Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 27-08-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 27-08-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. World – U.S. blacklists 24 Chinese firms amid South China Sea dispute – The US has blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted a number of individuals it said were part of construction and military actions related to disputed islands in the South China Sea. The U.S. officials said the two dozen companies played a “role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarize the internationally condemned artificial islands in the South China Sea.” The State Department said it would impose visa restrictions on Chinese individuals “responsible for, or complicit in,” such action and those linked to China’s “use of coercion against Southeast Asian claimants to inhibit their access to offshore resources.” The move marked the Trump administration’s latest efforts to crack down on companies whose goods may support Chinese military activities.
2. Constitution & Law – SC hits out at Centre on loan moratorium scheme – The SC has criticised the Union government for “hiding behind the Reserve Bank of India” without making its stand clear on the loan moratorium scheme introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The top court wanted to know whether the deferment of loan interest to prop up borrowers through their financial crisis during the national lockdown would lead to accrual of further interest once the freeze is lifted on August 31. The government is yet to file its affidavit. The court noted that the issue had been pending indecisively for some months now and advised the government against adopting a blinkered vision, focusing only on matters of business of banks and not looking at the plight of the people financially dented by the “problems created by your lockdown”.
3. World – Israel strikes Hezbollah posts – Israel said it had launched air strikes against Hezbollah observation posts in Lebanon after shots were fired from across the border towards its troops the previous evening. PM Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the shooting on Shiite militant group Hezbollah with which Israel fought a devastating month-long war in 2006, and pledged a “forceful” response to any further incidents. The border flare-up came hours after Lebanon rejected an Israeli call to reform the UN peacekeeping force which patrols the border ahead of a UN Security Council vote to renew its mandate. The Israeli Army had said earlier that a “security incident” was unfolding near Manara, a kibbutz near the UN-demarcated border between the two countries, and urged residents to take shelter.
4. Economy – ‘India risks stagnation if GDP doesn’t grow over 8% annually’ – India’s GDP needs to grow annually at 8-8.5% to create opportunities in the post COVID-19 era, and the country risks a decade of stagnating incomes and quality of life if urgent steps are not taken to spur growth, says McKinsey Global Institute. India will have to undertake a slew of reforms over the next 12-18 months with the aim of increasing productivity and creating jobs. Given the increasing urbanisation and population trends, there will be 90 million additional workers in search of non-farm jobs by 2030 and India will have to triple job creation to 12 million gainful non-farm jobs per year from the 4 million achieved between 2013 and 2018.
5. Economy – Union Bank to divest stake in IndiaFirst Life – Nearly five months after the amalgamation of Andhra Bank that also brought along a 30% stake in IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company (IFLIC), Union Bank of India has kickstarted the process of divesting the holding in the insurer. This follows regulatory limits on promoter holding in multiple insurance firms. Union Bank of India has floated an expression of interest (EoI) for the sale. The bank holds 25.1% in Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance Co. With the Andhra Bank amalgamation on April 1, Union Bank obtained its holding in IFLIC. Bank of Baroda and Carmel Point Investments hold 44% and 26%, respectively, in IFLIC. According to the EoI document, the life insurer commenced operations 12 years ago and in 2019-20, had total premium of ₹3,360 crore.
