Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 18 May 2024 | Download PDF

• The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has taken a significant step towards promoting cleanliness and environmental sustainability with the launch of Swachhata Pakhwada. 

About Swachhata Pakhwada:

• Initiative: Swachhata Pakhwada is a cleanliness campaign initiated by the Government of India.
• Objective: The campaign aims to promote cleanliness and sanitation across the country.
• Launch Year: April 2016.
• Duration: The campaign runs for a fortnight (14 days) in different ministries and departments.
• Focus Areas: Activities include cleanliness drives, waste management, and spreading awareness about hygiene practices.
• Involvement: Various government departments, public sector undertakings (PSUs), and educational institutions actively participate in Swachhata Pakhwada.
• Monitoring: Ministries and departments are required to upload action plans and achievements on the Swachhata Pakhwada portal.
• Themes: Each ministry or department focuses on specific themes related to cleanliness and sanitation during their designated period.
• Impact: The initiative aims to instill a sense of responsibility towards cleanliness and contribute to the broader Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission).

• NASA is undertaking a polar mission to enhance understanding of the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
• The mission aims to study how these regions are shedding heat upward into space.

About PREFIRE Mission:

• The Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) polar mission involves twin satellites, each equipped with one instrument.
• These satellites measure the poles approximately six hours apart.
• The objective of the PREFIRE mission is to reveal the full spectrum of heat loss from Earth’s polar regions for the first time, which will help make climate models more accurate.
• The aim of the PREFIRE mission is to fill the gap in knowledge and provide data to improve predictions of climate change and sea level rise.
• The mission will provide new information on how Earth’s atmosphere and ice influence the amount of heat being radiated out to space from the Arctic and Antarctic.

• There have been increasing reports of “digital arrests” by cybercriminals.
• The Central government has collaborated with Microsoft to tackle this issue.
• More than 1,000 Skype IDs have been blocked.
• These IDs were used for online intimidation, blackmail, and extortion.

About Digital Arrest:

• Cybercriminals have employed a new and innovative tactic to defraud victims and extort money.
• The modus operandi involves fraudsters posing as law enforcement officials such as police, Enforcement Directorate, CBI, etc.
• They manipulate victims into believing that they have committed some serious crime.
• In some cases, victims are “digitally arrested” and forced to stay visible over Skype or other video conferencing platforms until the criminals’ demands are met.
• The cybercriminals deceive the victim into believing that they are under ‘digital arrest’ and will be prosecuted if they do not pay a large sum of money.
• Often, the cybercriminals trick the victims into self-arrest or self-quarantine, making them believe that they are under ‘digital arrest’ and cannot leave their house unless they pay up.

• The India-Japan partnership is planning a joint moon mission called Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX).
• The primary objective of LUPEX is to explore the lunar surface and search for subsurface water.

About LUPEX:

• Objective: To explore the polar regions of the Moon, specifically targeting the lunar poles.
• Mission Type: Robotic exploration mission.
• Primary Goals:
  • Investigate the presence of water ice and other volatiles in the lunar polar regions.
  • Study the topography, geology, and composition of the lunar poles.
  • Assess the suitability of these regions for future human exploration and potential resource utilization.

• The United Nations’ top court, the International Court of Justice, started hearings on the Israeli military’s incursion into Rafah.
• The hearings were initiated by a request from South Africa.
• South Africa alleges that Israel’s military action in its war with Hamas in Gaza amounts to genocide.

About ICJ:

• Establishment: The ICJ was established in 1945 by the Charter of the United Nations and began its work in April 1946.
• Location: It is headquartered in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
• Function: The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It settles legal disputes between states and gives advisory opinions on international legal issues referred to it by the UN.
• Composition: The court is composed of 15 judges elected to nine-year terms by the United Nations General Assembly and Security Council. No two judges can be from the same country.
• Languages: The official languages of the ICJ are English and French.
• Jurisdiction: The ICJ has jurisdiction in two types of cases:
  • Contentious Cases: Legal disputes between states submitted by them.
  • Advisory Opinions: Legal questions referred to it by duly authorized international organs and agencies.

Odisha Regional Specific News 

• The Tribal Youth Micro Entrepreneurship (TYME) initiative by the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Rayagada is transforming the lives of tribal youth in Odisha.

