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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Daily Current Affairs, 21st February 2019

15:31


1) International Mother Language Day: 21 February
•International Mother Language Day has been observed every year on 21st Februarysince February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

 •This year, International Mother Language day 2019 will be framed by the International Year of indigenous languages 2019 (IYIL19) around the theme “Indigenous languages matter for development, peace building and reconciliation”.
2) Operation Digital Board Launched By HRD Ministry
•The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry launched Operation Digital Board on the lines of Operation Blackboard to provide better digital education in school.

 •The government has aimed at equipping 9 lakh classrooms in schools and colleges across the country (7 lakh classrooms of 9th, 10th and 11th standards and 2 lakh classrooms of colleges and Universities) with digital facilities for teaching by 2022.

3) 8th World CSR Congress 2019 Held in Mumbai
•World Corporate Social Responsibility Congress (World CSR Congress 2019) promotes Entrepreneurship, Social Responsibility, Sustainability and Social Development. The 8th World CSR Congress was held in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

 •The theme of the year 2019 is ‘Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs)’ to focus on corporate strategies, innovation, and strategic alliances. Dr. Soumitro Chakraborty won ‘CEO of the year’ award

4) ‘Festival of India’ Begins In Kathmandu
•A month-long ‘Festival of India’ began in Kathmandu, Nepal, to familiarise the new generation of the country about the similarities between the two countries. Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Rabindra Adhikari and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri jointly inaugurated the event.

5) 4th India-ASEAN Expo Summit Begins in New Delhi
•The 4th India-ASEAN Expo and Summit started in New Delhi. This is a flagship event of Department of Commerce, being organized with FICCI to carry forward the momentum and to further strengthen India-ASEAN relations under the Act-East Policy.

 •The Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprises of Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei. India’s relationship with ASEAN is a key pillar of our foreign policy and the foundation of our Act-East Policy.




6) MoU Between Environment Ministry and University of British Columbia on Forestry Science
•An MoU was signed between Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada for next 10 years in New Delhi. Both institutions shall explore opportunities for future collaborations in the field of forestry science through their respective organizations.

 •The MoU will help in exchange of students, researchers, and faculty, developing research projects, livelihood opportunities and augment income of the forest-based communities and also assist the industries to optimize the utilization of forest-based resources with access of technology to different stakeholders by the respective organizations.

7) Government To Infuse Rs 48,239 crore in 12 Public Sector Banks
•The government has approved recapitalization of Rs 48,239 crore in 12 public sector banks in this fiscal to help them maintain regulatory capital requirements and finance growth plans.

 •The government will infuse over nine thousand crore rupees in Corporation Bank and six thousand 896 crore rupees in Allahabad Bank. Besides, four thousand 638 crore rupees will be provided Bank of India and 205 crore rupees to Bank of Maharashtra. These banks have recently come out of the regulatory supervisory framework PCA of the RBI.

 •Punjab National Bank will get over 5,900 crore rupees, Union Bank of India 4,112 crore rupees, Andhra Bank 3,256 crore and Syndicate Bank will get over 1,600 crore rupees. The government will also pump in 12,535 crore rupees in Central Bank of India, United Bank, UCO Bank and Indian Overseas Bank.

8) List of MoUs Signed During Visit of Prince of Saudi Arabia to India
•Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was on a one-day state visit to India. He met PM and President of India. Breaking protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the airport, signifying the importance India attaches to this visit by one of the most powerful leaders in the Arab world.

 •Here is the List of MoUs/Agreements signed during State Visit of Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia to India:
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The HINDU Notes – 21st February 2019

12:37

📰 India pitches for global action against terrorism

•The MEA announced that on request from the Indian leader the Crown Prince ordered the release of 850 prisoners from Saudi jails before his visit came to an end.

•The Crown Prince said, “We have also diversified to the petrochemical sector in India. Since 2016, we have achieved many goals with India and we think there is a potential for investing $100 billion.” Prime Minister Modi praised the Saudi role as a crucial energy supplier to India and said that both sides are moving towards sustainable energy.

•A joint statement issued at the end of the visit, agreed to expedite the work for the $44 billion West Coast Refinery and Petrochemical Project.

