Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services -20-07-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 20-07-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 – In a first, India’s Covid fatality rate dips below 2.5%: Centre – India’s Covid-19 fatality rate is “progressively falling” and is now below 2.5% for the first time. The health ministry said that efficient clinical management of hospitalised patients and contact tracing had helped keep the death rate at one of the lowest in the world. Currently, India’s case fatality rate (CFR) is at 2.49%. On June 2, India had recorded a fatality rate of 2.82% with 1.98 lakh confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 5,598 deaths. On July 10, the fatality rate declined to 2.72% even as total infections jumped to over 7.93 lakh cases and death toll increased to 21,604. However, recoveries too have increased alongside cases and deaths, helping bring down the death rate to 2.49%.
2. COVID-19 – Coronavirus rebounds around the world, deaths top 600,000 – The coronavirus pandemic has found fresh legs around the world, as confirmed deaths pass 600,000 and countries from the US to South Africa struggle to contain a surge of new infections. Hong Kong issued tougher new rules on wearing face masks, Spain closed overcrowded beaches and Germany reported another outbreak at a slaughterhouse. The WHO said that 259,848 new infections were reported on Saturday (July 18), its highest one day tally yet. Confirmed global deaths have risen to nearly 603,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The US tops the list with over 140,000, followed by more than 78,000 in Brazil. The number of confirmed infections worldwide has passed 14.2 million, with 3.7 million in the US and more than 2 million in Brazil.
   
3. Research/Study – Study finds evidence of vertical transmission of coronavirus across the placenta – Transmission through droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces seem to be the major routes of novel coronavirus spread. The World Health Organization recently acknowledged that “short-range aerosol transmission” of the virus “cannot be ruled out” in specific indoor locations which are crowded, inadequately ventilated and where exposure to the infected person is over a prolonged period of time. Now, a study has found evidence that confirms vertical transmission of SARS-CoV-2 virus from the mother to the foetus. The route of infection is through the womb (in utero) well before the onset of labour and delivery of the baby.
4. Research/Study – Previously unknown faults at the foot of the Himalaya discovered – Data from an oil and gas exploration company has helped geologists discover a series of faults at the foot of the Himalaya. The international team notes that this fault system in the south eastern region of Nepal has the potential to cause earthquakes in the country. The team looked at seismic reflection data, routinely collected by exploration companies looking for oil and gas. In this method, seismic waves are produced by small explosions at multiple sources, and many recorders called geophones record the sound echoing off layers beneath the surface.
5. Arts and Culture – COVID-19 delays PMs’ museum work – Construction of the Centre’s proposed Museum on Prime Ministers, which was supposed to open in October, is likely to be completed by November due to the lack of workers during the COVID-19 crisis. The museum is being developed at the Teen Murti Estate that houses the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). Last year, the CPWD had set March 2020 as the deadline for the project. The official said the CPWD was hoping to hand over the completed building to the NMML by November, after which it would take a few months’ time for putting up the exhibits on all Prime Ministers.
   
6. Environment and Ecology – Flood-hit Assam braces for more rains, toll touches 85 – Five more people died in the last 24 hours as floods continued to wreak havoc in Assam on Sunday (July 19), taking the state’s toll in the deluge to 85. The deaths were reported from Barpeta, Baksa, Dhubri, Morigaon and Nagaon. Even as 24 districts continue to remain affected by the disaster, the number of affected people on Sunday came down from 27.63 lakh to 25.2 lakh from a day earlier, when 26 districts were hit by the deluge. Over 50,000 people are taking shelter at 301 government-run relief camps. The flood situation remains unchanged with several embankments breached due to incessant rainfall, release of water from Bhutan’s and other state’s dams and overflowing of rivers inundating fresh areas.
   
