Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 12-11-2020

Daily Current Affairs,DCA-CS,November 2020,

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Polity & Governance – Govt. to govern OTT platforms – In a move that will have far reaching impact, the Narendra Modi government brought “Over the Top” (OTT) platforms or video streaming service providers like Netflix, Amazon Prime and others under the ambit of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Currently, there is no law or autonomous body governing digital content. In a gazette notification issued on Wednesday (November 11) and signed by the President Ram Nath Kovind, online films, digital news and current affairs content now come under the purview of the I&B Ministry, headed by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar. This will give the government control over the OTT platforms, which were unregulated till now. From time to time, the government had indicated the necessity to monitor these platforms.
2. Internal Security – Ladakh standoff: India, China finalising disengagement plan – India and China are working out modalities to finalise a plan for phased disengagement and de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, beginning with the North Bank of Pangong Tso. The proposal from the Chinese side put forward at the eighth round of Corps Commander talks on November 6 includes pulling back their troops and equipment from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North Bank. As per the sources, this is still a proposal under discussion and will be taken up at the next round of Corps Commander talks soon. Once agreed upon, it will be done in multiple phases, with on-ground verification after each step.” There is no change in the ground situation as of now.
3. Economy – Centre unveils incentives to boost manufacturing – The Central government has unveiled a production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage domestic manufacturing investments in 10 more sectors, with an estimated outlay of about ₹1.46 lakh crore over the next five years. The 10 sectors, which Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said had been identified on the basis of their potential to create employment and make India self-reliant, include food processing, telecom, electronics, textiles, speciality steel, automobiles and auto components, solar photo-voltaic modules and white goods, such as air conditioners and LEDs. The government had earlier announced Rs 41,000 crore PLIs for mobile manufacturing, which has seen Apple and Samsung along with some Indian vendors, opt for the package.
4. Economy – ‘GDP shrank 8.6% in Q2 pushing economy into a recession’ – India’s economy rebounded sharply in the wake of the reopening from lockdowns, slowing the pace of its contraction to 8.6% in the second quarter, a ‘nowcast’ in the RBI’s monthly bulletin has showed. Still, the estimate implies that India is likely to have entered a technical recession in the first half of 2020-21 for the first time in its history with two successive quarters of GDP contraction. An Economic Activity Index, which tracks real-time data from 27 monthly indicators, showed the economy had rebounded sharply from May/June, with industry normalising faster than contact-intensive service sectors, pointing to a short-lived contraction.
5. People & Personalities – Bahrain PM, world’s longest-serving, dies at 84 – Bahrain’s Prince Khalifa bin Salman al-Khalifa, the world’s longest-serving Prime Minister who had held the post since Independence in 1971, died on November 11 at the age of 84. Prince Khalifa was a controversial figure during his five decades in office — and deeply unpopular with the Sunni-ruled kingdom’s Shia population. When Shia-led protesters occupied Manama’s Pearl Square for a month in 2011, before being driven out by Saudi-backed security forces, their main demand was for the prince to step down. He played a key role in Bahrain’s political and economic affairs, including setting the stage for a referendum that put paid to the Shah of Iran’s claims to the tiny Gulf archipelago. But the Prime Minister, who was accused by dissidents of opposing reforms and cracking down on activists, adopted a lower profile in recent years as his age advanced and as Crown Prince Salman played a more prominent role.
