Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 27-02-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 27-02-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Death toll rises to 27 in Delhi violence–The death toll in Delhi’s worst-ever communal violence since 1984 rose to 27, with 14 more persons succumbing to injuries sustained in clashes that began over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Sunday evening. After four days, both the Centre and the Delhi government swung into action, with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal going to the disturbed parts of the city on Wednesday to rebuild confidence among people. In a walkabout shown live on television, Mr. Doval spoke to residents, some of whom posed tough questions. A bearded man could be heard telling him: “Muslims are being killed wherever their numbers are few.”
2. Assam at the centre of fresh border row–Assam is at the centre of a fresh inter-State border row in the northeastern region. The Mizoram government has sought the revision of the boundary with Assam, based on the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation (BEFR), 1873 and the Inner Line of the Lushai Hills Notification of 1993. This followed an alleged bid by the Assam police on February 19 to pitch a camp at Umlawi in West Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, bordering Assam’s Kamrup district, and a Nagaland group’s reported attempt to grab land in eastern Assam’s Jorhat district on February 12. The BEFR allows Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland not to let non-resident Indians in without an inner-line permit for a temporary stay. Mizoram used to be the Lushai Hills district of Assam before being made a Union Territory in 1972 and a State in 1987.
3. IAF aircraft lands in Wuhan with medical supplies –India sent a heavy lift military transport aircraft to the COVID-19-hit Wuhan in China. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) C-17 Globemaster III aircraft carried 15 tonnes of medical supplies and will bring back around 120 citizens and five infants while flying back. Apart from the Indian nationals, the flight is also expected to bring back citizens of neighbouring countries. An Indian based in Wuhan said the Indian Embassy in Beijing had asked the citizens to remain ready for evacuation and the official process was underway.
   
4. Union Cabinet approves major changes to the Surogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020–The Union Cabinet approved the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill after incorporating recommendations of a Rajya Sabha Select Committee. A parliamentary panel had recommended that not only close relatives but any woman who is “willing” should be allowed to act as a surrogate. The 15 major changes suggested by the 23-member select committee of Rajya Sabha to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, also included deleting the definition of “infertility” as the inability to conceive after five years of unprotected intercourse on the ground that it was too long a period for a couple to wait for a child.
   
5. Cabinet approves amendments to give occupancy rights to scheduled times in Lakshadweep–The union cabinet approved amendment of the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands Land Revenue and Tenancy Regulation, 1965 to confer occupancy rights to the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in the union territory. Briefing reporters about the decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Lakshadweep island mostly comprises ST population and they did not have occupancy rights.
6. Covid-19 has infected every continent except Antarctica –Asia reported hundreds of new coronavirus cases, including an American soldier stationed in South Korea, as the US warned of a pandemic, the disease spread in Europe and Brazil confirmed Latin America’s first infection. And for the first time, more new cases were reported outside China than inside, according to the World Health Organisation. Chinese officials reported 411 new infections; in the rest of the world, the number was 427. The total number of cases globally has now reached 80,980 and nearly 3,000 have died.
   
7. AGR dues: Voda Idea seeks relief; asks DoT for Rs 8,000 crore GST refund –Financially stressed telecom operator Vodafone Idea, in a letter to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has sought the adjustment of goods and services tax (GST) refund to the tune of Rs 8,000 crore against its dues linked to adjusted gross revenue (AGR).
   
8. US Presidential Elections – Democrats unleashed a roaring assault against Bernie Sanders and seized on Mike Bloomberg’s past with women in the workplace during a contentious debate that tested the strength of the two men at the center of the party’s presidential nomination fight. As the undeniable Democratic front-runner, Sanders faced the brunt of the attacks for much of the night, and for one of the few times, fellow progressive Elizabeth Warren was among the critics. The Massachusetts senator pressed the case that she could execute ideas that the Vermont senator could only talk about.
   
