Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 07-10-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 07-10-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Awards and Honours – Physics Nobel for 3 who cast light on black holes – Three scientists who unravelled some of the deep mysteries of black holes, the awe-inspiring pockets of the universe where space and time cease to exist, have won the 2020 Nobel in Physics. Britain’s Roger Penrose, professor at the University of Oxford, won half the prize of 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.1 million) for his proof that black holes are a direct consequence of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. German Reinhard Genzel, of the Max Planck Institute and University of California, Berkeley, and Andrea Ghez (University of California, LA), shared the other half “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy.
2. Socio-political – Will ensure smooth probe into Hathras gang rape, says SC – The Supreme Court said it would ensure that the investigation into the alleged gang-rape and torture and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit girl by upper caste men in Hathras would be conducted smoothly. “We will ensure the investigation part is smooth,” Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, heading the three-judge Bench, said. The court ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to file an affidavit and place it on record that the witnesses in the case are protected. The Chief Justice said there was no doubt what transpired with the victim was “horrible” and “shocking”. There was no doubt that the case is “extraordinary”, the court said. The court is hearing a petition filed by Satyam Dubey to transfer the case to the CBI or form a special investigation team to probe the case under the supervision of the Supreme Court.
3. Bihar Elections – Nitish is leader of NDA in Bihar: BJP – After several rounds of talks, the major NDA partners in Bihar — JD(U) and BJP — announced a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming Assembly election. The JD(U) will contest 122 seats while the BJP will fight on one seat less in the 243-member Assembly. “The JD(U) will contest on 122 seats and give seven seats out of it to alliance partner Jitan Ram Manjhi-led Hindustani Awam Morcha (secular) and the BJP will contest on 121 seats while accommodating the Vikashil Insaan Party from its own quota,” JD(U) president and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced at a crowded joint press meet along with BJP leaders. BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi reiterated remarks made earlier by the party’s State chief Sanjay Jaiswal, who said, “Those who do not accept Nitish Kumar’s leadership will not be a part of NDA in Bihar.”
4. COVID-19 Updates – Positivity rate drops to 6.8% amid 80 lakh tests in a week – In keeping with the moderation in India’s Covid curve, the average daily positivity rate has dropped over the last 3 weeks (week-on-week) from 9.2% during Sept 16-22 to 6.8% between Sept 30-Oct 6, driven by a decline in average daily new cases even as testing increased.  Over eight crore tests have been conducted so far, with around 80 lakh tests in the last week, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said. More recoveries than new cases have also helped keep active cases under check. Active cases have remained below ten lakh for the last two weeks even as officials cautioned against complacency, particularly during the approaching festival season and onset of winters. The all India growth rate of confirmed cases has turned negative on a few days recently and on Oct 6, it stood at 0.9%.
5. Education – Top IITs see 50% rise in seats in 5 yrs – The premier IITs have seen an over 50% jump in seats in just five years. From 10,572 seats in 2016-17, aspirants now have a larger pool of 16,053 to choose from. The older institutes, including IIT-Bombay and IIT-Delhi, have seen a 40-50% increase in seats during the period. Around 43,200 students who qualified in JEE (Advanced) will be vying for these seats over the next few weeks. Even as third-generation IITs continue to ramp up their infrastructure, the total pool of seats will see a further increase over the next few years, said IITDelhi director V R. Rao.
