Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-03-2020

Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-03-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 now a pandemic, says WHO; India confirms 60 cases – The World Health Organization (WHO) said that according to its assessment, COVID-19 “can be characterised as a pandemic”.According to the WHO, a pandemic is declared when a new disease for which people do not have immunity spreads around the world beyond expectations. It noted with concern that 1,18,000 positive cases had been reported in 114 countries, and more than 90% of cases were in just four.With 60 confirmed cases in India, the Central government issued a travel advisory stating that all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment and project visas, stand suspended till April 15, and this order will come into effect from March 13 at the port of departure.
2. Jyotiraditya Scindia joins BJP, says Congress is in denial – Former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia formally joined the BJP after resigning from the primary membership of the Congress. He lauded the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said the Congress was in ‘denial’ about reality.
3. SC to hear Uttar Pradesh plea on Lucknow banners today – The SC will hear an appeal filed by the UP government challenging an Allahabad High Court order to the district and police authorities in Lucknow to ‘forthwith’ remove roadside banners displaying the personal details of select persons accused of ‘vandalism’ during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in December 2019. A Vacation Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Aniruddha Bose is scheduled to hear the State’s special leave petition. The petition is against the finding of a Bench led by Allahabad High Court Chief Justice Govind Mathur that had suo motu taken cognisance of the issue.
4. RBI taps private investors to take stakes in Yes Bank – The RBI has drawn up a revival plan for Yes Bank whereby not just capital but also funding lines will be finalised to ensure there is no liquidity issue while lifting the moratorium imposed on March 5. Meanwhile, investors in the additional tier one (AT1) bonds have agreed to a plan where 80% of their investment will be written off and the remaining 20% will be converted into equity. While the contours of the deal have been finalised, the plan to lift the moratorium by the weekend may not materialise as many investors in the consortium have to get internal approvals to invest.
5. In war against corona, India quarantines itself from world – In an unprecedented response to the rapid spread of Covid-19 across continents, the government decided to virtually quarantine India from the rest of the world, suspending all visas, except those issued for diplomatic, official, UN-international organisations, employment and projects till April 15. Visa-free travel facility for Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders will be in abeyance and foreign nationals seeking to travel to India have to state a compelling reason.
6. Harvey Weinstein sentenced to 23 years in prison – Harvey Weinstein was sentenced in a New York courtroom to 23 years in prison, the culmination of a case that fueled the global #MeToo movement and encouraged women to speak out against sexual abuse.Weinstein, 67, arrived at his sentencing hearing in a wheelchair and in handcuffs. He had faced between five and 29 years in prison for last month's convictions on first-degree criminal sexual act and third-degree rape.
7. Taliban reject Afghan president’s conditional prisoner release plan – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has signed a decree for the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners as part of a historic peace deal between the militant group and the US but the Afghan leader refused to release all 5,000 prisoners immediately, as demanded by the Taliban under the Feb. 29 agreement. Taliban leaders condemned Ghani’s proposal, saying it violated the accord signed with the US. The Taliban had promised to take part in talks with the government as part of the deal, but said on Wednesday that they would not join negotiations until all the prisoners had been freed.
8. US Presidential Elections: Joe Biden wins string of key primaries in major blow to Bernie Sanders – Joe Biden secured a key victory in the Democratic presidential nomination race by winning the vital state of Michigan and delivering a major blow to his rival, the Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. The former vice-president also notched wins in the primaries in Mississippi, Missouri and Idaho. North Dakota went to Sanders, and Washington is still to declare. Speaking from Philadelphia, Biden sounded confident about Tuesday’s election results and struck a tone that hinted his race against Donald Trump might be beginning.
9. Over 100 people in Yes Bank's 'top management' may lose ESOPs, bonuses – The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is considering clawing back the employee stock options and bonuses issued to the entire top management of YES Bank to date. A closer look at how the beleaguered bank went about classifying its “top management” is also on the cards, given that there are more than 100 people in this category — several times the number in much larger private banks — and the sharp fluctuations in the same over the years. The first-of-its-kind move will mark the activation of the banking regulator’s ironclad November 4, 2019 guidelines on the compensation of whole time directors, chief executive officers, material risk takers and control function staff in banks.
10. SBI cuts interest rate on savings accounts to 3% – The State Bank of India (SBI) on March 11 cut the interest rate on all savings bank accounts to a flat 3 percent. The bank also waived off the requirement of maintaining an average monthly minimum balance (AMB) in its savings accounts. These moves will affect all 44.51 crore savings account holders of the SBI.Currently, for deposits up to Rs 1 lakh in savings accounts with SBI, the interest rate is 3.25 percent. An interest rate of 3 percent is applicable for deposits above Rs 1 lakh.The charges on maintaining AMB are now waived off on all 44.51 crore SBI savings bank accounts. At present, a penalty of Rs 5 to Rs 15 plus taxes is levied by the bank on non-maintenance of AMB.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	Cuddalore District Central Coop. Bank	Assistant	20	Any Degree	March 31, 2020	http://www.cuddrb.in/doc_pdf/Notification_1.pdf
2	Cuddalore District Central Coop. Bank	Assistant	44	Any Degree	March 31, 2020	http://www.cuddrb.in/doc_pdf/Notification_2.pdf
3	Tiruppur District Central Coop Bank	Assistant	97	Any Degree	April 6, 2020	http://drbtiruppur.net/recruitment/admin/images/DRB%20NOTIFICATION%20TIRUPPUR833480_1583777623.pdf
4	Kanchipuram Central Coop. Bank	Assistant	133	Any Degree	March 31, 2020	https://www.kpmdrb.in/doc_pdf/Notification_2.pdf
5	Kanchipuram Central Coop. Bank	Assistant	113	Any Degree	March  31, 2020	https://www.bankofbaroda.in/writereaddata/Images/pdf/detailed-advertisement-07-03-2020.pdf
6	Namakkal District Coop. Bank	Assistant, Clerk	62	Any Degree	March 31, 2020	http://drbnamakkal.net/recruitment/admin/images/DRB%20Assistant%20Re-Notification206080_1583503751.pdf
7	NESAC	JRF	9	Degree, PG  With NET/ GATE	March 23, 2020	https://nesac.gov.in/assets/resources/2020/02/Final-Advertisement-of-JRF-2020-1.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 10 PSBs to merge into 4

