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Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 30 August 2020

::NATIONAL::

Centre considering possibility of common electoral roll for elections

The government IS discussing the possibility of having a common electoral roll for LokSabha, assembly and local body elections to avoid discrepancies and bring uniformity in the voters list, officials said on Saturday. At present, the Election Commission prepares the electoral roll or voter list for LokSabha and assembly polls.
The state election commissions, which are altogether separate bodies as per constitutional provisions, hold elections for local bodies such as municipalities and panchayatsin their respective states based on their own voter lists.
There are provisions in the Constitution that empower states to formulate their own laws to hold panchayat and municipal polls. States also have powers to either have their own voter lists or to adopt the one prepared by the EC for assembly polls.
The Election Commission, the Law Commission and the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Personnel Ministries have supported the idea of a single voter list in the past also.
In its report on Demands for Grants (2016-17) of the Law Ministry, the standing committee had also pointed out that as of now, the EC and State Election Commissions have separate electoral rolls.

Centre asks departments to review service records of employees

The Centre has asked all its departments to review service records of employees who have completed 30 years in job to identify inefficient or corrupt staff and retire them prematurely in public interest, according to a Personnel Ministry order.
The employees' performance review is conducted under the Fundamental Rule (FR) 56 (J) and 56 (I), and also under Rule 48 (1) (b) of the Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, that gives "absolute right" to the appropriate authority to retire a government servant, "if it is necessary to do so in public interest".
The government may, at any time after a government servant has attained the age of 50/55 years or completed 30 years of service, as the case may be, retire him/her prematurely in public interest, it said.
Instructions have been issued from time to time for undertaking periodic review of performance of government servants with a view to ascertain whether they should be retained in service or retired prematurely, the ministry said.
The Personnel Ministry has also mentioned composition of a review committee and broad criteria to be followed by it while conducting assessment of the employees' performance.

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::ECONOMY::

Southern states increase borrowings as tax revenues fall

South Indian states have raised cheaper and longer-term debt during the first five months of the ongoing fiscal year amid a sharp fall in tax revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the resultant economic crisis, and are using the funds to meet their rising health care expenses.
Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Kerala have together raised over 1.2 lakh crore, and along with Maharashtra, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Haryana have emerged as the largest borrowers so far, accounting for 83% of the total state government borrowings of 2.7 lakh crore.
The states have gained significantly from the prevailing low interest rates and longer loan tenures of 30-35 years. They have also managed to tap the debt markets much before borrowings by the central government and corporates harden rates and affect market appetite.
The increased market borrowings are well within the permitted annual limits under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, they said.
The increased market borrowings are well within the permitted annual limits under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act, they said. According to the latest Reserve Bank of India data, Tamil Nadu mobilised 44,750 crore during April-August, an increase of 128% over 19,615 crore in the same period last year. Karnataka’s borrowings surged 375% to 19,000 crore, from 4,000 crore a year ago, the highest in percentage terms.

PM urges startups to make India a hub of toy manufacturing

The Prime Minister urged the Start Ups to team up and manufacture toys to make India a hub for toy production. The Prime Minister underlined the need to promote local toys and said it is time to go Vocal for Local Toys. He lauded the rich tradition of manufacture of local toys in the country and the skill, talent and expertise of our artisans in making good toys.
Mr.Modi cited the examples of places like Channapatna in Ramnagaram in Karnataka, Kondaplli in Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, Thanjavur in Tamilnadu, Dhubari in Assam, and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh which are developing as toy clusters.
PM said the Global Toy Industry is more than 7 lakh crore rupees but India's share is very little in this. He called upon the cottage industries, small industries, MSMEs, big industries and private entrepreneurs to join hands to enhance India’s share in this sector.
The Prime Minister said good quality toys should be manufactured which are also favourable to the environment. He stated that the local toy industry can bring back the glorious past and add to the golden future of the country.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

UAE ends economic boycott of Israel

The President of the United Arab Emirates scrapped an economic boycott against Israel, allowing trade and financial agreements between the countries in another key step towards normal ties, the UAE’s state news agency reported on Saturday.
Israel and the UAE said on August 13 that they would normalise diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of West Asia’s politics, from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran.
President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a decree abolishing a boycott law as part of “the UAE’s efforts to expand diplomatic and commercial cooperation with Israel, leading to bilateral relations by stimulating economic growth and promoting technological innovation,” the WAM news agency said.
The announcement came as Israeli flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines Ltd prepared to operate the country’s first direct flight between capital Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and the UAE’s capital, Abu Dhabi.
An Israeli government delegation and top aides to Mr. Trump, including his senior adviser Jared Kushner, are due to travel on the flight on August 31, a U.S. official said. Before the August 13 deal can be officially signed, details must be agreed on issues such as the opening of Embassies, trade and travel links.
Israeli Agriculture Minister Alon Schuster said Israel was working on potential joint projects that could help improve the oil-rich Gulf nation’s food security, such as water desalination and crop cultivation in the desert.

India withdraws from Russian multilateral military exercise due to COVID pandemic

India has announced that it is withdrawing from multilateral Military Exercise Kavkaz 2020 to be held in Russia next month. Defence Ministry said, Russia and India are close and privileged strategic partners and at Russia's invitation India has been participating in many international events.
However, in view of Pandemic and consequent difficulties in exercise, including arrangements of logistics, India has decided not to send a contingent this year to Kavkaz-2020. The Ministry said, the decision has been conveyed to the Russian side.

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::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

India and UAE launches technology driven agricommodity trading and sourcing e-market platform

The UAE has launched Agriota, a new technology-driven agri-commodity trading and sourcing e-market platform that will bridge the gap between millions of rural farmers in India and the Gulf nation's food industry.
Under the initiative, launched earlier this week by the Dubai's free-zone Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and the government of Dubai's authority on commodities trade and enterprise, millions of Indian farmers will get an opportunity to connect directly with the entire food industry in the UAE, including food processing companies, traders and wholesalers through the Agriota-E Marketplace platform.
The marketplace allows the farmers to bypass intermediaries, optimising the supply chain and ensuring traceability to create value for all stakeholders, officials said.
The online marketplace also provides end-to-end traceability and transparency through last-mile verification and extension infrastructure in a blockchain environment.

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::SPORTS::

Satyendrasingh to receive Divyang sportsperson award

Para-swimmer Satyendra Singh Lohia of Madhya Pradesh is the first Divyanga Indian sportsperson of the country, who has been awarded today with the Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award. He is also the first Asian Divyang swimmer to cross the 42-kilometer Catalina Channel in the US in just 11 hours 34 minutes.
ShriLohiasays,''I have made my problem my strength. Divyang only needs cooperation and respect, not sympathy." Para-swimmer Satyendra Singh was also conferred with the Best Sportsperson National Award by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on World Divyanga Day.
He has also been awarded the highest sports award of Madhya Pradesh as well as many other national and international honours.

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