Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs |24 November 2023 | Download PDF

• Indian cueist Pankaj Advani rallied to win the IBSF World Billiards Championship title for a staggering 26th time, beating compatriot Sourav Kothari in the final.
• Advani rallied to defeat the 2018 world champion Kothari 1000-416 in a rematch of last year’s title clash in Kuala Lumpur.

About  IBSF World Billiards Championship

• The IBSF World Billiards Championship (previously known as the World Amateur Billiards Championship) is the premier, international, non-professional tournament for the game of English billiards. 
• Dating to some form to 1951, the event has been sanctioned by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation since 1973.

• It is celebrated across the world on 21 November annually. 
• The main purpose behind this day is to highlight the importance of sustainable stocks of fisheries in the world, to strengthen human rights for the small-scale fishing communities, to make a true difference in the working conditions of fishing communities and to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
• The theme for World Fisheries Day 2023 is ‘Celebrating the Wealth of Fisheries and Aquaculture’.

• India’s goods exports grew 6.2% in October and imports jumped 12.3% to a record high of $65.03 billion, fuelled largely by higher imports of gold, which rose 95.4%, and oil.
• The monthly goods trade deficit widened to an all-time high of $31.46 billion.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is probing 20 IAS coaching institutes for making misleading claims in their advertisements and for unfair trade practices

About CCPA

• It is a regulatory body established in 2020 based on the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Consumer Affairs.
• It will have a Chief Commissioner as head, and only two other commissioners as members one of whom will deal with matters relating to goods while the other will look into cases relating to services.
• Objective: To promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers as a class.

• Seeking funds to the tune of $65 billion via infrastructure investment, Pakistan’s caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar completed a five-day trip to Beijing. 
• He was also attempting to allay China’s demands regarding the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the infrastructure project spearheaded by Beijing from 2015 that had reached an impasse due to disagreements over the Gwadar port in Balochistan.

About CPEC

• CPEC is a 3,000-km long route of infrastructure projects connecting China’s northwest Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the Gwadar Port in the western province of Balochistan in Pakistan.
• It is a bilateral project between Pakistan and China, intended to promote connectivity across Pakistan with a network of highways, railways, and pipelines accompanied by energy, industrial, and other infrastructure development projects.
• It will pave the way for China to access the Middle East and Africa from Gwadar Port, enabling China to access the Indian Ocean and in return China will support development projects in Pakistan to overcome the latter’s energy crises and stabilising its faltering economy.
• CPEC is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
• The BRI, launched in 2013, aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

Efforts are being made to expand the cultivation of geographical indication (GI)-tagged Onattukara sesame in Alappuzha district of Kerala.

Key points

• Authorities have announced an incentive scheme for growing sesame on fields and homesteads in the Thekkekara Krishi Bhavan limits.
• A financial assistance of ₹40 for a cent of land would be given to farmers for cultivating sesame.
• The project, which was launched recently, is a joint initiative involving the local Krishi Bhavan, Onattukara Vikasana Agency (OVA), Onattukara Regional Agricultural Research Station (ORARS), Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kayamkulam, and Mavelikara Thekkekara panchayat

Did you know?.

• The Onattukara sesame is currently grown on around 600 hectares spread across 43 local bodies in the three districts of Alappuzha, Kollam and Pathanamthitta.
• An analysis by Kerala Agricultural University revealed that sesame grown in the region contains high levels of Vitamin E and antioxidants.

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development, 2022 was jointly awarded to the Indian Medical Association and the Trained Nurses Association of India as representatives of the COVID-19 warriors in the country.

Key points

• The award was for every doctor, nurse, paramedic and karamchari for their selfless service, unflinching dedication and perseverance.
• The award was instituted in the name of one of the most remarkable leaders of the 20th century(Indira Gandhi), aims to honour women, men and institutions that have done exemplary work.

National and International News

• The Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Girish Chandra Murmu – who hails from Odisha’s Mayurbhanj — has been elected as the Vice-Chair of the UN Panel of Auditors for the forthcoming year.
• This recognition underscores India’s commitment to the highest standards of external audit and its active participation in shaping the global audit landscape.

To enhance the income of tribal farmers, the Koraput district administration in collaboration with CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow, imparted techniques for value addition of aromatic crop cultivation.

Key points

• Aromatic crops such as lemon grass, menthe, geranium, eucalyptus-scented rose, jasmine, chamomile and turmeric are being grown in the fields of tribal farmers in the district under the CSIR-Aroma mission and liveliood development programme of the district.
• Farmers in the district are now actively engaged in the production of essential oils and the workshop was helpful to them for value addition of their produce by creating essential oil-based commodities such as incense sticks, room sprays, roll-ons, and other toiletry products.

•  As many as 26,151 workers from Balangir district, the highest in Odisha, have migrated to other states. 
• Nuapada district is the home to second highest number of migrant workers (8,205).

Key points

• The Odisha government has provided licences to 626 labour contractors under the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 till October, 2023. 
• These contractors have facilitated the migration of altogether 40,088 labourers from the state to outside for jobs.

The world famous Dhanu Yatra at Bargarh in Odisha will kick off soon.

Key points

• Bargarh Dhanu Yatra is considered as the largest open-air theatre in the world.
• The annual festival is celebrated across 7-km radius at Bargarh municipality and its nearby areas. 
• The festival is enacted on the theme of ‘Mathura Vijay’, which depicts the victory of Lord Krishna against his uncle and demon king Kansa.
• The nearby Jeera river is considered as Yamuna during Dhanu Yatra. 
• The people of Bargarh have been organizing the festival since 1947.

Did you know?

Dhanu Yatra was first organised at Bargarh in 1947 to celebrate the independence of India from British rule.

• As many as 430 elephants, four Royal Bengal Tigers, 31 leopards and 2,352 other animals died in Odisha due to several reasons in the last five years between FY 2018-19 and FY 2022-23.
• The deaths were due to diseases, electrocution, train accidents, road mishaps, haunting and poisoning etc.
• It is pertinent to mention here that four Royal Bengal Tigers died in Odisha in two years.

Elephant Reserves in Odisha

• Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve: This reserve encompasses Similipal National Park and adjacent areas. It’s known for its rich biodiversity and substantial elephant population.
• Mahanadi Elephant Reserve: Covering parts of Cuttack, Angul, Boudh, Nayagarh, and Khordha districts, this reserve is crucial for elephant corridors linking to central India.
• Sambalpur Elephant Reserve: Encompassing Badrama Wildlife Sanctuary, this reserve is vital for the conservation of elephants in western Odisha.
• Baitarani Elephant Reserve: This reserve includes the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary and adjacent forests, offering a significant habitat for elephants.

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