TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 for group 1 & group 2 mains( All)

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 

1. GRAPES-3 experiment Telescope upgraded to detect solar storms

GRAPES -3 muon Telescope at Cosmic Ray laboratory located at  OOTY, Tamil Nadu. It has upgraded to detect solar Storms from Lagrange Point.

About Upgraded Facility: 

• The upgraded detector will have increased coverage and improved capacity to determine the direction of  solar storms. It will play important role in understanding the propagation of storms from sun to L1 point and its impact on Earth.
• The upgraded detector facility can now cover the wider field of view from present 37 % to 57% and has more chance to detect the solar winds.
• The early detection of solar storms is crucial because the solar storms have the potential to produce major disruptions to infrastructure.
• Solar winds will takes 20-40 minutes to reach earth depends on the speed from L1 point

About Lagrange Point or L1

 L1 or Lagrange point 1 is the neutral Gravity point between Earth and sun which is approximately one million miles from the Earth. It is a good position to monitor the sun , because the solar wind from the sun reaches one hour earlier than Earth in Lagrange point or L1 .

  

Impacts of Solar Storm 

• Solar storms occurs when the Sun emits huge bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These phenomena send a stream of electrical charges and magnetic fields toward the Earth which is refer as solar storms.
• The largest recorded solar storm is in Carrington event of 1859, which disrupted telegraph lines on earth for several hours.
• If a similar solar storm hit Earth, it would cripple all the VLSI-based communication systems, smart devices, mobile phones, computer networks and satellites etc. 

About GRAPES -3

GRAPES -3 muon Telescope at Cosmic Ray laboratory located at  OOTY, Tamil Nadu in 2000. It is established with a collaboration of Indian Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Japanese Osaka City university and Nagoya Women’s university Japan.

It is designed mainly to study the cosmic rays with an array of air shower detectors and a large area muon detector.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 for Group 2, Group 4, VAO and Constable

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 

1.Cabinet approved amendment on    Right to Education Act 2009.

The Union Cabinet has approved the amendment on Right of children to free and compulsory education act 2009 to ensure teachers to get minimum education qualification.

It also extend the period to get minimum qualification for years up to 31^st march 2019.This will help in-service untrained elementary teachers to complete their training to get minimum standard of qualification .

2.GRAPES-3 experiment Telescope upgraded to detect solar storms

GRAPES -3 muon Telescope at Cosmic Ray laboratory located at OOTY, Tamil Nadu. It has upgraded to detect solar Storms from Lagrange Point.

The upgraded detector will have increased coverage and improved capacity to determine the direction of  solar storms. It will play important role in understanding the propagation of storms from sun to L1 point and its impact on Earth.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 

GRAPES-3 experiment Telescope upgraded to detect solar storms

GRAPES -3 muon Telescope at Cosmic Ray laboratory located at  OOTY, Tamil Nadu. It has upgraded to detect solar Storms from Lagrange Point.

About Upgraded Facility: 

• The upgraded detector will have increased coverage and improved capacity to determine the direction of  solar storms. It will play important role in understanding the propagation of storms from sun to L1 point and its impact on Earth.
• The upgraded detector facility can now cover the wider field of view from present 37 % to 57% and has more chance to detect the solar winds.
• The early detection of solar storms is crucial because the solar storms have the potential to produce major disruptions to infrastructure.
• Solar winds will takes 20-40 minutes to reach earth depends on the speed from L1 point

About Lagrange Point or L1

 L1 or Lagrange point 1 is the neutral Gravity point between Earth and sun which is approximately one million miles from the Earth. It is a good position to monitor the sun , because the solar wind from the sun reaches one hour earlier than Earth in Lagrange point or L1 .

  

Impacts of Solar Storm 

• Solar storms occurs when the Sun emits huge bursts of energy in the form of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These phenomena send a stream of electrical charges and magnetic fields toward the Earth which is refer as solar storms.
• The largest recorded solar storm is in Carrington event of 1859, which disrupted telegraph lines on earth for several hours.
• If a similar solar storm hit Earth, it would cripple all the VLSI-based communication systems, smart devices, mobile phones, computer networks and satellites etc. 

