India
India's first grass conservatory established in Uttarakhand's Ranikhet
India's first Grass Conservatory was established in Uttarakhand's Ranikhet town in an area of three acres, funded under the Central Government's CAMPA scheme.
The conservatory was developed in three years and has been developed by the Research Wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department, reports ANI.
Read:Indian government is revamping aquaculture for a ‘blue revolution’
Around 100 different grass species have been conserved/demonstrated in this conservation area.
Sanjiv Chaturvedi, Chief Conservator of Forest said, "The project aims to create awareness about the importance of grass species, promote conservation, and to facilitate further research in these species."
"It has been proved in the latest researches that grasslands are more effective in carbon sequestration than forest land," Chaturvedi said.
He further stressed that grasslands are facing various types of threats and areas under grasslands are shrinking, thereby endangering the entire ecosystem of insects, birds and mammals dependent on them.
"Grasses are economically the most important of all flowering plants because of their nutritious grains and soil-forming function," he said.
Read: India opens to vaccinated foreign tourists after 18 months
The conservation area has seven different sections of grasses as Aromatic, Medicinal, Fodder, Ornamental, Religiously important Grasses and Agricultural Grasses. Thysanoleanamaxima also called Tiger grass / Broom grass- an important fodder grass found along steep hills, ravines, and sandy banks of rivers up to an altitude of 2000 m, in Uttarakhand. Its dry flowering stocks are used as a broom.
Being a perennial species it can be used as green fodder round the year and also helps in preventing soil erosion on steep hillsides and is used in rehabilitation of degraded land. Pennisetumpurpureum also called Napier grass / Elephant grass- makes a good contour hedgerow and is an excellent bank and pasture fodder. Used for firebreaks, windbreaks in paper pulps production and bio-oil, biogas and charcoal.
Indian government is revamping aquaculture for a ‘blue revolution’
All governments, at different points in time, have opted for a revamp in policies geared at increasing agricultural productivity. Mostly, these have included crop yield, animal husbandry and milk production. However, rarely ever has a government formulated a specific policy keeping in mind the vast potential that the fisheries sector holds, reports Saudi Gazette.
Though the developmental journey for multiple governments has undertaken massive improvements in areas related to productivity and availability of food sources, the fisheries sector has remained untouched and neglected for long. This apathy to blue revolution has changed considerably with India’s first and biggest fisheries scheme called the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), with an outlay of Rs.20,050 crores over a period of five years on Sept. 10, 2021.
Read: India's first grass conservatory established in Uttarakhand's Ranikhet
PMMSY is designed to address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality control, adoption of advance technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization, innovation and strengthening of value chain, traceability, establishing a powerful fisheries management framework and fishers’ welfare. While aspiring to consolidate the achievements of Blue Revolution Scheme, PMMSY envisages many new, unique and innovative scheme and vision for the sector.
Obviously, the scheme is part of the larger Blue Revolution that was undertaken by the government of India towards ensuring the growth of the aquaculture industry. Through design, India aimed at tapping the massive reserves of fish around the mainland of India as well as around islands. Additionally, the idea was to modernize the industry through new technologies and processes, which would transform the sector and double the income of the fishermen and fisherwomen involved.
With increased productivity, the assumption was that the post-harvest infrastructure would also get a solid boost with private market players also grabbing a foothold into the sector seeing its immense potential. Therefore, it is clearly not difficult to put the foot on the throttle in these areas resulting in an easy three times exports price-to-earnings ratio by the year 2022 which would lead to profits as well as food security for those families that are dependent on the livestock from these catches.
Though the fish production sector accounted for a meager 1.25% of the national economy in the year 2018-19, its share of the total agriculture production was about 8%. Over the years, especially since the Blue Revolution was embraced by the government of India, the growth rate of the sector has doubled from 5.2% to 10.8% in only four years.
Quite simply speaking, the PMMSY has been geared towards achieving five goals: (a.) doubling the income of fishermen and fisherwomen, (b.) increasing the fish production to 2.2 crore tons per annum within a period of 5 years, (c.) reducing the loss in fish production from 20 to 10%, (d.) creating 55 lakh new employment opportunities, and (e.) doubling the exports of fish to Rs.1 lakh crores in next 5 years.
