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

• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has announced the launch of two new initiatives.
• The first initiative is the ‘AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0’. 
• The second initiative is the fifth edition of the ‘Innovations for You’ handbook.

About AIM – ICDK Water Challenge 4.0:

• This initiative is designed to address critical water-related challenges in India through inventive solutions.
• The challenge is a collaborative effort with the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK) at the Royal Danish Embassy in India.

• In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the victory of two candidates serving prison sentences on terror charges has raised questions about their ability to take oath and function as legislators.

About Rights of  Members of Parliament:

• Legal Framework: Under Section 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 (RPA), MPs are disqualified if they are convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years.
• Constitutional Right: Jailed leaders, despite their imprisonment, have the constitutional right to take oath as Members of Parliament.
• Temporary Bail: Jailed leaders can seek temporary bail or custody to attend the oath-taking ceremony and perform other ancillary functions as MPs.
• Oath-Taking: Jailed leaders can take oath as MPs, but they must seek permission from authorities to be escorted to Parliament for the ceremony.
• Inability to Attend Proceedings: After taking the oath, they must inform the Speaker in writing about their inability to attend House proceedings.
• Speaker’s Referral: The Speaker will refer their requests to the House Committee on Absence of Members, which will make a recommendation on their absence.
• Conviction and Disqualification: If convicted and sentenced to a minimum of two years in prison, they will immediately lose their seats in the Lok Sabha.

• Recently, the Governor and Chief Minister of Jharkhand paid tribute to the tribal icon Birsa Munda on his death anniversary.

About Birsa Munda:

• Birth and Death:
  • Born: November 15, 1875
  • Died: June 9, 1900, at the age of 25
• Tribal Affiliation: Belonged to the Munda tribe in the Chota Nagpur Plateau area.
• Role and Influence:
  • Folk hero and tribal freedom fighter
  • Played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement, especially in tribal regions of British India
  • Encouraged the tribe to stick to their traditions and return to their tribal roots
• Munda Rebellion (Ulgulan/Tamar Revolt):
  • Spearheaded an Indian tribal mass movement in the Bihar and Jharkhand belts in the early 19th century
  • Led a series of guerrilla warfare campaigns against the British forces
  • United various tribal communities under the banner of the Munda Raj
• Religious Contributions:
  • Founded the faith of Birsait, blending animism and indigenous beliefs with a single god worship
  • Nicknamed ‘Dharti Aba’ or the father of the earth
• Recognition:
  • The state of Jharkhand was created on his birth anniversary in 2000 in recognition of his impact on the national movement.
  • November 15 was declared ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Divas’ by the Central Government in 2021.

• A rare four-horned antelope has been sighted for the first time in the Veerangana Durgavati Tiger Reserve.
• The reserve is located in the Sagar district, Madhya Pradesh.
• The reserve was previously known as the Nauradehi Sanctuary.

About Chousingha:

• Scientific Name: Tetracerus quadricornis
• Distribution:
  • Endemic to India and Nepal.
  • In India, it ranges from the foothills of the Himalayas to the Deccan Plateau.
• Habitat:
  • Prefers open, dry, deciduous forests in hilly terrain.
  • Inhabits areas with significant grass cover or heavy undergrowth, often near water bodies.
• Physical Features:
  • Smallest antelope found in Asia.
  • Unique feature: males have four horns (two between the ears and two on the forehead).
• Behavior: Typically diurnal and solitary, but can be found in loose groups of three to four.
• Conservation Status: Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

• Widespread protests and riots erupted in New Caledonia in response to the French parliament’s decision to amend the voters’ list.

About New Caledonia:

• Location: New Caledonia is a French overseas territory located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,500 km east of Australia.
• History: Originally inhabited by the Kanaks, New Caledonia came under French control in 1853. Post-WWII, Kanaks gained French citizenship, but 1960s French migration made them a minority, sparking an independence movement.
• Independence Movement: Tensions led to the Matignon Agreements (1988) and Nouméa Accord (1998), promising three independence referendums. The 2018, 2020, and 2021 referendums favored France, despite COVID-19 concerns, which angered the Kanaks.
• Economic Resources: The island is rich in natural resources, notably nickel, which is vital for various industries, including manufacturing and technology.

• Mohan Charan Majhi, a 53-year-old RSS member, began his political career as the sarpanch of Raikala in 1992. He held this position until 1997, laying the foundation for his remarkable journey in politics.

Political Ascent:

• Majhi won the Keonjhar seat in 2000 and again in 2004, marking the beginning of his political ascent.
• Although he faced defeats in the 2009 and 2014 elections, he remained active at the grassroots level.
• His perseverance paid off when he won the Keonjhar seat again in the 2019 election. 
• As the Opposition Chief Whip in the Assembly, Majhi played a crucial role in holding the BJD government accountable, exposing various irregularities and leveraging his legal knowledge.

Public Service and Organizational Skills:

• A member of the Santali community, Majhi is renowned for his public service and organizational skills. 
• He chaired the Public Accounts Committee in the last Assembly and was a member of the Standing Committee on SC and ST under the ORV Act.
• Additionally, he served as the government deputy chief whip from 2005 to 2009 during the BJD-BJP coalition government.

• Odisha is experiencing a surge in dengue cases despite the southwest monsoon not yet covering significant areas of the state. 

About:

• Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), is a disease transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes, primarily the Aedes aegypti mosquito. 
• This virus is more common in tropical and subtropical climates. 
• The severe form of dengue fever, also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever, can lead to serious bleeding, a sudden drop in blood pressure (shock), and even death.
• There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. However, early detection of disease progression associated with severe dengue, and access to proper medical care, can reduce fatality rates of severe dengue to below 1%. 
• In 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the dengue vaccine CYD-TDV or Dengvaxia, making it the first dengue vaccine to receive regulatory approval in the US.

• After a gap of 25 years, Odisha will once again have two deputy chief ministers. 
• The last instance of such an arrangement was in the Congress government led by Janaki Ballav Patnaik, where Hemananda Biswal (1995-98) and Basanta Biswal (1995-99) served as deputy chief ministers.

Key points:

• This time, the BJP government will appoint KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida as the deputies to Chief Minister designate Mohan Charan Majhi.
• KV Singh Deo, a prominent BJP leader, has been a member of the legislative Assembly from Patnagarh for six terms. 
• His political journey began with an unsuccessful attempt to contest the Balangir Lok Sabha constituency in 1991. He was first elected to the legislative Assembly in 1995 from the Patnagarh seat and has since been re-elected multiple times. 
• Pravati Parida, aged 57, has seen a rapid rise within the BJP, reflecting her exceptional leadership skills and the party’s commitment to nurturing talent.

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