6. Armenia-Azerbaijan – Pressure builds for ceasefire as Karabakh fighting rages – Battles raged between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, with both sides vowing to pursue the conflict despite increasing international pressure for a ceasefire. Western powers are urging Turkey, a long-standing ally of Azerbaijan, to use its influence with Baku to restore calm after 10 straight days of clashes that have claimed more than 260 lives. Russia, the US and France called for an “unconditional” halt to the fighting. The battles began on September 28 in a long-simmering territorial dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, an ethnic Armenian enclave that broke away from Azerbaijan in the 1990s but Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu downplayed the need for a ceasefire and called for the world to back Azerbaijan in the conflict.
7. 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.
8. Central Asia – Kyrgyzstan cancels poll result after night of chaos – Kyrgyzstan’s electoral body said it was cancelling the results of a disputed parliamentary vote that plunged the Central Asian nation into violence and political chaos. The ex-Soviet nation’s Central Electoral Commission said in a statement that it had “invalidated the election results” which saw parties close to pro-Russian President Sooronbay Jeenbekov score big wins amid accusations of mass vote-buying campaigns. The results sparked a tumultuous night of protests and clashes in the capital Bishkek, with protesters seizing government buildings and freeing high-profile politicians, including ex-President Almazbek Atambayev. The clashes left dozens injured. Opposition politicians said they had formed a “coordination council” to restore stability and “return to the rule of law”.
9. South Asia – Ahmed Adeeb jailed twenty years for corruption – Maldives former Vice-President Ahmed Adeeb has been sentenced to twenty years in prison after pleading guilty to graft, money laundering and abuse of power. Adeeb was a close ally of ex-President Abdulla Yameen until Adeeb was jailed for allegedly trying to assassinate the strongman former ruler with a bomb on board his yacht in 2015. The Criminal Court in an overnight decision also imposed a fine of two million rufiyaa ($129,000) for Adeeb’s role in siphoning money from the state tourism promoter during the former administration. He was accused of causing a loss of about $260 million to the state in leasing islets for resort development and receiving kickbacks from tourism companies.
10. Economy – Services PMI shows slump easing, but job losses swell – According to a business survery, the pace of contraction in services sector activity eased considerably in Sept after the govt lifted some COVID-19 restrictions, but demand continued to shrink, prompting firms to cut more jobs. Signs of stabilisation in services are likely to provide more comfort to policymakers after a sister survey last week showed India’s manufacturing expanded at its fastest pace in over eight years, suggesting business conditions were gradually returning to normal in Asia’s third-largest economy.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	RECTPCL	Executive Engineer, Dy Executive Engineer	21	B.E/ B.Tech	NOV-7-2020	http://www.rectpcl.in/pdf/Engagement%20of%20Experienced%20Engineers%20in%20RECTPCL.pdf
2	BECIL	Patient Care Manager	10	Deg. (Life Sc.) with PG	OCT-15-2020	https://www.becil.com/uploads/vacancy/202ec5880c656764d44c4ecf7fb1a35d.pdf
3	Cement Corp. of India	Artisan Trainee	20	10th Class, ITI, B.Sc	OCT-25-2020	https://www.cciltd.in/rec2020.pdf
4	NICED	Scientist – B, Research Asst, Lab. Tech., DEO	6	DMLT, Deg., PG, Ph.D	15-10-2020 – Walk in	http://www.niced.org.in/noticeboard/placements/2020/COVID-19-Contract-Staff-30Sep2020.pdf
5	NIPER, Hyderabad	Registrar, Tech. Asst, MO, Accountant, Storekeeper	16	10+2, Degree, PG	NOV-4-2020	http://www.niperhyd.ac.in/PDFFiles/Employment_Notification_No_NIPER-HYD022020-21.pdf
6	GRSE	Dy General Manager, Dy Manager, Assistant Manager	9	MBBS, Eng, CA/ CMA, Asso. member	OCT-20-2020	http://grse.in/job_file/OS_03_2020_Detailed%20Ad.pdf
7	DMHO, Krishna	Staff Nurse, OT Technician, MO, Social Worker	170	GNM, Dip, Deg, PG	10-10-2020	https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s3c399862d3b9d6b76c8436e924a68c45b/uploads/2020/10/2020100532.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 Weekly Round-up – Indian Economy

