Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 19-12-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 19-12-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. World – Russia banned from using its name, flag at next two Olympics – Russia has been banned from using its name, flag and anthem at the next two Olympics or at any world championships for the next two years. The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s ruling has also blocked Russia from bidding to host major sporting events for two years. Russian athletes and teams will still be allowed to compete at next year’s Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, as well as world championships including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, if they are not implicated in doping or covering up positive tests. The punishments are less than the four-year ban the World Anti-Doping Agency had proposed. The court's three judges imposed the most severe penalties on Russia since allegations of state-backed doping and cover-ups emerged after the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The case centered on accusations that Russian state authorities tampered with a database from the Moscow testing laboratory before handing it over to WADA investigators in 2019. It contained likely evidence to prosecute long-standing doping violations.
2. International Relations – Modi-Hasina virtual summit celebrating the bond – The virtual meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on 17 December showcased the special bond that the two countries share. The meeting came just a day after the Victory Day celebration (16 December), the day Bangladesh attained victory over Pakistani forces in the 1971 Liberation War — a shared heritage between the two countries as India lent its boots during the Bangladeshi struggle for independence. The Liberation War has been foundational to the India and Bangladesh friendship, which has withstood the test of time over the past 50 years. Both Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction over the current state of bilateral relations based on shared bonds of history, culture, language, and other unique commonalities that characterize the partnership.
3. Economy – India mulls E20 fuel to cut vehicular emissions – The government has proposed the adoption of E20 fuel — a blend of 20% of ethanol and gasoline — as an automobile fuel in order to reduce vehicular emissions as well as the country’s oil import bill. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a draft notification and invited comments from the public for adoption of the fuel. The current permissible level of blending is 10% of ethanol though India reached only 5.6% of blending in 2019. It added the compatibility of vehicles with the percentage of ethanol in the blend would be defined by the vehicle manufacturer, which would have to be displayed on the vehicle with a sticker.
4. International Relations – India, China agree to hold another round of LAC talks – India and China have agreed to hold another round of talks between senior military commanders to take forward the slow-moving process of disengagement on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This was agreed to at the 20th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs, held via video link. The WMCC, ordinarily convened twice a year since its launch in 2012, has met six times since June 2020, after the unprecedented crisis in Ladakh erupted in early May.
5. Defence – Worry for India as US warns of curbs over Russian arms – In a clear warning to partners and allies, the US has said major defence purchases from Russia would attract sanctions under CAATSA, a move that may have implications for India which continues to be a significant buyer of Russian weapon systems. The US has imposed sanctions on Nato ally Turkey for its purchase of the Russian S-400 missile interceptor systems. India expects delivery of S-400 missile interceptors by next summer (2021) and there is widespread apprehension about CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act) being applied to India and its impact on bilateral ties. India continues to source weapon systems from Russia and does not intend to change it substantively.
6. Law & Constitution – SC finds HC order on A.P. govt. ‘disturbing’ – The SC has stayed an Andhra Pradesh High Court order intending to embark on a judicial inquiry into whether there is a constitutional breakdown in the State machinery under the Jagan Mohan Reddy government, requiring a declaration of President’s rule. The “unprecedented” order of the High Court, on October 1, came while deciding habeas corpus petitions filed by relatives of persons remanded in judicial custody or out on bail. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta asked why the High Court “should go into whether there is a constitutional breakdown in the State”. The government, represented by advocate Mahfooz Ahsan Nazki, said it was not up to the High Court to enquire and recommend President’s rule in a State.
7. Economy – Sensex briefly crosses 47,000-mark for first time, loses gains amid volatility – Benchmark domestic indices strated proceedings on a volatile note after scaling record highs in 18 of the past 27 sessions. Similarly, NSE Nifty 50 hit an all-time intraday high of 1,3771.45 before slipping. While gains in technology stocks helped offset losses, weakness in global markets resulted in both Sensex and Nifty losing momentum. The Nifty IT index rose 1.45 per cent while the Nifty Bank Index fell 0.46 per cent. Private lender HDFC emerged as the top loser in Nifty 50, falling nearly 2 per cent. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) shares also fell 1.80 per cent. Some of the stocks that have gained are Infosys, HCL Tech, TCS, Nestle India and Bajaj Auto. Meanwhile, defence manufacturers and suppliers Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Dynamics and Bharat Electronics rose between 0.8 per cent and 1 per cent. The development comes after India’s defence ministry approved proposals to procure equipment worth $3.67 billion from the domestic industry.
8. Covid-19 – India reports 25,152 new Covid-19 cases, 347 deaths in 24 hours – India recorded 25,152 new cases of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and 347 related deaths in the last 24 hours, taking its tally over 10 million mark. The country’s number of cases mounted to 1,00,04,599, the death toll rose to 145,136 and there are 308,751 active cases of the coronavirus disease so far. 9,550,712 people have recovered from the respiratory disease with 29,885 new discharges between Friday (December 18) and Saturday (December 19) morning across the country. However, the Covid-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.45 per cent. There are 308,751 active cases of the coronavirus disease in the country which constitute 3.08 per cent of the total caseload.
9. Polity & Governance – PM attacks opposition again, says ready to clear farmers’ doubts – A day after the Supreme Court asked the Centre if the new farm laws could be put on hold for talks with agitating farmers’ unions, PM Narendra Modi said it has been more than six months since the legislations were passed and nothing was done to stop MSP or dismantle mandis. PM Modi said opposition parties had failed to implement meaningful reforms when in office. The PM’s speech came as the stir launched by Punjab, Haryana and west UP unions is in its third week and saw him vigorously defend the farm laws, as he said farmers must be given the choice to sell to buyers who give a better price.
10. Study/Research – About 14 per cent cut in CO2 emissions possible in small commercial vehicle segment with EV push – India can see up to 14 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in the small commercial vehicle segment with higher electric vehicle (EV) penetration in total sales by 2030. The study has come up with various recommendations, including setting up of a nationwide vehicle scrappage policy programme, with a focus on electric vehicle replacement. The study has also called for a countrywide national programme for electrification of urban freight sector.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	Intelligence Bureau	Assistant Central Intelligence Officer – Gr II/ Executive	2000	Any Degree	09-01-2021	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/12/Notification-IB-ACIO-Posts.pdf
2	Mumbai Port Trust	Technician & Trade Apprentice	8	10+2, Diploma (Pharmacy)	10-01-2021	http://mumbaiport.gov.in/writereaddata/nmainlinkFile/File7818.pdf
3	IGNCA	Broadcast Engineer, Cameraperson, Video Editor, Technical Asst	8	Matric, 10+2, ITI, Deg, Dip	28-12-2020	http://ignca.gov.in/vaccancy/17122020_Advertisement.pdff
4	Indian Navy	SSC Officer – June 2021 (AT 21) Course – 210 Posts	210	BE/ B.Tech, Degree, PG	31-12-2020	https://img.freejobalert.com/uploads/2020/12/Notification-Indian-Navy-SSC-Officer-June-2021.pdf
5	Cochin Shipyard Limited	Senior Ship Draftsman & Jr Technical Asst	11	SSLC, Dip.	06-01-2021	https://cochinshipyard.com/uploads/career/2c5282baacec2d9ce79b0585527210e0.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 Change of name part of right to expression: HC 

