Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 04-08-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 04-08-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Covid-19 – Govt. sets out rules for yoga classes, gyms – All yoga institutes and gymnasiums in containment zones will remain closed, the Union Health Ministry said while issuing revised guidelines for opening these facilities for public use from August 5. The Ministry has specified that visitors here should maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet as far as feasible and while use of face covers/masks is mandatory at all times within the premises, during yoga exercise or exercising in gymnasiums, as far as possible only a visor may be used to avoid any difficulty in breathing.
   
2. Science and Technology – SpaceX with NASA crew is back home – Two NASA astronauts returned to Earth in a dramatic, retro-style splashdown, their capsule parachuting into the Gulf of Mexico to finish an unprecedented test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. It was the first splashdown by U.S. astronauts in 45 years, with the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The return clears the way for another SpaceX crew launch as early as next month and possible tourist flights next year. Test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken returned to earth in their SpaceX Dragon capsule named Endeavour, less than a day after departing the International Space Station and two months after blasting off from Florida. The capsule parachuted into the calm gulf waters about 40 miles off the coast of Pensacola.
3. COVID-19 – Palaniswami rejects three-language formula – Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami categorically stated that the AIADMK government will “never allow the three-language policy [which has been proposed as part of the National Education Policy 2020], and will continue to implement the two-language policy” in the State. As for NEP as a whole, the government would constitute committees to examine the policy before taking a stand on the proposals it entails, he said.
   
4. Economy – MGNREGS running out of funds – One-third of the way through the financial year, government data show that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme has used up almost half its allocated funds, spending more than ₹48,500 crore out of the expanded ₹1 lakh crore allocation announced following the COVID-19 outbreak. A new survey of 13 States, published by the Azim Premji Foundation (APF), shows what that statistic means on the ground — a number of gram panchayats in vulnerable areas have already exhausted their funds for the scheme; lower employment rates as the monsoon stops work in several States, and fewer livelihood options for more than four lakh families across the country which have completed their allotted 100 days of work.
5. World – 29 killed in IS raid on Afghan prison – At least 29 people have been killed in a raid on an Afghan prison claimed by the Islamic State group, as the country waited to see if a government ceasefire with the Taliban would rupture after its formal expiration. Fighting was still raging at the jail in the eastern city of Jalalabad, where some 1,700 IS and Taliban inmates were being held. The IS’s news outlet Amaq said its fighters were behind the raid, which saw hundreds of inmates escape before many of them were recaptured. The ongoing attack was Afghanistan’s most violent incident since the Taliban and Afghan security forces held a three-day ceasefire over the Id festival. The IS was not part of that truce which Afghan authorities hope will pave the way for peace talks with the Taliban as soon as this week.
   
6. World – N. Irish Nobel winner John Hume dead – John Hume, the Northern Irish politician who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 for his pivotal role in ending decades of violence in the British province, has died aged 83. Mr. Hume, the former leader of the mainly Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), shared the Nobel with David Trimble of the Ulster Unionist Party after the pair helped forge the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement. It helped to end three decades of bloody strife in Northern Ireland between the largely Catholic nationalist community who want to reunify with Ireland and Protestant unionists who want to remain part of Britain.
   
7. Economy – Manufacturing contracts for fourth straight month: July PMI – India’s manufacturing sector activity contracted at a slightly faster pace in July as demand conditions remained subdued amid prolonged closures, following which firms reduced both staff numbers as well as purchasing activity. The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 46 in July, down from 47.2 in June. This is the fourth straight month of contraction for the Indian manufacturing sector. In April, the index had slipped into contraction mode, after remaining in growth territory for 32 consecutive months. In PMI parlance, a print above 50 means expansion, while a score below that denotes contraction.
8. COVID-19 – There may never be a silver bullet for COVID-19: WHO – The World Health Organization warned that there might never be a “silver bullet” for COVID-19, despite the rush to discover effective vaccines. The WHO urged governments and citizens to focus on doing the known basics, such as testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distancing and wearing a mask in order to suppress the pandemic, which has upended normal life around the globe and triggered a devastating economic crisis. “We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.
   
9. World Politics – China suspends treaty with New Zealand – China suspended Hong Kong’s extradition treaty with New Zealand amid a row with Western nations protesting against a tough new security law that Beijing imposed on the city. New Zealand is the latest to join a string of Western powers — including Canada, Britain, Australia and Germany — that have suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong since the controversial law was introduced in late June. China has already hit back by suspending Hong Kong’s extradition treaties with Canada, Britain and Australia.
   
