NATIONAL
Union Government declared NSCN-K as terrorist organization under UAPA,
1967
The Union Government on 6 November 2015 declared militant outfit National Socialist Council of
Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) and all its formation as a terrorist organisation. It was declared so under
the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967.
The NSCN-K was declared a terrorist organisation after the outfit killed innocent civilians and security
forces and engaged in other violent activities including the 4 June 2015 attack on the Army convoy in
Chandel district of Manipur.
Earlier on 15 September 2015, NSCN-K was banned for five years under the same Unlawful Activities
(Prevention) Act, 1967.
According to a Gazette notification, the NSCN-K is a militant outfit which came into existence in 1988
and is active along the Indo-Myanmar border.
About National Socialist Council of Nagaland
• The NSCN was established in 1980 with an aim of establishing a sovereign state of Nagalim by unifying
all the areas inhabited by the Naga people in Northeast India and Myanmar.
• It was founded by Isak Chishi Swu, Thuingaleng Muivah and SS Khaplang opposing the Shillong
Accord of 1975 signed by the then Naga National Council (NNC) with Union Government.
• In 1988, Naga nationalist Military group had split into two factions- NSCN-K led by SS Khaplang (a
Myanmarese Naga) and the NSCN-IM jointly led by Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah.
• In 2001, both factions had settled a ceasefire agreement with the Union government.
• NSCN-K has its headquarters in Taga in Myanmar and is estimated to have around 700-800 cadres and
the same number of sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers.
First AMRIT outlet opened at AIIMS Delhi for selling affordable drugs
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 15 November 2015 launched the Affordable Medicines
and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) pharmacy outlet at the All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.
The purpose of the first of its kind outlet is to reduce the expenditure incurred by patients on treatment of
cancer and heart diseases by 50 to 60 percent and has the following features
• It is a retail pharmacy outlet that sells drugs and implants for the two ailments-cancer and heart diseasesat highly discounted rates.
• It would be selling 202 cancer and 186 cardio-vascular drugs and 148 types of cardiac implants at very
affordable prices.
• It has been floated in a tie-up with government-owned HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL).
Based on the outcome of the AIIMS outlet, this initiative will be taken to other central government
hospitals and Regional Cancer Centres in partnership with the HLL.
Significance of AMRIT
The AMRIT initiative has been launched amid statistics that peg Indians diagnosed with cancer at 7 lakh
every year. About 2.8 million people have cancer at any point of time and 5 lakh die of the disease each
year.
Further, the annual figure of women being diagnosed with breast cancer in India is 145000, as per the
WHO. Further, a significant number of patients (nearly over 50 per cent) stop visiting hospitals after two
or three cycles of chemotherapy due to unaffordable costs.
Ministry of Railways issued Letter of Award to GE Global Sourcing India Pvt
Limited
Ministry of Railways on 9 November 2015 issued a Letter of Award (LoA) to USA-based GE Global
Sourcing India Pvt Limited for setting up of Diesel Locomotive Factory (DLF) at Marhowra, Saran
district, Bihar and for procurement and maintenance of mainline Diesel Electric Locomotives.
With this, a Joint Venture Company between Union Ministry of Railways and GE Global Sourcing India
Pvt Limited will be formed soon to construct and run the factory. The factory will manufacture modern
diesel electric locomotives of 4500 HP and 6000 HP to Indian railways.
The Railways Ministry will hold 26 percent equity in the JV Company subject to a maximum of 100 crore
rupees. The factory is expected to be established within a period of three years at a cost of about 1000
crore rupees.
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Union Government signed Loan Agreement with Asian Development Bank
The Union Government on 9 November 2015 signed 273 million US dollar loan agreement with Asian
Development Bank (ADB) to continue improving rural roads in the States of Assam, Chhattisgarh,
Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
The loan agreement was signed by S Selvakumar, Joint Secretary (Bilateral Cooperation), Department of
Economic Affairs and Teresa Kho, Country Director of ADB.
The loan represents the third tranche, which is also the last tranche of the 800 million US dollars
financing facility under the Rural Connectivity Investment Program. The loan will help in constructing
over 6000 kilometers of all-weather rural roads and will benefit over 4200 rural habitations.
The Union Ministry of Rural Development (MORD) is the executing agency of the project at the central
level, while the State Governments of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal
will be handling the overall implementation at the respective State level.
The third tranche is expected to be completed by December 2017. The implementing agencies at the State
level will be the respective State Rural Roads Development Agencies.
This loan will also be used to make further investments as well as supporting improved road design, road
safety and asset management measures and training with women actively involved in all aspects.
Union Government launched E-Pathshala, Saransh, Shaala Siddhi Portals
The Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani on 7 November 2015 launched the ePathshala, Saaransh and National Programme on School Standards and Evaluation Framework (Shala
Siddhi) web portals/ mobile apps.
These portals were launched during the edNEXT, the National Conference on ICT in School Education
that was held at New Delhi. During the Conference, Shala Darpan, MDM-IVRS and Ekta project from
Alwar, Rajasthan were also show-cased.
E-Pathshala web portal
• E-Pathshala is a web portal which hosts educational resources for Students, Teachers, Parents,
researchers and educators.
• It contains textbooks and other e-books as E-Pub 3.0 and Flipbooks in English, Hindi and Urdu.
• It is available through especially developed mobile app interface on Android, IOS and windows
platforms for wider access.
Shaala Siddhi web portal
• Shaala Siddhi web portal is a comprehensive instrument for school evaluation which enables the schools
to evaluate their performance in more focused and strategic manner.
• The web-portal will help all schools to assess themselves and the results can be seen by all enabling
them to provide feedback.
• The initiative has already been successfully piloted in four districts of Tamil Nadu.
Saransh platform
• Saransh is a tool which allows the schools to identify areas of improvement in students, teachers and
curriculum to facilitate and implement change.
• The platform is presently available for classes 9th to 12th and provides a comprehensive overview of
standard 10th performance since 2007 and standard 12th performance since 2009 till the current academic
session.
• Presently, results of CBSE are available on this portal/app.
The event also showcased other ICT initiatives including the IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system to
monitor the daily implementation of Mid Day Meal scheme and Shaala Darpan, an integrated platform to
address all academic and administrative requirements of schools, teachers, parents and students.
Union Government issued notification for implementation of OROP
Union Government on 7 November 2015 issued the notification regarding implementation of One Rank
One Pension (OROP) in respect of Defence Forces personnel.
The notification is in tune with the modalities for implementation announced on 5 September 2015.
Features of OROP scheme
• Pension will be re-fixed for all pensioners retiring in the same rank and with the same length of service
as the average of minimum and maximum pension in 2013.
• The benefit will be given with effect from 1 July 2014 to the ex-service men of all the three forces.
• Those drawing pensions above the average will be protected.
• In future, the pension would be re-fixed every 5 years.
• Arrears will be paid in four half-yearly instalments.
• All widows, including war widows, will be paid arrears in one instalment.
• Personnel who voluntarily retire will not be covered under the scheme.
• The estimated cost to the exchequer would be 8000 to 10000 crore at present, and will increase further
in future.
What is OROP?
In simple terms, OROP implies that uniform pension be paid to the armed forces personnel retiring in the
same rank with the same length of service, regardless of their date of retirement.
At present, ex-servicemen receive differential pensions as it is calculated on the basis of their salary at the
time of their retirement.
Differential payments occur as the salaries of personnel are frequently revised on the basis of pay
commission’s recommendations.
For example, personnel who retired in 1990 receive fewer pensions compared to their juniors who retired
in 2006 though they retired at the same rank with same length of service.
Union Government constituted Empowered Committee to approve schemes
under Nirbhaya Fund
The Union Government on 4 November 2015 constituted an Empowered Committee to approve schemes
proposed under the Nirbhaya Fund.
The Committee comprises officials from various ministries, including Women and Child Development,
Home Affairs, Road Transport and Railways.
The Secretary of the Women and Child Development Ministry will be the chairperson of the committee.
The Members of the Empowered Committee may nominate an officer not below the rank of Joint
Secretary as representative to the Empowered Committee of Officers.
The Empowered Committee of Officers will take decision on the sanction of schemes/projects from
Nirbhaya Fund within 15 days of the date of receipt of the proposal by the Ministry of Women & Child
Development.
Earlier in April 2015, the Union Government made the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry
as the nodal agency for the Nirbhaya Fund in place of Union Home Ministry.
The Nirbhaya Fund has a total of 3000 crore rupees fund as 1000 crore each was allocated to it in 2014-15
and 2015-16 on top of 1000 crore rupees initial corpus.
President Pranab Mukherjee launched research project Imprint India
President Pranab Mukherjee on 5 November 2015 launched Imprint India, a Pan-IIT and IISc joint
initiative.
The project encourages the Indian technical institutions to develop a blueprint for research to crack major
engineering and technology challenges relevant to the nation.
Imprint India is a 1000 crore rupees project, which aspires to:
• Identify areas of immediate relevance to society requiring innovation
• Direct scientific research into identified areas
• Ensure higher funding support for research into these areas
• Measure outcomes of the research effort with reference to impact on the standard of living in the
rural/urban areas
The Imprint India will focus on 10 themes and each will be coordinated by one IIT/IISc. The themes are:
1. Health Care - IIT Kharagpur
2. Computer Science and ICT – IIT Kharagpur
3. Advance Materials – IIT Kanpur
4. Water Resources and River systems – IIT Kanpur
5. Sustainable Urban Design – IIT Roorkee
6. Defence – IIT Madras
7. Manufacturing – IIT Madras
8. Nano-technology Hardware- IIT Bombay
9. Environmental Science and Climate Change – IISc, Bangalore
10. Energy Security – IIT Bombay
On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the IMPRINT India brochure and hand over the
first copy to the President Mukherjee.
Besides, an Inter Ministerial Group (IMG) is being set up as the single window mechanism. The group
will shortlist research projects by leading research and technology institutes. It will also approve funds for
the same.
IMG will comprise of members from multiple ministries, such as Ministry of Human Resource
Development (HRD), Ministry of Defence, Department of Science & Technology, Department of
Biotechnology, Ministry of Rural Development and so on.
Justice MB Shah-headed SIT on Black Money submitted its third report
Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Black Money on 3 November 2015 submitted its third report to the
Union Ministry of Finance. The SIT is headed by Justice MB Shah and the report dealt with shell
companies and beneficial ownership.
The SIT found that over 2600 persons are directors on more than 20 companies and at least 20 companies
are operating from the same address at 345 places which indicate the violation of Companies Act, 2013.
To correct the situation, the SIT recommended for has suggested proactive detection of creation of shell
companies and deterrent penal action against persons involved in such activities.
The Team has also requested the Ministry of Corporate affairs to take necessary action with respect to
violation of the Companies Act.
About SIT on Black Money
The SIT was constituted by the Union Cabinet in May 2014 on the directions of the Supreme Court to go
deeper into the cases of black money where Indians have stashed their assets abroad and also suggest
policy measures to combat the illegal activity.
While 11-member committee is headed by Justice MB Shah, Justice Arijit Pasayat is its Vice Chairman.
Vikalp Scheme launched for confirmed accommodation to waitlisted
passengers in alternate trains
Indian Railways on 1 November 2015 launched Alternate Train Accommodation Scheme (ATAS) called
as Vikalp to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers in alternate trains.
The scheme was launched on pilot basis for the tickets booked through internet on Delhi-Lucknow and
Delhi-Jammu sectors of Northern Railway. It will be operational for six months.
The purpose of the scheme is to provide confirmed accommodation to waitlisted passengers and also to
ensure optimal utilisation of available accommodation.
Under this scheme, wait listed passengers of a train can opt for confirmed accommodation in alternate
trains.
However, ATAS opted passengers who remain fully waitlisted after charting will only be considered for
allotment in the alternate train.
WCD Ministry launched initiative to spread awareness about Beti Bachao
Beti Padhao Scheme
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 29 October 2015 launched a new initiative to
spread awareness about the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme.
The initiative was launched in partnership with Celltick Mobile Media India Pvt. Ltd. to generate
awareness about BBBP Scheme to an estimated 100 million mobile users in India.
Keeping in mind the steady decline in the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) across India, with 918 females born per
1000 males, as per the Census of 2011, Celltick will work towards improving the Child Sex Ratio in India
and will promote the issue of gender equality and significance of educating daughters to mobile users in
India.
Through the Celltick managed mobile services based on its patented Live Screen platform, available to
over 100 million users in India, the users will get interactive messages on their device’s homescreen,
which will enable ease of use in accessing information about BBBP. The platform will make sure to reach
users based on their location as well as their language of preference.
The BBBP campaign will be the first time that Celltick teamed up with the Government of India for a
social initiative.
The BBBP launched on 22 January 2015 aims at improving the Child Sex Ratio CSR through multisectoral interventions including prevention of gender biased sex selection and promoting girls’ education
and her holistic empowerment.
Union Finance Ministry launched E-Sahyog Pilot Project to facilitate
Taxpayers
The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 27 October 2015 launched the e-Sahyog pilot project of the
Income-Tax Department to facilitate taxpayers by reducing their need to physically appear before tax
authorities.
The e-Sahyog project is aimed at reducing compliance cost, especially for small taxpayers.
Highlights of the e-Sahyog project
• The objective of e-Sahyog is to provide an online mechanism to resolve mismatches in Income-tax
returns of those assesses whose returns have been selected for scrutiny, without visiting the Income Tax
Office.
• The Income-Tax Department will provide an end to end e-service using SMS, e-mails to inform the tax
assesses of the mismatch.
• The taxpayers will simply need to visit the e-filing portal and log in with their user-ID and password to
view mismatch related information and submit online response on the issue.
• The responses submitted online by the taxpayers will be processed and if the response and other
information are found satisfactory as per automated closure rules, the issue will be treated as closed.
• The taxpayers can check the updated status by logging in to the e-filing portal.
Inauguration of drive to behold special PAN camps in remote areas
The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also inaugurated a drive to provide public service at peoples’
door step by holding special PAN camps in remote areas. Under this campaign, special PAN camps were
held at forty- three remote, semi urban and rural locations across India.
More such camps will be held throughout the year. The camps will ease the burden of compliance for
persons residing in remote, semi urban and rural areas who wish to enter into transactions of purchase or
sale above rupees one lakh and will be required to quote PAN.
Financial powers of Health Institutions enhanced to 5 lakh rupees per patient
under Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on 26 October 2015 enhanced delegated financial powers
of designated Central Government Hospitals and institutes under the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)
scheme.
After the enhancement, only cases for financial assistance beyond 5 lakh rupees would now be required to
be referred to the Ministry from the earlier upper limit of 2 lakh rupees per patient.
The move is aimed at curtailing procedural delays for treatment, which would bring relief to thousands of
patients annually.
About Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi
• It was set up in 1997 to provide financial assistance to patients, living below poverty line (BPL).
• Patients suffering from major life threatening diseases related to heart, liver, kidney and cancer cases,
etc., are covered under the scheme.
• Patients receive medical treatment only at any of the designated super specialty Government hospitals /
institutes or other Government hospitals.
• Revolving Funds have been set up in 12 Central Government hospitals/institutes and amount up to 50
lakh rupees is placed at their disposal for providing financial assistance.
India’s first AC double-decker Shatabdi train to run on Mumbai-Goa route
The Ministry of Railways on 23 October 2015 announced that India’s first AC double-decker Shatabdi
train will soon run between Mumbai and Goa route.
As per the announcement, the proposed train between Mumbai and Goa will cater to growing demand by
tourists that come to Goa from all over the globe.
The first double-decker air conditioned train between Howrah and Dhanbad was flagged off in October
2011. Since then, the service is operational between many cities, including Ahmedabad-Mumbai,
Chennai–Bangalore, Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Lucknow.
Shatabdi Express, which is considered prestigious by the Indian Railways, runs over short to medium
distances.
The first Shatabdi, which means centenary in Hindi language, train was started in 1988 by Madhav Rao
Scindia to commemorate the centenary of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's Birthday. The train operated from
New Delhi to Jhansi, and was later extended to Bhopal.
Defence Ministry approved induction of women as IAF fighter pilots
Ministry of Defence on 24 October 2015 approved the induction of women into the combat stream of
Indian Air Force (IAF). This approval clears the path for women to fly warplanes for the first time.
As per the decision, first batch of women pilots will be selected from the batch which is presently
undergoing flying training at the Air Force Academy. They will be commissioned into the IAF in June
2016; thereafter they will undergo advanced training for a year and would enter the fighter cockpit by
June 2017.
Earlier in first week of October 2015, the Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha at IAF's Hindon air base near
Delhi on the occasion of 83rd Air Force Day parade announced a major policy shift in IAF, which intends
to allow women to become fighter pilots.
At present, around 1500 women serve in the Indian Air Force of which around 90 as pilots and about 15
as navigators. IAF had women in seven areas of administration, logistics, meteorology, navigation,
education, aeronautical engineering mechanical and electrical and accounts.
Earlier, the Air Force refused to allow women in fighter squadrons because of the fears of torture and
rape, if they were shot down in combat.
Union Government cleared first batch of AMRUT projects for 89 cities worth
2786 crore rupees
The Union Ministry of Urban Development on 22 October 2015 gave its nod to the first batch of state
level Action Plans under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). The
approved Action Plans have a total of 143 projects in 89 AMRUT cities in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and
Rajasthan.
The State Annual Action Plans (SAAP) worth 2786.28 crore rupees were cleared by inter-ministerial
Apex Committee of AMRUT for 89 cities in the three states.
It is for the first time that the Urban Development Ministry approved state level plans unlike the past
practice of appraising and approving individual projects.
The plans include 47 schemes relating to ensuring water supply connections and augmenting water
supply. In addition, they also include 31 projects for expanding sewerage network services in identified
cities and towns.
Key Points of the Action Plans
• Gujarat proposed SAAP entailed an investment of 1204.42 crore rupees, Rajasthan entailed an
investment of 919 crore rupees and Andhra Pradesh proposed an investment of 662.86 crore rupees.
• Gujarat will take up sewerage projects in 25 AMRUT cities at a cost of 916 crore rupees and water
supply schemes in 11 cities with an investment of 233.65 crore rupees.
• Rajasthan will take up sewerage schemes in 6 cities at a cost of 555 crore rupees and water supply
projects in 10 cities at a cost of 344 crore rupees.
• Andhra Pradesh will focus on water supply in 26 AMRUT cities at a cost of 646.29 crore rupees and
provision of green spaces and parks in 30 cities at a cost of 16.57 crore rupees.
• Union Government will provide an assistance of 50 percent of project cost for cities with a population of
up to 10 lakhs each and one third of project cost for cities with a population of above 10 lakhs each.
SC declared National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)
unconstitutional
The five-judge Constitutional Bench of Supreme Court (SC) in a collective order on 16 October 2015
ruled that 99th Constitutional Amendment Act and the National Judicial Appointments Commission
(NJAC) Act, 2014 is unconstitutional and void.
It also upheld the Collegium system that existed before the NJAC as operative. Collegium System was
established by the SC in 1993 for the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.
Moreover, the apex court rejected the plea of the Union Government that the petition challenging NJAC
Act be referred to a larger Bench in light of the two 'Judges Cases' of 1993 and 1998 and scheduling a
hearing on November 3 to improve the Collegium system.
Although the NJAC Act was upheld by Justice J Chelameswar but he recused himself from passing any
judgment on the NJAC statute as the majority of four had already held it unconstitutional.
The five-judge bench comprised of Justices JS Khehar, J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph
and AK Goel.
Background
The Union Government on 13 April 2015 notified the National Judicial Appointments Commission
(NJAC) Act, 2014 and the Constitution (Ninety-ninth Amendment) Act, 2014. It was designed to replace
the existing Collegium system of appointing judges of higher judiciary, viz., Supreme Court and High
Courts.
The NJAC Bill and the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty First Amendment) Bill, 2014 were passed
unanimously by the Lok Sabha on 13 August 2014 and Rajya Sabha on 14 August 2014 respectively.
Subsequently these Bills were ratified by the required number of State legislatures before getting the
President’s assent on 31 December 2014.
Union Government approved performance-linked payment for CIL officers
The Union Government on 14 October 2015 gave a green signal to payment of Performance Related Pay
(PRP) to executives and non-unionised supervisors of Coal India Ltd (CIL) and its subsidiaries.
The recommendations of the Committee of Secretaries were approved by the Union Cabinet to regularise
the 2007 Pay Revision implemented by CIL with effect from 1 January 2007 in the loss making
subsidiaries.
The payment will be given out of the corpus created by pooling the profits of CIL subsidiary companies,
duly setting off the losses of the loss making subsidiaries and stand-alone profits of CIL, excluding
dividends received from its subsidiary companies.
However, it will be done with the condition that the corpus for payment of PRP should be treated as a
yearly corpus with no provision for carrying it forward to subsequent years.
Union Cabinet approved RCE for Kaladan Multi Modal Project in Myanmar
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 14 October 2015 gave its approval for
the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of 2904.04 crores rupees for the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit
Transport Project in Myanmar.
Since the project is of political and strategic significance, it was decided to execute it through India's
grant assistance to Myanmar.
The project will provide an alternate access route to the North-Eastern region of India and contribute
towards the region's economic development. Being a key connectivity project, it will promote economic,
commercial and strategic links between India and Myanmar.
Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project
The Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project was jointly identified by India and Myanmar to
create a multi-modal mode of transport for shipment of cargo from the eastern ports of India to Myanmar
as well as to the North-Eastern part of India through Myanmar.
Highlights of the project
• The project will connect Sittwe Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border
• It is expected that the project will contribute to the economic development of the North-Eastern States of
India, by opening up the sea route for the products.
• It will provide a strategic link to the North-East and will help in reducing pressure on the Siliguri
Corridor.
• It will serve the economic, commercial and strategic interests of India.
• It will contribute to the development of Myanmar, and its economic integration with India.
Union Cabinet approved Protocol on Double Taxation Avoidance with Israel
and Vietnam
The Union Cabinet on 7 October 2015 approved the Protocol between India and Israel and between
Indian and Vietnam for avoidance of double taxation and for prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to
taxes on income and on capital.
The Protocol with both the countries provides for internationally accepted standards for effective
exchange of information on tax matters including bank information and information without domestic tax
interest.
With this, the information received from Israel and Vietnam in respect of a resident of India can be shared
with other law enforcement agencies with authorisation of the Competent Authority of both the countries
and vice versa.
Besides, the Protocol with Israel also provides for Limitation of Benefits Article as an anti-abuse
provision aimed at preventing misuse of the Convention. The provisions of this Article enable use of the
provisions of domestic law and measures concerning tax avoidance or evasion in the event of misuse of
the Convention.
Background:
The existing Double Taxation Avoidance Convention (DTAC) between Indian and Israel was signed in
1996 and between India and Vietnam was signed in 1994.
Both the countries concurred with India to update Article 27 on the Exchange of Information in DTAC
signed with India to meet internationally accepted standards and added a new Article on Assistance in the
Collection of taxes.
Union Cabinet approved Framework for Cooperation in Blue Economy
between India and Seychelles
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 7 October 2015 gave its ex-post
facto approval to the protocol for cooperation in the field of blue economy.
India and Seychelles signed the protocol to this effect on 26 August 2015 during the visit of the President
of Seychelles James Michel to India.
The protocol lays down the modalities and mechanism of cooperation between the two parties for ocean
studies as well as scientific exploration and exploitation of sea based resources, for sustainable
development and economic purposes.
How the Protocol will be beneficial for India?
• The cooperation will enhance India’s strategic cooperation in the field of blue economy; commercial
benefits from export of human resources, expertise and technology and it will increase India’s access to
ocean-based resources in cooperation with Seychelles.
• Cooperation with Seychelles in blue economy will provide new data on ocean-based resources and also
provide for sharing of expertise and technology developed by Indian scientists and research institutes. It
will also help domestic innovation in the field of ocean research and technology.
What is Blue Economy?
The Blue Economy is a developing world initiative pioneered by SIDS (Small Island Developing States)
but relevant to all coastal states and countries with an interest in waters beyond national jurisdiction.
It conceptualises oceans as “Development Spaces” where spatial planning integrates conservation,
sustainable use, oil and mineral wealth extraction, bio-prospecting, sustainable energy production and
marine transport.
The Blue Economy breaks the mould of the business as usual “brown” development model where the
oceans have been perceived as a means of free resource extraction and waste dumping; with costs
externalised from economic calculations.
Rather, the concept incorporates ocean values and services into economic modelling and decision-making
processes.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of three AllMS under Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojna
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 October 2015 approved the setting
up of three new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AllMS) under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya
Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY).
These three new AIIMS will come up at Nagpur in Maharashtra, at Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh and at
Kalyani in West Bengal.
All the three AIIMS will cost 4949 crore rupees to the exchequer with AIIMS at Manglagiri costing 1618
crore rupees, at Nagpur costing 1577 crore rupees and at Kalyani costing 1754 crore rupees respectively.
These AIIMS will be established as institutes of national importance for providing quality medical
education, nursing education and also to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of these
locations.
Further, the proposed institution will have a hospital with capacity of 960 beds. In addition, these will
also have an AYUSH block, nursing college, hostel and residential facilities among others.
Benefits
Setting up of these AIIMS will address regional imbalances in availability of affordable and reliable
tertiary health care services in these regions.
It will augment the facilities of quality medical education and would also address the shortfall of health
care professionals in these regions.
The large populations of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra (Vidarbha) and West Bengal along with adjoining
States and region will be beneficiary of this project.
The setting up of AIIMS at Mangalagiri fulfils the promise made under the Andhra Pradesh reorganization Act 2014 that provides for establishment of one AIIMS type institute in the successor State
of Andhra Pradesh.
Background
Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) launched in 2006, so far six AIIMS have
been made functional. Also construction of AIIMS, Rae Barely is under progress.
The AIIMS which have become functional are at Patna (Bihar), Raipur (Chhattisgarh), Bhopal (Madhya
Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Rishikesh (Utaranchal).
Union Cabinet approved Productivity Linked Bonus for railway employees
The Union Cabinet on 7 October 2015 approved the payments of Productivity-Linked Bonus (PLB)
equivalent to 78 days’ wages for the financial year 2014-2015 to about 12.58 lakh non-gazetted railway
employees excluding RPF/RPSF personnel.
It is estimated that the total payment of 78 days' PLB to railway employees will be around 1030.02 crore
rupees.
The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway
employees is 3500 rupees per month. The maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee is
8975 rupees for 78 days. This is in disparity to the productivity-linked bonus equivalent to a month’s
wage paid to other central government employees and even public sector units such as NTPC.
Between 2010-2011 and 2013-2014, railway officials had also received the same bonus amount,
equivalent to 78 days’ pay, with a wage ceiling of 3500 rupees.
Department of Biotechnology tied-up with Prakash Lab to distribute
Foldscope to students
The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on 5 October 2015 tied-up with US firm Prakash Lab to
provide the Prakash Lab’s low cost paper folding-microscope, the Foldscope to students in India.
Foldscope will be used as an educational tool to understand physics, chemistry, biology and
instrumentation.
The Foldscope was developed by Dr Manu Prakash, an Indian-origin Assistant Professor at Stanford
University.
In this regard, the Letter of Intent was exchanged between DBT and the Prakash Lab in the presence of
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Silicon Valley in USA in September 2015. Prakash Lab
is a research group at Stanford University working in the field of engineering and physical biology.
Highlights of the Tie-up
• Prakash Lab will source Foldscope to DBT and its constituents.
• The DBT will ensure that the Foldscope is provided to students of the Star College scheme in each
identified college.
• Workshops and training programmes will be run by Prakash Lab in collaboration with Indian
institutions. The nascent Local Foldscope community based in India will also be involved in training.
• After this initial pilot program, the collaboration with Prakash Lab will be expanded to setting up of
joint research for explorations of other low cost instrumentation in colleges as deemed mutually
appropriate.
About Foldscope
• The Foldscope is torchlight in the hands of human curiosity that allows each and every one to explore
the planet at the microscopic level, just as the telescope allows us to explore the stars.
• Foldscope is provided as a kit where the student starts by first building the actual unit from the kit and
explores curiosity driven questions surrounding the microscopic world in physics, chemistry and biology.
• The users of Foldscope also build an online community and share insights, projects, questions and
scientific discoveries with the community at Foldscope online platform.
Central Government launched KISAN Project and Hailstorm App for crop
damage
The Union Government on 5 October 2015 unveiled KISAN Project [C(K)rop Insurance using Space
technology And geoiNformatics] of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare,
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
The project will use satellite and drone-based imaging and other geospatial technology to get timely and
precise data on crop yields.
The pilot study will be carried out in one district each of Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra during Kharif season of 2015 and two districts each of these states during Rabi season of
2015-2016.
The programme will be jointly implemented by Mahalanobis National Crop Forecast Centre (MNCFC),
an attached Office of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & FW, ISRO Centres (Space Applications
Centre, Ahmedabad & National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad), India Meteorological Department,
CCAFS, State Agriculture Departments and State Remote Sensing Centres.
In addition, the government also launched an Android-based app, developed by ISRO, for collection of
data of hailstorm to access large-scale damage to standing crops. The data collected by the app will
greatly help the Union Agriculture Ministry in making quick assessment of damage to crops because of
hailstorm.
Second phase of Mission Indradhanush launched in 352 districts
The Union Government on 5 October 2015 launched second phase of the immunisation programme,
Mission Indradhanush, focusing on 352 districts.
The second phase of the programme aims at achieving more than 90 per cent full immunization in the
country by 2020. The mission targets to cover all children below 2 years of age and pregnant women with
full immunization against seven vaccine preventable diseases.
The second phase will watch over 352 districts including 279 mid priority districts, 33 from the North
East states and 40 districts from phase one where large number of missed out children were detected.
The second phase will last for a week starting from 7 October 2015. It will be followed by weeklong
intensified immunization drives for three consecutive months, starting from 7 November 2015 and 7
December 2015 and 7 January 2016.
First phase of Mission Indradhanush
The Union Government launched Mission Indradhanush on 25 December 2014 to immunize all children
against seven vaccine preventable diseases namely diphtheria, whooping cough (Pertussis), tetanus, polio,
tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B by 2020.
The first round of the first phase started from 7 April 2015 which focused on 201 districts in 28 states. It
was followed by three rounds of more than a week in the months of April 2015, May 2015, June 2015 and
July 2015, starting from 7th of each month.
During the four rounds of Mission Indradhanush, 9.4 lakh sessions were held, during which about 2 crore
vaccines were administered to the children and pregnant women.
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment launched Accessible India
campaign
Social justice and empowerment minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot on 24 September 2015 launched the
Accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) that focuses on building accessible government
buildings for persons with disabilities (PwDs).
The campaign was initiated by the government to increase the accessibility of the physical environment in
the country. In addition, the campaign focuses on enhancing the accessibility and usability of Public
Transport, and information & communication.
Highlights
• The department has planned to make public buildings in 50 cities of the country including four cities of
Maharashtra namely Mumbai, Pune, Nashik and Nagpur accessible to PwDs.
• The states will pick at least 50-100 public buildings that will be made accessible to PwDs via retrofitting
of ramps, lifts, toilets and signage.
• Motorized tricycles costing about 45000 rupees each for which the centre will give 30000 rupees
subsidy each will be provided to people with 70-90% disability.
Union Government launched National Institutional Ranking Framework
along with its Web portal
Union Minister for Human Resource Development Smriti Zubin Irani on 29 September 2015 launched the
National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) document for educational institutions along with its
web portal.
The portal and the framework will enable parents, students, teachers, educational institutions and other
stakeholders to rank institutions on the basis of a set of objective parameters and a transparent process.
The Framework will be effective from April 2016.
Highlights of National Institutional Ranking Framework
• The NIRF follows an Indian approach which considers India-centric parameters like diversity and
inclusiveness apart from excellence in teaching learning and research.
• It will facilitate a level playing field in ranking for institutions which have been working in languages
other than English and excelled relatively in the recent past.
• The framework is designed such that institutions belonging to different sectoral fields such as
Engineering, Management etc. will be compared separately in their own respective peer groups.
• The institutions will be ranked on five parameters, viz., (1) teaching learning and resources; (2)
research, consulting and collaborative performance; (3) graduation outcomes; (4) outreach and inclusivity
and (5) perception.
• The methodology of ranking is open to all Indian institutions that wish to be part of the system, but is
not mandatory; it is also aimed at empowering the institutions to compete for international ranking
systems like QS and Times.
Developed by a team of experts in education and heads of institutions, the portal and the framework is
presently available for engineering and management institutions.
The framework for engineering and management institutes will be extended to other disciplines like
architecture, pharmacy and humanities and for universities as well.
Methodologies, parameters and process for ranking universities along with architecture and planning
institutions under the NIRF would be made available online within November 2015.
The framework was drafted by a core committee that included National Board of Accreditation Chairman
Surendra Prasad, IIT-Kharagpur director P.P. Chakraborty, IIT-Madras Director Bhaskar Ramamurthi,
besides the Higher Education Secretary and HRD Ministry officials.
Union Ministry of Tourism launched new initiatives on World Tourism Day
The Union Ministry of Tourism on 27 September 2015 launched several new initiatives to augment
tourism related infrastructure and manpower in the country.
The initiatives were launched in New Delhi to mark the World Tourism Day.
The details of some of the new initiatives launched are
Medical and Wellness Tourism Board
• It has been formed to tap the potential and advantages that India has in the field of medical and wellness
tourism.
• It will be chaired by the Union Tourism Minister.
• Besides the chairman, it will have members representing the related Government Departments, Tourism
& Hospitality sector and experts in the Medical, Wellness and Yoga.
• It will be established with an initial corpus of 2 crore rupees.
• Along with regular medical facilities, the AYUSH facilities will be promoted by the board.
Tourism Vision Document 2030
• It goes into the challenges for the sector and details the way towards Vision 2030. It has been
commissioned by the Experience India Society and prepared by KPMG.
• Ashok Institute of Hospitality & Tourism Management (AIH & TM) – Centre of Excellence:
• It will supply trained manpower to the Hospitality Industry and tourism industry.
• It is part of the HRD division of India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd.,(ITDC) a PSU under
Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India.
• It provides the students with a world class contemporary education to have an edge over others in the
field.
• The courses offered will be a blend of the rich heritage and culture of India and hospitality management
education system.
• It will be operated from Hotel Samrat in New Delhi.
Grant citizenship to Chakma-Hajong Refugees within 3 months: Supreme
Court
The Supreme Court (SC) of India on 17 September 2015 directed the Union and Arunachal Pradesh
Governments to grant citizenship to Chakma-Hajong refugees within three months. The two refugees
migrated to India from Bangladesh in 1964-69 and settled in the state.
The direction issued by of Justice AR Dave and AK Goel said that the two groups have a right to be
granted citizenship subject to the procedure being followed and they cannot be discriminated in any
manner.
It said that the two groups who were allowed to be rehabilitated under the decision of the Union
Government could not be discriminated against in any manner pending formal conferment of rights of
citizenship.
It directed the governments at two levels to take all necessary steps to protect them as they are facing
hostility from the local population. It also asked the governments to ensure compliance of directions in
judicial decisions for protection of their life and liberty against any kind of discrimination.
The verdict was passed on a petition filed by Committee for Citizenship Rights of the Chakmas (CCRC),
who in its petition alleged that they were still being treated as foreigners despite living for more than 50
years in the state. The plea also said that they are being deprived from the benefits of various social
welfare schemes including Public Distribution System.
What is Chakma-Hajong refugee Issue?
Chakma-Hajong refugees came to India after being displayed from the area which became part of East
Pakistan (now in Bangladesh) on construction of Kaptai hydro-electric dam in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
The then Indian Government allowed them to rehabilitate themselves in the country after they sought
refuge to India.
In 1964, the Union Government temporarily resettled some 35000 Chakmas in the former North Eastern
Frontier Agency (NEFA), in the areas that comprise the present day Lohit, Changlang and Papumpare
districts of the State.
However, with the upgradation of NEFA into a full-fledged state of Arunachal Pradesh in 1987, the
presence of Chakma-Hajong communities in the State is perceived by the locals as a potential threat to
their indigenous tribal culture and traditions by the host tribal communities. The perceived threat has seen
several campaigns like 'Quit Arunachal Pradesh' notice to the Chakma-Hajong settlers.
Viewing the potential threat by this group, the successive governments of the state started pressing for
their deportation. On the other hand, the Chakma-Hajong communities have intensified their struggle for
citizenship rights since the early 1990s and accused the State Government of human rights violations.
Union Government released National Health Profile 2015
The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare JP Nadda on 22 September 2015 released the National
Health Profile (NHP) 2015 prepared by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI). The E-book
(digital version) of NHP was also released for the first time. This is the 11th edition of NHP.
The National Health Profile covers demographic, socio-economic, health status and health finance
indicators, along with comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human resources in health.
NHP 2015 for the first time also incorporates the health data from ESIC and Railways.
The NHP 2015 indicates that significant progress has been made in the country for various health
outcomes, which is an encouraging signal.
Highlights of the National Health Profile 2015
• Every government hospital serves an estimated 61000 people in India with one bed for every 1833
people.
• In undivided Andhra Pradesh, every government hospital serves over 3 lakh patients while in Bihar;
there is only one bed for every 8800 people.
• Every government allopathic doctor serves a population of over 11000 people, with Bihar and
Maharashtra having the worst ratios.
• India now has cumulatively 9.4 lakh allopathic doctors, 1.54 lakh dental surgeons and 7.37 lakh
AYUSH doctors of who more than half are Ayurvedic doctors.
• India’s 400 medical colleges admit an estimated 47000 students annually.
Cancer Data
• As per NHP 2015 data, there will be 19 percent increase in cancer among men by 2020 with mouth
cancer registering the highest spike and a 23 percent increase among women with gall bladder cancer
showing the sharpest increase.
• The cancer incidence in men will rise from the current 522164 to 622203 in 2020.
• Despite the countrywide ban on gutkha, mouth cancer will register a 51 percent jump.
• There will be a 48 percent increase in prostate cancer, 31 percent increase in liver cancer and 22 percent
increase in lung cancer.
Spread of Communicable diseases in India as per NHP 2015
• Deaths from most communicable diseases have been falling steadily in India. Despite recording over 10
lakh cases, deaths from malaria are officially down to just over 500 annually.
• Odisha accounted for over one in three cases of malaria in 2014.
• The number of recorded chikungunya cases has fallen since a 2010 outbreak, but Maharashtra accounts
for nearly half of all cases.
• Just over 40000 cases of dengue were officially reported in 2014 and 131 deaths.
• While the number of cases of Acute Diarrhoeal Disease has risen every year to 1.16 crore in 2014,
mortality from the disease has been steadily declining.
• However, 2014 saw a sharp spike in cases and deaths due to Acute Encephalitis Syndrome, a disease
concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, and West Bengal.
• Japanese Encephalitis concentrated in Assam and Uttar Pradesh also rose last year.
• Pulmonary tuberculosis remains the biggest communicable disease killer in India, accounting for over
63000 deaths in 2014.
About National Health Profile
• The National Health Profile is released every year by CBHI since its launch in 2005.
• It helps in understanding the goals, our strengths and weaknesses and it is also an important means to
strategize. Good compiled data enables the policymakers to make evidence-based policies.
• The data is not only important for understanding the health indicators of the country, but it also provides
an opportunity to monitor the situation.
• It highlights substantial health information under 6 indicators viz. demographic, socio-economic, health
finance and health status indicators, comprehensive information on health infrastructure and human
resources in health in India.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of Indian Sign Language Research and
Training Centre
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 September 2015 gave its green signal
for setting up of Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC).
It will be a national level institute with an aim to provide increased accessibility in education, workplace
and other activities of life to 5 million hearing-impaired people.
ISLRTC will be set up as a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It will function under the
umbrella of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of the Union Ministry of Social
Justice and Empowerment.
Initially, the institute will be located at the Institute for Physically Handicapped, New Delhi.
Structure of ISLRTC
The Centre will be a society consisting of a President. There will be 12 members in the General Council.
The Executive Council will have a chairperson and nine members. The institute will also include some
ex-officio and others as experts from national-level societies of Universities or Academic Institutions for
deaf people.
Focus area of ISLRTC
The institute will concentrate on the development of sign language interpreters, research and development
and new technology.
MoU for Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme for Disabled Persons Signed
The Trust Fund for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, under the Department of Empowerment
of People with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MOSJ&E), signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the New India Assurance Company Limited on 21
September 2015.
The MoU aims at providing an affordable health insurance, Swavlamban Health Insurance Scheme, for
the Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). It also aims to improve the general health condition & quality of
life of persons with disabilities.
Main features of the Scheme
•
The insurance scheme will provide comprehensive cover to the PwD beneficiary, spouse and two
children.
•
The insurance will have a single premium across age band.
•
It can be availed by the beneficiary aged between 18 years and 65 years with family income of less
than 300000 rupees per annum.
•
The scheme will also provide health insurance cover of up to 200000 rupees per annum as family
floater.
Under the MoU, the New India Assurance Company Limited will build a network of hospitals to provide
cashless treatment to the insured.
The scheme will be implemented through active participation of the National Institutes and Composite
Regional Centres for Persons with Disabilities (CRC’s) under the DEPwD, MOSJ&E.
Union Government released Draft National Encryption Policy
The Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) in the fourth week of September
2015 released the Draft National Encryption Policy.
The purpose of the policy is to encourage use of encryption technologies and products among
governmental agencies, businesses and citizens for more secure communications and financial
transactions in the cyber space.
The draft policy was framed under Section 84A and Section 69 of Information Technology Act, 2000 that
deals with prescribing modes or methods of encryption and decryption respectively.
Highlights of Draft National Encryption Policy
• Its vision is to enable information security environment and secure transactions in Cyber Space for
individuals, businesses, Government including nationally critical information systems and networks.
• Its objectives are synchronizing with the emerging global digital economy, encouraging use of
encryption for ensuring the security and confidentiality of data and encouraging wider usage of Digital
Signature by all entities including government.
• It is applicable to all the Central and State Government Departments, statutory organizations, executive
bodies, business and commercial establishments, Public Sector Undertakings, academic institutions,
government personnel and citizens.
• It encourages use of encryption for storage and communication among the agencies and individuals
covered under it.
• Under the policy, except the central and state government departments, all the organizations and citizens
should store plain text information for 90 days from the date of transaction and produce the same to law
enforcement agencies as and when demanded.
• However, mass use encryption products, social media applications such as facebook, twitter, etc , and
SSL/TLS encryption products being used in Internet-banking and payment gateways, e-commerce and
password based transactions were exempted from it purview.
• All vendors of encryption products shall register their products with the designated agency of the
Government.
• The Government will notify the list of registered encryption products from time to time, without taking
responsibility for security claims made by the vendors.
• Research and Development programs will be initiated for the development of indigenous algorithms and
manufacture of indigenous products for Encryption, hashing and other cryptographic functions.
• A Technical Advisory Committee will monitor the technology development in the area of Cryptography
to make appropriate recommendations on all aspects of Encryption policies and technologies.
Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) launched by
Union Government
To transform the lives of people living in the areas which are affected directly or indirectly by mining, the
Union Government on 17 September 2015 launched the Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana
(PMKKKY).
The programme is meant for the welfare of areas and people affected by mining related operations, using
the funds generated by the District Mineral Foundations (DMFs).
DMFs were created under the Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015 in
all the districts of the country affected by mining related operations.
The objective of PMKKKY
• To implement various developmental and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas that
complement the existing ongoing schemes/projects of State and Central Government
• To minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and
socio-economics of people in mining districts
• To ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas by including all
aspects of living, to ensure substantial improvement in the quality of life. The aspects include
a) High priority areas like drinking water supply, health care, sanitation, education, skill development,
women and child care, welfare of aged and disabled people, skill development and environment
conservation will get at least 60 % share of the funds.
b) For creating a supportive and conducive living environment, balance funds will be spent on making
roads, bridges, railways, waterways projects, irrigation and alternative energy sources.
Role of DMFs in PMKKKY implementation
As per the Union Government notification on 17 September 2015, the role of DMFs would be
implementing the mission through the funds generated from the contributions made by miners. In this
regard, the notice said
a) in case of all mining leases executed before 12 January, 2015 (the date of coming into force of the
Amendment Act) miners will have to contribute an amount equal to 30% of the royalty payable by them
to the DMFs; and
b) where mining leases are granted after 12 January 2015, the rate of contribution would be 10% of the
royalty payable.
For this purpose, the Union Government has issued a directive to the State Governments, under Section
20A of the MMDR Act, 1957, laying down the guidelines for implementation of PMKKKY and directing
the States to incorporate the same in the rules framed by them for the DMFs.
The DMFs have also been directed to maintain the utmost transparency in their functioning and provide
periodic reports on the various projects and schemes taken up by them.
Union Finance Ministry launched NXT DIGITAL-Headend In The Sky
platform
The Union Minister of Finance Arun Jaitley on 15 September 2015 launched the Headend In The Sky
(HITS) digital platform initiative, under the brand name NXT DIGITAL promoted by Hinduja Group.
The platform will provide viewers access to over 500 television channels of their choice be it
international, national, regional and local; besides a host of other services like e-applications and TV
everywhere.
Customers in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka will now have greater
access to channels of their choice with other states soon joining in. The customers will now pay for what
they want to see and it will also enable increase in revenues to the government due to full transparency.
The Hinduja-Hits Network will serve Multi System Operators (MSOs) as well as Local Cable Operators
(LCOs) and aims to tap the transition from analogue to digital mode of cable TV services under the
government's Digital India initiative and Make In India mission.
About NXT DIGITAL
• The NXT DIGITAL Broadcast Centre is a state-of-the-art next-generation MPEG-4 facility that has
been designed and purpose-built to provide a variety of services to the cable distribution fraternity and
their customers all across India.
• The technology is future-proof and would offer enhanced television experiences for the subscriber
whilst allowing the cable fraternity to manage their networks effortlessly using new-age cloud solutions.
• Through NXT DIGITAL’s uniquely designed and assembled COPE (Cable Operators Premises
Equipment), Digitalizing of Indian cities and the space of broadcast distribution will help India register
quantum growth.
Union Government approved the purchase of 10 Heron TP drones from Israel
The Union Government on 11 September 2015 approved the purchase of 10 Heron TP drones from Israel.
This 400 million US dollars proposal for buying armed missile-armed drones from Israel will enhance
India's cross-border military strike capability.
These drones will be operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), which has a fleet of reconnaissance drones.
IAF also has a fleet of Harpy UAVs from Israel, which are self-destructing systems primarily tasked with
taking out enemy radar positions.
The armed forces had earlier proposed for buying the same armed drones in 2012. But that proposal did
not get political backing during the UPA-2 regime. Later, the project was revived and fast tracked by the
Modi government in 2015 beginning.
About Heron drones
• The Heron drone, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, is capable for flying for 52 hours of
continuous flight at medium altitude levels.
• Israel's armed Heron drones are similar to the Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are
capable of reconnaissance, combat and support roles.
• Heron drones can carry a payload of over 1000 kg.
• They are equipped with air-to-ground missiles that detect, track and take down targets deep in enemy
territory.
India currently operates a fleet of unarmed Heron and Searcher UAVs for surveillance and intelligence
gathering.
DGFT launched online certificate programme Niryat Bandhu@Your Desktop
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on 9 September 2015 launched Niryat Bandhu @
Your Desktop, an online certificate programme in export-import business under the Niryat Bandhu
Scheme of Department of Commerce.
This programme will serve the twin objective of Digital India and Skill India. The DGFT collaborated
with Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) to launch this innovative online programme for exporters
and entrepreneurs.
The Online registration for the programme can be done from 10 September 2015 onwards at
http://niryatbandhu.iift.ac.in/home.asp.
Highlights of the Niryat Bandhu @ Your Desktop
• This online programme will enable them to learn the essentials of export import business from the
comfort of their homes, through direct live transmission of the lessons on their desktops.
• The sessions will be followed up by online question answer sessions where they can address their
concerns with reputed experts from IIFT.
• A digital resource library shall also be available to them online.
• The first course with a capacity of 60 participants will begin from the first week of October 2015. The
course comprises 20 sessions of 2 hours each between 6 pm to 8 pm.
• It is planned to have a similar programme every month for a batch of 60 participants. On successful
completion of the programme, the participants will be awarded a certificate jointly by the DGFT and
IIFT.
Niryat Bandhu Scheme
The Niryat Bandhu Scheme was announced as part of Foreign Trade Policy 2009-14 on 13 October, 2011
to focus on mentoring the first generation entrepreneurs in the field of international trade. While an
overall allocation of 23.23 crore rupees was made for Plan period (2012-17), an amount of 2 crore rupees
was allocated for the financial year 2014-15.
The objective of the Niryat Bandhu Scheme is to reach out to the potential exporters and mentor them
through orientation programmes, counselling sessions and individual facilitation for being able to get into
international trade and boost exports from India.
More than 18000 people were given orientation on export-import business under the Scheme during the
financial year 2014-15.
Union Cabinet approved National Offshore Wind Energy Policy 2015
The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 gave its approval for the maiden National Offshore Wind
Energy Policy.
The focus of the policy is to harness offshore wind energy potential in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone
(EEZ). The EEZ is an area up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
Features of National Offshore Wind Energy Policy
Objectives
• Developing offshore wind energy potential in India’s EEZ
• To promote investment in the Energy Infrastructure.
• To Reduce Carbon Emissions.
• To Encourage Indigenization of the Offshore Wind Energy Technology.
• To Promote Research and Development in the Offshore Wind Energy Sector.
• To Create Skilled Manpower and Employment in a new industry
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal ministry for the implementation of the
policy.
The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) is the nodal agency for execution of offshore wind energy
projects.
The policy will be applicable throughout the country depending upon offshore wind potential availability.
Significance of the policy
India has high offshore wind energy potential along the coastline of 7600 km. This maiden policy is the
right direction to undertake comprehensive measures for the development of this sector.
The policy is also multi-faceted in the sense that it seeks to achieve energy security, development of
indigenous technologies in the offshore wind energy sector and achieving environment sustainability.
The policy will also help in creating employment opportunities in coastal states like Tamil Nadu, Gujarat
and Karnataka where the offshore wind potential is high.
India has achieved significant success in the onshore wind power development, with over 23 GW of wind
energy capacity already installed and generating power.
Union Cabinet approved constitution of 21st Law Commission of India
The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 gave its approval for the Constitution of the 21st Law
Commission of India.
The formation of the commission was necessitated as the term of the 20th law commission ended on 31
August 2015. It was headed by Justice Ajit Prakash Shah.
The 21st law commission will be functional for a period of three years between 1 September 2015 and 31
August 2018 and will consist of
A full-time Chairperson;
Four full-time Members (including a Member-Secretary)
Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs as ex-officio member
Secretary, Legislative Department as ex-officio member
Not more than five part-time Members.
Functions of Law Commission of India
• Undertaking research in law and review of existing laws in India for making reforms therein and
enacting new legislations on a reference made to it by the Central Government or suo-motu.
• Undertaking studies and research for bringing reforms in the justice delivery systems for elimination of
delay in procedures, speedy disposal of cases, reduction in cost of litigation etc
• Identification of laws which are no longer relevant and recommending for the repeal of obsolete and
unnecessary enactments
