28.08.19 Odisha (OPSC) Current Affairs

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ODISHA

 

  • Odisha government’s push for maritime board to expedite Odisha port projects

 

  • The state cabinet’s recent move approving a proposal for the formation of a maritime board in Odisha to regulate non-nationalized ports is expected to expedite the progress of various port projects in the state.
  • The maritime board, which will have 12 members and the chief secretary as its chairperson, will administer, control and manage the non-major ports to be developed in the state.

 

  • As the state has a 480-km long coastline, the commerce and transport department has identified 14 potential locations for the development of non-major ports by roping in private players to accelerate the state’s economic growth and generate employment.

 

  • Besides the Paradip Port — a major port that functions under the Union ministry of shipping — two non-major ports at Dhamra and Gopalpur are already operational in the state.

 

  • Two more non-major ports at Astarang and Subarnarekha Mouth are in the pipeline.

 

  • Apart from Odisha, investors from neighboring states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, will also be benefitted from the port projects planned in the state.
    During 2018-19, the state government earned Rs 160.61 crore as revenue from the Paradip Port while earnings from Dhamra and Gopalpur ports during the same period was estimated at Rs 86.40 crore and Rs 4.92 crore, respectively.

 

INTERNATIONAL

  • Pakistan, China engage in joint air force exercise ‘Shaheen VIII’

 

  • The air forces of Pakistan and China are taking part in joint exercise ‘Shaheen-VIII’ in the Chinese city of Holton, close to the Indian border near Ladakh.

 

  • The annual joint training is the eighth of its kind between the two countries since it was first launched in March 2001.

 

  • The Indian Air Force (IAF) is keeping a close eye on the Pakistan-China aerial exercise in which both the countries have deployed the latest fighter jets.

 

  • Pakistan is one of the biggest recipients of the Chinese military, which includes missile technology, fighter planes and warships.

 

  • India to host COP14 of UN Convention in September

 

  • India will host the Conference Of Parties, COP 14, of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification from 2nd to 13th September 2019.

 

  • The event will be held at the India Mart and Expo, in the Greater Noida area of New Delhi.

 

  • The event will see the participation of over 3000 representatives from over 200 countries which will include Ministers from around 100 countries.

 

  • India will take over from China this year as host and President for 2 years.

 

  • The Conference Of Parties will focus on desertification and degradation of land.

 

NATIONAL

  • Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi to be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium

 

  • Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi will be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium in memory of its former president who passed away.

 

  • Also, a stand at the Stadium will also be named after India captain Virat Kohli.

 

  • During his tenure at DDCA, Arun Jaitley is credited with renovating Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium into a modern facility, increasing its capacity to accommodate more fans besides constructing world-class dressing rooms.

 

  • Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards 2018 announced

 

  • The government on has decided to confer Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Awards to six personalities – Aparna Kumar, Late Dipankar Ghosh, Manikandan K, Prabhat Raju Koli, RameshwerJangra and Wangchuk Sherpa.

 

  • These awards are given to recognize the achievements of persons in the fields of adventure.

 

  • The awardees will be facilitated by President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on August 29.

 

  • They will receive statuettes, certificates and award money of Rs 5 lakh each.

 

  • The award is given in four categories namely, land, water, air adventure and lifetime achievement.

 

·         Lieu Governor launches QR Code Scheme on Himmat Plus app

  • Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal launched a QR Code Scheme on the Himmat Plus app which can be used by cab or auto-rickshaw passengers to verify the identity of the driver and raise an alarm.
  • Around 3,000 taxis and auto-rickshaws plying outside airports, railway stations and metro stations in the city have been registered under this scheme of the Delhi Police Transport Range and can be verified by scanning the QR code of the card pasted on the back of the headrest of the driver’s seat.

 

  • A user can scan the QR code using the Himmat Plus app. The ‘Report Journey’ button, the app sends the location with driver’s unique ID to the Himmat dashboard working at Himmat stations of the Police HeadQuarters (PHQ).

 

  • Himmat Plus is a mobile app launched by the Delhi Police to ensure the safety of women. This added feature is to ensure that only genuine and verified drivers ferry passenger to their destinations from airports and railway and metro stations.

 

·         Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers launched Janaushadhi Sugam was launched

  • The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers launched a mobile application Janaushadhi Sugam. It was launched by the Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda. The Ministry has also announced that Jan Aushadhi Suvidha Oxo-Biodegradable Sanitary Napkin will now be available at only One Rupee per pad. 

 

  • The Janaushadhi Sugam app will help the people to search forJanaushadhi generic medicines and the stores in the nearby location. A report said that in India about 28 million girls are leaving education because of lack of availability of good quality Sanitary Napkin pads at a reasonable cost. It ensures the health security of underprivileged Indian women who still use unhygienic aidsduring menstrual period due to non-affordability of sanitary pads available in the market.

 

·         Ministry of Earth Sciences plan to revive land affected by degradation

 

  • Union atmosphere Minister Prakash Javadekarhas announced a project to restore 50 lakh hectare land by 2030. The Ministry aims to save3% of land in India that was affected by degradation.

 

  • The project aims to develop and adopt best practices for the restoration process. It will also ensure the monitoring protocols for the Indian states and build capacity within the 5 pilot states, namely  Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Karnataka on forest landscape restoration (FLR) and Bonn challenge.

 

  • India is hosting the Conference of Parties (COP) 14 of the United Nations Convention Combat geologic process (UNCCD) from 2-13 September in Noida. It is expected that over 5,000 representatives from more than 197 will be participating in the two-week conference.
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