10. Covid-19 – India’s tally on Sunday was highest in the world – For the first time, India added the highest number of fresh Covid-19 cases among all countries on Sunday. India’s count of 53,641 cases on the day was higher than the infections detected in the US (49,038) and Brazil (24,801), the two countries that have the highest caseloads of the virus, according to data from worldometers.info. India also reported the world’s second highest number of Covid cases in a Monday-to-Sunday week for the first time, overtaking Brazil and behind only the US. India reported 3,69,588 cases during last week (July 27-Aug 2), higher than Brazil’s count of 3,13,776. The US logged 4,41,808 cases.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	MSME Tech. Centre, Bhopal	Manager, Sr Engineer and Other	9	Diploma (Engg), Degree	30 Days	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/08/Notification-MSME-Technology-centre-Bhopal-Manager-Sr-Engineer-Other.pdf
2	Eng. Projects (India) Ltd	Graduate Apprentice	5	B.E/ B.Tech	AUG-20-2020	https://epi.gov.in/upload/5f250e51a19ebadvt_website_Graduate_Apprentice_CivlElecMechandInstru.pdf
3	GBPIHED	System Manager, JRF, SRF, Sr, Jr Project Fellow, Project Asso.	28	M.Tech/ MCA/ M.Sc./ M.A and Ph.D.	AUG 8--2020	http://gbpihed.gov.in/PDF/Recruitment/Rec_Doc1595996868Advt_28_Post_HQ_July_2020.pdf
4	GBPIHED	Senior Consultant, Consultant-A/ Associate, Associate	5	Degree (Engg/ Tech)/ Master’s	AUG-14-2020	http://gbpihed.gov.in/PDF/Recruitment/Rec_Doc1596174291Advt_HQ_Consultant_july_2020.pdf
5	IDTR	Graduate & Technician Apprentice	28	Diploma/ B.E/ B.Tech (Engg.)	AUG 24,2020	http://portal.mhrdnats.gov.in/sites/default/files/file_upload/Apprentices-NATS_IDTR-Jamshedpur.pdf
6	GBPIHED	Junior Project Fellow and Field Assistant	5	Intermediate/ Any Degree, M.Sc.	12-08-2020	http://gbpihed.gov.in/PDF/Recruitment/Rec_Doc1595918716Advt_GRC_july_2020.pdf
7	GBPIHED	JPF, Field Asst, Jr Researcher/ Project Fellow & RA	8	12th Class/ Any Degree, PG, Ph. D	AUG-10-2020	http://gbpihed.gov.in/PDF/Recruitment/Rec_Doc1595920832Advt_SRC_July_2020.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 Law against triple talaq strengthened self-reliance among Muslim women - Naqvi

• Highlights –

1. Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said August 1 should be recorded as “Muslim Women’s Rights Day” in the country as the day marked the anniversary of the law making triple talaq a criminal offence.
2. Aug. 1 marks anniversary of law making triple talaq a criminal offence.

• ecline in cases –

1. The Modi government made the law against triple talaq to make effective the Supreme Court’s judgement.
2. One year has passed since the law against triple talaq was passed and there is a decline of about 82 per cent in such cases thereafter.

• What did the Minister say –

1. Triple talaq or Talaq-a-Biddat was neither Islamic nor legal. Despite the fact, it was given ‘political patronage’ by ‘merchants of votes.
2. August 1 is a day that made Muslim women free from the social evil of triple talaq; It has been recorded in the country’s history as “Muslim Women Rights Day”.
3. August 1 will remain as a golden moment of Indian democracy and parliamentary history. 

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

2.1 Fiscal deficit at 83.2% of budget estimates in Q1 on poor tax collection

• Key point -

1. India's fiscal deficit during the first quarter of this fiscal widened to Rs 6.62 trillion or 83.2 per cent of the budget estimates, mainly on account of poor tax collections due to the coronavirus lockdown.

