Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 30-12-2020

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 30-12-2020

• [message]
• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Covid-19 – South Africa imposes new virus curbs – South Africa banned alcohol sales and made masks mandatory in public from December 29 after a surge in coronavirus cases as the WHO warned that pandemics far more deadly than COVID-19 may lie ahead. Nations around the world are struggling with winter spikes in infections that have pushed the global caseload close to 81 million, even as the rollout of vaccines gathers pace in North America and Europe. Surging cases also forced authorities in Rio de Janeiro — one of Brazil’s worst-hit cities — to announce that they would block access to beaches on December 31 to prevent crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve. And in Spain, where the death toll has topped 50,000, the Health Minister said the government would set up a registry of people who refuse to be vaccinated, and share it with other EUn member states. Vaccinations in Spain and other EU countries started over the weekend.
2. World–House votes to override Trump’s veto of Defence Bill –The Democratic-controlled House voted overwhelmingly to override Trump’s veto of a Defence Bill, setting the stage for what would be the first veto override of his presidency. The veto override was supported by 212 Democrats, 109 Republicans and an independent. Twenty Democrats opposed the override, along with 66 Republicans and an independent. The Senate, which is expected to vote on the override this week, also needs to approve it by a two-thirds majority. Mr. Trump rejected the Defence Bill recently, saying it failed to limit social media companies he claims were biased against him during his failed re-election campaign. Mr. Trump also opposes language that allows for the renaming of military bases that honour Confederate leaders.
3. Economy–Finance Ministry gives nod for 8.5% EPF interest rate – The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is learnt to have got clearance from the Finance Ministry for interest rate recommendation of 8.5 per cent for FY20 and is expected to credit it to subscribers in next few days. The retirement fund body is looking at crediting the interest rate in one go of 8.5 per cent instead of a split of 8.15 per cent and 0.35 per cent proposed earlier. The Central Board of Trustees of the EPFO had in September recommended splitting payment of the interest rate of 8.5 per cent recommended for financial year 2019-20 into two parts, citing “exceptional circumstances arising out of Covid-19”. The EPFO had then said it will credit 8.15 per cent to its over six crore subscribers for the year immediately and give the remaining 0.35 per cent, which is linked to its equity investments, “before December 31”.
4. People & Personalities– French fashion designer Pierre Cardin dies at 98– Iconic French designer Pierre Cardin, who was hailed for his avant-garde styles in the 1960s and 70s, has died at the age of 98. Cardin was known for savvy business moves and his space-age designs in his career spanning over 60 years. Born on July 7, 1922 in Venice, Italy, he was a notable designer of women’s clothes, and also a pioneer in the design of high fashion for men. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Cardin drew scorn and admiration from fellow fashion designers for his brash business sense. He maintained that he built his business empire without ever asking a bank for a loan. Cardin was the first designer to sell clothes collections in department stores in the late 1950s, and the first to enter the licensing business for perfumes, accessories and even food – now a major profit driver for many fashion houses.
5. Polity & Governance– Delhi govt starts distribution of dry ration as part of mid-day meals in schools– Delhi government has started distributing dry-ration as part of the Centre’s mid-day meal programme among students of classes Nursery to class 8 enrolled in all government and government-aided schools in the Capital. The mid-day meal scheme, under which students are served cooked meals during school hours, had been disrupted due to the closure of educational institutions since March because of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are around 800,000 students who will receive such ration kits. On December 29, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal kicked off the initiative and distributed dry ration kits at a school in Mandawali. Each kit handed out by the chief minister contained a six-month provision — that included wheat, rice, pulses and oil. The dry ration will be provided every month from January 2021.
6. Economy– AMP, Sterlite in $300 mn power transmission pact – AMP Capital has established an equal partnership with Sterlite Power Transmission Ltd. for the development of energy transmission projects in India. AMP Capital and Sterlite Power would each invest an initial amount of about $150 million in the development of four transmission projects, and have put in place debt financing, representing a total capital outlay of about $1 billion. These projects have a circuit length of nearly 1,800 km of transmission lines across the western, southern and northeastern regions of India.
7. Covid-19– 6 U.K. returnees test positive for new coronavirus variant– Samples of six persons returning from the U.K. have been found to contain the new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. These persons have been kept in single-room isolation in designated health care facilities by the respective State governments. From November 25 to December 23 midnight, about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from the U.K. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by the States/Union Territories to RT-PCR tests. So far, only 114 have been found positive. These positive samples have been sent to 10 INSACOG labs for genome sequencing.
8. Study/Research– Mutated virus does not cause more fatalities: report – Preliminary results from a cohort study found no statistically significant difference in hospitalisation and 28-day case fatality between cases with the new variant (VOC 201212/01) and wild-type comparator cases. There was also no significant difference in the likelihood of reinfection between variant cases and the comparator group. The preliminary assessment of outcomes of hospitalisation and case fatality caused by the new variant was performed by using a matched cohort study. In this, 1,769 genome-sequenced variant cases were matched with the same number of cases which are distinctly different from the new variant.
9. Polity & Governance–M.P. govt. takes ordinance route on anti-conversion Bill– The MP Cabinet has given its nod to an ordinance on the Bill against religious conversion through fraudulent means, including those for the sake of marriage. The Cabinet had on December 26 approved the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020. The Bill stipulates a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine of ₹1 lakh for “conversion through marriage or other forcible means”.
10. Science & Technology– INCOIS launches ‘Digital Ocean’ – Union Minister Harsh Vardhan has launched the ‘Digital Ocean’ platform of Indian National Centre for Oceanic Information Services (INCOIS) as a one stop-solution for all data related needs of a wide range of users, including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry, and the public. This first of its kind platform for ocean data management has a set of applications that present heterogeneous oceanographic data with geospatial technology. INCOIS provides ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders in the country, including Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, Ocean State Forecast (OSF), high wave alerts, tsunami early warnings, storm surge and oil-spill advisories, among others, using state-of-the-art technologies and tools to get real time information on oceanographic and marine meteorological data.

