Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 11-04-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 11-04-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. The Union Health Ministry denied evidence of community transmission (CT) of COVID-19 while reporting at least 700 new cases since April 9 evening. The nationwide death toll from the epidemic touched 206, and the Ministry confirmed 6,761 positive cases. The Ministry’s response follows an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) report of nearly month long surveillance of 5,911 randomly chosen samples of patients who exhibited Severe Acute Respiratory Illness (SARI), whom 104 tested positive for COVID-19. All but two were tested between March 21-April 2 and 40 had no history of international travel or contact with someone with travel history but had picked up the infection, indicating community transmission. Over the last few weeks, there have been reports from several States of people testing positive but who were unable to explain the possible source of the infection but the Health Ministry has consistently maintained that this was not evidence for CT.
2. A countrywide shortage of medicines and medical devices is likely in the coming weeks, the Department of Pharmaceuticals has warned the Home Ministry, urging it to take immediate steps to help drug makers resume production under the current lockdown. Underlining that half of India’s output of pharmaceuticals is exported as global markets offer better prices, the Department of Pharmaceuticals stressed that this could lead to disproportionate shortages in the domestic market, calling for suitable measures to be taken. Production units engaged in making essential commodities, including medicines, vaccines, masks and their ancillaries had been exempted from the restrictions imposed as per the three-week national lockdown  but several States had already imposed restrictions on mobility and production by then, Central government had urged State governments to ensure such production work continues since then, repeated missives from the Home Secretary to the State governments to ensure that the production and movement of essential goods is not hampered hasn’t changed things on the ground.
3. The Army said it had inflicted heavy damage on the Pakistani army’s gun areas and terrorist launchpads after unprovoked ceasefire violation by the enemy side in two areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K. Army retaliated to the ceasefire violation in Keran sector in Kupwara district. Pakistan had violated the ceasefire in Uri area of Baramulla district as well. The heavy exchange of fire amid the ongoing lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic forced scores of villagers living along the LoC in Kupwara to shift their families to safer locations. When the entire world was coming together to fight the pandemic, Pakistan and its sponsored terrorists were making attempts disrupt peace. The shelling comes days after a gunfight between the Army and infiltrators resulted in the death of five elite paratroopers and an equal number of infiltrators.
4. The CBI has asked the DM and the SP of Satara, Maha, not to release Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan without its consent or a court order. Non-bailable arrest warrants are pending against the Wadhawans in the Yes Bank case registered by the CBI in March. The Wadhawan brothers have been absconding since the investigation started. On March 7, the CBI registered the case against the Wadhawans, former Yes Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor and others in connection with the lending of Rs. 3,700 crore to DHFL allegedly in lieu of Rs. 600 crore in investments in an entity linked to Rana Kapoor’s family. Kapil Wadhawan was named as the promoter-director of DHFL and Dheeraj Wadhawan as the director of RKW Developers Private Limited. Two days later, the CBI conducted searches. Both the accused were not found on their premises. Therefore, in order to secure their presence, notices under Section 41-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure were served on them but they did not turn up. A Mumbai special court issued non-bailable arrest warrants against the Wadhawan brothers on March 17. But they did not appear before either the CBI or the court.
5. Various international news related to COVID 19 pandemic - British PM Boris Johnson out of intensive care. Hundreds of millions of people around the world to spend Easter holidays at home as COVID-19 death toll nears 1,00,000. US First Lady Melania contradicts husband’s stance urges Americans to wear mask. S. Korea goes to the polls despite virus.
6. Stoppered supply lines with trucks waiting on highways, the ongoing harvest season and procurement of foodgrains in various parts of the country are some of the issues that will inform the kind of lockdown the country will continue to have post April 14. Smoothing the supply lines that have still to be seamless and the harvest and procurement season have complicated the decision on the kind of lockdown to have. PM is likely to announce his decision on the continuation of the lockdown after consulting the CM harvesting and movement of trucks will be likely exempt.
7. War-torn Yemen reported its first case of COVID-19 in a southern government-controlled province, raising fears of an outbreak in the war-torn country as air strikes blamed on the Saudi-led coalition tested a unilateral truce. The announcement came on the second day of the two-week ceasefire declared by the military coalition supporting the government in what it said was a move to help fight the pandemic.
8. Pakistan extended the ban on domestic and international flight operations up to April 21 as the country stepped up efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, which has infected more than 4,500 people in the country. The total number of cases in Pakistan has sharply increased to 4,601, with more than 280 fresh infections, while the death toll reached 66.
9. EU member states buried their differences and agreed to a 500-billion-euro ($550 billion) emergency plan for a European economy knocked to its knees by the coronavirus outbreak. EU Finance Ministers agreed in late-night talks to the rescue package aimed at reducing pain across the 27-nation bloc, especially hardest-hit Italy and Spain.
10. Bank loans grew by a whopping Rs. 2.31 lakh crore in the fortnight ended March 27, indicating robust loan demand just when a nationwide lockdown was imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19. This was probably the highest fortnightly loan growth recorded in financial year 2019-20. The lockdown, that paralysed the economic activity, came into effect on March 25. The banks have witnessed a healthy credit demand in the last seven days of the financial year 2019-20.  

