Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 14 May 2024 | Download PDF

• Eight years after the conclusion of the general framework of cooperation, India and Iran signed a 10-year contract for the operation of the Chabahar port in Iran.
• The long-term agreement was signed between Indian Ports Global Ltd. (IPGL) and the Port and Maritime Organisation (PMO) of Iran.

About Chabahar port:

• Chabahar Port, situated in Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan Province.
• It is located on the Gulf of Oman, making it Iran’s only oceanic port. 
• It is near Pakistan’s Gwadar Port and offers India a strategic foothold in the region, allowing bypass of Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• India has been a key player in the development of Chabahar Port. 
• The cooperation includes investments in infrastructure like the development of terminals and operational systems.
• Chabahar is part of India’s strategy to counter Chinese influence in the region, especially concerning the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). 

• The government is planning to spend over ₹2 crore per kilometre of road construction.
• The roads will be constructed along the China border in Uttarakhand and Sikkim.
• This initiative is part of the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP).

About VVP:

• • The Vibrant Village Programme (VVP) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented over the financial years 2022-23 to 2025-26.
  • Objective: The programme aims for comprehensive development of villages and blocks on the northern border, improving the quality of life of people living in identified border villages. 
    • It also aims to encourage people to stay in their native locations in border areas, reversing the outmigration from these villages, and improving the security of the border.
• Funding: The programme will provide funds for the development of essential infrastructure and the creation of livelihood opportunities in 2967 villages in 19 Districts and 46 Border blocks of 4 states and 1 UT along the northern land border of the country: Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the UT of Ladakh.

• Action Plans: Vibrant Village Action Plans will be created by the district administration with the help of Gram Panchayats, and 100 % saturation of Central and state schemes will be ensured. There will be no overlap with the Border Area Development Programme.

• 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.

• Swiss start-up Climeworks has launched Mammoth, the largest carbon dioxide capture and storage facility of its kind.
• The captured CO2 is intended to be buried underground.

Key points:

• The goal of this project is to prove that this technology can contribute to the fight against global warming.
• Mammoth began operations this week and is situated on a dormant volcano in Iceland.

About Mammoth:

• Mammoth is the largest carbon dioxide capture and storage facility.
• It is the second commercial direct air capture (DAC) facility by Climeworks in Iceland, significantly larger than its predecessor, Orca, which began operations in 2021.
• The working principle of this cutting-edge technology involves drawing in air and chemically extracting carbon dioxide. 
• The extracted CO2 can then be stored underground, converted into stone, or reused.
• The process of carbon sequestration utilizes Iceland’s abundant geothermal energy for power.

• The High Court of Meghalaya appointed a one-member panel to handle coal-related issues.
• The panel has raised concerns about the lack of progress in restoring the environment.
• This environmental damage was caused by rat-hole coal mining in the State.

About Rat-hole coal mining:

• Rat-hole mining is a method of manual drilling most common in Meghalaya, especially in the West Jaintia Hills, East Jaintia Hills, and West Khasi Hills.
• The term “rat hole” refers to the narrow pits dug into the ground, typically just large enough for one person to descend and extract coal using primitive tools such as pickaxes, shovels, and baskets.
• Rat-hole mining is broadly classified into two categories: Side-cutting procedure and Box-cutting.

• Odisha Governor Raghubar Das appointed Dr. Manash Ranjan Sahoo as the Vice Chancellor of Odisha University of Health Sciences (OUHS).

Role of Vice-Chancellor:

• Constitutional Position: The Vice-Chancellor (VC) is the ‘Principal Academic and Executive Officer’ of the University, as per the university’s constitution.
• Bridge Between Wings: Acts as a bridge between the executive and academic wings of the university, ensuring smooth functioning.
• Qualities Sought: Universities seek individuals with values, integrity, academic excellence, and administrative experience for this role.
• Commission Reports: Reports from various commissions like Radhakrishnan (1948), Kothari (1964-1966), Gnanam (1990), and Ramlal Parikh (1993) emphasize the VC’s role in maintaining quality, relevance, and growth of universities, adapting to changing needs.
• Chairman of Committees: The VC is the ex-officio Chairman of the Court, Executive Council, Academic Council, Finance Committee, and Selection Committees. In the Chancellor’s absence, the VC presides over university convocations for degree conferral.
• Duties and Powers: It is the VC’s duty to ensure full compliance with the Act, Statutes, Ordinances, and Regulations, with the necessary powers for this purpose.

• The Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) clarified that there is no provision for a ‘Challenge Vote’ in the electoral process.
• A viral message on social media misleadingly claimed that voters could use a ‘Challenge Vote’ if their name was not in the voter list, which is false.

Key points:

• • The Handbook for Presiding Officers, however, does indeed mention a ‘Challenged Vote’ .
• A ‘Challenged vote’ is where the polling agents challenge the identity of an elector and the presiding officer holds an inquiry into the challenge.

• • According to Rule 42 of The Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, if the Polling Officer tells a person that their vote has already been cast, then one should immediately bring this to the attention of the Presiding Officer.
  • In such a case, the Presiding Officer may ask questions to confirm one’s identity.
  • Once s/he is convinced that their identity is genuine, he or she will provide a tendered ballot paper and one can cast a ‘Tendered Vote’.
• ECI, had clarified in 2019 that tendered votes will be taken into account only on the direction of a High Court.

• “Courts have said that tendered votes should be taken into account only when they are likely to affect the outcome of the election, ie, when the margin of victory is less than the number of tendered votes.

• Ranjeeta Priyadarshini, a woman from Odisha, gained global recognition for her advocacy of paid period leave at the United Nations Civil Society Conference (UNCSC) 2024 in Nairobi.
• Her campaign emphasizes the importance of supporting women during menstruation and creating a healthier work environment.

Key points:

• • Ranjeeta’s initiative is based on Article 15 (3) and Article 42 of the Indian Constitution, which call for special provisions for women to ensure just and humane working conditions.
• Article 15(3) provides that the state may continue to make laws that provide special provisions for women and children. 
• Article 42 provides : The State shall make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief.

• The campaign’s tagline is “We are equal, not identical.”

About:

• The Conference offers civil society organizations an opportunity to put a global perspective on a specific issue and brings together senior UN System officials, prominent international civil society organizations, youth changemakers, academia, public opinion makers, and international media to discuss issues of global concern. 
• This international forum, expected to host some 1500 participants, will provide preliminary discussions and data ahead of the Summit of the Future in September 2024 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

• 253 hatchlings of Olive Ridley turtles were released into the sea at Dagara beach in Balasore district.

Key points:

• Dagara beach, located from Chaumukh to Haskara, is a popular nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles.
• Every year, hundreds of turtles come to the beach to lay eggs, and the hatchlings usually emerge two to three months later.

About:

• Olive Ridley Sea Turtle (Scientific Name: Lepidochelys olivacea)
• Size: Adults typically measure between 62 and 70 cm in length and weigh about 35-45 kg.
• Coloration: Named for the olive green color of their carapace (shell).
• Nesting Behavior: Known for unique mass nesting called Arribada, where thousands of females gather on the same beach to lay eggs.
• Distribution: Primarily found in the warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans.
• Notable Rookery: Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary hosts the world’s largest rookery of sea turtles.
• Features: They have one to two visible claws on each of their paddle-like flippers.
• Diet: Omnivorous, feeding on both plants and animals.
• Habitat: Solitary, preferring the open ocean; they spend their entire lives in the ocean, migrating thousands of kilometers between feeding and mating grounds annually.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
• Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule 1
• CITES: Appendix I

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