Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 10 July 2024 | Download PDF

• Senegal’s President is suddenly faced with a huge challenge of reuniting the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a weakened regional bloc that is older than him.

About ECOWAS:

• Establishment: ECOWAS was established on May 28, 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos.
• Objective: The primary aim is to promote economic integration across the West African region.
• Member States: ECOWAS comprises 15 member states:
  • Benin
  • Burkina Faso
  • Cape Verde
  • Ivory Coast
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Guinea
  • Guinea-Bissau
  • Liberia
  • Mali
  • Niger
  • Nigeria
  • Senegal
  • Sierra Leone
  • Togo
• Official Languages: English, French, and Portuguese.
• Headquarters: The ECOWAS headquarters is located in Abuja, Nigeria.
• Key Institutions:
  • ECOWAS Commission
  • Community Court of Justice
  • ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)
  • West African Health Organisation (WAHO)
  • ECOWAS Parliament
• Economic Integration: Focuses on creating a single large trading bloc through the removal of trade barriers, establishment of a customs union, and ultimately a single currency.
• Peacekeeping and Security: ECOWAS has a significant role in regional peacekeeping, conflict resolution, and security initiatives, including the establishment of the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).

• Central Asian countries hold joint military drills without Russia, China.

About Birlestik-2024:

• Objective: The drills aim to enhance military cooperation and readiness among the participating nations.
• Participants: Central Asian countries conducted joint drills involving 
  • Kazakhstan, 
  • Kyrgyzstan, 
  • Uzbekistan, 
  • Tajikistan, and 
  • The Caucasus country of Azerbaijan. 
• Turkmenistan is absent.
• Host: Kazakhstan is hosting the drills.
• Duration and Location: The exercises are taking place in the Caspian Sea and will last until July 17.
• Central Asian countries typically participate in drills with Russia (Collective Security Treaty Organisation) and China (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation).

• The Russian President has given instructions to discharge the Indian soldiers serving at the Ukraine war front after the PM’s ‘direct intervention’.

About India-Russia Relationship:

• • Political Relations:
    • Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1971): Signed between India and the Soviet Union, marking a watershed moment in relations.
    • Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation (1993): Entered after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
    • Strategic Partnership (2000): Acquired during President Putin’s visit to India.
    • Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership (2010): Elevated status of the relationship.
• Defense and Security Cooperation:

• • Flagship Cooperation: BrahMos Missile System, licensed production of SU-30 aircraft, and T-90 tanks in India.
  • Agreements:
    • Supply of S-400 air defense systems.
    • Construction of frigates under Project 1135.6.
    • Joint venture for manufacturing Ka-226T helicopters in India.
  • Military Exercises: Annual exchanges and training exercises termed INDRA.
• Trade and Economic Relations:
  • Bilateral Investment and Trade Targets:
    • Revised targets: US $50 billion investment and US $30 billion trade by 2025.
    • Bilateral trade reached $65.70 billion in FY 2023-24.
  • Oil Trade:
    • India buys discounted Russian oil to mitigate the inflationary impact of rising crude prices since the Ukraine war.
• Nuclear Energy:
  • Recognition: Russia recognizes India as having advanced nuclear technology with a non-proliferation record.
  • Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP): Built in India with Russian cooperation.
• Eastern Maritime Corridor:
  • Proposed sea route between Chennai, India, and Vladivostok, Russia.
  • Route passes through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea, and the Malacca Strait.
• Ganga-Volga Dialogue: Initiative for deeper cultural and people-to-people connections between India and Russia.
• New Consulates: India will establish new consulates in Kazan and Yekaterinburg, Russia.

• UNESCO designates 11 new biosphere reserves.

About Biosphere Reserves:

• Designation: Under the UNESCO’s MAB Programme by the Director-General of UNESCO based on decisions of the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB ICC).
• Recognition: Internationally recognized status.
• Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme:
  • Launched: 1971
  • Aim: Foster harmonious relationship between humans and their environment.
  • Functions:
    • Conservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity.
    • Socio-culturally and environmentally sustainable economic development.
    • Logistic support through research, monitoring, education, and training.
• Zones of Biosphere Reserves:
  • Core Areas: Strictly protected zones for conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species, and genetic variation.
  • Buffer Zones: Surround or adjoin core areas, used for activities compatible with ecological practices that support research, monitoring, training, and education.
  • Transition Areas: Areas where communities foster sustainable economic and human activities.
• Biosphere Reserves in India:
  • Total: 18 biosphere reserves.
  • Recognized under MAB Programme: 12 reserves.
  • First Reserve: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

• The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) reported that June 2023 was the warmest ever recorded, with the average temperature being 0.67°C above the 1991-2020 average.

