TNPSC Current Affairs October 01, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs October 01, 2020 (01/10/2020)

Topic: Places in News, International News

Zombie fires

‘Zombie fires’ becoming more frequent in Arctic in addition to fires occurring in the once-frozen tundra.

What are they? A zombie fire is a fire that continues to burn underground and then reignites on the surface after a period of time.

What’s the concern now?

Fires in the Arctic are spreading to areas which were formerly fire-resistant. The tundra — north of the Arctic Circle — is drying up and vegetation there like moss, grass, dwarf shrubs, etc are starting to catch fire.

The fires and record temperatures have the potential of turning the carbon sink into a carbon source and increasing global warming.

Need of the hour:

There is an urgent need to understand the nature of fires in the Arctic which are evolving and changing rapidly.

The issue needs to be taken up as an issue of global importance.

There is a need for global cooperation, investment and action in monitoring fires.

Also needed it the learning from indigenous people of the Arctic about how fire was traditional used.

New permafrost- and peat-sensitive approaches to wildland fire fighting are also needed to save the Arctic.

Topic: Terms in News

What is Mutation?

Mutation is the property of a virus to undergo changes when it multiplies. As it replicates, it may not produce exact replicas of itself, resulting in the emergence of new strains, which may be more or at times less effective.

Some strains die out, while the more effective ones, which spread efficiently, survive.

Why in News?

The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is constantly mutating. Until now, 12,000 mutations have been documented.

Topic: Political System in India

Crime in India 2019 Report: NCRB

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has released the annual Crime in India 2019 report.

It reports an increase in crimes against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the year 2019 as compared to the year 2018.

Crimes against SCs and STs:

Crime against SCs have increased by over 7% and crimes against STs have increased by 26% in year 2019 compared to 2018.

Data on Other Crimes:

Cognizable Crimes: An increase of 1.6% in registration of cognizable crimes in 2019 as compared to 2018 was recorded. Cognizable crimes comprise Indian Penal Code (IPC) ones and Special and Local Laws (SLL) crimes.

Cognisable offence means an offence in which a police officer has the authority to make an arrest without a warrant.

SLL are Acts that are framed by the state government for specific issues.

Crimes Against Women: Crime against women showed an increase of 7.3% in 2019 from 2018.

88 cases of crimes against women were recorded per day.

Majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.9%), followed by assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty, kidnapping & abduction of women and rape.

In the number of cases of rape of women belonging to SCs, Rajasthan topped the list, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Cybercrimes: Increased by 63.5% in 2019.

60.4% of cybercrime cases registered were for the motive of fraud followed by sexual exploitation.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

International Day of Older Persons – 1^st October

The International Day of Older Persons (IDOP) is observed on 1st October (designated in 1990 by the United Nations General Assembly) every year.

The 2020 theme aims to:

Promote Decade of Healthy Ageing (2020-2030).

The year 2020 has also been recognised as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife”.

Topic: Profile of States

Kotaiah family demanding GI tag for ‘Kakinada kaja’

The family of Chittipeddi Kotaiah is going to apply for Geographical Indications Registry’s (GIR) tag for ‘Kakinada kaja’.

Kakinada Kaja:

It a unique sweet of Andhra Pradesh. The sweet is being made and promoted by Kotaiah family since 1891 in Kakinada town, East Godavari district.

Challenges:

Family have witnessed various sections of people have attempted to use the brand image and demand for it by the support of family’s chefs.

However, they have failed since people from across the State prefer the kaja from their shop.

Lack of awareness and flourishing trade are the main reasons because of which family’s ancestors did not obtain the GI Tag for the sweet.

Topic: Profile of States, General Administration

ICGS “Karnaklata Barua” commissioned in Kolkata

The Indian Coast Guard Vessel (ICGS) Karnaklata Barua was commissioned at Kolkata on September 30, 2020 through video conferencing.

Key facts:

The ICGS Kanaklata Barua is one among the five Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs). It has been built by Kolkata based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE).

The vessel is 49-metre-long and is designed to carry one high-speed rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and one Gemini boat that will help in swift boarding, search and rescue operations.

Topic: Public Awareness and General Administration

Largest Market of Tribal Products ‘Tribes India e-Marketplace’

Shri Arjun Munda, Union Minister for Tribal Affairs will virtually launch India’s largest handicraft and organic products marketplace, Tribes India E-Marketplace (market.tribesindia.com) on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, 2020.

Key facts:

This is an initiative of The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) under Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It will showcase the produce and handicrafts of tribal enterprises from across the country. It will also help them market their produce or products directly on the website.

Topic: International Events

World’s First Asteroid Mining Robot will be Launched by China

Origin Space, which is a private company, in Beijing, China is all ready to send out the world’s first asteroid mining robot into space in November 2020. The robot is named as ‘asteroid mining robot’ by the space start-up in China.

A Chinese Long March series rocket will launch the asteroid mining robot into space. The mission will be a milestone for the space resources industry.

NEO-1:

It is a small, around 30 kilograms, satellite that intends to enter a 500-kilometer-altitude sun-synchronous orbit. It will be launched as a secondary payload by a Chinese Long March series rocket. This small spacecraft with limited propulsion may take a long time to reach the moon as compared to the India’s second lunar mission- Chandrayaan-2. It used a circuitous route to go from geosynchronous transfer orbit to the lunar orbit.

Objective:

The robot will not be engaging in any mining work but It will only be testing the technologies. The primary objective of the mission is to assess the capabilities of asteroid mining robot.

It will also be testing out how well it can identify and extract the valuable resources. It also aims to verify and demonstrate multiple functions including stimulated small celestial body capture, spacecraft orbital manoeuvre and intelligent spacecraft identification.