• Suggesting enactment of new legislations as may be necessary to implement the Directive Principles and
to attain the objectives set out in the Preamble of the Constitution
• Considering and conveying to the Government its views on any subject relating to law and judicial
administration that may be specifically referred to it by the Government through Ministry of Law and
Justice (Department of Legal Affairs)
• Considering the requests for providing research to any foreign countries as may be referred to it by the
Government through Ministry of Law & Justice (Department of Legal Affairs)
• Preparing and submitting to the Central Government, from time to time, reports on all issues, matters,
studies and research undertaken by it and recommending in such reports for effective measures to be
taken by the Union or any State; and
• Performing such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Central Government from time to time.
About Law Commission of India
• It is a non-statutory body constituted by the Government of lndia from time to time.
• It was originally constituted in 1955 and is re-constituted every three years.
• The various Law Commissions have been able to make important contribution towards the progressive
development and codification of laws of the country.
• Law Commissions have so far submitted 262 reports.
Union Government cancelled FCRA registration of NGO Greenpeace
Union Government cancelled the registration of Greenpeace India under the Foreign Contribution
Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010. This move of the government will make the NGO ineligible to receive
funds from abroad, which means it may force it to close down its operations in India.
In an affidavit submitted to Delhi High Court on 3 September 2015, the Union Home Ministry said
Greenpeace violated FCRA by mixing its foreign and domestic contributions.
Meanwhile, the NGO that has accused the Government of trying to shut it down and termed the action as
an attempt to silence campaigns and said it will not be deterred.
The high court will hear Greenpeace plea challenging the suspension of its licence under FCRA apart
from freezing of its bank accounts on 4 September 2015.
Greenpeace’s FCRA registration was suspended on 9 April 2015 for allegedly violating norms by
opening five accounts to use foreign donations without informing the authorities.
The court had on 27 May 2015 allowed it to use two of its accounts for receiving and utilising domestic
donations for day-to-day functioning.
Union Government launched Indian Wind Resource Atlas as an online GIS
tool
Union Government on 2 September 2015 launched the Indian Wind Resource Atlas at 100 metre level.
The Atlas will help policy makers at Centre and State Governments to deal with issues related to tariff
fixation, transmission, grade frequency, etc.
It will also help in providing better infrastructure for the investors. The Indian Wind Atlas is an important
online GIS (Geographic Information System) tool for identification of the regional and local wind energy
potential in India.
It contains average annual values of Wind Speed, Wind Power Density and Capacity Utilization Factor
(CUF) calculated for an average 2 MW turbine at 100 m. In the atlas the resultant layers are at very high
resolution and joint frequency tables have been derived for the entire country at 500 m resolution.
Also, high resolution Re-analysis data set has been used for the study- NCEP/CFSR which enhanced the
accuracy of the mapping. The Atlas uses dynamic meso-micro coupled WRF modelling technique.
Making of the Wind Energy Sector & Resource Atlas
• The Atlas making included usage of scientific combination of satellite and one of the world’s largest
number of measured (1300 locations ) ground data.
• Under the direction of Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), National Institute of
Wind Energy created an online GIS based wind resource atlas at with scientific rigor and based on
authentic latest available data-sets of wind as well as land geographically spread across India.
• NIWE had already performed the potential estimation study corroborating meso-scale derived wind
maps and micro-scale measurements and released Indian Wind Atlas at 50m and indicative values at 80m
hub heights with 5km resolution in April 2010 in collaboration with RISO-DTU, Denmark.
• The potential assessment presently has been carried out at a very high (10times finer than 5km)
resolution of 500m, using the advanced meso-micro coupled numerical wind flow model and with the
corroboration of almost 1300 actual measurements spread all over India.
• The land information has been taken through land availability estimation using authentic data sources of
Land Use Land Cover (LULC) in GIS format with detailed information available from Bhuvan Atlas.
India partnered with UN's Better Than Cash Alliance to speed up PMJDY
Programme
Indian Government on 1 September 2015 partnered with the United Nations’ (UN) Better Than Cash
Alliance to share success stories from the financial inclusion programme Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan
Yojana (PMJDY).
By joining the Better Than Cash Alliance, the Indian Government will have a research, technical, and
policy partner as it continues to create a digital financial economy.
The partnership is an extension of Indian Government’s commitment to reduce cash in its economy.
Digital financial services lower the cost of providing financial services and make it more convenient for
poor people to access their accounts.
The Better Than Cash Alliance is made up of governments, companies and international organizations.
Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)
PMJDY was launched in 2014 with a goal of covering every household with a bank account in less than
five months’ time. The programme focuses on citizens excluded from the formal financial sector,
including women, small farmers, and labourers.
PMJDY is a National Mission on Financial Inclusion encompassing an integrated approach to bring about
comprehensive financial inclusion of all the households in the country.
Under PMJDY in one year, 175 million new accounts have been opened, with deposits totaling more than
3.4 billion US dollars (223 billion Rupees).
To ensure that these accounts are actively used, the Government is delivering financial products, such as
credit for economic activity, as well as remittance facilities, insurance, and pension directly into the
accounts.
There have been many success stories since the launch of PMJDY. For example, Canara Bank opened 12
million accounts and delivered financial literacy and educational tools to poor people in rural areas.
Similarly, Union Bank of India has also prioritized financial inclusion in rural areas, with a particular
focus on women by providing weekly education trainings in villages and garment factories.
About Better Than Cash Alliance
The Better Than Cash Alliance is a partnership of governments, companies, and international
organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and
drive inclusive growth.
The Better Than Cash Alliance was launched in September 2012 in response to public and private sector
demand for more strategic advocacy, research and guidance on digitizing these cash payments.
The UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) serves as the Secretariat of the alliance.
West Central Railway Zone became first zone to eliminate all Unmanned
Level Crossings
The West Central Railway on 31 August 2015 became the first railway zone in the country to eliminate
all Unmanned Level Crossings (ULCs). The headquarters of the zone is located in Jabalpur, Madhya
Pradesh.
Out of total 118 unmanned level crossings falling in the zone as on 1 April 2014, 80 were eliminated in
the financial year 2014-15 and the remaining 38 were eliminated by 31 August 2015.
The safety initiative was achieved by constructing 33 Limited Height Sub Ways (LHs) and manning of 30
level crossings.
In the 2015-16 railway budget, the government proposed to construct 970 Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and
Road Under Bridges (RUBs) and other safety related works to eliminate 3438 level crossings across the
country at an estimated cost of 6581 crore rupees.
Law Commission of India submitted its report on Death Penalty
The Law Commission of India on 31 August 2015 submitted its report on the Death penalty to the Union
Government. The report was submitted by Chairman of Law commission Justice (retd) AP Shah.
In its 272-page draft report, the commission favoured speedy abolition of the death penalty from the
statute books of India not serve the penological goal of deterrence any more than life imprisonment.
However, the capital punishment should not be abolished in cases where the accused is convicted of
involvement in a terror case or waging war against the nation.
It further said that, the administration of death penalty, even within the restrictive environment of ‘rarest
of rare doctraine’ was constitutionally unsustainable. Continued administration of death penalty raises
constitutional questions related to the miscarriage of justice, errors, as well as the plight of the poor in the
criminal justice system.
Main Highlights of the report
• The commission questioned the mercy petition system provided for under the Constitution. The exercise
of mercy powers under Articles 72 and 161 of Indian Constitution have failed in acting as the final
safeguard against miscarriage of justice in the imposition of the death sentence.
• The report stated that from 26 January 1950 till date, successive Presidents have accepted 306 mercy
petitions and rejected 131.
• In focusing on death penalty, as the ultimate measure of justice to victims, the restorative and
rehabilitative aspects of justice are lost sight of. Reliance on the death penalty diverts attention from other
problems ailing the criminal justice system such as poor investigation and crime prevention.
• It is essential that the state establish effective compensation schemes to rehabilitate victims of crime. At
the same time it is also essential that courts use the power granted to them under the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 to grant appropriate compensation to victims in suitable cases.
• The voices of victims and witnesses are often silenced by threats and other coercive techniques
employed by powerful accused persons. Hence, it is essential that a witness protection scheme shall also
be established.
• The need for police reforms for better and more effective investigation and prosecution has also been
universally felt for some time now and measures regarding the same need to be taken on a priority basis.
Background
The Law Commission of India received a reference from the Supreme Court in Santosh Kumar
Satishbhushan Bariyar verses Maharashtra (2009) and Shankar Kisanrao Khade verses Maharashtra
(2013) to study the issue of the death penalty in India.
In recognition of the fact that the death penalty is an issue of a very sensitive nature, the Commission
decided to undertake an extensive study on the issue. In May 2014, the Commission invited public
comments on the subject by issuing a consultation paper.
The Commission also held a one-day Consultation on The Death Penalty in India on 11 July 2015 in New
Delhi. Thereafter, upon extensive deliberations, discussions and in-depth study, the Commission gave
shape prepared its report.
Union Government approved Smart National Common Mobility Card model
for seamless travel across India
The Union Ministry of Urban Development on 1 September 2015 gave approval for Smart National
Common Mobility Card (NCMC) model for seamless travel across India.
The model will enable commuters to travel by different metros and other transport systems across the
country besides retail shopping and purchases.
Features of Smart National Common Mobility Card (NCMC)
• It is based on EMV Open Loop Card system with stored value model.
• It meets travel needs based on stored value of money and can be used for travelling by any means of
transport and also enables account based retail applications.
• The model is an improved version of nationwide common card prevalent in Singapore.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will be involved in indigenous development and
management of Clearing and Settlement of payments, Simulating Cards, Terminals and network, a
support base of vendors for providing certified tools, cards, terminals and other services.
• The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) will develop the standards and
hardware for Metro gates/validators along with related ecosystems.
• Funding of 4.47 crore rupees approved by the ministry for developing the model.
Union Government launched SAHAJ scheme for online release of new LPG
connections
Union Government on 30 August 2015 launched a scheme named SAHAJ for online release of new LPG
connections for the consumers. The scheme launched by Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister
Dharmendra Pradhan can be availed through the portal mylpg.in.
At present, the scheme will be available in 13 cities of the country, namely Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Patna
and Pune. It will be launched pan-India within the next few days.
SAHAJ facility will enable the prospective customers to post online request for a new connection by
filing Know Your Customer (KYC) form, uploading photographs and bank account details. After
submission, the customer will receive the registration number to know the connection status.
It also provides the facility to choose the mode of payment, which may be online or offline mode of
payment for connection. Electronic subscription voucher will be mailed to the customer and physical
delivery of the Gas cylinder, regulator with hose pipe will be made by the distributor.
Union Government launched E-Payment Module for Deposit of
Compensatory Levies into CAMPA Funds
The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar on 27 August 2015
launched an e-payment module to accept compensatory amount for diversion of forest land in the country.
This e-payment module will cut delays and bring transparency in the system which is meant for collecting
fund from user agencies which diver forest land for non-forest purpose.
Highlights of the E-payment Module
• The payment through the e-payment module has to be made to the designated account, depending on the
State in which the forest land proposed to be diverted is located.
• The deposit of compensatory levies through the e-portal will be optional till 31 August 2015.
• However, the payment of compensatory levies by User Agencies will be accepted only through the emodule from 1 September 2015.
• With the activation of the e-payment portal, no payments will be accepted other than through the portal,
unless specifically ordered by Ad-hoc CAMPA.
• Initially, payments will be permitted through two modes Online challan mode through RTGS and NEFT
and Offline challan mode.
Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)
Any user agency which diverts forest land for non-forest purpose is required to deposit prescribed amount
to the government body. This amount is managed by an ad-hoc body, Compensatory Afforestation Fund
Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA).
The CAMPA was created by the Union Government under the Supreme Court order of October, 2002. So
far, 38,000 crore rupees have been accumulated with the ad-hoc CAMPA.
This fund is meant for carrying out reforestation and other related activities including protection of forest
area and wildlife conservation. The collected amount, however, remains unspent in absence of an
institution mechanism to disburse the money to states.
The verification of receipt of compensatory levies in the ad-hoc CAMPA has, till now, been done
manually.
Law Commission of India submitted report on Early Childhood Development
and Legal Entitlements
The Law Commission of India on 27 August 2015 submitted the 259th report titled Early Childhood
Development and Legal Entitlements to the Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.
The report examined the present constitutional, legal and policy framework including international
agreements and conventions related to early childhood and presented suggestions to improve conditions
of children under age of 6 years.
Important suggestions of the report
• A new Article 24A be inserted to Part III of the Constitution to ensure that the child’s right to basic care
and assistance becomes an enforceable right. The Article should read as 24A. Every child shall have the
right to care and assistance in basic needs and protection from all forms of neglect, harm and exploitation.
• In order to extend the right to education to children in the under-6 age group as well, Article 21A of the
Constitution should be amended to read as follows The State shall provide free and compulsory education
to all children in such a manner as the State may by law determine.
• Article 51 A(k) of the Constitution should be amended so that the duty is placed on every citizen who is
a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his/her child or, as the case may be, ward
under his/her care.
• The Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 should be amended so that maternity benefits should be increased from
twelve weeks to 180 days.
• A statutory authority or Council for Early Childhood Development be created in order to ensure proper
emphasis on the promotion of early childhood development.
• Provision should be made for the training of teachers to provide pre-school education, and there should
be a budgetary allocation to fund training programs for the same to ensure quality standards and a proper
implementation of the best methods of promoting play and learning.
• It is suggested that every child under six should have an unconditional right to crèche and day care
provided, regulated and operated by the State, as found for example in the Act on Children’s Day 69 Care
of 1973, Finland.
Union Government announced names of 98 smart cities
The Union Government on 27 August 2015 declared the names of 98 cities for its ambitious smart cities
project. The aspirant cities were selected by the States and Union Territories on the parametres set by the
Centre.
Name of the selected cities were announced by Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu in
New Delhi.
The selected cities include 12 cities from Uttar Pradesh, 12 from Tamil Nadu, 10 from Maharashtra, 7
from Madhya Pradesh, 3 each from Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. All other states have also got one or two
cities for the purpose, except Jammu and Kashmir. Nearly 13 crore population across 98 cities, which
constitute 35 percent of urban population, will be covered under the mission.
RGI released Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities
The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGI) on 25 August 2015 released the data on
Census 2011 on Population by Religious Communities. The distribution is total population by six major
religious communities namely, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain besides Other Religions
and Persuasions and Religion not stated.
As per the Census 2011, the Total Population in 2011 was 121.09 crores. Here is the list of Population by
Religious Communities based on Census 2011:
Religion
Population
Hindu
96.63 crores (79.8%)
Muslim
17.22 crores (14.2%)
Christian
2.78 crores (2.3%)
Sikh
2.08 crores (1.7%)
Buddhist
0.84 crores (0.7%)
Jain
0.45 crores (0.4%)
Other Religions & Persuasions
0.79 crores (0.7%)
Religion Not Stated
0.29 crores (0.2%)
Proportion
The proportion of Hindu population to total population in 2011 has declined by 0.7 percentage point (PP)
while the proportion of Sikh population has declined by 0.2 PP and the Buddhist population declined by
0.1 PP during the decade 2001-2011.
The proportion of Muslim population to total population has increased by 0.8 PP. There has been no
significant change in the proportion of Christians and Jains.
Growth Rate
The growth rate of population in the decade 2001-2011 was 17.7 percent. The growth rate of population
of the different religious communities in the same period was- Hindus at 16.8 percent; Muslim at 24.6
percent; Christian at 15.5 percent; Sikh at 8.4 percent; Buddhist at 6.1 percent and Jain at 5.4 percent.
The Muslim population grew at a faster rate than the Hindu population, but the gap between the two
growth rates is narrowing fast. The data shows that between 2001 and 2011, Hindu population grew by
16.76 percent, while population of Muslims grew by 24.6 percent. The population of both communities
grew much faster during the 1991-2001 with Hindus at 19.92 percent and Muslims at 29.52 percent.
The Muslim community has registered a moderate 0.8 percent growth to touch 17.22 crore between 2001
and 2011, up from 13.8 crore between 1991-2001, while Hindus population showed a decline by 0.7
percent at 96.63 crore during the period.
Though there is the decadal increase in share of Muslim population, however, their growth rate is lower
than the previous decade 1991-2001.
Union Government launched 'Sehat' to provide healthcare facilities in rural
areas
The Union government on 25 August 2015 launched a telemedicine initiative 'Sehat' in collaboration with
Apollo Hospitals to provide healthcare facilities in rural areas.
The initiative was launched by Union Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad at a function
in New Delhi.
Under the initiative people will be able to consult doctors through video link and also order generic drugs.
It will also help in providing quality and affordable healthcare is one of the emerging needs for citizens in
rural areas.
The Common Service Centres (CSCs) have been delivering tele-consultation services with support from
Apollo and Medanta Hospitals in some areas. These CSCs will also provide diagnostic services and
promote sale of generic drugs through collaboration with Health Ministry by setting up Jan Aushadhi
Stores.
Now, with this initiative, the tele-consultation services are being extended to 60000 centres across the
country.
Union Government launched web portal Vidya Lakshmi for Students Seeking
Educational Loans
The Union Government on 15 August 2015 launched a web portal named Vidya Lakshmi
(www.vidyalakshmi.co.in) for the benefit of students seeking Educational Loans.
It is the first portal of its kind that provides single window for students to access information and make
application for educational loans provided by banks as well as for government scholarships.
The Portal was developed by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited (NSDL e-Gov) under the
guidance of Department of Financial Services under Union Ministry of Finance, Department of Higher
Education under Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
Highlights of the Portal
• It provides information about educational loan schemes of banks
• Common educational loan application form for students
• It has facility to apply to multiple banks for educational loans
• It allows banks to download students’ loan applications and upload loan processing status
• It offers students to email grievances/queries relating to educational loans to banks
• It has dashboard facility for students to view status of their loan application
• It provides linkage to national scholarship portal for information and application for government
scholarships.
So far, 13 Banks have registered 22 Educational Loan Schemes on the Vidya Lakshmi Portal and 5 Banks
including SBI, IDBI Bank, Bank of India, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India have integrated their
system with the Portal for providing loan processing status to students.
This initiative aims to bring on board all Banks providing Educational Loans.
PM Narendra Modi launched a new campaign Start-up India, Stand up India
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 August 2015 launched a new campaign Start-up India, Stand up
India to promote bank financing for start-ups and offer incentives to boost entrepreneurship and job
creation.
The campaign was launched during the celebrations of 69th Independence Day at Red Fort, Delhi. The
initiative is aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship among the youth of India.
As per the initiative, each of the 1.25 lakh bank branches should encourage at least one Dalit or tribal
entrepreneur and at least one woman entrepreneur.
Under this initiative, in addition to existing systems to facilitate start-ups, loans would also be given to
help people. This initiative will give a new dimension to entrepreneurship and will help set up a network
of start-ups in the country.
Other Announcements
• Union Agriculture Ministry will now be renamed as Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry with a
view to take care of the farming community’s needs as well as the personal problems faced by them.
• The Prime Minister also announced to replace the current practice of interview-based selections for lowskilled government jobs with online merit based recruiting.
• Under the Skill India and Digital India initiative, government will now work to provide package of
incentives to manufacturing units for generating jobs.
Union Cabinet approved MoU between India, Nepal for construction of
petroleum pipeline
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 August 2015 gave its approval
for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the India and Nepal for the
construction of a petroleum products pipeline from Raxaul (India) to Amlekhgunj (Nepal).
The MoU also includes re-engineering of Amlekhgunj Depot of Nepal and allied facilities. The MoU will
promote bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector and secure long term supply of petroleum products
to Nepal.
It will also help preserve the environment along the route and decongest the international border at
Raxaul.
Highlights of the Project
• On behalf of Union Government, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been entrusted with the job of
construction of the pipeline and re-engineering of the Amlekhgunj Depot and allied facilities.
• The project will be completed in two phases. In the first phase, a petroleum products pipeline from
Raxaul in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal would be constructed.
• The Indian Oil Corporation will bear a cost of 200 crore rupees for the first phase of the project.
• There will be a long term contract of 15 years (initial contract for five years extendable for two terms of
five years each) between the Indian Oil Corporation and the Nepal Oil Corporation.
Background
Earlier in August 2014 during the visit of PM Narendra Modi to Nepal, the Government of Nepal had
requested him for the construction of this petroleum products pipeline. Resultantly, this was agreed by the
Union Government.
Union Cabinet nod for India, US MoU on cooperation to establish the Pace
Setter Fund
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 August 2015 gave its ex-postfacto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation to establish the Pace Setter
Fund (PSF).
The PSF seeks to support the Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE) track of the USIndia Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE) between India and United States of America.
This MoU signed on 30 June 2015 is expected to accelerate commercialisation of innovative off-grid
clean energy solutions by providing early-stage grant funding. This would also allow businesses to
develop and test innovative products, systems and business models.
It will also help cooperation through technical and commercial innovation and advancement of clean
energy in off-grid space. The India-US corpus of about 500 million rupees (8 million US Dollars) has
been drawn on a 50:50 sharing basis.
Background
The Union Government and the United States of America have announced the launch of a new initiative
Promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE). This ambitious cooperation is a new tract
under the U.S.-India Partnership to Advance Clean Energy (PACE), a flagship initiative on Clean Energy
that combines resources of several US agencies and Union Government. This has also been listed in the
Joint Statement during the visit of the President of the USA to India in January 2015.
Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced marketing of Bio Fuel
Blended HSD
The Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (MoP&NG) on 10 August 2015 announced Marketing
of High Speed Diesel (HSD) blended with Bio-diesel in selected retail outlets of OMC’s in New Delhi &
Vishakhapatnam (by HPCL), Haldia (by BPCL) and Vijayawada (by IOCL). ‘
It is a path breaking step in India’s retail sector for launching Bio-diesel B 5 blend to diesel consumers.
Sale of fuel was announced on the occasion of World Bio Fuel Day by Minister of State (I/C) for
Petroleum & Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan at HPCL’s retail outlet in New Delhi. He also launched
the sale of Bio-Diesel blended HSD in other cities through live streaming from New Delhi.
Earlier, the ministry had permitted direct sale of Bio-Diesel (B100) to bulk consumers like Railways,
shipping and State Road Transport Corporations etc. This was permitted as part of promotion of Ethanol
Blended Petrol program (EBP) in the country, wherein ethanol blending in petrol is planned to increase
from 5 to 10 % based on the availability of ethanol.
Param Tyag Chakra Initiative launched to honour families of martyrs
The Param Tyag Chakra initiative was launched on 9 August 2015 by the Alumni Association of Rajagiri
School of Engineering and Technology to honour family members of brave military men, who sacrificed
their lives for the nation.
For this initiative, the Alumni Association of Rajagiri School of Engineering and Technology in
association with the management and students launched a web platform aimed at collecting the details of
these family members.
Everyone including the general public, the government, corporates, the media can join this initiative in
multiple ways like by identifying and referring such families or by channeling the support required for
them etc.
The initiative is planned in multiple phases. The first phase will be launched as part of the Independence
Day.
Suraksha Bandhan drive launched to facilitate enrolment under Social
Security Schemes
Union Government on 9 August 2015 launched Suraksha Bandhan drive in a Mission Mode through
participating banks and insurance companies to facilitate enrolment under social security schemes.
The schemes are Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima
Yojana (PMJJBY) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY).
The drive launched in the back drop of Raksha Bandhan aims at taking forward the Government’s
objective of creating a universal social security system in the country, targeted especially at the poor and
the under-privileged. Participating Banks supported by the participating Insurance Companies will work
towards local outreach, awareness building and enrolment facilitation during this drive.
The last date for enrolment under the PMSBY and PMJJBY schemes has been extended till 30 September
2015. Persons enrolling within this period would not be required to submit a certificate of good health for
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana enrolment does not in
any event require any such certification.
The drive will be supported through the Jeevan Suraksha Gift Cheques, which will be available for
purchase for 351 rupees in Bank branches by persons wishing to gift them to facilitate one year payment
of premium for Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana by
the recipient.
The recipient of the gift cheque would deposit the instrument in his or her bank account for a realizable
value of 342 rupees, out of which 12 rupees will be for one year subscription of PMSBY and 330 rupees
for PMJJBY. The balance of 9 rupees will be retained by the issuing Bank as a service charge.
Rural Development Minister launched ‘SAMANVAY’ for Gram Panchayats
Rural Development Minister Chaudhary Birender Singh on 4 August 2015 launched SAMANVAY, a
compilation of all schemes of both Union and State governments for Gram Panchayats.
SAMANVAY was launched with an aim to help MPs in utilising relevant schemes in the planning and
implementation of Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY). It will also act as a database for mapped and
compiled information on various gram panchayat activities through schemes undertaken by the Centre
and State Governments.
More than 1800 state schemes from across all states have been documented in SAMANVAY.
Besides, the Singh also launched 'Panchayat Darpan' magazine to monitor the progress of the Saansad
Adarsh Gram Yojana. It will act as a mirror of all the development activities in the village panchayats.
Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana was launched in October 2014 under which MPs are to develop three
Adarsh Gram Panchayats by 2019. The objective of the programme is to create Model Villages.
Union Government signed historic peace accord with NSCN (I-M)
Union Government on 3 August 2015 signed a landmark peace accord with the National Socialist Council
of Nagaland Isak-Muivah (NSCN (I-M)), putting an end to almost two decades long pending peace talks.
The signing of the pact is the end of over 80 rounds of negotiations that spanned 16 years with first
breakthrough in 1997 when ceasefire agreement was sealed.
The accord was signed at the Prime Minister's official residence 7 RCR, New Delhi in presence of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the
NSCN (IM) leader Th. Muivah, and government's interlocutor for Naga peace talks RN Ravi.
RN Ravi inked the document on behalf of the Union government, while NSCN (IM) chairman Isak Chishi
Swu and general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah were the signatories on behalf of the Naga organisation.
However, NSCN-Khaplang (NSCN-K), the faction of the NSCN which broke away in 1988 was not part
of the settlement.
Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM)
Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) is a Naga outfit operating in Northeast India. The
group was named after its two leaders, Isak Chishi Swu and Thuingaleng Muivah.
Union Government released the Census data on Highest Educational Level
Attained
Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India on 31 July 2015 released the Census 2011 data on
Highest Education Level Attained.
The data relates to population of 7 years and above by age and sex for total, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and
Scheduled Tribes (STs) up to district levels.
Main Highlights
Primary occupies the top position in terms of percentage share to total literates in 2011 for both total and
SCs. The respective shares are 24.1percent for total and 27.7 percent for SCs.
The percentage share of literates at the higher educational levels, i.e. Middle, Higher Secondary and
above have gone up at national level for total, SCs and STs during census 2011 as compared to census
2001.
In case of Matric/Secondary, there is negligible decline for total while for SCs & STs, there is
improvement.
The percentage share of Graduate and above population of 15 years and above has shown improvement
from 5.7 percent to 8.2 percent for total, 2.2 percent to 4.1 percent for SCs and 1.5 percent to 2.6 percent
for STs during 2001-11.
The percentage share of Graduate degree other than technical degree to total Graduate and above has
declined by 7.2 percent for total, 7.7 percent for SCs and 7.5 percent for STs during the decade 20012011.
The share of Post Graduate Degree other than technical degree has shown improvement of 2.9 percent for
total, 2.4 percent for SCs and 2.4 percent for STs during 2001-11.
Technical Degrees or diplomas equal to degree or post graduate degree has shown improvement of 4.4
percent for total, 5.3 percent for SCs and 5.1 percent for STs during 2001-11.
The improvements at higher educational levels along with decline in percentage share at below-Primary
and Primary level are indication of educational advancement in the country during the decade 2001-11.
Union Government sanctioned 1000 crore rupees for Indo-Bangla Rail Link
Union Government on 25 July 2015 sanctioned 1000 crore rupees for the laying of 15.06 km long tracks
to connect Indian Railways with Bangladesh through the North East.
The Indo-Bangla Rail link would be completed by 2017 and the entire route will be constructed by
IRCON.
Out of 15.06 km length connecting Agartala with Akhaura railway junction in Bangladesh, 3.7 km would
comprise of elevated corridor.
The completion of the project would reduce the distance from Agartala to Kolkata from 1650 km to 515
km and difficult hilly terrain could be avoided.
It will also improve trade and commerce between the North-East region of India and Bangladesh and
enhance people to people contact
The project is the result of discussion between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh
counterpart Sheikh Hasina during the Modi’s visit to Dhaka from 6 June to 7 June 2015.
PM Narendra Modi launched Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram
Jyoti Yojana in Patna
The Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on 25 July 2015 launched Deendayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti
Yojana (DDUGJY) along with various other development projects in Patna.
The Prime Minister also launched the following projects:
Inaugurated the Daniawan-Bihar Sharif new railway line
Flagged off the Rajgir-Bihar Sharif-Daniawan-Fatuha passenger train and Patna-Mumbai AC Suvidha
Express
Inaugurated campus of IIT Patna
Laid the foundation stone for Incubation Centre for Medical Electronics, Patna
Inaugurated the construction of the first phase of the Jagdishpur-Haldia pipeline project
These projects will provide development and improve the quality of life of the people in the State.
About DeenDayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY)
The DeenDayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana for rural areas was launched to fulfil the following
objectives:
To provide electrification to all villages
Feeder separation to ensure sufficient power to farmers and regular supply to other consumers
Improvement of Sub-transmission and distribution network to improve the quality and reliability of the
supply
Metering to reduce the losses
The Scheme has an outlay of 76000 crore rupees for implementation of the projects under which Union
Government shall provide Grant of 63000 crore rupees.
The benefits of the scheme will be:
All villages and households shall be electrified
Increase in agriculture yield
Business of Small and household enterprises shall grow resulting into new avenues for employment
Improvement in Health, Education, Banking (ATM) services
Improvement in accessibility to radio, telephone, television, internet and mobile
Betterment in social security due to availability of electricity
Accessibility of electricity to schools, panchayats, hospitals and police stations
Rural areas shall get increased opportunities for comprehensive development
India ranked 12th in terms of power generation from
nuclear source
With the total power generation from nuclear reactors at 5308 MWe, India is ranked 12th in the world in
terms of power generation from nuclear sources.
nuclear reactors
This was revealed by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space in a reply
to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha on 22 July 2015 though the data with respect to this was published
by Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in May
2015.
Further, in terms of number of nuclear reactors in operation, India was ranked at 7th position with 21
reactors.
The released data further said that there are 31 countries including India in the world that generate
electricity from nuclear source.
Moreover, with 437 nuclear reactors in operation in world, the total power generation from nuclear stood
at 377986 MWe.
Current status of Indian nuclear energy programme
The installed nuclear power capacity of India is expected to increase from 5780 MWe to 10080 MWe on
progressive completion of projects under commissioning or construction by 2019.
Financial sanction and administrative approval for Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP)
Units – 1&2 (2X700 MW) and Kudankulam Units- 3&4 (2X1000 MW) with a total capacity of 3400 MW
has been accorded by the Government.
In addition, one Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MW capacity at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu is at
advanced stage of commissioning. Construction of two more Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR 1&2) of 600
MWe capacity each at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu is also planned.
Besides, India has signed nuclear agreements with USA, France, Russia, Namibia, Mongolia, Republic of
Korea, Argentine Republic, United Kingdom, Republic of Kazakhstan, Canada, Sri Lanka and Australia.
Union Government launched Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan on 21 July 2015
launched the Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, a countrywide campaign, to create mass awareness and capacity
building for safe and hygienic food.
The initiative complements the widely popular multi-media campaign Jago Grahak Jago which empowers
the consumers of its rights and demands. This campaign, planned by CII and Consumer Organization
VOICE, and National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), is an effort towards building a
culture of food safety in the country.
Under the campaign, nationwide sensitisation sessions on cleaning, hygiene & sanitation for safe food,
Walkathons and Media dissemination programmes for Consumers, Street Food Industries will be
organized across the country.
The ministry also launched a website and a logo of the campaign and also signed a pledge for adopting
safe food practices.
Union Government launched National Career Counselling
portal
Union Government on 20 July 2015 launched National Career Counselling Portal to modernize all
government-run employment exchanges. The portal was launched under the aegis of National Career
Service (NCS) project of Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The portal aims to bring on board around 20 million job seekers already registered with employment
exchanges across India. It also aspires to bring 900000 establishments and companies on the portal.
NCS project aims at transforming all the government-run employment exchanges.
Highlights of the National Career Counselling portal
• The web portal will be a one-stop platform for both job providers and job seekers where registration can
be done online.
• It will offer registration for job aspirants and employers for free. But to avoid misuse, job seekers will be
required to link their Aadhar number when registering with the website.
• The companies and organizations will need to submit their society registrations or company registration
certificate copies while getting empanelled on the job portal.
• It will provide basic platform for searching and applying for jobs on the portal.
• It will provide candidates career-related counselling either by its helpline numbers or visiting these
centres.
• It will also help candidates on job posting, aptitude assessment, job matching, training providers, skill
courses and guidance on self-employment and entrepreneurship.
DoT released A K Bhargava committee report on Net
Neutrality
The report of the A K Bhargava committee on Net Neutrality was on 16 July 2015 released by the
Department of Telecommunications. The six member committee was appointed in January 2015.
Though the Committee unhesitatingly recommended for adherence of the core principles of Net
Neutrality, it also suggested few exceptions in the interests of national security and businesses.
Highlights of report
• Legitimate traffic management practices may be allowed but should be tested against the core principles
of Net Neutrality. Further, Improper (Paid or otherwise) Prioritization may not be permitted.
• India specific Net Neutrality approach should be formulated by taking into account international best
practices that serve specific needs of the country.
• The primary goals of public policy in the context of Net Neutrality should be directed towards
achievement of developmental aims of the country by facilitating Affordable Broadband, Quality
Broadband and Universal Broadband for its citizens.
• User rights on the Internet need to be ensured so that Telecom or Internet Service Providers do not
restrict the ability of the user to send, receive, display, use, post any legal content, application or service
on the Internet, or restrict any kind of lawful Internet activity or use.
• Over-the-top (OTT) application services should be actively encouraged and any impediments in their
expansion and growth should be removed.
• There should be a separation of application layer from network layer as application services are
delivered over a licensed network.
• Specific OTT communication services dealing with messaging should not be interfered with through
regulatory instruments.
• In case of OTT VoIP international calling services, a liberal approach may be adopted. However, in case
of domestic calls (local and national), communication services by TSPs and OTT communication services
may be treated similarly from a regulatory angle for the present.
• Content and application providers cannot be permitted to act as gatekeepers and use network operations
to extract value in violation of core principles of Net Neutrality, even if it is for an ostensible public
purpose. In this regard, the committee expressed its objections to Facebook’s Internet.org.
• In order to deal with the complexities of the new digital world, a think-tank with best talent may also be
set up.
PM launched Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana to
impart skill training to youth
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 July 2015 launched the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana in
New Dehi.
The programme aims to impart skill training to 24 lakh youth during 2015-16 with focus on first time
entrants to the labour market and class 10 and class 12 drop outs.
Key characteristics of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKY)
• It will cover 24 lakh persons and skill training would be based on the National Skill Qualification
Framework (NSQF) and industry led standards.
• It will be implemented by the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) training partners.
• In addition, Central and State Government affiliated training providers would also be used for training
purposes.
• Skill training would be on the basis of skill gap studies conducted by the NSDC for the period 2013-17.
• Focus of the training would be on improved curricula, better pedagogy and better trained instructors.
• Training would include soft skills, personal grooming, behavioral change for cleanliness, good work
ethics.
• A monetary reward will be given to trainees on assessment and certification by third party assessment
bodies. The average monetary reward would be around 8000 rupees per trainee.
Funds Allocation
• Out of the total outlay of 1120 crore rupees to be spent on skill training of 14 lakh youths, 220 crore
rupees has been allocated for recognition of prior learning.
• 67 crore rupees has been allocated for awareness building and mobilization efforts. Mobilization would
be done through skill melas organized at the local level with participation of the State Governments,
Municipal Bodies, Pachayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and community based organizations.
• 67 crore rupees has been allocated for mentorship support and placement facilitation for trainees.
• 150 crore rupees has been allocated for training of youth from the North-East region.
Monitoring of the programme
• Sector Skill Councils and the State Governments would closely monitor skill training that will happen
under the PMKVY.
• Skill Development Management System (SDMS) would be put in place to verify and record details of
all training centres a certain quality of training locations and courses.
• Biometric system and video recording of the training process would be put in place where feasible.
• All persons undergoing training would be required to give feed back at the time of assessment and this
would become the key element of the evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of the PMKVY
scheme.
• A robust grievance redressal system would be put in place to address grievances relating to
implementation of the scheme.
Union Agriculture Minister launched PGS-India, Soil Health
Card and FQCS Web Portals
Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh on 15 July 2015 launched 3 web portals viz. Soil Health
Card portal, Fertiliser Quality Control System (FQCS) portal and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) –
India portal.
Soil Health Card Portal: The portal has been developed for registration of soil samples, recording test
results of soil samples and generation of Soil Health Card (SHC) along with fertilizer recommendations.
The portal is a single, generic, uniform, web based software that aims to generate and issue Soil Health
Cards based on either Soil TEST-CROP Response (STCP) formulae developed by ICAR or General
Fertilizer Recommendations provided by State Governments.
The System envisages building up a single national database on soil health for future use in research and
planning.
Fertilizer Quality Control System Portal (FQCS): This FQCS is a web based and configurable workflow
application developed by NIC for processing of sample collection, testing and generation of analysis
reports. The system will lead to automation of most of the manual activities and help in online tracking the
status of the sample.
In the first phase, the system will be implemented in CFQC&TI and its three RFCLs. Subsequently, the
system will be extended to all the State Quality Control laboratories.
At present, there are 78 notified Fertilizer Quality Control Laboratories (FQCLs) in the country. Out of
these, 4 laboratories viz. Central Fertilizer Quality Control & Training Institute (CFQC&TI) and its three
Regional Fertilizer Control Laboratories (RFCLs) located at Navi Mumbai, Chennai and Kalyani.
Participatory Guarantee System – India Portal: Participatory Guarantee System is a process of certifying
organic products which ensures agriculture production process in accordance with the standards laid down
for organic products and that desired quality has been maintained.
In order to promote domestic organic market growth and also to enable small and marginal farmer to have
easy access to organic certification, a decentralized organic farming certification system called Participatory
Guarantee System –India (PGS-India) is implemented by the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation,
Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. It is cost effective, farmer- friendly and hassle-free. It is
outside the framework of third party system of certification, which is a pre-requisite to enter export market
of organic produce.
It is a quality assurance initiative that is locally relevant with active participation of stakeholders including
producers/farmers, traders and consumers in certification system.
This group certification system is supported by Paramaparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) scheme.
PM unveiled National Policy for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 July 2015 unveiled National Policy for Skill Development and
Entrepreneurship 2015 in New Delhi.
The policy was unveiled in a programme held on the occasion of first-ever World Youth Skills Day.
It is the first such policy on entrepreneurship since independence and intended to replace the National
Policy on Skill Development 2009.
Highlights of National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015
Objectives
Related to Skill Development: To make quality vocational training aspirational for both youth and
employers, focus on an outcome based approach towards quality skilling, increase the capacity and quality
infrastructure, establish an IT base duality infrastructure for aggregating demand and supply of skilled
workforce and promote increased participation of women in the workforce among others.
Related to Entrepreneurship: To promote entrepreneurship culture and make it aspirational, enhance support
for potential entrepreneurs through mentorship and networks and integrate entrepreneurship education in
the formal education system among others.
Policy Framework for Skill Development
The framework outlines the following eleven major paradigms and enablers to achieve the objectives of the
policy.
Aspiration and Advocacy
A National Campaign will be launched within three months to create awareness and a positive pro-skillig
environment.
National Skills Universities and institutes will be promoted in partnership with States as centres of
excellence for skill development and training of trainers, either as de-novo institutions or as a part of
existing university landscape.
Skilling will be integrated with formal education by introducing vocational training classes linked to the
local economy from class nine onwards in at least 25% of the schools, over the next five years.
To further the aspiration and respect associated with skilling, National Skill Awards will be instituted in
close association with major stakeholders.
The Prime Minister’s Skill Development Fellow Scheme will be introduced to tap talented, young
individuals who will work with the State and District administration to spread awareness about skill
development, identify the local needs and steer skill development efforts in the region.
Capacity
By designing suitable incentive schemes, existing infrastructure both in terms of buildings and potential
teachers would be optimally leveraged for skill training. They includeutilistation of over 1.55 million
schools, 25000 colleges, 3200 polytechnics and 83 youth hostels, around 1.5 lakh post offices and over 1
lakh kiosks across the country.
Apprenticeship will further be incentivised in the MSME sector through appropriate schemes for
sharing of stipend etc. Government will target a tenfold increase in apprenticeship opportunities in the
next five years. Further, services sector will also be brought under the ambit of apprenticeship.
Quality
One Nation One Standard should become the mantra to ensure that national standards and quality for
skilling are globally aligned and Indian youth can aspire to secure local, national and international job
opportunities.
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) will be done that includes pre-assessment, skill gap training and
final assessment leading to certification of existing skills in an individual.
Synergy
Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), which has been set up to coordinate skill
development efforts in the country will within three months, notify common norms for rationalization
of Central Government Schemes on Skill Development.
A national Labour Market Information System (LMIS) will be created to generate key analysis and
reports which will determine policy interventions by different government stakeholders and the
industry at large.
Skilling efforts will be completely aligned with the requirements of 25 key identified sectors of Make in
India.
Mobilization and Engagement
The industry should earmark at least 2 percent of its payroll bill (including for contract labour) for skill
development initiatives in their respective sector. These funds can be channelized for skill development
activities either through the respective SSCs or through National Skill Development Fund (NSDF).
Industry should actively participate in designing curricula and standards for skill training courses.
Global Partnerships
Institutional arrangements through joint working groups, secretariats, etc will be established for regular
exchange of knowledge, experiences, research findings, teaching and learning materials, and
innovations in skill development.
Foreign Governments, corporate and agencies will also be encouraged to set up skill centres and
universities as well as participate in content creation, design of curricula and delivery of training.
Government would promote a skills training ecosystem that would also enable training and placement
of Indian boys and girls in overseas jobs. The ageing developed world is expected to face a huge skill
shortage while our country has the potential to reap its demographic advantage and export skilled
labour to the world.
Outreach
KVKs will play a pivotal role in identifying local employment opportunities and providing adequate
training and post¬training support according to needs of local areas such as migration support for skilled
workers.
A National Skills Research Division (NSRD), will be constituted within NSDA at the national level to
conduct skill surveys including aggregation of the environmental scans done by SSCs, study emerging
demand trends, operate the LMIS and other skilling platforms and databases.
A National Campaign including through a dedicated TVand radio channel, and skilling camps will be
initiated to promote interest and mobilize the youth for skilling.
ICT Enablement
The use of technology will be leveraged to scale up training facilities, enable access to remote areas and
increase cost¬ effectiveness of delivery of vocational training.
An open platform for e¬content on skill development will be created where further curated content
will be crowd sourced.
Government envisions to leverage the facility of Digital Locker for creation of Skill Cards linked to
Aadhaar for the labour force trained and certified as per NSQF
Trainers and Assessors
A trainer/assessor portal will be set up as a part of the National Portal to act as a repository and
registration database for all certified and interested trainers/assessors.
New institutes for training of trainers will be set up in PPP mode, at least one in each State, to increase the
overall capacity of ToT in the country.
Inclusivity
Adequate focus will be given to youth from deprived households by establishing skill development
centres in areas which are underserved.
Special attention needs to be given to youth residing in border, hilly and difficult areas, including North
Eastern states, J&K, and the hilly forested areas of central and eastern India to address their needs for
employment and employability.
Promotion of Skilling amongst Women
Special mechanisms in the delivery of training such as mobile training units, flexible afternoon batches,
training based on the local needs of the area, will be introduced to ensure participation and
mobilization of women.
Training in non¬traditional fields for women will be promoted through the establishment of specific
training programmes that focus on life skills training modules and literacy training.
Policy Framework for Entrepreneurship
To unlock entrepreneurial potential the following nine part entrepreneurship strategy was proposed under
the policy.
• Educate and equip potential and early stage entrepreneurs across India
• Connect entrepreneurs to peers, mentors and incubators
• Support entrepreneurs through Entrepreneurship Hubs (E­Hubs)
• Catalyse a culture shift to encourage entrepreneurship
• Encourage entrepreneurship among under­represented groups
• Promote entrepreneurship amongst women
• Improve ease of doing business
• Improve access to finance
• Foster social entrepreneurship and grassroots innovations
Governance Structure and Financing
MSDE will be responsible for implementation of the policy.
In order to achieve the objectives enshrined in the policy the Prime Minister also launched the National
Skill Development Mission (NSDM) aimed at implementing and coordinating all skilling efforts.
Financing
National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) will be utilized for implementation of skilling efforts under the
policy.
To attract funds from industry, companies will be encouraged to spend at least 25 percent of their
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds on skill development initiatives directly or through NSDF.
All Government schemes across sectors will be encouraged to apportion a certain percentage (10%)
of the scheme budget towards skilling of human resources in local regions in the required sector.
A Credit Guarantee Fund for skill development and a National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company
(NCGTC) has been set up to support the initiative of loans for the purpose of skilling and will be used to
leverage credit financing in the skill landscape.
A Policy Implementation Unit (PIU) will be set up so as to review the implementation and progress of
the various initiatives under this policy. The PIU will be housed in MSDE with Secretary as the
Chairperson and representation from NITI Aayog.
Union Government launched four initiatives as part of Skill
India vision
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 July 2015 formally launched four initiatives- National Policy for Skill
Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, National Skill Development Mission (NSDM), Pradhan Mantri
Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) and Skill Loan scheme-aimed at achieving the vision of Skill India.
They were launched in a programme held on the occasion of first-ever World Youth Skills Day in New
Delhi.
The four initiatives are aimed at making India as a hub of world’s human resource capital.
National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015: It is the second such policy on skill
development since independence and intended to replace the National Policy on Skill Development 2009 by
adding entrepreneurship to the policy framework.
National Skill Development Mission (NSDM): The mission is intended to operationalise the National
Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015. It has seven sub missions under it that are
monitored by a Governing Council under the chairmanship of Prime Minister.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): It is a demand-driven, reward-based skill training
scheme. Under the scheme, besides assessing and certifying 10 lakh youth for the skills they already
possess, around 24 lakh youth will be skilled over the next year.
Skill Loan scheme: Under the scheme, loans ranging from 5000-1.5 lakhs rupees will be made available to
34 lakh youth to attend skill development programmes. It will be operational between 2015 and 2020.
Union Government, Facebook launched #100Women
Initiative to recognize 100 women achievers of India
The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development on 14 July 2015 launched the #100Women
Initiative in collaboration with Facebook to select 100 women achievers of India.
The initiative is aimed at recognizing and acknowledging women who are making a difference in their
communities across the country.
Process of selection
• To select 100 women achievers, a contest will be held through public nominations via social media.
• Nominations are accepted between 15 July 2015 and 30 September 2015 on the Facebook page of the
Ministry.
• Voting will begin on 27 November 2015 on the top 200 entries as determined by an esteemed jury.
• Winners will be announced in December 2015 and invited to join a reception organized by the Ministry
around the Republic Day.
Union Ministry of Urban Development launched nationwide
HRIDAY scheme from Amritsar
Union Ministry of Urban Development on 14 July 2015 launched the National Heritage Development and
Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) for 12 cities in the country from Amritsar in Punjab.
The scheme seeks to preserve and rejuvenate the rich cultural heritage of the country in the selected 12
cities in the country, including Amritsar.
The scheme was launched by Union Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information &
Broadcasting Arun Jaitley in the presence of Union Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu and
Chief Minister of Punjab Singh Badal among others.
Features of HRIDAY
• It seeks to promote an integrated, inclusive and sustainable development of heritage sites, focusing on
maintenance of monuments and on advancement of the entire ecosystem.
• In the initial phase of HRIDAY, 12 heritage cities have been identified which will be rejuvenated and
developed. Union Government will provide 500 crore rupees to these 12 cities.
• Physical, institutional, economic and social infrastructure developed as part of the scheme in the identified
cities.
• It will be completely funded by the Union Government to create infrastructure and provide facilities
around the heritage sites to attract more tourists.
MPEDA launched mobile-based applications to help farmers
capture data through mobile
The Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) on 9 July 2015 launched two mobile based
applications to help farmers get prices on shrimp and capture data on aquaculture through mobile.
Moreover, MPEDA also revamped its website and launched an online registration portal for exporters.
MPEDA is a nodal agency for promotion of marine exports from India under Union Ministry of Commerce
and Industry.
These two mobile-based applications are:
Shrimp price Information over SMS by a missed call
With this application, MPEDA will provide price related market information of Vannamei shrimp and BT
shrimp to farmers over SMS on a missed call to a predetermined number. On receipt of the missed call,
information on price of Vannamei shrimp and BT shrimp for different grades in major markets like Japan,
USA and EU will be provided by SMS.
Farmers can dial +918590100800 for getting price information on Vannamei shrimp and can call
+918590200800 for getting price information on BT shrimp. The prices are obtained from published data of
INFOFISH (an Inter governmental organization of FAO).
This price information to farmers will provide them the current market trends enabling them to make an
informed decision on harvest of their produce. The service will be provided free of cost to farmers.
mKRISHI- Mobile App for Aquaculture Operations
The authority also launched a mobile applications named mKRISHI that will provide an easy tool for book
keeping, advisory services and weather informations. It is an Android mobile application which has been
developed by MPEDA and TCS Innovation Lab, Mumbai (as part of its CSR initiative).
For using this app, farmers will require an android mobile handset (post 2013 models) with a data/GPRS
connection (2G, 3G or WiFi). The Farmer needs to enter the basic information regarding his farming
activities and in return he will get expert guidance for all operations.
The reports can be seen in the graphical format. An option to view the trends or reports in the computer is
also provided to give seamless data entry and visualization. The App will also help in resolving farmer’s
