Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 07 June 2024 | Download PDF

• South Korea, India, the United States, Japan, and the European Union (EU) have launched an alliance to build a resilient supply chain in the biopharmaceutical sector.
• The inaugural meeting of the Biopharmaceutical Alliance was held in San Diego during the Bio International Convention 2024.

About Biopharmaceutical Alliance:

• Purpose: The alliance was established in response to drug supply shortages experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Coordination: The participating countries will coordinate their bio policies, regulations, and research and development support measures.
• Supply Chain Mapping: They plan to create a detailed pharmaceutical supply chain map to enhance reliability and sustainability.
• Expansion: Initially formed by South Korea and the U.S., the alliance expanded to include Japan, India, and the EU.

• The 2024 Lok Sabha elections have renewed interest in the leaders’ demands for special category status (SCS) for their States Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

About Special category status (SCS):

• Special Category Status (SCS) is a classification given to states in India that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages.
• Historical Background:
  • Introduced in 1969 by the Fifth Finance Commission of India.
  • Initially granted to three states: Assam, Nagaland, and Jammu & Kashmir.
• Criteria for SCS:
  • Hilly and difficult terrain.
  • Low population density and/or sizeable tribal population.
  • Strategic location along borders with neighboring countries.
  • Economic and infrastructural backwardness.
  • Non-viable nature of state finances.
• States with SCS:
  • As of now, 11 states have been granted SCS: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir (now split into two Union Territories), Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Uttarakhand.

• The UNESCO ‘State of Ocean Report, 2024’ highlights the significant challenges faced by global oceans due to climate change and human activities. 
• The report provides crucial insights into the current state of our oceans.

About State of Ocean Report, 2024:

• The UNESCO ‘State of the Ocean Report’ was initiated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) during the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference. 
• It provides an accessible overview of the ocean’s current status and supports the monitoring of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). 
• Upper Ocean Warming: The upper 2,000 meters of the oceans have experienced significant warming.
• Energy Absorption and Impact:
  • Oceans absorb about 90% of Earth’s excess energy.
  • This leads to increased deoxygenation, threatening marine ecosystems and human economies dependent on them.
• Ocean Acidification:
  • Ocean acidification is rising globally, especially in the open ocean.
• Sea Level Rise:
  • Sea levels have risen consistently since 1993.
• Marine Carbon Dioxide Removal (mCDR):
  • There is growing interest in mCDR technologies.
  • Their ecological impacts and effectiveness remain uncertain.

• Study of zircon crystals reveals Earth had conditions to support life earlier than previously thought.
• Findings show early interaction of water and land.
• This challenges the theories of a water-covered Earth.

About Zircon mineral:

• Basic Information:
  • • Type: Nesosilicate mineral
    • Chemical Name: Zirconium silicate
    • Chemical Formula: ZrSiO4
• Properties:

• • • High refractive indices
    • Strong lustre
    • Occurs in various colours: clear, green, red, yellow, and brown
• Significant Findings:

• • Oxygen Isotopes:
    • Reveal fresh water and dry land on early Earth.
    • Challenge theories of an entirely water-covered early Earth.
    • Indicate a functioning water cycle at least 4 billion years ago, possibly creating conditions conducive to life.

• The “Air of the Anthropocene” project uses light painting to visualize air pollution in India, Ethiopia, and the UK, highlighting severe health risks and sparking global discussions on air quality.

About The Air of the Anthropocene project:

• The “Air of the Anthropocene” project is an international initiative that combines art and science to visualize air pollution. 
• Artists and researchers collaborated, using digital light painting techniques and low-cost air pollution sensors, to create photographic evidence of air pollution.

• The Orissa High Court has seen a remarkable case clearance rate (CCR) of 113.81% in the first five months of 2024. 
• According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), there are a total of 1,44,418 pending cases in the High Court, with 65,658 cases being over five years old as of June 5.

Key points:

• The CCR, which measures the court’s efficiency in clearing cases, stood at 113.81% during this period. 
• This resulted in a decrease in the total number of pending cases, from 1,47,028 on January 1 to 1,41,596 by May 31.

NJGD:

• National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) is a database of orders, judgments and case details of 18,735 District & Subordinate Courts and High Courts created as an online platform under the eCourts Project. 
• Data is updated on a near real-time basis by the connected District and Taluka courts. 
• It provides data relating to judicial proceedings/decisions of all computerized district and subordinate courts of the country. 
• All High Courts have also joined the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG) through web services, providing easy access facility to the litigant public.

• Jyoti Prakash Pattnaik, a government advocate, has been appointed as the in-charge Advocate General of Odisha. 

Key points:

• This appointment follows the resignation of the former Advocate General, Ashok Kumar Parija. The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government had appointed Parija as the Advocate General in 2019, succeeding Surya Prasad Mishra.
• The Constitution of India, specifically Article 165, establishes this post, which is comparable to the role of the Attorney General for India in the central government.

• In a significant move to enhance its academic administration, the newly established Odia University has commenced efforts to frame its syndicate and statute. 
• This development marks a crucial step in solidifying the university’s operational framework.

Key points:

• Odia University, located in Satyabadi, Puri district, became operational in the 2023-24 academic session.
  • Currently, the university’s syndicate includes only one member, the Vice-Chancellor of Utkal University, Sabita Acharya.
  • Odia University is the second language university in Odisha, following the Shree Jagannath Sanskrit University in Puri. 
  • Official sources have indicated that a list of 30 names, comprising government officials and academicians, has been proposed for the university’s syndicate.
• According to the Odia University Act of 2017, the syndicate plays a vital role in the university’s governance. 

• It is responsible for establishing and maintaining departments, setting fees, overseeing examination preparations and result publications, and appointing faculty members and board of studies 
• members.Additionally, the university is drafting its own statute based on the framework of the Odisha Universities First Statute of 1990, which will govern its overall functioning.

• The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) faced a historic setback in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections in Odisha, failing to secure any seats for the first time in 26 years. 

Key points:

• Led by Naveen Patnaik, the party, founded in 1997, has been a dominant force in the state’s political landscape.
• The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is a regional political party in India, known for its strong presence in the state of Odisha. The BJD was formed as a splinter group of the Janata Dal. The party’s headquarters are situated in Forest Park, Bhubaneswar.

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