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

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

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Awards and Honours – American poet Louise Gluck wins Nobel Literature Prize – American poet Louise Gluck has won the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature for “her unmistakable poetic voice that with austere beauty makes individual existence universal”. Academy Permanent Secretary Mats Malm said Gluck was “surprised and happy” at the news despite receiving it in the early morning North American time. A professor at Yale University, Gluck, 77, made her debut in 1968 with “Firstborn”, and is seen as one of the most prominent poets in American contemporary literature. Her poetry is characterised by “a striving for clarity”, the Academy said, with a focus on childhood, family life, and close relationships between parents and siblings. In her poems, the self listens for what is left of its dreams and delusions, and nobody can be harder than she in confronting the illusions of the self. The literature prize has been dogged by controversy over the past several years. In 2019 the Academy exceptionally named two winners after postponing the 2018 prize in the wake of a sexual assault scandal involving the husband of one of its members.
2. Indian Politics - Obituary – Ram Vilas Paswan passes away – Union Minister for Food and Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan passed away due to prolonged heart ailment at the Fortis Escorts Hospital in New Delhi. He was 74. Mr. Paswan was a Minister under six PMs — from the United Front government of Deve Gowda and the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance government to the current Narendra Modi-led National Democratic Alliance government. A stalwart of the socialist movement, who later emerged as Bihar’s foremost Dalit leader with a following across the country, Mr. Paswan was instrumental in the implementation of the Mandal Commission report in the 1990s.
3. Economy – Q2 records 107% surge in fresh investments – Fresh investment proposals surged sharply in the second quarter of this year, rising 107% over the first quarter, with 2,219 new projects entailing an investment of ₹2.19 lakh crore. Private sector investments also recovered significantly, rising 87% from the previous quarter when an extensive lockdown triggered a 23.9% contraction in the economy. On a year-on-year basis, fresh investments between July and September were still 11.32% lower but marked a sharp recovery from investments in the first quarter that were nearly 73% lower. Among the States, Chhattisgarh received the most investments in the second quarter followed by Tamil Nadu, which topped fresh investments in the first quarter, according to Projects Today’s latest report on investment announcements in the July to September quarter. Karnataka was third on the list, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra.
4. Polity and Governance – Republic TV, 2 others in TRP racket: police – Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said that a racket involving Republic TV, Box Cinema and Fakt Marathi that manipulated Television Rating Points (TRPs) had been busted by the Crime Branch. Owners of Fakt Marathi and Box Cinema have been arrested and charged with Sections 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 409 (criminal breach of trust by public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent) of the Indian Penal Code, he told presspersons.
5. Constitution and Law – Assam jails cannot be detention centres: HC – The Gauhati High Court has said that people declared as foreigners cannot be kept in jails that serve as detention centres, depriving them of basic human rights and human dignity. The court has also issued a notice to the Assam government to submit a report on the steps taken to set up detention centres outside jail premises and “hire any private premises” if “suitable government accommodations are not available for the purpose”. Hearing a cluster of petitions filed on behalf of persons lodged in Assam’s six detention centres and their kin, the High Court referred to a Supreme Court case involving 37 “Pakistani prisoners” while issuing the order on October 7. These prisoners “not required under Indian laws” were kept in jail despite completing their sentence by 2009 because the Pakistan High Commission did not confirm their nationality.
6. Constitution and Law – SC raps Centre for ‘nonsensical’ affidavit on news about Tablighi – The SC pulled up the Centre for allowing a junior I&B ministry officer to file a “nonsensical” affidavit informing it that it was impossible to act on the basis of the Jamiat Ulama I-Hind’s plea to gag the media from reporting that the Tablighi Jamaat congregation in Nizamuddin had led to the spread of coronavirus in many parts of India. Jamiat, through advocate Ejaz Maqbool, had petitioned the SC saying false propaganda had been unleashed by circulating fake news about the Tablighi Jamaat on social media, and TV and print media to target the Muslim community and alleged that the government had remained a mute spectator instead of taking action under law against those circulating the fake news to spread communal hatred.
7. Environment and Ecology – 6% drop in SO2 emission, but India still top polluter – India has recorded a 6% decline in emission of hazardous sulphur dioxide (SO2) in 2019 compared to 2018 - the first decline in four years. But by contributing 21% of global anthropogenic emissions of sulphur dioxide, India continues to be at the top in the list of big emitters for the fifth year in a row. The overall SO2 emissions fell for all the top three big emitters - India, Russia and China – for only the second time on record. The declining trend continues, so far, even in 2020 thanks to a 10% drop in consumption of coal during the January-August period.
8. World – Nigerian and Korean candidates face off to lead WTO – A woman will become director-general of the World Trade Organization for the first time, after the race narrowed down to candidates from Nigeria and South Korea and contenders from Kenya, Saudi Arabia and the UK were eliminated. Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korea’s Yoo Myung-hee will contest the final run-off and the winner will be announced in early November after a final few weeks of campaigning. The outcome was largely expected after one of the early favourites, Kenya’s Amina Mohamed, faltered when the EU supported her rivals and opposition emerged from other big countries.
9. USA-China – High-powered Chinese delegation visits Sri Lanka – In what is said to be the first outbound visit by top Chinese officials to South Asia since the outbreak of COVID-19, a senior Chinese delegation will meet Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo. A “high-powered Chinese delegation”, led by senior Chinese leader and top foreign policy official Yang Jiechi, who is a member of the Communist Party of China’s Politburo and the director of the Central Committee’s Foreign Affairs Commission, the top policy-making body, will arrive in Colombo on Thursday night, the Foreign Ministry in Colombo said in a statement.
10. US Presidential Elections – Pandemic dominates Harris-Pence debate – Against the backdrop of a raging pandemic that has claimed more than 2,10,000 lives across the country, Vice-President Mike Pence and Democratic vice-presidential pick Kamala Harris faced off in the only V-P debate of the season in Salt Lake City, Utah. With acrylic sheet barriers beside their desks — a reminder of the public health crisis the nation faces — the candidates sparred on the Trump administration’s pandemic response, the economy, climate, China and Ms. Harris’s prosecutorial record. Ms. Harris described the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic as “the greatest failure” of any administration in U.S. history and said — citing investigative journalist Bob Woodward — that the President knew about the viral threat at the end of January (weeks before a public emergency was declared). She said the administration still did not have a plan to tackle the pandemic.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	CMTI	Project Assistant-I, II, Project Fellow – I, II	12	Degree, B.Sc, B.E./ B.Tech, M.Sc, MBA	23-10-2020	http://cmti-india.net/themes/zeropoint/pdf/Rec_062020.pdf
2	SAIL, IISCO Steel Plant	Doctor	24	MBBS, PG Diploma	OCT-12-2020	https://www.sailcareers.com/media/uploads/Advertisment_ISP_Contractual_Doctors.pdf
3	NIRT	Project Technician II, III, Sr Project Asst, DEO, Lab Tech	6	Diploma (Medical Lab Tech), Degree	OCT-15-2020	http://www.nirt.res.in/pdf/2020/ADVT/06.10.2020/NATBPS%20ad%20for%20West%20Bengal%20for%20online%20interview%20last%20date%2015-10-2020.pdf
4	CCRUM	Jr Research Fellow & Field Attendant	6	Higher Sec, M.Sc	OCT-13-2020	https://ccrum.res.in/writereaddata/UploadFile/Advertisement%20along%20with%20Application%20Form637365919326861545.pdf
5	NIIST	Project Associate – I, II	50	Degree (Eng), PG, Ph.D	OCT-19-2020	https://www.niist.res.in/english/wp-content/files/PA042020.pdf
6	DMHO, Srikakulam	Specialist MO, Medical Officer, Staff Nurse, Lab Tech	225	GNM, MBBS, Degree, PG	OCT-10-2020	https://cdn.s3waas.gov.in/s3f899139df5e1059396431415e770c6dd/uploads/2020/10/2020100327.pdf
7	CSIR -TKDL Unit	Project Associate-I	9	BE/ B Tech or IT/ MCA, BAMS, PG	OCT-17-2020	https://www.csir.res.in/sites/default/files/Advertisement-for-Project-Assistant%28MLP0004%29_1.pdf

