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Thursday, April 01, 2021

Vision IAS Prelims 2021 Test 27 With Solution PDF

15:48

Vision IAS Prelims 2021 Test 27 With Solution PDF

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The HINDU Notes – 01st April 2021

12:08

 


📰 Government slashes rates on small savings schemes by up to 1.1%

Move comes after retail inflation breaches 6% mark

•The government has sharply slashed the rates on all small savings instruments for the first quarter of 2021-22, bringing the rate of return on the Public Provident Fund down from 7.1% to 6.4% and effecting cuts ranging from 40 basis points (0.4%) to 110 basis points (1.1%) through a notification on Wednesday.

•The sharpest cut announced earlier was seen in the quarterly interest rate paid on one-year term deposits, from 5.5% in the January to March quarter to 4.4% in this quarter. The rate of return on the Senior Citizen Savings’ Scheme was cut from 7.4% to 6.5%, while the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme’s return was reduced from 7.6% to 6.9%.

•While the government resets the interest rate on small savings instruments every quarter, this round of rate cuts assume significance as retail inflation has been breaching the 6% mark and the government is keen to lower interest rates to make it easier to execute its borrowing plans for the year and spur growth.

Major impediment

•The government plans to borrow ₹12.05 lakh crore in 2021-22, on the back of a record gross borrowing of ₹13.71 lakh crore in 2020-21. High small savings rates have been cited by the central bank as a major impediment in ensuring policy rate cuts get transmitted into the banking system.

•“After keeping rates largely unchanged over the last few quarters, the government has effected a substantial lagged revision in small savings rates, mirroring the moderation in interest rates in the wider economy seen over the last year,” said Aditi Nayar, principal economist at ICRA Limited.

•The interest rate paid on National Savings Certificate and Kisan Vikas Patra were also reduced significantly, from 6.8% to 5.9%, and from 6.9% to 6.2%, respectively. Consequently, the Kisan Vikas Patra, which used to mature in 124 months, will now mature in 138 months.

•While savings deposits earned the lowest rate of 4% till now, that return has now been further slashed to 3.5%. Among time deposits, the return on five year deposits has been reduced from 6.7% to 5.8%. Five-year recurring deposits, whose interest is compounded quarterly, will get a return of 5.3% instead of 5.8% in the previous quarter.

•For savers, the option with the highest returns at this point is the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme, followed by the Senior Citizens’ Savings Schemes and the Public Provident Fund.

*Update: In a tweet on early Thursday, April 1, 2021, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the order has been withdrawn.  “Orders issued by oversight shall be withdrawn,” she said in a tweet, stating that rates will continue at the same level as last quarter. The development assumes significance with five State assembly polls are underway. A detailed report on the Ministry's latest order is awaited.

📰 Pakistan allows import of cotton, sugar from India

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THE HINDU NEWSPAPER IMPORTANT ARTICLES 01.04.2021

07:55
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Wednesday, March 31, 2021

Daily Current Affairs, 31st March 2021

20:42

 


1)  International Transgender Day of Visibility: 31st March

•International Transgender Day of Visibility observed globally on 31st March every year. The day is dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness of discrimination faced by transgender people worldwide, as well as a celebration of their contributions to society.


2)  Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre inaugurated at Khajuraho

•The Minister of State for Tourism and Culture (Independent Charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel, and the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan jointly inaugurated the ‘Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. The Convention Centre has been developed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, adding another feather to the UNESCO World Heritage site at Khajuraho.


•This new venue will cater to the business needs, by hosting meetings and conferences. The Convention Centre is equipped with all modern amenities and infrastructure to offer a secure space to host corporate banquets for teams both large and small amidst a soothing decor and ambience.


3)  India & Bangladesh inks 5 MoU to Boost Cooperation

•India and Bangladesh have signed five Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) to further boost bilateral cooperation. The signing of the MoUs took place on 27 March 2021, between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in Dhaka. Indian PM Narendra Modiji was on a two-day official visit to Bangladesh to join the twin celebrations of Bangladeshi Founding Father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s birth centenary and the golden jubilee of Bangladesh’s independence in 1971. This is the first trip of PM Modi to a foreign country since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.


4)  Indo-Korean Friendship Park Inaugurated at Delhi Cantonment

•India’s First Indo-Korean Friendship Park was jointly inaugurated at Delhi Cantonment by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh, and Hon’ble Minister of National Defence, Republic of Korea Mr Suh Wook. The park has been developed in joint consultation with the Ministry of Defence, the Government of India, the Indian Army, the Delhi Cantonment Board, the Embassy of Korea and the Korean War Veterans Association of India.


•Besides being a symbol of strong India-South Korea friendly relations, this park will also act as a monument to India’s contributions as part of 21 countries that participated in the Korean war 1950-53, under the aegis of the United Nations.


