1. First Urban Climate Film Festival
Tags: Festivals State News
The first ever Urban Climate Film Festival is going to be held in New Town, Kolkata from June 3 to 5 to sensitize the audience about the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on urban settlements.
An overview of the news
The festival will highlight the environmental, social and economic impacts of climate change on urban settlements.
The audience will be able to see these scenarios through the film.
During this, 16 films from 12 countries will be screened.
There will also be a Q&A session with filmmakers to discuss the impact of climate-change on urban buildings.
People's views will also be invited on this subject.
It aims to encourage citizens to 'behave environmentally responsible' in line with the call of the Hon'ble Prime Minister through the U-20 Priority Sectors and Lifestyle for Environment (LIFE) Mission.
The festival will conclude with a special closing ceremony on June 5, the occasion of World Environment Day.
Organizer of the festival
Launched in New Delhi in March 2023, the film festival is being organized by the National Institute of Urban Affairs.
This is being done through the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) program under the U20 (Urban Track of the G-20) program.
The festival is supported by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the French Development Agency (AFD), the European Union and the New Town Kolkata Green Smart City Corporation Limited.
Names of participants in the festival
Dr. Surbhi Dahiya (Professor, Indian Institute of Mass Communication)
Dr. Pranab Patar (Chief Executive, Global Foundation for Advancement of Environment)
Sabyasanchi Bharti (Deputy Director, CMS Environment)
Background
The Urban Climate Film Festival was launched on March 24 at the Alliance Francaise in New Delhi.
After the successful event in Delhi, the festival was also organized at Alliance Francis de Bombay in Mumbai.
Films sent by filmmakers from countries such as India, France, Iran and the US were screened at the festival.
2. New species of flying lizard found in Mizoram
Tags: Science and Technology State News
Mizoram's flying lizard species has been officially named as Gecko mizoramensis.
An Overview of the News
The research for this discovery was done through a collaborative effort between Mizoram University and the Max Planck Institute for Biology in Tübingen, Germany.
The study detailing the findings of the research on the gliding gecko species was published in a renowned German journal on herpetology.
Specimens of Gecko mizoramensis were collected from different places of Mizoram.
Collection sites include the Wildlife Sanctuary in Kolasib District, Dampa Tiger Reserve, and Lawngtlai District.
Mizoram:
It is a state located in Northeast India.
The name "Mizoram" is a combination of two words: "Mizo" and "Ram."
"Mizo" refers to the self-described name of the original inhabitants of Mizoram.
Establishment - 20 February 1987
Capital - Aizawl
Chief Minister - Zoramthanga
Official flower - Renanthera imschootiana
Official Animal - Sumatran Serow
Official Tree - Ceylon Ironwood
3. Sourav Ganguly named as brand ambassador of Tripura Tourism
Tags: Person in news State News
Former India cricket captain and former BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has been named as the brand ambassador for Tripura Tourism.
An Overview of the News
The Tripura government believes that Ganguly's popularity and charisma will draw attention to the state's unexplored tourist destinations.
The selection of Ganguly as the brand ambassador is expected to attract more visitors to Tripura and give a boost to the tourism industry.
About Tripura
It is a state in northeastern India and is bounded by Assam and Mizoram in the east and Bangladesh in the north, south and west.
Tripura is divided into 8 districts and 23 sub-divisions and Agartala is the state capital and largest city.
Tripura has 19 different tribal communities with a majority Bengali population and Bengali, English and Kokborok are the official languages of the state.
Tripura became a full-fledged Indian state in 1972 and only one major highway, National Highway 8, connects it to the rest of the country.
Five mountain ranges - Hathai Kotor, Atharamura, Longtharai, Shakhan, and Jampui Hills - run from north to south with intervening valleys.
Capital - Agartala
Governor - Dr. Manik Saha
Chief Minister - Mr. Satyadev Narayan Arya
Tourism Minister - Sushant Chowdhary
4. Madhya Pradesh govt to legalise more than 6000 illegal colonies in state
Tags: State News
Madhya Pradesh government has announced to legalize more than 6000 illegal colonies in the state.
An overview of the news
Illegal colonies that came into existence by 31 December 2022 will be legalised.