• Parliament passes three labour reform bills - Parliament has approved three key labour reform bills that will remove impediments for winding up of companies and allow firing of staff without government permission in firms with up to 300 workers. The Bills were passed by the Rajya Sabha on September 23 and by the Lok Sabha on September 22.
• The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020, will consolidate and amend the laws regulating the occupational safety, health and working conditions of persons employed in an establishment and related matters.
• The Industrial Relations Code, 2020, seeks to consolidate and amend laws relating to trade unions, conditions of employment in industrial establishments or undertaking, investigation and settlement of industrial disputes.
• The Code on Social Security, 2020, will amend and consolidate laws relating to social security with the goal to extend social security to all employees and workers either in the organised sector or the unorganised sector.
• Parliament passes Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill - Parliament passed the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill that removes cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on September 15 and by the Rajya Sabha on September 22. Under the amended bill, stock holding limit on commodities will only be imposed under exceptional circumstances like national calamities, famine with a surge in prices. Also, processors and value chain participants are exempted from the stock limit.
• Parliament passes Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020 - Parliament has passed a bill to further amend the Companies Act and decriminalise various compoundable offences as well as promote ease of doing business in the country. The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2020 was passed by in Rajya Sabha on September 22, 2020 and in the Lok Sabha on September 19. Permitting direct overseas listing of Indian corporates, reduction in penalties for certain offences and relaxation in CSR compliance requirements are also among the proposed changes.
• Parliament passes Taxation and Other Laws Bill, 2020 - Parliament has passed a bill that seeks to provide various reliefs in terms of compliance requirements for taxpayers amid the coronavirus pandemic. The reliefs in The Taxation and Other Laws (Relaxation and Amendment of Certain Provisions) Bill, 2020, include extending deadlines for filing returns and for linking PAN and Aadhaar. It also provides tax benefits on donation made to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES FUND) set up in March. The Bill was passed by in Rajya Sabha on September 22, 2020 and in the Lok Sabha on September 19.
• Lok Sabha passes the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 - Lok Sabha passed the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020 on September 23, 2020. The Bill seeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of major ports in the country and provide greater autonomy to these ports.  It seeks to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. The legislation provides for the creation of a Board of Major Port Authority for each major port.  These Boards will replace the existing Port Trusts.
• Lok Sabha passes Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 - The Lok Sabha passed the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020 on September 21, 2020. The Bill makes Aadhaar a mandatory identification document for all the office bearers of an NGO or an association seeking foreign donations. The Bill limits administrative expenses drawn from foreign donations to 20% as against the current 50%. The FCRA regulates foreign donations and ensures that such contributions do not adversely affect the internal security of the country.
• The amended Bill includes “public servant” and “corporation owned or controlled by the Government” among the list of entities not eligible to receive foreign donations. The definition has been expanded to include anyone who receives remuneration from the exchequer. The others not allowed to receive such funds are journalists, judges and government servants. The FCRA regulates foreign donations and ensures that such contributions do not adversely affect the internal security of the country.
• Centre sanctions electric buses, charging stations under Phase-II of 'FAME India'  - The Union government has sanctioned 670 electric buses for Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat and Chandigarh, and 241 charging stations in Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Gujarat and Port Blair under Phase-II of the 'FAME India' Scheme. This was announced by Union Minister of Heavy Industries Prakash Javadekar on September 25, 2020. FAME is Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles. The Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) under the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises is administering the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme since April, 2015 to promote adoption of electric/hybrid vehicles (xEVs) in India.
• Government operationalises 'Faceless Income Tax Appeals' system - The government on September 25, 2020 issued a notification operationalising 'Faceless Income Tax Appeals' system which seeks to honour honest taxpayers of the country and promote transparency in tax collection. Under faceless appeals, all Income Tax appeals will be finalised in a faceless manner under the faceless ecosystem with the exception of appeals relating to serious frauds, major tax evasion, sensitive and search matters, international tax and Black Money Act, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
• Foreign exchange reserves touch lifetime high of $545.038 bn - The country's foreign exchange reserves increased by USD 3.378 billion to touch a lifetime high of USD 545.038 billion in the week ended September 18, RBI data showed on September 25, 2020. Foreign currency assets (FCA) swelled by USD 3.943 billion to USD 501.464 billion. Gold reserves were down by USD 580 million to USD 37.440 billion. The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were up by USD 1 million to USD 1.483 billion. The country's reserve position with the IMF rose by USD 14 million to USD 4.651 billion.
• Govt allows states to spend 50% of disaster response fund to fight Covid-19 - The Centre has allowed states to spend up to 50 per cent money from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to boost infrastructure such as quarantine facilities, testing laboratories, oxygen generation plants and purchase of ventilators and PPE kits to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
• IAF bought uncertified engines for UAVs at inflated prices in 2010: CAG - The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has recommended an investigation into the Indian Air Force (IAF)’s purchase of five Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) engines from Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in 2010, noting that the same engines were purchased by a DRDO laboratory at almost one-third the price two years later, resulting in an undue gain for the vendor of ₹3.16 crore. “There were many reported accidents involving these uncertified engines including loss of one UAV in a flying accident,” the CAG said in an audit report tabled in Parliament on September 23, 2020.
• Govt. notifies standards for safety evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles - The government on September 24, 2020 said it has notified standards for safety evaluation of hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has issued a notification in this regard.
• Tourism Ministry launches SAATHI mobile app for the hospitality industry - The Ministry of Tourism celebrated world tourism day September 27, 2020 through a virtual event and launched the SAATHI mobile application for the hospitality industry with the Quality Council of India. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched a film ‘Pathik’, an initiative on Incredible India Tourist Facilitators Certification Programme (IITFC) and an ICPB MICE promotional film. ICPB is India Convention Promotion Bureau. MICE is Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions.
• NCAER sees GDP shrinking by 12.6% in 2020-21 - The National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER) has projected that the Indian economy would contract 12.6% in 2020-21 fiscal year, a massive downgrade from the 1.2% growth it had estimated in June. This was revealed by the think tank in its Quarterly Review of the Economy report for the July-September quarter.
• FSSAI bans blending of mustard oil with any other cooking oil from October 1 - The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned blending of mustard oil with any other cooking oil with effect from October 1. The edible oil manufacturers or processors, who have the licence for production of blended edible vegetable oil with mustard oil, have been directed to sell their existing stocks of mustard oil/mustard seeds or any other edible oil as unblended cooking oils.
• Foundation Day (Sept 25) of DDU-GKY celebrated - Ministry of Rural Development celebrated Foundation Day of Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) as “Kaushal Se Kal Badlenge” on the occasion of Antyodaya Diwas on September 25, 2020.
• KVIC appoints Fashion Design Council of India Chairman Sunil Sethi as advisor - The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) on September 25, 2020 said it has appointed Sunil Sethi, Chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India, as its Advisor.
• Economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia dies at 74 - Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, a renowned economist and Padma Bhushan (2009) awardee, who served as the Chairperson of ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) for 15 years before resigning due to ill health recently, died at the age of 74 on September 26, 2020.

