched Mining Surveillance System (MSS) as a surveillance network to check illegal mining using latest satellite technology. It is Developed by Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) in coordination with Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) Gandhinagar.
- Government made Aadhaar card mandatory for availing cooking gas (LPG) subsidies after November 2016.
- Government reconstituted Inter State Council (ISC) and Standing Committee of ISC
- It was reconstituted under Clause 2 of Inter State Council order 1990.
- Inter-State Council is a constitutional body to facilitate coordination between states and the centre.
- It will be headed by PM Narendra Modi and consists Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories as members.
- Six Union Ministers are also members - Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Minister for Information and Broadcasting M Venkiah Naidu and Road Transport Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.
- Standing Committee of the Inter State Council will be headed by Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh.
- Government stated that Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have become first States to declare all cities and towns as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
- Government will adopt 3 pronged approach to revitalise domestic retail and wholesale trade - Establishing a regulatory body for national internal trade (retail and wholesale), Comprehensive domestic trade policy and Board for Internal Trade.
- Domestic trade comprises non-corporate small businesses providing employment to approx 45 crore people. Currently, there is no single regulatory body or Ministry for such six crore small businesses in the country that have collective annual turnover of around Rs. 30 lakh crore.
- Government will invest 15000 crore rupees to increase capacity of Panipat refinery in Haryana to 25 Million Tonnes from existing 15 Million Tonnes.
- Government will utilise vast network of post offices across the country to sell subsidised pulses.
- Haji Ali Dargah Trust granted equal access to women to inner sanctorum of Haji Ali shrine in Mumbai on par with men.
- Haryana Government will observe 2017 as Garib Kalyan Varsh, aimed at welfare of poor people and generating employment opportunities.
- Haryana government started a ‘Farm Tourism’ scheme to boost tourism. In it, registered farm owners can host tourists as part of holiday packages. This scheme has been started to attract people to villages.
- Himachal Pradesh declared India's Second Open Defecation Free State (After Sikkim).
- Home Minister Rajnath Singh announced that India-Pakistan's 3323-km border will be completely sealed by December 2018. Besides, a new concept of Border Security Grid (BSG) has been envisaged, which will take final shape after considering suggestions of all stake holders related to border security.
- Home Minister Rajnath Singh laid foundation stone of building for Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under Ministry of Culture at Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh).
- India's First International Arbitration Centre inaugurated in Mumbai (Maharashtra), to provide an arbitration platform for Indian business houses to negotiate commercial disputes.
- India’s first startup magazine Cofounder, launched by Adhish Verma and Arunraj Rajendran.
- India’s first “Design Yatra” started in Kozhikode (Kerala), spread awareness and popularize designs. It will travel to 29 cities by February 2017, covering 15,000 kms. It is launched by the Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID).
- International Energy Agency (IAE) will partner with India to implement its Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) initiative globally for energy savings.
- IAE has been impressed with performance of India’s UJALA programme in terms of vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing costs.
- UJALA scheme is implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
- About 4 crore LEDs are distributed under UJALA per month, up from 10 lakh / month in 2014.
- International Household Survey Network (IHSN) Toolkit workshop held by Ministry for Statistics and Programme Implementation in Delhi.
- Micro data Management Toolkit is open source data, DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) compliant application for cataloguing and dissemination of Metadata & Microdata. The International Household Survey Network (IHSN) is designed to address technical issues facing data producers.
- Jharkhand become first state to implement Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in Kerosene in four districts - Chatra, Hazaribagh, Khunti and Jantara.
- Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched paddy cultivation in Aranmula Puncha near Cochin., under Harita Keralam project.
- Kerala became third Open Defecation Free state after Sikkim and Himachal Pradesh under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) (Gramin).
- Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal II (KWDT-II) headed by Brijesh Kumar decided to not to relook into allocation of Krishna River water among four states - Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Tribunal though decided to confine reallocation of Krishna water to Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- KWDT-II pronounced its judgement on the litigation prompted by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both states in their petition had sought fresh allocation of Krishna River water among all four riparian states, not just between both of them.
- KWDT-II verdict said that Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 was not applicable to all four states, thss river water should be re-allocated between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, from the share of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
- Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT)
- KWDT was set up by Government in 1969 under Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956 to resolve disputes between states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and then undivided Andhra Pradesh over sharing of Krishna river water.
- Life Expectancy data by Registrar General of India (2010 - 2014),
- Jammu and Kashmir has highest Life Expectancy at all ages, except at Birth (At Birth - which Kerala is at top - 74.9 years, . Delhi is second (73.2 years) and Jammu and Kashmir stands third).
- Average Life expectancy in India has grown to 67.9 years in 2010-14, up from 49.7 years in 1970. For males, it is 66.2 years while female are much higher at 69.6 years.
- About Data -
- RGI’s Sample Registration System (SRS) published state level life expectancy data prepared following surveys done between 2010 and 2014, for different ages - 0 (at birth), 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
- Madhya Pradesh government will launch Lalima Abhiyan in November 2016, to make state free from anaemia.
- Maharashtra Government allocated approx 40 hectare land to Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to build LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) India Project at Dudhala village in Hingoli district.
- Maharashtra government launched Kaushalya Setu for accommodting students in skill development courses who failed to clear Class 10th / 12th exam.
- Manipur's Human rights activist (Called as Iron Lady) Irom Sharmila announced formation of her political party named Peoples Resurgence and Justice Alliance (PRJA).
- Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh informed that egg availability in India is 63 per person per year, while it should be about 180 eggs per person per year.
- Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti released first installment of Rs. 1500 crore to states as central assistance for 99 prioritized irrigation projects under Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Program (AIBP). Amount is meant for 50 projects in Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Telangana. Total funds required for completion of all 99 projects is 77595 crore.
- Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation signed MoU with Common Services Centre (SPV of Ministry of Information Technology) for enabling online submission of applications under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
- Ministry of Housing notified Real Estate (Regulation and Development) (General) Rules 2016, to be applicable to 5 Union Territories - Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Chandigarh.
- Ministry of Railways and Urban Development Ministry signed MoU for smart railway stations, valid for 5 years.
- Ministry of Railways declared Okha-Kanalus and the Porbandar-Wansjaliya railway sections of Gujarat as Green Train Corridors (All trains through these routes will be equipped with bio-toilets).
- Ministry of Road Transport & Highways made it mandatory for all automobile manufacturers to provide emission and noise pollution details for every vehicle they produce, from April 2017 onwards. Govt amended Form 22 under Central Motor Vehicles Act, 1989 through which manufactures provide the initial certification of compliance of vehicles.
- Ministry of Road Transport and Highways launched Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS). It is being developed to create an inventory of all bridges in country and rate structural condition of bridges, to help in their timely repair and rehabilitation work. IBMS will have info on over one lakh fifty thousand bridge structures.
