Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 05 February 2024 | Download PDF

National and International News

• The 66th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by Trevor Noah, showcased the music industry’s elite at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California.

Best Global Music Album: Shakti’s “This Moment”

• Musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain’s fusion band Shakti won the Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album with their latest release, “This Moment.” 
• The group, including guitarist John McLaughlin and others, received recognition for their exceptional contribution to global music.

Album of the Year: Taylor Swift’s “Midnights”

• American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift secured the highly anticipated Album of the Year award for her album “Midnights,” surpassing notable nominees such as SZA, Jon Batiste, and others.

Record of the Year: Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers”

• Miley Cyrus’ hit “Flowers” bagged the Record of the Year award, adding to the night’s diverse musical achievements.

Song of the Year: Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?”

• Billie Eilish’s soulful ballad “What Was I Made For?” from Greta Gerwig’s fantasy comedy Barbie was named the Song of the Year, contributing to the celebration of musical excellence.

Trevor Noah’s Fourth Hosting Stint

• South African comedian and writer Trevor Noah hosted the Grammy Awards for the fourth time, infusing humor and charisma into the evening.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate India second edition of Energy Week 2024 in Goa on Tuesday. 

Overview:

• • The Energy Week, scheduled from February 6 to 9, will be India’s largest energy exhibition and conference. 
  • It aims to achieve ‘aatmanirbharta’ in energy and will include a roundtable with global oil & gas CEOs, emphasizing India’s energy transition goals.
  • Around 17 energy ministers from different countries are expected to attend, showcasing a global perspective. 
• The event will focus on encouraging and integrating startups into the energy value chain, fostering innovation.

• The Energy Week will have six dedicated country pavilions- Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, the UK and the USA.
• Organized by the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry under the aegis of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, India Energy Week, 2024 would provide a platform for discussions, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among industry experts, policy makers, academia and entrepreneurs.

• Higher education institutes (HEIs) in India are urged to actively address the employability gap among students by connecting them with future career opportunities. 
• The disparity between knowledge acquired in HEIs and the skills needed for employment highlights the need for innovative solutions.

Understanding Micro-Credentials:

• Micro-credentials are short-duration learning activities with validated outcomes, offered online, physically, or in hybrid modes. 
• Unlike traditional degrees, which require several years of study, micro-credentials provide a ‘just-in-time’ approach to acquiring modern skills. 
• They cater to lifelong learners, including working professionals unable to attend formal degree programs.
• Micro-credentials, being portable and stackable on digital platforms like the Academic Bank of Credits (ABC), offer students the flexibility to integrate diverse skills into their education.

Way forward:

• Indian HEIs(Higher Educational Institutions) must embrace the role of agents of transformation by incorporating micro-credentials into their strategic goals.
• Regulators and HEIs should collaborate to harmonize micro-credentials with existing academic programs, establishing clear validation metrics.

• Rotating black holes, also known as Kerr black holes, originate from massive stars that exhaust their fuel, leading to a supernova explosion. 
• The remaining core collapses under its own gravity, forming a black hole.

Nature of Black Hole Center:

• The core of a black hole contains a gravitational singularity, where the principles of general relativity break down. 
• The immense gravitational pull of a black hole originates from this singularity.

Event Horizon and Singularity:

• The event horizon, a spherical boundary around the singularity, prevents anything from escaping once inside, unless it surpasses the speed of light—an impossibility. 
• The gravitational pull of the black hole is experienced beyond this boundary.

Ergosphere:

• Beyond the event horizon, rotating black holes possess an ergosphere, a larger sphere allowing objects to enter and exit if moving rapidly, but still below the speed of light. 
• The term ‘ergosphere’ is derived from the Greek word ‘ergon,’ meaning ‘work.’ 
• It is named so because matter and energy can be extracted from the ergosphere, unlike beyond the event horizon.

Union Minister of Coal, Mines, and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Pralhad Joshi, recently inaugurated the C-CARES web portal developed by C-DAC for CMPFO.

Key points:

• C-CARES, designed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), addresses the digitalization challenges of CMPFO, aiming to modernize its record-keeping and operational processes.
• Established in 1948 under the Ministry of Coal, CMPFO is an autonomous organization managing Provident Fund and Pension schemes for coal sector workers. 
• Currently, it serves 3.3 lakh Provident Fund subscribers and 6.1 lakh pensioners in the coal sector.

• World Cancer Day is observed annually on February 4th
• It was initiated on February 4, 2000, at the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium in Paris.
• It aims to unite the world in the fight against cancer.
• Between 2022 and 2024, the focus of World Cancer Day is to help “Close the cancer gap.” 
• The theme for this year is “Together, we challenge those in power”. 
• This theme encompasses the global demand for leaders to prioritize and invest in cancer prevention and care and to do more to achieve a just and cancer-free world

About:

• Cancer is a complex group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth that can invade and damage surrounding tissues. 
• It often arises from genetic mutations within cells, leading to abnormal proliferation and disruptions in the body’s natural regulatory mechanisms. 
• While cancer can affect any part of the body, various factors influence individual risk and specific types.

• The Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, is bestowed upon individuals for their outstanding contributions across diverse domains.

LK Advani’s Bharat Ratna (2024)

• Lal Krishna Advani, a BJP veteran, was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 2024. 
• Recognized for his pivotal role in the growth of the Bharatiya Janata Party and his service as the Deputy Prime Minister of India.

Karpoori Thakur’s Bharat Ratna (2024)

• Karpoori Thakur, the former Chief Minister of Bihar, received the Bharat Ratna in 2024. 
• Noted for his focus on the upliftment of marginalized communities during his tenure.

• The Odisha government and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi have recently entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Biju Patnaik Special Centre for Odia Studies at JNU.
• The primary goal of the Biju Patnaik Special Centre is to explore the leadership, governance, and contributions of the visionary leader and former Chief Minister, Biju Patnaik.

Key points:

• The proposed center aims to initiate a Master’s Program covering diverse aspects of Odia Studies. 
• Additionally, it seeks to strengthen cultural ties with the Odisha Diaspora, and foster the promotion of contemporary Odia Literature and Art.

• In a significant development, the district of Jajpur in Odisha is set to reveal a colossal 123-foot tall Lord Shiva statue, positioned near the Barahanath temple on the banks of the Baitarani River. 
• This statue, considered the tallest in the state, is a key component of the Baraha Kshetra development project and is scheduled for inauguration on Mahashivratri.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects totaling over Rs68,000 crore in Odisha. 
• Among these, he inaugurated the permanent campus of IIM, Sambalpur, and unveiled various infrastructure projects in power, roads, and railways.

Key points:

• PM Modi flagged off the Puri-Sonepur-Puri weekly express to improve regional connectivity and inaugurated the Dhamra–Angul pipeline section, connecting Odisha to the national gas grid. 
• He also laid the foundation stone for the Nagpur-Jharsuguda natural gas pipeline section, aiming to enhance natural gas availability in Odisha, Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.
• Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) Talabira power project was initiated, promising low-cost power supply to various regions.
• Modi dedicated the NTPC Darlipali superthermal plant (2×800 MW) and NSPCL Rourkela PP-II expansion project (1×250 MW) in Sundargarh district to the nation.
• He laid the foundation stone for NTPC Talcher thermal power project, stage-III (2×660 MW), in Angul.