Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 22 May 2024 | Download PDF

• A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi crashed in East Azerbaijan province recently.
• A multi-agency effort is underway to locate the helicopter.
• The European Union activated its Copernicus EMS rapid response mapping service.

About Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) Programme:

• Copernicus EMS is a European Union program providing geospatial information in support of emergency response and disaster risk management.
• It is part of the broader Copernicus Earth Observation program.
• Main Services:
  • Rapid Mapping: Provides geospatial information within hours or days of a disaster event for emergency response.
  • Risk & Recovery Mapping: Offers detailed maps and analysis for disaster preparedness, recovery, and risk reduction.
  • Early Warning Systems: Includes European and Global Flood Awareness Systems (EFAS and GloFAS), European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), and Drought Observatory (EDO).

• The Serum Institute of India (SII) has announced the commencement of exports of the ‘R21/Matrix-M’ malaria vaccine to Africa, contributing to the global fight against the disease.

About R21/Matrix-M:

• A new malaria vaccine has been approved for preventing malaria in children.
• It is the second malaria vaccine recommended by the WHO, following the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine.
• Developed by the Jenner Institute at Oxford University and the Serum Institute of India.
• Supported by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP), the Wellcome Trust, and the European Investment Bank (EIB).

• The Supreme Court has ordered the Rajasthan government to shut down 68 mines operating within a 1-kilometre radius of the critical tiger habitat (CTH) in the Sariska reserve.

About Critical Tiger Habitat (CTH):

• Critical Tiger Habitat, also known as Core Area, is a legally protected area designated under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 in India. 
• It is crucial for the survival and recovery of tiger populations.
• Purpose: The primary objective of CTH is to ensure the long-term conservation of tigers and their habitats by maintaining an inviolate area where human activities are restricted.
• Identification: CTHs are identified based on scientific criteria such as 
  • The presence of tigers, 
  • Prey availability, 
  • Habitat quality, and 
  • Connectivity to other tiger habitats.
• Management: CTHs are managed by the respective state forest departments with support from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to implement conservation measures and manage human-wildlife conflict.
• Relocation of Villages: To create inviolate areas, villages within CTHs may be relocated. This is done with the consent of the villagers and involves compensation packages to ensure their livelihoods are not adversely affected.
• Inviolate Areas: These are areas within CTH where no human activities, including resource extraction and tourism, are allowed to ensure minimal disturbance to tigers and their prey.
• Buffer Zones: Surrounding the CTH, buffer zones are established where limited human activities are permitted. These areas act as a transition zone between human settlements and core tiger habitats.

• Airbus Helicopters and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide financing solutions for the purchase of Airbus helicopters in India. 
• This agreement aims to identify and support potential civil helicopter operators in India who are interested in purchasing Airbus helicopters.

About SIDBI:

• Established: 2nd April 1990, under an Act of the Indian Parliament
• Purpose: Principal financial institution for the promotion, financing, and development of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector
• Jurisdiction: Ministry of Finance
• Initial Incorporation: Wholly owned subsidiary of the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI)
• Current Ownership: Shares held by the Government of India (GoI) and 22 other institutions/PSBs/insurance companies owned or controlled by the Central Government
• Headquarters: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
• Functions:
  • Assists MSMEs in acquiring funds for growth, marketing, development, and commercialization of technologies and innovative products
  • Provides several schemes and offers financial services and products to meet the individual requirements of various businesses

• The WHO’s latest Bacterial Pathogens Priority List (BPPL) highlights major global threats posed by critical priority pathogens.
• These pathogens have a high burden, resist treatment, and spread resistance to other bacteria.

Key points:

• The list includes gram-negative bacteria resistant to last resort antibiotics.
• It also features Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to the antibiotic Rifampicin.
• The list categorizes 15 families of antibiotic-resistant bacteria into three priority levels: critical, high, and medium.

About BPPL:

• Purpose: The BPPL is designed to identify bacterial pathogens that pose the greatest threat to public health due to their resistance to antibiotics.
• Origin: Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2017.
• Criteria for Selection:
  • The level of resistance, 
  • Mortality rates, 
  • Prevalence in the community, 
  • Healthcare burden, and 
  • Potential for spreading resistance.

Odisha Regional Specific News 

• The much-awaited elephant census in Odisha, which has not been conducted for seven years, is set to begin on May 22 and will run until May 24, 2024. 