7. Famous personalities – The US loses two icons of the civil rights movement in one day – Two towering figures of the American civil rights movement died Friday (July 17), a major loss for a nation still grappling with protests and demands for racial equality decades later. John Robert Lewis died at age 80 after a battle with cancer. Rev. Cordy Tindell "C.T." Vivian died at age 95 of natural causes. They worked alongside the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in the forefront of the historic struggle for racial justices in the 1960s. After years of arrests, confrontations and unyielding demands for justice, they received the highest civilian honor from the nation's first Black President.
8. Technology – WhatsApp case against spyware company NSO to go forward, court says – WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, filed a complaint against NSO Group in October 2019. WhatsApp accused NSO Group of sending malware to 1,400 users of the messaging app. The malware was sent on the mobile devices which belonged to journalists, politicians and human rights activists among others. NSO Group is an Israeli mobile surveillance software company. NSO Group made an attempt to dismiss the lawsuit filed by WhatsApp but the US court denied. WhatsApp and Facebook also claim that NSO developed a data program called Pegasus. The program collects information such as messages, browser history and contacts from the users' phones.
   
9. Economy – Govt sets up single-window clearance to expedite aviation sector proposals – The civil aviation ministry has set up a single-window clearance mechanism to expedite various investment proposals in the domestic aviation industry. MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation) has an Investment Clearance Cell (ICC) for prompt assistance and clearance. The ICC has been mandated to serve as a single-window system for attracting investment and its terms of reference include accelerating investments, bringing projects to the Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS) which require special incentive, policy interventions, expeditious clearances and systematic references, among others.
10. Economy – Indian Railways to start private train services by 2023, all 151 by 2027 – The first set of 12 private trains will be introduced in 2023, followed by 45 more in the next fiscal, according to an initial timeline drawn by the railways which plans to roll out all 151 such train services by 2027. The project would entail a private sector investment of about Rs 30,000 crore. The railways has said that 70 per cent of the private trains will be manufactured in India which will be designed for a maximum speed of 160 kmph.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	NDMA	Consultant	13	PG	---	https://ndma.gov.in/images/careers/Advt-of-13-Consultants.pdf
2	Geological Survey of India	Ordinary Grade Driver	18	10th Class with Driv. Lic.	---	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/07/Notification-Geological-Survey-of-India-Driver-Posts.pdf
3	INSTEM	Sr. Eng., Sr. Tech. Officer, Tech. Officer - I	18	Degree, PG	Aug 9, 2020	https://www.instem.res.in/jobportal/node/1652
4	NCBS	Administrative Asst & Scientific Officer	12	Any Degere, PG	July 31, 2020	https://www.ncbs.res.in/jobportal/
5	NCERT	Jr Project Fellow	12	Jr Project Fellow	July 27, 2020	http://www.ncert.nic.in/announcements/vacancies/pdf_files/DESM_352.pdf
6	Army Public School, Bangalore	PGT, TGT, PRT, Sports Coach	32	PG, B.Ed, BPEd/ D.P.Ed, M.P.Ed	July 20, 2020	https://www.apsbangalore.edu.in/index.php/announcements
7	Armed Forces Medical Services	SSC Officer	300	MBBS	Aug 16, 2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/indian-army-medical-corps/18773/

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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 Constitution and Law – Weekly Roundup

