Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 30 JANUARY 2020
::NATIONAL::
Nation pays homage to Mahatma on his death anniversary
- Nation pays homage to the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi on his
72nd death anniversary today. It was on this day in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi
fell to the bullet of his assassin. The day is also observed as Martyrs Day.
- A Sarva Dharma PrarthanaSabha has been organised at his Samadhi -
Rajghat in the national capital. All India Radio Delhi will broadcast live
commentary on the Sarva Dharma PrarthanaSabha and Bhakti Sangeet from
Rajghat. It can be heard on Rajdhani channel from 9:40 AM.
- Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has paid tributes to the Father of the
Nation, Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary today. In a series of
tweets, Mr Naidu said, Mahatma Gandhi’s life and message of peace and
non-violence are relevant for all times and find resonance in every part of
the world. He said, through the philosophy of Ahimsa, Satyagraha and
Non-Cooperation, Gandhi Ji galvanised masses and spearheaded the national
movement.
- Vice President said, building a New India that will be free from hunger,
poverty, all types of discrimination, corruption and inculcates the spirit
of service among the younger generation are few ways to pay tributes to
Mahatma Gandhi.
- In Madhya Pradesh, ‘Gandhi Stambh’ erected at colleges and ‘Gandhi
Chair’ established at universities will be dedicated symbolically on the
death anniversary of the Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi today.
Cabinet approves MTP amendment bill,raising upper limit for termination of
pregnancy
- Union Cabinet has approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy
(Amendment) Bill, 2020. The bill will amend the Medical Termination of
Pregnancy Act, 1971. It will be introduced in the budget session of the
Parliament.
- Briefing media in New Delhi today, Union Minister PrakashJavadekar said,
for Medical termination of pregnancy, permission will be needed, from two
doctors and one of them must be a government doctor. The limit of
termination of pregnancy has been increased from 20 weeks to 24 weeks.
- The Bill proposes for requirement for opinion of one provider for
termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation and introducing the
requirement of opinion of two providers for termination of pregnancy of
20-24 weeks of gestation.
- The Bill is for expanding access of women to safe and legal abortion
services on therapeutic, eugenic, humanitarian or social grounds. The
proposed amendment is a step towards safety and well-being of the women and
many women will be benefitted by this.
::ECONOMY::
Government collects huge sum via tax dispute settlement scheme
- The government has surpassed its target under a scheme launched last
year for settling pending disputes over service tax and central excise by
collecting over Rs 38,000 crore in taxes, said people aware of the matter.
- They said the finance ministry received around 189,000 applications
under the SabkaVishwas (Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme) 2019, which kicked
off in September and concluded on January 15.
- Finance minister NirmalaSitharaman had unveiled the scheme in the budget
for 2019-20, with an aim to assist taxpayers in clearing the baggage of
disputes under legacy taxes (service tax and central excise), which are
subsumed in the goods and services tax (GST).
- Four types of disputes could be settled under the scheme, the official
said. First, litigation cases,where the matter was pending under litigation
either at first adjudication level or at some appellate level. Second,
arrears cases, where the matter had attained finality but the dues to
government had yet to be recovered.
- Third, investigation or audit cases, where the amount was quantified but
a show-cause notice had yet to be issued. Besides, there were declaration
cases, where a fresh case of non-payment or short payment was to be declared
subject to certain conditions.
Government set to sell onions at low costs to avoid rotting
- The Centre may soon offload imported onions at a highly subsidised rate
of Rs 22-23/kg, down around 60 per cent from the current offered rate, as it
apprehends rotting of the perishable kitchen item at ports, sources said on
Thursday.
- The central government is currently offering imported onions to state
governments at an average landed cost of Rs 58/kg for further distribution
in the retail market. It is also bearing the transportation cost.
- According to sources, a large quantity of imported onion is still lying
at ports, especially in Maharashtra, as many states did not show interest to
lift the commodity at high rates at a time when retail prices started
cooling down on arrival of fresh crop.
- Many states withdrew their orders for lifting the imported onions as
they could not retail it further owing to difference in taste compared with
homegrown ones, the sources said.
- The government was forced to import onion in a bid to contain prices,
which have cooled down now to Rs 60/kg from the peak of Rs 160/kg in last
few months.
::INTERNATIONAL::
India reaffirms stand on Israeli-Palestine conflict
- India today reaffirmed its call for a two-state solution to the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict and asked both sides to resolve all issues
through direct negotiations.
- In response to a query, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson
Raveesh Kumar said India has been consistently supportive of the Palestinian
cause and has called for a two-state solution to the issue.
- India's reiteration of its views on the issue came a day after US
President Donald Trump unveiled his Middle East peace plan.
European parliament withdraws from anti-CAA resolution
- The European Parliament has decided not to conduct a vote today on a
resolution against India's new citizenship law. Government sources called
the deferment of the voting on the Citizenship Amendment Act a diplomatic
victory.
- They said that friends of India prevailed over the friends of Pakistan
in the European Parliament. India reached out to almost all countries of the
powerful bloc, trying to persuade them against going ahead with the
resolution against the CAA.
- Sources said the European lawmakers agreed to delay the voting to get a
direct perspective about the CAA from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
who is scheduled to visit Brussels to prepare the ground for Prime Minister
NarendraModi's visit in mid-March.
- LokSabha Speaker Om Birla had written to European Parliament President
David Maria Sassoli over the resolutions moved against the CAA. In his
letter, Mr Birla said it is inappropriate for one legislature to pass
judgement on another and the practice can be misused by vested interests.
- LokSabha Speaker also asserted that as Members of the Inter-
Parliamentary Union, sovereign processes of fellow legislatures should be
respected.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
More than 10 new Ramsar wetlands categorised in India
- On January 28, 2020, the Union Ministry declared that Ramsar Convention
had added 10 more sites from India. Today, there are 37 Ramsar sites in the
country.
- Among the 10 sites, Maharashtra (NadurMadhameshwar) gets its first
Ramsar site. The other wetlands sites include one in Uttar Pradesh and 3 in
Punjab(Beas Conservation Reserve, Keshoupur-Miani and Nangal).
- In the past 6 months, the ministry of Environment prepared four pronged
strategies for restoration of wetlands. It includes wetland health cards,
preparing a baseline data, preparing targeted Integrated Management and
enlisting wetland mitras.
- It is important to conserve wetlands for water, food, groundwater
recharge, fibre, water purification, erosion control, flood moderation and
climate regulation.
- Wetlands are the major source of fresh water. They help to soak rain
water and recharge ground water.Conserving Wet Lands will also help in
achieving Nal Se Jal scheme. The scheme aims to provide water connection to
every house hold by 2024.
::SPORTS::
Neeraj Chopra qualifies for Tokyo Olympics
- Star Indian javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Tokyo
Olympics with a throw of 87.86 metres at the Athletics Central North East
meeting in South Africa.
- The 22-year-old Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medallist
breached the Olympic qualification mark of 85 metres in his fourth attempt
at Potchefstroom last night.
- Neeraj had missed the IAAF World Championships, the Diamond League and
the Asian Championships due to an elbow injury. His last major international
competition was the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games where he won gold with a
national record of 88.06 metres.
