15.12.12

Agriculture minister inaugurates northeast’s first bio-fertilizer factory in Shillong

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MeghalayaAgriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister,Banteidor Lyngdoh, inaugurated the bio-fertilizer production unit, the first of its kind in the public sector in the northeast at a function held at theState Biological Control Laboratory, Upper Shillong.

Meghalaya Farmers’ Empowerment Commission chairman KN Kumar said the bio-fertilizer production unit is the first of its kind to be set up in the entire northeastern Region by a public sector unit.
“In Meghalaya the requirement of Fertilizers per year is 22,000 metric tonnes whereas the current production in the state is a mere 150 metric tonnes per year.

Assam specialty tea auctioned for Rs 99,999/kg

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A kilo of Assam’s specialty orthodox tea from Manohari Tea Estate in Dibrugarh fetched a record price of Rs 99,999 at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) on Tuesday. Made from buds only and no leaves, the tea variety looks like crystals of 24 carat gold.
This tea was the most expensive variety sold in an auction in the country in 2018 when a kilo was sold for Rs 39,100.
In less than a month, a kg of Golden Needles tea variety produced by the Donyi Polo Tea Estate in Arunachal Pradesh became the most costly after a kg of it fetched Rs 40,000. In 2019, Manohari Gold Tea came back to become even more expensive after it fetched Rs 50,000/kg at the auction.

Assam, which produces roughly 55% of Indias tea, has more than 10 lakh tea workers in the organised sector working in about 850 big estates.

Odisha to get 14 more cybercrime police stations

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The sanctioned the establishment of 14 new cybercrime Police stations at different places, including one each in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. At present, the state has only four cyber police stations, one each inCuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela andSambalpur.

Sources said the police have also planned to set up a state-level body to oversee the functioning and performance of the the cyber police stations in the state. An IG-ranked officer will head the proposed cybercrime investigating agency.

Half of ST people in Tamil Nadu illiterates, says minister Renuka Singh Saruta

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Almost half of thescheduled tribe(ST) Population in Naduare illiterates, according to the statistics based on the 2011 census released by the minister of state for tribal affairsRenuka Singh Saruta.
Furnishing a written reply to the queries posed byVillupuramMP D Ravikumar in theLok Sabha, the minister said the Literacy rate of ST men in Tamil Nadu stood at 54.3% as against the national Average of 59% and ST Women in the state at 46.8% as against the national average of 49.4%.

Scheduled tribe men in Lakshadweep have the highest literacy rate, at 91.7%, followed by Mizoram (91.5%) and Nagaland (80%), while Andhra Pradesh ST men registered the lowest literacy rate at 48.8%. Scheduled tribe women in Mizoram have the highest literacy rate at 89.5%, followed by Lakshadweep (87.8%). Rajasthan ST women recorded the lowest literacy rate of 37.3%.

Interestingly, Saruta said as per the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report (July 2019-June 2020) published by the Union statistics and programme implementation ministry, the literacy rate for scheduled tribes in India is 70.6%. “However, state-wise details of literacy rates are not available in PLFS report,” the minister of state said.

Keravan Kerala project gets 213 proposals so far

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The state governments latest initiative in the tourism sector –KeravanKerala – has evoked positive response from the entrepreneurs. In a month after opening the registrations, the tourism department has receivedproposalsfor as many as213caravans and 66 caravan parks.
As many as 109 entrepreneurs have submitted proposals for 213 caravans, while 49 entrepreneurs have registered for 66 caravan parks with the tourism department. The policy has evoked fair response among the various stakeholders in the sector. We have received proposals for launching close to 300 caravans and caravan parks across the state. These are expected to be operational from January next year, tourism director V R Krishna Teja said.
While the caravans are specially- built vehicles for travel, leisure and stay, caravan parks are designated places to park the vehicles and enable the visitors to spend a night or a day or station for an extended period to explore the destination.

