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CURRENT AFFAIRS

TNPSC

(AUGUST - 2015)

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My Dear Aspirants,

Greetings to all of you! “What we think we become” Gautama Buddha we all have dreams To

make dreams come into reality it takes a lot of determination, dedication, self discipline and

continuous effort.

We at VETRII IAS Study Circle are committed to provide the right guidance, quality coaching

and help every aspirants to achieve his or her life’s cherished goal of becoming a civil servant.

The class room coaching at VETRII IAS Study Circle is meticulously planned to equip the

aspirants with all the relevant facts and fundamentals of the subjects. Further the VETRII IAS

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Wishing You All The Very Best !!

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Vetrii IAS Study Circle.

TNPSC VETRII IAS

CURRENT AFFAIRS

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INDEX

SL. NO

TITLE

PAGE NO

1. TAMIL NADU 1

2. INDIA 9

3. INTERNATIONAL 25

4. ECONOMY 29

5. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 30

6. SPORTS 31

CURRENT AFFAIRS TAMIL NADU

www.vetriias.com Page 1

1. Desalination plants in Ramnad, Tuticorin

The State government has sanctioned 60 MLD capacity seawater reverse osmosis

desalination plants, one each at Kuthiraimozhi in Ramanathapuram and Alanthalai in

Tuticorin to benefit over 1,100 rural habitations where safe drinking water has been a

perennial problem.

2. TN announces award in Kalam’s name

Amidst demands to honour the former President APJ Abdul Kalam, The Tamil

Nadu government said that his birthday, October 15, would be observed as ‘Youth

Awakening Day’ every year.

Kalam award for ISRO scientist

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, presented the first APJ Abdul Kalam award to Indian

Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientist N. Valarmathi, who led the team that

successfully launched Radar Imaging Satellite RISAT-1 in 2012. The Kalpana Chawla

award for courage and daring enterprise was awarded to Jothimani from Erode, a lorry

driver.

Science centre named after Kalam

Responding to demands voiced by various sections, the Puducherry government

announced that the newly inaugurated science centre-cum-planetarium would be named

after former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

3. Special camps for scheme

The Department of Posts has provided an age relaxation of one year to be eligible

for Sukanya Samriddhi/Selvamagal Semipu deposit scheme. While the age limit is

up to 10 years, it was extended to 11 years. This offer will expire by December 2, 2015.

4. TN has fourth highest number of rehab centres

Even as protests seeking total prohibition in Tamil Nadu, data show that Tamil

Nadu had the fourth highest number of Integrated Rehabilitation Centres for Addicts

(IRCA) in the country receiving Central government assistance.

The scheme, launched exclusively for girls below 10 years of age, allows parents or

guardians to deposit up to Rs.1.5 lakh a year in this scheme, which provides an

interest rate of 9.1 per cent.



These centres received Rs.2.03 crore in Central government funds for supported

projects. The number of centrally supported projects at these IRCAs has risen from 14 in

2012-13 to 24 in 2014-15.

5. Rare Chera, Chola coins found in Thanjavur

Ten coins including a Sangam age Chera coin datable to circa second century BCE,

eight Chola period coins and a Vijayanagara period coin have been found in a trench

excavated by Tamil University, Thanjavur, at Senthalaipattanam.

Of the eight Chola coins one belongs to the emperor Raja Raja Chola and another

to his son, Rajendra Chola. Three trenches – two at Senthalaipattanam and one at the

nearby Mandripattanam – have yielded gold core, glass beads, micro beads, potsherds and

a terracotta pipe for transporting water.

6. Amalendu Krishan of TIFR wins Ramanujan Prize

The Ramanujan Prize for 2015 has been won by mathematician Amalendu Krishan

of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumabi. Dr.Krishna has been recognised

for outstanding contributions in the area of algebraic K-theory, algebraic cycles and the

theory of motives.

7. Now, an app to help farmers source seed

Using smart phones linked 9,600 fertilizer dealers, 4,500 primary cooperative

agriculture credit societies and 8,300 private seed dealers with an android app. These

dealers and societies have been asked to update their stock position using the app, Agri

Stock Monitoring System, which is updated on the website www.tnagrisnet.tn.gov.in that

farmers can check.

8. Ramanujam to head State information panel

K.Ramanujam, a 1978-batch IPS officer, is likely to be appointed as the State Chief

Information Commissioner. He will hold office till the age of 65. Mr.Ramanujam is

presently the adviser to the Tamil Nadu government and is expected to be sworn in by the

Instituted in 2005, the Ramanujan Prize carries a citation and a cash of

$15,000. This is the second time being awarded to an Indian, with Sujatha

Ramadorai having won it in 2006.



Governor on August 9 along with two State Information Commissioners. He succeeds

K.S.Sripathi, whose tenure ended in April 27 this year.

9. Celebrating National Handloom Day on August 7

Distribution of Sant Kabir Awards & National Awards by Shri Narendra modi.

3 Kancheepuram weavers get awards

Expert weaver V.Sundararajan was presented with the Sant Kabir award by Prime

Minister Narendra Modi for his contribution to the revival of the world famous

Kancheepuram silk saree.

The award was presented at the 1st National Handloom Day for his invaluable

contribution towards development of handlooms. In 2001, he received national award in

silk saree weaving along with his wife. Two others from the same town, K.Jayanthi and

V.Palanivelu, won the national award for weavers.

10. State, Coast Guard pay homage to officers killed in Dornier crash

When the Dornier aircraft crashed. The Coast Guard had launched one of the

biggest search operations over sea in recent times, code named “TALASH” to look for

the aircraft. The operation lasted 36 days and finally the wreckage and human remains

were recovered by MSV Olympic Canyon of Reliance Industries from the seabed, at a

depth of about 960 metres.

11. Madras Stock Exchange bid for makeover hits a roadblock

MSE, one of India’s oldest stock exchanges, had to exit the stock exchange business

in 2014, as it couldn’t meet with regulator Sebi’s requirements regarding net worth for

such entities.

In 2012, Sebi passed an order mandating regional stock exchanges to have a

minimum net worth of Rs. 100 crore and an annual trading volume of Rs. 1,000 crore.

The market watchdog gave a two-year window for exchanges to comply or quit. Last year,

MSE decided to exit.



