Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 15 May 2024 | Download PDF

• State Bank of India (SBI) has become the first trading-cum-clearing member at the India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX).

About IIBX:

• The India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) is India’s first International Bullion Exchange.
• It is based at GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tech City) IFSC (International Finance Services Center), Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• IIBX has been conceptualized to provide a gateway to import bullion into India and provide a world-class bullion exchange ecosystem.
• It aims to promote bullion trading, investment in bullion financial products, and vaulting facilities in IFSCs.
• The IIBX is regulated by the International Financial Services Centers Authority (IFSCA).

Did you know?

• Bullion refers to physical gold and silver of high purity.
• It is often kept in the form of bars, ingots, or coins.
• Bullion can sometimes be considered legal tender.
• It is often held as reserves by central banks or held by institutional investors.

• The 7th edition of the India-France Joint Military Exercise SHAKTI commenced today at Umroi, Meghalaya.
• The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 13th to 26th May 2024.
• Exercise SHAKTI is a biennial training event conducted alternatively in India and France.
• The last edition was conducted in France in November 2021.
• The joint exercise will focus on operations in the semi-urban and mountainous terrain.

• The first recipient of a modified pig kidney transplant passed away.
• This occurred around two months after the surgery was carried out.
• The patient was 62-year-old Richard “Rick” Slayman.

About Xenotransplantation:

• Xenotransplantation is a procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either live cells, tissues, or organs from a nonhuman animal source.
• It can also involve human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs.
• Xenotransplantation involving the heart was first tried in humans in the 1980s.
• The animal organ selected for the procedure has to undergo genetic modifications to prevent the human body from rejecting it.

• As per World Wildlife Crime Report 2024, The rhino and the cedar were the most affected animal and plant species by global illegal wildlife trade during 2015-2021.
• The report was released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

About World Wildlife Crime Report:

• The 2024 World Wildlife Crime Report is the 3rd edition of the report.
• Earlier editions were published in 2016 and 2020.
• The report probes trends in the illicit trafficking of protected wildlife species.
• It presents systematic analyses of wildlife crime harms and impacts.
• The report also probes the factors driving wildlife trafficking trends.

• Venezuela may become the first nation in modern history to lose all its glaciers.

Key points:

• The International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI), a scientific advocacy organisation, announced that Venezuela’s only remaining glacier, the Humboldt or La Corona in the Andes, is now too small to be classified as a glacier.
• Over the last century, Venezuela has lost at least six other glaciers.
• Due to climate change and the rise in global average temperatures, ice loss is accelerating, contributing to the rise in sea levels worldwide.

About Glaciers:

• A glacier is a large, persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. 
• It forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation (the process of losing snow and ice by melting and evaporation) over many years, often centuries. 

• KIIT Deemed to be University has achieved the 11th position in India in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2024.
• Last year, KIIT was ranked in the 151–200 range globally, but this year, it has improved to 168.
• Among the 673 universities worldwide evaluated, 55 were from India, placing KIIT among the top young universities.

About:

• The Times Higher Education Young University Rankings focus on universities that are 50 years old or younger, evaluating them on teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and international outlook.

• The Odisha government has made progress in reducing elephant deaths, but challenges like poaching and infrastructure impact persist.

Key Points:

• In 2023-24, Odisha saw 65 elephant deaths, down from 92 in 2022-23, marking the lowest in five years.
  • Despite this improvement, electrocution and accidents remain significant causes of elephant mortality.
  • The state needs to focus on preventing jumbo deaths due to electrocution and accidents, as well as tackling poaching and the impact of linear infrastructure.
  • Efforts have led to a decrease in electrocution deaths, but deliberate electrocution is still a concern.
  • Accident-related deaths have not decreased despite the overall decline in jumbo deaths.
• Conservation measures and crackdowns on wildlife crimes have contributed to the reduction in elephant deaths.

• The ‘Mo Booth’ mobile app, launched by the State Election Commission, provides Khordha district voters with essential information on polling stations and queue lengths. 

About:

• The application ensures users stay updated on the number of individuals who have cast their votes, aiding them in making well-informed decisions on optimal voting times.
• Furthermore, the app provides live updates to officials regarding polling party arrivals, polling progress, and enables them to seek assistance for any Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) malfunctions.
• The app features a Booth Level Officer (BLO) module, aiding BLOs in managing and optimizing polling booth operations effectively.
• BLOs can efficiently update voter queue sizes, anticipate potential voting process bottlenecks, and make strategic decisions based on accurate voter turnout data.
• Additionally, the app incorporates a Sector Officer (SO) module, facilitating seamless communication and coordination among multiple polling booths within a designated sector.
• SOs can instantly update polling booth statuses, request assistance when required, and swiftly resolve any encountered challenges during the electoral process.

• The biography of Nandini Satpathy, former Chief Minister of Odisha, titled ‘Nandini Satpathy: The Iron Lady of Odisha’, was recently launched at Bakul Library in Bhubaneswar.

Key points:

• • The book was authored by Pallavi Rebbapragada, a journalist and writer.
  • Pallavi expressed her belief that Nandini Satpathy’s story was a hidden gem in Indian politics and highlighted the lack of awareness about her among the public.
  • She was inspired to write the biography after a conversation with a junior of Nandini Satpathy, who shared stories of political activism in Cuttack during the 1970s.
  • Pallavi discussed Nandini’s early political career, including her entry into the Rajya Sabha at the age of 31 and her significant role in the liberation of Bangladesh.
  • One of the book’s focal points was Nandini’s relationship with Indira Gandhi, whom she considered a close friend, although their views diverged during the Emergency period.
• Nandini Satpathy was an Indian politician and author. She was the Chief Minister of Odisha from June 1972 to December 1976. 

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