2020

CURRENT AFFAIRS
AND BUSINESS NEWS
GUIDE
by

Mantavya The Literary and Quizzing Cell, NMIMS

Sr No. Particulars Page No.

1 International 2-12

2 National 13-20

3 Pharmaceuticals 21-26

4 Banking and Financial Services 27-37

5 Ecommerce and Start-Ups 38-41

6 FMCG 42-46

7 Information Technology 47-52

8 Sports 53-57

9 Appendix: Group Discussion Topics 58-62

1
 INTERNATIONAL
Coronavirus pandemic (2019-20)

● What began as an unnatural rise in pneumonia-like illness

in the city of Wuhan, Hubei, China by December 2019
transformed into a global pandemic resulting in over 10
lakh cases and above 50,000 deaths worldwide.

● The pandemic was caused by the novel strain of

coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 and the disease called
COVID-19 (short for Coronavirus Disease 2019).

● Coronavirus is a family of viruses that have previously

caused severe illnesses –

⮚ Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China (2003) and

⮚ Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Saudi Arabia (2012).

● The 2019 novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in an animal such as bats
and jumped onto a human from where it was transmitted onto other humans.

● The disease gives flu-like symptoms such as persistent fever, dry cough and difficulty
in breathing. It spreads through droplets of saliva and/or mucus from coughs or
sneezes of affected individuals.

● Due to its one-two weeks of the incubation period, community spreads wreaked
havoc to many countries, causing a spread in the geometric progression leading to
medical systems and infrastructure failures of countries thereby aggravating the
death toll.

● In terms of the death toll, Italy, Spain, China, the UK and the US are the worst hit.
Most deaths are seen in aged populations.

● Due to this pandemic, multiple countries are undergoing partial and total lockdowns
thereby adversely affecting people’s morale and the global economy.

● However, the global pandemic has seen an improvement in environmental quality

due to reduced human activities all over the world.

https://bit.ly/2R0hugY

https://bit.ly/2Uv23zy

https://bit.ly/3axYLB9

2
Hong Kong protests

Context: Hong Kong is a former British colony handed back to China in 1997. Due to this,
Hong Kong has its own judiciary and separate legal system from Mainland China. The Basic
Law – in which freedom of assembly and freedom of speech is a part of, expire in the year
2047. The future of Hong Kong after this period is unclear.

● An extradition bill was introduced in April 2019 which allowed for criminal suspects
to be extradited to mainland China under certain circumstances.

● The protests began citing that the citizens of Hong Kong would be exposed to unfair
trials and give China greater influence over Hong Kong.

● After weeks of protests, leader Carrie Lim

suspended the bill indefinitely. However, the
demonstrations and violent clashes continued due
to fear of a revival of the bill. The bill was finally
completely withdrawn in September.

● Protestors adopted a motto: “Five demands, not

one less!”:

o For the protests not to be characterised as a

"riot"

o Amnesty for arrested protesters

o An independent inquiry into alleged police

brutality

o Implementation of complete universal

suffrage

o The fifth demand, the withdrawal of the bill, was already met.

● In November, the territory held local council elections saw a landslide victory for the
pro-democracy movement. Seventeen of the eighteen councils are now controlled by
pro-democracy councillors.

https://bbc.in/3axYU7F

US-China trade war so far

Context: US President Donald Trump has long accused China of unfair trading practices
and intellectual property theft. In China, there is a perception that America is trying to curb
its rise as a global economic power. Mr Trump's tariffs policy aims to encourage consumers
to buy American products by making imported goods more expensive.

3
 ● The US has imposed tariffs on more than $360bn of Chinese goods, and China has
retaliated with tariffs on more than $110bn of US products.

● The US delivered three rounds of tariffs in

2018, and a fourth one in September, 2019.

● The uncertainties stemming from the ongoing

trade war has disrupted trade flows, dampened
global economic growth and unnerved
investors.

● In January 2020, the two sides signed a

preliminary “phase one” deal under which
China pledged to boost US imports by $200bn
above 2017 levels and strengthen intellectual
property rules. The US agreed to halve some of
the new tariffs it had imposed on China. “Phase
two” deal is expected to bring more clarity but
coronavirus pandemic has shelved the matter for now.

https://bbc.in/2UPi5mR

US kills Quds Force Commander Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike

Context: Iran’s economy has been crumbling under the US sanctions after
Trump administrations pulled out of a landmark accord with Iran and
reinstated punishing economic measures targeting the country's banking
and oil sectors in 2018.

● On January 3, 2020, the US assassinated top Iranian general in

Iraq's capital, Baghdad.

● The incident raised pre-existing Iran – US tensions. There were fears of World War
III around the world.

● Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei pledged "severe revenge" and the
country's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded a few days
later by firing a volley of rockets at US targets in Iraq. It did not cause any serious
casualties.

● Shortly afterwards, an IRGC operator mistakenly fired two missiles at a Ukrainian

passenger jet over the country's capital. All 176 people on board died. Most of the
victims were Iranian.

https://bit.ly/33ZFtlL

4
Donald Trump impeachment

● Mr. Trump became the third president

in US history to be impeached. He
was accused of abuse of presidential
power for personal political gain,
compromising national security and
obstructing Congress by refusing to
co-operate with the congressional
inquiry.

● A formal complaint from a whistle

blower - an unnamed intelligence official who wrote a letter expressing concern about
Mr Trump's 25 July call with President Volodymyr Zelensky - kicked off the
impeachment process in early September.

● A rough transcript of the call revealed that Mr Trump had urged President Zelensky
to investigate discredited allegations against Joe and son, Hunter Biden.

● Mr. Joe Biden is one of Mr. Trump’s main Democratic challengers for the
presidency in 2020. Mr. Hunter worked for a Ukrainian company when Joe Biden was
US vice-president.

● The president was accused of dangling two things as bargaining chips to Ukraine –

o withholding $400m of military aid to Ukraine that had already been allocated
by Congress, and

o a White House meeting for Ukraine's president

● The impeachment trial began in the U.S. Senate on January 16, 2020, and concluded
with his acquittal on February 5.

https://bbc.in/3avuvag

Brexit So Far

● Theresa May quit as Conservative leader on 7 June,

2019. Boris Johnson was chosen as the new leader of
the Conservative Party and took over as prime
minister.

● Under his guidance, the UK stopped being a member of

the European Union (EU) at 23:00 GMT on 31 January
2020.

● While the UK has agreed the terms of its EU departure,

future relationship will need to be worked out during the transition period which began
immediately after Brexit day and is due to end on 31 December 2020. During this 11-

5
 month period, the UK will continue to follow all of the EU's rules and its trading
relationship will remain the same.

● A new free trade agreement is being negotiated in this period. Some of the major
aspects other than trade to be decided during this period are:

o Law enforcement, data sharing and security

o Aviation standards and safety

o Access to fishing waters

o Supplies of electricity and gas

o Licensing and regulation of medicines

https://bbc.in/343l3si

Global Climate Strikes and Protests

● FridaysForFuture group spearheaded by the climate

activist Greta Thunberg, helped organize a global
Climate Strike on 20th September, 2019.

● The day began in the Pacific and Asia and culminated

in a massive demonstration in New York. Over the span
of the week kickstarted by the Climate Strike, over six
million people all over the world took to streets
including the two million that walked out of schools and
workplaces on the Friday’s Climate Strike.

● “Climate Strike” has been crowned word of the year (2019) by Collins Dictionary.
Massive protests across the globe over the past year reflect people’s growing sense of
urgency to take action on climate change.

● Greta Thunberg gave a powerful speech at the United Nations Climate Action
Summit on 23rd September, 2019. These efforts have given rise to many organisations
and nations pledging fund to fight climate change. One such example is that of Jeff
Bezos committing $10 Billion to save Earth’s environment in February, 2020.

https://bbc.in/2R1BjVf

https://bit.ly/39zTyYe

6
Australia Bushfires

● Dozens of fires erupted in New South Wales, Australia,

prompting the government to declare a state of emergency
in November 2019.

● An area about the size of South Korea, roughly 25.5 million

acres burned. At least 33 people died, including at least
three volunteer firefighters. Around 2000 homes are said to
have been destroyed. In addition to this, millions of
animals were killed.

● The smoke led to Australia recording the worst pollution it

has ever seen, with an air quality index 23 times higher than what’s considered
“hazardous”. The smoke also affected the air quality of New Zealand which is 1000
miles away.

● The cost of dealing with the bushfires is expected to exceed $4.4 billion and tourism
sector revenues fell below more than $1 billion. By 4 March 2020, all fires in New
South Wales had been extinguished completely.

https://bit.ly/3dKBkqs

North Korea and US relations

● On June 30th, 2019 US president Donald Trump met

the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the
Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) thereby becoming the first
US president to have set foot in North Korea. The
leaders agreed to resume negotiations and said that the
working level talks would be restarted within the next
several weeks.

● North Korea continued to test multiple short-range

missiles in the coming months, which was condemned by United Nations Security
Council as a provocation. North Korea issued a statement suggesting that North
Korea is interested in continuing working-level talks with the United States,
provided that the United States offers “a proposal geared to the interests of the DPRK
and US”.

● In October, 2019, the United States and North Korea convened for working-level
negotiations in Stockholm, Sweden. However, talks fell apart after both sides failed
to reach a consensus. North Korean chief negotiator Kim Myong Gil accused the
United States of having an “outdated stance and attitude”. In addition to this, Mr.
Gil threatened to resume nuclear and long-range ballistic missile testing.

7
 ● In November, a spokesperson for North Korea's Foreign Ministry issued a statement
condemning the US "hostile policy" toward North Korea after the United States
listed North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.

● At a NATO leaders’ meeting in London in December, 2019, US President Donald

Trump, discussing the stalemate of negotiations with North Korea, said “we are more
powerful, militarily, than we ever have been… hopefully, we don’t have to use it, but
if we do, we’ll use it”. North Korea condemned the provocative language used by
Mr. Trump. North Korea continued to test short range and long-range missiles to
the displeasure of US and the UN Security Council.

https://bit.ly/2xyl7E5

Deepening Venezuela Crisis

Venezuela is engulfed in a political crisis with two rival

politicians claiming to be the country's legitimate leader.

Context: Nicolás Maduro succeeded Hugo Chávez in 2013 as the

President. But under Maduro, Venezuela's economy collapsed.
Shortages of basic supplies became widespread, prompting 4.5
million people to leave.

● Maduro was re-elected in 2018 but the poll was widely

dismissed as rigged. National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó labelled Mr Maduro a
"usurper" and declared himself interim president in January 2019. More than 50
countries recognised Mr Guaidó but the military has remained loyal to Mr
Maduro.

● On 5 January 2020, police prevented Mr Guaidó from attending a parliamentary

session in which he was standing for re-election as National Assembly leader. While
Mr Guaidó and other opposition lawmakers were held back, a rival politician, Luis
Parra, was elected without a quorum but with the backing of government lawmakers.

