30.09.22

At 70.9%, Mizoram leads woman-man ratio in senior jobs

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Mizoramhad the highest 70.9% ratio of female-to-male workers who were working as legislators, senior officials and managers and also the highest proportion of Women occupying managerial jobs. Nearly all the northeastern states, barringNagaland, have strong double-digit representation in senior level jobs, according to the latest additional data in (PLFS) for July 2020-June 2021.

Sikkim with 48.2% and Manipur at 45.1% made up the top three states. Among the top five states in the category,Andhra Pradeshrecorded 43%. The other northeastern state among the top five was Meghalaya with 44.8%. Assam had 16.1% while Nagaland had a ratio of 9.1%. The all India ratio for females to male workers, working as legislators, senior officials and managers, was at 22.8%.

There were several states andUnion Territorieswhich had a sharply lower proportion. Among the larger states and Union Territories with a low ratio wereUttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Bihar, Punjab and Andaman and Nicobar.Dadra Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu had the lowest ratio of 1.8%.

In terms of senior managerial jobs, Mizoram again topped the charts with 40.8%, followed by Sikkim with 32.5 and Meghalaya at 31%. Here again, Andhra Pradesh was among the top five with a ratio of 30.4%. Traditionally northeastern states have had a larger proportion of women in senior managerial jobs. But what is surprising is that Punjab, which had figured among the top states in this category in 2021, recorded a ratio of only 7.5%.

IMR lowest in Mizoram and Nagaland, below 40 in Assam

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Mizoram and Nagaland have the two lowest infant mortality rates (IMR) in the country with three and four deaths per 1,000 live births of babies under the age of one year respectively, while progressive reduction has pushed the rate in Assam for the first time below the 40-point mark to 36, a decline of whopping 11 points in five years since 2015.

According to Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report 2020 released on Thursday, the maximum IMR has been observed inMadhya Pradesh(43).

The Percentage of neo-natal deaths to total infant deaths is 71.9% at the national level and among the bigger states, Odisha (77.7%) registered the highest percentage of neo-natal deaths to infant deaths and Assam the lowest (53.0%).

Among the other northeastern states, the IMR in Manipur is six, same as that ofKerala, according to the survey. The IMR of Meghalaya is 29 followed by 21 in Arunachal Pradesh and 18 in Tripura.

The IMR for the country has come down to 28 in 2020 from 37 in 2015, a decline of nine points during the period and an annual Average decline of about 1.8 points. Over 2019, the IMR in 2020 has registered a two-point decline.

The percent change in average IMR in Assam between 2008-10 and 2018-20 is more than 50% in the states urban areas, the report said. The sex ratio at birth for the country has gone up by three points to 907 in 2018-20 from 904 in 2017-19, with Kerala reporting the highest (974) and Uttarakhand the lowest (844).

Each dept of Utkal varsity to get smart class

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One classroom of each department ofUtkal Universitywill be converted into a smart classroom, higher Education minister Arun KumarSahoosaid at the institutes 51st convocation.

He added that the premier institute can take any initiative for the betterment of its and students. The minister assured that there will be no problem in terms of funds.

On development of research ecosystem, Sahoo said, The new generation scholars should be guided and motivated for better research and publication of world-class articles. The State Government has already taken steps in terms of development of research as per the provisions of the National Education Policy.

Maneka Gandhi urges Tamil Nadu CM to empower police to enforce Wildlife Protection Act

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Maneka GandhiMP has written toTamil Naduchief minister M K Stalin seeking a policy decision to empower the state Police with powers to enforce theWildlife Protection Act.

She said a number of forest guards and officials had been caught in the last few years poaching and selling wildlife items. These officials were protected by senior officials who did not want to expose the Corruption in the department.

She said the forest department personnel were not poaching but also stealing confiscated items from range offices. Recently, Kaliyappan of Krishnagiri was caught in Bengaluru in Karnataka with two elephant tusks. He revealed that his son worked in the forest department in Hosur and that the tusks had been stolen from the range office.

Kerala: GTech launches digital platform for students

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The body of technology companies inKerala,GTech, has launchedMuLearn2.0, an industry-enabled digital platform for peer Learning to nurture the students with necessary expertise in the IT industry from their college days.

They have also launched an art of TEACHING contest and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Digital University of Kerala and Google. Finance ministerK N Balagopallaunched the new version of MuLearn (MuLearn 2.0).