6. Study/Research – Virtual offices may be a reality by 2030, Ericsson survey finds – With the pandemic acting as a digital tipping point, virtual office experiences including being able to touch things at the office while sitting at home, could be reality by 2030. The report, which compiles the findings of a July online survey of 7,842 white collar workers in countries including Australia, China, India, Japan, Russia, UAE, the U.K. and the U.S., shows that half of the respondents wanted a digital workstation allowing full-sense presence at work from anywhere. The report noted that office work would not go back to the way it was before the pandemic and that employees would spend more time working digitally, with six in 10 respondents anticipating a permanent increase in online meetings including with customers, suppliers.
7. World – U.K. launches Bill to deter ‘malicious’ takeovers – Britain has unveiled plans for new powers to prevent foreign companies snapping up strategic assets in “malicious” takeovers that are deemed to threaten national security. The U.K. government said that its new National Security and Investment Bill will “protect (the) U.K. from malicious investment” and strengthen its ability to investigate and intervene in mergers, acquisitions and other types of deals. The new powers come as increasing Chinese investment has sparked calls from lawmakers for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take a stronger stance on Beijing. The draft Bill is aimed at updating a 20-year-old law that is no longer sufficient to tackle modern threats.
8. Covid-19 – Our vaccine 92% effective in interim trial, claims Russia – Russia’s experimental Sputnik-V vaccine has proved to be 92% effective against Covid-19 in interim trial results, the country’s sovereign wealth fund said on November 11, days after American drug-maker Pfizer released interim information showing its vaccine candidate as over 90% effective against the coronavirus. The claims made by Russian authorities, though not yet peer-reviewed, are crucial for India because unlike Pfizer’s candidate, Sputnik-V is undergoing clinical trials locally and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has also partnered with Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories for clinical trials and distribution of the shots.
9. Study/Research – 6 desi scientists on ‘top 10’ list globally, 1.5k in top 2% – Six scientists from India rank among the top 10 contributors to their fields globally, and 11are among the 10 most cited in their fields over the past year. The list, compiled by researchers from Stanford University, Elsevier Research Intelligence and SciTech Strategies, is an updated database of the top scientists in the world. Of the 1.6 lakh most cited scientists in the world of all time, 1,490 are from India. Among those most cited over the past year, 2,313 are from India. Within their own subfields, 26 Indian scientists figure among the top 50 most cited scientists in the career-long list and 66 among the top 100.
10. Covid-19 – Recoveries go past 8m, but see a slump in past few days – India saw as many as 48,306 fresh infections across the country took the total caseload to 86,84,972. With 548 fresh casualties, the toll reached 1,28,094. The number of patients cured from the virus reached 80,61,900, which translates to a recovery rate of 92.8%. India breached two milestones on November 10 — of active cases falling below five lakh and recoveries crossing the eight-million mark. The rate at which active cases are falling as well as the growth in the number of patients cured from the virus have slowed down in the country in the last few days.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No.	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	NRFMTTI	Multi Tasking Staff (Technical)	6	ITI (Relevant Trade)	30 DAYS	http://nerfmtti.nic.in/Recruitment/Filling%20up%20of%20posts%20of%20Multi%20Tasking%20Staff%20(Technical)%20in%20FMT&TIs%20by%20Direct%20recruitment.pdf
2	TRIFED	Procurement Executive	40	12th Class with Comp. knowledge	17 to 25-11-2020 Walk in	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/11/Notification-TRIFED-Procurement-Executive-Posts.pdf
3	IIT, Guwahati	SRF, Associate Pro. Eng., Pro. Scientist	14	B.Tech, PG, Ph.D	NOV-16-2020	https://iitg.ac.in/ckfinder/userfiles/files/NANOSPNxDIT00041xxAC011_Rev%20(16-11-20).pdf
4	BEL	Trainee Eng -I, Pro. Eng. -I & Trainee Eng -II	385	B.E/ B.Tech/ B.Sc/ MCA	NOV-21-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/bel/16294/#Trainee-Engineer
5	BEL	Trainee Eng. I, Officer I, Project Eng. I, Officer I	549	B.E/ B.Tech/ B.Sc (Engg), PG/ PG Dip.	NOV-25-2020	http://www.freejobalert.com/bel/16294/#Engineer-Officer
6	Deputy Comm., Bongaigaon	Junior Assistant	8	Any Degree	NOV-27-2020	https://niyukti.assam.gov.in/bongaigaon_ja/files/advertise.pdf
7	IIT, Guwahati	SRF, Associate Pro. Eng, Project Scientist	14	B. Tech, PG, Ph. D	NOV-16-2020	https://iitg.ac.in/ckfinder/userfiles/files/NANOSPNxDIT00041xxAC011_Rev%20(16-11-20).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 2+2 dialogue between India and the United States

