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

National and International News

• Six people have died in Rwanda following an outbreak of the Marburg virus.

About:

• Marburg virus disease (MVD) is a severe, often fatal illness caused by the Marburg virus, a member of the filovirus family. 
• It is similar to Ebola virus
• The virus, which also causes bleeding, and organ failure, is known for its high mortality rate.   

Transmission:

• Primarily through contact with infected individuals’ bodily fluids, such as blood, saliva, and vomit.   
• Can also be transmitted through contact with infected animals, particularly bats.   

Symptoms:

• High fever   
• Severe headache   
• Muscle aches   
• Severe watery diarrhea   
• Abdominal pain and cramping   
• Nausea and vomiting   
• Chest pain   
• Cough   
• Jaundice   
• Bleeding from various body parts (e.g., nose, gums, eyes, vagina, rectum)   
• Altered mental state   

Treatment:

• Currently, no specific treatment or vaccine is available for MVD.   
• Supportive care, such as fluid replacement, blood transfusions, and treatment for complications, can improve survival rates.

• India is gearing up for the next-generation mobile network, 6G. 
• Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently met with the working groups of the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6G), a consortium of academia, industry, and research institutions focused on developing India’s 6G technology roadmap.

About:

• 6G is the planned successor to 5G, promising to revolutionize wireless communication. 
• It aims to deliver ultra-high speeds, low latency, and massive connectivity, enabling a wide range of new applications and services.   

Key features and benefits of 6G include:

• Ultra-high speeds: 6G is expected to offer speeds up to 100 times faster than 5G, enabling seamless streaming of high-resolution video and virtual reality content.   
• Low latency: 6G will have significantly lower latency, making real-time applications like remote surgery and autonomous vehicles more reliable and responsive.   
• Massive connectivity: 6G will support the connection of billions of devices simultaneously, enabling the Internet of Things (IoT) to reach its full potential.   
• Enhanced reliability: 6G will be more reliable and resilient than previous generations, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity even in challenging environments.   

• The Tourism Ministry launched the “Paryatan Mitra” and “Paryatan Didi” initiatives on World Tourism Day. 
• These programs aim to empower local communities, especially women, to become active participants in the tourism industry.
• Paryatan Mitra: This initiative aims to train local residents as tourism ambassadors. They will provide information to tourists, assist with bookings, and promote local attractions.
• Paryatan Didi: This initiative focuses on empowering women to become tourism guides and entrepreneurs. It will provide training and support to women in rural areas, enabling them to contribute to the local economy.

• China’s Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, has been found to have a surprising effect on Earth’s rotation. 
• By holding a massive amount of water in its reservoir, the dam has shifted the planet’s mass distribution. 
• This, in turn, has slightly slowed Earth’s rotation, lengthening the day by a tiny fraction of a second. While the change is minuscule, it’s a remarkable testament to the immense scale of human engineering and its potential impact on our planet.   

About:

• The Three Gorges Dam is a massive hydroelectric dam spanning the Yangtze River in central China. 
• It’s the world’s largest power station in terms of installed capacity, generating significant amounts of electricity.

• India has made significant strides in innovation, climbing 42 spots in the Global Innovation Index (GII) over the past 9 years. 
• This impressive achievement has positioned India at the 39th rank in the 2024 edition of the GII. 
• This upward trajectory reflects the nation’s growing emphasis on research and development, technological advancements, and fostering a conducive environment for innovation.

Global Innovation Index (GII)

• The Global Innovation Index (GII) is an annual ranking of countries based on their ability to generate and implement innovative ideas. 
• It is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in partnership with Cornell University and INSEAD.   

Key features of the GII:

• Comprehensive assessment: The GII measures innovation across a wide range of factors, including institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, business development, and knowledge and technology outputs.   
• Global perspective: The index ranks countries from around the world, providing a global benchmark for innovation performance.   
• Policy insights: The GII offers valuable insights for policymakers, helping them to identify areas for improvement and develop strategies to foster innovation

• 25 faculty members of NIT Rourkela are being recognized among the top 2% most cited scientists globally according to a prestigious Stanford University-Elsevier research survey. 
• This recognition highlights the institute’s commitment to cutting-edge research and the exceptional contributions of its faculty.   
• Under this ranking, the scientists are categorized into 22 scientific fields and 174 sub-fields according to the ScienceMetrix classification system. 

• The Odisha government has formulated a comprehensive strategy to attract investments in less industrialized districts of the state. 
• This initiative aims to promote balanced development, create employment opportunities, and boost the local economy.
• The state government has constituted a task force to accelerate the pace of industrialisation in the state with specific focus on Keonjhar.

Key Points:

• Keonjhar is one of the major mineral producing districts of Odisha with vast deposits of iron ore, manganese, chromate, quartzite, bauxite, pyrophyllite and limestone. 
• The 10-member task force has been asked to look into the prospects of the 2,500 acre land in close proximity to Odisha Tea plantation Ltd in Keonjhar, 500 acre of Kalinga Iron Works (KIW) at Barbil in the same district and another 460 acre land parcel in Nayagarh.

• The Odisha State government has approved the new state-sector umbrella scheme Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana with an outlay of Rs 1,423.47 crore
• The cabinet also approved the draft Data Dissemination Policy of Official Statistics, 2024 along with the proposal for construction of 555 residential quarters for staff of the Orissa High Court on 10 acre land in Cuttack.

About:

• Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana is a government initiative aimed at promoting dairy farming and providing financial support to livestock farmers. 
• The name “Kamadhenu” is derived from the mythological cow that granted all desires, symbolizing the importance of cows in Indian culture and agriculture. 
• The state will subsidize 85% of livestock insurance premiums, benefiting over 15 lakh farmers under the new scheme.

• Maniabandha, a small village nestled in Odisha’s Cuttack district, has been recognized as one of the “Best Tourism Villages” in India for 2024. 
• Maniabandha, famed for its silk sarees and non-violent form of silk weaving, has been selected as one of the best tourism villages in the ‘crafts’ category this year.