Top Headlines of the week at a glance

1. DCB Bank launched its first Aadhaar-based ATM in Bengaluru. This ATM accepts Aadhaar number and Aadhaar fingerprint (biometric) to dispense cash and it will not require any ATM/Debit Card and PIN. 

2. Major Technology Company Microsoft and Professional Networking Website LinkedIn have entered into an agreement under which Microsoft will acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion. 

3. India and Ghana signed three MoUs including the waiver of visa for diplomatic and official passports,establishment of a joint commission to periodically monitor various aspects of multidimensional relationship, and helping in training of Ghanaian Foreign services. 

4. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rose 0.79% in May from 0.34% in April 2016. 

5. Tony Fernandes, group CEO of Malaysia's AirAsia, has been given the "Overseas Citizenship of India" (OCI) status by the Indian Government. 

6. Israel has been elected to head the United Nations' legal committee. It is the first time that Israel will head one of the world body's six permanent committees since joining the U.N. in 1949. 

7. Dell and Shiv Nadar University signed an agreement to collaborate and drive research and innovation. Under this agreement, Dell will engage with faculty members at the university to mentor students and jointly work on technology projects in areas such as big data, cloud computing and Internet of Things. 

8. According to a report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), at present Pakistan have around 110 to 130 Nuclear weapons while India have around 100 to 120 nuclear weapons. The report says that US, Russia, Britain, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea — have 15,395 nuclear warheads in 2016. 

9. The Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released theinflation rates based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) for May, 2016. According to Consumer Price Index, retail inflation rate was 5.76 per cent in May, 2016. 

10. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) unveiled a new scheme for Sustainable Structuring of Stressed Assets (S4A) for reworking the financial structure of big corporate entities facing genuine difficulties. The scheme will be considered if the aggregate exposure (including accrued interest) of all institutional lenders in the account is more than Rs 500 crore.

11. Bariatric surgeon Shashank S Shah has been honoured with the American Diabetes Associations "Vivian Fonseca Scholar Award 2016" for his contribution in the field of gastric bypass surgery for diabetes.

12. According to global financial services firm DBS, recovery in the Indian economy will continue to be 'uneven' and the GDP growth expected to increase from 7.6 per cent to 7.8 per cent in the current fiscal 2016-17.

13. China launched the 23rd BeiDou navigation satellite to support its global navigation and positioning network. The satellite, launched from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province, was taken into orbit by a Long March-3C carrier rocket.

14. Former England captain Donald Carr died. He was 89.

15. Indian badminton star Saina Nehwal defeated China's Sun Yu to win her second Australian Open Super Series title.

16. Lewis Hamilton won the Canadian Grand Prix title for the fifth time and continuously for the second time.

17. India has created a world record by installing 65000 solar pumps in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment of making the country a clean energy capital.

18. The Indian men's 4x400m relay team created a new national record, clocking 3:02.17 at the International Sprint and Relay Teams Cup. They bettered the previous record of 3:02.62 set at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.

19. India's Leander Paes will become the only tennis player in the world and the first Indian to makea seventh appearance at the Olympics. Paes won the bronze medal for India in singles tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. 

20. IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad launched a contest, with ₹​50,000 prize money, to design thelogo and come up with the tagline for the newly announced India Post Payments Bank. Users can submit their designs on the MyGov portal before 9 July, 2016.

21. Opening batsman KL Rahul became the first Indian to score a century on his ODI debut, after registering 100*(115) against Zimbabwe in the first ODI of the series on . He is the 11th batsman in ODI history to have achieved the feat.

22. Veteran journalist Inder Malhotra passed away aged 86 at a Delhi hospital, after suffering a cardiac arrest. Malhotra was the resident editor of The Times of India and The Statesman. He authored several books, including a biography of Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

23. Jaipur's Aman Bansal has topped the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced 2016. Haryana's Bhavesh Dhingra and Jaipur's Kunal Goyal secured the next two ranks in the exam

24. Russia has honoured Kudankulam nuclear power plant site director R.S. Sundar with "Order of Friendship" for his role in the project being built with Russian assistance in Tamil Nadu.

25. Indian short film "Leeches", starring Sayani Gupta, won the Audience Choice Award at the SeoulInternational Women's Film Festival (SIWFF).

26. In a first, China and Nepal are now connected by a optical fibre network through the Geelong (Keyrong)-Rasuwgadhi border point. The network has ended Nepal's sole dependence on India for connecting it with global telecom services.