 

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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

1.1 Not Available Today

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

2.1 Not Available Today

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

3.1 Not Available Today

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

4.1 Weekly Round-up – Foreign Affairs I

 

• Pakistan: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province govt. to buy Kapoor Haveli - The provincial government in Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has decided to purchase the ancestral houses of legendary Bollywood actors Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar in Peshawar city to conserve the historic buildings which are in dilapidated condition and facing demolition threat. Raj Kapoor’s ancestral home, known as Kapoor Haveli, is situated in the fabled Qissa Khwani Bazar. It was built between 1918 and 1922.
• PM Modi addresses 75th United Nations General Assembly - Addressing the 75th United Nations General Assembly in Hindi through videoconferencing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 26 made a strong pitch for India's inclusion as a permanent member of United Nations Security Council.  
• G4 countries call for decisive push for UN Security Council reforms - Foreign Ministers of the G4 countries - India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany have highlighted the urgency of reforming the United Nations and updating its main decision-making bodies including UNSC, in order to better reflect contemporary realities. The G4 FMs, including External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, met virtually during the 75th session of the UN General Assembly on September 23.
• S. Jaishankar addresses World Economic Forum Development Impact Summit - External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has said that the months-long border standoff between India and China is one facet of a larger phenomenon for which both countries have to sit down and find a solution. He was speaking at the World Economic Forum Development Impact Summit on September 24, 2020.
• S. Jaishankar participates in Special Ministerial Meeting of FMs of CICA - External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar on September 24, 2020 participated in the Special Ministerial Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the CICA (Conference on Interaction & Confidence Building Measures in Asia). The Minister underlined India’s commitment to a pluralistic cooperative security order in Asia through CICA.
• 15th CII-Exim Bank digital conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership held  - Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, on September 22, 2020 said that Africa is fundamental to India’s foreign policy thinking. He was speaking at the 15th CII-Exim Bank digital conclave on India-Africa Project Partnership.
• India, Denmark ink pact to increase cooperation on IPRs - India and Denmark on September 26, 2020 inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to increase cooperation in the area of intellectual property rights (IPRs) by exchanging best practices and collaborating in training programmes.