• Vikas Dubey Encounter: SC Hints at appointment of Committee for probe [Ghanshyam Upadhyay V. Union of India] - The SC orally remarked that it was inclined to appoint a Committee headed by a Retired Judge, just as it had done on earlier occasion in the Hyderabad Encounter Case. 
• J&K 4G Ban : No contempt as special committee already constituted; Decision taken, AG Tells SC [Foundation for Media Professionals V. Union of India & Ors.] - The SC granted one week time to the Centre and UT of J&K to file their reply in the plea seeking contempt alleging non-compliance of the May 11 judgment of the Supreme Court, which had directed that a "Special Committee" be constituted to "immediately" to determine the necessity of continued restriction of mobile internet speeds in Jammu & Kashmir to 2G only. 
• 'Matter must be left to local administration' : SC refuses to entertain plea to stop Amarnath Yatra Amid COVID-19 [Sri Amarnath Barfani Langars Organisation V. Union of India & Ors].
• Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple Case : SC Upholds 'Shebait' Rights Of Erstwhile Royal Family Of Travancore [Sri Marthanda Varma & Anr. V. State Of Kerala & Ors.]
• 'He Is 73; Detention period about to expire' : SC seeks to know basis for continued detention of J&K Bar Association President Mian Abdul Qayoom [Mian Abdul Qayoom V. Union of India]
• Disabled Entitled To The Same Benefits As Given To SC-ST Candidates: SC [Aryan Raj Vs. Chandigarh Administration]
• When a person refuses to issue certificate under Section 65B(4) Of Evidence Act, court must order its production: SC [Arjun P. Khotkar V. Kailash K. Gorantyal & Ors.] - The Supreme Court has observed that application can be made to the trial court to direct a person to produce the certificate under Section 65B(4) of Evidence Act on the refusal of such person to produce the same otherwise. 
• How to prove execution of will when both attesting witnesses are dead? SC Explains [V. Kalyanaswamy (D) By LR's. Vs. L. Bakthavatsalam (D) By LR's]  - The issue in the appeal before the Apex court bench comprising of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul & KM Joseph was whether is it still the requirement of law when both the attesting witnesses are dead that: under Section 69 of the Evidence Act, the attestation as required under Section 63 of the Indian Succession Act, viz., attestation by the two witnesses has to be proved? Answering this issue, the court noted that Section 69 of the Evidence Act manifests a departure from the requirement embodied in Section 68 of the Evidence Act.
• Validity of remission policy allowing premature release of life convicts aged above 75: SC refers matter to Constitution Bench [Pyare Lal V. State of Haryana]
• Audio Video Recording Of Examination of Witnesses By Police U/S 161CrPC And Installation Of CCTV Cameras In Police Stations: SC Issues Notice To Home Ministry [Paramjit Singh Saini V. Baljit Singh Saini & Ors.]
• SC Issues Notice In Plea Seeking Guidelines For Time-Bound Disposal Of Clemency & Mercy Petitions [Dr. Vijayran V. Union Of India & Ors.]. Notice was issued by a bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde & Justices R. Subhash Reddy & AS Bopanna in the petition filed by Advocate Dr. Subhash Vijayran, highlighting the irregularities in deciding writ petitions across high courts while particularly focussing on the case of the two child-murderer sisters "Renuka and Seema" convicted of murdering 5 children in a depraved manner.
• SC Holds NHAI Liable To Compensate Accident Death Caused By Failure To Prevent Illegal Mining Along NH [The Director General NHAI V. Aam Aadmi Lokmanch]. A bench of Justices RF Nariman, S. Ravindra Bhat & V. Ramasubramaniam considered the issue whether the NHAI, which owns and controls the highway, led to a duty of care to the users of the highway.
• Amish Devgan: SC Directs Parties To File Response In Plea Seeking Quashing of FIRs For Derogatory Remarks Against Sufi Saint [Amish Devgan V. Union of India & Ors.]. 
• SC Seeks Preliminary Report For Closure Of Corruption Case By CBI In Hindustan Zinc's Disinvestment [National Confederation of Officers Association Of Central PSE's V. Union of India]. A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, R. Subhash Reddy & AS Bopanna asked the CBI to place the closure report before Top Court, adding that while a report had been handed over to the Court in a sealed cover, a final decision with reasoning was not.
• SC Issues Notice In Jharkhand Govt's Plea Against Centre's Coal Block Auction [State of Jharkhand V. Union of India]. Bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde, N Subhash Reddy & AS Bopanna while issuing notice in the matter stated that apart from being inclined to hear the case, it is also inclined to hear the issue on the plea for injunction against the coal block auctioneering.
• COVID-19 Lockdown : SC Issues Notice On Plea To Allow Advocates To Advertise, Take Up Other Works [Chanderjeet Chanderpal V. BCI & Ors.] - The SC issued notice in a plea seeking issuance of directions to the Bar Council of India to permit use of advertisements for lawyers till March 2021, allow public listings so that other para-legal work can be taken up by them to earn their livelihood in light of the pandemic situation and allow alternative means of sustenance.
  