27. A 30-year old Indian entrepreneur Umesh Sachdev has been named by Time magazine to its 2016 list of '10 millennials' who are changing the world" for building a phone which can help people to interact and access critical services by communicating in their native languages.

28. Indian-American author Akhil Sharma won the prestigious 100,000-euro International Dublin Literary Award, the world&'s richest award for a single novel, for his second novel 'Family Life'.

29. Jharkhand was adjudged 'top performing state' under the Digital India Programme.

30. Bihar is at the top among all states and Union Territories (UTs) in terms of steps taken to improve the ease of doing business according to a ranking done on a real-time basis by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). Bihar is followed by Telangana and Jharkhand in the ranking.

31. Russian President Vladimir Putin awarded United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the 'Order of Friendship' award. He was awarded for strengthening peace, friendship, cooperation and mutual understanding between peoples.

32. Director of movies like 'The Martian', 'Gladiator' and 'Blade Runner', Ridley Scott will be honoured with the 30th American Cinematheque Award.

33. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has appointed Swedish Major General Per Lodin, a logistics expert, to head the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) that monitors the situation in Kashmir. India does not recognize the UNMOGIP's mandate.

34. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh launched free Wi-Fi service and other passenger amenities in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He also inaugurated a new mechanized laundry, a water vending machine and integrated security systems and automatic accident relief medical vehicle.

35. In a ranking of 163 countries, compiled by global think tank "Institute for Economics and Peace" (IEP), Syria has been named as the least peaceful, followed by South Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. On the other hand, Iceland was ranked as the world's most peaceful country. India has been ranked at 141st place in this Global Peace Index, making it less peaceful than countries like Burundi, Serbia and Burkina Faso.

36. India has surpassed Japan to become the world's third-largest oil consumer, according to a report of "BP Statistical Review of World Energy". US is first while China is at second place in terms of oil consumption.

37. India, America and Japan will take part in a trilateral maritime exercise Malabar-16, starting from 10 June. The exercise will take place at Sasebo in Japan.

38. In another crucial backing for India's NSG bid, Mexico supported 'positively' and 'constructively' its membership of the 48-nation bloc as the two countries agreed to develop a roadmap to upgrade bilateral ties to a strategic partnership.

39. Before the start of the EURO 2016, Germany and Arsenal's star midfielder Mesut Ozil has been named as the Laureus Sport for Good Ambassador.

40. Maria Sharapova has been suspended for two years by the International Tennis Federation for testing positive for meldonium at the Australian Open.

41. The World Bank has lowered its forecast for the global growth in 2016 to 2.4 per cent, saying that the world economy is facing stronger headwinds.

42. Narendra Modi became the sixth Indian Prime Minister to address the joint session of the US Congress. Before this Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh have addressed US Congress.

43. Fashion designer and AIDS activist Kenneth Cole has been named as the International goodwill ambassador by the head of the UN's AIDS-fighting organisation.

44. President Pranab Mukherjee will be presented the 'National Order of the Republic of Ivory Coast'. This is the highest Civilian award of Ivory Coast.

45. Eminent Indian-origin professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya has been awarded the prestigious Regius Professorship in Manufacturing by Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding contribution in manufacturing.

46. The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $120 million loan agreement to improve irrigation and water management infrastructure in Odisha.

47. Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New & Renewable Energy launched “Surya Mitra” mobile App at National Workshop on Rooftop Solar Power. This App is a high end technology platform which can handle thousands of calls simultaneously and can efficiently monitor all visits of Suryamitra’s.

48. Arundhati Bhattacharya, the first woman chairperson of the nation's largest bank SBI, has been ranked fifth most powerful women in finance by the Forbes magazine. She is also ranked 25th in Forbes' list of "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women" which includes four Indian Women. Others are Chanda Kochhar of ICICI Bank (40th), Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw of Biocon (77th), and Shobhana Bhartia of HT Media (93rd).

49. Hillary Clinton created history by becoming first woman presidential nominee of America.

50. Brazil will host 2019 Copa America Tournament. Brazil last hosted the Copa America in 1989.

51. The Assam state capital became the first city in the country to have its own City Animal with the Kamrup Metropolitan district administration declaring the Gangetic river dolphin as the mascot.

52. According to the Forbes Magazine, Serena Williams has overtaken Maria Sharapova as the world's highest- paid sportswoman.

53. In line with the government’s Digital India campaign, PC maker Dell has announced the launch of "Aarambh" – a pan-India initiative aimed at spearheading the use of personal computer (PC) for education.

