Impact Writing

Today’s Current Affairs January 31

January 31, 2020

First page

India’s first coronavirus victim in spotted Kerala
Doctors have confirmed the first coronavirus (nCoV) victim in India. She is a student who was studying in Wuhan. Her condition is stable. She has been kept in an isolation ward in a Kerala hospital. The government has put in place a strict procedure to vet passengers returning from China, and in case of doubt, quarantine them for two weeks.
World economy to be impacted as China’s manufacturing powerhouse grinds to a halt
Contract manufacturing and outsourcing on which China built its economic edifice now appears to be very adversely hit as workers remain absent from work places and transport services are forcibly curtailed to prevent infection from spreading.

Fanatic 18-year-old shoots at Jamia protestors
A young man from U.P with strong right-wing leanings fired at large group of Jamia protesters and injured a student. The shooting enraged the students leading to a very volatile situation. The police showed remarkable retraint, and later some professors of Jamia and guardians of students prevailed upon the students to calm down and return home. The man is in police custody and is being grilled.

Kalakshetra declines permission to T.M. Krishna for his book release
T. M. Krishna had earlier been permitted to launch his book “Sebastian & Sons: A Brief History of Mrdangm Makers”. The permission was withdrawn later, as the authorities of Kalakshetra felt certain sections of the book had passages that could fan hatred among communities.

Telengana trio behind the rape and murder of a young vet to be hanged
Adilabad District Judge M. G. Priyadarshini described the crime as ‘rarest of the rare’ and after a fast-tracked trial pronounced her judgment. The three perpetrators of the crime will be sent to the gallows.

Milk prices to go up by Rs.2 a liter
Karnataka Milk Foundation (KMF) will increase milk prices across the state to offset the rising cost of inputs and administrative expenses.

National

Illegal Structures around Gulbarga Fort to be demolished
The Karnataka High Court has ordered the DC to submit a schedule for razing the 282 illegal structures that have sprung up in the vicinity of the historic Gulbarga Fort. Additionally, the Court asked the Archeological Society of India (ASI) to consider the merit of representations against another 148 such illegal structures.

Chinese students advised not to return to Mysuru till Coronavirus scare subsides
About 120 Chinese students studying Computer Science courses in the city have been asked ot to return to Mysuru lest they bring with them the dreaded infection.

Isolation wards in hospitals for coronavirus patients: Private hospitals sulk at the idea
They fear it will repel patients with other ailments from seeking the services of the concerned hospital. Though totally unfounded, such a fear could stigmatize the hospital and impair its commercial prospects.
Good words used .. Sulk, Impair, Stigmatize

Kerala Governor’s unscripted comments during the inaugural speech not to be taken on record
The Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan, digressed from the official script when it came to spell out his government’s aversion to CAA. He read the contentious part, but qualified it saying he didn’t agree with it. Such an unusual stance of Mr. Khan was viewed with consternation by both the treasure benches and the opposition. Now, the Speaker has put his foot down, and deleted the Governor’s remarks from the assembly’s proceedings.
Good words and phrases used … Contentious, Aversion, Digress, Consternation, To put one’s foot down

Nagina town anti-CAA protests: All 48 get bail
During the anti-CAA protests in Nagina, the police had taken 48 into custody alleging that they had fired on the police. When the accused moved for bail, the Magistrate asked the prosecution to submit proof of their complicity in the crime. The specific instruction to the government lawyer to produce tangible proof of the involvement of the accused drew a blank. The case, thus, fell flat and the magistrate granted bail to all 48 accused.
Good words and phrases used .. Complicity, Draw a blank, Fall flat

Women’s equality Issue: Supreme Court to fix timeline for hearing on February 3
The issue of un-fettered right of women to enter temples, and other religious places has created considerable rancor between those who support and oppose it. The controversy refused to die down even after the Apex Court gave a verdict in support of free entry of women to THE Ayappa Temple. A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court headed by the CJI will hear the case, the timeline for which will be fixed by the CJI on February 3.
Good words used .. Un-fettered, Rancor

Defense Secretary wants CSD to handle defense purchase
The Defense Secretay, Mr. Mitra wants the onus of military procurement to be shifted to the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) for efficiency and cost control.

International

Britain wants India to address EU concerns on CAA and Kashmir
The trouble for India at the European Parliament is far from over. The postponement of voting is only a temporary reprieve. In the coming days and weeks, India will have to come up with credible answers to assuage EU fears of India veering towards a majoritarianism and religious persecution. This has been explicitly mentioned by the British High Commissioner, Sir Dominique Asquith.
Good words used .. Reprieve, Veer, Assuage, Majoritarianism, Explicit

WHO declares Coronavirus a Global Health Emergency
The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the reason for declaring Coronavirus a global emergency is its ramifications for countries outside China. The danger stems from the fact that it can spread to other countries fast. The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries.
The U.S. has sounded a Level four warning for its citizens virtually stopping Americans from travelling to China.
In another development, China promised to bring home through emergency charter flights its citizens who hail from its Hubei province. Hubei is the province where the infection started. The Chinese of Hubei province have attracted a lot of hostile attention in their host countries.
In Hubei alone, 213 people have succumbed to Coronvirus. Another 10,000 are battling the infection in hospitals.
The WHO said there had been 98 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths.
Most international cases are in people who had been to Wuhan in Hubei. Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros described the virus as an “unprecedented outbreak” that has been met with an “unprecedented response”. He was speaking in a press conference in Geneva. He was all praise for the alacrity shown by the Chinese government in combating the danger.

Brexit has arrived, plunging the country in a sea of uncertainty and funk

Britons are a divided people now, and the gulf between the ‘remainers’ and the ‘leavers’ have been widening fast. The leavers won, by just a thin margin in the 2016 referendum, but won hands down in the last general election. This paved the way for Britain’s departure from the EU.
The remainers are dejected and heart-broken. They look like an army that has been vanquished and humiliated. The remainers’ leaders have been unceremoniously shown the door. All options for a roll back of Brexit are closed. The dilemma is particularly hard for the young highly educated elite class, who had nurtured the idea of a pan-European work place during their university days.
With a 80-seat majority, Boris Johnson can steam-roll all oppositions to Brexit. He is going to be in Prime minister’s char for another 5 or 10 years. The Remainers say they will try to keep Britain as closely aligned with the European Union as possible, on trade deals, citizen’s rights, climate change, defense and foreign policy.
Good words used .. Alacrity, Vanquished, Steam-roll, Pave the way, Show the door

Finance

Tata Motors back to profit as JLR sales rebound
Tata Motors has reported a profit of Rs.1756 crores in Q3, thanks to the spectacular rebound in the performance of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR).

Kotak Mahindra gets time to reduce promoters’ stake
The Reserve Bank of India has allowed more time to Kotak Mahindra to reduce the promoter’s stake in the bank. In the meanwhile, however, their voting right will be capped at 15% in place of existing 29.9%.

