India’s National Wildlife Action Plan (NWAP) for the period 2017-2031 and Secure Himalaya were released on the occasion. The Plan focuses on preservation of genetic diversity and sustainable development.
The NWAP has five components, 17 themes, 103 conservation actions and 250 projects. The five components are – strengthening and promoting the integrated management of wildlife and their habitats; adaptation to climate change and promoting integrated sustainable management of aquatic biodiversity in India; promoting eco-tourism, nature education and participatory management; strengthening wildlife research and monitoring of development of human resources in wildlife conservation and enabling policies and resources for conservation of wildlife in India.
The Plan will help to mainstream wildlife conservation in development planning processes.
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award is the country's most coveted recognition for scientist given annually by Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. It is awarded to people who made outstanding contribution to field of biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, mathematics, medicine and environmental science.
Women of India Organic Festival' at Dilli Haat, with theme "Good for Women; Good for India; Good for You!" provides a platform for women engaged in organic cultivation and boost the development of sustainable and easily accessible sales outlets for women producers from the remotest corners of India.
Union ministry of sports and youth affairs launches scheme “Sanitease” to promote women’s health and hygiene especially in rural areas.
Although agriculture education has progressed in recent years with many new agriculture universities and college being affiliated to state agriculture universities, the qualitative expansion is still far from over. Few universities make it to the list of quality institutes of India. The quality of students and faculty members at these institutes is also questionable. The students are often unemployable as they lack basic skills and domain expertise.
The colleges have been mushrooming due to lack of mandatory standards with regards to efficiency and infrastructure. ICAR makes guidelines for basic infrastructure however as these guidelines are only recommendatory the colleges often ignore them. Since Agriculture is in the State list in our constitution, the center is unwilling to do thing to improve the situation.
Certain recommendations to improve the situation are to introduce a Act of Parliament to turn the ICAR into a statutory body that can set mandatory norms to regulate agriculture education in India. This shall bring them on par with bodies such as Medical Council of India and Dental Council of India. State colleges and private colleges should be motivated to become independent of state grants and focus on internal resources to generate revenue such as Alumni network, Consultancy work, R&D etc.
Faculty members should be encouraged to work on cutting edge projects by giving them exposure to current technology. Curriculum may also be revised to bring in latest developments to the students. All such steps can help the sector.
The Prime Minister will release a commemorative postage stamp on Nanaji Deshmukh. He will launch a portal for coordination and monitoring of development works at the district level. He will also launch the Gram Samvad App which will carry information on the progress of rural development works at the Gram Panchayat level. It has been designed on the theme - soochna se sashaktikaran - Empowerment through Information.
An electrified village is defined as one that has the following: (i) provision of basic infrastructure such as distribution transformers and lines in the inhabited locality, (ii) provision of electricity in public places like schools, panchayat office, health centers, dispensaries, and community centers, and (iii) at least 10% of the total number of households in the village are electrified.
According to this definition, a village would be called electrified even if up to 90% of households in it do not have an electricity connection.
Supply of electricity
The actual supply of electricity to households rests with the state discoms. These discoms are already facing huge financial losses and hence are unable to supply electricity to the villages.
Discoms continue to supply subsidised power to agricultural and residential consumers, resulting in revenue losses. Further, the average technical and commercial losses (theft and pilferage of electricity) (AT&C losses) are at around 25%.
It has been recommended that generation capacity should be augmented so that states can meet the additional demand under the rural electrification schemes. Further, the assistance to financially weaker states should be increased so that they can better implement the scheme.
Electricity to below poverty line (BPL) households
Under the rural electrification scheme, the cost for providing free electricity connection per BPL household is Rs 3,000.
It has been observed that this cost per household may be inadequate.
Due to the low cost, the quantity and the quality of work has been getting compromised leading to poor implementation of the scheme.
It has been recommended that the Ministry should revisit the cost provided under the scheme.
The new electrification scheme: Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (or Saubhagya)
The new scheme, Saubhagya, seeks to ensure universal household electrification, that is, in both rural and urban areas. Under Saubhagya, beneficiaries will be identified using the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011 data. The identified poor households will get free electricity connections. Other households not covered under the SECC, will be provided electricity connections at a cost of Rs 500. This amount will be collected by the electricity distribution companies in 10 instalments.
The state discoms will execute the electrification works through contractors or other suitable agencies. Information technology (mobile apps, web portals) will be used to organise camps in villages to identify beneficiaries. In order to accelerate the process, applications for electricity connections will be completed on the spot.
So far the focus of electrification schemes has been on rural areas, where typically last mile connectivity has been difficult to provide. Saubhagya extends the ambit of electrification projects to urban areas as well.
While DDUGJY has focused on the village as the principal unit to measure electrification, the new scheme shifts the targets to household electrification.
While the target for ensuring electricity connection in each household will be a significant step towards ensuring 24×7 power, the question of continuous and quality supply to these households will still rest on the ability of the discoms to provide electricity.
Further, while the scheme provides for free connections, the ability of these households to pay for the electricity they consume may be a concern.
Passive euthanasia allows a terminally ill patient to decide whether he wants to discontinue the medical treatment and withdraw from life supporting equipments This will lead to a natural death and not prolong his suffering. The patient can decide if he is a competent person aged 16 or above. Patient has to be informed of all treatment options by the medical team. In Active euthanasia a lethal dose is given to cause death with a view to end suffering to the patient.
This isn’t allowed in India. A living will is a will that is written by a person giving direction to authorities of what is to be done in case of terminal illness. The government has concerns that living will or “Medical power of attorney” may be misused to end life of senior citizens which are treated as a burden by their children.
