Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 16-01-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 16-01-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Covid-19 – World’s largest vaccination programme begins today – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first phase of the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive at 10.30 a.m. on January 16 during a videoconference. The world’s largest vaccination programme will begin at a total of 3,006 session sites across all the States and the Union Territories, which will be connected virtually throughout the exercise. Nearly 100 beneficiaries will receive the vaccine at each of the session sites on January 16. A dedicated 24x7 call centre — 1075 — has been set up to address queries related to the pandemic and the vaccine roll-out. Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on January 15 said adequate doses of both the vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin — had been delivered across the country. He reviewed the functioning of the CoWIN system, the online digital platform that will be used to drive the vaccination programme. Healthcare workers, both in the government and private sectors, including Integrated Child Development Services workers, will receive the vaccine in the first phase.
2. Agriculture – Farmers, govt. to continue talks – The ninth round of talks between the Centre and the farmer unions have failed to break the impasse over the demand to repeal the three contentious farm laws. It was, however, agreed to continue the direct dialogue in parallel with the Supreme Court-appointed panel’s proceedings on the same issue. The date for the next round of talks was set for January 19, the same day as the court-appointed panel is likely to hold its first meeting. The unions have refused to participate in the proceedings of the court-appointed committee, but were apprehensive that the Centre would use the court’s order as an excuse to end the direct negotiation process. However, it has now been agreed that this process would continue.
3. Economy – Trade with China shrank in 2020, deficit at five-year low – India’s trade with China declined in 2020 to the lowest level since 2017, with the trade deficit narrowing to a five-year low as the country imported far fewer goods from its northern neighbour. Bilateral trade slid 5.6% to $87.6 billion, according to new figures from China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC). India’s imports from China shrank by 10.8% to $66.7 billion, marking the lowest level of inbound shipments since 2016. India’s exports to China, however, jumped 16%, crossing the $20 billion-mark for the first time to a record high of $20.86 billion. The trade deficit, a source of friction in bilateral ties, shrank to $45.8 billion, the lowest level since 2015. India’s biggest import in 2019 was electrical machinery and equipment, worth $20.17 billion. Other major imports in 2019 were organic chemicals ($8.39 billion) and fertilisers ($1.67 billion), while India’s top exports that year were iron ore, organic chemicals, cotton and unfinished diamonds.
4. Economy – Indian economy ‘weak,’ credit growth bottoming out: BofA – American brokerage BofA Securities said the Indian economy continues to be ‘weak,’ pointing to activity indicators tracked by it. On the positive side, the brokerage said credit demand is bottoming out and the real lending rates, adjusted for wholesale price inflation, are falling. It can be noted that there has been a slew of reports lately about a stronger recovery being underway after the jolt caused by the pandemic. The government expects the GDP to contract 7.7% in financial year 2021 because of the reverses.
5. World – Mounting pressure on China, U.S. blacklists Xiaomi, CNOOC – The U.S. government has blacklisted Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp. and China’s third-largest national oil company for alleged military links, heaping pressure on Beijing in President Donald Trump’s last week in office. The Department of Defense added nine companies to its list of Chinese firms with military links, including Xiaomi and state-owned plane manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac). U.S. investors will have to divest their stakes in Chinese companies on the military list by November 2021, according to an executive order signed by Mr. Trump in November 2020. Xiaomi Corp. overtook Apple Inc. as the world’s No. 3 smartphone maker by sales in the third quarter of 2020, according to data by Gartner.
6. World – Biden unveils $1.9 trillion relief package – President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $1.9 trillion coronavirus plan to end “a crisis of deep human suffering” by speeding up vaccines and pumping out financial help to those struggling with the pandemic’s prolonged economic fallout. Called the “American Rescue Plan,” the proposal would meet Mr. Biden’s goal of administering 100 million vaccines by the 100th day of his administration, and advance his objective of reopening most schools by the spring. On a parallel track, it delivers another round of aid to stabilise the economy while the public health effort seeks the upper hand on the pandemic. Mr. Biden proposed $1,400 cheques for most Americans, which on top of $600 provided in the most recent COVID-19 Bill would bring the total to the $2,000 that Mr. Biden has called for.
7. Defence – Army inks $20 mn deal with ideaForge for UAV – The Indian Army has signed a $20-million contract with ideaForge, a player in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, to procure undisclosed quantities of a high-altitude variant of SWITCH UAV. SWITCH UAV is an indigenous system built to cater to the most demanding surveillance operations of the Indian forces. This fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing UAV can be deployed at high altitudes and under harsh environments for day and night surveillance.
8. World – Unveiled document highlights Trump’s mixed China legacy – The newly declassified 2018 Strategic Framework for the Indo-Pacific, made public by the Trump administration, underlines how prominently “strategic competition between the U.S. and China” set Washington’s regional policy over the past four years, and President Trump’s mixed record in effectively addressing that challenge. Among the objectives outlined in the document are promoting American values throughout the region to “counterbalance” values being promoted by China, deterring China from using force or threats against U.S. allies and partners, and building a credible economic response and advancing “U.S. global economic leadership” to counter China’s influence and its projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
9. World – Uganda’s Bobi Wine rejects election results, claims victory – Ugandan opposition leader Bobi Wine has claimed victory in the presidential election, rejecting as a “complete sham” early results that gave President Yoweri Museveni a wide lead. Mr. Wine said he felt under threat as soldiers surrounded his home on Friday (January 15) evening after he alleged that Thursday's (January 14) election was rigged and said “every legal option is on the table” to challenge the official results, including protests. He referred to himself as the “President-elect.”
10. International Relations – Nepal raises Kalapani boundary issue with India – Nepal has raised the Kalapani boundary dispute with India during the Joint Commission meeting, visiting Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on January 15. The Minister said that the Indo-Nepal boundary dispute existed in “two segments” and Kathmandu wished to find a solution to the matter urgently. Mr. Gyawali also took up Nepal’s requirement for vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic as Kathmandu has approved Serum Institute of India’s (SII) Covishield vaccine. This is the first time that the Foreign Minister of Nepal has presented the dispute on the boundary front from the Indian capital since the issue erupted in November 2019 prompting Nepal to unveil a new political map that showed the Kalapani-Lipulekh-Limpiyadhura region of Pithoragarh district as part of the country’s sovereign territory. 

