Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 22 July 2024 | Download PDF

National and International News

• A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) revealed that road dust mitigation efforts are consuming a significant portion—64%—of the funds allocated under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) to reduce particulate matter 10 (PM10) pollution.

About National Clean Air Programme:

• Launch Date: January 2019
• Ministry: Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change
• Objective:
  • Implement mitigation measures to prevent, control, and abate air pollution.
  • Strengthen the air quality monitoring network across the country.
  • Increase public awareness and capacity-building measures.
• Targets:
  • Reduce PM10 concentration by 20-30% over baseline levels of 2017 by 2024.
  • Revised target: Reduce PM10 levels by up to 40% or achieve national standards (60 µg/m³) by 2025-26.
• Implementation:
  • Executed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
  • 131 non-attainment cities identified for implementation.

• The Union Minister of Coal and Mines recently launched the Mineral Exploration Hackathon and the National District Mineral Foundation (DMF) Portal.

About National District Mineral Foundation Portal:

• Aim:
  • Facilitate access to DMF data.
  • Track developments and utilization of funds.
  • Enhance transparency and centralized visibility of activities.
  • Provide project oversight and dynamic analytics.
  • Serve as a repository of best practices for effective implementation.
• Establishment: Set up as a non-profit trust under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act 2015.
• Funding:
  • Funded through contributions from holders of major or minor mineral concessions in the district.
  • Contributions prescribed by the Central or State Government.
• Jurisdiction and Governance:
• Operates under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government.
• Composition and functions prescribed by the State Government.
• Funds collected at the district level.

• The Union Minister of Coal and Mines recently inaugurated the National Landslide Forecasting Centre at the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in Kolkata. 
• The minister launched the Bhusanket Web Portal and the Bhooskhalan Mobile App.

About Bhusanket Web Portal:

• The web portal aims to disseminate relevant data and information on landslide hazards.
• It will initiate short-range and medium-range landslide forecasting in the country.
• The Bhooskhalan Mobile App, integrated with the Bhusanket Web Portal, is user-friendly and facilitates quick dissemination of daily landslide forecasts.
• The app allows stakeholders to share and update spatial and temporal information on landslide occurrences.

• The tea industry has requested higher rates under the RoDTEP scheme to enhance the competitiveness of its exports in international markets.

About RoDTEP Scheme:

• Ministry: Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• WTO-Compliant: Refunds embedded central, state, and local duties and taxes not previously refunded.
• Objective: Enhance competitiveness of export sectors, create employment, and contribute to economic growth under Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision.
• Eligibility:
  • Open to both manufacturers and merchant exporters.
  • No threshold of turnover required.
  • Goods must be directly exported by the claimant.
• Scope:
  • Covers physical exports and outbound shipments of services from India.
  • Service providers can claim refunds on applicable hidden levies.
• Rebate Mechanism:
  • Claimed as a percentage of the Freight On Board value of exports.
  • Implemented by Customs via a simplified IT System.
  • Rebates issued as transferable duty credit/electronic scrip (e-scrip).
  • E-scrip maintained in an electronic ledger by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).

• The Centre plans to raise the upper limit of short-term crop loans under the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS) from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

About Modified Interest Subvention Scheme:

• Funding:
  • 100% funded by the Government of India.
  • Launched in 2006-07.
• Objective: To provide short-term agri-loans to farmers through Kisan Credit Card (KCC) for working capital requirements at concessional interest rates.
• Financial Institutions Involved:
  • Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs)
  • Small Finance Banks (SFBs)
  • Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)
  • Cooperatives
  • Computerized Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) ceded with SCBs
• Loan Details:
  • Farmers can acquire Kisan Credit Card loans up to Rs 3 lakh.
  • Benchmark interest rate: 9%
  • Centre provides 2% interest subvention, reducing the effective rate to 7%.
  • Additional 3% concession for prompt and timely repayment, further reducing it to 4% per year.
• Implementing Agencies:
  • Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
  • National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD)

• Noted agriculturist Kamala Pujari, renowned for her pioneering work in organic farming and preservation of rare paddy seeds, passed away on July 20, 2024, in Cuttack, Odisha. 

