Current Affairs 26th November 2018

Current Affairs 26th November 2018 - Important Points

• Bhuseva and Bhudaar web portal launched by - Andhra Pradesh Government
• UNICEF designates Singer Nahid Afrin as first Youth Advocate of NE region to fight for - Child rights
• 7th International Tourism Mart 2018 being organised in - Agartala
• International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women celebrated on - 25th November 2018
• Scientists build and flow first-ever silent airplane with no moving propellers or - Jet turbines
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands home to tenth of India’s fauna species as per - ZSI publication
• 70-feet tall statue of Lord Buddha unveiled at Rajgir in - Nalanda district
• Mary Kom clinches gold in World Boxing Championship on - 24th November 2018
• 69th Constitution Day observed across India on - 26th November 2018
• Sashastra Seema Bal to patrol - Dudhwa tiger reserve

Current Affairs 26th November 2018 - Details

Bhuseva and Bhudaar web portal launched by -  Andhra Pradesh Government

AP Government has released Bhuseva and Bhudaar online web portal via which people can view land records online with the help of using Aadhaar card. Bhudaar security policy was also released to provide security to the land records of farmers.
More about Bhudaar

• It is 11-digit UID code to be designated to each agriculture land holding and rural and urban property.
• It will permit people to get land details on their mobile handsets. It will assist to transparency in land records. It delivers information related to all transactions of particular land/property in single source.
• It will also deliver history of transactions initially for the last 12 years. Revenue, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration, registration, survey & settlement, forest, endowments and waqf branches are engaged in making this service accessible to the people. Unique ID for permanent Bhudaar will begin with 28 and if it is government land, 28 is followed by 00.
• Bhudaar card can be produced by the land owner/property owner from Bhuseva web portal. 2 types of Bhudaar cards are available including e-Bhudaar and M-Bhudaar. Under Mobile-Bhudaar, one has to download an application form on mobile. One can also reveive Bhudaar card from Mee Seva centres.

UNICEF designates Singer Nahid Afrin as first Youth Advocate of NE region to fight for - Child rights

UN International Children’s Emergency Fund- UNICEF has dsignated popular singer Nahid Afrin aged 17 years from Assam as the 1st “Youth Advocate” of the North-Eastern region to fight for child rights. United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund engages “Youth Advocates” to connect their voice as agents of change in society. Nahid had accomplished her playback debut in 2016 Bollywood
movie “Akira” starring Sonakshi Sinha in the lead. She got best female playback singer award at the
Assam state Film Award 2018.
United Nations Children’s Fund

• Earlier known as UN International Children’s Emergency Fund is special programme of United Nations devoted to aiding national efforts to improve the health, nutrition, education, and general welfare of children.
• It was formed in 1946 to provide relief to children in nations devastated by World War II. It is
  HQ in New York City.
• After 1950, it focused its efforts toward general programmes for improvement of children’s welfare, particularly in less-developed nations and various emergency situations. Its broader mission was reflected in current name adopted in 1953. It was bestowed Nobel Prize for Peace in 1965.
• Since 1996 United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund programmes have been guided by Convention on Rights of the Child- 1989, which supports right of all children to enjoyment of highest attainable standard of health and to amenities for treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health.
• Much of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund’s efforts are focused in areas in which relatively small expenditures, but have noteworthy impact on lives of the most disadvantaged children, such as the prevention and treatment of disease. Its activities are funded by both government and private contributions.

7th International Tourism Mart 2018 being organised in - Agartala

The Seventh edition of the “International Tourism Mart” was organised in Agartala, the capital city of
Tripura. It was held by Union Ministry of Tourism in association with Department of Tourism,
Government of Tripura and North Eastern States. The theme for present year is ‘Adventure Tourism’.
Important Highlights

• This edition of tourism mart is anticipated to witness wide participation of international buyers and media delegates from nations around the world and from different regions of the nation.
• Total 41 foreign delegates from 18 nations and 23 tour operators and travel agents along with 18 media persons, journalists, travel writers and bloggers are going to take part in this edition of the tourism mart.
• Besides, foreign delegates, 26 domestic tour operators from other parts of nation and 78 sellers from North-Eastern states also had participated.
• The contestants had engaged in business-to-business meetings with sellers from North-Eastern region which enabled tourism product suppliers from region to reach out to international and domestic buyers.
• The mart also consisted presentations by state governments of region on their tourism potential, panel discussion, cultural evenings, sightseeing visits to local attractions in and around Agartala.
  International Tourism Mart
• It is yearly event held in North-Eastern region with the aim of highlighting tourism potential of region in domestic and international markets.
• It provides platform to tourism business society and entrepreneurs from 8 North Eastern States. It held yearly in North-Eastern States on rotation basis.
• The earlier editions of this mart have been organised in Guwahati, Tawang, Shillong, Gangtok and Imphal.
• North-East Region of India including states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.
• It is gifted with diverse tourist attractions and products.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women celebrated on - 25th November 2018