- Ministry of Science and Technology has launched two new schemes - Biotech KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) and Cattle Genomics in order to apply science to boost rural economy.
- Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) - Its purpose is to connect farmers, scientist and science institution across country. Under it, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in farm practice.
- Cattle Genomics - It aims at boosting selective breeding of the native livestock more accurately to ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock.
- Ministry of Shipping sanctioned Capital Dredging Project of Ro Pax Ferry Services between Gogha & Dahej, in Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat under Sagarmala programme. otal project cost is estimated to be Rs 234 Crore of which 50% will be funded by the Government under Sagarmala.
- Ministry of Urban Development approved projects worth 114 crores under HRIDAY scheme for improving infrastructure facilities around core heritage sites in five cities - Varnasi (Uttar Pradesh), Amritsar (Punjab), Dwaraka (Gujarat), Puri (Odisha) and Warangal (Telangana).
- NITI Aayog identified three key areas for reforms needed to be implemented by states, for reviving Ailing Agriculture sector in India. These areas are - Agricultural market reforms, Land lease reforms and Reforms related to forestry on private land. NITI Aayog strssed on role of IT and Marketing in Agribusiness and released an index to rank States and UTs based on ease of Agriculture and opportunities for farmers for enhancing their income. Index is named as Agricultural Marketing and Farmer Friendly Reforms Index, with scores ranging 0 - 100.
- Index is based on implementation of seven provisions proposed under model APMC Act (Agricultural produce market committee), joining eNAM initiative, special treatment to fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis.
- Maharashtra stayed at top with score of 81.7 with UT of puducherry at last with 4.8 score.
- Complete ranking of states in this index -
- Some states and UTs either did not adopt APMC Act or revoked it - including Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar. They are not included in the ranking.
- National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) Goa has established a high altitude research station in Himalaya called HIMANSH, at a remote region in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
- Himalayan region has largest concentration of glaciers outside polar caps, and is called “Water Tower of Asia”. It is source of 10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water for over 70 crore people in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- National Seismic Programme (NSP) been launched by Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan in Odisha to trace hydrocarbon resources like oil and natural gas in Mahanadi basin. NSP will undertake a fresh appraisal in all sedimentary basins across India, for a better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential.
- National Summit on Fortification of Food held in New Delhi, to address interventions in combating micronutrient malnutrition in country.
- Odisha government launched Madhubabu Aain Sahayata Sibir’ (MASS) scheme to provide legal assistance to deprived sections of the society at the grassroots level. It has been named after Odia lawyer Madhu Babu, who is considered as the first lawyer of Odisha.
- PM Narendra Modi announced India's first Railway University will be set up in Vadodara (Gujarat).
- PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Shaurya Smarak' war memorial in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- PM Narendra Modi laid foundation stone of Urja Ganga, ambitious gas pipeline project in Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
- Project Is aimed at providing piped cooking (PNG) gas and CNG gas for the vehicles to eastern region of India. It is being implemented by GAIL.
- It include Laying a 2,050-km pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by 2018. Under it, overall 20 lakh households will get PNG connections.
- Urja Ganga project will augment GAIL’s network of trunk pipelines covering the length of around 11,000 km by 2540 km.
- Under this project, work on 2540-km long Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline project will begin and will be completed between 2018 and 2020.
- PM Narendra Modi launched National SC/ST hub and Zero Defect, Zero Effect (ZED) scheme for MSMEs at Ludhiana in Punjab. He also dedicated to the nation 3 hydropower projects at Koldam, Parbati and Rampur in Himachal Pradesh.
- Koldam - 4×200 MW capacity project executed by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
- Parbati - Stage-III project with a capacity of 530 MW of National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC).
- Rampur - 412 MW capacity project of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).
- PM Narendra Modi launched campaign #Sandesh2Soldiers, through which people can send their Diwali greetings and messages to soldiers to boost their morale. Messages can be sent via Narendra Modi App, MyGov.in, and All India Radio.
- President Pranav Mukherjee inaugurated Sardar Patel Heart Institute at Ankleshwar in Gujarat.
- Rajasthan High Court dissolved State Other Backward Classes (OBC) Commission as it was constituted without State Assembly enacting any legislation for it.
- Researchers from Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya (IGKV) Chattisgarh developed a protein-enriched rice variet, with 10% protein content. It is 3% more than what is found in any popular variety and has 30 PPM (parts per million) zinc content.
- Safe Motherhood Week Observed in Uttar Pradesh, to decrease 'Mother Mortality Rate' (MMR) and 'Infant Mortality Rate' (IMR).
- Second Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav (RSM) 2016 held in Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi.
- State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi Visited India and signed three agreements -
- Designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of Myanmar.
- Cooperation in Power Sector : India has also offered to enhance power supply from Moreh in Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar.
- Banking Supervision between RBI and Central Bank of Myanmar.
- Supreme Court stayed commercial release of Genetically Modified (GM) mustard crop till October 17, 2016.
- SC reacted on petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues that said that sowing of GM Mustard seeds will be undertaken without relevant tests and without entire bio-safety dossier for commercial launch GM mustard.
- Supreme Court widened scope of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 by making it gender-neutral by deletiing words “adult male” before word ‘person’ in Section 2(q) of Act.
- Telangana Government in its biggest administrative reform created 21 new districts, taking number of districts to 31 from 10 -
- 21 new districts are - Siddipet, Jayashankar, Jangaon, Jagtial, Yadadri, Warangal (Rural), Peddapally, Sangareddy, Kamareddy, Mancheriyal, Kothagudem, Vikarabad, Rajanna, Asifabad, Suryapet, Wanaparthy, Nirmal, Mahabubabad, Nagarkurnool, Jogulamba and Malkajgiri.
- Telangana government organised traditional state festival of 'Bathukamma' and it entered into Guinness Book of World Records, with about ten thousand women participating.
- USA lifted Over 20 years old Economic sanctions against Myanmar.
- Union Government will fast-track four projects in Indus river basin to increase irrigation area in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by 2 lakh acres. India has decided to exploit to maximum water of Pakistan-controlled rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab as per Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
- Uttarakhand High Court ordered state government to completely ban sale of whitener, after death of a teenager from sniffing an excess of it.
- Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari has recognised a group of 22 MPs belonging to smaller parties and certain Independents as a consolidated bloc - the United Group. It will be the third largest group of MPs in the Rajya Sabha, after Congress and BJP.
- Vigilance Awareness Week is observed every year from October 31 across India to promote probity in public life and achieve a corruption free society. 2016 theme is “Public participation in promoting integrity and eradicating Corruption”.
- Women of India Festival 2016 of organic products held in New Delhi.
- World Economic Forum (WEF) India Summit held in New Delhi with theme Fostering an Inclusive India through Digital Transformation.
Persons
- Home Minister Rajnath Singh visited Bahrain.