•The visit is the first by the Saudi dignitary who is known to have brought in a new vision to the oil-rich economy.

•Mr. Modi described Saudi Arabia as one of India’s most valuable strategic partners.

•Responding to India’s position on Pakistan, the Saudi side said that it will support India’s security needs. “We will share intelligence with India and other countries to prevent terrorism,” said Mohammed Bin Salman, even though he did not mention cross-border terrorism from Pakistan during his press conference.

•The joint statement urged for early adoption of the UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and pitched for “comprehensive sanctioning of terrorists and their organisations by the UN.”

•Both sides also resolved to create a “Comprehensive Security Dialogue” consisting of National Security Advisers and set up a Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism. Both sides also launched a Strategic Partnership Council that will be led by the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince.

•During the visit of Mohammed Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

📰 Odisha forum comes up with ‘six Cs’ for voters
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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 21.02.2019

07:51
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Wednesday, February 20, 2019

PIB COMPILATION - 1ST FEBRUARY TO 15TH FEBRUARY BY GSSCORE

18:42
The PIB releases contains a lot of useful and accurate information regarding all the developments at government’s level and overtime has emerged as a popular source and alternative/supplement to news paper reading for students.
The following compilation will help students to access PIB releases every fortnight in brief and relevant manner along with practice questions.





Click here to Download PIB COMPILATION - 1ST FEBRUARY TO 15TH FEBRUARY

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Daily Current Affairs, 20th February 2019

18:12


1) World Day of Social Justice: 20 February
•The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated annually all over the world on 20 February. The theme for WDSJ 2019 is “If You Want Peace & Development, Work for Social Justice”. The International Labour Organization unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008.

2) PM Modi Flagged Off 1st Ever Diesel To Electric Conversion Locomotive
•Under ‘Make in India’ initiative, Indian Railways has created history by converting a diesel locomotive into electric locomotive for the first time in the world. This all new converted energy-efficient electric locomotive has been flagged off by PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi.

 •In a first of its kind notable initiative, the diesel locomotive which has been converted to electric locomotive by the Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi. The entire project is an Indian R&D innovation for the entire world, says Indian Railways.

 •The converted electric locomotive delivers 10,000 HP against 2 X 2612 HP of two diesel locomotive (92 percent more power). A 10,000 HP of haulage power is adequate to haul a load up to nearly 5300 Tonnes, providing around 2:1 HP to trailing load ratio.

3) Saudi Becomes 73rd Nation To Sign International Solar Alliance
•Saudi Arabia became the 73rd nation to sign the International Solar Alliance. ISA was unveiled by PM Narendra Modi and former French President Francois Hollande in 2015. The move came at Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visit to India.





4) Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons Inaugurated ‘Eco Circuit’ Project in Kerala
•K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the project ‘Development of Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta – Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady’ under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of Ministry of Tourism at Vagamon, Kerala.

 •This Eco Circuit project was sanctioned in December 2015 for Rs. 76.55 crores. Major works carried out under the project includes Eco Adventure Tourism Park at Vagamon, Cultural Centre at Kadamanitta.

5) Development Projects Worth Rs. 3350 crores Unveiled by PM in Varanasi
•The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi unveiled development projects worth Rs. 3350 crores for Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. These projects pertain to various sectors of Health, Sanitation, Smart City, Connectivity, Power, Housing and others.

 •PM distributed certificates to the beneficiaries of various schemes. He released commemorative postage stamp on completion of 100 Years of IIT BHU. He also inaugurated BHU Cancer Centre and Bhabha Cancer Hospital, Lahartara.

6) Commerce Minister Launched ‘SWAYATT’ on GeM
•Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu,launched SWAYATT in New Delhi. SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM). This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace the national procurement portal.

 •On this occasion, Commerce Minister also dedicated GeM Start-up Runway-an initiative of GeM in association with Start-up India to facilitate Start-ups registered with Start-up India to access the public procurement market and sell innovative products and services to government buyers.

7) Textiles Minister Launched 4 Projects in North-East For Development Of Silk Sector
•Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani, launched four projects in North East for the development of silk sector through video conference in New Delhi. Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated Muga silk seed production centre in Tura, Meghalaya, silk printing and processing unit in Agartala, Tripura, Eri spun silk mill in Sangaipat, Imphal and development of sericulture in Mamit, Mizoram.

