{"id":54801,"date":"2019-11-20T21:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T15:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/?p=54801"},"modified":"2020-02-27T15:11:22","modified_gmt":"2020-02-27T09:41:22","slug":"9-pm-current-affairs-brief-november-20th-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-november-20th-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 November 20th, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/this-word-means-deposit-insurance-6126296\/\"><strong>Explained:What\nis deposit insurance?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Recently,the failure of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative(PMC)\nBank has reignited the debate on the low level of insurance against the\ndeposits held by customers in Indian banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is\nthe insurance cover provided currently?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Currently,in case of a bank\ncollapse,a depositor can claim an amount up to a maximum of \u20b9 1 lakh per\naccount as the insurance cover(even if the deposit in their account is greater\nthan \u20b91 lakh). <\/li><li>This amount is termed \u2018deposit\ninsurance\u2019- the insurance cover against the deposits of an individual in banks.<\/li><li>The insurance cover is provided by\nthe Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation(DICGC).<\/li><li>DICGC had last revised the deposit\ninsurance cover to \u20b9 1 lakh in 1993, raising it from \u20b9 30,000 since 1980.But\nthe protection cover of deposits in Indian banks through insurance is still\namong the lowest in the world.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nDICGC:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Deposit Insurance and Credit\nGuarantee Corporation (DICGC) is a subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of\nIndia(RBI).<\/li><li>It was established in 1978 as a statutory\nbody under Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Act,1961.<\/li><li>The act provides for the\nestablishment of a Corporation for the purpose of insurance of deposits and\nguaranteeing of credit facilities and for other matters connected therewith or\nincidental thereto.<\/li><li>The Deputy Governor of RBI acts as\nits Chairman of DICGC.It is headquartered in Mumbai.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Which\nbanks are insured by DICGC:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>DICGC provides insurance covers\nfor all commercial banks, local area banks, regional rural banks and co-operative\nbanks and branches of foreign banks in India.<\/li><li>However,the Primary cooperative\nsocieties, Non-banking financial companies(NBFCs) and mutual funds are not\ninsured by the DICGC.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Types\nof Deposits Covered:<\/strong>DICGC insures all bank deposits\nsuch as savings, fixed, current, recurring, etc except the following types of\ndeposits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Deposits of foreign Governments;<\/li><li>Deposits of Central\/State\nGovernments;<\/li><li>Inter-bank deposits<\/li><li>Deposits of the State Land\nDevelopment Banks with the State co-operative banks;<\/li><li>Any amount due on account of and\ndeposit received outside India<\/li><li>Any amount which has been\nspecifically exempted by the corporation with the previous approval of the RBI.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-standard.com\/article\/pti-stories\/india-ranks-59-on-imd-world-talent-ranking-report-119111801318_1.html\"><strong>India ranks 59\non IMD World Talent Ranking Report<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The IMD World Talent Ranking- 2019 has been released.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nIMD World Talent Ranking:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The World Talent Ranking is\nreleased by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) based\nin Switzerland.<\/li><li>The ranking is based on the\nperformance in three main categories namely investment and development, appeal\nand readiness.<\/li><li>The three categories assess how\ncountries perform in a wide range of areas.These include education,\napprenticeships, workplace training, language skills, cost of living, quality\nof life, remuneration and tax rates.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the ranking:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Switzerland retained its title as\nthe world&#8217;s top talent hub and topped the ranking followed by Denmark and\nSweden.<\/li><li>The countries at the top of the\nrankings share strong levels of investment in education and a high quality of\nlife.<\/li><li>India has slipped 6 places from\n53rd in 2018 to 59th rank this year on a global annual list of 63 countries.<\/li><li>India also lagged behind BRICS\ncountries with China ranked 42nd on the list, Russia (47th) and South\nAfrica(50th).However,Brazil was ranked at 61st place behind India.<\/li><li>India witnessed one of the\nsharpest declines among the Asian economies due to (a)low quality of life\n(b)negative impact of brain drain, and (c)low priority of its economy on\nattracting and retaining talents.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1591975\"><strong>Inauguration of\nKimberley Process Certification Scheme(KPCS) 2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The Plenary meeting of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme\n(KPCS) is being hosted by India in New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe Plenary meeting:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The meeting will be hosted by the\nMinistry of Commerce and Industry. <\/li><li>The Plenary meeting is held\nannually to discuss the latest developments in the implementation of the\nKimberley Process Certification Scheme ,wider diamond governance and the\nongoing reform agenda of the Kimberley Process.<\/li><li>During the meeting three special\nforums are to be held which includes (a)adapting to changes in the diamond\nindustry (b)financial inclusion and women empowerment in the diamond industry\nand (c)origin and identification of diamonds.