● The crisis deepens as Mr Guaidó moved the session to another location where about
100 lawmakers re-elected him, leaving Venezuela not just with two men claiming the
presidency but also with two National Assembly leaders.

https://bbc.in/33WBvug

Syrian War

● At least 33 Turkish soldiers died in a Syrian

government attack in opposition-held north-western
Syria, in a major escalation of the conflict in February,
2020.

8
 ● Turkey, which backs the opposition, said that it hit 200 government targets in
response, "neutralising" 309 soldiers. The EU has warned the crisis could escalate
further.

https://bbc.in/2UxN5cf

Moscow City Elections

Context: More than 20,000 protesters gathered in Moscow

demanding free and fair elections in the Russian capital in
July 2019. The protest was triggered after election officials
barred opposition candidates in July from running for
the 45 seats open on the city council. Election officials
didn’t reverse their decision, and the elections went ahead
as planned on September 8, 2019.

● The results showed the falling popularity of Putin.

The ruling United Russia party, which supports
Russian President Vladimir Putin, barely clung to
its majority, losing about 13 seats in the city
council. In a major upset, the ruling party's leader
in the Russian capital, Andrei Metelsky, was not re-
elected.

● Opposition parties, on the other hand, did quite well, winning 20 seats. They included
the Communist Party (13 seats), the A Just Russia party (3 seats), and the liberal
Yabloko party (4 seats).

● These so-called opposition candidates - with the exception of the Yabloko party
members, who won are part of Russia’s “systemic opposition.” These are parties that
are more or less loyal to the Kremlin and are sanctioned by the government to operate
as “opposition” parties and stand for elections.

https://bit.ly/2Jqrlsb

Sudan Protests

● On February 20, 2020, Sudanese security forces fired

tear gas at demonstrators in Khartoum who were
protesting the government’s removal of officers and
soldiers who had supported the revolution that
overthrew the country’s longtime dictator, Omar al-
Bashir, in April 2019.

● After the coup against al-Bashir, an 11-member

Sovereign Council took over in August; it will first be
headed by senior military official Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for 21 months, and then
will be chaired by a civilian for 18 months.

9
 ● This 39-month transitional government is expected to uphold peace and take steps to
move the country toward democracy, culminating in elections in 2022. The
crackdown on demonstrators showed the country is still struggling to move toward
democracy.

https://bit.ly/3azcrMb

New Zealand Mass Shooting

● Two consecutive mass shootings occurred at mosques in

a terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand,
during Friday Prayer on 15 March 2019.

● The attack was carried out by a single gunman - Brenton

Tarrant and killed 51 people and injured 49.

● The Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant plead guilty to 92

charges, including 51 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder and one charge
under the Terrorism Suppression Act, the first time such a charge has been laid inside
the country.

● He is expected back in court in May. New Zealand Police say Tarrant will not be
sentenced until it is possible for all victims who wish to attend the hearing to do so.

https://bit.ly/2xI1fhJ

Julian Assange Arrested

● Co-founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange was arrested at

the Ecuadorian embassy in London in April, 2019. He was
detained in the UK - and later bailed - after Sweden
issued an international arrest warrant over allegations of
sexual assault.

● On 1 May 2019, Assange was sentenced to 50 weeks in

jail for breaching his bail conditions.

● The US filed 17 new charges against Assange for

violating the Espionage Act, related to the publication of classified documents in
2010. He is currently jailed in London's Belmarsh Prison. Assange's legal fight
against extradition to the US continues.

https://bbc.in/2WWB5CH

ISIS leader killed: US

The fugitive leader of the Islamic State (IS) group killed himself during a US military
operation in north-west Syria.

10
https://bbc.in/2xykOsV

Attack on Saudi Aramco Facility

● On 14 September 2019, drones were used to attack the

state-owned Saudi Aramco oil processing facilities at
Abqaiq and Khurais in eastern Saudi Arabia. The Houthi
movement in Yemen claimed responsibility, tying it to
events surrounding the Saudi Arabian intervention in the
Yemeni Civil War and stating they used ten drones in the
attack launched from Yemen, south of the facilities.

● Saudi Arabian officials said that many more drones and

cruise missiles were used for the attack and originated from the north and east, and
that they were of Iranian manufacture. The United States and Saudi Arabia have
stated that Iran was behind the attack. Iran has denied any involvement.

● Both facilities were shut down for repairs, cutting Saudi Arabia's oil production
by about half – representing about 5% of global oil production – and causing some
destabilization of global financial markets.

https://bit.ly/2QWUqQs

Kobe Bryant Death

Retired NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, basketball
coach John Altobelli, five other passengers, and the pilot were killed in a helicopter crash on
26 January, 2020 in Calabasas, California. He is survived by his wife, Vanessa Bryant and
three daughters.

https://bit.ly/3ayXycO

‘Parasite’ Wins Oscar

South Korean movie Parasite won the Oscar 2020 for the
categories: Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, Best
Director, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Production
Design and Best Film Editing, making it the first non-English
speaking film to win the Academy’s most prestigious award –
Best Picture. Parasite is also the first film from a South Korean
director to win the Best Picture, and the first with a primarily
Asian cast. Bong Joon-ho’s movie is about a lower-income
family who infiltrates a wealthy household, only to learn a much
darker secret.

https://bbc.in/2WVqBn2

11
Amazon Fires in South America

● There were thousands of individual fires almost three

times as many in August 2019 compared with the same
period last year.

● Forest occur in the Amazon during the dry season

between July and October. They can be caused by
naturally occurring events, like lightning strikes, but in
2019, most are thought to have been started by farmers
and loggers clearing land for crops or grazing.

● Brazil's satellite agency suggests that at least 7,747 sq km of Brazilian Amazon

rainforest have already been cleared so far this year.

● There were protests in dozens of cities, threats of financial penalties, and broad
condemnation of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's environmental policies.

https://bbc.in/2X7ieET

Fire at Notre Dame, Paris

● On 15 April 2019, a structure fire broke out beneath the roof of

Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral in Paris.

● By the time it was extinguished, the building's spire and most of its
roof had been destroyed and its upper walls severely damaged;
extensive damage to the interior was prevented by its stone vaulted
ceiling, which largely contained the burning roof as it collapsed.

● Many works of art and religious relics were moved to safety early in the emergency,
but others suffered some smoke damage, and some exterior art was damaged or
destroyed.

● President Emmanuel Macron said that the cathedral would be restored by 2024.

https://bit.ly/2R9o9We

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 National
The Ayodhya Verdict

• The court has looked at the dispute from the perspective

of a land dispute over a 2.77-acre piece of property in
which the two parties are – Nirmohi Akhara and Sunni
Waqf Board.

• In 1959 Nirmohi Akhara filed suit for possession of the

site. In 1961 UP Sunni Waqf Board file suit for possession
of the site. The dispute further intensified over a period of
time however the crux of the issue remained as who will own this 2.77-acre land on
which Babri Masjid stood and was demolished by a mob.

• Finally on 9th November 2019 the Supreme court led by Justice Ranjan Gogoi
delivered the verdict. The disputed land was awarded to the government for
construction of the Ram Temple and the Sunni Waqf Board was to be allotted 5
acres of land elsewhere. The government is to create a trust which will take care of the
construction of the temple.

https://bit.ly/3avzirZ

https://bit.ly/3au6PD5

Kashmir Lockdown

• Article 370 was a temporary provision in the

constitution which could be amended only through a
proper amendment in the Parliament. It used to give
Kashmir its special status under which the Government
of India was allowed to run only its defence policy,
foreign policy and communications. Other provision
included – people from the rest of India cannot buy land in Kashmir or hold government
offices or start businesses in Kashmir.

• On the other hand, Section 35A (under Article 370) restricts the Central Government
from making laws under the Union and Concurrent List in the State of Kashmir.

• Early in August 2019 the central government revoked Article 370 itself taking away
the special status of Kashmir under the pretext of further integration of J&K with rest
of India.

• Revocation of Article 370 was questioned because it requires the consent of the state
government. However, due to political instability, there was no State Government in
Kashmir for more than a year and thus no discussions took place.

• After the revocation, the whole of Kashmir was put under complete lockdown and all
communications including the internet were stopped completely.

13
 • Kashmir still remains under lockdown with the exception of allowing 2G internet
network in the region. Further, the Central Government plans to divide the entire region
into three union territories – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

https://bit.ly/2xz7KDA

https://bbc.in/3bEOweK

Supreme Court’s Stand on Internet, Free Speech, Kashmir and Security v Liberty

• A three-judge bench earlier in January 2020 gave landmark judgement on certain

restrictions imposed in Kashmir with respect to curbing of movement, internet and the
petitions raised for free speech and liberty.

• The Supreme Court has not declared the internet as a fundamental right. However, the
right to carry your trade/business on the internet or the right to practice free speech
through the internet is a fundamental right.

• The SC has further asked publication of all orders issued under section 144. All
restrictions on internet and telecommunications are subject to judicial review.

• Further section 144 cannot be used to curb the expression of opinions.

• Finally, apprehension of imminent danger is not sufficient to issues orders under

Section 144. The Supreme Court has also said that repetitive orders and indefinite
extension of orders are an abuse of power.

• Based on all these points the judiciary has given the order for a test of proportionality.
Test of proportionality asks for clarity in goal, legitimacy of orders, exhausted
alternative options, is this the least restrictive option and finally each and every order
to be documented and proof of sufficiency to be given.

https://bit.ly/2JrM7aU

Creation of a new Post - Chief of Defence Staff

• The Central Government has added a new position of a

Chief of Defence Staff in the hierarchy of the defence
forces who will be the main advisor to the minister of
defence. Bipin Rawat chosen as first CDS.

• This CD will be a four-star officer put him/her at the

same level as a General (head of the army), Admiral (head
of the navy) and Air Marshall (head of air force). Thus, the three current heads will not
report to the CDS and continue reporting to the Minister of Defence.

• The Chief of Defence Staff will have the same rank as the defence secretary who is
the administrative head in the Ministry of Defence.

14
 • A new department will be created under the Ministry of Defence – Department of
Military Affairs which will be headed by the CDS. This department will have a
combination of military and civilian officers in its hierarchy.

https://bit.ly/3bE2ZXY

The CAA, NPR and NRC Debate

(Disclaimer: These are only facts presented as is and no personal opinions have been included
political or non-political. Each of the three things has been explained individually and then how
they are to work together.)

• Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is an amendment to the already existing act

which was passed in the Parliament in 2019 and allows citizenship to illegal immigrants
who are Hindus, Sikhs, Jain, Parsi, Buddhists and Christians from Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, and Pakistan and have entered India before 2014.

• National Population Register (NPR) will be an official record of all the people living
in India, irrespective of citizenship. The way the NPR will be created is much like the
census. The only thing additional to the NPR database will be some extra information
along with documentary proof of date of birth and place of birth of self and parents.
The problem here is that for many elderly Indians documents do not exist. This non-
existence of documents has created a fear of being “officially” categorised as a
‘doubtful citizen’ in the National Population Register.

• National Register of Citizens (NRC) will be an official record of all citizens of India.
In order to be part of this record certain documentary proof will be required. A person
or a person whose parents were born in India anytime before 1987 is officially a citizen
of India provided they give a birth certificate. People categorised as ‘doubtful citizen’
under NPR will be excluded from this record.

