Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 26-10-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 26-10-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Jammu and Kashmir – Farooq to lead Gupkar alliance – Seven mainstream parties of J&K gave formal shape to their recently cobbled alliance for the restoration of Article 370, electing National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah as its chairman and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti as vice-chairperson. They asserted theirs was “not an anti-national” grouping. Veteran CPM leader M.Y. Tarigami was elected the convener while Lok Sabha member from South Kashmir Hasnain Masoodi will be the coordinator of the conglomerate, known as the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Sajjad Gani Lone of People’s Conference would be the spokesman for the amalgam. After a meeting held at Ms. Mufti’s house, Mr. Abdullah, who turned 84 earlier this week, said the alliance was fighting for the restoration of special status to Jammu and Kashmir and is an “anti-BJP platform” and not an anti-national amalgam.
2. Economy – Extra interest charged to be credited by Nov. 5 – Three weeks after informing the SC that the Centre would bear the additional compound interest on loans of up to ₹2 crore taken by retail borrowers as well as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the government formally communicated the modalities of the scheme to lenders. Banks and other lenders, including cooperative banks and non-banking finance companies, have been asked to credit the difference between the compound interest and simple interest for the six month period between March 1 and August 31 into these loan accounts by November 5. This would be implemented even for borrowers who had not availed themselves of the moratorium on loan repayments allowed by the Reserve Bank of India up to Aug 31. At its last hearing on Oct 14, the SC had turned down the Centre’s request for a month to implement the scheme.
3. Economy – PM inaugurates three Gujarat projects – PM Modi inaugurated three projects in his home State of Gujarat — one each related to farmers’ welfare, healthcare, and tourism development — via video-conferencing from New Delhi. Mr. Modi launched the ‘Kisan Suryodaya Yojana’ aimed at providing day-time electricity to farmers in the State for irrigation and farming. The second project he inaugurated was a paediatric heart hospital at the U.N. Mehta Institute of Cardiology and Research Centre in Ahmedabad, developed with an investment of ₹470 crore by the State’s Health Department. The third project launched was a 2.3-km-long ropeway project on Mount Girnar in Junagadh city, a major pilgrimage site. The ropeway project is being touted as the longest temple ropeway in Asia. The ropeway has been developed by Usha Breco Limited at an investment of ₹130 crore.
4. Defence – Carbine deal a benchmark for UAE firms to invest in India – The deal for 93,895 Close Quarter Carbines (CQBs) for the Indian Army, for which United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s government-owned small arms manufacturer Caracal was shortlisted, is like a “benchmark” for UAE industry and they are watching closely on further investments in the Indian market. Caracal has already identified four locations to set up the facility and also identified local partners to be able to commence production immediately, Mr. Alameri said India is already part of their global supply chain and over 20% of the components fitted on the CAR 816 are already made in India. The deals for 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines were approved by the Defence Acquisition Council in January 2018 to be processed through the fast track route.
5. Covid-19 Updates – Recovery rate goes up to 89.78% – At least 61% of the total recovered cases from COVID-19 are from six States and Union Territories — Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Around 70,16,046 people have so far recuperated, pushing the national recovery rate to 89.78%. While Maharashtra recorded 20.6% of the total recoveries, 10.9% recovered cases were from Andhra Pradesh, 9.9% from Karnataka, 9.4% from Tamil Nadu, 6.1% from Uttar Pradesh and 4.1% from Delhi. The latest recoveries have exceeded the fresh cases in recent days, with 67,549 COVID-19 patients having recovered and been discharged in the last 24 hours.
