Union Government enhances Financial Powers of Ministries, Departments

The Union Government on 28 June 2016 revised the financial limits of departments and ministries for appraisal and approval of Non-Plan Schemes or Projects by competent authorities. With this, appraisal and approval process in the Central Government Ministries and Departments will be expedited. As per the revised delegation, the Committee on Non-Plan Expenditure (CNE) will now appraise proposals

Anil Kumble can continue as ICC Cricket Committee chairman: BCCI official

Anil Kumble, the new coach of the Indian cricket team, can stay on as chairman of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Cricket Committee, a BCCI official was reported saying. Post Kumble's appointment, reports have surfaced that Sourav Ganguly could take his post at ICC, but it has been made clear that Kumble is free to hold on to his ICC post, alike Darren Lehmann and Rahul Dravid,

Govt to import 7,500 tons of chana, masoor dal

The government decided to import 7,500 tonnes of chana and masoor dal in the coming days to boost domestic supply and curb prices. The pulses issue was discussed in detail in the meeting of Management Committee of Price Stabilisation Fund, chaired by Consumer Affairs Secretary Hem Pande here. "The meeting decided to further tender import of 5,000 tonnes of chana and 2,500 tonnes

Supreme Court reserves order on Lodha Committee report

Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Thursday heard the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s petition against Lodha committee recommendations. There will be no further hearings on the issue as arguments from both sides were completed today. The court also reserved its order on the issue and the verdict is likely to be pronounced soon. BCCI had decided to approach the Supreme Court against

Ravi Shastri resigns from ICC cricket committee

Ravi Shastri has resigned as a member of the Cricket Committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC), of which he has been a member as a media representative for the last six years. As of yet, there is no hint that his resignation from the committee has anything to do with him being overlooked for the job of the Indian National Coach.Shastri is thought to have expressed his desire to resign from the

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister approves 5th Deans Committee

Honble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi issued necessary instructions for the entrepreneurship of agriculture graduates while putting emphasis on agricultural education for the upliftment of agriculture throughout the country. Keeping this in view Shri Radha Mohan Singh, Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister, suggested that a professional curriculum should be framed out on agricultural

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International Solar Alliance Cell and World Bank Signs Declaration for Promoting Solar Energy

On the occasion of the visit of the World Bank President to India, the Interim Administrative Cell of the International Solar Alliance (ISA Cell) and the World Bank declared their intention to promote solar energy globally. The declaration was signed & exchanged by  Shri Upendra Tripathy, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Chairperson, ISA cell and Mr Onno Ruhl, India Country

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International Solar Alliance Cell and World Bank Signs Declaration for Promoting Solar Energy

On the occasion of the visit of the World Bank President to India, the Interim Administrative Cell of the International Solar Alliance (ISA Cell) and the World Bank declared their intention to promote solar energy globally. The declaration was signed & exchanged by  Shri Upendra Tripathy, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Chairperson, ISA cell and Mr Onno Ruhl, India Country

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu formally launches NIVARAN portal

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu in a programme held today i.e. 30.06.2016 at Rail Bhawan formally launched NIVARAN portal, an online system for redressal of service related grievance of serving and former railway employees. Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha was specially present to grace the occasion. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri A. K. Mital, Member Staff

Positive growth registered in both Domestic and Foreign Tourist visits during 2015

Market Research Division of Ministry of Tourism compiles data on domestic and foreign tourist visits to States/Union Territories (UTs) received from Departments of Tourism of various State Governments and UT Administrations. Following are the salient features of the compilation for 2015:

 (a)     Domestic Tourist Visits to States/ UTs

INS Satpura Reaches Hawaii, USA for Exercise RIMPAC 2016

In pursuance of India’s Act East Policy and demonstration of India’s commitment to peace and prosperity of Indo-Pacific region, Indian Naval ship Satpura arrived at Hawaii on 30 Jun 2016 to participate in the 25th edition of Exercise RIMPAC.  Exercise RIMPAC is the largest multilateral naval exercise in the world and is held biennially in the Western Pacific Ocean. Indian Navy’s association

Saresh Lotlikar appointed Advocate General of Goa

PANAJI: Goa government has appointed Saresh Lotlikar as the new Advocate General of the state. Governor Mridula Sinha had granted her assent to the appointment. In a notification issued by Under secretary (Law) Manuel Barreto, Lotlikar was yesterday appointed as the new Advocate General. The post was lying vacant after the resignation of Atmaram Nadkarni nearly a month back. The name of

SC clarifies on 2014 order on third gender, slams centre for delay in extending quota

The Supreme Court on Thursday clarified that only transgenders will be included in the category of 'third gender' - and not gays, lesbians or bisexuals. In a landmark judgement in 2014, Supreme Court had asked the government to include the category of 'third gender' in all its forms and subsequently extend the benefits of OBC quota to them. The government, however, claimed there was confusion

Supreme Court rejects PIL for WhatsApp ban, but encryption debate is just beginning

WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption might still be a contentious issue, but on Wednesday the Supreme Court refused to allow a PIL seeking a ban on the popular app and similar messenger services. The PIL, filed by Gurugram-based RTI activist Sudhir Yadav, said these apps have complete encryption, which poses a threat to the country’s security. A bench of Chief Justice T S Thakur and Justice A M

India to get over $1 billion from World Bank for Modi's solar goals

The World Bank said on Thursday it would lend India more than $1 billion for its huge solar energy programme, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought climate change funds from its visiting head. Modi is banking on India's 300 days a year of sunshine to generate power and help fight climate change rather than committing to emission cuts like China. The World Bank loan is the global lender's biggest

FPIs can issue ODIs to entities complying with new Sebi rules

Sebi on Wednesday said foreign portfolio investors can issue fresh Participatory Notes (P-Notes) to those entities which comply with tightened regulations by capital markets watchdog. Sebi, earlier this month, issued a detailed framework with regard to tightened KYC and disclosure requirements for Offshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs) -- commonly known as P-Notes, which provide the foreign

Govt. presents blue print on Postal Bank

The government has come out with a blue print on postal bank. The postal payment bank will have 650 branches by September 2017. That means a branch in each district. 10% of the branches will be in north east state. Post offices in each district will be connected the main branch of postal bank in each district. govt is aggressively searching for a CEO to head the bank. The bank will be run by a board

World T20 main draw set to expand to 'Super 12'

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is most likely to add two more teams to the main draw of the reinstated World Twenty20 in 2018. Discussions at the associates meeting of the ongoing ICC annual conference in Edinburgh also indicated that representatives of the associate nations on the ICC board may get full voting rights as well. "What I have heard described is that two teams will go through from

India Test-Fires Surface-To-Air Missile Developed Jointly With Israel

BALASORE:  India today successfully test-fired a new surface-to-air missile developed jointly with Israel, from a defence base off Odisha coast. The medium range missile, which will fulfill a huge Indian army requirement, was fired from a mobile launcher in the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur around 8.15 am, said an official of the Defence Research and Development Organisation or DRDO.

Italian film actor Bud Spencer dies

Bud Spencer, Italian actor and filmmaker, passed away on 27 June 2016 in Italy following brief illness. He was 86. Spencer was known among his fans as the big friendly giant of the screen because of his height and weight. Born in Naples as Carlo Pedersoli, he adopted the stage name Bud Spencer- the first name inspired by a Budweiser beer and the last to honour his favourite star Spencer Tracy.

Researcher develops non-invasive method to kill cancer cells in two hours

Matthew Gdovin, an associate professor in the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Department of Biology, developed a newly patented method to kill cancer cells. Gdovin’s research was published on 27 June 2016 in The Journal of Clinical Oncology.The discovery may help people with inoperable or hard-to-reach tumours. 