• Data analysis –   

1. Fiscal deficit during the corresponding period of last year was 61.4 per cent of the budget estimates.
2. The government had pegged the fiscal deficit for 2020-21 at Rs 7.96 trillion or 3.5 per cent of the GDP in the Budget which was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in February.
3. In absolute terms, the fiscal deficit stood at Rs 6,62,363 crore at end-June, as per data by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA).
4. Fiscal deficit had soared to seven-year high of 4.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019-20, mainly on account of poor revenue realisation which dipped further towards the close of March because of the lockdown.
5. The government's revenue receipts stood at Rs 1,50,008 crore or 7.4 per cent of the budget estimates (BE).
6. During the same period of the last fiscal, the realisation was 14.5 per cent of the BE.
7. Tax revenue stood at Rs 1,34,822 crore or 8.2 per cent of BE during the first three months of the fiscal. During the first quarter of the last fiscal, the tax revenue was 15.2 per cent of the BE.
8. Total receipts of the government amounted to 6.8 per cent of the BE or Rs 1,53,581 crore.
9. In the budget, the government had estimated the total receipts for the fiscal at Rs 22.45 trillion.
10. The government's total expenditure stood at Rs 8,15,944 crore or 26.8 per cent of the BE at end-June. During the same period of the last fiscal, the total expenditure was 25.9 per cent of the BE.
    

2.2 15th finance Commission’s HLEG on Agricultural Exports submits report

• Highlights –

1. The HLEG was set up to recommend measurable performance incentives for states to encourage agricultural exports and to promote crops to enable high import substitution.
2. After intensive research and consultations from stakeholders and the private sector, the HLEG has made its recommendations.
3. The recommendations include demand driven approach and focus on 22 crop value chains.
4. The Group in its report has recommended a State-led Export Plan - a business plan for a crop value chain cluster, that will lay out the opportunity, initiatives and investment required to meet the desired value chain export aspiration.
5. These plans will be action-oriented, time-bound and outcome-focused.

• Major recommendations –

1. Focus on 22 crop value chains – demand driven approach.
2. Solve Value Chain Clusters (VCC) holistically with focus on value addition.
3. Create State led export plan with participation from stakeholders.
4. Private Sector should play an anchor role.
5. Centre should be an enabler.
6. Robust institutional mechanism to fund and support implementation.

• The HLEG feels that – 

1. India’s agricultural export has the potential to grow from USD 40 billion to USD 70 billion in a few years.
2. The estimated investment in agricultural export could be in the tune to USD  8-10 billion across inputs, infrastructure, processing and demand enablers.
3. Additional exports is likely to create an estimated 7-10 million jobs.
4. It will lead to higher farm productivity and farmer income.
   

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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 Not Available Today

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

5.1 Ministry of Tribal Affairs received SKOCH Gold Award for Empowerment of Tribals through IT-enabled Scholarship Schemes

• Key points – 

1. Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) has received SKOCH Gold Award for its “Empowerment of Tribals through IT enabled Scholarship Schemes” project of Scholarship Divison of the Ministry.
2. It is the project of the Scholarship Divison of the Ministry.

• Highlights – 

1. The theme of the 66th SKOCH 2020 Competition was “INDIA RESPONDS TO COVID THROUGH DIGITAL GOVERNANCE.”
2. The project aimed to achieve Digital India and bringing transparency and ease in the delivery of services.
3. The aim is to assimilate with the larger vision of ‘Digital India’ and to realize GoI's goal of e-governance.
4. MoTA has integrated all 5 Scholarship Schemes with DBT Portal under the guidance of DBT Mission. The initiative was rolled out on 12th June 2019 by the Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda and MoS Ms. Renuka Singh Sarota.
5. The DBT portal provides facility to States for data sharing through Web services that have brought paradigm shift from Paper-based UC monitoring mandated for budget release to data-enabled budget release and monitoring process.
6. The portal has the facility to upload documents (not on Digi-Locker).  
7. These portals have Grievance Redressal and Communication Mechanism and all stakeholders, Universities, banks, PFMS, Students, and States can upload queries, grievances, and upload documents, which has made grievances redressal mechanism easy, transparent and fast.

• Important details – 

1. KPMG, as part of NITI Aayog's mandate, carried out a national evaluation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes focused on social inclusion.
2. KPMG recognized the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Portal of Ministry of Tribal Affairs as a best practice in e-governance which has brought about greater transparency, accountability, and radical improvement in service delivery to Scheduled Tribe students.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Roundup: Sports

• First World Chess Day celebrated on July 20 - The first World Chess Day was celebrated by the UN on July 20, 2020. The day marks the date of the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924.
• Rahm becomes World No. 1 ranked golf player - Jon Rahm became the first Spaniard since Seve Ballesteros in 1989 to hold golf’s World No. 1 ranking, winning the US PGA Memorial tournament on July 19, 2020. He fired a three-over 75 in the final round to finish on nine-under 279, three ahead of Ryan Palmer. Matthew Fitzpatrick was third on 283. Tiger Woods finished in the 40th spot. AFP
• Haryana to host 4th Khelo India Youth Games after 2021 Tokyo Olympics - Haryana will host the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the state’s chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and union sports minister Kiren Rijiju announced on July 25, 2020. The Games will be held in Panchkula.
• WADA extends suspension of India’s NDTL by another six months - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has extended the suspension of the country’s National Dope Testing Laboratory (NDTL) by another six months citing non-conformation to international standards. A fresh round of inspection by WADA revealed that non-conformities still existed at NDTL.
  

