14.09.21

16 Swadesh Darshan schemes for Northeast: Reddy

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Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy on Monday said that the ministry has sanctioned 16 projects in the north eastern region under Swadesh Darshan Scheme, which focuses on integrated development of theme based tourist circuits.

The tourism ministry is giving special emphasis on developing , on ground capacity and skills in the north east region, along with branding and Marketing assistance to the states in the region through its various schemes and flagship initiatives, Reddy said in his inaugural address of the two-day Conference of Tourism and Culture Ministers of North Eastern states here.

Under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, the ministry has sanctioned a number of projects in the region with approximately Rs 200 crore sanctioned for them, he said.

Those who are not residents of the city are emerging to be the biggest carriers of the infection right now because 40% of the daily positive cases are from this group, who are getting detected while being treated in hospitals.

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But the positivity rate has dipped remarkably at the airport and in RAILWAY stations. However, markets are still being seen as super-spreaders in residential colonies, especially in East Guwahati.

Earlier truck parkings, warehouses and DEFENCE establishments in East Guwahati were in the radar but of late the market places have emerged as spreaders. Health officials said there is no community spread reported recently, though in some of the apartments and densely populated pockets, more people have turned positive.

Odisha government discontinues ‘Ashirbad’ scheme

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Three months after launching a scheme for children who have lost either both or one of their parents due to Covid-19, the decided to close the scheme Ashirbad from September 15.

On June 20, chief ministerNaveen Patnaikhad announced the new scheme Ashirbad to help three categories of children who have lost both their parents or single parent or one parent (the primary bread earner) on or after April 1, 2020.

According to the provisions, the state government will transfer a monthly sum of Rs 2,500 to the bank accounts of caregivers, who have taken responsibility for a child following the death of his/her parents.

The assistance will be released towards maintenance, Health and Education of the child and it will continue till the child attains 18 years or till his/her adoption by someone.

A child, who has lost one of the parents and continues to live with the remaining parent will get Rs 1,500 per month in the account of the remaining parents or child concerned till he/she attains 18 years.

The government will also help the kids to continue their education and provide facilities under other government schemes and plans.

Thamirabarani Civilisation in Tamil Nadu

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The Thamirabarani civilisation excavated in Nadu is at least 3,200 years old, exhibits carbon relationship performed on organic fabric retrieved from archeological excavations in Sivakalai, Thoothukudi district.

The determination of the age of natural release from the relative proportions of the carbon isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14 that it contains is called Carbon Dating.

Thamirabarani River is the shortest river in the state of Tamil Nadu, the Thamirabarani river starts in Pothigai hills of the Western Ghats stretches in the Ambasamudram taluk, flows via Tirunelveli & Thoothukudi districts and empties at Korkai of Tirunelveli district into the Gulf of Mannar (Bay of Bengal).

Archaeological excavations would be carried out in different States and countries in search of Tamil roots.

In the first phase, research would be undertaken at the historical port of Muziris, now acknowledged as Pattanam, in Kerala, to set up the ancientness and way of life of the Chera empire.

Research would be carried out at Quseir al-Qadim and Pernica Anekke in Egypt, which had been once a section of the Roman empire, as properly as in Khor Rori in Oman, to set up the Tamils alternate family members with these countries. Potsherds bearing Tamil scripts have been determined in these countries.

Studies would also be carried out in Southeast Asian countries, such as Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, the place King Rajendra Chola had set up supremacy.

The three ruling homes of Tamil India, the Pandyas, Cheras, and Cholas, fought for supremacy of southern India and Sri Lanka. These dynasties promoted early literature on the Indian subcontinent and built important Hindu temples.

Sangam literature, which used to be written over a period of six centuries (3rd BCE 3rd CE) consists of references to a range of Chola, Chera and Pandya kings.

Ernakulam colleges excel in NIRF ranking

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The educational institutions inErnakulamdistrict excelled in the 2021 national ranking published by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), ministry of Education, on Thursday. Out of the 19 colleges in the state that secured a spot in the top100 colleges in theNIRFRanking 2021, five are from Ernakulam district.

