TNPSC Current Affairs October 19, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs October 19, 2020 (19/10/2020)

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Topic: India and Its Neighbouring countries

India and Sri Lanka – SLINEX

The 8th annual joint exercise between Indian and Sri Lankan navies – SLINEX-20 will begin on October 19, 2020 off the Trincomalee coast. It is a 3-day exercise and will end on October 21, 2020.

Key facts:

Sri Lanka Navy would be represented by SLN Ships Sayura and Gajabahu. Both the ships would be led by Rear Admiral Bandara Jayathilaka who is the Flag Officer Commanding Naval Fleet in Sri Lanka Navy.

Indian navy would be represented by indigenously built ASW corvettes Kamorta and Kiltan under the command of Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet.

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Topic: International Events

Philippines to restart oil and gas exploration in South China Sea

The Philippine government has decided to resume oil exploration in the disputed South China Sea. This decision of Philippines was taken without consulting China.

Key facts:

The President of Philippine, Rodrigo Duterte, approved the lifting of a six-year moratorium on oil exploration in the Palawan Island.

The area where exploration would resume lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The petroleum-related activities will resume in three offshore areas.

Background:

The moratorium on oil exploration was imposed in 2014.

It was imposed in the light of tensions between the Philippines and China because of their overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.

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Topic: India and Its Neighbouring countries

50 years of Bangladesh’s Independence

Bangladesh has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join the celebrations of the 50 years of the country’s independence. The country will complete its 50 years of Independence on March 26, 2021.

Independence day of Bangladesh:

The Independence Day of Bangladesh is observed on 26 March every year. The day commemorates the Bangladesh’s declaration of independence from Pakistan. The leader of the Nation Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had declared its independence from Pakistan on 26 March 1971.

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Topic: Places in News

Dolphins in Pearl River Estuary

According to a recent report, Chinese pink dolphins are making a comeback in the Pearl River Estuary (PRE). Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins are also known as Chinese white dolphins or pink dolphins, reflecting the colour of their skin.

 

 

Pearl River Estuary:

It includes Hong Kong, Macau as well as the mainland Chinese cities of Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Dongguan. Around 22 million people live in the area.

The Pearl River Delta, the low-lying area surrounding the PRE where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea, is one of the world’s most densely urbanised, heavily industrialised and busiest shipping lanes on Earth.

Conservation: IUCN Status: Vulnerable.

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Topic: General Administration

Naval Version of BrahMos Tested

A naval version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired from an indigenously built stealth destroyer (INS Chennai) of the Indian Navy in the Arabian Sea.

BrahMos: It is a joint venture between the Defence Research and Development Organisation of India (DRDO) and the NPOM of Russia. Brahmos is named on the rivers Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia).  It is a supersonic missile travelling at a speed of Mach 2.8 (nearly three times the speed of sound). It is the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile.

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Topic: Latest Reports of Rare Species

Skinks of India

Recently, the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) brought a study on skinks (a kind of lizard), titled Skinks of India.

Skinks:

With 1,602 species of skinks across the world, it is the largest family of lizards, having long bodies, relatively small or no legs, no pronounced neck and glossy scales. It is found around homes, garages, and open spaces such as sparks and school playgrounds, and around lakes.

Skinks are non-venomous, highly alert, agile and fast moving and actively forage for a variety of insects and small invertebrates.

They have a prominent role in maintaining ecosystems, however, not much is known about their breeding habits, and ecology because identification of the species can be confusing.

In India skinks are found in all kinds of habitats in the country, from the Himalayas to the coasts and from dense forests to the deserts.

 

 

The Study:

It gives a phylogenetic (evolutionary development) and bio-geographical analysis of distribution of these species in all the 11 bio-geographic zones of India. India is home to less than 4% of the skinks across the globe. 62 species of skinks are found in India and about 57% of them (33 species) are endemic.

India is home to 16 genera of skinks, four of which are endemic. The four genera of skinks are:

Sepsophis: Sepsophis punctatus is endemic to the northern part of Eastern Ghats

Barkudia: They are limbless skinks found in the hills and coastal plains of the eastern coast. Barkudia insularis is believed to be found only in the Barkud Island in Chilka lake in Odisha. Barkudia melanosticta is endemic to Visakhapatnam.

Kaestlea: They are also known as blue-tailed ground skinks and are endemic to the Western Ghats.

Ristella: They are also known as Cat skinks and endemic to the southern part of Western Ghats.