Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 20 September 2016

:: National ::

SC body slashed the quantum of Cauvery water that Karnataka is required to release

A technical body, empowered by the Supreme Court, has slashed by three fourths the quantum of Cauvery water that Karnataka is required to release downstream between September 21 and September 30.
However the body has failed to get Karnataka and Tamil Nadu closer to a lasting solution over the water-sharing dispute.
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are expected to approach the Supreme Court to seek fresh directions.
The Cauvery Supervisory Committee (CSC) on Monday ordered Karnataka to release 3,000 cubic feet of water per second (cusecs) for the rest of the month.\
The decision on the quantum of release arrived at after calculating water availability in the river, monsoon performance, agricultural and drinking water requirements in both States, was rejected by both States.
The supervisory committee, at its previous meeting on September 12, had failed to arrive at any decision for want of adequate information on water availability.

Government stepped up diplomatic offensive against Pakistan

A day after the attack on an Army base in Uri, the government stepped up a diplomatic offensive against Pakistan to have it declared a global “terrorist state”, and Army said it reserved the right to respond at the time and place of its choosing.
“UN should take up this issue in a serious manner because terrorism is an enemy of humanity. Pakistan has become an epicentre of terrorism; it’s high time that United Nations comes forward to declare Pakistan a terrorist state” said the government.
While the U.S. has designated Iran, Syria and Sudan as “state sponsors of terror”, the U.N. designates entities and not states.
After the U.S. and U.K.’s statements of condemnation, France, Canada, Russia and China issued strong statements supporting India, even as France and China called for talks between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir dispute.
The government plans to raise the issue of cross-border terror at the U.N. when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj addresses the General Assembly on September 26.
Among the options being discussed are targeted strikes on terror camps and targeting of Pakistani posts along the LoC which allow terror groups to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir.
However, defence officials are understood to have indicated that a “swift strike” may be unfeasible, and could cause “civilian casualties.”
Meanwhile security installations across J&K have been put on high alert with personnel being told not to venture out to civilian areas.
Intelligence inputs have indicated that there could be more terrorists who have infiltrated in recent days.

Lancet report points to high no. of maternal deaths in India

The latest Lancet series on maternal health reveals that nearly one quarter of babies worldwide are still delivered in the absence of a skilled birth attendant.
Further, one-third of the total maternal deaths in 2015 happened in India, where 45,000 mothers died during pregnancy or childbirth while Nigeria shouldered the maximum burden of 58,000 maternal deaths.
Each year, about 210 million women become pregnant and about 140 million newborn babies are delivered.
The Lancet has published a new series of papers on maternal health which reveal that while progress has been made in reducing maternal mortality globally, differences remain at international and national levels.
While facility and skilled birth attendant deliveries are increasing in many low-income countries, the authors say that phrases such as ‘skilled birth attendant’ and ‘emergency obstetric care’ can mask poor quality care.
Additionally, many birth facilities lack basic resources such as water, sanitation and electricity.
In high-income countries, rates of maternal mortality are decreasing but there is still wide variation at national and international level.
For instance, in the U.S., the maternal mortality ratio is 14 per 1,00,000 live births compared to 4 per 1,00,000 in Sweden.
The sub-Saharan African region accounted for an estimated 66% (2,01,000) of global maternal deaths, followed by southern Asia at 22% (66,000 deaths).
However, the authors warn that not all care is evidence-based, and improved surveillance is needed to understand the causes of maternal deaths when they do occur.

:: India and World ::

Fantasy epic Game of Thrones made history at Emmy

Fantasy epic Game of Thrones made television history at the 68th Emmys on Sunday, becoming the most decorated fictional show since the awards began nearly seven decades ago.
The HBO series picked up 12 Emmys, television’s equivalent of the Oscars: nine awards in technical categories and three top prizes at the glitzy ceremony in Los Angeles.
That gives it a total haul over the years of 38, overtaking the record of 37 won by long-running comedy Frasier .

Non Allignment movement summit ends in Venezuela

The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) wrapped up a summit in Venezuela with an expression of support for its embattled host, President Nicolas Maduro, and scathing attacks on U.S. “interventionism” around the world.
The 120-member group issued a statement at the end of the two-day meeting calling for peace, urging world powers not to meddle in other countries’ affairs and voicing concern over violence in Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian Territories.
Founded 55 years ago to give a greater voice to countries squeezed in the power struggle between the United States and Soviet Union, the Non-Aligned Movement has struggled to stay relevant since the end of the Cold War.
Just a handful of heads of state or government attended the summit on the Caribbean island of Margarita, though organisers did not say exactly how many.
But it was a key diplomatic encounter for Mr. Maduro, who has been left increasingly isolated as Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy has skidded into crisis amid a collapse in global crude prices, fuelling calls for his ouster.
Venezuela took over the rotating presidency of the Non-Aligned Movement from Iran at the meeting.
It will hold it for the next three years. Mr. Maduro looks keen to recast the group as a bulwark against “interventionism” and “neo-colonialism”, analysts say.

:: Business and Economy ::

India’s external debt stand at $485.6 billion

India’s external debt at the end of March 2016 stood at $485.6 billion, up 2.2 per cent from over its level at over end-March 2015, largely driven by the increase in long-term external debt, particularly NRI deposits.
At end-March 2016, long-term external debt was $402.2 billion, showing an increase of 3.3 per cent over the level of 2015. Long-term external debt accounted for 82.8 per cent of total external debt at end-March 2016 as compared to 82.0 % at 2015.
In contrast, short-term external debt declined by 2.5 per cent from $84.7 billion at end-March 2015 to $83.4 billion at end-March 2016.
Of total external debt, the government’s share stood at 18.9 per cent or $93.4 billion at end-March 2016 compared to 18.8 per cent ($89.7 billion) at March 2015.

The Centre has notified the Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission standards

The Centre has notified the Bharat Stage (BS)-VI emission standards for two-wheelers and four-wheelers from April 2020 across the country.
With this, the government has decided to skip the BS-V emission standards and move directly to BS-VI from the BS-IV norms currently being followed in various cities.
Automobile makers have urged the government to make available the testing BS-VI compliant fuel a year sooner across the country.
Oil companies will be investing more than Rs.60,000 crore towards BS-VI fuels. BS-VI is the Indian equivalent of the Euro-VI norms. At present, BS-IV norms are being followed in over 30 cities while the rest of the country followBS-III norms.
The government had earlier planned to implement BS-V norms from 2020 and BS-VI norms from 2022. However, it decided to skip BS-V norms and advance the implementation of BS-VI norms following the Supreme Court’s intervention.

India's banking system is moving past the worst says Moody’s

India's banking system is moving past the worst of its asset quality slump, according to Moody’s Investors Service which also said while the number of bad quality loans may still increase, the pace will start slowing.
This outlook is based on the company’s analysis of five key factors—operating environment, asset risk and capital (stable), funding and liquidity, profitability and government support.
The asset quality indicator still remains a problem but the picture is getting better on account, said the report.