Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 22-06-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 22-06-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. India-China Standoff 2020 – Government changes LAC rules to give forces ‘full freedom’ to respond – The armed forces have been given “full freedom” to respond in an “adequate and proportionate manner” to any hostile act in accordance with their judgement after defence minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the Army’s operational readiness along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with the military brass here. India is determined to impose costs on Chinese troops if they attempt any further misadventure on the border. The decisive shift away from the longstanding border management policy to largely maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the LAC gives the military commanders on the ground the leeway to undertake whatever action is required to foil any misadventure by the PLA.
2. COVID-19 Updates – BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) to go in for door-to-door screening in suburbs – The BMC will launch a rapid action plan from June 22 to control the Covid-19 spurt in the eastern and western suburbs. The plan mainly comprises door-to-door screenings. Fifty ambulances will be mobilised for swab testing in high-risk localities. Also, looking at spiralling cases in highrises, the BMC has taken to online conferencing with the office bearers of housing societies, suggesting precautions and preventive measures.
3. COVID-19 Updates/Indian Economy – As India works from home, spike in demand for study tables and chairs – Furniture companies, from Pepperfry and Godrej Interio to Transteel and Featherlite, are witnessing unprecedented demand for study tables and chairs as companies continue to encourage their employees to work from home. For Pepperfry, study tables and chairs currently account for 35-40% of its business. Before the lockdown, the category contributed only 10% to our overall business. Office furniture company Featherlite, which saw 80% of its sales from the business-tobusiness (B2B) space, is currently witnessing orders from individual customers take up half of the demand.
4. Sixth International Day of Yoga – In Covid times, world’s feeling need for yoga more – Modi – Prime Minister Narendra Modi said yoga had emerged as a force for unity and it did not discriminate as it went beyond race, colour, gender, faith and nations. In his message on the sixth International Day of Yoga, Modi said due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world was feeling the need for yoga more than ever. “If our immunity is strong, it is of great help in defeating this disease. For boosting immunity, there are several techniques in yoga, various asanas are there,” he added.
5. COVID-19 Updates – India 6th most targeted by Chinese hackers since 2016 – Since 2016, India has been the sixth most targeted country by China-based hackers — right after the US, South Korea, Hong Kong, Germany and Japan. Government sites came under attack most frequently, followed by telecommunications, media, high tech and transportation, according to a report by US-based cybersecurity firm FireEye.
6. US Presidential Elections – Trump’s Tulsa rally ends up as a debacle for embattled president –  US President Donald Trump launched his 2020 campaign with another bizarre speech at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, , where what made headlines was not any party platform or policy pronouncements but thousands of empty seats in the stadium with a capacity of 19,200, after claims that a million people had registered for tickets. For the few thousand feverish faithful who did turn up, Trump served up the usual cocktail of grievances and gripes, painting a dark dystopian picture of how America would go to the dogs if Democrats aka “radical left” won the election. There was plenty of red meat for his base, including his support for a strong military and gun rights, and his demand that other nations stop ‘ripping off’ the US, but there was little by way of coherent policy or practical solutions in a 104-minute long speech.
