GUJARAT

Project Lion: Gujarat govt sought Rs 2,000 crore from Centre

The Gujarat government has sought assistance to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore from the Centre for Project Lion. The request is under active consideration for approval, said a senior government official aware of the developments.

To be modelled on Project Tiger and Project Elephant, Project Lion was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2020.

The funding proposal for the project involves Rs 712 crore for habitat and population management and Rs 375 crore for communities as stakeholders under the Sinh Mitra Yojana. Other aspects are Rs 203 crore for lion health management, Rs 120 crore for human-wildlife conflict management, Rs 152 crore for surveillance and monitoring, and Rs 74 crore for research and learning. The details were outlined by sources with knowledge of the project.

Under Project Lion, the state government aims to establish a National Wildlife Disease Diagnostic Centre for a projected investment of Rs 71 crore. A lion cell at the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change is also envisioned for an investment of Rs 31.65 crore under the proposed plan. CM Rupani in his address said that the state government has taken up the tasks of maintaining the health of the lions and their conservation by developing a new concept of an advanced lion hospital. Other features, he said, are lion ambulance, rescue and rapid action team, trackers, and Vanyaprani Mitras in Sasan Gir with public participation.
For breeding of lions, gene pools have been started at three places: Rampara in Saurashtra, and Sakkarbaug and Satveerada in Junagadh.

The Gujarat forest department had announced in June last year that the Asiatic lion population has increased by 29% over the past five years — from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020. The distribution range of lions in the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, where Gir is situated, has increased by 36% from 22,000 sq km in 2015 to 30,000 sq km.

INTERNATIONAL

World BioFuel Day – 10th August

World Biofuel Day is found on August 10 each year. The day is celebrated to increase consciousness about the significance of non-fossil fuels as a choice to conventional fossil fuels and spotlight the various efforts made by Government in the biofuel sector.

Highlights:

The development of biofuels is in sync with schemes such as Swach Bharat Abhiyan and Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. World Biofuel Day was first by using the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas in August 2015. Biofuels are environmentally friendly fuels whose use would go a lengthy way in lowering carbon emissions. They are created via renewable biomass assets and therefore make a strong case for sustainable development. As such, biofuels will help meet the energy requirements of the 21st-century world except for negative the surroundings in the process.

World Lion Day – 10th August

World Lion Day is discovered globally on August 10 each and every year. World Lion Day is marked to raise recognition about the king of beasts and the efforts undertaken for their conservation. Lions frequently feature on national flags and royal symbols and emblems to represent command, energy, or authority across cultures due to their courage, intelligence, strength, and magnificence. World Lion Day used to be launched in 2013.

The big cat is listed as an endangered species in the IUCN Red List. The majestic animal is the second-largest member of the Felidae (cat family), after the tiger.

NATIONAL

India to have US standard highways in 3 years: Nitin Gadkari

Union Road and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that he believes that within three years, the entire country will be provided with national highways parallel to the standards of the American highways.

The minister was virtually present on the program on Saturday, celebrated as development day by Gujarat, marking the completion of five years of Chief ministership of Vijay Rupani.

Under the able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, our national highways projects are gaining momentum. I believe that by the next three years, entire country will be provided with national highways parallel to the standards of the American highways. At one point of time, we used to construct only 2 kilometers roads per day, whereas now we are constructing 38 kilometers roads per day,” said Gadkari.

The union minister said that the ongoing works of Rs 8,711 crore for 125 kilometers expressway between Kim and Vadodara via Ankleshwar will be completed by December this year. This stretch of the expressway was part of the larger Delhi-Mumbai expressway. The stretch passes through seven districts of Gujarat, Dahod, Panchmahals, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Valsad and also Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

PM-DAKSH by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister

The Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr Virendra Kumar, has unveiled a portal and mobile utility named ‘PM-DAKSH’, which aims to make the skill development schemes on hand to the target groups.

Highlights:

The ‘PM-DAKSH’ stands for Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana.

The ‘PM-DAKSH’ stands for Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana. The portal can be accessed at: http://pmdaksh.dosje.gov.in.

The platform has been developed using the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with the National E-Governance Division (NeGD), below the Department Of Electronics And Information Technology. The education programs will be implemented through Government Training Institutes and Sector Skill Councils constituted using the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and other credible institutions.

The training programmes will be supplied for the following: Up-skilling/Reskilling, Short Term Training Programme, Long Term Training Programme, Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).

The target crew include Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis.

Indian Institute of Heritage at Noida

The Government has planned to set up the Indian Institute of Heritage at Noida.

Highlights:

The Indian Institute of Heritage would offer Masters and PhD courses in History of Arts, Conservation, Museology, Archival Studies, Archaeology, Preventives Conservation, Epigraphy and Numismatics, Manuscriptology, etc. as well as conservation training facilities to in-service employees and the students of the Indian Institute of Heritage.

This will impact higher education and research in fields related to the rich Indian heritage and its conservation.

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