Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 04-03-2020

Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 04-03-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. UN rights body to move SC on CAA –In an unprecedented and rare move, the Geneva-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has announced that it plans to file an application in the Supreme Court, asking to be impleaded in petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Responding to the announcement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the United Nations body had no right to file a petition that will ask the court to appoint the Commissioner for Human Rights as an assistant or amicus curiae in the case. The OHCHR plan has been criticised by diplomatic and legal experts, including one of the 22 petitioners in the case, as an “overreach”.
2. Envoy summoned after Iran slams Delhi riots –Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s comments on the riots in Delhi are not acceptable to India, an official of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The message was conveyed to the Iranian envoy to India, who was summoned to the Ministry hours after Mr. Zarif condemned the “violence against Muslims” and asked India to stop “thuggery” against the community. Iran’s Ambassador Ali Chegeni was summoned to the Ministry to convey India’s unhappiness about the Minister’s comments.
   
3. Italian tourist tests positive for COVID-19 –Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a review meeting on the preparedness to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, with the number of confirmed cases rising to six in the country.The Health Ministry has suspended all regular visas/e-visas granted on or before March 3 to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan, who have not yet entered India, in view of the emerging global scenarios regarding COVID-19. Visa on arrival (VoA) issued on or before March 3 to Japanese and South Korean nationals, who have not yet entered India, have also been suspended.
4. Black carbon levels spike at Himalayan glaciers–Black carbon concentrations near the Gangotri glacier rose 400 times in summer due to forest fires and stubble burning from agricultural waste, and triggered glacial melt, says a study by scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG). The team of scientists from WIHG, led by P.S. Negi, measured variations of black carbon concentration at Chirbasa, near the Gangotri glacier in the Indian Himalaya, located at an altitude of 3,600 metres, during the year 2016.
5. Govt. imposes curbs on drug exports –India restricted the export of common medicines such as paracetamol and 25 other pharmaceutical ingredients and drugs made from them on Tuesday, as it looked to prevent shortages amid concerns of the COVID-19 outbreak turning into a pandemic. Besides over-the-counter painkiller and fever reducer paracetamol, drugs restricted for exports included common antibiotics metronidazole, those used to treat bacterial and other infections, as well as vitamin B1 and B12 ingredients. A notification by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said the export of 26 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and formulations would require licence.
   
6. Taliban attack Afghan army bases, throwing peace talks into doubt–Unleashing a series of attacks on Afghan forces across the country, the Taliban said that they had ended a pact with the government and US-led NATO troops to reduce violence in Afghanistan, just days after signing the historic peace deal with Washington in Doha, Qatar. In a statement, the group said more than 20 government soldiers and police officers had been killed in Kandahar — adjacent to the Helmand, Farah and Herat provinces which lie in the south-western region — in one of at least 10 attacks.
7. Super Tuesday primaries: Biden looks to blunt Bernie’s rise –The dizzying fight for the Democratic US presidential nomination reaches a critical juncture as millions of voters from Maine to California head to the polls. Senator Bernie Sanders, who has energized liberals and young voters, is seeking to pull away from the rest of the field, while Joe Biden hopes to ride a wave of momentum and establish himself as the standard-bearer for the party’s moderate wing. The Super Tuesday contests in 14 states are also the first test of billionaire Mike Bloomberg’s massive spending in the Democratic race.
   
8. Netanyahu leads in Israeli election, but still lacks majority– Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led in Israel’s third national election in less than a year but was short of a governing majority, nearly complete results showed.Netanyahu claimed victory in vote over his main challenger, former armed forces chief Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party, after exit polls projected the conservative leader’s Likud party had come out on top.With some 90% of votes counted, Likud said Netanyahu met leaders of religious-rightist parties and secured their renewed pledge to join him in a coalition. That appeared to promise him 59 seats in parliament - two short of a ruling majority.
   
9. Coronavirus outbreak: US Fed cuts rates by 50 bps, RBI ready to take action –In the wake of volatility in the financial markets due to COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it was ready to ensure that the markets ran well and confidence was maintained. And the option before the RBI includes a rate cut and supporting the market through liquidity measures, building confidence, and other instruments to deal with emerging challenges.Also, in a major step to arrest the economic fallout of coronavirus, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark policy rates by 50 basis points (bps). This is the first time in over 11 years that the Fed has cut policy rates by 50 bps or more. The last time was in December 2008, when the rates were lowered by 75 bps.
   
