February 2020 CA
February 2020 CA
February 2020 CA
AND
ANALYSIS
(February 2020)
Editor
R.C. R eddy
FOREIGN RELATIONS
Indo-USA:
US President Donald Trump Visits India 48
India - USA Trade Relations 50
‘Blue Dot Network’ Initiative 52
United States of America Drops India from Developing Countries List 53
Indo-Myanmar:
President of Myanmar Visits India 55
India-Africa
1st India Africa Defence Ministers Conclave Held in Lucknow 57
INTERNATIONAL POLITY
Afghanistan:
U.S. and Taliban Sign Peace Deal 59
Pakistan:
Pakistan Retained in Grey List of FATF 62
MISCELLANEOUS
PERSONS, AWARDS & SPORTS
International Persons 75
National Persons 75
Sports Persons 75
International Awards 76
National Awards 77
Sports Awards 77
Sports 78
ECONOMY
2018-19 2019-20
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 3.8 2.5 2.0 2.8 3.1 3.5
2. Mining & Quarrying -7.3 -7.0 -4.4 4.7 0.2 3.2
3. Manufacturing 10.7 5.6 5.2 2.2 -0.4 -0.2
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4. Electricity, Gas, Water Supply &
other Utility Services 7.9 9.9 9.5 8.8 3.9 -0.7
5. Construction 6.4 5.2 6.6 5.5 2.9 0.3
6. Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication
& Services related to Broadcasting 8.5 7.8 7.8 5.7 5.8 5.9
7. Financial, Real Estate &
Professional Services 6.0 6.5 6.5 6.9 7.1 7.3
8. Public Administration, Defence
and other Services 8.8 8.9 8.1 8.7 10.1 9.7
GVA at Basic Prices 6.9 6.1 5.6 5.4 4.8 4.5
Q1 : April-June; Q2 : July-September; Q3 : October-December
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the revenues needed,
slowdown in the economy which impacted revenue collections,
- need to study the impact of structural reforms like Goods and Services Tax (GST), and
- impact of measures initiated by the Union Government like reduction of corporate tax.
Recommendations for 2020-21:
Vertical Distribution (Between Centre and States):
- The 15th Finance Commission recommended for 2020-21, had reduced the share of states in the
divisible pool of central taxes by one percentage point to 41% from 42 % (in the 14th Finance
Commission), since the State of Jammu & Kashmir was reorganised into the Union Territories (UT) of
Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. Since UTs are the responsibilities of the Union, they are within the
purview of the Union budget.
India Can Create 70-100 Million Formal Jobs through Policy Changes and
Adoption of Technology : Chandrasekaran
- On February 3, 2020, speaking at the release of the book, ‘Bridgital Nation’, jointly authored by him
and Roopa Purushothaman, Tata Sons chairman, N. Chandrasekaran stated that
- India is a job- strapped nation and a majority of our jobs are in the informal sector.
- He stated that India will be able to create 100 million formal jobs if informal sector is properly tapped with
the support of policy changes and suitable technologies. This would add at least 10% extra income
in the hands of people, he stated.
- Mr. Chandrasekaran stated that the country currently had this strange scenario of high skill and
high productivity and low skill and low productivity layers in terms of jobs.
- He stated that the middle layer is totally missing and there is need to build this middle layer by
augmenting technology. For instance, specialists or doctors could do only 50% of their jobs as they
had to take care of tasks which were not part of the job profile due to paucity of qualified people in the
middle layer.
