Fifa appoints Fatma Samoura as first female secretary general

 Fifa broke new ground by appointing a Senegalese United Nations official as its first female and first non-European secretary general.

•  Fatma Samoura has no experience working in sports but Fifa President Gianni Infantino hopes that will help it try to regain the trust and credibility of the world.

Fédération Internationale de Football Association(FIFA) :

• Headquarters- Zürich, Switzerland
• Membership-  211 national associations
• President- Gianni Infantino
• Senior Vice-President Issa Hayatou

Vice-Presidents-

1.  Ángel María Villar
2. David Chung
3. Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa
4. David Gill
5. Alejandro Dominguez
6. Sunil Gulati

Secretary General -Fatma Samoura

Anil Kumble re-appointed ICC Cricket Committee chairman

 Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC (International Cricket Council) Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years.

•  Earlier he was appointed as the chairman for his first term in 2012 and now he will continue to head the panel until 2018. 
• Besides, former Indian Rahul Dravid was also named member of the ICC Cricket Committee.
•  Former Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene also has been appointed member. 
• Former Australia off-spinner Tim May has been elected as current player representative and shall replace Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who has completed his three-year term.
•  Three-time ICC Umpire of the Year Richard Kettleborough also has been appointed as umpires’ representative in the committee.

ICC (International Cricket Council) :

• Headquarters -Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Chairman- Shashank Manohar
• President -Zaheer Abbas
• CEO- David Richardson

EPFO paid ₹8,200 crore as monthly pension in 2015-16

The Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) disbursed ₹8,200 crore as monthly pension and ₹47,630 crore as member benefits in 2015-16.

• The retirement fund body, however, said while seeding data, a mismatch between EPF and Aadhaar data in respect of date of birth and name of pensioner was noticed in certain cases.
• It has, therefore, advised members to either correct their details provided to EPFO offices or those given in Aadhaar, whichever is correct.

Axis Bank appoints Sanjiv Misra as chairman

Private sector lender Axis Bank has appointed Sanjiv Misra as independent director and non-executive chairman for five years with effect from May 12, 2016.

• It is for the first time, the chairman is being appointment by the bank and not nominated by SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of the UTI) which has more than 11 per cent stake in Axis Bank.
• This follows a change made in the Articles of Association (AoA) of the bank.
• The bank also elevated Rajesh Dahiya and Rajiv Anand as executive directors. 
• They will be on the board of the bank.

Axis Bank :

Headquarters- Mumbai, Maharashtra

(MD & CEO)- Shikha Sharma 

NITI Aayog to replace Nehruvian 5-year plans with 15-year vision documents

NDA government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to get rid of the Nehruvian five-year plans, and replace them with 15-year vision documents.

• The NITI Aayog has been directed to prepare a vision document at the earliest.
• The current 12th Five-Year Plan will be terminated in the current financial year, 2016-17. The first 15-year vision document will start from 2017-18, along with a seven-year National Development Agenda which will lay down the schemes, programmes and strategies to achieve the long-term vision. 
• The National Development Agenda will be reviewed after a gap of every three years to ensure that it was aligned with financial needs and requirements.
• For the first Development Agenda, the review would be done in 2019-20, in line with the termination year of the 14th Finance Commission.
• “The National Development Agenda will also deal with issues related to internal security, defence and external affairs.
• The Five-Year Plans first started in 1951 under the country’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

NITI Aayog:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chairperson
• Amitabh Kant, CEO
• Shri Arvind Panagariya, Vice Chairperson

RBI issues norms for branch offices by foreign entities

The Reserve Bank on 13 May said that entities from Pakistan, China, Bangladesh and four other regions will require its prior approval to establish branch office or project office in India. 

• Other countries and regions are Sri Lanka, Afghanistan,Iran and Hong Kong or Macau, RBI said while releasing guidelines for foreign entities to open a branch office (BO) or a liaison office (LO) or a project office (PO) in India. 
• Permission of RBI will also be required for opening a BO/LO/PO in Jammu and Kashmir, North East region and Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
•  The approval is also required if the applicant is a Non-Government Organisation (NGO), a Non-Profit Organisation, or a Body/ Agency/ Department of a foreign government. 
• It will also be needed if the principal business of the applicant falls in the four sectors — defence, telecom, private security and information and broadcasting.

AR Rahman becomes India’s fourth Goodwill Ambassador for Rio Games

Music composer AR Rahman accepted the Indian Olympic Association’s offer to become the Goodwill Ambassador for the Rio Olympics.

