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

• SDG India Index 2023-24, the fourth edition was released by NITI Aayog.

About SDG India Index 2023-24:

• Release and Launch: Released by NITI Aayog.
• Purpose: Measures and tracks national progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for all States and UTs.
• Indicators: 113 indicators aligned with MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework (NIF).
• Scoring and Progress:
  • Scoring: 
    • Composite scores for States and UTs range between 0-100. 
    • Higher scores indicate greater progress.
  • National Progress: India’s composite score improved from 57 in 2018 to 66 in 2020-21, and 71 in 2023-24.
  • Significant Goals: Notable advancements in Goals 1 (No Poverty), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 13 (Climate Action) which are in the ‘Front Runner’ category (score 65-99).
• Government Interventions:
  • Housing: Over 4 crore houses under PM Awas Yojana (PMAY).
  • Sanitation: 11 crore toilets and 2.23 lakh Community Sanitary Complexes in rural areas.
  • Cooking Fuel: 10 crore LPG connections under PM Ujjwala Yojana.
  • Water: Tap water connections in over 14.9 crore households under Jal Jeevan Mission.
  • Healthcare: Over 30 crore beneficiaries under Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
  • Food Security: Coverage of over 80 crore people under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
  • Medical Access: 150,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandir for primary medical care and affordable generic medicines.
  • Financial Inclusion: Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of ₹34 lakh crore through PM-Jan Dhan accounts.
  • Skill Development: Skill India Mission trained and upskilled over 1.4 crore youth and reskilled 54 lakh youth.
  • Entrepreneurship: PM Mudra Yojana sanctioned 43 crore loans totaling ₹22.5 lakh crore.
  • Renewable Energy: Increase in solar power capacity from 2.82 GW to 73.32 GW in the past decade.
  • Electric Capacity: Added around 100 GW of installed electric capacity between 2017 and 2023, 80% from non-fossil fuels.
  • Digital Infrastructure: Reduced internet data costs by 97%, fostering financial inclusion.

• Centralised hiring leads to language, cultural barriers in Eklavya schools.

About EMRS:

• Introduction: EMRS are aimed at providing quality education to tribal students in remote areas.
• Objective: To bridge the educational gap between tribal and non-tribal populations, providing equal opportunities for higher education and career advancement.
• Establishment: Initiated by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in 1997-98.
• Purpose: To provide holistic education to Scheduled Tribe students from Class VI to XII, enabling their overall development.
• Curriculum: Follows the CBSE curriculum with emphasis on both academics and extracurricular activities.
• Facilities: Includes well-equipped classrooms, laboratories, libraries, hostels, sports facilities, and residential quarters for staff.
• Funding: Fully funded by the Central Government under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
• Infrastructure: Built to accommodate at least 480 students, with provisions for boys and girls hostels.
• Teachers and Staff: Recruitment is centralized, and teachers are often from different states, leading to cultural and language adaptation challenges.
• Locations: Spread across various states in India, especially in areas with a significant tribal population.

• The Public Distribution System (PDS) impact on household expenditure.

About PDS:

• PDS is a government-sponsored chain of shops responsible for distributing basic food and non-food commodities to the needy at subsidized prices.
• Purpose: To provide essential items like rice, wheat, sugar, and kerosene to the poor at affordable prices and to ensure food security in the country.
• Implementation:
  • Operated through a network of Fair Price Shops (FPS) across the country.
  • Managed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• Components:
  • Central Pool: Food grains procured by the government and stored for distribution.
  • Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS): Categorizes households into Above Poverty Line (APL), Below Poverty Line (BPL), and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY).
• Legislation:
  • National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: Legal entitlement to subsidized food grains for approximately two-thirds of India’s population.
  • Coverage: Ensures food grains at subsidized rates to up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a notification allowing resident individuals to open Foreign Currency Accounts (FCAs) in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs) at GIFT City in Gujarat under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS).

About LRS:

• It is a foreign exchange policy initiative introduced by the RBI in 2004.
• It is intended to simplify and streamline the process of remitting funds outside India. 
• This scheme helped Indians overcome international fund transfer restrictions as set by the FEMA (Foreign Exchange Management Act), 1999.
• Under LRS, all resident individuals, including minors, are allowed to freely remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year (April–March).
• Only individual Indian residents are permitted to remit funds under LRS. Corporates, partnership firms, HUFs, trusts, etc. are excluded from its ambit.
• The remittances can be made in any freely convertible foreign currency.

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has approved seven new projects for the private sector under the Technology Development Fund scheme.