- A new frog species that resembles Graceful tree frog (Litoria Gracilenta), discovered in Australia’s Queensland.
- Arnab Goswami resigned as Editor-in-Chief of Times Now, Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd-run news channel.
- Bangladesh's Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Nasrul Hamid visited India.
- Bengaluru's Kieren Dsouza became first Indian to complete Spartathlon, described as the world’s toughest race. She completed 246.6 km distance in 33 hours, one minute and 38 seconds. Spartathlon is an annual run between Athens and Sparta in Greece, with a reported success rate of 50%.
- Brazilian noted Footballer Carlos Alberto passed away.
- British Olymic Champion Jessica Ennis-Hill retired from athletics.
- Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Oslo (Norway) for mini Ministerial gathering of Trade Ministers.
- Finance Minister Arun Jaitley visited USA and Canada.
- First Woman Chief Minister of Goa, Shashikala Kakodkar passed away.
- Germany's Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Alexander Dobrindt visited India.
- Government will commemorate birth centenary of social activist and former RSS leader Nanaji Deshmukh from October 11, 2016 to October 11, 2017.
- India reacted sharply to technical hold on banning Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar by United Nations 1267 Sanctions Committee.
- Indian Air Force Chief Arup Raha Visited Russia.
- Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari visited Hungary (Central Europe) and Algeria ( North Africa) -
- India and Hungary signed two MoUs, including one on water management.
- India and Algeria will form a multi-billion dollar joint venture for establishing a fertilizer plant in Algeria.
- Indian mountaineer Arjun Vajpai scaled world’s 6th highest mountain Cho Oyu (8188 metres), at China Tibet border. Arjun has climbed five of the 14 highest mountains in the world that tower over 8000 metres.
- India’s largest conglomerate Tata Sons removed Cyrus Pallonji Mistry as Chairman. Board replaced him with his predecessor Ratan Tata as interim chairman for four months. Mistry had shortest tenure as Chairman so far at the group.
- Japanese Prince Mikasa (uncle of Emperor Akihito) passed away. He was oldest imperial family member in world.
- Kigeli V Ndahindurwa (80), Last king of Rwanda passed away.
- King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away after 70 years reign.
- Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan visited USA for White House Arctic Science Ministerial meeting.
- Mizoram government declared 90 year old Lalbiakthanga Pachuau as oldest working journalist in India.
- Nigerian Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu visited India.
- Nobel prizewinning Italian Actor Dario Fo passed away.
- Noted American boxer Aaron Pryorpassed away.
- Noted Japanese Mountaineer Junko Tabei passed away. She was first woman to climb world’s highest peak - Mount Everest.
- Noted Kashmiri singer Raj Begum passed away.
- Noted Manipuri theatre legend Heisnam Kanhailal passed away.
- Noted Punjabi Actor Mehar Mittal Passed Away.
- Noted USA Social Activist (Particularly Anti - Vietnam War Activist), Tom Hayden Passed Away.
- Noted writer and litterateur from Uttarakhand, Dayanand Anant passed away.
- Oscar-winning Film director Andrzej Wajda passed away.
- Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key visited India.
- India and New Zealand signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance (DTA), sports and food security.
- Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong visited India.
- Rishi Jaitly resigned as Twitter's India head.
- Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoiguv visited India f0r 16th India-Russia Intergovernmental Commission Meet on Military-Technical Cooperation.
- South African Gandhian Activist Mewa Ramgobin passed away.
- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe visited India.
- Sunil Lanba, Chief of Indian Navy visited Myanmar.
Science
- Abhishek Swarnkar from Pune’s Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) has produced a stable, high-efficiency, all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystal solar cells.
- New inorganic perovskite nanocrystal material has 10.77% efficiency to convert sunlight to electricity. It used cesium to produce the material of cesium lead iodide.
- The nanocrystals of cesium lead iodide were reduced to nanometre range. It allowed the material to absorb visible sunlight till 700 nm at ambient temperature.
- These nanocrystals converted sunlight to electricity by producing a high voltage of 1.23 volts.
- According to recent study by Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970 and if trend continues then two-thirds of wild animals may go extinct by 2020.
- According to study at University of Idaho (USA), Uranus has two tiny, previously undiscovered moons orbiting near two of the planet’s rings.
- Fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) found in moderately dense mangrove surrounding of the Gilalakalandi harbour near Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh. It is state animal of West Bengal.
- Hinduja Group’s Ashok Leyland launched India’s first electric bus which are non-polluting and have zero-emissions, under National Electric Mobility Plan that aims at a 20% penetration of electric/hybrid (eco-friendly) vehicles by 2020. They have been given subsidy under Central government’s Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid) and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme.
- Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) launched CYSVAX, world’s first vaccine for Taenia solium Tapeworms in pigs. The vaccine has significant potential benefit to reduce incidence of epilepsy in humans.
- Indian Space Research Organsiation (ISRO) started tests for critical Moon landing of Chandrayaan 2, at Challakere in Chitradurga district (Karnataka).
- Chandrayaan-2 mission is tentatively set for late 2017 or early 2018. The mission includes an Orbiter, a Lander and a Rover.
- India’s latest communication satellite, GSAT-18 launched by Ariane 5 VA-231 launch vehicle from Kourou (France). It weighed 3,404 kg at lift-off.
- Jawhar Sircar resigned as Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati.
- NASA developed a new high-tech electroactive bandage that uses electricity to significantly promote healing of injured wounds, especially in space. The electroactive bandage uses a new material called polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) which can be stimulated by pressure of cell growth and body heat.
- NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) detected Great Balls of Fire (GBF), a mysterious super-hot blobs of gas seen near a dying star.
- New termite species Glyptotermes Chiraharitae discovered at Kakkayam in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary (Kerala). It has been named Chiraharitae after tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats, where it was spotted.
- Termites are of three types - damp wood, dry wood and subterranean. Glyptotermes Chiraharitae species are of the damp wood category.
- Researchers from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru developed a cost-effective, high-performance, self-powered UV photodetector that can use harvested optical energy for direct self-charging of energy storage devices such as supercapacitor. It can also be used for operating electronic devices in the absence of external power source.
- Researchers from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram developed a compound named gelator to scoop out marine oil spills, using glucose as a starting material.
- Gelator molecule is partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic. Hydrophilic part helps in self-assembling to form gelator fibres, while the hydrophobic part is responsible for its diffusion into oil layer.
- Since outer part of fibre is hydrophobic, oil tends to gets into spongy network made of fibres. Once inside fibre network, oil loses fluidity and becomes a gel.
- Scientists from Delhi’s National Physical Laboratory (NPL) have developed a way of producing electricity from water hydroelectric cell at room temperature without using any power or chemicals. In this new method, scientist had used zinc and silver as electrodes to make a cell that produces electricity.
