TNPSC Current Affairs March 21, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs March 21, 2020 (21/03/2020)

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Topic: Public Awareness and General Administration, Latest Diary of Events

Tech For Tribals

TRIFED Launches transformational “Tech For Tribals” program in partnership with Institutes of National Importance (INIs) to develop Tribal entrepreneurship.

Key features of the program:

Aim: To transform 5 crore Tribal Entrepreneurs.

It is supported by Ministry of MSME. It also aims at capacity building and imparting entrepreneurship skills to tribal forest produce gatherers enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri VanDhan Yojana (PMVDY).

The trainees will undergo a 30 days program over six weeks comprising 120 sessions.

The Partners will develop course contents relevant to Entrepreneurship in Value Addition and Processing of Forest Produces.

The course curriculum will include Achievement Motivation and positive psychology, Entrepreneurial Competencies, Identification of locally available NTFP based Business Opportunities.

Significance of the program:

It will ensure higher success rate of the Tribal Entrepreneurs by enabling and empowering them to run their business with marketable products with quality certifications.

What are Van Dhan Kendras?

TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs is establishing 1,200 “Van Dhan Vikas Kendra (VDVK)”, across 28 States engaging 3.6 Lakhs Tribal Forest Produce gatherers. One typical VDVK comprises of 15 Self Help Groups, each consisting of 20 Tribal gatherers.

About Van Dhan Vikas Kendras initiative:

The initiative aims to promote MFPs-centric livelihood development of tribal gatherers and artisans. It mainstreams the tribal community by promoting primary level value addition to MFP at grassroots level.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

World Happiness Report

The World Happiness Report 2020 has been released.

About World Happiness Report:

It is released by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network for the United Nations by the UN General Assembly. It is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be.

What’s special about the 2020 report?

This is the eighth World Happiness Report. The 2020 report for the first time ranks cities around the world by their subjective well-being and digs more deeply into how the social, urban and natural environments combine to affect our happiness.

The WHRs, over the years, confirmed that people tend to have:

Poor mental health.

A low score of subjective well-being.

Poor perception about the governance and law and order, despite high income levels.

Performance of various countries:

Finland is the world’s happiest nation for the third year running. Nordic states dominated the top 10, along with countries such as Switzerland, New Zealand and Austria. India is at 144^th position.

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Topic: International Diary of Events

Trump to host G7 meet via videoconference

President Donald Trump is cancelled this year’s G7 summit at Camp David near Washington due to the COVID_19 crisis and will instead hold the event by videoconference.

The United States heads the group of seven wealthy democracies in 2020 and Mr. Trump had been due to host fellow leaders at the presidential retreat known as Camp David in June.

The G7 summit is held by the presiding country each year.

What is G7 Summit?

G7 Summit is an event conducted annually where world leaders from seven powerful economies of the world come together to discuss burning issues happening around the globe. They, by mutual understanding, also form policies or figure out remedies for the concerned issue.

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Topic: Political Systems in India

Disqualification petition

For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court removed the Manipur Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh from the state cabinet. The apex court has also been restrained him from entering the Legislative assembly.

Key facts:

Mr Shyamkumar won the 2017 assembly elections on Congress Ticket and switched over to BJP to become the minister of Town Planning, forest and Environment.

The Disqualification petitions against the minister by other MLAs was pending before the speaker of the Manipur Assembly since 2017. When the issue was appealed to SC, the apex court has invoked Article 142 and has removed the minister from the cabinet.

According to the Article 212, the courts in India including Supreme Court cannot interfere in the proceedings of the Legislature of state.

The Supreme Court under the article 142 can pass an order doing “complete justice” to matter pending before it.

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

March 21: International Day of Forests

Every year, the United Nations celebrate International Day of Forest on March 21. It aims to increase awareness and importance of forests. The day also focuses on the significance of trees outside the forests. Also, the day is celebrated to save forests.

This year the day is being celebrated under the theme: Forests and Biodiversity.

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Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Latest Diary of Events

UN Report: “Peatland” protection will help attain climate goals

The Food and Agriculture Organization operating under United Nations released a report recently on Peatlands.

The report says that though Peatlands cover only 3% of the earth’s surface, they trigger the carbon that were locked in a few decades.

The report says that peatlands consists of 30% of world soil carbon. When they are released, they emit greenhouse gases. They have the potential to release up to one giga tonne of carbon.

What are Peatlands?

Peatlands are formed due to accumulation of decomposed plant remains. These remains stay accumulated over thousands of years due to water-logging.

In tropical climate peatlands occur in mangrove forests. They are dominated by mosses in arctic regions.

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Topic: Profile of States, Places in News

Bridge Constructed across Teesta River in North Sikkim by BRO opened

The Borders Road Organization opened a 360 feet long bridge across Teesta river. The bridge was constructed by BRO under Project Swastik. The bridge will help in increasing tourism and also help in movement of logistics of Armed Forces.

Teesta river flows through the states of West Bengal and Sikkim. It flows into Bay of Bengal after traversing through Bangladesh. It is a tributary of the Jamuna river (Brahmaputra).

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Topic: Latest Diary of Events

March 22: World Water Day

Every year since 1993, World Water Day is being celebrated on March 22. It is being celebrated to spread the importance of fresh water. The day is celebrated by United Nations as well along with various other organizations all over the world.

The theme of World Water Day is Theme: Water and Climate Change.

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Topic: Persons in News

Satyarup Siddhanta – Limca Book of Records: conquering highest volcanoes

The Indian Mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta has entered ‘Limca Book of Records’. He has set the record of becoming the first Indian to climb the highest volcanoes in the world of all the 7 continents.

Key facts:

The mountaineer achieved the record of climbing all the highest summits in the world in 7 continents in January 2019. He already holds Guinness Book of World Records, India Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, British Book of records and Champion Book of Records.

Satyarup Siddhanta has conquered the following highest volcanoes of 7 continents:

Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa (5,895 m),

Mount Elbrus, Europe (5,642 m),

Mt Pico de Orizaba, North America (5,636 m),

Mt Giluwe, Australia (4,367 m),

Mt Sidley, Antarctica (4,285 m),

Mt Ojos del Salado, South America (6,893 m),

Mt Damavand, Asia (5,610 m).