Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 29-01-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 29-01-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. NPR in new format can create confusion: Nitish – Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said the National Population Register (NPR) in its new format would create confusion in the country and suggested that the Centre should continue to retain the old format, in use since 2011.Mr. Kumar had earlier voiced opposition to the NRC, while calling for discussion on the CAA. The JD(U) had voted to enable the law’s passage in both Houses of Parliament.The JD(U) leader also remarked that it was up to the party’s national vice-president Prashant Kishor to decide if he wished to stay in the party or leave.
2. 14 sentenced to life in Gujarat riots case granted interim bail –The Supreme Court granted interim bail to 14 persons sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 23 people in a Gujarat riots case of 2002, provided they keep aside six hours a week to engage themselves in “spiritual and social service”. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde said they could participate in seminars. The bail would continue until the court decides their appeals against conviction. These convicts, some of them represented by advocate Astha Sharma, should not enter Gujarat. Ms. Sharma said the appeals were filed in the Ode massacre case. The Bench found that these people were convicted on the basis of the testimonies of one or two witnesses.
3. Coronavirus update: Air India flight to evacuate Indians – President Xi Jinping said China was in a struggle against a “demon” epidemic, as the death toll from the new SARS-like virus soared to 106 and the first cases of human-to-human contagion were detected abroad. Meanwhile after 24 hour of hectic parleys, India gained Beijing’s permission to airlift Indians from Wuhan. A Boeing 747 VT-ESO willbring 250 Indians to Mumbai.
4. Sharjeel Imam arrested from Bihar village – Jawaharlal Nehru University student Sharjeel Imam, who was absconding after cases were filed against him for “seditious and inflammatory” speeches at Aligarh Muslim University on January 16 and at other places, has been arrested from an area under the Kako police station in Jehanabad district of Bihar. Kako is his ancestral village. He has been booked under several Sections of the Indian Penal Code..
5. Nirbhaya Case:  Review of mercy plea – The scope of a judicial review of the President’s decision to reject a mercy petition is very limited, the Supreme Court orally told the lawyers for Nirbhaya case convict Mukesh Singh. A three-judge Bench, led by Justice R. Banumathi, refused to accede to a request by Mukesh, represented by senior advocates Anjana Prakash, Rebecca John and Vrinda Grover, for perusal of the original files of the correspondence on his mercy petition and official notings. Justice Banumathi said the court did not want to wade into an “uncharted territory”.
6. 10 more wetlands in India declared as Ramsar sites – India has added 10 more wetlands to sites protected by the Ramsar Convention. The 10 new ones are Nandu Madhameshwar, a first for Maharashtra; Keshopur-Miani, Beas Conservation Reserve and Nangal in Punjab; and Nawabganj, Parvati Agra, Saman, Samaspur, Sandi and Sarsai Nawar in Uttar Pradesh. The other Ramsar sites are in Rajasthan, Kerala, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Tripura.With this, a total of 37 sites in the country have been recognised under the international treaty. Wetlands declared as Ramsar sites are protected under strict guidelines.The Convention, signed in 1971 in the Iranian city of Ramsar, is one of the oldest inter-governmental accord for preserving the ecological character of wetlands. It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands.
