Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 12 October 2023 | Download PDF

• Special chartered flights have been arranged to evacuate Indian citizens who wish to return from conflict-hit Israel.
• This operation has been code named as ‘Operation Ajay’.

• Sri Lanka to take over as Chair of IORA.
• Annual meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was held in Colombo on October 11, 2023. 

About IORA

• • The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) was previously named the Indian Ocean Rim Initiative.
  • It was also called the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation or the IOR-ARC for short.
  • It is a regional tripartite forum that gathers government representatives, academia and business leaders for encouraging cooperation and greater interaction between them. 
  • Currently, it has 23 member states. 
  • IORA has 22 member states, including Australia, Bangladesh, Comoros, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Seychelles, Singapore, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, and Yemen.
• Its Secretariat is based in Cyber City, Ebène, Mauritius.

• The IORA was formed in March 1997. 
• The idea for the IORA was formed by India and South Africa.

According to a new report, more than three lakh appeals and complaints are pending in 27 State Information Commissions across the country and the backlog has been steadily increasing.

Key findings

• The name of the report is ‘Report Card on the Performance of Information Commissions in India, 2022-23′
• Of the 3,21,537 pending appeals, the maximum number was reported in Maharashtra (1,15,524) followed by Karnataka (41,047). Tamil Nadu declined to provide the information.
• Four Information Commissions — Jharkhand, Telangana, Mizoram and Tripura — are defunct as no new Information Commissioners were appointed upon incumbents demitting office. 
• Six Information Commissions are currently headless — the Central Information Commission, and the State Information Commissions of Manipur, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Punjab.

India is likely to skip China’s third summit of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which will be held in the Chinese capital.

Belt & Road Initiative (BRI)

• It is an ambitious project that focuses on connectivity and cooperation among multiple countries spread across the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe.  
• Initially announced in the year 2013, the project involves building networks of roadways, railways, maritime ports, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and associated infrastructure projects.
• The project covers two parts.

Silk Road Economic Belt: It is land-based and is expected to connect China with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.

21st Century Maritime Silk Road: It is sea-based and is expected to connect China’s southern coast to the Mediterranean, Africa, South-East Asia, and Central Asia.

• The Union government approved royalty rate for lithium, niobium, and for Rare Earth Elements (REEs). 
• For lithium and niobium a royalty rate of 3% each has been fixed.
• For Rare Earth Elements (REEs), the rate has been set at 1%.

Niobium

• It is a soft, ductile transition metal which is resistant to corrosion due to the presence of an oxide layer on its surface.
• It is one of the most common elements found in the Earth’s Crust. 
• It is often found in the pyrochlore mineral.

• It is used in stainless steel alloys for cutting tools, nuclear reactors, jets, missiles, and welding rods.
• It is used in the manufacturing of MRI scanners and NMR equipment.
• Its alloys are used in making surgical implants.
• It is used for the production of stainless steel and high-temperature resistant alloys.

• REE are a set of seventeen elements in the periodic table. These include the fifteen lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium.
• REE are all metals, and the group is often referred to as the “rare earth metals.
• Although called “rare”, they are actually found relatively abundantly in the Earth’s crust.
• They are called “rare” because these metals are very difficult to mine because it is unusual to find them in concentrations high enough for economical extraction.

• REE and alloys that contain them are used in many devices that people use every day such as computer memory, DVDs, rechargeable batteries, cell phones, catalytic converters, magnets, fluorescent lighting and much more.
• Rare earths are used as catalysts, phosphors, and polishing compounds.

• It is observed on October 11. 
• The theme of International Day of the Girl 2023 according to the UNICEF is, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being.” 
• The theme focuses on taking action to curtail girls’ and women’s rights and gain progress on gender equality.

• Odisha CM launched ‘Mission Shakti’ scooter scheme 
• Aim: to provide mobility support to self-help group members and strengthen women’s empowerment in the State.

Mission Shakti Scooter Yojana

• A scheme aimed at providing interest subvention on bank loans up to INR 1,00,000 to beneficiaries, enabling them to purchase a scooter.
• This initiative grants affordable access to two-wheelers for Mission Shakti Federation Leaders and CSS (Community Support Staff). 
• It will empower them to fulfill their responsibilities more efficiently, thus increasing their effectiveness and extending their outreach within the community.

Chief Minister felicitated Odisha’s hockey stars Amit Rohidas and Deep Grace Ekka for their notable feat in the recently concluded Hangzhou Asian Games. 

Key points

• Both the players were part of the Indian Hockey Teams. 
• Amit Rohidas has been an instrumental part of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team
• Deep Grace Ekka is one of the young women players of the state
• While the men’s team had bagged the coveted Gold and qualified for the Paris Olympics 2O24, the women’s team had secured the Bronze.

Odisha Chief Secretary emphasised the need for densification of mangroves which help build coastal resilience as effective natural safeguards against cyclones. 

About Mangroves

• Mangroves are a unique type of coastal ecosystem found in tropical and subtropical regions. 
• They are dense forests of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that thrive in intertidal zones, where land meets the sea.
• These ecosystems are characterized by their ability to withstand harsh conditions, such as saline water, tidal fluctuations, and muddy, oxygen-poor soils.
• Mangrove plants have special roots like prop roots and pneumatophores, which help impede water flow and provide support in the challenging tidal environment.

Enterprise Odisha-2023 will be organised to advance industrialisation and entrepreneurship in the state.

About Enterprise Odisha

• It is organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
• It will be organized to advance industrialization and entrepreneurship in the state.

Odisha is gearing up for holding an International Convention on Millets

Key points

• Odisha is the only state to hold such an international convention on millets. 
• 2023 is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets.
• The event aims at highlighting the aspect of millets and tribal communities of Odisha.
• Millets are climate resilient and powerhouse of nutrition

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