Objective of TYME Initiative:

• Goal: Empower tribal youth from needy households as micro-entrepreneurs (Juba Udyogis).
• Method: Develop potential, provide training and financial support.
• Impact: Enable youth to earn livelihoods and become role models in their communities.

Broader Impact:

• TYME supports both traditional and innovative business ideas.
• Encourages tribal youth to explore new avenues for income generation, setting examples for their peers.

ITDA:

• The Integrated Tribal Development Project (I.T.D.P), Rayagada comprising of Rayagada Block came into existence on the 29th August 1974.
• Under Registration of Societies Act, 1960, it has been recognized as Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) from the year 1979-80.
• The Programme on Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDP) under Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) is being implemtnted since the Fifth Five Year Plan with specific objectives of reducing poverty, improving educational status an eliminating exploitation of the tribal families.
• Under Article 275(I) of constitution of India, funding is being made directly for specific projects in the Sub-Plan area. 

• The pristine beaches of the Andhra-Odisha coastline have recently become the battleground against an invisible yet potent threat: ghost gear. 

Key points:

• This insidious form of marine debris, consisting of lost or abandoned fishing gear, poses a grave danger to the delicate marine ecosystem. 
• The tragic death of an endangered green sea turtle entangled in ghost gear serves as a poignant reminder of the urgent need to address this growing problem.

Global and Local Impact:

• The menace of ghost gear extends far beyond the shores of Andhra and Odisha, with global estimates indicating massive quantities of fishing gear lost at sea annually. 
• In response, international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have initiated collaborative projects like GloLitter to address this pressing issue. 
• Locally, the FSI has spearheaded efforts to combat sea-based litter, retrieving substantial amounts of ghost gear from the region’s waters in recent years.

Causes and Consequences:

• Various factors contribute to the accumulation of ghost gear, including natural phenomena, fishing practices, and gear wear and tear. 
• The repercussions are dire, with numerous marine species falling victim to entanglement and suffocation.
• Disturbing reports of endangered species trapped in nets highlight the urgent need for intervention to safeguard marine biodiversity.

Efforts and Solutions:

• Recognizing the severity of the problem, stakeholders have proposed multifaceted solutions to tackle ghost gear pollution. 
• Initiatives such as establishing collection points at fishing harbors and partnering with recycling organizations aim to incentivize the retrieval and proper disposal of ghost gear. 
• However, challenges remain, including the economic viability of buyback programs for fishermen and the fragmented nature of existing collection mechanisms.

Future Initiatives:

• As efforts to combat ghost gear pollution intensify, organizations like WWF-India and Green Waves Environmental Solutions are spearheading innovative research and implementation projects.
• From conducting comprehensive studies to establishing recycling units, these initiatives offer hope for a sustainable future for the Andhra-Odisha coastline.

• ReNew E-Fuels Private Limited, a subsidiary of ReNew, and JERA will evaluate the development of a green ammonia production facility in Paradip, Odisha.

Key points:

• The project aims to utilize 500 MW of renewable energy to produce green hydrogen, a crucial component for green ammonia production.
• The expected annual production capacity of green ammonia is about 100,000 tonnes by 2030.
• This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to accelerate the clean energy transition and support India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

National Green Hydrogen Mission:

• • On 15 August 2021, the Prime Minister of India announced the launch of the National Hydrogen Mission (NHM)
• The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to provide a comprehensive action plan for establishing a Green Hydrogen ecosystem.

• The overarching objective of the Mission is to make India the Global Hub for production,usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives. 

Nodal Ministry:

• Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

Key points:

• • Area and Cultural Significance: The forest covers 350 hectares and is culturally significant due to its sacred groves, which are revered by the local community.
  • Flora and Fauna Diversity: The forest is home to a diverse range of flora and fauna, including at least 608 faunal species, with 28 species of mammals.
  • Notable Faunal Species: Species like the mugger crocodile, kanger valley rock gecko, sacred Grove Bush Frog, and various avifauna such as black baza, Jerdon’s baza, Malaber trogon, common hill myna, white-bellied woodpecker, and banded bay cuckoo are found here.
  • Limestone Caves and Bats: The forest’s limestone caves host eight species of bats, two of which are categorized as near-threatened.
• Near-Threatened Species: Hipposideros galeritus and Rhinolophus rouxii, found in the forest, are under the near-threatened category of the IUCN.

• Rich Floral Diversity: The forest also boasts a rich variety of flora, including threatened medicinal plants like the Indian trumpet tree and Indian snakeroot.

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