12. Rs. 1,000 crore MoUs signed for MSME sector in Kancheepuram

A total 60 MoUs bringing an investment of Rs.544 crore were signed at the district-

level road show in Kancheepuram. As far as Kancheepuram district was concerned, a total

of 153 MoUs, including the 60 pacts signed have been inked to bring in investments of

around Rs.1,000 crore from the MSME sector in 12 industries projected to attract

investments from multinational companies at the GIM.

A MoU for setting up a Free Trade and Warehousing Zone with an investment of

Rs.100 crore by the J.Matadee Free Trade Zone Private Limited, at Mannur village near

Sriperumpudur, was also signed. The Hunan Tongpanshi Trade Company Limited,

Hunan Province, China, signed an MoU with the government for setting up a Chinese

food industry at Mevallurkuppam near Sriperumbudur with an investment of Rs.1 crore.

13. Yet to open butterfly park already has winged guests

The butterfly park set up at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Vandalur, has

already started receiving butterflies even before its formal launch. Zoo authorities said

that the caterpillar-shaped park was being built in 2.7 hectares of land near Otteri Lake at

a cost of Rs.4 crore. The park will host hundreds of colourful winged insects.

14. Rs. 1,000 cr. for integrating Chennai airport terminals

The old terminals of the Chennai airport will be reconstructed and integrated with

the existing terminals at an estimated cost of Rs.1,000 crore. Chairman of Airports

Authority of India (AAI) R.K. Srivastava who inspected the airport said, “The present

SEBI

• The Madras Stock Exchange was registered on August 12, 1937.

• When it first opened doors in 1937 it had five members. During the

capital market boom in 1980s, the membership shot up to 114. At

present, MSE has over 200 shareholders.

• It was the fourth stock exchange to be established in the country

and the first in South India.

• The Madras Stock Exchange was the 14th stock exchange to exit

under market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India

exit policy, which was issued in 2012.



terminals were constructed few years ago at a cost of Rs. 2,000 crore for a capacity of 23

million people. Now, it is time to reconstruct the old terminals and merge them with the

existing ones; then, the capacity would increase to 30 million people.”

15. E-transfer of patta in State soon

Digitisation of land records, launched to prevent malpractices in patta transfer, is

nearing completion and transfer of pattas through online will be rolled out in Tamil Nadu

soon. “While land records data pertaining to Chennai District have been computerised, in

rural areas, a pilot scheme for online patta transfer has already been launched in 12 taluks

in 12 districts,” said A.S. Vasuki, Commissioner of the Survey and Settlement.

How the public benefits

People can apply online for patta transfer through any Common Service Centre

(CSC) in their neighbourhood

Status of the application can be viewed online

Digitally-signed patta can be downloaded anytime from anywhere

How it helps officials

Computerisation will bring down the regular work load

Officials can electronically authenticate the identity of service-seekers without the

need for manual authentication

Work can be monitored online and pending

16. Another feather in the cap for Madurai City

Close on the heels of Madurai City finding a favourable mention in the Swachh

Bharat rankings in the country, another feather has been added to its cap. The Madurai

Corporation has emerged as the ‘Best Corporation’ in the state and will be receiving an

award of Rs.25 lakh from the Chief Minister on Independence Day.

17. Tiruchi airport gets e-tourist visa system

The Tiruchi International Airport became one of the gateways for foreign tourists

entering the country with e-tourist visas, an online visa issue system introduced by the



Union government. Tiruchi is now one of the 16 designated airports in the country, which

have been approved as entry points for foreigners arriving in the country with e-tourist

visas. While nine airports, including Chennai, were already approved, Tiruchi and six other

airports - Amritsar, Gaya, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Varanasi - have been added

to the system now.

Under the system, foreign tourists can apply for visas through the website

www.indianvisaonline. Gov.in minimum four days in advance of their arrival. The visas

would have a validity of 30 days from the date of arrival. Biometric details of the applicant

will be mandatorily captured on arrival in India. The facility can be availed for a maximum

of two visits to the country in a calendar year.

18. TN shortlists 12 corporations for smart city

Tiruchirapalli, Chennai, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Vellore, Salem, Erode, Thanjavur,

Tirunelveli, Dindigul, Madurai, Thoothukudi

19. CSG training centre at Ramanathapuram

To strengthen Coastal Security Group (CSG) personnel’s talent, a training centre

will be established on a 230-acre site at Olaikuda in Ramanathapuram district.

20. TN rools out master health plan for the poor

In a major initiative on preventive healthcare, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa

announced a comprehensive AMMA Master Health Check-Up plan in the Tamil Nadu

Assembly.

The announcements signalled the expansion of welfare schemes under ‘AMMA’

brand, the government had decided to launch the master health check-up as a pilot

programme at the Chennai Government General Hospital.

Slew of health schemes targets women, child

Launching the ‘Amma Magaperu Sanjivi scheme, Ms. Jayalalithaa said a bouquet

of 11 siddha medicines aimed at the welfare of pregnant women and new born would be

aimed at different stages of pregnancy to counter complaints such as nausea, iron and

vitamin deficiency, abdomen and hip joint pain.



How Amma Arogya Thittam will be implemented

The Amma Arogya Thittam announced will be an expansion of the master health

check-up scheme. It envisages offering treatment post-master health check-up for all

health conditions that have been identified. Treatment would be provided at all

government hospitals and primary health care (PHCs) centres.

The scheme has not just been extended to the PHCs but considerably expanded to

include more investigations. The aim is to enable people to seek medical attention early

instead of at a later stage when the disease is florid.

21. Rs. 2,300 crore for Chennai airport makeover

Three years after the first phase modernisation of the Chennai airport, the second

round of work is all set to start soon with a whopping budget of Rs. 2,300 crore to increase

passenger and aircraft movement.

22. New industrial estates in four districts

The State government will earmark 165 acres of land for the formation of new

industrial estates in Tiruvannamalai, Salem, Tiruvarur and Pudukottai

districts.Announcing this during the demands for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Department in the Assembly that the industrial estates will be set up at a cost of Rs. 30

crore each. If private industries are willing to set up estates elsewhere, SIDCO would be

willing to join hands with them.

41. Development aids population stability in TN

In signs that welfare polices in Tamil Nadu have had a positive effect, the religion-

wise figures of Census 2011 show that decadal growth rate of population in two major

communities — Hindu and Muslim — was lower than the national average.In the case of

Christians, while the growth was slightly higher than the all-India figure, their proportion

in the overall State population remained more or less the same as in 2001.

