11.07.23

Unification of Mizo inhabited areas into single admn MNFs goal: Zoramthanga

by

Mizoramchief minister Zoramthanga reiterated that unification of all the Mizo inhabited areas into a single administration has been the political objective of the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) for more than 60 years.

On the demand for a separate administration by the Kuki-Zo people in strife-torn Manipur, which included the possible formation of Greater Mizoram, Zoramthanga said when the Late Laldenga formed the MNF on October 22, 1962, unification of all Mizo inhabited contiguous areas into a single administration was one of its ambitions. The Kuki-Zo leaders, including 10 tribal legislators of Manipur, during their meeting in Aizawl on May 17 resolved that a separate administration is the only solution for bringing peace while the possibility of joining a Greater Mizoram also featured in their discussions.

The Mizo people had lived together before the British colonial government trifucated British India into India, Burma and Pakistan, the CM said, adding that the partition of British India into Pakistan, India and Burma resulted in the division of Mizo-inhabited lands in the three countries.

The unification of Mizoinhabited areas in the Indian states of Mizoram, Manipur from the Assam state as Article 3 of the Constitution has Assam and Tripuracontinued to be a political ambition of theMNF party, he said, while Mizo inhabited areas in Myanmar and Bangladesh are labelled as iredenta.


Hospital with Japan aid to be built in Silchar

by

TheAssamgovernment is going to set up a 200-bed super specialty hospital on the campus ofSilcharMedical College and Hospital with funds and technological assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said SMCH principal DrBhaskarGupta.

Gupta added that the 200-bed super specialty hospital will have various state-of-the-art facilities ranging from specially designed surgery rooms to separate Blood Bank and pharmacy. It is planned to have six departments neurosurgery, neurology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, nephrology and urology, he said.

The SMCH principal said, After the opening of this hospital, super specialisation courses like Doctor of Medicine, MCh etc will be started. Solar panels will be installed in the entire hospital to save electricity.

Govt approves 11 projects worth 3.2k cr

by

The on Monday approved 11 industrial projects worth Rs 3,266 crore, which are expected to create EMPLOYMENT for 9,146 people. The projects were cleared by the State Level Single Window Clearance Authority (SLSWCA) chaired by chief secretaryPradeep KumarJena.

The industrial projects include those in Metal downstream and ancillary, chemicals, Food Processing, agro-processing, plastics, textiles apparel and IT and RENEWABLE ENERGY sectors. The approved projects will be set up in Balasore, Balangir, Kalhandi, Khurda and Jajpur districts.

Nestl India Limited will set up a food processing unit at an Investment of over Rs 890 crore. The project will provide jobs to 800 people.

In IT and electronic system design and management (ESDM) sector, the authority gave its go-ahead to a a Software development centre by Nisum Consulting Private Limited at Rs 200 crore.

Schools in Madurai dist fare better in education index

by

Madurai district has improved its score in the performance grading index (PGI-D) combined report for districts of India in 202122 compared to the previous year and ranked 15th among districts inTamil Nadu. The report for 2020-21 and 2021-22 was released by the ministry of Education, government of India.

The PGI-D report assesses the performance of the school education system at the district level by creating an index for comprehensive analysis. The overall score comprises a total weightage of 600 points across 83 indicators, grouped under six main categories: outcomes, effective classroom transaction (ECT), facilities and student entitlements (IF and SE), school safety and child protection (SS and CP), digital Learning (DL), and Governance process (GP). The data for PGI-D was drawn from several sources, such as the Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+),the NationalAchievement Survey (NAS), and data provided by respective districts.

In 202122, Madurai secured an overall score of 383 out of 600, compared to 373 in 202021, receiving the grade Uttam for a 61%70% score. The district notably scored higher in the outcome category, which includes learning outcomes and quality, access outcomes, and teacher availability and professional development outcome, improving from 137 to 143 out of 290. Ranking 15th among districts in Tamil Nadu in 202122, Madurai also topped among the south TN districts.

Govt to conduct census of elderly citizens in state

by

The government will conduct a census of the elderly citizens in the state, chief ministerPinarayi Vijayansaid.
While reviewing various projects being implemented for elderly citizens by various departments here, the chief minister said that the census will be held on the lines of the census of the physically challenged conducted in 2015. He said that data on the functioning of old age homes and destitute homes also will be collected. The chief minister instructed the Women and child development department to utilize the Services ofanganwadiworkers for the census.

The chief minister also asked the departments to conduct awareness among the elderly Population about various programmes being implemented for them. Several of them are losing the eligible services because they are unaware of such programmes. The services of local body ward members, Health inspectors, socialjusticeofficials,Ashaworkers, anganwadi workers and Kudumbashree workers should be utilized for conducting awareness campaigns, the chief minister said.

From Rs 17,000-crore in 2018, revenue from liquor to double in Karnataka by 2024

by

Excise revenue from liquor sales inKarnatakahas seen a 65% jump over the last five years, increasing from Rs 17,948.5 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 29,600 crore in 2022-23.The revenue is estimated to double by March 2024, given the budgetary target of Rs 36,000 crore from liquor sales, as enumerated in CM Siddaramaiah’s budget proposal.

