Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 13-08-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 13-08-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 – With 47k+ Covid deaths, India overtakes UK to be world No. 4 – India overtook the UK on Wednesday (August 12) to emerge as the No. 4 country in Covid fatalities, with its second-highest single-day toll of 934 taking the total deaths to 47,065. India is now behind the US, Brazil and Mexico—13 days after it overtook Italy to emerge as the fifth worst affected country in terms of coronavirus deaths. The UK’s toll stood at 46,706. However, India’s case fatality rate (CFR) of 2 is much lower than that of the other countries, particularly the UK, which has the highest CFR of 14.9. India’s deaths per million stand at 34, which is much lower than the figures of other countries, which are in the range of 400 to 700. At 688, the UK has the highest deaths per million, followed by the US where the figure stands at 508.
2. Polity & Governance – Kamala Harris to be Biden’s running mate – U.S. Senator from California Kamala Harris has been named running mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. Ms. Harris, 55, is the first woman of Indian descent and black woman to be on the presidential ticket of a major political party in the U.S. The move puts Ms. Harris in a powerful position to lead the Democratic Party in the near future and with a shot at the presidency in four to eight years. Born to Shyamala Gopalan, a cancer researcher originally from Chennai, and Donald Harris, an economics professor from Jamaica, Ms. Harris has decades of public service to her name. In 2010, she became California’s Attorney General — the first black woman to hold the position. In 2016, she was elected to the U.S. Senate.
3. Internal Security – ‘Atmanirbhar’ India tests own combat helicopters in Ladakh – India has deployed two of its new indigenous light combat helicopters, in addition to the heavy-duty Apache attack and Chinook heavy-lift choppers acquired from the US, in Ladakh amid the ongoing military confrontation with China there. The deployment of the twin-engine LCHs, which are not fully weaponised yet, in the high-altitude region is a show of support for the indigenous choppers ahead of their proposed induction into the armed forces. The initial order for 15 LCHs is likely to be placed on defence PSU Hindustan Aeronautics before the end of this year, with the overall requirement of such 5.5-tonne class choppers by the IAF and Army pegged at 160 as of now.
4. Economy – 23 players keen to operate pvt trains – The trains to be operated by private players may have swanky features like that of Metro trains or Vande Bharat express, including electronic sliding doors, passenger surveillance system, public address announcement system, display of information and destination boards. At least 23 players including PSU majors like IRCTC and BHEL, and a host of private players such as GMR, CAF India, Alstom, Bombardier, Siemens and Medha are keen to operate trains. The railway ministry has come out with the draft specification for the trains that would be operated on 506 routes in a phased manner from March 2023. These trains won’t start unless all doors are closed and electrically locked. It specifies that the design speed of these trains would be 180 kmph and should be capable of accelerating to 160 kmph from 0 kmph in 140 seconds.
5. Research/Study – Depression hit 50% youths, 17% lost jobs: ILO survey – Nearly one in two young people are possibly subject to anxiety or depression, while 17% are probably affected by it due to the impact of Covid-19. Since the outset of the pandemic more than 70% of youth who study or combine study with work have been adversely affected by the closing of schools, universities and training centres. The Covid-19 crisis is having a devastating effect on the education and training of young people, it said. According to the report, ‘Youth and COVID-19: impacts on jobs, education, rights and mental well-being’, 65% of young people reported having learned less since the beginning of the pandemic because of the transition from classroom to online and distance learning during lockdown.