Gudni Johannesson wins 2016 Presidential election of Iceland

udni Johannesson, an Icelandic historian and lecturer at the University of Iceland has won the 2016 Presidential election in Iceland.He will succeed Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who served 20 years as head of state. The history professor who ran as an independent in the election was able to secure 39.1% of the vote. He defeated Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman without party affiliation, who was able to

29 June: National Statistics Day

The National Statistics Day is being observed every year on 29 June to create public awareness among people about the importance of statistics in daily life and in the process of planning and development. 2016 is the tenth edition of National Statistics Day. Significance of the Day: It is celebrated annually on the occasion of Birth anniversary of India’s eminent statistician Late Prof Prasanta Chandra

China launches second Shijian-16 series satellite

China has successfully launched its second Shijian-16 series satellite for space research and experiments. The first Shijian-16 satellite was launched in October 2013. The satellite was launched on board of Long March-4B rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Jiuquan, northwest China’s Gansu Province. It was the 231st by a Long March rocket. Key Facts The second Shijian-16

Renowned modern artist K G Subramanyan passes away

Renowned sculptor and painter KG Subramanyan passed away in Vadodara, Gujarat following a brief illness. He was 92. He was multifaceted artist credited with being one of the pioneers of Indian modern art and was also a freedom fighter. About K G Subramanyan Born in 1924 in Kerala. He was a socialist and Gandhian throughout his life. In his career as an artist spanning over six decades he had been a

Four Indian-Americans honoured with 2016 Great Immigrants Award in US

Four Indian-Americans have been honoured with prestigious Great Immigrants: The Pride of America Award 2016. They are among 42 distinguished US personalities representing more than 30 countries of origin around the world  honoured with this year’s award. All of these personalities represent a wide range of personal immigration stories, and inspiring professional accomplishments. Four Indian-

Ajinkya Rahane signs up with Cornerstone Sport

Indian Test Team vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane has signed up with Mumbai based agency Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment (CSE). The agency which also manages Test captain Virat Kohli will be exclusively managing Rahane and will handle his Brand Endorsements, Commercial Engagements, Social & Digital Media and Appearances. "I am really excited and looking forward to working with the

Majority of RBI committee suggested no rate cuts at June review

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan sided with three of the five members of a technical advisory committee who recommended the central bank leave interest rates on hold at its June 7 policy review, according to minutes released on Tuesday.The three members said the RBI should wait for inflation to ease further, monitor the progress of

Axis Bank launches innovation lab to partner with fintech start-ups

Axis Bank, the country’s third largest private sector lender, in a bid to ride on the digital wave, has decided to open an innovation lab where it will tie up with financial technology start-ups.This innovation hub in Bangalore will focus on curating start-ups and work with them to develop value propositions. The bank will look at absorbing their technology. Rajiv Anand, Executive Director (Retail

Andhra Pradesh govt signs deal for $10k crore fertiliser plant

The Andhra Pradesh government has signed an MoU with a three-nation consortium of China Huanqin Contracting and Engineering Corporation, LEPL Ventures Private Limited and Isomeric Holdings to set up a gas-based fertilizer project at Krishnapatanam with an investment of Rs 10,183 crore. The MoU was signed during Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s ongoing visit to China, wherein he was

India ranked 105th on WEF’s Human Capital Index

India has been ranked low at 105th position globally on a worldwide Human Capital Index, which measures countries’ ability to nurture, develop and deploy talent for economic growth and was topped by Finland. India ranks much below China’s 71st position while Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka are also placed higher on the index released by Geneva-based World Economic Forum (WEF) at its Annual

1.2 million kids died of preventable diseases in India

According to a UNICEF Report, around 1.2 million children died of preventable causes in India in 2015. Most of the deaths were caused by diseases which are easily preventable and treatable. The report counts India among the five countries accounting for half the 5.9 million under-five deaths reported across the world last year. The other four countries are Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia,

Assam’s Majuli becomes India’s 1st island district

BJP leader and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has declared Majuli, an island in the Brahmaputra a district. The BJP-led government also announced appointment of 10,000 TET-qualified school teachers by March 2017. The decision to upgrade Majuli – till now a sub-division within Jorhat district – was taken in the first cabinet meeting of the new BJP-led government that had assumed office

South Korea tops global internet speed at 29Mbps

CDN network Akamai has published its quarterly “State of the Internet” report for the first quarter of 2016. The report examines global internet speeds, which are going to be more relevant than ever for live-sports aficionados in the summer of the Rio Olympic Games. Global average connection speed increased 12 percent from the fourth quarter of 2015, to 6.3 Mbps, a 23 percent increase year over

Govt targets to set up 1L biogas plants in FY17

To increase the level of clean energy, the Centre has asked the states/UTs to set up one lakh biogas plants. The plants should be of one to six cubic meter capacity this fiscal, which will save 21.90 lakh LPG cylinders every year. With an objective to provide clean gaseous fuel for cooking and organic bio-manure as a by-product. Besides providing bio-manure to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers. There

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Tanzania

The Cabinet has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Tanzania for bilateral cooperation in water resources management and development. The areas of enhanced cooperation include techniques in water harvesting, surface and groundwater management and development and aquifer recharge. Collaboration and sharing of expertise on the areas mutually

Cabinet approves Revised Cost Estimates for establishment of Eight New IITs

NEW DELHI: The revised cost estimates to set up eight new IITs was today more than doubled to help the institutions bring about quantitative and quality growth in areas of research and publication. The Union Cabinet approved the revised cost estimates for setting up eight New IITs at Bhubaneswar, Gandhinagar, Hyderabad, Indore, Jodhpur, Mandi, Patna and Ropar. The revised estimate is Rs 13,990

Navy inducts anti-submarine torpedo ‘Varunastra’

Indigenously developed heavyweight torpedo Varunastra, which was showcased for the first time on the Republic Day Parade at Rajpath this year, was inducted in the Indian Navy. The anti-submarine torpedo has been developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory of the DRDO for the Indian Navy. Weighing around 1.25 tonnes, the torpedo carries about 250 kg of explosives at a speed

India up 19 ranks in World Bank logistics report

India has jumped 19 places in the latest World Bank ranking in the global logistics performance, reflecting the improvement in movement of goods inside the country thus facilitating better trade. The World Bank in its latest once-in-two-year Logistics Performance Index (LPI) said India is now ranked 35th as against the 54th spot it occupied in the previous 2014 report. In the 2014 report, India had a

Isak Chisi Swu, founder of NSCN (IM) passes away

Isak Chisi Swu, who for decades spearheaded a bloody insurgency in Nagaland before shaking hands with New Delhi, died after months of battling a kidney ailment. He was admitted to the hospital on July 5 last year for a series of surgeries including for urinary tract infection that confined him to bed for months. His illness prevented Isak Swu from attending the signing of a historic Naga Peace Accord on

Huge helium gas reserve found in Africa

Scientists have discovered a large helium gas field in Tanzania. With world supplies running out, the find is a “game-changer“, say geologists at Durham and Oxford universities. Helium is used in hospitals in MRI scanners as well as in spacecraft, telescopes and radiation monitors. Until now, the precious gas has been discovered only in small quantities during oil and gas drilling. Using a new exploration

Great Barrier Reef named best destination of ’16

The Great Barrier Reef has been named the best vacation destination in the world in a newly released ranking published by US News & World Report. The UNESCO World Heritage Site, which stretches for more than 2,000 km along the coastline of Queensland and is visible from space, was ranked the world’s best place to visit in 2016. Rounding out the top three spots are Paris and Bora Bora in French

NASA awards $5.1 million contract to recycle pee

Urine is big business for Paragon Space Development Corporation. NASA just awarded the Tucson-based company a $5.1 million contract to develop a water recovery system to help astronauts filter their sweat and urine into potable water. To be sure, the International Space Station (ISS) already has a Water Recovery System composed of two refrigerator-sized systems that distill and filter sweat and

Sunder Pichai, 3 other Indian-Americans honoured with Great Immigrants Award

Indian-origin Google CEO Sunder Pichai and three other Indian-Americans are among the 42 US nationals honoured with this year’s prestigious ‘Great Immigrants: The Pride of America’ award. The other three Indian-Americans are Hari Sreenivasan, anchor and senior correspondent, PBS NewsHour, Vikram Malhotra chairman of the Americas, McKinsey & Company and Bharati Mukherjee National

Rodrigo Duterte sworn in as Philippines president

Rodrigo Duterte has been sworn in as president of the Philippines, after a landslide election victory in May. The controversial former mayor of Davao City, 71, overthrew the political establishment, promising a "bloody war" on crime and action on corruption. At his inaugural speech he promised to make sweeping changes to the country's political system. "I see the erosion of the people's trust in their

