Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 26-02-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 26-02-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. CAA violence in Delhi–Clashes triggered by pro- and anti-CAA protesters continued for the third day in northeast Delhi as the death toll mounted to 13. Most of the deaths were due to gunshot wounds. Mobs carrying lathis roamed the streets of northeast Delhi, attacking shops and burning vehicles even as Delhi police PRO M.S. Randhawa claimed that the situation was under control. Rioters also opened fire and threw stones at each other. Late in the evening, curfew was imposed at Maujpur, Jaffrabad, Chandbagh and Karawal Nagar. Shoot-at-sight orders in parts of northeast Delhi were also issued. The anti-CAA protest site in the troubled area had been “cleared”.
2. Trump’s visit to India–India and the US strengthened their partnership with agreements on healthcare and energy, and issued a joint statement that designated the two countries as “Comprehensive Global Strategic partners”. The statement followed bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, during which the latter renewed his offer to mediate between India and Pakistan on Kashmir and discussed the issue of “religious freedom”.The discussions took place at Hyderabad House even as communally-charged mob violence in several parts of the city left homes and shops burning.
3. Bihar became the first NDA ruled state to pass resolution against CAA–The Bihar Assembly unanimously passed a resolution not to implement the National Register of Citizens. It also said the National Population Register will be implemented in the 2010 format.
4. 5 SC judges catch H1N1 virus, rights hearing hit –In the past 10 days, Supreme Court judges and thousands of lawyers practising there have been spooked by H1N1 with five judges kept in isolation on being found infected with the virus. This derailed day-to-day hearing by a nine-judge bench to outline the ambit and scope of right to religion. The first to be struck down by H1N1 was a judge who is part of the nine-judge bench, which on February 10 heard arguments for just two hours. The judge’s illness has derailed the hearing since then. He has almost recovered, brightening the chances of early resumption of hearing. After him, the flu spread quickly, catching four others. Of the four, three had a milder attack of H1N1. Though infected much later than the first judge, they have fully recovered and resumed court work.
5. J&K HC order throws light on state-backed land-grab –Laying bare a trail of alleged land grab in Kashmir stretching two decades back and involving “several public figures and government officials”, the J&K high court has noted how the now defunct Roshni scheme became a much-misused instrument to transfer large tracts of encroached state and forest land to “beneficiaries” at a fourth of their market value. A February 20 order issued by a division bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice TashiRabstan on a 2014 PIL seeking reclamation of 12,030.49 hectares of demarcated forest land also mentions repeated attempts by a section of officials “to withhold information from this court”.
6. COVID 19 outbreak updates–Health officials in the U.S. warned that the fast-spreading coronavirus is certain to reach the country at some point, even as their counterparts in Europe and Asia scrambled to contain new outbreaks of the illness. Some countries are erecting police checkpoints, issuing travel warnings and suspending flights, vowing to check the spread of the disease. Reports of new clusters far from the virus’ apparent origin point in China drove worries in financial markets for a second straight day. But with a widening global crisis encompassing not just Asia, but also Europe and the Middle East, there is a sense the virus will inevitably press into new places.
7. Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian strongman undone by the Arab Spring, dead at 91 –During his 29 years in power, Mubarak survived would-be assassins and ill health, crushed a rising Islamist radical movement and maintained the peace pact with neighboring Israel that got his predecessor killed. Mubarak was in the intensive care unit at a military hospital in Cairo when he died. He was in surgery on January 23, according to a tweet by his son Alaa Mubarak.
8. GuiMinhai: Hong Kong bookseller gets 10 years jail – A Chinese court has sentenced Hong Kong bookseller GuiMinhai to 10 years in jail for "illegally providing intelligence overseas". Mr Gui, who holds Swedish citizenship, has been in and out of Chinese detention since 2015, when he went missing during a holiday in Thailand. He is known to have previously published books on the personal lives of Chinese Communist Party members. Rights groups condemned the "harsh sentence" and called for his release. He was one of five owners of a small bookstore in Hong Kong who went missing in 2015. It later emerged that they had been taken to China. Four were later freed, but Mr Gui remained in Chinese detention.
9. First leg of India-US trade deal likely in 3 months–The first leg of the India-US trade deal will largely be about tariff concessions on goods and would be concluded in around three months. A larger free trade agreement (FTA) would be all encompassing, and include aspects other than goods such as services, intellectual property rights (IPR) and investment. The initial deal is likely to include restoration of benefits of low or zero duty to certain Indian exports under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), and market access for each other’s agricultural products.
10. Privatisation of airports put on hold– The second round of privatising six airports in Amritsar, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur and Trichy has been put on the back burner as different arms of the government are debating whether to cap the number of airports an entity can bid for. While the rules framed by the civil aviation ministry and Airports Authority of India (AAI) allow an entity to bid for all airports, the finance ministry and the cabinet secretariat are pressing for a cap, it is learnt.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	Tiruvallur District Cooperative Bank	Assistant	63	Any Degree	March 9, 2020	http://tvldrb.in/doc_pdf/Notification_1.pdf
2	NABCONS	Junior & Senior Consultan	218	Degree, PG	March 15, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/02/Notification-LIC-AE-AAO-Posts.pdf
3	National Institute of Virology	Project Scientist, Project Research Associate & Other	12	10th, 12th Class, DMLT, Degree, PG (Relevant Disciplines), Ph.D	--	http://niv.co.in/advt_nivproject.PDF
4	ICFRE	Technical Asst	6	10th, 12th Class, DMLT, Degree, PG	April 20, 2020	http://ifb.icfre.gov.in/jobs/vacancy99.pdf
5	Survey of India	Motor Driver-Cum-Mechanic	14	Degree	March  31, 2020	http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in/files/MTD_Recruitment.pdf
6	NEERI	Project Assistant Level – I, II, III	8	10th Class	March 12, 2020	https://www.neeri.res.in/file_homes/11847382_Revised_PA_Notice_MAr2020-HZC.pdf
7	ICAI	Project Officer, Asst Project Officer, Project Associat	29	B.Sc, Degree (Engg), M.Sc	--	https://resource.cdn.icai.org/58477hrdp47658.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 Not Available Today