Coronavirus fears depress stock market prices worldwide
Business community and investors fear that the virus could severely disrupt global trade and hit major economies hard.
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Writing exercise…

Comprehension questions ..
Read the two passages below and answer the five short questions given at the end.
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Last week, I wrote about the extradition case for Omar Ameen, an Iraqi refugee whom the United States government has accused of being an isis commander. Ameen has spent the past seventeen months in the Sacramento County Jail while his lawyers have sought to “obliterate” the claim that he killed someone in rural Iraq, by proving that he was in Turkey at the time of the murder. The evidence is overwhelmingly in their favor. The only person who claims to have seen Ameen carry out the murder is a mentally ill young man, who has never met Ameen and is seemingly being manipulated by an Iraqi F.B.I. informant with a decades-old tribal grudge against Ameen’s family. The informant has expressed a desire to execute Ameen personally. Meanwhile, numerous witnesses, including the victim’s widow and parents, have provided sworn statements supporting Ameen, and every scrap of digital and documentary evidence that the defense team has unearthed points to his innocence.
But there is one key piece of evidence that the defense team has never been able to obtain: Ameen’s Turkish cell-phone records, which could establish his location on the day of the crime. Ameen was not an avid Internet user. Although a subpoena to Facebook revealed that Ameen had liked a lewd joke on the day of the murder—during a period when there was no Internet service in the Iraqi province where the killing took place—the company had not stored his location data. But Ameen routinely called friends in Turkey and Iraq, and, in a sworn statement, one of Ameen’s brothers, Hudhayfah, said that he spoke with Ameen on his Turkish number several times during the week of the murder. [Source : The New Yorker]
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Questions..
1. Where is Oar Ameen now? What are the charges against him?
2. How does Ameen’s lawyer plan to prove his innocence?
3. Who is trying to implicate him and why?
4. What key evidence Ameen and his lawyer still trying to obtain?
5. What Ameen’s brother Huhayfah has to say about his Ameen’s innocence?
[Answers will be posted tomorrow.]

Today’s Current Affairs January 30

January 30, 2020

First page

Worldwide alert against travelling to China
China faces a virtual travel embargo as most nations suspend flights to and from China. In India, Indigo and Air India have also followed suit and cancelled their flights to China. India is awaiting China’s permission to send two flights to China to bring back Indian nationals stranded there.
Good words and phrases used .. Follow suit, Embargo

SC lays down new guidelines for granting anticipatory bail
A 5-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court has laid down guidelines for grant of anticipatory bail to ensure that individuals are not arbitrarily put behind bars for indefinite periods by a powerful and vindictive government apparatus. Assuming that liberty is fundamental to a citizen’s rights, the Court ruled that anticipatory bail, once granted, can continue right till the trial ends. The judgment comes as a big relief for individuals whom the government dislikes for any reason, and wants to incarcerate them with intention to undermine their dignity.
Good words used .. Vindictive, Incarcerate

Anurag and Parvesh face EC wrath for incendiary speeches
The Election Commission has struck off the two names from BJP’s star campaigners list to signal its displeasure at the way the duo used extremely violent language in their election speeches.
Good words used .. Incendiary, Wrath

Abortion till 24 weeks allowed
The Union government has set new guidelines about the time limit for abortion. From now on, a 24-week foetus can be aborted if the grounds for it exist.

Prashant Kishore and Pawan Vermaexpelled by JD(U)
The two right hand men of Nitish Kumar have been shown the door for taking contrarian positions on CAA, NPR, and NRC.

MEPs defer vote on anti-India resolutions till March
In a move that brought huge relief to the Indian diplomats, the vote on India pertaining to its action on CAA, NPR, NRC, and Kashmir has been postponed till March. India succeeded in avoiding a very embarrassing situation, although in a short run.

National

Kunal Kamra faces 6-month flight ban
Kunal Kamra, the comedian who is known for his penchant for anti-BJP broadsides, heckled the renowned TV anchor Arnab Goswami aboard an Indigo flight. Mr. Goswami maintained a dignified silence, and seemed to remain unruffled. However, Indiogo put Kamra in no-fly list for six months. Curiously, Air India, Spicejet, and one or more airlines have put Kamra in the no-fly list for a similar period. The absence of a mandatory inquiry, and the remarkable speed of award of the punishment have raised Kamra’s fans’ heckles.
Good words and phrases used .. Penchant, Broadside, Unruffled, Raise someone’s heckles

SC dismisses Nirbhaya convict’s plea

The Court said the contention was tortured in jail can’t be an argument for any leniency in punishment.

BJP ropes in Saina Nehwal
The badminton star, and darling of the badminton lovers, Ms. Nehwal was inducted into BJP with effusive welcome. She said her admiration for Modi made her join BJP.
Good words and phrases used .. Rope in, Effusive

Akalis and BJP bury the hatchet for Delhi polls
BJP has succeeded to win over its estranged alley just a week or so before the Delhi assembly polls.
Good words and phrases used .. Estranged, Bury the hatchet

Islam permits women to enter and pray in mosques
The All India Muslim Law Board (AIMLB) has stated in a sworn affidavit before the Apex Court that Islam permits unfettered access to women to enter mosques and pray along side men.

U.S. House of Representatives hears CAA and NRC matters
Members of the House of Representatives continue to be concerned about CAA and NRC, and their implications for the millions of Indian citizens who could face discrimination as a result.

Dr. Kafeel Khan arrested in Mumbai for anti-CAA protests
Dr. Kafeel Khan had long been in the cross hairs of the U.P government under Yogi. He had been jailed for months in the Gorakhpur Hospital tragedy case where hundreds of children died due to lack of oxygen supply. Later, an inquiry exonerated him. Now, he has again been arrested for taking part in an anti-CAA protest that happened a month ago.
Good words and phrases used .. Exonerated, To be on the cross hairs of

Kerala Governor stirs a hornet’s nest in the Assembly on CAA issue
Arif Mohammed Khan, the Governor of Kerala, faced an uproarious scene in the Kerala Assembly when he went there to give his inaugural address. As per convention, he has to read out the speech prepared for him by the elected government. But, while reading out the speech, he ran into a paragraph that was critical of the CAA. He read it, but qualified his speech saying that he did not agree with the content. This was a breach of Constitutional tradition that didn’t go down well with the MLAs. He faced a chorus of loud protests by the irate MLAs.
Good words and phrases used ….To stir a hornet’s nest, Uproarious, Breach

Akshay Kumar to shoot for Man vs. Wild in Bandipur
Akshay Kumar reached Mysuru to take part in the shooting of Bear Gryll’s adventure series Man Vs. Wild.

BMRCL to introduce National Common Mobility Card by March
The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation Limited (BMRCL) will roll out this card on an experimental basis in a few stations around Bengaluru. The card holder can use it to pay Mtro and bus fares, parking fees, and even make purchases. The initiative is part of THE Modi governments ‘One Nation One Card’ policy.

International

The whole of China is under the spell of coronavirus
The death toll of the coronavirus has risen to 170 and it is likely to rise exponentially in the coming days and weeks. Now, a csse has been confirmed in Tibet. This means the entire mainland China is now under the spell of this unknown infection.
As on January 29, China has 7711 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. At least 16 more countries have reported cases of such infected patients. The World Health Organization (WHO) will meet on Thursday to decide if a global health emergency needs to be declared. What worries the medical community most is the ability of the virus to get transmitted through human to human contact.

Scientists race against time to invent a vaccine
The world is no stranger to the advent of deadly new viruses in the past. In the past five years alone, outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, and Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) have appeared posing a cataclysmic danger to mankind. The present strain of coronavirus is one of them.
This time there is hope amid all round fear. Earlier vaccines took years to be invented, tested and released. This time, scientists got down to the work of developing a vaccine just within a few hours of the virus outbreak being reported.
Chinese officials were very prompt to release the genetic code of the virus. This critical information enables the scientists to zero down on its vaccine with relative ease.
A research lab called Inovo San Diego in the U.S. has done considerable progress to invent the vaccine. In the coming three or four months, this will be tried on humans.

