Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 20 JUNE 2019
::NATIONAL::
President to address joint sitting of Parliament
- President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of both
the houses of Parliament today. He will deliver the address at the Central
Hall of Parliament.
- The first session of the 17th LokSabha began on Monday in which
the newly elected members took oath and election of the Speaker was
held.TheRajyaSabha will begin its proceedings from today after the address
of the President.
- The Parliament session will continue till 26th of next month. The
Economic Survey will be presented to Parliament on 4th July and the Union
Budget for 2019- 20 will be presented to LokSabha on 5th July.
- Meanwhile NDA nominee and BJP MP from Kota, Om Birla has been
unanimously elected as the Speaker of 17th LokSabha.
- He said Mr Birla has been in public life for years and worked for
the BJP for a long time. Mr.Modi added that Om Birla represents from Kota, a
place that is mini-India, a land associated with education and learning.
DD India programmes to be made available in Bangladesh & South Korea
- Government has decided to show BTV World, a channel owned by
Bangladesh TV, on the Doordarshan Free Dish which will be available for the
viewers of Doordarshan in our country.
- At the same time, DD India would be made available in Bangladesh
for being viewed by the people in that country. An official release said
this arrangement is a result of an MoU signed between Prasar Bharati and
Bangladesh TV (BTV) on 7th of May.
- The channel - BTV World would be of special interest to the
viewers of Eastern India. The decision marks an important watershed in the
strengthening of ties between the two countries and follows with an earlier
decision taken by the two Governments to co-produce a film on Banga Bandhu
Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which will be directed by eminent film Director and
Producer Shyam Benegal.
- Government has also approved the proposal of Prasar Bharati for
making available the KBS World, an English 24x7 channel of South Korean
government on the DD Free Dish for Indian viewers. Simultaneously, people of
that country would be able to view DD India.
::ECONOMY::
EAC submits robustness of India’s GDP estimation methodology
- The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister today released
a detailed note titled GDP estimation in India- Perspectives and Facts.
- The note provides a clear rationale for India’s switch to an
improved GDP estimation methodology in January 2015. The new methodology
that uses 2011-12 as the base year includes two major improvements.
- One is the incorporation of MCA21 database and other is the
incorporation of the Recommendations of System of National Accounts, SNA
2008.
- This change was in line with other countries that have changed
their methodologies in line with SNA 2008 and revised their respective GDP
figures. On average, real GDP estimates saw an increase of 0.7 per cent
among OECD countries.
Commerce ministry urges small traders to join e-commerce platform
- Commerce and Industry Minister PiyushGoyal has urged small traders
and retailers to join e-commerce platform to grow their business. Addressing
a meeting of kirana stores, traders and retailers associations in New Delhi,
Mr.Goyal called upon small traders to come on GeM platform which has
achieved 25 thousand crore rupees turnover.
- The meeting was aimed at exploring the strengths and weaknesses of
small traders and engaging them for discussions on issues of e-Commerce.
- Mr Goyal reiterated that India will not allow multi-brand retail
by foreign companies and on the pretext of B2B no entry will be allowed for
multi-brand retail.
- He also asserted that predatory pricing will not be allowed and
necessary action will be taken against defaulters. He said, government will
give all support and assistance to small traders and retailers to grow their
business.
::INTERNATIONAL::
ADB data claims Bangladesh emerges fastest growing economy in Asia-pacific
region
- Bangladesh has emerged as the fastest growing economy among the 45
countries of the Asia-Pacific region according to Asian Development Bank (ADB).
- In the financial year 2018-19 Bangladesh attained growth rate of
7.9 % which is its fastest rate since 1974. The bank predicted that the
growth will be 8% in the next financial year.
- The ADB country director handed over the report to the Prime
Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina last evening.
- The bank said that higher public sector investment, stronger
consumption demand, revival in exports, improved power supply and higher
growth in private sector credit were the key factors of the high growth
performance of Bangladesh.
Japan rejects South Korean proposal to compensate wartime forced labourers
- Japan has rejected a South Korean proposal to set up a joint fund
to compensate wartime forced labourers. Japan claims the proposed fund would
not solve the issue, terming it unacceptable. Chief Cabinet Secretary
YoshihideSuga said, Japan will continue to urge South Korea to agree to
arbitration.
- Relations between the two nations have been strained by a series
of rulings from South Korean courts ordering Japanese firms that used
wartime forced labour to compensate victims.
- Japan's government and the firms have rejected the rulings. Tokyo
said the issue was settled when the two countries normalised relations.
- Last month, Tokyo proposed arbitration on the issue under an
agreement signed by the two in 1965. The agreement calls for the two to set
up an arbitration panel if a dispute is not resolved through diplomatic
negotiations.
- South Korea offered a counterproposal yesterday that would see
South Korean and Japanese firms set up a voluntary fund to compensate
victims.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
Global survey reveals people in rich countries have low trusts in vaccines
- People in Europe have the lowest levels of trust in vaccines,
according to a global survey of public attitudes toward health and science
published on Wednesday.
- The study found that people living in high-income countries have
the lowest confidence in vaccines, a result that ties in to the rise of the
anti-vaccination movement, in which people refuse to believe in the benefits
of vaccinations or claim that the treatment is dangerous.
- And France has the lowest levels of confidence, according to the
survey devised by British medical charity Wellcome Trust and conducted by
Gallup World Poll between April and December 2018.
- The lowest confidence levels in relation to vaccines were in
Western Europe where more than a fifth (22%) of people disagree that
vaccines are safe, and in Eastern Europe where 17% disagreed that vaccines
are effective.
- An estimated 169 million children missed out on the vital first
dose of the measles vaccine between 2010 and 2017, according to a UN report
issued in April.
::SPORTS::
Archery association of India delisted by WA
- Archery's world body has de-listed the Archery Association of
India (AAI) as a member and given it a month's time to either get its house
in order or face suspension.
- The decision to de-list AAI will not prevent Indian archers from
taking part in international events under the national flag in competitions
for which entries have already been made.