current affairs march 2015 pdf capsule

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Current Affairs March 2015 PDF Capsule

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March 2015 - AffairsCloud.com

Current Affairs Capsule: March 2015

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

Mati Coe Iduted ito the Iteatioal Ciket Couils Ciket Hall of Fae

Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He

represented his country on ICC Cricket World Cup 1992. Martin Crowe became the third New Zealander

and 79th Cricketer to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Other New Zealanders include Sir

Richard Hadlee and Debbie Hockley. The induction ceremony was organized during the innings break of the

New Zealand-Australia match in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at Eden Park.

Bollywood Actress Rani Mukerji Awarded

Famous Bollywood actress Rani Mukerji has been given the national award by the National Institute of

Gender Justice (NIGJ) for creating awareness about the child trafficking. She is the first personality from

the Cinema industry to be felicitated with this prestigious award. The award was presented to Rani by

Sreerupa Mitra Chaudhury, the chairperson NIGJ, in New Delhi.

Rani Mukherji, in her film Mardhaani, played a powerful role of cop, who prevents crime against women,

especially girl child trafficking. Apart from acting, Rani Mukerji is actively involving herself in humanitarian

causes, also gives her voice against child trafficking and exploitation of women.

Ties Most Ifluetial People o the Iteet

The Time Magazine has released a list of 30 most Influential People on the Internet. They were selected on

the basis of social-media followings, site traffic, and overall ability to drive news. The Magazine has named

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi among the 30 influential people on the internet. Modi has around 38

million total followers on Facebook and Twitter. Modi has been extensively using social media in the last

three years and this helps a lot in 2014 Lok Sabha Elections too.

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba wins Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership 2014

Hifikepunye Pohamba, outgoing Namibian Pesidet has o the olds ost aluale idiidual aad-Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership for year 2014. Hifikepunye Pohamba Pohamba was born in 1935 in

Naiia ad as a foe eel ho fought fo his outs idepedee. He has seed as Namibian President two terms.

The Mo Ibrahim prize for African leadership prize is given each year to an elected leader who has governed

well, raised living standards and then left office. It is named after Mo Ibrahim, a British-Sudanese mobile

communications entrepreneur and philanthropist who had made billions of fortune from investing in

Afia. It is the olds ost aluale idiidual aad ad aies oeta aad of illio dolla ad also $ 200,000 a year for life. The inaugural prize was awarded to Joaquim Chissano, former president of

Mozambique.

Kerala Tourism Department wins the Golden Gate Award

Kerala Tourism Department wins the silver prize of Golden Gate award for its global multimedia campaign

to promote the backwaters of Kerala. The award was presented at the Internationale Tourismus-Borse

Berlin (ITB-Berlin) 2015, Germany. The ITB-Beli is osideed as the Wolds lagest touis tade fai. Kerala Tourism Secretary G Kamala Vardhana Rao and Joint Secretary in the Union Tourism Ministry Suman

Billa have received the prestigious award.

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This is the second consecutive time that the campaign has been recognized at ITB Berlin. In 2014, the

Kerala Tourism had won the Gold Prize in the print category. Goa Tourism has won the international award

i the Best Weddig ad Hoeoo Destiatio atego. The aad as gie Paifi Aea Tael Writers Association.

TCS named Top Employer in Europe for Third Consecutive Time

An employers certification agency Top Employers Institute has named Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as

the top employer in Europe. The company is awarded for the third consecutive year. The award is given

based on the nine core human resources areas. TCS has been certified as the leading employer in eight

European countries. ie United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Netherlands, Denmark, and

Switzerland.

Veerappa Moily Chosen for Saraswati Samman Award

Former congress Minister, Veerappa Moily has been chosen for the prestigious Saraswati Samman 2014 for

his literary work Ramayana Mahanveshanam, which was released in 2007 and has been translated to

English, Telgu, and Hindi. The Saraswati Samman comprises a prize amount of 5 Lakh Rupees and honour.

The poe is diided ito fie olues hih eploed the aaja fo the ode ie poit.

Idias Wate Ma ofeed ith tokhol Wate Pize

Environment activist of India Rajendra Singh has been conferred with Stockholm Water Prize to recognize

his enormous efforts for instilling life in the villages of Rajasthan through water. The award comprises a a

ash pize of ,, UD ad it ll e peseted edes Kig Cal Gusta.

Three South Asian women selected for International Women of Courage Award 2015

Three South Asian women have been selected for the prestigious International Women of Courage Award

for the year 2015 by the United States. They are,

Captain Niloofar Rahmani from Afghanistan Air Force Nadia Sharmeen- Joualist ad oes ights atiist fo Bagladesh

Tabassum Adnan- founder of Khwendo Jirga from Pakistan. These women were selected for the award for their demonstrating exceptional courage and leadership in

advocating for peace, justice, human rights and gender equality.

Fourth National Photography Awards

A total of 13 outstanding photojournalists were conferred with the National Photography Awards, in New

Delhi. The Awards were presented by the Secretary of Information and Broadcasting, Bimal Julka.

The awards were given in 5 categories namely

Life-Time Achievement Award Amateur Photographer of the Year Professional Photographer of the Year Special Mention Category in Amateur Segments Special Mention Category in Professional segments

The colorful ceremony was organized by the Photo Division under the Ministry of Information and

Broadcasting. Renowned cinematographer, Santosh Sivan and Chairman of the Jury Committee, Anil Risal

Singh attended the ceremony.

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The theme for Professional Photographer category Haaa Bhaat ahh Bhaat The theme for Amateur Category Mothe ad Child

The Award Winners

Life-Time Achievement Award- Surendra R Patel Best Professional Photographer of the Year- Swarup Duta Best Amateur Photographer of the Year- Sasikumar.

Special Mention Award in Professional Category

Jayesh Navinchandra Shah Atul Vasant Ghag Pravin Rawat Arvind Kumar Jain Umesh Nikam

Special Mention Award in Amateur Category

Joydeep Mukherjee Akhil Hardia Nimai Chandra Ghosh Mukesh J Thakkar Tabeenah Anjum Qureshi

Lata Mangeshkar conferred with Voice of the Century Award

Legeda ige Lata Mageshka as o th Mah peseted the Laadli Voie of the Cetu award here during the sixth edition of the national Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender

Sensitivity. The award, which was handed over by Mr. Fadnavis, was accepted by Mr. Bhimani on her

behalf.

Smriti Irani named as Young Global Leader by WEF

Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani has been named as Young Global Leader from

Idia the Wold Eooi Fou WEF. The WEF desied Iai as ose fo seepig floos i a fast food estauat to eoe a top politiia i Idia. The list opisig a total of Youg Global Leaders across the World. There were 18 young global leaders in South Asia, out of which 11 were from India.

Other than Smriti Irani, the Indians, who are named in the list are,

Gaurav Gogoi MP and son of Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. Aditya Ghosh IndiGo President Ashish Goyal Portfolio Manager at Bluecrest Capital Kiran Kumar Grandhi GMR Group

Krithi Karanth Centre for Wildlife Studies Neha Kirpal Founder and Director of India Art Fair Shalini Puchalapalli CEO Lehar Foods (Pepsi)

Shweta Punj Associate Editor India Today Group/Co-Founder at Whypoll Prashant Sarin Bain and Company Ameera Shah Managing Director and CEO Metropolis Healthcare.

Every year, the World Economic Forum releases a list of outstanding young leaders, who are aged below 40

years, from around the world.

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Minoti Apte named as Woman of the Year 2015 in New South Wales

Indian pancreatic cancer researcher in Australia, Minoti Apte has been named as New South Wales (NSW)

Woman of the year 2015 for her enormous contributions to medical research, tertiary education and the

Indian community. She received the award from NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Women Pru

Goward.

No Indian University in Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings

Not a single Idia Uiesit is egaded aadeis iteatioall as eig aog the olds ost prestigious Times Higher Education world reputation Rankings released on 12th March 2015. According to

the 2015 list, Harvard ranks First, followed by University of Cambridge and university of Oxford. US takes

eight positios i Top ad Top List ad UK has the seod highest ue. Japas Uiesit of Tokyo at No. 12th tops Asian list in global reputation league.