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Britain is considering minting a coin to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi

• Details –

1. The consideration is seen as part of efforts to celebrate achievements of people from the Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.
2. The Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC) is an independent committee made up of experts who recommend themes and designs for coins. It supports a campaign called ‘We Too Built Britain’, which seeks representation of non-white icons on British currency.
3. Recently, the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, in the United States due to police butuality has led to Black Lives Matter protests against racism, colonialism and police brutality across the globe.
4. Triggered by the death of George Floyd, some British institutions began re-examining their past, which includes their history, colonialism and racism.

• Black Lives Matter Protest - 

1. It is a global movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against African-American people.
2. Its mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.
3. The movement was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s (African-American) murderer in the USA.
   

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

8.1 India’s Kharif rice sowing up 19% so far, thanks to good rains

• Key points –  

1. Area sown to rice, the main kharif crop, has increased by 19 per cent to 266.60 lakh hectares so far across the country in the current kharif season on account of good rains.
2. Among cash crops, cotton planting has risen by 11.29 per cent to 121.25 lakh hectares so far in the current kharif season of the 2020-21 crop year (July-June) from 108.95 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
3. Sowing of kharif crops begins with the onset of southwest monsoon from June, while harvesting from October onwards.
4. The actual rainfall received in the country was 447.1 mm in June-August period as against the normal of 443.3 mm.
5. The Central Water Commission (CWC) has reported that the live water storage in 123 reservoirs in different parts of the country was 141 per cent of the corresponding period of the last year.

• Highlights –

1. The Centre is taking several measures to facilitate the farmers and farming activities at field level during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Pulses sowing has increased by 19.26 per cent to 111.91 lakh hectares area till August 31 of the ongoing kharif season compared to 93.84 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
3. Area sown to moong has increased by 37.42 per cent to 29.57 lakh hectares from 21.52 lakh hectares, while that of urad by 21 per cent to 33.38 lakh hectares from 27.64 lakh hectares and arhar area increased by 8 per cent to 40.05 lakh hectares from 37.09 lakh hectares in the said period.
4. Coarse cereals acreage rose 6.52 per cent to 148.34 lakh hectares so far this kharif season from 139.26 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
5. Maize acreage rose 2.36 per cent to 74.30 lakh hectares from 72.58 lakh hectares in the said period.
6. In case of oilseeds, the sowing area rose by 16.80 per cent to 175.34 lakh hectares so far in the current kharif season from 150.12 lakh hectares in the year-ago period.
7. Soyabean area rose by 8.35 per cent to 116.62 lakh hectares from 107.64 per cent in the said period.
8. In case of sugarcane, the area coverage rose to 51.78 lakh hectares so far in the current kharif season as compared to 51.20 lakh hectares during the corresponding period last year.
9. Total area under all kharif crops rose 13.92 per cent to 882.18 lakh hectares of area against 774.38 lakh hectares in the said period.

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

9.1 The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval to the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune to conduct Phase II/III clinical trials of Covishield in India

• Key points – 

1. SII is the world’s largest maker of vaccines and it has a tie-up with AstraZeneca, the Swedish-British pharma giant, to manufacture the Covid-19 vaccine for low- and middle-income countries.
2. Covishield - It is the name given to an Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine candidate which is technically referred to as AZD1222 or ChAdOx 1 nCoV-19.
3. It is already being tested in the UK, South Africa and Brazil, where participants are being administered two doses nearly a month apart.

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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 -

• The BRICS Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) launched a BRICS CCI Young Leaders Initiative in July 2020.
• United Kingdom had the first rank in terms of money parked by its citizens and enterprises with Swiss banks at the end of 2019.
• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Ministry on June 10, 2020 said it had issued an advisory to all cities to make select markets Pedestrian - friendly by November.
• The government on May 20, 2020 announced extension in Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), a social security scheme for senior citizens, by 3 years beyond March 31, 2020.
• World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN’s postal agency released a commemorative postage stamp on May 9, 2020 on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox.

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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