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Friday, June 19, 2020

Daily Current Affairs, 19th June 2020

16:32





1) International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict
•International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict is observed globally on 19th June every year. This day is seen to bring issues to light of the need to stop strife related sexual violence, to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and to pay tribute to all or any those that have fearlessly dedicated their lives to and lost their lives in going to bat for the annihilation of those violations.

 2) Autistic Pride Day: 18th June
•Autistic Pride Day is observed globally on 18th June every year. This day is observed to respect the rights of persons with autism. In 2005, the first autistic pride day was celebrated in Brazil by the Aspies For Freedom(AFF) created by Gareth & Amy Nelson and became a global event. A rainbow infinity symbol is used to represent neurodiversity which symbolises the infinite possibilities in the lives of autistic people.

 3) India releases National Report on the state of Climate Crisis
•India’s first ever National Report on the state of the Climate Crisis has been released. The report has been prepared under the aegis of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) with title “Assessment Of Climate Change Over The Indian Region”. The report analyses where India stands regarding long-term changes in climate patterns, and their attendant risks.

 4) Karnataka Government observes “Mask Day” on 18 June
•Karnataka government observed the “Mask Day” on 18 June 2020. The Mask Day was observed to aware the people about the use of masks, sanitisers, washing hands with soap in order to control the spread of COVID-19 in the state. It also urged the people to maintain the social distancing norms.

 •To observe “Mask Day”, the Karnataka government organised a march which featured the participation of public representatives, dignitaries and medical staff. Through the march, the participants spread awareness among the people about the national directives issued to contain the COVID-19.

5) Volkan Bozkir becomes new president of 75th UN General Assembly
•Turkish’s diplomat Volkan Bozkir has been elected president of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. The 75th session of the UN General Assembly begins in September 2020.

 •Bozkir won the unanimous support of the 178 UN members. He will take over from Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the present General Assembly president. A General Assembly president has a one-year term.




 6) International Workshop on “Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic”
•International Workshop on “Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic for International Civil Servants” was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh. The workshop was organized by Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs and National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG).

 •The two-day Conference featured the participation of 81 International Civil Servants from 16 Countries. The participants included the Chief of Staff, Sri Lanka Army Major General HJS Gunawardena, 19 Senior Secretaries to Government from Bangladesh, 11 District Administrators from Myanmar, Senior officials from Bhutan, Somalia, Thailand, Tunisia, Tonga, Kenya, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Sudan and Uzbekistan.

7) ICICI Home Finance launches “SARAL” scheme for affordable house loan
•ICICI Home Finance Company Limited (HFC) has launched “SARAL” scheme for a special affordable house loan for urban and rural areas. The beneficiaries are women, lower, middle-income customers and economically weaker sections, with a maximum household income up to Rs 6 lakh per annum.

8) BoB to completely digitize its lending operations
•India’s 3rd largest lender, Bank of Baroda will completely digitize its lending operations including home, agriculture, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME), personal and auto loans. The bank has recently completed its merger with Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank.

 9) CCI approves acquisition of Metso Minerals business by Outotec
•The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of Metso Oyj’s (“Metso”) minerals business by Outotec Oyj (“Outotec”). The acquisition will be done under Section 31(1) of the Competition Act, 2002. According to the acquisition rules, all such assets, rights, debts, as well as the liabilities of Metso that relate to, or primarily serve its minerals business would be acquired by Outotec. Outotec & Metso are public limited liability companies incorporated and registered under the laws of Finland.

 •The Proposed merger relates to acquisition of Metso’s minerals business by Outotec. As per the merger, the shareholders of Metso will receive newly issued shares in Outotec after the transfer of Metso Minerals to Outotec. After the merger, the combined entity will operate under the name “Metso Outotec”.

10) British Petroleum to set up Global Business Service Centre in Pune
•United Kingdom oil major “British Petroleum” is going to set up Global Business Service Centre in Pune, Maharashtra to support its global businesses. The centre would be established for its global business services (GBS) operations in Pune, Maharashtra. The centre is expected to begin its operations by January 2021.