About GRAPES -3

GRAPES -3 muon Telescope at Cosmic Ray laboratory located at  OOTY, Tamil Nadu in 2000. It is established with a collaboration of Indian Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the Japanese Osaka City university and Nagoya Women’s university Japan.

It is designed mainly to study the cosmic rays with an array of air shower detectors and a large area muon detector.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 

The country’s first carbon neutral district and a biodiversity heritage-Majuli

Assam Chief Minister Sarbanand Sonowal has launched the country’s first carbon neutral district and a biodiversity heritage in Majuli district of Assam. Majuli is the world’s biggest river island and to become India’s first carbon neutral district by 2020. 

About Project SaCReD. 

• The project was titled SaCRed (Sustainable Actions for Climate Resilient Development) which was launched by Assam Government department of Environment and Forest has been initiated to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
• The Aim of this project is to ensure the Majuli district has less carbon.
• Sonowal said that Majuli district is facing existential crises, and therefore these projects are necessary to preserve Majuli’s rich heritage and Legacy.
• He also launched through remote a registry in Majuli district which would record and analysis the climate impact in district.
• He also launched “Forest are Lives” campaign to highlight the importance of Assam’s rich forest and biodiversity and urged people to conserve its biodiversity.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,23 

Cabinet approved amendment on Right to Education Act 2009.

The Union Cabinet has approved the amendment on Right of children to free and compulsory education act 2009 to ensure teachers to get minimum education qualification.

About Amendment 

• The Cabinet chaired by Prime minister Narendra Modi has approved the amendment of Right to Education  act which will ensure all teachers to acquire minimu education qualification  prescribed by the academic Authority.
• It also extend the period to get minimum qualification for years up to 31^st march 2019.This will help in-service untrained elementary teachers to complete their training to get minimum standard of qualification .
• It also helps to improve the teaching quality which will automatically result in learning outcome of children.
• This amendment is mainly due to some State governments have reported that 11 lakh teachers are still untrained out of total 66.41 lakh elementary school teacher. 

About Right to Education Act 2009.

Right to Education act 2009 to give free and compulsory education to all child in the age group of 6-14. It has been added as fundamental rights in Indian constitution by 86^th amendment act 2002 in Article 21A.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,22 for Group 2, Group 4, VAO and Constable

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

1.ISRO commissions world's third largest hyper-sonic wind tunnel at VSSC.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has created history by commissioning world’s third largest hyper-sonic wind tunnel and shock tunnel at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum.

ISRO chairman Kiran kumar said after commissioning, the facility will provide enough data for design and development of current and future space transportation system.

2.India agreed to review the design of Miyur Hydroelectric project.

India and Pakistan have agreed to review the design of Miyur Hydroelectric project. The agreement was reached on the 2 day meet of 113^th session of Permanent Indus water commission held at Islamabad, Pakistan.

Miyur Hydroelectric project is planned to build on Chenab River, Himachal Pradesh.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,22 for group 1 & group 2 mains( All)

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

1.ISRO commissions world's third largest hyper sonic wind tunnel at VSSC.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has created history by commissioning world’s third largest hyper-sonic wind tunnel and shock tunnel at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum.

ISRO chairman Kiran kumar said after commissioning, the facility will provide enough data for design and development of current and future space transportation system.

  

About Facilities: 

• This facility will help to study the effect of air flow past a solid object of space vehicles.
• It will play a vital role in providing enough data for design and development of future ISRO’s missions like Re-usable launch vehicles, 2 stage to orbit air-breathing propulsion systems, human space flights. It also will help to minimize the cost of access to space.
• Space vehicles fly much faster and often cross the speed of sound, the re-entry into the atmosphere is at higher Mach numbers, modelling of which is quite complex. This facility will simulate the Aero-thermal environment in which characterization of the vehicle carried out.
• 1 metre of hyper-sonic wind tunnel simulate flow of speeds of Mach 6 to 12 and the 1 Metre of shock tunnel simulates flight speed of 4.5 kilometre per/sec.
• Only US and Russia has bigger than India’s Hyper-sonic facility.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,22 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

ISRO commissions world's third largest hyper sonic wind tunnel at VSSC.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has created history by commissioning world’s third largest hyper-sonic wind tunnel and shock tunnel at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Trivandrum.

