mock clat - 02 · clatfocus (march-2016) © circuit house road, near lic office, jodhpur (raj) ph:...

www.crackclat.com CLATFOCUS (March-2016)

© Circuit House Road, Near LIC Office, Jodhpur (Raj) Ph: 0291-2512639, 2511077 1

A monthly magazine of Current Affairs

March -2016

Chief Editor

Kanchan Deep Chaudhary

________________________________

Edited, Owned,

Printed & Published By

F-1/5, West Patel Nagar, Near LIC Office,

Circuit House Road, Jodhpur (Rajasthan)

Tel.0291-2512639, 2511077, 099290-74123

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.crackclat.com

CONTENTS

CRACK CLAT Bullets……………...2

Latest in General Knowledge………..4

Appointments

Awards & Honors

Books & Authors

Constitutional/Law

Defense

Economic Scenario

Ecology & Environment

Places

Report & Index

Software & Telecom

Persons in News…………………….9

Current Topics – India………………10

Current Topics – World…….............13

Latest in Sports……………………..16

Static GK Capsules………………....20

Current Affairs MCQs……………..21

Answer Key of MCQs……………..28

______________________

CRACK CLAT TUTORIALS Study Material is for

internal circulation. This booklet is not for sale

separately, and is only for our registered students.

All rights reserved. No part of this issue can be

reprinted in whole or in part without the written

permission of the publishers.

The editors and publishers of this magazine do their

best to verify the information published, but do not

take responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the

information.

All disputes subject to Jodhpur jurisdiction only.



CRACKCLAT Bullets

National

The Karnataka Mobile-One app has won gold

medal at the fourth World Government Summit in

Dubai, UAE in which category? m-Governance

Awards

Which Ministry has launched the National

Framework for Malaria Elimination 2016-30, in

February, 2016? Ministry of Health & Family

Welfare

Who has issued revised guidelines for Computer

Related Intentions (CRIs), in February, 2016?

Controller General of Patents, Designs and

Trademarks

Union Minister of Food Processing Industries

inaugurated the first Mega Food Park in which

State, in February, 2016? Jharkhand

India had signed the BRICS MoU in March, 2015 at

which place on the sidelines of 3rd

BRICS STI

Ministerial meeting. Now the Union Cabinet

apprised it. Brasilia (Brazil)

The Union Cabinet gave its nod in February, 2016

to amend which Section of the Delimitation Act,

2002 and which Section of the Representation of the

People Act, 1950? Section-11 and 9 Respectively

Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari launched a website

that is dedicated to the Union government‟s

Maritime India Summit 2016 to be held in April,

2016 at which event? Make in India Week

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Modi

has given its „in-principle‟ approval to the LIGO-

India mega science proposal for research on which

thing? Gravitational Waves

Which State is going to be the first State in the

country to have aquifer mapping done for its

groundwater resources? Haryana

Union Minister of Food Processing Industries

Harsimrat Kaur Badal inaugurated the Vibrant

North-East 2016 Summit and Exhibition at which

place? Guwahati

International

India ratified the Convention of Supplementary

Compensation for Nuclear Damage on February 4,

2016, marking an important step in addressing

matters related to civil nuclear liabilities. When it

will came into force? May 4, 2016

Which Ministry signed a Cooperation Agreement to

acquire the status of the Associate Member State

European Molecular Biology Organisation, in

February, 2016? Ministry of Science and

Technology

Which film has been selected the best children‟s

film at the Berlin International Film Festival and

honoured with the Crystal Bear award in the

„Generation KPlus‟ section? Ottaal

Electronic Tourist Visas (e-TVs) extended to

citizens of 37 more countries from February 26,

2016, taking the total number to 150 countries.

Name one new country that is added? Albania

Which country has declared an emergency three

weeks after a major oil pipeline burst, affecting

Chiriaco and Morona rivers in the country‟s North-

West? Peru

Economy & Banking

Who in its notification on differential pricing has

made its stand clear that no company to offer/charge

discriminatory tariffs for data on basis of content?

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Which Public broadcaster signed an MoU with

Empressa de Brazil Communicacao (EBC) for

activities related with broadcasting? Prasar

Bharati

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the

Shyama Prasad Mukherji National Rurban Mission,

at Kurubhat in Rajnandgaon district of which State?

Chhattisgarh

Who approved several steps to promote cashless

transactions and with this decision, the government

has completed its promise for such measures made

in the previous Budget? Union Cabinet

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra

Modi has given its approval for establishment of

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Self

Employment and Talent Utilisation in which

institution? NITI Aayog

The government-constituted an expert panel that

had suggested introduction of credible third-party

citification in most areas of regulation and adopting

global best practices for emission norms, among

other steps to cut down on multiple permissions

needed by investors. Who is the Chairman? Ajay

Shankar

Which company has launched its first Uridashi

Masala Bond; Japanese bond, in February, 2016?

International Finance Corporation

Science & Technology

The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced

in February, 2016 that the explosive spread of

which virus in the Americas is an „extraordinary



event‟ that merits being declared an international

emergency? Zika

A 12-member team of the Indian Army is

participating in the „Cobra Gold‟ multilateral

exercises being hosted by Thailand, along with its

counterparts from which countries? China and

Pakistan

Which space agency has successfully launched

Astro-H satellite, a new satellite mission in the hunt

for black holes? Japan

The researchers from Keele University in UK have

discovered five new planets designated as WASP-

119-b, WASP-124 b, WASP-126 b, WASP-129 b

and WASP-133 b. they are similar to which planet

of solar system? Jupiter

The fifth edition of „Exercise IBSAMAR‟ between

Brazil, India and South Africa held in the country‟s

West coast with the harbour phase being conducted

at which State? Goa

The Union Minister for Science & Technology and

Earth Sciences Dr. Harsh Vardhan released Seismic

microzonation reports for which States? Delhi and

Kolkata

A country home to nearly 70% of the world‟s tiger

population, will host the 3rd

Asia Ministerial

Conference on tiger conservation. Who is that?

India

The first fast-acting anti-rabies drug of the world,

which instantly deactivates the rabies virus and

provides immediate protection in severe dog bite

cases, is set for a launch in India. It automatically

precludes chances of transmitting blood-borne

infections that are present in what? Rabies

Immunoglobulin

India‟s first nuclear armed submarine is ready for

full-fledged operations after passed several deep sea

diving drills as well as weapons launch tests over

the past five months. Which ship accompanied that?

RFS Epron

Some birders have sighted a new bird Falcated

Duck on February 13, 2016, a very rare vagrant

species to the South of India. As on February 23,

2016, the bird became the latest addition to the

checklist of Birds of which State? Goa

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set

to launch the country‟s first solar mission. What is

its name? Aditya-L1

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), at the

behest of government of India, is working towards

the establishment of a Satellite Tracking & Data

Reception Station and Data Processing Facility in

which country? Vietnam

13th World Spice Congress that held from February

27 to 29, 2016 with the theme of the biennial event

is „Target 2020: Clean, Safe and Sustainable Supply

Chain‟. Where it was held? Ahmedabad

Which State emerged as the first digital State of the

country with ability to put all of its work, including

public dealing, online. With broadband connectivity

in every gram panchayat, the State has emerged

truly digital? Kerala

Scientists said they‟ve confirmed from a study that

a virus can cause Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare

but severe neurological disorder that kills 5% of

people who develop it. What is that virus? Zika

The government raised the Minimum Support Price

(MSP) of raw jute by 18.5% to RS 3200 per quintal

for 2016-17. What will be the profit? Production

will Boost

Sports

Which pair won the 2016 Syed Modi International

Grand Prix Gold Championship title in men‟s

doubles category? Goh V Shem and Tan Wee

Kiong (Malaysia)


Grand prix Gold Championship title in women‟s

doubles category? Jung Kyung-eun and Shin

Seung-chan (South Korea)


Grand prix Gold Championship Title in mixed

doubled category? Praveen Jordan and Deby

Susanto (Indonesia)

Who has won the 2016 Dubai ATP Tennis title in

the women‟s singles category by defeating Barbora

Strycova of Czech Republic Sara Errani

Which pair has won the 2016 Dubai ATP Tennis

title in the men‟s doubles category by defeating the

spanish pair Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez?

Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi (Italy)

Which pair won the 2016 Dubai ATP Tennis title in

the women‟s doubles category by defeating the

French pair of Caroline Garcia and Kristina

Mladenovic? Chuang Chia-jung and Darija

Jurak (China)

Who clinched his maiden title by winning the first

All India Open Invitational Snooker Championship

at Aurangabad, Maharashtra, in February, 2016?

Rahul Sachdev

Miscellaneous

Terry Wogan, a star of British television and radio

for decades, has died on January 31, 2016 at the age

of 77. The disc jockey and presenter was a staple of

British broadcasting, best known for his which

long-running BBC radio morning show? Wake Up

To Wogan

A veteran Urdu short story writer, poet and

journalist who was the first Pakistani author ever to

be nominated for the Man Booker International



Prize for fiction, passed away in February, 2016.

Who was that? Intizar Husain

Leslie Bassett, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer

known for his lush sonorities and ecumenical

instrumentation, died in February, 2016. He

received the Pulitzer in1966 for what? Variations

for Orchestra

Astronaut Edgar Mitchell lunar module pilot on

Apollo 14, passed away in February, 2016. He

alongwith whom set mission records for the time of

the longest distance traversed on the lunar surface?

Commander Alan Shephard

Who has been appointed as Nato and US Military

Commander in Afghanistan? Lieutenant General

John W. Nicholson

Eminent cartoonist Sudhir Tailang, Who chronicled

contemporary Indian politics with wit and humour,

died in February, 2016. When he awarded Padma

Shri? 2004

Nida Fazli, one of the Foremost Urdu poets of his

generation and a lyricist who brought a dash of

quality to Bollywood songs in the trashy 1980s

passed away in February, 2016. He mostly worked

with which music directors? Khayyam and RD

Burman

Who has been appointed as executive Vice-

Chairman of Delhi based The Energy and

Resources Institute (TERI)? Rajendra Kumar

Pachauri

A former Panchayati Raj Minister Kailash Yadav

passed away in February, 2016. He was an MLA

from which district of Uttar Pradesh? Ghazipur

Which edition of National Deworming Day is

observed in February, 2016 by the Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare that attempted the

world‟s largest deworming programme, covering 27

crore children from 11 States and 1 Union

Territory? Second

Australia announced the appointment of one Indian-

origin as the country‟s next High Commissioner to

India. Who is that? Harinder Sidhu

Which top Indian-origin lawyer in Singapore has

been named Vice-Chairman of Paris –based

International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)

Commission on Corporate Responsibility and Anti-

corruption? Davinder Singh

Latest in General Knowledge

Anniversaries & Days

March 8 : International Women‟s Day

March 8 : International Literacy Day

March 15 : World Disabled Day

March 15 : World Consumer Rights Day

March 18 : Ordnance Factories Day (India)

March 21 : World Forestry Day

March 21 : International Day for Elimination

of Racial Discrimination

March 22 : World Day for Water

March 23 : World Meteorological Day

March 24 : World TB Day

Appointments

Christine Lagarde appointed as MD of IMF for

second term: The Executive Board of the

International Monetary Fund (IMF) on February 19,

2016 selected Ms. Christine Lagarde to serve as

IMF Managing Director for a second five-year term

starting on July 5, 2016. Ms. Lagarde, the only

candidate nominated for the post, was backed by the

UK, Germany, China, and her home country,

France, to stay on for another five years.

D.J. Pandian appointed Vice President of AIIB:

Former chief secretary of Gujarat Mr. D.J. Pandian

was appointed Vice-President and Chief Investment

Officer of the newly-created Asian Infrastructure

Investment Bank (AIIB) on February 3, 2016. His

appointment was approved by AIIB. The retired

1981-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre has worked

on deputation with the World Bank in Washington.

Former CJI H.L. Dattu is new Chairperson of

NHRC: Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) Mr.

Handyala Lakshminarayanaswamy Dattu took over

as the new Chairperson of National Human Rights

Commission (NHRC) on February 29, 2016. 65-

year-old Justice Dattu will have tenure of five years.

The post had been lying vacant since May 2015,

when Mr. K.G. Balakrishnan demitted office after

five-year term. Justice Cyriac Joseph had been

functioning as the acting chairperson since then.

Ashok Chawla appointed as Chairman of TERI: The Governing Council of TERI on February 12,

2016 appointed Mr. Ashok Chawla, former Finance

Secretary to the Government of India and former

Chairman of the Competition Commission, as its

new Chairman. Mr. Ashok Chawla has taken over



from Mr. B.V. Sreekantan, who was serving as the

Chairman of TERI.

Kalikho Pul takes oath as new Chief Minister of

Arunachal Pradesh: Rebel Congress legislator Mr.

Kalikho Pul took oath as Arunachal Pradesh Chief

Minister, just hours after President‟s Rule was lifted

in the State which had been imposed on January 26,

2016. Arunachal Pradesh Governor Mr. Jyoti Prasad

Rajkhowa swore him the oath of office and secrecy

at a brief function organized at the Raj Bhavan in

the hill State on February 19, 2016.

Alok Kumar Verma takes charge as new

Commissioner of Delhi Police: Senior IPS officer

Mr. Alok Kumar Verma on February 29, 2016 took

charge as the new Commissioner of Delhi Police,

succeeding Mr. B.S. Bassi. Minutes after he took

charge, Mr. Verma called a meeting of all special

commissioners, joint commissioners, deputy

commissioners at the Conference Hall of Delhi

Police Headquarters.

