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

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to collaborate on operating a special cell of Tele MANAS. 

Key points:

• Full Form: Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States.
• Launch Date: October 10, 2022 (World Mental Health Day).
• Objective: To provide mental health support and care through telecommunication.
• Ministry: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Target Audience: Individuals experiencing mental health issues across India, especially in remote and underserved areas.
• Accessibility: Available via a toll-free helpline number (14416) and a mobile app.

• ISRO announced details of its collaboration with the French national space agency CNES for the upcoming TRISHNA mission.

About TRISHNA mission:

• TRISHNA stands for Thermal infraRed Imaging Satellite for High-resolution Natural resource Assessment.
• Purpose: The mission aims to monitor water usage and management, surface temperature, and vegetation stress by capturing high-resolution thermal infrared images.
• Launch Year: The mission is planned to be launched in 2024.
• Orbit: TRISHNA will be placed in a low Earth orbit (LEO) to provide detailed data on a global scale.
• Applications:
  • Agriculture: Monitoring crop health, irrigation practices, and water stress.
  • Water Resources: Assessing and managing water bodies, including lakes and rivers.
  • Urban Planning: Analyzing urban heat islands and helping in urban planning.
  • Climate Studies: Contributing to climate change research by providing accurate surface temperature data.
• Data Resolution: The satellite aims to provide data with a spatial resolution of 50 meters and revisit every three days.

• The “None of the Above” (NOTA) option has become the runner-up in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore constituency, receiving a record-breaking 2,18,674 votes, the highest-ever tally for NOTA.

About NOTA:

• The concept of None Of The Above (NOTA) allows voters to reject all candidates in an election.
• Implementation in India:
  • NOTA was first used in the 2013 Assembly elections in five states: Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh. 
  • It was subsequently used in the 2014 General Elections. 
  • The introduction of NOTA followed a 2013 Supreme Court directive in the PUCL vs. Union of India case.
• Purpose:
  • To provide voters with a choice to not vote for any of the candidates listed.
  • Encourages participation from voters who are dissatisfied with all available candidates.

• The United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have announced a new phase of defense working groups, to be established in Saudi Arabia. 
• This initiative aims to enhance US-GCC cooperation and integrate missile defense systems to counter shared air and maritime threats.

About GCC:

• Establishment: Founded on May 25, 1981.
• Member Countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
• Headquarters: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Objective:
  • To promote cooperation between the six states in economic, security, cultural, and social sectors.
  • Additionally, an annual summit is held to discuss regional affairs and enhance collaboration.

• Recent research has discovered a novel protein named “Neo,” which plays a crucial role in bacterial defense mechanisms against viral infections, particularly bacteriophages.

About Neo:

• Researchers Stephen Tang and Samuel Sternberg, while working on Klebsiella pneumoniae, reported the discovery of ‘Neo’ in a 2023 preprint paper on bioRxiv.
• ‘Neo’ represents a potential biotechnological tool for controlling viral infections.

Odisha Regional Specific News

• A tragic incident occurred at Singidi village near Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district on Wednesday, where a 56-year-old man, Sanatan Samal, was killed by a saltwater crocodile. 
• This marks the eighth such fatality in the area in just over ten months.

About:

• The saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is a species found across saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands of India, Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia.
• They are also known as the estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile etc.
• They are the largest crocodile species in the world, and the largest living reptile in the world.
• Protection: It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996.
• Threats: Illegal hunting for its skin and habitat loss.

Bhitarkanika National Park:

• • Bhitarkanika is second largest mangrove ecosystem in India after the Sunderbans.
  • The National park is made up of a network of creeks and canals which are inundated with waters from rivers Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra and Patasala.
• Bagagahana or the heronry near Surajpore creek is a unique feature of the national park.

• India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted onset of south-west monsoon in Odisha within the next four days.

About Southwest monsoon:

• Seasonal Timing: The Southwest Monsoon typically begins in early June and lasts until the end of September.
• Geographical Coverage: It affects the Indian subcontinent, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and parts of Pakistan.
• Monsoon Winds: These winds originate from the southern hemisphere and move northwards towards the Indian subcontinent.
• Two Branches: The monsoon has two branches – 
  • Arabian Sea Branch: Hits the western coast of India, including Kerala, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
  • Bay of Bengal Branch: Travels through the Bay of Bengal and affects the northeastern states and eastern India.
• Monsoon Trough: A low-pressure area that extends from the northwest to the Bay of Bengal, influencing the intensity and distribution of rainfall.
• Withdrawal: Starts from northwest India around the beginning of September and recedes completely from the country by mid-October.

• Odisha has seen a significant rise in its elephant population, increasing by 122 over the past seven years. 
• The count went from 1,976 in 2017 to 2,098 in 2024.
• This increase is primarily due to a rise in the number of males compared to females.

Key points:

• The male-to-female-to-young ratio is now 1:3.2:1.5, an improvement from 1:2.17:1.25 in 2017. This shift is due to the increased number of males.
• The state has three elephant reserves – Mahanadi, Mayurbhanj, and Sambalpur – housing 584 elephants, which accounts for approximately 28% of Odisha’s total elephant population. The highest concentrations of elephants are found in:
  • Dhenkanal division (239 elephants)
  • Athagarh (178)
  • Satkosia Wildlife (138)
  • Keonjhar (135)
  • Bonai (121)
  • Angul (119)
  • Baripada (105)
  • Similipal North (103)
  • Similipal South (101)

• The Odisha government has reaffirmed the active status of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), amidst reports of certain private hospitals refusing cashless treatment to its beneficiaries. 
• The government clarified that the scheme continues to be operational with allocated budgetary support. 

Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana:

• Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) is a health insurance scheme that the Government of Odisha launched in India in 2018. 
• The scheme aims to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to the people of Odisha, especially to those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to vulnerable sections of society.

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