30-31-01-22 Daily-Odisha-OPSC Current Affairs

:Odishahas asked the Centre to consider sanctioning Rs 25,000 crore for disaster-resilient power in cyclone-prone coastal areas of the state and Rs 900 crore for 1,000 mobile towers to improve connectivity in remote areas in the Union Budget to be presented by finance ministerNirmala Sitharaman.

These

issues were raised by state finance ministerNiranjan Pujariin the pre-Budget consultation meeting with the Union FM, a senior government functionary said.
The state has pointed out that Cyclones are almost an annual affair for Odisha, causing severe damages to the electrical infrastructure. Odisha has an estimated requirement of Rs 25,000 crore for the creation of disaster-resilient infrastructure with selective underground cabling up to 30km from the coastline. The Centre should consider extending the necessary financial support to Odisha and other cyclone-prone states for disaster-resilient power Network, Odisha has told the Centre.

It has also sought to include private distributor companies under any of Centres power reforms scheme. This apart, it has sought central aid for the proposed new power projects at Upper Indravati (600MW),Balimela(510MW) andUpper Kolab(320MW).

Stating that Odisha has the most number of villages (6,278) without mobile connectivity, the state has sought financial aid for 1,000 mobile towers to be installed at a cost of Rs 1,000 crore. Notably, the Union Cabinet had earlier this month approved 3,933 mobile towers (Rs 3,200 crore).

Odisha has also requested the Centre to upgrade 256 mobile towers in Left-Wing extremism-affected areas to standard 4G towers for better coverage and data capability.

Odisha has asked the Centre to continue with the GST compensation to the states beyond July 2022, at least till 2025-2026 citing that in recent years the states own tax revenue as a Percentage of gross state domestic product (GSDP) has declined, especially since the introduction of the GST.

Kerala has established the country’s first graphene innovation center. This is the first graphene research and development center to be founded.

Highlights:

The project would be funded with Rs 86.41 crores by the central government. The Kerala government will develop the center as Tata Steel is The industrial partner.

In addition, the state-run Digital University Kerala and the Centre

for Materials for Electronics will collaborate on the initiative with the state and federal governments.

Graphene is the world’s most vital substance and the thinnest of materials. Graphene is a material with excellent electrical conductivity and chemical resilience.

It has a vast surface area, is translucent, and is Light in weight. Graphene can replace indium and lower the price of an Organic Light Emitting Diode.

The 61 Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) 2021 and 2022 were awarded digital certificates based on blockchain technology.

Highlights:

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur developed blockchain-based technology as part of the “National Blockchain Project” (IIT Kanpur).

Director of IIT Kanpur Abhay Karandikar said that this technology might be utilized to give all certificates and degrees in the future.

The beneficiaries’ digital certificates generated using blockchain technology will be saved in digital wallets on their mobile devices.

Certificates are unforgeable, globally verifiable, selectively disclosable, and sensitive to user content.

The National Security Council

Secretariat funds the National Blockchain Project to create blockchain-based e-Governance solutions.

The project entails a three-month feasibility assessment to determine whether or not to deploy blockchain technology and research and validation plan and an incubation strategy.

The term “developing country” was recently coined by the . Several countries would be unable to tolerate this.

Highlights:

There are no formal definitions for “developed” or “developing” countries in the organization. However, other countries can contest the offer when a tag is provided.

Even though the WTO has not specified a definition, two-thirds of its members claim developing countries.

Because countries can classify themselves as developing, China has taken advantage of the opportunity. China is attempting to expand its global trade supremacy in this way.

A developing country has various advantages under

the WTO. The S&DT provisions in WTO agreements give developing countries special privileges.

S&DT stands for Special and Differential Treatment. These clauses allow members to treat them with favor.

The Red Sanders (or Red Sandalwood) was recently reclassified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature () as ‘endangered’ on its Red List.

Highlights:

Pterocarpus santalinus is the scientific name for the Red Sanders species.

It is an endemic tree species to India, with a geographical range limited to the Eastern Ghats.

The species is only found in a small area of woodland in Andhra Pradesh.

In 2018, it was designated as a ‘near threatened’ species.

When a species was removed from the endangered list

for the first time since 1997, it was a cause for celebration.

For the past three generations, the

Red Sanders species has seen its Population drop by 50-80%.

As a result, it was once again placed in the Endangered category. Red Sanders are prized for their deep color and medicinal benefits.

On January 25, 2022, the (IMF) published its World Economic Outlook.

Highlights:

According to the analysis, global economic Growth will be half a Percentage point lower than previously projected.

The rate of growth will slow from 5.9% in 2021 to 4.4 percent in 2022. In 2023, it will drop even lower to 3.8 percent.

According to the

IMF, the reduction in global growth predictions is mostly due to the IMF’s assessment of economic prospects in China and the United States.

In the United States, the removal of Joe Biden’s Build Back Better strategy from the baseline, early withdrawal of monetary support, and supply constraints resulted in a 1.2 percentage point downward revision for growth in 2022.

Disruptions connected to China’s zero-Tolerance Covid policy and persistent financial hardship among property developers resulted in a 0.8 percentage point negative revision.