54. Deshauna Barber, Logistic Commander and IT Analyst of United States (US), was crowned as the Miss USA 2016. With this, Barber became the first-ever military member to win Miss USA title.

55. The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), a Public Private Partnership (PPP) body under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, announced the appointment of Manish Kumar as MD and CEO and Jayant Krishna as ED and Chief Operating Officer (COO).

56. The coast guards of India and South Korea will hold a 4-day joint exercise "Sshyog-Hyeoblyeog- 2016" in Chennai from June 8 to 11.

57. In a report, Yes Bank said that Indian economy is expected to grow at 8.1 per cent in the current fiscal year 2016-17.

58. India's two-wheeler manufacturing major Hero MotoCorp Ltd will be the title sponsor of the men's HockeyChampions Trophy 2016 which will be held in London from June 10-17.

59. Switzerland has supported India's membership to the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group. With this Switzerland hasalso agreed to share informations on Money laundering and tax evasion.

Top Headlines - 12th June,2016

1. India, Japan, and the US begin Malabar Exercise near the South China Sea
i. India, Japan, and the US have kicked off the Malabar Exercise, near to  the South China Sea. It aims to achieve deeper military ties and greater interoperability amid rising tensions in the region. 
ii. The 8-day joint exercises will see in action over 100 aircraft and 22 naval ships including a nuclear submarine. The Indian Navy stated that their four ships namely- Satpura, Sahyadri, Shakti and Kirch are participating in the 20th edition of the naval exercise in consonance with India's 'Act East Policy' and growing ties among the three countries.  
iii. In addition, one nuclear-powered submarine, carrier wing aircraft, and long-range maritime patrol aircraft will also participate in the exercise. Last year, it was conducted in Chennai and included the participation of Japan.

2. AAI conferred national award for best performing central PSU for Green Energy initiatives
i. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been conferred the National Award for Best Performing Central PSU for Roof Top Solar Power initiatives at a glittering function at Vigyan Bhawan by Minister of State for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal.
ii. It has installed 4.8 megawatt peak power (MWp) rooftop solar plants at 13 airports. Further, 4.9 MWp solar plants are expected to be installed at 14 other airports by December.
iii. The solar energy generation so far is 51 Lakhs units (Approx.) from the completed solar power plants at various airports.

3. Govt forms panel on PSU executives pay revision
i. The government of India has constituted a committee to make recommendations on pay scale revision of executives in PSUs. 
ii. The panel's suggestions will be submitted within six months of its constitution, and the government's decision on them will take effect from January 1, 2017. 
iii. The last pay revision for the executives came into effect in 2007.

4. Union Government Releases The Road Accidents In India 2015: Report
i. The Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has launched the report titled Road Accidents in India 2015. 
ii. According to the report, road accidents have emerged as a major public health problem in India where almost 5 lakh accidents occurred last year killing 146000 people. The report was compiled by the Transport Research Wing.
iii. The Mumbai city had the highest number of road accidents while Delhi had the highest number of deaths due to road accidents. 

5. Telangana to set up 12,500-acre Pharma City near Hyderabad
i. Mr. K. Chandrashekhar Rao, the Chief Minister of Telangana state has ordered to setting up a 'Pharma City' on 12,500 acres of land in Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar districts. 
ii. For this project, Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) will send a detailed project proposal (DPR) to the government on modalities for implementation and execution of the project. The state already has been the drugs capital of the country with almost one-third of the total production in value terms.
iii. The proposed park will have components and other related activities with regard to antibiotics, fermentation products, synthetic drugs, large volume chemical synthesis, vitamins, nutraceuticals, herbal medicinal products, specialty chemicals, cosmetics among others.

6. Machilipatnam Town-Sanctioned For Development Under AMRUT Scheme
i. The Union Urban Development Ministry has sanctioned 37.5 crore rupees for development of Machilipatnam town under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.
ii. According to, K. Ravindra, the minister of Andhra Pradesh Excise and BC Welfare, the funds under the scheme should be used for development of amusement parks and beautification of the town, apart from the development of cemeteries. 
iii. The AMRUT scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June 2015 with the focus of the urban renewal projects is to establish the infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewerage networks and water supply for urban transformation. 

7. FICCI to be national partner at 8th Vibrant Gujarat Summit
i. The summit, which will be organised by the Gujarat government's industrial promotion body, iNDEXTb during January 10-13, 2017, at Mahatma Mandir, Gandhinagar, will have the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) as its national partner.
ii. The core theme of the eighth edition of the biennial industrial extravaganza, Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2017, will be 'Connecting India to the World'.
iii. The focus of this summit is to go beyond Gujarat and make it an all-India focused event for the world at large with the central theme of ‘Connecting India to the World.