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

2.1 How increase in LPG rates has set firewood prices on fire

• LPG prices which are revised on a monthly basis rose sharply in February, highest since Jan 2014.
• The rate for unsubsidised 14.2 kg cylinders rose by Rs. 144.50 – Rs. 149 in metro cities.
• But the price had increased by only Rs. 82 over five years to mid-2019 – indicating retail price has been highly subsidised given the populist sentiment attached to it.
• The price increase will affect retail consumers who have given up the subsidy.

• For those who avail subsidy, the increase would be mostly absorbed by the rise in subsidy. 
• For Ujjwala consumers, the subsidy would go up from Rs. 174.86 to Rs. 312.48 per cylinder.
• Of the 27.76 crore retail consumers, 26.12 crore consumers avail LPG subsidy.

• At a time when consumer demand, in general, for goods and services in the country has slumped, more cash in the hands of the retail consumer may have helped spur demand. The increase in LPG price could spur inflation even further.
• Domestic prices of LPG are based on a formula — the import parity price (IPP), which is based on international LPG prices.Saudi Aramco’s LPG price acts as the benchmark for the IPP and includes the free-on-board price, ocean freight, customs duties, port dues and the like.This dollar-denominated figure is converted into rupees before local costs are added –bottling, marketing, margins for companies and tax. This helps the government arrive at the retail selling price for LPG
• Reason for recent steep hike in LPG Prices - Crude Oil prices tend to affect Saudi Armaco’s Propane price. But, the exchange rate been within the range of Rs. 71-Rs. 72 to the dollar.
• LPG  – a mix of propane and butane -is an energy-rich fuel source with a higher calorific value per unit than other commonly used fuels, including coal, natural gas, diesel, petrol.The carbon footprint of LPG is 20% lower than that of fuel oil and 50% lower than coal.LPG is non-toxic and has no impact on soil, water and underground aquifers. It is used in transportation, in commercial business, industry, farming, domestic heating and cooking 
• PAHAL Scheme – direct cash transfer of subsidy for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) used in household cooking.
  

2.2 Govt. to set up 10,000 new farmer produce organisations (FPOs) by 2024 with budgetary support of Rs. 4,500 crore.

2.3 Abhay Kumar Singh appointed CMD of National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

2.4 Central Excise Day 2020 observed by CBEC (Central Board of Excise and Customs) on February 24.

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

3.1 Preparations are on peak at the Rushikulya rookery on the Odisha coast to welcome and protect olive ridley turtles during mass nesting

• Olive Ridley Turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world, inhabiting warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
• These carnivores turtles, along with the Kemps ridley turtle, are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada. 
• The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive-ridley, followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.
• Listed in Appendix I of CITES under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 they are vulnerable according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN).
• Threats - The accidental killing of adult turtles through entanglement in trawl nets and gill nets due to uncontrolled fishing during their mating season around nesting beaches.
• Measures taken -The Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover which allows the turtles to escape while retaining the catch. But, this has been strongly opposed by the fishing communities as they believe TEDs result in loss of a considerable amount of the catch along with the turtle.
• Rushikulya River - It originates from Rushikulya hills of the Eastern Ghats in Phulbani district (Odisha).It is 165 kmslong with 8900 sq.kms of catchment areas. It covers the entire catchment area in the districts of Kandhamal and Ganjam district of Odisha.
  

