21.01.22

The 44th Kokborok Day

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Kokborok Day, also known as Tripuri Language Day, is observed annually on January 19th throughout the Indian state of Tripura with the goal of developing the Kokborok language.

Highlights:

Kokborok Day, also known as Tripuri Language Day, is observed annually on January 19th throughout the Indian state of Tripura with the goal of developing the Kokborok language.

The day commemorates the first formal status of Kokborok as a language in 1979. The 44th Kokborok Day will be observed on January 19, 2022.

Tripura’s , Kokborok, is also known as Tripuri or Tiprakok.

The State Government of Tripura, India, declared Kokborok, along with Bengali and English, an official language in 1979.

Celluloid bid to preserve Assams Ojapali and Deodhani dance forms

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Two Folk Dances of Assam Suknani OjapaliandDeodhani will be featured in an Assamese film to be released during in October in a bid to create awareness about the unique but neglected Art Forms. The film revolves round the life and the plight of the artistes associated with these dance forms.

Assam is culturally very rich. Its social life is incomplete without its traditional and unique folk art forms like Ojapali, Deodhani dance and puppetry, among others. Unfortunately, the rush to become a modern Society by neglecting tradition and traditional folk arts over the decades has affected their popularity and posed a threat to their identity.

Suknani Ojapali is one of the ancient traditional art forms of Assam. It is a half dramatic performing art. The Suknani Ojapali recites songs of goddess Manasa from the Padma Puranas composed bySukavi Narayan Deva. On the other hand, Deodhani is a folk dance performed solo or in a group. This dance form is associated with the worship of goddess Manasa.

Cases drop to below 10k, state close to 3rd wave peak: Experts

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After reporting more than 10,000 Covid cases for over a week now, the state on Friday saw a drop in the single-day infection count (9,833), prompting medical experts to predict an early decline. At 13.20%, the positivity was 3% less than last week. The government confirmed six more fatalities, taking the total Covid deaths to 8,507.

The decline in both the infection count and the test positivity rate (TPR) indicate that the state has either already hit the peak or its just days away from doing so.

The state has been testing around 70,000 swab samples every day. In thecapitalcity alone, close to 10,000 samples are being put to mostly rapid antigen test at healthcare institutions and in mobile vans. In villages, the testing facility is available even at the primary healthcare-centre level.

Sugar industry in Tamil Nadu: Bittersweet, but green shoots

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After hitting a peak in 2011 in terms of production and capacity use, the sugar inTamil Naduhas been down since 2016. The area under sugarcane fell with water scarcity and 15 of the 43 sugar mills in the state downed shutters.

The bountiful rain in 2021 has seen green shoots sprouting, but a turnaround is at least a couple of cutting seasons away. A hand from the government would help, say mill owners. This is an industry that caters to five lakh farmers, provides direct and indirect EMPLOYMENT to two lakh and generates around `4,500 crore in revenue.

Unlike in other states, mills in Tamil Nadu have a unique problem. The Centre fixes the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) per tonne at 9.5% recovery and including the farmers transport cost in bringing cane to the mills. But Tamil Nadu millers have to pay transport cost over and above FRP and the sugar they recover from a tonne of cane is also less.

Better mgmt practices key to increase fertility rate of crossbred cows: Study

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Better management practices and congenial Environment play an important role in ensuring better fertility among crossbred cattle in the state, according to a study by researchers ofKeralaVeterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU).

The study is based on data collected from 1,180 crossbred cattle sired by 208 Frieswal bulls, spread over a period of 16 years from 2003 to 2019. The cattle have been maintained at different farms of the university. A team of genetic scientists from the Centre For Advanced Studies in Animal Genetics andBreeding,KVASU-Thrissur, found that there is no co-relation between high milk yielding cows and fertility.

Cross breeding of local non-descriptive cattle with exotic breeds mainly Holstein Friesian (exotic inheritance limited to 5062.5%) was undertaken in the state since 1960 for improving milk production potential and early sexual maturity, thus increases the profitability of farming in Kerala. Despite considerable increase in the proportion of high yielding crossbred cattle, the Average productivity of each animal remains low. It is, therefore, necessary to improve the overall performance of crossbred cattle of Kerala. The study found that fertility traits were significantly influenced by season and period of calving only, while production traits were significantly influenced by season, period of calving and different centres.

Mangaluru Plastic Park Construction Approved

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The Karnataka government recently approved the construction of a plastic park in Ganjimutt, Managaluru.

Highlights:

To carry out the project, the KIADB will establish a specific purpose vehicle under its control. KIADB is also a key promoter.

