KERALA

Kerala targets to register 25k responsible tourism units in next fiscal year

The state has put high hopes on responsible tourism (RT) and has projected an ambitious target of registering 25,000 new RT units in the coming fiscal. The aim, thus, is to link a minimum of one lakh local community members with the tourism industry directly or indirectly in 2020-21.

Currently, the state has around 17,000 RT units involved in manufacturing, farming or other varied activities offering support to the tourism industry by supplying eco-friendly products and services.

Likewise, the income generated under the Mission is Rs 24.08 crores (last two years) against a total of Rs 12 crore earned over a decade. The number hotels and resorts partnering with the state’s RT initiatives has shot up from 35 to 512.

Another target in the RT sector to be achieved during the coming financial year, according to the governor’s address read by Arif Mohammed Khan in the assembly on Wednesday, is to increase the number of industry-linked plastic-free RT partners to 2,000 accommodation units.

The tourism department will also be launching the Travancore heritage project in 2020-21. The plan is also to build world-class toilets at tourism destinations where the tourist inflow is more than 1,000 per day, and to take up development of Varkala beach, Pookode, Kollam beach, Fort Kochi, Payyambalam beach and Alappuzha beach, this year.

INTERNATIONAL

21 of the world’s 30 cities with the worst air pollution are in India

Twenty-one of the world’s 30 cities with the worst air pollution are in India, according to data compiled in IQAir AirVisual’s 2019 World Air Quality Report, with six in the top ten.

Ghaziabad, a satellite city of the capital New Delhi in northern Uttar Pradesh state, is ranked as the world’s most polluted city, with an average air quality index (AQI) of 110.2 in 2019.

The World Health Organization estimates that dirty air kills around 7 million people each year, while the World Bank says it drains the global economy of $5 trillion annually.

NATIONAL

First anniversary of National War Memorial

The first anniversary of the iconic National War Memorial in New Delhi is being observed on 25 February.

The National War Memorial commemorates the soldiers who made supreme sacrifice during the Counter Insurgency Operations and Peacekeeping Missions.

More than 25 thousand soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces have laid down their lives to defend the country’s sovereignty and integrity.

For the first time Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial instead of the Amar Jawan Jyoti on Republic Day this year.

Government amends provisions of Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016

Government has amended provisions of the Arms Act, 1959 and Arms Rules, 2016 to increase the number of firearms that can be kept by shooters and enhanced quantity of ammunition fixed for practice for the year.

The Home Ministry said, shooting is an important Olympic sport in India and Indian shooters have excelled in international competitions.

The Ministry has made provisions to provide adequate firearms and ammunition to the shooters for their practice.

As per the new rules, now international medalists and renowned shooters are allowed to keep additional weapons up to a total of twelve under the exempted category, which earlier was seven.

Through the amendments it has also been clarified that no license is required for Indian citizens for acquisitions, possession of small arms falling under the category of curio.

GSI discoverd gold deposits in Sonbhadra district

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) discovered gold deposits to the tune of around 3,000 tonnes in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh. The deposit is almost five times India’s current reserve of gold.

The gold deposits were found in Son Pahadi and Hardi areas of Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh.

The British reportedly initiated the process of finding gold reserves in the Sonbhadra region first. Then, the project of finding gold began in 1992-93 by GSI. Auctioning of these blocks through e-tendering will begin.

The newly found deposit in Son Pahadi has been estimated to be around 2,943.26 tonnes and the deposit at Hardi block is around 646.16 kg.

Apart from gold, some other minerals have also been found in the area.

World Gold Council stated that India currently has 626 tonnes of gold reserves.

The new reserves have been estimated to be worth nearly Rs.12 lakh crore.

Sonbhadra is the second largest district of Uttar Pradesh. It is the only district in India, that shares borders with four states.

RBI’s new moto ‘cash is king, but digital is divine’

With ‘cash is king, but digital is divine’ moto, the Reserve Bank on said its endeavour will be to make digital payments a divine experience for the users.

RBI has observed over Rs 3.5 lakh crore reduction in the notes in circulation (NIC) post demonetisation.

NIC, however, was Rs 22,31,090 crore, indicating that digitalisation and reduction in cash usage helped reduce NIC by over Rs 3.5 lakh crore.

However, National air pollution in India decreased by 20% from 2018 to 2019, with 98% of cities experiencing varying levels of improvement.

Govt approves constitution of 22nd Law Commission

Government has formally announced the constitution of the 22nd Law Commission.

The law panel advises the government on complex legal issues and has a term of three years.

With the president giving his nod for the creation of the Law Commission, the government will now appoint a chairperson to head the panel and other members.

The chairperson usually is a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired chief justice of a high court.

Union Cabinet had last week given its nod to reconstitute the panel.

India will host the Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championships in January 2022

India will host the Commonwealth Shooting and Archery Championships in January 2022.

The medals from the two events will be counted for ranking of competing nations at the Birmingham Games.

The medals will be added to the final tally one week after the conclusion of the Games.

The two events will be held in Chandigarh in January 2022 while the Birmingham Commonwealth Games is scheduled from 27th of July to 7th of August , 2022.

India also received wholehearted support from the International Shooting Sports Federation and World Archery, the global governing bodies of the two sports.

Ladakh all set to host first-ever Khelo India Winter Games

The Union Territory of Ladakh is all set to host the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games.

About 1,700 athletes of different ages, from Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, will compete in the Khelo India Ladakh Winter Games at 10 blocks, district and then at UT level.

Under Khelo India, in the first edition of Winter Games in the country, the players will compete in ice hockey, figure skating and speed skating events.

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