Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 05-09-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 05-09-2020

• [message]
• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. COVID-19 – India’s cases hit 4m, last 1m rise fastest for any country – Covid-19 cases in India raced past 4 million on Friday (September 4), just 13 days after hitting the 3 million mark, even as fresh cases in the past 24 hours surged to a new high of over 87,800. This was the third consecutive day of highest rise in new infections. India is the third country after the US and Brazil to record 4 million cases. While India took the longest time for cases to increase from one to 1 million (168 days), its subsequent growth in infections has been the fastest. Cases in India have grown from 1 million to 4 million in 50 days, while it took 75 days in Brazil and 86 days in the US. The last million was in just 13 days—the fastest million so far— with previous being 16 days, recorded in both India and the US. However, India’s fatality rate remains the lowest among the three worsthit countries, less than half the mortality rate in the US.
2. Economy – Govt may hike duty on imported cars – In a move seen as a protectionist measure, the government has said that import duty on cars and completely- and semi-knocked down assemblies (CKD and SKD) could be raised as it also advised foreign makers to reduce the amount of royalty payments that they charge on their subsidiaries. Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal told a conference of auto industry professionals that manufacturing in India needs to be strengthened further for which the government would look at a number of measures, including boosting exports and even taking a relook at a free trade agreement with the EU. A hike in the CKD and SKD duty has the potential to hit the business of luxury and premium makers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Skoda, Volkswagen, and even Honda and Toyota (through Lexus).
3. Economy – RBI revamps rules for priority sector loans, adds startups – The RBI has overhauled its priority sector lending (PSL) norms to boost fund flows to districts that have been excluded and has doubled its limit for health infrastructure to Rs 10 crore, and for renewable energy to Rs 30 crore. According to the new norms, loans of up to Rs 50 crore to startups (as defined by the industry ministry) also qualify as PSL. With agriculture being the only sector expected to grow this fiscal year, the RBI has decided to ramp up credit flow to this segment and said targets prescribed for small and marginal farmers and weaker sections will be increased in a phased manner. Banks can now lend up to Rs 5 crore to Farmer Producer Organisations and individual households can get loans up to Rs 10 lakh for renewable energy generation.
4. Education – SC rejects appeal by 6 State Ministers against JEE, NEET – The SC has dismissed a plea filed jointly by Ministers from six non-BJP-ruled States against the conduct of the JEE Main and the NEET-UG amid the pandemic. The three-judge Bench found no merit in the plea to review the top court’s order on August 17 refusing to entertain a petition by students to postpone the NEET and the JEE. The Ministers had submitted that lakhs of students should not fall prey to the Centre’s “knee-jerk” and “haphazard” plans, which will prove “worse than the disease itself”. The National Testing Agency (NTA) had notified the JEE between September 1 to 9. The NEET for medical seats are scheduled for September 13. The JEE Main is slated to be conducted at over 660 exam centres, with 9.53 lakh students taking it. The NEET will see 15.97 lakh students in 3,843 centres across the country.
5. Research/Study – Russia’s COVID-19 vaccine is safe: study – The two-shot vaccine being developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute generated a strong immune response and didn’t produce serious adverse reactions in the 76 volunteers who were inoculated in a trial. This is the first time that details of the early human studies — or Phase-1/2 trials, to check the vaccine’s safety and ability to generate an immune response — of the vaccines have been reported in a peer-reviewed journal. The vaccine consists of two components, a recombinant adenovirus type 26 (rAd26) vector and a recombinant adenovirus type 5 (rAd5) vector, both carrying the gene for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein (rAd26-S and rAd5-S). Adenoviruses commonly affect humans and primates and have emerged as a sought-after platform to develop a vaccine against COVID-19.
6. World – Greece rejects NATO mediation – Turkey has accused Greece of shunning dialogue and lying after Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said NATO-brokered talks to reduce tension in the eastern Mediterranean could only be held if Ankara stopped making “threats”. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has said Greek and Turkish leaders “agreed to enter into technical talks at NATO to establish mechanisms for military de-confliction to reduce the risk of incidents and accidents”. But Athens said it had never agreed to the technical talks, which in any case did not constitute dialogue with Turkey. Greek government said Mr. Stoltenberg’s initiative “is very far from being termed an agreement to restart dialogue.”
7. World – UN experts voice concerns over Hong Kong security law – UN human rights experts have told China a new security law for Hong Kong “infringes on certain fundamental rights” and voiced concerns that it could be used to prosecute political activists in the former British colony. In a rare joint letter, they also said provisions of the new law appear to undermine the independence of Hong Kong’s judges and lawyers, and the right to freedom of expression. The law allows for anything China views as subversive or secessionist or as terrorism or collusion with foreign forces to be punished with up to life in prison. Authorities in Beijing and the financial centre have said the law is necessary to ensure Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity.
8. Economy – Firms raise $31 bn in shrinking economy – Indian companies have raised a record $31 billion in equity capital in 2020 as banks strengthen their balance sheets to prepare for future economic uncertainty and corporates tap into the elevated global liquidity levels. The record raising comes despite India’s economy contracting 23.9% in the June-quarter, year-on-year, which puts it on track for the first annual contraction since 1980. Banks have been the most active issuers, raising $13.68 billion, followed by the energy and power sector with $7.05 billion, and consumer products with $3.41 billion.
9. Economy – Moody’s cuts ratings on BoB, Canara, two others – Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded the long-term local and foreign currency deposit ratings of four public sector banks — Bank of Baroda (BoB), Bank of India, Canara Bank and Union Bank of India (UBI) — to Ba1 from Baa3 and their baseline credit assessments (BCAs) to b1 from ba3. However, the ratings agency affirmed Punjab National Bank’s (PNB) long-term local and foreign currency deposit ratings at Ba1 and its BCA at b1. But PNB’s ratings outlook has been changed to negative from stable.
10. Economy – Japan offers perks to its cos moving to India from China – A week before an India-Japan summit, Japan’s ministry of economy, trade and industry (METI) announced it would add India and Bangladesh to a list of Asean countries to qualify for subsidies for Japanese manufacturers moving out of China. The METI announcement comes days after India, Japan and Australia decided to advance cooperation on building trusted, resilient supply chains. PM Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe, the outgoing Japanese prime minister, will hold their last virtual summit on September 10. The two countries are expected to sign the ACSA (Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement) which will allow military services of both countries to share logistics. (India signed a similar pact with Australia in June).