Experts state that the data reiterates the understanding that development,

represented by better education, health and other social welfare measures, contribute

significantly more to population stability than religion.According to the data, the Hindu

population in Tamil Nadu saw an increase of 14.91 per cent between 2001 and 2011.

Christians and Muslims grew by 21.86 and 16.73 per cent respectively. In the same

period, the overall population in Tamil Nadu grew by 15.60 per cent. In the State, the



growth of population among Hindus and Muslims was markedly lower than national

average of 16.76 percent and 24.60 per cent.

While Christians clocked a growth rate of 16.73 per cent in Tamil Nadu, the

national average was 15.52 per cent. Significantly, unlike Hindus, there were more women

than men among Christians and Muslims in 2011.

As a proportion to the overall State population, Hindus stood at 87.5, Christians at

6.12 and Muslims at 5.86 per cent. In 2001, Christians were 6.06 per cent and Muslims

were 5.56 of the total population.

Welfare measures

Professor at the International Institute of Population Sciences, Dr. P. Arokiasamy,

said the data was reflective of the lead the southern States have taken in terms of socio-

economic parameters.

“This is not a new trend. Intensive population campaigns since the 1980s coupled

with robust welfare measures have helped Kerala and Tamil Nadu stabilise their

population to a great extent relatively,” he said.Dr. Arokiasamy said the two States were

among the earliest to achieve the fertility replacement rate (average number of children

born per woman) of 2.1.

42. Healthy sign: study reveals decline in child labour in cotton fields

With issues of child labour in hybrid cotton seed production in the country

receiving global attention, a study has revealed that there is a sharp decline in the number

of children below 14 years employed in the highly labour intensive activity in the recent

years.

Of the total 95,000 acres of cotton production in India in 2014-15, Gujarat has

largest area covering 48,000 acres (50 per cent) while Attur taluk in Salem district is the

main production centre in the State with about 7,000 acres (7.4 per cent), followed by

Kallakurichi in Villupuram district and Sitteri in Dharmapuri district.

CURRENT AFFAIRS INDIA


1. Jan Aushadhi

“Jan Aushadhi” is the flagship programme of Department of Pharmaceuticals

under Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers to make “Quality Generic Medicines” available to

the masses at affordable prices. The Govt. of India plans to scale up the programme by

opening 3000 Jan Aushadhi stores spread all over the country.

2. World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August 2015)

Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s Make it Work!

3. Vaccine developed to fight Ebola

The Ebola virus is likely to be eradicated once for all as a new vaccine developed

against the disease by Public Health Agency of Canada has shown 100% efficiency in a trial

that was carried out in Guinea. A dummy virus (vesicular stomatitis virus, or VSV) was

designed with diluted elements of Ebola.

4. Centre inks peace accord with Naga insurgent outfit

The government signed a peace accord with the Nationalist Socialist Council of

Nagaland (IsakMuivah), one of the largest insurgent outfits, which has been demanding a

unified Naga identity and a separate ‘Nagalim’ State for over six decades.

R.N. Ravi, the Naga interlocutor, signed the accord with the NSCN-IM at a much

publicised ceremony at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence. Besides Mr.Modi,

Home Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval were present.

5. India to host meeting of 14 Pacific island nations

On August 21, India will host the heads of 14 island nations at the Forum for India-

Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), in what is seen as a first step towards greater

engagement with the region, which is important from an economic and geostrategic

standpoint.

The upcoming summit in Jaipur is expected to pave the way for agreements in

agriculture, food processing, fisheries, solar energy, e-networks for coordination in

telemedicine and tele-education, space cooperation and climate change, all of which were

mentioned as areas of potential cooperation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his

visit to Fiji in 2014.



6. Centre denies plans to build DNA database, but experts fault Bill

The Union government has denied plans to develop a DNA database of citizens,

similar to the biometric database of Aadhaar, as feared by many when the Human DNA

profiling Bill was introduced in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha Union Minister of State for Science and

Technology Y.S. Chowdary said the government did not propose to establish a DNA

databank of castes, communities and groups to profile, store and match their DNA data.

Lalji Singh, recognised as the father of DNA finger printing technology in India, said the

Bill was an improvised version of the one he framed several years ago.

What the bill says

Set up a National DNA Data bank, defined as “a consolidated DNA profile

storage and maintenance facility, whether in computerised or other from”.

Appoint a DNA Bank manager to supervise, execute and maintain the data

bank.

Make recommendations for maximising the use of DNA techniques and

technologies in the administration of justice.

Form a National DNA Profilling Board for regulatory purposes headed by

the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Disgnostics in Hyderabad.

What the DNA Data Bank Will Store

Index of the crime scene, suspect, offender, missing persons, unknown

deceased persons, volunteers

Other DNA indices as may be specified by regulations.

INDIA’s STRATEGY

During his 2014 visit, Modi announced visa on arrival for nationals of all

Pacific island countries

Increase in annual grant-in-aid to these island countries from $125,000 to

$200,000 for community projects.

India ready to support the setting up of a Trade Office in New Delhi to

promote bilateral trade

PM has offered training programmes for the diplomats of these countries.



7. Citizenship soon for those who fled religious persecution

In a move that will have far-reaching implications in Assam and some parts of

north-west India, the Union Home Ministry will amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant

citizenship to undocumented migrants who fled religious persecution in Pakistan and

Bangladesh.

The migrants include not just Hindus but also Buddhists, Christians, Zoroastrians,

Sikhs and Jains. To Home Ministry sources have confirmed that a Bill is in the works to

amend the Act and make changes to some provisions in the Foreigners Act, 1946, the

Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920, and the passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950.

8. Sundar Pichai to spearhead Google

Sundar Pichai has worked on some of Google’s best-known products — from the

Chrome browser to the Android mobile software. Chennai-born Mr. Pichai, 43, was named

chief executive officer of the Internet titan, as Google unveiled a new corporate structure,

creating an umbrella company dubbed Alphabet.

He will oversee the biggest company under that umbrella, which will still be called

Google and will continue to include some of its household products, including its search

engine, ads, maps, apps, YouTube and the Android system.

Passport rules will now allow government to offer these people long-term

visas while their case for citizenship is considered by the authorities.

The amended Citizenship Act will exempt them from the status of illegal

immigrants.

