Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 28-01-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 28-01-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. Agriculture – Govt. conspiracy led to violence: farmers – Farm unions have blamed the violence which took place during their Republic Day tractor parades on a conspiracy hatched by the government with one Punjab union, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, and Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who has previously been linked to the BJP. The unions have cancelled their plans to march to Parliament on February 1, when the Union Budget will be presented, but have vowed to continue their agitation in a peaceful manner. Their statements came even as the Delhi police accused union leaders of instigating farmers to break from the agreed parade route and head towards the Red Fort. The police have filed FIRs naming a number of senior farm leaders who held talks with the government and signed an undertaking promising to follow the conditions set for the parades.
2. Polity & Governance – Cinemas allowed to seat more people – The Union Home Ministry has issued an order extending the COVID-19 guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution till February 28. The guidelines permit cinema halls and theatres to operate at a higher capacity than the 50% seating strength allowed till now. Use of swimming pools has been permitted for all. All kinds of social, religious and cultural gatherings that were earlier restricted to a maximum of 50% of the hall capacity, with a ceiling of 200 persons in closed spaces, will now be allowed subject to the standard operating procedure issued by the State governments. For further opening up of international air travel of passengers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation may take a decision in consultation with the Home Ministry based on the assessment of the situation.
3. Economy – ‘High debt burden could hamper India’s ability to provide stimulus’ – India’s high government debt could limit its ability to give a fiscal stimulus to the economy, Moody’s Investors Service noted in a report on credit conditions in Asia. Job losses, income shocks and the gaps in health infrastructure pose ‘highly negative risks’ for the country’s growth prospects. Moody’s warned that the sheer magnitude of the recession would lead to a degree of economic scarring in the more vulnerable Asian economies, which was likely to have persistent effects on potential output. It expects income and social inequality to widen in 2021, while the number of people falling into poverty will rise significantly, erasing three to four years’ gains on poverty reduction. The ratings agency said the traditional emphasis on infrastructure spending to support growth may now have to expand to include social spending on healthcare and pensions.
4. World – Most GOP Senators oppose Trump trial – All but five of the U.S. Senate’s 50 Republicans unsuccessfully attempted to block the impeachment trial of former President Trump from progressing, in a vote on the constitutionality of impeaching a former President. While Mr. Trump will be tried because 55 of the 100 Senators voted to proceed, Tuesday’s (January 26) vote cast doubt on whether Mr. Trump would be convicted — a move that would need 17 of the Senate’s 50 Republicans to vote along with their Democratic colleagues. The other Republicans who voted against the motion questioning the trial’s constitutionality were Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mitt Romney of Utah, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Notably, Senate Minority Leader entertained the possibility of convicting Mr. Trump, joined his Republican colleagues and voted against taking the trial forward.
5. World – U.S. issues domestic terror alert – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has declared a nationwide terrorism alert, citing the potential threat from domestic anti-government extremists opposed to Joe Biden as President. The National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin said a heightened threat of attack “will persist in the weeks following the successful presidential inauguration,” which took place on January 20. The alert said there had been mounting threats since last year from domestic violent extremists motivated by COVID-19 restrictions, Mr. Biden’s defeat of Donald Trump in the November election, police brutality and illegal immigration.
6. Covid-19 – Covaxin effective against U.K. virus variant, says study – Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has been found to neutralise the U.K. variant of the COVID-19 virus with “similar efficiency” as the strain used for making the vaccine and hence “dispels the uncertainty of possible neutralisation escape” following vaccination. The sera from people vaccinated with Covaxin were tested against the same strain used for making the vaccine, another strain found in India, and the U.K. variant. The median ratio of 50% neutralisation of sera was found to be 80% for the U.K. variant and 90% for the strain circulating in India, but different from the one used for making the vaccine. The study was conducted using sera collected from 38 people who have been vaccinated with Covaxin during the Phase-2 trial.
7. Economy – FDI inflows hit $58.37 bn in April-Nov. ’20 – Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into the country hit a record high of $58.37 billion in the first eight months of 2020-21, with equity inflows of nearly $44 billion. FDI equity inflow received during April to November 2020 is $43.85 billion. It is the highest ever for first eight months of a financial year and 37% more compared to first 8 months of 2019-20 [$32.11 billion]. Overall FDI inflows had risen 22% over the previous year.
8. World – Russia moots West Asia meet as U.S. resets Palestinian ties – Russia backed a Palestinian proposal for a West Asia peace conference, suggesting on January 26 that it could be held at the ministerial level in spring or summer, as the U.S. said it would move towards renewing ties with the Palestinians under Joe Biden. The U.S. — which sided with Israel under the administration of Donald Trump — said it intended to “restore credible U.S. engagement with Palestinians as well as Israelis”. The roughly 10 participants would include Israel, the Palestinians, the four members of the West Asia diplomatic quartet (Russia, the UN, the U.S. and the EU), along with four Arab states — Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and the UAE.
9. International Relations – China slams apps ban, urges India to ‘correct discriminatory measures’ – China has called on India “to immediately correct its discriminatory measures” over the decision to extend a ban on 59 Chinese apps. The Indian government recently sent notices to Chinese firms, informing them that the ban, announced in June, would continue. India had banned the 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, WeChat and UC Browser, citing national security concerns in the wake of the stand-off in Ladakh. Another 118 apps were banned in September and 43 more in November. The recent notice was sent after reviewing the responses from the Chinese firms, which had been given a chance to respond to the June move.
10. Politics– V.K. Sasikala is officially out of prison – V.K. Sasikala, the aide of late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, was on January 27 formally released from the Parappana Agrahara Prison here after serving a four-year sentence in a disproportionate assets case. Officials announced her release at the Victoria Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment for COVID-19. A team of officials visited Ms. Sasikala in the morning to complete the formalities of her release. While the prison escort has been withdrawn, more than 100 personnel of the Bengaluru city police have been deployed in and around the hospital for security, turning the COVID-19 facility into a fortress. A source said the police were not allowing family members and party workers to meet her, citing security reasons. As per protocols, she will be discharged on the 10th day if she is asymptomatic and free of oxygen support for at least three days.

