www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs April 22, 2019

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs April 22, 2019 (22/04/2019)

 

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Topic: Mass Communication, Latest Diary of Events

Ban on Tiktok app

The Indian government has ordered Google and Apple to take down the Chinese-owned Tiktok video app after a court expressed concerns over the spread of pornographic material.

Background:

Tiktok has already been banned in neighbouring Bangladesh and hit with a large fine in the United States for illegally collecting information from children. The app, which claims to have 500 million users worldwide including more than 120 million in India, has been fighting the effort to shut it down after a high court in Chennai called for the ban on 3 April.

What needs to be done?

The best way to protect users, especially children, is to empower them with information.

Time is indeed nigh for legislation specifically protecting the interests of young users, it is also important for policymakers and internet companies to create education materials targeted at children and their parents.

To begin with, the government must make the safe use of the internet a part of the school and college course curricula.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Olive Ridley Turtle

Why in news? The idyllic Kalam Island off the Odisha coast has become lively with lakhs of baby Olive Ridley turtles crawling towards the Bay of Bengal after emerging from eggshells. The Odisha Forest and Environment Department said baby turtles had emerged from approximately 1.25 lakh nests.

Key facts:

Vulnerable — IUCN Red list.

Habitat — warm and tropical waters of primarily in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Atlantic ocean.

Gets name from its olive colored carapace, which is heart-shaped and rounded

Arribadas — synchronized nesting in mass numbers,

Operation Olivia — Olive Ridely Turtle protection program undertaken by sIndian Coast Guard

mating and breeding season — winter

mostly carnivorous, feeding on such creatures as jellyfish, snails, crabs, and shrimp. They will occasionally eat algae and seaweed.

Nesting sites in India:

Hope Island of Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (Andra Pradesh)

Gahirmatha beach (Odisha)

Astaranga coast (Odisha)

Beach of Rushikulya River

Devi River mouth

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Topic : Environment and Ecology, Latest Diary of Events

Indian bullfrogs

A study has found that the Indian bullfrogs introduced in the Andaman islands are invasive, and eat native wildlife including fish and lizards.

About Indian Bullfrog:

The Indian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) is native to the Indian subcontinent. It is a large species of frog found in mainland Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal.

Other names: Indus Valley bullfrog, Asia bullfrog.

The bullfrogs are prolific breeders: they have short breeding seasons, and each egg clutch can contain up to 5,750 eggs.

Its tadpoles are carnivorous and eat other tadpoles, including their own species.

They prefer freshwater wetlands and aquatic habitats. Generally, they avoid coastal and forest areas.

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Topic : International Diary of Events, Places in News

Active volcanoes of Indonesia

Why in News? The active volcano of Indonesia Mount Agung has erupted again. Two other volcanoes Mount Bromo in East Java and Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta also continues to erupt.

Mount Agung: Mount Agung is an active volcano in Bali of Indonesia.

Mount Bromo: Mount Bromo is an active volcano and part of the Tengger massif, in East Java, Indonesia.

Mount Merapi: Mount Merapi is an active volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, Indonesia.

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Topic: Indian Defence, Army and Latest Diary of Events

Indian Navy launches Guided missile destroyer ‘Imphal’

The Indian Navy has launched guided missile destroyer ‘Imphal’ at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders in Mumbai.

Key facts:

Imphal is the third ship to be launched under Project 15B. The warships built under the project are propelled by four gas turbines to achieve speed in excess of 30 knots. They have a length of 163 metres and 17.4 metres at the beam and a displacement of 7.300 tonnes.

The first ship of Project 15B, a guided missile destroyer christened ‘Visakhapatnam’, was launched on April 20, 2015.

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Topic: International Diary of Events

2019 class of Cleveland International Hall of Fame

Professor Sree Sreenat, President of Sewa International since 2009, has been inducted into the 10th class of Cleveland Hall of Fame along with five other inductees – Paul Burick, Ingrida Bublys, Dr. Akram Boutros, Richard Fleischman and Marilyn Madigan from over 100 nominations.

Key facts:

Sreenath, Faculty at Case Western Reserve University, inducted into the Hall of Fame for his contributions in applications in systems biology, global issues and sustainable development on April 16th by Ramesh Shah of the Association of Indian Physicians of Northern Ohio.

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Topic: International Diary of Events

US scientists used HIV to make gene therapy that cured eight infants of “bubble boy” disease

US researchers have used HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) to develop a gene therapy that cured 8 infants who were treated at St. Jude and at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, San Francisco of a rare combined immunodeficiency disease termed as “bubble boy” disorder.

The disorder is termed as “bubble boy” after David Vetter, born in 1971, had to live in a sterile plastic bubble because the disease made him extremely vulnerable to infectious diseases outside the bubble. He died at age 12 after a failed bone marrow transplant.

Previously, untreated babies with this disorder had to live in completely sterile conditions and died as infants but now with gene therapy, it can be cured soon after birth.

What is the “Bubble Boy” syndrome?

Terminations:

“Bubble boy” or SCID (Severe combined immunodeficiency) is also known as alymphocytosis, Glanzmann–Riniker syndrome, severe mixed immunodeficiency syndrome, and thymic alymphoplasia.

How is it caused?

SCID is caused by a mutation in the ‘Interleukin-2 receptor Subunit Gamma Gene’ (IL2RG) that produces a protein which is crucial for normal immune system development.

The disease affects 1 in 200,000 newborns, mostly males and without any treatment, it often kills the child in the first 2 years of life.