Evolution over the years:

• 2004: Joined Google, was called a “low-key manager”.

• 2008: Led the launch of Google chrome browser

• 2009: Launched Chromebook, OS

• 2010: Launched WebM format

• 2013: Added Android to Google

• 2014: As Product Chief in Oct. 2014, he became Larry Pange’s second-in-

command.



9. Nine U.S. satellites to be flown from Sriharikota

In a small but significant progress in the chequered Indo-U.S. space equations,

Indian satellite launchers will for the first time put a few U.S. – made satellites into space

from Indian soil. ISRO’s commercial venture Antrix Corporation recently signed contracts

to launch nine micro and nano spacecraft separately as small copassengers on the PSLV

lightlifter during this year and next, according to information from ISRO officials.

“As on date, Antrix Corporation Ltd. has signed agreement to launch about nine

nano/micro (U.S.) satellites during the 2015-2016 time-frame from the Sriharikota launch

pad.” Another positive outcome with the U.S. is the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar

(NISAR), signed about two years ago, to co-develop a radar imaging satellite and launch it

from India around 2019-20. It will be the first synthetic aperture radar satellite in dual

frequency.

10. Rs.120 cr. for urban renewal plan

A new phase of India’s urban renewal began with the Union Urban Development

Ministry announcing the release of Rs.120 crore to the States and Union Territoties. As

part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), the money

will be directly transferred to municipal councils nationwide, something that is happening

for the first time in India’s urban governance.

The Ministry has identified 482 cities, and each will receive Rs.25 lakh to pinpoint

flaws (in the existing service providing mechanisms such as water supply and sewerage)

and come up with solutions.

The 482 cities where this new approach of urbanism will be adopted are towns

with a population of above one lakh. Under AMRUT, the five year Central assistance of

Rs.50,000 crore will be one third of the project cost for cities with a population of above 10

lakh and 50 percent of project cost for cities and towns with a population of below 10 lakh.

11. Ban only on sites promoting child porn, says Centre

Following massive uproar over its move to ban 857 pornography sites, the Union

government said the ban would be lifted. However, sites that promoted child porn would

continue to be prohibited.

The government on asked Internet service providers to restrict “open and free”

access to 857 porn websites to protect Indian cultural fabric. The government has decided

that the ban will be partially lifted.



12. 14 months on, nominated Anglo-Indian Lok Sabha member Richard Hay

sworn in

After an unprecedented wait of more than 14 months, the Anglo-Indian community

got a representative in the 16th Lok Sabha when a former Professor from Kerala, Richard

Hay, took oath The second member nominated from the community, actor George Baker

from West Bengal, is yet to take oath.

13. Boosting digital footprint in rural areas

A research group at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) has set up

India’s first pilot test-bed which uses unused TV spectrum to provide broadband Internet

connectivity. It could be used by the NDA government’s flagship Digital India programme

to enhance broadband Internet connectivity to rural areas at a cheaper cost.

To access the Internet, the villagers have been provided with low cost WiFi tablets

by IITB and have received the help of an NGO (PUKAR) in educating the villagers about

the use of Internet.

14. Mumbai gets a flamingo sanctuary

Mumbai is setting another record after being home to a national park for decades.

If the Sanjay Gandhi national park is right in the heart of the city, The Thane Creek

Flamingo Sanctuary, Which came into being is on its periphery.

The Maharashtra Revenue and Forest Department notified the northern part of the

creek as a wildlife sanctuary under Section 18 of the Wildlife (Protection Act), 1972. The

sanctuary will be the State’s second marine sanctuary after the one at Malvan. The creek

has been attracting flamingos in large numbers since 1994.

15. Tripura passes resolution against death penalty

The Tripura Assembly has passed a resolution requesting the Centre to amend

Section 302 of the IPC to abolish capital punishment. The resolution is apparently a fallout

of the recent hanging of Yakub Memon, convict in the 1993 Mumabi serial blasts case.

16. NRIs, PIOs and OICs to get Aadhaar

The government has decided that Aadhaar enrolment of NRIs, Persons of Indian

Origin and Overseas Citizen of India should be eventually allowed to help them

authenticate their identity digitally, Planning Minister Rao Inderjit Singh told the Lok



Sabha. “The government has decided that a longer term goal should be to expand Aadhaar

enrolment activities in order to ensure that all persons on Indian soil (Resident Indian,

NRIs, OCI/PIO and visa holding visitors) shall be empowered with a unique

identity/identifier that can be authenticated on a digital platform any time anywhere.”-

PTI.

17. Weave new designs: Modi

Promoting handlooms as he did khadi last year, Prime Minister Narendra modi

stressed on new designs, branding and e-commerce to launch the rich, colourful heritage

on a global scale.

Inaugurating the 1st National Handloom Day in Chennai, Mr.Modi said he had

asked people to use at least one khadi garment to help artisans during his ‘Mann ki baat’

programme last October and the sale of khadi products had since then gone up by 60

percent compared to the same period last year.

Handlooms constituted 15 percent of the total cloth consumption in the country.

“If you raise this to 20 per cent, it will be a huge boost to the sector as the turnover will

increase by 33 percent.”

18. ‘Missing’ manual scavengers

The bulk of manual scavengers who are engaged in cleaning night soil in rural

pockets of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are found missing in the recently released Socia

Economic Caste Census – 2011 data.

In an irony of sorts, the SECC has enumerated just 356 manual scavengers in the

two States that as per census-2011, have 2.28 lakh insanitary latrines out of which 10,357

are serviced manually.

19. Now, Aadhaar must for all jail visitors in Telangana

Faced with the daunting task of screening criminals posing as visitors to jails, the

Telangana Prisons Department (TPD) has found a solution, thanks to the Aadhaar system.

In the near future, all those visiting prison inmates should carry their Aadhaar cards.

Preventing cheating

The Aadhaar ID as well as the biometrics of the visitors will be verified with the

UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) server to check if the visitor’s identity is

genuine. The TPD had recently sought support from the UIDAI for this initiative.



20. Watch out, scenic Vembanad estuary is shrinking every year

Each year, Vembanad estuary is shrinking by 0.288 sq km, which would leave

serious ecological impact on the lives on its banks.

A group of researchers from the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, came to

the conclusion after evaluating the coastal morphological data of 44 years between 1967

and 2011.

