21.12.21

ICMR drone services for vax delivery in Nagaland

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The Indian Council of Medical Research (Icmr) has launched drone Services to deliver Covid-19 vaccine in Mokokchung district.

During the formal launch of i-drone delivery system, Vaccines were aerially transported from Mokokchung chief medical officer’s office to the primary Health centre (PHC) in Longsa village in presence of Mokokchung deputy commissioner Limawapang Jamir, superintendent of Police Aotula Imchen and deputy chief medical officer Dr Kibangkumba.

Two districts, Mokokchung and Tuensang, were chosen for studying the feasibility of drone technology in delivery of medical supplies in Nagaland.

Assam getting more grants from Centre compared to past: State Finance Minister

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Assam Finance Minister Ajanta Neog today told the Assam Legislative Assembly that the change in the special category status to Assam is just a change of nomenclature and the State has not suffered financially due to this. While replying to Sivasagar MLA Akhil Gogoi’s question on the second day of the winter session of Assam Assembly today, the Minister stated that the State has been getting more grants from the Centre compared to the past.

During the 11th , the State got a grant of Rs 22,646.62 crore and now under 14th finance commission we have got Rs 1,81,228 crore. This issue is raised again and again by Akhil Gogoi both in the House and outside. I believe that with this clear answer, we must put this issue to rest.

Odisha: ‘39,000 from backward classes yet to get PMAY-G houses’

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More than 39,000 eligible families from socio-economically weaker section in the state are yet to get houses underPradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin(PMAY-G), a written reply by Union minister of state for rural development, Niranjan Jyoti, inLok Sabhashows.

In reply to a query byBargarh MP Suresh Pujari, Jyoti told the Parliament that of the 41.72 lakh households enlisted in Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) list of 2011 inOdisha, 18.75 lakh were verified as eligible by the state under PMAY-G as on December 16.

The state is yet to sanction houses to 39,180 beneficiaries while 1,99,882 sanctioned houses are yet to be completed from the 18.75 lakh beneficiaries made available through SECC 2011. The state has sanctioned houses to 18.36 lakh. Out of this, houses of 16.75 lakh have been completed.

The Union minister said there is target to construct 2.95 crore houses under PMAY-G in the country to achieve the objective of Housing for All in rural areas. The beneficiaries have been identified based on the housing deprivation parameters prescribed under Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC)-2011.

Tamil Thai Vaazhthu declared Tamil Nadus State Song

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The Nadu government declaredTamil Thai Vaazhthu,as the State Song.

Tamil Thai Vaazhthu is a prayer song sung in praise of Mother Tamil.

It is a 55-second song and is sung at the beginning of functions across all government offices, educational institutions, Public Sector Undertakings and similar public events, on the line of National Anthem.

The observations on Tamil Thai Vaazhthu song were made by Justice G R Swaminathan in Kan. Ilango v. State case, on December 6. State was represented by Inspector of Police & Another. HC quashed an FIR registered against a group of individuals headed by Kan. Ilango. The group had allegedly entered the Kanchi Mutt branch in Rameswaram in 2018 and raised slogans. They also criminally intimidated the manager of Kanchi mutt.

Cement production to double in Kerala’

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Industries minister P Rajeeve has said that two more cement production units will be started in the state to double cement production in another two years. “Now, six lakh tonne of cement is produced in the state every month. It will be doubled to 12 lakh tonne monthly,” he said.

Talking to reporters after visiting Kanjikode Kinfra Park and Malabar Cements Limited here on Monday, Rajeeve said a blending unit at theKochi and a grinding unit at Kinfra, Mattannur in Kannur will be started. Production from these two cement units will begin in 24 months. In the second stage, more grinding cement units will be started.

Rajeeve said that three Mini Food Parks will also be started in the state as several applications are pending from entrepreneurs. The land and buildings at the Mega Food Parks at Kanjikode and Cherthala were allotted to entrepreneurs. Rajeeve said that a Mini Food Park will be considered in Attapadi tribal area.

He has directed the Kinfra authorities to complete the land acquisition for the Kochi-Bengaluru industrial corridor.

