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Andhra Pradesh govt inks Rs 711 cr loan pact with German bank

January 10, 2020

KfW, a German development bank, will assist the Andhra Pradesh government with a Rs 711 crore loan for expanding the climate-resilient Zero-Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) in the state over the next five years. The state government will spend another Rs 304 crore on the project under which 2.39 lakh farmers in 591 village panchayats will be encouraged to take up ZBNF.

The ZBNF project is being undertaken by the state government, dovetailing the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) of the Centre, with the Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives extending technical support. It has already launched ZBNF is over 3,011 villages covering an extent of 1.28 lakh hectares.

Agriculture Minister Kanna Babu also launched a toll-free number, 1800 599 3366, for enquiries related to the insurance scheme launched by the YSRCP government. The helpline will be functional from 10 am to 10 pm. YSR Rythu Bharosa for financial assistance to farmers, interest-free loans, free insurance for farmers, free borewell and free power supply to farmlands are among the schemes announced for farmers.

Prof. MS Swaminathan & Dr. G Muniratnam to get Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award

January 10, 2020

Eminent Agricultural Scientist Dr M S Swaminathan and well-known social worker Dr. Gutta Muniratnam, were respectively chosen as the first recipients of ‘Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu National Award for Excellence’ and ‘Muppavarapu National Award for Social Service’’.

Dr. Swaminathan was awarded for his distinguished contributions to the field of agriculture while Dr G Muniratnam, was awarded for his extraordinary contribution in improving quality of people’s lives through social service.

The National Award for Excellence was instituted by the Muppavarapu Foundation, while the one for Social Service was launched by the Swarna Bharat Trust, in Hyderabad. Each award carries a cash prize of Rupees Five Lakh and citation.

Dept. of Biotechnology funds a ‘KISAN hub’ at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

January 10, 2020

The Department of Biotechnology in the Union Ministry of Science and Technology has provided funds to Coimbatore-based Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to set up a biotechnology ‘KISAN hub’ under its farmers-centric mission Biotech-Krishi Innovation Science Application Network (Biotech-KISAN) programe to link India’s farmers with Indian and global best in science.

The hub has a low cost hydrponic demonstration unit, silage making facility, moisture meter, a nutritional forage cafeteria and a power back up facility to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the demonstration unit. The hub has been established at a cost of Rs. 11.14 lakhs at the Department of Forage Crops in the Centre for Plant Breeding and Genetics at the University. Six scientists from the partnering institutes were selected and trained on improved fodder varieties and its cultivation and preservation.

Folk singer and sarangi maestro Sharif Idu passes away

January 10, 2020

Legendary balladeer and sarangi maestro from Punjab, Sharif Idu passes away at age 80. He was conferred with the country’s highest honour for performing arts — the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2006 in dhadi folk music category — by then President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Screenwriter Buck Henry passes away

January 10, 2020

Veteran screenwriter Buck Henry, credited for penning Hollywood classics such as The Graduate and Heaven Can Wait, passes away at the age of 89. According to Deadline, Henry died after suffering a heart attack at Cedars-Sinai Health Center in Los Angeles. Born Henry Zuckerman in 1930 in New York City, the writer was the son of silent film star Ruth Taylor. He was known as Buck Hendry

Indian Navy to continue with ‘Operation Sankalp’ in Gulf region

January 11, 2020

Indian Navy launched Operation Sankalp in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman to reassure Indian flagged vessels transiting through the area following the recent maritime incidents in the region.

INS Chennai and INS Sunayna have been deployed in the region to undertake maritime security operations. In addition, aerial surveillance in the area is also being done by IN aircraft. The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region of the Indian Navy is also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region.

The operation has been launched in the wake of escalating tension in the Gulf of Oman, where two oil tankers were attacked last week. The incident has since heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. It remains unclear who was responsible for the attacks but the United States has put the blame on Iran, which, in turn, has denied the allegations.

FIH nominates Rani Rampal for ‘World Games Athlete of the Year’

January 11, 2020

India women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal has been nominated for the World Games Athlete of the Year 2019 award. Rani was instrumental in India qualifying for the first time in back-to-back Olympic Games.

The 25 athletes nominated for this award from 25 sports have been recommended by their international federations and in Rani’s case, the FIH has recommended her name for the award for her outstanding performance and her ability to lead by example.

This will be the 6th edition of the WGA initiative that recognises and honours an athlete or a team for their outstanding performance or for their social commitment or particularly fair behaviour.

