Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 09 December 2023 | Download PDF

• India extended a $250 million Line of Credit for modernisation of agriculture in Kenya.
• Both sides will carry out joint military exercises and will collaborate on counter-terror projects.

Think:

Have a look at the Bordering countries of Kenya

• India’s services sector momentum faltered to a one-year low in November, as per the seasonally adjusted S&P Global India Services Business Activity Index
• Taken together with the manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), November marked the weakest rise in private sector activity in the country in a year.

About Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI)

• Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an economic indicator, which is derived after monthly surveys of different companies.
• It measures activity at the purchasing or input stage.
• In this sense, it is very different from industrial production which is indicative of actual production.
• E.g., the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) measures output.
• There are two types of PMI — Manufacturing PMI and Services PMI.
• The index shows trends in both the manufacturing and services sector.
• PMI does not capture informal sector activity.

The Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, the former seeking to reserve seats for “Kashmiri migrants, people displaced from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir [PoK] and Scheduled Tribes” in the yet-to-be constituted 114-seat J&K Assembly.

Key points

• The reservation of seats for Kashmiri migrants, who were displaced from their own homes in the 1990s, will ensure that the voice of the community is heard “loud and clear in the J&K Assembly”.
• The Reorganisation Bill increases the total number of seats in the J&K Assembly from 107 to 114, with reservation of nine seats for the Scheduled Tribes for the first time. 
• It also empowers the Lieutenant-Governor to nominate three members in the Assembly — two from the Kashmiri migrant community including one woman, and the third member being a representative of people from PoK who took refuge in India following the wars with Pakistan in 1947, 1965 and 1971.

As conflict intensifies between armed resistance groups and the Myanmar military in the Chin, Shan and Sagaing provinces, India reminded Myanmar to return to the path of federal democracy.

Key points

• India and Myanmar held discussions on a wide range of issues covering the situation along the border, security, trade, commerce, connectivity, status of bilateral development projects in Myanmar and concerns related to transnational crimes.
• India reiterated its support to Myanmar for a transition towards a federal democracy
• India continued to support people-centric socio-economic developmental projects, including connectivity projects and projects under the Rakhine State Development Programme and Border Area Development Programme for the benefit of the people of Myanmar

Gujarat’s traditional dance form ‘Garba’ was included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Key points

• The popular dance form is the 15th cultural item from India to make it to the UNESCO list. 
• Kolkata’s Durga Puja was the last one added two years ago.
• The inclusion has been made under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. 
• The international cultural body described the ‘Garba’ as a ritualistic and devotional dance performed in India.

Kendrapara’s Satabhaya and Pentha sea beaches have experienced the highest level of coastal erosion in Odisha

Key points

• National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) under the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has monitored shoreline changes in the country and observed that 33.6 per cent of India’s coastline is vulnerable to erosion, while 26.9 per cent is under accretion and 39.6 per cent is in stable condition.
• With a total erosion of 44,94,576.08 square metre, the Satabhaya beach has lost the most amount of land to sea, while the Pentha beach has lost a total of 36,45,514.06 square metre. 
• Similarly, Aryapalli beach in Ganjam has suffered erosion of 6,76,471.18 square metre and the Golden Beach in Puri lost 3,78,979.57 square metre.

• Odisha government plans to set up public health laboratory in each block and district 
• The government’s plan aims at strengthening the laboratory network in the state for the convenience of the patients. 
• Services like haematology, microbiology, cytology, and pathology would be made available to them under one roof

Odisha Chief Minister congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation on the successful training launch of the Agni-1 Missile.

About Agni-1

• Agni- 1 ballistic missile is a medium-Range Ballistic Missile having range 700–900 km.
• It is a single-stage, solid-fuel missile.
• It is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead with an estimated payload of 1,000 kg.
• The latest upgrade to the Agni-1 missile includes a new guidance system that makes it more accurate and a new warhead that increases its destructive power.

• Dubai-based Odia scuba divers Priyadarshee Panigrahi and his 13-year-old daughter Tisya Panigrahi have sent out a unique appeal to the ongoing COP 28.
• The father-daughter duo dived around 70-feet-deep in Maldives in the pristine coral reefs near the Sun Siyam Olhuveli resort in South Male Atoll.
• After reaching around 70-feet depth in crystal clear waters, surrounded by colorful corals and prolific marine life, they gave out their appeal by holding placards which carried the logo of COP 28 UAE and the simple yet powerful message of ‘PLEASE UNITE.ACT.DELIVER’.

• Tata Steel’s Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division (FAMD) organised a bird-watching session at its Sukinda Chromite Mine campus in Odisha’s Jajpur district
• It was aimed at promoting environmental awareness and biodiversity conservation
• The company invited ornithologists and naturalists, who shared valuable insights into various bird species inhabiting the region and emphasised on the importance of preserving these ecosystems.

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