Finance

Mammoth fraud in DHFL hastened its collapse
The directors of the company colluded with one another to siphon off nearly Rs.12,700 crores out of the company and deposited the money in 79 shell accounts held by them. An investigation by ED has revealed this shocking transaction.
Good words used .. Hasten, Collude

Apple upbeat about India prospects
The premier smart phone maker Apple sees India operations registering double digit growth in the coming year despite the slow down in the economy. This was outlined by their Chairman, Tim Cook.
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Answer these questions with the right word/ phrase.
List of words / phrases.
a. Amputate, b. Refurbish, c. Jettison, d. Take the wind out of their sails, e. Abort

1. You are the pilot. You are taking off with your planeload of passengers. Just after 3 to 4 seconds of starting your engines, you find smoke coming out of an engine. You decide to ———— the take off.
2. You are the pilot of a bomber. On a mission, you find your engines losing power, and your plane is losing height. You want to lessen the load carried by your plane. You decide to ————– some heavy crates of ammunition.
3. You are negotiating with a team of angry student union leaders protesting against a colleague who has misbehaved with one of the girl students. To pacify them, you announce that the colleague has been asked to go on long leave compulsorily. By breaking this news, you ———————— out of their ————-.
4. You have bought a house that you want to rent out as a guest house. To make it look attractive, you decide to ——————- it.
5. The man’s leg was crushed under a speeding truck. The surgeon found that there was no way, it can be plastered and healed. He decided to ———————– it.
Answer .. 1. e, 2. c, 3. d, 4. b, 5. a

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Today’s Current Affairs January 29

January 29, 2020

Front page

Nitish Kumar says NPR in new format could cause confusion
Bihar Chief minister, Nitish Kumar clarified his stand on CAA, NPR, and NRC. On CAA, he said the Supreme Court is to decide on the validity or otherwise of the matter. He reiterated his opposition to NRC, and stressed that it will not be implemented in Bihar. On NPR, he was a bit ambivalent, saying that the NPR in the new format that has additional questions that could cause confusion. He stopped short of expressing his total aversion to the idea.
Good words used .. Ambivalent, Aversion

14 Gujarat riot accused servinf life sentences get interim bail
A Bench headed by the CJI granted bail to 14 riot accused who are serving jail sentences for their involvement in the Gujarat riots. The Court, however, stipulated that the persons will not return to Gujarat and will do social service and spiritual work.

Novel anti-liquor movement by Karnataka Women
Organized by the Karnataka Madya Nishedha Andolan, a large group of women formed a chain in waist-deep water in a spot where the Krishna and Malaprabha rivers meet. They were trying to draw the attention of the authorities to the way drunken husbands ruin their families and destroy their marriages. These women will stand in the water everyday till the authorities relent, and take effective steps to stop this malaise.
Good words used .. Relent, Malaise

India faces MEPs’ ire today in European parliament
MEPs of different political parties have tabled five different proposals that castigate India for its recent steps like CAA, NPR, and NRC that smack of religious discrimination, and trampling of UN-mandated human rights. The search light on India is quite disconcerting for India.
Good words used … Ire, Castigate, Disconcerting

Air India flight stand ready to rush to Wuhan
The DGCA awaits a permission from the Chinese government to send the aircraft to Wuhan to bring back the Indians stranded there.

India forests will soon have African cheetas
The Supreme Court has lifted a 7-year ban over importing the African cheetas as a result of which wild life enthusiasts can the exotic cheetas prowling in Indian forests. The SC wants the process to be monitored by a committee of experts.

Karnataka to reduce rice allocation through ration shops
Monthly allocation per head will be reduced from 7 kilos to 5 kilos. The government will also use modern technology to vet he cards and weed out the ineligible ones.

National

Sharjeel Imam arrested from Bihar village
Sharjeel Imam, who created a nation-wide indignation over his remark about perceived injustice towards Muslims, was arrested from a Bihar village. Sharjeel had angrily suggested that a large group of 5 to 6 lakh Muslims could block off the North East at the Chicken’s neck area, and force the central government to heed the demands of the Assamese, particularly, the Muslims. Many felt his outburst was aimed at dismembering the country, and should be labeled as sedition under the IPC. The police promptly booked him under sedition law.
Good words used … Indignation, Outburst, Dismember, Sedition

Anurag Thakur faces EC action
BJP minister, Anurag Thakur, who gave inciteful speech in an election meeting prodding his followers to shoot dead the alleged anti-national elements, has been served a show-cause notice by the Election Commission. His hateful speech created revulsion among the sane voters.
Good words used .. Inciteful, Prod, Revulsion, Sane

Rajnath Singh alludes to Pakistan as the nation obstructing SAARC
In his expected tirade against Pakistan, Rajnath Singh has said that Pakistan’s open embrace of terrorism as a tool of foreign policy was the biggest impediment to SAARC’s growth.
Good words used .. Embrace, Impediment

Taranjit Singh, new ambassador to the U.S.
Taranjit Singh, a career diplomat, has been tipped to be India’s next ambassador to the United States.

Prof. Banerjee expresses fears about Indian economy
The Nobel Laureate said that it can’t be authoritatively said that India has actually slipped recession. He said stimulating demand was the key to revival, and further tax cuts are not possible. He was speaking in the convocation of Calcutta University. The Governor of the state Dhankar had to confront irate students, who blocked his way and raised slogans against him. After waiting for an hour, the Governor had to leave the premises.

India adds 10 more wetlands to its list of Ramsar sites
Ramsar is a city in Iran where an international convention was signed in 1971 binding the signatory countries to protect their wetlands through strict environmental laws. After adding 10 new sites, India will ave a total of 37 such sites.

Maradu apartments razed, but debris remain
Part of the Maradu demolition rubble has fallen in a nearby lake. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has formed a panel to oversee the process of retrieving the immersed debris.
Good words used .. Rubble, Retrieve

Procurement process of agricultural produce starts in Karnataka
Crops like Paddy, Ragi, Jowar, Toor, and Blackgram will e procured from the growers approved rates. The decision has brought cheer to the farming community.

Rajanikant shoots for Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls in Bandipur Forest
Conservationists have derided the permission given to the filming crew citing fire hazards through human activity in this season that experiences heightened fire risks.

International

China’s 5G technology wins limited access to the U.K, despite strident U.S. opposition
The United Kingdom, after much vacillation, has allowed access to China’s 5G technology, although in a heavily truncated way. This development signals a major victory for thelong battle the Chinese waged to diffuse the U.S. opposition.
Good words used .. Strident, Truncated, Diffuse

Trump unveils West Asia plan, but Palestinians demur
The U.S administration has unveiled the much-awaited West Asia Peace plan. According to it, Palestinians will have a self-governing state with East Jerusalem as capital. The Americans will recognize all Israeli settlements illegally built as legitimate Israeli possessions. Additionally, Israel will undertake not to build any more settlement for four years during the period the negotiations for the separation of Palestine from Israel takes place. The Palestinians have remained aloof of the drafting of the peace plan. They have also been quite vocal in criticizing it.
Good words used .. Demur, Aloof,

U.S. Supreme Court approves Trump’s new Green Card rule
The news came as a shot in the arm of President Trump facing torrid times in the Senate impeachment hearings. When the rules are enforced, poor immigrants will be disadvantaged because they lack the high skill and wealth demanded by the Green card granting authorities.
Good words and phrases used .. Torrid, Shot in the arm

Hong Kong cuts off air and ferry links with China
To curd the coronavirus coming into the territory, Hong Kong has suspended ferry and air links with the main land, where death tolls have soared in the last few days.

Finance

Emirates says it’s not interested in Air India
Singapore airlines and Lufthansa keep their cards close to their chest. In the meantime, both the government and the Air India employees nervously await bidders to come forward and bid.

