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Neha Gore

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Passes Away at 93

Veteran political leader, poet and former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away on August 16 in New Delhi at the age of 93. He was born on 25th December 1924 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He was not only the Prime Minister of India thrice;  in 1996 for 13 days, 1998-1999 and 1999-2004, but also the first non-Congress leader to complete a full term as Prime Minister. It was under his leadership in 1998 that the successful Pokhran II nuclear tests took place which put India on the map as a nuclear superpower.

76th Anniversary of the Quit India Movement

The movement, also known as 'August Kranti Diwas' was launched on August 8 in 1942 at the Bombay session of the All India Congress Committee. It was on this historic day that Gandhiji proclaimed 'Do or Die' to all Indians.

Proposal to Declare 2019 as 'International Year of Millets'

Radha Mohan Singh, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, wrote to the UNFAO on August 16 to declare 2019 as the ‘International Year of Millets’. His proposal was sent to Jose Graziano da Silva, Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. This has been proposed in order to draw wider global attention and action to promote cultivation of millets.

UIDAI's Face Recognition Feature from September 15

UIDAI announced the roll out of a phased live face recognition with telecom service providers for Aadhaar authentication on August 18. The feature that will be a part of obtaining eKYC for mobile SIMs will commence from September 15.

Coloured Stickers for Identifying Vehicular Pollution

The Supreme Court accepted a proposal for use of hologram based coloured stickers on vehicles indicating the nature of fuel on August 13, 2018. The proposal, introduced by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, aims to identify vehicular emission to help control air pollution.

Women Reservation in RPF Recruitment

Indian Railways to provide 50% reservation to women in the Railway protection Force recruitment. The announcement made on August 12, 2018 by the Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, is aimed at increasing employment of women in Indian Railways.

Water Aerodromes Proposal Approved

On August 11, 2018, the Civil Aviation Minister, Suresh Prabhu approved a proposal for setting up water aerodromes in the country. The setting up of water aerodromes, especially near locations of tourist and religious importance, will enhance air connectivity.

Pune, Top Most in the Ease of Living Index

Hardeep Singh Puri, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs, announced the Top 10 cities on Ease of Living Index 2018, on August 13. Kolkata refused to participate in the survey. Out of 116 top cities, Pune ranked the highest with, Navi Mumbai and Greater Mumbai at No. 2 & 3 respectively. Delhi ranked at 65 with Rampur, Kohima and Patna, forming the bottom 3.

Jodhpur, Cleanest Railway Station

A Third Party Survey was conducted on Station Cleanliness by the Minister of Railways, Coal, Finance & Corporate Affairs, Piyush Goyal. The report released on August 13, ranks Jodhpur at No.1 and Jaipur at No. 2 out of 75 A-1 category stations. Marwar is at 1st position, followed by Phulera station at 2nd position in A category stations. The survey was conducted by the Quality Council of India.

Digital Screens at Railway Stations on the Occasion of Independence Day

The Union Ministry of Railways launched ‘Digital Screens’ at 22 stations to showcase heritage buildings, locomotives and much more to make people aware of the rich heritage of Indian Railways, on August 15.

Post Revision by

Neha Gore

The registration process for XAT 2019 begins today i.e. August 20 2018. The registrations will be open till November 30  2018. Candidates who wish to appear for the same can register for the same at the XAT official website. The exam will be conducted on January 6, 2019, from 10 AM to 1 PM.

About XAT 2019

Xavier aptitude test is the second largest exam for the MBA aspirants.  The candidates can pursue MBA/PGDM in 11 member institutes and around 140 B schools XAT scores. The candidates applying for XAT need to hold a Bachelor’s degree in any field. The exam will be conducted in an online mode. Around 90000 students appear for the XAT exam every year. The minimum duration of the program should be 3 years. However, the final year students are also eligible to apply for the same. Also, there is no age limit to apply for XAT 2019.

Steps to apply for XAT 2019

Follow the mentioned steps to apply for XAT 2019.

• Visit the official website of XAT(xatonline.in)

• Click on “Register Online” tab.

• Fill in your mandatory details in the form.

• Upload necessary documents for the same. (Scanned image of passport size photograph and signature of the candidate)

XAT 2019 exam pattern

XAT exam will be consisting of 4 sections viz Verbal and Logical Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Ability & Data Interpretation, and General Knowledge. According to the change in the exam pattern this year, essay writing will not be included.

