TNPSC Current Affairs March 09, 2020

www.tnpsc.academy – TNPSC Current Affairs March 09, 2020 (09/03/2020)

Topic: Political System in India, Latest Diary of Events

Marakkars who fought against Portuguese invaders

Recently, a petition was filed in the Kerala High Court against the film- Marakkar: The Lion of the Arabian Sea, alleging ‘distortion of history’ and demanding a stay on the release. It is said to be the most expensive Malayalam film ever made.

The film is based on Kunjali Marakkar IV, who earned his reputation with his fierce onslaught on Portuguese ships, the favours he gave those who fought against the Portuguese, and his efforts to strengthen the fort at Kottakkal.

Why was a petition filed against the film in the High Court?

The petitioner argued that the the film’s version of events could mislead students and researchers.

However, the High Court declined to impose a stay and asked the film certification Board if it had handed over the complaint to the Centre. The Board conveyed that the subject deals with art and that it cannot interfere in the freedom of expression of the filmmakers.

What is the film about?

It is a war film depicting the heroics of the Marakkar clan, whose leaders were naval chieftains of the Zamorin of Calicut during the 16th and 17th centuries. The Zamorin, Samoothiri in Malayalam, was the title given to rulers of the Calicut kingdom on the Malabar coast. The Marakkars fought against Portuguese invaders for nearly a century.

Topic: Awards and Honours, Eminent persons in News

Nari Shakti Puraskar 2019

To acknowledge Women’s achievements, the Government of India confers Nari Shakti Puraskars on eminent women and institutions in recognition of their service towards the cause of women empowerment.

Key facts:

Initiated in the year 1999. The awards are given away by the President of India every year on 8 March, International Women’s Day.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development announces these national level awards for eminent women, organisations and institutions. The Nari Shakti Puraskar carries a cash award of Rs.1 Lakh and a certificate for individuals and institutions.

List of Awardees of 2019:

Padala Bhudevi, Srikakukam, Andhra Pradesh (Category: Individual):

Padala Bhudevi is a role model for women farmers and rural women entrepreneurs. She has been working for the development of tribal women, widows, Podu lands through a community based organization- CAVS (Chinnai Adhivasi Vikas Society), established by her father, in 1996.

Bina Devi, Munger, Bihar (Category: Individual):

Bina Devi is fondly known as ‘Mushroom Mahila’ for popularizing mushroom cultivation. She is a mushroom grower and was ‘Sarpanch’ of Dhauri Panchayat, Tetiabamber block for 5 years.

Arifa Jan, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir (Category: Individual):

Arifa is the founder of Numdha Handicrafts and responsible for reviving the lost art of Numdha handicrafts. She has trained more than 100 women in Kashmir. She has employed 25 Kashmiri craft people and increased wages of her employees from Rs. 175 to 450.

Chami Murmu, Rajnagar, Jharkhand (Category: Individual):

Chami has been a passionate environmentalist since 24 years. She is the Chief Functionary Officer- Sahyogi Mahila, Rajnagar, Jharkhand.

Nilza Wangmo, Leh, Ladakh (Category: Individual):

Nilza is an entrepreneur, running Alchi Kitchen Restaurant. The restaurant is the first one to serve traditional Ladakhi cuisines including some exquisite and forgotten recipes.

Rashmi Urdhwardeshe, Pune, Maharashtra (Category: Individual):

She is automotive and R&D professional since 36 years. Since 2014, she has been the Director of the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) which was founded in the year 1966 with the support from Government of India.

Mann Kaur, Patiala, Punjab (Category: Individual):

Known as ‘Miracle from Chandigarh’, Mann Kaur started her athletic career at the age of 93. She won 4 Gold (Track and Field) at World Masters Athletic Championship, Poland. She has set a record by becoming the world’s fastest centenarian at the American Masters Game, 2016.

Kalavati Devi, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh (Category: Individual):

She is the lady mason, a driving force towards reducing open defecation in the district of Kanpur. She is responsible for building 4000 + toilets in villages in and around Kanpur.

Tashi and Nungshi Malik, Dehradun, Uttrakhand (Category: Individual):

Tashi and Nungshi are mountaineers since more than 8 years. They are the first female twins to scale Mt Everest in 2013. They have scaled Mt. Kilimanjari, Africa in 2015 and Mt. Vinson, Antarctica in 2014, Puncak Jaya in Australia in 2014 and Mt. Elbrus in Europe in 2013. They founded NungshiTashi Foundation to develop mountaineering as sport and empower girls in 2015.

Kaushiki Chakroborty, Kolkata, West Bengal (Category: Individual):

She is an Indian classical vocalist with more than 15 years of experience, and she is Khayal and Thumri exponent. She has performed internationally in 5+ countries including USA and UK.

Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawanna Kanth, Mohana Singh Jitarwal (Category: Individual):

For Indian Air Force’s first women fighter pilots Mohana Singh, Bhawana Kanth & Avani Chaturvedi, sky is no limit. The trio was induced into IAF fighter squadron after Government of India decided to open fighter stream in IAF for women on experimental basis. They became the first Indian women pilots to take a solo flight in a MIG- 21 in 2018.