7. Global Terrorism – Libyan refugee stabs 3 to death at UK park, cops call it terror attack – Three people were killed and as many seriously injured after a 25-year-old Libyan refugee went on a stabbing spree in a park in Berkshire, 64km from London. Police declared it a terrorist incident. The 25-year-old suspect from Reading was arrested at the scene of the crime on suspicion of murder and he remains in custody. Local media identified the suspect as Khairi Saadallah, a Libyan refugee, who came to Britain several years ago following the civil war in Libya. Deputy assistant commissioner Dean Haydon declared the crime a terrorist incident and said the counter terrorism unit would take over the investigation. Authorities said they were not looking for any other suspects.
8. COVID-19 Updates – Spain opens border to tourists; Trump wants less testing – Spain reopened its borders to European tourists in a bid to boost its economy. While at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, President Donald Trump said he told the government to reduce testing for the virus, apparently to avoid unflattering statistics ahead of the US election in November. He said the US has tested 25 million people, but the “bad part” is that it found more cases.
9. Indian Economy – RBI nudges banks to decide if red-flagged a/cs are fraud – Banks are in a major dilemma over a directive from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that lenders should decide whether loan accounts that have been ‘red-flagged’ as suspicious over six months ago are fraudulent or not.  If banks do not classify these loans as a fraud, they risk being pulled up for being lenient. If they do, they must set aside provisions for 100% of the loan amount within a year, even if a large part of the loan is recoverable. Also, the fraud tag makes it difficult to sell an otherwise sound business.
10. Indian Economy – Apps with Chinese funds face users’ ire – Top Indian consumer-focused unicorns like Paytm, Ola, Zomato, Make-MyTrip and others backed by Chinese capital are facing the ire of consumers. Users are targeting the Google Play Store ratings of these apps, citing their ‘Chinese connection’ even as experts feel that hardware products like smartphones will be harder to discard. Most of these mobile applications have seen over the last one week increasing comments and lowest possible ratings from consumers. Some of the users are even uninstalling the apps as they are backed by China’s largest internet companies like Tencent, Alibaba and Ctrip. But interestingly, all these companies are run by Indian entrepreneurs based out of the country.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	ISI, Kolkata	Scientific Assistant	19	10+2/ Diploma/ Any Degree/ PG	July 31, 2020	https://web.isical.ac.in/sites/default/files/Advertisement_Scientific_Assistant_A.pdf
2	ISI, Kolkata	Associate Scientist A	17	PG	July 31, 2020	https://web.isical.ac.in/sites/default/files/Advertisement_Associate_Scientist_A.pdf
3	Vigyan Prasar Science Portal	Editor, Reporter, Graphics Designer, DEO/ Office Asst, Coor.	8	Any Degree	July 6, 2020	https://vigyanprasar.gov.in/recruitment-for-project-indian-science-news-and-feature-service/
4	AICTE	Chief Coordinator, Coordinator, Research Fellow	5	Any Degree/ PG	July 3, 2020	https://mhrd.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/Advt_AICTE_IKS.pdf
5	Air India Express Limited	Manager, Dy Manager (Finance)	7	CA/ ICWA	--	https://www.airindiaexpress.in/upload/AdvtMgrFinance562020.pdf
6	Fencing Association of India	Assistant Coach	16	Any Degree	July 5, 2020	https://sportsauthorityofindia.nic.in/tview3.asp?link_temp_id=9496
7	Lok Sabha Secretariat	Translator	47	Diploma (Translation), PG	July 27, 2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/06/Notification-Lok-Sabha-Secretariat-Translator-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 Bar Council Of Gujarat Permits Needy Advocates To Do Alternative Jobs/ Business Until December 31, 2020