issues quickly on a more personalized approach.
Currently, mKrishi is under pilot project in Gujarat and will be extended all over India in the next three
months.
Online MPEDA Registration portal for Exporters
The registration of an exporter with MPEDA is a mandatory requirement under MPEDA Act, 1972. With
this MPEDA registration portal by NIC, exporters will be expected to fill in their application form online
with their Login ID and can also pay the fee online for which a payment gateway has been developed.
The mandatory documents are to be scanned and uploaded online by the applicant which will be verified by
the registering authority. After due process, the Certificate of registration will be generated. The objective
of the new system is to facilitate ease of doing business.
NDDB launched mobile application Pashu Poshan to boost
dairy farmers' income
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) on 7 July 2015 launched a mobile application named
Pashu Poshan that will boost dairy farmers' income by raising milk yield and cutting feed cost. The app will
recommend a balanced diet for cows and buffaloes.
The mobile application was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh.
The application will be available on both web and android platforms. It can be accessed by registering on
the INAPH portal http://inaph.Nddb.Coop.
To use this application, the farmer needs to provide complete animal profile including breed, age, milk
production, fat content in milk apart from food items being currently fed to the animal along with the cost in
order to formulate the balanced ration formula.
Union Government released the Socio Economic and Caste
Census 2011 for Rural India
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking
Water Supply and Sanitation Chaudhary Birendra Singh on 3 July 2015 released the provisional data from the
Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 for Rural India.
1.
Total Households in the Country
(Rural plus Urban)
24.39 Crore
2.
Total Rural Households
17.91 Crore
3.
Total Excluded Households
7.05 Crore
The survey was
4.
Automatically included Households
16.50 lakh
5.
Households considered for deprivation
10.69 Crore
6.
Households not reporting deprivation
2.00 crore
completed in all the 640
districts. It provides very
useful data on households
regarding various aspects
of their socio-economic
7.
Households with any one of the 7 deprivation
8.69 Crore
status– housing, landholding, educational
status, status of women, the differently able, occupation, possession of assets, SC/ST households, incomes, etc.
The data addresses the multi dimensionality of poverty and provides a unique opportunity for a convergent,
evidence based planning with a Gram Panchayat as a unit. The data is an opportunity to make evidence based
selection, prioritization and targeting of beneficiaries in different programmes.
Key Findings from Rural India
Deprivation Data
D1.
Households with only one room, kuccha walls and kuccha roof
2.37
Crore
D2.
No adult member in household between age 18 and 59
65.15
lakh
D3.Female headed household with no adult male member between 16 and 68.96
59
Lakh
D4. Households with differently able member with no other able bodied 7.16 lakh
adult member
D5.
SC/ST Households
3.86
Crore
D6.
Households with no literate adult above age 25 years
4.21
Crore
D7
Landless households deriving a major part of their income from
5.37
manual labour
Crore
Sources of Household income
1.
Total Rural Households
17.91Crore
2.
Cultivation
5.39 Crore
3.
Manual Casual labour
9.16 Crore
4.
Part time or full time domestic service
44.84 lakh
5.
Rag picking, etc.
4.08 lakh
6.
Non Agricultural own account enterprise
28.87 lakh
7.
Begging/charity/alms
6.68 lakh
8.
Others ( including government service, private service, PSU employment, etc.
2.50 Crore
Background
SECC 2011 is a unique paperless Census. The enumeration of the data was done using over 6.4 lakh electronic
handheld device. Household data was taken from the National Population Register along with the Temporary
Identification Number (TIN).
The districts and State Governments have carried out the SECC with the Union Ministry of Rural Development
as the nodal Ministry. Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation carried out the survey in urban
areas and the Registrar General, Census of India carried out the caste census.
India launched eMigrate system for Foreign Employers
India in June 2015 launched online registration system named eMigrate system (www.emigrate.gov.in) for
foreign employers (FEs) who wants to recruit Indian workers, including nurses. Under the system, FEs will
have to register in the eMigrate system.
The filled registration application will be vetted by the Indian mission.
The new system will be implemented in phases.
Features of eMigrate system
• It will allow FEs to raise their demand for Indian workers and seek a permit to recruit directly or select
Recruiting Agents (RAs) in online manner.
• Such FEs will have to declare the terms and conditions of employment of each category of the job at the
time of applying for the demand registration.
• The declared terms and conditions of employment will act as a specimen contract and will form the part of
employment contract at the time of actual recruitment.
Conditions for Foreign Employers (FEs)
• FEs recruiting more than 150 Indian workers are required to register online with immediate effect in order
to raise demand and seek a permit to recruit directly or select RAs.
• FEs recruiting between 50-150 Indian workers are required to register online before 30 June 2015.
• FEs recruiting between 20-50 Indian workers are required to register online before 31 July 2015.
• FEs recruiting less than Indian workers are required to register online before 31 August 2015.
In case of recruitment of nurses, the overseas employment will have to be through three state-run recruiting
agencies, namely Non-Resident Keralites's Affairs Department (NORKA-ROOTS) Thiruvananthapuram,
Overseas Development and Employment Promotion Consultants (ODEPC) Thiruvananthapuram and
Overseas Manpower Corporation Limited (OMCL) Chennai.
The emigration of nurses for overseas employment will also require prior emigration clearance from
Protector of Emigrants' offices in India. The recruitment agencies which are authorized to recruit Indian
nurses will not charge any fees towards recruitment expenses from Indian nurses.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of Online National
Agriculture Market
The Union Cabinet on 1 July 2015 approved the setting up of an Online National Agriculture Market that
will provide more options to farmers for selling their produce.
Currently, farmers are restricted to selling their produce at mandis or market committees that charge various
taxes on producers. But, now an online platform would be set up wherein farmers will be able to sell and
buy fruits, vegetables and other produce from across the country.
An agency will also be set up to oversee online trading and to ensure that transactions take place smoothly.
It will also focus on creating go-downs and facilitating transportation of the farm produce after the online
trade.
With this, farmers can sell their produce both in physical mandis and on online platform. This will likely
boost their incomes and improve availability, moderating price rise.
Prime Minister launched Digital India Week to spread
awareness about Digital India Programme
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on 1 July 2015 launched the Digital India Week in New Delhi.
The newly created week is aimed at encouraging people’s involvement and creating awareness among them
about various initiatives launched under the Digital India Programme launched in August 2014.
The Department of Electronics & Information Technology (DeitY) is the nodal agency for implementing
the Digital India Programme in close cooperation with other departments and ministries.
Digital India has been envisioned as an ambitious umbrella programme to transform India into a digitally
empowered society and knowledge economy.
In order achieve the above objectives, several projects/products were already launched by the Union
Government and Public Sector Enterprises or ready to be launched as indicated below:
• Digital Locker System aims to minimize the usage of physical documents and enable sharing of edocuments across agencies. The sharing of the e-documents will be done through registered repositories
thereby ensuring the authenticity of the documents online, says the government.
• MyGov.in has been implemented as a platform for citizen engagement in governance, through a
"Discuss", "Do" and "Disseminate" approach. The mobile app for MyGov would bring these features to
users on a mobile phone.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Mobile app would be used by people and Government organizations for
achieving the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission.
• eSign framework would allow citizens to digitally sign a document online using Aadhaar authentication.
• The Online Registration System (ORS) under the eHospital application has been introduced. This
application provides important services such as online registration, payment of fees and appointment, online
diagnostic reports, enquiring availability of blood online etc, the government claims.
• National Scholarships Portal is said to be a one stop solution for end to end scholarship process right from
submission of student application, verification, sanction and disbursal to end beneficiary for all the
scholarships provided by the Government of India.
• Digitize India Platform (DIP) for large scale digitization of records in the country that would facilitate
efficient delivery of services to the citizens.
• Bharat Net, a high speed digital highway to connect all 2.5 lakh Gram Panchayats of country. This would
be the world's largest rural broadband connectivity project using optical fibre.
• Policy initiatives have also been undertaken by in the e-Governance domain like e-Kranti Framework,
Policy on Adoption of Open Source Software for Government of India, Framework for Adoption of Open
Source Software in e-Governance Systems, Policy on Open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for
Government of India, E-mail Policy of Government of India, Policy on Use of IT Resources of Government
of India, Policy on Collaborative Application Development by Opening the Source Code of Government
Applications, Application Development & Re-Engineering Guidelines for Cloud Ready Applications
• BSNL has introduced Next Generation Network (NGN), to replace 30 year old exchanges, which is an IP
based technology to manage all types of services like voice, data, multimedia/ video and other types of
packet switched communication services.
• BSNL has undertaken large scale deployment of Wi-Fi hotspots throughout the country. The user can
latch on the BSNL Wi-Fi network through their mobile devices.
• BPO Policy has been approved to create BPO centres in different North Eastern states and also in smaller /
mofussil towns of other states.
• Electronics Development Fund (EDF) Policy aims to promote Innovation, R&D, and Product
Development and to create a resource pool of IP within the country to create a self-sustaining eco-system of
Venture Funds.
• National Centre for Flexible Electronics (NCFlexE) is an initiative of Government of India to promote
research and innovation in the emerging area of Flexible Electronics.
• Centre of Excellence on Internet on Things (IoT) is a joint initiative of Department of Electronics &
Information Technology (DeitY), ERNET and NASSCOM.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of six Indian Institutes of
Management (IIM)
The Union Cabinet on 24 June 2015 approved setting up of six new Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs)
in the country. The cabinet meet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
These new IIMs will be located at Amritsar (Punjab), Bodh Gaya (Bihar), Nagpur (Maharashtra),
Sambalpur (Odisha), Sirmaur (Himachal Pradesh) and Vishakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).
These IIMs are intended to commence their first academic session from 2015-16. Each Institute will start
with an intake of 140 students in the Post Graduate Programme (PGP) courses.
These IIMs are being set up as part commitment made by the Union Government in its Budget presentation
of July 2014. In the July 2014 Budget, it was proposed to set up five IIMs in Bihar, Himachal Pradesh,
Maharashtra, Odisha and Punjab.
With the bifurcation of erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state into two States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana the
need for setting up of an IIM in Andhra Pradesh in pursuance of the Andhra Pradesh Re-organization Act,
2014 was necessitated.
PM launched AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission and Housing for
All (Urban)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 June 2015 launched three urban development schemes- AMRUT,
Smart Cities Mission and Housing for All (Urban) in New Delhi.
During the occasion, the Prime Minister also released logos and taglines for AMRUT and Smart Cities
Mission; and guidelines for AMRUT, Smart Cities Mission and Housing for All (Urban).
Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT): It is aimed at developing
infrastructure in 500 cities and towns that are having a population of one lakh and above with an outlay of
50000 crore rupees between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
Smart Cities Mission: It is aimed at developing 100 smart cities across the country with an outlay of 48000
crore rupees between 2015-16 and 2019-20.
Housing for All (Urban): The Central Sector Scheme aimed at providing housing facilities to all eligible
people in urban areas by 2022.
Union Ministry of Home Affairs designated Agatti and
Minicoy Islands as Immigration Check Posts
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 22 June 2015 designated Agatti and Minicoy islands of
Lakshadweep as authorised Immigration Check Posts for entry into or exit from India.
Both the islands will be used as transit points for all classes of passengers with valid travel documents from
30 June 2015.
While Agatti is spread over 3.84 square kms, Minicoy has an area over 4.80 sq kms. Minicoy lies near one
of the busiest shipping routes and is about 130 km from the northern-most island of Maldives.
The two new immigration check points will help easy access to tourists, mainly travelling by luxury cruises,
to India.
At present, there are 82 Immigration Check Posts all over the country catering to international traffic.
Out of these, 37 are functioning under the Bureau of Immigration, while the remaining is being managed by
the state governments concerned.
Railway Ministry decided to run Suvidha Trains
Ministry of Railways on 12 June 2015 decided to run Suvidha trains with dynamic fares from July 2015.
The decision to run Suvidha trains was taken to address the rush during peak travel seasons.
These trains will have dynamic fare system and there will not be any downward movement of the fare.
Also, these trains may be run during peak seasons like winter rush, summer rush, Dussehra rush, Holi rush
and on other occasions.
Some facts about Suvidha Trains
• Only confirmed and RAC tickets will be issued for these trains and there will be no waiting list. No
concession like free passes/complimentary passes/warrant/concessional voucher will be available on these
trains.
• The maximum advance reservation period will be 30 days while the minimum advance reservation period
will be of 10 days.
• Full adult fare shall be changed for all passengers irrespective of their age.
• These tickets can be availed from e-ticketing as well as through PRS counters, but the traveler will have to
carry his prescribed Identity Card during the journey for verification purpose
• Modification or duplicate ticket or cluster bookings or BPT will not be allowed.
• Only General quota bookings will be applicable.
• Upgradation option shall not be applicable in these trains.
• There shall be no First AC or Fist Class or Executive class or general class or 2nd sitting coach in the train
composition of Suvidha Trains.
Three types of trains to be run under the Suvidha Trains services
• Fully air-conditioned services with or without stoppages: Base Price: (Rajdhani base fare + Tatkal
charges).
• Mixed services having no enroute commercial stoppages on mixed Duronto pattern: Base price: (Mixed
Duronto base fare + Tatkal charges).
• For mixed services having some stoppages enroute and running as Mail/Express: Base price:
(Mail/Express base fare + Tatkal charges).
Union Government launched Migrant Resource Centre in
Chennai
The Union Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) along with the Tamil Nadu Government on 11 June
2015 launched the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) in Chennai. The MRC in Chennai is the fourth such
MRC in India set-up by MOIA.
The MRC will provide information, guidance, advise and counselling on all aspects of overseas
employment including legal and regulatory requirements; documentation and procedures; policies; and
problems faced while working aboard to intending migrants and overseas Indian workers.
Functions of the MRC
• The MRC will disseminate information on safe and legal migration.
• It will disseminate information about status of Recruiting Agents and other service providers.
• It will register and respond to complaints and grievances within the redressal forum of MOIA.
• It will also offer counselling support (walk in or telephone and email support).
The first Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) was established by MOIA in 2008 in Kochi, Kerala, followed by
fully functional MRCs in Hyderabad (Telengana & Andhra Pradesh), Gurgaon (Haryana) and Chennai
(Tamil Nadu).
Union Ministry of Water Resources launched nationwide Jal
Kranti Abhiyan from Jaipur
Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejunivetion Uma Bharti on 5 June
2015 launched nationwide Jal Kranti Abhiyan (campaign) from Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The aim is to consolidate water conservation and management in the country through a holistic and
integrated approach involving all stakeholders, making it a mass movement.
Objective of the campaign
• To strengthen grass root involvement of all stake holders including Panchyati raj institutions and local
bodies in the water security and development schemes like participatory Irrigation Management (PIM).
• To encourage the adoption of traditional knowledge in water resource conservation and its management
• To utilize sector-level expertise from different levels in government, NGOs, citizen, etc
• Enhancing livelihood security through water security in rural areas
Strategies for implementation of campaign
On the broad level, the campaign envisages following strategies
• Use of modern techniques coupled with traditional wisdom for devising area/region specific innovative
measures for increasing water security
• Revival of traditional knowledge and sources for water conservation and utilization
• Encouraging conjuctive use of surface and groundwater
• Rainwater harvesting for recharge to be made mandatory for residential, commercial and industrial
buildings/premises
• Promotion social regulation for meeting the demand as well as for optimizing the use-efficiency of water
for various purposed especially industry, agriculture and domestic
Activities under the campaign
• The scheme also provides for a Sujalam Card with the logo Water Saved, Water Produced. These cards
will provide annual status and information about the quality of drinking water available for a Jal Gram, a
village with acute water scarcity.
• Further, the campaign also provides for Jal Mitra, a cadre of local water professionals, which will be
created by imparting them suitable training to create mass awareness about water scarcity.
• The campaign also envisages a Model Command Area (MCA) of about 1000 hectare in a State that shall
be identified and selected from an ongoing irrigation project in the State. The selection of MCA will be
done by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejunivetion in consultation with
State Governments.
• It also envisages Dedicated Programme for construction of Arsenic Free Wells in selected areas and
capacity building of the officers of the State Water Supply Agencies and other stakeholders particularly
W.U.A’s and farmers.
• Tailor made awareness campaigns designed to address problems and suggest solutions to meet the
requirements of each segment of the society under the continuing scheme of Information, Education and
Communication.
On the pilot basis, the project will run in one water stressed village in each 672 districts of the country.
Success of the campaign will be reviewed after one or one and a half year. The project will be implemented
till the objective of solving water problems in every house and farm is achieved.
Union Government launched Khoya Paya web portal to
exchange information on missing children
The Union Government on 2 June 2015 launched the Khoya Paya web portal Khoyapaya.gov.in, the firstof-its-kind citizen based website to exchange information on missing and found children.
It was jointly launched by Maneka Gandhi, Union Minister of Women & Child Development and Ravi
Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Communication & Information Technology.
The web portal has been jointly developed by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development and
the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY).
Khoya Paya web portal will establish citizen to citizen contact and will allow India to take part in search for
missing children.
The citizens can aid in missing children’s search by reporting the whereabouts of the children through text,
photographs, videos and other means of transmitting and uploading information on the site. Through this
portal, parents or families are also advised to inform about their missing child to the nearest police station.
Khoya Paya portal is different from another portal named Track Child run by Union Ministry of Home
Affairs which has limitation as only police communicates with the police and citizens are nowhere
involved.
Comment
The missing children are a cause of deep concern not only for the Government but also for the child
protection institutions, society and above all for the parents. These children are vulnerable to the mental and
physical assault which leads to mental trauma for these children.
Further, most of the missing children are trafficked for labour, for sexual exploitation, abducted, or
kidnapped, or due to crimes against children which is prohibited by the Article 23 (1) of the Constitution.
As per the information provided by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), number of missing
children is about 70000 every year. Total recovered children since January 2012 up to April 2015 is 73597
as per the data available on Track Child portal of Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Union Ministry of Women and Child Development launched
IAP HealthPhone programme
The Union Minister of Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi on 2 June 2015 launched the IAP
HealthPhone programme in New Delhi. The IAP HealthPhone programme is the world’s largest digital
mass education programme for addressing the malnutrition in women and children.
This programme was developed by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP) in partnership with the Union
Ministry of Women and Child Development, UNICEF and is supported by Vodafone India.
Highlights of the IAP HealthPhone programme
• IAP HealthPhone programme aims to tackle the challenge of malnutrition in mothers and children across
India.
• It is a public-partnership initiative that leverages the increasing penetration of mobile phones in the
country to educate over 6 million girls and women between 13 and 35 years of age and their families on
better health and nutrition practices by 2018.
• The programme will achieve its objectives by widely promoting and distributing four re-edited videos
from the Poshan videos in 18 Indian languages. The Poshan videos address issues of the care of pregnant
women and children, breastfeeding and the importance of balanced diet.
• Vodafone will enable its customers to view/download the videos free of data charges and on viewing the 4
videos, the user will receive a talk time incentive of 10 rupees.
• Vodafone will send out approximately 300 million text messages to its subscribers every year to promote
the viewing of the four videos.
• IAP HealthPhone partners will also equip AWW, ASHAs and ANMs with a HealthPhone microSD card,
containing a library of videos, to enable them to share health and nutrition knowledge with women, families
and the communities they serve.
• They will partner with social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and Google to use their
exponentially growing channels to reach more-rural and urban-caregivers.
• This three-year campaign (2015-18) is expected to benefit the health of 60 million children in India born
by 2025 and will be transformative for India’s fight against malnutrition.
The Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015
The term the Constitution (100th Amendment) Act, 2015 was in news in the fourth week of May 2015 as
the President of India Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013
that related to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between India and Bangladesh.
List of recent amendments to the Indian Constitution
The Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2004: Restricted the size of the Council of Ministers (CoM) to 15
percent of legislative members & strengthened the Anti Defection laws.
The Constitution (92nd Amendment) Act, 2004: Included Bodo, Dogri, Santali and Maithali as official
languages.
The Constitution (93rd Amendment) Act, 2006: Provided for 27 percent reserrvation for other backward
classes in government as well as private higher educational institutions.
The Constitution (94th Amendment) Act, 2006: To provide for a Minister of Tribal Welfare in newly
created Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh States including Madhyapradesh and Orissa.
The Constitution (95th Amendment) Act, 2010: To extend the reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes
(SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Lok Sabha and states assemblies from Sixty years to Seventy years
The Constitution (96th Amendment) Act, 2011: Substituted Odia for Oriya
The Constitution (97th Amendment) Act, 2012: Added the words "or co-operative societies" after the word
"or unions" in Article 19(l)(c) and inserted article 43B related to promotion of co-operative societies and
added Part-IXB that is The Co-operative Societies.
The Constitution (98th Amendment) Act, 2013: To empower the Governor of Karnataka to take steps to
develop the Hyderabad-Karnataka Region.
The Constitution (99th Amendment) Act, 2014: The amendment provides for the formation of a National
Judicial Appointments Commission.
Union Government notified Undisclosed Foreign Income as
Assets and imposition of Tax Act, 2015
The Union Government on 30 may 2015 notified the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income as Assets)
and imposition of Tax Act, 2015. The Act will come into effect from 1 April 2016.
The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015 was introduced in Lok Sabha
on 20 March 2015 and was passed by Parliament on 13 May 2015.
Provisions of the Bill
• Concealment of income and assets and evasion of tax in relation to foreign assets will be prosecutable with
punishment of rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years.
• Offence of stashing unaccounted money abroad will be made non-compoundable (A non-compoundable
offence is one in which the complainant (the government in this instance) does not enter into a compromise
with the accused.
• The offenders will not be permitted to approach the Settlement Commission
• Penalty for such concealment of income and assets at the rate of 300% of tax shall be levied
• The government will give a short window to those stashing black money abroad to declare their wealth,
pay taxes and penalty, and escape prosecution under the proposed law.
• Non filing of return or filing of return with inadequate disclosure of foreign assets will be liable for
prosecution with punishment of rigorous imprisonment up to 7 years.
• Income in relation to any undisclosed foreign asset or undisclosed income from any foreign asset will be
taxable at the maximum marginal rate. Exemptions or deductions which may otherwise be applicable in
such cases shall not be allowed.
• Beneficial owner or beneficiary of foreign assets will be mandatorily required to file return, even if there
is no taxable income.
• Abettors of the above offences, whether individuals, entities, banks or financial institutions will be liable
for prosecution and penalty.
• Date of Opening of foreign account would be mandatorily required to be specified by the assessee in the
return of income.
• The offence of concealment of income or evasion of tax in relation to a foreign asset will be made a
predicate offence under the Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
• The definition of proceeds of crime under PMLA is being amended to enable attachment and confiscation
of equivalent asset in India where the asset located abroad cannot be forfeited.
• The Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) will also be amended to the effect that if any
foreign exchange, foreign security or any immovable property situated outside India is held in contravention
of the provisions of this Act, then action may be taken for seizure and eventual confiscation of assets of
equivalent value situated in India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Doordarshan's
farmer-centric Kisan TV Channel
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 May 2015 launched Doordarshan’s farmer-centric channel named DD
Kisan from Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. The 24-hour channel will air information on farmer-related
issues.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has included DD Kisan channel under the genre Infotainment
(Hindi). With this, DD Kisan has become a must carry channel making it mandatory for every cable and
Direct to Home (DTH) operators to provide DD Kisan to their subscribers.
The channel programmes would be primarily for agriculture sector and rural India and would help in
revitalizing agriculture sector which in turn would aid the development of rural India.
20th Law Commission submitted report on Guardianship and
Custody Laws to the Union Law Ministry
The 20th Law Commission of India on 22 May 2015 submitted the 257th report titled Reforms in
Guardianship and Custody Laws in India to DV Sadananda Gowda, the Union Minister of Law and Justice.
The report reviewed the current laws dealing with custody and guardianship and came up with draft
legislative amendments in the form of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship (Amendment) Bill, 2015 and
the Guardians and Wards (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 and
the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 respectively.
Major amendments deal with the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 by introducing a new chapter (Chapter
IIA) on custody and visitation arrangements including the concept of joint custody.
Key Aspects of the Draft Legislation
Welfare principle: The welfare principle in the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 was strengthened with a
continuous emphasis on its relevance in each aspect of guardianship and custody related decision-making.
Abolition of preference: Preference for the father as the natural guardian under Hindu law was removed and
both parents are granted equal legal status with respect to guardianship and custody.
Joint custody: Courts are empowered to award joint custody to both parents in circumstances conducive to
the welfare of the child or award sole custody to one parent with visitation rights to the other.
Mediation: Parties to a custody matter must ordinarily consider expert-led and time-bound mediation, which
can not only promote better outcomes for parents and children, but also reduce the strain on the
overburdened court system.
Child support: Courts are empowered to fix an amount specifically for child support, to meet basic living
expenses of the child.
Financial resources of parents and the standard of living of the child must be considered when fixing such
amounts. Child support must continue till the child turns 18, but may be extended till 25; or longer, in case
of a child with mental or physical disability.
Guidelines: Detailed guidelines were evolved to help courts, parents and other stakeholders arrive at the
best arrangement to serve the welfare of the child. Several new concepts in this regard, including parenting
plans, grand parenting time, visitation rights, and relocation of parents were also mentioned in the report.
Comment
The revision of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 and the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890
has become necessary to ensure these laws are in tune with changes in the social considerations. As per an
estimate, divorce rate increased to 13 per 1000 in 2014 as compared to that of 1 in 1000 in 2004.
Additionally, in most of the proceedings of divorce and family breakdowns parents use children as pawns to
strike their own bargains without considering the emotional, social and mental upheavals that the children
may face.
Hence, in order to protect interest of the children, the commission has recommended amendments to laws
by giving substantial powers to courts in dealing with such cases.
ECONOMY
Union Government decided to impose 0.5% Swachh Bharat
Cess on all services
Union Ministry of Finance on 6 November 2015 decided to impose 0.5 percent Swachh Bharat Cess (SBC)
on all taxable services. It will be levied in addition to the 14 percent service tax that is in force now.
The SBC will come into force on 15 November 2015. Its proceeds will be exclusively used to support
Swachh Bharat initiative.
The decision to impose SBC is in tune with the announcement made by the Union Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley in his budget 2015-16 budget speech advocating for 2 percent additional cess to fund Swachh
Bharat.
As per an estimate, the SBC is expected to fetch additional 4000 crore rupees per annum in tax revenues to
the government.
The Union Government under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is planning to spend around 134000 crore
rupees by 2019 to construct 11 crore 11 lakh toilets in the country.
Union Cabinet approved UDAY for financial turnaround and
revival of DISCOMS
The Union Cabinet on 5 November 2015 gave its nod to Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojna (UDAY), a new
scheme proposed by the Ministry of Power.
The scheme aims at alleviating the financial crunch faced by Power Distribution companies (DISCOMs)
that has impaired their ability to buy electricity. The scheme targets the revival of DISCOMs. It will also
ensure a sustainable permanent solution to the problem.
The debt on DISCOMs
• As on March 2015, the country’s DISCOMs have accumulated losses of approximately 3.8 lakh crore
rupees and outstanding debt of approximately 4.3 lakh crore rupees.
• Outstanding debt of DISCOMs increased from about 2.4 lakh crore rupees in 2011-12 to about 4.3 lakh
crore rupees in 2014-15, with interest rates of upto 14-15 percent.
• Due to the financial hassles, DISCOMs are not able to supply adequate power at affordable rates, which
turned out to be one of the hurdles in the overall economic growth and development.
How UDAY will revive the DISCOMS?
UDAY will empower DISCOMs with the opportunity to break even in the next 2-3 years through four
initiatives:
• Improving operational efficiencies of DISCOMs.
• Reduction of cost of power.
• Reduction in interest cost of DISCOMs.
• Enforcing financial discipline on DISCOMs through alignment with state finances.
Key features of UDAY
• States will take over 75 percent of DISCOM debt as on 30 September 2015 over two years.
• Union Government will not include the debt taken over by the states n the calculation of fiscal deficit of
respective states in the financial years 2015-16 and 2016-17.
• States will issue non-SLR including SDL bonds in the market or directly to the respective financial
institutions holding the DISCOM debt to the appropriate extent.
• States will take over the future losses of DISCOMs in a graded manner.
• States accepting UDAY and performing as per operational milestones will be given additional/priority
funding through schemes of Ministry of Power and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
• States not meeting operational milestones will be liable to forfeit their claim on IPDS and DDUGJY
grants.
CCEA hiked Minimum Support Prices for Rabi Crops of
2015-16 season
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 5 November 2015 hiked the Minimum Support
Prices (MSPs) for Rabi Crops of 2015-16 season to be marketed in 2016-17.
The decision was based on recommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
(CACP) for the price policy for rabi crops for the marketing season 2016-17.
The Cabinet also decided to give a bonus of 75 rupees per quintal for rabi pulses over and above the
recommendations of the CACP.
Commodity
MSP for 2014-15
season (Rupees per
MSP for 2015-16
Increase in
season (Rupees per MSP (Rupees)
quintal)
quintal)
Wheat
1450
1525
75
Barley
1150
1225
75
Gram
3175
3425
250
Masur (Lentil)
3075
3325
250
Mustard
3100
3350
250
Safflower
3050
3300
250
The prices would be effective from the Rabi marketing season 2016-17. The Food Corporation of India
(FCI) will be the Central Nodal Agency for procurement of pulses and oilseeds.
To supplement the efforts of FCI, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India
Limited (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF), Central Warehousing
Corporation (CWC) and Small Farmers Agri–Business Consortium (SFAC) may also undertake
procurement of oilseeds and pulses as per their capacity.
About Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP)
The Commission came into existence in January 1965 with the mandate to recommend MSPs to incentivize
the cultivators to adopt modern technology and raise productivity in line with the emerging demand patterns
in the country.
CACP recommends MSPs of 23 commodities including 7 cereals (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl
millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil), 7 oilseeds (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard,
soyabean, seasmum, sunflower, safflower, nigerseed) and 4 commercial crops (copra, sugarcane, cotton and
raw jute).
It comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two Members (Non-Official).
PM Narendra Modi launched three gold related schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 November 2015 launched three gold related schemes. The schemes are
– Gold Monetization Scheme, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme and Indian Gold Coins.
The three schemes were announced by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 budget
speech in February 2015.
The primary purpose of the schemes is to reduce dependence on imported gold, recycle the unutilized gold
in the country and most importantly, streamline the gold business in the country. At present, India is the
largest consumer of gold in the world.
Gold Monetization Scheme (GMS)
Its objective is to mobilize unutilized gold from individuals, households and institutions and make them
available to gold-base industries including jewellers.
Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme
The purpose of the scheme is to reduce the demand for physical gold and to shift part of the estimated 300
tons of physical bars and coins purchased every year for investment into Demat (Dematerialised) gold
bonds.
Indian Gold Coins
• Its purpose is to revive investment and reduce dependence on imports of gold coins. At present, India has
been importing about 60 tonnes of gold coins annually that are sold at a premium of 8-10 per cent.
• Under the scheme, gold coins bearing the Ashok Chakra and Mahatma Gandhi will be minted by the
Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India.
• Initially, the coins will be available in denominations of 5 gm and 10 gm.
• They will be sold through banks, post offices and state-run MMTC Ltd. (Metals and Minerals Trading
Corporation of India) which will sell them through the World Gold Council (WGC).
RBI notified Operational Guidelines of Sovereign Gold Bonds
2015-16
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 4 November 2015 notified the Operational Guidelines of the Sovereign
Gold Bonds 2015-16. These bonds will be issued by the RBI from 5 November – 20 November 2015.
Main Operational Guidelines
• Joint holding and nomination: Multiple joint holders and nominees (of first holder) are permitted.
Necessary details may be obtained from the applicants as per practice.
• Interest on application money: Applicants will be paid interest at prevailing savings bank rate from the
date of realization of payment to the settlement date that is the period for which they are out of funds.
• Lien marking: As the bonds are government securities, lien marking will be as per the extant legal
provisions of Government Securities Act, 2006 and rules framed there under.
• Agency arrangement: Scheduled commercial banks may engage NBFCs, NSC agents and others to collect
application forms on their behalf. Banks may enter into arrangements or tie-ups with such entities.
• Processing through RBI’s e-kuber system: Sovereign Gold Bonds will be available for subscription at the
branches of scheduled commercial banks and designated post offices through RBI’s e-kuber system.
• Servicing and follow up: Receiving offices like branches of the scheduled commercial banks and
designated post offices will own the customer and provide necessary services with regards to this bond.
Receiving offices will be required to preserve applications till the bonds are matured and are repaid.
Earlier on 30 October 2015, RBI decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds, 2015 with effect from 5
November 2015 to 20 November 2015.
Dr T K Viswanathan Committee on Bankruptacy Law
Reforms submitted its report
The Bankruptcy Law Reforms Committee (BLRC) headed by Dr T K Viswanathan on 4 November 2015
submitted its report to the Union Ministry of Finance.
The Report of the BLRC is in two parts• Rationale and Design/Recommendations
• A comprehensive draft Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill covering all entities
Key recommendations of the report
• Insolvency Regulator: The Bill proposes to establish an Insolvency Regulator to exercise regulatory
oversight over insolvency professionals, insolvency professional agencies and informational utilities.
• Insolvency Adjudicating Authority: The Adjudicating Authority will have the jurisdiction to hear and
dispose of cases by or against the debtor.
• The Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) and the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) shall be
adjudicating authorities over individuals and unlimited liability partnership firms and companies and
limited liability entities respectively.
• NCLAT shall be the appellate authority to hear appeals arising out of the orders
in respect of insolvency professionals or information utilities.
passed by the Regulator
• Insolvency Professionals: The draft Bill proposes to regulate insolvency professionals and insolvency
professional agencies. Under Regulator’s oversight, these agencies will develop professional standards,
codes of ethics and exercise a disciplinary role over errant members leading to the development of a
competitive industry for insolvency professionals.
• Insolvency Information Utilities: The draft Bill proposes for information utilities which would collect,
collate, authenticate and disseminate financial information from listed companies and financial and
operational creditors of companies.
Significance Draft Insolvency and Bankruptcy bill
• The draft Bill has consolidated the existing laws relating to insolvency of companies, limited liability
entities, unlimited liability partnerships and individuals which are presently scattered in a number of
legislations, into a single legislation.
• The proposed Bill will provide greater clarity in the law and facilitate the application of consistent and
coherent provisions to different stakeholders affected by business failure or inability to pay debt.
• The bill further seeks to improve the handling of conflicts between creditors and debtors, avoid destruction
of value, distinguish malfeasance vis-a-vis business failure and clearly allocate losses in macroeconomic
downturns.
India ranked 130 in ease of doing business: World Bank
World Bank on 27 October 2015 announced that India ranked 130 out of the 189 countries surveyed in
terms of ease of doing business for domestic firms. It was revealed in the report entitled Doing Business
2016: Measuring Regulatory Quality and Efficiency.
As per the report, India could improve its ranking by 12 places from the 142nd position of the 2015 report
by undertaking significant improvements in the regulatory framework for starting new businesses.
The findings of the report were based on collection of data in Mumbai and Delhi between June 2014 and
May 2015.
India’s performance in 4 key areas
Starting a business: India was placed at the 155th position overall in this segment. However, it is still one of
the areas of greatest improvement for India, as the number of days to start a business was cut down to 29
days in 2015 from much longer 127 days in 2014.
The progress is in this segment was attributed to business friendly initiatives like speeding up the process
for obtaining a tax registration number, introducing online system for value added tax registration, replacing
the physical stamp with an online version, etc.
Further, more recent initiatives like amending the Companies Act, 2013 to eliminate the minimum capital
requirement and requirement to obtain a certificate to commence business operations also helped for this
cause.
Dealing with construction permits: India showed very poor performance in this segment as it was placed at
the 183rd position overall. However, the report pointed out that recent initiatives like introducing single
window procedures to obtain construction permits in local bodies like Mumbai are expected to improve the
performance.
Getting electricity: India ranked overall 70 among the surveyed countries as now companies can get
connected to the grid and get on with their business in 14 days sooner than before in Delhi and Mumbai.
Registering property: India ranked 138. To improve performance in this segment, the report suggested for
undertaking digitization of land records across the country, taking Karnataka as an example, to make
records more easily accessible and more open for collaboration with external stakeholders.
Other findings of the report
• India was placed at the top 7th position in the Shareholder Protection Index out of the select group of 30
countries between 1990 and 2013.
• India is one of the top five countries in the world that showed higher level of worker as well as
shareholder protection between 1970 and 2005.
• India is a fine example to demonstrate the linkage between faster processing of debt recovery cases and
reduction in the cost of credit. Reduction in nonperforming loans (NPA) by 28 percent and consequently,
lowering interest rates on larger loans was achieved by the establishment of debt recovery panels in India.
India is World’s largest remittance recipient: World Bank
World Bank on 22 October 2015 announced that India is the World’s largest remittance recipient. It was
revealed in the Migration and Development Brief that conveyed recent trends in remittance flows and
migration across the world.
As per the report, remittances to India are projected to increase by 2.5 percent in 2015, well above the 0.6
percent increase in 2014.
Stronger remittance growth in India reflects improving economic prospects in the United States and
continued fiscally-supported economic resilience in the GCC countries that contribute 35 percent of
remittances each.
However, on the flip side, Japan-India is one of the three high remittance cost corridors that have well
above 10 percent. The situation is due to low volumes, lack of competition in the remittance markets in
some sending countries, and policy rigidities that limit competition in some market segments.
As a result, it is estimated that around 70 percent of total domestic remittances are transmitted through
informal channels.
Still, it is hoped that Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) recent initiative-granting in-principle approval to 11
entities to start payment banks-is expected to transform the remittance market especially in the underserved
rural areas.
Department of Heavy Industries drafted National Policy on
Capital Goods
The Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) on 26 October 2015 came out with draft national policy on
capital goods. This is the first time that such a policy is being framed after active consultation with industry
associations.
The Policy on Capital Goods is focused on the most critical sector for achieving the vision of Make in India
and also is envisages unlocking the potential for this promising sector and establish India as a global
manufacturing hub.
Vision
• To increase the share of capital goods contribution from present 12% to 20% of total manufacturing
activity by 2025
Mission
• To become one of the top capital goods producing nations of the world by raising the total production to
over twice the current level
• To raise exports to a significant level of at least 40% of total production and thus gain 2.5% share in global
exports of capital goods
• To improve technology depth in Indian capital goods from the current basic and intermediate levels to
advanced levels
Objectives
• Increase total production to achieve total production in excess of 5 lakh crore rupees by 2025 from the
current 2.2 lakh crore rupees
• To increase domestic employment from the current 15 lakhs to at least 50 lakhs by 2025 thus providing
additional employment to over 35 lakhs people
• To increase the share of domestic production in India's capital goods demand from 56% to 80% by 2025
and in the process improve domestic capacity utilization to 80-90%
• To improve skill availability by training 50 lakhs people by 2025
• To improve 'technology depth' in capital goods sub-sectors by increasing research intensity in India from
0.9% to at least 2.8% of GDP
Proposed nine-point action plan
The policy has proposed a comprehensive set of policy actions which would enable the achievement of the
objectives for the sector and had recommended a set of nine new initiatives and policy actions and they are:
• Devising a long term, stable and rationalized tax and duty structure to ensure cost competitiveness of the
sector
• Drafting a comprehensive public procurement policy with amended qualifying criteria and introducing
special provisions in contracts for domestic value addition
• Promoting development of new technology through indigenous sources
• Providing Technology Upgrade Fund Support across all capital goods sub-sectors
• Creating a level playing field vis-à-vis imports by restricting imports of second hand machinery and
mitigating duty disadvantages
• Supporting availability of short and long term of financing at competitive rates to capital goods
manufacturers
• Enabling skill development by setting up sub-sector specific Skill Councils.
• Enabling higher participation of India in standard creation and developing support system to improve
compliance.
• Developing manufacturing clusters with shared facilities especially for SMEs
Governance Mechanism
The policy proposes a governance mechanism for smooth implementation and effectiveness of the policy.
The mechanism will be in the form of inter-ministerial and inter-departmental committees at the highest
level to ensure due consideration of the interests of all stakeholders. The committees will be tasked with
driving coordinated action and monitoring the progress and effectiveness of policy on an annual basis
Periodic Review of Policy
The capital goods sector operates in a dynamic local and global environment and it is imperative for the
policy to undergo a periodic review and revision to maintain its relevance.
The National Capital Goods Policy will be reviewed every five years and revised appropriately to take
account of progress in implementation and emerging trends in the national and international environment.
FIIs/RFPIs can now invest up to 74 percent in DEN Networks
Limited: RBI
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 26 October 2015 notified that the Foreign Institutional Investors
(FIIs)/Registered Foreign Portfolios Investors (RFPIs) can now invest up to 74 percent of the paid up
capital of DEN Networks Limited under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS).
DEN Networks Limited has passed resolutions at its Board of Directors’ level and a special resolution by
the shareholders, agreeing for enhancing the limit for the purchase of its equity shares and convertible
debentures by FIIs/RFPIs.
The purchases could be made through primary market and stock exchanges. The purchases would be subject
to Regulation 5(2) of FEMA Notification and other terms and conditions stipulated by the Reserve Bank.
The Reserve Bank notified this under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999.
Regulation 5(2) of FEMA Notification
As per Regulation 5(2) of FEMA Notification, a registered Foreign Institutional Investor (FII) may
purchase shares or convertible debentures of an Indian company under the Portfolio Investment Scheme,
subject to the terms and conditions specified in Schedule 2 of FEMA 1999.
RBI issued direction on implementation of Gold Monetisation
Scheme 2015
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 22 October 2015 issued a Direction to all Scheduled Commercial
Banks (excluding Regional Rural Banks) on implementation of the Gold Monetisation Scheme, 2015
notified by the Union Government.
The RBI issued the direction to banks in exercise of powers conferred on it under Section 35A of the
Banking Regulation Act, 1949.
The GMS 2015 will replace the existing Gold Deposit Scheme, 1999.
Directions on implementation of GMS 2015
• The deposits outstanding under the Gold Deposit Scheme will be allowed to run till maturity unless the
depositors prematurely withdraw them.
• Resident Indians (Individuals, HUF, Trusts including Mutual Funds/Exchange Traded Funds registered
under SEBI (Mutual Fund) Regulations and Companies) can make deposits under the scheme.
• The minimum deposit at any one time shall be raw gold (bars, coins, jewellery excluding stones and other
metals) equivalent to 30 grams of gold of 995 fineness.
• There is no maximum limit for deposit under the scheme.
• The gold will be accepted at the Collection and Purity Testing Centres (CPTC) certified by Bureau of
Indian Standards (BIS) and notified by the Central Government under the Scheme.
• The deposit certificates will be issued by banks in equivalence of 995 fineness of gold.
• The principal and interest of the deposit under the scheme will be denominated in gold.
• The designated banks will accept gold deposits under the Short Term (1-3 years) Bank Deposit (STBD) as
well as Medium (5-7 years) and Long (12-15 years) Term Government Deposit Schemes. While, STBD will
be accepted by banks on their own account, but the latter will be on behalf of Union Government.
• There will be provision for premature withdrawal subject to a minimum lock-in period and penalty to be
determined by individual banks.
• Interest on deposits will start accruing from the date of conversion of gold deposited into tradable gold
bars after refinement or 30 days after the receipt of gold at the CPTC or the bank’s designated branch.
• During the period from the date of receipt of gold by the CPTC or the designated branch to the date on
which interest starts accruing, the gold accepted shall be treated as an item in safe custody held by the
designated bank.
• The short term bank deposits will attract applicable cash reserve ratio (CRR) and statutory liquidity ratio
(SLR). However, the stock of gold held by the banks will count towards the general SLR requirement.
• The opening of gold deposit accounts will be subject to the same rules with regard to customer
identification as are applicable to any other deposit account.
Utilisation of Gold mobilised under GMS
The designated banks may sell or lend the gold accepted under STBD to MMTC for minting India Gold
Coins (IGC) and to jewellers, or sell it to other designated banks participating in GMS. The gold deposited
will be auctioned by MMTC or any other agency authorised by the Central Government and the sale
proceeds will be credited to the Union Government’s account with the Reserve Bank.
The entities participating in the auction may include the Reserve Bank, MMTC, banks and any other entities
notified by the Union Government. Banks may utilise the gold purchased in the auction for purposes
indicated above.
Risk Management under GMS
Designated banks should put in place a suitable risk management mechanism, including appropriate limits,
to manage the risk arising from gold price movements in respect of their net exposure to gold.
For this purpose, banks have been allowed to access the international exchanges, London Bullion Market
Association or make use of over-the-counter contracts to hedge exposures to bullion prices subject to the
guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank.
Grievance Redress Process under GMS
Complaints against designated banks regarding any discrepancy in issuance of receipts and deposit
certificates, redemption of deposits, payment of interest will be handled first by the bank’s grievance
redress process and then by the Reserve Bank’s Banking Ombudsman.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated IDFC Bank
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 October 2015 inaugurated the IDFC Bank in New Delhi.
IDFC Bank Limited, which started its operations on 1 October 2015, is an Indian Banking company with
headquarters in Mumbai that forms a part of IDFC, an integrated infrastructure finance company.
IDFC Bank was granted a universal banking license in July 2015 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
IDFC was incorporated on 30 January 1997. It founded a non-operative financial holding company
(NOFHC) in 2014 to manage its five subsidiaries IDFC Bank, IDFC MF, IDFC Alternatives, IDFC IDF &
IDFC Securities to conform with RBI guidelines.
Moody's released a report on the Global Green Bonds Market
Moody’s Investors Service on 19 October 2015 released a report on the global green bonds market titled
Third Quarter Issuance Lags, but COP21-Linked Increase Is Likely.
The report says that in the third quarter (Q3) of 2015, the global green bond issuance reached 7.5 billion
dollar, compared to bond issuance of 27.2 billion dollar in Q3 2014. But the increase is down from Q2,
Moody's expects issuance will pick up in the last quarter and exceed 40 billion dollar for the full year 2015.
Major highlights of the report
• Issuance continued to break new ground in the third quarter in terms of noteworthy and first-time
transactions
• 7.6 billion dollar issued in Q3 lagged the 13.4 billion dollar that came to market during the second quarter
of the year, but did outpace the first quarter's 6.3 billion dollar.
• Based on the 9-month average monthly volume of 3.02 billion dollar, green bonds would end the year at
36.3 billion dollar, or just shy of the 36.5 billion dollar issued in 2014.
• The organisation expects the volume will pick up towards the end of the year to coincide with the
December 2015 United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCC) Conference of the Parties
(COP21) in Paris and is likely to exceed 40 billion dollar for the full year 2015.
• Moody's further notes that nearly half of the third quarter's issuance proceeds, or about 4 billion dollars,
are being earmarked for renewable energy projects. This is followed by 18.8%, or about 1.7 billion dollar,
earmarked for sustainable water management followed closely by 1.6 billion dollar allocated to energy
efficiency projects.
• Investment-grade issuance continued to dominate in the third quarter, but high-yield green bonds gained as
a share of all Moody's-rated green bond transactions.
• Nearly 18% of issuance in the third quarter was attributable to below-investment grade issuers, up from
just 5% in the second quarter.
Highlights in case of India
• India has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022
• India that came up as an early leader in Asia’s incipient green bond is expected to be a prominent driver of
regional issuance in coming years.
• India has established itself as an early leader in Asia’s nascent green bond market, with three India-based
issuers came to market in third quarter (July to September 2015).
• It is expected that along with China, India will be a prominent driver of regional issuance in coming years,
given ambitious targets on building out renewable energy capacity
What is a green bond?
A green bond, like any other bond, is a fixed-income financial instrument for raising capital through the
debt capital market. In its simplest form, the bond issuer raises a fixed amount of capital from investors
over a set period of time, repaying the capital when the bond matures and paying an agreed amount of
interest (coupons) along the way.
RBI formed Financial Inclusion Fund with 2000 crore rupees
corpus
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 15 October 2015 formed a single Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) with a
corpus of 2000 crore rupees. The fund was formed by merging the Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) and
Financial Inclusion Technology Fund (FITF).
The RBI also finalised the new scope of activities and guidelines for utilisation of the new FIF in
consultation with the Union Government. The new FIF will be administered by the reconstituted Advisory
Board constituted by Union Government and will be maintained by NABARD.
Guidelines of Financial Inclusion Fund
• The overall corpus of the new FIF will be 2000 crore rupees.
• Contribution to FIF would be from the interest differential in excess of 0.5 percent on RIDF and STCRC
deposits on account of shortfall in priority sector lending kept with NABARD by banks.
• All the assets and liabilities of the erstwhile FITF as well as prior commitments from FITF for projects
already sanctioned will be transferred to/reimbursed from FIF.
• The Fund will be in operation for another three years or till such period as may be decided by RBI and
Union Government in consultation with other stake holders.
Objective of Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF)
• To support developmental and promotional activities with a view to securing greater financial inclusion
• The development and promotional activities include creation of FI infrastructure across the country,
capacity building of stakeholders, creation of awareness to address demand side issues, enhanced
investment in Green Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solution and increased
technological absorption capacity of financial service providers/users.
• The fund shall not be utilized for normal business/banking activities.
• To help create an eco-system that would support banks investment for future business expansion.
• To mobilise significant investment required for further facilitating investments from banks and other
financial institutions in addition to ICT-BC (Information Communication Technology – Business
Correspondent) model as a mode for expanding banking operations in the unbanked areas
• To address the key concerns which would help scaling the FI efforts like lack of proper connectivity, lack
of training facilities for BCs, evolution of an appropriate business model, etc.
Purposes of Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF)
• Support for funding the setting up and operational cost for running Financial Inclusion & Literacy Centers
in sync with the objective of Union Government for setting up Financial Literacy Centers up to the block
level under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
• Setting up of Standard Interactive Financial Literacy Kiosks in Gram Panchayats and any other financial
literacy efforts under taken by banks in excluded areas
• Support to NABARD & Banks for running of Business & Skill Development Centers including R-SETIs
(to the extent not provided by State Governments) to impart skill sets necessary for undertaking income
generating activities and for providing forward linkages for marketing activities.
• Sharing the cost of Government projects in connection with laying of last mile fibre optic network,
funding of other technological or infrastructure related projects involved in improving or creating network
connectivity, etc; in excluded areas.
Eligible Institutions that can seek support from Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF)
• Financial Institutions viz, Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Cooperative Banks and NABARD.
• Eligible institutions with whom banks can work for seeking support from the FIF:Non Government Organisations
Self-Help Groups
Farmer's Clubs
Functional Cooperatives
IT enabled rural outlets of corporate entities.
Well-functioning Panchayats
Rural Multipurpose kiosks / Village Knowledge Centres
Common Services Centres (CSCs) established by Service Centre Agencies (SCAs) under the National eGovernance Plan (NeGP).
Primary Agricultural Societies (PACs)
Background
The Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) and Financial Inclusion Technology Fund (FITF) were constituted in
the year 2007-08 for a period of five years with a corpus of 500 crore rupees each to be contributed by
Government of India (GOI), RBI and NABARD in the ratio of 40:40:20.
The guidelines for these two funds were framed by the Union Government itself. In April 2012, RBI
decided to fund FIF by transferring the interest differential in excess of 0.5 percent on RIDF and STCRC
deposits on account of shortfall in priority sector lending.
CCEA approved World Bank assisted National Watershed
Management project Neeranchal
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 7 October 2015 approved implementation of the
World Bank assisted National Watershed Management Project Neeranchal with a total outlay 2142.30 crore
rupees.