 •The planned Global Business Service Centre will employ around 2000 people and provide business processing as well as advanced analytics capabilities in support of British Petroleum businesses worldwide. The GBSC in India will allow the oil major to tap into India’s digital talent pool and would result in its development and application of cutting-edge digital solutions.

11) MoHUA & SIDBI signs MoU for PM SVANidhi scheme
•Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi). PM SVANidhi is a Special Micro-Credit Facility for Street Vendors.

 •According to the MoU, PM SVANidhi Scheme will be implemented by SIDBI under the guidance of MoHUA. The credit guarantee to the lending institutions would also be managed by the SIDBI through Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

 •Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will ensure effective implementation of the scheme by providing a Project Management Unit (PMU) consisting of domain experts in training/ capacity building, project and platform management, banking, NBFC and MFI sectors etc for the period of scheme, i.e. upto March 2022. SIDBI will also leverage the network of lending Institutions for the Scheme implementation. The lending institutions will include Scheduled Commercials Banks (SCBs), Non-Bank Finance Companies (NBFCs), Regional Rural Banks (RRBs), Co-operative Banks, Small Finance Banks (SFBs), etc.
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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 19.06.2020

08:09
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Thursday, June 18, 2020

Daily Current Affairs, 18th June 2020

16:16





1) Sustainable Gastronomy Day: 18th June
•Sustainable Gastronomy Day is observed globally on 18th June every year. This day is observed to acknowledge gastronomy as a cultural expression related to nature as well as the cultural diversity of the world. It also reaffirms that each one culture and civilizations are contributors and crucial enablers of sustainable development throughout the planet.

 2) India elected as non-permanent member of UN Security Council
•India has been elected as the non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. India has won the election for a two-year term after winning 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. India won the non-permanent seat from the Asia-Pacific category for the 2021-22 term which will begin on 1st January 2021. Earlier India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for the following years: 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and 2011-2012.

 •Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Norway also won the Security Council elections along with India. The United Nations high-table comprises of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members.

3) “Composite Regional Centre for PwDs” inaugurated in Ranchi
•“Composite Regional Centre (CRC) for Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)” has been inaugurated in Ranchi, Jharkhand. The centre was inaugurated by Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Thaawarchand Gehlot, and Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda. This is the 21st Composite Regional Centre (CRC) which will serve to fulfil the needs of Persons with Disabilities in Jharkhand.

 •Composite Regional Centre (CRC) for Skill Development, Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities will offer rehabilitation services such as Early Intervention Programme to Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in the State of Jharkhand including the adjoining areas. It will also execute various schemes of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment along with Rehabilitation and Skill Development programmes for PwDs.

4) India to participate in Victory Day Parade of World War-II
•India will send its Tri-Service contingent to take part in the 75th Victory Day Parade of World War II in Moscow, Russia. India will send its 75-member Tri-Service contingent as the Defence Minister of Russia has invited an Indian contingent to take part in the Victory Day Parade. Contingents of other countries are also expected to participate in the 75th Victory Day Parade of World War II in Moscow.

 •Russia is conducting a military parade on 24th June 2020 in Moscow on the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Second World War. There will be a military parade to honour the heroism and sacrifices made by the Russian as well as other friendly people.

5) AIIB approves $750 million loan for India’s Covid-19 response
•Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has affirmed a USD 750 million (around Rs 5,714 crore) loan to India to enable the legislature to fortify its fight against the antagonistic effect of COVID-19 on poor and vulnerable households.

 •AIIB’s total sovereign advances to India that have just been affirmed add up to USD 3.06 billion, including an ongoing USD 500 million COVID-19 emergency response. The current credit will be the second for India under AIIB’s COVID-19 Crisis Recovery Facility (CRF).

 •While AIIB doesn’t have a day by day instrument for strategy based financing, the Bank is extending such financing on an uncommon premise under the CRF to help its individuals through ventures cofinanced with the WorldBank or the Asian Development Bank.