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	RBI	Medical Consultant	7	MBBS	October 9, 2020	https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/Content/PDFs/EBMCA385F89F619B494AA0A13DD10ED18BD8.PDF
2	National Book Trust	Editorial Assistant	15	Any Degree	23-09-2020	http://www.nbtindia.gov.in/writereaddata/jobattachment/thursday-september-3-20204-41-42-pmeditorial-assistant-15-post-on-contract-basis.pdf
3	Central Coal Fields Ltd	Trade Apprentice	1565	10th Class, ITI (Relevant Trade)	05-10-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/09/Notification-Central-Coal-Fields-Ltd-Trade-Apprentice-Posts.pdf
4	NVS, Pune	TGT, PGT & FCSA	454	10th, 12th Class, DCA, Degree, PG	11-09-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/09/Notification-NVS-TGT-PGT-FCSA-Vacancy.pdf
5	CSMCRI	Project Associate I	5	B.E/ B.Tech, M.Sc	25-09-2020	https://www.csmcri.res.in/jobs/project-associate-i-advt-no-csir-csmcripdecftc2020-21
6	NTA	NEET (UG) 2020	--	12th Class	Dec. 31, 2020	https://ntaneet.nic.in/Ntaneet/ShowPdf.aspx?Type=50C9E8D5FC98727B4BBC93CF5D64A68DB647F04F&ID=1B6453892473A467D07372D45EB05ABC2031647A
7	CICR	Young Professional I, II	6	B.Sc, M.Sc (Relevant Discipline)	08-09-2020	https://www.cicr.org.in/tender-job/GEAC_YP_SRS_2020.pdf

 

• [message]
• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

• [message]
• 1. CONSTITUTION AND LAW (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

