MADHYA PRADESH

Every eight hours, a farmer committed suicide in Madhya Pradesh in 2016. It was a year that saw 1,321 farmer suicides — the highest since 2013. And while farm suicides dropped by up to 10% elsewhere in the country between 2014 and 2016, MP saw a rise.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is yet to release its report on accidents and suicides for 2016, but the minister’s data says Madhya Pradesh is third in the country in terms of farm suicides. There has seen a 21% jump in farm suicides since 2013. The state, which claims double-digit agricultural growth for five years and was recently given its fifth Krishi Karman Award, reported a horrifying 6,071 farmer suicides between 2011 and 2016.

Farm distress continues to be agonizingly real in a state that prides itself in being kisan friendly. Last year, the agrarian crisis sparked massive protests in June that engulfed large parts of the state. Farmers went on the rampage, demanding appropriate price for their produce and loan waiver. Five protesting farmers were shot dead by police during violence in Mandsaur. The agitation died down, but not the farm suicides.

MP, which claims to be No. 1 in agriculture growth rate, was third in farmer suicides in 2016 — after Maharashtra (3,661) and Karnataka (2,079). MP has remained in the top 5 in farm suicides. Worryingly, the suicide rate went up at a time when other states managed to hold it down.

Maharashtra recorded 4,004 farmer suicides in 2014 but it dropped to 3,661 in 2016. During the same period, farm suicides in MP went up from 1,198 to 1,321.

INTERNATIONAL

Singapore’s Changi Airport has topped in the list of ‘world’s best airport’ for the sixth consecutive year.

The announcement was made at the Skytrax World Airport Awards held in Stockholm.

South Korea’s Incheon Airport, Tokyo Haneda in Japan, Hong Kong and Doha Hamad turned out to be the top five in the list respectiveley.

Mumbai airport has been given 63rd position whereas the airports in Bangalore and Delhi are at 64th and 66th place respectively.

· Canadian Mathematician Robert Langlands Wins Abel Prize

Canadian mathematician Robert Langlandswon the prestigious Abel Prize for developing a programme connecting representation theory to number theory.
The programme has enlisted hundreds of the world’s best mathematicians over the last 50 years.
Now aged 81, Langlands will be awarded the 6.0-million-kroner Abel Prize by Norway’s King Harald in Oslo on May 22.

NATIONAL

The official announcement in this regard was made by agriculture minister V.S. Sunil Kumar in the state assembly.

The aim is to promote ‘Kerala jackfruit’ as a brand in markets across the country and abroad, showcasing its organic and nutritious qualities

The National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP) aims at setting up of family type biogas plants for providing biogas as clean cooking fuel and a source of lighting.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has fixed an annual physical target of setting up 65,180 biogas plants for the current year 2017-18 under the NBMMP.

India will be self-reliant in the production of silk by 2020, said the Minister of Textiles Smriti Zubin Irani in a media interaction.

The Union Cabinet’s decision approving the Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry will help increase the production of Bivoltine silk (high quality) by 62 percent by 2020.

The Minister further said the aim of the government is to increase the number of people engaged in the silk sector from 85 lakhs to one crore in the next three years.

The Ministry of Tourism has identified following 12 sites for development under Iconic Tourist Sites Project:

Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh)

Ajanta and Ellora (Maharashtra)

Humayun Tomb, Qutub Minar and Red Fort (Delhi)

Colva Beach (Goa)

Amer Fort (Rajasthan)

Somnath and Dholavira (Gujarat)

Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh)

Hampi (Karnataka)

Mahablipuram (Tamil Nadu)

Kaziranga (Assam)

Kumarakom (Kerala)

Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar)

Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal has stressed upon the efficient use of finite water resources in the country. Emphasizing upon the importance of water in every walk of life, the Minister said it is central to all questions of life.

The Minister was addressing the gathering while giving away the Certificate of Appreciation for ‘Encouragement and Appreciation of the Efforts in Ganga Rejuvenation” to the National Mission for Clean Ganga during the Water Digest Water Awards 2017-18.

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) was also awarded with IJ Global Awards 2017 Asia-Pacific Water Deal of the Year: Clean Ganga Varanasi Wastewater Project.

· Union Government decides to declare 2018 as National Year of Millets

The union government decided to declare 2018 as ‘National Year of Milletsto boost the cultivation of millets like ragi and jowar on a mission mode to achieve nutritional security.
This was stated by Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh while addressing MPs in a consultative committee meeting in New Delhi .
The Minister said millet cultivation has declined due to change in dietary habits and unavailability of millets. As a result of this, level of nutrients like proteins, Vitamin-A, iron, and iodine fell in women and children.
This led to a special focus on millets, which are being promoted under the National Food Security Mission (NFSM).
The push will promote cultivation of jowar, bajra, ragi. Under NFSM, maize and jau are also promoted separately.