MAHARASHTRA
- Centre to purchase 50,000 tonne onions
- The Centre has instructed the National
Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (Nafed) to buy
50,000 metric tonne (MT) of summer onion, its highest-ever procurement, to
help the government tide over any price hike later in the year.
- The central agency will start onion procurement from mid-April. Over 45,000 MT onions will be picked up from Maharashtra and the remaining 5,000 from Gujarat. Before this, the maximum onions the government had bought was 13,500 MT in 2018.
- The Centre’s decision to procure such a huge quantity of summer onions would have a positive impact on the wholesale prices, ultimately benefiting the farmers.
- Nafed officials said the agency has already started planning the procurement. They will start buying from APMCs in Nashik district from the first week of April and later from other onion-growing pockets in Maharashtra, including Ahmednagar and Pune.
- At present, the average wholesale onion price is around Rs 600 per quintal. But this could swell to about Rs 1,000 per quintal as demand will increase once Nafed enters the wholesale market.
INTERNATIONAL
- Joint military exercise, Sary Arka Antiterror 2019, to be held in Uzbekistan
- The decision to hold Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019, the first joint military exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)was announced at the during the 34th meeting of the RATS council held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The exercise is to be held Sary Arka, Kazakhstan.
- The Regional
Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent organ which
serves to promote cooperation of member states against three evils of terrorism,
separatism, and extremism
RATS was established in June 2004
- SCO is a permanent
intergovernmental international organisation aimed at strengthening mutual
trust and neighbourliness among the member states.
- SCO was created in 1996 of which the China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan were members.
- Microsoft Launched Project Sangam To Boost Indias Swachh Bharat Mission
- Microsoft announced that it
has partnered with The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to
promote its Project ‘Sangam’ which is developed to
accelerate Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) in India.
- It is one of the world’s largest Cleanliness Programme.
- India, Sri Lanka joint exercise ‘Mitra Shakti-VI’ to commence from Mar 26
- Exercise ‘Mitra Shakti’ between India and Sri Lanka will be conducted from March 26 to April 8 for the year 2018-19, in Sri Lanka.
- It is conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between armies of two nations.
- Troops from 1st Battalion the Bihar Regiment of the Indian Army and Gemunu Watch Battalion of Sri Lankan Army would be jointly undertaking the exercise.
- The exercise will involve tactical level operations in an international counter-terrorism environment under United Nations mandate.
- World Down Syndrome Day observed on March 21
- Recognizing the need to
support people suffering from Down Syndrome, the WHO (world Health
Organization) on 20th December 2007, recognized March 21st as
‘World
Down Syndrome Day’.
- Following the decision of
WHO, the United Nations General Assembly also
designated the same date as “World Down Syndrome Day” on 19th December 2011.
- Since 2012 “World Down Syndrome
Day” has been observed annually on 21st March.
- World Down Syndrome Day 2019
theme is “Leave no one behind”.
- Down Syndrome is a genetic disorder causing a delayed physical and mental growth in individuals. Children or adults suffering from Down Syndrome have lower IQ and learning ability along with characteristic facial features. A young adult with Down Syndrome has an average IQ of 50; equivalent to that of a normal 9 years old child.
NATIONAL
- IND INDO CORPAT 2019 was inaugurated at Port Blair
- The 33rd edition of India-Indonesia
coordinated patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) was inaugurated at Port
Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The IND-INDO CORPAT
2019 is held from 19 Mar to 04Apr 2019.
- Navies of both countries have been carrying out coordinated patrolling twice a year since 2002 in an effort to keep the Indian Ocean region (IOR) safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade. It also enhances mutual understanding and interoperability between the two navies.
- From the Indonesian Side Naval Ship, KRI Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin and Maritime Patrol Aircraft CN-235are taking part. Commodore Ashutosh Ridhorkar, Naval Component Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Command is leading the Indian side. During the exercise ships and aircraft from both the countries would undertake the patrolling on the respective sides of 236 nautical miles long International Maritime Boundary line.
- Lok Sabha passed the Indian Forest Amendment Bill, 2017
- The Lok Sabha passed the Indian
Forest (Amendment) Bill, 2017. The bill replaces Indian Forest
(Amendment) Ordinance, 2017 promulgated by President Ram
Nath Kovind in November 2017 and amends Indian Forest Act,
1927.
- Though bamboo was taxonomically a grass, it was
earlier defined as a tree under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and its felling
and transit required permission. It was a major impediment for
bamboo cultivation by farmers on non-forest land.
- The bill omits bamboo grown in non-forest
areas from
the definition of trees. The omission thereby exempts it
from requiring permits for felling or transportation of
bamboo grown in non-forest areas. With this, bamboo grown in non-forest areas
ceases to be a tree. It will encourage bamboo plantation by farmers, which will
contribute to doubling farmers income by 2022.
- The Indian Forest Act, 1927 consolidates laws relating to forests, the transit of forest-produce and duty to be levied on them. Under it, the definition of the tree includes palms, stumps, bamboos, brush-wood, and canes.
- MPSC Mains Tests and Notes Program
- MPSC Prelims Exam 2020- Test Series and Notes Program
- MPSC Prelims and Mains Tests Series and Notes Program
- MPSC Detailed Complete Prelims Notes