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Wednesday, January 22, 2020

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Daily Current Affairs, 22nd January 2020

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vision cse 20:46

1) Brazilian President J. M. Bolsonaro to be India’s 71st Republic Day Chief Guest

•President of Brazil Jair Messias Bolsonaro will be the chief guest at the 71st Republic Day Parade at Raj Path, New Delhi on 26 January. This will be the third time that India has invited a Brazilian leader as the chief guest at the country’s Republic Day event. New Delhi had invited Fernando Henrique Cardoso for the celebrations in 1996 and hosted Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as a guest of honour in 2004.

2) 32nd PRAGATI platform meeting chaired by PM Modi today

•Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the 32nd interaction through PRAGATI platform in New Delhi. PRAGATI is the ICT-based, multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation. This platform was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th March 2015.

•It is an integrating and interactive platform aimed at addressing the common man’s grievances. PRAGATI also helps in simultaneously monitoring and reviewing important programmes and projects of the Centre as well as projects flagged by various State governments.

3) Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana launched by UP Govt

•Uttar Pradesh Government has launched Mukhyamantri Krishak Durghatna Kalyan Yojana. This scheme will provide financial assistance to the family of farmers who die or become handicapped while working in fields. UP government has also decided to implement Mukhyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana to boost tourism in the state.

•The scheme will also include the Bataidars, who work in the field of other persons and share the crop after it is harvested. The scheme will cover farmers and their family members in the age group of 18-70 years. Mukhyamantri Paryatan Samvardhan Yojana one tourist point will be developed with a fund of 50 lakh rupees in each and every assembly segment of the state.

4) India start thermal screening of passengers arriving from China and Hong Kong

•7 airports across India start thermal screening of passengers arriving from China and Hong Kong. These airports are Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Cochin. Ministry of Civil Aviation has directed for all logistics support and arrangements to be made immediately with regard to screening of passengers arriving in India from China including Hong Kong.

•All passengers and crew who are healthy should be allowed to continue their onward journey. If the ill passenger or crew member is confirmed as a probable case of Wuhan Corona Virus, public health authorities should be notified about the contacts using the Passenger Locator Form.

5) “National Startup Advisory Council” created by Government of India

•The Government of India has created “National Startup Advisory Council“. The council is being set up to advise the central government to create a strong ecosystem to nurture innovation and start-ups in India.

Chairman and the composition of the National Startup Advisory Council?

•The Commerce Minister will be the chairman of the National Startup Advisory Council. The council will also constitute the non-official members to be nominated by the Government of India. The non-official members will include the founders of successful start-ups, veterans who have grown and expanded their companies in India and the individuals who are capable of representing interests of investors into start-ups. The tenure of the non-official members will be for a period of two years.

•The nominees of the related ministries, departments and organisations, not below the rank of joint secretary will be ex-officio members of the National Startup Advisory Council.

6) Maharashtra Govt. makes Preamble reading mandatory in Maharashtra schools

•Reading of the Preamble of the Constitution has been made mandatory for the Maharashtra schools by the government of Maharashtra. The Maharashtra government has mandated the reading of Preamble of the Constitution after prayer in all primary and secondary schools in Maharashtra. The above decision will be implemented from 26 January 2020 through a programme “Sovereignty of Constitution, the public interest of all”. According to the programme, in every school of Maharashtra, the Preamble of the Constitution will be read by all in a group before the beginning of the classes.

Impact of the decision:

•The decision has been taken to make everyone aware and understand the basic principles and the importance of the inclusiveness, justice, equality, liberty and brotherhood mentioned in the Preamble of the Constitution.

7) SC sets up committee to Draft Legislation on Mediation

•The Supreme Court has set up a committee to firm up draft legislation to give legal sanctity to disputes settled through mediation. The panel, to be headed by mediator Niranjan Bhat. The other members of the panel, appointed by the Mediation and Project Conciliation Committee (MCPC) of the Supreme Court, included Justice K Kanan, former ASGs AS Chandok and PS Narsimha, senior advocates Sriram Panchu and JP Singh, and senior mediators Susheela S, Sadhna Ramchandran, Laila Ollapally, and Anil Xavier.

8) President Kovind presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2020

•President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, 2020 at Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. The Bal Puraskar is given by the government every year to recognize the exceptional achievements of children in various fields. These fields are innovation, scholastic achievements, social service, arts and culture, sports and bravery. This year 22 children who were selected for National Bravery Awards also received the awards from the President.

9) RBI ranked 6th in buying gold abroad in World Gold Council report

•According to World Gold Council(WGC) report title “World Gold Outlook 2020”, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been ranked 6th in the largest buyer of sovereign gold abroad. RBI purchased 25.2 tonnes in first 10 months of 2019 to hedge government’s sovereign gold bond issue. RBI (Reserve Bank of India) currently holds 625.2 tonnes of gold, forming 6.6% of its forex reserves.

•The central banks of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Poland bought more than India in 2019. In 2019, Uzbekistan and Venezuela sold 16.6 tonnes and 30.3 tonnes of gold. The performance of gold in the market in 2019 was best Since 2010. It rises by 18.4% in United States dollar (USD)terms in 2019.