9. Pakistan's Government Declares Nawaz Sharif "Absconder" –Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been declared an "absconder" by the government for violating the bail requirements by not presenting his medical report from his doctors in London. Mr Sharif, 70, left for London in November last for treatment after the Lahore High Court allowed him to go abroad on medical grounds for four weeks. According to Mr Sharif's physician, the three-time Prime Minister of Pakistan is suffering from complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium for which he is due to undergo surgery.
10. German court scraps ban on assisted suicide – The ruling is a major victory for the terminally ill patients, doctors and assisted suicide organisations who brought the case, complaining that the existing law went too far. Judge Andreas Vosskuhle said the right to a self-determined death included “the freedom to take one’s life and seek help doing so”.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	PGCIL	Field Engineer & Field Supervisor	36	Diplima, B.E/ B.Tech/ B.Sc	March6, 2020	http://www.powergridindia.com/sites/default/files/Recruitment_for_the_post_of_FE_%26_FS_in_NR-III_on_Contract_Basis_0.pdf
2	Northern Coalfields Ltd	Mining Sirdar, Surveyor	95	10th Class	March 24, 2020	http://nclcil.in/recruitment/Statutory%20English%20detailed%20notification%2007.02.2020.pdf
3	ECIL	Technical Officer, Scientific Assistant, Jr Artisan	6	ITI, Diploma, Degree (Engg)	March 5, 2020	http://www.ecil.co.in/jobs/Advt_No_14_2020.pdf
4	AIATSL	Duty Manager, Jr. Executive, Officer & Other	160	Any Degree, Degree (Engg), PG	March10 and 11, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/02/Notification-AIATSL-Various-Vacancy.pdf
5	Numaligarh Refinery Limited	Apprentice Trainee	101	ITI, Diploma, LLB, B.Com. BA/ MA, MBA	March 10, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/02/Notification-Numaligarh-Refinery-Ltd-Apprentice-Trainee-Posts.pdf
6	SSB	Assistant Commandant	10	Degree (Engg)	March22, 2020	http://www.ssbrectt.gov.in/docs/ADV_AC_COMN_2020.pdf
7	Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd	Diploma & Graduate Apprentice	84	Diploma, Degree (Engg.)	March11, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/02/Notification-Mazagon-Dock-Ltd-Apprentice-Advt-No.-01-2020.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 Centre Notifies Resignation Of Justice S. C. Dharmkadhikari, Bombay HC Judge

• The Central Government has notified the resignation of Justice S. C. Dharmadhikari, the second senior judge of Bombay High Court.
• Justice Dharmadhikari had submitted his resignation on February 14. 
• He had resigned due to personal reasons because he did not want to leave Bombay as he was elevated as the Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.
• Justice Dharmadhikari was elevated as an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court on November 14, 2003.

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

2.1 The meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament for the Ministry of Steel held on Feb 24, 2020

• Consultative Committees –

1. Consultative Committees are the 10 to 30 members committees attached to various ministries, departments of the central government to provide a forum for informal discussions between the ministers and the members of Parliament on policies and programmes of the government and the manner of their implementation.
2. These committees are normally constituted after the new Lok Sabha is constituted and dissolve upon end of every Lok Sabha.
3. The guidelines regarding the composition, functions and procedures of these committees are formulated by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. 
4. These consist of members of both the Houses of Parliament. But, the membership of these committees is voluntary.
5. The Minister/Minister of State in charge of the Ministry concerned acts as the chairman of the consultative committee of that ministry.

•  Parliamentary committees –

1. The Consultative Committees are different from Parliamentary Committees.
2. A Parliamentary committee is appointed or elected by the House or nominated by the Speaker/Chairman.
3. It works under the direction of the Speaker/Chairman.
4. Presents its report to the House or to the Speaker/Chairman.
5. Has a secretariat provided by the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha.

2.2 CCEA approved upward revision of interest subvention from “upto 2%” to “upto 2.5% p.a.” under the scheme Dairy processing and Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF).

2.3 Union Minister of Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi said that India will stop importing thermal coal from 2023-24.

2.4 CCI approved acquisition of 100% of issued and paid-up share capital of NEEPCO (North Eastern Electric Power Corporation) by NTPC from the government.

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

3.1 International Conference on Banana, 2020

• Time – Feb 22 to 25, 2020
• Place –Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
• Theme –Innovations in Sustainable Production and Value Chain Management in Banana
• Organizers –Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR): National Research Centre for Banana, Biodiversity International, Society for promotion of Horticulture, Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

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

4.1 Meeting of Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from G20 nations

• Time – Feb 22 and 23, 2020
• Place – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• Theme -Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All
• Saudi Arabia is the first Arab nation to hold the G20 presidency.
• Aim - Action plan to shield the world economy from the impact of Coronavirus Epidemic.Discuss ways to achieve a fairer global taxation system for the digital era.Discuss global economic outlook and possible policy responses to support growth and safeguard against downside risks.
• About G20 - An informal group of 19 countries and the European Union along with representatives of the IMF and the World Bank. Represents about two-thirds of the world’s population, 85% of global gross domestic product, 80% of global investment and over 75% of global trade. Need of its presence was felt amid 2008 financial crisis.
  

