Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 05-12-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 05-12-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Economy - Monetary Policy Review – The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of RBI kept key interest rates unchanged in its bimonthly review. Repo rate was left unchanged at 4% while the reverse repo rate stayed at 3.35%. Inflation forecast for the current quarter (Oct-Dec) is 6.8% and for Jan-March quarter is 5.8%. Forecast of economic growth for the current fiscal year (2020-21) revised to minus 7.5% compared to its earlier forecast of minus 9.5%. GDP growth for Q3 (Oct-Dec) projected at +0.1% and +0.7% for Q4 (Jan-March). The RBI says it is growth focused now, although high inflation is way beyond its mandated range. Further, the RBI has not explained why the credit growth for Apr-Sept 2020 period (non food credit) has been nearly zero per cent.
2. Farmer’s protests – Firm on repeal of agri laws - Dimming hopes of a compromise, a joint front of protesting farmer groups rejected the Centre’s proposals to amend the three contentious agriculture laws and called for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ on December 8 to widen the agitation. The front reiterated the farmers’ demand for a total repeal of the three Central laws. The announcement by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha came ahead of a crucial round of talks, between the joint front of farmer unions and top Central Ministers tasked with negotiating a deal with the protesters. They also decided to burn the effigies of the Modi government and corporate houses on December 5. The government is grappling to find some footing against the united front of farmers.
3. Economy – BSE Sensex ends above 45,000-mark for the first time - The benchmark BSE Sensex hit the crucial 45,000-mark for the first time ever and ended at the record level of 45,080, up 447 points, or 1 per cent. ICICI Bank ended as the top gainer on the index while Reliance Industries was the biggest loser. Of 30 constituents, 25 advanced and the rest 5 declined. NSE's Nifty50 index, too, ended at a record level of 13,259, up 125 points, or 0.95 per cent during the trade. On a weekly basis, both Sensex and Nifty added 2 per cent each. From their March 2020 lows, it has mostly been a one-way street for the Indian equity markets as the S&P BSE Sensex has rallied over 75 per cent since then.
4. Science and Technology – Pixxel signs pact with NSIL to launch India's first private remote-sensing satellite - Space start-up Pixxel has signed an agreement with State-run NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to launch the country’s first private remote-sensing satellite on an ISRO PSLV rocket in early 2021. The agreement is one of its kind after the establishment of IN-SPACe, the authorization and regulatory body under the Department of Space for enabling private players to undertake space activities in India. Pixxel has announced plans to make and launch a constellation of 30 satellites between December 2022 to June 2023. The company has also signed an agreement with in-space satellite transportation and infrastructure company Momentus Inc for launching its second satellite in 2021, with an option to fly again in 2022. This first-of-a-kind private earth-observation mission will help provide solutions to many pressing environmental and agricultural issues among others.
5. World – U.S. sues FB for favouring immigrants - The Trump administration sued Facebook, accusing it of discriminating against American workers by favouring immigrant applicants for thousands of high-paying jobs. The Department of Justice’s lawsuit opens a new front in the administration’s push against tech companies — and in its clampdown on immigration — as President Donald Trump enters his final weeks in office. The suit concerns more than 2,600 positions with an average salary of some $156,000, offered from January 2018 to September 2019. The internet giant reserved positions for candidates with H1-B “skilled worker” visas or other temporary work visas. Facebook “channelled” jobs to visa holders by avoiding advertising on its careers website, accepting only physically mailed applications for some posts, or refusing to consider U.S. workers at all, according to the suit. The lawsuit was filed just two days after a U.S. federal judge blocked rule changes ordered by Mr. Trump that made it harder for people outside the country to get skilled-worker visas.
6. World – Coronavirus claims 1.5m lives globally, infections top 65m - Over 1.5 million people have lost their lives due to Covid-19 with one death reported every nine seconds on a weekly average, as vaccinations are set to begin in Dec in a handful of developed nations. Half a million deaths occurred in just the last two months, indicating that the severity of the pandemic is far from over. Global coronavirus infections passed 65 million on Friday and the worst affected country, United States, is currently battling a third wave of coronavirus infections. In the last week alone, more than 10,000 people in the world died on average every single day, which has been steadily rising each passing week. Many countries across the world are now fighting second and third waves even greater than the first, forcing new restrictions on everyday life. The Covid-19 caused more deaths in the past year than tuberculosis in 2019 and nearly four times the number of deaths due to malaria, according to the WHO.
7. Environment and Ecology - Cyclonic storm ‘Burevi’ - The Deep Depression over southwest Bay of Bengal recently intensified into Cyclonic Storm ‘Burevi’. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that it is likely to affect Tamil Nadu and Kerala, less than a week after cyclone Nivar wreaked havoc in the southern states. This is the third cyclone formed within the last 10 days in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, put together. Due to upwelling (the process in which cooler waters from lower ocean surfaces are pushed towards upper ocean surfaces) caused by Nivar, Cyclone Burevi will have limited intensity.
8. Arts, Culture and History – Virutal version of Aadi Mahotsav - Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched the Aadi Mahotsav. It is a national tribal festival. It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India & Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). It was first commenced in 2017. The festival showcases traditional art and handicrafts and cultural heritage of the country. It is an attempt to familiarize the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place.
9. Environment and Ecology - The Union Environment Ministry has constituted committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) – Committee will be headed by Secretary of MoEFCC. The committee will also regulate carbon markets in India and look after the ‘Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)’. NDCs are the accounts of the voluntary efforts to be made by countries that are a part of the Paris Agreement, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of anthropogenic climate change and have to be implemented in the post-2020 period. India had submitted its NDCs in 2015 which includes three quantitative goals – first, a 33-35% reduction in the gross domestic product emissions intensity by 2030 from 2005 levels. Second, a 40% share of non-fossil fuel based electricity by 2030 and third, creating a carbon sink of 2.5-3 bn tons of CO2 through afforestation programs.
10. World - Newly elected US president Jo Biden sets new demands for return to Iran nuclear deal – As per these demands Iran would have to address its “malign” regional activities through proxies in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen in the talks that would have to include its Arab neighbours like Saudi Arabia. President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and has reimposed sanctions on Iran as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign. Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear program in a 2015 deal struck with the US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany which gave Iran relief from sanctions in return for curbs on its nuclear program and a Joint Commission was established, with the negotiating parties all represented, to monitor implementation of the agreement.

