06-07-06-21 Daily-Haryana-HPSC Current Affairs

Even as Haryana recorded an overall score of 67, an improvement of 10 points and 14th rank among states this time, as compared to 18th in 2019-20 index, the performance of the state on two parameters i.e gender (SDG 5) and life on land (SDG 15) remains poor.

NITI Aayog on Thursday released the third edition of the SDG India Index 202021, which is developed in collaboration with the United Nations India to track the progress of all states and union territories (UT) towards achieving 17 SDGs. The index for SDGs evaluates progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters.

In Gender Equality, Haryana was placed at 21st rank among states recording a poor score of 43. For this, NITI Aayog had considered nine criteria, including crime against Women, sex ratio, female labour force participation, family planning, domestic violence, operational landholdings, women in Leadership, women in managerial positions and wage gap among regular employees.

Similarly, in life on land (SDG 15), Haryana was ranked 25th among all states with a score of 48. The ranking was based on forest and tree cover, Desertification, wildlife crime cases, area covered under afforestation schemes and land degradation. Haryana has less than 10 percent of their geographical area under forest and tree cover.

While Haryana jumped from 18th to 14th rank in NITI Aayog’s latest SDG India Index, the state continues to remain behind the neighboring states of Punjab and Himachal.

Himachal retained the second spot with an overall score of 74 and Punjab, with a score of 68 was placed at 13th rank, while it was placed at 12th rank in 2019-20.

However, Haryana was among top three states named as top gainers in 2020-21, in terms of improvement in score from 2019. While in 2019-20, 10 states or UTs belonged to the category of front runners (score in the range 65-99, including both), 12 more states or UTs including Haryana find themselves in this category in 2020-21, the NITI Aayog’s report stated.

In the case of Haryana, the five goals with biggest improvement are SDG 1 no POVERTY (+22), SDG 7 affordable and clean air (+23), SDG 10 reduce inequalities (+14), SDG 11 sustainable cities and communities (+32) and SDG 12 responsible consumption and production (+38).

The country’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points – from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020-21.

TheDelta variantor B.1.617.2 strain, which was first detected in India, is more infectious than the Alpha variant or B.1.1.7, first detected in the United Kingdom, and is also the reason behind the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, reveals a study conducted by a team of scientists from different Indian institutions.

The scientists noted B.1.617.2 is capable of creating very fast-rising outbreaks, importantly with vaccination breakthroughs (infections after vaccination). We would re-emphasise that prior infections, high seropositivity and partial vaccination are insufficient impediments to its spread, as seen in Delhi, and strong public Health response will be needed globally for its containment

TheCentredisbursed around Rs 76,000 crore directly to farmersaccountswhile procuring wheat during the ongoing rabi Marketing season (RMS). While for the first timefarmersinPunjabhave received more than Rs 26,000 crore in their accounts directly, Rs 16,700 crore has been transferred to farmers accounts inHaryana.
Punjab and Haryana are the last two states to implement direct cash transfer of the minimum support price and with this now the online payment system has become universal across the country. The government has termed it One Nation, One MSP, One DBT.

The government has also revised the current wheat procurement target to 433 lakh tonnes, an increase of six lakh tonnes, as almost every state is reporting highest ever procurement. Last year the total procurement of wheat during the RMS was 390 lakh tonnes.

US-India Chambers of Commerce Foundation has raised more than $1.2 million for coronavirus-related efforts in India.

With a record-breaking fundraising, US-India Chambers of Commerce Foundation has shipped or en route nearly 120 ventilators and over 1,000 Oxygen concentrators.

Recipients have been Indian Red Cross, along with no-governmental and government hospitals in Haryana, Andhra Pradesh,, Jharkhand, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra, Gujarat,Karnataka, Chhattisgarh,PunjabandTamil Nadu.

The Centre has asked state governments to launch a special drive to identify nearly 1.97 crore poor, particularly from the and most vulnerable groups such as street dwellers, rag pickers, hawkers and rickshaw pullers, who can get the ration cards to avail highly subsidized foodgrain every month under the National Act (NFSA).

The ministry, in its Communication to all states, has cited that they can utilize the available coverage under the NFSA limits for this. Food secretary Sudhanshu Pandey shared the number of ration cards that the states and UTs can issue without breaching the ceiling fixed for each state under the NFSA. He said 14 states have a 100% coverage quota. The states have been deleting fake or duplicate ration cards to prevent leakage of highly subsidized foodgrains and also been adding new bonafied beneficiaries.

The government data show that out of the total 19.8 crore such transactions in the past 13 months,Biharregistered a maximum of 1.17 crore transactions followed by 91 lakh in Rajasthan, 42 lakh in Andhra Pradesh and 35 lakh Telangana.

The government has recognised 50,000 startups across the country helping them avail of benefits across a range of laws and regulations with as many as 10,000 getting a seal of approval over the last six months.

The pace of recognising startups has picked up after the department for promotion of and internal trade (DPIIT) tweaked the norms a few years ago, which also enable them to get fiscal and infrastructural support.

A startup registered with DPIIT, for instance, enjoys a simplified compliance structure, 80% reduction in the cost of filing patents, tax exemptions and can wind up its business within 90 days of its application to do so.

To be eligible for registration underStartup India, a government initiative launched in 2016 to bolster the domestic startup ecosystem, a company needs to fulfill several criteria, including being incorporated and registered in India up to 10 years from the date of incorporation and having annual turnover of not more than Rs 100 crore for the financial years since registration.