TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 21.2.2024

1. Maharashtra Assembly clears 10% Maratha Quota

• This quota is above the existing 62% reservation in the state
• This Bill does not disturb the existing OBC quota
• It will push total reservations in Maharashtra to 62%, above the Supreme Court-mandated limit of 50% This Bill is distinct from the State government’s earlier notification on issuing Kunbi OBC certificates to eligible Marathas who had records showing them as Kunbis
• Thus, non-Kunbi Marathas will be covered under the legislation passed
• The report cited by the state govt Govt cited findings of report by Maharashtra State Commission for Backward Classes (MSCBC) as basis for reservation.
• Marathas account for 28% of the state, and are in “exceptional circumstances and extraordinary condition” of backwardness
• 21.2% of community is below poverty line; the state average is 174%
• 94% of farmers who died by suicide are from the community
• 84% of community is in the so-called non-creamy layer

2. Indians hired as helpers forced to fight in Russia’s war

• At least three Indians were forced to fight alongside the Russians on the Russia-Ukraine border
• They were allegedly conned by an agent and sent there to work as “army security helpers” the victims told
• Since November 2023, around 18 Indians have been stranded at Mariupol, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Rostov-on-Don along the RussiaUkraine border
• One person is said to have been killed in the ongoing war
• While a few Indians volunteered to join the International Legion in Ukraine in 2022
• The presence of Indians on Russian side in combat roles has been reported for the first time

3. India to display relics of Lord Buddha in Thailand

• India will hold an exposition of some of the relics of Lord Buddha, which are in its possession, in Thailand from February 22 to March 18
• The relics (20 bone fragments) have been preserved at the National Museum in New Delhi
• At first the relics would be kept at the National Museum, Bangkok, and would then be exhibited at five different venues across Thailand, a Union Culture Ministry official said The relics of Lord Buddha along with the relics of two of his disciples, preserved in Madhya Pradesh’s Sanchi, are being sent on the request of the Thai government
• The Buddha relics were excavated from Piprahwa in Uttar Pradesh

4. Traditional paddy to be cultivated on 10K acres in TamilNadu

• Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry
• Traditional paddy varieties would be cultivated on 10,000 acres across the State in 2025-26
• Including Aruvadham Kuruvai, Poonkar, Thooyamalli, Seeraga Samba, Mappillai Samba, Sivan Samba and Karuppu Kavuni
• Seeds of traditional paddy varieties were being produced under the ‘Nel’ Jayaraman Mission on Conservation of Traditional Paddy Varieties

5. India to seek $26 bn private investment in nuclear power sector

• India will invite private companies to invest about $26 billion in its nuclear energy sector to increase the amount of electricity from sources that do not produce carbon dioxide emissions
• This is the first time that New Delhi is pursuing private investment in nuclear power
• For a non-carbon-emitting energy source that contributes less than 2% of India’s total electricity generation
• The funding would help India achieve its target of having 50% of its installed electric generation capacity use non-fossil fuels by 2030, up from 42% now
• With the investment, the government hopes to build 11,000 megawatts (MW) of new nuclear power generation capacity by 2040
• The state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) owns and operates the country’s fleet of nuclear power plants
• With a capacity of 7,500 MW, and has committed investments for another 1,300 MW

6. Study finds rise in blood clots, heart inflammation after COVID vaccination

• Global Covid Vaccine Safety Project
• Assessments spanning 99 million people and investigating reports of adverse reactions following COVID-19 vaccination
  It found that – Instances of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, myocarditis, pericarditis, and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) were at least 1.5 times more than expected following inoculation with mRNA and ChAdOX1 vaccines
• Guillain-Barre syndrome is a disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves. While rarely fatal, it can cause muscular damage and can require prolonged treatment Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) refers to blood clots in the brain
• Myocarditis and pericarditis are inflammation of the heart tissue.
• All of these are serious conditions and potentially fatal

7. India, Sri Lanka move forward with talks on trade agreement

• India and Sri Lanka are set to take ongoing discussions on the Economic and Trade Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) forward, with the next two rounds of bilateral talks scheduled later in Feb
• The pact was stalled in the past due to opposition from some worker unions and hardline Sinhala-nationalist politicians
• India and Sri Lanka first signed a free trade agreement in 1998
• While the two sides have since attempted to upgrade it multiple times, the attempts proved unsuccessful

ONE LINER

Germany has surpassed Japan to become third largest economy in the world

• Reason for fall of Japan is Yen’s Depreciation and Japan’s Recession

• India’s – 5^th largest economy in the World.