10) UP Police to get ‘mob management & communication’ training from IIM Indore

•The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore has signed an memorandum of understanding with the Uttar Pradesh Police. The MoU states that IIM Indore will provide effective communication and crowd management training to the Uttar Pradesh Police personnel. The training will be useful for the circumstances where police force faces the situation of controlling and managing the crowd which can be done with the help of effective communication, hence avoiding any kind of violence or damage of public property.

•As per the agreement, police personnel will also receive training in the data analysis, traffic management, use of artificial intelligence & social media management.

The HINDU Notes – 22nd January 2020

the hindu notes

vision cse 16:32

📰 Time to resolve ‘pending issues’ with India: Oli

Nepal PM says disputes should be resolved through dialogue by the governments of both countries

•Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Tuesday said bilateral disputes with India should be dealt with dialogue by the majority governments of both countries, indicating Kathmandu’s political willingness to resolve the row over the Kalapani territorial issue with New Delhi.

•“The time has come to resolve all pending issues through dialogue in the lasting interest of our two countries. A stable and majority government in both countries is an opportune moment. My government remains committed to working closely with the Government of India towards this end. Our Ministers and respective officials will meet to sort out differences and advance the partnership agenda,” said Mr. Oli over a video-link before the inauguration of the Integrated Check Post at Jogbani-Biratnagar that has been built with Indian assistance.

Row over new map

•The Kalapani issue was reignited after India published a new political map in November 2019 that displayed its continued position over the territory as part of Uttarakhand. Following this, protests and comments poured in from the Nepali side, though high-level Nepali diplomats maintained that New Delhi and Kathmandu should resolve the issue through dialogue. In response, India maintained that the political map depicted India’s sovereign territory “accurately”.

•Mr. Oli also invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Kathmandu. He said he looked forward to receiving the Indian leader. Both leaders referred to India’s contribution for the earthquake relief and rebuilding work in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts of Nepal.

•expressing satisfaction over the way houses had been built with Indian assistance in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, Mr. Modi said, “The earthquake of 2015 was a painful incident. Natural disasters like earthquakes test human determination. Every Indian is proud about the way our Nepali brothers and sisters have dealt with the challenge with courage. As the nearest neighbour and friend this assistance was our duty.”

📰 SC for curbs on powers of Speaker to disqualify

THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 22.01.2020

the hindu articles

VisionIAS 07:21

FRONT PAGE

Questions on parents in NPR form may be dropped: Paswan

Respondents can fill in Census data online

NATIONAL

‘It’s unclear how Coronavirus is transmitted’

It will take decades to complete rail projects: govt.

India, Brazil to sign Strategic Action Plan

SC for curbs on powers of Speaker to disqualify

SC to hear 144 pleas on CAA today

OPINION

Thirty years on, still no spring for the Pandits

The right to protest in a free society

Same country, different script

Return of bonds

Pakistan’s knotty problems

BUSSINESS

FMCG growth slows to single digit in 2019: Nielsen

Yojana Magazine January 2020 (Hindi) Pdf Download

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VisionIAS 16:29

Yojana Magazine January 2020 (Hindi) Pdf Download

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Daily Current Affairs, 21st January 2020

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VisionIAS 16:16

1) 12th National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme begins in Puducherry

•12th National Tribal Youth Exchange Programme begins in Puducherry. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Dr Kiran Bedi inaugurated this Programme. Two hundred youths from Naxal-affected districts of Chattisgarh are taking part in this week-long programme.

•The programme has been jointly organized by the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and Puducherry Government with a view to ensuring development and empowerment of the tribal youths. They will be visiting many places to know about the language, customs, culture, arts, dressing patterns, food pattern and other aspects of Puducherry.

2) Integrated Check-Post (ICP), Biratnagar inaugurated at India-Nepal border

•The Integrated Check-Post (ICP) in Biratnagar has been inaugurated at India-Nepal border. The inauguration of ICP, which is built on 260 acres of land with the cost of Rs. 140 crore, was done by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli.

•The ICP Biratnagar at Jogbani-Biratnagar border of India and Nepal, is furnished with the some modern facilities such as electronic weighbridges, fire safety, warehousing facilities including the refrigerated cargo, 24×7 monitoring through CCTV and public announcement systems. The post has also the capability of handling around 500 trucks per day.

3) 50th Annual Meeting of WEF begins in Davos

•The 50th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland. On the Indian side, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead the delegation to the WEF. This year programme will focus on achieving the maximum impact on the Forum’s platform for public-private cooperation. This year 50th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum theme will be “Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World”.

The Programme for the Annual Meeting will prioritize six key areas: ecology, economy, society, industry, technology, and geopolitics.

•Ecology: How to mobilize business to respond to the risks of climate change and ensure that measures to protect biodiversity reach forest floors and ocean beds.
•Economy: How to remove the long-term debt burden and keep the economy working at a pace that allows higher inclusion.
•Technology: How to create a global consensus on deployment of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and avoid a ‘technology war’.
•Society: How to reskill and upskill a billion people in the next decade.
•Geopolitics: How the ‘spirit of Davos’ can create bridges to resolve conflicts in global hotspots. Informal meetings to set kickstart conciliation.
•Industry: How to help business create the models necessary to drive enterprise in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. How to navigate an enterprise in a world exposed to political tensions and driven by exponential technological change as well as increasing expectations from all stakeholders.

