CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – JULY 2018 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY Vellore & Tiruvannamalai ENGLISH MEDIUM www.chennaiiasacademy.com chennaiiasacademy Contact : 9043 211 311 / 411 1 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 Current Affairs For TNPSC Examinations JULY 2018 SI.NO CONTENTS PAGE.NO 1. TAMILNADU 03 - 05 2. NATIONAL 05 – 35 3. INTERNATIONAL 36 – 42 4. APPOINTMENTS & 42 - 45 RESIGNS 5. AWARDS 45 - 48 6. SCIENCE AND 48 - 53 TECHNOLOGY 7. BOOKS AND AUTHORS 53 - 53 8. SPORTS 54 - 59 9. IMPORTANT DAYS 59 - 61 10. PRACTICE QUESTIONS 61 - 76 2 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 The climate change is the main factor that TAMIL NADU threatening the Nilgiri tahr according to recent study published by international journal Ecological Engineering. Chairperson and Member will be appointed by There are only around 2,500 Nilgiri Tahrs left in Governor by recommendation of the selection the wild and their population is small and committee comprising the Chief Minister, isolated. In 2030‘s , it is estimated that Assembly Speaker, opposition leader of endangered wild goat could lose approximately 60% of its habitat. Nilgiri tahr is the state animal assembly. of Tamil Nadu. It is endemic to Western Ghats Local administration and government from the Nilgiris to Kanyakumari. IUCN in its contracts do not comes under the purview of red data book has classified it as Endangered Lokayukta. (number fewer than 2,500 mature individuals). Chairperson or members will be removed by order of Governor. India's first transgender lawyer Sathyasri Sharmila created history by becoming India's first transgender lawyer Sharmila, who hails from Tamil Nadu, enrolled her name in the Bar Council Of Tamil Nadu And Puducherry and became the first transgender lawyer in Thiru Ramasaamy Padatchiyar. India. On a related note, the Rajasthan Police Tamil Nadu State Government announced birth had appointed Ganga Kumari, its first anniversary of freedom fighter Thiru Ramasaamy transgender constable, last year, after the state Padatchiyar as State Celebration High Court‘s directive. Meanwhile, West Bengal‘s Joyita Mondal was appointed the Tamil Nadu Lokayukta Bill 2018 Lok Adalat judge of Islampur in North Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly finally passed Dinajpur district, thus giving India its first the Tamil Nadu Lokayukta act 2018 through transgender judge. voice vote. The Act would look into graft charges against government Servants including current and former elected representatives (including Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers). Features of Act: Lokayukta consists of Chairperson and four members. Chairperson would be current or former judge of High Court or person with 25 years of experience in any field in anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance and law. 3 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 the name of the father at the time of registering her child‘s birth. The judgement is aimed to benefit single mothers and those going in for intrauterine insemination. It is sufficient for her to file a sworn affidavit that the child was born from her womb. Fossil Museum - Ariyalur The fossil museum at Varanavasi near Ariyalur town is set to open. Private Universities in Tamilnadu The 100-acre museum will showcase the natural Two bills adopting the establishment of Shiv formation of rocks that provide evidence of the Nadar Univesity and Sai University were existence of dinosaurs and other associated passed in the Tamilnadu assembly. reptilians in the Ariyalur region Shiv Nadar University would be established by SSN Trust of Industrialist Shiv Nadar Sai University is the backed by NASSCOM founder – mentor K.V.Ramani. As per the provisions of the two bills adopted in the assembly, the two universities will be self- financing institutions and would be allowed to establish constituent colleges, regional centres, and additional campuses and study centres. Upgradation of 7 monuments in Tamil Nadu The decision of the TN Government to establish The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has two private universities assumes significance as planned to upgrade infrastructural and tourist- there are currently no private universities in the friendly facilities at seven sites, which are state. The state government took over the control approved under Adarsh Smarak Scheme for of Annamalai University, a reputed private Conservation of Monuments, in Tamil Nadu. university in 2013. However, there is any number The Adarsh Monuments proposed to be upgraded of deemed universities in the state. by the Ministry of Culture include Shore Temple The universities ―shall reserve 35% of seats in each Mamallapuram ,Gingee Fort,Kailasanathar Temple course of study for resident students of Tamil Kanchipuram Brihadeeswarar Temple Thanjavur