Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 18-03-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 18-03-2020

• [message]
• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 pandemic: Third death in India–India reported its third death from the COVID-19 pandemicputting the number of positive cases at 137.The deceased person had a history of travel to Dubai and was being treated in Mumbai. According to experts, though community transmission of COVID-19 has not yet occurred in the country51 private laboratories [accredited to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)] will soon be allowed to test for COVID-19 to enhance capacity for diagnosis in addition to the 72 functional laboratories.The Union Health Ministry has made it mandatory for private institutions to notify COVID-19 patients while the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has appealed to private labs which have approached them to offer the test for free.
2. Madhya Pradesh: SC asks government to respond on floor test –The Supreme Court asked the Kamal Nath government to respond to a petition filed by former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and nine other BJP MLAs, seeking a vote of confidence on the floor of the Legislative Assembly against the Congress ruling dispensation in the State. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta said the “urgency” of the situation demanded a hearing on March 18 itself. The court gave liberty to serve the notice through email. It also gave liberty to serve notice on 16 MLAs who have tendered their resignations.
   
3. COVID-19 pandemic: Diagnostic tests being evaluated–Two diagnostic tests for COVID-19 — the first to be developed in India — are currently being evaluated by the National Institute of Virology in Pune. The government said it was readying guidelines for private diagnostic companies to develop tests to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus. All companies — and the ICMR themselves — currently rely on multinational companies for their diagnostic test kits. To accelerate development of drugs and diagnostics, the government will be forming a Rapid Response Regulatory Framework to rapidly evaluate potential diagnostic kits and vaccines against COVID-19. Currently these processes, led by the Drug Controller General of India and Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation, take 30-45 days, and the proposed farme work aims to bring the cycle to 7 days.
   
4. Indian Politics: Newly appointed RajyaSabha (RS) Member Ex CJI RanjanGogoi defends RS nomination –Former Chief Justice of India RanjanGogoijustified his nomination to the RajyaSabha but declined to elaborate upon the reasons that made him weigh and accept the offer.President Ram NathKovind named Mr.Gogoi for one of the 12 seats to which members are nominated.The former CJI, who supervised the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens in Assam and delivered the judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute. Opposition parties were of view that people’s confidence in judiciary has shaken by this move. Congress said that it is an assault on Constitution.
5. Defence: Like army now in navy too, women officers to be granted permanent commission–The Supreme Court upheld the right of serving Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers of the Navy to be granted permanent commission (PC) on a par with their male counterparts. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi said the “101 excuses” devised by the government, including motherhood and physiological limitations, reeked of a stereotypical mindset.The judgment was based on a case filed by 17 women SSC officers, represented by senior advocate AishwaryaBhati, who were denied PC and discharged despite completing 14 years of service as SSC officers..
   
6. Middle-East: Ex-Governor Zurfi named Iraqi PM –Iraq’s President designated Adnan al-Zurfi, a former regional Governor with little national political profile, as Prime Minister, tasked with forming a government within 30 days in a bid to overcome months of unrest and political deadlock. Mr.Zurfi, who served as Governor of the predominantly Shi’ite Najaf province during the U.S. occupation after the fall of Saddam Hussein, is head of the small Nasr parliamentary group of former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, a U.S. ally. President Barham Salih had named Mr.Zurfi only after larger rival Shi’ite political parties failed to decide on a successor to Adel Abdul Mahdi, who resigned in November during mass unrest, in which hundreds of people died. Mr.Zurfi, who lived in the U.S. as a refugee in the 1990s after fleeing Saddam, is seen as a comparatively secular figure. He now has to win the confidence of Parliament for his new Cabinet.
7. Trump administration seeks $850 billion stimulus fund – U.S. President Donald Trump will ask Congress to approve a massive $850 billion emergency spending package to contain the growing economic damage from the COVID-19 pandemic. The measures are expected to include a payroll tax cut and $50 billion in aid to troubled U.S. airlines hit hard by the near total shutdown in the travel industry, The Washington Post reported, citing four officials familiar with the matter. The package, which is in addition to the $100 billion in spending directed at paid sick leave and expanded unemployment benefits already moving through Congress.
   
