SSC Junior Engineer Exam General Awarenss

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SSC JUNIOR ENGINEER Exam

GENERAL AWARENSS
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HISTORY Page: 1
SSC Junior Engineer Exam

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ANCIENT INDIA
The discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa by British archaeologist: Marshall proved that Indian civilization
is the oldest civilization in the world. Even India came before Greece, considered the oldest civilization before
the discovery of Mohenjodaro and Harappa. The main features of Ancient Indian History are as follows:
Indus Valley Civilization

Discovery: In 1921, R.B. Dayaram Sahani, first discovered Harappa, in the Montgomery district of the
Punjab. According to radio-carbon dating, it spread from the year 2350-1750.
Dr. R. D. Banerjee found the ancient city Mohenjodaro (literally, ‘city of the dead’) in Larkana district of Sindh, now in Pakistan in
1922.
The Marvelous Town Planning of Mohenjodaro: A chief feature of Mohenjodaro is its superb town
planning. The streets, which divided the city into neat rectangular or square blocks, varied in width but always
intersected each other at right angles. The city had an elaborate drainage system, consisting of horizontal and
vertical drains, street drains and so on. The architecture of the buildings was clearly intended to be functional
and minimalist, and certainly not to please the aesthete. Mohenjodaro was obviously a cosmopolitan city, with
people of different races mingling with the local populace-Proto-Austroloid, Mediterranean, Alpine and
Mongoloid.
The Vedic Period (1500 Bc-600 Bc)

Initially, Aryans settled in the area of Sapt-Sindhu, which included Punjab, Kashmir, Sindh, Kabul and
Gandhara (Kandhar). The chief sources of this period are The Vedas and the Epics, the Mahabharata and the
Ramayana, which through their stories and hymns tell us about the expansion of the Aryans. The epic
Ramayana is a symbolic tale which tells of the Aryan expansion to the south-the good, almost godly, aryaputra
(an Aryan’s son) king Rama surging forth to finish off the evil Dasyu (that was what the Aryans called the
natives) Ravana.
No Rigidity in Caste System

The caste system was a loose social system where people could move up and down the social scale.
Aryan’s worshipped nature gods-they prayed to the Usha (Dawn), Prajapati (The Creator), Rudra (Thunder),
Indra (Rain), Surya (Sun) and so on. These gods and goddesses were appeased by prayers and sacrifices. The
status of woman declined.
There are 6 school of Indian philosophy known as Shad-Darshans.
Darshana Founder
(1) Sankhya Kapila
(2) Yoga Patanjali
(3) Nyaya Gautama
(4) Vaishesika Kanada
(5) Mimanra Jaimini
(6) Vedant/Uttara mimaura Badarayana
The earliest reference to the 4 Ashramas - Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanprastha and Sanyara
in found in teh Jabala Upanishad. Page: 2

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Buddhism
Buddhism founded by Gautam Budha or Siddhartha.
• The Buddha also known is Sakyamuni or Tathagata.
• Born in 563 BC on the Vaishakha Poornima day at Lumbini (near Kapilavastu), in Nepal
• His father Suddhodana was the Shakya/Sakya ruler
• His mother (Mahamaya, of Kosala dynasty) died after 7 days of his birth, brought up by stepmother
Gautami.
• Married at the age of 10 to Yoshodhara. Enjoyed the married life for 3 years and had a son named Rahul.
• After seeing an old man, a sick man, a corpse and an ascetic, he decided to become a wanderer.
• Left his palace at the age of 29 in search of truth (also called Mahabhinishkramana’ or the Cheat
renunciation) and wandered for 6 years.
• Attained ‘Enlightenment’ at Gaya in Magadha (Bihar) under the Pipal tree.
• Delivered the first sermon at Samath where his five disciples had settled. His first Sermon is called
‘Dharmachakra Privartana’ or ‘Turning of the wheel of Law’.
• Attained Mahaparinirvana at Kushinagar (identical with village Kasia in Deoria district of UP), in 483 BC at
the age of 80 In the Malla republic.
Buddhist Councils
First Council: At Rajgriha, in 483 BC under the Chairmanship of Mehakassaapa (king was Ajatshatru).
Divided the teachings of Buddha in to two Pitakas- Vinaya Pitaka and Sutta Pitaka.
Second Council: At Vaisahali, in 383 BC under Sabakami (King was Kalarouka), followers divided into
Sthavirmadins and Mahasanghikas.
Third Council: At Pataliputra, in 250 BC under Magaliputa Tissa (King was Ashoka) In this, the third part of
the Tripitaka was coded in the Pali language.
Fourth Council: At Kashmir (Kundalvan) in 72 AD under Vasumitra (King was Kanishka, Vice-Chairman
was ashwaghosha), divided Buddhism into Mahayana and Hinayana sects.
Buddist Literature: In Pali language.
Vinaya Pitaka: Rules of discipline in the Buddhist monasteries.
Sutta Pitaka: Largest, contains collection of Buddha’s sermons.
Abhidhamma Pitaka: Explanation of the philosophical principles of the Buddhist religion.
Buddhist architecture development in three forms.
(i) Stupa - relics at the Buddha or same prominent Buddhist marks are preserval.
(ii) Chaita - prayer Hall
(iii) Vihara - reridence
Jainism
• There were 24 Tirthankaras (Prophets or Gurus), all Kashtriyas. First was Rishabhnath (Emblem: Bull).
• The 23rd Tirthankar Parashwanath (Emblem: Snake) was the son of King Ashvasena of
Banaras. Page: 3

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• The 24th and last Tirthankar was Vardhman Mahavira (Emblem: Lion). He was born in kundagram (Distt
Muzaffarpur, Bihar) in 599 BC.
• His father Siddhartha was the head of Jnatrika Clan.
• His mother was Trishla, sister of Lichchavi prince. Chetak of Vaishali.
• Mahavira was related to Bimbisara.
• Married to Yashoda, had a daughter named Priyadarsena, whose husband Jamali became his first disciple.
• At the age of 30, after the death of his parents, he became an ascetic.
• In the 13th year of his asceticism (on the 10th of Vaishakha), outside the town of Jrimbhikgrama, he attained
supreme knowledge (kaivalya).
• From now on he was called Jaina or Jitendriya and Mahavira, and his followers were named Jains. He also
got the title of Arihant, i.e., worthy.
• At the age of 72, he attained death of Pava, near Patna, in 527 Bc.
• Mahavira preached almost the same message as Parshvanath and added one more, Brahmcharya
(celibacy) to it.
• Five vows of Janism are
• Ahimsa ( non-jury)
• Satya (non-lying)
• Asteya (non-stealing)
• Aparigraha (non-possession)
• Brahmacharya (chasty)
India was divided into sixteen states as ‘Mahajanapadas’ just before the rise at Buddhism in India. The 16
states are
1. Anga 2. Magadha
3. Kasi 4. Kosala
5. Vijji 6. Malla
7. Chedi 8. Vansal/Vatsa
9. Kuru 10. Panchala
11. Matsya 12. Suresena
13. Assaka 14. Avanti
15. Gandhara 16. Kamboja
Vardhana Dynasty
The final important ruler of Ancient Indian history was Harsha Vardhana (606-646 AD), who ruled not from
Magadha but Thanesar (in modern Haryana area) of the Vardhana dynasty. He was a Buddhist and convened
many Buddhist assemblies. The second Chinese traveller to come to India, Huien Tsang, arrived during his
reign. The south presented a medley of dynasties around the time of Harsha Vardhana. There were the Pandyas
(in regions of Mudurai, Travancore and Tinnevelly), the Chalukyas (in present Maharashtra region) and Pallavas
(in modem Tamil Nadu region), who had this terrific battle of supremacy going constantly. Pulakesan H (610-
642AD) was the ablest of the Chalukyan kings and for a time managed to keep the Chalukyan flag
flying above the others. Page: 4

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Other Dynasties
The Most Powerful Cholas

The most important dynasty to rise out of the southern India was Cholas. Unlike other dynasties (the
Chalukyas, the Pallavas, the Pandvas or the Rashtrakutas), their origins are not traced from outside, but very
much from the south itself. The Deccan region was at this time in much turmoil.
The Cholas managed with sheer tenacity over a period of 300 years from 900-1100 AD. This period saw the
final settling down and consolidation of Tamil culture. In whatever sphere-whether of social institutions, religion,
fine arts, music, dance, jewellery, the standards that were set during this period came to be regarded as
classical, and dominate, in a modified form, much of the living patterns of south Indians even today. This period
also saw the spread of this culture overseas to Southeast Asia, regions with whom the Cholas had strong
political and economic relations.
The Cholas came to power in the middle of the 9th century AD. The first ruler was Rajaraja Chola I (985-
1014 AD) and his son and successor Rajendra Chola (1014-1035AD). Both father and son put their heads down
and campaigned in almost every direction. The Cholas had an effective navy and Rajaraja, with a view to control
this trade route completely, led an attack to the Maldive Islands too. Rajendra I, ruled together with father for two
years before going solo in 1014 AD. He aggressively continued his father’s imperialist policies with the
annexation of the region around modem Hyderabad, which was controlled by the Chalukyas at that time. He also
turned his attention northwards where he reached right upto the Ganges valley, Orissa and west Bengal areas.
Rajendra Chola I was killed in 1052 AD, in battle against his old foes, the Chalukyas.
Ascent of Rajput Power

The timed the fading away of Harsha Vardhana (606-646 AD) and with it the Vardhana might and the rise of
Islamic power in India was occupied with the ascent of Rajput power. This, however, wap a very short-lived
period, mainly due to the in-fighting among the fiercely divided Rajputs. As can be imagined, India under the
Rajputs was not exactly what one could call a single and completely unified unit. Delhi and Ajmer, under the
Chauhans, were the most powerful states of this period. However, the first Rajputs to hit Delhi were the
Tomaras. One of the earliest Tomara rulers to settle in Delhi. Their rule was pretty, short-lived, though, and soon
the Chauhan Rajputs under the generalship of Prithviraj Chauhan seized control of Lal Kot-Quila Rai Pithora in
the 12th century. There were other states where Rajputs were gaining prominence. Like Kanauj (in present Uttar
Pradesh) where in this period ruled Jaichand, a Rathore (another Rajput family) ruler, who was a bitter rival of
Prithviraj Chauhan. In Bundelkhand (in Madhya Pradesh), the Chandravansi (of the moon family) Chandelas
were ruling.
Malwa and Gujarat were under the Paramaras (the most important ruler was king Bhoj) and Chaulukyas
(who are supposed to descendants of the Chalukyas) respectively. This was a very troubled time in Indian
history. There was no clear central authority in sight and each petty ruler was daring to dream the mad dream of
ruling all over the country-which at that point in time meant basically the Gangetic plains and the Deccan.
This is the main reason why no ruler was able to hold Delhi long enough to establish a kingdom here, and
also the principle reason why the Arabs and Turks did not exactly have to sweat to the bone to stamp their ority
all over them.
MEDIEVAL INDIA
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The Sultanate of Delhi

(1206 Ad-1526 Ad)
Mohammad Ghori invaded India & laid the foundation of the Muslim dominion in India. He may be
considered the ‘found of Muslim rule’ in India.
The Slave Dynasty (1206-90)

He was a Turkish slave by origin, he was powerhard by Mohammad Ghori who later made him his
Governer. After the death of Ghori, Aibak founded the slave Dyanrty in 1206.
He caustructed ‘Ahai din ka Jopra’ at Ajmer. He also began the construction of Qutub Minar. His successor
Iltutmish (1211 to 1235 AD) completed the construciton of Qutub Minar slave dynarty is also famous for having
given Indian its first woman ruler.
Rajia was succeeded by his brother Bahram Shah. Another important rular of slave dynasty was Balbau
who introduced ‘Sajda & Paibor’ as the normal forms of salutation.
The Khilji Dynasty (1209-1320 AD)

Jalaludin Khilji founded the Khilji Dynarty. Another important rules was Alaudin Khilji- Amir Khusrau was his
favourite court poet.
The Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1414 AD)

Important rules was:- Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, Mohammad-bin-Tughlq, Firoz Shah Tughalaq.
The Lodhi Dynasty (1451-1526 AD)

Bahlol Lodhi founded teh lodhi Dynasty. Sikandar Lodhi shifted his capital from Dehli to Agra, a city founded
by him. Ibrahim Lodhi was the least king at teh Lodhi Dynasty.
The Mughal Dynasty

MODERN INDIAN HISTORY
INDIAN HISTORY:
IMPORTANT DATES
I. ANCIENT
BC
2300–1750 Indus Valley Civilization.
From 1500 Coming of the Aryans.
1200–800 Expansion of the Aryans in the Ganga Valley.
600 Age of the 16 Mahajanapadas of northern India.
563–483 Buddha’s Life-span. Page: 6

Study Materials
540–468 Mahavir’s Life-span.

362–321 Nanda dynasty.
327–326 Alexander’s invasion of India. It opened a land route between India and Europe.
322 Accession of Chandragupta Maurya.
305 Defeat of Seleucus at the hands of Chandragupta Maurya.
273–232 Ashoka’s reign.
261 Conquest of Kalinga.
145–101 Regin of Elara, the Chola king of Sri Lanka.
58 Beginning of Vikram era.
AD
78 Beginning of Saka era.
78-101 Kanishka’s reign.
319–320 Commencement of Gupta era.
380 Accession of Chandragupta II ‘Vikramaditya’
405–411 Visit of Chinese traveller Fahien.
415 Accession of Kumargupta I.
455 Accession of Skandagupta.
606–647 Harshavardhan’s reign.
II. MEDIEVAL
712 First invasion in Sindh by Arabs (Mohd. Bin Qasim).
836 Accession of King Bhoja of Kannauj.
985 Accession of Rajaraja, the Chola ruler.
998 Accession of Sultan Mahmud Ghazni.
1001 First invasion of India by Mahmud Ghazni who defeated Jaipal, ruler of Punjab.
1025 Destruction of Somnath Temple by Mahmud Ghazni.
1191 First battle of Tarain.
1192 Second battle of Tarain.
1206 Accession of Qutubuddin Aibak to the throne of Delhi.
1210 Death of Qutubuddin Aibak.
1221 Chengiz Khan invaded India (Mongol invasion).
1236 Accession of Razia Sultana to the throne of Delhi.
1240 Death of Razia Sultana.
1296 Accession of Alauddin Khilji.
1316 Death of Alauddin Khilji.
1325 Accession of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq.
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1327 Transfer of capital from Delhi to Devagiri (Daulatabad) in Deccan by the Muhammad-in-Tughlaq.
1336 Foundation of Vijaynagar empire in the South.
1351 Accession of Firoz Shah Tughlaq.
1398 Timur’s invasion of India.
1469 Birth of Guru Nanak.
1494 Accession of Babur in Farghana.
1497–98 First voyage of Vasco di Gama to India (discovery of sea route to India via the Cape of Good
Hope)
1526 First Battle of Panipat; Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodhi; foundation of Mughal dynasty by Babur.
1527 Battle of Khanwa-Babur defeated Rana Sanga.
1530 Death of Babur and accession of Humayun.
1539 Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun in the battle of Chausa and became India’s emperor.
1555 Humayun recaptured the throne of Delhi.
1556 Second Battle of Panipat (Bairam Khan defeated Hemu).
1556 Battle of Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi).
1576 Battle of Haldighati-Rana Pratap was defeated by Akbar.
1582 Din-i-Ilahi founded by Akbar.
1600 English East India Company established.
1605 Death of Akbar and accession of Jahangir.
1606 Execution of Guru Arjun Dev, the 5th Guru of Sikhs.
1611 Jahangir marries Nurjahan.
1615 Sir Thomas Roe visits Jahangir.
1627 Birth of Shivaji and death of Jahangir.
1628 Shahjahan becomes emperor of India.
1631 Death of Mumtazmahal.
1634 The English permitted to trade in India (in Bengal).
1659 Accession of Aurangzeb, Shahjahan imprisoned.
1665 Shivaji imprisoned by Aurangzeb.
1666 Death of Shahjahan.
1675 Execution of Guru Teg Bahadur, the 9th Guru of Sikhs.
1680 Death of Shivaji.
1707 Death of Aurangzeb.
1708 Death of Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Guru of Sikhs.
1739 Nadir Shah invades India.
1757 Battle of Plassey, establishment of British political rule in India at the hands of Lord Clive.
1761 Third battle of Panipat.
III. MODERN
Page: 8

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1764 Battle of Buxar.

1765 Clive appointed Company’s Governor in India.
1767–69 First Angle-Mysore War.
1780 Birth of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
1780-84 Second Anglo-Mysore War.
1784 Pitt’s India Act.
1790-92 Third Anglo-Mysore War.
1793 The Permanent Settlement of Bengal.
1799 Fourth Anglo-Mysore War;Death of Tipu Sultan.
1802 Treaty of Bassein.
1809 Treaty of Amritsar.
1829 Practice of Sati prohibited.
1830 Raja Rammohan Roy visits England.
1833 Death of Raja Rammohan Roy at Bristol, England.
1839 Death of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
1839–42 First Anglo-Afghan War.
1845–46 First Anglo-Sikh War.
1852 Second Anglo-Burmese War.
1853 First Railway line opened between Bombay and Thane and a Telegraph line in Calcutta.
1857 The Sepoy Mutiny or First War of Independence.
1861 Birth of Rabindranath Tagore.
1869 Birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
1885 Foundation of Indian National Congress.
1889 Birth of Jawaharlal Nehru.
1897 Birth of Subhash Chandra Bose.
1903 Tibet Expedition.
1905 Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon.
1906 Foundation of Muslim League.
1911 Delhi Darbar, King George V and Queen visit India; Delhi becomes the capital of India.
1914 World War I begins.
1916 Lucknow Pact signed by Muslim League and Congress, Foundation of BHU, Home Rule League
founded.
1918 World War I ends.
1919 Montague-Chelmsford Reforms introduced, Jallianwala Bagh massacre at Amritsar.
1920 Khilafat Movement launched, first meeting of All-India Trade Union Congress, Hunter Commission
Report on Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Published First Non-cooperation movement launched by
Gandhi.
1922 Violent incidents at Chaura Chauri Gandhi calls of Non-cooperation movement.
1925 Communist Party of India organised at Kanpur. Page: 9

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1927 Boycott of Simon Commission, Broadcasting started in India.

1928 Death of Lala Lajpat Rai, Nehru Report.
1929 Resolution of ‘Poorna Swaraj’ (complete independence) passed at Lahore Session of INC.
1930 Civil disobedience movement launched, Dandhi March by Mahatma Gandhi (April 6, 1930) First
round table conference held in London.
1931 Gandhi-Irwin Pact, Civil Disobedience movement suspended Second round table conference
held.
1932 MacDonald announces communal award (modified by Poona Pact, September 24).
1935 Government of India Act.
1937 Provincial Autonomy, Congress forms ministries.
1938 All India Kishan Sabha formed.
1939 World War II begins (September 3), Resignation of Congress Ministries in Provinces.
1941 Escape of Subhash Chandra Bose from India and death of Rabindranath Tagore.
1942 Arrival of Cripps Mission in India, Quit India movement launched (August 8).
1943–44 SC Bose forms Provisional Government of Free India and Indian National Army in Singapore;
Bengal famine.
1945 Trial of Indian National Army at Red Fort, Shimla Conference; World War II ends.
1946 British Cabinet Mission visits India; Interim government formed at the Centre. The Muslim league
decides on “Direct Action” for winning Pakistan.
1947 Division of India; India and Pakistan form separate independent dominions.
Important National Activities

During Modern India
The Indian National Congress

• Formed in 1885 by A.O. Hume, an Englishman and a retired civil servant.
• First session in Bombay under W.C. Banerjee in 1885 (72 delegates attended it).
• In the first two decades (1885-1905), quite moderate in its approach and confined in British justice and
generosity.
• But the repressive measures of the British gave rise to extremists within Congress like Bipin Chandra Pal,
Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai (Lal, Bal, Pal).
Partition of Bengal
• By Lord Curzon on October 16,1905, through a royal proclamation, reducing the old province of Bengal in
size by creating East Bengal and Assam out of rest of Bengal.
• The objective was to set up a communal gulf between Hindus and Muslims.
• A mighty upsurge swept the country against the partition.
Swadeshi Movement (1905)

• Lal, Bal, Pal, and Aurobindo Ghosh played the important role. Page: 10

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• Indian national congress took the Swadeshi call first at the Banaras Session, 1905, presided over by Gopal
Krishan Gokhale.
• Bonfires of foreign goods were conducted at various places.
Formation of Muslim League (1906)

• Setup in 1906 under the leadership of Aga Khan, Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka and Nawab Mohsin-ul-Mulk.
• It was a loyalist, communal and conservative political organization which supported the partition of Bengal,
opposed the Swadeshi movement, demanded special safeguards to its community and a separate
electorate for Muslims.
Demand for Swaraj

• In December 1906 at Calcutta, the Indian National Congress and adopted ‘Swaraj’ (Self-government) as the
goal of Indian peo
Surat Session of Indian National Congress (1907)

• The INC split into two groups-The extremists and The moderates, at the Surat session in 1907, extremists
were led by Bal, Pal, Lal while the moderates by G.K. Gokhale.
Indian Councils Act or Minto Morley Reforms (1909)

• Besides other constitutional measures, it envisaged a separate electorate for Muslims.
• Aimed at dividing the nationalist ranks and at rallying the Moderates and the Muslims to the Government’s
side.
Ghadar Party (1913)

• Formed by Lala Hardayal, Taraknath Das and Sohan Singh Bhakna.
• Head Quarter was at San Francisco.
Home Rule Movement (1916)

• Started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak (April, 1916) at Poona and Annie Besant and S.Subramania Iyer at Adyar,
near Madras (Sept, 1916).
• Objective: Self-government for India in the British Empire.
• Tilak linked up the question of Swaraj with the demand for the formation of Linguistic States and education
in vernacular language. He gave the slogan: Swaraj is my birth right and I will have it.
Lucknow Pact (1916)

• Happened following a war between Britain and Turkey leading to anti-British feelings among Muslims.
• Both INC and Muslim League concluded this (Congress accepted the separate electorates and both jointly
demanded for a representative government and dominion status for the country).
August Declaration (1917)

Page: 11

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• After the Lucknow Pact, a British policy was announced which aimed at “increasing association of Indians in
every branch of the administration for progressive realization of responsible government in India as an
integral part of the British empire”. This came to be called the August Declaration.
Rowlett Act (March 18, 1919)

• This gave unbridled powers to the government to arrest and imprison suspects without trial for two years
maximum. This law enabled the Government to suspend the right of Habeas Corpus, which had been the
foundation of civil liberties in Britain.
• Caused a wave of anger in all sections. It was the first country-wide agitation by Gandhiji and marked the
foundation of the Non-Cooperation Movement.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

(April 13, 1919)
• People were agitated over the arrest of Dr. Kitchlu and Dr. Satyapal on April 10, 1919.
• General O’ Dyer fires at people who assembled in the Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.
• As a result, hundreds of men, women and children were killed and thousands injured.
• Rabindranath Tagore returned his Knighthood in protest. Sir Shankaran Nair resigned from Viceroy’s
Executive Council after this.
• Hunter Commission was appointed to enquire into it.
• On March 13, 1940, Sardar Udham Singh killed O’Dyer when the later was addressing a meeting in Caxton
Fall, London.
Khilafat Movement (1920)

• Muslims were agitated by the treatment done with Turkey by the British in the treaty that followed the First
World War.
• Two brothers, Mobil. Ali and Shaukat Ali started this movement.
Non-cooperation Movement (1920)

• It was the first mass-based political movement under Gandhiji.
• Congress passed the resolution in its Calcutta session in September 1920.
Chauri-Chaura Incident (1922)

• A mob of people at Chauri-Chaura (near Gorakhpur), clashed with police and burnt 22 policemen on
February 5,1922.
• This compelled Gandhiji to withdraw the Non-Cooperation movement on February 12, 1922.
Simon Commission (1927)

• Constituted under John Simon, to review the political situation in India and to introduce further reforms and
extension of parliamentary democracy.
• Indian leaders opposed the commission, as there were no Indians in it.
Page: 12

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• The Government used brutal repression and police attacks to break the popular opposition. At Lahore, Lala
Lajpat Rai was severely beaten in a lathi charge. He succumbed to his injuries on October 30, 1928.
Lahore Session (1929)

• On December 19, 1929 under the Presidentship of J. L. Nehru, the INC, at its Lahore Session, declared
Poorna Swaraj (Complete Independence) as its ultimate goal.
• On December 31, 1929, the newly adopted tai-colour flag was unfurled and an 26 November, 1930 was
fixed as the First Independence Day, was to be celebrated every year
Dandi March (1930)

• Along with 78 followers, Gandhiji started his march from Sabarmati Ashram on March 12, 1930 for the small
village Dandhi to break the salt law.
• He reached the seashore on Apr. 6, 1930.
• He picked a ‘handful of salt and inaugurated the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Revolultionary Activities
• The, first political murder of a European was committed in 1897, at Pune by the Chapekar brothers.
Damodar and Balkishan. Their target was Mr. Rand, President of the Plague Commission, but Lt. Ayerst
was accidentally shot.
• In 1907, Madam Bhikaiji Cama, a Parsi revolutionary, unfurled the flag of India at Stuttgart Congress (of
Second international).
• In 1908, Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki threw a bomb on the carriage of kingford, the unpopular judge
of Muzaffapur. Khudiram, Kanhaiyalal Dart and Satyendranath Bose were hanged. (Alipur Case).
• In 1909, M.L. Dhingra shot dead CH. William Curzon Whyllie, the political advisor of “India Office in London-
• In 1912, Rashbihari Base and Sachindra Nath Sanyal threw a bomb at Lord Hardinge at Delhi. (Delhi
Conspiracy Case).
• In October 1924, a meeting of revolutionaries from all parts of India was called at Kanpur. They setup
Hindustan Socialist Republic Association/Army (HSRA).
• They carried out a decoity on the Kakori bound train on the Saharanpur-Lucknow railway line on August 9,
1925.
• Bhagat Singh, with his colleagues, shot dead Saunders (Asst. S. P. of Lahore, who ordered lathi charge on
Lala Lajpat Rai) on December 17, 1928.
• Then Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt threw a bomb in the Central Assembly on April 8, 1929. Thus, he,
Rajguru and Sukhdev were hanged on March, 23, 1931 at Lahore Jail (Lahore Conspiracy Case) and their
bodies cremated at Hussainiwala near Ferozepur.
• In 1929 only Jatin Das died in Lahore jail after 63 days fast to protest against horrible conditions in jail.
• Surya Sen, a revolutionary of Bengal, formed the Indian Republic Army in Bengal. In 1930, he
masterminded the raid on Chittagong armoury. He was hanged in 1933.
• In 1931, Chandrashekhar Azad shot himself at Alfred Park in Allahabad.
First Round Table Conference (1930) Page: 13

Study Materials
• It was the first conference arranged between the British and Indians as equals. It was held on November 12,
1930 in London to discuss Simon commission.
• Boycotted by INC, Muslim League, Hindu Mahasabha, Liberals and some others were there.
Gandhi Irwin Pact (1931)

• Moderate Statesman, Sapru, Jaikar and Srinivas Shastri initiated efforts to break the ice between Gandhiji
and the government.
• The two (government represented by Irwin and INC by Gandhiji) signed a pact on March 5, 1931.
• In this, the INC called off the civil disobedience movement and agreed to join the second round table
conference.
• The government on its part released the political prisoners and conceded the right to make salt for
consumption for villages along the coast.
Second Round Table Conference (1931)

• Gandhiji represented the INC and went to London to meet British P.M. Ramsay Macdonald.
• However, the session was soon deadlocked on the minorities issue and this time separate electorates was
demanded not only by Muslims but also by Depressed Classes, Indian Christians and Anglo-Indians.
The Communal Award (Aug 16, 1932)

• Announced by Ramsay McDonald. It showed divide and rule policy of the British.
• Envisaged representation of Muslims, Sikhs, Indian Christians, Anglo Indians, women and even Backward
classes.
• Gandhiji, who was’ in Yeravada jail at that time, started a fast unto death against it.
Poona Pact (September 25, 1932)

• After the announcement of communal award and subsequent fast of Gandhiji, mass meeting took place
almost everywhere.
• Political leaders like Madan Mohan Malviya, B. R. Ambedkar and M. C. Rajah became active.
• Eventually Poona pact was reached and Gandhiji broke his fact on the sixth day (September 25, 1932).
In this, the idea of separate electorate for the depressed classes was abandoned, but seats reserved to
them in the provincial legislature were increased.
Third Round Table Conference (1932)

• Proved fruitless as most of the national leaders were in prison. The discussions led to the passing of the
Government of India Act, 1935.
Demand for Pakistan

• In 1930, Iqbal suggested that the Frontier Province, Baluchistan, Sindh and Kashmir be made the Muslim
State within the federation.
• Chaudhary Rehmat Ali gave the term Pakistan in 1923.
Page: 14

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• Mohd. Ali Jinnah of Bombay gave it practicality.

• Muslim League first passed the proposal of separate Pakistan in its Lahore session in 1940.
The Cripps Mission-1942

• In December 1941, Japan entered the World War II and advanced towards Indian borders. By March 7,
1942, Rangoon fell and Japan occupied the entire S E Asia.
• The British government with a view to getting co-operation from Indians sent Sir Stafford Cripps, leader of
the House of Commons to settle terms with the Indian leaders.
• He offered a draft which proposed dominion status to be granted after the war.
• Rejected by the Congress as it didn’t want to rely upon future promises.
• Gandhiji termed it as a postdated cheque in a crashing bank.
The Revolt of 1942 and The Quit India Movement

• Called the Vardha Proposal and Leaderless Revolt.
• The resolution was passed on August 8, 1942, at Bombay. Gandhiji gave the slogan ‘Do or Die’.’
• On August 9, the Congress was banned and its important leaders were arrested.
• The arrests provoked indignation among the masses and, there being no program of action, the movement
became spontaneous and violent. Violence spread throughout the country.
• The movement was however crushed.
The Indian National Army

• Founded by Rasbehari Bose with Captain Mohan Singh.
• S.C. Bose secretly escaped from India in January 1941, and reached Berlin. In July 1943, he joined the INA
at Singapore. There, Rasbehari Bose handed over the leadership to him.
• The soldiers were mostly raised from Indian soldiers of the British army who had been taken prisoners by
the Japanese after they conquered S.E. Asia.
• Two INA head quarters were Rangoon and Singapore (formed in Singapore).
• INA had three fighting brigades named after Gandhiji, Azad and Nehru. Rani Jhansi Brigade was an
exclusive women force.
The Cabinet Mission Plan (1946)

• The struggle for freedom entered a decisive phase in the year 1945-46. The new Labour Party PM Lord
Attlee, made a declaration on March 15, 1946, that British Cabinet Mission (comprising of Lord Pethick
Lawrence as Chairman, Sir Stafford Cripps and A.V. Alexander) will visit India.
• The mission held talks with the INC and ML to bring about acceptance of their proposals.
• On May 16, 1946, the mission put towards its proposals. It rejected the demand for separate Pakistan.
• Both Congress and Muslims League accepted it.
Formation of Interim Government (September 2, 1946)

Page: 15

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• Based on Cabinet Mission Plan, an interim government consisting of Congress nominees was formed on
Sept. 2, 1946. J. L. Nehru was its Vice-President and the Governor-General remained as its President.
Jinnah’s Direct Action Resolution

(August 16, 1946)
• Jinnah was alarmed at the results of the elections because the Muslim League was in danger of being
totally eclipsed in the constituent assembly.
• Therefore, Muslim League withdrew its acceptance of the Cabinet Mission Plan on July 29, 1946.
• It passed a ‘Direct action’ resolution, which condemned both the British Government and the Congress
(August 16, 1946). It resulted in heavy communal riots.
• Jinnah celebrated Pakistan Day on March 27, 1947.
Formation of Constituent Assembly (December 9, 1946)

• The Constituent assembly met on December 9, 1946 and Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as its president.
Mountbatten Plan (June 3, 1947)

• On June 3, 1947, Lord Mountbatten put forward his plan which outlined the steps for the solution of India’s
political problem. The outlines of the Plan were:
• India to be divided into India and Pakistan.
• Bengal and Punjab will be partitioned and a referendum in NEFP and Sylhet district of Assam would beheld.
• There would be a separate constitutional aswmbly for Pakistan to frame its constitution.
• The Princely states would enjoy the liberty to join either India or Pakistan or even remain independent.
• August 15, 1947 was the date fixed for handing over power to India and Pakistan.
• The British govt. passed the Indian Independence Act of 1947 in July 1947, which contained the major
provisions put forward by the Mountbatten Plan.
Partition and Independence (August 1947)

• All political parties accepted the Mountbatten plan.
• At the time of independence, there were 562 small and big Princely States in India.
• Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, the first home minister, used iron hand in this regard. By August 15, 1947, all the
States, with a few exceptions like Kashmir, Hyderabad and Junagarh had signed the Instrument of
Accession. Goa was with the Portuguese and Pondicherry with the French.
Social and Cultural Uprising
Brahino Samaj
• Founded by Raja Ram Mohan Roy in 1828.
• Criticized Sati Pratha. casteism and advocated widow remarriage.
• He was opposed to Sanskrit system of education, because he thought it would keep the
country in darkness. Page: 16

Study Materials
• Other important leaders were Devenddranath Tagore (father of Rabindranath Tagore) and Keshap Chandra
Sen.
Arya Samaj
• Founded by Swami Dayanand (or, Moolshankar) in 1875.
• His motto was ‘Go back to the vedas’ and ‘India for the Indians’. He disregarded Puranas, idol worship,
casteism and untouchability. He advocated widow remarriage.
• Dayanand’s views were published in his famous work, Satyarth Prakash. He also wrote Veda Bhashya
Bhumika and Veda Bhashya.
Ramakrishna Mission
• Founded by Vivekanand (earlier, Narendranath Dutta) (1863-1902) in 1897, 11 years after death of his guru
Ram Krishna Paramhans.
• Vivekanand attended the Parliament of Religion at Chicago in 1893.
• Irish woman Margaret Nobel (Known as sister Nivedita) popularized it.
Young Bengal Movement

• Founded by Henry Louis Vivian Derozio (1809-31). He was a teacher in Hindu College in Calcutta.
• He urged the students to live and die for truth. He also supported women’s education and their rights.
Veda Samaj
• Veda Samaj called Brahmo Samaj of South. Started by Sridharalu Naidu.
• He translated books of Brahmo Dharma into Tamil and Telegu.
Servants of India Society

• Formed by Gopal Krishna Gokhale in 1915.
• It did notable work in providing famine relief and in improving the condition of the tribals.
Radhaswami Movement
• Founded in 1861 by a banker of Agra, Tulsi Ram, popularly known as Shiv Dayal Saheb or Swami Maharaj.
• The sect preached belief in one supreme being, tae Guru’s supreme position and a simple social life for the
believers (the Satsangis).
Theosophical Society
• Founded by Westerners who drew inspiration from Indian thought and culture.
• Madam H. P. Blavatsky laid the foundation of the movement in US in 1875. Later, Col. M. S. Olcott of the
US Army joined her.
• In 1882, it was shifted to India at Adyar (Tamil Nadu).
• Annie Besant was elected its president in 1907. She founded the Central Hindu College in
1898, which became Banaras Hindu University in 1916. Page: 17

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NEWSPAPER JOURNALS
Newspaper/journal Founder/Editor
• Bengal Gazette (1780) J.K. Hikki (India’s first newspaper)
• Kesari B.G. Tilak
• Maharatta B.G. Tilak
• Sudharak G.K. Gokhale
• Amrita Bazar Patrika Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Motilal Ghosh
• Vande Mataram Aurobindo Ghosh
• Native Opinion V.N. Mandalik
• Kavivachan Sudha Bhartendu Harishchandra
• Rast Gottar Dadabhai Naoroji (First new. paper in Gujarati)
• Irniia (Weekly) Bipin Chandra Pal
• Staiesman Robert Knight
• Hindu Vir Raghavacharya and G.S.Aiyar
• Sanadhya B.B. Upadhyaya
• Vii bar Lahiri Krishnashastri Chiplunkar
• Hindu pariol Girish Chandra Ghosh (later Harish Chandra Mukherji)
• Son Prakash Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar
• Yugantar Bhupendranath Datta and Barinder Kumar Ghosh
• Bombay Chronicle Firoze Shah Meath
• Hindustan M AL Malaya
• Mooknacak B.R. Ambedkhr
• Comrade Mohhammad Ali
• Tahzih-ul-Akhlnq Sir Syyed Monad Khan
• AI-Hilal Abdul Kalam Arid
• Al-Balegh Abdul Kalam Acid
• Independent Motilal Nehru
• Punjabi Lala Lajpht Rai
• New India (Daily) Annie Besant
• Commonweal Annie Besant
• Pratap Ganesh Shankhr Vidyarthi
• Essays in Indian Economics M.G. Ranade Samvad Kaumudi (Bengali)
Ram Mohan Roy
• Mirat-ul-Akhhar Ram Mohan Roy (first Persian newspaper)
• Indian Mirror Devendra Nath Tagore
• Nav jeevan M.K. Gandhi
• Young India M.K. Gandhi
Page: 18

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• Hindustan Times K.M. Pannikar
• Krunti Mirajkar, Joglekar, Ghate
VENUE, YEAR AND PRESIDENTS OF INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (INC)
Year Venue President
1885, 1882 Bombay, Allahabad W.C. Bannerji
1886 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji
1893 Lahore Dadabhai Naoroji
1906 Calcutta Dadabhai Naoroji
1887 Madras Badruddin Tyyabji (first Muslim President)
1888 Allahabad George Yule (first English President)
1889 Bombay Sir William Wedderburn
1890 Calcutta Sir Feroze S. Mehta
1895, 1902 Poona, Ahmedabad S. N. Banerjee
1905 Banaras G. K. Gokhale
1907, 1908 Surat, Madras Rasbehari Ghosh
1909 Lahore M. M. Malviya
1916 Lucknow A. C. Majumdar (Re-union of the Congress)
1917 Calcutta Anne Besant (first Woman President
1919 Amritsar Motilal Nehru
1920 Calcutta (sp.session) Lala Lajpat Rai
1921, 1922 Ahmedabad, Gaya C.R. Das
1923 Delhi (sp.session) Abdul Kalam Azad (youngest President)
1924 Belgaon M. K. Gandhi
1925 Kanpur Sarojini Naidu (first Indian Woman President)
1928 Calcutta Motilal Nehru (first All India Youth Congress Formed)
1929 Lahore J. L. Nehru (Poorna Swaraj resolution was passed)
1931 Karachi Vallabhbhai Patel (Here, resolution on Fundamental rights
and the National Economic Program was passed)
1932, 1933 Delhi, Calcutta (Session Banned)
1934 Bombay Rajendra Prasad
1936 Lucknow J. L. Nehru
1937 Faizpur J. L. Nehru (first session in a village) Page: 19

Study Materials
1938 Haripura S. C. Bose (a National Planning Commission set-up under J.

L. Nehru)
1939 Tripuri S. C. Bose was re-elected but had to resign due to protest by
Gandhi ji (as Gandhiji supported Dr. Pattabhi Sitaramayya).
Rajendra Prasad was appointed in his place.
1940 Ramgrah Abdul Kalam Azad
1946 Meerut Acharya J. B. Kriplani
1948 Jaipur Dr Pattabhi Sitarmayya
IMPORTANT BOOKS OF FREEDOM STRUGGLE ERA
Book Author
Causes of the Indian Mutiny Sir Syyed Ahmed Khan
Ghulam Giri Jotiba Phule
To All Fighters of Freedom, Why Socialism? J. P. Narayan
Pakhton Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Problems of the East Lord Curzon
My Indian Yeas Lord Hardinge II
Economic History of India R.C. Dutt
Pather Panchali Bibhuti Shushan Boner
The Spirit of Islam Syyed Ameer Ali
Precepts of Jesus Ram Mohan Roy
A Gift of Monotheists Ram Mohan Roy
Satyarth Prakash Swami Dayanand
Anand Math Bankim C. Chatterji
Devi Chaudharani Bankim C. Chatterji
Sitaram Bankim C. Chatterji
The Indian Struggle S. C. Bose
Poverty & Un-British Rule in India Dadabhai Naoroji
The Spirit of Islam Syyed Ameer Ali
A Nation in the Making S. N. Banerji
Unhappy India Lala Lajpat Rai
The Indian War of Independence V. D. Savarkar
India Divided Rajendra Prasad
The Discovery of India J. L. Nehru
Neel Darpan Dinbandhu Mitre
Hind Swaraj M. K. Gandhi
What Congress and Gandhi have done the untouchables B. R. Ambedkar
IMPORTANT BATTLES THE
INDIAN HISTORY Page: 20

Study Materials
B.C. Battle
326 Alexander defeated Porus in the Battle of tfydaspas.
261 Ashoka defeated Kalinga in the Kalinga War.
A.D. Battle
712 Invastion of Sind by Mohd-bin-Qasim.
1191 First Battle of Tarain in which Prithviraj Chauhan defeated Mohd. Ghori.
1192 Second Battle of Tarain in which Mohd. Ghori defeated Prithviraj Chauhan.
1194 Battle of Chhandwar in which Mohd. Ghori defeated Jaichand of Kannauj.
1526 First Battle of Panipat in which Babar defeated Ibrahim Lodhi.
1527 Battle of Khanua in which Babar defeated Rana Sanga.
1529 Battle of Ghaghara in which Babar defeated the Afghans.
1539 Battle of Chausa in which Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun.
1540 Battle of Kannauj (or Bigram) in which Sher Shah Suri defeated Humayun and forced him to flee.
1556 Second Battle of Panipat in which Bairam Khan (representing Akhar) defeated Hemu.
1 565 Battle of Talikota (or Banihatti) in which an alliance of Ahmednagar, Bijapur. Golkonda and Bidar
defeated the Vijaynagar empire (represented by Sadasiva).
1576 Battle of Haldighati in which Akbar defeated Maharana Pratap.
1615 Mewar submitted to the Mughals. A treaty of peace was signed between Jahangir and Rana Amar
Singh of Mewar.
1649 Kandahar was lost to Persia forever by the Mughals.
1658 Battle of Dharmatt and Samugarh in which Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh.
1665 Raja Jai Singh defeated Shivaji and the Treaty of Purandar stoned.
1708 Battle of Khed in which Shahu defeated Tara Bai.
1737 Battle of Bhopal in which Bali Rao defeated Mohd. Shah_
1739 Battle of Kamal in which Nadir Shah defeated Mohd. Shah.
1757 Battle of Plassey in which the English forces (under Robert Clive) defeated Siraj-ud-daula, the
Nawab of Bengal.
1760 Battle of Wandiwash in which the English forces defeated the French forces.
1761 Third Battle of Panipat in which Ahmed Shah Abdali defeated the Marathas.
1764 Battle of Buxar in which the English wider Munro defeated the alliance of Nawab Mir Qasim of
Bengal, Nawab Shula-ud-daula of Awadh and Mughal emperor Shah Alam.
1767-69 Fiat Anglo My sore War in which Hyder Ali defeated the English forces.
1770 Battle of Udgir in which the Maratha, defeated the Nizam.
1766-69 Anglo Maratha War in which the British were defeated.
1780-84 Second Anglo M) sore War. Hyder Ali died during the battle (1782) and the field was taken by his
son Tipu Sultan. The oar concluded with the Treaty of Mangalore (1784).
1789-92 Third Anglo Mysore War in which Tipu Sultan was defeated. The Treaty of Serirangapatnam
followed.
1799 Fourth Anglo Mysore War in which Tipu was defeated and killed.
Page: 21

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1803 -06 Second Anglo Mend is War in which the British defeated the Marathas.
1817 -19 Third Anglo Maratha War in which the British defeated the Marathas badly.
1824-26 First Anglo Burmese War in which the British defeated the Burmese.
1839-42 First Anglo Afghan War in which the British defeated the Afghan ruler Dost Mohammad,
1845-46 First Anglo Sikh War in which the Sikh were defeated.
1848-49 Second Anglo Sikh War in which Sikh were defeated and Punjab was annexed by the British.
1852 Second Anglo Burmese War in which the British won.
1865 Anglo Burmese War in which the British won and annexed Burma.
1868-80 Second Anglo Afghan War in which the English suffered losses.
1919-21 Third Anglo Afghan War in which the English, though victorious, did not benefit from the war.
PRE-CONGRESS NATIONALIST ORGANISATIONS
Organisation Year/Place Founder/s

Landholder’s Society 1838/Calcutta Dwarkanath Tagore
British India Society 1839/London William Adams
Bengal British 1843/Calcutta George Thomson
India Society
British India Association 1851/Calcutta Devendranath Tagore & Radhakant Deb
Madras Native Association 1852/Madras
Bombay Association 1852/Bombay Dadabhai Naoroji & Dinshaw Wacha
East India Association 1866/London Dadabhai Naoroji
London Indian Society 1865/London Feroz Shah Mehta, Badruddin Tyyabji, W. C. Banerji and
Manmohan Ghosh
Indian National 1867/London Maty Carpentar Association
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha 1867/Poona M.G. Ranade, G.V Josht and Chiplankar
Indian Society 1872/London Anand Mohan Bose
India League 1875/ Calcutta Sisir Kumar Ghosh
Indian Association 1876/Calcutta Anand Mohan Bose and Surendra Nath Banerji
National Conference 1883 Anand Mohan Bose and Surendra Nath Banerji
Madras Mahajan Sabha 1884/Madras M. Viraghavacharya, G. Subramaniya Aiyar and P, Anand
Charlu
Indian National Union 1884 A.O.Hume
POST CONGRESS NATIONALIST ORGANISATIONS
Organisation Year Founder

Raja Mundari Social 1878 Virasalingam
Reform Association Page: 22

Study Materials
Jorhat Sarvajanik Sabha 1893 Ras Behari Ghosh

Anti-None Cooperation 1920-21 Purshottam Das and Thakurdas Association
Anti-Circular Society — K.K. Mitra
Lok Sewa Mandal — Lala Lajpat Rai
Independent Congress 1926 Madan Mohan Malviya Party
United India — Sayyid Ahmed Khan Patriotic Association
British Association of — Raja Shiv Prasad Sahu Awadh
Liberal Association — Sapru, Jayakar and Chintamani
Indian Liberal Federation 1919 S.N. Bannerji
Federation of Indian
Chambers of Commerce 1927 G.D. Birla and Thakurdas
and Industry (FICCI)
Hindustan Sewa Dal — N.G. Hardikar
Independence of India 1928 J.L. Nehru and S.C. Bose
League
Praja Party — Akram Khan, Fazuil Haqpnd Abdur Rahman
Hindu Association — Annie Besant
South India Federation of 1935 N.G. Ranga and Namboodiripad
Peasants arid Agricultural
labour
Unionist Party — Fail Hussain
Rdshtriya Swayamsewak 1925 Hedgewar
Sangh
All India Untouchability 1932 M.K.Gandhi
League
Hindu Mahasabha 1917 Revived by M.M. Malviya
Jona Sangh — Shyama Prasad Mukherji
National Mohammadan 1878 Amir Ali
Association
Mohammandan Literacy 1863 Abdul Latif
Society
Deccan Educational Society — Tilak & Agarkar
LABOUR AND TRADE UNION ORGANISATIONS

Organisation Year Founder
Bombay Mill and Millhands Association 1880 N.M. Lokhanda
Working Men’s Club 1870 Sasipada Banerji
Page: 23

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Printer’s Union 1905 —

Railway Men’s Union 1906 —
Kamgar Hitwardhak Sabha 1909 S.K. Bole
Social Service League 1911 —
Madros Labour Union 1918 G.R. Naidu and Chelvapathi
Amalgdmated Society of 1897 —
Railway Servants of India
Ahmedabad Textile Labour Association 1920 M.K. Gandhi
Alt India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) 1920 N.M. Joshi and Roy Chaudhary
Bombay Textile Labour Union — N.M. Joshi
All India Trade Union Federation 1929 N.M. Joshi
National Federation of — N.M. Joshi Trade Union
Hindustan Majdoor Sabha 1938 VB. Patel, Rajendra Prasad and J.B. Kriplani
Indian Federation of Labour 1944 N.M. Roy
Indian National Trade Union 1944 VB. Patel
Congress (INTUC)
Geography
SOLAR SYSTEM
Important Facts
Biggest planet : Jupiter
Smallest plant : Mercury
Satellite of Earth : Moon
Nearest planet from Sun : Mercury
Farthest planet from Sun : Neptune Page: 24

Study Materials
Nearest planet to Earth : Venus

Brightest planet : Venus
Brightest star : Dog Star
Planet having maximum
number of satellite : Jupiter (63)
Coldest planet : Neptune
Red planet (seen at night) : Mars
Heaviest planet : Jupiter
Biggest satellite of solar : Ganymede system
Smallest satellite of solar : Demos
system
Blue planet : Earth
Red planet : Mars
Morning star : Venus
Evening star : Venus
Sister of Earth : Venus
9th planet : Karla
Sun
Distance from Earth : 149.6 million km (Approximately).
Critical value of absolute visual magnitude 4.83
Diameter : 13,92,000 km
Temperature of Code : 20-15 million Celsius Apparent surface temperature: 5778°C (6000°C
approximately)
Rotational period : 25 days, 3 hrs., 21 minutes, 136 seconds (in reference of equator) 33 days (in
reference to pole)
Chemical composition : Hydrogen-69.5%, Helium-28%. Carbon, Nitrogen and Oxygen-2%, Magnesium,
Sulphur, Silicon and Iron 0.5%
Age : 5 billion years (approximately)
Possible life of normal star
10 billion years (approximately)
Equatorial radius : 6,95,500 km (approximately)
GALAXIES
Galaxy Name Magnitude Visual
Milky way —
Large Magellanic Cloud 0.9
Small Magellanic Cloud 2.5
Ursa Minor Dwarf 11.9
Page: 25