The research team consisting of P.K.Dinesh kumar, Girish Gopinath,

R.ManiMurali and K.R.Muraleedharan noted that the “rapid pace in urbanisation in the

region has brought tremendous changes to the major islands in the estuary”.

21. Important visit to a long time ally: BJP

The announcement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed visit to the

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken many by surprise but partymen say that a visit to

India’s long time ally was important when juxtaposed with the other visits that the Prime

Minister may undertake later, most notably to Isreal.

22. Tremors rock North India

A high-intensity earthquake struck the Hindukush region in Afghanistan tremors

of which were felt in several parts of North India, including Jammu and Kashmir and

Delhi.

According to the India Meteorological Department, the earthquake with a

magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale hit Afghanistan at around 3.35 p.m. Tremors were

also felt in Srinagar and adjoining areas of J&K. There was no report of any damage or

casualty so far.

23. After a decade, Athirapilly project gets green light

The 163-MW Athirappilly hydroelectric project, proposed across the Chalakudy

River, has received the go-ahead from the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River

Valley and Hydroelectric Projects.

24. Soon, space programmes will use indigenously made titanium sponge

The national Space programme can now fully bank on made-in-India titanium

sponge that goes into making its satellite and launch vehicle parts. The titanium sponge

Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the UAE after Indira Gandhi

in 1981.YUDH ABHYAS – 2015. India, US combined Military exercise.



plant initiated and sponsored by the Indian Space Research Organisation nine years back

became operational at Chavara in Kerala last month. Only six other countries produce

titanium sponge commercially. This will mean a big saving on foreign exchange

considering that the Indian Space Research Organisation alone has been importing a

significant 200-300 tonnes of titanium sponge each year from Russia, Japan or China.

The precious commodity was being imported because of the absence of a plant to

make high-quality sponge although “the country has the third largest reserve of minerals

bearing titanium,” ISRO said.

The indigenous Ti sponge is completely qualified for space applications and gives a

big boost to the ‘make in India’ campaign.” It said about 350 tonnes of Ti sponge with

nearly 70 per cent of aerospace grade or 99.7 per cent purity material was realised. VSSC

realised aerospace-grade Ti6Al4V products at Mishra Dhatu Nigam (Midhani) in

Hyderabad.

25. BIMARU States: the shoe fits even now

In a speech in Gaya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that while Rajasthan and

Madhya Pradesh were no longer “BIMARU” states, Bihar continued to suffer this fate. So

which are India’s real BIMARU states? The term BIMARU – an abbreviation for Bihar,

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh – was coined in 1980 by the demographer

Ashish Bose in a paper he wrote in the early 1980s.

He examined a range of demographic indicators to conclude that these states,

home to 40 per cent of the country’s population, lagged significantly behind the southern

states, and were contributing the most to India’s population explosion.

Index of backwardness: How BIMARU states fare (rank from the bottom) Bihar Jharkhand Madhya

Pradesh Chhattisgarh Rajasthan Uttar

Pradesh 2 4 2 4 9 9

26. Suhasini Haidar wins Prem Bhatia Award

The Prem Bhatia Memorial Award for the Best Political Reporting-2015 was

awarded to Suhasini Haidar. Ms. Haidar was awarded for her 21-year-long career

reporting on and analysing the bewildering variety of conflicts and surges around the

world.

27. TTD package for international tourists

International tourists arriving in India would be offered an integrated package by

the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department comprising a special darshan of Lord



Venkateswara at Tirumala, visit to other religious places and shopping malls in its

vicinity, pick-up and drop at the airport and hotel accommodation.

Initially, the package to visit Tirupati would be offered to tourists who are NRIs or

Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The AP Tourism Department would be soon launching

online the customised tour package.

28. Rs. 300-cr. relief package for ryots

The government on Wednesday announced a relief package of Rs. 300 crore to

provide diesel and seed subsidy, among others, in order to save standing kharif crops in

the eventuality of drought and deficit rainfall.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra

Modi, approved allocation of Rs. 300 crore to provide diesel and seed subsidy, save

horticulture crops and improve fodder supply.

The government approved Rs. 100 crore for implementing the diesel subsidy

scheme for protective irrigation of crops. Under the scheme, 50 per cent diesel subsidy

would be given to farmers to supplement irrigation to protect standing kharif crops in

areas where rainfall deficit is more than 50 per cent.

29. Rural job scheme empowered women: NCAER

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

(MGNREGS) reduced poverty by up to a third, gave a large number of women their first

opportunity to earn income in cash, reduced reliance on moneylenders, and did not

significantly affect rural wages, a new research has found.

Officials of the Ministry of Rural Development and the National Council of Applied

Economic Research (NCAER) released a new report, which used data from two rounds of

the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) — 2004-05 and 2011-12 — conducted by

the NCAER and the University of Maryland. Comparisons of the two rounds of the survey

found that the programme reduced poverty overall by up to 32 per cent and prevented 14

million people from falling into poverty.

30. Vizhinjam to become reality

Kerala’s dream project, Vizhinjam International Multipurpose deepwater Seaport,

is set to become a reality with the signing of the concession agreement between the State

1st Indian city to join world Tourism cities federation council - kochi



and Adani Vizhinjam Ports Ltd. (AVLP) of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd.

(APSEZ), the private multi-port operator selected to build the superstructure and operate

the seaport.

31. Maggi ban goes, but fresh tests ordered

The Bombay High Court revoked the nationwide ban on Maggi noodles but in the

interest of public health, ordered fresh testing of all variants of the product to be completed

within six weeks.

Swiss food manufacturer Nestle India, which had challenged the ban order of the

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, will be able to manufacture and sell its

products only if results of the new tests show lead levels within permissible limits.

32. ‘Start-up, stand-up’ campaign is Modi's new route to push growth

The Prime Minister announced the “Start- up India, Stand up India” scheme aimed

at promoting entrepreneurship at the bottom of the pyramid. Each of the 1.25 lakh bank

branches across the country should encourage at least one Dalit for Adivasi entrepreneur

and one woman entrepreneur.

33. Electronic eyes watch traffic cops

The Telangana government has given 100 hand-held cameras to the Hyderabad

traffic police. These cameras be used to record traffic policemen’s interaction with the

public. The officials are hopeful that this move, the first in the country, would not only curb

corruption but also enhance the department’s image.