Tata group companies will pool their resources to develop the Electric Vehicle ecosystem
Seeing the immense potential for electric vehicles in India and abroad, six Tata companies have joined hands to help Tata Motors develop cost effective and efficient automobiles. Tata Power will develop charging stations, Tata Chemicals will produce the Lithium –ion batteries, Tata auto comp will produce the special spares, and TCS will develop the payment solutions.
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Learning use of phrases and idioms ..
Selected phrases and idioms … a. Make strange bed fellows, b. Spew venom, c. Wear something in the sleeves, d. Give some one a long rope e. Hit the nail in the head
The following sentences have gaps. Choose the right phrase / idiom from the above list and insert in the gaps.
1. Some lower level BJP workers make a show of their nationalism and to the central government led by P.M Modi by being very aggressive and assertive in their speaking and manners. We can say that they —— their nationalism ————–.
2. I can’t imagine Asauddin Owassi, the Hyderabad politician ever joining a ministry where Anurag Thakur is a member. They will ————————–.
3. When the economist told the Prime Minister that the surest way to fight the slowdown is to somehow boost spending by the middle class, the PM was delighted. He told the economist, “Yes, you …………………”.
4. There was a time when East Germany under communist rule and West Germany under capitalist rule used to ———————- at one another. Now, they are united to become a single country.
5. India tolerated Pakistan’s covert terror activities in Kashmir for far too long. India gave Pakistan ———————————-. Now, India has taken decisive military and administrative steps to completely outsmart Pakistan
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Answer …
1. c, 2. a, 3. e, 4. b, 5. d

Today’s Current Affairs January 27

January 27, 2020

Front page

Impressive military parade marks Republic Day celebrations
In the presence of the Brazilian President Bolsonao, who graced the occasion as the Chief Guest, India displayed its newly-acquired Anti-Satellite(A-Sat) Missile capability. There were the heavy-lift Chinook helicopters and the top-of-the-line Apache attack helicopters bought from the U.S. The parade had contingents from the three armed services, and other paramilitary wings. School children marching and exhibiting drills added to the joyous mood of the event.

ULFA carries out bomb blasts in four different places in Assam
As it is routine, ULFA made its presence felt by carrying out minor bomb blasts in four different places of Assam.

MGNREGA might grind to a halt due to funds crunch
The highly popular and effective MGNREGA scheme that goes a long way in alleviating rural distress might grind to a halt, as 96% of its budget has already been exhausted.

India faces censure in EU parliament on CAA and Kashmir
This week, a number of resolutions proposed by MEPs will come up for discussion. All such resolutions berate India’s stance on CAA, and Kashmir. For India’s long term political and economic interests, such glare of international scrutiny might prove to be quite damaging.
Good words used .. Berate, Censure

Indians trapped in Wuhan face uncertain times
The Indian government has requested the Chinese to facilitate early exit of the trapped Indians out of Whuan, but with the city under a virtual embargo, this is not going to be easy. In the meanwhile, the total death toll due to Caronavirus has risen to 56, aggravating international panic.

Adoption of orphans – not always a rosy process
Many cases of unhappy endings to adoption of young children by foster parents have come to light in the last five years. In most cases, the children are returned unceremoniously by the foster parents within the first few months, or even after two or three years of the child living with them. For such aborted adoption, the parents cite many reasons, but incompatibility with a child coming from unknown socio-economic background is possibly the main cause. For the parents returning the child, it might be good riddance, and an end to further problems, but for the discarded child, the feeling of rejection and insecurity can leave deep scars in their minds.
Despite the many legal safeguards put in place to reduce such instances of incompatibility, and failure of the parents to cement their emotional bond with the child, rejections do happen. One can imagine how traumatic it can become for a tender child to be thrown out of a household for no fault of theirs. The need of the hour, therefore, is to further fine-tune the adoption process, so that chances of mismatch between the adoptive parents and the incoming child are reduced to the minimum. The adoption process will then not lead to an emotionally-bruised child returning with no sky over his head.
Good words used .. Bruised, Riddance, Discarded, Cement as verb, Scar, Incompatibility, Abort,

National

Insurgency in north east down, claims PM
Speaking in his Man ki Baat parogramme, prime minister stated that the signing of the Bru-Reang agreement was historic and a feather in his cap. The accord has brought peace to the embattled north east.
Good words and phrases used .. Embattled, Feather in one’s cap

Anti-CAA protests happen in the U.S. too
The Indian diaspora in Washington and elsewhere in the United States turned out in numbers on the Republic Day to register their opposition to the highly discriminatory and un-constitutional. As many as 30 U.S. cities saw such protests.

2G internet services back in the entire J&K after a six-month spell
Kashmiris were elated to see 2G services back, but it brought only cold comfort to them because 2G services are painfully slow for efficient use of internet services. This apart, the services were briefly stopped in the hours preceding the Republic Day celebrations. The services are now back, but for optimum benefit for students and the business community, 3G services need to be restored.

Davinder Singh extorted money from the Hizbul militants
Davinder Singh, the rogue police officer now in custody, extracted money from Hizb militants, thus severely impairing the anti-terror operations of the police and the army. He amassed humongous ill-gotten wealth this way disregarding the call of duty for the country.
Good words used .. Rogue, Extort, Amass, Humongous

Cancer, Diabetes, and Hypertension now pose great risk in non-tribal areas of M.P.
A recent survey shows that non-communicable diseases are spreading alarmingly even among school-going boys and girls. Incidence of hypertension among junior students has baffled doctors who want the parents to realize the damage it causes to their children’s long-term health and well-being.
Poverty alleviation efforts will be impeded by economic slow-down: Prof. Banerjee cautions
Addressing a symposium in the Jaipur Literature Festival, Nobel Laureate Banerjee said that the recovery from the current economic slow-down is going to be painfully slow for the country. As resource mobilization goes down, the government’s ability to fund poverty alleviation programs will be undermined. This will exacerbate poverty and un-employment in the country.
Good words used .. Impede, Exacerbate, Alleviation

Manipur’s districts may be given names of local fruits
Fruits are a part and parcel of Manipuri food, culture, and life. It’s a part of the state’s heritage. So, the Chief Minister has hit upon a novel idea to name the districts after the State’s fruits.

International

China faces uphill task in its efforts to rein in caronavirus
A new finding shows that symptoms of the viral infection become visible much after the person is infected. Such surreptitious nature of the virus makes it virtually impossible to spot and segregate a carrier of the infection from the symptoms. In other words persons already infected by the virus could easily escape conventional screening methods. Medical professionals around the world are perplexed by this finding.
China has pooled its enormous men and materials resources to build new dedicated hospitals, curb movement and assembly of people, and treat those who are diagnosed with the disease. However, the harder China tries to curb the infection, the more the virus eludes healthcare professionals.
The United States, and Japan are arranging emergency evacuation of their diplomatic staff from their consulates in Wuhan.
Good words used … Exacerbate, , Surreptitious, Elude, Uphill

Trump was wild at the American ambassador in Ukraine for standing on his way: Senate is told
As President Trunp’s impeachment proceedings continue, trouble seems to be mounting for him relating to the way he berated the U.S. ambassador in Ukraine. Marie Yovanovitch, the U.S envoy in Ukraine refused to comply with the President’s desire to browbeat the Ukrainian government in a manner so as to force its hands to order an investigation into Biden’s affairs. Biden is the son of Joe Biden, who could win the Democratic nomination for the race to White House. Quite sinisterly, Trump planned to use the investigation to sully the image of Joe Biden and discredit him. Ambassador Yovanovitch understood the illegality of her President’s plans, and dissociated herself from the wrong-doing. Her stance infuriated Trump.
If proved, this could prove to be the clinching evidence that the Democrats could use to impeach Trump. No wonder, Trump’s legal team is on tenterhooks now.
Good words used .. Infuriate, Discredit, Sully, Tenterhook

U.N unhappy at rampant violation of arms embargo on Libya
The United Nations has expressed its frustration at the way some countries are continuing to supply arms and ammunition to warring parties in Libya in clear violation of the embargo in force now. Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the UAE are the culprits in this case.