 

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper participated in the 2+2 dialogue between India and the United States at Hyderabad House in New Delhi, on October 27, 2020.
• India and the U.S. inked Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), a landmark defence agreement that will allow sharing of high-end military technology, classified satellite data and critical information between the two countries. The agreement will give India access to classified geo-spatial data as well as critical information having significant military applications from the U.S.
• In the 2+2 dialogue, the two sides deliberated on a host of critical issues including ways to further expand the already close relationship between the militaries of the two countries as well as broader issues of mutual interest in the Indo-Pacific region. The inking of the BECA completes finalisation of four key pacts between the two countries which were identified as crucial to significantly expand the strategic ties.
• Other 3 pacts
• In a major move in 2016, the U.S. had designated India a “Major Defence Partner” intending to elevate defence trade and technology sharing to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners.
• GOSMIA: A key pact called General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was signed by the two countries in 2002. The GSOMIA provides for specific measures to ensure security standards for safeguarding critical information shared by the U.S. with India.
• LEMOA: The two countries inked the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well as provide for deeper cooperation.
• COMCASA: India and the U.S. signed another pact called COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) in 2018 that provides for interoperability between the two militaries and provides for sale of high-end technology from the U.S. to India.

 4.2 Weekly Round-up – Foreign Affairs I

•  India’s Department of Posts and United States Postal Service on October 27, 2020 signed an agreement for electronic exchange of customs data related to postal shipments between the two countries. The agreement will make it possible to transmit and receive electronic data of international postal items prior to their physical arrival at the destination and would enable customs clearance of postal items in advance.
• India and the UK signed agreements on October 29, 2020 on financial services, infrastructure and sustainable finance at the 10th Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) between the two countries. UK chancellor Rishi Sunak and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman co-chaired the dialogue. The United Kingdom has entered into a strategic partnership to develop India’s fledgling international financial services centre GIFT City, and agreed to set up a new Fund of Funds to be managed by the State Bank of India (SBI) group in order to route the U.K.’s future capital investments into India. India and the U.K. also signed off on a new infrastructure finance and policy partnership to help India execute its National Infrastructure Pipeline that envisages investments worth $1.4 trillion.
• The UK India Business Council's Doing Business in India Report 2020 was released on October 29, 2020. According to the report, nearly two-thirds of the UK businesses surveyed in India believe it is getting easier to do business in the country, owing to progressive reforms and improvements in the availability of support and service providers, skilled labour, and supply chain.
• India has conveyed its serious concerns to Saudi Arabia both in Delhi and in Riyadh over gross misrepresentation of India's external territorial boundaries on an official and legal banknote of Saudi Arabia. The note was issued by Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority on 24th October to mark the occasion of Saudi presidency of the G20.
• The second meeting of the India-Central Asia Dialogue was held in digital video-conference format on October 28, 2020. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said India and Central Asia share ancient historical and cultural linkages and Central Asia is considered as India’s ‘extended neighbourhood.’
• The US has offered its F-18 naval fighter jets for the Indian Navy’s requirements of combat jets for its aircraft carriers including the present INS Vikramaditya and the under-construction Indigenous Aircraft Carrier. The US government has also offered to sell unmanned aircraft Sea Guardian to the Indian Navy.  
• The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) signed loan agreements totaling about Rs 11,000 crore with the State Bank of India (SBI) and NTPC in support of India’s manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. SBI will get $1 billion (approx Rs 7,400 crore) for funding the manufacturing and sales business of suppliers and dealers of Japanese automobile manufacturers as well as for the provision of auto loans for the purchase of Japanese automobiles in India. PSU NTPC will get JPY 50 billion (Rs 3,500 crore) for solar power generation projects and installation of environmental equipment in India.
• The Union Cabinet on October 29, 2020 gave its approval for signing a memorandum of cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan in the field of Information and Communication Technologies. The MoC is aimed at cooperation in areas including 5G network, telecom security, submarine cable and certification of communication equipment.
• BRICS Business Forum, which is the key annual event of the BRICS Business Council, was held in the format of a video conference under the slogan BRICS Business Partnership: Common Vision for Sustainable Inclusive Development on October 20-28, 2020. About 90 speakers from all countries of the Association took part in the Forum.
• Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on October 27, 2020 said that BRICS countries need to intensify their collective fight against terrorism during his address in the meeting of the 6th BRICS Parliamentary Forum held virtually.
• Meeting of trade and economy ministers of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries was held virtually on October 28, 2020. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that continued cooperation among the nations would help in ensuring speedy economic recovery from the aftermath of the pandemic.
• The World Bank its Migration and Development Brief report on October 29, 2020 in which it said remittances to India would fall by 9% to $76 billion in 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and global economic recession.

