14.12.22

With climate change lowering crop yield in Punjab, study suggests climate-smart agri solutions

by

A study on https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change and its impact on productivity of major kharif and Rabi Crops in Punjab, has indicated that productivity of most crops decreases with an increase in Average temperature and has suggest focus on Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture“>Climate-Smart Agriculture for effective solutions to climatic risks.

The study assessed the climate change impact on productivity for five major crops across Punjab over a 35 year period from 19862020. These include wheat, rice, Cotton, maize and potato.

Anticipating that the climate change would be long-standing and will have a great bearing on the livelihood of the farmers and overall economy of the sector, the study observed that the projected changes in temperature and rainfall may result in a decline in yield of all major crops in the range of 1-10 percent by 2035, 3-18 percent by 2065, and 4-26 percent by the year 2100.

According to the experts calculations, by 2050, the loss in yield, including negative impact accumulating over time, would be 24 per cent formaize, followed by 24 per cent for cotton and by about two per cent for rice. The yield loss of wheat and potato has been projected at five per cent each.

Himachal Governor addresses Assembly, says ‘Pratigya Patra’ to be policy document

by

The ‘Pratigya Patra’ announced by the Congress during the assembly will be a policy document and the government will work accordingly, Himachal Pradesh Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar saidwhile addressing the first session of 14th assembly.

The government will focus on new programmes in all sectors in a phased manner through integrated development of the state’s capabilities to create EMPLOYMENT opportunities, he said and added that it would also ensure that the benefits reached all sections of Society. The government is committed to fulfilling the promises made during the elections and a detailed roadmap for implementation of the guarantees in the ‘Pratigya Patra’ will be discussed while presenting the budget, the governor said.

Arlekar asserted that Governance and administration would be improved to protect people from Corruption and said all possible efforts would be ensured to establish an efficient, transparent and accountable administrative machinery. Calling employees the government’s backbone, Arlekar said they would maintain cordial relations with the people and consider their grievances and demands without compromising efficiency and discipline.

The people of the state have always supported progressive policies and given the mandate to attain the objectives of all-round development. It will be the government’s endeavour to curb fast-growing Unemployment and complete ongoing development projects within the stipulated time frame, he added.

The government will make efforts to ensure that the state’s youth not only get employment but are also able to create employment, Arlekar said. He added that the government had already started working to create new employment opportunities.

Assuring the state’s people that the government would always respond to constructive criticism, Arlekar hoped that each member would contribute fully to deliberations in the House. He urged the members of both the ruling and the opposition to work together with a positive outlook and the objective of taking the state forward.

Ukhand cabinet approves logistics policy, free textbook scheme

by

In an attempt to give an impetus to the development of the State, the Uttarakhand government has decided to develop the State on the basis of the hub spoke model. For this the State cabinet in its meeting approved the Uttarakhand Policy- 2022.

The meeting was chaired by the chief minister Puskhar Singh Dhami. Informing about the cabinet decisions, secretary Shailesh Bagauli said that the objective of the new policy is to set up a simple, active and responsible system under which new inland container depots, cold storage and other logistics Infrastructure would be constructed, developed and connected with road and railways. The hub spoke logistic model would help in strengthening the economic relations between the plain and mountainous areas so that benefits of the commercial value chains are achieved. The policy would also promote private Investment in the State by developing forward and backward linkages. The existing warehouses would be upgraded and handholding would be provided to the new logistic operators under the new policy. In another decision the cabinet approved the proposal to extend the benefit of free textbook scheme to all the students of classes IX to XII enrolled in the government and the aided schools of the State from the next academic session. In another decision, the cabinet gave its approval to the Uttarakhand State parking policy (site selection, construction and operation) – 2022.

The disabled persons in the State would also receive the benefit of 25 per cent rebate in the stamp duty for mutation of the properties up to Rs 25 lakh. At present this rebate is provided to the Women of the State.

Uttar Pradesh’s first organic winery to be set up in Bareilly

by

TheUttar Pradesh(UP) government has given its nod to set up the state’s firstorganic wineryinBareilly, taking the total number of wineries in UP to two.
In September last year, the government approved the state’s first winery in Muzaffarnagar. The second licence has been issued to a Bareilly-based company — Godson Organic Farm Private Limited.

The plant and machinery of the winery will be set up with an outlay of Rs 15 crore in technical collaboration with France. The installation process is expected to be complete within six months and the initial annual target of production has been fixed at 1 lakh litres of different kinds of wine.

Jharkhand to constitute transgender welfare board soon, says minister Banna Gupta

by

Health minister Banna Guptaon Thursday announced that the would soon constitute a welfare board for the members of transgender community and also bring in a separate law which ensures their protection.
Responding to a transgender experience on discrimination, Gupta said: “A law will be brought in for the protection of transgender community and the government will work to resolve the problems associated with them. Moreover, a transgender welfare board will also be constituted which will highlight their problems to the government.”

The government is trying to support the people. In order to support these people, ration cards have been given to 5,000 HIV-positive people and 2,000 transgenders,” Singh added.