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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 RBI comes up with working group to evaluate digital lending 

 

Highlights –

• The RBI has announced the setting up of a working group (WG) on digital lending, including through online platforms and mobile apps.
• The committee will be responsible for suggesting specific regulatory measures in the realm of digital lending, among other things.
• This move is the latest in the central bank’s attempt to tackle fly-by-night lending apps which have been offering digital loans to underserved customers. Recently, these platforms have come under the regulator’s glare for their adoption of coercive means of loan recovery.
• The RBI said that while penetration of digital methods in the financial sector is a welcome development, the benefits and certain downside risks are often interwoven in such endeavours.
• The group has been asked to submit its report within three months.
• The WG will consist of both internal and external members. The internal members are RBI executive director Jayant Kumar Dash, chief general manager (CGM)-in-charge of the department of supervision Ajay Kumar Choudhary, and CGMs P Vasudevan and Manoranjan Mishra.
• The external members are Vikram Mehta, co-founder of peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform Monexo Fintech and Rahul Sasi, cybersecurity expert and founder of digital risk monitoring firm CloudSEK.
• The group will study all aspects of digital lending activities in the regulated financial sector as well as by unregulated players so that an appropriate regulatory approach can be put in place.
• It will evaluate digital lending activities and assess the penetration and standards of outsourced digital lending activities in RBI-regulated entities.
• It will also be tasked with identifying risks posed by unregulated digital lending to financial stability, regulated entities and consumers and suggest regulatory changes, if any, to promote the orderly growth of digital lending.
• It shall also recommend a fair practices code for digital lending players, insourced or outsourced, and suggest measures for enhanced consumer protection.
• Apart from these, the recommendation of measures for robust data governance, data privacy and data security standards for deployment of digital lending services will come under the group’s purview.