Important Exam Notifications
S. No	Institution	Exam or Post Name	Vacancies or Seats	Qualification	Last Date to Apply	Link for Details
1	ECGC Ltd	Probationary Officer	59	Any Degree	31-01-2021	https://www.ecgc.in/english/wp-content/themes/pcwebecgc/images/pcECGPagePDF/Adver/PO_Recruitment_2021-22_English.pdf
2	SSC	CGL Exam 2020	--	Any Degree	31-01-2021	https://ssc.nic.in/
3	NIVEDI	SRF, JRF, Young Professional I, II	10	Any Degree, PG, Ph.D	08-01-2021	https://nivedi.res.in/pdf/employment/Emp_2021.pdf
4	Sports Authority of India	Masseur/ Masseuse	6	--	08-01-2021	https://sportsauthorityofindia.nic.in/tview3.asp?link_temp_id=12135
5	Alliance Air Aviation Ltd	AGM, Manager, Company Secretary, Dy Manager, Supervisor	23	Any Degree, B.E/ B.Tech, Degree Diploma, PG	15 and 21-01-2021	http://www.airindia.in/writereaddata/Portal/career/914_1_Various-posts-advertisement.PDF

 

• [message]
• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

• [message]
• 1. CONSTITUTION AND LAW (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

1.1 News Round-up – Legal News

• Najma P. M. V. Commissioner for Entrance – NEET 2020: Supreme Court refuses to entertain plea seeking admission to “Higher Option Seat” in AIQ. Justices Indira Banerjee and Hemand Gupta
• ‘Election Process Can’t be intereferred with’: Supreme Court dismisses plea against consecutive reservation of Panchayat President Posts in Kerala. Justices Indira Banerjee and Hemand Gupta
• Sabrimala: Kerala Govt moves Supreme Court against HC direction to raise number of daily permissible pilgrims as 5000.
• Rishabh Sharma vs UOI and Others – Farmers Protests: Petitioner seeks to add more farmers organisations as respondent in plea to remove protesters.
• S. Mohamed Shahul Hameed vs State rep by inspector of Police – No blanket bar to grant anticipatory bail in cases of illegal quarrying/mining, smuggling of sand, minerals: Supreme Court. Justices S. K. Kaul, Dinesh Maheshwari and Hrikish Roy
• Maulana Ala Hadrami and others vs UOI – Tablighi Jamat: Supreme Court asks centre to facilitate return of 36 foreigners who were acquitted. Justice A. M. Khanwilkar, B. R. Gavai and Krishna Murari

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

2.1 Amit Shah inaugurates development projects in Manipur

 

Highlights –

• The Union Home Minister Amit Shah has inaugurated several development projects in Manipur.
• Shri Amit Shah inaugurated the e-office and Thoubal Multipurpose Project (Thoubal Dam) in Imphal through virtual mode.
• He also laid the foundation stone of seven major development projects, including the Churachandpur Medical College, IT-SEZ at Mantripukhri, Manipur Bhawan in Dwarka, New Delhi and the Integrated Command and Control Center at Imphal.
• After the creation of IT-SEZ, the GDP of Manipur is likely to increase by ₹4,600 crore annually and there will be employment generation for 44,000 people.
• Thoubal Multipurpose Project was launched in 2004 during Atal Bihari Vajpayee's time, but nothing happened till 2014 and the project remained on paper.
• Earlier only 6 percent people in the state had access to drinking water, but under the Jal Jeevan Mission, tapped water supply has reached 33 percent households in the last 3 years from 6 percent.
• There has also been an increase of 222 percent in the number of international tourists, which is going to benefit tourism in the times to come.
• As per reports, as compared to the 14th Finance Commission, there is an increase of 251 percent during the 15th Finance Commission and that Modi government has raised allocation to the North-East to ₹3,13,375 crore from ₹89,168 crore.
• Besides, Sports University is being set up to promote sports in the state.

