26.04.23

1.52L fake mobile connections in 6 NE states: DoT

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The department of telecom (DoT) has detected about 1.52 lakh dubious connections based on fake/forged documents involving many points of sale (PoS) of different telecom service providers (TSPs) in six states of the northeast LSA Arunachal, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura, an official statement said.

More than 1.47 lakh mobile connections that failed in the re-verification process have been disconnected by TSPs in the region. So far, TSPs have blacklisted 493 PoS and registered 71 Police complaints against the suspected points of sale for further investigation.

State honours scientists for popularising discipline

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TheAssamgovernment announced the State Science Awards for 2022 and 2023 to honour eminent scientists from the state for popularising science on the occasion ofNational Technology Day.

State Science and Technology minister Keshab Mahanta announced the names of eminent educationists, former principal of College Prof. Kamalendu Deb Krori and former vice-chancellor of Tezpur University Prof. KishoriMohanPathak as the recipients in the category of Lifetime Achievement Award for 2022 and 2023 respectively.

The Young Scientist/Innovator Award will be bestowed upon Moon Moon Devi, assistant professor of physics in Tezpur University (for 2022) and DebangaRajNeog, assistant professor, Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, IIT-Guwahati (for 2023).

Odisha to frame new rules for safe transport & trade on boats

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The has decided to formulate a new policy to promote safe transportation and trade in inland waterways by replacing the 19-year-oldOdishaBoat Rules of 2004.

Though the government formulated the Odisha Boat Rules, 2004 to ensure registration and proper checking of passenger and cargo boats in the inland waters, the law lacked teeth, resulting in rampant movement of many unlicenced vessels in unsafe conditions in the rivers and in the Chilika lake, sources said. Besides, poor enforcement activities and safety audit of the condition of the transport vessels led to many instances of boats capsizing. While some incidents were fatal, in other cases the passengers escaped by a whisker. According to NCRB data, 79 people died in such accidents in the state in 2021, the highest in the country. In 2020, with 58 deaths, Odisha was at third position afterBihar(65 deaths) and Uttar Pradesh (69 deaths).

Linguistic politics divides people: Guv

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Nadugovernor R NRavi said politics has become so overwhelming that it has divided people on linguistic lines.
Even while endorsing the state re-organisation based on linguistic lines, he said it should not divide people. He was interacting with a delegation of students fromBiharunder ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ programme. Stressing the need for unity, he urged students to ignore differences based on language, religion, caste and ethnicity.

He said states were created for administrative convenience after the Britishers left India. States were reorganised along linguistic lines in 1956 to ensure that the governments understood the language of the people. But unfortunately, politics has become overwhelming that we have started identifying ourselves as Tamilians, Biharis, Kannadigas, Malayalis, etc.,” he said.

Kerala gets a higher education institution ranking framework

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TheKeralaInstitutional Ranking Framework (KIRF) modelled on the National Institution Ranking Framework (NIRF) has come into being. Higher Education minister R Bindu launched the framework, the first of its kind in the country, at a function held on Kerala Universitys Kariavattom campus.

The state-specific institutional ranking framework as mooted by the state higher education council aims at bringing a more democratic and secular approach while ranking the higher education institutions in the state. The KIRF would emerge as the hallmark of excellence for higher education institutions in the state. The state-of-the-art ranking system would ensure that higher education institutions in the state are objectively assessed on the basis of their academic prowess, the minister said, adding that the KIRF reflects the social , scientific temper and secular mindset followed by Kerala.

The ranking framework was launched by including it in the 100-day programme of the State Government. Bindu said the ranking framework would give an invaluable impetus to the efforts put in by the state government to convert the Kerala Society into a knowledge society.
The KIRF ranking, said the minister, would help the higher education institutions in the state to further improve their rank in the national and international raking framework in the institutional level. At the same time, based on the ranking, students who seek new generation and cutting-edge courses would be able to make informed decisions while choosing a college and programme.

Tribunal to decide on sharing of Krishna water

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The stalemate over the sharing of Krishna water betweenAPandTelanganais likely to continue till the Brajesh Kumar tribunal comes out with its verdict.

AP government is hopeful of resolving the issue once and for all through the tribunal verdict as government has been raising its demand to alter the water allocation ratio.

The Telangana government has been pressing for re-allocation of water on 50:50 basis despite the fact that it had signed an agreement in 2015 to share the water in tha ratio of 66 (AP) and 34 (TS).
The Telangana government has been contending that it was only a temporary arrangement.

Visakhapatnam’s Rushikonda beach gets Blue Flag certification

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The Greater Visakhapatnam (GVMC) comissioner CM Saikanth Varma said that GVMC is trying to develop few more beaches in the city with international standards. He said the government has been striving hard to provide safety, facilities, and Environment protection measures for not only Vizagites but also to all the tourists.
It is recalled thatRushikonda Beachin Port City got the Blue Flag Beach certification after fulfilling 33 parameters, including proper sanitation, environment protection, safety, and other measures.

The commissioner said that Rushikonda is the only Blue Flag beach in the state and not only the administration but also visitors should keep this beach clean and safe.

Goa enrolment in higher edu 33.8%, govt eyes 50% by 2035

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Even as the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in institutes of higher Education has touched 33.8%, the has set out to take it to 50% by 2035.

From 2016 to 2021, the male student’s Average GER was around 28.8, while for girls, it was 34.2.

Education secretary Prasad Lolayekar told TOI that the state’s target is in line with the National Education Policy (NEP), which mandates that enrolment in higher education should touch 50% by 2035.

Unesco defines GER as the “total enrolment in a specific level of education, regardless of age, expressed as a Percentage of the eligible official school-age Population corresponding to the same level of education in a given school year”.

He said that BITS-Pilani’s Goa campus in Zuarinagar has 4,200 students, and if these are added to Goa’s GER, it would be 36.2%. “As of date, BITS-Pilani shows their enrolment in Rajasthan, which is not correct. As per the rules, it should be shown in the state (Goa) number,” he said. The education secretary said that the directorate of higher education has written to the all-India higher education survey authority to include BITS-Pilani’s enrolment in the state GER.

Meanwhile, the gender parity index for Goa stands at 1.2% in higher educational institutes. Explaining this, Lolayekar said 1.2% means that for every 100 males enrolled in higher education institutes, there are 120 females.

52% children & adolescents assessed show poor dietary diversity scores: Study

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A study on 1,800 children and adolescents across different regions in the country has found that nearly 52% of them have poor dietary diversity scores.

The dietary diversity score is defined as the number of food groups consumed over a 24-hour period. A score of less than five food groups is generally considered poor dietary intake.

The study, conducted by Pune-based Hirabai Cowasji Jehangir Medical Research Institute at Jehangir Hospital, found that children and adolescents from the southern and western (Maharashtra) part of the country had a higher mean dietary diversity score (6.5) because of the higher number of food groups consumed by them, compared to those from other regions, while the lowest scores were observed among children and adolescents in Gujarat. The Savitribai Phule Pune University also contributed to the study.

Punjab’s 1st superspecialty centre, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, Mohali, to start soon

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Punjab Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Mohali, which is going to start its OPD Services soon, will be the first government superspecialty institute in any branch of medicine or surgery in the state. The 50-bed institute will offer OPD as well as indoor services.

After Delhi, it will be second such institute for liver diseases in the country.