8. India Post launches logo and tagline design contest for IPPB on MyGov 
i. The Department of Posts has launched a logo and tagline design contest for the soon to be set up India Post Payments Bank on the MyGov website. 
ii. The Department of Post wants to connect with and involve the people of India in designing the DNA of the India Post Payments Bank. The present contest is the first step towards this ongoing engagement. 
iii. The contest is open to all Indian citizens, institutions, agencies and entities for a period of one month, until 9th July 2016. The best entry will be awarded Rs 50,000. A panel of eminent designers will help shortlist 20 best entries which will thereafter be put up for voting on the MyGov platform for the final selection of the winner. 

9. SBI, CaixaBank ink pact to fund Indo-Spanish joint ventures
i. State Bank of India (SBI) and Spain's CaixaBank have inked pact to provide loans to Indo-Spanish joint ventures and local enterprises. Both have signed the Mou to enhance business synergies. The banks also cooperate through an introduction of business opportunities and partnering on possible infrastructure funds. 
ii. The agreement was signed by CaixaBank's Executive Vice-President, International Banking, Victoria Matia and SBI's Chief General Manager Sujit Kumar Varma.
iii. Under this JV, the banks will collaborate in areas of mutual interest such as syndicated loan business, guarantee transactions, trade finance and export credit agency finance, infrastructure finance and networking services, among others. Besides, Both bank's clients will be able to use the vast combined network to expand their businesses abroad and through this agreement, both SBI and CaixaBank will gain direct access to their respective markets of operation. 

10. 'Sansad Ratna' awards conferred on 5 MPs
i. Four first time Lok Sabha MPs were among five Parliamentarians who were honoured with the 'Sansad Ratna' Awards by the Former RBI governor C Rangarajan, for their performance in Parliament. 
ii. The award was instituted by the Prime Point Foundation and emagazine PreSense, were given to five Lok Sabha MPs and one former Rajya Sabha member . 
iii. BJP's PP Chaudhary, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, Shrirang Appa Barne, Raajeev Shankarrao Satav, Shivaji Adhalrao Patil and P Rajeev leader from Kerala have been honoured for their work.

11. V Vaithialingam elected unopposed as Speaker of Puducherry Assembly
i. Congress leader and former Chief Minister V Vaithialingam has elected as the Speaker of the legislative Assembly. 
ii. While, Pro-tem Speaker VP Shivakozhuthu was declared elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker.
ii. The newly elected Speaker and Deputy Speaker were led to their respective seats by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and leaders of other political parties. 

12. Ragesh Chandra Appointed Secretary To Puducherry CM
i. G Ragesh Chandra has been designated as Secretary to Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy.
ii. He has taken charge with an immediate effect.
iii. Mr. Chandra would hold additional charge of the departments and would continue  to subjects which already looked after by him.

13. Karnataka Bank former chairman MS Krishna Bhat passes away
i. The former Chairman of Karnataka Bank Mr. M.S. Krishna Bhat has passed away in Mangaluru. He was 78 years old. 
ii. He had joined the bank in 1970 and was elevated to the position of General Manager in 1989. He became the Chief General Manager of the bank in 1994 and took over as Chairman on July 12, 1995, for a period of two years, which was extended for another three years up to July 2000.
iii. He was known for his straightforwardness, foresight, and quick decision-taking capacity. 

14. Legendary Canadian ice hockey player Gordie Howe dies
i. Canada's hockey icon Gordie Howe has passed away after a lengthy illness. He was 88 years old. 
ii. He was commonly known as Mr. Hockey and is considered as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time and an iron man in many respects both on and off the ice. 
iii. Howe was born in Floral, Saskatchewan, in March 1928 and spent most of his career with the Detroit Red Wings, winning the Stanley Cup four times. He was in the top 10 of scorers for 21 consecutive years and was named most valuable player six times before finally retiring in 1980. Howe was also named an NHL All Star 23 times and was inducted into the hockey Hall of Fame in 1972. He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

15. Veteran journalist Inder Malhotra passes away
i. Veteran journalist Inder Malhotra has passed away in Delhi. He was 86 years old. 
ii. Mr. Malhotra, one of the most respected journalists of India, had worked with The Statesman and then The Times of India, in New Delhi. He began his career at the United Press of India which he joined immediately after graduating from the Punjab University. 
iii. He also wrote for The Guardian (1965-95). His publications include Indira Gandhi: A Personal & Political Biography (1989), Dynasties of India And Beyond (2003), and a fresh biography of Indira Gandhi (2006). He was working on a book on Indian Security: Past, Present and Future.