Palestinians threaten to pull out of Oslo accord
President Trump’s West Asia plan that is heavily tilted in Israel’s favor has irked the Palestines so much that they have expressed their desire to walk away from it. This is the strongest reaction of the Palestines’ unfavorable view of Trump’s pro-Israeli policy.

U.S. says it would not lift sanctions on Iran before dialogue
Continuing its rigid stance towards Iran, the U.S. has stated that even for creating a conducive climate before a possible dialogue, it will not relax the sanctions it has imposed on it.

Finance

Government proposes to further ease FDI norms
In order to get out of the present phase of economic slow-down, India needs FDI more than ever. Plans are being made to ease the FDI norms for investors from Most Favored Nations. The government will classify countries into two categories – Most Favored and Not pro-India.
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Word leaning exercises….
Choose the right word / phrase for use in the gap. The choices are given in bracket at the end of the sentence.
1. It had been a long day for the candidates seeking jobs. They had gone through three rounds of interviews. The list of successful candidates was to be displayed in the notice board in five minutes time. Their faces showed that they were all [On tenterhooks, panicked, fearful]
2. The farmer had lost everything in the floods, but after the flood waters receded, he had to sow his fields again. He had to raise another crop, so that he could survive in the coming year. Sadly for him, he had just Rs.500 in his bank account. Buying seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides for the next crop was a [Formidable, Resolute, Uphill]
3. She had cold. She was resting on her bed when her friends came in and dragged her to an open-air party. She returned home at 1am. The exposure to cold outside ———— her sickness. [Mutilated, Intoxicated, Exacerbated]
4. Virat Kohli scored the fastest century in test cricket history. By doing so, he ————– [added a new feather to his cap, wrote his name in golden letters, became very famous]
5. The BJP leader passed some nasty comments against a woman of the opposition Congress party. After it started a social media storm, the BJP high command ———— him. [Berated, Censured, Implored]
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Answers ..
1. On tenterhooks
2. Uphill,
3. Exacerbate
4. Added a new feather to his cap
5. Censured
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Today’s Current Affairs January 24

January 24, 2020

Front page

Wuhan shut down as Coronavirus spreads
The bustling city of Wuhan wore a deserted look, as all forms of vehicular traffic including flights to and from the city came to a grinding halt on the order of the authorities. The virus that seems to have emerged from the city’s seafood and animal market has already claimed 17 lives. The cities and towns around Wuhan have also come under severe traffic curb.
Those with death sentences can’t drag their appeals indefinitely, says CJI
The Chief Justice of India has frowned upon the way those sent to the gallows try to delay their execution by going for appeal on humanitarian grounds in courts and elsewhere. He said, a judge can not grant any reprieve in such cases, as their responsibility is limited to ensuring that the punishment awarded is not disproportionately harsh.
Good words used .. Reprieve, Frown upon

India rejects Trump’s offer for mediation on Kashmir
A spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs has poured cold waters on President Trump’s offer to offer his mediation to resolve the Kashmir imbroglio. He has reiterated that all such bilateral contacts will have to be done through the terms of the Shimla Agreement, and the Lahore Declaration.
Good words and phrases used .. To put cold water on, Imbroglio

India slips two places in Corruption Perception Index
As per a statement of Transparency International, India’s opaque system of political financing has been the culprit in pushing the country two notches (78 to 80) in the global scale of corruption. The Electoral Bond system of covert political donations has sullied India’s image.
Good words used .. Culprit, Sully as verb

National

Rising Carbon Dioxide level will aggravate storms and floods
Scientists have forecast that the frequency and intensity of hazardous weather incidents will double every 13 years. The increase will be commensurate with the increase in Carbon Dioxide levels.
Good words used .. Commensurate, Aggravate

Homage to fallen soldiers on Republic Day
For the first time, homage to India’s 22500 soldiers, who have laid down their lives in the many wars India fought earlier, will be paid at the National War Memorial instead of the usual site of India Gate.

Dismissed woman employee of SC who had alleged molestation by ex-SC Chief Justice gets back her job
The woman staffer, who was in the eye of the storm after alleging sexual advances by ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi, was reinstated with full back wages. The incident had roiled the higher judiciary, and caused great embarrassment to the SC. Ms. Vrind Grover, who championed the cause of the victim woman, said her reinstatement vindicated their stand that the allegations were true and the victim’s termination of service was arbitrary.
Good words used .. Arbitrary, Vindicated, Roil

HC stops Karwar port’s commercial expansion works
The Karnataka High Court has taken exception to the way the Karwar beach facing the Arabian Sea has been razed and environmental concerns have been given short shrift to. The court has directed the State government to restore the beach to its earlier state.
Good words and phrases used .. Take exception to, To give short shrift to

Union ministers hold hearings with J&K citizens of Srinagar and Baramula
Ministers, Ravishankar Prasad and Shripad Nayak mingled with the citizens in Srinagar and Baramula and listened to their grievances sympathetically. After the interaction, both ministers expressed confidence that their mission had been successful.

J&K’s sovereignty was a temporary arrangement, asserts government in SC
In course of the hearing of the Article 370 Matter, the government maintained that J&K’s special status had only been a temporary arrangement and had to be corrected sooner and later. The government side requested the Supreme Court not to entertain any argument to the contrary.

Congress to prepare National Register of the Un-employed
Mocking the BJP government’s push for the National Population Register (NPR), THE Congress Party has set out the National Register of the Unemployed.

Assam extremists surrender en masse
Some 644 extremists surrendered today before the authorities and laid down their arms promising that they would abjure violence once and for all and return to mainstream society.
Good words and phrases used .. en masse, Abjure, Lay down

PM assassination plot case: Ajit Pawar reviews the charges
Ajit Pawar, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has found loopholes in the prosecution of a few human rights activists who have been languishing in jails for months. Tough UAPA charges were slapped on them. Now, a SIT will be constituted to take a re-look at the allegations.

Jaipur Literature Festival inauguration hears the echoes of CAA and NRC
Ashok Ghelot, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan inaugurated the Literature Festival. Rumblings over CAA and NRC were heard on the occasion with both speakers with diametrically opposite views expressing their views.
Good words used .. Rumbling, Echo

Nepal invites India and Pakistan to the Sagarmatha dialogue
For Nepal, it will possibly, be the biggest diplomatic event. It will possibly be the biggest diplomatic event for Nepal. The theme will be ‘Climate Change’.

International

ICJ orders Myanmar to protest Rohyngyas
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague has taken Myanmar to task for the ill-treatment of its Rohyngya refugees, who have fled to Bangladesh in droves. The Court has taken dim view of the way Myanmar has unleashed its military on the Rohingyas. The Court had taken cognizance of a complaint by Gambia alleging that Myanmar had violated the 1948 U.N Convention on Genocide by coercing the Rohingyas to leave the country.
The ICJ verdict will come as a shot in the arm of the Rohingyas, who treat the judgment as a moral victory.
Good words and phrases used .. Take to task, Unleash, Shot in the arm, Take a dim view, Coerce

India rushes help to Maldives to fight measles outbreak
India has airlifted 30,000 doses of measles, and rubella vaccine to the island nation to combat the epidemic there. There is a MOU Between Maldives and India to foster cooperation on health.

China comes to Pak’s rescue on Terror Funding
China recently held an international meeting on terror funding in Beijing. In the gathering of world delegates, China defended Pakistan by stating that the latter had made credible progress in reducing terror funding in the country.

