Addapedia Odisha | Daily Current Affairs | 31 July 2024 | Download PDF

National and International News

• The Wagner mercenary group from Russia reported severe losses, including a commander, in recent battles with separatist forces in northeast Mali.

About Wagner Group:

• Official Name: PMC Wagner, a Russian paramilitary organization.
• Nature: A private military company and a network of mercenaries.
• Origin:
  • Emerged in 2014 during Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
  • Operated in Syria and several African countries including Libya, Sudan, Mozambique, Mali, and the Central African Republic.
• Founders:
  • Yevgeny Prigozhin.
  • Dmitry Utkin, a former special forces officer in Russia’s GRU military intelligence.
• Legal Status:
  • Mercenary forces are technically illegal in Russia.
  • Wagner registered as a “private military company” in 2022.
• Operations:
  • Closely tied to the Russian military and intelligence community.
  • Services vary based on client needs, including rebel groups and regimes.
  • Funding ranges from direct payment to resource concessions.

• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) recently approved amendments to the deal for 31 MQ-9B High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs from General Atomics, USA.

About Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):

• • Formation: Formed in 2001 following the Group of Minister’s recommendations on ‘Reforming the National Security System‘ post-Kargil War (1999).
  • Objective:
    • Ensure expeditious procurement of the armed forces’ approved requirements in terms of capabilities and prescribed time frames.
    • Optimize utilization of allocated budgetary resources.
  • Composition:
    • Chaired by the Defence Minister.
    • Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)
• Chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force

• Functions:
  • Approve a 15-year Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan (LTIPP) for defence forces.
  • Accord acceptance of necessity for acquisition proposals.
  • Categorize acquisition proposals as ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’, and ‘Make’.
  • Address issues related to single vendor clearance.
  • Decide on ‘offset’ provisions for acquisition proposals above Rs 300 crore.
  • Make decisions regarding the Transfer of Technology under the ‘Buy & Make’ category.
  • Conduct field trial evaluations.

• India, a founding member of the International Labour Organization (ILO), is likely to file a complaint against the UN agency regarding its India Employment Report 2024.

About International Labour Organization (ILO):

• Specialized Agency of the UN: Dedicated to improving labour conditions and living standards worldwide.
• History:
  • Creation: Established in 1919 as part of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.
  • UN Agency: Became a specialized agency of the UN in 1946.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Membership: 187 members (186 UN member states plus the Cook Islands).
• Structure:
  • Tripartite Agency: Includes governments, employers, and workers’ representatives from 187 member states.
  • UNDP Membership: Part of the United Nations Development Group aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals.
• Functions:
  • Policy Formulation: Develops international policies to promote human rights, improve working conditions, and enhance employment opportunities.
  • Labour Standards: Creates and supervises the application of international labour standards.
  • Technical Cooperation: Implements international technical cooperation programs in partnership with its constituents.
  • Training and Education: Conducts training, education, and research activities to support its initiatives.
• Recognition: 
  • Nobel Prize for Peace: Awarded in 1969 for its contributions to improving labour conditions and promoting social justice.

• Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change launches Ideas4LiFE portal for inviting ideas related to products and services for inducing behavioral changes related to environment-friendly lifestyles.

About Mission LiFE:

• Unveiled by Prime Minister of India at the UNFCCC COP26 in 2021.
• Focuses on individual conduct in global climate action.
• Objective: Motivate at least 1 billion people (Indians and global citizens) to take individual and group actions for environmental protection and conservation (2022-2028).
• Vision:
  • Encourage small, everyday actions to drastically halt climate change.
  • Establish an ecosystem through the ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3) community to support and sustain environmentally responsible behaviors.
• Principles:
  • Everyone has a responsibility to live in harmony with the Earth and cause no harm.
  • Individuals living this way are designated as Pro Planet People.
• Themes:
  • Save Energy
  • Save Water
  • Say No to Single Use Plastic
  • Adopt Sustainable Lifestyle
  • Reduce Waste
  • Adopt Healthy Lifestyles
  • Reduce E-Waste

• The “Digital Arrest” scam, a new form of online fraud, involves perpetrators impersonating official authorities to extort money from victims via video calls. 

About Digital Arrest:

• The term “Digital Arrest” refers to a sophisticated cyber scam where fraudsters impersonate law enforcement or government officials to extort money from unsuspecting victims. 
• This scam typically involves video calls where the scammers falsely accuse the victim of illegal activities, creating a sense of urgency and fear to compel the victim to transfer money immediately.
• How It Works:
  • Initial Contact: Victims receive a video call from scammers posing as authorities.
  • Creating Fear: Scammers use intimidating tactics, such as false accusations of criminal activities.
  • Demand for Payment: Victims are pressured to pay a large sum to avoid supposed legal consequences.

• Odisha has reportedly lost central assistance for 6,57,945 houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) over the last eight years.
• The current state government attributes this loss to the inefficiency of the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) regime.