•  He becomes the fourth India’s Goodwill Ambassador for the Rio Olympics after Salman Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Abhinav Bindra. 
• There was a storm when the IOA named Salman Khan as a Goodwill Ambassador late last month.
•  Rahman is well-respected across the country and bagged an Oscar for his music in ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’
•  The Olympics this year is going to be a very significant event for India as it will send its largest ever contingent – about 90 athletes – to the Games in Rio de Janeiro beginning August 5.

President presents National Florence Nightingale awards

 President Pranab Mukherjee has presented the National Florence Nightingale Awards to thirty-five nursing personnel from across the country at Rashtrapati Bhavan on the occasion of International Nurses Day (May 12). 

• The National Florence Nightingale Awards are given by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government ofIndia as a mark of recognition for the meritorious services rendered by the nurses and nursing professionals in the country. 
• The International Nurses Day is celebrated all over the world on May 12 every year to commemorate Florence Nightingale’s birthday.

Florence Nightingale :

• Florence Nightingale, (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was a celebrated English social reformer and statistician, and the founder of modern nursing.
• She came to prominence while serving as a manager of nurses trained by her during the Crimean War, where she organised the tending to wounded soldiers.
•  She gave nursing a highly favourable reputation and became an icon of Victorian culture, especially in the persona of "The Lady with the Lamp" making rounds of wounded soldiers at night.

26th World Economic Forum on Africa inaugurated at Rawanda

 Rwanda is hosting the 26th World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF) in its capital Kigali from 11 to 13 May under the theme: Connecting Africa’s Resources through Digital Transformation. 

• The event will focus, among other things, on how to diversify economies, tackle inequality and strengthen collaborations among countries.
•  This is the first time that the WEF is being held in Rwanda, whose economy has improved dramatically since the country was rocked by a genocide against theTutsis and moderate Hutus in 1994.

World Economic Forum :

• The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva.
•  Recognized by the Swiss authorities  as the international institution for public-private cooperation, its mission is cited as "committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry agendas"

UP Government approves ‘bicycle highway’ between Taj and lion safari

Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has given its approval to develop over 197 km long ‘bicycle highway’ from Agra up to the lion safari in Etawah to encourage eco-tourism in vicinity of Taj Mahal.

•  Decision in this regard was taken by State Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. 
• The bicycle highway will not run along the Agra-Etawah main road but will cover various historical and tourism centres.
•  It will start from eastern gate of the Taj Mahal and will cover other historical areas such as Bateshwarnath Temple, Raja Bhoj ki Haveli, Mela Kothi Jarar, and Naugava ka Quila and other rural areas to reach lion safari in Etawah.

Taj Mahal :

• The Taj Mahal  is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra.
•  It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
•  The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Shashank Manohar elected unopposed as ICC’s first independent Chairman

 Veteran cricket administrator Shashank Manohar was elected unopposed as ICC’s (International Cricket Council) first independent Chairman.

•  He was the sole nominee for the position and the ICC Board has now unanimously supported his appointment. 
• He will have tenure of two years.
•  ICC the international governing body of cricket is head-quarterd at Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

MP Tourism wins Lonely Planet’s Best Indian Destination for Wildlife Award

The Madhya Pradesh Tourism (MPT) won the Lonely Planet Group’s Best Indian Destination for Wildlife Award. 

• The award was handed over to MPT at a function in Mumbai by actress Amy Jackson. 
• Madhya Pradesh located in Central India has 25 wild life sanctuaries including 9 National Parks. 
• Among them Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench are ideal habitat for tigers. 

Rodrigo Duterte wins 2016 Philippines Presidential Election

Anti-crime candidate and mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte has won the 2016 presidential election of the Philippines by a landslide victory.

•  He will become the 16th President-elect of Philippines.
•  In the Presidential election held on 9 May 2016, Rodrigo Duterte secured 39% (15.36 million) of the votes.

Philippines :

1. Capital - Manila
2. Currency- Philippine peso

Sanjay Mitra committee to prepare policy framework for taxi operators

 The Union Government has constituted a three member committee to prepare a policy framework for taxi and other transport operators. 

• The committee will be headed by Sanjay Mitra, Secretary of Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways. The committee was constituted after taxi and other transport operators had appraised the situation emerging from Supreme Court’s order and directions of Environment Pollution Control Authority of banning diesel taxis in the National Capital Region (NCR).
•  It will look into these issues and come up with appropriate recommendations to address the same in a time bound manner.