Finance

Government goes easy on AGR dues collection from TELCOS
To prevent a financial collapse of the two TELCOS – Bharti Airtell, and Vodafone Idea, the government has decided to hit the ‘pause’ button, so that the two companies are shut down due to cash shortage.

Tata Motors to continue to make diesel cars
The company feels that the buyers must have the choice to choose between a diesel and its petrol variant.

KMF to step up efforts to increase turnover
Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) eyes a turnover of Rs.25,000 crores by adding new products, and going on an over strive to boost exports.

Reliance to increase gas output from R Cluster fields
Reliance is gearing up production of gas from the Krishna Godavari Basin in the east coast of the country. The decision was taken after Reliance’s gas production fell to a low of 1.55million metric standard meter (mmscmd) from its KG D6 Block.
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Background notes ..

Understanding Venezuela’s problems and how it hugged the limelight in Davos …

Venezuela is a fairly large country in the northernmost part of South America. In size it equals to the combined area of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Its coastline opens to Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic ocean. It is very rich in oil. With a population of just about 3.2 crores, its wealth earned through export of crude oil made it a country with one of the highest per capita income in the world. From being one of the richest country in the world, in just about two decades, it has deteriorated to a stage where buying a loaf of bread in the market has become a difficult task.
The country had a dictatorial ruler named Hugo Chavez, who ruled the country from 199 to 2013. He was a Communist in his beliefs. He distributed the oil wealth among the common people very generously. It made him the darling of the common people. When the going was good, he never felt the need to orient his country’s economy in a way where it can support itself without depending on the inflow of dollars through oil exports. It was a deadly combination of populism, shortsightedness, and ignorance.
Then the bad days came. Oil prices fell sharply in the world market. Venezuela’s Forex earning through il exports shrank dangerously. Venezuela couldn’t arrange dollars to import essential food items, medicine, baby food etc. Hugo Chavez’s popularity nosedived as food riots became common in towns and cities.
Hugoz Chavez died in 2013 handing over charge to Niolas Maduro, another despot, who saw no need to implement much-needed reforms to the economy. Venezuela has gone from bad to worse under his leadership. Maduro has no regard for democratic values, and has managed to cling to power through foul means.
In the meanwhile Juan Guaido has emerged as the opposition leader of Venezuela and has been recognized by the western world as the real leader of the country, but Maduro refuses to cede power to him leading to a stand-off.
Juan Guaido in World Economic Forum in Davos…
Davos received Juan Guado with an effusive welcome, because the West sees him as an able substitute to the much-reviled Maduro. Guaido had come to Davos defying a travel ban clamped by Maduro. The West seem Guaido as Venezuela’s lawful president.
Guiado’s claim to the presidency has been foiled by the army which has chosen to side with Maduro.
In the meanwhile, with scarcity of essential items and very high inflation rate, life for the Venezuelans have become very difficult. They have fled to neighboring countries in large numbers making the host countries restrict their entry.
Juan Guiado made an impassioned appeal to world leaders assembled in Davos to come to the help of his countrymen.
To make Maduro demit office, Guaidó made a call for increased sanctions on him. With the U.S. deciding to cut off Venezuela, Russia’s oil giant, Rosneft handles Venezuela’s oil exports. Guaido, however, does not want to severe this link with Russia. a He also indicated that he didn’t want to see any foreign military intervention in the country’s affairs.
Now, Guaidó is unsure of the fate that awaits him on his return to Venezuela. He took a giant risk in coming to Davos disobeying Maduro, and the latter could very well turn on him.
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Today’s Current Affairs January 22

January 22, 2020

Front page

Dates of birth of parents for NPR not needed
Union minister Paswan says this information will not be sought in the NPR form, as it’s improbable that many people would even know it. There seems to be a lot of confusion among government ministers with each one speaking in different tones. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has so far not released the official NPR form, and more and more number of states are declaring that they will not implement the NPR in the present form. In a related development, Amit Shah has categorically declared that the government will never back down on the CAA, no matter how long the opposition continues its agitation.

Online filling by respondents to be allowed for Census
In the second phase of the decennial Census exercise, online applications will be accepted from respondents. This phase is expected to end by February, 2021. About 30 lakh government servants and school teachers will be involved in the exercise that will run between February 9 and February, 28.
Good words used .. Decennial, Respondent

Eight Kerala tourists die while holidaying in Nepal
A pall of gloom descended on the hotel in Kathmandu and the families of the dead in Kerala, when it emerged that the eight tourists had been asphyxiated inside their hotel rooms due to a malfunctioning gas heater.
Good words used .. Asphyxiated, Pall

WHO appears clueless about how Caronavirus gets transmitted among humans.

In the meanwhile cases are being reported from many different parts of the world pointing to a spread of the infection. Even, reports are coming out from the United States about people being infected by the virus there.

National

Completion of railway projects could take decades, says Ministry to Parliamentary Panel
In a briefing to the Parliamentary Panel, the Railway ministry officials have admitted that resource crunch could delay the completion of railway projects by decades. The Railways simply were not in a position to mobilize so much funds and wherewithal to complete the projects. The only way to accomplish this gargantuan task was to go for Public Private Partnership (PPP), so that the necessary capital and management exercise could be garnered.
Good words used .. Crunch, Gargantuan, Garner

India wants the site of the JV TMT shifted
India is collaborating with some other countries to build and install a Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) in Mauna Kea in Hawaii, but the locals have expressed stiff resistance to the idea saying the place is sacred to them. India, therefore, has asked for shifting the telescope to some other location. India has committed 200 million USD for the project.

Oli wants pending issues with India resolved soon
The Prime Minster of Nepal, Mr. Oli has said that the remaing bilateral issues should be settled through dialogue. The contested Kalapani region has already caused a lot of bad blood between the two sites, and should not be allowed to fester any longer.
Good words and phrases used .. Cause bad blood, Fester

India and Brazil to sign Strategic Action Plan
President Bolsnaro of Brazil is scheduled to visit India between January 24 and 27 in connection with India’s Republic Day Celebrations. During this visit, a bilateral investment treaty and a Strategic Action Plan will be signed.

Naqvi starts goodwill building visit to valley
Mukhatar Abbas Naqvi reached the valley and interacted with the locals to assuage their apprehensions about the recent political changes initiated by the BJP government. He also apprised the people about the new development projects that the center has planned for the region.

Reciting Preamble of Constitution made mandatory in Maharashtra schools
Schools across the state have been asked to organize recitation of the Preamble at the beginning of the day.

CAA protest: Schools in north east remain shut
All schools in the entire north east have remained shut as angry students didn’t attend classes to vent their resentment against the CAA.

SC to hear pleas against CAA today
There are a total of 140 pleas filed by different parties against the CAA that has rocked the country in the last two months.

International

Trump’s Impeachment trial formally begins
Democrats and Republicans haggled bitterly over the rules set by the Senate Majority leader. Both sides are expected to fight tooth and nail to make their point. In the meanwhile, new evidence have emerged that could bring more trouble for the President.

Trump drops a climate bomb in Davos over climate change dangers
As was expected, Trump mocked the climate lobby who were present in strength in the audience, but he was a bit circumspect. He didn’t directly attack the forum, mindful that Greta Thunberg was seated among the audience. But, he struggled to mask the contempt behind his message.
“We must reject the perennial prophets of doom and their predictions of the apocalypse,” roared Trump. , Then he heaped more scorn on the climate activists calling them “the heirs of yesterday’s foolish fortune tellers.” He urged his European partners to consider purchasing U.S. energy, despite the fact that Europe is trying hard to get rid of its dependence on fossil fuels.
Good words used … Circumspect, Perennial, Apocalypse

Iranian MP offers $3 million booty for killing Trump
The offer has invited ridicule and even derision from around the world.
God words used .. Booty, Derision

Finance

Zomato buys Uber Eats for $300 million
After this deal, Uber will focus on its ride-hailing cab business, and Zomato will get a bigger share for its food catering business in India. Zomato is expected to gain 65,000 more users through this deal.