Early Life and Contributions:

• Kamala Pujari was born into a poor farming family and developed an early interest in saving indigenous paddy seeds.
• She preserved over 100 varieties of paddy and other crops critical to the Koraput region, many of which are now rare. 
• Trained by the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Jeypore, she played a significant role in developing the ‘Kalinga Kalajeera’ rice, a nearly extinct variety known for its unique aroma and nutty taste.

Awards and Recognition:

• Pujari’s contributions were recognized both nationally and internationally. 
• She received the ‘Equator Initiative Award’ in Johannesburg in 2002 and the Best Farmer Award from the Odisha government in 2004. 
• In 2019, she was honored with the Padma Shri by President Ramnath Kovind for her significant contributions to agriculture. 
• Additionally, she was the first tribal woman to join the Odisha State Planning Board and had a women’s hostel at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology named in her honor.

• Researchers from IIT Bhubaneswar have introduced an AI-based model designed to enhance the accuracy of cyclone intensity predictions in the North Indian Ocean (NIO) basin. 
• This innovative model aims to aid states, especially Odisha, in crafting more effective disaster management strategies.

Key points:

• The AI model, known as the Mach Band Attention Model (MBAM), can accurately estimate cyclone intensity even when the storm is distant from land.
• Accuracy: The model’s mean absolute error (MAE) in intensity measurement is under 0.5 knots, demonstrating high precision in assessing wind speed within the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.

Enhanced Forecasting: 

• The AI model examines various cyclone features, including the eye, inner core, eye-wall, and associated cloud bands, offering superior accuracy compared to other global models.

Challenges and Solutions

Forecasting Difficulties: 

• Accurate intensity prediction remains a challenge, particularly when cyclones are far from land, due to the lack of real-time atmospheric data from aircraft.

Addressing the Issue: 

• By integrating advanced AI techniques and extensive satellite imagery, the IIT Bhubaneswar team aims to improve early warning systems and cyclone intensity prediction.

• Tribal schools in Odisha are adopting a novel approach to enhance education.
• The initiative, known as Building as Learning Aid (BaLA), transforms classroom walls into educational tools.

Key points:

• • The ST and SC Development department has partnered with the organization Shiksharth to introduce BaLA.
• The initiative aims to integrate tribal art into the classroom environment to boost language, mathematics, and environmental knowledge.

Key Features of BaLA

Educational Enhancement Through Art:

• Classrooms in SSD schools are being decorated with tribal art to support primary graders.
• The initiative focuses on teaching concepts in students’ mother tongues using art forms familiar to their communities.

Concept and Objectives:

• The project is based on the idea that school architecture can enhance teaching and learning.
• It emphasizes activity-based learning, inclusivity, and child-friendly environments.

Phase One and Implementation Details

Pilot Project in Rayagada:

• The first phase of BaLA is being implemented in SSD schools across four districts: Rayagada, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Nabarangpur.
• Rayagada, with over 65,000 students enrolled, serves as the pilot location for the initiative.

Artistic Integration:

• Soura art is used to create literacy and numeracy walls in classrooms.
• Numeracy walls feature number systems, multiplication tables, measurement values, and concepts of time.
• Local tribal artists are involved in designing these walls, incorporating educational content with art.

Benefits and Impact:

Cultural Relevance and Learning:

• The use of tribal art aims to make the learning environment more relatable for students.
• Minister Nityananda Gond highlights that tribal art helps children connect better with educational content compared to other languages.

Scope and Reach:

• The ST and SC Development department manages 1,736 schools and 5,841 hostels, serving over five lakh students from 64 different scheduled tribes speaking 21 languages.

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