Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 01 February 2020

::NATIONAL::

President addresses both houses of parliament ahead of budget session

President Ram NathKovind said abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A related to Jammu and Kashmir, has paved way for equal development of the regions and people in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have got rights on par with the rest of the country. He was addressing the joint sitting of both the houses f Parliament at Central Hall today.
The President hailed the Citizenship Amendment Act as historic and said it has fulfilled wishes of Father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Mr.Kovind said, the mutual debate and discussion on any issue strengthen democracy, while violence during protests weaken it.
Mr Kovind highlighted several work done by the government at the ground level in the last five years which has helped India's ranking on several International ranking indices. Lauding the contributions of farmers, the President said that bringing about a change in their lives is the priority of the government.
Talking about the health initiatives, Mr.Kovind said, impact of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme on the health sector of the country is visible. On women safety, the President said that the more than 600 One Stop Centres have been set up in the country and a national database has been created to identify the perpetrators of crimes against women.
He asserted that the government is working with full strength and determination to free the country from the scourge of terrorism. He said the security situation in the North East has also improved significantly due to the concerted efforts of the government.

Delhi high court postpones death warrant execution of Nirbhaya case convicts

A Delhi court today postponed execution of death warrants of the four convicts in the Nirbhayagangrape and murder case till further order. Additional Sessions Judge DharmenderRana passed the order ...........................................

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::ECONOMY::

Economy survey emphasizes on wealth creation at grassroot level

Economic Survey 2019-20 has emphasised on entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation at the Grassroots. It has suggested that industrial sector performance is a key to achieve the target of a five trillion dollar economy.
The Economic Survey 2019-20, tabled by the Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman in Parliament today, also suggested sectoral initiatives for industrial revival. The survey has projected economic growth at 6 to 6.5 percent in the next fiscal. It called for more reforms for making it easier to do business in country.
The survey said for India to achieve a five trillion US dollar economy depends on promoting pro-business policies, strengthening the invisible hand of the market and ease of doing business.
The Economic Survey gave a detailed analysis of the trends in India’s infrastructure sector which is necessary for growth. Power shortages, inadequate transport and poor connectivity affect overall growth performance.
To achieve GDP of five trillion dollar by 2024 - 25, India needs to spend about 100 lakh crore rupees on infrastructure. According to the survey, there is a significant jump of around 2.62 crore new jobs with 1.21 crore in rural areas and 1.39 crore in urban areas. Over 69 lakh candidates have been trained under PradhanMantriKaushalVikasYojana till November last year.
The Economic Survey underscores various programmes and legislative measures that are in place to encourage female participation in the economy. Talking exclusively to AIR News Chief Economic Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian said that India has certainly made substantial progress in improving ease of doing business.

Centre bans export of all kinds of respiratory masks

India on Friday banned exports of all kinds of personal protection equipment, including clothing and masks used to protect people from air borne particles.
The move assumes ..................................................

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::INTERNATIONAL::

WHO declares corona outbreak as global emergency

The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the new coronavirus, as China reported Friday the death toll had climbed to 213 with nearly 10,000 infections.
The UN health agency based in Geneva had initially downplayed the threat posed by the disease, but revised its risk assessment after crisis talks.
Many countries have already urged their citizens not to visit China, while some have banned entry for travellers from the central Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus first surfaced.
More than 6,000 tourists were temporarily put under lockdown aboard a cruise ship at an Italian port after two Chinese passengers were isolated over fears they could be carrying the virus. They later tested negative for the illness.
Beijing has taken extreme steps to stop the spread of the virus, including effectively quarantining more than 50 million people in Wuhan and surrounding Hubei province.
The virus is similar to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) pathogen. That outbreak also began in China and eventually killed nearly 800 people worldwide in 2002-03.

UN affirms commitment to resolve Palestine-Israel conflict

UN chief Antonio Guterres said the global body remains committed to supporting Palestinians and Israelis to resolve the conflict on the basis of UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements, a day ................................

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::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Google to promote news literacy amongst Indians,prepares AI model to study whales

On January 31, 2020, Google announced I million USD grant to promote news literacy among Indians. Also, the organization has launched a new application called Tangi.
The Google News ..................................................

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::SPORTS::

India beats New Zealand to clinch series

India beat New Zealand via Super Over in the fourth T20 International after a second successive tie at Wellington today. Chasing the target of 166 set by India, New Zealand were coasting at one stage before the hosts were restricted to 165 for 7.
Needing 7 runs of Shardul Thakur's last over, New Zealand buckled under pressure and lost two wickets as India took the match into the Super Over for the second consecutive game. Earlier, sent in to bat, India posted 165 for 8, riding on Manish Pandey's 36-ball 50.