www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs April 15, 2019

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs April 15, 2019 (15/04/2019)

 

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Topic: Awareness in Space, World Organization, Latest Diary of Events

Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)

SPACEX TO LAUNCH NASA’S ASTEROID-SMASHING MISSION. The mission will blast off in June 2021 and will smash into the asteroid’s moon around October 2022.

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, is a spacecraft designed to determine whether an asteroid can be redirected with a high-speed collision.

SpaceX will launch the spacecraft toward an asteroid named Didymos about 4 million miles from Earth. It then will ram into the asteroid’s small moon at about 13,000 miles per hour.

About the DART:

DART would be NASA’s first mission to demonstrate what’s known as the kinetic impactor technique – striking the asteroid to shift its orbit – to defend against a potential future asteroid impact.

How it impacts?

The target for DART is an asteroid that will have a distant approach to Earth in October 2022, and then again in 2024. The asteroid is called Didymos – Greek for “twin” -because it is an asteroid binary system that consists of two bodies: Didymos A, about 780 metres in size, and a smaller asteroid orbiting it called Didymos B, about 160 metres in size.

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Topic: International Diary of Events

World’s largest plane makes first test flight

The world’s largest aircraft recently took off over the Mojave Desert in California.

Key facts:

It is carbon-composite plane built by Strato launch Systems Corp. It is called Roc. It has a wingspan the length of an American football field and is powered by six engines on a twin fuselage.

The plane is designed to drop rockets and other space vehicles weighing up to 500,000 pounds at an altitude of 35,000 feet and has been billed by the company as making satellite deployment as “easy as booking an airline flight.”

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events, General Administration

India becomes net steel importer, a first in 3 years

India was a net importer of steel during the 2018-19 fiscal year, the first time in three years, as the country lost market share among its traditional steel buyers and imports jumped on demand for higher quality steel domestically.

India’s exports during the fiscal year declined after rival steelmakers in China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia, blocked from markets in the United States and Europe by tariffs and other protectionist measures, ate away at the country’s markets in West Asia and Africa.

Imports from the four Asian countries also climbed as they diverted supply into India. Imports of value-added steel, primarily for the auto sector and high-end electrical steel, were the biggest source of imports.

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Topic: Sports and Medals, Latest Diary of Events

Cologne Boxing World Cup 2019

India finished its campaign at the Cologne Boxing World Cup 2019 with a haul of five medals. The Cologne Boxing World Cup 2019 was held at Cologne, Germany. Indian Medal Tally Meena Kumari Maisnam (54kg) won the only gold medal for India in the tournament.

Key facts:

It was the only bout of the tournament for the Manipur pugilist Meena Kumari as she had been directly placed in the final due to a smaller draw.

Youth world champion Sakshi (57kg) and India Open gold medallist Pwilao Basumatary (64kg) lost their final bouts and finished with silver medals.

Pinki Rani (51kg) and Parveen (60kg) won bronze medals after losing their semi-final bouts.

Cologne Boxing World Cup earlier known as Chemistry Cup witnessed participation from more than 20 nations and 160 boxers in seven women and ten men weight classes. It is one of the strongest international events in Europe with nearly 50 years of traditions. The first edition was held in 1970.

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Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events, Environment and Ecology

Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)

Tamil Nadu’s Salem district submitted the largest number of checklist of birds (8420) among all participating districts to the global Great Backyard Bird Count 2019.

The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) is an event to create a real-time snapshot of bird’s population.

Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on any or all days of 4day event and report their sightings online at birdcount .org.

Key facts:

It was launched in 1998 by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society.

GBBC is the first online citizen-science project to collect on wild birds and to display results in real time.

The 22nd annual GBBC was held for four days from feb 15 till feb 18, 2019.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Parkinson’s Disease Day 2019 – April 11

World Parkinson’s Disease Day observed on April 11 of every year. The day aims to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease, promote a greater understanding of this condition and how it can affect a person.

The theme of 2019 is: “Awareness is #KeyToPD”.

This day marks the birthday of Dr James Parkinson, London who explained the Parkinson’s disease in “An Essay on the Shaking Palsy” in 1817.

He systematically described the six individuals with the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Jean-Martin Charcot, a French neurologist, named the term “Parkinson’s Disease”.

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Topic: International Diary of events, Persons in News, Awards and Honours

World Press Photo Awards 2019

A photograph of an infant crying helplessly near the US-Mexico border has won the prestigious World Press Photo of the year Award.

This image was captured by Getty images senior staff photographer John Moore on June 12, 2018 and the image titled “Crying Girl on the Border”.

This picture shows infant Yanela Sanchez crying as she and her mother, Sandra Sanchez, are taken into custody by US border officials in McAllen, USA.

The Award was announced by the foundation at the ceremony in Amsterdam.

Since 1995, the World Press Photo Contest has recognized professional photographers for the best pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism.

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Topic: Latest Diary of events, Places in News, Awards

Guwahati Railway Station first to get ISO certification in India

The Guwahati Railway Station has become the first ever railway station in the Indian Railways to get an ISO certification from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for “providing passenger amenities in a clean and green environment.”

The station also has amenities such as High-class reserve (VIP) lounge, waiting rooms, AC and non-AC retiring rooms, food courts and sanitation facilities.

ISO stands for “International Organisation for Standardisation” that is responsible for establishing the standard in different areas of activities. Many types of ISO certification exist and the one received by Guwahati Railway Station is ISO-14001, which is for Environment Management System as per international norms which were upgraded in 2015. Thus, the station’s certificate reads ISO 14001: 2015.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Yellow Weather Warning

The Meteorological Department (Met) has issued a fresh yellow weather warning for thunderstorm in Himachal Pradesh.

The Met office issues colour-coded warnings to alert the public ahead of severe or hazardous weather which has the potential to cause “damage, widespread disruption and/or danger to life.”

Yellow is the least dangerous out of the weather warnings. It indicates the possibility of severe weather over the next few days that could affect the public.