Two Indians get Queen’s Young Leaders Award 2016

A visually challenged young man with a passion for education and a youth facilitator from Hyderabad are among 60 people from across the globe who were presented medals for their exemplary work by Queen Elizabeth at the Buckingham Palace. The two Indians are Kartik Sawhney (21) and Neha Swain (28). Launched in 2014 by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, each year from 2014 to 2018, 60

CAG Shashi Kant Sharma gets honorary professorship in China

Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Shashi Kant Sharma has been conferred honorary professorship by the Nanjing Audit University in China. It is the only university which is recognised by the Institute of Internal Auditors. In his acceptance address, CAG put an emphasis on capacity building for auditors of international fraternity in view of ever-changing governance structures. He stressed on

Beyoncé wins four awards at BET Awards 2016

Beyonce Knowles was the biggest winner at the 2016 BET Awards as the singer took home a total of four awards, including Best female R&B/pop artist. The 34-year-old star also won video of the year, Coca-Cola viewers’ choice award and centric award, all for her music video “Formation”. Drake and Bryson Tiller trailed behind with three and two awards, respectively. Besides the best male hip-hop

Dainik Jagran Wins 5 Awards At WOW Awards Asia 2016

Dainik Jagran, India’s largest read daily has been honored for its exemplary campaigns at the WOW Awards Asia. Dainik Jagran bagged 5 awards across various categories. WOW Awards Asia is the most holistic recognition platform in the world encompassing almost every aspect of the event business. 2016 marks the partnership with KPMG in India as the Process Advisors and Evaluators for

Max Bupa Wins The Coveted “Technology Maturity” Award

Max Bupa has been conferred with top honor for technology maturity at the Sixth edition of The Indian Insurance Awards organized by Fintelekt. Max Bupa has received the ‘Technology Maturity’ award for its focused utilization of technology to deliver the best in class service experience to its customers. The award was presented at a special ceremony attended by the industry leaders in Mumbai. On receiving

North Korean Assembly Awards Leader Kim Jong Un Fresh Title

SEOUL:  North Korea's parliament awarded Kim Jong Un a new post on Wednesday, adding to a long list of titles for the young leader. The North's state television said Kim was made chairman of the state affairs committee, a body that appears to be newly formed and whose function was not immediately clear. He also has the titles of the Dear Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the Workers'

Climate change impact on animals in Himalayas to be recorded by ZSI

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) on 29 June 2016 started five long-term monitoring plots in the Himalayas to document the impact of climate change on animal world. The project is funded by the Union Ministry for environment, forest and climate change. Under the project, ZSI will monitor indicators in species like fish, butterflies, bees and other insects to find how their distribution has been

Excessive blue light emitted by LED can adversely impact human health: AMA

A report released by the American Medical Association (AMA) Council on Science and Public Health on 14 June 2016 claims that excessive blue light emitted by light emitting diodes (LED) can adversely impact human health. AMA report looked at the LED street lighting on US roadways. It also adopted guidance for communities on selecting among LED lighting options to minimize potential harmful

Sweden inaugurates world’s first electric road

Sweden on 22 June 2016 inaugurated a test stretch of an electric road. With this, the country has become one of the first countries in the world to conduct tests with electric power for heavy transports on public roads. The test was conducted on parts of road E16. It involved a current collector on the roof of the truck cab feeding the current down to a hybrid electric motor in the truck.

Gudni Johannesson wins Iceland’s presidential election

Gudni Johannesson on 26 June 2016 won Iceland’s presidential election. The history professor who ran as an independent in the election was able to secure 39.1% of the vote. He will succeed Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who served 20 years as head of state. The elections were held in the backdrop of the Panama Papers leak in April, which implicated several top officials of the country. Johannesson, a

World Bank approves $63 million for Tejaswini Project in Jharkhand

The World Bank Board on 21 June 2016 approved the 63 million US dollar project, Tejaswini: Socioeconomic Empowerment of Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Jharkhand. Tejaswini is the first World Bank project in India that is solely focused on the welfare of adolescent girls and young women.  The project will support adolescent girls and young women between the ages of 14 and 24 to

Ethiopia, Bolivia, Sweden, Kazakhstan elected non-permanent UNSC members

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 28 June 2016 elected Ethiopia, Bolivia, Sweden and Kazakhstan as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The two-year terms at UNSC of the new members will begin from 1 January 2016 and run through 31 December 2018. The 193-member UN body conducted the elections for five non-permanent seats. A third round

World Bank approves $201.50 million for Technical Education Quality Improvement Project in India

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on 24 June 2016 approved 201.50 million US dollars for Technical Education Quality Improvement Project III (TEQIP III) in India to improve the quality of engineering education in select Indian states. The objective of the project is to enhance quality and equity in participating engineering education institutes and improve the efficiency of the engineering

Union Cabinet approved MoU between UPSC and Royal Civil Service Commission of Bhutan

The Union Cabinet on 29 June 2016 approved the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC), Bhutan. The MoU will strengthen the existing relationship between RCSC and UPSC. It will facilitate sharing of experience and expertise of both the parties in the area of recruitment. The draft MoU

Sanjeev Rajput wins silver in ISSF World Cup

India's Ace shooter Sanjeev Rajput on 28 June 2016 clinched the silver medal for India in men's 50-metre rifle 3 position event of the ISSF World Cup in Baku, Ajerbaijan. To claim the silver medal, Rajput shot 456.9 points. This was his third World Cup medal and first in five years (he won gold at 2011 Changwon World Cup). This was also India's second medal of the competition and of the same

Union Cabinet considers Model Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2016

The Union Cabinet on 29 June 2016 considered the Model Shops and Establishment (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Bill, 2016. The Bill will now be sent to States/Union Territories (UTs) to enable them to modify their individual Acts, if they so desire. The States/UTs were given choice to adopt the Bill as it is or after modifying its provisions as per their requirements.

Union Cabinet clears National Mineral Exploration Policy

The Union Cabinet on 29 June 2016 approved the National Mineral Exploration Policy (NMEP). With this, the government can now auction 100 prospective mineral blocks that have been identified by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) for exploration. Through NMEP, the government aims to attract private sector in exploration of minerals, besides involving State-run GSI, MECL and other notified

CSIR-CIMFR inked MoU for coal quality analysis with coal supplying companies

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR) on 28 June 2016 inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coal Supplying companies and Power Utilities for quality analysis of coal being supplied to power utilities by coal companies. The CSIR-CIMFR would make use of its knowledge base support in maintaining the quality

Suzuki Motors appoints Toshihiro Suzuki as CEO

Suzuki Motor Corp on 29 June 2016 announced the appointment of Toshihiro Suzuki as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The appointment came after Osamu Suzuki announced that he will decline the CEO position to take responsibility for the automaker's use of incorrect testing methods when calculating vehicle mileage.

Nestle named Ukf Mark Schneider as CEO

Food and Beverage multinational Nestle SA on 27 June 2016 named Ulf Mark Schneider as its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). He is the CEO of Fresenius, a Germany-based healthcare company. He will join Nestle on 1 September 2016 and start as CEO on 1 January 2017. He will succeed incumbent CEO Paul Bulcke, who will resign from the position on 31 December 2016. Bulcke has been named by

Govt plays down Subramanian committee report on education

A week after the TSR Subramanian committee's draft report on the New Education Policy (NEP) was leaked, the human resource development ministry is in two minds whether to adopt or reject its recommendations. A section in the ministry is inclined to completely scrap the report and set up a fresh committee. However, as an alternative, the ministry might summarise the report and circulate it to

Cabinet approves four laning of Aurangabad-Telwadi Section of NH-211 in Maharashtra

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the development of four laning of Aurangabad-Telwadi Section of NH-211 in Maharashtra. The cost is estimated to be Rs.2028.91 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road to be developed is

Cabinet approves Seventh Pay Commission recommendations

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved  the Seventh Pay Commission Report's recommendations for central government employees, in a meeting held here. The news has brought cheers on lakhs of employees and pensioners of Central government. The Cabinet has given nod to hike of 23.6 percent increase in overall pay - basic pay plus allowances - as recommended by panel for the government

Committee on allowances to give report in four months: Lavasa

Will review fiscal situation if oil prices increase, says Finance Secretary. Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa, who is heading the committee to review the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations on allowances, said the panel will finalise its report in four months. He also expressed confidence that the Centre’s fiscal deficit target will not be impacted by the implementation of higher salaries and pensions.

