Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 19 December 2024 | Download PDF

• India and China “positively acknowledged” the outcome of their disengagement agreement on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Key Points:

• • Under the current agreement, Indian and Chinese soldiers will return to patrolling along the LAC in the same manner as before the border tensions erupted in May 2020.
  • Dis-engagement in other areas of friction that erupted post 2020 in eastern Ladakh i.e. Galwan, Hot Springs, Gogra, north and south banks of Pangong Tso had already been completed.
  • The agreement marks the first step of a three-step process – disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction of troops on the India-China border areas. 
• About 2020 India-China Standoff:

• • Due to incursion by Chinese soldiers, clashes erupted on the north bank of Pangong Tso in Ladakh. 
  • After this, clashes were also reported at Naku La in north Sikkim and Galwan in Ladakh. 
  • The Galwan incident of June 2020, described as a physical clash that did not involve the use of firearms, resulted in India losing 20 soldiers and is considered to be the deadliest since 1962.
  • Since then, both sides have amassed thousands of troops on each side, deployed a range of long-range firepower and equipment, and have undertaken massive infrastructure build-up.

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) began assembling the Human Rated Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (HLVM3) for the maiden uncrewed flight of the Gaganyaan mission.

Key Points:

• • Gaganyaan is the 1st human space flight programme of ISRO.
  • Objective: To demonstrate indigenous capability of human space flight to low earth orbit.
• Payloads:

• • • Crew Module: It is the spacecraft carrying human beings.
    • Service Module: It will support the crew module and is powered by liquid propellant engines.
• This mission consists of:

• • • Two unmanned missions (G1 & G2): 2nd uncrewed mission (G2) will carry “Vyommitra” (a female-looking humanoid robot developed by ISRO to function on-board the Gaganyaan).
    • One manned mission (G3): The Orbital Module of the crewed mission will carry three Indian astronauts, including a woman into space for 7 days. It will orbit the Earth at a low-earth-orbit at an altitude of 300-400 km.
  • India will become the 4th nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission after the USA, Russia, and China.
  • Russia and France are cooperating with India for the Gaganyaan mission.
• Human-Rated LVM3:

• • A modified version of ISRO’s most-reliable rocket, LVM3 (previously called Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk III), is the launching vehicle of the Gaganyaan Mission.
  • It is re-configured as a human rated launch vehicle to be capable of safely transporting humans into the intended orbit.
  • It has a three stage propulsion system – solid stage, liquid stage, and cryogenic stage. 
  • It consists of Crew Escape System (CES) as well as Orbital Module, along with solid stage, liquid stage, and cryogenic stage.

• The Union Ministry of Environment has been directed to create a plan for a nationwide survey of groves, traditionally protected by local communities, to assess their ecological value and cultural significance.

Key Points:

• Sacred Groves are patches of natural or near-natural vegetation, dedicated by local communities to their ancestral spirits or deities.
• These groves are protected by local communities, usually through customary taboos and sanctions with ancestral and ecological implications.
• India has well over 13,000 documented sacred groves. The states particularly rich in abundance of groves are Kerala, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu.
• These are known as Kavu/Sarpa Kavu in Kerala, Devarakadu/Devkad in Karnataka, Deorai/Devrai in Maharashtra, Jahera/ Thakuramma in Odisha, etc.
• The sacred groves are important repositories of floral and faunal diversity that have been conserved by local communities in a sustainable manner.
• They are often the last refuge of endemic species in the geographical region.

• Hindi poet Gagan Gill and English writer Easterine Kire are among the 21 recipients of the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards.

Key Points:

• • Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, is the central institution for literary dialogue, publication and promotion in the country and the only institution that undertakes literary activities in 24 Indian languages, including English.
  • It was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• About Award:

• • It is awarded for the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages recognised by the Akademi.
  • Akademi gives 24 awards annually to literary works in the languages it has recognized and an equal number of awards to literary translations from and into the languages of India.
  • Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the Constitution of India, the Sahitya Akademi has recognised English and Rajasthani as languages in which its programme may be implemented. 
  • The award, in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl and 1,00,000 rupees will be presented.

• The 4:1 majority ruling by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court of India in October 2024, which upheld the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, is significant. 
• This provision creates a separate framework for migrants from the former East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who settled in Assam, enabling them to obtain Indian citizenship if they arrived before March 25, 1971.

