Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 25-07-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 25-07-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 – Cases cross 13-lakh mark, daily deaths are over 750 – With 48,962 COVID-19 positive cases and 757 deaths on Friday (July 24), for the third consecutive day cases and deaths in India crossed the 45,000 and 750 marks. Total cases stood at 13,36,874, with more that one lakh cases added in just the last two days. Of the confirmed cases, 63.44% have recovered, but active cases went up further to 4,57,387. Maharashtra (9,615 cases and 278 deaths) and Tamil Nadu (6,785 cases and 88 deaths) continue to contribute the highest increases. The death toll in India is 31,413, the sixth overall among countries with the third highest daily rise (730 deaths on average in the last week) behind Brazil (1,056) and the U.S. (849).
   
2. Internal Security – ‘China yet to disengage from LAC spots’ – China is yet to either fully disengage or dilute its extensive military build-up at most points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). U.S.-based intelligence report documents 50 new encampments, bases and heliports in Ladakh. The report, published on July 22, has documented 26 new Chinese encampments, 22 new support bases and two new heliports, underlining the unprecedented scale of the Chinese build-up on its side of the LAC. The build-up, India believes, has gone against past commitments to keep the peace on the border.
3. World – China asks U.S. to shut Chengdu consulate – China has ordered the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu to close in retaliation for one of its missions in the United States being shuttered, capping a furious week of Cold War-style diplomacy. The announcement of the closure followed a torrent of warnings from top American officials about the “tyranny” of China, and Chinese nationals being indicted in the U.S. on various charges. The Ministry emphasised the closure was directly in response to the U.S. ordering the Chinese consulate in Houston to shut down by Friday (July 24).
   
4. Science & Technology – U.S. accuses Russia of testing weapon in space – The U.S. and the U.K. have accused Russia of test-firing an anti-satellite weapon in space. The U.S. warned that the threat against Washington's systems was “real, serious and increasing.” Washington says it has proof that Moscow conducted a non-destructive test of an anti-satellite weapon. Russia's defence ministry earlier said it was using new technology to perform checks on Russian space equipment. The US has previously raised concerns about new Russian satellite activity. But it is the first time the UK has made accusations about Russian test-firing in space. They come just days after an inquiry said the UK government "badly underestimated" the threat posed by Russia.
5. Arts & Culture – Muslim prayers in Hagia Sophia for first time in 86 years – Muslim prayers have been held in the iconic Hagia Sophia for the first time in 86 years after the reconversion of the Istanbul landmark into a mosque earlier this month. The Friday prayers took place two weeks after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan controversially declared the nearly 1,500-year-old monument open to Muslim worship after a top court ruled the building's conversion to a museum by modern Turkey's founding statesman in the mid-1930s was illegal. Erdogan, accompanied by cabinet minister and other top officials, joined hundreds of worshippers inside Hagia Sophia as large crowds gathered outside. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was built as a cathedral during the reign of Byzantine emperor Justinian I in 537 but converted into a mosque after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453.
   
6. Polity & Governance – After HC order, Gehlot stages dharna for Assembly session – After the Rajasthan High Court ordered status quo to be maintained in the disqualification proceedings against rebel leader Sachin Pilot and dissident MLAs, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot along with his legislators supporting him staged a sit-in on the lawns of Raj Bhawan here on July 24, demanding that the Governor give approval for convening a session of the State Assembly. Mr. Gehlot told journalists outside the Raj Bhawan, while accusing Governor Kalraj Mishra of not giving the go-ahead “under some pressure from above”. He said he wanted to go to the floor of the House and prove his majority. Earlier in the day, the 19 dissident Congress MLAs of the Pilot camp got partial relief from the High Court, which ordered maintenance of status quo on the disqualification notices issued by Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi to them. The court order has essentially put the disqualification procedure on hold. No action will be taken against the legislators until the Supreme Court resumes the hearing on the Speaker’s special leave petition on July 27.
   
7. COVID-19 – Race for desi vaccine hots up, human trials begin in 6 cities – The race for an indigenous vaccine against the novel coronavirus is on in earnest. Human trials using the vaccine candidates of two companies — Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila — are currently on in six cities in as many states. The latest subject was a 30-year-old man who on July 24 was the first person from Delhi to be given a 0.5 ml intramuscular injection of Bharat Biotech (BB)’s Covaxin at AIIMS. Both BB and Zydus were granted permission for Phase I and II clinical trials and administered the first doses of their vaccine candidates to volunteers on July 15. A third vaccine candidate, developed by Oxford University, is soon to be tested in India. Serum Institute, which is in a manufacturing partnership with the UK’s Astra Zeneca, has said it will begin human trials as soon as it receives regulatory approval.
8. Arts & Culture – PM to initiate building of Ram temple at 12.30pm, Aug 5 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the ground-breaking ceremony for construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya at 12.30 pm on August 5, finalised as per suggestions by a battery of astrologers. While top BJP leaders will be in attendance, the VHP has sent soil collected from 11 religious places in different parts of the country to Ayodhya to be used in the ceremony.
   
