17 October 2013 Current Affairs
G.B. Pradhan Appointed as new CERC chief
Gireesh B. Pradhan, former Secretary of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy , has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) on 17 October.Gireesh B. Pradhan , a Maharashtra Cadre IAS officer of the 1977 batch.He also served as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Power.
New Species of Dragon Tree Discovered in Thailand
An international team of scientists in the month of October 2013 discovered a new species of dragon tree (Dracaena Kaweesakii) in Thailand.The newly discovered dragon tree species ”Dracaena kaweesakii” is characterised by its extensive branching and can reach 12 m in both height and crown diameter.It has soft sword-shaped leaves with white edges and cream flowers with bright orange filaments, all highly distinctive features.Dracaena kaweesakii is a relative of the Canary Island dragon tree Dracaena draco.Dracaena kaweesakii is extracted from the wild for use in horticulture in Thailand and is one of the more popular species due to its extensive branching. It is an ecologically important species found only on limestone hills and mountains that are often associated with Buddhist temples in Thailand.