7. Kunal Kamra barred from flying by Indigo, AI – Leading low-cost airline IndiGo announced that it was suspending stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra from flying with IndiGo for six months, as his conduct on board was unacceptable. Air India, too, suspended the stand-up comedian from flying with the airline till further notice. Mr. Kamra had earlier tweeted a video where he is seen accosting television journalist Arnab Goswami on board an Indigo flight. Goswami does not respond to Kamra in the 1.51-minute long video. An air hostess is heard asking the comedian to stop taking the video, but Kamra is heard saying he is willing to go to jail for this. Later, Kamra said he did it all for Rohith Vemula, the dalit student of Hyderabad University who committed suicide.
8. Defying U.S., U.K. gives 5G role to Huawei – Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted Huawei a limited role in Britain’s 5G mobile network, resisting U.S. pressure to exclude the Chinese company from next generation communications over fears Beijing could use them to spy. Britain had to weigh its “special relationship” with the U.S. against Chinese trade and investment ties which it wants to develop after leaving the EU. Mr. Johnson, in the biggest test of his post-Brexit foreign policy to date, ruled that “high-risk vendors” would be allowed into the “non-sensitive” parts of 5G networks. However, their involvement will be capped at 35%, they will be excluded from the sensitive core, where data is processed, and they will be banned from all critical networks and locations such as nuclear sites and military bases.
9. Trump unveils West Asia plan, Palestinians protest – U.S. President Donald Trump proposed creation of a Palestinian state with capital in eastern Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking steps to become self-governing, as part of a peace plan to end decades of conflict in the region. Senior administration officials said that under Mr. Trump’s proposed West Asia peace plan, the U.S. will recognise Israeli settlements on the occupied West Bank. In exchange, Israel would agree to accept a four-year freeze on new settlement activity while Palestinian statehood is negotiated.
10. Maruti’s profit rose by 4.12% – India’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki’s consolidated net profit rose 4.12% to Rs. 1,587.4 crore for the third quarter ended December 2019, on account of a reduction in corporate tax rate, cost reduction efforts and lower commodity prices. The company had reported a net profit of Rs. 1,524.5 crore in the September-December 2018 quarter. Consolidated revenue from operations grew 5.29% to Rs. 20,721.8 crore from the Rs. 19,680.7 crore in the year-earlier period. In a statement, the company said it had sold more than 4.37 lakh vehicles during the quarter, higher by 2% compared with the same period of the previous year. While sales in the domestic market rose 2% to 4,13,698 units, exports stood at 23,663 units.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	National Institute of Immun.	Tech. Officer-I, Tech.-I,II, Tradesman, MgmtAsst& Other	24	VIII Class with Driving Licence	Feb 17, 2020	https://www.niionline.co.in/nii/advt.pdf
2	Nat. Inst. of Epidemiology	Project Scientist, Project Research Asst, Project Technician III	61	12th Class, Any Degree, PG	Feb13, 2020	http://nie.gov.in/images/careers/SECOND_NIE_ADVT_JANUARY_2020_159.pdf
3	UPSC	Medical Officer, A. Eng. & Other	137	Degree, PG	Feb 13, 2020	https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/AdvtR-02-20-Details-ORA-Engl_0.pdf
4	BECIL	Surveyor, Programmer	77	Diploma, Degree, PG	Feb 17, 2020	https://www.becil.com/uploads/vacancy/e4dc36f8c3ea76193ecc5a07364c853a.pdf
5	IRCON International Limited	Graduate Apprentice, Technician (Diploma) Apprentice	76	Diploma/ Degree	Feb15, 2020	http://www.ircon.org/images/file/HRM/2019/IRCON-A-01_2020.pdf
6	IISER, Pune	Project In-Charge, Sr Technical Officer, Technical Asst& Other	69	Degree, PG	Feb11, 2020	http://www.iiserpune.ac.in/userfiles/files/Web%20advertisement%2009-2020(2).pdf
7	Northern Coalfields Ltd	Staff Nurse, Pharmacist& Other	52	10+2, Diploma	March10, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/01/Notification-C-MET-Director-Scientist-Other-Posts.pdf

