Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 30-05-2020
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- SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES
- Indian Economy – GDP growth slows to a 11-year low of 4.2%, Q4 slumps to 3.1% – Economic growth slowed to a 11-year low of 4.2% in 2019-20, according to provisional estimates released by the National Statistical Office. The final quarter of the fiscal year, the January-March period, saw the expansion in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) slump to 3.1%, reflecting the impact of the first week of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, which began on March 25. Fourth-quarter growth, while the slowest in 44 quarters, however, was still faster than the 2.2% pace predicted by most economists and ratings analysts.
- COVID-19 Updates – Lockdown 5.0 to be strictly implemented in 13 cities – The government is all set to announce Lockdown 5.0 for two weeks, with strict implementation in 13 cities that have recorded 70% of the total COVID-19 cases. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will issue revised guidelines soon. Union Home Minister Amit Shah met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is learnt to have given him the feedback he received from the Chief Ministers. Mr. Shah called all the Chief Ministers, and sought their views on extending the lockdown. Even as the new guidelines are set to be announced, there were 7,707 new COVID-19 cases and 263 deaths, the highest on a single day. This takes the total number of cases to 1,73,052 and fatalities to 4,970.
- COVID-19 Updates – Delhi records 1,000-plus cases second day in a row – As many as 1,106 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Delhi in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases to 17,386, according to the Delhi government’s health bulletin. This is the biggest single-day jump in the number of cases in the city so far and the second consecutive day of more than 1,000 cases being recorded. Of the total cases, 7,846 people have recovered and there are 9,142 active cases. The total number of deaths also rose to 398 with 82 more fatalities being reported, 13 of them happening in the past 24 hours.
- COVID-19 Updates – Despite tremendous suffering, India has averted disaster: PM – PM Modi, in a letter to citizens on the completion of the first year of his second term, said the collective strength and resolve of people could be seen in the way India has dealt with Covid-19. He said despite the “tremendous suffering” of the people, massive efforts had ensured that “inconvenience” didn’t turn into “disasters”.
- World Politics – Asia – HC slaps contempt case on 49 netizens – Exasperated by a scurrilous smear campaign against it for ruling against government decisions, the Andhra Pradesh high court has taken the unprecedented decision of initiating contempt of court proceedings against 49 social media users, including supporters of YSR Congress Party, which governs the state. Never before has a constitutional court drawn up contempt proceedings against so many people, and that too on the basis of their remarks, howsoever scurrilous or damaging, on social media. But the tipping point came when the HC found that judges who ruled against certain proposals of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government were berated on social media as former CM Chandrababu Naidu’s men. Referring to other abusive and life-threatening posts, the HC said the identical and intimidating posts were meant to scandalise the court and lower the image of the HC and its judges in the public eye. The high court issued contempt notice to the social media users who were identified from their accounts and asked the state government to identify eight unidentified users, such as one ‘devil’s attorney’, before posting further proceedings after three weeks.
- Indian Economy – Covid squeezes core sector in April, output slumps 38% – Output of eight core sector industries plunged 38.1% in April — probably the steepest ever — led by an over 80% slump in cement and steel production due to the nationwide lockdown. The numbers indicated that overall industrial production is headed for a high doubledigit decline as the Covid-19-induced lockdown has taken a toll on economic activity. The core sector industries have an over 40% weight in the IIP (index of industrial production).
- Corporate World - Wipro appoints Capgemini veteran as CEO – After a four-month long search, Wipro has appointed former Capgemini COO Thierry Delaporte as its CEO. The 52-year-old Frenchman’s appointment immediately lifted hopes among investors in a company that has been growing at barely half the rate of its peers for several years now. The Wipro share price rose 6.7% on the BSE, and almost 10% in morning trade on the NYSE. Delaporte will be the first non-Indian to lead a major Indian IT company. Cognizant has had non-Indian CEOs — including its first CEO and the current one — but it is a US-headquartered company, though it is often described as an Indian-heritage firm on account of its India origins. Delaporte, who replaces current CEO Abidali Neemuchwala effective July 6, will be based in Paris for a year and will move to New York in 2021.
- USA – Civil unrest spreads across country – Civil unrest exploded across the United States as a third day of protests in Minneapolis over the alleged daylight murder of a black man by a white police officer earlier this week spread to other parts of the country. The growing strife drew the attention of President Trump, who threatened to deploy the military to take control of the Democratic-run Minnesota in a politically surcharged season, warning in a tweet that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts”. Critics are blaming Trump for fanning the flames of civic unrest by echoing the exact words used by George Wallace, a white supremacist-segregationist-racist. The tweet was flagged by Twitter for “glorifying violence”, aggravating the already raging confrontation between Trump and social media giants, who he has sought to corral with an executive order aimed at diluting their protection against lawsuits.