34. India’s Mars mission exceeds expectations

Newly released images of the Martian surface taken by the Indian Mars orbiter

show Ophir Chasma, a canyon 317 km long to the south of the Martian equator. The

‘chasma’ is part of Valles Marineri’s which scientists say is the largest canyon system in the

entire solar system. A ‘chasma’ is a long, steepsided depression as designated by the

International Astronomical Union.

Hamari Dharohar – To preserve the rich heritage of the Parsi Minority

community.



The three-dimensional images of the terrain of interest were taken by the Mars

Colour Camera on July 19 from a distance of 1,857 km and with a resolution of 96 metres.

The walls of the chasma contain many layers and the floors contain large, deposits of

layered materials.

Ophir Chasma

The Ophir Chasma lies in the corporate quare (quadrangle) and is named after

Mars enthusiast Ophir Bentov of Los Angeles, who has invested in Mars expenditions for

eventual human exploration.

35. Kerala now declares itself ‘complete digital State,’ thanks to e- district

initiative

With the State making remarkable strides in the implementation of various

e-governance initiatives, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy declared Kerala the ‘complete

digital State. “The State has achieved 100 per cent mobile density, 75 per cent e- literacy,

highest digital banking rate and broadband connection up to panchayat level,”

Mr. Chandy said in his 69th Independence Day speech at the Central Stadium here.

“The implementation of e-district programmes in all districts and linking of

Aadhaar and bank accounts have laid a strong foundation for Digital Kerala. I am proud to

declare the State the complete digital state, based on these indicators.”

36. Media pundits creating atmosphere of gloom: PM

Indicating a change in emphasis, Mr. Modi renamed the Ministry of Agriculture as

the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, while stressing that the government

would work to raise farm productivity and increase areas under irrigation to ensure “per

drop, more crop”.

37. Mixed reaction to Modi’s Red Fort Address

Power House

• Power House: A house and access to basic services like electricity for

all by 2022

• Financial Inclusion: Modi said that 17 crore bank accounts were

opened through Prime Minister’s Jan Dhan Yojana.

Om Prakash Rawat – New Election Commissioner



38. Made-in-India vehicles for U.N.mission in Mali

In a sign of increasing Indian defence exports in the global market, Tata Motors

has supplied 520 vehicles to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation

Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), including ambulances, jeeps, water and fuel tankers,

revovery and refrigeration trucks and buses.

The contract was won in 2014 against stiff international competition and these

vehicles have been deployed in mission areas in West Africa.

Global presence

“Tata motors exports its range of specialised de”

39. Naidu lays stone for food part, industrial hub in Kurnool district

In a step towards ushering in industrial growth in Kurnool district, Andhra

Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation-stone for Kurnool ultra

mega food park at Thangadancha in Jupadu Bungalow mandal and Orvakal mega

industrial hub at Pudicherla in Orvakal mandal.

40. Delhi is now India’s rape capital, show NCRB data

For the first time in history, Delhi is officially the “rape capital” of India. Even

while the pace of increase in the number of such cases proportionate to its women

population was higher than for any other city or State last year. Delhi is higher in both

absolute and proportionate terms, show data from the National Crime Records Bureau.

41. Helping fishermen know the behaviour of the sea, fishing zones

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is gearing up

to augment its network of wave buoys and tide gauges for ocean forecast and climate

CM ON FOUNDATION LAYING SPREE

o Mega food park at Thangadancha

o Mega industrial hub at Pudicherla

o Maize processing unit by Ambuja

o Drip and sprinkler manufacturing unit at Thangadancha

DISHA – A mobile app for digital Saksharta Abhiyan to aid digital literacy in

Bihar.



studies. The network generates real-time information on waves, tides, ocean currents,

tsunami and sea surface temperature, as well as movement of fish shoals.

INCOIS has a network of 21 tide gauges in stalled with funds from the Indian

Tsunami Early Warning Project.

42. Kerala banana variant on GI list

It’s an Onam gift for the banana farmer here, the ‘nendran’ banana variety,

‘Chengalikodan,’ has been accorded. The Geographical Indication (GI) status.

GI status is an indication that identifies goods as produced from a particular area,

which has special quality or reputation attributable to its geographical origin.

43. Muslim Population growth slows

India’s Muslim population is growing slower than it had in the previous decades,

and its growth rate has slowed more sharply than that of the Hindu population.

The decadal Muslim rate of growth is the lowest it has ever been in India’s history,

as it is for all religions. The distribution of data is of the total population by six major

religious communities — Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jain — besides

“Other religions and persuasions” and “Religion not stated”.

44. Sachin may captain ‘Green Army’ of Maharashtra

Master blaster sachin Tendulkar may become Maharashtra’s ‘Green Army chief.’

After superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who is the ‘tiger ambassador’ of the State, Mr.

Tendulkar will promote the cause of environment in Maharashtra by being part of the

Green Army, a State government initiative for schoolchildren.

Under the Green Army initiative, every school nominates minimum 10 students

each to undertake or work in various projects for environment conservation in their

respective areas. As per the State government estimate, 10 lakh students are part of this

Green Army.

About Indian Bank

Indian Bank is one of the oldest bank in India. It was established in

1907 as a private bank

It was nationalised in 1969



45. Centre unveils list of 98 smart cities; U.P. & T.N. strike it rich

Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu urged local and international

investors to put their money on the Smart City Mission assuring them that it was a safe bet.

Mr. Naidu unveiled a list of 98 cities with Uttar Pradesh taking the largest share of

developing 13 smart cities followed by Tamil Nadu.

It’s official 12 Smart Cities for Tamil Nadu

Officially, the Centre has announced that Tamil Nadu, one of the most urbanised

States in the country, will get 12 smart cities. That is all the 12 corporations in the State will

get the Smart City tag.

It may be an uphill task for Chennai, the oldest corporation in the country, as it

was ranked in the middle at the State-level challenge, say officials. Tiruchi was ranked the

top. Dindigul, a smaller and newer corporation, was ranked high.It could be retrofitting

model over 500 acres or redevelopment model covering 50 acres or a greener city in about

250 acres. It can be either of the three models or a mix ot them.

A smart City aims to improve resident’s quality of life, provide a clean and

sustainable environment and facilitate application of smart soulutions. The focus is on

sustainable and inclusive development.

