Current Affairs - 2019-20

Notes:
Under the Part XXI of the Constitution of India, which deals with “Temporary, Transitional and Special provisions”, Article 370 is a temporary provision granting special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir. However, all sections of article 370 except article 370(1) have been abrogated in 2019.

Notes:
Before April 2019, National Housing Bank (NHB) was a wholly-owned subsidiary of RBI. RBI sold its 100% equity to government in 2019 and now its owner is Government of India. This was done to end the cross-holding in the regulatory institutions as per the Narasimham-II committee report’s recommendations.

Notes:
National Highway Authority of India was awarded with Best Design Pavilion Award in the recently concluded 105th Indian Science Congress held in Imphal.

Notes:
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.

Notes:

Area of sectors
=> Area of square = 4 4 = 16 sq.cm.
∴ Area of the remaining portion = (16 – 4π) sq.cm.
Hence option [B] is the right answer.

Notes:
A market economy is an economic system where decision regarding investment, production, and distribution are based on supply and demand basis. But China’s economic system is characterized by large number of state-owned companies, with subsidies, with dumping facilities in other states. Since China’s economic system is in contrast to that of economic integration, both EU and USA are reluctant to treat China as a “market economy” under World Trade Organisation rules.

Notes:
Nanaji Deshmukh was born in a Marathi-speaking Deshastha Brahmin family on 11 October 1916 in Kadoli, a small town in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra. Recently, on 11^th October, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the birth centenary celebration of Nanaji Deshmukh at IARI at Pusa in New Delhi. Prime Minister launched the Gram Samvad App which will carry information on the progress of rural development works at the Gram Panchayat level and released a commemorative postage stamp on Nanaji Deshmukh. Nanaji Deshmukh established Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya, India’s first rural university. He also established Bharat’s first Saraswati Shishu Mandir at Gorakhpur in 1950. He established Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) in 1972 to validate the philosophy of Integral Humanism propounded by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He launched the “Campaign for Self-Reliance” thereby carrying out a social restructuring programme in over 500 villages in the country. He passed away in 2010.

Notes:
National Accountability Bureau is Pakistan’s corruption watchdog. Its an autonomous and constitutional body of that country responsible to build efforts against corruption and prepare critical national economic intelligence assessments against economic terrorism to Pakistan government. It has been frequently in news in context with corruption charges on Nawaj Sharif. It recently also ordered the freezing of properties and assets of finance minister Ishaq Dar, who is also facing a reference in the Accountability Court for possessing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Notes:
PMMSK scheme is envisioned as one-stop convergence support service for empowering rural women with opportunities for skill development, digital literacy, health and nutrition and employment. It aims to improve declining child sex ratio (CSR), ensure survival and protection of the girl child, ensuring the education and empowering her to fulfil her potential. It will provide an interface for rural women to approach government for getting their entitlement and for empowering them through training and capacity building.

Notes:
The 12th G-20 summit concluded in July 2017 in Germany’s Hamburg city with adaptation of Hamburg Action Plan. It sets out the group’s strategy for achieving strong. At the summit, the G20 members took resolution to tackle common challenges to the global community, including terrorism, displacement, hunger, poverty and health threats, job creation, climate change, energy security and inequality including gender inequality, as a basis for sustainable development and stability. The members agreed to harness the benefits of globalisation and fulfilling the promises made in the Paris agreement.