TNPSC Current Affairs May 11, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs May 11, 2020 (11/05/2020)

Topic: Latest Historical Diary of Events

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

PM paid tributes to Gopal Krishna Gokhale on his birth anniversary. He was born on 9 May 1866.

About him:

Gopal Krishna Gokhale was an Indian political leader, a social reformer during the Indian Independence Movement and Mahatma Gandhi’s political mentor.

Gokhale campaigned for Indian self-rule and also social reform. He was the leader of the moderate faction of the Congress party that advocated reforms by working with existing government institutions

Topic: Political System in India

Shekatkar committee

Union Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh recently approved the abolition of 9,304 posts in the military engineering services. The posts were abolished based on the recommendation of Shekatar Committee.

Implications:

This step of abolition of around 9000 posts of basic and industrial staff will lead to significant savings. Almost 70% of the budget is used for payment of salaries and allowances and leaves very little money for actual infrastructural development.

Background:

Shekatkar Committee was tasked with suggesting steps to enhance combat capability of the armed forces.

Topic: Current Socio-Economic Issues

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)

Indian government has decided to begin weather forecasts for regions under Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) — Gilgit-Baltistan, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.

After DD and AIR started airing weather forecasts from PoK regions, In return Radio Pakistan also featured updates from Srinagar, Pulwama and Ladakh.

What’s the issue?

The ‘weather war’ — a diplomatic move by India — started after Pakistan’s Supreme Court issued notices to the advocate general of Gilgit-Baltistan in late April, directing them to amend the Gilgit-Baltistan Order-2018 and establish a caretaker government there.

About PoK:

Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) is that part of the Jammu and Kashmir (India) which was invaded by Pakistan in 1947. The region is referred by the United Nations and other international organizations, as ‘Pakistani-controlled Kashmir’ (or Pakistan Administered Kashmir) and it was re-named as ‘Pakistan occupied Jammu-Kashmir’ by the Modi government.

PoK divided into two parts:

Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)

Gilgit-Baltistan (referred to as the ‘Northern Areas’ till August 2009).

Topic: Latest Reports and Events

Smallpox

World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN’s postal agency have released a commemorative postage stamp on the 40th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox.

Key facts:

Smallpox is an infectious disease caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. It is contagious i.e. spread from one person to another.

Symptoms: The initial symptoms of the disease included fever and vomiting. This was followed by formation of sores in the mouth and a skin rash. Over a number of days the skin rash turned into characteristic fluid-filled bumps with a dent in the center.

Smallpox is one of two infectious diseases to have been eradicated, the other being rinderpest in 2011.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Elongated Tortoise

Over 90% of the potential distribution of the Sal forest tortoise falls outside current protected area’s network.

About Elongated tortoise:

It is a species of tortoise found in Southeast Asia and parts of the Indian Subcontinent, particularly Northeast India.

They have elongated somewhat narrow carapaces and yellow heads. Shells are typically a pale tannish-yellow to caramel color, with blotches of black.

IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered.

The population of the species may have fallen by about 80% in the last three generations (90 years).

Threats: It is heavily hunted for food and collected both for local use, such as decorative masks, and international wildlife trade. In china, a mixture, made by grinding up the tortoise’s shell, also serves as an aphrodisiac.

Topic: Current Socio-Economic Issues

Relation between Vitamin D and COVID 19

Vitamin D is known to modulate the response of white blood cells, preventing them from releasing too many inflammatory cytokines (part of the body’s immune response to fight infections). And the SARS-CoV2 virus is known to cause an excess of pro-inflammatory cytokines, called a cytokine storm.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

May 12: International Nurse Day

Every year, May 12 is commemorated as International Nurse Day. The birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale is celebrated as the International Nurse Day.

This year the day is celebrated under the theme: Nurses: A Voice to lead-Nursing the World to Health

The International Council of Nurses lead the celebration of the International Nurse Day.