TNPSC Current Affairs December (1 to 12, 2020)

Topic: Discovery of Rare Species

Peacock Soft-shelled Turtle

Recently, Peacock soft-shelled turtle (a turtle of a vulnerable species) has been rescued from a fish market in Assam’s Silchar.

Key facts:

Scientific Name: Nilssonia hurum.

Features:

They have a large head, downturned snout with low and oval carapace of dark olive green to nearly black, sometimes with a yellow rim. The head and limbs are olive green; the forehead has dark reticulations and large yellow or orange patches or spots, especially behind the eyes and across the snout. Males possess relatively longer and thicker tails than females.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Malaria Report 2020: WHO

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released the World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020. The report provides a comprehensive update on global and regional malaria data and trends including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, elimination and surveillance.

It indicates that India has made considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden.

Global Analysis:

Malaria cases globally numbered about 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last four years. In 2019, it claimed about 4,09,000 lives, compared to 4,11,000 in 2018.

The report noted that the 11 highest-burden countries viz. Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, India, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania account for 70% of the global estimated case burden and 71% of global estimated deaths from malaria.

Countries in South-East Asia made particularly strong progress, with reductions in cases and deaths of 73% and 74%, respectively.

Indian Analysis:

India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018. The Annual Parasite Incidence (API, the number of new infections per year per 1000 population) reduced by 18.4% in 2019 as compared to 2018.

India has sustained API less than one since the year 2012. India has also contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide, from approximately 20 million to about 6 million.

The percentage drop in the malaria cases was 71.8% and deaths were 73.9% between 2000 to 2019.

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Topic: Profile of States

India’s Top 10 Police Stations for 2020

The Ministry of Home Affairs has released a list of the top 10 police stations in India for the year 2020. The annual ranking is done since 2015 when the Prime Minister announced such an exercise, while addressing the Directors General of Police’s Conference in Kutch, Gujarat.

Objective:

To rank the top 10 Police Stations out of 16,671 Police Stations in the country through data analysis, direct observation and public feedback.

Performance Parameter:

Property offences, crimes against women and weaker sections of the society etc. This year, the government introduced three new parameters.

Missing persons, Unidentified found persons and Unidentified dead bodies. Performance of Police Stations located in rural and remote areas has been worth appraising.

This indicates that while availability of resources is important, more important is the dedication and sincerity of police personnel to prevent and control crime and serve the nation.

Top 3 police station for 2020:

Nongpok Sekmai police station in Thoubal district of Manipur has topped the list.

AWPS-Suramangalam police station in Salem City of Tamil Nadu ranks second.

Kharsang police station in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

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Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Latest Diary of Events

Cyclone Burevi

Recently cyclone Burevi has made a landfall on Sri Lanka’s Northern and Eastern provinces, before heading towards south India. This comes days after Cyclone Nivar hit the Puducherry coast. It is named by Maldives.

Burevi vs Nivar:

Cyclone Burevi would not strengthen beyond the intensity of a cyclonic storm because of upwelling caused by Nivar. Upwelling is the process in which cooler waters from lower ocean surfaces are pushed towards upper ocean surfaces.

In the absence of warm sea surface conditions, any cyclone, in this case Burevi, will not get enough fuel to intensify further while at sea. Further, interaction with land mass has slowed its movement and intensity.

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Topic: Awards and Honours

Global Teacher Prize 2020

Ranjitsinh Disale, a primary teacher from Maharashtra’s Solapur, has won the Global Teacher Prize 2020.

Global Teacher Prize:

It is a 1 million dollar award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.

Founder: Varkey Foundation, which is a global charitable foundation focused on improving the standards of education. The award is organised in partnership with UNESCO.

Ranjitsinh Disale’s Contribution:

He changed a dilapidated school to a school which went on to become the first in Maharashtra to introduce Quick Response (QR) Codes. A QR code is a type of barcode that contains a matrix of dots. It can be scanned using a QR scanner or a smartphone with a built-in camera.

He not only translated the class textbooks into his pupils’ mother tongue, but also embedded them with unique QR codes to give students access to audio poems, video lectures, stories and assignments.

He is also passionate about building peace between young people across conflict zones. His ‘Let’s Cross the Borders’ project connects young people from India and Pakistan, Palestine and Israel, Iraq and Iran and the USA and North Korea.

Impact of Disale’s Efforts:

There are now no reported teenage marriages in the village and 100% attendance of girls at the school. The state government announced in 2017 that they would introduce QR coded textbooks across the state for all grades. In 2018, it was announced that all NCERT textbooks would have embedded QR Codes.

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Topic: General Administration

India’s sprawling renewable energy park, coming up on its border with Pakistan

On December 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the 30,000 MW project in Gujarat’s Kutch district, billed as the largest of its kind in the world.