• In a big relief to its member lawyers, the Bar Council of Gujarat has resolved that needy Advocates, who are facing difficulty in meeting ends due to the present lockdown situation, may take up alternative jobs/ businesses, until the end of this year.
• Section 35 of the Advocates Act, prohibits practicing lawyers from holding the license to practice, if they engage in any other profession, job or business other than legal practice.
• The resolution will come into effect after receiving approval from the Bar Council of India.
• Significantly, only those lawyers, who are unable to carry out their familial responsibilities due to the present Covid-19 pandemic, may avail benefit of this exemption.
• The Council has also waived off the late fees of Rs. 250/- for renewal of Advocates Welfare Fund, due from September 1, 2019 onwards.

1.2 'Magic', 'Masala' Common Words In Indian Food Industry; No One Can Monopolise Them : Madras HC In Sunfeast -Maggi Dispute.

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

2.1 Indian economy to contract by 4% in FY21 – Asian Development Bank 

• COVID-19 impact - 

1. Hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian economy is expected to contract by 4 per cent during the current financial year.

• Highlights - 

1. As per the ADB forecast, Countries in Developing Asia will “barely grow” in 2020.
2. China, however, is expected to record a positive growth of 1.8 per cent in 2020, sharply down from 6.1 per cent in 2019.
3. Growth in Indian GDP slowed to 3.1 per cent in the last quarter of fiscal year 2019, its slowest since early 2003.
4. Economic growth slowed to 4.2 per cent in the whole of FY2019 as both exports and investment started to contract.
5. High-frequency indicators such as purchasing managers’ indexes fell to all-time lows in April, reflecting the bleak outlook.
6. GDP is expected to contract by 4.0 per cent in FY2020 before rebounding by 5.0 per cent in FY2021. Growth in 2021 is expected to rise to 6.2 per cent, as forecast in April.
7. Hit hard by Covid-19, South Asia is forecast to contract by 3 per cent in 2020, compared to 4.1 per cent growth predicted in April.
8. ADB said that Growth prospects for 2021 are revised down to 4.9 per cent from 6 per cent.

• New normal - 

1. Economies in Asia and the Pacific will continue to feel the blow of the Covid-19 pandemic this year even as lockdowns are slowly eased and select economic activities restart in a ‘new normal’ scenario.
2. The Covid-19 pandemic may see multiple waves of outbreaks in the coming period and sovereign debt and financial crises cannot be ruled out.
3. There is also the risk of renewed escalation in trade tensions between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

• Gloomy picture -  

1. RBI earlier in May projected a gloomy picture of the economy, saying the impact of Covid-19 is more severe than anticipated and the GDP growth during 2020-21 is likely to remain in the negative territory.
2. International rating agencies like Moody’s Investors Service, Fitch Rating and S&P Global Ratings have all predicted a 4-5 per cent contraction in India’s economic growth rate during April 2020 to March 2021 fiscal.

2.2 Fitch Ratings retained sovereign rating of India at ‘BBB-’, changes outlook to ‘Negative’ from ‘Stable’.

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

3.1 International Horseshoe Crab Day; Species under grave threat in Odisha

• Key points - 

1. Hundreds of the crabs have been killed in Odisha each year to supply their meat and shells to Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and other states.
2. It is believed that consumption of horseshoe crab meat can lengthen a person’s lifespan. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this.
3. The crackdown on horseshoe crab poachers requires superior, inter-state coordination among police and wildlife authorities of Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states.

• Highlights -

1. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Horseshoe Crab Specialist Group had decided to observe the day in its meeting from June 14-20, 2019 at Qinzhou City in China.
2. Horseshoe crabs face an uncertain future in Odisha, their largest habitat in India, even as the world gets ready to celebrate the first-ever ‘International Horseshoe Crab Day’ on June 20, 2020.
3. The aim behind the day is to generate greater awareness for these ancient creatures and help in their conservation.
4. The horseshoe crab was included on September 9, 2009 in the Schedule IV of the Wild (Life) Protection Act, 1972, under which, the catching and killing of a horseshoe crab is an offence.
5. How important they are:
6. These animals have existed virtually unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs and are important ecosystem engineers and predators of small organisms in modern intertidal environments.
7. Horseshoe crabs are a critical link to world health, biodiversity and hold cultural importance across the globe.
8. One of their ecological functions is to lay millions of eggs on beaches to feed shorebirds, fish and other wildlife.
9. Unfortunately, this ecological link can be broken in areas where population density is low.

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

4.1 Now, China embraces Bangladesh in trade

• Key point -

1. Beijing grants tariff exemption to 97% of Dhaka exports.

• Highlights -  

1. In a significant show of economic diplomacy in South Asia, China has announced tariff exemption for 97% of exports from Bangladesh.
2. And diplomatic sources of Bangladesh have described the Chinese move as a “major success” in Dhaka-Beijing relationship.
3. Beijing's decision came a month after PM Sheikh Hasina and President Xi Jinping discussed enhancing bilateral relation in the background of the economic hardship triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. It will help Bangladesh cushion the economic impact of the pandemic and also emerge as a possible beneficiary alongside Vietnam and Chile of the U.S.-China trade war.
5. Bangladesh imports around $15 billion in Chinese goods but its China-bound exports had been very low in comparison.
6. The supply chain disruption caused by U.S.-China trade war is likely to be filled by a boost in export of tariff-exempted goods from Bangladesh.
7. Multiple sectors of Bangladesh are likely to be major beneficiaries of this move.

• The Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) - 

1. Bangladesh already receives tariff-exemption for 3095 items under the APTA.
2. As a result of the latest announcement, a total of 8256 goods from Bangladesh will be exempted of Chinese tariffs.
   