The project will be implemented at the national level as well as in the nine states of Andhra Pradesh,
Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana.
The government’s share in the project is 50 percent and the rest cost will be borne by the World Bank.
The project aims at achieving the major objectives of the Watershed Component of the Pradhan Mantri
Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) and for ensuring access to irrigation to every farm (Har Khet Ko Pani)
and efficient use of water (Per Drop More Crop).
Concerns addressed by Neeranchal:
• To bring about institutional changes in watershed and rainfed agricultural management practices in the
country.
• To build systems that ensure watershed programmes and rainfed irrigation management practices are
better focussed, more coordinated and have quantifiable results.
• To devise strategies for the sustainability of improved watershed management practices in
programme areas, even after the withdrawal of project support.
• To support improved equity, livelihoods and incomes through forward linkages on a platform of
inclusiveness and local participation.
About Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP)
The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) was launched in 2009-2010 by the integration
of various area development programmes of the Department of Land Resources (DoLR), including the
Drought Prone Areas Programme (DPAP), the Desert Development Programme (DDP) and the Integrated
Wastelands Development Programme (IWDP). However, the IWMP will be implemented as the Watershed
Component of PMKSY from 2015-2016 onwards.
RBI relaxed norms of FPI investment in Government
Securities
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 6 October 2015 relaxed the norms of Foreign Portfolio Investors
(FPIs) of government debt and also announced higher investment limits in rupee terms in government
securities with a view to bring in an additional 1.2 lakh crore rupees by March 2018.
The RBI fixed the FPI investment limits in rupee terms and raised the limits in phases to reach 5 percent of
the outstanding stock by March 2018.
RBI directions on FPI investment in Government Securities
• For the fiscal year 2015-16, RBI enhanced the limit for investment by FPIs in Government sectors in two
tranches from 12 October 2015 and 1 January 2016.
• The limit will be increased from 1.53 lakh crore rupees to 1.7 lakh crore rupees from 12 October and it
will be 1.86 lakh crore rupees from 1 January 2016.
• Those Central Government securities in which aggregate investment by FPIs exceeds the prescribed
threshold of 20% will be put in a negative investment list.
• No fresh investments by FPIs in Central Government securities will be permitted till they are removed
from the negative list.
• There will be no security-wise limit for SDLs for now. And the operational guidelines relating to
allocation and monitoring of limits will be issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
All these directions were issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act,
1999.
Background
The RBI issued these directions in perusal of the announcement made in the fourth Bi-monthly Monetary
Policy Statement for the year 2015-16 issued on 29 September 2015, wherein a Medium Term Framework
(MTF) for FPI limits in Government securities was announced to provide a more predictable regime. The
features of the MTF were:
• The limits for FPI investment in debt securities will henceforth be announced in Rupee terms.
• The limits for FPI investment in the Central Government securities will be increased in phases to reach 5
percent of the outstanding stock by March 2018. This is expected to bring in additional investment of 1200
billion rupees in the limit for Central Government securities by March 2018.
• Additionally, there will be a separate limit for investment by all FPIs in the State Development Loans
(SDLs), this limit will be increased in phases to reach 2 percent of the outstanding stock by March 2018.
• The effective increase in limits for the following two quarters will be announced every half year in March
and September.
• The existing requirement of investments being made in Government sectors (including SDLs) with a
minimum residual maturity of three years will continue to apply to all categories of FPIs.
• Aggregate FPI investments in any Central Government security would be capped at 20 percent of the
outstanding stock of the security.
• Investments at existing levels in the securities over this limit may continue but not get replenished through
fresh purchases by FPIs till these falls below 20 percent.
UCO Bank registered highest increase in gross NonPerforming Assets
UCO Bank on 4 October 2015 registered the highest increase in gross Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) in
percentage terms against total loans in the 2014-15 fiscal year. With this, UCO Bank became the worst
performer among the other public sector banks.
The Gross NPA to gross advances ratio of UCO Bank increased to 8.05 percent at the end of March 2015
from 4.47 percent, accretion of 3.58 on an annual basis.
The UCO Bank was followed by Indian Overseas Bank (IOB) and Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) with their
gross NPA rising to 8.30 percent and 6.18 percent respectively at the end of March 2015. Besides, the gross
NPA of Dena Bank increased from 3.33 percent to 5.29 percent at the end of 2014-15.
At the same time, Corporation Bank's gross NPA level rose from 3.42 percent to 4.80 per cent at the end of
March 2015, showing an accretion of 1.38 over the previous fiscal.
Rising NPA has hit the bottom-line of banks and to strengthen their balance-sheet the government is
providing 25000 rupees capital support in the current fiscal.
About Non Performing Assets
Banks usually classify any commercial loans as Non-Performing Assets which are overdue for more than 90
days and any consumer loans which are overdue for more than 180 days. More generally, NPA are those
assets that are not producing any income.
Piyush Goyal launched Access to Clean Cooking Energy and
Electricity - Survey of States Report
Piyush Goyal Union Minister of State (IC) for Coal, Power and New and Renewable Energy, on 29
September 2015 launched ‘Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity - Survey of States Report’.
The study was conducted by the Council on Energy, Environment & Water (CEEW) in collaboration with
Columbia University with support from the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation.
The analysis in the report provides a first of a kind multi-dimensional evaluation of the state of energy
access in India.
Highlights of the Report
• It highlights that about 300 million Indians rely on kerosene for lighting, and more than 800 million
relying on traditional biomass.
• It says that the access to modern forms of energy is still a significant barrier to our development.
• It suggests that there is a need to focus beyond aggregate figures on electrification and LPG connections,
and be sensitive to the numerous drivers which will determine how India will ensure true energy access for
all.
Some of the key questions explored in the ACCESS study include:
• Is energy access just a binary measure?
• What are the right metrics for measuring energy access?
• Have existing energy access programs been effective?
• What policies to improve energy access are preferred by the rural population?
The ACCESS report is a result of India's largest energy access survey; covering over 8500 households
across 714 villages and 51 districts in six of the most energy poor states (Bihar, Jharkand, Madhya Pradesh,
Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal).
Union Ministry of Road Transport launched Green Highways
Policy, 2015
Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari on 29 September 2015
launched Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification and Maintenance) Policy, 2015.
The policy that seeks to promote green covers along National Highway corridors was launched at the
National Conference in New Delhi.
Main Highlights
• The Green Highway Policy will make it compulsory for road developers to set aside 1 percent of the Total
Project Cost (TPC) for Highway Plantation and Maintenance.
• The policy seeks participation from the various segments of community including farmers, private sectors,
government institutions and NGOs.
• The scheme will supposedly spend 1000 crore rupees for trees plantation along National Highways in the
fiscal year 2015-16.
• Once implemented, the scheme will help in creating huge employment opportunities and entrepreneurship
development.
• Besides, the policy will also help in cutting down the carbon footprints and hugely benefit the
environment.
Green Highway Fund
• The policy calls for creation of fund account called Green Highways Fund (GHF) for developing green
covers along the NH corridors.
• The GHF will be created from the fund collected through 1 percent of the TPC contributed by the
developers.
• NHAI will act only as a Fund Manager for maintaining the Account and releasing payments
Background
The policy is the revised version of the Circular dated 20 May 1976 that called for maintenance of trees and
plantation of new ones on existing roads to be done from funds allocated for maintenance and repair of
National Highways.
The Circular was updated on 26 November 1996 thereby permitting public sector corporations/reputed
private companies/voluntary organizations to develop & maintain tree plantation.
Ministry of Railways launched Indian Railway Knowledge
Portal
Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu on 28 September 2015 launched Indian Railway Knowledge
Portal for dissemination of detailed information on Indian Railways.
It is an initiative of the National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR) which allows the user to access most
of the available knowledge about Indian Railways at one location due to linkage of websites, documents
and much more.
The portal was launched through video-conferencing established between Ministry of Railways, Rail
Bhawan and NAIR Headquarters at Vadodara.
The portal has made it easier for users to access information about Indian Railways, Railway Research and
Development, use of ICT in Indian Railways, major International Railway Journals, existing Indian
Railway Libraries and World Railways from a single web page.
Indian Railway Knowledge Portal also provides e-access to existing libraries of Railways. Also, National
Informatics Centre (NIC) has clustered all the libraries to a single interface via e-Granthalaya. Besides,
information regarding fan clubs, heritage, and rail museums across the world can also be accessed from the
portal.
NSSO released 68th Round data on Status of Education and
Vocational Training in India
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on 22 September 2015 released the data of 68th Round on Status of
Education and Vocational Training in India.
This report is based on the employment and unemployment survey conducted in the 68th round of
NSS during July 2011 to June 2012. The survey was spread over 12737 FSUs (7469 villages and 5268
urban blocks) covering 101724 households (59700 in rural areas and 42024 in urban areas) and enumerating
456999 persons (280763 in rural areas and 176236 in urban areas).
Literacy rates in General
• 18.2 percent of households in rural areas and 5.9 percent in urban areas do not have a single literate
member in the age-group 15 years and above who could read and write a simple message with
understanding.
• Literacy rate among persons of age 7 years and above was 74.7 percent in 2011-12 of which 70 percent
were in rural areas and 86 percent in urban areas.
• The male and female literacy rate in rural areas was 79.1 percent and 60.6 percent respectively. In urban
areas, the literacy rates were 91.1 percent for males and 80.3 percent for females.
• Among persons of age 15 years and above, only 2.4 percent had technical degrees or diplomas or
certificates. The proportion was 1.1 percent in rural areas and 5.5 percent in urban areas.
Current attendance in educational institution among persons of age 5-29 years
• About 57.7 percent of people in the age group 5-29 years were estimated as ‘currently attending’
educational institutions.
• In rural areas, 57.4 percent of the persons of age 5-29 years currently attended educational
institutions compared to 58.5 percent in urban areas.
• Among persons of age 5-29 years, about 64.5percent were currently attending ‘Government and local
body educational institutions’, 22.5 percent were currently attending private unaided institutions and 12.3
percent were currently attending private aided institutions.
• ‘To supplement household income’ was the main reason for more than 70 percent of males for
currently not attending any educational institution.
• ‘To attend domestic chores’ was the single reason for more than half of females not attending any
educational institution.
• About 27 percent in rural areas and 26.4 percent in urban areas reported that they never attended any
educational institution as ‘education not considered necessary’.
• About 3.6 percent in rural areas and 3.4 percent in urban areas reported that they never attended any
educational institution as the schools were too far.
• In rural areas 24.7 percent of males and 28.4 per cent of females and in urban areas, 22.9
percent of males and 29 percent of females reported the reason ‘education not considered necessary’
for never attending educational institution.
• Among males, nearly 25 per cent in rural areas and 33.2 per cent in urban areas reported the reason
‘to supplement household income’
• Among females, nearly 29.3 percent in rural areas and 28.1 percent in urban areas reported the
reason ‘to attend domestic chores’ for never attending educational institution.
Vocational Training among persons of age 15-59 years
• Among persons of age 15-59 years, about 2.2 percent reported to have received formal vocational training
and 8.6 percent reported to have received non-formal vocational training.
• In rural areas, nearly 1.6 percent of males compared to 0.9 percent of females and in urban areas, nearly 5
percent of males compared to 3.3 percent of females reported to have received formal vocational training.
• In rural areas, nearly 11.1 percent of males compared to 5.5 percent of females and in urban areas, nearly
13.7 percent of males compared to 4.3 percent of females reported to have received non-formal vocational
training.
• Among rural males who received/were receiving formal vocational training, the share was the highest
(22.3 percent) for field of training ‘driving and motor mechanic work’ while among urban males it was the
highest for ‘computer trades’ (26.3 percent).
• Among rural females, who received/were receiving formal vocational training the share was the highest
for ‘textile related work’ (32.2 percent) while among the urban females it was the highest for computer
trades’ (30.4 percent).
Comment
The data on vocational education is worrisome as the rate of vocational training had barely increased
between 2004-05 when the data was last collected and 2011-12.
This was despite former UPA government led by Manmohan Singh had announced an ambitious National
Skill Policy in 2009 and created a National Skill Development Coordination Board earlier.
The data poses a serious challenge for the Skill India Mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA
government which aims to train about 40 crore people by 2022.
Census 2011 data on Households with or without Educational
level of matriculation and above released
The Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India on 24 September 2015 released the Census 2011
data on Households with at least one member aged 15 years and above with or without educational level of
matriculation and above by Household Size.
The released data showed an increase of 10 percent in the decade 2001-2011 over the decade 1991-2001.
Key Findings from all over India
Around 122.9 million, which is 49.5 percent of the total households in India, with at least one member of
age 15 years and above, had one matriculate or more in the decade 2001-2011. During the decade 19912001, there were 39.4 per cent of households in India with at least one matriculate and above.
The number of households with at least one graduate and above was 41.4 million (16.7 per cent) in India in
2011. There were around 23.6 million (12.2 per cent) households with at least one graduate and above in
2001.
There are 21.9 million (8.8%) households with at least one female graduate and about 33.2 million (13.4%)
households with at least one male graduate and above.
CANBANK Venture Capital Fund Ltd appointed as
implementation agency of EDF Policy
The CANBANK Venture Capital Fund Ltd (CVCFL) was on 21 September 2015 appointed as the
implementation agency of the Electronics Development Fund (EDF) policy.
The Electronic Development Fund (EDF) is set up as a Fund of Funds to participate in Daughter Funds
which in turn will provide risk capital to companies developing new technologies in the area of electronics,
nano-electronics and Information Technology (IT).
With appointment of CVCFL as the agency to implement EDF, the EDF is now operational and will start
receiving requests for participation from Seed Funds, Angel Funds and Daughter Funds.
Highlights of Electronics Development Fund (EDF) policy
• The EDF would take minority participation in Seed Funds, Angel Funds and Venture Funds.
• It will invite requests from professionally managed private/public funds for its participation.
• EDF participation in a fund may vary depending on the nature of the fund and risk involved.
• It will support both Indian and foreign funds which are registered in India and comply with SEBI and
other regulations in this regard.
Target Beneficiaries of EDF Policy
Any Daughter Fund which is registered in India and abides with relevant rules and regulations applicable to
such Funds, including SEBI regulations on Venture Funds will be eligible for support from the EDF.
Government to provide additional 50 days work to farmers
under MGNREGA in drought-hit areas
Union Government on 14 September 2015 decided to provide additional 50 days of unskilled manual work
in the financial year 2015-16 in drought-hit areas under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment
Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme. The additional days will be provided to bring relief to farmers in
view of deficit monsoon in various parts of the country.
At present, 100 days of work is provided to rural job card holders under the MGNREGA, in such rural areas
where drought or natural calamities has been notified. The drought areas will be notified in consultation
with states.
The decision was taken after monsoon deficit reached 16 percent across the country, which could affect
kharif crops and rural income.
The move of the Union Government will allow state governments to provide additional wage employment
to rural poor in the drought affected areas.
Earlier, Government had announced diesel subsidy scheme for farmers to help save standing crops. It has
also announced appropriate input support measures to rejuvenate water-stressed horticulture crops in
drought-hit areas.
It has also decided to provide assistance for additional interventions for production of fodder for mitigating
adverse impact of drought on livestock in drought-hit blocks.
Apart from this, the Union Government has made flexible allocation under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
and other centrally sponsored schemes. It has put in place crop contingency plan for 600 districts.
Union cabinet approved guidelines for spectrum trading
between service providers
The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 approved guidelines for spectrum trading between two telecom
service providers.
Under the approved norms, spectrum trading will be allowed between two access service providers in 800
MHz/1800 MHz band. Till now, a licensee had the sole authority to use spectrum as it was not tradable.
As per the DoT norms, spectrum assignment is made for a period of 20 years to a licensee. During this
period, some operators are able to acquire subscribers and grow at a faster rate as compared to other
operators.
This results in the spectrum lying unutilised with some of the players while other operators face spectrum
crunch as spectrum is a scare resource.
Hence, the decision to allow spectrum trading is expected to result in the improvement of the quality of
services and also helps in addressing the issue of call drops (calls that are cut off due to technical reasons).
Union Cabinet approved 100 percent FDI in white label
ATMs through automatic route
The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 approved 100 percent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in white
label Automated Teller Machines (WLAs). White label ATMs are those that are being set up by non-bank
entities.
In contrast to the earlier norm of going through the approval route, this decision by the cabinet allows
foreign investments through the automatic route.
However, any non-bank entity intending to set up WLAs should have a minimum net worth of 100 crore
rupees as per the latest financial year's audited balance sheet, which is to be maintained at all times.
Comment
The change in the policy guidelines is primarily aimed at extending the financial inclusion principal even to
the Tier III to VI cities across the country.
The extended reach of ATMs will allow beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana to avail a
wide variety of banking services like accessing their accounts for dispensing cash and non-financial
services without the need for actually visiting their bank branch.
Union Cabinet approved introduction of Gold Monetization
Schemes
The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 approved introduction of Gold Monetization Schemes that were
announced by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his 2015-16 budget speech.
Under this initiative, revamped Gold Deposit Scheme (GDS) and the Gold Metal Loan (GML) Scheme will
be implemented.These revamped schemes are in addition to the Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme as approved
by the Cabinet.
Revamped Gold Deposit Scheme
Objectives
• To mobilize the gold held by households and institutions in the country.
• To provide a fillip to the gems and jewellery sector in the country by making gold available as raw
material on loan from banks.
• To reduce reliance on import of gold to meet the domestic demand.
Process of Gold Monetization by customers/Gold Mobilisation by Banks
Stage1: Customer willing to monetize gold, which is in the form of bullion or jewellary, will approach
Purity Testing Centre (PTC). In a PTC, a preliminary XRF machine-test (Preliminary Test) will be
conducted to assess the approximate amount of pure gold.
The minimum quantity of gold that a customer can bring is proposed to be set at 30 grams and around 350
Hallmarking Centres that are certified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) will act as PTCs to test the
gold.
Stage2: After the preliminary assessment, if the customer gives his consent for melting the gold, a further
test of purity (Fire Assay Test) will be conducted at the same PTC. The test will melt the gold and net
weight of gold will be estimated.
Stage3: After the result of the Fire Assay Test, if the customer willing to deposit the gold he will be given a
certificate by the collection centre certifying the amount and purity of the deposited gold; Otherwise he can
take back the melted gold in the form of gold bars after paying a nominal fee.
Stage4: The depositor produces the certificate at the bank and the bank in turn will open a Gold Savings
Account for the depositor and credit the quantity of gold into the depositor’s account. Simultaneously, the
PTC will also inform the bank about the deposit made.
Stage5: The bank will pay interest to the depositor after 30/60 days of opening of the account. The amount
of interest rate to be given is proposed to be left to the banks todecide.
Both principal and interest to be paid to the depositors will be valued in gold. For example if a customer
deposits 100 gms of gold and gets 1 per cent interest, then, on maturity he has a credit of 101 gms.
The deposits can be made for a short-term period of 1-3 years (with a roll out in multiples of one year); a
medium-term period of 5-7 years and a long-term period, of 12-15 years (as decided from time to time).
The depositor will have the option of redemption either in cash or in gold, which will have to be exercised
at the time of deposit.
Similar to the Gold Deposit Scheme (1999), in which the customers received Capital Gains Tax, Wealth tax
and Income Tax exemptions, the depositors of GMS also will receive similar benefits.
Gold Reserve Fund: The difference between the current borrowing cost for the Government and the interest
rate paid by the Government under the medium/long term deposit will be credited to the Gold Reserve
Fund.
Utilization
The deposits will be utilized for Auctioning, Replenishment of RBIs Gold Reserves, Coins and lending to
jewelers.
To make the process of lending to jewelers smooth and efficient, jewellers will be allowed to open Gold
Loan Account as part of the revamped Gold Metal Loan Scheme.
For implementation of these revamped schemes, the banks will enter into a tripartite Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) with refiners and PTCs.
Union Cabinet approved Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme to
reduce dependence on physical gold
The Union Cabinet on 9 September 2015 gave its approval for the Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme.
The purpose of the scheme is to reduce the demand for physical gold and to shift part of the estimated 300
tons of physical bars and coins purchased every year for investment into Demat (Dematerialised) gold
bonds.
Features of Sovereign Gold Bonds Scheme
• Bonds will be issued on payment of money and would be linked to the price of gold.
• The sell would be restricted to resident Indian entities and each entity cannot buy more than 500 grams per
person per year.
• The bonds will be issued in denominations of 2, 5 and 10 grams of gold or other denominations.
• The cap on bonds that may be bought by an entity would be at a suitable level, not more than 500 grams
per person per year.
• The bonds will be issued with a nominal rate of interest (which will be linked to international rate for gold
borrowing) as decided by the government.
• The rate of interest on the bonds will be payable in terms of grams of gold. The interest will be calculated
on 10000 at a certain per cent say 2 or 3 percent.
• On maturity, the investor receives the equivalent of the face value of gold in rupee terms.
• Bonds will be issued on behalf of the Government of India by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The bond will be marketed through post offices and by various brokers/agents who may need to be paid a
commission (like for Kisan Vikas Patra).
• The price of gold may be taken from National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) / London
Bullion Market Association/RBI and the rupee equivalent amount may be converted at the RBI reference
rate on issue and redemption.
• Banks/ Non-bank financial companies (NBFCs)/Post Offices may collect money / redeem bonds on behalf
of government (for a fee, the amount would be as decided).
• Capital gains tax treatment will be the same as for physical gold. This will ensure that an investor is
indifferent in terms of investing in these bonds and in physical gold- as far as the tax treatment is
concerned.
• The tenor of the bond could be for a minimum of 5 to 7 years so that it would protect investors from
medium term volatility in the gold prices.
• These Bonds will be easily sold and traded on commodity exchanges
• Bonds can be used as collateral for loans. The Loan to Value ratio can be set equal to ordinary gold loan
mandated by RBI from time to time.
• During 2015-16 financial year gold bonds equivalent of 50 tonnes of gold would be issued. Since the
amount, around 13500 crore rupees, is not very high, it can be accommodated within the market borrowing
programme for 2015-16.
• Since these bonds are part of the sovereign borrowing, they will be within the fiscal deficit target for 201516 and onwards.
• The amount received from the bonds will be used in lieu of government borrowing and the notional
interest saved on this amount would be credited in an account Gold Reserve Fund.
• Gold Reserve Fund will be utilised to take care of the risk of increase in gold price that will be borne by
the government.
Comment
The cabinet approval to the scheme is in tune with the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s 2015-16
budget speech.
Jaitley, on 28 Februay 2015, announced three major initiatives viz., Gold Monetisation Scheme, Sovereign
Gold Bond Scheme and Indian Gold Coin to curb demand for physical gold.
Since most of the domestic demand for gold is met through imports, this scheme will, ultimately help in
maintaining the country's Current Account Deficit (CAD) within sustainable limits.
Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS) is intended to replace both the gold deposit and gold metal loan scheme
and to allow depositors to earn interest on their gold metal accounts jewelers to obtain loans.
Indian Gold Coin, which will carry the Ashok Chakra on its face, would help reduce the demand for gold
coins and also help recycle the gold available in the country.
Forward Markets Commission to be merged with SEBI with
effect from 28 Sept 2015
Union Government on 28 August 2015 notified the merger of commodities market regulator Forward
Markets Commission (FMC) with Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Its merging will be
effective from 28 September 2015.
For this purpose, the government repealed the Forward Contracts Regulation Act (FCRA) 1952 and made a
way to shift the Regulation of Commodity Derivatives Market to SEBI under Securities Contracts
Regulation Act (SCRA) 1956.
An official press release said, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his Budget speech, had announced the
merger of FMC with the capital market regulator SEBI to strengthen the regulation of commodity futures
market.
A unified regulator for commodities and capital markets will help streamline monitoring of commodity
futures trading and curb wild speculations.
RBI declared SBI and ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically
Important Banks
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 31 August 2015 declared State Bank of India (SBI) and ICICI Bank as
Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) in line with the D-SIB Framework released by the RBI
on 22 July 2014.
These banks have been identified as D-SIBs based on the methodology provided in the D-SIB Framework
and data collected from banks as on 31 March 2015.
Further, these banks have been put under associated bucket structure as required under the D-SIB
Framework and each bucket corresponds to the higher loss absorbency requirements that they would be
required to hold from January 2016.
As a result, SBI has been put under Bucket 3 with additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirements
as a percentage of Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs) placed at 0.6percent.
On the other hand, ICICI Bank has been put under Bucket 1 with additional CET1 requirements as a
percentage of RWAs placed at 0.2 percent.
Framework for dealing with D-SIB
Framework for dealing with D-SIB was issued by the RBI on 22 July 2014 as required under the October
2010 recommendations of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) following the 2008 global financial crisis. In
its recommendation FSB called all member countries to put in place a framework to reduce risks
attributable to Systemically Important Financial Institutions (SIFIs) in their jurisdictions.
As part of the framework, D-SIBs were placed in four buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance
Scores (SISs) in ascending order and will be required to have additional Common Equity Tier 1 capital
requirement ranging from 0.20% to 0.80% of risk weighted assets.
The additional CET1 requirements applicable to D-SIBs will become effective from 1 April 2016 in a
phased manner and would become fully effective from 1 April 2019. The additional CET1 requirement will
be in addition to the capital conservation buffer.
In case a foreign bank having branch presence in India is a Global Systemically Important Bank (G-SIB), it
has to maintain additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as a G-SIB, proportionate to
its RWAs in India.
How to identify a D-SIB?
In order to identify a D-SIB, the D-SIB Framework specifies a two-step process of identification of D-SIBs.
In the first step, the sample of banks to be assessed for systemic importance has to be decided. The selection
of banks in the sample for computation of SIS is based on analysis of their size as a percentage of annual
GDP.
In line with this, RBI adopted an assessment methodology primarily based on the Basel Committee on
Banking Supervision (BCBS) methodology for identifying the G-SIBs with suitable modifications to
capture domestic importance of a bank.
The indicators used for assessment are: size, interconnectedness, substitutability and complexity. Based on
the sample of banks chosen for computation of their systemic importance, a relative composite systemic
importance score of the banks will be computed.
Bandhan Financial Services started operations as Scheduled
Commercial Bank
Bandhan Financial Services, a Micro Financial Institution (MFI), on 23 August 2015 started operations as a
Scheduled Commercial Bank (SCB). Henceforth it will be called as Bandhan Bank.
The banking services were inaugurated by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Kolkata.
With this, Bandhan became the first micro finance company in the country to start operations as a fullfledged commercial bank. It is also the first commercial bank from Eastern India to get RBI clearance since
independence.
Bandhan along with IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Company) were granted banking licenses
in 2014 by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The move was aimed at deepening financial services reach in
the country by utilizing the services of the existing players in the market.
About Bandhan
Bandhan started as a Non Banking Finance Company in 2001 and focused on the lower strata of the
especially unorganized sector workers.
On the inaugural day, the bank started operations with 501 branches in 24 states across the country with
1.43 crore accounts.
Chandra Sekhar Ghosh, the Managing Director and Founder of the Bank.
R Gandhi panel recommended conversion of UCBs into
Regular Banks
The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) High Powered Committee on Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs)
headed by RBI Deputy Governor R Gandhi in its report has recommended conversion of UCBs with
business size of 20000 crore rupees or more into regular banks. This will allow them to grow and proliferate
further for financial inclusion.
RBI on 20 August 2015 placed the panel’s report on its website and invited suggestions and comments from
public on this report by 18 September 2015.
The important recommendations made by the HPC are briefly as under:
1. Business Size and Conversion of Multi-State UCBs into joint stock bank: A business size of 20000 crore
rupees or more may be the threshold limit beyond which a UCB may be expected to convert itself into a
commercial bank. The conversion need not be de jure compulsory. However, the types of businesses to be
undertaken by those choosing not to convert may remain within the limits of plain vanilla products and
services and hence, growth will be at a much slower pace. Their expansion in terms of branches, area of
operations and business lines may thus be carefully calibrated.
2. Conversion of UCBs into Small Finance Banks (SFBs): Smaller UCBs with business size of less than
20000 crore rupees willing to convert to SFBs can apply to the Reserve Bank for conversion provided they
fulfil all the eligibility criteria and selection processes prescribed by the Reserve Bank and further provided
that the licensing window for SFBs is open.
3. Issue of fresh licences: Licenses may be issued to financially sound and well-managed co-operative credit
societies having a minimum track record of 5 years which satisfy the regulatory prescriptions set by the
Reserve Bank as licensing conditions. For providing banking access in unbanked areas, the Reserve Bank
may put in place an appropriate set of incentives for existing banks to open branches there.
4. Board of Management (BoM) in addition to Board of Directors (BoDs): Putting in place a BoM as
suggested by the Malegam Committee has to be one of the mandatory licensing conditions for licensing of
new UCBs and expansion of existing ones.
5. Entry Point Norms: The new Entry Point Norms (EPNs) may be as under:
• To operate as a Multi-State Urban Co-operative Bank- 100 crore rupees
• To operate beyond two districts and as a State level UCB - 50 crore rupees
• To operate as District level UCB (upto 2 districts) - 25 crore rupees
• In case of conversion of co-operative credit societies in unbanked areas and in the north-east, suitable
relaxation may be made by the Reserve Bank.
6. Depositors as voting members: The depositors ought to have a say on the Boards of UCBs. For this, a
majority of the board seats may be reserved for depositors by making suitable provisions in the bye-laws.
Background
The High Powered Committee on Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs) under the chairmanship of RBI
Deputy Governor R Gandhi was constituted on 30 January 2015. The committee was formed to examine
and recommend permissible business lines and appropriate size, and examine the issues with regard to
conversion of UCBs into commercial banks besides determining whether the time is opportune to issue new
licenses to UCBs as recommended by the Expert Committee on Licensing of New UCBs (Malegam
Committee).
The committee was formed in accordance to the recommendation made by the Standing Advisory
Committee (SAC) on UCBs in its meeting held on 20 October 2014.
RBI granted 'in-principle' approval to 11 Payment Banks
applicants
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 19 August 2015 granted in-principle approval to 11 payment banks
applicants under the Guidelines for Licensing of Payments Banks. The guidelines were issued on 17
November 2014.
The 11 payment banks granted the approval includes
• Aditya Birla Nuvo Limited
• Airtel M Commerce Services Limited
• Cholamandalam Distribution Services Limited
• Department of Posts
• Fino PayTech Limited
• National Securities Depository Limited
• Reliance Industries Limited
• Shri Dilip Shantilal Shanghvi
• Shri Vijay Shekhar Sharma
• Tech Mahindra Limited
• Vodafone m-pesa Limited
RBI's “in-principle” nod will be valid for a period of 18 months, during which time the applicants have to
comply with the requirements under the Guidelines and fulfill the other conditions as may be stipulated by
the Reserve bank.
On being satisfied that the applicants have complied with the requisite conditions laid down by it as part of
“in-principle” approval, the Reserve Bank would consider granting to them a licence for commencement of
banking business under Section 22(1) of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Until a regular licence is
issued, the applicants cannot undertake any banking business.
Payments Bank
A payments bank differs from conventional banks as it cannot lend to its customers. It is allowed to take
deposits, allow remittances and provide simple financial products. The payments bank will need to invest
75 percent of its funds in government securities.
The minimum capital needed to set up a payments bank is set at 100 crore rupees. The bank will be allowed
to accept savings deposits of up to 1 lakh rupees from each customer.
Union Government appointed two private sector professionals
to head BoB, Canara Bank
Union Government on 14 August 2015 appointed private sector professionals, namely PS Jayakumar and
Rakesh Sharma, as Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda (BoB)
and Canara Bank, respectively.
This is the first time that private sector professionals were appointed to head the Public Sector Banks
(PSBs). Earlier, the heads of PSBs were selected from among the state-run banks or government officers.
The announcements were made along with appointment of MD and CEO of Bank of India (BoI), IDBI
Bank and Punjab National Bank (PNB).
These three executive heads are serving officials in other government-owned banks and the appointees are
MO Rego, Kishore Kharat Piraji, and Usha Ananthasubramanian.
The government also announced appointment of Non-executive chairman of 5 banks, namely Bank of
Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, Vijaya Bank and Indian Bank.
Besides, the government also announced that some vacancies of Non-official Directors and non executive
chairman of six other PSBs will be completed in the next three months.
RBI notified Interest Subvention Scheme 2015-16 of Union
Government for banks
Reserve Bank of India on 13 August 2015 notified the Union Budget-2015-16 Interest Subvention Scheme
(ISS) and asked all banks to provide interest concession of 2 percent on short term crop loans of up to 3
lakh rupees.
The central bank in its notification said that interest subvention of 2 percent per annum will be made
available to public and private sector banks provided they lend short term credit at the ground level at 7
percent per annum to farmers.
The bank said that additional interest subvention of 3 percent will be available to farmers for repaying the
loan promptly from the date of disbursement of the crop loan. This implies that farmers paying promptly
would get short term crop loans at 4 percent during the year 2015-16.
To provide relief to farmers affected by natural calamities, the Reserve Bank has said that interest
subvention of 2 percent will continue to be available to banks for the first year on the restructured amount.
However, such restructured loans may attract normal rate of interest from the second year onwards.
Background
The government in the Budget for 2015-16 proposed to implement interest subvention scheme in the 201516 fiscal for short-term crop loans up to 3 lakh rupees. After that, the Union Government on 21 July 2015
extended ISS to Public Sector Banks (PSBs), private sector commercial banks, rural regional banks (RRBs),
cooperative banks and NABARD.
India & World Bank signed agreement of US$ 308.40 Million
for NCRMP-II
Union Government and World Bank on 11 August 2015 signed 308.40 million US dollar credit agreement
in support of the second phase of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Program (NCRMP-II). The
agreement was also signed by the state Governments of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, and
West Bengal.
The agreement was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the
Union Government and John Blomquist, Program Leader and Acting Country Director in India, on behalf
of the World Bank.
The Project Agreements in respect of the States of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and West
Bengal were signed by the representatives of the respective State Governments.
Objective of the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project-II (NCRMP-II)
• To reduce vulnerability to cyclone and other hydro-meteorological hazards of coastal communities in the
states of Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal
• It aims at increasing the capacity of the State entities to effectively plan for and respond to disasters.
• The project will also finance technical assistance for strengthening of multi-hazard risk management at the
national level and improving the quality of available information on multi-hazard risks for decision making
across the country.
• NCRMP-II has four components and they are
a) Early Warning Dissemination Systems
b) Cyclone Risk Mitigation Infrastructure
c) Technical Assistance for Multi-Hazard Risk Management
d) Project Management and Implementation Support
The primary beneficiaries of NCRMP-II will be coastal communities in the target states benefitting from
cyclone risk mitigation infrastructure and early warning systems.
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs through National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) and at the state level, it will be executed by the respective State Disaster Management
Authorities.
Union Ministry for Minority Affairs launched Nai Manzil
Scheme in Patna
The Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptulla on 8 August 2015 launched a new Central Sector
Scheme Nai Manzil in Patna.
The scheme will address educational and livelihood needs of minority communities in general and muslims
in particular as it lags behind other minority communities in terms of educational attainments.
Highlights of the scheme
• The scheme gives a new direction and a new goal for the all out of school or dropped out students and
those studying in Madrasas. It is so because they will not be getting formal Class XII and Class X
Certificates rendering them largely un employed in organised sector.
• The Nai Manzil scheme is aimed at this target group as an integrated intervention in terms of providing
education as well as skill development.
• It aims at providing educational intervention by giving the bridge courses to the trainees and getting them
Certificates for Class XII and X from distance medium educational system.
• It will also provide them trade basis skill training in 4 courses including Manufacturing, Engineering,
Services and Soft skills.
• The scheme is intended to cover people in between 17 to 35 age group from all minority communities as
well as Madrasa students.
• It will provide avenues for continuing higher education and also open up employment opportunities in the
organised sector.
RBI decided to issue 10 rupees coins to commemorate
International Day of Yoga
The Reserve Bank of India on 30 July 2015 decided to put into circulation 10 rupees coins to commemorate
the International Day of Yoga. The coins have been minted by the Government of India.
The design details of these coins are:
Obverse
• The obverse of the coin bears the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar in the center with the legend "सत्यमेव
जयते" inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word "भारत" in Devnagri script and on the
right periphery flanked with the word "INDIA" in English.
• It also bears the Rupee ₹ symbol and denominational value "10" in the international numerals below the
Lion Capitol.
Reverse
• The reverse of the coin bears the logo of "International Day of Yoga", with inscription "सामंजस्य एवं
शान्तत के लिए योग" in Devnagri Script and "YOGA FOR HARMONY AND PEACE" around the logo and
design.
• The date "21 JUNE" is written at the bottom of the logo.
• The inscription "अंतरााष्ट्रीय योग दिवस" in Devnagri script on left periphery and "INTERNATIONAL
DAY OF YOGA" in English on the right periphery is written on this side of the coin.
• The year "2015" is written on the lower periphery in international numerals exactly below the logo.
These coins are legal tender as provided in The Coinage Act 2011. The existing coins in this denomination
will also continue to be legal tender.
Union Cabinet approved setting up of National Investment
and Infrastructure Fund
Union Cabinet on 29 July 2015 approved setting up of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund
(NIIF) to back new and stressed projects may help restart the investment cycle.
The fund will have an initial corpus of 20000 crore rupees which can be leveraged by infrastructure
companies.
NIIF is proposed to be set up as a Trust which would raise debt to invest in the equity of infrastructure
finance companies such as Indian Rail Finance Corporation (IRFC) and National Housing Bank (NHB).
The fund was proposed by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget 2015-16.
Besides, the Cabinet also gave approval to foreign investment in the Alternative Investment Funds for
facilitating domestic investment.
Union Government extended Interest Subvention Scheme to
banks
Union Government on 21 July 2015 extended Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS) to Public Sector Banks
(PSBs), private sector commercial banks, rural regional banks (RRBs), cooperative banks and NABARD. It
was extended to ensure availability of crop loans of up to 3 lakh rupees to farmers at 7 percent per annum.
The decision to continue interest subvention on short term crop loans was taken by the Union Cabinet
chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the fiscal 2015-16. The Cabinet also approved an additional
interest subvention of 3 percent per annum for those farmers who repay on time.
The government also decided to provide interest subvention to small and marginal farmers with Kisan
Credit Cards (KCC) for loans against negotiable warehouse receipts post-harvest at annual interest of seven
percent for six months.
The government will also give relief to farmers affected by natural calamities, where the interest subvention
of two percent will continue to be available to banks for the first year on the restructured amount.
Besides, the Cabinet also approved a Central Agricultural University at Samastipur in Bihar. According to
the approval, the existing agricultural university at Pusa will be converted into an international level
institution through strengthening of infrastructure, manpower and other provisions.
The cabinet also gave its in-principle nod for the revival of Banana Research Centre at Goraul in Vaishali,
Bihar.
RBI signed Special Currency Swap Agreement with the
Central Bank of Sri Lanka
The Reserve Bank of India on 17 July 2015 signed a Special Currency Swap Agreement with the Central
Bank of Sri Lanka.
Under the arrangement, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka can draw up to 1.1 billion US dollar for a maximum
period of six months. This special arrangement is in addition to the existing Framework on Currency Swap
Arrangement for the SAARC Member Countries.
Earlier on 25 March 2015, the Reserve Bank of India had signed a Currency Swap Agreement with the
Central Bank of Sri Lanka for 400 million US dollar under the existing SAARC Currency Swap Framework
within the overall limit of 2 billion US dollar.
The swap arrangements are intended to provide a backstop line of funding for the SAARC member
countries to meet any balance of payments and liquidity crises till longer term arrangements are made or if
there is need for short-term liquidity due to stressed market conditions.
The proposal to extend the additional currency swap facility of 1.1 billion US dollar for a limited period
was decided by the Union Government in April 2015 based on the recommendation of the Reserve Bank of
India for mitigating the possible currency volatility in the spirit of strengthening India’s bilateral relations
and economic ties with Sri Lanka.
Union Government launched National Mission for Skill
Development
Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) on 15 July 2015 launched the National
Mission for Skill Development (NMSD). The NMSD was launched to provide the overall institutional
framework to rapidly implement and scale up skill development efforts across India.
The Mission seeks to provide the institutional capacity to train a minimum of 300 million skilled people by
the year 2022.
Objectives of the Mission
Create an end-to-end implementation framework for skill development, which provides opportunities for
life-long learning.
Align employer/industry demand and workforce productivity with trainees’ aspirations for sustainable
livelihoods, by creating a framework for outcome-focused training.
Establish and enforce cross-sectoral, nationally and internationally acceptable standards for skill training in
the country.
Build capacity for skill development in critical un-organized sectors and provide pathways for re-skilling
and up-skilling workers in this sector, to enable them to transition into formal sector employment.
Ensure sufficient, high quality options for long-term skilling, benchmarked to internationally acceptable
qualification standards, which will ultimately contribute to the creation of a highly skilled workforce.
Develop a network of quality instructors/trainers in the skill development ecosystem by establishing high
quality teacher training institutions.
Leverage existing public infrastructure and industry facilities for scaling up skill training and capacity
building efforts.
Support weaker and disadvantaged sections of society through focused outreach programmes and targeted
skill development activities.
Propagate aspirational value of skilling among youth, by creating social awareness on value of skill
training.
Maintain a national database, known as the Labour Market Information System (LMIS), which will act as a
portal for matching the demand and supply of skilled workforce in the country.
Institutional Mechanism
The Mission at the Centre will consist of a apex Governing Council to be headed by Prime Minister, a
Steering Committee to be headed by Minister of MSDE and a Mission Directorate to be chaired by
Secretary, MSDE.
Mission Directorate will be supported by three other institutions, viz., National Skill Development Agency
(NDSA), National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and Directorate General of Training (DGT).
At the State level, States will be encouraged to create State Skill Development Mission along the lines of
National Skill Development Mission with a Steering Committee and a Mission Directorate at the State
level.
Seven Sub-Missions
The Mission will have seven sub-missions under its purview. These are:
Revitalizing Institutional training
Infrastructure through undertaking sector specific skill training initiatives
Ensure convergence of existing skill development programmes
Leverage existing public infrastructure for skilling
Focus on training of trainers
Facilitate overseas employment and
Promote sustainable livelihoods
CCEA approved Scheme for Promotion of National
Agricultural Market
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 2 July 2015 gave its approval to the Central
Sector Scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund
(ATIF).
The scheme envisages creation of a common electronic platform deployable in 585 regulated markets across
the country with an outlay of 200 crore rupees from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
Key characteristics of the scheme
• Common e-platforms will be set up by Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) through the
Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC). These platforms will provide farmers and traders with
access to opportunities for purchase/sale of agri-commodities at optimal prices in a transparent manner
across the country.
• SFAC will be the lead agency for the development of the National e-Market by the Union Ministry of
Agriculture. It will implement the national e-platform in three phases with 250 mandis targeted to be
integrated with e-platform in 2015-16, 200 mandis in 2016-17 and 135 mandis in 2017-18.
• DAC will meet expenses on software and its customisation for the States and provide it free of cost to the
States and UTs.
• DAC will also give grant as one time fixed cost subject to the ceiling of 30 lakh rupees per Mandi for
related equipment/infrastructure in the 585 regulated mandis, for installation of the e-market platform.
• Big private mandis will also be allowed access to the e-platform for purposes of price discovery. However
they will not be supported with any funds for equipment / infrastructure.
• The Scheme is applicable on All-India basis and there is no State wise allocation under the Scheme though
States would need to meet the pre-requisites in carrying out necessary agri-marketing reforms. These prerequisites are:
a) a single license to be valid across the State
b) single point levy of market fee and
c) provision for electronic auction as a mode for price discovery
Background:
Integration of agri-markets across the country through the e-platform is seen as an important measure for
overcoming challenges posed by the present agri-marketing system. These are fragmentation of State into
multiple market areas each administered by separate APMC, multiple levy of mandi fees, requirement for
multiple license for trading in different APMCs and etc.
It is with this view, the Budget of 2014 and 2015 announced to set up an Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund and
a National Market. As a result, DAC formulated the scheme for Promotion of National Agriculture Market
through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).
CCEA approved Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yoiana
(PMKSY)
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on 2 July 2015 gave its approval for a new scheme
called Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY).
The Yojana was approved with an outlay of 50000 crore rupees over a period of five years, that is, from
2015-16 to 2019-20 and the allocation for the financial year 2015-16 has been kept at 5300 crore rupees.
Aim of PMKSY
Bringing concerned Ministries/Departments/Agencies/Research and Financial Institutions engaged in
creation/use/recycling/potential recycling of water under a common platform so that a comprehensive and
holistic view of the entire water cycle is taken into account and proper water budgeting is done for all
sectors namely, household, agriculture and industries.
Objectives of PMKSY
To provide convergence to existing schemes of water management, thus bringing efficiency to the use of
water
Expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani)
Improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water
Enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop)
Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the
feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture
Attract greater private investment in precision irrigation system
Architecture of PMKSY
PMKSY envisages a decentralized State level planning and execution structure. As part of it States will be
allowed to draw up a District Irrigation Plan (DIP) and a State Irrigation Plan (SIP).
DIP will have holistic developmental perspective of the district outlining medium to long term
developmental plans integrating three components namely, water sources, distribution network and water
use application of the district to be prepared at two levels - the block and the district.
All structures created under the schemes will be geo-tagged.
Monitoring and Implementation of PMKSY
National level: The programme will be supervised and monitored by an Inter-Ministerial National Steering
Committee (NSC) under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister with Union Ministers of all concerned
Ministries.
The implementation of the yojana will be through a National Executive Committee (NEC) to be constituted
under the Chairmanship of the Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Besides, NEC will also oversee allocation of resources, inter ministerial coordination, monitoring and
performance assessment, addressing administrative issues etc.
State Level: A State Level Sanctioning Committee (SLSC) to be chaired by the Chief Secretary of
respective state will be administering the programme at state level. The committee will have all authority to
sanction the project and also monitor the progress of the scheme.
District Level: At the district level their shall be a district level implementation committee for ensuring last
mile coordination at the field level.
The Yojana is in addition to existing farmer friendly initiatives taken by the NDA government in the last
one year. These include issuing of Soil Health Card to farmers, setting up soil and fertilizer laboratories for
Soil Health Management, launch of Pramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana to promote organic farming, and
starting of dedicated Kisan Channel by Doordarshan.
Literacy rate 71 percent in rural areas, 86 percent in urban
areas: NSSO survey
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on 30 June 2015 released the 71st Round of its survey on Social
Consumption: Education. The survey was conducted for the period of January to June 2014 and portrays the
salient features relating to prime indicators on education as on 31 March 2014.
The survey covered entire country with samples taken from 36479 households in rural areas and 29447 in
urban areas from 4577 villages and 3720 urban blocks. It was conducted on the basis of having any student
aged between 5 and 29 years receiving technical/professional or general education.
Major findings of the Survey
• Adult literacy (age 15 years and above) rate in India was around 70.5 percent in 2014
• Among the age group 7 years and above, the male literacy rate was registered at 83.2 percent vis-a-vis the
female literacy rate of 67.1 percent.
• Literacy rate (age 5 and above) in the rural areas was pegged at 71.4 percent in 2014, compared to 86.1
percent in the urban areas.
• The rural population in India for the age-group 5-29 years was estimated to be a little over 36 crores (47
percent) and the same for urban was approximately 14.5 crores (44 percent).
• For the country as a whole, 84 percent male and 83 percent female children in the age-group 6-10, the
official age-group for Classes I-V, were reported to be attending primary classes. This symbolized no major
rural-urban or male-female disparity in the country.
• Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Kerala, Goa, Delhi, Chandigarh and Lakshadweep had more than 90
percent of literates in 7+ age groups.
• Rural female literacy rates (for 7+ age) in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan,
Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh were still low in comparison to all-India average.
• In terms of physical access to primary schooling within less than 1 km, more than 12 percent of rural
households in India did not have any secondary schools within 5 kilometers whereas in urban areas such
cases are insignificant (less than 1 percent).
• No major differences were observed between male and female persons in urban areas up to the level of
higher secondary but such differences are noticeable in rural areas. The rural-urban and male-female
disparities accentuate at higher education levels of graduation and above.
• In the rural areas nearly 4.5 percent of males and 2.2 percent of females completed education level of
graduation and above, while in urban areas 17 percent of males and 13 percent of females completed this
level of education.
• The adult literate females of the country was about 61 percent compared to 80 percent males and about 25
percent of adult females among the female literates had completed at least higher secondary (excluding
diploma). For males it was about 27 percent.
• There was no noticeable rural-urban disparity observed among the persons currently attending educational
institutions, but gender disparity can be observed in rural areas with 58.7 percent of males and 53 percent of
females in the 5-29 age- group reported to be attending education.
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) functions under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation.
UNCTAD released World Investment Report 2015
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 24 June 2015 released the World
Investment Report 2015 (WIR15) titled Reforming International Investment Governance.
The WIR15 delineated the investment trends at the global, regional and country level during 2014 and
offered a comparative perspective across the space and time.
Highlights of World Investment Report 2015
• In 2014, Global Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows fell by 16 per cent to 1.23 trillion US dollars
mostly because of the fragility of the global economy, policy uncertainty for investors and elevated
geopolitical risks. However, they are projected to grow by 11 per cent to 1.4 trillion US dollars in 2015.
• Inward FDI flows to developing economies reached their highest level at 681 billion US dollars with a 2
per cent rise. China became the world’s largest recipient of FDI and among the top 10 FDI recipients in the
world, 5 are developing economies.
• Despite a revival in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As), 399 billion US dollars during 2014,
overall FDI flows to developed countries declined by 28 per cent to 499 billion US dollars. They were
significantly affected by a single large scale divestment from the USA.
• Investments by developing-country multinational enterprises (MNEs) also reached a record level. They
now invest abroad more than any other MNEs.
• Nine of the 20 largest investor countries were from developing or transition economies. MNEs of
developing countries continued to acquire developed country foreign affiliates in the developing world.
• The groups of countries negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and TransPacific Partnership (TPP) saw their combined share of global FDI inflows decline. However, ASEAN (up 5
per cent to 133 billion US dollars) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) (up 4
per cent to 363 billion US dollars) bucked the trend.
• In 2012, services accounted for 63 per cent of global FDI stock, more than twice the share of
manufacturing. The primary sector represented less than 10 per cent of the total.
• In 2014, announced Greenfield investment declined by 2 per cent to 696 billion US dollars. Developing
countries continued to attract two thirds of announced Greenfield investment.
• International production, production by MNEs, rose in 2014 generating value added of approximately 7.9
trillion US dollars.
• Developing Asia (up 9 per cent) saw FDI inflows grow to historically high levels. They reached nearly
half a trillion dollars in 2014, further consolidating the region’s position as the largest recipient in the world.
• In South Asia (up 16 per cent to 41 billion US dollars), FDI has increased in manufacturing, including in
the automotive industry.
Investment scenario in India during 2014
FDI flows: While inward FDI was pegged at 34.4 billion US dollars, outward FDI was 9.8 billion US
dollars. There was an increase of 6.3 billion US dollars and 10.3 billion US dollars in inward inflows when
compared to that of 2013 and 2014 respectively.
As a percentage of gross fixed capital formation, inward flows and outward flows stood at 5.9 percent and
1.7 percent respectively.
Though India attracted around 80 percent of total inward FDI inflows of South Asia (41.1 billion US
dollars), it was way behind 128.5 billion US dollars attracted by China.