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

A Handbook for My Lover – By Rosalyn D‟

Mello

Going for Gold – By Nanda Menon

1962: The War That Wasn’t – By Shiv Kunal

Verma, Aleph

The Oxford Handbook of Indian Foreign Policy

– Edited by David Malone, C. Raja Mohan, Srinath

Raghavan, Oxford University Press

CONSTITUTION/LAW/JUSTICE

Pregnancy Can’t Bar One from Joining Army as

Doctor: HC: The Punjab and Haryana High Court

has ruled that a woman candidate couldn‟t be

permanently debarred from joining as doctor in the

Army Medical Corps (AMC) on the pretext that she

had conceived during the selection process and that

such an action had no place in modern India. The HC also declared that the letter issued by the

director general of armed forces in October 22,

2009 – debarring a pregnant woman candidate from

commission – as illegal and unconstitutional.

In this case, a woman candidate had conceived

between the period of her application and

completion of final selection process. She was,

however, restrained for joining for being pregnant.

“Forcing a choice between bearing a child and

employment interferes both with a woman‟s

reproductive rights and her right to employment and

such an action could have no place in modern India.

Keeping the nature of employment in consideration,

the government could grant maternity leave or keep

a vacancy reserved which could be offered to a

candidate after childbirth,” the high court held.

Justice H. S. Sidhu passed these orders on February

1 while allowing a petition filed by a woman doctor

from Pathankot in Punjab, who was selected for

Short Service Commission as Captain in AMC in

June 2013. The copy of the order was released.

The petitioner had argued that reproductive process

of a woman could not be held mortgage to the

duration of the selection process and the right to

have a child could not be shackled by the chance

based or fortuitous length of the process of such

selection.

The petitioner informed the HC that after

completing her MBBS and MD, she was selected to

AMC on June 10, 2013 after clearing the requisite

selected process and on July 16, 2013 she was

declared medically fit to join the forces.

Finally, on February 10, 2014, she was asked to

report to Commandant of Military hospital

Pathankot to join her duty.

Defense

India’s first nuclear submarine INS Arihant

passes deep sea tests: India‟s first nuclear-armed

submarine is now ready for full-fledged operations,

having passed several deep sea diving drills as well

as weapons launch tests over the past five months.

The indigenously-built boat is now fully-operational

and over the past few months, several weapon tests

have taken place in secrecy that have proven the

capabilities of the vessel.

INS Arihant‟s design is based on the Russian

Akula-1 class submarine. It is a 6,000-tonne

nuclear-powered submarine and is 112-metre long.

Powered by 83 MW pressurized light-water reactor,

built with Russia‟s help, this reactor generates

tremendous heat, driving a steam turbine.

Exercise IBSAMAR between India, South

Africa, Brazil conducted in Goa: The fifth edition

of exercise IBSAMAR (India-Brazil-South Africa

Maritime) between Brazil, India and South Africa

was conducted in Goa from February 19 to 29,

2016. This is the first time that Exercise IBSAMAR

was conducted in Indian waters. All the previous

editions were being held off South Africa. The

primary aim of the exercise was to increase

interoperability amongst the three navies as well as

develop common understanding and procedures for

maritime security operations. The scope of Exercise

IBSAMAR V included wide-ranging professional

interactions during the Harbour Phase and a diverse

range of operational activities at sea during the Sea

Phase. The thrust of exercises at sea in 2016 was on

Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Surface Firings,

Air Defences, Visit Board Search and Seizure



(VBSS), Flying Operations, Search and Rescue and

Tactical Procedures.

India participates in Cobra Gold 2016

multilateral exercise: For the first time, India

participated in the Cobra Gold 2016 multilateral

amphibious exercise hosted by Thailand, along with

its counterparts from China and Pakistan. A 12-

member Indian Army delegation from Engineering

and Service Corps joined it. In this edition of

multilateral exercise, India has accorded as an

observer-plus status keeping in view its increasing

regional interoperability. The theme of the exercise,

involving 35 countries and 8,564 personnel, was

humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. The 35th

edition of the exercises, considered Asia‟s largest

multinational drill, was conducted from January 20

to February 18, 2016. Cobra Gold multilateral

amphibious exercise is the largest Asia-Pacific

military exercise held annually in Thailand. It was

first held in 1982 in order to improve relations and

coordination between the armed forces of Thailand

and the US in both humanitarian and hostile

military efforts. The exercise was proved effective

in improving coordinated military response during

numerous natural disasters, including the 2004

Indian Ocean tsunami, 2011 Tohoku tsunami and

aftermath 2013 Typhoon Haiyan in Philippines.

International Fleet Review 2016 concludes in

Visakhapatnam: International Fleet Review (IFR)

2016 of the Indian Navy was concluded on

February 8, 2016 along the coast of Visakhapatnam

in Andhra Pradesh. The 5-day long event was

hosted by the Indian Navy with the theme United

through Oceans. It was attended by Hon‟ble

President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee and Prime

Minister Mr. Narendra Modi. International Fleet

Review 2016 was aimed at assuring the country of

the Indian Navy‟s preparedness, high morale and

discipline. Considered as country‟s biggest military

exercise, friendly naval contingents from around the

world joined Indian navy‟s ships and submarines. It

saw the participation of 50 navies, 90 ships,

including 24 warships and over 70 aircraft. Besides,

ships of Indian Coast Guard and mercantile marine

also participated in the review. The list of

participating countries included the 5 permanent

members of the UNSC – the USA, China, the UK,

Russia and France apart from South Korea, Brazil,

Canada, etc. During the review, Indian navy

showcased latest acquisitions such as carrier-borne

MIG 29K strike fighter, the P81 long-range

maritime reconnaissance aircraft and the KM-31

AEW helicopter. Indian Navy‟s ships India‟s

biggest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, INS

Viraat, destroyers INS Mysore, INS Kolkata and

frigates – INS Satpura and INS Shivalik, Teg

participated in the event. Dolphin was chosen as the

mascot for the IFR-2016.

Economic Scenario

Cabinet approves Promotion of Payments

through Cards and Digital means: The Union

Government on February 24, 2016 approved

introduction of steps for promotion of payments

through cards and digital means. The move aims at

reducing cash transactions. Under the move no

surcharge, service charge, convenience fee will be

levied on card and digital payment. Steps will be

taken for payments beyond a prescribed threshold

mandatory through cards or digital mode.

Promotion of payments through cards and digital

means will be instrumental in reducing tax

avoidance, migration of Government payments and

collections to cashless mode. It will discourage

transactions in cash by providing access to financial

payment services to the citizens to conduct

transactions through card/digital means. It will help

in shifting payment ecosystem from cash-dominated

to non-cash/less-cash payments.

RBI extends Currency-Swap Arrangement with

SAARC nations: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on

February 23, 2016 extended the $2-billion SAARC

Currency Swap Arrangement till November 14,

2017. The extension aims at enhancing economic

cooperation and strengthens financial stability

within the SAARC region. Under this arrangement,

the RBI will offer Swap Arrangement up to an

overall amount of $2 billion both in foreign

currency and Indian rupee to SAARC nations. The

RBI had offered the SAARC Swap Arrangement to

SAARC nations on November 15, 2012.

Union Cabinet approves Trade Facilitation

Agreement: Union Cabinet on February 17, 2016

approved Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) of

the World Trade Organization (WTO). It approved

the Notification of Commitments, its ratification

and acceptance of the Instrument of Acceptance of

Protocol of TFA to the WTO Secretariat. India is

the 71st country to give nod to the agreement that

seeks to ease customs procedures to boost

commerce. As per the Trade Facilitation Agreement

adopted by the WTO on November 27, 2014 in

Geneva, Switzerland, the TFA shall enter into force

for the notified members (107 countries) upon

acceptance by two-third WTO Members. The TFA

contains provisions for expediting the movement,

release and clearance of goods, including goods in

transit. It also sets out measures for effective

cooperation between customs and other appropriate



authorities on trade facilitation and customs

compliance issues.

Ecology & Environment

Union Environment Ministry holds meeting of

National Steering Committee on Climate

Change: Union Environment Ministry held the

ninth meeting of the National Steering Committee

on Climate Change (NSCCC) on February 22,

2016. The meeting was presided by the Secretary of

MOEFCC, Ashok Lavasa. The Committee

approved the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) on

adaptation submitted by governments of Telangana,

Mizoram, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya and

Chhattisgarh for funding, under the National

Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) at a

total cost of approximately Rs. 108 crore for

implementation in these States.

Bharat Norms: Introduced in the year 2000, the

Bharat norms are emission control standards put in

place by the Union Government to keep a check on

air pollution. Based on the European regulations

(Euro norms), these standards set

specifications/limits for the release of air pollutants

from equipment using internal combustion engines,

including vehicles. Typically, the higher the stage,

the more stringent the norms. The Bharat Stage

(BS) IV norms were introduced in 13 cities apart

from the National Capital Region from April 2010.

Currently, BS IV fuel is being made available

across the country in stages, with the entire nation

expected to be covered by April 2017.

Honours & Awards

NATIONAL

Infosys Prize 2015: Hon‟ble President Mr. Pranab

Mukherjee on February 13, 2016 conferred Infosys

Prize 2015 on six winners in New Delhi. The

awards were received by Prof. Umesh Waghmare,

Prof. Jonardon Ganeri, Dr. Amit Sharma, Prof.

Mahan Mij, Prof. G. Ravindra Kumar and Dr.

Srinath Raghavan. Infosys prize was established in

2009 and is given in six categories: Engineering and

Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences,

Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and

Social Sciences.

Prime Minister Shram Awards 2014: Union

Ministry of Labour and Employment announced the

Prime Minister Shram Awards for the year 2014 on

February 9, 2016. There are nine nominations for

the Shram Bhushan Award, nineteen nominations

for Shram Vir or Shram Veerangana and 26

nominations for Shram Shree or Shram Devi

Awards.

Aryabhata Award 2013: Former Scientific

Adviser to Defence Minister and ex-DRDO chief,

Dr. Avinash Chander on February 25, 2016

received the prestigious Astronautical Society of

India‟s Aryabhata Award 2013. He received the

award from Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal

Scientific Adviser to the Union Government and Dr.

A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman ISRO, at ASI-ISRO

Awards function held at Space Applications Centre

(SAC) in Ahmedabad.

Bhimsen Joshi Award: Sarangi maestro Pandit

Ram Narayan on February 3, 2016 was selected for

the prestigious Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

Classical Music Award for 2015-16. It is an annual

award, which was instituted by the Maharashtra

Government and is given to individuals who have

excelled in classical vocal or instrumental music.

6th

National Science Film Festival: Nagaland is

changing, But…, a film on conservation efforts by

villagers, on February 13, 2016 won the Golden

Beaver Best Film Award in the institutional

category at the 6th National Science Film Festival

and Competition in Mumbai. The film also received

the technical excellence award for best sound

design at the festival, organized by Vigyan Prasar of

the Department of Science and Technology.

Dinanath Mangeshkar Award: Actor Ranveer

Singh was on February 26, 2016 selected for Pandit

Dinanath Mangeshkar Award. The award will be

bestowed upon Mr. Ranveer by Ms. Lata

Mangeshkar at a function to be held in Pune on

April 24, to commemorate Pandit Dinanath

Mangeshkar‟s death anniversary.

Mumbai International Film Festival for

Documentary, Animation and Short Films: Manipuri documentary film Phum-Shang on

February 3, 2016 bagged the prestigious Golden

Conch Award for the best documentary film at the

14th Mumbai International Film Festival for

Documentary, Animation and Short Films (MIFF

2016). The film is directed by Haobam Paban

Kumar. Swiss film My Name Is Salt and an Indian

film Placebo shared the Golden Conch Award for

the best feature-length documentary film.

INTERNATIONAL

UNESCO Medals: Eight scientists on February 5,

2016 received the UNESCO Medals for their

contributions to the development of nanoscience



and nanotechnologies at Paris. The winner of the

2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, Prof. Isamu Akasaki

was among the eight awardees. The Medal is

awarded each year by the Director-General of

UNESCO to prominent scientists, public figures

and organizations that contributed to the

development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies

in the spirit of UNESCO‟s priorities.

US Presidential Early Career Awards: US

President Mr. Barack Obama on February 18, 2016

named 106 researchers, including six of Indian

origin, as recipients of the Presidential Early Career

Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the

highest US Government honour for young

independent researchers. The winners will receive

their awards at a Washington, DC ceremony in the

spring of 2016. The Indian-Americans selected for

the Presidential Early Career Awards are: Shwetak

Patel, Rahul Mangharam, Sachin Patel, Milind

Kulkarni, Vikram Shyam and Kiran Musunuru.

Oscar Awards 2016: At the Dolby Theatre in Los

Angeles, USA, the most prestigious awards in

Cinematography, the Academy Awards, popularly

known as Oscars, were conferred in different

categories on February 28, 2016. It was the 88th

edition of the awards in which Leonardo DiCaprio

won the Best Actor Award for his performance in

The Revenant and Brie Larson bagged one for the

Best Actress for her role in Room. Awards for Best

Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best

Supporting Actress went to Alejandro G. Inarritu,

Mark Rylance and Alicia Vikander, respectively. Best Picture: Spotlight

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant

Best Actress: Brie Larson for Room

Best Director: Alejandro Inarritu for The Revenant

Best Supporting Actress: Alicia Vikander for The

Danish Girl

Best Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, Bridge of

Spies

Best Documentary Feature Film: Amy

French Knight of the Order of Arts and

Literature: Mr. Ismail Mahomed, an Indian-origin

art lover and playwright in South Africa, on

February 22, 2016 was conferred Knighthood by the

French government for his lifelong devotion to the

promotion of arts. Mr. Mahomed was bestowed The

Chevalier de I‟Ordre des Arts et Lettres (Knight of

the Order of Arts and Literature) by French

Ambassador Elisabet Barbier in Johannesburg.

