Monthly Current Affairs Magazine - April 2015
Table of Contents
News related to Banking, Finance & Economy
News related to Industry, Business
News related to India & States
News around the world
PM Visits - France
PM Visits - Germany
PM Visits - Canada
List & Indexes
Awards & Honors
Books & Days
Sports News
Appointments
Obituaries
Essay Contest
Any repeated, omitted, wrongly typed news is not our liability. Kindly if any doubt, verify via Google.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
1
News Related to Banking, Finance & Economy
Highlights of RBI 1st monetary policy review of FY 2015-16
Folloǁing are the highlights of ‘BI͛s first ďi-monthly monetary policy statement, 2015-16:






Short-term lending rate (repo) unchanged at 7.5%
Cash Reserve Ratio unchanged at 4%
Retains Statutory Liquidity Ratio at 21.5%
Estiŵates GDP groǁth at ϳ.ϴ% iŶ FY͛ϭϲ, up froŵ ϳ.ϱ% iŶ FY͛ϭϱ
Forecasts CPI inflation at 5.8% by March 2016
CPI inflation to dip to 4% in August 2015
Hailstorms in March affected 17% of the rabi crop sown area
Future rate cuts will depend on interest rate reduction by banks
India better prepared to deal with volatility post US Federal Reserve rate action
State cooperative banks to be allowed to set up offsite/ mobile ATMs without prior approval from RBI
RBI to formulate scheme for market making by primary dealers in semi—liquid and illiquid G—Secs
Second bi-monthly policy statement on June 2
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 1 April 2015 sanctioned the scheme of amalgamation of ING Vysya Bank Ltd.
with Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. The Scheme will come into force with effect from 1 April 2015. With this sanction,
all branches of ING Vysya Bank will function as branches of Kotak Mahindra Bank with effect from 1 April 2015.
Struggling to rein in the fiscal deficit at 4.1 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) during 2014- 15, the
Centre has received a good news on the indirect tax front-- collections under this head exceeded the Revised
Estimates (RE) by Rs 4,000 crore.
Cancellation or change in nomination in insurance policies now comes at a cost as regulator IRDAI has allowed life
insurers to charge up to Rs. 100 for any such modification. For policies obtained online, the fee is up to Rs. 50. The
I‘DAI guideliŶes for ͚‘egisteriŶg CaŶĐellatioŶ or ChaŶge of NoŵiŶatioŶ͛ haǀe Đoŵe iŶto effeĐt froŵ April ϭ, Ϯ0ϭϱ.
Bharti AXA General Insurance Company Limited on 3 April 2015 launched Smart Traveller that offers global
coverage for students, individuals, families and frequent travellers. The SmartTraveller Insurance policy offers a
choice of two major plans catering to Individuals and Families and frequent travelers through a variant known as
Annual Multi Trip International travel insurance plan.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
2
Union Minister of Commerce & Industry on 2 April 2015 unveiled Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-2020. The policy
was unveiled by Minister of State for Ministry of Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman at Vigyan Bhawan,
Delhi.
The new five year Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-20 provides a framework for increasing exports of goods and services
as well as generation of employment and increasing value addition in the country, in keeping with the Make in
India vision of Prime Minister.
Highlights of the FTP 2015-20




In the new policy FTP2015-20, two new schemes Merchandise Exports From India Scheme (MEIS) and
Services Exports From India Scheme (SEIS) were introduced.
MEIS is for export of specified goods to specified markets and SEIS is for increasing exports of notified
services. Duty credit scripts issued under MEIS and SEIS and the goods imported against these scrips are
fully transferable. For grant of rewards under MEIS, the countries have been categorized into 3 Groups,
whereas the rates of rewards under MEIS range from 2% to 5%. Under SEIS the selected Services would
be rewarded at the rates of 3% and 5%.
Measures have been adopted to nudge procurement of capital goods from indigenous manufacturers
under the EPCG scheme by reducing specific export obligation to 75% of the normal export obligation.
This will promote the domestic capital goods manufacturing industry.
Central Bank of India has topped the list of public sector banks with maximum bad loans including restructured
assets as a percentage of total advances. According to the data provided by the RBI to the Finance Ministry,
Central Bank of India͛s Ϯϭ.5 per Đent assets are either bad or have been restructured to save them turning nonperforming assets (NPAs).
Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7 April 2015 approved two FIIs (Foreign Institutional
Investors) proposals worth 4187 crore rupees in the pharmaceutical majors Aurobindo Pharma Ltd. and Glenmark
Pharmaceutical Ltd.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the government's decision to raise by 50 per cent the quantum of
compensation to farmers affected by crop losses due to recent unseasonal rains. Besides, the criterion of 50 per
cent crop damage for providing compensation to farmers has been reduced to 33 per cent, which will help more
people get better compensation for the crop loss.
Gloďal ratiŶgs ageŶĐy Moody͛s oŶ Thursday reaffirŵed IŶdia͛s ratiŶg at Baaϯ ďut raised the ratiŶg outlook to
͚Positiǀe͛ froŵ ͚“taďle͛. IŶdia, however, remains at the last rung of investment grade by all agencies.
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 8 April 2015 raised the transaction limit in exchange traded
currency derivatives to 15 million US dollars for both foreign and domestic investors without having any underlying
exposure. Earlier, the limit was 10 million dollars.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
3
India͛s first International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City near Gandhinagar became operational on
10th April. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley unveiled rules and regulations for this global financial hub. The regulations
are aimed at creating a vibrant IFSC on the lines of those in Dubai and Singapore and check the flight of trading in
rupee and Indian securities to such offshore financial hubs.
Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), the retirement fund body, on 9 April 2015 suspended the 1000
rupees minimum monthly pension scheme from April 2015. The end of the minimum monthly pension provided
under Employee Pension Scheme (EPS)-95 will hit about 32 lakh pensioners.
Foreign Fund Inflows Cross Rs 81K Cr Mark in 2015.
India to clock 7.9% GDP growth in FY16: Morgan Stanley.
Introducing an innovative business model, Kochi Metro Rail Limited—whose 25-km-long, Rs. 5,300-crore Kochi
Metro project is half-way through—has tied up with Axis Bank for an automated fare collection system (AFC) for
the metro.
Reserve Bank of India asks banks to add 'third gender' column in all forms.
ICICI Bank, IŶdia͛s largest priǀate seĐtor ďaŶk, has partŶered ǁith Tech Mahindra to launch contactless payment
service to 'tap and pay'. Based on the Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, this payment service enables
anyone (account holder of ICICI Bank or not) to make over-the-counter payments without using cash. It allows
users to just tap the NFC eŶaďled tag or ŵoďile phoŶe at the ŵerĐhaŶts͛ poiŶt-of-sale device to make payments,
ICICI BaŶk said iŶ a stateŵeŶt. ͚Tap Ŷ Pay͛ is a prepaid aĐĐouŶt, ǁhiĐh ĐaŶ ďe availed by customers of any bank by
registering for it and transferring money online from any bank account. ICICI Bank customers can also transfer
money to the Tap-n-Pay account through an SMS.
To reduce rupee volatility on account of higher inflows and increase forex reserves to cushion any external shock,
the Reserve Bank bought the highest amount of dollars, after a gap of seven years, at $49.2 billion in AprilFebruary of the past fiscal.
National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) announced a tie up with Gujarat International Finance
Tec City (GIFT City) for setting up an International Commodity and Derivatives Exchange.
The Coal Ministry, Railway Ministry and Government of Odisha signed a memorandum of understanding to form
a joint venture which identify and execute railway line projects for evacuation of coal in the State. Coal India will
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
4
hold 64 per cent stake in the joint venture while the Indian Railways will hold 26 per cent and the Odisha
Government will hold 10 per cent.
Cricketer Yuvraj “ingh͛s start-up fund Youwecan Ventures has invested an undisclosed amount in mobile beauty
and wellness platform Vyomo, in a seed funding round. This is the first investment of the Youwecan Ventures,
which has a corpus of Rs. 50 crore.
Zomato extends the service, ties up with Uber to arrange the cab as well.
Union Finance Ministry retained the rate of interest for General Provident Fund (GPF) and other related schemes
at 8.7 per cent for 2015-16. The notification was issued by the Finance Ministry on 21 April 2015. The interest rate
for senior citizens savings scheme was hiked from 9.2 per cent to 9.3 per cent and the interest rate for Sukanya
Samriddhi Account, the special deposit scheme for girl child has been hiked from 9.1 per cent to 9.2 per cent. The
interest earning for Kisan Vikas Patra has been retained at 8.7 per cent.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 April 2015 issued revised guidelines on Priority Sector Lending. These revised
guidelines will replace the existing guidelines issued on 1 July 2014 and became effective from the date of issue. In
addition to the existing categories, the new guidelines add Medium Enterprises, Social Infrastructure and
Renewable Energy under priority sector. As a result, the number of categories under priority sector lending are
agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises, export credit, education, housing, social infrastructure,
renewable energy and others.
Government has allowed retirement fund body EPFO to invest 5 per cent of its corpus in exchange traded funds
which will result into an inflow of around Rs. 5,000 crore into the stock markets during this fiscal.
Indian petrochemicals sector to touch $100 b turnover by 2020: Assocham.
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India jumped about 63 per cent to USD 3.28 billion (about Rs. 20,820 crore) in
February, 2015. In February 2014, the country had received FDI of USD 2.01 billion. During the April-February
period of 2014-15, the foreign fund inflows have grown by 39 per cent, year-on-year, to USD 28.81 billion,
according to the data of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).
The Rajya Sabha on 27 April 2015 passed Payments and Settlement Systems (Amendment) Bill, 2014 with voice
vote. With this the bill has been passed by both the houses of Parliament. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 9
December 2014.
The bill seeks to amend the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 so as to address the problem of insolvency
in the payment and settlement system by increasing transparency. It is also aimed at bringing India's banking
payment system in sync with international practices.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
5
Main highlights of the Bill
It seeks to extend the application of the 2007 Act to a designated trade repository, or issuer, in relation to payment
systems. It has introduced three definitions in regard to this and they are
a) Issuer: It means a person who issues a legal entity identifier or similar unique identification, as specified by the
RBI from time to time.
b) Legal entity identifier: It is a unique identity code assigned to a person by an issuer to identify that person in
such derivatives or financial transactions, as specified by the RBI.
c) Trade repository: It is a person who is engaged in the business of collecting, collating, storing, processing or
disseminating electronic records or data relating to such derivatives or financial transactions, as specified by the
RBI.
Bank of Baroda (BoB) on 25 April 2015 tied-up with UAE Exchange to offer instant money transfer facility to its
Non-resident Indian (NRI) customers. In this regard, an agreement was signed between both the firms.
The Muthoot Group has announced a partnership with Wiki Technologies Inc of the US to open a US-India
payment corridor by leveraging the power of the WikiPay platform.
YES Bank, IŶdia͛s fifth largest priǀate seĐtor ďaŶk, aŶŶouŶĐed its iŶterŶatioŶal foray ďy opeŶiŶg its first oǀerseas
representative office in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
French IT services firm Capgemini said it will acquire US-based outsourcer IGATE for USD 4 billion, a move that will
help the former strengthen its foothold in the North American market.
The World Bank projects India's GDP to expand to 7.5 per cent in the current fiscal on account of increased
economic activity and greater stability.
Government decided to continue its Rs 1,000 per minimum monthly pension scheme in perpetuity, a move which
would benefit over 20 lakh pensioners under social security scheme run by EPFO. The scheme was initially effective
only till last month.
Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance has simplified its claim settlement norms for the victims of devastating earthquake in
Nepal and northern and eastern parts of India.
Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank and Oriental Bank of Commerce have been imposed with a monetary penalty of
Rs. 15 crore each by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for violation of Know Your Customer (KYC)/ Anti Money
Laundering (AML) norms.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
6
In a major action against black money hoarders and money launderers, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has
attached assets to the tune of Rs. 9,003 crore and filed 173 chargesheets in the financial year 2014-15.
Flipkart, IŶdia͛s largest oŶliŶe ŵarketplaĐe, has aĐƋuired Neǁ Delhi-based mobile engagement and marketing
automation company Appiterate, to strengthen its mobile technology presence. The financial terms of the deal
were not disclosed.
India and Japan signed an action plan that will see doubling of Japanese investments into Indian companies in
the next five years and boost two-way trade. The agenda, India-Japan investment and trade promotion and AsiaPacific economic integration, was signed between minister of state (independent charge) for commerce and
industry Nirmala Sitharaman and Japan's minister for economy, trade and industry Yoichi Miyazawa.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, withdrew the clauses from the Finance Bill pertaining to setting up of the proposed
Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) and the amendments to the Reserve Bank of India Act which would
have taken away Mint Road's powers to regulate government securities.
The Udupi-based Robosoft Technologies, a mobility solutions partner, has developed a proprietary banking
solution for the Apple Watch. Robosoft partnered with ICICI Bank to integrate with this solution thereby creating
one of India͛s preŵiere ďanking apps for the Apple Watch.
Rajya Sabha on 28 April 2015 passed the Regional Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014. With this, the bill has been
passed by both houses of the Parliament. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 18 December 2014. The Regional
Rural Banks (Amendment) Bill, 2014 that seeks to amend the Regional Rural Banks (RRB) Act, 1976 was introduced
by the Union Minister of Finance, Arun Jaitley.
Main highlights of the Bill

