Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 27-10-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 27-10-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Environment and Ecology – Centre promises law to check stubble burning – The Centre will bring in a law to address air pollution and check stubble burning in Delhi as well as the surrounding National Capital Region. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said a draft legislation would be ready this week. However, no consultation seems to have been undertaken so far with the Ministry of Agriculture on this. With an increase in stubble burning — the burning of rice straw by farmers to clear fields for winter sowing in Punjab and Haryana — the Ministry has in recent years been tasked with funding the use of subsidised combine harvesters and machinery to dissuade the farmers.
2. Covid-19 Updates – Hopes rise for Oxford vaccine – The COVID-19 experimental vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford, also triggers lower adverse responses among the elderly as well as young adults, British drug maker AstraZeneca Plc, which is helping manufacture the vaccine. A vaccine that works is seen as a game-changer in the battle against the novel coronavirus, which has killed more than 1.15 million people worldwide, shuttered swathes of the global economy and turned normal life upside down for billions of people. AstraZeneca did not provide details of the data behind the statement or say when it would publish eagerly awaited late-stage phase III trial data, which would show whether the vaccine works well enough in large scale trials for it to be approved. The Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is expected to be one of the first from big pharma to secure regulatory approval, along with Pfizer and BioNTech's candidate.
3. India-USA 2+2 dialogue – India to sign geo-spatial cooperation deal with U.S. – India and the U.S. will sign the last foundational agreement, Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geo-Spatial cooperation (BECA) during the 2+2 ministerial dialogue. The 2+2 inter-ministerial talks are scheduled to be held on Oct 27 morning. Later, the two visiting Secretaries will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence. The two Ministers reviewed bilateral defence cooperation spanning “military-to-military cooperation, secure communication systems and information sharing, defence trade and industrial issues” and also discussed ways to take bilateral cooperation forward.
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 – At 1.5%, Covid fatality rate lowest since Mar 22 – The 24-hour Covid-19 case update shows that the case fatality rate (CFR) at 1.5% is lowest since March 22 and is continuously declining. Sharing the data, the ministry of health and family welfare said that 14 states and UTs have a CFR lower than 1%. These states include Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Odisha, Assam and Kerala. A total of 480 dealths have been reported over the 24- hour period of review in the country even as 45,148 new confirmed cases were registered. The number of new cases is the lowest since July 22 when 37,000 new cases were added in a day. As many as 59,105 new recoveries were added in the 24-hour period.
6. Agro-economics – Traders halt onion auction at fifteen mandis – All the 15 onion mandis in Nashik, including the Lasalgaon APMC, wore a deserted look as traders kept off the auction process in protest against the Centre’s decision to put curbs on stock limits. Presently, onions are being sold at Rs 80 a kg in Nashik’s retail markets and the prices may cross Rs 100 a kg if the protest continues. The Centre imposed a stock limit of 25 tonne for wholesalers and 2 tonne on retailers. Some traders said it will not be possible for them to buy onions since they cannot stock them due to the restrictions and that they will have to clear the stocks before taking part in the auctioning at the mandis. Most of the farmers did not bring their produce to the mandis as word had already spread that traders would not take part in the auctioning. No onion trading took place at the mandis in Nashik district. Usually, over 1.5 lakh quintal onions are auctioned off in the 15 mandis daily during peak season.
7. US Presidential Elections – Biden, Trump on final campaign blitz –  President Trump plans to intensify an already breakneck travel schedule in the final full week of the presidential campaign, overlooking a surge of coronavirus cases in the U.S. and a fresh outbreak in his own White House. Mr. Trump is expected to hit nearly a dozen states in his last-ditch effort to recover ground from Democrat Joe Biden, including Sunday’s trip to Maine and to Nebraska. Both States award electoral votes by congressional district and could be crucial in a tight election. Mr. Trump will hold 11 rallies in the final 48 hours alone.
8. China – China’s Communist Party holds key policy conclave – China’s Communist Party (CPC) began a key conclave of top leaders that will set the direction for the country’s economic policies for the next five years. The 14th five-year plan (2021-2025) and a longer-term “Vision 2035” blueprint will be in focus at the fifth plenary session, or plenum, of the CPC’s Central Committee, which meets for such sessions once a year. China’s State media reported President and CPC General Secretary Xi Jinping on Monday delivered a work report at the start of the plenum, attended by the around 200 members of the Central Committee, and “explained a draft document of the CPC Central Committee's proposals for formulating the 14th Five-Year (2021-2025) Plan for Economic and Social Development and future targets for 2035.”.
9. World – Chileans vote for new Constitution – Chileans voted overwhelmingly in a landmark referendum to replace their dictatorship-era Constitution, long seen as underpinning the nation’s glaring economic and social inequalities. The result set off wild celebrations across the capital and other cities after voters threw out the Constitution left by the regime of 1973-1990 dictator Augusto Pinochet. Thousands of people flocked onto the streets of Santiago amid a cacophony of horn-blaring to celebrate a crushing victory for the “Approve” campaign — by 78.28% to 21.72 with over 99% of the votes counted.
10. Economy – Interest-on-interest waiver to cost exchequer ₹7,500 crore – More than 40% of system credit and 75% of borrowers stand to benefit from interest-on-interest concession announced by the government. It indicated that the ex-gratia payment of interest-on-interest by banks and non-banking financial companies for the moratorium period (between March 1 and August 31) would amount to ₹7,500 crore of benefit for eligible borrowers. Lenders will not be impacted as the Centre had agreed to pick up the tab. The benefit will be extended to borrowers with outstanding loans (standard as on February 29, 2020) of less than ₹2 crore under select categories, irrespective of whether the moratorium was availed of or not.