ISRO chairman Kiran kumar said after commissioning, the facility will provide enough data for design and development of current and future space transportation system.

  

About Facilities: 

• This facility will help to study the effect of air flow past a solid object of space vehicles.
• It will play a vital role in providing enough data for design and development of future ISRO’s missions like Re-usable launch vehicles, 2 stage to orbit air-breathing propulsion systems, human space flights. It also will help to minimize the cost of access to space.
• Space vehicles fly much faster and often cross the speed of sound, the re-entry into the atmosphere is at higher Mach numbers, modelling of which is quite complex. This facility will simulate the Aero-thermal environment in which characterization of the vehicle carried out.
• 1 metre of hyper-sonic wind tunnel simulate flow of speeds of Mach 6 to 12 and the 1 Metre of shock tunnel simulates flight speed of 4.5 kilometre per/sec.
• Only US and Russia has bigger than India’s Hyper-sonic facility.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,22 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

The HIV And AIDS prevention and control bill 2014 passed in Rajya Sabha.

Rajya Sabha has passed the HIV and AIDS (prevention and control) Bill 2014, to ensure equal rights to person affected by HIV and AIDS in getting treatment, admission in educational institutions and jobs..

Union health minister JP Nadda has introduced the bill in Rajya Sabha and was passed by voice vote. He said that Indian Government will take care of the treatment  for the person having HIV and AIDS.

India has almost 21 lakh people living with HIV/AIDS, the third highest  after South Africa and Nigeria.

About the Bill: 

• Nadda said that The bill aim to prevent and control the spread of HIV and AIDS.
• It prohibits discrimination against person affected  with HIV and AIDS, provides for informed consent and confidentiality with regard to their treatment, places obligations on establishments to safeguard their rights, and creates mechanisms for redressing their complaints. 
• Bill also prohibits discrimination against denial, termination, discontinuation or unfair treatment in employment, educational institutions, healthcare services,  renting property, contesting for public or private office, and provision of insurance.
• The bill also say, no HIV test, treatment, or research will be conducted on a person affected by HIV  without his informed consent and also no person should be compel to disclose the HIV status.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,22 for group 1 & group 2 mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

India ranked 131 on UN development report 2016.

India has been ranked 131 on united nation development Programme (UNDP) 2016 among 188 countries in Human development as per the latest human development report released by UNDP.

About Report: 

• The human development  index which ranks the countries based on following such as life expectancy, Education and standard of living. It was developed by India’s Amartya sen and Pakistan’s Misbah ul Haq.
• If the country has higher life expectancy, higher level of education and higher living standard will be ranking on top.
• India has Ranked 131 among 188 countries, even India is behind South Asian countries like Sri Lanka and Maldives , they were ranked 73 and 105 respectively.
• India was categorised under the “Medium human development category” which has HDI of 0.624.
• However India’s HDI has increased by 46% from 0.428 to 0.624 between 1990 to 2015, next only to China among BRICS Nation. China has increased its HDI as 48 % and ranked 90^th position.

 Below are top 3 countries as per Human development report.

1.Norway (0.949)

2.Australia(0.939)

3.Switzerland(0.939)

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,21 for Group 2, Group 4, VAO and Constable

1.National green Tribunal cancels environmental clearance given to Neutrino project .

National Green Tribunal has cancelled the Environmental Clearance given by the Ministry of Environment, forests and climate change for the Neutrino project which was proposed to set up in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) which is proposed to come in Bodi East hills in Theni District, Tamil Nadu.

It is a particle physics research project to study about the atmospheric Neutrino.

  

2.Union Cabinet approves four GST bills,

Union Cabinet has approved the four supporting Good and Service Tax (GST) bills and will be introduce in the current budget session of Parliament.