6. Economy – PM set to unveil scheme to reward honest taxpayers – Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to unveil the much-awaited scheme to reward honest taxpayers on August 13. While the government has for long talked about various plans — ranging from cashback or rewards under GST for those using digital modes of payment to make purchases — it has so far failed to implement them. In fact, several other steps were contemplated on the GST side, but none have seen the light of the day so far. Similarly, there have been recommendations from the CBDT to recognise taxpayers at district and state level, besides helping them access government services quickly. Again, the revenue department has failed to implement them for months. There have also been suggestions to offer additional benefits for those who pay their taxes honestly.
7. Polity & Governance – Indians having any valid visa can now fly to the UAE – With the Union government lifting the pandemic-induced curbs on tourist and visit visas for travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after five months, airlines can now carry any Indian national holding any type of valid UAE visa to the seven emirates. Till now, only Indian and UAE nationals having resident visa, fresh job visa or student visa were allowed to travel on flights operated by Air India Group and Air India Express and on chartered flights to the UAE.
8. Research/Study – Forest loss threatens hornbills – A study based on satellite data has flagged a high rate of deforestation in a major hornbill habitat in Arunachal Pradesh. Using fine-scale satellite imagery, a trio of ecologists assessed the changes in forest cover of the 1,064 sq.km. Papum Reserve Forest (RF) adjoining the Pakke Tiger Reserve as well as a part of Assam affected by illegal felling and ethnic conflict. Papum RF is a nesting habitat of three species of the large, colourful fruit-eating hornbills: Great, Wreathed and Oriental Pied. The 862 sq.km. Pakke reserve houses a fourth species, the Rufous-Necked.
9. Economy – UK falls into recession as GDP tumbles 20.4% in April-June - as it happened – The U.K. economy suffered more than any major European nation during the coronavirus lockdowns, piling pressure on the government to ensure the withdrawal of its support programs doesn’t derail the nascent recovery. Gross domestic product plunged 20.4% in the second quarter, the most since records began in 1955 and roughly double that of Germany and the U.S. It also pushed Britain into its first recession since 2009. The report followed massive job losses since the start of the pandemic, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak acknowledged that more pain is to come.
10. Society – 3 killed as police open fire to quell mob in Bengaluru – Three people were killed and three more injured after the police opened fire to quell a mob that went on a rampage in DJ Halli and adjoining areas in east Bengaluru on Tuesday (August 11) night over an inflammatory Facebook post against Islam. As many as 2,000 people were on the streets vandalising and setting property afire. The rioting was brought under control in the early hours of Wednesday. Prohibitory orders have been put in force and the situation is tense but under control. A total of 146 people, including a few local leaders of the Social Democratic Party of India, have been arrested. At least 38 policemen were injured and several vehicles and properties, including a police station, torched. Two media personnel were also injured.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission	Research Scientist, Sr. Research Scientist	28	D.Pharm/ MBBS/ BDS	AUG-24-2020	D.Pharm/ MBBS/ BDS or PG
2	ICSIL	Lab Tech. , Pharmacist, O.T. Tech., Radiographer	39	10th/ 12th Class, Dip.	18 to 21-08-2020	http://icsil.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/WALK-IN-INTERVIEW-FOR-LNJP.pdf
3	AIIMS, New          Delhi	Junior Resident	194	MBBS/ BDS	AUG-13-2020	https://www.aiimsexams.org/pdf/Final%20Revised%20ONLINE%20ADVT%20FOR%20JULY%202020%20SESSION%20FOR%20JR%20NA%20Ver%20-%201%20as%20on%2004.08.2020.pdf
4	HEC Ltd	Trainee	164	10th/ Matriculation	AUG-29-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/hec-ltd/17034/
5	CRPF	Staff Nurse, Lab Technician, Pharmacist	62	Matriculation, 10+2	AUG 17,2020	https://www.crpf.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/Recruitment_Advertise/ADVERTISE/1_197_1_749082020.pdf
6	BEL	Project Engineer	60	B.E/ B. Tech/ B. Sc (Engg)	AUG-26-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/bel/16294/#Project-Engineer
7	BPSC	Professor (Electrical and Electronics)	8	Ph.D (Electrical and Electronics)	AUG-31-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/ssb-constable/862756/