• The government on March 4, 2020 approved a scheme for the amalgamation of 10 state-owned banks into four. Effective from April 1, 2020, the balance sheets as well as stocks of these banks will be integrated.
• Punjab National Bank (PNB), Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC), and United Bank of India (UBI) will combine to form India’s 2nd-largest bank.  
• Canara Bank will take over Syndicate Bank. 
• Union Bank of India will be amalgamated with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank. 
• Indian Bank will subsume Allahabad Bank. 
• After the process is complete, India will have 12 PSBs. Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, UCO Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Punjab & Sindh Bank will continue to operate on their own.
• Swap ratios for proposed merger – 

1. Eight public sector banks announced the share-swap ratios.
2. 1,150 equity shares of PNB are to be exchanged for every 1,000 equity shares of OBC, while 121 equity shares of PNB are to be swapped for every 1,000 equity shares of UBI. The merged entity will be 2nd largest PSU bank after SBI.
3. For Syndicate Bank’s merger with Canara Bank, the share swap is 158 equity shares of Canara Bank for every 1,000 equity shares of Syndicate Bank. The merged entity will be 4th largest PSU bank in India.
4. For the amalgamation of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India, share swap ratio stands at 325 shares of Union Bank for every 1,000 shares of Andhra Bank and 330 shares of Union Bank of India for every 1,000 shares of Corporation Bank. The merged entity will be 5th largest PSU bank in India.
5. Share swap ratio for the amalgamation of Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank has been approved. For every 1,000 equity shares of Allahabad Bank, investors will get 115 equity shares of Indian Bank. The merged entity will be 7th largest PSU bank in India.

2.2 FDI rises 10% to US $ 36.76 billion during April-December period of 2019-20. Singapore (US $ 11.65 billion) largest source, Services (US $ 6.52 billion) largest recipient.

2.3 Trade impact of the coronavirus epidemic for India is estimated at $ 348 million; India to be 15th most affected economy: UNCTAD.

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

3.1 Centre declared National Chambal Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh as eco-sensitive zone (ESZ); known for Gangetic dolphins and gharial.

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

4.1 Ashraf Ghani sworn in as Afghanistan President for second term

• Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has taken an oath for a second term but his main rival Abdullah Abdullah has refused to recognise the inauguration, holding his own swearing-in ceremony, landing the country in a new political crisis.
• International community sides with Ghani – International representatives, including US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, and US and NATO forces commander General Scott Miller, attended Ghani's inauguration at the Presidential palace in the capital, Kabul.
• Abdullah Abdullah rejected the presidential election results announced last month, saying Ghani's win was invalid because of vote-rigging in a repeat of the 2014 elections marred by fraud.
• Ghani was declared to have won a second term in Feb, nearly five months after the polls were held in Sept. amid a record number of Taliban attacks intended to destabilise the election. The preliminary results of the Sept. votes were announced in Dec. Ghani was narrowly declared the winner while Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah got 39% of a total of over 1.8 million votes.
• The political infighting in Kabul does not bode well for Afghanistan's fragile democracy as US troops prepare to leave the country following an agreement with the Taliban armed group, with President Donald Trump committed to ending the US's longest war.
• The crisis comes as the government is meant to be preparing for talks with the Taliban, to follow up on the February 29 pact between the US and the Taliban on the US troop withdrawal after 18 years of war.
• Ghani and Abdullah held roles in the previous government under a US-brokered power-sharing agreement that followed the 2014 elections.A former foreign minister, Abdullah held the specially created post of chief executive in the outgoing government.    