  

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

2.1 Tamil Nadu emerges as India’s top investment destination: survey

• Key points - 

1. Tamil Nadu has emerged as the country’s top investment destination in Q1 of 2020-21, even as overall fresh investment announcements in India slumped to the lowest in five years amidst a period marred by the extended pandemic-induced lockdown.

• Data analysis -

1. The southern State accounted for 18.63% of the ₹97,859 crore of investments envisaged to execute 1,241 projects in the country in the first quarter.
2. The Tamil Nadu government had signed 17 MoUs (memorandums of understanding) with investors on May 27, 2020, which gave a ₹18,236 crore fillip to its investment pipeline in the quarter between April and June.
3. While private sector investments on the whole collapsed to just 39.1% of total investments in the quarter, TN attracted large players like Daimler India Commercial Vehicles for a ₹2,277 crore project at Oragadam and the largest power project announced in the quarter.
4. Two private sector projects worth ₹2,900 crore in the State for producing wind mill equipment and semiconductor chips, accounted for a bulk of the 16 machinery sector investment proposals worth ₹3,678 crore across the country.
5. The State is also host to three of the five data centres envisaged to come up in the country at a total investment of ₹7,400 crore.
6. The other two data centres are proposed in Maharashtra, which was second to Tamil Nadu with fresh investments worth ₹11,228.8 crore.
7. Maharashtra had signed 12 MoUs with firms from Singapore, South Korea and the U.S. through a virtual Magnetic Maharashtra summit.
8. While States like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra held investors meet and signed MoUs, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka reworked labour laws, started building land banks and sent feelers to foreign companies for investing in their States.
9. In all, private promoters announced 266 new projects worth ₹38,242.9 crore.

• Fresh additions –

1. Fresh capacity additions are expected in the healthcare and pharma sectors ‘with immediate effect’, according to 39% of participants in a survey conducted by Projects Today in May.
2. Interestingly, investments improved every passing month in the quarter. April, the first month of complete lockdown, saw an announcement of 260 new projects worth ₹20,181.6 crore, rising to 436 new projects worth ₹37,922 crore in May.

 2.2 RBI issues Fair Practice Code guidelines for ARC

• Key point -  

1. In the backdrop of likely rise in Non Performing Assets (NPA) due to the pandemic, the RBI has announced guidelines for “Fair Practices Code” (FPC) for Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) to ensure highest standards of transparency and fairness while dealing with their stakeholders.

• What are the guidelines -

1. All ARCs registered with banks have been asked to put in place FPC duly approved by their Board.
2. ARCs need to follow transparent and non-discriminatory practices in acquisition of assets and maintain arm’s length distance in the pursuit of transparency.
3. To enhance transparency in the process of sale of secured assets, they must publicly solicit invitation for participation in auction and the process should enable participation of as many prospective buyers as possible.
4. The terms and conditions of such sale may be decided in wider consultation with investors in the security receipts as per SARFAESI Act 2002 and the spirit of Section 29A of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 may be followed in dealing with prospective buyers.
5. The ARCs have been asked to release all securities on repayment of dues or on realisation of the outstanding amount of loan and any other claim they may have against the borrower.
6. ARCs have been asked to put in place Board approved policy on the management fee, expenses and incentives, if any, claimed from trusts under their management and they must ensure that outsourcing arrangements neither diminish its ability to fulfil its obligations to customers and the RBI nor impede effective supervision by RBI.
7. While recovering loans, ARCs are expected not to resort to harassment of the debtor.
8. The ARCs must in place a Board approved Code of Conduct for Recovery Agents and obtain their undertaking to abide by that Code.
9. They should ensure that Recovery Agents do not induce adoption of uncivilized, unlawful and questionable behaviour or recovery process.
10. ARCs have been asked to constitute Grievance Redressal machinery within the organisation and to keep the information, they come to acquire in course of their business, strictly confidential.

