Bihar Affairs
No funds for Central scholarship for SC/STs, Nitish govt raises aid for OBC-EBC students
At a time when Bihars ruling coalition is trying to sharpen its caste strategy to take on the BJPs Hindutva agenda, it has raised the annual Scholarship amount for students from Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) pursuing professional courses from Rs 90,000 to Rs 4 lakh from the 2023-24 financial year. Fully funded by the Bihar government, it will replace a similar Central government scheme and will be known as the CM OBC/EBC Post-entrance Scholarship Scheme.
As part of its latest move, the government has also decided that students whose annual family income is less than Rs 3 lakh, as against Rs 2.5 lakh earlier, will be eligible to apply for the scholarship. The Department of Education will be the nodal agency for the implementation of the scheme that applies to students in Class 12 to those pursuing Masters degrees or professional and technical courses such as management and engineering in government or private institutions in the state. Only those with Bihar domicile can apply for the aid.
National and International Affairs
The rules mandate the implementation of Animal Birth Control programmes forstray dogsby local bodies, municipalities, municipal corporations, and panchayats.
Effective implementation of the rules can help reduce the stray dog Population and address animal welfare issues.
TheUnion Health Ministryand theMinistry of Housing & Urban Affairshave made a noteworthy and inventive decision to urge states and Union Territories to establish 100 food streets in 100 districts throughout the country. This pilot project is intended to serve as a model for other streets to follow and promote hygienic and safe food practices.
The objective of this initiative is to encourage food businesses and community members to adopt safe and healthy food practices, ultimately leading to a decrease in foodborne illnesses and an enhancement in overall Health outcomes.
AnIndia-Ukraine Chamber of Commercewill be established in the upcoming months in an effort to strengthen commercial ties. The Chamber will work to increase opportunities for investment and cooperation in industries including infrastructure and power with the help of theUkrainian government.
The Ukrainian Embassy in India reports that in 2021, bilateral trade between India and Ukraine totaled $3.45 billion.
Ukraine sold fertilisers and vegetable oils worth $2.49 billion to India, but it also received $961.2 billion worth of commodities from that country.