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nKimberley Process:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Kimberley Process is an\ninternational certification scheme that regulates trade in rough diamonds. <\/li><li>It aims to prevent the flow of\nconflict diamonds while helping to protect legitimate trade in rough diamonds.<\/li><li>The Kimberley Process\nCertification Scheme(KPCS) outlines the rules that govern the trade in rough\ndiamonds.India is one of the founding members of the KPCS.<\/li><li>The KP is not an international\norganisation as it has no permanent offices or permanent staff.<\/li><li>It relies on the contributions\nunder the principle of burden sharing of participants supported by industry and\ncivil society observers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Significance\nof KPCS:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Currently,India is exporting 24\nbillion USD. In the coming years it is expected that the target will reach 1\ntrillion USD.<\/li><li>There are more than 1 million\npeople employed in the diamond industry in India.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nConflict Diamonds:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Conflict diamonds, also known as\nblood diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to\nfinance armed conflicts aimed at undermining legitimate governments.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/explained-why-morgan-stanley-sees-indias-growth-recovering-next-year-6125341\/\"><strong>Explained: Why\nMorgan Stanley sees India\u2019s growth recovering next year<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Morgan Stanley has released the Global Macro Outlook report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\ndoes the report say?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The report has stated that the\nglobal economy is likely to recover starting with the first quarter of 2020.<\/li><li>The trade tensions and monetary\npolicy are easing concurrently for the first time in seven quarters, lifting\nglobal growth. <\/li><li>However,they have said that the\nmain thrust of the recovery will come from the emerging markets instead of the\nUS.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Report\non India\u2019s growth:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The report has said that India\u2019s\ngrowth rate has been falling since 2017-18.This trend of deceleration has\nintensified in the recent past as reflected in the GDP growth rates.<\/li><li>However,the report expects India\u2019s\nGDP to grow at 6.5% in the financial year 2020-21 and 6.9% in the financial\nyear 2021-22 as against just 5% in the current financial year (2019-20).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Why\nIndia\u2019s growth will recover?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The report has projected India\u2019s growth will\nrecover based on various reasons which are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The monetary easing steps taken by\nthe Reserve Bank of India(RBI) will start to take effect as the monetary\ntransmission picks up and borrowers get loans at cheaper rate.<\/li><li>The sharp cut in corporate tax\nrates will allow the private firms to increase their capital expenditure over\nthe next 12-18 months.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\nmore India needs to do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Government should streamline\npersonal taxes in line with the corporate tax cuts in the coming Union Budget\nto be announced in February 2020. <\/li><li>Streamlining spending on\ninfrastructure investment.The report believes that if the government spends on\ninfrastructure projects such as roads,it would be a positive trigger to the private\nfirms who will join as being in business would be more viable.<\/li><li>The report also expects that the\ngovernment and other regulatory authorities to take steps to improve the flow\nof resources to the commercial sector.<\/li><li>Further,the report has said it is\nalso crucial that the Indian government improves its public finances through\nlarge-scale strategic divestment.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/uighur-muslims-detention-camps-china-leaked-documents-nyt-6125674\/\"><strong>Explained: What\n\u2018leaked\u2019 documents say about China\u2019s Uighur detention camps<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>According to leaked Chinese government documents,there was a clampdown\non Uighurs and other Muslims in the country\u2019s western Xinjiang region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Who are\nthe Uighurs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Uighurs are mostly Muslims and\nnumber about 11 million in western China&#8217;s Xinjiang region.<\/li><li>They see themselves as culturally\nand ethnically close to Central Asian nations, and their language is similar to\nTurkish.<\/li><li>But in recent decades,there has\nbeen a mass migration of Han Chinese (China&#8217;s ethnic majority) to Xinjiang and\nthe Uighurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Where\nis Xinjiang?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Xinjiang is located in the far\nwest of China and is the country&#8217;s biggest region.It is bordered by several\ncountries including India, Afghanistan and Mongolia. <\/li><li>Like Tibet, it&#8217;s an autonomous\nregion, meaning it has a degree of self-governance away from Beijing.But in\npractice,both face major restrictions by the Central government.<\/li><li>Xinjiang has long had a rebellious\nand autonomous streak with the indigenous ethnic Uighurs clashing with the\nauthorities. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What&#8217;s\nhappening to people in Xinjiang?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>According to the United Nations\nexperts and activists,at least 1 million Uighurs and members of other largely\nMuslim minority groups have been detained in camps in Xinjiang in a crackdown.<\/li><li>However,the China denies the\nallegations that there are internment camps.It says people in Xinjiang are\nreceiving vocational training.