Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 16 October 2024 | Download PDF

• The United States announced the deployment of its Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile defense system to Israel as Israel intensifies its military operation against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

About THAAD Missile System:

• Missile Interception: THAAD is designed to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles using kinetic energy (hit-to-kill technology) rather than explosives. It engages missiles during their terminal phase, i.e., when they are descending toward their target.
• Defense Coverage: THAAD provides a protective shield against ballistic missile threats to military forces, population centers, and infrastructure.
• Target range: Covers 150-200 kilometers (93-124 miles).

• The Lok Sabha Speaker, leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation at the 149th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Geneva, highlighted the significance of multilateralism in his address.

About Inter-Parliamentary Union:

• Establishment:
  • Founded in 1889 in Paris to promote representative democracy and world peace.
  • The first multilateral political organization promoting international cooperation and dialogue.
• Mission:
  • Facilitates parliamentary diplomacy.
  • Empowers parliaments and parliamentarians to promote peace, democracy, and sustainable development globally.
  • Promotes democracy and strengthens parliaments to become more diverse, gender-balanced, and inclusive.
• Membership:
  • Comprises 180 member parliaments and 15 associate members.
  • Defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.
• Headquarters: Moved to Geneva in 1921.
• IPU Assembly:
  • Principal statutory body expressing the IPU’s views on political issues.
  • Brings together parliamentarians to study international problems and make recommendations for action.

• UNICEF recently stated that Indian suppliers are the third-largest providers of the organization’s global health and nutrition support for children.

About UNICEF:

• Establishment: UNICEF (United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund) was established in 1946 in the aftermath of World War II.
• Mandate: To assist children and young people whose lives and futures are at risk, regardless of their country’s role in the war.
• Global Reach: Operates in over 190 countries and territories to protect children’s rights.
• Awards: Nobel Peace Prize (1965), Indira Gandhi Prize (1989), Princess of Asturias Award (2006).
• Headquarters: New York City, USA.

• The Supreme Court recently declined to consider a PIL requesting directions under Article 142 to include sexual offenses against men, trans persons, and animals in the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

About Article 142: 

• Purpose: Provides the Supreme Court with the power to pass orders necessary for delivering “complete justice” in any case or matter pending before it.
• Extraordinary Power: This power is special and extraordinary, intended to address situations where existing laws or provisions are inadequate to deliver justice.
• Application: Article 142 allows the Supreme Court to deliver justice in exceptional cases where existing legal provisions may not be applicable or sufficient.
• Limitations: While Article 142 provides wide powers, it cannot be used to override or “supplant” substantive laws applicable to the case under consideration.
• Significant Cases:
  • Babri Masjid Case
  • Bhopal Gas Tragedy

• The Shiite militia group, Islamic Resistance in Iraq, recently claimed responsibility for two drone strikes on Israeli sites in the Jordan Valley.

About Jordan Valley:

• Location: The Jordan Valley is a rift valley in the Middle East, part of the East African Rift System, located in southwestern Asia.
• Geography:
  • Extends from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south.
  • Lies along the Jordan River, forming part of Jordan’s western border with Israel and the West Bank.

• The Odia Lipi is a new typing method developed by OVA (Odia Virtual Academy) to address the challenges faced by Odia speakers in typing their language on computers. 
• It’s a first-of-its-kind Unicode typing tool that is aimed at making Odia tech-friendly and typing error-free.
• Currently, there are Akruti and Shreelipi typing tools.
• In Microsoft’s Indic language input tool, which is currently used to translate Odia to English, there is only one font called ‘Kalinga’.

• • As per the draft Ground Water Resource Assessment of Odisha-2024, the overall groundwater extraction of the state stood at 48.23 per cent. 
  • It was around 30 per cent in 2013. 
  • The extraction showed that there has been an increase of 1.9 per cent in one year
• Overall Odisha’s groundwater extraction goes up by 18 per cent in one decade

Data:

• Groundwater extraction in Odisha up by 18% in a decade
• 48.23% extraction in 2023, up from 30% in 2013
• 6 blocks have gone fully saline; 9 in semi-critical zone
• Annual recharge was 17.46 BCM in 2023-24
• Irrigation tops extraction metre with 6.28 BCM

• The draft GroundWater Resource Assessment of Odisha-2024 provides a comprehensive overview of the state’s groundwater resources. 

Key findings include:   

• Overall Groundwater Extraction: The state’s overall groundwater extraction stands at 48.23%, significantly higher than the national average.   
• Increasing Extraction: Groundwater extraction in Odisha has increased by more than 18% in the last decade, raising concerns about depletion and sustainability.   
• Safe Zone: Despite the increase, 299 out of 314 assessment units (blocks) remain in the safe zone with extraction levels below 70%.   
• Semi-Critical Zone: Nine blocks are classified as semi-critical with extraction levels exceeding 70%, indicating potential groundwater stress.   
• Saline Zones: Six blocks have been identified as fully saline, limiting their suitability for groundwater use.   
• Annual Groundwater Recharge: The state’s annual groundwater recharge is estimated at 17.35 billion cubic meters (bcm), while the annual extractable resource is 15.94 bcm.
• Annual Groundwater Extraction: The annual groundwater extraction is currently at 7.39 bcm.
• Stage of Groundwater Extraction: The overall stage of groundwater extraction is 46.33%.   

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