Hyundai India expects better times in 2020
After launching new models, Hyundai expects to reverse the slowdown, and enter positive territory in sales, though not in a big way.
Retail inflation could touch 8% in January, forecasts SBI
The increase in tariff by TELCOS contributed to the increase in inflation. Worryingly for the Finance Minister preparing the coming year’s budget, retail inflation is likely to zoom to 8% in January. It will force the RBI to tighten its monetary policy.
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Background note … Trump’s petty-mindedness deprives millions of cheap medical care

Cuba, though tiny in size, and impoverished, has a soft power that no other country in the world has. It has highly acclaimed doctors, and more particularly, eye surgeons. Their skills are much sought after in Africa and Latin America. Even some European countries avail their help. For decades, this small communist country has been sending doctors to treat the poor people in the remote inaccessible villages of countries in Africa and Latin America. The doctors provide medical care to the poorest of the poor in negligible cost. So, they are very popular with the people they serve.

For the mother country, continuously harassed by the U.S. for being a Communist country, the doctors earn valuable foreign exchange and a lot of goodwill. This helps Cuba to face the stifling American embargo.

Now the Trump administration is targeting the Cuban government’s medical assistance programme by pressurizing America’s allies to stop availing Cuban medical help, and deport the Cuban doctors already serving them.

Bowing to Trump’s pressure, at least four Latin American countries have expelled Cuban doctors, thus reducing its badly-needed foreign exchange earnings. Cuban officials have condemned the U.S attitude, but they can barely do anything more than this. The host countries will , in the process, lose cheap medical assistance that not only treated the patients, but also trained local healthcare technicians.

The program was started by Cuba in 1960. Since then, Cuba has sent abroad a total of 400,000 doctors. As many as 164 countries have availed Cuban help. Host governments pay the Cuban government in hard currency, but the doctors are paid by Cuban government in local currency. The amount is usually very less. It goes to support their families that they are compulsorily made to leave behind, so that they don’t defect.

Such medical diplomacy has helped Cuba gain votes in the United Nations. In 2018, it earned $6.3 billion in Forex from its beneficiaries in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa and the Middle East. Now, this inflow will dry up, thanks to Trump’s efforts.
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Today’s Current Affairs January 21

January 21, 2020

Front page

J&K L-G invites investors to State
The Global Investors Meet is scheduled for April this year. As a preparation for that the L-G had convened a meet of business delegates to apprise them of the immense potential of the state, and dispel their fears about the law and order situation, which he claimed had greatly improved. Only about 10% of the state had militancy problems, and efforts are on to weed them out. He also assured that full internet services will soon be restored.

Three Hizb militants killed
In an encounter with security forces in Shopian, three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants have been killed. One of the three was a police deserter.

SC declines to stay Poll Bond Scheme
The Apex Court led by the CJI was hearing the plea of the activist lawyer Prashant Bhusan. The CJI orally observed that he will not stay the scheme, because the earlier Court had also not done so. Mr. Bhusan’s citing RBI’s and ECI’s objections to the Poll Bond Scheme failed to impress the Court.

IMF lowers India’s growth further to 4.8%
IMF further said that India’s deceleration will pull global growth down.

Mangaluru airport premises tensed after a unknown bag is found
The entire airport complex was sealed after an unclaimed bag was found lying near the Air India ticket counter. The bomb disposal squad retrieved the bag and diffused the explosives at a safe distance of a kilometer. The police is in full alert after the incident.

Nadda elected president of BJP as Amit Shah steps down
Nadda, a close confidante of the prime minister was elected unopposed as President of the party. Amit Shah will have the single charge of Home Minister.

Muzzafarpur Shelter Home sex abuse case
Out of the many charge-sheeted, 19 have been convicted. The sentence will be announced later. After the sentences are pronounced, curtain will come down on the sordid drama that shook the conscience of the whole nation. The episode highlights the depravity of the powerful people who manage to own and run orphanages.
Good words used … Sordid, Depravity

National

Nirbhaya convict’s juvenility plea dismissed by SC
The Court felt the issue had already been decided earlier, and so, going into it once more.

Thanjavur gets its Sukhoi squadron base
The Sukhois will be fitted by BrahMos missiles, and can provide defence against enemy ships and submarines in the Bay of Bengal and Indian ocean areas.

Caronavirus: Airports start screening inbound passengers
Passengers arriving from China, Hong Kong and other such areas are being put through tests to see if they have been affected by the deadly virus. If found positive, they will be quarantined.

Ready for Census, not NPR: Kerals will state its position to Center
The Kerala government, trying to deflect Constitutional reprisals by the BJP government at the Center has reiterated its readiness to cooperate in the Census work, but continues to oppose the NPR.

Three capitals for Andhra: State cabinet gives its nod
Despite the intense agitation by farmers around Amaravati, the original venue of the capital, the State cabinet has gone ahead and given its concurrence to the proposal to have three different capitals.

‘Sedition accused’ gets overwhelming support from lawyers
Lawyers from across the state came forward to defend the woman who had kikcked up a storm by holding a placard with slogan ‘Free Kashmir’ during the anti-CAA protests in Mysore.

AMU reopens, but students abstain from classes
The Aliharh Muslim University reopened after a break, but academic life didn’t start as usual. The students have kept away from classes.

International

Caronavirus spreads like wildfire
Beijing and Sanghai, the two major cities of China have reported cases of the viral infection. It has caused a major headache for the authorities.

Pakistan pleads with the U.S. to delist it from FATF
Pakistan has requested the United States to de-list it from the FATF, so that it doesn’t attract harsh international scrutiny anymore.

Iran wants to opt out of NPT
Iran has asked the U.N to let it come out of the NPT. This move coincides with its decision to increase the level of its Uranium enrichment.

Finance

Samsung to invest 500 million USD to set up a display factory in India
The parent company will give Rs.3500 crores to its Indian subsidiary as loan and give a part of its land in Noida for the proposed Display manufacturing unit.

Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel move SC moratorium on AGR dues
Both the TELCOS have cited the fact that they are in no position to part with so much of cash (Rs.1,47,000 crors) towards their AGR outstanding dues. They have asked the Apex Court to grant them the facility to clear the dues in a staggered manner.
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Today’s Current Affairs January 18

January 18, 2020

Front page

New, deadly Chinese virus imperils world health
The virus can cause Sars infection that killed thousands in China and elsewhere some years ago. Already, the virus has claimed a few lives, and at least 1700 people are feared to have contacted it. The Wuhan region is the epicenter of this virus outbreak. Some Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are screening passengers arriving from Wuhan by flight.

Iran’s Supreme leader defends its military over downing of Ukrainian passenger liner, as angry protests rock Iranian cities
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has come to the rescue of the country’s armed forces after it admitted a human error by its personnel resulted in the shooting down of the plane killing hundreds of innocent passengers. In the meanwhile, Iranians have remonstrated against the callousness of the army personnel that downed the civilian aircraft inviting worldwide condemnation.

Nirbhaya convicts to be hung on February 1 at 6am
The curtains have finally come down on the 7-year-old trial of the offenders. A court has ordered the jail authorities to carry out the hanging of the four convicts on February 1, at 6 am.

Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos returns without a meeting with Modi
The entire government establishment treated the richest man of the world with hostility and indifference. It became apparent that the Washington Post, owned by Bezos, has been in the crosshairs of the Modi government for its highly critical editorials on Kashmir. Jeff Bezos, however, said he would invest a fresh 1 billion USD in its Indian operations, and provide employment to 10 lakh people by 2025. Indian government’s unfriendly attitude towards a large FDI contributor has dismayed many.