- Scientists from University of Sydney (Australia) found that mother’s milk from marsupials (Tasmanian devils) could help to deadly superbugs which resist antibiotics.
- Smooth-coated otter sighted for first time in mangrove forest adjacent to Krishna Wildlife Sanctuary in Krishna district (Andhra Pradesh).
- Study by Kyoto University Scientists suggests that apes have ability to Think and guess like Humans.
- World Space Week (WSW) observed from 4-10 October every year. 2016 theme is “Remote Sensing: Enabling our Future”.
Sports
- 2016 Kabaddi World Cup (KWC) started at The Arena By TransStadia in Ahmedabad, which is India’s first-ever convertible stadium. It can be converted an outdoor stadium into an indoor arena within 6 minutes at a touch of a button, with seating capacity of 20,000 and can house 14 sports, excluding cricket.
- 2018 FIFA Football World Cup will be held in Russia, with Zabivaka as official mascot. In Russian, Zabivaka means the one who scores.
- 4 Indian wrestlers won medals at sixth edition of the TAFISA World Games held in Jakarta (Indonesia). Wrestler Dalmiya won gold and Others to win medals are Luv Singh, Naveen Kumar and Josil.
- BCCI president Anurag Thakur appointed as member of ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs committee.
- Bahrain International Challenge Badminton 2016 -
- Men's singles - Pratul Joshi (India)
- Women's singles - Sri Fatmawati (Indonesia)
- Men's doubles - Evgenij Dremin and Denis Grachev (Russia )
- Women's doubles - Tanisha Crasto (Bahrain) Aprilsasi Putri Lejarsar Variella (Indonesia )
- Mixed doubles - Evgenij Dremin and Evgenia Dimova (Russia)
- Bank of Baroda signed sponsorship contracts with badminton players P V Sindhu and K Srikanth.
- Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) approved using Decision Review System (DRS) in upcoming 5 Test series against England in November 2016.
- Brazil won inaugural BRICS U-17 Football Tournament 2016 by defeating South Africa.
- China Open Tennis 2016 -
- Men's Singles - Andy Murray (United Kingdom)
- Women's Singles - Agnieszka Radwańska (Poland)
- Men's Doubles - Pablo Carreño Busta and Rafael Nadal (Spain)
- Women's Doubles - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Lucie Šafářová (Czech Republic)
- First Edition of Tamil Nadu Premier League Cricket Tournament won by TUTI Patriots.
- India Cricketer Virat Kohli presented with ICC Test Championship mace for leading his team to the top of the Test Team Rankings.
- India won 2016 Asian Men’s Hockey Champions trophy by defeating Pakistan. It was hosted by Malaysia.
- India won 2016 Kabaddi World Cup by defeating Iran by 38-29. It was hosted by India in Ahmedabad (Gujarat). It is India's Third consecutive Kabaddi World Cup Title.
- India's Harika Dronavalli defeated World No. 1 Hou Yifan of China to be at joint fourth position in Isle of Man international Chess tournament.
- India's Ruthvika Shivani Gadde won women's singles title at Russian Open Badinton and Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy won the mixed doubles. Other winners -
- Men's Singles - Zulfadli Zulkiffli (Malaysia)
- Men's Doubles - Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov (Russia)
- Women's Doubles - Anastasia Chervyakova and Olga Morozova (Russia)
- Indian Army's Gorkha Rifles Team won Gold medal at Exercise Cambrian Patrol organized by British Army.
- Indian Badminton Player Saina Nehwal appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.
- Indian Badminton Player Sourbah Verma won 2016 Men's singles at Chinese Taipei Masters Badminton Grand Prix tournament.
- Indian Boxing Council (IBC) inducted into World Boxing Organisation (WBO) with voting rights, during WBO's annual convention at Puerto Rico.
- Indian Railways won World Railway Shooting Championship Cup held in France.
- Indian Roller Skaters' Team claimed their first ever International medal, after they won bronze in 3000m team relay event in Lishui (China). Team consisted of Vikram Ingale, Nikhilesh Tabhane and Dhanush Babu.
- Indian Shooter Jitu Rai won the 2016 Champion of Champions pistol Award of the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) for pistol shooting. He won it in World Cup Final held in Bologna (Italy), after defeating Damir Mikec of Serbia.
- Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat defeated Australia’s Ben Kite to retain WBC welterweight Asia title.
- Indian football team achieved its best FIFA ranking in over six years, as per latest FIFA Report. India is now ranked at 137th (Jump of 11 places).
- At present, Argentina tops the FIFA World Rankings, followed by Germany and Brazil.
- Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar won Korea Open 2016, his 6th Asian Tour title.
- Indian tennis star Sania Mirza ended season as world’s top doubles Tennis player for second straight year. She won 7 WTA titles, a Grand Slam and a semi-final this year.
- Indian women Cricketer Jhulan Goswami acquired No.1 spot in ICC Women’s ODI bowling rankings.
- India’s Played their 900th ODI against New Zealand at Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh). India is first Nation to win 900 ODI Matches.
- Jamaican athlete Usain Bolt announced that he will retire after 2017 World Championships in London.
- Kochi (Kerala) became first Indian city to be officially declared as one of venues for hosting 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Navi Mumbai became second city as a venue of FIFA U-17 WC 2017.
- Mercedes Racer Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won 2016 Formula 1 Mexican 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Germany 31 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Belgium 28 August Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October Nico Rosberg (Germany) USA 23 October Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mexico 30 October Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Mercedes Racer Lewis Hamilton (Britain) won 2016 Formula 1 USA 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Germany 31 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Belgium 28 August Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October Nico Rosberg (Germany) USA 23 October Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Mercedes Racer Nico Rosberg (Germany) won 2016 Formula 1 Japanese 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 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Germany 31 July Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Belgium 28 August Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October Nico Rosberg (Germany) USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports recognized Boxing Federation of India (BFI) as National Sports Federation (NSF) for Boxing. Sport of boxing had suffered due to absence of a National Sports Federation since 2012.
- North Korea won 2016 FIFA U-17 Women’s World cup by defeating Japan. It was hosted by Jordan.
- Punjab Directorate won 2016 National Cadet Corp (NCC) National Games.
- Red Bull Racer Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) won 2016 Malaysia Grand Prix 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 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Russian Tennis star Maria Sharapova's doping ban has been reduced from 2 years to 15 months.
- Supreme Court Directed BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) to not to disburse any funds to state cricket associations till they resolve to abide by Justice RM Lodha Committee recommendations.
- World’s first-ever Cybathlon championship for disabled athletes started at Zurich (Switzerland), organized by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich. It is also known as Bionic Olympics, it differs from Paralympics as it sees participants compete against each other using assistive technologies such as robotic prostheses, brain-computer interfaces and powered exoskeletons.
- Medicine - Yoshinori Ohsumi (Japan) for his work on autophagy. He becomes 23rd Japanese to win a Nobel prize.
