14.04.21

Project to promote hygienic practices in schools launched in Sikkim

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In the Light of post Covid scenario a unique initiative ‘Udbhav’ has been launched to promote hygienic practices at all levels for school going children inSikkim.

Project ‘Udbhav’ was launched in 10 schools of with the association of Education Department of Sikkim and Alkem Foundation and Sulabh School Sanitation Club, New Delhi. The aim of this project is to ensure that all students continue their studies in a safe and healthy Environment.

Effort will be on to train students and teachers on implementing physical distancing and school hygiene practices and also to promote hygienic practices at all levels and for all staff of the school system, with an emphasis on handwashing and respiratory etiquette.

The project shall encourage the use of hand sanitizer, emphasize the importance of proper use of cloth masks and accordingly vending machines that can dispense masks, sanitizers and napkins are also being installed in some schools of Sikkim.

IIT Guwahati team removes micro-plastics from sea water using hollow fiber membrane

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Microplastics — plastic pieces smaller than one-fifth of an inch — are now found in almost all Oceans and marine animals. What’s worse, sea salt has been found to have considerable amounts of microplastic.

The researchers claimed that while there have been many studies to identify and quantify microplastics in various food products, including salt, there have been fewer attempts at finding ways to remove them.

Hollow fibre membranes are already used extensively in daily life applications such as RO pre-treatment, industrial water or waste water, juice processing, and other biotech applications, including in dialysis membranes used for kidney ailments.

Odisha to launch e-custody system in jails under 5T initiative

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As part of theOdishagovernments 5T (transparency, teamwork, technology, timeframe and transformation) initiative, thestate prisons directoratehas decided to introduce e-custody system injails. Once introduced, e-custody certificates ofprisonerscan be sent online to courts in quick time.

Besides, the prisons directorate has provided a laptop to each jail for smooth functioning of e-mulakat and video conferencing with courts under the e-prisons project.

The jail adalats would also be beneficial for those inmates, who are unable to come out despite being granted bail. Around 381 prisoners are currently lodged in different jails here for their failure to comply with the bail conditions and inability to furnish sureties

Tamil Nadu NGOs see foreign funding dip by 90%

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Donations from abroad for NGOs inTamil Naduhave dropped by 90%, pushing the state to fourth in the country in attracting funding under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). This has adversely impacted activities of many groups largely dependent on such contributions, say activists.

TN has the most number of NGOs and associations registered under the FCRA in the country and 3,262 of the 6,485 NGOs eligible to receive funds are currently active.

Data furnished by theUnion Home ministryin theRajya Sabha, a fortnight ago shows NGOs and associations in TN received more than Rs 2,000 crore for 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19, second only to Delhi. This fell to Rs 219 crore in 2019-20. Data for 2019-20 was based on Annual Returns (ARs) filed on 16-03-2021, but an extension has been given till June this year.

Website to the aid of special-needs children

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A website of the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala, for children with special needs now has over 1,000 Videos related to academics and life skills.

The website (http://ssakerala.in/ie/), still being uploaded with resource materials, has Whiteboard videos for all subjects for classes 1 to 10. The videos have the same lessons adapted to suit differently abled students in categories such as visual impairment, hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. The Whiteboard videos for Plus One and Plus Two students are under preparation.

Talking Text, audio texts for visually challenged students from classes 1 to 12, in all subjects will also be uploaded in a few days. The audio texts are being prepared by special educators at Samagras block resource centres as per a fixed format.

Karnataka: With state transport undertakings in poor health, experts call for long-term financial support

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Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation(KSRTC) has so far received 257 Awards, the highest among state transport undertakings (STUs) in the country.

The awards have been conferred for reasons like maximum improvement in mileage, minimum operational costs, oil conservation, road safety, lowest accident rate, Intelligent Transport System, vehicle-tracking system and low-floor buses.

While public transport is not meant to be profitable, the government is responsible for supporting STUs in terms of carbon credits they accrue, by reducing the number of private vehicles. Fewer private vehicles on roads translates into less traffic, pollution and accidents.

Govt. to raise 1,500 crore through sale of securities

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The has decided to raise 1,500 crore open market borrowings through the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) to meet its immediate financial commitments.

The government has accordingly decided to sell securities worth 1,500 in the auction to be conducted by the RBI. The RBI will auction securities pertaining to Arunachal Pradesh (400 crore), Nagaland (350 crore) and Rajasthan (1,000 crore) in addition to Telangana during the auction. The auction would be conducted on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system and payment by successful bidders would be made during banking hours on Tuesday at RBI head office in Mumbai and its regional offices.

The government is expected to incur additional expenditure in excess of 900 crore a month on account of the implementation of pay revision. In addition, the government had to credit 5,000 an acre each into the accounts of over 60 lakh farmers starting next month as Rythu Bandhu instalment for Vaanakaalam (kharif) season.

Andhra Pradesh govt to expand Amul dairy scheme to all dists

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Chief ministerYS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the state governments decision to enter into an MoU with the leader of the country, Amul, has helped thousands of Women get higher revenue. The State Government has decided to expand the collaboration withAmulto all 13 districts in a phased manner to empowerwomen dairy farmers.

Thechief ministerlaunched the AP Amul Palavelluva project inGunturdistrict through video conference from the CMs camp office on Friday. Interacting with dairy farmers, Jagan said that the government is setting up bulk milk chilling units (BMCUs) and automatic milk collection units (AMCUs) at an expenditure of Rs 4,000 crore to strengthen the Amul project.

The current marketable milk surplus in the state is 288.5 lakh litres per day (LLPD). The unorganised sector contributes 219.3 LLPD. The remaining is procured by government cooperative dairies (21.7 LLPD) and private dairies 47.5 LLPD.

Calangute meet approves Rs 10 crore budget provisions

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The Calangutepanchayatgram sabha on Sunday approved budget proposals amounting to Rs 10.3 crore. Members were also informed that the panchayat has made provisions for the Calangute Going Green initiative, in which villagers are encouraged take up agricultural activities with free seeds, fertilizer and an assured buy-back of the produce.

While earlier they would send around 85% mixed garbage to the garbage treatment plant (GTP), now they send 100% segregated garbage.

300 biodiversity hot spots at high risk of extinction

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Unless nations dramatically improve on carbon cutting pledges made under the 2015 Paris Climate treaty, the planets richest concentrations of animal and plant life will be irreversibly ravaged by , scientists warned.

An analysis of 8,000 published risk assessments for species showed a high danger for extinction in nearly 300 Biodiversity hot spots, on land and in the sea, if temperatures rise three degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels, they reported in the journal Biological Conservation.

Earths surface has heated up 1 degree C so far, and the Paris Agreement enjoins nations to cap warming at well below 2 degrees C, and 1.5 degrees C if possible.

National commitments to slash greenhouse gas emissions — assuming they are honoured — would still see temperatures soar well above 3 degrees C by centurys end, if not sooner.

So-called endemic species — Plants and animals found exclusively in a specific area — will be hit hardest in a warming world.

Overall, more than 90% of land-based endemic species, and 95% of marine ones, will be adversely affected if Earth warms another two degrees, the international team of researchers found.