Major concessions allowed by government for NPR process
Heeding the nation-wide protests by anti-CAA, and anti-NPR groups, the government has given two major relaxations. Firstly, the citizen will not need to give particulars about their parents’ place of birth. Secondly, no documents will be asked for from the people by the enumerators.

Punjab urges Center to repeal CAA
A resolution was passed by the Punjab assembly asking the center to annul the contentious CAA. The resolution was supported by AAP, Congress, and the LIP.

National

GSAT-30 adds heft to India’s satellite communication services
The 3357- kilogram satellite was sent to its slot in space on board a French rocket from the launch base at Kourou. ISRO didn’t undertake the launch itself, because its Mark-III GSLV rockets, now under production are needed for the human launch in 2022 under the Gangayan programme. ISRO’S Mark-II GSLV rockets can lift loads up to 2000 kg only. GSAT-30 has 12 C band and 12 Ku band transponders.

Lok Sabha TV, and Rajya Sabha TV are to be merged
These two government-owned TV channels were the favourite of students, scholars, and other such serious viewers because of their high-quality content. Now, the government has decided to merge them to form a single entity.

Internet restoration in J&K in the cards, but sans Social Media.

As a part of its on-going efforts to restore normalcy in the valley, the government will soon restore broadband services to 2000 to 5000 subscribers, but facilities like Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Twitter will continue to be out of reach for the users. All the service providers have been directed mount vigorous efforts to disable these services from the users’ devices. It’s a daunting task, but the service providers are bound by law to comply.

Jalees Ansari, the bomb maker behind serial blasts arrested in U.P
Jalees Ansari, otherwise known as Dr. Bomb, is a qualified doctor with an MMBS degree, but he excelled in making crude bombs that were used by Islamic terrorists in multiple blasts around te country. He was out on parole, but jumped it to flee to UP.

International

The United Kingdom wants to sell arms and ammunition to India
Great Britain wants a pie of India’s huge arms buying programme by selling the items on a government to government basis. Similar arrangements were worked out with the French government for the Rafale jets, and with the Russian government for the S-400 missile defense system.

Pak Islamists get 55 years jail term for violent anti-government protests
In 2018, Pakistan saw a spurt in violent anti-government protests. The protests degenerated into riots resulting in heavy loss of public property. The courts took a very serious view of such mindless vandalism, and held the rioters guilty. They have been handed over long jail terms running to 55 years.

Ukraine President rejects the PM’s resignation
In a tapped phne conversation, Prime Minister Honcharuk is heard criticizing President Zeleskiy. When the tape surfaced, an embarrassed prime minister submitted his resignation, but the president has chosen to turn it down.

China’s birth rate falls dramatically to 1949 level
China followed its population control measures very assiduously, often inviting derision from its own citizens and human rights activities in other parts of the world. Finally, the exercise is bearing fruit, and China’s growth rate has fallen to the 1949 level.

Khamenei pleads for forbearance from his people in the plane crash case
The Iranian supreme leader, Khamenei, has asked his citizens to forgive and forget the case where a human error on the part of the army brought down a civilian passenger aircraft. The accident came a a double whammy for Iranians who were in the midst of a mourning for their slain national hero, Soleimani.

Finance

Reliance profits zoom 13.5% due to Telecom and Retail
Revenue dropped 1.4% due to depressed conditions in oil and refining sectors. More disappointingly, the deal with Saudi Aramco can not be closed by March 31, possibly due to some un-resolved tax claims by government.

GM to sell its Talegaon facility to Great Wall Motors
General Motors India could not realize its full potential from the very start. It sustained losses year after year. Finally, it shut down its operations in India as domestic sales were very low. Now, GM has decided to sell its facility in Telengana to Great Wall Motors of China.
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France’s long strike — The conundrum Macron faces
France is reeling under a huge general strike called by different trade unions. Although, the strike has entered the second month, there is no sign of the government being able to break it through either coercion or negotiations. Instead more and more sections of the society have jumped into the fray making the situation increasingly difficult for the Macron-led government. Even doctors, nurses, and teachers have closed ranks with the strikers.
At the center of the problem is President Macron’s determination to reform France’s age-old pension system that provides very liberal social welfare benefits to its pensioners, but has become a huge and unsustainable burden on the country’s finances.
The liberal system worked well when France was a flourishing colonial power. As a leading industrial power with vast, resource-rich colonies in Africa and elsewhere, it amassed huge wealth. France was flush with money. But, the colonial era is long gone. As an industrial power, France is facing more and more competition from inside Europe, and particularly from China. France does have leadership in some areas of technology even now, but it is not sufficient to counter the flood of cheaper goods and services emanating from China and other parts of Asia.
Emmanuel Macron, a banker by profession, understands the looming dangers posed by an uncompetitive economy and a bloated budget. During his presidential campaign, he had promised to reform the pension system, and the labour market, so that French industries regain their competitiveness.
France has a complex pension system, a legacy of the colonial era. There are as many as 42 regimes making up the pension system. To give an example, the retirement age for bar dancers is different from that of nurses. The retirement age of industrial workers varies from industry to industry. A loco driver can opt to retire on reaching just 50. The lower retirement age of train drivers is explained by the fact that when steam engines were in use, the drivers had to shovel the coal manually to the engine’s furnace. It was a tough job, so the drivers could choose to retire early. In contrast, for a doctor, it can be 60.
The other reason is the deteriorating demographic profile of the population. In recent decades, married couples either have one or no child. Larger families have become passé. Add to that, old people tend to live longer. The average age for old men is 80, and that for old women is 86. Till they die, they want the state to provide for their upkeep, recreation, and healthcare. When a worker retires in France, he draws as high as 60% of his last drawn wages. In other EU countries, it is 49%.
With shrinking population of young eligible workers, the ratio between old age pensioners to productive young workers has increased gradually to unmanageable levels. The welfare of the old retired people has to be paid for by young workers whose numbers are shrinking. This puts a big load on the young workers.
The shortfall in welfare pension schemes is met by budgetary support that drags down the country’s fiscal health. The position has been deteriorating year by year. Emannuel Macron wants to abolish the 42-regime system by just one, increase the retirement age to 64 and above, make the workers fund their future pension benefits through a point-based system, and up-skill the young workforce, so that France reclaims its preeminent Financial and industrial power status.
Alain Juppe, the prime minister of France from 1995 to 1997 had tried to bring about similar reforms then, but had to back down in the face of a stubborn trade union resistance. This time, Emannuel Macron is determined to walk the talk.
There are two dominant labour unions in France – CGT, and CFDT. CDT is smaller, but more militant trade union. CFDT is much larger union, and a bit easier to negotiate with. Sadly, Macron’s efforts to get a deal from CDT hit a dead end. Negotiations with CFDT have started and are inching towards a compromise. Macron’s government has agreed to many of the union’s demands.
President Macron wants to introduce a point-based pension system where an employee goes on accumulating points from the very first year of his career. After he accumulates sufficient points to qualify for his own pension, he can opt to retire, and draw pension. To make older workers to continue working instead of retiring, the government wants to give them some monetary benefits as incentives, and some bonus points. Through this, the government wants to address the chronic skill gap that stifles French industries today.
The negotiations with CFDT are proceeding at a snail’s pace. As a result, trains don’t run in adequate numbers. Commuters suffer long delays daily as they come to and leave office. The economy continues to be under pressure. President Macron is perceived to be a bit hot-headed person. This makes the negotiations a bit harder. Hopefully, a deal will emerge soon that will be good for both the working class and the government.
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