- He said the fundamental difference between India and the Western countries was that the latter
used technology to drive efficiency. In India, the country did not have a market itself, so it was
Former Chief Ministers of Jammu & Kashmir Booked under Public Safety Act
- Former Jammu & Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, and Shah Faesal,
former IAS officer, were booked under the stringent the Public Safety Act (PSA), 1978, of Jammu &
Kashmir on February 6, 2020. These leaders were till now under preventive detention under Section 107
along with Section 151 (for apprehension of breaching peace) of the Code of Criminal Procedure which
provides for detention upto six months. They can be detained beyond this period but become eligible to
Public Financing Must for Universal Health Coverage: Dr. Srinath Reddy
- Delivering a memorial lecture on Dr.V.Chandramouli, on the theme ‘Universal health Coverage: India’s
Journey Must Benefit from Global Learnings’, in Hyderabad on February 17, 2020, Dr.K.Srinath Reddy,
President, Public Health Foundation of India, stated that primary health care is the corner stone of
Universal Health Care (UHC) and it can be ignored at our own peril.
- He stated that governments should give priority for primary health care. More so when non-
communicable diseases were on the rise imposing a huge pressure on secondary and tertiary
hospitals and financial burden for the patients.
- He stated that in India about 63% of deaths were due to Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) and
more importantly people in their productive mid-life were succumbing to NCDs was a major
concern.
- He stated that seven per cent of India’s population was pushed into poverty by unaffordable
health care expenditure.
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Early detection of life style diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure at Primary Health Centres
(PHCs) and their management could prevent people from developing complications requiring
treatment at tertiary hospitals.
Mismatch Between Advocacy and spending:
- Dr. Reddy also stated that there is a mismatch between public advocacy on health and budgetary
allocations. Public health management aims at efficiency and equity not profit, he said.
- Dr. Reddy said that public financing was critical if country wanted to provide universal health
coverage and sufficient public spending on health would ensure financial protection.
- He said India could learn more from Asean countries like Japan and Thailand which achieved good life
expectancy after introducing Universal Health Care (UHC) in 1961 and 2002 respectively.
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Funding Pattern:
The fund sharing pattern between Centre and States will be
90:10 for North-Eastern States and Himalayan States and UT of J&K;
60:40 for other States; and
100:0 for other Union Territories.
Monitoring of Progress:
- The Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) will be monitored on the basis of output-outcome
indicators for four key areas:
a) plastic waste management,
b) bio-degradable solid waste management (including animal waste management),
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and fled for safety.
Areas affected by Violence: Seelampur, Jafrabad, Brahmpuri, Maujpur, Kardampuri, Karawal Nagar,
Chand Bagh, Babarpur, Gokulpuri and Shivpuri in north east Delhi. Northeast Delhi has almost 30 per
cent Muslim population while the overall Muslim population is 13 per cent in Delhi.
Reasons for the Clashes:
1. Immediate Trigger:
Around 500 women started a sit-in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on the road
below the Jaffrabad metro station. BJP leader Kapil Sharma led pro- Citizenship Amendment Act
(CAA) protests and issued an ultimatum to the Delhi Police to clear the Jaffrabad and Chand Bagh
streets of the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters. Police tried to get the roads opened but
protestors refused. This led to stone pelting between anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and pro-
Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protestors.
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in 1996, the Government extended the period to ten years by a notification.
After 10 years, they would be released from the service and not granted permanent commission.
- In 2005, the Union Government issued an another notification under which
The tenure of Short Service Commission (SSC) male officers and Women Special Entry Scheme
(WSES) officers was extended upto fourteen years.
The WSES would cease to apply and in future women officers would be inducted through SSC in the
corps/services notified by the notifications of 1992.
Serving WSES officers were given an option to move to the new Short Service Commission (SSC)
scheme or to continue under the erstwhile WSES.
- But, women officers were not considered for permanent commission in the above posts.
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from the rank of Colonel to higher level.
They involve commanding large number of people or assets under them. A command position is given
only to those officers who clear their promotion Board based on an efficiency metric.
Hierarchy of positions in the Indian Army (From top to Bottom)
Field Marshal
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier
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them in India, but first their natural habitat and prey base needed to be restored.
Conservationists worked to improve Cheetah's prey base like the Indian antelope and Indian gazelle.
