Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 01 August 2024 | Download PDF

• A deadly strike on a playing field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights has escalated fears of a new war in the region.

About Golan Heights:

• Geography:
  • Rocky plateau in southwestern Syria, 60 km southwest of Damascus.
  • Occupied territory under international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
• Boundaries:
  • West: Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee.
  • North: Mount Hermon.
  • East: Seasonal Wadi Al-Ruqqad River.
  • South: Yarmuk River.
• History: Seized by Israel from Syria during the 1967 Six-Day War.
• Strategic Importance:
  • Overlooks Damascus and northern Israel’s Galilee region and Sea of Galilee.
  • Dominates the route to Damascus on the Syrian-controlled side.
  • Shares borders with Jordan and Lebanon.
  • Key water source: Rainwater feeds into the Jordan River.

• A recent report submitted to the Education Ministry by PARAKH recommends incorporating student performance from Classes 9, 10, and 11 into the final Class 12 marks.

About PARAKH:

• PARAKH (Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development) is a unit established within NCERT in 2023 to standardize school board assessments nationwide.
• PARAKH team will consist of leading assessment experts with a deep understanding of the education system in India and internationally. 
• Objective: To fulfill the basic objectives of setting norms, standards, guidelines and implement activities related to student assessment along with other tasks as mandated by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
• The mandate of PARAKH is to work on bringing the school boards across the States and the Union Territories to a common platform.
• Major areas of focus:
  • Capacity Development in Competency Based Assessment
  • Large-Scale Achievement Survey
  • Equivalence of School Boards
  • Holistic Progress Cards for the Foundational, Preparational, Middle and Secondary Stages.

• The Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) was recently accorded for the procurement of Advanced Land Navigation System (ALNS) Mk-II for Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) of the Indian Army.

About Advanced Land Navigation System:

• System: Ring Laser Gyro (RLG) based navigation system.
• Purpose:
  • Used for traversing paths defined by military map coordinates in ESM format.
  • Provides Inertial, GPS, and Hybrid Navigation data.
  • Security: Spoof-proof with high levels of encryption.
• Modes of Operation:
  • Inertial Mode: Operates completely on inertial sensor inputs.
  • Hybrid Mode: Uses inputs from both inertial sensor and GPS receiver, selecting the most accurate data.
  • GPS Mode: Operates independently of inertial sensor inputs.
• Compatibility:
  • Compatible with Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) and NAVigation using Indian Constellation (NavIC).
  • Also compatible with Global Positioning System (GPS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
• Applications: Offers high accuracy in navigational applications for AFVs (Armored Fighting Vehicles) with Defence Series Maps compatibility.
• Procurement: To be procured from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Chennai under Buy [Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM)] category.

• Archaeologists recently discovered a Vattezhuthu script and eight Tamil inscriptions in the 1,000-year-old Thalikiswarar Temple in Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu.

About Vattezhuthu script:

• Origin and Name:
  • Vatteluttu, also known as Vattezhuthu, was a syllabic alphabet used in South India (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and Sri Lanka.
  • The name Vatteluttu means ’rounded script’, ‘northern script’, or ‘chiseled script’.
• Historical Development:
  • First appeared in stone inscriptions in southern India around the 4th century AD.
  • Likely developed from the Tamil-Brahmi script, a variant of the Brahmi script used for Old Tamil from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD.
• Usage Timeline:
  • Used for writing Tamil and Malayalam in Tamil Nadu until the 9th century.
  • Continued to be used in Kerala until the 15th century.
  • Evolved into the Malayalam script over time, incorporating some letters from the Grantha script.
• Variants and Legacy:
  • Vatteluttu developed into the Koleluttu script.
  • Koleluttu was particularly used by Christians and Muslims in Kerala until the 19th century.

• Recently, the Union Minister for Culture and Tourism informed Lok Sabha about the National Culture Fund.