6) Two Indian firms in WEF’s 2020 Technology Pioneers




•World Economic Forum (WEF) has announced its 2020 cohort of Technology Pioneers. WEF has unveiled 100 new tech firms awardees which are leaders in carbon capture, alternative meat and circular economies, while some of them aims to address food security, financial access etc. The 20th cohort of Technology Pioneers comprised 2 Indian firms namely: ZestMoney and Stellapps. These firms which featured in the list, will be invited to participate at World Economic Forum workshops, events as well as high-level discussions throughout their two years in the community.

 •ZestMoney is an Indian Artificial intelligence-based digital lending platform which disburses affordable credit to millions. Stellapps is India’s data-led, internet of things-based startup platform which is enagaged in digitization of the dairy supply chain .

 •The WEF’s Technology Pioneer community was launched in 2000. It comprises of early to growth-stage companies from around the world. These companies are generally involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and poised to make a significant impact on business as well as society.

7) Justice DK Jain gets 1-year extension as BCCI ombudsman
•Former Supreme Court judge, D K Jain gets one-year extension from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as ethics officer and ombudsman. Jain was appointed by the Supreme Court in February 2019 as BCCI’s first-ever ombudsman. He was later given the additional role of an ethics officer. His term had ended on February 29 this year but his contract was renewed.

 8) GoI to launch “Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan”
•“Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan” will be launched by the Government of India from Village Telihar, Block Beldaur of Khagaria District of Bihar. It is a massive rural public works scheme that will empower and offer livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers as well as rural citizens. The programme will be joined by the villages across 116 districts in the six States through the Common Service Centres and Krishi Vigyan Kendras. The six states are: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar.

 •“Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan” will be 125 days long campaign and work in mission mode. It will be a coordinated effort between 12 different Ministries/Departments such as Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Telecom, Agriculture, New & Renewable Energy, and Border Roads.

 •The campaign will involve focused implementation of 25 different types of works which will provide employment to the migrant workers along with creation of infrastructure in the rural regions of the country, with a resource envelope of Rs 50,000 crore.

9) ADB forecasts Indian economy to contract 4% in FY21
•The Asian Development Bank has projected Indian economy to contract by 4% in Fiscal Year 2021. Indian economy has been projected to contract, as businesses came to a standstill for more than two months due to the nationwide lockdown implemented to contain the COVID-19.

 •The Asian Development Bank expects India’s economy to recover in Fiscal Year 2022 with growth rate of 5%, as economic activity will get to its normal state gradually.

10) Fitch Ratings retains India’s sovereign rating at “BBB-“
•Fitch Ratings has retained India’s sovereign rating at the lowest investment grade of “BBB-“, while the rating agency has revised downward its rating outlook for India to negative from stable. Fitch has cited increasing risk to the India’s growth and debt outlook, as a reason for the above ratings.

 •Fitch Ratings stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly weakened India’s growth outlook for fiscal year 2021, simultaneously exposing the challenges associated with a high public-debt burden. Although, the rating agency expects India’s economic activity to contract by 5% in the fiscal year 2021 before rebounding by 9.5% in fiscal year 2022.

11) Bahrain to host 4th Asian Youth Para Games 2021
•The Asian Paralympic Committee (APC) has announced that the 4th edition of Asian Youth Para Games to be held in Bahrain in December 2021. Around 800 athletes under 20 years aged are expected to compete in nine sports: athletics, badminton, boccia, goalball, para taekwondo, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis and wheelchair basketball. The event is being organised in conjunction with the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bahrain with the support of the government.
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The HINDU Notes – 18th June 2020

10:33




📰 Is China’s ‘peaceful development’ over?

