ANDHRA PRADESH

Big deposits of 15 rare minerals found in Andhra Pradesh

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The Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute has found inAndhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district large deposits of 15 rare earth elements (REE) – critical components in a variety of daily-use and industrial applications, from cellphones and TVs to computers and automobiles.

NGRI scientists were conducting a survey for non-traditional rocks like syenites when they made the significant discovery of the minerals in the lanthanide series. The elements identified included allanite, ceriate, thorite, columbite, tantalite, apatite,zircon, monazite, pyrochlore euxenite and fluorite.

Metallogeny is a branch of geology that deals with the genetic relationship between the geological history of an area and its mineral deposits. The alkaline complexes are located west and southwest of the Paleoproterozoic Cuddapah basin in Anantapur district.

NCML signs MoU with Agriculture Skill Council of India for skill development in agriculture sector

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National Collateral Management Limited (NCML), private-sector agriculture post-harvest management company, announced that it has signed MoU with Agriculture Skill Council of India (ASCI), an organization that works towards the capacity building by bridging gaps and upgrading skills of farmers, wage workers, under Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE). The aim is to provide skill training in the agriculture sector. The partnership will enable a continuous learning framework leading to training and development of resources in the agriculture industry.

The need for skill development in the agriculture warehouse industry has been recognized by the government and the agriculture industry. This partnership will increase the benefits to the agriculture warehousing industry, which will play a more significant role in shaping and evolving the vocational training curriculum and programs in the country. Some of the benefits include reduced in-house training costs due to the availability of industry-ready personnel through National level certification, creation of a pool of skilled workforce for seasonal load by re-skilling of the currently employed workforce, stated NCML.

The process is divided into three parts which include training courses, prior learning and special projects. NCML will recognize prior learning for different skills which are matching the qualification pact of ASCI and will recognize people in the states including Delhi,Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan,Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh.

ASCI will be a facilitator for creating occupational standards for various job roles as per the National Skill Qualification Framework, facilitate accreditation processes for the training being carried and certification of trainees, all of which would be approved by the industry experts.

At 7.7%, dementia cases in Andhra Pradesh higher than national average

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The prevalence of dementia has been estimated at 7.7% in the 60-plus age group inAndhra Pradesh, while the national average stood at 7.4%. About 8 lakh people may contract dementia – a medical condition that can affect memory, thinking, personality, and reasoning – by 2036 in Andhra Pradesh.

The number of people battling this syndrome in AP in 2016 stood at about 4.5 lakh. These numbers are based on a nation-wise study that was conducted by using representative data collected in India between 2017 and 2020.

As per the study, dementia is considerably more prevalent among individuals with lower education. As is the worldwide trend, this longitudinal research work also found that the number of women being affected by dementia is almost twofold compared to their male counterparts.

Notably, Jammu and Kashmir has a 11% dementia prevalence in the senior citizens, the highest for any state/Union Territory in the country, while Delhi has the lowest at 4.5%. The study – namely ‘prevalence of dementia in India: national and state estimates from a nationwide study’ – was published in the ‘Alzheimer’s & Dementia’ journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.

Visakhapatnam city in global limelight with G-20 meet

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The Working Group of G-20 will meet in Visakhapatnam on March 28 and March 29. As the host, Andhra Pradesh government is making elaborate arrangements for the two-day confabulations, in which more than 300 national and international delegates from 40 countries are participating.

Srilakshmi explained that owing to presence of representatives from around 40 countries, steps are being taken to arrange three to four translators for teams from several countries. She said during the meeting, AP government will showcase its various innovative schemes and programmes, including village and ward secretariats, farmers’ Rythu Bharosa Kendras, digital libraries, and Nadu-Nedu.

Andhra Pradesh ranks 4th in number of death row prisoners

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The number of prisoners on death row inAndhra Pradeshat the end of 2021 stood at 14, the highest in the past few years. Andhra Pradesh stood fourth in the country for maximum number of death sentences (13) awarded in 2021.

The Death Penalty in India report states that the number of prisoners on death row at the end of 2021 stood at 488 in the country, the highest in 17 years. It adds that 2021 saw the highest number of prisoners on death row since 2016. This number (488) was an increase of nearly 21 per cent from 2020.

Five states Uttar Pradesh, Bihar,Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha awarded the highest numbers of death sentences in 2021.

Of the 13 persons who were awarded the death sentence in Andhra Pradesh in 2021, 12 were members of a gang involved in highway murders.

The report stated that sessions courts in Andhra Pradesh imposed one death sentence in 2017, four in 2018 and three in 2020.

Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials start establishing digital libraries in every village across thestate. He wanted them to start the work from August 15, marking the 75 years of Independence.

