WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS. “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS
According to Aristotle state is _________
(a) A divine Institution
(b) An artificial creation
(c) A creation of force
(d) Natural institution
Answer: (d)
Which one of the following thinkers is associate with the idealist theory of state?
(a) Hobbes (b) Hegel
(c) J.S. Mill (d) Laski
Answer: (b)
_________ is pioneer of Neo- Realism
(a) Kenneth Waltz
(b) Hans Joachim Morgenthau
(c) Buzuri
(d) Prebish
Answer: (a)
An example of a shield volcano is
(a) Mount Fuji
(b) Mount Pinatubo
(c) Puy de Dome
(d) Mauna Loa
Answer: (d)
Mauna Loa is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean.Mauna Loa is a shield volcano that has erupted some three dozen times since its first well-documented eruption in 1843
Volcanoes that have erupted in historic times and are still likely to erupt, are known as
(a) Active volcanoes
(b) Dormant volcanoes
(c) Extinct volcanoes
(d) Instinct volcanoes
Answer: (b)
Top of magma is forced onto Earth’s surface is known as
(a) Vent
(b) Cone
(c) Pipe
(d) Crater
Answer: (d)
A volcanic crater is a roughly circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a bowl-shaped feature within which occurs a vent or vents
WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS. “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS
WELCOME TO CSS TIMES DAY BY DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS, YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR UP-TO-DATE AND DAILY TOP CURRENT AFFAIRS 2019 FOR PREPARATION OF CSS, PMS, BANKING, NTS, RAILWAYS AND ALL COMPETITIVE EXAMS. “DAY TO DAY CURRENT AFFAIRS” BASICALLY IS TOP 10 NEWS SUMMARY ON CURRENT HAPPENINGS OF NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE FOR ALL EXAMINATIONS
1. Introduction
2. UN Charter – Its features
3. How has the UN failed to measure up to the demands of its charter?
3.1 The UN’s failure on Political Front:
b. Failed to come up with the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
c. Failed to ensure the Right of Self Determination to all peoples.
d. Unable to ensure Sovereign Equality of the weaker states
i. The recent invasions breaching the laws regarding ‘Use of Force’
ii. Violation of Territorial Integrity of weaker states
iii. Violation of Geneva Conventions
3.2 The UN’s letdown in the Security Domain:
a. Growing Nuclearization of the world – A threat to international peace and security
i. Nuclear Arms race in South Asia
ii. GCC states threatened to start their own unclear program.
b. Escalating political and maritime disputes – A menace for universal peace
i. Disputes in South-China Sea
ii. Re-militarization of Japan
iii. Russian resurgence— Beginning of a new Cold War
c. Emergence of Complex Transnational Issues
i. Terrorism – ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda,
ii. Vicious Wave of proxy and civil wars
iii. Exacerbating environmental conditions
iv. Global Refugee Crisis
1. Introduction
a. Deciphering the key terms
b. How technology has superseded humanity
2. How technology has superseded humanity at various levels
a. At intelligence level
i) Machine’s computational power has surpassed human intelligence
ii) Human being’s growing dependence on machines erodes its intellectual capabilities
iii) Future is “robotic” ;rise of ‘artificial intelligence’
b. At socio-economic level
i) Technology replacing manpower ; a case of growing unemployment
ii) ‘Artificial intelligence’ machines; moral fallouts
iii) In medical field ; ignoring emotional aspect of healing
iv) Advancement in communication technology; limiting real life interactions
c. In strategic domain
i) Warfare technology; no regard for human suffering
ii) Nuclear bombs and weapons of mass destruction
iii) Military and intelligence surveillance; encroachment of privacy
iv) Space surveillance and drone attacks; an onslaught on state sovereignty
v) Guided missiles and misguided souls
• PTI-led government on June 11, 2019 presented its first annual budget with a record outlay of Rs7,036 billion for the upcoming fiscal year, which is 30 percent higher than the budget of the outgoing year.
• Austerity measures mark Rs 7tr tax-heavy outlay carrying highest-ever deficit
• More tax on edible oil, sugar, cold drinks, powdered milk, imported meat, cigarettes, jewelry, cars
• Non-fillers can purchase property over Rs 5m
• Federal revenues Rs. 717b
• 10pc increase in salaries/pensions
• Minimum wage Rs17,500 per month
• Rs 200b subsidy on electricity for poor
• Min taxable income cut to Rs0.6m, Rs 0.4m for salaried, non0salaried classes
• Tax cut on mobile phones.
• The government has allocated Rs271.5 billion as subsidies for FY2019-20 against the revised estimates of Rs255 billion of the outgoing financial year, showing an increase of 18.4 per cent.
• The government has allocated Rs191 billion as subsidy for the power sector for the next fiscal year, which was Rs189.9 billion during the outgoing year. Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar informed the National Assembly the government has allocated Rs200 billion as subsidy for protecting poor class of the society, which is using 300 unit of electricity every month, from the power hike.
• The defence budget for the fiscal year 2019-20 remains static at the level of outgoing year 2018-19 as the government allocated Rs1152 billion for the purpose.
• Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar has, however, assured that there will be no compromise on the efficiency of the armed forces as he presented the budget in the National Assembly on Tuesday. The decision to freeze the defence budget for one year has been taken due to the country’s dire economic condition.
• The incumbent PTI government has taken taxation measures worth Rs512 billion in the annual budget for next fiscal year 2019-2020, which will fuel inflation in the country.