Union Cabinet was chaired by Prime minister has approved the following four GST related Bills

1 Central GST (CGST Bill)

2.The Integrated GST (IGST Bill )

3.The Union Territory GST (UTGST Bill)

4.the Compensation to the States Law Bill .

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,21 for group 1 & group 2 (mains)

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

1.National green Tribunal cancels environmental clearance given to Neutrino project .

National Green Tribunal has cancelled the Environmental Clearance given by the Ministry of Environment, forests and climate change for the Neutrino project which was proposed to set up in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

The southern bench of National Tribunal has cancelled the environmental clearance and asked the he project team to file for a fresh clearance from the Environmental Ministry

About the Neutrino Project: 

• India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) which is proposed to come in Bodi East hills in Theni District, Tamil Nadu.
• It is a particle physics research project to study about the atmospheric Neutrino.
• INO has going to construct the Detector to detect the naturally Producing Neutrino in atmosphere. It will be very difficult to detect neutrino signals which are produced in atmosphere because of other particles signal’s in atmosphere.
• To overcome this difficulty scientist has planned to build the observatory inside the mountain so they can detect Neutrino signal easily, because Neutrino’s can easily penetrate anything because of its weakly interactive nature.

About Bodi Lab:

The lab is under mountain about 1300 m deep. The Neutrino Detector is called Calorimeter. It consists of detector called RPC(Resistiv plate chamber) arranged in stack of  layers and it also consists of ,50,000 tonnes of magnetised iron plates arranged in stack layer spaces. This is massive detector weighing 50k tons and it’s the world's largest electromagnet.

What is Neutrino?

Neutrinos are elementary particle like electron, but which is not the part of Electron. It is the Elementary particle which will not break further.

Previous Scientific Discoveries has found that there is 2 more particles similar to Electron called Muon and Tau. These 3 has Neutrino partner called Electron Neutrino, Muon Neutrino, and Tau Neutrino. The Electron, Muon and Tau are negatively charged particles and Neutrino is chargless and doesn’t have mass.

Neutrons are found in abundance, because of weakly interactive nature, it is very difficult to study about it. Initially there was a thought that neutrino is massless particles but recent studies reveal that it has small mass.         

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,21 for group 1 & group 2

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

National green Tribunal cancels environmental clearance given to Neutrino project .

National Green Tribunal has cancelled the Environmental Clearance given by the Ministry of Environment, forests and climate change for the Neutrino project which was proposed to set up in Theni district of Tamil Nadu.

The southern bench of National Tribunal has cancelled the environmental clearance and asked the he project team to file for a fresh clearance from the Environmental Ministry

About the Neutrino Project: 

• India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) which is proposed to come in Bodi East hills in Theni District, Tamil Nadu.
• It is a particle physics research project to study about the atmospheric Neutrino.
• INO has going to construct the Detector to detect the naturally Producing Neutrino in atmosphere. It will be very difficult to detect neutrino signals which are produced in atmosphere because of other particles signal’s in atmosphere.
• To overcome this difficulty scientist has planned to build the observatory inside the mountain so they can detect Neutrino signal easily, because Neutrino’s can easily penetrate anything because of its weakly interactive nature.

About Bodi Lab:

The lab is under mountain about 1300 m deep. The Neutrino Detector is called Calorimeter. It consists of detector called RPC(Resistiv plate chamber) arranged in stack of  layers and it also consists of ,50,000 tonnes of magnetised iron plates arranged in stack layer spaces. This is massive detector weighing 50k tons and it’s the world's largest electromagnet.

What is Neutrino?

Neutrinos are elementary particle like electron, but which is not the part of Electron. It is the Elementary particle which will not break further.

Previous Scientific Discoveries has found that there is 2 more particles similar to Electron called Muon and Tau. These 3 has Neutrino partner called Electron Neutrino, Muon Neutrino, and Tau Neutrino. The Electron, Muon and Tau are negatively charged particles and Neutrino is chargless and doesn’t have mass.

Neutrons are found in abundance, because of weakly interactive nature, it is very difficult to study about it. Initially there was a thought that neutrino is massless particles but recent studies reveal that it has small mass.          