1. Harvard university in US

2. Cambridge university in UK

3. University of Oxford in UK

4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

5. Stanford University in US

6. University of California,Berkeley in US

7. Princeton university in US

8. Yale University in US

9. California Institute of Technology in US

10. Colombia Institute of Technology in US

Ties Highe eduatio old eputatio akig eplo the olds lagest aadei opiio sue to provide the definitive list of Top 100 most powerful universities brands.

Bhati Khe ofeed ith Faes Kight of the Ode of Ats ad Letters

Artist Bharti Kher of India on 23 March 2015 was conferred with the Knight of the Order of Arts and

Lettes. he as aaded fo he otiutio i otepoa at ladsape. Khes atoks spa seeal mediums like painting, sculpture and installation. The artist is renowned for her remarkable

experimentation with bindis that have over time come to be recognised as her signature style.

Veteran poet Gopaldas Neeraj conferred with National Kavi Pradeep Samman Award

Noted Hindi poet Gopaldas Neeraj has received the first National Kavi Pradeep Samman at a function held

in Bhopal. He was presented the award on 24th March 2015. He was presented the award by Madhya

Pradesh Culture Minister Surendra Patwa at a function held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. This award carries

a cash prize of Rs two lakh, a shawl and a citation. On the occasion, Neeraj mesmerised the audience by

reciting some of his select poems. The award has been instituted by the Madhya Pradesh government in

the memory of Kavi Pradeep.

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62nd National Film Awards : An Overview

The 62nd National Film Awards were announced at the National Media Centre, New Delhi. The awards

were announced by the jury chairpersons directors Bharathiraja, Kamal Swaroop and Govind Kumar. The

National Awards will be presented by President Pranab Mukherjee on 3rd of May in Vigyan Bhawan (New

Delhi).

Complete list of winners:

Best Hindi Film: Queen Best Bengali Film: Nirbashito Best Tamil Film: Kuttram Kadithal Best Marathi Film: Killa Best Kannada Film: Harivu Best Konkani Film: Nachom IA Kumpasar Best Malayalam Film: Ain Best Assamese Film: Othello Best Odiya Film: Aadim Vichar Best Punjabi Film: Punjab 1984 Best Telugu Film: Chandamama Kathalu Best Rabha Film: Orong Best Haryanvi Film: Pagdi The Honour Best Music Direction: Songs Haider (Hindi) Background Score Nineteen Eighty Three (Malayalam)

Best Choreography: Bismil for Haider Special Mention Ain (Malayalam) Nachom IA Kumpasar (Konkani)

Killa (Marathi) Bhootnath Returns (Hindi) Best Educational Film: Komal & Behind the Glass Wall Best Exploration/Adventure: Film Life Force Idias Weste Ghats

Best Investigative Film: Phum Shang Best Animation Film: Sound of Joy Best Short Fiction Film: Mitraa Best Film Critic: Tanul Thakur 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 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 Film On Environment Conservation/ Preservation: Ottaal (Malayalam) Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Mary Kom

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Indira Gandhi Award For Best Debut Film Of A Director: Asha Jaoar Majhe (Bengali) Best Feature Film: Court (Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati & English)

Akhil Sharma wins Folio Prize for Fiction

The Indian-American writer Akhil Sharma has been named winner of the second Folio prize for fiction for a

oel hih took hi log ad paiful eas to oplete, hatig oe eigat fails heat wrenching search for the American dream. He won this prize for his second book, Family Life. Writing it

as a hallegig task fo hi.I glad the ook eists, I just ish I hadt ee the gu ho ote it, he said. William Fiennes, who chaired the Judges, praised the novel, currently a bestseller in the U, as luid, opassioate, uietl fu.

Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014

President Pranab Mukherjee awarded Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014 to six illustrious women on International

Woes Da fo thei distiguished seies fo the upliftet of oe. The award was given in six categories named after eminent women personalities in the Indian history. They are Kannagi, Rani

Gaidinliu Zaliang, Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, Rani Lakshmibai, Rani Rudramma Devi and Mata Jijabai. These

women are famous for their personal courage and integrity.

Awardees of Stree Shakti Puraskar 2014

Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award: Sister Mariola (Rajasthan). Rani Lakshmibai Award: Seema Prakash (Madhya Pradesh). Rani Rudramma Devi Award: Astha Sansthan- NGO (Rajasthan). Mata Jijabai Award: Chandraprabha Bokey (Maharashtra). Kannagi Award: P. Bhanumati (Kerala). Devi Ahily

Amitav Ghosh shortlisted for Man Booker International Prize

Aita Ghosh o d Mah eeged as the ol Idia autho aog fialists fo this eas Man Booker International Prize for his contribution to English language writing.

About Amitav Ghosh

Amitav Ghosh is a Bengali Indian author best known for his work in English fiction. His First job was in

Indian Express in New Delhi. Ghosh is the author of The Circle of Reason (his 1986 debut novel) which won

Prix Mdicis tranger. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 2007.

About Man Booker International Prize

It 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 introduction of the International

Prize was announced in June 2004. This Prize is sponsored by the Man Group. The award is worth 60,000

and an author can only win once. The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan won the 2014

Man Booker International Prize.

Bangladesh wins Women in Parliaments Award

Bangladesh has won the prestigious Women in Parliaments (WIP) Award for regional leadership in the

South and Southeast Asia category for closing the gender gap in politics. The award was presented by WIP

Gloal Fou at aual suit held i Addis Aaa, Ethiopia. O ehalf of Bagladeshs Pie Miiste Sheikh Hasina, Minister of State (MoS) for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam received the award. Bangladesh is

only country in the world where the Prime Minister, Parliament speaker, Leader of the Opposition, Deputy

Leader of the house, and a major opposition leader are all women. In the World Economic Forum report it

has been placed among the top 10 countries in the world in reducing gender gap.

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Balbir Singh Senior awarded with Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award

Veteran hockey player Balbir Singh Senior was awarded Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award

by Hockey India. The award comprises a trophy along with a cheque of Rs 30 lakh was presented to Balbir

Singh at the inaugural Hockey India Annual Awards ceremony held at New Delhi.

In his hockey career, Balbir Singh Senior had represented Indian team in three Olympics games including

London Olympics (1948), Helsinki Olympics (1952) and Melbourne Olympics (1956). In all three Olympics

the team had won the gold medal. He was captain of Indian team during Melbourne Olympics. His record

of most goals (five) in an Olympic final in 1952 still remains unbeaten and he also figures in the list of 16

iconic Olympians of all-time.

Nobel Laureate Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan to head Royal Society in UK

India-born Nobel Prize Winner Sir Venkatraman Ramakrishnan has been confirmed as the President elect

of Uited Kigdos highl esteeed Royal Society. Venkatraman will assume the post on December 1, 2015. He will be the first Indian-origin scientist to hold the post. Ramakrishnan will replace Famous

GeneticistSir Paul Nurse, who is also a Nobel laureate.

Bollywood Actor Shashi Kapoor chosen for Dada Saheb Phalke Award

All time Charming Actor, Shashi Kapoor, has been chosen for Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2014. The Gem

of Bollywood Industry will be the 46th winner of this highly celebrated award. The Dada Saheb Phalke

Award is the highest award in Indian cinema. The award is presented every year at the National Film

Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award comprises a Swarn

Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs.10 lakh and a shawl.

President Pranab Mukherjee gives away Chakra Awards to Defence Personnel

Pranab Mukherjee conferred one Kirti Chakra award and 11 Shaurya Chakra awards on armed forces

personnel. Among these, 11 awardees three were conferred posthumously for gallantry.

Kirti Chakra is the second highest peace time gallantry award i.e. awarded for valour, courageous action or

self-sacrifice away from the field of battle.

Shaurya Chakra is the third highest peacetime gallantry award i.e. awarded for valour, courageous action

or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy.

The Award Winners

Kirti Chakra

Captain Jaidev of Parachute Regiment. Shaurya Chakra (Posthumously)

Subedar Prakash Chand Lieutenant Commander Manoranjan Kumar Major Abhijai of Corps of Engineers.