FDI stock: While total inward FDI stock was 252.3 billion US dollars (12.3 percent of GDP), outward FDI
stock was 129.5 billion US dollars (6.3 percent of GDP) during 2014.
Cross border M&As: While, net sales were pegged at 5.8 billion US dollars, net purchases were 1 billion
US dollars during 2014.
Greenfield investment: While India attracted 24.9 billion US dollars, out of 26.3 billion US dollars in South
Asia, as a source it invested 13.2 billion dollars abroad in Greenfield projects during 2014. However, India
was way behind China that attracted 77.4 billion US dollars during the same period.
Union Cabinet revised target of solar power under JNNSM
to 100000 MW by 2022
The Union Cabinet on 17 June 2015 gave its approval for stepping up of solar power capacity target under
the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) by five times to 100000 MW (100 GW).The target
to be achieved by 2022.
The earlier target was producing solar power of 20000 MW by 2022.
With this target, India will become one of the largest green energy producers in the world, surpassing
several developed countries.
The target will principally comprise of 40 GW rooftop and 60 GW through large and medium scale grid
connected solar power projects.
The total investment in setting up 100 GW will be around 6 lakh crore rupees.
In the first phase, the Union Government will be providing 15050 crore rupees as capital subsidy to promote
solar capacity addition in the country. This capital subsidy will be provided for rooftop solar projects in
various cities and towns, for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) based projects to be developed through the Solar
Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and for decentralized generation through small solar projects.
Apart from this, solar power projects with investment of about 90000 crore rupees would be developed
using Bundling mechanism with thermal power.
Significance of the revised target to 100000 MW
• It will contribute to the long term energy security of India, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels that put a
strain on foreign reserves and the ecology as well.
• The solar manufacturing sector will get a boost as the revised target will help in creation of technology
hubs for manufacturing.
• The increased manufacturing capacity and installation are expected to pave way for direct and indirect
employment opportunities in both the skilled and unskilled sector.
• It is expected to abate over 170 million tonnes of CO2 over its life cycle.
Bibek Debroy committee on railway restructuring submitted
report to Union Ministry of Railways
The High Level Committee (HLC) on railway restructuring headed by Dr Bibek Debroy on 12 June 2015
submitted its final report to the Union Ministry of Railways.
The HLC known as the Committee for Mobilization of Resources for Major Railway Projects
and Restructuring of Railway Ministry and Railway Board was formed in September 2014.
For implementing its recommendations the committee has given the following timetable
Immediate–Liberalization, or the allowing of private entry; changes in the composition of the Railway
Board.
0-2 years–Decentralization to zones/divisions; cleaning up finances between Union government and IR.
2 years–Reform of RPF, schools and medical services; transition to commercial accounting, reform of
production and construction units.
3 years–Changes in the Railways Act and the Railway Board Act, setting up a Regulator; unified entry into
the Railway services; resolution of social costs.
5 years–Bifurcation between Railway Infrastructure Corporation and rest of IR as train operators; end of the
Railway Budget.
7 years–Transition of the IR that operates trains to a government-owned SPV.
Major recommendations of the HLC
• It is imperative to split the roles of policy-making, regulation, and operations. There should be clear
division of responsibility between the Government of India and railway organizations. The Ministry will
only be responsible for policy for the Railway sector and Parliamentary accountability and will give
autonomy to the IR.
• Unbundling of Indian Railways (IR) into two independent organizations: one, responsible for the track and
infrastructure and another that will operate trains.
• To enable proper decision –making, the IR needs to adopt a commercial accrual-based double entry
accounting system. This will help determine the precise extent of subsidization.
• The Railway Board should become like a corporate board for IR. The Chairman of the Railway Board
should thus be like a CEO. He/She is not first among equals and should therefore have the powers of final
decision-making and veto (in the case of a divided view).
• A Railway Infrastructure Company should be created as a government SPV (with a possibility of
disinvesting in the future) that owns the railway infrastructure, delinked from IR.
• A provision needs to be made for open access for any new operator who wishes to enter the market for
operating trains with non-discriminatory access to the railway infrastructure and a level playing field.
• Amendment in the Indian Railways Act will be required to allow the levy of tariffs by private operators
without administered tariff-determination and fares being left to the market, with a qualification about
passenger fares with guaranteed standard of services to a particular passenger class, such as ordinary sitting
class and sleeper class.
• Set up a Railway Regulatory Authority of India (RRAI) statutorily, with an independent budget, so that it
is truly independent of the Ministry of Railways. It will have the powers and objectives of economic
regulation, including, tariff regulation; safety regulation, service standard regulation, etc.
• RRAI should possess quasi judicial powers, with appointment and removal of members distanced from the
Union Ministry of Railways.
• There should be an Appellate Tribunal which will hear appeals against the orders of RRAI and further
appeals against the orders of the Appellate Tribunal can be directed to the Supreme Court.
• Separation of rail track from rolling stock and unbundling the former and separation and unbundling of
non-core as well as peripheral activities.
• Delink of RPF from the IR system and bring in private security for protection of Railway property.
• Immediate integration of the existing Railway schools into the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathana set-up.
• All the existing production units should be placed under a government SPV known as the Indian Railway
Manufacturing Company (IRMC) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways. No
privatization need be contemplated, at least initially.
• An ex-cadre post of a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) needs to be created, reporting directly to the
Chairman of the Board and all IT initiatives should be integrated and brought under the umbrella of this
directorate exclusive of any departmental handling in Board.
• There are too many Zones and Divisions and thus a rationalization exercise is required.
• The head of the Zone (GM) must be fully empowered to take all necessary decisions without reference to
Railway Board within the framework of policies.
• There is a need to shift focus to business/customer units like freight business, passenger business,
suburban business, parcel business etc. which is essential for IR to be competitive, for its long termeconomic viability, customer satisfaction and for being an adaptive/flexible organization.
• IR should consolidate and merge the existing eight organized Group ‘A’ services into two services i.e. the
Indian Railway Technical Service (IRTechS) and the Indian Railway Logistics Service (IRLogS),
comprising the three non-technical services (IRAS, IRPS and IRTS).
• Subsidies should be targeted towards those who need them. Link Aadhaar numbers for passenger when
tickets are purchased. Subsidies on passenger fares to be reimbursed directly into bank accounts, for those
who are targeted BPL. Such subsidies must be borne by the Union government.
• IR must encourage on-board catering through large food chains and local restaurants on the payment of a
modest license fee. This can be enabled simply through web booking and thus offer customers a wide
choice of local cuisine, delivered at his/her choice of station by the restaurant.
• For raising resources for investments, an Investment Advisory Committee may be set up, consisting of
experts, investment bankers and representatives of SEBI, RBI, IDFC and other institutions.
RBI announced Strategic Debt Restructuring Scheme
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 8 June 2015 announced Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) Scheme
which allows banks and non-banking lending institutions to convert their loans into equity stake.
The scheme will benefit all Scheduled Commercial Banks, excluding Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), allIndia term-lending and Refinancing Institutions including Export-Import (EXIM) Bank and National
Housing Bank (NHB) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
Key Features of Strategic Debt Restructuring (SDR) Scheme
• Lenders will have the right to convert their outstanding loans into a majority equity stake if the borrower
fails to meet conditions stipulated under the restructuring package.
• Lenders must stipulate in the debt restructuring deal itself that if the borrower fails to meet certain
milestones in terms of performance, they would have the option to convert part or whole of the debt into
equity.
• A decision on invoking the SDR should be taken within 30 days after a review of the account of
borrowers. It should be approved by 75 percent of the creditors by value and 60 percent of creditors by
number.
•
The lenders must approve the SDR conversion package within 90 days after taking such a decision.
•
Post conversion, all lenders should together own 51 percent or more of the company's equity.
• A joint lenders forum (JLF) should closely monitor a company's performance and appoint a suitable
professional management.
•
Lenders should divest equity holdings of the company to new promoters as soon as possible.
• New promoter should not be a person/entity/subsidiary/associate, etc (domestic as well as overseas),
from the existing promoter/promoter group.
• The new promoter has to acquire the entire 51 percent. However, if foreign investment is limited to less
than 51 percent, the new promoter should own at least 26 percent of the paid-up equity capital or up to the
applicable foreign investment limit.
• On divestment of banks' holding in favour of a new promoter, the asset classification of the account may
be upgraded to standard.
• The formula for conversion of debt into equity will be different from existing norms laid down by the
Securities & Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for banks.
• The price of debt to equity conversion will be capped either at the market value of the borrowing
company (if it is listed) or the book value as per the latest balance sheet (for unlisted firms). Share
conversion cannot happen at below par that is less than the face value of 10 rupees.
• Conversion of debt into equity will also be exempted from regulatory ceilings on capital market
exposures, investment in para-banking activities and intra-group exposure.
Comment
RBI announced the scheme against the backdrop of huge surge in bad loans or Non Performing Assets
(NPAs) in the banking system. As per an estimate, the Gross NPAs may rise to 5.9 percent of total advances
during 2015-16 against 4.4 percent during 2014-15.
NPAs are those assets, where Interest and/or installment of principal remain overdue for a period of more
than 90 days in respect of a term loan.
IREDA awarded Miniratna (Category-1) status by
Department of Public Enterprises
Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) was on 2 June 2015 awarded
the Miniratna (Cateogry -1) status by the Department of Public Enterprises under the Union Ministry of
Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises.
The proposal for conferring Miniratna status for IREDA was recommended by the Union Ministry of
New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Grant of status allows IREDA to make capital expenditure on new projects, modernization, purchase of
equipment, etc. without Government approval up to 500 crores rupees, or equal to their net worth,
whichever is lower.
For IREDA, now the ceiling on equity investment to establish joint ventures and subsidiaries in India will
be 15% of its net worth in one project limited to 500 crore rupees. The overall ceiling on such investment
in all projects put together shall be 30% of the net worth IREDA.
The Scheme of Maharatna/Navratna/Miniratna
The scheme of awarding Navratna, Miniratna (Category-1 and 2) status to public sector undertakings
(PSUs) was started by the Union Government vide a notification dated 22 July 1997 so as to grant greater
autonomy to PSUs to become global giants.
Later on 4 February 2010, the scheme of Maharatna for PSUs was started.
At present, there are 55 Public Limited Companies in Mini Ratna (Cateogry -1) and 17 are in Mini Ratna
(Cateogry-2). Besides, there are 7 Maharatna Companies and 17 Navratnas companies.
Eligibility for Miniratna Category-I PSEs
They should have made profit in the last three years continuously, the pre-tax profit should have been 30
crores rupees or more in at least one of the three years and should have a positive net worth.
About IREDA
IREDA was established as Public Limited Government Company in 1987 to promote, develop and extend
financial assistance for renewable energy and energy efficiency /conservation projects with the Motto
Energy for Ever.
It was created as Non-Banking Financial Institution (NBFI) in Schedule C of the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) and was upgraded as Schedule B in 2010.
The Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of IREDA is KS Popli.
Finance Minister inaugurated new Bank Note Paper Line
unit in Hoshangabad, MP
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on 30 May 2015 inaugurated the new Bank Note Paper Line unit of
6000 metric tonne capacity at Security Paper Mill in Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh.
With opening of this, India will become self-reliant in producing Bank Note Paper for big denominations.
Earlier, India was considerably dependent on import of bank note paper for currency of big denominations.
He also flagged off the first consignment of one thousand rupees bank note paper made indigenously to
Currency Note Press Nashik.
It is part of the indigenisation of the Bank Note paper under taken by Security Printing and Minting
Corporation of India Limited. The project has been completed at a cost of 495 crore rupees within the time
schedule.
The plant is capable of incorporating the advanced security features into the Bank Note paper. It is also
capable of manufacturing all denominations of Bank Note paper including 1000 rupees.
It is expected that the plant will help in generating both direct and indirect employment and overall will
boost the economy of the state.
Another such unit will be soon operationalised in Mysore.
SPORTS
Czech Republic defeated Russia to retain Fed Cup
The Czech Republic on 15 November 2015 successfully defended its Fed Cup crown after beating Russia in
final day's play in Prague.
Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova emerged as the team’s hero as she not only won her singles rubber to
tie the match at 2-2 but also returned to court after a break to secure another comeback victory in the finals
of the deciding doubles.
• The victory marked a fourth Fed Cup success for the Czech Republic in five years.
• The country has won the Fed Cup nine times overall, including Czechoslovakia's five before its split in
1993.
About Fed Cup
• Fed Cup is the premier international team competition in women's tennis.
• It was launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
• The competition was known as the Federation Cup until 1995.
Siril Verma clinched silver at World Junior Badminton Championships
Young shuttler Siril Verma on 15 November 2015 grabbed a silver medal at the BWF World Junior
Championships held in Lima, Peru.
China’s Chia Hung Lu clinched the gold medal at the Boys' singles event.
With this, Verma joined the ranks of Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, R.M.V. Gurusaidutt, H.S. Prannoy and
Sameer Verma, who have won medals for India in the World junior championships.
Verma came into limelight when he clinched the Junior U15 Asian Championships title in 2013. He also
became the first Indian player to win the Badminton Asia Youth Championships in 2013.
The 15-year-old shuttler trains at the Pullela Gopichand Academy.
Verma was born on 25 December 1999 in Andhra Pradesh (now Telangana).
About BWF World Junior Championships
The BWF World Junior Championships is also known as the World Junior Badminton Championships.
It is a tournament organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) to crown the best junior badminton
players (under-19) in the world.
IAAF provisionally suspended Russia from World Track and Field Events
Russia on 13 November 2015 was provisionally suspended from track and field events by International
Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) due to doping allegations against the country’s athletes,
coaches, trainers, doctors and officials.
The IAAF’s council members voted 22-1 in favour of Russia being banned from the events.
The ban will keep Russian athletes out of all sanctioned international track and field events worldwide. It
could also affect the country’s preparations of 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
After the suspension, Russia will also not be able to host world race walking team championships to be held
in 2016 in Cheboksary and the world junior championships in Kazan.
The strict action was taken by IAAF after the Independent Commission (IC) on Doping in Sports on 9
November 2015 submitted its report to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Earlier in June 2015, the Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRV) Report for 2013 published by WADA
revealed that Russia has maximum number of dope offenders.
Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton to win Brazilian Grand Prix
German Formula One motor racer Nico Rosberg on 15 November 2015 defeated Lewis Hamilton to grab
the Brazilian Grand Prix trophy.
Sebastian Vettel grabbed the third position in the race.
With the win, Rosberg reserved his place as runner-up in 2015 Formula One world championship.
The Brazilian Grand Prix was German F1 Driver's second consecutive win following the 2015 Mexican
Grand Prix. Besides, it was his fifth win of 2015 and the 13th of his career.
Born on 27 June 1985, Rosberg has also briefly competed for Finland very early in his career.
Rosberg entered Formula One in 2006 with Williams Grand Prix Engineering. He joined the re-branded
Mercedes team for the 2010 Formula One season.
About 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 2015 Brazilian Grand Prix is a Formula One motor race that was held at the Autódromo José Carlos
Pace, in São Paulo, Brazil.
The race was the 18th round of the 2015 season. It also marked the 44th running of the Brazilian Grand Prix
as a round of the Formula One World Championship since its inception in 1950.
Xuerui Li defeated Saina Nehwal to clinch Women's Singles title at China Open
Superseries
Chinese shuttler Xuerui Li on 15 November 2015 won the 700000 US dollar Women's Singles final of
China Open Superseries Premier Badminton tournament. In the final played at Fuzhou, Li defeated India’s
ace shuttler Saina Nehwal 21-12, 21-15.
The top seed and defending champion Saina and Li, the reigning Olympic champion, have met 12 times
against each other. Saina has won just 2 of those games. This was Saina's fifth final of the year 2015.
It was Li’s 2nd championship title of the year after she won the Denmark Open Superseries Premier in
October 2015, beating India’s PV Sindhu to the title.
Srinivasan removed as ICC Chairman; Shashank Manohar to take his place
Narayanaswami Srinivasan was on 9 November 2015 removed as the chairman of the International Cricket
Council (ICC). He was removed after Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) decided to recall him
and nominate its current president Shashank Manohar as the chief of the world body.
The decision to drop him was taken at the BCCI’s 86th Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. Now, BCCI
will recommend this change to ICC.
Srinivasan was elected the first chairman of the International Cricket Council for a two-year term (from
June 2014 to June 2016). His tenure will be completed by Shashank Manohar as it is India's turn to hold the
top position.
As per protocol, respective Boards name a representative on the Ex-Co. The BCCI will propose former ICC
President Sharad Pawar's name as an alternative director in the executive committee.
Other decisions taken at the 86th Annual General Meeting of BCCI includes
• Ravi Shastri has also been removed from the IPL governing council.
• Rajeev Shukla has been retained as IPL Chairman.
• Roger Binny was removed from the Team India selection committee. He will be replaced by MSK Prasad
from the South zone.
• Gagan Khoda is the other new member of the selection committee, chosen to replace Rajinder Singh
Hans.
• Former India captain and current Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Sourav Ganguly will
replace Anil Kumble as the chairman of BCCI’s technical committee.
• The BCCI also named Visakhapatnam, Ranchi, Indore, Pune and Rajkot as the five new venues for
hosting Test cricket.
Besides, the BCCI accepted in principle the proposed rules on conflict of interest and other amendments to
its constitution. It also appointed retired Justice A.P Shah as the ombudsman, who will look into all conflict
of interest disputes.
Nigeria won 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Nigeria on 8 November 2015 won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. It was held across 8 cities in Chile since
17 October 2015.
To win its third championship Nigeria defeated Mali 2-0. Oshimhen and Bamgboye scored the goals for
Nigeria at the 56th and 59th minute respectively.
India will host the bi-annual championship in 2017.
Heena Sindhu won gold in 13th Asian Shooting Championship
India’s Heena Sindhu on 6 November 2015 won the gold medal in the 10m air pistol women’s event at the
13th Asian Shooting Championship.
The championship was started on 1 November 2015 and will be held for 12 days in Kuwait City.
Incidentally, Heena was also the winner of the gold medal in the 10m air pistol event in 8th Asian Air Gun
Championship. It was held in New Delhi in September 2015.
Other Indian medal winners in 13th Asian Shooting Championship
• Nivetha won gold in the 10m air pistol junior women’s event
• In the 25m pistol men’s junior event, Shivam Shukla won gold.
• Angad Bajwa secured the individual gold in the junior skeet men’s competition
Team events
• Shreya Gawande, Nivetha and Oshin Tawani won gold in the women’s team event.
• Nayani Bharadwaj, Harshada Nithave and Malaika Goel won the gold in the team event of the 10m air
pistol.
• Shivam, Arjun Das and Achal Pratap Grewal also won the silver medal in the team event.
• Angad Bajwa, Anant Naruka and Arjun Mann together won the gold in the junior skeet men’s team event.
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin became fastest Indian to reach 150 test
wickets
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on 6 November 2015 became the fastest Indian to reach 150 wickets
mark in the Indian test cricket history.
He achieved this feat when he took Imran Tahir’s wicket in the first innings of the first test against South
Africa in Mohali, Punjab.
In this match, Ashwin also became the first bowler in over 100 years to take 50 wickets after opening the
bowling. He achieved this feat in 12 matches off 1888 balls.
The previous record was held by Colin Blythe of England who took 74 wickets between 1902 and 1910 in
13 tests.
The test is a part of four-match test series played to win Freedom Trophy, which is in turn is a part of the
larger Mahatma Gandhi-Nelson Mandela Series that includes ODIs and T20s as well.
FIFA World Rankings 2015: Belgium topped for first time
Belgium on 5 November 2015 moved to the top of the FIFA world ranking list in football for the first time.
The team rose from third to first after overtaking Argentina and world champions Germany. This follows
their victories in October’s European qualifiers.
The former No. 1 ranked side, Argentina, dropped to third, while Copa America champions Chile rose four
places to fifth, their highest ranking. Austria improved one place to a best ever tenth place. Iran continued to
top the rankings among AFC countries followed by Korea and Japan.
Jitu Rai won silver in 13th Asian Shooting Championship
Ace shooter Jitu Rai on 4 November 2015 won India's first senior medal at the 13th Asian Shooting
Championship in Kuwait City. He bagged the silver in the finals of the men's 50 metre pistol event.
Korea’s Park Daehun, who won the gold medal of the event, shot finals world and Asian record score of
199.2, while Jitu finished with a finals score of 189.5.
In the process, Jitu defeated his long-time rivals Jin Jongoh of Korea and Vladimir Issachenko of
Kazakhstan.
Apart from this, India also won four silver and two bronze medals in the junior events of the
championships. In the women's 25 metre pistol event, Heena Sidhu, Gauri Sheoran and Annu Raj Singh
could not qualify for the finals.
Results of some other shooting events
10m air rifle junior men's event
Junior Women's 50m Rifle Prone
Event
• Gold: Xuechao Qian of China
• Silver: Akhil Sheoran of India
• Bronze: Prashant of India
• Team silver: Akhil, Prashant and Pratik
Borse of India
• Team bronze: Satyajeet Kandhol,
Gajendra Rai and Babu Mithiliesh of India
• Gold: Fatemeh Karamzadeh of Iran
• Silver: N Gayathri of India
• Bronze: Najmeh Khidmati of Iran
• Team Silver: Gayathri, Srinithi
Venkatesh and Sonika
Shiva Thapa ranked World No 2 in boxing
Shiva Thapa was on 3 November 2015 ranked number 2 in the latest international rankings in the 56
kilogram category. He moved up by 5 places compared to previous rankings.
While Shiva got 1550 points overall, the top spot was occupied by Michael Conlan of Ireland with 2150
points.
In the World Amateur Boxing Championships held in Doha in October 2015, they won the gold and bronze
medal respectively.
Vikas Krishan Yadav, who lost in the quarterfinals of the Doha event, was the next best-placed Indian at
sixth in the 75kg middleweight division.
Satish Kumar, who was also a quarterfinalist in Doha, took the seventh spot in the rankings for super
heavyweight (plus 91kilogram) boxers.
2015 Paragliding World Cup concluded
The 2015 Paragliding World Cup (PWC) was held in Bir village of Himachal Pradesh between 24 October
and 31 October 2015.
It was for the first time India hosted a PWC and it is the biggest aero sport event held in India so far.
At the end of the event, while Swiss pilot Michael Kuffer topped the table in the men’s category, Yuki Sato
of Japan topped the table in the women’s league.
From the Indian side, Ajay Kumar emerged as the best pilot by positioning himself at the 31st rank overall.
Gurpreet Dhindsa (63) and Arvind Paul (70) were the only two other Indians figured in the top 100 list.
The 2015 PWC was organised by the Billing Paragliding Association of India and Airports Authority of
India (AAI) was the title sponsor.
Nico Rosberg of Germany won 2015 Mexican Grand Prix Formula 1
championship
Mercedes racing driver Nico Rosberg of Germany on 1 November 2015 won the 2015 Mexican Grand Prix
Formula 1 championship.
In the final race held at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, he defeated his team mate
Lewis Hamilton of Britain with a seven point lead.
While Felipe Massa of Brazil representing Williams was at the sixth position, Force India drivers-Nico
Hulkenberg (Germany) and Sergio Perez (Mexico) were at the seventh and eight positions respectively.
For Rosberg, it was the fourth title in the 2015 season. Prior to the present championship, he won the titles
in Spain, Monaco and Australia. Overall, it was the 12th title in his career.
Roger Federer won 2015 Swiss Indoors men’s singles title by defeating Rafael
Nadal
Roger Federer of Switzerland on 1 November 2015 won the Swiss Indoors men’s singles tennis title. He
defeated Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-3 5-7 6-3 at the final match held at the St. Jakobshalle in Basel,
Switzerland.
For the 17-time Grand Slam winner, it was seventh Swiss Indoors title and 88th of his career. In 2015, it
was his sixth title.
However, Nadal still has the upper hand as he has an impressive 23-11 head-to-head record against Federer.
About Swiss Indoors
• It is a professional men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts.
• It is originally an event of the Grand Prix tennis circuit between 1970 and 1989.
• It is currently part of the World Tour 500 Series of the ATP Tour and held annually at the St. Jakobshalle
in Basel, Switzerland since 1995.
New Zealand won Rugby World Cup for record third time
New Zealand on 31 October 2015 won the Rugby World Cup for the third time. In the final played at
Twickenham Stadium in London, the New Zealanders defeated Australia 34-17.
With this win, New Zealand became the first team to retain the Webb Ellis Cup. For the All Black Caps,
this was their first World Cup win outside New Zealand.
Since 2011, New Zealand has won 49 of the 54 games under Coach Steve Hansen.
World Rugby Awards Winners
• Man of the Match: Dan Carter (New Zealand)
• Team of the Year: New Zealand
• Coach of the Year: Michael Cheika (Australia)
• Player of the Year: Dan Carter (New Zealand)
• Breakthrough Player of the Year: Nehe Milner-Skudder (New Zealand)
• Try of the Year: Julian Savea (New Zealand) vs France
• Referee of the Year: Nigel Owens
Webb Ellis Cup
• The Webb Ellis Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the Rugby World Cup, the premier
competition in men's international rugby union.
• The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis, who is often credited as the inventor of rugby football.
• The trophy is silver gilt and has been presented to the winner of the Rugby World Cup since the first
competition in 1987.
• It has been held thrice by New Zealand (1987, 2011 & 2015), twice by Australia (1991 & 1999) and South
Africa (1995 & 2007), and once by England in 2003.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title of Singapore Open
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on 1 November 2015 won Singapore BNP Paribas WTA Finals women's
doubles title. The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated eighth seed Spanish team of Garbine Muguruza and
Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-3.
Extending their incredible unbeaten record, Mirza and Hingis lifted their ninth trophy of the season. The
other eight titles are Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan and
China Open.
Earlier in 2014, Sania won this tournament with Zimbabwean Cara Black.
Besides, Agnieszka Radwanska claimed her maiden WTA Finals title with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over
Czech Petra Kvitova at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Amit Kumar won silver in men's club throw F51 event of IPC Athletics World
Championships
Indian para-athlete Amit Kumar Saroha on 28 October 2015 won silver medal in men's club throw F51
event in the IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha. With this, Amit sealed a berth for 2016 Rio
Paralympic Games.
Amit clinched silver with an effort of 25.44m, behind Serbia's Zeljko Dimitrijevic who won gold in a
championship record of 26.29m. Milos Mitic of Serbia bagged the bronze in 25.40m.
Amit’s medal helped the 15-member Indian team to end the campaign with two silvers. Devendra Jhajharia
had won silver in men's javelin throw F46 event on 27 October 2015.
2015 IPC Athletics World Championships
2015 IPC Athletics World Championships held in Doha, Qatar from 21 October to 31 October 2015 was
one of the last major competitions ahead of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
The competition featured around 1300 athletes from 90 countries and was held in the 12000 capacity Qatar
Sports Club’s - Suhaim Bin Hamam stadium.
J&K to host South Asian Rugby 7’S Championship in 2016
Jammu and Kashmir Minister for Youth Services and Sports Molvi Imran Raza Ansari on 27 October 2015
announced that Kashmir Valley will host South Asian Rugby 7’S Championship in 2016.
The decision was made during the 131st Standing Committee meeting of J-K State Sports Council, which
was chaired by Ansari. As per the decision, the championship will be held at Bakhshi Stadium from 18 June
to 20 June 2016.
The Championship will be participated by eight teams consisting of 180 participants from various countries
like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and India.
IOC allowed refugees to compete in Olympics for the first time
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Thomas Bach on 26 October 2015 announced that all the
highly qualified athletes who are refugees will be allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. This is for the
first time that refugee athletes will be competing in any Olympic Games.
As per the announcement, all the eligible athletes will be able to compete for the 2016 Summer Olympics
and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The announcement was made during the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting which adopted a
resolution urging all countries to stop fighting and observe a truce during the 2016 Summer Olympics. Bach
also appealed to all 193 UN member states to help the IOC identify talented refugee athletes.
IOC has created a 2 million US dollars fund to bring hope through sport to refugees. Having no national
anthem to play for them, these refugee athletes will be welcomed to the Olympic Games with the IOC flag
and the IOC anthem.
While participating in the 2016 Olympics, refugee athletes will stay in the Olympic Village alongside the
other 11000 athletes from 206 national Olympic committees. Until now, qualified refugee athletes were not
able to participate because they couldn't represent their home country and its national Olympic committee.
Currently, there are about 20 million refugees in the world - and the number is growing. Earlier in October
2015, more than 500000 refugees and economic migrants have entered Europe and thousands more are
following in their footsteps.
ICC released Test, ODI, T20I and Women’s Ranking
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on 26 October 2015 launched the official ICC men’s Team
Rankings from Test, One Day International (ODI) and T20I cricket.
South Africa with 125 rating was placed at the top position in the Test ranking list; while Australia topped
the ODI list with 127 ratings. Sri Lanka with 126 points topped the list of T20I rankings.
On the other hand, Australian women team with 134 ratings topped in the ICC Women’s Rankings, which
was released for the second time ever.
The ICC on 1 October 2015 launched the official ICC Women’s Team Rankings, which incorporated
results in all three formats of the game into one rankings system. The innovative new system treated results
from Test, ODI and T20I cricket equally.
In Test, ODI, T20I as well as Women's Cricket, India was placed at fifth, second, sixth and fourth position
respectively.
Top three Rankings in the three formats of Men’s team
ICC Test Rankings
Rank
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
1
South Africa
24
3008
125
2
Australia
32
3376
106
3
England
36
3686
102
ICC ODI Rankings
Rank
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
1
Australia
44
5569
127
2
India
56
6380
114
3
South Africa
57
6362
112
ICC T20I Rankings
Rank
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
1
Sri Lanka
15
1891
126
2
Pakistan
24
2903
121
3
Australia
17
2006
118
Top Three in ICC Women’s Rankings
Rank
Team
Matches
Points
Rating
1
Australia Women
41
5490
134
2
England Women
39
4851
124
3
New Zealand Women
37
4040
109
Deepika Kumari won silver medal in Archery World Cup Final
Indian archer Deepika Kumari on 25 October 2015 bagged the silver medal in the Archery World Cup Final
held in Mexico City.
Kumari went down 2-6 in finale to South Korea’s Chou Misun.
Currently ranked World No. 5, Kumari clinched a gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the
women's individual recurve event. She also won a gold medal in the 2010 Commonwealth games in the
women's team recurve event along with Dola Banerjee and Bombayala Devi. In May 2012, she won her
first World Cup individual stage recurve gold medal at Antalya, Turkey.
In 2012, the Ranchi-born archer was honoured by the President of India with the prestigious Arjuna Award,
India's second highest sporting award. She was also named as the FICCI Sportsperson of the Year Award in
February 2014.
Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark won Hero Women’s Indian Open 2015
Emily Kristine Pedersen of Denmark on 25 October 2015 won the Hero Women’s Indian Open 2015 at the
DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon, Haryana. It was her maiden European Tour title.
She beat the trio of Cheyenne Woods, Becky Morgan and Malene Jorgensen, who tied for the second
position, to pocket the winner’s cheque of 60000 US dollars.
While amateur Aditi Ashok was the best Indian performer, who tied at the 13th position, Vani Kapoor,
finished tied 20th, was adjudged as the best Indian professional at the tournament.
About Hero Women’s Indian Open
It is a 400000 US dollar event which is tri-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, the Ladies Asian Golf
Tour and the Women’s Golf Association of India. The annual event was started in 2007 and attracts best of
talent from across the globe with the majority of players coming from Europe and Asia.
Abhishek Verma became first Indian to win Silver Medal in Archery World
Cup Final
Indian archer Abhishek Verma 24 October 2015 created history by winning a silver medal in the Archery
World Cup Final in the compound section held in Mexico City. With this, he became the first ever Indian to
bag Archery World Cup Final medal.
Verma went down 143-145 to Turkey's Demir Elmaagcli in the summit clash.
In 2014, Verma bagged the gold medal in the men's compound archery team event along with Rajat
Chauhan and Sandeep Kumar, and the silver medal in the men's individual compound event at the Asian
Games held at Incheon, South Korea. He also won a gold medal in the compound men's individual section
on 15 August 2015 in the third leg of Archery World Cup held in Wroclaw, Poland.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand
Prix title
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton on 25 October 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix
title. It was the third title for Hamilton at the Circuit of the Americas in Elroy, Texas of the USA where
championship is being held annually.
In the final race, while his team-mate Nico Rosberg of Germany stood at the second position, Ferrari driver
Sebastian Vettel (Germany) was at the third.
Also, driver of Force India Sergio Perez (Mexico) was the fifth person to complete the race.
For Hamilton, it was the tenth title in the 2015 season having won the races in Australia, China, Bahrain,
Canada, the UK, Belgium, Italy, Japan and Russia prior to the US championship.
With this win, he also won the 2015 World Drivers’ Championship (WDC). It was the third title for
Hamilton as he won the WDCs in 2008 and 2014 also.
So far, Hamilton won more races compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula One and is
currently 3rd on the all-time list, with 43 wins.
South Africa clinched 1st ever bilateral ODI series in India
South Africa on 25 October 2015 won the five-match One Day International (ODI) series against India 3-2.
This was South Africa’s first ever bilateral ODI series win on Indian soil.
In the fifth and final match played at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai, South Africa defeated India by 214
runs, which was India’s second biggest ODI loss in terms of runs. South Africa after winning the toss chose
to bat first and posted 438 runs at a loss of four wickets; this was third highest score in the history of ODIs.
In reply, Indian team was bundled out for 224 in the 36th over, with Ajinkya Rahane top scoring with 87.
Player of the series - AB de Villiers (South Africa)
AB de Villiers named brand ambassador of MRF
Tyre manufacturing giant MRF Limited on 20 October 2015 named South African batsman AB de Villiers
as its brand ambassador. As per company norms, the association is for a period of three years.
AB de Villiers, the ODI captain of South Africa team, in his new role will endorse the company’s products
and services through advertising campaigns and other such promotional programmes during the term of the
agreement.
AB de Villiers who captains the South African One Day International (ODI) team is regarded as the current
best batsman in the world and one of the greatest of all time. He holds the record for most Test innings
without registering a duck (78), before being dismissed for nought against Bangladesh in November 2008.
He also holds the second-highest individual score by a South African batsman in an innings, with 278 not
out.
Vivo assigned the Title Sponsorship of Indian Premier League
Board for Cricket Control in India (BCCI) on 18 October 2015 assigned title sponsorship of Indian Premier
League (IPL) to Brazilian mobile company M/S Vivo.
Vivo was assigned the sponsorship after PepsiCo suddenly pulled out from a five-year deal that was
supposed to end in 2017.
PepsiCo became title sponsors of the IPL in 2013 after they bid a whopping 396.8 crore rupees for five
seasons. Before Pepsi, DLF had paid 200 crore rupees to become title sponsors of the tournament from
2008 till 2012.
Saketh Myneni of India won 2015 Vietnam Open Tennis Trophy
India's tennis player Saketh Myneni on 18 October 2015 won the Vietnam Open tennis trophy in the men’s
singles category. In the title clash, he defeated Australia's Jordan Thompson 7-5 6-3.
In the men’s doubles category, he, along with other Indian Sanam Singh, ended runner-up after losing the
final 6-1 3-6 8-10 to Tristan Lamasine and Nils Langer of France and Germany respectively.
For Myneni, this is his first singles ATP Challenger title of the 2015 season and the second overall singles
title at the Challenger level.
His only other title was the Indore Open that he clinched in October 2014.
With the present victory, Myneni pocketed 90 points and expected to break into top 150 from the present
168th rank.
Great Britain beat India to win Sultan of Johor Cup Hockey tournament
Great Britain on 18 October 2015 defeated Indian junior men's hockey team and captured Sultan of Johor
Cup (SOJC).
Great Britain defeated defending champions India by 4-3 in sudden death penalty shootout in the final after
the match had ended 2-2 in regulation time.
For the third place, the host Malaysia defeated Argentina to settle for Bronze.
Novak Djokovic won 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters tennis title
World Number 1 ranking Novak Djokovic on 18 October 2015 won the 2015 Shanghai Rolex Masters
tennis title in the men’s singles category.
To clinch the title, the top seeded Serbian player defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2 6-4 in the final match
held in Shanghai, China.
It was the third Shanghai title for Djokovic in four years, having defeated Andy Murray (the UK) and Juan
Martin del Potro (Argentina) in the 2012 and 2013 finals respectively.
In early 2015, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rod Laver as the only men in the Open era to reach all
four major finals. His only defeat came in the final of the French Open against Stan Wawrinka of
Switzerland.
Apart from the Grand slam titles in Australia, the UK (Wimbledon) and the USA, he won six other titles in
the 2015 season that include Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Italian Open,
China Open and Shanghai Open.
Indian shuttler PV Sindhu defeated by Li Xuerui in 2015 Denmark Open final
PV Sindhu was on 18 October 2015 defeated by Li Xuerui in the 2015 Denmark badminton open women’s
singles final. For Sindhu, it was her maiden super series final.
In the final match held in Odense, third largest city in Denmark, Sindhu lost to the Chinese Olympic
champion in the straight sets 21-19 21-12.
Till now, Prakash Padukone and Saina Nehwal are the only Indians to win the championships who won it in
the men’s and women’s singles categories in 1980 and 2012 respectively.
The Denmark Open, or formerly known as Danish Open, is an annual badminton tournament organized by
Danmarks Badminton Forbund. Except for a brief interruption between 1955 and 1964, it has been held
annually since 1935.
Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal to win 2015 China Open Men’s Singles
title
Novak Djokovic on 11 October 2015 won the China Open Men’s Singles title by defeating Rafael Nadal of
Spain.
In the summit clash held at the National Tennis Centre in Beijing, the top seeded Serbian overpowered
Nadal by 6-2 6-2.
For Djokovic, it was the fourth consequent win in Beijing since 2012.
Overall, he is the only player to have won the title six times. His other two titles were in 2009 and 2010.
In early 2015, Djokovic joined Roger Federer and Rod Laver as the only men in the Open era to reach all
four major finals. His only defeat came in the final of the French Open against Stan Wawrinka of
Switzerland.
Apart from the Grand slam titles in Australia, the UK (Wimbledon) and the USA, he won eight titles in the
2015 season that include Indian Wells Masters, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, Italian Open and
China Open.
Indian shuttler Ajay Jayaram won 2015 Dutch Open Men’s Singles title
Ajay Jayaram of India on 11 October 2015 defended the 2015 Dutch Open Men’s Singles badminton title.
In the summit clash held at Almere in Netheralnds, the World Number 26 ranker defeated Estonia’s Raul
Must by 21-12 21-18.
While Jayaram won his maiden title in 2014, it was the fourth overall title for India. The other two titles
were won by Prakash Padukone and Chetan Anand in 1982 and 2009 respectively.
Dutch Open is a Grand Prix category tournament that is held annually since 1932 in Netherlands. It is
currently organized by Nederlandse Badminton Bond (NBB) and is a part of the European Badminton
Circuit.
British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton won 2015 Formula 1 Russian
Grand Prix title
Lewis Hamilton of Britain and Mercedes racing driver on 12 October 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1
Russian Grand Prix title. He defended the title at the final race held at Sochi Autodrom in Sochi, Russia.
While Hamilton topped the table, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel (Germany) and Sergio Perez (Mexico) of
Force India stood at second and third positions respectively.
It was the ninth title for Hamilton in the 2015 season as he won the titles in Australia, China, Bahrain,
Canada, the UK, Belgium, Italy and Japan prior to the present victory.
Hamilton won more races compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula 1 One and
currently tied for fourth position with Sebastian Vettel on the all-time wins list, with 42 wins.
India won four-match Men’s Hockey Test series against New Zealand by 2-1
margin
India on 11 October 2015 won the four-match Men's Hockey Test series against New Zealand 2-1. In the
final test played at Christchurch, India through its brilliant play held the hosts to a 1-1 draw.
After witnessing no goals in the first half, one each goal was scored from both the sides. From New
Zealand, Nick Ross scored the first goal in the 41st minute which was matched by SV Sunil of India in the
43rd minute of the match.
After losing the first match of the series in Nelson against the hosts, India came back strongly to register
back-to-back wins in the last two games.
Spaniard Garbine Muguruza won women’s singles title of China Open
Spain’s Garbine Muguruza on 11 October 2015 captured the China Open women's singles title by defeating
Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky. Muguruza emerged out victorious by a perfect 3-0 record against the
Swiss rival.
The win had Muguruza achieve her career-high singles ranking of world no. 4.
The China Open was Muguruza’s second WTA title, after she won her first at Hobart International in 2014.
She had also reached the final of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships and made consecutive quarterfinal
appearances at the 2014 and 2015 French Open.
Six feet tall Garbine Muguruza was born on 8 October 1993 in Caracas, Venezuela. She turned pro on 2
March 2012.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title of China Open
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on 10 October 2015 won women's doubles title of the China Tennis Open.
The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated Chinese Taipean pair of Hao-Ching Chan and Yung-Jan Chan 6-7
(9), 6-1, 10-8.
This was eighth title of the season as a team for Sania-Hingis and fourth title in a row.
With this win, the Indo-Swiss pair won their eighth WTA doubles titles together in the year 2015. The other
seven titles are Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, US Open, Guangzhou and Wuhan.
FIFA suspended President Sepp Blatter, VP Michel Platini and Secretary
General Jerome Valcke
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the governing body of association football,
futsal and beach football, on 8 October 2015 provisionally suspended its president Sepp Blatter, secretary
general Jerome Valcke and vice-president Michel Platini for 90 days.
FIFA’s ethics committee handed out the punishments due to alleged charges of corruption on Blatter,
Valcke and Platini.
The association also banned ex-FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon for six years.
Issa Hayatou, head of Africa's football confederation (Caf), will act as the interim FIFA president during
Blatter's ban.
Blatter, Platini, who is also the football administrator of the Union of European Football Associations
(UEFA), and Valcke were banned from any football activity in the interim.
Sepp Blatter has served as the 8th president of FIFA since June 1998. However, after the ban, he is not
allowed to represent the football's world governing body in any capacity.
However, the UEFA saw no need to remove Michel Platini from his position of football administrator.
South Africa won the 3-match T-20 series against India 2-0
outh Africa on 8 October 2015 won the three-match T-20 International series against India 2-0. The third
and the final match of the series was abandoned without a ball being bowled because of a wet outfield.
The umpires called off the match at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata after they inspected the ground and found
it not suitable for the play.
Cyclist Deborah Herold became first-ever Indian to win five medals at Taiwan
Cup
Indian cyclist Deborah Herold in the first week of October 2015 bagged one gold, three silver and one
bronze medal at the 2015 Taiwan Cup held at the Hsin Chu Velodrome, Hsin-Chu city in Taiwan. With this,
she became the first ever Indian cyclist to win in women's elite section.
Deborah fetched the gold medal in Taiwan Cup Track International Classic I by defeating the Malaysian top
rider. On the other hand, she ended on second place in the keirin event and 500m time trial.
In November 2014, the Indian cyclist had won four gold medals at the Track Asia Cup Cycling
Championship 2014.
About Deborah Herold
20-year-old Deborah is a tribal girl from Andaman and Nicobar Islands who survived the 2004 Tsunami
that devastated the islands. She was trained at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Andaman and
emerged as one of the rising stars of Indian cycling.
China won 2015 FIBA Asian Basketball Championship
China on 3 October 2015 won the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Championship by
defeating the Philippines by 78-67 in the final.
The victory has won the nation a direct qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The game was organised in front of a 7000 strong capacity crowd in Changsha, Hunan province of China.
In the final game, Yi Jianlian scored maximum runs and earned 15 rebounds. He was also selected as the
Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Philippines and Iran have secured the second and third place respectively in the tournament. India ended on
eighth place in the tournament.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title of Wuhan Tennis Open
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on 3 October 2015 won the women's doubles title of Wuhan Tennis Open.
The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated Romanian team of Irina-Camelia Begu and Monica Niculescu 6-2,
6-3 in the title clash.
With this win, the Indo-Swiss pair won their seventh WTA doubles titles together in the year 2015. The
other six WTA titles are Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, the US Open, and Guangzhou.
They have won their last three tournaments and their last 13 matches without dropping a single set.
Asian Air Gun Championships: Heena Sidhu won gold medal in women's 10
metre air pistol event
Indian pistol shooter Heena Sidhu on 30 September 2015 won the gold medal in women's 10 meter air
pistol event at the 8th Asian Air Gun Championships in New Delhi. On the final day of the Championships,
Heena, who was India's first pistol shooter to be ranked number one in the world, shot a total of 197.8
points to finish at the top of the podium.
India’s Shweta Singh won the silver medal by aggregating 197.0. Korean shooter Seon A Kim took the
bronze with a total score of 175.8. Indian shooter Yashaswini Singh Deshwal, playing her first international
final, finished fourth.
India won an impressive haul of 17 medals, including six gold medals to finish as toppers in the continental
event.
In the overall standings, Iran took the second place with 12 podium finishes, including six gold and five
silver medals, followed by Taipei, winning one gold, two silver and two bronze.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won 2015 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix
title
Lewis Hamilton of Britain and Mercedes racing driver on 27 September 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1
Japanese Grand Prix title. The final race was held at the suzuka circuit in Mie Prefecture, Japan.
While Hamilton topped the table, his team mate Nico Rosberg of Germany stood second and Sebastian
Vettel (Ferrari) finished third.
Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) and Sergio Perez (Mexico) of Force India stood at the 6th and 12th positions
respectively.
For Hamilton, it was the third victory in Japan having won the titles in 2007 and 2014.
It was also the eighth title in the 2015 season for Hamilton as he won the titles in Australia, China, Bahrain,
Canada, the UK, Belgium and Italy prior to the present victory.
Hamilton won more races compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula One and is
currently 5th on the all-time list, with 41 wins.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won Ghangzhou Open Women’s Doubles title
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on 26 September 2015 won the Guangzhou Open title of tennis. The topseeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated the Chinese pair of Xu Shilin and You Xiaodi 6-3, 6-1 in the summit clash
held at Guangzhou of China.
It was Sania's seventh title of the 2015 season and sixth with Hingis. She won one trophy with BethanieMattek Sands in Sydney.
Sania and Hinghis have now won six of 13 events they have played since March 2015 and the titles include
Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, the US Open and Guangzhou.
Ajay Jayaram won Silver Medal in 2015 Korea Open Badminton tournament
India’s badminton player Ajay Jayram on 20 September 2015 won silver medal in 2015 Korea Open
Badminton tournament in Men’s singles category.
In the final match played in Seoul, Jayram lost to World No. 1 Chen Long of China by 14-21, 12-21.
With this win, Jayaram became the first Indian badminton player who grabbed a medal in Korea Open
Badminton tournament.
At present, Jayram is ranked 32nd in the Men's Singles world ranking.
About Ajay Jayram
Ajay Jayram was born on 28 September 1987 in Chennai, India. He is supported by Olympic Gold Quest, a
non-profit organization, which identifies and supports Indian athletes.
Jayram plays for the Hyderabad HotShots in the Indian Badminton League.
Sebastian Vettel won 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel from Germany on 20 September 2015 won the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of
Formula One. While, Australian Daniel Ricciardo finished second. The race was held on the Marina Bay
Street Circuit, which is the first street circuit in Asia.
The top 5 Teams of the 2015 Singapore Grand Prix of Formula One were Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes,
Williams and Toro Rosso.
For Vettel, it was overall fourth victory in Singapore Grand Prix as he had earlier won in 2011, 2012 and
2013. Moreover, this was his third victory of the season 2015. Earlier he had won Malaysian Grand Prix
2015 and Hungarian Grand Prix 2015.
Hangzhou City of China chosen to host 2022 Asian Games
The capital city of Zhejiang Province Hangzhou in East China was on 15 September 2015 chosen by the
Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 2022 Asian Games. The OCA made the decision at its 34th
Congress meeting in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan.
Hangzhou was the only candidate city for the 2022 Asian Games, the XIX edition of games.
It will be the third Chinese city to host the Asian games following Beijing in 1990 and Guangzhou in 2010.
Hangzhou is best known for the West Lake, a placid and tourist attraction. It is also home base of Chinese
Internet (ecommerce) giant Alibaba.
In 2014, Incheon, city of South Korean, hosted the Asian Games, while Indonesia’s Jakarta city is going to
host the 2018 Asian Games.
About Asian Games
• Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a pan-continental multi-sport event (44 sports events) among
athletes from all over Asia.
• It is held after every four years and is organized by the OCA since 1982. It was first held in 1951 in New
Delhi, India under the aegis of Asian Games Federation (AGF).
• It is often described as the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won 2015 US Open Women's Doubles title
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis on 13 September 2015 won the US Open Women’s Doubles title.
The top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated the fourth-seeded duo of Casey Dellacqua (Kazakhstan) and
Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 6-3 6-3 in the summit clash held in New York.
Incidentally, Martina Hingis also won the Mixed-Doubles title on 12 September 2015 with Leander Paes.
For Sania-Hingis duo, the title was the second Grand Slam in a row as they won their maiden title in July
2015 at the Wimbledon in England.
Now, Sania has five Grand Slam titles overall including three mixed doubles trophies.
In the Mixed doubles category, she won Australian Open (2009) and French Open (2012) with compatriot
Mahesh Bhupathi and the 2014 US Open with Bruno Soares.
Apart from the two titles with Sania in 2015, Hingis won the Wimbledon doubles with Helena Sukova in
1996 and Jana Novotna in 1998.
Earlier, the Indo-Swiss pair had won doubles title of BNP Paribas Open on 21 March 2015 and WTA
Family Circle Cup doubles title on 12 April 2015.
Flavia Pennetta won 2015 US Open Women’s Singles title
Flavia Pennetta on 12 September 2015 won the US Open Women’s Singles title. She defeated fellow Italian
Roberta Vinci 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in the summit clash held in New York.
With this win, Pennetta became the oldest woman in the Open era to become a Grand Slam champion for
the first time.
After winning the maiden Gran Slam title, she announced that she will retire from professional tennis after
the 2015 season.
With this victory, Pennetta became the second Italian woman to win one of the tennis majors.
She joined the 2010 French Open champion Francesca Schiavone who had been the lone member in the
club.
At present, Pennetta is at the eighth place in the World rankings and is expected to play two tournaments in
China and the WTA Finals in Singapore before her retirement.
The 2014 championship was won by Serena Williams of the USA.
Novak Djokovic defeated Roger Federer to win 2015 US Open Men’s Singles
title
Novak Djokovic on 13 September 2015 won the US Open Men’s Singles title. In the summit clash held at
the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, the Serbian defeated Roger Federer 6-4 5-7 6-4 6-4.
For Djokovic, it was a second US Open singles title and a 10th Grand Slam singles title. With this, he tied
up himself with Bill Tilden for seventh place on the career list.
However, Federer, a Swiss player, still remains on top of the list with 17 Grand Slam singles titles.
Till now, they have played 42 times and Djokovic’s recent victory tied the series 21-21.
In 2015, Djokovic joined Federer and Rod Laver as the only men in the Open era to reach all four major
finals. His only defeat came in the final of the French Open against Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.
The 2014 title was won by Marin Cilic. He belongs to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Leander Paes, Martina Hingis won US Open Mixed Doubles Title 2015
Leander Paes and Swiss Martina Hingis on 11 September 2015 won the US Open Mixed Doubles Title
2015. This fourth seeded Indo-Swiss pair defeated unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam
Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 in a tricky final which lasted for one hour and seventeen minutes.
The pair fired 32 winners and staved off four of five break points during the 77-minute affair. This is 17th
Grand Slam crown for Paes.
With this victory, they became the first team since 1969 to win three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the
same season at the US Open. They defeated Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic in the Australian Open
final 2015 and beat Alexander Peya and Timea Babos in the Wimbledon title match 2015 itself.
The only other team to win three majors in the same year were Marty Riessen and Margaret Court 46 years
ago.
With the mixed double win, Paes surpassed compatriot and former partner Mahesh Bhupathi's record of
eight mixed doubles titles. As Paes has now eight men's doubles and nine mixed doubles title in his pocket.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015 Italian Grand Prix of
Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton of Britain and Mercedes racing driver on 6 September 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1
Italian Grand Prix title. The final race was held at Monza near Milan in Italy.
While Hamilton topped the table, Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari) and Felipe Masse (Williams) were at the second
and third positions respectively.
Sergio Perez (Mexico) and Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) of Force India stood at the 5th and 6th positions
respectively.
For Hamilton, it was the third victory at the Monza circuit, where he earned his first and second titles in
2012 and 2014 respectively.
It was also the seventh title in the 2015 season for Hamilton as he won the titles in Australia, China,
Bahrain, Canada, the UK, Belgium and Italy.
Hamilton won more races compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula One and is
currently 5th on the all-time list, with 40 wins.
India won three-match test series against Sri Lanka
India on 1 September 2015 won the three-match cricket test series against Sri Lanka, 2-1. In the third and
final match of the series, India defeated the host with an emphatic 117-run.
With this win, India also ended a 22-year long drought of a win over Sri Lanka on Sri Lankan soil.
• Player of the series - Ravichandran Ashwin of India
Durban to host XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022
The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly on 2 September 2015 selected South
African city Durban as the host for the XXII Commonwealth Games.
With this, South Africa became the first country from Africa to host the games in its 85 years history.
The games are scheduled to start on 18 July 2022 to mark the birth anniversary of South African antiapartheid revolutionary Nelson Mandela.
So far, South Africa successfully hosted the three biggest single-sport events— Rugby world cup (1995),
the ICC ODI world cup (2003), and FIFA world cup (2010). Commonwealth games will be the first biggest
multi-disciplinary event to be held in the country.
About Commonwealth Games
• It is a multi-disciplinary international sporting event that involves athletes from 71 nations and territories
connected with the Commonwealth.
• It is held once every four years. It is often referred to as the Friendly Games.
• The General Assembly of the CGF is responsible for the direction and control of the Commonwealth
Games. It is the highest authority of the Commonwealth Sports Movement.
• The first event was organised in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada.
• So far, Britain have hosted the Games six times, Australia and Canada four times each, New Zealand three
times, and Jamaica, Malaysia and India (XIX games in 2010) once each.
• While the XX Games (in 2014) was held in Glasgow of the UK, the XXI Games will be held in Gold
Coast, Australia in 2018.
Ethiopia's Mare Dibaba won women's marathon at World Athletics
Championships
Mare Dibaba of Ethiopia on 30 August 2015 won the women's marathon title at the 2015 World Athletics
Championships at the Beijing National Stadium, China. She is the first Ethiopian female to win the event at
the world championships.
The 25-year-old Dibaba captured the title by finishing the race in 2 hours, 27 minutes and 35 seconds.
In the race, she defeated Helah Kiprop of Kenya, who won the silver medal by completing the marathon in
2 hours 27 minutes and 36 seconds. Eunice Kirwa of Bahrain won bronze medal in this event after
completing it in 2 hours 27 minutes and 39 seconds.
U Mumba won Pro Kabaddi League 2015
U Mumba on 24 August 2015 won the Pro Kabaddi League 2015 title by defeating Bengaluru Bulls 36-30
in the final match held in Mumbai. U Mumba was headed by Anup Kumar.
While the winners got one crore rupees as prize money, the Bengaluru Bulls won 50 lakh rupees.