Remi Award: Kanavu Variyam, a Tamil movie

directed by a Chennai-based techie Arun

Chidambaram, was selected for the prestigious

Remi Award. The award will be presented to

Chidambaram during the 49th WorldFest Houston

Inter-national Film Festival in April. The story of

Kanavu Variyam revolves around power cuts,

which is the most familiar problem faced by people

in Tamil Nadu.

Berlin International Film Festival: Malayalam

film Ottal was named the Best Children‟s Film on

February 21, 2016 at the 2016 Berlin International

Film Festival in Germany. It was honoured with the

Crystal Bear Award in the „Generation K-Plus‟

section. Golden Bear Award was given to film Fire

at Sea by Gianfranco Rosi. Best Actress Award was

presented to Trine Dyrholm for The Commune and

Best Actor Award was given to Majd Mostoura for

Hedi.

69th

British Academy Film Awards: The 69th

British Academy Films Awards (BAFTAs) were

announced on February 14, 2016. The award

ceremony was held at the Royal Opera House in

London. Wilderness drama The Revenant, starring

Leonardo DiCaprio, won the Best Film Award.

Brooklyn was named the Outstanding British Film

while Inside Out won the Best Animated Film. Amy

by Asif Kapadia won the award in Best

Documentary category. Leading Actor Award was

given to Leonardo DiCaprio for The Revenant,

whereas Leading Actress Award was presented to

Brie Larson for Room.

Inventions & Discoveries

US Engineers discover 2D Semiconducting

Material made of Tin Monoxide: Engineers

belonging to the University of Utah, the USA,

discovered a new kind of 2D semiconducting

material for electronics that is made up of the

elements tin and oxygen or tin monoxide (SnO).

The discovery was made by a team of engineers led

by Indian-origin Mr. Ashutosh Tiwari and

published online on February 15, 2016 in the

journal Advanced Electronic Materials. The only-

one-atom thick 2D SnO material allows electrical

charges to move through it much faster than

conventional 3D materials such as silicon and will

facilitate development of much speedier computers

and smartphones. Transistors and other components

used in electronic devices are currently made of 3D

materials such as silicon and consist of multiple

layers on a glass substrate. But the downside to 3D

materials is that electrons bounce around inside the

layers in all directions. 2D materials, which came

into prominence five years ago, are made up of one

layer with the thickness of just one or two atoms.

Consequently, the electrons can only move in one

layer so it is much faster and the devices made up of



them consume less power. The low-battery

requirement of 2D semiconductor-based material is

of particular significance for medical devices such

as electronic implants that run longer on a single

battery charge.

Places

Haryana: The State of Haryana was recently in

news after a series of protests and agitations by Jat

community, seeking inclusion of their caste in the

Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The

protest started on February 12, 2016, and turned

violent on February 20. The protesters blocked

highways and railway lines, burnt down several

vehicles and damaged public and private property.

They also blocked water supply to the neighbouring

Delhi, resulting in a temporary severe water crisis in

the national capital. The Government deployed

Indian Army and paramilitary forces to control the

protest. 30 people were killed and more than 200

were injured in Haryana; Hundreds of people were

arrested. The agitation that affected eight of

Haryana‟s 21 districts has caused a business loss of

at least Rs. 20,000 crore, according to initial

estimates by Assocham.

Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi: Jawaharlal

Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi was in news after

students from the University organized an event on

Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru who was

hanged in 2013. This was done the day after Guru‟s

third death anniversary. The event organizers had

pasted posters across the campus inviting students

to gather for a protest march against “judicial killing

of Afzal Guru and Maqbool Bhat” and in solidarity

with the “struggle” of Kashmiri migrants. JNU

Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was

arrested on sedition charges after allegations of

„anti-national‟ sloganeering against him surfaced.

Later, two more JNU students Umar Khalid and

Anirban Bhattacharya, surrendered to Delhi Police

in connection with raising of alleged anti-national

slogans on the campus.

Reports & Indexes

18th

Mercer Quality of Life Survey released: 18th

Mercer annual Quality of Living Survey was

released on February 23, 2016. The survey of 230

cities helps companies and organizations determine

compensation and hardship allowances for

international staff. The list compiled by consulting

firm Mercer said that Vienna, Austria‟s grand

capital on the Danube River offers the highest

quality of life of all cities in the world. On the other

hand, the Iraqi capital Baghdad, once more took its

place at the bottom of a live ability list. The study

says that despite recent security issues, social

unrest, and concern about the region‟s economic

outlook, European cities continue to offer some of

the world‟s highest quality-of-living. Seven Indian

cities were ranked in the list and they are:

Hyderabad – rank 139; Pune – rank 144; Bangalore

– rank 145; Chennai – rank 150; Mumbai – rank

152; Kolkata – rank 160; and New Delhi – rank

161.

Software & Telecom

World’s first parallel computer based on bio-

molecular motors: A study published in

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

reports a new parallel-computing approach based on

a combination of nanotechnology and biology that

can solve combinatorial problems. The approach is

scalable, error-tolerant, energy-efficient, and can be

implemented with existing technologies. The

pioneering achievement was developed by

researchers from the Technische Universitat

Dresden and the Max Planck Institute of Molecular

Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden in collaboration

with international partners from Canada, England,

Sweden, the US, and the Netherlands. Conventional

electronic computers have led to remarkable

technological advances in the past decades, but they

process only one computational task at a time which

prevents them from solving problems of

combinatorial nature such as protein design and

folding, and optimal network routing. This is

because the number of calculations required to

solve such problems grows exponentially with the

size of the problem, rendering them intractable with

sequential computing.

Persons in News

K.P. Sharma Oli: Nepal‟s Prime Minister Mr. K.P.

Sharma Oli made the headlines the world over when

he came to India on a six-day State visit. The two

countries signed nine agreements to expand

cooperation in several areas like transport and

power, on February 20, 2016. PM Mr. Narendra

Modi and Mr. Oli deliberated on all aspects of

India-Nepal bilateral relationships. Mr. Oli assured

Mr. Modi that he would not allow the open border

between India and Nepal to be used by

unscrupulous elements.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nehyan: Crown

Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed

Al Nahyan on February 12, 2016 concluded his 3-

day visit to India. He visited India on invitation of



PM Mr. Narendra Modi who became the first Indian

Prime Minister to visit the UAE after a gap of 34

years in August 2015. The Crown Prince held talks

with Hon‟ble President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, PM

Modi and External Affairs Minister Ms. Sushma

Swaraj on a gamut of bilateral relations.

Faustin-Archange Touadera: Former Prime

Minister of the Central African Republic, Mr.

Faustin-Archange Touadera hogged the limelight

when he became President of the country. On

February 20, 2016 he was declared winner in the

second round of presidential elections. He is a

politician and academic who had served as Prime

Minister of the Central African Republic from

January 2008 to January 2013.

Christine Lagarde: The Executive Board of the

International Monetary Fund (IMF) on February 19,

2016 selected Ms. Christine Lagarde to serve as

IMF Managing Director for a second five-year term

starting on July 5, 2016. Ms. Lagarde, the only

candidate nominated for the post, was backed by the

UK, Germany, China, and her home country

France, to stay on.

Mukesh Ambani: Reliance Industries Chairman

and Managing Director (CMD) Mr. Mukesh

Ambani was on February 8, 2016 elected as a

member of the National Academy of Engineering

(NAE). It is a non- profit organization based in the

United States of America. Mr. Sam Pitroda was also

appointed as a member of NAE.

Gianni Infantino: Mr. Gianni Infantino, the Swiss

football executive, took over as the President of

FIFA on February 25, 2016. In a close first round of

voting, he beat Asian Football Confederation

President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa of

Bahrain narrowly. But later on, Mr. Infantino got all

the votes that had been cast for the two trailing

candidates, in the second round. He succeeds Mr.

Sepp Blatter.

Brendon McCullum: New Zealand skipper

Brendon McCullum scored the fastest Test century

against the rivals Australia on February 20, 2016 at

Hagley Oval on the day one of the second Test. He

made 145 runs in all, with his first 100 runs coming

off 54 balls which was a new record in itself. He

achieved the feat in his career‟s 101st and final Test

when his team was trailing 1-0 in the two-match

series. He scored first hundred runs with 16 fours, 4

sixes, 3 twos and 6 singles. He has now 106 Test

sixes, the most by any batsman. He has bettered the

earlier record of 56-ball century jointly held by

Vivian Richards of West Indies and Misbah-ul-Haq

of Pakistan.

Asif Kapadia: British film-maker of Indian origin,

Mr. Asif Kapadia bagged a Grammy Award for

Best Music-Film on February 15, 2016, just a day

after winnings a BAFTA. He won the award for

„Amy‟, a touching documentary on the life of the

late singer Amy Winehouse. The documentary tells

the story of Amy‟s life and early death.

Adele: The English singer, Ms. Adele, was named

as Global Recording Artist of 2015 across all music

formats, by the International Federation of

Phonographic Industry (IFPI) on February 8, 2016.

It is a unique accolade that reflects an artist‟s

worldwide popularity across physical formats,

downloads and streams.

P.A. Sangma: A noble personality and former

Speaker of the Lok Sabha (1996-98) Purno Agitok

Sangma died after a heart attack on March 4, 2016.

He was a nine-term Member of Parliament and

served as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from

1988 to 1990 as well. He was an M.A. in

International Relations from Dibrugarh University.

He was 68 years old. CSR had honoured him with

the CSR Man of the Year Award, comprising a

Gold Medal, in 1998.

CURRENT TOPICS: INDIA

PM Launches “Setu Bharatam” To Ensure

Seamless Travel On National Highways

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on March 4,

2016 launched “Setu Bharatam” – an ambitious

programme with an investment of Rs. 50,000 crore

to build bridges for safe and seamless travel on

National Highways. The programme aims at

making all National Highways railway level

crossing free by 2019. 208 new “road over

bridges/road under bridges” are envisaged for

construction, while 1500 bridges will be widened,

rehabilitated or replaced.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said

that the Union Government wishes to make a

quantum jump in this direction. He said that

developing rural roads was a priority for the

government and it had got huge budgetary support

in 2016-17. In the Budget 2016-17, Rs. 19,000 crore

has been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri

Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), to connect all

villages with roads, compared with Rs. 14,291 crore

in the revised estimates of 2015-16.

Election Commission Announces Poll Schedule

In Four States And Puducherry:



The Election Commission on March 4, 2016 threw

open the biggest political arena of 2016 by

announcing that Assembly polls in four States –

Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and

Union Territory of Puducherry – will be held

between April 4 and May 16 with counting of votes

on May 19, 2016. Assam will go to polls in two

phases on April 4 and 11 while elections in West

Bengal will be held in six phases, on April 4 and 11

(under Phase-I), 17, 21, 25, 30 and May 5. The two-

stage first phase in West Bengal covers Left-Wing

Extremism-affected areas. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and

Puducherry, with 234, 140, and 30 constituencies,

respectively, would vote on the same day in a single

phase election on May 16, Chief Election

Commissioner Mr. Nasim Zaidi said at the ECI

headquarters on March 4, 2016. West Bengal has

294 seats while Puducherry has 30. A total of 824

Assembly constituencies will be covered with the

participation of over 16.98 crore registered voters

over a month while the results for all will be

announced on May 19, 2016. All the five are non-

BJP-ruled States with regional parties incumbent in

three of them. Two, Assam and Kerala, have the

Congress in power. With this announcement, the

Model Code of Conduct also comes into effect

immediately.

Private Banks’ Employees Should Be Considered

Public Servants

The Supreme Court on February 23, 2016 ruled that

the top officials and employees of private banks

would be considered as public servants for the

purposes of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

With this, the investigating agencies like Central

Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will be able to

examine frauds and scams involving private banks

operating in the country. The judgment was given

by an SC bench comprising Justices Mr. Ranjan

Gogoi and Mr. Prafulla C. Pant.

The judgment of SC came during the hearing of a

case pertaining to actions of two top officials of

private Global Trust Bank (GTB), who were

accused of abusing their position to siphon off the

bank‟s money.

Prime Minister Launches Rurban Mission In

Chhattisgarh Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi on February 21,

2016 launched Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National

Rurban Mission which aims to draw an investment

of over Rs. 5,000 crore in three years to transform

rural areas to economically, socially and physically

sustainable spaces. The Rurban Mission would

replace the United Progressive Alliance (UPA)

government‟s Provision of Urban Amenities in

Rural Areas (PURA) initiative. Rurban would

create village clusters to minimize rural migration

to cities through skill development programmes.

The mission was launched from Kurubhat village in

Dongargarh block of Rajnandgaon district in

Chhattisgarh. The Rurban Mission seeks to develop

smart villages on the line of smart cities and reduce

the burden of migration to the cities through

adopting „cluster approach‟.

Besides, the Prime Minister also launched Jan

Aushadhi Medical Store project under which 100

generic medicines stores will be opened at

government district hospitals and community health

centres. These stores will help people to buy

medicines at cheaper rates. He also laid down the

foundation stone of Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana

– Housing for All (Urban) at the Naya Raipur, the

new capita of Chhattisgarh. The scheme was

launched on June 25, 2015. The Prime Minister also

laid the foundation stone for an electronic

manufacturing cluster that would come up on 70

acres in Naya Raipur.

