ASSAM
Implementation of new Assam Accord top priority, Atul Bora tells Aasu
Soon after taking charge as the new Assam Accord Implementation minister, Atul Bora stepped into the office of the All Assam Students’ Union (Aasu) at Swahid Nyas Bhawan Uzanbazar to meet the top office bearers of the student body, including chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya, his old comrade in arms.
Former Aasu president Bora’s visit to the nerve-centre of Aasu’s activism in the heart of the city is of political significance, even as the leading student body claims it to be an ‘apolitical’ organization. After the culmination of the six-year anti foreigners’ movement (1979-85) with the signing of the 1985 Assam Accord, Bora has become the first minister of the department to visit the Swahid Nyas.
NORTH-EASTERN STATES
Estimated 4,000-6,000 refugees from Myanmar sought safety in India: UN
An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 refugees from Myanmar have sought safety in India, a spokesperson for the UN chief has said, as the world body voiced concern over the rising levels of displacement of people since the military coup in the country.
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that in Myanmar, as of last week, approximately 60,700 women, children and men have been internally displaced.
Myanmar shares an over 1,600 km long unfenced and porous land border with India as well as a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. Four North-Eastern states – Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram share the international boundary with Myanmar.
INTERNATIONAL
Report-99 of 100 Cities with Environmental Risk Are in Asia
Verisk Maplecroft, a private company, discovered that Asian cities are the most vulnerable to environmental concerns. Natural disasters and air pollution are examples of this.
Out of 100 most vulnerable cities, 99 are located in Asia.
Of these 100 countries, about 37 are in China and 43 are in India. China and India are the world’s first and third largest emitters of greenhouse gases.
NATIONAL
Scheme in News – One Stop Centre scheme
Recently, One Stop Centre Schemes (OSCs) have been in the news. It has aided over 3 lakh women so far. It is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development
The scheme is implemented by State Governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations.
Objectives: To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and in distress, both in private and public spaces, under one roof, and to facilitate immediate, emergency, and non-emergency access to a range of services such as police, medical, legal aid, and counselling, as well as psychological support, in order to combat all forms of violence against women.
So far, 701 OSCs have been operationalized in 35 states/UTs.
Range of All of the Invasive Whiteflies Increasing
Researchers discovered that the host range of all invasive whiteflies was expanding due to their polyphagous nature (ability to feed on a variety of foods) and prolific breeding.
Highlights:
Whiteflies are Hemipterans that eat the undersides of plant leaves.
They are members of the Aleyrodidae family, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. Whiteflies are a major crop protection issue in warm or tropical climates, particularly in greenhouses.
These are one of the top ten most destructive pests in the world, causing damage to over 2000 plant species and acting as vectors for over 200 plant viruses.
Cotton is one of the most severely affected crops by these, and Bt. Cotton is not resistant to white flies.
India Biodiversity Award 2021 Biodiversity Day
The Indian Biodiversity Award 2021 was awarded on the occasion of International Biodiversity Day on May 22.
Highlights:
KrishiAvam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan (KRAPAVIS) won an award in the category “Sustainable Use of Biological Resources”.
Shaji N.M (also known as the “Tuber Man” of Kerala) won an award in the individual category of “Domestic Species Protection”.
The Khonoma Nature Reserve and Tragopan Nature Reserve (KNCTS) in Nagaland received awards in the category of “Sustainable Use of Biological Resources”.
Delivered nearly 14,500 tonnes of medical oxygen to various states so far: Railways
The Railways has delivered nearly 14,500 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in over 884 tankers to various states since it started its operation, the national transporter said.
So far, 224 ‘Oxygen Express’ trains have completed their journey and brought relief to various states, while eight others, loaded with over 563 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in 35 tankers, are currently on their way.
Relief by ‘Oxygen Express’ trains has reached 13 states — Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.