Shaurya Chakra

Major Mukul Sharma Commander Gosavi Kaustubh Vijaykumar Major R Vamshi Krishnan Rifleman Manga Ram Wing Commander Huvey Upadhyaya Major Abhishek Kumar Major Satnam Singh

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Naik Ansaigra Basumatary. Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) presented its sixth Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Awards

Dalal Street Investment Journal (DSIJ) presented its sixth Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) Awards on 24

March 2015 in New Delhi. The awards were given in recognition of performance excellence and their

contribution to the economy. Fifteen PSUs were selected under various categories based on their

performance in the year 2014.

The performance assessment was based on a model developed by KPMG considering various financial

parameters such as

Productivity, Efficiency Efficacy Profitability Corporate social responsibility

Name of PSUs that were selected:

S. No Awards Name of the Company

1. Maharatna of the year Manufacturing National Thermal power corporation Limited (NTPC)

2. Most Efficient Maharatna Manufacturing Bharat Heavy electrical Limited (BHEL) 3.

Fastest Growing Navaratna of the year -Non

Manufacturing

Rural electrification Corporation

Limited(REC)

4. Best General Insurance Company of the year New India Assurance Company

5. Outstanding Performance in Mega Project

Implementation Steel Authority of India (SAIL)

6. Highest Wealth Creator among listed PSUs National Buildings Construction

Corporation Ltd. (NBCC)

7. Navratna of the year Non-Manufacturing Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC)

8. Outstanding performer in Retail Banking Canara Bank

9. Most Consistent Performer of the year- General

Insurance United India Insurance Company

10. Maharatna of the year Non-Manufacturing Oil and Natural gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)

11. Biggest e-commerce portal in India Indian Railway Catering and Tourism

Corporation (IRCTC)

12. Most Efficient Miniratna of the year- Non-

Manufacturing

Container Corporation Of India Limited

(CONCOR)

13. Most Efficient Public Sector Bank Bank of Baroda

14. Most Efficient Navratna Non- Manufacturing National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC)

15. Fastest Growing Maharatna Non-Manufacturing COAL INDIA

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Government of India felicitated the winners of the Web Ratna Awards

Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Minister of Communications & IT, has presented the 2014 Web Ratna awards at a

ceremony held at Stein Auditorium, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. The objective of this award is to

promote and uphold the use of World Wide Web (WWW) for enhancing the efficiency as well as the

transparency of Government Mechanism and encouraging its speedy transition towards Digital India.

The awards were given for 6 categories, which include Citizen Centric Service, Open Data Champion,

Outstanding Content, Innovative Use of Technology, Comprehensive Web Presence Ministry and Comprehensive Web Pesee tate/UT.

List of Award and Awardees

Citizen Centric Service Category

Platiu Aad: Passpot ea Pojet Gold Aad: Natioal afai Kahai Fiae Deelopet Copoatio ile Aad: Natioal Istitute of Ope hoolig Open Data Champion category

Platiu Aad: Offie of egista Geeal & Cesus Coissioe Gold Aad: Plaig Coissio ad Uio Miist of tatistis & Poga Ipleetatio ile Aad: Uio Miist of Wate esoues Outstanding Content category

Platiu Aad: Miist of Eteal Affais. Gold Aad: Miist of Tial Affais ad Keala Touis ile Aad: Miist of Deelopet of Noth Easte egio Innovative Use of Technology category

Platiu Aad: MKisa-Government of India Portal for Farmer Centric Services Gold Aad: Madha Padesh Coeial Ta Depatet ad Depatet of Coeial Ta, Tail Nadu

ile Aad: E-Sahakar, an online Cooperative Society Process Management System of Maharashtra Government

Comprehensive Web presence category

Platiu Aad: Miist of Ifoatio & Boadastig Gold Aad: Uio Miist of Health & Fail Welfae ile Aad: Cotolle Geeal of Aouts Comprehensive Web Presence State category

Platiu Aad: Mahaashta Gold Aad: Tail Nadu ile Aad: Uttaakhad

Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee conferred with Bharat Ratna

Honorable President Pranab Mukherjee has presented India's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna to

former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee at his residence in Lutyen's Delhi. The event was

attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, former President APJ Abdul Kalam, Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, senior leader LK Advani, Home Minister Rajnath Singh along with some close family members. The

event was completely kept away from the media.

Gandhi Peace Prize 2014 won by ISRO

Indian space agency, Indian Space Research Organization has been selected for the prestigious Gandhi

Peace Prize 2014. The grand award was chosen for ISRO by the jury under the chairmanship of the PM Shri

Narendra Modi.

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The year 2014 was the most successful year for ISRO. The agency successfully launched Mangalyaan or

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) and at a very low cost of 450 crore rupees. The successful launch makes India

the fist Asia out to ete the Matia sphee of ifluee. The otiutio of IO fo the atios development is very high. The agency provides satellite based education, health care and connectivity to

community activities for sustainable economic development.

Abel Prize 2015 jointly won by Nash and Nirenberg

American Mathematician Dr. John Forbes Nash and Canada-born American Louis Nirenberg have been

named as joint winners of the 2015 Abel Prize, which is considered as the Nobel Prize in Mathematics. The

Abel Prize is awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences & Letters since 2003. The award is named in

the memory of famous Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. The award comprises a cash reward of

US$750,000.

The press release states that Nash ad Nieeg ae eogized fo stikig ad seial otiutios to the theo of oliea patial diffeetial euatios ad its appliatios to geoeti aalsis. Nash was conferred with Nobel Prize in economics in 1994 for his work in gae theo. The fil A Beautiful Mid as ased o Nashs life ad his ole as potaed ato ussell Coe. The Mathematical giants will accept the prize from King Harald V of Norway during a ceremony in Oslo on May

19.

Adoor Gopalakrishnan honoured with Bishwaratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika International Solidarity Award

Acclaimed filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan on 29 March 2015 was honoured with Bishwaratna Dr Bhupen

Hazarika International Solidarity Award. He was presented the award by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi

at the function held at Guwahati, Assam.

The Award is a biennial award instituted in 2013 and named in the memory of the cultural doyen Dr

Bhupen Hazarika. The award carries a memento, citation, collection of books and cheque of 5 lakh rupees.

The award was instituted by the Asam Sahitya Sabha and sponsored by the Numaligarh Refinery Limited

(NRL).

Aditi Arya Crowned Femina Miss India 2015

Aditi Arya from Gurgaon, the industrial and financial capital at the NCR (National Capital Region), Delhi was

crowned the Femina Miss India 2015. The 52 nd edition of the event was held at Yash Raj Studios, Mumbai

on March 28th 2015.

The outgoing Miss India 2014 Koyal Rana conferred the crown to Aditi Arya. Aafreen Rachel Vaz and

Vartika Singh followed her as the first and second runner-ups. It was contested by 21 contestants in the

final audition round.

Femina Miss India contest is conducted in India annually, as a national beauty pageant to conclude the

representatives of India for the International pageant events like Miss World, Miss International and Miss

Continental. Miss India is to represent India for the International beauty pageant Miss World 2015. The

first and second runner-ups will represent Miss International 2015 and Miss Continental 2015 respectively.

Thereby the Femina Miss India 2015 concluded with the Indian representatives for all the International

Beauty pageants which are as follows

Aditi Arya - Represents India for Miss World 2015 Aafreen Rachel Vaz - Represents India for Miss International 2015 Vartika Singh - Represents India for Miss Continental 2015

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Madan Mohan Malviya conferred with Bharat Ratna

Veteran freedom fighter and educationist Madan Mohan Malviya was conferred with Bharat Ratna

(posthumously), highest civilian award of the country. His family members received the award from

President Pranab Mukherjee at the glittering function held at Durbar hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New

Delhi.

ACTS AND BILLS

Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha unanimously passed the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to amend Motor Vehicles Act,

1988, to help e-rickshaw ply in Delhi.

Here are key highlights below:

Date of passing: 3rd March 2015 by voice note. The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2015 introduced by Minister of State for Road Transport. This bill seeks to amend the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988and replace the ordinance promulgated in this

regard in January.

The bill defines e-rickshaw and e-carts as special purpose battery powered vehicles with power up to 4000 watts.

If the bill will passes at Rajya Sabha, it will going to benefit 1 lakh e- rickshaw owners and drivers in the capital. Road transport Minister Nitish Gadkari said while ensuring the livelihood of one lakh e-rickshaw

drivers, government will not compromise with the safety.