1 lakh free cataract operations by March this year, says Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav

by

Deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who holds the charge of Health department, on Wednesday announced that his department will initiate a special programme and carry out one lakh freecataract operationsby the end of this financial year. He made this announcement atPatna Medical Collegeand Hospital where he had gone to inaugurate a cath lab with high-end machines.

Through online mode, he also inauguratedThalassemia Day Care Unitset up at Bhagalpur and Gaya hospitals. While inspecting the cath lab at PMCH, Tejashwi said it will provide better facilities to heart patients, who will get free treatment and tests done. H also asked the doctors and other healthcare workers present on the occasion to give the best treatment to patients, both in terms of medical and behaviour wise.

State health department additional chief secretary Pratyaya Amrit said the cath lab will help heart patients, whose numbers have increased. He said the department was focussing on changes across the medical colleges and hospitals and new technology and equipment will be added everywhere.

Coordination needed for development work: CM

by

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel underlined the need for coordinated efforts to undertake and complete development works in newly created districts.

He said top priority should be given to resolve complaints pertaining to community and individual forest rights. New families should be issued ration cards at the earliest.

Baghel was holding a review meeting with officials at Bilaigarh as part of his public interaction (Bhent Mulaqat).

Officials need tomonitor the payment process vis-a-vis farmers in paddy procurement, he said.

The officials need to resolve the complaints at the earliest. Under the Electricity Bill Half scheme, 42 lakh domestic consumers have been given relief of Rs 3,200 crore so far in the state, he added.

He said directives have been issued to prepare caste certificates for children.

Interacting with the media, Baghel said the government has expanded various schemes to increase the coverage of beneficiaries. The Nyay schemes for Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture were being extended to and Plantation Crops.

He said Kodo-Kutki-Ragi crop will be procured on support price. The farmers were beingencouraged to grow pulses crops like moong, urad and arhar. They will also be procured on support price.

Year 2022 was dedicated to the facilities of taxpayers in MP

by

The year 2022 was a year full of remarkable achievements for Madhya Pradesh in terms of financial management, revenue collection, enhancing taxpayers facilities and return filing. Madhya Pradesh is included in the first 5 states of the country.

There was an increase of 19 percent in the of the state. The revenue received in the financial year 2021-22 was Rs 38 thousand 963 crore as compared to Rs 32 thousand 764 crore received in the financial year 2020-21. In the current financial year 2022-23, a revenue of Rs 28 thousand 582 crore has been generated till the month of November, which is 19 percent more than the revenue of Rs 24 thousand 100 crore received till the month of November in the last financial year 2021-22.

The year 2022 proved to be a year of facilities for taxpayers. The State Government provided ample facilities to the tax payers. Complex procedures were simplified for them. Deemed registration has been provided in one working day to the online applications received for registration under Madhya Pradesh Vat Act-2002. By doing away with the provision of submission of VAT audit report for taxpayers doing business of more than 10 crores worth of taxable goods, only the audit report to be submitted in the Income tax Act has been recognised. The provision of criminal prosecution procedure has been deleted.

In the Goods and Services Tax Act 2017, a standard procedure was issued for the convenience of departmental officers and businessmen in order to bring uniformity in the process of obtaining registration, to simplify the process and not to obtain unnecessary documents. Standard procedure has also been made for uniformity in the scrutiny process of the returns submitted by the dealers.

Industries dept scouts for sites to develop craft village in Raj

by

The industries department is conducting surveys to develop a handicraft village, for which the Centre gives grants up to Rs 10 crore. The department had earlier proposed to develop Nayla near Jaipur as a craft village, but sources said the ACS, industries, preferred another village.

Nayla has already been taken up as one of the eight clusters for development of handicraft and tourism linkage. The department is now looking at villages like Kot Jewar in Bagru, known for blue ; Kaithun in Kota, where Kota Doria sarees are made; Molela in Rajsamand, famous for terracotta; Salawas in Jodhpur, where a large number of people are engaged in Dari making; and the weavers village of Thut in Jaisalmer.

While the industries department is looking to tap the Central scheme, it has already made a provision in its recently introduced handicraft policy for identifying regions where artisans live and work so that craft villages can be developed there.

Agriculture Infrastructure gap

by

In order to bridge the Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture gap by empowering agriculture and villages and boosting private Investment, the Government of India launched a Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. The AgricultureInfrastructure Fund (AIF) is a medium-long term debt financing facility through interest subvention and credit guarantee support on loans for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.

Under the scheme, Rs. 1 Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans with interest subvention of 3% per annum and credit guarantee coverage under CGTMSE for loans up to Rs. 2 Crores to the eligible beneficiaries include farmers, FPOs, PACS, Marketing Cooperative Societies, SHGs, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Start-ups, and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public-Private PARTNERSHIP Projects for creation of post-harvest management infrastructures like Supply chain Services including e-marketing platforms, Warehouses, Silos, Pack houses, Assaying units, Sorting & grading units, Cold chains, Logistics facilities, Primary processing centres, Ripening Chambers etc.

Community farming assets eligible under Agri Infra Fund includes: Organic inputs production, Bio stimulant production units, Infrastructure for smart and precision agriculture, Projects identified for providing supply chain infrastructure for clusters of crops including export clusters, Projects promoted by Central/State/Local Governments or their agencies under PPP for building community farming assets or post-harvest management projects.