Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 06-10-2020
- Awards and Honours – Three share med Nobel for Hep-C virus discovery – Americans Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice and British-born scientist Michael Houghton jointly won the Nobel Prize for medicine on Monday for their discovery of the hepatitis C virus, a major source of liver disease that affects millions worldwide. Announcing the prize, the Nobel committee noted that the trio’s work identified a major source of blood-borne hepatitis that couldn’t be explained by the previously discovered hepatitis A and B viruses. Their work, dating back to the 1970s and ’80s, led to sensitive blood tests for the virus which have helped saved millions of lives, it said. The prize carried particular significance this year due to the Covid pandemic, which has highlighted the importance medical research has for societies and economiesand the damage that a single virus can wreak.
- Economy – GST Council split on borrowing options – The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Monday failed to iron out differences between States ruled by non-NDA parties and the Centre over a plan to get the States to borrow from the market to meet an estimated ₹2.35 lakh crore shortfall in compensation cess collections this year. Following a “long-drawn”, fractious seven-hour meeting, Union Finance Minister asserted that she did not take “anybody for granted” as alleged by some State representatives in the Council during Monday’s discussions. The Council did agree to extend the levy of compensation cess under the GST regime beyond the five-year period up to June 2022 as originally envisaged. The cess collections will be used to repay borrowings to be made this year for meeting the compensation shortfall, and will remain “for such period as may be required to meet the revenue gap”.
- Socio-political – U.P. police allege bid to trigger caste violence – Under fire for mishandling the Hathras case, the UP police claimed that there was a “conspiracy” by some groups and individuals to instigate caste and communal violence in the State in the aftermath of the alleged gang-rape and subsequent death of a Dalit girl. At least six FIRs have been lodged in Hathras, including one invoking sedition and criminal conspiracy, against persons and parties for allegedly trying to instigate the victim’s family, violating COVID-19 and Cr.P.C. Section 144 norms through illegal assemblies in and around the affected village, and for trying to spread caste discord through misleading statements. Additionally, thirteen FIRs were lodged and five persons were arrested in Bijnor, Hathras, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr, Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Lucknow on charges of posting offensive statements over the incident on social media.
- Education – Pune boy tops JEE (Advanced) but will drop IIT seat for MIT – Pune boy Chirag Falor, already a student of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has topped the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced) 2020. The qualifying aggregate marks for the JEE (Advanced) common rank list reduced to 69 - a five-year low. The entrance results for the 23 IITs were announced where the number of candidates qualifying increased to 43,204. Falor scored 352 marks out of 396 to top the list, followed by Gangula Bhuvan Reddy and Vaibhav Raj for the AIR second and third ranks, respectively. Kanishka Mittal (AIR 17) is the topper in the female category with 315. Meanwhile, girl topper Kanishka Mittal from the IIT-Roorkee zone is in good company as the gender ratio is the best in five years. In 2016, just 847 (18.5%) of qualified female candidates were offered seats, 1,852 (44.3%) in 2018, and 2,432 (45.4%) in 2019. “Right now, every sixth student at the undergraduate level in our IIT is female,” said V Ramgopal Rao, director, IIT-Delhi.
- Defence – India successfully tests new SMART torpedo system – India tested a new weapon for antisubmarine warfare that involves a supersonic missile assisted release of torpedo (SMART), which has a far greater range than conventional torpedoes. The SMART was “successfully” flight-tested from Wheeler Island off the coast of Odisha. “It is a game changing technology demonstration in anti-submarine warfare,” said DRDO chief Dr G Satheesh Reddy.
- COVID-19 Updates – New guidelines out for schools – The Union Education Ministry issued detailed guidelines for the reopening of schools after Oct 15 in a graded manner, in accordance with the Union Home Ministry’s directions. No student will be forced to attend school without parents’ consent, said Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. The Ministry has ordered thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all areas, furniture and equipment on the campus, and ensuring air flow in the indoor spaces. Schools have to form task teams for emergency care support and response, commodity support, hygiene inspection and allied responsibilities.
- International Relations – Quad will discuss vaccine, 5G – External Affairs Minister will meet his counterparts in the Australia-India-Japan-United States Quadrilateral or Quad in Tokyo, which is seen as a significant turning point for the grouping, led by growing concerns over China in the region. Cooperation on 5G connectivity, cybersecurity, a supply chain initiative for manufacturing, maritime cooperation and infrastructure and connectivity, as well as distribution plans for the COVID-19 vaccine are all areas where alternatives to Chinese initiatives will be discussed. Beijing has already criticised the meeting, making it clear it will watch the outcomes closely, even as its tensions with each of the Quad countries grows. The meeting will begin with a “regional assessment”, including developments in the South and East China Sea, the six-month stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Hong Kong and Taiwan, where China’s aggressive moves have been most marked.