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Sculptor Dwarf 80
Draco Dwarf 10.9
Formax System 8.3
Leo -II System 12.04
Leo -I System 12.0
N. G.C 6822 8.9
N.G.C. 147 9.73
N.G.C. 185 10.1
N .G.C. 205 8.17
N.G.C. 2 21 (M 32) 8.16
IC 1613 9.61
Andromeda Galaxy 3.47
N.G.C. 598 (M 33) 5.79
Maffel I 11.0
Moon
Average distance : 3,84,365 km Diameter: 3,474 km
Ratio of mass in
reference to Earth : 1:81.30
Density
(with reference to water) : 3.3464 kg/metre3
Density
Sun : 0.116
Sidereal Month : 27 days, 7 hrs, 43.25 minutes
Synodic Month : 29 days, 12 hrs, 44 minutes
Rotation on its own axis : 27 days, 7 hrs, 43 minutes, 11.47sec.
Atmosphere : Absent
Highest mts. Peak : 35,000 (Libtney, situated at Moon’s south pole).
Time taken by
light to reach the earth. : 1.3 seconds.
Speed of Rotation
at its own axis : 2287 miles per hrs.
Earth
Approximate age of Earth : 4600,000,000, years,
Total surface area : 510,072,000 km2
Total land area : 153,000,000 km2
Water area : 71% of the total land surface 357,100,000 km2
Average density : 5.52 gm per cub.cm.
Page: 26

Study Materials
Equatorial diameter : 12,756 km

Polar diameter : 12,714 km
Necessary escape velocity
to cross the gravitational
attraction of the Earth : 11.2 km/sec.
Ve locity of a rocket to go against the gravitational attraction of the Earth 8 km
/sec.
Distance from Moon : 3,84,365 km
Maximum height of the earth from M.S.L. 8848 m (Mount Everest)
Maximum depth of sea from
M.S.L. : 11,033 metro (Mariana Trench)
Lowest part of the
earth surface : 396 metre (Dead Sea)
Rotational period at its
own axis : 23 hrs, 56 minutes 4.091 sec.
Revolution of
earth round the Sun : 365 day, 5 hrs, 48 minutes, 45.51 second
Satellite of Earth : Moon
Inclination at its own axis : 23*-27.
Average distance from Sun: 149,597,887.5 km
Venus
Diameter : 11,102 km
Mass : 4.867 × 10224 kg
Volume : 92.843 × 1010 km3
Mean Radius : 6052 km
Mean Density : 5204 kg/metre3
Mean distance from the Sun : 108.2 million km
Greatest distance from the
Sun (Aphelion) : 108.9 million km
Least distance from the Sun : 107.5 million km (Perihelion)
Rotational period : 243.7 days
Revolutional period
(Sidereal period) : 224.7 days earth days
Inclination of orbit : 3.39°
Mean surface temperature: 464°C
Mean surface pressure : 92 bars
No. of Satellites : Nil
Page: 27

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Mercury
Diameter : 4878 km
Mass : 3.64 × 1020 tons (3.3 10 kg) (About 5% of the earth)
Volume : 2.15 × 1021 cube metre (About 6% of the earth)
Average density : 340 pound/cubic feet
Surface temperature : 280° to 800°F (–175 to 425°C)
Surface atmospheric
pressure : 2 × 1012 millibar
earth : 142.6 million miles (229.4 million km)
Greatest distance from the Sun (Aphelion) 43 million miles (70 million km)
Least distance from the Sun (Perihelion) 29 million miles (46.5 million km)
Revolution period
(Sidereal year) : 87.97 earth days
Rotational period
(Sidereal day) : 58.65 earth days
No. of Satellites : Nil
Mars
Diameter : 6787 km
Mass : 11% of the earth
Volume : 15% of the earth
Density : 71% of the earth
Mean distance from the Sun : 141,600,000 miles
earth 62,900,000 miles
Least distance from the
earth : 34,600,000 miles
Sidereal revolution period : 686.98 days or 687 days
Sidereal day : 24 hrs, 27 minutes and 23 seconds
Surface atmospheric
pressure : 6 to 11 mb.
Satellites : Two
Jupiter
Diameter : 1,42,22 km
Mass : 1898.63 × 1024 kg
Volume : 143.128 × 1010 km Page: 28

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Radius : 69,911 km
Mean equatorial : 71,492 km
Mean polar : 66,854 km
Density : 1326 kg/metre3
Average distance from Sun : 778.4 million km
Greatest distance from Sun : 816.0 million km (Aphelion)
Least distance from Sun : 740.6 million km (Perihelion)
Sideredal period of revolution : 11.862 earth years
Rotational period at equator : 9 hrs. 50 minutes, 30 second
Obliquity : 3.12°
Average temperature : 144°C
Satellites: 63
Saturn
Mass : 568.46 × 1024 kg
Volume : 82,713 × 1010 km
Mean radius : 58,322 km3
Equational radius : 60268 km
Polar radius : 34,364 km
Average density : 687 kg/m3
Mean orbital velocity : 9.66 km /second
Mean distance from Sun : 142.68 crore km
Sun : 150.64 crore km (Aphelion)
Least distance from the Sun : 134.76 crore km
Sidereal period of revolution : 29.457 earth years
Rotational period : 10.5 hrs.
Average temperature : 176°C
Satellites : 60
Uranus
Diameter : 51,400 km
Mass : 86.83 × 1024 kg
Volume : 6.833 × 1010 km
Mean radius : 25,362 km
Mean density : 1,318 kg/metre3
Mean distance from the Sun : 2.8710 billion km
Sun (Aphelion) : 3.0052 billion km Page: 29

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Least distance from the Sun

(Perihelion) : 2.7340 billion km
Obliquity : 97.86°
Satellites : 27
Neptune
Mass : 10243 × 1024 kg
Volume : 6.254 × 1010 km
Mean radius : 24.624 km
Mean density : 1638 kg/metre3
Surface gravity : 11.00 metre/second2
Mean orbital velocity : 5.48 km/second
Mean distance from the Sun : 4.4983 billon km
Greatest (Aphelion) : 4.5352 billion km
Least (Perihelion) : 4.4580 billion km
Mean temperature : 215°C
Satellites : 13
IMPORTANT LINES AND BOUNDARIES
Durand Line : It is the line demarcating the boundaries of India and Afghanistan. It was drawn up
in 1893 by Sir Mortimer Durand. India recognizes the Durand Line but Afghanistan
does not.
Hindenburg Line : It is the boundary dividing Germany and Poland. The Germans marched to this line
in 1917 during World War I.
Maginot Line : A 320 Km line of fortification built by France along its border with Germany before
World War II, to protect against German attack.
Mannerheim Line : It is the line of fortification on the Russia-Finland border. Drawn up by General
Mannerheim.
McMahon Line : Drawn up by Sir Henry McMahon. It demarcates the frontier of India and China.
China did not recognize this line and violated it in 1962.
Oder-Neisse Line : It is the border between Poland and Germany running along the Oder and Neisse
rivers; adopted at the Poland Conference (August 1945) after the World War II.
Radcliffe Line : Drawn up by Sir Cyril Radcliffe, this line demarcates the boundary between India
and Pakistan.
Siegfried Line : Is the line of fortification drawn up by Germany on its border with
France.
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17th Parallel : The 17th Parallel defined the boundary between North and South Vietnam before
the two were united.
24th Parallel : Is the line which Pakistan claims for demarcation between India and Pakistan.
This, however, is not recognized by India.
38th Parallel : Is the parallel of latitude which separates North and South Korea.
49th Parallel : The boundary between US and Canada.
RIVERS AND LAKES
Major Rivers (by Length)

• Nile, Africa (6,825 km)
• Amazon, South America (6,437 km)
• Chang Jiang (Yangtze), Asia (6,380 km)
• Mississippi, North America (5,971 km)
• Yenisey-Angara, Asia (5,536 km)
• Huang (Yellow), Asia (5,464 km)
• Ob-Irtysh, Asia (5,410 km)
• Amur, Asia (4,416 km)
• Lena, Asia (4,400 km)
• Congo, Africa (4,370 km)
• Mackenzie-Peace, North America (4,241 km)
• Mekong, Asia (4,184 km)
• Niger, Africa (4,171 km)
Major Lakes (by Size)

• Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (371,000 sq km)
• Superior, North America (82,100 sq km)
• Victoria, Africa (69,500 sq km)
• Huron, North America (59,600 sq km)
• Michigan, North America (57,800 sq km)
• Tanganyika, Africa (32,900 sq km)
• Baikal, Asia (31,500 sq km)
• Great Bear, North America (31,300 sq km)
• Aral Sea, Asia (30,700 sq km)
• Malawi, Africa (28,900 sq km)
• Great Salve, Canada (28,568 sq km)
• Erie, North America (25,667 sq km)
• Winnipeg, Canada (24,387 sq km)
• Ontario, North America (19,529 sq km)
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• Balkhash, Kazakhstan (18,300 sq km)

Deepest Lakes by Greatest Depth
• Baikal, Russian Fed. (5,315 ft)
• Tanganyika, Africa (4,800 ft)
• Caspian Sea, Asia-Europe (3,363 ft)
• Malawi or Nyasa, Africa (2,317 ft)
• Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan (2,303 ft)
Greatest Man-made Lakes
• Owen Falls (1954), Uganda, 204,800
• Kariba (1959), Zimbabwe, 181,592
• Bratsk (1964), CIS, 169,270
• High Aswan (Sadd-el-Aali) (1970), Egypt,168,000
• Akosombo (1965), Ghana 148,000
• Daniel Johnson (1968), Canada, 141,852
• Guri (Raul Leoni) (1986), Venezuela, 136,000
• Krasnoyarsk (1967), CIS, 300
• Bennet W.A.C. (1967), 70,309
• Zeya (1978), CIS, 68,400
GEOGRAPHICAL FACTS ABOUT NATIONS OF THE WORLD
Oldest Countries
• San Marino (301 AD) • France (486 AD)
• Bulgaria (632 AD) • Denmark (950 AD)
• Portugal (1143 AD) • Andorra (1278 AD)
• Switzerland (1291 AD)
Countries with Most Land Borders

(The Most Neighbouring Countries)
• China (14)
• Russian Federation 14)
• Brazil (10)
• Congo, Germany and Sudan (9)
Youngest Countries
• Montenegro (July 2006) • Serbia (July 2006)
• East Timor (2002) • Palau (1994)
• Czech Republic (1993) • Eritrea (1993) Page: 32

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• Slovakia (1993) • Bosnia/Hertzegovina (1992)
Rankwise Countries (by Area)

Country/ % of Continent/ Notes
Territory Total Region
Earth 100% Solar System Total land coverage (29.2% of Earth’s surface)
Russia 11.5% Asia/Europe Largest country in the world EB:17,075,400 km2
Canada 6.7% America,North Largest country in the western hemisphere. Longest
coastline. EB: 9,984,670 km2
U.S. 6.5% America,North Includes only the 50 states and the district of
Columbia. the total area is listed as 9,826,630 km2
by the CIA World Factbook. EB:9,522,055 km2
PR China 6.4% Asia, Eastern Second largest asian country (after asian part of
Russia). Total of separate UN figures for Mainland
China (9,596,961) inclusive Hong Kong SAR (1,104
km2) and Macau (29km2). (Excludes all disputed
territories). EB: 9,572,900 km2.
Brazil 5.7% America,South Largest country in South America, and in the
southern hemisphere. EB:8,514,877 km2.
Australia 5.2% Australia/ Australia is the only country that
Oceania is coterminous with a continent. Largest country
without a land-border to neighbours. Largest country
in Oceania. Eb: 7,692,208 km2.
India 2.3% Asia,South- Figure includes 120,8492 km of
Central disputed territories with Pakistan and China. Third-
largest country in Asia (after Russia and China). EB:
3,166,414 km2.
Argentina 2% America South Second largest country in South America,EB:
2,780,403 km2.
Kazakhstan 1.8% Asia,South- largest landlocked country in the world.
Central EB: 2,724,900 km2.
Sudan 1.7% Africa,Northern Largest country in Africa. EB: 2,505,810 km2.
Most Populous Countries
Rank Country/Territory Population % of World Population

1 China 1,333,760,000 19.63%
2 India 1,171,700,000 17.25% Page: 33

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3 United States 07,800,000 4.53%

4 Indonesia 229,965,000 3.39%
5 Brazil 192,058,000 2.83%
6 Pakistan 167,795,000 2.47%
7 Bangladesh 162,221,000 2.39%
8 Nigeria 154,729,000 2.28%
9 Russia 141,881,000 2.09%
10 Japan 127,560,000 1.88%
Least Populous Countries
Rank Country/Territory % of World Population

1 Vatican City 0.00002%
2 Nauru 0.0001%
3 Tuvalu .0001%
4 Palau .0003%
5 San Marino 0.0005%
6 Monaco 0.0005%
7 Liechtenstein 0.0005%
8 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.001%
9 The Greenlands 0.001%
10 Marshall Islands 0.001%
Most Populous Cities
Rank City Area Population

(Km2) Density (km2) Country
1 Mumbai 603 23,088 India
2 Shanghai 1,928 7,174 China
3 Karachi 3,527 3,683 Pakistan
4 Delhi 431.09 28,438 India
5 Istanbul 1,831 6,211 Turkey
6 Sao Paulo 1,523 7,247 Brazil Page: 34

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7 Moscow 1,081 9,722 Russia

8 Seoul 605.4 17,271 South Korea
9 Beijing 1,368.32 7,400 China
10 Mexico City 1,485 5,954 Mexico
GEOGRAPHY: HALL OF FAME

Largest Continent Asia, 17,212,000 square miles
Smallest Continent Australia, 3,132,000 square miles
Highest Mountain Mount everest, Himalayan Mountains, Nepal-Tibet, 29,035 feet above sea level
Lowest Point on Land The Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan, water surface 1,349 feet below sea level
Deepest Underwater Trench Mariana Trench, 200 miles southwest of Guam in the
Pacific Ocean, 36,198 feet below the ocean surface
Largest Sea The Mediterranean Sea, 1,144,800 square miles
Highest Lake The highest navigable lake is Lake Titicaca in Peru, 12,500 feet above sea level
Lowest Lake The Dead Sea, Israel-Jordan surface, of water 1,349 feet below sea level
Largest Lake Caspian Sea, 152,239 square miles
Largest Freshwater Lake Lake Superior, U.S.-Canada, 31,820 square miles
Deepest Ocean Pacific Ocean, average depth 13,215 feet
Largest Ocean Pacific Ocean, 60,060,700 square miles
Smallest Ocean Arctic Ocean, 5,427,000 square miles
Largest Gulf Gulf of Mexico, 615,000 square miles
Largest Bay The Bay of Bengal, 1,300,000 square miles
Largest Island Greenland, 839,999 square miles
Largest Peninsula Arabia, 1,250,000 square miles
Largest Archipelago Indonesia, 3,500 mile stretch of 17,000 islands
Largest Gorge Grand Canyon, Colorado River, Arizona, U.S., 217 miles long, 4-18 miles wide, 1
mile deep
Deepest Gorge Hells Canyon, Snake River, Idaho, 7,900 feet deep
Longest Mountain Range The Andes of South America, 5,000 miles
Longest River The Nile, Africa, 4,180 miles
Shortest River The Roe, Montana, U.S., 200 feet long
Largest River The Amazon, basin of 2,500,000 square miles South America
Longest Estuary OB River, Russia, 550 miles long, upto 50 miles wide
Largest Lagoon Lagoa dos Patos, Brazil, 150 miles long, 4,500 square miles
Largest Waterfall Angel Falls, Venezuela, 3,212 feet high
GEORAPHICAL SOBRIQUETS
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Sobriquets Primary Names

America’s Motor City Detroit
Blue Mountains Nilgiri Hills (India)
Britain of the South New Zealand
Bengal’s Sorrow Damodar River (India)
China’s Sorrow River Hwang Ho
City of Dreaming Spires Oxford (England)
City of Eternal Springs Quito (South America)
City of Flowers Cape Town (South Africa)
City of Golden Gate San Francisco (USA)
City of Golden Temple Amritsar (India)
City of Magnificent Buildings Washington (USA)
City of Palaces Kolkata (India)
City of Quiet Thoroughfares Venice
City of Seven Hills Rome (Italy)
City of Skyscrapers New York (USA)
Cockpit of Europe Belgium
Dark Continent Africa
Emerald Isle Ireland
Empire City New York
Eternal City of Hopes Rome, Italy
Forbidden City Lhasa (Tibet)
Garden City Chicago
Garden in the desert Ethiopia
Garden of England Kent (England)
Gate of tears Strait of bab-el-Mandeb
Gateway of India Mumbai
Golden City Johannesburg
Gibraltar of Indian Ocean Aden
Gift of Nile Egypt
Granite City Aberdeen
Hanging Valleys Valley of Switzerland
Hermit Kingdom Korea
Herring Pond Atlantic Ocean
Holy Land Palestine
Human Equator of the Earth Himalayas
Island Continent Australia
Island of Cloves Zamzibar
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Island of Pearls bahrain (Persian Gulf)

Islands of Sunshine West Indies
Kashmir of Europe Switzerland
Key to Mediterranean Gibraltar
Land of Five Seas South West Asia
Land of Five Rivers Punjab, India
Land of Lakes Scotland
Land of Golden Pagoda Myanmar
Land of Kangaroo Australia
Land of Golden Fleece Australia
Land of Lilies Canada
Land of Maple Canada
Land of Midnight Sun Norway
Land of Morning Calm Korea
Land of Rising Sun Japan
Land of Setting Sun United Kingdom
Land of Thousand Elephants Laos
Land of Thousand Lakes Finland
land of Thunderbolt Bhutan
Land of White Elephant Thailand
Loneliest Island Tristan De Gumha (Mid. Atlantic)
Manchester of Japan Osaka (Japan)
Pillars of Hercules Straits of Gibraltar
Pink City Jaipur, India
Play Ground of Europe Switzerland
Quaker City Philadelphia
Queen of the Adriatic Venice
Roof of the World The pamirs (Tibet)
River in the Sea Gulf Stream
Sickman of Europe Turkey
Sugar Bowl of the world Cuba
Venice of the East Bangkok
Venice of the North Stockholm
White City Belgrade
Windy City Chicago
Workshop of Europe Belgium
Sobriquets Primary Names
World’s Loneliest Island Tristan Da Cunha
Yellow River River Hwang Ho (China)
Geographical Discoveries America Christopher Columbus
Sea-route to India Vasco-da-Gama
Page: 37

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North Pole Robert Peary

South Pole Amundsen
Suez Canal Designed by Ferdinand de Lesseps
BIGGEST, HIGHEST AND LARGEST IN THE WORLD
Animal, Tallest Giraffe
Archipelago Largest Indonesia
Bird, Fastest Swift
Bird, Largest Ostrich
Bird, smallest Humming Bird
Bridge, Longest Railway Huey P. Long Bridge, Louisiana (USA)
Building Tallest in the World Teipei 101, Taiwan
Canal, Longest irrigational The Kalakumsky Canal
Canal, Longest Suez Canal
Capital, Highest La Paz (Bolivia)
City, Biggest in Area Mount Isa (Australia)
City, Largest in Population Tokyo
City, Costliest Tokyo
City, Highest Van Chuan (China)
Creature, Largest Blue Whale
Delta, Largest Sunderban (Bangladesh and India)
Desert, Largest (World) Sahara (Africa)
Desert, Largest (Asia) Gobi
Dam, Largest Grand Coulee Dam (USA)
Dam, Highest Hoover Dam (USA)
Diamond, Largest The Cullinan
Dome, Largest Astrodome, in Housten (USA)
Epic, Largest Mahabharat
Irrigation Scheme, Largest Lloyd Barrage, Sukkhur (Pakistan)
Island, Largest Greenland
Sea, Largest Mediterranean Sea
Lake, Deepest Baikal (Siberia)
Lake, Largest (Artificial) Lake Mead (Boulder Dam)
Lake, Highest Titicaca (Bolivia)
Lake, Largest (Fresh Water) Superior
Lake, Largest (Salt Water) Caspian
Library, Largest United States Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
Mountain Peak, Highest Everest Nepal
Mountain Range Andes (South America) Page: 38

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Museum, Largest British Museum, London

Park, Largest Yellow Stone National Park (USA)
Peninsula, Largest Arabia
Place, Coldest (Habitated) Verkhoyansk (Siberia)
Place, Dryest Iqique (in Atacama Desert, Chile)
Place, Hottest Azizia (Libya, Africa)
Place, Rainiest Mausinram (Meghalaya, India)
Planet, Biggest Jupiter
Planet, Brightest Venus
Planet, Smallest Pluto
Plateau, Highest Pamir (Tibet)
Platform, Longest Kharagpur (India)
Railway, Longest Trans-Siberian Railway
Railway Station, Largest Grand Central Terminal, Chicago (USA)
River, Longest Nile (Africa)
River, Largest Amazon (South America)
Sea-Bird, Largest Albatross
Star, Brightest Sirius
Statue, Tallest Statue of Motherland Volgagrad (Russia)
Telescope, Largest Radio New Mexico (USA)
Tramway, World’s First New York
Tunnel, Longest (Railway) Tanna (Japan)
Tunnel, Longest (Road) Mont Blanc Tunnel between France and Italy
Volcano, Highest Ojos del Salado (Andes, Ecuador)
Volcano, Most Active Maunaloa (Hawaii-USA)
Wall, Longest Great Wall of China
Waterfall, Highest Angel (Venezuela)
Water, Lowest Body Dead Sea
Zoo, Largest Kruger National Park, South Africa
IMPORTANT RIVERS
Name Origin from Falls into Length (km)
Ganga Combined Sources Bay of Bengal 2525
Satluj Mansarovar Rakas Lakes Chenab 1050
Indus Near Mansarovar Lake Arabain Sea 2880
Ravi Kullu Hills near Rohtang Pass Chenab 720
Beas Near Rohtang Pass Satluj 470
Jhelum Verinag in Kashmir Chenab 725 Page: 39

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Yamuna Yamunotri Ganga 1375

Chambal M.P. Yamuna 1050
Ghagra Matsatung Glacier Ganga 1080
Kosi Near Gosain Dham Peak Ganga 730
Betwa Vindhyanchal Yamuna 480
Sone Amarkantak Ganga 780
Brahmaputra Near Mansarovar Lake Bay of Bengal 2900
Narmada Amarkantak Gulf of Khambat 1057
Tapti Betul Distt. In M.P. Gulf of Khambat 724
Mahanadi Raipur Distt. In Chhattisgarh Bay of Bengal 858
Luni Aravallis Rann of Kuchchh 450
Ghaggar Himalayas Near Fatehabad 494
Sabarmati Aravallis Gulf of Khambat 416
Krishna Western Ghats Bay of Bengal 1327
Godavari Nasik distt. In Maharashtra Bay of Bengal 1465
Cauvery Brahmagir of Western Ghats Bay of Bengal 805
Tungabhadra Western Ghats Krishna river 640
RAILWAY ZONES
Railway Zones Head Quarters
1.Central Mumbai VT
2. Eatern Kolkata
3.Northern New Delhi
4.North Eastern Gorakhpur
5.North-East Frontier Maligaon-Gwahati
6.SouthernChennai
7.South Central Secunderbad
8.South Eastern Kolkata
9.Western Mumbai Churchgate
10.East Coast Bhubaneshwar
11.East Central Hajipur
12.North Central Allahabad
13.North Western Jaipur
14.South Western Bangaluru (Hubli)
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15.West Central Jabalpur

16.South East Central Bilaspur
17.Kolkata Metro Kolkata
IMPORTANT NATIONAL HIGHWAY
National Highways Places Connected
No. 1 Delhi and Amritsar (via Ambala and Jaulandhar)
No. 1 A Julandhar and Uri (via Madhavpur, Jammu, Srinagar and Baramula)
No. 1 B Batot and Kishtwar (via Doda)
No. 2 Delhi and Kalkata(via Mathura and Varanasi)
No. 3 Agra and Mumbai (via Gwalior and Nasik)
No. 4 Thane and Chennai (via Pune, Belgaum, Hubli, Bangaluru and Ranipet)
No. 4 A Belgaum to Panji
No. 5 Behragoda and Chennai (via Cuttack, Vishakhapatnam and Vijaywada)
No. 6 Dhuria and Kolkata (via Nagpur, Raipur and Sambalpu)
No. 7 Varanasi and Kanyakumari (via Nagpur, Bangaluru and Maduria)
No. 8 Delhi and Mumbai (via jaipur, Ahmedabad and Vadodara)
No. 8 A Ahmedabad and Kandia (via Morbi)
No. 9 Pune and vijayawada (via Sholapur and Hyderabad)
No. 10 Delhi and Farika proceeding to Indo-Pak border
No. 11 Agra and Bikaner (via Jaipur)
No. 12 Jabalpur and Jaipur (via Bhopal and Kota)
No. 13 Sholapur and Chitradurg
No. 15 Pathankot and Kandla (via Amritsar, Ganganagar and Jaisalmer)
No. 17 Punvel and Karngaur (via Karwar and Calicut)
No. 21 Chandigarh and Manali (via Bilaspur, Mandi and Kulu)
No. 22 Ambala and Shonia La on Indo-China border (via Shimla and Narkanda)
No. 23 Chaus and Teacher (via Ranchi and Rourkela)
No. 24 Delhi and Lunknow (via Bareilly)
No. 25 Lucknow and Shivpuri (via kanpur and Jhansi)
No. 26 Jhansi and Launaceen
No. 27 Allahabad and Varanasi
No. 28 Barauni and Lucknow (via Gorakhpur)
No. 29 Gorakhpur to Varanasi (via Gazipur)
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No. 30 Mohanis and Bactnarpur (via Patna

No. 31 Barhi and Pandunda Purnea and Siligudi
No. 31A Sivok and Gangtok
No. 31B North Salmara and Golpara
No. 32 Gobindpur and Jamshedpur (via Dhanbad)
No. 33 Barhi and Bargoda (via Ranchi and Jamshedpur)
No. 34 Daikola and Kolkata (via Behrampur)
No. 36 Naogaon and Dimapur
No. 37 Golpada and Saikhowa Ghat (via Guwahati and Jorhat)
No. 38 Makum and Lechapani (via Ledo)
No. 39 Numaligam and indo-Myanmar border (via lmphal)
No. 40 Jorhat and Indo-Bangladesh border (via Shillong)
No. 41 Golaghat and Haldia port
No. 42 Sambalpur and Cuttack (via Ongul)
No. 43 Raipur and Vijaynagar
No. 44 Shillong and Agartala (via Badarpur)
No. 45 Chennai and Dindigul (via Tiruchirapalli)
No. 46 Krishnagar and Ranipet
No. 47 Salem and Kanyakumari (via Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram)
No. 48 Bangaluru and Mangalore (via Hassan)
No. 49 Madurai and Dhanushkodi
No. 50 Nasik and Pune
No. 52 Behra and Sitamani (via Tejpur, Passighat and Teju)
No. 52A Bander and Itanagar (via Deva)
No. 53 Badarpur and Silchar (via Jirighat and Imphal)
No. 54 Silchar and Lundel (via Aizwal)
NICK NAMES OF IMPORTANT INDIAN PLACES
Nick Name Place Nick Name Place
Golden city Amritsar Sorrow of Bengal Damodar river
Manchester of India Ahmedabad Sorrow of Bihar Kosi river
City of seven islands Mumbai Blue Mountains Nilgiri
Queen of Arbian sea Kochi Queen of the Mountains Musoorie (Uttarakhand)
Space city Bangaluru Sacred river Ganga
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Garden City of India Bangaluru Hollywood of India Mumbai

Silicon valley of India Bangaluru City of Castles Kolkata
Electronic city of India Bangaluru City of weaves Panipat
Pink City Jaipur City of weaers Panipat
Gateway of India Mumbai City of lakes Srinagar
Twin city Hyderabad- Steel city of India Jameshedpur (Called
Sikandarabad Tatnagar)
City of festivals Madurai City of temples Varanasi
Deccan Queen Pune Manchester of the north Kanpur
City of buildings Kolkata City of Rallies New Delhi
Dakshin Ganga Godavari Heaven of India Ahmedabad
Egg bowls of Asia Andhra Pradesh Garden of spices of India Kerala
Soya region Madhya Abode of the God Prayag (Allahabad)
Manchester of the South Coimbatore Switzerland of India Kashmir
City of Nawabs Lucknow Pittsburg of India Jamshedpur
IMPORTANT INDIAN TOWNS ON RIVERS
Town River Town River
Allahabad At the confluence Varanasi Ganga
of the Ganga and Yamuna
Patna Ganga Kanpur Ganga
Hardwar Ganga Badrinath Alknanda
Agra Yamuna Delhi Yamuna
Mathura Yamuna Ferozpur Satluj
Ludhiana Satluj Srinagar Jhelum
Lucknow Gomti Jaunpur Gomti
Ayodhya Saryu Bareily Ram Ganga
Ahmedabad Sabarmati Kota Chambal
Jabalpur Narmada Panji Mandavi
Ujjain Kashipra Surat Tapti
Jamshedpur Swarnarekha Dibrugarh Brahmputra
Guwahati Brahmaputra Kolkata Hooghly
Sambalpur Mahanadi Cuttack Mahanadi
Serirangapatnam Cauvery Hyderabad Musi
Nasik Godavari Vijayvada Krishna Page: 43

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Curnool Tungabhadra Tiruchirapalli Cauvery

LARGEST, LONGEST, HIGHEST AND SMALLEST IN INDIA
Longest river Ganga
The longest tributary river of India Yamuna
The longest river of the south Godavari
Highest mountain peak Godwin Austin (K2)
Largest lake (Fresh water) Wulnar lake (Kashmir)
Highest Dam Bhakra Dam (Punjab)
Largest Mosque Jama Masjid, Delhi
Longest Road Grand Trunk Road
State with longest coastline Gujarat
Longest railway route From Jammu to Kanyakumari
Longest tunnel Jawahar tunnel (Jammu & Kashmir)
Longest national highway NH-7 which turns from Varanasi to Kanyakumari
Longest Dam Hirakud Dam (Orissa)
Longest River Bridge Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Patna
Largest populated City Mumbai (1.60 crore)
Largest Museum National Museum, Kolkata
Largest Delta Sunderban Delta, W. Bengal
Largest Dome Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur (Karnataka)
Largest Zoo Zoological Gardens, Alipur, Kolkata
Largest man-made Lake Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar (Rihand Dam)
Largest Desert Thar (Rajasthan)
Highest Tower Pitampura Tower, Delhi
Smallest State (Area) Goa
Smallest State (Population) Sikkim
Highest Waterfall Gersoppa waterfall (Karnataka)
Longest Electric railway line From Delhi to Kolkata via Patna
Densest populated State West Bengal
Largest cave temple Kailash temple, Ellora (Maharashtra)
Largest animal Fair Sonepur (Bihar)
Highest Gateway Bulund Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri (Agra)
Biggest Hotel Oberai-Sheraton (Mumbai)
Largest State (Area) Rajasthan
Largest State (Population) Uttar Pradesh
Place of heaviest rainfall Mausinram (Meghalaya)
Largest corridor Rameshwaram temple corridor (Tamil Nadu)
Largest cantilever span bridge Howrah Bridge (Kolkata) Page: 44

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Largest forest state M.P.

Highest straight gravity Dam Bhakra Dam
Longest Railway Platform Kharagpur (W. Bengal)
Largest Stadium Salt lake (Yuva Bharti), Kolkata
Largest Port Mumbai
Highest Lake Devatal (Garhwal)
Largest Lake (Saline water) Chilka lake Orissa
Highest Award Bharat Ratna
Highest Gallantry Award Paramveer Chakra
Largest Gurudwara Golden Temple, Amritsar
Deepest River Valley Bhagirathi and Alaknanda
State with Longest Coastline of South India Andhra Pradesh
Longest river which forms estuary Narmada
Largest Church Saint Cathedral (Goa)
Longest Beach Marina Beach, Chennai
Highest Battle field Siachin Glacier
Highest Airport Leh (Laddakh)
Largest River Island Majuli (Brahmaputra river, Asom).
Largest Planetarium Birla Planetarium (Kolkata)
Indian Polity
DIFFRENT SOURCES OF THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION
• Although the skeleton of the constitution was derived from Government of India Act 1935, many provisions
were imported from other constitution,, of the world. Some of them are listed below:
• Government of India Act 1935: Federal scheme, office of Governor, power of Federal judiciary,
emergency powers etc.
• Constitution of Britain: Law making procedures, rule of law, provision for single citizenship, Parliamentary
system of government, office of CAG.
• Constitution of USA: Independence of judiciary. judicial review, fundamental rights, removal of Supreme
Court and High Court judges, preamble and functions of Vice-president.
• Constitution of Canada: Federation with strong Centre, to provide residuary powers to the centre.
• Constitution of Ireland: Directive Principles of State policy, method of presidential elections, and the
nomination of members to Rajya Sabha by the President,
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• Constitution of Germany: Provisions concerning the suspension of fundamental rights during emergency.
• Constitution of Australia: Idea of the Concurrent list.
• Constitution of South Africa: Amendment with 2/3rd majority in Parliament and election of the Members of
Rajya Sabha on the basis of proportional representation.
THE PREAMBLE
• The 42nd Amendment (1976) added the words Secular’ and ‘Socialist’ end now the Preamble reads as
follows:
• “We, the people of India having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular,
Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, social. economic and political; Liberty of
thought, expression, belief, faith and worship Equality of status and of opportunity: and to promote among
them all Fraternity assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation. In our
Constituent Assembly on this twenty-sixty day November, 1949, we do hereby, Adopt, Enact and Give
Ourselves this Constitution.”
\
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
The 42nd Amendment Bill, 1976 had added ten fundamental duties, viz.
1. To abide by the Constitution and to respect its ideals and institutions, national flag and the national anthem.
2. To cherish and follow the noble ideas which inspired our national freedom struggle.
3. To uphold the protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
4. To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
5. To promote harmony and spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India, transcending
religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities, renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of
women.
6. To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
7. To protect and improve the natural environment.
8. To develop a scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of enquiry and reform.
9. To safeguard public property and abjure violence.
10. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly
rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement.
11. To provide opportunities for free and compulsory education to his child or ward between the age of six to
fourteen years. (Added by 86th Amendment Act 2002).
THE EXECUTIVE
The President
The President of India is the constitutional head of a parliamentary system of government. He represents
the nation but does not rule it. The real power vests with the council of ministers. The President is elected by an
electoral college consisting of:
1. Elected members of the Parliament (both Houses), and
2. Elected members of the state legislature.
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Qualifications
1. He must be a citizen of India.
2. He must not be less than 35 years of age.
3. He must be qualified to be an elected member of the Lok Sabha but shall not a sitting member.
4. He must not be holding any office of profit under the Government of India or any other governments.
Tenure: Elected for five years but is eligible for immediate re-election and can serve any number of terms.
Emoluments: Rs. 1,50,000 per month, Ex-president receives a pension of Rs. 75,000 per month.
Powers
1. Executive and Administrative Powers: He appoints the senior officials of the state including the Prime
Minister. All union terriotories are under the President of India.
2. Legislative Power: (a) Appoints 12 member to the Rajyaaa Sabha and two Anglo-Indian members to the
Lok Sabha: (b) Dissolves the House of People: (c) Assents or withholds his assent to any Bill passed by the
Parliament; (d) Issues ordinances.
3. Financial Powers: (a) Causes the budget to be laid before the Parliament; (b) Sanctions introduction of
money bills: (c) Apportions revenue between the Centre and the States.
4. Judicial Powers: Empowered to grant pardons, reprieve, remit the sentences or suspend,’ remit or
commute punishments.
5. Emergency Powers: Article 352 empowers the President to proclaim an emergency and take under his
direct charge the administration of any State.
• The President cannot be questioned by any court for the action taken by him in the discharge of his duties.
No criminal proceedings can be launched against him. He may be removed from office for violation of the
Constitution by impeachment (Article 61).
VICE-PRESIDENT
Election • The Vice-President is elected by members of an electoral college consisting of the
members of both the House of Parliament. However, bus election is different from
that of the President as the state legislature have no part in it.
Tenure Functions • Five years and is eligible for immediate re-election.
1. Acts as ex-official Chairman of the Rajya Saha.
2. Officiates as President in case of death, resignation or removal of the latter.
3. Functions as the President when the President is unable to discharge his
functions due to illness, absence or any other cause.
Emoluments President’s salary raised from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 1,50,000 per month and Vice-
President’s salary from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 1,25,000 per month. After new
amendments, the former President will get a pension of Rs. 75,000 per month
instead of Rs. 25,000 per month Vice-President will get a pension of Rs. 62,500 per
month instead of R. 20,000 per month. Former presidents will also be provided two
telephones-one phone with internet connectivity and the other (mobile phone) will
have national roaming facilities.
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THE PRIME MINISTER

• The Prime Minister of India heads the council of minister. He is the leader of the party that enjoys a majority
in the Lok Sabha. He is appointed by the President.
Tenure Five years and holds the office with the consent of the President till a new Lok Sabha
is formed.
Resignation If the government is defeated in the Lok Sabha (not in Rajya Sabha), the cabinet as
well as the Prime Minister have to resign.
Emoluments The PM gets the same salary and allowances which are paid to member of
Parliament. In addition, he gets a sumptuary allowance of Rs. 15,000 per month, free
residence, free vel and medical facilities.
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
• The Constitution provides for a council of ministers headed by
• The Prime Minister. It is a policy-making body and the government in the real sense. The prime Minister is
appointed by the President and the other ministers are appointed by the President on the advice of the
Prime Minister.
• Any person who is not a member of the legislature, can also be appointed as minister, but he cannot
continue in that capacity for more than six months unless he secures a seat in either House of Parliament.
THE PARLIAMENT
• The parliament is the Union legislature of India which comprises:
1. The president of India
2. The Council of States (Rajya Sabha)
3. The House of people (Lok Sabha)
RAJYA SABHA
• It is the Council of states which is also known as the Upper House. It is made up representatives from the
states and members nominated by the President, who have distinguished themselves in literature, arts,
science or social service.
Strength 250 members (238 members representing the States and Union Territories
who come through election and 12 members who are nominated by the
President).
Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman is elected from the members of the Rajya Sabha.
Tenure The Rajya Sabha is a permanent body, not subject to dissolution. A third of
its members retire after every two years. Thus, every member enjoys
a six-tenure.
Functions Shares with the Lok Sabha, the power of amending the Constitution can
originate any bill (except a money bill); refer the charge of
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impeachment against the President. The elected members of the Rajya

Sabha take part in the election of the president and the Vice-
President.
Emoluments
• The members of the Council of Ministers receive the same salaries and allowances as paid to other MP’s. In
addition they get a sumptuary allowance. At present, a Member of Parliament draws a monthly salary of Rs.
4,000. They get, in addition to the monthly salary, a secretarial allowance (Rs. 2,500 per month),
Constituency allowance (Rs. 8,000 per month and daily allowance (Rs. 400) a car advance upto Rs. 1 lakh
and free to-and-fro air tickets upto 16 journey (or 32 single journeys). The spouses of MPs are entitled to
free rail travel throughout the country. On retirement, MPs draw a monthly pension of Rs. 2,500 and widows
of MPs get Rs. 1,000 as: pension. Moreover, they are also entitled to free accommodation, medical and
travel, facilities.
LOK SABHA
• Also called the House of People or the Lower House of the Parliament. It consists members elected by
direct election from territorial constituencies in various states and union territories and two members
nominated (Anglo-Indian) by the President.
Strength 552 (530 represent States and 20 represent Union Territories) and not more than
(two members of the Ango-Indian community to be nominated by the President,
only if the President thinks this community, is not adequately represented in the
house.
Presiding Officer Speaker, who is elected y the members. The speaker of the House elects a
Deputy Speaker, who discharges the duties of the Speaker in his absence.
Emoluments The salaries and allowances payable to the Members of Parliament are
terminated by the Parliament itself.
CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN PARLIAMENT
Ordinary Bills• All bills, except money bills, are introduced in either House of Parliament. A bill, after debate,
is passed by a majority vote and sent to the other House. In case certain amendments are
suggested in the other House, it is sent back to the House where the bill had originated for
reconsideration.
• The bill is regarded as passed by both the Houses if the original House accepts the
amendments of the other House. It is then presented to the President for his assent:
1. If the President gives his assent to the bill, it then becomes an Act.
2. If the President withholds his assent, the bill is nullified.
3. If the President neither gives his assent nor withholds his assent, he may return it to the
Parliament for reconsideration.
4. If, however, the Houses pass the bill again after reconsideration, the President is bound
to give his assent.
Money Bills • A money bill can originate only in the Lok Sabha on the recommendation of the President.
After it has been passed by the Lok Sabha, it is sent to the Rajya Sabha. The
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within 14 days, the bill is considered as passed by both Houses. If the Rajya Sabha returns
the bill with its recommendation, it is up to the Lok Sabha to accept or reject the
recommendations. Even if the Lok Sabha rejects the recommendations of the Rajya Sabha,
the bill is considered to have been passed.
Joint Sitting of • A joint session of both Houses
Parliament is ordered by the President to consider a particular bill in case.
1. A bill is a passed by one House and is rejected by the other.
2. The amendments made by the other House are not acceptable to the House where the
bill originated, and
3. Bill remains pending (unpassed) in a House for more than six months from the date of its
receipt from the House where it originated.
SUPREME COURT
The Supreme Court stands at the apex of the judicial system of India.
Composition The Supreme Court consists of one Chief Justice and 25 other judges.
The Chief Justice is appointed by the President and the other judges are appointed be the
President in consultation with the Chief Justice.
Seat The Supreme Court normally sits in New Delhi. However, it can hold its meetings
anywhere in India. The decision in this regard is taken by the Chief Justice of India in
Consultation with the President.
Qualification Any citizen who has been a judge of a High Court for 5 years or an eminent jurist or who
has been a practicing advocate of High Court for a period of 10 years, can be nominated
as a Supreme Court judge.
Functions (i) It decides disputes between the Union Government and he states.
(ii) It hears certain appeals in civil and criminal cases from the High Courts.
(iii) The President can refer any question of law or fact of sufficient importance to the
Supreme Court for its opinion. and
(iv) It can issue directions or writs for the enforcement of any of the Fundamental Rights
referred by the Constitution.
Tenure Judges of the Supreme Court can hold office up to the age of 65 years.
Remuneration Chief Justice of India-Rs 1,00,000 per month; Judges of the Supreme Court- Rs 90,000
per month.
Retirement The Chief Justice and other judges are entitled to a pension of Rs 60,000 and Rs 54,000
per annum, respectively. After retirement, a judge of the Supreme Court shall not plead or
act in any court before any authority in India.
Removal of a Judge A judge of the Supreme Court can only be removed from office by an order of the
President, after an address by each House of Parliament, supported by a majority of the
total membership of the Houses and by a majority of not less than two-third of
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(i) Proven misbehavior and

(ii) Incapacity to act as a judge [Article 124(4)].
PANCHAYATI RAJ
BASIC CONCEPTS OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
The basic concept of Panchayati Raj is that villagers should think, decide and act in their own socio-
economic interests. Thus, the Panchayati Raj Act is related to village self-governance, where the people in the
form of an organization will think, decide and act for their collective interest. Self-government allows us to decide
about ourselves without hampering others interest. Whenever we talk about collective benefit one point is clear,
there is no conflict between the villagers’ collective interest on one side and societal and national interest on the
other, rather they are complementary. Where panchayats end their activities the state government takes them
up.
AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION
Procedure (Article 368)

• The method of amendment are three-according to the subject matter of the Article concerned:
1. Articles that may be amended by a simple majority.
2. Articles that may be amended by a two-thirds majority of both Houses of Parliament-these are
comparatively important matters.
3. Articles that require not only a two-thirds majority of the Parliament but also ratification by at least
one-half of the State Legislatures.
• It may be noted that provisions which affect the federal character of the Constitution can be amended only
with the approval of the states. Further, the initiative to amend the Constitution rests only with the Centre
and the states cannot initiate any amendment.
IMPORTANT CONSTITUTION AMENDMENTS
1. The First Amendment 1950, to overcome certain practical difficulties related to Fundamental Rights. It made
provision for special treatment of educationally, and socially backward classes, and added Ninth Schedule
to the Constitution.
2. The Seventh Amendment 1956 was necessitated on account of reorganization of states on a linguistic basis
and changed First and Fourth Schedules.
3. The Eighth Amendment 1960 extended special provision for reservation of seats for SCs, STs and Anglo-
Indians in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies for a period of 10 years from 1960 to 1970.
4. The Twenty-First Amendment 1967 included Sindhi as the 15th regional Language in the Eighth Schedule.
5. The Twenty-Second Amendment 1969 created a sub-state of Meghalaya within Assam.
6. The Twenty-Third Amendment 1969 extended the reservation of seats for SC/ST and nomination of Anglo-
Indians for a further period of 10 years (upto 1980).
7. The Twenty-Seventh Amendment 1971 provided for the establishment, the states of Manipur
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8. The Thirty-First Amendment 1973 increased elective strength of Lok Sabha from 525 to 545. Upper limit of
representatives of states became 525 from 500.
9. The Thirty-Eighth Amendment 1975 provided that the President can make a declaration of emergency, and
the promulgation of ordinances by the President. Governors and administrative heads of UTs would be final
and could not challenged in any court.
10. The Thirty-Ninth Amendment 1975 placed beyond challenge in courts, election to Parliament of a person
holding the office of Prime Minister or Speaker and election of the President and Vice-President.
11. The Forty-Second Amendment 1976 provided supremacy of Parliament and gave primacy to Directive
Principles over Fundamental Rights added 10 Fundamental Duties and altered the Preamble.
12. The Forty-Fourth Amendment 1978, restored the normal duration of Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies
to 5 years; Right to property was deleted from Part III; it limited the power of the government to proclaim
internal emergency.
13. The Forty-Fifth Amendment 1980 extended reservation for SC/ST by 10 years (upto 1990).
14. The Fifty-Second Amendment 1985 inserted the Tenth Schedule in the constitution regarding provisions as
to disqualification on the grounds of defection.
15. The Fifty-Sixth Amendment 1987 Hindi version of the Constitution of India was accepted for all purposes
and statehood was also conferred on the UT of Goa.
16. The Sixty-First Amendment 1989 reduced voting age from 21 to 18 years for Lok Sabha and Assemblies.
17. The Sixty-Second Amendment 1989 extended reservation of seats for SC/ST upto the year 2000.
18. The Sixty-Second Amendment carried out in 1990 repealed the 59th Amendment which empowered the
government to impose Emergency in Punjab.
STRENGTH OF STATE LEGISLATURES
S.No. State/UTs Legislative Assembly Legislative Council
1.Andhra Pradesh 175 58
2.Arunachal Pradesh 60 Nil
3.Assam 126 Nil
4. Delhi 70 Nil
5. Bihar 243 75
6.Jharkhand 81 Nil
7. Goa 40 Nil
8.Gujarat 182 Nil
9.Haryana 90 Nil
10.Himachal Pradesh 68 Nil
11.Jammu & Kashmir 76 36
12.Karnataka 224 75
13.Kerala 140 Nil
14.Madhya Pradesh 230 Nil
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15.Chhattisgarh 90 Nil
16.Maharashtra 288 78
17.Manipur 60 Nil
18.Meghalaya 60 Nil
19.Mizoram 40 Nil
20.Nagaland 60 Nil
21.Orissa 147 Nil
22.Pondicherry 30 Nil
23.Punjab 117 Nil
24.Rajasthan 200 Nil
25.Sikkim 32 Nil
26.Tamil Nadu 234 Nil
27.Tripura 60 Nil
28.Uttar Pradesh 403 100
29.Uttrakhand 70 Nil
30.West Bengal 294 Nil
31.Telangana 119 40
OFFICES UNDER GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
President of India
Dr. Rajendra Prasad 1950-1962
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan 1962-1967
Dr. Zakir Hussain 1967-1969 (Died)
Varahagiri Venkata Giri 1969-1969 (Acting)
Justice Md. Hidayatullah 1969-1969 (Acting)
Varahagiri Venkata Giri 1969-1974
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed 1974-1977 (Died)
B. D. Jatti 1977-1977 (Acting)
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy 1977-1982
Giani Zail Singh 1982-1987
R. Venkataraman 1987-1992
Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma 1992-1997
K. R. Narayanan 1997-2002
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam 2002-2007
Smt. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil 2007-2012
Sri Pranab Mukherjee 2012-2017
Ramnath Kobind 2017-till date
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Vice-Presidents of India
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan 1952-1962
Dr. Zakir Hussain 1962-1967
Varahagiri Venkata Giri 1967-1969
Gopal Swarup Pathak 1969-1974
B. D. Jatti 1974-1979
Justice Md. Hidayatullah 1979-1984
R. Venkataraman 1984-1987
Dr. Shanker Dayal Sharma 1987-1992
K. R. Narayanan 1992-1997
Krishan Kant 1997-2002 (Died)
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat 2002-2007
Md. Hamid Ansari 2007 -2017
M.Venkaiah Naidu 2017-till date
Prime Ministers of India
Jawaharlal Nehru 1947-1964 (Died)
Gulzari Lal Nanda 1964-1964 (Acting)
Lal Bahadur Shastri 1964-1966 (Died)
Gulzari Lal Nanda 1966-1966 (Acting)
Indira Gandhi 1966-1977
Morarji Desai 1977-1979
Charan Singh 1979-1980
Indira Gandhi 1980-1984 (Died)
Rajiv Gandhi 1984-1989
V. P. Singh 1989-1990
Chandra Shekhar 1990-1991
P. V. Narasimha Rao 1991-1996
Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1996-1996 (For 16 Days)
H. D. Deve Gowda 1996-1998
I. K. Gujral 1997-1998
Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1998-1999
Atal Bihari Vajpayee 1999-2004
Dr. Manmohan Singh 2004-2009
Dr. Manmohan Singh 2009-2014
Narendra Modi 2014-Till Date
Deputy Prime Ministers of India
Sardar Patel 1947-1950
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Morarji Desai 1967-1969