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

4.1 US President Donald Trump’s visit to India and US-India trade scanerio

• PM Modi and US President Donald Trump addressed a gathering of more than one lakh people at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera near Ahmedabad at the Namaste Trump event. 
• Trump and his family members visited Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad and TajMahal at Agra in Uttar Pradesh. 
• Several deals and MoUs were signed during the India visit of US President Donald Trump.
• India will buy six AH-64E Apache helicopters from US company Boeing for US $ 800 million.
• India will buy 24 MH-60 Romeo helicopters from US company Lockheed Martin for USD 2.6 billion. The multi-role helicopters will be equipped with Hellfire missiles and torpedoes, and are meant to help the Indian Navy track submarines in the Indian Ocean, where China is expanding its presence
  MoU on the safety of medical products signed between Central Drugs Standard Control Organization and the US Food and Drug Administration
  Letter of Cooperation signed between Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and Exxon Mobil India LNG Ltd and Chart Industries Inc, US.
• Defence - India and the U.S. have been collaborating on issues ranging from maritime security to international terrorism. The US President’s visit to India and the renewed focus on the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the US is seemed to be a US strategy only meant to isolate China. Recently, the US has categorised India as a ‘Major Defense Partner’ and granted it the ‘Strategic Trade Authorisation-1’ status.
• Trade -The trade between the two countries has reached a new high.Total two-way trade flows increased to $142.3 billion in 2018, with 2019 figures estimated to be even higher given that India has increased purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the U.S. and has also agreed to buy naval helicopters from the U.S.
• Investment -The U.S. is the fifth-largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India, with a cumulative capital stock of $28 billion. Steady inflows of capital from the U.S. point to India’s attractiveness as an investment destination for American companies.
  

4.2 World Day of Social Justice celebrated by UN on February 20. Theme: “Closing the Inequalities Gap to Achieve Social Justice”.

4.3 Global terror financing watchdog FATF (Financial Action Task Force) decides continuation of Pakistan in the 'Grey List'.

4.4 Home Minister of Maldives Sheikh Imran Abdulla visits India.

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

5.1 One year of PM KISAN scheme

• First anniversary of the launch of PradhanMantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme was observed on February 24. The initiative was announced during the 2019 Interim Union Budget.
• Under PM-KISAN, an amount of Rs. 6000 per year is provided in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs. 2000 to poor farmers.It is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare.
• One year after the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Centre has revised the beneficiary target down to just under 12 crore from 14 crore.
• The Centre’s beneficiary estimate of 14 crore was initially based on the number of landholdings recorded in the agricultural land census.
• Empirical evidence suggests that saturation level will reach around 10 crore families.
• So far, almost 8.5 crore farmers have benefited from the scheme.
• Rs. 75000 crore for the scheme will borne by the Union Government in 2019-20.
• The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiary farmer families rests with the State / UT Governments.
• All states are implementing the scheme, except West Bengal.
• It has been pointed out that of West Bengal’s 70 lakh farmers, 10 lakh have already self-registered through an online process. However, they cannot receive the cash benefit until the database is verified by the State government.
• In Bihar, the potential beneficiaries number 158 lakh. But, only 59.7 lakh farmers have uploaded their data on the PM-KISAN portal so far. The State has adopted a beneficiary application-based approach, which is delaying identification and upload.
• The PM-KISAN Mobile App developed and designed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information
  Technology has been launched.
• The farmers can view the status of their application, update or carry out corrections of their Aadhaar cards and also check the history of credits to their bank accounts.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup – Arts and Culture

• Obituaries –  

1. Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal passed away at age of 82 in Bengaluru.

• Book release –  

1. Book 'Who is Bharat Mata', authored by Purushottam Agrawal and Radha Krishna, release 
2. Vice President releases book titled ‘Death -An Inside Story’ at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore 

• Awards and Honours – 

1. Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2020: Best Film: ‘Super 30’, Best Actress:  DiaMirza for ‘Kaafir’, HrithikRoshan: Best Actor for ‘Super 30’.
2. AdlineCastelino of Mangalore crowned winner of LIVA Miss Diva Universe 2020 competition in Mumbai.
3. Vishwakarma Awards –ChatraVishwakarma Awards (CVA) were given to students and mentors. Institutes were felicitated under the UtkrishtSansthanVishwakarma  Award (USVA).
4. Kashmir journalist Freelance reporter Ahmer Khan won AFP’s Kate Webb Prize.

• The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) planning wooden barricade around famed stone chariot at Vittala Temple, Hampito protect it from damage.

