GUJARAT

Gujarat’s tree cover just 4.04%: Study

Gujarat has one of the poorest tree covers in the country. A report published by the state social forestry department recently has claimed that only 11.04% geographic area of the state is under forest cover.

In all Gujarat ranks 23rd in the country when it comes to forest cover. The national forest policy requires that at least one-third of the land cover should be under forests. The report called , ‘Tree wealth in non-forest areas of Gujarat’ has claimed that though the tree cover of the state is 4.04% of the total land area, the designated forest area in the state is 7.48%.

In the last four years the tree density per hectare in Gujarat has marginally improved from 18.4 trees per hectare to 22.4 trees per hectare, which roughly translates in the number of trees from 29.51 crore trees in 2012-13 to 34.35 crore trees in 2018.

In the country, nearly 21.34% land is under forest cover. The annual timber consumption of state, the report states, is close to 3.24 million tonnes and that nearly 3.43 million cubic metres of wood is imported into Gujarat from abroad . The report states that over several years nearly 5,311 saw mills have have been issued licences by the state. Nearly 30% of these sawmills are located in Kheda , Anand and Ahmedabad districts.

INTERNATIONAL

· Bisket Jatra Being Celebrated In Nepal

The Jatra begins in Nepal.
It is believed that the festival started during Malla dynasty. In Nepal, the famous Bisket Jatra is being celebrated in Bhaktapur and other parts of Kathmandu valley.
The nine-day annual festival marks beginning of Nepali new year.
The Jatra begins four days before the start of new year.

· FAO Designates 14 New Sites As GIAHS

Fourteen new sites have been designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS),including the first ones in Europe.
As with other designated sites, these systems highlight agricultural traditions that promote sustainability, safeguard biodiversity and protect the environment while supporting the social and economic development necessary for stable, decent livelihoods.
The 14 new sites range from oases to rice terraces, wasabi cultivation to raisin production.

Gk bit – GIAHS

The objectives of GIAHS are

To understand and appreciate the nature friendly agricultural practices of local and tribal populations around the world.

To document indigenous knowledge.

To conserve and promote these knowledge at global scale to promote food security, sustainable development.

Twosites recognized in India and 6 more recognized as potential sites

The two sites are-

Koraput, Odisha

Kashmir Valley, Pampore region

Potential Sites are –

Kuttanand-Kerala

Ladakh – Jammu & Kashmir

Raika-The Raikas are a pastoral caste Camel herding is their heritage

Korangadu-Tamilnadu

Catamaran Fishing – Tamilnadu

Soppina betas syaytem-Western ghats

NATIONAL

Vice President Launches Atal Amrit Abhiyan

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that there is a need to create health coverage schemes that provide widest coverage to the young, aged and infirm and those suffering from both critical acute and chronic ailments.

He was addressing the gathering after launching the Atal Amrit Abhiyan by Assam Government, which seeks to provide access to quality medical care to 3.2 crore people, in Guwahati, Assam.

The Governor of Assam, Prof. Jagadish Mukhi and the Chief Minister of Assam, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal were present on the occasion.

Gk bit – Atal Amrit Abhiyan

The state government of Assam is implementing a health insurance scheme named as Atal Amrit Abhiyan in the state. Under the scheme, the government is providing an insurance coverage of up to Rs. 2 lakh per year to each family of the state. The scheme was originally launched on 25 December 2016.

Launched to mark the 92nd birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the scheme will offer coverage against 437 illnesses in six disease groups, namely, cardiovascular, cancer, kidney, neo-natal, neurological conditions and burns.

Both Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families, with annual income below Rs 5 lakh, are eligible for the scheme.

Bihar has highest rate of crime against SC/STs

According to latest data released by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bihar has the highest rate of crimes against Schedule Caste/Schedule Tribe population.

As per NCRB data, crime against SC/ST is lowest in West Bengal.

Madhya Pradesh reported the highest rate of crime (43.4%) against SCs specifically, while West Bengal had the lowest at 6%.

Rajasthan reported the highest rate of crime (12.9%) against STs specifically, while West Bengal had the lowest at 1.6%.

Govt plan a Rs 637-crore Clean Air Programme

The Modi government has finalised a Rs 637-crore National Clean Air Programme to improve the air quality in India.

The 20-point programme shifts the onus of fighting air pollution to the state governments.

The programme, India’s first attempt at working out a coordinated system to curb air pollution, requires all the states to frame their own Clean Air Programmes.

· Commerce Ministry Launches Digital Platform For MSME Exporters

Commerce and Industry Minister launched the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) GlobalLinker platformfor MSME exporters in New Delhi.
This move is aimed at assisting the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in exports.
This initiative will help in expanding India’s multi-focused export strategy and also aid in connecting art and artisans to the market.
FIEO GlobalLinker is setup with a view to making the business growth of SMEs simpler, more profitable and enjoyable.

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