Indian scientists receive ‘Merck Young Scientist Award 2019’

January 11, 2020

Indian researchers have received first Merck Young Scientist Award 2019 in Chemical Sciences recently at Bangalore instituted by Merck, a science and technology company operating worldwide. Merck Young Scientist Award is given to researchers with less than ten years of experience with expertise in solving some of the toughest problems in chemical sciences. The winners received cash award of INR 2,00,000 and Travel Award of INR 1,50,000

Dr. Sakya Singha Sen, a senior scientist from National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune has been awarded for doing remarkable research in chemical science. Sen and his research team specializes in main group chemistry and involves in the synthesis of compounds with main group element and their catalytic application.

The other recipient of the award are Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi (IGIB); Dr Dipyaman Ganguly, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata (CSIR-IICB); Dr Siddhesh S Kamat, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune; Dr Mahendran K .R, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram (RGCB) and; Dr Basker Sundararaju, Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Kanpur.

Former MP Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo dies at 76

January 11, 2020

The titular head of Odisha’s Gajapati dynasty and former parliamentarian, Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passes away at age 76, following prolonged illness. Gopinath Gajapati was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar due to heart-related. He was under medication for over three years.

Born in 1943, Deo had represented the Berhampur parliamentary constituency for two terms as a Congress member in 1989 and 1991. He switched over to the BJP in 1998 and joined the ruling BJD a decade later, in 2009.

23rd National Youth Festival 2020 begins in Lucknow

January 11, 2020

On the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 started with a grand inauguration ceremony in Lucknow, Uttar. The festival will take place between from 12th to 16th January.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the State Government of Uttar Pradesh are jointly organising the national youth festival. The objective of NYF is to provide a platform to bring the youth of the country together in an attempt to provide them opportunity to showcase their talents in various activities.

The theme of the 23rd National Youth Festival 2020 is ‘FIT YOUTH FIT INDIA’ in pursuance of the goal of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi for New India to be a fit India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed youth of country to try only to purchase local products By 2020 which will help our countrymen.

INS Vikramaditya deployed in Arabian Sea amid “Sea Guardians”

January 11, 2020

India has deployed its aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya in Arabian Sea. The aircraft carrier was deployed amid the Pakistan-China naval exercise “Sea Guardians” taking place in North Arabian Sea. Top officials of the Naval headquarters were on board the aircraft carrier when it was deployed in the strategic mission earlier this week.

exercise ‘Sea Guardians’ is taking place in the midst of heightened tension between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. Key platforms of both China and Pakistan, including submarines, destroyers and frigates are part of the exercise.

Union Home Minister inaugurates the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre

January 11, 2020

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) and also dedicated National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal to the nation . This state-of-the-art Centre is located in New Delhi. The scheme to set up I4C was approved in October 2018 at an estimated cost of around 416 crore rupees to deal with all types of cyber-crimes with specific focus on crimes against women, children, particularly child pornography, child sex abuse material, online content pertaining to rapes.

At the initiative of Home Ministry, 15 States and UTs have given their consent to set up Regional Cyber Crime Coordination Centres. It constitutes 7 elements: National Cyber Crime Research and Innovation Centre, National Cyber Crime Forensic Laboratory Ecosystem, National Cyber Crime Training Centre, Cyber Crime Ecosystem Management Unit, National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal and Platform for Joint Cyber Crime Investigation Team.

On the other hand, National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) is a citizen-centric initiative that will enable citizens to report cyber-crimes online through the portal. All the cyber-crime related complaints will be accessed by the concerned law enforcement agencies in the States and Union Territories for taking action as per law. This portal was launched on pilot basis on 30th August, 2019. 

Tamil Nadu: 2 state-run varsities to be named after Jayalalithaa

January 11, 2020

Tamil Nadu Assembly passed two Bills to name a fisheries university and a music varsity after late Chief Minister and AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa. The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University and The Tamil Nadu Music and Fine Arts University have been rechristened “The Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Fisheries University,” and “The Tamil Nadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University.” She served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for six times.

Orders had been issued in 2017 for the name change of fisheries varsity and sometime back as regards the music university. Though the name change is already in force in both the state-run varsities, the Bills were adopted to validate the change. DMK and other opposition party members, who opposed most of the other Bills, did not oppose naming the varsities after Jayalalithaa.