The driver of the vehicle will be owner and no one else will get the license. An earlier Bill to regularize e-rickshaws was passed by the Lok Sabha in the Winter Session but as it was

stuck in the Rajya Sabha, the government issued the ordinance. The earlier bill was withdrawn.

The new rules provide that e-rickshaw will be allowed to carry four passengers and 40 kg luggage whilee-carts would transport goods up to 310 kg.

The bill empowers Union Government to make the rules specifications, conditions and manner for issuing driving license.

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha passed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2015to amend Citizenship Act, 1955. The bill was

introduced in Lok Sabha on 27th February 2015. The bill, if enacted will be considered to come into effect

on 6th

January 2015. Here are key highlights below:

Date of passing: 2nd March 2015 by voice note It allows the Union Government to relax the requirement of 12 months stay or service if special

circumstances exist in cases related to citizenship by registration and naturalization. Relaxation up to

30 daysmay be permitted by the government.

It provides additional grounds for registering an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card such as o Minor children whose parent(s) are Indian citizens,

o spouse of an Indian citizen or OCI/ PIO cardholder subjected to certain conditions,

o great-grandchild of a person who is a citizen of another country ,but meets one of several

conditions of Citizenship Act, 1955

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A new provision is introduced, allowing the union government to register a person as an OCI cardholdereven if he does not satisfy any of the listed qualifications.

It merges PIO and OCI cardholders. It allows the union government to cancel the OCI card where it is obtained by the spouse of an Indian

citizen or Overseas Citizen of India cardholder,

o if the marriage is dissolved by a court, or

o The spouse enters into another marriage.

o It also says the government may shift a PIO cardholder, who enjoys fewer benefits, to be

OCI cardholders from a specified date.

Lok Sabha Passes Land Aquisition Bill

In the Lok Sabha, the new bill, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,

Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Bill 2015 was passed by Voice note after incorporating nine

amendments moved by governments. Arguing that Land Aquisition bill should not be sent in standing

committee, the congress walked out of Lok sabha.

Key Highlights of Bill are stated below

1. Date of Passing: 10th March 2015 by Voice note.

2. The bill was passed by incorporating Nine amendments.

3. Important Amendments are:

Land Acquisition only for industrial corridors set up by Government.Ordinance did not clarify the inclusion of projects by private players.

Land acquired for industrial corridor cannot exceed 1 km on either side of designated rail line or road. Compulsory employment for one member of affeted fa laoes fail i the pojet oig up o

land.

Court can take cognizance of offence by government employee Ordinance had sought govt sanction for prosecution;now it would be easy to pull up an official below

the rank of Joint Secretary.

Local redressal of complaints on Compensation. Social infrastructure projects not exempt from consent clause and social impact assessment. No acquisition for schools and hospitals by private persons. Redressal of grievances at district level and prescribe that state determine the acquisition is for bare

minimum.

The opposition moved 52 amendments which were either nullified or were not pressed by members. Later

Congress, SP, TMC left and others walked out to let the bill passed by voice note. The Akali Dal has insisted

to restore the Coset lause e estoed ad the Shiv Sena remain stuck not to vote for the bill.

Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 gets Rajya Sabha Nod

Insurance Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 gets final a nod from Upper House on 12th March 2015. Seven

Years after it was first introduced by UPA, with the help of Congress. A bill seeking to raise Foreign Direct

Investment (FDI) cap in insurance sector from 26% to 49% was approved by Rajya Sabha.

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Key Highlights of The Bill

The insurance laws (Amendment) Bill 2015 will replace the ordinance promulgated by government last year.

The bill was passed on 12th March 2015 by Voice note. It was first introduced in 2008. The bill makes IRDA ( Insurance Regulatory Development Authority), the sole operator to impose

penalty, impose a ceiling on expense management or fix a remuneration etc..on insurance sector.

The FDI limit has been increased to 49% which may lead to inflow of $8 to $10 billion in insurance sector.

It will also help in penetrating the insurance sector.

The bill was passed through voice note after a 3 hours debate which saw the left clashing with treasury

bench. the left parties, which has opposed the bill insisted that amendment they have moved be put to

electronic voting. Despite their opposition to bill, Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party and Janata Dal

(United) walked out and making it convenient to pass the bill.

Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2015

This bill amends the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957

Key highlights of bill

Date of passing: 3rd March 2015 The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 24 February 2015. It replaces an ordinance promulgated in January. It was passed even it was protested by members from TMC, BJD, and RSP. Legislation, steel and mines minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that bill once enacted will increase the

o Transparency

o End discretion

o Increase production

o Benefit the local population.

The bill encourages spending of fixed percentage of revenue generated from mining on the o development of local areas

o abolition of discretionary power enjoyed by governments, which in turn will decrease corruption

Addition of a new 4th Schedule in to parent Act in order to include bauxite, iron ore, limestone and manganese ore as notified minerals.

It allows the union government to increase the area limits for mining, instead of providing additional leases.

It creates a new category of mining license named, the prospecting license-cum-mining lease, which is a two stage-concession for the purpose of undertaking prospecting operations (exploring or proving

mineral deposits) followed by mining operations.

It changes the lease period for all minerals other than; o Coal

o Lignite and

o Atomic minerals.

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o Mining leases for minerals shall be granted for a period of 50 years.

On expiry of the lease, the leases shall be put up for auction, instead of being renewed. The tenure of the mineral concession has been increased from the existing 30 years to 50 years.

It specifies that any lease granted before the commencement of the Bill, shall be extended o up to 31 March 2030 for minerals used for captive purpose and up to 31 March 2020 for minerals

used for other than captive purpose or

o Till the completion of renewal period or

o for a period of 50 years from the date of grant of such lease,

Whichever is later.

It states that union government shall prescribe the terms and conditions and procedure for auction for the selection of bidders.

For mining leases, the government may reserve particular mines for a specific end use and allow only eligible end users to participate in the auction.

It states that the holder of a mining lease or prospecting license-cum-mining lease may transfer the lease to any eligible person, with the approval of the state government and as specified by the Union

government.

The DMF (District Mineral Foundation) is to be established by the state government and NMET (National Mineral Exploration Trust) shall be established by the union government for regional and

detailed mine exploration.

There is separate provision for contribution to the DMF not exceeding 1/3rd of the royalty rate in the respective minerals.

This sector forms over two percent of total GDP. This will also deters illegal miners as there are jail terms as well as special court and illegal mining bill

has a penalty of Rs 5 lakh per hectare instead of Rs 25000 earlier.

The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha on 4th march 2015, Wednesday, passed theCoal Mines (special provisions) Bill, 2015 to allow e-

auction of coal blocks after supreme court cancelled their allocation leading to uncertainty in coal sector

amid by some oppositions.

key highlights:

Date of Passing: 4th March 2015 by voice note. Date of introduction of bill: December 10, 2014 by the Minister of Coal, Piyush Goyal. Some of the amendments were voted out, while some of the amendment were disapproved by voice

note, CPIM ee Baduddoza Khas aedet ee oted out. It seeks to amend the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 and the Mines and Minerals

(Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.

The Bills main objective is to enable private companies to mine coal for sale in the open market.

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The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Bill, 2015, would replace two ordinances issued by the government o the first on October 21 last year and

o Second in December, after the apex court cancelled the allocation of 204 blocks

Categories of mines: The Bill creates three categories of mines:

Schedule I

(i) All the 204 coal mines cancelled by the Supreme Court in August 2014,

(ii) Any land acquired by the prior allottee in or around the coal mines, and

(iii) Mine infrastructure.

Schedule II

(i) 42 Schedule I mines that are currently under production or about to start production

Schedule III

Mines includes the 32 Schedule I mines that have been earmarked for a specified end-use.

A prior allottee shall not be eligible to participate in the auction process if he has not paid the additional levy imposed by the Supreme Court, or If he is convicted of an offence related to coal block allocation and sentenced to imprisonment for

more than three years.

Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said that this ill ould esue transparent and honest poess of auctioning of coal blocks. He warned that if the Bill is not passed, then there could be a crisis in the

coal sector with the closure of these mines.

e-auction has ensured open bidding and no monopoly in the process. Adequate safeguards have been put in place to ensure the end-use restrictions and stop hoarding. The Bill provides for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the

land and mine infrastructure together with mining leases to successful bidders and allottees through

atransparent bidding process.