About C3S:

• Thematic Information Service: C3S is one of six thematic information services provided by the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme of the European Union.
• Foundation: It builds on existing research infrastructures and knowledge available in Europe and beyond.
• Objective:
  • Provides authoritative information about the past, present, and future climate in Europe and globally.
  • Supports European climate policies and actions.
  • Aims to build a European society more resilient to human-induced climate change.
• Implementation: The service is implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission.
• Benefits to Society: Supports society by providing vital climate information, aiding in the development of strategies and actions to combat climate change.

• In a significant development aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Odisha is set to upgrade 800 schools into PM SHRI Schools (PM Schools for Rising India). 
• This initiative aims to transform these schools into exemplars of 21st-century education.

Key Features of PM SHRI Schools:

• Under this initiative, two schools in every block and urban area will be selected for transformation into PM SHRI Schools. 
• These schools will implement the curriculum recommended in NEP-2020, emphasizing a rooted, futuristic, and multilingual educational approach.

About:

• • The PM SHRI scheme was launched on September 7, 2022.
  • Aim:PM SHRI Scheme (PM Schools for Rising India) aims to qualitatively strengthen the existing schools and showcase the implementation of National Education Policy, 2020 and make them exemplary schools over a period of time.
  • Sponsoring Dept:Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education, GoI
  • It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
  • The total cost of the project will be Rs. 27360 crore spread over a period of 5 years. 
  • The total central share is Rs. 18,128 crore and state share is Rs. 9,232 crore over a period of 5 years.
  • The funding pattern is 60:40 between Centre and State Governments and UTs with legislature (except J&K). 
  • The sharing pattern is 90 (Centre):10 (State) for North Eastern and Himalayan States and UT of J&K and 100% for the Union Territories without legislature.
  • The duration of the scheme is from 2022-23 to 2026-27, after which it shall be the responsibility of the states/UTs to continue to maintain the benchmarks achieved by these schools.
• There are 6 pillars of PM SHRI schools derived from 9 chapters of NEP 2020 viz-
• Pillar 1- Access Infrastructure – Adequacy, Functionality, Aesthetics and Safety
• Pillar 2- Human Resources and School Leadership
• Pillar 3- Management, Monitoring and Governance
• Pillar 4- Beneficiary Satisfaction
• Pillar 5- Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
• Pillar 6- Inclusive Practices and Gender Equity

• Monsoon showers have revitalized Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapara district, drawing a plethora of resident birds to nest in its lush mangrove trees.

Bird Species:

Among the nesting birds are:

• Open-billed stork
• Little Cormorant
• Median Egret
• Large Egret
• Purple Heron
• Grey Heron
• Darter
• White Ibis
• Cattle Egret

Seasonal Patterns:

• Local birds utilize the monsoon season for nesting, while migratory birds arrive in winter to escape severe Himalayan conditions. 
• This cycle enriches Bhitarkanika’s avifauna, sustained by the diverse habitat within its mangrove forests.

• The Justice Biswanath Rath Committee has proposed to open the Ratna Bhandar on July 14, pending approval from the state government.
• The proposal, endorsed by the committee, awaits state government approval as per the Shri Jagannath Temple Rules, 1960.
• The committee, chaired by Justice Rath, oversees the inventory and conservation of the temple’s treasures.
• A detailed Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been drafted for the opening, inventory, and conservation works.

Background:

• The Ratna Bhandar at Shree Jagannath temple houses valuable jewels and ornaments belonging to the trinity (Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra, and Lord Balabhadra).
• Temple rules strictly prohibit taking these items outside the Srimandir, necessitating their storage within the temple premises.

• Researchers at IIT Bhubaneswar have developed pervious concrete pavements as a sustainable urban solution to address issues like urban flooding and the heat island effect caused by traditional impervious pavements such as bituminous and concrete surfaces.

Features of Pervious Concrete Pavements:

• Pervious concrete pavements are designed with interconnected voids having at least 15% porosity. 
• This unique feature allows stormwater to percolate through the pavement, facilitating groundwater recharge.

Benefits and Findings:

Water Storage Capacity

• The pervious concrete pavements were able to store over 20 cubic meters of water without causing runoff.

Environmental Benefits:

• Reduced urban heat island (UHI) effect: The pavements showed lower surface temperatures compared to traditional bituminous surfaces during the summer season, thereby mitigating heat buildup in urban areas.

All rights are reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of Adda247.