TNPSC Current Affairs August 18, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs August 18, 2020 (18/08/2020)

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Topic: International Events

World Solar Technology Summit: ISA

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) will organise the First World Solar Technology Summit on 8th September, 2020 on a virtual platform.

The objective of the event is to bring the spotlight on state-of-the-art technologies as well as next-generation technologies which will provide impetus to the efforts towards harnessing solar energy more efficiently.

International Solar Alliance:

The launch of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was announced by the Prime Minister of India (Narendra Modi) and former President of France (Francois Hollande) on 30th November 2015, at the 21st session of United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP-21) in Paris, France.

 

It was conceived as a coalition of solar-resource-rich countries (which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn) to address their special energy needs.

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Topic: Places in News, International Events

High Temperature at Death Valley

Recently, Death Valley (USA) registered a temperature of 54.4°C which, once verified, could be the highest temperature in more than a century.

The temperature was recorded at the USA National Weather Service’s automated weather station at Furnace Creek on 16th August 2020.

The Death Valley in southeastern California is the lowest point in the North American continent, and is a National Park. It is also the hottest and driest part of the continent.

 

 

Key Facts:

The temperature has been termed as preliminary and not final as it awaits verification.

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Death Valley’s all-time record high is 56.7°C taken on 10th July 1913 at Greenland Ranch.

It still stands as the hottest ever recorded on the planet’s surface.

However, since the temperature-recording mechanisms a century ago were not as advanced, many have doubted if that reading was reliable.

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Topic: Persons in News

Pandit Jasraj

Recently Pandit Jasraj, one of the world’s most prominent Indian classical vocalists, passed away.

Key Facts:

Pandit Jasraj was associated with Mewati gharana of music. He is known for his unconventional mixing of khayal with elements of bhakti rasa, employing harkats and murkis that were traditionally used in light classical music.

Khayal is a musical form based on the elaboration of a Raga with lyrical composition consisting of two stanzas.

He created a unique form of jugalbandi called Jasrangi, in which a male and a female singer sing different ragas in their respective scales to merge their individual displays into one unified performance.

Recently, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) named an asteroid after him, formally known as 2006 VP32, as Panditjasraj. He was the first Indian musician to receive this honour.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Green Corridor: Organ Donation

Recently, a heart was brought from Pune to Chennai with the help of a “green corridor” created for unrestricted movement.

Key facts:

A green corridor is a demarcated, cleared out special road route created for an ambulance that enables retrieved organs meant for transplant to reach the destined hospital.

Green corridors require a concentrated effort from transplant coordinators, local police, traffic police and airport staff. Awareness of the general public towards green corridors is also important.

Procedure: When a patient is declared brain dead and his family consents to organ donation, the availability of a recipient is first checked within the city, state, region and then nationally.

Need: Organs have a short preservation time, and green corridors ensure the ambulance escapes traffic congestion and reaches the destination in the shortest possible time.

Coordinated by: The requisite regulatory procedures and coordination was carried out with National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO).

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Topic: Awards and Honours

Chief Minister’s Special Award – Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government presented the Chief Minister’s Special Award for 27 frontline workers, who were at the forefront of the State’s battle against COVID – 19.

Three women from Perambalur district – Senthamil Selvi, Muthammal, and Anandavalli — who risked their lives to save two youths struggling in gushing water at the Kottarai canal on August 6, shared the Kalpana Chawla Award this year.

Other Award Winners:

Abdul Kalam Award: S Selvakumar, Founder of Anandam Youth Foundation.

Selvakumar has been working consistently for the past 23 years in helping hundreds of students acquire their higher educational goals.

As of 2020, Anandham foundation supports 365 students in pursuing their education under MBBS, Engineering, Arts and Science, and various other streams. The foundation identifies economically backward rural students who are unable to pursue higher education, and takes care of their expenses, including college fees, hostel, food, transport, and training with 100 per cent scholarship.

Special Award for Covid-19: Dr Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, WHO, Geneva.

The award has been given in recognition of her role in advising the State government in tackling the Covid pandemic. She is the daughter of renowned scientist Dr MS Swaminathan, popularly known as the father of Green Revolution in India.

