Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 24-12-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 24-12-2020

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Agriculture – Farmers up ante, nix govt offer, demand higher MSP – Dramatically upping the ante while rejecting the Centre’s proposals as “meaningless amendments”, agitating farm unions have said talks could restart only if repeal of the three new agri laws was on the agenda and added a demand for revised cost of production that will increase support price. The unions wrote to the agriculture ministry saying they were ready for talks only if the Centre came out with a “concrete proposal” without repeating suggested changes to the farm laws offered earlier. The unions reiterated the demand for legal guarantee for minimum support price, saying this should be on the agenda and drew attention to the National Commission on Farmers’ recommendation for support price on a higher slab of cost of production. The demand for a revised procurement price is significant.
2. Law & Constitution – Govt loses retro tax case vs Cairn too, told to pay $1.4bn – In a fresh setback to the government on retrospective taxation, an arbitration panel has unanimously ruled in favour of Cairn Energy PLC, holding that the Centre had “failed to uphold its obligations” under the UK-India bilateral investment treaty and international laws in seeking tax payments of Rs 10,250 crore from the company for its business reorganisation in the country. The tribunal awarded Cairn $1.2 billion (Rs 9,000 crore), plus interest and costs, the company said in a statement after the ruling. The total damages are estimated at $1.4 billion for the government. Three months ago, the government suffered a major embarrassment when it lost a similar case relating to Vodafone, where tax authorities had sought payment — through a clarificatory amendment implemented retrospectively — for the telecom giant’s acquisition of 67% stake from Hutch in the India mobile venture. The deal involved two overseas entities, which escaped tax, but the government insisted that tax was due since the underlying assets were in India.
3. Polity & Governance – Changes to SC scholarship scheme get govt. approval – The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved changes to the post-matric scholarship scheme for students from the Scheduled Castes, including a new funding pattern of 60-40 for the Centre and the States. The changes were aimed at enabling four crore students to access higher education over the next five years. Switching from the existing “committed liability” formula, the new funding pattern would increase the Centre’s involvement in the scheme. An investment of ₹59,048 crore, of which ₹35,534 crore would be the Centre’s share, had been approved.
4. Covid-19 – ‘U.K. strain unlikely to affect efficacy of vaccines’ – As per reports, the faster spreading coronavirus strain first detected in the U.K. is unlikely to make vaccines less effective as of now but the preventives may need to be appropriately altered if more mutations occur over time. There is no indication at the moment that the new strain, VUI-202012/0, which was detected on September 21, would evade treatments and vaccines. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said that the rapid increase of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with multiple spike protein mutations have been observed in the U.K. The ECDC, however, said there is no indication of increased infection severity.
5. World – Britain, France reopen cross-Channel travel – France and Britain reopened cross-Channel travel after a 48-hour ban to curb the spread of a new coronavirus variant but London has warned it could take days for thousands of trucks blocked around the port of Dover to get moving. The major transit hub reopened following an agreement between London and Paris to allow hauliers stranded in the U.K. to leave the country if they could produce a negative coronavirus test that was less than 72 hours old. Much of Europe had swiftly banned British travellers following the emergence of a more transmissible variant of COVID-19 in Britain, and France’s decision to block freight movements sparked fears of food shortages.
6. Covid-19 – India’s active cases below 3 lakh for third day; South African virus variant found in UK – With 24,712 cases reported in the 24 hours ending 9 am on December 24, coronavirus infections in India now stand at 1.01 crore. Of these, 2.83 lakh are currently active. As many as 312 deaths were reported on December 23, the toll has reached 1.46 lakh. Kerala, among the fastest-growing states in India, is still reporting more than 6,000 cases a day. Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka governments have imposed night curfews. While the Rajasthan government has imposed a night curfew on December 31 in all cities having a population of over one lakh, the night curfew in Karnataka will be enforced from tonight till January 2.
7. Polity & Governance – Cabinet approves merger of four govt film media units with NFDC – The Union Cabinet has approved the merger of four government-run film and media units — the Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India and the autonomous Children’s Film Society, into the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The merger of the film media units under one corporation will lead to convergence of activities and resources and help better coordination. While each of the film units like the National Film Archives of India, Directorate of Film Festivals and the Children’s Film Society had been given a specialised mandate when they were each set up, it was felt that the units had failed over the years to keep abreast with industry standards and it would be better managed by bringing them under one roof with different verticals.
8. Polity & Governance – Gupkar alliance set to form 9 out of 10 Kashmir councils – The seven-party People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) looks set to lead development councils in nine out of 10 districts in Kashmir division, but BJP’s overall dominance of the DDC polls in Jammu might still leave it short of the numbers required to run at least four of the 10 councils there. For the Gupkar alliance, six districts of the Valley — Anantnag, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Pulwama and Kulgam — gave a clear majority of nine to 12 seats each out of the 14 in every council. In the rest, barring Srinagar, the alliance has seven seats each and the edge in terms of potential supporters, led by Congress. In Srinagar, both PAGD and BJP are not even in the picture.
9. Economy – Cabinet nod for 100% FDI in DTH service – The Union Cabinet has approved 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in direct-to-home (DTH) services, extension of the licence period from 10 years to 20 and a reduced licence fee. The licence fee had been reduced in keeping with the rates in the telecom sector. A statement from the I&B Ministry said the proposed reduction was intended to align the licence fee regime applicable to the telecom sector and would be prospectively applied. Currently, India has 18 crore television sets.
10. World – Situation in seized C. African town under control, says UN – The Central African Republic’s fourth-largest town, which had been seized by rebels ahead of elections this weekend, is back in the hands of United Nations peacekeepers and national security forces. The rebel attacks followed government accusations at the weekend that ex-President Francois Bozize was plotting a coup with armed groups ahead of presidential and legislative elections.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	IDBI Bank	Specialist Cadre Officer	134	Degree, PG (Relevant Disciplines)	07-01-2021	https://www.idbi.com/index.asp
2	IOCL, Pipelines Division	Engineering Asst, Technical Attendant	47	10th Class with ITI, Diploma (Engg)	15-01-2021	https://iocl.com/download/Recruitment_of_Non_executives_in_Pipelines_Division.pdf
3	C-DAC, Thiruvananthapuram	Project Manager, Project Engineer, Project Asst, Project Technician	53	Diploma, B.E/ B.Tech / MCA, MBA, ME/ M.Tech	07-01-2021	https://cdac.in/index.aspx?id=ca_Advt_Consolidated12_2020
4	Sports Authority of India	Masseur/ Masseuse	6	10+2	08-01-2021	https://sportsauthorityofindia.nic.in/tview3.asp?link_temp_id=11084
5	National Fertilizers Limited	Management Trainee	30	Degree (Engg.)	21-01-2021	https://www.nationalfertilizers.com/