The tournament witnessed the participation of 8 teams viz., U Mumba, Bengaluru Bulls, Telugu Titans,
Patna Pirates, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Bengal Warriors, Dabang Delhi and Puneri Paltan.
It is the second edition of the league and the first edition was won by Jaipur Pink Panthers in 2014. The
team is owned by actor Abhishek Bachchan.
Fifteenth IAAF World Championships in Athletics concluded in Beijing
Fifteenth IAAF World Championships in Athletics was held between 22 August and 30 August 2015 at the
Beijing’s National Stadium in China.
While Kenya topped the medal table with 16 medals, Jamaica stood second with 12 medals. India could not
win a single medal in the championships.
Highlights of Fifteenth World Athletics Championships
• Kenya was at the top with overall 16 medals including 7 gold, 6 silver and 3 bronze medals. Vivian
Jepkemoi Cheruiyot (women’s 1000m), Ezekiel Kemboi (men’s 3000m steeplechase), Nicholas Bett
(men’s 400m hurdles), David Lekuta Rudisha (men’s 800m), Julius Yegom (men’s Javelin throw), Hyvin
Kiyeng Jepkemoi (women’s 3000m steeplechase) and Asbel Kiprop ( men’s 1500m) were the gold
medalists.
• Jamaica was at the second position by winning 12 medals including 7 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Usain Bolt won 3 golds by winning 100m and 200m events and by being part of 4*400m relay. Jamaica
won gold medals in 4*100m relay (men and women) and women 4*400m relay. Men 4*400m relay was
won by the USA.
• The USA was at the third position with 18 medals overall including 6 medals in each category.
• The United Kingdom won 7 medals including 4 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.
• Ethiopia stood at the fifth position by winning 3 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze.
About IAAF World Championships in Athletics
• It is a biannual event organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
• It is the most prestigious event in the realm of athletics at the global level.
• Till now, 15 championships took place beginning from the inaugural event in 1983.
• On an average, around 200 countries participate in the event.
• The 15th edition of the championships took place at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in the Chinese capital
Beijing. 207 countries took part in it.
• The USA, Russia, Kenya, Germany and Jamaica are in the top five places (in the same order) in terms of
overall medal tally in the championships.
• Till now, India won only 2 medals in the championships. Both were won by long jumper Anju Bobby
George who won bronze in the 2003 championships held in Paris and gold medal in the 2005
championships held in Montecarlo, Monaco.
• While the 14th edition (2013) was held in the Russian capital Moscow, the 16th edition (2017) will be
hosted by London.
Fifteenth World Championships Medal Table
Indian women hockey team qualified for Olympics after 36 years
Indian women hockey team qualified for Olympics after 36 years. India’s latest participation in Olympics
was in 1980 that was held in Moscow, Russia.
The decision in this regard was announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on 29 August
2015.
The present qualification will allow India to participate in the 2016 Summer Olympics scheduled to be held
in August 2015 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
This is also the first time when the Indian women team made it to the Olympics through the qualification
system.
In 1980 Olympics, the Indian side finished fourth after losing to the Soviet Union in the bronze medal
match. Further, it was also the first participation for women hockey team in the mega event.
Now, Indian hockey team is headed by Ritu Rani.
Usain Bolt won 200 meter title at 2015 World Championships in Athletics in
Beijing
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt on 27 August 2015 won the 200 meter title at the 2015 World Championships
in Athletics held at Beijing in China.
Bolt completed the race in 19.55 seconds surpassing his American rival Justin Gatlin who completed the
race in 19.74 seconds.
Earlier, on 23 August 2015, he also won the 100 metre gold against the same rival Justin Gatlin.
Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser retained Women’s 100 meters gold at World
Championships in Athletics
Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser on 24 August 2015 retained Women’s 100 meters gold at the 2015
World Championships in Athletics by finishing the race in 10.76 seconds.
The silver medal was won by Dafne Schippers (10.81) of Netherlands and the Bronze went to Tori Bowie
(the USA) who completed the race in 10.86 seconds.
The biannual event was held at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in the Chinese capital Beijing where she won the
gold in the same category in 2008 Olympics. Her only other Olympic gold was during the 2012 London
Olympics.
Fraser-Pryce continued the Jamaican sprint dominance at the event as Usain Bolt won the title in the 100m
event on 23 August 2015.
Roger Federer won Cincinnati Masters Men’s Singles tennis title for record
seventh time
Roger Federer of Switzerland on 23 August 2015 won the Cincinnati Masters Men’s Singles title by
defeating Novak Djokovic of Serbia. The final match was held at Cincinnati in Ohio State of the USA.
Serena Williams won Cincinnati Masters Women’s Singles title for second time
World number one ranking Serena Williams on 23 August 2015 won the Cincinnati Masters Women’s
Singles title by defeating the third seeded Simona Halep of Romania.
Having won the 2014 title, it was the third appearance in the finals (2013, 2014 and 2015) and the second
Cincinnati title win for the American player.
Also, it the 69th singles overall title for the American player.
In the Women’s category, the title is considered only next to the four Grand slam titles.
With Serena Williams and Roger Federer of Switzerland winning, it was the first time both the men and
women champions have successfully defended their titles since Bobby Riggs and Virginia Hollinger in
1937 and 1938.
In early 2015, Serena won all the three Grand Slam titles in Australia, France and the UK and will take part
in the upcoming US Open in September 2015.
About Cincinnati Masters
It started on 18 September 1899 is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original
city. The tournament is also the second largest summer tennis event in the U.S. after the U.S. Open.
England won 2015 Ashes Test series 3-2
England cricket team on 23 August 2015 won 2015 Ashes Test series, 3-2 against Australia at England. In
the fifth and final match of the series, Australia defeated England by an innings and 46 runs at Ovals.
England had already clinched the series with victories in three of the first four games.
Abhishek Verma clinched gold for India at Archery World Cup
India's Abhishek Verma on 15 August 2015 won the gold medal in the compound men's individual section
in the Archery World Cup Stage 3 competition at Wroclaw, Poland.
The Asian Games silver medalist defeated Esmaeil Ebadi of Iran 148 -145. At the Incehon 2014 Asian
Games, Ebadi defeated Verma 141-145.
Apart from this, India's recurve mixed pair of Deepika Kumari and Mangal Singh Champia won silver at
the World Cup stage 3. The duo faced defeat by Mexican pair of Aida Roman and Juan Rene Serrano.
World Badminton Championship: Saina became 1st Indian shuttler to win
silver medal
India’s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal on 16 August 2015 became the first Indian to win silver in the World
Badminton Championship.
She lost the women's singles summit clash to Spain's Carolina Marin 16-21, 19-21 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Olympic bronze medallist Saina had reached the finals of the event on 15 August 2015 by defeating
Indonesia's Lindaweni Fanetri.
Indian Men's Hockey team won European series against Spain 2-1
Indian Men's Hockey Team on 13 August 2015 won three match series of their European Tour 2-1 after
registering second win in the third and final match of the series. Indian team defeated Spain 4-2 at Teresa in
Spain.
For India, Rupinder Pal scored the first goal in 24th minute followed by Akashdeep Singh in 45th minute
and the third and fourth goals by Ramandeep Singh.
The first match of the series was won by Spain 4-1. The second match was won by India 2-0.
Copenhagen Archery Championships: Indian women's recurve team clinched
silver medal
Indian women's recurve team of Deepika Kumari, Laxmirani Majhi and Rimil Buriuly on 2 August 2015
won a silver medal at the World Archery Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In the Summit clash, the Indian trio lost the World Championship final to top seeded Russians 4-5 to settle
for the silver at the Christiansborg Palace.
The Russian team that defeated the Indian trio was comprised of Inna Stepanova, Ksenia Perova and
Tuyana Dashidorzhieva.
It is India's second silver in the ongoing World Archery Championships where compound archer Rajat
Chauhan opened the account with a historic individual medal on 1 August 2015.
Copenhagen Archery Championships was held from 26 July to 2 August 2015.
Victorian Open WSA: Joshna Chinappa won squash title
Indian champion Joshna Chinappa won the women’s squash title in the 15000 US Dollar Victorian Open
WSA Event in Melbourne, Australia on 2 August 2015. In the final clash, Chinappa defeated second seed
Line Hansen of Denmark 11-5, 11-4, 11-9.
This was tenth WSA title for 28-year-old Joshna, the last being the Richmond Open title win in April 2014.
The title in the men's section went to Ryan Cuskelly of Australia who defeated Greg Lobban of Scotland
12-10, 13-11, 11-9.
Beijing chosen to host 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics
Thomas Bach, the President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 31 July 2015 announced that
Beijing will host the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Chinese capital was chosen ahead of Almaty,
Kazakshtan at the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With this, Beijing became the first city to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. It hosted
Summer Olympics in 2008.
Beijing was confirmed to host the Winter Olympics 2022 after Chinese bid beat Almaty by 44 votes to 40
with one abstention.
The IOC said that Beijing was awarded the Games because it fitted its new agenda for a stronger focus on
sustainability, legacy, and transparency.
The 2014 Winter Olympics was held in Sochi, Russia and at 51 billion US dollars was the most expensive
Olympics in history.
In 2018, the Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany won Hungarain Formula One
Grand Prix
Sebastian Vettel of Germany and the Ferrari driver on 26 July 2015 won the Hungarian Formula One Grand
Prix in Budapest. This was Vettel’s second win of the season and it came only days after the funeral of the
Mercedes French former test driver Jules Bianchi.
Also, this win was Vettel’s 41st overall, putting him level with the late triple champion Ayrton Senna on the
all-time list, and first in Hungary.
The second and third place was taken by Red Bull driver Daniil Kvyat of Russian and Red Bull driver
Daniel Ricciardo of Australia respectively.
Although the leader of the 2015 F1 season Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain came in at sixth
position but he still remained on top of the overall drivers standing with 202 points.
In the constructers standing, Mercedes leads the board with 383 points followed by Ferrari and Williams at
second and third position respectively.
Team Sky cyclist Chris Froome of Britain won 102nd Tour de France
Chris Froome, a cyclist from Team Sky of Britain, on 26 July 2015 won 102nd Tour de France in a threeweek slog of furious race around the Champs Elysees, Paris. With this, Froome became the first Briton to
win the Tour de France for the second time.
Froome made his mark in the mountain stage to La Pierre St Martin in the 10th stage before riding
defensively to leave behind Nairo Quintana Rojas, a Colombian racing cyclist, by 72 seconds. The thirdplace was secured by Alejandro Valverde, cyclist from Spain.
The Team Sky now has three victories in its pocket. The first vistory was marked by former Team Sky
leader Bradley Wiggins claiming the 2012 edition, followed the two victories of Froome in 2013 and 2015.
British riders now have three Tour de France victories out of the last four Grand Boucles.
Bangladesh won 3-match ODI series against South Africa 2-1
Bangladesh on 15 July 2015 won the three-match One Day International (ODI) series against South
Africa 2-1 played in Bangladesh.
This was Bangladesh’s fourth straight ODI series win at home.
In the third and final match of the series, South Africa after winning the toss elected to bat first. Batting
first, South Africa scored 168 runs in 40 over at a loss of 9 wickets and in reply to the target Bangladesh
scored 170 runs in 26.1 over at a loss of 1 wicket.
Bangladesh defeated South Africa by 9 wickets Duckworth–Lewis method (D/L method).
Series Report
1st Match: Played at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on 10 July 2015, South Africa won by 8
wickets (with 53 balls remaining). K Rabada of South Africa was declared as the Man of the Match.
2nd Match: Played at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur on 12 July 2015, Bangladesh won by 7
wickets (with 134 balls remaining). Soumya Sarkar of Bangladesh was declared Man of the match.
3rd Match: Played at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong on 15 July 2015, Bangladesh won
by 9 wickets (with 83 balls remaining) (D/L method). Soumya Sarkar of Bangladesh was declared Man of
the match.
• Man of the Series: Soumya Sarkar (Bangladesh)
Now, the two teams will play two test matches on 21 July and 30 July 2015.
India won 3-match ODI series against Zimbabwe 3-0
India on 14 July 2015 won the three-match One Day International (ODI) Series against Zimbabwe 3-0
played in Harare.
India batting first in the third match of series scored 276 runs at a loss of five and in reply to the target
Zimbabwe was bowled out at the score of 193 in 42.4 over.
The highlight of the Indian innings was a fine unbeaten 105 by Kedar Jadhav off just 87 balls. It was his
maiden international century. Manish Pandey contributed 71 runs.
• Man of the Match: Kedar Jadhav for his 87-ball 105
• Man of the Series: Ambati Rayudu
In the series, Indian side was captained by Ajinkya Rahane, while the Zimbabwean side was captained by
Elton Chigumbura.
Now, the two teams will play two T20 international matches on 17 July and 19 July 2015.
Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis won women's doubles title in
Wimbledon
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair of Tennis on 11 July 2015 won women’s
doubles title at Wimbledon. In the title clash played at Centre Court in London, the Indo-Swiss pair
defeated Russian duo of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7, 7-6, 7-5.
This is Sania's first-ever women's doubles Grand Slam title, although she has won three mixed doubles
titles at the majors. With this title, Sania also became the first Indian women to win a Wimbledon title.
Sania is winner of three mixed doubles Grand Slam trophies. She won Australian Open (2009) and
French Open (2012) with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi and the US Open with Bruno Soares last year.
Hingis won the Wimbledon doubles with Helena Sukova in 1996 and Jana Novotna in 1998.
Earlier, the Indo-Swiss pair had won doubles title of BNP Paribas Open on 21 March 2015 and WTA
Family Circle Cup doubles title on 12 April 2015.
Indo-Vietnamese pair Sumit Nagal-Nam Hoang Ly won 2015
Wimbledon Boys’ Doubles title
The Indo-Vietnamese pair Sumit Nagal-Nam Hoang Ly on 12 July 2015 won the 2015 Wimbledon Boys’
Doubles title by defeating Opelka and Akira Santillan in the final match held in London.
The eighth seeded pair defeated the fourth seeded USA-Japanese pair 7-6 (4) 6-4.
With this win, the 17-year- old Sumit Nagal became the sixth Indian to win a Grand Slam junior title.
Ramanathan Krishnan (1954 Wimbledon), Ramesh Krishnan (1979 French Open and Wimbledon),
Leander Paes (1990 Wimbledon and 1999 U.S. Open), Sania Miraza (2003 Wimbledon Girls Doubles)
and Yuki Bhambri (2009 Australian Open) are the other junior Grand Slam singles champions from India.
Paes-Hingis won mixed doubles final at Wimbledon
Seventh seed Indo-Swiss pair of Leander Paes and Martina Hingis on 12 July 2015 won mixed doubles
title at Wimbledon. In the final clash, the duo defeated the fifth seed Austrian-Hungarian team of
Alexander Peya and Timea Babos 6-1, 6-1.
It was Paes’ 16th Grand Slam trophy and eighth mixed doubles title. Overall it was 18th Major title for
the Swiss and third in mixed doubles.
This was second mixed double win for Paes and Hingis together. They had won the Australian Open in
February 2015.
Besides, Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis on 11 July 2015 lifted the women's doubles
title after defeating the Russian pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7, 7-6, 7-5. While,
Saumit Nagal won the junior boys doubles trophy.
Serena Williams won her sixth Wimbledon Women's Single
title
World Number One Serena Williams on 11 July 2015 has won Wimbledon Women's Single title. In the
final clash played at Centre Court, London, Williams (US) defeated Garbine Muguruza (Spain) in straight
sets 6-4, 6-4.
This was Sixth Women's Singles title at Wimbledon for Williams. With 21 Grand Slam titles, Serena has
also moved closer to a Calendar Grand Slam, last achieved by German Steffi Graf in 1988.
Muguruza was making her maiden appearance in a Grand Slam Final.
Besides, the Indo-Swiss pair of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis defeated the Russian combination of
Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina in the Women's Doubles Final.
Novak Djokovic won the men’s singles title of Wimbledon
Defending champion Novak Djokovic on 12 July 2015 won men’s singles title of Wimbledon. In the final
clash played in London, Serbian Djokovic defeated Roger Federer of Switzerland 7-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.
This was his third Wimbledon title and Grand Slam crown.
Besides, Leander Paes (India) and Martina Hingis (Swiss) won the mixed doubles event of the
Championship. In the final played in London, the Indo-Swiss pair defeated Austrian-Hungarian team of
Alexander Peya and Timea Babos 6-1, 6-1. It was Paes' eighth mixed doubles title and second with
Hingis. They had won the Australian Open early this year.
Wimbledon was held from 29 June to 12 July 2015.
USA defeated Japan to win Women's FIFA World Cup for
the third time
United States of America (USA) on July 2015 won the FIFA Women’s World Cup. In the final played at
Vancouver, Canada, US defeated Japan, 5-2.
This was third world cup title for the USA and first since 1999.
In the semi-finals, while US defeated Germany, 2-0, Japan beat England, 2-1.
The player of the match was Carli Lloyd of US.
Chile defeated Argentina to win 2015 Copa America Cup
Football tournament
Chile on 4 July 2015 won its first Copa America Cup football tournament. In the final played at the Estadio
Nacional (national stadium) in Santiago, Chile defeated Argentina 4-1 through penalties shootout.
India won 2015 South Asian Basketball Championship
India on 5 July 2015 won the South Asian Basketball (SABA) Championship title. In the final played at
the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, Karanataka, India defeated Sri Lanka 93-44.
It was 4th edition of the championships. India was the winner of third SABA Championship.
With this win, India qualified for the FIBA Asia Championship in China. FIBA Asia Championship will
be played in September 2015.
The winning team was given a cash prize of 35000 rupees as a personal gesture of Basketball Federation
of India President K Govindraj.
Top three teams of the championships were India (gold), Sri Lanka (silver) and Nepal (bronze).
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015
Formula 1 British Grand Prix title
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain on 5 July 2015 secured the 2015 Formula 1 British Grand
Prix title by winning the final race held at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England.
While his team Nico Rosberg stood second, Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was in the third position. Both
the drivers belong to Germany.
In the final race, Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) and Sergio Perez (Mexico) of Force India stood at seventh
and ninth positions respectively.
With this win, Hamilton became the second British driver since David Coulthard in 1999-2000 to post
successive wins in the race.
It was third British GP win for the reigning world champion and his fifth in the 2015 season having won
the titles in Australia, China, Bahrain and Canada.
Hamilton has won more races compared to any other British driver in the history of Formula One and is
currently 5th on the all-time list, with 38 wins.
Satnam Singh Bhamara became first Indian basketball
player to join NBA
Satnam Singh Bhamara on 25 June 2015 became the first Indian national to join National Basketball
Association (NBA) of USA. He is 19 years old.
The Punjab-born player was the 52nd overall pick at the 2015 draft by the Dallas Mavericks. He will
represent the team during the upcoming 2015-16 season.
Earlier, in July 2014, Sim Bhullar became the first basketball player of Indian origin to join the NBA. He
hails from Canada and his parents are from Punjab. He played for a brief period for the Sacramento Kings
during the 2014-15 season.
Also, in 2013, the Sacramento Kings became the NBA's first team to have an Indian-origin majority
owner -- Vivek Ranadive.
About Satnam Singh Bhamara
• He was born at Ballo Ke near Ludhiana in Punjab. He is 7 ft 2 in tall and weighs 110 kg.
• He represented the Indian national basketball team at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship and the 2013
FIBA Asia Championship.
• In 2010, he moved to Florida in USA as part of a scholarship program between IMG and Reliance for
training. Since then, he has been training at the IMG Reliance Academy.
• With the inclusion in the Dallas Mavericks, he became the first player since the 2005 NBA draft to enter
the draft without playing in college, overseas professionally, or in the NBA Development League.
Bangladesh won 3-match ODI series against India 2-1
Bangladesh on 24 June 2015 won the three-match One Day International (ODI) Series against India 2-1
played in Dhaka. This was Bangladesh's first series win against India.
India batting first in the third match of series scored 317 runs at a loss of six wickets and in reply to the
target Bangladesh was bowled out at a score of 240 in 47 over.
This series win helped Bangladesh to enter into the Champions Trophy.
Jordan Spieth of US won US Open of Golf
Jordan Spieth won the US Open at Chambers Bay on 21 June 2015. The win was his second straight
major title of 2015 after he won the Masters Tournament at Augusta National, US in April 2015.
He closed with a 69 for a five-under total of 275, one shot ahead of fellow American Dustin Johnson (70)
and South African Louis Oosthuizen (67).
China won 2015 Nongfu Spring World Cup of Snooker
China won the 2015 Nongfu Spring Snooker’s World Cup on 21 June 2015 by defeating Scotland 4-1 in
the final match held at Wuxi near Shanghai in China.
The winners of the snooker championship collected 120000 pound sterling prize money.
In the final, China’s B team pairing of 17-year-old Zhou Yuelong and 15-year-old Yan Bingtao defeated
Scotland’s pairing of John Higgins and Stephen Maguire.
Serbia won 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil
2-1
Serbia won the FIFA U-20 World Cup by defeating Brazil on 21 June 2015 at the final match held at the North
Harbour Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand.
Nemanja Maksimovic scored a 118th minute goal to give Serbia a 2-1 victory over Brazil in extra time.
Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg of Germany won Austrian
Grand Prix of Formula One
Mercedes racing driver Nico Rosberg of Germany on 21 June 2015 won the Austrian Grand Prix Formula
1 World Championship title. He won the final race held at the Spielberg circuit in Styria, Monaco.
While his teammate Lewis Hamilton of Britain stood at the second position, Felipe Massa of Brazil
representing the Williams team was at the third position.
FC Barcelona won 2015 UEFA Champions League title
FC Barcelona won the 2015 Champions League title on 6 June 2015 by defeating Juventus FC 3-1 in the
final match held at the Berlin’s Olympic Stadium in Germany.
While, Ivan Rakitic, Luis Suarez and Neymar scored goals for Barcelona, Alvaro Morato scored the lone
goal for Juventus.
In the summit clash, Barcelona, a Spanish club, was led by Andres Iniesta and Juventus, an Italian club
was led by Gianluigi Buffon.
This was the fifth time Barcelona has been crowned with the title and their fourth in the last decade after
their victories in 2006, 2009 and 2011.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain won 2015
Canada Grand Prix of Formula 1
Mercedes racing driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain on 7 June 2015 won the 2015 Formula 1 Canada Grand
Prix title by winning the final race held in Montreal, Canada.
In the final race, while, his team mate Nico Rosberg of Germany stood at the second position, Ferrari
driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany was at the third position.
Indian boxer won four Gold Medals at Doha International
Boxing tournament 20105
Indian boxer on 23 May 2015 won four Gold Medals, One Silver and two bronze medals at Doha
International Boxing Tournament 2015. Commonwealth Games silver medallist L Devendro Singh
(49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg), Manish Kaushik (60kg), and Manoj Kumar (64kg) won the gold medals.
The silver medal went to Gaurav Bidhuri (52kg), while Mandeep Jangra (69kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg)
bagged bronze medals.
In the finals, Devendro defeated Philippines Aldren Moreno by 3:0. This was followed by Gaurav
defeating Montassar Bouali by 2:1.
Former Asian gold medalist Shiva defeated Egypt's HYM Abdelaal 2:1. Manish beat Moroccan Rabi
Hamza 3:0, while Manoj thrashed Filipino Magliquian Nicole by a similar margin.
Mumbai Indians won IPL 2015 title by defeating Chennai Super
kings
Mumbai Indians (MI) on 24 May 2015 won the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In the
final clash played at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Mumbai Indians defeated Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by
41-runs.
This was the second title triumph for Mumbai Indians after their maiden win back in 2013.
Mumbai Indians after being invited to bat first posted a score of 202 for five, while batting second,
Chennai Super Kings were able to score just 161 for eight.
With this win, Mumbai Indians joined Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Rider, as a team that has
claimed two IPL trophies. Mumbai had won their first title in 2013 at the Eden Gardens, by defeating the
Chennai Super Kings. With this defeat, Chennai has lost four finals of 2008, 2012, 2013, 2015 in six
appearances.
• Man of the Match: Rohit Sharma for his match winning score of 50 in 26 balls
• Player of the Tournament: Andre Russell
• Orange Cap awarded to: David Warner
• Purple Cap awarded to: Dwayne Bravo
• Emerging Player of the Season: Shreyas Iyer
• Most Valuable Player: Andre Russell
Rohan Bopanna, Florin Mergea won Men’s Doubles title of
Madrid Tennis Open
Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea, the Indo-Romanian pair, on 10 May 2015 won the men’s doubles
title of the Madrid Tennis Open.
In the summit clash played in Madrid, Spain, the duo defeated the Serbian-Polish pair of Nenand
Zimonjic and Martin Matkowski 6-2, 6-7(5), 11-9.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeated Manny Pacquiao to win
Fight of the Century of Boxing
American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. on 3 May 2015 defeated Manny Pacquiao from Philippines to win
the unified World Welterweight title. The match termed as Fight of the Century was held at iconic MGM
Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Novak Djokovic won Monte Carlo Masters title of Tennis
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, 46, 6-3.
With this win, 27-year-old Djokovic also became the first player to sweep the opening three ATP World
Tour Masters 1000 events of a season. The previous two titles were won at Indian Wells and Miami.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won WTA Family Circle
Cup
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the top-seeded Indo-Swiss pair of Tennis on 12 April 2015 won the 731000
US dollar WTA Family Circle Cup doubles title. In the title clash played at Charleston in the United States, the
duo defeated Australian-Croatian pair of Casey Dellacqua and Darija Jurak 6-0, 6-4.
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the 2015 Miami
Open Tennis Singles titles
Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams won the 2015 Miami Open Men’s and women’s singles titles of the
respectively at Crandon Park Tennis Center in Miami, Florida.
Novak Djokovic of Serbia on 5 April 2015 beat the third seeded Andy Murray of Britain 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0
to win his fifth Miami Open title.
In doing so, Djokovic became the first player to win at Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back for three
consecutive years.
With this win, Djokovic and Murray have combined to win eight of the past ten Miami Open men’s titles.
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.
With this win, Williams has won 66 singles titles, one behind Billie Jean King of the US.
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won 2015 Miami Open
Women's Doubles title
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the Indo-Swiss women pair of Tennis, on 5 April 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.
This was second consecutive team title for the Indo-Swiss pair. Earlier on 21 March 2015, Mirza and
Hingis had won the Indian Wells Open.
Australia defeated New Zealand to win ICC Cricket World
Cup 2015
Australia on 29 March 2015 won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. In the final, Australia defeated New
Zealand by seven wickets at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), Australia.
New Zealand batting first was bowled out at a score of 183 in 45 over and in reply to the target Australia
scored 186 at the loss of 3 wickets in 33.1 over.
With this, Australia won the prize money of 3975000 US dollars while New Zealand as Runners-up won
1750000 US dollars as prize money.
This was the Fifth Cricket World Cup for Australian cricket team. Its previous wins came in the years
1987, 1999, 2003, and 2007. With this win, Australia also became the second host country to win the title.
India in 2011 had become the first host country to win the title.
• Man of the Match: James Faulkner
• Man of the Series: Mitchell Starc
Captains of the two teams
• New Zealand: Brendon McCullum
• Australia: Michael Clarke
Some Important facts of 2015 Cricket World Cup
• Martin Guptill of New Zealand was the highest scorer of the 2015 Cricket World Cup. He scored 547
runs in 9 matches at an average of 69.37. His 547 runs included the highest-ever score of 237 not out in
any Cricket World Cup which he scored against West Indies in the third quarter-final.
• Mitchell Starc of Australia was the highest wicket-taker of the tournament. He took 22 wickets in 8
matches at an average of 10.18.
• This World Cup also saw scoring of two double hundreds, firstly by Chris Gayle of West Indies who
scored 215 runs against Zimbabwe in the league matches and secondly by Martin Guptill.
• This World Cup also saw the retirement of seven cricketers from the One Day Internationals. These are:
Michael Clarke (Australia), Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq (Pakistan), Mahela Jayawadene and Kumar
Sangakkara (Sri Lanka), Khurram Khan (UAE) and Brendon Taylor (Zimbabwe).
• This World Cup also saw the scoring of highest ever centuries in any World Cup. In all 37 centuries
were scored in the 2015 Cricket World Cup with Kumar Sangakkara scoring the maximum number of 5
centuries
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the women doubles
title of BNP Paribas Tennis Open
Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, the Indo-Swiss women pair of Tennis, on 21 March 2015 won the women
doubles title of BNP Paribas Open. In the title clash played at Indian Wells, USA, the duo defeated the Russian
pair of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-4.
Saina, Srikant won India Open Super Series Badminton
Women's & Men's Singles titles
Indian shuttlers, Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth on 29 March 2015 won the women’s and men's
singles titles of the 275000 dollar India Open Super Series badminton tournament.
In the final clash played at the Siri Fort Indoor Complex in New Delhi, Saina defeated former world
champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand 21-16, 21-14.
Later in the title clash of the men’s section, World Number Four and second seed Srikanth defeated sixth
seed Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 18-21, 21-13, 21-12. It is second Super Series title of his career.
This was their maiden women and men's singles titles at the India Open Super Series badminton
tournament.
Earlier on 28 March 2015, Saina Nehwal became the first woman badminton player from India to be
ranked number one in the world. She is the second Indian player to achieve this feat, after Prakash
Padukone.
Australian Open 2015
Australian Open 2015 came to an end on 1 February 2015 at Melbourne, Australia. Novak Djokovic of
Serbia and Serena Williams of the US won the men’s and women’s single title, respectively.
In the final clash for the title, Novak Djokovic won his fifth Australian Open title by defeating Andy
Murray of Britain 7-6(5), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-0. On the other hand, Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova
(Russia) 6-3, 7-6(5) to claim her sixth Australian Open and 19th Grand Slam title.
With this win, World Number 1 Djokovic became the most decorated Australian Open champion of the
Open era, surpassing Andre Agassi and Roger Federer’s quartet of titles. Now only Roy Emerson, with
six, stands above him in the men’s all-time records.
Results of other categories at Australian Open
• Men’s Doubles title: Italian pair Simone Boleli and Fabio Fogini defeated French pair Pierre-Hugues
Herbert and Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 6-4. Boleli and Fogini is the first all-Italian team to win a Grand Slam
Men's Doubles title in more than 50 years. The last Italians to win a men's doubles title at a major were
Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola at the 1959 French Open.
• Women’s Doubles title: American-Czech pair Bethanie Mattek-Sands (the US) and Lucie Safarova
(Czech Republic) defeated Chinese-Taiwan pair Zheng Jie (China) and Chan Yung-jan (Taiwan) 6-4, 7-6
(7-5). This was the first grand slam women’s title for Mattek-Sands and Lucie Safarova and was the first
new pairing to win the women’s doubles title at Melbourne Park since 2005
• Mixed Doubles title: Indo-Swiss pair Leander Paes (India) and Martina Hingis (Switzerland) defeated
Canadian-French team of Daniel Nestor (Canada) and Kristina Mladenovic (France), in straight sets, 6-4,
6-3. This was Leander’s third Mixed Doubles title at the Australian Open and 15th overall. For Martina, it
was the ninth title at Melbourne.
India to host ICC Twenty20 World Cup in 2016
International Cricket Council (ICC) in its board meeting in Dubai on 29 January 2015 announced that
India will host the Twenty20 World Cup in 2016. The Twenty20 World Cup will be held in India from 11
March 2016 to 3 April 2016.
Bhakti set world record by swimming 1.4 miles in 52
minutes in the Antarctic Ocean
Indian open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma on 14 January 2015 set a world record by swimming 1.4
miles in 52 minutes in one degree temperature in the Antarctic Ocean. She is the first Indian women as
well as to achieve this feat.
She broke the record of British open water swimming champion Lewis Pugh and American swimmer
Lynne Cox.
The 24-year old is now the first Asian girl and youngest in the world to have achieved this feat and now
has conquered all the five oceans of the world.
Bhakti’s quest was sponsored by Hindustan Zinc.
Cristiano Ronaldo won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d'Or Award
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo on 12 January 2015 won the 2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or award for
the best footballer of the year in the world. It is the third time that Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or award
following the previous triumphs in the years 2008 and 2013.
Other Awardees
1. Nadine Kessler won the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award 2014.
2. Joachim Low won the FIFA World Coach of the Year 2014 for Men’s Football award.
3. Ralf Kellermann won the FIFA World Coach of the Year 2014 for Women’s Football award.
4. James Rodriguez won the FIFA Puskas Award for the best goal of the year.
5. FIFA Team of the Year 2014: FIFPro World XI includes Manuel Neuer, David Luiz, Philipp Lahm,
Sergio Ramos and Thiago Silva in defence; Angel Di Maria, Andres Iniesta and Toni Kroos in midfield
and Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Arjen Robben in attack.
FIFA Ballon d'Or Award
• The FIFA Ballon d'Or award is an annual association football award given by FIFA to the male player
who has performed the best in the previous calendar year.
• It is awarded based on the votes from national team coaches and captains, as well as journalists from
around the world.
• The award began in 2010 after France Football's Ballon d'Or and the men's FIFA World Player of the
Year award were merged.
• The winner of the 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or was Lionel Messi who then won the title for the following
two years 2011 and 2012.
AWARDS
Kiren Rijiju conferred with Disaster Risk Reduction Asia Champion honour
by UN
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, was on 17 November 2015 designated as the
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Champion for the Asia Region by the United Nations Office for Disaster
Risk Reduction (UNISDR). Rijiju also became the first Indian to be conferred with this honour.
The honour was conferred Margarete Wahlstrom, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary
General for Disaster Risk Reduction, during the inaugural session of the Asia Leaders’ Meeting towards
Implementation of the Sendai Framework for DRR in Asia.
Rijiju is the first regional champion for DRR after the Sendai Agreement, giving an impetus to Union
Government efforts to facilitate regional support towards enabling community resilience in the AsiaPacific region.
Disaster Risk Reduction Champions
• UNISDR recognizes individuals as Disaster Risk Reduction Champions for using their political
influence to lobby for disaster risk reduction in their country, region and beyond.
• This is a non-remunerated honorary position.
• Only the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction and head of
UNISDR may designate a Disaster Risk Reduction Champion by issuing a letter of designation.
• It advocates and promotes the goals and priorities of the Hyogo Framework for Action and the new
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.
Abraham M Keita from Liberia won the 2015 International Children's Peace
Prize
Liberian teenager Abraham M Keita was on 10 November 2015 awarded with the prestigious
International Children’s Peace Prize 2015. He was awarded for his extraordinary and peaceful fight for
justice for child victims of physical or sexual violence, and for successfully campaigning for the Liberian
parliament to adopt the Children’s Law.
Seventeen-year-old Keita received the prize from Nobel Peace Laureate and his countrywoman Leymah
Gbowee in The Hague. Gbowee in 2011 became the first Liberian to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for
her nonviolent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in Liberia’s
peace-building process.
About International Children’s Peace Prize
International Children’s Peace Prize is awarded annually to child from across the world for his or her
dedication to children’s rights. The prize is an initiative of Marc Dullaert, Chairman and Founder of the
Dutch KidsRights Foundation.
The prize was launched by KidsRights during the 2005 Nobel Peace Laureates’ Summit chaired by
Mikhail Gorbachev. Since then, the prize has been presented every year by a Nobel Peace Laureate.
Neha Gupta, an 18-year-old Indian American from Philadelphia, was awarded with the 2014 International
Children’s Peace Prize for her work to help orphans in India and other vulnerable children. Neha was the
first ever American to be awarded with the prize.
Santoor maestro Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma honoured with Kala Shikhar award
Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma on 7 November 2015 was honoured with the Aditya Vikram
Birla Kala Shikhar Award for lifetime achievement.
The governor of Maharashtra C Vidyasagar Rao presented the award to the 77-year old Santoor player in
Mumbai.
On the other hand, Murad Ali Khan (Sarangi) and Satyajit Talwalkar (Tabla) were awarded with the Kala
Kiran Awards. Special Jury Award was given to Shehnai players Sanjeev and Ashwani Shankar.
After starting his career as a vocalist, Pandit Sharma emerged out as the master instrumentalist of the
Santoor. He is credited with making Santoor a popular Classical Instrument.
The Santoor maestro is also the recipient of the Padma Shri and the Padma Vibhushan.
About Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Shikhar Puraskaar
The Aditya Vikram Birla Kala Shikhar Puraskaar was instituted by the Sangit Kala Kendra in the memory
of Aditya Vikram Birla.
The award is conferred on a distinguished artist for his/her lifetime achievement in the chosen field of the
performing and visual arts.
The award comprises a cash award of 2 lakh rupees, a memento and a scroll of honour.
Activist Bindeshwar Pathak selected for New York Global Leaders Dialogue
Humanitarian Award
Sociologist and founder of Sulabh International Bindeshwar Pathak on 29 October 2015 was selected for
the prestigious New York Global Leaders Dialogue Humanitarian Award for his contribution to sanitation
and improving the quality of life for millions of manual scavengers.
Pathak will be presented with the award on 12 April 2016 in New York, US.
The activist first understood the plight of manual scavengers in 1968 when he joined the Bhangi-Mukti
(scavengers’ liberation) Cell of the Bihar Gandhi Centenary Celebrations Committee.
He founded the Sulabh International Social Service Organization in 1970, combining technical innovation
with humanitarian principles.
Born on 2 April 1943, Pathak obtained his bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 1964. He completed his post
graduation in 1980 from the University of Patna. He earned his PhD in 1985.
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi awarded 2015 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of
Thought
Saudi blogger Raif Badawi on 29 October 2015 awarded Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought for the
year 2015.
An announcement in this regard was made by the President of European Parliament Martin Schulz at
European Parliament assembly in Strasbourg, France; Subsequently, Schulz appealed to Saudi King
Salman to free him, so he can accept the prize.
Badawi was one of three nominees for the prize along with assassinated Russian opposition leader Boris
Nemtsov and the Venezuelan opposition movement Mesa de la Unidad Democratica.
Badawi, author of the website Free Saudi Liberals, was convicted of insulting Islam in 2012 and was
sentenced to 10 years in jail and 1000 lashes.
He received the first 50 lashes of his sentence in January 2015, but subsequent floggings have been
postponed.
In early October 2015, he also won the Pen Pinter Prize for championing free speech in honour of the late
Nobel Literature Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter.
About Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought
• It has been awarded by the European Parliament since 1988 to individuals or organisations for their
contribution to the fight for human rights and democracy.
• It is named after the Soviet scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov.
• While the prize in 2014 was conferred on Denis Mukwege of DR Congo for treating gang rape victims,
Nelson Mandela (1988), Aung San Suu Kyi (1990) and Malala Yousafzai (2013) were the previous
winners.
Angry Indian Goddesses bagged People’s Choice Award at Rome Film
Festival
Director Pan Nalin’s film, Angry Indian Goddesses, on 25 October 2015 was awarded with BNL People’s
Choice Award at the 10th Rome Film Festival held in Rome, Italy.
The award was presented by the BNL Gruppo BNP Paribas. The winner was selected through an online
voting system by the audience.
The movie also received an eight-minute-long standing ovation at the festival.
Earlier, the movie was also screened in the Special Presentations section of the 2015 Toronto
International Film Festival, where it came second to Lenny Abrahamson’s Room in the voting for the
People's Choice Award.
Angry Indian Goddesses is a 2015 Hindi drama film, which stars Sandhya Mridul, Tannishtha Chatterjee,
Sarah-Jane Dias, Anushka Manchanda, Amrit Maghera, Rajshri Deshpande and Pavleen Gujral playing
lead roles with Adil Hussain.
The movie narrates the tale of a girl who invited her closest girlfriends to Goa to announce her wedding,
and how it all turned into a wild bachelorette party.
AR Rahman received Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award
Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman was on 26 October 2015 conferred with Hridaynath Mangeshkar
Award in Mumbai. He won the award for his contribution to the Indian music.
Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai presented the fifth Hridaynath Mangeshkar Award to Rahman on the
78th birthday of Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar. Mangeskar was a well-known composer and the younger
brother of Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
About Hridaynath Mangeskar Award
• It was instituted by Hridayesh Art, a Mumbai- based socio-cultural organisation in honour of music
composer and singer Hridaynath Mangeskar.
• Hridaynath is the son of noted musician Deenanath Mangeshkar and younger brother of Indian music
legends Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle.
• The annual award is given since 2011 in recognition of contributions to Indian music.
• Recipients of the earlier awards were-Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Sulochana Tai and Asha
Bhosle.
• The first Hridaynath Award was given to Lata Mangeshkar.
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe awarded with 2015 Confucius Peace
Prize
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe was on 22 October 2015 awarded with the 2015 Confucius Peace
Prize by China for supposedly injecting fresh energy into the global quest for harmony. The Prize is
dubbed as Chinese equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.
He was awarded for overcoming a number of difficulties and for contributing to building the government,
economy and order in the country while continuing to work at the age of 91 actively for African peace.
Mugabe is the founding leader of Zimbabwe and has ruled the country since it gained independence in
1980 from United Kingdom. He was elected as Prime Minister in 1980 and served in that office till 1987.
He became Zimbabwe’s first President in December 1987 and since then he is serving in the office.
In January 2015, he was appointed as Chairman of African Union (AU). However, in his 35 years of grip
on power, he has often been seen caught in controversies. He has been criticised over allegations of
corruption and his poor record on human rights. He is also blamed for a series of massacres in the 1980s
and 1990s in which tens of thousands of civilians and opposition soldiers were killed.
About Confucius Peace Prize
• The prize was established in 2010 by China’s Communist Government after it was angered by Nobel
Peace Prize being awarded to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo.
• It is bestowed for promotion of world peace from the 21st-century interpretation of Confucianism i.e.
universal harmony in the world.
• The prize comes with an award of 500000 Yuan and a gold trophy of the ancient Chinese philosopher
whose name it takes.
• Previous Recipients of the award are Vladimir Putin (2011), Kofi Annan and Yuan Longping (2012) and
Fidel Castro (2014).
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi conferred Harvard University’s 2015
Humanitarian of the Year Award
Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2014 Kailash Satyarthi was on 16 October 2015 conferred with the 2015
Humanitarian of the Year Award. The award is given annually by the Harvard Foundation for
Intercultural and Race Relations of the Harvard University.
He was awarded for his continuing contribution to the cause of child rights and abolition of child slavery.
Satyarthi was successful in getting the issue of child protection included in the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) that was adopted by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2015.
His co-sharer of the Nobel Peace Prize 2014 Malala Yousufzai of Pakistan was conferred with the
Humanitarian of the Year award in 2013.
In 2014, this award was conferred on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
About the Award
Each year, the Harvard Foundation of Harvard University presents the Humanitarian Award to an
individual whose works and deeds have served to improve the quality of our lives and have inspired us to
greater heights.
This award is given in the name of the Rev. Professor Peter J. Gomes, Plummer Professor and Minister in
Harvard's Memorial Church, and is authorized by the Dean of Harvard College and the President of
Harvard University.
The past winners of this award include luminaries like Martin Luther King Sr, Kofi Annan, Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, Javier Perez de Cuellar; Bishop Desmond Tutu and John Hume among others.
Jamaican writer Marlon James won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction
Jamaican writer Marlon James on 13 October 2015 won the 2015 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his
novel A Brief History of Seven Killings. With this, James became the first Jamaican author to win the
prize in its 47-years of history.
James was honoured with the prize money of 50000 Euros, a trophy and a designer bound edition of his
book. He was also awarded with additional 2500 Euros for being shortlisted for the prize.
James’s name was shortlisted from a list of writers including Sunjeev Sahota, Chigozie Obioma, Hanya
Yanagihara, Anne Tyler, Tom McCarthy and Marlon James.
About Man Booker Prize
• First awarded in 1969, the Man Booker Prize is recognised as the leading award for high quality literary
fiction written in English.
• The award promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. The prize is the
world's most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and
publishers.
• Its list of winners features many of the giants of the last four decades: from Salman Rushdie to Margaret
Atwood, Iris Murdoch to JM Coetzee.
Veteran filmmaker I.V. Sasi honoured with J.C. Daniel Award
Renowned Malayalam filmmaker I.V. Sasi on 12 October 2015 was awarded with the prestigious J.C.
Daniel Award for the year 2014 for his contributions towards the Malayalam entertainment industry.
Sasi has made over 150 Indian films in various languages and genres. However, he is mostly known for
his South Indian films.
He started his directorial career officially with his first film Ulsavam. He has directed more than 170 films
over a span of 34 years. Most of his movies came out as super hits and some of them are even classified
as classics or good cinema.
In 1982, his film Aaroodam won the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on National Integration.
About J.C. Daniel Award
The J.C. Daniel Award is given by the Government of Kerala annually. The award was instituted in 1992
by Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala in the honour of J. C. Daniel, an Indian
filmmaker.
The award is a division of the Kerala State Film Awards which is given to honour lifetime achievements
and outstanding contributions to Malayalam cinema.
Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet won the Nobel Peace Prize 2015
Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet won the Nobel Peace Prize 2015. It was announced by the Kaci
Kullman Five, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee on 9 October 2015.
It was awarded for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the
wake of Jasmine revolution of 2011.
The Quartet was picked from the pool of 273 nominees with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Pope
Francis among the list of top contenders to win the prize.
The first Nobel Peace Prize was awarded jointly in 1901 to Jean Henry Dunant, founder of International
Committee of Red Cross and French peace activist and economist Frederic Passy.
About Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet
The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet comprised four key organizations in Tunisian civil society.
These are:
• The Tunisian General Labour Union
• The Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts
• The Tunisian Human Rights League
• The Tunisian Order of Lawyers
Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature
Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich was on 8 October 2015 awarded with the 2015 Nobel Prize in
Literature for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time.
She will be awarded with the 8 million Swedish kronor prize money at the annual award ceremony on 10
December 2015.
Svetlana Alexiyevich is a Belarusian investigative journalist and prose writer. In 2014, she was nominated
by Ural Federal University to receive the 2014 Nobel Prize in literature.
She was born on 31 May 1948 in the Ukrainian town of Ivano-Frankovsk.
About Svetlana Alexievich's work
Svetlana Alexievich books are described as a literary chronicle of the emotional history of the Soviet and
post-Soviet person. Her most notable works in English translation are about first-hand accounts from the
war in Afghanistan (Zinky Boys) and a highly praised oral history of the Chernobyl disaster (Voices from
Chernobyl).
Her first book War's Unwomanly Face was published in 1985. It was repeatedly reprinted and sold out in
more than two million copies. This novel is made up of monologues of women in the war speaking about
the aspects of World War II that had never been related before.
Another book, The Last Witnesses: the Book of Unchildlike Stories describes personal memories of
children during war time. In 1993, she published Enchanted with Death, a book about real and attempted
suicides due to the downfall of the Soviet Union.
Alexievich's books have been published in many countries including US, Germany, UK, Japan, Sweden,
France, China, Vietnam, Bulgaria and India with a total of 19 countries in all.
Indian firm Nualgi won Popular Choice Award at Climate CoLab of MIT
Nualgi, an Indian company with entirely Indian technology in the field of nano biotechnology, on 7
October 2015 won the Popular Choice Awards at the Climate CoLab of Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Cambridge.
With this, Nualgi became the first Indian company to win the annual MIT contest.
The Indian company had submitted two proposals to reduce power and fuel consumption for sewage
treatment and reuse of water built around their nano-scale product called Nualgi for the 2015 edition of
the contest.
A panel of judges selected both of their proposals in the Top 10 category. Subsequently, both the
proposals won the Popular Choice Awards in voting by general public internationally.
About Nualgi
Bengaluru’s T Sampath Kumar invented Nualgi after 15 years of research and development in nano
biotechnology. It is an advanced product used to grow diatom algae in all types and volumes of water,
from aquariums to oceans.
Nualgi contains trace, special and appropriate nutrients that can deliver in a biologically available form.
What is MIT’s Climate CoLab?
MIT’s Climate CoLab initiative is a budding community of 50000 people from around the globe, who
work together online through a series of interrelated contests focused on different aspects of the climate
change problem.
2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry: Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz
Sancar
Tomas Lindahl, Paul Modrich and Aziz Sancar were on 7 October 2015 jointly awarded with the 2015
2015 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for having mapped how cells repair damaged DNA and safeguard the
genetic information at a molecular level.
All the three laureates will share the prize money of 8 million Swedish kronor equally. Tomas Lindahl is
from the Francis Crick Institute, UK; Paul Modrich is from Duke University School of Medicine, USA
and Aziz Sancar belongs to University of North Carolina School of Medicine, USA.
Their work provided fundamental knowledge of how a living cell functions and how it is used for the
development of new cancer treatments.
How cells repair damaged DNA?
Each day our DNA is damaged by UV radiation, free radicals and other carcinogenic substances, but even
without such external attacks, a DNA molecule is inherently unstable. Thousands of spontaneous changes
to a cell’s genome occur on a daily basis.
Defects can also arise when DNA is copied during cell division, a process that occurs several million
times every day in the human body. The reason our genetic material does not disintegrate into complete
chemical chaos is that a host of molecular systems continuously monitor and repair DNA.
However, these three pioneering scientists have mapped that how several repair systems function at a
detailed molecular level. Tomas Lindahl demonstrated that DNA decays at a rate that ought to have made
the development of life on Earth impossible. This insight led him to discover molecular machinery named
Base Excision Repair which constantly counteracts the collapse of our DNA.
Aziz Sancar mapped Nucleotide Excision Repair, the mechanism that cells use to repair UV damage to
DNA. People born with defects in this repair system will develop skin cancer if they are exposed to
sunlight. The cell also utilises nucleotide excision repair to correct defects.
Furthermore, Paul Modrich demonstrated how the cell corrects errors that occur when DNA is replicated
during cell division. This mechanism, Mismatch Repair, reduces the error frequency during DNA
replication by about a thousand fold.
Raif Badawi, James Fenton shared 2015 PEN Pinter Prize
Saudi blogger and activist Raif Badawi and British poet and critic James Fenton were on 6 October 2015
awarded with the 2015 PEN Pinter Prize. Badawi was named as the 2015 International Writer of Courage
by Fenton himself during a public event held at the British Library in London.
Fenton officially accepted the 2015 PEN Pinter Prize at the event. He delivered a lecture written for the
occasion, which was published in a limited edition by Faber & Faber. Fenton was selected for this
prestigious award in June 2015 itself.
While, due to Badawi's imprisonment, his award was accepted by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia
and campaigner for Raif Badawi.
About Raif Badawi's Incident
Raif Badawi has been a case of concern to English PEN since he was first imprisoned in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, in 2012 for setting up a website called Saudi Liberal Network challenging Saudi government. In
May 2014, he received a fine of 1 million riyals along with a ten year prison sentence and was sentenced
to 1000 lashes.
He was charged against violating the Islamic values and propagating liberal thought. The public flogging
of Badawi in January 2015 sparked global outrage. Since then, the campaign for his case spearheaded by
his wife Ensaf Haidar has gathered international support.
An anthology of his writings 1000 Lashes: Because I Say What I Think, was also published in the UK in
September 2015 by Greystone Books.
Arthur B McDonald and Takaaki Kajita shared 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics
Japan's Takaaki Kajita and American Arthur B. McDonald on 6 October 2015 jointly won the 2015 Nobel
Prize in Physics for their discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass.
Takaaki Kajita belongs to the University of Tokyo while McDonald is from Queen's University, Canada.
Both the winners will share the 8 million Swedish kronor prize money with one half going to McDonand
and the other half to Kajita. Each winner will also get a diploma and a gold medal at the annual award
ceremony on 10 December 2015, the anniversary of the death of prize founder Alfred Nobel.
The Discovery of Neutrino Oscillations
Takaaki Kajita presented the discovery that neutrinos from the atmosphere switch between two identities
on their way to the Super-Kamiokande detector in Japan.
While, the research group in Canada led by Arthur B. McDonald demonstrated that the neutrinos from the
Sun were not disappearing on their way to Earth. Instead they were captured with a different identity
when arriving to the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.
Their experiments demonstrated that neutrinos change identities. This metamorphosis requires that
neutrinos have mass. The discovery has changed understanding of the innermost workings of matter and
can prove crucial to view of the universe.
With this, a neutrino puzzle that physicists had wrestled with for decades, had been resolved. Compared
to theoretical calculations of the number of neutrinos, up to two thirds of the neutrinos were missing in
measurements performed on Earth. Now, these two experiments discovered that the neutrinos had
changed identities.
The discovery led to the far-reaching conclusion that neutrinos, which for a long time were considered
mass-less, must have some mass, however small.
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine-2015 announced
The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine on 5 October 2015 announced the recipients of the
2015 award.
The 2015 prize was divided, one half jointly to William C Campbell (Ireland) and Satoshi Omura (Japan)
for their discoveries concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworm parasites and the
other half to Youyou Tu (China) for her discoveries concerning a novel therapy against Malaria.
Contributions of Awardees
William C Campbell is an Irish biochemist, Biologist and Parasitologist known for his discoveries
concerning a novel therapy against infections caused by roundworms. Currently, he is a research fellow
emeritus at Drew University, Madison in New Jersey, the USA.
Satoshi Omura is a Japanese biochemist. He is known for the discovery and development of various
originally occurring microorganisms in pharmaceuticals to treat roundworm. At present, he is associated
with the Kitasato University of Japan.
Youyou Tu is a Chinese medical scientist, pharmaceutical chemist, and educator best known for
discovering artemisinin (also known as Qinghaosu) and dihydroartemisinin, used to treat malaria. At
present, she is working at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Laureates of 2015 Right Livelihood Awards announced
Laureates of 2015 Right Livelihood Awards were announced on 1 October 2015. Tony de Brum & the
People of the Marshall Islands, Sheila Watt-Cloutier (Canada), Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera (Uganda)
and Gino Strada & his organisation ‘Emergency’ (Italy) were chosen for the prestigious award that is also
known as Alternative Nobel Prize.
While Tony de Brum & the People of the Marshall Islands is the honorary recipient, the other three
awardees will share the 200000 euro prize money.
Contributions of Awardees
Tony de Brum & the People of the Marshall Islands
The award was conferred in recognition of their vision and courage to take legal action against the nuclear
powers for failing to honour their disarmament obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
(NPT).
Tony de Brum, as Foreign Minister of the Marshall Islands, took the unprecedented step of filing lawsuits
against all nine nuclear weapons states in the International Court of Justice in 2014, seeking to hold them
to account for their failure to abide by the provisions of NPT.
He was also architect of the Majuro Declaration for Climate Leadership, adopted in September 2013,
under which commitment of Pacific Island States to adopt concrete measures to combat climate change
was secured.
Sheila Watt-Cloutier
The Canadian was recognised for her lifelong work to protect the Inuit of the Arctic and defend their right
to maintain their livelihoods and culture, which are acutely threatened by climate change.
Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Greenland,
Canada, and Alaska.
As an elected representative of her people, administrator and advocate, Watt-Cloutier significantly
contributed to an overhaul of the education system in Nunavik in Northern Quebec to make it more
effective in meeting the needs of Inuit communities.
She was an influential force behind the adoption of the Stockholm Convention to ban persistent organic
pollutants, which accumulate strongly in Arctic food chains.
Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera
The Ugandan was selected for her courage and persistence, despite violence and intimidation, in working
for the right of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people to a life free from
prejudice and persecution.
Operating within a hostile and repressive environment, Nabagesera has shed light on human rights
violations, and has successfully used the judicial system to advance LGBTI rights.
Gino Strada & Emergency
The Italian was selected for his great humanity and skill in providing outstanding medical and surgical
services to the victims of conflict and injustice, while fearlessly addressing the causes of war.
From Afghanistan to Sudan, EMERGENCY, the organisation that he co-founded in 1994, runs over 60
hospitals, clinics and first aid posts, operating with the aim of transferring medical knowledge and
expertise to local health service professionals.
He also played a leading role in the successful campaign that resulted in Italy banning the production and