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

3.1 SC on pollution in Yamuna river

 

 

Highlights – 

• The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of pollution in the Yamuna after Delhi Jal Board (DJB) alleged that water containing high pollutants is being released in the river from Haryana.
• A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde was hearing the DJB plea alleging that the water released by neighbouring state Haryana in Yamuna river has pollutants including high ammonia content which become carcinogenic after mixing with Chlorine.
• In the proceedings conducted through video conferencing, the apex court also appointed senior advocate Meenakshi Arora as amicus curiae to assist it in hearing the suo motu case.
• DJB usually halts water supply in Delhi after the Amonia content in water rises and it recently moved the top court alleging this and a sought a direction to Haryana to ensure that pollutant-free water is released in the river.
• They have to keep ammonia treatment plan in Haryana and even the National Green Tribunal had said that their STP are not working at Sonipat which is upstream.
• The court asked the DJB to serve the copy of the petition and the notice on Haryana for filing the response.

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

4.1 US labels Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism

 

 

Highlights – 

• The United States has designated Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism”, the latest move in the final days of the Trump administration that observers say will complicate President-elect Joe Biden’s foreign policy plans.
• As per reports, the US has designated Cuba “for repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism in granting safe harbor to terrorists”.
• The US also accused Cuba of asserting “malign interference in Venezuela and the rest of the Western Hemisphere”.
• Biden, who is set to be inaugurated on January 20, plans to move Washington closer to normalised relations with Havana – including easing restrictions on travel, investment and remittances.
• Biden served as vice president under then-President Barack Obama when the US and Cuba restored diplomatic relations in 2015.
• Earlier in 2015, Obama had removed Cuba from the US list of “state sponsors of terrorism” – a key step in the nations’ ability to formally mend ties. But President Trump’s administration has applied pressure on the Cuban government and various industries in the country.
• The US recently added a Cuban bank to its restricted entities list, alleging that the financial institution had ties to the Cuban military and its profits helped fund the country’s “interference” in Venezuela.
• Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez has rejected the US’ “state sponsor of terrorism” designation, calling the move “hypocritical and cynical”.
• The move also “restricts U.S. foreign assistance, bans defense exports and sales, and imposes certain controls on exports of dual use items”.

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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 – Sports 

• India beat Australia by 8 wickets in 2nd Test at Melbourne - India (326, 70/2) thumped Australia (195, 200) by eight wickets in the second Test on the fourth day to level the four-match series 1-1, at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on December 29, 2020.
• DDCA unveils statue of its former president Arun Jaitley - The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on December 28, 2020 unveiled the statue of its former president and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the Feroze Shah Kotla ground. Union Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled Jaitley’s life-size statue, prepared by 96-year-old renowned sculptor Ram Sutar.
• Former hockey player Michael Kondo dies at 73 - Former Hockey player Michael Kondo died in Rourkela at the age of 73 on December 31, 2020. He was member of the Indian hockey teams that won gold at 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur and bronze at 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
• ICC awards: Virat Kohli named Male Cricketer of the Decade - India captain Virat Kohli on December 28, 2020 won ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade award. Kohli was also picked for the ODI Cricketer of the Decade award. Australia’s Steve Smith was ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Decade. Former India skipper M S Dhoni won the ‘ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade’, chosen by fans for his gesture of calling back England batsman Ian Bell after a bizarre run out in the Nottingham Test in 2011. ICC Women’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade award was won by Ellyse Perry of Australia.
• Ronaldo wins ‘Player of the Century’ award at Globe Soccer Awards - Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo has won the ‘Player of the Century’ award at the Globe Soccer Awards. Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski won the Player of the Year award. The club’s coach Hansi Flick bagged the Coach of the Year award. Also, Bayern Munich won the Club of the Year award. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola won the Coach of the Century award. Spanish giants Real Madrid won the Club of the Century award.
• Visakhapatnam’s civic body ranks first in country in PMAY-Urban 2019 - Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has been selected as the best performing civic body in the country. The GVMC has been chosen under the annual awards for excellence instituted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to recognise the outstanding contribution of PMAY-Urban in 2019. The award will be presented by the Union MOS for housing and urban affairs on January 1, 2021.