- Physics - Britain's David Thouless, F Duncan M Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz selected for their researches on theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.
- Chemistry - Jean-Pierre Sauvage (French), J Fraser Stoddart (Scotland) and Bernard L Feringa (Netherlands) selected for their efforts in developing molecular machines.
- Peace - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos.
- Economics - Oliver Hart (UK), Bengt R. Holmström (Finland)
- Literature - Bob Dylan (USA).
- CATEGORYORGANISATIONENTRY TITLEDramaIslamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), IranVibrationDocumentaryRadio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), Hong KongAn Age of Our Own:War Times - 70th Anniversary Commemoration of the End of WWIINews ReportingRadio and Television of the People's Republic of China (RTPRC) | China National Radio (CNR), China36 DaysCommunity Service Announcement (CSA)All India Radio (AIR), IndiaDiary of a tigerInteractive ProgrammeIslamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB)IranIranian OnlineInnovative ProgrammeRadio and Television of the People's Republic of China (RTPRC) | China National Radio (CNR), ChinaChinese Voice - Chinese New YearSpecial Jury PrizeBangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication, (BNNRC) | Radio Chillmari, BangladeshThe Destroyed Dream
- C V Chandrasekhar has been named Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow (Akademi Ratna). Fellowship of Sahitya Akademi is most prestigious and rare honour, restricted to 40 numbers at any given time.
- Akademi also selected 43 artists for Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2015.
- 54 People selected for coveted UP award for 2016-17, for contribution in literature, fine arts, folk and classical music and sports.
- Some prominent names are - Actor Naseeruddin Shah. PayTM CEO Vijay Shekhar, Paralympic athlete Varun Kumar, Qawwali singers Aftab and Hashim (Sabri Brothers), Director Saurabh Shukla.
- Saraswati River originated in the Himalayas and was approximately 4,000 km in length and flowed through India (3000 KM) and Pakistan (1000 KM) before meeting Arabian Sea through Rann of Kutch.
- On 147th birth anniversary of M K Gandhi. India handed over its Instrument of Ratification of Paris Agreement on climate change to United Nations. India accounts for 4.1 % of global Green House Gas Emissions and became 62nd country to ratify agreement, responsible for almost 52% of global Green House Gases (GHG) emissions. Paris Agreement on climate change will enter into force one month after countries that account for 55% of global GHG emissions ratify it.
- In India, Teacher's Day is held on September 05 Every Year. It is birth date of second President of India, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
- India and France recently signed Agreement for 36 Rafale jets worth €7.87 billion (about Rs. 59,000 crore), 50% offset of which is to be executed by Dassault Aviation and its partners in India. Through the offsets, government wants to bring in much needed expertise to build domestic defence and aerospace industry.
- Under this, Government will provide higher a subsidy to airlines that operate flights between 2 airports under Regional Connectivity Scheme.
- Subsidy given to airlines operating between 2 less served airports will be 10% more than sum offered to airlines that connect only one regional airport.
- Subsidy will be provided under UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam naagrik) scheme for 3 years. It will be provided to airlines to fund their losses by offering airfares at Rs. 2,500 for an hour’s flight on half seats under Regional Connectivity Scheme. Subsidy amount for airlines connecting to one regional airport will vary between Rs. 2,350 and Rs. 5,100 per seat.
- It was decided during meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Goa on sidelines of BRICS summit.
- Earlier, India was denied access to the missile technology with range over 300 km as it was not member state of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). But India’s recent inclusion MTCR has allowed Russia to provide the critical systems and technology to extend the range of the missile beyond 300km.
- India is fourth country to have a nuclear triad i.e. capable of delivering nuclear weapons by aircraft, ballistic missiles and submarine launched missiles. Other countries having nuclear triad are Russia, United States and China.
- INS Arihant is nuclear submarine capable of carrying nuclear tipped ballistic missiles. Thus it belongs to class referred to as Ship Submersible Ballistic Nuclear (SSBN).
- Its design is based on the Russian Akula-1 class submarine. It was built with Russia’s help under Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project started in the 1980s.
- It weighs 6000 tonnes and is 112 metre long. It is powered by 83 MW pressurised light water nuclear reactor with enriched uranium fuel.
- AT1 bonds are hybrid bonds that combine debt and equity elements. They are also called as contingent convertible capital instruments (CoCos). These have their roots in financial crisis when governments were forced to bail out banks. They are riskiest debt issued by banks and do not have any set maturity date.
- TCS is India’s most valuable company with a market capitalization of Rs4.66 trillion, followed by Reliance Industries (3.49 Trillion INR), HDFC Bank (3.21 Trillion INR) and ITC Limited (2.90 Trillion INR).
- Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (ONGC) beat Infosys become 5th most valuable company in India (2.37 Trillion INR), while Infosys is valued at (2.36 Trillion INR)
- Standard Chartered Bank and Bank of Baroda signed MoU on Commonwealth Small States Trade Finance Facility, to make available up to US $100 million of incremental trade finance over 3 years.
- India also pledged £ 1,022,100 to Commonwealth Fund for technical cooperation.
- PDMC will be upgraded to a statutory Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA). It will allow separation of debt management functions from RBI to PDMA , without causing market disruption.
- Standard GST rate will be 18 %, applicable for most of Goods. Few suggested exceptions are -
- 6 % - Costly items and necessary food items.
- 12 % - FMCG and Food Items
- 26 % - Luxury Items
- Others Outcomes of Meeting Include -
- Secular growth rate of 14% will be taken into consideration for calculating the revenue of each state in the first five years of implementation of the GST.
- Base year for calculating the revenue of states will be 2015-16.
- Standard GST rate will be 18 %, applicable for most of Goods. Few suggested exceptions are -
- Besides its own outlets, MMTC has tied up with Indian Overseas Bank, Vijaya Bank, Federal Bank and YES Bank to sell gold coins in denominations of 5 gm and 10 gm coin and 20 gm bar.
- NHPC is constructing 5 power projects aggregating to a total installed capacity of 4290 MW including 1000 MW (Pakal Dul hydroelectric project).
- Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) protected historical monuments and archaeological sites as polythene-free zones, up to 300 meters from protected boundaries.
- Bank branches (including those having business correspondents) providing minimum 4 hours of service for 5 days a week, should be allowed to be treated as a full-service branch. Any other fixed point unit of the bank not complying with minimum working period should be considered a ‘part-time banking outlet’.
- 15 Members of RECP are concerned over giving greater market access to Chinese goods without gaining in return, as it will mainly help China.
- India may have a separate list of items that won't be applicable for RCEP, making chinese imports costly for those items. Otherwise, it will help china and India's trade deficit with china wil rise (which is already hight at 52 Billion USD in 2015 - 16).
- London topped the List of 42 major cities of world (across six key measures - economy, research and development, culture, accessibility, environment and livability).