9. Environment & Ecology – Bihar flood situation turns grim – The flood situation northeastern Bihar turned grim on July 24 after the water levels in several rivers rose dangerously and breached embankments at many places. Gushing waters forced the Railways to stop train services on the Darbhanga-Samastipur section. About 8 lakh people in 10 districts of northeastern Bihar, comprising 64 blocks and 426 panchayats, are currently affected by floods. The government has set up 28 relief camps and community kitchens.
   
10. Environment & Ecology – Nearly 28 lakh people affected by Assam floods, toll rises to 93 – The flood situation in Assam improved marginally on July 24 but three people drowned to take the death tally to 93. Another 26 were killed in landslides triggered by the intermittent heavy rainfall since May 22. Large swathes of East Siang and other districts along the flow of river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh have also been affected, with 500 metres of a strategic road washed away. Siang is one of the three rivers that form the Brahmaputra in Assam downstream. The number of affected people across 26 flood-hit districts stood at 27.8 lakh till Friday (July 24) evening.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	Bank of Baroda	Supervisor	49	Degree, PG	July 31, 2020	https://www.bankofbaroda.in/writereaddata/Images/pdf/Business-Correspondent-Supervisor-Advt-14-07-2020.pdf
2	Bank of Baroda	Supervisor	16	Degree/ PG	Aug 10, 2020	https://www.bankofbaroda.in/writereaddata/Images/pdf/detailed-advertisement-22-07-2020.pdf
3	National Inst. of Medical Statis.	Project Technical Officer, DEO & Other	10	12th Class, Degree, PG ,Ph.D	Aug 4, 2020	https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/career_opportunity/Advt_ICMR_NIMS_COVID23072020.pdf
4	IIT, Bhubaneswar	Medical Officer, Staff Nurse, Helper, JRF, SRF	19	ITI, GNM, Deg, PG Deg/ Dip	Sept. 4, 2020	https://www.iitbbs.ac.in/documents/iitbbs-recruitment-website-advert-23072020.pdf
5	Army Recruit. Office, Bangalore	Soldier	--------	08th, 10th, 12th Class	Sept. 6, 2020	https://joinindianarmy.nic.in/writereaddata/Portal/BRAVO_NotificationPDF/Dwarka_rally_by_ARO_Jamnagar_rally_notification_with_amended_date_10Oct_-19Oct_2020.pdf
6	Northeast Frontier Railway	General Duty Medical Officer	13	MBBS	July 29, 2020	https://nfr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris//uploads/files/1595564714655-CMP%20notification%20dtd%2023.7.2020.pdf
7	Govt General Hospital, Kadapa	Staff Nurse, Lab Technician, Pharmacist, Radiographer, Child Psychologist	198	10th, D.Pharm, B. Pharm, B.Sc (Nursing), PG	July 31, 2020	https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s37dcd340d84f762eba80aa538b0c527f7/uploads/2020/07/2020072325.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 Petition on nation’s name as India

•  News - 

1. A petition was filed which said, ‘India’ is a name of foreign origin. The name can be traced back to the Greek term ‘Indica’.
2. The petition seeks an amendment to Article 1 of the Constitution, which says “India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States”.
3. It wants ‘India’ to be struck off from the Article. This is to ensure citizens of this country to get over the colonial past and instil a sense of pride in our nationality.
4. And it will also justify the hard fought freedom by our freedom fighters.
5. The Supreme Court has ordered that a plea be converted into a representation and forwarded to the Union government for an appropriate decision.
6. The Court said, “Bharat and India are both names given in the Constitution. India is already called ‘Bharat’ in the Constitution”.

• Constitutional provisions - 

1. Article 1 - The territory of India shall consist of; the territories of the states, the Union territories and Any territory that may be acquired.
2. The names of the States and the Unions have been described in the First Schedule. This schedule also held that there were four Categories of State and territories - Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D.
3. In the seventh amendment of the Constitution in 1956 the distinction between the Part A and Part B states was abolished.
4. Subsequently states were reorganized on linguistic basis.
   

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

2.1 First-ever container cargo from Kolkata via Bangladesh port reaches Agartala: MEA

• Key points -

1. The first-ever container cargo from Kolkata via Bangladesh’s Chattogram port has reached Agartala.
2. Officials termed it a “historic milestone” in the Indo-Bangladesh connectivity and economic partnership.
3. The SOPs for this were finalised during the visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India in October, 2019. 