 

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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 National Voters’ Day 2021

 

 

Key points –

• National Voters' Day is observed annually on 25 January in order to encourage more young voters to take part in the polling process.
• The day is observed to spread awareness about the importance of voting in a democracy and it also educates people about their voting rights.
• The day has been observed on January 25 every year since 2011 to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India.
• The Election Commission of India was founded on 25 January 1950. During the rallies in the government campus in 2011, a union cabinet meeting chaired by former PM Manmohan Singh accepted the Law Ministry's proposal to enact 25 Jan as National Voters' Day.
• In 2021, the Election Commission of India observed the 11th National Voters' Day with the theme ‘Making Our Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed.’
• The President of India launched ECI's Web Radio:‘Hello Voters' and also conferred national awards for the year 2020-21.

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

2.1 FM inaugurates the Chennai Bench of National Company Law Appellate Tribunal 

 

 

 

Highlights –

• The Chennai bench of the NCLAT was inaugurated by Sitharaman, who is in charge of finance as well as corporate affairs ministries, on January 25.
• The bench will have jurisdiction to hear appeals against orders passed by the benches of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) having jurisdiction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshwadeep and Puducherry.
• Two members of the NCLAT, New Delhi -- Balvinder Singh, Member (Technical) and Justice Venugopal M -- have taken charge of the newly constituted Chennai bench of the NCLAT.
• The bench of the NCLAT at New Delhi will henceforth be known as the principal bench of the NCLAT, which will hear appeals other than those in the jurisdiction of Chennai bench of the NCLAT.
• As per reports, the NCLAT bench in Chennai is likely give a major relief to companies and litigants in the southern states who faced great difficulty in travelling to Delhi for work pertaining to filing and arguing of appeals in the NCLAT.
• This will reduce the pendency of cases, shorten the period of process and shall result in speedier disposal of the cases, she said, adding that advent of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has benefited the economy in several ways.
• While the COVID-19 Pandemic brought physical hearings to a halt, the NCLTs and the NCLAT continued to function on video mode.
• At the NCLAT, even during the period of lockdown, nearly 69 per cent of cases were adjudicated during this time between March 2020 and December 2020; 985 cases were filed and 681 cases were heard and disposed of.
• Before the NCLAT, out of approximate 5,600 cases filed as of December 2020, approximately 3,800 cases pertaining to IBC matters have been handled. Also, out of the total matters filed before the NCLAT, 4,200 matters have been disposed of, indicating a disposal rate of 75 per cent.

2.2 FDI in India rose by 13% in 2020

 

 

