Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 20-08-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 20-08-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Economy – Govt. to set up National Recruitment Agency – The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of a National Recruitment Agency (NRA) for conducting a Common Eligibility Test (CET) for various government jobs. Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Cabinet had taken the “historic” decision at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to benefit crores of young people who applied for jobs every year. About 2.5 crore to 3 crore candidates applied for the 1.25 lakh Group B and C jobs advertised by three agencies every year, with separate schedules and fees. Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) C. Chandramouli said that to begin with, three of the over 20 Central government recruitment agencies would be brought under the NRA.
2. Business – Harley-Davidson may exit India – Barely a decade after its entry, Harley-Davidson Inc. is looking to wind down its assembly operations in the country as a result of weak sales and a lack of visibility for future demand. The iconic U.S. motorcycle maker has sent out feelers to a few automakers through consultants for a possible outsourcing arrangement using its leased assembly facility at Bawal in Haryana. The decision is in keeping with its latest ‘rewire’ strategy to focus on about 50 markets, mainly in North America, Europe and parts of Asia Pacific that represent the “majority of the company’s volume and growth potential”.
3. Economy – Centre relaxes norms for PFC, REC to lend to discoms – To provide liquidity to the power sector, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved a one-time relaxation to Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation for extending loans to distribution companies (discoms) above the limits of working capital cap of 25% of last year’s revenues. State discoms are facing issues, so to help them PFC and REC have been allowed to give loans above the limit more the 25% working capital limit. The government said the one-time relaxation will help provide liquidity to the power sector and ensure payments by States to discoms. An official statement noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 and the consequent lockdown had exacerbated liquidity problems for the power sector.
4. Economy – World Bank may forecast steeper India contraction – The World Bank has indicated that it may further lower its GDP projections for India and said critical reforms in key areas such as health, labour, land, skills and finance were needed to come out stronger from the COVID-19 crisis. The World Bank, had in May, projected that the Indian economy would contract by 3.2% in FY 2020-21 and rebound slowly in the next financial year. It projected India’s fiscal deficit to rise to 6.6% of GDP in FY21 and remain elevated at 5.5% in the following year. Also, there would be a second round of consumption and investment slowdown, compounded by (and ultimately driving) distress in the financial sector and financial markets, the World Bank has said.
5. Polity & Governance – Joe Biden wins Democratic nomination – Former U.S. Vice-President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has won the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidency. The nomination was expected and confirmed on Day 2 of the virtual Democratic Convention by way of a virtual roll call across 57 States and territories. The “Roll Call Across America” was a virtual substitute for what normally happens: an in-person roll call at the convention venue (in Milwaukee this year), which could not be held due to the pandemic. Delegates from diverse locations, including one standing in front of livestock on a Montana ranch and some on a beach in American Samoa, declared, for their respective territories, the number of votes cast for Mr. Biden and his main challenger, progressive candidate and Senator Bernie Sanders. Prior to the roll call, former Presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter delivered messages of support for Mr. Biden’s candidacy. Day 2 of the Convention was also forward-looking: featuring young and future leaders of the party. The keynote address was unconventional: video messages from close to 50 individuals, including 17 elected Democratic officials, most of them young leaders.
6. Polity & Governance – Mali wakes up to military rule after President is forced out – Mali awoke on August 19 to a new chapter in its troubled history after rebel military leaders forced President Boubacar Keita from office, prompting its West African neighbours to threaten border closures and sanctions against the coup leaders. Mr. Keita, embattled by months of protests over economic stagnation, corruption and a brutal Islamist insurgency, said he had resigned to avoid bloodshed. There were few obvious traces of the previous day’s drama in the capital Bamako — there were no troops on the streets despite the coup leaders announcing a night-time curfew.
7. World – EU rejects Belarus poll result, warns sanctions are imminent – The European Union has rejected the result of the disputed Belarus election, saying President Alexander Lukashenko’s victory was neither free nor fair, and warned fresh sanctions against his government were imminent. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for national dialogue in Belarus — including Mr. Lukashenko, who has ruled for 26 years — to find a peaceful way out of the crisis. The EU has been working on a new round of sanctions against Belarus, targeting those involved in allegedly fixing the August 9 vote and in the bloody repression of protests, which have shaken Mr. Lukashenko’s grip on the ex-Soviet republic as never before.
8. World – Israel bombs Gaza after warning Hamas – Israeli warplanes bombed the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip overnight after Palestinians fired a rocket into southern Israel. The latest exchange came as Israel warned Hamas it was risking “war” by failing to stop fire balloons being launched across the border. Egyptian security officials shuttled between the two sides in a bid to end the flare-up, which has seen more than a week of rocket and fire balloon attacks from Gaza and nightly Israeli reprisals.
9. World – UAE connects first Arab nuclear plant to power grid – The oil-rich UAE has has connected its Barakah nuclear power plant to the national grid in a new first for the Arab world. The milestone follows the successful start-up of the plant’s first reactor at the end of last month and launches the UAE on the road to meeting 25% of its electricity needs from nuclear power. The plant on the Gulf coast west of Abu Dhabi had been due to go online in late 2017 but faced delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory requirements. The UAE has substantial oil and gas reserves, but with a power-hungry population of 10 million, it has made huge investments in developing clean alternatives, including solar energy.
10. COVID-19 – Hope in numbers: Daily cases stable for two weeks, tests show fewer positives – Six months after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic — and over 27 lakh cases and 52,000 deaths later — several indicators have begun to suggest that an improvement in the situation might just be round the corner in India. For the first time since May, the overall positivity rate in the country has begun to decline. Which means, for the same number of tests, fewer people are now being found infected with the virus. The positivity rate touched a high of 9 per cent on August 9, and has been declining steadily since. As of August 18, positivity had fallen to 8.72 per cent. 