• The Allahabad high court has held that change of name is a part of right to expression guaranteed under Article Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution.
• Allowing a writ petition filed by one Kabir Jaiswal, the court observed, “As the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, freedom of expression through the change of name cannot be denied to the petitioner in the present case and he is entitled to change his name.”
• The HC also directed the CBSE to issue a fresh certificate recording the name of the petitioner as Kabir Jaiswal in place of Rishu Jaiswal in a period of two months.

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

2.1 DAC approves proposals worth Rs. 27,000 crore to obtain equipment from domestic industry

 

 

Highlights –

• Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has approved proposals to procure equipment worth Rs 27,000 crore from the domestic industry.
• DAC has approved Capital Acquisition proposals of various weapons, platforms, equipment and systems required by the Indian Army, the Navy and Air Force at an approximate overall cost of Rs 28,000 crore.  
• As per reports, this was the first meeting of the Council under the new regime of Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 and this will give a boost to the Make in India and Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives of the Government.
• Acquisition proposals approved include the DRDO designed and developed Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems for the Indian Air Force, Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Navy and Modular Bridges for the Indian Army.

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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 Pakistan approves chemical castration of rapists

 

 

 

Highlights – 

• Pakistan has approved the chemical castration of rapists as part of sweeping new legislation sparked by outcry over the gang rape of a mother on a motorway.
• New laws approved by President Arif Alvi will see rape cases expedited through the courts and create the country’s first national sex offenders register.
• Under the new laws, special courts will be established to try cases of rape and sexual abuse against women and children, which must be completed within four months.
• They also establish anti-rape cells across the country for conducting initial investigations, and medical examinations within six hours of filing a police complaint -- while abolishing an invasive medical examination known as the two-finger virginity test for rape victims.
• The laws come into effect immediately but must be ratified by parliament within three months.
• It would come down to the discretion of a trial judge to order chemical castration

Important details – 

 

 

• Pakistan is a deeply conservative and patriarchal nation where victims of sexual abuse often are too afraid to speak out, or where criminal complaints are frequently not investigated seriously.
• In September 2020, protests erupted after a mother was raped on the side of the road in front of her children when her car broke down near Lahore.
• PM Imran Khan responded by calling for the chemical castration of rapists, which involves using drugs to reduce a person’s libido.
• Imran Khan had said the worst sex crimes should be punishable by public hangings but added this could impact trade with partners that oppose the death penalty, such as the EU.
• Rights activists have warned the provision of chemical castration could affect Pakistan’s international human rights obligations.

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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 Yogasana as competitive sport now 

 

Highlights –

• The Sports Ministry has formally recognised yogasana as a competitive sport, which will enable the ancient practice to avail government funding.
• Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and Minister of AYUSH (Ayurveda Yoga and Naturopathy Unani Sidda Homoeopathy) Shripad Yesso Naik have formally promoted yogasana as a competitive sport during an event here.
• The move has been made to encourage yoga, spread awareness about its benefits and to help improve physical and mental wellbeing of the people.

Key details –

• An International Yogasana Sports Federation was formed under the presidentship of yoga guru Baba Ramdev with DR HR Nagendra as secretary general in November 2019.
• A National Yogasana Sport Federation of India (NYSFI) was also established for preservation and development of yoga as a competitive sport. It was recognised by the sports ministry as a National Sports Federation (NSF) in November 2020.
• The sports ministry will start by providing financial support to the NYSFI so that the federation can chart out its plan for 2021.
• According to reports, yogasana will be inducted in future Khelo India Games programme.
• For competitions, 51 medals have been proposed in four events and seven categories in the sport.
• Events proposed include traditional yogasana, artistic yogasana (single and pair) , rhythmic yogasana (pair, free flow/group yogasana), individual all round-championship and team championship.
• A pilot championship — National Individual Yogasana Sport Championship — has also been proposed to be organised in February 2021, followed by district, state, national and World Championships.
• The two ministries have also developed an automated scoring system for competitions.

6.2    News Round-up - Sports

• India defeated hosts Australia by 13 runs in the third and final One Day International (ODI) played at the at Manuka Oval, Canberra on December 2, 2020, salvaging some of the lost pride in a 1-2 series defeat. India (195 for 4 in 19.4 overs) beat Australia (194/5 in 20 overs) by six wickets in the second T20 International to clinch the three-match series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on December 6. India had won the first T20I by 11 runs in Canberra on December 4.
• Government think tank Niti Aayog has pitched for setting up a single self-regulatory organisation for the online fantasy sports industry to be governed by the independent oversight board and also suggested restricting online fantasy games to users of 18 years and above. The Aayog has made these suggestions in its draft report titled 'Guiding Principles for the Uniform National-Level Regulation of Online Fantasy Sports Platforms in India'.
• Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Manama on November 29, 2020. Red Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon finished second and third respectively.
• Racing Point driver Sergio Perez of Mexico won the Formula One Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain on December 6, 2020. France’s Esteban Ocon was second for Renault and Canadian Lance Stroll finished third for Racing Point.
• Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie smashed the men’s half-marathon world record in Valencia, Spain on December 6, 2020 in a time of 57 minutes 32 seconds. The previous record of 58min 01sec was set by his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in September, 2019. Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba won the women’s race in 1hr 05:18.
• Former US athlete Rafer Johnson, who won the men’s gold medal in decathlon at the 1960 Rome Olympics and silver at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, passed away in US on December 2, 2020 at the age of 86.

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• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Chilahati-Haldibari rail link gets restored after 55 years

 

 

Key points –

• PM Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina jointly inaugurated a railway link between Haldibari in India and Chilahati in Bangladesh during the India-Bangladesh virtual bilateral summit on December 17.
• With the new Haldibari-Chilahati rail link, the total number of railway lines between the two countries has increased to five.
• After partition in 1947, seven railway lines were operational between India and the then East Pakistan up to 1965. Currently, there are four rail links that are actively operational between India and Bangladesh, namely, Petrapole – Benapole, Gede – Darshana, Singhabad -Rohanpur, and Radhikapur – Birol.
• The newly inaugurated Haldibari – Chilahati rail link has become the fifth operational railway link between the two countries.
• In 2016-17, the Railway Board had sanctioned the construction of a new broad-gauge (BG) line of length 3.50 km from the Haldibari station to the Bangladesh border for connecting to Chilahati in Bangladesh in order to reopen the rail link.
• Indian Railway authorities have restored the tracks up to the international border from the Haldibari station at a cost of ₹ 82.72 crores. Bangladesh Railways has undertaken the redevelopment and laying of missing tracks on their side from the Chilahati station to the international border. 