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 Weekly Round-up – Constitution and Law

 

• ECI vs UOI/Pradyumn Singh Tomar vs UOI – Election commission and BJP leader challenge Madhya Pradesh High Court order restraining physical poll  campaigns in Supreme Court.
• Nanded Singh Gurudwara vs UOI – Nanded Gurudwara Dusshera procession – SC directs Maharahtra SDMC to take a decision. Justices L. N. Rao, Hemant Gupta and Ajay Rastogi.
• Supreme Court Bar Association divided over resolution condemning Andhra CM’s complaint to CJI; President Dave calls it ‘Premature’.
• State of Bihar vs Raj Kumar Yadav – Delay of more than 1 year in uploading of judgement after pronouncement: SC calls upon Patna HC Registrar General to explain. Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Dinesh Maheshwari.
• Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay vs UOI – “Different ages for marriage of men and women perpetuate gender stereotypes”: Plea in SC seeks uniform age of marriage and transfer of similar pleas from HC.
• Nilesh Navlakha vs Ministry of I&B – Media highly polarized now; Journalists were responsible and neutral in past, Bombay High Court says while hearing SSR Media Trial Case. Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice G. S. Kulkarni.
• Umar Khlid vs UOI (Delhi Riot) – Delhi court directs jail superintendent to allow Umar Khalid to move freely out of his cell and provide him books, warm clothetas as required.
• Bennet Coleman and Co. Ltd. vs ARG Outelier Media Pvt. Ltd. – Delhi High Court restrains Republic TV from using trademark “News Hour”, allows using tagline “Nation Wants to Know”.

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

2.1 Britain and Japan’s post-Brexit trade deal

 

• Highlights –
  

• Britain and Japan have formally signed a trade agreement, marking the UK's first big post-Brexit deal.
• The deal means nearly all its exports to Japan will be tariff free while removing British tariffs on Japanese cars by 2026.
• Britain has said the deal meant 99% of its exports to Japan would be tariff-free, and that it could increase trade by 15.2 billion pounds ($19.9 billion) in the long run, compared with 2018.
• Critics have said it will boost UK GDP by only 0.07%, a fraction of the trade that could be lost with the EU.
• The two countries had reached a broad agreement in September, and the deal is expected to boost trade between the UK and Japan by about £15bn.
• The deal will take effect from 1 January 2021.
• Experts have said that the new deal is very similar to the existing EU-Japan deal, but has an extra chapter on digital trade.
• Japan is a member of Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which also links Canada, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

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

3.1 Japan raises climate ambition with 2050 net zero emissions goal

 

 

Highlights 

• The Japanese government has said it will cut the country’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, in the latest sign of growing momentum on international climate action.
• The net zero move marks a strong shift in ambition by the world’s fifth biggest emitter, up from an existing target of reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, and brings it level with the UK and EU.
• Japan’s past pledges had been rated “highly insufficient” by climate analysts.