Basic amenities including road, electricity, water, drainage will be provided by the municipal bodies and panchayats in these colonies.
The amount of development fee will also not be taken from the residents of these colonies.
In urban areas, poor and laborers will be provided food for five rupees.
About Madhya Pradesh
In terms of area, it is the second largest state of India after Rajasthan.
According to the Indian Forest Status Report-2021, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover in the country in terms of area.
25.14% of its area is covered by forests.
Chief Minister -Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Capital -Bhopal
5. Target to completely withdraw AFSPA from Assam by December 2023
Tags: State News
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that a target has been set to completely withdraw AFSPA from Assam by the end of 2023.
An Overview of the News
The government aims to address concerns of human rights violations and promote accountability and transparency.
About AFSPA:
AFSPA (Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act provides additional powers to the armed forces to maintain law and order in areas affected by insurgency and internal disturbances.
It was implemented in the northeastern states of India (Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, parts of Arunachal Pradesh) and Jammu and Kashmir.
AFSPA gives the armed forces wide powers including arrest, search and shoot on suspicion in "disturbed" areas.
Provides legal immunity to armed forces personnel for their actions during operations, making accountability for human rights violations difficult.
Aims and Objectives:
Its goal is to enable the armed forces to deal with insurgency and maintain public order in areas affected by armed insurgency or insurgency.
The Act empowers the military for preventive measures, search and arrest operations, and the use of force, including lethal force if necessary.
Challenges and Considerations:
AFSPA faces criticism for human rights violations and excessive use of force by the armed forces.
Concerns were expressed by human rights organizations regarding abuses, extrajudicial killings and torture.
Lack of accountability and transparency due to the wide powers and immunity given to the armed forces.
History:
Launched in 1958 to address the Naga insurgency in Nagaland, later expanded to other areas.
Implemented in Manipur, Assam, some areas of Arunachal Pradesh and in the east in Jammu and Kashmir.
In 2020, AFSPA was repealed in Jammu and Kashmir, which is now governed under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act.
6. Andhra Pradesh CM launches Machilipatnam port project for economic growth
Tags: State News
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy formally launched the Machilipatnam port works worth Rs 5,156 crore recently.
An overview of the news
The port, with an initial cargo capacity of 35 million tonnes, will be completed in two years.
The capacity of the 4-berth deep water port will be increased to 116 million tonnes as cargo traffic gradually increases.
The port will help develop Machilipatnam on the lines of developed port cities like Mumbai and Chennai as it will be connected by National Highway 216 and Gudivada-Machilipatnam railway line soon.
This will increase the reach of the port and improve connectivity.
25,000 new jobswill be created at each port and the fishing port and fish land center will help fishermen to improve their lives economically.
About Machilipatnam Port
It is a proposed deep sea port on the Bay of Bengal coast located at Machilipatnam, the district headquarters of Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh.
The port has been developed by the state government under the landlord model at a cost of Rs 5,156 crore.
The project is being implemented by the Machilipatnam Port Development Corporation Limited (MPDCL).
The first phase of the port is expected to have a capacity of 35 million tonnes.
It will cater to exports of fertilizers, coal, cooking oil, containers, agricultural products, cement, granite, cement clinker, iron ore from Andhra Pradesh and neighboring Telangana.
7. Maharashtra becomes the first state in the country to approve Good Governance Regulations
Tags: State News
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde approved the first Good Governance Regulations in the country.
An Overview of the News
The purpose of the rules is to enhance accountability, accessibility, dynamism and transparency in state administration.
A separate cell will be set up to address the effects of climate change.
The rules also include expanding the scope of 'Aaple Sarkar Seva Kendra' for end-to-end online services to citizens within the prescribed time limit.
Citizens' complaints will be redressed at a speedy pace.
The chief minister's direction to develop the rules was given in September last year.
The rules were drawn up in consultation with ministerial officials, experts and NGOs.
161 department-wise indices have been prepared to evaluate the performance of good governance.
About Maharashtra
It is a state located in the western part of India and covers a significant part of the Deccan Plateau.