It seeks to amend the RRB Act, 1976 which mainly provides for the incorporation, regulation and winding
up of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).

It removes the five year limit cap that was put on the sponsor banks to assist the upcoming RRBs under
the RRB Act, 1976. As per the Act, sponsor banks were liable to train personnel and provide managerial
and financial assistance for the first five years.

It raises the amount of authorized capital to 2000 crore rupees and it is not to be reduced below one
crore rupees. In the 1976 Act the authorised capital of each RRB was five crore rupees which was not
permitted to be reduced below 25 lakh rupees.

It allows Union government to specify that the capital issued by a RRB should be at least one crore rupees.
Under the Act, a RRB was to issue capital between 25 lakh rupees and one crore rupees.

The bill allows RRBs to raise their capital from sources other than the central and state governments, and
sponsor banks as was mandated under the RRB Act. As per the Act, 50% of capital issued was held by
Union government, 15% by concerned state government and 35% by the sponsor banks.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
7
News Related to Industry, Business MoUs & Deals
Myntra will shut its website from May 1 to become a mobile app-based retailer. Fashion retail website Myntra is
expected to shut down its website in favour of moving all operations to its mobile app, according to a report in The
Times of India. Myntra was acquired by Flipkart last year for a sum of Rs 2,000 crores.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 6 April 2015 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to deepen partnership between Indian companies and
the bank in those countries where the bank has operations.
Yuvraj Singh, the Indian Premier League's costliest player this season, is starting a new innings as a businessman.
He is floating a venture fund that aims to support young entrepreneurs by investing in startups across sectors. Yuvi
for millions of his fans, the 34-year-old cricketer will put about Rs 50 crore - mostly his own money - over a period
of three to five years in the fund, YouWeCan Ventures. The fund is expected to raise around Rs 300 crore from
other investors during the period.
The Union Cabinet on 7 April 2015 approved amendments to the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill,
2013. The bill protects the interests of millions of consumers and curbs malpractices in the real estate sector.
Objective of the Real Estate Bill, 2013


To create a uniform regulatory mechanism across the country so as to enhance the growth of
construction sector
It seeks to ensure accountability and transparency in the real estate sector to access capital and financial
markets essential for its long term growth
Key provisions of the Real Estate Bill, 2013


It regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate projects.
It establishes state level regulatory authorities called Real Estate Regulatory Authorities (RERAs).
Major Indian Steel Companies on 6 April 2015 signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Union Ministry of
Steel for setting up of Steel Research and Technology Mission of India (SRTMI) in New Delhi. The primary objective
of SRTMI is to promote collaborative Research and Development (R&D) programmes between the ministry and
steel industries in priority areas of national importance in the steel sector.
IFCI Ltd has now become a state- owned firm with the government increasing its stake in the infrastructure
financing firm to 51.04 per cent. Government has acquired IFCI's 6,00,00,000 Preference shares of Rs 10 each from
certain scheduled commercial banks and has consequently increased its holding from 47.93 per cent to 51.04 per
cent of the paid-up share capital.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
8
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 8 April 2015 formed an expert committee under the
chairmanship of Ajay Shankar to suggest simplified compliance for establishing new industries. He is a former
Secretary to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The Expert Committee has been
constituted for examining the possibility of replacing multiple prior permissions with pre-existing regulatory
mechanism and to prepare draft legislation for this purpose. The committee is directed to submit its report within
30 days.
Online marketplace Snapdeal has acquired mobile transactions platform, FreeCharge, in a cash and stock deal that
is speculated to be in the range of $400 million.
e-Commerce major Amazon has chosen Telangana over the neighbouring state of Karnataka to set up its largest
fulfilment centre (FC) in the country.
In a major milestone for the nuclear industry, India has registered a record production of over 1,252 MT of
uranium bundles, manufacturing close to double the annual fuel requirement of atomic reactors in the country.
The Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), which produces fuel for nuclear reactors in the country, has
produced over 30 per cent more fuel compared to its 961.023 MT production in 2013-14.
In a move to strengthen the last-mile delivery of goods to consumers, India's leading online retailer Flipkart has
partnered with the Dabbawalas of Mumbai, the company has said in a statement. According to Flipkart, they will
partner with the company's delivery network, eKart Logistics. As of now, one union of the Dabbawalas will collect
Flipkart shipments from the delivery hubs and deliver it to customers while picking up their dabbas.
In a new twist to the high profile Sebi-Sahara case, the Indian capital markets regulator has approached a US court
with a USD 12-million claim on proceeds from sale of a corporate jet owned by a Sahara Group firm.
Xiaomi beats Aliďaďa͛s Guinness World Record for maximum phones sold online in a day.
Royal Dutch Shell Plc on 8 April 2015 acquired BG Group for about 70 billion US dollar. The deal would vault Shell
far ahead of rivals like Exxon Mobil Corp and Chevron Corp. in the race to build market share for Liquefied Natural
Gas (LNG).
Canada agreed to supply 3,000 metric tonnes of uranium to energy-hungry India from this year under a USD 254
million five-year deal to power Indian reactors as the two countries decided to set in motion a new strategic
partnership.
India and the European Union (EU) forged a new digital partnership and discussed potential for collaboration in the
fields of technology and innovation besides cooperation to create smart cities. The first India-EU Strategic Dialogue
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
9
Series, organised by UK-based policy platform India Inc. Alongside key players like Microsoft and McKinsey,
focussed on 'Delivering Smart Communities' as part of the Narendra Modi government's Digital India drive
News related India & States
India, world's largest arms importer, has signed a defence deal worth nearly USD 80 million with South African
companies for integrated self-protection systems on its indigenously developed Dhruv Advanced Light Helicopters.
The deal, expected to give a huge boost to South African defence industry, was signed between Dhruv's
manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Saab Grintek Defence for Integrated Defensive Aids Suites
(IDAS).
In a bid to increase green cover on university and college campuses, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has
launched 'One Student, One Tree' campaign asking every student to plant a sapling during his/her stay in an
institution.
Rajasthan Government on 31 March 2015 opened women milk bank Jeevan Dhara in Jaipur. It was inaugurated
by Health Minister Rajendra Rathore. The move is aimed at curbing the high infant mortality rate of Rajasthan. The
state Government launched the bank in collaboration with Norwegian government and JK Lon Hospital.
The much-hyped 'Aahar' cheap meal scheme was launched by Odisha government for providing subsidised food to
urban poor. The subsidised meals for people visiting urban areas for various work would be provided at four
crowded places each in these five cities from 11 AM to 3 PM, to about 25,000 people per day to begin with.
Union Government on 1 April 2015 launched Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles
(FAME) – India Scheme. The scheme was launched with an aim to boost sales of eco-friendly vehicles in the
country. It is a part of the National Mission for Electric Mobility. The scheme envisages providing 795 crore rupees
support till 2020 for the manufacturing and sale of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Characteristic Features of FAME – India Scheme