5)  India, US Carry Out Joint Military Drill In Himachal Pradesh

•The 11th edition of Indo-US joint special forces exercises Vajra Prahar 2021 was conducted at Special Forces training school located at Bakloh, in Himachal Pradesh. The exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ is aimed at sharing best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics. The exercise was aimed at improving interoperability between the special forces of the two countries.


•The armies of participating nations jointly train, plan and execute a series of operations for neutralisation of threats of varied nature with a common aim of countering threats of international terrorism through mutual training and jointness.


6)  Union Bank of India launched “UNI – CARBON CARD”

•Union Bank of India has launched “UNI – CARBON CARD”, an HPCL co-branded credit card on the Rupay platform of NPCI. It is a unique card designed with association with one of the largest Public Sector Bank, Union Bank of India and HPCL, a leader in the fuel retail and Rupay – India’s largest card payment network. It will create an opportunity to create value for the customers.


7)  Education Minister inaugurates ‘Anandam: The Center for Happiness’ at IIM Jammu

•Union Education Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal has inaugurated “Anandam: The Center for Happiness” at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Jammu virtually. The centre will help people overcome mental stress and help spread positivity and it will encourage and propagate holistic development for all the stakeholders at IIM Jammu. Lieutenant Governor, Jammu, and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha; Founder, Art of Living Foundation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar virtually graced the occasion.


•The purpose of establishing ‘Anandam’ at IIM Jammu is to bring holistic well-being. Regular physical exercises at the Center will contribute to the wellness at the physical level for both the students and the faculty. Under the concept of ‘Anandam: The Center for Happiness’ will be divided into five broad categories, namely, Counselling, Holistic wellness, Elective courses on Happiness Development, Research and Leadership & Faculty Development.


8)  Dr Sharankumar Limbale to receive Saraswati Samman 2020

•Noted Marathi writer Dr Sharankumar Limbale will receive Saraswati Samman, 2020 for his book Sanatan. The award carries fifteen lakh rupees, a citation and a plaque. Saraswati Samman, instituted by KK Birla Foundation in 1991, is recognised as the most prestigious and highest literary award in the country.


•Dr Limbale’s Sanatan has been published in 2018. Sanatan is an important social and historical document of the Dalit struggle. Speaking first to All India Radio, Dr Limbale was overjoyed with emotion as he started his career with the public broadcaster.


9)  Maggie O’Farrell’s ‘Hamnet’ wins book critics award for fiction

•Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, an imagined take on the death of Shakespeare’s son from the bubonic plague, has won the National Book Critics Circle prize for fiction. Hamnet, an unfortunately well-timed story for the current pandemic, explores the impact of the boy’s illness and death on his family. He was Shakespeare’s only son, and scholars have long speculated about his influence — if any — on “Hamlet,” which Shakespeare worked on in the years following Hamnet’s death.


10)  A book titled “Names of the Women” by Jeet Thayil

•A book titled “Names of the Women” authored by Jeet Thayil. The book talks about the women whose roles were suppressed, reduced, or erased in the Gospels. Jeet Thayil is a renowned author, best known for his book ‘Narcopolis’ which was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2012 and won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature. His most recent book ‘Low’ was released in 2020.

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The HINDU Notes – 31st March 2021

15:15

 


📰 Curbs on Indian media continue: U.S. rights report

Notes several instances of govt pressure on media outlets

•In its 2020 Human Rights Report, the U.S. State Department said the harassment and detention of journalists critical of the (Indian) government in their reporting and on social media, has continued, although the government generally respected the freedom of expression. It also said government’s requests for user data from Internet companies had increased “dramatically.”

•The report, which is submitted each year to the U.S. Congress , is retrospective and contains a country-wise discussion of the state of human rights.

•“The government generally respected this right, although there were several instances in which the government, or actors considered close to the government, allegedly pressured or harassed media outlets critical of the government, including through online trolling,” the report says.

•It also details cases against individual journalists and NGO activists, including Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire (case by U.P. government) and Anirban Chattopadhyay of Anandabazar Patrika (summoning by Kolkata police).

•The document also cites reports by journalists and NGOs that local and national level government officials were, “involved in silencing or intimidating critical media outlets through physical harassment and attacks, pressuring owners, targeting sponsors, encouraging frivolous lawsuits, and in some areas blocking communication services.”

•The government made 49,382 user data requests in 2019 from Facebook, a 32% increase from 2018. Over the same period, Google requests increased by 69%, while Twitter requests saw a 68% increase.

•In a section on the arbitrary deprivation of life, the report highlights the case of the Sattankulam (Tamil Nadu) custodial deaths of P. Jayaraj and his son J. Benicks, who were arrested for allegedly keeping their shop’s shutters open past permitted hours during the pandemic.