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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• 1. CONSTITUTION AND LAW (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

1.1 71st Republic Day Parade in New Delhi - Awards

• Indian Air Force won first prize among the marching contingents of the three services. Flight Lieutenant Shrikant Sharma led the contingent comprising of 144 air warriors.
• The CISF contingent consisting of 148 personnel was first among paramilitary forces. It was led by Deputy Commandant PrabhSimran Singh.
• Assam's tableau has been adjudged the best among the 16 states and union territories. It was based on the theme 'Land of Unique Craftsmanship and Culture'.
• The tableaux of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh were named joint second best.
• Among the six tableaux from different ministries and departments, Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) won the joint best award.
• The tableau of Ministry of Jal Shakti showcased the government's new initiative 'Jal Jeevan Mission' that aims to provide functional household tap connection to every rural household by 2024 –Har Ghar Jal.
• In line with its motto 'Aapda Sewa Sadaiv', the tableau of NDRF showcased the force's successful and "illustrious journey of humanitarian service" in natural and man-made disasters, the release stated.

1.2 West Bengal assembly passes resolution against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

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• 2. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

2.1 RBI raises investment cap for FPIs

• Prerequisites –

1. What is FPI - Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) consists of securities and other financial assets held by investors in another country. It does not provide the investor with direct ownership of a company's assets and is relatively liquid depending on the volatility of the market. Along with foreign direct investment (FDI), FPI is one of the common ways to invest in an overseas economy.
2. ARC- Asset Reconstruction Company is a financial institution registered under the RBI which is regulated by the SARFAESI (Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest) Act (2002).
3. OMO - Open market operations (OMO) is an economic monetary policy where central banks purchase or sell bonds or other government securities on the open market in an effort to regulate the money supply.
4. VRR - It is a new channel of investment available to FPIs to encourage them to invest in debt markets in India over and above their investments through the regular route.
5. Context - Short-term investment limit rose to 30% from 20% of the portfolio. Investments under VRR doubled to Rs 1.5 trillion. Debt papers issued by ARCs or firms under bankruptcy resolution exempted from short-term limits. RBI sells less than Rs. 3,000 crore short-term bonds in special OMOs

• Details –

1. RBI raised short-term investment limit of FPIs to 30% from 20% of portfolio to bring in more foreign funds into the market.
2. The FPIs have not been in favor of raising short term limits. Lock-in period of three years is detrimental for the investors who chase high short-term yields. Investors expect currency to remain stable during the investment period. They face dual risks – currency and rising yields.
3. The central bank’s rate cutting cycle is nearing an end and the yields are expected to rise. As yield rises, prices of bonds fall, which causes loss to the investors.The RBI has encouraged the investors to invest in debt instruments issued by ARC, and by and entity under the corporate insolvency resolution process.
4. The central bank has also made relaxation in the voluntary retention route (VRR) for FPI investments in debt. The investment cap through VRR has been doubled to Rs 1.5 lakh crore, the RBI said in another circular.
5. FPIs that have been allotted investment limits under VRR may, at their discretion, transfer their investments made under the general investment limit to VRR.FPIs are also allowed to invest in exchange-traded funds that invest only in debt instruments, said the central bank.

• What do the bond dealers say about the move - This may not help as increasing limits will not immediately help retain investments. This is because about 30 per cent of the total investment limits in government securities and nearly 45 per cent in corporate bonds remain unutilized by foreign investors.

2.2 Kerala Tourism won Accessible Destination Award of United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for its disabled-friendly ‘Barrier-Free Tourism Project’.

2.3 Horticulture production in India at 310.74 million tonnes (MT) in 2018-19. Fruits Production - 97.97 MT, Vegetables Production - 183.17 MT.

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• 3. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

3.1 Supreme Court allowed Indian Government to introduce African Cheetah to India

• Context - The Supreme Court lifted its seven-year stay on a proposal to introduce African cheetahs from Namibia into the Indian habitat on an experimental basis.
• Aim - The plan was to revive the Indian cheetah population.
• Background - In May 2012, the top court had stalled the plan to initiate the foreign cheetahs into the Palpur Kuno sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, fearing that they may come into conflict with a parallel and a much-delayed project to reintroduce lions into the same sanctuary.
• Court’s concerns – The court was worried whether the African cheetahs would find the sanctuary a favourable clime as far as abundance of prey is concerned.
• Details –  

1. Decision was given by a Bench led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde.
2. Court allowed National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) (who has been knocking on the SC’s door to get permission to bring the African Cheetah in India), to take the plunge and go ahead with its plans.
3. But the Bench made sure that the right precautions are taken. It set up a three-member committee, comprising former Director of Wildlife Institute of India Ranjit Singh, DG of Wildlife Institute of India Dhananjay Mohan, and DIG, Wildlife, Ministry of Environment and Forests, to ‘guide’ the NTCA.

• Cheetah is the fastest land animal.

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• 4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

4.1 International Customs Day (ICD) celebrated on January 26

1. The day is celebrated by the World Customs Organisation (WCO).
2. It commemorates the day in 1953 when the inaugural session of the Customs Cooperation Council (CCC) was held in Brussels, Belgium.
3. Today custom organizations from 179 countries are WCO members.
4. Its slogan is “Customs fostering Sustainability for People, Prosperity and the Planet”.

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• 5. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

5.1 Not Available Today

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Arts  – Awards and Honours - Chevalier danslOrdre des Arts et des Lettres(Knight of the Order of Arts and Letter) award to Sanjana Kapoor

• Sanjana Kapoor will receive the award for her outstanding contribution to the field of theatre.
• She is the daughter of ShashiKapoor and Jennifer Kendal.
• French Minister of Culture Franck Riester, who’s currently on an official India visit, will confer the insignia of the distinction.
• She debuted on screen with AparnaSen’s 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981) and played the leading actor in Hero Hiralal (1989). She also appeared in Mira Nair’s Salaam Bombay (1988).
• But she went on to dedicate herself fully to theatre.
• In 2012, she co-founded Junoon, an organisation dedicated to increasing the reach of theatre and arts to a wider audience through innovative initiatives.

