16-02-23 Daily-Kerala-KPSC Current Affairs

Even as the stature rises in the realm of superfoods, Goasagriculture departmentis all set to reclaim the states forgotten millets finger tail (nachni) and foxtail (vari). While cultivation of these millets was around 100 hectares three decades ago, its now just around 20 hectares.

While the millet was never widely grown in Goa, the tiny grain gradually lost ground to paddy, as the support price and comparatively bigger yields madefarmerschoose the latter.

In 2022, a survey by the <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture department found just around 250 farmers grow the two types of millets. This cultivation takes place in the hilly areas of five talukas Canancona, Pernem, Quepem, Sanguem andValpoi. Paddy, on the other hand, is grown across 33,677 hectares across Goa.

Most farmers have a small area 500-1,000 sqm under millet cultivation in Goa. While the agriculture department wants to enhance this area, farmers will be encouraged to take up millet cultivation in smaller portions, said the agriculture director.

A scheme is being drafted to improve the quality of produce by having better quality of millet seeds at a subsidised rate. He said that trials have also been done.

At least one in every 10 ration shops in the country are also functioning asCommon Services Centres(CSC), offering a range of services to people and many ration shop owners are earning Rs 50,000 per month. A ration shop owner, not providing common services, usually earns about Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000 a month. WhileJharkhandleads among states and Union territories with a maximum of 6,632 ration shops providing these services, in addition to the distribution of foodgrains under theNational Act, Maharashtra and Gujarat have 6,574 and 6,188 such ration shops respectively.

Union food secretarySanjeev Choprasaid currently nearly 60,000 out of the 5.3 lakh ration shops are providing services to people like the CSCs. The services provided include applying for government documents, payment of utility bills and sale of Insurance policies as well. On the impact of ration shops functioning as CSC as well, the food secretary said this is giving good results in Gujarat where the ration shop owners are earning almost Rs 50,000 per month.

Come April, persons with disabilities (divyangjan) will be able to own a vehicle in their name and register it as a divyangjan vehicle.

Earlier, only persons with disabilities such as locomotor and hand or leg impairment could get a driving licence and register a vehicle in their name. Since thesevehicleshave a special mention of invalid carriage (IC) on the numberplate, persons with visual impairment were not allowed to get a vehicle in their name as they would have to use the service of a driver. And, if a driver has been hired, s/he was not allowed to drive a vehicle with the IC logo.

The Union Government has notified the states of these changes in the policy, and it will be implemented inGujaratfrom April.

The leaders of Japan and the Philippines agreed to sharply boost their DEFENCE ties, allowing Japanese troops greater access to Philippine territory, as tensions rise in Asia amid China’s growing influence. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is visiting Japan shortly after he and U.S. Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin reached an agreement on allowing the USA more access to Philippine military bases to keep China’s ambitions in check.

The defence arrangement signed by Marcos and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will allow Japanese troops to join training exercises to respond to natural disasters and humanitarian needs in the Philippines.

The agreement is seen as a step toward broader military cooperation and could lead to similar agreements between Japan and other Southeast Asian nations.

South Africa is beginning a joint military drill with Russia and China. The 10-day naval exercises, which will go on the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine, have drawn criticism from the US as well. The South African government, however, insists that it is still impartial in the conflict and that it frequently hosts such exercises with other nations, such as France and the US.

The South African government, however, insists that it is still impartial in the conflict and that it frequently hosts such exercises with other nations, such as France and the US.

Off the coast of South Africa, in the Indian Ocean, are the Mosi II naval drills.