Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 01-08-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 01-08-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Economy – Core sector output shrinks 15% in June, fertilizers buck trend – The output of eight core sector industries shrank for the fourth straight month in June 2020, although the contraction eased to 15%, showing some recovery from the 22% fall in May. Economists expect the negative trend to continue for at least two more months. During April-June 2020-21, the sector’s output dipped by 24.6% as compared to a positive growth of 3.4% in the same period previous year. Of the eight core sectors, the fertilizer industry was the only one which saw actual growth in June, with output rising 4.2% in comparison to June 2019. This, however, is lower than the May 2020 growth of 7.5%, but reflects the positive outlook in the agriculture sector where a normal monsoon is leading to expectations of a bumper kharif crop.
   
2. Education – KVs unlikely to change medium of instruction – The Centre is unlikely to implement its own National Education Policy (NEP) recommendations regarding the medium of instruction in Kendriya Vidyalayas, which are directly controlled by the Education Ministry, or in schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. Since the KVs and CBSE schools cater to the needs of people in transferable jobs, it would not be practical to use students’ mother tongue or regional languages as the medium of instruction, senior officials said. Since the NEP was released earlier this week, the fiercest debates have raged around the clause calling for the mother tongue or local language to be used as the medium of instruction “wherever possible” at least until Class 5, but preferably till Class 8 and beyond.
3. COVID-19 – Record 6.4L tests done in a day – India conducted a record 6,42,588 tests in a single day to detect Covid-19, taking the total tests to 1.88 crore while the country is also reporting less severe cases as compared to a fortnight ago. Only 0.28% of active cases are on ventilators, 1.61% patients needed ICU support and 2.32% are on oxygen assistance. This shows a slight improvement over the data on July 17, when 0.35% Covid-19 patients were on ventilators, around 1.94% cases in ICUs and 2.81% cases on oxygen beds. The active caseload of Covid patients in the country was 3.42 lakh then and the number has gone up by over 2 lakh now.
   
4. Economy – India reviews continuation of trade pact with Asean – The government is reviewing the continuation of the free trade agreement (FTA) with Asean in the wake of the trading bloc’s reluctance to address India’s concerns over what it believes are asymmetries in the decade-old treaty. The government’s main grouse is the rising trade deficit with the 10-country grouping, many of which is seen to be Chinese goods that are routed via some of the Asean members. The government is looking to revamp its strategy on FTAs with finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman too hinting at it. The Narendra Modi government has blamed the trade arrangements worked out by the UPA for a large part of the problem of trade deficit, arguing that the agreements with Asean, South Korea and Japan were signed in haste and India’s interests were not adequately protected.
5. World – Hong Kong delays polls citing Covid pandemic – Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam has postponed a September 6 election to the Chinese-ruled city's legislature by a year because of a rise in coronavirus cases, dealing a blow to the pro-democracy opposition which had hoped to make huge gains. The US quickly condemned the move, saying it was the latest example of Beijing undermining democracy. The decision to delay the vote came after 12 pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running for perceived subversive intentions and opposition to a sweeping new security law imposed by Beijing, prompting questions among many about whether the pandemic was the real reason for the delay.
   
6. World – Australia to make FB, Google pay for news in world first – The Australian government has said it plans to give Google and Facebook three months to negotiate with Australian media businesses fair pay for news content. In releasing a draft of a mandatory code of conduct, the government aims to succeed where other countries have failed in making the global digital giants pay for news siphoned from commercial media companies. Google said Australia’s draft code was a heavy-handed step that could impede the digital economy. If the US-based platforms could not agree on pricing after three months, arbitrators would be appointed to make a binding decision, the draft said. The draft will be open to consultation until August 28, with the legislation to be introduced to parliament soon after. As well as payment, the code covers issues including access to user data and transparency of algorithms used to rank and present media content.
   