It envisages providing demand incentives to electric and hybrid vehicles from two wheelers to buses in
range of 1800 rupees to 66 lakh rupees
Focus areas of the scheme will be technology development; demand creation; pilot projects; and charging
infrastructure
Depending on technology, battery operated scooters and motorcycles will be eligible demand incentives
ranging between 1800 rupees to 29000 rupees
In three-wheeler the incentives will range from 3300 rupees and 61000 rupees
In four-wheeler segment incentive ranges from 13000 rupees and 1.38 lakh rupees
In case of Light Commercial Vehicles (LCV) incentive ranges from 17000 rupees to 1.87 lakh rupees
In case of buses the incentive ranges from 34 lakh rupees to 66 lakh rupees
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
10
The Department of Heavy Industries will be nodal department for the scheme.
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on 1 April 2015 approved that
Amaravathi will be the new capital city of the state. The capital will come up at Tullur in VijayawadaGuntur region
of the state.
The 88th edition of the Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan (ABMSS) was held from April 3-5 in Ghuman
village in Gurdaspur district, where Marathi saint Namdev spent last years of his life.
A six-member panel of experts has been formed by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) to review pending
cases, referred to it by CBI for sanction of prosecution against corrupt government officials. The committee
comprises retired IAS officers Sudhir Krishna and C B Paliwal, former IRS officer Sada Shiv Bajpai, former Indian
Audit and Accounts Service officer Sushama V Dabak, former Special DG of CPWD P K Gupta, and ex-chairman of
LIC A K Shukla, an order issued by CVC said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 March 2015 launched Give it Up campaign. The campaign was launched at
the annual energy-focussed summit Urja Sangam 2015. The campaign seeks to extort the better off sections of
society to forego their liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidy, which would be utilised in providing subsidised LPG
connections to the poor. The Prime Minister asked companies and banks to encourage their employees to give up
the subsidy on LPG. Gas cylinders surrendered by them would be transferred to the poor who use wood for
cooking. The Give it Up campaign should be taken up on the lines of Swacch Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao
initiatives.
The Union Government on 3 April 2015 extended the deadline for implementation of the National Food Security
Act (NFSA) deadline by six months in the states.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 April 2015 launched a National Air Quality Index (NAQI) to tackle the menace
of air pollution. This National Air Quality Index will provide information on the quality of air in 10 major cities in the
country on a real-time basis. The ten cities where the quality of air can be monitored are Delhi, Agra, Kanpur,
Lucknow, Varanasi, Faridabad, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad. Later the index will be extended
to 22 State capitals and 44 other cities with a population exceeding one million.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar launched the country's first indigenously-built Scorpene submarine at the
Mazagaon Dockyard Ltd in Mumbai. The Scorpene is part of the ambitious Project 75 of Indian Navy's submarine
programme, undertaken with French collaboration, which will include six such vessels joining the fleet over the
next few years.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
11
After being stuck in legal and administrative hurdles for the past two years, the proposed BR Ambedkar memorial
at Indu Mill, Dadar, got a major push after a tri-partite agreement was signed between the Union ministry of
textile, government of Maharashtra and the National Textile Corporation (NTC). The agreement was signed at
New Delhi in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister of state for textiles Santosh Gangwar
and state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.
National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 7 April 2015 banned all the diesel vehicles, heavy or light, over 10 years old
from plying on Delhi roads.
The Chestnut-breasted Partridge (Arborophila mandellii) was photographed by a Bengaluru-based wildlife
photographer Gururaj Moorching in the first week of April 2015. The bird was spotted in West Kamang district of
Arunachal Pradesh. The click was the first-ever photograph of the bird endemic to the Eastern Himalayas whose
scientific name was given by an Italian naturalist and is classified as hill patridge.
The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7 April 2015 approved the projects for strengthening
and widening of 455 kilometers of National Highways (NH) at a total capital cost of about 9500 crore rupees. Four
laning of 138-km stretch of Sultanpur-Varanasi section of NH-56 at a cost of 3800 crore rupees. Four laning of 200km stretch of Varanasi to Ghazipur, Gorakhpur and further to Nepal section of NH-29 at a cost of 4400 crore
rupees. Four laning or two laning with paved shoulders of 115-km stretch of Madurai-Ramanathapuram section of
NH-49 at a cost of about 1400 crore rupees.
US aviation regulator Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has upgraded IŶdia͛s safety raŶkiŶg — after fourteen
months of close watch — paving the way for Indian carriers to expand their services to the US and enter into
agreements with American carriers through code-share to expand operations.
India produces around 5,780 MW of nuclear power. Of this, 4,780 MW of electricity is generated by fuel processed
at the NFC. Fuel for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) unit 1 is provided by Russia, as per the
agreement.
The ͞Tourist Visa on Arrival-Electronic Travel Authorization (TvoA-ETAͿ͟ sĐheŵe, ǁhiĐh ǁas lauŶĐhed last year to
faĐilitate short duratioŶ ǀisits ďy traǀellers froŵ as ŵaŶy as ϰϰ ĐouŶtries, has Ŷoǁ ďeeŶ reŶaŵed ͞e-Tourist Visa͟
to clarify that it is not an on-arrival scheme.
The government has issued 1.10 lakh visas under the new scheme that was launched on November 27 last year.
According to the MHA, it will be extended to more countries and airports in a phased manner.
Greenpeace India Loses License for 6 Months, Foreign Funds Blocked.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
12
State Government of Rajasthan and Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta group company on 8 April 2015 signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to improve 3056 anganwadi centres in five districts. The selected five
districts are Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bhilwara, Rajsamand and Ajmer.
The Ministry of Railways and the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, will together set up a 'Railway
Design Centre to modernise passenger amenities and improve coach design. An MoU was signed between
Railways and NID on Friday to set up the design centre at the NID campus. It will be operated with the interest
accrued on the endowment fund of Rs. 10 crore deposited by the Railway Ministry. The MoU will be for a period of
ten years and can be further extended.
Surface-to-Surface nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile was successfully test-fired on 9 April 2015 from a
Ŷaǀal ship off the Odisha Đoast. The ŵissile is a Ŷaǀal ǀariaŶt of IŶdia͛s iŶdigeŶously-developed Prithvi missile.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has inducted two Russian-built Mi-17 V5 medium lift choppers to carry out air
support missions along the border and for anti-Naxalite operations in the hinterland.
Mariyam Asif Siddiqui, a 12-year-old Muslim girl in March 2015 won the first position at the Shrimad Bhagwad
Gita Champion League. She won the prize for explaining the teachings of the Bhagwad Gita. Siddiqui who studies in
Class 6 of Cosmopolitan High School at Mira Road near Mumbai won the contest from among 4500 students of 195
schools. Shrimad Bhagwad Gita Champion League was an inter-school competition. It was organised by the
International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in March 2015.
Thane in Mumbai, Maharashtra was named as the National Earth Hour Capital 2015 on 9 April 2015. It was
named so after it emerged as winner among the three finalists from India viz., Thane, Rajkot and Pune, in the
Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) 2015 conducted by World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
India's security concerns were conveyed to Ri Su Yong, Foreign Minister of North Korea which has close military
ties with Pakistan. Ri, the first ever Foreign Minister from his country to visit India, held discussions with his
Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj in a "frank and and friendly atmosphere", according to a statement by the MEA.
Flipkart has decided to pull out of an ongoing discussion with Airtel to join the Airtel Zero platform. The move
follows criticism that the deal would violate the principles of net neutrality.
To mark the 124 birth anniversary of the Father of the Indian Constitution, Google has posted a doodle on its home
pages in 8 countries around the world. The BR Ambedkar doodle was visible on Google's country-specific home
pages across three continents - Argentina, Chile, India, Ireland, Peru, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
13
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Arun Jaitley on 14 April 2015 inaugurated the Vividh Bharati Service
of Delhi on FM Mode in a function held at premises of New Broadcasting House of All India Radio (AIR). The service
will be available on 100.1 Megahertz frequency.
The 5th meeting of SAARC Health Ministers was held on 8 April 2015 in New Delhi. The meet ended with the
adoption of Delhi Declaration on Public Health Challenges. The declaration focuses on issues common to member
nations of South Asia Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). These issues include universal health
coverage, improving health regulatory systems, preparedness for emerging and re-emerging diseases and the
challenges posed by antimicrobial resistance and non-communicable diseases.
The Surface-to-Surface Agni III ballistic missile was successfully test-fired on 16 April 2015 from the Wheelar
Isalnd off the Odisha coast in the Bay of Bengal. Although the missile has a strike range of more than 3000 km, in
the present test-fire, it was tested for a lesser range.
India and Belarus on 15 April 2015 agreed to enhance their bilateral ties especially in the field of trade and
economy. The agreement was reached during the meeting of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Vladimir
Makei with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi.
The State Government of Maharashtra on 18 April 2015 decided to discontinue the colonial-era practice under
which police guard of honour was given to ministers and top officials. Government termed the practice as a waste
of time and resources.
India Naǀy͛s new stealth destroyer, Visakhapatnam, designed indigenously and fitted with advanced features,
was lauŶĐhed ďoostiŶg the ŵaritiŵe forĐe͛s firepoǁer Đapaďility. The Kolkata-class warship, the first of Project 15B stealth destroyers, was launched by Minu Dhowan, wife of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R K Dhowan, at Mazgaon
Docks Ltd (MDL). The ship, weighing approdžiŵately ϯ,000 toŶs duriŶg the lauŶĐh, is slated to ďe ĐhristeŶed as ͚INS
Visakhapatnaŵ͛ on commissioning.
India and South Korea on 18 April 2015 held high level defence talks in Seoul. The talks were held on the sidelines
of four day visit of Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar to South Korea. The meeting was held with South
Korean Defence Minister Han Min-koo at the Ministry of Defence of Korea in Seoul.
Indian Railways on 21 April 2015 launched online monitoring mechanism E-Samiksha to monitor rail projects. It
aims at monitoring implementation of various ongoing projects of Indian Railways on real-time basis including Rail
Budget proposals.
Maharashtra Government on 20 April 2015 announced the target of 14400 MW power generation by 2019. The
state government will produce 14400 MW electricity by 2019 by way of non-conventional methods to cut down
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
14
cost and reduce carbon footprint. The non conventional source of energy is cheaper and far better as compared to
conventional sources.
The share of rural internet users will increase nearly fivefold to touch 28 crore by 2018, signaling higher online
purchasers going forward from rural India, says a research report.
The Union Cabinet on 22 April 2015 gave its approval for signing of a shipping agreement between India and
Jordan. The agreement aims at strengthening cooperation and providing sustained mutual assistance on merchant
shipping and other related maritime matters.
The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) on 22 April 2015 received the ISO 9001:2008
certification from the British Standards Institute (BSI). The ISO certification was granted in respect of various
licences issued by ministry for the broadcasts, print media and films.
AĐĐordiŶg to a Hoŵe MiŶistry order, the ͚Indira Gandhi ‘ajďhasha Puraskar͛ aŶd ͚Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya GyanVigyan Maulik Pustak Lekhan Puraskar͛, lauŶĐhed ŵore thaŶ tǁo deĐades ago, haǀe giǀeŶ ǁay for ͚Rajbhasha
Kirti Puraskar͛ and ͚‘ajďhasha Gauraǀ Puraskar͛.
Government has initiated action to create a national level mechanism to counter cyber security threats with a
financial outlay of Rs 775 crore to be spent over a period of five years.
Railway Launches App for Paperless Unreserved Tickets named utsonmobile.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on 21 April 2015 accorded final approval to Rajaji National
Park, Uttarakhand as India's 48th Tiger Reserve. With this notification, Uttarakhand got its second tiger reserve
after the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The notification was announced by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat
while releasing logo of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve. The park was named after the last Governor-General of
independent India, C Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji. C. Rajagopalachari was one of the first recipients
of India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1954.
India has delivered three multi-role Cheetal helicopters along with allied equipment and spares to Afghanistan.
The fourteenth edition of Indo-French Naval Exercise named VARUNA-15 commenced on 23 April 2015 off the
coast of Goa. The 10-day long joint naval exercise will end on 2 May 2015.
India on 27 April 2015 launched a relief and rescue Operation named Maitri in earthquake hit Nepal. The
operation will involve two dozen military aircraft and choppers along with bus services through road route. India
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
15
also pressed nearly 1000 trained personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) into service after Nepal
on 25 April 2015 was struck by the worst earthquake in 80 years in which more than 2500 people were killed.
Under the operation, more than 1000 people have been flown from Nepal. A Multi National Coordination Centre
has been set up In PPO Pokhra, Head quarters are being established for relief operations.
Maharashtra collaborates with Tel Aviv, Israel on Smart Cities.
Union Minister for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal on 27 April 2015 flagged off three
NTPC Mobile Science Labs (MSL) for revolutionizing education in rural India. MSL is a vehicle fitted with LCD TV
carrying working Science Models which emphasizes curiosity based learning for children in rural India. It is an
initiative to make hands-on learning accessible amongst underprivileged children.
The Union Cabinet has approved official amendments in the Prevention of Corruption Act to help the bureaucracy
take faster decisions besides making more stringent provisions against corrupt persons. The bill to amend the act is
currently pending in the Rajya Sabha. Meanwhile, the amendments have provided more stringent punishment for
the offeŶĐe of ďriďery, ďoth for the ďriďe giǀer aŶd the ďriďe taker. ͞PeŶal proǀisioŶs ďeiŶg eŶhaŶĐed froŵ
minimum 6 months to 3 years and from maximum 5 years to 7 years (The seven-year imprisonment brings
ĐorruptioŶ to the heiŶous Đriŵe ĐategoryͿ,͟ the stateŵeŶt said.
Govt Approves 10 New Sites for Nuke Projects. The indigenous reactors would be established at Gorakhpur in
Haryana, Chutka and Bhimpur in Madhya Pradesh, Kaiga at Karnataka and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan. Reactors
with foreign cooperation would be set up in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, Jaitapur at Maharashtra, Chhaya Mithi
Virdhi in Gujarat, Kovvada at Andhra Pradesh and Haripur in West Bengal. BHAVINI, a Public Sector Undertaking of
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is presently constructing a Prototype Fast Breeder Reaction (PFBR) of 500
MWe capacity at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu.
UŶioŶ CaďiŶet gaǀe its Ŷod to NDA goǀerŶŵeŶts͛ flagship ϭ00 sŵart Đities projeĐt aŶd the Ŷeǁ urďaŶ reŶeǁal
mission with a total outlay of about Rs one lakh crore. A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
approved Smart Cities Mission for development of 100 smart cities and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban
Transformation (AMRUT) of 500 cities with outlays of Rs 48,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore respectively.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 28 April 2015 successfully tested an indigenous cryogenic
engine CE-20 at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This engine will enable scientists to put satellites of up to the capacity
of four tonnes in geostationary orbit.
Government of Delhi on 28 April 2015 gave its approval for setting up of a farmer compensation scheme named
after Gajendra Singh. Gajendra Singh is the person who allegedly committed suicide during an AAP (Aam Aadmi
Party) rally on 22 April 2015 by hanging himself with a tree.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
16
The Department of Space and Department of Land Resources (DoLR) on 29 April 2015 signed a MoU with
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for the development of Web Geo Portal Shrishti and Mobile App Drishti
for monitoring the IWMP watersheds.
Mamata Banerjee declares Nadia of West Bengal first 'open defecation-free' district in India.
News Around the World
India has welcomed the understanding announced in Lausanne between Iran and the E3+3 on the nuclear issue. A
significant step seems to have been taken with the agreement on the parameters of a comprehensive settlement
to be negotiated by June 30. China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States form the
E3+3.
India will overtake Indonesia as the country with the largest number of Muslims in 2050 while Hindus will become
the ǁorld͛s third largest populatioŶ ďy that tiŵe, aĐĐordiŶg to a Ŷeǁ study ďy a U“ thiŶktaŶk.
Al-Shabaab on 2 April 2015 carried out a massacre killing 147 people in the Garissa University College situated in
Garissa County in northeastern Kenya.
Michael Rudenko, a committee member of the Minor Planet Center on 1 April 2015 officially named a minor
planet as 4538 Vishyanand, to honour India͛s first chess grandmaster, Vishwanathan Anand. The main-belt minor
planet was discovered between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter by Kenzo Suzuki in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan,
on 10 October 1988. Since its discovery, the planet remained unnamed.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan on 6 April 2015 signed six agreements. The signing of the agreement was witnessed by the
Pakistan Prime Minsiter Nawaz Sharif and Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena at the PM House in Islamabad.
The six agreements pertained to advancing cooperation in disaster management, sports, shipping, socioeconomic
development, education and narcotics control.
Kansas became the first state to ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure that critics describe as
dismembering a foetus.
India has been designated to chair the ninth meeting of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Council. The meeting is scheduled to be held in June in Abu Dhabi. India is a founder Member of the IRENA. The
body is an intergovernmental organisation that supports countries in their transition to a sustainable energy
future.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
17
Seoul city, the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea, on 9 April 2015 was awarded the title of Global Earth
hour Capital 2015 after it won the Earth Hour City Challenge (EHCC) of World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The challenge
saw the participation of 163 cities from 16 countries.
India was elected to four important United Nations (UN) agencies on 8 April 2015. These agencies are United
Nations Children͛s Fund (UNICEF), World Food Program (WFP), Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal
Justice (CCPCJ) and the Governing Council of UN-Habitat.
An asteroid discovered by a US astronomer has been named after Pakistan's teenage education activist and the
world youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. The more-than-2-mile-wide asteroid—officially now
kŶoǁŶ as ͞316201 Malala͟—orbits the sun every five-and-a-half years in the asteroid belt between Mars and
Jupiter.
Indian students in France can now extend their stay in this country beyond completion of their studies as can
French students in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have been voted among the 100 most
influential people in the world in an online poll by readers of Time magazine. Russian President Vladimir Putin
eŵerged the ǁiŶŶer of this year͛s Tiŵe ϭ00 readers͛ poll. He edged out rapper-singer CL to claim the number one
spot with 6.95 per cent of the votes in the final tally.
Johannesburg in South Africa was in news as on 13 April 2015 a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was defaced by a group
of people calling him a racist. The group had placards that read: Racist Gandhi must fall. The statue in
Johannesburg is believed to be the only one in the world showing Gandhi as a young lawyer in his court robes.
The term Normandy Group was in news because the fifth meeting of the foreign ministers of the group members
was held on 13 April 2015 in Berlin, the capital of Germany.
Researchers at Stanford University created a smartphone battery that charges in only one minute. The project was
published on 6 April 2015. Stanford University chemistry professor Hongjie Dai is the lead researcher of the
project.
TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) on 16 April 2015 signed an agreement with two global research
institutes, namely Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI) and INTASAVE-CARIBSAVE Group. The agreement was signed for
exchange of knowledge and cooperation on issues related to climate change.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
18
Russia on 13 April 2015 lifted its earlier ban on delivery of S-300 Missile System to Iran. The S-300 Missile System
is a surface-to-air missile defense system that can be used against multiple targets including jets and enemy
missiles.
The 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice was held from 12 April 2015 to 19 April 2015 at
Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, Qatar. The Summit concluded with the adoption of Doha Declaration.
Chhurim Sherpa, first woman to climb the 8850 metre (29035 feet) Mount Everest summit twice in a week was
in news on 19 April 2015. Sherpa was in news as during her third ascent to Mount Everest she will take a cricket
bat and two jerseys of deceased Australian cricketer Phil Hughes.
United Nations (UN) peace envoy to Yemen Jamal Benomar resigned on 16 April 2015. He was serving as UN