India, UAE Sign Nine Agreements, Including

Renewable Energy And Finance

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme

Commander of United Arab Emirates Armed Forces

Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan came to

India on a three-day visit from February 10 to 12,

2016. Breaking the protocol, Prime Minister Mr.

Narendra Modi went to the Indira Gandhi

International Airport in person and received him

with a fervent hug.

India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February

11, 2016 signed nine agreements. The agreements

covered a wide range of sectors like the sphere of

cyber security, infrastructure, renewable energy and

finance. The pacts were inked after talks between

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed and

Prime Minister Mr. Modi in New Delhi during

Crown Prince‟s aforesaid visit to India.

India, Nepal Sign Seven Agreements

Nepalese Prime Minister Mr. K.P. Sharma Oli came

to India on a six-day state visit from February 19 to

24, 2016. It was his first visit since he became

Prime Minister and after the ups and downs in

India‟s relations with Nepal due to India‟s objection

to some of the provisions in the new Nepalese

Constitution in relation to the Indian community in

Nepal, referred to as Madhesis. It was his first

foreign visit after becoming the Prime Minister as

well. It was an official visit of any Nepalese Prime

Minister since 2011 too. Mr. Oli came along with

his Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister as

well as a 77-member delegation.



India and Nepal on February 20, 2016 inked and

exchanged seven agreements and Memoranda of

Understanding (MoUs) to boost the bilateral

cooperation. The agreements covered utilization of

Indian grant of $250 million to Nepal for post-

earthquake reconstruction and another on improving

of roads in Terai region. These agreements were

signed in New Delhi during the aforesaid state visit

of Prime Minister of Nepal Mr. Sharma Oli to India.

India Ratifies Convention On Supplementary

Compensation For Nuclear Damage

India on February 4, 2016 submitted its Instrument

of Ratification of the Convention of Supplementary

Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC), 1997 to

the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at

Vienna, Austria. The instrument is an important

multilateral treaty relating to liability and

compensation for damage caused by a nuclear

incident. The Instrument of Ratification was handed

over to Mr. Juan Carlos Lentijo, Acting Director-

General of IAEA by India‟s Permanent

Representative in Vienna Mr. Rajiva Misra. The

CSC was ratified five years after it was signed on

October 27, 2010. The Convention is slated to come

into force for India on May 4, 2016, because as per

law, the convention comes into force after 90 days

of submission of ratification.

It will help India achieve the objective of increasing

the share of nuclear power from barely 3 percent to

25 percent by 2050.

The CSC was adopted on September 12, 1997,

together with the Protocol to Amend the Vienna

Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage,

and entered into force on April 15, 2015.

Lok Sabha Passes Election Laws (Amendment)

Bill, 2016

The Lok Sabha on February 25, 2016 passed

Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2016, to grant

voting rights to people who became citizens of the

country following the exchange of enclaves

between India and Bangladesh. The Bill seeks to

amend the Delimitation Act, 2002 and the

Representation of the People Act, 1950. These Acts

regulate allocation of seats to the national and State

legislatures, and delimitation (that is fixing

boundaries) of Parliamentary and Assembly

constituencies. The Bill aims to empower the

Election Commission to carry out delimitation of

Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in

Cooch Behar district of West Bengal that were

affected by the enactment of the Constitution (100th

Amendment) Act, 2015. Under the Constitution

(100th Amendment) Act 2015, 51 Bangladeshi and

111 Indian enclaves were exchanged between India

and Bangladesh on July 31, 2015. Enclaves are

territories belonging to one country that are entirely

surrounded by another country. The Bill amends the

Acts in order to give additional powers and

responsibilities to the Election Commission. It

states that the Election Commission may amend the

delimitation order to exclude from the relevant

constituencies the Indian enclaves that were

transferred to Bangladesh; and to include in the

relevant constituencies of the Bangladeshi enclaves

that were transferred to India.

Health Minister Launches National Framework

For Elimination Of Malaria 2016-2030

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mr.

Jagat Prakash Nadda on February 11, 2016 released

the National Framework for Malaria Elimination

(NFME) 2016-2030 in New Delhi. The framework

outlines India‟s strategy for elimination of the

disease by 2030. NFME document defines goals,

objectives, strategies, targets and timelines to

eliminate malaria from the country. It will serve as a

road map for advocating and planning malaria

elimination from the country in a phased manner.

By the end of 2016, all State/UTs are expected to

include malaria elimination in their broader health

policies and planning framework. By the end of

2017, all States are expected to bring down API to

less than 1 per thousand population. By the end of

2020, 15 States/UTs under category 1 (elimination

phase) are expected to interrupt transmission of

malaria and achieve zero indigenous cases and

deaths due to malaria.

Union Cabinet Approves $150-Million Credit To

Iran

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Mr.

Narendra Modi on February 24, 2016 approved the

proposal for loan of $150 million to Iran for the

development of Chabahar Port. The credit will be

provided from EXIM Bank and was made by Union

Ministry of Shipping. The Cabinet authorized the

Ministers of Finance, External Affairs and Shipping

to approve the final contract with Iran and for

resolution of any issue arising in implementation of

the project. It also authorized the Union Ministry of

Shipping to form a company in Iran for

implementing the Chabahar Port Development

Project and related activities. The ownership of

equipment will be handed over to Iran after 10 years

or extended period based on the mutual agreement.

The two berths will be operated by the India Ports

Global Private Limited, a company promoted by the

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Kandla Port Trust

– two major ports working under the Union

Ministry of Shipping.



Chabahar Port lies outside the Persian Gulf in Iran

and will help in expanding maritime commerce in

the region.

Government Nod For Building 82,000 Houses

For Poor In Urban Areas

The Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty

Alleviation on February 18, 2016 sanctioned

construction of around 82,000 houses for

Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in urban

areas of 163 cities. The cities are in West Bengal,

Telangana, Bihar, Mizoram, Rajasthan Jharkhand

and Uttarakhand. Statewise number of houses

sanctioned are: West Bengal – 27,830 houses;

Telangana – 22,817; Bihar – 13,315; Mizoram –

8,922; Rajasthan – 6,052; Jharkhand – 2,337; and

Uttarakhand – 484. According to the Ministry, the

construction will involve an investment of over Rs.

4,000 crore, of which, the Union Government will

provide an assistance of Rs. 1,226 crore. These Rs.

1,226 crore will be provided under the Prime

Minister‟s Awaas Yojana (Urban). The proposals

on sanctioning houses for EWS in urban areas by

seven States was approved by an inter-ministerial

Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee,

chaired by HUPA Secretary Ms. Nandita Chatterjee.

CURRENT TOPICS: WORLD

Syria Cessation Of Hostilities Agreement Comes

Into Effect

An Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities in Syria

came into effect on February 27, 2016. Syria‟s

government and insurgents warring against it have

said they would respect the halt to fighting. The

truce does not apply to Islamic State and the al-

Qaeda affiliate, the Nusra Front. Syrian government

and Moscow have said they will not halt combat

against those militants. Guns mostly fell silent in

Syria and the Russian air raids stopped on the first

day of a cessation of hostilities that the United

Nations has described as the best hope for peace in

five years of civil war.

United States and Russia on February 22, 2016

announced to have reached the agreement on

cessation of hostilities in Syria. The announcement

was made by US Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry

and Russian Foreign Minister Mr. Sergey Lavrov as

co-chairs of the International Syria Support Group

(ISSG) Ceasefire Taskforce. The agreement said

that the group would work to develop procedures to

ensure those abiding by the deal were not attacked

by Russian armed forces or a US-led coalition both

of which were carrying out air strikes in the

country. The air strikes by Syria, Russia and the

US-led coalition against ISIS, Nusra and other

terrorist organizations designated by the UN would,

however, continue.

So far more than 2.5 lakh Syrians have been killed

in the conflict which began in March 2011. Under

the US-Russian accord accepted by President Mr.

Bashar al-Assad‟s government and many of his

foes, fighting should cease so that aid might reach

civilians and talks might open to end a war that has

killed more than 250,000 people and made 11

million homeless. The agreement is the first of its

kind to be attempted in four years and, if it holds,

would be the most successful truce of the war so

far. But there are weak spots in a fragile deal which

has not been directly signed by the Syrian warring

parties and is less binding than a formal ceasefire.

10 EU Nations Agree To Bar Entry Of Refugees

Austria and nine Balkan states on February 24,

2016, agreed on several measures to choke off the

flow of refugees from Greece, effectively imposing

their own response to the migrant crisis while the

European Union has been paralysed over what to

do. The moves, by the foreign and interior ministers

of the 10 countries, came amid Europe‟s

preparations for another surge in people fleeing war

and poverty in West Asia as the weather turns

warmer. The practical effect of the steps they

agreed on during a meeting in Vienna will probably

be to keep more of the migrants in Greece, the

primary point of entry into the European Union.

Among the measures was an agreement to grant

entry to the 10 countries only to those “in proven

need of protection,” which would essentially limit

passage to Iraqis and Syrians and exclude Afghans

and people from countries where the main problems

are economic.

US Imposes New Sanctions On North Korea

US President Mr. Barack Obama on February 18,

2016 signed off a new law imposing new sanctions

against North Korea, punishing the regime for its

nuclear and missile tests as well as for suspected

cyber-hacking incidents. The new law is titled

„North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement

Act of 2016‟. The new law prescribing sanctions is

aimed at punishing North Korea for its provocative

recent nuclear test and rocket launch. The law was

overwhelmingly passed by the US Congress on

February 12, 2016 after North Korea refused to stop

its nuclear programme. The measure is meant to

compel American allies to enact similarly tough

restrictions on North Korea to further isolate the

country, which conducted its fourth nuclear test in

January 2016 and in February 2016 launched a

satellite into space.



The unilateral US sanctions Mr. Obama approved

would freeze the assets of anyone doing business

related to North Korea‟s nuclear or weapons

programmes or is involved in human rights abuses

in the country.

Obama Unveils Cyber Security National Action

Plan

US President Mr. Barack Obama on February 9,

2016 unveiled a Cyber Security National Action

Plan as his intelligence chief warned of growing

risks from new technologies that opened more doors

to hackers. The action plan called for an overhaul of

aging government networks and a high-level

commission to boost security awareness. The action

plan was unveiled on the eve of Safer Internet Day

designated by governments and technology firms to

boost awareness on cyber-security issues. Mr.

Obama asked for $19 billion for cyber-security

efforts in his budget request, a 35 percent increase

from current levels, with $3 billion earmarked to

help modernize the patchwork of computer systems

used in government agencies.

NATO, EU Sign Agreement On Cyber Defence

Cooperation

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)

and the European Union (EU) on February 10, 2016

signed a Technical Arrangement between the

NATO Computer Incident Response Capability

(NCIRC) and the Computer Emergency Response

Team-European Union (CERT-EU), to improve

cooperation in cyber defence. The technical

agreement signed at NATO headquarters at

Brussels, Belgium, facilitates technical information

sharing between NCIRC and CERT-EU to improve

cyber-incident prevention, detection and response in

both organizations, in line with their decision-

making autonomy and procedures.

The signing of this agreement is an important

milestone to implement the objectives of the EU

Cyber Defence Policy Framework, which has set

cooperation with NATO as one of its five priorities.

Advanced incident response coordination allows for

further development of practical cooperation and

the sharing of best practice in cyber defence

between the EU and NATO.

Canada, US, Mexico Ink MoU On Climate

Change And Energy Collaboration

Taking a step towards the establishment of a

continental energy strategy, Energy Ministers from

Canada, Mexico and the United States signed a

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Climate

Change and Energy Collaboration on February 12,

2016 during the North American Energy Ministers

Meeting in Winnipeg, Canada. In addition, they

launched a web platform where North American

energy information can be easily accessed in one

place (an initiative that was originally announced in

December 2014). Under the MoU signed by

Canadian Natural Resources Minister Mr. Jim Carr,

Mexican Secretary of Energy Mr. Pedro Joaquin

Coldwell and US Secretary of Energy Mr. Ernest

Moniz, the three countries will collaborate and

share information on six key areas: sharing

experience and knowledge in the development of

reliable, resilient and low-carbon electricity grids;

modeling, deploying and accelerating innovation of

clean energy technologies, including renewable;

exchanging information in order to improve energy

efficiency for equipment, appliances, industries and

buildings, including energy management systems;

exchanging information and promoting joint action

to advance the deployment of carbon capture, use

and storage; identifying trilateral activities to further

climate change adaptation and resilience; and

sharing best practices and seeking methods to

reduce emissions from the oil and gas sector,

including methane and black carbon.

World Bank Provides $150 Million To Combat

Zika Virus

The World Bank Group on February 18, 2016

announced $150 million in funding to combat Zika

virus in Latin America and the Caribbean. The

amount is based on current country demands for

financing and follows extensive engagement with

governments across the region, including sending

teams of technical experts to the affected countries.

The World Bank Group financing will support a

range of activities critical to the Zika virus

response, including vector surveillance and control;

identification of the people most at-risk, especially

pregnant women and women of reproductive age;

follow-up and care through pregnancy and postnatal

care for neurological complications; promoting

access to family planning, public awareness, self-

protection measures, community mobilization; and

other activities that will ensure a robust, well-

targeted, well-coordinated and multi-sectoral

response.