XAT 2019 important dates:

Here are a few important dates for the upcoming XAT exam

Now that you are aware of the syllabus and the important dates for XAT 2019, it’s time to buck up. Taking mock tests is the best way to prepare as well as revise. You can choose various mock tests at Eduwhere and score well in your upcoming XAT exams.

Post Revision by

Neha Gore

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took his last breath at the age of 93 on Thursday 16th August 2018. Just after the country celebrated its 72nd anniversary of the independence day, Vajpayee closed his eyes forever and bid a goodbye to the entire nation.

“If India is not a secular nation then India is not India at all”. These were the words said by one of the greatest Prime Minister who served India with dedication throughout his tenure. Indeed, he made all the possible efforts to make India a secular nation. One can notice a drastic transformation in every sector is during his prime ministership. Moreover, Vajpayee made remarkable changes in every sector and such was his charisma that he became bigger than parties and politics.

“I have a vision of India: an India free of hunger and fear, an India free of illiteracy and want.” Vajpayee did not just utter these lines but also made it true for the masses of the country. Let us know about the contribution by the man of immense mortal and truthfulness in the sector of education.

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan- A revolutionary project

Atal Bihari Vajpayee always knew that the lack of formal education in the country would never let us progress. He launched the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan to provide free to the children between age 6-14 years. It is stated as one of the largest successful education projects in the world. The programme was also funded by the World Bank, Department for International Development (DFID) and UNICEF. This project was launched in 2000-2001 and became a huge success.  According to the SSA official website, there is 19.67 crore children enrolled in 14.5 lakh elementary schools along with 66.27 lakh teachers at the elementary level in the country. This project brought a drastic change in the number of dropouts by 60 percent.

Vajpayee's contribution to Hindi literature

Vajpayee was a great poet at heart. His inspirational quotes have motivated millions of souls and shall keep doing so in future. His contribution towards the Hindi literature has been immense. His poems and quotes about the country and life are like a cherry on the cake of the rich Hindi literature. “Unchaai”, “Bharat ki Kavita”, and “ Kya Khoya kya Paya” are some of the noteworthy works by Atal ji.
Here are a few lines from Atal ji’s poem ‘Aao fir se diya jalaen’

Bhari dupahari mein andhiyara
Sooraj parachhai se hara
Antaratan ka neh nichode
Bujhi hui baati sulagaaen,
Aao fir se diya jalaen

Thanks to Vajpayee for blessing us with A.P.J Abdul Kalam as our President

The Missile Man of the country who took his last breath by spreading knowledge will always be a great personality. But only a few know that Atal Ji was one of the prime reasons that A.P.J became the President. In a meeting attended by leaders of all the coalition parties, a unanimous decision was made that Kalam will be the President of the country. Vajpayee communicated this to A.P.J before announcing this in front of the masses. Vajpayee asked for A.P.J’s opinion and firmly told him that the answer should be a ‘Yes’. Vajpayee, later on, worked for the progress of the nation along with A.P.J. He played an essential role in getting India a highly qualified scientist and a humble person as our President who have made numerous efforts for the education sector of the country.

The rise of the telecom industry

Illiteracy leads to poverty, but if a person is literate, then employment and progress are easy to be achieved. With the increase in telecom industry under Vajpayee’s governance, employment increased for the people of the country. A revenue-sharing model was introduced under New Telecom Policy that helped the telecom firms to get away with fixed license fees.

Contribution towards Science and Research

Vajpayee’s ensured that the country does not lag behind in the field of science and research. On 56th independence day of India, Vajpayee launched the Chandrayaan project. He informed that now the country is ready to process in the field of science. He announced that India would send their spacecraft to the moon by 2008. India could conduct five nuclear tests in a week in the year 1998 and became a nuclear weapon country. At the same time, he also stated that India would not use the power as aggression.

Apart from all the mentioned points, the number of good deeds done by Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee cannot be counted. The Delhi Metro project which is considered as the finest metro’s in the world is like oxygen to the people of Delhi. Various projects like ‘The Lahore Bus Yatra’ were put forth by him to maintain peaceful relations with Pakistan. Along with a truthful and down to earth nature, this orator also had the wit to answer firmly when the opponents questioned him.

We all are blessed that we could witness this memorable era when Vajpayee served us. He will be known for his deeds and the transformation that he brought in the country.

Post Revision by

Neha Gore

Kerala Received Maximum Funds in 2016-17

The Reserve Bank of India’s survey of inward remittances for 2016-17 has stated that, Kerala has received the maximum funds sent from abroad. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the top source of these inward remittances at 26.9% compared to United States at 22.9%.

