City Beauty Competition
27-Apr-2023: MoHUA launches the ‘City Beauty Competition’
The ‘City Beauty Competition’ portal https://citybeautycompetition.in has been made live by the Ministry on April 26, 2023. Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country can participate in this competition through an online process. The objective of the competition is to encourage and recognize the transformational efforts made by cities and wards across the country to create beautiful, innovative and inclusive public spaces.
Under this competition, wards and public spaces in cities would be judged against five broad pillars viz., (i) accessibility (ii) amenities (iii) activities (iv) aesthetics and (v) ecology. The competition would felicitate the most beautiful wards and public spaces in the cities. While selected wards would be felicitated at the city and State levels, the top most beautiful public spaces in the cities under four categories viz. Waterfronts, Green spaces, tourist/ heritage spaces and market/commercial places would first be felicitated at the State level and the shortlisted entries would thereafter be considered for National level awards.
The last date for participating in the ‘City Beauty Competition’ is July 15, 2023. The participating ULBs can submit the required data/documents (including photographs, videos, presentation and self-reported baseline information) through the online facility created on https://citybeautycompetition.in. Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) as the knowledge partner will provide handholding support to Wards / ULBs / States in this exercise.
The City Beauty Competition provides a unique opportunity to the wards and cities to showcase their interventions towards creating beautiful public spaces. The competition would promote heritage and culture, sustainable communities and ecological conservation and would also encourage peer learning among states and cities.
Seed Traceability portal
19-Apr-2023: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Tomar launches Seed Traceability portal and mobile app
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar today launched the SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic Inventory) Portal and Mobile App, a Centralized Online System for seed traceability, authentication and inventory designed to deal with the challenges of seed production, quality seed identification and seed certification. It has been developed by the NIC in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the theme of ‘Uttam Beej – Samriddhi Kisan’. On this occasion, Shri Tomar said that the Government of India is constantly trying to overcome the challenges and difficulties faced by Agriculture sector through various schemes and programmes. SATHI portal is an important step in this direction. When its use starts right to the grassroot level, it will prove to be a revolutionary step in the field of agriculture.
Chief guest Union Minister Shri Tomar said that Agriculture is of great importance to India. This importance has increased in the changing scenario. Earlier, we had only the aim of fulfilling our needs in agriculture, but at present the expectations of the world are also increasing from India. In such a situation, it is our responsibility to help feed the world while dealing with all the challenges of agriculture, climate change etc. Shri Tomar said that seeds, pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation play a major role in agriculture. Inferior quality or spurious seeds affect the growth of agriculture. This causes loss to the farmers, it also affects the agricultural production of the country. It has been said from time to time that we should devise such a system so that the market of spurious seeds is checked and quality seeds reach the farmers, for this the SATHI portal has been launched today. In this era of climate change, new types of pests are affecting the crops, on which agricultural scientists should focus their research to eradicate the menace. If we are able to save this loss, then we can save 20 percent of the entire agricultural production.
Union Minister Shri Tomar said that the first phase of SATHI (Seed Traceability, Authentication and Holistic) portal has just been launched. He directed the officials to ensure that the second phase does not take long. Efforts should be made to increase awareness so that the farmers get full benefit from it. There will be a QR code under this system, through which the seeds can be traced. Training should be imparted through Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Krishi Vigyan Kendras and State Governments. He urged all the states to join the Seed Traceability System.
SATHI portal will ensure quality assurance system, identify the source of seed in the seed production chain. The system will consist of integrated 7 verticals of the seed chain - Research Organisation, Seed Certification, Seed Licensing, Seed Catalogue, Dealer to Farmer Sales, Farmer Registration and Seed DBT. Seeds with valid certification can only be sold by valid licensed dealers to centrally registered farmers who will receive subsidy through DBT directly into their pre-validated bank accounts.
Digital Highways
19-Apr-2023: NHAI to Create Around 10,000 km of Digital Highways by FY 2024 - 25
NHAI is working towards development of around 10,000 km of Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) infrastructure across the country by FY2024-25. National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML), a fully owned SPV of NHAI, will implement the network of Digital Highways by developing integrated utility corridors along the National Highways to develop OFC infrastructure. Around 1,367 km on Delhi - Mumbai Expressway and 512 km on Hyderabad - Bangalore Corridor have been identified as pilot routes for the Digital Highway development.
Providing internet connectivity to remote locations across the country, the OFC network will help to expedite the roll out of new age telecom technologies like 5G & 6G. Recently inaugurated, 246 km long Delhi – Dausa – Lalsot section of the Delhi - Mumbai Expressway features a three-meter-wide dedicated utility corridor used to lay Optical Fibre Cables, which will serve as the backbone for the roll out of the 5G network in the region. OFC laying work along the National Highways has started and is targeted for completion in about a year.
OFC network will allow direct plug-and-play or ‘Fibre-on-demand’ model for the Telecom / Internet Services. The network will be leased out on a Fixed Price Allotment mechanism on ‘Open for All’ basis through a web portal to eligible users. OFC allotment policy is being finalized in consultation with DoT and TRAI.
Creation of Digital Highways will not only have a catalytic impact on the growth and development but will also contribute to the digital transformation of our country.