The funding is aimed at supporting the countries in

the region that are projected to incur losses of up to

$3.5 billion in 2016 due to the spread of Zika virus.

The World Bank announced funding as it was

observed that a group of countries highly dependent

on tourism, notably in the Caribbean, could suffer

losses in excess of 1 percent of GDP. Earlier, in

February 2016. WHO had declared Public Health

Emergency of International Concern over Zika virus

outbreak and urged international community to



provide additional support to stem the impact of the

virus.

First Silk Road Train Arrives In Iran From

China

The first train connecting Iran and China packed

with Chinese goods arrived in Tehran on February

15, 2016. The arrival revived the ancient Silk Road

trade route and also highlighted the economic

possibilities for Iran since the lifting of international

sanctions. The train, also referred to as Silk Road

train, passed through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan

to Iran, travelling a distance of 10,399 kilometres. It

had left Yiwu city in east China‟s Zhejiang province

on January 28, 2016. The train, carrying 32

containers of commercial products, took 14 days to

make the journey. Compared to the sea voyage of

the cargo ships from China‟s Shanghai city to Iran‟s

Bandar Abbas port city, the travel time of the train

was 30 days shorter. The location of Iran is

strategically important as it is in the Middle East

(West Asia) and shares land borders with eight

nations. It also has sea channels on its northern and

south-western coasts. By connecting Iran through

revived Silk Road, China will leverage Iran‟s

strategic location to get access to extensive delivery

routes connecting to the Eurasia and Middle East.

The Silk Route was an ancient network of trade

routes that were central to cultural interaction

through regions of the Asian continent connecting

the West and East from China to the Mediterranean

Sea. It derived its name from the lucrative trade in

Chinese silk carried out along its length, beginning

during the Han dynasty. The Central Asian sections

of the trade routes were expanded around 114 BC

by the Han dynasty, largely through the missions

and explorations of Chinese imperial envoy, Zhang

Qian.

Pakistan Approves Hindu Marriage Bill 2015

After decades of delay and inaction, the Hindu

minority community in Pakistan will soon have a

marriage law as a parliamentary panel unanimously

approved the Hindu Marriage Bill 2015 on February

8, 2016. The National Assembly‟s Standing

Committee on Law and Justice cleared the final

draft of the Bill, where five Hindu lawmakers were

specially invited. The committee adopted the Bill

unanimously after making two amendments to fix

the minimum age of the marrying male and female

at 18 and making the law applicable to the whole of

Pakistan. The Bill will now be tabled in the

National Assembly where it has fair chances of

being passed as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-

Nawaz (PML-N) party is supporting it.

Committee Chairman Chaudhry Mahmood Bashir

Virk expressed regret over the long-drawn tactical

delay in framing family law for the Hindu

community. Mr. Virk and ruling PML-N lawmaker

Mr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani had been pushing for

approving the Bill but members of other

parliamentary parties persisted with raising

objections. Ms. Shagufta Jumani of Pakistan

People‟s Party and Mr. Ali Mohammad Khan of

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf raised many queries about

minimum age of a Hindu girl to be married and the

status of marriage, if any of the partners converted

to Islam. Dr. Vankwani wanted to drop a clause in

the Bill that said the marriage would be nullified, if

any of the partners converted to Islam. It was

inserted by the Council of Islamic Ideology when

the Bill was sent for „Sharia vetting‟ some six

months ago. According to the amendments

recommended by the panel, as per the clause 12

subsection (2) (C), a spouse may also apply for

termination of his/her marriage on the grounds that

the other partner has been sentenced to

imprisonment for a period of four years instead of

three years. Also, clause 12 (2d) that relates to

termination of marriage will be deleted.

Pakistan Parliament Becomes First In World To

Run Entirely On Solar Power

The Parliament of Pakistan on February 23, 2016

became the world‟s first to run fully on solar power,

a venture supported by close ally China with a

whopping $55-million funding. Pakistan Prime

Minister Mr. Nawaz Sharif inaugurated the solar

power system in a simple ceremony, which provides

62 MW to the parliament and a surplus 18 MW to

the national grid. First announced in 2014, the

venture has been funded by the Chinese government

as an act of friendship, with the solar power plant

costing around $55 million.

PM Mr. Nawaz Sharif said that this was the first

time since Independence that parliament has

become self-sufficient in electricity through solar

power. Mr. Sharif said that this was another

example of Pak-China friendship. Chinese

ambassador to Pakistan was also present during the

ceremony.

Nepal Constitutes Political Committee Over

Provincial Demarcations

Nepal Government on February 18, 2016

constituted an 11-member political committee to

study the demarcation of federal states on the

constitution as part of government‟s efforts to

achieve reconciliation with the Madhesis. It will

also review the disputed provisions within the

country‟s new Constitution that was adopted on



September 20, 2015. The 11-member committee

will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and

Foreign Minister Mr. Kamal Thapa and will also

include representatives from the agitating Madhesis.

The committee is mandated to prepare its report and

suggest recommendations within three months after

it gets full shape. Minister for Information and

Communications Mr. Sherdhan Rai said that the

political committee has been formed with an aim to

resolve the ongoing political crisis in the country.

Mr. Rai said that the committee would try and work

through political consensus among all parties,

including the United Democratic Madhesi Front, the

four-party alliance, that had been protesting for

months over division of their homeland. He said

that the committee would announce the „Terms of

Reference‟ as soon as it got final shape. Defining

the ToR has remained major bone of contention

with the agitating Madhesi parties. The Cabinet

decision came a day before Prime Minister Mr.

Oli‟s six-day visit to India.

UN and Colombian Government Launch Trust

Fund For Peace-building Needs

The United Nations (UN) and the Government of

Colombia on February 17, 2016 announced the

launch of a new multi-partner trust fund in the

country‟s capital Bogota to respond to stabilization

and peace-building needs. UN spokesperson Mr.

Stephane Dujarric noted that the Fund would be

managed by the Government and the UN, in close

cooperation with interested donors. The Fund will

especially support conflict areas in the lead-up to

and aftermath of possible peace agreements with the

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People‟s

Army (FARC-EP). Earlier on January 25, 2016, the

Security Council approved a new UN political

mission to monitor disarmament, should a final

agreement to end Latin America‟s longest armed

conflict be reached. At that time, the Council

decided that the Mission would be made up of

unarmed international observers, and a part of the

tripartite mechanism that would monitor and verify

the definitive bilateral ceasefire and cessation of

hostilities, consistent with the wishes of the parties,

beginning such activities following the signing of a

Final Peace Agreement between the Government of

Colombia and the FARC-EP. The FARC rebels and

the Government have been in talks seeking to end

the 51-year conflict that has left nearly a quarter of

a million victims.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-

People‟s Army is a guerrilla movement involved in

the continuing Colombian armed conflict since

1964.

Zimbabwe Declares A State Of Disaster Due To

Drought Zimbabwe‟s President Mr. Robert Mugabe on

February 5, 2016 declared a State of Disaster in

rural parts of the country hit by severe drought, as

more than a quarter of the population faces food

shortages. A regional drought worsened by the EI

Nino weather phenomenon has affected South

Africa, Malawi and Zambia as well as Zimbabwe,

leaving tens of thousands of cattle dead, reservoirs

depleted and crops destroyed. Formerly known as

the breadbasket of Africa, Zimbabwe has suffered

perennial shortages in recent years and has relied on

importing grain from neighbouring countries to

meet its needs.

Zimbabwe‟s Public Works Minister Mr. Saviour

Kasukuwere said that initial indications were that

1.5 million people were food-insecure with all the

60 rural districts being affected. Overall, the food-

insecure population has since risen to 2.44 million –

26% of the population, he said. Mr. Kasukuwere

said that at least 16,500 cattle had died in

Zimbabwe, while as much as 75% of crops had

been abandoned in the worst-hit areas. The minister

said that the government would take measures to

minimize the impact of the drought on both humans

and livestock.

Latest in Sports

ATHLETICS

Asian Indoor Athletics Championships: India‟s

Kumaravel Prem Kumar on February 22, 2016

bagged Silver medal in long jump at the 7th Asian

Indoor Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Prem Kumar cleared a creditable 7.92 m in his final

attempt to win the Silver. Zhan Yaoguang of China

won the Gold medal with a best effort of 7.99 m.

Om Prakash Singh Karhana added a Bronze in shot

put by clearing a distance of 18.77 m. With this, the

Indians signed off their campaign in Doha with 1

Gold, 3 Silver and 3 Bronze medals. In the overall

rankings, Indian women‟s team finished at the sixth

place while men‟s team could succeed in securing

the eighth spot.

BADMINTON

Badminton Asia Team Championships: China

and Indonesia on February 21, 2016 won the

Badminton Asia Team Championships in the

women and men‟s categories, respectively at the

Gachibowli indoor stadium in Hyderabad. China

defeated Japan 3-2 in the women‟s category and



Indonesia beat Japan 3-2 in men‟s category in the

two finals of the week-long tournament. India

claimed Bronze in the men‟s category, while the

women‟s team crashed out in the quarterfinals.

CHESS

36th

National Chess Team Championship: Indian

Railways on February 14, 2016 won the 36th

National Chess Team Championship in

Bhubaneswar, Odisha. For the Indian Railways

team, it was the first-ever title. To win the

championship, the team defeated Life Insurance

Corporation (LIC) team in the final. Earlier, to

reach the final, the Railways team beat its

counterparts – Odisha, Gujarat, Air India,

Petroleum Sports Promotion Board, Airport

Authority of India, Tamil Nadu and Delhi – in the

championship that began on February 8, 2016.

CRICKET

West Indies Win ICC U19 World Cup: The West

Indies lifted their maiden ICC Under-19 Cricket

World Cup title on February 14, 2016. In the final

played at Mirpur, West Indies defeated three-time

champions India by five wickets. The pace trio of

Alzarri Joseph, Ryan John and Chemar Holder

shone on a spicy, moisture-laden pitch to demolish

India‟s fancied batting line-up for 145 after electing

to field. Sarfaraz Khan played a lone hand for the

Rahul Dravid-coached Indian team with 51, his fifth

half-century in six matches, as Joseph and John

picked up three wickets each and Keemo Paul two.

West Indies slipped to 77 for five in reply against

the steady India attack before Keacy Carty (52 not

out) and Paul (40 not out) put on 69 for the sixth

wicket to steer their team home with three deliveries

to spare. It was the first major title for the West

Indies at any level since Darren Sammy‟s senior

team won the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in

2012. Earlier put in to bat, India were bowled out

for 145 in 45.1 overs. The Caribbeans achieved the

target in 49.3 overs. West Indies‟ Keacy Carty

grabbed the Man of the Match title while Mehidy

Hasan Miraz from Bangladesh was declared the

Player of the Tournament.

The 2016 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup was

held in Bangladesh from January 22 to February 14,

2016. It was the eleventh edition of the Under-19

Cricket World Cup, and the second to be held in

Bangladesh, after the 2004 event. The World Cup

was contested by the national under-19 teams of

sixteen ICC members, and all matches played held

under-19 One Day International (ODI) status. On

January 5, Cricket Australia announced that the

Australian squad had pulled out of the tournament,

citing security concerns. Ireland was invited as a

replacement for Australia.

The next edition of the tournament will be held in

2018 in New Zealand with seventh-placed Namibia,

the highest-ranked Associate member, qualifying

directly along with the 10 Test-playing sides The

remaining five qualifiers in the 16-nation

tournament will be determined through regional

qualifying competitions.

India Win T-20 Series Against Sri Lanka: India

won the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka,

2-1 on February 14, 2016. In the third and final

Twenty20 match played at Visakhapatnam, Andhra

Pradesh, India defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets.

The Men in Blue outplayed the islanders in the

deciding contest, and maintained their No. 1 spot in

T20I rankings. Winning the toss and electing to

bowl, India bundled out the visitors for 82 runs in

18 overs in the series deciding encounter. In reply,

India chased the paltry target of 83 runs in 13.5 The

series win also helped India retain its numero uno

position in the ICC T20 rankings.

The first match of the series was played at

Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on

February 9. Sri Lanka won the match by 5 wickets

(with 12 balls remaining). Kasun Rajitha of Sri

Lanka was declared the Man of the Match. The

match saw debut of two players of Sri Lanka,

namely Kasun Rajitha and Niroshan Dickwella. The

second match was played at JSCA International

Stadium Complex, Ranchi on February 12. India

won it by 69 runs. Shikhar Dhawan was declared

the Man of the Match. Ravichandran Ashwin from

India, who claimed four wickets for eight runs, was

declared the Man of the Match. The match saw

debut of Asela Gunaratne from Sri Lanka.

Ravichandran Ashwin was also declared the Man of

the Series.

Mumbai Win Ranji Trophy: Mumbai won the

Ranji Trophy for a record 41st time on February 26,

2016. It was Mumbai‟s 45th appearance in the finals

in the tournament‟s 82-year history. Karnataka are a

distant second, with eight Ranji titles.

In the final at Pune, Mumbai crushed Saurashtra by

an innings and 21 runs on day three of the five-day

match. Batting first, Saurashtra could score 235

runs in their first innings. In reply, Mumbai

amassed 371 runs, taking a lead of 136 runs,

propped up by gritty 117 runs of Shreyas Iyer and

valuable contributions by Suryakumar Yadav (48),

Siddhesh Lad (88) and Balwinder Singh Sandhu

(34) not out.

