TNPSC Current Affairs October 28, 2019

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs Oct 28, 2019 (28/10/2019)

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

Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

With political positions on the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) largely unchanged, the government, which is hoping to move a new version of it during the winter session of Parliament, faces tough negotiations.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill:

It seeks to allow illegal migrants from certain minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for Indian citizenshipby amending the Citizenship Act of 1955.

It seeks to grant citizenship to people from minority communities — Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians —after 6 years of stay in India even if they do not possess any proper document. The current requirement is 12 years of stay.

The Bill provides that the registration of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders may be cancelled if they violate any law.

The Bill, however, does not extend to illegal Muslim migrants. It also does not talk about other minority communities in the three neighbouring countries, such as Jews, Bahais etc.

However, the bill is being criticised for the following reasons:

It violates the basic tenets of the Constitution. Illegal immigrants are distinguished on the basis of religion.

It is perceived to be a demographic threat to indigenous communities.

The Bill makes illegal migrants eligible for citizenship on the basis of religion. This may violate Article 14 of the Constitution which guarantees the right to equality.

It attempts to naturalise the citizenship of illegal immigrants in the region.

The Bill allows cancellation of OCI registration for violation of any law. This is a wide ground that may cover a range of violations, including minor offences.

Need for Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016:

There are thousands of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis who have entered India after facing religious persecution in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan without any valid document.

These refugees have been facing difficulty in getting Long Term Visa (LTV) or Citizenship.

The existing Citizenship law does not allow anyone granting Indian nationality if he or she can not show proof of documents on country of birth and therefore they have to stay at least 12 years in India.

Those Hindus who are persecuted due to religion has no other place to go except India.

Topic: New Inventions on Science and Health

Organoids

We’ve heard a lot in the last few years about organoids, the so-called “brains in a dish” created in labs by neuroscientists. However, experts have expressed concerns over growing mini-brains or organoids in the laboratory that can perceive or feel things.

Why worry about this?

In some cases, scientists have already transplanted such lab-grown brain organoid to adult animals. The transplanted organoid had integrated with the animal brain, grown new neuronal connections and responded to light.

Similarly, lung organoid transplanted into mice was able to form branching airways and early alveolar structures. These are seen as a step towards potential “humanisation” of host animals.

What is an organoid?

Organoids are a group of cells grown in laboratories into three-dimensional, miniature structures that mimic the cell arrangement of a fully-grown organ.

They are tiny (typically the size of a pea) organ-like structures that do not achieve all the functional maturity of human organs but often resemble the early stages of a developing tissue.

Most organoids contain only a subset of all the cells seen in a real organ, but lack blood vessels to make them fully functional.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events, Court Verdicts

Fly ash

Supreme Court seeks response from the Centre and others on a plea seeking directions to restrain thermal power plants in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, and Sonebhadra, Uttar Pradesh, from disposing fly ash, toxic residue and industrial waste in the Rihand reservoir and other water bodies.

What’s the issue?

A petition was filed in the court after more than 35 lakh metric tons of fly ash entered into the Govind Vallabh Pant Sagar ‘Rihand Reservoir‘ from NTPC station in Singrauli.

The reservoir is the only source of drinking water for the people of Singrauli and Sonebhadra districts, and the entire water has been contaminated, making it unfit for consumption.

The damage has been caused to the environment in various contexts viz ground water damage, damage of standing crops and the agricultural land have become unfertile.

What is Fly Ash?

Popularly known as Flue ash or pulverised fuel ash, it is a coal combustion product.

Topic: Places in News, Latest Diary of Events

Sarayu River

5.50 crore earthen lamps on the banks of Saryu River has helped Uttar Pradesh enter into the Guinness Books of World Records for lightening of record number of diyas on any occasion.

Key facts:

Sarayu flows through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. This river is of ancient significance, finding mentions in the Vedas and the Ramayana.

The Sarayu originates from Lake Mansarovar in the Himalayas and is also known as the Ghaghra and the Manas Nandini. It merges with the Ganga in Bihar’s Saran district.

It forms at the confluence of the Karnali and Mahakali in Bahraich District. Ayodhya is situated on the banks of this river.

Topic: Geographical Landmarks, Latest Diary of Events

Kyarr- first Super Cyclone in Arabian Sea in 12 years

Kyarr is the ninth super cyclone to have developed in the North Indian Ocean, after Super Cyclone Gonu in 2007. It is the first Super Cyclonic storm in Arabian Sea in last 12 years after Cyclone Gonu ravaged the Oman coast in 2007.

What is Super Cyclonic Storm?

Intense low pressure system represented on a synoptic chart by more than four closed isobars at 2 hPa interval and in which the wind speed on surface level is 120Kts. And above.