Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 06 JULY 2019
::NATIONAL::
SC seeks response from centre on Aadhar ordinance
- A Supreme Court Bench led by Justice S.A. Bobde ordered the
Central government and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)
to respond to a writ petition challenging the new Aadhaar Ordinance and
Regulations passed by the LokSabha, saying they will create a “surveillance
State” and enable the database to be exploited by private players for
commercial gain.
- “People’s data collected for Aadhaar database is their private
property and permitting this to be commercially explored is a violation of
their fundamental right to dignity,” the petition, represented by senior
advocate Shyam Divan and advocate Vipin Nair, submitted.
- It said a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in September
last specifically struck down provisions, including Section 57 of the
Aadhaar Act 2016 that led to commercial exploitation of the database.
- The court had found that the architecture and design of the
Aadhaar project did not enable mass surveillance of persons under the
Aadhaar Act.
- The petition said the Ordinance allowed the Aadhaar database to be
linked to existing databases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act
and the Indian Telegraph Act. This posed a grave threat to national
security.
Centre claims its schemes have brought in women led development
- Two mega initiatives of UjjwalaYojana and SaubhagyaYojana- have
transformed the lives of women in every rural family and dramatically
improved their ease of living. This was stated by the Union Minister of
Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. NirmalaSitharaman, while presenting the
Union Budget 2019-20 in Parliament today.
- Household access to clean cooking gas has seen an unprecedented
expansion, through provision of more than 7 crore LPG connections. All
villages, and almost 100% households across the country have been provided
with electricity.
- By 2022, the 75th year of India’s independence, every rural
family, except those who are unwilling to take the connection will have an
electricity and a clean cooking facility, informed Finance Minister..
- The Government has supported and encouraged women entrepreneurship
through various schemes such as MUDRA, Stand up India and the Self Help
Group (SHG) movement. In order to further encourage women enterprise, the
budget has a proposal to expand the Women SHG interest subvention programme
to all districts. Seventy per cent of beneficiaries under MUDRA scheme are
women.
::ECONOMY::
Budget focuses on infrastructure investment and job creation
- Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman presented the first General
Budget of NarendraModi Government’s second term today. Infrastructure
development; vision for making India a five trillion-dollar economy;
Farmers’ welfare and water security are some of the key features of
Mrs.Sitharaman’s first budget as Finance Minister.
- She said that the NDA government had set the ball rolling for a
new India and showed that the principle of Reform, Perform and Transform can
succeed. The Finance Minister exuded confidence that India will become a
five-trillion-dollar economy in the next few years.
- Asserting, that connectivity is the life-blood of an economy, the
Finance Minister said the government has given a massive push to all forms
of physical connectivity through PradhanMantri Gram SadakYojana, industrial
corridors, dedicated freight corridors, Bharatmala and Sagarmala projects,
JalMargVikas and UDAN Schemes.
- The Finance Minister said, Public sector banks will be provided
with 70 thousand crore rupees to boost capital and improve credit. She said,
for purchase of high-rated pooled assets of financially sound Non Banking
Finance Companies amounting to 1 lakh crore rupees during 2019-20, one-time
six-month partial credit guarantee will be given to Public Sector Banks. She
proposed strengthening of regulatory authority of RBI over NBFCs.
- There is no change proposed for personal income tax rate below 2
crores. However, Surcharge on individuals having taxable income from 2 crore
- 5 crore and 5 crore and above to be enhanced, so that effective tax rate
will increase by around 3% and 7% respectively.
::INTERNATIONAL::
IAEA to hold special session to address Iran’s nuclear issue
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold a special
session to address concerns of Iran's nuclear activity, US National Security
Adviser John Bolton said in a statement issued yesterday.
- Earlier, US Ambassador to International Organizations in Vienna
Jackie Wolcott requested the IAEA board convene to discuss concerning
reports about Iran's nuclear program.
- On last Monday, IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano confirmed that
Iran exceeded the limit for enriched uranium stockpiles of 300 kilograms
(661 pounds).
- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that Iran
intends to start enriching its uranium beyond the 3.67 per cent level on
July 7, outlined the nuclear agreement and it will maintain enrichment at a
level that it considers necessary.
- On May 8, Tehran announced the decision to suspend some of its
obligations under the nuclear deal, giving the other signatories - France,
Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, China and the European Union - 60 days
to save the accord by facilitating oil exports and trade with Iran amid US
sanctions.
- Amid escalating tensions with Washington, Iran has threatened to
exceed the limit on the uranium supply permitted under the 2015 Nuclear
Pact.
China to pursue Myanmar for Rohingyan repatriation
- China has assured Bangladesh that it will pursue Myanmar to create
a safe environment for Rohingya repatriation to their homeland.
- The assurance came at the bilateral talks between Prime Minister
Sheikh Hasina and her Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang in Beijing on Thursday.
- During the talks, Prime Minister Hasina told her Chinese
counterpart that peace and stability are being affected in the region due to
the Rohingya problem and the challenge will be bigger with the passage of
time. Speedy repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland is the only
solution.
- The Chinese premier agreed with Hasina on resolving the crisis
quickly. He, however, stressed the need for solving the crisis bilaterally
and promised to help end the standoff.
::SCIENCE & TEHCNOLOGY::
NSIL incorporated as commercial arm of Dept.of Space
- Presenting the General Budget 2019-20 in the Parliament today,
Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. NirmalaSitharaman said
that a Public Sector Enterprise viz. New Space India Limited (NSIL) has been
incorporated as a new commercial arm of Department of Space to tap the
benefits of the Research & Development carried out by ISRO.
- The Company will spearhead commercialization of various space
products including production of launch vehicles, transfer to technologies
and marketing of space products.
- The Minister said that, “India has emerged as a major space power
with the technology and ability to launch satellites and other space
products at globally low cost. Time has come to harness this ability
commercially”.
- The Budget Estimates for Department of Space for FY 2019-20 is Rs
12,473.26 crore as compared to the RE of Rs 11,200 crore in FY 2018-19.
