Newscan

India’s unemployment rate falls to 6.57%

The centre for Monitoring indian economy (cMie) informed that india’s unemployment rate has witnessed a sharp decline to 6.57 per cent in January. The rate is lowest since March 2021. haryana reported the highest unemployment rate in January at 23.4 per cent, followed by rajasthan at 18.9 per cent. Meanwhile, Telangana reported the lowest unemployment rate at 0.7 per cent in January. Mahesh Vyas, ceo and MD, cMie, in his analysis said that around 35 million people in india were actively looking for a job in December 2021. out of 35 million, he added, 8 million, amounting to 23 per cent were women.

SDMC to come up with three Jal Shakti Park

The South Delhi Municipal corporation has singled out three parks to be developed as Jal Shakti Parks, which includes Jahaz Wala Park in Bagdola Village Sector-8, Dwarka, a pond near gokul garden Sector-7, and Jonapur talab near aya nagar. The main objective behind the revival and construction of these parks is to increase rainwater collection and enhance the groundwater level. Besides this, the park also entails swings built in gazebo huts and walking tracks. in order to enhance the green shed, trees and plants will also be laned, as per Mayor Mukesh Suryan.

NEWSCAN NDMC opens Jal Shakti Park in Roshanara Bagh

neW Delhi: The north Delhi Municipal council (nDMc) announced that they have built a small park dedicated to rainwater harvesting and other water conservation methods in roshanara Bagh.

The ‘Jal Shakti Park,’ as it is known, contains thematic 2D and 3D models that help visitors grasp the notion of water conservation. roshanara Bagh is a Mughal-era garden named after roshan ara, one of emperor Shah Jahan’s daughters. She died in the 17th century and is buried in the ‘Baradari,’ or pavilion, a section of the park.

“in roshanara Bagh, we recently opened a ‘Jal Shakti Park,’ which features many 2D and 3D models that explain the concept of rainwater collection and other water conservation methods. Some of the models are on show in the open, while others are housed in a building on the grounds of the park,” a high-ranking city official stated.

The nDMc looks after the historic garden. The civic body had also envisioned developing ‘pockets of miniature forests’ in the city to promote human-nature harmony, according to a senior official from the NMCD’s horticulture department.

Delhi, India’s new start-up hub: ES

neW Delhi: as per the economic Survey 2021-22, Delhi has surpassed Bengaluru as india’s start-up hub, with over 5000 recognised start-ups added in Delhi between april 2019 and December 2021, compared to 4514 in Bangalore over the same time. according to the report, Maharashtra has the highest number of recognised start-ups, with 11,308 in the state. according to the survey, 555 districts would have at least one new start-up in 2021, compared to 121 districts in 2016-17. in 2021, not only the iT sector but also the space sector, experienced turmoil. In 2021, 47 new firms will be introduced in the sector, bringing the overall number of start-ups to 101. according to the survey, india added over 14,000 new businesses in the broader ecosystem in 2021-22, bringing the total number of recognised startups in the country to over 61,400. after the united States and china, india now has the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem. according to the report, india has also surpassed the united Kingdom in terms of unicorns, with 44 companies becoming unicorns in 2021, a new high. The country now possesses the third-largest population of unicorns, trailing only the united States and china. india had 83 unicorns as of 14 January, with a total of $277.77 billion.

NEWSCAN India makes progress towards SDGs

neW Delhi: india has made progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development goals (SDgs), according to the economic Survey 2021-22, which cited an increase in the overall score of the niTi aayog SDg india index & Dashboard.

The importance of balancing rapid economic expansion with conservation, ecological security, and environmental sustainability was also stressed in the survey. “india has made progress toward achieving the SDgs with an increase in the niTi aayog SDg india index & Dashboard score to 66 in 202021, up from 60 in 2019-20 and 57 in 2018-19,” the report stated. The SDgs index measures how much government and union territories have progressed in terms of social, economic, and environmental indicators. according to the survey, india’s forest area has grown dramatically over the last decade, and it now ranks third internationally in terms of average annual net gain in forest area between 2010 and 2020. it also emphasised the importance of launching the ‘life’ movement, which stands for lifestyle for environment and encourages aware and purposeful consumption rather than mindless and destructive consumption. india has also demonstrated substantial climate leadership on the international scene through the international Solar alliance, according to the survey (iSa).