AWARDS FOR EXEMPLARY SERVICE FOR THE WELFARE OF THE DIFFERENTLY-ABLED

Best Institution: CSI Higher Secondary School for Deaf, Santhome High Road, Mylapore, Chennai

Best Doctor: Dr G Syamala (63), Jahir Ammapalayam, Salem

Best Private Employer: Sakthi Masala Private Limited, Mamarathupalayam, Erode

Best Social Worker:  C Santhakumar, Thirumalai, Tiruchirappalli

Best District Central Cooperative Bank: District Central Co-operative Bank Ltd., Salem

AWARD FOR SERVICES RENDERED TOWARDS WELFARE OF WOMEN

Best Social Worker (for outstanding work done for women): Godhanavalli, from Coimbatore

(She has been working as a family counselor for the past 22 years)

Best Institution (for serving of women): Centre for Rural Education and Economic Development

(The centre has been working for the welfare, upliftment, and empowerment of rural poor across the State’s villages for the past 33 years)

CM’S AWARDS FOR BEST PERFORMING LOCAL BODIES:

Best Corporation: Vellore

Best Municipality: Villupuram (1st), Karur (2nd), Koothanallur (3rd)

Best Town Panchayat: Vanavasi, Salem district (1st), Veerapandi, Theni district (2nd), Madukkarasi, Coimbatore district (3rd)

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Topic: Awards and Honours

Gallantry and Police Awards

The President approved 84 awards and decorations to the Armed Forces personnel and members of the Paramilitary Forces.

The awards include one Kirti Chakra, nine Shaurya Chakras, five Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 60 Sena Medals (Gallantry), four Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry) and five Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

Kirti Chakra, country’s second highest peacetime gallantry award was awarded posthumously to Abdul Rashid Kalas, Head Constable, J&K Police.

Shaurya Chakra is the third highest peacetime gallantry award while Ashok Chakra is the highest peacetime gallantry award.

A total of 926 Police personnel has been awarded Medals.

Police Medals for Gallantry (PMG) have been awarded to 215 police personnel for their conspicuous gallant action.

President’s Police Medals for Distinguished Service has been awarded to 80 police personnel.

Police Medal for Meritorious Service awarded to 631 police personnel.

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Topic: New Appointments

Satya Pal Malik appointed as Governor of Meghalaya

Satya Pal Malik was appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya. He replaced Tathagata Roy. Mr Malik served as Governor of Goa previously.

With his transfer, the Governor of Maharashtra Bagat Singh Koshyari is to discharge the functions of Governor of Goa.

Satya Pal Malik:

Malik served as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018-19. It was during his tenure that the constitutional decision to abrogate Article 370 was implemented.

He was elected as Member of Legislative Assembly of Uttar Pradesh in 1974. He was elected as Rajya Sabha representative in 1980-86. He served as Governor of Bihar in 2017-18. In 2018, he was given the additional charge to serve as Governor of Odisha.

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Topic: Science and Technology

Dwarf Planet Ceres of Solar System is now an Ocean World

There are five dwarf planets in the solar system. They are Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake and Ceres. The NASA researchers have now discovered that the Ceres has an ocean world.

Key facts:

Ceres is found between Mars and Jupiter. According to the research, Ceres looks to be a remnant ocean world. Also, Ceres has a brine reservoir that is located 40 km deep and is 100s of miles wide. This makes the dwarf planet water rich.

There are other moons and dwarf planets in the solar system where oceans exist. This includes moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Hygiea:

There are contradictions if Hygiea is a dwarf planet or an asteroid. According to the observations made under European Space Organization telescope SPHERE, Hygiea shall be considered as dwarf planet.

This is because it satisfied the main four conditions of a dwarf planet set by International Astronomical Union

The body should orbit around the sun

It should not be a moon

It should not have cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. This means that it is not a dominant body in its orbit around the sun. This is the main feature that makes the dwarf planet different from the planet.

It should have enough mass of gravity to pull it into a rough spherical shape.

Ceres Exploration:

The Ceres was first spotted in 1801 by Giuseppe Piazzi. He assumed that Ceres was the missing planet between Jupiter and Mars. However, it was clarified as dwarf planet in 2006.