4.2 World’s oldest man Chitetsu Watanabe passed away at the age of 112 in Japan.

4.3 Tibetans celebrated Losar- the new year of the community, from February 24 to 26.

4.4 Jawed Ashraf appointed as the next Ambassador of India to France.

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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 Weekly Roundup – Corporates

• Awards and Honours - Biocon CMD Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw named EY Entrepreneur of Year 2019.
• Appointments/Resignations - Indian-American Ajay Banga to step down as President and CEO of MasterCard and become Executive Chairman from January 1, 2021.Michael Miebach will be the new CEO.
• Product Launches –
  
  
  1. Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) launches self-charging hybrid electric MPV Vellfire at Rs 79.5 lakh .
  2. Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) starts bookings of the new Land Rover Defender priced from Rs 69.99 lakh.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, 2019

• Background - The Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, 2019 was introduced in the winter session of the Lok Sabha. It was subsequently referred to a joint parliamentary committee, which is currently engaged in the process of public consultation. The present provisions mark a drastic change from the earlier version of the draft Bill, released by the Justice Srikrishna Committee in 2018.
• Significance - The Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill, seeks to give individuals greater control over how their personal data is collected, stored and used. Once implemented, the law promises a huge improvement on current Indian privacy law, which is both inadequate and improperly enforced at present. 
• Concerns - The exceptions created for the state with respect to regulations. The limited checks imposed on state surveillance. Deficiencies in the structures and processes of the proposed Data Protection Authority. Provisions pertaining to data localization.
• Data localization - The phrase data localization has largely come to refer to the need to physically locate data within the territory of the country.
• What’s in the bill for Data localization - Data processing/collecting entities are barred from transferring critical personal data (a category that the government can notify at a subsequent stage) outside the country. But the Bill enables the transfer of personal data outside India, subject to the fulfilment of the requirement that a copy of the sensitive personal data will be kept in the country.
• Logics in favour of data localization - It helps uphold the sovereignty of the nation over the data. It ensures effective government functioning as the local storage of data would enable enforcement of Indian law and state functions. Will help bring in many economic benefits to the country. Will enable more effective protection of civil liberties. 
• Logics in opposition of data localization - It would be wrong to assume that data localization will necessarily lead to better privacy protections. The security of data is determined more by the technical measures, skills, cybersecurity protocols, etc. put in place rather than the location of the data. Data localization may make it easier for domestic surveillance over citizens. The degree of protection afforded to data will depend on the effectiveness of the applicable data protection regime. The extra-territorial application of the PDP Bill ensures that the data protection obligations under the law continue to exist even if the data is transferred outside the country, hence, reducing the need for data localization.

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

8.1 Kalasa-Banduri Nala project cost increases from about Rs. 94 crores (2000) to Rs. 1,677.30 crores (2020)

• Kalasa-Banduri Nala Project is a project of the Government of Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the three districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, and Gadag. Involves building across Kalasa and Banduri, two tributaries of the Mahadayi river to divert water to the Malaprabha river. Malaprabha river supplies the drinking water to Dharwad, Belgaum, and Gadag districts. Kalasa-Banduri project was planned in 1989.
• Reason for delay - In 2002 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Goa headed by Manohar Parrikar raised objections to the project claiming that the project would harm Goa's flora and fauna. Following this, the then National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government which was in power at the center put on hold its approval and funding of the project. Karnataka and Goa have since then been at loggerheads over the project.
• The Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was set up in 2010. Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
• Mahadayi River - Mahadayi or Mhadei, the west-flowing river, originates in Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary (Western Ghats), Belagavi district of Karnataka. It is essentially a rain-fed river also called Mandovi in Goa. The river travels 35 km in Karnataka; 82 km in Goa before joining the Arabian Sea.

8.2 AICTE barred universities from offering PGDM and MBA courses simultaneously.

8.3 UP Sunni Central Waqf Board accepts five acres land for mosque in Ayodhya, to form trust to oversee construction.

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

9.1 Ancient carbon found in a deep sinkhole in the South China Sea at Yongle Blue Hole

• Blue holes are underwater caverns carved into dissolving rock. The deepest known marine cavern is the Yongle blue hole, which measures roughly 300 metres from top to bottom. 
• Its waters are mostly isolated from the surrounding ocean and receive little fresh water from rainfall, making it a rare spot to study the chemistry of oxygen-deprived marine ecosystems.
• A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter.

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

10.1   Ranking – World Air Quality Report, 2019    

• India was the fifth most polluted country in 2019 and accounts for almost two-thirds of the world’s most polluted cities according to the World Air Quality Report 2019.
• The report was released by the pollution tracker IQAir and Greenpeace.
• The ranking is based on a comparison of PM 2.5 levels.

Download pdf of the report from here –

https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-cities/world-air-quality-report-2019-en.pdf

10.2 Daily dose of FIVE Facts -

• Lijo Jose Pellissery won the Best Director award at the 50th International Film Festival of India in Panaji in Nov 2019.
• The International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed on December 3.
• Small Finance Bank started by Ujjivan Financial Services had a successful initial public offer (IPO)in Dec 2019.
• Puducherry has bagged the top position in the composite ranking for good governance index (GGI) among Union Territories launched by the Centre in Dec 201
• Kannur, Kerala hosted the 80th session of Indian History Congress in Dec2019.

 

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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