Mauritius investors to be taxed from Apr 2017

 The government has gained the right to tax capital gains arising in Mauritius from sale of shares acquired on or after April 1, 2017, in Indian companies.

•  India and Mauritius signed a protocol for amendment of a three-decade-old double taxation avoidance agreement. 
• The agreement was signed in Port Louis.

May 11: National Technology Day

National Technology Day is being observed across India on May 11 to glorify the importance of science in day-to-day life and motivate students to adopt science as a career option. 

• The theme of the year 2016 is ‘Technology enablers of Startup India’. 
• The day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan. 
• India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.

Veteran leader Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao passes away

 Veteran Communist leader and five-time-MLA Chennamaneni Rajeswara Rao died at a hospital in Hyderabad, following illness. 

• He was 93 and is survived by three daughters and a son Ch. Ramesh, who is the TRS MLA from Vemulawada constituency in Karimnagar district.

Shashank Manohar resigns as BCCI president

 Shashank Manohar has resigned as the president of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the chairman of International Cricket Council (ICC).

•  The move has come in anticipation of Mr. Manohar set to be re-nominated as ICC chief during the governing body’s annual board meeting scheduled for next month. 
• However, with the ICC set to revert to its old rule of not allowing its chief to hold a post in his/her home board, Mr. Manohar has stepped down. 
• The deadline for filing the nomination for the ICC chief’s post is May 23.
•  The BCCI will have to propose Mr. Manohar as its ICC presidential candidate.

Atma Ram Nadkarni appointed as Additional Solicitor General

Senior advocate of Bombay High Court Atma Ram Nadkarni on 9 May 2016 was appointed as Additional Solicitor General (ASG). 

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Nadkarni as Additional Solicitor General in Supreme Court for a period of three years.

Scientist develops World’s first holographic flexible phone

Scientists from the Queen’s University (Canada) have developed the world’s first holographic flexible smartphone named HoloFlex. 

• The HoloFlex smartphone lets users to interact with 3D (Three dimensional) videos and images without using any headgear or glasses.
•  HoloFlex features is a high-definition Flexible Organic Light Emitting Diode (FOLED) touch-screen display.

Parliament Passes Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016

 Parliament has passed the Anti-Hijacking Bill, 2016 to widen ambit of law dealing with this anti-hijacking crime.

•  The Bill was first passed in the Rajya Sabha and later in the Lok Sabha in May 2016. 
• Now the Bill will go for Presidential assent as per Article 111 of Indian Constitution. 
• The Bill provides for the death penalty for hijackers even if ground airport personnel and handling staff are killed during such acts.

Web-based application on Integrated Waste Management System launched

The Ministry of Environment and Forests on 9 May 2016 launched a web-based application on Integrated Waste Management System (IWMS).

• The system’s web address is www.iwms.nic.in. 
• The user-friendly application is capable of tracking the movement of hazardous waste.
• Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change - Prakash Javadekar

RBI to issue Rs 1000 banknotes with inset letter ‘R

 The Reserve Bank of India will shortly issue Rs 1000 denomination banknotes in the Mahatma Gandhi Series-2005 with the inset letter ‘R’ in both the number panels. 

• The banknotes will also have on the obverse, all the other security features, including ascending size of numerals, bleed lines and enlarged identification mark as well as the signature of Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan, Governor, Reserve Bank of India. 
• These banknotes will also have the year of printing ‘2016’ printed on the reverse.

Govt allows 100% ‘automatic’ FDI in ARCs

The Centre has allowed 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) under the automatic route. 

• So far, foreign investment was automatic only up to 49 per cent; beyond that government approval was needed. 
• FII/FPIs have been permitted to invest up to 100 per cent of each tranche in security receipts issued by ARCs, subject to RBI directions/guidelines. 
• Allowing 100 per cent FDI would come as big boost for companies which are struggling for funds, as banks refuse to give steep discounts on stressed assets and the ARCs have to make upfront payment of 15 per cent of the cost of the asset.

Nagaland’s SMS-based Vehicle Monitoring Service bags award

The SMS-based Vehicle Monitoring System of Nagaland police has bagged the National Award for Smart Policing instituted by Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). 

• The award for the Best Practice in the category of Road Safety and Traffic Management was presented to Nagaland Police by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary at a function in New Delhi. 

Sadiq Khan elected first Muslim Mayor of London

 

Sadiq Khan became London’s first Muslim mayor, as voters rejected attempts to taint him with links to extremism and handed a decisive victory to the bus driver’s son from south London.

