GOA

Goa Govt to analyse impact of IT, startup policy

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The department of information technology, electronics and communications has moved to identify the number of startups and IT firms operating in the state.

Info Tech Corporation of Goa (ITG) has been asked to appoint an agency that will carry out a study of Goas IT ecosystem and also prepare a research report recommending best practices that can benefit startups and IT companies.

The comprehensive report needs to analyse the effectiveness of the departments policies and schemes, and the impact that Goas startups and IT firms have on the local economy.

Goa finally notifies rules to streamline medical services

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After two years of enacting the Goa Clinical Establishment (Registration and Regulation) Act, the government on Monday finally notified the rules for its implementation. The rules broadly lay down minimum standards that registered clinical establishments in the state should maintain in terms of and qualified manpower.

The old legislation Goa Medical Practitioners Act that was repealed after the new legislation came into force, lacked in many aspects.

Under the new rules, every clinical establishment requires to maintain certain minimum standards of facilities and Services. The rules have also specified minimum personnel doctors, paramedics and technical staff that a registered unit will have to appoint. Trainee staff in Nursing, paramedical and medical fields will not be considered as such.

Goa becoming a plastic sink, state needs to act fast: Ex-WII scientist

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Though Goa is not a source of plastic production, the tourist hotpot is unwittingly becoming a sink for plastic waste, retired scientist of the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, B C Choudhary, said while underscoring the urgency in putting some mechanisms in place to tackle the menace.

The retired scientist said awareness that plastics are not welcome in Goa should begin at places like the , with clear and loud messaging for tourists setting foot into Goa.

Goa Environment minister Nilesh Cabral said that smaller and smaller items are being wrapped in plastic packaging, which is making it difficult for even ragpickers to pick them.

State signs renewable energy MOU with German company

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Thestate governmenthas signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the German-based Deutsche Gesellschaft fr Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for developing astate energy planand 100%renewable energyroadmap for Goa under the Indo-German program on Access toEnergyin Rural Areas.

Aimed at creating a strategic unit to develop, maintain and implement the multi-sectoral energy action plan, the MoU has been inked on the advice of the Union ministry for new andrenewableenergy.

While the MoU clearly lays down the broader mandates of technical cooperation with the electricity department and the GoaEnergy DevelopmentAuthority, a detailed list of activities will be separately agreed in writing between the parties.

The German company will provide technical assistance in setting up a multi-sectoral strategic unit (or PMU) and provide necessary technical assistance in developing a 100 % roadmap along with appropriate decision support tools.

It will also provide technical assistance to monitor, report and modify components of the renewable energy roadmap through organizing periodic steering committee meetings and subsequently provide technical assistance to implement mutually agreed upon priority activities.

The electricity department will coordinate with key departments and steer the process of developing the renewable energy roadmap as well as state energy plan in consultation with GIZ and its partners.

Climate-smart agriculture can help meet rising food demands’ in Goa

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and Climate-change”>Climate Change are posing a threat to crops and there is an urgent need to make a shift to ‘Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture“>Climate-Smart Agriculture‘ to meet the increasing demand for food, said Balasaheb Sawant, vice chancellor of Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli while speaking as the chief guest at the two-day national level conference on agriculture and climate change.

Horticulturists in the Konkan are facing losses to the yield of Alphonso mango crop and other crops due to changing weathers.We have to develop climate vigilant varieties of mango.Not only yield but nutritional value of the crops will be affected badly due to the projected changes of climate and global warming.By making judicious use of Science and Technology wherever possible, we have to maintain the equilibrium of demand and supply.

Goa govt to stop issuing disability identity cards

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The directorate of social welfare has decided to discontinue issuingdisability identity cardsby the state as the central government has begun implementation of the issuance of disability certificates and unique disability identity cards (UDID) to people with disability, which allow them to avail of a slew of benefits for their Empowerment.

The applications for UDIDs may get rejected if an uploaded certificate or Aadhaar card is of poor quality or is not readable.
They could also be rejected if the certificates validity is expired. This is in case of a temporary certificate.

Goa tourism needs course change, exploring markets in US, South Korea

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Tourism ministerRohan Khaunte said that post-Covid the tourism scenario has changed and Goas tourism masterplan accordingly needs a course correction. He said that Goa can no more be under the misconception that it is the sole preferred tourist destination. The minister said that Goa will now look at attracting tourists from new markets like Poland,South Korea, Japan and US.

The declared as nuisance various tourism-related activities: begging and drinking in tourist spaces, operation of water Sports outside designated zones, selling cruise boat tickets other than from authorised kiosks, littering and cooking in open spaces, and hawking at beaches and other tourist places.

Under the provision of Goa Tourist Places Protection and Maintenance Act, the violators can now be fined Rs 5,000 up to Rs 50,000, in addition to action under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Goa Maritime Conclave

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The Goa Maritime Conclave (GMC-21), now in its third year, began on November 7, 2021 in Goa.

Highlights:

The Navy Chiefs of 12 Indian Ocean Region states will attend the summit, which will be held in India.
GMC-21 would include a three-day conference on constructing working-level deliberations, which will take place in May 2021 at the Goa Maritime Symposium-21.
“Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A Case for a Proactive Role for the Indian Ocean Region,” is the theme of GMC 2021.
The Symposium was GMC-21’s Sherpa event.
The Indian Ocean region has become a focal point in the strategic landscape of the twenty-first century. GMC’s goal in this region is to bring together regional stakeholders and discuss collaborative implementation .

Goa: Vasco-Kulem rail route to be completed by March 2022

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Work of South Western Railways (SWR) double tracking project on the Goa stretch, which was affected on account of the reverse Migration of labourers on account of the pandemic, has now gathered pace.RailVikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) hascompletedlaying the second track betweenKulemto Majorda.

RVNL has now setMarch2022 as its target for completing the double tracking of the Vasco-Kulemroute.

Work on certain stretches between Majorda andVascohas been grounded owing to stiff opposition from locals. The report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) recommending to The Supreme Court cancellation of the double tracking project has added ammunition to the opposition.

The pensionschemeforseafarersshould be implemented with immediate effect said Goa Forward Partys general secretary Prashant Naik at Canacona.

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Speaking at a function organised by Goan Seafarers Association of India (GSAI) to distribute Covid kits to the seafarers of Canacona taluka, Naik said that the scheme which is formulated by the NRI commission should be made permanent and not restricted to only six months as stated in the policy document. He further said the seafarers contribute to the Goan economy in a big way and hence it is government’s duty to compensate them in their old age.