Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-09-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-09-2020

• [message]
• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. India-China standoff 2020 – India, China agree on 5-point action plan – External Affairs Minister and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi said they agreed on a five-point course of action to disengage and reduce tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The five-point plan is: following the consensus between PM Modi and President Jinping to “not allow differences to become disputes”, disengaging quickly to ease tensions, abiding by the existing India-China border protocols and avoiding escalatory action, continuing the dialogue between the Special Representatives. Both sides also issued separate notes detailing their positions, indicating that several differences still remain in their agreement of the situation at the LAC, which has seen violent clashes, deaths of soldiers and gunfire exchanges for the first time in 45 years.
2. Polity and Governance – New grievance redress system unveiled in J&K – J&K Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha launched the Jammu and Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (JK-IGRAMS), in a bid to create an interface with the public and focus on governance issues in the Union Territory. The system is being launched on a pilot basis in three districts — Jammu, Srinagar, and Reasi — and will gradually be rolled out in the remaining districts by October 2. It will replace the current portal that was launched in 2018.
3. Society – Activist-scholar Swami Agnivesh passes away – Social activist, scholar, politician and Arya Samaj leader Swami Agnivesh passed away at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) in New Delhi. The former MLA from Haryana is known for his work against bonded labour through the Bonded Labour Liberation Front, which he founded in 1981. Agnivesh became president (2004–2014) of the World Council of Arya Samaj, the highest international body of the Arya Samaj. He was an advocate for dialogue between religions and remained involved in various areas of social activism, including campaigns against female foeticide and for the emancipation of women. He served as the chairperson of the UN Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery from 1994 to 2004. He was a prominent associate of Anna Hazare during the India Against Corruption campaign in 2011 to implement the Jan Lokpal Bill.
4. COVID-19 Updates – India may’ve had 65L Covid cases by May: Sero survey – A total of 64,68,388 adult Covid infections were estimated in India by early May, even though the adjusted all-India seroprevalence was a low 0.73%, according to the results of a serological survey conducted by the ICMR released. While the survey indicated that less than 1% of the adult population was exposed to coronavirus by mid-May, the official tally at the time was even lower at only 85,940 cases detected till May 15. This would indicate most cases may have been missed during the first few months of the outbreak. This could be because the testing strategy was tailored by limited test kits and lab capacity and also because cases may have been asymptomatic.
5. Education – JEE-Main: 24 get perfect 100 – Twenty-four candidates scored 100 percentile in the Joint Entrance Examination-Main (JEE-M) for admission to engineering courses. The National Testing Agency announced the results and final merit list based on the performance of candidates in the tests held in January and September. Eight candidates from Telangana feature in the top 24, followed by five from Delhi, four from Rajasthan, three from Andhra Pradesh, two from Haryana, and one each from Gujarat and Maharashtra. The JEE (Main) was conducted in January and between September 1 and 6. Based on the results of the JEE-Main Paper 1 and Paper 2, the top 2.45 lakh candidates will be eligible to appear for the JEE-Advanced exam, which is a one-stop exam to get admission into the 23 premier IITs. JEEAdvanced is scheduled to take place on September 27.
6. Foreign Affairs – 'Kill All You See': In a First, Two Myanmar Soldiers Describe Rohingya Slaughter and Atrocities – The two soldiers confess their crimes in a monotone, a few blinks of the eye their only betrayal of emotion: executions, mass burials, village obliterations and rape. The August 2017 order from his commanding officer was clear, Pvt. Myo Win Tun said in video testimony. “Shoot all you see and all you hear.” He said he obeyed, taking part in the massacre of 30 Rohingya Muslims and burying them in a mass grave near a cell tower and a military base. Around the same time, in a neighboring township, Pvt. Zaw Naing Tun said he and his comrades in another battalion followed a nearly identical directive from his superior: “Kill all you see, whether children or adults.”. “We wiped out about 20 villages,” Zaw Naing Tun said, adding that he, too, dumped bodies in a mass grave.