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"460\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogadmin.forumias.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Picture1-43.png?resize=750%2C460&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-54805\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/network-for-intel-agencies-to-share-info-will-go-live-next-year\/article30019937.ece\"><strong>Network for\nintel agencies to share info will go live next year<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Minister of State for Home Affairs has informed the Lok Sabha that\nNational Intelligence Grid(NATGRID) project will be operational by December\n31,2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNational Intelligence Grid (NATGRID):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>NATGRID project was initially\nstarted in 2009.It is an online database for collating scattered pieces of\ninformation and putting them together on one platform.<\/li><li>The project is a counter terrorism\nmeasure that will enable multiple security and intelligence agencies to access\na database related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details\namong others from a common platform.<\/li><li>The combined data from NATGRID\nwill be made available to 10 Central Intelligence Agencies on a secured\nplatform.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Importance\nof NATGRID:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The necessity for the NATGRID came\nafter Mumbai terror attack in 2009 that exposed the deficiency that security\nagencies have no mechanism to look for vital information in real-time.<\/li><li>Hence,NATGRID will tackle the\nproblem of coordination mechanism regarding data transfer from one agency to\nanother agency.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Criticism\nof NATGRID:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>NATGRID faces opposition on\ncharges of possible violations of privacy and leakage of confidential personal\ninformation.<\/li><li>It\u2019s efficacy in preventing terror\nhas also been questioned given that no state agency or police force has access\nto its database thus reducing chances of immediate, effective action.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/nia-to-host-counter-terrorism-exercise-for-quad-countries\/article30020447.ece\"><strong>NIA to host\ncounter-terrorism exercise for Quad countries<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The National Investigation Agency is hosting the first\ncounter-terrorism exercise for the Quad countries named\n\u2018CT-TTX\u2019(counter-terrorism table-top exercise) in New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe exercise:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The exercise is aimed at enabling\nthe Quad countries to understand much better the response systems to terror\nincidents that exist in other member countries. <\/li><li>The exercise is also aimed to\nimprove the inter-agency cooperation between different counter-terrorism\nmechanisms and other agencies of Quad countries.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe Quad group:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Quadrilateral Security\nDialogue(QSD) is the strategic dialogue between four countries viz. India,\nUnited States, Japan and Australia.<\/li><li>It was originally initiated in\n2007 but later disbanded with withdrawal of Australia.It has later revived in\n2017.<\/li><li>The Quad is viewed as a group of\nfour democracies with a shared objective to ensure and support a free, open and\nprosperous Indo-Pacific region.<\/li><li>The foundation of Quad is also\nbased on collective effort and shared commitment on counter-terrorism,\nhumanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security cooperation,\ndevelopment finance and cybersecurity.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNIA:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>National Investigation Agency(NIA)\nis a statutory body under the National Investigation Agency(NIA) Act, 2008. It\ncame into existence with the enactment of the Act after the Mumbai terror\nattacks.<\/li><li>National Investigation Agency(NIA)\nis a central agency established by the Indian Government to combat terror in\nIndia.It acts as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.<\/li><li>The agency is empowered to deal\nwith terror related crimes across states without special permission from the\nstates.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/skills-study-over-next-5-years-just-1-in-5-entrants-to-labour-force-a-woman-6127848\/\"><strong>Skills study:\nOver next 5 years, just 1 in 5 entrants to labour force a woman<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>According to a study conducted by the National Skills Development\nCorporation (NSDC),just one out of five persons in the 15-30 years age bracket\nentering the labour force is expected to be a female in the five years ending\n2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe study:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The NSDC has projected trends in\nthe country\u2019s labour market potential during 2019-23 based on (a)Periodic\nLabour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2017-18 (b)Crude Death Rates(CDR) at gender and\nregion (rural\/urban) level and (c)Employment-Unemployment Survey(EUS),2011-12\n(68th round).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key\ntakeaways from the study:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The study has said that around 7\ncrore additional individuals in the working-age(15-59 years) are expected to\nenter the labour force by 2023 of which 84.3% or 5.9 crore will be in the age\ngroup 15-30 years.<\/li><li>However,only one out of five\npersons(15-30 years age) entering the labour force is expected to be a female\nby 2023.<\/li><li>The study has shown that female\nlabour force participation rate has declined.Further,compared with other Asian\npeers,India is far behind in the participation of women.