6.2 Sports – Obituary – Former Indian women's hockey team captain Sunita Chandra passed away at 76 in Bhopal.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Andhra Pradesh Assembly passes resolution seeking to abolish the state Legislative Council

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• 8. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

8.1 Historic Tripartite Agreement Signed Between Centre, Assam GovtAnd Bodo Organisations

• Context – A peace accord was signed between the Assam Government and the banned Bodo organisations – the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU).
• Background – Bodoland, officially the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), is an autonomous region in the state of Assam, India. It made up of four districts on the north bank of the Brahmaputra river, by the foothills of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh. The region is predominantly inhabited by the indigenous Bodo people and other indigenous communities of Assam. The official map of Bodoland includes four districts of BTAD recognised by the Government of India. It is administered by the Bodoland Territorial Council, which covers over eight thousand square kilometres. The territory came into existence under the BTC Accord in February 2003.
• Third Bodo Accord – 

1. This is the third Bodo accord to be signed in last 27 years.
2. The first Bodo accord was signed with the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) in 1993, leading to creation of a Bodoland Autonomous Council with limited political powers.
3. In 2003, the second Bodo accord was signed with the militant group Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT), leading to formation of a Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) with four districts of Assam -- Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baska and Udalguri -- called the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD).
4. The BTC has control over 30 subjects like education, forests, horticulture but no jurisdiction on the police, revenue and general administration departments, which are controlled by the Assam government. The BTC was formed under the 6th Schedule of the Constitution.

• What is the peace plan 

1. 1,550 cadres along with 130 weapons will surrender on January 30.
2. Political rights, some economic package to the Bodo tribals living in Assam.  
3. Assurance from government to the Bodo groups to safeguard the Bodo language and culture and related matters. 

• The demand for a separate state for the Bodos has been going on in Assam for about five decades.

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• 9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3)

9.1 New Internet security principles by World Economic Forum (WEF)

• Context - In its latest meeting at Davos (50th meeting in Jan 2020) the WEF announced new internet security principles.
• Significance – While certain cyber-attacks focus on specific organizations, the majority target the largest number of internet users possible. Such attacks are often relatively easy for cybercriminals to undertake and can cause serious harm.
• Impact - According to Cyber security Ventures, the impact of indiscriminate malicious activity online can be significant and carries an estimated global price tag of $6 trillion in 2021.
•  Details –

1. The principles were developed by a group of leading Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and multilateral organisations, to help protect up to one billion users in 180 countries.
2. BT, Deutsche Telekom, Du Telecom, Europol, Global Cyber Alliance, Internet Society, Korea Telecom, Proximus, Saudi Telcom, Singtel, Telstra and ITU endorse these new principles combatting high-volume cyberattacks.

• Principles - It is recommended that ISPs adopt the following key principles 

1. Protect consumers by default from widespread cyber-attacks and act collectively with peers to identify and respond to known threats.
2. Take action to raise awareness and understanding of threats and support consumers in protecting themselves and their networks.
3. Work more closely with manufacturers and vendors of hardware, software and infrastructure to increase minimum levels of security.
4. Take action to shore up the security of routing and signalling to reinforce effective defence against attacks.

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• 10. FACTS, CHARTS, RANKINGS and EDITORIALS (Prelims + GS Mains)

10.1  Ranking –World Employment and Social Outlook Trends 2020

• Unemployment is projected to increase by around 2.5 million in 2020.
• Global unemployment has been roughly stable for the last nine years.
• Insufficient paid work affects almost half a billion people.
  
  Download pdf of the report from here –
  
  
   https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_734455.pdf

10.2 Daily dose of FIVE Facts -

1. Gandhi Nagar hosted the sixth National Summit on Good, Replicable Practices and Innovations in Nov 2019.
2. Hindustan Turbo Trainer (HTT)-40 is the basic trainer aircraft built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
3. The theme of the 39th India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2019 was Ease of Doing Business.
4. Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal was recently appointed as Member of Competition Commission of India.
5. Chen Yufei won the Women’s Singles title at the Hong Kong Open Badminton in Nov. 2019.

10.3 Today’s best editorials to read 

• We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned. 

CLICK HERE TO OPEN AND READ!

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Solve the online quiz given, right now. Check scores, and relative performance!

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