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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 – Defence

 

• From the academic year 2021-22, 27% reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBC) will be introduced in Sainik schools across the country. The allocation of seats in Sainik schools would be Scheduled Castes (SC) 15%, Scheduled Tribes (ST) 7%, OBC (non-creamy layer) 27%, defence category 13% and general category 38%.
• The Indian Navy on October 30, 2020 successfully test fired an anti-ship missile from its guided missile corvette INS Kora in the Bay of Bengal as part of a drill that reflected its combat readiness in the strategic sea lanes around India. The Navy said the missile hit the target at maximum range with precise accuracy.
• The Indian Air Force on October 30, 2020 successfully test-fired an air launched version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from a Sukhoi fighter aircraft in the Bay of Bengal.
• The Indian Army on October 30, 2020 launched a messaging app called SAI (Secure Application for Internet) that will provide secure voice, text and video calling services to its soldiers.
• The Indian Army celebrated Infantry Day on October 27, 2020. It was on this day in 1947 that the 1st Battalion of the Sikh Regiment landed at Srinagar airbase to defeat Pakistan who had invaded Kashmir with the help of tribal raiders.
• The Supreme Court on Oct 29, 2020 extended till Dec 31 the deadline for implementation of its March 17 judgement on grant of permanent commission to women SSC (Short Service Commission) officers in Indian Navy.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 By-election results 2020

 

 

Highlights –

 

• A cleen sweep – the ruling BJP has won all the eight assembly seats in Gujarat where by elections were held, dealing a blow to the opposition Congress which had bagged these constituencies in 2017.
• The BJP's tally in the 182-member Assembly has now reached 111.
• Eight Congress MLAs had resigned before the Rajya Sabha elections in Gujarat, and five of them, who were given tickets by the BJP, their new party have won. Despite switching sides, voters of their constituencies reposed faith in these five leaders and sent them to the Assembly.
• The party has also won six out of seven seats in Uttar Pradesh. The remaining one seat has been bagged by Samajwadi Party.

Madhya Pradesh –

• The ruling BJP in MP have won 19 out of the 28 assembly constituencies, where bypolls were held on November 3, giving it a comfortable majority in the House and providing stability to its eight-month-old government in the state.
• The opposition Congress clinched nine seats. With this, the BJP now has 126 MLAs in the 230-member House, while the Congress has 96 legislators.
• Due to the resignation of one more Congress MLA recently, the effective strength of the House is 229 at present.

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

8.1 British dictionary picks ‘lockdown’ as the word of the year 2020

 

Highlights –

• The Collins English Dictionary has named “lockdown” its word of the year.
• The dictionary defines the word as "the imposition of stringent restrictions on travel, social interaction, and access to public spaces.”
• The dictionary witnessed an increase from only about 4,000 uses of the word in 2019 to more than 250,000 uses in 2020.
• Other words that made the shortlist included “coronavirus,” “social distancing,” “key worker,” “furlough,” “self-isolate,” “BLM” and “Megxit,” British media’s term for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s withdrawal from royal duties.
• Recently, the U.K. announced it would reimpose a nationwide lockdown with the nation passing one million cases of the virus. 
  