Revenue from liquor sales over the past decade and-a-half has seen a whopping 600% jump, with the trend likely to continue as successive state governments find tipplers an easy target whenever faced with the challenge of mopping up revenue. In his budget proposal, Siddaramaiah announced a hike of 20% in the additional excise duty levied on liquor to mobilise funds to meetCongress’ five poll guarantees.

The hike, to be effective from next month, is the 11th since 2008 and the eighth in the last ten years. The has hikedAEDby a massive 52% over just three years, apparently to meet a shortfall in revenue generation owing to the pandemic.

Energy consumption lost brick by brick: IIT study

by

A new study by researchers from severalIndian Institutes of Technology(IITs), including Hyderabad, and other organisations has revealed energy consumption discrepancies in the Indian brick . They have analysed energy conservation in brick production.Telanganaproduces 3% andAndhra Pradesh4% of Indias bricks. The study, Reconciliation of Energy Use Disparities in Brick Production in India, has been published in Nature.

Highlighting the significance of energy conservation in achieving carbon neutrality in the building sector, the study shows that current energy consumption estimates in the brick industry were vastly underestimated, comparable to that of steel and cement industries. Researchers, including Azharuddin Hashmi and Asif Qureshi from IIT-H, had modelled Indian brick production and regional energy consumption by combining a nationwide questionnaire survey and remote sensing data on kiln enumeration.

States in the west and east are responsible for 10% and 8% production (of bricks). The contributions from the north and North-East are meagre. This implies that the operational practices in the Indo-Gangetic plain and the peninsula have the largest influence on national energy consumption.

AP told to play active role in carbon credit scheme

by

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has appealed toAndhra Pradeshenergy department to actively participate and provide support for the recently introduced trading scheme.

Established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, this scheme will facilitate the trading of carbon credits. It will incentivise and reward the entities that reduce, remove, or avoid greenhouse gas emissions. Its implementation, which came into force on June 28, upon publication in the official gazette, underscores the urgent need to combat Climate-change”>Climate Change. This recognises the pivotal role of market-based mechanisms in achieving emission reduction targets.

The carbon credit trading scheme assigns a value, known as a carbon credit, to each ton of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) reduced or avoided. These credits can be bought, sold, and traded within the Indian carbon market framework.

The BEE DG has appealed to proactive states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Assam, Chandigarh, Haryana, Maharashtra,Punjabetc. to play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the scheme. Recognising such active participation would foster industrialisation, create EMPLOYMENT opportunities, and accelerate Economic Development, said Bakre.

The nationalsteering committee headed by the secretary of the ministry of power for the Indian carbon market. This committee comprises representatives from various government ministries, emissions and climate change experts, and members of the Energy sector. It will oversee and govern the functioning of the carbon market.

The DG BEE reviewed on the future course of action of the carbon credit trading scheme with BEE deputy director general Ashok Kumar, BEE secretary Milind Deora, and others.

The BEE urged all stakeholders, including government bodies, Industry players, environmental organisations, and individuals, to actively participate in and wholeheartedly support the successful implementation of the scheme.

Goa eyes Rs 700 crore central funds in agri sector, submits 13 DPRs

by

In a bid to makeGoa self-sufficient in Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture, the state has submitted 13 detailed project reports (DRPs) worth over Rs 700 crore to the Union Government to build , take up innovative activities, diversification of crops, rejuvenation of khazan land, protection of prime agricultural land, and agri-entrepreneur development.

Currently, Goa imports most of its fruits, vegetables, Cereals, and pulses from other states. In fact, more than 80% of fruits and vegetables are imported from the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra.

This project is planned to be taken on mission mode under the umbrella of the centrally-sponsored scheme ‘RKVY-RAFTAAR’ (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana), so that the complete agricultural sector is transformed in Goa in a period of five years.

The state has submitted a DPR for stingless beekeeping – rearing of stingless bees available in the Western Ghats, by farmer households.
Rejuvenation of khazan lands by repairing bundhs proposed the honey from stingless bees has high medicinal properties and is even used to manage diabetes and some cancers, the DPR said. A processing unit for honey will also be added in this project.

Among these DPRs is a proposal for rejuvenation of khazan lands in North and South Goa by strengthening of bundhs.

Cabinet okays two more water diversion schemes in Nashik

by

The state cabinet has okayed two more gravity diversion water schemes forTrimbakeshwar and Dindoritalukas of Nashik district at the cost of Rs 531 crore. These water projects will provide some water to the local residents and a major portion of the water will be for theGodavarivalley.

The has sanctioned a Rs 495-crore scheme for Kalmuste in Trimbakeshwar taluka. It will help in the diversion of water flowing into the Damanganga valley towards the Godavari valley. Similarly, Rs36 crore has been sanctioned for the Chimanpada village in Dindori. This will bring in water from theParvalley to the Godavari valley, said a senior officer of the Resources“>Water Resources department (WRD).