TNPSC Current Affairs January 23, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs January 23, 2020 (23/01/2020)

Topic: Latest Reports and Events

Democracy Index 2019

Democracy Index 2019 has been released. The report ranks 165 independent states and two territories, covering almost the entire population of the world.

About the index:

It is released annually by The Economist Intelligence Unit. It provides a snapshot of the state of world democracy for 165 independent states and two territories.

The Index is based on five categories:

Electoral process and pluralism.

Civil liberties.

Functioning of government.

Political participation.

Political culture.

Classification:

Based on their scores on 60 indicators within these categories, each country is then itself classified as one of four types of regime: full democracy; flawed democracy; hybrid regime; and authoritarian regime.

Performance of India:

In 2019, India slipped 10 places to 51st position. It is placed in the “flawed democracy” category, which also includes Bangladesh (5.88).

Its score, down from from 7.23 in 2018 to 6.90 in 2019, is its lowest ever since the Democracy Index was begun in 2006.

On the CAA, the report says, “The new citizenship law has enraged the large Muslim population, stoked communal tensions and generated large protests in major cities.”

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC)

India has successfully achieved the complete phase out of hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC)-141 b, claims the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

About HCFC- 141 b:

It is a chemical used by foam manufacturers. It is used mainly as a blowing agent in the production of rigid polyurethane (PU) foams. It is one of the most potent ozone depleting chemical after Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

Background:

On 31 December 2019, as part of the move towards environment friendly technologies, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) also brought out a Gazette notification prohibiting the issuance of import licence for HCFC-141b from 1 January 2020 under Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Amendment Rules, 2019 issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Montreal Protocol:

The complete phase out of HCFC 141 b from the country in foam sector is among the first at this scale in Article 5 parties (developing countries) under the Montreal Protocol.

Benefits of this move:

The phase out of HCFC-141b from the country has twin environmental benefits, viz, assisting the healing of the stratospheric ozone layer, and towards climate change mitigation due to transitioning of foam manufacturing enterprises at this scale under HPMP to low global warming potential alternative technologies.

Topic: International Organizations

Blue Corner notice

Interpol has issued a Blue Corner notice to help locate fugitive self-styled godman Nithyananda, weeks after the Gujarat Police sought the agency’s intervention for this. Nithyananda fled India last year amid allegations of rape and sexual abuse.

What is a Interpol notice?

Notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information.

There are seven types of notices — Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice.

What is blue notice?

Issued to “collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.”

What is Interpol?

The International Criminal Police Organisation, or Interpol, is a 194-member intergovernmental organisation. Headquartered in Lyon, France.

Formed in 1923 as the International Criminal Police Commission, and started calling itself Interpol in 1956.

Interpol’s declared global policing goals include countering terrorism, promoting border integrity worldwide, protection of vulnerable communities, providing a secure cyberspace for people and businesses, curbing illicit markets, supporting environment security, and promoting global integrity.

India joined the organisation in 1949.

Topic: Indian defense Activities, Latetst Diary of Events

Vyom Mitra – Space-faring robot

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) is to send a half-humanoid robot called the “Vyom Mitra” as an experimental mission to Gaganyaan. Vyom Mitra means a friend in Sky.

It is ISRO’s first woman astronaut. It will be used for an unmanned flight of ISRO’s GSLV III rocket in December 2020, which, along with a second unmanned flight in July 2021.

Vyommitra, equipped with a head, two arms and a torso, is built to mimic crew activity inside the crew module of Gaganyaan.

Functions:

Attaining launch and orbital postures, responding to the environment, generating warnings, replacing carbon dioxide canisters, operating switches, monitoring of the crew module, receiving voice commands, responding via speech (bilingual).

The robot is to fly in two unmanned mission that are planned in December 2020 and in June 2021.

Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

Reciting preamble is compulsory in Maharashtra

Maharashtra government has made it compulsory to recite the Preamble to the Constitution in all schools starting January 26.

The objective is to instil values such as justice, freedom and equality enshrined in the Constitution.

The government has also asked the schools to put up a plaque or board with the Preamble and asked schools to hold quizzes, essay, drawing, slogan, poster competitions based on the Constitution.

Topic: International Events

Ghana & India’s Ujjwala

Ghana announced that the country will replicate the Ujjwala model of LPG connection under the guidance of India (represented by Indian Oil Corporation).

Key facts:

LPG coverage in Ghana is 23%. Citizens of Ghana spend hours together at petrol stations to refill their cylinders.

Ghana is to fix the issues around LPG with India’s support. Ghana inspired by India’s bottling plants of LPG is to implement its replica aiming to cover 50% of population in the initial stage.