Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 30 January 2024 | Download PDF

• The Finance Ministry anticipates India’s real GDP growth to be around 7% in 2024-25.
• Possibility of surpassing 7% growth by 2030.
• Ambitious goal to make India the third-largest economy globally, reaching $5 trillion in the next three years.

Two Phases of Growth:

• Review categorizes India’s growth into two phases—1950 to 2014 and ‘2014-2024: Decade of transformative growth.’
• Acknowledges challenges in the early years of the Modi administration, with GDP growth below 5% in 2012-13 and 2013-14, high food inflation, and structural constraints.

• Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra arrives in Bhutan for a three-day visit.
• Visit closely follows Bhutan’s new Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s appointment ceremony.

Key Points:

Agenda

• Special emphasis on advancing cooperation between India and Bhutan on the Gelephu mega ‘Mindfulness City’ project, introduced by Mr. Kwatra during his preview visit in July 2023.
• Mr. Kwatra’s agenda includes discussions on bilateral ties with his Bhutanese counterpart.

• Rohan Bopanna, in partnership with Matthew Ebden, achieves historic victory in men’s doubles at the Australian Open.

Key Points:

• Bopanna, at 43 years, became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era.

About:

• The Australian Open, initially known as the Australasian Championships, commenced in 1905.
• Renamed as the Australian Open in 1969, it stands as the oldest Grand Slam tournament.
• The tournament occurs annually across two weeks, concluding with the finals held on the last weekend of January.
• Melbourne Park, a prominent sporting complex situated in Melbourne, Australia, serves as the hosting venue for the Australian Open.
• The Australian Open comprises five primary events: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles.
• The Australian Open holds the prestigious title of being the inaugural Grand Slam tournament in any given calendar year.
• Australian Open is the lone Grand Slam event played on hard courts.

• The government aims for 20% of Delhi’s electricity consumption to be from solar power by 2027.
• The government has allocated ₹570 crore for the implementation of the policy.

Impact on Household Bills

• Households generating solar power can reduce their bills to zero if consumption is below 200 units a month.
• Example: If a household consumes 400 units but generates 100 units of solar power, they will be charged only for 300 units.

• Aim of the policy is to reduce air pollution from diesel generators.
• Zero electricity charges for households and reduced bills for industries to counter inflation.

• The first-ever India-Saudi Arabia joint military exercise, named ‘SADA TANSEEQ,’ commenced in Rajasthan.
• The exercise aims to foster interoperability, bonhomie, and camaraderie between the troops of both nations.

Participating Contingents:

• The Saudi Arabian contingent, represented by 45 personnel, is from the Royal Saudi Land Forces.
• The Indian Army contingent, also comprising 45 personnel, is represented by a battalion from the Brigade of the Guards (Mechanised Infantry).

Objective:

• The primary goal of the exercise is to train troops from both sides for joint operations in semi-desert terrain under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter.

The exercise is scheduled to take place until February 10.

• SIMI was declared an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2001.
• Reasons: The Union Home Ministry cites SIMI’s involvement in terrorism, disruption of peace, and threats to the sovereignty, security, and integrity of India.

Reason for Extension:

• Ministry cites SIMI’s involvement in terrorism, disturbing peace, and threatening the sovereignty, security, and integrity of Bharat (India).
• 17 cases were registered against former SIMI cadres in the past five years, with 11 instances leading to convictions for crimes committed between 2006 and 2014.
• The fresh cases include two first information reports (FIR) registered at the Gangapur police station in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan on August 25, 2019 for “throwing stones from the top of Jama Masjid on the rally of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP)” on the VHP’s Foundation Day.

• Night safari was launched in Chandaka-Dampara wildlife sanctuary.

