TNPSC Current Affairs November 13, 2020

Topic: International Events

17th ASEAN-India Summit

Recently, India has participated in the 17th ASEAN-India Virtual Summit on the invitation of Vietnam, the current Chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The summit focused on measures to recover from the economic turmoil triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and ways to further broad-base strategic ties.

ASEAN’s Centrality with respect to:

India’s Act East Policy:

Against the backdrop of aggressive moves by China, including the Ladakh standoff, India placed the ASEAN at the centre of India’s Act East policy and held that a cohesive and responsive ASEAN is essential for security and growth for all in the region.

India’s Significance Highlighted by ASEAN:

Towards promoting peace and stability in the region and India’s support to ASEAN centrality.

Welcomed the adoption of the new ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2021-2025.

Acknowledged India’s capacity-building initiatives, including the PhD Fellowship Programme at IITs and setting up of Centres for Excellence in Software Development and Training.

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Topic: Discovery of Rare Species

New Species in Andaman

Recently a group of scientists has reported a new genus of treefrog from the Andaman Islands called Striped Bubble-nest frog.

Key facts:

Biological name: Rohanixalus vittatus

The new genus ‘Rohanixalus’ is named after Sri Lankan taxonomist Rohan Pethiyagoda. Striped Bubble-nest frog belongs to the genus of the Old World treefrog family Rhacophoridae.

This is the first report of a tree frog species from the Andaman Islands. They are also known as Asian Glass Frog or see through frogs.

While the general background coloration of most glass frogs is primarily lime green, the abdominal skin of some members of this family is translucent (allowing light to pass through). The internal viscera, including the heart, liver, and gastrointestinal tract, are visible through this translucent skin, hence the common name.

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Topic: Welfare Oriented Govt Schemes and their Utilities

Swarna Jayanti Fellowship: DST

The Department of Science & Technology (DST) has selected 21 scientists for the Swarna Jayanti fellowship.

Key facts:

The Swarna Jayanti Fellowships scheme was instituted by the Government of India to commemorate India’s fiftieth year of Independence. It provides special assistance and support to a selected number of young scientists with a proven track record to enable them to pursue basic research in frontier areas of science and technology.

The award consists of a Fellowship of Rs. 25000 per month in addition to the salary drawn from the parent Institute along with a Research Grant of Rs. 5 lakh per annum by Department of Science and Technology (DST) for a period of 5 years.

In addition to fellowship, grants for equipment, computational facilities, consumables, contingencies, national and international travel, and other special requirements, if any, is covered based on merit.

The fellowships are scientist specific and not institution-specific, very selective, and have close academic monitoring.

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Topic: International Events

Operation Thunder

The INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization conducted Operation Thunder, 2020 in 103 countries. The operation was conducted against environmental crimes.

About Operation Thunder:

The Operation Thunder was held between September 14, 2020 and October 11, 2020. It resulted in large seizures of protected forestry and wildlife specimen. This triggered arrests and investigations world-wide including India.

Operation Thunder in India:

In India, the India Customs along with INTERPOL and WCO seized 18 tonnes of red sandalwood that were destined for UAE. The seizures included 1.3 tonnes of ivory, 1 tonnes of pangolin scales, 1,700 killed pangolins, 87 truckloads of timber, 56,200 kg of marine products and 15,878 kg of plants.

The operation recovered 45,000 live animals. This included 1,400 turtles, 6,000 tortoise eggs, 1,600 birds, 1,800 reptiles.

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Topic: Welfare Oriented Govt Schemes and their Utilities

Mission COVID Suraksha

The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Mission COVID Suraksha. Under the mission, the Government of India has allocated Rs 900 crores to the research and development of COVID-19 vaccines in India. The funds allocated do not cover the cost and distribution of the vaccines.

Key facts:

The mission is a part of the stimulus package launched on November 12, 2020, that is of worth Rs 2.65 lakh crores. Along with the mission, the finance minister also announced several other measures of economic stimulus. Also, Atma Nirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana was launched to boost employment in the country during COVID-19 recovery phase.

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Topic: International Events

China launces world’s first 6G experimental satellite

China recently launched the first 6G experimental satellite. The satellite will test the technology of Tetrahertz waves in space.

Key facts:

On November 6, 2020, china launched world’s first experimental satellite. It was launched into orbit along with 12 other satellites. The satellite weighs 70 kg approximately. The satellite carries technologies used for forest fire prevention and crop disaster monitoring.

About 6G:

The 6G band lies between the 5G millimetre wave frequency and terahertz frequency. The 6G is more advantageous than the of 5G in terms of speed and lossless transmission, especially in space.

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Topic: Science and Technology

SpaceX-NASA’s upcoming CREW1 mission

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 2020. The spacecraft will carry a crew of four people to the International Space Station (ISS) for a 6-month-long mission.

Just before the mission, NASA has also provided its first spacecraft certification by certifying SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule and the Falcon 9 rocket. After this certification, SpaceX will now be able to operate regular flights to the space station.

Background:

NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX to develop transportation systems for transferring crew from the US to the ISS in September 2014. As per the NASA website, these space crafts are designed to carry up to 4 astronauts on NASA missions, maintaining a space station crew of seven.

In May 2020, NASA lifted off SpaceX Demo-2 test flight for the ISS. It became the first crewed flight to launch from US after the conclusion of the space shuttle era in 2011.

About Crew-1 mission:

Crew-1 mission is a part of the Commercial Crew Program of NASA.

The aim of the mission is to make access to space easier in terms of its cost, so that cargo and crew are easily transported to and from the ISS and enable greater scientific research.

Crew-1 mission will launch the NASA astronauts Shannon Walker, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Soichi Noguchi from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center.

The crew-1 will join the members of Expedition 64, which is presently in residence at the ISS.

Crew-1 will be SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft’s first operational flight on a Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS. It is the first of the 3 scheduled flights scheduled in 2020-2021.

What will Crew-1 members do at the ISS?

The Crew-1 team will join the Expedition 64 members and conduct microgravity studies, deliver new science hardware and experiments that they will be carrying with them. The crew is carrying the research with themselves that will include materials to look over food physiology that will be studying the effects of dietary improvements on immune function and the gut micro biome.