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

• Port Blair, the capital of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, will now be known as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram.’ 
• This decision was announced by Union Minister Amit Shah on September 13, 2024.

History and Origin:

• The city was originally named after Archibald Blair, a naval surveyor and lieutenant in the Bombay Marine.
• After the Revolt of 1857, Port Blair became a notorious penal colony for prisoners.

Connection with Imperial Cholas and Srivijaya:

• Chola Naval Expeditions: Historical records indicate that the Andaman Islands were used as a naval base by the Chola Emperor Rajendra I during his 11th-century invasion of the Srivijaya Empire in present-day Indonesia.
• Srivijaya Campaign: The Cholas referred to the Andamans as ‘Ma-Nakkavaram,’ which later evolved into the name Nicobar. The Chola invasion of Srivijaya is a significant event, reflecting India’s influence over Southeast Asia.
• Aftermath: Rajendra I captured the Srivijayan king and looted treasures, including the jewelled war gate, marking the peak of Chola expansionism in Southeast Asia.

• On September 11, 2024, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) introduced the Saarthi reference app.

Key points:

• Saarthi aims to assist businesses in creating custom buyer-side applications with multilingual support.
• This app is co-developed in collaboration with Bhashini, a language technology initiative.

Multilingual Features of Saarthi:

• Supported Languages: Initially, Saarthi offers support in five languages: Hindi, English, Marathi, Bangla, and Tamil.
• Future Expansion: There are plans to expand Saarthi’s language offerings to all 22 languages supported by Bhashini.

Key Features:

• Real-time translation.
• Transliteration.
• Voice recognition.

• The third edition of the INDUS-X Summit concluded in California, United States.

Key points:

• Organized jointly by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Stanford University, the summit aimed to advance a joint defence innovation ecosystem, showcasing the commitment of both countries to foster innovation and strategic partnerships in the defence sector.

Summit Highlights:

• Announcement of a new challenge under INDUS-X.
• Release of the INDUS-X Impact Report.
• Launch of the official INDUS-X webpage on iDEX and DIU websites.

• Approximately 42% of crude oil production in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico was shut-in due to Hurricane Francine.
• Natural Gas Production: About 53% of natural gas output from the region was also suspended.

About:

• The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin located at the southeastern corner of North America. 
• It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Florida between the U.S. and Cuba, and to the Caribbean Sea via the Yucatán Channel between Mexico and Cuba. 
• The gulf measures approximately 1,100 miles from east to west and 800 miles from north to south, covering an area of about 600,000 square miles.

Economic Importance:

The Gulf of Mexico is a vital economic resource for the surrounding regions:

• Petroleum Production: One of the most important offshore petroleum production regions in the world, making up one-sixth of the United States’ total production.
• Fishing Industry: Supports major American, Mexican and Cuban fishing industries.
• Tourism: Renowned for its seafood markets, recreational fishing, and beach destinations

• • Researchers have analyzed the first-ever discovered tardigrade fossils, which were found encased in amber and are estimated to be around 72 to 83 million years old. 
• High-resolution 3D imaging of the fossils revealed details about their evolutionary history and survival traits.

• This study, published in Communications Biology, explores how tardigrades evolved their ability to survive extreme conditions, potentially aiding their survival during mass extinction events.

About:

• Tardigrades, or water bears, are renowned for their ability to survive extreme conditions. 
• They achieve this by entering a state of cryptobiosis, which allows them to endure severe dehydration, temperature fluctuations, and even the vacuum of space.
• Habitat: Found in diverse environments, including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, tardigrades thrive in moist habitats like mosses and lichens. 

Cryptobiosis: This unique state allows tardigrades to effectively suspend their metabolism during unfavorable conditions. When rehydrated, they can return to an active state within hours

Odisha Specific News

• The Mo School Abhiyan has been renamed as ‘Panchasakha Sikhya Setu’
• The state government has also set aside a budget of Rs 332 crore for the scheme this financial year. 

Key Points:

• It was launched on November 14 in 2017.
• This initiative created a platform for the people to connect, collaborate and contribute to revamping government and government-aided schools in the state

• PM Modi will release the first installment of PMAY-G assistance to nearly 10 lakh beneficiaries across the country.
• He will also launch operational guidelines of PMAY-U 2.0 during his one-day visit to Odisha on September 17 when he rolls out the state’s largest women-centric scheme Subhadra.

About:

• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U 2.0) is a government initiative aimed at providing financial assistance to middle-class and urban impoverished families.
• Target beneficiaries: Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Low Income Group (LIG), and Middle Income Group (MIG) families.
• Financial assistance: Up to ₹2.67 lakh for EWS, ₹3.35 lakh for LIG, and ₹5 lakh for MIG.
• Aim: To realize the vision of “Housing for All” by addressing the housing needs of EWS, LIG, and MIG segments

Refer to Addapedia notes for detailed info on Subhadra Scheme.

• Berhampur University in Odisha has been awarded a significant project to study human-wildlife conflict in the Eastern Ghats region. 
• The five-year study, funded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), aims to understand and address the conflicts involving elephants, blackbucks, leopards, and snakes.   
• The university will provide the policy recommendations to the Central and state governments for implementation of the socio-economic and technology models for reconciliation of the conflict between humans and wild animals in the region.

• In Odisha’s Malkangiri district, tribal communities have been demanding the implementation of the PESA Act to safeguard their traditional rights and prevent exploitation.

About:

• PESA stands for Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996. 
• It was enacted to extend the provisions of Part IX of the Constitution (related to Panchayats) to the Scheduled Areas, ensuring a degree of self-governance for Panchayats and Gram Sabhas
• It’s a law designed to empower tribal communities living in Scheduled Areas of India by granting them greater self-governance.   

Key points:

• Extends Panchayati Raj: Brings the benefits of Panchayati Raj system to tribal areas, but with modifications to suit their customs and traditions.   
• Gram Sabha Power: Gives significant power to Gram Sabhas (village assemblies) in decision-making on local issues.   
• Customary Rights: Recognizes and protects the customary rights of tribal people over land, forest resources, and water bodies.   
• Consultation: Mandates consultation with Gram Sabhas on matters like land acquisition, resettlement, and development projects.   
• Empowerment: Aims to empower tribal communities to manage their own affairs and preserve their cultural heritage

States under PESA:

• The PESA Act is applicable to 10 Indian states with significant Scheduled Areas:
• Gujarat
• Jharkhand   
• Chhattisgarh
• Odisha
• Madhya Pradesh
• Maharashtra
• Andhra Pradesh
• Telangana
• Mizoram
• Tripura

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