Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 27 APRIL 2019
::NATIONAL::
Vice President addresses CHIRAG concert of south Asian symphony
- The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that
music has the power to overcome the tribulations of war and terrorism and
sends the message of oneness.
- Speaking at the “CHIRAGH” concert of the South Asian Symphony
Orchestra at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), in Mumbai
today, Shri Naidu said that music speaks a universal language and transcends
geographical boundaries and unites people.
- Shri Naidu appreciated Dr. Ahmad Sarmast for training the young
children from Afghanistan who performed at the concert overcoming such
barriers. He said that the young performers have proved that their music
symbolizes the best of the human spirit and speaks the universal language of
peace and harmony.
- The Vice President called upon organisations such as the South
Asian Symphony Orchestra to carry the message of peace and non-violence and
dispel the dark clouds of misguided minds that were unleashing sporadic
spurts of mindless violence.
- Shri Naidu said that events such as the Concert organised by
CHIARGH showcase India and its people’s commitment towards cooperation and
co-existence among all nations.
- The Vice President wanted the members of the orchestra and
musicians at large to become ambassadors for a new and resurgent South Asia.
He asked them to re-capture the essence of ancient civilizational ethos such
as - peace, compassion and co-existence and re-connect with the common
cultural well springs that unite the region.
- Saying that Music was a powerful art form that could transform the
quality of our lives, Shri Naidu asked the South Asian Symphony Foundation
to build a repertoire of indigenous music from the region and continue to
spread the universal message of peace and brotherhood around the world.
Tropical depression over Indian ocean intensifies
- The depression over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining Bay of
Bengal has intensified into a deep depression and is currently moving in a
north-northwestward direction.
- In a weather bulletin, the Met Department said in the last six
hours, it lay centred at 1180 km southeast of Chennai and 1460 km
south-southeast of Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
- It is very likely to intensify into a Cyclonic Storm during the
next six hours and further into a Severe Cyclonic Storm during subsequent 24
hours. It is expected to reach north Tamilnadu and south Andhra Pradesh
coast on Tuesday evening.
- Light to moderate rainfall at many places with heavy falls at
isolated places is very likely over Kerala on Monday and Tuesday. North
coastal Tamil Nadu and coastal Andhra Pradesh may receive light to moderate
rainfall at a few places on Tuesday and Wednesday.
::ECONOMY::
SC gives ultimatum to RBI over its disclosure policy
- The Supreme Court on Friday gave the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
“a last opportunity” to withdraw a November 2016 Disclosure Policy to the
extent to which it stonewalls revelation of every other kind of information
under the Right to Information Act, including the list of wilful defaulters
and annual inspection reports.
- A Bench of Justices L. NageswaraRao and M.R. Shah found the policy
of the central bank to be directly contrary to the court’s judgment of
December 2015 that the Reserve Bank could not withhold information sought
under the RTI Act.
- The Bench was hearing contempt petitions filed against the RBI for
not complying with the 2015 judgment.
- “We give them a last opportunity to withdraw the disclosure policy
insofar as it contains exemptions which are contrary to the directions
issued by this court,” Justice Rao said, giving an ultimatum in the 12-page
verdict.
- The 2015 judgment had rejected the RBI’s argument that it could
refuse information sought under the RTI on the grounds of economic interest,
commercial confidence, fiduciary relationship or public interest.
- The court had observed that there was “no fiduciary relationship
between the RBI and the financial institutions”.
- The court, in 2015, reminded the RBI that it had the statutory
duty to uphold the interests of the public at large, the depositors, the
economy and the banking sector.
- “This court was also of the opinion that the RBI should act with
transparency and not hide information that might embarrass the individual
banks,” Justice Rao wrote.
Finance commission meets ministry of Panhcayathi Raj
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj including its Secretary, Shri Rahul
Bhatnagar and senior officials made a presentation to the Chairman of 15th
Finance Commission, Shri N.K. Singh, its Members and senior officials of the
Commission.
- It may be noted that Article 280 (3) (bb) of the Constitution
specifies that the measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a
State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats in the State should be
on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission.
- Amongst several proposals to the Finance Commission, the Ministry
has proposed an allocation of Rs. 10,00,000crores to Panchayats by the 15th
Finance Commission which is a hike of 399 per cent from that given by the
14th Finance Commission.
- Both the Ministry and the Commission agreed to the view that all
three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions should receive fund devolution,
and the proportionality should be within a specified band.
::INTERNATIONAL::
US president rejects UN arms trade treaty
- US President Donald Trump has announced that his country will not
abide by a UN treaty aimed at regulating the global arms trade. He described
the treaty as misguided and encroachment on US sovereignty.
- Mr Trump said, the US Senate never ratified the 2013 Arms Trade
Treaty despite his predecessor Barack Obama having endorsed it.
- US President also made it clear that he will never ratify it. The
treaty, which came into effect in December 2014, seeks to regulate the flow
of weapons into conflict zones.
- It requires member countries to keep records of international
transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-border shipments that can be used
in human rights violations or attacks on civilians. While 130 countries
originally signed the treaty, only 101 have ratified and joined it.
US imposes sanctions on Pakistan, closely watches China
- The US has imposed sanctions on Pakistan after Islamabad refused
to take back its citizen deportees and visa over-stayers from America. It
warned that it may withhold visas of Pakistanis beginning from its senior
officials.
- Sanctions have been imposed under a US law according to which
countries refusing to take back deportees and visa over-stayers will be
denied American visas. A State Department Spokesperson said Consular
operations in Pakistan remain unchanged as of now.
- The U.S. is also aggressively working with allies in trying to
keep China out of dominating the building of global 5G network
infrastructure such as by taking action against Chinese tech giant Huawei.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
UN report warns of ecological threat due to human influences
- Up to one million species face extinction due to human influence,
according to a draft UN report that painstakingly catalogues how humanity
has undermined the natural resources upon which its very survival depends.
- The accelerating loss of clean air, drinkable water, forests,
pollinating insects, protein-rich fish and storm-blocking mangroves — to
name but a few of the dwindling services rendered by Nature — poses no less
of a threat than climate change, says the report, set to be unveiled on May
6.
- Indeed, biodiversity loss and global warming are closely linked,
according to the 44-page summary for policymakers, which distils a
1,800-page UN assessment of scientific literature on the state of Nature.
- “We need to recognise that climate change and loss of Nature are
equally important, not just for the environment, but as development and
economic issues as well,” said Robert Watson, chair of the UN-mandated body
that compiled the report.
- The direct causes of species loss, in order of importance, are
shrinking habitat and land-use change, hunting for food or illicit trade in
wildlife body parts, climate change and pollution, the report finds.
::SPORTS::
India finishes with 13 medals in Asian Boxing Championship
- India bagged a gold and two silver medals at the Asian Boxing
Championships in Bangkok today.
- With this, India has won 13 medals, including two gold, four
silver and seven bronze.
- Boxer AmitPanghal picked up his second successive gold medal of
the year, claiming the top honours in the 52-kilogram category. Panghal
defeated Korea's Kim Inkyu Korea.