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

3.1 NITI Aayog pushes mandatory use of 25% recycled material in infra projects

•  Key point -  

1. Niti Aayog will recommend to the government that it mandate the use of recycled materials up to 25 per cent in large infrastructure projects, in line with the global move to promote the use of secondary products.

• Highlights -

1. Currently, secondary products hardly find space in large infrastructure projects because of a strong presence of primary products, which are available for the same price as secondary products.
2. Recycled materials do not lose any physical or chemical properties and compete with primary products.
3. Using recycled products by up to 25 per cent may reduce raw material cost of the project by at least 10-15 per cent.
4. Unlike rest of the countries where import duty on scrap stands ‘nil’ to promote recycling, India levies 2.5 per cent customs duty on it.
5. By contrast, finished products from Asian countries are imported at ‘zero’ duty under the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA), thus, causing an inverse duty structure for secondary producers in the country.

• Experts’ views - 

1. There is a need to set up a nodal ministry for the material recycling industry for better regulation and growth.
2. The recycling industry does not get proper attention because of the absence of a parent ministry.
3. Recycling being a wealth creator, we should extend all possible support from various ministries to the betterment of the recycling industry in India.
4. Realising the value of recycling, over the last 50 years, China has become the biggest producer of metals, plastic, paper and other valuable materials and truly ‘atmanirbhar’ by importing duty-free scrap as raw material from all over the world. Now, it is our turn, but for that the recycling industry needs policy support.
5. Promoting recycling industry would reduce our dependence on finite, non-renewable virgin natural resources, which can be saved for the future generations.
   

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

4.1 India and Israel sign agreement to expand cooperation in cyber security

•  Key points -

1. India and Israel have signed an agreement to further expand collaboration in dealing with cyber threats amid rapid digitisation due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that exposed the vulnerabilities of the virtual world.
2. Both the countries have been cooperating in the cyber field since January 2018, so a new agreement is another opportunity to reaffirm the mutual commitment between the two countries.

• Highlights -

1. Announcing the signing of the MoU on operational collaboration in cyber security, the Indian embassy's twitter handle described it as a "new normal" in "staying the course and reaching newer heights together".
2. Cyber security was identified as an important area of cooperation during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel in July 2017 and an agreement was signed between the two sides during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to India the following year.
3. The MoU signed between the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) and INCD deepens the operational cooperation between the two sides and will expand the scope of exchange of information on cyber threats in order to raise the levels of protection in the field.
4. The agreement lays down the framework for dialogue, cooperation in capacity building, mutual exchange of best practices in the field and facilitates regular exchanges.

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

5.1 Not Available Today

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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 Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS) has released a special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016-18

• Key points -

1. As per the WHO, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its conduct.
2. Maternal Mortality Ratio of the Country - MMR has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016. MMR is defined as the number of maternal deaths during a given time period per 1,00,000 live births during the same time period. 
3. MMR of different states - Assam (215), Uttar Pradesh (197), Madhya Pradesh (173), Rajasthan (164), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Bihar (149), and Uttarakhand (99). The southern States registered a lower MMR.
4. The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the UN aims at reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.

• Government’s drive -

1. Janani Suraksha Yojana under the National Health Mission to link cash assistance to institutional deliveries.
2. The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a fixed day for assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care free of cost to pregnant women on 9th of every month.
3. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and LaQshya Guidelines.

• The Office of the Registrar General -

1. It works under the Ministry of Home Affairs and conduct the Population Census, monitor the implementation of the Registration of Births and Deaths in the country, estimates on fertility and mortality using the Sample Registration System (SRS).