8.2 World Pneumonia Day 2020

 

Highlights –

• Each year, World Pneumonia Day is observed on November 12.
• The day was first established in 2009 to raise awareness about this condition.
• According to WHO, pneumonia is the world's leading infectious killer of children under the age of 5.
• The disease accounts for 15% of all deaths of children under 5 years old.
• Pneumonia is a respiratory infection that affects the lungs of the person. In this condition, the air sacs in one or both the lungs get inflamed. These may be filled with fluids or pus.
• The lung infection can range from mild to severe. Children under the age of 2 years and those above the age of 65 years are at a higher risk of this condition.

Important details –

• The symptoms of pneumonia can be easily mistaken with cold and flu.
• The symptoms may also vary according to the severity of the infection and the type of germ that has affected the individual.
• Symptoms are usually similar to cold and flu but can persist for longer. Symptoms of flu may not be as severe as those of pneumonia.
• In pneumonia, the patient suffers from high fever which is not in the case of flu. The symptoms of pneumonia also last for longer than flu and usually worsen with time.

Some common symptoms –

• High fever with chills or sweating
• Coughing with the presence of mucus
• Difficulty in breathing while performing day to day activities
• Pain in chest which may worsen while coughing
• Loss of appetite
• Racing heartbeat
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Headache and fatigue

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

9.1 World Science Day for Peace and Development 2020 

 

 

Key points –  

• Every year, World Science Day for Peace and Development is observed on November 10 to raise the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives.
• It emphasises the significant role of science in society and the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues.
• The day aims to ensure that citizens are kept informed of developments in science.
• It also underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet we call home and in making our societies more sustainable.

Theme –

• Science for and with Society in dealing with the global pandemic.

Important details –

• The first World Science Day for Peace and Development was celebrated worldwide on 10 November 2002 under UNESCO auspices.
• Since its proclamation by UNESCO in 2001, World Science Day for Peace and Development has generated many concrete projects, programs, and funding for science around the world.
• World Science Day for Peace and Development provides an opportunity to show the general public the relevance of science in their lives and to engage them in discussions.
• The event is the positive outcome of the 1999 World Conference on Science in Budapest. It was considered as an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment to attaining the goals proclaimed in the Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge every year.
• It was also required to follow up on the recommendations of the Science Agenda: Framework for Action.

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

10.1 EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020

 

  

Key points –

• Azim Premji, the founder-chairman of Wipro, topped the list of philanthropists in India for 2020 with Rs.7,904 in donations.
• Mr. Azim Premji donated Rs.22 crore per day.
• Azim Premji, 75, transformed Wipro from a company making vegetable oil to a diversified conglomerate.
• One of the richest men in India, he has donated a large part of his wealth to philanthropic causes.
• In 2019, speaking to the graduating students of the Gujarat Vidyapith, Azim Premji had revealed that his thinking and actions on what he should do with his wealth were influenced by his mother and Mahatma Gandhi. 

Other details –

• HCL Technologies founder chairman Shiv Nadar has been ranked second in the EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2020 with donations of Rs.795 crore.
• The third spot on the list was occupied by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, with donations of Rs.458 crore. 

For complete report visit here –
https://cdn1.edelweissfin.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/11/EdelGive-Hurun-India-Philanthropy-List-2020.pdf

 

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• According to Kolkata-based Botanical Survey of India (BSI), 180 plant species were discovered in India in 2019.
• INSAS stands for Indian Small Arms System.
• Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah became the new ruler of Kuwait in September 2020.
• International Translation Day was celebrated on September 30.
• Aditya Puri, MD, HDFC Bank, was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award by Euromoney Awards of Excellence 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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