The UN report –

• Foreign Direct Investment into India rose by 13 per cent in 2020, boosted by interest in the digital sector, and while fund flows "declined most strongly" in major economies such as the UK, the US and Russia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, India and China bucked the trend.
• An 'investment trends monitor' issued by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has said that global foreign direct investment (FDI) collapsed in 2020 by 42 per cent to an estimated USD 859 billion from USD 1.5 trillion in 2019.
• Such a low level was last seen in the 1990s and is more than 30 per cent below the investment trough that followed the 2008-2009 global financial crisis.
• The decline in FDI inflows was concentrated in developed countries, where fund flows fell by 69 per cent to an estimated $229 billion. However, FDI in India rose by 13 per cent, boosted by investments in the digital sector.
• China was the world's largest FDI recipient, with flows to the Asian giant rising by 4 per cent to USD 163 billion. India, another major emerging economy, also recorded positive growth (13 per cent), boosted by investments in the digital sector. In relative terms, FDI flows declined most strongly in the UK, Italy, Russia, Germany, Brazil and the US due to the dramatic impact of COVID-19. India and China bucked the trend.
• FDI in South Asia rose by 10 per cent to USD 65 billion. India's 13 per cent rise in FDI saw the total foreign investments for 2020 touching USD 57 billion.
• Cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) sales grew 83 per cent to USD 27 billion.
• India and Turkey are attracting record numbers of deals in information consulting and digital sectors, including e-commerce platforms, data processing services and digital payments.
• Despite projections for the global economy to recover in 2021, the UNCTAD expects FDI flows to remain weak due to uncertainty over the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The organisation has projected a 5 per cent to 10 per cent FDI slide in 2021 in last year's (2020) World Investment Report.
• The decline in FDI in 2020 was concentrated in developed countries, where flows plummeted by 69 per cent to an estimated USD 229 billion. Flows to North America declined by 46 per cent to USD 166 billion, with cross-border mergers and acquisitions dropping by 43 per cent. The United States recorded a 49 per cent drop in FDI, falling to an estimated USD 134 billion.
• Although overall FDI flows in developing economies appear relatively resilient, greenfield announcements fell by 46 per cent and international project finance by 7 per cent.

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

3.1 Green Tax approved for old vehicles

 

 

Key points – 

• The central government has approved a proposal to levy a "Green Tax" on old vehicles that are considered polluting to the environment.
• As part of the proposal transport vehicles older than 8 years could be charged a tax at the rate of 10-25 per cent of road tax at the time of renewal of fitness certificate.
• For personal vehicles, the tax would have to be paid at the time of mandatory renewal of registration certificate after 15 years. Currently, all commercial vehicles need to get fitness certificate renewed every year after the first two years.
• The tax could be as high as 50 per cent of road tax in most polluted cities like Delhi-NCR while there maybe a differential rate for petrol and diesel vehicles.
• Diesel vehicles that are considered more polluting than petrol may attract a higher rate. Already, diesel vehicles older than 10 years are banned in Delhi-NCR as per a ruling by the National Green Tribunal in 2015.
• The tax has been proposed to dissuade people from using vehicles that damage the environment, motivate them to switch to newer, less polluting vehicles and to reduce overall pollution level and make the polluter pay for it.
• Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari also approved a policy of deregistration and scrapping of vehicles owned by government departments and PSUs, which are above 15 years in age. The policy will come into effect April 1, 2022.
• A broader scrappage policy for commercial vehicles is awaited and is likely to be announced during this year's (2021) Budget.

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

4.1 News Round-up – India and the World

• India has the largest diaspora population in the world: UN - India has the largest diaspora population in the world with 18 million people from the country living outside their homeland in 2020, according to a report by the United Nations, which says the United Arab Emirates (3.5 million), the US (2.7 million) and Saudi Arabia (2.5 million) host the largest number of migrants from India. The report titled ‘International Migration 2020 Highlights’ was released by the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) on January 15, 2021.
• U.S. says India’s Digital Services Tax discriminatory - The U.S. has determined that India’s Digital Services Tax is discriminatory and has an adverse impact on American commerce and is actionable under the trade act. At the same time, the outgoing Trump administration has left the onus of taking any action against India under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act to the incoming Biden administration. Publishing the results of the investigation on the Digital Service Tax (DST) in the Federal Register on January 12, 2021, the U.S. Trade Representatives (USTR) said that it had consultations with the Indian Government on the issue on November 5, 2020.
• India and Japan sign MoU to enhance cooperation in the field of ICT - India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technologies on January 15, 2021. The MoU was signed by Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda Ryota. The Department of Telecom and Japan's Ministry of Communications will enhance mutual cooperation in the field of 5G technologies, telecom security, submarine optical fiber cable system to islands of India, spectrum management, smart cities, etc.
• BSF finds 150-metre cross-border tunnel along J&K border - A 150-m tunnel constructed along the International Border (IB) to facilitate infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan was detected by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district on January 13, 2021.
• India to set up financial facility for academic collaboration with Arab World - India on January 12, 2021 decided to set up one-billion-dollar facility for academic collaboration with the Arab World. This was decided at third Senior Officials Meeting of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum held via video conference. The financial facility will be a rolling one and continue to be replenished.
• Bangladesh to be country of focus at 51st International Film Festival of India - Bangladesh will be the country of focus at the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI) that will be organised in Goa from January 16 to 24, 2021.
• Bharat Biotech to supply Covaxin to Brazil - Covaxin maker Bharat Biotech has signed an agreement with Precisa Medicamentos, a firm in Brazil, to supply the COVID-19 vaccine candidate to the Latin American country.
• India hands over Chinese soldier who strayed into Ladakh - The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier who was apprehended on January 8 in Ladakh was handed back to China at Chushul-Moldo border point on January 11. He was apprehended after he transgressed across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), south of Pangong Tso (lake) in Eastern Ladakh.
• S. Jaishankar holds discussions with Nepalese counterpart in Delhi - External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on January 15, 2021 held talks with his Nepalese counterpart Pradeep Kumar Gyawali in New Delhi with a focus on various key aspects of the bilateral relations.
• India will not have Republic Day chief guest this year: MEA - The Ministry of External Affairs on January 14, 2021 announced that there will be no foreign leader as the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations due to the global situation arising out of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision was taken after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s last-minute decision to cancel his visit due to the spread of a mutant strain of the coronavirus in the UK.
• Boris Johnson invites PM Modi to UK for G7 summit in June - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has invited his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the G7 summit on January 17, 2021 for the high-level meeting to be presided over by Britain in Cornwall between June 11 and 13. India was chosen alongside South Korea and Australia as guest countries of the multilateral summit. The Group of Seven (G7) comprises the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US.
• Tenzin Lekphell takes charge as new Secretary General of BIMSTEC - Tenzin Lekphell of Bhutan has taken charge as the new Secretary General of BIMSTEC. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional organization comprising seven countries in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. Established in 1997 with its Secretariat at Dhaka, its members are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.