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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 Not Available Today

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

2.1 India’s Industrial output shrinks 16.6% in June due to coronavirus lockdown

• Highlights -  

1. India's industrial output contracted 16.6 per cent in June from a year earlier.
2. A monthly measure indicated some recovery in the sector that was hit by lockdowns imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus.
3. Private economists said the economy was staring at the worst economic slowdown since independence from British colonial rule in 1947.

• Data analysis –

1. The number of people infected with the coronavirus in India has crossed 2.2 million, with 45,257 deaths, and epidemiologists say the peak could be months away.
2. The weekend lockdown in many Indian states and restrictions on public transport have hit production in factories and domestic and overseas sales of garments, vehicles and consumer durables.
3. Manufacturing, which contributes nearly 17% to the economy, contracted 40.7% in the three months to end-June, indicating a sharp fall in economic activity.
4. Passenger vehicle production in July fell 29.4% from a year earlier.
5. Economists have predicted the economy could contract as much as 20% in the April-June quarter.
6. The government had forecast 6% economic growth in the current fiscal year beginning April, before the coronavirus hit, and has since maintained that there are signs of recovery as reflected by tax collection numbers.

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

3.1 Kolkata Metro completes India’s Deepest Ventilation Shaft

• Highlights –

1. The country's deepest underground rail ventilation shaft equal to a 15-storey building and an important part of the city's East-West Metro line was completed on Monday (August 10).
2. The ventilation shaft, which is 43.5 m deep, was completed jointly by Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC) and Afcons, a private engineering company.
3. Such shafts are not only used to provide ventilation to the tunnels, but also for evacuation during an emergency.
4. The evacuation shaft is located on Strand Road near Hooghly river.
5. The Metro shaft has been constructed adopting innovative engineering techniques and methodology to navigate geological challenges and overcome any impact on Kolkatas circular railway track along the Hooghly.
6. The shaft is located very close to the river and abutting with the circular railway which makes its deep excavation very challenging.
7. The circular railway line runs parallel to the river in stretches.
8. The 16.6 km-long rapid transit project will connect the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah.

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

4.1 Russia approves Covid vaccine ‘Sputnik V’, world watches with worry

•  Key points -    

1. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia had become the first country to grant regulatory approval to a Covid-19 vaccine after less than two months of human testing. But the scientific community is not celebrating just yet.

• Highlights –

1. As the global coronavirus tally crossed 20 million on August 11, reports came from Russia of a new Covid-19 vaccine approved by the Vladimir Putin government.
2. With this, Russia became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine for use among tens of thousands of its citizens.
3. While the news of a vaccine finally being discovered for the pandemic seems like good news, but the speed at which Russia has moved has worried some scientists who fear Moscow may be putting national prestige before safety.

• Important details –

1. Russia has named its Covid-19 vaccine 'Sputnik V' for foreign markets, a reference to the world's first satellite and what Moscow sees as its success at becoming the first country to approve a vaccine.
2. Putin said that one of his two adult daughters had already been inoculated with the cleared vaccine, which he described as effective.
3. The vaccine is being developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute in coordination with Moscow's defence ministry.
4. The vaccine still has to complete final trials, raising concerns among some experts at the speed of its approval, but the Russian business conglomerate Sistema has said it expects to put it into mass production by the end of the year.
5. According to officials, large-scale production of the vaccine will start in September, and mass vaccination may begin as early as October.
6. However, the vaccine's approval by Russia's health ministry comes before the start of a larger trial involving thousands of participants, commonly known as a Phase III trial.
7. Usually, regulatory approvals for public use of a vaccine are granted only after successful completion of Phase III trials.
8. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Russian health authorities are discussing the process for possible WHO prequalification for its newly approved Covid-19 vaccine.
9. WHO had earlier said all vaccine candidates should go through full stages of testing before being rolled out.

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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 Round – Corporate

• 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.
• Northern Railway runs first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train from Delhi to Tripura - Northern Railway on August 1, 2020 ran first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train from Kishanganj in Delhi bound for Jirania in Tripura. The journey is 2763 km long. According to Railways, it will help small traders in moving their cargo through Railways in lesser time and in a more cost-effective mode of transportation.
• Cipla gets DCGI approval to sell Covid-19 drug favipiravir under brand “Ciplenza” in India.
• Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) allows exemption of Rs 220 cr to Tata Education & Development Trust.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Major Happenings

• Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Pune won first prize in Smart India Hackathon-2020
• CPI(M) leader and former West Bengal Minister Shyamal Chakraborty dies of COVID-19 in Kolkata at 76.
• CISF took over security of Leh airport from the local police
• Madras HC imposed Rs 10 lakh fine against Patanjali Ayurved, Divya Mandir Yog Trust for unauthentic claim that its Ayurvedic formulation Coronil could cure Covid-19.
• Professor Pradeep Kumar Joshi appointed as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
• All 9 museums dedicated to tribal freedom fighters to be completed by the end of 2022 - Tribal Affairs Ministry.
• Shah Faesal, who resigned from IAS in Jan 2019, steps down as president of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Movement (JKPM)
• Shiv Sahay Singh of The Hindu won K. P. Narayana Kumar Memorial Award for Social Impact Journalism.
• Nitin Sethi of The Huffington Post India wins Asian College of Journalism’s Award for Investigative Journalism.
• 121 Police personnel awarded Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation for 2020
• Congress leader and spokesperson Rajiv Tyagi dies in Ghaziabad.