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo ranked as world’s leading plastic polluters

neW Delhi: ‘Break free from Plastic’, a global movement to demand massive reductions in single-use plastics, released a report ranking world’s leading plastic polluters. for the fourth year in a row, coca-cola and Pepsico have been named the world’s biggest plastic polluters. other brands among the top polluters include unilever, nestle, Procter and gamble, Mondeléz international, Philip Morris international, Danone, Mars, and colgate-Palmolive. The report noted that global plastic production has increased from 20 million metric tons in 1966 to 381 million metric tons in 2015. referring to the report, Joanne green, Senior Policy advisor, Tearfund, said that even though companies have started focusing on recycling and pilot projects, it is not good enough. She added that the companies, and the world, need to reduce their dependence on single-use packaging. She added that companies should collect the items they sell.

The report offered a number of steps to address the rising plastic waste crisis. it called to reduce virgin plastic production, for example by establishing a national cap. other recommendations included specific actions by developed nations to ensure that their export of domestic waste is minimised and is directed to countries where appropriate waste facilities are in place.

NHRC directs Delhi to rehabilitate migrants

The national human rights commission (nhrc) has written to the government of ncT of Delhi, urging it to take “necessary action” in response to migrant workers’ deplorable living conditions in shipping containers parked along a road behind andhra Pradesh Bhavan in central Delhi. The nhrc said it received the complaint on January 30, in a letter to Delhi’s labour commissioner. “The competent authority is directed to take necessary action within 8 weeks, involving the complainant/victim, and to advise him/her and the commission of the action taken in the matter.”

SDMC inaugurates fullydigitally equipped school

The South Delhi Municipal corporation (SDMc) has initiated its first, digitally equipped school. Such schools are fully stocked with digital technology such as tablets, smart TVs, and electronic study material. it’s a primary school located in najafgarh Zone’s Dwarka Sector-3. This step of opening a fully, digitally equipped school has been fostered as result of collaboration between SDMc and an ngo. The step facilitates the proper and efficient delivery of teaching services and will also provide a robust education and assessment methodology, as per civic body officials.

EDMC plans to convert 50 public toilets into “Smart Toilets”

The officials of East Delhi Municipal corporation (eDMc) said that firms have been invited to submit plans to transform 50 public restrooms into ‘smart toilets’.according to them, the project will be based on a publicprivate partnership (PPP) model. The eDMc plans to outsource work for the conversion of 50 public restrooms at specific locations in its area into smart toilets, with advertising rights and commercial space in limited or permitted areas at the facilities, on a “design, build, operate, and transfer (DBoT) basis,” as per the statement.

Urban lungs: Delhi earmarks two villages as ‘reserved forest’

The government of ncT of Delhi has designated the forest property of two villages in South Delhi as ‘reserved forest,’ kicking off the process of establishing legal protection for areas that are yet to be designated.under Section 20 of the indian forest act, 138 bighas in chhatarpur and 825 bighas in rangpuri were recently notified. According to a senior forest department officer, the designated sites in these two villages were clear of encroachments and land disputes.

NEWSCAN IIT-Madras spearheads ‘Frugal Manufacturing’

chennai: Dr Balkrishna c rao of the indian institute of Technology, Madras (iiT-M), is pioneering the concept of ‘frugal Manufacturing,’ which would assure sustainable development in smart factories. The concept of frugal manufacturing can be a critical component of india’s growth because it ensures that good functionality is produced at a low cost. frugality will help to reduce product waste because things will be made only with the bare minimum resources. Dr Balkrishna c rao, associate Professor, Department of engineering Design, iiT-M is one of the world’s first frugal engineering researchers. “Manufacturers aim to cut prices to stay viable,” Dr rao said. With the world facing the irreversible interconnected problems of climate change, biodiversity loss, and population expansion, there has been increasing awareness of the necessity for frugal consumption. as a result, there has been a movement in manufacturing mentality from bigger-isbetter to frugal-is-better in recent years, and zero waste goods and processes have been attracting increasing attention. according to a statement made by iiT M, “as part of frugal engineering, frugal manufacturing aspires for zero waste, while creating high-quality parts with fewer low-cost processes. a single low-cost manufacturing process that produces exact measurements and outstanding surface features of a part or product in a single pass with zero waste would be the best-case scenario for fM.”