- Covid-19 Updates – WHO: 10% of world’s people may have been infected – The head of emergencies at the WHO said that its “best estimates” indicate that roughly 1in 10 people worldwide may have been infected by the coronavirus. Michael Ryan, speaking to a meeting of the WHO’s 34-member executive board, said the figures vary from urban to rural, and between different groups, but that ultimately it means “the vast majority of the world remains at risk”. The estimate — which would amount to over 760 million people based on current world population of 7.6 billion — far outstrips the number of confirmed cases as tallied by both WHO and Johns Hopkins, now over 35 million.
- World – Mali frees over 100 jihadists – Insurgency-hit Mali has freed over 100 alleged or convicted jihadists to secure the release of a top politician and a French charity worker. This is a rare mass release of prisoners in the fragile West African country, which is struggling with an eight-year-old Islamist insurgency. Soumaila Cisse, a former opposition leader and three-time presidential candidate, was abducted on March 25 while campaigning in his home region of Niafounke ahead of legislative elections. Sophie Petronin, a French charity worker, was abducted by gunmen on December 24, 2016, in the northern city of Gao. She is presently the last French national held hostage in the world.
- World – Jewish student attacked outside German synagogue – German investigators said that they were probing an attack on a Jewish student outside a synagogue in Hamburg as attempted murder with anti-Semitic intent, a case condemned by Chancellor Angela Merkel as a “disgrace”. The 26-year-old student was badly injured on Sunday by a man who repeatedly struck him on the head with a shovel outside the synagogue where the Jewish community was celebrating Sukkot, also known as the Feast of the Tabernacles. The assault came a year after two people were shot dead by an extremist who tried and failed to storm a synagogue in the eastern German city of Halle. Jewish leaders and top politicians led condemnation of the latest attack, which Ms. Merkel’s spokesman described as a “repulsive” assault.
Important Exam Notifications |
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S. No |
Institution |
Exam or Post Name |
Vacancies or Seats |
Qualification |
Last Date to Apply |
Link for Details |
1 |
BECIL |
Project Director, IT Manager & Project Exe. |
20 |
Diploma, Degree (Eng) |
OCT-20-2020 |
https://www.becil.com/uploads/vacancy/d877852b5b05f7c9b68249823598c158.pdf |
2 |
Dredging Corp. of India Ltd. |
Dredge Cadet, Trainee Marine Eng, Elec. Office |
55 |
DNS, Diploma, Degree |
OCT-17-2020 |
http://dredge-india.nic.in/files/floatingadvt.pdf |
3 |
ICFRE |
Stenographer Grade-II, LDC & MTS |
7 |
10th & 12th Class |
NOV-24-2020 |
https://ifb.icfre.gov.in/jobs/vacancy118.pdf |
4 |
BECIL |
Skilled & Unskilled Manpower |
1500 |
Degree/ Diploma (Eng) |
OCT-20-2020 |
http://www.freejobalert.com/becil/25475/#manpower-1500 |
5 |
Dredging Corp of India Ltd |
Dredge Cadet, Trainee Marine Eng., Ele. Office |
55 |
NS, Diploma, Degree |
OCT-17-2020 |
http://dredge-india.nic.in/files/floatingadvt.pdf |
6 |
DMHO, Visakhapatnam |
Specialist MO, Physio., Psychologist |
322 |
MBBS, Dip., Deg., PG |
OCT-10-2020 |
https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s32d6cc4b2d139a53512fb8cbb3086ae2e/uploads/2020/10/2020100381.pdf |
7 |
DMHO, Kurnool |
Staff Nurse, Psychiatric Nurse, Paediatrician |
322 |
Diploma, Degree, PG |
10-10-2020 |
https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s37f24d240521d99071c93af3917215ef7/uploads/2020/10/2020100361.pdf |
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- SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS
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- 1. CONSTITUTION AND LAW (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)
- Arnab Goswami vs Maharashtra Legislative Assembly – SC issues notice in Goswami’s plea challenging ‘Breach of privilege motion’ notice by Maharashtra assembly. CJI S. A. Bobde, Justices A. S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanium.
- Prashant Bhushan files Review Petition against sentence order in the Contempt Case.
