RAJASTHAN

The disappearance of 25 tigers from Ranthambore National Park (RNP) has sparked a critical conversation about the delicate balance between human activity and wildlife conservation. Here are the key points to consider:

1. The Urgent Search for the Missing:

The primary focus is on locating the 14 tigers that vanished between May and September 2024. The expert committee tasked with the investigation will scrutinize monitoring reports and hold officials accountable for any negligence.

2. The Human-Wildlife Conflict:

The situation highlights the growing tension between humans and wildlife. Overpopulation of tigers in the already congested reserve has led to territorial disputes, forcing weaker animals to seek new territories, often venturing outside the park.

3. The Need for Community Engagement:

Experts recommend revisiting community engagement programs to foster peaceful coexistence. Relocating communities from the buffer zone and periphery of the reserve is crucial to mitigate human-animal conflict.

4. The Importance of Habitat Expansion:

The carrying capacity of the park is exceeded, with over 75 tigers vying for limited resources. Urgent action is needed to develop new habitats outside the RTR area to alleviate overcrowding and provide tigers with essential space.

5. The Role of Conservation Authorities:

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) have previously conducted studies on the situation, but habitat improvement work has been neglected. This inaction has exacerbated the problem.

6. A Call for Action:

The situation demands immediate and decisive action. The well-being of the tigers and the future of the RTR depend on a collaborative effort to address the root causes of the conflict and create a sustainable environment for both humans and wildlife.

This crisis underscores the need for a holistic approach to conservation, one that considers not only the needs of the animals but also the human communities that share their habitat. By working together, we can ensure the survival of these magnificent creatures and preserve the delicate balance of our natural world.

TheRajasthan governmentis set to enact a law establishing a regulatory authority to keep tabs on private educational institutes includingcoaching centres, ensuring that they open counselling cells, end “glorification” of toppers and deal with the kind of Stress that possibly led to three students committing suicide recently. The draft law proposes Aptitude tests for students before they join a coaching centre for competitive exams, and a helpline if they find that they cannot face the stress.

“The Rajasthan Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Bill – 2022”, which has been in the making since 2020, is likely to be introduced in the next session of the state assembly.

It covers schools, colleges as well as centres, like in coaching hub Kota, that prepare students for competitive exams. Recently, three students studying at a Kota centre committed suicide, allegedly because they could not cope up with the pressure of studies there.

In accordance with The Supreme Court, theRajasthanState Legal Services Authority (RSLSA) directed the to run a special drive to ensure availability of shelter homes for the orphans andfootpath dwellers.

Aiming to provide shelter homes at thePanchayatlevels, RSLSA has also been creating awareness about the same. The Supreme Court on December 12, 2011, had asked the state chief secretary to provide shelter homes for the orphans and other downtrodden people in the state.

RSLSA will also ensure timely benefits to the orphans and poor people through the social Justice department in the government schemes

The auctions will be conducted forroyaltycollection contracts, excess royalty collection,RajasthanState Mineral Exploration Trust, District Mineral Fund Trust, permit and weighing of Minerals. The royalty will be collected from minerals like soapstone, sandstone, marble, silica sand, limestone, quartz, feldspar, bentonite and mica, etc.

The Rajasthan government’s enterprises division and the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Corporation (RIICO) have dispatched the ‘Mission Niryatak Bano’ mission to advance hopeful exporters in the state.

Highlights:

The mission is pointed toward enrolling and handholding the neighborhood dealers willing to grow their business to unfamiliar nations, in six stages. This will cover help from preparing, getting vital documentation, enlistment in Rajasthan Export Promotion Council and even help in fares and exchange tasks. The State Government with regards to the difficulties of private ventures had deferred off the requirement for a few state-level clearances for the underlying three years of impending organizations. The exporter help crusade will be another progression in assisting the neighborhood business with creating understanding towards the techniques and increment their business.

Considering the groundwater conditions in the state, theRajasthanGovernment has given an approval of Rs 22.854 crore to implement five majorsurface water projects.

These projects would help to give tap water connections to 15 lakhs households in 5,739 villages under the Union governments JalJeevanMission (JJM).

For all these years, the villagers of these 5,739 villages used to rely on groundwater based tubewells, wells or handpumps.
These projects include Rs 7934 crore Sikar-Jhunjhunu project. Around 1,133 villages of these two districts would get supply from theIndira GandhiCanal Project under this project.

Then, there is the Chambal-Alwar-Bharatpur project. Under this project, 1,572 villages of Alwar and Bharatpur districts would be connected with the Chambal River one of the major water sources of the state.

Worlds third and Indias second largest cricket stadium is going to be built in Jaipur, for which a MoU will be signed betweenRajasthanCricket Association (RCA) and Vedantas Hindustan Zinc (HZL) in a function to be held at the RCA Academy.

On the occasion of Invest Rajasthan Summit 2022, organized by Rajasthan Government, Anil Agarwal, chairman, Vedanta Group, had announced cooperation in the International Cricket Stadium being constructed by RCA.

The Government of Rajasthan has allotted 100 acres of land at village Choup, Delhi Road, Jaipur and the construction is in full swing. This international cricket stadium, being constructed by RCA in Jaipur, will have a spectator’s capacity of 75,000.

The mega project will be done in two phases, in which the work of the first phase is under construction. A world class stadium with a capacity of 40,000 spectators will be constructed at a cost of Rs 400 crore, out of which Rs 300 crore will be borne by HZL and the remaining amount of Rs 100 crore by RCA.

Although it is claimed that drinking water available to people inRajasthanis free from pesticides or Metal contamination, the state laboratory ofPublic Health and Engineering Department(PHED) is all set to procure two instruments that would determine the presence, if any, of metals and pesticides in the water.

The proposal for these two technologies that PHED sent to the government has been approved, and the procurement process will start soon, said officials. The two instruments are likely to arrive by the end of 2023, they added.

The state lab of PHED is presently equipped with the technology that can determine only a few types of metals. The new technology would help the chemists determine the presence of almost all types of harmful metals in water.

To speed up trackingOmicroncases and other Covid variants, the is expanding its genome sequencing labs. It will soon start the states second genome testing lab inJodhpur, which is expected to be functional from the first week of January.

Currently, the onlygenome sequencing labat Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital is functional for identifying the variants of Corona infected. The Health department is maintaining that samples of each and every Corona infected should be sent for genome sequencing.