Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 07-08-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 07-08-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 – India’s Covid count crosses 2m, record 62k+ cases on Thursday – Covid-19 cases recorded in India crossed 2 million on Thursday (August 6), with the last 1 million cases coming in just 21 days, even as fresh infections surged in the country to an all-time high of over 62,000 in a single day. India also reported 912 deaths on Thursday, the second-highest in a day so far. Just two other countries have recorded over 2 million coronavirus cases, the US and Brazil. While the number of deaths in India at the 2-million stage is far less than the other two, India has the fastest growth rate of Covid infection 3.1%). At the same stage, the US had a rate of 1.1% and Brazil 2%. It took 21 days for infections to rise to 2 million from the 1-million mark. The last 0.5 million cases have come at a faster pace; just nine days.
2. Economy – RBI keeps key policy rates unchanged – The RBI has kept its powder dry in the third review of the monetary policy since the COVID-19 pandemic spread in the country, leaving key policy rates unchanged in the face of rising inflation pressures but asserted that propping up economic recovery has assumed “primacy” in the “worst peace-time health and economic crisis of the last 100 years”. The central bank didn’t extend the moratorium on loan repayments offered to borrowers beyond August 31 but allowed banks to restructure loans from large corporates, micro, small and medium enterprises as well as individuals to help stem the rising stress on incomes and balance sheets.
3. Polity & Governance – Rajapaksa clan set for landslide win – Sri Lanka’s strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa was poised to stage a political comeback on Thursday (August 6) as his party took an unassailable lead and was set for a landslide victory in the general elections, according to results announced so far. An AFP report said that with more than 60% of the 11.3 million ballots counted, PM Mahinda Rajapaksa’s SLPP had 57% of the votes. Official results showed that the party had secured 72 out of the 98 seats decided and was headed for a two thirds majority in the 225-member parliament. The nearest rival to SLPP is the new party formed by former presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa who has relegated his mother party, the United National Party, of former premier Ranil Wickremesinghe to the fourth place. Wickremesinghe’s party is struggling to reach the 5% mark needed to qualify for any seat in the entire island. He is facing the danger of losing his parliamentary seat for the first time since July 1977.
4. COVID-19 – Covid hotspots shift to newer areas – Amid rising number of Covid-19 cases, the epicentres of the infection are shifting from major towns to neighbouring districts and newer states. In recent weeks, districts like Solapur, Thane, Nashik, Palghar, Surat, Jalgaon and Dakshin Kannada have seen the highest number — more than 1,000 each — of containment zones. On the other hand, instances of surges in daily cases per 10 lakh population are reported from states and UTs like Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry — ranging between 190 and 249 cases (per 10 lakh population). As on July 30, districts like Pune, Bengaluru, Thane, Mumbai, Chennai and East Godavari were leading the top 20 districts in terms of active caseloads.
5. Education – SC OKs Tripura’s plan to take back sacked teachers as peons – The SC has greenlighted the Tripura government’s proposal to absorb over 10,000 terminated postgraduate, graduate and undergraduate teachers as peons, night guards, gardeners, cooks and lower division clerks. The Tripura government had recruited 1,035 PGTs, 4,666 TGTs and 4,612 UGTs in 2010 and 2014 through oral interview under the Revised Employment Policy, 2003. The high court on May 7, 2014, set aside the 2003 policy and quashed the appointments. The SC on March 29, 2017, upheld the HC order, directed framing of a new policy and recruitment thereunder by December 31, 2017. However, it saw nothing wrong in the Tripura government's proposal seeking to give them alternative appointment in Group C and D category government jobs.