Devi Lal 1989-1990
Chaudhary Devi Lal 1990-1991
L.K. Advani 2002-2004
Finance Ministers of India
R. K. Shanmukham Chetty 1947-1949
John Mathai 1949-1951
C.D. Deshmukh 1951-1957
Manmohan Singh 1991-1996
P. Shidambaram 1996-1998
Yashwant Sinha 1998-2002
Jaswant Singh 2002-2004
P. Chidambaram 2004-2008
Pranab Mukherjee 2009-2012
P. Chidambaran 2012-2014
Arun Jaitly 2014-Till Date
Speakers of the Lok Sabha
G. V. Mavalankar 1952-1956 (Died)
M. A. Ayyangar 1956-1962
Hukam Singh 1962-1967
P. A. Sangma 1996-1998
G.M.C. Balayogi 1998-2002 (Died)
Manohar Joshi 2002-2004
Somnath Chatterjee 2004-2009
Ms. Meira Kumar 2009-2014
Sumitra Mahajan 2014-Till Date
Chief Justice of India
Harilal J. Kania 1950-1951
M. Patanjali Sastri 1951-1954
M. C. Mahajan 1954-1954
B. K. Mukherjee 1954-1956
S. Rajendra Babu 2004-2005
R.C. Lahoti 2004-2005
Y.K. Sabharwal 2005-2005
K.G. Balakrishnan 2007 -2010
S.H. Kapadia 2010-2012
Altamas Kabir 2012-2014
H L Dattu 2014-2015
T.S. Thakur 2015-3 January 2017
J. S. Khehar 4 January 2017 – 27 August 2017
Deepak Misra 28 August 2017- till date
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Election Commissioners of India

Sukumar Sen 1950-1958
K.V.K. Sundaram 1958-1967
S.P. Sen Verma 1967-1972
Dr. Nagendra Singh 1972-1973
T.S. Krishna Murthy 2004-2005
B.B. Tandon 2005-2006
N. Gopalaswamy 2006-2009
Naveen Chawla 2009-2010
S.Y. Quraishi 2010-2012
V.S. Sampath 2012-2015
H.S. Brahma 16 Jan 2015-18 April 2015
Nasim Zaidi 19 April 2015 – 5 July 2017
Achal Kumar Jyoti 6 July 2017- till date
Chairman of the UPSC
Sir Ross Barker 1926-1932
Sir David Petrie 1932-1936
Sir Eyre Gorden 1937-1942
Sir F.W. Robertson 1942-1947
Dr. S.R. Hashim 2005-2006
Gurbachan Jagat 2006-2007
Subir Dutta 2007-2008
D.P. Agrawal 2008-2014
Rajni Razdan Aug. 2014-Nov. 2014
Deepak Gupta 23 Nov. 2014-2016
Alka Sirohi 21 Sept. 2016 - 3 Jan. 2017
David R. Syiemlieh 2017-Till Date
Comptroller and Auditor-Generals of India
V. Narhari Rao 1948-1954
T.N. Chaturvedi 1984-1990
C.G. Somiah 1990-1996
V.K. Shunglu 1996-2002
V.N. Kaul 2002-2008
Vinod Rai 2008-2013
Sashi Kant Sharma 2013-Till Date
Attorney-Generals of India
M.C. Setalved 1950-1963
C.K. Daphtary 1963-1963
Soli J. Sorabjee 1989-1990
G. Ramaswamy 1990-1992
Milon K. Banerjee 1992-1996
Ashok K. Desai 1996-1998
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• NEW! SSC CGL Previous Year Exam Papers Download
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Milon K. Banerjee 2004-2009

Goolam E. Vahanvati 2009-2014
Mukul Rohatgi 2014-Till Date
Governors of Reserve Bank of India
Sir Oshorne Smith 1935-1937
Sir James Taylor 1937-1943
S. Venkitaramanan 1990-1992
Dr. C. Rangarajan 1992-1997
Dr. Bimal Jalan 1997-2003
Dr. Y.V. Reddy 2003-2008
Dr. D. Subba Rao 2008-2013
Raghuram Rajan 2013-2016
Urjit Patel 2016 - Till Date
Commanders-in-Chief
General Sir Roy Bucher 1948-1949
General K.M. Cariappa 1949-1953
General Maharja Rajendra Sinhji 1953-1955
Chiefs of Army Staff
General Maharaj Rajendra Sinhji 1955-1955
General S.M. Srinagesh 1955-1957
General Deepak Kapoor 2007-2010
General V.K. Singh 2010-2012
General Bikram Singh 2012-2014
General Dalbir Singh Suhag 2014-2016
General Bipin Rawat 2016-Till Date
Chiefs of Naval Staff
Admiral Sir Edward Parry 1948-1951
Admiral Sir Mark Pizey 1951-1955
Vice Admiral Sir Stephen Carlill 1955-1958
Admiral Suresh Mehta 2006-2009
Admiral Nirmal Kumar Verma 2009-2012
Admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi 2012-2014
Admiral Robin K Dhowan 2014-2016
Admiral Sunil Lanba 2016 - Till Date
Chiefs of Air Staff
Air Marshal Sir Thomas Elmhirst 1948-1950
Air Marshal Sir Ronald Chapman 1950-1951
Air Chief Marshal Fali H. Major 2007-2009
Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik 2009-2011
Air Chief Marshal Norman Anil Kumar Browne 2011-2013
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha 2013-2016
Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa 2016- Till Date
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Indian Economy
HISTORY OF PLANNING IN INDIA
• First attempt to initiate economic planning in India was made by Sir M.Visvesvarayya, a noted engineer and
politician in 1934 through his book ‘Planned Economy For India’.
• In 1938 ‘National Planning Commission’ was set-up under the chairmanship of J.L. Nehru by the Indian
National Congress. Its recommendations could not be implemented because of the beginning of the Second
World War and changes in the Indian political situation.
• In 1944 ‘Bombay Plan’ was presented by 8 leading industrialists of Bombay.
• In 1944 ‘Gandhian Plan’ was given by S. N. Agarwal.
• In 1945 ‘People’s Plan’ was given by M. N. Roy.
• In 1950 ‘Sarvodaya Plan’ was given by J. P. Narayan. A few points of this plan were accepted by the
Government.
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IMPORTANT ANTI-POVERTY AND EMPLOYMENT GENERATION PROGRAMS

Swaranjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGRY)
• Started on April 1, 1999. It has replaced the following programs: o Integrated Rural Development Program
(IRDP) : Started in 1978-79.
o Training Rural Youth for Self-Employment (TRYSEM): Started in 1978-79.
o Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA): Started in 1978-79.
o Ganga Kalyan Yojana (GKY): Started in 1997.
o Million Wells Scheme (MWS): Started in 1989.
o Supply of Improved Tool-kits to Rural Artisans (SITRA).
• The yojana takes into account all the strengths and weaknesses of the earlier self-employment programs.
• Every assisted family will be brought above the poverty line. It is proposed to cover 30% of the rural poor in
each block. To target at least 50% Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, 40% women and 3% disabled.
Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (PMGY)

• It was introduced in 2000-01 with the objective of focusing on village level development in five critical areas,
i.e., primary health, primary education, housing, rural roads and drinking water and nutrition with the overall
objective of improving the quality of life of people in rural areas. Rural electrification was added as an
additional component from 2001-02.
• It has the following components :
o Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): It was launched on Dec 25, 2000 with the objective
of providing road connectivity through good all weather roads to all rural habitations with a population
of more than 1000 persons by the year 2003 and those with a population of more than 500 persons
by the year 2007.
o Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (Gramin Awas): Launched on April 1, 2000, based on the
pattern of Indira Awas Yojana, the scheme is being implemented in the rural areas throughout the
country with the objective of sustainable habitat development.
o Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana (Rural Drinking Water Project)
Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana (SGRY)

• It was started on Sept. 25, 2001, with the mergence of the Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and the
Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana (JGSY). Earlier Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, which started in 1989, was
merged with Jawahar Gram Samriddhi Yojana.
• The objective of the program is to provide additional wage employment in rural areas and also to provide
food security.
Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY)

• The SJSRY came into operation in Dec, 1997, through a restructuring and streamlining of the earlier urban
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poverty alleviation programs, the Nehru Rozgar Yojana (NRY), the Urban Basic Services for the Poor
(UBSP) and the Prime Minister’s Integrated Urban Poverty Alleviation Program (PMIUPEP).
• It seeks to provide employment to the urban employed or underemployed living below poverty line and
educated up to IX standard through encouraging the setting up of self-employment ventures or provision of
wage employment.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana

• Launched on Dec. 25, 2000. the scheme aims at providing food security to poor families.
• The scheme contemplates identification of 10 million ‘poorest of the poor’ families and providing them with
25 kg of food grains per family per month at a low price of Rs. 2 per kg for wheat and Rs. 3 per kg for rice.
Annapurna Yojana
• Inaugurated on March 19, 1999.
• Initially the scheme provided 10 kg food grains to senior citizens who were eligible fore old age pension but
could not get it due to one reason or the other. Later on, it was extended to cover those people who get old
age pensions.
• Food grains are provided to the beneficiaries at subsidized rates of Rs. 2 per kg of wheat and Rs. 3 per kg
of rice.
Major Programmes for Poverty Alleviation and Employment Generation at a Glance
1. Pradhan Mantri Gram Udaya Yojana (PMGY)
2. Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SUSY)
3. Sampoorna Gramin Rojgar Yojana (SURY)
4. Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana (PMRY)
5. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
6. Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP)
7. Desert Development Programme (DPAP)
8. Integrated Waterlads Development Programmes (IWDP)
9. Antoyada Anna Yojana (AAY)
10. Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rojgar Yojana (SJSRY)
11. Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana (VAMBAY)
12. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNRGA)
13. Jawaharlal Nehru National Umber Renewal Mission (JNNURM).
NATIONAL INCOME OF INDIA

A. Relating to the domestic product
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• GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT at Market Price = Market value of final output of goods and services
produced within the country’s domestic economy in a period of one year.
• NET DOMESTIC PRODUCT at Market Price = GDP – Depreciation
• NET DOMESTIC PRODUCT at Factor Cost
= NDP (MP) – Indirect Taxes + Subsidies
B. Relating to the national product
• GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT at Market Price = GDP (MP) + Net Factor income from Abroad
• NET NATIONAL PRODUCT at
Market Price = GNP (MP) – Depreciation
• NET NATIONAL PRODUCT at Factor Cost
Or
NATIONAL INCOME = National Product (MP) – Indirect Taxes + Subsidies
• PER CAPITA PRODUCT/INCOME
= National Income/Population
Or
= Net National Product at Factor Cost/Population.
Note
• The Ist estimate of National Income was prepared by Dadabhai Naoroji for the year 1867-68.
• The Ist scientific estimate was made by Prof. V.K.R.V. Rao for the year 1931-32.
• After independence, recognizing the importance of estimate of national income and its various components,
the Government of India appointed the National Income Committee in 1949, with P.C. Mahalanobis as the
Chairman.
• Following the report of this committee, the task of national income was entrusted to the Central Statistical
Organisation (CSO).
INDIAN TAX STRUCTURE

Distribution
• Some taxes are levied, collected and retained by the Centre. These include customs duty, corporation tax,
taxes on capital (other than agricultural land) etc.
• Some taxes are levied and collected by the Centre but shared with the States. These include taxes on
income other than agricultural income and union excise duties on goods included in Union List, excepting
medicinal and toilet preparations.
• Some taxes are levied and collected by the Centre but the proceeds are to be distributed among States.
These include succession and estate duties in respect of property other than agricultural land, terminal tax
on goods and passengers, tax on railway fares and freights, taxes on transaction in stock exchanges and
future markets and taxes on sale or purchase of newspapers and ads.
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• Some taxes are levied by the Centre but collected and appropriated by the States. These include stamp
duties other than included in Union List and excise duties on medicinal and toilet preparations.
• Taxes belonging to State exclusively are land revenue, stamp duty, etc.
Structure of Taxes
1. Direct Taxes
• Include taxes on income and property, the important ones being personal income tax, corporate tax, estate
duty and wealth tax.
• Income tax is progressive in India, i.e., the rate of tax is not uniform but rises progres-sively with the rise in
money income.
• During the last two decades, there has been a continuous reduction in the tax rate because high rates of
income tax had merely encouraged tax evasion and growth in black money.
2. Indirect Taxes
• Include Sales Tax, Excise Duties, Customs Duties, etc.
• The Government of India earns maximum from Union Excise Duty.
Currency
• Rupee was first minted in India during the reign of Sher Shah Suri around 1542.
• India became a member of International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 1947, & exchange value of rupee came to
be fixed by IMF standards.
• All coins and one rupee notes are issued by Govt. of India. That’s why one rupee note doesn’t bear the
signature of Governor of RBI. It bears the signature of Finance Secretary, Government of India.
Demonetization of Currency
• It refers to the withdrawal of currency from circulation which is done to ambush black market.
MINTS AND PRESSES
1. Indian Security Press, Nasik, prints postal and judicial stamps, cheques and bonds.
2. Currency Note Press, Nasik, prints notes of Rs. 10 and under denomination.
3. Bank Note Press, Dewas (MP) has 2 units
(a) Bank notes of Rs. 20, 50, 100 and above denominations.
(b) Ink factory for manufacturing security paper.
4. Security Paper Mill, Hoshangabad, manufactures paper for making currency notes and other security paper.
5. Security Printing Press at Hyderabad.
6. Government medals are printed at Kolkata and NOIDA.
Indian 500 and 1000 rupee note Demonetisation
The demonetisation of Rs. 500 and Rs.1,000 banknotes was a policy enacted by the Government of India
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on 8 November 2016. All Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series ceased to be legal
tender in India from 9 November 2016.
The announcement was made by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in an unscheduled live
televised address at 20:15 Indian Standard Time (IST) on 8 November. In the announcement, Modi declared that
use of all Rs.500 and Rs.1,000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series would be invalid from midnight of the
same day and announced the issuance of new Rs.500 and Rs.2,000banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi New
Series in exchange for the old banknotes. However, the banknote denominations of Rs.100, Rs.50, Rs.20, Rs.10
and Rs.5 of the Mahatma Gandhi Series remained legal tender and were unaffected by the policy.
The government claimed that the demonetisation was an effort to stop counterfeiting of the current
banknotes allegedly used for funding terrorism, as well as a crack down on black money in the country. The
move was described as an effort to reduce corruption.
Devaluation of Currency
• Refers to reducing value of the Indian rupee in comparison to the leading currencies in the world market.
First Devaluation • In June 1949 by 30.5% (Finance Minister : Dr. John Mathai)
Second Devaluation • In June 1966 by 57% (Finance Minister : Sachindra Chaudhry)
Third Devaluation • On July 1, 1991 by 9 % (Finance Minister : Dr. Manmohan Singh)
Fourth Devaluation • On July 3, 1991 by 11% (Finance Minister : Dr. Manmohan Singh)
• The basic objective of devaluation is to reduce deficits in balance of trade by making exports relatively
cheap & imports costly.
Inflation
• Inflation is that state in which the prices of goods and services rise on the one hand and value of money falls
on the other. When money circulation exceeds the production of goods and services, the state of inflation
takes place in the economy.
BANKING SYSTEM IN INDIA
• Bank of Hindustan (1770) was the first bank to be established in India (Alexander and Co.) at Calcutta
under European management. Other banks set-up were Bank of Bengal (1806), Bank of Bombay (1840)
and the Bank of Madras (1843) - these were called Presidency Banks.
• First bank with limited liability managed by an Indian board was Oudh Commercial Bank, founded in 1881.
The first purely Indian bank was the Punjab National Bank (1894).
Reserve Bank of India

• It is the Central Bank of the country.
• It was established on April 1, 1935 with a capital of Rs. 5 crore. This capital of Rs. 5 crore was divided into 5
lakh equity shares of Rs. 100 each. In the beginning, the ownership of almost all the share capital was with
the non-government share-holders.
• It was nationalized on Jan 1, 1949 as govt. acquired the private share holdings.
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• Administration: 14 directors in Central Board of Directors besides the Governor, 4 Deputy Governors and
one Government official. The Governor is the Chairman of the board & Chief Executive of the Bank.
• Governors : Ist Governor - Sir Smith (1935 - 37)
• Ist Indian Governor - C.D. Deshmukh (1948-49)
Functions
1. Issue of Notes: Regulates issue of bank notes above 1 rupee. It acts as the only source of legal tender
money because the one rupee notes issued by Ministry of Finance are also circulated through it. The
Reserve Bank has adopted the Minimum Reserve System for the note issue. Since 1957, it maintains gold
and foreign exchange reserves of Rs. 200 crore, of which at least 115 crore should be in gold.
2. Banker to the Government: Acts as the banker, agent and advisor to the Govt. of India. It also manages the
public debt for the Government.
3. Banker’s Bank: The Reserve Bank performs the same function for other banks as the other banks ordinarily
perform for their customers.
4. Controller of Credit: The Reserve Bank undertakes the responsibility of controlling credits created by the
commercial banks. To achieve this objective, it makes extensive use of quantitative and qualitative
techniques to control and regulate the credit effectively in the country.
5. Custodian of Foreign Reserves: For the purpose of keeping the foreign exchange rates stable, the Reserve
Banks buys and sells the foreign currencies and also protects the country’s foreign exchange funds.
6. It formulates and administers the monetary policy.
7. Acts as the agent of the Government of India in respect to India’s membership of the IMF and the World
Bank.
• No personal accounts are maintained and operated in RBI.
Nationalization of Banks
• In order to have more control over the banks, 14 large commercial banks whose reserves were more than
Rs. 50 crore each, were nationalized on July 1969 banks were:
1. The Central Bank of India
2. Bank of India
3. Punjab National Bank
4. Canara Bank
5. United Commercial Bank
6. Syndicate Bank
7. Bank of Baroda
8. United Bank of India
9. Union Bank of India
10. Dena Bank
11. Allahabad Bank
12. Indian Bank
13. Indian Overseas Bank Page: 64

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14. Bank of Maharastra

On April 15,1980 6 other private sector banks were nationalized. These banks are as—
1. Andhra Bank
2. Punjab & Sind Bank
3. New Bank of India
4. Vijaya Bank
5. Corporation Bank
6. Oriental Bank of Commerce.
Important Points
• Bank Rate: It is the rate at which the Reserve Bank of India extends credit to commercial banks.
• Cash Reserve Ratio (CPR): A commercial bank is required to keep a certain percentage of its total
deposits with the Reserve Bank of India in cash. It is called Cash Reserve Ratio.
• Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): It is that ratio/ percentage of its total deposits which a commercial bank
has to maintain with itself at any given point of time in the form of liquid assets like cash in hand, etc.
INSURANCE
• Insurance has been an important part of the Indian financial system. Until recently, insurance services were
provided by the public sector, i.e., life insurance by the Life Insurance Corporation of India and general
insurance by the General Insurance Corporation and its four subsidiaries.
• The insurance industry was opened up to the private sector in August 2000. After the opening up, 12 new
companies have entered the life segment and 9 companies in the non-life segment.
1. Life Insurance Corporation (LIC)
• Established : Sept 1, 1956.
• Head office : Mumbai.
• Zonal offices : 7 (Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Kanpur, Hyderabad and Bhopal)
2. General Insurance Corporation (GIC)
• Established : Jan 1, 1973.
• It has four subsidiary companies:
I. National Insurance Company Ltd, Kolkata.
II. The New India Assurance Co. Ltd, Mumbai
III. The Oriental Fire & General Insurance Co. Ltd, New Del.,
IV. United India Fire & General Insurance Co. Ltd, Chennai.
STOCK EXCHANGES
• Stock exchange or share market plays a dominant role in mobilizing resources for corporate sector. It is a
market for dealing in shares, debentures and financial securities. In the stock exchange, shares and
debentures are bought and sold for investment as well as for speculative purposes.
• There are 24 stock exchanges in the country, oldest being the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
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Securities & Exchange Board of India (Sebi)

• It was established in April, 1988, and awarded statutory status by an Act of Parliament in 1992.
• It is the regulatory authority of stock exchanges and protects investors from fraudulent dealings.
• The SEBI has now hiked the monetary penalties for various offences to either three times the unlawful gains
made by a market player or a maximum of Rs. 25 crore
World Trade Organisation (WTO)

• It was constituted on January 1, 1995 and took the place of GNIT (General
• Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) as an effective formal organization. GATT was an informal organization
which regulated world trade since 1948.
• Its headquarter is at Geneva. Mr. Pascal Lamy is the present Director-General of WTO.
• The present membership of WTO is 153.
• The highest authority of policy making is WTO’s Ministerial Conference which is held after every two years.
Conference Year Place
First 1996 Singapore
Second 1998 Geneva
Third 1999 Seattle (USA)
Fourth 2001 Doha (Qatar)
Firth 2003 Cancun (Mexico)
Sixth 2005 Hongkong
• Function : To provide facilities for implementation, administration and operation of multilateral and bilateral
agreements of the world trade.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)

• It was established in Dec. 1966 on the recommendations of ECAFE (Economic Commission for Asia and
Far East).
• The aim of this bank is to accelerate economic and social development in Asia and Pacific region.
• The head office of the bank is located in Manila, Philippines.
• The ADB finances and gives technical assistance for development projects and programs; encourages
public and private capital investment for development purposes and helps in coordinating development
policies and plans of developing member-countries.
CENSUS-2011 (PROVISIONAL DATA)

INDIA AT A GLANCE
Area :
Area of India : 3,287,240 Sq km.*
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Largest State Rajasthan 342,239 Sq km

Smallest State Goa 3,702 Sq km
Largest Union Territory Andaman & Nicobar Islands 8,249 Sq km
Smallest Union Territory Lakshadweep 32 Sq km
Largest District Kachchh (Gujarat) 45,652 Sq km
Smallest District Mahe ( Pondicherry ) 9 Sq km
* The area figure exclude 78,114 sq. km. under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, 5,180 sq. km.
Illegally handed over by Pakistan to China and 37,555 sq.km. under the illegal occupation of
China in Ladakh district.
Administrative Division
No. of States 28
No. of Union Territories 7
No. of Districts 593
No. of Sub-districts 5,463
No. of CD Blocks (as per map profile) 6,374
No. of Urban Agglomerations / Towns 4,378
No. of Urban Agglomerations 384
No. of Towns 5,161
No. of Inhabited Villages 593,732
(as per PCA TAS)
No. of Uninhabited Villages 44,856
TOP TEN POPULATION COUNTRIES - WORLD POPULATION AND INDIA
Country Percent (%) of

World Population
China 19.4
India 17.5
USA 4.5
Indonesia 3.4
Brazil 2.8
Pakistan 2.7
Bangladesh 2.4
Nigeria 2.3
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Japan 1.9
Others 41.2
2011 CENSUS OF INDIA
The 15th Indian National census was conducted in two phases, houselisting and population enumeration.
Houselisting phase began on April 1, 2010 and involved collection of information about all buildings. Information
for National Population Register was also collected in the first phase, which will be used to issue a 12-digit
unique identification number to all registered Indians by Unique Identification Authority of India. The second
population enumeration phase was conducted between 9 to 28 February 2011. Census has been conducted in
India since 1872 and 2011 marks the first time biometric information was collected. According to the provisional
reports released on March 31, 2011, the Indian population increased to 1.21 billion with a decadal growth of
17.64%. Adult literacy rate increased to 74.04% with a decadal growth of 9.21%.
SEX RATIO (FEMALES PER THOUSAND MALES)
India 933
Rural 946
Urban 900
State with Highest Female Sex Ratio Kerala 1,058
State with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Haryana 861
UT with Highest Female Sex Ratio Pondicherry 1,001
UT with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Daman & Diu 710
District with Highest Female Sex Ratio Mahe (Pondicherry) 1,147
District with Lowest Female Sex Ratio Daman (Daman & Diu) 591
SCHEDULED CASTES & SCHEDULED TRIBES POPULATION
Percentage
Scheduled Castes : 16.2%
Scheduled Tribes : 8.2%
Scheduled Castes
State with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes Punjab ( 28.9 %)
State with lowest proportion of Scheduled Castes Mizoram ( 0.03 %)
UT with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes Chandigarh (17.5%)
UT with lowest proportion of Scheduled Castes D & N Haveli (1.9% )
District with highest proportion of Scheduled Castes Koch-Bihar (50.1%)
District with lowest proportion of Scheduled Castes Lawngtlai Mizoram (0.01%) Page: 68

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Scheduled Tribes
State with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Mizoram ( 94.5 % )
State with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Goa (0.04 %)
UT with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Lakshadweep (94.5 %)
UT with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes A & N Islands (8.3 %)
District with highest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Sarchhip, Mizoram ( 98.1%)
District with lowest proportion of Scheduled Tribes Hathras, Uttar Pradesh (0.01%)
Religion Based Data

Religious Population * (%)
Hindus 80.5
Muslims 13.4
Christians 2.3
Sikhs 1.9
Buddhists 0.8
Jains 0.4
Other Religions & Persuasions 0.6
Religion not stated 0.1
Total * 100.0
Note : * Excludes figures of Paomata, Mao Maram and Purul sub-districts of Senapati district of Manipur state.
Rural Urban Distribution

Rural - Urban Distribution (%)
Rural 72.18%
Urban 27.82%
State with highest proportion of Urban Population Goa 49.8
State with lowest proportion of Urban Population Himachal Pradesh 9.8
UT with highest proportion of Urban Population Delhi 93.2
UT with lowest proportion of Urban Population Dadra & Nagar Haveli 22.9
Economic Terminology
• Arbitration : A method for solving disputes, generally of an industrial nature, between the employer and his
employees.
• Annuity : A fixed amount paid once a year or at interval of a stipulated period.
• Ante date : To give a date prior to that on which it is written, to any cheque, bill or any other document.
• Appreciation of Money : It is a rise in the value of money caused by a fall in the general price fall.
• Assets : Property of any kind.
• Balance of Trade (or Payment) : The difference between the visible exports and visible
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is positive the balance of payment (BOP) is called favourable and if negative it is called unfavourable.
• Balance Sheet : It is a statement of accounts, generally of a business concern, prepared at the end of a
year, showing debits and credits under broad heads, to find out the profit and loss position.
• Banker’s Cheque : A Cheque by one bank on another.
• Bank Rate : It is the rate of interest charged by the Reserve Bank of India for lending money to commercial
banks.
• Black Money : It means unaccounted money, concealed income and undisclosed wealth. In order to evade
taxes some people falsify their account and do not record all transactions in their books. The money which
thus remains unaccounted for is called Black Money.
• Barter : To trade by exchanging one commodity for another.
• Bear : A speculator in the stock market who believes that prices will go down.
• Bearer : This term on cheques and bills denotes that any person holding the same has the same right in
respect of it, as the person who issued it.
General Science
UNITS OF MEASUREMENTS
Quantity Units (S.I.) Quantity Units (S.I.)
Length Metre Viscosity Poise
Time Second Surface tension Newton/square metre
Mass Kilogram Heat Joule
Area Square metre Temperature Kelvin
Volume Cubic metre Absolute temperature Kelvin
Velocity Metre/second Resistance Ohm
Acceleration Metre/second square Electric current Ampere
Density Kilogram/metre Cube Electromotive force Volt
Momentum Kilogram metre/second Electrical conductivity Ohm/metre
Work Joule Electric energy Kilo watt hour
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Energy Joule Electric power Kilo watt or watt

Force Newton Magnetic intensity Orsted
Pressure Pascal or Newton/sq. metre Charge Coulomb
Frequency Hertz Magnetic induction Gauss
Power Watt Luminous flux Candela
Weight Newton or Kilogram Intensity of sound Decibel
Impulse Newton-second Power of lens Dioptre
Angular velocity Radian /second Depth of sea Fathom
IMPORTANT SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
Instrument Uses
Altimeter It measures altitudes and is used in aircrafts.
Ammeter It measures strength of electric current (in amperes).
Anemometer It measures force and velocity of wind.
Audiometer It measures intensity of sound.
Audiophone It is used for improving imperfect sense of hearing.
Barograph It is used for continuous recording of atmospheric pressure.
Barometer It measures atmospheric pressure.
Binocular It is used to view distant objects.
Calorimeter It measures quantity of heat.
Carburettor It is used in an internal combustion engine for charging air with petrol vapour.
Cardiogram It traces movements of the heart, recorded on a cardiograph.
Chronometer It determines longitude of a place kept onboard ship.
Cinematography It is an instrument used in cinema making to throw on screen and enlarged image
of photograph.
Dynamo It converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Dynamometer It measures electrical power.
Electrometer It measures electricity.
Electroscope It detects presence of an electric charge.
Endoscope It examines internal parts of the body.
Fathometer It measures the depth of the ocean.
Galvanometer It measures the electric current of low magnitude.
Hydrometer It measures the specific gravity of liquids.
Hygrometer It measures humidity in air.
Hydrophone It measures sound under water.
Kymograph It graphically records physiological movements (Blood pressure and heart beat).
Lactometer It determines the purity of milk.
Microphone It converts the sound waves into electrical vibrations and to magnify
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Microscope It is used to obtain magnified view of small objects.

Phonograph An instrument for producing sound.
Photometer The instrument compares the luminous intensity of the source of light.
Periscope It is used to view objects above sea level (used in sub-marines).
Pyrometer It measures very high temperature.
Radar It is used for detecting the direction and range of an approaching plane by means
of radio microwaves.
Rain Gauge An apparatus for recording rainfall at a particular place.
Radiometer It measures the emission of radiant energy.
Refractometer It measures refractive index.
Saccharimeter It measures the amount of sugar in the solution.
Seismograph It measures the intensity of earthquake shocks.
Salinometer It determines salinity of solution.
Spectrometer It is an instrument for measuring the energy distribution of a particular type of
radiation.
Speedometer It is an instrument placed in a vehicle to record its speed.
Spnygmomanometer It measures blood pressure.
Stereoscope It is used to view two dimensional pictures.
Stethoscope An instrument which is used by the doctors to hear and analyse heart and lung
sounds.
Straboscope It is used to view rapidly moving objects.
Teleprinter This instrument receives and sends typed messages from one place to another.
Telescope It views distant objects in space.
Theodolite It measures horizontal and vertical angles.
Thermometer This instrument is used for the measurement of temperatures.
Thermostat it regulates the temperature at a particular point.
Viscometer It measures the viscosity of liquids.
Voltmeter It measures the electric potential difference between two points.
IMPORTANT LAWS AND PRINCIPLES

• Archimedes Principle: When a body is immersed either wholly or partially in a fluid at rest, the apparent
loss of weight suffered by it is equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by it.
• Avogadro’s Law : Equal volumes of all gases under the same conditions of temperature and pressure
contain equal number of molecules.
• Black Body Radiation : A black body absorbs heat or radiates heat more quickly than any other body.
• Boiling Point : It increases with the increase of pressure. The presence of impurities also raises the boiling
point of a liquid.
• Boyle’s Law : At constant temperature, the volume of a given mass of gas varies inversely to
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• Centre of Gravity : A body will remain at rest only if the vertical line through its centres of gravity passes
through the base of support of the body.
• Charle’s Law : The volume of a given mass of gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature when
the pressure remains constant.
• Coulomb’s Law : The force between the two electric charges reduces to a quarter of its former value when
the distance between them is doubled.
• Dalton’s Law : At a specific temperature and for a container of fixed volume, the total pressure of a mixture
of non-reacting gases is the sum of their respective partial pressures.
• Doppler’s Principle : When the distance between the source of a wave and the observer increases due to
their relative motion, the frequency of the wave appears to decrease. The converse condition is also true.
• Faraday’s Laws of Electrolysis
1. The amount of chemical change during electrolysis is proportional to the charge passed.
2. The masses of substances liberated or deposited by the same quantity of electric charge are
proportional to their chemical equivalents.
• Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle : The velocity and position of an electron in the orbit of an atom
cannot be simultaneously determined.
• Inverse Square Law : The force of attraction between two unlike magnetic poles and the force of repulsion
between two like poles is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. A similar law is
true of electrical charges also.
• Law of Conservation of Matter : In chemical changes, matter is neither created nor destroyed. The sum
total of the masses of all the products of a chemical change is exactly equal to the sum total of the
substances from which these products have been ,formed.
• Laws of Thermodynamics
1. The amount of heat given to a system is equal to the sum of the increase in the internal energy of the
system and the external work done.
2. It is impossible to construct a continuous self-acting machine that can pump heat energy from a body
at lower temperature to a body at higher temperature.
• Lenz’s Law : When an electric current is induced by a change in magnetic field, the induced current is
always in such a direction that its magnetic field opposes the change of field which causes the induction.
• Mass-Energy Equation : E = mc2, where E = quantity of energy released from the annihilation of matter of
mass ‘m’, c = velocity of light. It implies that mass and energy are interchangeable.
• Newton’s Law of Cooling : The rate at which a body cools or looses its heat to its surroundings is
proportional to the excess of mean temperature of the body over that of the surroundings, provided this
temperature excess is not too large.
• Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation : Everybody in the universe attracts every other body with a force,
directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance
between them.
• Newton’s Laws of Motion
1. Everybody continues in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line unless it is compelled to
change that state by a force [called Law of inertial].
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2. The rate of change of momentum of a moving body is proportional to the applied force and takes place in
the direction of the force.
3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
• Ohm’s Law : The amount of current flowing in an electric circuit is governed by the voltage of the battery or
dynamo which powers it. In other words, the current through a conductor is directly proportional to the
potential difference across the conductor and inversely proportional to its resistance.
• Pascals’ Laws
1. When pressure is applied to a fluid, the pressure change is transmitted to every part of the fluid without loss.
Hydraulic machines work on this principle.
2. Atmospheric pressure decreases with increase in height.
• Rectilinear Propagation of Light : Light travels in a straight line. Total internal reflection takes place when
a ray of light tries to pass from a denser medium to a rarer medium at an angle of incidence more than the
critical angle.
ALLOYS & THEIR USES
Alloys Uses
Brass In making utensils
Bronze In making coins, bell and utensils
German Silver In making utensils
Rolled gold In making cheap ornaments
Gun metal In making gun, barrels, gears and bearings
Delta metal In making blades of aeroplane
Munz metal In making coins
Dutch metal In making artificial ornaments
Monel metal For base containing container
Rose metal For making automatic fuse
Solder For soldering
Magnalium For frame of aeroplane
Duralumin For making utensils
Type metal In printing industry
Bell metal For casting bells, statues
Stainless steel For making utensils and surgical cutlery
Nickel steel For making electrical wire, automobile parts
MINERALS
Mineral Elements Sources Significance Effects of deficiency
MACRO ELEMENTS
Calcium (Ca)# Milk, cereals, cheese, Required for formation of Weak teeth and bones;
green vegetables teeth and bones, blood retarded body growth
clotting, functions of nerves Page: 74

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and muscles
Phosphorus (P) Milk, meat, cereals Required for formation of teeth Weak teeth and bones;
and bones and acid-base retarded body growth
balance, component of ATP, and physiology
DNA, RNA
Sulphur (S) Many proteins of rood Component of many amino Disturbed protein
acids metabolism.
Potassium (K) Meat, milk, cereals, Required for acid-base Low blood pressure,
fruits and vegetables balance, water regulation and weak muscles; risk of
function of nerves paralysis
Chlorine (CI) Table salt Required for acid base Loss of appetite;
muscle
balance; component of gastric cramps
juice
Sodium (Na) Table salt Required for acid-base and Low blood pressure,
water balance and nervous Loss of appetit; muscle
functions cramps
Magnesium (Mg) Cereals, green Cofactor of many enzymes of Irregularities of
vegetables glycolysis and a number of metabolism principally
other metabolic reactions affecting nervous
dependent upon ATP functions
Iron (Fe) Meat, eggs, cereals, Component of haemoglobin Anaemia, weakness
green vegetables and cytochromes and weak immunity
Iodine (I) Milk, Cheese, Sea food, Important component of Goitre, Cretinism
iodized salt thyroxine hormone
MICRO ELEMENTS
Fluorine (F) Drinking water, tea, sea Maintenance of bones and Weak teeth, larger
food teeth amount causes mottling
of teeth
Zinc (Zn) Cereals, Milk, eggs, Cofactor of digestive and Retarded growth,
meat, sea food many other enzymes anaemia, rough skin,
weak immunity and
fertility
Copper (Cu) Meat, dry fruits, pods, Cofactor of cytochrome Anaemia, weak blood
green vegetables, sea
oxidase enzyme. Necessary vessels
and connective
Page: 75

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food for iron metabolism and

tissues development of blood vessels
and connective tissues
Manganese (Mn) Dry fruits, cereals, tea, Cofactor of some enzymes of Irregular growth of
fruits and green urea synthesis and transfer of bones, cartilages and
vegetables phosphate group
connective tissues
Cobalt(Co) Milk, cheese, meat Important component of Anaemia
Vitamin 1317
Selenium (Se) Meat, cereals, sea food Cofactor of many enzymes; Muscular pain;
weakness assists vitamin E
of cardiac muscles
Chromium (Cr) Yeast, sea food, meat, Important for catabolic Irregularities of
some vegetables metabolism catabolic
metabolism
and ATP production
Molybdenum (Mo) Cereals, pods, some Cofactor of some enzymes Irregular excretion of
vegetables nitrogenous waste
products
“ # The salt of Ca required by our body is Ca3(PO4)2.
Vitamins
• Necessary for normal growth, good health, good vision, proper digestion of the body, etc. They do not
provide energy to our body.
• Vitamins can he divided into two categories
• Water-soluble : Vitamin B-complex, Vitamin C.
• Fat-soluble : Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K.
TYPES OF VITAMINS
Vitamin Chemical Name Properties Deficiency
Disease
A Retinol General health giving vitamin, can be stored in liver Night blindness
B, Thiamine For growth, carbohydrate metabolism, functioning Beri-Beri
of heart
B, Riboflavin For keeping skin and mouth healthy Cheilosis
B5 Niacin For healthy skin, sound mental health Pellagra
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B5 Pyridoxine Processing of proteins and for nervous system Convulsions in child

B12 Cynacobalamin Required for formation and maturation of RBCs Pernicious anaemia
C Ascorbic Acid For keeping teeth, gums and joints healthy. Gets Scurvy
destroyed on heating
D Calciferol For normal bones and teeth, can be stored in liver Rickets
Water
• Important in digestion, transportation, excretion and to regulate body temperature (body contains 65%
water).
Roughage
• Fibrous material present in the cell wall of plants.
• Mainly contains cellulose.
• It doesn’t provide energy but only helps in retaining water in the body.
• One of the common source is Daliya, which we eat in our homes.
BLOOD
• Blood is a fluid connective tissue.
• Its quantity is 6.8 litres in man and 500 ml less in woman.
• Constitutes 6-8% of body weight and has a pH of 7.4.
Blood Cells
They are of 3 types
Red Blood Corpuscles (RBCs)

• Also called erythrocytes, disc-shaped, no nucleus, contains a pigment called Haemoglobin, which gives
blood its red color and transports oxygen and carbon di oxide.
• Manufactured in Red Bone marrow.
• Life is of 120 days.
• No. of RBCs is 4.5-5 million/cubic mm. of blood.
White Blood Corpuscles (WBCs)

• Also called leucocytes, rounded, with a nucleus and far less numerous than RBCs (8,000 per cubic mm. of
blood).
• Act as the soldiers of body’s defence system.
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Platelets
• Also called thrombocytes and are about 2,50,000 per cubic mm. of blood.
• Help the blood to clot.
Blood Groupings
• Father of Blood Grouping: Karl Landsteiner.
• He discovered A, B and 0 blood groups.
• Decastello and Sturle discovered AB blood group.
Blood Group Can donate to Can receive from
A A, AB A, O
B B, AB B, O
AB AB A, B, AB, O
O A, B, AB, O O
RH Factor
• It is a blood antigen found in RBC.
• A person can be Rh+ or Rh– depending upon the presence of Rh factor in RBC.
• Avery important point is Rh+ can receive blood from both Rh+ and Rh– but Rh– can receive blood from Rh–
only.
• In world population, Rh+ are 85% and Rh- are 15%.
• Blood transfusion technique was developed by James Blundell.
NERVOUS SYSTEM
• The nerves, the brain and the spinal cord constitute the nervous system.
• Nervous system controls and regulates the activities of all the other systems of the body.
Brain
• Brain is the main organ of the nervous system. It consists of cerebrum, cerebellum and medulla
oblongata.
Cerebrum
• It controls the voluntary actions and is the seat of intelligence.
• Its outer grey matter is the most important part.
Cerebellum
• It is concerned with equilibrium of the body and co-ordination of muscles.
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Medulla Oblongata
• Lowest part of the brain and is connected with the spinal cord.
• It controls the involuntary actions.
Reflex Action
• It can be defined as the spontaneous response to the external stimuli.
• It is not co-ordinated by the brain but by the spinal cord.
Sense Organs
• There are several organs in the body that receive the external and internal stimuli and convey it to the brain
and spinal cord.
• The main sense organs are Eye, Ear, Skin, Tongue, Nose, etc.
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
• Digestion involves splitting of food molecules by hydrolysis into smaller molecules that can be absorbed
through the epithelium of the gastro-intestinal tract.
• Man and other animals have holozoic nutrition (i.e. take solid form of food).
• Digestion process takes place in following five steps
(i) Ingestion of food (ii) Digestion of food
(iii) Absorption of digested food (iv) Assimilation
(v) Egestion of unwanted food
Ingestion of Food
• Food is taken through mouth cavity.
• It is masticated by teeth and swallowed.
• Ingestion takes place in buccal cavity.
• Salivary glands lubricate the food and binds the food particles together to form bolus.
• Salivery gland have starch splitting enzyme ptyalin.
Digestion of Food
• Process of converting complex, insoluble, food particles into simple solube and absorbable form is called
digestion.
• In mouth, salivary amylase acts on starch.
Starch Maltose
Complexform Simpleform
Digestion in Stomach
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• The food passes down through the oesophagus into stomach.

