BENEVOLENT IAS ACADEMY

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Dated 30.01.2019

TODAY’S IMPORTANT CURRENT AFFAIRS

(PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS) UPSC-IAS|IPS|IFS

Shivaji Rao Gaekwad (born 12 December 1950), The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) decided to include Rajinikanth‟s life story in a chapter for students in the „Learning to communicate‟ in course book 6. Rajinikanth‟s life story will be included under the category of “Dignity of Work” in the course book 6 and will be titled From Bus Conductor to Superstar’.

The Government of India has honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2016 for his contributions to the arts.

In news: India to participate in PISA 2021

Exam point of view - Part of: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education and Human Resources.

The Union Human Resources Development Ministry has signed an agreement with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) for India‟s Participation in Programme for International Student Assessment- PISA 2021.

 The students will be selected by PISA through random sampling. The schools run by Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) and schools in the UT of Chandigarh would be participating.

BENEVOLENT IAS ACADEMY, COIMBATORE About the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA):

 It is an international assessment that measures 15-year-old students‟ reading, mathematics, and science literacy every three years.

 First conducted in 2000, the major domain of study rotates between reading, mathematics, and science in each cycle. PISA also includes measures of general or cross-curricular competencies, such as collaborative problem solving.

 By design, PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of compulsory schooling.

 PISA is coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), an intergovernmental organization of industrialized countries, and is conducted in the United States by NCES. Data collection for the most recent assessment was completed in Fall 2015.

 In 2012 PISA test, schools of Shanghai in China topped reading, mathematics and science test, followed closely by Singapore. In 2015, Singapore, Japan and Estonia were ranked as top three countries, in that order.

In news: SAARC nations

Exam point of view Part of: Indian and its neoghbours; International Relations

Sources : the hindu

 South Asia region‟s future lay in cooperation among the eight SAARC nations (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).  A panel of diplomats, essayists and foreign policy experts met recently.  The panel felt the focus of South Asian discourse needed to shift away from the perception of India‟s dominance in the region.

BENEVOLENT IAS ACADEMY, COIMBATORE About SAARC  It was founded in Dhaka (1985)  Secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal  SAARC is regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union in South Asia. It promotes development of economical and regional integration.

SAARC’S Stats:  Region accounts for 2% of world trade and 1.7% of world FDI (foreign direct investment).  Intra-regional trade is less than 6% of our global trade and intra-regional FDI accounts for only 3% of total FDI inflows  In contrast, the share of intra-regional trade for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)—to which SAARC is often compared—is close to 25%. Intra-regional FDI accounts for 18% of the net FDI inflows in the ASEAN region.

In news: The Supreme Court will hear in April a curative petition filed by the Centre seeking Rs 7,844 crore additional money from US-based Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), now owned by Dow Chemicals, to provide compensation to victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, since there was a leakage in the water pipe and as result water entered into methyl isocyanate (MIC) tank.

Exam point of view Part of: Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution

BENEVOLENT IAS ACADEMY, COIMBATORE What is curative petition?

 It is the last judicial resort available for redressal of grievances in court which is normally decided by judges in-chamber. It is only in rare cases that such petitions are given an open- court hearing.  The concept of curative petition was first evolved by the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Rupa Ashok Hurra vs. Ashok Hurra and Anr. (2002) where the question was whether an aggrieved person is entitled to any relief against the final judgement/order of the Supreme Court, after dismissal of a review petition.  The Supreme Court in the said case held that in order to prevent abuse of its process and to cure gross miscarriage of justice, it may reconsider its judgements in exercise of its inherent powers. For this purpose, the Court has devised what has been termed as a “curative” petition.

Art 137 of the Constitution subjects to the provisions of the guidelines made under Art 145, by which it is clear that the Supreme Court has the ability to review any judgment declared by it.

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TNPSC | BANK | SSC | RRB

 India to participate in the International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2021

 Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi stated that GST on Haj has been reduced from 18% to 5%

 Ministry of Defence launched „RDP INDIA 2019‟ app was launched on the 70th Republic Day

Bharat Ratna* Award Winners 2019

BENEVOLENT IAS ACADEMY, COIMBATORE *Bhupen Hazarika : Bhupen Hazarika was a playback singer, lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam, widely known as Sudhakantha.

*Pranab Mukherjee : Pranab Mukherjee served as the 13th President of India from 2012 until 2017. He is the outstanding statesman of the present time.

*Nanaji Deshmukh : Nanaji Deshmukh laid great emphasis on education as a social worker. The first Saraswati Shishu Mandir was established by him at Gorakhpur in 1950 and he was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1999.

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TNPSC Group I, II, IV & VAO (

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BENEVOLENT IAS ACADEMY, COIMBATORE