6. World – FB, Twitter take aim at Trump ‘misinformation’ – Facebook and Twitter have taken aim at U.S. President Donald Trump and his campaign over a video post, in which he contended that children are “almost immune” to the COVID-19, a claim they said amounted to “misinformation.” In an extraordinary move, Facebook removed the clip from the President’s account — the first time it has taken down one of his posts for violating its content rules. Twitter, meanwhile, said it had blocked Mr. Trump’s official campaign account over a tweet containing the same video, in which the President made the case for reopening U.S. schools come September.
7. Economy – Inflation to stay elevated: RBI – India’s GDP will shrink in 2020-21, while inflation will continue to stay elevated in the coming months. However, the RBI refrained from projecting an estimate for the contraction, with an early containment of the COVID-19 pandemic being the only hope for a positive surprise. The RBI is hopeful of inflation easing during the second half of 2020-21. Headline inflation had gone up from 5.8% in March to 6.1% in June 2020, with price pressures evident across items, including food.
8. Economy – Jewel loan-to-value ratio raised to 90% from 75% – With a view to further mitigating the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on households, entrepreneurs and small businesses, the RBI has decided to increase the permissible loan-to-value ratio (LTV) for loans against pledge of gold ornaments and jewellery for non-agricultural purposes to 90%. Under the current guidelines, loans sanctioned by banks against pledge of gold ornaments and jewellery should not exceed 75% of the value of gold ornaments and jewellery, which has now increased to 90%.
9. Economy – Credit discipline: current account norms tightened – In a move aimed at improving credit discipline, the RBI has instructed lenders not to open current accounts for customers who have availed credit facilities in the form of cash credit (CC)/ overdraft (OD) from a bank, and directed them to ensure that all transactions are routed through the CC/OD account. The new rules will be applicable to existing current, CC/OD accounts with various banks. Where a bank’s exposure to a borrower is less than 10% of the exposure of the banking system to that borrower, while credits are freely permitted, debits to the CC/OD account can only be for credit to the CC/OD account of that borrower with a bank that has 10% or more of the exposure of the banking system to that borrower.
10. Polity & Governance – Ex-Union minister Manoj Sinha is surprise choice for J&K LG – BJP veteran and former central minister Manoj Sinha has been appointed lieutenant governor of Jammu & Kashmir in a surprise move after the abrupt exit of G C Murmu. He will be the first politician to be appointed LG of the newly formed Union territory. Sinha’s track record as incharge of the communications ministry and as MoS, railways, in Modi 1.0 indicates that he is seen as someone with experience in infrastructure development besides bringing a political touch to the office that might be needed whenever assembly polls are held in J&K. Sinha lost the 2019 LS election from Ghazipur to BSP’s Afzal Ansari.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	AIIMS, New Delhi	Nursing Officer	3803	Diploma (GNM)/ B.Sc	AUG-18-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/aiims-recruitment/17483/
2	IBSD	Research Associate, Project Associate & Laboratory Technician	5	Degree, PG, Ph.D/ MD	AUG-12-2020	http://ibsd.gov.in/ibsd/home/uploads/documents/2020/08/05082020-16-Short_Term_IBSD_05082020.pdf
3	IIT, Kharagpur	Superintending Engineer, Sr Exe. Eng.	12	BE/ B.Tech/ M.Sc, PG, Ph.D	AUG 21-2020	http://www.iitkgp.ac.in/files/r07_2020_adv.pdf
4	RMRC,Gorakhpu	Contract Scientist, Technical Officer	21	10th Class, 10+2, MBBS	AUG-17-2020	https://main.icmr.nic.in/sites/default/files/career_opportunity/NotificationCOVIDstaff_RMRC_GKP06082020.pdf
5	National Institute of Epidemiology	Pro. Scientist, Project Upper Division Clerk, Tech. Asst, DEO, MTS	13	High School, 12th Class, Degree, PG	AUG 24,2020	http://nie.gov.in/images/careers/NIE_AdvtNo.11_August_2020._173.pdf
6	ALIMCO	ITI Trade Apprentice	10	10+2	AUG-24-2020	https://www.alimco.in/WriteReadData/Recruitment_Document/AAPC-JBP-A-121/1_ApprenticeshipJabalpur.pdf
7	Hindustan Copper Limited	Apprentice	8	10th Class, ITI	SEPT-7-2020	https://www.hindustancopper.com/Upload/Notice/0-637322349707653750-NoticeFILE.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 Weekly Roundup – Constitution and Law 