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	ECIL	Technical Officer	350	Degree (Engg)	30-08-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/06/Notification-ECIL-Technical-Officer-Posts.pdf
2	NIPER, Raebareli	Associate, Asst Professor, Scientist, Secretary, Tech. Asst.	21	B.Com, M.Sc, M.Pharma, Ph.D	SEPT-24-2020	http://niperraebareli.edu.in/advertiesment/Full_Advertisement_2020.pdf
3	ICFRE	Store Keeper, Forest Guard, Technician, Driver	5	10th, 12th Class, ITI	31-10-2020	https://www.icfre.org/vacancy/vacancy385.pdf
4	IBSD	Pro. Scientist - I, II, Res Asso, Project Asso	16	M. Sc, M. Pharm, Ph.D	SEPT-7-2020	http://ibsd.gov.in/ibsd/home/uploads/documents/2020/08/17082020-17-Contractual_IBSD_17082020.pdf
5	NIIRNCD	Scientist B, Staff Nurse, DEO & Other	15	High School, Degree, PG	AUG-31-2020	http://www.dmrcjodhpur.nic.in/Advertisement%2018-08-2020.pdf
6	IARI	Sr Research Fellow, Field Assistant	5	10+2, PG	SEPT-8-2020	https://www.iari.res.in/bic/projectnew32/admin/jobs/Advertisement_BMGF_IRA_17082020.pdf
7	CRPF	Specialist Medical Officer	69	PG Degree/ Diploma	15 & 16-09-202	https://www.crpf.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/Recruitment_Advertise/ADVERTISE/1_198_1_756082020.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 COVID-19 relief: SC refuses to Direct Transfer of PM CARES funds to NDRF

• Key point –

1. The Supreme Court has refused to direct the Centre to transfer the contributions made to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund for battling the COVID-19 pandemic to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

