Goa Affairs
After thehigh court of Bombay at Goaexpressed shock that tree authorities for North and South Goa had not met since their constitution in 2012, the authorities held a joint meeting based on court directives. A compliance report, as directed by the court, was filed, where it has been stated that the forest department is in the process of developing adedicatedonlineportal for applications seeking permissions for tree felling across Goa.
However, the state has told the court that it is not feasible to carry out a tree census in Goa as directed by the court, as it is a herculean task and Goas Climate leads to dense vegetation Growth within a short time. Once the online portal is operational, the entire process of tree felling (permissions) will be online, it said.
Presently, the forest department on a regular basis is uploading the permissions granted for tree felling on the forest departments website, reads the compliance report submitted by member secretaries of the tree authorities.
About the census, the tree authorities have said in the compliance report that the Forest Surveys of India, a body of the Union Environment ministry, has already surveyed the forest and tree cover in Goa. As per the 2019 report, Goas forest cover increased from 60.2% during the previous survey year to 60.4%.
National and International Affairs
Cabinet Approved FDI Under Telecom Sector
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has authorised a range of structural and process reforms in the Telecom sector, to furnish relief to ill telecom service providers, struggling with high ranges of debt. A complete of 9 structural and 5 technique reforms have been accepted by the .
The comfort bundle is predicted to guard and generate EMPLOYMENT opportunities, promote wholesome competition, shield the interests of consumers, infuse liquidity, inspire Investment and minimize the regulatory burden on TSPs (Telecom Service Providers).
FSSAI Has Released the State Food Safety Index
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mansukh Mandaviya has released the (Fssai)s 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States across five parameters of food safety.
Based on the rating for the year 2020-21, nine States/UTs were recognized for their outstanding performance. Gujarat was the highest-ranking state among the major states this year, followed by Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Goa was first among the smallest states, followed by Meghalaya and Manipur. Jammu and Kashmir, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and New Delhi topped the list of UTs.
Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda has taken a number of bold initiatives toward tribal empowerment and mainstreaming the tribal population. In this initiative, he has a partnership with TRIFED with BigBasket and Purty Agrotech.Key pointsAs part of its continued efforts to better the lives and livelihoods of tribals and tribal empowerment, the Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is continuing to form relationships with various organizations in order to generate synergies.
By partnering with Big Basket, TRIFED can take advantage of its , knowledge, and reach to bring Organics, Naturals, and TRIFOOD Van Dhan goods to a wider audience across the country.
Two More Indian Beaches Received International Blue Flag certification
On September 21, 2021, two more beaches get International Blue Flag certification. Blue flag certification is a globally recognized eco-label. With the addition of two more beaches, India now has a total of ten such beaches.
Key points:
The Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) is an international, non-governmental, and non-profit organization that provides the Blue Flag Certification Program for beaches and marinas.
Kovalam in Nadu and Eden in Puducherry are two of the beaches that have been certified in 2021.
Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Diu, Kasarkod & Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad-Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha, and Radhanagar in Andaman & Nicobar were among the eight nominated beaches for Blue Flag recertification.
Beaches that have earned the Blue Flag are considered to be the cleanest in the world. It is one of the most well-known voluntary eco-labels, given to beaches, marinas, and sustainable boating tourism businesses all around the world.
Sign Language Day is celebrated on 23 September by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.Highlights:
Social and Empowerment Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar will be the Chief Guest at the event organized in New Delhi.
Ever since the United Nations declared 23 September as International sign language Day, the Indian sign language Research and Training Centre, has celebrated it each year.
The program aims to educate the overall public about the importance of Indian sign languages and information and Communication accessibility for persons with hearing disabilities.