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

8.1 Minister Shekhawat launches IVR-based training course on ODF plus programme

• Key Point –  

1. Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has launched the 'Swachh Bharat Mission Academy', an IVR-based training course with modules on Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus programme.

• Highlights –

1. The ODF Plus is an extension of the ODF programme under the Swachch Bharat Mission.
2. Its objective is to sustain the ODF programme and to take up Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM).
3. The Interactive Voice Response (IVR) based training course contains a 60-minute module spanning various topics under ODF as well as SLWM.
4. The SBM Academy was launched as part of the ongoing week-long behaviour change campaign 'Gandagi Mukt Bharat'.
5. Shekhawat said the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) has transformed rural India by manifesting into a public movement for sanitation and has led to the historic achievement of ODF declaration by all villages, districts and states on October 2, 2019, thus making rural India ODF.

• Important details –

1. The SBM Academy course has four chapters, each with four audio lessons and a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the chapter.
2. To be considered successful, the user must answer at least 50 per cent of the questions correctly.
3. As of now the content of SBM Academy is in Hindi and the users are expected to dial in to a toll free number (18001800404) and complete listening to the entire content in their mobile phones.
4. Shekhawat said that SBM Academy, with its mobile-based technology, will significantly boost the capacity building efforts in training of Swachhagrahis as well as community-based organisations, NGOs, Self Help Groups and others who are associated with phase 2 of SBM(G).
5. The programme will also work towards ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone uses a toilet.

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

9.1 Dwarf planet Ceres not barren, is a water-rich world: NASA Dawn spacecraft

• Key Points –

1. The dwarf planet Ceres, which lies in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, is not a barren space rock as earlier believed.
2. New data from NASA's Dawn spacecraft have shown that it is a water-rich world. 

• Highlights –  

1. After analysing data collected near the end of the mission, scientists determined that beneath the surface of Ceres, there could be a deep reservoir of brine, or salt-enriched water which is about 40 km deep and hundreds of miles wide.
2. Ceres makes up almost a third of the asteroid belt's total mass, but it is still far smaller than Earth's Moon. The Dawn spacecraft arrived at Ceres in 2015.
3. Long before Dawn arrived at Ceres, scientists had noticed diffuse bright regions with telescopes, but their nature was unknown.
4. By the time the mission ended in October 2018, the orbiter had dipped to less than 35 km above the surface, revealing crisp details of the mysterious bright regions Ceres had become known for.
5. Scientists had figured out that the bright areas were deposits made mostly of sodium carbonate -- a compound of sodium, carbon, and oxygen.
6. They likely came from liquid that percolated up to the surface and evaporated, leaving behind a highly reflective salt crust. But what they had not yet determined was where that liquid came from.
7. The new research revealed that the liquid came from sea water beneath its surface.
   Ceres doesn't benefit from internal heating generated by gravitational interactions with a large planet, as is the case for some of the icy moons of the outer solar system.
8. But the new research, which focuses on Ceres' 92-kilometre-wide 'Occator' Crater -- home to the most extensive bright areas -- confirms that Ceres is a water-rich world like these other icy bodies.
9. The research not only confirmed that the bright regions are young -- some less than two million years old -- it also found that the geologic activity driving these deposits could be ongoing.

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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 -

• Rafale fighter jets are equipped with Meteor BVR (Beyond Visual Range) air-to-air missiles.
• The first World Chess Day was celebrated by the UN on July 20, 2020.
• Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was in news for her marriage in July 2020.
• India’s foreign exchange reserves in the week ended June 26, 2020 was $506.84 billion.
• The India Pavilion at the Cannes Film Market 2020 in June was jointly set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and FICCI.

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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