ASSAM

The Manas and Tiger Reserve in Assam have witnessed a sharp rise in the Population of rhinos and tigers.

The authorities of the national park expect the tiger population will rise to more than 60 from 48 as per the 2021 census.

In 2010, the tiger population of the park was recorded 10 while in 2020 it had increased to 30.

In 2010, after the first tiger census in Manas National Park was conducted the Tiger Conservation Authority had said during their analysis that the national parks tiger population will be increased by double in 2020 and it reached 30.

In the 2021 census, 48 tigers were counted in the park which means the tiger population had increased by 18 within a year. The census for 2022 is ongoing and it will be finished by March and it is being expected that the population will increase to more than 60.

The state assembly was informed by the government that since 2006, about 97 elephants have been sent outside of the state.

Most of these elephants were sent for religious activities and many over-stayed there even after the completion of the lease period.

Gamosa, a symbol of the culture and identity ofAssam, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the central government. The handwoven rectangular fabric is made of and features red borders, signifying the cultural heritage of the state.

The GI tag has been registered in favour of the Directorate of Handloom & Textiles of the Assam government under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The certificate has been awarded for Gamosa as of October 16, 2017, as per the application by the directorate. The process was started in 2017 when an application for a GI tag was filed by the Institute of Handicraft Development of Golaghat district.

Project RE HAB Reducing Elephant Human Attacks using Bees was launched in Assam.

Highlights:

The Project RE HAB creates bee fences, where the honey bees in these fences stop elephant attacks in human habitations.

They discourage the elephants without harming them and are more cost-effective than erecting fences or digging trenches.

It also raises honey production and improves farmer income, and helps to address https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change issues by regenerating forest cover.

The bee boxes, around 15 to 20, are placed in the premises of human habitation. They are placed as fences.

The buzz of the bees irritates the elephants the most as they fear that the honey bees might sting them in their trunks and eyes so, they do not walk ahead of the boxes.

The boxes are connected with a string, and as the elephants try to pass through the string, a pull or tug causes the bees to swarm towards the elephant.

The Project REHAB is implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

The Project RE-HAB is a submission to the National Honey Mission of KVIC, which launched to provide awareness and training in using bee boxes and the bee colonies. The mission was launched in 2017, first in Karnataka.

It will be launched in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Between 2014 and 2019, around 403 deaths happened due to elephanthuman conflict.

Three hundred ninety-seven deaths happened in Odisha, 349 in Jharkhand, 332 in Assam, 170 in Karnataka and 289 in Chhattisgarh.

Around 500 elephants died in the human-elephant conflict alone in the last five years.

TheAssam governmenthas decided to create a newschool Education departmentby merging two existing ones, an official notification said. Theelementary and secondary educationdepartments are being merged to form the new one, it said.

Consequent to the merger, all officers and staff of the two departments will come under the administrative control of the school education department.
All correspondence relating to the existing departments will also be henceforth made in the name of the new one, it said.

All existing directorates and organisations of the two departments will be under the administrative control of the school education.

Every government-run school, even those in the remotest parts of Assam, will henceforth have to document the and Fauna found in the area as this would help in mapping and recording the states rich Biodiversity with the help of experts and enhance knowledge.

With an objective of promoting the flora and fauna and rich biodiversity of the state, Education minister Ranoj Pegu on Thursday launched the School Biodiversity Register (SBR) at the State Mission Office of Samagra Shiksha in the presence of principal secretary to the education department, B Kalyan Chakravarthy, and mission director, Samagra Shiksha, Assam, Roshni Aparanji Korati. The register will also empower to develop a baseline Database for biodiversity so that proper assessment on various parameters such as endangered and extinct species can be done.

The SBR, a brainchild of Chakravarthy, has been designed as a record of knowledge, perception and Attitude of people about Resources“>Natural Resources, Plants and animals, their utilization and conservation in a village or a panchayat which would further form a database in every school where all common species of flora and fauna would be available.

In a major boost to farmers of western UP, North Central RAILWAY (NCR) flagged off its first Kisan train from Yamuna bridge railway station underAgradivision recently.

The Kisan Rail service was started in August 2020 as an initiative to increase farmers incomes by transporting perishable agri-products. Its aim is also to expand farmers reach to markets at far off places.

By using the Kisan Rail, farmers will have to effectively pay 50% less charges than normal parcel rates. The scheme is a government of India initiative in which 50% subsidy on transportation is given to farmers at the time of booking of their perishable produce, including fruits, vegetables and products.

In 2018, theState Level Police Recruitment Board(SLPRB), Assam, had released an official notification inviting online applications for 6,662 constable posts. Exams for the posts were supposed to be held by the end of 2020. But they had to be cancelled after the sub-inspector recruitment exam papers got leaked in September last year.

The has also decided to create five new Assam Police battalions. A total of 6,270 youths will be appointed in these five new battalions. The police department has around 30,000 vacant posts at present.