About National Culture Fund:

• Establishment:
  • Under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890
  • Purpose: Mobilize extra resources through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) to promote, protect, and preserve India’s cultural heritage
• Objectives:
  • Conservation and Preservation: Administer and apply the Fund for the conservation, maintenance, promotion, protection, preservation, and upgradation of monuments (protected or otherwise)
  • Training and Development: Impart training and facilitate the development of a cadre of specialists and cultural administrators
  • Museum Space:
    • Facilitate the provision of additional space in existing museums
    • Construct new museums to accommodate or create new and special galleries
  • Documentation: Document cultural expressions and forms that have lost relevance in contemporary scenarios and are either fading out or facing extinction.

• Jindal Steel and Power (JSP) has achieved notable recognition in the Mines Safety Awards 2024, awarded by the Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS). 
• This accolade was presented at the All-India Mines Safety Awards for outstanding safety practices at JSP’s mining sites in Odisha.

Key points:

• Kasia Iron Ore Mines: Secured the second prize in the Large Open Cast Metal Mines category.
• Tensa Iron Ore Mines: Achieved the second prize in the Medium Open Cast Metal Mines category.

About the Mines Safety Award 2024:

• The Mines Safety Award – 2024 is a pioneering initiative by the Director General Mines Safety. 
• Its goal is to encourage best practices and improve safety standards in coal, metal, and oil & gas mining operations across India. 
• The assessment for this award was carried out by the All-India Mines Safety Association (AIMSA) in July 2024.

• The state government aims to achieve 100% saturation under the Jal Jeevan Mission by providing tap water connections to all households by the end of the current fiscal year.

Project Details:

• Project Execution: As of now, 207 Jal Jeevan projects are underway with an estimated cost of ₹35,193 crore. Out of these, 71 projects are nearing completion.
• Household Connections: Of the 88.68 lakh households in the state, 65.7 lakh have been provided with piped water, which equates to approximately 74%. However, less than half of these connected households are receiving a steady water supply.

About:

• Launch Date: The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched on 15th August 2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.

Key Objectives:

• Universal Coverage: Ensure every rural household has access to potable water.
• Sustainability: Implement measures for water source sustainability, including rainwater harvesting and greywater management.
• Community Participation: Encourage a community-based approach to water management, involving extensive information, education, and communication efforts.

Specific Targets:

• Coverage Goal: Achieve 100% coverage of rural households with functional household tap connections (FHTCs) by 2024.
• Water Quality: Ensure that all households have access to safe and adequate drinking water that meets prescribed quality standards.
• Sustainability: Promote sustainable water management practices to ensure long-term water availability.

• Bhitarkanika National Park will reopen to tourists on August 1, following a three-month closure.

Closure Period:

• The park was closed from May 1 to July 31. This closure was due to the mating and nesting season of saltwater crocodiles, which typically makes them more aggressive.
• The period of closure was intended to ensure a peaceful environment for crocodile breeding.

Conservation Efforts:

• During this time, around 114 saltwater crocodiles laid eggs in the park.

About:

• Bhitarkanika National Park is located in the Kendrapara district of Odisha, India. 
• It is renowned for its rich biodiversity and is one of the country’s most significant wildlife sanctuaries.

Key Features:

• Mangrove Ecosystem: Bhitarkanika is home to the second-largest mangrove ecosystem in India, after the Sundarbans.
• Rivers and Estuaries: The park is intersected by a network of rivers and estuaries, including the Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Pathsala rivers.
• Wildlife: It hosts a diverse range of species, including saltwater crocodiles, Indian pythons, king cobras, black ibises, and many migratory birds.

Background:

• Historical Context: Initially established as a hunting ground for the Kanika royal family, the area was recognized for its ecological significance and declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975.
• National Park Designation: Bhitarkanika was officially designated as a national park on 16th September 1998.
• Ramsar Site: It was designated as a Ramsar site on 19th August 2002, highlighting its importance as a wetland of international significance.

Conservation Efforts:

• Crocodile Conservation: The park is a designated crocodile conservation area and is home to one of the largest populations of saltwater crocodiles in India.
• Mangrove Protection: Efforts are made to protect and sustain the mangrove forests, which are crucial for the ecosystem

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