6. World – U.S. allies welcome Israel-Sudan deal but Iran, Palestine cry foul – Sudan and Israel agreed to normalise relations, in a U.S.-brokered deal to end decades of hostility that was widely welcomed but stirred Palestinian anger. The announcement makes Sudan, technically at war with Israel since its 1948 foundation, the third Arab country to forge diplomatic relations with the Jewish state in the last two months. Other U.S. allies, including Germany, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, welcomed the deal as a boost to stability in the West Asia. Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders strongly condemned the deal, echoing their rejection of Israel’s normalisation accords with the UAE and Bahrain signed in Washington last month.
7. India and its neighbourhood – Sharif slams army and ISI chiefs for interfering in politics –  Pakistan’s former PM Nawaz Sharif lashed out again at the country’s army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, accusing them of “interfering in politics for several years with impunity in violation of their oath”. Sharif was addressing, via video link from London, the third massive rally of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance comprising11opposition parties with the purpose of ousting PM Imran Khan from office, in Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province. As the public meeting began, Quetta witnessed a blast that killed three people and injured seven others in Hazarganji area, just 35 to 40 minutes away from the rally site. Police said an IED was planted in a motorcycle. Undeterred by the blast, PDM members went ahead with the demonstration.
8. Science and Technology – Foreign companies to get nod to make, launch satellites– India’s new space policy will not just open up the sector to private Indian entities, but also encourage foreign direct investments (FDI) - with or without tieups with Indian firms - and allow foreign companies to set up facilities in the country. These bold initiatives are likely to be part of a policy framework DoS is preparing. The department would give more clarity once IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) is completely operational and the other policies in the pipeline are ready to be rolled out, Sivan said many companies have shown interest in the sector.
9. Health – India will miss 2025 target of reducing 75% TB deaths – India is not on course to meet the goal of a 50% reduction in TB incidence and 75% reduction in TB deaths by 2025. Analysing data up to 2018, a paper points out that deaths were down by just 8.3% and incidence by 5.3% since 2015. For the goal to be met, reductions by 2020 would have to be 35% and 20% respectively. India’s National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP) is focused more on the treatment rather than on social determinants of TB such as under-nutrition and living conditions which lead to a large number of new TB cases being added each year. Less than 50% of new TB cases were registered for treatment. The biggest chunk, over 40%, of new cases, were lost due to poor access to diagnostic services.
10. Environment and Ecology – 1st in 15 yrs: All major dams in drought-prone Marathwada full – All the eleven major dams in Marathwada, including Manjra dam that is prone to dry storage and supplies water to Latur, Sina Kolegaon and Lower Dudhna in Osmanabad district are almost filled to the designed storage capacity, thanks to a record rainfall. The cumulative storage in these major reservoirs was the highest in the last one-and-a-half decade. Marathwada has faced droughts twice in the last six years and the threat of water scarcity looms over the region every year, especially in Latur, Osmanabad and Beed districts due to relatively poorer storages in major dams that supply water to them.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	RMRC, NE Region	Pro. Asst, Pro. Tech.  III & Data Entry Operator	6	DMLT, Degree/ PG	OCT-29-2020	http://rmrcne.org.in/images/pdf/appoint/Advt_adm_192.pdf
2	RMRC, NE Region	Scientist B, Lab Tech, Sr Pro. Asst.	5	12th Class, PG	OCT-28-2020	http://rmrcne.org.in/images/pdf/appoint/Advt_191.pdf
3	NBFGR	SRF, Young Prof-II, Tech. Assst	6	Degree, PG NET	OCT-27-2020	https://www.nbfgr.res.in/site/writereaddata/siteContent/Online%20Interview_oct_2020.pdf
4	NIMR	Research Asst, Lab Technician, MTS	9	High School, 12th Class, Diploma, B.Sc	03, 04 & 05-11-2020	https://nimr.org.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Adv_tes_3sites_22-10-2020.pdf
5	NEIST	Project Asso, Project Assis., Project Asso.-I, II	36	MBBS	NOV-3-2020	http://www.rrljorhat.res.in/jobs/Advt-38-2020-HRD.pdf
6	RARI, Itanagar	Sr Research Fellow & Program Assistant	7	BAMS, Comp. Knowledge	OCT-31-2020	http://www.ccras.nic.in/sites/default/files/viewpdf/Vacancies/20102020_RARI_Itangar_Advertisement.jpg
7	RMRC, NE Region	Project Asst, Project Technician III & Data Entry Operator	6	DMLT, Degree/ PG	OCT-29,2020	http://rmrcne.org.in/images/pdf/appoint/Advt_adm_192.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 – Banking and Finance

