Chennai TN, India
December 3, 2024, 11:23 pm
Jobs @NDI
Mail Us info@nationaldefenceinstitute.in
national-defence-institute
Call Us +91 91509 81462
Menu

19 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

uploads/authour/1669557586.png

Written by NDI EDITOR

Jan 19 2024

Follow @

19 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
1. Indian vulture
First in many years, a vulture was spotted in the skyline of Thane which has not been spotted over two decades in the city.

About Indian vulture:

  • The Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) is an Old-World vulture native to Asia.
  • They are also known as Indian long-billed vultures due to their comparatively longer beak. 
  • It is a medium-sized and bulky scavenger feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead animals.
  • Females of this species are smaller than males.
  • Distribution: These are native to India, Pakistan, and Nepal.
  • Habitat: They are usually found in savannas and other open habitats around villages, cities, and near cultivated areas.
  • Threats: The Indian vulture has suffered a 97-99% population decrease due to poisoning caused by the veterinary drug This drug is toxic for vultures; it was given to working animals as it reduced joint pain and so kept them working for longer. 
  • Conservation status
    • IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
2. Thiruvalluvar Day
Recently, the Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Saint Thiruvalluvar on Thiruvalluvar Day.

About Thiruvalluvar Day:

  • It is usually observed either on January 15 or 16 in Tamil Nadu and is a part of Pongal celebrations.

About Thiruvalluvar:

  • He was a poet and philosopher, is regarded as a cultural icon by Tamils.
  • He is fondly referred to as Valluvar by Tamils.
  • His most popular work is Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, politics, economy and love.
  • Thiruvalluvar’s primary work Thirukkural contains 1330 couplets (kurals) that are divided into 133 sections of 10 couplets each.
  • The text is divided into three parts with teachings on dharma, artha, and kama (virtue, wealth and love).
  • Each section covers a wide range of topics and imparts moral, ethical, and practical guidance to the readers.
  • The couplets are composed in a concise and poetic form, making them easily memorable and quotable.
3. National Essential Diagnostics List
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has begun the process of revising the current National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) and invited relevant stakeholders to offer suggestions on adding or deleting diagnostic tests to the current list by the end of February.

About the National Essential Diagnostics List:

  • The NEDL lists the essential and most basic tests that should be available at various levels of healthcare facilities in the country, including at the village level, in sub-health centres, health and wellness centres, and primary health centres.
  • The ICMR had released the first NEDL in 2019 to make the availability of diagnostics an essential component of the healthcare system.
  • The list includes general laboratory tests for a broad range of common conditions for the diagnosis of communicable and non-communicable diseases, disease-specific tests for HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, dengue, malaria, and area-endemic diseases.
  • India is the first country to release the NEDL.
  • Since 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the development and implementation of a National Essential Diagnostics List (NEDL) to facilitate the availability of In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVDs) across the various tiers of the healthcare pyramid, facilities with or without a laboratory onsite.

What are Essential diagnostic tests?

  • These are defined as those "that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population and are selected with due regard to disease prevalence and public health relevance, evidence of efficacy and accuracy, and comparative cost-effectiveness”.
  • The test should focus on conditions with a high disease burden or having significant public health relevance, where the introduction of a diagnostic test will have a clear impact on disease diagnosis and management.
4. Senna spectabilis
The Forest Department of Tamil Nadu has cleared 356.50 hectares of invasive growth of Senna spectabilis that posed a threat to biodiversity conservation in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).

About Senna spectabilis:

  • It is a species of the legume family.
  • It is native to South and Central America and is grown as an ornamental plant as it has bright yellow flowers. 
  • It was introduced as shade trees for coffee and firewood in the country; it soon became a threat to native tree species as its dense foliage prevented the growth of other indigenous trees and grass species.
  • It is considered as Least Concern under the IUCN Red List.

Key facts about Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve:

  • It is located at the junction of the Eastern and the Western Ghats in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu.
  • It is contiguous with the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Bandipur Tiger Reserve (Karnataka) and BR Tiger Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka). 
  • Vegetation: It consists of southern tropical dry thorn forests, mixed deciduous forests, semi-evergreen forests, and Riparian forests.
  • Rivers: Some of the prominent rivers in the region include the Bhavani, Moyar, and Noyyal rivers.
  • Tribal Communities: It is home to several indigenous tribal communities, including the Irula and Kurumba tribes.
  • Flora: Common Species of trees and shrubs found are Albizia amara Chloroxylon swictenia, Gyrocarpus jacquini, Neem, Tamarind, Sandalwood, Randi dumetorum, Zizyphus and associates.
  • Fauna: The major species are Elephant, Tiger, Panther, Sloth bear, Gaur, Black Buck, Spotted deer and Bonnet macaque.
5. Qanat system
Some of Africa’s dry areas face serious water shortages due to minimal rainfall. An ancient system of drawing water from aquifers, the “qanat system”, could help.