<\/li><li>The study has also said that\nfemale candidates in the age group of 15-19 years may not be actively in the\nlabour force instead choosing to opt for higher education.<\/li><li>The study has also found that 52%\nof the male entrants and 42.6% of the female entrants in the 15-30 age bracket\nare projected to be in the age group of 15-20 years.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Study\non state-wise data:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Only six states namely Uttar\nPradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are\nexpected to account for 50% (about 3 crore) of the new youth entrants (15-30\nyears) during 2019-23.<\/li><li>Nearly 30% of the youth entrants\n(15-30 years) are expected to be from three states of Uttar Pradesh,\nMaharashtra and Madhya Pradesh in each of the years during 2019-23.<\/li><li>Among female youth(15-30\nyears),the highest numbers of new entrants (28.5 lakh) are expected in the\nyears 2021 and 2023 each while among male youth,the highest number of new\nentrants (1 crore) is expected in 2023.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nNSDC:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>National Skill Development\nCorporation (NSDC) is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated in\n2008 under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 <\/li><li>The Government of India through\nMinistry of Skills Development &amp; Entrepreneurship (MSDE) holds 49% of the\nshare capital of NSDC while the private sector has the balance 51% of the share\ncapital.<\/li><li>The overall objective of NSDC is\nto create training capacity in the country, fund vocational training\ninitiatives and create a market ecosystem for skill development.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nCrude Death rates:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Crude Death Rate(CDR)\nindicates the number of deaths occurring during the year per 1,000 population\nestimated at mid-year.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nPeriodic labour force survey:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Periodic Labour Force Survey\n(PLFS) is an initiative aimed at generating estimates of various labour force\nindicators.<\/li><li>The National Sample Survey\nOffice(NSSO) under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation\nconducts the survey.<\/li><li>The survey seeks to generate\nquarterly reports on Labour Force Indicators such as Labour Force Participation\nRate (LFPR),Worker Population Ratio (WPR) and Unemployment Rate (UR) in urban\nareas and an annual report for rural India.<\/li><li>The periodic labour force survey\nhad replaced the Annual Employment Unemployment Survey in 2017 on the\nrecommendations of the Task Force on Employment chaired by Dr. Arvind\nPanagariya,then Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pib.gov.in\/PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1592128\"><strong>Indian Steel\nAssociation to organise&nbsp; ISA \u2013 Steel\nConclave 2019<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The Indian Steel Association supported by the Ministry of Steel, is\norganising the second Edition of ISA \u2013 Steel Conclave in New Delhi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nthe conclave:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The conclave is a premier platform\nfor the entire Steel Ecosystem and the related sectors to gain valuable\ninsights in the Stell industry.<\/li><li>The conclave would cover pertinent\nissues and deliberations on Indian and Global Perspectives of the Steel\nIndustry.<\/li><li>A report on the Status of Indian\nSteel Industry will also be released during the conclave.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Steel\nIndustry Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>India is the world&#8217;s 2nd largest\nproducer of crude steel(106 MT) in calendar year 2018.<\/li><li>It is the largest producer of\nDirect Reduced Iron (DRI) or Sponge Iron(30.36MT) in the world.<\/li><li>India is the 3rd largest consumer\nof finished steel in 2018 [96MT] in the world.<\/li><li>The steel sector contributes\naround 2% of the country&#8217;s GDP and employs around 25 lakhs persons in\nsteel\/allied sectors.<\/li><li>India is the 4th largest Iron ore\nproducer in the world.<\/li><li>India is the second largest coal\nproducer and importer after China.<\/li><li>The National Steel Policy &#8211; 2017\nenvisages creation of 300 MT of steel capacity in the country by 2030-31, as\nagainst existing capacity of 138 MT.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/international\/pakistan-successfully-test-fires-nuclear-capable-missile-shaheen-i\/article30009728.ece\"><strong>Pakistan\nsuccessfully test-fires nuclear-capable missile<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>Pakistan has conducted the test launch of Shaheen-1 surface-to-surface\nballistic missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nShaheen-1:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Shaheen-1 is a is a land based\nsupersonic short-range ballistic missile (SRBM). <\/li><li>It has been jointly designed and\ndeveloped by joint venture of Pakistan\u2019s National Engineering and Scientific\nCommission(NESCOM) and National Defence Complex(NDC). <\/li><li>The missile is capable of\ndelivering all types of warheads (conventional as well as nuclear). <\/li><li>It has a strike range of 650 KMs\nbringing a number of Indian cities under its range.It is propelled by a\ntwo-stage solid-fuel rocket motor.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nBallistic missile:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Ballistic missile follows a\nballistic trajectory to deliver one or more warheads to a predetermined target.<\/li><li>These weapons are guided during\nrelatively brief periods of flight and most of their trajectory is unpowered,\nbeing governed by gravity and air resistance if in the atmosphere.