Dipendra Hooda said all states have put money for development of coal mines over decades and if it is now generating some money then they should get the share of the profits.

The e-Auction proceeds from the first lot of mines are over 1 Lakh crore and Auctioning of second auction is in process.

The central government shall appoint a nominated authority who will be an officer of the rank of a joint secretary in the government

Prior allottees shall be compensated for land and mine infrastructure. For the purpose of such compensation, land shall be valued as per the registered sales deed together with 12% simple interest

from the date of purchase or acquisition, till the date of the execution of the vesting order. Mine

infrastructure shall be valued as per the audited balance sheet of the previous financial year. Prior

allottees shall not be entitled to compensation till the additional levy has been paid.

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Parliament passes bill to add some communities in SC list

Parliament passed a Bill to include certain communities in Scheduled Castes category in the states

of Haryana, Karnataka, Odisha and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The Lok Sabha passed the Constitution

(Scheduled Castes) Orders (Amendment) Bill, 2015, by a voice vote. The Bill was cleared by the Rajya Sabha

on February 24 2015.

The Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot said the Union Government is

well aware of the problems being faced by the Scheduled Castes (SC) in the country and is completely

ready to consider proposals received from states regarding the inclusion of any community in this

category.

The Union Government had set up a Rs 200 crore Venture Capital fund to provide soft loan to SC people

starting their own business.

As per the bill, the newly added communities are,

Kabirpanthi and Julaha Haryana, Bhovi, od, odde, Vaddar, Waddar Karnatka Dhoba, Dhobi, Dom, Dombo, Duria Dom, Katia, Kela, Nalua Kela, Khadala and Turi Odisha Chamar Dadra and Nagar Haveli Lok Sabha passes Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015

Lok Sabha passes Warehousing Corporations (Amendment) Bill, 2015 on 18th March 2015.

The Waehousig Copoatios Aedet Bill, seeks to do aa ith the Cetes esposiilit of being a financial guarantor to Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC). The bill was passed by Lok Sabha

with Customer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan ruling out any move to privatize the Mini-Ratna

Company.

The bill was brought by previous UPA government in Lok Sabha and cleared by Parliamentary Standing

Committee. However, it lapsed with the dissolution of 15th Lok Sabha.

Key Highlights of the bill

Date of Passing: 18th March 2015. The Bill seeks to amend the Warehousing Corporations Act, 1962. The bill put to ed the Cetal Goeets esposiilit of eig a fiaial guaato to the CWC in

order to follow the criteria to be a Mini-Ratna enterprise status.

The government has also not given any guarantee besides the payment of minimum guaranteed dividendas required under some provisions of the act.

The bill seeks to withdraw the guarantee of the government and absolves it of its responsibility of being the guarantor,

The aehousig opoatio aedet ill has a liited sope ad as eessitated y a legal euieet hih said the goeet ill ot e a guaato fo a gade oe ii-ratna company like CWC, Paswan said.

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Union Cabinet Approves Black Money Bill

The Union Cabinet on 17th March 2015 cleared a stringent law proposed in the budget to curb black

money. The Black Money bill would be introduced in the Parliament in the current session. The Union

Cabinet also approved signing of a crucial accord with the US on exchange of financial information which

ill suppleet Idias o effots to takle the eae of lak oe.

Points to Remember:

Black Money bill makes concealing foreign assets and income from tax authorities a crime punishable with a 10-year jail term and 300% fine on the tax evaded.

Bill empowers the government to notify a window when people with undisclosed foreign funds can come clean.

The duration of this window along with the tax rate and penalty will be notified once Parliament clears the bill.

The bill also provides for prosecution and penalty of individuals, banks or institutions for abatement if they help anyone create or hide foreign assets.

The bill would be complemented by other legislation and measures, including a new Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Bill that is in the process of being finalized

The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill cleared by cabinet also enables enforcement agencies to attach and confiscate these assets under the Prevention of Money Laundering

Act.

The new bill announced by finance minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech requires people to declare foreign assets and income, including the date of opening their foreign bank accounts.

Union cabinet clears 33% quota for women in Delhi police

Union Cabinet on 20th March 2015 clears 33% quota for women in Delhi and other six Union

Territories. The move aims at increasing representation of women in police and to make the force gender

sensitive. The eseatio ill e aailale to oe agaist all suh aaies eistig o the date of issue of ode ad aaies aisig theeafte, the ode said.

Supreme Court strikes down section 66A of Information Technology act

In a verdict related to the freedom of speech on the Internet, the Supreme Court on 24th March

2015 scrapped Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, terming it as unconstitutional. The supreme

court said that section 66A is vague and violative of the fundamental right to freedom of speech.

Justices J Chelameswar and Rohinton F Nariman passing the judgement said that 66A the court cannot go

the goeets assuaes that the setio ill ot e isused as that aot e popel implemented because governments come and go but section 66A will exist forever.

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INDIAN AFFAIRS

Election Commission of India Launches NERPAP Nationwide

The Election Commission of India has launched NERPAP National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme, all over India with the objective of bringing a totally error free and

authenticated electoral roll.

The NERPAP programme include linking of Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) data with Aadhar data for

the purpose of authentication and also on improving image quality of electors along with sorting issues like

corrections of errors/mistakes etc.

Citizens who are eligible to vote can feed their respective Aadhar number via,

SMS email Mobile Application National Voters Service Portal By making a call at 1950 to state call centres By submitting the details of Aadhar number and EPIC number in a hard copy

Akilesh Yadav has flagged off Varanasi Kathmandu Bus Service Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akilesh Yadav has flagged off the Indo-Nepal friendship us seie that will link Kashi and Kathmandu directly with two buses. The Varanasi to Kathmandu Bus service is called the

Bharat-Nepal Maitri Bus Seva Idia-Nepal Friendship Bus Service). The Varanasi to Kathmandu AC bus will depart Varanasi at 10.30 p.m. and reach Kathmandu at 10.30 a.m.the next day through Azamgarh,

Gorakhpur and Sonauli. The fare from Varanasi to Kathmandu is Rs. 1,333.

Idia ailay lauhed Go Idia at Cad Indian Railways has launched a smart card scheme called Go Idia on a pilot basis on two sectors New Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Howrah. The card currently enables the railway passengers to pay for

reserved and unreserved tickets that can be used at ticket counters. The scheme was announced by

Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha.

The smart card can be used for issuing tickets at

Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) Passenger Reservation System (PRS) counters Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs)

For the first time, a passenger should pay a minimum amount of Rs.70 to get a card. He will get Rs.20

balance. Then he can recharge the card for a minimum of Rs.20 or in multiple of Rs.50 upto Rs. 5000. The

Maximum limit on Go-India smart card is Ten thousand rupees.

The smart card has a validity of life time. If the card is kept unused for 6 months, it will be temporarily

deactivated which can be activated again by paying Rs.50. The main objective of this scheme is to reduce

the transaction time at the booking counters for the convenience of passengers.

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BBC Telecasts the Documentary on Nirbhaya Idias Daughte

The UK based British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has released the controversial documentary Idias Daughter, which is about the 16th December Delhi gang-rape despite Goeets a. The fil as due to be aired o Iteatioal Woes Da ut as ought foad.

The Central Government has refused to allow it to be released in India because it objected to the film-

makers releasing it without their approval. The interview created uproar in Parliament. Union Home

Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the media not to broadcast the documentary.

The Delhi court has also stopped the media from publishing, broadcasting, telecasting or uploading the

controversial interview on the internet. The Union Home Ministry had asked BBC not to broadcast the

documentary anywhere. The BBC said that it would not telecast the documentary in India. But the

interview was released in UK on the night of March 4.

The Documentary has revealed the name of the victim ie Jyoti Singh. The Documentary was Directed by Leslee Udwin. The video went viral immediately after the release on YouTube and the Indian Government has

demanded YouTube to delete that video.

India Joins Hands with Spain for Defence Cooperation

India has signed an agreement with pai o Mutual Protection of Classified Information to poide the framework for enhanced cooperation in the defence sector. The agreement was signed between Spanish

Defence Minister Pedro Moremes and Indian defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. The Spanish delegation

has showed their interest in participating in the Make-in-India initiative. Spain has expressed its interest

in P75I, a project under which India plans to build six conventional submarines.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Seychelles, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka

In a move to strengthen the relationship between India and other countries, Prime Minister Narendra

Modi is to begin a three nation visit to Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka from March 10th.

