Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 01-09-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 01-09-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Economy – GDP collapses 23.9% in Q1, worst among big economies – India’s economy posted its steepest contraction on record in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal year as the strict lockdowns imposed to arrest the spread of Covid infection stalled economic activity, shut out consumption and investment, and led to job and income losses. Data showed GDP in April-June of 2020-21 slumped 23.9% compared with a growth of 3.1% in the previous (Jan-March) quarter. Among major economies, India’s contraction was the sharpest. China, after posting a contraction in the Jan-March quarter has recovered with a 3.2% growth in April-June. Globally, India is close to UK’s contraction of 20.4% in the second quarter. Agriculture was the only bright spot in India.
2. World – Lebanese leaders choose ex-envoy as PM – Lebanon’s under-fire leaders Monday (August 31) designated a new Prime Minister, the diplomat Mustapha Adib, to tackle the country’s deep political and economic crisis, hours before French President Emmanuel Macron was due to visit. Mustapha Adib, 48, Lebanon’s former envoy to Germany, acknowledged in a televised speech that there is “a need to form a government in record time and to begin implementing reforms immediately”. He vowed to resume talks with the International Monetary Fund for assistance to the country, which is in the throes of its worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war and was traumatised by Beirut’s deadly August 4 explosion.
3. Internal Security – Army thwarts PLA bid to seize heights near Pangong – In yet another sharp escalation in the ongoing military confrontation in eastern Ladakh since early-May, Indian soldiers thwarted an attempt by Chinese troops to occupy some heights near the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake on Saturday (August 29) night. The “provocative military movements” by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aimed at seizing the heights in the Chushul sector, broadly between Pangong Tso and Spanggur Gap, were physically blocked by the swift deployment of Indian troops in the region at an altitude of around 15,000 feet. The Army said there were no violent clashes in the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, as were witnessed during the extended bloody skirmish in the Galwan Valley on June 15 that led to the death of 20 Indian and an undisclosed number of Chinese soldiers.
4. Economy – RBI moves to ease liquidity further – The RBI has announced more measures to ease liquidity pressures amid rising yields on government securities and concerns of higher government borrowing and said that it would conduct additional, special open market operations (OMOs) as part of its efforts to ensure orderly market conditions and congenial financial conditions. The OMOs via auctions involving the simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities for an aggregate amount of ₹20,000 crore in two tranches of ₹10,000 crore each, would be conducted on September 10 and September 17. The central bank’s announcement came on a day when the government announced the biggest quarterly contraction in economic output and other data showed the Centre’s fiscal deficit had exceeded 100% of its full-year budget target in the first four months of the current fiscal.
5. Research/Study – ‘Most firms availing moratorium were struggling before COVID-19’ – Three out of four entities that availed of loan moratorium were rated in the sub-investment grade, Crisil Ratings said. Most of them were grappling with a slowing economy before the pandemic began. The severely curtailed business activity that followed in the first quarter of this fiscal had cramped cash flows, so the moratorium came as a big relief. Only one out of four companies that availed of the moratorium is rated in the investment grade (rated CRISIL BBB- or higher). They took recourse to the moratorium to build a liquidity cushion for exigencies in the near term. Every fifth company in highly impacted sectors such as gems and jewellery, hotel, auto components, automobile dealers, power (power utilities, independent power producers and energy traders), packaging, and capital goods and components availed of the moratorium.
