Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 11 December 2024 | Download PDF

• The Centre appointed Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra as the 26th Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, just a day before the current Governor Shaktikanta Das’s six-year term concludes.

Key Points:

• • The RBI Governor is appointed under the authority of the RBI Act, 1934. 
  • The Central Government is responsible for the appointment.
  • The Financial Sector Regulatory Appointment Search Committee includes the Cabinet Secretary, the current RBI Governor, the Financial Services Secretary, and two independent members.
  • This committee prepares a list of eligible candidates.
  • Shortlisted candidates are interviewed, and the list is sent to the Cabinet Committee on Appointments, headed by the Prime Minister, for final confirmation.
  • Tenure: The Governor holds office for a term not exceeding five years, with the term determined by the government at the time of appointment.
  • The RBI Governor’s term is initially set at three years but can be extended by two more years if required.
• The term may end in two ways:

• • If the President of India decides to remove the Governor.
  • If the Governor chooses to resign and submits their resignation to the President.
• The Governor is eligible for reappointment or extension of their tenure.
• The RBI Act, 1934, does not specify any particular qualifications for the Governor.

• The Centre has stated that it will cover the additional ₹425.62 crore cost in FY 2024-25 due to inflation in food material prices under the centrally sponsored PM POSHAN Scheme.

Key Points:

• • It was earlier known as the National Programme of Mid-Day Meal in schools.
  • In September 2021, Mid-Day Meal Scheme was renamed as Pradhan Mantri POSHAN Scheme.
  • It is a centrally sponsored scheme under which one hot cooked meal is served to students studying in Balvatika and classes I to VIII, in Government and Government-aided schools on all school-days.
  • The scheme aims at providing nutritional support and enhancing school participation of students.
• The objectives of the Scheme are to address two of the pressing problems for the majority of children in India, viz. hunger and education by:

• • Improving the nutritional status of eligible children in Government and Government aided schools.
  • Encouraging poor children, belonging to disadvantaged sections, to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
  • Providing nutritional support to children of the elementary stage in drought-affected and disaster affected areas during summer vacation.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Education

• The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu graced and addressed the Human Rights Day celebration, organised by the National Human Rights Commission, in New Delhi.

Key Points:

• • The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a statutory body in India, established under the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act of 1993.
  • Thus, it is not a constitutional body.
  • It serves as the watchdog of human rights in the country.
  • It is tasked with safeguarding rights relating to life, liberty, equality, and dignity of individuals, which are guaranteed by the Constitution of India and embodied in the international covenants.
  • The Headquarters of the National Human Rights Commission is in New Delhi.
  • The Commission can also establish offices in other places in India.
• The specific objectives of the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission are as follows:

• • To strengthen the institutional arrangements through which human rights issues could be addressed in their entirety in a more focussed manner,
  • To look into the allegations of excesses, independently of the government, in a manner that would underline the government’s commitment to protect human rights,
  • To complement and strengthen the efforts that have already been made in this direction.

• On the occasion of his birth anniversary, Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla paid floral tributes to Bharat Ratna Shri Chakravarti Rajagopalachari in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.

Key Points:

• • Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, popularly known as Rajaji, was born on December 10th in 1878.
  • He studied law from the Presidency College in Madras (now Chennai), and began practice in Salem in the year 1900.
  • In 1916, he formed the Tamil Scientific Terms Society, an organisation that translated scientific terms of chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy and biology into simple Tamil words.
• In 1955, he was honoured with India’s highest civilian award Bharat Ratna.
• Political Career:

• • • He joined the Indian National Congress and acted as a legal advisor.
    • In 1939, Rajagopalachari took a step to abolish untouchability and caste prejudice and issued the Madras Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act.
    • In 1947, during the absence of Lord Mountbatten, the last British viceroy and independent India’s first Governor General, Rajagopalachari was temporarily chosen to hold the office.
• Rajagopalachari was made Home Affairs Minister after the death of Sardar Patel in 1950.

• • In 1959, he resigned from the Indian National Congress and founded the Swatantra Party.

• Recently, the various schemes/ programmes of the Government of India were introduced for the welfare of farmers by increasing production, remunerative returns and income support to farmers.