• Highlights –

1. The movement was carried out under an agreement on use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for movement of India’s transit cargo through Bangladesh.
2. This development is in line with the vision that the two countries have towards further strengthening bilateral connectivity and a mutually beneficial partnership aimed at benefiting people on both the sides.
3. With this, the distance and time taken in transportation of goods for India particularly the northeastern States will get reduced.
4. It will also enhance business services and revenue generation in Bangladesh while the logistical sector will also get a big boost.

2.2 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released its Financial Stability Report (FSR) for the month of July 2020

• Increase in Bad Loans -

1. Gross Non-performing Assets (GNPA) ratio of all Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) may increase from 8.5% in March 2020 to 12.5% by March 2021.
2. The GNPA ratio may also worsen to as high as 14.7% by the end of the current financial year, if the adverse economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic would be ‘very severe’.
3. According to experts at least 5% of the moratorium loans could turn into NPA if Covid-19 impact persists in the economy.

• Decreasing Capital Adequacy Ratio -  

1. Capital Adequacy Ratio – CAR (ratio of a bank’s capital in relation to its risk weighted assets and current liabilities) ratio could slide to 13.3% in March 2021 under the normal scenario and to 11.8% under the very severe stress scenario. Indian SCBs are required to maintain a CAR of 9%.
2. Earlier the CAR of SCBs decreased to 14.8% in March 2020, from 15% in September 2019.

• Risk Aversion by Banks - 

1. Risk aversion (give money only to high-quality borrowers) in Public Sector Bank (PSBs) was more as compared to private banks but this tendency is also increasing in private banks. Extreme risk aversion would have adverse effects. 

• Stable Financial System - 

1. Indian financial system remained stable, despite the significant downside risks to economic prospects which are high due to the lockdown induced disruptions to both supply and demand side factors. 

• The road ahead -

1. All the financial intermediaries need to assess the impact of Covid-19 on their balance sheet, asset quality, liquidity, profitability and capital adequacy for the FY 2020-21 and to work out possible mitigating measures. 
2. The idea is to ensure continued credit supply to different sectors of the economy and maintain financial stability.
3. Financial intermediaries should make risk management in tune with the emerging contingencies by building buffers and raising capital.
4. Recapitalisation plan for public and private banks since the minimum capital requirements of banks may no longer be sufficient enough to absorb the losses. 

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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 China launches first Mars mission

• Key points - 

1. China successfully launched its first Mars probe on July 23, aiming to complete orbiting, landing and roving in a single mission, taking an ambitious step towards planetary exploration of the solar system.
2. China aims to catch up with India, the US, Russia and the European Union to reach the red planet.
3. China in recent years has emerged as a major space power with manned space missions and landing a rover in the dark side of the moon. It is currently building a space station of its own.
4. China’s previous attempt to send an exploratory probe to Mars called Yinghuo-1, in a Russian spacecraft in 2011 failed as shortly after the launch it was declared lost and later burnt during re-entry.
5. The US, Russia, India and the EU have succeeded in sending missions to Mars regarded as the most complex space mission.
6. India became the first Asian country to have successfully launched its Mars orbiter mission Mangalyaan which entered the orbit of the red planet in 2014.
7. India also became the first country to have entered the Martian orbit in its first attempt.
8. China’s Mars probe is the second such mission launched this month.
9. A United Arab Emirates spacecraft to go to Mars was launched from Japan on July 20, in what is the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission.

• Highlights –

1. The Chinese Mars probe named Tianwen 1 or Quest for Heavenly Truth 1, will fulfil three scientific objectives: orbiting the red planet for comprehensive observation, landing on Martian soil and sending a rover to roam the landing site.
2. The probe will travel for about seven months before it reaches Mars, which at the farthest point of its orbit is about 400 million kilometres from Earth and 55 million kilometres at the nearest point. 
3. The Long March 5 rocket will transport the robotic probe to the Earth-Mars transfer trajectory before the spacecraft begins its self-propelled flight toward Mars’ gravity field.
4. The rover has six wheels and four solar panels and carries six scientific instruments. It weighs over 200 kilogrammes and will work for about three months on the planet.

4.2 How different it is –

• The scientific team behind Tianwen-1 said the probe is “going to orbit, land and release a rover all on the very first try, and coordinate observations with an orbiter. No planetary missions have ever been implemented in this way.”
• By contrast, NASA sent multiple orbiters to Mars before ever attempting a landing. Pulling off the landing is a far more difficult task.