6. World – Xinjiang ‘forcing’ people to take unproven Covid-19 drugs: Report – The government in China’s Xinjiang is resorting to draconian measures to combat the coronavirus, including physically locking residents in homes, imposing quarantines of more than 40 days and arresting those who do not comply. Authorities say the steps taken are for the well-being of all residents, though they haven’t commented on why they are harsher than those taken elsewhere. Since the start of the outbreak, the government has pushed traditional medicine on its population. The remedies are touted by President Jinping.
7. COVID-19 – With 66,000 new cases on Mon, India sees lowest jump in a week – In India, the massive surge in infections during August can be gauged from the fact that 54% of all cases recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic came during the month. India’s total caseload stands at over 36.8 lakh. Of these, 28.3 lakh have recovered while there are nearly 7.9 lakh active cases in the country. India’s number of active cases is second only to the US, where the count stands at 25.6 lakh. The virus has so far claimed 65,373 lives in India, the third highest in the world following the US (1.9 lakh) and Brazil (1.2 lakh). On August 31, India recorded the lowest jump in cases in a week, with 65,968 fresh infections reported in the country. The day’s death toll, at 824, was the lowest for a single day since August 3.
8. Law & Constitution – SC imposes ₹1 fine on Bhushan for contempt – The SC has punished civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan with a “nominal” fine of ₹1 for committing criminal contempt by “scandalising the court”. Mr. Bhushan, in a press statement, said he reserved his right to file a review but would pay the fine to an institution he holds in high esteem. The court said an “appropriate sentence” and not a mere warning was required as Mr. Bhushan had showed an “unjustifiable insistence” to not express regret.
9. People& Personalities – Ex-President Pranab Mukherjee passes away – Former President Bharat Ratna Pranab Mukherjee passed away Monday at the age of 84. Earlier in August, Mukherjee had undergone a brain surgery at the Army Research and Referral hospital in New Delhi. Hours before his death, hospital authorities said his condition had deteriorated and he was in a state of septic shock due to a lung infection. Mukherjee, in his decades-long political career, served as a Member of Parliament seven times, serving in the cabinet of several prime ministers. In 2012, Mukherjee was elected President of India.
10. Economy – Fiscal deficit overshoots FY budget target – India’s fiscal deficit in the four months to end July stood at ₹8.21 trillion ($111.7 billion), or 103.1% of the budgeted target for FY21. Net tax receipts were ₹2.03 trillion, while total expenditure was ₹10.5 trillion, the data showed, indicating the government had stepped up its spending to combat the impact of the COVID-19. The deficit is predicted to cross 7.5% of GDP in FY21, private economists said, from initial government estimates of 3.5%, mainly due to a sharp economic contraction triggered by the pandemic.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	NIELIT, Delhi	Sr. Faculty/ Sr. Programmer, Jr. Faculty/ Jr. Programmer	8	SSC, Degree/ PG (IT/ ECE/ CS)	14-09-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/08/Notification-NIELIT-Delhi-Sr.-Faculty-Jr.-Faculty-Other-Posts.pdf
2	BECIL	Dy Manager, Assist Manager, Accountant, LDC, Office Attendant	38	Middle Pass, Any Deg, Deg (Comm), M.Com, CA/ICWA	21-09-2020	https://www.becil.com/uploads/vacancy/727e83b580080011133d04542e3f1f5b.pdf
3	IIRR	SRF, Project Associate II, Field worker, JRF & Other	22	Diploma, Degree, PG, Ph.D	11-09-2020	https://www.icar-iirr.org/Virtual%20meeting%20Advertisement%202020Aug.pdf
4	NEERI	Senior Scientist, Principal Scientist	7	Ph.D	SEPT-29-2020	https://www.neeri.res.in/file_homes/41432704_Advt%20No%20NEERI-1-2020%20(English%20-Hindi).pdf
5	MSME Tool Room, Hyderabad	Sr Engineer, Engineer, PS	9	-	SEPT-28-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/08/Notification-MSME-Tool-Room-Hyderabad-Engineer-Principal-Director-Posts.pdf
6	Indian Institute of Toxicology Research	Technical Asst, Technical Officer	34	B.Sc / B.E/ B.Tech (Engg), M.Sc (Lib. Sc.)	OCT-5-2020	B.Sc (Sci), Diploma/ B.E/ B.Tech (Engg), M.Sc (Library Science)
7	NCPUL	Research Officer, Asst editor, LDC and MTS	8	Matriculation, PG	30 DAYS	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/08/Notification-NCPUL-Research-Officer-Asst-Editor-LDC-MTS-Posts.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 SC asks Centre to respond on PIL for state-wise identification of minorities 

