ASSAM

Assam college creates rice bank to preserve indigenous varieties

A college in Assam has walked the extra mile by not only setting up a rice bank to preserve seeds of indigenous varieties that are losing out to new high-yielding varieties but also encouraging farmers to grow them so that they do not become extinct.

The Silapathar Science College, located in Dhemaji district along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, has so far documented and preserved 251 indigenous varieties through its rice bank. Set up in 1996, the college started to work closely with farmers in the district since 2015 and organised a “Rice Mela” to showcase the indigenous varieties grown in the district.

Rice is the staple diet for most of the tribes and communities in Assam and the state produces a huge quantity of it. According to government statistics, Assam produced over 70 lakh tonnes of rice in 2017, compared to 52 lakh tonnes the previous year. Besides the normal rice, Assam also produces different varieties of aromatic rice, locally known as “Joha”; some varieties of soft rice, locally known as “Komal Saul” that needs no cooking; and a huge variety of sticky rice, commonly known as “Bora”.

INTERNATIONAL

· Global education monitoring report 2019 released by UNESCO

The report shows that the number of migrant and refugeeschool-age children around the world today has grown by 26% since 2000 and could fill half a million classrooms.
The literacy levels in rural households of India dip with seasonal migration.
About 80% of seasonal migrant children in seven cities lacked access to education near work sites.

· China unveils the world’s first underground hotel

Shanghai unveiled the world’s first underground hotel, the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland, buried 90 metresdeep in an old quarry.
Built in the Sheshan Mountain Range, on the hem of Shangai, the ritzy hotel costs $287.9million.
The property was built by British firm Atkins, also behind the Burj Al Arab in Dubai and skyscraper Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City.

· Malaria cases declined by 24% in India: WHO report

The World Health Organisation(WHO) in a report stated that India is the only country to have recorded a substantial decline in malaria cases in 2017 out of the 11 highest burden countries worldwide.
India accounted for 4 percentof global malaria cases in 2017.
As reflected in this year’s World malaria report, India registered a 24 percent reductionin cases over 2016, largely due to substantial declines of the disease in the highly malarious state of Odisha, home to approximately 40 percent of all malaria cases in the country.

NATIONAL

· Environment Ministry approved to induce artificial rain via cloud seeding to clear smog in Delhi

The Environment Ministryapproved a project led by scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpurto induce artificial rain via cloud seeding in Delhi. The objective is to clear smog in Delhi. The success of the project depends on the presence of a minimum quantity of rain-bearing clouds over Delhi.
In the project, an aircraft has been planned to fly into the clouds and injectsilver iodide, which will lead to the formation of ice crystals that will make the clouds denser, cause them to condense into rain and settle atmospheric dust enough to clear the sky.
Researchers at IIT-Kanpur will use an aircraft of the National Remote Sensing Agency, an ISRO-affiliated body for the exercise. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) will provide forecasts on the likelihood of conducive clouds. Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) on 20 November was in thevery poor

MWCD links Sexual Harassment Complaints Portal ‘SHe-Box’ to central/ state ministries & districts for speedy disposal of cases

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has linked SHe-Box, the online portal to report complaints of Sexual Harassment at Workplace, to all the Central Ministries, Departments and 653 districts across 33 States/Union Territories.

SHe-Box, which was launched by WCD Minister Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi last year, offers the facility of making online complaints of sexual harassment at workplace to all women employees in the country including government and private employees.

Those who have already filed a written complaint with the concerned Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) or Local Complaint Committee (LCC) constituted under the Sexual Harassment Act are also eligible to file their complaint through this portal.

Government of India to observe the remembrance of 100 years of Jallianwalla Bagh massacre next year

Government of India has decided to mark the remembrance of 100 years of the historical Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre next year.

The Government is planning to renovate the historical site by creating suitable infrastructure for providing basic amenities for the tourists.

The commemorative coin and postage stamps will be released on 13th April, 2019 (the day the incident took place 100 years ago).Ministry of Culture will organise cultural activities such as kavi sammelan, plays, exhibition, seminars, etc. across the country.

Government decides to set up domestic Gold Council in India

The Government has decided to set up a domestic Gold Council in India. Commerce and Industry Minister Suresh Prabhu said this while inaugurating the 2nd Edition of India Gold and Jewellery Summit in New Delhi.

Mr Prabhu underlined the need for an integrated Gold policy to address all the issues in holistic way.

He said that his ministry will make sure that gems and jewellery business does not suffer from financial issues and his ministry is in talks with Finance Ministry in this regard.

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