6. Business – Amazon faces antitrust case from online sellers – A group of more than 2,000 online sellers has filed an antitrust case against Amazon in India, alleging the U.S. company favours some retailers whose online discounts drive independent vendors out of business, a legal filing showed. The case presents a new regulatory challenge for Amazon in India, where it has committed $6.5 billion in investment but is battling a complex regulatory environment. In January, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) had ordered an investigation of Amazon and rival Flipkart over alleged violations of competition law and certain discounting practices, which Amazon is challenging. In the latest case, the All India Online Vendors Association, whose members sell goods on Amazon and Flipkart, allege Amazon engages in unfair business practices. The group alleges that Amazon India’s wholesale arm buys goods in bulk from manufacturers and sells them at a loss to sellers such as Cloudtail. Such sellers then offer goods on Amazon.in at big discounts.
7. COVID-19 – India records highest-ever single-day spike of over 75,000 Covid-19 cases, tally above 3.3 million – India on Thursday (August 26) registered its highest-ever spike of the coronavirus disease cases. According to Union health ministry update, the country recorded 75,760 new cases of Covid-19, which pushed the nationwide tally to over 3.31 million. The number of active cases in the country are 7,25,991, while 25,23,771 patients have been discharged. The country also recorded 1,023 fatalities in the last 24 hours which pushed the death toll to 60,472, according to health ministry data. The health ministry had said on Wednesday that the total number of Covid-19 recoveries in India exceeds the active cases of the infection by 3.5 times and the recovery rate is over 76 per cent. The record high recoveries have ensured that the number of active cases of Covid-19, which is the “actual caseload” of the country, comprises only 21.87 per cent of the total cases, it highlighted.
8. Economy – Gujarat tops exports index: NITI Aayog – Gujarat tops the Export Preparedness Index 2020 to evaluate States’ potential and capacities, followed by Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The other States that have made it to the top 10 include Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Kerala. The index ranks States on policy, business ecosystem, export ecosystem and export performance. Overall, coastal States emerged as the best performers, with six out of eight coastal States featuring in the top 10 rankings. In the landlocked States, Rajasthan performed the best, followed by Telangana and Haryana.
9. Economy – BPCL resumes ₹50,300-crore project works – Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) has resumed work on 2,118 projects, costing an estimated ₹50,300 crore, in a bid to revive economic growth. Work had been progressing since April 20 by adhering to pandemic-related standard operating procedures. The projects of BPCL, joint ventures as well as subsidiaries include refinery, petrochemicals, bio refineries, marketing infrastructure projects, pipelines and CGD projects. Of the total estimated cost, ₹9,597 crore will be the capital expenditure for FY21.
10. Education – At Opposition meeting, CMs plan to move SC on JEE, NEET – States ruled by BJP rivals are likely to file a joint review petition in the Supreme Court against the Union Education Ministry’s decision to go ahead with the JEE and NEET in September. This decision was taken at an online meeting of seven Chief Ministers, who also bitterly attacked the Centre and demanded a revisit of the GST framework if the Union government is unable to pay compensation.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	Cochin Shipyard Limited	General Worker (Canteen)	17	7th Class	04 & 05-09-2020	https://cochinshipyard.com/uploads/career/0452a3f871805c0e8c27473a6ad20f03.pdf
2	NCL	Project Scientist-II, Project Associate I & II	7	Degree/ PG (Eng./ Tech./ Medicine)	AUG-27-2020	https://www.ncl-india.org/files/DisplayResource.aspx?ResourceId=e82d013d-db1d-4168-bfbe-670a7e78be4e&OriginalFileName=Advt02MLP100246Aug202017082020.pdf
3	BECIL	Social Media Executive	12	Degree (Mass Comm.)	SEPT-14-2020	https://www.becil.com/uploads/vacancy/394b0ca891bf9678ae058b767cc2b38e.pdf
4	RARISD	Sr Research Fellow, Consultant	5	BAMS, MD	29-08-2020 – Walk in	http://www.ccras.nic.in/sites/default/files/viewpdf/Vacancies/25082020_RARISD_Vijaywada_Advert.pdf
5	ISI, Kolkata	Project Linked Personnel	10	B.E/ B.Tech, Ph.D	SEPT-8-2020	https://web.isical.ac.in/sites/default/files/jobs/1598365730450_Advt%20-%20RC%20Bose%20Centre.pdf
6	BEL	Trainee Engineer -I, Trainee Officer-I	18	BE/ B.Tech/ B.Sc, MBA, MSW	SEPT-15-2020	EShttp://www.bel-india.in/Documentviews.aspx?fileName=Web-Advt-Trainee-Project-Engineer-Pune-20%2008%202020.pdf
7	DRDO-DLRL	JRF	10	B.E/ B.Tech/ M.E/ M.Tech	21 DAYS	https://www.drdo.gov.in/sites/default/files/whats_new_document/JRF_DLRL.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 Not Available Today.