7. Polity & Governance – Sajad Lone released from detention – Peoples Conference (PC) Chief Sajad Lone was released ahead of Id-ul-Zuha on Friday (July 31) after 360 days of detention. However, the detention of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was extended by three months. Mr. Lone was one of the signatories of the Gupkar Declaration, a statement signed by most of the regional parties on August 4 last year “to pledge a joint fight to protect J&K’s special status”. Ms. Mufti, one of the architects of the declaration, however, will remain behind bars, with her detention extended under the Public Safety Act (PSA) till November. Both Ms. Mufti and Mr. Lone were arrested on August 4-5 last year as the Centre revoked J&K’s special status. Over 230 mainstream leaders and activists were arrested during the period of political change. Most of the leaders have been released.
8. COVID-19 – ‘India’s fatality rate among world’s lowest’ – Of the total COVID-19 active case load, 0.28% patients are on ventilators, 1.61% patients required ICU support and 2.32% are on oxygen support. Officials say that India has one of the lowest case fatality rates globally, which is also steadily decreasing. India has conducted a record 6,42,588 COVID-19 tests in the last 24 hours. The active cases under medical supervision are only 33.27% or approximately one-third of the total positive cases. India’s case fatality rate is also progressively reducing and currently stands at 2.18%, one of the lowest globally.
   
9. Economy – Eurozone economy contracts a record 12% – The economy of the 19-country Eurozone shrank by a devastating 12.1% in the April-June period from the quarter before — the largest drop on record — as COVID-19 lockdowns shut businesses and hampered consumer spending. Economists say the worst of the downturn is past as many restrictions have eased, but that the recovery will be drawn out and vulnerable to renewed virus outbreaks. European governments are countering the recession with massive stimulus measures. EU leaders have agreed on a €750 billion recovery fund backed by common borrowing to support the economy from 2021.
   
10. Economy – SBI net jumps 81%, NPAs shrink – State Bank of India (SBI)reported first-quarter net profit increased 81% to ₹4,189 crore, aided by an improvement in asset quality and gains from sale of a stake in its life insurance subsidiary. Net interest income rose 16% to ₹26,642 crore. Non-interest income climbed 18% to ₹9,497 crore. The sale of a small stake in SBI Life yielded a one-off gain of ₹1,539.73 crore. Loan loss provision decreased 19% to ₹9,420 crore.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	State Bank of India	Circle Based Officer	3850	Any Degree with experience	AUG-16-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/07/Notification-SBI-CBO.pdf
2	ESIC, Hyderabad	Advocate	13	--	AUG-21-2020	https://www.esic.nic.in/attachments/recruitmentfile/11be1542c0aaf0c12ba6f1aad4a7e3b8.pdf
3	AIIMS, Bibinagar	Asst Administrative Officer, Executive Asst, Personal Asst	--	DMLT/ BMLT, PG Diploma	AUG-13--2020	https://main.jipmer.edu.in/sites/default/files/Website%20Advertisement_1.pdf
4	ESIC Medical College, Hyderabad	Professor, Super Specialist, Sr Resident, Jr Resident & Other	120	MBBS, PG Degree/ Diploma	AUG-7-2020	https://www.esic.nic.in/attachments/recruitmentfile/5db4a6a152ae6f1b59234f3603fc3e95.pdf
5	A & N Administration	Data Entry Operator	9	12th Class, Computer Knowledge	AUG 8,2020	https://www.andaman.gov.in/admin-pannel/whatsnew/1-209-DDUGKYDAta.pdf
6	DMHO, West Godavari	Medical Officer	293	MBBS, MD	31-07-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/07/Notification-DMHO-West-Godavari-Medical-Officer-Posts.pdf
7	Himalayan Forest Research Institute	Project Asst, Jr Project Fellow, JRF	17	B. Sc and M. Sc	AUG-13-2020	https://hfri.icfre.org/UserFiles/File/2020/Advertisement%201%20hfri691.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 Turkish parliament approves social media law with new powers 

• Highlights –

1. Turkey’s parliament has approved a law that gives authorities greater power to regulate social media despite concerns of growing censorship.
2. The government says the legislation was needed to combat cybercrime and protect users.
3. Opposition lawmakers said the law would further limit freedom of expression in a country where the media is already under tight government control and dozens of journalists are in jail.
4. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has demanded the law, vowing to “control social media platforms” and eradicate immorality.
5. Turkey leads the world in removal requests to Twitter, with more than 6,000 demands in the first half of 2019.
6. More than 408,000 websites are blocked in Turkey.
7. Online encyclopedia Wikipedia was blocked for nearly three years before Turkey’s top court ruled that the ban violated the right to freedom of expression and ordered it unblocked.