Modi will have bilateral discussions with Seychelles President James Alexis Michel to stegthe Idias maritime ties and enhance development cooperation.

On March 11-12th, the PM will have extensive meetings with Mauritius Prime Minister Sir

Anerood Jugnauth to enhance the special and unique relations between the two countries.

On March 13-14th, the Prime Minister will have meetings with the newly elected Sri Lankan President

Maithripala Sirisena and other senior leaders.

Indian Monuments and Sites Nominated for UNESCO Heritage sites

India has sent a revised list of Monuments and Sites across the country for inclusion in the United Nations

Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), catalogue of world Heritage sites.

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Ministry of states for culture and tourism Dr.Mahesh Sharma on 4th March, Wednesday informed the

Rajya sabha that the list contains 46 monuments and sites. On his written reply to Rajya Sabha, Dr.Sharma

told the house that the list had been sent in April 2014. In 2014 there were only 32 monuments and sites

which were included in UNESCO, Catalogue of World Heritage Sites.

Health Ministry Launched 3-day Capaig fo Bette Woes Health

The Union Health Ministry has launched a three-day (March 8 to March 10) nationwide campaign for

ensuring better health for women on Inteatioal Woes Da (March 8). Under the program, special health check-up camps will be held at all district hospitals, sub-district hospitals, and community health

centers.

The hospitals will screen and carry out necessary investigations and if needed, will also provide

treatment free of cost. All women aged 40-60 years will be screened for breast cancer and between 30-60

years for cervical cancer. Antenatal and postnatal care services will also be provided and Mother and Child

Protection cards will be issued to the women.

ISIS Demolishes Ancient Hatra site in Iraq

Islamic State Militants have demolished the 2000 year old ancient city of Hatra in Northern Iraq. United

Nations has condemned this as an act of Barbarism. Hatra is situated 110 km south of Mosul, the largest

city under ISIS control. Few days back the militants released a video of smashing statues and carvings in the

its useu, hoe to pieless Assia ad Helleisti atefats datig ak , eas. The eais of theAssyrian city of Nimrud was bulldozed by the militants. Archaeologists have compared the assault on

Ias ultual histo to the Talias destutio of theBamyan Buddhas in 2001.

NPCI has linked 15 Crore Bank Account with Aadhar Number

National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) said thatit has linked 15 crore bank accounts with Aadhaar

number, the unique identification number to the citizens of India.

National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)

NPCI is the nodal agency for all retail payment systems under the Jan Dhan scheme. It has achieved a

milestone by successfully linking 15 crores bank Accounts with Aadhar Number. NPCI was incorporated in

2008 under the companies ACT 1956 as Section 25 Company.

First India-Nepal Friendship Motor Rally completes at India Gate

The first India-Nepal Friendship Motor Rallywas concluded at lawns of India Gate. The rally was flagged off

at Puri, Odisha on February 27. A total of twenty four teams and about 90 riders were participated from

both the countries. They covered a distance of 3060 Km during the ten-day rally. The objective of the rally

is to strengthen bilateral relations between India and Nepal and also to spread the message of road

safety. The rally covered religious places related to Hinduism and Buddhism in the two countries.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj congratulated the organizers for spreading the message of road

safety via the motor rally. Union Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping, Shri Pon

Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Shri Vijay Chhibber, Chage d affaies of Nepal in India, Shri Krishna Prasad Dhakal were present on the occasion.

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Government to close down the Five sick Public Sector Undertakings

The Union Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete said that Government has decided to close the 5 sick

Public Sector Undertakings that include HMT and its three units, and Hindustan Shipyard. He also added

that the employees, who are working in these PSUs will be provided with good VRS package.

Government has listed a total of 65 sick PSUs in India. The Minister did not name any other PSUs which are

slated to be closed down. Air India and MTNL were declared as sick PSUs, after they incurred huge losses

worth 50% or more of their average net worth during four preceding years.

Coal Scam : CBI court summons former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

The CBI court has summoned the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over accusations of criminal

conspiracy and corruption in the illegal allocation of a coal field. Special CBI judge Bharat Parasharsummoned five other accused in the coal scam. They are Kumar Mangalam Birla, Hindalco, P C

Parakh, B Shubhendu Amitabh, and D Bhattacharya.

Union Government Launches Pharma Jan Samadhan Scheme to address consumers Gieaes

Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ananth Kumarlaunched Pharma Jan Samadhan Scheme, which

is a web enabled system created by National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), for redressal of

osues gieaes elatig to piig and availability of medicines.

This sste is speed ad effetie ith espet to addessig the osues oplaits. It ould definitely serve as a powerful e-goeae tool fo potetio of osues iteests though the implementation of the Drugs (Price Control) Order 2013. In case of any complaints, NPPA will initiate

action within 48 hrs of its receipt. The scheme would also prevent black-marketing, artificial medicines and

illegal drug practices.

The Minister has also released Compendium of Ceiling Prices of Essential Medicines 2015 prepared by

NPPA.

Delhi Government to ban Raw Chewable Tobacco Products soon

The newly elected Delhi government has decided to enforce ban on the storage, sale, and purchase of

all kinds of raw chewable tobacco products such asgutkha, khaini and zarda in the National Capital. The

Health Minister Satyendra Jain has taken a serious initiative for banning all kind of raw chewable products

in the National Capital and he has also finalized the proposal.

In Delhi, gutka is being supplied to retailers from neighboring states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The

last day of every month has been declared as a Dry Day for Tobacco by the Delhi government.

The Law Commission of India submits its report on electoral reforms

The Law Commission of India on 12th 2015 submitted its report on Electoral Reforms to the Union Ministry

of Law and Justice, proposing wide ranging reforms

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Following is the summary of the report:

1. Election Finance

The Law Commission has mentioned wide ranging reforms on the issue of

candidate expenditure limits disclosure obligations of individual candidates political parties penalties on political parties examining the issue of state funding of elections.

2. Regulation of Political Parties and Inner Party Democracy

The Commission recommend the requirement of accompanying memorandum/ rules/ regulations with the pats appliatio. This aopaig douet, hatee ae it is alled, should also contain a specific provision stating that the party would shun violence for political gains, and would

avoid discrimination or distinction based on race, caste, creed, language or place of residence.

A new Chapter IVC should be inserted dealing with the egulatio of Politial Paties and incorporating the Coissios peious eoedatios i its th epot ith etai modifications. Thus, sections 29J to 29Q will deal with:-

o internal democracy,

o party Constitutions,

o party organisation,

o internal elections,

o candidate selection,

o voting procedures,

o the ECIs poe to de-register a party in certain cases of non-compliance. Another section, section 29R should be inserted, providing for the de-registration of a political party for

failure to contest Parliamentary or State elections for ten consecutive years.

3. Proportional Representation

The Law Commission recommends that the findings of the 170th Law Commission Report on the proportional system may be examined by the Government to determine whether its proposals can be

made workable in India at present.

4. Anti Defection Law in India

The Law Commission recommends a suitable amendment to the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, which shall have the effect of vesting the power to decide on questions of disqualification on the

ground of defection with the President or the Governor, as the case may be, (instead of the Speaker or

the Chairman), who shall act on the advice of the ECI. This would help preserve the integrity of the

Nation.

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5. Strengthening the office of the Election Commission of India

The ECI should be strengthened by first, giving equal constitutional protection to all members of the

Commission in matters of

Removability; Making the appointment process of the Election Commissioners The CEC consultative Creating a permanent, independent Secretariat for the ECI.

6. Paid News and Political Advertisements

In order to curb the practice of disguised political advertisement o disclosure provisions should be made mandatory for all forms of media. T

o he purpose of disclosure is two fold

first, to help the public identify the nature of the content (paid content or editorial content) to keep the track of transactions between the candidates and the media. Thus, a new section 127C should be inserted in the RPA to deal with the non-disclosure of interests in

political advertising. The ECI can regulate the specifics of the disclosure required.