8. Yes Bank all set to lift deposit withdrawal cap – Private sector lender Yes Bank has assured all its customers they need not worry about their deposits after the moratorium is lifted, as branches and automated teller machines (ATMs) will have adequate cash. The moratorium, which was imposed on March 5 with deposit withdrawals capped at Rs. 50,000, will be lifted on March 18 at 6 p.m. This is the first time in banking history that a moratorium will be lifted from a commercial bank as, in all previous cases, such lenders were merged with other banks.
9. FPI sales at a record high–Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), who have been the prime drivers of every bull run that the Indian capital market has seen till date, have been record sellers during the current month.
   
10. Suspension of 7 Congress LokSabha MPs revoked by Speaker Om Birla -The suspension of seven Congress LokSabha MPs on March 5 was revoked by Speaker Om Birla on March 11, 2020. They had been suspended on charges of “gross misconduct” in the House. The seven Congress MPs include Gaurav Gogoi, TN Prathapan, Dean Kuriakose, R Unnithan, Manickam Tagore, Benny Behanan and Gurjeet Singh Aujla.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	SVC Bank	Clerk	30	Any Degree or PG	March 30, 2020	https://www.svcbank.com/Portals/0/PDF/CSR_Guidelines_Document_2020.pdf?ver=2020-03-11-182513-503&timestamp=1583931321728
2	HAL	PRT & TGT	8	Degree	March 26, 2020	https://hal-india.co.in/Common/Uploads/Resumes/1245_CareerPDF1_HAL%20School%20Advertisement.pdf
3	BTSC	Food Safety Officer	91	Degree, PG (Chemistry)	April15, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/03/Notification-BTSC-Physiotherapist-Occupational-Therapist-Posts.pdf
4	Bihar SwasthyaSurakshaSamiti	Accounts Officer, Accountant, Executive Asst	54	Any Degree, Degree/ PG (Commerce)	April7, 2020	http://health.bih.nic.in/16-03-2020/Notice.pdf
5	BTSC	Physiotherapist & Occupational Therapist	212	Degree (Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy)	April15, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/03/Notification-BTSC-Food-Safety-Officer-Posts.pdf
6	Office of the DyDirector Agri, Balarampur	Dy Project Director, Block Technology Manager & Other	9	Degree, PG (Agriculture)	March 23, 2020	https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s326dd0dbc6e3f4c8043749885523d6a25/uploads/2020/03/2020031351.pdf
7	Gujarat Ayurved University	Lab Technician, Lab Asst, Masseur	28	HSC, Degree (Relevant Discipline)	April30, 2020	http://www.ayurveduniversity.edu.in/advertisement/2020/ADVT%20No.02_2020%20%20Non%20teaching%20%20Technical%20posts.pdf

 

• [message]
• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

1.1 SC upholds right of women naval officers

• The Supreme Court upheld the right of serving Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers of the Navy to be granted permanent commission (PC) on a par with their male counterparts.
• A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and Ajay Rastogi said the ‘101 excuses’ devised by the government, including motherhood and physiological limitations, reeked of a stereotypical mindset.
• The judgment was based on a case filed by 17 women SSC officers, represented by senior advocate AishwaryaBhati, who were denied PC and discharged despite completing 14 years of service as SSC officers.
• They had challenged a Feb 26, 2008 policy letter of the government granting PCs to SSC officers in all the three branches of the Armed Forces. But the offer was restricted to certain categories and was to operate prospectively for the benefit of future batches inducted on SSCs after January 2009.
• In a slew of directions, the court quashed the stipulation in the policy letter of Sept26, 2008, making permanent commission for women prospective and restricting its application to specified cadres/branches of the Navy. 
• It directed that SSC women officers found suitable for the grant of PC shall be entitled to all consequential benefits, including arrears of pay, promotions and retirement benefits as and when due.
• In the judgment, Justice Chandrachud referred to a submission that vessels of a Russian origin are deployed by the Navy and they have no bathrooms for women officers. The court called these submissions both illusory and without any foundation.
• It held that such submissions were plainly contrary to the policy letter of Feb25, 1999 issued by the Ministry of Defence to the Chief of the Naval Staff, emphatically stipulating that women officers of all branches/cadres could be directed to serve on board ships, both during training and subsequent employment in accordance with the exigencies of service.
• “Women officers have worked shoulder to shoulder with their men counterparts in every walk of service. The supposed explanations based on duties at sea or Russian vessels are devices adopted to justify an action which is not germane to the proper discharge of duties and the maintenance of discipline among members of the Armed Forces,” the court said.
          

