Ramsar Site tag sought for Chandubi lake

Environment researchers have requested theAssamgovernment to send a proposal to the Centre to designate the famousChandubi lakeas a Ramsar Site wetland of international importance as the recognition can transform the waterbodys socio-economical and environmental needs. The wetland has rich https://exam.pscnotes.com/natural-Resources“>Natural Resources and the potential to generate livelihood.

The Ramsar Convention On Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Assam has only one Ramsar site wetland, the Deepor Beel.

Rs 250 cr agri fund launched in Assam to boost agribusinessAn Rs 250 crore fund has been created in Assam by multiple stakeholders, including World Bank, to promote small and medium units in the agriculture sector, officials said. Venture capital fund Caspian Impact Investment Adviser said it has joined hands with the Assam Rural Infrastructure and Agricultural Services (ARIAS) Society to roll out the agribusiness investment firm.

The Hyderabad-based company said that according to the agreement, ARIAS will be the nodal agency for establishing and implementing a contributory and determinate trust the Assam Agribusiness Investment Fund (AAIF).

ARIAS is designated as the anchor investor for the AAIF, which will be managed by Caspian Equity as the fund manager.

World Bank Group Finance Sector Specialist Toshiaki Ono said that agribusiness SMEs play a vital role in this transformation but external finance, especially long-term and patient capital for their Growth, is extremely limited.

The Assam government is exploring to revive theCacharpaper mill and use the site of the defunctNagaonpaper mill for expansion of the state capital. Meanwhile, as per the agreement between the government and employees of theHindustan Paper Corporation Limited(HPCL) to resolve the long-pending issues of their salaries and dues on September 29 last year,Sarmaon Thursday formally launched the relief package of Rs 810 crore for 2,751 employees of the now-defunct paper mills of the HPCL.

The Cachar paper mill atPanchgramhas remained non-functional since October 2015, while the Nagaon paper mill at Jagiroad has remained shut since March 2017.

Out of the Rs 810 crore, banks will have to be paid Rs 150 crore and theAssam Power Distribution Company Ltdaround Rs 60-80 crore, while the remaining amount will be distributed among the employees of Nagaon and Cachar paper mills.

Four Assam tiger reserves get CATS accreditation

Four ofAssamhave been accorded CATS (Conservation Assured Tiger Standards) accreditation.State forest minister Parimal Suklabaidyasaid the move would boost conservation efforts of big cats in the state.

TheNational Committeeof Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS) recommended proposals forKaziranga, Manas, Nameri and Orang tiger reserves forCATS accreditation.

The CATS assessment has been conducted by theNational Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) in 27 tiger reserves in the first phase.

The NTCA, which sets a benchmark for managing conservation sites through a set of minimum standards based on 17 parameters (F3 element wise) ranging from social, cultural and biological significance to Infrastructure/equipment and from management planning to human-wildlife conflict (HCW) management, have given scores of 81.25% to Kaziranga, 78.49% to Manas, 71.21% to Nameri and 74.01% to Orang Tiger Reserve.

CATS is an international coalition developed in response to the need for stringent conservation procedures for protection of big cats through a PARTNERSHIP between governments and conservation organizations.

Under the accreditation system of CATS, tiger conservation areas provide evidence under seven pillars and 17 Elements of critical management activity to demonstrate that they meet a range of criteria for effective conservation management.

AHSEC to introduce Bodo as medium of instruction for HS Arts course from 2023-24

The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council (AHSEC) on Friday announced that Bodo as a medium of instruction will be introduced for HS Arts course from 2023-24. Assam Education Minister Ranoj Pegu while informing about the development on Social Media stated that institutions willing to offer Bodo medium of instruction to students are required to intimate AHSEC immediately.

According to the notification, AHSEC has decided to implement the Bodo medium of instruction in addition to the existing medium of instruction initially in the Arts stream from the academic session 2023-24 in the institutions under AHSEC comprising the subjects- HISTORY, Geography, Education, Logic and Philosophy, Economics, Political Science, Environmental Education, Mathematics, Swadesh Adhyayan.

Bhutan king issues decree on oxygen plant work to help India

Assam Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck on Monday issued a royal decree on request from India to permit resumption of construction work of a private Oxygen plant, which was hit due to a lockdown in the Himalayan country last year.

The plant, which will have a daily oxygen generating capacity of 50 MT, is being set up jointly by two entrepreneurs of Bhutan and Guwahati at Bhutans Samdrup Jongkhar district bordering Baksa district of Assam. Bhutan a 267-km border with Assam on its north and Samdrup Jongkhar, which is one of the border entry points to Bhutan in the eastern sector, is about 100 km from Guwahati.

Former Assam DGP takes oath as Chief Information Commissioner

Former Assam DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta took oath as the State Chief Information Commissioner at Raj Bhawan, Guwahati. Governor Gulab Chandra Kataria administered the oath in the presence of DGP GP Singh, ADGP Hiren Nath and a host of other dignitaries. Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta was an Assam-Meghalaya cadre Ips officer from the 1988 batch (41RR) and had previously served as Director General of Border. He retired as the Assam DGP on January 31.

Assam CM stresses on need to develop work culture

Assam needs to change its mindset and adopt a Work culture that will put an end to dependency on others, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said. Sarma also said many commodities, including eggs, still have to be procured from outside, which eats into the state’s gross domestic product.

The has initiated efforts to provide citizen-friendly Services to people digitally in a phased manner, Sarma said. He said besides Tinsukia, steps have been taken to extend financial incentives to beneficiaries in Hojai, Darang, Nalbari, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Nagaon, Marigaon, Goalpara, Hailakandi and Barpeta districts under the scheme. The Assam government will also design a programme for those who have not been able to repay loans.

Sonowal vows to develop Loktak Lake with 100% support from Centre

Union minister of , shipping and waterways and AYUSH SarbanandaSonowal inspected the Inland Waterways of India (IWAI) jetty at the iconic Loktak Lake in Manipur and promised promotion and development of the lake with 100% central support.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal said, “Loktak is one of the largest water bodies in Asia and its beauty, greenery and marine life surrounded by blue Mountains stand out. We have to promote and develop this lake, and make it one of the most important tourist destinations of the globe.”

:Meghalayachief ministerConrad K Sangma said there was likelihood of joint meetings between regional boundary committees of both Meghalaya andAssamafter the autumn session of the assembly gets over.

Interacting with reporters after going through the first report of regional boundary committees of the state, the chief minister said, there were micro-details in the reports regarding different communities settled along the disputed inter-state boundary, the number of villages, the administrative convenience available, whether they were in the Meghalaya or theAssam Census.