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

5.1 80,000 Micro enterprises to be assisted in Current Financial year under PMEGP

• Some of the key schemes of Ministry of MSME which generate large number of jobs with low capital investment were reviewed recently in a meeting. The focus of the meeting was on the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), a flagship scheme of the Ministry of MSME, and Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).
• PMEGP is a credit linked subsidy scheme launched by the Ministry of MSME which promotes self-employment through setting up of micro enterprises, where subsidy up to 35%  is provided by the Government through Ministry of MSME for loans up to Rs. 25 lakhs in manufacturing and Rs 10 lakhs in service sector.
• Self Help Groups, Institutions registered under Societies Registration Act 1860, Production Co-operative Societies, Charitable Trusts and any individual above 18 years of age are eligible.
• The Scheme is implemented through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at the national level and at the State level it is implemented through State Khadi and Village Industries Commission.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup – Weekly Roundup –Arts and Culture

• Chapchar Kut Festival - Mizoram celebrated Chapchar Kut, the biggest and most important festival of the Mizos, on March 6. The Chapchar Kut festival is celebrated after completion of their most arduous task of jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning). It is a spring festival celebrated with great favour and gaiety. Chapchar Kut is estimated to have started in 1450–1700 A.D. in a village called Suaipui. Chapchar Kut was first revived in 1962 on a grand scale in Aizawl but it was discouraged when it was felt that it did not adhere to Christian values and rekindling the pre christian cultural practices like drinking of rice beer and it was continued in 1973 on a mass scale sans animistic practice and cheraw dance. Chapchar Kut is one of three annual festivals of the Mizos. The other two are Mim Kut and Pawl Kut.
• Lalit Kala Akademi Awards - Lalit Kala Akademi organised 61st National Exhibition of Art (March 4-22) and National Kala Mela (March 4-9) in New Delhi; inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (IC) Prahlad Singh Patel. President conferd 61st annual Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) awards on 15 artists in New Delhi in the presence of LKA Chairman Uttam Pacharne. The awardees are - Anoop Kumar Manzukhi Gopi, David Malakar, Devendra Kumar Khare, Dinesh Pandya, Faruque Ahmed Halder, Hari Ram Kumbhawat, Keshari Nandan Prasad, Mohan Kumar T, Ratan Krishna Saha, Sagar Vasant Kamble, Satwinder Kaur, Sunil Thiruvayur, Tejaswi Narayan Sonawane, Yashpal Singh and Yashwant Singh.
• 2020 Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META): 76-year old theatre director Barry John chosen for Lifetime Achievement honour.
• US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster announced completion of US-funded restoration project at 17th century Qutb Shahi Tombs in Hyderabad.
• Context - The Minister of State of Culture and Tourism has informed Lok Sabha that India has submitted two nomination dossiers, first Dholavira - a harappan city and second monuments and forts of Deccan sultanate, for inclusion in the World Heritage List for the year 2020.

1. Dholavira – Dholavira is in Khadir island of the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. It belonged to the mature Harappan phase. It was excavated by Mr. R. S. Bisht in 1985. It demonstrates a highly organised system of town planning with perfected proportions, street-pattern and an efficient water conservation system that supported life for more than 1200 years (3000 BCE to 1800 BCE) against harsh hot arid climate. The water conservation methods of Dholavira were unique and can be measured as one of the most efficient systems of the ancient world.
2. Monuments and forts of Deccan sultanate – It refers to Islamic architecture and their connections with the prevalent Hindu architecture in present-day Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It comprises of four components. First, Bahmani monuments at Gulbarga; second, Bahmani and Barid Shahi monuments at Bidar; third Adil Shahi monuments at Bijapur all in Karnataka and fourth Qutb Shahi monuments at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh. These monuments date from the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth centuries and comprise of famous structures like Golconda fort, Charminar etc.