• Now food is mixed with gastric juice and hydrochloric acid which disinfects the food and creates acidic
medium.
• Pepsin digests proteins and converts them into peptones.
• Renin converts milk to curd.
• Digested food now is called chyme.
Digestion in Small Intestine

• Chyme moves to duodenum.
• Food is mixed with bile (liver) to breakdown fats into smaller globules.
• Trypsin acts upon proteins and breaks them into peptides.
• Amylase converts starch into simple sugar.
• Lipase converts fats into fatty acids and glycerol.
• Food passes into ileum and mixes with intestinal juice.
• Maltase converts maltose into glucose.
• Lactase converts lactose into glucose.
• Sucrase converts sucrose into glucose.
• Trypsin digests the peptides into amino acids.
• Food now is called chyle.
Absorption and Assimilation of Digested Food

• Ileum’s internal surface has finger-like folds called villi.
• There is a dense network of blood capillaries and lymph capillaries in each villus.
• It helps in absorption of food.
Egestion of Unwanted Food

• Digested food passes into large intestine.
• Large intestine cannot absorb food, but absorbs much of the water.
• The remaining semi solid waste is called faeces and is passed into rectum.
• It is expelled out through anus.
Dentition
• There are 32 permanent teeth in man (2123/2123 - Dental Formula).
• These are of four types
o Incisors: (for cutting) four in numbers.
o Canines: (for tearing) two in numbers.
o Premolar: (for grinding) four in numbers.
o Molars: (for grinding) six in numbers. Page: 80

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• In children, there are 20 teeth, which are temporary in nature (2120/2120 – Dental Formula).
• In elephants the tusks are the incisors of upper jaw.
• Maximum number of teeth are present in horse and pig.
• Hardest part in the body is tooth enamel.
• Main bulk of tooth is formed of dentine.
Human Diseases
Diseases caused by Protozoa :
Disease Affected organ Parasites Carrier Symptoms
Malaria RBC and Liver Plasmodium Female Fever with shivering
Anophelies
Pyorrhoea Gums Entamoeba - Bleeding from gums
gingivelis
Sleeping Brain Trypanosoma Tse-Tse flies Fever with severe sleep
sickness
Diarrhoea Intestine Entamoeba House flies Mucous and Diarrohea
Histolytica with blood
Kala-ajar Bone marrow Leismania Sand flies High fever
donovani
Filaria - Wuchereia Culex Swelling in legs,
testes and
baoncrofti moszuitoes other parts of body
Diseases caused by Bacteria :
Disease Affected organ Name of Bacteria Symptoms
Tetanus Nervous system Clostridium tetani High fever, spasm in body,
Closing of jaws etc
Cholera Intestine Vibrio cholerae Continuous stool and vomiting
Typhoid Intestine Salmonella typhosa High fever, headache
Tuberculosis Lungs Mycobacterium Repeated coughing
tuberculosis.
Diphtheria Respiratory tube Corynebacterium Difficulty in respiration and
diphtheriae suffocation
Plague Lungs, area between Pasteurella pesties Very high fever, muscular
the two legs eruptions on the body
Whooping Respiratory system Hemophilis pertusis Continuous coughing Page: 81

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cough
Pneumonia Lungs Diplococcus High fever, swelling in lungs
pneumoniae
Leprosy Nervous System Mycobacterium Spots on body, nerves
Skin leprae affected
Gonorrhea Urinary Path Neisseria Swelling in urinary path.
gonorrhoeae
Syphilis Urinary path Treponema pallidum Wounds in urinogenial tract
Diseases caused by Viruses :

Diseases Affected organ Name of virus Symptoms
AIDS Defensive system HIV Immune system of body
(WBC) became weak
Dengue fever Whole body particularly Pain in eyes, muscles, head
head, eyes and joints. and joints
Polio Throat, backbone nerve Pilio virus Fever, body pain, back bone
and intestine cells are
destroyed.
Influenza (flu) Whole body Mixo virus Suffocation, sneezing,
restlessness.
Chicken pox Whole body Variola virus High fever, redish eruption on
body.
Small pox Whole body Varicella virus Light fever, eruption of bile on body.
Goitre Parathyroid gland - Difficulty in opening the
mouth with fever.
Measles Whole body Morbeli virus Redish eruptions on body.
Trachoma Eyes - Reddish eyes, pain in eyes.
Hepatitis Liver - Yellow urine, Eyes and skin
or jaundice become yellow.
Rabies Nervous system Rabies virus The patient becomes mad
with sever headache &
high fever.
Meningitis Brain - High fever.
Herpes Skin Herpes Swelling in skin.
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Diseases caused by Fungus :

Diseases Name of fungi Symptoms
Asthama Aspergillus fumigatus Obstructs the functions of lungs.
Athlete’s foot Tenia pedes Cracking of feet
Scabies Acarus scabies White spots found on the skin
Baldness Taenia capities Hair of the head falls
Ringworm Trycophyton lerucosum Round red spot on the skin
Deficiency Diseases:
Deficiency Disease Causes/Symptoms
A. Protein Kwashiorkor Children become irritable, cease to grow, lose weight, skin
pigmented, potbelly due to retention of water by the cells (oedema),
mental retardation
Protein Shortage Marasmus Muscle degeneration, thinning of limbs and abdominal wall, ribs
prominent, skin pigmentation and oedema absent
B. Minerals lron deficiency Deficiency of haemoglobin in RBCs, persons look
(a) Iron anaemia pale, lose appetite and fatigue easily
(b) Potassium (K) Hypokalemia Loss of K in severe vomiting and acute diarrhoea. Rise in heart-beat
rate, kidney damage, weakness and paralysis of muscles
(c) Sodium (Na) Hyponatremia Loss of Na, dehydration, low blood pressure, loss of body weight
(d) Iodine (I) Simple goitre Enlargement of thyroid due to low iodine content in drinking water
(e) Calcium (Ca) Rickets and Refer vitamin D deficiency
Osteomalacia
C. Vitamins
(a) Vitamin A (i) Xerophthalmia or Lachrimal glands stop producing tears leading to blindness
‘dry eye’
(ii) Dermatosis Dry and scaly skin
(iii) Night blindness Inability to see in the dark or in dim light
(b) Vitamin
B-Complex
B1 (thiamine) Beri-beri Extreme weakness, swelling and pain in the legs, loss of appetite,
headache, enlarged heart and shortness of breath
B2 (riboflavin) Ariboflavinosis Blurred vision, buring and soreness of eye and tongue, cracking of
skin at angle of mouth
B12 (cobalamin) Pernicious or Reduction in haemoglobin content due to Page: 83

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megaloblastic disturbance of RBC formation in bone marrow

anaemia
Niacin Pellagra Tip and lateral margins of tongue, mouth and gums become red,
swollen and develop ulcers. skin red and itchy on hands, feet,
elbows, wrists and knees.
(c) Vitamin C Scurvy pain in joints, loss of weight, anaemia, gums
(ascorbic acid) become spongy, swollen and bleed easily, teeth losses and
fragile
(d) Vitamin D Rickets Occurs in children. Softness and deformities of bones bow legs and
pigeon chests due to loss of bone Ca
Osteomalacia Occurs in adults, softness and pain in bones which fracture easily,
bending of vertebral column
ATOMIC RESEARCH REACTORS
1. Apsara
2. Cirus
3. Zerlina
4. Purnima I
5. Purnima II
6. Dhruwa
7. Kamini
SPACE CENTRES
Name Place
Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station Near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Satish Dhawan Rocket Launching Centre Shriharikota, A.P.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Bangalore, Karnataka
pace Application Centre Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Centre Arvi, Near Pune, Maharashtra
COMPUTER
• A computer is an information-processing and information-accessing tool. This means that a computer
accepts some information or data from the outside world. It processes it to produce a new information.
• Meaning of Computer: The word computer has derived from an English word ‘Compute’, which means ‘to
calculate’.
• Computer is an electronic device which processes the input informations according to the given set of
instructions, called program.
• Blaise Pascal had developed the first mechanical calculator in 1642 AD, which is called
‘Pascalene’. Page: 84

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• British scientist Charles Babbage was the first person to conceive an automatic calculator or a computer in
1833. He is called the ‘Father of modern computer’.
• The credit of developing first computer program goes to Lady Ada Augusta, a student of Babbage.
• Herman Holorith prepared an electronic tabulating machine in 1880, which was automatically functional with
the help of Punch Card. This Punch Card is used in computer even today.
• Howard Ekin developed the first mechanical computer ‘Mark-I’ in 1937.
• J.P. Ekart and John Moschley invented world’s first electronic computer ‘ENIAC-1’ in 1946 and paved the
way for first revolution in the field of calculating machine or computer. Electronic Valve or Vaccum Tube
was used as a switch in the computer.
• John Van Newman invented EDVAC (Electronic Descrete Variable Computer) in 1951, in which he used
Stored Program. The credit of using Binary System in computers also goes to him. Indeed Mr. Newman
contributed most in the development of computer and thus gave a right direction to the Computer Revolution
(Second Revolution).
Super Computers developed in the World

Name Manufacturer
CRAY KIS CRAY K Research Co., USA
Deep Blue IBM Co., USA
Blue Gene IBM Co., USA
COSMOS Cambridge University, UK
Super Computers developed in India
Name Manufacturer
FLO SOLVER NAL, Bangalore
PACE DRDO
PARAM10000 C-DAC, Pune
CHIPP-16 C-Dot, Bangalore
MULTIMICRO IIS, Bangalore
MACH IIT, Bombay
Five Generations of Computer:
Generation Period Main Electronic Main Computers
Components
I1940-52 Electronic Valve EDSAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC
Vaccum Tube
II1952-64 Transistor IBM-700, IBM-1401, IBM-1620,
CDC-1604, CDC-3600, ATLAS, ICL-1901
III1964-71 IC (IntegratedIBM-360, IBM-370, NCR-395, CDC-1700, Page: 85

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Circuit) ICL-2903
Generation Period Main Electronic Main Computers
Components
IV1971-Still LIC (Largely APPLE, DCM
Integrated Circuit)
VResarch is on Optical Fibre
Types of Computer : According to size and capacity, there are four types of Computer:
Micro Computer : These computers are used by individual, thus also called PC or Personal Computer.
These days PCs are largely used for domestic and official purposes etc.
Mini Computer : This type of computer is comparatively larger than that of micro computer. This is 5 to 50
times more powerful than that of a Micro Computer.
Main Frame Computer : These are large sized computers. By Time Sharing and Multi Tasking techniques,
many people rather more than 100 people can work at a time on different terminals of this computer.
Super Computer : These are very powerful computers and have more storage capacity. These are the
most expensive and the fastest computers, able to process most complex jobs with a very high speed.
Quantum Computer : The development of this type of final stage. Probably Quantum Computers will be
more advanced than that of human brain. In Quantum Computers, Q-Bit will be used in line of Binary Bits.
Programming Languages of different generations:
Generation Languages
1st Generation (1940-52) FORTRAIN-i
2nd Generation (1952-64) FORTRAIN-ii, ALGOL-60, COBOL, LISP
3rd Generation (1964-71) PL/I, ALGOL-W, ALGOL-68, Pascal, SIMULA-67, APL, SNOBOL, 4
BASIC, C
4th Generation (1971-till date) CLUE, ALFARD, UCLID, Reformed Pascal, MODULA, EDA, ORACLE
5th Generation (For future) Artificial Intelligence Languages.
Miscellany
FIRST IN THE WORLD
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The first person to reach Mount Everest Sherpa Tenzing, Edmund Hillary
The first person to reach North Pole Robert Peary
The first person to reach South Pole Amundsen
The first religion of the world Hinduism
The first country to print book China
The first country to issue paper currency China
The first country to commence competitive examination China in civil services
The first President of the U.S.A. George Washington
The first Prime Minister of Britain Robert Walpole
The first Governor General of the United Nations Trigveli (Norway)
The first country to win football World cup Uruguay
The first country to prepare a constitution U.S.A.
The first Governor General of Pakistan Mohd. Ali Jinnah
The first country to host NAM summit Belgrade (Yugoslavia)
The first European to attack India Alexander, The Great
The first European to reach China Marco Polo
The first person to fly aeroplane Wright Brothers
The first person to sail round the world Magellan
The first country to send man to the moon U.S.A.
The first country to launch Artificial satellite in the space Russia
The first country to host the modern Olympics Greece
The first city on which the atom bomb was dropped Hiroshima (Japan)
The first person to land on the moon Neil Armstrong followed by Edwin E. Aldrin
The first shuttle to go in space Columbia
The first spacecraft to reach on Mars Viking-I
The first woman Prime Minister of England Margaret Thatcher
The first muslim Prime Minister of a country Benazir Bhutto (Pakistan)
The first woman Prime Minister of a country Mrs. S. Bandamaike (Sri Lanka)
The first woman to climb Mount Everest Mrs. Junko Tabei (Japan)
The first woman cosmonaut of the world Velentina Tereshkova (Russia)
The first woman President of the U.N. General Assembly Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
The first man to fly into space Yuri Gagarin (Russia)
The first batsman to score, three test century in three Mohd. Azharuddin successive tests on
debut
The first man to have climbed Mount Everest twice Nawang Gombu
The first U.S. President to resign Presidency Richard Nixon
FIRST IN INDIA
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MALE
The first President of Indian Republic Dr. Rajendra Prasad
The first Prime Minister of free India Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru
The first Indian to win Nobel Prize Rabindranath Tagore
The first President of Indian National Congress W. C. Banerjee
The first Muslim President of Indian National Congress Badruddin Tayyabji
The first Muslim President of India Dr. Zakir Hussain
The first British Governor General of India Lord William Bentinck
The first British Viceroy of India Lord Canning
The first Governor General of free India Lord Mountbatten
The first and the last Indian to be Governor General of free C. Rajgopalachari India
The first man who introduced printing press in India James Hicky
The first Indian to join the I.C.S. Satyendra Nath Tagore
India’s first man in space Rakesh Sharma
The first Prime Minister of India who resigned without Morarji Desai completing the full term
The first Indian Commander-in-Chief of India General Cariappa
The first Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Maharaj Rajendra Singhji
The first Indian member of the Viceroy’s executive council S. P. Sinha
The first President of India who died while in office Dr. Zakir Hussain
The first Prime Minister of India who did not face the Charan Singh Parliament
The first Field Marshal of India S. H. F. Manekshaw
The first Indian to get Nobel prize in Physics C. V. Raman
The first Indian to receive Bharat Ratna award Dr. Radhakrishnan
The first Indian to cross English channel Mihir Sen
The first person to receive Jnanpith award Sri Shankar Kurup
The first Speaker of the Lok Sabha Ganesh Vasudeva Mavalankar
The first Vice-President of India Dr. Radhakrishnan
The first Education Minister Abul Kalam Azad
The first Home Minister of India Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel
The first Indian Air Chief Marshal S. Mukherjee
The first Indian Naval Chief Vice Admiral R. D. Katari
The first judge of International Court of Justice Dr. Nagendra Singh
The first person to receive Paramveer Chakra Major Somnath Sharma
The first person to reach Mt. Everest without oxygen Sherpa Anga Dorjee
The first Chief Election Commissioner Sukumar Sen
The first person to receive Magsaysay Award Acharya Vinoba Bhave
The first person of Indian origin to receive Nobel Prize in Hargovind Khurana Medicine
The first Chinese traveller to visit India Fahein Page: 88

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The first person to receive Stalin Prize Saifuddin Kitchlu

The first person to resign from the central cabinet Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
The first foreigner to receive Bharat Ratna Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
The first person to receive Nobel Prize in Economics Amartya Sen
The first Chief Justice of Supreme Court Justice Hiralal J. Kania
FEMALE
The first lady to become “Miss World” Rita Faria
The first woman judge in Supreme Court Mrs. Meera Sahib Fatima Bibi
The first woman Ambassador Miss C. B. Muthamma
The first woman Governor of a State in free India Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
The first woman Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi
The first woman to climb Mount Everest Bachhendri Pal
The first woman to climb Mount Everest twice Santosh Yadav
The first woman President of the Indian National Congress Mrs. Annie Besant
The first woman chief justice of a High Court Mrs. Leela Seth
The first woman pilot in Indian Air Force Harita Kaur Dayal
The first woman President of the United Nations General Mrs. Vijaya Laxmi Pandit Assembly
The first woman Chief Minister of an Indian State Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani
The first woman chairman of Union Public Service Roze Millian Bethew Commission
The first woman Director General of Police (DGP) Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya
The first woman Lieutenant General Puneeta Arora
The first woman Air Vice Marshal P. Bandopadhyaya
The first woman chairperson of Indian Airlines Sushma Chawla
The first woman I.P.S. Officer Mrs. Kiran Bedi
The first woman to receive Nobel Prize Mother Teresa
The first woman to receive Bharat Ratna Mrs. Indira Gandhi
The first woman to receive Jnanpith Award Ashapurna Devi
POPULAR NAMES OF EMINENT PERSONS (SOBRIQUETS)
Nickname Person
Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi
Bapu Mahatma Gandhi
Frontier Gandhi, Badshah Khan Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Grand Old Man of India Dadabhai Naoroji
Strong (Iron) Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Man of Peace Lal Bahadur Shastri
Punjab Kesari Lala Lajpat Rai
Bengal Kesari Ashutosh Mukherjee Page: 89

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Bihar Kesari Dr. Srikrishna Singh

Andhra Kesari T. Prakasam
Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Abdullah
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das
Deshbandhu C.F. Andrews
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan
Jana Nayak Karpuri Thakur
Rajashree Purushottam Das Tandon
Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore
Guruji M.S. Golvalkar
Desh Ratna Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Ajatshatru Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Mahamana Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose
Chacha Jawaharlal Nehru
Rajaji/C.R. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
Sparrow Major General Rajinder Singh
Young Turk Chandra Shekhar
Tau Chaudhury Devi Lal
Sahid-e-Azam Bhagat Singh
Nightinagle of India Sarojini Naidu
Lady with the lamp Florence Nightingale
Swar Kokila Lata Mangeshkar
Udanpari P.T. Usha
Mother Mother Teresa
Vishwa Kavi Rabindranath Tagore
Kaviguru Rabindranath Tagore
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Tota-e-Hind Amir Khushro
Lal, Bal, Pal Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra
Pal
Bihar Vibhuti Dr. Anugrah Narayan Singh
Bapuji Jagjeevan Ram
Napoleon of India Samudra Gupta
Shakespeare of India Mahakavi Kalidas
Machiavelli of India Chanakya
Akbar of Kashmir Jainul Abdin
Father of Gujarat Ravi Shankar Maharaj Page: 90

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Grandfather of Indian Films Dhundiraj Govind Phalke

Morning Star of India Renaissance Raja Ram Mohan Roy
King maker of Indian History Sayyed Bandhu
Anna C.N. Annadurai
G.B.S. George Bernard Shaw
Haryana Hurricane Kapil Dev
Little Master Sunil Gavaskar
Magician of Hockey Dhyanchand
Deshpriya Yatindra Mohan Sengupta
Kuvempu K.V. Puttappa
Little Corporal Napoleon Bonaparte
Man of Destiny Napoleon Bonaparte
Fuehrer Adolf Hitler
King Maker Earl of Warwick
Uncle Ho Ho Chi Minh
Bard of Avon William Shakespeare
Li-Kwan Pearl Buck
Father of English Poetry Geoffery Chaucer
Grand Old Man of Britain Willium E. Gladstone
Maiden Queen Queen Elizabeth I
Maid of Orleans Joan of Arc
Man of Blood and Iron Otto Van Bismark
II Duce Benito Mussolini
Desert Fox Gen. Ervin Rommel
Quaid-i-Azam Md. Ali Jinnah
NICKNAMES/FATHERS
Father of Greek Tragedy Aeschylus
Father of Comedy Aristophanes
Father of the Telephone Alexander Graham Bell
Father of Sunday Newspapers John Bell
Father of Chemistry Robert Boyle
Father of Canada Jacques Cartier
Father of English Poetry Geoffery Chaucer
Father of Aviation Sir George Cayley
Father of Immunology Edward Jenner
Father of Modern Chemistry Antoine Lavoisier
Father of Atom Bomb Dr. Robert Oppenheimer
Father of Nuclear Physics Ernest Rutherford
Father of Economics Adam Smith
Father of Railways George Stephenson
CAPITALS AND CURRENCIES OF COUNTRIES
Country Capital Currency Page: 91

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ASIA
Afghanistan Kabul Afghani
Bahrain Manama Bahraini Dinar
Bangladesh Dhaka Taka
Bhutan Thimpu Ngultrum
Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan Ringgit
China Beijing Yuan
Cyprus Nicosia Cyprus Pound
India New Delhi Indian Rupee
Indonesia Djakarta Rupiah
I ran Tehran Riyal
Iraq Baghdad Iraqi Dinar
Israel Tel Aviv Shekel
Japan Tokyo Yen
Jordan Amman Jordan Dinar
Cambodia Phnom Penh Riel
Kazakhstan Akmola Tenge
Korea (North) Pyongyang Won (KPW)
Korea (South) Seoul Won (KRW)
Kuwait Kuwait City Kuwaiti Dinar
Kyrgystan Bishkek Som (KGS)
Laos Vientiane Kip
Lebanon Beirut Lebnanese Pound
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Ringgit
Maldives Male Rufiyaa
Mongolia Ulan-Bator Tugrik
Myanmar Yangoon Kyat
Nepal Kathmandu Nepalese Rupee
Oman Muscat Omani Rial
Pakistan Islamabad Pakistani Rupee
Philippines Manila Piso
Qatar Doha Qatari Riyal
Saudi Arabia Riyadh Riyal (SAR)
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Singapore Singapore Singapore Dollar

Sri Lanka Colombo Sri Lankan Rupee
Syria Damascus Syrian Pound
Taiwan Taipei New Taiwan Dollar
Tajikistan Dushambe Tajik Rouble
Thailand Bangkok Baht
Turkey Ankara Turkish Lira
Turkemenistan Ashkabad Manat (TMM)
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Dirham
Uzbekistan Tashkent Som (UKS)
Vietnam Hanoi Dong
Yemen Sana Rival (YER)
EUROPE
Albania Tirana Lek
Andorra Andorra-la-vella Euro
Armenia Yerevan Dram
Austria Vienna Euro
Azerbaijan Baku Manat
Belarus Minsk Russian Rouble
Belgium Brussels Euro
Bosnia-Herjegovina Sarajevo Dinar
Bulgaria Sofia Lev
Croatia Zagreb Kuna
Cyprus Nicosia Euro
Czech Republic Prague Koruna
Denmark Copenhagen Danish Krone
Estonia Tallinn Kroon
Finland Helsinki Euro
France Paris Euro
Georgia Tbilisi Lari
Germany Berlin Euro
Greece Athens Euro
Hungary Budapest Forint
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Iceland Reykavik Krona

Ireland Dublin Euro
Italy Rome Euro
Latvia Riga Lats
Leichtenstein Vaduz Swiss Franc
Lithuania Vilnius Litas
Luxembourg Luxembourg Euro
Macedonia Skopje Dinar
Malta Valletta Euro
Moldova ChisInau Leu
Monaco Monaco Euro
Montenegro Podogorica Euro
Netherlands The Hague Euro
Norway Oslo Norwegian Krone
Poland Warsaw Zloty
Portugal Lisbon Euro
Romania Bucharest Lei
Russia Moscow Rouble
San Marino San Marino Euro
Slovakia Bratislava Euro
Slovenia Ljubljana Euro
Spain Madrid Euro
Sweden Stockholm Krona(SEK)
Switzerland Berne Swiss Franc
United Kingdom London Pound Sterling
Vatican City State Vatican City Euro
Yugoslavia Belgrade New Dinar
AFRICA
Algeria Algiers Algerian Dinar
Angola Luanda Kwanza
Benin Porto Novo Franc (CFA)
Botswana Gaborone Pula
Burkina Faso Ouagadougou Franc (CFA)
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Burundi Bujumbura Burundi Franc

Cameroon Yaoundi Franc (CFA)
Cape Verde Praia Cape Verde Escudo
Central African Republic Bangui Franc (CFA)
Chad N’ D’ Jamena Franc (CFA)
Comoros Moroni Comorian Franc
Congo Brazzaville Franc (CFA)
Ivory Coast Yamoussoukro Franc (CFA)
Djibouti Djibouti DJibouti Franc
Egypt Cairo Egyptian Pound
Equatorial Guinea Malabo Franc (CFA)
Eritrea Asmara Etheopian Birr
Gabon Libereville Franc (CFA)
The Gambia Banjul Dalasi
Ghana Accra Cedi
Guinea Conakry Guinean Franc
Guinea Bissau Bissau Peso
Kenya Nairobi Kenya Shilling
Lesotho Maseru Loti
Liberia Monorovia Liberian Dollar
Libya Tripoli Libyan Dinar
Madagascar Antananrivo Malagasy Franc
Malawi Lilongwe Kwacha
Mali Bamako Franc (CFA)
Mauritania Nouakchott Ouguiya
Mauritius Port Louis Mauritius Rupee
Morocco Rabat Dirham
Mozambique Maputo Metical
Namibia Windhock Rand
Niger Niamey Franc
Nigeria Lagos Naira
Rwanda Kigali Franc
Senegal Dakar Franc
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Seychelles Victoria Rupee

Sierra Leone Freetown Leone
Somalia Mogadishu Shilling
South Africa Cape Town Rand
Sudan Khartoum Pound
Swaziland Mbabane Lilangeni
Tanzania Dar-es-Salaam Shilling
Togo Lome Franc
Tunisia Tunis Dinar
Uganda Kampala Shilling
Zambia Lusaka Kwatcha
Zimbabwe Harare Zimbabwe Dollar
NORTH AMERICA
Antigua and Barbuda St. Johns Dollar
Bahamas Nassau Dollar
Barbados Bridgetown Dollar
Belize Belmopan Dollar
Canada Ottawa Canadian Dollar
Costa Rica San Jose Colon
Cuba Havana Peso
Dominica Roseau Sterling -
El salvador San Salvador Colon
Grenada St. George Dollar
Guatemala Guatemala City Quetzal
Haiti Port-au-Prince Gourde
Honduras Tegucigalpa Lempira
Jamaica Kingston Dollar
Mexico Mexico City Peso
Nicaragua Managua Cordoba
Panama Panama City Balboa
St. Kitts and Nevis Basseterre Dollar
Trinidad and Tobago Port-of-Spain Dollar
United States of America Washington D.C. Dollar
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SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina Buenos Aires Austral (Pesu)
Bolivia La Paz Boliviano
Brazil Brasilia Cruzeiro
Chile Santiago Peso
Colombia Bogota Peso
Ecuador Quito Suere
Guyana Georgetown Dollar
Paraguay Asuncion Guarani
Peru Lima Nuevosol
Surinam Paramaribo Guilder
Uruguay Montevideo Peso
Venezuela Caracas Boliver
French Guyana Koenne Franc
OCEANIA
Australia Canberra Australian Dollar
Fiji Suva Fiji Dollar
Nauru Nauru Dollar
New Zealand Willington New Zealand Dollar
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby Kina
Solomon Island Honiara Dollar
Tonga Nukualofa Panga
NEW NAMES/OLD NAMES
New Name Old Name
Afghanistan Bactria, Ariana, Khorasan
Angola Portuguese West Africa
Cocos Island (Australia) Keeling Islands
Kirtimati (Australia) Christmas Islands
Bangladesh East Pakistan
Belarus Byelorussia (While Russia)
Belize British Honduras
Benin Dahomey
Botswana Bechuanaland
Bander Seri Begawan (Brunei) Brunei Town
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Burkina Faso Upper Volta

Cambodia Kampuchea, Khmer Republic
Banjul Bathurst
Chad French Equitorial Africa
Beijing Peking
Zaire Belgian Congo
Costa Rica Rich Coast
Kalaallit Nunaat Greenland
Nuuk Godthab
Congo Zaire
Dijbouti French Somaliland, French Territory of
Affairs and Issas
Euitorial Guinea Spanish Guinea
Malabar (Eq. Guinea) Santa Isabel
Bioko (Eq. Guinea) Fernando Po
Ethiopia Abyssinia
Tbilisi Tiflis
Ghana Gold Coast
Guinea Bissau Portuguese Guinea
Guyana British Guinea
Haiti Hispaniola
Hanoi Kecho
Iceland Lyoveldio Island (a.k.a.)
Indonesia Dutch (Netherlands) East Indies
Indonesian Borneo Kalimantan
Iran Persia
Iraq Mesopotamia
Astana Akmola (a.k.a.), Tselinograd, Almaata
Kiribati Gilbert Islands
Banaba (Keribati) Ocean Islands
laos Lanxang
Harare Salisbury
HoChi Minh City Saigon
Istanbul Constantinople, Byzantium
Jakarta Batavia
Kinshasa Leopoldville
Lesotho Basutoland
Vinus (Lithuania) Vilna
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Madagascar Malagasy Republic

Malawi Nyasaland
Maldives Maldive Islands
Mali Sudanese Republic
Micronesia Caroline Islands
Chisinau (Moldova) Kishinev
Mozambique Portuguese East Africa
Myanmar Burma
Namibia South West Africa
Nauru Pleasant Islands
Oslo Christiana
Western Sahara Saharwi Arab Democratic Republic
Stalingrad Volvograd
St. Petersburg Leningrad, Petrograd
Tshwane Pretoria
Suriname Dutch Guyana
Switzerland Helvitia
Melanesia Black Islands
Taiwan Formosa
Tanzania United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar
Tasmania Van Diemen’s Island
Thailand Siam
Togo Togoland
Tuvalu Elice Islands
Tonga Friendly Islands (a.k.a.)
Ashkhabad (Turkmenistan) Poltoratsk
Vanuatu New Hebrides
Yangon Rangoon
UAE Trucial Islands
Zambia Northern Rhodesia
Zimbabwe Southern Rhodesia
Atlanta (USA) Terminus, Marthasville
Bermuda Somers Islands
Cape of Good Hope Cape of Storms
Da Nang (Vietnam) Tourane
Gdansk (Polant) Danzig
Maramba (Zambia) Livingstone
Mizoram Lushal Hills
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Newyork City New Amsterdam

Pinang (Malaysia) George Town
San Francisco (USA) Yerba Buena
NATIONAL MONUMENTS OF SOME FAMOUS COUNTRIES

Monument Country Monument Country
Emperial Palace (Tokyo) Japan Leaning Tower of Pisa Italy
Eiffel Tower (Paris) France Pyramid (Giza) Egypt
Great Wall of China China Opera House (Sidney) Australia
Kremlin (Moscow) Russia Statue of Liberty (New York) USA
Kinder Disk Denmark Tajmahal (Agra) India
NATIONAL EMBLEMS OF FAMOUS COUNTRIES

Country Emblem Country Emblem
Australia Kangaroo Italy White Lily
Bangladesh Water Lily Japan Chrysanthemum
Canada White Lily Norway Lion
Denmark Beach Pakistan Crescent
France Lily Spain Eagle
Germany Corn Flower Sri Lanka Sword & Lion
India Lion Capital Russia Sickle & Hammer
Iran Rose United Kingdom Rose
Ireland Shamrock U.S.A. Golden Rod
PARLIAMENT’S NAME OF THE FAMOUS COUNTRIES

Country Parliament Country Parliament
Afghanistan Shora Malaysia Majlis
Australia Parliament Maldive Majlis
Bangladesh Jatia Parliament Mangolia Khural
Bhutan Tasongadu Nepal Rasthtriya Panchayat
Canada Parliament Netherlands States General
China National People Congress Norway Storting
Denmark Folketing Pakistan National Assembly
Egypt People’s Assembly Poland Scym
France National Assembly Spain Crates
Germany Bundestag Sweden Riksdag
Great Britain Parliament South Africa Parliament Page: 100

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India Parliament (Sansad) Switzerland Federal Assembly

Iran Mailis Russia Duma
Ireland Dail Eireann Taiwan Yuan
Japan Diet U.S.A. Congress
SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

A blind folder woman holding a balanced scale Justice
Black arm-band Sign of Protest or Mourning
Black flag Protest
Dove Peace
Flag flown at half mart National mourning
Flag flown upside down Distress
Green Light Line clear signal
Hammer and Sickle National Flag (Russia)
Lotus Culture and Civilisation
Olive Branch Peace
Red Flag Sign of danger, revolution
Red Cross Hospital or medical aid
Red Light Sign of stop
Red Triangle Family Planning
Stars and Stripes National Flag (USA)
Maharaja Air India
Tricolour National Flag (India)
Two bones crossing each other diagonally Danger (electricity) upper quadrant
with a skull in the
Union Jack National Flag (U.K.)
Wheel Progress
White flag Truce
CLASSICAL DANCES OF INDIA

Dance State Dance State
Bharat Natyam Tamil Nadu Karma Madhya Pradesh
Bihu Assam Laho Meghalaya
Bhangra Punjab Mohiniattam Kerala
Chhau Bihar, Orissa, W. Bengal and Mando Goa
Jharkhand Garhwali Uttaranchal Manipuri
Manipur Garba Gujarat Nati Page: 101

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Himachal Pradesh Hattari Karnataka Nat-Natin Bihar

Kathak North India Odissi Orissa
Kathakali Kerala Rauf Jammu & Kashmir
Kutchipudi Andhra Pradesh Yakshagan Karnataka
Khantumm Mizoram
FOLK AND TRIBAL DANCES

States Dances
Maharashtra Kathakeertan, Lezin, Dandaniya, Tamasha, Gafa, Dahikala, Lovani, Mauni,
Dasavtar.
Karnataka Huttari, Suggi Kunitha, Yakashagana
Kerala Kaikottikali, Kaliyattam, Tappatikkali
Tamil Nadu Kolattam, Pinnal Kolattam, Kummi, Kavadi, Karagam
Andhra Pradesh Ghanta Mardala, Veedhi Natakam, Burrakatha
Orissa Ghumara Sanchar, Chadya Dandanata, Chhau
West Bengal Kathi, Chhau, Baul, Kirtan, Jatra, Lama
Assam Bihu, Khel Gopal, Rash Lila, Tabal Chongli, Canoe
Punjab Giddha (women), Bhangra (men)
J&K Rauf, Hikat
Himachal Pradesh Jhora, Jhali, Dangli, Mahasu, Jadda, Jhainta, Chharhi
Haryana Jhumar, Ras Leela, Phag dance, Daph, Dhamal, Loor, Gugga. Khoria, Gagor
Gujarat Garba, Dandiya Rass, Tippani, Gomph
Rajasthan Ginad, Chakri, Gangore, Terahtaal, Khayal, Jhulan Loela, Jhuma, Suisini
Bihar Jata Jatin, Jadur, Chhau, Kathaputli, Bakho, Jhijhiya, Samochakwa, Karma, Jatra,
Natna
Uttar Pradesh Nautanki, Thora, Chappeli, Raslila, Kajri.
DANCERS
Bharatnatyam Bala Saraswati, C.V. Chandrasekhar, Leela Samson, Mrinalini Sarabhai, Padma
Subramanyam, Rukmini Devi, Sanyukta Panigrahi, Sonal Mansingh, Ygmini
Krishnamurti
Kathak Bharti Gupta, Birju Maharaj, Damayanti Josh!, Durga Das, Gopi Krishna, Kumudini
Lakhia, Sambhu Maharaj, Sitara Devi
Kuchipudi Josyula Seetharamaiah, Vempathi Chinna Sathyam
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Manipuri Guru Bipin Sinha, Jhaveri Sisters, Nayana Jhaveri, Nirmala Mehta, Savita Mehta
Odissi Debaprasad Das, Dhirendra Nath Pattnaik, Indrani Rahman, Kelucharan
Mahapatra, Priyambada Mohanty, Sonal Mansingh
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Sarod Ali Akbar Khan, Allaudin Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Bahadur
Khan, Sharan Rani, Zarin S. Sharma
Tabla Alla Rakha Khan, Kishan Maharaj, Nikhil Ghosh, Zakir Hussain
Violin Baluswamy Dikshitar, Gajanan Rao Joshi, Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, M.S. Gopala
krishnan, Mysore T. Chowdiah, T. N. Krishnan
Shehnai Bismillah Khan
Sitar Nikhil Banerjee, Ravi Shankar, Vilayat Khan, Hara Shankar Bhattacharya
Flute Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pannalal Ghose, T.R. Mahalingam
VOCALISTS
Hindustani Shubha Mudgal, Bheemsen Joshi, Madhup Mudgal, Mukul Shivputra, Pandit
Jasraj, Parveen Sultana, Naina Devi, Girija Devi, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan,
Gangubai Hangal, Krishna Hangal, V.Rajp it, Kumar Gandharva, Faiyyaz Khan,
Mallikarjun Mansur.
Carnatic M.S. Subbalakshmi, Balamuralikrishna, Bombay Jaishree, H.K. Raghavendra,
H.K. Venkataram, Sitarajam, Mani Krishnaswamy, Akhil Krishnan, M.L.
Vasanthakumari, M.D. Ramanathan, G.N. Balasubramaniam
Thumri Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Ustad Mazhar Ali Khan, Ustad Zawad Ali Khan,
Rita Ganguli, Poornima Chaudhary, Shanti Heerananda, Naina Devi
Quwwali Ghulam Hasan Niyazi, Sultan Niyazi, Ghulam Farid Nizami, Chand’Nizami, lqbal
Hussain Khan Bandanawaji, Aslam Sabari
Dhrupad Ustad Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, Zahiruddin Dagar, Wasifuddin Dagar, Bundecha
Bandhu, Uday Bhawalkar, Pt. Abhay Narayan Mallick, Pt. Ritwik Sanyal
NAVAL TRAINING CENTRES

1. Indian Naval Academy Cochin
2. INS Angre Mumbai
3. INS Valsura Jamnagar
4.Naval Air Station, Garuda Cochin
5. INS Venduruthy Cochin
6.INS Kunjali Mumbai
7.INS Shivaji Lonavala
8. INS Circars Vishakhapatnam Page: 103

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9.Sailors Training Establishment Dabalin (Goa)

10. INS Dronacharya Fort Kochi
11. INS Hamla Mumbai
RANKS OF COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

Army Air Force Navy
General Air Chief Marshal Admiral
Lt. General Air Marshal Vice Admiral
Major General Air Vice Marshal Rear Admiral
Brigadier Air Commodore Commodore
Colonel Group Captain Captain
Lt. Colonel Wing Commander Commander
Major Squadron Leader Lt. Commander
Captain Flt. Lieutenant Lieutenant
Lieutenant Flying Officer Sub-Lieutenant
AWARDS, HONOURS AND PRIZES
Nobel Prize
• It is the most coveted international award of the world.
• It was instituted by the inventor of dynamite, Alfred Bernard Nobel (1833-96).
• The award is given on Dec. 10, which is the death anniversary of its founder.
• Nobel made a trust from the money that he earned through the patent of his invention whose interest is
used to give the money for the Nobel Prizes.
• Nobel Prize is given every year to those eminent persons who have made pioneering achievements in the
field of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Peace, Literature and Economics.
• Apart from Economics, all other categories have been given since 1901. Economics Nobel Prize was
instituted in 1967 and was first given in 1969.
TWICE RECEPIENTS OF NOBEL PRIZE

Same Subjects Different Subjects
John Bardeen Physics (1956) Marie Curie Physics (1903)
John Bardeen Physics (1972) Marie Curie Chemistry (1911)
Frederic Sanger Chemistry (1958) Linus Pauling Chemistry (1954)
Frederic Sanger Chemistry (1980) Linus Pauling Peace (1962)
• The international Committee of the Red Cross has been awarded the Nobel Prize for peace three times : In
1917, 1944 and 1963.
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ADJUDICATORS
Physics and Chemistry Swedish Academy of Science
Medicine Stockholm Faculty of Medicine
Literature Swedish Academy of Litetature
Peace - Panel of 5-parliamentarians of Norwegian Parliament
Economics Bank of Sweden
INDIAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS

Name Field Year
Rabindranath Tagore Literature 1913
Dr. C.V. Raman Physics 1930
Dr. Hargovind Khurana Medicine 1968
Mother Teresa Peace 1979
Dr. S. Chandrashekhar Physics 1983
Dr. Amartya Sen Economics 1999
V.S. Naipaul Literature 2001
Venkatraman Ramkrishnan Chemistry 2009
Kailash Satyarthi Peace 2014
Other Awards and Prizes
Pulitzer Prize
• It was instituted in 1970 and named after the US Publisher Joseph Pulitzer.
• It is conferred annually in the USA for accomplishments in journalism, literature and music.
Magsaysay Awards
• They were instututed in 1957 and named after Ramon Magsaysay, the late President of Philippines, who
died in an air crash.
• This award is given annually on Aug. 31, for outstanding contributions to public service, community
leadership, journalism, literature and creative arts and international understanding.
• They are often regarded as the Nobel Prize of Asia.
Recipients
Indian Recipient: Mother Teresa (1962), Jockin Arputham (2000), L. Ramdas (2004).
For Lterature, Journalism and Creative Communication Arts : Amitabh Chaudhury (1961), Satyajit Ray
(1967), B, G, Vergheese (1975), Shambu Mitra (1976), Gour Kishore Ghosh (1981), Arun Shourie (1982),
R, K, Lakshman (1984), K, V, Subbanna (1991), Mahasweta Devi (1997), P. Sainath (2007).
For Community Leadership : Acharya Vinobha Bhave (1958), Dara N, Khurodi , Thribhuvan Das K, Patel
and Vergheese Kurian (1963), Kamaladevi Chattopdhyaya (1966), M, S, Swaminathan (1971),
L, R, Bhat (1977), Rajanikant S, Arole and Mabelle R, Arole (1979), Panduranga AthavalePage: 105

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(1996), Ms. Aruna Roy (2000), Rajendra Singh (2001), Ms. Shanta Sinha (2003), Prakash Amte and his wife
Mandakini Amte (2008).
For Public Service : Jaya Prakash Narayan (1965), M, S, Subalakshmi (1974), Manibhai Desai (1982),
Muralidhar Devidas Amte (1985), L, C, Jain (1989), M S Mehta (1997), V, Sharma (2005)
For Government Service : C, D, Deshmukh (1959), Kiran Bedi (1994), T, N, Seshan (1996), J, M, Lyngodh
(2003).
For Emergent Leadership : Sandeep Pandey (2002), Arvind Kejriwal (2006).
Man Booker Prize

• It is the highest literary award given to the authors of British, Irish and Commonwealth countries.
• It was instituted in 1968 by the Booker Company and the British Publishers Association along the lines of
Pulitzer Prize of US.
• Booker Prize has been renamed as Man Booker Prize, as the sponsorship has been taken over by the Man
Group, an international stockbroker.
Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding

• It was instituted in 1965 by the Government of India.
• It is given annually to persons for outstanding contributions to the promotion of international understanding
and goodwill among the people of the world.
Oscar Awards
• These awards were instituted in 1929 and conferred annually by the Academy of Motion Pictures in USA.
• These are considered the most prestigious awards in the cinema world.
• The first Indian to get an Oscar was Bhanu Athaiya for the movie ‘Gandhi’.
• Satyajit Ray was the first Indian who was awarded Oscar for lifetime achievements in cinema in 1992.
Grammy Awards
The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate an awareness, appreciation and
advancement of the contribution of recorded music. American culture from the artistic and technical legends of
the past to the still unimagined musical breakthroughs of the future generations of the music professionals. The
GRAMMY Foundation works in partnership with its founder, the Recording Academy, to bring national attention
to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving rich
cultural legacy.
Right Livelihood Award

• It was instituted in 1980 by the Right Livelihood Society, London.
• It is renowned as alternate Nobel Award to promote and contribute in the environment and social justice.
Mahatma Gandhi Peace Prize

• It was instituted in 1995 by the Government of India.
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• It is presented for international peace on the lines of Nobel Prize.
Unesco Peace Prize

• It is presented by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisatic (UNESCO) for
extraordinary contributions for international peace.
Unesco Human Rights Award

• It is also presented by UNESCO for contributions in the field of Human Rights Awareness.
Un Human Rights Award

• It is presented by United Nations (UN) for personal contribution for the cause of human rights.
• It is presented every sixth year.
World Food Prize

The Prize recognizes contributions in any field involved in the world food, supply-food and agriculture
science and technology, manufacturing, marketing, nutrition, economics, poverty alleviation, political leadership
and the social sciences. The prize was created in 1986 by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borland and
since 1990 has been sponsored by business man and pilanthropist John Ruan, The winner receives US$
2,50,000.
Olympic Gold Order

• It is presented by the international Olympic Committee for distinguished services in the development of the
OLYMPIC MOVEMENT.
Indira Gandhi Award for International Peace, Disarmament and Development

• It is presented by Indira Gandhi Memorial Fund for specialised contribution in the field of international
disarmament and development.
Bharat Ratna
• It is the highest civilian award of India. It is presented by the Government of India.
• It is presented for exceptional public service and rarest achievements in the field of art, literature and
science.
• It was instituted in 1954 and the first recepient was Dr. Radhakrishnan.
• Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award for distinguished services in any field including
Government service.
• Padma Bhushan and Padma Shree are the other important civilian awards.
Bhartiya Jnanpeeth Awards

• It was instituted in 1965 and is given for distinguished works in any recognised language by a
scholar.
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Sahitya Akademy Awards

• It was instituted in 1955 and is given for any exclusive writing in any of the 22 languages including English
literature during last 5 years.
Murtidevi Award
• It was constituted in 1948 and is given in any Indian language or in English literature, for distinguished
contribution to Indian values.
Saraswati Samman
• It was instituted in 1991 by the K.K. Birla Foundation and is given for any distinguished literary work made
during last 10 years in any of the Indian language.
Tansen Awards
• These awards are given by the Government of M.P. for the outstanding contribution in the field of music.
Vyas Samman
• It was instituted in 1992 by the K.K. Birla Foundation for outstanding contribution to Hindi literature.
Tansen Awards
• These awards are given by the Government of M.P. for the outstanding contribution in the field of music.
Iqbal Samman
• These awards are given by the Government of M.P. for the outstanding contribution in the field of literature.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awards

• These Avards are given to the Indian scientists for their exceptional performance.
R.D. Birla Award

• These awards are given in the field of medical sciences.
Dhanvantri Award
• These awards are go en for the extra ordinary performance in medical sciences.
RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD
It was launched in the year 1991-92 with the objective of honouring sports persons to enhance their dignity and
place of honour in society. Under this, an amount of Rs. 5 lakhs is given as award for the most spectacular and
outstanding performance in the field of sports by an individual sports person or a team.
ARJUNA AWARD
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Field : Sports
Instituted in : 1961
Cash Value : Rs. 3 lakh
This award is given to a sportsman who has displayed outstanding performance for three years (prior to the
year of award) both at national and international levels.
DRONACHARYA AWARD
Field : Sports (for coaches)
Instituted in : 1985
Cash value : Rs. 3 lakh
The award was named after Dronacharya–the legendary guru of the epic age of Mahabharat, who taught
archery and sports to Kauravas and Pandavas.
The award comprises fo a cheque, a plaque, a blazer and a citation. Up to 1986, the cash value of the
award was Rs. 25,000.
DHYAN CHAND AWARD

The objective of Dhyan Chand Award is to honour those sports persons who have contributed to sports by
their performance and continue to contribute in promotion of sports even after retirement from their active
sporting career. This award carries an amount of Rs. 5 lakhs.
MAULANA KALAM AZAD TROPHY

This Trophy is awarded annually to the University which has given the best and all round performance in
sports activities during the year of the award. The winner receives a replica of the Trophy and cash award of Rs.
2 lakhs, which is to be utilized for acquiring sports equipments.
TENZING NORGAY NATIONAL ADVENTURE AWARD

These awards are given to recognize the contribution and performance in the field of adventure sports in air,
water and on land. One award is given for lifetime achievement in the field of adventure sports. This is the first
time that these awards are being conferred by the President of India. These awards have now been equated
with the Arjuna awards in all respects. The award carries cash prize of Rs. 3 lakhs.
Gallantry Awards
• Param Vir Chakra It is India’s highest award for bravery.
• Mahavir Chakra It is the second highest gallantry award.
• Vir Chakra It is the third highest ga~lantry award.
• Ashok Chakra : It is the highest peace-time gallantry award.
Recipients of Bharat Ratna

C. Rajagopalachari (1878–1972) 1954
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Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888–1975) 1954

Dr. C.V. Raman (1888–1970) 1954
Dr. Bhagwan Das (1869–1958) 1955
Dr. M. Visvesvaraya (1861–1962) 1955
Jawaharlal Nehru (1889–1964) 1955
Govind Ballabh Pant (1887–1961) 1957
Dr. Dhondo Keshav Karve (1858–1962) 1958
Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy (1882–1962) 1961
Purushottam Das Tandon (1882–1962) 1961
Dr. Rajendra Prasad (1884–1963) 1962
Dr. Zakir Hussan (1897–1969) 1963
Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane (1880–1972) 1963
Lal Bahadur Shastri (1904–1966) (Posthumous) 1966
Indira Gandhi (1917–1984) 1971
Varahagiri Venkatagiri (1884–1980) 1975
Kumaraswami Kamraj (1903–1975) (Posthumous) 1976
Mother Teresa (1910–1997) 1980
Acharya Vinobha Bhave (1895–1982) 1983
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890–1988) 1987
Marudu Gopalan Ramachandran (1917–1987) (Posthumous) 1988
Dr. Bhim Rao Ramji Ambedkar (1891–1956) (Posthumous) 1990
Dr. Nelson Rolihlaha Mandela (1918) 1990
Rajiv Gandhi (1944-1991) (Posthumous) 1991
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (1875–1950) 1991
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai (1869–1995) 1991
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888–1958) (Posthumous) 1992
Jahangir Ratanji Dadabhai (J.R.D.) Tata (1904–1993) 1992
Satyajit Ray (1922–1992) 1992
Aruna Asaf Ali (1909–1996 (Posthumous) 1997
Gulzari Lal Nanda (1898–1997) (Posthumous) 1997
Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam (1931) 1997
Madurai Shanmukhavadivu (m.s) Subbalakshmi (1916) 1998
Chidambaram Subramaniam (1910–2000) 1998
Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan (1902–1979) (Posthumous) 1999
Professor Amartya Sen (1933) 1999
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi (1890–1950) (Posthumous) 1999
Pandit Ravi Shankar (1920) 1999
Lata Mangeshwar (1929) 2001
Ustad Bissmillah Khan (1916–2006) 2001 Page: 110

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Pt. Bhimsen Joshi 2008

Sachin Tendulkar 2014
C. N. Rao 2014
Madan Mohan Malaviya 2015
Atal Bihari Vajpayee 2015
List of Dada Saheb Phalke Awardees

Year Winner Occupation State
1969 Devika Rani Actress Andhra Pradesh
1970 B.N. Sircar Producer West Bengal
1971 Prithiviraj Kapoor Actor (posthumous) Punjab
1972 Pankaj Mullick Composer (Music Director) West Bengal
1973 Ruby Myers (Sulochana) Actress Maharashtra
1974 B.N. Reddy Director Andhra Pradesh
1975 Dhirendranath Ganguly Actor, Director West Bengal
1976 Kanan Devi Actress West Bengal
1977 Nitin Bose Cinematographer, Director, Writer WestBengal, Maharashtra
1978 Rai Chand Boral Composer, Director West Bengal
1979 Sohrab Modi Actor, Director, Producer Maharashtra
1980 P. Jairaj Actor, Director
1981 Naushad Ali Composer (Music Director)
1982 L.V. Prasad Actor, Director, Producer Andhra Pradesh
1983 Durga Khote Actress Maharashtra
1984 Satyajit Ray Director West Bengal
1985 V. Shantaram Actor, Director, Producer Maharashtra
1986 B. Nagi Reddy Producer Andhra Pradesh
1987 Raj Kapoor Actor, Director
1988 Ashok Kumar Actor West Bengal, Maharashtra
1989 Lata Mangeshkar Singer Maharashtra
1990 A. Nageswara Rao Actor Andhra Pradesh
1991 Bhalji Pendharkar Director, Producer, Writer Maharashtra
1992 Bhupen Hazarika Composer (Music Director) Assam
1993 Majrooh Sultanpuri Lyricist
1994 Dilip Kumar Actor Page: 111

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1995 Dr. Rajkumar Actor Karnataka

1996 Sivaji Ganesan Actor Tamil Nadu
1997 Pradeep Lyricist
1998 B.R. Chopra Director, Producer
1999 Hrishikesh Mukherjee Director West Bengal, Maharashtra
2000 Asha Bhosle Singer Maharashtra
2001 Yash Chopra Director, Producer Punjab
2002 Dev Ananad Actor, Director, Producer Punjab
2003 Mrinal Sen Director West Bengal
2004 Adoor Gopalakrishnan Director Kerala
2005 Shyam Benegal Director Andhra Pradesh
2006 Tapan Sinha Director Kolkata
2007 Manna Dey Singer Kolkata
2008 V.K. Murthy Cinematographer Mysore
2009 D. Ramanaidu Actor, Producer Andhra Pradesh
2010 K. Balachander Director Tamilnadu
2011 Soumitra Chatterjee Actor Agartala
2012 Pran Actor
2013 Gulzar Actor
2014 Shsahi Kapoor Actor
2015 Manoj Kumar Actor
LIST OF JNANPITH AWARDEES

Year Name Works Language
1965 G. Sankara Kurup Odakkuzhal (flute) Malayalam
1966 Tarashankar Bandopadhyaya Ganadevta Bengali
1967 Dr. K.V. Puttappa Sri Ramayana Darshanam Kannada
(Glimpses of Ramayana)
1967 Umashankar Joshi Nishitha Gujarati
1968 Sumitranandan Pant Chidambara Hindi
1969 Firaq Gorakhpuri Gul-e-Naghma Urudu
1970 Viswanatha Satyanarayana Ramayana Kalpavrikshamu Telugu
(A resourceful tree: Ramayana)
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1971 Bishnu Dey Smriti Satta Bhavishyat Bengali

1972 Ramdhari Singh Dinkar Urvashi Hindi
1973 Dattatreya Ramachandra Bendre Nakutanti (Four Strings) Kannada
1973 Gopinath Mohanty Mattimatal Oriya
1974 Vishnu Sakharam Khandekar Yayati Marathi
1975 P.V. Akilandam Chittrappavai Tamil
1976 Asha Purna Devi Pratham Pratisruti Bengali
1977 K. Shivaram Karanth Mookajjiya Kanasugalu
(Mookajji’s dreams) Kannada
1978 Sachchidananda Hirananda Kitni Navan Men Kitni Bar
Vatsyayan (How many times in many boats?) Hindi
1979 Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya Mrityunjay (Immortal) Assamese
1980 S.K. Pottekkatt Oru Desattinte Katha
(Story of a land) Malayalam
1981 Amrita Pritam Kagaj te Canvas Punjabi
1982 Mahadevi Verma Yama Hindi
1983 Maasti Venkatesh Ayengar Chikkaveera Rajendra Kanada
(Life and Struggle of Kodava
King Chikkaveera Rajendra)
1984 Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai Malayalam
1985 Pannalal Patel Gujarati
1986 Sachindanand Rout Roy Oriya
1987 Vishnu Vaman Shirwadkar (Kusumagraj) (“Natsamrat”) Marathi
1988 Dr. C. Narayana Reddy Tulugu
1989 Quarratulain Hyder Urdu
1990 V.K. Gokak Bharatha Sindhu Rashmi Kannada
1991 Subhas Mukhopadhyay Bengali
1992 Naresh Mehta Hindi
1993 Sitakant Mahapatra Oriya
1994 U.R. Ananthamurthy Kannada
1995 M.T. Vasudevan Nair Malayalam
1996 Mahasweta Devi Bengali
1997 Ali Sardar Jafri Urdu
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1998 Girish Karnad Tuglaq Kannada

1999 Nirmal Verma Hindi
1999 Gurdial Singh Punjabi
2000 Indira Goswami Assamese
2001 Rajendra Keshavlal Shah Gujarati
2002 D. Jayakanthan Tamil
2003 Vinda Karandikar Subuk Soda, Kalami Rahi and Siyah Marathi
Rode Jaren Man
2004 Rahman Rahi Literary work in Kashmiri language Kashmiri
2005 Kunwar Narain For his contribution to Hindi literature Hindi
2006 Satyavrat Shastri For his contribution to Sanskrit Sanskrit
literature
2006 Ravindra Kelekar For his contribution to Konkani Konkani
literature
2007 O.N.V. Kurup Malayalam
2008 Akhlaq Mohammed Khan Sharyar Urdu
2009 Amar Kant Hindi
2009 Shrilal Sukla Hindi
2010 Chandrashekhar Kambara Kannada
2011 Pratibha Ray Kannada
2012 Ravuri Bharadhwaj Telgu
2013 Kedarnath Singh Hindi
2014 Balchandra Nemade Marathi
2015 Raghuveer Chaudhari Gujarathi
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National Issues
Behdienkhllam festival:
• Jaintia tribesmen oerform a rituL during the age old Behdienkhllam festival at Tuber village in Meghalaya.
The post sowing ritual is to seek blessings for a good harvest and disease free life.
Udupi Ramachandra Rao:

• Udupi Ramachandra Rao, hailed as the father of the Indian satellite programme that started with Aryabhata,
is dead. Dr. Rao, 85, passed away at his Indiranagar home.He was suffering from age-related health issues.
• Dr. Rao, who was decorated with the Padma Vibhushan this year, was the Chairman of the Indian Space
Research Organisation and Secretary, Department of Space from 1984 to 1994.
• He is the only Indian to be included in the Satellite Hall of Fame of the Society of Satellite Professionals
International, Washington. The hall of fame has the likes of Arthur Clarke and Van Allen.
• Dr. Rao’s space journey blossomed under the tutelage of Vikram Sarabhai, his doctoral guide and later boss
at ISRO: in 1972, Sarabhai tasked the young Rao — fresh from MIT and the only Indian then who had
worked on NASA’s Pioneer and Explorer satellite projects — with building an Indian satellite.
• Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had come down to see the assembled satellite — Aryabhata — which
was launched on a Russian rocket in 1975. Indian satellites had started sprouting.
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• In 1984, Dr. Rao succeeded Satish Dhawan as ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space..
• As the first director of what is now called ISRO Satellite Centre, Dr. Rao was responsible for 18 early
satellites including the landmark Bhaskara, APPLE, the Indian Remote sensing Satellites or IRSs.
• As the chairman of overseeing body ADCOS or the Advisory Committee on Space Sciences, he finalised,
shaped, refined or designed the Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission of 2008; the Mars Orbiter Mission of 2013;
and the upcoming Chandrayaan-2 set for 2018. One of the current unfinished projects of the cosmic ray
scientist is Aditya L1 mission India’s upcoming solar observatory, so to say.
• Born in Adamaru, near Udupi on March 10, 1932, Dr. Rao is survived by his wife, Yashoda, son Madan
Rao, faculty at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, and architect-daughter Mala.
BillionAbles’ app
• A Delhi-based start-up has launched a smartphone app that can assist people with special needs to find
disabled-friendly restaurants, tourist locations and other public places across India.
• The app, called BillionAbles, is India’s first lifestyle app for persons with disabilities and special needs, says
its founder Sameer Garg.
• The app was conceptualised by Mr. Garg and developed by Deepak Kumar, 24, who is a student of
engineering at Kurukshetra University in Haryana.
• Users can filter the search results on the basis of features such as step-free access, Braille and sign
language availability or gluten-free food availability.
Government said no to grace period for depositing demonetised notes

• The Centre told the Supreme Court that it took a conscious decision to not give any grace period for citizens
to deposit their demonetised notes after the cut-off date of December 30, 2016.
• Doing so would have defeated the very purpose of demonetisation, the government said.
• It was replying to the Supreme Court’s appeal to open a window for genuine people, like the terminally ill
and invalids, to name a few, who were unable to deposit their demonetised Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 notes
between November 9 and December 30 last year.
• Noting that these people had over 51 days to deposit and exchange their old notes for the new currency
through multiple outlets.
• The NDA government said now there exists “no necessity or any justifiable reason” to provide them a “grace
period” till December 30, 2017, as many petitioners have sought in a bunch of petitions.
Telangana State will have eco-friendly bridges across Tiger corridor

• In a first of its kind, Telangana State will have eco-friendly bridges over a canal cutting across the tiger
corridor linking the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) with the forests in Telangana's Kumram Bheem
Asifabad district.
• The intervention requires the laying of fertile soil to grow grass and plants over the structure, so that
fragmentation of the reserve forest is camouflaged.
• The ‘eco-bridges’ will be constructed at key spots along the 72 km-long, and at some places over a
kilometre wide, right flank canal of the Pranahita barrage in the Bejjur and Dahegaon mandals.
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• One of the locations tentatively earmarked for the eco-bridge is a spot close to Sulgupalli in the Bejjur forest
range. Here, the canal is over a kilometre wide and the need to facilitate the movement of wild animals is
quite necessary.
• The concept emerged after visits by experts from the Wildlife Board of India and the Wildlife Institute of
India.
• They were concerned about the large-scale destruction of pristine forest along the corridor, which would
result in cutting off tiger movement between TATR and Bejjur.
• The Telangana Irrigation Department has given its consent for the construction of the eco-bridges.
Recommendations on the size and locations of the bridges are awaited from the National Board of Wildlife.
• In recent years, big cats from the TATR have ambled into the mixed and bamboo forests of the Bejjur range
via the Sirpur forests.
• The TATR and its buffer area, which are contiguous with the Sirpur forests, boast of a speedily multiplying
tiger population, the cause of the frequent migration of tigers into Sirpur and Bejjur.
Policy on GM mustard crop yet to be finalised

• The government informed the Supreme Court that a policy decision on the commercial release of the
Genetically Modified (GM) mustard crop is yet to be finalised.
• The Centre said it was poring through the various suggestions on and objections to the commercial rollout of
the GM crops.
• A Bench, led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, granted the government
one week to report back on when the policy would be finalised. It said the policy should be good-intentioned
and well-informed.
• The court had on October 17, 2016, extended the stay on the commercial release of the GM mustard until
further orders. It had asked the Centre to collect public opinion before the release.
• The government had assured the court that there would be no commercial release of GM seeds till the
views of the public were collected and placed before the appraisal committee.
• The hearing was conducted on the basis of a petition filed by activist Aruna Rodrigues, who had alleged that
the government was sowing GM seeds without the relevant tests.
• Mustard is one of India’s most important winter crops, sown between mid-October and late November.
Indonesia named part of South China Sea as North Natuna Sea

• Indonesia has named waters in its exclusive economic zone that overlap with China’s expansive claim to the
South China Sea as the North Natuna Sea, an assertion of sovereignty that has angered Beijing.
• The decision has been in the works since mid-2016 and was vital to law enforcement at sea and securing
Indonesia’s exclusive economic zone, said Arif Havas Oegroseno, the deputy Minister for Maritime
Sovereignty.
• A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the “so-called change of name makes no sense at all”.
• China claims most of the South China Sea, putting it in dispute with many southeast Asian nations, and has
carried out extensive land reclamation and construction on reefs and atolls to bolster its claims.
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• Philipppines also has claims to the South China Sea. But Filipino officials behind an arbitration case in
which the Philippines won a resounding victory over China last year are expressing alarm that Beijing
continues to defy the decision.
Scientists developed super-stretchy and strong artificial silk

• Scientists from the University of Cambridge have developed super-stretchy and strong artificial silk,
composed almost entirely of water, which may be used to make eco-friendly textiles and sensors.
• The fibres, which resemble miniature bungee cords as they can absorb large amounts of energy, are
sustainable, non-toxic and can be made at room temp. The fibres are spun from a soupy material called a
hydrogel, which is 98% water.
• The remaining 2% of the hydrogel is made of silica and cellulose, both naturally available materials, held
together in a network by barrel-shaped molecular “handcuffs” known as cucurbiturils.
• The chemical interactions between the different components enable long fibres to be pulled from the gel.
• The extremely thin threads are a few millionths of a metre in diameter. After the hydrogel is stretched for
roughly 30 seconds, the water evaporates, leaving a strong fibre.
• The fibres are capable of self-assembly at room temperature, and are held together by supramolecular host,
where atoms share electrons.
US has approved sale of 22 Guardian maritime surveillance UAV to India

• An American approval for the sale of 22 Guardian maritime surveillance has come India’s way, but defence
sources say the actual deal is a long way off as New Delhi is evaluating the options available.
• Government-to-government discussions were under way but declined to put any timeline as to when it could
be concluded. There was much speculation that the deal, likely between $2-2.5 billion, would be announced
during PM Modi’s visit.
• The Navy currently operates Israeli Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAVs and is keen on
acquiring High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) to augment its maritime surveillance capabilities.
• The other option is to go for Israeli HALE drones, which India is quite familiar with. Last year, the Navy
asked General Atomics for the details of the Guardian, following which company officials made
presentations on its capabilities.
PM targets corruption and cow vigilantes during all party meeting

• Opposition leaders expressed concern over the Sino-Indian stand-off, expressing the hope that the matter
would be resolved soon. They also expressed concern over the disturbed situation in Kashmir.
• “Farm distress” and the “economic burdens” on the people were also taken up. Opposition leaders took up
the issue of recent attacks on minorities and Dalits.
• The issue of cow vigilantism and political corruption apart, Mr. Modi commended both sides on the dignified
nature of the presidential campaign, adding that it would have been good if a consensus had been arrived
at.
• Mr. Modi also called upon all parties to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement, which
falls on August 9.
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South Asia policy of US to be unveiled soon

• The Trump administration is likely to unveil its South Asia policy in the coming weeks, said MaryKay L.
Carlson, U.S. Charge D’Affaires to India.
• Ms. Carlson said the South Asia policy was currently under review by the U.S. National Security Adviser
H.R. McMaster.
• The review is likely to include the United States’ position on its relations with India, Pakistan and
Afghanistan, though Ms. Carlson refused to elaborate.
• Under the Trump administration, the U.S.-India ties had ‘catapulted’ to a faster growth trajectory and was
positive.
• U.S. House of Representatives passed a Bill worth about $ 621.5 billion that will enable increased
cooperation with India in the defence sector.
• The House adopted an amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act 2018, which now needs to get
the U.S. President’s assent. The Bill was passed with a majority of 344-81.
• Ms. Carlson said this was indicative of “bipartisan support [for India] across our government and every
aspect whether it is the legislative branch, the executive branch, and among the American people with
India”.
• To a query on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel, Ms. Carlson said the visit “exceeded
expectations, certainly on the U.S. side.”
Monsoon session of parliament to start with focus on China and Kashmir

• The Opposition will demand discussions on both the border stand-off with China and the deteriorating
situation in Kashmir in the monsoon session of Parliament, though its floor leaders were called for an official
briefing.
• Opposition leaders said their attendance at the meeting should not be interpreted as acquiescence in what
the government has done so far on these two critical issues concerning national security.
• While the Opposition intends to flag several other subjects for discussion — including farmers’ distress, the
economic fallout of demonetisation, and the implementation of GST — China and Kashmir will continue to
be on the table.
• Mr. Sharma also said that Opposition leaders were yet to receive a satisfactory explanation on why the
Amarnath yatris killed in a terror attack recently were allowed to travel after 7 p.m., when security cover is
withdrawn.
• Flagging the subjects of farmers’ distress and of the misuse of governors by the Modi government, he said
his party also wants a discussion on mob lynching.
Maharashtra to elect the sarpanchs directly

• Despite growing protests from rival political parties against its move to facilitate direct election of
sarpanches, the BJP-led State government will issue an ordinance for amending the Maharashtra Gram
Panchayat Act, 1958.
• The proposal to issue the ordinance was forwarded to the Governor by State government on Saturday,
citing ‘urgency’ in view of elections to 7,000 gram sabhas.
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• On July 3, the State cabinet cleared a proposal to amend the Maharashtra Gram Panchayat Act, 1958 to
pave way for direct elections of sarpanches to gram sabhas.
• The decision came under attack by the Opposition, who alleged it was an attempt by the BJP to wrest
‘extra-constitutional’ power in the the third tier of government.
• Senior officials said the ordinance route was taken as the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) model code
of conduct may come into force by July 31 for the September elections.
• The EC will also have to increase the number of electronic voting machines (EVM) to facilitate direct
election of sarpanches. Officials said the government cannot wait for an approval from the Assembly.
• As many as 20 sections of the Act have been amended to allow direct election of sarpanches by votes cas
by villagers, instead of a college of gram sabha members.
• The amendments, which were to be tabled in the next Assembly session, will also provide constitutional
protection to the sarpanch against impeachment.
• Now, a no-confidence motion cannot be moved against the sarpanch without the approval of two-thirds of
the members. It also requires to be passed by a three-fourths majority. Earlier, a motion could be moved if
one-third of members supported it.
• Once passed, the motion will need final ratification by the gram sabha. If rejected, it cannot be tabled for two
years. The deputy sarpanch will continue to be elected by gram panchayat members.
• The RDD’s proposal was moved under the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution of India, made in the 1990s.
• Back then, the 11th schedule of the amendment had empowered State governments to enact laws to give
powers and authority to the panchayats to enable them as local governments.
Govt assured all party that solution for Chinese problem would be found
• The government told an all-party meeting of MPs that China was trying to extend its control further down the
Doklam trijunction in an effort to gain a strategic advantage over “Chicken’s Neck” in Siliguri, West Bengal,
which connects India to the rest of the Northeast.
• The government assured the parliamentarians that there would no flexing of muscles and a solution would
be reached through dialogue.
• The meet was to clear doubts on the ongoing standoff with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army at the
Doklam trijunction near Sikkim.
• With the help of satellite maps, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar made a presentation before 19 MPs that
Indian troops were engaged in a “face-off” with the PLA in
• Doklam near the Sikkim-Bhutan-China trijunction.
• Mr. Jaishankar told the MPs who attended the three-hour meeting that apart from diplomacy, “other
channels” were also being used to end the standoff and India is insisting that the pre-June 16 condition is
reached at Doklam.
Second phase of operation clean money to come soon

• The Income Tax Department has, in the second phase of Operation Clean Money, identified 5.56 lakh
people, whose deposits during the demonetisation window do not match their income profile.
• Another 1.04 lakh persons, who did not disclose all bank accounts during e-verification in the
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• The statement added that all taxpayers so identified would be informed via email or SMS and that they can
view the relevant information on the e-filing portal https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.
• “The taxpayer will be able to submit online explanation without any need to visit Income Tax office. All
identified persons are being informed through Email and SMS for submitting response online,” the statement
added.
• “These are persons whose tax profiles were found to be inconsistent with the cash deposits made by them
during the demonetisation period,” the official statement said.
Malabar 2017, involving India, the U.S. and Japan, is strategically very important
• The trilateral Naval exercise, Malabar 2017, involving India, the U.S. and Japan, is strategically very
important and meant to maintain the rule of law and maritime security in the region, Japanese Ambassador
to India, Kenji Hiramatsu said.
• Mr Hiramatsu said, “This is very significant politically and [of] very symbolic value that the three countries
are working together to safeguard the rule of law and maritime security in this region.”
• The Ambassador said his country’s relations with India had a solid base, “for safeguarding peace and
stability in the Indo-Pacific region” adding that there could be more exchanges involving ground and air
forces and an exchange of personnel in various areas.
• On whether India and Japan would take up specific pilot projects in Africa, the Ambassador said there was a
“good win-win situation”.
• On the next steps in the on the civil nuclear agreement, signed between the two countries last year, given
the Diet’s approval of the pact recently, the Ambassador expressed the hope that there would be discussion
“in due course of time.”
• Mr. Hiramatsu said the political situation was stable in India and this was one of the attractions for Japanese
investors. The Ambassador added that Japanese investors in India were “very happy” with roll out of the
GST.
SC wants centre to decide on NRIs voting within a week

• The Supreme Court asked the Centre to decide within a week whether it would amend the electoral law or
rules for allowing Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to vote through postal or e-ballots in elections here.
• A bench comprising Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud took note of the fact that the
Centre and ECI were agreeable to allowing NRIs to vote as suggested in the report of a panel headed by
Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi.
• The poll panel had said the move to allow NRIs to use proxy voting on the lines of defence personnel and e-
ballot facility would require changes either in the
• Representation of the People Act or in the rules made under the Act.
• Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the petitioners, said NRIs could be given the right to
vote by making changes in the rules and there was no need to amend the provisions of the RP Act.
• The bench posted a batch of petitions filed by Nagender Chindam, chairman of London-based Pravasi
Bharat organisation and other NRIs, for further hearing on July 21.
Cook Islands has created one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries
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• The Cook Islands has created one of the world’s largest marine sanctuaries, protecting a vast swathe of the
Pacific Ocean more than three times the size of France.
• Legislation setting up the 1.9 million square km reserve passed through the tiny nation’s Parliament.
• Environmentalist Kevin Iro, who first proposed the idea more than five years ago, said it was a landmark
achievement that would help preserve the ocean for future generations.
• The Cook Islands has a population of just 10,000 and its 15 islands have a combined landmass of 236 sq
km., barely the size of Washington, D.C.
• But its isolated position in the Pacific, about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii with no near
neighbours, means it has a huge maritime territory.
• Cook Islanders had an affinity with the ocean and viewed it as sacred but overfishing and pollution had
damaged the marine environment, including the coral reefs that once ringed all the islands. Marine reserve,
known as Marae Moana, would give the environment a chance to heal, allowing the islanders to protect their
legacy.
Diplomatic channels are used to resolve India-China stand-off

• Diplomatic channels are still being used to resolve the stand-off between India and China despite rising
rhetoric from Beijing, the MEA said, continuing to strike a measured note on the situation at the Sikkim tri-
junction that has entered the second month.
• Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar’s said that India and China were a “factor of stability” in a turbulent world,
and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed not to allow
“differences to become disputes.”
• MEA spokesperson didn’t confirm or deny if National Security Adviser Ajit Doval would travel to Beijing for a
scheduled meeting of the NSAs of all BRICS countries on July 27-28.
• Despite the tensions over the Doklam situation, the government has been sending Ministers and officials for
the BRICS meetings on Agriculture, Education, Culture and Environment, held in China in June and July.
• Mr. Baglay also refused to respond to the state-owned China People’s Daily publishing a repeat of an
editorial from 1962 just before the Sino-Indian War, saying that he wouldn’t “comment on opinions or
editorials in the media.”
• However, India dismissed the Chinese spokesperson’s reference to the Kashmir issue unequivocally.
100 meters area from edge of Ganga declared as ‘No Development Zone’
• An area of 100 metres from the edge of the Ganga between Haridwar and Unnao has been declared a ‘No
Development Zone,’ with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) prohibiting dumping of waste within 500 metres
of the river.
• An environment compensation of Rs. 50,000 will be imposed on anyone dumping waste in the river.
• The NGT also directed the Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments to formulate guidelines for religious
activities on the ghats of the Ganga and its tributaries.
• Giving its verdict on a 1985 PIL petition of environment activist and lawyer M.C. Mehta — which was
transferred to the NGT from the Supreme Court in 2014.
• A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the authorities concerned should
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• The court also appointed a supervisory committee, headed by the Secretary of the Water Resources
Ministry and comprising IIT professors and officials of the Uttar Pradesh government, to oversee
implementation of the directions passed in its verdict. The committee is to submit reports at regular intervals.
• The Bench further noted that all industrial units in the catchment areas of the Ganga should be stopped from
indiscriminate groundwater extraction.
New solar cell that converts direct sunlight to electricity

• Scientists have designed a new solar cell that converts direct sunlight to electricity with 44.5% efficiency,
and may potentially be the most efficient solar cell in the world.
• The prototype device integrates multiple cells stacked into a single device capable of capturing nearly all of
the energy in the solar spectrum, researchers said.
• The approach, developed by researchers at George Washington University in the United States, is different
from the solar panels one might commonly see on rooftops or in fields.
• The new device uses concentrator photovoltaic panels, which employ lenses to concentrate sunlight onto
tiny, micro-scale solar cells.
Govt believes militancy is about to die in India

• Two Union Ministers, Jitendra Singh and Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, who praised the Kashmir civil society for
condemning the attack on Amarnath pilgrims, said that “India is in the last phase of militancy.”
• He said the unanimous condemnation “clearly indicates that there is no place for such acts in the Valley”. “I
hail and appreciate the widespread condemnation. Earlier there used to be a selective condemnation,” Dr.
Singh said.
• Refusing to name the group behind the attack, which left seven pilgrims dead, Dr. Singh said, “No one
should jump to any conclusion. Let’s wait for definite inputs from the security agencies.”
• A number of tour and travel bodies condemned the attack, with tourist hotspot Pahalgam witnessing a
shutdown over the incident.
• Meanwhile, three Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter at Budgam. Two of them belonged
to Srinagar, which was a militancy-free zone for 12 years.
Trade talks between India and China remained deadlocked

• Trade talks between India and China remained deadlocked with neither side willing to offer concessions to
end the impasse.
• Recent bilateral talks on issues relating to farm products, which took place in the backdrop of the military
standoff in the Doklam area of the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction, failed to make any headway.
• China deferred taking a decision on grant of market access to Indian rice, pomegranate, okra and bovine
meat, while India opted to stick to its ban on imports of apple, pear, milk and milk products from China.
• The discussions were held with visiting officials from the General Administration of Quality Supervision,
Inspection and Quarantine of China (AQSIQ) – the body “in charge of national quality, metrology.
• And entry-exit commodity inspection, entry-exit health quarantine, entry-exit animal and plant quarantine,
import-export food safety, certification and accreditation, standardisation, as well as
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Regulatory mechanism to come for Bitcoin

• The government is considering the introduction of a regulatory regime for virtual or crypto currencies, such
as Bitcoin, that would enable the levy of the Goods and Services Tax on their sale.
• The new regime may possibly bring their trading under the oversight of the stock market regulator,
Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
• The idea is to treat such currency in a manner similar to gold sold digitally, so that it can be traded on
registered exchanges in a bid to “promote” a formal tax base, while keeping a tab on their use for illegal
activities such as money laundering, terror funding and drug trafficking.
China signalled its intent to end the stand-off

• China signalled its intent to end the stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam area at an
early date, if Indian forces withdraw to what it called the “Indian side of the boundary”.
• Adopting a less harsh tone than in the recent past, when it had characterised India’s alleged intrusion into
Chinese territory as a “betrayal” and insisted that the withdrawal of Indian forces was a “precondition” for
talks.
• The Chinese Foreign Ministry said: “We once again require India to withdraw the border troops to the Indian
side of the boundary and properly settle this dispute at an early date.”
• According to the 1890 convention, the boundary has been defined and both Chinese and Indian
governments have recognised this. And this convention is effective for both countries.
• The stand-off is happening near the western tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China.
• Significantly, he also highlighted the Kashmir dispute outside its bilateral context, by pointing out that it had
attracted the attention of the “international community”. Besides.
• Both India and Pakistan are important countries in South Asia. The conflicts occurred near the Line of
Control, Kashmir. This will not only harm the peace and stability of the two countries but also the peace and
tranquillity of the region.
SC questioned the EC’s silence on a plea for a permanent ban

• The Supreme Court questioned the Election Commission’s silence on a plea for a permanent ban on
convicted lawmakers, in place of the prevalent six-year bar.
• A Bench led by Justice Ranjan Gogoi wondered why a constitutional authority should feel constrained to
present its views on the issue before the Supreme Court.
• The Bench compared the politician to a civil servant. A civil servant could be banished from service for life,
but a politician was allowed to make a comeback after serving his sentence and the subsequent six-year
ban period prescribed under the Representation of the People Act.
• Counsel for the Commission said it was not within its powers to legislate. That was in the Parliament’s
domain. “We are not competent authority,” he said.
SC stayed the Centre’s notification which banned cattle sale

• The Supreme Court stayed the Centre’s May 26 notification, banning cattle sale in livestock markets for
slaughter and religious sacrifices.
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• The order came after the government acquiesced that public outcry and objections from the States about
the law's impact on livelihoods made it realise that the rules need “tweaking”.
• Additional Solicitor- General said the government had received a “large number of representations” that
“certain aspects” of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules, 2017.
• And the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Maintenance of Case Property Animals) Act, 2017 were
“troubling” and threw up some “sensitive” questions about the Central rules.
Group of U.S. researchers working to map undulating pollution on Godavari

• The Ganga may be the focus of the government’s river-cleaning efforts, but a group of U.S. researchers is
working on a system to map undulating pollution trends in the Godavari, India’s second longest river.
• Using a mix of methods, including satellite-monitoring, traversing stretches of the river to collect water
samples and using special sensors to measure bacterial and chemical pollution, the researchers are trying
to develop a cost-effective forecast system.
• The team’s long-term objective is to be able to inform State officials and citizens of a probable spike in, say,
levels of dangerous microbes or effluents, similar to weather and air pollution forecasts.
• The project started eight months ago and has so far identified two “hotspots” of pollution, which Mr. Malani
declined to reveal, saying he would first inform the Andhra Pradesh government about them.
• The sampling exercise, being done along a portion of the 1,400-km river spanning Rajamahendravaram
(East Godavari district) and Kovvur, Narsapur and Palakol (all in West Godavari), measures parameters
such as total dissolved salts, nitrate, pH, temperature, turbidity and electrical conductivity.
• These are relayed to a website called Thoreau , a wireless sensing network maintained at the University of
Chicago to map parameters, for analysis.
• Some river attributes such as microbial levels require to be measured in laboratories, though the team
hopes eventually to be able to use low-cost sensors that measure them, too, in real time.
• The exercise is part of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation project to support the programme of the
Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) to provide city-wide sanitation improvements in urban Andhra
Pradesh.
Sixth mass extinction of life on Earth is unfolding more quickly than feared
• The sixth mass extinction of life on Earth is unfolding more quickly than feared, scientists have warned.
• More than 30% of animals with a backbone — fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals — are
declining in both range and population, according to the first comprehensive analysis of these trends.
• Around a decade ago, experts feared that a new planetary wipeout of species was looming.
• Today, most agree that it is under way — but the new study suggests that the die-out is already ratcheting
up a gear. It provides much-needed data about the threat to wildlife, mapping the dwindling ranges and
population of 27,600 species.
• For 177 mammals, researchers combed through data covering the period 1900 to 2015. The mammal
species that were monitored have lost at least a third of their original habitat, the researchers found.
• Forty per cent of them — including rhinos, orangutans, gorillas and many big cats — are surviving on 20%
or less of the land they once roamed. The loss of biodiversity has recently accelerated.
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• Globally, the mass die-off — deemed to be the sixth in the last half-billion years — is the worst since three-
quarters of life on the Earth, including the non-avian dinosaurs, were wiped out 66 million years ago by a
giant meteor impact.
• Tropical regions have seen the highest number of declining species. In South and Southeast Asia, large-
bodied species of mammals have lost more than four-fifths of their historical ranges.
• As many as half of the number of animals that once shared our planet are no longer here, a loss the authors
described as “a massive erosion of the greatest biological diversity in the history of Earth”.
• The main drivers of wildlife decline are habitat loss, overconsumption, pollution, invasive species, disease,
as well as poaching in the case of tigers, elephants, rhinos and other large animals prized for their body
parts.
Terrorists attack Amarnath yatri's

• Seven Amarnath pilgrims, including six women, were killed and 32 injured when terrorists opened fire at a
patrol vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway.
• The patrol vehicle came under fire at Anantnag’s Batengo area around 8.30 p.m. The attack took place after
quick response teams of the Army had withdrawn from the highway around sunset, making the vehicle
vulnerable.
• Six pilgrims were killed in the attack and later one died of injuries in hospital. Three of those injured were in
a critical state. The deceased pilgrims belonged to Gujarat and were returning after visiting the cave shrine.
• Bus was not registered with the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board and was travelling against the advisory not to
ply after sunset.
• The police had asked all vehicles carrying pilgrims to cross the Jawahar Tunnel in daylight and avoid
travelling in the Valley after sundown.
• Meanwhile, political parties have condemned the attack. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said it was an
attack on Kashmir’s culture and value system.
• The CRPF is one of the main security forces deployed along the 40-day annual yatra route.
Govt is probing the technical glitches in NSE

• India is investigating whether last week’s outage of Airtel network in Delhi, alleged data breach of users of
Reliance Jio Infocomm and the technical glitch at the NSE were part of a “possible cyberattack.”
• In 2016, security codes of around 32 lakh debit cards were breached and several users reported
unauthorised transactions from locations in China.
• Events like this have prompted the government to have a customised cyber security policy for each ministry
and department.
• On July 7, Airtel’s Radio Access Network went down for more than an hour in and around Delhi. Airtel said
there was a network outage in Delhi/NCR and “one of the network nodes had been corrupted.”
• A senior Home Ministry official said about two years ago various telecom giants had been sensitised about
the vulnerability of equipment and products imported from China. Both Airtel and Jio use Chinese
equipment.
SC lifted its stay on admissions to the prestigious IIT

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• Spelling relief to over 50,000 aspirants, the Supreme Court lifted its stay on admissions to the prestigious
Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) across the country.
• On July 7, the court had ordered a freeze on the process, taking prima facie exception to the grant of bonus
marks to all candidates who had appeared in the IIT JEE (Advanced) 2017 examination.
• These extra marks were given to compensate for wrong questions in two of the papers, irrespective of
whether a candidate had given answers to them or not.
• However, a Bench led by Justice Dipak Misra said the court was not inclined to interfere, while vacating the
stay order, which had affected students who were in the middle of counselling sessions.
• Asking the High Courts not to entertain petitions regarding this issue to “avoid any confusion” in future, the
court issued a warning to the IIT authorities that such “kinds of errors in printing and framing of questions
should not happen again”.
India's labour reforms hailed by G20

• Acknowledging the steps being taken by India for sustainable and inclusive growth as well as support to
global economy.
• The G20 has praised the initiatives in the country for promoting ease of doing business, start-up funding and
labour reforms.
• In the financial sector, India is popularising a number of derivative instruments in exchanges or electronic
trading platforms” as part of the measures to enhance resilience of its economy.
• It further said India is facilitating external commercial borrowings (ECBs) by start-ups to encourage
innovation and promote ease of doing business, as part of the efforts being taken by the G20 members this
year for maintaining momentum on structural reforms and sustainable growth.
Two drugs taken off the restrictive Schedule X of the Drugs and Comestics Rules
• Concerns regarding a build-up of resistance to antiviral drugs used to treat swine flu are surfacing, after two
such drugs — Oseltamivir and Zanamivir — were taken off the restrictive Schedule X of the Drugs and
Comestics Rules.
• Now under Schedule H1, the drugs can be stocked by all chemists.
• Central health authorities have also advised doctors to prescribe the drugs based on strong symptoms,
without opting for the swab test. Medical experts say these decisions could lead to misuse and eventually,
severe drug resistance.
• Oseltamivir and Zanamivir are antiviral drugs that block the actions of influenza virus types A and B in the
body. While Oseltamivir is available as tablets, Zanamivir comes in powder form.
• Drugs under Schedule X require three copies of prescription for the doctor, patient and chemist, and can be
sold by a chemist who holds a special Schedule X licence.
• Also, the chemist has to preserve the prescription copy for up to three years. In Schedule H1, only one copy
of the prescription is required, and drugs in this category can be sold by all chemists.
• Till date this year, India has recorded over 11,700 H1N1 cases and 561 deaths.
Army is ready for the long haul in holding onto its position in the Dokalam
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• The Army is ready for the long haul in holding onto its position in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-
junction, notwithstanding China ratcheting up rhetoric against India, demanding pulling back of its troops.
• The soldiers deployed in the disputed area have pitched tents, in an indication that they are unlikely to
retreat unless there was reciprocity from Chinese personnel in ending the face-off at an altitude of around
10,000 feet in the Sikkim section.
• A steady line of supplies is being maintained for the soldiers at the site, signalling that the Army is not going
to wilt under any pressure from China.
• At the same time, they sounded confident of finding a diplomatic solution to the dispute, citing resolution of
border skirmishes in the past through diplomacy.
• Though China has been aggressively asserting that it was not ready for any “compromise” and that the “ball
is in India’s court”, the view in the security establishment here is that there cannot be any unilateral
approach in defusing the tension.
• Both the countries had agreed to a mechanism in 2012 to resolve border flare-ups through consultations at
various levels.
• The mechanism has not worked so far in the current case as the standoff near the Bhutan trijunction,
triggered by China’s attempt to build a road in the strategically important area, has dragged on for over three
weeks.
• New Delhi has already conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of
status quo with “serious” security implications for India. The road link could give China a major military
advantage over India.
• Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as
part of its Donglang region.
• China and Bhutan are engaged in talks. India argues that since it is a tri-junction involving the three
countries, it also has a say in the issue.
Curcumin when administered in a nanoparticle has several favourable properties

• Curcumin, the basic ingredient of turmeric, when administered in a nanoparticle formulation has several
favourable properties in the treatment of tuberculosis in mice, researchers have found.
• Nanoparticle curcumin to be five times more bioavailable in mice, than regular curcumin, and was able to
drastically reduce liver toxicity induced by TB drug isoniazid.
• More importantly, treatment of TB with isoniazid along with 200 nanometre curcumin nanoparticles led to
“dramatically reduced” risk of disease reactivation and reinfection.
• Treatment with anti-tuberculosis drugs takes about six-nine months in the case of drug-sensitive TB and 12-
24 months for drug-resistant TB.
• Besides improper use, the long duration to complete treatment substantially increases the risk of TB
bacteria developing resistance.
• Because of the increased bioavailability of curcumin, the duration of treatment to achieve complete
eradication of the bacteria is reduced significantly.
• Quite often, patients stop taking anti-TB drugs for a few days due to liver toxicity. Since the addition of
curcumin reduces liver toxicity, there can be better treatment adherence and lesser risk of drug resistance
emerging.
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• Curcumin blocks the Kv1.3 potassium channel and prevents apoptosis, or cell death, of T cells that come up
with an immune response.
• As a result, the protective, long-lasting memory cells called the central memory T cells get enhanced.
• Mice, which were treated only with isoniazid, displayed increased susceptibility to re-infection since the drug
dampens the immune system.
• Mice treated with curcumin nanoparticles and isoniazid were able to clear the bacteria at an accelerated rate
in both the lungs and spleen.
Ahmedabad has been declared India’s first World Heritage City

• The Walled City of Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in the 15th century, has been declared
India’s first World Heritage City.
• The World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO made the announcement late on Saturday night
following a meeting in Poland’s Krakwo.
• The 5.5 km walled city area with an approximate population of four lakh, living in century-old wooden
residences in around 600 pol s or neighbourhoods, is regarded as a living heritage. The UNESCO had
preferred Ahmedabad over Delhi and Mumbai.
• It has now joined the privileged club of heritage cities like Paris, Cairo, Edinburgh and two cities in the
subcontinent, Bhaktpur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka.
• According to Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner Mukesh Kumar, there are 2,600 heritage sites and over
two dozen ASI protected monuments and sites in the walled city. The city had figured in UNESCO’s
tentative list in 2011.
• The civic body and the State authorities expect a huge boost to tourism after the UNESCO’s declaration.
Centre begun first ever assessment of Chinese FDI in India’s neighbouring countries
• In the backdrop of the tense border stand-off in Sikkim with China, the Centre has begun its first ever in-
depth assessment of Chinese investments in India’s neighbouring countries.
• The exercise — being conducted mainly from India’s national security perspective — has been initiated by
the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Adviser.
• Informal discussions have already been held with the concerned Ministries, including the Commerce and
Industry Ministry — the nodal body for foreign trade and foreign investment.
• Given the increasing influence of China in the Indian sub-continent and South Asia, the study will be
dynamic and is, among other things, expected to look into various trends, tracking a surge, if any, in
Chinese FDI in the region.
• For instance, Pakistan government data shows that FDI from China jumped from $256.8 million in 2014-15
to $878.8 million in 2016-17 (July-May). Pakistan’s financial year follows a July to June calendar.
• The study will also analyse the impact of these Chinese investments — including those being made as part
of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — on India’s national security.
• India’s reservations regarding the BRI/OBOR include strategic concerns on the BRI’s flagship project, the
$50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as it is expected to cover regions including Pakistan-
occupied Kashmir (PoK).
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• In addition to assessing the nature and impact of Chinese FDI in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the study will track Chinese investments in Afghanistan and Maldives too.
• However, the major challenge in the study will be the lack of detailed, country-wise data on overall FDI
(year-wise) and Chinese FDI, in particular.
• The CPEC/OBOR projects can also better link Pakistan with the Central Asian Republics (CAR) and help
the country establish a footprint in those markets, Prof. Dhar said.
PM urged British PM to ensure the U.K.’s cooperation for economic offenders

• Prime Minister urged his British counterpart Theresa May to ensure the U.K.’s cooperation to bring back
economic offenders, as India works hard for the return of liquor baron Vijay Mallya and former IPL chief Lalit
Modi.
• Mallya has been in the U.K. for months, escaping arrest warrants. A London court is hearing a case on his
extradition.
• Mr. Modi met Ms. May at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. Both leaders also
discussed the whole range of bilateral ties.
• Asked whether the request was limited to Mallya or it covered Lalit Modi, Mr. Baglay told reporters: “I don’t
want to get into the specifics but the phrase used in the tweet is ‘escaped economic offenders’ and it is
plural.”
A citizens group is demanding a central law for restricting the number of children
• A citizens group, Taxpayers Association of Bharat (TAXAB) endorsed by personalities such as agricultural
scientist M.S. Swaminathan, is demanding a central law for restricting the number of children a couple can
have.
• The TAXAB, headed by agriculturist and social worker Manu Gaur will launch a petition on July 10 asking
for the same from the government.
• “We occupy 2.5% of the land mass and have over 17% of the world’s population, how is that not an issue
that needs to be addressed on an urgent basis,” said Mr. Gaur.
• Several State governments, most recently Assam, have linked access to government jobs, facilities and
even eligibility to contest local body polls to following the two-child norm.
Aerosols and particulate matter's polluting air to dangerous levels

• It is now a part of record that several cities in India are among the most polluted in the world. The villain, in
most cases, is aerosols and particulate matter.
• It is a catch-all term for particles of a certain size that are suspended in the lower reaches of the
atmosphere.
• Aerosols emerge from a range of sources including dust, half-burnt carbon particles from vehicle exhaust
and crop residues. Natural sources of aerosol include fog and haze.
• Studies, most of them in Europe, have drawn a link between particulate matter-levels and increased
incidence of cardiovascular disease and respiratory problems.
• Now, it turns out, aerosols may be a grave threat to the Indian monsoon and maybe a bigger
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• There’s an ongoing debate on the relative role of greenhouse gases, such as water vapour and carbon
dioxide, and aerosols in their influence over the South Asian monsoon.
• The relative role of these climate-meddlers has consequences for India’s plans to mitigate the effects of
climate change. Measures to reduce aerosol emissions without curbing greenhouse gas emissions could
mean a hotter land mass and more instances of untimely, extreme rainfall events.
• The aerosol-greenhouse gas relationship in exacerbating climate change is an old area of research but
teasing out the relative contribution of each is challenging and influences the costs countries must incur to
address them.
• India has generally maintained that man-made carbon dioxide pollution is largely due to the years of
pollution by the developed West.
• However, such an argument might weaken if aerosols were brought into the picture because this is a largely
South Asian concern.
• Were carbon dioxide and aerosol interactions proven to be strongly linked, India could be under pressure to
adopt more stringent climate-proofing policies
International Issues
Myanmar military intensifies operations
• Myanmar security forces intensified operations against Rohingya insurgents on Monday, police and other
sources said, following three days of clashes with militants in the worst violence involving Myanmar’s
Muslim minority in five years.
• The fighting — triggered by coordinated attacks on Friday by insurgents wielding sticks, knives and crude
bombs on 30 police posts and an Army base — has killed 104 people and led to the flight of large numbers
of
• Muslim Rohingya and Buddhist civilians from the northern part of Rakhine State.
• A Buthidaung-based reporter, citing police sources directly involved in events, said three police posts in
northern Buthidaung had been surrounded by Rohingya insurgents.
• Joint military operations In neighbouring Bangladesh, border guards tried to push back refugees stranded in
no man’s land near the village of Gumdhum.
• Islamist group An Islamist group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Myanmar has declared
a terrorist organisation, has claimed responsibility. It was also behind the violence in October.
United States proxy war in Africa goes through Germany

• While the world is focussing on Donald Trump’s foreign policy plans in Afghanistan and West Asia, the U.S.
is continuing, without much media scrutiny, its proxy wars in Africa.
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• Recently, it became evident that the U.S. military’s newest ally in the region could be the genocidal regime
of Omar al-Bashir in Sudan. This is not surprising. In fact, the U.S. has already allied with dozens of
dictatorial regimes and militias on the African continent.
• All of them are part of the ongoing shadow war in the region, including regular air strikes by drones or
conventional jets, and secret operations of commando units on the ground.
• The heart of U.S. secret wars in Africa lies in Stuttgart, Germany, where AFRICOM (the United States Africa
Command) has been based since 2007.
• The Kelley Barracks in Stuttgart-Moehringen is known as AFRICOM’s command centre with 1,500
personnel, including military and U.S. federal civilian employees.
• In October 2016, it was reported that AFRICOM was expanding its drone warfare in Africa when military
personnel and unmanned aerial vehicles were transferred to a base in Tunisia.
• In 2016, U.S. drones carried out 14 strikes in Somalia, killing up to 292 people, including five civilians. Libya,
another war-torn African country, was bombed by the U.S. 496 times last year.
• The U.S. has drone bases in Niger and Djibouti as well, while the American shadow wars are being fought
in almost 50 African nations.
• Most of these operations are planned in and coordinated from Stuttgart, but not many locals seem to be
aware of it.
US believes India’s presence in Afghanistan doesn’t pose any threat to Pakistan

• India’s economic activities in Afghanistan pose “no direct threat” to Pakistan, and Islamabad needs to
change some of its “unhelpful behaviour” by cooperating with the U.S. in achieving counter-terrorism goals
in the region said U.S.
• U.S. President Donald Trump has sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in Afghanistan as he
ruled out a hasty withdrawal of troops while announcing his Afghanistan and South Asia policy.
• Mr. Trump had said that a critical part of his South Asia policy was to further develop America’s strategic
partnership with India. He also sternly warned Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists.
• “While we welcome India’s role in Afghanistan, it has a lot of goodwill, they are doing developmental
projects. They have given $3 billion in aid and U.S. appreciates that and wants that to continue.”
• “I am not going to discuss the steps and measures that the U.S. is considering pursuing with Pakistan,” the
official said when asked about the critical statements coming out of Pakistan after Mr. Trump announced his
South Asia strategy.
U.S. Says it will carry out strikes against terrorist anywhere in the world
• The U.S. may carry out strikes in Pakistan as part of its new regional strategy for stabilising Afghanistan, its
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, a day after President Donald Trump announced a change in
America’s approach to Pakistan.
• The aid being provided to Pakistan, and its status as a non-NATO ally are on the review table as
Washington begins to reset its ties with Islamabad.
• During the last year of the previous Barack Obama presidency, a U.S drone strike inside Pakistan had killed
Taliban leader Mullah Mansour.
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• Mr. Tillerson said that India is “emerging as a very important regional strategic partner” and that the U.S. will
seek its help in efforts to change Pakistan’s behaviour. “The U.S. alone is not going to change this dynamic
with Pakistan.
• India and Pakistan, they have their own issues that they have to continue to work through, but I think there
are areas where perhaps even India can take some steps of rapprochement on issues with Pakistan to
improve the stability within Pakistan.
• He reiterated the point that the new strategy is to bear enough pressure on the Taliban to come to
negotiating table and on Pakistan to change its behaviour.
• Pakistan can play an important role in “delivering the Taliban to the negotiating table”, he said. U.S. help for
Pakistan will be conditional on Pakistan’s change in behaviour, he said.
U.S. linked a proposal for India playing a bigger role in Afghanistan

• President Donald Trump, who announced his new Afghan strategy, linked a proposal for India playing a
bigger role in the war-torn country to its trade surplus with the United States.
• “We appreciate India’s important contributions to stability in Afghanistan, but India makes billions of dollars
in trade with the United States, and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of
economic assistance and development,” he said.
• By inviting India to be a partner in Afghanistan, Mr. Trump has entirely overruled Pakistan’s position that
India’s involvement to its west is part of the problem.
• The President, who repeatedly took potshots at his predecessor, Barack Obama, without naming him,
however, appeared to follow the previous administration’s understanding of South Asia as a nuclear flash
point.
• Defense Secretary James Mattis had recently said America was “not winning” in Afghanistan.
• The President said America will fight the war to victory and defined victory in terms similar to his
predecessors — to prevent a terrorist attack originating from the region, and to politically stabilise
Afghanistan.
• The new strategy in Afghanistan, which seeks troops increase in the country, is an effort to reverse the
gains made by the Taliban in the last year or so.
• Once the Afghan government regains the upper hand, the U.S. will seek a political settlement, the President
said.
• Secretary of State Rex Tillerson explained the new U.S policy as an effort to force the Taliban to
negotiation.
U.S. to announce their new strategy for Afghanistan

• President Donald Trump will announce his new strategy for Afghanistan — which his administration now
calls a South Asia strategy — on Monday night during an address to the nation, the White House has
announced.
• Mr. Trump will “provide an update on the path forward for America’s engagement in Afghanistan and South
Asia,” a statement from the White House said.
• “The process was rigorous... I’m very comfortable that the strategic process was sufficiently rigorous and did
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not go in with a pre-set condition in terms of what questions could be asked or what decisions would be
made,” he said.
• The President had, during his election campaign, spoken against American involvements in long-drawn
foreign battles, but Afghanistan poses a security threat to homeland.
• National security is another of his critical political planks, and his new Afghan strategy will have to balance
his desire to disengage from conflicts with the need to secure America against another terrorist strike. Assad
says there will be no agreement with rebels
• Countries that want to reopen embassies in Damascus or resume ties with the Syrian government must end
their support for Syria’s rebels, President Bashar al-Assad said.
• “We are not isolated like they think, it’s their arrogance that pushes them to think in this manner,” Mr. Assad
said in a speech to members of Syria’s diplomatic corps broadcast on state television.
• “There will be neither security cooperation, nor the opening of embassies, nor a role for certain states that
say they want to find a way out [of Syria’s war], unless they explicitly cut their ties with terrorism.”
• Syria’s government refers to all those who oppose it as “terrorists”. The United States and most European
countries had shut their embassies in Damascus after the government’s bloody crackdown on protests that
erupted in the year of 2011.
Venezuela praises India's stand on the ongoing disturbances

• The world would be a safer place if the U.S. emulates India’s policy of non-interference in the affairs of other
countries, says Venezuelan Ambassador to India Augusto Montiel.
• Mr. Montiel observed that India had maintained an independent position on the ongoing disturbances in
Venezuela and has avoided pressure from the U.S.
• In June, when the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. threatened to leave the U.N. Human Rights Council if it did
not sanction Venezuela, India was one of the 57 countries that cosigned a statement of support for
Venezuela.”
• Venezuela has been facing unrest since March when the government of president Nicolas Maduro faced
protests from the Opposition following his attempts at constitutional reforms.
• The subsequent crisis has seen clashes almost every day. On August 17, clashes between government
guards and convicts in a prison claimed 37 lives and drew strong comments from various members of the
U.N.
• However, India has maintained a cautious position on the issue and is yet to criticise either of the parties in
the crisis. The envoy said the Non-Aligned Movement, of which Venezuela is the current chair, have been
supportive of the government of Mr. Maduro.
• The previous NAM summit was hosted last year in Venezuela where the Indian delegation was led by the
then Vice-President, Hamid Ansari. He said the support of NAM will be visible in the U.N. session in
September-October.
• Venezuela has been one of the main energy suppliers to India from the western hemisphere and there are
obvious concerns that instability in the country could affect India’s energy needs.
British government wants to remain part of the European Union customs union
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• The British government wants to remain part of the European Union customs union for a number of years,
as part of transition arrangements, while still being able to negotiate trade deals with countries such as
India.
• A government paper published on Tuesday set out its ambitions around future relations with the customs
union — the EU’s tariff-free trading area — one of the trickiest issues in negotiations over Britain’s exit from
the EU.
• The report also outlines Britain’s ambitions for an interim arrangement: a time-limited customs based on
shared external tariffs and without customs processes and duties between Britain and the EU.
• It will also push for Britain to be able to begin negotiations with new trade partners, something that members
of the customs union are not able to do.The proposals were welcomed by business, albeit with caution.
• The European Commission also made clear that its focus remained on settling outstanding issues on Brexit,
before it could begin to discuss future relations.
China will halt iron, iron ore and seafood imports from North Korea
• China will halt iron, iron ore and seafood imports from North Korea, following through on new UN sanctions
after U.S. pressure for Beijing to strong arm Pyongyang over its ally’s nuclear programme.
• The decision was announced after days of increasingly bellicose rhetoric between U.S. President Donald
Trump and Kim Jong-un’s regime, which has raised international alarm about where the crisis is headed.
• Beijing had pledged to fully enforce the latest sanctions after the United States accused China of not doing
enough to rein in its neighbour, which relies heavily on the Asian giant for its economic survival.
• The United Nations Security Council, including permanent member Beijing, approved tough sanctions
against Pyongyang on August 6 that could cost the country $1 billion a year.
• China, which is suspected of failing to enforce past UN measures, accounts for 90% of North Korea’s trade.
• Among the latest banned products, China imported $74.4 million worth of iron ore in the first five months of
this year, almost equalling the figure for all of 2016.\
• Fish and seafood imports totalled $46.7 million in June, up from $13.6 million in May.
Israel is building another wall to protect itself

• Israel is building another wall to protect itself from its enemies. But rather than a major eyesore, much of this
one will be invisible.
• In the coming months the army will be accelerating construction of a subterranean barrier around the Gaza
Strip, designed to cut off tunnels running beneath the border into Israel.
• Challenged by hostile forces on most of its fronts, Israel is already pretty much walled in. Aboveground
fences and sections of concrete wall run along and through parts of the West Bank, a legacy of Palestinian
suicide bombings during the second intifada .
• Formidable steel fences also stretch along the northern frontiers with Lebanon and Syria, the southern
borders with Jordan and the Egyptian Sinai, and around Gaza, the isolated Palestinian coastal enclave
controlled for the last decade by Hamas, the Islamic militant group.
• The cost is expected to be about 4 billion shekels (more than $1 billion), according to Israeli news reports,
which suggest it will plunge to a depth of about 130 feet.
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• In the meantime, the Israeli military is working to ensure that the project does not prompt the next war.
• Israel’s technologically advanced army invested heavily to combat Hamas’ lower-tech weapons. Israel
developed the Iron Dome air defence system to knock out the crude rockets Hamas and other militant
groups fired at its cities.
• Faced with the precision of Iron Dome, Hamas went underground and focused on building tunnels.
Cholera is breeding in Yemen