10. Vodafone Idea pays Rs. 3,043 cr. in deferred spectrum dues – Beleaguered service provider Vodafone Idea paid Rs. 3,043 crore to the Department of Telecom (DoT), while Bharti Airtelmade a payment of Rs. 1,950 crore as did Reliance Jio with Rs. 1,053 crore, towards deferred spectrum dues. These dues are mainly instalments for airwaves bought by telcos in the previous auctions, and are not related to AGR liabilities. The Tata group, on the other hand, made an on-account payment of Rs. 2,000 crore to the DoT towards dues related to adjusted gross revenue (AGR). This is in addition to the Rs. 2,197 crore the group had deposited with the government on February 17.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	NIRT	Consultant, Scientist C, B, Junior Med. Officer	14	Any Degree, MD, MS, DNB, MBBS, PG Deg.	March 17, 2020	http://nirt.res.in/pdf/2020/ADVT/26.02.2020/Advertisement-ECHO%20Retrospective%20Evaluation%20Project.pdf
2	NCDIR	Pro. Scientist – C, B, Project Tech. Officer	90	Degree (Engg), PG, Ph.D	March 17, 2020	http://www.ncdirindia.org/Dynamic_NCDIR/Career/CO_4_Advt_march.pdf
3	NCDC	Consultant, Accounts Officer	17	Any Degree, PG, MBBS, M.Com	March 19, 2020	https://idsp.nic.in/showfile.php?lid=4797
4	GRSE	HR Trainee	109	Any Degree, PG Degree/ Diploma, MBA	March 21, 2020	https://hurl.net.in/uploads/advertisement.pdf
5	GRSE	Trade, Graduate & Technician Apprentice	6	10th Class/ Madhyamik, ITI, Diploma & Deg	March  21, 2020	https://www.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/career_opportunity/advertisement_.pdf
6	MIDHANI	Graduate, Diploma & Trade Apprentice	36	ITI, Diploma, Degree (Engg)	March 21, 2020	https://www.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/career_opportunity/advertisement_.pdf
7	Bihar Police	Steno Assistant Sub Inspector	133	Intermediate	March 30, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/03/Notification-Bihar-Police-Steno-Asst-Sub-Inspector-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 U.N. rights body to move Supreme Court on Citizenship Amendment Act

• The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) Michelle Bachelet Jeria is set to file an intervention application in the Supreme Court over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019, or CAA.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the United Nations body had no right to file a petition that will ask the court to appoint the Commissioner for Human Rights as an assistant or ‘amicus curiae’ in the case.
• The OHCHR plan has been criticised by diplomatic and legal experts, including one of the 22 petitioners in the case, as an “overreach” by it.
• Last week, Ms. Bachelet informed the Human Rights Council that the UN body had “great concerns over the CAA”. 
• She had also met with MEA Secretary (West) Vikas Swarup, who had travelled to Geneva to represent India at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council.
• On March 2, the Indian Mission in Geneva was formally informed of the OHCHR’s plans to file the petition.
• The UNHCHR application asks whether excluding people on the basis of their religion is “objective and reasonable".
• It says the Indian government pointed out that Islam is the state religion in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, and as such people of Muslim faith are protected in these countries. Those whose citizenship India seeks to fast-track through the CAA are religious minorities in these countries. However, the research done by UNHCHR states that a number of other religious groups, such as Ahmadi, Hazara and Shia Muslims, are among Muslim minorities in these countries. Hence, they should also be given protection under the provisions of the CAA.
• The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) too appealed to the Trump administration for action. It had earlier asked the Trump administration to consider sanctions against India’s top leadership if the law was approved.
• Former Solicitor-General Mohan Parasaran said that in his opinion, the U.N. official could not be impleaded on international law in a domestic matter.
   