At the same time, the focus was on ensuring the development of the sector through sustainable means without infringing upon the environmental processes of the day. Therefore, the scheme has focused on developing the sector by engaging in sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable practices alone. One of the biggest factors towards achieving that has been the up-gradation of fishing vessels and breeding centers, putting in place bio-toilets and aqua-parks, developing aquaculture start-ups and coastal fishing villages.
Special thrust will be given for employment generation activities such as seaweed and ornamental fish cultivation. It emphasizes on interventions for quality brood, seed & feed and species diversification.
Singular attention will be given on aquaculture in saline/alkaline areas, Sagar Mitras, FFPOs/Cs, Nucleus Breeding Centers, fisheries and aquaculture start-ups, incubators, integrated aqua parks, integrated coastal fishing villages development, aquatic laboratories network and extension services, traceability, certification and accreditation, RAS, Biofloc & Cage Culture, e-trading/marketing networks, fisheries management plans, etc.
Read: India opens to vaccinated foreign tourists after 18 months
With the sudden interest amongst the private players and government, the Research & Development in Aquaculture and Marine Biotechnology has begun attempting to explore the limitless possibilities of the fisheries sector. More than 122 deep-sea fishing vessels have been upgraded with 2755 bio-toilets being installed. On top of the same, about 53,000 rafts and monolines have already been disbursed to increase seaweed cultivation, which in turn is the most sustainable way of ensuring the survival of fish.
But the growth in volume of production need not mean the upliftment of those involved in the sector, and to ensure the same, the government of India has focused on the welfare of people associated with the sector along with increasing production. With the constant expansion in the Kisan Credit facilities over the last few years, the line of credit available to these fisher folk has quadrupled. Already, about 8 lakh individuals have benefited from the scheme with proposals worth Rs.3,000 crores from 34 states/UTs already approved until last month.
With increased production, the scheme has laid down a solid groundwork for development of the sector to ensure that the income of farmers increases along with the share of Indian aquaculture in the global market. It is only a matter of time that the hard work and vision translates to a massive production growth.
India opens to vaccinated foreign tourists after 18 months
India began allowing fully vaccinated foreign tourists to enter the country on regular commercial flights on Monday, in the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions as infections fall and vaccinations rise.
Tourists entering India must be fully vaccinated, follow all COVID-19 protocols and test negative for the virus within 72 hours of their flight, according to the health ministry. Many will also need to undergo a post-arrival COVID-19 test at the airport.
However, travelers from countries which have agreements with India for mutual recognition of vaccination certificates, such as the U.S., U.K. and many European nations, can leave the airport without undergoing a COVID-19 test.
This is the first time India has allowed foreign tourists on commercial flights to enter the country since March 2020, when it imposed one of the toughest lockdowns in the world in an attempt to contain the pandemic. Fully vaccinated tourists on chartered flights were allowed to enter starting last month.
Read: Veteran politician Sharad Pawar ruling BJP's choice for next Indian President?
It comes as coronavirus infections have fallen significantly, with daily new cases hovering at just above 10,000 for over a month.
To encourage travelers to visit India, the government plans to issue 500,000 free visas through next March. The moves are expected to boost the tourism and hospitality sector which was battered by the pandemic.
With more than 35 million reported coronavirus infections, India is the second-worst-hit country after the U.S. Active coronavirus cases stand at 134,096, the lowest in 17 months, according to the health ministry.
Nearly 79% of India’s adult population has received at least one vaccine dose while 38% is fully vaccinated. The federal government has asked state administrations to conduct door-to-door campaigns to accelerate the vaccine campaign.
Read: India At COP26 Says Its Solar Energy Capacity Increased 17 Times In 7 Years
Fewer than 3 million foreign tourists visited India in 2020, a drop of more than 75% from 2019, when tourism brought nearly $30 billion in earnings.
Border killings unfortunate for Bangladesh; shameful for India: FM
Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Sunday reiterated that the border killing is a matter of shame for India and unfortunate for Bangladesh as Bangladeshis are losing their lives.
“I always say, it’s unfortunate for us and it’s a matter of shame for India… I’ve no other answer to that,” he said while responding to a question at a media briefing at his ministry.
Dr Momen said the decision was taken at the level of heads of government and also at various levels that the two countries do not want to see any killing along the Bangladesh-India border and there was a verbal decision that no lethal weapon will be used. “But it happens from time to time.”
Also read: India assured Bangladesh of stopping border killing, says Quader
Army teams from Bangladesh and India to start joint cycle rally Monday
A 20-member Indian army team arrived in Bangladesh on Sunday to take part in a joint cycle rally with Bangladesh army team to promote friendship between the two countries.
