05.06.21 Daily [Assam] APSC Current Affairs

Four ofAssamhave been accorded CATS (Conservation Assured Tiger Standards) accreditation.State forest minister Parimal Suklabaidyasaid the move would boost conservation efforts of big cats in the state.

TheNational Committeeof Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS) recommended proposals forKaziranga, Manas, Nameri and Orang tiger reserves forCATS accreditation.

The CATS assessment has been conducted by theNational Tiger Conservation Authority(NTCA) in 27 tiger reserves in the first phase.

The NTCA, which sets a benchmark for managing conservation sites through a set of minimum standards based on 17 parameters (F3 element wise) ranging from social, cultural and biological significance to Infrastructure/equipment and from management planning to human-wildlife conflict (HCW) management, have given scores of 81.25% to Kaziranga, 78.49% to Manas, 71.21% to Nameri and 74.01% to Orang Tiger Reserve.

CATS is an international coalition developed in response to the need for stringent conservation procedures for protection of big cats through a PARTNERSHIP between governments and conservation organizations.

Under the accreditation system of CATS, tiger conservation areas provide evidence under seven pillars and 17 Elements of critical management activity to demonstrate that they meet a range of criteria for effective conservation management.

According to HMDG, a subsidy of up to Rs 1.25 lakhs is provided to patients with an annual income of less than Rs 1.25 lakhs

By providing their Ration Card number, beneficiaries can apply for financial assistance under both schemes.

In a virtual ceremony, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched a number of initiatives to give a major boost to the SATAT initiative.

The goal of the SATAT scheme is to establish Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) production Plants and make CBG available on the market for use as a green fuel.

By 2023, SATAT aims to produce 15 MMT of CBG from 5000 plants.

It has the potential to increase the availability of low-cost transportation fuels, as well as make better use of agricultural waste, cattle dung, and municipal solid waste.

It will also provide an of 175,000 crore rupees, which is an additional Source Of Income for farmers, as well as 75,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs.

The Union Cabinet has approved the MoUs/agreements signed by India.

Highlights:

Cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development between India and the Maldives.

All Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member countries have reached an agreement.

Cooperation in the field of mineral Resources between India and Argentina.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between India and Japan on sustainable urban development.

Under RAN, poor patients suffering from major life-threatening diseases are eligible for financial assistance of up to Rs 15 lakhs for treatment at Government hospitals.

The eligibility criteria for RAN Services were based on the BPL thresholds in each state/UT.

It is a comprehensive Health Scheme for Serving Employees, Members of Parliament, ex-MPs, Pensioners, and others, as well as their dependent family members.
It has expanded to 72 cities in the last 7 years.
The NIC-developed e-referral module has enabled CGHS dispensaries and wellness centres to issue online referrals to empanelled hospitals.