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy for Yemen since 2012.
NA“A͛s Neǁ Horizons spaĐeĐraft has sent back its first colour image of the dwarf planet Pluto and its largest
moon Charon, after more than nine years of travelling through the solar system.
In a sign of warm personal friendship, US President Barack Obama has written a profile for Prime Minister
Narendra Modi for TIME Magazine as it named the Indian leader among the 100 most influential people in the
world. "Like India, he transcends the ancient and the modern—a devotee of yoga who connects with Indian
citizens on Twitter and imagines a 'digital India'," the US President wrote.
Pakistan and Russia have agreed to hold first-ever joint military exercises as part of their enhanced defence
cooperation, in a sign of increasing bonhomie between the Cold War-era adversaries.
Cleartrip becomes first Indian online travel agency to feature on Apple Watch.
Egypt's ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was sentenced to 20 years in jail by a court in Egypt over
charges related to the killing of 10 protesters when he was in power, the first ruling against the country's first
freely elected leader.
Japan's state-of-the-art Maglev train clocked a new world speed record of 603 kilometres an hour in a test run
near Mount Fuji, smashing through the 600 kilometre (373 miles) per hour mark, as Tokyo races to sell the
technology abroad.
A high-intensity earthquake of magnitude 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Nepal on 25 April 2015. The epicenter of
the quake was 80km east of Pokhra near Kathmandu, Nepal at a shallow depth of 11 kilometers (7 miles). The
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
19
powerful quake that rocked Nepal killed at least 7000 people and several were injured. It also led to collapse of
houses and centuries-old temples.
UNESCO World Heritage Site Dharahara Tower Collapses in Kathmandu After 7.9 Earthquake.
OŶe of NA“A͛ s ĐroǁŶiŶg glories, the Huďďle “paĐe TelesĐope, ŵarked its Ϯϱth aŶŶiǀersary this ŵoŶth.
A 3,133 square metres blanket, knitted together by people of six countries including India to pay tributes to the
legacy of South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela, set a new Guinness World record.
China, Pakistan signed an agreement on Economic Corridor plan worth 46 billion US dollars.
Jordan's Crown Prince Hussain bin Abdullah Becomes Youngest to Chair UN Council Meet.
Thirty shorts, documentaries and feature films will be screened at the annual New York Indian Film Festival, which
opens next month with Kalki Koechlin-starrer Margarita with a Straw. The six-day festival, its 15th year, will see the
films screened at prestigious venues around New York city from May 4 to 9.
Incumbent President of Sudan Omar Hassan al-Bashir on 27 April 2015 won the
Presidential election of the country. He won another term in office with 94 percent
of votes.
FRANCE
Capital - Paris
Currency – Euro & Franc
NASA has launched an ambitious project that will lead the search for signs of life
beyond our solar system. The Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS) initiative
ǁill ďriŶg together the ͞ďest aŶd ďrightest͟ aŶd ŵarshal the edžpertise of ϭ0
universities, three NASA centres and two research institutes, the US space agency
said.
President - François
Hollande
Prime Minister - Manuel
Valls
Visit to France
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited France between 9 April and 12 April 2015 as part of his three-nation tour to
France, Germany and Canada.
During the visit, Modi met with French President Francois Hollande and had talks with business leaders of select French
companies in defence and infrastructure sectors. The meeting saw India and France agreeing to further deepen and strengthen
bilateral ties based on shared principles and values.
The visit saw the signing of 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements between India and France to give new
impetus to bilateral co-operation between the two nations. The details of the MoUs are given below.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
20
The agreements covered the fields of Defence and Nuclear Energy, Space, Economic relations, Railways, Energy, Tourism,
Science and Technology, Skill Development and Ayurveda.
Other eǀents that happened during Modi͛s ǀisit to FranĐe
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
He addressed the Indian Community at Carrousel du Louvre in Paris
He also addressed the UNESCO at its headquarters on the occasion of its 70th anniversary on 10 April 2015
He gifted India and the Great War - a publication by Ministry of External Affairs at World War-I (WWI) Memorial for
Indian soldiers in Neuve Chapelle, France
He paid homage to the Indian Soldiers at WWI Memorial for Indian soldiers in Neuve Chapelle, France
He visited the CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) and the Airbus A 380 Assembly Line Facility in Toulouse,
France
He gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India to the French President
Francois Hollande
India and France signed 20 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements on 10 April 2015 to give new impetus to
bilateral co-operation between the two nations.
The two nations signed agreements covering the fields of Defence and Nuclear Energy, Space, Economic relations, Railways,
Energy, Tourism, Science and Technology, Skill Development and Ayurveda.
The MoUs and Agreements were signed during visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France between 9 April and 12 April
2015.
Details of MoUs
Defence and Nuclear Energy
MoU between L&T and AREVA: The MoU aims at cost reduction by increasing localization, to improve the financial viability of
Jaitapur project. It will also enable transfer of technology and development of indigenous nuclear energy industry in India.
Pre-engineering agreements (PEA) between NPCIL and Areva: It was signed with an aim to bring clarity on all technical aspects
of the plant so that all parties (AREVA, Alstom and NPCIL) can firm up their price and optimize all provisions for risks still
included at this stage in the costs of the project.
Space
MoU between on Megha Tropiques: The MoU seeks to extend the sharing and use of data from the Megha Tropiques satellite
by 2 more years. The satellite, a joint project between ISRO and CNES, was launched aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV) on 12 October 2011.
MOU for Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian tropical region: It envisages cooperation between ISRO, CNES and
ONERA for implementation of the project concerning Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian tropical region.
Programme between ISRO and French National Centre for Space Studies (CNES): It proposes cooperation in the areas of
Remote sensing, satellite communications and satellite meteorology; space sciences and planetary exploration amongst others.
Sports
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
21
MoU on Cooperation in Sports: The MoU envisages cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of sports medicine,
management and coordination of sports federations and establishment of National Institute of Sports in India based on French
model of INSEP.
Economic Relations
MoU on cooperation in the field of renewable energy: It seeks to encourage and promote technical bilateral cooperation on
new and renewable energy issues. It would cover solar, wind, bio-energy, tidal and wave energy sectors.
Railways
Railway protocol between Indian Ministry of Railways and French National Railways (SNCF): The Protocol seeks to establish
cooperation between Indian and French Railways for semi-high speed rail and station renovation.
Energy
Guarantee Agreement with AFD Financing of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL): The Agreement seeks to finance
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL)
Culture, Heritage Conservation, Tourism, People-To-People Contacts
Administrative Arrangement in the field of Cultural Heritage: The Administrative Arrangement between the Indian Ministry of
Culture and French Ministry of Culture and Communication envisages cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, through
training of Indian heritage conservation professionals at the Institute National du Patrimoine (INP).
Letter of Intent (LoI)on Tourism: Seeks to increase cooperation in tourism sector between India and France and promote
sustainable bilateral tourism between the two countries The LoI also seeks to facilitate twinning of sites having historical,
natural and cultural significance in India and France for promoting them as tourist destinations.
Letter of Intent (LoI) between the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and National Institute of Preventive Archaeological
Research (INRAP): The LoI envisages collaboration on preventive archaeology projects, initiatives to disseminate culture and
promote archaeology, training programmes for specialists of ASI and deployment of expertise, in particular, in the field of
underwater archaeology.
MoU between School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and National Architecture Institute in Paris, France: It envisages
cooperation to undertake joint planning and geographical studies in India and France and training of local counterparts in
modern urban and regional planning.
MoU ďetǁeen Indian Heritage Cities Netǁork Foundation ;IHCNͿ and AssoĐiation Nationale des Villes et Pays d͛Art et
d͛ Histoire et ǀilles a seĐteurs sauǀegardés et protégés ;ANVPAHͿ: It envisages cooperation in the fields of sustainable
development, urban planning, heritage conservation and up-gradation of basic services.
Volontariat International en Entreprise (VIE) scheme: The scheme offers Indian Visa for 12 months renewable once for a
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
22
period of 12 months for Ϯϱ0 FreŶĐh studeŶts aŶd a ͚seĐoŶd resideŶĐe perŵit͛ of ϭϮ ŵoŶths for the IŶdiaŶ studeŶts iŶ FraŶĐe
following the 12 months already granted.
Letter of Intent on Ayurveda between Ministry of Ayush and University of Strasbourg: It allows both the parties to strengthen
their relationships and cooperation in the area of Ayurveda education and research and conducting joint
workshops/conferences on Ayurveda as complimentary medicine in France
Skill Development
MoU between National Skill Development Agency (NSDA), India and the National Commission for Vocational Qualifications
(Commission Nationale de la Certification Professionnelle – CNCD):The agreement will facilitate exchange of information and
knowledge about maintenance of qualification registers through information exchanges, visits and other suitable meetings.
Science and Technology
MoU on cooperation in the field of Science & Technology: For cooperation between the two countries in the areas of applied
mathematics, physics, Information & communication technology, water resources and environment, life sciences amongst
others and establishment of Virtual Joint Laboratories, and establishment of Joint Research Centres.
MoU on Collaboration for establishment of a National Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in India: The proposed
MoU seeks to establish a National Institute of Marine Biology and Biotechnology in India, with a Hub and Spoke network of
laďoratories spaŶŶiŶg IŶdia͛s ŵariŶe regioŶs froŵ the AŶdaŵaŶ to Lakshadǁeep.
Apart from this, India also agreed to buy 36 multi-role Combat Aircraft Rafale fighter jets in a flyway condition. Prime Minister
Modi during his visit to France also gifted a painting titled Tree of Life, reflecting traditional societal respect for nature in India
to the French President Francois Hollande.
The Tree of Life, ǁith ŵultiple roots aŶd ďraŶĐhes like a ďaŶyaŶ tree, is a ŵotif for a tree͛s ďeŶeǀoleŶĐe, fruit, seeds, shelter,
healing, procreation and regeneration faculties that sustain life and clean the environment.
Visit to Germany
India-Germany Joint Statement was released on 14 April 2015 with an aim to upgrade and
further strengthen the Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
The Joint Statement was released after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra
Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hannover and Berlin. PM Narendra Modi is
on a three-day visit to Germany.
As part of the statement, the two nations agreed to take proactive steps to advance
collaboration in the areas of manufacturing, skill development, urban development,
environment, railways, cleaning of rivers, language and science & technology.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
GERMANY
Capital - Berlin
Currency - Euro
Chancellor - Angela
Merkel
23
The Hannover Messe 2015 Fair
India is a partner country at the Hannover Messe 2015 fair, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
PSUs sign 6 pacts at Hannover Messe to boost 'Make in India'
Public sector firms, including BHEL, Instrumentation Ltd and HMT, have firmed up six MoUs with companies from Germany,
Switzerland, Russia and Bulgaria for scaling up Indian manufacturing in high-tech areas.
The Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed yesterday at an event organised by engineering exporters' body EEPC
India at the ongoing Hannover Messe fair in Germany.
Power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) inked a pact with Russian Joint stock company INTMA for
upcoming projects in Russia and Kazakhstan.
While Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Ltd and Bulgaria-based Milkotronics Ltd signed an MoU to manufacture milk
analyzers in India, Instrumentations Ltd and German firm KE Kauer Engineering inked an agreement for production of control
valves.
Three MoUs were signed by Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT), the release said. HMT inked pact with Switzerland-based Num
Controls for manufacturing of CNC controls, systems and drives.
It also signed pacts with FT Machine Tools, Germany, for collaborating on flow forming machines and Enit GmbH for total
engineering solutions.
Industry chamber FICCI also signed an MoU with Hannover Milano Fairs India to organise a platform to discuss and showcase
new solutions and innovations in urban development in 2015-16, partnership and opportunities in this sector.
Addressing at the fair, Department of Heavy Industry Secretary Rajan Katoch said that the German industry has opportunities to
participate in India's plan for creation of about 100,000 MW generation capacity in the short term.
Visit to Canada
India and Canada issued Joint Statement title New Vigour, New Steps (नया उ्साह, नए
कदम) to elevate their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership. The joint statement
was issued on 15 April 2015 during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Canada
from 14 April to ϭϲ April Ϯ0ϭϱ. Modi ͛s ǀisit to Canada is the first by an Indian Prime
Minister in 42 years.
CANADA
Details of the Joint Statement
Capital - Ottwa
Bilateral Relations
The two nations signed agreements covering the fields of uranium, visas, terrorism,
foreign investment promotion and protection, Canada-India comprehensive economic
partnership agreement (CEPA) freetrade deal, culture and people-to-people ties, regional
and global issues and others. Economy, Trade and Investment
Currency – Canadian
Dollar
Prime Minister – Stephen
Harper
MoU was signed on Cooperation in Rail Transportation between IŶdia͛s MiŶistry of
Railways and Transport Canada, dealing with technical cooperation.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
24
MoU ǁas sigŶed oŶ Ciǀil AǀiatioŶ ďetǁeeŶ TraŶsport CaŶada aŶd IŶdia͛s Ministry of Civil Aviation, which will establish a Joint
Working Group to bring together key industry and Government stakeholders to advance opportunities for cooperation in civil
aviation.
The two sides agreed to establish a Finance Ministers Dialogue for the purpose of deepening the IndiaCanada economic and
financial relationship.
Civil-Nuclear Cooperation
Agreement signed between the Department of Atomic Energy of the Government of India and Cameco of Canada for long-term
supply of uranium to India to meet its energy needs. The agreement would impart a new significance to India-Canada Civil
Nuclear Cooperation.
They agreed to encourage a collaborative programme to leverage their iŶdustries͛ respeĐtiǀe streŶgths in the field of
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor technology for mutual benefit, as well as for the benefit of global nuclear energy needs.
They agreed to explore mutually beneficial partnerships in the application of radio-isotopes for societal benefits.
They welcomed the setting up of the India Nuclear Insurance Pool with potential participation of foreign companies as a
positive step towards facilitating such cooperation.
List & Indexes
Out of 133 countries rated on indicators of well-being such as health, water and sanitation, personal safety, access
to opportunity, tolerance, inclusion, personal freedom and choice India has secured the 101th place.
This is loǁer thaŶ IŶdia͛s raŶk, of ϵϯ, for GDP per Đapita iŶĐoŵe. EǀeŶ Nepal aŶd BaŶgladesh raŶk higher thaŶ IŶdia
on the Social Progress Index (SPI) ratings to be released globally.
Norway has bagged the first rank; the U.S. is at the 16th place.
OŶ the paraŵeter ͚ToleraŶĐe aŶd iŶĐlusioŶ͛ IŶdia raŶks ϭϮϴth aŶd is at the ϭϮ0th plaĐe oŶ ͚health aŶd ǁellŶess͛
that, says economist and executive director of the SPI, Michael Green, is the toughest parameter for a country to
excel at.
2015 FM Global Resilience Index
India has been ranked a low 119 out of 130 countries on an index that measures business resilience of nations
based on economic, risk quality and supply chain factors, dropping seven notches from last year.
The 2015 FM Global Resilience Index has been topped by Norway for being the country best suited for companies
seeking to avoid disruptions in their global supply chain operations. Venezuela is ranked last on the list. India,
"despite its scope and global potential", ranks 119, falling from 112th rank in 2014
Among the top 10 countries that are most resilient, Norway is followed by Switzerland (2), Netherlands (3), Ireland
(4), Luxembourg (5), Germany (6), Qatar (7), Canada (8), Finland (9) and the US (10).
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
25
Biggest Phillanthropists in 2015 List by American lifestyle Town and Country Magazine
Three Indian-Americans are among 50 biggest philanthropists of 2015, that includes top business honchos like
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The list compiled by American lifestyle Town and Country Magazine figures New York-based Adarsh Alphons,
Reshma Saujani and Shaila Ittycheria, all under 40 years of age. Saujani, 39, is the founder of 'Girls Who Code', a
three- year-old nonprofit that teaches computer skills to girls from low-income communities to close technology's
gender-gap.
India 19th Among Top 30 Merchandise Exporters: WTO Report
India's rank remained unchanged at 19th in 2014 among the top 30 merchandise exporters of the world, while
China continues to hold the top slot, according to the WTO report. Similarly, New Delhi's rank as a leading importer
too has not changed in 2014 at 12th position. In imports, the US topped the list.
World Bank released South Asia Economic Focus report
World Bank on 13 April 2015 released South Asia Economic Focus report. The report has projected the economic
growth of South Asia for the year 2016 and 2017.
The report highlighted that India has already taken encouraging steps to decouple international oil prices from
fiscal deficits and to introduce carbon taxation to address the negative externalities from the use of fossil fuels.
The challenge will be to stay the course in the event of oil price hikes – something that may well happen in the
medium term.
World Bank released Migration and Development Brief
World Bank on 13 April 2015 released Migration and Development Brief. In 2014, India continued to be highest
recipients of remittance. The top five remittance recipient countries, in terms of value of remittances, continue to
be India, China, Philippines, Mexico and Nigeria.
Ernst & Young released a report titled Global IPO Trends 2015
Top six countries by deal volume in 2015 Q1 were China (98 deals), US (28 deals), Japan (24 deals), UK (12 deals),
France (11 deals) and Australia (9 deals).
IMF released World Economic Outlook April 2015 Update
IŶdia͛s groǁth is projeĐted to streŶgtheŶ froŵ ϳ.Ϯ% iŶ Ϯ0ϭϰ to ϳ.ϱ % iŶ Ϯ0ϭϱ aŶd Ϯ0ϭϲ. For the first tiŵe siŶĐe
ϭϵϵϵ, IŶdia͛s groǁth rate ŵay eĐlipse ChiŶa͛s aŶd there is iŶĐreasiŶg diǀergeŶĐe iŶ the groǁth paths of the tǁo
countries.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
26
India Slips to 89th Place in Global Networked Readiness Index
India has slipped six places to rank 89th on a global Networked Readiness Index, showing a "widespread" weakness
in its potential to leverage information and communications technologies for social and economic gains. While
Singapore has replaced Finland on the top of the 143-nation list, prepared by World Economic Forum (WEF), it has
called for improvement in India's business and innovation environment, infrastructure and skills availability.
In the top 10, Singapore is followed by Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, the US, the UK,
Luxembourg and Japan, which has climbed an impressive six places year-on-year to 10th position.
India is the fifth biggest producer of e-waste in the world, discarding 1.7 million tonnes (Mt) of electronic and
electrical equipment in 2014, a UN report has said warning that the volume of global e-waste is likely to rise
sharply by 21 per cent in next three years. The 'Global E-Waste Monitor 2014', compiled by UN's think tank United
Nations University (UNU), said at 32 per cent, the US and China produced the most e-waste overall in 2014. India
came in fifth, behind the US, China, Japan and Germany, the report said.
The Indian passport has been ranked 48th in a list of 50 most powerful travel document in the world, according
to a global survey topped by Sweden. Germany-based Go Euro travel comparison website ranked the top 50
countries of the world based on their passport's eligibility for visa-free entry, cost of application as well as number
of hours worked to acquire the document. India, which came towards the bottom of the ranking, offered visa-free
entry to 52 countries and cost USD 24 and 87 hours of working time. Sweden topped the chart with 174 visa-free
countries, costing USD 43 and just one hour of working time. Finland, Germany, the UK and US completed the top
5 with 174 visa-free countries all round.
The World Happiness Report 2015 was released on 23 April 2015. The report was published by the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network (SDSN) an initiative under the United Nations. India ranked 117 out of 158
nations in the list. The report was topped by Switzerland followed by Iceland, Denmark, Norway and Canada. The
World Happiness Report examined 158 countries and is aimed at influencing government policy. Togo, Burundi,
Benin and Rwanda, with civil-war wracked Syria, were least happy.
South Asia has the ǁorld͛s ŵost skeǁed gender ǁage gap and is among the few regions where the gender labour
force participation gap is both large and growing, a new report from UN Women has found.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains the third most followed world leader on the micro-blogging site Twitter
while External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is the most followed foreign minister, according to a latest study by
Twiplomacy Study 2015. The three most followed world leaders were US President Barack Obama with 56,933,515
followers, Pope Francis with 19,580,910 followers on his nine different language accounts, and Modi with
10,902,510 followers.
India stands at the 13th place world-wide in generating electricity from nuclear source and expects to increase the
installed nuclear power capacity from 5,780 MW to 10,080 MW by 2019.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
27
Awards & Honors
India