In the second innings Saurashtra batsmen could not

withstand Mumbai‟s four-pronged pace attack and

were bundled out for a paltry 115 runs. Saurashtra‟s



only five batsmen could reach the double-digit

mark. Shardul Thakur dismissed five Saurashtra

batsmen while Dhawal Kulkarni and Balwinder

Singh Sandhu grabbed two wickets each. Besides,

Abhishek Nayar took one wicket.

Shreyas Iyer of Mumbai was named the Man of the

Match for his scintillating 117 runs in Mumbai‟s

only innings of the match.

New Zealand Win Chappell-Hadlee Trophy:

New Zealand on February 8, 2016 won the three-

match Chappell-Hadlee Trophy of cricket against

Australia, 2-1. In the third and final match played at

Seddon Park, Hamilton, the Black Caps defeated

Australia by 55 runs. This win of the Black Caps

can be termed as the best farewell gift for Brendon

McCullum who retired from One-Day International

(ODI) cricket after the match. They also retained

the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy by putting tremendous

bowling and fielding display. Inderbir Singh Sodhi

of New Zealand was declared the Player of the

Match.

The first match was played at Eden Park, Auckland

on February 3, 2016. New Zealand won by 159

runs. Martin Guptill (Nez Zealand) was declared the

Player of the Match. The second match was played

at Westpac Stadium, Wellington on February 6,

2016. Australia won this match by 4 wickets with

21 balls remaining. Mitchell Marsh (Australia) was

declared the Player of the Match.

Indian Women Cricket Team Win ODI, T20I

Series Against Sri Lanka: The Indian women

cricket team on February 19, 2016 won the three-

match ODI series against Sri Lanka, 3-0. In the

third and final match played in Ranchi, India

defeated the Sri Lankan team by seven wickets. Sri

Lanka won the toss and opted to bat first, scoring

178 runs. They lost wickets at regular intervals.

India took over with a brilliant start by scoring 67

runs for the opening wicket in just 14 overs.

Medium-pacer Deepti Sharma grabbed six-wicket

haul before Veda Krishnamurthy scored a half-

century after India posted a comfortable seven-

wicket win over Sri Lanka in the third and final

ODI. Deepti Sharma, who played a pivotal role in

steadying her side‟s innings, was adjudged the

Player of the Match.

India had already won the three-match series after

defeating the tourists Sri Lankan by six wickets in

the second match at the same venue on February 17,

2016.

In the first match, India had defeated Sri Lanka by

107 runs at the same venue on February 15, 2016.

T20I Series: The India women‟s team made a

clinical performance to thrash Sri Lanka by nine

wickets in the third and final Twenty20

International and complete a 3-0 series whitewash,

in Ranchi on February 26, 2016.

Asked to bowl, the Indians first restricted Sri Lanka

to a lowly 89 for nine and then overwhelmed the

target in 13.5 overs, reaching 91 for the loss of just

one wicket. Sri Lanka‟s decision to bat first

backfired as only four batswomen reached a double-

digit mark against a disciplined Indian bowling

attack. Left-arm orthodox Ekta Bisht (3/17) was the

pick of the Indian bowlers, while Anuja Patil (2/19)

also chipped in with two wickets.

Earlier, India won the first T20 International by 31

runs and defeated Sri Lanka by five wickets in the

second T20I at the same venue.

BCCI Bans Pakistan Umpire Asad Rauf For 5

Years: The Disciplinary Committee of the Board of

Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on February 12,

2016 banned Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf for 5 years

on charges of corruption and misconduct. The

disciplinary committee took this decision after Rauf

was found guilty of charges in relation to the Indian

Premier League (IPL) betting and spot-fixing

scandal of 2013. With this ban, Rauf became

ineligible for umpiring or playing or representing

cricket in any form or being associated with

activities of the BCCI and its affiliates for 5 years.

Earlier, on January 18, Ajit Chandila and Hiken

Shah were also banned by the committee in relation

to the 2013 scandal. While Chandila was banned for

life, Hiken Shah was banned for 5 years from

playing or representing cricket in any form or to be

associated in any way with the activities of the

Board or its affiliates.

New Zealand-Australia Test Series: Australia

swept the 2-match Test series against New Zealand

2-0 and won the Trans-Tasman Trophy. The series

victory confirmed Australia‟s superiority in Test

cricket and Kangaroos became the world‟s top Test

side, edging out India to second place.

In the second and final Test at Christchurch,

Australia defeated New Zealand by seven wickets.

Chasing a modest 201-run target for victory,

Australia polished off the target, losing three

wickets on the last day on February 24, 2016. J.

Burn (65), Brendon McCullum (45) and Steve

Smith (53 not out) were the stars in Australia‟s

victory.

New Zealand had scored 370 runs in their first

innings and 335 runs in their second innings.

Australia had amassed 505 in their first innings.

During the match, Brendon McCullum scored the

fastest century in Tests, smashing 100 runs off 54

balls and broke the joint record of 56-ball ton of

Vivian Richards and Misbah-ul-Haq.

Australia had won the first Test, humbling Kiwis by

an innings and 52 runs.



Brendon McCullum Scores Fastest Century In

Test Cricket: New Zealand cricket team captain

Brendon McCullum on February 20, 2016 scored

fastest Test century. McCullum scored the century

in record 54 balls against Australia on the first day

of the 2nd

match that was played for Trans-Tasman

Trophy in Christchurch, New Zealand. To score the

fastest and the 12th Test century, the 34-year old

player took 2 balls less than West Indies‟ Viv

Richards and Pakistan‟s Misbah-ul-Haq who jointly

held the previous record. While Viv Richards

scored it against England in Antigua in 1986,

Misbah-ul-Haq‟s century came against Australia in

Abu Dhabi in 2014 also off 56 balls.

Incidentally, for McCullum, the century came in his

final and 101st Test in which he also made other

records. McCullum‟s strike rate of 183.54 in his 79-

ball 145 is the second highest in innings of 100 or

more runs. Viv Richards‟ strike rate of 189.75 in

his 58-ball 110 not out, however, is the highest.

Asia Cup T20 2016: India once again made the

world consider them as the most formidable force in

the area of T20 cricket on March 6, 2016 when they

lifted the Asia Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National

Cricket Stadium in Mirpur, Bangladesh. They

defeated the hosts Bangladesh by eight wickets in

the final which was affected by rain. The final was

reduced to 15 overs each side. It was India‟s 7th

straight T20 win and the 10th win in 11 matches.

India have won the Asia Cup for the record sixth

time. Shikhar Dhawan was declared “Man of the

Match”.

CYCLING

Tour of Andalusia: Spanish veteran Alejandro

Valverde claimed his fourth Tour of Andalusia

victory by winning fifth and final stage to edge out

American Tejay van Garderen on February 21, 2016

in Madrid. Valverde climbed to the end of the 171

km stage from San Roque to Alto Penas Blancas to

finish 36 seconds clear of Dutchman Bauke

Mollema, with the Poland‟s Rafael Majka a further

six seconds back in third.

HOCKEY

2016 Hockey India League: The Punjab Warriors

on February 21, 2016 defeated Kalinga Lancers 6-1

to clinch Hockey India League (HIL) title in the

fourth edition of the six-team tournament at the

Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Ranchi,

Jharkhand. The Punjab Warriors were third time

lucky as they had finished runners-up in the last two

editions. They lost to Delhi Waveriders in 2014 and

to Ranchi Rays in 2015. Player of the Tournament

Award was bagged by Rupinder Pal Singh of Delhi

Waveriders, whereas the Man of the Match Award

was given to Mark Knowles of Punjab Warriors.

SNOOKER

83rd

Senior National Snooker Championship:

Aditya Mehta won the 83rd

Senior National Snooker

Championship in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. To win

the title, he defeated Manan Chandra 6-3 in the final

that was held as part of the National Billiards &

Snooker Championship 2016. Vidya Pillai won the

National Snooker Championship in the women‟s

category by defeating Amee Kamani 4-2. For 38-

year-old Vidya, it was her ninth national title. The

women‟s billiards title was won by 19-year old

Keerath Bhandaal by defeating Arantxa Sanchis of

Maharashtra 3-1.

SQUASH

Swedish Open: World No. 9 Karim Abdel Gawad

overcame fellow Egyptian and close friend Tarek

Momen in a dramatic final in the 2016 Swedish

Open in Linkoping, Sweden on February 8, 2016,

capturing his biggest-ever PSA title in the process.

Gawad defeated Momen by 12-10, 8-11, 11-9, 3-11,

11-4.

TENNIS

Rio Open 2016: Italian woman tennis player

Francesca Schiavone on February 21, 2016 won Rio

Open title, defeating Shelby Rogers of America

with scores of 2-6, 6-2, and 6-2 in the final held in

Rio de Janeiro. It is her seventh career title. She

won her first Grand Slam title at 2010 French Open.

In Men‟s Singles, Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay

claimed his fourth ATP singles title with a 6-4, 6-7

(5), 6-4 victory over Guido Pella of Argentina in the

final of the Rio Open.

Men’s Doubles: Colombian pair of Juan Sebastian

Cabal and Robert Farah defeated Spain‟s Pablo

Carreno Busta and David Marrero 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.

Women’s Doubles: Paraguay‟s Veronica Cepede

Royg and Argentina‟s Maria Irigoyen defeated

United Kingdom‟s Tara Moore and Switzerland‟s

Conny Perrin 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).

Dubai Tennis Championships: Italy‟s Sara Errani

on February 20, 2016 defeated Czech Republic‟s

Barbora Strycova to clinch the WTA Dubai Duty

Free Tennis Championships women‟s singles title.

A former Top 10 fixture and French Open finalist,

Errani‟s greater big-match experience shone

through as the emerged victorious by 6-0, 6-2.



Women’s Doubles: Chinese Taipei‟s Chuang Chia-

jung and Croatia‟s Darija Jurak defeated French

pair of Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 6-

4, 6-4.

ATP Argentina Open: World No. 19 Dominic

Thiem of Austria on February 14, 2016 defeated

Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (2), 3-6, 7-6 (4) to

win the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)

Buenos Aires tournament. With the win, Thiem

claimed his fourth ATP singles title. Thiem reached

the final after beating former No. 1 Rafael Nadal of

Spain in the semifinals. In men‟s doubles,

Colombian pair of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert

Farah defeated Spain‟s Inigo Cervantes and Italy‟s

Paolo Lorenzi 6-3, 6-0.

St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy: Italy‟s Roberta

Vinci defeated Switzerland‟s Belinda Bencic 6-4, 6-

3 to win the Women‟s Singles title of 2016 St.

Petersburg Ladies Trophy in St. Petersburg, Russia

on February 14, 2016. Sania Mirza and her Swiss

Partner Martina Hingis won the women‟s doubles

final. To win the title, the top-seeded Indo-Swiss

pair defeated the Russian-Czech team of Vera

Dushevina and Barbora Krejcikova by 6-3, 6-1.

With the win, the Indo-Swiss pair bagged their 13th

women‟s double titles.

WEIGHTLIFTING

National Weightlifting Championships 2016:

Shivani More of Maharashtra won Gold in 58 kg

Youth Girls category on February 24, 2016, on the

third day of National Weightlifting Championships

in Patna Sahib, Bihar. She lifted 144 kg (63 snatch

& 81 kg clean & jerk). Badal Bar from West Bengal

won Gold in 69 kg Youth Boys category by lifting

250 kg. L. Sunderjit Singh of Manipur won Gold in

69 kg Junior Men category by lifting 257 kg.

WRESTLING

Asian Wrestling Championship: Indian grapplers

finished their campaign at the Asian Wrestling

Championship in Bangkok, Thailand on February

21, 2016, with 12 medals, including a Gold, in the

five-day event from February 17 to 21, 2016. India

ended seventh overall in the medals table with both

men‟s and women‟s freestyle teams finishing on the

fourth place, while the Greco-Roman team occupied

the sixth position. India grabbed 1 Gold, 4 Silver

and 7 Bronze medals. In Men‟s Freestyle category,

Sandeep Tomar won the yellow metal in 57 kg and

Om Prakash Vinod Kumar clinched the Silver

medal in 70 kg Indian women accounted for three

medals with rising grappler Priyanka Phogat (55 kg)

winning the Silver, while Vinesh Phogat (53 kg)

and Anita Tomar (63 kg) settled for a Bronze each.

Even in the Greco-Roman category, which is not

India‟s forte, the wrestlers managed to win four

medals.

Iran was on top with 34 Gold, 10 Silver and 6

Bronze, whereas Japan came second with 14 Gold,

13 Silver and 13 Bronze. South Korea finished third

with 9 Gold, 10 Silver and 9 Bronze.

Static GK Capsules

Indus valley civilisation is also known as Sindhu

Saraswati Civilisation

……….was the first man to found Harappan bricks

in 1826. Charles Merson

Mahabharata has been written in Sanskrit

Language

………was called Doctor or Vaidya in Rigveda.

Mishak

The sentence „Asto Ma Sadgamay‟ was taken from

Rigveda

The word „OM‟ is used in the Rigveda 1028 Times

Mahatma Buddha was born in 563 BC

Buddhist was divided into Hinyana and Mahayana

During Kushan Period

The teachers of Buddha are Alara and Udrak

The first lady to enter in Buddha Sangha was

Gautam Prajapati

There were …..crimes in Jainism. Eighteen

The suggestion to the Digambar to live as a nude

given by Mahavir Swami

„Nirukitis‟ the doctrine of Jainism was written by

Bhadrabahu

…….religion was discovered by Parshvanath Jin

Kalpa

The Mahapurana was composed by Jinasena and

Gunabhadra

The composer of „Tatwathadhigam‟ was Uma

Swami

……categories of devotees were in Jainism. Five

(Tirthankara, Arihant, Acharayas, Upadhyaya

and Saddhu)

The founder of Christianity was Jesus

Christianity is based on……..ancient religion.