- Batch pleas - The Constitution Bench judgement left some questions unsaid, requires examinations – CJI SA Bobde. CJI SA Bobde, Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanium.
- Vasireddy Prakash vs UPSC – UPSC Civil Services Examinations cannot be postponed, SC directs UPSC to consider an extra attempt to last chance candidate. Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari.
- Gujarat Mazdoor Sabha vs State of Gujarat – SC quashes Gujarat govts’ notification extending work hours under Factories Act without overtime pay. Justices DY Chandrachud, KM Joseph and Indu Malhotra.
- Maheshwar Tigga vs The State of Jharkhand – Rape – Misconception of fact about promise to marry has to be in proximity of time to the occurrence : SC. Justices RF Nariman, Navin Sinha and Indu Malhotra.
- Satish@Sabbe vs State of UP – Length of sentence or gravity of original crime cannot be sole basis for refusing premature release: SC. Justices NV Ramana, Surya Kant and Hrishikesh Roy.
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- 2. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper
- In a relief to individual borrowers and medium and small industries, the Centre has agreed in the SC to waive compound interest charged on loans of up to Rs 2 crores for a six-month moratorium period announced due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- It said the government will seek due authorisation from parliament for making appropriate grants in this regard and “the endeavour shall be over and above the support of Rs 3.7 lakh crore to MSMEs, Rs 70,000 crore for home loans etc. already extended through the Garib Kalyan and Aatma Nirbhar packages announced by government earlier”.
- The loans were categorised into eight categories by the government including MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), education, housing, consumer durable, credit card dues, auto, personal, and consumption.
- Any individual/entity whose loan amount is more than Rs 2 crore will not be eligible for waiver of the compounding of interest.
- Earlier, the Centre had told the top court that waiver of interest on deferred EMIs during moratorium period would be against “the basic canons of finance” and unfair to those who repaid loans as per schedule.
- Regarding downgrading of loan accounts from standard to Non-Performing Asset (NPA) and the consequential impact on credit ratings, the Centre said that any account becoming non-performing even due to the bank’s or any other delay, will not suffer from being labelled as NPA.
- The Centre said that it has suspended from March 25, the operation of provisions of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) to protect corporate borrowers impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
- It said that the word “moratorium” is categorically defined by the RBI while issuing various circulars which show that “moratorium” was never intended to be “waiver of interest” but “deferment of interest”.
- The government said that if it were to consider waiving interest on all loans and advances to all classes and categories of borrowers for a six-month period for which the moratorium was made available under the RBI circulars, the estimated amount foregone will be more than Rs 6 lakh crore.
- On September 28, the Centre had informed the top court that a decision is likely in two to three days over charging of compound interest by banks on instalments which were deferred during the moratorium period in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan is likely to take up the matter for hearing on October 5.
- On September 3, in a relief to stressed borrowers who are facing hardships due to the impact of the pandemic, the top court had said that accounts which were not declared as non-performing assets till August 31 this year, shall not be declared NPA till further orders.
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- 3. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)
- 3. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)
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- 4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)
- 4. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)
- The European Union has imposed sanctions against Belarus in a bid to pressure President Alexander Lukashenko to hold a fresh election. The EU follows the U.K. and Canada in taking action against the regime, saying that the Aug. 9 election that saw Lukashenko reelected was neither free nor fair and condemning the regime’s violence against peaceful protesters and arbitrary arrests.
- EU leaders agreed to impose asset freezes and travel bans on 40 Belarusian officials during late night talks at a summit in Brussels. But Lukashenko himself wasn’t on the list, raising questions about how much influence the EU will bring to bear on the Belarusian regime.
- The EU is trying to project its influence and support democratic values beyond its eastern frontiers as Lukashenko, but its efforts have been hamstrung by conflicting national interests and a rulebook that gives every member state a veto over foreign policy decisions.
- The Belarus sanctions were only unlocked after weeks of negotiations to persuade Cyprus to drop its veto.
- Lukashenko was sworn in for a sixth term at a surprise ceremony on Sept. 23 despite hundreds of thousands of opponents turning out at weekly demonstrations across the country.
- Western governments including Germany and Lithuania have refused to recognize his victory, while exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said she is the legitimate winner of the election.
- Recently, the U.K. imposed sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko, his son Victor, head of presidential administration Igor Sergeenko and five other senior figures in the Belarus government.
- U.S. extended existing sanctions against Belarus in June and officials said that the U.S. would “look at the tools” to do more to help the people in Belarus deliver the outcomes that they are demanding.