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	HLL Lifecare Limited	Manager, Engineer, Architect, Office Boy	106	10th Class, ITI, Dip, Degree	April 28, 2020	http://hllhites.com/uploads/Careers/741579418_2020-03-31_03-28-31.pdf
2	Indian Institute of Petroleum	Sr Project Associate, Pro. Asso, Lab Asst	11	Diploma, B.Sc, PG, Ph.D	April 17, 2020	https://www.iip.res.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Advt.-No.-02-2020.pdf
3	Cantonment Board, Kasauli	Medical Officer, Clerk, Fireman	13	8th, 12th Class	May 15, 2020	https://www.canttboardrecruit.org/uploads/Kasauli/AKasauli6.pdf
4	Northeast Frontier Rly	Contract Medical Practitioner	9	MBBS	April 13, 2020	https://nfr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1586413576050-RNY%20CMP.pdf
5	South East Central Rly	SMO & General Duty Medical Officer	42	MBBS, MD	April 13, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/04/Notification-South-East-Central-Railway-SMO-General-Duty-Medical-Officer-Posts.pdf
6	Eastern Railway	Medical Practitioner & Nursing Staff	15	-	April 16, 2020	https://er.indianrailways.gov.in/view_detail.jsp?lang=0&dcd=2222&id=0,4,268#
7	North Central Railway	Contract Med Practitioner/ GDMO	37	MBBS	April 14, 2020	https://ncr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1586416891803-pers.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 SC upholds quashing of appointment of 1,983 instructors in Haryana in 2010

• The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashing appointment of 1,983 Physical Training Instructors in schools in Haryana in 2010 and asked the state staff selection commission to conduct the recruitment process afresh.
• It has directed the process be concluded within five months from the date of lifting of the lockdown.
• Background - The Haryana SSC had invited applications for 1,983 posts of the instructors in 2006 and had appointed them in 2010. In pursuance of advertisement, 20,836 applications were received by the Commission which had decided to hold the written examination on January 21, 2007. The notification further provided that candidates equal to three times of the vacancies will be called for interview based on their performance in the written test but later a public notice was issued by the Commission that due to several complaints of malpractices and cheating the written examination would be cancelled. Another notice was issued by the Commission re-notifying the written examination  but before the fresh written examination could take place on July 20, 2008, third notice was issued by the Commission cancelling the written test. Then the selection panel decided to shortlist the candidates for interview based on the written test which it had decided to cancel. It then employed 1,983 PTI leading to pleas in the HC.
• A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Navin Sinha, in the judgement pronounced through video conferencing, upheld the verdicts passed by the single and division benches of the high court quashing the appointment process conducted during the Congress government led by B S Hooda.
• It rejected the plea of the selected candidates that they have been working since 2010 and may be allowed to continue on their posts and said that they were allowed in pursuance of interim orders.
• The candidates who have been selected and have worked on the post of the instructor shall not be asked to refund any of the salary and other 84 benefits received by them as against their working on the posts and no refund shall also be asked from those candidates who after their selection worked and retired from service, the judgment said.
• It asked the state panel to complete entire section process within a period of five months from the date it starts working after the present lockdown is over.
• Dealing with the appeals of the selected candidates and the state panel, the bench said when the selection was set aside, the fresh selection process should have been held as per the advertisement of 2006 and process of recruitment has to be brought to its logical end .
• It said that the High Court should have directed to complete the process from that stage of holding the written test for the instructor.
  