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Eminent journalist D Padukone launches book on R D Burman

Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and senior music-biz journalist Chaitanya D Padukone today on the birth anniversary of music maestro R D Burman launched a book on the interesting anecdotes never known before about the legend. ‘R D BurMania’–PanchaMemoirs’, is a book nothing less than a goldmine for the legion of ardent Pancham Da across the globe as it contains loads of information and never known

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Eminent journalist D Padukone launches book on R D Burman

Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and senior music-biz journalist Chaitanya D Padukone today on the birth anniversary of music maestro R D Burman launched a book on the interesting anecdotes never known before about the legend. ‘R D BurMania’–PanchaMemoirs’, is a book nothing less than a goldmine for the legion of ardent Pancham Da across the globe as it contains loads of information and never known

Court refuses to ban book on Modi

Ahmedabad: A local court on Monday refused to ban "Fekuji Have Dilli Ma", a book in which the author, Jayesh Shah, makes the case that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not kept the promises he made during the campaign for the 2014 general election. The court said that the book contains the writer's personal opinions and it would be a violation of his right to freedom of speech if the sale of the

Indian writer gets Gourmand award for world's best book on coffee

City-based freelance journalist and author P T Bopanna's book 'The Romance of Indian Coffee' has been chosen as the world's best book on coffee at The Gourmand World Awards function at Yantai in China. The book, earlier shortlisted for the finals of the 'Best in the World' books under the 'coffee books' category, was picked from the entries of 64 countries, according to Bopanna. 'The Romance of

Award-winning author Austin Clarke dies

Austin Clarke, the award-winning Barbadian-born author who wrote about the immigrant experience and being black in Canada, died on Sunday at the age of 81. Clarke won the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for his 2002 novel “The Polished Hoe.” The novel tells the story of Mary-Mathilda, a black woman who confesses to a brutal crime years later.

SDMC rejects appointment of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s choice in CVO post

Another tug-of-war between AAP dispensation and BJP-controlled MCDs (Municipal Cooperation of Delhi) is on the cards with the South Delhi Municial Cooperation (SDMC) rejecting Delhi Government’s order to appoint B R Meena as Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of the civic body. The AAP government had earlier refused to accept the order of Union Home Ministry appointing Mangesh

Member of JK Constituent Assembly Jeelani passes away

SRINAGAR: Peerzada Ghulam Jeelani, veteran political stalwart and member of Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly, has died at the age of 91 after a brief illness. "Jeelani sahib was not feeling well for some time and died in peace at his Pampore residence last evening," a family member said. Born on September 24, 1924 at Pampore, Jeelani was the member of the Constituent Assembly and was then

Spaghetti Western star Bud Spencer passes away at 86

Italian actor, filmmaker and star of Spaghetti-westerns, Bud Spencer died on Monday, at the age of 86. He died 'peacefully' and did not 'suffer any pain' his son, film producer Giuseppe Pedersoli was quoted as saying. "My father died peacefully at 18:15 and did not suffer from pain, he had all of us next to him and his last words were 'Thank you'," he said. Born with the name Carlo Pedersoli in Naples, Italy, the

PM releases book titled “The Birds of Banni Grassland”

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi released a book titled “The Birds of Banni Grassland” in New Delhi, today. The book was presented to the Prime Minister by the Scientists of Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology (GUIDE).  The Book is a compilation of the research work, relating to more than 250 species of birds found in the Banni area of Kutch, Gujarat. The Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology,

NATO APPOINTS FIRST WOMAN DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL

Brussels: NATO has appointed the highest-ranking woman in its history, naming US Under Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller as its next deputy secretary-general. The alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said that Gottemoeller will bring to NATO a wealth of experience in international security policy, and in areas such as arms control and relations with Russia. The deputy

Chairman of NSCN (IM) Isak Chisi Swu dies

GUWAHATI: Eighty-five-year-old co-founder and chairman of NSCN (IM), Isak Chisi Swu died in a hospital in New Delhi today after a prolonged illness. Born in 1929 at Chishilimi Naga village in the Zunheboto district of Nagaland, Swu was a member of the influential Sema tribe of the state. After graduation in political science from St. Anthony's College, Shillong, Swu joined the Naga National

India's wheat stock position comfortable - government statement

The wheat stock position in India is comfortable as the government had 32.64 million tonnes in the central pool at the beginning of June, a government statement said on Tuesday. The country's wheat stocks are sufficient to meet the requirements under various welfare programmes and to carry out open

RBI publishes Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision-2018

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on 23 June 2016 released the “Payment and Settlement Systems in India: Vision-2018”. The vision reiterates the aims of building a “less-cash” society by encouraging greater use of electronic payments by all sections. The objective is to ensure that a robust payments infrastructure is established in the country to increase accessibility, availability, interoperability and

NS Vishwanathan Appointed New RBI Deputy Governor

The Cabinet panel has selected NS Vishwanathan as the Reserve Bank of India deputy governor, replacing incumbent HR Khan whose tenure will end July 3. Vishwanathan is currently an executive director at the RBI, overseeing the banking regulation and non-banking department. The RBI currently

Delhi govt plans hiring 29 clubs for sports training at schools

To promote sports among students, the Delhi government has decided to provide them training at its schools in several sports and games starting next month. The decision was taken at a recently-held meeting of Delhi Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the Secretariat here. An government official said the Education department has prepared a list of 29 sports clubs and academy

Yale researchers’ technology turns wasted heat into power

It is estimated that recoverable waste heat in the U.S. alone could power tens of millions of homes. Although existing technologies can reuse high-temperature heat or convert it to electricity, it is difficult to efficiently extract energy from low-temperature heat waste due to the small temperature difference between the plant’s heat discharge and the surrounding environment. Additionally, conventional

IRCTC signs pact with Defence Food Research Lab in field of food technology

NEW DELHI: Aiming to provide safe and hygienic food to passengers, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) signed an agreement with the government-owned Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) for transfer of technology in the field of food and beverage processing and packaging that would help in upgrade its catering business. Under the agreement, DFRL, working

Sri Lanka to expedite economic, technology deal with India

Sri Lanka Prime Minister's Office hads said the government will expedite the signing of an Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement with India, officials reported on Tuesday. The decision was made in response to Britain's voting to exit the European Union (EU) last week, Xinhua news agency reported. Businesses had suggested that speeding up the deal will benefit stability and continuity of the

GLOBAL DEFENSE SPENDING REMAIN MODERATE SINCE 2008: DELOITTE REPORT

Global commitments to defense have moderated, as economic development reduces dependence on defense spending, according to Deloitte’s global Public Sector Defense practices’ report entitled 2016 Global Defense Outlook. According to the report, Pakistan, India, Iraq and Russia maintain the world’s highest commitments to defense, as measured by Deloitte’s Defense Posture Index - a numerical

India maintains No. 3 position in ICC ODI Team ranking

India maintained its number three position in the recently released ICC ODI Team Rankings which is being headed by world champions Australia. With 110 rating points in its kitty, India is placed below Australia (123) and second-placed New Zealand (113). Australia has retained its number-one ranking following its 58-run victory over the West Indies in the final of the tri-series in Barbados on Monday,

Steps announced for exports to yield fruits: Commerce Secy

Commerce Ministry is hopeful that the narrowing pace of decline in exports will sustain in the coming months on account of the steps taken by the government to boost overseas shipments, a top government official said. "I am hopeful that it (the narrowing pace of dip in exports) will sustain in the coming months. we have made lot of efforts," Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia said. She said the

World Bank President on a two-day visit to India

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim will arrive today on a two-day visit to India to explore knowledge and financing opportunities. He will seek government's help in dealing with endemic problems like malnutrition and reiterate the Bank's strong support to India's stated commitments to increase its reliance on renewable energy sources.Kim will also meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and

EU referendum petition signed by 3 million

A petition on the British Parliament website calling for a rerun of the European Union referendum has gathered 3 million signatures since being launched at the end of last week. Many of those signing the petition demanding a referendum rerun came from major cities. On Thursday 51.9 percent of votes

Newly expanded Panama Canal opens for bigger business

Panama opened the long-delayed $5.4 billion expansion of its shipping canal amid cheering crowds on Sunday, despite looming economic uncertainty in the shipping industry and a heated battle over billions in cost overruns. At 7.50 a.m. (1250 GMT), the Chinese container ship “Cosco Shipping Panama” entered the Agua Clara lock on the Atlantic to begin the first crossing of the roughly 50-mile-long

UK loses its top AAA credit rating

The UK has lost its top AAA credit rating from ratings agency S&P following the country's Brexit vote last week. S&P said the referendum result to leave the European Union could lead to "a deterioration of the UK's economic performance, including its large financial services sector". Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron has said that the result of the European Union referendum must be respected.