- The Belarusian officials have said the country also enacted its own sanctions list which won’t be made public and may reconsider its participation in joint programs with the EU and could even cut off diplomatic ties.
- Cyprus had refused to sign off on the Belarus penalties unless other member states agreed to expand a blacklist against Turkey over its controversial natural-gas exploration in the eastern Mediterranean.
- Other governments including Germany were wary of provoking Turkey, which plays a key role in containing illegal migration into Europe, and the deadlock dented the bloc’s push to exert more geopolitical clout.
- To get Cyprus on board on the Belarus sanctions, EU leaders agreed to use “all the instruments and the options at its disposal” to defend member states’ interests if there is further provocation from Turkey.
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- 5. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)
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- 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)
- India extends $15 mn assistance to Sri Lanka for promoting Buddhist ties - Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on September 26, 2020 said that India has announced USD 15 million grant assistance to Sri Lanka for the promotion of Buddhist ties between the two countries.
- PM Modi in Time’s magazine list of ‘100 Most Influential People’ - Prime Minister Narendra Modi and actor Ayushmann Khurrana have featured in Time’s magazine list of ‘100 Most Influential People’ this year. The list also includes Alphabet Inc CEO Sundar Pichai, London-based HIV researcher Dr Ravindra Gupta, and Bilkis Dadi, who was at the forefront of Shaheen Bagh protests in Delhi against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
- Swami Pratyagbodhananda of U.S.-based Arsha Vidya Gurukulam dies at 69 - Swami Pratyagbodhananda, a spiritual guru at a U.S.-based Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Pennsylvania, died on September 20 at the age of 69. The Gurukulam was founded in 1986 by Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
- Journalist Sir Harold Evans dies at 92 - British-American journalist Sir Harold Evans died on September 23, 2020 at the age of 92 in New York. He was a former editor of Britain’s Sunday Times and, at his death, Reuters editor-at-large. He was author of “The American Century” (1998, with Gail Buckland and Kevin Baker), “War Stories: Reporting in the Time of Conflict From the Crimea to Iraq” (2003), “My Paper Chase: True Stories of Vanished Times” (2009) and “Do I Make Myself Clear? Why Writing Well Matters” (2018).
- Ang Rita Sherpa, first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times, dies - Ang Rita Sherpa, the first man to climb Mount Everest 10 times, died at the age of 72 in Kathmandu on September 21, 2020. All the ascents to the 29,035-foot summit of the world’s tallest mountain between 1983 and 1996 by Ang Rita, were made without bottled oxygen.
- Actor Michael Lonsdale dies at 89 - Michael Lonsdale, who played James Bond villain in Moonraker (1979), died at the age of 89 on September 21, 2020.
- Legendary French singer Juliette Greco dies at 93 - Legendary French singer Juliette Greco whose career spanned over half a century, died aged 93 on September 23, 2020.
- US: Judge Amy Coney Barrett nominated to the Supreme Court - President Donald Trump nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on September 26, 2020. Barrett would fill the seat vacated after the death of Ruth Bader Ginsberg on September 18.
- 426 m ‘Cable Stayed Bridge’ inaugurated in Hyderabad - Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated the new ‘Cable Stayed Bridge’ constructed across Durgam Cheruvu Lake along with four-lane elevated corridor connecting it with Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad on September 25, 2020. The bridge is 426 metre-long, including the approaches on both ends, and 25.8 metre-wide.
- Kannada film comedian Rockline Sudhakar passes away at 65 - Noted comedian in the Kannada film industry Rockline Sudhakar died on September 24, 2020 in Bengaluru at the age of 65. Sudhakar tested positive for COVID-19 in August 2020 and was hospitalised. He resumed his work after he tested negative.
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- 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)
- Key points –
- In the face of the ongoing tensions between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, India has been carrying out tests of several missiles and other platforms.
- On October 3, 2020, an advanced version of the `Shaurya’ surface-to-surface nuclear-capable ballistic missile was successfully test-fired in Odisha.
- Shaurya Missile –
- It has the potential to strike at targets which are in a range of about 800 km.
- It can carry nuclear payload. It is also easier to use as it is lighter. It is a two-stage rocket missile.
- When fired, the missile in the final phase of its course moves at hypersonic speeds before reaching a height of 40 km as it gets closer to its target.
- This missile operates from solid fuel but can guide itself towards the target towards the cruise missile.
- Once inducted these missiles are expected to complement the existing class of missile systems.