2.2 News Round-up – Indian Economy

• India’s wholesale inflation, measured in terms of wholesale price index (WPI), rose for the fourth consecutive month and firmed up to a nine-month high of 1.55% in November driven by manufactured items, data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed on December 14, 2020.
• India’s retail Inflation, measured in terms of consumer price index (CPI), has eased marginally to 6.93% in November due to considerable easing in vegetable prices.
• The Centre approved a ₹3,500-crore subsidy to sugar mills to incentivise them to export 60 lakh tonnes of surplus stock in the 2020-21 season, helping them to clear payment arrears due to cane farmers. According to the government, the sugar industry as well as the farmers were in crisis with production at 310 lakh tonnes against the annual domestic consumption demand of 260 lakh tonnes.
• Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) meeting, headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on December 17, 2020 approved proposals to procure equipment worth Rs 27,000 crore from the domestic industry. 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.
• The Cabinet Committee on Security on December 16, 2020 approved the National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector mandating telecom service providers to procure equipment from sources designated to be “trusted”.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on December 15, 2020 chaired the 23rd Meeting of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) through video conference in New Delhi.  The meeting reviewed the major macro-economic developments and Financial Stability issues with special reference to vulnerability related issues.
• PSU Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on December 20, 2020 opened India’s eighth hydrocarbon producing basin when it started oil flow from a well in the Bengal basin. Oil production commenced from the well Asokenagar-1 in 24 Pargana district of West Bengal. Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan dedicated the new basin to the nation.
• The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and France’s Ministry of National Education and Youth and Schneider Electric on December 18, 2020 announced the inauguration of first Center of Excellence (CoE) for skill development in power sector in the campus of National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) in Gurugram (Haryana) to create a cadre of certified trainers and assessors across the country.
• PM Modi on December 15, 2020 unveiled various developmental projects in Kutch region Gujarat. These projects include a desalination plant in Mandvi, a fully automated milk processing and packing plant at Sarhad Dehri in Anjar and a hybrid renewable energy park in Kharera. Billed as the world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park, it will generate 30,000 MW power through solar panels and windmills on 72,600 hectares along the India-Pakistan border. It is being set up by the Gujarat government with the participation of private players such as the Adani Group, which is the country’s largest renewable power generator, and Suzlon, a dominant player in wind energy.

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

3.1 Not Available Today

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

4.1 China’s financial regulators ask Ant Group to control its expansion

 

  

Highlights –

• China’s financial regulators have asked Ant Group, the world’s largest fintech company, to return to its original business as a payment services provider and strictly prohibit unfair competition, in an attempt to rein in the industry and to prevent uncontrolled growth from leading to financial risks.
• Ant Group lacked a sound governance mechanism, defied regulatory compliance requirements and engaged in regulatory arbitrage.
• Specifically, the operator of Alipay, one of the nation's two largest digital payment apps, has been urged to return to its payment origin, improve trading transparency and prohibit unfair competition practices. Ant has been asked to draw up a timetable for the rectification plan and its implementation.
• Ant said, it will set up a rectification work team under the guidance of the regulators to implement the interview's requirements and regulate operation and development of financial businesses. Financial regulators will keep close communications with Ant Group and listen fully to its opinions.
• The group was called for regulatory talks by the People’s Bank of China, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on December 26 as part of the high-profile anti-monopoly probe of the e-commerce giant.

• [message]
• 5. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

5.1 Online liquor distribution system  

 

 

Key points –  

• A first-of-its kind Internet-based liquor distribution system has been launched for the serving and retired personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force guarding the LAC with China.
• The paramilitary force launched the centralised liquor management system (CLMS) sometime back as a solution to the problem of non-availability of the desired liquor brands to its personnel and veterans residing in remote locations.
• Paramilitary forces like the ITBP are authorised to get liquor under government rules and this is the first time such an online system has been introduced among these forces that includes the CRPF, BSF, CISF and SSB and other central forces like the NDRF and the NSG.
• ITBP chief S S Deswal recently launched the CLMS whose link is available at the official website of the mountain-warfare trained force.
• The portal link allows a serving or retired official to create an account, choose the unit nearest to their home base and check the inventory of brands and varieties of liquor for purchase on payment.
• The online system has about 85 liquor brands on the shelf at present and a serving or retired personnel of the force is authorised to purchase about 8 liquor bottles and six beer cans in a month.
• The about 90,000-personnel strong force is primarily tasked to guard the 3,488 kms long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China apart from being deployed for a variety of internal security duties across the country.