Tata Advanced Systems tying up with Bell Helicopter to compete for $2-billion naval chopper contract

NEW DELHI: Looking to consolidate its position as a leader in the Indian defence aviation industry, Tata Advanced Systems is tying up with Bell Helicopter of the US to compete against the Mahindra-Airbus combination for a $2-billion naval chopper manufacturing contract. The mega contract for 100 utility helicopters to be operated from warships will be awarded as a 'Make in India' project. Tata will

Research indicates Fukushima radioactive fallout may be worse than expected

Thousands of bags of radiation, contaminated soil and debris wait to be processed, inside the exclusion zone close to the devastated Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Analysis showed the fallout was encapsulated in glass microparticles formed during the accident. Most of the radioactive fallout, which landed on downtown Tokyo a few days after the Fukushima accident, was concentrated and deposited

'Delhi-NCR is most funded city for startups in 2016'

BENGALURU: Delhi-NCR has emerged as the most funded city in 2016, according to a report by startup analyses firm Tracxn. In the first six months of 2016, Indian startups raised $1.8 billion, out of which Delhi-NCR received $917 million. This was helped by $250 million and $200 million funding raised in February by Gurgaon-based Ibibo Group and Delhi-based Snapdeal respectively. Bengaluru

Jamia's journalism school rated best in India

NEW DELHI: The journalism school of Jamia Milia Islamia has been rated as the best in India by a weekly after a countrywide survey. "Jamia Millia Islamia's Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC) has retained its first position for the second consecutive year in an all-India ranking survey of top professional educational institutions having government accreditation or affiliation, conducted by

PMO advises HRD ministry to give full autonomy to 20 'world-class' educational institutions

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Office has advised the human resource development ministry that 20 educational institutions the government hopes will attain global excellence standards should be given full autonomy. Of these, the 10 state-supported institutions are expected to receive public funding of up to Rs 500 crore each. An Expenditure Finance Committee note seeking Rs 5,000 crore for these

International referee Angela Naik to officiate at Korea Taekwondo Open

PANAJI: Goa-based international referee Angela Naik has been invited to officiate in the upcoming Korea Taekwondo Open and Jeonju International Taekwondo Open, an official release said. Naik, who was awarded the best international referee at Qatar Taekwondo Open Championship, 2016, has several distinctions to her credit. Korea Taekwondo Open would be held at Gyeongju from June 30-July 5.

USFDA nods to Indian drugs up 84% in 1 year

MUMBAI: Drug approvals given by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to Indian companies nearly doubled year-on-year, with littleknown firms including MSN Lab, Shasun Pharma, Granules India, Ajanta Pharma and Gland Pharma making a foray into the world's biggest and most lucrative market. Interestingly , the growth came during the period when biggies like Sun Pharma and

Sachin Tendulkar, lone Indian in McCullum's all-time XI

LONDON: Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar is the lone Indian to find a place in former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum's list of all-time cricketing XI with West Indian legend Vivian Richards as the captain. McCullum's team comprises four Australians in Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Mitchell Johnson, three West Indians in Vivian Richards, Brian Lara and Chris Gayle, two

Air pollution to kill millions more without energy policy change: IEA

LONDON: Premature deaths from air pollution will continue to rise to 2040 unless changes are made to the way the world uses and produces energy, the International Energy Agency said on Monday. Around 6.5 million deaths globally are attributed each year to poor air quality inside and outside, making it the world's fourth-largest threat to human health, behind high blood pressure, dietary risks and

annual "State of the World's Children" report, the UN children's agency

UNITED NATIONS: The world must focus more on helping the poorest children to build on progress achieved in health and education over the past 25 years, UNICEF said today. In its annual "State of the World's Children" report, the UN children's agency took stock of important gains such as a 53 percent drop in infant mortality since 1990 and a dramatic reduction in extreme poverty. But without a sharper

Indian buffalo meat not competitive to US beef exports: Report

WASHINGTON: India, one of the largest exporters of beef, is unlikely to pose a challenge to the export of American beef due to the poor quality of its buffalo meat and lack of animal health regulations, an official report has said. "So far, it appears that Indian water buffalo meat exports, although relatively low cost, are mostly non- competitive with US beef exports, primarily due to quality preferences and

Cotton area in Punjab, Haryana shrinks 27 per cent in 2016

Cotton area in Punjab and Haryana has declined 27 per cent to 7.56 lakh hectares in the 2016-17 crop year as farmers shifted to other crops after incurring huge losses due to whitefly pest attack last year. These two states had planted cotton in 10.3 lakh hectares in the 2015-16 crop year (July-June). "Sowing of cotton in Punjab and Haryana has been completed. Total area is down as farmers were

Russia's Sistema to acquire 17 per cent of its subsidiary in India

NEW DELHI: Russian oil-to-telecom conglomerate Sistema JSFC will acquire 17.14% in Sistema Shyam Tele-Services Ltd (SSTL) from the Russian government. "Under the agreement, payment for the shares will be made to the Russian federal budget in instalments over a period of five years as follows: 30% in 2016, 25% in 2017 and 15% in each of 2018, 2019 and 2020," the company said on

IAF plans to put LCA Tejas in combat role by 2017

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force plans to put much-delayed Tejas in combat role by next year after raising in July the first squadron of the indigenous Light Combat Aircrat which it counts "superior" to Pakistan's JF 17 fighters. State-run HAL will hand over the first two Tejas aircraft to IAF on July 1 which will make up the 'Flying Daggers' 45, the name of the first squadron of the LCA which will be

Taiwan 'to test-fire missiles in US' as China tensions rise

TAIPEI: Taiwan plans to test-fire its newest anti-missile system for the first time in the United States next month as relations with rival China deteriorate, a defence source and media reports said Monday. Relations between China and Taiwan have cooled rapidly under the island's new Beijing-sceptic president Tsai Ing-wen, who took office in May, ending an eight-year rapprochement. The test of the

Gravitational waves can tell how black holes are born

LONDON: Gravitational waves or ripples in space-time captured by space detectors could soon be used to discover when and how some of the universe's largest black holes were born, scientists say. Scientists led by researchers at the Durham University in the UK ran the huge cosmological simulations that can be used to predict the rate at which gravitational waves caused by collisions between the

Gujarat Gas surges as PNGRB grants gas distribution permission

NEW DELHI: Shares of Gujarat Gas gained 10 per cent in Tuesday's trade after oil regulator Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) granted the company permission to set up operations for gas distribution in Ahmadabad. "Gujarat Gas has been granted 300 months of infrastructure exclusivity valid up to June 21, 2041 and 60 months of marketing exclusivity valid up to 2021 for a city gas

Chinese building materials park in Andhra Pradesh at $6.4 billion

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh has announced signing one of the largest memoranda of understanding with China's Association of Small and Medium Enterprises for a building materials and logistics industrial park spread over 10,000 acres, involving $6.4 billion (approximately Rs 36,889 crores) in three phases. The memorandum of understanding was signed by a team of delegation led by AP chief

IAF plans to put LCA Tejas in combat role by 2017

NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force plans to put much-delayed Tejas in combat role by next year after raising in July the first squadron of the indigenous Light Combat Aircrat which it counts "superior" to Pakistan's JF 17 fighters. State-run HAL will hand over the first two Tejas aircraft to IAF on July 1 which will make up the 'Flying Daggers' 45, the name of the first squadron of the LCA which will be