About Qanat system:

  • It is an ancient type of water-supply system, developed and still used in arid regions of the world.
  • It taps underground mountain water sources trapped in and beneath the upper reaches of alluvial fans and channels the water downhill through a series of gently sloping tunnels.
  • The qanats have been used for centuries in arid and semi-arid parts of north Africa, the Middle East and Asia, where water supplies are limited.
  • It’s known by a variety of names, “foggara” in north Africa, “falaj” in Oman and “qarez” in parts of Asia.
  • Many old qanāts are still used in Iran and Afghanistan, chiefly for irrigation.
  • It’s a system that’s managed by everyone and its benefits are shared.
  • Some of the region’s qanat systems, like those in Iran, are protected under heritage status.
  • Significance of the system
    • The qanat is sustainable as it works with gravity and no electricity is needed. It can even be used to create clean energy.
    • Water lost to evaporation is minimal in comparison to surface water supplies.
    • It can have a wide scale impact. Qanats are multiple kilometres long and once this water hits a floodplain, it can irrigate multiple hectares of land.
    • It fosters social cohesion. Many people, with different skills, are involved in maintaining the system.
    • The lifespan of the system extends beyond that of a deep water well, which is only about 20 years. Tunnels do not clog as easily as wells.
    • The quality of water coming from the mountains is much better than water on the plains. It’ll have lower salinity and be better for crops and people.
6. Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA)
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) recently issued instructions for Residential Private Schools interested in joining SHRESHTA Scheme.

About Scheme for Residential Education for Students in High Schools in Targeted Areas (SHRESHTA):

  • The scheme aims to provide access to the best private residential schools for meritorious students from Scheduled Caste (SC) communities. 
  • It will provide scholarships to meritorious students from SC communities to study in private and NGO-run residential schools for Classes 9-12.
  • The scheme is expected to provide admissions to around 3,000 students in Classes 9 and 11 each year.
  • The core objectives of the scheme are to enhance the reach of the development initiatives of the government and fill in the gap in service-deprived SC dominant areas in the education sector. 
  • The scheme will collaborate with voluntary organisations to provide an environment that can help create conditions for socio-economic upliftment and the overall development of the SC communities.
  • Implementation agency: The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
  • The scheme is being implemented in two modes.
    • First, there are SHRESHTA schools, which consist of the best CBSE/ state board-affiliated private residential schools. 
    • Under SHRESHTA, outstanding students from SC communities, across states and UTs, will be selected annually through the National Entrance Test for SHRESHTA (NETS) and will be admitted to these schools for education in Classes 9 through 12. 
    • The schools that will be part of this scheme will be selected based on a performance score of above 75 percent pass rate in Class 10 and 12 board examinations over the past three years.
    • The second mode is based on NGO and voluntary organisation-run schools and hostels. The institutions run by such organisations that run up to Class 12 will also be made part of the scheme.
  • Eligibility:
    • Students whose annual parental income is less than Rs 2,50,000 and who belong to SC communities are eligible to participate in this scheme. 
    • Only those candidates who have passed or are appearing in Class VIII/X in the given academic session can apply for admission to Class IX/XI.
  • The scheme will cover the tuition fee, the hostel fee, and the mess fees for qualifying students.
  • Students will also be allowed to choose from a range of schools based on their merit. 
7. Vadnagar
The remains of a 2,800-year-old human settlement have been recently discovered in Gujarat's Vadnagar.

About Vadnagar:

  • Vadnagar is a town and municipality in the Mehsana district of North Gujarat.
  • As a historical city, it was known by various names, such as Vridhanagar, Anandapur, Anartapur, and Nagar.
  • The town represents a continuously evolving historic urban landscape/area that played a major role in the hinterland trade network of Western India.
  • It is mentioned often in the Puranas and even in the travelogue of the great Chinese traveller, Hieu-en-Tsang (7th century), as a rich and flourishing town. 
  • Features:
    • The ancient town of Vadnagar is an L-shaped town with Sharmishtha Lake located on its northeastern edge.
    • The whole ancient town of Vadnagar is built over an ancient mound. The topography of the mound is gently rising, with its highest point in the middle of the settlement, also called Darbar Ghat.
    • Vadnagar town is divided into several blocks, also called Mohallas or Madhs. These mohallas are named after a temple, a community, or an occupation.
    • The town’s fortifications, arched gateways (toranas), temples, wells, residential structures (kothis), and excavated sites like Buddhist monasteries and dedicated stupas showcase the architectural influence of various cultural periods.
    • The current residential layer of the town is from the late Gaekwad period (late 18th Century CE). 
8. Who are Shankaracharyas?
The four Shankaracharyas recently said that they will not attend the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