What makes the current stand-offs different is China’s readiness to use force in addressing challenges

•On Tuesday, the same day news broke about the violent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh, in which at last 20 Indian soldiers died, a Chinese J-10 fighter briefly entered Taiwan’s air defence zone, prompting the self-ruled island to scramble its aircraft in response. This was the third Chinese incursion into Taiwan’s airspace within a week. Two months ago, Chinese vessels had entered the waters of Malaysia and Vietnam. Last month, Chinese Coast Guard ships pursued Japanese fishing boats in waters claimed by both countries. All these incidents point to a newfound aggressiveness in China’s approach towards its already troubled neighbourhood, from the Himalayas to the South and East China Seas.

•Tensions in the neighbourhood are not new for China. The roughly 4,000 km-long India-China border, which is not clearly demarcated, has seen occasional flare-ups. In 2017, troops from both countries were locked in a face-off in the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction of Doklam for over two months. China has claims over the South China Sea, and “reunification” with Taiwan is one of its self-declared goals. But what makes the current stand-offs different is China’s readiness to use force in addressing these challenges. This was the first time in 45 years that blood was spilt on the India-China border. Last month, in an annual policy blueprint, China dropped the word “peaceful” in referring to its desire to “reunify” with Taiwan, ending a nearly 30-year-long precedent.

Sharp turn

•This sharp turn marks China’s most major policy decisions post-COVID-19. Relations with the U.S. are particularly bad, with the Trump administration now openly targeting China for its handling of the pandemic. When Australia pushed for an investigation into the pandemic outbreak, Beijing punished the country by imposing trade curbs. In Hong Kong, which has been seeing anti-China protests for a year, Beijing has introduced a new national security law, granting itself broader powers in the Special Administrative Region. If Xi Jinping was facing one the biggest crises of his Presidency early this year, in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak, he now appears to be firmly in control, overseeing an expansive foreign policy that pushes the boundaries.

•“The ‘peaceful rise’ is now out of the question. They think they have arrived,” said Alka Acharya, professor of international studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. President Hu Jintao, Mr. Xi’s predecessor, had adopted the “peaceful rise” (or “peaceful development”, as the the Chinese later called it) policy to assure other countries, especially the U.S. and China’s Asian neighbours, that its rise did not pose any threat to others. China came out of it long ago, Prof. Acharya told The Hindu . “The whole series of positions China has taken with respect to Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong, national sovereignty or whatever problems they have with the U.S. are nothing new. The question is what are the elements in China’s behaviour today which are different from what had happened in the past,” she pointed out.

The virus factor

•In Prof. Acharya’s view, COVID-19 has brought on a “sharper turn” to China’s foreign policy because: “suddenly, it was quite obvious that China was on the back foot. It was getting very bad press all around. Other countries were speaking out against its handling of the outbreak. The Americans are now open about building a coalition against China. So a lot of China’s response is part of their way of tackling this crisis. We are going to fight back is the message from Beijing.” But China has always contested such analysis. In its version, China is a rising, responsible power and some tensions are part of its rise. The “China Dream”, laid out by President Xi after he took power in 2012, seeks to turn the country into wealthy, strong and modern global power by 2049, the centenary of the Communist revolution.

Differences and disputes

•“I would like to think of China’s diplomatic situation as something a growing country has to meet and deal with day-to-day,” said Qi Haotian, assistant professor, School of International Studies, Peking University, Beijing. “It’s easy to get amplified. However, I think what we have been seeing is not surprising or dishearteningly alarming. As long as China takes it seriously that peaceful coexistence and development serve her interests ultimately, tensions of any kind should probably be taken as temporal processes,” he told The Hindu .

•“I personally do not see current tensions, clashes, disputes or conflicts between China and other countries as existentially alarming for any side, as long as we faithfully attempt to address the issues with everything in our toolkit, bilaterally and institutionally. There will be troubles. They are also good learning opportunities ,” said Prof. Qi.

•Prof. Acharya, however, sees a clear shift. “This [aggressive] narrative is being built up very systematically. Between India and China, they used to say ‘don’t let differences become disputes’. What’s happening now is that, across the spectrum, where differences which predate COVID-19, that predate even the ‘peaceful rise’ policy, are now literally becoming disputes. Let’s face it.”

📰 Multilateralism post COVID-19
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