Bihar Affairs
Bihar, opposition states corner 74% of Centres capex aid
Biharwill receive the largest chunk of the Rs 56,415 crore cleared by theCentrefor 16 states as part of the scheme to boostcapital .
The finance ministry said Bihar is in line to receive Rs 9,640 crore, or 17%, of funds, with Madhya Pradesh next. Opposition-ruled states have cornered Rs 41,566 crore, almost three-fourth so far, with West Bengal, Rajasthan and Odisha among top beneficiaries.
Capital investment projects in diverse sectors havebeen approved, including Health, Education, Irrigation, water supply, power, roads, bridges and railways. Funds for meeting the states share of Jal Jeevan Mission and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana have also been provided to enhance pace of the projects in these sectors, the official release said. Bihar is seen to be ahead of the pack in implementing the water supply scheme to households.
Under the scheme, in 2023-24, special assistance is being provided to the states through 50-year interest-free loans up to Rs 1. 3 lakh crore. While there are eight components, the biggest, of Rs 1 lakh, is linked to the share of taxes and duties as prescribed by the 15th Finance Commission, along with compliance with the reforms proposed by the Centre.
National and International Affairs
NHAI Launches Knowledge Sharing Platform for Inclusive Development of National Highways
For sharing of knowledge and innovative best practices, NHAI has launched a Knowledge Sharing platform. Hosted on the NHAI website, this initiative will help the authority to collaborate with experts and citizens who want to share knowledge and insights related to topics such as road design, construction, road safety, Environment sustainability and related fields. The platform will encourage sharing of best practices from around the world and will contribute towards holistic development of the National Highway in the country.
With the development of State-of-the-art Tunnels, Modern bridges, wildlife corridors and Expressways, it is important for National Highway Infrastructure Development to have wider participation. The knowledge sharing platform will encourage experts and citizens to share best practices and contribute towards Nation Building.
NANDI portal launched to help lakhs of farmers by promoting livestock industry
In order to expedite regulatory process for approval of animal drugs and Vaccines, the department has developed NANDI portal.
In order to expedite regulatory process for approval of animal drugs and vaccines, the department has developed NANDI portal through CDAC in coordination with Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) in pursuance of the spirit of Digital India vision.
NANDI is intended to bring about Growth and innovation by enabling quick and easy coordination between various Government Departments, Institutes, and through a seamless interconnected system designed to expedite and strengthen the regulatory process. The portal has inbuilt features for end-to-end coordination between departments, committees, subcommittee and applicants.
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) will facilitate the regulatory approval process with transparency to assess and examine veterinary product proposals with this portal. Through this portal, things would be streamlined through seamless integration with the SUGAM portal of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization.
National sickle cell anaemia elimination mission launched
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission at a public programme in Shahdol, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday with a target that no baby should be born with the genetic blood disorder condition by 2047.
As announced in the budget 2023-24, the mission will focus on awareness building, universal screening of seven crore people in the age group of 0-40 years in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaborative efforts of central ministries and state governments.
The Mission will be implemented in 278 districts of 17 high focused states in the country namely Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Odisha, Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, and Uttarakhand.
According to reports, around 20 percent of children with SCD die by two years of age and 30 per cent children from tribal areas die before they reach adulthood. Most of them suffer periodic episodes of extreme pain. A major symptom of sickle cell anemia, pain develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to the chest, abdomen and joints of the patients.
It is estimated that about one in 86 births among STs have SCD that affects haemoglobin in red blood cells, which can result in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, early detection, management, and treatment of the disease is critical.
S&P Global Ratings retains FY24 India growth projection at 6 per cent
S&P Global Ratings retained Indias GDP Growth forecast at 6 per cent saying it will be the fastest growing economy among Asia Pacific nations.
The GDP growth forecast for the current and the next fiscal has been kept unchanged from the forecast made in March partly on account of domestic resilience.
The medium-term growth outlook remains relatively solid. The Asian emerging market economies remain among the fastest growing ones in our global growth outlook through 2026.