• What is the law – 

1. The law requires major social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter to keep representative offices in Turkey to deal with complaints against content on their platforms.
2. If the social media company refuses to designate an official representative, the legislation mandates steep fines, advertising bans and bandwidth reductions.
3. With a court ruling, bandwidth would be reduced by 50% and then by 50% to 90%.
4. Bandwidth reductions mean social media networks would be too slow to use.
5. The representative will be tasked with responding to individual requests to take down content violating privacy and personal rights within 48 hours or to provide grounds for rejection.
6. The company would be held liable for damages if the content is not removed or blocked within 24 hours.
7. Most alarmingly, the new legislation also would require social media providers to store user data in Turkey.
   
   

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

2.1 SIDBI, TransUnion CIBIL launch ‘MSMESaksham’ - financial education and knowledge platform for MSMEs.

2.2 Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurates CII National Digital conference on Ease of Doing Business for Atmanirbhar Bharat.

2.3 ISRO’s IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) to be set up as single-window nodal agency for pvt sector.

2.4 ICRA Ratings appoints N. Sivaraman as MD & Group CEO.

2.5 Senco Gold CMD Shaankar Sen passes away in Kolkata at 63.

2.6 Nitin Gadkari dedicated to public the refurbished upstream carriageway of Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Bihar. 

2.7 Retail inflation for industrial workers marginally eases to 5.06% in June.

2.8 Import of colour TV sets moved from ‘Free’ to ‘Restricted’: DGFT.

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

3.1 High prices of pulses may affect nutrition security, says study

• Key points –

1. Following COVID-19 lockdown, all food groups witnessed spurt in prices compared to 2019.
2. According to a new study by the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition in New York, food habits during coronavirus (COVID-19) may have shifted from diverse and nutritive diets to staple foods such as wheat and rice as the prices of vegetables, pulses and eggs rose sharply after the lockdown while those of cereals remained relatively stable.
3. The study revealed that following the lockdown all food groups witnessed a rise in prices compared to 2019, but the rise in prices was higher for non-cereals compared to cereals.
4. After the lockdown was lifted, prices of cereals, eggs, potatoes, onions and tomatoes stabilised quickly while those of protein-rich pulses continued to remain high.

• Wheat price –

1. Retail wheat and rice prices were either stable or cheaper than weeks preceding the lockdown as well as same time last year.
2. Compared to last year, the potato price was as high as 30-90% in several cities but stabilised by the first week of May.
3. The price of onions was as high as 200-250% immediately after the lockdown in some States and stabilised by April end, and higher in some cases.
4. Tomatoes were higher compared to pre-COVID-19 period but began to show a downward trend.
5. The wholesale prices of eggs show that they fell initially (authors argue it was because of fear of coronavirus through poultry), increased by March end and then stabilised two months later.
6. Prices of pulses rose during the lockdown and continued to remain higher than the pre-COVID-19 levels — arhar (tur dal) was up by up to 45%, red lentil (masur dal) by 20-50%, moong dal by 20-80% gram dal ranged from 10 to 40% and urad dal by 0-80%.

• Consumption decisions –

1. The relative stability in cereal prices and enhanced prices of pulses will most likely distort spending and consumption decisions.
2. This will perpetuate reliance on a staple-based, protein-deficient diet.
3. The authors recommend that the government can ensure the provision of supplementary protein that is expected to be lost due to the price rise by timely interventions to stabilise the increase in prices.
4. The report submits that the relatively higher prices of more nutritious food makes it difficult for the poor and marginal population to access such nutrient-rich food.
5. As a result, proportion of such foods in the diets goes further down and is replaced by less nutritious and calorie-dense foods.
6. This is likely to worsen the nutritional status of women and children across India, and more so in the impoverished regions of the country.