•  Khan hailed his victory as the triumph of “hope over fear and unity over division.” Labour Party candidate Khan received more than 1.3 million votes – 57 per cent of the total – to Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith’s 43 per cent, after voters’ first and second preferences were allocated.

President Mukherjee presents gallantry awards to defence personnel

President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Gallantry Awards and the Distinguished Service Decorations to defence personnel and martyrs posthumously at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

•  Sepoy Jagdish Chand who made the supreme sacrifice during terror attack at Pathankot Air Base was awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously. 
• Subedar Mahendra Singh who displayed exemplary leadership despite grievous injury was also awarded Kirti Chakra. 

Indian Railways launches Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims

 

Indian Railways has launched the Bharat Darshan Tourist train for pilgrims to visit Shirdi, Tirupati, Jagannath Puri, Gangasagar, Baidyanath Dham and Jyotirlingams among others. 

• The tourist train comprises 10 coaches and bookings are being done by IRCTC (Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation).
•  The service offers budget-friendly package for pilgrims.
•  The package includes train journey, road transportation, accommodation, sightseeing at tourist locations and onboard and off-board meals.

Atomic oxygen detected in Martian atmosphere

Scientists have detected atomic oxygen in the atmosphere of Mars for the first time since the last observation 40 years ago. 

• It was detected using an instrument on-board the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). 
• The detected atomic oxygen was found in the upper layers of the Martian atmosphere known as the mesosphere.
•  It was detected by using the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT), an advanced detector on one of the observatory’s instruments. 

UN launches Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Zika virus response

 

The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak. 

• The fund was launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the UN Headquarters in New York, United States.
•  It aims to provide a rapid, flexible and accountable platform to support a coordinated response from the UN system and partners.
•  It will directly support the Zika Strategic Response Framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in consultation with UN agencies, partners and international epidemiological experts.

Single emergency number ‘112’ to be operational throughout India from January 1, 2017

 

The single emergency number ‘112’ will be operational throughout India from January 1, 2017 to help people reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire department. 

• In this regard, Union Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad approved the provision of a single number for various emergency services. 
• The single emergency number will be similar to the ‘911’ all-in-one emergency service in the United States and 999 of United Kingdom (UK). 
• It will be accessible even through those SIMs and landlines whose outgoing call facility has been stopped or temporarily suspended. 
• A person in distress will need to call only 112, which will direct the call to concerned departments immediately for help.

Mickey Arthur appointed as Pakistan cricket team’s head coach

Former South African cricketer Mickey Arthur has been appointed as Pakistan cricket team’s head coach.

•  It was announced by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 
• With this appointment he fills the role vacated by Waqar Younis’ resignation in April 2016 following Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup.

Pakistan wins 2016 Asia Kabaddi Championship Cup

Pakistan has won the third edition of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2016 (Circle Style) by defeating India.

•  In the final match held at Pakistan Ordinance Factory Sports Complex in Wah Cantonment, Pakistan (defending champion) defeated India by 50-31 points.
•  This is Pakistan’s second successive win in the Asian Kabaddi title as they had won it in 2012.

Asia Kabaddi Cup :

• Kabaddi is a contact sport that originated in ancient India,
• Kabaddi originated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, where it is derived from group hunting and village defense.
• The Asia Kabaddi Cup has been held twice in consecutive years.

Somnath Ghosh named as next Ambassador to Tajikistan

 Somnath Ghosh has been named as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Tajikistan.

•  Presently he is serving as Ambassador of India to Mangolia. 
• He will succeed Biraja Prasad who passed away in February this year.

Tajikistan :

• Capital: Dushanbe
• Currency- Somoni 
•  President - Imomali Rakhmon
• Prime minister: Kokhir Rasulzoda

Shashi Kapoor’s Biography ‘Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star’ releases

Veteran actor Shashi Kapoor’s autobiography titled ‘Shashi Kapoor – the Householder, the Star’ was released recently. 

• The biography has been authored by film journalist Aseem Chhabra and with foreword by Karan Johar.
•  It unveils the chapters of actor’s personal and professional life.

About Shashi Kapoor :

•  Born as Balbir Raj Prithviraj Kapoor on March 18, 1938 in Kolkata, West Bengal.

China Bug Declared World’s Longest Insect

A bug over half a meter (1.6 feet) long discovered in southern China has been declared the world’s longest insect.