Benefits –

• The Haldibari - Chilahati route will provide transit connection to Bangladesh from Assam and West Bengal in India.
• It will strengthen the rail network access to the main ports, dry ports, as well as land borders to support the growth in regional trade, boosting the economic and social development of the region.
• Businessmen and common people of both countries will be able to reap the benefits of both goods and passenger train services, once all trains are planned for operations on the route.
• With the new railway line, people from Bangladesh will be able to visit tourist attractions such as Darjeeling, Sikkim, Dooars in India.

Historical Importance –

• The Haldibari - Chilahati rail link was operational till the year 1965. It was part of the broad gauge main route from Kolkata to Siliguri during the partition.
• The trains traveling to Assam and North Bengal continued to travel through the then East Pakistan territory even after partition. A train from Sealdah to Siliguri used to enter the East Pakistan territory from Darshana and would exit through the Haldibari - Chilahati link.
• However, the war of 1965 cut off all the railway links between India and the then East Pakistan.

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

8.1 Panel to government – IITs should be exempt from caste-based reservations in faculty hirings

 

Key point –

• An eight-member committee appointed by the government for suggesting measures for effective implementation of reservation in students admissions and faculty recruitment in IITs has recommended that the 23 engineering schools should be exempted from reservations under CEI Act, 2019, and rather than specific quotas, diversity issues should be addressed through outreach campaigns and targeted recruitment of faculty.

Important details –

• Among two sets of recommendations made by the committee, one stated that IITs should be added to the list of “Institutions of Excellence” mentioned in the Schedule to the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Act 2019.
• Section 4 of the Act exempts “institutions of excellence, research institutions, institutions of national and strategic importance” mentioned in the Schedule and minority institutions from providing reservation.
• At present, eight institutions are listed under the clause - the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, National Brain Research Centre in Gurgaon, North-Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Science in Shillong, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bengaluru, Physical Research Laboratory in Ahmedabad, Space Physics Laboratory in Thiruvananthapuram, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing in Dehradun and Homi Bhabha National Institute and all  its 10 constituent units in Mumbai.
• The committee was constituted in April this year with director of IIT-Delhi, V Ramgopal Rao, as its chairperson and the director of IIT Kanpur, registrars of IIT-Bombay and IIT-Madras, and representatives from Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Department of Personnel and Training and Department of Persons with Disabilities as members.
• The committee also suggested offering a two-year Research Assistantship for students from reserved categories aspiring to join PhD programmes.

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

9.1 News Round-up – Science and Technology

• Environment NGO CSE on December 4, 2020 said it shared with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) the details of its investigation into the "well-organised" honey adulteration business. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) had on December 3, reported adulteration in honey sold by major brands in the country. CSE used NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) spectroscopy to detect adulteration. The NMR test is increasingly being applied in food chemistry to unravel the chemical structure of food and detect the presence of additives more efficiently than routine, lab-based chemical tests. The NMR test is not mandatory in India, but it is necessary for export purposes.
• The Union Environment Ministry has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial Apex Committee for Implementation of Paris Agreement (AIPA) under the chairmanship of Secretary, MoEFCC to ensure that India was “on track” towards meeting its obligations under the Paris Agreement including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The NDC has eight goals including a reduction in the emissions intensity of GDP by 33 to 35% by 2030 from 2005 level and achieving about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.
• In a first to promote the private sector, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said that it would help Chennai-based rocket startup Agnikul Cosmos to test and qualify its small rocket that can launch 100 kg satellites into low earth orbit.
• China successfully powered up its “artificial sun" nuclear fusion reactor for the first time, state media reported on December 5, 2020, marking an advance in the country’s nuclear power research capabilities. The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source. It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius,    approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. Located in Sichuan province, the reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the    enormous heat and power it produces.

• The winners of the Infosys Prize for 2020 were announced on December 2, 2020. The prize consists of a gold medal, a citation and a purse of $100,000 and is awarded in six fields, namely Engineering & Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. The winners are Hari Balakrishnan, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology for engineering & computer Science; Prachi Deshpande, of the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences for humanities; Rajan Sankaranarayanan, of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology for life sciences, Sourav Chatterjee, of Stanford University for mathematical sciences; Arindam Ghosh, of Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru for physical sciences, and Raj Chetty, of Harvard University for social sciences.

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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 -

• Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft collected samples from Asteroid Ryugu.
• Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot on Nov 2020 e-inaugurated a ‘Garima Greh: A Shelter Home for Transgender Persons’ in Vadodara.
• Lewis Hamilton won the 2020 Formula One World Drivers Championship.
• Foodgrains production is pegged at 144.52 million tonnes in the 2020-21 kharif season, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on October 16, 2020.
• HDFC Bank in Sept 2020 launched a Warehouse Commodity Finance App.

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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