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

5.1 Kisan Rath Mobile App

 

 

 Key point –

• Amid the ongoing nationwide stir over three farm laws introduced by the Centre, Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has launched the Kisan Rath Mobile App in order to facilitate timely sale of agricultural products by promoting a buyer-seller network.
• The mobile app, developed, designed and technically maintained by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), will be out to use by the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART) which will impart training to farmers and other stakeholders on how to use the app.
• The app has several language options, including Assamese, English and Hindi.
• Officials said that the app would be a new vehicle for boosting agri-business by opening up markets across the country for Assam to get maximum benefit for their produce.
• The Kisan Rath App interconnects over 10,000 farmers, 50 farmer producer organizations and 1,000 verified agricultural traders to an online platform.
• The app initially released by the Government of India (GoI) was customized by NIC to cater to the requirements of Assam. It enables farmers to take advantage of relevant schemes and opens up the national market outside the state for surplus products.
• Officials also said that the app would eliminate the role of middlemen creating new market opportunities for farmers and increasing their bargaining power.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Round-up – Sports

 

• Bayern Munich win UEFA Super Cup - Bayern Munich beat Sevilla 2-1 after extra time on September 24, 2020 to lift the UEFA Super Cup in Budapest on September 24, 2020. The result: Bayern 2 (Goretzka 34, Martinez 104) bt Sevilla 1 (Ocampos 13-pen).
• Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes wins Formula One Russian Grand Prix - Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes won the Formula One Russian Grand Prix at Sochi on September 27, 2020. He was followed by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and another Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton in second and third places respectively.
• US golfer Bryson DeChambeau wins 120th US Open - US golfer Bryson DeChambeau won the 120th US Open on September 27, 2020. The 27-year-old achieved a six-stroke victory over 21-year-old countryman Matthew Wolff.
• Former Australian batsman Dean Jones dies at 59 - Former Australian batsman and commentator Dean Jones passed away on September 24, 2020 in Mumbai at the age of 59. He played 52 Tests (3631 runs) and 164 ODIs (6068 runs) and was part of for Australia’s 1987 World Cup winning team.
• PM launches Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols - Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Fit India Movement, via virtual conferencing on September 24, 2020.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 An MOU to convert educational materials into Indian Sign Language

 

Key point –

• A historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Center (ISLRTC) and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to make educational materials accessible for deaf children in their preferred format of communication viz Indian Sign Language.
• Important details –
• As part of this MoU, educational print materials such as NCERT Textbooks, Teachers Handbook and other Supplementary materials and resources of Class I-XII of all subjects of both Hindi and English Medium will be converted into Indian Sign Language in Digital format.
• The signing of this MoU is a historic step as availability of NCERT textbooks in Indian Sign Language will ensure that deaf children can also now access educational resources in Indian Sign Language and it will be a useful and much-needed resource for dead students, teachers, parents and the deaf community.
• This will also ensure educational standardization of Indian Sign Language as mandated in the New Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
• Notably, the ISLRTC is an autonomous national institute of DEPwD, MSJE which is dedicated to the task of developing man-power for popularizing the use of Indian Sign Language, teaching and conducting research in Indian Sign Language.
• On the other hand, the NCERT is an autonomous organization under MHRD which is responsible for ensuring qualitative improvement in school education by undertaking and promoting research in areas related to school education.
• NCERT also prepares and publish model textbooks, supplementary material, newsletters, journals and develops educational kits, multimedia digital materials, etc. It develops and disseminates innovative educational techniques and practices, and act as a nodal agency for achieving the goals of Universalization of elementary education.

7.2 Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol vessel ‘Vigraha’ launched

 

 

Key points –

• The Indian Coast Guard has launched a 98-m Offshore Patrol vessel 'Vigraha' at a private shipyard in Kattupalli, north of Chennai.
• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is the fourth largest in the world and stands larger than many Navies. The ICG also has bilateral and multilateral agreements with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives etc.

