Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 13 December 2024 | Download PDF

• A House panel recommends raising the per-unit allocation for PMAY-G due to increasing inflation.

Key Points:

• • PMAY-G aims at providing a pucca house, with basic amenities, to all houseless householders and those households living in kutcha and dilapidated houses, by 2022.
  • The immediate objective is to cover 1.00 crore households living in kutcha houses/ dilapidated houses in three years from 2016-17 to 2018- 19.
• Features:

• • The minimum size of the house has been increased to 25 sq.mt (from 20 sq.mt) with a hygienic cooking space.
  • The unit assistance has been increased
  • From Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.20 lakh in plain (to be shared in the ratio 60:40 between Central and State Government) and
  • From Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.30 lakh for North Eastern and the Himalayan States (90:10).
  • The assistance for construction of toilets shall be leveraged through convergence with SBM-G, MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.
  • For convergence for piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection, etc., different government programmes are also to be attempted.

• India’s Gaganyaan space mission has entered its final preparation phase.

Key Points:

• Gaganyaan is the 1st human space flight programme of ISRO.
• Objective: To demonstrate indigenous capability of human space flight to low earth orbit.
• Launch vehicle: GSLV-Mk III, also called the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3).
• This mission consists of:
  • Two unmanned missions (G1 & G2): 2nd uncrewed mission (G2) will carry “Vyommitra” (a female-looking humanoid robot developed by ISRO to function on-board the Gaganyaan).
  • One manned mission (G3): The Orbital Module of the crewed mission will carry three Indian astronauts, including a woman into space for 7 days. It will orbit the Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km.
  • India will become the 4th nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission after the USA, Russia, and China.

• India takes part as Vice-Chair in the second meeting of the Supply Chain Council (SCC) under the India-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

Key Points:

• • It is a US-led initiative that aims to strengthen economic partnership among participating countries to enhance resilience, sustainability, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • The IPEF was launched in 2021 with a dozen initial partners who together represent 40% of the world GDP.
  • The IPEF is not a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) but allows members to negotiate the parts they want to. 
• The negotiations will be along four main “pillars”.

• • Supply-chain resilience
  • Clean energy, decarbonisation & infrastructure
  • Taxation & anti-corruption
  • Fair & resilient trade.
• Currently, India and 13 countries located in the Pacific Ocean are its members,
  • Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, United States, and Vietnam.

• Recently, the Union Government introduced Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in Lok Sabha to amend Disaster Management Act, 2005.  

Key Points:

• • Disaster Management (DM) Amendment Bill,, 2024 was enacted to provide for effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith.
  • The Bill aims to mainstream disaster management in development plans, aligning with recommendations of 15th Finance Commission.
  • The Amendment Bill will bring more clarity and convergence in roles of authorities and committees.
• Features:

• • National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) will prepare DM plans.
  • Contain information on type & severity of disaster risks, allocation of funds and expenditure, and disaster preparedness and mitigation plans.
  • Bill empowers NDMA to specify the number and category of officers and employees, with previous approval of the central government. 
  • Bill empowers the state government to constitute a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority (UDMA) for state capitals and cities with a municipal corporation except for Delhi and Chandigarh. 
  • Bill provides statutory status to NCMC and HLC. 
    • NCMC will function as the nodal body for dealing with major disasters with serious or national ramifications. 
    • HLC will provide financial assistance to state governments during disasters.  

Disaster Management Act 2005:

• It was enacted in the aftermath of the devastating 2004 tsunami.
• Establishment of Authorities: Act establishes a three-tier structure for disaster management.
  • National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): Headed by the Prime Minister, responsible for formulating policies, plans, and guidelines for disaster management at the national level.
  • State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs): Headed by the Chief Ministers, responsible for disaster management at the state level.
  • District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs): Led by the District Magistrate, responsible for implementing disaster management plans at the district level.

