TNPSC Current Affairs October 16, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs October 16, 2020 (16/10/2020)

Topic: Latest inventions on Science and Technology

Saviour Sibling

Recently, doctors successfully conducted India’s first ‘saviour sibling’ experiment. The Saviour Sibling named Kavya saved her 6-year-old brother (suffering from Thalassemia).

150- 200 ml bone marrow was harvested from Kavya in an hour-long procedure and then given to her brother Abhijeet through transfusion.

Kavya suffered low haemoglobin for some time but it was corrected with supplements and she also endured some pain in the areas from where the marrow was taken for a few days. Presently, both Kavya and Abhijeet are healthy.

Key facts:

‘Saviour Sibling’ refers to babies that are created to serve an older sibling as a donor of organs, bone marrow or cells. The world’s first saviour sibling, Adam Nash, was born in 2000 in the USA.

Topic: Profile of States

Wheat Variety MACS 6478

The wheat variety called MACS 6478 has doubled the crop yield for farmers in Karanjkhop, a village in Maharashtra.

It is developed by Scientists from Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune– an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).

Features:

A common wheat or bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). Other popular wheat varieties are durum wheat (T. durum) and club wheat (T. compactum).

Hybrid Crop, i.e. produced by the cross-breeding of two genetically different varieties or species. Hybrids are often spontaneously and randomly created in nature when open-pollinated plants naturally cross-pollinate with other related varieties (not genetically modified).

Matures in 110 days and is resistant to most races of leaf and stem rust. This is against the normal maturing attained after 140 to 150 days, required for wheat varieties cultivated commonly in northern India.

Other Recent Activities by ARI:

Found the first synthetic route for producing flavonoids molecules related to the treatment of tuberculosis and chikungunya.

Found that the colour of Lonar lake water in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district turned pink due to a large presence of the salt-loving ‘Haloarchaea’ microbes.

Mapped two alternative dwarfing genes Rht14 and Rht18 in wheat that can help in reducing rice crop residue burning i.e. stubble burning.

Topic: Profile of States

Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration

It is a new grouping comprising various political parties. The goal is to fight for Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

On August 4, 2019, first Gupkar declaration was signed before the abrogation of Article 370. On August 22, 2020, the six political parties of Jammu and Kashmir signed a statement titled as ‘Gupkar Declaration II’ to collectively fight against the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Topic: Places in News

Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait is a 110-mile-wide channel that separates mainland China from the island of Taiwan. It is also known as the Formosa Strait or the Tai-hai (the Tai Sea).

The Taiwan Strait makes up part of the South China Sea, and its northern portion is linked to the East China Sea. The strait borders the south eastern part of China and runs along the eastern part of China’s Fujian Province.

Why in News?

U.S. warship in Taiwan Strait enrages China. China claims sovereignty over the island and surrounding seas.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Mahila Kisan Diwas – 15th October

The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare set aside this day to empower women in the field of agriculture. The UN also observes 15th October as the ‘International Day of Rural Women’.

The main objective of celebrating this day is to create awareness and to encourage women farmers to take up different income generation activities in agriculture and allied sectors to enhance the economy of the nation.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Food Day: October 16

The World Food Day is observed on October 16 every year. The theme for World Food Day 2020 is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain. Together”. This year’s World Food Day is highlighting the significance of food and agriculture in COVID-19 response.

Topic: International Events

Israeli Parliament Approves Historic Peace Deal with UAE

The unicameral parliament of Israel, the Knesset, approved the historic normalization deal or the peace deal called as the Abraham Accord with the United Arab Emirates on October 15, 2020. It was initially signed in Washington on September 15, 2020.

Key facts:

80 parliamentarians voted in favour of the deal while 13 opposed it. The legislation will now be finally being approved by government. Earlier, two Arab countries namely Egypt and Jordan had signed peace agreements with Israel. Egypt signed peace deal with Israel in 1979 and Jordan in 1994.

Israel-UAE peace deal: Under the deal, the UAE will establish diplomatic relations with Israel.