Judaism

The name of first disciple of Jesus was Andrews

and Peter

…….is celebrated on the occasion of the birthday of

Prophet Mohammed. Id-E-Milad-Un-Nabi

The father of Jarasandh was Vrihadrath (Founder

of Magadh Dynasty)

With the arrival of…….in 1542, the Roman

Catholic faith was established in India. St. Francis

Xavier

Mauryans were called by Jainism and Buddhism

Mayur



The Militants of Chandragupta are „a group of

robbers‟ was said by Justin

Pushyamitra Shunga was a worshipper and

protector of…..religion. Brahman

The description of Asvamedha yajna is found in

Ayodhya Inscription

.......was known as a „Western King‟.

Gautamiputra Satakarni

……was known as „God of death‟ in Sangam age.

Kurram

The Rudra Mahakal temple to Siddhapur was built

by Jay Singh Siddharaj

The two Hindu officers of Mahmud Ghaznavi were

Sevand Ram and Tilak

……began his reign with the modest title Malik and

Sipahsalar. Qutubuddin Aibak

The first Sultan of Delhi to issue regular Gmeney

and declared Delhi as the capital of his empire was

Iltutmish

……..was the Prime Minister during the reign of

Iltutmish. Zunaids

The first Sultan of Delhi Sultanate who established

the principle of revenue Balban

The battle between Balban and Tugaril Khan was

fought in AD 1279

The name of the Delhi Sultan who himself assumed

the title of the „Sikandar-e-Sani‟. Alauddin Khalji

Delhi Sultan who introduced a rural tax called

„Haqq-i-Shrab‟ Firoz Tughlaq

The Persian book „Tarikh-e-Mubarakshahi‟ was

written by Yahiya-bin-Ahmed Sirhindi

The founder of the city of „Agra‟ was Sikandar

Lodhi

The first Bhakti saint to use Hindi, the language of

masses for the propagation of his doctrine

Ramananda

……Sikh Guru died a martyr at the hands of

Aurangzeb. Guru Teg Bahadur (9th

Guru)

The Mughal empire was established on April 20,

1526

The name of Patiliputra as Patna was given by Sher

Shah Suri

The first struggle between Shivaji and Mughals

took place in AD 1657

The first Indian Factory Act of 1881 dealt with

primarily with…….problem. Child Labour

All India Farmers Sabha (AIFS) was established in

AD 1936

The journal „Bahishkrit Bharat‟ was started by BR

Ambedkar

Gandhiji started his first Civil Disobedience from

place From South Africa (in India from

Champaran)

……was British Governor-General during the

revolt of 1857. Lord Canning

……is said to have hatched the Delhi Conspiracy

1912. Rasbehari Bose

In 1916, the Home Rule Movement was launched

by Annie Besant

The execution of Bhagat Singh took place on

March 23, 1931

The Indian National Association formed in Calcutta

by Surendranath Banerjee

The first registered Trade Union of India was

Madras Labour Union, founded in 1918

…….was nominated as first satyagrahi by Mahatma

Gandhi for the individual Satyagrah of 1940.

Vinoba Bhave

The martyrdom of Chandrashekhar Azad took place

on February 27, 1931

The Ghadar Journal was published in 1913 in first

language Urdu

The Second Round Table Conference was held on

September 7, 1931

The treaty of Bassein was signed with the British

East India Company in 1812 by Baji Rao II

Current Affairs MCQs

National

1. The Department of Industrial Policy and

Promotion has approved the proposal of the Kerala

Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation

(Kinfra) to set up India‟s first Defense Industrial

Park at which place?

(a) Thiruvananthapuram (b) Ottappalam

(c) Kozhikode (d) None of these

2. The 30th Surajkund International Crafts Mela

2016 was celebrated at Surajkund, Faridabad. Who

was the theme State?

(a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Telangana

(c) Karnataka (d) Kerala

3. The Union Ministry of Health issued guidelines

on February 2, 2016 about Zika virus. What are

they?

(a) Not travel to affected countries

(b) Setting-up quarantine facilities at airports

(c) Constituting Rapid Response Teams

(d) All of the above

4. Maharashtra government has announced Bharat

Ratna Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Special Collective

Incentive Scheme for which entrepreneurs?

(a) Economically backward Dalit

(b) Dalit entrepreneurs

(c) Economically backward tribals



(d) All forward castes

5. On the basis of recommendation of the Tax

Administration Reform Commission on taxation

reform, two committees namely Tax Policy

Research Unit (TPRU) and Tax Policy Council

(TPC) have been constituted. Under whom these

committees will function?

(a) Finance Minster

(b) Revenue Secretary

(c) Both (a) and (b)

(d) Neither (a) nor (b)

6. Faced with the challenges of both home-grown

extremism and the global Islamic State (IS) threat,

which state has rolled out a deradicalisation

programme for the minority community?

(a) Gujarat (b) Maharashtra

(c) Punjab (d) Rajasthan

7. Union Minister of health and Family Welfare JP

Nadda has launched Project Sunrise for prevention

of AIDS in which States?

(a) Eight North-Eastern States

(b) Four Southern States

(c) South-Eastern islands

(d) South-Western islands

8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated

National Institute of Science Education and

Research (NISER) campus to the nation. Where it is

located?

(a) Jatni (b) Cuttack

(c) Puri (d) Jaipur

9. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated

Indian Oil Crop‟s Rs 34555 crore refinery in

Paradip, located 140 km from Bhubaneswar. Which

kind of oil it can process?

(a) High sulphur heavy crude oils

(b) Cheaper diesels

(c) Cheaper patrols

(d) Cheaper kerosenes

10. Textiles Committee, Union Ministry of

Handlooms and Textiles. Mumbai, registered which

saree under the India Handloom Brand?

(a) Chennai silk

(b) Sambalpuri saree

(c) Chettinad cotton saree

(d) Banarasi silk

11. The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers

Welfare has decided to set-up the National Organic

Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) at which

place?

(a) Mizoram (b) Manipur

(c) Sikkim (d) Bhutan

12. Union Tourism Ministry launched the tourism

helpline number in how many languages?

(a) 8 (b) 10

(c) 12 (d) 14

13. The Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural

Gas released the Hydrocarbon Vision 2030 for

North-East India. The vision 2030 outlined steps to

leverage the hydrocarbon sector for development of

which region?

(a) Silchar (b) Guwahati

(c) Dibrugarh (d) None of these

14. Gujarat government has planned to set-up the

country‟s first-ever aviation park at which place?

(a) Ahmedabad (b) Vadodara

(c) Gandhinagar (d) Surat

15. Which State has topped in terms of the overall

Internet readiness index as per Index of Internet

Readiness of Indian States (IIRIS) report?

(a) Karnataka (b) Gujarat

(c) Telangana (d) Maharashtra

16. Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu launched IT

enabled projects recently. What are they?

(a) IT-enabled handheld terminals

(b) UTSONMOBILE


(d) None of the above

17. Who became the 5th State to join hands with the

Railways for laying of 762 km long rail line in the

State and speedy execution of rail projects through

joint venture route?

(a) Chhattisgarh (b) Jharkhand

(c) Uttarakhand (d) Telengana

International

18. In February, 2016 the Central Board of Direct

Taxes (CBDT) has entered into two bilateral

Advance Pricing Agreements (APAs) with which

country?

(a) Japan (b) The UK

(c) The USA (d) China

19. Industry of which country has offered to set-up

a plant for US-2 amphibious aircraft at New Delhi

as per the „Make in India‟ initiative to cater to

international demands?

(a) Israel (b) Russia

(c) Japan (d) North Korea

20. India recently inked a pact with which country

for visa-free travel for diplomatic passport holders?

(a) The UAE (b) Sychelles



(c) The UK (d) Afghanistan

21. The Trans-Pacific Partnership, one of the

world‟s biggest multinational trade deals, was

signed by 12 member nations recently at which

place?

(a) Auckland (New Zealand)

(b) Queenstown (New Zealand)

(c) Wellington (New Zealand)

(d) Christchurch (New Zealand)

22. The US President Barack Obama unveiled a

new cyber security „national action plan‟ recently

which calls for an overhaul of aging government

networks and a high-level commission to boost

security awareness. This plan would address which

kind of threats?

(a) Short-term (b) Long-term

(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) None of these

23. The NATO alongwith whom have signed a

technical agreement to improve cooperation in

cyber defense at NATO headquarters in February,

2016?

(a) Russia (b) European Union

(c) India (d) Japan

24. What is the rank of India out of 38 countries for

its intellectual property rights environment in the

annual IP index released by the United States

Chamber of Commerce (USCC)?

(a) 35TH

(b) 36th

(c) 37th (d) 38th

25. The government of India has sanctioned Rs 580

crore for the vital rail link Agartala (India)-Akhaura

(Bangladesh) railway project. What is the distance

of this track?

(a) 1450km (b) 1550 km

(c) 1650 km (d) 1750 km

26. Which assembly became the first provincial

legislature in Pakistan to formalize the recognition

of marriages of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain minorities?

(a) Baluchistan (b) Sindh

(c) Kandhar (d) None of these

27. A South Korean State Chungcheongbuk is

looking to have a close relationship with which

Indian state in the field of technology?

(a) Punjab (b) Gujarat

(c) Haryana (d) Maharashtra

28. Which country continues to remain the world‟s

largest arms importer, accounting for 14% of the

global imports in the 2011-2015 timeframe, in yet

another indicator of the country‟s enduring failure

to build a strong domestic defence-industrial base?

(a) China (b) Pakistan

(c) India (d) None of these

29. Which country‟s Parliament became the first in

the world to completely run on solar Power?

(a) India (b) China

(c) Pakistan (d) Sri Lanka

30. The Union Cabinet approved the provision and

operationalisation of a $ 150 million EXIM Bank

credit line for developing which port that India

intends to use as a transhipment point for expanding

maritime commerce in the region?

(a) Iran‟s Chabahar Port

(b) Iraq‟s Chabahar Port

(c) Pakistan‟s Chabahar Port

(d) Afghanistan‟s Chabahar Port

31. Dispute Settlement Panel of which Organisation

said that India government‟s power purchase

agreements with solar firms were „inconsistent‟

with international norms; a matter in which the

USA had filed a complaint before the global trade

body alleging discrimination against American

firms?

(a) WTO (b) IMF

(c) EU (d) None of these

32. Under Indo-French Joint Committee on Science

& Technology Cooperation, the Joint Committee

would identify, synergise and define priorities for

Indo-French cooperation in science, technology and

innovation aimed to achieve economic and social

development through research, development and

innovation, When it was signed?

(a) November, 2015 (b) December, 2015

(c) January, 2016 (d) February, 2016

33. Parliament passed a bill on February 26, 2016

that grants voting rights to people who became

citizens of the country following the exchange of

enclaves between India and which country with the

Rajya Sabha giving its nod to the measure without

debate?

(a) Myanmar (b) Sri Lanka

(c) Bangladesh (d) None of these

Economy

34.What is the repo rate as per the recent bi-

monthly monetary policy review of RBI?

(a) 6.75% (b) 7.4%

(c) 7.6% (d) 7.75%

35. Which scheme in India completed ten years of

its implementation recently?

(a) PMGSY (b) MGNREGA

(c) DDUGY (d) None of these



36. Which company has overtaken Apple as the

most valuable publicly traded company in the

world, in February, 2016?

(a) Google (b) Alphabet Inc.

(c) Twitter (d) Facebook

37. Which pharmaceuticals company has filed for

global patent of two vaccine candidates, a

recombinant vaccine and an inactivated vaccine for

Zika virus, in February, 2016?

(a) Panacea biotech (b) Bharat Biotech

(c) Sun Pharma (d) Raptacos & Breetco

38. Who has accorded Pre-qualification of

Medicines Programme certification to Green Signal

Bio Pharmaceutical company based at Chennai

recently for manufacturing a Bacillus Calmette-

Guerin Vaccine?

(a) IMA (b) IDA

(c) WHO (d) None of these

39. Which software exporter has acquired Florida-

based Health Plan Services that run by private

equity firm Water Street Healthcare Partners, for $

460 million?

(a) IBM (b) Infosys

(c) Wipro (d) Google

40. Which bank has announced the appointment of

India‟s nominee, Dr. DJ Pandian, as the Vice-

President, Chief Investment Officer?

(a) RBI (b) World bank

(c) AIIB (d) IMF

41. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Make

in India Week at which place?

(a) MMRDA Grounds (b) NSCI, Worli


42. Which State became sixth State to join Ujwal

DISCOM Assurance Yojana Scheme in February,

2016?

(a) Jharkhand (b) Bihar

(c) West Bengal (d) Chhattisgarh

43. Which non-government organization, has signed

an MoU with Dubai Exports, which works with

other Dubai government departments to simplify the

export process, in February, 2016?

(a) Confederation of Indian Industry

(b) Business-friendly International

(c) Third Sector Organization

(d) Market Advocacy Organisation

44. Union Minister of Heavy Industry and Public

Enterprises Shri Anant Ganga Ram Geete has

unveiled the National Capital Goods Policy as part

of what?

(a) National Food Grid (b) Make in India

(c) IMPRINT India (d) None of these

45. Google balloon, part of the company‟s high-

speed internet service did its maiden test flight in

Sri Lanka. What is its name?