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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 MDH owner dies at 97 

 

 

Highlights –  

• Dharampal Gulati, the owner of the MDH Masala brand often called the grand old man of spices, died on Thursday (December 3). He was 97.
• "Mahashay" Dharampal Gulati, as he was known, had been in a hospital in Delhi for weeks. He died of a cardiac arrest.
• A familiar face on MDH products in his signature red turban and pearl necklace, Dharampal Gulati was the face of the ads of MDH (Mahashian Di Hatti).
• In 2019, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.
• Mr Gulati was born in Pakistan's Sialkot in 1923. A fifth-grade dropout, he joined his father Mahashay Chunni Lal Gulati's spice business early.
• According to his biography on the MDH site, he set up his own business in 1937 with help from his father and started selling mirrors, soap, hardware and rice. When it failed to take off, he returned to work with his father for the company Mahashian Di Hatti. At the time, they were the "Deggi Mirch Wale" to their customers.
• He moved to India after the Partition of 1947 and arrived in Delhi with ₹ 1,500 to his name.
• He opened his first store in Karol Bagh in Delhi and expanded his business from there.
• MDH, the company he re-established in 1959, today sells 62 products available in over 150 different packages. His spices sell worldwide.
• Mr Gulati, at 94 in 2017, became the highest-paid CEO in India. He was also known to be a philanthropist and built several hospitals and schools.
• The nicknames that millions gave him over the years range from "Dadaji" to "Chacha" to "MDH uncle".