Top Headlines - 3rd June,2016

1. BSE gets RBI nod to start online bidding platform for SGBs

i. BSE, Asia’s oldest bourse, has received the Reserve Bank approval to start an online bidding platform for Sovereign Gold Bond scheme.
ii. The exchange plans to offer an online bidding platform for collecting bids from members and their clients for the SGB issue.
iii. This bidding platform is part of the iBBS (Internet-based Book Building System) — exchange’s existing web-based online bidding platform for IPO, Offer for Sale, and offer to buy issues.
iv. SGBs — government securities denominated in grams of gold — offer an alternative to holding gold in physical form.
v. The bond is issued by RBI on behalf of government and investors can apply for the bonds at the price as disseminated by the central bank.

2. CPI (M) nominee Sreeramakrishnan elected Kerala Speaker

i. P Sreeramakrishnan of the CPI (M) that leads the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was elected Speaker of the Kerala Assembly.
ii. He polled two additional votes even as the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate V.P. Sajeendran secured one vote less in a pattern that indicated interesting alignments.
iii. Pro tem Speaker S Sarma did not vote while that of Independent PC George was invalidated due to technical reasons.

3. India and Tunisia sign MoUs for co-operation in IT, handicrafts sector

i. India and Tunisia have signed two MoUs for co-operation in Information Technology and promotion of traditional handicrafts.
ii. The MoUs were signed after the delegation level talks between the two countries in the presence of Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari and Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid in Tunis.
iii. The two sides also discussed the issue of spreading tide of terrorism and decided to enhance co-operation in counter terrorism. Mr. Ansari also invited 350 Tunisian citizens to India for training in different institutes over the next five years. 

4. India joins The Hague Code of Conduct

i. India has joined the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) to further strengthen global non proliferation.
ii. However, India has made it clear that it will not have any impact on the national security as well as country’s missile programmes. 
iii. The HCoC is a voluntary legally non-binding multilateral body aimed at preventing the spread of ballistic missiles that can deliver weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

5. India-US ink MoU to boost energy security, clean energy cooperation

i. India and United States have signed an MoU to enhance cooperation on energy security, clean energy and climate change in New Delhi with an aim to promote sustainable growth.
ii. It was signed by India's Power Secretary P.K. Pujari and US Ambassador to India Richard Verma.
iii. Under the MoU, the priority initiative are - US-India Energy smart Cities Partnership, greening the grid, promoting Energy Access through Clean Energy (PEACE) expansion. It also includes energy efficiency including space cooling, energy security, renewable energy, clean energy finance and US-India partnership for Climate Resilience etc.

6. NK Chari is MD of State Bank of Mysore

i. Mr. NK Chari has been appointed Managing Director of the State Bank of Mysore (SBM) with an immediate effect from 30th May. 
ii. Prior to his new position, he was the Deputy Managing Director of State Bank of India. He has joined State Bank of India as a Probationary Officer in September 1978 and also served as the Chief Operating Officer in National Banking Group, the retail branch network of State Bank of India.
iii. This development comes on the back of the proposed merger of SBM with SBI.

7. Dr. R Seetharaman conferred with 2016 Green Economy Visionary Award

i. A Qatar-based Indian banker Dr. R Seetharaman has been awarded with the 2016 ‘Green Economy Visionary award’.
ii. He has been awarded with this award for his contribution in environment-friendly activities and thereby promoting green economy for nearly two decades. 
iii. He received the award from Mohammed Jarrah Al-Sabah, Chairman of Union of Arab Banks at the 2016 Union of Arab Banks (UAB) International Banking Summit held in Rome.

8. Actor-director Balu Anand dies of heart attack

i. Tamil actor and director Balu Anand died following a massive heart attack at his house in Kalampalayam. He was 62 year old.
ii. Anand has acted in some 100 films and directed a few Tamil movies.
iii. Sathyaraj-starrrer 'Annanagar First street' and Vijayakant-starrer 'Nane Raja Naane Mantri,' were some of his hit films.

9. Argentina retain top spot in FIFA rankings

i. Argentina (1st) and Belgium (2nd) continue to hold on to the top two spots in the latest FIFA rankings, with Colombia rounding up the top three.
ii. World champions Germany are fourth in the table with European Championship holders Spain now sixth. 
iii. India have fallen down one spot to 163, while England have been replaced in the top 10 by Austria.