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ENGINEERS' EXCLUSIVE Current Affairs Annual Edition for ESE 2020 Preliminary Examination MADE EASY Publications Corporate Office: 44-A/4, Kalu Sarai, New Delhi-110016 Visit us at: www.madeeasypublications.org 011-45124660, 8860378007 Publications E-mail: [email protected] © Copyright 2019 MADE EASY Publications has taken due care in collecting the Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect policy or position of CURRENT AFFAIRS Magazine or MADE EASY data before publishing this book. Inspite of this, if any inaccuracy Publications. They should be understood as the personal opinions of the author/ authors. The or printing error occurs then Made Easy Publications owes no MADE EASY assumes no responsibility for views and opinions expressed nor does it vouch for responsibility. Made Easy Publications will be grateful if you could any claims made in the advertisements published in the Magazine. 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No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or other- wise, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher. 09 National Affairs Contents 64 International Affairs 97 Science & Technology Defence in News 74 Current Economy 108 118 Environment & Wildlife 125 Miscellaneous Disclaimer: 139 ESE-2019 Toppers' The views and opinions expressed in Interview this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect policy or position of CURRENT AFFAIRS Magazine or MADE EASY Publications. They should 143 Recent Current Affairs be understood as the personal opinions of the author/ authors. Questions National Affairs 9 ESE 2020 : Preliminary Exam National Affairs Census 2021: Digital Collection of Data and Multipurpose Card Proposed • The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to implement a multipurpose identity card for citizens with all utilities such as Aadhaar, bank accounts, passport and driving licence. He also announced that for first time in 140-year history of census in India, data is proposed to be collected through a mobile app and people who conduct door-to-door counting would be encouraged to use their own phone. • National Population Register (NPR) is also being prepared for the first time in 2021 census. NPR is a list of usual residents of the country which could be the basis for a Pan-India version of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC). The data for NPR will also be collected along with the census exercise. Census in India Key Highlights: The last and 15th Census • During Census 2021, the digital collection of data will be adopted through mobile app. The began in 2010. Around app is being developed indigenously for collecting the data and in Android phones. 2.7 million officials visited • The use of latest technological developments during upcoming Census process is a households in 7,935 towns revolutionary initiative as in this process, people will be able to upload the details of self and 600,000 villages. The and family on newly developed mobile app themselves. Government spent around 2,200 crores rupees to • The Census 2021 data will become base for country’s future planning, development conduct the census. In initiatives and welfare schemes so that India’s total 130 crore population gets benefitted 2011, the transgender from it. Therefore, people’s wholehearted participation is key to success of exercise. population was counted in • The Union Government has also decided to conduct the 2021 census through mobile phone population census in India application. An amount of Rs. 12,000 crores will be spent on India’s first digital census. for the first time. There • Every 10 years the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India operating under were around 490,000 the Ministry of Home Affairs carry out the massive exercise to count different aspects of transgenders in the India’s billion plus population. country according to 2011 • The official reference date of the census is to be March 1, 2021 and for the snow bound census. Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh it is to be October 1, 2020. Training of the officials participating in the program is to begin by October 14, 2019. The exercise is to be carried out in 16 different languages at a cost of 12,000 crore rupees • A total of 33 lakh enumerators would be mobilised for data collection. Enumerators are the persons who conduct door-to- door counting. • The exercise will be done in 16 languages to facilitate people in filling their details properly. Socio-Economic and Caste Census The upcoming 2021 census exercise • The Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) was conducted in 2011. So far, the GoI has conducted SECC is the sixteenth census in the country and census four times in 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2011. eighth census after independence. • In 2017, the GoI agreed to use SECC instead of below poverty line as main instrument for identifying beneficiaries. 10 ESE 2020 : Preliminary Exam Jammu & • The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir has new ceased to exist with the two separate UT of Jammu and Kashmir and UT of Ladakh since 31st October, 2019. With this, the constitution of Jammu Kashmir and Kashmir and the Ranbir Penal code too ceased to exist. Bifurcated into • The total number of States in the Country will now be 28, while the total number of Union Territories UT of Jammu will go up to 9. & Kashmir and • The Union Territories to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will be headed by Lieutenant Governors UT of Ladakh GC Murmu and R.K. Mathur respectively. • Earlier on 5th of August, 2019, Union Government abolished and amended Article 35A and Article 370 altogether, which gave a special status to Jammu & Kashmir. This extended all provisions of the Constitution to the State in one go and allowed all citizens to buy property and vote in the State. • President Ram Nath Kovind also revoked President's rule in the erstwhile state. • It divided the region into two Union Territories: Jammu and Kashmir with legislature and Ladakh without legislature. • The Union Government will be in direct control of the police and the law and order, while the land will be under the elected government of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. • The UT of Ladakh will be under the direct control of the Central Government. • The Government of India has released new map for UT of Jammu & Kashmir, and UT of Ladakh. Key Points: • This Order comes into force at once and superseded the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Constitution (Application to Jammu and Kashmir) Order, 1954. (Second Amendment) Bill, 2019 was also • The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Bill 2019 was introduced introduced to extend the reservation for in Parliament to bifurcate the State into two separate union territories of Jammu and Kashmir (with legislature), and Ladakh Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in (without legislature). The bill was passed by both the Houses of educational institutions and government Parliament. jobs in Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu & Kashmir Reorganization Bill, 2019 The bill was passed by Parliament of India which provides for reorganization of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. Key Features: • The Union Territory of Ladakh will comprise Kargil and Leh districts of erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir. These districts will cease to be part of J&K. • The Governor of the state will be the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. • Four sitting members of the Council of States representing the existing state of J&K will be deemed to have been elected to fill the seats allotted to the UT of J&K. The term of the sitting members will remain unaltered. • For Lok Sabha, five seats will be allocated to J&K and one sent to Ladakh. The Election Commission of India may conduct parliamentary elections for J&K and Ladakh according to the allocation of seats. • J&K will have a Legislative Assembly, which will be filled through direct elections. Total number of seats in J&K will be 107. • Ladakh will be administered by the President through a Lieutenant Governor. • The President can make regulations for peace, progress and good governance of Ladakh. • The Lieutenant Governor will be assisted by advisors appointed by the Central Government. National Affairs 11 ESE 2020 : Preliminary Exam • Article 370 of the Indian Constitution was a ‘temporary provision’ which used to grant special autonomous status to Jammu & Kashmir. • Under Part XXI of the Constitution of India, which deals with “Temporary, Transitional and Special provisions”, the state of Jammu & Kashmir had been accorded special status under Article 370. • All the provisions of the Constitution which are applicable to other states were not applicable to J&K. • According to this article, except for defence, foreign affairs, finance and communications, Parliament needs the state government’s concurrence for applying all other laws. Thus the state’s residents used to live under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians. • Indian citizens from other states could not purchase land or property in Jammu & Kashmir.