Jharkhand Affairs
Govt aims to set up 572 Vermicompost units in State
State <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Minister Badal inaugurated the Godhan Nyaya Yojana in the auditorium of the Animal Husbandry Department at Hesag. Addressing the progressive farmers and milk producers from different districts of the state, he said that we can make Jharkhand’s identity in the field of organic agriculture with the cow dung in the state. Today we are dependent on chemical Fertilizers, which leave a deep impact on our Health. He said that Godhan Nyaya Yojana is being started as a pilot project from five districts of the state. After reviewing the success of this project, we will plan to run it in the entire state, so all the cow herders are requested to move towards making the state an organic Jharkhand.
Badal said that the government is preparing to set up an agency and a centre so that more and more organic food items are used in the state, and our products are recognized as organic. We have made a budget provision of Rs 10 crores for vermicompost, if it is successful, then a plan of Rs 100 crores will also be made. Under this scheme, farmers of the state will be able to get vermicompost at Rs.8 per kg in their area only. Along with this, the government will take cow dung at Rs. 2 per kg from the cowherds and after processing it will make it available to the farmers in the form of vermicompost.
Badal said that for the first time, construction of Gomukti Dham has been started in the state along with work on Gaushala. So far 12 lakh farmers of the state have been given a benefit of Rs 3500 per farmer. Along with this, an amount of Rs 810 crore has been distributed among 9.38 lakh farmers as benefit of crop Insurance in lieu of damage caused by drought. For the welfare of farmers, we have demanded 9682 crores to the central government for drought relief. This amount will go directly to the farmers’ account. Our department has started many flagship schemes under the guidance of the Chief Minister. Godhan Nyay Yojana is also one of them, which will benefit about 10,000 farmers in the first phase.
The objective of this scheme is to reduce the dependence of farmers on chemical fertilizers and increase the income of farmers by preparing vermicompost using cow dung available in the state of Jharkhand. According to the economic survey of the year 2019, there are 12.57 million cattle in the state. As an estimate, 504 lakh tonnes of cow dung is emitted every year by the cattle. Explain that the dung emitted by cattle plays an important role in the ecosystem of agriculture, as it increases the organic content of the by increasing the water holding capacity of the soil. An effective management is needed to effectively use cow dung in agricultural works, which will be beneficial for the farmers. This is a pilot project to convert cow dung produced in the entire state into vermicompost by purchasing it from cow herders and making it available to farmers at a subsidized rate. At present, the project is being started from one district of each division.
National and International Affairs
Need to develop new techniques to audit ‘Blue Economy’: CAG Girish Chandra Murmu
(CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu said that Supreme Audit Institutions should develop new techniques and capabilities to audit marine life or the Blue economy to ensure Sustainable Development.
In order to fulfil their commitment towards sustainability goals in consonance with SDG 14 Life below Water the governments are reorienting policies and regulatory structures to conserve and sustainably use the Oceans, seas and <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/marine-Resources“>Marine Resources for sustainable development.
Government imposes stock limits on wheat to prevent hoarding
In order to manage overall and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the government has decided to impose stock limits on wheat for traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors. The order will be applicable with immediate effect and will be applicable until March 31, 2024.
In order to manage overall food security and to prevent hoarding and unscrupulous speculation, the government has decided to impose stock limits on wheat for traders, wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors. The order will be applicable with immediate effect and will be applicable until March 31, 2024.
Stock limits will be applicable for each entity individually such as: traders/wholesalers- 3000 tonne; Retailer- 10 tonne for each of the retail outlets; Big Chain Retailer- 10 tonne for each outlet and 3000 tonne at all their depots and Processors – 75 per cent of annual installed capacity.
Further, the centre has also decided to offload 15 lakh tonnes of wheat in the first phase from central pool stock under Open Market Sale Scheme to control retail prices of wheat.
Wheat will be sold in lot sizes of 10-100 tonnes. Registration for this auction is open on the Fci‘s e-auction platform. It has also been decided to offload rice under the open market scheme in order to moderate the prices.
China could potentially have as many ICBMs as U.S. or Russia by turn of decade: SIPRI
The size of Chinas nuclear arsenal increased from 350 warheads in January 2022 to 410 in January 2023, and it is expected to keep growing, according to estimations by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The key finding in SIPRI Yearbook 2023 is that the number of operational nuclear weapons started to rise as countries long-term force modernisation and expansion plans progressed.
According to SIPRI estimates, the nuclear arsenals of India grew from 160 in 2022 to 164 in 2023 and that of Pakistan from 165 to 170.
The nine nuclear-armed states the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (North Korea) and Israelcontinue to modernise their nuclear arsenals and several deployed new nuclear-armed or nuclear-capable weapon systems in 2022
Lower house of Japans Parliament passes bill to promote LGBTQ+ awareness
The powerful lower house of Japan’s parliament on June 13 passed a bill to promote understanding ofLGBTQ+ issuesamid protests by activists that last-minute revisions by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s conservative party favoured opponents of sexual instead of guaranteeing equal rights.
Japan is the only member of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations which does not have LGTBQ+ legal protections.