•  A stick insect measuring 62.4 centimeters (24.6 inches) found two years ago in the southern province of Guangxi has broken the record for length among the world’s 807,625 known insects. 
• The previous record-holder was a Malaysian 56.7-centimeter-long (22.3 inches) stick insect discovered in 2008 and now on display in London’s Natural History Museum.

Enda Kenny wins second term as Ireland’s prime minister

 Enda Kenny has been re-elected as prime minister of Ireland after 10 weeks of deadlock that followed an inconclusive general election in February. 

• Kenny is the first Fine Gael PM to win re-election in Irish history, though his triumph is marred by a minority administration that is propped up by independent MPs and, more crucially, by Fianna Fáil.
•  The party, which will remain on the opposition benches, has agreed to support the Fine Gael government for a period of two years in an unprecedented political ceasefire between the rivals.
• Kenny received 59 votes, with 49 against, in the 158-member parliament – by far the fewest votes ever received for a winning premier in Ireland.

IDBI Bank opens IFSC Banking Unit at GIFT City

Public sector lender, IDBI Bank announced opening of its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at India’s first and only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance Tec – City (GIFT) near Gandhinagar.

• The bank informed that it became the first Public Sector bank to start functions in GIFT-IFSC. 
• The IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) allows IDBI Bank to deliver a complete range of products to its clients with foreign currency funding requirements.

Musician Angélique Kidjo honoured with Amnesty International Award

 World-renowned musician Angélique Kidjo and three inspirational African youth activist movements have been declared this year’s joint winners of the prestigious Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2016.

•  The award will be shared between Benin-born artist Angélique Kidjo, one of world’s most successful African singer-songwriters, and the activist groups Y’en a marre from Senegal, le Balai Citoyen from Burkina Faso and Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA) from DRC. 
• All will be honoured at the awards ceremony in Dakar, Senegal, on 28 May.

Projects worth Rs. 2446 Crore approved under Namami Gange Programme

Giving a major fillip to Namami Gange programme the Empowered Steering Committee (ESC) of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) has approved projects for Development of Ghats and crematoria in the stretch from Haridwar to Uttarakhand Border in Uttarakhand, Garhmukteshwar in UP, Buxar, Hajipur and Sonepur of Bihar, Sahibganj, Rajmahal and Kanhaiya Ghat of Jharkhand and Delhi and afforestation along the banks of river Ganga. 

• The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs. 2446 crore. 

Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba appointed as Chief of the Naval Staff

 Vice Admiral Sunil Lanba has been appointed as next Chief of the Naval Staff. 

• He will be 23rd chief of Indian Navy and 21st as an Indian. 
• He will assume the charge on 31 May 2016 and shall have full three-year-term in office till 31 May 2019.
•  He will succeed incumbent Navy Chief Admiral Robin K. Dhowan, who will superannuate from the post on 31 May 2016.

SBI launches card-less payment solution for offline transactions

 

State Bank of India, the country’s largest public sector bank, has launched a mobile payment solution that will enable customers to make digital payments at offline stores by scanning a QR (quick response) code on their smartphones.

•  The service has been launched in Bengaluru with a sizable number of merchants and will soon expand into other cities. 
• Dubbed mVisa, the solution is a card-less way for customers to pay for goods at offline stores, and will be available to all SBI credit card, debit card and net banking users. 
• The solution which is bank agnostic will be accessible to customers through the company’s SBI Anywhere app.

Kotak Mahindra Bank opens IFSC banking unit at GIFT City

Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd became the fourth bank to open its IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) at India’s first and only International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) City.

• The private sector banking and financial major offers a range of financial services, including transaction banking.
•  At IBU, the bank expects a balance sheet of $one billion in the next three years.

Scientists win $3 million for detecting Einstein’s waves

Researchers who helped detect gravitational waves for the first time, confirming part of Albert Einstein’s theory in a landmark moment in scientific history, will share a $3 million Special Breakthrough Prize, according to the prize’s selection committee.

•  The Breakthrough Prizes for scientific achievements were created by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner along with several technology pioneers, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google co-founder Sergey Brin. 

President Pranab Mukherjee confers 2015-16 Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards

 President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred the 15th set of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards in New Delhi.

