Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 10-09-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 10-09-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Defence – Massive Chinese build-up on north bank of Pangong lake – As Indian troops are engaged in a stand-off on the south bank of Pangong Tso (lake) for the past week, a massive build-up had again begun in the Finger area of the north bank. The ground commanders met to resolve the stalemate but it remained inconclusive. The PLA had occupied the ridge lines and amassed troops on the north bank, where Fingers 4-8 are located. There was a worrying concentration of troops on both sides, with China dominating the area. The development comes a day before the Foreign Ministers of both countries are expected to meet in Moscow on the sidelines of a meeting of the eight-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). As reported, China has ingressed about 8 km in the Finger area of the north bank. India has not been able to patrol beyond Finger 4 since April last week when China amassed troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Earlier, Indian troops could patrol up to Finger 8.
2. COVID-19 Updates – SII pulled up for not pausing vaccine trial – The Drug Controller of India has demanded that the Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune, which is conducting Phase-3 trials on people in India involving U.K.-based AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, explain why tests have not been paused in India too until safety has been established. AstraZeneca put global trials on hold after reports emerged of “severe adverse reaction” in a volunteer being injected with the vaccine, probably in the United Kingdom. The nature of the event was not known. This pause would prevail, pending a review by a data safety monitoring board, AstraZeneca said in a statement in response to medical news website, Stat News. Pune-based SII, which is testing a COVID-19 vaccine, said that so far there had been “no issues” with its trials.
3. Social – HC hammers BMC for haste to demolish Kangana’s house – Observing that the conduct of the BMC, which carried out demolition of allegedly unauthorised constructions at actor Kangana Ranaut’s bungalow in Pali Hill, Bandra was “highly deplorable”, the Bombay high court in a scathing order directed the municipal body to immediately stop the demolition. The HC bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and Riyaz Chagla said that “though the manner in which the BMC proceeded to commence the demolition prima facie...smacks of mala fide...it was giving an opportunity to the corporation to explain its conduct on affidavit by 3pm”.
4. Economy – EPFO to pay 8.5% interest in tranches: first 8.15%, rest later – Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) has decided to recommend 8.5% interest rate on provident fund for formal sector employees for 2019-20 but it will be paid in two tranches due to shortfall in its income due to the Covid-19 impact on financial markets. The Central Board of Trustees of the fund met virtually and decided to recommend 8.5% interest to the finance ministry. The first tranche of 8.15% will be paid from the debt income and the balance 0.35% from sale of exchange traded funds subject to their redemption by December 31. This is being treated as a one-time measure in view of the exceptional circumstances due to the pandemic. The 8.5% rate is the lowest in seven years and the staggered payment is the first of its kind in the retirement body’s history.
5. Environment and Ecology – 68% of biodiversity lost in 50 yrs: Report – The planet lost 68% of its biodiversity population in the past five decades. The brunt of it was borne by freshwater species, whose population went down by 84%. And even with increased conservation efforts, an improvement seems unlikely before 2050, says the latest bi-annual ‘Living Planet Report’ released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The Living Planet Index mapped 21,000 populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. The patterns show wide regional variance. The Asia Pacific saw a 45% drop in biodiversity, the second biggest after Latin America and the Carribean, which lost 94%. Singled out as a particular cause of concern are freshwater species. Almost one in three are threatened with extinction.
6. International Relations – Trilateral with Russia before Jaishankar-Wang meet today – India and China will look to pull back from the brink of a military conflict in a likely meeting between foreign minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the margins of the SCO meeting in Moscow on Thursday. While the Chinese foreign ministry didn’t confirm the meeting, Chinese sources said it was expected, even if there was “no confirmed information”. There was not much to inspire confidence about the overall situation, with Chinese sources on Wednesday repeating PLA claims that Indian soldiers “provoked” the Chinese by crossing the LAC. Indian officials here didn’t hazard any guess about the outcome of the meeting on Thursday. Jaishankar will also join Wang and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov for a luncheon meeting before the proposed bilateral with Wang.
7. Environment and Ecology – 4.4sq km of tiger habitat given to projects in 7 mths – In the last 7 months, the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) headed by PM Modi has approved 59 proposals diverting 435 hectares (4.4sq km) of tiger habitat forest that fell within protected areas (PAs) and outside. The NBWL is a statutory body created under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The 47-member committee is tasked with promoting conservation and development of wildlife and forests. The area diverted equal the size of the Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra. An analysis by Legal Initiative for Forest & Environment said of the 59 proposals, 28 were for diversion within wildlife sanctuaries and 30 were tiger habitats. Out of 28 proposals, 21 were approved and the remaining were deferred for later. The maximum diversion (44 hectares) due to linear projects took place within Bhagwan Mahaveer Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park in Goa. Over 17,000 trees will be cut for the project.
8. World – Trump knew Covid was deadly but wanted to ‘play it down’, Woodward book says – Donald Trump knew the extent of the deadly coronavirus threat in Feb but intentionally misled the public by deciding to “play it down”, according to interviews recorded by one of America’s most venerated investigative journalists. The US president gave Bob Woodward 18 interviews between December 2019 and July 2020. They form the basis of his revelatory new book, Rage, obtained on Wednesday by the Washington Post and CNN, in which Trump is condemned by his own words. Trump 'wanted to play down' Covid despite knowing deadliness, Bob Woodward book says – as it happened. Just two months before he seeks re-election, Trump is quoted describing former president George W Bush as “a stupid moron” and mocking the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality and an end to police brutality. The book also reports that the US may have come close to nuclear war with North Korea in 2017.
9. World – United States formally announces troop reduction in Iraq – The United States military on Wednesday announced that it would be reducing its presence in Iraq from 5,200 to 3,000 troops this month, formalizing a move that had been long expected. The United States has around 5,200 troops that were deployed in Iraq to fight the Islamic State militant group. Officials in the U.S.-led coalition say Iraqi forces are now mostly able to handle the remnants of Islamic State on their own.
10. Business – Silver Lake acquires 1.8% in Reliance Retail for ₹7,500cr – Private equity firm Silver Lake will pay Rs. 7,500 crore (just over $1 billion) to acquire a 1.8% stake in the retail business of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, making the Silicon Valley fund the first external investor in the consumer-focused unit. The transaction, which is Silver Lake’s third investment in India this year after education technology startup Byju’s and digital services company Jio Platforms, values Reliance Industries’ retail unit at Rs 4.2 lakh crore ($57 billion). This valuation, when compared with listed companies, ranks the retail unit at the fifth spot in India after HUL, HDFC Bank, TCS and RIL itself. The American fund’s investment in Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), a subsidiary of RIL and the holding company of its retail business, sets the pricing benchmark for the consumerfocused unit that is expected to see more external investors in the coming weeks.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	SCTIMST	Apprentice	5	VHSE ECG Technology	16-09-2020 – Walk in	https://www.sctimst.ac.in/Recruitment/resources/APPRENTICE%20IN%20ECG%20TECHNOLOGY%20-%20DATE%20&%20TIME%2016.09.2020%20-%209.00%20AM.pdf
2	CSMCRI	Technical Assistant & Technician	-	ITI, Dip.(Civil), B.Sc	SEPT-23-2020	https://www.csmcri.res.in/jobs/technical-assistant-and-technician-1-advertisement-no-12020
3	Zoological Survey of India	Jr Research Fellow & Sr Research Fellow	20	PG (Zoology/ Life Sciences)	SEPT-30-2020	https://zsi.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/file/Advertisement/2020_Sep_Advt_01.pdf
4	PNRD, Assam	IT Officer, Quality Control Officer, JE	13	Diploma, Deg., PG	SEPT-15-2020	http://pnrd.org/staterecruitment/assets/docs/CPRD_MGNREGA_21_2020.pdf
5	Deputy Commissioner, Bongaigaon	Orunodoi Sahayak	12	Any Degree	SEPT-14-2020	https://bongaigaon.gov.in/sites/default/files/swf_utility_folder/departments/bongaigaon_epr_amtron_in_oid_2/menu/right_menu/right_menu/letterforlink_1.pdf
6	Assam PSC	Combined Competitive (Prelims) Exam	331	Any Degree	OCT-10-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/apsc-combined-competitive-exam/221067/#CCE-2020
7	BPSC	Assistant Professor (Electri. , Electro. Engg)	18	B.E/ B.Tech/ B.Sc/M.Tech/M.E/MS	SEPT-29-2020	http://www.bpsc.bih.nic.in/Advt/NB-2020-09-09-08.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 Not Available Today