About:

• The sanctuary lies partly within Khurda and partly in Cuttack Districts of Orissa state and in close proximity to the state capital, Bhubaneswar.
• Chandaka-Dampara sanctuary is spread over an area of 193.39 Sq.Km on the up land of North-Eastern Ghat of biotic region, Chandaka- Dampara sanctuary is a treasure house of biodiversity. 
• The park is known for successful conservation of elephants which is the principal species here. 
• It is also a home to a number of threatened wild animals and birds. 
• Chandaka landscape got sanctuary status in 1982 notification of Government adjacent to temple city, Bhubaneswar popularly known as pachyderm country.

Fauna List

• Elephants are the keystone or flagship species in the forest ecosystem.
• Hanuman Langur, the macaque, three deer (spotted deer, barking deer, and mouse deer), wild pig, porcupine and hare form other herbivores. Among carnivores, Panther, sloth bear, hyena, wolf, fox, jackal, mongoose(common, small, ruddy). Civets (small, palm), tree shrew and Pangolins are important.

• The state Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has reversed its earlier decision to amend the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property Regulation, 1956.

Key Points:

• The state Cabinet approved a proposal to amend the Odisha Scheduled Areas Transfer of Immovable Property Regulation on November 14 of the previous year.
• The amendment aimed to ease the transfer and mortgage of landed properties owned by Scheduled Tribe individuals to non-tribals in Odisha.

Government’s Rationale:

• The state government, in support of the proposal, highlighted the challenges faced by tribal people in selling or mortgaging their properties.
• The primary reasons cited were to enable financing for the education of their children and other developmental activities.

Backtracking on the Proposal:

• In response to the widespread criticism, the state government decided to put the proposal on hold, temporarily halting the amendment process.

As per the Cabinet decision, the state government will introduce a new scheme LABHA – Laghu Bana Jatya Drabya Kraya—for the tribal people in Odisha.

About:

• LABHA Yojana is a 100% state-funded MSP for MFP scheme (minimum support price for minor forest produce)
• MSP for minor forest produce will be set annually by the state government.
• Under the scheme a primary collector (tribal)will be able to sell the minor forest produce at Minimum Support Price collected at the procurement centres by TDCCOL.
• LABHA Yojana will integrate the efforts with the Mission Shakti’s Women SHGs
• procurement centres will be managed by SHGs /any other notified agencies assisted by TDCCOL.
• amount will be transferred as DBT to the beneficiary’s account and the SHG /any other agency will receive Commission (2%) as well.

Other initiatives:

• The state government to further benefit the tribals of is setting up a Rs 25-crore tamarind processing plant in Rayagada which will use the Minor Forest Produce of tamarind procured through LABHA Yojana for value-addition 

• The Cabinet approved a proposal for the establishment of a commission for preservation and promotion of tribal languages in Odisha.

Key Points:

• Objective: Preserve, promote, develop, disseminate, and safeguard 21 tribal languages in Odisha.
• The Commission aims to include tribal languages like Ho, Mundari, Kui, and Saora in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
• The Multilingual Education (MLE) programme includes all 21 recognized tribal languages in Odisha.

• Odisha anticipates a significant rise in its elderly population, prompting the state government to strategize for their welfare.(Additional 5.5 per cent more elderly citizens to its population pyramid in the next 12 years)
• A comprehensive plan is in the works to address the needs of the growing elderly demographic, with a focus on establishing more old-age homes.

Abadana Scheme Overview:

• Introduced in the budget in the  year 2017-18.
• The state government’s ‘Abadana’ scheme is a multifaceted initiative designed for the protection and welfare of senior citizens.
• It encompasses 13 key components, including old-age homes, day service centers, geriatric disability centers, health on wheels, senior citizen’s services, helpline and counseling services, surgery and assistive devices, state awards, strengthening of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), training of caregivers, sensitization and awareness, research and documentation, and policy goals implementation.

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has urged Odisha to increase the number of old-age homes.
• The directive includes ensuring the presence of at least one senior citizen home in each urban local body (ULB) and district headquarters across the state.

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