Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 12 December 2024 | Download PDF

National and International News

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a complete and annotated edition of the works of C. Subramania Bharati in New Delhi.

Key Points:

• He was a poet, freedom fighter, and social reformer from Tamil Nadu.
• He was known as Mahakavi Bharathiyar, and the laudatory epithet Mahakavi means a great poet.
• He is considered one of India’s greatest poets. His songs on nationalism and freedom of India helped to rally the masses to support the Indian Independence Movement in Tamil Nadu.
• Bharathi joined as Assistant Editor of the Swadesamitran, a Tamil daily, in 1904.
• In 1907, he started editing the Tamil weekly India and the English newspaper Bala Bharatham with M.P.T. Acharya.
• He assisted Aurobindo in the Arya journal and later Karma Yogi in Pondicherry.
• Bharathi was essentially a lyrical poet. Bharati’s best-known works included Kaṇṇan pattu (1917; Songs to Krishna), Panchali sapatham (1912; Panchali’s Vow), and Kuyil pattu (1912; Kuyil’s Song). 
• He also translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra and Bhagavat Gita into Tamil.

• The Geological Institute of Israel uncovered a never before known underwater canyon near Cyprus. 
• The canyon, known as Eratosthenes for the underwater mountain it is near, dates back to the Messinian Event that transpired about 5.5 million years ago.

Key Points:

• The canyon, known as Eratosthenesfor the underwater mountain it is near, dates back to the Messinian Event that transpired about 5.5 million years ago.
• The canyon is about 10 km wide and 500 m deep and was buried at the beginning of the Messinian period before the deposition of the salt layer.
• It was created when the level of the Mediterranean Sea decreased at the same time there was a rise in the salinity of the water, which apparently created gravity currents or dense solutions that caused the destabilization of the submarine slopes and subsidence of the seabed.
• According to the institute in a broader aspect this work reveals the environmental conditions of high salinity and lower sea level in the deep Mediterranean basin at the beginning of the Messinian event.
• Also known as the Messinian salinity crisis, the Messinian event was a geological event during which the Mediterranean Sea went into a cycle of partial or nearly complete desiccation.

• The Rajya Sabha was informed that invasive thrips caused 80% damage to chilli crops.

Key Points:

• Nature– It is an invasive pest species.
• Origin– This thrips originates from Southeast Asia and was first found in Florida in 2020. It is a polyphagous pest that causes damage to vegetable, ornamental, and fruit crops.
• Spread– The last two decades have witnessed a drastic extension in the geographic distribution. It is now found in France, Greece, Hawaii, Mauritius, Reunion, Spain, Tanzania and the Netherlands, besides India.
• In India– This species was first reported on Papaya from Bengaluru in 2015.
• Infestation– Adults mainly colonize on flowers and underside of leaves whereas larvae suck sap from under the surface
• Impact– Infestation causes heavy flower drop and thereby reduces fruit production. Its infestation increases during heavy rainfall of the North East monsoon. This has caused 40-80% damage to chilli crops in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

• Astronomers have discovered a protoplanetary disk (a swirling ring of gas and dust) in the GG Tau A system, located 489 light-years from Earth.
• The discovery offers valuable insights into planet formation in multi-star environments.
• Researchers from the National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) in Odisha utilized advanced radio telescopes in Chile’s Atacama Desert for the study. 

Key Points:

About GG Tau A System

• Triple-Star System: GG Tau A consists of three interacting stars, located 489 light-years from Earth.
• Young Age: The system is only 1–5 million years old, making it ideal for studying early planetary formation.
• Planet-Birth Environment: The system features a gas and dust disk, which serves as the birthplace of planets.
• Star Interactions: The three stars interact with each other, significantly affecting the disk and making planet formation more unpredictable compared to single-star systems.
• Unique Forces: Forces between the stars cause the disk to behave differently, offering insights into the complexities of multi-star environments.

• India is set to finalise a landmark USD 4 billion defence agreement with Russia, aimed at acquiring a Russian Voronezh ballistic missile attack early warning radar.

Key Points:

• The Voronezh radar system is a critical component of Russia’s early warning and missile defence infrastructure.
• It is capable of identifying and tracking a range of threats, including ballistic missiles and aircraft, over distances of up to 8,000 kilometers.
• Introduced in 2009, these radars have been operational since 2012 and are strategically deployed across Russia to provide extensive coverage against potential missile threats.
• These radars employ phased array technology, which allows for rapid electronic steering of the beam. This makes them highly efficient and less mechanically complex than older systems.
• There are several varieties of these radars operating in the meter (Voronezh-M), decimeter (Voronezh-DM), or centimeter (Voronezh-CM) wavelength range, as well as a few others that combine several ranges.
• The different Voronezh radars can work in unison as part of an integrated Missile Attack Early Warning System to generate a comprehensive radar picture of potential missile threats and space activity.
• These radars are crucial for early warning against ballistic missile threats and are positioned to optimise detection capabilities across various threat vectors.

• 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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