25.02.23

Assam: ’32 of every 100 girls in 20-24 age group were married before 18′

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Assamis reeling under a rise in the number ofchild marriagesdespite aprohibition lawso much so that 32 girls among every 100 in the state in the 20-24 age bracket were under 18 years at the time of their marriages and 12 among every 100 such child brides were either pregnant or have already become mothers, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) for 2019-21.
According to NFHS-5, West Bengal, Bihar and Tripura top the list of child marriages with more than 40% of Women aged 20-24 years married below 18. Five other states – Jharkhand, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and saw more than 30% child marriages in the said period.
The Percentage of child brides in the same age cohort in the state as recorded in NFHS-4 for 2015-16 was one per cent lower, but the percentage of child brides who were pregnant or mothers was one per cent higher than that recorded in the last survey.
While child marriages are on the rise in Assam, nationally this social menace has reduced from 47 in 2005-06 to 26 in 2015-16, registering a decline of 21% points during the decade. During 2019-21, it declined further by 3% points to reach 23%, against Assam’s 32%.

The NFHS, over the years, shows thatchild marriagein the country has been relatively lower among Christians and other religious groups.

Percentage of women in the country aged 20 to 24 years, who were married before 18 years of age, was 48 among the Hindus in 2005-06, which was one per cent higher than Muslims. But during 2019-21, the percentage was three notches higher for the Muslims (26) than the Hindus. The percentage for Christians declined from 26 in 2006-06 to 15 in 2019-21.

US-Based Organisation Donates Nearly Rs 50 Lakh to Odisha CMRF

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A US-based organization donated a generous amount to the tune of Rs 48.89 lakh to the Chief Ministers Relief Fund to help the state fight the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an official press release, Our Biswas, which is managed by an Odia woman named Joyasree Mahanti, has been working in different parts of Odisha since 2008 for the Empowerment of Women.

Our Biswas provides economic support to women and girls living in abject POVERTY around the world.

Cattle impounding centres to come up in all Trichy zones

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TheTrichycorporation during the monthly council meeting on Tuesday informed that stray cattle impounding centres will be opened in all zones, amid opposition from a section of councillors against the enforcement. At present, only one safe shelter is available across the city at Konakkarai in zone V, to accommodate the seized cattle. Four more centres will be opened in the other zones to intensify and sustain the drive to prevent accidents due to stray cattle.

Another section of councillors said that the drive was appreciated by 90% of the residents. Corporations property will be utilised to shelter 50 cattle at a time in each of the four centres, the mayor said. Meanwhile, CPM councillor S Suresh brought a bottle of drinking water alleging that Senthaneerpuram residents are getting substandard quality of water in their pipelines. The officials assured to inspect the area.

Kerala Water Authority mulls non-water projects for revenue

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Mired in loss and under flak for tariff hike,Kerala Water Authority(KWA) is exploring new avenues to shore up revenue, including associating with film shooting. The has given in-principle sanction toKWAto initiate projects for non-water revenue generation (NWR).

The plan is to use the properties of KWA for activities like mobile Network improvement plan, wall painting, parking, guest house room renting, cine shooting, design consultancy, installing solar panel, EV charging stations and ATMs.

During 2021-22, the total revenue of KWA has increased by 9.41% to Rs 1,504.96 crore as compared to Rs 1,375.56 crore during the previous year. The net loss of KWA has increased by 38.75% to Rs 824.34 crore as against a net loss of Rs 594.11 crore during the previous year on account of increased expenses towards employee benefit, fuel and power charges and provision made for prior period adjustments. Accumulated loss at the year-end stood at Rs 4,911.43 crore, as per the document.

Karnataka budget 2023: Startup Park near Bengaluru airport to aid 25,000 ventures

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Making strides at the national level with its vibrant startup ecosystem,Karnatakaon Friday looked to leverage its position further with chief minister Basavaraj Bommai announcing setting up of aStartup Parkat a cost of Rs 30 crore near Kempegowda International Airport.