Arrest procedures and treatment of detainees

•The report takes note of the April 2020 detention of pregnant Jamia Millia student Safoora Zargar, who was protesting the government’s citizenship laws (it notes she was released in June 2020). It also mentions the arrest of JNU student Umar Khalid, who like Ms. Zargar, was detained under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Hindu had reported earlier in March that the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC’s) Working Group against Arbitrary Detentions (WGAD) had also adopted an opinion that concluded that Ms. Zargar’s liberty was deprived in a way that ran counter to “ universally recognised human rights.”

•On the protracted detention of politicians in Jammu and Kashmir, the report notes that former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, arrested under the Public Safety Act, was released after a three-month extension of her detention. It also notes that “most political activists” were released, adding some were reportedly detained before district development council elections. The report notes that detentions were arbitrary and access to counsel and medical attention were routinely denied.

•“Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir allowed detainees access to a lawyer during interrogation, but human rights groups documented that police routinely employed arbitrary detention and denied detainees further access to lawyers and medical attention,” it said.

📰 Good neighbours: On India-Bangladesh ties

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Vision IAS Prelims 2021 Test 26 With Solution PDF

14:56

 Vision IAS Prelims 2021 Test 26 With Solution PDF

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List of waterfalls in India by height

08:36




Waterfall
Height
Location
Kunchikal Falls
455 metres (1,493 ft)
Shimoga district, Karnataka
Barehipani Falls
399 metres (1,309 ft)
Mayurbhanj district, Odisha
Langshiang Falls
337 metres (1,106 ft)
West Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya
Nohkalikai Falls
335 metres (1,099 ft)
East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya
Nohsngithiang Falls
315 metres (1,033 ft)
East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya
Dudhsagar Falls
310 metres (1,020 ft)
Karnataka, Goa
Kynrem Falls
305 metres (1,001 ft)
East Khasi Hills district, Meghalaya
Meenmutty Falls
300 metres (980 ft)
Wayanad district, Kerala
Thalaiyar Falls
297 metres (974 ft)
Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu
Barkana Falls
259 metres (850 ft)
Shimoga district, Karnataka
Jog Falls
253 metres (830 ft)
Sagar, Karnataka
Khandadhar Falls
244 metres (801 ft)
Sundargarh district, Odisha
Vantawng Falls
229 metres (751 ft)
Serchhip district, Mizoram
Penchalakona Falls
219 metres (719 ft)
Nellore district, Andhra Pradesh
Kune Falls
200 metres (660 ft)
Lonavla, Maharashtra
Soochipara Falls
200 metres (660 ft)
Wayanad district, Kerala
Magod Falls
198 metres (650 ft)
Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka
Hebbe Falls
168 metres (551 ft)
Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka
Duduma Falls
175 metres (574 ft)
Koraput district, Odisha
Joranda Falls
157 metres (515 ft)
Mayurbhanj district, Odisha
Palani Falls
150 metres (490 ft)
Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh
Lodh Falls
143 metres (469 ft)
Latehar district, Jharkhand
Bishop Falls
135 metres (443 ft)
Shillong, Meghalaya
Chachai Falls
130 metres (430 ft)
Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh
Keoti Falls
130 metres (430 ft)
Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh
Kalhatti Falls
122 metres (400 ft)
Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka
Beadon Falls
120 metres (390 ft)
Shillong, Meghalaya
Keppa Falls
116 metres (381 ft)
Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka
Koosalli Falls
116 metres (381 ft)
Udupi, Karnataka
Pandavgad Falls
107 metres (351 ft)
Thane, Maharashtra
Rajat Prapat
107 metres (351 ft)
Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh
Bundla Falls
100 metres (330 ft)
Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh
Shivanasamudra Falls
98 metres (322 ft)
Mysore, Karnataka
Agaya Gangai
92 metres (302 ft)
Tamil Nadu
Lower Ghaghri Falls
98 metres (322 ft)
Latehar district, Jharkhand
Hundru Falls
98 metres (322 ft)
Ranchi district, Jharkhand
Sweet Falls
98 metres (322 ft)
Shillong, Meghalaya
Gatha Falls
91 metres (299 ft)
Panna district, Madhya Pradesh
Teerathgarh Falls
91 metres (299 ft)
Baster district, Chhattisgarh
Kiliyur Falls
91 metres (299 ft)
Yercaud, Tamil Nadu
Kedumari Falls
91 metres (299 ft)
Udupi district, Karnataka
Muthyala Maduvu Falls
91 metres (299 ft)
Bangalore, Karnataka
Palaruvi Falls
91 metres (299 ft)
Kollam district, Kerala
Kuntala Falls
45 metres (148 ft)
Nirmal, Telangana





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