JHARKHAND

KissanPro to provide farmers direct market access to Middle East

In a major milestone to empower India’s farmers and transform the farm sector practices, Jharkhand-based leading agro-technology player KissanPro has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Barakat Vegetables & Fruit Co, Dubai, UAE to facilitate market access to as far as Middle East for their agricultural produces. With this initiative, the tillers would be able to supply farm produces directly from their farm to warehouses located across India and also to the UAE and countries in Middle East. The initiative will provide dual benefit to the farmers: 1) providing direct access to the global markets and 2) removing the bottlenecks in the supply chain such as middlemen and commission agents who eat into farmers’ profitability while acting as a conduit between farmers and traders.

The latest initiative from KissanPro is in sync with the New Farm Laws passed by the Government of India to help farmers get the right price for their farm produce. KissanPro’s farmer-centric initiative is aimed at creating an ecosystem where the farmers can enjoy the freedom of choice relating to the sale of their produce. The Central Farm Laws provide additional marketing opportunities outside the APMC market yards and the MoU signed with the Dubai-based Barakat Vegetables & Fruit Co strives to facilitate the same.

INTERNATIONAL

International Literacy Day – 8th September

International Literacy Day is located globally on 8th September each and every year. The day spread awareness about the importance of literacy for individuals, communities, and societies and the want for intensified efforts closer to extra literate societies.

The fifty-fifth International Literacy Day theme is Literacy for a human-centred recovery: Narrowing the digital divide. The 8th of September was proclaimed International Literacy Day by UNESCO in 1966 to remind the global neighbourhood of the importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies, and the need for intensified efforts towards extra literate societies. It was celebrated for the 1st time in 1967.

NATIONAL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Vidyanjali Portal

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, launched Vidyanjali Portal and several other initiatives in the education sector.

These initiatives were launched while asserting that they will play a significant role in shaping India’s future.

Initiatives were launched while inaugurating the conclave of ‘Shikshak Parv’.

Vidyanjali portal was launched with the objective of facilitating education volunteers, donors or CSR contributors for school development.

Vidyanjali portal was launched to enable community or volunteers to contribute by connecting with the government and government-aided schools of their choice directly.

Bhupendra Yadav launches PRANA Portal

PRANA Portal will be used to track the progress of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in order to comply with India’s commitment to ensure clean air and blue skies to everybody.

This portal was launched on the occasion of ‘International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies’ in non-attainment cities (NAC).

Non-attainment cities are those cities that failed to meet the National air quality standards in a five-year period.

With India’s efforts, 86 cities showed a better air quality in 2019 and it increased to 104 cities in 2020.

PRANA portal will help in tracking physical and financial status of city air action plan implementation. It will also disseminate information on air quality to the public.

Environment Minister launches first functional Smog Tower

Smog tower was launched at Anand Vihar in Delhi.

Now, ministry would keep a close eye on the results to determine if India need more of such projects in the future.

A smog tower is a structure that are designed as a large or medium scale air purifier. It helps in reducing air pollution by forcing the air through filters.

The smog tower at Anand Vihar is having the height of over 20 metres. It is of downdraft type in which polluted air will come in from top of the tower and clean air will come out from bottom. This filter was installed to reduce the localised particulate matter.

Filtration system used in the smog tower has been designed by University of Minnesota. It has an expected efficiency of 90 per cent.

Raptor Species are Under Threat

According to research done recently, around 30% of the 557 raptor species around the world are threatened by extinction to some degree. It is an evaluation by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and BirdLife International (a international partnership of conservation organisations (NGOs)).

A raptor is a bird of prey. A bird of prey is a carnivore (meat-eater) that kills and eats mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, rodents, and other birds.

All raptors have a hooked beak, robust feet with sharp talons, keen eyesight, and a carnivorous diet.

Raptors prey on a large variety of vertebrates & thus, facilitate long-distance seed dispersal. This indirectly increases seed production & pest control.

India is a signatory to Raptors MoU. India has also launched a Vulture Action Plan 2020-25 for the conservation of vultures. India is additionally a part of the SAVE – Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction consortium.

Manda Buffalo as Unique Breed – NBAGR

The Manda buffalo has been regarded as the nineteenth unique breed of buffalo found in India by the NBAGR (National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources).

Key Points:

? Four breeds of cattle – Binjharpur, Motu, Ghumusari and Khariar – and two breeds of buffalo – Chilika and Kalahandi – and one breed of sheep, Kendrapara, have already obtained NBAGR recognition.

? Habitat of Manda: They are observed in the Eastern Ghats and plateau of Koraput place of Odisha. The small, sturdy buffaloes are used for ploughing in their native habitat.

? Characteristics: These buffaloes have ash grey and grey coats with copper-coloured hair. Some animals are silver-white in colour.

National Teachers Award by President

National Teachers’ Award 2021 was awarded through President Ram Nath Kovind, September 5, 2021. President Kovind gave the awards to forty-four finest teachers in the country for their devoted contribution.

Highlights:

The award contributes to those who enhance the niceness of schooling for students and inspire and enrich their lives. This year, the Ministry of Education launched the name of 44 teachers who would be conferred the National Teachers’ Award. Out of the complete forty-four teachers, 9 of the awardees are women.

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