According to officials from the IT & BT department, the proposed park will be a hub for aspiring entrepreneurs from various parts of the state. Stating that the allocation of Rs 30 crore is only an initial , IT & BT ministerCN Ashwath Narayansaid: This will position Karnataka as a champion state for startups by stimulating the Growth of 25,000 startups in the coming years. The minister added that the move is in line with the state governments vision of building a $300-billion digital economy by 2025.

The CM took pride in Karnataka adding six startups to the list of successful unicorns.

After T-Hub, Telangana to launch Y-Hub

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In a first-of-its-kind initiative,Telanganawill now launch Y-Hub in Hyderabad, exclusively for children and youth, on the lines of successful incubators T-Hub and We-Hub.

This will cater to the needs of students who do not want to stick to the popular career choices – medicine, engineering or law, and instead look to be entrepreneurs.

The framework of Y-Hub was launched few months ago and a statement of intent (SoI) was signed between and UNICEF India & YuWaah, an initiative of UNICEF.

Andhra Pradesh govt plans anti-ragging helpline for medical students

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Health ministerVidadala Rajaniasked the managements ofmedical collegesto act firmly against incidents of ragging. Following the suicide of a medical student in Hyderabad, allegedly, after ragging, the AP health department has focused onanti-raggingmeasures.

The minister conducted a meeting with principals of medical colleges and enquired about anti-ragging measures put in place. The minister said that teachers should educate students about the consequences of ragging juniors and stringent punishments under various acts.

CM Pramod Sawant moots collab with international universities in Goa

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In a bid to put Goa on the global Education map, the intends to open its arms to higher education in the state by collaborating with world class universities, said CMPramod Sawant. He was speaking at the closing ceremony of theQS India Summit 2023in Goa.

The state is in talks with various stakeholders to set up a national design institute, national Sports academy, marine technical academy, and few language institutions. “We are also focusing on having research and development in Waste Management, which will not only help the state with zero wastage, but also be a changemaker for the rest of the country,” Sawant said.

He further said that Goa wants to “bring internationalisation in its education”. He pointed out that the directorate of international cooperation and exchange looks after the internationalisation strategy at Goa University.

Maharashtra among states with most comprehensive EV policies in India: Study

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Maharashtra has among the most comprehensiveElectric Vehicle policiesin India with strong incentives for those switching to EV and focussing on public transport fleet electrification and charging.
This was revealed in a detailed study by Climate Trends – ‘Analysis Of State Electric Vehicle Policies And Their Impact’

The new study assessed the comprehensiveness of EV policies in various states across the country based on 21 parameters that cover targets and budget allocations, demand side and manufacturing incentives, and focus on fleet electrification, charging mandates and job creation. Of the 36 states and Union Territories in the country, 26 have released EV policies over the last 5 years, with 16 of them being released between 2020 and 2022.

In Mumbai, BEST has planned to bring in 10,000 e-buses by 2026. State transport statistics showed that in the past one year alone, the number of e-cars in the city had risen by 168% while e-two wheelers witnessed an unprecedented Growth of 253%.

Haryana set to host 26th All India Forest Sports Meet

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Haryanais ready for a mega Sports event as the 26thAll India Forest Sports Meetis being organized soon atPanchkula.
Haryana CMManohar Lal Khattaron Saturday released the Logo and Mascot of the 26th All India Forest Sports Meet at his residence.
Khattar said it is a matter of pride that Haryana is the host of the 26th All India Forest Sports Meet. Prior to this, the sports meet has been successfully organized twice in Haryana; 10th meet in the year 2003 and 13th meet in 2013.

The ministry of Environment and forest, Government of India, organizes the All India Forests Sports Meet on an annual basis; the responsibility of which is assigned to a state. With the aim to promote sports in the Forest Department, the 1st All India Forest Sports Meet was organized at Hyderabad in the year 1993 and till date, this meet has been organized 25 times.