The Academy and Technology Focus Group under GTech has formed a platform comprising leading IT companies, Abdul Kalam Technological University,Kerala University, Digital University of Kerala, ICT Academy and colleges across the state. The MuLearn 2.0 website will be available to the public for free. Awards were distributed to the top three performers in the platform.

Over 10,000 child marriages attempted in 5 years in Karnataka

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Between April 2017 and March 2022, theKarnatakagovernment received complaints or tip-offs about 10,352 attempts of child marriage and 9,261 (about 90%) were prevented. In all, 860 FIRs were registered against people involved in getting minors married or at least tried it in the same period.

Experts and officials point out that most child marriages occur largely due to POVERTY, illiteracy, superstition or to ease what elders see as their burden of having a girl child.

Data of the Karnataka Women and child development department shows that 1,091 child marriages actually took place.

According to sections 9 and 13 of the Act, if the girl is a minor, then the man will be charged with a penalty and severe imprisonment. Sections 10 and 11 provide for imprisonment of at least 1-2 years for those supporting and encouraging such marriages aside from a penalty of Rs 1 lakh.

GI tag sought for Chapata Chilli, sweetest among Indian peppers

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Chapata WarangalChilli, one of the sweetest chillies in the country, has been lined up for a geographical indication (GI) tag. If it gets the tag, the total number of GI-tagged goods from will swell to 18.

Thimmapetchilli farmer producer company andJanna Reddy Venkatreddy Horticulture Research Station of Sri KondaLaxmanTelangana State Horticulture Universityhave filed an application with GI Registry in Chennai seeking the tag.
The red dried version of chapata chilli, also known as Tomato Chapata WarangalChilli, is unique to Warangal and looks similar to Mexican capsicum.

The horticulture university and chilli growers said the Warangal chilli is high in colour and low in heat. On the Scoville Scale (a tool for measuring the spiciness or pungency of hot peppers), this chillis heat or pungence value is almost negligible.

AP govt to construct cold storages in all villages

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In yet another farmer friendly initiative, the has decided to construct cold storages in almost all the villages. At least one cold storage will be constructed per four RythuBharosa Kendras(RBKs) in the first phase. Taking the farmers hardship in Marketing of their stocks into consideration, the state government decided to ready the cold chain Network in all the villages. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government has already set its focus on building agri-Infrastructure right from the village level.

The Horticulture department has readied the blueprint for taking up cold storages in the districts where the horticulture crops are being cultivated. We have granted permission for construction of 945 cold storages inRayalaseemadistricts to help the farmers of horticulture crops, said Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture ministerKakani Govardhan Reddy. He explained that they have directed the officials to launch the works on war footing basis. He said they would bring the cold storages into operation by the next fruit season.

Centre is extending financial support to the tune of 15 lakh to build the required infrastructure including cold chains under the agri-infra fund. Interestingly, the state government has also decided to encourage the individual farmers to take up construction of cold storages by granting them 40 per cent subsidy.

Another Goan product, chouriso, aiming for Geographical Indication status

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After the likes of mancurad mangoes, feni, Khola chillies andMoirabananas, another popularGoanproduct, the sausages aka chouriso, may soon get Geographical Indication (GI) status.

Fish and meat products tend to spoil easily, but studies by the ICAR-Central Coastal Agricultural Research Institute (CCARI) show that some samples of Goan sausages can last without refrigeration longer than regular meats. The institute is now making efforts to obtain GI status for the Goan chouriso.

Sausages were brought to Goa by . Back in Portugal, they were preserved using wine.

Ironically though, while it is a popular and famed delicacy, the community of those into the production of Goan sausages is on the decline.
The ICAR-CCARI mapped 22 Goan villages and recorded 210 individuals involved in its preparation and sale. Salcete has the highest number of traders and most of them prepare the sausages in their Home kitchens.
A study of the socio-economic status of the community has revealed that most of them are from underprivileged homes and rated low on the food safety knowledge index.

Maharashtra govt withdraws MVA’s amendment to Universities Act

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The state cabinet decided to withdraw theMaharashtra Public Universities(third amendment) Bill, 2021, which had been introduced by the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government and passed by the state assembly.

The bill had curtailed the powers of the governor and empowered the to recommend names for the vice-chancellor’s post. It had appointed the higher and technical Education minister as pro-chancellor.

The amendment had been passed in the winter session of the State Legislature in 2021, but had not received the assent of governor B S Koshyari. “The bill had amended sections 11 and 13 of the PublicUniversities Act. Students and teachers as well as citizens had requested the governor not to sign it.