7. Opinion Polls

The regulation of opinion polls is necessary to ensure that o the credentials of the organisations conducting the poll is made known to the public

o the public has a chance to assess the validity of the methods used in conducting the opinion poll

o the public is made adequately aware that opinion polls are in the nature of forecasts or predictions,

and as such are liable to error.

Consequently, new sections 126C and 126D should be inserted in the RPA.

8. Compulsory Voting

The Law Commission does not recommend the introduction of compulsory voting in India and in fact, believes it to be highly undesirable for a variety of reasons described above such as

being undemocratic, illegitimate, expensive, unable to improve quality political participation and

awareness, and difficult to implement.

9. Election Petitions

The introduction of oe o oe eletio ehes i eah High Cout, desigated so the Chief Justice of the particular High Court, exercising jurisdiction over all election disputes under the RPA.

A single Judge shall ordinarily exercise such jurisdiction, although the Chief Justice can assign more judges, if they so desire.

9. NOTA and the Right to Reject

The Law Commission currently rejects the extension of the NOTA principle to introduce a right to reject the candidate and invalidate the election in cases where a majority of the votes have been polled in

favor of the NOTA option.

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This is premised on the fact that, o the udelig peise of the upee Couts deisio i NOTA was the importance of

safeguarding the right to secrecy, this secrecy rationale does not pre-empt the right to reject.

o good governance, the motivating factor behind the right to reject, can be successfully achieved by

bringing about changes in political horizontal accountability, inner party democracy, and

decimalization However, the issue might be reconsidered again in the future.

10. The Right to Recall

The Law Commission is not in favour of introducing the right to recall in any form because o it can lead to an excess of democracy

o undermines the independence of the elected candidates

o ignores minority interests

o increases instability and chaos

o increases chances of misuse and abuse

o is difficult and expensive to implement in practice, especially given that India follows the first past

the post system.

11. Totaliser for Counting of Votes

The Coissio eiteates ad edoses the ECIs suggestio for introducing a totaliser for the counting of votes recorded in electronic voting machines to prevent the harassment of voters in areas

where voting trends in each polling station can be determined.

Prior to the introduction of EVMs, ballot papers could be mixed under Rule 59A of the Election Rules, although this was not permitted for EVMs. Using a totaliser would increase the secrecy of votes during

counting, thus preventing the disclosure of voting patterns and countering fears of intimidation and

victimisation.

Thus, similar to the existing Rule 59A, the Commission proposes to amend Rule 66A to empower the ECI to decide when, and in which constituency and polling booths, to employ a totaliser, after taking

into consideration various factors and the overall context of the elections.

12. Restriction on Government Sponsored Advertisements

The Commission recommends regulating and restricting government sponsored advertisements six months prior to the date of expiry of the House/Assembly to

o maintain the purity of elections

o prevent the use of public money for partisan interests of,inter alia

o highlightig the goeets ahieeets o ensure that the ruling party or candidate does not get an undue advantage over another in the

spirit of free and fair elections.

This can be achieved by inserting a new Chapter VIIB in Part V of the RPA prohibiting State/Central government sponsored advertisements in the print or electronic media or by way of banners and

hoarders, six months prior to date of expiry of the term of the Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha.

Hoee, a eeptio has ee aed out fo adetiseets highlightig the goeets poet alleviation programmes or any health related schemes

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13. Restriction on the Number of Seats from which a Candidate May Contest

The Commission recommends an amendment of section 33(7) of the RPA, which permits a candidate to contest any election (parliamentary, assembly, biennial council, or bye-elections) from up to two

constituencies.

In view of the expenditure of time and effort; election fatigue; and the harassment caused to the voters,section 33(7) should be amended to permit candidates to stand from only one constituency.

14. Independent Candidates

The Law Commission recommends that independent candidates be disbarred from contesting electionsbecause the current regime allows a proliferation of independents, who are mostly

dummy/non-seious adidates o those ho stad ith the sae ae ol to iease the otes confusion.

Thus, sections 4 and 5 of the RPA should be amended to provide for only political parties registered with the ECI under section 11(4) to contest Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha elections.

15. Preparation and Use of Common Electoral Rolls

The La Coissio edoses the ECIs suggestios egadig the itodutio of : o Common electoral rolls for Parliamentary

o Assembly and local body elections.

However, given that introducing common electoral rolls will require an amendment in the State laws pertaining to the conduct of local body elections, the Central Government should write to the various

States in this regard. We hope that the States will consider amending their laws based on the

suggestions of the ECI and the Law Commission.

Idia Gadhi Iteatioal Aipot to get Idias fist ody sae Ne Delhis Indira Gandhi International (IGI Aipotsterminal ID is all set to get Idias fist od scanner.United states Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)will be giving a illiete ae sae to IGI Airport which will be installed in coming weeks. It will be thentested by Bureau of civil aviation security

(BCAS) which will look on health and privacy concern. These scanner is used globally including US.

SC Scraps OBC quota for Jats

The Supreme Court on 17th March 2015 struck down the center controversial decision to grant reservation

to Jats Community in jobs and educational institution terming it Negative and retrograde governance.

The Supreme Court has scrapped a year-old notification by the then-ruling Congress party-led United

Progressive Alliance (UPA) granting the status of a backward class to the Jat community.

This judgment will not have any bearing in the inclusion of the community in OBC lists notified by states.

Except Gujarat, Jats are included in the list of OBCs in all the states mentioned above.

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National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority keeps a check on prices of medicines in India

Union Government brought 52 new drugs under National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) control

to keep check on prices of essential medicines. The decision was notified by NPPA on 11 December 2014.

In an attempt to empower consumers and save them from paying more for medicines, the government is

set to make it mandatory for chemists to mention in the bill whether they are selling a price-controlled

product or not. Besides, the bill will also mention the price of the medicine as capped by the government.

The majority of the new drugs involve basic painkillers, antibiotics and medicines used for ailing skin

disorders and cancer. The price capping of the medicines was based on the average of the costs of all drugs

with over one per cent market share. With the move, the government ensures the improvement of

medicinal affordability.

Aadhar card is not mandatory: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of India has cleared all the doubts regarding the validity of Aadhar card to avail of

government subsidies. The SC has confirmed that the Aadhar card is not compulsory, and further, officials

who insist on them will be taken to task. This was headed byJustice Jasti Chelameswar. The court further

said that No peso should e deied a eefits o suffe fo ot haig the Aadhaa ads issued Uiue Idetifiatio Authoit of Idia.

Vividh Bharati Service in FM mode was inaugurated in Mumbai

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has inaugurated the Vividh

Bharati Service in FM mode of All India Radio in Mumbai on March 17, 2015. He was accompanied by

Actors Jackie Shroff and Vikram Gokhale. The Miiste said that the All Idia adios FM evice could cover the whole country in the next couple of years.

The Vividh Bharti Service continues to be available on short and medium waves. The FM Vividh Bharti

channel is available on Akashwani at 102.8 MHz. This service will serve around two crore people in and

around Mumbai.

The Minister has added that at present 40% of India is covered by the FM service and the government

aspires to take the remaining 60% in the next two-two and a half years. The officials conveyed that AIR is

all set to inaugurate the launch of Vividh Bharati service in FM mode in other metros, which

includes Delhi and Chennai. The Vividh Bharati service is already available in the FM mode in Kolkata.

Astra successfully test-fired from Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft

Idias Ai to Air missile, ASTRA has been successfully test fired from a Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha. Asta is Idias idigeousl deeloped Beyond Visual Range(BVR) missile. It is an all-weather, state-of-the-art missile developed by DRDO. Astra is 3.8 meter long

and it can engage and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speed. It is the smallest of the DRDO-

developed missiles and can be launched from different altitudes.

The last trial of Astra was conducted from a naval range on May 4, 2014, and it was also successful. Its expected that Sukhoi Su-30MKI fighter aircraft and Mirage-2000 fighters of the Indian Air Force will be

armed with Astra missiles.

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Policy Portal launched by IT Minsiter Ravi Shankar Prasad

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched Bharatniti.in, a public policy portal that attempts to put into

pespetie poli attes usig a aiet et otepoa appoah.

The launching ceremony was held on March 18 at the Constitution Club, Rafi Marg, Delhi. IT Minister Ravi

Shankar Prasad, National general Secretary of BJP Muralidhar Rao, Chairman of National Book Trust Baldev

Bhai Sharma, and Prasar Bharati Chairman A Suriyaprakash were present on the occasion.