These initiatives aim to plant more than one trillion trees over the next decade and to equip one billion people with the necessary skills in the age of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The welcome message was followed by the annual crystal awards and this year’s recipients included celebrity film star Deepika Padukone. She has been given the award for her leadership in raising mental health awareness. These awards are given to those cultural leaders, who are improving the state of the world through their contributions to inclusive and sustainable change.

4) 1st squadron of Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft inducted by IAF

•The Indian Air Force has inducted its 1st squadron of Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. This aircraft is carrying the BrahMos missiles in the South at its Thanjavur based in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the ideal location because of the easy access from there to the east and the west sides and also to the Indian Ocean Region.

•The Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Bhadauria inducted the squadron. The newly reinstated 222-squadron, also known as the Tigersharks, would serve as a lethal weapons platform capable of carrying both aerial and maritime roles in the Indian Ocean Region.

5) Union Sports Minister flag off ‘Fit India Cyclothon’ in Panaji

•Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju flag off ‘Fit India Cyclothon’ in Panaji, Goa. This inaugural event of ‘Fit India Cyclothon’ organised by Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and Government of Goa. This event is organized with the aim to get the people involved in outdoor activities and starting a cycling culture in the state. The Cyclothon event witnessed participation by over 500 cycling enthusiasts who came together to cycle through a five-kilometre stretch within the Panaji city.

6) 2nd edition of NIC Tech Conclave-2020 begins today

•The 2nd edition of NIC Tech Conclave-2020 begins today. The Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad will inaugurate this conclave in New Delhi. These event is being organized by the National Informatics Centre. This conclave will contribute immensely to the capacity building of Government officers across the country and help in delivering high-quality citizen-centric services. This year conclave theme is “Technologies for Next-Gen Governance”.

7) Global Social Mobility Index 2020: An index to measure social mobility

•The 1st edition of Global Social Mobility Report 2020 titled “The Global Social Mobility Report 2020: Equality, Opportunity and a New Economic Imperative” released by World Economic Forum. The global social mobility index (GSMI) of 82 countries were launched in this report.

•As per the Index, India ranked has 76th position with a score of 42.7, while Denmark topped the list. India is among the 5 countries namely: The United States(US), Japan and Germany, China which stands to gain most from boosting social mobility score.

•Social protection and fair wage distribution are the areas in which India needs improvement. It ranks 79th in both social protection and the fair wage distribution. India ranks 41st in lifelong learning while it ranks 53rd in working conditions. It has the second-highest level of workers in vulnerable employment behind Saudi Arabia.

8) Zomato acquires Uber Eats business in India

•Gurgaon-based Food delivery startup and restaurant aggregator “Zomato” has announced the acquisition of Uber Eats business in India. Uber Eats is an Uber Technologies Inc’s food delivery business in India. The acquisition was done in an all-stock deal. The deals provides Uber with the 9.99% ownership in Zomato after the acquisition. The deal is estimated to be pegged at $300-350 million. Uber Eats, having about 26,000 restaurant partners entered the food delivery business in 2017 in India.

The HINDU Notes – 21st January 2020

the hindu notes

VisionIAS 16:03

📰 IMF lowers India’s growth forecast

Slowdown to impact global economy

•The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Monday lowered India’s economic growth estimate for the current fiscal to 4.8% and listed the country’s much lower-than-expected GDP numbers as the single biggest drag on its global growth forecast for two years.

•In October, the IMF had pegged India’s economic growth at 6.1% for 2019.

Decline in rural demand

•Listing decline in rural demand growth and an overall credit sluggishness for the lowering of India forecasts, IMF Chief Economist Gita Gopinath, however, said the growth momentum should improve next year due to factors like the positive impact of corporate tax rate reduction.

•“Global growth, estimated at 2.9% in 2019, is projected to increase to 3.3% in 2020 and inch up further to 3.4% in 2021,” the IMF said, while releasing an update to its World Economic Outlook (WEO).

•Compared to the October WEO forecast, the estimate for 2019 and the projection for 2020 represent 0.1 percentage point reduction for each year while that for 2021 is 0.2 percentage point lower.

•“A more subdued growth forecast for India... accounts for the lion’s share of the downward revisions,” the IMF said ahead of the start of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual summit here.

•Ms. Gopinath said growth in India slowed sharply owing to stress in the non-bank financial sector and weak rural income growth.

•The country’s growth is estimated at 4.8% in 2019, projected to improve to 5.8% in 2020 and 6.5% in 2021 (1.2 and 0.9 percentage point lower than in the October WEO), supported by monetary and fiscal stimulus as well as subdued oil prices, it added.

•2019 refers to fiscal year 2019-20.

•India’s economy grew just 4.5% in July-September 2019 period — the weakest pace in nearly six years. The Indian government has been taking various measures to bolster growth.