Indian presence in chabahar is expected to off set Chinese

presence in Pakistani of Gwadar

COST CUTTER: The port will be used to dhip crude

oil and urea, greatly reducing India’s transportation

costs

AFGHAN CONNECT: A railway to be built by Ircon

International, will connect Chabahar port to

Zahedan on Afghan border

BIGGER LINK: The port will link to International

North-South Transport Corridor that will connect

India with Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and other

Central Asian trading partners.



46. NITI Aayog launches India Energy Security Scenarios 2047

47. Union government launches E-payment Module to deposit Compensatory

levies into CAMPA funds

It was launched, in order to make these payments for diversion of forest land

quicker and more transparent.

Every Smart City will have the following features

E-Governance and Citizen Services

Public information, grievance redressal

E-service delivery

Monitoring crime through video

Water Management

Smart meters and management

Leakage identification, preventive maintenance

Monitoring water quality

Waste Management

Waste to energy and fuel

Waste water treatment

Reduction, recycling of construction waste

Urban Mobility

Smart parking

Intelligent traffic management

Integrated multi-modal transport

Energy Management

Renewable sources of energy

Energy efficient and green buildings

NITI Aayog launched the second version of an open source web based tool India

Energy Security Scenarios 2047 calculator (IESS2047)

CAMPA Fund

Levies are imposed on development projects that seek land inside a reserved

forest or a Protected Area (PA) in a sanctuary or a national park.



48. India become Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus free, country ie mothers and new borns are

free from tetanus at the time of birth.

This is second milestone achieved by India in public health sector after it was

declared polio free country in 2014

49. ‘Housing for All’ scheme

305 cities were identified by Union Ministry of Housing and urban Poverty

Alleviation (HUPA) for beginning of construction of houses for the urban poor under the

scheme.

HUPA – Will Provide 2 laksh crore rupees over the next six years for construction

of houses

About Maternal and Neonatal tetanus Tetanus – caused by the bacterium

clostridium tetani

Goverment gives nod to rename Delhi’s Aurangeb Road as Abdul Kalam Road

and it was decided by New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC)

Union Government launched this scheme named as Pradhan Mantri Awas

Yojana in June 2015. Under the aegis of Housing for all by 2022 Mission.

CURRENT AFFAIRS INTERNATIONAL


1. Obama takes ‘biggest step’ to tackle climate change

Obama aims to set an example ahead of the U.N. climate change summit in Paris in

December. The final rules propose a 32 per cent cut in carbon emissions from power plants

by 2030 on 2005 levels, up from the initial proposal of 30 per cent. However, states will

only have to comply by 2022 rather than 2020 as originally proposed, and will be able to

submit their plans on meeting the targets by 2018 in stead of 2017.

2. Plane debris arrive in France

Airplane debris that washed up on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion and may

belong to a vanished Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 arrived in France.

3. The MH370 Mystery

Boeing 777 debris found on the island of Reunion appears to prove that missing

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 crashed in the Indian Ocean, but the cause of the disaster

remains unknown. MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur with 227 passengers and 12 crew

at 12:41 am on March 8 last year, bound for Beijing.

4. Myanmar declares national emergency

Myanmar’s President headed to devastated rural regions where a state of

emergency was declared after deadly monsoon rains displaced tens of thousands of people,

flooded swathes of rice paddy and prompted fears of dams collapsing.

5. India set to be most populous nation

In seven years, India will surpass China to become the world’s most populous

country and will have 1.7 billion residents by 2050, new projections from the United

Nations show,. Experst, however, caution that India might be lowering its fertility at a

faster rate than what the U.N.’s projections indicates.

The world population reached 7.3 billion as of mid-2015, adding approximately

one billion people in the past 12 years.

It wil take 15 years to add the next billion people, taking the world population to

8.5 billion in 2030. By 2050, the world will have 9.7 billion people and 11.2 billion by 2100.

Nigeria which will be the third largest populated country in the world in 2050 overtaking

the U.S. – grow the fastest. China’s population will start declining by the 2030s, while

India’s is projected to decline only after 2069 when its population is around 1.75 billion.



6. Victory over Ebola

The alacrity and eagerness shown by the research community to find a safe and

efficacious vaccine against the deadly Ebola virus has borne fruit. The interim results of a

Phase III clinical trial in Guinea using a novel virus vaccine (rVSV-ZEBOV) have shown

100 percent efficacy after 10 days of vaccination. People who received it three weeks after

randomisation (delayed vaccination).

7. London’s museums most googled in the world

London has been named the most googled city in the world for its art galleries,

performing arts and innovative design.

8. World’s first ant map launched

The world’s first ever ant map showing the distribution of the tiny industrious

creature around the globe was launched by the University of Hong Kong in a bid to shed

more light on the insect world.

9. India, Bangladesh to mount joint fight against fake currency

Indian and Bangladeshi security agencies have agreed to work in close

coordination to curb the smuggling of counterfeit currency notes, posing a threat to

national security.They have signed a memorandum of understanding to this effect. At a

meeting of the Joint Task Force on Fake Currency Notes in Dhaka, the two sides

committed themselves to sharing intelligence on a real-time basis.

10. China devalues currency by 1.9 per cent

The People’s Bank of China (PBoC), China’s central bank, decided to devalue the

yuan, also known as the renminbi, by 1.9%, the largest devaluation in two decades. The

midpoint for the Yuan was fixed at 6.2295 per US dollar compared 6.1162 per US dollar.

The PBoC termed this a one-time action, aimed at increasing the “market-orientation and

benchmark status” of the currency.

China devalues yuan again,

Following 1.9 % devaluation of its currency, China lowered its “daily fix” of the

yuan to 6.3306 per US dollar, a further decline of 1.6%. The yuan is allowed to trade at plus

or minus 2 percent around this midpoint.



11. Africa takes a giant step towards polio eradication

Continent achieves a year without any new causes of wild polio for the first time.

12. As U.S. changes tack, India redraws UNSC bid

Despite facing unexpected opposition from the U.S. to its bid for a permanent seat

in the United Nations Security Council, India plans to make a go of it. The U.S. has joined

Russia and China in their blocking of any large-scale reforms of the council and rejection of

veto power to new members, “The U.S. and these other countries cannot veto U.N. reform,

which will be decided by the General Assembly, where each country has one equal vote”.

If it comes to a vote, India will need the support of at least 129, or two-thirds, of the

193 member-states. However, the unity of the U.S., Russia and China on the issue puts the

whole process of expansion in some doubt.