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

2.1 Parliament passes Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2020

• Parliament on March 12, 2020 passed amendments to the insolvency law that will help ring-fence successful bidders of insolvent companies from risk of criminal proceedings for offences committed by previous promoters. 
• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha.
• It was approved by LokSabha on March 6.
• With the changes, 

1. there would be no liability on a corporate debtor for an offence committed prior to commencement of the insolvency resolution process.
2. the corporate debtor would not be prosecuted for any such offence from the date of resolution plan being approved by the adjudicating authority.
   

2.2  The 30-share BSE Sensex plunges 2,713.41 points or 7.96% to finish at 31,390.07.

2.3  The 50-share NSE Nifty slumps 757.80 points or 7.61% to end at 9,197.40.

2.4  RBI directs banks/FIs to assess impact on balance sheet, asset quality due to coronavirus outbreak.

2.5 Ravinder Singh Dhillon appointed CMD of Power Finance Corporation (PFC)

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

3.1 Report of wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC reveals drop in poaching of Red Panda in India and Bhutan; Nepal but, reported 25 incidents

• The iconic and endangered Red Panda (ailurusfulgens) has fewer hunters because the younger generations of people across its Himalayan habitat are losing interest in animal products.
• But the reddish-brown arboreal mammal, not closely related to the iconic black-and-white giant panda, is falling to traps laid for other animals, such as the musk deer and wild pigs.
• The only living member of the genus Ailurus, the Red Panda is listed as ‘endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of threatened species. The animal has been hunted for meat and fur, besides illegal capture for the pet trade. An estimated 14,500 animals are left in the wild across Nepal, Bhutan, India, China and Myanmar.
• The report titled “Assessment of illegal trade-related threats to Red Panda in India and selected neighbouring range countries” has looked at a ten-year period from July 2010 to June 2019, and analysed poaching and illegal trade of the species.
• In addition to looking at seizures, the researchers carried out market surveys, surveys of e-commerce websites and village-level surveys.
• About 5,000-6,000 red pandas are estimated to be present in four Indian states – Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim and West Bengal. This is the second-largest population after China (6,000-7,000). Nepal accounts for 580 animals, while Bhutan and Mynamar have no estimate of the animal’s population.
• Red pandas have been reported from 11 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, which is presumed to hold the largest red panda population in the country.
• The researchers found that neither India nor Bhutan had reported any incidences of poaching or illegal trade in Red Pandas in the study period. 
• In contrast, experts from Nepal reported about 25 incidences of Red Panda poaching, involving approximately 55 animals, and also claimed to have witnessed and/or confirmed reports related to poaching on six occasions involving 15 animals.
• The report also recommended trans-boundary law enforcement co-operation through the use of multi-government platforms like SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network).
• TRAFFIC is a leading NGO working globally on trade in wild animals and plants in the context of both biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Saket Badola is the head of TRAFFIC’s India office.
   

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

4.1 World Consumer Rights Day celebrated on March 15

• The World Consumer Rights Day was celebrated on March 15, 2020 with its theme as ‘The Sustainable Consumer’. 
• The day was observed for the first time in 1983 and is inspired by President John F Kennedy, who sent a special message to the US Congress on 15th March 1962, in which he formally addressed the issue of consumer rights.
• It is an annual international event that signifies celebration and solidarity in the international consumer movement, demanding that, consumer rights are to be respected and protected. 
• The event also gives a chance to protest against the market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights.
• Theme 2019 – Trusted Smart Products. Theme 2018 – Making Digital Marketplaces Fairer.

4.2 World Health Organisation declares Europe as epicentre of coronavirus pandemic

• The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 13, 2020 declared that Europe has become coronavirus pandemic’s current epicentre after reporting more cases and deaths than the rest of world combined, apart from China where the coronavirus originated in December 2019.

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

5.1 UP Govt. to depute 'Arogya Mitras' at primary health centres 

• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on March 12, 2020 said one 'ArogyaMitra' each will be deputed at all primary health centres in the state to inform people about health-related schemes being run by the government.

• [message]
• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup – Arts and Culture

• Sri Ramakrishna Math president Swami Gautam ananda on March 15, 2020 launched a book, ‘The Monk who took India to the World’, on Swami Vivekananda brought out by The Hindu Group of Publications.
• US-funded restoration project at Qutb Shahi Tombs in Hyderabad completed -United States Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster on March 10, 2020 announced the completion of a US-funded restoration project at the 17th century Qutb Shahi Tombs in Telangana's capital city of Hyderabad. In February 2019, Ambassador Juster had announced a USD 103,000 grant through the Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, partnering with the Aga Khan Foundation, to restore and conserve the centuries-old tombs of Taramati and Premamati within the greater QutbShahi Tombs complex.
• Italian architect Vittorio Gregotti dies at 92 -Vittorio Gregotti, an Italian architect who designed the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics stadium, died on March 15, 2020 at the age of 92 in Milan due to coronavirus.