The park will cost Rs 62.77 crores to build. It will be constructed on property owned by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB).Hundreds of jobs will be created for local kids as a result of the park.

In the park, a polypropylene unit will be placed up. This plant will supply raw ingredients to the park’s polymer and plastics businesses.

Thermoplastic polymer polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer. It is mostly utilized in the manufacture of plastic packaging.

In addition, the park will aid in the reduction of transportation costs. This is due to the fact that the park will be Home to 32 businesses.

Entrepreneurs from other districts are included as well. The park will have an administrative building, an export building, and a warehouse facility, among other things.

Funds And Concerns

The federal government will contribute 50 percent of the total anticipated cost of 62.77 crores of rupees, or 31.38 crores. The KIADB will be responsible for the remaining 50%.

The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, which is part of the Central Government, has established project implementation criteria.

If the work is not done within three months, the funds will be redistributed to other eligible projects.

Plastic Park Scheme

Industrial zones are plastic parks. They play an important part in the expansion of machinery suppliers as well as plastic manufacturing, recycling, and processing businesses.

So far, plastic parks have been established at Tamont village in Madhya Pradesh, Billaua village in Gwalior, Odisha, Pradeep village near Jagatsinghpur, Assam, Devipur in Jharkhand, and Voyallur in Nadu’s Thiruvallur district.

India accounts for under 1% of global plastic exports. India has a major plastics sector. It is, however, severely fractured. The plastic parks will aid in the Industry‘s consolidation.

Telangana industries minister seeks Rs 14,000 crore for key projects

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Ahead of the Union Budget, which is to be presented on February 1, industries ministerKT Rama Rao has written nearly half a dozen letters to Union finance ministerNirmala Sitharamanseeking budgetary support of over 14,000 crore for key industrial projects set to come up in Telangana.

These include the projects like Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Vijayawada, Hyderabad-Warangal andHyderabad-Nagpurindustrial corridors as well as theHyderabad Pharma Cityproject that has bagged the National Investment and Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) status.
KTRhas urged the FM to sanction additional nodes at Mancherial (3,000 acres) under the Hyderabad-Nagpur corridor, Huzurabad as part of the Hyderabad-Vijayawada corridor and Jadcherla-Gadwal-Kothaguda node under the Hyderabad-Bengaluru corridor.
He has sought provision of 5,000 crore for these three nodes in the budget estimates for 2022-23, including 2,000 crore for Mancherial and 1,500 crore each for Huzurabad and Jadcherla-Gadwal-Kothaguda nodes.

BEE preparing mechanism to take energy efficiency to every doorstep

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The Energy Efficiency and conservation efforts of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) have saved electricity worth 40,945 crore in the last few years.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has now set an ambitious goal to save 129 million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) in all sectors for the next decade from now.

For this, the BEE is contemplating to prepare a comprehensive plan and mechanism to reach out to every doorstep in the country.

The BEE is also looking at advising other states in the country to followAndhra Pradeshand Kerala model for effective implementation of energy efficiency and conservation programmes by establishing a standalone/dedicated agencies to fully focus on energy efficiency.

The State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI)-2020, prepared by Alliance of Energy Efficient economy (AEEE), has identified Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Naduas states that are implementing effective energy efficiency activities.

Postal dept unveils cancellation on endangered squirrel

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Apermanentpictorialcancellationon theendangeredGrizzledSquirrelwas recently released in Goa as a part of the Goa@60 celebrations by the department of posts, Goa Division.

The department of posts, Goa Division has brought several facets of the birds, endangered birds, water birds, butterflies and moths diversity in Goa through picturepostcards.

The Indian giant squirrel or Malabar giant squirrel (Ratufa ) is a large multi-coloured tree squirrel species endemic to forests and woodlands in India.
It is a diurnal, arboreal, and mainly herbivorous squirrel.

This squirrel species is found in the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary.

Short circuit is cause of most fires in Mumbai, shows data

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Fire brigade officials said Saturdays fire atTardeosSachinam Heightswas most likely caused by a short circuit in the electrical duct, and it spread since the firefighting equipment was not functional. Short circuits and non-functional firefighting systems have become a deadly combination for fires in the city, especially in high-rises in the recent past.

A majority of fires breaking out in Mumbai have been due to short circuits and casualties have been high as firefighting systems remain non-functional.

There were reports of 3,151 fires in slums. The cause of 32,516 fires was short circuits. And 1,116 fires broke out due to gas cylinder leakage and 11,889 due to other reasons.