 

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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 Infinite India platform

 

 

 

Highlights – 

• Private sector lender ICICI Bank has set up on-line platform “Infinite India” to provide banking and other valued services to foreign companies for setting up or expanding business in the country.
• Apart from banking solutions like trade finance and treasury services, the platform will offer services like incorporation of a business entity, corporate filings, licences and registrations, HR services, compliances and taxation among others.
• These technology-enabled-services are aimed at strengthening the bank’s position in the MNC segment. The services will be driven by a dedicated team of relationship specialists.
• As an ‘Authorised Dealer Category 1’, the bank can authorise the setting up of liaison offices (LO), branch offices (BO) as well as a project offices, within the regulatory framework.
• Generally, the foreign entities need to spend a lot of time and bandwidth to reach out to individual service providers in order to take care of matters which are not related to the core of businesses. With ‘Infinite India’, they get the convenience of a single-point access to a host of services at an attractive price.

2.2 Government invites bids for sale of its 63.75% in Shipping Corporation of India

 

 

Highlights –  

• The Centre has invited bids for the strategic disinvestment of its 63.75 per cent shares in Shipping Corporation of India (SCIL), along with the transfer of management control.
• As per the reports, the deadline for submitting expression of interest would be February 13.
• The government plans to sell about 296.9 million shares of SCIL, the divestment of which got delayed due to the pandemic this year.
• Investors can submit bids individually or as part of a consortium.
• At current stock prices, SCI's total market value is about Rs 3,915 crore ($529 million).
• The government has appointed RBSA Capital Advisors LLP as its transaction advisor to manage the disinvestment process.
• At the current market price, the government’s stake in the shipping company is valued at Rs 2,500 crore.
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had in November 2019 gave in-principle approval for the strategic divestment of Shipping Corp. However, plans were delayed on account of the pandemic.
• The FY21 Budget has set an ambitious divestment target of Rs 2.1 lakh crore.
• The government has, so far, raised Rs 11,006 crore through a minority stake sale in CPSEs in the current fiscal year.
• A strategic sale process in both BPCL and Air India is ongoing and both have received “multiple” EoIs from potential buyers.

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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 Rajnath Singh talks to Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo 

Key points –

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has spoken to his Japanese counterpart Kishi Nobuo and discussed issues relating to bilateral defence and security cooperation.
• Key issues relating to defence and security cooperation between the two countries figured in the talks.
• Both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries.
• India is committed to further elevate engagements with Japan under the Special Strategic & Global partnership framework.