Chief Minister - Eknath Shinde
Governor - Ramesh Bais
Official Animal - Indian giant squirrel
Official Bird - Yellow-footed Green Pigeon
Official Dance - Lavani
8. Uttar Pradesh surpasses Maharashtra in sugar production this season
Tags: State News
Uttar Pradesh has overtaken Maharashtra in sugar production in the current season, with 118 sugar mills operating in UP during the period as compared to 210 mills in the western state.
An overview of the news
According to UP's Sugarcane Development and Sugar Mills Minister Lakshmi Narayan Chowdhary, the total sugar produced by Uttar Pradesh in the sugar season 2022-2023 is 107.29 lakh tonnes, while the total sugar produced by Maharashtra is 105.30 lakh tonnes.
The area under sugarcane cultivation in Uttar Pradesh is 28.53 lakh hectares (highest in India) as compared to 14.87 lakh hectares in Maharashtra.
The sugarcane crushing season runs from October to June.
Total cane crushed by sugar mills in UP in the 2022-2023 season was 1,084.57 lakh tonnes, whereas it was 1,053 lakh tonnes in Maharashtra.
In Uttar Pradesh, 19.84 lakh tonnes of sugar was converted into ethanol, while in Maharashtra it was 15.70 lakh tonnes.
The number of sugar mills established in UP is 157 as compared to 246 sugar mills established in Maharashtra.
There are 210 sugar mills operating in Maharashtra as compared to 118 in Uttar Pradesh.
UP farmers' earnings from all other crops is almost equal to the amount they get in their bank account by selling just sugarcane.
9. Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav inaugurated CoE-SLM at ICFRE in Dehradun
Tags: State News
Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav inaugurated the Center of Excellence on Sustainable Land Management (CoE-SLM) at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) in Dehradun on 20 May 2023.
An Overview of the News
The CoE-SLM was announced by the Prime Minister of India during the 14th Conference of Parties (COP-14) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in September 2019.
CoE-SLM aims to promote South-South cooperation and address issues of land degradation through sustainable land management practices.
Specific activities of the CoE-SLM include setting LDN targets, developing drought risk and early warning systems, mainstreaming gender considerations, promoting good governance of land rights and entitlements, and addressing the effects of land degradation on greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. involves assessing.
Bhupendra Yadav released two publications during the inauguration: "Technical Paper on the Pathway to Achieving LDN in India" and "Compendium of Sustainable Land Management Practices."
Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE)
It is an autonomous organisation.
It operates under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India.
ICFRE conducts research, training and education in forestry and related disciplines.
Establishment - 1986
Parent Organization - Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)
10. Amit Shah lays foundation stone of campus of National Academy of Coastal Policing
Tags: State News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on 20th May laid the foundation stone for the permanent campus of the National Academy of Coastal Policing (NACP) at Okha in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district.
An overview of the news
The NACP is the first national academy in the country to train police forces to effectively protect the coastline.
It started functioning from the premises of Gujarat Fisheries Research Center in 2018.
NACP was established to provide intensive and high level training to Marine Police of nine Coastal States, five Union Territories as well as Central Police Forces.
The Center has sanctioned Rs 441 crore to develop NACP with modern infrastructure, latest technology and state-of-the-art training facilities to enhance the security of the coastal borders.
Objective of Academy
The academy's primary objective is to enhance the skills and capabilities of coastal police personnel.
Importance of the National Academy of Coastal Policing
The establishment of the National Academy of Coastal Policing highlights the government's commitment to strengthening coastal security measures.
This academy will serve as a dedicated training institution for the personnel of various coastal security agencies.
The inauguration of the campus at Dwaraka underscores the government's efforts to bolster coastal security infrastructure.
State-of-the-art facilities
The campus is expected to have state-of-the-art facilities, including advanced training modules, simulators, and practical training grounds.
These resources will enable the academy to deliver high-quality training programs to coastal police personnel, preparing them for various security challenges they may face.
Collaboration and coordination
The National Academy of Coastal Policing will facilitate collaboration and coordination among different agencies involved in coastal security, including theIndian Navy, Coast Guard, Marine Police, and other relevant organizations.
Such cooperation is crucial for effective surveillance, intelligence sharing, and joint operations along India's vast coastline.