• Highlights –

1. A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan said that voluntary contribution can always be made to the NDRF as there is no statutory bar under the Disaster Management Act.
2. The judgement came on a public interest litigation (PIL), filed by the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking a direction that all the money collected under the PM CARES Fund for the COVID-19 pandemic should be transferred to the NDRF.
3. The PIL had also sought a direction to the government to prepare, notify and implement a national plan under the Disaster Management Act to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
4. The bench said in its verdict that a plan prepared by the government under the Disaster Management Act was sufficient for COVID-19 also.
5. The Centre had on March 28 set up the PM CARES Fund with the primary objective to deal with any kind of emergency situation like the one currently posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and provide relief to those affected.
6. The prime minister is the ex-officio chairman of the fund and the ministers of defence, home and finance are its ex-officio trustees.
7. During the hearing in the top court on July 27, the Centre defended the PM CARES Fund saying it is a public trust meant to receive “voluntary contributions” to fight COVID-19 pandemic and the budgetary allocations for NDRF and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) are not “being touched”.

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

2.1 Major Happenings

1. SEBI penalises LIC, BoB and SBI for failing to pare stake in UTI MF below 10%.
2. NSE, IIM-Bangalore join hands, unveil platform for investor education.
3. IIT Madras and Center for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC) develop microprocessors named SHAKTI (32 bit) and VEGA (64 bit).
4. Govt. launched ‘Swadeshi Microprocessor Challenge - Innovate Solutions for AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ inviting innovators to use SHAKTI and VEGA to develop technology products.
5. ADB approves USD 1 billion loan for 82-km Delhi-Meerut regional rapid transit system.
6. Dream11 bags title sponsorship rights of IPL2020 for Rs 222 crore.
7. RBI frames rules for setting up a new umbrella entity for retail payments in the country.
8. Cabinet approves proposal for leasing out Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram airports.

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

3.1 Woolly flying squirrel, thought to be extinct, spotted in Gangotri National Park

• Key point –

1. Woolly flying squirrel, that was thought to be extinct some seventy years back, was spotted at Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkash, informed Forest Research Institute, on August 17.
2. The Woolly flying squirrel was considered extinct 70 years ago in the IUCN Red List.
3. This squirrel was spotted in 13 of the 18 forest divisions of the state during a survey.
4. However, the scientists of Wildlife Institute of India situated in Dehradun have spoken of the presence this squirrel in the Bhagirath valley, and rare photographs of the have also been found.
5. The experts also said that the animal uses its furry claws as a parachute to help it fly.

