Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 30 March 2024 | Download PDF

• World leaders convened in Brussels on 21st March for the inaugural Nuclear Energy Summit, emphasizing nuclear energy’s role in tackling global challenges like reducing fossil fuel usage, enhancing energy security, and stimulating economic development.

Key points:

• Organised jointly by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Belgium.
• Co-chaired by the Prime Minister of Belgium Alexander De Croo and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi, the Summit will be the highest-level meeting to date exclusively focused on the topic of nuclear energy.
• The Summit follows nuclear energy’s landmark inclusion in the Global Stocktake during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai in December 2023. 
• Aligned with the launch of the IAEA’s Atoms4NetZero initiative.

India’s Statement:

• India is set to have nuclear energy a significant share in the electricity mix by the year 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of independence. 
• As a medium-term target, it is set to achieve tripling nuclear power generation capacity by 2030 from around 7.5 GW at present.

• Indian Coast Guard ship Samudra Paheredar, a specialized pollution control vessel, arrived at Manila Bay, Philippines on Sunday for a three-day visit.

Purpose of Visit:

• Demonstration of ICG Marine Pollution Response capabilities.
• Shared concern and resolve towards marine pollution in the ASEAN region.
• Bolstering bilateral cooperation with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
• The ICG ship is on an overseas deployment to ASEAN countries namely the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei from 25 March to 12 April 2024. 
• The deployment is the third in a row by the Indian Coast Guard to ASEAN countries.
• Earlier in the year 2023, ICG pollution control vessels visited Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia as part of the initiative.

Samudra Paheredar Overview:

• Stationed on the East Coast of India in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
• Under the Command of Deputy Inspector General Sudhir Ravindran.
• Successfully undertaken various Coast Guard operations including Pollution Response, IMBL/EEZ surveillance, counter-transnational crimes, and Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR).

• WHO has launched CoViNet, a global network for coronaviruses, to coordinate global expertise and capacities for early and accurate detection, monitoring, and assessment of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV, and other novel coronaviruses.

Key points:

• CoViNet is a network of 36 global laboratories from 21 countries across all 6 WHO regions, with expertise in human, animal, and environmental coronavirus surveillance.
• CoViNet expands on the initial focus of the WHO COVID-19 reference laboratory network, established during the early days of the pandemic, to now include a broader range of coronaviruses such as MERS-CoV and potential new coronaviruses.
• Representatives of the laboratories met in Geneva on 26 – 27 March to finalize an action plan for 2024-2025, aimed at better equipping WHO Member States for early detection, risk assessment, and response to coronavirus-related health challenges.
• The CoViNet meeting brings together global experts in human, animal, and environmental health, using a comprehensive One Health approach to monitor and assess coronavirus evolution and spread.
• Impact on WHO’s Work: Data generated through CoViNet will guide the work of WHO’s Technical Advisory Groups on Viral Evolution (TAG-VE) and Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC), ensuring that global health policies and tools are based on the latest scientific information.

ISA:

• The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established in 1994. 
• It regulates mining and related activities in the international seabed beyond national jurisdiction, covering most of the world’s oceans. 
• The ISA was established upon the entry into force of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets out international law regarding territorial waters, sea lanes, and ocean resources.
• The ISA is responsible for granting licenses for the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources in the international seabed, regulating activities related to these endeavors, and ensuring compliance with international standards and guidelines. 
• It also promotes fair and efficient utilization of mineral resources, ensuring benefits for all stakeholders involved.

• India has applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in Jamaica for rights to explore two vast tracts in the Indian Ocean seabed. 
• One of these regions, the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount), is rich in cobalt and is also claimed by Sri Lanka under different laws.
• India’s application is partly motivated by reports of Chinese vessels conducting reconnaissance in the same area.

About:

• The AN Seamount is a structural feature in the Central Indian Basin, located approximately 3,000 km from India’s coast, and contains rich deposits of cobalt, nickel, manganese, and copper.
• Countries have exclusive rights up to 200 nautical miles from their borders, including the underlying seabed. 
• Regions beyond this limit are considered ‘high sea’ and open for exploration with ISA permission. 
• The ISA is currently reviewing India’s application for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust, seeking clarification due to the overlap with Sri Lanka’s claim. 
• India presented scientific evidence in Jamaica to support its exploration claims, with a decision expected later this year.
• India has also applied for permission to explore the Carlsberg Ridge for polymetallic sulphides, which are rich in copper, zinc, gold, and silver.
• India has staked a claim for its continental shelf up to 350 nautical miles but awaits approval, having previously secured exploration rights in the Central Indian Ocean.