• Collapsing on sidewalks and constantly vomiting, some of the Yemeni villagers barely make it to the health
centre where doctors spread carton sheets in the backyard and use trees to hang bags of IV fluids for
patients.
• They are part of a stream of hundreds of suspected cholera victims that continues to converge on the centre
from the impoverished town of Bani Haydan in Yemen’s northern Hajja province. Just hours after being
infected, vomiting and diarrhoea cause severe dehydration that can kill without rapid intervention.
• Yemen’s raging two-year conflict has turned the country into an incubator for lethal cholera. Primitive
sanitation and water systems put Yemenis at risk of drinking faeces-contaminated water; wells are dirtied by
run-off from rainfall on piles of garbage; farmland is irrigated with broken sewers due to lax oversight and
corruption; medical intervention is delayed due to unpaid government employees and half of the country’s
health facilities are out of service.
• The cholera outbreak in Haiti has killed more than 9,000 people since 2010, but Yemen has seen the largest
outbreak of the disease ever recorded in any country in a single year.
President Trump followed up his incendiary warning to North Korea

• President Donald Trump followed up his incendiary warning to North Korea against threatening the U.S. with
a boast about the strength of the American nuclear arsenal, although he expressed hope it would not need
to be used.
• Mr. Trump's Twitter messages about the nuclear arsenal came after North Korea said it was considering
plans for a missile strike on the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam.
• That in turn followed Mr. Trump's comments on Tuesday that any North Korean threat to the U.S. would be
met with “fire and fury.”
• The sharp increase in tensions between a country that has one of the world’s largest nuclear arsenals and
an aspiring nuclear power rattled financial markets and prompted U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to try
to play down the rhetoric.
• North Korea said it was “carefully examining” a plan to strike Guam, which is home to about 163,000 people
and a U.S. military base that includes a submarine squadron, an airbase and a Coast Guard group.
• The plan would be put into practice at any moment, once Mr. Kim made a decision, a Korean People's Army
spokesman said in a statement carried by state-run KCNA news agency.
• Washington has warned it is ready to use force if needed to stop North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear
programmes but that it prefers global diplomatic action, including sanctions.
• The UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea.
• China, North Korea’s closest ally despite Beijing’s anger at Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear programmes,
described the situation as “complex and sensitive,” and urged calm and a return to talks.
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• North Korea has made no secret of its plans to develop a nuclear-tipped missile able to strike the U.S. and
has ignored all calls to halt its weapons programmes.
• Pyongyang says its intercontinental ballistic missiles are a legitimate means of defence against perceived
U.S. hostility, including joint military drills with South Korea.
• South Korea and the U.S. remain technically still at war with North Korea after the 1950-53 Korean conflict
ended with a truce, not a peace treaty.
Average temp. in U.S. has risen rapidly since 1980

• The average temperature in the United States has risen rapidly and drastically since 1980, and recent
decades have been the warmest of the past 1,500 years, according to a sweeping federal climate change
report awaiting approval.
• The draft report by scientists from 13 federal agencies, which has not yet been made public, concludes that
Americans are feeling the effects of climate change right now.
• It directly contradicts claims by President Donald Trump and members of his Cabinet who say that the
human contribution to climate change is uncertain, and that the ability to predict the effects is limited.
• The authors note that thousands of studies, conducted by tens of thousands of scientists, have documented
climate changes on land and in the air.
• The report was completed this year and is a special science section of the National Climate Assessment,
which is congressionally mandated every four years.
• The report concludes that even if humans immediately stopped emitting greenhouse gases into the
atmosphere, the world would still feel at least an additional 0.30 degrees Celsius of warming over this
century compared with today.
• The projected actual rise, scientists say, will be as much as 2 degrees Celsius.
• A small difference in global temperatures can make a big difference in the climate: the difference between a
rise in global temperatures of 1.5 degrees Celsius and one of 2 degrees Celsius, for example, could mean
longer heat waves, more intense rainstorms and the faster disintegration of coral reefs.
British Indian’s have good economic status among ethnic minority group’s
• Britain’s Indian community by and large has avoided the “worryingly large” income gap experienced by other
ethnic minority groups in the country that continues to persist despite recent gains, a report published on
Monday suggests.
• The report by the Resolution Foundation, which examined typical household incomes by ethnicity, found
“significant differences”, with white communities (either British or from beyond) earning over 30% more than
other ethnic groups.
• However, within Britain’s black and minority ethnic (BME) communities, Indians are the best paid, followed
by Britain’s Chinese community, according to data collected over the last three years.
• While the median household income of white Britons remained between £27,000-£25,600, the median for
the Indian community stood at around £25,300.
• While the gap had begun to narrow within the Bangladeshi and Pakistani communities, the report notes that
it remains “worryingly large”. The report warns that with some £14 billion of imminent welfare cuts, the
situation is likely to worsen for some communities.
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• The report also notes sharp differences between patterns of home ownership and employment rates.
• Among the influencing factors were employment rates, including for women. While the rate of employment
of Indian-origin women is lower (around 60%) than the rate among the wider white population, it remains
well above levels of other minority groups.
• Employment rates for men of Indian origin also remain high at around 80%. Of all the ethnic groups, ,
including white communities, Britain’s Indian community is also least likely to live in social housing.
• The latest figures will add to concerns in the country around the fairness of pay, and income inequality. The
government estimates that people in ethnic minority households are almost twice as likely to live in poverty
as white people.
Al-Shabab extremist group commander killed in Somalia

• The U.S. military confirmed it killed a high-level commander of the al-Shabab extremist group with an air
strike in Somalia over the weekend, targeting a man blamed for planning deadly attacks in the capital of the
Horn of Africa nation.
• A U.S. Africa Command statement said the strike on July 30 killed Ali Mohamed Hussein, also known as Ali
Jabal. He is the highest-level al-Shabab commander killed this year.
U.S. President has signed into law new sanctions against Russia
• U.S. President Donald Trump has signed into law new sanctions against Russia that were passed
overwhelmingly by Congress and that run counter to his desire to improve relations with Moscow.
• Given the delay since Congress approved the legislation, there had been speculation that he might be
resisting signing a Bill that has already provoked countermeasures by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Congress approved the sanctions to punish the Russian government over interference in the 2016
presidential election, annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea and other perceived violations of international norms.
• Mr. Trump, who has long said he would like better relations with Russia, grudgingly accepted the sanctions,
which also include Iran and North Korea.
China will fiercely protect its sovereignty against any organisation says Xi
• China will fiercely protect its sovereignty against “any people, organisation or political party”, President Xi
Jinping warned, as the country celebrated the 90th anniversary of its military.
• The message comes as the ruling CCP faces political resistance in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, where
many locals fear Beijing is tightening its grip, and in self-ruled Taiwan, which China views as a rebel
province awaiting reunification.
• The Asian giant is also mired in several bitter border disputes with its neighbours, including an ongoing
stand-off with India over territory on China’s border with Bhutan.
• Beijing has of late begun to indulge in more frequent, pointed demonstrations of its power. It held a rare
military parade in Inner Mongolia in which Mr. Xi stressed the need to build a world-class Army loyal to the
CCP, and capable of “defeating all invading enemies”.
• In Hong Kong in June, Mr. Xi helmed the largest military parade there in decades to mark the 20th
anniversary of the former British colony’s handover to China.
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• The country in December also sailed its first aircraft carrier near Taiwan, where the ruling political party has
angered Beijing by refusing to acknowledge that both sides are part of “one China”.
• Since coming to power in 2012, Mr. Xi has trumpeted the need to build a stronger combat-ready military,
while leading efforts to centralise the Communist Party's control over it.
• Maintaining control is key for Mr. Xi ahead of a crucial party congress later this year, at which he is expected
to further consolidate his grip on power.
US and Russia’s relationship turns from bad to worst despite President Trump
• A little more than a year after the alleged Russian effort to interfere in the U.S. presidential election came to
light, the diplomatic fallout — an unravelling of the relationship between Moscow and Washington on a scale
not seen in decades — is taking its toll.
• President Vladimir Putin bet that Donald Trump, who had spoken fondly of Russia and its authoritarian
leader for years, would treat his nation as Mr. Putin has longed to have it treated by the West.
• That is, as the superpower it once was, or at least a major force to be reckoned with, from Syria to Europe,
and boasting a military revived after two decades of neglect.
• That bet has backfired, spectacularly. If the sanctions overwhelmingly passed by Congress last week sent
any message to Moscow, it was that Mr. Trump’s hands are now tied in dealing with Moscow, probably for
years to come.
• Congress is not ready to forgive the annexation of Crimea, nor allow extensive reinvestment in Russian
energy.
• The new sanctions were passed by a coalition of Democrats who blame Mr. Putin for contributing to Hillary
Clinton’s defeat and Republicans fearful that their President misunderstands who he is dealing with in
Moscow.
• But it is unclear how much the announcement will affect day-to-day relations. While the Russian media said
755 diplomats would be barred from working, and presumably expelled, there do not appear to be anything
close to 755 U.S. diplomats working in Russia.
• That figure almost certainly includes Russian nationals working at the embassy, usually in nonsensitive jobs.
US senate passed a stiff financial sanctions against Russia

• The U.S. Senate is sending a package of stiff financial sanctions against Russia to President Donald Trump
to sign after the Bill received overwhelming support in Congress.
• Moscow has already responded, ordering a reduction in the number of U.S. diplomats in Russia and closing
the U.S. embassy’s recreation retreat.
• Mr. Trump’s likelihood of supporting the measure is a remarkable concession that the President has yet to
sell his party on his hopes for forging a warmer relationship with Moscow.
• Mr. Trump’s vow to extend a hand of cooperation to Russian President Vladimir Putin has been met with
resistance as sceptical lawmakers look to limit the executive power’s leeway to go easy on Moscow over its
alleged meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
• The Senate passed the Bill, 98-2, two days after the House pushed the measure through by an
overwhelming margin, 419-3. Both are veto proof numbers as the White House has wavered on whether the
President would sign the measure into law.
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• Never in doubt, however, was a cornerstone of the legislation that bars Mr. Trump from easing or waiving
the additional penalties on Russia unless Congress agrees. The provisions were included to assuage
concerns among U.S. lawmakers that the President’s push for better relations with Moscow might lead him
to relax the penalties without first securing concessions from the Kremlin.
• The legislation is aimed at punishing Moscow for interfering in the 2016 presidential election and for its
military aggression in Ukraine and Syria, where the Kremlin has backed President Bashar al-Assad.
• It also imposes financial sanctions against Iran and North Korea.Sen. John McCain said the Bill’s passage
was long overdue, a jab at Mr. Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress.
• Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it had ordered the U.S. Embassy in Russia to reduce the number of its
diplomats by September 1. Russia will also close down the embassy’s recreational retreat on the outskirts of
Moscow as well as warehouse facilities.
• Meanwhile, some European countries expressed concerns that the measures targeting Russia’s energy
sector would harm its businesses involved in piping Russian natural gas.
• Germany’s foreign minister said his country wouldn’t accept the U.S. sanctions against Russia being applied
to European companies.
Sri Lanka will proceed with the billion-dollar sale of a deep sea port to China
• Sri Lanka will proceed with the billion-dollar sale of a deep sea port to China despite protests in an effort to
slash its foreign debt, Prime Minister said.
• The Hambantota port straddles the world’s busiest east-west shipping route and several countries, including
neighbouring India, had raised concerns China could use it for its own military needs.
• The port, built in 2010 with a massive loan from China and named after former President
MahindaRajapaksa, has failed to generate enough business to even pay staff salaries.
• Port workers had called for a strike on Friday to protest the deal, but cancelled it after the government used
tough laws to outlaw industrial action.
• Mr. Wickremesinghe said the government would sign off Saturday on the $1.12 billion deal with China
Merchants Port Holdings to jointly manage the facility. Cash from the firm’s majority stake will be used to
repay part of the island nation’s huge foreign debt.
• An Opposition faction loyal to Mr. Rajapaksa scuttled a parliamentary debate on the sale, calling it a move
to privatise the country’s assets.
Ramon Magsaysay award

• A Japanese historian who helped Cambodians preserve the Angkor temples and a Sri Lankan teacher who
counselled war widows and orphans to overcome their nightmares are among the six winners of this year’s
• Ramon Magsaysay Awards, regarded as Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.
• The other recipients are an Indonesian working for the return of large tracts of forest land to indigenous
communities, a Singaporean who leads the cooking of 6,000 meals a day for the destitute, a Philippine
theatre group which stood up to a dictatorship and a Filipino who oversaw the opening of job-generating
export processing zones.
• The awards, named after a Philippine president who died in a 1957 plane crash, are to be presented in
Manila.
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• The winners were unafraid to take on large causes and “refused to give up, despite meagre resources,
daunting adversity and strong opposition.
• YoshiakiIshizawa, a 79-year-old scholar of Southeast Asian history who has served as president of Japan’s
Sophia University, devoted 50 years of his life to help preserve Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple.
• Conservation work at Angkor Wat was suspended for years under the Khmer Rouge. When the group fell
from power in 1979, violence had decimated the pool of Cambodian conservationists.
• Gethsie Shanmugam, 82, a teacher and psychological counsellor from Sri Lanka’s Tamil community, won
for braving bombings and threats of arrests in conflict zones to counsel war widows, orphans and children
traumatised by three decades of brutal civil war in her country.
• AbdonNababan from Indonesia’s Sumatra Island was cited for leading an effort to return state-controlled
forest land to indigenous communities.
• Singaporean businessman Tony Tay, who was abandoned by his father as a child and brought by his
homeless mother to an orphanage, won the award for organising volunteers starting in 1983 to cook and
distribute thousands of free meal packs every day to feed the elderly, migrant workers and low-income
families.
• The private Philippine Educational Theatre Association was founded in 1967 with an initial aim of creating a
national theatre but served as an artistic platform for protest when dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared
martial law. Its advocacies through the arts have since expanded to gender issues and disaster
preparedness.
Its Amazon founder the world’s richest person

• Amazon founder Jeff Bezos became the world’s richest person, as a jump in the share price of the U.S. tech
giant enabled him to overtake Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Forbes magazine estimated.
• The magazine said its real-time tracking of personal fortunes showed Mr. Bezos with a net worth of $90.5
billion, ahead of the $90 billion for Mr. Gates.
“What Happened”
• Hillary Clinton is calling her new book What Happened and promises unprecedented candour as she
remembers her stunning defeat last year to U.S. President Donald Trump.
• Simon &Schuster said that Ms. Clinton’s book will be a highly personal work that also is a “cautionary tale”
about Russian interference in last year’s election and its threat to democracy.
• In public remarks since last fall, the Democrat has cited Russia as a factor in her defeat to her Republican
opponent, along with a letter sent by then-FBI Director James Comey less than two weeks before the
election.
• Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of
becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism,
exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent
who broke all the rule.
• What Happened is scheduled to come out September 12. Ms. Clinton’s previous works include the 2003
memoir Living History , published while she was a U.S. senator from New York, and a book about her years
as secretary of state, Hard Choices , which came out in 2014 as she prepared to launch her
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• She also wrote It Takes a Village And Other Lessons Children Teach Us when she was U.S. First Lady.
• Ms. Clinton’s upcoming memoir isn’t the first political book to be called What Happened. Scott McClellan, a
former White House press secretary during the George W. Bush administration, released a book with the
same title in 2008. Mr. McClellan’s memoir was an unexpectedly critical take on his former boss that
became a bestseller.
Tensions between U.S and China

• The U.S. Pacific Fleet commander he would launch a nuclear strike against China next week if President
Donald Trump ordered it, and warned against the military ever shifting its allegiance from its commander in
chief.
• Adm. Scott Swift was responding to a hypothetical question at an Australian National University security
conference following a major joint U.S.-Australian military exercise off the Australian coast. The drills were
monitored by a Chinese intelligence-gathering ship off northeast Australia.
• Every member of the U.S. military has sworn an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against
all enemies foreign and domestic and to obey the officers and the President of the United States as
commander and chief appointed over us.
• The biennial Talisman Saber exercise involved 36 warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Ronald
Reagan , 220 aircraft and 33,000 military personnel. It was monitored by a Chinese People’s Liberation
Army-Navy
• Type 815 Dongdiao-class auxiliary general intelligence vessel from within Australia’s 200-mile exclusive
economic zone.
European Union and US target each other over Russian sanctions

• The European Union hit out at the United States after an overwhelming vote by the House of
Representatives to impose new sanctions on Russia left President Donald Trump facing a tough call.
• The package, which targets Russia, Iran and North Korea, “tightens the screws on our most dangerous
adversaries in order to keep Americans safe,” House Speaker Paul Ryan said after it passed on Tuesday by
419 votes to three.
• It now heads to the Senate before Mr. Trump faces the tricky choice of whether to veto the Bill, opposed by
the White House and considerably constrains his ability to lift the penalties.
• While Moscow and Tehran raised the prospect of retaliation over any fresh punitive measures, the EU also
warned it was “ready to act to protect European interests” if the legislation hit dealings with the Russian
energy sector.
• The U.S. Bill was the result of a congressional compromise aimed at punishing the Kremlin for allegedly
interfering in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and intervening in Ukraine.
• Key among the provisions is one that handcuffs Mr. Trump by complicating any unilateral efforts to ease
sanctions against Moscow in future.
• Despite initially opposing the Bill, Mr. Trump appears to have few options in the face of near-total consensus
in Congress, with a decision likely due by mid-August.
• But even if Mr. Trump were to veto the legislation, Congress would likely be able to overcome such a
blockage with a two-thirds majority in each chamber.
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• Moscow responded angrily, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov insisting Washington had been
warned “dozens of times” that any new sanctions would “not go unanswered.”
• “The authors and sponsors of this Bill are taking a very serious step towards destroying the possibilities for
normalising relations with Russia,” he told.
Hambantota port deal revised

• Sri Lanka’s Cabinet cleared a revised deal for the Chinese-built port in Hambantota, the government said.
The modified agreement, the government added, was more profitable to Sri Lanka and also addressed
security concerns raised by other countries.
• Srilankan Cabinet gave final approval to sell 70% stake in the southern port to the state-run China
Merchants Port Holdings for $1.12 billion.
• Some [diplomatic] missions here were worried that the port would be used as a military naval base. As per
the revised agreement Sri Lanka will manage the port security.
• While the Chinese would manage port operations, no naval ship, including Chinese ones, can call at
Hambantota without Srilanka permission.
• India’s apprehensions about the apparently growing Chinese presence in the island nation are well known,
given the two countries’ competing strategic interests here. The Hambantota port is part of China’s Belt and
Road Initiative.
• Beijing’s stake in the port and its plan to acquire 15,000 acres of adjoining land to help Colombo set up an
industrial zone have strengthened the fears of those wary of China’s growth in the region.
• The Hambantota port was built with Chinese loans in 2010 during Mr. Rajapaksa’s term. Deeming the
project a “white elephant”, the MaithripalaSirisena-RanilWickremesinghe government decided in late 2016 to
sell 80% stake in the port to the Chinese company in order to tackle the $8 billion debt Sri Lanka owes
China. Under the agreement, Colombo will receive $1.12 billion for a 99-year lease.
Iran’s tech sector blooms under shield of sanctions

• The names may be unfamiliar but the services are immediately recognisable: Snapp is Iran’s answer to
Uber, Digikala is its Amazon, and Pintapin its Booking.com.
• U.S. sanctions have protected the Islamic republic’s tech sector, barring Silicon Valley from profiting from
one of the world’s most promising emerging markets, and giving a free run to domestic start-ups to recreate
their services.
• Even some Californian mumbo-jumbo has been imported: one booth at the Elecomp tech fair in Tehran this
week claimed it was “Creating Artificial Mindfulness”.
• But don’t dare call them copycats transplanting a foreign business model to Iran is never straightforward.
• Pintapin’s staff are not just building a website, they are transforming Iran’s entire hotel industry. “Up until
very recently, a lot of travel arrangements were done completely offline through phone calls and faxes and
traditional models that really belong in the last century.
• Half the company’s time is spent convincing hotels to give up pen-and-paper reservations and start
automating their business.
• Some Iranians have found ways to profit from sanctions: one company at Elecomp buys Amazon products
from the U.S. and ships them to Iranians for a small surcharge.
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• But isolation has been a very mixed blessing. There are two sides to the coin. When you are under
sanctions, you have an opportunity to do many things yourself. But generally, it’s not a good thing... you
can’t live like an island in this world.”
• But generally, it [sanctions] is not a good thing. you can’t live like an island in this world.
China fires back at U.S. accusations over aerial encounter

• China denied its fighter jet pilots operated dangerously during an encounter with a U.S. surveillance plane in
international airspace in which the American pilot took evasive action to avoid a possible collision.
• Mr. Ren criticised frequent close-in surveillance runs by U.S. planes as raising the chance of accidents,
saying such missions “threatened China’s national security, harmed China-U.S. sea-air military safety,
endangered the safety of pilots from the two sides and were the root cause of China-U.S. sea-air
unexpected incidents”.
• U.S. Navy Captian Jeff Davis said the Chinese fighters intercepted the U.S. EP-3 surveillance plane on
Sunday in international airspace between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, in an area he described
as west of the Korean Peninsula.
• China in 2013 declared an air defence identification zone over a partly contested portion of the East China
Sea, demanding foreign aircraft declare their presence and follow Chinese orders.
• The U.S. and others swiftly dismissed the zone as invalid and have largely ignored it. It wasn’t clear if
Sunday’s encounter took place inside the zone.
• Such incidents continue to occur despite an agreement between the two sides to prevent them from
sparking an international crisis, as happened in April 2001 when a Chinese jet fighter collided with a U.S.
EP-3.
• That led to the death of the Chinese pilot and China’s detention of the U.S. air crew for 10 days after their
crippled plane landed at a PLA air base in Hainan.
• While China has long chafed at U.S. surveillance operations targeting its military, the PLA itself has been
conducting such missions further and further from its home ports.
Inscription, made of over 130 Chinese characters found:

• An ancient rock inscription and stone monument dating back 900 years have been discovered on a
mountain in China’s Hebei province.
• The inscription, made of over 130 Chinese characters, was carved on a piece of smooth stone
• The stone monument was underneath the inscription, on which about 300 Chinese characters were carved.
• Both the inscription and the monument recorded the renovation of the Chouchan Temple during the Song
Dynasty.
• The new discovery offers valuable materials to study the history of Chouchan Temple and other famous
temples.
Chinese jets intercept U.S. aircraft

• A U.S. surveillance plane was forced to take evasive action after two Chinese fighters intercepted it over the
East China Sea, the Pentagon.
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• The incident occurred when the two Chinese J-10 warplanes intercepted a U.S. Navy EP-3 reconnaissance
plane in international air space west of the Korean Peninsula.
• One of the Chinese jets came underneath the U.S. plane at high speed, then slowed and pulled up in front
of it.
Keeping safe while cruising in the Arctic

• When the Crystal Serenity , a 1,000-passenger luxury liner, sails in August on a month-long Arctic cruise
through the Northwest Passage, it will have a far more utilitarian escort: a British supply ship.
• The Ernest Shackleton , which normally resupplies scientific bases in Antarctica, will help with the logistics
of shore excursions along the route from Alaska to New York through Canada’s Arctic Archipelago.
• But the escort ship will also be there should the Serenity become stuck in ice or something else goes wrong.
The Shackleton can manoeuvre through ice and will be carrying emergency water and rations for the liner’s
passengers and 600 crew members, oil spill containment gear and a couple of helicopters.
• As global warming reduces the extent of sea ice in the Arctic, more ships — cargo carriers as well as liners
like the Serenity taking tourists to see the region’s natural beauty — will be plying far northern waters.
Experts in maritime safety say that raises concerns about what will happen when something inevitably goes
wrong.
• Although the Arctic has not been the site of a major incident involving a cruise ship in recent years, a
smaller liner, the Explorer , sank off the Antarctic Peninsula in 2007 after striking an iceberg.
• Fortunately several other ships were not very far from the stricken ship, and the 150 passengers and crew
were rescued after five hours in lifeboats.
Arab League accused Israel of “playing with fire”

• The Arab League accused Israel of “playing with fire” with new security measures at a highly sensitive
Jerusalem holy site.
• “Jerusalem is a red line,” its chief Ahmed Abul Gheit said in a statement, adding that “no Arab or Muslim will
accept violations” against the city’s holy sites.
• Abul Gheit accused Israel’s government of “adventurism” and said its moves could trigger a “crisis with the
Arab and Muslim world”.
• Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan too condemned the Israeli security precautions, saying the
Islamic world would not remain silent.
• He had called on Israel to remove the detectors in a phone conversation with his counterpart Reuven Rivlin.
• Pope Francis also expressed concern and said that he was alarmed by the recent violence. He called for
dialogue and moderation to help restore peace.
Israel sent more troops to the West Bank amid widespread Palestinian clashes
• Israel sent more troops to the West Bank, a day after a Palestinian stabbed to death three members of an
Israeli family in their home and widespread Israeli-Palestinian clashes erupted over escalating tensions at
the Holy Land’s most contested shrine.
• The father of the 20-year-old Palestinian assailant said he believes his son was upset over the
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• A senior Israeli government official blamed the latest round of violence on what he said was Palestinian
incitement against Israel and called on Palestinian leaders to help restore calm.
• Disputes over the shrine, revered by Muslims and Jews, have set off major rounds of Israeli-Palestinian
confrontations in the past.
• They were also at the root of the current violence which began last week when Arab gunmen fired from the
shrine, killing two Israeli policemen.
• In response, Israel installed metal detectors at the gates of the 37-acre walled compound, portraying the
devices as a needed security measure to prevent more attacks.
• Muslims alleged Israel was trying to expand its control at the Muslim-administered site under the guise of
security a claim Israel denies and launched mass prayer protests.
• Anger boiled over and several thousand Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces in the West Bank
and in Jerusalem after noon prayers. Three Palestinians were killed and several dozen wounded by live
rounds and bullets in some of the worst street clashes in two years.
• The Israeli military said the assailant killed a man and two of his adult children, while a woman was
wounded.
Sri Lanka’s new Constitution to be ready by January 2018

• Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the draft of Sri Lanka’s new Constitution would be ready by
January 2018, yet again shifting the deadline for the challenging task his government took up after coming
to power in 2015.
• As per earlier assurances, the government should have already debated the draft Constitution in Parliament
by now, and prepared for a referendum after a likely two-thirds majority.
• But even as the government tried fast-tracking the process, a section of the country’s influential Buddhist
clergy said there was no need for a new Constitution.
• Senior Minister and Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said they would go ahead with drafting the new
Constitution as per the mandate they got in the 2015 elections.
• The pressure is partly to do with the complex arrangement of a “national unity” government, with the Sri
Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and the rival United National Party (UNP) cohabiting it.
• There seems to be a widely-shared understanding that this government should look ahead faster than it
needs to look behind.
• That is what the March UN resolution in Geneva, co-sponsored by the U.S., Sri Lanka and other countries,
seemed to indicate when it gave the country a two-year extension to fulfil its commitments on accountability.
• At the same time, the Tamil leaders’ patience is evidently waning. Amid severe criticism from sections of its
support base in the north, the TNA has begun articulating its frustration with the government loud and clear.
US ended the program to provide arms and supplies to Syrian rebel groups
• President Donald Trump has ended the clandestine American program to provide arms and supplies to
Syrian rebel groups.
• A recognition that the effort was failing and that the administration has given up hope of helping to topple the
government of President Bashar al-Assad.
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• The decision came more than a month ago by which time the effort to deliver the arms had slowed to a
trickle.
• It joins similar failed efforts to deliver arms and money to groups seeking to overthrow governments that
Washington found noxious, most famously the Kennedy administration’s disastrous effort to do away with
the government of Fidel Castro in Cuba.
• Iran’s Foreign Minister charged that the U.S. had helped destabilise the region, and portrayed Iran as
merely defending its interests.
• Washington, instead, views Iran’s aid to the Assad government as part of an effort to restore itself as a
major regional power.
• From the start, there were doubts that arming disorganised, often internally fractious forces would succeed.
• Those discussions have been possible because Mr. Assad, secure in his support from Moscow and Tehran,
no longer sees a fundamental threat to his ability to remain in power.
• Mr. Trump’s decisions amounted to an acknowledgement that no escalation of the programme, which began
in 2013 in concert with the CIA’s counterparts in Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan, was likely to yield a
different result.
• The programme became less relevant as the Russians increased their presence in Syria, targeting and
badly weakening the CIA-backed rebels, who were the most capable of the opposition fighters. That helped
the Assad government claw back and consolidate territorial gains.
U.S. certified that Iran is complying with an international nuclear agreement

• U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to certify again that Iran is complying with an international nuclear
agreement that he has strongly criticised, but only after hours of arguing with his top national security
advisers.
• Mr. Trump has repeatedly condemned the deal brokered by President Barack Obama as a dangerous
capitulation to Iran, but six months into his presidency, he has not abandoned it.
• The decision was the second time his administration certified Iran’s compliance, and aides said a frustrated
Mr. Trump had told his security team that he would not keep doing so indefinitely.
• By law, the administration is required to notify Congress every 90 days whether Iran is living up to the deal,
which limited its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of many international sanctions.
• Mr. Trump did not want to certify Iran’s compliance the first time around either, but was talked into it on the
condition that his team come back with a new strategy to confront Tehran.
U.S. National Defence Authorisation Act wants increase in ties with India
• The U.S. National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2018 passed by the House of Representatives has
mandated the Secretaries of Defense and State to come up with a strategy for advancing defence
cooperation between India and the U.S. in six months.
• The legislation that appropriates funds for defence will have to be passed by the Senate before it moves for
the President’s signature.
• Last year’s NDAA had designated India as a “major defence partner”, and also had a similar provision for
preparing a strategy, but the findings of the review has not been published yet.
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• The term, ‘major defence partner’ remains undefined, but senior officials have explained that after the
designation, India’s request for arms and technology is treated with a presumption of approval now, as
opposed to a presumption of denial that existed earlier.
• The Bill passed by the House supports the massive hike in defence spending proposed by President Donald
Trump, focussing on missile defence, adding more troops and ships, a 2.4% salary increase for soldiers.
• The Bill, however, has several provisions that the Trump administration is not keen on. After the Senate
passes its version of the Bill, both will have to be reconciled.
U.S. imposes tougher conditions for reimbursement of defence funding to Pakistan

• The U.S. House of Representatives has voted for three legislative amendments to impose tougher
conditions for reimbursement of defence funding to Pakistan, making it conditional to Islamabad showing
satisfactory progress in the fight against terrorism.
• The terms are related to Pakistan’s support to terror outfits, about which several top U.S. officials have
repeatedly expressed concerns.
• All the amendments to the $651-billion National Defence Authorisation Act 2018 were adopted by the Lower
House of Congress on Friday.
• It specifies that the support authorised for Pakistan would not be eligible for a national security waiver
unless the Secretary of Defense certifies that Pakistan continues to conduct military operations against the
Haqqani Network in North Waziristan.
Tough parliamentary battle over Brexit strategy

• The tough parliamentary battle awaiting the British government over its Brexit strategy was highlighted as it
published the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, better known as the repeal bill.
• While the government said the Bill was designed to ensure Britain exited the union with “maximum certainty,
continuity and control”, Opposition parties have sharply criticised elements of the legislation and warned
they would block it.
• Among the most controversial elements of the bill is the decision to abandon the EU’s charter of
fundamental rights, which sets out, in a single document, all the fundamental civil, social, political rights and
protections of EU citizens, and give the government sweeping powers to make changes without thorough
parliamentary scrutiny.
• Keeping Britain in the charter was one of six areas on which the Labour party has sought “concessions”
from the government, including on workers protections and limiting the use of ‘Henry VIII’ powers that allow
the government to amend significant legislation with minimal parliamentary scrutiny.
• The Bill also provoked an angry response from the governments of Scotland and Wales, which warned they
would vote against it in its current form.
Germany open to idea of Euro Zone budget and finance minister

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was open to the creation of a Finance Minister and budget for
the eurozone as proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
• “I have nothing against a eurozone budget [and] we can talk about creating a European Finance Minister,”
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Ms. Merkel said after talks in Paris with Mr. Macron. “We agree that the eurozone must be stabilised and
further developed.”
• “It is in our greatest interest that all eurozone countries are strong,” she added.
• Mr. Macron has warned Germany that it must move to correct the “dysfunctions” of the eurozone and give it
“the fate it deserves”.
China is looking to reduce the size of its Army

• China will downsize its 2.3 million-strong People’s Liberation Army to under one million as the world’s
largest military effected its biggest troop reduction in history to bolster its navy and strategic missile forces.
• The massive troop reduction is part of the restructuring of the PLA and evenly proportion the army and other
services, the PLA Daily. The PLA will increase the numbers of other services, including navy and missile
forces.
• The reform is based on China’s strategic goals and security requirements. In the past, the PLA focused on
ground battle and homeland defence, which will undergo fundamental changes.
• This is the first time that active PLA army personnel would be reduced to below one million.
German Chancellor says open to EU-US trade talks

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she’s open to restarting talks with the United States on a trade deal
with the European Union.
• Ms. Merkel told a business audience in Bavaria that President Donald Trump’s administration had signaled
it is ready to negotiate and that “for me a Trans-Atlantic agreement remains on the daily agenda.”
• On a trip to Berlin last month, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the U.S. and EU should have a
free trade agreement.
• Negotiations for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership deal, known as TTIP, started under
the Obama administration but have been stalled since last year.
Men only Island of Japan declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site

• A men-only island in Japan where women are banned and male visitors must bathe naked in the sea before
visiting its shrine, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• The tiny landmass of Okinoshima is permanently manned by a Shinto priest who prays to the island’s
goddess, in a tradition that has been kept up for centuries.
• Limited numbers are permitted to land on the island in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) — this year it was 200
— for a yearly festival that lasts just two hours, but they must adhere to strict rules.
• Most importantly, they must be men, but they must also strip off and take a purifying dip in the ocean before
they are allowed to set foot on the sacred ground of the shrine.
• Despite its inscription on the UNESCO’s World Heritage list — often the prelude to a leap in tourist numbers
— shrine officials say they are now considering banning future travel for anyone apart from priests, partly
out of fears the island could be “destroyed” by too many visitors.
• The island, which sits off the north-west coast of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands,
was an important window for foreign trade in Japan since ancient times, forming part of a trade
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• Thousands of gold rings and other valuable items have been found there.
• UNESCO’s heritage committee considered 33 sites for the prestigious status at its annual gathering in
Poland.
• It also accepted Taputapuatea, a portion of the “Polynesian Triangle” in the South Pacific thought to be the
last part of the globe settled by humans, to the list.
• It also added Britain’s Lake District — muse for artists from William Wordsworth to Beatrix Potter — and the
Valongo wharf in Rio de Janeiro where people from Africa were first brought as slaves to Brazil.
• Ancient caves in west Germany with art dating back to the Ice Age and disused silver ore mines in southern
Poland are also among UNESCO’s listings.
• The caves are in the western German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, where archaeologists have discovered
ancient instruments and carvings made from mammoth ivory.
• One of the carvings is a 40,000-year-old figure known as the Venus of Hohle Fels. Historians say it is the
oldest known image of a human.
A unique Norwegian archipelago in the Barents Sea

• On the face of it, a relentless battle between the European Union and Norway in a remote part of the Arctic
is about snow crabs.
• But the real fight may go beyond who gets to catch the modest crustaceans around Svalbard, a unique
Norwegian archipelago in the Barents Sea.
• What is really at stake is oil, some experts say, and a coming race for the commodity of which there is a lot
in the polar region.
• Norway, which is not a member of the EU, has slammed Brussels for authorising European vessels from
mainly Baltic nations to fish for crabs in the Svalbard area, saying it violates its national sovereignty.
• A Latvian ship has already paid the price. In January, a ship called ‘The Senator’ was intercepted by
Norwegian coast guards while crab fishing around Svalbard, and recently received a hefty fine.
• The EU and Norway’s conflicting interpretations of the 1920 Svalbard Treaty signed in Paris are at the heart
of the problem.
• The treaty recognises Norway’s “full and absolute sovereignty”, but gives the signatory nations an equal
right to economic activities on Svalbard and its territorial waters.
• The core issue is to agree on the geographical scope of the treaty and how far all signatory states benefit
from an equal access to resources.
• But Brussels has a more loose interpretation of the treaty and says it covers 200 miles around Svalbard, in
line with the concept of an economic zone that did not exist when the treaty was signed.
• The snow crab, first recorded in the Barents Sea in 1996, is an invasive, and more importantly, a sedentary
species as it lives in permanent contact with the seabed.
• This means that the rules that apply to snow crabs are more similar to oil than to fishing.
• The crab dispute could create a “precedent” that “would have implications for oil and gas”, warns Harald
Sakarias Brovig Hansen, a researcher at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute.
• A large amount of the 17.7 billion barrels in the region could be in southeastern Svalbard, according to the
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate.
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G20 summit came up with compromise language on trade

• The Group of 20 summit came up with compromise language on trade, although officials struggled to find
common ground on another contentious issue, fighting climate change.
• In the wake of President Donald Trump’s decision to leave the Paris climate agreement, the group agreed in
a draft statement to “take note” of the U.S. withdrawal while the other 19 reaffirmed support of the Paris
deal.
• The draft could still change before its final release. The talks at the two-day summit in Hamburg competed
for attention, with violent clashes between anti-globalisation activists and police.
• Climate and trade were two of the most contentious issues, in part due to the assertive stance taken on both
by Mr. Trump. He has said trade must be fair as well as open and must benefit American companies and
workers.
• He has focussed on trade relationships where other countries run large surpluses with the U.S., meaning
they sell more to U.S. consumers than they buy from American companies.
Nearly all G20 leaders agree on free and fair trade

• Nearly all G20 leaders agreed on the need for free and fair trade, but some differences of opinion mean
officials drafting the summit’s final communiqué still had a long night’s work ahead, German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said.
• “On the issue of trade, virtually everyone believes we need free but also fair trade,” she said. “However, I
can predict that as far as trade is concerned in the communiqué, the sherpas have a lot of work ahead of
them tonight.”
• Ms. Merkel pressed fellow Group of 20 leaders to compromise. “ We all know the big global challenges and
we know that time is pressing.
• And so solutions can only be found if we are ready for compromise and move towards each other, but
without — and I stress this — bending too much, because of course we can also state clearly when there
are differences.”
• The draft underlines that the 2015 Paris climate accord is “irreversible” and affirms that other G20 nations
are committed to the deal while taking note of Washington's decision to quit the agreement.
• Ahead of the summit, a key concern among Western allies was whether they would be able to convince G20
members to stand firm on the Paris agreement on combating global warming.
• If the draft is confirmed it would reflect the 19-versus-the-U.S. split over the issue. British Prime Minister
Theresa May said world leaders would redouble efforts to persuade Mr. Trump to rejoin the Paris deal.
U.S. President hopes for China’s help to deal with North Korea
• U.S. President Donald Trump’s hopes for China’s help with restraining North Korea appear to have gone
nowhere, with the two sides growing further apart as their approaches and concerns diverge.
• China shows no sign of caving to U.S. pressure to tighten the screws on North Korea, while the North’s
recent missile tests have done little to rattle Beijing, in contrast to the anxiety sparked in Washington.
• China’s bottom line continues to hold fast — No to any measures that might topple Kim Jong-un’s regime.
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• Washington’s UN Ambassador Nikki Haley warned that China’s trade with the U.S. could suffer if it didn’t
help following North Korea’s successful launch of its first intercontinental ballistic missile.
• The U.S. has already blacklisted one Chinese bank accused of illicit dealings with North Korea and is
penalizing a Chinese shipping company and two Chinese individuals accused of facilitating illegal activities
by the North.
Birmingham Council has withdrawn permission for a rally for Wani

• The Birmingham Council has withdrawn permission for a rally due to take place on the death anniversary of
Burhan Wani, two days after India raised its concerns about the event taking place.
• “We took a booking for a peaceful rally highlighting the human rights abuse in Kashmir. However, we are
now aware of concerns raised about the promotional leaflet, and having assessed the material, have not
given permission for the use of Victoria Square,” said Birmingham City Council.
• Indian Deputy High Commissioner Dinesh Patnaik, whose office sent a “note verbale” on the matter to the
British Foreign Office, said they were pleased that the concerns had been taken seriously and addressed.
• Wani was killed with two other militants in the Anantnag province on July 8 last year, triggering protests
across the Valley, following a mission that Indian security agencies described as the “biggest ever success”
in recent times.
• India has become increasingly vocal in expressing its concern about Britain’s apparent willingness to allow
anti-Indian activity to flourish on its shores, stressing how it contrasted with India’s own approach to its
allies.
China said there was no scope for a “compromise”

• China said there was no scope for a “compromise” in the military standoff with India in the Sikkim area, and
placed the onus on New Delhi to resolve the “grave” situation.
• China’s Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui said, “the ball is in India’s court” and it was for the Indian
government to decide on options to resolve the standoff.
• Asked about remarks in official Chinese media and from think- tanks that the conflict could lead to a “war” if
not handled properly.
• There has been talk about this option, that option. It is up to your government policy (whether to exercise
military option). However, he made it clear that there was no scope for a “compromise” on the issue.
• “The first priority is that Indian troops unconditionally pull back to the Indian side of the boundary. That is the
precondition for any meaningful dialogue between China and India,” he said.
• Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan tri-
junction for past 19 days after the Chinese army’s attempts to construction party came to build a road in the
area.
• He also asserted that India has no right to interfere with the China-Bhutan boundary talks, nor is it entitled to
make territorial claims on behalf of Bhutan.
North Korea claimed it successfully test-launched its first ICBM
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• North Korea claimed it successfully test-launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile, a potential game-
changing development in what may be the world’s most dangerous nuclear stand-off.
• The launch appeared to be North Korea’s most successful missile test yet. A U.S. scientist examining the
height and distance said the missile could potentially be powerful enough to reach Alaska.
• In typically heated rhetoric, North Korea’s Academy of Defence Science said the test of an ICBM the
Hwasong-14 marked the “final step” in creating a “confident and powerful nuclear state that can strike
anywhere on Earth.”
• It will be difficult to confirm many details about what happened. U.S., South Korean and Japanese officials
earlier assessed that the North fired an intermediate-range missile into waters near Japan.
• North Korea has previously launched satellites in what critics said were disguised tests of its long-range
missile technology.
• A test-launch of an ICBM, however, would be a major step in developing nuclear—armed missiles that could
reach anywhere in the United States.
French President Macron will meet with heads of state from Sahel region
• French President Emmanuel Macron will meet with heads of state from five nations across Africa’s vast
Sahel region in Mali.
• It is to support a new 5,000-strong multinational force meant to counter a growing threat from extremists
who have targeted tourist resorts and other high-profile areas.
Islamist militants occupying Philippine city have forcedd lakhs to flee

• Islamist militants occupying a southern Philippine city have forced nearly 4,00,000 people in the wider area
to flee their homes, while warning of disease outbreaks and psychological trauma among refugees.
• The city of Marawi, considered the Muslim capital of the largely Catholic Philippines, has been reduced to a
ghost town after self-styled followers of the Islamic State movement launched an assault on the city on May
23.
• For over a month, the government has deployed jet fighters, attack helicopters and armoured vehicles to
crush the militants who are members of the so-called Maute group.
• The fighting has left over 400 people dead, while the Maute fighters still control parts of the city, using
snipers and IEDs to slow the military’s advance.
• Over 70,380 people have been housed in 79 government-run evacuation centres.
India offers help to Sri Lanka’s Northern Province

• India has expressed willingness to further partner Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial administration in
development initiatives, emphasising the need for a clear economic programme identifying specific areas.
• Indian High Commissioner Taranjit Singh Sandhu called on Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran in Jaffna, the
former’s first visit to the Tamil-majority north after assuming charge in Colombo in January.
• During the meeting, Mr. Sandhu underscored economic development for the war-affected areas and said
India was willing to assist in projects, sources in Jaffna.
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• Mr. Sandhu reportedly told the Chief Minister that while political challenges may come from time to time,
continued work on economic development was important, according to a source in Jaffna.
• India has been involved in key infrastructure projects in the north in the post-war years, building 46,000
homes in the island’s north and east and helping restore the railway line from Omanthai to Pallai, with a
$800 million line of credit.
• These are part of India’s $2.6 billion commitment for development assistance to Sri Lanka, including $390
million as grants, for projects all over the island.
• Currently, the Indian side appears keen on working with the Northern Provincial Council, on economic
development, skills training and job creation.
First local elections in Nepal in two decades

• Millions of Nepalis voted in the country’s first local elections for two decades, a key step in its post-war
transformation from feudal monarchy to federal democracy.
• The government had deployed troops and sealed the border with India, fearing violence in second phase of
voting. Police said a small bomb exploded in the west of the country, but there were no casualties and the
polls passed off peacefully.
• The elections began last month in other parts of the nation but were repeatedly delayed in the southern
plains, which were shaken two years ago by deadly ethnic protests.
• Voting was taking place across around half the country of 26 million people, including large swathes of the
south.
• The local elections are supposed to be the final step in the peace deal that ended a 10-year civil war in
2006. Since then the country has suffered persistent instability, cycling through nine governments.
• The government had repeatedly postponed the polls in the south due to objections from the local Madhesi
ethnic minority, who say federal boundaries laid out in a new national constitution will leave them under-
represented in Parliament.
• The Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal, the main party representing the Madhesi community, has said it will
boycott this phase, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the vote.
• More than 50 people died in 2015 when the Madhesi and Tharu ethnic minorities took to the streets. Most of
the victims were killed when police fired at the demonstrators, a response condemned by rights
campaigners, and tensions persist.
European NATO allies and Canada will increase defence spending

• European NATO allies and Canada will increase defence spending this year by 4.3%, alliance chief Jens
Stoltenberg said, amid pressure from President Donald Trump to spend more.
• “In 2017, we foresee an even greater annual real increase of 4.3%. That is three consecutive years of
accelerating defence spending,” Mr. Stoltenberg told reporters on the eve of a defence ministers’ meeting
here.
• Mr. Trump has repeatedly berated the allies for not doing more to share the defence burden and bluntly told
them again at a leaders’ summit in Brussels last month that they could not count on Washington coming to
their defence if they did not do their bit.
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• Mr. Trump’s comments caused consternation among many, notably Germany, but Mr. Stoltenberg said the
President’s demands were understandable given the challenges the U.S.-led alliance now faces.
Colombia’s leftist FARC rebel force declared its disarmament complete

• Colombia’s leftist FARC rebel force declared its disarmament complete on Tuesday after half a century of
war against the state, bringing Latin America’s oldest civil conflict close to an end.
• “Farewell to war. Farewell to arms, welcome to peace!” said commander Rodrigo Londono, alias
Timochenko, in a speech in the central town of Mesetas, site of one of the group’s demobilisation camps.
• The move is a key part of efforts to end the long territorial and ideological conflict under a 2016 peace
accord. The accord was at first narrowly rejected by Colombians in a referendum last year before it was
redrafted and pushed through Congress.
• Since then, the process has been blighted by ongoing violence involving other armed groups.United Nations
monitors said they “have the entirety of the FARC’s registered individual arms stored away”.
• That excluded some arms that were exempted for transitional security at rebel demobilisation camps until
August 1.
Qatar is at centre of storm in the world

• Sheikh Hamad announced his abdication decision on June 25, 2013. Within a week, Abdul Fattahal-Sisi, the
Egyptian General, seized power by toppling the country’s first elected President Mohamed Morsi, who had
the backing of Qatar.
• Saudi Arabia and the UAE offered help to Gen. Sisi because they saw President Morsi’s Muslim
Brotherhood movement as a threat to regional stability. For Sheikh Tamim, it was his first major foreign
policy crisis.
• His father had heavily invested, both politically and economically, in the Arab Spring protests to expand
Qatar’s influence across the region.
• It was in Qatar’s interests to prevent the coup that took place in the background of largescale anti-Morsi
protests in Cairo and other parts of Egypt.
• After the coup, Sheikh Tamim had two options: either toe the Saudi line by welcoming Egypt’s new ruler or
continue to support the Muslim Brotherhood.
• He chose the latter, paving the way for protracted tensions with his bigger neighbour which eventually led to
Riyadh and its allies cutting ties with Qatar earlier this month.
• From the early days of his rule, it was evident that Sheikh Tamim wanted to raise Qatar’s profile in an
unstable region. He competed with the Saudis in bankrolling anti-regime militias in Syria. He backed one of
the rival governments in Libya.
Intergovernmental financial watchdog has slammed Pakistan

