Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 17 September 2024 | Download PDF

• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, introduced the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) platform in New Delhi under the ‘Startup India’ initiative on 16th September 2024.
• The name BHASKAR, translating to ‘Rising Sun’, symbolizes growth, enlightenment, and collaboration within the startup community.

Objectives of BHASKAR:

• Fostering Collaboration: The platform aims to promote cooperation, collaboration, and healthy competition among startups, facilitating interaction across the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Empowering Entrepreneurs: Shri Goyal highlighted that BHASKAR will serve as a platform for aspiring and established entrepreneurs to come together and drive innovation and success.
• Global Expansion: By supporting startups, BHASKAR will contribute to the creation of ‘Brand India’, enabling the nation to showcase its products and services on the global stage and enhance India’s global business reputation.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the largest women-centric scheme, ‘SUBHADRA’, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• The scheme aims to benefit over 1 crore women across Odisha.
• During the launch, he initiated the fund transfer for more than 10 lakh women beneficiaries.

Scheme Overview:

• Target beneficiaries: Women between 21-60 years.
• Financial support: Rs. 50,000 over five years (2024-2029), with Rs. 10,000 credited annually in two equal installments.
• Direct transfer to Aadhaar-linked, DBT-enabled bank accounts.

Digital Currency Pilot:

• The SUBHADRA scheme is linked with the RBI’s digital currency pilot project, making Odisha the first state to adopt this initiative for women beneficiaries.

Implementation and Impact:

• The Subhadra Yojana is expected to benefit over one crore women in Odisha, with a total budget allocation of approximately Rs 55,825 crore over five years. 
• The scheme aims not only to provide financial assistance but also to promote digital literacy among women through direct benefit transfers (DBT) linked to their Aadhaar accounts.

• A new dung beetle species, Onitis bordati, has been discovered in the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya.

Key points:

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Arthropoda
• Class: Insecta
• This is the first record of Onitis bordati in India, extending its known habitat from Vietnam and Thailand.
• Dung beetles like Onitis bordati play vital roles in maintaining ecological balance through functions like seed dispersal, nutrient recycling, and pest control.

Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary:

• Located in Meghalaya, the sanctuary is a renowned tourist destination.
• It is home to diverse wildlife, including:
  • Clouded Leopard
  • Elephants
  • Himalayan Black Bear
• The sanctuary’s rich biodiversity is a critical component of the region’s ecological and environmental health.

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, paid tribute to the significant contributions of Sir M. Visvesvaraya on the occasion of Engineers Day. 

About:

• Full Name: Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (1861-1962)
• Birthplace: Born on September 15, 1861, in Muddenahalli, Karnataka.

Key Contributions:

• Krishna Raja Sagara Dam: Instrumental in its construction, which transformed irrigation and agriculture in southern India.
• Automatic Floodgates: Designed and patented a system of automatic weir floodgates, enhancing flood management.
• Block System for Irrigation: Introduced a method for equitable water distribution among farmers.
• Industrial Development: Established industries like the Bhadravati Iron and Steel Works and promoted the Mysore Soap Factory.
• Advocacy for Education: Founded the Government Engineering College in Bangalore (now University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering) in 1917.

Awards and Honors:

• Knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in 1915.
• Received the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1955.
• Celebrated as Engineer’s Day on his birthday, September 15.

Legacy:

• Known as the “Father of Modern Mysore” for his contributions to infrastructure and development.
• Influenced engineering practices in India and inspired future generations of engineers.

National Engineers Day 2024, celebrated on September 15th, will focus on the theme “Innovating for a Sustainable Future”.

• The Chamran-1 is a newly launched Iranian research satellite, marking a significant advancement in Iran’s space capabilities.

Overview

• Launch Date: Chamran-1 was successfully launched on September 14, 2024.
• Launch Vehicle: The satellite was deployed using the Qaem-100, which is Iran’s first three-stage solid-fuel satellite launcher developed by the Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
• Orbit: Chamran-1 was placed into a low Earth orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers (approximately 341 miles).

Specifications:

• Weight: The satellite weighs around 60 kilograms.
• Design: Chamran-1 is shaped like a hexagonal prism with a diameter of 900 mm and is equipped with solar panels and a cold gas propulsion system.

Mission Objectives:

Primary Mission

• The main goal of Chamran-1 is to test and validate hardware and software systems for orbital maneuver technology. 

This includes:

• Assessing the performance of propulsion subsystems.
• Validating navigation and attitude control systems.

Secondary Tasks

Chamran-1 will also evaluate:

• Orbital correction capabilities.
• The functionality of various subsystems critical for future satellite operations.

• Odisha CM has congratulated Amaresh Kumar Sahu and Gedela Akhil for their outstanding achievements at the 47th World Skills Competition held in Lyon, France.
• Sahu won the prestigious Bronze Medal in Renewable Energy, while Akhil earned the Medallion for Excellence in Water Technology.

About:

• WorldSkills 2024, officially known as WorldSkills Lyon 2024, was a prestigious international vocational and technical skills competition held in Lyon, France, from September 10 to 15, 2024. 
• It showcased the talents of young professionals from around the world in a variety of trades and industries.    

• PM Modi will lay the foundation stone and dedicate multiple significant railway projects in the state during his visit on 17th September.

Key points:

• These projects, with a combined investment of ₹2871 crores, are set to enhance rail connectivity, decongest key routes, and contribute to the socio-economic development of the region. 
• The initiatives aim to strengthen the vital rail network across industrial, resource-rich, and tribal-dominated regions of Odisha.
• The Prime Minister will dedicate four key railway sections to the Nation. 
• These are 
  • 25.394 KMs long Lanjigarh Road-Ambadola-Doikallu Railway Section part of Vizianagaram-Titilagarh 3rd Line.
  • 22.94 KMs long Laxmipur Road-Singaram-Tikiri Railway Section of Koraput-Singapur Road.
  • 40.62 KMs long Dhenkanal-Sadashibapur-Hindol Road Railway Section of Budhapank-Salegaon 3rd & 4th Line Project.
  • 12.5 KMs long Bangurkela-Nowgaon Railway Section of Bondamunda-Ranchi Doubling Project.

• There has been a significant increase in the population of nesting birds in Bhitarkanika National Park in Odisha.
• Nearly 130, 123 birds belonging to ten species were counted during the recently concluded census showing an increase of 6,265 vis-à-vis the last census in 2023 when Forest officials sighted 1,23,867 birds.
• The Forest officials counted birds in 27,282 nests atop 1,300 mangrove trees this season.

About:

• Bhitarkanika National Park is located in the northeast Kendrapara district of Odisha, India.
• It covers an area of 145 km² and is surrounded by the larger Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary which spans 672 km².
• The park lies in the estuarine region of the Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Pathsala rivers and is inundated by their waters.
• It is the second largest mangrove ecosystem in India after the Sundarbans.

Unique Flora and Fauna:

• Bhitarkanika is home to the largest congregation of the endangered saltwater crocodile in India.
• The park also has a rich diversity of mangrove species, reptiles like water monitor lizards and pythons, and mammals such as spotted deer, wild boar, and monkeys.
• It is a major nesting ground for the endangered olive ridley sea turtles on the Gahirmatha Beach.
• Bhitarkanika has a large variety of birds including eight species of kingfishers and numerous migratory birds.

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