• Key points – 

1. The SC has issued a notice seeking the Centre’s response to a public interest litigation (PIL) demanding the classification of religious minorities based on their population in each state.
2. The PIL seeks guidelines to enable minorities establish and run institutions under the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Act.

• Highlights –

1. A three-judge bench headed by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul issued a notice to three Central government ministries—Home, Law & Justice, Minority Affairs—based on the PIL filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The matter will be heard after six weeks.
2. The PIL specifically challenged the validity of Section 2(f) of the NCMEI Act 2004, which, the petition stated, gives unbridled powers to the Centre to restrict minority benefits to five religious communities—Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsees.
3. In addition, the PIL demanded the Centre lay down guidelines for the identification of minority communities at the state-level “to ensure that only those religious and linguistic groups which are socially, economically, politically non-dominant and numerically inferior, can establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.”
4. In December 2019, Upadhyay had approached the top court with a similar request wherein he challenged the classification of five religious communities as minorities under Section 2(c) of the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) Act 1992.
5. This was based on a government notification of October 23, 1992 classifying Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsees as minority groups based on their national population.
6. A bench headed by CJI SA Bobde had then dismissed the petition, observing, “States were formed on linguistic basis but religion has to be pan-India.”
7. The present petition has revived the same issue but via a different route. Instead of challenging the NCM Act, the petitioner has challenged the classification of minorities under the NCMEI Act. Upadhyay has cited a 2002 ruling of the top court in the TMA Pai cas, which states that for indentifying linguistic minorities, a state must be treated as the basic unit.
8. According to the petition, the classification of minorities under the NCMEI Act violates this judgment given by an 11-judge bench.
9. On February 20, Upadhyay had approached the apex court yet again with a request to declare Hindus as a minority in eight states/union territories where their population is less.
10. A bench headed by Justice RF Nariman allowed Upadhyay to withdraw his petition and approach the individual HCs.
11. Based on this order, Upadhyay approached the Delhi HC with the same prayer. On February 28, the HC issued a notice to the Centre, seeking its response. The PIL is still pending.

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

2.1 India GDP shrinks 23.9% in Q1: First economic contraction in 40 years is worse than feared

• Key point –  

1. India’s GDP dramatically collapsed during the lockdown quarter and contracted by 23.9 per cent on-year in April-June, as was widely expected. The fall in India’s GDP in fiscal first quarter was greater than expected.

 

• Detailed report –

1. A Bloomberg poll of economists had pegged a 19.2% on-year fall in India’s GDP in Q1.
2. The coronavirus pandemic had led to an unprecedented shut down of shops, markets, industries, and almost all the wheels of the economy in April and May.
3. It was only in the month of June that the green shoots of revival started to appear when the lockdown restrictions were eased.
4. The GDP data has shown a clear picture of the depth of India’s economic crisis. It is for the first time in the last 40 years that India’s GDP has seen a contraction.  
5. Earlier, the annual GDP growth rate climbed to 8.2 per cent in Q4 FY18. Since then, it is almost on a downward trajectory so far.
6. Q4 of FY19 was the only exception when the GDP increased by 0.1 per cent from the previous quarter.
7. While the deterioration in the manufacturing and services sectors was clearly visible in the quarter, the agriculture sector was considered to be the growth engine of the economy.
8. During April-June, the manufacturing sector shrank by 39.3 per cent and the services sector by 20.6 per cent. On the other hand, the agriculture sector was the only area that witnessed positive growth of 3.4 per cent in the quarter.

•  Government’s efforts –

1. On the back of a severe financial and structural crisis in different corners of society and economy, the Modi government rolled out a series of reforms and schemes to dampen the economic disruptions.
2. Under ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat’ package, the centre introduced PM Garib Kalyan Yojana to provide free food to weak and poor; MGNREGA jobs for migrant workers; relief to MSMEs; and landmark reforms in the farm sector.
3. Amid the measures to moderate the impact of the virus, India is also picking up the pace to cut imports and raise exports to the Global markets.