• India has reached a significant milestone in its economic journey, with gross foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows totaling an impressive $1 trillion since April 2000.
• Initiatives like “Make in India,” liberalised sectoral policies, and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) have enhanced investor confidence, while competitive labour costs and strategic incentives continue to attract multinational corporations.

Key Points:

• • It is a type of cross-border investment in which an investor from one country establishes a lasting interest in an enterprise in another country.
• Investments under the Automatic route

• • • It requires no prior permission, resulting in minimal monitoring.
    • It only requires the investor to inform the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the investment is made.
    • FDI up to 100%, under the automatic route is permitted for agriculture, manufacturing, airports, e-commerce, pharmaceuticals, and railway infrastructure.
• Investments under the Government route

• • • Prior to investment, approval from the Government of India is required.
    • It is permitted in sectors like defense & telecom (beyond 49%), mining (100%) and print media (26%).
• Security clearances

• • It apply only to specific areas such as broadcasting, defense, private security, civil aviation, and mining.
  • Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) overseeing scrutiny and security clearance.

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has urged Union Health Minister JP Nadda to establish a National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) in Odisha. 

Key Points:

• Aim for the institute is to enhance research and development capabilities, contributing to the growth of these industries in the region. 
• This initiative aligns with efforts to boost educational and professional opportunities.

About:

• NIPER is a premier institute in India for pharmaceutical education and research. 
• It was established by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.   

Key features of NIPER:

• Advanced Research: NIPER focuses on cutting-edge research in various areas of pharmaceutical sciences, including drug discovery, formulation development, and medicinal chemistry.   
• Quality Education: It offers high-quality education at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, producing skilled professionals in the pharmaceutical industry

• A Badminton High Performance Centre (HPC) was inaugurated at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on December 12, 2024. 
• The facility, named the Dalmia Bharat Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy, was launched with an investment of ₹75 crore and is a collaboration between the Odisha government, the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation, and Dalmia Bharat Group.
• The HPC features eight badminton courts, residential facilities for 50 players, a gymnasium, and a spectator capacity of 400.
• The badminton HPC, which is in the shape of a shuttlecock, can accommodate 36 players. It has a 200-seat amphitheate.

• The Odisha government has proposed a change in the definition of “homesteadless” individuals as part of its efforts to identify and assist those lacking land for housing. 
• This initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure that every citizen has access to a homestead plot and a roof over their head within the next five years.
• Under the new proposal, individuals will be considered homesteadless if they own less than one-twenty-fifth of an acre of homestead land.
• The plan includes allocating four decimals of land to eligible families residing on government land that is not classified as pasture, wetlands, or cremation grounds. 
• Additionally, slum dwellers will also be entitled to receive land, provided it meets specific criteria.

• Doordarshan Odia has commenced broadcasting news in the Santali language, marking a significant step towards inclusivity in media. 
• The launch took place on December 11, 2024, and was met with enthusiasm from various quarters, including President Droupadi Murmu.

About:

• Doordarshan, often abbreviated as DD, is India’s state-owned public television broadcaster. 
• Established on September 15, 1959, it has played a significant role in shaping the nation’s cultural and social landscape.

Note:

• Santhali was added to the Eighth Schedule in 2003 as part of the 92nd Amendment to the Constitution.

• The Odisha government has approved seven renewable energy projects worth ₹1,386 crore, with a total capacity of 192.41 MW. 
• The seven renewable energy projects were granted in-principle approval at the 8th meeting of the Single Window Committee (SWC) under the Odisha Renewable Energy Policy-2022. 

Key Points:

• This includes a 99 MW wind power project, five ground-based solar projects totaling 91.77 MW, and one rooftop solar project of 1.64 MW. 

About:

• The Odisha Renewable Energy Policy-2022 is a comprehensive framework aimed at accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources in the state. 
• This policy seeks to harness the state’s abundant renewable energy potential, including solar, wind, hydro, and biomass.

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.