- Mumbai is only Indian city (ranked 39th) on list.
- Top 10 countries - Germany, Denmark, Australia, Switzerland, UK, Netherlands, Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal and Japan.
- India Facts -
- India has been ranked 133rd out of 183 countries in List.
- Neighbours - Sri Lanka (31), Bhutan (69) and Nepal (77), China (118), Pakistan (154), Bangladesh (146)
- India has nearly 20% of the global youth population, with nearly 345 million young people between ages of 15 and 30.
- India’s rank in 2016 YDU is relatively low, but it has registered an 11% improvement in scores over last five years (from 2010 and 2015).
- CO2 in atmosphere reached record high of global average concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached to 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 2015. It is expected to surge again to new records in 2016 on the back of the very powerful El Niño event.
- It was announced after international agreement among 24 countries and European Union in Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting in Hobart, Australia.
- Ross Sea is one of the last intact marine ecosystems in the world, with 1.6 million square kilometers area. MPA status to Ross Sea will bring blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three quarters of its area for 35 years.
- Ross Sea in Southern Ocean is home to 38% of world’s Adelie penguins, 30% of world’s Antarctic petrels and around 6% of world’s population of Antarctic minke whales.
- Proportion of women who completed five years of primary schooling in India and were literate was 48%, much less than 92% in Nepal, 74% in Pakistan and 54% in Bangladesh.
- India was ranked 38th among the 51 developing countries for female literacy rates.
- Indian pharmaceutical companies ranked at 19th position with an overall score of 59 out of 100 among 28 countries, with USA at Top.
- Two astronauts were launched into space onboard of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft carried two astronauts on 11 October 2016. It docked with Tiangong-2 on 13 October 2016.
- CETA is a free free-trade agreement (FTA) between Canada and EC, that aims to revoke roughly 9,000 tariffs, covering many industrial goods and agricultural and food items.
- It will add around €11.6 billion to the EU economy and around €8.2 billion to Canada’s economy.
- In 2015, Press freedom declined to its lowest point in 12 years.
- Only 13 % of world’s population enjoys a free press, 41 % have Partly Free press while 46 % live in Not Free media environments.
- In India -
- Freedom to press is partly free with a total score of 41 out of 100.
- India ranked 97th among 118 countries, with a score of 28.5. It reflects serious condition of nourishing food availability in India.
- In India, About 15% of under 5 children are 'wasted' and 39% of under-5 children are ‘stunted’. Under-5 mortality rate is 4.8%.
- Though India runs two of the world’s biggest children’s nutrition programmes - ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) for children under 6 years and mid-day meal programme for school going kids up to the age of 14. Still, malnutrition is a serious Issue in India.
- India's Neighbours -
- China- Rank - 29, Score - 7.7
- Nepal - Rank - 72, Score - 21.9
- Sri Lanka - Rank - 84, Score - 25.5
- Bangladesh - Rank - 90, Score - 27.1
- Pakistan - Rank - 107, Score - 33.4
- Best and Worst Ranked Nations in GHI 2016 -
- Best - Argnetina, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Belarus (Under Score of 5)
- Worst - Central African Republic (Score - 46.1), Chad (Score - 44.3), Zambia (Score - 39)
- India ranked 97th among 118 countries, with a score of 28.5. It reflects serious condition of nourishing food availability in India.
- With Qatar on cooperation in field of Youth and Sports.
- WithHungary on cooperation in field of water management.
- MOU between Export Import Bank of India and BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
- Agreement signed to form a Joint Venture between Hindustan Agro Co-Op Ltd (HACL) and United Innovation Corporation (UIC) of Russia, with HACL holdin 51%. In first phase 7 centers will be set up in Maharashtra.
- India needs network of Agro Irradiation Centres as post-harvest losses in food and food grains are around 40-50%, mainly due to microbiological contamination, insect infestation, physiological changes and poor shelf life. It accounts annual loss of 2,50,000 crores.
- Food irradiation is a technology in which food products are subjected to a low dosage of radiation to treat them for germs and insects, increasing their longevity and shelf life.
- Montreal Protocol -
- It is an international treaty that came into force in 1989, aimed at protecting ozone layer by reducing consumption of ozone depleting substances (ODS). It has been ratified by all 197 UN Nations and has phased out over 95% of ODS so far.
- Montreal Protocol -
- It is important for India to have strategic storage as India imports around 80% of its crude oil requirement.
- First World Tsunami Awareness Day will be celebrated on November 5, 2016 at the Asian Ministerial Conference for Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) 2016.
- Kylie Verzosa from Philippines won the title.
- It has 18 large mirrors that will collect infrared light, sheltered behind a tennis-court-size sun shield.
- It is considered as the successor to NASA's iconic Hubble Space Telescope.
- It is a 8.8 billion US dollars worth space observatory built to observe the infrared universe like never before.
- Indus River is important for Pakistan as 65% of the Pakistan’s geographical area including entire Pakistan’s Punjab province is part of Indus basin. The water of Indus River is lifeline of Pakistan and is source of irrigation, hydro power and drinking water for millions of Pakistanis. If the water from rivers is stopped by India it can surely cut lifeline of Pakistan.
- MBIR project is based on the closed fuel cycle which involves recycling the nuclear waste as new fuel. It essentially signifies research on a sodium-cooled Generation 4 fast reactor to design an advanced fast neutron reactor for use in nuclear power plants. MBIR’s design includes three independent loops that can be used to test different coolants like gas, lead and molten salt. It makes it possible to conduct material testing research in those different environments.
- Fast neutron reactor - It this, nuclear fission chain reaction is sustained by fast neutrons. Such reactor needs no neutron moderator like normal water, which serves such a purpose in thermal reactors.
- Participated in 8th BRICS Summit and 17th India-Russia Annual Bilateral Summit in Goa.
- Russian consortium led by Rosneft Oil Company acquired India’s second biggest private oil firm Essar Oil for US $13 billion. Consortium includes Rosneft Oil Company, Netherlands-based commodities trader Trafigura and private investment group United Capital Partners.
- Defence Deals -
- Rs 39,000 crore Deal with Russia to purchase five state of art S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defence systems.
- S-400 ‘Triumf’ Air Defence System are long-range air defence missile systems and one of most advanced long-range defence systems in world. It is referred to as SA-21 Growler by NATO.
- It is an upgraded version of the S-300 defence system and is manufactured by Almaz-Antey. It has been in service in Russia since 2007.
- It is capable of firing three types of missiles. Thus, it creates a layered defence, and simultaneously engaging 36 targets.
- It has capability to destroy incoming all airborne targets at ranges of up to 400 km. With it, India can destroy Pakistani aircrafts even when they are in their airspace.
- India is second customer of S-400 Missile defence systems after China.