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

4.1 Weekly Round-up – World Affairs

1. Pakistan Parliament approves FATF-related Bill - Amidst vociferous protests from Pakistan’s religious parties, the Parliament has approved a third Bill related to the tough conditions set by the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog FATF. The legislation is part of the efforts by Pakistan to move from the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list to the white list.
2. The FATF put Pakistan on the grey list in June 2018 and asked Islamabad to implement a plan of action by the end of 2019 but the deadline was extended later due to COVID-19 pandemic.
3. The Mutual Legal Assistance (Criminal Matter) Bill, 2020 — which calls for exchange of information and criminals with countries — was passed on August 6, 2020 in a joint sitting of Parliament after a hectic two-day consultation with the two major Opposition parties — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP).
4. The Bills include measures of freezing and seizure of assets, travel ban, and arms embargo on the entities and individuals, who are designated on the sanctions list of the United Nations and impose heavy fine and long-term jail terms for those facilitating militancy.
5. The draft legislation is the third FATF-related Bill passed by Pakistan Parliament. The Senate on July 30 unanimously approved the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Amendment Bill, 2020, and the Anti-Terrorism Act Amendment Bill, 2020. The three Bills passed fulfil various requirements of the FATF, which put Pakistan on its grey list after Islamabad agreed to implement a 27-point plan of action to improve its legal regime to curb money laundering and terror financing.
6. The UN Security Council Resolution 1373 made it incumbent on the member states to implement counter-terrorism measures, especially countering the financing of terrorism through their domestic laws.
7. In its third and final plenary held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic in June, the FATF decided to keep Pakistan in the “grey list” as Islamabad failed to check flow of money to terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
8. With Pakistan’s continuation in the ‘grey list’, it will be difficult for the country to get financial aid from the IMF, World Bank, ADB and the European Union, thus further enhancing problems for the nation which is in a precarious financial situation. If Pakistan fails to comply with the FATF directive by October, there is every possibility that the global body may put the country in the ‘Black List’ along with North Korea and Iran.
9. The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. The FATF currently has 39 members including two regional organisations — the European Commission and Gulf Cooperation Council.
10. US: Federal agencies barred from hiring H–1B visa holders - President Donald Trump on August 3, 2020 signed an executive order preventing federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers -- mainly those on H-1B visa -- from hiring. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
11. Italy: Genoa San Giorgio Bridge inaugurated in Genoa - The newly-built 1100 metres long Genoa San Giorgio Bridge was inaugurated in the Italian city of Genoa on August 3, 2020. It replaced the previous Morandi Bridge that had collapsed on August 14, 2018 killing 43 people and severing the connection between Genoa and much of northwestern Italy.
12. International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples observed on August 9 - International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (World Tribal Day) was observed on August 9, 2020. This year’s theme is ‘COVID-19 and indigenous peoples’ resilience’. The date recognizes the first meeting of the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations in Geneva in 1982.
13. Mahinda Rajapaksa sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka - The ruling Sri Lanka People’s Freedom Alliance (SLPFA) won 145 out of 225 seats in the parliamentary election held in Sri Lanka on August 5, 2020. The Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is the leading party in SLPFA. In opposition, Samagi Jana Balawegaya won 54 seats while the rest accounted for 26 seats.
14. Sri Lanka’s former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in on August 9, 2020 as the country’s new Prime Minister in Colombo, days after his party won a landslide victory in the General Election. The 74-year-old Sri Lanka People’s Party (SLPP) leader was administered the oath of office by his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
15. Mahinda served as country’s President from 2006 to 2015. Rajapaksa is credited with ending the decades long LTTE war in 2009 during his Presidency. He had lost the 2015 Presidential elections. Rajapaksa was appointed Prime Minister after Gotabaya won Presidential election in November 2019 even though his party did not enjoy a majority in Parliament.
16. Hong Kong: US imposes sanctions on chief executive Carrie Lam - The US Treasury has imposed sanctions on Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, and 10 other top officials from Hong Kong and mainland China. The sanctions were used to target those undermining Hong Kong’s autonomy, said Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The targeted officials will have any property and assets in the US frozen. The move comes weeks after China imposed a controversial national security law on Hong Kong, which critics say threatened its freedoms. “In 2019, Lam pushed for an update to Hong Kong’s extradition arrangements to allow for extradition to the mainland, setting off a series of massive opposition demonstrations in Hong Kong,” the US Treasury added in a statement.
17. Spain’s former king Juan Carlos flees country - Spain’s former king Juan Carlos, at the centre of an alleged $100-million corruption scandal, has reportedly fled to the Dominican Republic after his shock announcement that he was going into exile. The 82-year-old revealed on August 3, 2020 that he had taken the decision to leave Spain to help his son, the current King Felipe VI, “exercise his responsibilities”.
18. 1998 Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume dies in N. Ireland at 83 - Nobel laureate John Hume, a prominent Northern Ireland politician who was the leader of Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) representing Catholics, died on August 3, 2020 at the age of 83 in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Following the 1998 peace deal between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, along with David Trimble, the leader of Protestants’ Ulster Unionist Party.
19. US Health Secretary Alex Azar begins visit to Taiwan - Health Secretary Alex Azar, a senior member of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, landed in Taiwan on August 9, 2020 for Washington’s highest-level visit since switching diplomatic recognition to China in 1979. During the three-day visit Azar will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, who advocates Taiwan being recognised as a sovereign nation and is loathed by China’s leaders.
20. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei launches his twitter handle in Hindi - Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in a significant move on August 9, 2020 launched his twitter handle in Hindi. Currently the Supreme Leader tweets in Farsi, Arabic, Urdu, French, Spanish, Russian and English.
21. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Shirley Ann Grau dies at 91 - Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Shirley Ann Grau died at the age of 91 in New Orleans (US) on August 3, 2020 at the age of 91. She had won the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for her novel ‘The Keepers of the House’.

