GUJARAT
Virtual national tax conference from Feb 17
The All India Federation of Tax Practitioners (West Zone), an association of advocates,
chartered accountants and tax practitioners in the country, will organise a two-day ‘Virtual
National Tax Conference’ from February 17.
The conference is being jointly organised by AIFTP (West Zone), the Goods and Services Tax
Practitioners Association of Maharashtra, Vidarbha Tax Practitioners' Association, and
Central Gujarat Chamber of Tax Practitioners. The main object of AIFTP is to spread
education in matters relating to tax laws, other laws and accountancy. The membership of
the AIFTP includes senior advocates, advocates, solicitors, chartered accountants and tax
practitioners, practicing direct or indirect taxes from all states.
INTERNATIONAL
LongOps Project Between UK and Japan
The LongOps project is a collaboration between the UK and Japan. In this operation,
Japanese and British scientists will develop new safety technologies to dismantle old nuclear
facilities such as Fukushima that were severely damaged by the tsunami and earthquake.
The project will use remote robotic arms, so it is called the "LongOps Project". The project
will reduce risks to human health and will accelerate the decommissioning of non-operating
nuclear reactors.
The implementation cost of the LongOps project is 12 million euros (1.2 billion rupees). It
will focus on the rapid decommissioning of nuclear facilities.
In addition to dismantling the nuclear fission field, the project will also focus on the partial
automation of the nuclear fusion power generation process.
The project will also help improve and dismantle nuclear fusion facilities, such as the
European Union Circle. The United European Ring is a nuclear fusion experiment located at
the Culham Fusion Energy Center in the United Kingdom.
This is the first reactor produced using a 50-50 mixed fuel of the and deuterium. It was
closed in 2009 to adopt the concepts used in the ITER project.
NATIONAL
Centre allocates Rs 16,000 cr for PM Fasal Bima Yojana
Government has allocated 16 thousand crore rupees for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
for 2021-22 to boost the safety of farmers' crops.
This will ensure maximum benefit of crop insurance reaches to farmers.
The scheme extends coverage for the entire cropping cycle from pre-sowing to post-harvest
including coverage for losses arising out of prevented sowing and mid-season adversities.
Government had approved this flagship crop insurance scheme, five years ago, on 13th
January 2016.
India's first geothermal power project to be established at Puga village of eastern Ladakh
India's first geothermal power project will be established at Puga village of eastern Ladakh.
Puga has been identified as the hotspot of geothermal energy in the country by the
scientists.
In the first phase of the pilot project, one megawatt (MW) power generation capacity will be
generated.
India's first ever geothermal power project, known as Geothermal Field Development
Project is planned to commission by the end of 2022.
In the first phase, the pilot project implemented by the ONGC-OEC will explore within the
depth of 500 metres and it is planned to supply 24 hours free power to 10 neighbouring
villages which are not connected with the northern grid for power supply.
As Twitter seeks talks, Ministers move to Indian-made app Koo
Amid the ongoing tussle between the government and microblogging platform Twitter over
blocking of content and accounts related to farmers’ protest, Union Ministers and
government departments are also setting up accounts on Koo, a Made-in-India alternative
to Twitter.
Koo was launched in April 2020 as an alternative to Twitter.
Koo won the second prize in the social category after Chingari in Atmanirbhar app challenge
in August.
It started in Kannada and has since expanded to include Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu.
India is Twitter’s third-largest market with 18.9 million users. The American platform is the
preferred mode of social media engagement for prominent politicians, including Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
M. Hamid Ansari Pens his memoir ‘By Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life’
The former vice president of India, Mohammad Hamid Ansari has written a book titled ‘By
Many a Happy Accident: Recollections of a Life’.
The book narrates about the life and work of Mr. Ansari, from academia to professional
diplomacy and then be co-opted in public life followed by acquiring the second highest
office for two consecutive terms.
The book has been published by the Rupa Publications India and has a foreword by Pranab
Mukherjee.
M. Hamid Ansari was the vice president of India and chairman of the Rajya Sabha for two
consecutive terms from 2007 to 2017.
Report of Climate Change on Hindukush Karakoram Ranges
According to the "India Regional Climate Change Assessment" report, the amount of
snowfall in the upper reaches of the Hindu Kush Himalayas has been increasing in recent
decades, which has protected the region from the effects of shrinking glaciers.
The recent major flooding of the Alaknanda River, which may have been caused by a glacier
eruption, highlights the problem of glaciers retreating due to global warming in recent
decades, but the report shows a sharp contrast in the Hindu Kush Himalayas.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has released the "India Regional Climate Change
Assessment Report." This is India’s first national forecast of the impact of global warming on
the subcontinent in the coming century.
HinduKush Himalayan (HKH) Region:
The HKH region includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Kyrgyzstan,
Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It spans about 5 million
square kilometers and has a large population of different cultures. It is considered the third
pole (after the Arctic and Antarctic) and has an important influence on the climate. It has a
vast cryosphere (frozen water) and is also the world's largest ice storage area outside the
polar regions.
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