• Malayalam scholar and Sahitya Akademi award winner Puthussery Ramachandran passed away at the age of 91 in Thiruvananthapuram on March 14, 2020. His efforts resulted in Malayalam getting recognised as a classical language by the union government in 2013.
• Guruvayur Padmanabhan, popular elephant of Guruvayoor Sreekrishna Temple in Kerala, dies at 80.
  
  

• [message]
• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 UP Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Ordinance 2020 promulgated

• Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on March 15, 2020 promulgated an ordinance for recovery of damages to public and private properties from rioters and protesters and to provide for setting up of tribunals to adjudicate claims for damages and recover them.
• Titled ‘the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Ordinance, 2020’, it was approved by the UP Cabinet on March 13. 
• The Cabinet’s decision came a day after the Supreme Court did not stay the Allahabad High Court order to the Lucknow administration to “forthwith” remove roadside hoardings displaying the personal details of persons accused of vandalism and arson during the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in December 2019.
• During the hearing of the Vacation Bench, one of the judges had orally remarked that the U.P. government’s action was not “covered in law”.
• The U.P. government had issued recovery notices to at least 500 persons in the State for damage to property during the protests in December 2019.
• The State government’s decision comes at a time when it has — in a controversial move — put up several hoardings in Lucknow identifying those accused of violence during the protests against the CAA in December 2019.
• Terming it an “unwarranted interference in privacy” of people and a violation of Article 21 of the Constitution, the Allahabad High Court had on March 9 directed the Lucknow administration to remove the ‘name and shame’ roadside hoardings. How ever,the State approached the apex court through a special leave petition against the decision, following which the court referred the appeal to a larger Bench.

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

8.1 World Kidney Day observed on March 12

• The World Kidney Day was observed on March 12, 2020. 
• The day is observed on second Thursday every year.
• Theme for 2020: Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere – from Prevention to Detection and Equitable Access to Care.
• World Kidney Day is jointly organised by The International Society of Nephrology (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).
• The day focuses on empowerment of patients, educational campaigns, proper training of medical services & to inspire people to follow a healthier lifestyle to reduce the chances of being affected from kidney disease.
• Kidney disease is a non-communicable disease (NCD), which currently affects around 850 million people worldwide.
• According to the National Health Portal of India, nearly one in 10 people suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) globally.
• CKD: The functions of the kidney are reduced and not able to filter the blood, which finally leads to dialysis or a transplant may be required, the main causes of the disease are diabetes and high blood pressure and other disorders.
• Objectives–
  
  1. Raise awareness about kidneys.
  2. To highlight that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for CKD.
  3. Encourage systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD.
  4. Encourage preventive behaviours.
  5. Educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD.
  6. Stress the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic.
  7. Encourage Transplantation as a best-outcome option for kidney failure, and the act of organ donation as a life-saving initiative.

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

9.1 Not Available Today

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

10.1   Ranking–  UNDP Gender Social Norms Index launched

• Despite decades of progress in closing the gender equality gap, close to nine out of 10 men and women around the world, hold some sort of bias against women, ccording to the UNDP Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) that measures how social beliefs obstruct gender equality in areas like politics, work, and education, and contains data from 75 countries, covering over 80 percent of the world’s population. 
• The analysis reveals that, despite decades of progress closing the equality gap between men and women, close to 90 percent of men and women hold some sort of bias against women, providing new clues to the invisible barriers women face in achieving equality.

 For more information download pdf from here –

 http://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/hd_perspectives_gsni.pdf

 10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• The Haryana Government on March 8, 2020 announced that it will give scooters to the woman members of the Block Development Council, District Council and village sarpanchs.
• Union Cabinet approves Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020. Regarding a couple obtaining a child from a surrogate mother the minimum permissible age of the childless mother is 23. 
• Well-known Sculptor Joana Vasconcelos belongs to Portugal.
• Billie EilishAlbum Of The Year, Record Of The Year, Best New Artist, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on Jan27, 2020.
• Mohun Bagan football club announced merger with ATK FC in Jan2020.

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!

• [message]
• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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

---