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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 India pulls out of Russia military exercise with China, Pak over Covid

• Key point –

1. India will not send its contingent to the multinational military exercise Kavkaz-2020, being organised in Russia, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Important details –

1. Russia and India are privileged strategic partners. At Russia's invitation, India has been participating in many international events. However, due to COVID-19 and consequent difficulties in exercise, India has decided not to send a contingent this year to Kavkaz-2020.
2. Both China and Pakistan are going to be a part of the multinational exercise.
3. It is believed that China's participation in the exercise was also a reason for India to pull out of the multilateral tri-services military exercise.
4. Sources say while India is locked in a military conflict with the Chinese in eastern Ladakh and on high alert all along the 4,000 kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC), it cannot be business as usual for us to be participating in multilateral military exercises with them.
5. India and China had clashed in the Galwan valley on June 15 in which 20 Indian troops had lost their lives while the Chinese also suffered a number of casualties with scores of Chinese soldiers killed and injured there.
6. Sources added that Defence Minister would be visiting Russia on September 4-6 for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation defence ministers' meeting but it is unlikely that the Indian representative would be holding any talks with his Chinese counterpart.
7. India was invited by Russia to participate in the tri-services exercise with a contingent of around 200 personnel to southern Russia in September for the multi-lateral Kavkaz-2020.
8. The exercise is being held in the Astrakhan province of Southern Russia where member countries of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Central Asian countries would be participating.
9. Exercise Tsentr, in 2019, had the participation of India, Pakistan and all SCO member-nations.
10. India and China have been engaged in a territorial conflict in Eastern Ladakh and Sub Sector North (Ladakh) where Chinese troops have transgressed into multiple areas and are refusing to completely disengage in areas such as Finger, Depsang Plains and Gogra heights.
11. Both sides have amassed over 40,000 troops on their respective side of the LAC with the induction of heavy weaponry including long-range artillery and tanks.

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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-up – Arts and Culture

• Bollywood filmmaker Nishikant Kamat dies at 50 - Bollywood filmmaker Nishikant Kamat, known for movies such as ‘Drishyam’, ‘Madaari’ and ‘Force’, passed away on August 17, 2020 in Hyderabad at the age of 50.
• Sushant Singh Rajput case: SC orders CBI probe - The Supreme Court on August 19, 2020 directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the death of Sushant Singh Rajput and asked Mumbai Police to hand over all the evidence collected so far in the case to the CBI. The court held that the Bihar Government was competent to recommend transferring the case to the CBI.
• Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj dies at 90 - Indian classical vocalist Pandit Jasraj, who belonged to the Mewati Gharana, died on August 17, 2020 in New Jersey (US) at the age of 90. Awards won by him included Padma Shri (1975), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987), Padma Bhushan (1990), Padma Vibhushan (2000) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2010).
• IIT Kharagpur opens Academy of Classical and Folk Arts - IIT Kharagpur has inaugurated the Academy of Classical and Folk Arts on its campus. It will offer training on music, fine arts and other performing arts.
• Winners of Online Patriotic Short Film Contest organised by govt. announced - A Short film titled ‘Am I?’ directed by Abhijit Paul won the first prize and a cash award of Rs. 1 lakh in the Online Patriotic Short Film Contest organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting along with National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). ‘Ab India Banega Bharat’ directed by Debojo Sanjiv got the second prize while ‘10 Rupees’ directed by Yuvraj Gokul got the third prize.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away

• Key points – 

1. Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away on Monday (August 31) afternoon after he developed a lung infection at the Army’s Research and Referral hospital where he had been admitted for a brain surgery. He was 84.
2. Mr. Mukherjee had gone into septic shock due to the lung infection. He had also tested positive for COVID-19.
3. The government has announced a seven-day mourning.