• Now together how this works. First NPR will create a record of all people living in
India. NRC will further shortlist only the citizens. People excluded in this record will
have to gain citizenship under the CAA, 2019 or other immigration acts of India as
applicable.

https://bit.ly/2JC4ydn

https://bit.ly/39vgyb0

New Bodo Accord

• The Bodo Accord was signed between the Central Government, Assam Government
and the National Democratic Front of Boroland and the All Bodo Students Union.
Now the problem that persisted was over a small piece of land and the parties to the
dispute were various tribal communities in the region.

• The piece of land was important because of its strategic location.

• Further, the Fifth and the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constitution gives autonomy
to tribal communities in running their affairs in tribal regions of the country.

15
 • The new Bodo Accord includes four districts – Kokraghar, Chirang, Baksa, Udalguri,
and gives them full autonomy under the Sixth Schedule. Additionally, it has been
proposed to amend the Sixth Schedule and vest more powers to these autonomous tribal
regions.

https://bit.ly/33U1PVI

SC’s stand on Reservation for SC/ST in Promotions in Public Posts

• Nine decades after the Poona Pact was signed between Ambedkar and Gandhi initiating
reservation for backward classes, the debate has gotten shriller and been renewed after
the Supreme Court verdict on February 7. The apex court has ruled that reservation in
appointment and promotions in public services is not a fundamental right under Article
16(4) and Article 16(4A). The supreme court added that it was the discretion of the
Central and State governments to grant reservation in appointments and promotions to
public offices.

https://bit.ly/3dIa0c8

Nirbhaya Convicts’ Hanging and the Death Penalty Law in India

• On 20th March 2020 the four convicts in the

Nirbhaya rape case was finally hanged after an
almost two-month delay.

• Initially to be hanged on 29th of January 2020,

the death penalty kept on getting delayed.

• The main reason as cited by multiple lawyers

was that the law in India is convict centric and
not victim-centric.

• Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees a

prisoner the right to live with dignity.

• Further only the concerned High Court can meet

out a death penalty.

• The convict can appeal in the Supreme Court to

cancel this penalty. Once the appeal has been
rejected the convict can file for a review petition
followed by a curative petition.

• The lawyer of the four convicts strategically

filed for their review petitions one by one delaying the whole process by two months
and justice got delayed.

https://bit.ly/3avWDtH

16
Scindia Dynasty and Jyotiraditya’s Exit from Congress

• Scindia family has been ruling over MP since 1957 and the political story runs over
three generations. Jyotirdaditya’s grandmother started her political career with
Congress and moved to BJP in the late 60s. Her grandson Jyotiraditya has done the
same now after almost five decades.

• Scindia quit congress two major reasons - uncertainty about his future in the party as a
leader and allegedly the fact that Congress under Kamal Nath went back on their
promises as per the election Manifesto.

• The fact that Scindia was denied a seat in the Rajya Sabha made him doubt his future
in the party.

https://bit.ly/2JrehmA

https://bit.ly/3bFj28f

Coronavirus

• The first case of COVID 19 was detected on 30th January in Kerala where a young
student hailing from Wuhan was found infected. She soon recovered, however, all of
India by end of March went into a complete lockdown.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24th March 2020 announced a nationwide lockdown
to battle Coronavirus.

• Since then 5000+ people have been infected and the spread of the virus has continued.

• However, the government has taken prompt action and announced several policy
changes. For starters, Nirmala Sitharaman announced a 1.7 lakh crore rescue package
for the poor in the country. Further funds have been created at the central and state
level. At the central level PM's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency
Situations (PM-CARES) fund was created.

• Industrialists like Ratan Tata have pledged Rs. 1500 crore to fight the virus, Mukesh
Ambani helped in making a 100-bed quarantine ward in Seven Hills Hospital in
Mumbai, Indian Railways has helped by letting the government convert all of its
coaches into quarantine wards. Many hoteliers have also contributed by allowing their
hotels to be used as quarantine wards.

17
Table of All Ministries

23rd Ministry of the Republic of India

https://bit.ly/39UUV4a

18
India’s Various World Rankings (2019)

Index Name Published By India’s Rank First Rank

Global World Economic 68th Singapore

Competitiveness Forum (WEF)
Index

Gender Gap Index World Economic 112th Iceland

Forum (WEF)

Global Innovation Cornell University, 52nd Switzerland

Index INSEAD and the
UN World
Intellectual Property
Organisation
(WIPO)

Global Peace Index Institute for 141st Iceland

Economics and
Peace

Safe Cities Index Economic Mumbai: 45th is the Tokyo

Intelligence Unit top Indian City

World Inequality Oxfam 147th Denmark

Index

World Press Reporters without 140th Norway

Freedom Index Borders

Corruption Transparency 80th Denmark and New

Perception Index International Zealand

Global Terrorism Institute for 7th Afghanistan

Index Economics and
Peace

Human United Nations 129th Norway

Development Index Development
Program

UN World UN Sustainable 140th Finland

Happiness Report Development
Solutions Network

NITI Aayog Health NITI Aayog Kerala -

Index

19
 Global Hunger Irish aid agency 102nd Belarus along with
Index Concern in 17 other countries
partnership with
Welthungerhilfe

https://bit.ly/2VaEN9e

20
 Pharmaceuticals
Sun Pharma to donate Rs 25 crore worth drugs, sanitisers to fight coronavirus

Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd has committed to donating Rs

25 crore worth of Hydroxychloroquine (HCQS), Azithromycin,
other related drugs and hand sanitisers to support India's fight
against coronavirus pandemic, according to a company statement.
The national task force for COVID-19 constituted by Indian
Council of Medical Research has recommended HCQS as
prophylaxis of the infection for a high-risk population.

● HCQS is being studied by the World Health Organization

(WHO) for use in conjunction with Azithromycin to treat
COVID-19.

● "The company is committed to working closely with the governments and relevant
stakeholders to ensure there is an uninterrupted supply of medicines," Sun Pharma said
in a statement. The company is constituting a task force to handle the distribution of
these products in India, it added.

https://bit.ly/2JsOlXH

Pharma companies in panic mode as lockdown hits supply chain

India's pharma companies are in a panic mode and fear drug

shortage, as the national lockdown announced by Prime Minister
Narendra Modi has led to disruption in the supply chain of
medicines.

● Cops in local level are restricting the movement of goods

and people even of those who are engaged in the delivery
of essential services, they say.

● Even though the national lockdown exempts essential

services and commodities like medicines, vegetables, milk including their supply chain,
there are reports of harassment and detainment by local cops.

https://bit.ly/2w2On5q

Rs 14,000 crore package to promote the production of bulk drugs, medical devices

To domestic manufacturing of the bulk drug, the government

announced a Rs 14,000 crore package that would incentivise
production of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the
country and reduce import dependence of this key pharma input
from China. The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in complete
stoppage of import of bulk drug and API to India. This has created
a scare that if the pandemic is long-drawn, there could be a
shortage of drugs in the country.

21
 ● According to a cabinet decision, four schemes would be introduced to boost production
of bulk drugs and API

● Under the first scheme, the government has provided a budget of Rs 1,000 crore that
would go into incentivising setting up of bulk drugs in states.

https://bit.ly/2JqXPCT

Sun Pharma announces Rs 1,700 crore share buyback

Shares of Sun Pharma gained up to 7 per cent in Tuesday’s trade

after the company announced a share buyback of Rs 1,700 crore.

● The Board of Directors of Sun Pharma approved the

buyback of 4 crore shares of the company at Rs 425, a
premium of 15.48 per cent from the last close.

● It represents 1.67 per cent of the total number of shares of

the company.

https://bit.ly/3dMQonc

Hydroxychloroquine becomes a Schedule H1 drug as hoarding leads to shortage

The Ministry of Health through a special amendment has

categorised hydroxychloroquine (HCQS) drug as a schedule H1
drug- which means it cannot be sold over the counter disease.

● The move comes as reports emerged of hoarding and

shortage of this drug due to the national lockdown, this
drug is prescribed as a chronic therapy for patients
suffering from Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, an
autoimmune

● However, the hoarding and shortage took place after the

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommended the drug for front line
workers and high-risk people who were in contact with the COVID-19 patient. Reports
have emerged that after this notice several common people were rushing to chemist
shops to self-medicate.

https://bit.ly/2UVjrg5

Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance commits to helping fight COVID-19

The national pharma lobby Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA)

on Saturday said it will take every step to ensure that all
coronavirus patients get timely access to medicines.

● Towards this, the alliance and its members are working

with the governments and other public agencies, pharma
industry associations and all other key stakeholders, it
said in a statement.

22
 ● "We are closely monitoring orders and inventories. With an adequate stock of active
pharma ingredients, finished product formulations and channel availability, we'd be
able to sustain the supply of medicines for the coming months. We are not aware of any
medicines shortage, to date," the alliance said.

https://bit.ly/2ypnVE1

HUL to acquire V Wash from Glenmark Pharma

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) said it has signed an

agreement with Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Ltd to acquire its
intimate hygiene brand V Wash.

● The deal includes the acquisition of intellectual property

rights including trademarks, design and know-how related
to the V Wash brand but not manufacturing units.

● The brand, launched in 2013 controls half the female

intimate hygiene category and grew 48% in FY 2018-19.

● The consideration has been split into two parts involving an upfront cash payment upon
closing of the deal and a deferred consideration over the next three years said the
company.

https://bit.ly/3aAUY62

COVID-19 Impact: Pharma companies feel the pain as prices of key inputs shoot up

The coronavirus outbreak has started to hit India’s

pharmaceutical sector, with the prices of key ingredients rising.
The latest price moves have nudged the government into action,
which will hold a series of meetings with top sectoral executives
beginning next week.

● According to the data available with the Pharmaceutical

Export Promotion Council (Pharmexcil), the cost of
paracetamol has gone up from Rs 250-300 kg to 400-450
kg. “Similarly, ‘montelukast sodium’ (an anti-asthma
drug) is trading between Rs 52,000 and Rs 58,000 per kg, compared with Rs 33,000-
38,000 per kg a few months ago,” said Dinesh Dua, chairman, Pharmexcil, which
functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

● Similarly, the prices of vitamins and penicillin have shot up 40-50%. “The industry also
complained that all vitamins were trading at double or triple the price,” Dua said.

https://bit.ly/2QZVRO0

23
Bayer, Exscientia to explore AI in drug discovery

A new collaboration between Bayer and UK-based Exscientia is

set to accelerate the discovery of small molecule drugs, focused
on cardiovascular disease and oncology.

● The companies have announced that they will use

artificial intelligence (AI) to further the development of
drug candidates for three of Bayer’s projects in the areas
of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and oncology.

● Under the terms of the deal, Exscientia will begin by

working on three projects with targets agreed between both parties, with eligibility to
receive up to £203 million, including “upfront and research payments, near term and
clinical milestones.

https://bit.ly/39xmctb

COVID-19: Pfizer, Regeneron to develop candidates, but solution likely to ‘be a year
away’

Despite multiple big players in pharma lending a hand to develop

vaccines, donate funding and generally get the ball rolling,
GlobalData’s senior medical reporter Allie Nawrat has predicted
that the advent of a widely available vaccine could “likely take at
least a year” after a readers poll showed that “33% of readers
believe it will take over a year, while 28% are optimistic there
could be a vaccine available within three months.”

