Current Affairs for SSC CGL Exams - 8 OCTOBER 2019
::NATIONAL::
Home ministry reiterates statehood to Jammu & Kashmir after improvement in
security situation
- Home Minister Amit Shah today reiterated that statehood of Jammu
and Kashmir will be restored after the improvement in the security situation
there.
- He said, Jammu and Kashmir will not remain a Union Territory
forever. Mr Shah was interacting with the probationers of the 2018 batch of
the Indian Police Service in New Delhi. The Home Minister asserted that some
bold decisions are necessary to be made for people’s benefit, without
getting bogged down by the fear of a backlash.
- He said, not a single bullet had been fired and not a single
person had died after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr
Shah said, this notion that only Article 370 protected the Kashmiri culture
and identity was wrong.
- He asserted that all regional identities are inherently protected
by the Indian constitution. He said, the misuse of the Article 370 is the
root cause of cross-border terrorism.
CPCB to take stock of pollution levels in Delhi-NCR
- Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change
PrakashJavadekar has said 46 teams of the central pollution control board (CPCB)
will take stock of pollution levels in Delhi-NCR from today and appropriate
action will be taken thereafter wherever needed. He was addressing a press
conference over central government initiatives to combat air pollution in
New Delhi today.
- He said that under the visionary leadership of Prime
ministerNarendraModi, the government recognised the problem and launched an
air quality index, which led to greater public awareness and actions to
control air pollution. He further explained ambient air quality monitoring
network in Delhi and NCR has been strengthened.
- The Minister said the focused actions had a positive impact on air
quality. Out of 273 days till last month the number of good satisfactory and
moderate days were 165 against 104 in 2016.
::ECONOMY::
Finance ministry inaugurates national e- assessment centre of income tax
- The Income Tax Department is ushering in a paradigm shift in its
working by introducing faceless e-assessment to impart greater efficiency,
transparency and accountability in the assessment process. There would be no
physical interface between the tax payers and the tax officers.
- The setting up of National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) of the
Income Tax Department is a momentous step towards the larger objectives of
better taxpayer service, reduction of taxpayer grievances in line with Prime
Minister’s vision of ‘Digital India’ and promotion of ease of doing
business.
- Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs Smt.
NirmalaSitharaman will inaugurate National e-Assessment Centre ( NeAC) in
New Delhi tomorrow in the presence of ShriAnurag Singh Thakur, Minister of
State for Finance & Corporate Affairs . Dr. Ajay BhushanPandey, Revenue
Secretary, ShriPramod Chandra Mody, Chairman, CBDT will also be present .
- Officers of the Income Tax Department and other dignitaries shall
also be linked through Multimedia Video Conferencing at Mumbai, Chennai,
Kolkata, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune and Bengaluru.
- Under the new system, tax payers have received notices on their
registered emails as well as on registered accounts on the web portal
www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in with real time alert by way of SMS on their
registered mobile number, specifying the issues for which their cases have
been selected for scrutiny.
MFI’s allowed to lend more loans
- Microfinance lenders including private banks such as Axis Bank,
IndusInd Bank and RBL Bank have raised their cumulative microloan cap per
borrower by 33 percent prompted by strong demand in rural India and rise in
self-employment amid poor industrial demand.
- The new cap proposed by Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN)
is set at Rs 80000, up from Rs 60000 under the joint liability group model
to cover inflation of recent years. This will also help borrowers grow their
businesses such as selling of vegetable or running beauty parlours, the
bankers say. The previous limit was in force since 2013.
- Private banks such as IndusInd, IDFC and RBL are increasing their
exposure to the bottom of the pyramid customers while industrial credit
demand is yet to show momentum.
- The microfinance industry’s total loan portfolio grew 27% in FY18
to Rs 1.37 lakh crore while industrial credit rose just about 1%. The
lenders are expecting growth to further rise to about 50%.
- Although banks are not members of MFIN, which is an industry
association of NBFC-MFIs, they have in principle agreed to follow the
microfinance business code to keep borrowers’ delinquency in check, three
people in the know said.
- Small finance banks also follow the Mutually Agreed Code of
Conduct (MACC) which is designed for all lenders in the microfinance
industry. Out of 10 small finance banks, six including AU Small Finance
Bank, ESAF and Ujjivan are associates.
::INTERNATIONAL::
India lashes out at Pakistan for weaponising women’s right issues at Jammu
for political gains
- India has lashed out at Pakistan for weaponising women's rights
issues for self-serving political gains in Jammu and Kashmir. First
Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, PaulomiTripathi, says it
is ironical that a country where violations of women's right to live in the
name of honour go unpunished is making baseless statements about India.
- She stated this during the UN General Assembly Third Committee
session on 'Advancement of Women' yesterday. Ms.Tripathi did not directly
name Pakistan but was responding to references made to Jammu and Kashmir by
Islamabad's outgoing envoy to the UN MaleehaLodhi.
U.S begins troop withdrawal from Syria
- United States troops have begun withdrawing from positions in
northern Syria, paving the way for a Turkish operation against Kurdish
fighters in the border area.
- Kurdish-led forces have until now been a key US ally in Syria,
where they helped defeat the Islamic State group, but Turkey regards them as
terrorists.
- The main Kurdish-led group called the surprise US to move a stab
in the back. But, President Donald Trump defended the withdrawal, saying it
was time to get out of these endless wars.
- The pullout represents a significant shift in US foreign policy
and goes against the advice of senior officials in the Pentagon and state
department. The White House said yesterday US troops were stepping aside for
an imminent Turkish operation.
::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::
India launches green crackers to curb pollution
- In a bid to resolve the crisis of air pollution, the Governnment
today launched green firecrackers.Union Minister for Science & Technology,
Earth Sciences and Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan today
announced in a Press Conference in New Delhi,that Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) labs have been successful in developing various
environment-friendly fireworks such as sound emitting crackers, flowerpots,
pencils, chakkar and sparklers.
- He further informed that due to the ban that had been imposed as
per the orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, there was a threat of
imminent closure of the entire fireworks industry. However, Science has once
again come to the rescue of the common man and millions of jobs have been
saved due to the interventions made by our scientists.
::SPORTS::
Djokovic wins Japan open title
- World number one Novak Djokovic clinched the Japan Open tennis
title today defeating Australian qualifier John Millman 6-3, 6-2 in straight
sets.
- Djokovic, playing in his first Japanese competition, dominated
throughout the game, to claim the trophy at the AriakeColosseum at Tokyo.
- Djokovic grabbed an early break in the first set to take a 3-1
lead with a series of sizzling serves and precision returns that had Millman
scrambling across the baseline.