2.2 Huge loss by regional rural banks in FY20

• Key point –  

1. Regional rural banks (RRBs) as a group reported net loss of Rs 2,206 crore in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, as against Rs 652-crore net loss in FY19, as per data published by NABARD.

• Data analysis –

1. During FY 2019-20, 26 RRBs earned profit of Rs 2,203 crore, while 19 incurred losses of Rs 4,409 crore.
2. As on March 31, 2020, there were 45 RRBs functioning in 685 districts of 26 states and three union territories (UTs). These RRBs were sponsored by 15 commercial banks and operating through a network of 21,850 branches.
3. Gross non-performing assets as a percentage of gross loans outstanding of RRBs marginally declined to 10.4 per cent as on March 31, 2020, from 10.8 per cent as on March 31, 2019.
4. Share of standard, sub-standard, doubtful and loss assets stood at 89.6 per cent, 3.6 per cent, 6.5 per cent and 0.3 per cent, respectively, as of end March 2020.
5. Eighteen of the 45 RRBs (as against 20 out of 53 RRBs as on March 31, 2019) had GNPA above 10 per cent as on March 31, 2020.
6. RRBs, at aggregated level, achieved a growth of 8.6 per cent in their business in FY20 compared to a growth of 9.5 per cent in the previous year.
7. Total business of RRBs stood at Rs 7.77 lakh crore as on March 31, 2020.
8. Deposits and advances of RRBs increased by 10.2 per cent and 9.5 per cent, respectively during FY2019-20. Gross outstanding loans stood at Rs 2.98 lakh crore as against Rs 2.80 lakh crore in FY19.
9. Priority sector loans constituted 90.6 per cent or Rs 2.70 lakh crore of the gross loans outstanding of RRBs as on March 31, 2020.
10. Share of agriculture and MSME sectors in total loan outstanding stood at 70 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.
11. As of end March 2020, 17 out of the 45 RRBs had capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of less than 9 per cent, of which six RRBs had negative CRAR.
12. System-wide CRAR of RRBs deteriorated to 10.2 per cent as on March 31, 2020 from 11.5 per cent in the previous year.

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

3.1 Not Available Today

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

4.1 New Caledonia referendum: South Pacific territory rejects independence from France

 

• Key point – 

1. People in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia have narrowly rejected independence from France in a referendum.

