Uttarakhand Affairs
Man-animal conflict kills over 1,000 in 2 decades in Uttarakhand
In the last two decades, sinceUttarakhandbecame a new state, 1,054 people lost their lives and 5,112 suffered serious injuries in man-animal conflicts, revealed the information obtained under the Right To Information (RTI).
Each year, human animal conflict is rising in Uttarakhand. The information obtained from the chief minister’s office highlights a staggering toll on human lives due to encounters with wild animals. According to the data starting from 2000, the year Uttarakhand was formed, to 2022, a total of 1,054 people fell victim to wildlife attacks, while an additional 5,112 individuals were injured in such attacks. In 2023 so far (from January to April 21), six people lost their lives in man-animal conflicts, out of which four people were killed by tigers, one by an elephant and another by a leopard. Total of 23 people got injured in such wild attacks in this duration.
The figures reflect an alarming rise in fatalities caused by such incidents, with the past year proving to be particularly deadly. In 2022 alone, 82 lives were lost and 325 people sustained injuries in attacks by the wild animals.
National and International Affairs
NTCA Constitutes New Committee to Oversee Cheetah Project
(NTCA) has established an 11-member Cheetah Project Steering Committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change, and Rajesh Gopal, secretary general of Global Tiger Forum, has been appointed as its chairman. The decision was taken after six cheetahs, who were brought as part of the translocation project, died in the last two months. The other 10 members include RN Mehrotra, former principal chief conservator of forest of Rajasthan; PR Sinha, former director of the Wildlife Institute of India; HS Negi, former APCCF, Wildlife; and PK Malik, former faculty at WII.
GS Rawat, former dean of the WII; Mittal Patel, an Ahmedabad-based social worker; Qamar Qureshi, WII scientist and Inspector General of NTCA; and the MPs Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Wildlife, and Chief Wildlife Warden are the other members.
Mission Amrit Sarovar: Rejuvenating Water Bodies Nationwide for Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav
A high-level meeting was held to review theprogress, monitor, and ensurethe quality ofMission Amrit Sarovar, chaired by Shri Shailesh Kumar Singh, the Secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development. The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary, and Secretary of Rural Development from all States/Union Territories (UTs), the State Nodal officer for the Mission Amrit Sarovar, DM/DC/CEOs of over 700 districts, and District Nodal officers of the Mission.
As part of the celebration ofAzadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Amrit Sarovar Mission was launched on24th April 2022with the objective ofdeveloping and rejuvenating 75 water bodiesin each district across the country. The mission aims to create atotal of 50,000 water bodies, each spanning an area of about an acre or more, contributing to the preservation and enhancement of <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/water-Resources“>Water Resources.
Goa Signed MoU with Uttarakhand for Strengthening Tourism Cooperation
The Government of Goa and the Government of Uttarakhand have come together and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the tourism landscape of both Goa and Uttarakhand. The MoU signing ceremony was held in the presence of Rohan Khaunte, the Minister for Tourism, IT, E & C, Printing and Stationary, Government of Goa, and Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand.
The MoU signed between Goa and Uttarakhand aims to promote bilateral cooperation in the travel and tourism sector and facilitate travel between the states.
It is aimed to increase the number of tourists visiting Goa and Uttarakhand respectively.
The initial batch of 10 start-up companies participating in the50 start-ups exchange programbetweenIndia and Bangladeshhave returned to Dhaka after a successful visit to India from May 8-12. These start-ups operate in various sectors, including e-commerce, health, transport and logistics, energy, education, and skill development.
The exchange program facilitates visits between 50 start-ups from Bangladesh and 50 start-ups from India, aiming to foster partnerships, expand business relations, share experiences and knowledge, and promote collaboration among young entrepreneurs. The framework of this program was established during recent bilateral summits between the Prime Ministers of both countries.