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

• The Indian Navy is set to conduct the fourth edition of the ‘Pan-India’ Coastal Defence Exercise ‘Sea Vigil-24’ on 20 & 21 Nov 24. 

Key Points:

• The exercise will focus on strengthening the security of coastal assets like ports, oil rigs, Single Point Moorings, Cable Landing Points and critical coastal infrastructure including the coastal population. 
• This year participation by other Services (Indian Army and Air Force) and planned deployment of a large number of ships and aircraft have enhanced the tempo of the exercise.    
• Originally conceptualized in 2018, Sea Vigil was designed to validate and enhance measures adopted to bolster Coastal Defence, post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. 
• Encompassing the entire 11,098 km coastline and vast Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.4 million square kilometers, this comprehensive exercise will engage complete coastal security infrastructure and all maritime stakeholders, including the fishing community and coastal populace, simultaneously. 
• The exercise offers a significant opportunity to assess the current preparedness of all maritime security agencies, identify their strengths and weaknesses and enhance the nation’s overall maritime defense framework. 

• The first batch of a sea ranching project by the State Fisheries Department aims to release 10 lakh pompano and cobia (Motha) fingerlings at 10 locations off the Thiruvananthapuram coast. 
• One lakh fingerlings will be released at each selected location, where artificial reefs have been installed under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).

Key Points:

• It is an umbrella scheme with two separate Components namely (a) Central Sector Scheme (CS) and (b) Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS).
• The CSS Component is further segregated into Non-beneficiary oriented and beneficiary orientated subcomponents/activities under the following three broad heads:
  • Enhancement of Production and Productivity
  • Infrastructure and Post-harvest Management
  • Fisheries Management and Regulatory Framework
• PMMSY will be implemented in all the States and Union Territories for a period of 5 (five) years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25.
• PMMSY includes key activities such as fishing vessel insurance, support for new/upgrade of fishing vessels, aquaculture in saline/alkaline areas, Sagar Mitras, nucleus breeding centres, fisheries and aquaculture start-ups, incubators, and integrated aqua parks.

• The International Energy Agency reports that approximately 681 million people in India depend on solid fuels for cooking, which presents significant health and environmental challenges.

Key Points:

• • Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 1st May, 2016 with the slogan of “Clean Fuel, Better Life”.
  • Objective: To safeguard the health of women & children by providing them with a clean cooking fuel – LPG, so that they don’t have to compromise their health in smoky kitchens or wander in unsafe areas collecting firewood.
  • Implementing Agency: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
• All BPL families can get the benefit of this scheme.

• Any adult woman from a BPL family can apply for a deposit free LPG gas connection under the Ujjwala scheme.
• The scheme was expanded in April 2018 to include women beneficiaries from seven more categories (SC/ST, PMAY (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana), AAY (Antyodaya Anna Yojana), most backward classes, tea garden, forest dwellers, river islands).
• The identification of the BPL families is done through Socio Economic Caste Census Data 2011.

• To strengthen their ongoing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region, India and the U.S. are set to launch the inaugural U.S.-India Indian Ocean Dialogue.

Key Points:

• • The relationship between India and the United States has evolved into one of the most significant partnerships in the 21st century. 
  • It spans economic, strategic, and cultural dimensions, reflecting the shared values and mutual interests of the world’s largest democracies
  • The two nations are motivated by common interests: India aims to become the world’s third-largest economy, while the US seeks reliable allies to counterbalance China’s growing influence.
• Defense Ties:

• • In 2018, India was elevated to Strategic Trade Authorization tier 1 status, which allowed India to receive license-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use technologies regulated by the US’s department of commerce. 
  • The signing of foundational agreements like LEMOA (2016), COMCASA (2018), and BECA (2020) has enabled deeper military cooperation.  
  • Joint exercises like Malabar and the establishment of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in 2018 have further strengthened strategic ties. 
• Recent initiatives like the US-India Artificial Intelligence Initiative and the Critical and Emerging Technology Initiative (iCET) launched in 2022 underscore the strategic importance of tech cooperation in bilateral ties. 

• The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued comprehensive guidelines to address the issue of misleading advertisements in the coaching sector.

Key Points:

• Key Highlights of the Guidelines:
  • Regulation of Advertisements: The guidelines explicitly prohibit coaching institutes from making false claims related to:
    • The courses offered, their duration, faculty qualifications, fees, and refund policies.
    • Selection rates, success stories, exam rankings, and job security promises.
    • Assured admissions, high exam scores, guaranteed selections or promotions.
  • Misleading representations about the quality or standard of their services are strictly prohibited. 
  • Coaching institutes must accurately represent their infrastructure, resources, and facilities.
  • Coaching centers will need to disclose important information, such as the name, rank, and course details alongside the student’s photo in advertisements. 
  • The guidelines will reportedly target the common tactic used by any person engaged in coaching i.e. creating a false sense of urgency or scarcity, such as implying limited seats or exaggerated demand, to pressure students into making immediate decisions.
  • Any violation of these guidelines will be treated as a contravention of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. 
• The Central Authority has the power to take stringent actions against offenders, including imposing penalties, ensuring accountability, and preventing further occurrences of such deceptive practices.