• Student vs UGC: ‘Heavens will not fall if exams are cancelled, submits Dr. Singhvi, SC to hear on August 10. Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M. R. Shah.
• ‘Let police do its job’: SC junks PIL demanding CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. Chief Justice S. A. Bobde, Justices A. S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian.
• Rhea Chakraborty moves seeking transfer of Patna FIR to Mumbai in Sushant Singh Rajput death case.
• Nudity per se not obscenity: Rehana Rathima, booked for video showing her children painting on her semi-nude body, moves SC for bail.
• Memorandum of family settlement binding on parties; does not require registration: SC. Justices A. M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari.
• Maratha Reservation – SC refuses to interfere in PG admission, Maharashtra govt. undertakes that no recruitments will be conducted till Sept 15.
• SC grants 3 more weeks to states/UTs for providing requisite details of migrant workers back to native places. Justices Ashok Bhushan, S. K. Kaul and M. R. Shah.
• Offence of scandalizing the court rooted in colonial assumptions: N. Ram, Shourie, Bhushan moves SC challenging constitutionally of Sec 2(c)(i) of contempt of courts.

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

2.1 Northern Railway runs first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train

• Key point –   

1. As part of the initiative taken by Indian Railways, Railways ran an Express Service for transportation of less than train load cargo through the first “Vyapar Mala Express”.

• Highlights –

• This train destined for Jirania in Tripura has 46 wagons.
• This is an express service where piece-meal stock will reach its destination in a shorter time.
• The train departed from Delhi Kishanganj for Jirania and it will cover a distance of 2,673 km from Punjab to Tripura.
• Wheat was loaded in 34 wagons at Guniana station of Firozpur Division by Food Corporation of India and in the remaining Rice and Pulses have been loaded. Railways has earned more than 94 lakh rupees from this Vyapar Mala Express train.
• It will help small traders in moving their cargo through Railways, in a short time, cost effective, convenient and environment-friendly mode of transportation.
• Railways has been focusing on closer ties with the industry and trade to further strengthen its freight sector.

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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 Facebook blocks 12 accounts of Brazil president Bolsonaro’s supporters 

• Highlights –

• Facebook has complied with an order by Brazil's Supreme Court to block the accounts of a dozen top allies of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro.
• The group is accused of spreading fake news against judges. However, the social media giant said the measure was a threat to freedom of speech, and said it would appeal against the order.
• Its platform has been used to call for a military coup to shut down Congress and the Supreme Court.
• In May a judge ordered Facebook to block 12 accounts and Twitter another 16.
• Recently, Brazil's Supreme Court fined Facebook 1.92m reais ($368,000; £280,000) for refusing to block worldwide access to the accounts - it had only agreed to block access to accounts that could accessed from Brazil - and a further 100,000 reais for each day it failed to comply.
• It was not clear whether Twitter had also been fined.
• Facebook said that the order was extreme, "conflicting with laws and jurisdictions worldwide".
• Among the accounts blocked are those of Roberto Jefferson, leader of a party loyal to the president, and Luciano Hang, one of Brazil's best known businessmen.
• Facebook and Twitter are under growing pressure to tackle hate speech and false information.
• In July Facebook blocked dozens of accounts on Facebook and Instagram which it said were involved in creating "fictitious personas posing as reporters" and "masquerading as news outlets".

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

5.1 Chhattisgarh’s Godhan Nyay Yojana to fetch farmers more earning than PM Kisan scheme: Baghel

• Key point –

1. Under the ‘Godhan Nyay Yojana’, the state government will procure cow dung at Rs 2 per kilogram from livestock owners and use it to prepare vermicompost or organic fertilisers.

• Detailed news –

1. The scheme was launched in Raipur on the occasion of local Hareli festival, celebrated to mark the start of agricultural activities.
2. Under the central government's Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi or PM-Kisan scheme, that came into effect from December 1, 2018, eligible farmers get Rs 6,000 annually -- in three installments of Rs 2,000 every four months.
3. Baghel said the scheme will generate employment for local people and farmers, besides ensuring wellbeing of cattle.

