Current Affairs for IAS Exams - 08 December 2020

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Vittala Temple at Hampi was built during the reign of King Devaraya II (1422 - 1446 A.D.) of VijayanagaraEmpire.
Several sections of the temple were expanded and renovated during the reign of Krishnadevaraya (1509- 1529A.D).
Temple is dedicated to Vittala, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is located in the north eastern part of Hampi, nearbanks ofTungabhadra River.
Temple is built in the Dravidian style of architecture. Highlight of Vittala temple is its impressive pillared hallsand the stone chariot.

The Uttar Pradesh government has took upon a scheme to take the unique culture of its ethnic Tharu tribe across the world.
The intention is to put Tharu villages on the tourism map, and to create jobs and bring economic independence to the tribal population.

What is this scheme about?

The state government is working to connect Tharu villages in the districts of Balrampur, Bahraich, Lakhimpur and Pilibhit bordering Nepal, with the home stay scheme of the UP-Forest Department.
The idea is to offer tourists an experience of living in the natural Tharu habitat, in traditional huts made of grass collected mainly from the forests.
The Uttar Pradesh Forest Corporation will train the Tharu people to communicate effectively with visitors, and encourage villagers to acquaint them with aspects of safety and cleanliness, and with the rules of the forest.
Tharu homeowners will be able to charge tourists directly for the accommodation and home-cooked meals.
The UP government expects both domestic and international tourists to avail of the opportunity to obtain a taste of the special Tharu culture by staying with them, observing their lifestyle, food habits, and attire.

Bhasan Char is an island formed by sedimentation in the Bay of Bengal.It surfaced in 2006 from the sedimentdeposited by Meghna river.
It is vulnerable to going under water from tides and flooding.
Bangladesh has begun sending Rohingya refugees to Bhasan Char from the overcrowded camps at Cox’s Bazar.
Rohingya are one of the ethnic communities of Myanmar living in Rakhine state. In 2017, a crackdown byMyanmar’s army sent them fleeing across the border.

Trade Receivables and Discounting System is an electronic platform for facilitating the financing and discounting of trade receivables of Micro,Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through multiple financiers.
These receivables can be due from corporates and other buyers, including Government Departments andPublic Sector Undertakings.
Receivable Exchange of India was set up by SIDBI and National Stock Exchange in 2016 for this purpose.

Benefits:

To ensures timely payments to MSMEs,
It provides MSMEs an alternate source of creating credit history,
To lower discount rates results in more savings and better opportunities to expand business for the MSME.

China successfully powered up its "artificial sun" nuclear fusion reactor for the first time.
The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source.
It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius, approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun.
Located in southwestern Sichuan province and completed late last year, the reactor is often called an "artificial sun" on account of the enormous heat and power it produces.
Chinese scientists have been working on developing smaller versions of the nuclear fusion reactor since 2006.
They plan to use the device in collaboration with scientists working on the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor -- the world’s largest nuclear fusion research project based in France, which is expected to be completed in 2025.

Peter Alliss, who became the eccentric Voice of Golf on British television after a playing career in which he competed in eight Ryder Cups and was Europe’s best golfer for two seasons, has died.
Alliss won 23 tournaments worldwide in a professional career that ended in 1974 and was the Vardon Trophy winner - for the leading player on the British PGA, the forerunner to the European Tour - in 1964 and 66.
He played for Britain and Ireland in his first Ryder Cup in 1953 and then in every match from 1957-1969, and represented England 10 times in golf’s World Cup.
Alliss became of member of golf’s Hall of Fame in 2012.