• The Odisha government will soon form an Inter-Ministerial committee to resolve all inter-state disputes with the neighbouring states. 
• The decision was taken during a high-level meeting held at Lok Seva Bhawan.

Key Points:

• Odisha is locked in territorial disputes with Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

AP:

• The territorial dispute with Andhra Pradesh over Kotia gram panchayat has been lingering since 1960. 
• The boundary dispute with Andhra Pradesh is related to 21 villages in Kotia gram panchayat.
• Similarly, the Vansadhara Water Disputes Tribunal was established to find a solution to the water-sharing dispute between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over the Vansadhara River. 
• The state recently raised objections over the construction of the Polavaram dam across the Godavari River by Andhra Pradesh.  

WB:

• Odisha has boundary disputes with West Bengal over 27 plots in the Balasore district and some areas in the Mayurbhanj district. 

Chattisgarh:

• • Odisha and Chhattisgarh are locked in territorial conflict over some villages in Nabarangpur and Jharsuguda districts.
• The Central Government also constituted the Mahanadi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2018 to adjudicate the Mahanadi River water-sharing dispute between Odisha and neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

• The Odisha Cabinet has approved the framing of the Odisha Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. 
• This new law aims to curb various forms of malpractice in public examinations conducted by state government agencies such as the Odisha Public Service Commission and Odisha Staff Selection Commission.   

Key Provisions of the Act:

• Strict Penalties: The Act imposes stringent penalties for individuals found guilty of employing unfair means or disrupting examinations. 
• These penalties include imprisonment ranging from three to five years and fines of up to Rs 10 lakh.   
• Cognizable, Non-Bailable, and Non-Compoundable Offenses: 
• All offenses under this Act are classified as cognizable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable, ensuring strict enforcement.   
• Service Providers: Service providers involved in malpractice will face fines of up to Rs 1 crore, with the cost of disrupted examinations being recoverable from them.   

Purpose of the Act:

• The primary goal of this Act is to maintain the integrity of public examinations in Odisha and ensure a fair and transparent recruitment process. 
• By deterring malpractice and imposing strict penalties, the government aims to create a level playing field for all candidates

• Odisha government opens PDS sub-centre at Mandipanka amid mango kernel deaths

Key Points:

• It was in the wake of the recent deaths of two women and hospitalization of six others after consuming mango kernel gruel in Mandinka village, Kandhamal district.

About:

• PDS is a government-run network for distributing essential food commodities like wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene to a significant portion of the population at subsidized prices.
• It aims to ensure food security, especially for the poor and vulnerable sections of society.   

Key features of PDS:

• Government-managed: Operated jointly by central and state governments.   
• Subsidized prices: Commodities are sold at lower than market rates.
• Targeted beneficiaries: Primarily focuses on below-poverty-line families.   
• Fair Price Shops (FPS): Designated outlets for distributing commodities

• The recent news reports of two deaths and six hospitalizations in Kandhamal district, Odisha due to mango kernel consumption have highlighted the dire state of food insecurity among Odisha’s tribal communities.
• Mango kernels contain natural toxins that can cause severe illness and even death, especially when consumed without proper processing.
• They contain cyanogenic glycosides, particularly amygdalin, which releases toxic hydrogen cyanide when consumed.

Key Points:

• This tragedy mirrors past incidents, Kashipur, Rayagada in 1987, 1995 and 2001,prompting significant interventions like PDS reforms and international aid projects. 
• The events also inspired various initiatives, including door-to-door delivery of Public Distribution System (PDS) rations ensuring essential food supplies reached the most vulnerable.
• Additionally, several projects were launched, such as:

1. International Fund for Agricultural Development-supported Odisha Tribal Development Project (OTDP)
2. UNICEF’s Household Food Security Project in vulnerable blocks
3. The World Food Programme’s community-based anti-hunger projects.

Issues:

• • Recent NFSA data reveal alarming poverty rates and malnutrition among Odisha’s tribal population, with the most severe impacts seen in districts like Kandhamal, Rayagada and Koraput.
• Even with programmes like NFSA and PDS in place, logistical challenges and resource scarcity continue to limit their effectiveness in reaching remote communities.

• The circumstances often force the communities to eat mango kernels, despite the potential health risks posed by it.

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