• The CM’s views –

1. He hit out at the opposition BJP for allegedly indulging in politics by criticizing the scheme and said the saffron party’s ideological fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has already praised the initiative.
2. Chhattisgarh farmers will be able to earn Rs 12,000 annually, double the amount under the Centre’s PM-Kisan scheme, by selling cow dung to the state government as part of ''Godhan Nyay Yojana”.
3. Giving details of the scheme, the chief minister said it will be a win-win situation for the farmers and cattle-rearers.
4. Baghel said the scheme will lead to large scale production of vermincompost in ‘gauthans’ (where cattle are housed), thus reducing the use of harmful chemicals in the agriculture fields.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Round – Corporate World

• Lenders agree to liquidate Nirav Modi’s Firestar International - Lenders of Nirav Modi group’s Firestar International agreed to liquidate the company on July 30, 2020 with over two thirds of banks voting in favour of a resolution. Punjab National Bank (PNB) has filed claims of ₹11,000 crore against Firestar International for the alleged letter of undertaking fraud.
• Yes Bank takes possession of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group’s HQ in Mumbai - Yes Bank has taken possession of Reliance Centre, the headquarters of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) in Mumbai. The assets were possessed as the Anil Ambani-led conglomerate failed to pay its dues worth Rs 2,892 crore to the private bank. ADAG has an exposure of ₹12,800 crore to Yes Bank.
• PSU IndianOil announces equal JV with French energy major Total - PSU IndianOil on July 27, 2020 announced an equal joint venture (JV) with French energy major Total for manufacturing speciality bitumen derivatives used in road projects. “The JV will kick off by taking over Total’s plant at Jodhpur and set up six greenfield units at Panipat, Koyali, Haldia, Barauni, Visakhapatnam and Chennai at an investment of Rs 226 crore in the first four years,” Chairman S. M. Vaidya said.
• Flipkart’s Samarth programme helps artisans sell their products online - Walmart-owned Flipkart on July 31, 2020 said it supports over six lakh artisans, weavers and craftsmen across the country through its Samarth programme under which it has partnered with NGOs to help artisans use the online marketplace to sell their products.
• Flipkart launches hyperlocal 90-min delivery service called Flipkart Quick - Walmart-owned Flipkart has launched a hyperlocal 90-minute delivery service called Flipkart Quick in Bengaluru across categories including grocery, mobiles, electronics and home accessories. With this launch, the company has also forayed into fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as meats and milk on its platform.
• Microsoft launches Family Safety app - Tech giant Microsoft has launched the Family Safety app, designed to help protect a family’s digital and physical safety. The new screen time and parental controls app help parents customise their kids’ web access and balance healthy screen times. The application is available on iOS and Android.
• Samsung launches UV Sterilizer with wireless charging - Samsung has launched a new UV sterilizer with wireless charging that can be used to disinfect Galaxy smartphones, Galaxy Buds and smartwatches. It has been priced at Rs 3,599.
• ICRA Ratings appoints N. Sivaraman as MD & Group CEO - The board of ICRA Ratings on July 28, 2020 announced the appointment of N. Sivaraman, formerly with L&T Finance Holdings & IL&FS, as its MD & Group CEO. He will replace Naresh Takkar, former MD & Group CEO, whose service was terminated in August 2019 following unearthing of the IL&FS scam wherein the role of some rating agencies, including that of ICRA, came under questioning.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Not Available Today

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

8.1 Massive blast sends seismic shock across Beirut, killing at least 135 and injuring thousands 

• Key point - 

1. Lebanese rescue workers searched for survivors in the mangled wreckage of buildings and investigators blamed negligence for a massive warehouse explosion that sent a devastating blast wave across Beirut, killing at least 135 people.