• RBI launches its quarterly OBICUS of manufacturing sector - The Reserve Bank of India on October 14, 2020 launched the latest round of its quarterly Order Books, Inventories and Capacity Utilisation Survey (OBICUS) of the manufacturing sector which will provide valuable inputs for monetary policy formulation. "The survey (Round 51) is for the reference period July-September 2020 (Q2:2020-21)," the central bank said in a statement.
• Implement decision on compound interest waiver by Nov 2: SC - The government’s decision to waive off compound interest payment for small borrowers during the six-month moratorium period should be implemented by November 2, said the Supreme Court on October 14, 2020. The court is hearing a demanding waiver of interest charged by banks on instalments that have been deferred for repayment by RBI through a six-month moratorium imposed in March.
• RBI fields FAQs on loan recast, clears air over OTR (one-time restructuring) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in a frequently asked questions (FAQs) for one-time restructuring (OTR), said outstanding debt on the date of invocation can be restructured under the regulatory scheme for borrowers facing financial stress due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The RBI’s circular on OTR on August 6 had stated that the reference date for the outstanding amount of debt that may be considered for resolution will be March 1, 2020.

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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 75th Anniversary of UN Day

 

 

Key points –  

• UN day is observed on October 24, every year since 1948.
• UN Day marks the anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.
• The UN Charter is the founding document of this great non-partisan institution that has been working towards global peace and equality.
• With the ratification of this founding document by the majority of its signatories, including the five permanent members of the Security Council, the United Nations officially came into being.
• 24 October has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
• In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by the Member States as a public holiday.

Important details –

• The name "United Nations" was coined by the United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt and first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during Second World War.
• The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States, and by a majority of other signatories.
• The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.
• Currently, it has 193 Member States. Each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations is a member of the General Assembly.

UN Day 2020 –

• The year 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations and its founding Charter.
• The theme for UN Day 2020 is 'The Future We Want, the UN We Need: Reaffirming our Collective Commitment to Multilateralism'.

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

5.1 Fortified rice to be provided under mid-day meal programme

 

 

 Highlights –

• The Modi government has decided to supply fortified rice in schools covered under the mid-day meal programme as part of its effort to fight malnutrition.
• The rice will be fortified with three micronutrients – vitamin B12, iron and folic acid.
• This move is likely to supplement the government's effort towards fighting the menace of malnutrition.  

Other initiatives by the government –

• The government has distributed around 10 lakh tonnes of pulses and chana during this COVID pandemic to provide nutritious food to people through rations shops.
• India runs the world's biggest food programme in the form of National Food Security Act (NFSA), that gives a legal entitlement to 81 crore beneficiaries covered under this law.
• The central government is distributing over 80 lakh tonnes foodgrains per month since April onwards.
• Generally, the government distributes around 550 lakh tonnes of foodgrains annually under the NFSA and some other welfare schemes.
• The Centre is also providing higher quantity of foodgrains to poorest of the poor which is about 10 crore people.
• Despite these interventions, India's ranking on the global hunger index leaves much to be desired.
• The food law provides that India must move first towards food security and then nutritional security and health security.
• Officials have claimed that India has become surplus food country and is in position to not only meet its own requirement but also export and provide food aid to other countries.

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• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Weekly Round-up – Accidents and Natural Disasters

• International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction observed on October 13 - International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction was observed on October 13. The Day was started in 1989 to promote a global culture of risk-awareness and disaster reduction.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Maharashtra government decides to withdraw general consent to CBI

 

Key point –  

• The Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra has withdrawn the general consent it extended to the Central Bureau of Investigation to conduct probe in the state, setting up grounds for a fresh face-off with the BJP.