- Ka-226T helicopters (Kamov 226T)
- Light multipurpose helicopter designed for work in difficult conditions like high mountains, hot climate and marine areas.
- It will replace the aging Cheetah and Chetak choppers. After induction, Kamov helicopters will operate at 20,000 feet .
- Stealth frigates -
- India and Russia will built four stealth frigates which will be improved versions of Krivak or Talwar class stealth frigates Two frigates will be built in Russia and other two will be constructed at an Indian shipyard with Russian cooperation.
- India signed agreement with Russia to lease second Akula-II class nuclear attack submarine (SSN), worth $2 billion. This second nuclear submarine will arrive in India in 2020-21.
- Rs 39,000 crore Deal with Russia to purchase five state of art S-400 ‘Triumf’ air defence systems.
- Other agreements -
- International Information Security, Bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
- Developing smart cities in Andhra Pradesh and Haryana.
- >MoU between Gazprom and Engineers India Limited (EIL) for the joint study of a gas pipeline to India from Russia and other areas of cooperation.
- Agreement between Rosneft Oil Company and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) in Education and Training.
- MOU for setting up an investment fund of $1 billion by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).
- MoU for Cooperation between Railways in increasing the speed of trains between Nagpur- Hyderabad/ Secundrabad.
- MoU between ROSCOSMOS and ISRO on Mutual Allocation of Ground Measurement Gathering Stations for NAvIC and GLONASS.
- In India, SCB cardholders will get a 20 % cash-back on all Uber rides, subject max 600 per month.
- Title of 2017 Report is - Equal Opportunity for All.
- India ranked at 130th place among 190 countries in List. In previous report, India was ranked at 131st.
- India rank in different metrices -
Topics 2015 Rank 2016 Rank2017 RankGetting Electricity 1377026Enforcing Contracts 186178172Starting a Business 158155155Registering Property 121138138Resolving Insolvency 137136136Construction Permits 184183185Getting Credit 364244Protecting Minority Investors 7813Paying Taxes 156157172Trading Across Borders 126133143
- 10 indicators are - starting business, getting electricity, dealing with construction permits, registering property, protecting investors, getting credit, employing workers, trading across borders, paying taxes, enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency.
- Top 10 Countries - New Zealand (1st), Singapore (2nd), Denmark (3rd), Hong Kong (4th), South Korea (5th), Norway (6th), UK (7th), US (8th), Sweden (9th) and Macedonia (10th).
- BIRCS - Russia (40), South Africa (74), China (78), Brazil (123) and India (130).
- Neighbours - Bhutan (73), China (78), Nepal (107), Sri Lanka (110), Pakistan (144) and Bangladesh (176).
- Somalia is ranked Last, shows that is is worst in terms of doing business
- Finland is safest Nation, followed by Qatar and UAE. El Salvador is ranked last (least safe).
- India has been ranked 87th, climbing 21 spots from 108th position in 2015.
- In this edition, India overtook China which is ranked 99th.
- The report measures gender gap as progress towards parity between men and women in four areas (i) Educational attainment, (ii) Health and survival, (iii) Economic opportunity and (iv) Political empowerment.
- Top 5 - Iceland (1st), Finland (2nd), Norway (3rd), Sweden (4th) and Rwanda (5th).
- Yemen is worst in terms of Gender Gap (144th), while pakistan is second worst (143rd).
- Russia and Turkey agreed to intensify military and intelligence contacts. They also have agreed on the need for aid to get to the northern Syrian city of Aleppo.
- Attended by Indian PM Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Michel Temer and South African President Jacob Zuma.
- Theme for the summit was Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions -
- BRICS nations agreed to set up an independent Rating Agency, to challenge western hegemony in world of finance.
- BRICS - BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) meet held. BIMSTEC Nations - Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand.
- MOUs Signed within BRICS Nations -
- MoU for Establishment of BRICS Agricultural Research Platform
- Regulations on Customs Cooperation Committee of the BRICS
- MoU on Mutual Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies
- Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu announced that South Korean director Im Kwon-taek will be honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at 47th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.
- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana jointly topped Ease of Doing Business Reforms Ranking 2015-16.
- States were ranked on their implementation of DIPP-proposed 340-point Business Reform Action Plan in 2015 - 2016. These are broadly under six key categories - tax reforms, single-window systems, environment and labour reforms, construction permits, inspection reforms and commercial disputes and paper-less courts.
- Top 10 - Andhra Pradesh (Score 98.78%), Telangana (98.78%), Gujarat (98.21%), Chhattisgarh (97.32%), Madhya Pradesh (97.01%), Haryana (96.95%), Jharkhand (96.57%), Rajasthan (96.43%), Uttarakhand (96.13%) and Maharashtra (92.86).
- National implementation average of reforms stands at 48.93%, higher than 2015 national average of 32.
- 12 states scored over 90 while 17 states / UTs including Kerala, Goa and most north-eastern states score poor 0-40%.
- It will empower a returning officer in any constituency to send postal ballots to an eligible voter by electronic means. It will make voting feasible to all voters who may not vote due to not being physically available at the booth.
- Under it, returning officer can send ballot through a web portal with a ‘One Time Password (OTP)’ to voters. Voter needs to download the ballot for voting. The voter after voting will physically return the ballot through post.
- It will ease logistical issues involved in ensuring that the ballot paper of the constituency, where a voter is eligible to vote, is sent in time. Thus, it will cut time in transmission of the ballot paper and help the EC overcome logistical problems.
- Earlier, Parliament allowed 106 rivers across India to be converted into National Waterways (NWs) in addition to existing 5 such National Waterways.
- Finance Minister's Budget Speech of 2016-17 included commitment to establish a Digital Depository for school learning certificates, degrees and other academic awards of Higher Education Institutions, on the pattern of a Securities Depository.
- NAD would be operationalised by NSDL Database Management Limited (NDML) and CDSL Ventures, Limited (CVL).
- Academic institutions would be responsible for the authenticity of data digitally uploaded by them into system.
- NAD will provide digital or a printed copy of the academic award with security features to students or other authorized users.
- Requests for access to academic awards, for example, from potential employers, and academic institutions would be only on the basis of consent of the student.
- Seven IISERs are - Berhampur, Tirupati, Bhopal, Thiruvananthapuram, Mohali, Kolkata and Pune.
- It was reconstituted under Clause 2 of Inter State Council order 1990.
- Inter-State Council is a constitutional body to facilitate coordination between states and the centre.
- It will be headed by PM Narendra Modi and consists Chief Ministers of all states and Union Territories as members.
- Six Union Ministers are also members - Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Minister for Information and Broadcasting M Venkiah Naidu and Road Transport Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.
- Standing Committee of the Inter State Council will be headed by Minister of Home Affairs Rajnath Singh.