Bhageerathi Amma and Karthyayini Amma, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kerala (Category: Individual):

Bhageerathi Amma and Karthyayini Amma have passed the Class IV literacy equivalent examinations. Bhageerathi Amma was inspired to take the examinations conducted by State Literacy Mission in Malayalam, Mathematics and Environment in November, 2019. At 105 years, she is the oldest literacy equivalent leaner under Kerala State Literacy Mission.

Topic: International Events, Latest Reports and Summits

Gender Social Norms Index

The first Gender Social Norms Index was recently released by the UN Development Programmme (UNDP).

About the index:

This index measures how social beliefs obstruct gender equality in areas like politics, work, and education, and contains data from 75 countries, covering over 80 percent of the world’s population.

The index found new clues to the invisible barriers women face in achieving equality – potentially forging a path forward to breaking through the so-called “glass ceiling”.

Key findings:

Despite decades of progress closing the equality gap between men and women, close to 90 percent of men and women hold some sort of bias against women.

Almost half of those polled feel that men are superior political leaders. More than 40 per cent believe they make better business executives and are more entitled to jobs when the economy is lagging.

Moreover, 28 per cent think it is justified for a man to beat his wife. The analysis also highlighted a bias shift in some 30 countries, revealing that while some show improvements, attitudes in others appear to have worsened in recent years – signaling that progress cannot be taken for granted.

Topic: Current socio-economic issues

Enforcement Directorate

Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor was recently placed under arrest by the Enforcement Directorate. He was charged under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He was also booked for cheating under the IPC, along with accepting illegal gratification and misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Background:

Mr. Kapoor is under the scanner for granting large loans to the crisis-hit Dewan Housing Finance Limited (DHFL), allegedly in exchange for kickbacks to the tune of ₹600 crore that were paid into accounts of his family members. It is argued that sub-standard properties were mortgaged by DHFL for the loans that it took.

About Enforcement Directorate:

It is a Multi Disciplinary Organization mandated with the task of enforcing the provisions of two special fiscal laws – Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) and Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).

Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

Cord Blood Banking

Poona Citizen Doctors’ forum dispels beliefs on commercial cord blood banking. It has warned to-be parents against falling prey to the emotional marketing tactics by stem cell banking companies.

What’s the issue?

Over the past decade, stem cell banking has been aggressively marketed even as its use is still in experimental stages. But these companies charge enormous fees from parents to preserve cells.

The concern here is that it is merely by emotional marketing that companies convince parents to bank the cells for several years promising future therapeutic use.

Private companies who have forayed into this field offer packages anywhere between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh to store and preserve the cells in right conditions.

So far there is no scientific basis for preservation of cord blood for future self-use and this practice therefore raises ethical and social concerns.

Regulation in India:

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) does not recommend commercial stem cell banking.

What is Cord Blood?

Cord blood (short for umbilical cord blood) is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta post-delivery.

It contains special cells called hematopoietic stem cells that can be used to treat some types of diseases.

What is Cord blood banking?

Cord blood banking is the process of collecting the cord blood and extracting and cryogenically freezing its stem cells and other cells of the immune system for potential future medical use.

Globally, cord blood banking is recommended as a source of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for haematological cancers and disorders where its use is recommended. For all other conditions, the use of cord blood as a source of stem cells is not yet established.

What Can It Be Used For?

The umbilical cord fluid is loaded with stem cells. They can treat cancer, blood diseases like anemia, and some immune system disorders, which disrupt your body’s ability to defend itself. The fluid is easy to collect and has 10 times more stem cells than those collected from bone marrow.

Stem cells from cord blood rarely carry any infectious diseases and are half as likely to be rejected as adult stem cells.

Topic: Latest inventions on Science and Health

Sahyadri Megha

It is a new variety of paddy resistant to blast disease and rich in nutrients. It was developed by the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, as part of its initiative to prevent decline in the area under paddy cultivation.

Topic: Latest Diary of Events

Indian Ocean Commission

India joined the Indian Ocean Commission as the fifth observer. The other four observers in the grouping are Malta, China, European Union and OIF (International Organization of La Francophonie).

The Indian Ocean Commission was created in 1982 at Port Louis, Mauritius. It comprises of 5 African Indian Ocean Nations namely Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, Reunion (France) and Seychelles.

India’s entry is a consequence of its deepening strategic partnership with France as well as its expanding ties with the Vanilla Islands.

Topic: Profile of States, Latest Diary of Events

Food Museum at Thanjavur

For the first time in the country, the Food Museum is to be established in Thanjavur by the Food Corporation of India. The Food Corporation of India. It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.

Topic: Sports

Women’s T20 – 2020

The Defending champion Australia claimed their fifth Women’s Twenty20 Cricket World Cup title against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. With this win, Australia lifted their fifth WT20 in their sixth final.

Key facts:

It was held in Australia. It was the seventh ICC Women’s T20 World Cup tournament. It was the first time that India had progressed to the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Australia’s Beth Mooney was the leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 259 runs.