Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 03 February 2024 | Download PDF

National and International News

Recently, members of a lesser-known Hindutva group forcibly entered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)-protected Martand Sun Temple, raising concerns about the temple’s security.

About:

Historical Significance

• Built in the 8th century by King Lalitaditya Muktapida of the Karkota Dynasty, the Martand Sun Temple serves as a testament to the ruler’s political ambitions and desire to showcase his authority through grand construction.
• Reflecting Kashmiri architecture, the temple seamlessly integrates Greek, Roman, Iranian, and Indian styles, creating a masterpiece celebrated for its grandeur and artistic excellence.
• Situated atop a plateau, the temple offers breathtaking views, designed as a colonnaded mandapa encircled by a courtyard.
• The central shrine dedicated to the Sun God, originally surrounded by 84 smaller shrines, features intricately carved columns illustrating scenes from Hindu mythology, including deities, celestial beings, and mythological figures.
• Noteworthy is the influence of Greek, Gandharan, Gupta, and Chinese architectural styles, creating a unique fusion that reflects the cultural assimilation of the region.

• The government plans to promote household rooftop solar systems (h-RTS) through the Pradhan Mantri Suryoday Yojana.
• The focus is on households consuming less than 300 units of electricity monthly.
• The scheme aims to provide up to 300 units of free electricity to one crore families.
• Estimated cost of the scheme is at least ₹1 lakh crore.
• The Union government is likely to bear the entire cost of setting up rooftop solar systems.
• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman mentioned the potential benefits of ₹15,000 to ₹18,000 annually for beneficiary households.
• India currently has 6.7 lakh households with rooftop solar systems, and the scheme aims for an exponential expansion to reach one crore households.

• The Indian Air Force will conduct Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 on 17 February 2024 at the Pokhran Air to Ground Range near Jaisalmer.

Key points:

• The last edition of Exercise Vayu Shakti took place on 16 February 2019.
•  Vayu Shakti will demonstrate the offensive and defensive capabilities of the Indian Air Force, including both day and night operations.
• The exercise will showcase joint operations with the Indian Army.

Participating Aircraft:

• Diverse Fleet: This year, 121 aircraft will participate, featuring indigenous aircraft like Tejas, Prachand, and Dhruv, as well as other notable aircraft such as Rafale, Mirage-2000, Sukhoi-30 MKI, Jaguar, Hawk, C-130J, Chinook, Apache, and Mi-17.
• The indigenous Surface to Air Weapon systems Akash and Samar will demonstrate their capability to track and shoot down intruding aircraft.

• The Tamil Nadu government officially declares Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary as the 18th wildlife sanctuary in the state.
• Designation covers 80,114.80 hectares of reserve forests in Bargur Hills, Erode district.

Geographical Significance:

• Functions as a critical corridor linking the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve with the Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Occupies a strategic position in the Eastern Ghats, merging with the Western Ghats at the Nilgiris.

Role in Conservation:

• Functions as a corridor connecting the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Tiger Reserve and the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary.
• It plays a crucial role in maintaining a viable tiger population, identified as a tiger corridor by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
• It is a part of the Nilgiris Elephant Reserve, home to a healthy population of large herbivores, including elephants and the Indian Gaur.

• Champai Soren, a leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), took oath as the twelfth Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
• Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MLA Satyanand Bhokta and Congress MLA Alamgir Alam were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers in the new government.

• Four Catamaran Cruises funded by the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP) are set to sail on Bhitarkanika waterways 

Key points:

• Cruises acquired for Rs 6 crore 8 years ago but remained non-functional.
• Tourism Department repurposed the cruises for tourism; handed over to a Delhi-based company 20 months ago.

About:

• Bhitarkanika is India’s second largest mangrove ecosystem after the Sunderbans. 
• The National park is essentially a network of creeks and canals which are inundated with waters from rivers Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra and Patasala forming a unique ecosystem.
• Bhitarkanika is home to the largest congregation of the endangered SaltWater Crocodile in the country. 
• The Salt Water Crocodile is the apex predator of the region, besides it, the park is home to numerous reptiles like the water monitor lizard, pythons to name a few. 
• Bhitarkanika is also home to numerous animals like the deer, hyenas, wild boar etc and migratory birds which make it their home during the winter season lending a vibrant hue to the eco system.
• Bhitarkanika is also home to eight varieties of Kingfisher birds which is also a rarity. The erstwhile hunting porch of the Maharaja adds to its heritage value.

• President Droupadi Murmu appoints Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh as the new Chief Justice of Orissa High Court.
• The appointment follows consultation with Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud.

Key points:

• The Supreme Court Collegium recommended Justice Singh’s name for the position of Chief Justice of Orissa High Court in November of the previous year.
• Justice Singh has been a judge at Patna High Court since 2012.
• Prior to his judgeship, he practiced as a lawyer at Patna High Court for approximately 22 years.
• He has also served as the Additional Advocate General of Bihar.

“The future of Odia language and race is bright,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the inaugural ceremony of the First World Odia Language Conference

About:

• Odia is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language belonging to the Indo-Aryan language family. 
• It descends from Odra Prakrit which itself evolved from Magadhi Prakrit. 
• The latter was spoken in east India over 1,500 years ago, and is the primary language used in early Jain and Buddhist texts.
• Odia has got the recognition to be the first language from the Indo-Aryan linguistic group.
• Odia is the sixth Indian language to be designated a classical language, on the basis of having a long literary history and not having borrowed extensively from other languages.

• Renowned actor from Odisha, Sadhu Meher, passes away in Mumbai at the age of 84
• Meher made significant contributions to both Odia and Hindi film industries.
• He was Conferred with the Padma Shri award in 2017.
• He won the National Film Award for Best Actor for the movie “Ankur.”
• Notable movies include Ankur, Manthan, Mrigaya, Bhuvan Shome, and critically-acclaimed Odia movie Bhukha.
• He was the First Odia actor to receive the National Film Award.

• The high school students of Odisha successfully set a new Guinness World Record by collectively uploading over 21,000 photos of handwritten notes on Facebook within one hour. 
• This remarkable feat took place on the eve of the first World Odia Language Conference in the capital city.

Initiative Details:

• Under the ‘Mo Katha Mo Kahani’ initiative in the state, students from both government and non-government aided high schools participated in this event. 
• They uploaded photos of handwritten notes featuring stories and poems.

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