● Nawrat continues to explain that “experts are clear that it

will take at least a year for a vaccine to be developed
against COVID-19,” saying that the situation is “not helped by the likelihood that the
virus has already mutated into two strains.”

https://bit.ly/2yqaa87

Frequently Askes Questions

• Investments and Recent Developments

The Union Cabinet has given its nod for the amendment of the existing Foreign Direct
Investment (FDI) policy in the pharmaceutical sector in order to allow FDI up to 100
per cent under the automatic route for manufacturing of medical devices subject to
certain conditions.

The drugs and pharmaceuticals sector attracted cumulative FDI inflows worth US$
15.98 billion between April 2000 and March 2019, according to data released by the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Some of the recent developments/investments in the Indian pharmaceutical sector are

as follows:

24
 Between Jul-Sep 2018, Indian pharma sector witnessed 39 PE investment deals worth
US$ 217 million.

Investment (as % of sales) in research & development by Indian pharma companies*

increased from 5.3 per cent in FY12 to 8.5 per cent in FY18.

In 2017, the Indian pharmaceutical sector witnessed 46 merger & acquisition (M&A)
deals worth US$ 1.47 billion

The exports of the Indian pharmaceutical industry to the US will get a boost, as branded
drugs worth US$ 55 billion will become off-patent during 2017-2019.

https://bit.ly/2UVojln

• Government Initiatives

Some of the initiatives taken by the government to promote the pharmaceutical sector
in India are as follows:

In October 2018, the Uttar Pradesh Government announced that it will set up six pharma
parks in the state and has received investment commitments of more than Rs 5,000-
6,000 crore (US$ 712-855 million) for the same.

The National Health Protection Scheme is the largest government-funded healthcare

programme in the world, which is expected to benefit 100 million poor families in the
country by providing a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh (US$ 7,723.2) per family per year for
secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation. The programme was announced in Union
Budget 2018-19.

In March 2018, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) announced its plans to
start a single-window facility to provide consents, approvals and other information. The
move is aimed at giving a push to the Make in India initiative.

The Government of India is planning to set up an electronic platform to regulate online

pharmacies under a new policy, in order to stop any misuse due to easy availability.

The Government of India unveiled 'Pharma Vision 2020' aimed at making India a global
leader in end-to-end drug manufacture. Approval time for new facilities has been
reduced to boost investments.

The government introduced mechanisms such as the Drug Price Control Order and the
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority to deal with the issue of affordability and
availability of medicines.

https://bit.ly/2UVojln

• Effect of COVID-19 on Pharma Industry

Price and Supply Chain: India’s drug pricing regulator has sought details of the price
movement and inventory of 58 key ingredients that go into the making of finished drug
dosages, seeking to ensure that the COVID-19 outbreak doesn’t cause the Chinese-

25
 dependent supply chain to snap and result in an undue rise in retail prices of medicines
locally.

https://bit.ly/2Jr00q5

Increased profits: AS THE NEW CORONAVIRUS spreads illness, death, and

catastrophe around the world, virtually no economic sector has been spared from harm.
Yet amid the mayhem from the global pandemic, one industry is not only surviving,
but it is also profiting handsomely. “Pharmaceutical companies view COVID-19 as a
once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity,” said Gerald Posner, author of “Pharma:
Greed, Lies, and the Poisoning of America.” The world needs pharmaceutical products,
of course. For the new coronavirus outbreak, in particular, we need treatments and
vaccines and, in the U.S., tests. Dozens of companies are now vying to make them.

https://bit.ly/2X0DRXI

26
 Banking and Financial Services
Union Budget 2020

• Union Budget of India is the country’s

comprehensive Annual Financial Statement. It consists of
a detailed account of the government’s finances, its
revenues from various sources and expenditures to be
incurred on different activities that it will incur.

Union Budget 2020 Highlights:

• Government to incentivise farmers to go solar. Over 6

crore farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima
Yojna have been insured. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha and Utthan Mahabhiyan
(PM KUSUM) to be expanded, providing 20 lakh farmers in setting up standalone
solar pumps.
• Education and Training: Govt will start Ind-Sat Exam to promote study in India and
a degree-level online education programme for the deprived. A total of Rs 3,000 crore
will be given for skill development.
• Kisan Rail – To build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables (milk,
meat, fish, etc.), Express and Freight trains to have refrigerated coaches.
• Krishi Udaan – Krishi Udaan will be launched by the Civil Aviation Ministry to
transport agri-products to national as well as international destinations.
• PM Modi’s ‘Nal Se Jal’ scheme announced, govt proposes Rs 3.6 lakh crore towards
piped water supply to households.
• National Textile Mission to be launched with a proposed Rs 1,480 crore allocation.
• To boost infrastructure, 9,000 km of the economic corridor will be set up.
“Chennai-Bengaluru expressway will also be started. Delhi-Mumbai expressway to be
completed by 2023,”.
• 550 Wi-Fi facilities have been commissioned at railway stations. 1 lakh gram
panchayats to get optical fibre link. An allocation of Rs 6,000 crore will be provided
for BharatNet scheme.
• 100 more airports to be developed by 2025. The FM also said 1,150 trains will run
under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, also four stations will be redeveloped
with the help of the private sector. Besides, the minister promised more Tejas type trains
to connect tourist destinations.
• An allocation of Rs 8,000 crore will be made for National Mission on Quantum
computing and Technology.
• Women schemes, senior citizens in Budget: Rs 28,600 crore will be allocated in
FY21 for women linked programs.
• The budget also proposes Rs 4,400 crore to tackle Delhi’s air pollution problem.
• Narvik (Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana) scheme to provide enhanced insurance cover and
reduce the premium for small exporters.
• Fiscal deficit target pegged at 3.8% of GDP for FY 2019-20. FY21 fiscal deficit
target pegged at 3.5% of GDP.
• Nominal growth of GDP for 2020-21 has been estimated at 10 per cent.
• Budget proposes new simplified tax regime soon. New income tax rates : 10% tax for
income between 5 lakh-7.5 lakh; 15% tax for income between 7.5 lakh to 10 lakh; 20%

27
 tax for income between 10 lakh to 12.5 lakh; 25% tax for income between 12.5 lakh to
15 lakh; 30% tax for income above 15 lakh.
• Dividend Distribution Tax is to be removed. The dividend shall be taxed at the hands
of the recipients.
• To boost investments and shore up the lagging economy, corporate tax for existing
companies slashed to 22 per cent. Govt proposes 100 per cent tax concession to
sovereign wealth funds on investment in infra projects. Moreover, a concessional tax
rate of 15 per cent extended to power generation companies.
• Coming to affordable housing now: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman extends an
additional Rs 1.5 lakh tax benefit on interest paid on affordable housing loans to March
2021.
• ‘Vivad Se Vishwas’ Scheme announced by Sitharaman for direct taxpayers whose
appeals are pending at various forum. 4.83 lakh direct cases pending in various
appellate forums. Under the scheme, the taxpayer to pay the only amount of disputed
tax. They will get a complete waiver on interest and penalty if the scheme is availed by
March 31, 2020.

https://bit.ly/3bN9TKX

Yes Bank crisis: From what happens to my money to will SBI be saviour, all that has
happened

● Bad loans of Yes Bank estimated to be around Rs.40000

crore (Gross NPA).

● Overall capital adequacy ratio dropped to 4.2 per cent

● Bank has provided Rs 86 crore as a penalty to the central

bank.

● The bank had NPAs, plus it unreported the same to RBI

https://bit.ly/33VKbAT

India's PMC Bank created over 21,000 fake accounts to hide loans

● Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative Bank (PMC) used

more than 21,000 fictitious accounts to hide loans it made.

● The bank’s management has been accused of concealing

non-performing assets and disbursing loans leading to a
loss of at least 43.55 billion rupees ($616.5 million).

https://reut.rs/3avCFzf

28
Oil Prices Dive as Saudi Arabia Takes Aim at Russian Production

Saudi Arabia has initiated a price war with Russia as on 08/02/2020, triggering a major fall in
the oil price, with US oil prices falling by 34%, crude oil falling by 26%, and Brent oil falling
by 24%.

● The price war triggered by a breakup in a dialogue

between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries (OPEC) and Russia over proposed oil
production cuts in the midst of the 2019–20 coronavirus
pandemic.

● Oil prices had already fallen 30% since the start of the
year due to a drop in demand. The price war is one of the
major causes of the currently ongoing global stock market
crash.

https://nyti.ms/2UKKQ4e

Auto sector crisis: 2.30 lakh jobs lost as the industry faces the worst crisis in 20 years

The Indian auto sector is in dire straits and is facing a crisis not
seen in the past two decades, jobs and manufacturing data
released by an apex body representing the industry has shown.

● Around 2.30 lakh auto sector jobs lost

● Sale of passenger cars in July 2019 fell 35 per cent

● The worst slump witnessed by the auto sector in the past

19 years.

https://bit.ly/2xvBelY

Indian Govt seeks to sell 100% in Air India

● Divestment of Air India restarted with the government

seeking to sell 100 per cent of its equity share capital in
the state-owned airline (including Air India’s
shareholding interest of 100 per cent in AI Express
Limited and 50 per cent in Air India SATS Airport
Services Private Limited)

● Sale implementation through the open bidding route,

original deadline March 17

● Interested Air India bidders must have a net worth

of ₹3,500 crores.

https://bit.ly/2UqXqGS

29
India decides to opt-out of RCEP, says key concerns not addressed

India won’t join the Regional Comprehensive Economic

Partnership (RCEP) because concerns about getting swamped by
imports under the agreement — putting its domestic industry and
agriculture at risk — haven’t been assuaged. The RCEP, which
includes China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN), aims to cover about a third of the world economy and
half its population.

https://bit.ly/33UBVBn

RBI joins coronavirus fight with big-bang rate move, EMIs put on hold

● RBI has contributed Rs 1.70 lakh crore to combat Coronavirus.

● These measures come just hours after Moody's Investors Service cut India's growth
forecasts for the 2020 calendar year to 2.5% from 5.3%.

https://bit.ly/2JvbYi9

Moody Slashes India’s GDP Growth

New Delhi: Moody’s Investors Service sharply cut India’s growth forecast for calendar 2020
to 2.5% from 5.3% estimated barely 10 days ago after the government ordered a nationwide
lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

https://bit.ly/2UKGji1

The global economic impact of Coronavirus

● The coronavirus outbreak, which originated in China, has

infected more than 1141425 people. Its spread has left
businesses around the world counting costs.

● Big shifts in stock markets, where shares in companies are

bought and sold, can affect many investments in pensions
or individual savings accounts (ISAs).

