19.10.22

Tripura records highest narcotics haul in northeast: CM Manik Saha

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While batting for a unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) to deal with drug trafficking inTripura, chief ministerManik Sahaon Tuesday said the state has recorded the highest seizure of drugs and narcotics in four years in the northeast.

The intelligence report revealed that Tripura is being used as the corridor of drug trafficking in the region, which the state government would handle with an iron hand, the chief minister stated, adding that from 2018 to August 2022, as many as 2,701 people have been arrested in connection with 1,776 drugs and narcotics-related cases.

Tripura shares the porous international border with Bangladesh, which is why the state is prone to drug trafficking. More than consumption, Tripura is being largely used as a corridor for drug smuggling.

Telangana cleanest, Assam worst in rural area Swacchta survey

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Telangana, Haryana andTamil Naduemerged the cleanest among all large states on parameters of rural sanitation whileAssam, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir were the three worst performers, according to the Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) 2022.

Among districts Bhiwani in Haryana is the cleanest even as the second and third best performers award were bagged by Jagtial and Nizamabad districts of Telangana. Golaghat district of Assam finished at the bottom of 709 districts, which were ranked in this survey. The two other worst performers were from Bihar Banka (708 rank) and Katihar (707).

Since Delhi and Chandigarh are fully urbanised UTs, these were not ranked.

Transgender quota not feasible: State Government

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Thestate governmenthas told the Orissa high court that it is not feasible to provide reservation for the third gender in the urban local body elections.

No isolated decision is possible at the level of the housing & urban development department, when the Constitution of India in Articles 330, 332 and Section 9 (1) of the Delimitation Act, 2002, are silent about it. Hence the prayer for making 2% reservation of seats in favour of third gender in the urban local body election does not appear to be feasible.

Stalin unveils TN’s first liquefied, compressed natural gas station

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Chief minister M K Stalin inauguratedTamil Nadus first liquefied, compressed natural gas (LCNG) station set up by AG & P Pratham near Manthangal village inRanipetdistrict.

The facility will cater to the piped natural gas requirements of domestic households, industries, commercial establishments and CNG for the transport sector. The company will lay a 300km pipeline network in Vellore and Ranipet regions by the end of this financial year. The new station will benefit more than 30,000 households and 325 industrial and commercial establishments across Vellore, Ranipet and Tirupattur districts,” Gupta said.

He said the company is developing city gas distribution networks in six districts — Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Ramanathapuram — besides South-East Chennai.

Cochin University of Science and Technology improves NAAC ranking, gets A+ grade

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With a score of 3.39 out of 4, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) has been re-accredited with an A+ grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC). This is a jump from the A grade (3.09 score) which was given in 2016.

NAAC is an autonomous body established by theUniversity Grants Commission(UGC) to assess and accredit institutions of higher education in the country.

The re-accreditation result was declared on Tuesday, three days after the peer team visited the university.

The assessment is based on quantitative and qualitative analyses.

Karnataka Cabinet to promulgate ordinance for increasing reservation for SCs, STs

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The Karnataka Government has decided to promulgate an ordinance forincreasing reservationfor Scheduled Castes (SCs) from 15% to 17%, and for Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 3% to 7%.

The Cabinet decided to increase the quota based on a report of a committee headed by retired High Court judge H.N. Nagmohan Das, which recommended increasing reservation for SCs from 15% to 17%, and for STs from 3% to 7%.

Tax collection clocks 16% growth in Telangana & Andhra Pradesh

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TelanganaandAndhra Pradeshclocked 16.3% growth in incometaxin 2022-23 till September 17, compared to a corresponding period in the last fiscal.

Around 38,881 crore was mopped up mostly from tax deducted at source with Hyderabad hogging the fifth position in the country after Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Pune. Netdirect tax collectionsfor 2022-23 fiscal registered a 23% growth in the country.

Net collections by Telugu states are 38,881 crore as against 33,413 crore last year. This includes 18,039 crore of corporate tax and 20,308 crore of income tax.

AU inks MoU with Ethiopian institute

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The departments of education and psychology ofAndhra Universityentered into a memorandum of understanding with the College of Education and Behavioural sciences of theWolkite University, Ethiopia.

According to AU officials, thisMOUwill enable the two higher educational institutions to work together more closely towards their common goal and pursuit of the internationalisation of education. The MoU will increase opportunities for visiting and international students, exchange and professional development of faculty, joint sessions and seminars, etc. The MoU documents were signed and exchanged between representatives of two institutes in the presence of AU Vice-ChancellorProf PVGD Prasad Reddy.

ADigital Banking Unit(DBU) was opened at Gogol as part of the 75 DBUs dedicated to the nation byPrime Minister Narendra Modion Sunday to commemorate the 75 years of Independence of our country.

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The DBU at Gogol, which is being operated by State Bank of India, will be operational24X7, with services such as cash deposit and withdrawal, account opening, fixed deposit transactions and passbook printing.

The Centre choseSouth Goaas one of the 75 districts across the nation where DBUs would be opened.

The aim of the DBU is to ensurefinancial inclusionand access to banking services at all times.

Prosperity corridor to traverse heart of the Maharashtra

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The 701 km-longMumbai-Nagpur prosperity corridor, a greenfield project which is expected to almost halve the travel time between the two cities from existing 15-16 hours to 8hours will criss-cross 10 districts and 392 villages with a network of 50 flyovers, five major tunnels, 300 vehicular underpasses and 400 pedestrian underpasses.

The cost of safeguarding wildlife is projected to be over Rs 326 crore. There are 96 wildlife structures, which include 7 overpass bridges, 89 underpasses, box culverts, and a few major and minor bridges to facilitate passage of wildlife.

Since the six-lane highway will have only 24 interchanges, it can be either entered or exited only at these points and at no other places, thus making it an accesscontrolled expressway.

The highway will have an intelligent traffic management system which will help the traffic control room issue commands to motorists, monitor vehicle speed and lane cutting, and provide roadside emergency help.