Key Points:

• The new Government the Union Cabinet has approved following programmes,
  • Clean plant Programme: The CPP aims to enhance the quality and productivity of horticulture crops by providing disease free planting material and will benefit dissemination and adoption of climate resilient varieties, with yield enhancement.
  • Digital Agriculture Mission: The Mission is conceived as an umbrella scheme to support digital agriculture initiatives, such as creating Digital Public Infrastructure, implementing the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and taking up other IT initiatives by the Central Government, State Governments, and Academic and Research Institutions.
  • Progressive expansion of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund Scheme: Expanded scope includes allowing individual eligible beneficiaries for creation of infrastructure covered under ‘viable projects for building community farming assets’, integrated processing projects, convergence of PM Kusum ‘A’.
  • National Mission on Edible Oils – Oilseeds (NMEO-Oilseeds): It aims to boost domestic oilseed production and achieve self-reliance in edible oils. The Mission will be implemented over a seven-year period, from 2024-25 to 2030-31.
  • National Mission on Natural Farming: The Union Cabinet approved the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF) on 25.11.2024 as a standalone Centrally Sponsored Scheme.

• Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam will visit Odisha during his India tour in January 2025.
• Singapore has also agreed to be the first country partner for Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha Conclave 2025, the flagship biennial investors’ meet scheduled for January 28-29.
• partnership aims to enhance business collaboration, particularly in sectors such as petrochemicals, green energy, and skills development. 
• This visit marks a significant step in strengthening economic and cultural ties between Singapore and Odisha, as both regions celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations.

About:

• Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha is a flagship initiative of the Government of Odisha aimed at accelerating industrial growth and promoting investment in the state. 
• This initiative focuses on creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive and generate employment opportunities.   

Key objectives of Utkarsh Odisha-Make in Odisha:

• Industrial Development
• Investment attraction 
• Skill Development 
• Infrastructure Development 
• Ease of Doing Business 

• Dhirendra Sambhaji Kutey, a 1997-batch IPS officer from the Odisha cadre, has been appointed as the Inspector General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF).
• His appointment is effective immediately and will last until his superannuation on February 29, 2028. 
• This decision was communicated through an official letter from the Union Government to Odisha’s Chief Secretary. 
• Kutey’s new role follows a period of controversy and reassignment within the Odisha Police, where he was previously an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) in the Home Department. 
• His appointment marks a significant return to a prominent position in national security.

• The Centre has partnered with Odisha to enhance mangrove restoration efforts, focusing on the Bhitarkanika and Mahanadi landscape areas. 
• This initiative is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Green Climate Fund.
• It aims to plant mangroves over 1,000 hectares to strengthen coastal resilience against climate change and natural disasters.
• The project is part of a broader strategy to protect mangrove ecosystems in coastal India

About:

• Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow in intertidal zones, where land meets the sea. 
• They form dense forests along coastlines, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. 
• Mangroves play a crucial role in coastal ecosystems, providing numerous benefits to both humans and the environment.

Types of Mangroves

• Mangroves can be classified into three main types based on their growth habits:
• True Mangroves: These are species that are exclusively found in mangrove forests and are adapted to survive in saline conditions. Examples include Rhizophora (red mangroves), Avicennia (black mangroves), and Bruguiera (white mangroves).
• Overwash Mangroves: These are species that can tolerate occasional saltwater inundation but are not as well adapted to saline conditions as true mangroves. They often grow on the fringes of mangrove forests or in areas with less frequent flooding.
• Washover Mangroves: These are species that are not typically found in mangrove forests but can occasionally be found in coastal areas, especially after storms or hurricanes. They are not well adapted to saline conditions and may struggle to survive in the long term.

Refer to Addapedia notes for detailed info on Bhitarkanika National Park.

• The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ (MoRTH) has approved the proposed alignment of a two-lane national highway connectivity over Chilika lagoon.
• It prompted concerns over potential biodiversity loss in the ecologically sensitive area. 

Key Points:

• The project aims to enhance connectivity between Gopalpur and Satapada.
• It includes plans for two bridges spanning 3.55 km over Chilika Lake, which is crucial for local wildlife and the ecosystem.
• While the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has assured that steps will be taken to minimize ecological disruption, the project remains subject to further environmental clearances and scrutiny from local stakeholders.

About:

• Chilika Lake, located in the state of Odisha is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia. 
• It is a significant wetland ecosystem and a Ramsar site, recognized for its rich biodiversity.
• The lake is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including migratory birds, fish, and endangered species like the Irrawaddy dolphin.  

• Paradip Port in Odisha has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing 100 million metric tons (MMT) in cargo handling for the eighth consecutive year, reaching 100.28 MMT.
• The port completed handling 100.13 million ton cargo 253 days in this fiscal year. 

Note:

• Paradip Port has emerged as one of top three ports in the country in terms of profitability in 2023-24 fiscal.
• Other two ports are: Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA and Cochin Port.

About:

• Paradip Port is a major deep-water seaport located on the east coast of Odisha. 
• It is one of the largest ports in India, handling a significant volume of cargo, including coal, iron ore, fertilizers, and petroleum products.

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