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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 Not Available Today 

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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 - Sports

• Athletics Federation of India’s High-Performance Director Volker Herrmann, whose contract has been extended by the Sports Ministry till the end of 2024 Olympics, has quit from his post, saying he “could no longer meet the self-imposed expectations coming along with the role.”
• The Women’s Under-17 football World Cup in India, which was initially postponed to next year due to COVID-19 pandemic, was cancelled by FIFA in Nov 2020, but India was handed the hosting rights of the 2022 edition.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Weekly Round-up

• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Ministry in Nov 2020 launched a challenge for 243 cities to switch over to mechanised cleaning of sewers and septic tanks by April 2021. Launching the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, HUA Minister Hardeep Puri said there should not be any casualty due to manual cleaning of sewers. The Centre, States and private-public partnerships would give funds to municipalities to buy cleaning machines.
• The Union Health Ministry has approved a new category of selection and nomination of candidates from ‘wards of COVID warriors’ under the Central pool MBBS/BDS seats for the academic year 2020-21. Five MBBS seats have been reserved for this category for 2020-21.
• National Press Day was celebrated on November 16. The day marks the establishment of the Press Council of India in 1966.
• Health Minister on November 20, 2020 chaired an event to mark the National Newborn Week 2020, observed from November 15 to 21, 2020. This year, the theme of National Newborn Week is ‘Quality, Equity, Dignity for every newborn at every health facility and everywhere’.
• On the occasion of the 3rd Naturopathy Day on November 18, 2020, a three-day long programme on this year’s theme “Nurturing Vitality Through Naturopathy” was organized at the Nisargopchar ashram in Urli Kanchan in collaboration with National Institute of Naturopathy in Pune from November 16 to 18.
• Noting that adequate steps for protection of water bodies have not been taken, the National Green Tribunal has directed all states and Union Territories (UTs) to designate a nodal agency for the exercise. The NGT directed that the designated nodal agency may hold its meeting not later than January 31, 2021.
• Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), the statutory body that regulates the Indian Medical systems of Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani Medicine has issued a notification to streamline some of the provisions of the regulations concerning Post Graduate Ayurveda Education. The notification has added clarity and definition.
• The Government of India, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, National Capital Region Transport Corporation Limited and the New Development Bank (NDB) on November 19, 2020 signed a loan agreement for lending USD 500 million for the ‘Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System Project’ to provide fast, reliable, safe and comfortable public transport system in the National Capital Region (NCR).
• PM Modi in Nov 2020 laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of the Vindhyachal region of Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing.
• India’s first moss garden has been developed at Khurpatal in Nainital district of Uttarakhand. The main aim behind developing the garden was to conserve the various species of moss and other bryophytes.
• PM Modi in Nov 2020 unveiled ‘Statue of Peace’ to mark the 151st birth anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh Surishwer Ji Maharaj, via video conferencing. The 151-inch tall statue is installed at Vijay Vallabh Sadhana Kendra, Jetpura, in Pali, Rajasthan.
• Culture Minister Prahlad Singh Patel handed over bronze idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and Goddess Sita dating back to 13th Century, to Tamil Nadu Idol Wing in New Delhi on November 18, 2020. Earlier these idols were handed over to High Commission of India in London by Metropolitan Police, London. They belong to the Sri Rajagopal Vishnu Temple (temple built during the Vijayanagara period) in Anandamangalam in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. They were stolen in 1978.
• The Karnataka cabinet on November 18, 2020 gave in principle approval for the creation of Vijayanagara as the state’s 31st district, carving it out from Ballari.
• The Bengaluru Tech Summit, organised by the Government of Karnataka along with Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS), Karnataka government’s Vision Group on Information Technology, Biotechnology and StartUp, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and MM Activ Sci-Tech Communications, was held from November 19 to 21. It was inaugurated by the PM on November 19.
• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has signed the Kerala Police Act Amendment ordinance, envisaged by the Left government in the state to prevent cyberattacks against women and children which the opposition had alleged would curtail freedom of expression.
• The Government of India, the Government of Meghalaya and the World Bank on November 19, 2020 signed a $120 million project to improve and modernise the transport sector of state of Meghalaya. This will help Meghalaya to harness its vast growth potential for high-value agriculture and tourism.
• Mridula Sinha, Hindi writer and BJP politician who served as Governor of Goa from August 2014 to October 2019, passed away at the age of 77 on November 18, 2020.