• The road ahead –

1. Needs to give a special focus to states with higher maternal mortality ratio.

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

8.1 World Emoji Day 2020: History behind this day and why it is celebrated on July 17

•  Key point -  

1. Emoji or emojis is a word of Japanese origin and they originated on Japanese mobile phones in 1997.
2. They are ideograms and smileys used in electronic messages and web pages and are similar to emoticons.
3. They have become so popular, that Oxford Dictionaries named the Face with Tears of Joy emoji the Word of the Year in 2015.

• History of World Emoji Day -

1. The day has been celebrated annually since 2014 and is said to be the brainchild of Emojipedia creator Jeremy Burge.
2. The Emojipedia is an emoji reference website that was created in 2013 and which documents the meaning and common usage of emoji characters in the Unicode Standard.
3. Burge created the day on July 17 based on the way the calendar emoji is shown on iPhones.

• How World Emoji Day is Celebrated -  

1. Usually there are events that are held in honour of the emoji, like the World Emoji Day Red Carpet event in 2016, and the lighting up of the Empire State Building in a “emoji yellow” for World Emoji Day in 2017.
2. This year, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there are no big gatherings but people can still celebrate by sending one another messages using only the emojis. 

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

9.1 Weekly Roundup – Science and Technology

• A forty-year-old puzzle about production of lithium in stars is solved - A forty-year-old puzzle regarding the production of lithium in stars has been solved by Indian researchers. Stars, as per known mechanisms of evolution, actually destroy lithium as they evolve into red giants. Planets were known to have more lithium than their stars — as is the case with the Earth-Sun pair. However, leading to a contradiction, some stars were found that were lithium-rich. Research done by scientists at the National Astronomical Observatories of China, Beijing and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru showed that when stars grow beyond their Red Giant stage into what is known as the Red Clump stage, they produce lithium in what is known as a helium flash and this is what enriches them with lithium. The study was published in the Nature Astronomy on July 7.
• Golden birdwing named India’s largest butterfly - A Himalayan butterfly named golden birdwing is now India’s largest, a record the southern birdwing held for 88 years. With a wingspan of 194 mm, the female of the species is marginally larger than the southern birdwing (190 mm) that Brigadier William Harry Evans, a British military officer and lepidopterist, recorded in 1932. But the male golden birdwing (Troides aeacus) is much smaller at 106 mm. The new measurements of this and 24 other species of butterflies were published in the latest issue of Bionotes, a quarterly newsletter for research on life forms.  
• 2018 Tiger Census was world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey: Guinness - The fourth cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation (Census) 2018, results of which were declared on Global Tiger Day (July 29, 2019) by the PM, has entered the Guinness World Record for being the world’s largest camera trap wildlife survey. The country has an estimated 2967 tigers as per the latest census.
• Commercial farming of endangered species in Myanmar may boost demand: WWF - Wildlife and environmental conservation group WWF and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) have warned that the change in the Myanmar law allowing for commercial farming of endangered species such as tigers and pangolins may boost the demand for rare animals in the world.  Experts also fear that it may lead to the spill over of diseases from animals to humans.
• WHO acknowledges “evidence emerging” of airborne spread of novel coronavirus - The WHO on July 8, 2020 said there was evidence emerging of airborne transmission of the coronavirus, but that it was not definitive. In an open letter to WHO, published on July 7, 2020 in the Clinical Infectious Diseases journal, scientists from 32 countries outlined evidence that they say shows virus particles floating in the air can infect people who breathe them in.

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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 -

• ‘Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver’ is the forthcoming book written by former RBI Governor Urjit Patel.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru launched Project Praana to develop intensive care unit (ICU) grade ventilator.
• India’s oldest first-class Cricket player Vasant Raiji passed away at the age of 100 on June 13, 2020.
• Global Day of Parents was observed on June 1, 2020.
• Mizoram cabinet granted industry status to sports recently, a move aimed at generating employment.

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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