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

2.1 National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) sanctions over Rs. 400 crore to boost infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir

• The funding is a part of Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) - Trench XXV of NABARD.
•  209.87 crore rupees were sanctioned earlier this year (2020) for construction of 82 rural roads and 3 bridges.
• The RIDF was set up by the government in 1995-96 for financing on-going rural Infrastructure projects. The Fund is maintained by the NABARD.
• Domestic commercial banks contribute to the Fund to the extent of their shortfall in stipulated priority sector lending to agriculture.
• The main objective of the Fund is to provide loans to State Governments and State-owned corporations to enable them to complete on-going rural infrastructure projects.
• Subsequently, RIDF was made available for new rural infrastructure projects and its ambit was broadened to cover almost all important aspects of rural infrastructure.
• At present, there are 37 eligible activities under RIDF as approved by GoI. The eligible activities are classified under three broad categories i.e. Agriculture and related sector, Social sector and Rural connectivity.
• NABARD was established on the recommendations of B. Sivaramman Committee on July 12, 1982. It replaced the Agricultural Credit Department (ACD) and Rural Planning and Credit Cell (RPCC) of Reserve Bank of India, and Agricultural Refinance and Development Corporation (ARDC). It is one of the premier agencies providing developmental credit in rural areas.

2.2 IRCTC’s online chatbot ‘ASKDISHA’ upgraded to converse with Railway customers in Hindi language.

2.3 IRSDC (Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation) installed squat machine at Anand Vihar Railway Station in New Delhi.Free platform ticket for anyone performing 30 squats in 180 seconds.

2.4  Revenue Secretary Dr. Ajay Bhushan Pandey appointed new Finance Secretary.

2.5 Government allowed export of onions from March 15. It was banned from Sep 2019.

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

3.1 Madhya Pradesh High Court (MPHC)  directs to ban single-use plastic

• The order issued by the MPHC on a Public Interest Litigation plea.
•  MPHC asked the State government,

1. to issue directions to industries to immediately stop the production and use of single-use plastic,
2. to curb the use of plastic altogether across educational institutions,
3. to ensure the availability of viable alternatives for plastics in the form of bags and packets made of biodegradable material available at subsidised rates,
4. to use plastic waste at thermal power plants to ensure the disposal of the already generated plastic waste and
5. to make citizens and stakeholders aware of their duties and liabilities.

• Single-use plastics are disposable plastics meant for use-and-throw. These comprise polythene bags, plastic drinking bottles, plastic bottle caps, food wrappers, plastic sachets, plastic wrappers, straws, stirrers and Styrofoam cups or plates. According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), plastic is harmful to the environment as it is non-biodegradable, takes years to disintegrate. Research points to the adverse impact of plastics on plants, animals and Human beings.
• India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, around 43% of which comprises single-use plastic. It poses a mammoth problem for India since 40% of plastic waste remains uncollected. It has stated the goal of phasing out single-use plastics by 2022.
• To ensure compliance, the court has directed all stakeholders to submit progress reports every three months.

3.2 Bringing back cheetahs will be a big challenge

•  Cheetah in India had extinct. Recently, the Supreme Court had lifted its stay on a proposal to introduce African cheetahs into the Indian habitat. But it will be a big challenge because of two reasons – first, the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species (Lacones) has no record of getting germplasm of Iranian cheetahs successfully and second Antelopes which is main food for cheetah, do not have habitable grasslands in India.

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

4.1 Zero Discrimination Day celebrated on March 1

• Zero Discrimination Day is organised by UNAIDS to celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life - and live it with dignity. 
• Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. 
• Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination.
• Subject of Zero Discrimination Day for this yearis challenging the discrimination faced by women and girls in all their diversity in order to raise awareness and mobilize action to promote equality and empowerment for women and girls.
• Theme: Zero Discrimination against Women and Girls
• It was first celebrated on March 1, 2014. It was launched by UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé on 27 February of that year with a major event in Beijing.