Neutrino Oscillation: 

Recent Discovery that neutrino changes from one type to another as they travel. An electron neutrino which is produced in sun which converts into Muon Neutrino or Tau Neutrino on its flight to the earth which is called Neutrino Oscillation. This is the discovery which reveals that Neutrino has Mass.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,21 for group 1 & group 2

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

Union Cabinet approves four GST bills

Union Cabinet has approved the four supporting Good and Service Tax (GST) bills and will be introduce in the current budget session of Parliament.

Union Cabinet was chaired by Prime minister has approved the following four GST related Bills

1 Central GST (CGST Bill)

2.The Integrated GST (IGST Bill )

3.The Union Territory GST (UTGST Bill)

4.the Compensation to the States Law Bill .

About the GST Bills(official Release).

The GST Council has already finalised the 4 tier tax structure 5,12,18 and 28 Per cent and overall cap of 40 Per cent. 

• Central GST bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on intra-state supply of goods or services or both by the central government
• IGST Bill makes provisions for levy and collection of tax on inter-state supply of goods or services or both by the Central government.
• The UTGST Bill makes provisions for levy on collection of tax on intra-UT supply of goods and services in the Union Territories without legislature.Union Territory GST is akin to States Goods and Services Tax (SGST) which shall be levied and collected by the States/ Union Territories on intra-state supply of goods or services or both.
• The Compensation Bill provides for compensation to the states for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the goods and services tax for a period of five years as per section 18 of the Constitution (101th Amendment) Act, 2016.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,21 for group 1 & group 2

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

Talks on Indus water treaty begins.

India and Pakistan discuss problems relating to the Indus Basin at Indus Water Commission meeting.  previous meeting  of the commission was held in 2015. India side is headed by P.K Saxena and Mirza Asif saeed from Pakistan Side .

This is the 113th session of Permanent Indus water commission,. It was established in 1960.

Issue: 

• India built  1000 MW Pakul Dul on Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir, 120 MW Miyar, located across Miyar Nalla tributary of River Chenab located in Himachal Pradesh, and the 43 MW Lower Kalnai hydro project on Lower Kalnai Nalla, a tributary of river Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir,
• India is also planning to the build Kishanganga 330 megawatts and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants.
• Pakistan contends that the above projects were violating the Indus Water Treaty of 1960.
• India said that it is ready to engage in further  consultation with pakitan on matter of resolving current differences over the project as per the treaty.

About Indus Water Treaty: 

• Indus water treaty is between India and Pakistan , which was signed in 1960 by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan.
• As per the treaty India will control the 3 eastern rivers of Indus basin – Beas, Ravi and Sutlej and Pakistan has control over western rivers, Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.
• As per the treaty India can use only 20 Per cent of water in Indus River.
• This treaty is considered as one of the most successful treaty in world today withstood frequent tension between two countries.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017,21 for group 1 & group 2

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

Major Rohit Suri awarded Kirti chakra award

Major Rohit Suri has awarded the second highest Peace time Gallantry award Kirti Chakra by President Pranab Mukherjee in the ceremony held in Durbar hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Rohit Suri has led the army which carried out surgical strike in Pakistan occupied Kashmir 2016.

The surgical strike is response for the attack by  terrorists belonging to the Pakistani jihadi group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) struck at an Indian Army camp in Uri.

About Kirti Chakra Award: 

• Kirti Chakra is an second highest Peace time Gallantry award after Ashoka Chakra was awarded for Valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice in battle.
• It was previously known as Ashoka Chara ,class II award and it was established in 1952.
• It is given to both civilians and military personnel including posthumous awards.
• It was renamed to Kirti Chakra in 1967.
• Col N.J Nair is the only soldier who has been awarded both Kiti chakra and Ashoka Chara till date.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017, 20 for Group 2,4, VAO and Constable

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

1. Offshore Patrol Vessel Shanuk has joined the eastern region fleet.

The Offshore patrol vessel has joined the Eastern Region Fleet and will be based in Vishakhapatnam.