7. World – Prisoners sought by Taliban on flight to Doha, sources say, paving way for peace talks – Six prisoners sought by the Taliban left Kabul on a flight to Doha paving the way for long-awaited peace talks to begin. The prisoners, who are accused of insider attacks on Afghan forces and whose release was objected to by some Western powers, are to be kept under supervision in Qatar’s capital where United States-brokered peace talks will also initially take place. Afghan government negotiating team, as well as peace council chairman Abdullah Abdullah, were planning to fly to Doha and talks were expected to begin this weekend after months of delays. The US  and other international players have been trying to usher the insurgent Taliban and the Afghan government to the negotiating table to bring an end to 19 years of war but there have been deadlocks and delays since Washington signed its troop withdrawal pact with the insurgent group in Feb that stated “up to” 5,000 Taliban prisoners and 1,000 government prisoners would be released before talks.
8. US Presidential Elections – Trump, struggling to define Biden, steps up Harris attacks – Trump is focusing on Harris as he has struggled to land on a consistent, coherent attack against Biden, who has built a reputation as a bipartisan deal-maker rather than a progressive ideologue. The racism and sexism underlying Trump's critique of the first Black woman and person of Asian descent on a major party ticket are part of an aggressive strategy to appeal to white suburban voters.
9. Business – Kochhar in ED custody, to be grilled at Delhi HQ – NASA launched an effort to pay companies to mine resources on the moon, announcing it would buy from them rocks, dirt and other lunar materials as the U.S. space agency seeks to spur private extraction of coveted off-world resources for its use. The initiative, targeting companies that plan to send robots to mine lunar resources, is part of NASA's goal of setting what Bridenstine called "norms of behavior" in space and allowing private mining on the moon in ways that could help sustain future astronaut missions. NASA said it views the mined resources as the property of the company, and the materials would become "the sole property of NASA" after purchase.
10. Economy – Industrial output contracts 10.4% in July, but pace slows – The country’s industrial production contracted for the fifth consecutive month in July but the pace of decline has slowed, reflecting the increase in economic activity after the easing of lockdown across the country. Data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) showed the index of industrial production (IIP) fell 10.4% in July, slower than the previous month’s 15.8% decline. During the April-July period, industrial production contracted 29.2% compared to an expansion of 3.5% in the year-ago period, highlighting the stress in the key sector. Overall, the industrial sector remains in dire straits with the manufacturing sector contracting 11.1% in July compared to the 4.8% growth in July 2019.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	NIELIT, Chandigrah	Data Entry Operator	40	12th Class with Typing Knowledge	SEPT-16-2020	http://nielit.gov.in/sites/default/files/Chandigarh/ADVERTISEMENT%2010.09.2020.pdf
2	NIIH	Scientist B, C, SRF, DEO, Medical Social Worker, Attendant (MTS)	13	MBBS, M.Sc, MA/ MSW, M.D or Ph.D	SEPT-16-2020	https://www.niih.org.in/images/news/20200910132436-1599716977-1.pdf
3	IHBT	Project Scientist I, II, Sr Project Associate	36	B.Tech/ M.Tech, B.Sc/ M.Sc, Ph.D	OCT-3-2020	https://www.ihbt.res.in/components/com_chronoforms5/chronoforms/uploads/Recruitment/20200910194829_AdvtNo12_2020.pdf
4	NBCC (India) Limited	Assistant Executive (IT)	6	BCA & MCA	SEPT-26-2020	https://www.nbccindia.com/pdfData/jobs/Adv.Assistant%20Executive-IT-Advertisement-09.09.2020.pdf
5	SACON	Jr Research Biologist, Sr Research Biologist, Programme Officer	10	PG	09-10-2020 — Walk in	http://www.sacon.in/careers/
6	CCRH	Research Associate & Junior/ Senior Research Fellow	5	BHMS, Masters Degree (Sc)	sept-19-2020	https://www.ccrhindia.nic.in/WriteReadData/LINKS/10092020173412ce0ea952-bb24-4add-be44-16dba4616428.pdf
7	Central Railway	Medical Practioner	14	MBBS/ Degree (Med)	Nov-30-2020	https://cr.indianrailways.gov.in/uploads/files/1599743404674-CMP%20CPRO2.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 PSBs join hands to launch Doorstep Banking Services