Key Points:

• • Section 6A was introduced following the Assam Accord of 1985, which aimed to address concerns regarding migrants from Bangladesh.
  • The accord established that January 1, 1966, would be the base cut-off date for identifying foreigners in Assam, with provisions for regularising those who entered between this date and March 24, 1971.
  • This was meant to mitigate the socio-political tensions arising from immigration in the state.
• Provisions of Section 6A:

• • Under this section, individuals of Indian origin who entered Assam before January 1, 1966, are deemed citizens.
  • Those who entered after this date but before March 24, 1971, can register as citizens, though they are excluded from electoral rolls for ten years.
  • Anyone entering after March 24, 1971, is classified as an illegal immigrant.

• Writer Baishnab Charan Samal has been selected to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award 2024.
• He won this award for his essay book “Bhuti Bhakti Bibhuti”

About:

• The Sahitya Akademi Award is one of the most prestigious literary awards in India.
• The award carries a purse of ₹1 lakh, an engraved copper plaque and a shawl.
• It recognizes outstanding literary works written in any of the 24 languages recognized by the Indian Constitution, as well as in Rajasthani language. 

• The first demonstration of Turtle Excluder Device (TED), near the Barunei estuary in Paradip, was successful.
• It has shown promising results with no Olive Ridley turtles being netted.

About:

• A Turtle Excluder Device (TED) is a specialized fishing gear designed to allow large sea turtles to escape when accidentally caught in fishing nets. 
• It is a crucial tool in reducing bycatch and protecting endangered sea turtle populations.

How TEDs work:

• TEDs are installed in fishing nets to create an escape route for turtles.
• When a turtle enters a net equipped with a TED, it can swim up through the device and escape.
• Fish, being smaller, can still pass through the net’s mesh.

Refer to Addapedia notes for detailed info on Olive Ridley Turtles.

• Odisha CM is set to attend the upcoming GST and finance ministers’ meeting. 

About:

• The 55th GST Council meeting, scheduled to take place on December 21 in Jaisalmar, Rajasthan.
• This meeting will focus on discussions related to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework and financial policies impacting the states. 
• Majhi’s participation underscores Odisha’s commitment to engaging in national economic discussions and addressing fiscal challenges faced by the state. 
• The meeting is expected to facilitate dialogue among various states to enhance revenue generation and streamline GST implementation across India.

• Dhanu Sankranti is a significant festival in Odisha, marking the Sun’s transition into the zodiac sign of Sagittarius (Dhanu Rashi). 
• This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and has deep cultural and spiritual significance.

Significance

• Cultural Importance: Dhanu Sankranti marks the beginning of Dhanur Mas, considered a month of abundance following the harvest season. It is a time for thanksgiving and celebration of agricultural prosperity.
• Religious Observance: Devotees worship the Sun God and Lord Jagannath, seeking blessings for health and prosperity. 
• The day is also associated with various rituals intended to purify and honor ancestors.

Rituals

• Sacred Bathing: Devotees take holy dips in rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna, believed to cleanse sins.
• Special Offerings: A traditional delicacy called Dhanu Muan, made from sweetened rice flakes, is prepared and offered to Lord Jagannath.
• Puja Ceremonies: Special prayers and rituals are conducted early in the morning, including offerings of flowers and water to the Sun God.
• Dhanu Yatra: This annual event features street plays that reenact episodes from Lord Krishna’s life, particularly his visit to Mathura, symbolizing the victory of good over evil.

•  The Odisha government is planning to impart education in Santhali language from primary school to university level. 

Key Points:

• The Ol-Chiki script of Santhali community was created by Pandit Raghunath Murmu in 1925.
• The CM also called upon the Santhali writers to make a dedicated and concerted effort to promote the language, tradition and culture of the community. 
• He also called upon writers to translate the books and other literary creations in Santhali to other languages.

Santali Language:

• Santali is a prominent Austro-Asiatic language primarily spoken by the Santals, a tribal community residing in eastern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. 

Key Points:

• Language Family: Austro-Asiatic
• Script: Primarily written in Ol Chiki, an indigenous script developed specifically for Santali. 
• It’s also written in Roman, Bengali, and Devanagari scripts.
• Geographical Distribution: Predominantly spoken in Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Assam, Tripura, and Mizoram. 
• Also found in Nepal and Bangladesh.
• Status: Recognized as an official language in India.

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