1.1 Not Available Today 

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

2.1 Weekly Round-up

• Govt operationalises Rs 20,000 crore stress fund for MSMEs - In a move to provide emergency credit support to MSMEs (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) impacted by coronavirus lockdown, the government on August 19, 2020 operationalised Rs 20,000 crore stressed fund which is likely to benefit around 2 lakh medium and small entrepreneurs. Guidelines have been issued for Credit Guarantee Scheme for Subordinate Debt (CGSSD) scheme.
• The objective of the scheme is to help MSMEs with growth potential at a time when they are facing severe shortage of equity and low revenues. It seeks to extend support to the promoters of the operational MSMEs which are stressed and have become NPA as on April 30, 2020. The promoters of the MSME unit will be given credit equal to 15 percent of stake in the company or Rs 75 lakh, whichever is lower.
• As per the latest norms, this scheme seeks to extend support to MSMEs whose accounts have been standard as on March 31, 2018, and have been in regular operations, either as standard accounts, or as NPA accounts during financial year 2018-19 and 2019-20. Fraud/wilful defaulter accounts will not be considered under the proposed scheme.
• Ninety per cent guarantee coverage for this sub-debt will be given under the scheme, whereas the remaining 10 per cent would come from the promoters concerned.
• There will be a moratorium of seven years on payment of principal amount, whereas maximum tenor for repayment will be 10 years.
• Centre approves 50% of pay for 3 months as unemployment allowance to ESIC members - The Centre on August 20, 2020 eased norms to offer 50% of salary for three months as unemployment allowance to lakhs of workers who are members of the Employees State Insurance Corporation and lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.
• The employees will be eligible to claim the allowance for three months (90 days) during the period from start of lockdown on March 24 to December 31.
• They should have been part of the ESI scheme for two years during the period from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020, and should have contributed at least for 78 days during the period from October 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020 and also in one of the other three six monthly contribution periods from April 1, 2018.
• Cabinet expands borrowing limits for power discoms to help them clear dues - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on August 19, 2020 relaxed the borrowing limits of the state-owned power distribution companies (discoms), in order to assist them to clear their dues to power generation and transmission companies.
• Discoms can borrow only up to 25 per cent of their last year’s working capital, under the limits stipulated in the UDAY scheme for turnaround of the discoms. Any lending was tied with the performance of the discom. This was done to discipline the discoms’ finances.
• The CCEA has now relaxed this limit for one-time lending. This would help discoms that have exhausted their borrowing limits.
• Vande Bharat train sets tender cancelled to maintain transparency: Railways - The Railways on August 23, 2020 said the tender for 44 Vande Bharat train sets was cancelled to maintain transparency as some bidders had revealed financial details of their offer even before clearing the technical evaluation. Fresh tenders will be invited.
• Govt frames norms for enforcement of ‘rules of origin’ for imports under FTAs - The government has come out with norms for the enforcement of ‘rules of origin’ provisions for allowing preferential rate of customs duties on products imported under free trade agreements (FTAs). The new norms prescribe the minimal processing that should happen in the FTA country so that the final manufactured product may be called originating goods in that country. The objective is to check dumping of goods by a third country routed through an FTA partner country.
• Foreign exchange reserves at $535.252 billion for the week ended August 14 - Country’s foreign exchange reserves declined by USD 2.939 billion to USD 535.252 billion for the week ended August 14, RBI data showed on August 21, 2020. Foreign currency assets (FCA) dropped by USD 743 million to USD 491.550 billion. Gold reserves slumped USD 2.19 billion to USD 37.595 billion. The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) declined by USD 2 million to USD 1.479 billion. The country’s reserve position with the IMF dipped by USD 4 million to USD 4.628 billion.
• NITI Aayog task force recommends linking sugarcane prices to sugar rates - A NITI Aayog task force on ‘Sugarcane and Sugar Industry’, headed by NITI Aayog Member (Agriculture) Ramesh Chand, has recommended linking sugarcane prices to sugar rates to keep the industry in sound financial health. It has also pitched for a one-time increase in minimum sugar price to Rs 33 per kilo to help sugar mills cover the cost of production.
• DGCA to implement e-governance project for approvals, licenses by year-end - Aviation regulator DGCA on August 20, 2020 said it is implementing an e-governance project that will provide all approvals and licenses online by the end of this year. Services pertaining to pilot licensing, medical examinations and services relating to flying training organisations have already been moved online under the e-governance project called eGCA.
• CCEA approves increase in sugarcane FRP by Rs 10 for 2020-21 - The Centre on August 19, 2020 decided to increase the minimum price sugar mills pay to sugarcane growers by Rs 10 to Rs 285 per quintal for 2020-21 marketing year (October-September). A decision to increase the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane was taken in the meeting of the CCEA.
• Leasing of Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram airports approved - The Union Cabinet on August 19 approved the proposal for leasing out airports at Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram through public-private partnership (PPP). Adani Enterprises had won the rights to run six airports — Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Guwahati — through PPP model after a competitive bidding process in February 2019. These six airports are owned by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
• India’s seafood exports pegged at 12,89,651 MT in FY 2019-20 - India shipped 12,89,651 MT of seafood worth Rs 46,662.85 crore (USD 6.68 billion) during 2019-20, Kochi-based Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) said on August 17, 2020. Frozen shrimp remained the major export item in terms of quantity and value.