use of antipersonnel landmines in 1997.
About Right Livelihood Award
• It was established in 1980 by German-Swedish philanthropist Jakob von Uexkull, and is presented
annually in early December in Swedish Parliament.
• The award was given to honour and support those offering practical and exemplary answers to the most
urgent challenges facing us today.
• The prize money is shared among the winners, usually numbering four, and is 200000 euros. Very often
one of the four laureates receives an honorary award, which means that the other three share the prize
money.
• Though they are called as Alternative Nobel they do not have any organizational ties to the awarding
institutions of the Nobel Prize or the Nobel Foundation.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology 2015 announced
CSIR on 26 September 2015 announced Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) Prize for Science and
Technology 2015 for eleven scientists in recognition of their work. The awardees were announced to
mark the CSIR’s 73nd Foundation day.
The SSB Prize consists of a citation, a plaque and a cash prize of 5 lakh rupees. The selected awardees in
different fields are
Biological Sciences: Dr Balasubramanian Gopal of Molecular Biophysics Unit Indian Institute of Science
Bangalore
Dr Rajeev Kumar Varshney of Centre of Excellence in Genomics International Crops Research Institute
for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad
Chemical Sciences: Dr D Srinivasa Reddy Division of Organic Chemistry CSIR National Chemical
Laboratory, Pune
Dr Pradyut Ghosh of Department of Inorganic Chemistry Indian Association for the Cultivation of
Science in Jadavapur, Kolkata
Earth, Atmosphere, Ocean and Planetary Sciences: Dr Jyotiranjan Srichandan Ray of Geosciences
Division Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad
Engineering Sciences: Dr Yogesh Moreshwar Joshi of Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian
Institute of Technology Kanpur
Mathematical Sciences: Dr K Sandeep of TIFR Centre for Applicable Mathematics, Bangalore
Dr Ritabrata Munshi School of Mathematics Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Medical Sciences: Dr Vidita Ashok Vaidya of Department of Biological Sciences Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Physical Sciences: Dr Bedangadas Mohanty of School of Physical Sciences National Institute of Science
Education and Research, Bhubaneswar
Dr Mandar Madhukar Deshmukh of Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science of
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Mathematician Jacob Tsimerman won 2015 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize
Mathematician Jacob Tsimerman of the University of Toronto, Canada on 28 September 2015 was chosen
for the prestigious 2015 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize.
Tsimerman is currently working as an Assistant Professor in the University of Toronto. He primarily
conducts research in Number Theory.
He will be conferred with the prize during the International Conference on Number Theory at SASTRA
University in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu where the prize is given annually.
About SASTRA Ramanujan Prize
Founded by Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology & Research Academy (SASTRA) University in 2005
after the name of the genius mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, the SASTRA Ramanujan Prize is
awarded every year to a young mathematician.
The age limit for the prize is 32 years as Ramanujan died at 32. The current prize money for the award is
10000 US Dollars.
EPFO won Skoch Award for Smart Governance Initiatives
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on 23 September 2015 won the Skoch Award for Smart
Governance. It was awarded at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi for its initiatives on UAN Programme
and Transformation of Social Security Agenda in India.
EPFO was also awarded two SKOCH Order-of-Merits, one for launching UAN for EPFO members and
another for transformation of Social Security Agenda in India.
Skoch Smart Governance Award
Skoch Smart Governance Award is an initiative recognising top performing government organisations
and organisations working with the government, operating at local, state and national level.
The award is given in the area of Health, Education, Rural Development/Panchayati Raj, Urban
Development, Finance, and Security.
The award is given by the Skoch Group, which is a Gurgaon-based think tank dealing with socioeconomic issues with a focus on inclusive growth since 1997. The Group was founded by Sameer
Kochhar and he is the Chairman of the Group.
He is the author of acclaimed books like Defeating Poverty: Jan Dhan and Beyond (2015); ModiNomics:
Inclusive Economics, Inclusive Governance (2014) and Speeding Financial Inclusion (2009).
24th Vyaas Samman conferred on eminent Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishore
Goenka
Eminent Hindi writer Dr Kamal Kishore Goenka was conferred with 24th Vyaas Samman for the year
2014 on 22 September 2015. He was awarded for his work 'Premchand ki Kahaniyon ka Kaal
Kramanusaar Adhyayan'.
Goenka's work is a critical analysis of the work by Hindi literature's towering giant Munshi Premchand.
He was awarded a citation along with a cash amount of 2.5 lakh rupees by eminent Hindi writer Prof
Vishwanath Prasad Tiwari.
About the Vyas Samman
• The award was instituted in 1991 by the KK Birla Foundation. It is presented to an outstanding literary
work in Hindi published during the last 10 years.
• Ram Vilas Sharma was the first person to receive the award for his Bharat ke Pracheen bhasha parivar
aur Hindi in 1991.
• Vishwanath Tripathi received the award for the year 2013 for his memoir 'Vyomkesh Darvesh' that is a
biography of the noted Hindi scholar Acharya Hazari Prasad Dwivedi. While, Narendra Kohli received
the award for his work 'Na Bhooto Na Bhavishyati' in 2012 and Ramdarash Misra for his collection of
poems 'Aam K Patte' in 2011.
Game of Thrones won 12 awards at 67th Primetime Emmy Awards
Famous American fantasy drama television series, Game of Thrones, created for HBO won an
unprecedented 12 awards at the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards held on 20 September 2015. The
ceremony was held at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California.
Game of Thrones fetched 12 awards, including best drama series. It was the first time that the popular
fantasy drama won the best drama series award.
Awards won by Game of Thrones
•
Outstanding Drama Series
•
Outstanding Supporting Actor (Peter Dinklage)
•
Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series
• Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series
•
Outstanding Make-Up for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic)
•
Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series
• Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or
More)
•
Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series
•
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Scripted Series
•
Outstanding Special Visual Effects
•
Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series
•
Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series
About Game of Thrones
The famous drama was created for HBO by showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. The show is an
adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is
titled A Game of Thrones.
The show premiered on HBO in the United States on 17 April 2011. It completed its fifth season on 14
June 2015.
Indian-American Swetha Prabakaran chosen for Champions of Change
Award in US
Swetha Prabhakaran, an Indian American teen, was on 15 September 2015 awarded with the prestigious
Champions of Change Award of US at the White House. She is among eleven young women selected by
the White House as Champions of Change.
Prabhakaran, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia, founded
a non-profit organisation Everybody Code Now! to empower the next generation of youth to become
engineers, scientists and entrepreneurs.
She was chosen for the award in recognition of her efforts for empowering the community by imparting
education of Internet coding through her non-profit Organisation. This organisation has raised thousands
of dollars for STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) activities in schools.
She was born in Indianapolis to Indian parents who later immigrated from Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli to
US in 1998.
About Champions of Change award
The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature
individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
The award is given by White House to those who support working families and help make change in their
companies or communities.
British-Indian Sunjeev Sahota shortlisted for Man Booker Prize 2015
British-Indian author Sunjeev Sahota was on 15 September 2015 shortlisted for the prestigious Man
Booker Prize 2015.
Sahota's novel The Year of the Runaways, his second novel, centres around the lives of 13 Indian men
who live in a house in Sheffield, each in desperate search of a new life.
Tarlochan, a former rickshaw driver, will say nothing about his past in Bihar; and Avtar has a secret that
binds him to protect the chaotic Randeep. Randeep, in turn, has a visa-wife in a flat on the other side of
town: a clever, devout woman whose cupboards are full of her husband's clothes, in case the immigration
men surprise her with a call.
Sweeping between India and England and between childhood and the present day, The Year of the
Runaways is a story of an unlikely family thrown together by circumstance.
Sahota is among the six novelists short-listed for the award. The winner of the prize will be announced on
13 October 2015 and will be presented with the prize money of 50000 British pounds.
About Man Booker Prize
The prize was launched in 1969 with an aim to promote the finest in fiction by rewarding the best novel
of the year written in English and published in the United Kingdom.
To maintain the consistent excellence of the Man Booker Prize, the judges are chosen from a wide range
of disciplines including critics, writers, academics, poets, politicians and actors, all with a passion for
quality fiction.
The winner of the Man Booker Prize is awarded with the prize money of 50000 british pounds and all the
shortlisted authors are awarded with a cheque of 2500 british pounds.
Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina won the United Nations Champions of the
Earth Award 2015
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 14 September 2015 won the United Nations Champions of
the Earth Award for Policy Leadership to address the issue of climate change. She was chosen by the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) for this prestigious award.
Sheikh Hasina has demonstrated leadership in making climate change an issue of national priority and
advocating for an ambitious global response. UNEP noted that Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable
countries to the impacts of climate change. Cyclones, floods and droughts have long been part of the
country's history, but they have intensified in recent years.
However, through a number of forward-looking policy initiatives and investments, Bangladesh has
successfully confronted the challenge of climate change at the core of its development. The award cites
the progressive Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan of 2009.
This action plan made this South Asian nation the first developing country to frame such a coordinated
action plan. Bangladesh is also the first country to set up its own Climate Change Trust Fund, supported
by nearly 300 million US dollars of domestic resources from 2009-2012.
Moreover, under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh Constitution was amended in 2011 to
include a constitutional directive to the State to protect the environment and natural resources for current
and future generations.
In addition to Sheikh Hasina, the other winners announced so far are the National Geographic Society
(Science and Innovation); Brazilian cosmetics firm Natura (Entrepreneurial Vision); and South Africa’s
Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit (Inspiration and Action).
About UNEP Champions of the Earth Award
• It is United Nation's top environmental accolade awarded by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP).
• It recognizes visionary people and organisations all over the world that exemplify leadership and
advocate action on sustainable development, climate change and a life of dignity for all.
• The annual award was established in 2004.
• The awards are conferred in four categories- Policy Leadership, Entrepreneurial Vision, Inspiration and
Action and Science and Innovation.
Tambul Leaf Plates conferred with SEED Special Recognition Award
Tambul Leaf Plates was on 9 September 2015 conferred with the SEED Special Recognition Award in
Nairobi, Kenya.
The onetime special award was presented to the Indian based organisation to mark the 10th anniversary of
the annual SEED Awards.
About SEED
• It is a global partnership for action on sustainable development and the green economy.
• Its founding partners are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the united nations
environment programme (UNEP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN).
• It supports innovative small-scale and locally driven entrepreneurs around the globe who integrate social
and environmental benefits into their business model from the outset.
SEED Awards
• They were given for the first time to 5 enterprises in 2005 on the sidelines of the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) in New York.
• So far, 202 inspirational social and environmental enterprises were honoured with the awards.
• The Special Recognition Award winner -Tambul Leaf Plates- was the winner of the 2013 SEED Low
Carbon Winner Award.
About Tambul Leaf Plates
• It produces and markets biodegradable disposable dinnerware from the fallen sheath of the arecanut
plant.
• Its activities help in reducing plastic waste pollution and creating a value chain on the basis on an
abundant natural resource.
• Since 2011, it has been able to generate sustainable livelihood for 2000+ rural youths and promote 100+
arecanut leaf plate making units.
• It played a major role the income of the producers has increased by more than 100 per cent over these
years.
• It also provides entrepreneurial and production skills trainings. So far, 330 rural youths benefitted.
• Its founder is Arindam Dasgupta and it has major operations in North East India.
Acclaimed writer Jhumpa Lahiri awarded with 2014 National Humanities
Medal by White House
Short story writer and novelist Jhumpa Lahiri was on 10 September 2015 awarded with the 2014 National
Humanities Medal by the White House, United States. The medal was conferred onto her by President
Barack Obama at a ceremony at the White House.
Lahiri was among 10 recipients of the award. Other 9 awardees are:
• Annie Dillard, author
• Everett L. Fly, architect and preservationist
• Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, philosopher and novelist
• Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, historian
• Fedwa Malti-Douglas, scholar
• Larry McMurtry, novelist
• Vicki Lynn Ruiz, historian
• Alice Waters, author and food activist
About Jhumpa Lahiri
• Born in London, Lahiri holds a bachelor's degree from Barnard College at Columbia University;
master's degrees in English literature, and a Ph.D. in Renaissance studies from BU.
• In July 2015, Lahiri joined the Princeton University faculty as a professor of creative writing in the
Lewis Centre for the Arts. Prior to coming to Princeton, Lahiri was a writer in residence at John Cabot
University in Rome, and she has held the same position at Vassar College and Baruch College.
• Her debut collection of short stories Interpreter of Maladies came out in 1999, it probes issues of love
and identity among immigrants and cultural transplants and also won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for fiction,
the PEN/Hemingway Award and The New Yorker Debut of the Year.
• Her 2013 novel The Lowland was a National Book Award winner. Her 2003 novel The Namesake was
released as a film in 2007.
• Lahiri was granted a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2002 and a National Endowment for the Arts
Fellowship in 2006.
About National Humanities Medal
• The National Humanities Medal, inaugurated in 1997, is sponsored by the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
• The award honours individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the
humanities and broadened our citizens' engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and
other humanities subjects.
• Up to 12 medals can be awarded each year.
President conferred Gandhi Peace Prize on ISRO
President Pranab Mukherjee on 9 September 2015 conferred Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2014 on
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The award was conferred at a function at Rashtrapati
Bhavan.
On behalf of the organisation the award was received by ISRO’s Chairman AS Kiran Kumar. It was
awarded for its contribution in development of space technology and satellite-based services like launch
of Manglayan, PSLV, and others.
ISRO was chosen for the prestigious award on 27 March 2015 by a jury headed by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi.
About the Gandhi Peace Prize
The Gandhi Peace Prize was instituted in the year 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of
Mahatma Gandhi. This annual award is given to individuals and institutions for their contributions
towards social, economic and political transformation through non-violence and other Gandhian methods.
The award carries an amount of one crore rupees, a citation and a Plaque. The Award for every year is
selected by a Jury under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister.
Gandhian environmentalist and social activist Chandi Prasad Bhatt, the founder of Dasholi Gram
Swarajya Sangh (DGSS) in Gopeshwar in 1964, which later became a mother organisation to the Chipko
movement, was awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2013.
Previous recipients of the award includes
• Julius K Nyerere, former Tanzanian President (he was the first recipient of the award in 1995)
• Nelson Mandela, former South African President
• AT Ariyaratne, founder President of Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka
• Gerhard Fischer of Rama Krishna Mission in Germany and
• Baba Amte (Murlidhar Devidas Amte), a social worker of India who is known particularly for his work
for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu, cleric and activist of South Africa (received the award in 2005)
Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit of South Africa selected for 2015 UNEP
Champions of the Earth award
Black Mamba Anti-Poaching Unit (APU) of South Africa was on 7 September 2015 selected for the 2015
UNEP Champions of the Earth award in the inspiration and action category.
The Black Mamba APU was selected for its courage in comabatting poaching and community led
initiatives in protecting wildlife in the Balule Private Game Reserve of South Africa.
The award will be conferred during the Sustainable Development Goals summit that is scheduled to be
held on 27 September 2015 in New York.
About Black Mamba APU
• It is a unit of 26-members of which majority of women.
• It was founded in 2013 to protect wildlife in the Balule private game reserve. It is part of the Greater
Kruger National Park that is spread over 2 million hectares of protected areas.
• The area that they protect is home to an abundance of wildlife - including not only rhino but leopards,
lions, elephants, cheetahs and hippos.
• Due its efforts, not a single rhino was poached in the reserve in over ten months compared to the death
of 23 rhinos in the neighbouring reserve in the same period.
Haryana bagged Skoch Order-of-Merit National award for implementing egovernance initiatives
Haryana on 3 September 2015 bagged the Skoch Order-of-Merit national award for implementation of six
e-Governance and IT initiatives in the state.
The award will be presented to the state government during the 41st Skoch Summit - Transformative
Governance, scheduled to be held on 22-23 September 2015 in New Delhi.
The information in regard to the award was provided by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in the state
assembly on the second day of the monsoon session of Haryana Vidhan Sabha.
Besides, the Chief Minister also informed that with a view to providing time-bound and hassle-free
services, the state government had notified 163 services which would be delivered to the citizens at their
doorsteps.
About Skoch Digital Inclusion Awards
Skoch Digital Inclusion Award is given by Skoch Consultancy Services Private Limited, a strategy and
management consulting firm founded in 1997.
It is an initiative to recognise the e-Governance initiatives of the Central Government, State, Local
Governments, their various departments and undertakings, and their technology and solution providers in
both the government and corporate sector.
These Awards recognise the best applications of technology in the various sectors of governance.
India won UNESCO's Award of Excellence 2015 for conserving Sree
Vadakkunnathan Temple
India on 1 September 2015 won the UNESCO prize Award of Excellence 2015 for the conserving the
Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple of Kerala. The award was given in the category of UNESCO Asia Pacific
Heritage Award for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
While, the Xieng Thong Temple in Luang Prabang won the UNESCO Award of Merit and became the
first project in Lao PDR to receive the UNESCO Asia‐Pacific Heritage Award.
The Award of Excellence for the Conservation of Sree Vadakkunnathan Temple at Thrissur in Kerala
recognizes the remarkable conservation effort undertaken at the sacred site which employed age‐old
rituals and conservation techniques drawn from vastu shastra.
As such, the tangible attributes of the temple are inextricably linked with its intangible heritage which
dates back to generations, thus ensuring that spirit of place resonates throughout the site.
About UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation
• The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation were established in 2000 to
recognize and encourage private efforts and public-private initiatives in successfully restoring structures
of heritage value in the region.
• Since 2000, UNESCO has received 562 entries from 24 countries and a total of 174 projects have
received UNESCO Heritage awards for conservation till now.
• The winning projects have set high technical and social standards for conservation in the region. They
have increased local preservation efforts as well.
Rajendra Singh conferred with 2015 Stockholm Water Prize
The Waterman of India Rajendra Singh on 26 August 2015 was conferred with the 2015 Stockholm
Water Prize.
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Patron of the Stockholm Water Prize presented the prize at a Royal
Award Ceremony during World Water Week in Swedish Capital Stockholm.
Singh was named for the prestigious award for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water
security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve
the living conditions for those most in need.
Contributions of Rajendra Singh
Singh has invested several decades of his life to defeat drought and empowering communities of
Rajasthan through his organisation Tarun Bharat Sangh (India Youth Association).
He addressed the problem of waters in villages of Rajasthan through building Johads or traditional
earthen dams. These Johads, by now about 8600 in number, helped 1000 villages of the state in revival of
water.
His efforts also helped in increasing the forest cover in the state, which helped the return of antelope and
leopard in the state.
About Stockholm Water Prize
The Stockholm Water Prize is a global award founded in 1991 and presented annually by the Stockholm
International Water Institute (SIWI) to an individual, organisation or institution for outstanding waterrelated achievements. The Stockholm Water Prize Laureate receives 150000 US Dollars and a specially
designed sculpture. King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden is patron of the prize.
About Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI)
Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is a policy institute that generates knowledge and informs
decision-makers towards water wise policy and sustainable development. SIWI organizes the World
Water Week in Stockholm – the leading annual global meeting place on water and development issues –
and hosts the Stockholm Water Prize, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize and the Stockholm Industry
Water Award.
Syrian woman Journalist Zaina Erhaim awarded with Peter Mackler Award
2015
Syrian woman journalist Zaina Erhaim on 22 August 2015 won the esteemed 2015 Peter Mackler Award
for Courageous and Ethical Journalism. She was bestowed this award for her efforts to train citizen
reporters in her war-ravaged country.
She will be presented with this award at a ceremony to be held at the National Press Club in Washington
in October 2015.
Zaina Erhaim, currently, lives and works in Aleppo, Syria. Over the last two years, she has trained about
100 citizen reporters from inside Syria, approximately one third of them are women, in print and TV
journalism.
Erhaim is also the Syria project coordinator for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR), an
international organization that support journalists in countries undergoing conflict, crisis, or transition.
About the Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism
• The Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism was founded in June, 2008 to honor
the memory of Peter Mackler, a Brooklyn-born thirty-five year veteran journalist who championed ethical
journalism and freedom of expression.
• The Peter Mackler award rewards journalists who fight courageously and ethically to report the news in
countries where freedom of the press is either not guaranteed or not recognized.
• The Award is administered by Global Media Forum, the US branch of Reporters Without Borders, and
Agence France-Presse.
Union Government announced awardees for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna 2015
and Arjuna Awards 2015
The Union Government on 14 August 2015 announced the awardees for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna
award and Arjuna Award for the year 2015.
The selection of awardees was based on the recommendations of the Selection Committee headed by
Justice VK Bali, former Chief Justice of Kerala High Court and consisting of eminent sportspersons and
sports administrators.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ranta 2015
S. No.
Name of the sportsperson
Discipline
1
Ms. Sania Mirza
Tennis
Arjuna Awards 2015
S. No.
Name of the sportsperson
Discipline
1
Naib Subedar Sandeep Kumar
Archery
2
MR Poovamma
Athletics
3
Kidambi Srikanth Nammalwar
Badminton
4
Mandeep Jangra
Boxing
5
Rohit Sharma
Cricket
6
Dipa Karmakar
Gymnastic
7
Sreejesh PR
Hockey
8
Manjeet Chhillar
Kabaddi
9
Abhilasha Shashikant Mhatre
Kabaddi
10
Sawarn Singh
Rowing
11
Anup Kumar Yama
Roller Skating
12
Jitu Rai
Shooting
13
S Sathish Kumar
Weightlifting
14
Bajrang
Wrestling
15
Babita Kumari
Wrestling
16
Yumnam Sanathoi Devi
Wushu
17
Sharath M Gayakwad
Para-Swimming
These awardees will receive their awards from the President of India at a specially organized function at
the Rashtrapati Bhawan on 29 August 2015.
Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee will receive medal, certificate and award money of 7.5 lakh rupees
and Arjuna Awardees will receive statuettes, certificates and award money of 5 lakh rupees each.
President Pranab Mukherjee approved 67 Gallantry Awards
The President and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Pranab Mukherjee on 14 August 2015 approved
67 Gallantry Awards to armed forces personnel and members of paramilitary forces. The awards were
approved on the eve of India’s 69th Independence Day celebrations.
The approved awards include two Kirti Chakras, 10 Shaurya Chakras, one Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 49
Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and three Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).
List of Awardees
Sl. No.
RANK AND NAME
Service
KIRTI CHAKRA
1.
IC-61357M Lieutenant Colonel Nectar Sanjenbam,
Army
Shaurya Chakra, 21ST Battalion the Parachute
Regiment (Special Forces)
2.
JC-571195H NB Sub Rajesh Kumar, Mahar, 30
Army
RR, (Posthumous)
SHAURYA CHAKRA
1.
IC-55822X Col Munindra Nath Rai, YSM, Gorkha
Army
RIF, 42 RR (Posthumous)
2.
IC-69288W Maj Tanuj Grover, ARMD, 22 RR
Army
3.
IC-73653K Capt Varun Kumar Singh, Rajput, 44 RR
Army
4.
G/144175X Hav Man Bahadur Chhetri, 44, Assam
Army
Rifles (Posthumous)
5.
9421485H Havildar Tanka Kumar Limbu
Army
21ST Battalion the Parachute Regiment (Special
Forces)
6.
CDR Milind Mohan Mokashi (04755-F)
Navy
7.
Wing Commander Sandeep Singh (25336) Flying
Air Force
(Pilot)
8.
Late Mohd Shafi Sheikh Head Constable J&K police,
MHA
Distt handwara(posthumous)
9.
Late Reyaz Ahmad Lone Constable (307/H (EXK –
MHA
055949)
J&K Police, Distt Handwara (Posthumous)
10.
LATE Hira Kumar Jha Second-In-Command
MHA
7 BN, CRPF (Posthumous)
BAR TO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)
1.
IC-73414P MAJ Rakesh Radhakrishnan, SM, Madras,
Army
26 Assam Rifles
NAO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)
1.
Captain Rajesh Dhankhar(03587-A)
Navy
1.
Captain Pradeep Singh (03702-N)
Navy
Flight Lieutenant Gandikota Jagan Mohan (30835)
Air Force
Air Force
Flying (Pilot)
776027 SGT Mukesh Kumar Tiwari Flight Gunner
Air Force
The President also awarded 20 Mention-in-Despatches to Army & Para Military personnel for their significant
contributions in different military operations which include three for ‘Operation Meghdoot’, 12 for ‘Operation
Rakshak’, one for ‘Operation Orchid’, one for ‘Operation Hifazat’ and three for ‘Operation Rhino’.
Mustansir Barma won 2015 Gujar Mal Modi award for innovative science
and technology
Prof. Mustansir Barma on 14 August 2015 won the prestigious Gujar Mal Modi Award for Innovative
Science and Technology for the year 2015. He was awarded for his commendable contribution in the field
of Science and Technology.
He received the award from Vice President of India Hamid Ansari at a ceremony in New Delhi.
Barma, a distinguished Professor and former Director of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,
Mumbai, has made immense contribution in the field of Statistical Physics in India.
He has published numerous papers on the topic and is one of the best recognized names in the discipline
internationally. His personal initiative helped in expanding the TIFR campus in Hyderabad.
About the Gujar Mal Modi Innovative Science and Technology Award
The award was instituted by the GM Modi Foundation in the memory of industrialist Gujar Mal Modi in
1988. The award is presented on 9 August every year to a scientist of eminence, who has made
outstanding contribution to science & technology. The award carries a cash prize of 2.01 lakh rupees, a
scroll of honour and a silver shield
Prof. Satish Dhawan was the first recipient of the award in the 1988 for his contribution in the field of
space and Remote Sensing Technology.
President Pranab Mukherjee presented Saraswati Sammaan to Dr. M
Veerappa Moily
President of India, Pranab Mukherjee on 10 August 2015 presented the 24th Saraswati Sammaan for the
year 2014 to Dr. M Veerappa Moily, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) in New Delhi. He received the
award for his epic Sri Ramayana Mahanveshanam written in Kannada.
Divided into five volumes, Ramayana Mahanveshanam was first published in 2007 in Kannada. Later the
poem was translated into English, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.
Moily’s work was selected for the award in March 2015 by a 13-member panel of scholars and writers
headed by former Chief Justice of India RC Lahoti.
About Saraswati Samman
Saraswati Samman is an annual award that is given in recognition of outstanding prose or poetry literary
works in Indian languages that are listed in Schedule VIII of the constitution of India.
This Samman is given for the literary works of last 10 years. The award was established in 1991 by KK
Birla Foundation and carries a prize amount of 10 lakh rupees along with citation and a plaque.
The KK Birla Foundation has instituted three awards in the field of literature. These are Saraswati
Samman, Vyas Samman (for Hindi) and Bihari Puraskar (for Hindi and Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan).
On 23 September 2014, the Saraswati Samman 2013 was given to Govind Mishra, the renowned Hindi
author for his novel Dhool Paudhon Par that was published in 2008.
Raghavendra Gadagkar awarded with Germany's Cross of Order of the
Merit
Indian sociobiologist Raghavendra Gadagkar was on 7 August 2015 awarded with the Germany's highest
civilian honour Cross of Order of the Merit at the German Consulate in Bengaluru.
He was bestowed with the honour for his contribution in the field of behavioural ecology and
sociobiology and for strengthening research corporation between India and Germany.
Currently, Gadagkar is a professor at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science
(IISc). He is also the president of the Indian National Science Academy and has published more than 270
research papers and two books.
His first book, Survival Strategies, has been translated into Chinese and Korean. He was also the founding
Chair person of the Centre for Contemporary Studies, established at IISc in 2004.
About Cross of Order of the Merit
• The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany was instituted in 1951 by Federal President
Theodor Heuss.
• This accolade is awarded by the President of the Federal Republic of Germany for outstanding
achievements in political, economical, cultural, intellectual, and volunteering fields.
• The Order of Merit may be awarded to Germans as well as to foreigners. No pecuniary reward is
attached with the award.
Mathematician Amalendu Krishna won 2015 Ramanujan Prize
Mathematician Doctor Amalendu Krishna on 3 August 2015 won the Ramanujan Prize for year 2015. He
was bestowed with this award for his outstanding contributions in the area of algebraic cycles, algebraic
K-theory and the theory of motives.
Presently, Krishna is a mathematician professor at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR),
Mumbai.
He hails from Bihar and had completed his early college and schooling from there itself. From 2001 til
2004, he taught mathematics as the Hedrick Assistant Professor at the University of California at Los
Angeles.
Krishna is the second Indian to win this award, first was Sujatha Ramadorai who had won the award in
2006.
About Ramanujan Prize
• Constituted in 2005, the award is named after the noted Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
• The award recognizes a researcher from a developing country who has conducted outstanding research
in a developing country and is less than 45 years of age.
• It is awarded jointly by Italy based International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Department of
Science and Technology (DoST) of India and the International Mathematical Union (IMU).
• The award carries a citation and a monetary prize of 15000 US dollars.
Hindi litterateur Kashinath Singh chosen for Bharat Bharti literary award
2014
Hindi litterateur Kashinath Singh was on 3 August 2015 chosen for the Uttar Pradesh's highest literary
award Bharat Bharti for the year 2014. The award is given by UP Hindi Sansthan every year. It carries a
cash prize of 5 lakh rupees.
Singh has penned many novels and short stories. One of his most famous novel is Kashi ka Assi, which
captures the vibrant hues of Banaras.
Besides Singh, several other writers were also selected in various categories by a committee set up by
Hindi Sansthaan. Some of these prominent awardees were:
• Mridula Garg for Lohia Sahitya category
• Vinod Kumar Shukla for Hindi Gaurav category
• Krishna Bihari Mishra for Mahatama Gandhi Sahitya Samman
• Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra for Deendayal Upadhaya Sahitya Samman
• Ramkrishna Rajput for Avantibai Sahitya Samman
Ramon Magsaysay Awardees for the year 2015 announced; Two Indians
among the awardees
The Board of Trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) on 29 July 2015 announced
the Ramon Magsaysay awardees for the year 2015.
Among the five awardees who will be conferred with the so-called Asia’s Nobel Prize, there are two
Indians, namely Sanjiv Chaturvedi and Anshu Gupta.
The awards will be presented on 31 August 2015 at Manila, Philippines.
List of Awardees
Sanjiv Chaturvedi, India: He was awarded for Emergent Leadership for his exemplary integrity, courage
and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly investigating corruption in public office.
He is an Indian Forest Service officer and currently the deputy secretary of All India Institute of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS). He also served as a Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) at AIIMS during 2012-14.
Anshu Gupta, India: He was recognized for his creative vision in transforming the culture of giving in
India and his enterprising leadership in treating cloth as a sustainable development resource for the poor.
He founded Goonj in 1999, which is a non-governmental organisation based in Delhi and works in 21
states across India in disaster relief, humanitarian aid and community development.
Kommaly Chanthavong, Laos: She was recognized for her fearless, indomitable spirit to revive and
develop the ancient Laotian art of silk weaving, creating livelihoods for thousands of poor, war-displaced
Laotians, and thus preserving the dignity of women and her nation’s priceless silken cultural treasure.
Ligaya Fernando-Amilbangsa, the Philippines: She was recognized for her single-minded crusade in
preserving the endangered artistic heritage of southern Philippines, and in creatively propagating a dance
form that celebrates and deepens the sense of shared cultural identity among Asians.
Kyaw Thu, Myanmar: He was recognized for his generous compassion in addressing the fundamental
needs of both the living and the dead in Myanmar -- regardless of their class or religion -- and his
channeling personal fame and privilege to mobilize many others toward serving the greater social good.
About Ramon Magsaysay Award
The Award established in 1957 is Asia’s highest honour and is widely regarded as the region’s equivalent
of the Nobel Prize.
The Award honours those individuals whose lives are characterized by selfless service which impacts the
lives of the greater many – the same ideals and achievement for which the Philippines third President
Ramon Magsaysay is remembered.
The awardees receive a certificate, a medallion bearing the likeness of the late President, and a cash prize.
Till date 307 persons have received the award which was first given in 1958.
Helena Ndume, Jorge Sampaio awarded with first-ever Nelson Rolihlahla
Mandela Prize
Helena Ndume of Namibia and Jorge Sampaio of Portugal were on 24 July 2015 awarded with the firstever Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize by the United Nations (UN) at the UN Headquarters in New York.
Ndume, a female ophthalmologist, was awarded for treating blindness and eye-related illnesses in
Namibia and throughout the developing world.
While Sampaio, the former president of Portugal from 1996 to 2006 and also the former mayor of Lisbon
from 1989 to 1995, was awarded for his contribution to his country for his struggle for the restoration of
democracy in Portugal.
The award ceremony was a part of the annual commemoration of Nelson Mandela International Day,
which is observed on 18 July every year.
About Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize
The prize was established in June 2014 by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to pay homage to Nelson
Mandela’s extraordinary life and legacy of reconciliation, political transition and social transformation.
It also recognizes the achievements of those who dedicate their lives to the service of humanity
particularly in the promotion of social cohesion and community development by promoting the UN
purposes and principles.
Ramachandra Guha chosen for Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize 2015
Historian Ramachandra Guha was on 24 July 2015 chosen for the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize 2015 in
the Academic Category.
The prize will be conferred upon him on 17 September 2015 in Fukuoka International Congress Center in
Japan, following which the awardees will be deliberating lectures at high-schools and universities across
the city.
Guha, who is best known for his book India After Gandhi, will speak on Gandhi, India and the World at
the event. The aim of his lecture would be to increase awareness of the value of Asian cultures as well as
to establish a framework within which Asians can learn from and share with each other.
About Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize
The Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize, established in 1990 by the Japanese city of Fukuoaka, recognises
outstanding achievements by individuals or groups in preserving and creating the unique and diverse
cultures of Asia.
The Fukuoka Prize is offered in three categories viz. Grand prize, Academic prize and Arts and Culture
prize.
Peter Higgs received Royal Society’s Copley Medal, the world's oldest
scientific prize
Nobel Prize winner Professor Peter Higgs on 20 July 2015 won the world’s oldest scientific prize, the
Royal Society’s Copley Medal. With this, 86-year old Higgs joined the ranks of Charles Darwin, Albert
Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
He was awarded the medal for his fundamental contribution to particle physics and his pioneering work
on the theory of the Higgs boson that explains the origin of mass in elementary particles. The presence of
Higgs boson was confirmed by the experiments at Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in 2012.
Modern physics suggests that matter consists of a set of particles that act as building blocks and that
between these particles lie forces that are controlled by another set of particles. A fundamental property of
the majority of particles is that they have a mass.
In 1964, Peter Higgs proposed a theory about the existence of a particle that explains why these other
particles have a mass. At the same time, yet separately, François Englert and Robert Brout proposed the
same theory.
The existence of the Higgs boson was confirmed by two experiments carried out at the Large Hadron
Collider in 2012 with the resultant effect that the Nobel Prize in Physics 2013 was awarded jointly to
Peter Higgs and François Englert.
The Copley medal was first awarded by the Royal Society in 1731, 170 years before the first Nobel Prize.
It is awarded for outstanding achievements in scientific research.
In 2014 it was awarded to DNA fingerprinting pioneer Alec Jeffreys and Andre Geim was given the
award in 2013 for his discovery of graphene.
Benoy Behl won the Best Documentary Producer award at Madrid
International Film Festival
Film-maker Benoy Behl in fourth week of July 2015 won the Best Documentary Producer award at
Madrid International Film Festival. He was awarded for producing and directing a documentary film
titled Indian Roots of Tibetan Buddhism.
Bhel shot the documentary for XPD Division of the Ministry of External Affairs, which was released by
Ministry of External Affairs in February 2014.
The film is shot extensively in Tibet, Kalmykia in European Russia, Ladakh, Spiti, Arunachal Pradesh,
Nalanda, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Karnataka.
The film traces the foundation of Tibetan Buddhism to its roots in ancient India’s Nalanda University and
the hundreds of year-old spiritual relationship that India share with Tibet.
The documentary features quotes and analogies from various Tibetan Buddhist teachers and scholars
including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Prof Samdhong Rinpoche.
Indian American Sunita Viswanath honoured as Champions of Change by US
White House
Indian American woman Sunita Viswanath was on 16 July 2015 honoured as Champions of Change by
the White House of United States (US). She was among 12 other faith leaders who were awarded for their
efforts in protecting environment and communities from the effects of climate change.
Sunita was selected for her work to encourage Hindus to take care of the environment. Sunita is cofounder and active board member of the 14-year-old front-line women's human rights organisation,
Women for Afghan Women.
Born in Chennai, she has been working with women's and human rights organisations for almost three
decades.
Sunita is also co-founder and board member of Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus, living and
building a Hinduism that prioritises social justice, and upholding the Hindu principles of ekatva
(oneness), ahimsa (non-violence) and sadhana (faith in action).
The Champions of Change program was created as an opportunity for the White House to feature
individuals doing extraordinary things to empower and inspire members of their communities.
Sayed Haider Raza honoured with highest French civilian honour Legion of
Honour
Modern Indian artist Sayed Haider Raza was on 14 July 2015 conferred with the highest French civilian
honour, the Commandeur de la Legion d’ Honneur (the Legion of Honour). The award was presented by
French Ambassador Francois Richier on the occasion of the French National Day celebrations.
Raza was conferred with the award for his superior achievements transcending all boundaries, for the
lasting ties he has forged between France and India and for his continuing artistic quest straddling nations,
cultures, religions and philosophies.
About Sayed Haider Raza
• Syed Haider Raza alias SH Raza is an Indian artist who has lived and worked in France since 1950, but
maintains strong ties with India.
• He became India’s priciest modern artist in June 2010 when his seminal work titled Saurashtra was sold
for 16.42 crore rupees at a Christie’s auction.
• Raza’s work represents the origins of life and draws on symbols that tribal painters and highly
sophisticated Indian philosophers have traced, pondered and mulled over for millennia.
About la Legion d’ Honneur
The la Legion d’ Honneur award was created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is the highest civilian
award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the
recipients.
The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.
World Food Prize 2015 to be conferred on Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of
Bangladesh
The World Food Prize Foundation on 1 July 2015 announced to confer the 2015 World Food Prize on Sir
Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh. He will be awarded the prize in October 2015 during the Borlaug
Dialogue International Symposium at Des Moines in Iowa, the USA.
He was selected for the coveted award by the Selection Committee for the World Food Prize headed by
eminent Indian agricultural scientist Prof MS Swaminathan.
Sir Abed has been recognized for his decades of service to human development and through building
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) that operates in 10 countries around the world.
BRAC, set up by Sir Abed is the largest non-governmental organization in the world that employs over
150000 employees and covered a vast gamut of activities related to poverty alleviation and development.
About World Food Prize
• It is the foremost international award recognizing the accomplishments of individuals who have
advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world.
• It is a 250000 dollars award formally presented at the Laureate Award Ceremony in mid-October, on or
around World Food Day (October 16), in conjunction with the Borlaug Dialogue international
symposium.
• An individual or individuals having demonstrated exceptional achievement in any field involved in
enhancing food production and distribution and increasing food availability and accessibility to those
most in need are considered for this award.
• It was created in 1987 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr Norman Borlaug. It was sponsored by
businessman and philanthropist John Ruan who stepped forward to endow the Prize in 1990. Today John
Ruan's son, John Ruan III has succeeded his father as chairman of the World Food Prize.
• M S Swaminathan was the first recipient of the award in 1987, who, incidentally, heads the present
selection committee.
• The World Food Prize 2014 was awarded to Indian-born Mexican scientist Sanjaya Rajaram for his
scientific research that led to a prodigious increase in world wheat production by more than 200 million
tons building upon the successes of the Green Revolution.
Nadia district won the UN Public Service Award 2015 for
eliminating open defecation
The district administration of Nadia, West Bengal was on 26 June 2015 conferred with the United Nations
Public Service Award 2015 for eliminating open defecation in the district.
The award was presented by acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel along with Head UN
Women Stefani Senese to District Magistrate of Nadia and Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad on
conclusion of United Nations Day Celebrations 2015 held at Medellin, Columbia.
Nadia district could achieve this feat due to its collaborative effort with the United Nations Children's
Fund (UNICEF) and World Bank aimed at construction of toilets across the district.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar conferred with Columbia’s highest civilian
award
The spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was conferred with the Columbia’s highest civilian
award Orden de la Democracia Simon Bolivar en el grado de cruz Caballero (Order of the
Democracy Simon Bolivar) by Columbia.
Sahitya Akademi announced Bhasha Samman
Sahitya Akademi on 24 June 2015 announced Bhasha Samman. Four scholars were selected for the award
for their contribution to classical and medieval literature in various languages.
K Meenakshi Sundaram was selected for contributions to Classical and Medieval Literature (Southern)
for year 2013. She has written scholarly essays on Tirukkural and made rich contribution to medieval
Tamil literature. His work on Kambar and in Cilappatikarm minor characters has won laurels for him.
Acharya Munishwar Jha has been recognised for Classical and Medieval Literature (Eastern) for the year
2014. He has made valuable contribution in the area of Sanskrit literature for which he was honoured with
the Presidential Award in 2006. His chief works include Vidyapati Vanmaya (Maithili), Tapasa Kavi
Vidyapati (Maithili), Bhu-Parikramanam (Sanskrit) among others.
Charu Chandra Pande and Mathuradutt Mathpal have been jointly recognised for their work towards the
enrichment of Kumauni.
Pande has worked extensively on Kumauni language and has published Sej Gumani, Eco Farms Hills (in
English), Chhodo Gulami Khitab and Angwal. On the other hand, Mathpal is a poet, teacher and
Kumauni scholar and published Aang-Aang Chichail Haigo (poetry), Mook Geet (a book based on
famous Kumauni poet Pandit Kripal Dutt Joshi) along with translation of many poems in Hindi.
Bhasha Samman
Bhasha Samman instituted in 1996 by Sahitya Akademi is an annual award and is given to books of
outstanding merit and for outstanding translations in the 24 languages recognised by it. The award is
given for considerable contribution to the propagation, modernization or enrichment of the languages
concerned.
Every year 3-4 persons are awarded in different languages on the basis of recommendation of experts'
committees constituted for the purpose.
The Samman carries a cash prize of 1 lakh rupees, an inscribed copper plaque and a citation.
Hindi writers Babusha Kohli, Upasana won 10th Navlekhan
Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith
10th Navlekhan Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith was awarded to Hindi writers Babusha Kohli and Upasana
on 16 June 2015. They were awarded for poem Prem Gilhari Dil Akhrot and novel Ek Zindagi Ek Ek
Script Bhar respectively.
The awards ceremony held at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi saw discussion on Contemporary Modern
Poetry and Fiction Writing by writers Upasana & Jitendra Biseria and poetry recital by Babusha Kohli &
Dilip Shakya.
Navlekhan Award was instituted with an objective to award young authors writing in Hindi.
ISRO presented with 2015 Space Pioneer Award for Mars
Orbiter Mission
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was presented with the Space Pioneer award for the year
2015 in the Science and Engineering category during the 34th Annual International Space Development
Conference held at Toronto in Canada during 20 May- 24 May 2015.
The information was published on the ISRO's website on 8 June 2015. The award was presented by
National Space Society (NSS) of USA in recognition of ISRO’s efforts in accomplishing Mars Orbiter
Mission in its very first attempt.
Sangeet Natak Akademi announced awardees for 2014 Akademi
Awards and fellowships
The list of names selected for Sangeet Akademi Fellowships:
• R. Janakiraman (Musicologist)
• S. Sathyu (film-maker)
• Vijay Kichlu (Classical singer)
• Tulsidas Borkar (Musician)
The Fellowship of the Akademi carries a cash prize of 3 lakh rupees and is the most prestigious and rare
honour which is restricted to a very limited number at a given time. Presently there are only 40 Fellows of
the Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Recipients of Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards for the year 2014:
• In the field of music For Hindustani vocal- Ashwini Bhide Deshpande Nath Narelkar, Ustad Iqbal
Ahmed Khan
• Hindustani instrumental music- Pandit Nayan Ghosh (tabla) and Ronu Majumdar (flute)
• Carnatic instrumental music- Neyveli Santhanagopalan (Carnatic vocal), TA Kaliyamurthy (Thavil),
Sukanya Ramgopal (Ghatam) and Dwaram Durga Prasad Rao (violin)
• In the field of dance- Adayar Janardanan, Amusana Devi, Uma Dogra, Sudhakar Sahoo, Vedantam
Radhesyam, Jagru Mahto, Anita Sharma, Varanasi Vishnu Namboothiri and Navtej Singh Johar
• In the field of drama- Asgar Wajahat, Surya Mohan Kulshreshtha, Chidambar Rao Jambe, Debshankar
Haldar, Ramdas Kamath, Amod Bhatt, Manjunath Bhagwat Hostota and Amardas Manikpuri.
• In the field of Traditional/tribal music/folk/theatre/dance and puppetry- Puran Shah Koti,
KKalamandalam Ram Mohan, Kesavasamy, Abdul Rashid Hafiz, Reba Kanta Mohanta, Ramdayal
Sharma, K. Shanathoiba Sharma and Thanga Darlong
The award recognizes sustained individual work and contribution to the practice and appreciation of the
arts through award prize of 100000 rupees along with Tamrapatra and Angavastram.
About Sangeet Natak Akademi
• Established in 1953, the Akademi is responsible for preservation and promotion of the performing arts
in India.
• It recognizes the contribution of outstanding musicians, dancers and theatre artists by bestowing them
the Fellowships and Awards on yearly basis. Its aim is to create benchmarks in the practice of the
performing arts.
• It has been bestowing Akademi Fellowship since 1954 and Akademi Award since 1952.
Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the 2015 Man
Booker International Prize
Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai on 19 May 2015 won the prestigious Man Booker International
Prize for 2015. His name was announced as the sixth winner of the award at the Victoria and Albert
Museum in London.
With this award, Krasznahorkai born in 1954 received a cash prize of 60000 pound. He joined the league
of other awardees, namely Albanian novelist Ismail Kadare (2005), Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe
(2007), Canadian author Alice Munro (2009), and American writer Philip Roth (2011) and American
writer Lydia Davis (2013).
About Man Booker International Prize
Man Booker International Prize is an international literary award given every two years to a
living author of any nationality for a body of work published in English or generally available in
English translation.
The Man Booker International Prize is sponsored by Man Group plc, which also sponsors the
Man Booker Prize for Fiction.
Indian-American boy Karan Menon won 2015 National
Geographic Bee Championship
Karan Menon, a 14-year-old Indian-American student, on 13 May 2015 won the 2015 National
Geographic Bee championship. Menon answered all questions correctly related to places like Tashkent,
Telangana and the Oresund Strait.
In addition to winning the title of National Geographic Bee champion, Menon received a 50000 US
dollars college scholarship, lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society and an expedition
for two to the Galapagos Islands aboard the Lindblad ship National Geographic Endeavour.
Ananda Kumar, Pramod Patil won Whitley Awards for wildlife
conservation
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.
The awards were presented at a ceremony in Royal Geographical Society, London. The winners of the
award received a Whitley prize worth 35000 pound.
Kumar was honoured for his work of using innovative communication systems to enable human-elephant
co-existence in Southern India. Patil, on the other hand, was honoured for his work to protect the iconic
great Indian bustard in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan.
Prime Minister conferred 50th Jnanpith Award on Marathi
litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 26 April 2015 conferred the 50th Jnanpith Award on eminent Marathi
litterateur Bhalchandra Nemade in Parliament House Complex, New Delhi.
Nemade received the country’s highest literary award for his outstanding contribution towards Indian
literature.
His novel, Kosala (Cocoon), written in 1963 was considered as a path breaking in Marathi literature. His
other novels include Bidhar, Hool, Jarila and Jhool. He composed various poems which are compiled up
in his collections named Melody and Dekhani.
He is the leader of the post-1960s Little Magazine movement and was given Sahitya Akademi Award
(1990) for his critical work Teeka Svayanwar.
About Jnanpith Award
Jnanpith Award is one of the prestigious literary awards in India. The name of award is taken from
Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge-seat. It was instituted in 1961 and is presented
by Bharatiya Jnanpith, a trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family.
The award is given to any Indian citizen who writes in any 22 official languages of India mentioned in
VIII Schedule of Constitution of India. Prior to 1982, the award was only given for a single work by a
writer. But since 1982, the award is given for lifetime contribution to Indian literature. The award
includes cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati.
Yashwant Sinha honoured with Officier de la Légion d’Honneur
by French Government
Former Union Finance Minister and veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was on 25 April 2015 conferred
with the Officier de la Légion d’Honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honour) in recognition of his valuable
contribution to thought on international issues.
This highest French civilian distinction was presented by the French Ambassador François Richier on
behalf of the President of the French Republic
As a Minister of External Affairs and Chairman of the Indo-French Parliamentary Friendship Group since
its very inception (2009-2014), Yashwant Sinha contributed to the deepening of the Indo-French strategic
partnership launched during the visit of Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Paris in 1998.
Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honour is the highest civilian award given by the
French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients. The
President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.
Bharatiya Mahila Bank won the Asian Banker Achievement
Award 2015
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).
The award was received by Usha Ananthasubramanian, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of
BMB at a function held in Hong Kong during the Asian Banker Summit 2015.
Sangeeta Bhatia, Indian-origin scientist at MIT, won the 2015
Heinz Award
Sangeeta Bhatia, an Indian-origin scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), on 26
April 2015 won the prestigious 2015 Heinz Award in the Technology, the Economy, and Employment
category. This was the 20th Heinz Award which is given annually since 1993.
Bhatia who developed artificial human microlivers for drug testing was awarded for her work in tissue
engineering and disease detection. Microliver is a miniature model organ that makes it possible to test
drug reactions efficiently and predictively, and could eventually lead to an artificial human liver.
Shah Rukh Khan honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Film
Foundation Award 2015
Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was on 21 April 2015 honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Film
Foundation Award 2015 for his performance in the movie Happy New Year. The award ceremony was
held in Mumbai.
IT Department awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for
Excellence in Public Administration
The Income Tax (IT) Department on 21 April 2015 was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for
Excellence in Public Administration for easy tax compliance through quality service. The award was
presented at a function at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on occasion
of Civil Services Day.
The Prime Minister Award for excellence in public administration to the Income Tax Department
demonstrates the commitment of the Department towards achieving Minimum Government and
Maximum Governance in tax administration.
The award was conferred to the Income Tax Department for successful implementation of end to end
solution of core services including integrated e-governance initiatives viz:
• Tax Information Network (TIN)
• E-filing portal
• Centralized Processing Cell (CPC-TDS) for processing of TDS statements
• Centralized Processing Centre (CPC) for processing of Income Tax Returns
The projects have been conceptualized based on principles of USAGE- Uniform interpretation of tax
laws, Simplification of forms, Easy Accessibility of services, Good tax governance and Empowerment of
taxpayer with information.
New York Times won prestigious Pulitzer prizes for West Africa
Ebola coverage
The New York Times on 20 April 2015 won two prestigious Pulitzer prizes for coverage of the Ebola
outbreak in West Africa. The coverage is described by the Pulitzer board as courageous and vivid
journalism that engaged the public and held authorities accountable.
For its Ebola coverage, The New York Times staff won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting and
freelancer Daniel Berehulak won Pulitzer Prize for the feature photography.
The Pulitzer Prize honours the extraordinary work in US journalism, literature, drama and other areas and
brings welcome attention and recognition to newspapers and websites.
Chemical scientists Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V Katti received
Hevesy Medal Award 2015
Professors Susanta Lahiri and Kattesh V. Katti received Hevesy Medal Award 2015 for their outstanding
contributions in the fields of radio and nuclear chemistry.
The awards were presented to them on 12 April 2015 at the Tenth International Conference on Methods
and Applications of Radio-analytical Chemistry held in USA.
Susanta Lahiri is a Professor at Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in Kolkata.
He won the award for his contributions to heavy ion induced radioisotope production, converter targets,
green chemistry and tracer packet technique. He is also credited with co-creating Ununseptium chemical
element (atomic number 117) in collaboration with other national and international scientists.
Kattesh V. Katti is a professor at the Cedntre for Radiological Research, University of Missouri in
Columbia, the US. His research interests in the domain of Nano Science and Technology include
exploring chemical, biophysical, magnetic and photo physical properties, which are unique to specific
nanoparticulates, toward the design and development of sophisticated diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
The Hevesy Medal Award 2014 was presented to Heino Nitsche of University of California in recognition
of his international contributions to heavy element chemistry and actinide environmental chemistry.
Delhi International Airport Limited won Golden Peacock
National Quality Award 2015
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) on 5 April 2015 won the prestigious Golden Peacock
National Quality Award for the year 2015.
The award will be presented to DIAL by the UAE Minister for Culture, Youth and Development Sheikh
Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan at a ceremony to be held in Dubai on 20 April 2015.
DIAL is a joint venture consortium of GMR Group, Airports Authority of India, Fraport and Malaysia
Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB).
About Golden Peacock National Award
The Golden Peacock National Awards were founded in 1991 by the Institute of Directors, India. The
award is regarded as a benchmark of corporate excellence.
The National Quality Award Scheme was instituted to encourage total quality improvements in both
manufacturing and service organizations in India.
Madan Mohan Malaviya posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna
Freedom fighter and educationist, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on 30 March 2015 was conferred the
highest civilian award of the country Bharat Ratna (posthumous). His family members received the award
from President Prabab Mukherjee at a function in the Ashoka hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The award was given to Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya or Mahamana Malaviya’s family for his outstanding
work in the field of education and the country's freedom struggle.
Pandit Malaviya was born on 25 December 1861 in Allahabad. He studied at Calcutta University and
became a school teacher. Later he also practiced as a lawyer and even a newspaper editor. He was the
founder of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) and Hindu Mahasabha.
Besides, President also presented Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awards.
List of Awardees
Award
Padma Vibhushan
Recipient