4.2 China to set up a “national security agency” in Hong Kong to administer a new law aimed at cracking down on dissent.

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

5.1 PM launched the 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' employment scheme

• PM launched the 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' employment scheme for migrant workers from six states who returned to their home states during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. 
• The Rs 50,000 crore employment scheme will be implemented on a mission mode in 125 days in 116 districts of six states -- Bihar, MP, UP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha. 
• 'Garib Kalyan Rozgar Abhiyaan' will involve implementation of 25 public infrastructure works related to rural housing, drinking water supply and construction of panchayat bhavans.
  

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Not Available Today

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 National Research Development Corporation (NRDC), New Delhi licensed manufacturing know-how of a PPE (personal protective equipment) suit named — ‘NavRakshak’ — to five MSMEs.

7.2 Social worker Vidyaben Shah passed away at 98 in Delhi; She was ex-President of ICCW (Indian Council for Child Welfare) and won Padma Shri (1992)

7.3 The annular ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse, wherein the Sun appears like a ring of fire, was visible in several states. 

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

8.1 The Global status report on preventing violence against children 2020

• Key point -

1. As per the UN report, One billion children experience violence every year as countries fail to protect them.

• Highlights -

1. According to the findings, in 2017, around 40,000 children were victims of homicide.
2. Officials said that violence against children has always been pervasive, and now things could be getting much worse.
3. Lockdowns, school closures and movement restrictions have left far too many children stuck with their abusers, without the safe space that school would normally offer.
4. While online communities have become central to maintain many children’s learning, support and play, an increase in harmful online behaviors including cyberbullying, risky online behavior and sexual exploitation have been identified.
5. The report said about 80% of countries have national plans of action and policies but only one-fifth have plans that are fully funded or have measurable targets.

• Data analysis -

1. While nearly all countries (88%) have laws in place to protect minors, less than half (47%) say they strongly enforce them.
2. Between 32% and 37% of the countries considered that victims of violence could access support services, while 26% of the countries provided programmes on parent and caregiver support.
3. 21% of the countries had programmes to change harmful norms
4. And, 15% of the countries had modifications to provide safe physical environments for children.
5. Although a majority of countries (83%) have national data on violence against children, only 21% used these to set baselines and national targets to prevent and respond to violence against children.

• Experts’ views -

1. Ending violence against children is the right thing to do, a smart investment to make - and it’s possible.
2. We can and must create a world where every child can thrive.

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

9.1 World Sickle Cell Day

•  Highlights -

1. It is recognized by the United Nations and celebrated every year on June 19.
2. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing sickle cell disease as a public health problem on December 22, 2008.
3. The disease in India occurs predominantly in eastern Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, western Odisha and in pockets of the Nilgiri Hills in north TN and Kerala.
4. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of inherited red blood cell disorders.
5. In someone who has SCD, the red blood cells become hard and sticky and look like a C-shaped farm tool called a “sickle”.
6. The sickle cells die early, which causes a constant shortage of red blood cells.
7. Also, when they travel through small blood vessels, they get stuck and clog the blood flow. This can cause pain and other serious problems such infection, acute chest syndrome and stroke.
8. Symptoms of SCD: Episodes of pain; swelling of hands and feet; frequent infections; delayed growth or puberty; vision problems.

• Facts - 

1. SCD affects millions around the world.
2. SCD is particularly common in individuals in Africa, South America, the Caribbean, Central America, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India, and Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Greece and Italy.
3. SCD is a major public health concern. From 1989 through 1993, an average of 75,000 hospitalizations due to SCD occurred in the United States, costing approximately $475 million.

• Objectives -

1. Raising awareness about the SCD.
2. Supporting sickle cell patients.

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

10.1 Not Available Today

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Kiran Mazumdar Shaw  was named EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year for 2020.
• Major Suman Gawani won the United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award (2019).
• Lawn Tennis player Ashley Cooper passed away in Australia aged 83 on May 22, 2020.
• The World Hypertension Day was observed on May 17, 2020.
• Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin of Associated Press won 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography.

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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