RBI Approves Surplus Payment to Government

On August 11, RBI agreed to transfer a surplus amount of Rs. 500 billion or Rs.50,000 crore for the year ending June 30, 2018, to the Government of India. The decision was taken by  the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India, at a meeting held on August 8.

Aditya Birla Health Insurance and DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance Enter Partnership with SVC Co-operative Bank Limited

On August 10, Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co and DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance announced their partnership with urban co-operative lender SVC Bank to sell their policies through the bank.

Amazon and Uttar Pradesh Government Join Hands

Amazon signed an MoU with the UP government on August 11, to provide support to MSME entrepreneurs across nine districts as part of the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.

Post Revision by

Neha Gore

Madras High Court gets a New Chief Justice

Justice Vijaya Kamlesh Tahilramani was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court on August 11, 2018. She has replaced Justice Indira Banerjee who has been now appointed as a Supreme Court judge.

First Woman Chief Justice of J&K High Court

Justice Gita Mittal became the first-ever woman Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court on August 11. She succeeds Ramalingam Sudhakar and the oath was administered by Governor N.N. Vohra in Srinagar.

Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Sworn in

On August 11, Justice Rajendra Menon was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. He was earlier the Chief Justice of Patna High Court and has also served as a judge in the Gwalior Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The oath was administered by the Lt Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal.

National Handloom Day Celebrated

National Handloom Day (NHD-2018) was launched in 2015 and is celebrated all over India on August 7. It marks the day of launch of the Swadeshi Movement which started on August 7, 1905. Artisans and weavers are awarded ‘Sant Kabir’ awards to encourage their handiwork and Indian crafts.

Rekha Sharma, Chairperson of National Commission for Women (NCW)

Rekha Sharma has been appointed the chairperson of NCW. She has been holding the additional charge of chairperson after Lalitha Kumaramangalam stepped down from the position in September 2017.

Lok Sabha passes Arbitration and Conciliation Bill (Amendment) 2018

The Bill passed by the Lok Sabha on August 10, was introduced by the Minister for Law and Justice, P.P. Chaudhary on July 18, seeking to amend the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. A High Level Committee (HLC) with retired SC Judge, Justice B.H. Srikrishna as the chairperson, was constituted by the Central Government to facilitate achieving the goal of improving institutional arbitration.

Amendment Bill for Commercial Disputes

The Lok Sabha passed the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2018 on July 31 with the Rajya Sabha following suit on August 10. The bill which will now be sent to the President for his consent, seeks to amend the law for prompt elimination of commercial disputes and to reduce the fiscal jurisdiction of commercial courts from Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 lakh.

Parliament passes Bill which is a Boon for Homebuyers

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on August 10. The bill had been passed by the Lok Sabha on July 31. In June 2018, The Bill is a relief to homebuyers who invested in housing projects of companies gone bankrupt.

Amendments in Instant Triple Talaq Bill Approved by Cabinet

Amendments in the instant triple talaq bill were approved by the Union Cabinet on August 9 and it will be presented in the Rajya Sabha on August 10, for approval. It not only makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat illegal and void in any form, but also makes the declaration of talaq a cognizable and non-bailable offence.

NITI Aayog, CII Partnership for Sustainable Development

NITI Aayog and the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) partnered for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of India on August 8.

A recent report by the CII on Indian Solutions for the World to Achieve SDGs, covers individual SDG, targets and business implications.

Defence Industrial Corridor Launched in Aligarh

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the first phase of UP Deference Corridor in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh on August 11.

Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana to Continue

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Prime Minister approved the continuation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) beyond the 12th five year plan period on August 11. It was launched on December 25, 2000, with the objective to provide all-weather road connectivity of unconnected habitations.

India Science Technology and Innovation Portal Launched

Vigyan Prasar, the communication wing of the Union Science Ministry, launched the India Science Technology and Innovation portal on August 11 which will reach out to students, researchers, scholars and scientists, in India and abroad. This comes in the footsteps of the launch of India Science, an internet based science channel which will showcase India's developments in science and technology.

Southern Naval Command Launches Operation ‘Madad’

The Southern Naval Command (SNC) at Kochi, Kerala launched operation 'Madad' on August 9, to carry out disaster relief operations in Kerala. Naval helicopters are providing relief material to the flooded areas.

Gurugram's Air Quality Index Hazardous

On August 5, 2018, Gurugram was declared India’s most polluted city out of 62 cities in the country by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on August 5 with an AQI of 321.