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

2.1 The value of participatory note (P-note) investments in Indian capital markets increased to Rs. 63,288 crore till July 2020-end - SEBI data

1. This is the fourth consecutive monthly rise in investments through P-notes.
2. Of the total Rs. 63,288 crore invested through the route till July, Rs 52,356 crore was invested in equities, Rs.10,429 crore in debt, Rs. 250 crore in hybrid securities and Rs. 190 crore in the derivatives segment.
3. The investments through P-notes was Rs 62,138 crore at the end of June 2020.
4. Prior to that, investment level was at Rs 60,027 crore and Rs 57,100 crore at the end of May and April, respectively.
5. The investment level had fallen to over a 15-year-low of Rs 48,006 crore at the end of March 2020.
6. The figure at the end of March 2020 was the lowest level of investment since October 2004, when the total value of P-note investments in the Indian markets stood at Rs 44,586 crore.
7. The lower figure in March came amid significant volatility in broader markets on concerns over the coronavirus-triggered crisis.
8. P-notes are Offshore Derivative Instruments (ODIs) issued by registered Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) to overseas investors who wish to be a part of the Indian stock markets without registering themselves directly. P-notes have Indian stocks as their underlying assets.

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

3.1 California (USA) is facing sprawling wildfires destroying more than 400,000 acres of forests in Northern and Central California

• Key points –

1. The spark for many of these fires come from around 11,000 lightning strikes California has been hit by.
2. The 10 largest fires have occurred since 2000, including the 2018 Mendocino Complex Fire, the largest in history of the USA..
3. The frequency of western U.S. wildfires has increased by 400% since 1970.
4. California has two distinct fire seasons - western fire season (From June through September) and Second Fire Season (From October through April). Santa Ana winds dry out vegetation and also move embers around, spreading fires.
5. The first season caused by hot summer season and the second season caused due to Santa Ana Winds which burns closer to urban areas three times faster than first season fires.

• Reasons -

1. Climate, Human intervention are main reasons. With global warming, the temperature has increased by 1-2 degree Celsius, leading to an upsurge in cases of wildfires. Due to urbanization, human habitation is increasingly moving areas near forests, known as the urban-wildland interface, that are inclined to burn.
2. Owing to suppression of natural fires artificially for a long time, the dry inflammable materials in the forest gets consumed, a lot of dry material has accumulated causing even more fires.
3. Impact -
4. Destruction of life and property, Air pollution, Land degradation and Loss of biodiversity.

• The road ahead -

1. Not planting easily flammable tree species such as eucalyptus and pine.
2. Not allowing human development near forest zones, and promoting policies that conserve water like waste-water recycling, desert landscaping, and low-water consumption appliances.
3. Controlling greenhouse gas emission and thus, climate change is crucial.

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

4.1 Weekly Round-up I

• Key points –

• Idols from U.S. galleries handed over to India - The U.S. authorities have formally handed over to India a set of priceless antique pieces, including a limestone relief of Shiva and Parvati, a marble Apsara, and some other idols. 
• The artefacts were handed over to Indian officials at a ceremony to mark the Indian Independence Day festivities in New York on August 15, 2020. They were reportedly stolen and smuggled out of the country at different times.
• Launching ‘Operation Hidden Idol’ in 2012, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security had unearthed a treasure of 2,622 objects valued at $108 million from the business and storage facilities of notorious smuggler Subash Kapoor.  Following this, the U.S. authorities began seizing many antique pieces from auction houses and art galleries across the country. Over 200 of them were returned to India in June 2016, while many are yet to be handed over due to pending legal formalities.
• 4th session of BRICS anti-drug working group held - The 4th session of the BRICS anti-drug working group, under the chairmanship of Russia, was held on August 12, 2020. The common points emerged during the discussions include need for real-time information sharing among the member states and need to curb increased drug trafficking through maritime routes. India was represented by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director General Rakesh Asthana.   
• India dispatches technical equipment to Mauritius to deal with oil spill - The Government of India has dispatched over 30 tonnes of technical equipment and material to Mauritius to supplement the country’s ongoing oil spill containment and salvage operations. A Japanese-owned cargo ship MV Wakashio had run aground offshore on July 25 and started spilling tons of fuel in August.
• India, Maldives ink contract for development of 5 eco-tourism zones - India and Maldives on August 10, 2020 signed a contract for development of five eco-tourism zones in Addu atoll of the island nation in the presence of Indian high commissioner Sunjay Sudhir. These eco-tourism zones are part of grant projects being implemented under the High-Impact Community Development project (HICDP) scheme by India.
• Maldives: India to give credit & grant for Greater Male Connectivity Project - India will fund the implementation of a major connectivity project in Maldives through a $400 million line of credit and $100 million grant, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on August 13, 2020 after holding talks with his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid. The 6.7 km Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) will connect Male with three neighbouring islands -- Villingili, Gulhifahu and Thilafushi.  
• New York: Tricolour hoisted at Times Square to celebrate Independence Day - The tricolour was hoisted for the first time at the iconic Times Square in New York on August 15, 2020 to celebrate India’s 74th Independence Day. India’s Consul General in New York, Randhir Jaiswal hoisted the Indian flag during a special commemoration organised by the Federation of Indian Associations.