• Highlights –

1. A Congressman all his life, Mr. Mukherjee had a short break with the party in the Rajiv Gandhi years over what was termed as his ambitions to be Prime Minister but which was subsequently explained as a misunderstanding in his memoirs.
2. One of the few congressmen to have attended an annual function at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, in 2018, Mr. Mukherjee retained his friendships across party lines, despite heavy criticism from the Congress for his visit to Nagpur.
3. President Ram Nath Kovind, Mr. Mukherjee’s immediate successor at Rashtrapati Bhavan, condoled his death and said it was the “passing of an era.”
4. Pranab Mukherjee served as the 13th President of India from July 25, 2012 to 25 July 2017.
5. Before becoming the President, Mukherjee served at different times as Defence, Commerce, Foreign, and Finance Minister. He was elected to Rajya Sabha five times and twice to Lok Sabha.
6. In 2019, Pranab Mukherjee was awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.
7. Endowed with perspicacity and wisdom, Bharat Ratna Shri Mukherjee combined tradition with modernity.
8. In his five-decade-long illustrious public life, he remained rooted to the ground irrespective of the exalted office he held.
9. He endeared himself to people across the political spectrum. As the First Citizen, he continued to connect with everyone, bringing Rashtrapati Bhavan closer to the people.
10. He opened its gates for public visits. His decision to discontinue the honorific “His Excellency” was historic.

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

8.1 Mahatma Ayyankali Birth Anniversary: PM Modi pays tribute to the social reformer

•  Key point – 

1. PM Modi on Friday (Augus 28) paid tribute to social reformer Mahatma Ayyankali on his 157th birth anniversary sharing PM's 5 years old speech on Ayyankali Jayanti on social media.
2. Ayyankali Jayanthi 2020 commemorates the birthday of Ayyankali, an social reformer in Travancore, British India. The day is celebrated across Kerala.

• Who was Mahatma Ayyankali –

1. Born on August 28th, 1963 in a small villa  ge in the princely state of Travancore, now within the south of the modern-day nation of Kerala, Ayyankali efforts influenced many changes that improved social wellbeing of those people, who are today referred to as Dalits.
2. Ayyankali was the first of eight children born to Ayyan and Mala, who were members of the Pulayar community of untouchable people.
3. Growing up illiterate and seeing that many Pulayars had been efficaciously rural slaves, Ayyankali resolved to do what he should to get rid of boundaries of the caste system.
4. Ayyankali became a stated protestor for Pulayar rights. Because of the protests led through Ayyankali, in 1907 a decree turned into issued to confess students from the untouchable network to government schools.
5. When a school was burned down because a Puluyar female had attempted to enroll, Ayyankali organised a strike by way of the rural workers within the location.
6. The messiah of the Pulaya community of Kerala, describes Ayyankali as a 'Raja'.
7. Mahatma Gandhi called Ayyankali as 'Pulaya king'. Indira Gandhi described him as 'India's greatest son'.
8. Ayyankali, who has been described as "the most important Dalit leader of modern Kerala" passed away in 1941.

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

9.1 An asteroid named 2018VP1 is on a collision course with Earth - NASA

• Details –

1. Asteroid 2018VP1 has a diameter of about 2 metres, around the size of a small automobile. Only 1 in 240 chance that 2018VP1 would impact the Earth. It would likely burn up into a fireball after entering the Earth’s atmosphere. According to NASA, such an event happens about once every year.
2. Asteroids are also known as minor planets. They are rocky remnants left over from the early formation of our solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Most asteroids are irregularly shaped.
3. There are also asteroids with moon(s) and binary (double) asteroids.
4. Objects that can cause significant damage upon impact are larger than 30 metres. Asteroids that are 140 metres or larger (bigger than a small football stadium) are of “the greatest concern” due to the level of devastation their impact is capable of causing.
5. The Chicxulub Impactor was an asteroid that caused the sudden extinction of most dinosaur species 66 million years ago. It had a diameter of over 10 kilometres.

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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 -

• India will fund the implementation of a connectivity project in Maldives through a $400 million line of credit and $100 million grant.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award winner Ebrahim Alkazi died at the age of 94 in Aug 2020.
• A committee chaired by former ISRO Chairman K. Kasturirangan prepared the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• India and Bhutan launched a new trade route on July 2020 that will operate between Jaigaon and Ahllay.
• The Senkaku Islands are owned by Japan.

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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