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

2.1 GDP growth of India in 2020-21 to decline to 4.8% due to COVID-19 pandemic: UN ESCAP

• India's GDP growth for the current fiscal is expected to slow down to 4.8 per cent. It was previously predicted at 5 per cent.
• The UN 'Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) 2020: Towards sustainable economies' said that COVID-19 is having far-reaching economic and social consequences for the region, with strong cross-border spillover effects through trade, tourism and financial linkages.
• Economic growth for India could stand at 5.1 per cent for fiscal year 2021-22.
• These are very preliminary forecasts based on the data and information available up to March 10.
• High economic integration regionally and internationally could exacerbate the economic slowdown through multiple channels, such as trade, tourism and financial markets.
• Despite measures to contain COVID-19, such as quarantines, suspension of productive activities and the lockdown of cities, the spread of the novel coronavirus has already adversely affected regional and global economies.
• The regional economic impact is anticipated to be greater than that experienced 17 years ago when the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) broke out.
• Preliminary estimates by ESCAP suggest that the Asia-Pacific region's GDP could experience declines of 0.6-0.8 per cent (valued at $132 billion to 172 billion) as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic through trade links alone.
• Global economy is experiencing a significant slowdown.  
• In 2019, global economic growth is estimated to have expanded at its slowest pace since 2008, at 2.3 per cent, a sharp deceleration from 3 per cent growth in 2018. Growth is forecast to slow to 2.0 per cent in 2020 before experiencing a modest pick up in 2021, as the global economy loses growth momentum amid a pandemic and an uncertain economic and geopolitical environment.
• Against an increasingly uncertain global environment, economic growth in the developing countries and territories of the Asia-Pacific region weakened considerably in 2019 to 4.3 per cent, a sharp slowdown from 5.3 per cent in 2018 and 5.0 per cent projected earlier for 2019.
• The slowdown was led by the large economies, namely China, India and Russia.
• The COVID-19 pandemic has affected supply chains and disrupted manufacturing operations around the world.
• Pharmaceutical industry is facing shortages in the supply of raw materials.
• In order to overcome the effects of the global pandemic requires the whole world, including the Asia-Pacific region, to strengthen cooperation and coordination.
  

2.2 Amid COVID-19 pandemic crisis Reserve Bank of India launched Twitter campaign featuring Amitabh Bachchan to promote DIGITAL MODES OF PAYMENT.

2.3 President Masatsugu Asakawa of Asian Development Bank assured India of US $ 2.2 bn support to fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

2.4 IMF MD Kristalina Georgieva ropes in ex-RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan and 11 others to key external advisory group on COVID-19.
 

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

3.1 Not Available Today

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

4.1 Around 400 million Indians are at a risk of slipping into poverty due to coronavirus lockdown: ILO

4.2  Veteran Indian-American journalist Brahm Kanchibotla passed away at the age of 66 from coronavirus in the US. 

4.3  G20 Extraordinary Energy Ministers’ virtual Meeting

• Meeting held under chairmanship of Saudi Arabian Energy Minister.
• The meeting was attended by Energy Ministers of G20 countries, guest countries and heads of international organizations including OPEC, IEA and IEF.
• From India Mr. Dharmendra Pradhan participated.
• The G20 Energy Ministers’ focused on ways and means to ensure stable energy markets, which are affected due to demand reduction as result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing surplus production -related matters.
• Prices have fallen sharply due to the impact of the coronavirus and to the collapse last month of coordinated output cuts led by Saudi Arabia and Russia. 
• Worldwide oil demand has dropped by roughly 30 per cent, or about 30 million barrels a day.
• The producers are likely to agree to cut output on Thursday but only if the United States joins the effort, three OPEC+ sources told Reuters on Monday.
• The United States did not participate in coordinated cuts by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and others including Russia which began in January 2017 and ended last month.
• Washington has also not committed to taking part in any deal, which Trump has said could involve cutting global supply by 10 per cent to 15 per cent. US companies cannot coordinate production due to antitrust laws.
• The G20 Energy Ministers’ meeting will be adopting a Joint Statement, which inter alia, proposes to establish a Task Force to advise the G20 Energy Ministers on the next steps, and agreed to remain engaged in the coming days.
  

