Daily Gist of 'The Hindu', 'PIB', 'Indian Express' and Other Newspapers: 29 August, 2020

Daily news will speed up the preparation for the Civil Services Examination and it also plays a crucial role to grasp the current affairs topic comprehensively. Here we have covered most of the topics related to various categories including National, International, Sports, Science and Technology, and so on.

1. WOLBACHIA BACTERIA: CONTROLLING DENGUE

The World Mosquito Program use safe and natural bacteria called Wolbachia to reduce the number of people contracting mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. The method of reducing mosquito-borne diseases is natural and self-sustaining.
It’s unique because it usually only needs to be applied once to be effective. This makes it a sustainable, affordable and long-term solution to mosquito-borne diseases.
The World Mosquito Program is a not-for-profit initiative that’s protecting communities around the world from mosquito-borne diseases. Pioneered by Australian researchers at Monash University.

Daily Gist of ‘The Hindu’, ‘PIB’, ‘Indian Express’ and Other Newspapers: 28 August, 2020

SUB-CLASSIFICATION OF SCHEDULED CASTES AND SCHEDULED TRIBES IN THE CENTRAL LIST

A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court has held that the “states can sub-classify Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Central List to provide preferential treatment to the weakest of the weak”. Further, the judgement held that the “Citizens cannot be treated to be socially and educationally backwards till perpetuity; those who have come up must be excluded like the creamy layer”.
With this, the Bench took a contrary view to a 2004 judgment delivered by another Coordinate Bench of five judges in the E.V. Chinnaiah case. In the case the judgment had held that allowing the States to unilaterally make a class within a class of members of the Scheduled Castes would amount to tinkering with the Presidential list.
Justice Arun Mishra disagreed with this and reasoned that sub-classifications within the Presidential/Central List do not amount to tinkering with it as no caste is excluded from the list.
The Central List of Scheduled Castes and Tribes is notified by the President under Articles 341 and 342 of the Constitution. The consent of the Parliament is required to exclude or include castes in the List. In short, States cannot unilaterally add or pull outcastes from the List.

GOVERNMENT INTRODUCES ACTION AGAINST PERSONAL GUARANTORS

The Finance Ministry has called on public sector banks (PSBs) to monitor cases where insolvency proceedings could be initiated against individuals who are guarantors of corporate debtors that have defaulted on loans.
It has suggested that banks may also consider setting up an IT system to collate data regarding personal guarantors to corporate debtors.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) facilitates a time-bound and market-linked resolution of stressed assets. The Code also facilitates the initiation of insolvency proceedings against personal guarantors of corporate debtors, even though the provision has not been used much by lenders to recover dues.

Daily Gist of ‘The Hindu’, ‘PIB’, ‘Indian Express’ and Other Newspapers: 27 August, 2020

NORTH-EAST DELHI RIOTS AND AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

The Amnesty International (AI) India has called for an independent investigation into all allegations of human rights violations by the police during the north-east Delhi riots.
The riots broke out in Northeast Delhi on 23rd February 2020, between Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 and pro-CAA protestors. The violence took a communal turn and led to deaths, injuries and destruction of properties.
Amnesty International (AI) is an international Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) founded in London (UK) in 1961. It seeks to publicise violations by governments and other entities of rights recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), especially freedom of speech and of conscience and the right against torture.
Amnesty International (AI) India has its registered office in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

POSHAN MAAH CELEBRATION

To commemorate the ‘Poshan Maah’ organised by Ministry of Women and Child Development, a meeting was taken by Secretary, Department of Food & Public Distribution (DoFPD) with CMD, Food Corporation of India, MD, CWC and senior officers of the department.
The Poshan Maah is observed every year in the month of September.
As part of this, the DoFPD through its organisations has decided to organise activities as suggested by Ministry of Women and Child Development, in various parts of the country to sensitize the target groups on the merits of nutritional security.

BAMBOO CLUSTERS WILL BE DEVELOPED IN JAMMU, KATRA AND SAMBA

Government of India has announced to develop three Bamboo Clusters in Jammu, Katra and Samba areas for making of Bamboo basketry, Agarbatti and Bamboo Charcoal. These clusters will provide direct employment opportunities to about 25,000 people.
Apart from this, a Mega Bamboo Industrial Park at Ghati near Jammu and Bamboo Technology Training Centre will also come up in the region within two years of the allotment of land by the UT of Jammu and Kashmir administration.
The Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre (CBTC) will take up technical collaboration and partnership with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir (UT) for setting up of common facility centres, cane and bamboo technology parks, cane and bamboo industrial parks, FPO, clusters & hi-tech nurseries on BOT (Built-Operate-Transfer), turnkey basis with their funding support as the case may be in due course.

Daily Gist of ‘The Hindu’, ‘PIB’, ‘Indian Express’ and Other Newspapers: 26 August, 2020

THE 14TH INDIA-SINGAPORE DEFENCE POLICY DIALOGUE (DPD)

The 14th India-Singapore Defence Policy Dialogue (DPD) took place via video conferencing. It was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Permanent Secretary (Defence), Singapore Mr Chan Heng Kee.
Both the diplomats discussed the various issues of bilateral defence engagements between India and Singapore. Both sides committed to further enhance the security partnership between the two countries.
At the end of the dialogue, India and Singapore have also signed the Implementing Arrangement on Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR).

THE NDC-TIA PROGRAMME

NITI Aayog has launched the India Component of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)–Transport Initiative for Asia (TIA). It is a joint programme, supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU).
It is a regional initiative that aims to promote a comprehensive approach to decarbonise transport in India, Vietnam, and China.
In each of the partner countries, the NDC-TIA supports in making their sectoral contributions to the achievement of the NDCs of the Paris Agreement.
The NDC-TIA programme has a duration of 4 years.

Daily Gist of ‘The Hindu’, ‘PIB’, ‘Indian Express’ and Other Newspapers: 25 August, 2020

IAS Prelims Mock-Test 2020 – Set 5, 28 August