Current Affairs Notes for Odisha Civil Services(OAS, OPS,ORS,OTAS,etc) Exam

Current Affairs Notes for Odisha Civil Services Exam, 2023-24

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CAA- Citizenship Amendment Act

-Persecuted minorities from Neighbouring Countries to get citizenship.

What’s in it for beneficiaries ?

1.  It will protect individuals who sought refuge in India due to religious persecution.
2. Offers them a shield against eviction proceedings .
3. They will get voting rights.
4. Gives access to welfare schemes as also to Aadhaar and Pan cards.
5. Gives them fundamental rights protected under the Constitution.

CM Naveen Patnaik launches Ama Bhoomi(Anandabana or Nest of Happiness) initiative for more open spaces to promote well-being.

1.  To promote well-being, sustainability and a robust urban landscape in the city. 
2. The urban forest, spanning over 89.05 acre, offers a range of amenities to its visitors.

• ample vehicle parking space.
• benches for relaxation.
• Gazebos( a small building with open sides to enquiry the scenic beauty)
• rain shelters,
• a children’s play area.
• public facilities.
• kiosks serving healthy food.
• The site features 550 mtr rock trails and 32,750 sq ft of water bodies, enhancing the serene ambience and providing habitats for various aquatic species.

Satellite survey detects over 17 lakh fake plots registered for paddy sale under MSP in Odisha

1. As registration numbers of around 20.10 lakh plots did not match with the Odisha land records (Bhulekh), the department asked the Odisha Space Application Centre (ORSAC) to conduct a satellite survey of such plots.
2. Ponds, forest land, orchards, and land with non-paddy vegetation, even schools and other buildings, have been shown as paddy fields, it has been found.

Project to add value to Koraput Coffee chain

1. THE Agriculture department has entered into an agreement with UK-based Anglia Ruskin University, NIWSASS and Tata Coffee to launch a project that would enhance the capacity of Koraput’s tribal coffee growers. 
2. The coffee growers will be trained on value-addition to the arabica coffee grown on the hills of Koraput, quality management and market linkages

Some Important Current Affairs Notes in Nutshell(January, 2024)

1. The former Chief Minister of Bihar, popularly known as Jan Nayak, who has been chosen to be awarded the Bharat Ratna – Shri Karpoori Thakur 
2. The organisation which has been awarded the CNN-News18 Indian of the Year 2023 Award – Indian Space Research Organisation
3. The inaugural edition of India-Saudi Arabia Joint Military Exercise held at Mahajan, Rajasthan from 29th January to 10th February 2024 is named – SADA TANSEEQ 
4. The exercise conducted by the Indian Air Force with French Air and Space Force (FASF) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force over the Arabian Sea on 23 January 2024 was named – Exercise Desert Knight 
5. The 11th edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces exercise conducted at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh, Himachal Pradesh from 22nd January to 3rd February 2024 is named – Exercise Khanjar 
6. The 2nd edition of India-Egypt Joint Special Forces exercise conducted at Anshas, Egypt from 22nd January to 1st February 2024 is named – Exercise Cyclone 
7. The first ever bilateral exercise by Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) which was conducted from 20 to 23 December 2023 has been named – Exercise Ayutthaya 
8. The joint exercise held by the Coast Guards of India and Japan in the Bay of Bengal was named – Sahyog Kaijin 
9. The first indigenously manufactured Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) manufactured by Adani Defence and Aerospace which was unveiled by Indian Navy Chief Admiral Hari Kumar is named – Drishti 10 Starliner 
10. The India-UAE joint military exercise conducted in Mahajan, Rajasthan from 2nd to 15th January 2024 is named – Exercise Desert Cyclone
11. The venue of 19th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement held from 15 to 20 January 2024 – Kampala, Uganda
12. The city in which the tallest statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (125 ft without pedestal and 206 ft with pedestal) was unveiled by AP CM Shri Jagan Mohan Reddy – Vijayawada
13. The venue of India International Science Festival 2023 conducted from 17 to 20 January 2024 – Faridabad
14. The venue of International Purple Fest 2024, India's first-of-its-kind inclusive festival that celebrates persons with disabilities, held from 08 to 13 January 2024 – Panaji, Goa
15. The lunar lander of Japan launched in September 2023, which has successfully soft-landed on the surface of moon is named – SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon)
16. The city in which four-day aviation show named Wings India 24 was held from 18 January to 21 January with the theme Connecting India to the World in Amrit Kaal: Setting the Stage for India Civil Aviation @2047 – Hyderabad
17. The Union Cabinet has named the international airport at Ayodhya as – Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya Dham

Latest GI tags 

•  Red Ant Chutney from Odisha's Mayurbhanj district 
•  Kachchhi Kharek, the indigenous date variety from Kutch in Gujarat

Republic Day Parade Awards 2023 

Awards by Panel of Judges 

•  Best Marching Contingent among the three services – Sikh Regiment Contingent 
• Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces – Delhi Police Women Marching Contingent 
•  Best three Tableaux (States/UTs) 

1.  First – Odisha (Woman Empowerment in Viksit Bharat) 
2. Second – Gujarat (Dhordo: A Global Icon Of Gujarat’s Border Tourism) 
3. Third – Tamil Nadu (Kudavolai System in ancient Tamil Nadu – Mother of Democracy) 

• Best Tableau (Ministries/Departments) - Ministry of Culture – (Bharat : Mother of Democracy) 
• Special Prize - Central Public Works Department (Central Vista -Viksit Bharat Ka Pratibimb) 
• Special memento to ‘Vande Bharatam’ – Dance Group