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/sc-gives-govt-time-to-reconsider-move-on-permanent-commission-to-women-in-army-6127757\/\"><strong>SC gives govt\ntime to reconsider move on permanent commission to women in Army<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>The Supreme Court has said that a centre should consider granting\npermanent commission to women officers in the armed forces under the Short\nService Commission(SSC) before March 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is\nPermanent commission?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A Permanent Commission means a\ncareer in the armed forces till you retire. Permanent Commission Officers\ncontinue to serve till the age of superannuation.<\/li><li>For a Permanent commission in the\narmy you have to join the National Defence Academy or the Indian Military\nAcademy.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What is\nthe Supreme Court\u2019s order?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The Army had announced permanent\ncommission to women officers who join the forces under Short Service\nCommission(SSC) after March,2019.<\/li><li>The Supreme Court has now asked\nthe Centre to retook at granting permanent commission to women officers with\nretrospective effect and expand the ambit of the benefit to those serving under\nSSC before March 2019.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\nInformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nSSC:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Short Service Commission(SSC)\ngives the option of joining the Indian Army and serving it as a Commissioned\nOfficer for 5 years.<\/li><li>Once the tenure is over,the\nofficers are allowed to opt for a Permanent Commission.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/electoral-bonds-law-ministry-cec-objected-to-1-vote-share-requirement\/article30019731.ece\"><strong>Electoral\nbonds: Law Ministry, CEC objected to 1% vote share requirement<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>News:<\/strong>According to an RTI reply,Law Ministry had objected to the stipulation\nthat political parties must have a 1% vote share in the Lok Sabha or State\nAssembly elections in order to be eligible for the Electoral bonds scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Facts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\nwere the objections regarding Electoral Bonds?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Law\nministry:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Law ministry had objected to the\nproposal that political parties must have a 1% vote share in the Lok Sabha or\nState Assembly elections in order to be eligible for the Electoral Bonds\nscheme.<\/li><li>They have recommended the\nimposition of a 6% vote share requirement (similar to the requirement for\nrecognised State and national parties) or the removal of the vote share\nrequirement entirely.<\/li><li>Further,according to the Election\nCommission of India,there are eight recognised national political parties,52\nrecognised State parties and around 2,487 unrecognised parties registered with\nthe commission.<\/li><li>A 6% vote share is one condition\nfor recognised parties.However,it is not clear how many of the unrecognised\nparties have a 1% vote share.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reserve\nBank of India:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The RBI Governor had also voiced\nconcerns about the government\u2019s move to allow bodies other than the RBI to\nissue the electoral bonds.He had also said that the bonds be issued only in\ndigital form.<\/li><li>However,the government rejected\nthe RBI\u2019s suggestion that the bonds be only digital,saying that this would\nerode a major purpose of the bonds which is to provide anonymity to the donor.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Additional\ninformation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About\nElectoral Bond Scheme:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Electoral bonds allows donors to\npay political parties using banks as an intermediary.<\/li><li>The bond would be a bearer\ninstrument in the nature of a Promissory Note and an interest free banking\ninstrument.It can be bought for any value in multiples of Rs 1,000, Rs 10,000,\nRs 1 lakh, Rs 10 lakh or Rs 1 crore.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Eligibility:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>As per provisions of the Scheme,\nelectoral bonds may be purchased by a citizen of India or entities incorporated\nor established in India. <\/li><li>A person being an individual can\nbuy electoral bonds either singly or jointly with other individuals. <\/li><li>Only the registered political\nparties which have secured not less than 1% of the votes polled in the last Lok\nSabha elections or the State Legislative Assembly are eligible to receive the\nElectoral Bonds.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Issuance\nof bonds:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The bonds are issued by Scheduled\nCommercial banks authorized by the Central Government to intending donors but\nonly against cheque and digital payments (it cannot be purchased by paying\ncash).<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explained:What is deposit insurance? News:Recently,the failure of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative(PMC) Bank has reignited the debate on the low level of insurance against the deposits held by customers in Indian banks. Facts: What is the insurance cover provided currently? Currently,in case of a bank collapse,a depositor can claim an amount up to a maximum&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/9-pm-current-affairs-brief-november-20th-2019\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">9 PM Current Affairs Brief \u2013 November 20th, 2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":48116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-9-pm-brief","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/9-PM-Brief.png?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":1700808725,"cached_date":1704891171},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54801\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48116"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}