• A leading intergovernmental financial watchdog has slammed Pakistan for continued complicity in financing
terrorist entities, saying certain UN-designated terror groups in the country receive money due to lack of
control by the authorities.
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• At its meeting in Valencia, Spain, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a Paris-based organisation which
sets standards for banks globally, closely scrutinised Pakistan’s record on terror financing.
• A report on Pakistan’s complicity in terror financing was discussed at the FATF Plenary, the group’s highest
decision-making body, that took place from June 18-23.
• As per the report, certain entities designated under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 continue to receive
and disperse funds without controls being applied by the competent authorities in Pakistan.
• As a consequence, the International Cooperation Review Group of FATF has requested its regional arm
Asia Pacific Group to provide the revised follow-up report on Pakistan.
• The ICRG asked APG to provide the report following the discussion over it at the APG annual meeting in
July. In February, the ICRG had requested the APG to provide its analysis report on Pakistan.
• Al Jazeera, the royal family-funded television station, continued its sympathetic coverage of the Muslim
Brotherhood. When the political leadership of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that rules Gaza, fled
crisis-hit Damascus, Qatar offered them refuge.
• Moreover, despite conflicting interests elsewhere in the region, Sheikh Tamim retained good diplomatic ties
with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s main regional rival.
• Within a year of his rule, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain temporarily suspended diplomatic ties with
Qatar over Doha’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood. But Sheikh Tamim stayed the course on foreign
policy.
• Things started changing after King Salman took power in Saudi Arabia and his young son, Mohammed bin
Salman, was appointed Defence Minister. The new Saudi rulers took a tougher line towards Qatar.
• The Saudi attempt to isolate the emirate is certainly the biggest foreign policy crisis. For now, Iran and
Turkey have offered him support, including food supplies.
Work on new settlement in West Bank started

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the start of work on a new settlement in the occupied
West Bank as U.S. envoys prepared to discuss a new peace push.
• “Today, the work on the ground has begun, as I promised, to establish a new settlement for the Amona
settlers,” Mr. Netanyahu tweeted.
• The Amichai settlement, in the northern West Bank, is earmarked for some 40 families evicted from the
outpost of Amona in February after a court order.
Riyadh’s policy may become more hawkish against Gulf rivals

• Mohammad bin Salman’s appointment as Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince may make Riyadh’s policy more
hawkish against long-time enemy Iran and other Gulf rivals such as Qatar, increasing volatility in an already
unstable Gulf region.
• A royal decree that announced the changes said the decision by King Salman to promote his son and
consolidate his power was endorsed by 31 out of 34 members of the Allegiance Council, made up of senior
members of the ruling Al Saud family.
• Intent on dispelling speculation of internal divisions in the ruling dynasty, Saudi television was quick to show
that the change in succession was amicable and supported by the family.
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• The change ends uncertainty over succession and empowers Prince Mohammad to move faster with his
plan to reduce the kingdom's dependence on oil.
• The royal decree did not nominate a new deputy crown prince. The position is relatively new in Saudi
Arabia, where Kings have traditionally chosen their own successors.
• In an apparent attempt to appease the family, the decree had a clause that made clear that Prince
Mohammad wont be allowed to appoint one of his own sons as his successor.
C.V. Wigneswaran will continue in the post

• Chief Minister of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran will continue in the post following an
understanding with Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan, days after a large bloc of governing
council members withdrew support.
• Chief Minister agreed to reverse his controversial directive to two provincial ministers that Mr. Sampanthan
had earlier objected to.
• Following negotiations, Mr. Sampanthan told the Northern Province Governor that the Council members
would withdraw their motion of no-confidence.
• The CM’s decision provoked as many as 21 members of the 38-member council to withdraw their support to
him last week, putting the future of the first council of Sri Lanka’s Northern Province, elected to power in
2013, at stake.
• While the recent controversy centred on the inquiry, it reflected the simmering disgruntlement within a
section of the Council, particularly among ITAK members, who felt neglected.
India and China are working together to find common ground for BRI
• India and China are working together to find common ground ahead of the BRICS summit in September,
despite their differences over docking the Beijing-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with the grouping in the
future.
• A conference of the political parties, think-tanks and civil society groups of the BRICS countries held in
Fuzhou, Indian and Chinese delegates failed to arrive at a consensus that the five emerging economies
should formally support the BRI.
• Brazil, Russia and South Africa are the other members in the BRICS grouping. The Fuzhou conference,
organised by the Communist Party of China, is widely seen as an important component in framing the
outcome of the BRICS summit, which will be held in the Chinese coastal city of Xiamen.
• The differences between the two delegations became evident when the text of the Fuzhou Initiative,
released at the end of the conference, was changed, on the insistence of India.
India had boycotted last month’s Belt and Road Forum, hosted by China for promoting the BRI.
• U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to overhaul Barack Obama’s deal to restore ties with Cuba, promising
to instead support the Cuban people against Raul Castro’s government.
• Mr. Trump flew to Miami’s Little Havana, spiritual home of the Cuban-American community, to denounce his
predecessor’s “one-sided” settlement and pledge to work for Cuba’s freedom.
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• In practical terms, Mr. Trump’s review of the deal was limited. He will not break the diplomatic ties Mr.
Obama worked so carefully to restore, nor does he plan to impose new trade sanctions.
• But he did tighten rules for Americans travelling to Cuba, ban ties with a military-run tourism firm and
reaffirm the existing U.S. trade embargo, which will be firmly enforced.
• The Cuban government response was restrained. In a statement on state television it denounced the
measures, but said Havana “reiterates its willingness to continue the respectful dialogue and cooperation.”
• That may have been overstating his case. Mr. Trump’s new measures mainly relate to stricter enforcement
of existing laws that had begun to loosen as Mr. Obama sought a rapprochement.
• The new measures prohibit financial transactions with Cuba’s military-backed tourism conglomerate
GAESA, which had hoped for a windfall from a new surge in American visitors.
• Signing a new National Security Presidential Memorandum, Mr. Trump announced stricter application of the
rules under which Americans can travel to Cuba.
• American citizens will still be able to take commercial flights to Cuba, but once again only for 12 specific
reasons, ranging from journalism to educational activities.
Uncertainty continued in Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council

• Uncertainty continued in Sri Lanka’s Northern Provincial Council after discussions between Tamil National
Alliance (TNA) leader R. Sampanthan and Northern Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran.
• Following the CM’s recent move, asking two of his ministers to resign over corruption charges proved by an
inquiry, and two others to go on leave — despite insufficient evidence to prove them guilty — a large block
of Council members withdrew their support.
• As many as 21 members wrote to the Northern Province Governor expressing “no confidence” in the Chief
Minister. At least 15 of them are from the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchi (ITAK), a key constituent in the TNA.
• The controversy has raised questions about the future of Sri Lanka’s Tamil politics, amid speculations of a
possible split within the TNA.
• Many leaders in the Alliance are reportedly resisting such a split, citing the ongoing negotiations with the
Colombo government on a political solution to the Tamil question, through a new Constitution.
U.S. Senate approved sanctions bill that punishes adversaries Iran and Russia
• A frequently polarised U.S. Senate found common ground as Republicans and Democrats joined forces to
approve a sweeping sanctions bill that punishes long-time adversaries Iran and Russia with an array of
financial penalties.
• The bipartisan legislation passed overwhelmingly, 98-2, more than five months after U.S. intelligence
agencies determined Moscow had deliberately interfered in the 2016 presidential campaign.
• Lawmakers have long sought to hit Iran with more sanctions in order to check its ballistic missile program.
• The decisive bipartisan vote could put the Trump administration in a bind. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson
has offered only tepid support for the Russia sanctions package.
• Yet those penalties are melded with the Iran punishments. So the White House would have to reject stricter
punishments against Iran, which it favours, in order to derail the Russia penalties.
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• The legislation, which now moves to the House, also gives Capitol Hill a much stronger hand in determining
Russia sanctions policy. The bill would require a congressional review if President Donald Trump attempts
to ease or end penalties against Moscow.
Saudi King poses a choice between Saudi and Qatar to Pakistan

• “Are you with us or with Qatar?” Saudi King Salman raised this question during a meeting with Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who had visited the Gulf Kingdom for finding a diplomatic solution to the Qatar
crisis.
• The Saudi monarch asked Mr. Sharif to take a clear position on Qatar during their meeting in Jeddah.
• Pakistan has been treading a careful path since Saudi and other Gulf countries snapped diplomatic ties with
Qatar after accusing the oil-rich country of supporting terrorist groups. However, Saudi wants Pakistan to
side with the kingdom, it said.
French voters have put President Emmanuel Macron's party on course of majority
• French voters have put President Emmanuel Macron's party on course for a crushing parliamentary
majority, though a record low turnout in the first round of voting raised concerns over the strength of his
future mandate.
• Projections showed Macron continuing his centrist revolution, with his Republique en Marche party and its
ally MoDem tipped to win between 400 and 445 seats in the 577-member National Assembly in next
Sunday's second round.
• Such a share would give Mr. Macron — who founded his party just a year ago — one of the biggest
parliamentary majorities the modern French state has seen.
• But government spokesman Christophe Castaner admitted the 49% turnout — the lowest for six decades in
such a vote — was “a failure of this election” and that Mr. Macron’s team would need to reach out to those
who stayed away.
• Former Prime Minister Alain Juppe of the rightwing Republicans said the mass stayaway by voters was a
sign of “deep malaise” in the electorate and that a clean sweep by Mr. Macron would be bad for democracy.
• Mr. Macron's camp is expected to significantly boost its score in Sunday’s second round with voters fed up
with mainstream politics keen to try out his team, half of which is composed of rookie politicians.
::International::
German Chancellor wants Brexit talks to start soon

• German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Britain to quickly launch Brexit talks with the European Union after
Prime Minister Theresa May suffered a harsh election setback.
• “We are ready for the negotiations. We want to do it quickly, respecting the calendar,” Ms. Merkel said
during a visit to Mexico.
• She said talks with Britain on its withdrawal from what would now be the 27-member EU would start “in the
coming days.”
• “We were waiting for the election in Britain, but in the next few days these talks will begin,” she told a press
conference.
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World leaders trying to resolve gulf issue

• Efforts to resolve a diplomatic dispute pitting Saudi Arabia and its allies against Qatar intensified, after
Washington offered to mediate the biggest crisis to grip the Gulf in years.
• As Kuwait’s emir shuttled between Gulf capitals for talks, U.S. President Donald Trump offered to host a
White House meeting if necessary, in a change of heart from his initial support for the Saudi-led boycott.
• The feud has raised fears of wider instability in an already-volatile region that is a crucial global energy
supplier and home to several Western military bases.
• Kuwait — which unlike most of its fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members has not cut off ties with Qatar
— has been leading efforts to mediate.
• Qatar hosts the Al-Udeid military base, the largest US airbase in the Middle East. Home to some 10,000
troops, Al-Udeid is central to the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
• French President Emmanuel Macron has also reached out to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Iran in a bid to kick
off negotiations.
• Turkey, which works closely with Qatar in the energy sector, has walked a fine line between defending
Qatar and abstaining from openly antagonising Saudi Arabia.
• In a sign of support for Doha, Turkey’s Parliament approved an agreement to expand the number of troops
deployed to a Turkish base in Qatar. The agreement did not detail a timeframe or the number of troops.
Britain will head to the polls as the issue of terrorism continue

• Britain will head to the polls as the issue of terrorism continued to dominate the agenda, and as both parties
sought to get the upper hand in the debate on security, following three terrorist attacks in the country in as
many months.
• While Prime Minister Theresa May signalled her party’s willingness to put aside human rights laws in order
to be able to bring in greater restrictions on those suspected of being involved in terrorism activities.
• Ms. May pledged her party would introduce steps to restrict the movement of terror suspects, even those
against whom there was not enough evidence to launch formal prosecutions.
• The Conservatives’ manifesto committed the party not to repeal or replace the Human Rights Act while
exiting the EU, but says the party would “consider our human rights legal framework when the process of
leaving the EU concludes”.
• The roller-coaster campaign, which began less than two months ago, has seen a dramatic turnaround in the
fortunes of the main parties, and a shift of focus away from the reason for which the election was
purportedly called: Britain’s imminent exit from the EU.
• Many domestic issues such as the state of the National Health Service and other public services have
entered the forefront of the debate.
• The campaign has seen intense personalisation too, with the main political parties seeking to attack
perceived weaknesses in the top leadership of their opponents.
• The Conservatives on the other hand have sought to emphasise the past battles within the Labour Party,
which saw a no-confidence vote against Mr. Corbyn brought last year.
Afghanistan’s President made another offer for talks to the Taliban

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• Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani made another offer for talks to the Taliban, even as he hit out at
Pakistan for not acting “according to the global consensus on terror”.
• Mr. Ghani has appointed a new Chairman of the High Peace Council, Mohammad Khalili, to take forward
the talks, which he said could take place in “any mutually acceptable location”.
• It would allow the Taliban to set up a representative office, as long as it follows the established guidelines of
abiding by the Constitution, and abjuring violence.
• However, he added that if the Taliban failed to take up the offer, Afghanistan would push for the UN to
sanction the group as a “perpetrator and sponsor” of terror.
• Even as Mr. Ghani began to speak at the Kabul Process meeting, attended by 24 countries, including India,
militants launched a rocket that landed inside the compound of the Indian Embassy in the diplomatic zone.
• In another blast at Herat’s Grand Mosque, seven people were killed on Tuesday.
• Officials see the Kabul Process as an attempt by the Afghan government to replace other processes on
reconciliation like the Moscow meetings held since December 2016, and the American-backed Murree
Process in Pakistan in 2015.
• India, Afghanistan and the U.S. had protested the Russian decision to hold a trilateral meeting on
Afghanistan with China and Pakistan only, in December 2016.
• In subsequent meetings in Moscow, India, Iran and Central Asian countries were included, but the U.S.,
which was invited to a meeting in May, refused to join.
• Previously, India had objected to the Murree Process, which saw Taliban leaders meet with Afghan and
Pakistan representatives, in a process that included the U.S. and China.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates isolated Qatar

• Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, emboldened by U.S. President Donald Trump’s new approach
to the region, have seized the chance to isolate Qatar, analysts said.
• Gas-rich Doha, which has long exercised an independent streak in its foreign policy, last month denied
comments which appeared on its official news agency questioning U.S. hostility towards Iran.
• Qatar blamed hackers for a string of explosive remarks attributed to its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-
Thani after Mr. Trump visited Saudi Arabia, its giant neighbour.
• The reputed remarks were a slap in the face to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, Sunni monarchies which have
embraced Mr. Trump and his harder line against Shia-dominated Iran.
• Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Yemen, Bahrain and Egypt all severed diplomatic ties with Doha.
• The Islamist group was founded in Egypt about 90 years ago and has spread throughout the region.
• Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE all declared it a “terrorist group” after a Brotherhood government, led by
Mohamed Morsi, won democratic elections in Egypt before being overthrown by the military in 2013.
• Qatar-backed Mr. Morsi in a dispute that led Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to withdraw their
Ambassadors from Doha for several months in 2014. Doha, nonetheless, has continued to shelter many
leaders of Mr. Morsi’s Brotherhood.
• The campaign aims to force non-Arab states to take sides and “persuade the Trump administration to come
down hard on Qatar because of its refusal to join the anti-Iranian Saudi bandwagon and its ties to Islamist
and militant groups.
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• Qatar is also home to the former leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, who has lived in exile for several years
in Doha.
• Qatar has been criticised for supporting Islamist rebels in Syria, and in 2013, the Afghan Taliban opened a
Doha office.
Nepal has signed an agreement with China to build the largest hydroelectric plant
• Nepal has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the largest hydroelectric plant in the
impoverished landlocked country, which suffers from a chronic energy shortage.
• Nepal’s Energy Minister signed the agreement for the China Gezhouba Group Corporation to build the long-
mooted 1,200 megawatt Budhi-Gandaki hydroelectric project.
• The agreement was signed at the Prime Minister’s residence, in the presence of outgoing Prime Minister of
Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong.
• Estimates put the project cost at $2.5 billion. A financing agreement will be signed later.
• Water-rich Nepal has a mountain river system that could make it an energy-producing powerhouse, but
instead it imports much of its electricity from neighbouring India.
• Experts say it could be generating 83,000 megawatts, but its total installed generation capacity currently
stands at less than 2% of that.
• Demand for electricity has long outstripped supply in Nepal due to chronic under-investment and
inefficiencies in the power network. The result has been crippling for domestic industry and deterred foreign
investment.
• Crucial infrastructure development has flagged in the years of political paralysis that followed the end of the
Maoist insurgency in 2006 and the overthrow of the monarchy two years later.
• India and China have vied for influence in the small country, with both pumping money into Nepal through
large-scale infrastructure projects.
• The CGGC is currently building three smaller hydropower plants in Nepal and has completed another one,
though critics have complained that the projects have consistently run over time and over budget.
Britain looks for new strategies to counter terrorism

• Ms. May declared that “enough is enough.” While people should go about their lives as they “normally
would” when it came to tackling extremism and terrorism, things needed to change, she said.
• As she attacked the “evil ideology of Islamist extremism,” and warned of a new trend in the threat level, as
terrorists copied acts carried out by others in the past. “Terrorism breeds terrorism,” she said.
• Counterterrorism alone could not tackle Islamist extremism, which would only be defeated by persuading
people that our values were better, she said.
• The ideology should not be given a safe space, whether it was in the country, abroad, or online, via social
media channels that could be used to propagate their ideology.
• Military action to destroy IS in Syria and Iraq was a necessary component of this, she said. Action would
also need to be taken domestically to stamp out tolerance of extremism. “The whole country needs to come
together to take on extremism.”
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• Britain would also need to review its counterterrorism strategy, and if necessary the powers to those
involved in that strategy should be increased, including potentially the custodial sentences for those involved
in supporting or promoting terrorism, she said.
• Under the Paris deal agreed in 2015, world nations vowed steps to keep the worldwide rise in temperatures
“well below” two degrees Celsius from pre-industrial times.
China will steadfastly implement the Paris climate pact

• China will “steadfastly” implement the Paris climate pact, Premier Li Keqiang said, urging others to do
likewise as U.S. President Donald Trump was due to announce whether he would keep Washington in the
deal.
• “China will continue to implement promises made in the Paris Agreement, to move towards the 2030 goal
step by step steadfastly,” Mr. Li said in a Berlin joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela
Merkel.
• China has been investing billions in clean energy infrastructure, as its leaders seek to clear up the notorious
choking pollution enveloping its biggest cities, including Beijing.
The withdrawal of key players from the Paris climate deal would “complicate” implementation of
the pact.
• Russians warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired four cruise missiles at the Islamic State group’s positions
in Syria, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
• The announcement came as Syrian government troops pushed ahead in their offensive against IS and
militants in central and northern Syria.
• Moscow said in a statement that the Admiral Essen frigate and the Krasnodar submarine launched the
missiles at IS targets in the area of the ancient town of Palmyra. There was no information on when the
missiles were launched.
• Syrian troops have been on the offensive for weeks in northern, central and southern part of the country
against IS and U.S.-backed rebels under the cover of Russian airstrikes, gaining an area almost half the
size of neighbouring Lebanon.
• Most recently, Syrian troops and their allies have been marching toward the IS stronghold of Sukhna, about
60 km northeast of Palmyra.
• The strategic juncture in the Syrian desert aids government plans to go after IS in Deir el-Zour, one of the
militants’ last major strongholds in Syria. The oil-rich province straddles the border with Iraq and is the
extremist group’s last gateway to the outside world.
• The fighting came days after the U.S. told Syrian government forces and their allies to move away from an
area near the Jordanian border where the coalition is training allied rebels.
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India and China end the crisis of Doklam

• According to other sources, the two sides would also see a meeting between National Security Adviser Ajit
Doval and state councillor Yang Jiechi.
• While neither side spoke about the future of the PLA’s road construction towards Jompelri, which had
sparked off the standoff on June 16 after Indian troops moved to assist Bhutanese troops in the area.
• Chinese officials said “border troops continue to patrol the ‘Donglang’ [Doklam] area” and that China
exercised “sovereignty” there, implying that Beijing, so far, did not consider the area as a disputed tri-
junction.
• At least two Indian government sources confirmed that India had agreed to withdraw troops first as a
“goodwill gesture”, giving the Chinese side a facesaver. “One side had to move first,” an official said.
• While officials denied that “any country” other than India and China had been involved, and only Bhutan was
informed of the progress of talks, Russian diplomatic sources told.
• Officials said while the crisis ahead of the BRICS summit had been averted, there was a need for bilateral
engagement to clarify China and India’s position on boundary talks, the Sikkim boundary, and the location of
the tri-junction.
India to host review meeting of TAPI gas pipeline

• India will host the next steering committee meeting of the proposed 1,814 kilometre-long Turkmenistan-
Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline, senior officials on both sides confirmed.
• The decision was came during the sixth joint Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) meeting on trade,
economic, scientific and technological cooperation.
• The meeting was followed by a meeting between visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of
Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan.
• Mr. Pradhan said India’s commitment to TAPI — first proposed in 1995 — “remains strong”, and Prime
Minister Narendra Modi had made the proposal to hold the TAPI steering committee meet in Delhi, which he
has now accepted.
• India’s effort is to tap Turkmenistan’s Galkynyshgasfields, which are the fourth largest in the world.
India deploys more troops on China border

• India has deployed more troops along the entire 1,400 km of the border with China in Sikkim and Arunachal
Pradesh in the face of heightened rhetoric by Beijing over the Doklam standoff, senior government officials
said.
• The “caution level” among the troops has been raised, the officials said on condition of anonymity. The
decision followed a detailed analysis, they said.
• The officials declined to give any figure or percentage of increased deployment, saying they cannot disclose
“operational details”. The Sukna-based 33 Corps and 3 and 4 corps based in Arunachal Pradesh and
Assam have been tasked with protecting the border in the east. The officials, however, said there was no
enhancement of troops at Doklam.
• Defence Minister Arun Jaitley assured the Lok Sabha that the armed forces were prepared for any
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eventuality amid a tense standoff between India and China in Doklam. He was responding to a question on
the issue, and specifically a question based on a senior Army officer’s statement that Pakistan’s defence
industry was better than India’s.
• He said the armed forces had adequate equipment to tackle any exigency. On a CAG report that the forces
had ammunition only for 22 days in case of a war, he said “significant progress” had been made on this
issue.
Sushma discussions with her counter in Bhutan

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj discussed a “range of issues” with Bhutanese Foreign Minister
DamchoDorji on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC conference of India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar
and Thailand in Kathmandu, MEA officials said, but made no comment on the ongoing Doklam standoff
between the Indian and Chinese troops in the territory claimed by Bhutan.
• After the meeting, Mr. Dorji told reporters only that he hoped, “the situation in Doklam will be resolved
peacefully and amicably.”
• The Foreign Ministers’ meeting was the first high-level contact between India and Bhutan since the standoff
began on June 16 after Indian troops went onto the Doklam plateau to hold off a Chinese PLA team that
was building a road Bhutan objected to.
• As the standoff enters the third month, diplomats say the next two weeks will be crucial to the effort.
• China’s top communist party leaders are understood to have been meeting at the party’s “retreat” at the
seaside resort of Beidaihe, an annual unofficial conclave, where the détente with India will no doubt be
discussed, and a coordinated signal on the road ahead will be sent out, ahead of this year’s Autumn party
conclave.
• In an article, Mr. Saran had recounted that the decision by Chinese leader Mao to launch a “major border
war” against India was also taken at the ‘Beidaihe conference’ in August 1962. Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s Independence Day speech next week will also be watched closely for references to the current
standoff with China.
• Last year, amid tensions with Pakistan, Mr. Modi had referred to India’s support to Balochistan at the August
15 speech.
No ban on Chinese firms: Sushma

• External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that denial of security clearance to a particular Chinese
company which wanted to invest in India was not done as a “matter of policy” and it “cannot determine the
relation between the two countries.”
• In the Rajya Sabha, T. Subbarami Reddy (Congress) asked Ms. Swaraj that while security clearance was
denied to a Chinese company, it was given to those from Japan, Korea, Italy and other countries.
• Recently, the Home Ministry denied clearance to China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Ltd., which
planned to construct a proposed 22-km sea-link in Navi Mumbai.
• Ms. Swaraj replied that there was no policy under which Chinese companies were denied security
permission. She objected to a member raising the issue of a particular Chinese company in the House.
• She said Japanese or Korean companies might have got the clearance as per the existing procedure.
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• She also said there was “no quid pro quo with China” on the issue of sufferings of the Tibetan people and
stapled visas being given to Arunachal Pradesh residents by Beijing.
• On the issue of whether India remained a mute spectator towards the alleged atrocities in Tibet, she said,
“We are not sitting as a mute spectator. Whenever there are differences, we raise them.”
• The Minister said the Dalai Lama wanted to visit Tawang and “we allowed him to do so”. This is not the first
time but the fifth or sixth time that he was visiting that place.
Doval-YangJichei talks
• National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held talks with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jichei, covering “bilateral
issues and major problems,” signalling that the stand-off in Doklam between Chinese and Indian troops in
the Sikkim sector was likely on the agenda.
• Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, highlighted the agreement
reached before in Astana between the countries to intensify “development partnership” and “people-to-
people contact,” even as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India had not discriminated against
Chinese companies.
• Mr. Akbar, responding to a question regarding China’s recent denial of visa to a group of journalists to Tibet
and the remedial measures being taken to defuse the Doklam stand-off, said the two countries had agreed
to work together.
• Ms. Swaraj maintained that despite commitment to improve bilateral ties, India had not hesitated to protest
whenever differences arose with China about issues like stapled visas for Indian citizens from Arunachal or
the visit of Dalai Lama to Tawang.
Man Booker
• Arundhati Roy’s latest work of fiction, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness , has made it to the long list of this
year’s Man Booker Prize.
• The judges described the book as “a rich and vital book” that “comes from the bowels of India” and has
“remarkable scale” and “extraordinary style and intelligence”.
• The author’s debut novel, God of Small Things , won the Booker Prize in 1997. Ms. Roy is joined by four
previously shortlisted writers — Ali Smith (2001, Hotel World ; 2005, The Accidental ; and 2014, How to Be
Both ); Zadie Smith (2005, On Beauty ), Sebastian Barry (2005, A Long Long Way Down ; 2008, The Secret
Scripture ; and longlisted in 2011 for On Canaan’s Side ) and Mohsin Hamid (2007, The Reluctant
Fundamentalist ).
• The longlist showcases a diverse spectrum not only of voices and literary styles but of protagonists too, in
their culture, age and gender. Nevertheless we found there was a spirit common to all these novels: though
their subject matter might be turbulent, their power and range were life-affirming a tonic for our times.
• Other writers on the list include Emily Fridlund from U.S. ( History of Wolves ), Mike McCormack from
Ireland ( Solar Bones ), Jon McGregor from U.K. ( Reservoir 13 ), Fiona Mozley from U.K. ( Elmet ), George
• Saunders from U.S. ( Lincoln in the Bardo ) Kamila Shamsie from U.K. and Pakistan ( Home Fire ) and
Colson Whitehead from U.S. ( The Underground Railroad ).
• The list, which was drawn up from 144 submissions published in the U.K. between October 1, 2016, and
September 30, 2017, was selected by a panel of five judges: Baroness Lola Young, literary
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• Zanganeh, Man Booker Prize shortlisted novelist Sarah Hall, artist Tom Phillips and travel writer Colin
Thubron.
• The winner gets a prize of £50,000.
Palestine believes Israel’s closeness to India could be the reason for recent problem
• India’s friendly ties with Israel could ‘interfere’ with the ongoing Israel-Palestinians conflict over the Al Aqsa
mosque in Jerusalem, said the envoy of Palestine.
• The Ambassador, Adnan Abu Al Haija, termed Israel’s latest security measures in Al Aqsa compound a
‘religious war’ and said Palestine expected a “positive attitude” from the Indian government.
• “India’s present government is friendly to Israel. Previous governments were also close to Israel but this
government is particularly so. India’s friendly ties with Israel could interfere with the present situation in
Jerusalem,” said the envoy.
• “The Al Aqsa mosque is an Islamic place of worship. Jerusalem is a city of three religions and we respect all
religions.” He said
• He, however maintained that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Israel which excluded a visit to
the Palestinian territory did not impact ties between two sides.
• The envoy said Israel had been trying to disturb the sanctity of the Al Aqsa mosque for a long time but for
the first time since 1967 has begun the Judaisation process of the site which is holy to both Muslims and the
Jewish.
Russia is keen on selling its new fighter jet MiG-35 to India

• Russia is keen on selling its new fighter jet MiG-35 to India with the MiG corporation’s chief saying the
country has evinced interest in the aircraft and talks were on to understand its requirements.
• The Director-General of Russian Aircraft Corporation MiG, Ilya Tarasenko, said the MiG-35 was “the best”
and definitely better than Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation combat aircraft F-35.
• He claimed that the MiG-35 would beat the American jet in air-to-air combat.
• Mr. Tarasenko said after having presented MiG-35 in January, the MiG corporation began to promote the
aircraft in India and in other parts of the world actively.
• The MiG-35 is Russia’s most advanced 4++ generation multipurpose fighter jet developed on the basis of
the serial-produced MiG-29K/KUB and MiG-29M/M2 combat aircraft.
• Asked if India had expressed any interest in MiG-35, Mr. Tarasenko said, “Of course they have.” MiG
aircraft have been used by India for almost 50 years.
India and China should work together for peace

• India and China should work together to come up with “some better sort of arrangement” for peace, the U.S.
said, expressing concern over the military stand-off in the Sikkim sector.
• Chinese and Indian soldiers have been locked in a face-off at Doklam for over a month after Indian troops
stopped the Chinese from building a road in the disputed area.
• Expressing concern over the People’s Liberation Army’s growing assertiveness in the strategic Asia-Pacific
region, a top U.S. commander said that China was exploiting its economic leverage to advance
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• The modernisation of the PLA emphasises the development of capabilities with the potential to degrade
core U.S. military-technological advantages, General Paul Selva of the U.S. Air Force said.
• Noting that a long-term, sustained presence would be critical to demonstrating the U.S. commitment to the
Asia Pacific region, Gen. Selva said the U.S. would continue to develop a security network through
multilateral partnerships.
• “China’s growing military is being designed and postured to be able to protect its interests both in the Asia-
Pacific region and abroad.”
India has critical role to play in breaking the stalemate in Afghanistan says US
• India has a “critical role” to play in breaking the stalemate in Afghanistan, the U.S. Senate Committee on
Armed Forces has said, calling for enhancing trilateral cooperation between Afghanistan, India and the U.S.
• In a report accompanying the National Defense Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2018, the committee also called
for enhancing the overall defence cooperation between the U.S. and India, and “eventually joint naval patrol
of the Indian Ocean.”
• Report said the committee was “concerned by a growing gap between the overarching goals of the bilateral
defence relationship and the Department’s implementation of these objectives”.
• The committee specifically noted the delay by the Pentagon in designating an individual within the
Department to “coordinate and expedite bilateral defence cooperation,” as required by last year’s NDAA.
• The lawmakers’ body said “appointing such an individual would bring a refined approach to prioritising
defence cooperation and aligning it with missions like maritime awareness and anti-submarine warfare, and
eventually joint naval patrol of the Indian Ocean.”
• India has been less than enthusiastic about joint patrol and cautious while expanding cooperation with the
Afghan government. India has a strategic partnership agreement with Afghanistan, but its military
component remains limited.
• The report noted the “positive adjustment of U.S. export controls for defence articles sold to India” after last
year’s NDAA, but called for faster progress and focussed approach.
• It said the 2012 Defense Technology and Trade Initiative has six ‘‘pathfinder’’ initiatives, which need to be
more in alignment with the Joint Strategic Vision between the two countries.
India and Israel celebrate 25 years of their diplomatic relations

• As India and Israel celebrate 25 years of their diplomatic relations, Tel Aviv has quietly emerged as one of
the largest and trusted suppliers of defence equipment to the Indian armed forces, which rely heavily on
imports.
• After protracted negotiations, the two countries are close to concluding a deal for Spike Anti-Tank Guided
Missiles. This will be the latest in a series of big-ticket defence deals approved recently.
• The purchase of Spike missiles was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in October 2014,
but negotiations on the contract ran into trouble over cost and technology transfer.
• The Rs. 3,200-crore deal includes 8,000-plus missiles, 300-plus launchers and technology transfer. The
deal is likely to expand as the Army intends to equip its 382 infantry battalions and 44 mechanised
regiments with new missiles.
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• After New Delhi established full diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv on January 29, 1992, Israel has made inroads
into the Indian defence sector, earning praise for reliability and technological sophistication.
• It is well entrenched in the areas of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, air defence systems, special forces
equipment and electronic warfare equipment.
• Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved a Rs. 17,000-crore deal to jointly develop a Medium Range
Surface to Air Missile (MR-SAM) system for the Army.
• In the case of mouse models, the 5g molecule was able to arrest tumour growth without causing significant
side-effects.
• The inhibitor was able to arrest the cancer cells from proliferating by elevating the levels of intracellular
reactive oxygen species (ROS), which, in turn, causes DNA damage by breaking the DNA’s double-strands.
• The molecule also activated the cell death pathway when higher concentration was used. However, the
molecule did not cause any damage to normal blood cells. The results were published in the journal
Scientific Reports.
• At a dosage of 50 micromolar, about 70% of leukaemia cells were killed, compared with 25% of normal
blood cells. This suggests that the 5g molecule could be “less toxic” to normal cells compared with cancer
cells.
• Even when the dosage was reduced to 10 micromolar, the molecule was able to arrest the cell cycle,
particularly after 36 hours of treatment.
• However, at the end of 48 hours, the cells were either dead or repaired their DNA damage and proceeded
with normal cell cycle of division and proliferation.
• A majority of the cancer cells were killed but some reverted to normal cell cycle. The reason for this is not
known.
• In mouse models, the molecule was able to arrest cancer cells’ cell cycle when 60 and 120 mg per kg of
body weight dosages were used. Also, “significant” reduction in tumour volume and “moderate” increase in
life-span were observed when treated with 60 mg per kg of body weight for 14 days. The molecule was able
to reduce the tumour burden by arresting the cell cycle than by causing cell death, the researchers found.
• Since on its own the molecule did not bring about cell death in mouse models, it cannot be used as a
standalone therapy.
Highly protected marine reserves can help mitigate the effects of climate change
• Evaluating 145 peer-reviewed studies, a research team has concluded that “highly protected” marine
reserves can help mitigate the effects of climate change.
• Around the world, coastal nations have committed to protecting 10% of their waters by 2020, but so far, only
3.5% of the ocean has been set aside for protection, and 1.6%, or less than half of that, is strongly protected
from exploitation, Xinhua reported.
• The study also notes that ocean surface waters have become on average 26% more acidic since pre-
industrial times.
• By the year 2100, under a “business-as-usual” scenario, they will be 150% more acidic, while coastal
wetlands, including mangroves, seagrasses and salt marshes have demonstrated a capacity for reducing
local carbon dioxide concentrations because many contain plants with high rates of photosynthesis.
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Economy
Infosys issue takes a beating on Sharemarket
• Shares of Infosys continued their slide, shedding 5.37% or Rs. 49.60 to close at Rs. 873.50 on the BSE.
This is the lowest close in three years for the technology major. It had closed at Rs. 870.09 on August 8,
2014.
• Infosys was also the worst performer in the Sensex pack as the benchmark index lost 0.84% to close at
31,258.85.
• The shares have lost close to 15% in the last two trading sessions since CEO Vishal Sikka resigned citing
what he termed as ‘baseless, malicious and increasingly personal attacks’ by co-founder N.R. Narayana
Murthy, that had constrained his ability to bring about change.
• Even a buyback announcement at Rs. 1,150 per share did not stem the slide. On Saturday, the board of the
company approved a buyback plan amounting to Rs. 13,000 crore.
• IIFL said in a report that while it continued to believe in the company’s long-term potential, it had
downgraded its rating to ‘Add’ as a stable management, peace with shareholders and consistent earnings
delivery amid this development are the key for Infosys to trade at a premium again.
• IDBI Capital has also cut its FY18 and FY19 revenue forecast for the company by 1.1% and 3.6%,
respectively, downgrading the stock to ‘hold’ from a ‘buy’.
Sikka’s resignation brought focus on corporate governance again

• The exit of Vishal Sikka as the chief of multinational IT giant Infosys brings forth the issue of corporate
governance yet again.
• Market participants said the capital markets regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),
needed to intervene in such matters to protect the interest of investors, especially the retail segment.
• “The supervisory board, comprising eminent personalities, will monitor performance as well as the value
system for the company and this alone will create wealth for the company and keep it on the tracks,” he
added.
• SEBI had constituted a committee on corporate governance under the chairmanship of Uday Kotak in June
this year.
• The committee is expected to submit its report within four months. Market participants said that the Infosys
issue too should be considered in detail by the committee.
• “Unfortunately, this had degenerated into an ugly battle played out with the media and as a result we are
seeing whatever has happened,” said Mr. Bhat.
• Another view is that differences between stakeholders on the vision for the company caused the turmoil.
• “This is a fight between modern, free-market capitalism on the one side and the forces of ‘compassionate
capitalism’ on the other,” he said.
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• The governing board or a supervisory board, he said, would be an important top layer setting the direction
for such companies.
India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum to focus on Visa curbs

• The Centre will, during the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting likely in October, raise Indian
industry’s concerns over the U.S. visa ‘curbs’ and the ‘delay’ in inking a bilateral social security pact (or
totalisation agreement).
• In the TPF meeting, the premier forum to resolve bilateral trade and investment issues, the U.S. is expected
to table its worries over India’s ‘restrictions’ on e-commerce as well as the ‘challenges’ faced by American
innovative industries due to India’s ‘weak’ Intellectual Property Rights regime.
• In addition, New Delhi would take up the ‘non-tariff barriers’ by the U.S. that are hurting Indian agriculture,
pharmaceuticals and other industrial exports, while Washington is likely to raise its concerns over India’s
‘excessively high tariffs’ on imports.
• Deputy Assistant USTR for South and Central Asia, and Brendan Lynch, Director for India at the USTR
Office, will participate in a round-table discussion on August 23 being organised by the advocacy body U.S.-
India Business Council to take inputs for the TPF meeting and the comprehensive review of bilateral trade
ties.
• There were doubts about the future of the TPF, especially following a U.S. government statement on August
15 mentioning that U.S. President and PM Modi had decided to ‘establish a new 2-by-2 ministerial dialogue
that will elevate their strategic consultations.’
• However this meant that the ‘commercial’ track will be taken out of the India-US ‘Strategic and Commercial
Dialogue’ (S&CD), and from now on take place independently.
Public sector banks have most of the debts

• The country’s largest lender State Bank of India accounts for over 27% of the total amount owed to public
sector banks by wilful defaulters.
• As many as 1,762 wilful defaulters owed Rs. 25,104 crore to SBI as on March 31, putting pressure on its
balance sheet.
• Punjab National Bank (PNB) is next on the list with 1,120 wilful defaulters having outstanding non-
performing assets of Rs. 12,278 crore. Together these two banks account for Rs. 37,382 crore or 40% of
the total outstanding loans.
• Total outstanding loans due to PSU banks by wilful defaulters amounted to Rs. 92,376 crore, according to
the Finance Ministry data.
• The total outstanding loans by wilful defaulters rose to Rs. 92,376 crore at the end of financial year 2016-17,
from Rs. 76,685 crore at the end of last fiscal 2015-16, up 20.4%.
Production of coconut-activated carbon has been hit due to GST

• Production of coconut-activated carbon, used for purification of water, edible oil and gas and in sectors such
as healthcare and cosmetics, has been hit due to increasing raw material prices post the implementation of
GST.
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• Whole coconuts, coconut kernel and husk do not attract GST. However, 5% duty is levied on coconut shells.
These shells are sold by farmers and vendors in the unorganised sector to charcoal producers.
• Charcoal is not covered under GST. It is the raw material used by activated carbon producers. Activated
carbon attracts 18% GST. There are about 15 units in South India making activated carbon from coconut
shells.
• According to data available with the Coconut Development Board, activated carbon is exported mainly to the
U.S., the U.K. and South Korea. This increased to 40,132 tonnes worth Rs. 402 crore during the same
period last year.
• In the case of supply of activated carbon to the domestic market, the buyers are able to take input credit of
the GST paid. But, costs have gone up for exporters. The activated carbon industry is growing at 5%
annually and exports at 10% to 15%.
Centre and RBI are working on a scheme to boost capital in public sector banks
• The Centre and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) are working on a scheme to boost capital in public sector
banks reeling under the pressure of bad loans. RBI Governor Urjit Patel emphasised time-bound resolution
of stressed assets.
• “NPA resolution would necessitate a higher recapitalisation of these banks,” Mr. Patel said. “The
Government and the RBI are in dialogue to prepare a set of measures to enable state-run banks to shore up
the requisite capital in a time-bound manner,” he said.
• Mr. Patel said measures could include a combination of raising capital from the market, dilution of
government holding, additional capital infusion by the government, mergers based on strategic decisions
and sale of non-core assets.
• Observing that the ratio of gross non-performing assets in the banking system was 9.6% and that the
stressed assets ratio was at 12%, as at the end of March, Mr. Patel said the persistently high ratio over the
last few years was a matter of concern.
• He said 86.5% of GNPAs are accounted for by large borrowers that are defined as borrowers with
aggregate exposure of Rs. 5 crore and above.
• RBI had recommended that banks initiate insolvency proceedings for 12 large defaulters, constituting 25%
of the system’s NPAs. Lenders would have to take a haircut in the process, the RBI acknowledged.
Scholars, academics and government officials looking for BRICS agenda

• As the countdown for the September summit of the BRICSgrouping begins, scholars, academics and
government officials have been brainstorming ways in which the emerging economies can set the global
agenda, based on new rules of governance.
• Delegates to a BRICS seminar, organised by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the southeast Chinese
city of Quanzhou, analysed and debated the Chinese model of rapid development as the template for the
rapid growth, especially of the global South.
• The BRICS summit is being held in China’s coastal city of Xiamen from September 3-5. It highlights the
theme — BRICS: stronger partnership for a brighter future.
• That among nearly 200 developing economies since the end of the Second World War, only two have
transitioned from low-income to high-income economies, with China possibly emerging as the
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• He attributed the failure to avoidance of either the middle-income or the low-income trap and to the pursuit
of western mainstream economic theories — structuralism, and neoliberalism.
• He stressed that a right balance between the role of the market and the state was required to achieve
breakthroughs, Xinhua reported.
• While acknowledging China’s success, most participants also underscored that there was no one-size-fits-
all development model that could be fully replicated to achieve growth.
FM has written to all Chief Ministers urging them to reduce Value Added Tax (VAT)
• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has written to all Chief Ministers urging them to reduce VAT on petroleum
products used in the manufacture of goods as the current system was leading to cascading of taxes on such
goods under the GSTregime.
• Currently, crude oil, natural gas, petrol, diesel and aviation turbine fuel are out of GST purview. All other
petroleum products fall under the new indirect tax.
• “The letter by Finance Minister highlights a concern being raised by the manufacturing sector in the country
regarding the rise in input costs of petroleum products happening on account of transition to Goods and
Services Tax regime,” the Finance Ministry said.
• In the post-GST scenario, manufactured goods attract GST while inputs of petroleum products used in the
manufacturing attract VAT and, therefore, it would lead to cascading of taxes.
eBiz portal project is still struggling to become fully operational

• The ambitious eBiz portal project unveiled by the Centre in 2013 to serve as an online, single-window entry
point for investors looking to set up a business anywhere in the country, is still struggling to become fully
operational.
• Even services that were available on the portal, such as registrations with the Corporate Affairs Ministry and
the Employees’ Provident Fund, have been ‘impacted’ due to technical issues.
• While State governments have not come on board for critical components of the eBiz project, technical
glitches have arisen in the plan to integrate all clearances onto a single system owing to government
departments opting for different technology platforms.
• Such changes, the DIPP has pointed out, require additional efforts to resolve technology migration issues
and the ‘limited availability of technical resources’ at individual departments causes delays in integration
with the National eGovernance Service Delivery Gateway.
• Testing the integration of individual services with the eBiz portal also added to delays, the DIPP told the
parliamentary standing committee on commerce, citing ‘dependency on multiple stakeholders’ such as
NSDG, banks and state treasuries.
• The DIPP said it had ‘taken up the matter at appropriate levels in partner departments to take necessary
measures in speeding up integration with the portal.’
• The Parliamentary panel had questioned how ‘pilot’ States such as Haryana, Maharashtra, T.N., Punjab,
Rajasthan and U.P. had not given approvals to the CAF initiative.
Transactions through point-of-sale terminals have risen post Demonetisation
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• Six months after the demonetisation exercise got over, cash withdrawals from automated teller machines
have been steadily rising, latest data released by Reserve Bank of India shows.
• At the same time, transactions through point-of-sale terminals have also risen, the data revealed.
• According to the data, cash withdrawals from ATMs were more than Rs. 2.22 lakh crore in June 2017, as
compared to Rs. 2.54 lakh crore recorded in October 2016 — the month before the high-value notes were
withdrawn.
• The demonetisation exercise began in November and ended in December, when the deposit window was
closed.Cash withdrawals from ATMs halved in November 2016 as compared with October, coming down
further in December.
• Cash withdrawals are going up as more than 82% of the currency has been remonetised. RBI Deputy
Governor Viral Acharya had recently said “the currency in circulation is showing early signs of
normalisation.”
• While cash withdrawals from ATMs have gone up, so have debit card transactions at the point of sale (PoS)
terminals. RBI data showed that in June, debit card transactions in PoS terminals stood at Rs. 37,524 crore
as compared with Rs. 21,941 crore in October.
• The number of debit cards in the system has also gone up in the period — from 739.28 million in October to
793.28 million in June.
• Though PoS transactions have shown a somewhat steady rise recently, they are lower than the Rs. 58,031
crore attained in December.
• Mobile banking transactions also received a boost following demonetisation, rising from Rs. 1.14 lakh crore
in October to Rs. 2.13 lakh crore in May before coming down to Rs. 1.81 lakh crore in June.
• Similarly, mobile wallet transactions increased from Rs. 3,385 crore to Rs. 5,350 crore between October and
June, RBI data showed.
Public sector banks have reported a 20% jump in the outstanding loans
• Public sector banks have reported a 20% jump in the outstanding loans by almost 9,000 wilful defaulters
who collectively owed to lenders more than Rs. 92,000 crore at the end of March this year.
• The outstanding loans by wilful defaulters rose to Rs. 92,376 crore at the end of financial year 2016-17, as
against Rs. 76,685 crore at the end of March 2016, registering a jump of 20.4%.
• At the same time, there has been close to 10% increase in number of wilful defaulters on annual basis.
• The number of wilful defaulters increased to 8,915 at the end of March, from 8,167 in the previous fiscal,
according to data collated by the Finance Ministry.
• Out of 8,915 cases of wilful defaults, banks have filed FIR in 1,914 cases with outstanding loans of Rs.
32,484 crore.
• During 2016-17, 27 public sector banks, including SBI and its five associates had written off Rs. 81,683
crore, the highest in the last five fiscals. The amount was 41% higher than that in the previous fiscal.
• SBI and its erstwhile associates alone had written off Rs. 27,574 crore non-performing assets (NPAs) in
2016-17, according to the RBI data on “write offs” done by public sector banks.
• Gross NPAs of public sector banks rose to Rs. 6.41 lakh crore at the end of March 2017, from Rs. 5.02 lakh
crore.
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Consumer price index (CPI) accelerated to 2.36% in July

• Retail inflation as measured by the consumer price index (CPI) accelerated to 2.36% in July after easing for
three straight months.
• The gains in retail prices were driven by a hardening of prices in sugar and confectionery items, pan,
tobacco and intoxicants. However, there was disinflation in the food basket. The Reserve Bank of India
(RBI), which factors in CPI for arriving at its monetary policy, had earlier this month slashed the key interest
rate (repo rate) by 25 basis points to 6%.
• Separately, skyrocketing tomato prices propelled inflation at the wholesale level to 1.88% in July from 0.9%
in June, with the food category overall contributing significantly to the uptick in WPI terms.
• Inflation in the food segment of the primary articles category in July came in at 2.15%, snapping a two-
month contraction. Within this, the fruits and vegetables segment contributed the most, with inflation coming
in at 29%.
• The index for ‘Food Articles’ group rose by 6.2% due to higher price of fruits and vegetables (29%),
peas/chawali (6%), ragi (4%) and condiments & spices, barley, poultry chicken and paddy (1% each),” the
government said in its release.
• Inflation in the minerals segment of the primary articles category accelerated to 24.8% in July from a
contraction of 2.02% while manufactured products saw a marginally lower 2.18% compared with June’s
2.27%, marking the sixth month of slowing inflation in the segment.
Goods exports rose for the twelfth consecutive month

• Goods exports rose for the twelfth consecutive month with shipments in July registering a 3.94% year-on-
year growth to $22.5 billion. However, this was the slowest pace of growth since November 2016, when
exports grew by 2.56%.
• Data released by the commerce ministry showed that major commodity groups of export showing positive
growth in the month included engineering goods (15.16%), petroleum products (20.27%), organic and
inorganic chemicals (20.67%).
• Also cotton yarn/fabrics and made-ups and handloom products (5.39%) and marine products (30.53%).
Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports in July increased 6.93% to $22.5 billion.
• Meanwhile, goods imports in July recorded 15.42% to $33.99 billion — the slowest pace since 1.13%
growth in January 2017.
• This led to trade deficit (goods) narrowing on a month-on-month basis to $11.45 billion, the lowest since
$10.5 billion recorded in the month of March 2017.
Market regulator acts against Shell companies