Bihari Puraskar for Writer-Journalist Om Thanvi
Gopaldas Neeraj, Uday Pratap Singh conferred with Sahitya Shiromani Samman of Uttar Pradesh.
Padma Vibhushan Azim Premji was conferred with the CII President's Award at the CII National
Conference and Annual Session 2015.
Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Award 2015. Actor Rajkummar Rao
won the prestigious award for his performance in the critically acclaimed film Citylights, which was
released in 2014. Actress Huma Qureshi bagged an award for her memorable performance in the movie
Dedh Ishiqya.
Veteran singer S P Balasubramaniam has been selected for this year's prestigious "Harivarasanam"
award instituted by the Kerala government.
Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor has been felicitated with the prestigious Deenanath Mangeshkar Award.
IT Department aǁarded ǁith the Priŵe MiŶister͛s Aǁard for EdžĐelleŶĐe iŶ PuďliĐ AdŵiŶistratioŶ.
ITBP Officer Manjeet Singh Gets Shaurya Chakra for Foiling Kabul Terror Bid.
Prime Minister conferred 50th Jnanpith Award on Marathi litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade
World













Indian-Origin Nurse Dr Subhadra Devi Rai in Singapore to Be Given International Achievement Award by
the Florence Nightingale International Foundation.
Indian-American Professor Rajani Ganesh Pillai Wins Peltier Award in Teaching in South Africa.
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on 5 April 2015 won the prestigious Golden Peacock National
Quality Award for the year 2015.
Indian Banker Suvro Sarkar Named 'Retail Banker of the Year in Middle East'.
Pratap Singh, a student at The Perse School, Cambridge, has won the 500 pounds Institute of Physics (IOP)
prize at the Big Bang Fair held at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK.
Professors Sushanta Lahiri and Kattesh V. Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015 for their outstanding
contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear chemistry.
Indian-origin diplomat Gopinath Pillai has been bestowed with 'Outstanding Service Award' for his
services to the city-state by the National University of Singapore (NUS).
MiĐrosofts͛ IŶdiaŶ-origin CEO Satya Nadella was honoured with the White House Champions of Change
on 16 April 2015.
The East China Normal University (ECNU), one of the prestigious universities in China, announced the
appointment of Dr. Vishal Sikka, Chief Executive Officer of Infosys, as Advisory Professor.
Indian journalist Rahul Pandita and Zeena Johar, founder and CEO of SughaVazhvu Healthcare, based in
Tamil Nadu, are among the 2015 Yale World Fellows selected this year. With the addition of Pandita and
Johar, the global Yale World Fellows network now includes 17 Indian Fellows, more than any other
country since the programme was established in 2002.
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan won an Outstanding Contribution to Cinema honour at the fifth
annual The Asian Awards. The Hinduja brothers were awarded as Business Leaders of the Year.
Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra-starrer Mary Kom, directed by Omung Kumar, has been named best
film at the Stockholm International Film Festival Junior in Sweden.
A deďut filŵ titled ͞Penile Code͟ ďy aŶ IŶdiaŶ jourŶalist, foĐusiŶg oŶ re-criminalisation of homosexuality,
has been shortlisted for the Short Film Corner at Cannes Film Festival.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
28
The 2015 Pulitzer Prizes were awarded by the Pulitzer Prize Board for work during the 2014 calendar year. Prize
winners and nominated finalists were announced on April 20, 2015. The Pulitzer Prize is an award for
achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States. Palani
Kumanan, who is a software architect with Dow Jones that publishes the Wall Street Journal, was a part of the
winning project's graphics team.
The 2015 Pulitzer Prize Winners
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.











Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in Journalism: The New York Times Staff for covering Ebola
Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting: The Seattle Times Staff
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction Novel: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Pulitzer Prize for Drama: Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis
Pulitzer Prize for History Novel: Encounters at the Heart of the World: A History of the Mandan People by
Elizabeth A. Fenn
Pulitzer Prize for Biography: The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism
in Europe by David I. Kertzer
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry: Digest by Gregory Pardlo
Pulitzer Prize for General Non-fiction: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
Pulitzer Prize for Music: Anthracite Fields by Julia Wolfe
Pakistan conferred its top Điǀilian aǁard ͚Nishan-e-Pakistan͛ on Chinese President Xi Jinping for his
outstanding contribution in promotion of relationship between the two countries.
Google India has bagged the Randstad Award 2015 for Most Attractive Employer in India, while Sony
India has been adjudged the runner-up.
IOC President Thomas Bach named ambassador of HeForShe by UN Women.
Author Rana Dasgupta's literary potrait of Delhi Capital is among six books shortlisted for the George
Orwell Prize for political writing 2015. The book is the third work of fiction by Dasgupta who had
previously won the 2010 Commonwealth prize for his work Solo.
Indian-Origin Soldier Adiel Yosef Awarded President's Medal in Israel.
Indian-Origin Scientist Sangita Bhatia at MIT Wins USD 250,000 Heinz Award.
Bharatiya Mahila Bank (BMB) Ltd on 23 April 2015 won the Asian Banker Achievement Award 2015. It
was awarded for Technology Implementation in the category of Best Outsourcing Project (New Bank).
Others were, The Technology Leadership Achievement Award for the Year: Amit Sethi, Chief Information
Officer, Axis Bank and The Asian Banker Vendor Satisfaction Survey Gold Award: Infosys.
Srinagar-born novelist Siddhartha Gigoo has won the 2015 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Asia
region for "Umbrella Man", a tale of surreal meditation on mental health and the environment.
Margarita, with a Straw directed by Shonali Bose of India in the fourth week of April 2015 won the
Audience Award for Best Feature Film at the Washington DC International Film festival.
Two Indians namely Dr Ananda Kumar and Dr Pramod Patil on 29 April 2015 won the prestigious Whitley
Awards (also known as Green Oscar) for their contribution to wildlife conservation.
An Indian-American Harvard Professor Tejal K Gandhi, has been named as one of the Top 25 Women in
Healthcare in the US by Modern Healthcare magazine.
Books & Authors

Book titled Suleiman Charitra written by Kalyana Malla translated from Sanskrit to English
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
29
Vice President released a book titled Aatank Ke Saaye Men written by Garima Sanjay
Vise President Hamid Ansari Releases Book on Indian Diplomacy Through Three Decades
by Surendra Kumar.
Days














