20.04.23
Assam, Arunachal sign MoU to resolve border disputeIn a significant development, the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in New Delhi on Thursday to resolve a long-pending border dispute along the boundaries of both northeastern states. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who lauded the efforts of both states to resolve the issue. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu were present at the signing ceremony.
As per the agreement, out of 123 villages claimed by Arunachal Pradesh before the Local Commission in 2007, 71 have been amicably resolved so far. This includes 37 villages resolved through the Namsai Declaration on July 15, 2022, and 34 villages through the MoU signed on Thursday. Out of these 71 villages, one village will be included in Assam from Arunachal Pradesh, 10 villages will continue in Assam, and 60 villages will be included in Arunachal Pradesh from Assam.
The signing of the MoU has been welcomed by both states, with the hope that it will bring an end to the long-pending border dispute and usher in an era of peace and harmony between the two northeastern states.
State eyes Rs 10K cr from taxes on liquor this FY
Encouraged with a high Growth in collection of Excise revenue in the past two years, the is eyeing for Rs 10,000 crore Excise and VAT collection from liquor during the Financial Year (FY) 2023-24.
Principal Secretary Excise Sushil K Lohani reviewed the Excise and VAT collection in the Excise sector. It came to the fore that the State had collected Rs 4,053.51 crore Excise and VAT of Rs1,346.71 crore from liquor during the FY 2020-21, which has been increased to Rs 5,528.40 crore Excise and Rs 2,100 crore VAT totalling to Rs 7,628.40 crore in 2021-22, thereby registering a growth of 41.26 per cent.
Similarly, the State has collected Rs 6,182.36 crore Excise and Rs 2585 crore VAT from liquor making a record amount of Rs 8,767.36 crore during the FY 2022-23 marking a growth of 14.93 percent against the collection of FY 2021-22.
While Rs 4,053.51 crore Excise revenue was collected during the FY 2020-21, it has increased to Rs 5,528.40 crore in 2021-22, thereby registering a growth of 36.39 percent. The excise revenue collection again increased by 11.83 percent to Rs 6,182 crore in 2022-23.
Moreover, the State collected Rs 1,346.71 crore VAT on excise items during 2020-21, which witnessed a growth of 55.93 per cent in 2021-22 and 23.08 percent growth in 2022-23. The State had collected Rs 2,100 crore and Rs 2,585 crore VAT from liquor during 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively.
To achieve the ambitious Excise revenue target set for 2023-24, the State Government has come up with a comprehensive Excise Policy for the current fiscal.
Of late,tigershave been observed outside of the protected areas of the five tiger reserves in the state. Be it Anamalai, Mudumalai, Sathyamangalam, Kalakkad Mundanthurai or the newly formed Srivilliputhur Meghamalai, at least half a dozen tigers have been sighted.Its great news, say officials, because the sighting of tigers outside the reserves/protected areas indicates the population of the big cat in the state is on the rise.
The approach adopted by the NTCA to measure tiger numbers as well as tiger spatial distribution are deeply flawed. Therefore, the results they present in all five surveys from 2006 to 2022 are unreliable.
KSUM mentors startups to receive YC funding
Seeking to scale up funding opportunities for early-stage startups, theKerala Startup Mission(KSUM) has stepped in by organising mentorship programmes to equip early-stage startups to gain the summer 2023 funding cycle programme of US-basedY Combinator(YC), the worlds most-desired dream accelerator programme of startups.
The KSUM, which is the nodal agency of theKeralagovernment for development and incubation activities in the state, has conducted online workshops for startups to equip them with all Resources to take part in the three-month global programme of YC, slated to be held from June to August 2023.
The US-based YC, which fulfils funding requirements of early-stage startups, is a community of over 9,000 founders and more than 3,500 startups have been funded by the community since 2005.
Karnataka elections: 60,000 elderly, 20,000 people with disabilities to vote from home
As many as 60,000 people aged above 80 and 15,000-20,000 specially abled people have chosen the vote-from-Home option across the state.
The ECI had announced the option for the first time in Karnataka. “We are still working on the final number of voters after individual assessment. The returning officers will verify applications and decide on providing the facility. The list will be shared with parties in advance,” said, ChiefElectoral Officer, Karnataka.
As on March 2023, Karnataka had on its electoral rolls 12.2 lakh people in the age group of 80-99 and 5.6 lakh people with disabilities. There were over 16,000 centenarian voters. Voters’ response to the initiative was lukewarm, with less than 5% of the targeted Population availing it.
Hyderabad clocks 2nd highest quantum of land deals from 2018-22: Report
The city has clocked the second highest quantum of land deals after Delhi NCR during the 2018-22 period with 24 deals for 970 acres of land worth $0.9 billion being clinched out of the total 6,800 acres of land that was acquired in the top seven cities of the country over these five years.
The report, titled ‘Indian real estate: Betting on a capital future’, said while Delhi NCR accounted for nearly 26% of total land acquired during the five-year period, Hyderabad and Mumbai accounted for about 14% of the total transactions by land size, followed by Bengaluru at 10%, Chennai at 8% and Pune at 7%.
During the five-year period, a total of $12 billion was pumped into these land acquisitions across the country, of which residential realty accounted for 30%, mixed use developments 29%, office sector 19%, I&L 9%, data centres 7%, retail 3% and others 3%. Of $31.8 billion Equity investments into real estate sector Hyderabad attracted $2.24 billion, accounting for 7% of cumulative Investments in India. But Mumbai accounted for the lion’s share of the total investment inflows into the sector at 25% ($8 billion), followed by Delhi-NCR at 21% ($6.6 billion), Bengaluru at 16% ($5.2 billion), Chennai at 9% ($2.9 billion), and Pune at 5% ($1.4 billion).
IIM Vizag to host sustainability conclave on April 20
TheNational Productivity Councilof the Union ministry of commerce and and Indian Institute Of Management Visakhapatnam will organise the Sustainability Conclave on Productivity and Green Growth atIIM Visakhapatnamon April 20.Indian Potash Limited(IPL) is supporting the conclave as an industry partner.
The Union Government committed to reach its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030 and ultimately achieve net zero emissions by 2070. “Lifestyle for Environment or LiFE, as declared by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Glasgow on the sidelines of COP26, is indicative of all-inclusive green growth. According to experts, this can only be possible only through sustainable practices, resource efficiency, and RENEWABLE ENERGY sources.
Green growth envisions a future with environmentally sustainable and equitable economic growth, resource security, healthy environment, and restored Ecosystems with rich ECOLOGY and Biodiversity. According to experts, productivity and green growth issues are highly relevant to the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Heritage policy must factor in Goas multi-layered history: Experts
Heritage starts with the smallest artefact and goes up to the most phenomenal monument, making it essential for everything that comes in between to be preserved for posterity.
However, beyond all the built heritage, it is the unbuilt heritage such as art, language, and literature that also requires to be preserved, said a group of panellists speaking on the formulation of a heritage policy for Goa on World Heritage Day.
Every language has a specific word that describes a specific phenomenon that is unique to that tongue.
Differently-abled Maharashtra staff to get 4% quota in promotions
The state cabinet cleared a proposal to implement 4% reservation in promotions for differently-abled employees in the state on the lines of the Centre’s policy.
Officials said that as per the order of the central government issued in May 2022, reservation in promotions will be implemented in the state for the differently-abled employees from Group D to Group A lower level.
In case of a vacancy, 4% of the posts will be reserved for persons with disabilities, according to different types of disabilities. There will be reservation in promotion for persons with disabilities in those cadres in which the proportion of recruitment through direct service is not more than 75%. All other government decisions are being ratified in this regard.