• Highlights – 

• Union FN Nirmala Sitharam inaugurated Doorstep Banking Services by Public Sector Banks (PSBs), which will provide the convenience of banking services to the customers at their doorsteps.
• The services can be rendered by doorstep banking agents deployed by the selected Service providers at 100 centres across the country.
• This move is part of the EASE (Enhanced Access & Service Excellence) Reforms for PSBs.
• As part of the EASE Reforms, Doorstep Banking Services is envisaged to provide the convenience of banking services to the customers at their doorstep through the universal touchpoints of Call Centre, Web Portal or Mobile App.
• Customers can also track their service request through these channels. At present only non-financial services are available to customers.
• The non-financial services include pick up of cheque / demand draft / pay order; new cheque book requisition slip, 15G / 15H forms, IT / GST challan; issue of request for standing instructions; and request for account statement.
• Financial services – cash pick up and delivery – will be available from October 2020. The services, which will be interoperable among these banks, will be gradually scaled up beyond the 100 locations.
• The services can be availed by customers of Public Sector Banks at nominal charges.
• The services shall benefit all customers, particularly senior citizens and "divyangs" who would find it at ease to avail these services.

2.2 Union Agriculture Minister inaugurates 22 bamboo clusters in 9 states including Odisha

•  Key points –

1. Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has released a logo for the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) while inaugurating 22 bamboo clusters in nine states including Odisha.
2. These clusters are in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura, Uttarakhand and Karnataka.

• Important details –

1. In his address at the virtual launch, Tomar said that the country is now gearing up to increase the export of bamboo products.
2. The government’s goal in the bamboo sector is being achieved with the concerted efforts of all stakeholders of the mission.
3. Keeping in consideration, the importance of bamboo, the Indian Forest Act, 1927 was amended in 2017 to remove bamboo from the category of trees. As a result, now anyone can undertake cultivation and business in bamboo and its products.
4. The import policy has also been modified to ensure progress of the bamboo industry in the country.
5. The use of bamboo has been an ancient tradition in India and it is now being supported with modern technology and youth are also being given training.
6. NBM supports local artisans through locally grown bamboo species, which will actualise the goal of Vocal for Local and help increase the income of farmers, reducing dependency on imports of raw material.
7. 10 most important species which are required by industry have been identified and quality planting material is being made available to farmers for plantations.
8. Apart from the existing Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), 10,000 new FPOs will be formed in 5 years.
9. Common Facility Centres are being set up close to the plantations which will reduce the cost of transportation and increase local entrepreneurship, moving to a zero-waste approach.

• National Bamboo Mission –

1. The restructured NBM was launched in 2018-19 for the holistic development of the complete value chain of the bamboo sector and is being implemented in a hub (industry) and spoke model.
2. It aims at connecting farmers to markets so as to enable farmer producers to get a ready market for the bamboo grown and to increase the supply of appropriate raw material to the domestic industry.
3. It also endeavours to upgrade skills of traditional bamboo craftsmen as per the requirement of contemporary markets with a tie-up with enterprises and premier institutes.
4. The Sector Skill Councils established under the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) will impart skills and recognition of prior learning to traditional artisans, encouraging the youth to carry forward their family traditions.

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

3.1 Not Available Today

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

4.1 India and Japan sign logistics agreement, will enhance interoperability between the two nations’ armed forces 

• Key point – 

1. India and Japan have signed a mutual logistics support arrangement (MLSA) to counter China’s expansionist tendencies.

• Highlights –

1. The pact allows for a closer coordination between the two nations and use of each other’s military facilities.
2. India has previously inked similar deals with the likes of Australia, France, USA, Singapore and South Korea.
3. These agreements indicate of the coming together of countries to resist the Chinese strategy to spread their influence and attain control over crucial, strategic ports across the region.
4. China already has access to the ports in Karachi and Gwadar in Pakistan and has commissioned over 80 warships in the previous six years and is working swiftly to strengthen their presence in the Indo-Pacific.
5. A defence ministry statement said that the agreement concerns Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and The Self-Defense Forces of Japan.
6. Defence secretary Ajay Kumar and Japanese ambassador Suzuki Satoshi signed the deal as India continues to reinforce its diplomatic relations across different quarters to efficiently stand up to the Chinese threat that is looming over the LAC and beyond ever since May.