(a) Project Moon (b) Project Loon

(c) Project Noon (d) Project Soon

46. West Bengal government is planning to get

Geographical Identification (GI) tag for traditional

sweetmeat delicacies. What are they?

(a) Sarpuria (b) Sitabhog


47. President of Himachal Pradesh Cricket

Association (HPCA) and BCCI secretary Anurag

Thakur, announced „Swachh Himachal – Padhai

bhi, Safai bhi‟ campaign at which place?

(a) Kangra (b) Dharmashala

(c) Manali (d) None of these

48. Which bank has launched e-Smart SME, a

working capital loan that offers to sellers on e-

commerce platforms?

(a) ICICI (b) AXIS Bank

(c) UBI (d) SBI

49. In order to enhance economic cooperation and

strengthen financial stability, RBI said in a

notification that it has decided to extend the

currency swap arrangement to SAARC nations till

mid-November, 2017. How worth that

arrangement?

(a) $ 1 billion (b) $ 2 billion

(c) $ 3 billion (d) $ 4 billion

50. Which bank has received the inaugural Green

Band Pioneer Award for its pioneering efforts in the

Green Bonds market; including the highly

successful issuance of India‟s first ever Green

Infrastructure Bonds?

(a) ICICI (b) Deutsche

(c) Yes Bank (d) ABN AMRO

Science & Technology

51. The Ministry of Environment, forest and

Climate Change has notified recently that which

animal is considered as vermin for a year in

Uttarakhand?

(a)Wild goat (b) Wild pig

(c) Wild sheep (d) Wild dog

52. The Council for Scientific and Industrial

Research (CSIR) launched country‟s first anti-



diabetic ayurvedic drug for type two Diabetes

mellitus. What is the name of that drug?

(a) BGR-32 (b) BGR-34

(c) BGR-36 (d) BGR-38

53. The Intellectual Property Appellate Board

(IPAB) cleared the decks for issuing the

„Geographical Indication‟ (GI) tag in February,

2016 for which Indian rice grown in certain States?

(a) Sarada (b) Dalua

(c) Biali (d) Basmati

54. The high performance India-made cryogenic

engine meant for the hefty GSLV MK-III rocket

(LVM3) successfully underwent a 640 second firing

in February, 2016 at the ISRO Propulsion Complex

(IPRC) in which State?

(a) Andhra Pradesh (b) Tamil Nadu

(c) Karnataka (d) Rajasthan

55. The border troops of India and China held their

first one day joint tactical exercise in the Chushul-

Moldo area along the Northern border. What is the

name of the exercise?

(a) China-India Cooperation 2016

(b) Sino-India Cooperation 2016

(c) India-China Cooperation 2016

(d) India-Sino Cooperation 2016

56. Scientists from which country have effectively

transformed paper waste into green nontoxic

cellulose aerogel, recently?

(a) The USA (b) The UK

(c) India (d) Singapore

57. A 14-day India Nepal combined military

exercise held at Pithoragarh in February, 2016.

What was its name?

(a) Surya Kiran IX (b) Surya Kiran X

(c) Surya Kiran XI (d) Surya Kiran XII

58. National Air Quality Indices published recently

by Central Pollution Control Board determined on

the basis of concentration of some pollutants.

What are they?

(a) Sulphur dioxide

(b) Nitrogen dioxide


(d) None of these

59. NASA‟s car-sized rover Curiosity, which has

been exploring the parts of the red planet Mars

since 2012, has sent some pictures of the surface of

Mars. Which are among them?

(a) Angkor Wat Temple

(b) Downwind face of the Namib Dune



60. The scientists tested nimbolide, a compound

found in neem leaves, against which kind of cancer

in cell lines and mice?

(a) Cervical (b) Pancreatic

(c) Mouth (d) Skin

61. The scientists announced about the first direct

detection of gravitational waves i.e. ripples in the

fabric of space-time. Where from the waves came

from that circling each other, closer and closer, until

they finally collided?

(a) A giant star

(b) Two black holes

(c) A nova

(d) A supernova

62. Who innovatively used the first-principles

theories and modeling in insightful investigations of

microscopic mechanisms responsible for specific

properties of specific materials such as topological

insulators, ferroelectrics, multiferroics, and

graphene?

(a) Umesh Waghmare

(b) Jonardon Ganeri

(c) Amit Sharma

(d) Mahan Mj

63. Who launched a mobile app „Swachh Paryatan‟

that will enable travellers to send pictures of dirty

spots at tourist places to the authorities for

immediate action‟ as part of Clean India Mission?

(a) An NGO (b) Government of India


64. The armies of India and Seychelles People‟s

Defence Forces conducted a 7th joint military

training exercise at Seychelles Defence Academy in

Victoria. What was the name of that exercise?

(a) LATIMYE 2016 (b) LAMITYE 2016

(c) LYEATIM 2016 (d) None of these

65. Urban Development Minister announced top 10

cleanest cities in the country according to the

Swachh Sarvekshan 2nd

edition. Which city topped

in that list?

(a) Mysuru (b) Visakhapatnam

(c) Surat (d) Rajkot

66. Using observations made with the Wide Field

Camera 3 (WFC3) on board the NASA/ESA

Hubble Space Telescope and new analysis

techniques, which planet is revealed to have a dry

atmosphere without any indications of water

vapour?

(a) Exoplanet 45 Cancri e

(b) Exoplanet 55Cancri e

(c) Exoplanet 65 Cancri e



(d) Exoplanet 75 Cancri e

67. The Fourth Edition of the (IMCOR) was

successfully undertaken along the International

Maritime Boundary Line in which sea?

(a) Arabian sea (b) Indian ocean

(c) Andaman sea (d) Bay of Bengal

Sports

68. Who won 2016 Australian Open men‟s singles

title of tennis?

(a) Andy Murray (b) Novak Djokovic

(c) Roy Emerson (d) None of these

69. Which pair has won the 2016 Australian Open

title in the mixed doubles category?

(a) Elena Vesnina and Bruno Soares

(b) Coco Vandeweghe and Horia Tecau

(c) Elena Vesnina and Horia Tecau

(d) Coco Vandeweghe and Bruno Soares

70. Who clinched the Syed Modi Grand prix Gold

title in the men‟s singles final at Lucknow?

(a) Huang Yuxiang (b) K. Srikanth

(c) Goh V Shem (d) Tan Wee Kiong

71. Who won the 2016 Syed Modi International

Grand prix Gold Championship title in women‟s

singles category?

(a) Sung Ji Hyun (b) Jung Kyung-eun

(c) Shin Seung-chan (d) Sayaka Sato

72. Who clinched the MMSC FMSCI National

Racing Championship and the 2015 MRF

International Challenge series title at the MMRT

track in Sriperumbudur, Chennai?

(a) Pietro Fittipaldi (b) Lewis Hamilton

(c) Nico Rosberg (d) Sebastian Vettel

73. Which New Zealand captain and Skipper struck

the fastest ever test century, recently?

(a) Viv Richards (b) Misbah-ul-Haq

(c) Brendon McCullum (d) Adam Gilchrist

74. Who won gold in the women‟s Wushu Taolu

(Changquan) competition at the Rising Sun Sports

Complex for the 12th South Asian Games (SAG)?

(a) Sapna Devi (b) Susmita Tamang

(c) Nazia Parvaiz (d) None of these

75. Who won bronze in the men‟s Wushu Taolu

(Changquan) competition at the Rising Sun Sports

Complex for the 12th South Asian Games (SAG)?

(a) PLH Lakshan (b) Bijay Sinjali

(c) Anjul Namdeo (d) None of these

76. Who clinched the gold in women‟s individual

squash at the South Asian Games, in February,

2016?

(a) Joshna Chinappa (b) Maria Toorpaki

(c) Joshna Toorpaki (d) Maria Chinappa

77. Which Football Club has won the 2016 Sait

Nagjee International Club Football Tournament

played at the EMS Corporation stadium at

Kozhikode, Kerala?

(a) Brazilian FC

(b) Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk FC

(c) Atletico Paranaense


78. Who bagged a silver in long jump at the Asian

Indoor Athletics Championships held at Doha?

(a) Om Prakash Singh

(b) Prem Kumar

(c) Prakash Karhana

(d) Om Singh

79. Which city has been confirmed by the

continental body as host city of 2017 Asian

Athletics (Outdoor) Championships?

(a) Tatanagar (b) Jhamshedpur

(c) Ranchi (d) Hazaribagh

80. Which Pakistani umpire was banned for five

years by the BCCI after its disciplinary committee

found him guilty of corrupt practices and bringing

the game into disrepute?

(a) Ahsan Raza (b) Akram Raza

(c) Anis-ur-Rehman (d) Asad Rauf

81. Who struck gold and became third-time lucky as

they clinched their Hockey India League (HIL) title

in the fourth edition of the six-team tournament at

the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium at Ranchi?

(a) Jaypee Punjab Warriors

(b) Waveriders‟ defender

(c) Kalinga Lancers


82. Who won the Ranji Trophy for a record 41st

time with a comprehensive innings and 21-run

victory?

(a) Saurashtra (b) Mumbai

(c) Pune (d) Karnataka

83. Who has won the 2016 Dubai ATP Tennis title

in the men‟s singles category?

(a) Stan Wawrinka (b) Marcos Baghdatis

(c) Simone Bolelli (d) Andreas Seppi

Miscellaneous



84. Who was named as the new Police

Commissioner of Mumbai, in February, 2016?

(a) Datta Padsalgika (b) Ahmed Javed

(c) Rakesh Maria (d) None of these

85. Who took over charge as Flag Officer

Commanding-in-Chief of the Southern Naval

Command at Kochi?

(a) Sunil Lanba (b) Girish Luthra

(c) SPS Cheema (d) None of these

86. Who assumed charge as head of the Western

Naval Command headquartered at Mumbai?

(a) Sunil Lanba (b) Girish Luthra

(c) SPS Cheema (d) None of these

87. Who has been appointed to a key position in the

World Bank that assigned him a role to provide

strategic leadership to address the challenge of

fragility, conflict and violence?

(a) Saroj Kumar Jha (b) K. Durga Prasad

(c) KK Sharma (d) None of these

88. Who have been appointed as Director Generals

of CRPF, in February, 2016?

(a) K. Durga Prasad (b) KK Sharma

(c) Amitav Verma (d) None of these

89. Who have been appointed as Director Generals

of BSF?

(a) K Durga Prasad (b) KK Sharma

(c) Amitav Verma (d) None of these

90. Who was appointed as Director General of

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)?

(a) Archana Ramasundaram

(b) K. Durga Prasad

(c) KK Sharma

(d) Amitav Verma

91. Who was appointed as the Head of Mission and

Force Commander of the UNDOF by UN

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon?

(a) Jai Shanker Menon

(b) Purna Chandra Thapa

(c) Jai Shanker Thapa

(d) Purna Chandra Menon

92. Which former Deputy Governor of the Reserve

Bank of India died, in February, 2016?

(a) SS Tarapore (b) Bimal Jalan

(c) YB Reddy (d) Manmohan Singh

93. Which film has won the Best First Foreign Film

Award that is conferred by the FSCC 2016 and

announced in Paris?

(a) Chidiya (b) Titli

(c) Pari (d) Kiluru

94. Former Lok Sabha Speaker and veteran

Congress leader Balram Jakhar passed away in

February, 2016. He also had served as the Governor

of which State?

(a) Chhattisgarh (b) Madhya Pradesh

(c) Jharkhand (d) Bihar

95. Who has written 3524 songs in 650 films over

33 years and due to this, he was eligible for a

Guinness Book of World Records entry after

extensive documentation and verification of each

and every track?

(a) Gulzar (b) Javed Akhtar

(c) Sameer (d) Faiz Anwar

96. Who has been chosen for the Maharashtra

government‟s Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Lifetime

Achievement Award for 2015-16 in the field of

classical music, in February, 2016?

(a) Pandit Hari Narayan

(b) Pandit Ram Narayan

(c) Pandit Laxmi Narayan


97. Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the

nation, Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited,

a Petrochemical complex, at Lepetkata, near which

place?

(a) Dibrugarh (b) Guwahati

(c) Silchar (d) Mazuli

98. International Fleet Review (IFR) rehearsal 2016

an international military exercise hosted and

conducted by Indian Navy in February, 2016 at

which place?

(a) Visakhapatnam (b) Machhlipatnam

(c) Bhimunipatnam (d) Polavaram

99. World‟s Largest Concentrated Solar Plant

Opened in which country?

(a) Chad (b) Libya

(c) Morocco (d) Ghana

100. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated

12th South Asian Games that held from February 6

to 17, 2016 at the Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium

in which State?

(a) New Delhi (b) Assam

(c) Meghalaya (d) None of these



Answer Key CLATFOCUS March - 2016

Q. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Ans. B B D A C B A A A C

Q. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.

Ans. C C B A D C A B C D

Q. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30.

Ans. A C B C C B C C C A

Q. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40.

Ans. A C C A B B B C C C

Q. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50.

Ans. C B A B B C B D B C

Q. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60.

Ans. B B D B B D A C C B

Q. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 70.

Ans. B A B B A B C B A B

Q. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80.

Ans. D A C A C A B B C D

Q. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90.

Ans. A B A A B A A A B A

Q. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100.

Ans. A A B B C B A A C B

mock clat - 02 · clatfocus (march-2016) © circuit house road, near lic office, jodhpur (raj) ph:...

Documents