13.08.21

Many Assam Rhinos Killed in 5 years

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Nearly 22 Rhinos have been killed in Assam by poachers since 2017. The government of India had set up ten fast-track sessions courts over the years for speedy trials of wildlife-related crimes.

In Asia, There are 3 species of rhino which includes Greater one-horned, Javan and Sumatran.

India is Home to the most significant number of Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros in the world.

Poaching for the horns and habitat loss are two significant threats for the rhinos.

The five rhino range nations are India, Nepal, Bhutan, Indonesia & Malaysia.

All these Nations have signed a declaration, The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019, to conserve and protect the species.

Status: Javan and Sumatran Rhino – Critically endangered; Greater one-horned rhino – vulnerable

In India, rhinos are extensively found in Kaziranga National Park, Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS), Orang National Park and Manas National Park, Jaldapara National Park and Gorumara National Park, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

Conservation Efforts by India: The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate-change”>Climate Change has begun a project to create DNA profiles of all rhinos in the country.

In India, National Rhino Conservation Strategy was launched in the year 2019 to preserve the higher one-horned rhinoceros.

Indian Rhino Vision 2020 was launched in the year 2005 to achieve a wild Population of at least 3,000 increased one-horned rhinos spread over seven included areas in the Indian nation of Assam by the year 2020.

Over 39,000 anganwadis in Odisha dont have toilets: Union minister Smriti Irani

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More than 39,000 anganwadi centres (AWCs) in the state do not have toilets, Union minister of Women and child developmentSmriti Iranitold the Lok Sabha.

The government has set up AWCs in the state to provide supplementary Nutrition, non-formal pre-Education, Health, education, immunisation, health check-up and referral Services.

Altogether 72,587 AWCs are operational in the state. While all these centres have drinking water facilities, 39,859 of these AWCs do not have toilets. As on March 31 this year, 10.05 lakh AWCs have toilet facilities out of 13.87 lakh operational AWCs.

In 2018-19, more than Rs 6.87 crore have been released by theCentreto Odisha towards payment of rent of AWCs. This rent amount was Rs 6.46 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 8.79 crore in 2020-21.

Only 15% guest workers mapped by Tamil Nadu

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Registration of guest workers is the only way to ensure that each and every one of them is counted, thereby getting government benefits. As on date, only around 5.2 lakh guest workers have been mapped. This accounts for less than 15% of the workforce from other states. A senior official in the department said it would be a difficult task to map the guest workers as they were a floating Population.

Officials in thelabour departmentadmitted that a large section of guest workers in the unorganised sector were missing from the government Database. They were also facing challenges in mapping them in the department’s drive through online portal registration. This once again proved the law enforcing agencies failure to implement the Inter-State Workmen (Regulation of EMPLOYMENT & Conditions of Services) Act 1979 and other labour laws that were brought in to protect the rights of workers and extend them social security. These acts mandate registration of guest workers, protect their rights and ensure safe Migration, Health and safety at the workplace, and provision of creche at the worksite.

Engineering rank list: Kerala govt to continue with old pattern

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has decided to continue the existing process for preparing the entrance rank list and shortlisting candidates eligible for admission to engineering and pharmacy courses in state.

Following the uncertainties regarding the evaluation of Plus Two students by CBSE and ICSE boards, the state entrance commissioner had earlier asked the government to consider the entrance test score only for preparing the rank list. But, the government took a wait-andwatch policy and decided not to tamper with the existing system which considers the marks obtained by students in qualifying examination too while preparing the rank list.

Centre, state must conduct caste census: Former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

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Former Karnataka chief ministerSiddaramaiah said BJP leader Rama Jois filed a in theSupreme Courtchallenging reservation to backward classes, dalits and Women in local bodies. RSS leaders are against reservation and their hidden agenda is to change the Indian Constitution.

Siddaramaiah said the Central and state governments must conduct a caste census to ensure government facilities to people.

Andhra Pradesh diverting water, says Telangana to KRMB

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A day after a team of officials from theKrishna River Management Board(KRMB) visited the disputed Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) site, asked theKRMBto restrainAndhra Pradeshfrom divertingwaterfrom foreshore of Srisailam reservoir.

Telangana alleged that AP was diverting water through three projects which it termed them as illegal. It said water was diverted through Muchumarri, a link canal connecting Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi Lift Irrigation Scheme at Malyala, with KC Canal and an escape channel from Banakacherla cross regulator to feed the KC Canal ayacut.

AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy wants land survey completed by June 2023

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Chief ministerYS Jagan Mohan Reddyhas made it clear that comprehensiveland surveyshould be completed by 2023 as per schedule.

The CM reviewed the progress of the land survey programme taken up under under YSR-Jagananna Saswatha Bhu Hakku-Bhu Raksha with the officials.

The chief minister said that AP is the first state in the country to take up comprehensive land survey after 100 years. He directed the officials to take up the programme as a challenge and complete it by June, 2023.

The chief minister gave green signal to the Survey and Land Records department to procure additional equipment including drones to complete the targets. He asked the officials to get latest version of Software to ready village maps and survey details tamper-proof.

Goas water has seven types of coloured microplastics

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Seven different colouredmicroplastics black, blue, red, grey, brown, green and transparent were identified in thewatersamples collected and tested by the National Institute of (NIO) and Delhi-based advocacy group, Toxics Link, from across the Goa.

Black coloured microplastics were dominant in all the water samples followed by blue, red, grey, brown, green and transparent.

Microplastics (MP) are particles of plastic that are less than 5mm in size and have been recognised globally as one of the most critical emerging marine pollutants due to their persistence, ubiquity and toxic potential.

The research identified 129 microplastic particles in all the locations and a total of 26 different polymer types were found.

Among all the microplastics analysed, at 28.4% polyacetylene was found to be the maximum followed by EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol) at 25.9%, styrene/isoprene ABA block copolymer at 9.9%, polyvinyl alcohol at 9.9%, polyamide at 8.6%, poly vinyl chloride (PVC) at 8.6% and polyvinyl pyrrolidone at 8.6%.

Blue-coloured microplastics were most commonly found, which, according to the study, might have originated from fishing nets or the use of other plastic packaging products.
Polypropylene (PP) fibres were found in typically blue or red colour. These are widely used in the packaging, Fisheries and textile industries.

The main sources of the transparent and white microplastics are plastic carry bags and packaging materials and can also be sourced from fishing lines.

State to form task force to help rural farmers export agricultural products

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State Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture minister Dada Bhuse said thestate governmentwas appointing atask forcein every district to boost export of agriculture produce.

The state was leading in production of agriculture produce, but farmers lack information in fetching good price and even exporting goods where there are opportunities.

The minister also added that the agriculture department would also take steps to provide guidance to the tribal community for selling their produce.

Haryana Government has prepared a special scheme for those farmers who use micro-irrigation. With the formulation of this scheme, where on one hand the farmers can ensure more production of crops consuming less water with a micro-irrigation system hence saving water on the other hand expenditure on irrigation of crops would also be reduced.

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For all such farmers who wish to take advantage of the scheme, a portal has been developed by the , on which the farmers can register and apply for the installation of a micro-Irrigation system.

Individual farmers will be given a 70 per cent subsidy on the construction of the water tank, 75 per cent on the solar pump and 85 per cent on mini sprinkler/drill. Similarly, 85 per cent subsidy will be given to a group of farmers for the construction of a water tank, 75 per cent on the solar pump and 85 per cent on mini sprinkler/drill.