1. Hampi is the 14th century capital of the Vijayanagar Empire, located in the Tungabhadra basin in Bellary District, Central Karnataka.
2. It is an UNESCO world heritage site.
3. Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world’s second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing.
4. Temples of Hampi are noted for their large dimensions, florid ornamentation, bold and delicate carvings and stately pillars which include subjects from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
5. Majority of these temples in Hampi were provided with widespread bazaars flanked on either side by storied Mandapas.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Amendments in Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016 notified

• Important Changes –

1. Now International medallists/renowned shooters are allowed to keep additional weapons up to a total of twelve under the exempted category, which earlier was seven. 
2. Junior target shooters/aspiring shooters are now allowed to possess two weapons (previously one) of any category in which the person is engaged.
3. Apart from the above exemptions, shooters are entitled to possess two firearms as normal citizens under provisions of the Arms Act, 1959.
4. Similarly, by amending the provision under Rule 40 of the Arms Rules, 2016 the quantity of ammunition that can be purchased by the shooters during the year for the practice has also been increased considerably.
5. It has also been clarified that no licence is required for Indian citizens for acquisitions, possession of small arms falling under the category of curio. 
6. But, appropriate licence as prescribed would be required for use or to carry or transport such small arms.
7. Without the endorsement of such firearms in the prescribed licence of the owner, no ammunition shall be sold for their use.

• About the Arms (Amendment) Bill, 2019

1. It seeks to enhance the punishment for existing offences like illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, etc.; illegal acquiring, possessing or carrying prohibited arms or prohibited ammunition; and illegal manufacture, sale, transfer, conversion, import, export, etc., of firearms.
2. It also proposes to define new offences and prescribes punishment for them, such as taking away firearms from police or armed forces, involvement in
   organized crime syndicate, illicit trafficking including smuggled firearms of foreign make or prohibited arms and prohibited ammunition, use of firearms in rash and negligent manner in celebratory gunfire endangering human life, etc.
3. It seeks to enhance the period of arms license from three years to five years and also to issue arms license in its electronic form to prevent forgery.
   

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

8.1 The fourth anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was observed on February 21, 2020.

• SPMRM is a scheme launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in 2016 to deliver integrated project based infrastructure in the rural areas, which will also include development of economic activities and skill development.A predecessor to SPMRM was the Provision of Urban Amenities to Rural Areas (PURA), announced in 2003.
• Mission's Objectives: Bridging the rural-urban divide - economic, technological and those related to facilities and services.
• Rurban Clusters: 

1. There are 2 categories of clusters: Non-Tribal and Tribal.Rurban clusters are identified across the country’s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization - i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.
2. For the purposes of SPMRM, Rurban areas refer to a cluster of 15-20 villages having about 30 to 40 lakh population. The clusters will be geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas.
3. The State Government identifies the clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the MoRD.
4. For the selection of clusters, the MoRD is adopting a scientific process of cluster selection which involves an objective analysis at the district, sub district and village level, of the demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and transportation corridor impact.

• SPMRM is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• Under the mission 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a time bound manner. Of these 296 clusters have been selected and Integrated Cluster Action Plans (ICAPs) approved.
•  Background - As per Census of India, the rural population in India, stands at 833 million, constituting almost 68% of the total population. Further, the rural population has shown a growth of 12% during the 2001-2011 period and there has been an increase in the absolute number of villages.Ensuring availability of amenities to rural populace is one of the top priorities of the central government. Hence,  the Government of India, has launched the SPMRM aimed at developing such rural areas by provisioning of economic, social and physical infrastructure facilities.

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

9.1 Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy inaugurates National Cyber Research, Innovation and Capacity Centre at CDTI campus in Hyderabad.

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

10.1   Ranking – World Bank report on Delivering Road Safety in India, 2020

• India has the world’s highest reported number of annual road crash fatalities.
• Road crash fatalities in India account for approximately 11 percent of the estimated 1.35 million global toll each year.
• Vulnerable road users, primarily pedestrians, cyclists, and two-wheelers, account for almost 54 percent of all fatalities and serious injuries.
• Road users between the ages of 18 and 45 comprise 69 percent of all fatalities.
  

Download pdf of the report from here –

http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/827641581916488024/pdf/Delivering-Road-Safety-in-India-Leadership-Priorities-and-Initiatives-to-2030.pdf

10.2 Daily dose of FIVE Facts -

1. Under the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) CBDR-RC is Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capability. 
2. IRNSS is Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. 
3. The GST council in Dec 2019 decided to have a single rate of 28% GST on both state-run and state-authorised lotteries.
4. The newly created chief of defence staff (CDS) be member of Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the defence minister. 
5. Lucknow hosted the 11th biennial edition of DefExpoin Feb2020.

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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