- Miscellaneous – Noted astrologer Bejan Daruwalla dies at 89 – Well-known astrologer Bejan Daruwalla passed away in a Ahmedabad hospital. He was 89. He complained of pneumonia like symptoms and was admitted at city’s Apollo Hospital about a week ago. Two days back his condition deteriorated when he was put on ventilator support. He is survived by two sons-Nastur and Fardun-and a daughter, Nazreen. He did not die of coronavirus but due to pneumonia. The cause of his death was no oxygen supply to his brain,” his son Nastur told.
- World Politics – Malaysia's Mahathir ousted from party amid power struggle – Malaysia's former PM Mahathir Mohamad has been ousted from his ethnic Malay political party in the latest twist of a power struggle with his successor, but he has vowed to challenge the move. The 94-year-old Mahathir, along with his son and three other senior members, were expelled from the Bersatu party. The party has has been split into two camps since intense political wrangling led Mahathir to resign the premiership in February and the king to appoint fellow party member Muhyiddin Yassin as his replacement despite Mahathir's objections. Mahathir’s son Mukhriz Mahathir had since challenged Muhyiddin as party president in a vote that's been postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Important Exam Notifications
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S.
No.
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Institution
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Exam
or Post Name
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Vacancies
or Seats
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Qualification
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Last
Date to Apply
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Link
for Details
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1
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RBI
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Medical Consultant
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6
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MBBS, PG
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June 29, 2020
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2
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BECIL
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MTS
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464
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8th Class
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June
15, 2020
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3
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CIMFR
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Technical Assistant
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23
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Diploma, Degree
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July 25,
2020
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4
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NBPGR
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Research Associate III, Project
Associate I, Scientific Admin.
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12
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Any Degree, PG, Ph.D
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June 15,
2020
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5
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Army
Recruiting Office, Patial
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Soldier
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--
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10th Class, Intermediate
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July 16, 2020
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6
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Cantonment Board, Khadki
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Gynaecologist and other
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29
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GNM, Degree, PG
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June 1,
2020
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7
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NHM,
Kolhapur
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Medical Officer, Cardiologist,
Anaesthesia
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22
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Degree, PG
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May
30, 2020
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- SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
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- 1. CONSTITUTION AND LAW (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)
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- 2. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper
- Jagan released Rs. 450 crore towards first instalment of the Rs. 1,100-crore package.
- The programme is expected to benefit 98,000 units that provide employment to more than 10 lakh people.
- A special fund of Rs. 200 crore would be created to provide input capital loan to the firms at low interest rates.
- The government has already announced that the minimum power demand charges of the MSMEs for the months of April, May and June, amounting to Rs. 188 crore, will be waived.
- Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the previous government did not pay industrial incentives worth nearly Rs. 828 crore to the MSMEs during the period 2014-2019.
- The government identified around 360 products to be purchased from the MSMEs, and payments towards it would be cleared in 45 days.
- Of the total purchases, almost 25% would be done from the micro and small enterprises, 4% from the SC/ST community enterprises, and 3% from women entrepreneurs.
- District Collectors has been asked to lay special focus on the sector and assign a Joint Collector exclusively for its development
- With this initiative, over 72,531 micro, 24,252 small and 645 medium industries would benefit.
- Economy of India grew at an 11-year low of 4.2% in 2019-20.
- Fiscal deficit of India was 4.6% of the GDP in 2019-20.
- Output of Eight Core Industries declined by 38.1% in April 2020 .
- Govt. ends subscriptions for 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds scheme after May 28.
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- 3. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)
- 3. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)
3.1 An invasive species named Charru mussel (Mytella strigata), native to the South and Central American coasts, is spreading quickly in the backwaters of Kerala
- How it reached to Kerala - The Charru mussel may have reached the Indian shores attached to ship hulls or as larval forms in ballast (seawater that ships carry to improve stability) water discharges. Cyclone Ockhi which struck the region (South India, Sri Lanka, Maldives) in 2017, may have sped up their invasion.
- Charru mussel has been found in Kerala at Kadinamkulam, Paravur, Edava-Nadayara, Ashtamudi, Kayamkulam, Vembanad, Chettuva and Ponnani etc. The backwaters of Kerala comprise stretches of lakes, canals and lagoons located parallel to the coast of the Arabian Sea.
- Ashtamudi Lake, a Ramsar site in Kollam district is the worst-hit due to Charu mussel. Here, Charru mussel has replaced the Asian green mussel (Perna viridis) and the edible oyster Magallana bilineata (known locally as muringa).