Key details –

• The third largest economy in the world is heavily reliant on fossil fuels for its energy supplies, with electricity supplies overwhelmingly provided by coal and gas following the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011.
• While the pandemic has led to the postponement of the major COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow to next year, recent weeks have seen China pledge to become carbon neutral by 2060, the EU taking steps to enshrine its 2050 net zero target in law, and the UK indicating it will produce a more ambitious climate plan on 12 December.

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

4.1 UN treaty banning nuclear weapons ready to enter into force

 

 

Key points –  

• The historic international treaty banning nuclear weapons has passed an important threshold and is all set to enter into force after 90 days.
• Recently, the United Nations informed that Honduras became the 50th nation to ratify the treaty.
• The 75th anniversary of the nuclear attacks on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, marked in August, saw a wave of countries ratify the treaty, which will now to enter into force on January 22, 2021.

Important details –

• The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,  which bans the use, development, production, testing, stationing, stockpiling, and the threat of use of such weapons, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in July 2017 with the approval of 122 countries.
• 84 states have since signed it, but not all have ratified the text.
• The group of nuclear-armed states, including the US, Britain, France, China, and Russia, have not signed the treaty.
• Japan has ruled out any immediate plans to sign.
• Campaigners expect that its coming into force will have the same impact as previous international treaties on landmines and cluster munitions, bringing a stigma to their stockpiling and use, and thereby a change in behavior even in countries that did not sign up.
• Nuclear-armed states have argued their arsenals serve as a deterrent and said they remain committed to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons.
• Separately, Russia and the United States have been seeking to break an impasse in long-running talks aimed at extending a nuclear arms deal between them.
• The two sides have struggled to find common ground over the fate of the New START treaty, which limits both sides to 1,550 deployed warheads but is due to expire in February 2021.
• While the US wants to rework the deal to include China and cover new kinds of weapons, Russia is willing to extend the agreement for five years without any new conditions -- and each side has repeatedly shot down the other's proposals.
• The agreement was signed in 2010 at the peak of hopes for a reset in relations between the two countries. Together with the Cold War-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, it was considered a centerpiece of international arms control. However, the United States withdrew from the INF last year after accusing Moscow of violations.

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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 – Arts and Culture 

• Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, India’s first Oscar winner, dies at 91 - Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, India’s first Oscar winner, died in Mumbai at the age of 91 on October 15, 2020. She won the 1983 Academy Award for Best Costume Design for the movie ‘Gandhi’ jointly with John Mollo. She began her career as a costume designer in Hindi cinema with “C.I.D” (1956). She went on to work in over 100 films.
• Yoga event of officials from member States of SCO held in Beijing - India’s Ambassador to China, Vikram Misri, on October 18, 2020 participated in a Yoga event attended by officials from member States of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Beijing. India has assumed the Chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020 and is hosting the meeting of SCO Premiers in November.
• 'Two and a Half Men' actress Conchata Ferrell dies in US at 77 - Veteran stage and film actor Conchata Ferrell, best known for starring as the housekeeper Berta in the sitcom "Two and a Half Men", passed away at the age of 77 in US on October 12, 2020.
• Journalist & lyricist Herbert Kretzmer dies in London at 95 - Herbert Kretzmer, the journalist and lyricist best known for his English-language adaptation of the musical ‘Les Misérables’, died in London at the age of 95 on October 14, 2020. Kretzmer has been appointed Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and an Officer of the Order of British Empire.
• Renowned Kuchipudi dancer Sobha Naidu dies - Renowned Kuchipudi exponent Sobha Naidu, a recipient of Padma Shri, died in Hyderabad on October 14, 2020 at the age of 63.
• Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri passes away at 94 - Renowned Malayalam poet and Jnanpith laureate Mahakavi Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri died in Thrissur, Kerala on October 15, 2020 at the age of 94.
• Noted artist and dramatist Mohan Sona dies in Karnataka - Noted artist and dramatist Mohan Sona died in Sullia, Karnataka at 64 on October 12. He was known for starting an open art gallery ‘Bayalu Chitralaya’ at Sonangeri in Sullia.
• Tamil Nadu: Former actress Kushboo Sundar leaves Congress, joins BJP - Former actress Congress national spokesperson Kushboo Sundar on October 12, 2020 tendered her resignation from the party and joined BJP in Tamil Nadu. Kushboo started her political career in the DMK in 2010 and later joined the Congress in 2014.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Not Available Today

