ASSAM

Grasslands in rhino habitats of State depleting

Vast swathes of grasslands across the State’s four rhino habitats – Kaziranga, Manas, Orang and Pobitora – are undergoing large-scale degradation induced by invasive weeds and other forms of biotic pressures such as excessive cattle grazing. Matters stand worsened by the absence of scientific management of the grasslands that support wide-ranging wildlife, including the State’s flagship species, the rhino.

Conservationists are worried that unless urgent interventions are made, the developments could impact long-term sustainability of the existing rhino population.

The major invasive plants include Mimosa, Parthenium, Mikania, Chromolaena, Lantana, and Ipomoea. India’s Fifth National Report on Biological Diversity in 2014 identified these as invasive plant species responsible for harming local ecosystems.

Grassland ecosystems in both Kaziranga and Orang national parks have been enduring Mimosa invasion for years. In Kaziranga, the annual floods that inundate the park for a prolonged period have been acting as a natural check to the Mimosa menace.

INTERNATIONAL

World Post Day: 09 October
World Post Day is celebrated every year on 9 October.

It is the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern.

It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.

Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services.

· Cabinet approves MoUs signed between India and Foreign Broadcasters

PM-led Cabinet has given ex-post facto approval for the MoUs signed between theIndian government and the Foreign Broadcastersin the field of Radio and Television.

The MoUs with the Foreign Broadcasters were signed as it will benefit the Public broadcaster in exploring new visions. The agreement will set up new Strategies to address the demands of new technologies and stiff competition. The MoU will also benefit Media liberalization and Globalization.

The MoU will cause an impact on the Broadcasting of programmes that can be obtained through mutual exchange.

The co-production will lead to equity and inclusiveness among viewers/listeners of DD and AIR.

NATIONAL

· Google partners with the government for the Crafted in India project

Google Arts & Culture’s new projectCrafted in Indiawas unveiled on 7 October. For this Google has partnered with the Ministry of Tourism, Dastkari Haat Samiti, and 20 other cultural institutions for the project.

Crafted in India project aims to showcase the county’s rich handicraft heritage. This will also make it accessible for the world to experience Indian crafts.

· Centre launched PM innovative learning programme DHRUV

The government launched the Pradhan Mantri innovative learning programme DHRUVin Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Bengaluru. The programme was launched by the Union Minister for Human Resources Development Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishankon 10 October. Centre has selected 60 qualified students for the 14-day long program which began on 10 October.

DHRUV is a unique programme that aimed to identify talented students.

The students will be mentored in the centre of excellence for 14 days so that they can reach their full potential and work for society. It will conclude on 24 October at IIT-Delhi.

The programme will sharpen the innovative skills and knowledge of the students. The students will likely suggest solutions to socio-economic, political and environmental issues relating to the country.

The students fromclasses 9 to 12 from government and private schools are chosen for the programme.

· Government to create a 1400km long and 5km wide green belt

The government has announced its plan to create a 1400km-long and 5km wide green belt from Gujarat to the Delhi-Haryana The massive afforestation drive in northwest India is similar to the Great Green Wall that runs from Dakar in Senegal to Djibouti.
Environmentalists fought against authorities for cutting down hundreds of trees in Mumbai. Farmers and other private landholders would play the most crucial part of the afforestation program.

The move aims to boost India’s action against climate change. The wall will help combat the growing challenge of land degradation across the Thar desert and the Aravalis.

Over 50% of the land area is degraded in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The land is prone to desertification.

Over 30% of the land is estimated to be degraded in India. The reason cited is human activities and extreme weather events. The degrading lands have affected millions of livelihoods as well as the biodiversity as a whole.

India aims to restore 13 million hectares (Mha)of land by 2020 and an additional 8 Mha by 2030.

· Income Tax Department launched faceless e Assessment scheme

Income Tax Department has launched afaceless e-Assessment scheme. The scheme was launched by Revenue SecretaryAjay Bhushan Pandey in New Delhi. Centre has chosen 2,686 officials of the I-T department for the implementation of the scheme.

The faceless e-assessment aims to increase the ease of compliance for taxpayers. It will increase the transparency and efficiency, functional specialization, improvement in the quality of assessment. It aims to eliminate the human interface in the income tax assessment system.

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