● The travel industry has been badly damaged, with airlines

cutting flights and tourists cancelling business trips and
holidays.

https://bbc.in/2UP4iwr

30
Mega-merger of PSU banks comes into force from April 1, says RBI

● RBI has decided to go ahead with the merger plan of ten

state-run banks into four larger banks from April 1.

● It has issued four separate releases announcing that the

branches of merging banks will operate as of the banks in
which these have been amalgamated from next month.

● The government on March 4 had notified the

amalgamation schemes for 10 state-owned banks into four as part of its consolidation
plan to create bigger size stronger banks in the public sector.

https://bit.ly/3bE4Hsm

RBI allows lenders to defer repayments of all term loans by three months

● RBI has allowed banks to provide a three-month

moratorium on all term loans, working capital loans,
farm loans and credit card dues.

● This measure is expected to bring relief to borrowers

across the spectrum who are likely to find it difficult to
repay loans during the COVID-19 crisis.

● As large sections of the economy come to a standstill

amid the ongoing lockdown, repayments have already
started clogging up, with cash collections for non-banks being most-affected.

https://bit.ly/3bEYJrA

Paytm Payments Bank to now issue Visa debit cards

● Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has announced that it

will start issuing Visa debit cards to its customers.

● Paytm is targeting to issue over 10 million new digital

debit cards in FY 20-21.

● The bank, known for introducing neo-banking in the

country, is already the largest issuer of RuPay Debit Cards
and has the fastest-growing bank account base.

https://bit.ly/2Jo1Jfw

31
Bandhan Bank to gradually pare micro-credit exposure

● Bandhan Bank Ltd will gradually lower exposure to

microcredit in percentage terms over the next three to five
years.

● The bank's exposure to microcredit has come down from

85% in 2016 to 61% in 2020.

● Over the next three to five years, the bank's planning to

have the ratio of micro and non-microcredit will be 50:50.

https://bit.ly/39v2ONt

Telecom stocks jump over likely relief on AGR dues

In Oct 2019, the Supreme Court had directed telecom service providers to pay the pending dues
–aggregating to over Rs 1.47 lakh crore – to the government by 23rd January 2020

The decision impacts over 15 telecom firms, both current and defunct, but those with the
highest liabilities are Vodafone-Idea Ltd (Rs 53,038 crore), Airtel (Rs 35,586 crore) and Tata
Teleservices (Rs 13,823 crore).

The implication of the Supreme Court’s 2019 Order

• On Telecom companies: Increased liability

means losses in their operation in the short term.
It also erodes the telcos’ net worth impacting
retail investors
• On Telecom Sector: It could potentially lead to
Vodafone Idea’s exit due to its weak financial
position & its inability to pay its dues. This leads
to the creation of an Airtel-Jio duopoly which
may not augur well for the competitiveness in the
sector and thus the government’s vision of Digital
India.
• On Banking Sector: AGR issue has triggered
panic in the banking industry, given that the
telecom sector is highly leveraged. Vodafone Idea alone has a debt of Rs 2.2 lakh
crore. mutual fund industry having exposure to the telecom sector will also see an
erosion of value.

https://bit.ly/2yhzeOp

32
Link floating rate loans for medium enterprises with external benchmarks: RBI to banks

All-new floating rate loans given to medium enterprises will be

linked with external benchmarks from April 1, according to RBI.

With respect to micro and small enterprises, floating-rate loans are

already linked with external benchmarks.

This would strengthen monetary policy transmission so that

benefits of reduction in key lending rate (repo) can be passed on to
medium enterprises as well.

https://bit.ly/3bFWm7x

Zero UPI interchange, PSP fees may hurt PhonePe, Google Pay

● The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has

said that it has agreed to revise the UPI interchange and
payment service provider fees to "zero" for all domestic
UPI merchant (P2M) transactions with retrospective
effect from January 1, 2020.

● The abolition of the fees has been made for an interim

period until April 30, 2020, according to the circular.

https://bit.ly/2QTcnPS

Consumption slump hits innovation at FMCG firms

● India’s consumption slowdown has hit product

innovations by medium and small manufacturers of
packaged foods and personal care goods.

● Innovations in this category in 2019 were down 25%

compared to the year-ago period, according to data from
market researcher Nielsen India.

● Even large companies were not immune to the slowdown

and saw innovations decline by 13%.

https://bit.ly/2Ut1PZN

33
Amazon wins stay against CCI probe

● The Karnataka high court has stayed the Competition

Commission of India’s (CCI)’s investigation into
Amazon India and Walmart-owned Flipkart for alleged
anti-competitive practices, including predatory pricing
and preferential treatment of sellers.

● The high court granted eight weeks to the e-commerce

companies to file their responses, and is expected to
resume hearing thereafter, three people aware of the
development said.

https://bit.ly/2WVEmlE

Frequently asked questions

• Facts about the banking industry in India

Public sector banks: 12
Private sector banks: 22
Foreign banks: 45
Regional rural banks: 43
State Cooperative banks: 33
Urban cooperative banks: 52

Sr Important
No. Facts

1 First bank established in India Bank of Hindostan

2 First bank to introduce savings account in India Presidency Bank

3 First bank to introduce the cheque system in India Bengal Bank

4 First bank to introduce internet banking ICICI Bank

5 First bank to introduce the mutual fund State Bank of India

6 First bank to introduce credit card in India Central Bank of India

7 First bank to introduce ATM in India HSBC

8 First bank to provide Mobile ATM ICICI Bank

9 First bank to open a branch outside India: Bank of India

10 A largest commercial bank in India State Bank of India

11 India’s first financial Archive set up at Kolkata

12 Largest public sector bank in India SBI

34
13 Largest private sector bank in India ICICI Bank

14 A largest foreign bank in India Standard Chartered

Bank

15 The bank having maximum overseas branches Bank of Baroda

16 First Governor of RBI Sir Osborne Smith

17 First Indian Governor of RBI C.D Deshmukh

18 First Joint Bank of India Allahabad Bank

19 First Indian Bank started with Indian capital Punjab National Bank
indigenous Bank

20 First Regional Rural Bank Prathama Grameen

Bank

21 First Universal Bank in India ICICI Bank

22 First Bank to India listed in New York Stock ICICI Bank

Exchange

23 First Bank in India launch talking ATM Union Bank of India

24 First Bank in India to launch its own Payment State Bank of India

Aggregators

25 India’s first all-woman Bank Bhartiya Mahila Bank

26 First private bank to open dedicated branch for RBL

startups

27 First Aadhaar based ATM launched by DCB Bank

28 First Bank to sell Indian gold coins Indian Overseas Bank

29 First Payment Bank Rajasthan m-commerce

30 First Small Finance Bank Capital Small Finance

Bank

Limited

31 Contactless credit cards for small and midsized ICICI

35
 enterprises

32 First certified Green Bond at London Stock Axis Bank

Exchange

33 First small and medium enterprises Bank HDFC

34 The first Transaction on Blockchain is executed by ICICI

• Note on Bank Recapitalization plan

1. Introduced to ensure that Public sector banks are well-capitalized
2. Total 2.11 trillion out of which Rs1.35 trillion will come from the sale of so-
called recapitalization bonds and the remaining Rs76000 crore will be through
budgetary allocation and fund-raising from the markets.
3. The regulatory requirements (Basel III) of capital adequacy and credit growth
are the two main drivers for bank capitalization
4. Basel-III emphasized on capital adequacy to protect shareholders’ and
customers’ risks and set norms for Tier I and Tier II capital

https://bit.ly/2M2M4Gf

• What is the Prompt Corrective Action Plan?

RBI considers 4 key points to determine whether a bank deserves to be in PCA
1. Capital Adequacy Ratio ( If the difference between actual CAR of bank and
modified CAR by RBI is >2.5)
2. NPA net of provisions (>6%)
3. Profitability (2 continuous years of negative ROA)
4. Total Debt or leverage (>25 times)

https://bit.ly/31l1t8X

• What is IBC
The proposed bankruptcy legislation seeks to address the issues faced currently in the
context of insolvency and winding up. The provisions of the Code are applicable to
companies, limited liability entities, firms and individuals.

https://bit.ly/2MlIK9v

• The current policy rates of RBI are as follows:

Repo rate - 4.40%
Reverse Repo Rate - 4%
Marginal Standing Facility- 5.40%
CRR- 3%
SLR- 18.50%
• Notable Government Schemes
1. Jan Dhan Yojna - The key objective of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY) is to increase the accessibility of financial services such as bank
accounts, insurance, pension, credit facilities, etc. mostly to the low-income
groups. As on May 29, 2019, under the Jan Dhan Yojana, Rs 98,400 crore was

36
 deposited and 358 million accounts were opened in India. 278 million ‘Rupay’
debit cards were issued to users.
2. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana - This scheme is mainly for
accidental death insurance cover for up to Rs. 2 lakh.
Premium: Rs. 12 per annum. Risk Coverage: For accidental death and full
disability - Rs. 2 lakh and for partial disability – Rs. 1 lakh. Gross enrolment
under the scheme reached around 140 million.
3. Atal Pension Yojna - Subscribers would receive the fixed pension of Rs 1,000,
2,000, 3,000, 4,000 or 5,000 at the age of 60 years (depending on their
contributions). The Central Government will also co-contribute 50 per cent of
the subscriber's contribution or Rs 1,000 per annum, whichever is lower, to each
eligible subscriber account, for a period of 5 years. More than 15 million
enrolments have been made under this scheme since its launch.

37
 Ecommerce and Start-ups
Budget 2020 - E-commerce companies to collect 1 per cent TDS from sellers under the
new levy

● The government proposed a new levy of one per cent TDS (tax deducted at source) on
e-commerce transactions, a move that could increase the burden on sellers on such
platforms.

● Also, consequential amendments are being proposed in section 197 (for lower TDS), in
section 204 (to define person responsible for paying any sum) and in section 206AA
(to provide for tax deduction at 5 per cent in non-PAN/Aadhaar cases).

https://bit.ly/2UNX2RO

RedBus forays into the car, bike pooling segment in Delhi

● Pilani Soft Labs Pvt. Ltd-owned redBus.in, which was

founded in 2006 was acquired in 2013 by Ibibo, which
was taken over by MakeMyTrip.

● rPool, a shared mobility service by redBus, will cater only

to office goers in Delhi to avail and offer rides in their
personal cars and bikes while commuting between home
and their workplace.

● rPool can be accessed using the redBus mobile app. Last

year, the company had launched such services in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune.

https://bit.ly/39xz960

Urban Company snaps up Australian on-demand beauty venture Glamazon

● UrbanClap Technologies, which owns and operates online home services marketplace
Urban Company, has acquired the assets of Australian on-demand beauty company
Glamazon, the Gurugram-based venture.

● Urban Company had launched its operations in Australia in November 2019.

● This is the latest acquisition by Urban Company, which had earlier snapped up after-
sales service platform HandyHome in 2016. The same year, it was also reported to have
acquired concierge services startup GoodService in an all-cash deal.

https://bit.ly/2WY0g7G

Amazon plans ‘haats’ to help digitize small and medium business

● The local arm of Amazon.com Inc. is setting up brick-and-mortar ‘Digital Haats’ in

Indian cities, especially around manufacturing hubs, that will offer products and
services to help digitize small and medium businesses.