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The chief minister addressed the officials during the review on IT and digital libraries at his Tadepalli camp office on Tuesday. He told the officials to provide high speed internet facility to every house keeping in view the work from home concept followed by several companies due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The chief minister said that the digital libraries in the villages should have material for students and youth to prepare for all competitive exams. He also told them to provide high speed internet in all village secretariats and the Rythu Bharosa Kendras.

The chief minister instructed the officials to provide three desktops,UPS, desktop barcode printer, scanner, laser printer, software, anti-virus software, unlimited bandwidth internet along with minimum facilities in all the digital libraries. He told them to provide infrastructure facilities including three desktop tables, system chairs, visitor chairs, tube lights, fans, iron racks, newspapers, magazines in the digital libraries. He also told them to complete the construction of data centers for data storage.

The State government will be spending Rs 140 crore for providing infrastructure facilities and computer equipment in 4530 digital libraries in first phase.

AP Genco met 45% of states power demand

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AP Gencoincreased generation from all its power stations by 12 per cent during May, when summer heat was at its peak. The additional generation from government-owned power stations helped ease the burden on discoms. The increase in production also accounted for nearly 45% of total energy demand of the state. In the corresponding period last year, theGencocould supplement only about 33% of the total power demand in the state.

Energy demand in May 2022 was registered at 5947.39 million units from which AP Genco could supply around 1,989.37 million units. The demand surpassed all previous records during May 2023 when it reported nearly 6430.72 million units. We anticipated the growing demand through analysis and stepped up efforts to increase generation from our own power stations. Genco stations produced around 2,917.99 million units of power in May which is a record. This is nearly 45% of the total demand, said AP Genco managing director KVN Chakradhar Babu.

Andhra Pradesh CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy pays Rs 10,000 each to over 1 lakh fishermen families

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Chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy disbursed Rs 119.88 crore into the accounts of 1,19,875 fishermen families, crediting Rs 10,000 each for the third consecutive year under the YSR Matsyakara Bharosa compensating the off-season ban on marine fishing.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said that the programme, benefiting as many as 1,19,875 families, was taken up for the uplift of fishermen who were struggling for livelihood during the lean period from April to June every year. The scheme was initiated in 2019 increasing the financial assistance from Rs 4,000 to Rs 10,000, and the state government had spent around Rs 332 crore alone on this scheme.

With the welfare of fishermen being the priority, the chief minister said the government had increased the fuel subsidy from Rs 6 to Rs 9 per liter which can be redeemed instantly at 100 recognised petrol bunks. The government has also provided power at a subsidised cost of Rs 1.50 per unit to the aqua farmers despite being burdened with Rs 780 crore annually.

In case of an accidental death, the state government has enhanced the ex gratia from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh to support the family of the deceased and so far, 67 fishermen families have been provided with an assistance of Rs 6.7 crore. The chief minister said the previous government had completely neglected the welfare of fishermen and aquaculture in the state.

In order to support aqua farmers, the state government is setting up 100 aqua hubs at a cost of Rs 332.9 crores, where each hub will have 120 retail shops to sell their produce directly. Currently in phase one, 25 aqua hubs are being set up across the state and works on these are in progress.

Product diversity takes AP to 5th spot in export value

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Andhra Pradeshexported goods worth 85,000 crore in the first seven months of this fiscal (April to October), compared to 67,000 crore in the corresponding period last year.

The states exports stood at 1.04 lakh crore in 2019-20 and 1.24 lakh crore in 2020-21. Going by the current scenario, the state may exceed the previous numbers in 2021-22.

Andhra Pradesh contributed to about 5.8% of the total exports of the country in 2020-21. The state occupies fifth place in the country in terms of the value of exported goods. Gujarat, Maharashtra,Tamil NaduandKarnatakatake the first four places.

East Godavari topped all the districts with about 31,000 crore worth exports in 2020-21, closely followed by Visakhapatnam (29,000 crore). West Godavari, Guntur and Chittoor also emerged as the key drivers by contributing to about 8,500 crore exports each.Kurnoolaccounted for only some 46 crore exports, the lowest among all the districts.

From organic and inorganic chemicals and marine products in Visakhapatnam district, rice and marine products in East Godavari to cars in Anantapur, granite inPrakasam, tobacco in Guntur, and medicines in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh is exporting about 2,100 products to nearly 190 countries.

The diverse product portfolio has helped the state pip several major states. For instance, omeprazole and lansoprazole drugs worth 111 crore were exported from Srikakulam in 2020-21. Anantapur exported cars/car engines worth more than 3,000 crore, while Kadapa was exporting barite.

Andhra Pradesh was also a major exporter of fish and shrimp in India with a share of 42% in total value of seafood exports of the country during 2020-21. The Suvarnarekha mango variety was exported to South Korea and Germany for the first time last year.

However, according to the Niti Aayogs latest report on export preparedness, Andhra Pradesh leaves room for major improvements. Andhra Pradesh might have an enabling business infrastructure, but the state does not have a proper export ecosystem in place.