World Health Day 2015 observed globally with the theme From farm to plate, make food safe
World Autism Awareness Day celebrated on April 2nd. 2015 Theme: Employment: The Autism Advantage
National Safe Motherhood Day 2015 Observed on 11th April with the theme "Nothing About Us Without
Us"
World Heritage Day was observed across the world on 18 April 2015.
World Haemophilia Day was observed globally on 17 April 2015 with theme Building a family of support.
Ninth Civil Services Day was observed across India on 21 April
World Malaria Day observed on 25th April with theme Invest in the Future. Defeat Malaria
World Book and Copyright Day Đeleďrated oŶ Ϯϯ April ǁith the theŵe ͞‘ead the World"
International Mother Earth Day oďserǀed oŶ ϮϮŶd April ǁith theŵe Its͛ Our TurŶ to Lead
National Panchayati Raj Day observed on 24 April 2015
World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2015 celebrated on 28th April ǁith the theŵe ͚JoiŶ iŶ ďuildiŶg
a Đulture of preǀeŶtioŶ oŶ O“H͛ ;OĐĐupatioŶal “afety aŶd HealthͿ.
Logo for International Day of Yoga Launched. The United Nations General Assembly had on December 11
adopted an India-led resolution declaring June 21 as the 'International Day of Yoga'. The theme for 2015
IŶterŶatioŶal Yoga Day is ͞Yoga for Harmony and Peace͟.
World Dance Day observed globally on 29th April
The 2015 International Jazz Day celebrated on 30th April in Paris, France, which has been designated the
2015 Global Host City.
Sports News
Mustafa Kamal on 1 April 2015 stepped down as the President of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He sent
out the resignation letter to the ICC. The Bangladeshi cricket administrator had succeeded Alan Isaac as the 11th
President of the ICC in June 2014 for a period of two years.
Kyle Mills of New Zealand on 31 March 2015 retired from all forms of International Cricket. His decision to retire
gives an end to his 14-year international career in Cricket. The 36-year-old Mills ǁas a ŵeŵďer of Neǁ )ealaŶd͛s
15-ŵaŶ World Cup “Ƌuad ďut didŶ͛t play iŶ aŶy of its ŶiŶe ŵatĐhes.
ChiŶa͛s forŵer OlyŵpiĐ ĐhaŵpioŶ hurdler Liu XiaŶg plaŶs to announcement his retirement following years of
nagging injuries.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the 2015 Miami Open Men͛ s and Woŵen͛ s singles titles of the
respectively at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, Florida. Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 5 April 2015 beat the
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
30
third seeded Andy Murray of Britain 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0 to win his fifth Miami Open title. Serene Williams of the US
on 4 April 2015 defeated the twelfth seed Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-2, 6-0 to secure the title for eighth time.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the Indo-Swiss women pair of Tennis, on 5 March 2015 won the Miami Open
Tennis women's doubles title. In the title clash played in Miami, Florida, the duo defeated the Russian pair of
Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarova, 7-5, 6-1.
Indian Grandmaster Dronavalli Harika won the bronze medal along with Swedish Grandmaster Pia Cramling by
virtue of making it to the semifinals of World Women's chess championship.
A 100-year-old Japanese woman has become the world's first centenarian to complete a 1,500-metre freestyle
swim. Mieko Nagaoka, from Yamaguchi Prefecture, took just under an hour and 16 minutes to finish the race in a
25-meter pool. She was the sole competitor in the 100 - 104-year-old category at a short course pool in Ehime,
western Japan.
Gujarat cricket team on 7 April 2015 won the 2014-15 Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy played at the KIIT Cricket
Stadium, Bhubaneshwar. In the final clash, Gujarat defeated Punjab by two wickets.
Kings' Sim Bhullar becomes first player of Indian descent to play in NBA.
The Indian football team took a leap of 26 places to occupy 147th spot in the latest FIFA ranking after scoring a win
and a draw against Nepal last month in the 2018 World Cup Qualifiers Round One.
Commonwealth Games gold medal winning Indian shooter Apurvi Chandela qualified for next year's Olympic
Games after notching up the 10m air rifle bronze in the ongoing ISSF World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) in Changwon, Korea.
Four Indian junior tennis players -- Shashank Teertha, Sacchitt Sharma, Prinkle Singh and Mahak Jain -- sealed
their place in the England's national grass court championship by emerging as the finalists of the 'Road to
Wimbledon' event which concluded.
Sania Mirza created history by becoming the first female tennis player from India to achieve the world number
one rank in doubles, following her stupendous title win at the WTA Family Circle Cup with partner Martina Hingis.
Sania took 470 points from the win to take her tally to 7965 as she jumped past Italy's Sara Errani (7640) and
Roberta Vinci (7640) to sit atop the ranking table.
India defeated South Korea 4-1 (6-3) on penalties to win the bronze medal in the 24th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup
hockey tournament. New Zealand won Sultan Azlan Shah Cup ŵeŶ͛s hoĐkey tourŶaŵeŶt ďy defeating Australia.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
31
Ace India shooter Jitu Rai fired his way to win a bronze medal in the 10m air pistol event at the ongoing ISSF World
Cup in Changwon, Korea.
Yuki Bhambri clinched the USD 15,000 ITF Futures tournament with a straight-set win over Dzmitry Zhyrmont and
ensured that he will get entry into the French Open qualifying event.
Lewis Hamilton led teammate Nico Rosberg home for a Mercedes one-two finish in the 2015 Formula 1 Chinese
Grand Prix.
Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on 15 April 2015 was elected as member of prestigious Laureus Sports
Academy. He was named as member at the 16th Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony in Shanghai, China.
The Laureus World Sports Awards for the year 2015 were given in seven categories on 15 April 2015 at Shanghai
in China. Ace tennis star Novak Djokovic of Serbia and sprinter Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia were named as the
Laureus World Sportsman and Sportswoman of the 2015 respectively.
Asia Cup 2016 is set to undergo a radical change and will be a Twenty20 competition instead of the 50- over game,
outgoing Asian Cricket Council (ACC) chief executive Syed Ashraful Haq revealed.
India's Y Pranjala clinched the Asian Junior Tennis championship title after a come-from-behind victory over top
seed Chinese Zheng Wushuang.
Three Indian race walkers, Khushbir Kaur, Manish Rawat and Sandeep Kumar on 19 April 2015 qualified for 2016
Rio Olympics. They qualified for the Olympics during the IAAF Race Walking Challenge at Rio Maiorin Portugal.
Indian Cricketer Virat Kohli on 20 April 2015 announced to set up his chain of gyms and fitness centres with the
investment of 90 crore rupees. The gyms will be launched under the brand name Chisel.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 20 April 2015 won his second Monte-Carlo Masters title of Tennis. In the final clash
played at Monte-Carlo, Monaco, Djokovic defeated Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Archana Girish Kamath and Anezka Ilcikova, the Indo-Czech Republic pair woŶ the Đadet girls͛ douďles taďle teŶŶis
title at the French junior and cadet open on 19 April 2015 in Metz, France.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
32
Japan to host FIFA Club World Cup in 2015 and 2016.
Bangladesh on 22 April 2015 won the three-match One Day International (ODI) Series against Pakistan in Dhaka by
3-0. This was Bangladesh's first series whitewash against an Asian Test-playing nation.
The Union Sports Ministry on 22 April 2015 suspended the recognition of Paralympic Committee of India (PCI)
with immediate effect. It was suspended for poor management and conduct of 15th National Para-Athletics
Championships held in Ghaziabad in March 2015.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on 21 April 2015 announced a new tournament to be known as the Africa T20 Cup. The
tournament was planned to promote the game and nurture young talent in the continent.
The Indian government has finally recognised motor sports as a sport by including governing body FMSCI in the list
of sports ministry-backed National Sports Federations (NSF).
BCCI nominates Rohit Sharma for Arjuna award.
India crowned champions for the first time at 22nd President's Cup Boxing Tournament.
Lin Dan of China on 26 April 2015 won the men`s title at Badminton Asia Championships 2015 held in the central
city of Wuhan, China. He won the title by defeating compatriot Tian Houwei 21-19, 21-8.
Yuvraj Singh ties up with Delhi Daredevils for cancer awareness.
‘ailǁay “ports ProŵotioŶ Board ;‘“PBͿ oŶ Ϯϴ April Ϯ0ϭϱ ǁoŶ ϱth “eŶior MeŶ͛s NatioŶal HoĐkey ĐhaŵpioŶship
2015. In the final match played in Pune, Maharashtra, Railways defeated Uttar Pradesh Hockey (UPH) by 5-3.
Sunil Narine banned from bowling off-spinners in IPL by BCCI.
China won the World Team Chess Championship which was held at Tsaghkadzor, Armenia from 18 April 2015 to
29 April 2015. China emerged champion, with 15 points. Ukraine finished runner-up with 12 points, while host
Armenia was third with 11. India finished the championship at ninth position with seven points, losing the final
round match 3-1 to China.
Georgia on 29 April 2015 won the Woŵen͛ s World Teaŵ Chess Chaŵpionship by defeating China. Russia won the
silver medal. Mariya Muzychuk was declared as the 2015 Women's World Champion. D Harika and Koneru Humpy
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
33
came up with fine individual performances to win a silver and a bronze, respectively, even as the Indian eves
fiŶished fourth iŶ the ǁoŵeŶ͛s ǁorld teaŵ Đhess ĐhaŵpioŶship
Appointments
India














Gulshan Rai, the Director General of Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (Cert-In), took over as
India's first Cyber Security chief.
Justice Sunil Kumar Sinha appointed as Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court.
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 9 April 2015 appointed Dr. Nasim Zaidi as the Chief Election
Commissioner (CEC). He will assume the charge of office of the CEC with effect from 19 April 2015. Zaidi is
the 20th CEC of India and will succeed Harishankar Brahma who will demit his office on 18 April 2015.
Sumit Mazumder, Chairman and Managing Director of TIL Ltd., succeeded Ajay Shriram as President of
the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2015-16.
M Annadurai takes over as Director of ISRO Satellite Centre.
Rajeev Shukla was, reappointed chairman of the powerful Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council.
Sourav Ganguly was a new entrant to the IPL Governing Council while the senior national selection
committee led by Sandeep Patil was retained for another season. Team India Director Ravi Shastri also
remained in the IPL Governing Council.
West Bengal Governor K N Tripathy Sworn In As Mizoram Governor on April 4.
Arun Kumar Jha was appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Khadi and Village Industries
Commission (KVIC).
Meenakshi Madan Rai on 15 April 2015 was sworn in as the first lady judge of the Sikkim High Court. Her
oath of the office was administered by the Governor Srinivas Patil at Ashirwad Hall at Raj Bhavan in
Gangtok.
Vankadarath Saritha was in news as on 17 April 2015 she became the first woman bus driver of the Delhi
Transport Corporation (DTC).
Mukesh Khanna Appointed Chairperson of Children Film Society of India (CFSI).
The Supreme Court of India (SC) on 17 April 2015 appointed Vivek Priyadarshi to head the team probing
the Indian Premiere League (IPL) scandal. The decision was taken by a SC bench headed by Justice TS
Thakur.
Nasim Zaidi, assumed charge as the 20th Chief Election Commissioner succeeding H.S. Bramha who
retired on Saturday after completing his term.
Neeraj Kumar appointed as Chief Adviser of Anti-Corruption & Security Unit of BCCI
World


Pedro Cateriano Bellido was appointed as the seventh Prime Minister of Peru on 2 April 2015. He was
appointed by the President Ollanta Humala in a ceremony held at the Government Palace in Lima, Peru.
Bharat Hari Singhania assumed the presidency of JK Organization. The company issued a formal statement
on 9 April 2015 in this regard.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
34






Brijbushan Sharan Singh re-elected as President of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Senior diplomat Mohan Kumar, currently India's top envoy to Bahrain, has been appointed the next
Ambassador to France to succeed Arun Kumar.
Indian-American Vivek Murthy Takes Oath As US Surgeon General
Reinsurance Group of America appointed former LIC Head Thomas Mathew as MD & CEO for India
Volvo names Scania chief Martin Lundstedt as new CEO
Loretta Lynch Becomes First Black Woman in US Attorney General Post
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania appointed as the New Special Envoy to Yemen
Chennai-born Raja Rajeswari is Neǁ Yorks͛ first IŶdiaŶ-American woman judge
Obituaries
Richie Benaud, the former Australian cricket captain and legendary commentator died in Sydney on 10 April 2015.
He died after fighting a long battle with skin cancer. He was 84.
Books ďy ͞VoiĐe of CriĐket͟ ‘iĐhie Benaud



