PUNJAB

DBT in Punjab a smooth show, says Food Secretary

The Centre today said the switchover to the direct benefit transfer (DBT) of the MSP in Punjab has been “beyond expectations”, crediting the “smooth change” to state and Central governments and their procurement agencies. Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said of the total DBT of Rs 49,965 crore transferred directly into the accounts of farmers across the country for procurement of wheat this rabi marketing season, Rs 21,588 has gone to those in Punjab and about Rs 11,784 crore to Haryana.

They (arhtiyas) may be having arrangements with farmers but what the government is paying to farmers is all going into their accounts.

According to the government data, as of May 9 Punjab procured 128.66 LMT and Haryana 80.76 LMT wheat. So far around 337.95 LMT has been procured, benefitting 34.07 lakh farmers against 28.15 lakh on the same date last year across the country. Haryana and Punjab switched from indirect payment of MSP to DBT after the Centre refused to give them any further concessions.

INTERNATIONAL

Report-99 of 100 Cities with Environmental Risk Are in Asia

Verisk Maplecroft, a private company, discovered that Asian cities are the most vulnerable to environmental concerns. Natural disasters and air pollution are examples of this.

Out of 100 most vulnerable cities, 99 are located in Asia.

Of these 100 countries, about 37 are in China and 43 are in India. China and India are the world’s first and third largest emitters of greenhouse gases.

NATIONAL

Scheme in News – One Stop Centre scheme

Recently, One Stop Centre Schemes (OSCs) have been in the news. It has aided over 3 lakh women so far. It is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development

The scheme is implemented by State Governments and Union Territory (UT) administrations.

Objectives: To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and in distress, both in private and public spaces, under one roof, and to facilitate immediate, emergency, and non-emergency access to a range of services such as police, medical, legal aid, and counselling, as well as psychological support, in order to combat all forms of violence against women.

So far, 701 OSCs have been operationalized in 35 states/UTs.

Range of All of the Invasive Whiteflies Increasing

Researchers discovered that the host range of all invasive whiteflies was expanding due to their polyphagous nature (ability to feed on a variety of foods) and prolific breeding.

Highlights:

Whiteflies are Hemipterans that eat the undersides of plant leaves.

They are members of the Aleyrodidae family, the only family in the superfamily Aleyrodoidea. Whiteflies are a major crop protection issue in warm or tropical climates, particularly in greenhouses.

These are one of the top ten most destructive pests in the world, causing damage to over 2000 plant species and acting as vectors for over 200 plant viruses.

Cotton is one of the most severely affected crops by these, and Bt. Cotton is not resistant to white flies.

India Biodiversity Award 2021 Biodiversity Day

The Indian Biodiversity Award 2021 was awarded on the occasion of International Biodiversity Day on May 22.
Highlights:

KrishiAvam Paristhitiki Vikas Sansthan (KRAPAVIS) won an award in the category “Sustainable Use of Biological Resources”.

Shaji N.M (also known as the “Tuber Man” of Kerala) won an award in the individual category of “Domestic Species Protection”.

The Khonoma Nature Reserve and Tragopan Nature Reserve (KNCTS) in Nagaland received awards in the category of “Sustainable Use of Biological Resources”.

Delivered nearly 14,500 tonnes of medical oxygen to various states so far: Railways

The Railways has delivered nearly 14,500 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen in over 884 tankers to various states since it started its operation, the national transporter said.

So far, 224 ‘Oxygen Express’ trains have completed their journey and brought relief to various states, while eight others, loaded with over 563 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in 35 tankers, are currently on their way.

Relief by ‘Oxygen Express’ trains has reached 13 states — Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Telangana, Punjab, Kerala, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.

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