 •The Minister also inaugurated new office building of Weavers Service Centres (WSC) in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and Kannur, Kerala. Muga Silkworm Seed Production Centre (SSPC), Tura, Meghalaya is one of the projects taken up directly by Centre Silk Board(CSB) for implementation under Integrated Sericulture Development Project (ISDP) of NERTPS for creation of seed infrastructure units in NE States.

8) India’s First Hi-Tech Forensic Lab NCFL and CyPAD Inaugurated In New Delhi
•Cyber Prevention Awareness and Detection (CyPAD) Centre and the National Cyber Forensic Lab (NCFL) were inaugurated by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and LG Anil Baijal in Dwarka, New Delhi.

 •To spread awareness among school students and teachers, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has started a popular Twitter handle @CyberDost.

9) Government Relaxes Angel Tax Norms For Start-ups From 7 Years To 10 Years
•The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in an attempt to provide relief to and boost investments into start-ups in India has decided to simplify the process for them to get exemptions under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

 •It will now recognize an entity as a start-up up to 10 years from the date of its incorporation or registration instead of the existing duration of 7 years. It will also recognize an entity as a start-up if its turnover for any of the financial years since its incorporation or registration does not exceed Rs 100 crore unlike the previous amount of Rs 25 crore.
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The HINDU Notes – 20th February 2019

12:44

📰 Ordinance to curb Ponzi schemes gets nod

•The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the promulgation of an ordinance with regard to the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Bill, to protect investors from Ponzi schemes.

•The Lok Sabha had passed the Bill on the last day of the Budget session, but could not get the approval of the Rajya Sabha.

•The proposed ordinance will tackle the menace of illicit deposit-taking activities launched by rapacious operators, who at present are exploiting regulatory gaps and lack of strict administrative measures to dupe poor and gullible people of their hard-earned savings, an official statement said. It has provisions for punishment and disgorgement or repayment of deposits in cases where such schemes nonetheless manage to raise deposits.

📰 Govt. provides ₹361 cr. more for mid-day meals cooking cost
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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 20.02.2018

07:11
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UPSC IAS 2019: How to fill Civil Services Prelims Application Form?

06:43
Every year UPSC conducts Civil Services Exam at Pan India level for filling the administrative positions in different All-India Services and Central Civil Services including IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS, and IRTS. The selection process consist of three stages—Preliminary Exam (Objective Multiple Choice), Mains Exam (Written) and Final Interview. Eligible candidates can start filling the Online Application Form for Civil Services Prelims 2019 Exam from 19th February, 2019 till 18th March, 2019 (6:00 PM). Below are the Important Dates of UPSC IAS 2019 Exam:
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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

Daily Current Affairs, 19th February 2019

18:14


1) Rajnath Singh Launches Pan-India Number 112 For Women Safety
•Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched a range of citizen safety initiatives in New Delhi. It includes the Emergency Response Support System, ERSS, for women safety in 16 states and Union territories. The service has already been launched in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland.

 •Persons in distress can dial a pan-India number: 112. Under this system, all the stateshave to set up a dedicated Emergency Response Centre, ERC. A citizen may Press the power button on a smartphone thrice quickly to activate a panic call to ERC. In case of a feature phone, long press on number 5 or 9 on the phone keypad will activate the panic call.

2) Rajasthan Assembly Passes Bills Scrapping Minimum Qualification For Local Polls
•The Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan passed the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the Rajasthan Municipality (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to end the minimum education criterion for panchayat and civic polls candidates.

 •The previous BJP government had introduced the minimum qualification of class 10 for Zila Parishad/Panchayat member election, and class 5 or 8 class for the post of sarpanch.

3) 4th Agri Leadership Summit 2019 Held At Sonipat, Haryana




•Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh, inaugurated the 4th Agri Leadership Summit 2019 at the India International Horticulture Market (IIHM) in Ganaur, Sonipat district, Haryana. It was a 3-day summit. The theme of the summit was “Entrepreneurship & Agri-Business; Agri Allied – A Promising Sector and Agri Service- Direct Marketing”.