India among Asia's least exposed to Brexit: Morgan Stanley

India's economy will be among the least impacted in Asia by the UK's vote to exit the European Union given its relatively low exposure to trade, according to Morgan Stanley. "Increased uncertainty in the external environment due to UK's vote should add to downward pressures on growth and inflation in the region," Morgan Stanley economists including Chetan Ahya in Hong Kong wrote in a report. "Hong

Maharashtra remains the richest state: RBI report

Tamil Nadu showed the highest gross fiscal deficit across all states in 2015-16, Maharashtra continued to be the richest state in the country while Punjab witnessed steady fall in the number of factories between 2010-11 and 2013-14, according to Reserve Bank of India’s first edition of the Handbook of Statistics on Indian States. Maharashtra continued to remain the richest state in the country, with a

Star India launches Women's Kabaddi Challenge

Star India, the official broadcaster of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), announced the launch of The Women’s Kabaddi Challenge on June 28, an initiative by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) in association with Mashal Sports. The Uday Shankar-led media network is a majority shareholder in Mashal Sports, the promoter of PKL. Having popularised and monetised the game on

NASA set to test-fire booster for world's most powerful rocket

US space agency NASA is set to test-fire a booster for the world's most powerful rocket Space Launch System (SLS) which will power astronauts on the journey to Mars and on other deeper space missions. The booster will be fired up at Orbital ATK Propulsion Systems' test facilities in Promontory, Utah, at 7.05 p.m. (Indian standard time) on Tuesday. The test will provide NASA with critical data to

Sonia Gandhi accepts TNCC chief Elangovan's resignation

Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday accepted the resignation of Tamil Nadu Congress .Committee (TNCC) president EVKS Elangovan. Elangovan had tendered his resignation owning moral responsibility for the poor performance of the party in the last month's assembly elections. Elangovan began steering the party after former union minister and now Tamil Maanila Congress chief GK Vasan

Titan founder Xerxes Desai passes away

Xerxes Desai, who started Titan and transformed it into India's largest watchmaker, died here on Monday. Desai, 80, was ailing from acute gastro enteritis, a Tata Group spokesperson said. JRD Tata, who liked the idea of Desai's suggestion that the Tatas should venture into watch making, picked the Tata Group veteran to set the company, which now is India's largest watch maker. Desai had

CSIR launches India’s first anti diabetic ayurvedic drug BGR -34

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has launched BGR-34, an anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug designed for type 2 Diabetes mellitus. The anti-diabetic ayurvedic drug BGR-34 has been jointly developedby National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) and Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP). About BGR-34 BGR-34 works by controlling blood sugar and

Scientists succeed in introduction of Sericulture in Poyen Village of Kargil

A group of scientists from Temperate Sericulture Research Institute of SKUAST, Srinagar, succeeded in introduction of Sericulture in Poyen Village of Kargil. Development of Sericulture activities in Kargil will serve purpose of achieving cocoon productivity. It will ultimately increase employment and generate income for rural youth and tribal farmers. During 2015-16, 31 unemployed girls/women

UP government declares all natural calamities will be treated as state disaster

Uttar Pradesh government in June 2016 declared that all natural calamities including unseasonal heavy rain, lightning, Loo and storm and others will be treated as state disaster.As per the decision all victims of these disasters will be given relief as per provisions made under State Disaster Relief Fund by the Union government. A large number of people suffer due to these natural causes every year and the new

Sujoy Bose appointed as CEO of National Investment and Infrastructure Fund

Sujoy Bose was on 27 June 2016 appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). His appointment was made by the Union Government following his selection by the Selection Committee constituted under Department Of Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das. Bose has extensive international experience in the infrastructure sector,

Odisha Government launches Kalinga Siksha Sathi Yojana

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 27 June 2016 launched a new scheme Kalinga Siksha Sathi Yojana (KSSY) with an aim to provide education loan at 1 percent interest to students for pursuing higher studies. The State government dedicated this scheme to former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik on his Birth Centenary. Patnaik had instituted Kalinga UNESCO award for the popularisation of science

NATO appoints highest-ranking woman in its history

NATO has appointed the highest-ranking woman in its history, naming US Under Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller as its next deputy secretary-general.The alliance's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said today that Gottemoeller "will bring to NATO a wealth of experience in international security policy, and in areas such as arms control and relations with Russia." The deputy secretary-

Exam-Oriented-Current-Affairs-Dated-27-06-2016-www.KICAonline.com-English

Government initiates process to constitute Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934

Government decides to bring the provisions of amended RBI Act regarding constitution of MPC into force on 27th June, 2016 so that statutory basis of MPC is made effective;  Rules governing the procedure for Selection of Members of Monetary Policy Committeeand Terms and Conditions of their Appointment and factors constituting failure to meet inflation target under the MPC Framework notified

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Government initiates process to constitute Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934

Government decides to bring the provisions of amended RBI Act regarding constitution of MPC into force on 27th June, 2016 so that statutory basis of MPC is made effective;  Rules governing the procedure for Selection of Members of Monetary Policy Committeeand Terms and Conditions of their Appointment and factors constituting failure to meet inflation target under the MPC Framework notified

Samuel L Jackson Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at BET

Actor Samuel L Jackson was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at BET 2016. The legendary actor was presented with the award by director Spike Lee, who called him "one of the greatest actors on this god's planet" and "the hardest-working man in show business," reported E! online. The 67-year-old actor thanked god, his family and close friends for their support throughout his

Tomorrow's India to help Indian businesses tap into the $10b opportunity in South Korea

Bangalore: The second edition of “Tomorrow’s India Global Summit” will be held at Seoul, South Korea from 25-29 September. The bi-annual event is being organized by Global Social (India) Foundation, a New Delhi based non-profit. It aims to showcase India’s prowess across the world and act as a catalyst for forging ties in the fields of business, knowledge and culture, and will feature panel

WBR Corp organized its signature event Indo-UAE Global Investment Summit & World Brands Summit

Dubai: WBR Corporation an an​autonomous branding organization organized Indo-UAE Global Investment Summit and World Brands Summit ~ Most Trusted Brands & Leaders of Asia at Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dubai in association with PHD Chamber of Commerce & Industry to felicitate some of Most Trusted Brands and Leaders in Asia for their exemplary achievements in their respective domains.

Book traces CM’s journey from IIT to AAP

In a first-of-its-kind book that traces the journey of Arvind Kejriwal from being an IITian to the chief of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), authored by Pran Kurup, was launched in the city on Sunday. After the release of the book, Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party: An Inside Look, Mr Kurup, who is a close friend and batch mate of Kejriwal at IIT, said, “Basically, it looks at a journey that starts from our

International book prize for Indian author

Bengaluru, Jun 26: Indian columnist and author Dinesh C Sharma has been named winner of the Computer History Museum Book Prize for his book, The Outsourcer: The Story of India's IT Revolution. The prize was given by the Special Interest Group for Computers, Information and Society (SIGCIS) for the History of Technology. It was presented to Sharma at the annual meeting of the

Award-winning Barbadian-born author Austin Clarke dies at 81

Austin Clarke, the award-winning Barbadian-born author who wrote about the immigrant experience and being black in Canada, has died at age 81.  His publicist Denise Bukowski said Clarke died in a hospital yesterday morning, and a funeral service has been scheduled for July 9. Clarke won the prestigious Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize for his 2002 novel "The

UFC veteran Ryan Jimmo passes away in a hit-and-run incident

Canadian Light Heavyweight and UFC vetaran Ryan Jimmo, 34, passed away this weekend when he was run over by a vehicle. It is also reported on Wrestlinginc.com that an altercation had ensued between Jimmo and the driver of the vehicle prior to the incident.The news report published by CBS News read the following:“An altercation occurred between the drivers of two vehicles at around 2:15

For nature, gravel-bed rivers most important feature in mountainous western North America

Gravel-bed river floodplains are some of the most ecologically important habitats in North America, according to a new study by scientists from the U.S. and Canada. Their research shows how broad valleys coming out of glaciated mountains provide highly productive and important habitat for a large diversity of aquatic, avian and terrestrial species. This is the first interdisciplinary research at the

China inaugurates environmental prize

EIJING - A total of 19 groups and 33 individuals became the first winners of China's environmental prize, the ecological civilization award, on World Environment Day on Sunday. The winners were from provinces and regions including Sichuan, Xinjiang,Zhejiang and Tibet. The award event will be run by the Ministry of Environmental Protection every three years. Also on Sunday, a symposium was held in