•  The awards were bestowed upon the companies from various sectors of exports during the year 2015-16. 
• It also covered service providers, banks, and various facilitating agencies which are promoting exports.
•  Besides, President also unveiled the new Logo of FIEO representing growth, vibrancy, innovation and entrepreneurship on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of FIEO.
•  FIEO was established in 1965 under the aegis of Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

 Award recipients :

• Reliance Industry: It was awarded as the top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years. 
• Tata Consultancy Services (TCS): It won the Gold Award in IT services. 
• State Bank of India (SBI): It won the Gold award among the supporting institutions.

Andhra Pradesh Harita-Priya Agriculture Project wins 2016 WSIS Prize

Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Project  has won the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 2016 prize in the e-Agriculture category. 

• Harita-Priya (Harmonized Information of Agriculture, Revenue and Irrigation for a Transformation Agenda – Precision Technology for Agriculture) Project is meant to collect very specific climate data from farms and give farmers personalised information through SMS. 

About  Harita-Priya Agriculture Project :

• The Harita-Priya Project uses wireless sensor networks to collect micro-climatic information from farms. 
• The data is used to create advisories and alerts on irrigation schedules and pests and plant diseases.
•  Based on this state agriculture officers disseminate personalised crop advisories in Telugu language to farmers by way of SMS. 
• The Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) in Hyderabad has developed the project and is having a pilot run in Anantpur district.
•  Andhra Pradesh government, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) station and Acharya N G Ranga Agricultural University also have partnered for the project.

Radha Binod Barman took over as Chairperson of National Statistical Commission

Renowned statistician Dr Radha Binod Barman took over as the part-time Chairperson in the National Statistical Commission (NSC).

•  Besides, Professor Rahul Mukherjee, Professor S. Mahendra Dev, Dr Rajiv Mehta and Dr Manoj Panda also took over as other part-time members of the commission.

 About National Statistical Commission:

•  The Commission is an advisory body on all statistical matters, set up to enhance public trust in official statistics.
•  It was established in 2006 based on the recommendation of C. Rangarajan Commission to reduce problems faced by statistical agencies in the country in relation to collection of data.
•  The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog is the ex-officio Member in the Commission.

Union Cabinet approves India-UAE currency swap agreement

The Union Cabinet has given its ex-post facto approval for the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Central Bank of United Arab Emirates (UAE) on co-operation concerning currency swap agreement.

•  Decision in this regard was taken at the Union Cabinet Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. 
• The Agreement was signed in February, 2016 during the official state visit of Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India.

About the Agreement :

• The MoU commits that RBI and Central Bank of UAE will consider signing a bilateral Currency Swap Agreement on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
•  The agreement will be signed after undertaking technical deliberations, subject to the concurrence of respective Governments. 
• The MoU will help to further strengthen the close economic cooperation and relationship between India and UAE. 
• The swap agreement is also expected to facilitate invoicing of bilateral trade in local currencies. 

President Pranab Mukherjee presents 63rd National Film Awards 2015

President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred 63rd National Film Awards for the year 2015 in various categories at the function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

•  Legendry actor Manoj Kumar was conferred 2015 Dada Saheb Phalke Award, highest official recognition (award) in Indian cinema.
•  Baahubali: The Beginning (Tamil, Telugu film) directed by S. S. Rajamouli was bestowed with the Best feature film award.
•  Bajrangi Bhaijaan (Hindi) directed by Kabir Khan was awarded as the Best Popular film providing wholesome entertainment. 

The 63rd National Film Awards in the various categories :

•  Best Actor: Amitabh Bachchan (Piku).
•  Best Actress: Kangana Ranaut (Tanu Weds Manu Returns).
•  Best Direction: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastani). 
• Best Film on Social Issues: Niranayakam (Malayalam) directed by V. K. Prakash.
•  Best Supporting Actor: Samuthirakani for the film Visaranai (Tamil). 

Gujarat conferred with 'Most Film Friendly State' award

Gujarat has emerged as the "Most Film Friendly State" in the country at 63rd National Film Awards in New Delhi.

• Gujarat tourism was conferred with the national award for "Most Film Friendly State".
• Notably, Gujarat has become the first state ever to have received such an award, which is specially conceived to promote film tourism in States.
• The award was received by Jayesh Radadia, Minister of State for Tourism, Government of Gujarat, from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.
• Gujarat tourism is playing the role of a nodal agency to develop film tourism in the state of Gujarat. 

Gujarat :

Capital -Gandhinagar

Districts- 33

Government

 • Governor- Om Prakash Kohli

 • Chief Minister- Anandiben Patel

 • Legislature- Unicameral (182 seats)

 • Parliamentary constituency- 26