Online Poll Awards 

• Best Marching Contingent among the three services – Rajputana Rifles Regimental Marching Contingent 
• Best Marching Contingent among CAPF/other auxiliary forces - CRPF Woman Marching Contingent 
• Best three Tableaux (States/UTs): 

1. First - Gujarat (Dhordo : A Global Icon Of Gujarat’s Border Tourism) 
2. Second - Uttar Pradesh (Viksit Bharat Samradh Virasat) 
3. Third – Andhra Pradesh (Transforming School Education in Andhra Pradesh – Making Students Globally Competitive)  

• Best Tableau (Central Ministries/Departments) – Vibrant Villages (Ministry of Home Affairs) 

Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 

• All India clean City Rank 1: Indore and Surat 
• All India Clean City Rank 3: Navi Mumbai 
• All India Clean City Rank 1, 2 & 3 (population < 1 lakh): Sasvad, Patan and Lonavala 
• Cleanest Cantonment Board: Mhow Cantonment Board 
• Best Safai Mitra Surakshit Sheher: Chandigarh 
• Cleanest Ganga Town Rank 1: Varanasi

Important Days of January

• International Day of Education: 24 January 2024 
• Designated by: United Nations General Assembly 
• Theme: Learning for Lasting Peace 
• First Observed in: 2019

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Trans Harbour Link 

• Also named Mumbai Trans Harbour Link and Sewri–Nhava Sheva Trans Harbour Link 
• Construction started: 24 April 2018 
• Inaugurated on: 12 January 2024 
• Length: 21.8 km 
• It is the longest sea bridge in India and the 12th longest sea bridge in the world.

Launch of XPoSat Satellite by ISRO 

• Launch date: 01.01.2024 
• Launch vehicle: PSLV-C58 
•  Launched from: Sriharikota 
• XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. It carries two payloads namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in Xrays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). POLIX is realized by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by Space Astronomy Group of URSC. 

Launch of Perigrine Lunar Lander 

• Launch date: 08.01.2024 
• Launch vehicle: Vulcan Centaur
• Launched by: United Launch Alliance. USA 
• Launched from: Cape Canaveral 
• Peregrine Lunar Lander flight 01, is an American lunar lander built by Astrobotic Technology, selected as a part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS). It is the first US-built lunar lander launched since the crewed Lunar Module from the Apollo program.

Books in News 

Four Stars of Destiny by General Manoj Mukund Naravane 

Padma Shri Award

Shri Guruprasad Mohapatra (Posthumous) in Civil services

Note-
Celebrated IAS officer Guruprasad Mohapatra, who succumbed to COVID-19, conferred with Padma Shri
Guruprasad Mohapatra despite his own illness continued to work on distribution of oxygen when the pandemic was at its most dreadful.

Some Important Points of Recent Developments

• The Biography of former chief minister of odisha Nandini Satapathy was released at Bakul Library, Bhubaneswar.
• Titled " Nandini Satapathy: The Iron Lady of Odisha", the book has been authored by Journalist-cum-writer Pallavi Rebbapragada.
• 50 years back, 20-years-old-girls were out on cuttack streets pasting political posters on the wall.
• Pallavi explained the circumstances that led to Nandini joining the rajya sabha at the young age of 31, and her pivotal role in liberation of Bangladesh during which as minister of information and Broadcasting in Indira Gandhi's Cabinet, she led the information war with pakistan through the liberation Radio of Bangladesh.
• The most interesting thing about Nandini Satpathy was her relationship with Indira Gandhi. She was seen as her close friend, and identified similarly as IRON LADY. But at the time of emergency, Nandini opposed Emergency because of which she was dismissed as chief minister.
• She was the best kept secret of Indian politics.

BRO makes breakthrough at 200km strategic Poonch link

 This will be useful for Border area development topic of GS-3

• pivotal infrastructure project on National Highway 144A connecting Akhnoor to Poonch
• The Akhnoor-Poonch stretch is a part of the 'Golden Arc' and comprises an old and highly strategic 200 km stretch that links South Kashmir-Jammu region to the west of Jammu Kashmir. It also connects important border districts of Akhnoor, Rajouri and Poonch.
• There are four major tunnels along this stretch -Kandi, Sungal, Naushera and Bhimber Gali tunnels, said Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, Defence PRO Jammu.
• The tunnel which is being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) spans an impressive 2790 meters (2.79km) and is a crucial link between Akhnoor and Poonch.

16th Finance Commission (2025-2030)

• Chairman- Aravind Panagariya( Former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog)
• The commission is expected to resolve the controversy over tax devolution and suggest ways to augment the state's respective consolidated funds to supplement the resources of local bodies such as panchayats and municipalities.
• Odisha Govt has begun the process of preparing a full fledged proposal on state's demand as per the terms of reference.
• State Govts have raised demands for grants for sector specific needs.
• 15th Finance commission had recommended grants under some sectors including health, PMGSY, Agriculture, education, Judiciary and statistics.

Q. Which among the following statements are/is correct related to the 16th Finance Commission?

1. Chairman- Aravind Panagariya( Former Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog)

2. The commission is expected to resolve the controversy over tax devolution and suggest ways to augment the state's respective consolidated funds to supplement the resources of local bodies such as panchayats and municipalities.

3.15th Finance commission had recommended grants under some sectors including health, PMGSY, Agriculture, education, Judiciary and statistics.

4.State Govts have raised demands for grants for sector specific needs.

A. ONLY 1

B. 1 &2 ONLY

C. 1,2 and 3 ONLY

D. 1,2,3,& 4

Answer-D