Himachal Pradesh Affairs
Himachal Pradesh has been ranked as the second best state in the country for achieving the targets under Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index.
on Thursday launched the third edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index and Dashboard 2020-21.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal is ahead of Kerala in making achievements in the fields of Health and well-being, economic Growth and decent work, reduction in inequalities, sustainable cities and communities and production and consumption patterns.
Himachal is catching up with Kerala in all other fields related to remaining Sustainable Development Goals. Since goal number 14 pertains to marine life and Himachal Pradesh does not have an oceanic ecosystem, it has not been ranked in this respect.
National and International Affairs
More infectious Delta variant behind 2nd wave, says study
TheDelta variantor B.1.617.2 strain, which was first detected in India, is more infectious than the Alpha variant or B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, and is also the reason behind the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, reveals a study conducted by a team of scientists from different Indian institutions.
The scientists noted B.1.617.2 is capable of creating very fast-rising outbreaks, importantly with vaccination breakthroughs (infections after vaccination). We would re-emphasise that prior infections, high seropositivity and partial vaccination are insufficient impediments to its spread, as seen in Delhi, and strong public Health response will be needed globally for its containment
76,000 crore sent directly to farmers accounts for their wheat
TheCentredisbursed around Rs 76,000 crore directly to farmersaccountswhile procuring wheat during the ongoing rabi Marketing season (RMS). While for the first timefarmersinPunjabhave received more than Rs 26,000 crore in their accounts directly, Rs 16,700 crore has been transferred to farmers accounts inHaryana.
Punjab and Haryana are the last two states to implement direct cash transfer of the minimum support price and with this now the online payment system has become universal across the country. The government has termed it One Nation, One MSP, One DBT.
The government has also revised the current wheat procurement target to 433 lakh tonnes, an increase of six lakh tonnes, as almost every state is reporting highest ever procurement. Last year the total procurement of wheat during the RMS was 390 lakh tonnes.
Foundation raised $1.2 million for Covid efforts in India
US-India Chambers of Commerce Foundation has raised more than $1.2 million for coronavirus-related efforts in India.
With a record-breaking fundraising, US-India Chambers of Commerce Foundation has shipped or en route nearly 120 ventilators and over 1,000 Oxygen concentrators.
Recipients have been Indian Red Cross, along with no-governmental and government hospitals in Haryana, Andhra Pradesh,, Jharkhand, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra, Gujarat,Karnataka, Chhattisgarh,PunjabandTamil Nadu.
Centre asks states to bring 1.97 cr poor under food security coverage
The Centre has asked state governments to launch a special drive to identify nearly 1.97 crore poor, particularly from the and most vulnerable groups such as street dwellers, rag pickers, hawkers and rickshaw pullers, who can get the ration cards to avail highly subsidized foodgrain every month under the National Act (NFSA).
The ministry, in its Communication to all states, has cited that they can utilize the available coverage under the NFSA limits for this. Food secretary Sudhanshu Pandey shared the number of ration cards that the states and UTs can issue without breaching the ceiling fixed for each state under the NFSA. He said 14 states have a 100% coverage quota. The states have been deleting fake or duplicate ration cards to prevent leakage of highly subsidized foodgrains and also been adding new bonafied beneficiaries.
The government data show that out of the total 19.8 crore such transactions in the past 13 months,Biharregistered a maximum of 1.17 crore transactions followed by 91 lakh in Rajasthan, 42 lakh in Andhra Pradesh and 35 lakh Telangana.
Government recognises 50,000 startups across India
The government has recognised 50,000 startups across the country helping them avail of benefits across a range of laws and regulations with as many as 10,000 getting a seal of approval over the last six months.
The pace of recognising startups has picked up after the department for promotion of and internal trade (DPIIT) tweaked the norms a few years ago, which also enable them to get fiscal and infrastructural support.
A startup registered with DPIIT, for instance, enjoys a simplified compliance structure, 80% reduction in the cost of filing patents, tax exemptions and can wind up its business within 90 days of its application to do so.
To be eligible for registration underStartup India, a government initiative launched in 2016 to bolster the domestic startup ecosystem, a company needs to fulfill several criteria, including being incorporated and registered in India up to 10 years from the date of incorporation and having annual turnover of not more than Rs 100 crore for the financial years since registration.