Highlights –

• The move makes it compulsory for the central agency to get the state government's permission to conduct investigations in the state.
• Earlier, several opposition-ruled states including Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and more recently, Rajasthan, had withdrawn general consent, effectively shutting the gates to the CBI.
• The move also comes hours after the CBI filed a case to investigate the ratings scam on the basis of a complaint filed in BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh.
• The Mumbai police, which has accused three channels, including Republic TV, of rigging ratings, is currently investigating the case. Republic TV has denied any wrongdoing.
• Speculation is rife that this could become the second instance of an investigation making its way from the Mumbai Police to the CBI via a BJP or NDA-ruled state like in the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
• Two months ago, in the Sushant Singh Rajput case, an FIR was filed in Bihar and the Supreme Court order in the matter had ordered the CBI to take over the investigation from the Mumbai police.
• The handing over of the case to the CBI in the Sushant Rajput case had led to a huge row between Maharashtra's ruling alliance and the BJP – BJP rules Bihar in alliance with Nitish Kumar.
• The Supreme Court makes sure that the state government's move will not affect the agency's investigations in that case.
• The Mumbai police had been targeted over its handling of the case amid speculation that the 34-year-old actor who was found dead in his Mumbai apartment in June, could have been murdered.
• Republic TV, which has been vocal in its criticism of the Mumbai police, has accused it of carrying out a vendetta through the ratings case.
• The channel has demanded a CBI investigation into the Mumbai Police allegations that it had rigged television ratings for profit. 

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

8.1 World Polio Day 2020

 

Key points–

• Every year, World Polio Day is observed on October 24 to raise awareness for polio vaccination and eradication of polio.
• The World Polio Day was established by Rotary International over a decade ago to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis.

Theme –

• Stories of Progress: Past and Present.

Important details –

• WHO says that use of the poliovirus vaccine and subsequent widespread use of the oral poliovirus, developed by Albert Sabin, led to the establishment of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988.
• As of 2013, GPEI had reduced polio worldwide by 99%.
• The last stronghold of poliovirus is in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Several critical challenges stand in the way of achieving eradication, including the global pandemic – Covid-19.

Polio –

• It is a virus that may cause paralysis and is easily preventable by the polio vaccine.
• Polio is transmitted through contaminated water or food, or contact with an infected person.
• Polio is caused by an RNA virus, where 85% of the infections are paralytic.
• Poliovirus is most commonly spread in the areas where there is poor sanitation.
• Individuals infected with the poliovirus can spread the infection from their feces. Also, direct contact with the poliovirus-infected person can cause poliomyelitis.
• Many people who are infected with the poliovirus don't become sick and have no symptoms. However, those who do become ill develop paralysis, which can sometimes be fatal.
• Treatment includes bed rest, pain relievers and portable ventilators.

Two types of vaccine to prevent polio –

• Inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) is given as an injection in the leg or arm, depending on the patient’s age. Only IPV has been used in the United States since 2000.
• Oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) is still used throughout much of the world.

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

9.1 World Development Information Day 2020

 

 

Highlights –

• The United Nations’ (UN) World Development Information Day is celebrated every year on October 24 to draw attention of worldwide public opinion to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
• The General Assembly in 1972 established World Development Information Day to draw the attention of the world to development problems and the need to strengthen international cooperation to solve them.
• The Assembly decided that the date for the Day should coincide with United Nations Day, 24 October, which was also the date of the adoption of the International Development Strategy for the Second United Nations Development Decade in 1970.
• The Assembly deemed that improving the dissemination of information and the mobilization of public opinion, particularly among young people, would lead to greater awareness of the problems of development, thus, promoting efforts in the sphere of international cooperation for development.
• Information-technologies, such as the Internet and mobile phones free from digital divide can play in alerting people and finding solutions to problems of trade and development.
• The main goal of this day is to collect information and mobilize public opinion, especially among new generation, in order to draw their attention and create awareness of the problems surrounding development, promoting efforts in the field of international cooperation for growth and development.
• Once the world brings its attention to the issues of development, countries around the world are better equipped to solve such problems.
• In 2016, world leaders launched their 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They outlined 17 sustainable development goals. And, to achieve all of these goals, the UN needs to implement improved communication and information dissemination.
• World leaders hope that improvements in modern technology will also help to achieve these goals.

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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 -

• An ultra-light airplane collided on Oct 10 with another small plane, killing five people in Loches town in France.
• The naval exercise Bongosagar between India and Bangladesh was held on October 3, 2020 in the Bay of Bengal.
• Sweden’s Armand Duplantis recently created a new world record in pole vault?
• Doha hosted the peace negotiations involving Afghanistan’s government and the Taliban in Sept 2020.
• Apart from Pranab Mukherjee, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Rajendra Prasad, Zakir Hussain and V. V. Giri  were the Presidents who was awarded with Bharat Ratna.

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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