TNPSC Current Affairs August 03, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs August 03, 2020 (03/08/2020)

 

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Topic: Historical Diary of Events

Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s 100th death anniversary

One of the firebrand freedom fighters and the strongest proponent of ‘purna swaraj’ or ‘total self-rule’, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak’s 100th death anniversary was observed on August 1st.

Key facts:

Part of the Lal-Bal-Pal (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal) troika, Bal Gangadhar Tilak was called ‘father of the Indian unrest” by British colonial rulers.

Jawaharlal Nehru called him the ‘father of Indian revolution’.

Mahatma Gandhi described Tilak as ‘the maker of modern India’.

His famous slogan:

His slogan ‘Swaraj is my birth right and I shall have it’ caught the imagination of a country fighting to free itself from the colonial rule.

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Topic: India and its Neighboring countries

BeiDou

China has recently completed its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System constellation.

What is the BeiDou navigation system?

It is Chinese Satellite Navigation System. The system uses a network of satellites and can provide positional accuracies of under ten metres (GPS provides positioning accuracies of under 2.2 metres).

China initiated BeiDou in 1994 with aims to integrate its application in different sectors, including fishery, agriculture, special care, mass-market applications, forestry and public security.

BeiDou offers services including accurate positioning, navigation and timing as well as short message communication.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Bharat Air Fibre: Wireless Internet

Recently, Bharat Air Fibre Services have been inaugurated at Akola in Maharashtra providing the residents wireless internet connections on demand.

Key Facts:

The Bharat Air Fibre services are being introduced by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) as a part of the Digital India initiative by the Government of India. It is being scaled pan-India.

Aim: To provide BSNL fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) wireless connectivity up to a range of 20 km from the BSNL points of presence.

Features:

The connectivity speed is 100 Mbps and BSNL is offering various broadband plans in wireline and wireless segments.

There is a huge demand for high-speed broadband service in the present situation as there is the migration of people from metro cities to rural areas due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The service is becoming popular due to Work from Home (WFH), e-learning, online shopping, gaming and entertainment, etc. amidst lockdowns.

BSNL is also providing unlimited free voice calling.

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Topic: Places in News

Agatti Island of Lakshadweep

Recently, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted an interim stay on felling of coconut trees on Agatti Island in Lakshadweep.

Background:

Recently, a petition was moved in the NGT over indiscriminate cutting of coconut trees for a beach road.

The tree-felling was violating the Union Territory’s (UT) Integrated Island Management Plan (IIMP).

IIMP was formulated on the basis of a report submitted by the Supreme Court-appointed Expert Committee, headed by Justice R.V. Raveendran, a former judge of the SC.

Concerns:

Due to the large scale cutting of the coconut trees, local residents are affected by losing income from the tree produces.

It also poses an environmental challenge because the trees on the coastline act as a green belt to protect the rest of the island during cyclones and other natural calamities.

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Topic: International Events

UK to Issue Coin in Honour of Mahatma Gandhi

Britain is considering minting a coin to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi.

Key Facts:

The consideration is seen as part of efforts to celebrate achievements of people from the Black, Asian and other Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities.

The British Finance Minister has written a letter to the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC), to consider recognising the contribution of BAME communities on Britain’s coinage.

The RMAC is an independent committee made up of experts who recommend themes and designs for coins.

The RMAC supports a campaign called ‘We Too Built Britain’, which seeks representation of non-white icons on British currency.

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Topic: Latest Inventions on Science and Technology

Aspirin to Prevent Cataract

Recently, scientists from the Institute of Nano Science & Technology (INST) have developed nanorods from the Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) Aspirin to prevent cataracts in an economical and less complicated way.

Aspirin is a popular medication used to reduce pain, fever, or inflammation and now it has been found to be an effective non-invasive small molecule-based nanotherapeutics against cataract.

INST is an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Cataract:

It is a major form of blindness that occurs when the structure of crystallin proteins that make up the lens in human eyes deteriorates.

Such deterioration causes damaged or disorganised proteins to aggregate and forms a milky blue or brown layer, which ultimately affects lens transparency.

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Topic: Discovery of Rare Species

Dhole (Asiatic wild dog)

Why in News?

Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh rank high in the conservation of the endangered dhole in India, according to a new study.

Dhole is an apex social carnivore in the tropical forests of South and South East Asia.

Endangered –IUCN.

Disease and pathogens:

Dholes are susceptible to rabies, canine distemper, canine parvovirus and sarcoptic mange among others which are usually contracted from domestic village dogs that act as reservoirs.

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Topic: Places in News

Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant

United Arab Emirates’ first nuclear reactor at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has achieved first criticality and successfully started up.

Barakah, which means “blessing” in Arabic, is a regional first. Barakah was built by a consortium led by the Korea Electric Power Corporation.