Indian coast Guard ship Shanuk has given a ceremonial Welcome at Chennai port which is organised by Coast Guard Easter region. ADGP Coastal Security Group C Sylendra Babu has participated on the ceremony.

2.TN Government to replace 10% of existing agricultural pump with energy efficient pumps

Tamil Nadu Government planning to replace the 10 per cent of existing agricultural pump with energy efficient pumps under UDAY scheme.

Tamil Nadu has recently joined the Central Government sponsoring UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) scheme has committed to replace at least 10 Per cent of existing agricultural pump set with energy efficient pumps by March 2019.

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017 20 for Group 1 and Group 2 Mains (ALL)

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

1.TN Government to replace 10% of existing agricultural pump with energy efficient pumps

Tamil Nadu Government planning to replace the 10 per cent of existing agricultural pump with energy efficient pumps under UDAY scheme.

Tamil Nadu has recently joined the Central Government sponsoring UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) scheme has committed to replace at least 10 Per cent of existing agricultural pump set with energy efficient pumps by March 2019.

Farmers Concern 

• In 2010 the then government has provided energy efficient free pumps to around 15 lakhs farmers but the use of pump came to exit few years later
• Farmers are eligible for free electricity only if they use upto 5 horse power pumps to draw underground water.
• But the ground water depleting rapidly, farmers are pushed to use high power more than 5hp capacity pumps to draw water.
• If government replace the existing pumps with energy efficient pumps, it will difficult to draw water from underground because capacity of energy efficient pumps are only up to 5 horse power.

What is UDAY?

Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana is a central Government Scheme to financial turnaround and revival package for electricity distribution companies of India to get permanent solution for financial Crisis for Electricity board. It is introduced in November 2015 by Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, Minister of State, Shri Piyush Goyal.

Four Important Initiatives:

• Improving Operational efficiencies
• Reduction of Cost Power
• Reduction of Interest Cost
• Enforcing Financial Discipline

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017 20 for Group 1 and Group 2 Mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

TN Government to replace 10% of existing agricultural pump with energy efficient pumps

Tamil Nadu Government planning to replace the 10 per cent of existing agricultural pump with energy efficient pumps under UDAY scheme.

Tamil Nadu has recently joined the Central Government sponsoring UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) scheme has committed to replace at least 10 Per cent of existing agricultural pump set with energy efficient pumps by March 2019.

Farmers Concern 

• In 2010 the then government has provided energy efficient free pumps to around 15 lakhs farmers but the use of pump came to exit few years later
• Farmers are eligible for free electricity only if they use upto 5 horse power pumps to draw underground water.
• But the ground water depleting rapidly, farmers are pushed to use high power more than 5hp capacity pumps to draw water.
• If government replace the existing pumps with energy efficient pumps, it will difficult to draw water from underground because capacity of energy efficient pumps are only up to 5 horse power.

What is UDAY?

Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana is a central Government Scheme to financial turnaround and revival package for electricity distribution companies of India to get permanent solution for financial Crisis for Electricity board. It is introduced in November 2015 by Power, Coal & New Renewable Energy, Minister of State, Shri Piyush Goyal.

Four Important Initiatives:

• Improving Operational efficiencies
• Reduction of Cost Power
• Reduction of Interest Cost
• Enforcing Financial Discipline

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017 20 for Group 1 and Group 2 Mains

TNPSC Current Affairs March 2017

Offshore Patrol Vessel Shanuk has joined the eastern region fleet.

The Offshore patrol vessel has joined the Eastern Region Fleet and will be based in Vishakapatnam.

Indian coast Guard ship Shanuk has given a cermeonial Welcome at Chennai port which is organised by Coast Guard Easter region. ADGP Coastal Security Group C Sylendra Babu has participated on the ceremony.

The 105-metre-long vessel can travel up to a speed of 23 knots an hour and it was commanded by Deputy Inspector General T Sashi Kumar, and manned by 14 officers and 98 men.

Commander, Coast Guard Region (East) will control the administrative and operations of ICGS Shanuk.

The induction will give a fillip to the maritime protection in the Eastern coast especially in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu