ANDHRAPRADESH

Andhra Pradeshreported 6.74% human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positivity rate among the general Population when the Health department conducted tests on about 7.5 lakh people in 2010-11.

Over 50,000 infections surfaced in these tests. Cut to 2022-23, the state has so far detected about 9,000 HIV infections. This is despite an increase in the number of tests as about 10.5 lakh people have undergone HIV testing this year.

Going by the official data, the positivity rate has been on a consistent downward spiral – from 6.7% in 2010-11 to 3.6% in 2013-14 to 1.95% in 2017-18 to 0.87% in the current year.

Increasing awareness on the disease and its risk factors, testing and Education efforts, prevention measures, viral load suppression through treatment (which reduces transmissibility), use of pre-exposure prophylaxis orPrEPmedications in high-risk groups, etc. might have reduced the positivity rates and cases over the years.

Traditionally, AP is one of the few states having a high HIV prevalence. As a per a reply provided by theNational AIDS Control Organisationin 2021 to a Right To Information (RTI) query, about 3 lakh people of Andhra Pradesh contracted the infection between 2011-2021 by indulging in unprotected sex alone.

The necessity of the PrEP medications in certain groups stems from the fact that the burden of HIV infection is much higher among men having sex with men, transgenders, female sex workers, and people who inject drugs.
As per the official sentinel surveillance data available between 1998 and 2019, HIV prevalence has reduced in all groups except the transgenders.

Increasing Migration to towns and cities in the state is turning out to be one of the governments biggest challenges as it is adding to the already high Population in urban slums.Andhra Pradeshhas the highest number of urbanslumsin the country after Maharashtra.

According to a recent study report byNiti Aayog, about 16 per cent of the urban population in the state lives in slums, close on the heels of Maharashtras 18 per cent.

Interestingly, AP created the highest number of urban civic bodies in an attempt to draw more funds from the Centre for improvement of . However, the creation of new urban civic bodies without proper planning has led to an expansion of urban slums, said experts.

Unplannedurbanisationin the state has already resulted in a number of problems. AP has about 17 municipal corporations, nearly 80 municipalities and 30 nagar panchayats. But full-time planning officers with required qualifications are available only in a few cities. Officials such as town planning supervisors and building inspectors often have little knowledge of the processes of town planning.

The State Government had appointed a large number of planning secretaries in ward secretariats across the state two years ago. Although, a good number of engineering graduates have entered the field, they are from the civil engineering stream and not graduates from planning schools.

In yet another farmer friendly initiative, the has decided to construct cold storages in almost all the villages. At least one cold storage will be constructed per four RythuBharosa Kendras(RBKs) in the first phase. Taking the farmers hardship in Marketing of their stocks into consideration, the state government decided to ready the cold chain Network in all the villages. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government has already set its focus on building agri-Infrastructure right from the village level.

The Horticulture department has readied the blueprint for taking up cold storages in the districts where the horticulture crops are being cultivated. We have granted permission for construction of 945 cold storages inRayalaseemadistricts to help the farmers of horticulture crops, said Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture ministerKakani Govardhan Reddy. He explained that they have directed the officials to launch the works on war footing basis. He said they would bring the cold storages into operation by the next fruit season.

Centre is extending financial support to the tune of 15 lakh to build the required infrastructure including cold chains under the agri-infra fund. Interestingly, the state government has also decided to encourage the individual farmers to take up construction of cold storages by granting them 40 per cent subsidy.

Andhra Pradeshrankssecondin India after Himachal Pradesh when it comes tosexual harassmentinstances at workplace, according to Crime in India 2020 report released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The Crime in India 2019 document had ranked Andhra Pradesh eighth in the country for workplace sexual harassment with 22 cases.

Overall, there has been a 13% increase in sexual harassment cases (section 354 of IPC) in 2020 compared to 2019.

According to cops, the increase inworkplace harassmentcases is in a way, a healthy sign for the state as it indicates more Women are coming forward in exposing their ordeals.

Not surprisingly, the major chunk (around 38%) of crimes against women include 498A of IPC (cruelty by husband or his relatives). Contrary to the popular belief that COVID-induced lockdown might have increased domestic violence,APsaw a 16% dip in 498A cases in 2020

These projects would cover 5,706 kilometres in the state.

The minister further said that the Average annual budget allocation for projects and safety works, falling in the state increased to Rs 2830 crore per year in 2014-19 from Rs 886 crore per year during 2009-14.

This was further increased to Rs 3,885 crore per year from 2019-20, Rs 4910 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 5812 crore for 2021-22.

Andhra Pradeshhas launched a comprehensive sickle cell anaemia screening programme in the tribal pockets of the state.

This will cover about 20 lakh tribal Population aged under 40 years in Alluri Seetharama Raju, Parvathipuram-Manyam, Srikakulam, Eluru, etc.districts in the state. This is the first such comprehensive testing programme launched in the state for SCD. Of the 53,000 people screened for the condition in 2022-23, 178 patients were tested positive for it. At this rate, it is estimated that about 10,000 people are likely to have SCD traits.

According to experts, the unrestrained consanguineous marriage culture is further driving the SCD in the tribal parts of the state. Researchers have long been advocating the public, in these tribal parts, to screen themselves for SCD gene before marriages and not to go for consanguineous marriages if they are the carrier of the gene.

The State Investments Promotion Board (SIPB) of the headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had cleared the projects worth 15,000 crore in green energy.
These projects would generate 3,000 crore revenue to the state government and 10,000 jobs to the people.

The chief minister chaired the SIPB meeting held at his Tadepalli camp office on Wednesday, which cleared pump storage projects proposed by Adani Green Energy with a total capacity of 3,700 MW. This was part of the 60,000 crore projects proposed by the Adani Group in the state. The proposal was cleared at the World Economic Forum meeting held in January this year.

The Adani Group had come forward to invest 15,740 crore providing EMPLOYMENT for 10,000 people. The projects would come up in Parvathipuram and YSR districts. In Parvathi Puram, a 1,200 MW capacity plant will be set up in Kurukutti, and a 1,000 MW plant in Karrivalasa.

Meanwhile, a 1000 MW will be set up in Gandikota while 500 MW plant in Chitravathi. In each of these districts, Adani Group has proposed that they will be generating 3,000 jobs in Kurukutti, 3,000 in Karrivalasa, 1,500 in Chitravathi and 2,500 in Gandikota.

The project would commence in December 2022 on 1,490 acres of land each and would be commissioned in December 2028. The state government has decided to take the lands from the farmers at a cost of 30,000 per acre.

has decided to distribute PDS rice through two different channels till November due to shortage of quality rice stock. While the sortex variety stock will be distributed through mobile dispensing units (MDU), rice procured fromFood Corporation of India(Fci) will be distributed under Centres quota at ration depots.

In fact, the state government had spent close to Rs 3,100 crore to manage the distribution of rice, Bengal gram/redgram to meet all the requirements of PMGKAY-I and II, PDS from April 2020 to November 2020 when two separate quotas of ration was issued to the cardholders in view of the Covid-19 lockdown.

However, the Centre in the last week of June announced free distribution of rice under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM GKAY-III) from July to November. He said that they would require 10.78 lakh metric tonnes of rice to take up the distribution under PM GKAY.

The two-day international innovation and creativity conclave 2023 concluded here inVisakhapatnamon Monday. The World Forum for Education in collaboration with several government agencies conducted the conclave.During the sessions, BJP foreign affairs in-charge DrVijay Chauthaiwalehighlighted the innovations carried out by India through two examples: UPI and the Covid-19 vaccine. He emphasised the importance of scaling local innovations to transform them into global solutions

In a move to provideirrigation waterto the entire ayucut, the has put the modernisation of Telugu Ganga canals in Rayalaseema districts on the fast track.

Farmers on 1.75 lakh acres in Kurnool, Kadapa, Nellore and Chittoor districts are expected to benefit after completion of lining works for the canals and upgradation of capacity of local tanks.

The government set its focus on the modernisation of the Telugu Ganga project soon after Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy took over the reins of the state.