In its caravan policy, the government has incorporated all such norms to ensure that the concept does not have any flaws, and is Environment-friendly. For example, one of the norms set for the vehicles being used as caravans is that they should comply with the BS-VI norms of emission. Also, unlike in many other states where the policy is already operational, the caravan policy framed by the state insists that there should be a sewage treatment plant (STP) or has connection to a proper sewage system along with constant power and water supply.

Revenue losses hurt Karnataka, debt up by Rs 78,000 crore: CAG

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The 2020-21 fiscal sawKarnatakataking a huge hit on its financial Resources. As per the 2020-21 finance and appropriation accounts report published by the comptroller and auditor general (CAG), the government recorded a drop of Rs 14,535 crore in tax revenue collection.

The total debt of the state went up from Rs 3.19 lakh crore to Rs 3.97 lakh crore, thereby increasing the debt by Rs 78,000 crore. The biggest losses were incurred in the SGST, state excise duty, sales tax, stamps and registration and vehicle taxes. However, the non-tax revenue had increased marginally from Rs 7,681 crore to Rs 7,894 crore.

Telangana farmers average monthly income 5th lowest among large states

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At Rs 9,403, the Average monthly income of a farmers Home inis fifth from the bottom among large states in the country. This despite Telangana having one of the largest budget for Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and allied activities.

The reply to a query inParliamenton farmers household income assumes significance as Telangana is at loggerheads with the Centre over paddy procurement.

According to income data for agricultural households between July 2018 and June 2019 (the most recent available data), Odisha has the lowest average monthly income at Rs 5,112, followed byWest Bengal(Rs 6,762), Bihar (Rs 7,542), and Uttar Pradesh (Rs 8,061). The highest is inPunjab(Rs 26,701), followed byHaryana(Rs 22,841). The national average is Rs 10,281.
The poor income of farmers in Telangana is despite the state setting aside 13.5 % of its budget for agriculture and related activities. In comparison, rest of the states with low income for agriculture households have a far lower budget allocation.

According to experts, there are a variety of reasons why Telangana farmers have low income, including the cost of cultivation being one of the highest in the country.

Centre gives green signal to three medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh

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The central government has given permission for the three medical colleges being constructed in the state.

Union minister for Health and family welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, told Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that the clearance for the three medical colleges coming up at Paderu in Visakhapatnam district, Machilipatnam in Krishna and Pidiguralla in Guntur district was given.

The minister said that these three medical colleges were cleared under the centrally sponsored scheme for establishing new medical colleges attached with existing district or referral hospitals.

Sakhali fort set to get Rs 2.7cr facelift

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After years of neglect,Sakhali fortis finally set to get a much needed facelift. Chief ministerPramod Sawantsaid that Sakhali Fort, which has a rich historical heritage, will be the focal point of the towns splendour.

Sawant was addressing the gathering on Tuesday after laying the foundation stone for the forts renovation works.

The fort will be renovated by the department of archives and archaeology at a cost of Rs 2.7 crore. Work is expected to be completed within one and half years.

The fort is located around 60 mts from the left bank of River Valvanti.

In 2001, a state-appointed committee had suggested various steps for its conservation. In 2017, heritage groups had demanded urgent attention considering the forts precarious condition.

This historic fort will renovated by relocating the shops and kiosks in the market area. An art gallery, museum, information desk on the forts HISTORY as well as a special facility for senior citizens has been planned.

Maharashtra Schools To Have UNICEF Climate Change Curriculum

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Maharashtra Government set to introduce a broad curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 to teach Climate-consciousness and green values to the next generation.

Highlights:

This new curriculum has been developed by the Department of Environment and global and UNICEF.

The curriculum is known as the “Majhi Vasundhara (MV) Curriculum”.

It is being introduced to teach application-based awareness on issues like global climate change among students from Grades I-VIII.

This awareness will be raised among students by keeping a balance between traditional and native knowledge.

Maharashtra Government launched My Vasundhara (My Earth) initiative environmental conservation and protection, focusing on all the five Elements of nature called “Panchmahabhutas”.