• Konkani writer Richard John Pais died aged 51 in Mangaluru.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Government comes out with format to file complaints with Lokpal

• The government has issued a format for filing complaints of alleged corruption against public servants including the prime minister with the Lokpal, 11 months after the anti-corruption ombudsman was formed. The Lokpal shall dispose of a complaint within 30 days.
• Format of complaint - All complainants have to mandatorily give an affidavit on non-judicial stamp paper, that among other things mentions, “making any false and frivolous or vexatious complaint is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and with fine which may extend to one lakh rupees”. The complaint may ordinarily be made in English, electronically, in the manner as laid down by Lokpal; by post or in person. However, when the complaint is filed electronically, a hard copy thereof shall be required to be submitted to Lokpal within a period of 15 days from the date of filing. Lokpal can also entertain a complaint in any of the 22 languages, including Hindi, Gujarati, Assamese and Marathi, referred to in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution.
• Identity of complainant - The anti-corruption ombudsman may have to protect the identity of the complainant or the public servant complained against till the conclusion of the inquiry or investigation. “Provided that the protection, shall not be applicable, in cases where the complainant himself has revealed his identity to any other office or authority while making a complaint to the Lokpal,” the order said. The Lokpal, while processing the complaint, may protect the integrity of the process of inquiry or investigation, it said.
• Ambit - A complaint can be filed with the Lokpal against the prime minister, a minister of the Union, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members and bureaucrats, among others.
• Lokpal members - Lokpal is an apex body to deal with cases of corruption at the national level. It has to inquire into allegations of corruption against public functionaries of central government in a time-bound manner. President Ram Nath Kovind on March 23, 2019, administered the oath to Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose as the chairperson of Lokpal. The Lokpal’s eight members were administered the oath by Justice Ghose on March 27. One of the members of the panel, Justice Dilip B Bhosale recently resigned from the post.
• Former chief justices of different high courts justices Pradip Kumar Mohanty, Abhilasha Kumari and Ajay Kumar Tripathi are the three judicial members of the Lokpal. Former first woman chief of Sashastra Seema Bal Archana Ramasundaram, ex-Maharashtra chief secretary Dinesh Kumar Jain, former IRS officer Mahender Singh and Gujarat cadre ex-IAS officer Indrajeet Prasad Gautam are the Lokpal’s non-judicial members. According to rules, there is a provision for a chairperson and a maximum of eight members in the Lokpal panel. Of these, four need to be judicial members.

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

8.1 “EKAM Fest” organized by NHFDC in New Delhi from on March 2-8

• The week-long Exhibition-cum-Fair “EKAM Fest” was organized by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation (NHFDC) under M/o Social Justice& Empowerment.
• EKAM Fest is an effort for promoting entrepreneurship and knowledge among the Divyangjan community.  
• EKAM stands for Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Awareness and Marketing.
• It will help in generating awareness among society about Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) entrepreneurs’ potential.
• In the first Ekam Fest, Divyang Entrepreneur and Artisans from all over the country have been invited.
• National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation -NHFDC is a corporation under the aegis of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and has been working since 1997.
• Some of the initiatives of NHFDC –

1. NHFDC Swavalamban Kendra (NSK): NHFDC has taken an initiative to establish PwD owned micro skill training Centers throughout the country for skill training of PwDs.
2. Safe Cabs in Delhi and Indore: NHFDC has made arrangements with Sakha Cabs (Social enterprise) where the PwD owned commercial vehicles will be driven by the women drivers to provide safe taxi options for the women, children and senior citizen commuters.
3. Safe Drinking Water E Carts: NHFDC has recently agreed to finance E-carts (owned by PwDs) fitted with RO water dispensing vending machines.

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

9.1 TIFAC launched Vigyan Jyoti scheme to encourage women to pursue science

• The Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) has launched Vigyan Jyoti scheme to encourage women to pursue science. 
• The TIFAC is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
• It is intended to create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
• It also offers exposure for girl students from the rural background to help to plan their journey from school to a job of their choice in the field of science.

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

10.1   Ranking–  Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2019     

• US was world’s largest exporter of major arms in 2015-2019 with a 36% market share.
• India was world’s second largest importer of major arms behind Saudi Arabia and 23rd largest exporter in 2015-2019 
• Russia accounted for 56% of major arms imported by India in 2015-2019 followed by Israel (14%) and France (12%).
  

For more information download pdf from here –

https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-03/fs_2003_at_2019_0.pdf

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Australia won the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup for the fifth time.
• Vijayalaskhmi Das passed away in Feb2020 at the age of 67. She was well-known Microfinancer.
• World Economic Forum has ranked India 76th out of 82 countries on the Social Mobility Index.
• Malappuram city of Kerala has been ranked as the world’s fastest-growing urban area byEconomist Intelligence Unit.
• Roshni Nadar Malhotra of HCL is among the three Indian women in Forbes’ annual list of ‘World's 100 Most Powerful Women’. 

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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