Seamounts

• Seamounts are underwater mountains with pointed summits that rise from the seafloor but do not reach the ocean’s surface. 
• They are volcanic in origin and can be 3,000-4,500 meters tall. 
• The Emperor Seamount, an extension of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, is a well-known example.

Guyots:

• Guyots are flat-topped seamounts that show evidence of gradual subsidence through stages to become flat-topped submerged mountains. 
• It is estimated that more than 10,000 seamounts and guyots exist in the Pacific Ocean alone.

Mid-oceanic ridge

• A mid-oceanic ridge is composed of two chains of mountains separated by a large depression.
• The mountain ranges can have peaks as high as 2,500 meters, and some even reach above the ocean’s surface.

• The South East Africa Montane Archipelago (SEAMA) is a newly recognized ecoregion in southern Africa.
• Recent studies reveal a rich biodiversity in SEAMA, yet it faces urgent conservation challenges.

Life in SEAMA:

• SEAMA is a newly recognized ecoregion stretching from northern Mozambique to Mount Mulanje in Malawi.
• The region is home to numerous previously undocumented species, including 127 plants, 45 vertebrates, and 45 invertebrates.
• SEAMA boasts of two endemic genera of plants and reptiles and 22 strictly endemic reptile species, mostly threatened by habitat loss.

Conservation Challenges:

• Despite its ecological significance, SEAMA is experiencing one of the highest deforestation rates in Africa.
• Since 2000, SEAMA has lost 18% of its primary humid forest cover, with rates reaching up to 43% in some areas.
• The major causes of deforestation include slash-and-burn agriculture and charcoal production, necessitating conservation agriculture and sustainable livelihood alternatives.

Conclusion:

• SEAMA’s diverse ecosystems and species highlight its global biological importance, warranting immediate conservation efforts to mitigate threats and preserve its rich biodiversity.

• Odisha plans to establish PM SHRI schools and has informed the Ministry of Education about this decision.
• The state government will sign an MoU with the Ministry of Education before the 2024-25 academic session begins.

Key points:

• The PM SHRI schools are part of the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020) and aim to be exemplar schools.
• The Ministry of Education aims to upgrade 14,500 schools under the PM Schools scheme, covering 1.8 million students, to serve as model institutes in line with NEP-2020.

About:

• PM SHRI Schools (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) is a centrally sponsored scheme launched by the Government of India in September 2022. 
• The initiative aims to transform the education sector by establishing high-quality, equitable, and inclusive schools across the country, in line with the vision of the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).

Key Features of PM SHRI Schools

• Showcasing NEP 2020: PM SHRI Schools will serve as model institutions, demonstrating the effective implementation of NEP 2020’s recommendations.
• Equitable Access: These schools will prioritize inclusivity, ensuring that students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds have equal opportunities to access quality education.
• Holistic Development: Focusing on the overall development of students, PM SHRI Schools will provide a conducive learning environment that nurtures their social, emotional, and intellectual growth.

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) is preparing to activate an emergency landing facility (ELF) on NH-16 (old NH-60) between Odisha’s Balasore and West Bengal’s Kharagpur.

Key points:

• • The ELF airstrip is part of national highways that have been developed for military aircraft emergencies.
  • It will be crucial for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in remote areas and will enhance air operation flexibility during emergencies.
  • NHAI has developed highway airstrips across the country for future exigencies and threats.
  • AN-32 and Dornier transport aircraft will be used for landings and takeoffs during the test, while Sukhoi-30 and Hawk fighter aircraft will conduct overshoots.
• Importance: The highway airstrips are crucial for rescue operations during wars, natural calamities, and critical accidents, enhancing national security.

Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, has collaborated with the Odisha Skill Development Authority to upskill more than 1,300 youths in rural Odisha over the next 3 years.

Key points:

• The initiative targets unemployed youths in Kalahandi district, providing them with training in various industries. 
• The program has already trained over 200 individuals, with a 75% placement record in companies like Ramoji Film City and Taj Group of Hotels. 
• The initiative aligns with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on Decent Work & Economic Growth, Reduce Inequalities, and Partnership for Goals.

• Odisha’s standout javelin thrower, Kishore Jena is set to make his debut in the prestigious Diamond League event, scheduled for May 10 in Doha, as per PTI reports.

Key points:

• The Diamond League represents an elite series of 15 track and field competitions, attracting the world’s top athletes, comparable in stature to the Olympics and World Championships.
• Jena will face stiff competition from his compatriot Neeraj Chopra, the reigning Olympic and World champion, among other renowned athletes.

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