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

• A Brahmi inscription, written in the Prakrit language and Brahmi script from the 2nd century C.E., was recently discovered in Dharanikota village, Andhra Pradesh.

About Brahmi Inscription:

• Brahmi Script: The earliest writing system developed in India after the Indus script.
• Language: Most Brahmi inscriptions found in North and Central India represent the Prakrit language.
• Left to Right Writing: Unlike earlier scripts like Kharosthi, which was written right to left, Brahmi was written from left to right, setting the precedent for most later Indian scripts.
• Earliest Inscriptions: The earliest known Brahmi inscriptions are from the edicts of Ashoka, the Mauryan emperor (268-232 BCE).
• Geographic Spread: Brahmi script traces have been found not only in the Gangetic plains but also in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Sri Lanka, mainly on pottery shards.
• Descendant Scripts:
  • Indo-Gangetic Plain: Scripts like Devanagari, Bengali, and Gujarati.
  • Deccan Region: Scripts for Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

• The Tele MANAS App, a comprehensive mobile platform, is now available to the public.

About Tele MANAS:

• Launched by: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2022.
• Purpose: 
  • To provide a 24×7 tele-mental health service.
  • It offers free tele-mental health services across India, especially for people in remote and underserved areas.
• A video consultation feature was introduced in 2024 to allow mental health professionals to gain more insights into a caller’s condition during history-taking.
• The Tele MANAS App is part of the National Tele Mental Health Programme of India.
  • It contains a library of self-care tips, distress signal recognition, and early stress management techniques.
  • The app allows users to access confidential mental health support from trained professionals 24×7 for immediate counselling.

• The northern lights, or aurora borealis, recently illuminated the night sky, visible in parts of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and even Hanle village in Ladakh.

About Aurora Borealis:

• Aurora: A natural light display in Earth’s sky, visible mainly in high-latitude regions (Arctic and Antarctic).
• Cause: Occurs due to the interaction of solar wind particles (electrons and protons) with atoms in Earth’s upper atmosphere.
• Patterns: Displays dynamic light patterns such as curtains, rays, spirals, and flickers that can cover the sky.
• Types:
  • Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights): Seen in the northern hemisphere, near the Arctic Circle.
  • Aurora Australis (Southern Lights): Seen in the southern hemisphere.
• Locations for Aurora Borealis: Predominantly visible in countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Canada, and Alaska.
• Colors: The light displays are primarily green, red, and purple, with the colors determined by Earth’s atmospheric gases.
• Mechanism: Caused by charged solar particles colliding with Earth’s magnetosphere and atmospheric gases, producing vibrant light shows.

• The government recently stated that the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has met the safety, efficacy, and quality indicators set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a functional vaccine regulatory system.

About CDSCO: 

• • National Regulatory Authority (NRA) for India’s medical devices industry under the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules.
  • Operates under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
  • Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) heads the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
  • Headquarters: New Delhi.
• Responsibilities under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act:

• • Approval of new drugs.
  • Conduct of clinical trials.
  • Establishing standards for drugs.
  • Controlling the quality of imported drugs.
  • Coordinating with state drug control organizations.
  • Granting licenses for specialized drugs like blood products, I.V. fluids, vaccines, and sera (in collaboration with state regulators).

• A recent study by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), Lucknow, highlights significant shale gas generation potential in the eastern South Karanpura coalfield, located in the Ramgarh district of Jharkhand.

About Shale Gas:

• Shale gas is natural gas found in shale deposits, trapped in microscopic or submicroscopic pores.
• It is a mixture of hydrocarbon gases, mainly produced from the decomposition of organic matter.
• Composition: Shale gas typically consists of 70-90% methane (CH₄), which is the main exploration target.
• Prospective Shale Gas Basins in India:
  • Cambay Basin
  • Gondwana Basin
  • Krishna-Godavari (KG) Basin
  • Cauvery Basin
  • Indo-Gangetic Basin
  • Assam & Assam-Arakan Basin
• Applications: Shale gas is used for electricity generation, domestic heating, and cooking.

• The state’s Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) is being restructured to better address the challenges posed by climate change.
• It is India’s first dedicated disaster response body.
• It was founded after the super cyclone that hit Odisha in 1999, claiming close to 10,000 lives

Key points of the restructuring:

• Enhanced Capacity: The OSDMA will increase its staff strength to improve its operational efficiency and response capabilities.
• Specialized Divisions: The authority will be divided into four divisions: General, Capacity Building, Project and Technology, and Finance. This specialization will allow for a more focused approach to different aspects of disaster management.
• Technology Integration: The OSDMA will leverage technology to improve early warning systems, communication, and data analysis, enabling more effective and timely responses.
• Community Involvement: The authority will continue to prioritize community-led disaster preparedness and response, recognizing the importance of local knowledge and participation.

• • The Odisha government has launched a new initiative to revitalize potato cultivation to bring in self-sufficiency in tuber production. 
  • The Potato Mission aims to increase potato production, improve quality, and enhance farmers’ incomes. 
  • The state government has directed the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) to procure 1.87 lakh quintals of certified potato seeds.
• Nearly, 1.77 lakh quintals of potato seeds have been positioned in different districts and the supply will start from October 14. 
• The government has planned to go for potato cultivation in an area of 14,423 hectares in the rabi season and more areas will be covered in phases after construction of cold storages in all the sub-divisions

Key components:

• Infrastructure development
• Seed certification
• Extension services
• Market linkages
• Value addition

• The Odisha PVTG Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme (OPELIP) director has notified that the Matru Sishu Poshan Kendra-cum-creche centres, maternal spot feeding centres and spot feeding centres under Odisha PVTG Nutrition Improvement Programme, which were operational till September 30, are allowed to be made functional with immediate effect.
• The department had reasoned that the facilities had to be closed down as OPNIP was introduced as a part of the Odisha PVTG Empowerment and Livelihood Improvement Programme (OPELIP) whose continuation for a further period has not yet been decided by the government.

About:

• The OPNIP was implemented in 89 gram panchayats of 17 micro project agencies in 12 PVTG-dominated districts. 
• The three components under it include community-based creches (Sishu Gruhas), maternal spot feeding centres and spot feeding centres for children in remote villages.
• Under this, 61 creches, 161 maternal spot feeding centres and 111 spot feeding centres for children were established in the 12 districts. 

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