Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 06 July 2024 | Download PDF

• Telecom startup Velmenni has received a grant from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative for its innovative Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) technology.

About Li-Fi technology:

• Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a mobile wireless communications technology that uses light instead of radio frequencies to transmit data.
• Developed by Professor Harald Hass.
• Utilizes special LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs for data transmission.
• Offers high-speed, bidirectional, and fully networked wireless communication using light.
• Requires only a light source with a chip to transmit an internet signal via light waves.
• Delivers data through visible, infrared, or ultraviolet light.
• Provides wireless connections over 100 times faster than Wi-Fi due to light’s larger bandwidth compared to radio waves.
• Achieves delivery speeds up to 224 GB per second.
• Applications: 
  • Internet access, 
  • Phone-to-phone or phone-to-TV communications, and
  • Emerging use cases like extended or mixed reality.
• Enhances data security as signals do not pass through walls.
• Suitable for use in areas where radio frequency is undesirable, such as hospitals, airplanes, or underwater environments.

• The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has recommended the inclusion of the Ahom era ‘Moidams’ in Assam’s Charaideo district, the resting place of royal families, in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

About Moidams:

• Moidams (Maidams): Mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty (13th century-19th century).
• Comparison: Similar to the royal tombs of ancient China and the Pyramids of the Egyptian pharaohs.
• Ahom Dynasty: Ruled for about 600 years until the British annexed Assam in 1826.
• Charaideo District: First capital of the Ahom dynasty, founded by Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1253.
• Cremation Shift: After the 18th century, Ahom rulers adopted Hindu cremation methods, entombing the cremated bones and ashes in a Moidam at Charaideo.
• Cultural Spread: With the shift of the Ahom capital south and eastwards, Moidams have been seen in Northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Northern Burma, Southern China, and Northeast India, marking the region of Tai-Ahom culture.

• The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) has recommended the inclusion of the Ahom era ‘Moidams’ in Assam’s Charaideo district, the resting place of royal families, in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

About ICOMOS:

• • Established: 1965
  • Headquarters: Paris, France
  • Purpose: Promote the conservation, protection, use, and enhancement of monuments, building complexes, and sites.
  • Type: Non-governmental international organization
  • Role: Advisory body to UNESCO on World Heritage Sites
  • Membership: Open to individuals and institutions involved in the conservation and protection of cultural heritage.
• Major Documents:

• • The Venice Charter (1964): An international charter for the conservation and restoration of monuments and sites.
  • The Burra Charter (Australia ICOMOS, 1979): Guidelines for the conservation of places of cultural significance in Australia.

• A large-scale migration of the Common Grass Yellow butterfly was observed for the first time during a recent three-day survey at the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR).

About Common Grass Yellow butterfly:

• Distribution: Found across Asia, North America, Africa, and Australia.
• Habitat:
  • Prefers open grassy or bushy terrain.
  • Flies quickly, close to the ground.
• Features:
  • Wings: Vibrant yellow, ranging from sultry sulfur to lush lemon yellow, displaying ‘seasonal polyphenism’.
  • Behavior: Often seen in large groups, with females flying solo to find nectar from a variety of plants.
• Migratory Patterns: Migrates in large numbers across Africa and most of Asia south of the Himalayas.
• Conservation Status:
  • IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
  • Not protected under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has recently issued guidelines for funding testing facilities, infrastructure, and institutional support. 
• This funding is aimed at developing standards and a regulatory framework under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

About National Green Hydrogen Mission:

• Aim: To make India a global hub for producing, utilizing, and exporting Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.
• Components of the Scheme:
• Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT):
  • Targeting domestic manufacturing of electrolysers.
  • Production of Green Hydrogen.
• Pilot Projects: Support for pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.
• Green Hydrogen Hubs: Identification and development of regions capable of supporting large-scale production and/or utilization of Hydrogen.
• Public-Private Partnership for R&D: Facilitation of the Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP).
• Skill Development Programme: Implementation of a coordinated skill development programme under the Mission.

Odisha Specific News

• Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi recently announced plans to enforce exclusive use of Odia in all official communications, hinting at possible amendments to the Act for broader implementation.
• The Orissa Official Language Act, effective since October 15, 1954, mandates the use of Odia for all official purposes in the state.

Key points:

• Despite this, English has continued to be widely used alongside Odia in government operations.
• Since its inception, the Act has undergone several amendments, notably in 1963 and 1985, allowing for the concurrent use of English and specifying the use of Indian numerals in place of Odia ones for official purposes. 
• Criticism from language experts prompted further amendments in 2018, introducing penalties for non-compliance and incentives for extensive use of Odia by state officials.

• Lieutenant Bimal Ranjan Behera, a courageous naval officer hailing from Odisha’s Kendrapara district, was honored with the Shaurya Chakra gallantry award at a recent ceremonial event in Bhubaneswar. 

Key points:

• Lieutenant Behera was honored for his courageous leadership during an ONGC operational emergency on March 6, 2023.
• He led a hazardous diving operation on the Fuel Production Storage and Offloading vessel, displaying exceptional valor and disregarding personal safety.
• President Murmu presented a total of 26 Shaurya Chakras during the ceremony, including seven awarded posthumously.
• The awards recognized the bravery of armed forces personnel and police forces from across the country.

About:

• Instituted on 4 Jan 1952 as Ashoka Chakra Class-III and renamed on 27 Jan 1967 as Shaurya Chakra and awarded for gallantry, otherwise than in the face of the enemy.

Personnel Eligible: The following categories of personnel shall be eligible for the Chakra :-

• Officers, men and women of all ranks of the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, of any of the Reserve Forces, of the Territorial Army, Militia and of any other lawfully constituted Forces.
• Members of the Nursing Services of the Armed Forces.
• Civilian citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of Police Forces including Central Para-Military Forces and Railway Protection Force.

• In a significant conservation effort, Odisha plans to translocate five tigers to bolster its tiger populations at Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Similipal Tiger Reserve by October this year. 

Key points:

• This initiative, approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), aims to enhance the state’s tiger conservation efforts.
• Odisha is currently home to 30 adult tigers and eight cubs, with Similipal alone housing 27 adult tigers (14 females and 13 males) alongside eight cubs.

• Odisha’s Daringbadi, renowned as the “Kashmir of Odisha,” is set to gain global recognition on the cherry blossom map, announced Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Key points:

• The hill station’s climate in Kandhamal district is ideal for cherry blossom cultivation, attracting numerous winter visitors. 
• To kickstart this initiative, the state government has acquired 1,000 cherry blossom plants for an initial planting phase.

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