About Shankaracharyas:

  • Shankaracharya, literally ‘teacher of the way of Shankara’, is a religious title used by the heads of the four Hindu maths (monasteries) that were established by the eighth-century Hindu saint Adi Shankara. 
  • Adi Shankara established these maths to impart knowledge. These maths consist of religious shrines, temples, libraries, and residences.
  • These maths are located in Dwarka (Gujarat), Joshimath (Uttarakhand), Puri (Odisha), and Sringeri (Karnataka).
  • The Shankaracharyas also oversee the Dashanami Sampradaya, an order of renunciates.

Who was Adi Shankaracharya?

  • Adi Shankaracharya, or Shankara, as he was known, was an ancient Indian philosopher and theologian who lived in theearly 8th century CE.
  • Birth: He was born in Kalady, a village in present-day Kerala.
  • Revered as an avatar of Lord Shiva, it is believed that he mastered the Vedas when he was just 16.
  • Philosophical Contributions:
  • At a very young age, Shankara started criss-crossing the length and breadth of India to spread his commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita amid a rise in Jainism and Buddhism.
  • He is best known for his role in the development and propagation of Advaita Vedanta, a non-dualistic school of Hindu philosophy.
    • The fundamental philosophy of Advaita Vedanta lies in the unity of atma (soul), or individual consciousness, and brahma or the ultimate reality.
    • According to this philosophy of non-duality, God and humans are not two and the material world is an "illusion".
9. Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP)
The Indian Vice President recently inaugurated the 12th General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace in New Delhi.

About Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP):

  • It was founded in 1970 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, as a voluntary movement of followers of Buddhism with both monastic (monks) and lay members. 
  • Its aim is to bring together the efforts of Buddhists in support of consolidating universal peace, harmony, and cooperation among people in Asia.
  • It is currently headquartered at the Ganden Tegchenling Monastery in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, and the Supreme Head of Mongolian Buddhists is the ABCP President.
  • History:
    • The roots of founding of ABCP lay in the Cold War politics of peace movements, and consolidation of allies, and building popular outreach among the masses through various organisations. 
    • Most Venerable Gabji Samaagiin Gombojav, Khambo Lama of Mongolia, Venerable J. Gomboyev from Buriat, Khambo Lama of the former Soviet Union, Venerable Kushok Bakula Rinpoche from India, and Buddhist leaders from Sri Lanka and Nepal came together and officially founded the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) in 1970 with a permanent headquarters in Ulaanbaatar.
  • It drew active participation from Mongolia, Japan, India, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Bhutan, Russian Far East, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and other regional countries.
  • ABCP was registered as an observer to the UN’s Economic and Social Council in 1988 in recognition of its contribution to the well-being of humanity.
10. What is the Chang'e 6 Mission?
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) recently announced that the Chang’e 6 sample return mission is on track to land on the surface of the Moon in the first half of 2024.

About Chang’e 6 Mission:

  • The Chang'e 6 mission is a planned lander designed to return samples from the lunar south pole.
  • The mission aims to land on the Moon, collect samples from the lunar surface, and return them to Earth. This process will contribute crucial data to unravel the Moon's geological mysteries.
  • Representing the first attempt to retrieve samples from the far side of the Moon, Chang'e 6 is set to bring back up to two kilograms of lunar samples, adopting a configuration similar to the successful Chang'e 5 mission.
  • The mission involves international collaboration, with payloads from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the French space agency CNES.
    • ESA contributes a lunar surface ion tester, while CNES provides equipment for measuring radon gas and its decay products.
    • Additionally, an Italian laser corner reflector for radar instrument calibration and Pakistan's ICUBE-Q CubeSat will be part of the mission.
  • Chang'e 6 will consist of both a lander and a rover.
    • The lander will touch down on the lunar surface, while the rover will explore specific regions, conduct experiments, and aid in the sample collection process.
  • The returned samples will be made available to the global scientific community for study.
Source : China’s Chang’e 6 sample return mission to Moon to launch in first half of 2024
About Authour
uploads/authour/1669557586.png

Written by NDI EDITOR

National Defence Institute's Editor

Follow @

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

18 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
Jan 18 2024

18 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

Read More
21 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB
Jan 21 2024

21 Jan 2024 Daily Current Affairs for UPSC CDS, CAPF, NDA & SSB

Read More

Address

Guindy, Chennai
Tamil Nadu, India

Phone Number

+91 91509 81462

Email Address

info@nationaldefenceinstitute.in