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

3.1 More life can be supported by dead coral remains than live corals - Research

• Key points – 

1. Resurch by conducted by University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.
2. Dead coral reefs support cryptic organisms (organisms that are morphologically indistinguishable but are genetically distinct) like hidden sea creatures, including fishes, snails, tiny crabs and worms, who hide under its rubble to save themselves from predation.
3. The researchers used 3D-printed coral mimicked surrounding reef rubble and invited unwitting reef organisms to be monitored. By sampling the RUBS’ structures over time, the team were able to identify changes in the cryptic population.
4. The researchers found the missing link in the coral reef food webs.
5. This data fills important knowledge gaps, such as how small cryptic animals support coral reefs from the bottom of the food chain, all the way up to bigger predators and to know the importance of dead coral reef rubble to the ocean ecosystem.
6. The RUBS technology provides a new opportunity for reef management, particularly for reef education and awareness.

• The road ahead -

1. There has been little information on the role of dead coral reefs so far. The study can help to create artificial reefs, which may be a short-term solution to the dying coral reef problem.

• Do you know?
  African elephants are cryptic species.
  Actually two genetically distinct, non-interbreeding species - the African bush elephant and the African elephant.

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

4.1 Turkey-Russian Military drill in the eastern Mediterranean

• Details of the issue –

1. This will happen during escalating tensions between Turkey and its coastal neighbors Greece and Cyprus over the rights to search for energy resources in the region.
2. Turkey is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member and in recent years Russia and Turkey have significantly strengthened their military, political and economic ties.
3. They are coordinating closely on their military presence in Syria.
4. Turkey has purchased Russia’s advanced S-400 missiles and has agreed to go with a Russian-built nuclear power plant on its southern coast.

• Reasons -

1. Turkish energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean with conflicting interpretations of maritime boundaries.
2. The feud between Turkey and Cyprus over gas reserves around the island, whose northern third is controlled by Turkish forces which it captures from Cyprus in 1974, following a coup attempt in which a military junta in Athens sought to unite Cyprus with Greece. The Republic of Cyprus officially has sovereignty over the entire island, though it in effect remains divided. It builds upon a much longer history of enmity between the Greeks and the Turks going back to before the modern Turkish state was founded.
3. The U.S. lifted a decades-old arms embargo (1987) on Cyprus.

• Effects on India:

1. Mediterranean oil accounted for about 4.5% of India's overall oil imports (2019-20).
2. India is not only a party, but also founded the Non Aligned Movement whereas Turkey and Russia lean to different polar ideologies. The diplomatic exchanges between Turkey and India have intensified in recent past following India’s decision to end the special status of Kashmir.
3. The road ahead -
4. Amid multiple challenges like pandemic, slow economy, conflicting claims over resources because of unresolved border disputes can potentially create a new tension-hotbed in the Mediterranean region. Peace should be ensured.

