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

• Scientists at the ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBFGR) are working on sea anemones in the Lakshadweep group of islands.
• They have observed mass anemone bleaching off the Agatti island.
• While coral bleaching is not new in Lakshadweep, this is the first time sea anemone bleaching has been observed in these islands.

About Sea anemone:

• Sea anemones are invertebrate aquatic animals with soft bodies and the ability to sting.
• They belong to the phylum Cnidaria and are ocean-dwelling creatures.
• They have a sticky foot or disc that allows them to anchor to rocks on the sea bottom or on coral reefs.
• They are known to form symbiotic relationships with other animals, the most well-known alliance being with clownfish. 

• Panama is on the verge of a significant change to its immigration policy.
• This change could have effects from the dense Darien jungle to the U.S. border.

About Panama:

• Panama is a country in Central America, located on the Isthmus of Panama, the narrow bridge of land that connects North and South America.
• It is bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia and is situated between the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean.
• Panama is renowned as the site of the Panama Canal, which cuts through its midsection.
• Panama has the largest rainforest in the Western Hemisphere outside the Amazon Basin.
• Capital: Panama City.

• The 19th Session of the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF19) took place from May 6-10, 2024 in New York, United States.
• By the end of the forum on May 10, the declaration aimed to achieve agreement on a high-level political commitment to forest protection.
• The declaration included specific actions for effective implementation of the UN Strategic Plan for Forests (UNSPF) by UNFF and its stakeholders.

About United Nations Forum on Forests:

• The United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) was established in 2000 by the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
• The UNFF promotes the management, conservation, and sustainable development of all types of forests.
• The forum has universal membership and is composed of all Member States of the United Nations and specialized agencies.
• The UNFF meets annually at the UN Headquarters in New York for high-level dialogue on technical matters in odd years and policy matters in even years.
• India is a founding member of UNFF.

• A new clinical trial has been conducted on the performance of infusions of immune-calming regulatory T cells for children with type 1 diabetes.
• The trial shows that a single dose of these cells can be efficiently transferred in children.
• However, the trial does not show signs of preserving insulin-releasing cells in the pancreas.

About T cells:

• T cells, also known as T lymphocytes or thymocytes, are a type of white blood cell.
• They are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow.
• T cells help protect the body from infection and may help fight cancer.
• There are two main types of T cells: Cytotoxic T-cells, which destroy infected cells, and Helper T-cells, which send signals that direct other immune cells to fight infection.
• T cells circulate until they encounter their specific antigen, rather than generically attacking any antigens.
• When a T-cell receptor fits with its viral antigen on an infected cell, the Killer T-cell releases cytotoxins to kill that cell.

• Astronomers have finally located a rocky planet with an atmosphere. 
• But it appears to have a surface of molten rock and offers no hope for habitability.

Key points:

• The planet is described as a “super-Earth”, a rocky world significantly larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
• It orbits close to a star that is dimmer and slightly less massive than the sun, completing an orbit every 18 hours or so.

About 55 Cancri e:

• The planet, also known as Janssen, is an exoplanet and a super-Earth located about 41 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cancer.
• Its surface temperature is about 3,140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The planet is probably tidally locked, meaning it perpetually has the same side facing its star, similar to how the moon faces Earth.

• The Dongria Kondh community in Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills has announced a boycott of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Assembly polls to protest the government’s neglect of their development. 
• The community alleges that many of its members have been falsely implicated in cases due to their protests against the misuse of natural resources in Niyamgiri, including minerals, water, land, and forests.

About:

• • The Dongria Kondh people, belonging to the Munda ethnic group, reside in the Niyamgiri hills, spanning across 250 sq.km in Odisha’s Rayagada and Kalahandi Districts.
  • Their belief system centers around Niyam Raja, the paramount deity of the Niyamgiri jungle.
  • With an approximate population of 8,000 individuals, they inhabit around 100 villages in the region.
• The name “Dongria Kondh” originates from “dongar,” signifying ‘hill,’ while they refer to themselves as “Jharnia,” translating to ‘protector of streams.’