- Later talks with Iran fell apart after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
- In 2001 an attempt was made by Lalji Singh the 'father of DNA finger printing' in India of the
CCMB (Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology) to collect sperm and tissue samples from Asiatic
cheetahs in Iran and use an Indian leopard as surrogate mother for the newly cloned cheetah
cub but Iran rejected the approach.
What are the causes for Cheetah's extinction in India?
- Cheetah's docile nature made it a tamable animal which was hunted in large numbers in the
1800s and 1900s by emperors and rulers of princely states. They were used to hunt other animals
like black bucks as a sport called coursing.
• Cheetahs and Leopards are often confused with each other. Here are a few differences between them.
Cheetah Leopard
•
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Long term trend of 261 species of birds:
Adequate data about the birds was available only for 261 species. Of the 261 species for which long-
term trends(over a period of 20 years) could be determined
i. of these 52% have declined since the year 2000
ii. with 22% declining strongly.
iii. In all, 43% of species showed a long-term trend that was stable and 5% showed an increasing trend.
Current Annual trend for 146 species of birds:
• Current annual trends could be estimated for 146 species over a period of 5 years.
i. Of these nearly 80% are declining,
• Endemicity:
- Endemic birds' native region is limited to a particular geographical location.
- The 12 Western Ghats endemic birds have seen a sharp decline by 75% since 2000 due to loss of
habitat-Shola grasslands.
Preparedness :
- Includes activities that aim at preventing casualties, provide immediate response and minimize
property damage in the event of a disaster.
BIOTECHNOLOGY:
39-year-old Sunak, MP for Richmond in Yorkshire, is married to Akshata, daughter of Narayana Murthy,
co-founder of IT services company Infosys. He first entered the U.K. Parliament in 2015 and fastly rose
up the Conservative Party ranks as a staunch Brexiteer backing Johnson’s strategy to leave the Euro-
pean Union (EU).
He co-founded a 1-billion pound global investment firm and specialised in investing in small British busi-
nesses before his entry into politics. He strongly believes that small businesses in the U.K. would flourish
as a result of Brexit as the vast majority of British businesses (94%) do not have anything to do with the
EU; but they are still subject to all EU law.
Hosni Mubarak (91), former President of Egypt, who ruled with an iron fist for 30 years before being
deposed amid street protests in 2011, died in Cairo on February 25, 2020. Throughout his rule, he was a
stalwart US ally, a bullwark against Islamic militancy and guardian of Egypt’s peace with Israel.
His rule of nearly 30 years ended after hundreds of thousands of young Egyptians rallied for 18 days of
unprecedented street protests in Cairo’s Tahrir Square and elsewhere in 2011, forcing him to step down.
Kirk Douglas (103), famous US actor whose career spanned seven decades, passed away on February
5, 2020. Douglas made more than 90 movies in a career that stretched across seven decades and films
such as “Spartacus” and “The Vikings” made him one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1950s and
'60s. He is also the father of Oscar-winning actor Michael Douglas.
National Persons
Wendell Rodricks (59), Padma Shri award winning fashion designer, passed away in Goa on February
12, 2020. He was known for infusing modern aesthetics with traditional Goan influences. Wendell Rodricks
was also instrumental in planning the first ever Lakme India Fashion Week (LFW) in 2000 and guiding it in
its formative years. Rodricks was also an author, environmentalist and gay rights activist.
Rajinder K Pachauri (79), former Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, died on
February 13, 2020. Dr. Pachauri was the founder and chief executive of The Energy Resources Institute
(TERI). In April 2002, he was elected Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
established by the World Meteorological Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme in
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He received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the IPCC, along with former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore,
for the year 2007. The Nobel Prize recognised IPCC for its “efforts to build up and disseminate greater
knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed
to counteract such change.”
Sports Persons
Maria Sharapova (32), Five-time Grand Slam winner (tennis) and one of the world's most recognisable
sportswomen, announced her retirement on February 25, 2020. In tennis, the term Grand Slam refers to
the accomplishment of winning all four major championships-the championships of Australia, France,
Britain (Wimbledon), and the United States-in the same calendar season.