Cases of minors rape increase 25% in Karnataka, child marriages 200%

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Incidents of rape against minors and child marriages have surged exponentially from 2018 to 2021 in the state, setting alarm bells ringing about the safety of kids. Rapes against Women have also gone up.

According to data tabled in the legislative council during the , cases of rape against children have increased from 1,410 to 1,761 (25%) from 2018 to this year. Activists say the actual number is more as many cases go unreported in rural areas. Cases of child marriage have jumped 200% (from 74 to 223) in the state in the corresponding period, raising questions about functioning of child protection units in districts and the women and child welfare department.

Activists say kids became more vulnerable during the pandemic due to the lockdown assaults (other than rape) against kids increased by 8%. Rapes against women saw a 4% rise, going up from 486 in 2018 to 507 in 2021.

Child marriage incidents have been on the rise since 2018 with 74 cases registered that year, 108 in 2019, 180 in 2020 and 223 in 2021. The increase during the pandemic has not been addressed. The data also shows that cases underJuvenile Justice Actincreased from 50 in 2018 to 67 in 2021.

Telangana: Rs 250 crore released for Dalit Bandhu scheme

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State Scheduled Castes Development Corporation released Rs 250 crore to the four mandals located in fourAssemblyconstituencies for implementation ofDalit Bandhuscheme.
The funds were deposited into the bank accounts of the respective district collectors. This was done in tune with the assurance given by chief ministerK Chandrasekhar Raoat the recent district collectors conference that funds would be realised for the implementation of the scheme.

While Rs 100 crore was for implementing theDalitBandhu in Chinthakani mandal of Madhira assembly constituency in Khammam district on a saturation mode, Rs 50 crore each was released for implementing the scheme in Thirmalagiri mandal of Thungaturthy constituency of Suryapet district,Charagondamandal of Atchampet and Kalwakurthy constituencies of Nagarkurnool district and Nizam Sagar mandal of Jukkal constituency in Kamareddy district.

Andhra Pradesh: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams to raise Rs 550 crore through donations for paediatric hospital

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TirumalaTirupatiDevasthanams is planning to raise around Rs 550 crore through donations to establish a state-of-the-artpaediatric hospitalin Tirupati. This is perhaps the first time since its inception that the temple body is aiming to pool in such a large quantum of funds through donations.

The TTD, which recently passed a resolution at its trust board meeting to construct a super-speciality paediatric hospital in the temple city to provide free medical treatment to children from poor families, has decided to seek donations from philanthropists and donor devotees to fund the project.

As per the resolution, the temple body will allocate one ‘Udayasthamanaseva’ ticket to donors who donate 1 crore and above for the hospital project.

As of now, it has been decided to allocate 531 Udayasthamana tickets on a first come, first served basis.

State butterfly declared, but its habitat in need of urgent protection: Goa greens

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The Goa governments decision to notify theMalabar tree nymphas the state butterfly highlights the urgent need to protect the states forest stretches, the natural habitat of this threatened species.

Endemic to the southern Western Ghats, the Malabar tree nymph falls under the near threatened category in the international Union for Conservation of Nature () list.
It is mostly found in habitats where water gradually drains out from moist hilly Soil, stagnates and flows slowly in shallow streams passing through cool, undisturbed and moist forests.
In Goa, this butterfly has been documented in moist forests as well as the Myristica swamp vegetation in Sattari, Sanguem and Dharbandora and in Canaconas protected forest areas.

This butterfly is known to often glide above tree canopies and fly lower in forest openings every now and then. Its flight movements have earned it the name, paper kite.

Mahindra group inks pact with Maharashtra government to set up multiple vehicle-scrapping units

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Mahindra group on Monday said it has signed of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with theMaharashtragovernment for setting up multiple vehicle-scrapping units in the state. MahindraMSTCRecycling Pvt Ltd, which operates recycling facilities under the Cero brand, already has a recycling facility at Pune and is looking to set up four additional facilities in Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Nashik.

The scrappage centres will be equipped with recycling end-of-life 2/3-wheelers, passenger and commercial vehicles in accordance with all legal and environmental norms, with a planned capacity of 40,000 vehicles annually, the group said in a statement.