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

4.1 China halts Hong Kong extradition treaties with UK, Canada, Australia

• Key point – 

1. China’s foreign ministry has suspended Hong Kong’s extradition and mutual legal assistance treaties with Britain, Australia and Canada in apparent retaliation for the three countries’ previous decisions to halt extraditions to the special administrative region.

• Highlights –

1. The three countries along with New Zealand all stopped extraditions to Hong Kong since early July, citing concerns over Beijing’s sweeping national security law for the territory.
2. Hong Kong said that Beijing’s order to suspend crime-related assistance agreements was a strong countermeasure and would deal a heavy blow to the West.
3. Western nations have angered Beijing over their responses to the law imposed on Hong Kong, which they see as an erosion of the civil liberties and human rights the city has enjoyed since its handover from Britain in 1997.
4. London and Canberra have also angered Beijing by offering pathways to citizenship or residency to Hongkongers looking to leave because of the new law.
5. The US has decided to rescind Hong Kong’s special trading privileges while Washington’s “Five Eyes” intelligence partners have suspended their extradition treaties with the city, with New Zealand on Tuesday joining Canada, Britain and Australia. The US has signalled it is preparing to do the same.
6. On Tuesday (July 28), the European Union began limiting technology exports to Hong Kong that may be used for repression or suppression.
7. The EU agreed on Friday to sanctions, trade curbs and review of visa agreements with the territory as a response to the security law.

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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: Defence

• Retired Squadron Leader Dalip Singh Majithia, oldest living IAF fighter pilot, turns 100. 
• Bombay Flying Club becomes country’s first DGCA-approved drone training school.
  

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 21 died after drinking spurious liquor in Amritsar, Batala and Tarn Taran in Punjab 

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

8.1 World Day against trafficking in persons 2020

• Key points –

1. The world day against trafficking in persons is marked on July 30 every year to raise awareness about the menace of human trafficking and to protect the human rights of the victims.

• Important points –

1. It was the first time in 2013 when the United Nations General Assembly designated 30 July as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
2. According to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), over 2 lakh victims of trafficking have been detected worldwide since 2003. 

• This year’s theme – 

1. The theme of this year's World Day Against Trafficking focuses on first responders to human trafficking.
2. According to the UN, the first responders are those who work in different fields like identifying, supporting, counselling and working to provide justice for victims of trafficking.
3. The first responders also include people who are working to challenge the impunity of traffickers. 

• Tackling trafficking amid COVID pandemic – 

1. The role of first responders has become even more challenging amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. With restrictions on the movement, the work of detecting trafficking has met several roadblocks.
3. But despite the pandemic, the first responders continue to do their duties.
4. And, thus, UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has decided to honour their hard work amid trying times. 

• The Blue Heart Campaign – 

1. The UN has also initiated 'The Blue Heart Campaign' to raise global awareness to fight human trafficking and its impact on society.
2. The campaign aims to encourage the involvement of the governments, civil society, the corporate sector and individuals to inspire action and help prevent this heinous crime. 

• Why are people trafficked – 

1. According to the UNODC, people are being trafficked for various exploitative purposes including forced marriage, begging, labour, sexual exploitation, organs removal, selling children and child soldiers. 

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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)

10.1 Not Available Today

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• An Economic Outlook Survey by industry body FICCI in July 2020 projected the country’s annual median GDP growth for 2020-21 at (–) 4.5%.
• Indra Mani Pandey has been appointed as India’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
• Former RBI Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as Chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi.
• Padma Shri Vidyaben Shah passed away in June 2020 at the age of 98 in New Delhi.
• ARISE initiative of the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is aimed at stimulating innovation and research in the MSME industry.

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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