UPSC Daily Current Affairs| One Liners 21-01-2025

One Liners 21-01-2025

History, Art and Culture

Excavations of a Buddhist complex in Ratnagiri, Odisha

Focus on – Uncovering relics and evidence of ties to Southeast Asian cultures.
Recent Discoveries - Colossal Buddha head, 5 foot palm, and inscribed relics from the 8th and 9th centuries.
Previous Excavations - 1958 to 1961 excavations by Debala Mitra revealed a brick stupa, monastic complexes, and votive stupas.

History of Ratnagiri in Odisha

Time period – 5th to 13th centuries.
Politically associated with – Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
Culturally significant for – Buddhist learning, especially between the 7th and 10th centuries.

Maritime Trade of Odisha (Kalinga)

Trade ties with – Southeast Asia, exchanging spices, silk, and metals.
Baliyatra festival – It celebrates historical links to Bali and Sri Lanka.
Spread of Buddhism – Merchant brothers Tapassu and Bhallika of kalinga were recognized as Buddha's early disciples.

Social Issues

8th edition of Pariksha Pe Charcha

It is a nationwide movement to transform exam-related stress into a festival of learning and celebration.
Organized annually by – Department of School Education & Literacy under the Ministry of Education.
Role – It reinforces its message of resilience, positivity, and joy in learning, ensuring that education is celebrated as a journey rather than a pressure-driven task.
2025 Edition – It concluded with a record-breaking over 3.5 crore participation from students, teachers and parents.

Economy

Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT)

It is the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Role in 6G development – It has signed an agreement with the IIT Delhi for the development of "Building Blocks for THz Communication Front Ends" for 6G.
It is signed under the Telecom Technology Development Fund (TTDF).
Aim – To develop basic devices and components for THz systems envisaged for 6G communications, as well as other THz systems such as military communications and material characterization.

Agriculture

India's Coffee Production Boom

India ranks 7^th largest globally in coffee production, exports reaching $1.29 billion in FY24.

Top buyers – Italy, Belgium, and Russia.
Production – Arabica and Robusta beans make up three-fourths of India's coffee production.
Karnataka leads in production, contributing 248,020 MT in 2022-23.
Consumption trends - Domestic consumption increased to 91,000 tonnes in 2023 from 84,000 tonnes in 2012.
Integrated Coffee Development Project (ICDP) – It focuses on improving yields, expanding cultivation, and ensuring sustainability.

Environment

Goby Fish Species

Discovered by – Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), about 2 unrecorded goby fish species.
Discovered at – Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary, hosts 53 of the 95 goby species recorded in India.
2 species – Hemigobius hoevenii and Mugilogobius tigrinus.

Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary

Located in – Andhra Pradesh
Its mangroves, coastal trees, provide habitats for marine life and protect shorelines from erosion.
It is India's 3^rd largest mangrove forest.