About PMAY-G

• In pursuance to the goal – Housing for all by 2022, the rural housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana has been revamped to Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin and approved during March 2016.
• Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided for construction of pucca house to all houseless and households living in dilapidated houses.
• The scheme would be implemented in rural areas throughout India except Delhi and Chandigarh. The cost of houses would be shared between Centre and States.

• Odisha experienced a major landslide near Tumba Padar village.
• The landslide has cut off 18 villages in Malkangiri from the rest of the state, disrupting essential services and transportation.

Landslide:

• A landslide is the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a sloped section of land.

Causes of Landslides

Natural Causes:

• Earthquakes: Shake and weaken the ground, triggering landslides.
• Rainfall: Saturates the ground, adding weight and reducing stability.
• Erosion: Coastal waves and river currents erode the base of slopes.
• Groundwater: Dissolves rocks within slopes, weakening them.

Human-Induced Causes:

• Deforestation: Tree roots stabilize slopes; their removal increases landslide risk.
• Construction: Buildings and roads can alter natural drainage patterns and load on slopes.
• Mining: Explosions and vibrations from mining activities can destabilize slopes.
• Agriculture: Farming practices can lead to soil erosion and slope instability.

Types of Landslides:

• • Falls: Free fall of earth material from a steep slope or cliff.
  • Slides: Downward movement along a well-defined surface.
  • Rotational Slides: Movement along a concave-upward surface.
  • Translational Slides: Movement along a planar surface.
  • Flows: Movement that resembles fluid behavior, typically involving water.
  • Mudflows: Rapid flow of water-saturated earth material.
  • Debris Flows: Flow of water, soil, and rock debris.
• Topples: Forward rotation of rock or earth material out from a slope.

• On July 30, 2024, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi presented a vote-on-account of ₹95,000 crore to cover expenditures related to government schemes and administrative needs for the months of August and September. 
• This move is notable as it marks the second vote-on-account within the same financial year, setting a new record for the state.

Vote on Account:

• • A vote on account, as per Article 116 of the Indian Constitution, is an advance grant from the Consolidated Fund of India to cover short-term expenditure needs until the start of the new financial year.
• Consolidated Fund of India: Defined under Article 266, it comprises all revenue generated by the central government, including taxes, loan interest, and state tax portions.

Purpose of Vote on Account:

• Interim Measure: During an election year, the government presents a vote on account instead of a full-fledged Budget. This measure is used to provide funds for the short term while awaiting the new government.
• Legislative Procedure: The Consolidated Fund can only be accessed under an appropriation authorized by law, which requires passing an appropriation bill. This process can be time-consuming, necessitating the vote on account to ensure funds are available from April 1.

• On International Tiger Day, the Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) released a critical report titled “India’s Tiger Reserves: Tribals Get Out, Tourists Welcome.”
• The report examines the impact of Project Tiger on indigenous communities, highlighting severe consequences of the conservation initiative.

Displacement of Indigenous Communities:

• Scope of Displacement: The report alleges that Project Tiger, since its inception in 1973, has led to the displacement of approximately 550,000 Scheduled Tribes (ST) and other forest dwellers.
• Recent Trends: Between 2021 and 2017, the displacement rate per tiger reserve increased by 967%, with the addition of six new reserves. This has resulted in about 290,000 people being forcibly removed from their ancestral lands.

Violations and Irregularities:

• Forest Rights Act (FRA) Violations: The report accuses Project Tiger of breaching the Forest Rights Act by displacing tribal communities without their consent.
• Increased Tiger Deaths: Ironically, tiger deaths have risen due to infrastructure projects such as roads, even as tribes are displaced for conservation purposes.

Case Studies and Human Rights Concerns:

• Kaziranga National Park: The report highlights Kaziranga National Park in Assam as a case of concern, citing a 2014 report that questioned the legitimacy of alleged poaching encounters. The report states that between 2014 and 2016, 57 individuals were killed, raising suspicions about the nature of these encounters.
• Unfounded Displacement: Five tiger reserves, including Sahyadri, Satkosia, Kamlang, Kawal, and Dampa, have displaced over 5,600 tribal families despite not having a significant tiger population.

Commercialization and Its Impact:

• Tourism and Infrastructure: The report criticizes the commercialization of tiger reserves, noting the encroachment of tourism, infrastructure projects, and mining activities into protected areas.
• Forest Conservation Amendment Act: The recent amendment is viewed as exacerbating the issue by promoting commercialization under the guise of eco-tourism.

Successful Coexistence Models:

• Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve: The report acknowledges the success of the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, where the coexistence between tigers and the Soliga tribe has led to a thriving tiger population. The report advocates for this model to be adopted more widely.

Recommendations and Future Directions:

• Immediate Actions Needed: The report calls for a halt to current displacements, a comprehensive review of existing tiger reserves, and the adoption of coexistence models that respect the rights of indigenous communities.
• National Debate: The findings have sparked a debate on balancing wildlife conservation with the rights and livelihoods of human populations, urging for a more equitable approach to Project Tiger.

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