- Domestic trade comprises non-corporate small businesses providing employment to approx 45 crore people. Currently, there is no single regulatory body or Ministry for such six crore small businesses in the country that have collective annual turnover of around Rs. 30 lakh crore.
- IAE has been impressed with performance of India’s UJALA programme in terms of vastly improving access to LED lighting while reducing costs.
- UJALA scheme is implemented by the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
- About 4 crore LEDs are distributed under UJALA per month, up from 10 lakh / month in 2014.
- Micro data Management Toolkit is open source data, DDI (Data Documentation Initiative) compliant application for cataloguing and dissemination of Metadata & Microdata. The International Household Survey Network (IHSN) is designed to address technical issues facing data producers.
- KWDT-II pronounced its judgement on the litigation prompted by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both states in their petition had sought fresh allocation of Krishna River water among all four riparian states, not just between both of them.
- KWDT-II verdict said that Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 was not applicable to all four states, thss river water should be re-allocated between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, from the share of undivided Andhra Pradesh.
- Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT)
- KWDT was set up by Government in 1969 under Interstate River Water Disputes Act 1956 to resolve disputes between states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and then undivided Andhra Pradesh over sharing of Krishna river water.
- Jammu and Kashmir has highest Life Expectancy at all ages, except at Birth (At Birth - which Kerala is at top - 74.9 years, . Delhi is second (73.2 years) and Jammu and Kashmir stands third).
- Average Life expectancy in India has grown to 67.9 years in 2010-14, up from 49.7 years in 1970. For males, it is 66.2 years while female are much higher at 69.6 years.
- About Data -
- RGI’s Sample Registration System (SRS) published state level life expectancy data prepared following surveys done between 2010 and 2014, for different ages - 0 (at birth), 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
- Biotech-KISAN (Krishi Innovation Science Application Network) - Its purpose is to connect farmers, scientist and science institution across country. Under it, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in farm practice.
- Cattle Genomics - It aims at boosting selective breeding of the native livestock more accurately to ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock.
- Index is based on implementation of seven provisions proposed under model APMC Act (Agricultural produce market committee), joining eNAM initiative, special treatment to fruits and vegetables for marketing and level of taxes in mandis.
- Maharashtra stayed at top with score of 81.7 with UT of puducherry at last with 4.8 score.
- Complete ranking of states in this index -
- Some states and UTs either did not adopt APMC Act or revoked it - including Bihar, Kerala, Manipur, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Andaman and Nicobar. They are not included in the ranking.
- Himalayan region has largest concentration of glaciers outside polar caps, and is called “Water Tower of Asia”. It is source of 10 major river systems that provide irrigation, power and drinking water for over 70 crore people in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- Project Is aimed at providing piped cooking (PNG) gas and CNG gas for the vehicles to eastern region of India. It is being implemented by GAIL.
- It include Laying a 2,050-km pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal) by 2018. Under it, overall 20 lakh households will get PNG connections.
- Urja Ganga project will augment GAIL’s network of trunk pipelines covering the length of around 11,000 km by 2540 km.
- Under this project, work on 2540-km long Jagdishpur-Haldia and Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas pipeline project will begin and will be completed between 2018 and 2020.
- Koldam - 4×200 MW capacity project executed by National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
- Parbati - Stage-III project with a capacity of 530 MW of National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC).
- Rampur - 412 MW capacity project of Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN).
- Designing an academic and professional building programme for insurance industry of Myanmar.
- Cooperation in Power Sector : India has also offered to enhance power supply from Moreh in Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar.
- Banking Supervision between RBI and Central Bank of Myanmar.
- SC reacted on petition filed by Aruna Rodrigues that said that sowing of GM Mustard seeds will be undertaken without relevant tests and without entire bio-safety dossier for commercial launch GM mustard.
- 21 new districts are - Siddipet, Jayashankar, Jangaon, Jagtial, Yadadri, Warangal (Rural), Peddapally, Sangareddy, Kamareddy, Mancheriyal, Kothagudem, Vikarabad, Rajanna, Asifabad, Suryapet, Wanaparthy, Nirmal, Mahabubabad, Nagarkurnool, Jogulamba and Malkajgiri.
- India and Hungary signed two MoUs, including one on water management.
- India and Algeria will form a multi-billion dollar joint venture for establishing a fertilizer plant in Algeria.
- India and New Zealand signed three agreements in the areas of double taxation avoidance (DTA), sports and food security.
- New inorganic perovskite nanocrystal material has 10.77% efficiency to convert sunlight to electricity. It used cesium to produce the material of cesium lead iodide.
- The nanocrystals of cesium lead iodide were reduced to nanometre range. It allowed the material to absorb visible sunlight till 700 nm at ambient temperature.
- These nanocrystals converted sunlight to electricity by producing a high voltage of 1.23 volts.
- Chandrayaan-2 mission is tentatively set for late 2017 or early 2018. The mission includes an Orbiter, a Lander and a Rover.
- Termites are of three types - damp wood, dry wood and subterranean. Glyptotermes Chiraharitae species are of the damp wood category.
- Gelator molecule is partly hydrophilic and partly hydrophobic. Hydrophilic part helps in self-assembling to form gelator fibres, while the hydrophobic part is responsible for its diffusion into oil layer.
- Since outer part of fibre is hydrophobic, oil tends to gets into spongy network made of fibres. Once inside fibre network, oil loses fluidity and becomes a gel.
- Men's singles - Pratul Joshi (India)
- Women's singles - Sri Fatmawati (Indonesia)
- Men's doubles - Evgenij Dremin and Denis Grachev (Russia )
- Women's doubles - Tanisha Crasto (Bahrain) Aprilsasi Putri Lejarsar Variella (Indonesia )
- Mixed doubles - Evgenij Dremin and Evgenia Dimova (Russia)
- Men's Singles - Andy Murray (United Kingdom)
- Women's Singles - Agnieszka Radwańska (Poland)
- Men's Doubles - Pablo Carreño Busta and Rafael Nadal (Spain)
- Women's Doubles - Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) and Lucie Šafářová (Czech Republic)
- Men's Singles - Zulfadli Zulkiffli (Malaysia)
- Men's Doubles - Vladimir Ivanov and Ivan Sozonov (Russia)
- Women's Doubles - Anastasia Chervyakova and Olga Morozova (Russia)
- At present, Argentina tops the FIFA World Rankings, followed by Germany and Brazil.
- 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 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October Nico Rosberg (Germany) USA 23 October Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mexico 30 October Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
- 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 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October Nico Rosberg (Germany) USA 23 October Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
- 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 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October Nico Rosberg (Germany) USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
- 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 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Italy 4 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Singapore 18 September Nico Rosberg (Germany) Malaysia 2 October Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Japan 9 October USA 23 October Mexico 30 October Brazil 13 November Abu Dhabi 27 November
- Total 21 Grand Prix Races to be organized across the world in 2016. Calendar is -
- 2016 Formula One season -
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