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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

• Indian Navy organises ‘Sea Vigil-21’ exercise on Jan 12-13 - The Indian Navy organised a mega defence exercise named ‘Sea Vigil-21’ on January 12-13, 2021 covering the country’s 7516 km coastline and exclusive economic zone.
• Women to be inducted as Army pilots: Army Chief - Women will be inducted as pilots in the Army Aviation Corps from next year, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on January 12, 2021. Till now, women are only part of ground duties in the Army Aviation Corps (AAC). The Indian Army raised the AAC on November 1, 1986 and it comprises helicopters that fly in conflict and peace zones.
• Army Day celebrated on January 15 - The 73rd Army Day was celebrated on January 15, 2021. The day marks the taking over of Lt Gen K M Cariappa (later Field Marshal) as commander-in-chief of the Indian Army in 1949 from General Francis Butcher, the last British commander-in-chief of India. During the Army Day parade in New Delhi, the Indian Army carried out a live demonstration of Drone Swarming capability using 75 indigenously designed and developed drones which executed an array of Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled simulated offensive missions and close support tasks.
• Armed Forces Veterans Day celebrated on Jan 14 - Fifth Armed Forces Veterans Day was celebrated on January 14, 2021 It marks the retirement day of Field Marshal KM Cariappa - the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Armed Forces – on 14 January 1953.

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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 The Inequality Virus

 

The Oxfam report –

• The coronavirus pandemic has worsened existing income inequalities between India's super-rich and its crores of unskilled workers - many of whom are often unemployed for long periods and struggle to access basic healthcare and sanitation.
• The wealth of the country's billionaires increased by an estimated 35 per cent during the lockdown, while 84 per cent of households suffered varying degrees of income loss, and 1.7 lakh people lost their jobs every hour, in April 2020 alone.
• Income increases for India's top 100 billionaires since March 2020, when the lockdown was enforced, was enough to give each of the 138 million poorest people a cheque for ₹ 94,045.
• If India's top 11 billionaires were "taxed at just one per cent on the increase in wealth during the pandemic" it could increase allocation to the Jan Aushadhi scheme - which makes quality medicines available at affordable prices - by 140 times.
• It also highlighted inequalities in access to healthcare, arguing that Covid protocols like social distancing and washing of hands were "a luxury when 32 per cent and 30 per cent of households live in one room and two room houses, respectively, in urban India".
• A global version of the same report flagged similarly distressing gaps in income inequalities - exacerbated by the pandemic - across the world.
• The increase in the wealth - just since the crisis began - of the world's 10 richest billionaires is "more than enough to prevent anyone on Earth from falling into poverty because of the virus, and to pay for a COVID-19 vaccine for everyone".
• Suggestion –
• Among the suggestions made to the Indian government to address such inequalities, Oxfam has suggested immediately revising minimum wages and enhancing these at regular intervals.
• It also called on the government to impose a two per cent surcharge on those earning over ₹ 50 lakh and introduce a temporary tax on companies making windfall profits during the pandemic.
  
  

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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 Not Available Today

 

10.2 Daily dose of  FIVE Facts -

• Cultural Diversity for Peaceful Future in Armenia was among the organisations who were conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award on January 9, 2021.
• A High-Level Committee, headed by the Prime Minister, has been constituted to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
• Bharat Biotech is manufacturing Covaxin vaccine for coronavirus.
• Under PM KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi), the central government is providing annually Rs 6,000 in three equal instalments to small and marginal farmers holding cultivable land up to two hectares..
• Industrial output growth, as measured by the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), in October 2020 was 3.63%.

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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