 •President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the closing ceremony of the summit. He launched Digital Kisan Platform. He also conferred Krishi Ratna Puraskar on Vice Chancellor K. P. Singh of Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar and honoured 9 farmers with the Kisan Ratna Puraskar.

4) Iran’s First Semi-Heavy Missile-Equipped Submarine Fateh Unveiled
•Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani unveiled the first Iranian made semi-heavy submarine named ‘Fateh’ (‘Conqueror’ in Persian), capable of being fitted with missiles, as per the reporting on Iran’s state TV.

 •It has subsurface-to-surface missiles with a range of about 2,000 km (1,250 miles)and is capable of reaching Israel and U.S. military bases in the region.

5) International Annual Desert Festival Held In Jaisalmer
•The 40th International Annual Desert Festival held on the sand dune in Jaisalmerwith thousands of tourists participating in the colourful event. The 3-day festival, which exhibits the rich cultural heritage of the desert state, commenced with a colourful procession from Gadsisar lake fort.

 •It had interesting events like Mr. Desert and Ms. Moomal competitions, mustache competitions, turban tying, musical and cultural performances, among others. Folk artists also gave their enthralling performance.

6) India’s First ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ Inaugurated In Kolkata
•Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurated India’s very first ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ at the Science City in Kolkata, West Bengal. It is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture at a cost of Rs 20 crore. The Science City is operated by the National Council of Science Museums under the Ministry of Culture.

7) IAF Carried Out ‘Vayu Shakti’ Exercise At Pokhran
•Indian Air Force conducted mega exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ in Pokhran, Rajasthan. The exercise was carried out day and night where the IAF showcased firepower capability of indigenously developed platforms and efficacy of missiles.

 •For the first time, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALP) and the Akash surface-to-air missile were deployed in the military exercise. MiG-29 fighter jet also participated in the exercise. The capability of Griffin Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) a laser-guided bomb system was also showcased in the exercise. The honorary group captain of the IAF, Sachin Tendulkar was present during the exercise.

8) RBI To Pay Rs 28,000 Crore As Interim Dividend To Government
•The Reserve Bank has announced that it will transfer an interim surplus of 28,000 crorerupees to the central government for the half-year ended 31st December 2018. The central bank follows a July-June financial year and usually distributes the dividend in August after annual accounts are finalised.

 •With this interim transfer, the government will get a total of Rs 68,000 crore from the central bank in the current fiscal. The RBI had transferred Rs 40,000 crore to the government in August 2018.

 •This will be the highest receipt from RBI in a single financial year for the government, exceeding the Rs 65,896 crore it received in FY16 and Rs 40,659 crore in FY18. A committee headed by former Reserve Bank of India governor Bimal Jalan has been set up to review RBI’s economic capital framework.
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UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination Syllabus 2020

13:56
The Preliminary Examination for Civil Services Examination of Union Public Service Commission  is also popularly called CSAT or Civil Services Aptitude Test. The CSAT is actually the second paper of General Studies that was introduced in 2011.
The preliminary examination of UPSC is for screening purpose only. The marks obtained in the UPSC prelims examination amount to a qualification to take the UPSC Main examination and will not be counted for determining a candidate's final order of merit.
Syllabus of Paper I (200 marks) Duration : 2 hours
  • Current events of national and international importance
  • History of India and Indian National Movement
  • Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World
  • Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc
  • Economic and Social Development - Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc
  • General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do not require subject specialisation General Science
Syllabus for Paper II-(200 marks) Duration: 2 hours
  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision-making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X level)
Note 1: The CSAT aptitude test or Paper-II of the Civil Services (Preliminary) examination will be a qualifying paper only with a minimum of 33% to be secured to sit for the Civil Services (Mains) exam.
Note 2: The questions in both Paper-I (current affairs) and Paper-II (aptitude test) will be of multiple choice, objective type for 200 marks each and the time allotted for each paper is two hours
Note 3: It is mandatory for the candidate to appear in both the papers of Civil Services (Prelim) examination for the purpose of evaluation. Therefore a candidate will be disqualified in case he or she does not appear in both the papers of the (Prelims) exam.

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