• The government has set challenging tax collection target for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) at Rs5.55 trillion for the next fiscal year as against expected collection of Rs4 trillion in outgoing year. In order to achieve the mammoth tax collection target, the government has introduced tax measures of Rs512 billion. The FBR has taken additional measures worth Rs200 billion income tax, Rs200 billion in general sales tax and remaining Rs112 billion in federal excise duty and customs duty. The massive taxation will increase the inflation
• The Ministry of National Health Services has faced a sharp cut in budgetary allocations as over Rs13 billion have been proposed for the sector in Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP 2019-20).
• The budget for the health sector at national level has been almost slashed half as over Rs25 billion were allocated in the previous fiscal year of 2018-19. Later, on the allocation of Rs25 billion was also revised and Rs8.133 billion was allocated in fiscal year 2018-19.
• However, this year the total allocation proposed for the ministry of NHS programme for the next fiscal year is Rs13.376558.
• The federal government would transfer Rs3254.6 billion to the four provinces under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award in the budget for the fiscal year 2019-2020
• The government has prepared the budget on the basis of the 7th NFC Award as the government has failed to constitute a new revenue sharing formula between the centre and the four provinces. The government would extend the 7th NFC Award for another year.
• The provincial governments get shares from the federal government under NFC award as per the said formula. Punjab gets 51.74 percent, Sindh 24.55 percent, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 14.62 percent and Balochistan 9.09 percent.
• An increase of almost ten per cent to Rs1,171,878,000 in the proposed outlay for the Prime Minister Office for fiscal year 2019-2020.
• While the budget approved for the year 2018-2019 fiscal for the prime minister office which was later revised amounted to Rs1,092,933,000.
• According to main details, of Rs1, 171,878,000 proposed estimates for the year 2019-2020, Rs879,438,000 has been proposed for pay and allowances of the employees of the Prime Minister Office.
• The government has earmarked Rs1.34 billion under Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for completing various projects of Law and Justice Division during financial year 2019-20.
• According to latest data of PSDP 2019-20 released by the Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms Rs400 million has been allocated for the construction of Sessions Complex (East and West) in Mauve Area, Sector G-10/1, Islamabad. While the estimated cost of the project is Rs3,000 million.
• From out of a total of Rs6,119 million estimated cost of 10 ongoing schemes, the federal government has allocated Rs940.225 million during Rs2019-20 for the ongoing projects. The government has allocated Rs34.179 million for the ongoing automation of federal courts located at federal courts complex in Islamabad for PSDP of 2019-20. Rs11 million has been earmarked for ongoing construction of additional block in Judicial and Administration Complex at Mauve Area, G -10/1, Islamabad.
• The federal government has earmarked total Rs140 billion for the internal security and law and order related expenditures under the head of Ministry of Interior in the finance bill 2019-20 and the allocation is 28 per cent higher than the outgoing fiscal year.
• The Rs140 billion allocations include allocation for Interior Division, Islamabad administration as well as police, Passport Office, civil armed forces, Frontier Constabulary, Pakistan Coastal Guards, Pakistan Rangers and miscellaneous expenditures of the interior division.
• In the outgoing fiscal year 2018-19, the government had allocated Rs109 billion for running expenditures of all those departments that fall under the Ministry of Interior.
• The government has allocated Rs 1000 million for the land acquisition and development of infrastructure in Kartarpur corridor in the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) 2019-20.
• Last year, the government announced the opening of four-kilometre-long visa-free corridor on Kartarpura, Narowal, Punjab, to provide easy access to Sikh pilgrims from India, In the first phase, scheduled to be completed till November 2019, a boarding terminal has been planned near the border. Pilgrims will be transported to the gurdwara, through an 800-metre-long bridge, which has to be built across the River Ravi. Accommodation facility of up to 10,000 pilgrims will also be built in the first phase.
Name the author of Silent Spring
(a) Marvin Gaye
(b) Rachel Carson
(c) Lyndon Johnson
(d) Gaylord Nelson
Answer: (b)
What is sustainable development?
(a) The development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
(b) To conserve natural resources and to develop alternate sources of power while reducing pollution and harm to the environment.
(c). It is the practice of developing land and construction projects in a manner that reduces their impact on the environment by allowing them to create energy efficient models of self-sufficiency.
(d). All of the above
Answer: (d)
Which of the following is correct, if we only achieve two out of three pillars of Sustainable Development?
(a) Social + Economic Sustainability = Equitable
(b) Social + Environmental Sustainability = Bearable
(c) Economic + Environmental Sustainability = Viable
(d) All of the above
Answer: (d)
Consider the following statement(s) related to the Sustainability.
(a) It refers to a process or state that can be maintained indefinitely.
(b) Natural resources must use in ways that do not create ecological debts by over exploiting the carrying and productive capacity of the earth.
(c) A minimum necessary condition for sustainability is the maintenance of the total natural capital stock at or above the current level.
(d) All of the above
Answer: (d)
The concept of ‘Separation of Powers’ was given by: (CSS-2001)
(a) Montesquieu
(b) Machiavelli
(c) Bentham
(d) None of these
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The name most associated with the doctrine of the separation of powers is that of Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron Montesquieu. His influence upon later thought and upon the development of institutions far outstrips, in this connection, that of any of the earlier writers we have considered.
Montesquieu by birth belonged to: (CSS-2007)
(a) Germany
(b) England
(c) France
(d) None of these
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Montesquieu was born at the Château de la Brède in the southwest of France, 25 kilometers (16 mi) south of Bordeaux
Eighteen Century Rationalism, Montesquieu was born in the year 1689 in the house of an eminent French lawyer. He died in: (CSS-2005)
(a) 1735
(b) 1745
(c) 1755
(d) None of these
Answer: (c)