The November 15-19 cycle rally will kick off at Jashore Cantonment on Monday.
It will run through Jhenaidah, Kushtia,Jibonnagar and Darshana.
Also read: BGB-BSF border conference begins in Guwahati
During the tour the cyclists will stop at historical sites of the 1971 Bangladesh War of Liberation in which Indian army joined with Mukti Bahini. They will speak to valiant freedom fighters to learn about their experience.
The Indian team, led by Colonel Mohit Singh, was welcomed at Benapole by Brigadier General of Jashore Cantonment Hafizur Rahman.
Also read: BSF reaffirms to use non-lethal weapons on border
Bangladesh and Indian army teams held their first joint cycle rally in 2017. It has since then been an annual event.
Anti-Covid pill likely to get approved in India soon, DCGI reviewing data
The Drugs Controller General of India is reviewing the clinical data of molnupiravir, the world's first anti-Covid pill approved in the United Kingdom, for the treatment of Covid-19 in adults in India. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said it is all set to introduce Merck Sharp Dohme (MSD) and Ridgeback's molnupiravir under the brand name Molxvir.
Sun Pharma is one of the companies in India with which Merck entered into voluntary licensing agreements, reports the Hindustan Times.
Read:77.8% efficacy, robust antibody response: 5 points from Lancet's new study on Covaxin
"The recent authorisation of molnupiravir, licensed from MSD and Ridgeback, by the UK regulator is a positive step. In line with our consistent efforts to accelerate access to new drugs for COVID-19 treatment, we are gearing up to make Molxvir available to patients and healthcare providers across India at an economical price post-approval by DCGI," Sun Pharma India Business CEO Kirti Ganorkar said in a statement.
The United States is also going through the data of molnupiravir.
Who can take this pill? Adults who are at risk of Covid can take this pill to avoid severe symptoms or hospitalisation. However, experts have warned that anti-Covid pills are not alternatives to vaccines. The pill can be taken within the first few days of Covid symptoms appearing.
Read: Pfizer asks FDA to OK COVID-19 booster shots for all adults
Molnupiravir, as a small molecule, does not require cold storage like messenger RNA vaccines. In the Phase 3 trial by Merck, Molnupiravir significantly reduced the risk of hospitalisation or death by around 50 per cent in a planned interim analysis of the MOVe-OUT trial in at risk, non-hospitalised adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.
Based on the participants with available viral sequencing data (around 40 per cent of participants), molnupiravir demonstrated consistent efficacy across viral variants like Gamma, Delta and Mu.
Heavy rains in southern India kill 14 people, flood Chennai
At least 14 people have died in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu during days of heavy rains, officials said Thursday.
Several districts in the state are on high alert, bracing for more torrents as a depression over the southwest Bay of Bengal was set to cross northern Tamil Nadu on Thursday evening. The Indian Meteorological Department warned of intense rains in isolated places.
Read:9 Hindu devotees die in India road crash
The heavy rains first struck over the weekend, hitting the capital, Chennai. Photos and videos from the city showed residents wading through knee-deep waters and vehicles nearly submerged in the heavily flooded roads.
Two people died in the last 24 hours, said N Subbaiyan, the director of the state’s disaster management, adding that the other 12 were killed over the past few days.
At least 800 huts have been destroyed this past week by the rains, said Kumar Jayant of the state's revenue department.
Multiple teams of the National Disaster Response Force have been deployed to help local authorities with rescue efforts.
In Chennai, which is among the worst hit, officials have evacuated hundreds of people from vulnerable areas. Authorities have also set up over 100 relief centers and distributed free food, local media reported.
Flights into Chennai have been suspended.
The rains this week are among the heaviest to hit the city since 2015.
Experts have warned that more heavy rains can trigger further flooding and devastation.
Read: 10 dead in India Covid hospital fire
“The public should not go out,” Greater Chennai Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi told New Delhi Television on Wednesday. He said authorities had managed to drain the majority of the floodwaters, but cautioned that low-lying areas could once again get inundated.
Rains at this time in Tamil Nadu are not unusual, but experts have warned that climate change has exacerbated the problem, making the downpours more intense and frequent.
Last month, flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains killed at least 28 people in neighboring Kerala state.
9 Hindu devotees die in India road crash
As many as nine Hindu devotees returning home on a three-wheeler after performing a religious ritual died after a speeding truck crashed into their vehicle in the Indian state of Assam, bordering Bangladesh, Thursday.