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

5.1 Not Available Today

• [message]
• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Round-up – Sports

• Sevilla win record sixth UEFA Europa League title - Sevilla clinched the Europa League football title for a record sixth time with a 3-2 win over Inter Milan in the final played at Lisbon, Portugal on August 21.

• [message]
• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 The Rajya Sabha Secretariat is extending the tenure of Departmentally-Related Standing Committees’ (DRSC) to two years from present one year

• Reason for Extension –

1. A significant amount of the tenure of the committees which is ending in Sep 2020 was lost due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, the IT panel could not complete deliberations on “Safeguarding citizens’ rights and prevention of misuse of social/online news media platforms”, for which it summoned Facebook recently.

• Details of DRSCs -

1. On the recommendation of the Rules Committee of the Lok Sabha, 17 DRSCs were set up in 1993 which increased to 24 in 2004. Out of these, 8 work under the Rajya Sabha and 16 under the Lok Sabha.
2. Each standing committee consists of 31 members (21 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha).
3. The members of the Lok Sabha are nominated by the Speaker and the members of the Rajya Sabha are nominated by the Chairman from amongst its members.
4. DRSCs secure more accountability of the Executive (i.e., the Council of Ministers) to the Parliament.
5. Through Committees, Parliament exercises its control and influence over administration and keeps vigilance over the executive.
6. They assist the Parliament in thoroughly and systematically scrutinising the matters which could not be discussed on the floor at length.
7. The Committees also provide the expertise on a matter which is referred to them.

• The Road Ahead -

1. The sittings of Parliament are steadily declining, from 100-150 sittings in the 1950s, the number is down to 60-70 sittings per year in 2019-20. So, a major part of parliamentary work is done by DRSCs.

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

8.1 Not Available Today

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

9.1 IGIB and NCDC developed technique to use mass spectrometry to detect novel coronavirus

• IGIB – Based in New Delhi, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, is engaged in research of national importance in the areas of genomics, molecular medicine, bioinformatics, etc.
• NCDC - National Centre for Disease Control  is under administrative control of the Directorate General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• Mass Spectrometry (MS) -

1. It is an analytical technique used for determining the elemental composition of samples, quantifying the mass of particles and molecules, and elucidating their chemical structure. It is based on ionization and fragmentation of sample molecules in the gaseous phase.
2. How new technique of Covid-19 detection works -
3. It is  based on mass spectrometry relies on detecting the presence of two peptides (building block of viral protein) which are unique to SARS-CoV-2 virus and not seen in any other coronavirus or other viruses.
4. Only two peptides are used for quick virus detection, though seven peptides were found to be unique to SARS-CoV-2. One of the peptides is the spike protein and the other is a replicase protein.

• Different methods for Covid-19 detection -

1. RT-PCR, Rapid Antigen, RTnPCR, Feluda, ELISA Antibody, SalivaDirect Test.

• Difference between New Technique and RT-PCR -

1. The new method can directly detect the virus without amplifying the RNA for detection. Scientists could detect the peptides of SARS-CoV-2 virus even in patients who have recovered from the symptoms and have tested negative for the virus by RT-PCR. The peptides were present even after 14 days of initial infection.
2. New technique can detect novel coronavirus with 95% sensitivity and 100% specificity with respect to RT-PCR.
3. New method takes  around 30 minutes while RT-PCR takes a minimum of 2-5 hours.
4. It would cost only about Rs.100 per test and is cheaper than RT-PCR.

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

10.1 Not Available Today

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• The new prize money for each Arjuna awardee announced by Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in Aug 2020 is Rs 15 lakh.
• eSanjeevani is the Union government’s digital platform for telemedicine consultations.
• Ebrahim Alkazi died at the age of 94 in Aug 2020. He was the Director of National School of Drama from 1962 to 1977.
• The Mahindra Group has launched Mahindra University at its 130-acre campus in Hyderabad.
• United Kingdom announced in July 2020 that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei will be completely removed from its 5G networks by the end of 2027.

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!

• [message]
• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Solve the online quiz given, right now. Check scores, and relative performance!

---

>