UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 15-12-2020
iasparliament
December 15, 2020
Apple Scab Attack
Kashmir’s apple output this season may be hit by scab disease, caused by fungus Venturia inaequalis, as fallout of climatic factors.
Early, intense snowfall in November 2019 was followed by an extremely wet monsoon, which aided the fungal growth.
This fungal infection is usually noticed on leaves and fruits.
Scab can also infect flower stems and cause flowers to drop.
Infected fruit may crack, allowing entry of secondary organisms.
Suitable temperatures and moisture promote the release of V. inaequalis ascospores.
This cycle of secondary infections continues throughout the summer, until the leaves and fruit fall from the tree at the onset of winter.
Himalayan Serow
A Himalayan serow (Capricornis sumatraensis thar) has been sighted for the first time in the Spiti cold desert region, Himachal Pradesh.
It is a subspecies of the mainland serow (C. sumatraensis).
It is found at altitudes between 2,000 and 4,000 m, which is restricted to the Himalayan region.
They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.
It has previously been spotted in the Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu; Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, and in higher reaches of Chamba.
It has been categorised as ‘vulnerable’ in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.
It is listed under Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides absolute protection.
Merging of Black Holes
The NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory has shared images of two super massive black holes merging.
These black holes are located in Galaxy NGC 6240.
They are 3,000 light-years apart and will drift together to form a larger black hole millions of years from now.
The merging process, which began some 30 million years ago, may be the most powerful sources of gravitational waves in the Universe.
Chandra X-ray Observatory
It is a telescope designed to detect X-ray emissions from very hot regions of the universe such as exploded stars, clusters of galaxies, and matter around black holes.
Orbiting at 139,000 km in space, the telescope was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-93 by NASA in 1999.
State of the Education Report for India 2020
The second edition of this report was launched by UNESCO New Delhi.
This edition focuses on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
It aims to support the Government of India which has announced skill development as a key national priority under the Skill India Mission.
In order to achieve evidence-based results to achieve the TVET vision in the country, the report outlines certain recommendations.
Geminids Meteor Shower
It is believed to be the strongest of the year.
They are unique because their origin does not lie in a comet, but what is believed to be an asteroid or an extinct comet named as 3200 Phaethon.
Soon after the Geminids, viewers in the northern hemisphere can expect to see the Ursids meteor shower.
However, the rate of Ursids is much less than Geminids.
