Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 10 February 2024 | Download PDF

• The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor, will be conferred upon three notable figures: M.S. Swaminathan, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and Chaudhary Charan Singh. 
• These individuals join the list of esteemed awardees, which includes L.K. Advani and Karpoori Thakur, making this year’s tally the longest ever announced.

Key points:

• This year’s announcement marks a record with five Bharat Ratna awardees, surpassing the previous highest count from 1999. 
• Notably, four out of the five awards are being given posthumously.

• The Rajya Sabha recently passed bills to include various communities into the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Scheduled Castes (SC) lists in Jammu and Kashmir.
• Among the amendments, the Pahari ethnic group was added to the ST list, addressing the ongoing protests by the Gujjar-Bakarwal community.
• Additionally, the Bills incorporated the Paddari Tribe, Gadda Brahmin, and Koli communities into the ST list. 
• The Valmiki community, along with its synonyms, was included in the SC list.

• • The 7th Indian Ocean Conference (IOC) 2024, was held on February 9-10, 2024, in Perth, Australia.
• It was attended by representatives from 40 countries and Foreign Ministers from various regional nations participated in the event.

Conference Objectives:

The primary focus of the conference was to facilitate discussions on regional cooperation and propose solutions concerning:

• Regional security
• Economic development
• Environmental protection
• Maritime safety within the Indian Ocean region.

Theme:

• The theme of the conference was “Towards a Stable and Sustainable Indian Ocean,” emphasizing the importance of stability and sustainability in the region’s geopolitical and environmental landscape.

About:

IOC is an annual event fostering cooperation between countries bordering the Indian Ocean.

• The President inaugurated Aadi Mahotsav 2024, an annual National Tribal Festival held at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi. 
• Organized by TRIFED under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, this event showcases the rich diversity of India’s tribal heritage.

Objectives:

• Showcasing Talent: Aadi Mahotsav serves as a platform to showcase the extraordinary talent and craftsmanship of tribal artisans, displaying a vast array of tribal art, handicrafts, natural produce, and cuisine.
• Empowerment: The festival aims to empower tribal communities by providing them with a direct market to sell their products, generate income, and gain recognition for their skills.
• Celebrating Diversity: It’s a celebration of the vibrant and diverse tribal culture, promoting awareness, understanding, and appreciation for their unique traditions and contributions to India’s heritage.

TRIFED:

• Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India is a national level cooperative body under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India founded in 1987.

• The DRC portal is a collaborative effort between the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). 
• It aims to evaluate and certify the digital preparedness of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) for seamless integration as sellers on the ONDC platform.

Implication:

The designation of biodiversity heritage site entails the implementation of measures for the long-term protection, conservation, and management of species that are both endangered and endemic to the region.

• Forest located near the Gupteswar cave shrine in Odisha’s Koraput district has been designated as a ‘biodiversity heritage site.’
• Covering an area of 350 hectares, this forest has been granted this status under the Biological Diversity Act of 2002.

Key points:

• According to the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO), the forest boasts a rich biodiversity, with 608 faunal species and diverse flora, including 182 species of trees, 76 species of shrubs, 177 species of herbs, 69 species of climbers, and 14 species of orchids and threatened medicinal plants. 

Expansion of Biodiversity Heritage Sites in Odisha

• • Previously, the state government’s Forest, Environment, and Climate Change department had bestowed the biodiversity heritage site designation upon other areas in Odisha, including the 
    • Mandasaru hills in Kandhamal, 
• the Mahendragiri hills in Gajapati, and 
• the Gandhamardan hills in Balangir and Bargarh districts.

• The Odisha Travel Bazaar (OTB) wraps up successfully at Eco Retreat Konark after a three-day event. 
• Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik virtually inaugurated the fifth edition of the OTB on February 7.

• The aim is to elevate the prominence of brand Odisha, ensuring participation from leading foreign and domestic tour operators, as well as travel writers and bloggers.

Key Highlights:

• Exclusive Prefixed, Structured, Organized Buyer–Seller Meet over 3 days
• Capitalize on business opportunities between International and Domestic buyers and Tourism Sellers of Odisha.
• The FTOs(foreign tour operators) were from 16 countries across the Globe including Belgium, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom and Vietnam, he added.

• Former Indian cricket team coach Ravi Shastri is set to establish a cricket coaching center in Odisha, expanding opportunities for aspiring cricketers in the region.
• The initiative follows the inauguration of a stadium on the premises of MGM School of Sports by former cricketer Suresh Raina in February of the preceding year.

Key Details:

• The proposed center, which is anticipated to be the largest private cricket coaching unit in Eastern India, will be situated at the MGM School of Sports in Athagarh, within Odisha’s Cuttack district.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was released  announcing the center’s operational commencement on April 1 of the current year.

• An MoU was signed between Odisha Govt and JSW Group for setting up electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturing units.
• This partnership, with an investment of Rs 40,000 crore, signifies a significant leap towards industrial growth.

Project Overview

• • The project includes setting up mega EV plants in Cuttack and Paradeep.
  • Cuttack will host EV vehicle and component manufacturing plants, while Paradeep will accommodate a copper smelter and lithium refinery.
• The project consists of a 50 GWH EV battery plant, EVs, Lithium refinery, Copper smelter and related component manufacturing units.

• The initiative aims to boost employment, with over 10,000 jobs projected, and catalyze MSME development.

• The Women and Child Development department in Odisha is launching a new initiative to enhance the quality of services provided by anganwadi centres.
• These centres will be transformed into ‘Gyan Kendras’ or knowledge hubs.

Objectives:

• The primary aim is to provide anganwadi workers with opportunities to upgrade their skills and knowledge.
• The centres will serve as exemplary models for learning, showcasing best practices in childcare and development.

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