4.2 Sanjay Kumar Panda appointed as India’s next Ambassador to Turkey.

4.3 Iraq’s prime minister-designate Mohammed Allawi announced his withdrawal from the post.

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

5.1 Kisan Credit Cards

• PM launched saturation drive for distribution of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) in Chitrakoot (UP) to ensure that all beneficiaries of PM-KISAN Scheme have KCCs
• Beneficiaries of PM-KISAN scheme who do not possess KCCs will be given KCCs under this drive.
• These cards will help farmers in availing short term loans.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup – Arts and Culture

Villagers fear loss of land, as Centre moves to turn Harappan site (Rakhigarhi) into tourist hub 

• Finance Minister had announced in Budget speech to fund five on-site museums, including the under-construction museum initiated by the Haryana government at two villages in Haryana’s Hisar district — Rakhi Khas and Rakhi Shahpur — known as Rakhigarhi. 
• As the Centre is moving ahead with its plan to develop the site as a tourist hub and set up a museum locals are worried of their land.
• The Archaeological Survey of India has started planning the project.  
• Rakhigarhi is a 5,000-year-old and biggest Indus Valley Civilization site located in Haryana
• The site is located in the Sarasvati river plain, some 27 km from the seasonal Ghaggar river
• In May 2012, the Global Heritage Fund, declared Rakhigarhi one of the 10 most endangered heritage sites in Asia.
• Other four sites mentioned in Budget speech are Hastinapur in Uttar Pradesh, Shivsagar in Assam, Dholavira in Gujarat and Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu

70th Berlin International Film Festival, 2020

• Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with CII participated at the ‘70th Berlin International Film Festival’ from February 20 to March 1.
• Golden Bear for Best Film awarded to Iranian film ‘There Is No Evil’, directed by Mohammad Rasoulof
• Silver Bear for Best Director was won by Hong Sang-soo for ‘The Woman Who Ran’ (Korean)
• Silver Bear for Best Actress was won by Paula Beer for ‘Undine’ (German)
• Silver Bear for Best Actor was won by Elio Germano for ‘Hidden Away’ (Italian).
• Renowned Vedic Scholar Sudhakar Chaturvedi passed away in Bengaluru.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Disturbed area act of Gujarat

• The Gujarat government has announced that it would place parts of Khambhat, a town in Anand district under the Disturbed Areas (DA) Act due to the recent communal violence outbreaks in the town.
• The Act, also known as the Gujarat Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in
  Disturbed Areas Act, 1991, aims at preventing distress sale of properties in communally-sensitive areas.
• The Act is currently in force in parts of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Bharuch, Kapadvanj, Anand and Godhra towns.
• The DA Act was first introduced in Ahmedabad in 1986 to check the large scale distress sale of properties mainly by people of a particular community due to continuous riots in Ahmedabad but the focus of the Act has changed from checking distress sale of properties to checking polarisation of disturbed areas through the transfer of properties by alleged coercive means. 

7.2 HRD Ministry launches ‘Higher Education Leadership Development Programme for Administrator’ for functionaries in Universities.

7.3 Janata Dal (United) Lok Sabha Member Baidyanath Prasad Mahto from Valmiki Nagar constituency passed away on February 28, 2020 at the age of 72 in New Delhi.

7.4 Rashmi Thackeray, the wife of Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, named new editor of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana. 

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

8.1 Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar laid foundation stone of a 100-bedded ESIC (Employees' State Insurance Corporation) hospital at Kakinada (AP).

8.2 National Institutes of Food Technology at Kundli (Haryana) and Thanjavur (TN) to be accorded the status of national importance.To read in detail about Institutes of National Importance refer previous issues.

8.3 UP Government to rename ‘Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Urdu, Arabi-Farsi University’ in Lucknow as ‘Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Languages University’.

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

9.1 Not Available Today

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

10.1   Ranking – Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), Feb 2020

• According to monthly survey, India’s manufacturing sector activity eased in Feb 20 from a near eight-year high in Jan 20 and business sentiment took a hit amid fears of the COVID-19 outbreak on exports and supply chains. 
• PMI for India declined from 55.3 in January to 54.5 in February; the reading was at 52.7 in December.
• The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an index of the prevailing direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors.
• The purpose of the PMI is to provide information about current and future business conditions to company decision-makers, analysts, and investors.
• A PMI index of more than 50 indicates the expansion of the manufacturing segment of the economy in comparison with the previous month.
  

For more information download pdf from here –

http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202003/t20200302_1729254.html

10.2 Daily dose of FIVE Facts -

• United States parliament passed the ‘Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019’ recently.
• Aberdeen Police Station in Andaman and Nicobar was ranked as the best in the country by the government in Dec2019.
• Silvia is the Queen of Sweden.
• Sweden is not a member of Eurozone & North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
• The World Design Organization has announced the launch of World Design Protopolis in Bengaluru.

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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