Global COVID-19 response generating masses of waste: WHO

neW Delhi: The World health organisation (Who) released a report stating that the amount of waste generated by the coViD-19 pandemic is a threat to the environment and human health. The Who said that used medical equipment such as needles are posing as a health hazard, and increase in plastic waste is straining the waste management system. it noted that disposable gloves contributed to more waste than any other item procured through the un’s system. according to Who, more than half of healthcare facilities in developing nations are unable to safely dispose of waste. The first eight billion COVID-19 vaccines delivered around the world resulted in 144,000 tonnes of waste in the form of syringes and needles, which can damage health workers if carelessly discarded. The paper also highlighted innovative approaches to repurposing medical waste in a sustainable manner. researchers in australia repurposed discarded face masks as road construction material by shredding and drying them at high temperatures. The Who recommended that manufacturers use more biodegradable materials and environmentally friendly packaging in its report. it also stated that there is a “dire need” to change the worldwide garbage disposal system.

NEWSCAN Aravalli Biodiversity Park becomes India’s first OECM site

gurugraM: The aravalli Biodiversity Park, gurugram has been accorded the distinction of becoming india’s first Other Effective area-based conservation Measures (oecM) site, which is a feather in the government of haryana’s crown. for the uninitiated, oecM is a designation given to regions with high biodiversity for successful insitu biodiversity conservation outside of protected areas such as national Parks and Sanctuaries.

The park’s curator, Vijay Dhasmana, spoke to asianet newsable about the feat. he said that the 380-acre property was once a mining and stone-crushing operation site, but that all operations were ceased after the Supreme court of india issued a ban in 2004. in 2010, the Municipal corporation gurugram took up the repair in conjunction with ‘i am gurgaon’. Because haryana is rapidly losing most of these flora to development and encroachment, the park has become a little sanctuary for endangered and unusual plants of the northern aravali hills.

With the goal of showcasing the forest flora, over 300 types of natural plants (trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers, grasses) have been planted in the park. The international union for conservation of nature (iucn) was tasked with assessing the biodiversity of the aravali Biodiversity Park, as well as the impact of works, according to Dhasmana.

Need to protect workers’ health while working from home: WHO & ILO

neW Delhi: The World health organisation and the international labour organisation have called for measures to be put in place to protect workers’ health while teleworking (working from home). The two united nations agencies released a new technical brief to healthy and safe teleworking, which outlines the health benefits and risks of teleworking. it also elaborates on the changes needed to accommodate the shift towards different forms of remote work arrangements brought on by the coViD-19 pandemic and the digital transformation of work. The paper said that improved work–life balance, chances for flexible working hours and physical activity, reduced traffic and commuting time, and a reduction in air pollution are among the benefits. All of these can boost physical and mental health and social welfare of workers. for many businesses, teleworking can result in increased productivity and cheaper operating costs. however, the report warns that without proper planning and organisation, as well as health and safety support, teleworking can have a significant negative impact on workers’ physical and mental health, as well as their social well-being. isolation, burnout, depression, domestic violence, musculoskeletal and other injuries, eye strain, increased smoking and alcohol consumption, prolonged sitting and screen time, and unhealthy weight gain are all possible consequences.

NDMC to have 33 new mini forests

ahead of successfully developing mini forest in congested urban spheres at 17 places, including Karol Bagh and Keshavpuram, the north Delhi Municipal corporation has put forward a proposal to develop 33 more such sites expanding up to 62 acres in Phase ii of the initiated project. These forests will entail saplings of different varieties of trees and walkways on the side for the visitors. Any sort of artificial grassing would be avoided. The idea behind it is to provide a wild look and attract different species, which will, in turn, develop natural flora and fauna, mentioned ashish Priyadarshi, horticulture Director.

Largest Suvidha Centre to be set up by HUL and HSBC with BMC

in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal corporation (BMc), hindustan unilever limited (hul) and hSBc india established their 7th and largest Suvidha centre in Mumbai (BMc). The facility in Mumbai’s Dharavi neighborhood—one of the world’s most densely inhabited areas—has 111 public toilets and is one of the country’s largest community toilet complexes. The Suvidha centres will provide access to water, hygiene, and sanitation (WaSh) services to roughly 2,00,000 women, children, men, and people with disabilities in Mumbai every year as part of this project with hSBc india, according to a statement released by the two organisations.

