TNPSC Current Affairs January 25, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs January 25, 2020 (25/01/2020)

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

National Voters Day January 25

National Voters Day is celebrated on 25 January every year to mark the foundation day of Election Commission of India (ECI). ECI was established on 25 January 1950. It’s a constitutional body deriving its authority from Article 324 of the Constitution and Representation of the People Acts. The day was started in 2011. Year 2020 marks 10th National Voters Day.

Objective of National Voters Day is to encourage, facilitate and maximize the enrolment of new voters and active participation of the active voters.

Topic: Welfare Oriented Govt Schemes and their Utilities, Latest Diary of Events

NISHTHA– National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement

NISHTHA is the world’s largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world. It has been launched to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level.

The basic objective of this massive training programme is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.

The initiative is first of its kind wherein standardized training modules are developed at national level for all States and UTs. However, States and UTs can contextualize the training modules and use their own material and resource persons also, keeping in view the core topics and expected outcomes of NISHTHA.

Topic: Profile of States, Political Systems in India

Shamlat land

Punjab state Cabinet recently approved an amendment to the Village Common Land (Regulation) Rules, 1964, allowing panchayats to sell shamlat land to industrial houses, entrepreneurs, businessmen, and companies for setting up micro, small and medium industrial units.

The underlying objective is to facilitate the “gram panchayats” to promote development of villages by unlocking the value of such land and transfer it for industrial projects to the Industry department and the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC).

What is shamlat land?

Three categories of common land in Punjab villages are:

‘Shamlat’ land is owned by the village panchayat.

‘Jumla mushtraka malkan’ is land in a common pool made with villagers’ personal contributions, and is managed by the panchayat.

‘Gau charan’, too belongs to the panchayat, and is for cattle grazing.

Shamlat land is mainly used for cultivation, and is allotted for this through an open auction that is conducted by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department every year.

What’s the issue now?

Various organisations in Punjab have been protesting against this revised land policy relating to ‘shamlat’ land.

One-third of Punjab’s shamlat lands are reserved for Dalits. Around 25,000 to 26,000 families in the state, mostly Dalits, depend on this land for their livelihood. The recent government move has sparked fears of unemployment.

Topic: New inventions on Science and Health, Profile of States

Archaea

Scientists have reported a new archaeon (a kind of microorganism), which they discovered in Sambhar Salt Lake in Rajasthan. It has been named Natrialba swarupiae, after Dr Renu Swarup, secretary, Department of Biotechnology.

What is Archaea?

They are a primitive group of microorganisms that thrive in extreme habitats such as hot springs, cold deserts and hypersaline lakes.

These slow-growing organisms are also present in the human gut, and have a potential relationship with human health.

They are known for producing antimicrobial molecules, and for anti-oxidant activity with applications in eco-friendly waste-water treatment.

Topic: Latest inventions on Science and Health

Sahana Disease (Hemorrhagic septicaemia)

Around 40 buffaloes have died within four days due to suspected Sahana disease (hemorrhagic septicemia) in a number of villages located in the Garadapur block of Odisha’s Kendrapara.

Sahana disease (hemorrhagic septicemia):

It is a severe bacterial disease caused by certain strains. The disease is also spread through contact with infected animals, contaminated clothing, equipment, and through ingestion or inhalation of the bacteria.

Primary symptoms include swishing tails, reduced cudding, undigested food in faeces and reduced milk yield.