• Important details –

1. The archipelago voted to remain French with 53.26% of votes. Turnout - at 85.6% - was high.
2. In a similar vote two years ago, the margin was slightly wider, with 56.7% voting to stay French.
3. New Caledonia has been a French territory for nearly 170 years.
4. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the result as a "sign of confidence in the republic", adding he also felt "humility" in view of the results.
5. The referendum was part of a series of votes agreed two decades ago, following bouts of violence in the 1980s over the issue of independence between the islands' indigenous Kanak people and descendants of European settlers.
6. Kanaks represent around 40% of the population, while Europeans, mostly born in the territory, make up about a third. Others come from other Pacific islands or are of mixed heritage.
7. Several agreements were signed including the 1998 Noumea Accord, which set out a roadmap for greater autonomy for the territory.
8. Under this agreement, New Caledonia is allowed up to three referendums on independence. A third referendum can take place by 2022, if requested by a third of the local assembly.
9. New Caledonia has large deposits of nickel, a vital component in manufacturing electronics, and is seen by France as a strategic political and economic asset in the region.
10. It enjoys a large degree of autonomy but depends heavily on France for matters like defence and education and still receives large subsidies from Paris.
11. It is one of the UN's 17 "non-self governing territories" - where the process of decolonisation has not been completed.
12. France first claimed the islands, home to some 270,000 people, in 1853.

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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 – Corporate World

• Rs 20,000 cr tax dispute: Vodafone wins arbitration case against India - British telco Vodafone Group Plc won a decade-long battle against the Indian tax department’s demand of Rs 20,000 crore, stemming from its entry into the country in 2007. The victory in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague may finally signal an end to the retrospective tax amendment case. Vodafone had acquired a controlling stake in Hutchison Essar in 2007 in a deal valued at $11.2 billion.
• Centre unveils design of Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) - The Centre on September 25, 2020 unveiled the first look of the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) train whose design is inspired by Delhi’s iconic Lotus Temple. The train will run on the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor and can attain a top speed of 180 kilometres per hour. According to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the entire rolling stock for the train will be manufactured at Bombardier’s plant in Gujarat.
• Tata Group's low-cost COVID-19 test 'Feluda' approved by DGCI - The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) has approved the commercial launch of 'Feluda', the Tata CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) COVID-19 test, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) said on September 20, 2020. This test uses an indigenously developed, cutting-edge CRISPR technology for detection of the genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 virus, CSIR said in a statement.
• QS Global MBA Rankings 2021 launched - The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is the best ranked Indian institute at 50th in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Global MBA Rankings 2021 released in September 2020. Stanford Graduate School of Business continues to lead the global list. The core metrics of the QS business masters’ rankings include employability, entrepreneurship and alumni outcomes, return on investment, thought leadership and class and faculty diversity.
• CAG slams French companies for not fulfilling Rafale offset terms - French firms Dassault Aviation and MBDA, the main companies in the Rs 59,000 crore contract for 36 Rafale fighters inked in September 2016, have been slammed by CAG for their failure so far to fulfil offsets obligation in offering advanced technology to India. The French companies are required to plough back 50% of the contract value to India as offsets or re-investments under the deal. This was revealed by the CAG in an audit report presented in Parliament on September 23, 2020.
• Visa extends global partnership with IFundWomen in India - Visa has announced the launch of a grant program in India to support women entrepreneurs with its partner, IFundWomen. Women entrepreneurs in India will now receive funding from Visa to grow and expand their business. Visa has partnered with FLO (the ladies’ wing of FICCI) and Instamojo as Digitization partner for the program in India.
• Harley Davidson to quit India - Iconic US motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson, Inc. (Harley) will discontinue its sales and manufacturing operations in India. The move is seen as part of its global restructuring initiative, under which it plans to exit international markets, where volumes and profitability have been elusive.
• Anupriya Acharya elected president of AAAI - Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia, has taken charge of the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) after being elected as president for the year 2020-21. AAAI was formed in 1945 to promote their industry interests.
• L. Adimoolam elected president of Indian Newspaper Society - L. Adimoolam has been elected president of the Indian Newspaper Society, an apex body of the publishers of newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the country. Adimoolam (Health and The Antiseptic publication) was elected president at the 81st annual general meeting of INS held in Bengaluru on September 26, 2020.  
• Indian Broadcasting Foundation elects K. Madhavan as President - The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF) on September 25, 2020 said that Star & Disney India’s Managing Director K Madhavan has been elected as its new president.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 India and Bangladesh hold joint Naval Exercise ‘Bongosagar’

