TNPSC Current Affairs January 02, 2021

Topic: General Administration, Latest Diary of Events

Global Housing Technology Challenge-India

The Prime Minister has laid the foundation of LightHouse Projects (LHPs), as part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) initiative, at six sites across six states via videoconference.

He also announced the winners under Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators – India (ASHA-India) and gave away annual awards for excellence in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) Mission.

He also released a certification course on innovative construction technologies named NAVARITIH (New, Affordable, Validated, Research Innovation Technologies for Indian Housing).

Key facts:

Global Housing Technology Challenge-India:

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has conceptualized a Global Housing Technology Challenge – India (GHTC- India) which aims to identify and mainstream a basket of innovative technologies from across the globe for the housing construction sector that are sustainable, eco-friendly and disaster-resilient.

The Prime Minister declared the year 2019-20 as ‘Construction Technology Year’ while inaugurating GHTC-India in March 2019.

LightHouse Projects at Six Sites:

Six LHPs consisting of about 1,000 houses each with physical & social infrastructure facilities are being constructed at six places across the country namely Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).

These projects will showcase the use of the six distinct shortlisted innovative technologies for field level application, learning and replication.

LHPs will demonstrate and deliver ready to live mass housing at an expedited pace as compared to conventional brick and mortar construction and will be more economical, sustainable, of high quality and durability.

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Topic: Profile of States

Satyameva Jayate: Digital Media Literacy

The Kerala Government has recently announced a digital media literacy programme called ‘Satyameva Jayate’ (Truth alone triumphs) to counter the menace of Fake News.

Key facts:

The programme would be taught at schools and colleges, which would be encouraged to develop curriculum on digital media literacy.

The programme would cover five points :

What is wrong information.

Why they are spreading fast.

What precautions have to be adopted while using the content of social media.

How those who spread fake news make profit.

What steps can be initiated by citizens.

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Topic: Profile of States, Places in News

Umed Paoni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary

A tigress and her two cubs were found dead in the Umed Paoni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary, Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Key facts:

Umed Paoni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary has a connection with Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve through forest along Wainganga river (a tributary of Godavari). The sanctuary is home to resident breeding tigers, herds of Gaur, wild dogs and also rare animals like flying squirrels, pangolins and honey badgers.

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Topic: International Events

Australia makes changes to its National Anthem

The Australian Government recently announced certain changes to its National Anthem “Advance Australia Fair”.

What were the changes made to Australian National Anthem?

The second line of the National Anthem has been changed from ‘For we are young and free’ to ‘For we are one and free.’

What was the issue with the National Anthem of Australia?

The Australian National Anthem, “Advance Australia Fair” was written in 1878. It became official National Anthem of Australia only in 1984.

According to the critics, the words “for we are young and free” destroy the 50,000 years of history of Australia. The word young imply that the Australian history started only with Colonisation.

Accordingly, it is believed that the national anthem celebrates British colonisation. This is unacceptable by the indigenous communities of the island nation who till date celebrate Australia Day as Invasion Day.

What is Australia Day?

The Australia Day is celebrated on January 26. It marks the date when the “First Fleet” sailed into Sydney in 1788. This fleet carried troops from Britain.

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Topic: Profile of States

38th district of Tamilnadu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy on 28th December inaugurated the newly-formed Mayiladuthurai district. The 38th district in the state has been carved out of Nagapattinam district.

The new district comprises four taluks – Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Tarangambadi, and Kuthalam.

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Topic: New inventions on Science and Technology

Cubes in Space – World’s lightest FEMTO satellite

Riyasdeen from Tamilnadu had participated a global competition the Cubes in Space. His 37 mm sized FEMTO satellites VISION SAT v1 and v2 has made it to the world’s lightest FEMTO satellite. This satellite is expected to be launched in NASA Zero pressure Research Balloon under RB 6 mission during August 2021.

Riyasdeen from Tamilnadu:

S Riyasdeen, a second-year Mechatronics engineering student from SASTRA University hailing from Karanthai in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur, won the global competition “Cubes in Space” for creating the world’s lightest femto-satellite.

He designed VISION SAT v1 and v2 satellites, which are essentially cubes measuring 37mm and weighing only 33g. The competition, conducted by the National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA), hosted 1,000 participants from 73 countries.

Details of the world’s lightest satellite:

Riyasdeen, mentored by Chennai-based INRO Labs, used 3D-printed polyetherimide (PEI) thermoplastic resins in the satellites.

VISION SAT v1 and v2—designed to record 17 parameters using 11 sensors—will be part of NASA’s SR-7 Rocket Mission (June 2021) and Balloon Mission RB-6 (August).

Riyasdeen received an incubation grant of Rs. 5 lakh from SASTRA-TBI in 3D Printing and the Internet of Things Department for his startup venture.

‘Cubes in Space’ global design competition:

Riyasdeen won the “Cubes in Space”, which is the only global design competition offered at no cost for students aged between 11 and 18 years. It involves designing experiments launched into space or a near-space environment through NASA’s sounding rockets and zero-pressure scientific balloons.

The program began in 2014 and has seen 900 experiments with 2,200 educators, engaging 21,000 students from 73 countries.

To remember:

In 2019, NASA successfully launched the world’s smallest and lightest satellite built by 18-year-old Rifath Sharook along with six other teammates. Weighing in at 64 grams, the satellite called “KalamSat” was named after the former Indian President and aerospace scientist APJ Abdul Kalam.