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

3.1 Adani ranks world’s largest solar power generation asset owner

•  Highlights – 

1. Mercom Capital has ranked Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL) as the world’s largest solar power generation asset owner in terms of operating, under-construction and awarded projects.
2. AGEL’s under-construction and awarded capacity stands at 10.1 GW, while its operational capacity is nearly 3 GW.
3. Adani’s renewable energy portfolio exceeds the total capacity installed by the entire US solar industry in 2019 and will displace over 1.4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the life of its assets.
4. The group is one of the most fully integrated solar players in the world, manufacturing solar cells and modules, undertaking project development, construction, financial structuring and owning and operating its assets.
5. AGEL targets to achieve an installed generation capacity of 25 GW by 2025.
6. The Adani Group is an integrated industrial conglomerate operating globally with six publicly traded companies with total revenues of USD 15 billion and a market capitalisation of USD 30 billion.

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

4.1 Weekly Roundup I

• 17th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers’ Consultations held - Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways and Tran Tuan Anh, Minister of Industry and Trade of Vietnam co-chaired the 17th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultations held virtually on August 29, 2020. The meeting was attended by the Trade Ministers of all the 10 ASEAN countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to take collective actions to ensure macroeconomic and financial stability.
• India co-sponsors UN resolution on women’s role in peace keeping missions - India co-sponsored a Security Council resolution tabled by Indonesia in the United Nations seeking women’s participation in peacekeeping missions on August 28, 2020. The resolution tabled by Indonesia (currently a non-permanent member in UN Security Council), calling for “full, effective, and meaningful” participation of women in peacekeeping operations.
• India withdraws its participation in Kavkaz 2020 exercise in Russia in Sept - India has withdrawn its participation in Kavkaz 2020 multinational defence exercise in Russia in September citing logistics difficulties due to COVID-19 pandemic. Kavkaz 2020, also referred to as Caucasus-2020, is scheduled to be held in Astrakhan in Southern Russia from September 15 to 26. Participants included China, Pakistan and Turkey apart from other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
• India ($437) ranked 72nd in terms of the average wage per month by Picodi.com - India has been ranked a lowly 72nd among 106 countries in terms of the average wage per month, while Switzerland topped the chart, according to a global ranking of average wages prepared by Picodi.com. While India had an average monthly wage of Rs 32,800 ($437), Switzerland topped the ranking with $5,989 (Rs 4,49,000).
• China to unveil bronze statue of Indian doctor Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis - A bronze statue of Indian doctor Dwarkanath Kotnis, who is revered in China for his contributions during the Chinese revolution headed by its founder Mao Zedong and the World War II, would be unveiled outside a medical school in North China in September, according to state-run Xinhua news agency on August 27, 2020.

 

• Maldives launches India backed infrastructure projects - A ground-breaking ceremony for development of the Hulhumalé Central Park and renovation of the Arrival Jetty in Maldives financed by India was held on August 27, 2020. Hulhumalé is a reclaimed island near capital Male.
• BRICS Industry Ministers discuss ways to boost cooperation in 5G, AI - Industry Ministers of BRICS countries attended a video meeting on August 25, 2020 to discuss ways to boost cooperation in areas including 5G and Artificial Intelligence. The BRICS countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
• Guterres delivers Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture at New-Delhi based TERI - “India can become a true global superpower in the fight against climate change, if it speeds up its shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture at New-Delhi based TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute). Guterres delivered the lecture virtually on August 28, 2020.
• K. S. Bajpai, former Indian Ambassador to the United States and Pakistan, dies at 92 - Katyayani Shankar Bajpai, former Indian Ambassador to the United States and Pakistan, died in New Delhi on August 30, 2020 at the age of 92. He served in Pakistan during the mid-1960s when the war with Pakistan broke out across the western sector. Bajpai served in the US in 1980s.

4.2 Germany joins Indo-Pacific club aimed at securing trade routes from aggressive China

• Key points –  

1. Germany has joined the Indo-Pacific club.
2. The move is aimed at securing the trade routes from aggressive China.
3. Germany has drafted a 40-page guidelines as it formally adopts a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region.
4. The move makes it the second European nation after France to formally adopt a strategy for the Indo-Pacific region.
5. The move by Germany augurs well for the Quad which is constituted by the United States, Japan, Australia, and India.

• Other details –

1. The strategy is designed to allow Germany to make an active contribution to shaping the international order in the Indo-Pacific.
2. The move by Germany augurs well for the Quad which is constituted by the United States, Japan, Australia, and India.
3. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, the Indo-Pacific is where the shape of the international rules-based order of tomorrow will be decided.
4. He said Germany wants to help shape that order-so that it is based on rules and international cooperation, not on the law of the strong.

• How big a role will Germany take on –

1. Germany’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific is likely to differ considerably from the strong posture that the United States under President Donald Trump assumes.
2. The US makes no bones about the fact that it puts the Indo-Pacific at the centre of its national security strategy.
3. The German guidelines do not signal any significant economic decoupling.
4. As per some reports, China is a huge market for German cars such as the Volkswagen, the BMW and the Mercedes-Benz.
5. Berlin is unlikely to damage this vital trade relationship. But Germany's bold move at the moment will likely soon influence other European nations to follow Germany and France in forging new paths into the Indo-Pacific.

