Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 09 October 2020

::NATIONAL::

EC revises norms concerning star campaigners for elections

With a view to ensuring the conduct of free, fair, peaceful, transparent, ethical and safe elections during COVID-19, the Election Commission has revised the norms concerning star campaigners for all ongoing and future elections during the period of pandemic COVID-19.
In the revised norms, the Commission said the maximum limit on the number of star campaigners for recognized National and State political parties will be 30 in place of 40 and for unrecognized registered political parties it will be 15 in place of 20.
It said, the period of submission of the list of star campaigners is extended from 7 days to 10 days from the date of notification.Political parties, which have already submitted list of star campaigners will resubmit a revised list within the stipulated period.
It said, request for permission for the campaigning by star campaigners are to be submitted to the district election authorities at least 48 hours before the start of campaign so that all necessary safety measures are put in place well in time.

PM hails investment opportunities in India

Prime Minister NarendraModi has hailed the trinity reforms in the field of labour, education and agriculture and asserted that India undertook structural reforms amidst the global pandemic to usher in revolutionary changes in the country.
Addressing the Invest India Conference in Canada through video conferencing on Thursday, the Prime Minister said the reforms introduced by the government have resulted in substantial improvement in the country's ranking in terms of ease of doing business.
Underlining the change in mindset and perception of every one regarding the country, he said, India has all the necessary vitals which make it a lucrative investment destination.
Mr.Modi said, the vibrant democracy, stability of government, transparency in business and availability of large market in the country ensures predictable return for all the Investors.
He said, around 400 million people were benefited by direct cash transfers in recent times which established that robust structural changes have been made for complete overhauling of systems.

::ECONOMY::

Government starts procurement of Kharif crops at MSP

Government has started procurement of Kharif Crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP) in full swing.
So far, approval has been accorded for procurement of over 20 lakh 37 thousand metric tonne of paddy benefitting nearly 1 lakh 70 thousand farmers across the country.
The procurement this year has been reported to be 33 per cent higher than the corresponding time span last year.
Based on the proposal from the States, approval has also been accorded for procurement of 30 lakh 70 thousand metric tonnes of Pulses and Oilseeds for Kharif Marketing Season 2020 from the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
Government through its Nodal Agencies has also procured over 376 metric tonne of Moong having MSP value of 2 crore 71 lakh rupees benefitting farmers in Tamil Nadu and Haryana.

SARDP-NE gets more fund allocation from MoRTH

Road Transport and Highways Ministry has enhanced the allocation of funds for expenditure under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North Eastern Areas (SARDP-NE) related works during the current financial year.
Under the revised allocation, 760 crore rupees have been set aside for SARDP-NE against the earlier 390 crore rupees. Of this, 300 crore rupees is specifically earmarked for Arunachal Pradesh package.
Centre has undertaken massive road development programme in the region. Under its Phase A, 6418 kilometer have already been identified for development at an estimated investment of about 30,450 crore rupees, out of which 3356 kilometer has been completed and 1961 is under construction.

::INTERNATIONAL::

UNSG expresses concern over Turkey in ‘beach of Varosha’ opening

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterreshas expressed concern over Turkey's decision to reopen the beach of Varosha in Cyprus. The beach has been closed since war divided the island 46 years ago.
He said that the position of the United Nations on Varosha remains unchanged and is guided by relevant Security Council resolutions.
He warned Turkey that its unilateral actions could heighten tensions and undermine chances for a resumption of peace talks.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Indo-French satellites to trace illegal oil spillage by ships
The constellation of maritime surveillance satellites for the Indian Ocean Region, to be jointly launched by India and France, will be able to trace illegal spillage of oil by ships, a senior French space agency CENS official said on Sunday.
In August last year, CNES and ISRO committed to developing and building a constellation of satellites carrying telecommunications and radar and optical remote-sensing instruments, constituting the first space-based system in the world capable of tracking ships continuously.
After a successful design phase led by a joint team of ISRO-CNES, the satellite is now set to enter its development phases in the coming months, the official said.
"It will provide continuous thermal monitoring at high resolution, its unmatched capabilities serving precious applications ranging from sustainable agriculture to drought forecasting and monitoring of urban heat islands," the official said.
France and India are also collaborating on the Gaganyaan, India's first manned space mission.

::SPORTS::

Joshua Cheptegei sets 10000m world record

Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei smashed the men’s 10,000m world record on Wednesday at the Valencia World Record Day, crossing the line in a stunning 26 minutes 11.02 seconds to take six seconds off a 15-year-old record.
Cheptegei, 24, broke the previous mark of 26:17:53, set by Ethiopian KenenisaBekele, at a special event in a near-empty Turia stadium here as only 400 people including sponsors, journalists and staff were allowed in.