Highlights –

• This is the last in the series of seven vessels that was designed and built exclusively for the Coast Guard by Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipbuilding as a part of the 'Make in India' initiative.
• The 98-m long ship has a displacement of 2100 tons, is capable of achieving a top speed of 26 knots, has an endurance of 5000 nautical miles and has the ability to stay at sea for 20 days without replenishment.
• Vigraha, also known as Yard-45007, is likely to be inducted into the Indian Coast Guard in March 2021, after completion of extensive trials and testing of the on-board equipment and machinery.
• Once inducted, the vessel would serve the East Region, from Vishakapatnam, under the leadership of IG S Paramesh in the Region East. The East region has a fleet of 10 Interceptor boats, eight offshore patrol vessels, 15 fast patrol vessels, besides five Dornier aircraft and three Chetak choppers.
• The launching of the vessel marks an important milestone, as the vessel touches the water for the first time.
• The ship has been fitted with advanced navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery that are capable of operating in tropical climates.
• The ship has been designed to carry an integral Twin Engine Helicopter which will enhance its operational, surveillance, search and rescue capability.
• Armed with a 30mm 2A42 Naval Gun and two 12.7mm guns, the ship would be utilised for day and night surveillance, besides anti-terror, anti-smuggling operations.
• The ship’s expected life span is more than 25 years and is meant to be manned by 102 crew, which includes 14 officers, 88 subordinate officers and enrolled personnel.
• New OPVs and other vessels being inducted into the Indian Coast Guard are meant to replace aging ships (that served for over 25-30years) in the fleet.
• As a part of an expansion, modernisation drive, Coast Guard is planning to boost assets to 200 vessels and 100 aircraft by 2025.

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

8.1 World Habitat Day 2020 – 5th October

 

 

Theme –   

• Housing For All — A Better Urban Future.

Key points –

• The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of our towns and cities, and on the basic right of all to adequate shelter.
• The Day is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.
• World Habitat Day was first celebrated in 1986 with the theme “Shelter is My Right”. Nairobi was the host city for the observance that year.

Scroll of Honour –

• The Habitat Scroll of Honour award was launched by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme in 1989. It is currently the most prestigious human settlements award in the world.
• Its aim is to acknowledge initiatives which have made outstanding contributions in various fields such as shelter provision, highlighting the plight of the homeless, leadership in post conflict reconstruction, and developing and improving the human settlements and the quality of urban life.
• The award, a plaque engraved with the name of the winner and their achievement is presented to the winners during the Global Observance of World Habitat Day.

Important details –

• As per reports, before the COVID-19 pandemic began, around 1.8 billion people were already living in slums and informal settlements worldwide.
• Approximately 3 billion people lack basic handwashing facilities, which is one of the most important measures to curb the coronavirus disease.
• Thus, it can be said that millions of people across the globe experience poor health due to lack of basic services.

8.2    World Teachers’ Day 2020

 

Highlights –

• Every year, October 5 is celebrated as World Teachers’ Day across the world to commemorate the work of educators.
• This year, the theme for the international day is ‘Teachers: leading in crisis, reimagining the future’ highlighting the work done by educators when all educational institutes were closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
• According to the UNESCO, the coronavirus pandemic has directly affected 1.6 billion learners with more than 90 percent of the world’s total enrolled student population. It has also affected 63 million primary and secondary teachers.
• The World Teachers’ Day, which is held every year, since 1994, commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers.
• This Recommendation sets benchmarks regarding the rights and responsibilities of teachers and standards for their initial preparation and further education, recruitment, employment, and teaching and learning conditions.
• World Teachers’ Day is co-convened in partnership with Unicef, the International Labour Organization and Education International.
• According to Unesco, with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goal 4 on education, and the dedicated target (SDG 4.c) recognising teachers as key to the achievement of the Education 2030 agenda, World Teachers' Day has become the occasion to mark progress and reflect on ways to counter the remaining challenges for the promotion of the teaching profession.

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

9.1 Not Available Today

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

10.1 Not Available Today

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Prominent figure of Banking industry Mr. Amitabha Ghosh passed away in Sept 2020 at the age of 90.
• Govind Swarup (91) died in Pune in Sept 2020. He played a major role in building the Ooty Radio Telescope (ORT).
• EC issued fresh guidelines for publishing the criminal antecedents. Now all candidates are required to ‘advertise’ their criminal antecedents in the media three times.
• The International Day of Charity was observed on Sept 5.
• Actor Chadwick Boseman died August 28, 2020 at the age of 43 in US.
• Students of IIT-Bombay launched AIR Scanner, a free-of-cost document-scanning mobile application in Aug 2020.

10.3 Today's best editorials to read

• We offer you 7 excellent editorials from across 10 newspapers we have scanned. 

CLICK HERE TO OPEN AND READ!

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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

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