• Highlights –The second edition of the bilateral naval exercise Bongosagar between India and Bangladesh was held on  Saturday (October 3) in Northern Bay of Bengal.
• Ships from both navies participated in surface warfare drills, seamanship evolutions and helicopter operations.
• Indian Navy ships Kiltan, Khukri & Bangladesh Navy ships Abu Bakr, Prottoy, helo and  MPA undertook manoeuvres, surface drills, helo operations and seamanship evolutions.
• Bongosagar was followed by the third edition of India Bangladesh Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) on 4-5 October.
• The exercise Bongosagar is aimed at developing interoperability and joint operational skills through conduct of maritime exercises and operations.
• During the CORPAT exercise, both navies undertook joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
• In addition to ships, Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both navies and integral helicopters also participated in the exercise.
• The first edition of the Exercise Bongosagar, was held in 2019.
• The Exercise Bongosagar and IN - BN CORPAT reflects the priority Indian Navy accords to Bangladesh Navy as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region).

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

8.1 EC comes out with provision of postal ballot for elderly and people with disabilities

• Highlights – 
  

• Seeking to make the procedure to opt for postal ballot more convenient for those above 80 years of age and people with disabilities, the Election Commission has come out with a set of new instructions.
• The form required to opt for the postal ballot would be delivered at the residence of all those above 80 years of age and people with disabilities by the booth level officer under his polling station.
• It would be up to these two category of voters to opt for postal ballot “If he/she opts for postal ballot, then the BLO will collect the filled-in form 12-D from the house of the elector within five days of the notification and deposit it with the returning officer forthwith.”
• The instructions have been issued based on the feedback the poll panel received from civil society and media during its visit to poll-bound Bihar recently.
• The EC said the fresh instructions would be applicable to all elections and by-elections, including the bypolls announced last week to 56 assembly and one Lok Sabha seat.
• Bihar is going for a three-phase assembly poll beginning October 28.
• As per the instructions, the returning officer would deploy polling teams, who will deliver and collect the postal ballot on pre-informed dates and thereafter deposit it with the RO.
• An official explained that this postal ballot facility is different from the one extended to service voters. Here, those willing to use the facility have to fill up a form. Officials then carry the ballot to the residence of such voters and videograph the voting to ensure transparency..

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

9.1 RAISE 2020

 

 

• Key point – 

1. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and NITI Aayog are organising the mega virtual summit from October 5 to 9, 2020.

• Highlights –

1. RAISE 2020 (Responsible AI for Social Empowerment 2020) will be a global meeting of minds to exchange ideas and chart a course for using AI for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment in areas like healthcare, agriculture, education and smart mobility among other sectors.
2. Delegates and experts in research, policy and innovation on artificial intelligence will join from across the globe in RAISE 2020.
3. The summit will discuss cross-sector subjects like 'Leveraging AI for Pandemic Preparedness', 'The Impetus that Innovation Places on Digitisation', 'Inclusive AI', 'Partnerships for Successful Innovation'.
4. The RAISE 2020 summit will also feature some of the most exciting startups working in Artificial Intelligence-related fields.
5. Startups chosen through the AI Solution Challenge will showcase their solutions in the AI Startup Pitchfest scheduled on Oct 6, 2020. This is part of the government's continuing support to tech entrepreneurs and startups by providing exposure, recognition and guidance.
6. Officials said that India is well-positioned to become a global leader in the development of artificial intelligence as it is home to the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, elite science and technology institutions like the IITs, robust and ubiquitous digital infrastructure, and millions of newly-minted STEM graduates every year.
7. Industry analysts predict that AI could add up to USD 957 billion to India's economy by 2035.
8. PM Modi plans to leverage AI for inclusive development, representing the country's 'AI for All' strategy in the spirit of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.
9. RAISE 2020 is a first-of-its-kind global meeting of minds on artificial intelligence to drive India's vision and roadmap for social transformation, inclusion and empowerment through responsible AI.

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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 -

• The Central govt has increased the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in the defence sector to 74% under automatic route.
• Founding director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts Kapila Vatsyayan died at age of 91 in Sept 2020.
• Woolly flying Squirrel, that was thought to be extinct some seventy years back, was recently spotted at Gangotri National Park in Uttarakhand.
• Loya Jirga is the Parliament of Afghanistan.
• PSU BEML stands for Bharat Earth Movers Limited.

10.3 Today's best editorials to read

• 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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271000

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