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

5.1 PM Modi launches Matsya Sampada Yojana, says scheme will double fish exports in 3-4 years

• Key points – 

1. PM Modi has launched the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, which aims to double fish exports in three-four years.
2. PM Modi has also launched several other initiatives in the fisheries and animal husbandry sectors in Bihar. The launches come just a few months ahead of the Bihar polls.
3. PM Modi also inaugurated the e-Gopala app that will provide farmers marketplace for livestock.

• The advantages of PMMSY include –

1. Address critical gaps in fisheries sector.
2. Infuse the sector with latest technology, focus on value addition.
3. Upgradation of critical infrastructure.
4. Boost welfare of those associated with fishing.
5. Employment creation.

• Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) –

1. The PMMSY is a flagship scheme for focused and sustainable development of fisheries sector in the country with an estimated investment of ₹20,050 crore for its implementation during 2020-21 to 2024-25 as part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat package.
2. The investment of ₹20,050 crore under PMMSY is the highest ever in the fisheries sector.
3. The project in Bihar envisages investment of ₹1,390 crore with the central share of ₹535 crore and the additional fish production target pegged at three lakh tons.
4. During the current fiscal, the Union government has sanctioned Bihar's proposal costing ₹107 crore.

• e-Gopala app –

1. The e-Gopala app is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.
2. At present no digital platform is available in the country for farmers managing livestock including buying and selling of disease free germplasm in all forms, availability of quality breeding services and guiding farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate medicine.
3. There is no mechanism to send alerts on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis and calving among other issues and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area. The e-Gopala app will provide solutions to farmers on all these aspects.

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

6.1 Government opens Defence Sector to 74% FDI via automated route, adds ‘national security’ clause

• Key points –

1. The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the new FDI policy in the Defence sector which allows the foreign direct investment through automatic approval to be increased from 49% to 74%.
2. However, the new policy has a ‘National Security’ clause as a condition which has been proposed by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
3. As per the new policy, Foreign Investment in the Defence Sector shall be subject to scrutiny on the ground of National Security and the Government reserves the right to review any foreign investment in the Defence Sector that may affect national security.

• Strengthening indigenous manufacturing –

1. The policy has been introduced in view of reducing dependency on imports in the Defence sector and boosting Make in India, in turn giving more employment and business opportunities to the Indian businesses and boosting self-dependency.
2. Through the policy reforms, the government is seeking to attract foreign players to set up manufacturing units in India.
3. The policy allows to bring FDI up to 49 per cent under the automatic route, and above it can be brought in under the government route. The national security clause is said to be due to the sensitivity of the defence sector.
4. The Government has been focussing on strengthening the Defence sector by boosting indigenous manufacturing and also aiming to increase exports from the sector. The government is optimistically aiming to achieve more than the doubled turnover in the Defence sector by 2025.
5. The government plans to achieve a turn over of Rs 1.75 lakh crore, including exports worth Rs 35,000 crore, by 2025. In 2019, the defence sector, along with the aerospace and shipbuilding industry, was estimated to be worth Rs 80,000 crore of which private investment was merely 20% with somewhere around 17,000 crore.
6. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in May about the decision to increase FDI in Defence sector while presenting the fourth tranche of the economic stimulus package.
7. She had however said that the import of some weapons and platforms will not be allowed and that certain items banned for imports can only be purchased from within the country.