About Technology Development Fund scheme:

• Initiative: Part of the ‘Make in India‘ initiative to promote self-reliance in defence technology.
• Ministry: Ministry of Defence.
• Execution: Managed by DRDO to meet the needs of Tri-Services, Defence Production, and DRDO.
• Encouragement:
  • Encourages participation from public/private industries, especially MSMEs and startups.
  • Aims to create an ecosystem for enhancing cutting-edge technology capability in the defence sector.
• Benefits: Provides grants-in-aid for indigenous technology development and other benefits to the industry.
• Funding Support:
  • Project Cost: Up to INR 50 crore.
  • Funding Amount: Up to 90% of the total project cost.
  • Collaboration: Industry may collaborate with academia or research institutions (academia’s involvement should not exceed 40% of the total project cost).
• Project Duration: Maximum development period of four years.
• Ownership:
  • Must be owned and controlled by a resident Indian citizen.
  • Entities with more than 49% foreign investment are ineligible.
• Startups:
  • Must be recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
  • Nascent startups (incorporated less than three years from the application date) must be incubated at government-assisted incubators.
  • Should not have received any similar government grants.
  • Must be owned and controlled by a Resident Indian citizen with at least 51% shareholding.

• Sudarsan Pattnaik, a globally acclaimed artist from Odisha, has achieved the prestigious Golden Sand Master Award.

Key points:

• The award was conferred during the International Sand Sculpture Championship held at the Peter and Paul Fortress in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
• Sudarsan’s winning sculpture, a 12-foot depiction of Lord Jagannath’s Chariot and devotee Balaram Das, garnered international acclaim.

International Sand Sculpture Championship:

• The championship took place from July 4 to July 12, attracting 21 master sand sculptors worldwide.
• Sudarsan Pattnaik represented India as the sole participant from the country.
• The competition theme centered on History, Mythology, and Fairy Tales, aligning perfectly with Sudarsan’s artistic portrayal of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra.

• Recently conducted census at Bhitarkanika National Park, Kendrapara district, shows a decline in crocodile nest numbers compared to previous years.

Key points:

• DFO reported a total of 114 estuarine crocodile nests across four wildlife and forest ranges within the park.
• Last year, authorities identified 122 estuarine crocodile nests in the same ranges, indicating a decrease from the current census.

Nest Locations:

• This year, 102 nests were found in Kanika Forest and Wildlife Range, 10 in Rajnagar Range, and one each in Gahirmatha and Mahakalapara Ranges.
• Comparatively, the previous year recorded 107 nests in Kanika, 12 in Rajnagar, one in Gahirmatha, and two in Mahakalapara Ranges.

Nesting Behavior:

• Estuarine crocodiles typically nest in or near previous nesting sites, primarily within mangrove forests near water bodies.
• Females lay eggs in mound-like nests made of mangrove leaves and guard them until hatching, a process lasting 60 to 70 days.

Reproduction Insights:

• Female crocodiles at Bhitarkanika National Park, reaching up to 14 feet in length, lay between 45 to 60 eggs per clutch.
• Larger females tend to lay more eggs, according to forest officials.

Conservation Efforts:

• To support conservation, 50 eggs were collected from a wild nest in Kanika Range and placed in semi-natural conditions at the Crocodile Breeding and Research Centre in Dangamal within the park.
• Notably, captive albino crocodiles have also contributed to breeding efforts, with recent egg-laying by two albino crocodiles after a three-year gap.

• Following the onset of monsoon in the state, the sanctuary has witnessed a notable increase in its native bird population.

Key points:

• More than 50,000 birds have been observed in key regions such as Mathadia, Durgaprasaddia, and Lakshmiprasaddia within the sanctuary.
• Attraction for Nature Enthusiasts: The influx of these birds has transformed Bhitarkanika into a prime destination for nature lovers, drawn by the vibrant chirping and diverse avian species.

Behavior and Habitat Preferences:

• Seasonal Movement: Experts note that these birds migrate to Bhitarkanika during the monsoon season primarily for feeding and breeding purposes.
• Ecological Bonds: Additionally, they establish interactions with migratory birds that choose to stay in the sanctuary during this period.

Species Diversity:

• Prominent Species: Among the observed species are the openbill stork, water hen, egret, cormorant, black ibis, jacana, and various types of ducks.
• Nesting Habits: These birds are commonly found nesting in trees such as banyan, guava, tamarind, and neem, enhancing the natural ambiance of the sanctuary.
• Regional Distribution: Mathadia hosts a significant population of openbill storks, while Durgaprasaddia is frequented by egrets and water hens. Lakshmiprasaddia stands out with approximately 30,000 birds comprising various species.

Historical Context:

• Long-standing Habitat: The sanctuary has been a preferred destination for native birds for more than two decades, reflecting its ecological importance and suitability as a habitat.

• SOA University in Bhubaneswar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL), a unit under the Ministry of Defence.

Key points:

• The collaboration focuses on joint research, consultancy, advisory services, education, training, and projects.
• The MoU is valid for a period of five years, emphasizing research-based projects with clearly defined deliverables.

Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited:

• There are sixteen Central Public Sector Undertakings under the administrative control of the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence.
• AVNL with its headquarter at Avadi, Chennai has 5 factories located at Avadi, Chennai, Yeddumailaram, Jabalpur and Ambernath is engaged in the business of manufacturing of Armoured Vehicle, B Vehicles etc.
• It is one of the DPSUs formed consequent to the decision of Government of India to convert Ordnance Factory Board into 07 fully owned Government Corporate Entities.

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