Table of Contents:
A. GS1 Related:
B. GS2 Related:
1. U.S lifts sanctions on Iran
C. GS3 Related:
1. Plane comparison: Pakistan Thunder versus Indian Tejas
2. Relief eludes Kerala endosulfan victims
D. Important Editorials: A Quick Glance
1. Go for a tight fiscal & easy monetary policy mix?
1. Financial Express: JAM Trinity Potential
E. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn
F. Practice Questions
G. Archives
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Useful News Articles
A. GS1 Related:
— Nothing here today, folks! —
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B. GS2 Related:
1. U.S lifts sanctions on Iran
Topic:Â IR
Category:Â Middle-east
Location: Hindu, IE – Headline news
Key points:
– U.S Â removed a wide range of sanctions against Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that Tehran had met its commitments to roll back its nuclear programme, under an agreement with China, France, Russia, the U.K., the U.S. and Germany on July 14 last year.
– The removal of restrictions on its oil, petrochemicals, banking, natural gas and port sectors will hugely benefit Iran and allow it to reenter the global market
– Chabahar port, IPI gas pipeline: The removal of sanctions will tremendously help India’s plans in Iran, which are many and include the Chabahar port, an Indian Oil petrochemical plant and the proposed Iran–Pakistan–India (IPI) gas pipeline.
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C. GS3 Related:
1. Plane comparison: Pakistan Thunder versus Indian Tejas
Topic:Â Technology, Defence
Category:Â Technology, Defence
Location: IE –Â page 11
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2. Relief eludes Kerala endosulfan victims
Topic: Environment, Rights Issues
Category: Pollution, Human Rights
Location:Â Hindu, page 9
Assignment: Read up on the endosulfan incident and summarize.
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3. Some nice Numbers 🙂
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D. Important Editorials: A Quick Glance
The Hindu:
Topic: Rights Issues, Paper II
Category:Â Freedom of Speach
Key points:
– Section 295(A) of the IPC is in urgent need of amendment to limit its misuse. As is the section dealing with sedition, freely imposed by the state on folk singers, cartoonists, students watching cricket and defiant political upstarts.
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Indian Express:
1. Go for a tight fiscal & easy monetary policy mix?
Topic: Economy, paper III
Category: Investment, FP, MP
Key Points:
–Â The finance ministry has stressed that it will stick to the path of fiscal consolidation. Â = Tight Fiscal Policy. Good.
–Â The sharp decline in global commodity prices and the slowdown in demand in the domestic economy have reduced inflationary pressures + fiscal consolidation = scope for easy monetary policy. Try?
– Article says: Govt should consolidate, RBI should cut interest rates.
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Others:
1. Financial Express:Â JAM Trinity Potential
Topic: Economy, paper III
Category:Â Financial Inclusion, Technology
Key Points:
– There has been renewed focus on reaping the benefits of digitisation on the part of the government, with recent initiatives such as Digital India and Jan-Dhan Yojana (JDY) attempting to bring the marginalised and unbanked to the fore, particularly through the use of technology.
– A total of 196 million bank accounts have been opened and 167 million RuPay cards have been issued under the latter, indicating the large unmet demand for banking services.
– The JDY forms the core of the government’s strategy—with a bank account, every household could potentially gain access to banking and credit facilities and participate in the formal system.
– Plus, Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) decision to grant licences to 11 payments banks in August 2015—the first instance of differentiated licensing in India’s banking history.
– Intense competition and innovation, resting on the backbone of the ongoing digital revolution, is set to benefit consumers and help achieve broader policy goals of financial inclusion
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E. Concepts-in-News: Related Concepts to Revise/Learn:
i. Tight & Loose Fiscal/Monetary policy
ii. JAM Trinity + Financial Inclusion
iii. Differentiated banking + Payment Banks
iv. Freedom of speech
v. Endosulfan
vi. IAEA + Iran + Sanctions + Chabahar Port
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F. Fun with Practice Questions 🙂
Question 1: Regarding Freedom of speech:
1.Freedom of speech and expression is not absolute, Â there are restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression.
2.Freedom of speech and expression is absolute within territory of India
3. Restrictions are realted to hate speech, sovereignty and integrity of the country and defamation
Which among the above statements is/are wrong?
a) 1, 2 & 3
b) 2 & 3
c) 1 & 3
d)Â None
Question 2: Which of the following articles protects Freedom of expression in India?
a)Â Article 19
b)Article 14
c) Article 21
d) Article 20
Question 3: Consider the statements below about differentiated banking in India:
1. India (under Universal Banking Model) normally issued a single class of banking licence
2. Under Section 5 (B) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949, banking means accepting, for the purpose of lending or investment, deposits from the public, repayable on demand and withdrawable by cheque and draft
3. Differentiated banks like payments banks will provide a limited range of products such as acceptance of demand deposits.
Answer choices:
a) Only 1 is true
b) Only 1 and 2 are true
c) Only 2 and 3 are true
d) All of the above are true
Question 4: Under the ___ , India had agreed to phase out use of Endosulfan by the year 2017
a)Â Sustainable Development Goals
b) Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants
c)Â Nagoya Protocol
d) Food Security Act
Question 4: Regarding IAEA:
a) it is an international organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons
b) was established as an autonomous organization in the 1980s
c)Â it reports to the European Union, the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council.
d) it has never received a Nobel peace Prize
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Archives:
You can check out some more recent News Analysis sections to build even more context
17th January 2016: Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
16th January 2016: Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
15th January 2016:Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
14th January 2016:Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
13th January 2016:Daily  News & Current Affairs Analysis
12th January 2016: Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
11th January 2016: Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
10th January 2016: Daily News & Current Affairs Analysis
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