Current Affairs for the year of 2025 - 2024

Kannada Movie Thithi in the third week of June 2016 won two awards - Best Film and Best Script Writers - under the Asia New Talent Awards Category at the 19th Shanghai International Film Festival. Earlier, in August 2015, the film premiered at the 68th Locarno International Film Festival and won the...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Dr Ashraf Ghani jointly inaugurated the Afghan-India Friendship Dam with in Herat province in Western Afghanistan on 4 June 2016. The Dam was earlier known as Salma Dam on the river Chist-e-Sharif in western Herat neighbouring Iran. It will irrigate...

Microsoft was on 17 June 2016 selected as the technical partner to build a mobile Application (app) for Union Human Resources Development Ministry's SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) platform. The platform will launch 2000 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) for over three...

A three-member Indian women's archery team comprising Deepika Kumari, Bombayla Devi and Laxmirani Majhi was on 16 May 2016 named for the Rio Olympics. The women's trio will compete in the individual events as well as team event at the Rio Games in August 2016. They were selected after a series of selection...

The National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Ltd. on 5 June 2016 signed a MoU with the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) to facilitate investment in Indian infrastructure sector. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Doha during the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Qatar....

Guinea Bissau President Jose Mario Vaz on 26 May 2016 issued a presidential decree naming Baciro Dja as Prime Minister of the country. Dja succeeds Carlos Correia, who was sacked earlier in May 2016. His removal threatened to deepen political turmoil in the tiny West African nation. Effects of Presidential...

Union Government on 17 May 2016 announced that it is working to revise the rehabilitation of bonded labour scheme and make it a Central Sector Scheme. The revised scheme was announced by Bandaru Dattatreya, the Minister of State (IC) labour and Employment. Implementation of the new rules will replace...

World number one Novak Djokovic on 5 June 2016 won 2016 French Open title. In the final clash in Paris, Djokovic defeated Britain's Andy Murray 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. It was Djokovic's first French Open title and 12th major title of his career. Other 11 titles include six Grand Slam titles from the Australian...

The World Health Organization (WHO) on 26 July 2016 declared Brazil free of measles. The step was taken after no case of the disease was registered in 2015. From 1985 to 2000, Brazil saw no domestic cases of measles, although it broke out in 2013 in the northeastern states of Pernambuco and Ceara. The...

The President of India Pranab Mukherjee on 29 May 2016 presented the Malti Gyan Peeth Puraskar for the year 2016 at a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The award was conferred upon 15 teachers from Punjab for their rare contribution in the field of education. The awardees were facilitated with 1...

The Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) on 26 May 2016 framed guidelines and criteria for Empanelment of suitable agencies and Rate fixation for Central Government advertisements on websites. The aim of the guidelines is to devise principles and instruments to streamline the release of...

India on 4 June 2016 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States of America (USA) to facilitate hassle-free entry of Indians into America at selected airports. It will provide quick security clearances for pre-approved, low-risk travellers from India. Features of the Agreement...

India on 8 June 2016 signed a Europe-led scheme that seeks to clampdown on tax evasion and corruption by committing to automatically exchange information on beneficial ownership. With this, India joined a group of nearly 40 nations that are signatories of a scheme. Under the scheme, the signatories...

The 9 million Euro Indo-EU ‘Water4crops’ project was in news in third week of June 2016 after a review and planning meet on the project was conducted from 15 June to 17 June 2016 in New Delhi. The review meeting was held to mark the completion of 4-year of the project. Water4Crops stands...

World Hydrography Day (WHD) 2016 was observed on 21 June 2016 across the world. The theme for the WHD 2016 was Hydrography - the key to well-managed seas and waterways. The theme tries to focus attention on the fundamental importance of hydrography. The World Hydrography Day also marks the 95th anniversary...

India and Thailand on 17 June 2016 signed two agreements that are aimed at enhancing cooperation in culture as well as educational sectors. The set of agreements pertains to extension of the Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for 2016-19 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nagaland University...

British director Ken Loach's film I, Daniel Blake on 22 May 2016 won the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival. It was Loach's second award for best picture at the festival after 2006's The Wind That Shakes the Barley. Who is Ken Loach? • Loach is an English film and television director. •...

The Union Government on 17 May 2016 opened up a Tatkal Window to expedite examination of patent applications by start-ups as well as entities choosing India for the first filing of patent. The move came in the backdrop of 2.37 lakh patent applications pending in the country. The government is aiming...

The Lok Sabha on July 25, 2016 passed the Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Bill, 2016. The Bill seeks to amend the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, which declares certain Institutes of Technology as institutions of national importance. Highlights of the Bill • The Bill seeks to add six...

Jal Marg Vikas is a project on the river Ganga that is being developed between Allahabad and Haldia to cover a distance of 1620 kilometers. The project is being implemented with technical and investment support from World Bank and would be completed over a period of six years at an estimated cost of...

New study conducted by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on 24 May 2016 claimed presence of possible cancer-causing chemical in bread sold in Delhi. CSE in its recommendation asked Indian regulator FSSAI to act immediately and ban the two chemicals. It says that Indian bread manufacturer’...

Veteran journalist Inder Malhotra passed away on 11 June 2016 following a long illness. He was 86. Who was Inder Malhotra? • Malhotra worked as the resident editor of The Statesman in New Delhi from 1965 to 1971. • He was the also the India correspondent for The Guardian from 1965 to 1978....

Space agencies of more than 60 countries, under the impetus of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the French Space Agency (CNES), have agreed to come together to combat climate challenge. The announcement was made on 3 June 2016. It is for the first time that the space agencies have agreed...

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on 24 May 2016 launched its inaugural World Wildlife Crime Report. The report highlights how the poaching and illegal trade of thousands of different species across the globe present real environmental dangers. The report also urges shared responsibility...

The USA Women’s Senior National Team on 12 June 2016 won gold at the FINA Women Water Polo World League Super Final. The team defeated Spain 13-9 in the championship match in Shanghai, China. The victory marks the United States’ third straight FINA World League Super Final title and 10th...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 9 June 2016 concluded five-nation visit to Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland, the US and Mexico. During the five-day tour between 4 June and 8 June 2016, Modi met with Afghan President, Ashraf Ghani; Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani; President of Swiss federation,...

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 23 May 2016 successfully launched its maiden indigenous winged Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) from Sriharikota spaceport in Andhra Pradesh. It was carried up on a solid rocket motor (SRM). The nine-ton SRM was designed to burn slowly to accommodate the vertical...

Vijay Rupani, the newly elected leader of Gujarat BJP, was sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 August 2016. Rupani, who succeeds Anandiben Patel, was the senior most cabinet minister in Anandiben Government. Apart from Rupani, Nitin Patel was also sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister...

Scientists have discovered a Jupiter-like planet, Kepler-1647b, orbiting a system of two stars, making it the largest such cosmic body ever found. The planet Kepler-1647b, located in the constellation Cygnus, was discovered by astronomers from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre and San Diego State University...

A new book The Unseen Indira Gandhi authored by Dr KP Mathur was released in May 2016. Dr KP Mathur was personal physician of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for nearly 20 years till her assassination in 1984. The Book was published by Konark Publishers. The book provides some interesting peeps...