38
 ● The plan is to scale up to 100 such Haats or marketplaces by 2025, Gopal Pillai,
Amazon India vice-president for seller services said.

● These physical haats will provide a range of services like e-commerce on-boarding,
imaging and cataloguing, warehouse space, logistics, digital marketing, and compliance
for small businesses and manufacturers.

https://bit.ly/2WWIySf

Uber announces deeper push into financial services with Uber Money

● Uber announces a new division called Uber Money,

which includes a digital wallet and upgraded debit and
credit cards.

● The emphasis, at first, will be expanding Uber’s efforts to

give its 4 million-plus drivers and couriers around the
world access to a mobile bank account so they can get
paid after each ride.

https://cnb.cx/2Uu3le6

Walmart testing paid membership program Walmart+ to take on Amazon Prime

● Walmart has tried to mimic Prime before with program

ShippingPass that was shut down in 2017. Using
Walmart’s existing grocery delivery service as the
backbone of Walmart+ as here Walmart has a clear
advantage over Amazon.

● Walmart’s Delivery Unlimited service currently costs $98

a year or $12.95 monthly and uses a free 15-day trial to
entice new members.

● Prime members spend about twice as much as other customers. Since its debut in 2005,
Amazon has tried to keep Prime members, who pay $119 a year for the service in the
U.S., hooked with goodies like streaming video and music, and, more recently, free
grocery delivery.

https://bit.ly/39yBQEH

39
Amazon joins hands with Future Group to take on RIL’s Jiomart

● Amazon has partnered with India’s leading

retailer, Future Retail Ltd (FRL), as they seek to expand
their reach by leveraging each other’s networks.

● While the partnership will allow the Kishore Biyani-led

Future Group firm to access Amazon’s online platform, it
would also help deepen Amazon’s presence in the Indian
market.

● Amazon had acquired a 49% stake in Future Coupons,

which holds about 7.3% in Future Retail through convertible warrants, the company
that holds Biyani’s BigBazaar retail chain.

https://bit.ly/343sxLU

Food delivery biz heats up as Amazon set to disrupt Swiggy-Zomato duopoly

● In January, Zomato Media Pvt. Ltd acquired the Indian

business of Uber Eats, the food delivery business of the
ride-sharing giant, in an all-stock deal.

● Amazon is expected to pilot its project of delivering on-

demand food in Bengaluru.

● Prione Business Services, a joint venture between Infosys

Ltd co-founder NR Narayana Murthy’s Catamaran
Ventures and Amazon India, has been signing contracts
with brands to list on Amazon, offering 10-15% commissions.

https://bit.ly/2JpI533

Delhi HC lets e-commerce platforms sell products of direct selling entities

● The Delhi High Court has allowed e-commerce platforms to sell products of direct
selling entities, including Amway and Oriflame.

● The Court categorically said once the product has been sold and the ownership over the
product transferred, no further condition can be imposed by the seller on the buyer to
prevent “post-sale alienation".

https://bit.ly/2Jpxkh8

Why COVID-19 may alter Start-ups forever

● Calling the coronavirus outbreak The Black Swan of 2020, Sequoia warned that it may
be contained only after “several quarters" and it could take “even longer for the global
economy to recover its footing". The fund urged its portfolio companies to “question
every assumption" about their business, and consider cutting jobs and spending.

● Start-ups that provide flight and hotel bookings have naturally been the worst-hit.

40
 ● The so-called gig-economy firms including Ola, Uber and Airbnb, too, have seen a drop
in demand.

● Co-working spaces in Bengaluru and Gurugram have seen a fall in attendance.

● Videoconferencing firms are adding hordes of users as companies conduct meetings

online. Gaming, streaming and online education content providers have seen a
significant increase in users and time spent on their platforms.

https://bit.ly/39s5cEA

41
 FMCG
HUL sets up a wholly-owned manufacturing subsidiary

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) is perhaps the first large company to

take advantage of the lower corporate tax by announcing setting
up of a 100% subsidiary for greenfield manufacturing. The
FMCG major on Monday said its board of directors approved a
proposal to form a 100% subsidiary to help the company become
more agile and customer-focused.

● The government had slashed the corporate tax rate from

30% to 22%, and for new manufacturing entities, the
corporate tax rate was brought down to 15%.

● HUL, which is a market leader in several FMCG categories, falls under the 22%
corporate tax bracket. Any new manufacturing undertaken by HUL would be taxed at
this rate.

https://bit.ly/3bywURm

Tamil Nadu mulling a ban on plastic wraps for FMCG items

The Tamil government informed the Madras high court that it is

considering banning single-use plastic wraps used to pack fast-
moving consumer goods (FMCG) and other products. At present,
such plastic wraps are exempted from the ban against single-use
plastic.

● In view of the reasons and the directions of the court, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control
Board (TNPCB) has made a recommendation dated January 28, 2020, to consider
removing the exemption provided to single-use packaging plastics, Pandian added.

● Recording the submission, a division bench of Justice S Vaidyanathan and Justice P T

Asha observed that the state government has to give up the practice of supplying Aavin
milk in plastic covers and follow the old method of using bottles or any other means.

https://bit.ly/343lBOH

FMCG sector to expand at 9% in FY20, growth to improve in FY21: Report

The Rs 4-lakh crore FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector

will close fiscal 2020 with a 9 per cent growth, down 4 percentage
points and a jump in rural buying will lift the same to 11 per cent
in fiscal 2021.

● The recovery in the FMCG sector will begin playing out

from March-April 2020 riding on a jump in farm incomes

42
 ● The estimate comes amid reports of a sharp fall in overall consumption, with one media
report also claiming that there has been a de-growth in the activity for the first time in
four decades. This dip in consumption is one of the most important factors dragging
down the GDP growth.

https://bit.ly/33XP5xk

Dabur enters sanitiser market amid COVID-19

As demand for hand sanitisers reaches a new peak amid the

spread of the coronavirus, FMCG major Dabur entered the
segment with ‘Dabur Sanitize’.

● The demand for hand sanitisers and masks has spiked

multiple times as people rushed to buy them to protect
them from the virus

● Dabur Sanitize was supposed to be launched in April, but

the coronavirus situation led to advancing the timelines,
which now pits it against two existing large brands — Reckitt Benckiser’s Dettol and
HUL’s Lifebuoy.

https://bit.ly/2w1Xovy

Panic-buying boosts struggling FMCG companies

India’s struggling FMCG industry, which was grappling with a

consumption slowdown, received a boost in February, thanks to
the COVID-19 scare that prompted people to indulge in panic-
buying of essential commodities, including hygiene products

● While sales of hygiene products such as hand sanitizer,

floor cleaners and toilet cleaners shot through the roof, the
overall FMCG category, including food and non-food
items, witnessed a value growth of 8% in February over
the same period last year.

● The preceding months November, December and January saw the overall category
grow by 6%, 5% and 5% respectively, according to market research company Nielsen.

https://bit.ly/3bGTWWy

Godrej Cons misses FMCG rural growth target for 2020

FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products’ (GCPL’s) aim to

increase rural sales to 37% of revenue by 2020 has taken a hit due
to the economic slowdown. The owner of brands like Good
Knight and Cinthol will now take another two-three years to grow
its rural business to 37% from 31%.

43
https://bit.ly/2xIcFly

Tata Global Beverages Ltd renamed as Tata Consumer Products Ltd, to spearhead
FMCG ambitions

Tata Global Beverages Ltd has been renamed as Tata Consumer

Products Ltd to spearhead FMCG ambitions of the USD 113-
billion Tata group.

● Two Tata group firms - Tata Global Beverages Limited

(TGBL) and Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) announced
that the scheme of arrangement between them regarding
the Consumer Products Business of TCL is now
"operational", effective from February 7, 2020.

● Commenting on the development, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said: "The

merger of the consumer businesses of Tata Chemicals and Tata Global Beverages
Limited under Tata Consumer Products consolidates the group's presence in the fast-
growing consumer sector.

https://bit.ly/3aD0vcs

P&G India hit by monetary policy: CFO

Procter & Gamble, owner of the Pantene shampoo and Tide
detergent brands, said its India business has slowed due to
monetary policies that impacted liquidity in the market.

● “Slowing growth rates in India, largely as a result of some

monetary policies, have created a bit of a liquidity
squeeze, which is drying up inventory through the
system,” Jon Moeller, chief financial officer, P&G, told
investors. “But we continue to grow well in India and
build share.”

● In the previous fiscal, the world’s largest consumer products company expanded sales
by 16%, helped by rural expansion and new product launches. In FY20, however, sales
of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) have been impacted by slack rural demand
and a liquidity squeeze that affected wholesale channels.

https://bit.ly/347s2jW

Nestle gets interim relief on NAA’s outstanding fine

The Delhi High Court has given interim relief to Nestle India by
ordering a stay on the payment of outstanding penalty that the
National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAA) had directed the
local arm of the Swiss fast-moving consumer goods firm to pay.

44
 ● In its order dated February 10, the court said the company had already paid Rs 16.58
crore of the total demand of Rs 89.73 crore and clamped a stay on the recovery of the
balance amount.

https://bit.ly/2JsAArZ

Frequently Asked Questions

• Effects of Corona Virus on FMCG Companies:

1. Logistics Troubles - Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies said

they have received approvals for some of their facilities, and are in the process
of resuming production, albeit at very limited capacities, even as the
government moved to ease the supply of personal hygiene products. However,
the supply of packaged essential goods could take a few more days to stabilize
as the availability of manpower, and goods transport to the market, remain
major challenges.

https://bit.ly/2UU2eDo

2. Panic Buying e-commerce platforms, retail chains and Kirana stores reported a
sharp surge in sales of staples, daily necessities and personal hygiene products
in the past few days as panic buying took hold across India amid the fear of
closures as COVID-19 cases rise. Deliveries have been delayed and some items
such as sanitisers have gone off shelves or are unavailable online. Retailers and
fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies said there are no shortages
and that they will speed up supplies to shops besides seeking to curb hoarding.
They said sales are up 15-45% depending on the category.

https://bit.ly/2Jvmari

3. Manufacturing Overload - Workforce is down to 25 per cent in many units.

Some are even thinner at 15 per cent attendance only. While some others have
had to shut their units down temporarily simply because workers have been
unable to report to work as transportation grinds to a halt. The lockdown in
several Indian cities to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak has had an unintended
consequence: Manufacturing of essential items has been hit hard.

https://bit.ly/2JA2guV

• Some investments/development in FMCG Sector

The government has allowed 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in food
processing and single-brand retail and 51 per cent in multi-brand retail. This would
bolster employment and supply chains, and also provide high visibility for FMCG
brands in organised retail markets, bolstering consumer spending and encouraging
more product launches. The sector witnessed healthy FDI inflows of US$ 15.36 billion,
from April 2000 to June 2019.