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

8.1 Dubai makes world record for largest fountain

Highlights –  

• The fountain located at the Pointe at Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, UAE recently broke the record for the world’s largest fountain.
• It measures a whopping 7,327 m². The fountain spreads over 14,000 ft² of seawater and is equipped with shooters capable of blasting water 105 metres into the air.
• With multicoloured lights and jets of water blasting into the night sky, the UAE's newest attraction on October 22 secured the Guinness World Record for the world's largest fountain.
• Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, already holds a string of world record titles -- including the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, and the fastest police car in service, a Bugatti Veyron.
• The city that attracts millions of tourists had already one of the largest fountains in the world near Burj Khalifa.
• The new fountain has over 3,000 LED lights, 7,500 nozzles and can shoot water up to 105 metres.
• In Spetember 2020, British artist Sacha Jafri broke the record for the largest art canvas measuring 1,595 square metres, also in Dubai.

Important details –

• Dubai, which has the most diversified economy in oil-rich Gulf region, has been badly hit by the coronavirus slowdown.
• Its GDP has contracted 3.5 percent in the first quarter, following two years of modest growth.
• Tourism has long been a mainstay of the emirate, which welcomed more than 16 million visitors in 2019.
• Before the Covid outbreak, the aim was to reach 20 million this year.
• Dubai is now largely open for business and tourism, but infection rates have been rising in recent weeks.

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

9.1 US approves antiviral remdesivir drug

  

Highlights –

• US regulators have given full approval for the antiviral drug remdesivir to treat Covid-19 patients in hospitals.
• The WHO has said that remdesivir has little to no effect on patients' survival.
• Remdesivir had been authorised for emergency use only in the US since May.
• It was recently given to President Donald Trump after he tested positive for Covid-19. He has since recovered.

FDA’s views –

• The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said that the drug has been approved for use in adult and paediatric patients 12 years of age and older and weighing at least 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds) for the treatment of Covid-19 requiring hospitalisation.
• The regulator said its decision was supported by the analysis of data from three randomised, controlled clinical trials that included patients hospitalised with mild-to-severe Covid-19.
• One of the studies showed that that the median time to recovery from Covid-19 was 10 days for the Veklury group compared to 15 days for the placebo group.

The WHO study –

• For its Solidarity clinical trial, the WHO tested the effects four potential treatments - remdesivir was one, but they also looked at malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, auto-immune drug interferon, and the HIV drug combination of lopinavir and ritonavir.
• Dexamethasone, a low-cost steroid now widely used on Covid patients in intensive care in the UK, was not included in this study.
• The four drugs were tested with 11,266 adult patients in total, across 500 hospitals in more than 30 different countries.
• The results, which are yet to be peer-reviewed, suggested that none of these treatments had a substantial effect on mortality or on the length of time spent in hospital.

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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 World Economic Forum (WEF) has shifted the venue of its Annual Meeting 2021 from Davos to Lucerne.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the iDEX4Fauji initiative to support innovations identified by members of the Indian Armed Forces in Sept 2020.
• The government has set foodgrain production target of 301 million tonnes for the 2020-21 crop year.
• NITI Aayog and the Indian School of Public Policy have joined hands for training and mentoring of government officials.
• According to RBI’s annual report for 2019-20 released in Aug 2020, bank frauds have shown a rise of 28% in volume (number of cases) terms in 2019-20.

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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