• A recent order from markets regulator SEBI brought to a halt trading in more than 170 actively traded stocks
on the stock exchanges.
• These firms formed part of a larger group of 331 ‘shell’ companies whose names the Minsitry of Corporate
Affairs (MCA) shared with the regulator for initiating action.
• The order issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) last week put at risk investor wealth
amounting to almost Rs. 13,000 crore.
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• A look at the financials of the companies show that most of them reported at least some income in the last
financial year with a few even reporting a positive bottom line.
• There are seven companies that reported a net profit of more than Rs. 20 crore in the financial year ended
March 31, 2017. One of them — J Kumar Infraprojects – registered a profit of Rs. 105.51 crore in FY17.
• Incidentally, stock exchanges have already asked their member brokers to verify if any of the unlisted
entities, that were part of the MCA list, were registered as their clients.
• The brokers will have to verify the credentials of such entities and submit a report to the exchanges by
August 31.
• A lot of companies, directors and promoters are going to go to SAT as this order will create an ineligibility for
many other things such as directorships in other companies and fund raising.
• The order assumes significance as the government, in April, had said that during the last three financial
years, ie, from 2013-14 to 2015-16.
• Investigations by the Income Tax department led to the detection of more than 1,155 shell companies used
as conduits by more than 22,000 beneficiaries.
• The amount involved in non-genuine transactions by such beneficiaries was more than Rs. 13,300 crore, it
had said.
• A day after the diktat — the BSE MidCap and BSE SmallCap indices lost more than 1% each even as the
benchmark Sensex declined only 0.8%.
Centre has brought out an online database of half a million hectares of land
• In a little over six months beginning February, the Centre has brought out an online database of more than
half a million hectares of land assisting industry.
• The Geographic Information System-enabled database also has details of close to 3,000 industrial
parks/clusters, as well as area-wise availability of agricultural/horticultural crops, and mineral production.
• The portal will soon incorporate information on warehouses, power-grid and financial institutions as well as
the demand for industrial infrastructure captured on the basis of applications from entrepreneurs for
projects.
• The exercise is to eliminate the information asymmetry that is currently adversely affecting the country’s
industrial policy-making and investments in the manufacturing sector.
• The development comes in the backdrop of the Centre firming up a new industrial and manufacturing policy
to push up the contribution of the manufacturing sector in India’s GDP to 25% by 2020 from the current level
of about 16%.
• The aim is to make India a global manufacturing hub and in the process generate employment locally. The
details on the database about government-approved technical institutions will indicate the availability of
skilled and semi-skilled talent.
• At present, the database has mapped 539,501 hectares of land and 2,978 industrial
clusters/estates/parks/regions/areas/corridor/zones including Special Economic Zones and National
Investment and Manufacturing Zones.
• The information available online is a beta version and will be updated and upgraded soon.
• It currently has specific area-wise details in each state on industrial parks/clusters, the focus sectors,
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common facilities available for industry, industrial land in use and available industrial land, approved and
pending projects etc.
• The database also has information on the distance from airport/port to each industrial area/cluster and a
satellite map view of the area.
Interest rates may be at the bottom of the interest cycle

• If you’re a retiree subsisting on income from bank deposits, you’re probably dismayed by the ‘bungee-jump’
in interest rates.
• The interest rate on the one-year term deposit in India’s largest bank has nosedived from 9% in July 2014 to
6.5% now. Interest rates on the three-year term deposit have dropped from 8.75% to 6.25%.
• In pegging down their deposit rates, banks have taken their cues from the RBI. The central bank has pared
its repo rate, the rate at which it lends overnight money to banks, from 8% three years ago to 6% now.
• So, with bank deposit rates dropping by a steep 250 basis points in three years (50 basis points more than
the repo rate), how much further can they fall? And will they rebound at all?
• History suggests that we may be quite close to the bottom of this falling rate cycle.
• The repo rate, which hovered at 9% in April 2001 drifted down to 6% by March 2004, but reversed direction
to recapture the 9%peak in July 2008. But, with the global credit crisis hitting India and recessionary trends
in the economy, RBI was forced to effect a swift and brutal reduction in rates again from 2008.
• This time around, the repo rate dropped from 9% in July 2008 to 4.75% by April 2009.
• As growth limped back and inflation began rearing its head, the RBI embarked once again on a hiking
spree, taking its rates from 4.75% in 2009 to 8% in 2012. The years 2012 to 2014 saw a sideways crawl in
rates.
• But with inflation moderating and the economy going into slow motion, RBI pruned its repo rate again, from
8% in 2014 to 6% by August 2017.
• In its recent policy reviews, RBI has shown reluctance to hack away any further, issuing warnings about
inflation risks.
• This brief history of interest rates tells us two things. One, benchmark interest rates have broadly gyrated in
a band of 6%-9% in the last fifteen years.
• When the rate sinks to the lower end of the band, circumstances conspire to flag off the next rate hike cycle.
• Two, India’s central bank prefers to prioritise inflation targeting over growth. It is usually prompt with pre-
emptive rate hikes to quell inflation, but doesn’t hurry to cut rates in a downturn.
United States remains one of the most popular countries for travel
• The United States remains one of the most popular countries for business travel from India, even as the
debate on the impact of ‘protectionism’ by America on the Indian IT sector continues.
• While London tops the list for international business travel, Delhi remains the top destination for domestic
business travel.
• Seemingly reflective of softening business sentiment locally, Singapore has dropped from number two to
number four in annual rankings.
• The rise of New York and San Francisco in India’s business travel rankings appears to be a
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• The top 10 international destinations for Indian business travellers are London, New York, San Francisco,
Singapore, Amsterdam, Seattle, Dubai, Chicago, Bangkok and Hong Kong, driven largely by the technology
sector.
• The report highlighted that if only travel outside APAC (Asia Pacific Region) is considered, seven of the top
10 destinations for India’s business travellers are U.S. cities, with Boston, Dallas and Los Angeles finding a
place in the list.
• India’s thriving start-up culture is driving many innovative technologies. “This is evident in Silicon Valley,
where entrepreneurs of Indian origin now make up a significant percentage of the community.”
Demonetisation made economy lighter with Rs. 3.5 lakh crore of cash: Survey
• Says demonetisation has increased digitisation across the board; all economic indicators have returned to
normal and filing of income tax returns has gone up
• Demonetisation has reduced Rs. 3.5 lakh crore of cash from the amounts available in the system before,
and digitisation has increased across the board, even among the poor, says Volume II of the Economic
Survey .
• The volume, tabled in Parliament, noted that while the informal sector suffered initially from demonetisation,
all indicators, such as two-wheeler sales and demand for MGNREGA work, had returned to normal. It found
that while the number of income tax returns had increased sharply, the average income declared had not
risen commensurately.
• In levels, and as a share of GDP and money, there seems to have been a sharp and equilibrium decline in
the use of cash: as of July, the holding of cash is about Rs. 3.5 lakh crore (20%) less than what might have
been the case had pre-demonetisation trends prevailed, consistent with the calculations presented in
Volume I.
• The report also said that the effect of demonetisation on the digitisation of transactions could be divided into
three categories: the poor (who are largely outside the digital economy), the less affluent sections (who
have acquired Jan Dhan accounts and RuPay cards), and the affluent (who are fully digitally integrated via
debit and credit cards). And even though the immediate post-demonetisation surge has moderated in some
cases, the level and pace of digitalisation are still substantially greater than before demonetisation.
• The report found this to be true for Aadhaar-enabled payments, which serve as an indicator for the poorer
sections of society, Rupay cards for the intermediate category, and credit and debit card transactions for the
affluent sections of society.
• “The growth of taxpayers post-demonetisation was significantly greater than in the previous year (45%
versus 25%),” the Survey said.
• “The addition amounted to about 5.4 lakh taxpayers or 1% of all individual taxpayers in just a few months. It
is, however, interesting that the average income reported of the new taxpayers — Rs. 2.7 lakh — was not
far above the tax threshold of Rs. 2.5 lakh, so the immediate impact on tax collections was muted.”
• The report analysed the effect of demonetisation on the informal sector via two proxies — demand for
MGNREGA work, and two-wheeler sales — since the economic indicators collected by the government
themselves do not include data from the informal sector.
• The Survey’s detailed calculations show that while demonetisation resulted in a contraction in demand for
MGNREGA work in the first four weeks following demonetisation, demand normalised by the tenth week,
and subsequently grew sharply.
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• This effect was particularly prominent for less developed States, which saw a 63% increase in demand for
MGNREGA work after the tenth week.
Govt. panel to probe Kingfisher dues to AAI

• The Civil Aviation Ministry has set up an internal committee to fix the responsibility for accumulation of dues
worth about Rs. 300 crore payable by defunct Kingfisher Airlines to Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• An internal committee has been constituted in AAI, headed by the senior officer, to fix the responsibility of
the officials for the accumulation of dues by Kingfisher Airlines and to strengthen the systems and
procedures further to ensure prevention of recurrence of such accumulation of dues.
• On receipt of the report of the said internal committee, further action will be taken,” it further added. In
return, the Committee has told the Ministry to take “strict action” against erring AAI officials.
Facing financial woes, the airline had to shut down in 2012.

• The defunct airline is supposed to pay dues worth Rs. 295 crore towards AAI till December 2016. The
national airports operator has also filed a suit against the carrier to recover the dues. The committee had
pulled up AAI saying it had allowed the airline to accumulate high level of dues in “violation of existing rules.”
Net direct tax collectionsup to 1.90 lakh crore

• Net direct tax collections up to July 2017 in the current financial year stood at Rs. 1.90 lakh crore or 19.1%
higher than in the corresponding period of the previous year, according to official data released.
• Within this, net personal income tax grew 15.7% and net corporate tax 23.2% over the year earlier period,
the data showed. In comparison, growth in net direct tax collections up to July 2016 in the previous financial
year stood at 24% while growth in personal tax collections was 46.5% and corporate tax collections 2.84%.
• The slowdown in the overall economy as well as the impact of a high growth base last year could be the
factors responsible for slower growth in direct tax inflows, said experts.
• A slowdown in personal tax collections could also reflect a slowdown in small business activity, since salary
income tends to grow from year to year.
• Direct tax collections up to July 2017 in the current financial year 2017-18 continue to register steady
growth. Direct tax collection during the said period, net of refunds, stands at Rs. 1.90 lakh crore which is
19.1% higher than the net collections for the corresponding period of last year. Govt however warned
against drawing a conclusion about the efficacy of the government’s various efforts to widen the tax net —
such as demonetisation —based on these numbers.
Millions of companies are still not ready to file their first returns under GST
• Millions of companies in India are still not ready to file their first returns under the new Goods and Services
Tax (GST) ahead of an Aug. 20 deadline, a top official told Reuters, urging them not to leave things to the
eleventh hour.
• Navin Kumar, chairman of the GST Network, also said barely half of the 34 service providers accredited to
help firms bulk-file invoices online had received approval to go live.
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• Yet he gave an assurance that the huge IT back end that is designed to crunch up to 3 billion invoices a
month and calculate companies’ taxes would be stable, even if there is a last-minute rush to file.
• Billed as India’s biggest-ever tax reform, the GST has replaced a slew of federal and state levies. It has also
cleared barriers between India’s 29 states, uniting its 1.3 billion people into a common market for the first
time.
• Yet the complexity of the tax — which has main rates of 5, 12, 18 and 28% and multiple exceptions — has
raised concerns that companies will struggle to comply and file their monthly returns on time.
• Even before the GST filings kick in, business surveys showed both the services and manufacturing sectors
contracting at their fastest rate in years, heralding a likely dip in indirect tax revenues.
• The government has allowed firms to file simplified, self-assessed GST returns by Aug. 20 for the month of
July, when the tax was introduced.
• They will have to file complete returns in early September that itemise and reconcile every single sales
invoice under a regime that, by comparison with other countries, is labour- and data-intensive.
• More than 7 million existing taxpayers have activated accounts on the GST’s portal — although about a third
have yet to complete the form-filling required to file a full tax return, Mr. Kumar said.
• Another 1.3 million new firms have registered to pay GST.
India’s First Private Sector Missile Sub-systems manufacturing Facility

• India’s first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facility, a joint venture between the $2.5 billion
Kalyani Group and Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., was inaugurated near Hyderabad.
• To begin with, the Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS) plant will make anti-tank guided missile
(ATGM) Spike and the production is expected to begin in a few weeks, Kalyani Group chairman Baba N.
Kalyani said. Besides supplying to the Indian Army, the plan is to export to South East Asian countries, he
added.
• Formed in line with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Centre and the policy to encourage private sector
participation in defence production, the 51:49 joint venture will develop a wide range of advanced
capabilities.
• These include command control and guidance, electro-optics, remote weapon systems, precision guided
munitions and system engineering for system integration. The plant would employ more than 300 engineers
and provide indirect employment to 1,000 people.
• On the plant’s ATGM capacity, Rafael Advanced Defence Systems president and CEO Maj. Gen. (retired)
YoavHar-Even said: “We are speaking in thousands of the air-to-surface missiles.”
• The localisation content is 90% and most of the vendors are in and around Hyderabad.
• Telangana Industries and IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao, said that more than 30,000 researchers and scientists
and 1,000 MSME units in and around the city were working in the areas of defence systems.
India conveys its pitch for a sovereign rating upgrade

• To convey India’s pitch for a sovereign rating upgrade better, the finance ministry has begun interacting with
global rating agencies through teleconferences and e-mails on a more regular basis to give clarifications
and updates regarding the economy.
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• While India has done well on attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), its sovereign credit rating has not
improved owing to unfavourable debt and deficit indicators, the Department of Industrial Policy and
Promotion
• (DIPP) has told the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Commerce.
• The committee had asked the government to explain the rationale behind rating agencies flagging ‘low
private investments’ as a constraint towards raising the country’s rating and whether high FDI flows are not
sufficient to improve the country’s business outlook.
• FDI has a relatively small weight in the total criteria. India fares well in the case of FDI but because the debt
and deficit indicators are not favourable, ratings are not improved.
• The government also informed the committee that it had taken several steps to improve India’s sovereign
credit rating, including introduction of a structural interaction process with rating agencies, to provide them
the information they need.
• The Secretary in the Department of Economic Affairs chairs an annual review meeting on India’s sovereign
rating with agencies, which is followed by interactive meetings with officials.
• During these meetings, government presents its perspective to rating agencies about the strengths of the
Indian economy and recent initiatives taken. DEA encourages agencies to also consider the long-term credit
strengths of the economy in a holistic manner, and, in view of such strengths, consider upgrading the rating
of India’s sovereign debt.
• A detailed cross-country presentation about the comparative position of India and other similarly rated
economies on key economic indicators is also made. Separately, the Economic Affairs Secretary meets
rating agency representatives on the sidelines of IMF and World Bank meetings usually held in Washington
during September or October.
Service sector activity in July slowed to its lowest level

• Service sector activity in July slowed to its lowest level since September 2013, due in large part to the
implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, according to a private sector survey.
• The Nikkei India Services Purchasing Managers’ Index registered a reading of 45.9 in July, falling from the
eight-month high of 53.1 seen in June. A reading over 50 indicates expansion and one below 50 implies a
contraction in activity.
• The report claimed business conditions in India’s service economy deteriorated markedly in July following
the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
• Output and new work declined for the first time since January, with rates of reduction the quickest since
September 2013.
• That said, firms expressed a lack of knowledge regarding the GST and expect more clarity in the near-term
to lead to activity growth.
• The slowdown in services activity coincides with a similar sharp slowdown in manufacturing activity in July,
with the Manufacturing PMI registering a reading of 47.9, the lowest it has been since February 2009.
• Ms. De Lima, however, highlighted the fact that while the slowdown was attributed to the implementation of
the GST, confidence for the future was at a 11-month high.
• Services firms surveyed said that the introduction of the GST had caused a contraction in new work, leading
to lower activity. This drop in new business inflows resulted in a fall in output, the first such
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RBI Governor expects lenders to pass on lower loan costs to borrowers

• With commercial banks having a tendency to reduce interest rates only for prospective customers in order to
push new business.
• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel said he expected lenders to pass on lower loan costs to
borrowers who had not received the full benefit of the reductions in the policy rate.
• RBI cut the policy repo rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 6%. A percentage point comprises 100 bps.
• The banking regulator noted that banks mainly reduced rates for segments where competition was high as
in the case of home loans and personal loans.
• The central bank has reduced the repo rate by 200 bps since January 2015.
• While banks cut the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) sharply in January — by up to 90 bps
— the reduction in the base rate, which was the earlier loan pricing regime, was much lower.
• Since MCLR has been operational only from April 2016, a large proportion of loans are still linked to the
base rate and such borrowers have not benefited to the extent of the new borrowers.
• The difference between the base rate and MCLR, for some banks, is as high as 90-100 bps. The RBI said it
will address Base Rate rigidity to improve transmission.
Centre will consider including a ‘one-nation one-licence’ regime in the new telecom policy
• The Centre will consider including a ‘one-nation one-licence’ regime in the new telecom policy that is set to
come out next year.
• The move, if implemented, is likely to remove the distinction between local and STD calls, as service
providers will not need separate licences for operations in various parts of the country. A single licence
would suffice.
• There will have to be a significant amount of rewriting and administrative reform in the Telecom Ministry so
that we are able to actually move to some of the things like one nation.
• Creation of ‘one-nation one-licence’ policy across services and service areas, was also the one of the
objectives of the National Telecom Policy 2012.
• Department of Telecom would also come out with a White Paper that will spell out what the government
wanted to achieve through the policy.
• The draft of the new policy is likely to be out by December, while the final policy is expected to be ready by
March 2018.
Manufacturing PMI records very steep contraction

• Manufacturing activity in July slowed to 47.9, the lowest level since February 2009, according to the Nikkei
Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, due almost entirely to the introduction of the Goods and
Services Tax on July 1.
• The reading was significantly lower than the 59.9 seen in June. A score above 50 implies an expansion of
activity while one below 50 denotes a contraction.
• PMI survey data indicated that the introduction of the goods & services tax (GST) weighed heavily on the
Indian manufacturing industry in July,” the report said.
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• New orders and output decreased for the first time since the demonetisation-related downturn recorded in
December last year, with rates of contraction the steepest since February 2009 in both cases.
• “According to Indian manufacturers, higher tax rates sparked greater cost burdens in July,” the report
added. “However, the pace at which input costs rose was moderate and much weaker than its long-run
average.”
• The report also said that the 12-month outlook for output remained positive in July due to companies’
expectation that greater clarity on GST would bolster growth.
Centre has put on hold a plan to enable monetisation of land assets owned by AAI
• The Centre has put on hold a plan to amend the law to enable monetisation of land assets owned by the
Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced in the Union Budget 2017-18.
• The Centre had initiated a proposal for amending the AAI Act, 1994, for liberalising land use at airports
owned by AAI as mentioned in the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016.
• However, the GMR-led Delhi International Airports Ltd. had challenged the NCAP provision in Delhi High
Court which declared it as “ultra-vires.”
US aircraft manufacturer says India would require 2,100 planes over the next 20 years
• U.S.-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing said that India would require 2,100 planes over the next 20 years
valued at $290 billion.
• In its annual Current Market Outlook report, Boeing revised its forecast for aircraft demand by 13% from the
previous year when it had said India would need 1,850 planes in the next two decades.
• The increasing number of passengers combined with a strong exchange rate, low fuel prices and high load
factors bodes well for India’s aviation market, especially for the low-cost carriers.
• Single-aisle airplanes, such as Boeing 737, will account for 85% of the expected plane deliveries, Boeing
said.India’s domestic air traffic grew 17.7% in May – the highest growth rate globally, according to
International Air Transport Association (IATA).
• According to its global projections, there will be a demand for 41,030 new planes over the next two decades
with Indian carriers accounting for more than 5% of the total global demand.
• Mr. Dinesh Keskar was upbeat about the Centre’s regional connectivity scheme (RCS) and said Boeing
could increase its projection next year depending upon the scheme’s progress.
NITI Aayog to examine methanol as an alternative propellant

• Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari held a high-level stakeholders meeting to deliberate
upon a strategy to use methanol as an alternative fuel in automobiles.
• The Minister has asked government think-tank NITI Aayog to study the automobile standards developed in
China to use methanol as an alternative fuel.
• “Methanol economy will help India use its vast reserves of coal while driving import substitution. Research in
converting carbon dioxide to methanol is promising and can be a game-changer for methanol economy,” Mr.
Gadkari said
• In its presentation, Niti Aayog said methanol is a promising fuel for waterways as it is clean,
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be made out of coal and informed that a pilot project was already underway in Talcher in Odisha.
• India imports methanol from Saudi Arabia and Iran at present, the think-tank said, adding that it is working
on a roadmap for conversion from coal to methanol.
• The government think-tank also said that methanol can be produced from municipal waste as well.
Inputs from academia sought by commerce ministry

• Commerce Minister sought inputs from the academia on three topics — Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) review,
the proposed revamp of manufacturing and industrial policies and India’s proposal at the WTO on services
sector liberalisation.
• Minister said she would like to receive inputs from the students and faculty as soon as possible on the FTP
2015-20 so that a comprehensively reviewed FTP can be released by September.
• In the backdrop of the Centre working on a new manufacturing and industrial policy to increase the
contribution of the manufacturing sector in the country’s GDP to 25% by 2020 from the current level of about
16%
• Minister said as the (global) Industrial Revolution 4.0 is happening, the country needs more research on this
emerging area showing how Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) will impact
India’s manufacturing and services.
• It is learnt that India’s new manufacturing and industrial policies will bring manufacturing and services closer
to ensure an increase in the contribution of services to manufacturing.
• Since India is already a part of many ‘global value chains’, the two new policies will aim to make India a
global manufacturing hub in items including textile, pharmaceuticals and electronics.
• The Centre is working on these new policies to align the current manufacturing policy (of 2011) and the
industrial policy (of 2009) with the Fourth Industrial Revolution that includes AI, robotics and IoT.
• Referring to India’s proposal at the WTO on a Trade Facilitation in Services (TFS) Agreement for easing
norms, including on movement of foreign professionals and skilled workers across borders for short-term
work.
• These include, among others, difficult business environment, infrastructural constraints, including peak
power deficit, labour market limitations including a surfeit of labour legislation(s) and trade unionism as well
as the difficulty in availing commercial bank credit particularly for small firms.
CAG report says Indradhanush scheme was not implemented in a manner envisaged
• The Centre’s ‘Indradhanush’ scheme to recapitalise public sector banks (PSBs) based on their performance
was not implemented in a manner envisaged, according to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General
of India (CAG)
• According to the CAG report tabled in Parliament, as per the scheme, a portion of the recapitalisation was to
be based on the bank’ performance. However, this was not followed during disbursal of funds.
• The CAG report said gross NPAs with PSBs had risen sharply in recent years, from Rs. 2.27 lakh crore as
of March 31, 2014 to about Rs. 5.4 lakh crore at the end of March 2016.
• The parameters used to determine whether banks required capital changed from year to year and in some
years the rationale for capitalising banks was not even recorded.
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• The audit report said the scheme’s target of raising Rs. 1.1 lakh crore from the markets by 2018-19 was not
likely to be met.
• Audit also noticed that in some cases the rationale for distribution of GOI capital among different PSBs
(Public Sector Banks) was not on record.
• The report added that said some banks that did not qualify for additional capital as per the decided norms,
were infused with capital, and in some cases, banks were infused with more capital than required.
Amazon India opens centre in Lucknow

• Amazon India has announced its second Fulfilment Centre in Uttar Pradesh. Spread over about 50,000
sq.ft. with over 35,000 cubic feet of storage space, Amazon said the new centre would empower thousands
of small and medium businesses to leverage the growth of the digital economy and reach a wider customer
base.
• With this, Amazon.in now has two fulfilment centres in Uttar Pradesh, offering close to 1,50,000 cubic feet of
storage space to ensure faster delivery.
Air India divestment

• Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport set to meet government officials.
• A Parliamentary Standing Committee has sought details from the government on its strategic disinvestment
plans for national carrier Air India.
• The department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, chaired by
Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Mukul Roy, is set to meet the Central government officials.
• The agenda of the meeting is to hear the views of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Department of Investment
and Public Asset Management (Ministry of Finance) and Air India on Disinvestment of Air India.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in June
gave its in-principle approval for the strategic disinvestment of Air India and its subsidiaries.
• The CCEA also set up a group of ministers under Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to examine the modalities of
the national carrier’s stake sale. The Ministerial group will decide upon the “treatment of unsustainable debt
of
• Air India, hiving off of certain assets to shell company, de-merger and strategic disinvestment of three profit-
making subsidiaries, quantum of disinvestment and the universe of bidders.”
• Hours after the Union Cabinet gave its nod for Air India’s strategic disinvestment, India’s largest low-cost
carrier IndiGo expressed interest in acquiring the flag carrier’s airline business, mainly related to its
international operations.
• Tata Sons were also said to be reportedly in talks with the government to seek more details about the
national carrier’s strategic disinvestment.
• Minister of State Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Rajya Sabha that the decision to divest a stake in Air
India was based on government think-tank NITIAayog’s recommendations.
• In its recommendations, the Aayog had given the rationale for the disinvestment of Air India and has
attributed the main reason as fragile finances of the company. AI has been incurring continuous losses and
has huge accumulated losses.
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• Air India’s market share on domestic routes had declined to 14.2% in 2016-17, from 17.9% in 2014-15. Air
India had accumulated total debt of Rs. 48,876 crore till March 31, 2017. The carrier has been reporting
continuous losses due to its high debt with its net loss at Rs. 3,728 crore in 2016-17, compared with Rs.
3,836 crore in 2015-16.
NPAs at rise of Bandhan Bank

• Bandhan Bank Ltd.’s (BBL) recovery of loans has been impacted by talk of farm-loan waivers in three States
and the ongoing strike in Darjeeling and adjoining areas.
• Gross NPAs had increased to Rs. 175 crore in the quarter ended June 30, 2017, from Rs. 86 crore at
March-end. The bank ended the first quarter with a net NPA of 0.49% against 0.14% a year earlier.
• Majority of the NPAs was on account of defaults in three States — Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and
Maharashtra.
• Pointing out that although Bandhan was not into farm loans, but had lent to allied sectors like horticulture,
where repayment was affected as borrowers were misled into thinking that they need not repay their loans.
• The impact of the Darjeeling stalemate, prolonged strike had begun to impact recoveries and feared that the
worst was yet to come.
• Bandhan Bank is planning to sell mutual fund and general insurance products initially through 50 of its 840
branches.
• The tie-up with perhaps about three asset management companies, is to be finalised by September.
• BBL closed the first quarter with a 35% rise in profit at Rs. 327 crore with a matching credit growth and a
51% growth in savings deposits.
• Its CASA (current and savings account) ratio was 26.3% against 14.7% a year earlier. BBL aims to grow the
MSME (medium, small and micro enterprise) portfolio, which accounted for 90% of its Rs. 21,389 crore
advances in the first quarter.
• It is also looking to boost the affordable housing sector. The erstwhile MFI started its banking journey in
August 2015.
India-U.K. auto trade

• Britain and India have the potential to expand post-Brexit trade in the auto sector, as exports of U.K.-made
cars to India rose 8.3% in the first half of the year, while those of Indian-made cars to the U.K. almost
doubled.
• The 8.3% rise in sales of U.K. cars was driven by increased demand for British-made luxury cars, while the
number of India-built cars rose by 48.6%.
• Mike Hawes, the chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), said that there
were many opportunities for growth in areas such as in the development of autonomous, connected
vehicles, as well as in the Indian after-market segment.
• The U.K. currently has a negligible part of that market in India, but have a lot of expertise and there are a lot
of products that could be developed.
• The SMMT has been pushing for interim arrangements that maintain access to the single market and
customs union to avoid a cliff-edge situation.
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Gold import duty to be reduced

• The government is planing to bring down import duty on gold to 2% from 10% to make Indian jewellery
competitive in the international market.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recommended to the finance ministry to drastically reduce the
import duty, said Manoj Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• We have urged the Finance Ministry to reduce import duty on gold. The CAD position has substantially
improved and now there is a case to look at it. We have recommended 2% duty.
Pressure is mounting on India to open up its public procurement market

• Pressure is mounting on India to open up its more than $300 billion-worth public procurement market under
the proposed mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) called the Regional Comprehensive Economic
Partnership (RCEP).
• Public/government procurement broadly refers to the process by which government, its
agencies/departments and State-owned enterprises procure goods and/or services only for their own use,
and not for sale/resale commercially.
• An increasing number of countries including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand as well
as a few from the 10-member ASEAN bloc including Singapore and Malaysia, were pushing for binding
commitments to mutually liberalise government procurement markets.
• Incidentally, 16 countries agreed to constitute a Working Group on government procurement to take forward
negotiations on the topic and include it as a separate chapter in the final agreement.
• The maximum extent that India could go to, is to agree to ensure transparency and cooperation in
government procurement matters (including information exchange and sharing of knowledge) as part of the
RCEP agreement.
• Though RCEP member countries including Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore
may not have a “PSU culture” as such, they had norms that indirectly made it difficult for foreign firms,
including from
• India, to take part in their public procurement process.
• Countries like China, Japan and South Korea, may outwardly have an open procurement market, but make
it difficult for foreign firms to participate by phrasing requirements in local language.
• This ensures that domestic firms with a grasp over the local language get to submit the documents on time,
unlike foreign firms who get hit by the language barrier.
• India is not a signatory to the Government Procurement Agreement within the WTO framework because it
wants to retain its policy space to meet its development needs through public procurement process.
• In May, the Indian government had brought out a policy providing preference in government procurement to
local goods and services suppliers.
• This was to push the ‘Make In India’ initiative, ensure greater flow of capital and technology into domestic
services and manufacturing, and in turn, boost job creation locally as well as promote small enterprises.
• Then in June, it came up with an order restricting or excluding from public procurement tenders in India, the
firms from those nations where Indian suppliers are not allowed to participate and/or compete in government
procurement process.
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Economic activity is expected to rebound due to a supportive monetary policy says Fitch
• Economic activity is expected to rebound due to a supportive monetary policy, the effect of the Goods and
Services Tax, and the eventual formalisation of the economy due to demonetisation, according to a report
by Fitch Ratings.
• The withdrawal of cash due to demonetisation had temporarily hurt economic growth in India, it said.
• “Nevertheless, we expect growth to pick up soon, helped by the supportive monetary policy of the previous
two years — which was facilitated by a surge in bank liquidity due to demonetisation — and stepped-up
structural reforms,” the report added.
• The report also highlighted uncertainty over the government committing to reducing its debt and the
detrimental effect of farm loan waivers on states’ finances.
RCEP talks
• India’s reservations regarding the potential adverse impact of eliminating duties on its local manufacturing
and job creation is understood to be slowing down the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
(RCEP) negotiations.
• The RCEP is a proposed mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) involving 16 Asia Pacific nations including
India and China, and aims, among other things, to liberalise investment norms in the region, besides
boosting trade by dismantling most tariff and non-tariff barriers.
• While most RCEP countries have agreed to quickly eliminate barriers affecting goods trade, India is seeking
more time to do so, and that is delaying the negotiations.
• The talks have already missed many deadlines and it looks like the negotiators won’t be able to conclude it
this year.
• Asia Pacific is a fast growing region, but trade between countries in the region is affected by several
barriers. If RCEP talks are not concluded quickly and these barriers are not eliminated, the region will miss
out on many opportunities.
• Meanwhile, Indian companies and industry bodies, including CII, flagged their concerns. The Centre’s ‘Make
In India’ initiative to boost manufacturing and job creation could be hit by a hurried pact.
• India’s trade deficit [annual] with RCEP nations is about $100 billion, and half of this is with China alone
even without an FTA with China.
• Post India’s FTA with ASEAN, Japan and Korea [who are all RCEP members], our trade deficit with them
have increased, and the government needs to take this into account during RCEP negotiations.
• Eliminating duties under the RCEP will impact many sectors including steel, aluminium, auto-components,
many engineering items and readymade garments.
• CII Trade Policy Committee chairman Deep Kapuria said while many countries were urging greater focus on
duty elimination, India ought to highlight the need for removal of non-tariff barriers including those in China.
Insurance companies can no longer retain unclaimed amounts

• Insurance companies can no longer retain unclaimed amounts of policyholders if those accruals are more
than 10 years old. Such sums need to be, instead, transferred to the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund (SCWF)
of the Centre.
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• All insurers having unclaimed amounts of policyholders for a period of more than 10 years as on September
30, 2017 need to transfer the same to the SCWF on or before March 1, 2018.
• The direction from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has come in the backdrop
of the amendment made in April to the Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund Rules.
• The amendment expanded the purview beyond the unclaimed amounts in small savings and other saving
schemes of the Centre, PPF and EPF.
• It brought in unclaimed amount lying with banks, including cooperative banks and RRBs; dividend accounts,
deposits and debentures of companies coming under the Companies Act; insurance companies and Coal
Mines PF.
• Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar had informed the Lok Sabha that unclaimed deposits
as on March 31, 2016, with insurers (life and non-life) totalled Rs. 11,725.45 crore, rising sharply from the
Rs. 7,227.23 crore in the previous year.
• Details as to how much of the unclaimed amounts was more than ten years were not immediately available.
Unclaimed amounts include sum payable as death claim, maturity claim, survival benefit, premium due for
refund and indemnity claims.
Indian dairy industry:

• The Indian dairy sector, providing livelihood to 15 crore farmers, would be severely hit if import duties on
milk and milk products were eliminated under any Free Trade Agreement (FTA) including the Regional
• Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), according to the local dairy cooperative Amul.
• Separately, farmers’ organisations have threatened to hold nationwide protests if the dairy sector is opened
up under the RCEP the proposed mega-regional FTA involving 16 Asia Pacific nations including India or any
other FTA including those proposed separately with Australia and New Zealand.
• As against 15 crore dairy farmers in India, there were only 12,000 of them in New Zealand and 6,300 in
Australia.
• Currently, the duty on milk and milk products ranges from 40% to 60%, which gives the local industry
enough protection to build its competitiveness.
• However, if the duty is drastically reduced or eliminated under any FTA, the local industry would find it
difficult to compete against producers, particularly from RCEP members like Australia and New Zealand
which control more than 35% of the global dairy trade and in excess of 50% of the intra-RCEP trade.
Rs. 7 lakh crore for highways

• The Centre will invest about Rs. 7 lakh crore in developing national highways in the next five years, the
Road Transport and Highways Ministry said in a statement.
• Estimated a fund requirement of about Rs. 6.92 lakh crore for the development of National Highways in the
country during the next five years. The funds would be sourced through gross budgetary support, central
road fund and toll remittances, among others.
Indian pharma gets boost:

• Russia’s Chelyabinsk region is seeking proposals from Indian pharmaceutical companies
looking to set up manufacturing units there with a local partner. Page: 190

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• While some manufacturers are eyeing the prospect of a local production facility as it would translate into
easier and greater access to Russia the largest market in the Central and Eastern Europe region they are
unlikely to move fast for want of more clarity.
• Indian manufacturers were keen to know more about tax benefits that the Russian region would offer and
the availability of infrastructure facilities for joint venture units.
• Details on size of investment, specific product range the region is looking at and whether the government of
Chelyabinsk would invest in the JV and provide buy-back facility were also sought.
• The invitation of Chelyabinsk, a region straddling the continental boundary of Asia and Europe, assumes
significance in the context of growing emphasis in Russia to accord preference to locally made products.
• Indian pharma exports to Russia have been showing negative growth in recent years due to regulatory
requirements and that government’s policies encouraging self sustenance.
• The Russian government is pursuing a Vision 2020 Document with a focus on building self reliance in drugs.
RCEP talks:
• India is ‘fully committed’ to taking forward the negotiations for a mega Free Trade Agreement (FTA) called
the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), to ensure that it is a ‘balanced’ pact that
benefits all the 16 Asia-Pacific nation.
• While the RCEP negotiations aiming to liberalise norms in the 16 countries including India and China to
boost trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region are underway behind closed doors at the Hyderabad
• International Convention Centre, several people’s groups from across the country held demonstrations
demanding a halt to the talks.
• They claimed that the mega-regional FTA will, among other things, adversely impact not only farmers’ rights
but also access to affordable medicines, besides threatening the protections to India’s digital industry.
• Amid fears that the FTA will result in a surge in inflow of cheap goods into India from these countries
including China, in turn impacting the Indian industry and farmers.
• This is the 19th Round of the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee meeting at the technical level. In addition
to this, so far there have been four Ministerial Meetings and three ‘Inter-sessional Ministerial Meetings’.
• India Inc. is learnt to have reservations against India undertaking any binding commitment to immediately
eliminate duties on most traded goods, as part of the FTA.
• India is pushing for liberalisation of services, including easing norms for movement of professionals across
borders for short-term work. However, the slow progress of the services negotiations has been worrying
India.
Jio’s 4G handset:
• Reliance Jio’s plan to introduce a cheap 4G handset will accelerate Internet adoption in India and is also
likely to help reverse the recent decline in telecom industry’s revenue, according to Fitch Ratings.
• The new telecom major is also likely to gain revenue market share as the new handset will attract first-time
4G users.
• Jio’s 4G handset is likely to quickly replace 2G handsets in rural areas, where smartphones had previously
been out of reach for many customers.
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• Growth will be driven by increased data consumption and a rise in average spending per user. The monthly
tariff on Jio’s 4G phone of $2.3 is more than 50% above the current average revenue per rural user, most of
which are on 2G phones and consume minimal data.
• Reliance Jio’s higher monthly tariffs on the handset may limit the impact on the revenue market share of
incumbents such as Bharti Airtel.
• Incumbents might also see some benefits to the extent that Jio’s strategy increases adoption of 4G and
helps develop India’s smartphone culture raising data usage and average spending across the market.
GST irks solar players

• Ambiguity surrounding the Goods and Services Tax rate on various inputs is troubling the solar sector, with
industry players also saying that their suppliers are not passing on the benefit arising out of input tax credits,
leading to higher prices and eventually higher tariffs for customers.
• While the government is saying that there is a 5% rate on solar components, the truth is that the weighted
average rate comes at about 10%. Some items are taxed at 18%, and some at the lower 5%. Others, like
inverters, are even taxed at 28%.
• While the 5% tax rate specified by the GST Council for solar components has increased the cost of the
projects, the ambiguity over the other inputs which are used for projects other than in the solar sector is
creating confusion among solar developers.
• Because GST is an end-use tax, the government cannot even discriminate between uses by saying that,
say, an inverter used for solar purposes will be taxed this much, but for other purposes at a higher rate.The
same is true for the other components as well.
MPC members need to observe a “silent period” 7 days before and after decision
• The government appointees on the powerful Monetary Policy Committee will be paid Rs. 1.5 lakh per
meeting along with air travel and other reimbursements, but will need to observe a “silent period” seven
days before and after the rate decision for “utmost confidentiality”.
• The silent period and confidentiality requirements will also apply to the three RBI members, including the
Governor, on the panel that has been deciding on policy rates since October last year, the central bank has
said.
• The members of the RBI Governor-chaired panel, which has to hold meetings at least four times in a year,
are also required to be mindful of any conflict between their personal and public interest.
• The six-member MPC, constituted in September 2016, has three persons appointed by the central
government while the rest, including the Governor, are from the RBI.
• The panel is required to meet at least four times in a year and the RBI has been convening a bi-monthly
meeting of this committee.
• Their appointment is for a period of four years or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Apart from RBI
Governor Urjit Patel, Deputy Governor Viral V Acharya and Executive Director M.D. Patra are also part of
the committee.
• MPC members should also take adequate precaution to ensure utmost confidentiality of its policy decision
before that is made public and preserve confidentiality about the decision making process,
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• Each member of the MPC has one vote and in case the numbers are equal, the governor has the casting
vote.
• The MPC, which has the responsibility of achieving a set inflation target, should submit a report to the
government in case of failure to achieve the required target.
• In such instances, the report shall be sent to the central government “within one month from the date on
which the bank has failed to meet the inflation target“.
• All members need to disclose their assets and liabilities and update this information once every year. Also,
members cannot reveal outside the committee any confidential information accessed during the monetary
policy deliberations.
All about the Payment banks in India

• There are two kinds of banking licences that are granted by the Reserve Bank of India - universal bank
licence and differentiated bank licence.
• Payments bank comes under a differentiated bank licence since it cannot offer all the services that a
commercial bank offers. In particular, a payments bank cannot lend.
• It can take deposits upto Rs. 1 lakh per account and it can issue debit cards but not credit cards.
Commercial banks in India like State Bank of India or ICICI Bank, do not have any such restrictions.
• The main objective is to further financial inclusion by providing small savings accounts and
payments/remittance services to migrant labour workforce, low income households, small businesses and
other unorganised sector entities.
• A payments bank can work as a business correspondent (BC) of another bank. They can also distribute
simple financial products like mutual fund units and insurance products.
• Out of the 11 entities that received in-principle licence for opening payments bank, 7 entities received the
final licence. Four payments banks have started operations — Airtel Payments Bank, India Post Payments
Bank, Paytm Payments Bank and Fino Payments Bank.
• RBI has mandated the minimum paid-up equity capital for payments bank at Rs. 100 crore.
• Apart from maintaining Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), these entities have to invest a minimum 75% of demand
deposit balances in Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)-eligible government securities or treasury bills.
• RBI permits non-bank Prepaid Payment Instrument (PPI) issuers, individuals and professionals, non-
banking finance companies (NBFCs), corporate business correspondents (BCs) etc for a payments bank
licence.
• Setting up of a joint venture by a promoter with an existing commercial bank is also allowed.
Paper mills sought uniform rate of duty for the paper sector under GST
• Paper mills that use recycled paper as raw material have sought uniform rate of duty for the paper sector
under Goods and Services Tax.
• Except for a few, most of the 800 paper mills in the country use recycled paper, according to P.G.
Mukundan, secretary general, Indian Agro and Recycled Paper Mills’ Association.
• With availability issues in the international market and prices fluctuating, the paper industry wants to
increase domestic sourcing of raw material and improve recovery rate.
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• The GST on wood chips and other raw materials attract only 5% GST. Value-added paper products such as
facial tissue attract 18% duty. There should be a uniform rate for paper and paper products and it should be
at a minimum.
• The association has sought clarification on other issues too. For instance, books distributed under Sarva
Shiksha Abhiyan scheme with World Bank funding was exempted from Excise Duty. There is no mention
about it in the GST.
World Customs Organisation decribes India's plan as best

• India’s National Trade Facilitation Action Plan (NTFAP), which aims to cut cargo release time for exports
and imports as part of measures to boost goods trade, has been described by the World Customs
Organisation (WCO) as a ‘best practice’ other nations can adopt.
• The WCO was impressed by the fact that as many as 51 of the 76 activities mentioned in the NTFAP “go
beyond” the implementation requirements of the World Trade Organisation’s Trade Facilitation Agreement
(TFA).
• The NTFAP, which is to be implemented between 2017 and 2020, is part of India’s efforts to improve its
ease of doing business ranking.
• While India’s overall rank in the World Bank’s Doing Business report is 130, it ranks 144 out of 190 nations
in the ‘Trading Across Borders’ category.
• The TFA — meant to ease Customs norms for faster flow of goods across borders — had come into effect
in February 2017.
• The WCO — the international body supporting the uniform implementation of the TFA across the globe —
has 182 member nations (including India) that manage more than 98% of world trade. India had ratified the
TFA in April 2016.
• As per the WTO, “the full implementation of the TFA could ... boost global trade by up to $1 trillion per year.”
The requirement to implement the TFA is directly linked to the capacity of the country to do so, the WTO
had said.
• The NTFAP further stated that “similarly, enhancement of existing compliance levels to achieve global
benchmarks in crucial segments like Time Release Study, Post Clearance Audit and AEO scheme belong to
the TFA Plus category as they are dynamic objectives.”
• Of the 51 “TFA-plus activities”, most (or 34) have a timeline of six to 18 months.
• These include alignment of India’s foreign trade policy with the GST regime and the WTO’s TFA, as well as
gate automation at ports, establishment of labs at sea/air ports, and complete automation of ‘transit
movement and transhipment procedures’.
• While 12 of the “TFA-plus activities” have a deadline of up to six months, five such activities have a timeline
of 18-36 months (including improving infrastructure).
• Of the 25 activities that are part of the TFA requirements, 17 will be implemented within 6-18 months, while
eight have a timeline of up to six months.
Floor price for voice, data not ‘workable’, says TRAI

• TRAI said that the industry had reached a consensus that fixing of floor price for voice and data services
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Study Materials
was not a “workable idea” at the moment, and the current regime of tariff forbearance would continue.
• Last month, some telecom services providers, in a meeting with TRAI, had sought imposition of a floor price
for both voice and data services.
• The operators had argued that telcos offering below cost tariffs to consumers over a period of time might
harm the industry and its financials. He added that no further discussion or meeting on the issue was
planned.
• Under forbearance regime, operators are allowed to fix their own tariffs on grounds that there is enough
competition in the market.
• TRAI chairman added that the consultation paper on introduction of 5G was “almost ready” and would be
out soon.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
SPORTS
ICC rule changes to apply for new series from today
• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has attempted to address several key issues by bringing in new rule
changes.
• The burgeoning size of bats has been among the major concerns. In a game favouring batsmen, these
oversized willows were making the contest even more lop-sided.
• Now, the ICC has adjudged that no bat can be more than 40 mm in thickness at the edges and 67mm at
any other point including the sweet spot.
• Another interesting change is the number of unsuccessful reviews reduced to two per innings of a Test;
there will be no top-ups after 80 overs. However, the ‘umpire’s call’ will not see a team losing a review.
• As per the new rules, a batsman who had grounded his bat or any part of the body behind the crease,
cannot be run-out or stumped even if his willow or frame is off the ground when the bails are subsequently
removed.
• The players can now be sent off for Level IV offences, that include physical violence.
• A bowler sending down a ‘deliberate’ no-ball can be removed from the attack by the umpires. The batsman
will not be allowed to take stance in the danger area.
Current Affairs MCQ

1. Which of the following are findings of National family health survey-4?
1. Infant mortality rate has been steady since National family health survey-3
2. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Uttarakhand has sex ratio of more than 1000
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A. 1 only B. 2 only
C. Both D. None
2. Who among the following has been appointed as the nodal agency for the purpose of registration and
accreditation of VOs/NGOs seeking funding from the Government of India?
A. Home Ministry B. NITI Aayog
C. PMO D. Finance Ministry
3. Which of the following is correct regarding National commission for Backward classes?
1. Commission came as a result of Indra Sawhney & Ors. Vs. Union of India case
2. Commission consists of five members and Chairman must necessarily be retired judge of the supreme
court
A. 1 only B. 2 only
C. Both D. None
4. Which of the following state does not share boundary with Myanmar?
A. Arunachal Pradesh B. Meghalaya
C. Manipur D. Nagaland
5. Consider the following form of taxes:
1. Income tax 2. Wealth tax
3. Fringe benefit tax
which of the following are part of direct tax?
A. 1 only B. 1,2
C. 2,3 D. All
6. Who heads the Defence Acquisition Council ?
A. Defence Minister
B. Defence Secretary
C. Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff
D. Director General (Acquisition)
7. RTI Act 2005 came into force on
(a) 12 October 2003 (b) 12 October 2005
(c) 12 October 2007
(d) 12 October 2009
8. Which of the below statements correct regarding BS Norms?
A) Bharat stage emission standards are emission standards instituted by the Government of India to
regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor
vehicles.
B) The standards and the timeline for implementation are set by the Central Pollution Control
Board under the Ministry of Environment & Forests and climate change Page: 196

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a) A only b) B only
c) Both A and B d) Neither A nor B
9. Consider the following statement about VVPAT is/are incorrect?
1. All elections except local bodies election uses VVPAT
2. VVPAT machine specially designed by the BHEL
A. 1 only B. 2 only
C. Both D. None
10. Myitsone dam is source of which of the following rivers?
A. Irrawaddy B. Mekong
C. Chao Phraya D. None of the above
11. Which of the following is correct regarding the exports in India?
1. Agricultural export is largest portion of Indian export
2. Petroleum sector accounts for close to 20 percent of all the exports.
A. 1 only B. 2 only
C. Both D. None
12. Which of the following is world's largest Tin producing country?
A. China B. Indonesia
C. Malaysia D. Japan
13. Which of the following is one of the goals of smart cities?
a) Providing safe investment avenues in infrastructure
b) Inclusive growth
c) Recasting India's urban landscape
d) None of the above
14. There is a concern over the increase in harmful algal blooms in the seawater of India. What could be the
causative factors for this phenomenon ?
1. Discharge of nutrients from the estuaries.
2. Run-off from the land during the monsoon.'
3. Upwelling in the seas.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
A. 1 only. B. 1 and 2 only.
C. 2 and 3 only. D. 1,2,and 3.
15. Which of the following is correct regarding Right to Education act?
1. The Right to Education of persons with disabilities until 18 years of age has also been made a
fundamental right.
2. It requires all private schools to reserve 25% of seats to children from poor families Page: 197

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A. 1 only B. 2 only
C. Both D. None
16. Which of the following will reduce the fiscal deficit in short term?
A. Increasing the expenditure on Public welfare programmes
B. Waving of the loans of farmers
C. Increasing the expenditure on ports and infrastructure building
D. More use of JAM trinity for subsidy distribution
17. Antibodies are
A. Proteins B. Glycoproteins
C. Carbohydrates D. Nucleic Acid
18. Consider the following statements :
The India-Africa Summit
1. held in 2015 was the third such Summit
2. was actually initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2 D. Neither 1 nor 2
19. President's recommendation is not required for introduction of which of the following bills?
A. Money Bill. B. Finance Bill.
C. Amendment Bill. D. Bill for the formation of new states or alteration of boundaries of a state.
20. UDAN scheme is related to which of the following?
A. Girl education B. Tribal upliftment
C. Aviation sector D. None
ANSWERS
1. (d) 2. (b) 3. (a) 4. (b) 5. (d) 6. (a) 7. (b) 8. (c) 9. (c) 10. (a)
11. (b) 12. (c) 13. (c) 14. (d) 15. (c) 16. (d) 17. (b) 18. (a) 19. (c) 20. (c)
Page: 198

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1927 Boycott of Simon Commission, Broadcasting started in India.

Important National Activities

The Indian National Congress

Swadeshi Movement (1905)

SSC Junior Engineer Exam

Formation of Muslim League (1906)

Demand for Swaraj

Surat Session of Indian National Congress (1907)

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