Nadu‖ and this shall be made following the Sithannavasal caves,Vellore Fort,Moovar communal reservation as per law in force. Koil,Kodumbalur. Father‘s name in Birth Certificate Tamil Nadu‘s forest policy unveiled The Madras High Court has ruled that there is no Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. legal obligation on the part of a mother to disclose Palaniswami released the State‘s forest policy The norms stipulated by the Forest (Conservation) Act, 4 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 1980, would be strictly enforced to preserve the shale gas sites are Cambay, Gondwana, Krishna- existing forest cover for ecological security. Godavari and Cauvery Basins. The Forest Department would also develop mangroves in the state as 'bio-shield' along the coast. The policy also looks to increase forest and tree cover to at least 30% by 2025 and enhance participation of women in village forest committees(VFCs).Tamil Nadu has about 30.92% of the forest declared as 'protected areas' and has 15 wildlife sanctuaries,five National parks,15 bird sanctuaries,3 biosphere reserves,four project tiger areas. NATIONAL The 9th Heads of Mission Conference inaugurated by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was held in New Delhi from June 30-July 2, 2018. The theme of three-day annual conference was ‗Unprecedented Outreach: Unparalleled Outcomes‘. Definition of hydrocarbon amended Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has amended Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules 1959 to include shale in the definition of petroleum.This change will allow private companies to explore and produce the resource in the blocks they already operate. Earlier, definition excluded shale and therefore barred companies from exploiting it from fields that are producing conventional oil and gas or coal- Four cultural sites namely Victorian Gothic bed methane.Shale is distinguished from other and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (India), mudstones due to laminated and fissile nature. Sassanid Archaeological Landscape of Fars region (Iran), Hidden Christian Sites in Shale gas is natural gas formed from being trapped Nagasaki Region (Japan) and Sansa, Buddhist within shale formations.Shale gas is cheaper than Mountain Monasteries in Korea (South Korea) natural gas,releases 50% less CO2,hence better has inscribed on the World Heritage List source for generating electricity. In India, potential 5 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 At the 42nd session of World Heritage Kerala Government has declared Kozhikode Committee (WHC) meeting of United Nations and Malappuram districts free from Nipah Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization virus infection. (UNESCO) held in Manama,Bahrain. NiV infection is zoonotic disease (disease transmitted to humans from animals) that causes severe disease in both animals and humans. The organism which causes Nipah Virus encephalitis is RNA or Ribonucleic acid virus of family Paramyxoviridae, genus Henipavirus, and is closely related to Hendra virus. The Union Government has constituted 13- member Committee for Sub-National As per the provision of bilateral agreement on Accounts headed by Ravindra H Dholakia, a consular access signed between both countries retired professor of IIM Ahmedabad to in May 2008, India and Pakistan have upgrade the norms for computation of exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and economic data at states and districts level in fishermen lodged in each other‘s jails. backdrop of plans to revise the base year for In the latest exchange, Pakistan has shared with National Accounts or Gross Domestic India list of 53 civilian prisoners and 418 Production (GDP) calculation. fishermen in its custody, who are Indians or The committee will review concepts, definitions, believed to be Indians. India handed over to classifications, data conventions, data sources and Pakistan list of 249 civilian prisoners and 108 data requirements for preparation of State fishermen from Pakistan lodged in Indian jails. Domestic Product (SDP) and District Domestic Under the bilateral agreement, the lists of Product (DDP) and to lay down revised prisoners have to be exchanged twice every year guidelines. It will submit its report within one – on January 1 and July 1. year. 6 CHENNAI IAS ACADEMY – 9043 2113 11/411 Indian Naval officer Commander Abhilash Tomy has been selected to participate in the prestigious Golden Globe Race (GGR), which The Uttar Pradesh Government launched commenced from Les Sables d‘Olonne 'Commercial Tax at your door steps' on the harbour in France on July 1, 2018. occasion of Goods and Services Tax (GST) The GGR requires all the participants to sail Day celebration at the offices of commercial around the world, single-handed and non-stop. tax on July 1, 2018. Abhilash Tomy is the only invitee