Anything But (1998) Autobiography
My Spin on Cricket (2005)
Over But Not Out (2010)
Former Air Chief Marshal of Indian Air Force (IAF) Hrushikesh Moolgavkar died in Pune on 9 April 2015. He was 95.
Moolgavkar had the honour of leading the fly-past oŶ IŶdia͛s first IŶdepeŶdeŶĐe Day oŶ ϭϱ August ϭϵϰϳ, aŶd also
on Republic Day on 26 January 1951. He had led the fly-past as a Squadron Leader.
Jnanpeeth Awardee, Tamil novelist, short story writer and literary critic Jayakanthan died in Chennai on 8 April
2015.
Malli Mastan Babu, the 40-year-old missing Indian mountaineer, was found dead in the Andes mountain ranges in
Chile in South America by the helicopter search teams. Mastan Babu had the distinction of setting a Guinness Book
record by surmounting seven peaks in seven continents in 172 days in 2006.
Renowned Hindi poet Kailash Vajpeyi died on 1 April 2015 due to cardiac arrest in a private hospital of Saket in
New Delhi.
“uŶita Toŵar, the faĐe of IŶdia͛s aŶti-tobacco campaign, died on 1 April 2015 at her native village in Bhind district
of Madhya Pradesh. She was 28.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
35
Gunter Grass, the Nobel-winning German writer who gave voice to the generation that came of age during the
horrors of the Nazi era but later ran into controversy over his own World War II past and stance toward Israel, has
died. He was 87.
Assamese Filmmaker Bidyut Chakraborty passes away.
In another tragic on-field iŶĐideŶt after Phillip Hughes͛ death last Noǀeŵďer, a proŵisiŶg BeŶgal ďatsŵaŶ ǁho ǁas
the former captain of Bengal U-19 Ranji team Ankit Keshri passed away owing to an injury sustained during a
CriĐket AssoĐiatioŶ of BeŶgals͛ “eŶior oŶe-day knock-out match on April 17.
Former Governor of Assam and three-time Chief Minister of Odisha Janaki Ballabh Patnaik died on 21 April 2015 in
Tirupati. He was 89. He also served Assam as its Governor from 2009 to 2014.
Eminent historian Professor Christopher Alan Bayly died on 20 April 2015 in Chicago due to heart attack. His death
was announced by the Centre for South Asian Studies at the University of Cambridge. He was 70.
Dan Fredinburg, Google Executive Killed on Everest After Nepal Earthquake
India swimmer Masudur Rahman Baidya, the only man with amputated legs to cross the English Channel in 1997
passed away.
The Oscar-winning cinematographer Andrew Lesnie passed away on 27 April 2015 following a fatal heart attack.
He was 59. Lesnie was famously known for his cinematography in movies Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit.
He also shot the remake of King Kong (2005), The Lovely Bones (2009) and Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
during his career. Lesnie won the Oscar (Academy Award) as a cinematographer in 2002 for the first part of Lord of
the Rings filmThe Fellowship of the Ring.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
36
Essay Contest Winners
E-Banking in Rural India –
As development of an economy is determined by progress of its banking sector, in the same way progress of a nation is decided
by the progress of its rural sector. With the advancement of technology there is hardly any sector which is uninfluenced by it,
banking is no different. The technology led process has led to what has been described as ͞Virtual Banking or E-banking͟. As the
name suggests this type of banking is done without need of physical presence or with the use of electronic devices such as
mobile and computer.
E-banking has been successful in spreading its wing in urban areas to a large extent. But the harsh reality of this fact is that our
rural sector has been neglected as usual as far as e-banking is concerned. There are various reason that have attributed to this,
illiteraĐy, poǀerty, teĐhŶologiĐal ďaĐkǁardŶess are to Ŷaŵe a feǁ. Alŵost ϯ0% of rural populatioŶ doŶ͛t ǁaŶt to go for eďaŶkiŶg ďeĐause they doŶ͛t kŶoǁ hoǁ to use it. AŶother ϰ0% doŶ͛t ǁaŶt to use it ďeĐause they are illiterate aŶd the rest
because their banks doŶ͛t proǀide suĐh serǀiĐes.
It should be noted that ours is an Agrarian economy i.e. majority of people are engaged in agriculture related activities. In such
a scenario, economy can only progress once its rural sector reaps the fruit of e-banking. Almost all the commercial banks have
majority of their branches in urban or semi-urban areas, rural areas have only a few. RRBs are the ones predominant in rural
sector. Despite this they hesitate in providing their facilities electronically because of lack of funds and risk involved.
The foremost requirements of a successful e-banking are: Reliability, trust, security, speed, accuracy, ease of usage,
competitiveness. Here it is required that government encourage commercial banks to start e-banking services in rural areas.
This wouldŶ͛t ďe a proďleŵ ďeĐause ŵoďile has reaĐhed to alŵost eǀery Ŷook aŶd ĐorŶer of the country and rural sector is not
left behind. With the help of gram panchayats, rural population can be educated about e-banking advantages, usage etc. As this
population is engaged is seasonal employment, they would require loans of the kind of ͚consumption loan͛ for the rest of the
period. This solves problem whether banks would generate enough revenues with e-banking or not. To start with, banks can
just introduce facilities like ATM, mobile banking, internet banking for fund transfer, balance check, checkbook ordering and
later can extend to saving schemes, trading etc.
As we have already taken one foot forward by creating record bank accounts, e- banking is the step that should follow. With
this step all major schemes of government can also be easily linked and help make our rural sector self sufficient financially.
E banking in rural areas – By SILENT
India is agrarian country where two thirds of the population living in villages. The penetration of the E-banking is very less as
there is few sources of infrastructure and technology. This is due to lack of adequate technology development in rural areas. In
the era of technology where banking services are providing new methods and implementation to expand their services. Unlike
traditional banking here where speed and time delivery of online services, some lucid understanding of rules and regulations,
use friendly websites, disclosures, claims and norms. Moreover no queues are not there in online as per the customer
convenience timing they can do whatever available services 24/7. Besides these transfers, enquiry about loans, transactions all
these are done in fractions of seconds with the help of the technology, convenient channel for customers to access all the
banking services and information from one place to all over the world
Now a days as the literacy rate is improving gradually and usage of mobile gadgets has taken a giant leap to
help the banking sector. Some significant issues are E banking acceptance and satisfaction of customers, privacy issues,
operational risks, value added services and strong competition among bank to banks and banks to non-financial institutions.
Initiating new business operations by setting up ATM's in villages, kiosk in bus stations are the new areas of developments
Some of the challenges faced by E banking exponential phase where majority are concerned with
security threats and quality of services and deliver reliability, limited payment options about grievances sometimes have to face
risky transactions and frauds. Lack of trust, development of lethargy attitude, needs to avoid restrictive workplace. Women
concern issues.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
37
The amendments and improvements are to done in internet banking application and new internet services.
Applications with adjustments and learning over the time to make them adopt to the new technology. The implementations are
to be user friendly with consistent performance with accessibility of new and archaic services. This helps banking sector reduce
paper work thus helping them to move towards paper less environment. E banking helps banks in proper documentation of
their records and transactions
E banking has a great source for customers whereas remote areas of rural needs sufficient training by
business correspondents or through their staff. If rural people gained advantage through E banking the source of income
increases for banks and savings will be inculcated in rural areas. As a result financial burden free capable of individual
development and inclusive growth as well as productivity of rural areas will increase.
Card Payment Vs Mobile Payment: Which one is more convenient & handy?
͛ iŶ
The answer to this question is quiet simple, both in some or the other aspect is interconnected to each other! Personally, Iŵ
favor of Mobile Payment solutions that offer a great way to pay securely from anywhere you want and that too with no such
efforts!
Mobile Payment services provides you with the same security as it maintains with your card payment gateways, only the main
difference between the two is that mobile payment are more convenient and handy as you can easily carry them in your
pockets whereas it terms of card payment system, you need to rush behind ATMs as well as with your computers or any other
way of processing payments.
Whether you are a scientists, farmer or professor, mobile payment services will always let you be paid in a reliable and secured
manner and process payments via your mobile in a single go! All you need is to have a portable mobile phone and a
corresponding application which makes you aware of the rules that needs to be followed while you are processing some online
services via your mobile phones.
In many developing countries, mobile payment solution are extending its financial services to the community so that they can
get in touch with all the latest schemes that mainly worked out while you are using mobile phones. Regardless of any such
complex formalities, mobile banking goes perfect for paying bills online, processing your recharge requests or transferring
money to other bank accounts as well.
Nowadays, when there is an impressive trend of using mobiles for all purposes, online companies such as Amazon, FlipKart,
Jabong services etc. are not lacking behind as they offer their customers the best shopping experience via mobile phones.
Mobile Payment Services also comes out with great technical support and reliable customer support which all together handles
the payment processes on the fly! Mobile payment also comes with an assortment of astonishing features that lets you to
accept payments anywhere within the network coverage areas, it accepts all credit and debit cards, transfer your funds faster
and easier and take payments in an effective and smoother way.
Accepting credit card payments used to be very problematic early as you need to set up a merchant account with a particular
bank; buy a card reader and further demands you for a setup fee or subscription fee while processing these card payments but
today these are completely rendered with the cheaper, easier and secured mobile payment system.
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
38
Make in India in Banking -
Firstly ǁe haǀe to understand ǁhat is ͞Make in India͟?
Make in India is a campaign started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is a new program which is designed to transform India
into a manufacturing hub. It contains a number of proposals to urge companies either its local or foreign companies to invest in
India and making India as a manufacturing Hub. It covers approx. 25 sectors.
Now about make in India in banking Sector: Banking sector is a growing sector. Our overall economy is totally depend on it. If
foreign companies and local companies will invest in our India, it will allow foreign currency to come in India which can help
banks to make regular flow of capital. Now a days, banks are improving their technology. Every day they are inventing
soŵethiŶg like ďefore soŵe days ICICI had lauŶĐhed ͞PoĐket͟ Facility for Digital India.
Make in India initiative will urge foreign countries to invest in our different new initiative it means FDI will come to India which
means our GDP will also increases. As government already eased the norms for FDI, as of now, in recent news, Government
eased the norms for FDI in medical sector, now foreign companies can invest 100 per cent in medical devices. In insurance
sector also FDI limit increased from 29 per cent to 49 per cent. In telecom sector 100 per cent FDI is allowed as well as in single
brand 100 per cent FDI is allowed.
Make in India in banking sector will improve overall economy, India will be having good reserve of foreign currency. This
initiative is important for the purchasing power of common man to increase, as this will improve further demand, and hence
spur development. In addition to benefiting investors, it will help in faster pulling out from poverty and brought into the middle
class.
͞More FDI ǁill ďriŶg More Investment, More Investment will bring More Fund, More Funds will bring more banking inflow and
outflow because at the end of the day, Money have to deposit somewhere and banks are the safer place for it, More exports
will improve IŶdia͛s groǁth, IŶdia͛s groǁth will take India in TOP countries list.͟
5/4/20 15
Downloaded from www.bankersadda.me
39