• Their primary language is Kui, which is predominantly spoken within the Kondh community, albeit it lacks a written form.
• Distinctive in appearance, Dongria women adorn multiple rings through their ears and three nose rings, while men typically wear two nose rings. Girls embellish their hair with clips and wear rings and beads around their necks.
• Their livelihood is sustained through horticulture and shifting cultivation, reliant on the resources provided by the Niyamgiri forests.

• A 17-year-old Royal Bengal Tiger named ‘Nandan’ passed away at Nandankanan Zoological Park in Odisha. 

Key points:

• Nandan had entered the zoo in 2013 from Chandaka Sanctuary and had offspring with tigress Megha, siring five cubs in total.

About:

• Nandankanan Zoological Park, located 15 km from Odisha’s capital, Bhubaneswar, was inaugurated in 1960. 
• It holds the distinction of being the first zoo in India to join the World Association of Zoos & Aquariums (WAZA), a global alliance dedicated to animal care and conservation worldwide. 
• The park is renowned for its successful breeding programs, particularly for the Indian pangolin and white tiger. 
• Other species like leopards, mouse deer, lions, ratel, and vultures are also bred here. 
• Additionally, Nandankanan was the world’s first facility to breed gharials in captivity, establishing a captive crocodile breeding center in 1980. 
• The State Botanical Garden within Nandankanan serves as a significant plant conservation and nature education hub in Odisha.

• Odisha aims to implement a new road safety policy to slash road accident fatalities by 50% by 2030.

Key points:

• Objective: Odisha aims to reduce road accidents and fatalities by 50% by 2030 through a new road safety policy.
  • Focus Areas: The policy emphasizes the 4Es – Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Care, along with administrative and technology-enabled interventions.
  • Research Promotion: Priority areas will be identified for road safety research, with key institutions and academicians nominated to carry out research activities. Collaboration with automobile industry bodies is planned to establish research facilities.
• Centre of Excellence (CoE): A CoE will be established to foster innovations and advancements in road safety, prioritizing root cause analysis of major accidents for corrective measures.

• Legal and Financial Support: The policy includes strengthening legal provisions and financial support for sustainability, along with enhancing emergency and trauma care facilities.
• Establishment of Authority: The Odisha Road Safety Authority will be established to rationalize and expedite road safety actions, plan budgeting, and expenditure.
• Feedback and Finalization: Departments have been asked to submit feedback on the draft policy by May 15, after which it will be finalized with suggestions incorporated.

Statistics:

• Odisha recorded 36,463 fatalities and 75,147 injuries in 77,637 accidents in the last 7 years.
• On average, 15 persons die in road accidents every day in the state.
• The highest number of deaths, 5,739, occurred in 11,992 road accidents in 2023.

• The NGT’s East Zone bench in Kolkata criticized the state government’s affidavit regarding harmful tourism in Satkosia Tiger Reserve and Mahanadi river’s gorge.
• The counter affidavit did not address the structures constructed in the ecologically sensitive area, prompting the NGT to seek a fresh affidavit within four weeks.

Satkosia Tiger Reserve:

• • Satkosia Tiger Reserve is located in the heartland of Odisha and spread over four districts viz. Angul, Cuttack, Boudh and Nayagarh.
  • The Satkosia Tiger Reserve,  was declared as a tiger reserve in 2001.
  • It comprises of two adjoining Sanctuaries of central Odisha named as Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Sanctuary.
• Satkosia gorge, running through the Tiger Reserve, is almost 14 miles long and was declared a Ramsar Site in 2021.

Flora:

• Sal is the predominant tree species, growing in dense clusters.
• Other accompanying species include Asan (Terminalia alata), Dhaura (Anogeissus latifolia), Bamboo (Dendrocalamus strictus), and Simal (Bombax ceiba).

Fauna:

• The reserve hosts a small population of tigers, leopards, elephants, spotted deer, sambar, chowsingha, barking deer, bison, wild dogs, sloth bears, jackals, giant squirrels, and porcupines.
• It serves as the natural habitat for two endangered species, the freshwater crocodile and the gharial.

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