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

5.1 Govt. to allow APY (Atal Pension Yojana) subscribers partial withdrawal from employees’ contribution.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup – Sports

• Tokyo Olympics to be held from July 23 to August 8 in 2021 - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on March 30, 2020 announced that the Tokyo Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8, 2021 while the Paralympics Games will be held from August 24 to September 5, 2021.
• IOC sets June 29, 2021 as new deadline for qualification period of Tokyo Olympics - The International Olympic Committee has set June 29, 2021 as the new deadline for the qualification period of the Tokyo Olympics, which has been rescheduled to next year in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.
• Mascots of 2022 Asian Games at Hangzhou, China in unveiled - The official mascots of the 19th Asian Games at Hangzhou, China scheduled for September 2022 were unveiled in a digital launch ceremony on April 3, 2020. They are three robots named - Congcong, Lianlian and Chenchen.
• Tony Lewis of Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method used in ODIs dies - Tony Lewis, one of the men behind the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method used in weather-affected limited overs cricket matches, died aged 78, the England and Wales Cricket Board announced on April 1, 2020. Steven Stern and Frank Duckworth are the other two persons on whom the method is named.
• Kobe Bryant inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in US - Kobe Bryant, who died aged 41 in a helicopter crash in January, was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in US. Bryant had retired from the sport in 2016. The Hall of Fame is named after Dr James Naismith, the Canadian physician who invented basketball.
• FIFA postpones Under-17 Women’s World Cup in India - FIFA on April 5, 2020 announced postponement of the Under-17 Women’s World Cup football in India. The tournament was to be held at Kolkata, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai from November 2 to 21, 2020.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 ICMR validated use of tuberculosis testing machine TrueNat for COVID-19 screening tests.

7.2  Sanitation app ‘Swachhata-MoHUA’ upgraded to enable reporting of suspected cases of COVID-19 and lockdown violations.

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

8.1 ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign started

• HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal launches week-long ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign for crowdsourcing of ideas for improving online education ecosystem.
• The week-long 'Bharat Padhe Online' campaign invites ideas from students, parents, teachers, academicians and other stakeholders to improve the online learning systems in India.
• Amid the current lockdown due to COVID-19, schools and colleges have been closed to curb the spread of Coronavirus infection in the country.
• At this time, many schools, colleges and universities have adopted online learning as an alternative to classroom teaching.  
• However, despite several online digital platforms launched by the government including SWAYAM and DIKSHA, scaling up their operations, the learning process has not been completely seamless. 
• To resolve, this MHRD has invited ideas and solutions from different stakeholders to improve online education systems in India.
• The campaign to seek out the best ideas aimed at improving the online learning systems in the country will be open from 10th April 2020 to 16th April 2020. 
• During this period, students, teachers, parents and academicians can share their ideas to improve online learning systems by sharing them via email at bharatpadheonline.mhrd@gmail.com.

 8.2 HRD Ministry launched 'Integrated Government Online Training Portal' for workers combating coronavirus outbreak.

8.3 Health & Family Welfare Ministry, AIIMS launch training module for physicians to care for pregnant women who are either suspected or confirmed of coronavirus.

8.4 National Commission for Women (NCW) launched WhatsApp number to report cases of domestic violence.

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

9.1 Innovations and inventions regarding COVID-19 crisis

• COVID-19 - SCTIMST Inventions
• Scientists at Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum, Kerala, designed 2 technologies to fight COVID-19 pandemic. 
• These are: Chitra Disinfection Gateway and Chitra UV Based Facemask Disposal Bin.
• SCTIMST is an autonomous institute under Centre’s Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Bharat Electronics Ltd and AIIMS, Rishikesh develop remote patient health monitoring system to monitor COVID-19 patients without medical staff risking exposure.
   

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

10.1 China was the world leader in international patent filings in 2019: World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO).
• Payment Aggregators are entities that facilitate e-commerce sites and merchants to accept various payment instruments from the customers for completion of their payment obligations.
• Kerala has launched ‘Livelihood, Inclusion, Financial Empowerment’ (LIFE) housing scheme. 
• The BIMSTEC Nations’ Conference on “Combating Drug Trafficking” was organised in New Delhi in Feb 2020.
• Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa visited India in February 2020.

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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