6.2 Army Day 2021

 

 

Highlights –  

• Every year, Army Day is celebrated on 15 January in India, in recognition of Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa's (then a Lieutenant General) taking over as the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army from General Fransis Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief of India, on 15 January 1949.
• He is also one of only two Indian Army officers to hold the Five-star rank of Field Marshal; the other being Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw.
• Cariappa led Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.
• The day is celebrated in the form of parades and other military shows in the national capital New Delhi as well as in all headquarters.
• On 15 January 2021, India celebrated its 73rd Indian Army Day in New Delhi.
• Army Day marks a day to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens.
• While celebrations take place across the country, the main Army Day parade is conducted in Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi cantonment. Gallantry awards and Sena medals are also awarded on this day.
• In 2020, 15 soldiers were presented with bravery awards. Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra awardees participate in the Army Day parade every year. Military hardware, numerous contingents and a combat display are part of the parade.
• In 2020, Captain Tania Shergill became the first female officer to command an Army Day parade.

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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 Businesses allowed to deploy CSR funds for awareness around Covid: MCA

 

 

Highlights – 

• Businesses can use their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to create awareness about covid-19 but cannot use such funds exclusively on activities that benefit employees and family.
• Such spending will be considered under the Companies Act provisions allowing CSR expenditure towards promotion of healthcare including preventive healthcare and sanitation, promoting education and disaster management.
• However, these activities have to be undertaken as per the Companies (CSR policy) Rules of 2014 and related orders. These rules do not recognize activities that benefit only employees and their family members as CSR activities. This prevents businesses from using their CSR funds for vaccination of employees and family.
• Employee cost is an expenditure that is taken into account while arriving at the net profit of a company, a small part of which is mandated to be spent on CSR activities.
• Companies with net worth of ₹500 crore or more, or turnover of ₹1,000 crore or more, or net profit of ₹5 crore-plus, are required to spend 2% of their average net profit of the preceding three years on CSR activities.
• In 2019, the ministry had revised the CSR rules to align these with the requirements for fighting covid-19, allowing life sciences companies to spend CSR funds for finding therapies.
• The restriction on life sciences firms spending CSR funds in activities which are part of their normal course of business was lifted in August 2020. Also, donations to the Prime Minister’s emergency fund to fight the pandemic was made eligible for CSR spending.
• However, for contribution to state agencies, only donations to the State Disaster Management Authority qualifies as CSR spending, not contributions to the chief minister’s relief fund.

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

9.1 Not Available Today

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

10.1 Henley Passport Index 2021 

 

Key points –  

• Japan tops the list of being the most powerful passport in the world for the year 2021.
• As per reports, Pakistan (rank 107) and Nepal (rank 104) continue to be in the 'worst passports to hold' category, with Pakistan having a visa-free score of 32 countries and Nepal having a score of 38 destinations.
• Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan continue to be the countries with the worst passport to hold with a passport score of 29, 28 and 26 respectively.
• Japanese citizens can travel to as many as 191 countries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 191 destinations around the world.
• Singapore is in second place (with a score of 190) and South Korea ties with Germany in third place (with a score of 189).
• Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Switzerland are tied at the seventh position with regard to the most powerful passports in the world with a visa-free score of 185.
• Australia stands at the 8th position with a visa score of 184.
• India ranks 85th in the most powerful passport report with a visa-free score of 58.
• With the US and the UK still facing significant challenges related to the virus, and the passport strength of both countries continuing to "steadily erode", the balance of power is shifting.

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• PM Modi inaugurated the 351-km section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) in Uttar Pradesh in Dec 2020.
• Operation Meghdoot was launched to establish Indian control over Siachen Glacier in 1984.
• The Directorate General of Training (DGT) of MSDE joined hands with Microsoft and NASSCOM Foundation for upskilling and reskilling of ITI students.
• Under the Post Matric Scholarship for students from Scheduled Castes, the government provides financial assistance to students whose household incomes are less than Rs 2.5 lakh annually.
• The International Anti-Corruption Day was observed on December 9.

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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