GOA
In remote Goa, organic farming gets bumper crop
Today, when use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides to enhance crop yield has become the norm, villagers in some remote parts of Goa are returning to the traditional organic manure, especially to grow some indigenous crops. The farmers claim that their yield has never been better.
The organically grown produce, the farmers said, is valued more today by the increasingly health-conscious consumer and therefore fetches a better price in the market.
In Goa, farmers interested in organic farming are mainly using mulching (recycling farm waste) and biological pest control through use of neem and cow urine.
INTERNATIONAL
International Science Literature Festival VIGYANIKA
International Science Literature Festival – VIGYANIKA organized to mark the birth anniversary of Srinivasa Ramanujan.
The purpose of this event is to bring science and literature to the public, and to demonstrate the use of various aspects of science communication to promote self-reliance and global welfare strategies.
It takes “Science Communication and Science Literature-Network Science and Society” as its theme.
It will explore the challenges of scientific communication through keynote speeches, panel discussions, scientific conferences and Vigyan Kavi Sammelan, and critically evaluate scientific literature and many other issues.
VIGYANIKA is an International Science and Literature Festival organized under the Indian International Science Festival.
NATIONAL
Good Governance Day: 25 December
In India, Good Governance Day (Sushasan Divas) is observed annually on December 25.
The day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Good Governance Day was established in 2014 by the newly elected administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to foster awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government.
Nation pays homage to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his birth anniversary
The Nation pays homage to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 96th birth anniversary.
The day is also celebrated as Good Governance Day.
Vajpayee was elected ten times to the Lok Sabha and twice to the Rajya Sabha.
He served three terms as the Prime Minister of India, first for a term of 13 days in 1996, then for a period of 13 months from 1998 to 1999, followed by a full term from 1999 to 2004.
He was the first Indian prime minister not of the Indian National Congress to serve a full term in office.
India adds Tso Kar wetland complex to Ramsar Site
India has added Tso Kar wetland complex to the Ramsar Site.
Tso Kar, the 42nd Wetland of International Importance, is at more than 4,500 metres above sea level in the Changthang region of Ladakh.
The complex includes two connected lakes, the freshwater Startsapuk Tso and the larger hypersaline Tso Kar.
The site is habitat of numerous threatened species including the endangered saker falcon (Falco cherrug) and Asiatic wild dog or dhole (Cuon alpinus laniger), and the vulnerable snow leopard (Panthera uncia).
The Site also acts as an important stopover ground for migratory birds along the Central Asian Flyway.
Ramsar convention is an inter-governmental environmental treaty established by UNESCO and came into force in 1975.
Niti Ayog launches made-in India cloud storage service, DigiBoxx
Niti Ayog has launched a cloud storage service called DiggiBoxx as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
This is a made-in India service that will store and encrypt data within the country.
It is available on the web and Android as of now with iOS support arriving soon.
Like Google Drive and Apple’s iCloud service, DiggiBoxx will enable both individuals and enterprises to store, manage, collaborate, organise and share all their data online.
DigiBoxx is said to be hosted on an Indian server, which means the data will be saved and encrypted in India itself.
AnSI reported Exploitation of Sentinel Island will wipe out tribals
The Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) policy document warns that commercial activities may pose a threat to endangered groups. According to ANSI, any exploitation of the Andaman’s North Outpost Island for commercial and strategic benefits is dangerous to its occupier Sentinese.
Anthropological Survey of India (ANSI) reported that any exploitation of the Andaman’s North Outpost Island for commercial and strategic benefits is dangerous to its occupier Sentinese.
It also stated that the rights of the people on the island are non-negotiable, inviolable and inviolable.
The primary duty of the state is to protect these rights for eternity and sacredness.
There should be no commercial or strategic interests on their island.
The document also called for the establishment of a knowledge base in Sentinese.
Since tribal communities cannot conduct “field research”, anthropologists recommend “distant cultural research”.