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was celebrated on November 25th, 2018. The 2018 theme of the day was Orange the World: #HearMeToo and like earlier editions, the date marks the launch of sixteen days of activism that will accomplish on 10th December 2018, International Human Rights Day

• Despite the implementation of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women-CEDAW by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979, violence against women and girls remains a unescapable problem worldwide.
• The UN General Assembly also released a resolution that laid the foundation for the road towards a world free of gender-based violence.
• Another courageous step in the right direction was personified by an initiative launched in 2008 - UNiTE to End Violence against Women.
  Orange Day
• The 25th of every month has been elected as Orange Day by the United Nations Women campaign Say No, UNiTE, which was released in 2009 to mobilise civil society, activists, governments and the United Nations system in order intensify the influence of the United Nations Secretary-General’s campaign, UNiTE to Finish Violence against Women.
• On the eve, contestants worldwide are stimulated to wear a touch of orange in solidarity with the cause, as the colour symbolises a brighter future and a world free from violence against women.

Scientists build and flow first-ever silent airplane with no moving propellers or - Jet turbines

Researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology- MIT, United States have built and flown 1st- ever silent airplane with no moving propellers/jet turbines. Currently, every aircraft has moving parts including propellers, turbine blades and fans, which are motorized by the combustion of fossil fuels/battery packs that generate a persistent, whining buzz.
Important Points

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists have designed this lightweight plane weighing about 5 pounds with 5-meter wingspan. It was flown at distance of 60m, a feat that was repeated ten times.
• It was simplest possible plane design that could demonstrate concept that ion plane could fly. It is 1st-ever plane having no moving parts in propulsion system.
• This new light aircraft does not have propellers/turbines with no dependency on fossil fuels to fly. It is motivated from movie and television series ‘Star Trek’.
• It is power-driven by ionic wind/electro-dynamic thrust, a silent but mighty flow of ions that is generated aboard plane. It can produce enough thrust to propel plane over sustained, steady flight. Unlike propeller thrusted planes, the new design is completely silent.
  Importance
• It has theoretically opened new and unexplored possibilities for aircraft which are quieter, mechanically simpler and do not release harmful emissions.
• In the near-term, such ion wind propulsion systems could be utilised to fly less noisy drones. Moreover, ion propulsion combined with more conventional combustion systems can generate more fuel-efficient, hybrid passenger planes and other large aircrafts in future.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands home to tenth of India’s fauna species as per - ZSI publication

Andaman &Nicobar Islands are to home to 10th of India’s fauna species and hosts 1,067 endemic faunal
species found nowhere else. It was discovered by Zoological Survey of India publication titled Faunal
Diversity of Biogeographic Zones: Islands of India. This journal for the 1st time has come up with record
of all faunal species found on the island. It is India’s peak organization on animal taxonomy. Its aim is to
promote survey, exploration, study and documentation on various aspects of animal taxonomy in
Indian subcontinent. It also pursues advancement of knowledge on animal taxonomy. It was found in
1916 and HQ in Kolkata. It has record of species found in particular category of animals and also
highlights most susceptible among them.
Key Highlights

• Total area of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, which consists of 572 islands, islets and rocky outcrops, is approximately 8,249 sq.km has about total 11,009 species.
• It includes only 0.25 percent of India’s geographical area but is home to above 10 percent of nation’s fauna species.
• Thus, presence of such large number of species in such small area results Andaman & Nicobar Islands one of the richest ecosystems and biodiversity spots in India.
• Few of the species in Andaman & Nicobar Islands are banned to very small area and thus more vulnerable to any anthropogenic threat.
• ‘Marine fauna’ found on islands, dugong/sea cow and Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin are both
  categorised as Vulnerable under “IUCN Red List” of Threatened Species.
• ‘Terrestrial mammalian’ species consist 46 terrestrial mammalian species. Three species have been
  classified as Critically Endangered as Jenkin’s shrew or C. jenkinsi, Andaman shrew or Crocidura
  andamanensis and Nicobar shrew or C. nicobarica. 5 species are listed as Endangered, nine species as Vulnerable, and One species as Near Threatened by IUCN.
• ‘Birds’ Endemism is pretty high in Andaman & Nicobar island, with 36 among 344 species of birds found only on these islands.
• ‘Marine’ diversity with 8 species of amphibians and 23 species of reptiles are prevalent to the islands.
• They are at high risk of being endangered.
• ‘Marine faunal diversity’ consists coral reefs and its associated fauna. In all, 555 species of Scleractinia corals that are located in the island atmosphere, all which are placed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act.

