IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-02

IASTODAY CAPSULES are available free -date wise => CLICK HERE

India an important actor in climate action, making fantastic efforts in renewable energy: UN Chief

News

• India is a very important actor and “fundamental partner” in international efforts on climate action and is making a “fantastic effort” to grow its renewable energy basket, UN Chief said.

Important actor

• UN Secretary-General Guterres, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions, recalled his leadership of the International Solar Alliance and described India’s gift of 193 solar panels to the world organisation as “very useful.”
• In a first of its kind , a 50-kilowatt Gandhi Solar Park will be inaugurated by Mr. Modi during the high-level UN General Assembly session next week.
• In a contribution of close to $1 million, India has gifted solar panels that have been installed on the roof of the UN Headquarters here, each panel representing the 193 UN member states.
• Indian Prime Minister will remotely inaugurate the Gandhi Solar Park at the UN Headquarters during a special commemorative event on September 24 to mark Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary.

Kerala allots ₹50 cr. to rebuild flood-hit houses in Ernakulam district

News

• The Kerala State has allotted ₹50 crore from its disaster relief fund to rebuild houses in Ernakulam district that were damaged in August 2018 floods.

Disaster relief fund

• The tahsildar will distribute the funds to affected people, depending on the funds being made available.
• The decision to allot funds was taken based on a report submitted by District Collector.
• Earlier, numerous affected persons had submitted appeals on the relief that was given to them. The sum of ₹50 crore will be distributed to people, based on the quantum of damage that their houses suffered.
• Meanwhile, a Central team visited areas in North Paravur and Aluva taluks that were affected in the floods of August 2018 and 2019.
• The visiting team members were told that Ernakulam district received 140 % extra rain than usual from August 1 to 30. The quantum leap of 443% rainfall from August 6 to 14 resulted in the Periyar and Muvattupuzha rivers overflowing their banks. It led to low-lying areas getting inundated. Residents and others had to be evacuated to safety.
• The floods hit a total of 62 villages in Ernakulam, while 169 relief camps were opened to provide shelter to 43,618 people of 13,768 families. A total of 27 houses were fully damaged, while 350 suffered damage to the extent of 75%. Agricultural produce in 3,122 hectares was destroyed.
• The industrial sector and power utilities too were damaged. Clean-up drives were taken up in all the places.

SEBI tightens norms for liquid funds

News

• As part of its attempts to strengthen the risk management framework for liquid funds, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has made it mandatory for such funds to hold at least 20% of its net assets in liquid assets while mandating an exit load on investors that exit within seven days of making an investment.

Tightening norms

• Liquid funds shall hold at least 20% of their net assets in liquid assets. For this purpose, liquid assets shall include cash, government securities, T-bills and repo on government securities.
• In case the exposure in such liquid assets falls below 20% of net assets of the scheme, the fund house will first have to meet the 20% norm before making any further investments.
• The capital markets watchdog has also barred liquid funds and overnight funds from parking money, pending deployment, in short-term deposits of scheduled commercial banks and also debt securities having structured obligations (SO rating) and/or credit enhancements (CE rating).
• Debt securities with government guarantee, have been excluded from such restriction.
• The new norms will be effective from April 1, 2020.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar holds talks on terrorism, regional issues with top Finnish leadership

News

• Indian External Affairs Minister has held long discussions on cross-border terrorism with the top Finnish leadership, amidst Pakistan’s bid to internationalise the Kashmir issue after India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

Bilateral relations

• Indian External Affairs Minister, is on a three-day visit to Finland held talks with Prime Minister Antti Rinne and his Finnish counterpart Pekka Haavisto on a broad spectrum of bilateral relations.
• Indian External Affairs Minister and Haavisto had “long discussion” on terrorism and the two leaders reviewed bilateral relationship with special focus on green technologies.
• They also exchanged notes on regional issues.

IASTODAY DAILY CAPSULES -General Studies-03

India, Mongolia to explore space together

News

• India and Mongolia signed MoUs on space cooperation and disaster management that will provide a new dimension to the India-Mongolia strategic partnership.

India-Mongolia strategic partnership

• The agreements would allow India to support Mongolia in resource management and satellite communication.
• The space cooperation would allow “peaceful exploration” of outer space and include remote sensing and weather forecasting.
• Both sides took stock of the project to build a Cyber Security Training Centre to be established in Mongolia with Indian support.
• The cyber centre is nearing completion. India and Mongolia at present carry out regular military exercises named “Nomadic Elephant” and “Khaan Quest” which is expected to be broadened following the understanding reached.
• India has announced it will continue to help Mongolia with capacity building and training programmes for its citizens across diverse professions.

J&K ‘infiltrated by 60 foreign militants’

News

• Around “60 foreign militants” have infiltrated Jammu and Kashmir in the last one month, three government officials told.