Management course for global environment leaders

The Environment Protection Training and Research Institute (EPTRI), Hyderabad, is launching a first-of-its kind comprehensive post graduate diploma in management - environmental management (PGDM-EM) approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The programme is designed to mould successful business leaders who abide by the three pillars of sustainable business: people,

606 fish species of Gujarat to be mapped

JUNAGADH: Marine biotechnology scientists in Gujarat have discovered 10 new species of fishes including one that has been recorded for the first time in the world. The new species were discovered in the first-ever discovered in the first-ever major exercise to map and DNA barcode all the fish species that are found along the state's 1,600 km coastline. Scientists say the mapping will help create a

Forest cover increase by 5 square km in Goa

PANAJI: The state government on Saturday said that forest cover in the state has increased by 5 square km as per the 2015 forest survey of India report. Environment and forest minister Rajendra Arlekar said that there is no need to put restriction to control increasing in forest cover. Speaking to mediapersons principal chief conservator of forests Ajai Saxena that every two years the government

Government Plans New Category Visa To Boost Trade: Report

New Delhi: The government may soon roll out a long-term multiple-entry comprehensive visa by merging tourist, business, medical and conference visas into one to attract more visitors and boost trade. Tourists, businessmen or people coming for treatment or to attend conferences or even for film shoots can be covered under the proposed new category, which was first mooted by the Commerce

Women missing from India’s workforce, says economic survey

New Delhi: In both rural and urban India, women are not present in significant numbers in the labour force, according to the Economic Survey 2015-16. Even though the proportion of the economically active population (15-59 years) increased from 57.7% to 63.3% between 1991 and 2013 (Sample Registration System data, 2013), “the labour force participation rate for women is significantly lower

Narang finishes 7th at ISSF World Cup

Baku (Azerbaijan), Jun 26: Olympic Bronze medalist Gagan Narang finished seventh in the men’s 50m Rifle prone event at International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup here today. It was shooters fifth final in the event in the last two years and has bagged Bronze which he won in Fort Benning last year. He also reached the finals of Granada World Championships in 2014.On Thursday,

Henrik Stenson won the BMW International Open at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof

The Swede had to play 36 holes on Sunday after rain delays prevented him from taking to the course on Saturday and he signed for a third-round 67 in the morning to open up a one-shot lead. Having only dropped a single shot in the first three rounds at Golf Club Gut Laerchenhof, Stenson went on to make four bogeys in his final 18 holes. While round four was uncharacteristically messy for Stenson, his 71

Newly expanded Panama Canal opens for bigger business

The Panama Canal, which since 1914 has been a keystone of both global trade and Panama's economy, will open its long-anticipated expansion today. Panama's President will unveil the new locks and third shipping lane built into the 102-year-old canal. For Panama, the unveiling of the broader canal is a moment of pride and of opportunity. Now, ships as long as the Eiffel Tower is tall, and as broad as Olympic-sized swimming pools, will be able to use the canal.Foreign

India Clears Ultra- Light Howitzers purchase from US

The Defence Ministry on Saturday gave its nod for the purchase of 145 Ultra Light Howitzers guns, worth about 750 million dollars from the United States. The Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar approved this in New Delhi. While 25 guns will come to India in a fly away condition, the rest will be assembled at the proposed Assembly Integration and Test facility

Political deadlock in Spain

In Spain, the conservative People's Party of acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has won most seats in the parliamentary election. The party is however short of a majority. Spain's other main party, the Socialist PSOE is in second place. The left-wing Unidos Podemos coalition predicted to take over the socialist party came third and centre-right Ciudadanos was the fourth. The vote has failed to break the

N Srinivasan re-elected as TNCA president for 15th term

Former BCCI President and former International Cricket Council Chairman N Srinivasan was today elected president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for the 15th consecutive term. “N Srinivasan and KS Viswanathan has been elected president and secretary of the TNCA for the 15th and 10th time, respectively,” the association announced. A TNCA functionary said there was no election

Gopichand, Anju Bobby George join Khelo India committee

New Delhi: India's lone athletics World Championship medal winner Anju Bobby George and chief national badminton coach Pullela Gopichand have been drafted as members of Khelo India, a national programme for the development of sports in the country, an initiative by the Government. Khelo India is a seven-member committee, in which Anju and Gopichand are the two sportspersons.The committee

Former India batsman Lalchand Rajput named Afghanistan coach

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has named former India batsman Lalchand Rajput as the new head coach of their national team. He takes over the position vacated by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq in April 2016 and his first assignment is a tour of Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands in July and August. According to ACB chief executive Shaiqullah Stanikzai, Rajput was chosen ahead of

Russian physicists create a high-precision 'quantum ruler'

Russian physicists create a high-precision 'quantum ruler': Physicists have devised a method for creating a special quantum entangled state."This technique will enable us to use quantum effects to increase the accuracy of measuring the distance between observers that are separated from one another by a medium with losses. In this type of medium, quantum features of light are easily destroyed," says

Superheroes are real: Ultrasensitive nonlinear metamaterials for data transfer

An international team of scientists led by MSU researchers for the first time managed to demonstrate the effect of all-optical switching between streams of photons, born during the third harmonic generation process. According to Maxim Scherbakov, the researcher of the Laboratory of Nanophotonic metamaterials, Moscow State University, the work will make it possible to use the

​India joins Missile Technology Control Regime. Top 5 things to know

The Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) has officially declared India’s membership, stating that as a new member India will be entitled to “full participation” in organisational activities including the October 2016 plenary of the regime which will take place in South Korea. “As all formal procedures for membership have now been finalised, the Chairman of the joint Netherlands-Luxembourg

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will soon get a brand new Air India One aircraft for official purposes

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will soon get a brand new Air India One aircraft for official purposes. According to exclusive details available with Aaj Tak, the aircraft will be similar to US President Barack Obama's Air Force One. The VIP Boeing 747 jumbo jet which had been serving VVIP's for two decades, will be replaced by a plush and highly-secure Boeing 777-300s which shall be

Australia beat West Indies to claim tri-nation series

A match-winning three-wicket bowling stint by Mitchell Marsh lifted Australia to a convincing victory by 58 runs against West Indies in the final of the triangular one-day international (ODI) series in Barbados on Sunday. Australia, who batted first after winning the toss, seemed destined to post a middling target until wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, batting at number seven, rattled off an unbeaten 57

Lionel Messi announces international retirement after Copa America loss

Lionel's Messi's apparent last act in international soccer was to blast his penalty over the bar as Chile won the Copa America for the second successive year following a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Argentina on Sunday. (Chile win second straight Copa America title after Messi's penalty miss) It was the second successive year Chile had beaten Argentina on penalties in the final. Last year's Copa

Lending agency AIIB approves first batch of loans

Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank or AIIB has approved 165 million U.S. dollars in loans for a Bangladesh project – the first batch of loan for the country from the China-led development bank. The banks Board of Directors approved its first 4 loans totaling 509 million U.S.dollars to finance 4 projects including that one of Bangladesh. Three of the 4 projects are co-financing operations with multilateral

Volkswagen to pay $10 bn in US emissions scam

Volkswagen has agreed to pay USD 10 billion to settle a huge US civil case over its diesel emissions-cheating scandal. As part of the settlement, Volkswagen would compensate owners of around 480,000 2.0-liter diesel cars up to USD 7,000 in cash each, and would also fund a programme to fight air pollution. Volkswagen admitted in September that it had installed software on diesel cars that tricked

India jumps to number 5 in world hockey rankings

India’s men hockey team jumped to fifth position ahead of the likes of Belgium, Argentina and New Zealand when the Indian hockey team lodged a protest during the penalty shootout before finally settling for historic silver after the jury announced that the 1-3 result against Australia. India now has 1689 points at the conclusion of the Champions Trophy, 56 points ahead of sixth-placed Belgium

US to lift ban on transgenders in military

The Pentagon plans to announce the repeal of its ban on openly serving transgender service members next month. The repeal would come five years after a 2011 decision to end the US military’s ban on gays and lesbians serving openly, despite fears – which proved unfounded – that such a move would be too great a burden in wartime and would undermine readiness. The decision comes with broader