Lal Krishna Advani (Senior BJP
leader)

Sardar Parkash Singh Badal
(Akali Dal leader and Punjab Chief
Minister)
Padma Bhusan

Jagadguru Rambhadra Acharya

Dr. Swapan Dasgupata

David Frawley

Bill Gates

Melinda Gates

Needamangalam Gopalaswami
Padma Shri

Saichiro Misumi

Sudha Rangunathan

Harish Narendra Salve

Shri Satpal

Dr. Ashok Seth

Sanjay Leela Bhansali (film
maker)

Dr Randeep Guleria (physician)

Prasoon Joshi (writer)

Pran Kumar Sharma
(Posthumous) (creator of popular
cartoon character Chacha Chaudhary)

PV Sindhu (shuttler)

Sardar Singh (Hockey star)

Arunima Sinha (amputee
Everest climber)

Prof Alka Kripalni

Manjula Anagani

Kanyakumari Avasarala

Prof. Huang Baosheng

Naresh Bedi

Jean-Claude Carriere

Gyan Chaturvedi

Jaya Kumari Chikkala

Prof. Ashok Gulati

Dr. Randeep Guleria

George L Hart

Rahul Jain

Prafulla Kar

Ushakiran Khan

Harsh Kumar

N Purushothama Mallaya

Dr. Janak Palta McGilligan

Tarak Janubhai Mehta

Chewang Norphel

Dr. Tejas Madhusudan Patel

Dr. Raghu Rama Pillarisetti

Bimla Poddar

Dr. N Prabhakar

Dr. Prahalada

Dr. Saumitra Rawat

Dr. Annette Schmiedchen

Brahmdev Sharma ‘Bhaiji’

Prof. (DR.) Nikhil Tandon
Earlier on 27 March 2015, the President had awarded the Bharat Ratna to former Prime Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee at his house in Delhi.
President presented Bharat Ratna award to Atal Bihari Vajpayee
President of India Pranab Mukherjii on 27 March 2015 presented Bharat Ratna award to Former Prime
Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his home. Bharat Ratna is India's highest civilian honour.
He is the seventh prime minister to receive the award after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv
Gandhi, Morarji Desai, Lal Bahadur Shastri and Gulzarilal Nanda.
The award giving ceremony is usually held at Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi, but an exception was
made keeping in mind the poor health of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Vajpayee is the first non-Congress prime minister to serve full five years in office. He held the post from
1998 to 2004. In 1996, he had held the post for 13 days. Within two weeks of assuming office for a
second time, Vajpayee had ordered nuclear tests at Pokhran.
During his tenure, he is credited with taking bold initiatives, notable among them being the historic bus
journey to Lahore in 1999 when he signed the landmark Lahore Declaration with Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif with both sides pledging to push for peace and security.
His other awards are:
•
Padma Vibhushan in 1992
•
Lokmanya Tilak Award in 1994 by Government of India
•
Best Parliamentarian Award in 1994.
•
Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Vallabh Pant Award in 1994
Aditi Arya won the fbb Femina Miss India 2015 title
Aditi Arya of Delhi won the fbb Femina Miss India 2015 title on 28 March 2015 at the 52nd edition of
the beauty contest held at Yash Raj Studio in Mumbai. She was crowned with the title by Koyal Rana,
Femina Miss India 2014.
ISRO won Gandhi Peace Prize 2014
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 27 March 2015 won Gandhi Peace Prize 2014. The award
was selected by the jury under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Besides Prime Minister, other members of the Jury that selected the ISRO for the award were Justice H L
Dattu, Chief Justice of India; Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the single largest Opposition Party in the Lok
Sabha; LK Advani, Member of Parliament and Gopalkrishna Gandhi.
The Indian space agency successfully launched Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and at a very cost effective
price of 450 crore rupees.
The launch makes India the first Asian country to enter the Martian sphere of influence.
ISRO became the fourth space agency after National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of
the US, Russian Federal Space Agency (RFSA) and European Space Agency to have undertaken a
mission to Mars.
Besides launching various research and communication satellites, the space agency through its cuttingedge technologies contributes to the nation's development through satellite based education, health care
and connectivity to community activities for sustainable economic development.
About the Award
The Gandhi Peace Prize for social, economic and political transformation through non-violence was
instituted in the year 1995 on the occasion of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
It is given to individual or organisation for making social, economic and political transformation through
non-violence means.
The award comprises an amount of one crore rupees and a citation.
Previous recipients of the award includes
• Julius K Nyerere, former Tanzanian President (he was the first recipient of the award in 1995)
• Nelson Mandela, former South African President,
• AT Ariyaratne, founder President of Sarvodaya Shramadana movement in Sri Lanka
• Gerhard Fischer of Rama Krishna Mission in Germany and
• Baba Amte (Murlidhar Devidas Amte), a social worker of India who is known particularly for his work
for the rehabilitation and empowerment of poor people suffering from leprosy
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu, cleric and activist of South Africa (received the award in 2005)
Nobel Laureate John Nash won Abel Prize 2015 for work on
partial differential equations
Nobel Laureate John F Nash Jr. won the Abel Prize 2015 for his work on partial differential equations.
The prize was announced on 25 March 2015 by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters. They
will receive the Abel Prize from His Majesty King Harald at a ceremony in Oslo on 19 May 2015.
He will share the Prize with Louis Nirenberg, Professor Emeritus at New York University's Courant
Institute of Mathematical Sciences. They both will share the prize money of 760000 US dollar.
Nash and Nirenberg won the prize for striking and seminal contributions to the theory of nonlinear partial
differential equations and its applications to geometric analysis. Partial differential equations are
important in both pure math and describing natural phenomena.
John Nash is a senior research mathematician at Princeton University. He won the Nobel Prize for
Economics in 1994 for his work in game theory as dramatized in the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind in
which he was portrayed by actor Russell Crowe.
About the Abel Prize
The Abel Prize is an international prize presented annually by the King of Norway to one or more
outstanding mathematicians. The prize was named after Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel.
The award was established in 2001 by the Government of Norway and complements the Holberg Prize in
the humanities.
The Abel Prize has often been described as the mathematician's Nobel Prize, competing in that respect
with the much older Fields Medal. It comes with a monetary award of 6 million Norwegian kroner
(NOK).
In 2014, it was won by Yakov G Sinai, Professor at Princeton University and Landau Institute for
Theoretical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences.
The first Abel Prize was won by Jean-Pierre Serre, Professor at Collège de France, Paris in 2003.
Renowned Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj won the Rashtriya Kavi
Pradeep Samman for the year 2012-13
Renowned Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj on 24 March 2015 won the Rashtriya Kavi Pradeep Samman for
the year 2012-13. The award is given by the Department of Culture of Madhya Pradesh (MP)
government.
90-year-old poet Neeraj won the award for his immense contribution in the field of literature.
As award he received a cash prize of two lakh rupees, a shawl and a citation by Madhya Pradesh Culture
Minister Surendra Patwa at Shaheed Bhawan.
About Rashtriya Kavi Pradeep Samman
The Rashtriya Kavi Pradeep award has been introduced by the Madhya Pradesh government in the
reminiscence of Kavi Pradeep, the noted poet and songwriter.
Kavi Pradeep is best known for his devoted song Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo written in respect to the
soldiers who died protecting the country during the Sino-Indian War in 1962.
62nd National Film Awards announced
62nd National Film Awards were announced on 24 March 2015. The awards are annually presented by
Directorate of Film Festivals to honour the best films of the previous in the Indian cinema. The award
ceremony will be held on 3 May 2015.
The list of winners
Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut for Queen
Best Supporting Actress: Baljinder Kaur for Pagdi The Honour (Haryanavi)
Best Supporting Actor: Bobby Simhaa for Jigarthanda (Tamil)
Best Actor: Vijay for Nanu Avanalla Avalu (Kannada)
Best Direction: Srijit Mukherji for Chotushkone (Bengali)
Best Music Direction: a) Songs - Haider (Hindi); and b) Background Score - Nineteen Eighty Three
(Malayalam)
Best Choreography: Bismil for Haider
Best Writing on Cinema: Silent Cinema: (1895-1930)- Pasupuleti Purnachandra Rao
Best Writing on Cinema: G. Dhananjayan for Pride of Tamil Cinema (Special Mention)
Best Costume Designer: Dolly Ahluwalia for Haider
Best Female Playback Singer: Uttara Unnikrishanan for song Azhagu in Saivam (Tamil)
Best Male Playback Singer: Sukhwinder Singh for song Bismil from Haider
Best Films in different languages
• Best Hindi Film: Queen
• Best Assamese Film: Othello
• Best Bengali Film: Nirbashito
• Best Kannada Film: Harivu
• Best Konkani Film: Nachom - IA Kumpasar
• Best Malayalam Film: Ain
• Best Marathi Film: Killa
• Best Odiya Film: Aadim Vichar
• Best Punjabi Film: Punjab 1984
• Best Tamil Film: Kuttram Kadithal
• Best Telugu Film: Chandamama Kathalu
• Best Rabha Film: Orong
• Best Haryanvi Film: Pagdi The Honour
Best Films in different categories
• Best Educational Film: Komal & Behind the Glass Wall
• Best Exploration/Adventure: Film Life Force - India's Western Ghats
• Best Investigative Film: Phum Shang
• Best Animation Film: Sound of Joy
• Best Short Fiction Film: Mitraa
• Best Film Critic: Tanul Thakur
• Best Film On Environment Conservation/ Preservation: Ottaal (Malayalam)
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom
• Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director: Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali)
• Best Feature Film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)
Madhav Gadgil and Dr. Jane Lubchenco won Tyler Prize for
Environmental Achievement 2015
Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil and US Scientist Dr. Jane Lubchenco were on 23 March 2015 named for
the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement 2015.
They were named for the award for their leadership and engagement in the development of conservation
and sustainability policies in the United States, India and internationally.
As the winners of the Tyler Prize, Lubchenco and Gadgil will share the 200000 US Dollar cash prize and
each will receive a gold medallion at a private ceremony in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles on 24 April 2015.
Madhav Gadgil became the second Indian to receive the award after MS Swaminathan in 1991. He
received the award to help dramatically improve crop yields in India.
Ecologist Madhav Gadgil was the Chairman of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP). He
was awarded for his landmark report on the preservation of the unique ecosystem of the Western Ghats
and the inclusion of local committees.
Shashi Kapoor selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2014
The Union Government on 23 March 2015 announced that Shashi Kapoor was selected for the Dadasaheb
Phalke Award for the year 2014. The 77-year-old the veteran film actor and producer is the 46th Dada
Saheb Phalke Award winner.
The 2014 Dadasaheb Phalke award to Shashi Kapoor made him the third member of Kapoor family to
receive the award after Prithviraj Kapoor and Raj Kapoor.
Rajendra Singh, the Water Man of India, named as the 2015
Stockholm Water Prize Laureate
The Waterman of India Rajendra Singh was named as the 2015 Stockholm Water Prize Laureate on 20
March 2015.
Singh was named for the prestigious award for his innovative water restoration efforts, improving water
security in rural India, and for showing extraordinary courage and determination in his quest to improve
the living conditions for those most in need.
Veerappa Moily selected for Saraswati Samman 2014
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader M. Veerappa Moily on 9 March 2015 was selected for
the prestigious Saraswati Samman for 2014 for his Kannada poem Ramayana Mahanveshanam.
Divided into five volumes, Ramayana Mahanveshanam was first published in 2007 in Kannada. Later the
poem was translated into English, Hindi, Telugu and Tamil.
The selection for the award was made by a 13-member panel of scholars and writers headed by former
Chief Justice of India RC Lahoti.
Oscar Awards 2015
87th Academy Award, popularly called Oscar Awards, was conferred on 22 February 2015. The award
ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
The Oscar Awards for the year 2015 were presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
(AMPAS) in 24 categories.
The awards were produced by Neil Meron and Craig Zadan and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Actor Neil
Patrick Harris hosted the ceremony for the first time.
The list of winners of 87th Academy Awards
Best Picture: Birdman
Best Director: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Birdman
Best Actor: Eddie Redmayne for The Theory of Everything
Best Actress: Julianne Moore for Still Alice
Best Supporting Actor: JK Simmons for Whiplash
Best Supporting Actress: Patricia Arquette for Boyhood
Achievement in Costume Design: Milena Canonero for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier for The Grand Budapest
Hotel
Best Foreign Language Film: Ida directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Best Live Action Short Film: The Phone Call
Best Documentary Short Subject: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Original Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Armando Bo
for Birdman
Achievement in Sound Mixing: Craig Mann, Ben Wilkins, Thomas Curley for Whiplash
Achievement in Sound Editing: Alan Robert Murray Bub Asman for American Sniper
Achievement in Visual Effects: Ian Hunter, Scott Fisher, Andrew Lockley and Paul Franklin for
Interstellar
Best Animated Short Film: Feast directed by Patrick Osborne and Kristina Reed
Best Animated Movie: Big Hero Six 6
Achievement in Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Achievement in Cinematograph: Emannuel Lubezki for Birdman
Achievement in Film Editing: Tom Cross for Whipalsh
Best Documentary Feature: Citizen Four directed by Laura Poitras
Best Original Song: John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn for Glory
Best Original Score: Alexandre Desplat for The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore for The Imitation Game
Eminent Marathi writer Bhalchandra Nemade chosen for
Jnanpith Award 2014
Eminent Marathi writer Bhalchandra Nemade on 6 February 2015 was chosen for the Jnanpith Award
2014 by the Jnanpith Selection Board.
He will be the 50th recipient of Jnanpith award, the highest literary honour of India and he will receive
the award in April 2015.
The decision to confer the award on Nemade was taken in a meeting of 10-member selection board
chaired by Prof Namwar Singh, a scholar, writer and critic.
His novel Kosala (Cocoon) published in 1963 was not only instrumental in changing the dimensions of
the Marathi novel, but also the world of Marathi fiction was transformed with its advent. Only the meganovel Hindu published in 2010 appears to match this feat that Kosala achieved over five decades ago.
60th Filmfare Awards announced
60th Filmfare Awards were announced on 31 January 2015 at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. Shahid
Kapoor and Kangana Ranaut won the Best Actor Award for Male and Female category, respectively.
Shahid won the Best Actor (male) award for his role as Haider Meer in film Haider and Kangana Ranaut
won Best Actor (female) award for her role as Rani Mehra in film Queen.
Best Film award was given to film Queen, while its Director Vikas Bahl won the Best Director award.
Kamini Kaushal was honoured with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other awards declared on the occasion includes
• Best Actor (male): Shahid Kapoor for film Haider directed by Vishal Bhardwaj
• Best Actor (female): Kangana Ranaut for film Queen directed by Vikas Bahl
• Best Film: Queen directed by Vikas Bahl
• Best Director: Vikas Bahl for film Queen
• Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award: Kamini Kaushal
• Best Film (Critics): Ankhon Dekhi directed by Rajat Kapoor
• Best Male Actor (Critics): Sanjay Mishra for film Ankhon Dekhi
• Best Female Actor (Critics): Alia Bhatt for film Highway written and directed by Imtiaz Ali
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Male): Kay Kay Menon for film Haider
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Tabu for film Haider
• Best Story: Rajat Kapoor for film Ankhon Dekhi
• Best Dialogue: Abhijat Joshi and Rajkumar Hirani for film PK directed by Rajkumar Hirani
• Best Screenplay: Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi for film PK
• Best Director Debut: Abhishek Varman for film 2 States directed by Bhushan Patel
• Best Actor Debut (Male): Fawad Khan for film Khoobsurat directed by Shashanka Ghosh
• Best Actor Debut (Female): Kriti Sanon for film Heropanti directed by Sabbir Khan
• Best Music Director: Shankar Ehsaan Loy for film 2 States
• Best Lyrics: Rashmi Singh for song Muskurane ki wajah of film CityLights directed by Hansal Mehta
• Best Playback (Male): Ankit Tiwari for song Galliyan of film Ek Villain directed by Mohit Suri
• Best Playback (Female): Kanika Kapoor for song Baby doll of film Ragini MMS 2
• Best Choreography: Ahmed Khan for Jumme ki raat of film Kick directed by Sajid Nadiadwala
• Best Background Score: Amit Trivedi for film Queen
• Best Action: Sham Kaushal for film Gunday directed by Ali Abbas Zafar
• Best Cinematography: Bobby Singh and Siddharth Diwan for film Queen
• Best Editing: Abhijit Kokate and Anurag Kashyap for film Queen
• Best Production Design: Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray for film Haider
• Best Sound Design: Anilkumar Konakandla and Prabal Pradhan for film Mardaani directed by Pradeep
Sarkar
• Best Costume: Dolly Ahluwalia for film Haider
The 60th Filmfare awards ceremony was held to honor the best films of 2014 from the Hindi-language
film industry. It was hosted by filmmaker Karan Johar, actress Alia Bhatt, and comedian Kapil Sharma.
In 2014, Farhaan Akhtar for his performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Deepika Padukone for her role
in Ramleela won the Best Actor and Best Actress awards at the 59th Filmfare Awards.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag was awarded with the Best Film award, and its director Omprakash Mehra won the
award as the Best Director.
Miss Colombia Paulina Vega crowned Miss Universe 2014
Miss Colombia Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe 2014. She was crowned at the final of 63rd
edition of Miss Universe held in Miami, US on 25 January 2015. Vega, a 22-year-old student of business
administration from Barranquilla, Colombia was crowned by Miss Universe 2013 winner Gabriela Isler of
Venezuela.
With this, Vega became the second beauty queen from Colombia to win the title. Luz Marina Zuluaga
was the first Colombian to win the crown in 1956.
The first runner-up was Miss USA Nia Sanchez and the second runner-up was Miss Ukraine Diana
Harkusha. The other two finalists in the top five were Miss the Netherland Yasmin Verheijen and Miss
Jamaica Kaci Fennell.
The 63rd edition of Miss Universe witnessed 87 contestants 87 from across the world. The crown is
valued at 300000 US dollars and is designed to resemble the skyline of New York City.
India’s Noyonita Lodh from Bengaluru, Karnataka, 21, failed to reach the top five finalists although she
was one of top 15 semi-finalists. The last time an Indian won the Miss Universe title was Bollywood
actress Lara Dutta in 2000. The first Indian to win the Miss Universe title was Sushmita Sen in 1994.
Xu Youyu of China won Olof Palme Human Rights Prize for the
year 2014
Pro-democracy activist of China Xu Youyu won the Olof Palme Human Rights Prize for the year 2014.
The award given annually by the Stockholm-based Olof Palme Memorial Fund of Sweden was announced
on 16 December 2014.
He received the award for his strong-principled work for democracy, social justice, human rights and
freedom of speech which has universal meaning. Through his research and dialogue-oriented debate
articles, he made a great contribution to the peaceful and democratic development in China.
As a political philosopher and a committed Chinese citizen, he advocates respect for the freedoms
guaranteed in the Constitution. In 2008, he was one of the most evident signatories of Charta 08
manifesto that urged a series of reforms in China.
He has worked consistently for a democratization of Chinese society, while condemning any form of
violence as a political method.
Born in 1947 in Beijing, at present, he is a Professor of Philosophy at the Chinese Academy of Social
Science. He is an expert on western social theories including Marxism and the Frankfurt School.
He is the recipient of the Olof Palme professorship and worked in this capacity at Stockholm University
in 2001-02. The Olof Palme professorship is held by an internationally prominent researcher who focuses
on areas of importance to the quest for peace in a broad context.
About Olof Palme Prize
The Olof Palme Prize is an annual prize worth 75000 US dollars granted by the Olof Palme Memorial
Fund established by the Social Democratic Party of Sweden and Olof Palme family.
It commemorates the spirit of Olof Palme, Social Democratic Prime Minister of Nordic country. He was
an outspoken international human rights advocate, who was assassinated in the Swedish capital in 1986.
In 2013, it was given to Rosa Taikon of Sweden and the first prize was won by Cyril Ramaphosa in 1987,
the Secretary General of National Union of Mineworkers of South Africa.
The other awardees include Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi and former UN Secretary General Kofi
Annan.