Infiltration

• Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) claimed that recruitment of locals into terror groups had been at an all-time low. In the past 45 days, only two men have joined terror groups.
• The number of foreign militants was arrived at after an assessment by multiple agencies, including the Army and the Border Security Force (BSF).
• Several instances of movement of militants in Srinagar and other areas was being viewed with utmost concern in the security establishment. The senior government official said there had been incidents in Srinagar of militants firing in the air to threaten locals.
• The local conduits of terrorist groups were travelling to Punjab to make calls to their handlers in Pakistan as mobile phone communication remains blocked in the Kashmir Valley and in areas along the Line of Control (LoC).
• The spurt in shelling and firing along the LoC was a cover to push infiltrators.
• According to the government, more than 2,050 unprovoked ceasefire violations had been reported this year along the LoC, killing 21 Indians.
• The recruitment of locals had been low owing to lack of weapons with terrorist groups.

In a first, ED attaches chimpanzees and marmosets in money-laundering investigation

News

• In a first, the Enforcement Directorate has issued a provisional attachment order in respect of three chimpanzees and four marmosets in connection with a money laundering probe into a Wildlife (Protection) Act case.
• The total value of attachment is ₹81 lakh.

Provisional attachment order

• The ED investigation is based on an information received from the Wildlife Department of the West Bengal government regarding seizure of prohibited wildlife from one Supradip Guha in Kolkata.
• The local police had registered an FIR against the accused for forgery as he was found using a fake authorisation letter to transport birds.
• Further probe revealed that he ran an organised wildlife smuggling racket.
• The three chimpanzees and marmosets have been kept with the Alipore Zoological Garden in Kolkata. The accused was attempting to take their possession by making false statements and producing forged documents.
• The zoo authorities then sought ED action to help them retain the wild animals.

Coast Guard seizes ketamine worth ₹300 crore off Nicobar islands

News

• The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) intercepted a suspicious Myanmarese vessel operating near the Car Nicobar islands and seized 1,160 kg of drug ketamine worth ₹300 crore in the international market.
• In the last five years, the ICG has apprehended narcotics and other psychotropic substances to the tune of ₹6,000 crore, excluding the current operation.

Genetics reveals origin and evolution of blackbuck, chinkara

News:

• Researchers studied four genera of ‘true antelopes’ Gazella, Nanger, Eudorcasand Antilope and found that the blackbuck’s (Antilope cervicapra) ancestors came into India from the Saharo-Arabian region about two million years ago and then evolved to its current form.

Origin and evolution

• Researchers states that the lack of blackbuck fossils outside India leads to the speculation that they diverged from their ancestors only after reaching India, long after the intensification of aridification in the Indian subcontinent.
• The expansion of grasslands following that period opened up new niches, which could have facilitated the divergence of many taxa.
• Blackbucks have been confined to the scrubland regions of India, currently seen in most States, except for the Terai region, northeast and the Western Ghats. In the south, blackbucks can be seen up to the Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu.
• Researchers also noted that Antilopewas not a sister of Gazella, as was previously believed, but was within the same genera. This would call for reclassifying the genus.
• Usually, researchers use mitochondrial DNA for genetic analysis. However, this team used nuclear DNA, which has genetic material from both parents. They used 12 different nuclear markers for the study.
• Chinkara(Gazella bennetti), another ‘true antelope’ of India, evolved much more recently about 7,00,000 years ago, probably after the establishment of the Thar desert. These are also found in the hilly terrains of Iran, and are known as Iranian Gazelle. Being facultative drinkers, they were better adapted to the drier, semi-arid region.
• Genetics has now helped researchers tell two stories of origin and evolution.

37th GST Council meeting | Highlights: Cess cut to 12% on 1,500cc diesel, 1,200 cc petrol vehicles

News

• Amid clamour for rate cut by various industries, the all powerful GST Council held a crucial meeting to decide on tax moderation, keeping in mind the revenue position and the need to boost sagging economic growth.

Highlights of the 37th GST Council meeting.

• GST Council recommends lower 12% cess on 1,500 cc diesel, 1,200 cc petrol vehicles with capacity to carry up to 13 people.
• Group insurance schemes for paramilitary forces under the Home Affairs ministry to be exempted from GST.
• GST rate on caffeinated beverages raised from 18% to 28% with 12% compensation cess.
• Uniform GST rate of 12% to be levied on polypropylene bags and sacks used for packing of goods
• GST exempted on specified defence goods not manufactured in India
• Rate levied on cut and polished semi precious stones has been dropped from 3% to 0.25%.
• Jewellery exports to now attract zero GST.
• GST on fishmeal used by fishermen being exempted from July 2017 to September 30 this year. There was lack of clarity on their GST coverage and no tax was collected so that has been resolved.
• Aerated drink manufacturers shall not be under the composition scheme anymore.
• Uniform GST rate of 12% to be levied on polypropylene bags and sacks used for packing of goods.
• GST rate hiked on railway wagon, coaches from 5% to 12%.
• Rate reduction on hotel accommodation services.
• For Transaction value per unit per day of ₹1000 or less, will attract nil GST. For ₹1001 upto ₹7500, now the tax rate will be 12%. Anything above ₹7501 will attract 18%. It was 28% till now.
• Job work services related to diamonds reduced from 5% to 1.5%. For machine job works in engineering industry, GST down from 18 to 12. But bus body building works still taxed at 18%.

All these rate changes will be effective from October 1 2019.

    CLICK HERE TO SEE DATE WISE CURRENT AFFAIRS