• Some of the recent developments in the FMCG sector are as follows:

45
 1. In November 2019, ITC Ltd acquired 33.42 per cent stake in Delectable
Technologies, which is a vending machine start-up.
2. India’s first kids cooking oil launched by Mother Sparsh in 2019.
3. In June 2019, ITC launched dairy beverage range Sunfeast Wonderz Milk in
four variants
4. In November 2019, Santoor launched Santoor Deo pocket perfumes exclusively
for West Bengal.
5. Nestle plans to invest Rs 700 crore (US$ 100.16 million) to open a new plant in
Sanand for Maggi.
6. ITC to invest Rs 700 crore (US$ 100 million) in food park in Madhya Pradesh
7. Patanjali will spend US$743.72 million in various food parks in Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
8. Dabur is planning to invest Rs 250-300 crore (US$ 38.79-46.55 million) in
FY19 for capacity expansion and is also planning to make acquisitions in the
domestic market.
9. In May 2018, RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group created a Rs 1 billion (US$ 14.92
million) venture capital fund to invest in FMCG start-ups.
10. In August 2018, Fonterra announced a joint venture with Future Consumer Ltd
which will produce a range of consumer and foodservice dairy products.

https://bit.ly/3aAB9f9

• Government Initiatives

Some of the major initiatives taken by the government to promote the FMCG sector in
India are as follows:

1. The Government of India has approved 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) in the cash and carry segment and in single-brand retail along with 51 per
cent FDI in multi-brand retail.

2. The Government of India has drafted a new Consumer Protection Bill with
special emphasis on setting up an extensive mechanism to ensure simple,
speedy, accessible, affordable and timely delivery of justice to consumers.

3. The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is beneficial for the FMCG industry as
many of the FMCG products such as Soap, Toothpaste and Hair oil now come
under 18 per cent tax bracket against the previous 23-24 per cent rate. Also,
rates on food products and hygiene products have been reduced to 0-5 per cent
and 12-18 per cent respectively.

4. The GST is expected to transform logistics in the FMCG sector into a modern
and efficient model as all major corporations are remodelling their operations
into larger logistics and warehousing.

https://bit.ly/3aAB9f9

46
 Information Technology
Xerox ends its hostile takeover bid for HP

● Xerox has dropped its bid to merge with HP, citing the
current global health crisis related to the COVID-19
coronavirus.

● Xerox had previously led a hostile takeover bid of HP

which would combine the two legendary tech giants but
HP had rejected its proposals.

● Xerox had sought to acquire HP, the world’s second-

largest personal computer maker, for $24 a share in cash
and stock, a deal valued at roughly $35 billion.

● Xerox had launched a tender offer for outstanding shares of HP and also nominated a
slate of directors to replace the company’s board.

https://cnb.cx/2x5vHlY

Crypto trade is legal in India

● The Supreme Court on Wednesday lifted the ban imposed

by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on virtual currency
trading, including cryptocurrencies.

● Central govt is yet to implement a monitoring mechanism

for virtual currencies.

● The anonymity of transactions and fluctuation of value

make it hard to regulate cryptos.

https://bit.ly/3az37bc

Government approves 2,636 new charging stations in 62 cities

● These charging stations have been installed under the

second phase of FAME.

● At least one charging station will be available in most of

the selected cities in a grid of 4 km x 4 km.

FAME - The National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP)

2020 is a National Mission document providing the vision and the
roadmap for the faster adoption of electric vehicles and their
manufacturing in the country. As part of the NEMMP 2020,
Department of Heavy Industry formulated a Scheme viz. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing
of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme in the year 2015 to promote
manufacturing of electric and hybrid vehicle technology and to ensure sustainable growth of
the same.

47
https://bit.ly/2X1ulDt

OnePlus to turn India its global R&D hub

● OnePlus is turning its India R&D facility for global technology research in the area of
5G, television, payment solution and software.

● It is investing around Rs 1,000 crore in this R&D facility which is in Hyderabad. At

present 30 OnePlus stores are in India in 15 cities.

https://bit.ly/2R7dyKN

Apple pushes recycling of iPhone with Daisy robot

Apple Inc is trying to change the way electronics are recycled

with a robot that disassembles its iPhone so that minerals can be
recovered and reused. It plans to become a “closed-loop”
manufacturer that does not rely on the mining industry.

https://bit.ly/2Njfuyq

Telecom's Lost Cause

● After the court order, Vodafone Idea will have to deposit

the entire amount (that is Rs 58,254 crore), which would
potentially jeopardise its future. So is the case with Airtel,
which has been asked to pay Rs 43,980 crore against its
own assessment of Rs 13,004 crore.

● Companies will not have to pay interest beyond October

24, 2019, the day when the Supreme Court gave its
judgement on the matter.

https://bit.ly/2ytZllf

Video-conferencing app Zooom becomes the most preferred app for Android users amid
lockdown

● Video conferencing app Zoom climbed to the top of the

charts on Google Play Store becoming the most
downloaded app for Android phones amid India’s 21-day
lockdown owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

● The free version of Zoom allows up to 50 people in a

video-conference call which is making it the preferred app
for educational institution and organizations with larger
teams. Zoom has over 50 million downloads on Google’s
Play Store.

https://bit.ly/2WYtfbO

48
Move over 5G, Japan plans to launch 6G by 2030, says report

● Japan is reportedly planning a comprehensive strategy for "post-5G" (6G) technology

by 2030 and it is believed that the new technology will be 10-times faster than the
current 5G.

● Goldman Sachs has forecast a hefty 200 million 5G smartphone shipments globally in
2020.

https://bit.ly/36xRnTP

Qualcomm announces first chipsets with Isro's NavIC GPS for Android smartphones

Smartphones running on new Qualcomm chipsets will be using Indian regional satellite
navigation system NavIC within the Indian region and neighbouring countries. NavIC will
provide two types of services- the Standard Positioning Service (SPS), and Restricted Service
(RS).

https://bit.ly/2TYzuus

Frequently Asked Questions

• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a legal framework
that sets guidelines for the collection and processing of
personal information from individuals who live in
the European Union (EU). Since the Regulation applies
regardless of where websites are based, it must be heeded
by all sites that attract European visitors, even if they don't
specifically market goods or services to EU residents.
Adopted in April 2016, the Regulation came into full
effect in May 2018, after a two-year transition period.
GDPR states the following –

Visitors must be notified of data the site collects from them and explicitly consent to
that information-gathering, by clicking on an Agree button or other action. This
requirement largely explains the ubiquitous presence of disclosures that sites collect
"cookies".
Sites must also notify visitors in a timely way if any of their personal data held by the
site is breached.

Also mandated is an assessment of the site's data security, and whether a dedicated data
protection officer (DPO) needs to be hired or an existing staffer can carry out this
function.

The GDPR also calls for any personally identifiable information (PII) that sites collect
to be either anonymized (rendered anonymous, as the term implies) or pseudonymized
(with the consumer's identity replaced with a pseudonym).

• Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019

49
 The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has solicited
comments and suggestions on the PDP Bill from the public, various stakeholders,
ministers and consultants. Based on these suggestions, a revised Personal Data
Protection Bill, 2019 (Draft Bill), was cleared by the Union Cabinet on December 4
2019. Some key provisions are:

1. Prohibition of processing of personal data without any specific, clear and lawful
purpose.

2. Restriction on retention of personal data- the data fiduciary shall not retain
any personal data beyond the period necessary to satisfy the purpose for which
it was processed and shall delete the personal data at the end of processing. The
personal data may be retained for a longer period only after permission from the
data principal.

3. Processing of Sensitive data cannot be done without prior consent.

4. Sandbox for encouraging innovation- creating a sandbox for the purposes of

encouraging innovation in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) or
any other emerging technology of public interest. In this regard, certain
information is required to be furnished by the data fiduciary, if such fiduciary
intends to apply for inclusion in the sandbox.

5. The data principal has been provided with the right to the erasure of personal
data which is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was processed.

• What is Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging branch of
computer science concerned with building smart
machines capable of performing tasks that typically
require human intelligence. AI is an interdisciplinary
science with multiple approaches, but advancements
in machine learning and deep learning are creating a
paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the tech
industry.
Artificial Intelligence Examples - Smart Assistants (like
Siri and Alexa), Disease Mapping and Prediction Tools,
Manufacturing and Drone Robots, Optimized and Personalized Healthcare Treatment
Recommendations, Conversational Bots for Marketing and Customer Service, Robo
Advisors for Stock Trading, Spam Filters on E-mail, Social Media Monitoring Tools
for Dangerous Content or False News, Song or TV Show Recommendations from
Spotify and Netflix
Artificial intelligence generally falls under two broad categories:
Narrow AI: Narrow AI is often focused on performing a single task extremely well
and while these machines may seem intelligent, they are operating under far more
constraints and limitations than even the most basic human intelligence. A few
examples of Narrow AI include: Google search, Image Recognition Software, Siri,
Alexa and other Personal Assistants, Self-Driving Cars, IBM's Watson.
Artificial intelligence is a set of algorithms and intelligence to try to mimic human
intelligence. Machine learning is one of them, and deep learning is one of those machine
learning techniques.

50
 Machine learning feeds computer data and uses statistical techniques to help it "learn"
how to get progressively better at a task, without having been specifically programmed
for that task.

Machine learning consists of both supervised learning (using labelled data sets) and
unsupervised learning (using unlabelled data sets).

Deep learning is a type of machine learning that runs inputs through biologically-
inspired neural network architecture. The neural networks contain a number of hidden
layers through which the data is processed, allowing the machine to go "deep" in its
learning, making connections and weighting input for the best results.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): AGI, sometimes referred to as Strong AI. AGI
is a machine with general intelligence and, much like a human being, it can apply that
intelligence to solve any problem.

• What Is IoT?
The Internet of Things (IoT) describes the network of physical objects that are
embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting
and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet. These devices
range from ordinary household objects to sophisticated industrial tools.
What factors have made IoT possible?
While the idea of IoT has been in existence for a long time, a collection of recent
advances in a number of different technologies has made it practical.
Access to low-cost, low-power sensor technology. Affordable and reliable sensors are
making IoT technology possible for more manufacturers.
Connectivity. A host of network protocols for the internet has made it easy to connect
sensors to the cloud and to other “things” for efficient data transfer.
Cloud computing platforms. The increase in the availability of cloud platforms
enables both businesses and consumers to access the infrastructure they need to scale
up without actually having to manage it all.
Machine learning and analytics. With advances in machine learning and analytics,
along with access to varied and vast amounts of data stored in the cloud, businesses can
gather insights faster and more easily.
Conversational artificial intelligence (AI). Advances in neural networks have brought
natural-language processing (NLP) to IoT devices (such as digital personal assistants
Alexa, Cortana, and Siri) and made them appealing, affordable, and viable for home
use.
• What Is Industrial IoT?
Industrial IoT (IIoT) refers to the application of IoT technology in industrial settings,
especially with respect to instrumentation and control of sensors and devices that
engage cloud technologies. Recently, industries have used machine-to-machine
communication (M2M) to achieve wireless automation and control. With cloud and
allied technologies (such as analytics and machine learning), industries can achieve a
new automation layer and with it create new revenue and business models. IIoT is
sometimes called the fourth wave of the industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0. The
following are some common uses for IIoT: Smart manufacturing, Preventive and
predictive maintenance, Smart power grids, Smart cities Connected and smart logistics,
Smart digital supply chains

https://bit.ly/2WYtFio

51
• What Is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is the delivery of different services through the
Internet. These resources include tools and applications like
data storage, servers, databases, networking, and software.
When it comes to providing services, the big players in the
corporate computing sphere include: Google Cloud,
Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, IBM
Cloud, Aliyun
Advantages of Cloud Computing
1. Back-up and restore data
2. Improved collaboration
3. Excellent accessibility
4. Low maintenance cost
5. Mobility
6. Pay-per-use model
7. Unlimited storage capacity

8. Data security

Disadvantages of Cloud Computing

1. Internet Connectivity

2. Vendor lock-in

3. Limited Control- As we know, cloud infrastructure is completely owned,

managed, and monitored by the service provider, so the cloud users have less
control over the function and execution of services within a cloud infrastructure.