The renewable energy park will have two zones:

A 49,600-hectare hybrid park zone that will accommodate wind and solar power plants of 24,800 MW capacities. An exclusive wind park zone spread over 23,000 hectares.

Strategic location:

The project site is about 25 km from Khavda, which is the last point that can be accessed by civilians in the area. The exclusive wind park zone will come up within 1-6 km of the international border. The hybrid park zone will be located 6 km from the Indo-Pak border.

This site has been chosen because this is a complete wasteland and windmills put near the border also act as a boundary.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

What is Ethereum 2.0?

The Ethereum is a crypto currency. Recently, it was launched in a faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly platform, as the upgraded version called ‘Ethereum 2.0’.

What is Ethereum?

Ethereum is a decentralised and open source blockchain platform, which is a growing list of cryptographic blocks. Ether (ETH) is the cryptocurrency token of the Ethereum platform.

It is the world’s second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, only after bitcoin. It is also the world’s most actively used blockchain.

Ethereum was first proposed in 2013 by a Russian- Canadian cryptocurrency researcher and programmer Vitalik Buterin.

The largest cryptocurrency ‘Bitcoin’ works on the principle of Mining, which in turn requires solving complex problems leading to large consumption of electricity.

This updated Ethereum 2.0 changes this system into ‘proof of stake’, which links the quantities of ether with the selection as validators. Cryptocurrencies cannot be used as a legal currency in India.

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Topic: Historical Diary of Events

Theremin turns 100

The Theremin musical instrument has turned hundred years old in 2020. It has revolutionised the music industry by being the predecessor of the modern synthesizer.

What is Theremin?

Theremin is a musical instrument. It is considered as the world’s first electronic instrument and it turned 100 years old in 2020. It was developed by Leon Theremin. It generates sound by modulation of electromagnetic waves and this is done without the player having to even touch the instrument. It has a vertical antenna for controlling the tone and a looped antenna for controlling the volume.

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Topic: Profile of States

Varanasi Annapurna Idol

The Varanasi Annapurna idol is being brought back to India after a century from Canada. It was stolen from a Varanasi temple about a century ago. This 18th century sculpture is carved in the ‘Benares style’ and is a representation of the goddess of food. The goddess is represented as holding a bowl of kheer and a spoon in her hands. Annapurna is also the deity of Varanasi city.

The idol will be put under the custody of ASI after it is brought back to India. The ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) is the official custodian of such repatriated artefacts.

How did the Annapurna Idol reach Canada?

Annapurna is the Goddess of food. Annapurna Idol is an 18th century Idol and was a part of the University of Regina. Divya Mehra, a Winnipeg based artist was invited to stage an exhibition at the MacKenzie art gallery. While she was researching the collection, she found that the Annapurna Idol was stolen from an inactive temple in the banks of Varanasi in 1913. It was acquired by MacKenzie.

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Topic: Profile of States

Hampi Stone Chariot

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken steps to protect the stone chariot inside Vittala Temple complex at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi. ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation.

Key facts:

Hampi Chariot: It is among three famous stone chariots in India, the other two being in Konark (Odisha) and Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu). It was built in the 16th century by the orders of King Krishnadevaraya, a Vijayanagara ruler. Vijayanagara rulers reigned from 14th to 17th century CE. It is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, the official vehicle of Lord Vishnu.

Vittala Temple:

It was built in the 15th century during the rule of Devaraya II, one of the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is dedicated to Vittala and is also called Vijaya Vittala Temple. Vittala is said to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Dravidian style adorns the built of the complex, which is further enhanced with elaborate carvings.

Hampi:

It comprises mainly the remnants of the Capital City of Vijayanagara Empire. It is located in the Tungabhadra basin in central Karnataka. It was founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336.

Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1986), it is also the “World’s Largest Open-air Museum”.

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Topic: International Events

China’s Artificial Sun

China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor for the first time recently, marking a great advance in the country’s nuclear power research capabilities. The nuclear reactor is expected to provide clean energy.

Key facts:

The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source. HL-2M Tokamak device is used in it to replicate the nuclear fusion process that occurs naturally in the sun.

It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius, approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. Located in Sichuan province, the reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and power it produces.

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Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Latest Diary of Events

Jupiter Saturn Great Conjunction

In a rare celestial event, Jupiter and Saturn will be seen very close to each other (conjunction) on 21st December 2020, appearing like one bright star.

Key facts:

Conjunction: If two celestial bodies visually appear close to each other from Earth, it is called a conjunction.

Great Conjunction: Astronomers use the term great conjunction to describe meetings of the two biggest worlds in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn.