Indian Air Force has launched an innovative mobile health App named `MedWatch'.
‘MedWatch’ comprises a host of features that will provide authentic health information to all IAF personnel. A Reminder Tool to enable timely immunization for the children of all Air Warriors is an important component of the App. ‘MedWatch’, the first mobile health app in the three Armed Services.
Deep Dharohar organized by the Ministry of Culture to reclaim the lost classical and folk traditions of Deepawali and with objective of transmitting, promoting and conserving India’s diverse heritage, Ministry of Culture has organized this festival.
Global hunger index is published by the International food policy research institute and German private aid organization.
INDRA-2017, the first ever Tri Services Joint Exercise between Indian and Russian Armed Forces will be conducted in Russia.
The Government observes 31st October all over the country as a day of special occasion, to foster and reinforce the Government’s dedication to preserve and strengthen unity, integrity and security of our nation, by celebrating it as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, one of the founding fathers of the Republic of India.
Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on October 21 to commemorate the Police personnel who were martyred in Hot Springs, Ladakh in 1959.
Global innovation index is prepared by Cornell university, INSTEAD and World intellectual property rights organization.
Asia Cup 2017 for hockey was won by Team India.
Public Investment Board better known as PIB has been established to examine the investment plans put forwarded by the individual ministries of the Indian Government in lieu of the respective public sector undertakings. All the investment plans with an estimated costing of Rs.100 crores and more fall under the purview of PIB.
The law prevents doctors, pharma companies, diagnostic labs from referring patients with a view to earn commissions. Anti corruption bureau shall be empowered to investigate cases related to cuts, commissions, monetary gifts given for referring patients. The bill has also received criticism that anyone could file a complaint and so it might be used to target honest doctors.
The aim of the bill is to reduce the cost to patients as currently they have to pay even the cost of commission. However this objective might not succeed as doctors might still find ways to continue the practice. The education of doctors must be done to prevent them from circumventing the law.
The bill is also silent on “Medical Tourism” where an agent routes international patients to corporate hospitals for a fee. There are fears that a partnership between a hospital and a diagnostic lab may also be investigated as a dubious practice. This would mean that doctors and technicians would spend more time completing paperwork required under the law rather than looking after patients.
VARUNA naval exercise is held between India and France. (28/10/17)
Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan : A nationwide science talent search examination will be held on 26th November. Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA) is one of the largest science movement in the country led by eminent scientists and to inculcate and generate scientific temper, foster excellence in students and nurture and mentor them for their careers in pure sciences.
Global Environment Facility (GEF) is an international partnership of 183 countries, international institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector that addresses global environmental issues. The funding announcement was made at the launch of the GEF-6 fund which supports two projects – ‘Creating Markets for Energy Efficiency’ and ‘District Energy in Cities’.
“Nivesh Bandhu” will be launched to assist investors to make informed investment decisions to global food companies. The portal would provide information on Central and State Governments’ investor friendly policies, agro-producing clusters, infrastructure, and potential areas of investment in the food processing sector. (01/11/17)
A fourteen day joint training exercise “PRABAL DOSTYK – 2017” between the Indian Army and the Kazakhstan Army.(04/11/17)
World Economic Forum released the report Global Gender Gap Index.(04/11/17)
Plan India, an NGO working in the field of Child Welfare released a report on Gender Vulnerability Index. (06/11/17)
WCD Minister Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi today launched a comprehensive SHe-Box online complaint Management System for women working in both public and private organizations to lodge complaints of sexual harassment at workplace. (08/11/17)
India’s Second Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) Established at Anna University, Chennai(11/11/17)
Chennai included in UNESCO Creative Cities Network for its rich musical tradition.(12/11/17)
Global Financial Development Report is published by the World Bank(13/11/17)
The country celebrates the Children’s Day on 14th November and the International Child Rights Day is celebrated on 20th November every year. The period between the two important events will be celebrated as Child Rights Week “Hausla 2017” by WCD Ministry(13/11/17)
Aadi Mahotsav - a fortnight long Tribal Festival with the theme of ‘A Celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Cuisine and Commerce’.(16/11/2017)
World Toilet Day - 19 November
President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the closing ceremony of the Namami Barak festival in Silchar, Assam. The geographical location of the Barak valley gives it the potential to become a hub for inter-state and international trade. Several connectivity-related initiatives have been taken to achieve this potential. The Northeastern part of the “East West Corridor” – which runs from Cachar in Assam to Kutch in Gujarat – starts from Silchar. (22/11/2017)
Pradhan mantri mahila shakti kendra to empower rural women with skill development, employment, digital literacy, health and nutrition. (23/11/2017)
National Cadet Corps (NCC), the largest uniformed youth organisation in the world, is celebrating its 69th Raising Day on.(26/11/2017)
National Milk Day - Birthday of Dr. Vergese Kurien (26/11/2016).
Gopal Ratna Award’ for upkeep of the best dairy animals of indigenous breeds and ‘Kamdhenu Award’ for institutions maintaining best herd of indigenous breeds.
“National Kamdhenu Breeding Centres” one each in Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are being setup for conservation of indigenous breeds.National Bovine Productivity Mission” has been in initiated with creation of e Pashuhaat portal.
This is playing an important role in linking milk producers and breeders for indigenous breeds. A new scheme “Rashtriya Gokul Mission” has been initiated for the first time in the country under which 18 Gokul Grams in 12 different States are being set up.
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