13. Inferno in China

• The first explosion was equivalent to 3 tonnes of TNT and the second to 21 tonnes of

TNT.

• The area is home to Tianhe-1, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, which was

shutdown as a precaution after the blasts.

14. Iran submits nuclear records to IAEA

Iran has submitted documents linked to its past nuclear activity, the U.N.’s atomic

watchdog has confirmed, a key condition of a probe into suspected efforts to create nuclear

arms.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) signed a “road map” with Iran to

investigate its nuclear progamme, as part of an overall accord with major world powers.

• August 11, 2015 marked one year since the last wild: Polio case in

Africa was detected in central Somalia.

• Africa’s last polio-endemic country, Nigeria, reached 1 year

without a reported case.

• $80 million funds earmarked by Nigeria for the polio programme

this year

• If Africa goes two more years without reports of the disease, the

WHO will declare the continent polio-free

• In the year two other polio-endemic countries, Paldstant and

Afghanistan, there have been 28 and six cases, respectively, this year.

• Global health experts hope that by 2018 polio will be wiped

out.



The historic deal is aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear activity in exchange for relief on

painful economic sanctions. The IAEA said Iran had met a key deadline by handing over

the papers.

15. Iran no longer on restricted visa list

India sees Iran as a key supporter in the wake of the growing threats and influences

the Islamist terror groups such as the Islamic state in Central Asia. India has liberalised its

visa policy for Iran and struck it off the prior referral category (PRC) of countries. Three

categories of visas – employment, conference, students and research visa – were on the

restricted list till now.

The union Home Ministry issued an order which said Iran was no longer on the

PRC list, which has countries such as Pakistan Bangladesh and China

“The order means that Iranians can easily apply for visas at our consulate in Iran

and each application will not have to be forwarded to [the] Intelligence Bureau and [the]

Research and Analysis Wing here for verification. ”

16. Malaysian Tamils prepare to invest Rs. 200 crore in Nanguneri SEZ

Representatives of Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO), who

are scheduled to participate in the Global Investors Meet (GIM), to be held at Chennai in

the second week of September, plan to bring a team of prospective investors from Malaysia

to the AMRL Multiproduct Special Economic Zone, the State’s largest SEZ in Nanguneri

near here after the meet.

“Since Tamil Nadu is all set to become a ‘Tiger Economy’, thanks to the conducive

investment climate.

CURRENT AFFAIRS ECONOMY


1. Centre to pump Rs.70,000 cr. into PSU banks

Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha told reporters that the proposed National

Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) that the Union Cabinet had approved will make

equity investments of Rs.20,000 crore every year in commercially viable long gestation

projects which will help to kick-start the economy.

CURRENT AFFAIRS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY


1. GSLV set to launch GSAT-6 tomorrow

The GSLV-D6 satellite launcher powered by the indigenously developed upper

cryogenic stage will be flown. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is using the

vehicle to send the 2,117-kg CSAT-6 communication satellite into space.

The 2,117-kg GSAT-6 is a predominantly S-band communication satellite that

enables multimedia applications. It will be used purely for ‘strategic’ purposes by the

Armed Forces and for societal uses during a disaster or an emergency, according to A.S.

Kiran Kumar, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. The fourth-generation

national satellite is also designated as INSAT-4E.

CURRENT AFFAIRS SPORTS


1. Saina one step away from history

Becomes first Indian to reach the final of a WBC

Olympic bronze medallist Saina Nehwal became the first Indian to reach the finals of

the World Badminton Championships, assuring herself of a silver medal here. The World No. 2

Indian notched up a 21-17, 21-17 win over Indonesia’s Lindaweni Fanetri, who was struggling

with her right knee, in the semi finals of the women’s singles.

2. Heartbreak again as Sania ends up with silver

Saina Nehwal’s quest to become the first Indian world champion in badminton ended

in heartbreak as she lost 21-16, 21-19 to title-holder Carolina Martin.

3. Usain Bolt wins 200 meters title in the world Athletics championships

Usain Bolt’s records

Usain Bolt is regarded as the fastest person in the world. First man to win

six Olympic gold medals in sprinting event and a ten time world

champion.

First athelete to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records

CURRENT AFFAIRS


Information about operations

S.No Year Operation

Name Purpose

1 2013 Operation Rahat IAF’s rescue operation in Uttarakhand Floods

2 2013 Operation Ganga

Prahar/Operation

Surya Hope

Relief work jointly done by India and Nepal in

Indi-Nepal border that was devastated by

Earthquake

3 2014 Operation Megh

Rahat/Mission

Sahayata

Rescue work in J&K floods

4 2014 Operation

Sadbhavan

Rescue work in J&K floods

5 2015 Operation Maitri Relief work in Nepal Earthquake

6 2015 Operation Rahat To evacuate Indian from Yemen

7 2015 Operation

Talaash

Search of missing Dornier Aircraft near

Chennai

8 2015 Operation

Barricade

Tamil Nadu; to check smugglers in

Ramanathapuram area

9 2015 Operation Shiva Indian Army; to ensure safety of Amarnath

Yatra

10 2015 Operation Ruchi Kerala; to ensure food safety

11 2015 Operation DOGA Delhi; for sanitation

CURRENT AFFAIRS


India’s Ambassadors

Personalities Ambassadors for

Amitabh Bachchan UNICEF

Maharashtra Horticulture

Andhra Pradesh Health

Tiger Ambassador for Maharashtra

Shahrukh Khan West Bengal

INTERPOL’s “Turn Back Crime” Campaign

Saina Nehwal Andhra Pradesh Tourism

Aamir Khan UNICEF

Incredible India

Prachi Desai Goa

Preity Zinta Himachal Pradesh

Sania Mirza Telangana

UN Women

Hirthik Roshan Maharashtra Tourism

Steffi Graf Kerala’s Ayurveda

Farhan Akhtar UN Women

Sangaram Singh People for Animal And Sanjay Gandhi Animal

Care Centre

Mary Kom North Eastern States

Kruti Tiwari Digital India

Ira Singhal For the programmes of department of

empowerment of persons with disabilities

MS Dhoni ‘National Icons’ by Election Commission of

India (to promote and create awareness of

voting in the elections) Saina Nehwal

Mary Kom

Aamir Khan

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