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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 Weekly Roundup: Sports

• P. Harikrishna wins Chess960 event of Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland - P. Harikrishna won the Chess960 event of the 53rd Biel International Chess Festival in Switzerland. He scored 5.5 points — half-a-point more than Vincent Keymer of Germany who finished runners-up.

• Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton wins Formula 1 Hungarian GP at Budapest - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest followed by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and another Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in second and third places respectively.

• West Indies defeat hosts England by 4 wickets in 1st test at Southampton - West Indies (318, 200/6) defeated hosts England (204, 313) by 4 wickets in the first test played at Rose Bowl, Southampton on July 12, 2020. Joe Root and Jason Holder were captains of England and West Indies respectively.
• Former Australian wicketkeeper Barry Jarman dies aged 84 - Former Australian test wicketkeeper and captain Barry Jarman died at the age of 84 on July 18, 2020. Jarman made 400 runs in 19 tests in 1959-69 and took 50 catches and made four stumpings. He captained Australia in one test against England in 1968. 
  

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 UK to open citizenship path to Hong Kong residents from 2021 January

• Key points –

1. Britain's government has announced that it will open a new special pathway to obtaining British citizenship for eligible Hong Kongers from January 2021.
2. Britain handed over Hong Kong, its former colony, to Chinese rule in 1997 under One Country, Two Systems framework that was supposed to guarantee the city a high degree of autonomy and Western-style civil liberties not seen on mainland China.

• Highlights - 

1. Holders of the British National Overseas passport and their immediate family members can move to the UK to work and study.
2. Those who come to the UK through the new pathway will be able to apply to settle in Britain permanently once they have lived in the UK for five years.
3. Then after a further 12 months, they can apply for British citizenship.
4. The change to immigration rules was introduced after China imposed a new, sweeping national security law on Hong Kong.
5. Those eligible can access the British job market at any skill level and without a salary threshold, but will not have access to public funds.

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

8.1 National Broadcasting Day: 23 July

• Important points –

1. In India, the “National Broadcasting Day” is observed on July 23 every year, to celebrate the radio, which has been an important part in people’s life in India, both as an easy medium of entertainment along with news.
2. It is celebrated because it was on this day in the year 1927, that the first-ever radio broadcast in the country went on the air from the Bombay Station under a private company, the Indian Broadcasting Company.
3. The Government took over the broadcasting on April 1, 1930, and renamed it as Indian State Broadcasting Service (ISBS).
4. It was initially on an experimental basis. Later it permanently came under government control in 1932.
5. On 8th of June, 1936, the Indian State Broadcasting Service became All India Radio. Currently, AIR is one of the largest public broadcasting organisations in the world.
   

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

9.1 Bengaluru tech firm to produce NASA-designed, US FDA-approved ventilators

•  Key points –

1. Bangaluru-based tech company in medical equipment design, CuraSigna is going into the production of NASA -designed and FDA-approved multi-functional ventilators named "VITAL (Ventilator Intervention Technology Accessible Locally).
2. The firm said it is among a handful of Indian companies licenced by NASA for meeting the worldwide acute shortage of ventilators needed in treating Covid-19 patients.
3. It is estimated that the domestic ventilator supply-demand gap is at least about 100,000 high-pressure Ventilators.
4. Besides, the SAARC and South East Asian region requirements of such ventilators are about another 300,000.
5. CuraSigna has already partnered with Max Global, Malaysia, for export of Ventilators in the South East Asian region.

• Important details -

1. CuraSigna, promoted by Sushil Swabhiman Trust (SST), is in an advanced stage of manufacturing the ventilators first for meeting India’s needs in the Covid-19 situation and then for exports.
2. CuraSigna has its manufacturing resources at Non-Ferrous Material Technology Development Centre (NFTDC), Hyderabad, an autonomous "non-grant-in-aid institution" under the Ministry of Mines, Government of India.
3. NFTDC has been engaged in the design and development of vital medical equipment for the last two decades.
4. CuraSigna is proposing to blend the hardware capabilities of NFTDC with its state-of-the-art software expertise and international quality control processes in the manufacture of not only advanced ventilators but also other critical care equipment.

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

10.1 Not Available Toay

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Sanskrit News Magazine ‘Vaartavali’ completed 5 years of continuous broadcast on DD News recently.
• Former Finance Commission member B P R Vithal died in Hyderabad on June 19, 2020 at the age of 93.
• World Blood Donor Day was observed on June 14. Karl Landsteiner discovered blood groups.
• NCDEX announced launch of the country’s first agri-futures index on May 26.
• India’s Sania Mirza has won International Tennis Federation’s Fed Cup Heart Award.

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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