In the official website, Bharatniti.in desies itself as a endeavour, a platform to shape up the narrative of contemporary India necessarily through what we believe are the intrinsic values soaked with centuries of

wisdom.

The portal comprises featured opinion pieces and comments on various topics such as economics, foreign

affairs, governance, education, religion and cultural, ad a poli that has a diet ipat o todas India. Subject Experts, Leaders, scientists and senior journalists will share their expertise for the benefit of

the readers.

Aitah Bahha to lead Idias fight agaist Hepatitis B

After Polio, the government has again roped Mr. Amitabh Bachchan to be the brand ambassador of its

campaign against Hepatitis B. According to latest World Health Organistion (WHO) data, hepatitis B is

responsible for 1.4 million deaths every year globally, as compared to 1.5 million deaths from AIDS and 1.2

million each from malaria and tuberculosis. The health ministry has finalized talks with Bachchan and is set

to launch the campaign in April.

ISRO is having talks with space agencies of United States, Russia, and France

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to collaborate with other space agencies on inter-

planetary explorations. From this collaboration, India is likely to acquire the knowledge to minimize the cost

of launching complex missions and enhancing technological capabilities in spacecraft design. Currently,

ISRO is having talks with space agencies of the United States of America, Russia and France.

Muais Gigau Chopatty to e eaed as aaj Bhooi

The BJP government in Maharashtra has decided to rename the area at Girgaum Chowpatty as Swaraj Bhoomi to honor the veteran freedom fighter Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavishas accepted a proposal in this regard by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation.

Since 2014, the Lokmanya Tilak Gaurav Samiti, an Independent Organization was demanding to name the

little garden adjoining Girgau Chopatt as aaj Bhooi as he as eated thee.

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Government of India Unveils Grahak Suvidha Kendra to Lodge Complaints against Misleading

Advertisements

The Government of India launched a dedicated portal called Gahak uidha Keda in Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, Kolkata and Patna to help consumers register their grievances against misleading

advertisements (like particular medicine will help increasing height of a person or help bald person grow

hair). The portal was launched by Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan.

Grahak Suvidha Kendra

The complaints registered on the portal will be taken up by authorities in the state or the central government and appropriate action would be taken on complaints.

Any consumer in any part of the country can register on the portal and can lodge a complaint against misleading advertisements.

The portal will be linked to all state authorities. The portal also enables consumers to be informed of the action taken. This will provide a host of services to consumers under one roof.

The Kendras are being launched on a pilot basis in only 6 cities. Based on the performance of these pilot

centres, this scheme will be extended to other parts of the country.

Currently, the Central Government is running the National Consumer Helpline. The ue is 1800-11-4000. Consumers can lodge telephonic complaints (24/7) regarding their grievances. It has also assisted 22

states to set up and run state help lines in regional languages.

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore inaugurated a Workshop on Still Photography and Videography

Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore [MoS for Information and Broadcasting] inaugurated the first national

workshop on photography and videography at New Delhi. The Workshop was designed according to

paaetes of Goeet of Idias kill Idia iitiatie. More than 25 organisations from across the country have participated in the day-long workshop.

According to Minister, the workshop is a good attempt to sharpen the skills of government personnel

associated with photography and videography.

The day-long workshop was organised by the I&B ministry. The Workshop has been designed to cover four

sessions covering the twin themes of Photography and Videography. Renowned Cinematographer Santosh

Sivan and Rajesh Bedi, the winner of Lifetime Achievement Award in the 3rd National Photography Awards

shared their experiences at the workshop.

ata Tata to head Idia ailays Kaya Kalp Couil

Idustialist ata Tata ill head Kaya Kalp, a e ioatie ouncil of Indian Railways, which is formed to turn around the ailing state-run rail network. The Kaya Kalp council will also have two railway union

leaders Shiv Gopal Mishra and M Raghuvaiah. The main purpose of the council is to recommend innovative methods and processes for the improvement, betterment and transformation of railways.

30 | P a g e



Officials from Railway ministry said former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai is likely to join the

Kaya Kalp council as a member.

While Presenting the Railway Budget (on Feb 26), the Railway minister Suresh Prabhakar

Prabhu announced about the ioatio ouil Kaakalp, hih ill pla the ai ole i usiess e-Engineering and also in introducing a spirit of innovation in Indian Railways.

Union Cabinet approves Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana

The Union Cabinet of India gave its approval to thePradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), which

will be implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through theNational Skill

Development Corporation (NSDC). The total fund allocated for PMKVY is Rs. 1500 Crores.

International Conference on Counter Terrorism

Idias fist ofeee o Counter-Terrorism was held in Jaipur, Rajasthan for three days (March 19 to March 21). The conference was named as International Counter-Terrorism Conference 2015and it was

organised by India Foundation in association with the Sardar Patel University of Police Security and

Criminal Justice-Jodhpur. The central theme of the Conference is Integrated Approach to Counter-

Terrorism.

Health Minister launches Media Campaign to educate public on Immunization

The Union Government of India launched 15 day multi-media campaign to educate the public about the

importance of Immunization, ahead of implementing the health pogae Mission Indradhanush i April. The ambitious mission aims to cover all children in India who are either unvaccinated or are partially

vaccinated against seven vaccine preventable diseases by 2020. The diseases are tetanus, hepatitis B,

diphtheria, whooping cough, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B, and Polio.

The campaign was launched by Union Health Minister JP Nadda in New Delhi. The mission Indra Dhanush

will also provide vaccination against Japanese Encephalitis and Haemophilus influenza Type B in selected

districts. The purposeful campaign involves advertisements, workshops, and other activities to reach out

the people and also to create awareness about the benefits of immunisation.

Andhra Pradesh to name New Capital City as Amaravathi

Idias southe state of Adha Padesh has ee lookig fo a e apital it afte it as diided i to to create the new state of Telangana last year.

According to state government officials it is likely to choose Amaravathi a famous pilgrimage center for Hindus and Buddhists.

Points to Remember:

The actual site earmarked for the new capital is 22 miles away Amaravathi town. Nearly 33,000 acres of land has been procured by the state government for the new capital, The construction work will commence by the end of June and be completed in the next three years. A Singapore firm has been assigned the job of preparing a design for the new city.

31 | P a g e



He said the foudatio stoe fo the e apital ould e laid o a auspiious da. Hyderabad is the joint capital of both the states, but only for a period of 10 years Phase I of the new capital city would comprise 31 villages (including some hamlets) in three mandals

viz., Mangalagiri, Thullur and Tadepalle mandals.

Indian Railways Launched Ru-Pay pre-paid debit card

IRCTC launched the debit card service on 24th March 2015. Railway passengers can now book their tickets,

do shopping and pay service bills using RuPay pre-paid cards.

Points to remember

The service was launched by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) in collaboration with the Union Bank of India and the National Payment Corporation of India.

uPa is Idias o ad paet gatea etok like Visa ad Maste Cad, ad poides a alternative system for banks to provide a debit card service.

A K Manocha said the card is a first-of-its-kind in the market as both virtual as well as physical cards are being issued to customers in two variants.

Cards can be made available from UBI offices or through IRCTC online. Initially the service will be available for booking tickets and later on shopping and bill payments will be added.

uPas ad holde ill get fee s lakh aidet isuae oeage as pat of the eefits to customers.

One can have the card with a loading limit of s , ith patial Ko You Custoe KYC detail or Rs 50,000 loading limit with full KYC.

The first five transactions per card every month done on IRCTC for purchase of train tickets will be free and no transaction charges will be levied to customers for six months only.

For every subsequent transaction post the free usage, customer will be charged Rs 10 per transaction.

The transaction charge would be Rs 10 per ticket for booking a ticket through the card on the IRCTC portal.

Government of Idia lauhes Titte aad fo diet ouiatio etee Goeet ad citizens.

The Government of India launched Twitter Samvad, a new platform to facilitate direct communication

between leaders and citizens. It is launched in association with social networking service Twitter. The

Twitter Samvad is based on the platform provided byZipDial, which is an Indian company recently acquired

Titte, akig

current affairs march 2015 pdf capsule

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