Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 03 February 2020

::NATIONAL::

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has stressed on the need to revisit our education policy with emphasis on skilling with schooling.
Speaking after inaugurating the vocational training institute at Hubballi in Karnataka today, he said education is not just meant for getting degree but must enlighten and empower the person. He recalled the importance of craft, gardening, NCC, NSS, Moral Science and history as part of moulding the personality.
On the importance of Skill India programme, he added, that demographic dividend can be reaped only by skilled manpower. He said 87 lakh youth have benefitted by KaushalVikasyojana.
He called upon private voluntary organisations to come forward to train youth in advanced skills and asked industries to join hands with the Universities. He said that the mindset that the Government will do everything must change.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister for Parliamentary affairs, Prahlad Joshi said 24 percent of youth in China, 80 percent in Japan and 96 percent in South Korea are skilled and same must be replicated in India.

As the debate surrounding the review of open-ended procurement policy has started gaining momentum, following a recommendation by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Price (CACP) to the Centre government, ........................................

Union Finance Minister NirmalaSitharaman on Sunday scotched fears that provisions introduced in the Budget would bring Indian workers’ income in zero tax jurisdictions, like the UAE, into the Indian tax net.
The Finance Bill has proposed three major changes to prevent tax abuse by citizens who don’t pay taxes anywhere in the world — reducing the number of days that an Indian citizen can be granted non-resident status for tax purposes from 182 to 120; citizens who don’t pay taxes anywhere will be deemed to be a resident; and the definition of ‘not ordinarily resident’ has been tightened.
“Let’s say an NRI, living in Dubai or elsewhere, is not taxed for his income there, but has some earnings through something in India for which he doesn't pay tax here. We are saying, for that income which is generated in India, pay a tax,” she said.
Alarmed by the possible implications of the new provisions, Kerala Chief Minister PinarayiVijayan wrote to Prime Minister NarendraModi on Sunday, recording the State’s strong disagreement over the provision as it will hurt Indians working in the Middle East, “who toil and bring foreign exchange to the country” through remittances.
The Ministry will incorporate a clarification, if required, into the law so that only income derived from an Indian business or profession will be taxable for such citizens, the Minister said.

The Centre has rejected the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendation to give special grants worth ₹6,764 crore to States in 2020-21 to ensure that they do not receive less than the previous year’s allocation.
This was one of the few ....................................

The G7 countries will formulate a joint response to the coronavirus epidemic. Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn said that he talked on the phone with his US counterpart.
He said they have agreed that there should be a discussion by the G7 Health Ministers to deal with the epidemic together. Spahn said there is no point in each country deciding on measures alone.
G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Meanwhile, Mongolia, Russia and Nepal have closed their land borders.
A second French-chartered plane carrying 300 evacuees from China fled to military base of Istres in France yesterday. A first plane landed Friday near Marseille.
Iraq's Interior Ministry announced that it would not allow foreigners travelling from China to enter the country over fears of an outbreak of coronavirus.
Bangladesh has decided to temporarily suspend the facility of on-arrival visa to Chinese citizens for one month in view of the concerns over the spread of Coronavirus.

Two days after Brexit, British officials pushed the European Union on Sunday for a Canada-style free trade arrangement as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson geared up for a key speech to spell out his government’s negotiating stance.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Sky .....................................................

Defence Ministers of nearly 40 countries have confirmed their participation for the biennial defence exposition DefExpo2020 beginning in Lucknow from the 5th of February. The Ministers include are from Czech Republic, Mexico, South Korea, United Arab Emirates and 14 African countries.
Live demonstrations of the services, DPSUs and industry showing the land, naval, air and internal security systems will be in action. The live demonstration will be held at two locations at the exhibition site and the other ......................................

In tennis, Serbia's Novak Djokovic won his record 8th Men's singles title in Australian Open at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne yesterday.
He beat first-time Australian Open finalist Dominic Thiem of Austria.The men's doubles title was clinched by Joe Salisbury of UK and American Rajeev Ram who beat Australia's Luke Saville and Max Purcell.