Current Affairs - 2019-20

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The United Nations Public Service Day is observed every year on June 23 to recognize the work of public servants and to encourage young people to pursue careers in the public sector. The day is also observed to celebrate value and virtue of public service to the community and to raise awareness regarding the contribution of public service in the development of society and honouring the work of public servants.

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India’s first-ever railways disaster management centre is expected to come up near Bengaluru, Karnataka by 2018 and will be used to replicate train accidents to improve rescue operation efforts. It will also have a virtual reality centre for analyzing railway accidents. The focus is on imparting state-of-the-art training on rescue, medical relief and rolling stock restoration techniques in a classroom and also using various simulated teaching aids. Though, it is the practical reproduction of accidents on site and the ensuing rescue operations that are being touted as the big ticket venture.

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Cervus elaphus hanglu, also known as Hangul or Kashmir red deer, is a subspecies of Central Asian red deer. It is native to India and is found in dense riverine forests in the high valleys and mountains of the Kashmir Valley and northern Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh.
The Hangul is a critically endangered animal. It is listed as critically endangered in the IUCN Red Data Book and is under Appendix – I in CITES listings. The Wildlife Department of Jammu and Kashmir Government launched “Project Hangul” in 1970 to save the Hangul.
The Hangul has a brown coat color with speckled hairs. It has a light rump patch, but not including the tail. The buttocks are greyish white on the inner side, and the upper side of the tail is black.
The Hangul population has seen a marginal increase in Kashmir. In 2019, there were 237 Hanguls, in 2021 there were 261, and in 2023 there were 289. However, the basic demographic ratio of male: female and female: fawn are skewed.

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The Government of India (GoI) had constituted an 8-member task force under CBDT member Arvind Modi in November 2017 to review the Income-tax Act of 1961 and to draft a new Direct Tax Law in consonance with the economic needs of the country. Recently, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has invited suggestions and feedback from stakeholders and general public in the format provided on the departmental website. It stated that the format can be downloaded from the website and suggestions may be sent through e-mail at [email protected], latest by 2nd of next month. The task force will also study the direct tax system in other countries and also keep in mind international best practices. The committee will submit its report in May 2018.

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Recently, Baiga tribe became India's first community to get habitat rights as per Forest Rights Act of 2006. Baiga tribe is mainly found in Madhya Pradesh. Phase Pardhi tribe are most commonly found in the state of Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

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All given features are of Indian roller

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Third option is the correct answer

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'Tulaipanji' and 'Gobindobhog' are varieties of aromatic rice. Recently, the Bengal Government applied in the Office of Geographical Indications, Chennai for GI certification of products.

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In Budget 2018, government announced for Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme that aims to convert cattle dung and solid waste in farms to compost, biogas and bio-CNG.

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Recently, Shri Vijaybhai Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat inaugurated the SAARC Disaster Management Centre at the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM), Gandhinagar, on May 24, 2017. The setup of the SAARC Disaster Management Centre in India consolidates India's role as first responders in crises and furthers “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” policy in external environment especially in the neighbourhood.