05.05.21

15,000 students to get smartphones in Tripura

by

Keeping its pre-poll promise ahead of the last assembly , theTripuragovernment has announced that it will providesmartphonesto more 15,000 undergraduatestudentsunder the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yogajug Yojana.

Education ministerRatan Lal Nathsaid 15,000 final-year students will be selected from 40 educational institutions, including 22 government degree colleges and two universities, and each of them will receive Rs 5000 for buying a smartphone in the current financial year.
The scheme was introduced last year and 7,274 students had received the amount and Rs 3.67 crore was disbursed for this purpose.

This year, the budget allocation for the scheme has been increased to Rs 7.50 crore.

Bhutan king issues decree on oxygen plant work to help India

by

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.

Ensure adequate seeds for farmers: Odisha government

by

With thekharifseason set to begin soon, Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture minister Arun Kumar Sahoo has asked the officials to ensure the availability of adequate seeds and Fertilizers forfarmersin the state.

Officials said the has decided to disburse crop loans worth more than Rs 9,000 crore to support the farmers during the pandemic. More than 20 lakh farmers avail themselves of crop loans inOdishaevery year.

Kharif agricultural activities in Odisha generally start from Akshaya Tritiya, which will fall on May 15. Farmers perform the ceremonial act of sowing seeds in paddy fields on the occasion.

The state government has allowed sowing, nursery and land preparation, Irrigation, planting and harvesting during the lockdown. Distribution, sale and transportation of seeds have also been allowed. As 90% farmers are engaged in paddy cultivation, the field-level officers have been asked to encourage them to take up crop diversification.

While the state government had set a target of producing 96 lakh metric tonne (MT) of foodgrain during last years kharif , it is likely to increase it this time around.

Subdoluseps nilgiriensis is a new species of an Asian gracile skink that has been discovered at Anaikatti hills, Coimbatore.Highlights:

by

This species is only the third skink species discovered from the Indian continent in the past thousand years. The body of the reptile is slender, only about 7 cm, and the color is sandy brown. The inconspicuous limbs of stone dragons make them look like snakes. Most stone dragons are diurnal and non-toxic. As we all know, skink feeds on insects such as termites and small spiders. It is currently classified as a vulnerable species.

Private hospitals in Kerala demand 30-50% more than Karunya rates

by

Private hospitalshave informed the that they should be allowed to charge 30-50 % more than the existing Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhati (KASP)ratesforCovidtreatment. However, negotiations are on and the government is yet to agree to it.

The daily KASP rates for Covid treatment: General ward, Rs 2,300, High Dependency Unit, Rs 3,300, ICU without ventilator, Rs 6,500 and ICU with ventilator, Rs 11,500. They have fixed the PPE cost of Rs 1,000/unit, with a maximum claim limit of Rs 1 lakh/case. These charges will apply to patients referred by the government to the hospital under 25% reservation and the enhanced rates will be applicable for the rest 25% of patients who come directly to the hospital, said sources.

Bengaluru adopts Mumbai model to reduce delay in treatment

by

In the wake of spiralling cases in Karnataka, the decided to replicate the Mumbai model for Covid management in Bengaluru. Itll have a decentralised approach with Decentralised Triage and Emergency Response (DETER) committees in all 198 wards.

Its also expected to provide timely, accurate information relating to masking and physical distancing, symptoms, testing, Home isolation while waiting for test results, contact tracing and triaging (identifying home isolation or admission to stabilisation centres or hospitalisation and access to hospital beds with/ without Oxygen/ventilators).

Nitrate pollution in Krishna river a grave risk to kids: NGRI study

by

The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) has stumbled upon the presence of high levels of nitrate ingroundwaterin upperKrishna riverbasin inTelangana, posing a grave risk to childrens Health.

NGRI scientists warned that infants and children are at higher risk owing to nitrate ingestion through drinking water.

Researchers said fertilizer leachate is seeping into aquifers and a majority of groundwater samples analysed by them were unfit for consumption. NGRI scientist Rama Mohan Kurakalva said people who are utilising the water inMahbubnagarand other districts of upper Krishna river basin are at risk.

Govt sets up 32 child care institutions

by

The has set up 32child careinstitutions (CCIs) to look after and rehabilitate children whose parents/guardians have either succumbed toCovid-19, or have contracted the virus and need medical assistance. AP is the first state in the country to set up such institutions, which will provide food, shelter and Education to these children.

Two helpline numbers 181 and 1098 have been set up for assistance pertaining to these centres. Any child or guardian in need of assistance can contact the helpline numbers, post which teams will be sent to the residence of the child and transport them to the nearest CCI where they would be provided the required care, support and protection.

State to set up waste to energy plant, Swedish Co to execute proj

by

The has decided to set up awasteto energyplantin the state and the cabinet granted approval to appoint IVLSwedishEnvironment Research Institute to execute the project on nomination basis at a cost of 35,000 Euros.

Goa government also approved the proposal of the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) to carry out a pre-feasibility project study and cleared the draft agreement to be executed with IVL Swedish Environment Research Institute for the same.

As per the report by GWMCs consultant iDeck, the state generates 766 tonne of solid waste per day out of which 345 tonne is dry waste. Of the dry waste, 60 tonne is non-recyclable combustible waste classified as refuse derived fuel (RDF).

GWMC transports approximately 600 tonne of RDF per month to cement factories for co-incineration, the cost of transportation for which varies from Rs 20,000 to Rs 26,000 per truck for 12-14 tonne. As this is economically unviable for the state, setting up of a waste toenergyplant was proposed.

Maharashtra government sitting on provision to appoint chartered electrical safety engineers

by

It’s almost six years to thecentral electricity authority(CEA) enacting a provision to appoint chartered electrical safety engineers to conduct safety audit and certification of electrical networks (in flats, housing societies, hospitals and commercial complexes besides industrial units) every two years.

However, shockingly states such asMaharashtraare sitting on this crucial amendment that can save lives and properties from electrical fires and fix responsibility on the owners and auditors.