- The proliferation of Charu mussel poses a serious threat to the endemic species diversity of brackish water habitats of Kerala coast which in result can be threatening to the livelihoods of fishermen engaged in molluscan fisheries.
- In Ashtamudi lake, the short-necked clam fisheries has obtained an eco label from the Marine Stewardship Council and about 3,000 people are dependent on fisheries here.
- "Ecolabelling" is a voluntary method of environmental performance certification and labelling that is practised around the world. An ecolabel identifies products or services proven environmentally preferable overall, within a specific product or service category.
- The Marine Stewardship Council is an independent non-profit organization which sets a standard for sustainable fishing. It is headquartered in London. In such a scenario, the fast-breeding Charru mussel could be seen as a ‘pest’ attack on clam fishery.
- Completely eradicating the Charru mussel from Indian waters is going to be nearly impossible, so limiting its spread is crucial. There is also a need to promote studies on invasion biology and strengthen awareness on marine invasive species.
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- 4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)
- 4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)
4.1 Weekly Roundup – Foreign Affairs
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman attended Special Board of Governors meeting of Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) through video-conferencing.
- Marcos Troyjo of Brazil replaced K. V Kamath of India as the new President of NDB.
- Ceylon Workers’ Congress (CWC) leader and Sri Lanka Cabinet Minister Arumugan Thondaman passed away at 55.
- Twitter labels tweets from US President Donald Trump as misleading. They falsely claimed mail-in ballots would lead to widespread voter fraud.
- Chinese team summits Everest amid bid to remeasure peak.
- US House approved sanctions on Chinese officials involved in ill-treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang.
- Parliament of China approves Hong Kong security bill that could allow Chinese intelligence agencies set up bases in the city.
- Hong Kong could lose US trading privileges after Trump administration revoked its special status.
- World Menstrual Hygiene Day observed on May 28; theme: ‘Periods in Pandemic’.
- Facebook launched an experimental app named ‘Collab’ that lets users make short music videos.
- International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers observed on May 29; theme: ‘Women in Peacekeeping: A Key to Peace’
- G7 countries including the US launch the ‘Global Partnership on AI’ for setting ethical guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence.
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- 5. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)
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- 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)
- Steinitz Memorial online blitz chess: Magnus Carlsen, Kateryna Lagno win - Magnus Carlsen of Norway and Ukraine’s Kateryna Lagno won the men’s and women’s events respectively at the Steinitz Memorial online blitz chess tournament. The tournament was organised by FIDE, in association with chess24.com, as a tribute to the first official World chess champion Wilhelm Steinitz of Austria, whose 184th birth anniversary fell on May 17. The men’s and women’s events featured 10 players each.
- ICC Cricket Committee recommends banning use of saliva to shine the ball - The Anil Kumble-led ICC Cricket Committee on May 18, 2020 recommended banning the use of saliva to shine the ball owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. During a meeting over a video conference, the committee also pushed for bringing back two non-neutral umpires for all internationals matches.
- Former Australian tennis player Ashley Cooper died aged 83 - Eight-time Grand Slam-winning Australian tennis player Ashley Cooper died aged 83 on May 22, 2020. The former Australian, Wimbledon and US singles titleholder won four Grand Slams singles titles and four in doubles in the 1950s.
- Mizoram govt. gives industry status to sports - The Mizoram Cabinet has granted industry status to sports, a move aimed at generating employment. Chief Minister Zoramthanga said the government followed the policy in many countries for the approval.
- Balbir Singh Dosanjh - Hockey legend Balbir Singh Dosanjh, also known as Balbir Singh Sr., dies in Mohali aged 95. He was member of Olympic gold medal winning teams in 1948 (London),1952 (Helsinki) and Melbourne (1956, captain). He holds record for scoring most goals by an individual in the men's hockey final at Olympics: 5 in India's 6-1 win over Holland in 1952 final.
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- 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)
7.1 M. P. Veerendra Kumar, Rajya Sabha member from Kerala and MD of Mathrubhumi newspaper group, passed away in Kozhikode aged 84
7.2 Ajit Jogi, first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, dies at 74 in Raipur
7.2 Ajit Jogi, first chief minister of Chhattisgarh, dies at 74 in Raipur
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- 8. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)
- 8. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)
8.1 Liquor sales resumed in Kerala through state-run BEVCO outlets on prior booking through BevQ mobile app
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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)
- Chief of the General Staff of Vietnam General Phan Van Giang visited India in November 2019.
- CSB bank was in news for its initial public offering in November 2019.
- Hiroshi Kajiyama is Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry.
- Chabahar Port project involving India is in Sistan Baluchestan province of Iran.
- Sarai tropical cyclone hit Fiji in December 2019.
10.3 Today's best editorials to read
- We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned.
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- SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)
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