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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 – Defence

• Mobile app "DGNCC" launched for online training of NCC cadets - Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on August 27, 2020 launched a mobile application to assist in online training of NCC (National Cadet Corps) cadets in the country in view of the restrictions imposed by COVID-19. The mobile app, called "DGNCC", aims at providing NCC cadets all training materials, including syllabus, training videos and frequently asked questions, on one platform.
• BPR&D celebrates its Golden Jubilee Anniversary - The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) celebrated its Golden Jubilee Anniversary on August 28, 2020. BPR&D was raised on 28th August, 1970, through a resolution of Ministry of Home Affairs, with a mandate to promote excellence in policing and promote speedy and systematic study of police problems.
• Army Chief honours 51 Special Action Group of the National Security Guards - Army Chief General Manoj Naravane on August 24, 2020 conferred the COAS (Chief of Army Staff) Unit Appreciation to 51 Special Action Group (SAG) of the National Security Guard (NSG) in recognition of the Group’s outstanding achievements in combating terrorism. The most noteworthy mission of SAG was 'Operation Black Tornado' during the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008..
• DRDO Chairman G. Satheesh Reddy given 2-year extension - DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) Chairman Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy (DRDO) was given a two-year extension by the government from August 26, 2020.

 

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Delimitation panel to visit 4 northeastern States, Jammu and Kashmir after preparing framework to redraw constituencies

• Important points –

1. The Delimitation Commission, set up to redraw the constituencies of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, will visit the northeastern States and the Union Territory after preparing a “broad framework” of the delimitation exercise.
2. The commission will also seek views and inputs of its “associate members” - a group of Lok Sabha members and MLAs - after drawing up the broad framework.
3. The delimitation panel will redraw the Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies of the four northeastern States and, work on increasing the assembly seats of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as per the provisions of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.
4. The Delimitation Commission for the four northeastern States and Jammu and Kashmir was set up in March. It is headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Desai (retd).
5. Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra is the representative of the Election Commission in the delimitation panel while State election commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir and the four States are its ex-officio members.
6. In May, the Lok Sabha Speaker had nominated 15 MPs from Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh as “associate members” of the Delimitation Commission to assist the panel in redrawing parliamentary and assembly constituencies of the northeastern States and the Union Territory.
7. The 15 MPs include two Union ministers - Kiren Rijiju and Jitendra Singh.

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

8.1 BPR&D celebrates its Golden Jubilee Anniversary

• Key points –

1. The Bureau of Police Research and Development, BPR&D celebrated its Golden Jubilee Anniversary On August 28, 2020.
2. The Bureau of Police Research and Development was raised on 28th August, 1970, through a resolution of Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, with a mandate to promote excellence in policing, promote speedy and systematic study of police problems, apply science and technology in the method and techniques by the Police.
3. It has evolved as a multifaceted, consultancy organisation. At present it has 4 divisions – Research, Development, Training and Correctional Administration.

• PM’s views –

1. Over the last 50 years, the Organization has been unwavering in its commitment in the service of the nation.
2. Government has laid emphasis on a modern, effective and sensitive security architecture that inspires a sense of safety among all sections of the society.
3. The focus needs to be on innovation and research to optimally utilise technology and human resources.
4. It is vital to continue updating areas of skilling, research and training to further the outreach and capabilities of the police force with citizen-centric and citizen-friendly approach.

8.2 Ministry of Tribal Affairs signed agreement with IIPA for setting up of National Institute of Tribal Research (NITR) at New Delhi

• Key points –

1. Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) have signed an agreement for setting up of National Institute of Tribal Research (NITR) at the IIPA Campus, New Delhi.
2. The Ministry is funding Tribal Research Institutions for research on various aspects of tribal life & culture and intervention of research with the policy will be emphasized in their research.

• Important details –

1. The Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) have a crucial role to play and their research should focus on drawing a road map for future development.
2. It will have an educational wing to enlighten students on tribal development and tribal art & culture.
3. It will be functional in a few months and will be engaged in quality tribal research in collaboration with reputed government and non-government NGOs spread over the country.
4. Tribal Research Institute –
5. Tribal Research Institute (TRI) is the research body of the Ministry of Tribal affairs at state level.
6. It is envisaged that TRIs should focus on their core responsibilities as body of knowledge & research more or less as a think tank for tribal development, preservation of tribal cultural heritage, providing inputs to States for evidence based planning and appropriate legislations, capacity building of tribals and persons / institutions associated with tribal affairs, dissemination of information and creation of awareness .
7. There are 26 Tribal Research Institute (TRIs) supported by ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India.

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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 Not Available Today

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Bayern Munich won the Champions UEFA League football title in August 2020.
• Katyayani Shankar Bajpai died at the age of 92 on August 30, 2020. He is famous for his work at the Indian Foreign Service.
• According to the Unlock 4 guidelines announced by the Centre in Aug 2020, social and academic functions will be permitted with a ceiling of 100 persons with effect from 21 Sept.
• Rajiv Kumar was appointed as the new Election Commissioner in August in place of Ashok Lavasa.
• Chhattisgarh procures cow dung from cattle owners at Rs 2 per kg under the Godhan Nyay Yojana.

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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