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

7.1 Weekly Round-up

• Union Health Minister opens medical colleges in Bhilwara and Bharatpur - Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated two new medical colleges and three Super Speciality Blocks in Rajasthan on August 26, 2020. The Rajmata Vijaya Raje Scindia (RVRS) Medical College, Bhilwara and the Bharatpur Medical College have been upgraded from District Hospitals into Medical Colleges while Super Speciality Blocks (SSB) are added to the Government Medical College, Kota; Sardar Patel Medical College, Bikaner; and Ravindra Nath Tagore Medical College, Udaipur.
• Buildings of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi inaugurated - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 29, 2020 inaugurated the College and Administration Buildings of Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University, Jhansi, UP through video conferencing. A prominent institute of the Bundelkhand region, the University started its first academic session in 2014-15 and is offering UG and PG courses in agriculture, horticulture and forestry.
• AIIB to provide $500 million loan for Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III - The Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on August 24, 2020 signed a loan agreement for a $500 million Mumbai Urban Transport Project-III to improve the network capacity, service quality and safety of the suburban railway system in Mumbai.
• RO-RO train flagged off from Bengaluru to Solapur in Mahrashtra - Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on August 30, 2020 flagged off the maiden roll-on, roll-off (RO-RO) train from Bengaluru to Solapur through videoconferencing. It will cover a distance of 682 km, via Dharmavaram, Guntakal, Raichur, and Wadi, to reach Bale near Solapur in Maharashtra.
• AP: 3 million women to get house sites worth Rs 22,000 crores - Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on August 25, 2020 announced that house sites worth Rs 22,000 crore will be registered in the name of 30 lakh women belonging to weaker sections in the state. He directed the officials to complete the process related to layouts, markings and lottery to select beneficiaries.
• Telugu Language Day celebrated on August 29 - The Telugu Language Day (Telugu Bhasha Dinotsavam) was celebrated on August 29, 2020. This date marks the birthday of the Telugu poet Gidugu Venkata Ramamurthy. Telugu is the official language of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• India’s ‘longest’ passenger ropeway across a river unveiled in Guwahati - India’s ‘longest’ passenger ropeway across a river of 1.82 km was unveiled in Guwahati on August 24, 2020. The ropeway passes over the mid-river Peacock Island that houses Umananda, a medieval Shiva temple.
• AFSPA extended for six months in Assam - The Assam government on August 25, 2020 said it has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in the state for six more months with effect from August 28 on account of recent insurgent attacks on security forces in the Northeast and recovery of illegal arms and ammunition from different areas in the state.
• Congress MLA Ramdeo Rai dies at 81 - Ramdeo Rai, veteran Congress leader and sitting MLA from Bachhwara in Begusarai district of Bihar, died at the age of 81 on August 29, 2020.
• Union Home Ministry unveils Unlock 4 guidelines - Metro rail services may resume from September 7 and congregations with a ceiling of 100 persons will be allowed from September 21 under the fresh set of Unlock 4 guidelines announced by the Union Home Ministry on August 29, 2020. Movement of passenger trains will continue to be regulated as per existing standard operating procedure.
• Indian jails remained overcrowded and under-staffed in 2019: NCRB - Jails across India remained overcrowded in 2019 with these facilities lodging 4.78 lakh prisoners against the actual capacity of 4.03 lakh, reveals the latest data by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). On the other hand, the prisons were under-staffed with a sanctioned strength of 87,599, while the actual strength was 60,787 as on December 31, 2019.
• Driving licenses, vehicle documents to stay valid till Dec 31: Govt - The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has decided to extend the validity of driving licences and required documents of motor vehicles till December 30, 2020, in wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
• UGC asks institutions to deploy RT-PCR machines in hospitals, labs - The University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked higher education and research institutions to facilitate deployment of RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) test machines available with them at nearby district hospitals and government labs conducting COVID-19 tests to aid the fight against the pandemic. This could help in creation of additional testing facilities of about 60,000 tests per day.
• UMANG app services to be made available via CSCs  - The National e-Governance Division (NeGD) on August 26, 2020 signed a pact with CSC e-Governance Services India to facilitate delivery of UMANG app services through the 3.75 lakh Common Service Centres (CSCs) across the country in an assisted mode. The move will benefit those who do not have access to smartphones or are not comfortable accessing app-based e-services on their own.
• A. R. Lakshmanan, former Supreme Court judge and ex-Chairman of Law Commission, dies - Former Supreme Court Judge Justice AR. Lakshmanan died in Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu on August 27, 2020 at the age of 78. After retirement from the Supreme Court, he served as Chairman of the 18th Law Commission between 2007 and 2009.
• H. Vasanthakumar, Congress MP from Kanyakumari constituency in TN, dies - Congress MP and businessman H. Vasanthakumar died at 70 in Chennai due to Covid on August 28, 2020. He had won 2019 Lok Sabha Election from Kanyakumari constituency in Tamil Nadu. Vasanthakumar founded home appliances and electronics goods retail chain Vasanth and Co in 1978.
• M. V. Shreyams Kumar elected to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala - In the bypoll held on August 24, 2020 in Kerala for one vacant Rajya Sabha seat, M V Shreyams Kumar of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD), an ally of the ruling Left Democratic Front, sailed to victory. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of M. P. Veerendra Kumar of the same party on May 28.