• Highlights – 

1. Nearly 5,000 people were injured in Tuesday’s (August 4) explosion at Beirut port and tens of thousands were left without homes fit to live in after shockwaves smashed building facades, sucked furniture out into streets and shattered glass miles inland.
2. The death toll was expected to rise from the blast that officials blamed on a huge stockpile of highly explosive material stored for years in unsafe conditions at the port.
3. The explosion was the most powerful ever to rip through Beirut, a city still scarred by civil war that ended three decades ago and reeling from an economic meltdown and a surge in coronavirus infections.
4. The blast rattled buildings on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, about 160 km away.
5. President Michel Aoun said 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures, after it was seized.  

• House arrest – 

1. The Cabinet ordered port officials involved in storing or guarding the material since 2014 to be put under house arrest.
2. The cabinet also announced a two-week state of emergency in Beirut.
3. Ordinary Lebanese, who have lost jobs and watched savings evaporate in Lebanon's financial crisis, blamed politicians who have overseen decades of state corruption and bad governance. 

• Tangled wreck – 

1. For many it was a dreadful reminder of the 1975 to 1990 civil war that tore the nation apart and destroyed swathes of Beirut, much of which had been rebuilt.
2. Officials did not say what caused the initial blaze at the port that set off the blast.
3. A security source and media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a warehouse.
4. The port district was left a tangled wreck, disabling the nation's main route for imports needed to feed a nation of more than 6 million people. 

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

9.1 NASA astronauts splash down after journey home aboard SpaceX capsule

• Key points –

1. U.S. astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, who flew to the International Space Station in SpaceX's new Crew Dragon, splashed down in the capsule in the Gulf of Mexico on August 2 after a two-month voyage that was NASA's first crewed mission from home soil in nine years.
2. NASA, aiming to galvanize a commercial space marketplace, awarded nearly $8 billion to SpaceX and Boeing Co collectively in 2014 to develop dueling space capsules, experimenting with a contract model that allows the space agency to buy astronaut seats from the two companies.

• Important details –

1. Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley undocked from the station on Saturday (August 1) and returned home to land in the waves off Florida's Pensacola coast on schedule at 2:48 p.m. ET following a 21-hour overnight journey aboard Crew Dragon “Endeavor.”
2. The successful splashdown was a final key test of whether Elon Musk's spacecraft can transport astronauts to and from orbit a feat no private company has accomplished before.
3. For the return sequence, on-board thrusters and two sets of parachutes worked autonomously to slow the acorn-shaped capsule, bringing Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley's speed of 17,500 miles per hour in orbit down to 350 mph upon atmospheric reentry, and eventually 15 mph at splashdown.
4. During re-entry to Earth's atmosphere, the capsule's outer shell withstood temperatures as high as 3,500 Fahrenheit while Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley, wearing SpaceX's white flight suits strapped inside the cabin, experienced 85 Fahrenheit.
5. Billionaire entrepreneur Musk's SpaceX became the first private company to send humans to orbit with the launch of Mr.Behnken and Mr. Hurley, who have spent more than two months on the space station.
6. The landmark mission, launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 31, marked the first time the U.S. space agency launched humans from American soil since its shuttle program retired in 2011.
7. Since then the US has relied on Russia's space program to launch its astronauts to the space station.
8. Mr. Behnken and Mr. Hurley's homecoming was also the first crewed splashdown in an American capsule in 45 years.

• Greetings from sons –

1. The pair undocked from the space station late on Saturday and began gradually decreasing their orbital altitude overnight, awaking Sunday morning to recorded wake-up calls from their sons.
2. NASA officials have said Crew Dragon, a pod with seven astronaut seats, was in a “very healthy” condition while docked at the space station, where astronauts conducted tests and monitored how the spacecraft performs in space. 

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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 -

• National Book Trust launched seven titles on “Psycho-Social impact of pandemic and lockdown and how to Cope With” in May 2020.
• Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla passed away in May 2020. He was famous for his website Ganeshaspeaks.
• According to government data released recently, India’s unemployment rate between July 2018-June 2019 was 5.8%.
• Fast Patrol Vessel ICGS Kanaklata Barua was delivered to the Indian Coast Guard in June 2020.
• Book written by Annie Zaidi’, ‘Bread, Cement, Cactus: A Memoir of Belonging and Dislocation’ released recently.

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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