70-feet tall statue of Lord Buddha unveiled at Rajgir in - Nalanda district

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar unveiled 70 feet tall statue of Lord Buddha at Rajgir, Nalanda district of Bihar
state. It is 2nd tallest statue of Buddha in the nation.
Important Highlights

• The sculpture has been installed overhead 16-metre radius pedestal in centre of lake Ghora Katora.
• It has been constructed from 45,000 cubic foot pink sand stone. Ghora Katora is a natural lake bounded by 5 hills.
• The area around lake and sculpture has been established into beautiful park from eco-tourism
  point of view.
• In this area no petrol as well as diesel automobiles will be permitted to operate and only electronic automobiles will be permitted to operate in this area.

Mary Kom clinches gold in World Boxing Championship on - 24th November 2018

Mary Kom fashioned history on November 24th, 2018 by securing her 6th world championship gold at the 10th World Women’s Boxing Championships, organised in New Delhi, India.
Mary Kom distinctly remembered that she had earlier secured 5 straight Gold Medals at the World Boxing Championship, a feat that hasn’t been completed by any women boxer before. 
Key Highlights

• Mary Kom secured the sole Gold medal for India by beating Ukraine's Hanna Okhota in a unanimous 5-0 verdict in the 48 kilograms category summit bout.
• Another Indian boxer, Sonia Chahal clinched the silver medal in 57 kilograms bout, after she lost to Wahner Ornella Gabriele of Germany in the finals.
• Besides, 2 bronze medals were secured by Lovlina Borgohain and Simranjit Kaur, after they lost their semi-finals fights in 69kilogram and 64 kilogram weight categories individually. 
• Overall, India finished the championships with One Gold, One Silver and 2 Bronze medals.
  Recalling Mary Kom’s participation in the New Delhi programme organised in 2006, she informed that at that time, boxers from fewer nations took part and the sport was not even included in the Olympics.
• She further added that though they secured 8 medals then, which included 4 Gold Medals, the competition is tougher these days and considering that fact, their present result, comprising 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals, was great.

69th Constitution Day observed across India on - 26th November 2018

The 69th Constitution Day is celebrating across India on November 26th, 2018 to highlight the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly on November 26th, 1949 and it came into force on January 26th, 1950. On November 19th, 2015 during the year-long observation of the 125th birth anniversary of Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, the Union Government announced November 26th as the Constitution Day in a gazette notification.
After the independence of India, the Constituent Assembly delegated the job of drafting the Indian Constitution to the Drafting Committee chaired by Dr.B.R.Ambedkar.
In the starting of 1948, Dr.Ambedkar finished the draft of the Constitution and forwarded it in the Constituent Assembly. In November 26th, 1949, this draft was accepted with very few modifications.
Indian Constitution 

• The Constitution of India is a supreme law of India, which forms the framework that defines the political principles, begins the structure, processes, powers and duties of Government institution.
• The Constitution announces India a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic, assuring its residents justice, equality and liberty, and endeavours to promote society.
• The constitution's articles are assembled as “Preamble”, Parts, Schedules, and Appendices. The preamble can be denoted to as the preface which lime lights the entire Constitution.
• The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any independent nation in the world.
• It implies the sovereignty of the people.
• Dr.B.R.Ambedkar is observed as the father of the Indian Constitution.

Sashastra Seema Bal to patrol - Dudhwa tiger reserve

Dudhwa Tiger Reserve- DTR and Sashastra Seema Bal have linked to deliver security to Dudhwa forests
and its rich wildlife. It was part agreement reached among all security agencies consisting Sashastra
Seema Bal, central and local intelligence officers, customs and excise officials, Special Tiger Protection
Force and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve’s field staff to deliberate matters involving safety of Dudhwa forests
and its wildlife.
Important Points

• The combined long route patrolling including Sashastra Seema Bal, STPF and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve field staff will assist to reinforce patrolling in and around Dudhwa reserve to check forest and wildlife misconducts.
• Intelligence and data about activities of wildlife and forest criminals will also be shared
  among numerous security agencies.
• Besides, process to create Sashastra Seema Bal border outpost level communication and data was sanctioned for firming safety of Dudhwa.
  Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
• It is protected area in UP that stretches mainly across the Lakhimpur Kheri and Bahraich districts.
• It consists Dudhwa National Park, Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It covers area of about 1,284.3 sq.km and consists 3 large forest fragments.
• It shares North-Eastern boundary with Nepal, which is defined to large extent by Mohana River.
• The area is huge Terai alluvial floodplain negotiated by various rivers and streams flowing in South-Easterly direction.
• Apart from tigers, it is also home to swamp deer, sambar deer, barking deer, spotted deer, hog deer, Indian rhinoceros, sloth bear, jackal, civets, wild cat, fishing cat, and many more.
• It is home to one of finest forests in India, some of these trees are above 150 years old and more than 70 feet tall.