• [message]
• 6. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

6.1 Sunil Kothari passes away at 87

 

 

Highlights –

• Padma Shri dance historian and critic Sunil Kothari passed away Sunday (December 27) morning at a Delhi hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest a month after testing positive for coronavirus. He was 87.
• Born on December 20, 1933 in Mumbai, Kothari qualified as a Chartered Accountant before turning to the study of Indian dance forms.
• He authored more than 20 books on the subject of Indian dance forms including “Sattriya Dances of Assam”, “New Directions in Indian Dance”, and also on Bharatanatayam, Odissi, Chhau, Kathak, Kuchipudi, and Photo Biographies of Uday Shankar and Rukmini Devi Arundale.
• The dance scholar held the Uday Shankar Chair in Rabindra Bharati University, and taught in the Dance Department of New York University as a Fulbright Professor.
• Kothari received numerous titles and awards for his contribution to Indian dance forms including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995); the Gaurav Puraskar conferred by the Gujarat Sangeet Natak Akademi (2000); the Padma Shri bestowed by the Government of India (2001); and the Life Time Achievement Award of the Dance Critics Association, New York, USA (2011).
• He was also an elected Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi for his contribution to Indian dance as a scholar.
• Kothari was among the 27 artistes who were served a notice in November 2020 to evict their government-allotted homes by December 31.

6.2 News Round-up – Corporate World

• Flipkart launched the Nokia PureBook X14 laptop in India that comes with 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, priced at Rs 59,990.
• Vedanta’s Anil Agarwal Foundation has joined hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, to set up 500 Nand Ghars in Uttar Pradesh over the next 12 months, as a part of the company’s corporate social responsibility initiative.
• Amazon India has announced the launch of Amazon Saathi – a peer mentorship program designed for its sellers to exchange knowledge and share best practices.
• SBI Card has launched ‘BPCL SBI Card Octane’ in association with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), offering maximum savings to consumers who spend a significant amount on fuel.
• Twitter said its Periscope mobile app for live streaming video will shut down by March 2021 as use of it declined. Twitter bought Periscope in 2015 before it launched and as the popularity of now-defunct Meerkat signalled keen interest in people broadcasting video from smartphones.
• Reliance and its partner BP announced the first gas from the R Cluster, ultra-deep-water gas field in block KG D6 off the east coast of India.
• In a remarkable market debut, shares of Burger King India in Dec. 2020 zoomed almost 131% against its issue price of ₹60. The stock opened at ₹115.35, a huge premium of 92.25% against the issue price on the BSE. It later closed at ₹138.40, a gain of 130.66%.
• Networking giant Cisco said it has partnered with nonprofit organisation The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation and the Indian government for an “agri challenge” with a prize purse of Rs 2 crore aimed at mobilising agri-tech startups to innovate solutions that have the potential to positively impact at least 10 million small farmers.
• Vedanta Group Founder and Chairman Anil Agarwal, in partnership with London-based investment firm Centricus, plans to invest $10 billion in Indian companies being divested by the government. They intend to invest in entities with substantial turnaround and growth opportunities.
• PM Modi delivered the keynote address virtually at ASSOCHAM Foundation Week 2020 on December 19. He presented the ASSOCHAM Enterprise of the Century Award to industrialist Ratan Tata, who received the award on behalf of the TATA Group.
• Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of the Tata group, was honoured with ‘Global Visionary of Sustainable Business and Peace’ award during the launch of the Federation of Indo-Israel Chamber of Commerce’s international chapter in Dubai on December 21

• [message]
• 7. POLITY (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

7.1 Not Available Today

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

8.1 Not Available Today

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

9.1 Not Available Today

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

10.1 Not Available Today

 

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd is acquiring retail, wholesale business and logistics businesses of Future Group for Rs 24,713 crore.
• Microprocessors named SHAKTI (32 bit) and VEGA (64 bit) have been jointly developed by Madras and Center for Development of Advance Computing (CDAC).
• Shiv Sahay Singh of The Hindu newspaper bagged the Asian College of Journalism’s K. P. Narayana Kumar Memorial Award for Social Impact Journalism.
• According to the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, by 2030, the minimum degree qualification for teaching will be an four-year integrated B.Ed. degree.
• According to data released by the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System (SRS) in July 2020, Assam had the highest Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in 2016-18.

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!

• [message]
• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Solve the online quiz given, right now. Check scores, and relative performance!

---