MADHYA PRADESH

MP to collect DNA of trees to curb wood smuggling

For the first time in the country, Madhya Pradesh’s Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary has started collecting DNA samples of standing trees, stumps and logs. This smart use of technology will not only discourage wood poachers from felling trees in reserved forests, but also fix responsibility of conniving officials.

Wood mapping has been used in the United States and elsewhere in the world to identify and prosecute wood smugglers with success but Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary.

The samples will be sent to State Forest Research Institute (SFRI) Jabalpur, where DNA will be extracted. Then, a DNA data bank of all trees will be prepared and the samples preserved. Whenever a forest team catches wood smugglers or spot protected wood made into furniture or other products, their DNA samples will be taken and matched with those in the data bank. A match of samples will make it easy to book the accused in a court of law, because it will be possible to trace back the origin of the smuggled wood to the source.

INTERNATIONAL

Pakistan appoints Its First Ever Female Hindu Civil Judge

Suman Kumari becomes the first Hindu woman to have been appointed as a civil judge in Pakistan after passing an examination for induction of judicial officers.
Kumari, who hails from Qambar-Shahdadkot, will serve in her native district.

India Replaces Japan To Become Second-Largest Crude Steel Producer

India replaced Japan as the world’s 2nd largest steel producing country, while China is the largest producer of crude steel, accounting for more than 51% of production, according to the World Steel Association.

The global steel body, in its latest report, stated that China’s crude steel output jumped 6.6% to 928.3 million tonnes in 2018 from 870.9 MT in 2017.

China’s share increased from 50.3 percent in 2017 to 51.3% in 2018.

India’s crude steel production in 2018 was at 106.5 MT, up 4.9% from 101.5 MT in 2017.

The International Year of the Periodic Table

The United Nations announced 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table of the Chemical Elements to highlight its first publication in 1869.

The periodic table as we know it today was first designed by the Russian scientist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev.

The announcement by the United Nations will help to raise the profile of how chemistry can provide solutions to global challenges in agriculture, education, energy and health.

NATIONAL

PM Modi dedicates National Salt Satyagraha Memorial to the nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated National Salt Satyagraha Memorial to the nation at Dandi village in South Gujarat.

At the memorial site, he also unveiled statues of Mahatma Gandhi and 80 Satyagrahis who had marched with him during the historic Dandi Salt March in 1930.

The memorial also has 24-narrative murals depicting various events and stories from the historic 1930 Salt March.

The Salt Satyagraha March, well known as the Dandi March of 1930 has been a landmark event in the history of India’s freedom struggle.

On this day, Satyagrahis led by Mahatma Gandhi marched 241-miles from Sabarmati Ashram to the coastal village of Dandi and made salt from seawater breaking the Salt Law

IAI announced agreement with Indian Navy and Cochin Shipyard

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)announced entering into agreements worth $93 million for providing Naval Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile (MRSAM) systems to India. The contracts for the air defence system were entered with the Indian Navy and the Cochin Shipyard.
Under the contracts, IAI will provide complementary systems for the air defense system. They involve follow up orders for a range of maintenance and other services for various sub-systems of IAI’s advanced MSRAM ADS.

· India’s unemployment rate hit 4 decade high of 6.1%in 2017-18 ; says NSSO Survey

As per National Sample Survey Office (NSSO’s) periodic labour force survey (PLFS) India’s unemployment rate hit a 45 year high of 6.1%in 2017-18.
It is the first comprehensive survey on employment conducted by a government agency after demonetization.
Unemployment is higher in urban areas which is 7.8% as compared to 5.3% in rural areas of the country.
The unemployment rate is at its highest level as in 1972-73.
Unemployment rate among youth reached a record high level in 2017-18 as compared to that in the overall population.
Youth’s moving away from the Agriculture sector as it is becoming less remunerative and moving to urban areas.

· Mizoram govt bans import of pigs and piglets

The Mizoram Government issued an order to ban the import of pigs and piglets because there is a possibility of an outbreak of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).
The PRRS disease is also called as Swine Flu, the virus of this disease generally transmitted from pigs and affects both pigs and humankind
Basically, the pigs imported from Myanmar are in suspect point, pigs imported from other countries too have been banned as a move to prevent the outbreak of the PRRS in the state.

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