It happens about every 20 years. The conjunction is the result of the orbital paths of Jupiter and Saturn coming into line, as viewed from Earth. Jupiter orbits the sun about every 12 years, and Saturn about every 29 years. The conjunction will be on 21st December, 2020, also the date of the December solstice.

It will be the closest alignment of Saturn and Jupiter since 1623, in terms of distance. The next time the planets will be this close is 2080. They will appear to be close together, however, they will be more than 400 million miles apart.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

64th Mahaparinirvan Diwas

Mahaparinirvan Diwas is observed every year on 6th December to commemorate the death anniversary of Dr. B R Ambedkar.

Parinirvana, regarded as one of the major principles as well as goals of Buddhism, is a Sanskrit term which means release or freedom after death. As per the Buddhist text Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the death of Lord Buddha at the age of 80 is considered as the original Mahaparinirvana.

Owing to Ambedkar’s status as a Buddhist leader, his death anniversary is referred to as Mahaparinirvana Diwas.

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Topic: Profile of States

Lakshadweep Declared an Organic Union Territory

Entire Lakshadweep group of islands has been declared as an organic agricultural area under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) of India.

Key facts:

Lakshadweep is the first Union Territory to become 100% organic as all farming is carried out without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, providing access to safer food choices and making agriculture a more environmentally-friendly activity.

Earlier in 2016, Sikkim became India’s first “100 percent organic” State.

The entire 32 square kilometre geographical land area of the UT was declared as organic after receiving required certifications and declarations under Centre’s Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming improvement programme).

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Topic: International Events

Climate Change Performance Index

India ranked 10th in Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021. India, for the second time in a row, continued to remain in the top 10. Last year, India had been ranked at the ninth position.

About Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI):

Published by: Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network annually since 2005.

Scope: It is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the climate protection performance of 57 countries and the European Union.

These countries together generate 90%+ of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Aim: It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.

Criteria: The CCPI looks at four categories, with 14 indicators: Greenhouse Gas Emissions (40% of the overall score), Renewable Energy (20%), Energy Use (20%), and Climate Policy (20%).

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Topic: International Events

Beresheet 2: Israel

Recently, Israel launched the Beresheet 2 project aimed at landing an unmanned craft on the moon in 2024. Earlier, Israel’s Beresheet probe crash landed on the Moon.

Key facts:

The Beresheet probe was a private mission to the Moon by Israeli non-profit SpaceIL organisation. Beresheet in hebrew (spoken in Israel) means Genesis. It was successfully launched in February 2019, on board a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral (USA) and arrived in lunar orbit in April 2019. It suffered an engine failure as it prepared to land and crashed abruptly on the surface of the moon.

Beresheet 2:

Objective: Conducting experiments and collecting data on behalf of school students.

Significance: Israel could become the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon after the USA, the former Soviet Union and China.

Other Missions to Moon:

India has planned a new moon mission named Chandrayaan-3. It is likely to be launched in early 2021. It will be a mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2 and will include a Lander and Rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2, but will not have an orbiter. Chandrayaan-2 failed which crushed India’s dream to become the first nation to successfully touch down on the lunar surface in its maiden attempt.

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Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

UNESCO World Heritage City

Orchha and Gwalior cities of Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Cities.

Orchha city:

The city is famous for its palaces and temples and was the capital of Bundela Kingdom in the 16th century. The famous places in the city are Jahangir Mahal, Raj Mahal, Rai Praveen Mahal, Ram Raja temple and Lakshmi Narayan Mandir.

After the city is included in the world heritage City list, the historic spots such as Gujri Mahal, Mansingh palace and Sahastra Bahu Temple will be treated chemically. This is to be done to make the art inscribed in these places more visible. Also, guards are to be posted in these spots to welcome the tourists according to the Indian traditions.

Gwalior:

The city of Gwalior is known for its temples and palaces. The Gwalior Fort is accessed via a winding road lined with sacred Jain statues and occupies a sandstone plateau. It is now an archaeological museum with high walls of 15th century. The city of Gwalior was established in the 9th century and was ruled by Rajvansh, Baghel Kachvaho, Tomar and Scindias.

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Topic: Terms in News

Go for Zero policy – Australia

The “Go for Zero” policy of Australia helped the country to bring down its COVID-19 cases.

Go for Zero Policy of Australia:

The Go for zero policy of Australia was proposed by a non-profit think tank Grattan Institute that advises the government. Under the policy besides expanding the testing of covid-19, Australia also increased contact tracing and mandatory isolation. The government had introduced a QR code-based system to tackle the issue of travellers breaking quarantines. This system helped to track the related person. Certain states of Australia such as Victoria even deployed police to carry out spot checks of people instructed to be in isolation.

Hot hotels or health hotels were established. These hotels set up for symptomatic travellers. This prevented emergence of clusters.