Oman: Ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said passes away

January 11, 2020

The longest-serving ruler of Oman Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said passed away. He was a charismatic and visionary leader who transformed Oman into a modern and prosperous nation. He was ruling Oman since 1970. The Sultan is the prime decision-maker in Oman and also holds the portfolio of Prime Minister, supreme commander of the armed forces, minister of foreign affairs, minister of finance and minister of defense.

State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 unveiled by Union Govt.

January 11, 2020

The Union Government has released the “State Energy Efficiency Index 2019”. The index was released during the ‘Review, Planning and Monitoring (RPM)’ meeting held in New Delhi. The index is developed by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) along with Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE). The SEE Index 2019 traces the expansion and achievements of Energy Efficiency (EE) drives running in 36 states and union territories. The State Energy Efficiency Index 2019 was topped by Haryana, Karnataka and Kerala while Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand and Rajasthan performed worst in their respective groups.

IMS certification for Mangaluru Junction railway facility

January 11, 2020

The Carriage and Wagon Depot at Mangaluru Junction railway station, which is capable of examining freight train formations for rail worthiness, has obtained Integrated Management System (IMS). The IMS certification covers ISO 9001-2015 for quality management, ISO 14001-2015 for environment management, and ISO 45001-2018 for occupational health and safety, and is valid up to December 2022.

Functions associated with the examination of freight trains and maintenance activities performed at the depot, platform yard, and sick line; and the stores and material management functions at the depot are certified under the IMS. The brake power certificate issued by the depot is the authority to utilize the rakes in the specified schedule. On average, 49 such rakes are examined at the depot in a month

Bangladesh: 2nd largest Muslim Congregation ‘Bishwa Ijtema’ begins

January 11, 2020

The first phase of the world’s second largest Muslim congregation after Haj begins in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Thousands of devotees from Bangladesh and abroad are thronging the bank of river Turag at Tongi near Dhaka to participate in the congregation called Bishwa Ijtema. The Ijtema began with the ‘aam bayan’ and will end on January 12 with the final prayers ‘Akheri Munajat’. The second phase of Bishwa Ijtem will take place between January 17-19.

India Pulses and Grains Association announces ‘The Pulses Conclave 2020’

January 11, 2020

India Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), the nodal body for India’s pulses trade & industry announced that the 5th edition of The Pulses Conclave, will be held from 12th to 14th February, 2020 at Amby Valley City in Lonavala, Maharashtra. Prime Minister’s vision is to double the farmer’s income by the year 2022 and a huge effort has been put into achieving the same.

IPGA expects close to 1500 trade stakeholders from India and key pulses exporting countries like the USA, Australia, Canada, Myanmar, Ethiopia, etc. to participate in the conclave. The Pulses Conclave 2020, as a part of its agenda, will discuss about the increasing domestic production and consumption and will also bring to fore other areas of the trade like improving processing efficiencies, increasing consumption, exports, value addition, protein extraction, post-harvest crop management, etc.

Imported water-soluble fertilizers launched by Gujarat Agro Industries

January 11, 2020

The Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation (GAIC) has imported 300 metric tonnes (MT) of water soluble fertilisers from China, which it will be selling to farmers in Gujarat. GAIC Chairman and BJP MLA Madhu Shrivastav launched six different grades of imported water soluble fertilisers at a formal event in Ahmedabad. The new-generation fertilizers will be sold in the market under its brand – ‘AGRO’.

Gujarat has become a front-runner State in terms of area under drip irrigation system. The use of water-soluble fertilizers will be the next step for precision agriculture and to produce fruits and vegetables matching global standards. The water-soluble fertilisers that were launched include, AGRO MKP, AGRO NOP, AGRO MAP, AGRO NPK, AGRO CN, AGRO SOP.

The products that the company will be selling in markets across Gujarat are Calcium Nitrate, Mono Ammonium Phosphate, Potassium Sulphate, Soluble Potassium Nitrate, Mono Potassium Phosphate and NPK, which have been imported in powder form.

West Bengal: Dharmendra Pradhan launches mission PURVODAYA

January 12, 2020

Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Steel launched mission PURVODAYA for the development of eastern India through integrated steel hub in Kolkata, West Bengal. Through this programme, the government aims to transform logistics and utilities infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in the eastern India.

The mission will drive India’s march towards five trillion dollar economy set by the government. The steps, under mission, also include growth of steel industry along with employment opportunities across the entire value chain.

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