Key points:

• • The census will employ the direct count method and cover 43 divisions across the state.
  • Data collected during the census will be analyzed at multiple levels—range, division, circle—and finally, at the headquarters to determine the final elephant population count. 
• The last elephant census in 2017 recorded 1,976 elephants, a slight increase from the 1,954 counted in 2015. 

• No subsequent census has been conducted due to the 2019 summer cyclone, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other intervening factors.
• In the past five years, the state has experienced the loss of over 400 elephants due to poaching, electrocution, and accidents. 
• This upcoming census is crucial for updating the current elephant population data and planning further conservation efforts.

• The Odisha government has reported an 87% reduction in new leprosy cases between 2000 and 2024. 

Key points:

• This significant decline is attributed to early detection and prompt treatment, facilitated by the integration of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP) with the general healthcare system. 

NLEP:

• National Leprosy Control Programme (NLCP) was launched by the Govt. of India in 1954- 55.  
• Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) came into wide use from 1982, and the National Leprosy Eradication Programme was introduced in 1983. 
• The strategy of NLEP was based on controlling the disease through reduction in the quantum of infection in the population and reduction in infective source, thus breaking the chain of disease transmission.
• India achieved the goal set by the National Health Policy, 2002 of elimination of leprosy as a public health problem, defined as less than 1 case per 10,000 population, at the National level in December 2005.

• Tribals are resorting to distress sales of Sal seeds due to their lack of awareness about government-fixed prices for minor forest produce (MFP). 
• Without proper mechanisms to inform them, traders exploit the situation by setting prices that suit their convenience, forcing tribals to sell their stock at throwaway rates and remain impoverished.
• Despite the state government permitting panchayat samitis to fix MFP prices and facilitate sales, these orders have largely remained unimplemented, leaving tribals ignorant of the official prices.

About:

• • Sal seed, processed into fat, is a primary ingredient in the food and cosmetic sector, such as oil, soap, cocoa-butter equivalent in chocolate making, etc.
  • Besides, sal fat is also used in the confectionery industries, for tanning and for production of Vanaspati ghee. 
  • The deoiled cake is used in proportions up to 20% in concentrates for cattle feed.
• Sal (Shorea Robusta) is a major means of survival for a large number of forest dwellers in the Central Indian states of Orissa, Chattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

• These three states include the largest sal belt of the country with sal forest area covering about 45% of their total forest area.

• • The Airport Authority of India (AAI) remains unresponsive to taking over Rourkela Airport from the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
• SAIL’s commitment to fund the operational costs of the airport ends in October 2025.

Key points:

• SAIL, in 2018, had signed a MOU for the use of its own airport, under the UDAN scheme, for the operation of commercial flights. 
• Now, SAIL has signed the O&M contract with AAI, through its Rourkela Steel Plant, to facilitate the commencement of commercial flights from Rourkela.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has provided financial support for the up-gradation of this airport. 
• The government of Odisha will provide the security, fire, and ambulance services, besides helping with other local clearances. 
• AAI, on behalf of SAIL-Rourkela Steel Plant, will operate and manage the airport.

A potential cyclone named ‘Remal’ is brewing in the Bay of Bengal, set to develop into a depression by May 24, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

IMD:

• • The Asiatic Society of Bengal founded in 1784 at Calcutta, and in 1804 at Bombay (now Mumbai), promoted scientific studies in meteorology in India.
• National Meteorological Service of India, overseen by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.

• Primary government agency for meteorology and related subjects.

Objectives of IMD:

• Collect meteorological data and provide current and forecast information for weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, shipping, aviation, etc.
• Issue warnings for severe weather phenomena such as cyclones, dust storms, heavy rains, etc., to prevent loss of life and property.
• Provide meteorological statistics for agriculture, water resource management, industries, and other national activities.
• Conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines.

Evolution of IMD:

• Established in 1875 after devastating cyclones in Kolkata and Andhra coast highlighted the need for a monitoring system.
  • Started with HF Blanford as the Imperial Meteorological Reporter.
• Significant advancements under Gilbert Walker, who led IMD in 1903, especially in understanding monsoons.

• Walker’s work laid the foundation for understanding the El Niño phenomenon.
• Over 150 years, IMD has expanded with permanent observatories and automatic weather stations nationwide.

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