4. Security

52
 Sports
Tokyo Olympics 2020

● The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have

been postponed until next year because of the worldwide
coronavirus pandemic.

● The event will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking

place in 2021.

● The event, due to begin on 24 July, will now take place

"no later than summer 2021".

● The Olympics have never been delayed in their 124-year modern history, though they
were cancelled altogether in 1916, 1940 and 1944 during World War One and World
War Two.

https://bit.ly/2w1swvm

https://bbc.in/3byl21N

UEFA Euro 2020

● Euro 2020 has been postponed by one year until 2021

because of the coronavirus pandemic.

● The tournament, due to take place from 12 June-12 July

this summer, will now run from 11 June to 11 July next
year.

● Twenty of the 24 teams due to play in Euro 2020 have

qualified with the play-offs for the four remaining places have been postponed and
provisionally moved to June.

https://bit.ly/3bw3O5e

https://bbc.in/2UHPTSN

Australian Open 2020

● Novak Djokovic outlasts Dominic Thiem to win eighth

Australian Open.

● He won the thrilling final 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

● Sofia Kenin battles back to beat Garbiñe Muguruza

● She won in three sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

53
https://bit.ly/2JkljJB

https://bit.ly/2Jk9R0I

Formula 1

● Australia, Bahrain, Vietnam, China, the Netherlands,

Spain and Azerbaijan GP have been postponed.

● The Monaco Grand Prix has been cancelled as organisers

said it was "not possible" to rearrange a date.

● The Canadian GP is set to take place on 14 June in

Montreal as per schedule.

● F1 and the FIA have agreed to delay the introduction of a major set of rule changes by
a year until 2022 to keep costs down.

https://bit.ly/3bxAmf9

https://bbc.in/2UqYBpG

Tennis

● French Open was due to be played from 24 May to 7 June,

but instead will take place between 20 September and 4
October.

● The French Open is usually the second Grand Slam

tournament of the year, after the Australian Open, and the
finale of the clay court part of the season.

● All professional tennis across the world is currently

suspended until at least 20 April.

https://bbc.in/2WPGqLT

https://bbc.in/3atc3Ph

54
ISL 2019-20

● ATK FC became the champions of the season 6 of the

ISL.

● ATK defeated Chennaiyin 3-1 to lift their record 3rd title.

● Javier Hernandez and Edu Garcia were the goal scorers

for ATK.

● The final was held behind closed doors due to

coronavirus pandemic.

https://bit.ly/2yhBsxo

https://bit.ly/2QVdm1P

IPL 2020

● The tournament start has been postponed from March 29.

● The new window is tentatively April 16 to June 5.

● The decision to postpone further or cancel the tournament

will depend on the directives from the Government of
India.

https://bit.ly/2JnobFL

https://es.pn/2JltYM7

ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020

● It is scheduled to take place from October 18 to November

14 in Australia.

● There is a travel ban in Australia for six months due to

coronavirus.

● ICC has already cancelled all its events till June 30.

● Bilateral series between all countries stand cancelled.

https://bit.ly/3atAcW7

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ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020

● Australia beat India by 85 runs in the final to win their

Fifth World T20 title.

● The final witnessed the biggest ever crowd in a women’s

cricket match with 86,174 people in the stadium.

● Alyssa Healy was named as the player of the match.

● Beth Mooney was named as the player of the tournament.

https://bit.ly/344B1lW

Football

● Football in England has been suspended till April 30th

due to coronavirus.

● Football in Spain has been put on hold indefinitely.

● Football in Germany has been suspended till April 2nd.

● Football in Italy has been suspended till April 3rd.

● Football in France has been put on hold indefinitely.

● UEFA Champions League and Europa league are also suspended.

https://bbc.in/2xDNeBF

https://bbc.in/2UquBKD

https://bit.ly/2UrOhO7

https://bit.ly/2vXmf3C

https://bit.ly/2UJqisU

ICC Awards 2019

● Ben Stokes was named Best Cricketer of the year.

● Pat Cummins was named Test Cricketer of the year.

● Rohit Sharma was named ODI Cricketer of the year.

● Marnus Labuschagne was named Emerging Cricketer of

the year.

https://bit.ly/33Sx2ZA

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FIFA Awards 2019

● Lionel Messi won Ballon d’Or for record sixth time.

● Megan Rapinoe won Ballon d’Or for best women

footballer.

● Allison Becker won the inaugural Yashin trophy for the

best goalkeeper.

● Matthijs de Ligt won the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best under-21 player.

https://bbc.in/2yjHNbE

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 Group Discussion Topics
International

• What will be the changes in consumer behavior in the post coronavirus world?
Must cover points:

Hygiene related products will be of higher demand.

Conscious change of habits regarding social distancing, cleanliness and hygiene.

• What will be the changes in the business ideas/ execution in the post coronavirus world?

Businesses will consider work from home as an integral part of how work gets done.

High importance placed for creation of business continuity plan

Higher investments in remote technology like Zoom, etc.

• Evaluate India’s response to the global pandemic. What could have been done better?
Good:

Strict lockdown at an early stage imposed

State and centre worked together in tandem to achieve the lockdown

Could have done better:

Stricter quarantine measures especially for citizens who have travelled from
other countries

Stricter vigilance on congregations and assemblies of large number of people.

Other aspects to be explored: Financial, technological, political, legal

• Will WFH be the future of work?

Organisations are realizing the savings in cost and energy achieved through WFH

Will require high end technology to implement it

Not every role can be worked out from remote locations

But HR policies can explore and accommodate more WFH options

Pharma

● Drug price Control - Justified Or Not?

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 The drug pricing is made as per the set criteria and the government has every right to
expand the list to improve affordability.

It is a general rule in every sector that a firm can create a brand premium if it can control
it. So, it is on the market to decide they want to pay the price or not.

• Pharma companies on digital space

Pharma companies in India have already begun switching to new technology, as new
launches show. Sun Pharma launched a mobile app called RespiTrack earlier this year
for patient awareness on asthma and to ensure their adherence to the treatment regimen.

It is only obvious that in a country like India, a lot of pseudo-intellectuals are

functioning and they are also running factories were faulty/duplicate drugs are being
produced. Government and the E-Pharmacy people are going to have a hard time
managing stocks and ticking the faulty stocks out. A new framework with proper
scrutiny management is required.

BFSI

• Impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on Global economy vs Impact of COVID 19 on

environment

• Union Budget – 2020-21: For or Against

• RBI’s surplus transfer to the government: Is the move appreciated or not?

• Can India become a $5 trillion economy by 2024?

• Crisis in the Automobile Industry: Jobless Economy vs Automation

• The merger of Indian PSUs: Yay or Nay

• Stock market vs Fixed deposits

• Cryptocurrency: The currency of the future or a hoax

• Should public sector banks be privatized?

• Universal Basic Income – Pros & Cons

• Should Fintech firms and Banks collaborate?

• Privatization of ‘Air India’ – Good or Bad?

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 • Is it really worth to become a cashless economy?

• Should Chinese products be banned in India?

E-Commerce

• Transport aggregators, saviour or destructors?

For - Convenient and Cashless, Professional Service, Competitive Pricing, Safer and
More Flexible for Drivers
Against – Surge Pricing, Trip Cancellations and Low Fares Hurt Drivers
• E-commerce discounts – good or bad?

For

Increased revenue.

Improve customer loyalty.

Encourage new shoppers to spend their money with you.

Gain exposure during a specific holiday (like Christmas or Halloween) with a

holiday deal.

Against
The discounts are harmful as they are offered on slow-moving, perishable, long time
inventory holdings.
Discounts may kill a good product.
Loss due to the discounts is born by the seller.

FMCG

● Rural India: an opportunity for FMCG companies:

The burgeoning middle-class Indian population, as well as the rural sector, presents a
huge potential for this sector.

Distribution poses a serious challenge. For the successful exploration of rural markets,
a basic requirement is an infrastructure. The absence of such an infrastructure is
aggravating the distribution challenges in rural India

● Brick and Mortar Stores vs e-commerce

61% of consumers shop in-store, compared to only 31% who turn to the internet. This
is good news for brick-and-mortar businesses. One of the largest drivers for in-store
shopping is the ability for customers to receive the product immediately.

For brands, the eCommerce route can have many benefits over a brick-and-mortar store.
They don’t require expensive storefronts; instead, more cost-effective warehouses are

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 used to hold inventory. With multiple warehouses, brands can ship products quicker via
online orders.

• Supply Chain Management in FMCG Sector in times of Covid-19 crisis.

Distributor Performance inefficiency of Suppliers and Transporters may cause low

levels of client satisfaction and excessive route to Market costs.

The availability of trucks continues to be the biggest challenge at the moment

Information Technology

• Data is the new oil

For
Data is as important for Deep Learning algorithms as the architecture of the network
itself, i.e., the software. Acquiring and cleaning the data is one of the most valuable
aspects of the work. Without data, neural networks cannot learn.
Against
Data may be biased and not relevant
Data can Mislead Decision Making
Data might distort innovation
• Data privacy
For
Compromises online anonymity which is crucial for whistle-blowers, investigators,
journalists, and those engaging in political speech.
Identity theft
Frauds possible if data of users are not protected.
Against
Fights crime and terrorism through computer analysis of patterns of phone use, such
as automatically figuring out whether people know each other.
Detects when one person uses multiple phones or switches phone.
• Is automation a boon or bane
For
Automation increases the reliability and efficiency and thereby productivity.
Against
Reduction in the employee workforce
• Instincts v Analytics
Instincts
Listening to instincts is beneficial as people are open to new ideas that the rational
mind may not be open to.
Analytics
Faster, more informed business decisions backed up by facts
A deeper understanding of customer requirements which, in turn, builds better
business relationships.

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Abstract Topics

• Hard Work v Smart Work

Diplomatic stand as to how both are important. Highlight importance of hard work as
well as smart work. If choosing one or another then justify why.
• Your failure can be your stepping stones or stumbling blocks.
If you accept and learn from failure then stepping stones. If you let failures define you
and get defeated then stumbling blocks
• Ethics or Profits
• Zero
• Black or Grey
Nothing is simply black and white. There is a lot of grey area to be navigated
• Roses are red. Crows are black.

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