- It has been tested by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- It is a ground version of a ballistic missile launched from a submarine.
- The missile is so fast that the enemy’s radar across the border will get less than 400 seconds to detect, track, and intercept it.
- It can be stored in a composite canister, which can be easily hidden.
- Important details –
- In September 2020, DRDO had successfully tested the indigenous laser-guided anti-tank guided missile (AGTM) from MBT Arjun tank. The missile has a range of up to 5 km.
- According to reports, contracts have been signed with public sector entity Bharat Earth Movers Ltd and private sector companies including Tata Power Company Ltd (TPCL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T). This is for the supply of six Pinaka Regiments to the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army at an approximate cost of Rs 2,580 crore.
- Pinaka –
- It is primarily a multi-barrel rocket system (MBRL) system, and has the capability to fire a salvo of 12 rockets over a period of 44 seconds.
- One battery of Pinaka system consists of six launch vehicles which come with loader systems, radar and links with network-based systems and a command post and is linked with the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System.
- The six regiments which will come to the Indian army will have 114 launchers with Automated Gun Aiming and Positioning System (AGAPS) and 45 Command Posts – these will be from TPCL and L&T and DPSU BEML will supply 330 vehicles.
- Induction of the six Pinaka regiments are planned for 2024 and will be deployed along the Northern and Eastern Borders of our country.
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- 8. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)
- 8. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)
- Highlights –
- PM Modi has inaugurated Atal Tunnel in Manali. It is “world’s longest highway” tunnel and is named Atal Tunnel, Rohtang.
- The 9.02 kilometres long engineering marvel connects Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Lahaul-Spiti throughout the year.
- Currently, the area remains cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall and inclement weather.
- The Atal tunnel has huge strategic significance as it will greatly assist in the movement of armed forces.
- Atal Tunnel or the Rohtang tunnel has been built in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas. The tunnel is located at an altitude of 10,000 Feet from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).
- The tunnel is set to reduce road distance by 46 kilometres between Leh and Manali. Atal tunnel also reduces the journey time by around 4 to 5 hours.
- The decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken on June 03, 2000 during the tenure of the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
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- 9. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3)
- Key point –
- A commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS) -- carrying the name of deceased NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla -- arrived at the International Space Station for ‘rendezvous and capture’ on October 5.
- Kalpana Chawla, the first Indian-born woman to enter space, has had the spacecraft named after her for her key contributions to human spaceflight.
- The SS Kalpana Chawla, a Northrop Grumman Cygnus, was launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia at 09:38 pm EDT.
- On the NG-14 mission, the SS Kalpana Chawla will deliver approximately 3,630 kilograms of cargo to the station.
- Important details –
- Research flying aboard the Cygnus includes the test of a biologic drug that could be used for the treatment of leukemia, a plant growth study that will cultivate radishes as a model for future crops in space, a compact toilet for astronauts to use on deep-space exploration missions and a 360-degree virtual reality camera that will be used to film during a spacewalk for an immersive cinematic production.
- Born in Haryana, India, Chawla moved to the United States to earn her master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1984 and the University of Colorado in 1988, respectively.
- She then began her career at NASA, conducting research in fluid dynamics at the Ames Research Center in California.
- After becoming a naturalised US citizen, Chawla applied for and became a NASA astronaut as a member of "The Flying Escargot," NASA's 15th class of trainees.
- In 1997, she launched on STS-87, a 15-day shuttle mission that was dedicated to the science flying as part of the fourth United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4).
- Chawla's second spaceflight, STS-107, came to a tragic end on February 1, 2003, following 16 days of conducting science onboard the space shuttle Columbia.
- A small piece of foam that struck the orbiter's left wing during launch created a hole that went undetected during the mission. Upon Columbia's return to Earth, hot plasma entered the wing, tearing it apart, and the resulting loss of control led to the vehicle disintegrating and the death of the crew.
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- 10. FACTS, CHARTS, RANKINGS and EDITORIALS (Prelims + GS Mains)
- Singapore topped the 2020 Smart City Index of the Institute for Management Development (IMD).
- Takeo Konishi is Asian Development Bank’s new Country Director of India.
- Birth anniversary of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was celebrated as Teachers’ day in India on Sept 5.
- Andhra Pradesh govt has announced teaming up with the National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) and Canara Bank to empower over 15,000 village and ward secretariats with digital payments in the rural areas.
- Earth Overshoot Day was observed on Aug 22.
- We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned.
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- SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)
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