 

• Those with qualifications from medical colleges in PoJKL can’t practice in India - The Medical Council of India (MCI) on August 10, 2020 said that any qualification obtained from medical colleges located in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (PoJKL) shall not entitle a person to practice modern medicine in India.
• India’s Ambassador to China holds talks with Central Military Commission in Beijing - India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri held talks with China’s top military body, the Central Military Commission (CMC), in Beijing on August 14, 2020, amid an acknowledgement from Delhi that completing the stalled disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) would require “reciprocal actions” from both sides.

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

5.1 The Employees' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) has extended the Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana by one year to 30th June 2021

• ESIC has relaxed eligibility criteria and enhanced the payment of the unemployment benefit under the Yojana (applicable from 24th March-31st December 2020).
• Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana was introduced w.e.f. 1st July 2018.
• Under it, unemployment benefit is paid to the workers covered under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) scheme.
• Unemployment benefit is paid in the form of cash compensation upto 90 days, once in a lifetime, to be claimed after three months (90 days) in one or more spells for being rendered unemployed.
• The employee should have completed two years of insurable employment and has contributed not less than 78 days in each of the four consecutive contribution periods immediately preceding to the claim of the relief.
• The benefit does not exceed 25% of the average earning per day.
• The  ESI Act, 1948 applies to all factories and notified establishments located in implemented areas employing 10 or more persons and is applicable on employees drawing wages up to Rs. 21,000 per month (Rs. 25,000 for persons with disabilities).
• In July 2019, the contribution rate under the ESI Act was reduced from 6.5% to 4% (employers’ contribution from 4.75% to 3.25% and employees’ contribution from 1.75% to 0.75%).
• Employees in receipt of a daily average wage upto Rs.137 are exempted from payment of contribution.
• The Employees' State Insurance Scheme is administered by a corporate body called the ESI Corporation.
• The Union Minister of Labour and Employment is its Chairman.
• It covers about 3.49 crore of family units of workers and provides cash benefits and medical facilities to 13.56 crore beneficiaries.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Round-up – Arts and Culture

• Urdu poet Rahat Indori, aged 70, dies - Famous Urdu poet Rahat Indori died at the age of 70 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh on August 11, 2020 while being treated for COVID-19. With a 50-year career in poetry, Indori was known for the lyrics of films like Munnabhai MBBS, Kareeb and Ghatak
• Trini Lopez, singer and guitarist, dies in US at the age of 83 - Trini Lopez, a singer and guitarist who gained fame for his versions of ``Lemon Tree’’ and ``If I Had a Hammer’’ in the 1960s and took his talents to Hollywood, died August 11, 2020 at the age of 83.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 The Haryana government is planning to bring a Bill to provide 50:50 reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for men and women candidates, and rotate the seats between male and female representatives after each term

• Key points –

1. Men and women will be able to contest panchayat polls under the odd-even formula. This will be implemented for sarpanches and members of village wards, block samitis and zila parishads.
2. This will ensure equal opportunities for men and women, and women.
3. Policy of reservation for only one term and rotation of reserved seats and posts of chairperson can hinder the consolidation of leadership qualities among women representatives as it takes time for them to learn the skills of handling and negotiating various conflicting interests within the panchayat.
4. To deal with this issue, some states like Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha and Karnataka have made provisions for two term reservation of seats at PRIs.
5. Haryana previously enacted Haryana Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Act, 2015 laying down eligibility criteria to be able to contest Panchayat elections in the state.
6. It included disqualification in case of non-completion of minimum educational criteria (like class X pass for general category and Class 8th for SC), non-payment of arrears and debts to co-operative banks or electricity bills, and not having functional toilets at home.
7. The Supreme Court upheld this decision arguing that prescription of an educational qualification is not irrelevant for better administration. Also, the criteria of insolvency and toilets will encourage good practices among legislators.
8. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 mandates 33.3% reservation for women in PRIs across the country.

• The road ahead -

1. The current proposal is a welcome step. Increasing women in PRIs will increase the probability of their better representation in parliament, which as of now is only 14%. In capacity building of women representatives, governments must also invite and involve civil society organizations, women’s groups, academic institutions, corporate social responsibility foundations and also international organizations like UNWomen.

