Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 30 December 2023 | Download PDF

• The Union Home Ministry and the Assam government signed a memorandum of settlement with the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).
• The Group’s cadres have agreed to surrender arms, vacate their camps, and engage in a peaceful democratic process.

About ULFA

• The United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) is an armed separatist organisation operating in the Northeast Indian state of Assam.
• It seeks to establish an independent sovereign nation state of Assam for the indigenous Assamese people through an armed struggle in the Assam conflict. 
• The Government of India banned the organisation in 1990 citing it as a terrorist organisation

• Three 11th century Jain sculptures were discovered at Varuna village in Mysuru district.
• Entire belt comprising Varuna, Varakodu and Vajamangala had been thriving Jain centres in the past.

About Jainism

• Jainism is an ancient religion that is rooted in the philosophy that teaches the way to liberation and a path to spiritual purity and enlightenment through disciplined nonviolence to all living creatures.
• Jainism came to prominence in the 6th century B.C., when Lord Mahavira propagated the religion.
• There were 24 great teachers, the last of whom was Lord Mahavira

• The Navy unveiled the new design of epaulettes for admirals, with the octagon in the new design drawn from the naval ensign and inspired by rajmudra of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
• The new design is a “true reflection of our rich maritime heritage” and reiterates the “resolve to do away with Ghulami ki Maansikta”.
• The new epaulettes have the golden Navy button top, followed by an octagon, an Indian sword and a telescope crossed, followed by stars indicating the ranks.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch PSLV-C58 X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) mission.

Key points

• XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources.
• It carries two payloads — POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). 
• POLIX has been developed by the Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by the Space Astronomy Group of URSC, Bengaluru.

• The Mines Ministry, through the state-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), has entered into a draft exploration and development agreement with Argentinan miner CAMYEN for possible acquisition and development of five-odd lithium blocks.
• The company has also entered into a non-disclosure agreement with Chilean miner ENAMI for ‘possible exploration, extraction, processing and commecialisation’ of the mineral 

Did you know?

• • Latin American nations, primarily Chile and Argentina, account for 30–35% of the world’s supplies. 
  • Chile, with 11% of the world’s lithium reserves, supplies 26% of the requirements; while Argentina with nearly a fifth of the global reserves supplies about 6%. 
• Australia is among the other large producers globally.

• The Central Zoo Authority has allowed the Odisha government to carry out planned transfer of a cheetah, African lion and chimpanzee from Dubai Safari Park (DSP) to Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP), Bhubaneswar. 
• In exchange, the NZP will provide hippopotamus, blackbuck, hog deer, gaur, red junglefowl and gharial.

• The government has expanded the scope of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY), the State’s universal health coverage scheme, extending cashless care to all rural families in private hospitals. 
• Now, the BSKY will cover the entire population except income tax payers and government employees. 
• With this expansion, it is estimated that over 1.1 crore families, covering nearly 90% of the population of the State, will be provided health insurance.

About BSKY

• Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) is a health insurance scheme that the Government of Odisha launched in India in 2018. 
• The scheme aims to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to the people of Odisha, especially to those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to vulnerable sections of society. 

• Kalahandi University here has been renamed as Maa Manikeshwari University,
• Kalahandi University comprising 50 colleges was formed on 1 September 2020.

• The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended the name of Orissa High Court Judge Dr Justice BR Sarangi for the post of Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court.
• He was elevated as a Judge of the High Court of Orissa on 20 June 2013 after completing 27 years of regular practice at the Bar before the High Court of Orissa and the Supreme Court

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