It is the highest number of colleges making it to the list from any district in Kerala. Moreover, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) is one among the four universities in Kerala that secured a position in NIRF list of top 100 universities.

The state government plans to unveil a new solar power policy next month and phase out power purchase agreements (PPAs), which have become problematic forKarnatakabecause of excess production and must-use clauses.

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There are no storage facilities for solar power, and the government finds it difficult to fulfil the rigid requirements of PPAs that were signed long back. At the same time, it has to utilise funds to keep conventional sources alive as a backup.

The energy department is working on a plan to utilise solar power for the operation of Irrigation pumpsets, offset must-use clauses in long-term PPAs and reduce power subsidies provided to farmers. There are two mechanisms. One is the old scheme of offline solar pumpsets. The other one that is being looked into is supplying solar power directly to Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture feeder lines rather than merging with commercial and domestic lines.

‘Palle Pragati’ helped to improve green cover in state: Telangana chief secretary

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Telanganachief secretarySomesh Kumarsaid the “Palle Pragati” programme taken up by the had achieved remarkable results in improving green cover and sanitation apart from controlling diseases in the state.

Informing about the programme to union secretary of rural developmentNarendranath Sinhaduring a review meeting on various developmental works in rural areas on Monday, the chief secretary said that every village in Telangana now has aPalle Prakruthi Vanam, Nursery,Vaikuntadhamam, compost unit and a tractor and added that every month an amount of Rs 227 crores are being released to gram panchayats in the state.

He said while there were only 8,684 gram panchayats (GPs) before the formation of the state, all tribal thandas and hamlets were made GPs. With this the number rose to 12,769.

AP to set up high-end skill university in Visakhapatnam

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Chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed officials to start work on high-endskill universityat Visakhapatnam immediately.

The chief minister wanted the officials to have topics like coding, languages, Robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) as part of curriculum. He also told them that the government is focusing on developing and strengthening work from Home concept in villages by providing internet facility. He said that synergy would be formed between Skill development Colleges and work from home concept, which would result in better EMPLOYMENT opportunities.

He said there is a need to enhance skills in issues related to day-today life like maintenance and repair of equipment of drinking water Plants, motors, solar units and equipment used for sanitation sewage treatment plants. He also wanted them to give basic knowledge of English. The CM instructed the officials to take steps to setup one ITI college in each assembly constituency and focus on basic facilities in private ITI colleges and added to get certification done on the standards of government and private ITIs.

Goa awaits Centres solution on tar ball issue

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Goa has been witnessing tarball deposits on its beach stretches since the 1970s. But from around 2004, the frequency of their appearance has increased, with the residue seen almost every summer and monsoon period on different coastal stretches.

Last year, thestatehad submitted a report to the Union Environment ministry and is still awaitingsolutionto this issue. State environment minister Nilesh Cabral has already stated that the phenomenon is due to movement of oil tankers. He said that the submitted its report to the Union ministry for environment, forest and Climate-change”>Climate Change and is discussing ways on how to address the issue.

The tourism department is worried as the tarballphenomenon is severe this time and is affecting major beaches of North Goa and some in South.

Goa is the only state to have an oil spill disaster contingency plan, but marine microbiologists said that quicker action is required to remove tar balls when they appear. Because of their nature tar balls block Oxygen to sediments and Soil and harm marine biota and in-turn the whole marine food chain gets disturbed.

Maharashtra: Nine months on, Shakti bill not yet finalised

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More than nine months after the draftShaktibill, pertaining to prevention of crimes against Women and children, was sent to the joint select committee of both houses of theMaharashtralegislature, it is yet to be finalised.

The MVA government tabled the draft bill, on the lines ofDisha Actframed by AP government, in December 2020 and it was sent to an all-party committee of 21 members for finalisation. The bill proposed to increase the quantum of punishment, including death and life sentences, and new categories of crime and a mechanism for speedy trial.