Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 03 October 2024 | Download PDF

• The Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs announced that the government has launched the Jal Hi AMRIT scheme within its first 100 days in office.

About Jal Hi AMRIT Programme:

• Launched under: AMRUT 2.0 scheme
• Purpose: Incentivize efficient management of used water treatment plants (UWTPs/STPs).
• Goal: Ensure recyclable, good quality treated water meeting environmental standards.
• Approach: Build competition among cities, develop capacities, and reward best practices.
• Focus: Capacity building and improving treated discharge effluent quality.
• Assessment: Mid-course assessment, water quality testing, and final assessment.
• Award: Clean Water Credits in terms of a Star-rating (3-5 stars) certificate valid for six months.

• The BharatGen initiative was launched by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology.

About BharatGen initiative:

• Goal: To create generative AI systems for high-quality text and multimodal content in Indian languages.
• Implementation: By IIT Bombay under National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
• Key Features:
  • Multilingual and multimodal foundation models.
  • Training on Bhartiya datasets.
  • Open-source platform for generative AI research.
• Timeline: Expected completion in two years.
• Benefits: To serve government, private, educational, and research institutions.

• The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has selected Coforge Limited as the System Integrator (SI) for its digital transformation project, Anna DARPAN.

About Anna DARPAN Project:

• Project Goals:
  • Improve efficiency and productivity in FCI’s supply chain.
  • Enable data-driven decision-making.
  • Ensure accessibility through a mobile-first approach.
• Coforge’s Role:
  • End-to-end design, development, implementation, and maintenance.
  • Leverage the latest technology and cloud-based platform.
  • Gain deep understanding of FCI’s operations during requirement gathering.
• Key Features:
  • Interactive UI for ease of use.
  • Data analytics for informed decision-making.
  • Mobile accessibility for anytime, anywhere access.
  • Cloud-based platform for scalability and flexibility.

• The National Level Multi-Stakeholder Consultative Workshop on Sustainable Oil Palm Cultivation under the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) was held recently.

About NMEO-OP:

• Launched by: the Government of India in August 2021, NMEO-OP targets a substantial increase in oil palm cultivation and crude palm oil production.
• It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with a special focus on the Northeast region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with a focus on increasing the area and productivity of oilseeds and Oil Palm. 
• The State Department of Agriculture, State Department of Horticulture, Central University, ICAR-Institutions, CDDs, SAUs, KVKs, Central Agencies/Cooperatives, Oil palm processors/ Associations, DD Kisan, AIR, DD, TV channels will be the implementing stakeholders of the NMEO-Oil palm.

• Biologist Johannes Fritz and the Waldrappteam have successfully increased the Central European northern bald ibis population from zero to nearly 300 since 2002.

About FAST:

• • Location: Guizhou Province, China
  • Size: 500 meters in diameter (equivalent to 30 football fields)
• World’s largest and most sensitive radio telescope

• • Scientific Goals:
    • Detect neutral hydrogen at the edge of the universe
• Reconstruct images of the early universe

• • • Discover pulsars and establish a pulsar timing array
    • Participate in pulsar navigation and gravitational wave detection
    • Join the International Very-Long-Baseline Interferometry Network
    • Perform high-resolution radio spectral survey
• Detect weak space signals

• • Participate in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence   
• Data Management: Uses a data system developed by ICRAR (Australia) and ESO (Europe) to handle the massive amount of data generated.

• As per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for the period July 2023 to June 2024, Odisha has reported a two per cent decline in the unemployment rate for people in the 15-29 age group.
• Against the all-India average of 10.2 per cent amongst youth, the unemployment rate in Odisha stands at 11.1 per cent. 
• The percentage was 13.8 per cent in 2022-2023. 
• Also, the participation of women in the workforce has improved.
• The survey report states that in rural areas, unemployment among the 15-29 age group (youths who are just entering the labour market following education) has seen a substantial decline. 
• It decreased from 12.7 per cent in 2022-23 to 9.3 per cent in 2023-24. 
• However, in urban areas it rose from 21.8 per cent to 22.9 per cent.

About:

• The Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) is a survey conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in India to collect data on employment and unemployment in the country. 
• It provides insights into the labour force participation rate, employment rates, unemployment rates, and other related indicators.
• The PLFS is conducted quarterly and covers both urban and rural areas. 
• It uses a sample survey methodology to collect data from households. 

• Odisha is among the top five states in the country in terms of overall urban governance, revealed an independent study which was carried out recently.
• The study – Urban Governance Index (UGI) 2024 – carried out by Praja Foundation, has put Odisha at number two in terms of urban governance. 
• The UGI evaluated states in four categories – empowerment of elected representatives, empowered city administration, empowered citizens and fiscal empowerment – covered 42 different indicators.
• The state has secured a score of 55 out of 100 points in the overall urban governance. 
• Odisha is followed by Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the index. 
• Kerala has topped all states in urban governance with around 59 points. 
• As per the study, the state topped in empowered citizens category scoring 21 out of 25 points. 
• Odisha also secured 16.44 out of a total 30 points in fiscal empowerment and 15.26 out of 30 points in elected representatives category.

• The Odisha government plans to set up 2,542 new Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) to streamline the procurement of paddy from farmers. 
• This initiative is part of the state’s efforts to modernize agriculture and improve the income of farmers. 
• The new PACS will be equipped with modern facilities and trained personnel to ensure efficient and transparent procurement. 
• This will help to reduce the burden on farmers and ensure that they receive fair prices for their paddy.

• The Orissa High Court has expressed deep concern over the encroachment of Khandagiri caves in Bhubaneswar. 
• The court has ordered the personal appearance of officials responsible for the protection of these ancient monuments to explain the measures being taken to address the issue.

About:

• Khandagiri caves are a group of ancient rock-cut caves located in the state of Odisha.
• They were carved out of a hill during the 1st century AD and are believed to have been used as a Jain monastery. 
• The caves are known for their intricate sculptures and carvings, which depict Jain religious figures and symbols. 
• The most famous cave is the Rani Gumpha, which is adorned with beautiful sculptures of Jain deities. 
• The Khandagiri caves are a popular tourist destination and are considered to be one of the most important archaeological sites in India.

• To protect migratory birds that flock to Chilika Lake during the winter months, anti-poaching camps have been established in the vicinity of the lake. 
• These camps are manned by forest officials and local volunteers who are trained to identify and deter poachers.

Chilika Lake:

• Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and the second largest coastal lagoon in the world. 
• It is a vital ecosystem, supporting a diverse range of flora and fauna.   

Key features:

• Biodiversity hotspot: The lake hosts over 160 species of birds, including migratory waterfowl from Siberia, Central Asia, and Europe. 
• It’s also home to various aquatic species like dolphins, crocodiles, and turtles.   
• Cultural significance: Chilika Lake is deeply intertwined with the local culture and traditions. It’s a popular tourist destination, offering boating, fishing, and birdwatching opportunities.  
• Conservation efforts: Recognizing its ecological importance, the Indian government has undertaken various conservation initiatives to protect the lake’s ecosystem and biodiversity.

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