Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 03 FEBRUARY 2020
::NATIONAL::
VP emphasise on joining skilling with schooling
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has stressed on the need to revisit our
education policy with emphasis on skilling with schooling.
- Speaking after inaugurating the vocational training institute at
Hubballi in Karnataka today, he said education is not just meant for getting
degree but must enlighten and empower the person. He recalled the importance
of craft, gardening, NCC, NSS, Moral Science and history as part of moulding
the personality.
- On the importance of Skill India programme, he added, that demographic
dividend can be reaped only by skilled manpower. He said 87 lakh youth have
benefited by Kaushal Vikas yojana.
- He called upon private voluntary organisations to come forward to train
youth in advanced skills and asked industries to join hands with the
Universities. He said that the mindset that the Government will do
everything must change.
Farmer’s body hint protests if procurement policy is changed
- As the debate surrounding the review of open-ended procurement policy
has started gaining momentum, following a recommendation by the Commission
for Agricultural Costs and Price (CACP) to the Centre government, several
farmers and farmers’ bodies in Punjab and Haryana have hinted that any move
to stop or limit it would be opposed and resisted.
- Agri-experts also believe that the current open-ended procurement policy
is in the best interest of the country and farmers and any deviation could
have negative impact on farmers.
- Expressing similar sentiments Sarvan Singh Pandher, general secretary of
the Punjab unit of KisanMazdoorSangarshSmiti, said “farmers in Punjab and
Haryana are managing to survive only because wheat and paddy here are
purchased at the MSP, if this process is stopped or even limited it would be
nothing short of signing their death warrant.”
- “Government should be ready to face agitation if the open ended
procurement policy is changed in a manner, which is detrimental to farmers
interest,” Mr.Pandher said.
::ECONOMY::
Finance ministry moots taxing of NRI’s in budget
- Union Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Sunday scotched fears that
provisions introduced in the Budget would bring Indian workers’ income in
zero tax jurisdictions, like the UAE, into the Indian tax net.
- The Finance Bill has proposed three major changes to prevent tax abuse
by citizens who don’t pay taxes anywhere in the world — reducing the number
of days that an Indian citizen can be granted non-resident status for tax
purposes from 182 to 120; citizens who don’t pay taxes anywhere will be
deemed to be a resident; and the definition of ‘not ordinarily resident’ has
been tightened.
- “Let’s say an NRI, living in Dubai or elsewhere, is not taxed for his
income there, but has some earnings through something in India for which he
doesn't pay tax here. We are saying, for that income which is generated in
India, pay a tax,” she said.
- Alarmed by the possible implications of the new provisions, Kerala Chief
Minister PinarayiVijayan wrote to Prime Minister NarendraModi on Sunday,
recording the State’s strong disagreement over the provision as it will hurt
Indians working in the Middle East, “who toil and bring foreign exchange to
the country” through remittances.
Centre rejects advice for special grants by 15Th finance commission
- The Centre has rejected the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendation to
give special grants worth ₹6,764 crore to States in 2020-21 to ensure that
they do not receive less than the previous year’s allocation.
- This was one of the few recommendations that the Centre did not accept
in the commission’s report made public on Sunday.The Commission had
submitted its interim report for 2020-21 to the President on December 5,
2019.
- Major recommendations accepted by the Centre include the 41% share for
States out of the divisible pool of tax collections, the suggested
grants-in-aid and post-devolution revenue deficit grants of ₹74,340 crore
for 14 States. It also accepted recommendations for grants to local bodies,
disaster-related grants and sectoral grants.
- The Centre asked the Commission to reconsider the recommendation for
special grants “as it introduces a new principle”. These grants were
suggested to ensure that in 2020-21, “no State receives in absolute terms
less than what it received in 2019-20 on account of tax devolution and
revenue deficit grants.”
::INTERNATIONAL::
G7 agrees to formulate joint response to coronavirus threat
- The G7 countries will formulate a joint response to the coronavirus
epidemic. Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn said that he talked on the
phone with his US counterpart.
- He said they have agreed that there should be a discussion by the G7
Health Ministers to deal with the epidemic together. Spahn said there is no
point in each country deciding on measures alone.
- G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom
and the United States. Meanwhile, Mongolia, Russia and Nepal have closed
their land borders.
- A second French-chartered plane carrying 300 evacuees from China fled to
military base of Istres in France yesterday. A first plane landed Friday
near Marseille.
UK to seek free trade deal with European Union
- Two days after Brexit, British officials pushed the European Union on
Sunday for a Canada-style free trade arrangement as British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson geared up for a key speech to spell out his government’s
negotiating stance.
- Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky News that Britain will seek a
deal that imposes very few tariffs even though he said Britain will not seek
to align its regulations with the EU.
- EU officials, despite offering friendly words to the British public over
the weekend after the divorce that took effect on Friday night, warn that
Canada only achieved largely tariff-free trade status by bringing many of
its rules in line with EU regulations. EU officials fear that the U.K. could
water down its environment or health and safety precautions, undermining EU
businesses.
- The trade talks are vital because now that Britain has officially left
the bloc — the first nation ever to do so — Mr. Johnson hopes to have a
wide-ranging new deal in place by the end of the year.
- European leaders have said that Britain will not be able to get a deal
like Canada’s if it breaks significantly with EU rules on food safety,
environmental standards, worker’s rights and other matters impacting on
public well-being.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
Nearly 40 countries confirms participation in Def Expo 2020
- Defence Ministers of nearly 40 countries have confirmed their
participation for the biennial defence exposition DefExpo2020 beginning in
Lucknow from the 5th of February. The Ministers include are from Czech
Republic, Mexico, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and 14 African
countries.
- Live demonstrations of the services, DPSUs and industry showing the
land, naval, air and internal security systems will be in action. The live
demonstration will be held at two locations at the exhibition site and the
other at the Gomati riverfront.
- Nineteen technical and business seminars are planned during the
DefExpo20 and 15 of these would be organized by various Industry Chambers,
including Confederation of Indian Industries, Ph.D. Combers of Commerce, The
Associated Chambers of Commerce of India. Some of the seminar topics are
futuristic and include discussions on artificial intelligence, robotics,
Internet of Things (IoTs), drones and wired warrior.
- Dr Ajay Kumar said, a series of webinars have been going on since the
10th of last month. The topics of the webinars were of academic interest and
relevance to the defence, aerospace and security industry, academia and
student fraternity and were widely subscribed.
- Arrangements have been made for five thousand college students from
various technical colleges of Uttar Pradesh for visiting during business
days. This is being done to inculcate interest among them. Entry will be
free for the general public on February 8th and 9th.
::SPORTS::
Djokovic wins Australian open
- In tennis, Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his record 8th Men's singles
title in Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne yesterday.
- He beat first-time Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem of Austria.The
men's doubles title was clinched by Joe Salisbury of UK and American Rajeev
Ram who beat Australia's Luke Saville and Max Purcell.