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

8.1 Nongpok Sekmai police station – India’s best

 

Key points –

• The Union home ministry has named Manipur’s Nongpok Sekmai police station the best in the country for the year 2020.
• Mr. Amit Shah, the Union home minister, has virtually presented a trophy to the police station’s in-charge, inspector Keisam Premkumar Mangang.
• Nongpok Sekmai police station was established on April 8, 2015.
• PM Modi in 2015 sought the laying down of parameters for grading police stations on the basis of their performances and citizens’ feedback to rank the top 10 among them annually. An annual assessment has since conducted to recognise 10 best police stations nationally and in each state and territory.
• Earlier, Manipur’s Nambol and Imphal West city police stations were declared the best in 2018 and 2019.

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

9.1 Weekly Round-up    

• The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been accepted as a component of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This will enable merchant vessels to use IRNSS for obtaining position information similar to GPS and GLONASS to assist in the navigation of ships in ocean waters up to 1500 km from Indian boundary.
• Four astronauts reached orbit on a SpaceX rocket after lifting off from Florida, in the company’s first regular NASA mission to the International Space Station. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 15, 2020.
• Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional permission to the International Crops Research Institute (ICRISAT), Hyderabad, Telangana for the deployment of drones for agricultural research activities. The conditional exemption is valid for six months from the date of issue of the letter or until the full operationalization of Digital Sky Platform (Phase-1), whichever is earlier.

9.2 TIME Kid of the Year    

 

 

Highlights –  

• Gitanjali Rao, a 15-year-old scientist and inventor,  has been named as Time magazine’s first “kid of the year”.
• Gitanjali Rao, from Denver, Colorado, has invented new technologies across a range of fields, including a device that can identify lead in drinking water, and an app and Chrome extension that uses artificial intelligence to detect cyberbullying.
• Gitanjali was chosen from a field of 5,000 US-based nominees.
• Time began awarding its man of the year honour in 1927, later updating it to person of the year, but this is the first time it has named a kid of the year.
• Time, which also produces the child-friendly Time For Kids, teamed up with children’s TV channel Nickelodeon for the new award.
• In 2019, climate activist Greta Thunberg became the youngest ever person of the year when she was given the honour at age 16.

9.3 ISRO provides a rocket building startup with access to its facilities

 

Highlights –

• The Department of Space has signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Chennai-based small rocket company Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd to access the facilities and technical expertise available in Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) centres.
• Agnikul founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran and Isro scientific secretary R Umamaheswaran signed the pact.
• This is the first NDA to be signed after the establishment of IN-SPACe, the authorization and regulatory body for enabling private players to undertake space activities in India.
• Under the NDA, Agnikul Cosmos will be enabled to access the facilities and technical expertise available in ISRO centres to proceed with their launch vehicle development programme.
• The start-up company is located in the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
• The ISRO officials have assured all support to Agnikul Cosmos for testing and qualifying its rocket.
• Agnikul is planning its first launch by the end of 2022.
• Agnikul had raised INR 23.4 Cr ($3.1 Mn) in a Pre-Series A funding round led by pi Ventures with participation from Hari Kumar (LionRock Capital), Artha Ventures, LetsVenture, Globevestor, CIIE and existing investor Speciale Invest, in March 2020.
• Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, the company operates out of the National Centre for Combustion Research at IIT Chennai.  
• In 2019, ISRO had announced to launch incubators across India to mentor space startups.
• The Indian space agency worked closely with startups to build newer solutions in rocketry communication satellites, and various remote sensing data among others.

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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 -

• PM Modi inaugurated the Bengaluru Tech Summit in Nov 2020.
• Nimitz is the warship of United States.
• ‘Dharani’ is the land registration portal of Telangana.
• India and the Gulf Cooperation Council Troika held their annual Political Dialogue in virtual mode in Nov 2020.
• Former Union Ministers and Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor has authored the book ‘‘The Battle of Belonging’.

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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