TNPSC Current Affairs February 17, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs February 17, 2020 (17/02/2020)

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Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

Maharashtra: Compulsory National Anthem

Maharashtra has made singing the national anthem ‘compulsory’ in all the colleges in the State from February 19. February 19 is the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Five-day working week for Maharashtra govt employees:

Maharashtra government has announced five-day working week for its officers and employees from February 29. Employees will now work 45 minutes more Monday to Friday to avail of the weekend off.

The five-day week is followed by the central government, in Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. It will not apply to government offices covered under the Factories Act and the Industrial Disputes Act and to those that are considered essential services.

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Topic: Places in News, Latest Diary of Events

Mount Merapi erupts

Mount Merapi has erupted again sending ash and smoke more than three miles into the sky. Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta provinces, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548.

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Topic: Historical Diary of Events, Places in News, Latest Diary of Events

Dara Shikoh

The Ministry of Culture recently set up a seven-member panel of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to locate the grave of the Mughal prince Dara Shikoh (1615-59). He is believed to be buried somewhere in the Humayun’s Tomb complex in Delhi, one of around 140 graves of the Mughal clan.

The panel has been given three months time to complete this task. The panel will use architectural evidence from that time, and also written history and any other information that can be used as evidence.

Who was Dara Shikoh?

He was the eldest son of Shah Jahan. He was killed after losing the war of succession against his brother Aurangzeb.

He is described as a “liberal Muslim” who tried to find commonalities between Hindu and Islamic traditions. He translated into Persian the Bhagavad Gita as well as 52 Upanishads. According to the Shahjahannama, after Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh, he brought the latter to Delhi in chains. His head was cut off and sent to Agra Fort, while his torso was buried in the Humayun’s Tomb complex.

Challenges ahead for ASI:

No one knows where exactly Dara Shikoh was buried. All that is known is that it’s a small grave in the Humayun’s Tomb complex. Italian traveller Niccolao Manucci gave a graphic description of the day in Travels of Manucci, as he was there as a witness to the whole thing. That is the basis of the thesis. Now, the ASI’s biggest problem is that most graves in the complex have no names.

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Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Awareness in Space

Very Large Telescope

Using the European Space Organisation’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT), astronomers have noticed the unprecedented dimming of Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star (over 20 times bigger than the Sun) in the constellation Orion. Along with the dimming, the star’s shape has been changing as well, as per recent photographs of the star taken using the VISIR instrument on the VLT.

What is happening to Betelgeuse and why is it significant?

Betelgeuse was born as a supermassive star millions of years ago and has been “dramatically” and “mysteriously” dimming for the last six months. According to a report in Sky and Telescope, among the brightest night time stars, Betelgeuse ranks 10th, but by the last week of December 2019, its brightness had dimmed so low, that the star was ranked as the 21st brightest, “a remarkable decline — and a historic low.”

Astronomers do not think that Betelgeuse is dimming because it is going to explode. They have other hypotheses that may explain the reasons for Betelgeuse’s change in shape and dimming. The two scenarios they are working on are a cooling of the surface due to exceptional stellar activity or dust ejection towards earth.

About VLT:

It is the world’s most advanced optical instrument, consisting of four Unit Telescopes with main mirrors of 8.2 m diameter and four movable 1.8m diameter Auxiliary Telescopes.

The telescopes can work together, to form a giant ‘interferometer’, the ESO Very Large Telescope Interferometer, allowing astronomers to see details up to 25 times finer than with the individual telescopes.

The VLT consists of four individual telescopes. They are generally used separately but can be used together to achieve very high angular resolution.

The four separate optical telescopes are known as Antu, Kueyen, Melipal, and Yepun, which are all words for astronomical objects in the Mapuche language.

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Topic: Awareness in Space, Latest Diary of Events

GISAT-1 — Geo Imaging Satellite

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is preparing to launch GISAT-1, a new earth observation satellite, in the first week of March.

It will be the first of two planned Indian EO spacecraft to be placed in a geostationary orbit of around 36,000 km. It will apparently be in a fixed spot looking over the Indian continent at all times. It will have high-resolution cameras which will help to monitor any changes in borders and the overall geographical condition of the country, etc.

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Topic: Places in News

Madhav National Park

Located in Madhya Pradesh. It was named after Madho Rao Scindia, the Maharaja of Gwalior belonging to the Scindia dynasty of the Marathas. It is a combination of dry deciduous & dry thorn forests. It make home for different variety of antelopes like Nilgai, Chinkara, and Deer, and carnivours such as leopard, wolf, jackal, fox, wild pig, etc.

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Topic: New inventions on Science and Health, Latest Diary of Events

Urban bent-toed gecko

It is a new species of lizard discovered in Guwahati, Assam. (Scientific name: Cyrtodactylus urbanus). Urbanization is a major threat to the survival of geckos.

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Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS)

Why in News? The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS), though home to more than half the number of tigers present in Kerala, may not be notified as a tiger reserve as the proposal lacks public support.

About Wayanad wildlife sanctuary: Located in Kerala. It is the second largest wildlife sanctuary in Kerala. The ‘Status of Tigers in India’ report released last year had estimated the tiger population of Wayanad as between 75 and 80 individuals. The sanctuary is now an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

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Topic: International Diary of Events

India and Norway to work towards mitigating marine plastic littering

At the CMS COP-13, the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species Conference of Parties-13, was marked by India. The Convention is to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat between February 17, 2020 and February 22, 2020.

Key facts:

On the sidelines of CMS COP-13, India and Norway declared the 2020-30 decade as the “Decade of rapid action on Climate Change and Environment”.  The countries will work together towards strengthening mutual cooperation on climate and environment including ocean affairs.

The countries decided to work towards mitigating marine plastic pollution. This is to be done on the lines of Kigali Amendment of Montreal Protocol and MoU signed between India and Norway under India-Norway Ocean Dialogue (INOD). Under the MoU India-Norway Marine Pollution Initiative was adopted.

Kigali Amendment: In October 2016, the Montreal Protocol was signed by more than 170 countries in order to protect ozone layer and climate. The Kigali Amendment to the protocol aims to phase down the Hydrofluorocarbons.

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Topic: Latest International Diary of Events

US removed “Developing” Tag for India: What are its implications?

Recently, the United States of America removed the “developing” tag for dozens of countries. India is one amongst them. These countries are to be classified as developed economies.

Key facts:

The “Developing” status for a country in the US is associated with US Trade Act, 1974. The act authorized General System of Preferences (GSP). The intention of the system is to help the poor countries develop faster.

The act was later adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and was extended to other rich countries as well. In WTO, around two-thirds of the countries classify themselves as developing.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Cha-Chai art work

The Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa inaugurated a Cha-Chai artwork installation at the National Museum. The Cha-Chai art work inaugurated was a teapot art work. The 5 pm tea is a family tradition of the Portuguese. The long-lasting connection between Portugal and India shines through tea or chai.

Cha-Chai, a wrought-iron sculpture shaped as a teapot, and its iron railings represent the bridge between urban and rural landscape. The installation in the front lawn of the museum will remain open to public till June 30, 2020.