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

5.1 Tribal Health & Nutrition portal “Swasthya’ launched

•  Key points –

1. Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda has inaugurated the e-portal on tribal health and nutrition named ‘Swasthya’, a first of its kind e-portal, providing all health and nutrition related information of the tribal population of India in a single platform.
2. Among the initiatives launched by the Minister include - Tribal Health and Nutrition Portal 'Swasthya', an e-newsletter on health and nutrition ALEKH; National Overseas Portal and National Tribal Fellowship Portal.
3. He also informed on the government's 'Going Online as Leaders (GOAL)' programme, which was developed in partnership with Facebook.
4. Highlighting that the GOAL program has received huge response from all stakeholders, he announced the road map of the programme including the distribution of mobile and launch of the program will take place on September 5.
5. On the opening of online application for Fellowship and Overseas Scholarship, the Minister said, "The National Fellowship and Overseas Scholarship Portal will bring greater transparency and easy information to the ST students".

• Highlights –

1. Swasthya will also curate innovative practices, research briefs, case studies, and best practices collected from different parts of India to facilitate the exchange of evidence, expertise and experiences.
2. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has recognized Piramal Swasthya as the Centre of Excellence for Knowledge Management (CoE for KM) for Health and Nutrition.
3. The CoEwill constantly engage with the Ministry and provide inputs to drive evidence-based policy and decision-making pertaining to health and nutrition of the tribal population of India.
4. Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta  released ‘ALEKH’, a quarterly e-newsletter.
5. “ALEKH” is a quarterly e-newsletter on health and nutrition.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Round-up – Corporate World

• Serum Institute to tie up with GAVI, Gates Foundation for Covid19 vaccine - The Pune-based Serum Institute of India said it will partner with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and international vaccine alliance GAVI to manufacture and deliver 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for India and other low- and middle-income nations as early as 2021. The institute said on August 7, 2020 it will get funding to support manufacturing for candidate vaccines from AstraZeneca and Novavax.
• Nokia ties up with IISC, Bengaluru for network robotics laboratory - Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia on August 4, 2020 announced a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to establish the Nokia Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Networked Robotics for research on socially relevant use cases based on 5G and emerging technologies.
• IDBI Bank to sell 27% stake in IDBI Federal Life Insurance Company (IFLIC) - IDBI Bank on August 6, 2020 said it has entered into an agreement with its joint venture partners -- Ageas Insurance International NV and Federal Bank Ltd – to sell 27% of its stake in IDBI Federal Life Insurance Company (IFLIC) for Rs 595.30 crore. Currently, IDBI Bank holds 48% in IFLIC, while Federal Bank and Ageas hold 26% each.
• WhatsApp adds ‘Search the Web’ feature to curb fake news spread - Facebook-owned instant messaging platform WhatsApp has added a new ‘Search the Web’ feature, which allows users to check information shared to them via a forwarded message. The ‘Search the Web’ option is currently being rolled out in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK and the US. The feature will be available for users on the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android, iOS and WhatsApp Web.
• US govt. to ban TikTok, WeChat from operating within 45 days if not sold - President Donald Trump on August 6, 2020 signed an executive order that would ban Chinese apps TikTok and WeChat from operating in the US if they are not sold by their Chinese parent companies within in 45 days. While WeChat is owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd, TikTok is owned by ByteDance.
• Twitter labels state-controlled media outlets, govt officials’ accounts - Twitter has announced it would not amplify tweets by state-controlled media outlets and label the accounts of government-linked media, and key government officials from the five permanent member countries of the UN Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK and the US.
• Microsoft launches Your Phone app - Microsoft has introduced a new Your Phone app that will help users access their Android phone apps directly from their desktops running Windows 10. With this, the users will soon be able to run multiple Android apps like Facebook, WhatsApp or Twitter side by side.
• Ajay Tyagi gets 18 months’ extension, to be SEBI Chairman till Feb 2022 - Retired bureaucrat Ajay Tyagi was on August 5, 2020 given an 18-month extension as the Chairman of markets regulator SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) with effect from September 1 2020 up to February 28, 2022.
• S. N. Rajeswari appointed as Oriental Insurance CMD - The Centre has appointed S.N. Rajeswari as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Oriental Insurance Company Ltd, a state- owned general insurer. National Insurance Company, Oriental Insurance and United India Insurance are the three state-owned general insurance companies.
• Sashidhar Jagdishan to succeed Aditya Puri as HDFC Bank CEO - 55-year old Sashidhar Jagdishan will succeed Aditya Puri as CEO of HDFC Bank. Jagdishan is a chartered accountant and holds a Master’s degree in Economics. Puri has been at the helm at HDFC Bank since September 1994, making him the longest-serving head of any private bank in the country.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 National Mourning Day observed at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi

• Key point – 

1. Bangladesh is observing the National Mourning Day marking the 45th anniversary of the brutal assasination of its founder President Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 15th August 1975.

• Important details –

1. In his message on this occasion President Abdul Hamid said that the day marked a ‘scandalous chapter’ in the history of Bangladesh.
2. In an interview to the state run Bangladesh Television (BTV),  President Abdul Hamid said that he was offered the post of Minister by Zia Ur Rahman who had become head of state after Bangabandhu’s assasination in 1975.
3. However, he declined the offer and publicly protested the assasination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for which he was arrested later.
4. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman along with 16 members of his family was brutally assassinated on this day in 1975 by a group of people from the armed forces at his Dhanmondi residence in Dhaka.
5. Among the close family members, only his daughter and current PM of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and her sister survived as they were not in the country when the incident took place.

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

8.1 Not Available Today

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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 41 lakh youth lose jobs in India due to COVID-19 pandemic: ILO-ADB Report

• Key point –  

1. As many as 41 lakh youths in India lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the majority of them in the construction and farm sectors, according to a joint report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) that has warned against the creation of a doomed “lockdown generation”.

• The report –

1. The youth’s employment prospects in Asia and the Pacific are severely challenged because of the pandemic.
2. Youths, who the report classifies as those between 15 and 24 years of age, will be hit harder than adults, those above 25, in the immediate crisis and risk bearing higher longer-term economic and social costs.
3. The report is based on regional assessment of the “Global Survey on Youth and Covid-19” and arrived at estimates based on available unemployment data in different countries.
4. Two-thirds of firm-level apprenticeships in India and three-quarters of internships were completely interrupted during the pandemic.
5. The report calls on governments in Asia and the Pacific to adopt urgent, large-scale and targeted measures to generate jobs for youths, keep education and training on track, and to minimise future scarring of more than 660 million young people in the region.
6. Even before the Covid crisis, youths in Asia and the Pacific had been facing challenges in the labour market, resulting in high unemployment rates and large shares of youths being excluded from both school and work.
7. In 2019, the regional youth unemployment rate was 13.8 per cent, compared to 3 per cent for adults; and more than 160 million youths (24 per cent of the population) were not in employment, education or training.
8. The report cites three ways in which young people have been affected by the pandemic –
9. These are job disruptions in the form of reduced working hours and earnings, and job losses for both paid workers and the self-employed; interruptions in their education and training; and difficulties in transitioning from school to work, and moving between jobs in a recession.

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• PM Modi in August 2020 laid a symbolic Silver brick as the foundation stone for the ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir’ at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh.
• Hepatitis-free future was the theme of World Hepatitis Day on July 28.
• Haryana will host the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
• The Army on July 26, 2020 commemorated its victory over Pakistan in Kargil war in the year 1999.
• PM Modi on July 10, 2020 inaugurated 750 MW solar power project in Madhya Pradesh.

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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