Social entrepreneur Zubaida Bai bags UN honour for corporate sustainability initiative

Zubaida Bai, an Indian social entrepreneur, has been named among the ten ‘2016 Global Compact SDG Pioneers’, an initiative launched by UN. The list of ten SDG Pioneers was announced by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the 2016 UN Global Compact (UNGC) Leaders Summit in New York, United States. Zubaida is the founder of ‘ayzh’, a for-profit social venture providing health and

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking observed with theme Listen First

26 June: International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking was observed on 26 June 2016. The day was observed with theme Listen First. 2016 theme Listen First is an initiative to increase support for prevention of drug use that is based on science and is thus an effective investment in the well-being of

Chile beat Argentina to win 2016 Copa America Football tournament

This was second Copa America title for Chile in two years. In the 2015 Final, Chile defeated Argentina 4-1 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 scoreless draw at the end of regulation. This was second America title for Chile, it won the first title in 2015 after defeating Argentina 4-1 in a penalty shootout following a 0-0 scoreless draw at the end of regulation. With this, Chile also became the first team to

Kenyans celebrate Sawe's pioneering high jump gold medal

Top figures in Kenyan athletics celebrated Mathew Sawe's history-making men's high jump gold at the 17th CAA Senior Championships in Durban, South Africa, that concluded on Sunday. National record holder Sawe leapt to 2.21m on day three of the continental tournament to become the first ever winner at the field event for Kenya at any international meeting to spark an outpouring of congratulatory

Google honours R.D. Burman on 77th birth anniversary

'Bringing in influences from all over the world, from disco, to funk, R.D. Burman revolutionised Bollywood' Search engine Google on Monday celebrated legendary music composer R.D. Burman's 77th birth anniversary with a doodle on its India homepage. "Bringing in influences from all over the world, from disco, to funk, to cabaret, R.D. Burman revolutionised Bollywood," it said. Popularly

Theatre doyen Kavalam Narayana Panicker passes away

Thiruvananthapuram, June 26 () Theatre doyen Kavalam Narayana Panicker, who successfully blended the classical tradition and folk elements in the format of contemporary theatre, passed away at his home here. He was 88. He is survived by his wife Saradamani and singer-son Kavalam Sreekumar. He had been unwell for some time due to age related ailments, family sources said. A multi-faceted

Pooja Dabhi Wins Round One of Honda All Ladies Race

Pooja Dabhi clocked an overall timing of 8:03:969 minutes over 5 laps.  Shruthi N had the fastest lap time of 1:23:691 minutes. The Honda exclusive Ladies Race will extend for the complete season. Kick starting Honda's One Make Race series, Pooja Dabhi of Pune romped took home the victory at the inaugural round of the Honda All Ladies Race, held at Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore. The Pune

Mahashangarh declared as the SAARC cultural capital for 2016-17

Mahasthangarh, the 3rd century BC archaeological site in Bogra, Bangladesh, has been declared as the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) cultural capital for the year 2016-17. As a SARRC cultural capital, the historic place will host festivals on literature, films, foods and dances from October 2016 to September 2017. Besides, the year 2016-17 has also be declared the SAARC Year of

ADB extends $500-million loan for river bridge in Bihar

Asian Development Bank has approved $500 million (approximately Rs 3350 crore) loan for constructing a bridge across Ganga. Once built, the 9.8 km road bridge in Bihar will be country’s longest river bridge. The bridge would provide vital transport links between the northern and southern parts of the state and with neighbouring country Nepal. The project will run for about 4 years and is

Colombia government, FARC rebels sign historic ceasefire

The Colombian government and FARC rebels signed a ceasefire and disarmament agreement, one of the last steps toward ending a half-century conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. The deal puts a definitive end to fighting in Latin America’s longest civil war, which has torn the country apart with shootings and bombardments in its coca-rich jungles and hills. President Juan

complete list of award winner at IIFA Awards ’16

Bollywood stars Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh bagged the Best Actor (Female) and Best Actor (Male) trophy at the 17th IIFA extravaganza for their performance in Piku and Bajirao Mastani respectively. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s historical romance Bajirao Mastanidominated the winners list at the 17th IIFA awards. Bajirao Mastani, which revolved around Peshwa Bajirao falling in love with Mastani,

Government to announce cheap power for Vidarbha industries on June 29

Nagpur: Energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule will finally announce lower industrial power tariff for industries in Vidarbha, Marathwada, Northern Maharashtra and backward talukas of Western Maharashtra on Wednesday. "The five-member cabinet sub-committee has sorted out all the issues. The subsidy for Northern Maharashtra and backward talukas of Western Maharashtra will be funded

India joins MTCR: 7 things the country stands to gain

ndia has officially joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as a full member, three days after its failed NSG bid due to stiff opposition from China and other countries like South Africa, Norway, Brazil, Austria, New Zealand, Ireland and Turkey. As India becomes the 35th member of the MTCR, here are seven things that you should know: Benefit to ISRO: During the cold war years,

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Modi to inaugurate Smart City Project in Pune today

Pune, June 25 : : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 'Smart City' projects, one of the flagship programmes of the NDA Government, at a special function at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Saturday, reports said. The Smart City project is part of the Governments integrated urban planning and development in the country, The Prime Minister will launch 14 projects for Pune, along

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Modi to inaugurate Smart City Project in Pune today

Pune, June 25 : : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch 'Smart City' projects, one of the flagship programmes of the NDA Government, at a special function at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Saturday, reports said. The Smart City project is part of the Governments integrated urban planning and development in the country, The Prime Minister will launch 14 projects for Pune, along

National Pension System (NPS) to observe Service Fortnight from June 27 to July 9, 2016

With a view to create awareness about the National Pension System (NPS) and improve subscriber interface, it has been decided to observe NPS Service Fortnight from June 27 to July 9 ,2016 by all the entities/ functionaries in the NPS value chain such as Points of Presence (POPs), the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) etc. across the country. This fortnight-long campaign is aimed at

Six States/UTs signed 24×7 “Power For All” documents during two days states Power Ministers' Conference in Goa

Three States Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh and three Union Territories Delhi, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli have signed the 24x7 “Power For All” (PFA) documents. These PFA documents were signed in presence of Shri PiyushGoyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy during two day States Power Minister’s Conference held on 16-17th

MoU singed between RD Ministry & ISRO for geo-tagging assets

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed here between the Rural Development Ministry and ISRO, Department of Space for geo-tagging the assets created under MGNREGA in each gram panchayat. The move comes after the Prime Minister during a review meeting recently had underlined for online recording and monitoring of assets to check leakages and for effective mapping of terrain for future

Andhra Pradesh joins “UDAY” scheme ; would derive an overall net benefit of Rs 4400 crore through “UDAY”

The Government of India, the State of Andhra Pradesh and the DISCOMs of Andhra Pradesh (APSPDCL and APEPDCL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under the Scheme UDAY – “Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana” in Vijyawada (AP) today for financial turnaround of the DISCOMs. The MoU for operational & Financial turnaround of Discoms was signed by Dr A.K.

President of India to Present National Awards for Outstanding Services in the Field of Prevention of Alcoholism And Substance (Drugs) Abuse

President of India to Present National Awards for Outstanding Services in the Field of Prevention of Alcoholism And Substance (Drugs) Abuse . The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will present the National Awards for Outstanding Services in the field of Prevention of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse tomorrow (June 26, 2016) on the occasion of International Day against Drug Abuse

Government disowns its controversial draft National Forest Policy

The environment ministry distanced itself from the recently released draft National Forest Policy and claimed it was neither meant to be put in public domain. It disowned the draft stating that it was merely a 'study report' from a government institute. A press release from the environment ministry on June 25 said, “The Ministry has not issued any draft Notification on National Forest Policy. What has been

Facebook Hires Top Ex-Google Executive for Internet Projects

Social media giant Facebook has hired a co-founder of Google's Fibre high-speed Internet project to beef up its Internet connectivity team. According to tech news site Re/Code, the social network has hired Kevin Lo as its Director of Infrastructure Connectivity and Investments to help lead Facebook's partnerships such as Terragraph - a project to bring Wi-Fi to dense urban areas and Facebook's