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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 Astronomers from the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) have found out the reasons behind intense star formation in some dwarf galaxies

• Key point –   

1. 100 times less massive than the Milky-way galaxy are called dwarf galaxies. These are the most abundant type of galaxy in the universe but are difficult to detect due to their low luminosity, low mass and small size but some dwarf galaxies have been seen forming new stars at a mass-normalized rate i.e. 10-100 times more than that of the Milky-way galaxy.
2. The star-formation activities do not last longer than a few tens of million-years, a period which is much shorter than the age of these galaxies - typically a few billion years.
3. Star formation at a high rate requires very high density of Hydrogen in the galaxies. Multiple nuclei and high concentration of ionized hydrogen have been found in the central region of such galaxies.
4. Hydrogen in these dwarf galaxies is found to be irregular and sometimes not moving in well-defined orbits i.e. non-symmetric distribution of hydrogen.
5. Some Hydrogen around these galaxies is also detected in forms of isolated clouds, plumes, and tails as if some other galaxy recently has collided or brushed away with these galaxies, and gas is scattered as debris around the galaxies.
6. Scientists used the 1.3-meter Devasthal Fast Optical Telescope (DFOT) near Nainital (Uttarakhand) and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Maharashtra.

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• 10. FACTS, CHARTS, RANKINGS and EDITORIALS (Prelims + GS Mains)

10.1 Per hectare profitability will improve 3-5% year-on-year to Rs. 10,0000 in the Kharif (Summer Crop) Season 2020 - CRISIL

• Key points – 

1. A detailed analysis of 25 key field and horticultural crops done by the rating agency Crisil has indicated that per hectare profitability will improve 3-5% year-on-year to Rs. 10,0000 in the Kharif (Summer Crop) Season 2020 but economists say that individual farmers are unlikely to see any hike in their own income.
2. Agriculture is one of the few bright spots in an economy ravaged by Covid-19, with good rains expected to boost production and profits, especially in the paddy crop.
3. To support farmers in effectively undertaking the post-harvest rabi produce and preparatory work for kharif crops, Rs. 30,000 crore additional emergency working capital fund through NABARD and Rs. 2 lakh crore of concessional credit have been provided by the government.
4. The agriculture sector showed growth of 5.9% in the last quarter of 2019-2020.
5. Some economists have opined that despite a hike in overall profits, per capita (per farmer) income may see a dip.
6. Reverse migration due to Covid-19 may have resulted in the number of people employed in the agriculture sector this summer rising by up to 16% over farm employment in 2019.
7. As per the data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the farm sector gained 14.9 million jobs in the April-July 2020 period.

• Possible reasons behind reduced income of farmers:

1. Reverse Migration - Because of the Covid lockdown, large numbers of people have gone back to rural areas, and apart from MGNREGA and agriculture, there is not any significant work. In general, people just migrate out of farming, mostly voluntarily, in search for better paying employment. But, people who can, do migrate into farming when they lose non-farming jobs.MIE data shows that 111.3 million people declared their occupation as farming in 2019-20. By March 2020, this had increased to 117 million, shooting up to 130 million in June.
2. Demand for Labour - Till the sowing season ends in August, there will remain demand for farm labour. This means, even if there is an increase in farm profits, it will not help in reviving rural demand, as too many people are dependent on farm income this year.
3. Other reasons are rise in Covid-19 cases in Rural India and Decrease in the Prices of the Produce.

• Steps Taken by the Government -

1. The three ordinances introduced under the Atmanirbhar Bharat scheme in May 2020 - Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance - will give the farmers the benefit of ‘my crop, my right’ and help them gain higher prices for their produce.
2. Launch of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund of Rs.1 lakh crore by the Prime Minister for setting up cold chains, refrigerated transportation, etc. will help farmers command better prices.

• The road ahead -
• Initiatives undertaken by MNCs such as ‘e-choupal’ by ITC Limited which enables rural India with technical know-how for an effective agri ecosystem and facilitates transparent mechanism for price discovery should be encouraged. Government should consolidate and leverage the CSC (Common Service Center) pan India network.

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• The government announced abolition of the All India Handicrafts Board in August 2020..
• More than 50 people died after a landslide at Rajamala in Idukki district of Kerala in August 2020.
• Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman attended the 5th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank on July 28, 2020.
• India’s foreign exchange reserves in the week ended July 17, 2020 was $517.637 bn.
• Rajnath Singh is the Indian counterpart of Benjamin Gantz of Israel.

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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