UTTARAKHAND

Potato protection campaign targets 3.6L ton yield in U’khand

About 20,000 to 22,000 hectare is the estimated cropped area under Rabi potato in Uttarakhand and in tune with the last year, the total annual yield of the state is likely to surpass a conservative 3.6 lakh tons.

The Mumbai- headquartered Indofil Industries Ltd has commenced RABI 2018 Potato Protection Campaign (PPC) in Uttarakhand with special focus on Almora, Nainital, Pitoragarh, Uttarkashi and Dehradun districts.

The spurt in demand for seed potatoes here and also from the neighbouring states suggests a successful potato season ahead in Rabi 2018.

The Potato Protection Campaign (PPC) aims to raise potato yield by 10% by training the farmers in better disease management techniques.

Farmer training programmes are also being organised at farms, at Mandis and at dealer/distributor outlets.

INTERNATIONAL

· Global education monitoring report 2019 released by UNESCO

The report shows that the number of migrant and refugeeschool-age children around the world today has grown by 26% since 2000 and could fill half a million classrooms.
The literacy levels in rural households of India dip with seasonal migration.
About 80% of seasonal migrant children in seven cities lacked access to education near work sites.

· China unveils the world’s first underground hotel

Shanghai unveiled the world’s first underground hotel, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, buried 90 metresdeep in an old quarry.
Built in the Sheshan Mountain Range, on the hem of Shangai, the ritzy hotel costs $287.9million.
The property was built by British firm Atkins, also behind the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and skyscraper Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City.

· Malaria cases declined by 24% in India: WHO report

The World Health Organisation(WHO) in a report stated that India is the only country to have recorded a substantial decline in malaria cases in 2017 out of the 11 highest burden countries worldwide.
India accounted for 4 percentof global malaria cases in 2017.
As reflected in this year’s World malaria report, India registered a 24 percent reductionin cases over 2016, largely due to substantial declines of the disease in the highly malarious state of Odisha, home to approximately 40 percent of all malaria cases in the country.

NATIONAL

· Environment Ministry approved to induce artificial rain via cloud seeding to clear smog in Delhi

The Environment Ministryapproved a project led by scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpurto induce artificial rain via cloud seeding in Delhi. The objective is to clear smog in Delhi. The success of the project depends on the presence of a minimum quantity of rain-bearing clouds over Delhi.
In the project, an aircraft has been planned to fly into the clouds and injectsilver iodide, which will lead to the formation of ice crystals that will make the clouds denser, cause them to condense into rain and settle atmospheric dust enough to clear the sky.
Researchers at IIT-Kanpur will use an aircraft of the National Remote Sensing Agency, an ISRO-affiliated body for the exercise. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) will provide forecasts on the likelihood of conducive clouds. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) on 20 November was in thevery poor

MWCD links Sexual Harassment Complaints Portal ‘SHe-Box’ to central/ state ministries & districts for speedy disposal of cases

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has linked SHe-Box, the online portal to report complaints of Sexual Harassment at Workplace, to all the Central Ministries, Departments and 653 districts across 33 States/Union Territories.

SHe-Box, which was launched by WCD Minister Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi last year, offers the facility of making online complaints of sexual harassment at workplace to all women employees in the country including government and private employees.

Those who have already filed a written complaint with the concerned Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) or Local Complaint Committee (LCC) constituted under the Sexual Harassment Act are also eligible to file their complaint through this portal.

Government of India to observe the remembrance of 100 years of Jallianwalla Bagh massacre next year

Government of India has decided to mark the remembrance of 100 years of the historical Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre next year.

The Government is planning to renovate the historical site by creating suitable infrastructure for providing basic amenities for the tourists.

The commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released on 13th April, 2019 (the day the incident took place 100 years ago).Ministry of Culture will organise cultural activities such as kavi sammelan, plays, exhibition, seminars, etc. across the country.

Government decides to set up domestic Gold Council in India

The Government has decided to set up a domestic Gold Council in India. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said this while inaugurating the 2nd Edition of India Gold and Jewellery Summit in New Delhi.

Mr Prabhu underlined the need for an integrated Gold policy to address all the issues in holistic way.

He said that his ministry will make sure that gems and jewellery business does not suffer from financial issues and his ministry is in talks with Finance Ministry in this regard.

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