International Awards
2020 Academy (Oscars) Awards:
- 92nd Academy Awards, popularly called Oscar Awards, were announced on February 10, 2020.
- For the first time in the history of Oscar Awards, ‘Best Picture’ was given to a non-English film.
- Parasite, a south korean film which is a social satire on class-based inequalities present in South
Korea, won the best picture award.
Details of Awards:
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, CMD, Biocon, an Indian biopharmaceutical company based in Bangalore, has
been named the EY Entrepreneur of Year 2019 in February 2020. She will now represent India at the
EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlom, Monaco scheduled between June
4 and 6, 2020.
EY stands for Ernst & Young Global Limited. It is a leading global professional services organization
based in UK.
National Awards
Genome Valley Excellence Award :
Dr. Carl H June, American immunologist and oncologist, and Dr. Vasant Narasimhan, CEO of Novartis
pharmaceutical company, were presented the Genome Valley Excellence Award at BioAsia 2020
Conference in February 2020. The award is given to recognise and honour eminent individuals and
organisations for their exceptional contribution to the life sciences research and public health. The
Award was instituted in 2004 by the Government of the undivided Andhra Pradesh. At present, the
Government of Telangana gives the award.
The award for Dr. June is for his pioneering work in the field of immunotherapy. His work led to a breakthrough
research in developing CAR-T therapy for treatment of cancer and development and commercialisation
of world’s first US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA)-approved gene therapy.
Dr. Narasimhan has been selected for “inspiring the world with the bold new vision to re-imagine the
pharmaceutical business including embracing digital technology and transforming healthcare.” He has
also done extensive work on a range of public health issues particularly in developing countries and
exemplary work in the development of over 20 novel medicines, including advances in cell and gene
therapies as well as vaccines.
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Awards CIRCLE
Laureus World Sports Awards :
20th Laureus World Sports Awards were presented on February 18, 2020 in Berlin, Germany.
Winners:
World Sportsman of the Year: Lewis Hamilton, Formula One driver, and Lionel Messi, world’s greatest
footballer.
World Sportswoman of the Year: Simone Biles (Gymnatics, USA). She is the most decorated gymnast
in World Championship history with 25 medals – 19 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze.
World Comeback of the Year: Sophia Florsch from Germany (Motor Racing)
World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Chloe Kim of USA (Snowboarding)
World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Oksana Masters of USA (Skiing)
Lifetime Achievement Award: Dirk Nowitzki of Germany (Basketball)
Laureus World Sports Awards are given annually to honour the greatest and most inspirational sporting
triumphs of the year by Laureus World Sports Awards Limited, a company registered in England and
Wales. The company is supported by Mercedes-Benz, a global automobile company (established in
1886), IWC Schaffhausen, Swiss watch manufacturer (established in 1868), and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial
Group, Inc. (MUFG), one of the world’s leading financial groups headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, as part
of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Shortlists for six categories (Sportswoman, Sportsman, Team, Breakthrough, Comeback and Action) are
created by votes from more than 1,000 sports media from over 70 countries. The shortlist for World
Athlete of the Year with a Disability is provided by the International Paralympic Committee.
The Laureus World Sports Academy (a unique group of sporting legends) votes for the winners in each
shortlisted category and The Academy also has the ability to grant discretionary awards, such as the
Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.
A global public vote determines the winner of the Laureus Sporting Moment of the Year award, which
honours one inspiring story that encapsulates the power of sport inspire and bring people together.
SPORTS
Australian Open (Melbourne, 2020 February)
Women's Singles:
Men's Singles:
Women's Doubles:
Mixed Doubles:
Table Tennis
Team championship:
Men:
ONGC - Runner
Women:
ONGC - Winner
CRICKET
Bangladesh - Winner
India - Runner
India - Winner
BADMINTON
TENNIS
Singles:
Singles:
CHESS:
K. Humpy - Winner
D. Harika - Runner