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

8.1 NSO report on education

• Key points –

1. One in five students in India supplements school education with private coaching, including almost one in three at the secondary school level or Classes 9 and 10.
2. Private coaching fees make up almost 20% of the total cost of education for those in secondary and higher secondary school.
3. In some States, such as West Bengal, students actually spend more on private coaching than on their regular school.

• Detailed report –

1. Like regular schools, such coaching and tuition classes have also been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, although many have been conducting online coaching classes instead.
2. From September 21, schools will be partially reopened on a voluntary basis for Class 9 to 12 students.
3. It remains to be seen how many of these students, who have now missed six months of classroom lessons, will continue to depend on coaching classes to bridge the gap.
4. In the 75th round of the National Sample Survey, conducted between June 2017 and July 2018, households were surveyed on consumption related to education.
5. The final report, which was published recently, shows that 19.8% of students at all levels — from pre-primary to graduate students — take some form of private coaching.
6. Among Class 9 and 10 students, starting to prepare for the crucial board exams and admission tests, more than 30% do so.
7. Among these secondary school students, those from the cities and upper castes are able to access private coaching at far higher levels.
8. More than 52% of urban upper caste boys take coaching, in comparison to just 13.7% of rural boys and girls from scheduled tribe communities.
9. The average annual expenditure on education for secondary school students is ₹9,013, of which ₹4,078 goes towards regular school fees.
10. About ₹1,632, or just over 18%, goes towards private coaching. In higher secondary school, students spend more than ₹2,500, also about 18% of the total expenditure, on private coaching.
11. Some States in eastern India seem to spend more on private coaching than the rest of the country. In West Bengal, students at all levels spend an average of ₹3,769 on private coaching.

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

9.1 Weekly Round-up

•  Key points –

• IIT Bombay students launch alternative to Chinese document scanning apps - Two final year B. Tech students pursuing Civil Engineering at IIT Bombay, launched AIR Scanner, a free-of-cost document-scanning mobile application. The AI (Artificial Intelligence) based Reading Assistant and Document Scanner app has been developed by Rohit Kumar Chaudhary and Kavin Agrawal. It will help people who were facing issues in scanning and organising documents through their mobile phones after the ban on the Chinese apps.
• IT Minister launches “Chunauti” - Next Generation Start-up Challenge Contest - Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union Minister of Telecom and IT, on August 28, 2020 launched CHUNAUTI, a start-up challenge under the Next Generation Incubation Scheme (NGIS) initiative. The NGIS initiative has been brought by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI). The aim of the incubation scheme is to develop and build an ecosystem for startups in India in partnership with the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). The NGIS aims to support 300 start-ups/entrepreneurs/SMEs in the fields of IT/ITeS/NSDM over a period of three years.
• NASA’s Hubble telescope maps giant Halo around Andromeda galaxy - In a landmark study, scientists using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have mapped the immense envelope of gas, called a halo, surrounding the Andromeda galaxy, our nearest large galactic neighbour. The Andromeda galaxy, also known as M31, is a spiral of perhaps as many as 1 trillion stars and comparable in size to our Milky Way.
• Techgentsia wins govt.’s ‘Grand Challenge for developing video conference solution’ - Kerala-based Techgentsia Software Tech has emerged as the winner of the government’s ‘Grand Challenge for developing video conference solution’ for its product ‘Vconsol’, Elec & InfoTech and Comm Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad announced on Aug 20, 2020. Techgentsia will be provided financial support of ₹1 crore with an additional ₹10 lakh towards Operations and Maintenance for next three years.

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

10.1 Chandigarh ranks 29th in case of doing business

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• PM Modi delivered the keynote address virtually at this year’s High-Level Segment of the ECOSOC session in July 2020.
• International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Hyderabad unveiled the KritiScan® UV Baggage Disinfection System for safety against COVID-19 in July.
• CCTNS stand for Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems.
• The World Health Organization in July 2020 set up an Independent panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response to review its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• Theme of the National Doctors Day was celebrated on July 1, 2020 was ‘Lessen the mortality of COVID-19’.

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!

---

>