The accident occurred on national highway number 8 in the Baithakhal area of Assam's Karimganj district.
Police said that the truck was travelling at a high speed and its driver lost control of the vehicle, leading to the accident. "Nine of the 10 Hindu devotees on the auto died in the impact of the crash," a police official said.
Read: 3 killed in Gazipur road accident
Assam's chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma took to social media to offer his condolences to the bereaved families.
"I deeply mourn the tragic deaths of nine persons in an accident at Baitakhal, Patharkhandi...," he tweeted. "Assam police are trying to trace the driver of the truck who fled the scene..."
The police officer also said that "efforts are on to nab the truck driver in the hit-and-run case". "Our teams are scanning the footage of CCTV cameras in the area," he added.
Road accidents are very common in India, with one taking place every four minutes. These accidents are often blamed on poor roads, rash driving and scant regard for traffic laws.
The Indian government's implementation of stricter traffic laws in recent years have failed to rein in accidents, which claim over 100,000 lives every year.
Serum Institute looks to supply 25 million doses to Covax till December
Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) is expected to supply 25 million doses to the Covax facility till December, as it looks to resume supplies to the WHO-led Covax facility this month. Earlier in March, the government had imposed a hold on all major exports affecting the Covax deliveries.
"The supplies will resume soon. SII is supposed to supply 25 million doses till December," reports The Economic Times.
Read: India raises finance concern as COP 26 enters second week
In an interview to ET in October, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said small exports will start soon. "I think January onwards there will be large exports to Covax because by then India will have more than enough vaccines. Already, there is more stock than what we are vaccinating. So, we will be in a very good situation. Combine that with the fact that other Indian vaccine manufacturers are also scaling up," it said.
Read: Top India honours for ex-diplomat Syed Muazzem Ali & scholar Enamul Haque
The Covax facility was created last year to ensure Covid vaccines were made available around the world, with richer countries subsidising costs for poorer nations. The scheme hoped to distribute enough vaccines to protect at least 20% of the population in 92 low-or medium-income countries.
Padma Bhushan for late Muazzem Ali, Padma Shris for three other Bangladeshis
President Ram Nath Kovind presented the Padma Awards, the highest civilian awards of the Indian state, for 2020 and 2021 through a Civil Investiture Ceremony held over two days Rashtrapati Bhavan this week.
Four Bangladeshis were recognized over the two days, with the 2020 awards ceremony that was precluded by the Covid-19 pandemic held together with 2021.
The Padma Shri Award was presented to Lt Col (Retd.) Quazi Sajjad Ali Zahir for Public Affairs.
Colonel Sajjad was a freedom fighter recognized with the Bir Protik, a Swadhinata Padak winner, and independent researcher who has authored a number of books on the Bangladesh Liberation War.
He was a serving officer in the Pakistan Army, when he defected to join the call of Bangabandhu for an independent Bangladesh.
He has also played a pivotal role for the 'Friends of Bangladesh' award of the government of Bangladesh, which was constituted to recognize contributions of citizens of other countries, or foreigners, who played a significant role in the War of Liberation.
READ: Late Muazzem Ali awarded ‘Padma Bhushan’ by India
Eminent musicologist Sanjida Khatun received the Padma Shri Award for Art.
She was one of the principal founders of Bangladesh Mukti Sangrami Shilpi Sangstha during the Liberation War of 1971, as well as Chhayyanaut, devoted to Bengali culture, in the early 1960s.
Under her tutelage, Chhayanaut has risen to be recognized as an institute par excellence, promoting classical music and dance forms and earning global repute.
The Padma Bhushan, which is one level up from the Padma Shri and the third-highest civilian award conferred by India, went posthumously to the late diplomat Syed Muazzem Ali (Posthumous) for Public Affairs.
Ambassador Syed Muazzem Ali, a member of the distinguished Bangladesh Foreign Service, served as High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India from 2014-2019 and played a key role in bringing about greater political, economic, and security cooperation between the two countries.
He was closely associated with starting energy cooperation and land connectivity between Bangladesh and India.
Another Padma Shri was conferred on Prof Enamul Haque for Archeology.
He is the founding Director General of the National Museum of Bangladesh.
He is a distinguished archeologist and a highly respected cultural activist who dedicated his life to the field of archaeology and the associated development of the Museum.