4.2 News Round-up – India and the world

• PM Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks during a virtual summit in Dec 2020. Both countries signed nine Agreements and Memorandum of Understandings, MoUs in various areas including in the field of Solar Energy, Digital Technologies and on High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP).
• Indian Army chief General M. M. Naravane on December 13, 2020 discussed issues of bilateral defence cooperation with Commander of the Royal Saudi Land Forces General Fahd Bin Abdullah Mohammed Al-Mutir in Riyadh.
• Xavier Chauvet De Beauchene, Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), applauded India’s efforts towards river rejuvenation and cleanliness. Director General of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) Rajiv Ranjan Mishra attributed the success of the Namami Gange Mission to his team, volunteers, academicians and many self-help organisations.
• Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) in Dec 2020 said it has extended a $448-million line of credit (LOC) for various infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan. The LOC has been extended on behalf of the Indian government.
• Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal in Dec 2020 said that India and Sweden should work together to build a more resilient and strong partnership. He was speaking at the CEO Forum of India-Sweden strategic business partnership.
• Indian Embassy in Beijing launched a movie series “cinemaSCOpe” for SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) member countries in which the embassy will be screening Indian movies dubbed in Russian till India’s chairmanship of the SCO ‘Council of Heads of State’ meeting in 2023. The event was jointly inaugurated by Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri and SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov.
• Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen has said that the ‘Swadhinata Sarak’ between Bangladesh and India will be opened on 26 March next year. He also said that Chilahati-Haldibari rail link which was active till 1965 will be inaugurated during the summit meeting between the two Prime Ministers on December 17.
• Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' held a meeting virtually with his UAE counterpart Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi on December 10, 2020 and talked about the new National Education Policy as well as India's plans for internationalisation of education. Pokhriyal invited students from the UAE to India under the Study in India Programme and invited higher number of faculties to India for taking short-term courses in Indian universities under the Global Initiative of Academic Networks (GIAN) in Higher Education.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, attended the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADDM Plus) organized online at Hanoi, Vietnam on December 10, 2020. ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN Countries and eight partner countries.
• The clarion call made by PM Modi to all Indians of ‘Fitness Ka Dose Aadha Ghanta Roz’ has received praise from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which said that it applauds India's initiative on promoting physical activity through this fitness campaign.
• India and Qatar on December 8, 2020 decided to create a special Task-Force to further facilitate investments by Qatar Investment Authority into India. PM Modi while speaking on telephone with Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Amir of Qatar also resolved to explore Qatari investments in the entire energy value-chain in India.
• Under its “Global understanding of India project", the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), an autonomous body under the Ministry of External Affairs, is surveying the textbooks taught in the schools of other countries. ICCR president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said the findings of the research were not conclusive yet.
• In order to boost trade and tourism from India, the Republic of Maldives has appointed Mumbai-based technocrat, Bobby Mohanty as its honorary Consul.

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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 News Round-up – Defence 

 

 

• India's weapons procurement from the United States jumped from meagre USD 6.2 million to a whopping USD 3.4-billion in the final year of the Donald Trump administration, according to official data. In 2019, the sale of US weapons to foreign countries was USD 55.7 billion, according to data from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).
• Chief of Army Staff Gen. M. M. Naravane met Commander of the UAE’s Land Forces and Staff Major General Saleh Mohammed Saleh Al Ameri and discussed key issues of mutual interest and defence cooperation, the Indian Army said on December 11, 2020.
• Air forces of China and Pakistan are conducting ‘Shaheen’ (Falcon-IX) joint exercises in Sindh, Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force released a video showing the wide range of military aircraft on display in the exercise, which will last until late December.
• Chuck Yeager, the pilot who took aviation to the doorstep of space by becoming the first person to break the sound barrier more than 70 years ago, died on December 7, 2020 at the age of 97. Yeager was a 24-year-old captain when he first outraced sound on October 14, 1947, in the bright orange Bell X-1 craft.

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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 PM Narendra Modi issues stamp to mark centenary celebrations of Aligarh Muslim University

 

 

Highlights – 

• PM Modi has released a special postal stamp to mark the centenary celebrations of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
• This is the first time in five decades that a prime minister has attended an AMU event as the chief guest.
• The last time a prime minister attended an event at AMU was Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964. Before him, PM Jawaharlal Nehru had visited the AMU four times.
• Nehru had visited the campus for first time in 1948, when an honorary doctorate was conferred on him at the annual convocation, followed by visits in 1955, 1960 and 1963.
• Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank also recalled the achievements of the AMU over the century and contributions of its alumni in various walks of life.
• Aligarh Muslim was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College in 1875.

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

9.1 India International Science Festival 2020

 

 

 

Highlights –  

• India International Science Festival (IISF) 2020 is the largest science festival on virtual environment.
• This mega science festival is being organized during 22-25 December 2020 on Virtual Platform.
• Nodal organization of IISF 2020 is Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and coordinating Institute is CSIR-National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (CSIR-NISTADS).
• CSIR, DST, MoES, DBT, ICMR are organizing this programme in association with VijnanaBharati (VIBHA).
• Vision of this IISF is the Promotion of AtmaNirbhar Bharat and Global Welfare through Science, Technology and Innovation.

Theme of IISF 2020 – Science for Self-Reliant India and Global Welfare.

 

The key objectives of IISF is –

• To promote and build scientific temper among the masses and the young children.
• To catalyze and trigger relationship between Science and Society leading to the development of new frontiers of growth both scientifically and economically.
• To strengthen nation and to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth in the coming future.
• To provide a platform for recognizing contribution of science and technology in global development.

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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 -

• UN observed Dec 27 as the ‘International Day of Epidemic Preparedness’.
• TVS Motor has acquired Intellicar Telematics Private Limited.
• Mamit district of Mizoram has topped the rankings of aspirational districts by NITI Aayog for October.
• India has announced the launch of the High Impact Community Development Projects in Afghanistan.
• According to data released by DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade), the foreign direct investment (FDI) in India in during 2020-21 was US $ 30 bn.

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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