VMC to amend road infrastructure to prevent water logging

The Vadodara Municipal corporation has planned on revamping the roads by scraping off the existing road surfaces. This is done to ensure that the roads’ thickness does not create a situation of waterlogging. The material that will be set aside in the process will be reused. The VMc, so far, has kept on layering the roads with bitumen mix making them thicker and not at all permeable. hitendra Patel, chairman, VMc Standing committee, said that this way of reusing the material after scraping off the road is also a very environment-friendly way of constructing roads.

NDMC to renovate kiosks under Smart City Mission

The kiosks in the new Delhi Municipal council (nDMc) area would be renovated and given a modern style, as well as display panels for advertisements. They stated that while the nDMc has created the first sample kiosk near the constitution club on Rafi Marg in Lutyen’s Delhi, it wants to rehabilitate 30 more in the first phase and up to 250 in the end. The rehabilitation is being carried out as part of the Smart city initiative.

NEWSCAN Urban planners seeking to return to old normal: Study

WaTerloo: a recent study by the university of Waterloo suggested that planners of downtowns in mid-sized areas are more interested in returning urban spaces to the way things were before the pandemic. The study named ‘Planning for Post-Pandemic Downtowns of Mid-size urban areas’ was published recently in the journal ‘Planning Practice and research’. urban planners were asked to identify the attributes that contributed to the success of downtowns prior to the pandemic along with the attributes that would facilitate their post-pandemic recovery. The study found some urban scholars predicting that recovery will lead to new normal, meanwhile maximum urban planners focused on restoring the old normal. Even with significant focus being paid to the impact of the pandemic on the greatest metropolitan areas, the findings suggested that the ideal regenerated downtowns will exhibit many of the same functions in a distinctive physical environment. according to Pierre filion, an emeritus Professor at the university of Waterloo’s School of Planning, the analysis suggests that there would be no significant changes in the core shapes and functions of postpandemic downtowns compared to pre-pandemic downtowns in the early twenty-first century. Governments were also highlighted as a barrier to the successful rehabilitation of mid-sized downtowns in the study.

Assam to conduct leopard consensus for urban planning

DISPUR: Assam’s forest division has launched the state’s first leopard census to record the spotted cat’s habitat and routes, as well as create criteria for urban planning. The six-month program will include discussions with residents of urban towns and villages in the north Kamrup forest Division. on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra river, facing guwahati, the division covers urban, semi-urban, and rural districts. Because of the increasing man-animal conflicts caused by rapid infrastructure development, Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Choudhary stated that charting the leopard’s territories was vital. leopards favour the jungle’s outskirts, and they frequently raid human settlements for sustenance. “The goal of this exercise was to study their population, habitat, and movement routes so that human settlements might be better planned,” he explained. every infrastructure project, according to choudhary, reduces the leopard habitat in non-forest areas. “once we have a good picture of the leopard’s status, we should be able to tell the government how to plan infrastructure investments,” he said. The preparatory work, which includes field visits, a sign study, and a public awareness campaign, has begun. every seven days, data from roughly 50 cameras that will be installed in crucial locations will be collected.

NEWSCAN Renting e-scooters: Delhi to help with first and last-mile mobility

neW Delhi: Killing two birds with electric-scooters, new Delhi Municipal council (nDMc) to provide environment-friendly solutions for first and last-mile connectivity.

The nDMc will purchase 1000 electric scooters under its app-based scooter rental project, announced by the local body. These e-scooters will be introduced in a phased format at over 100 locations in the capital. In first phase, 500 e-scooters will be available at 50 charging stations outside metro stations, bus stops, railway stations, hospitals and other public places hotspots, where people could easily rent out the bikes. on a full charge, these e-scooters will have an 80-kilometer range and a top speed of 45 kilometres per hour. “a web-based application will manage the e-scooter service. commuters would be required to use the vehicle for at least 15 minutes for which they will be charged, accordingly,” Shri upadhyay, Vicechairman, nDMc. he further stated that the nDMc will register these vehicles with the Transport Department, government of ncT of Delhi, because they require a permit to operate. it has room for two people to sit, and helmets will be required. These two-wheelers will also be equipped with a gPS device, allowing the nDMc command and control center in Palika Kendra, to track the riders’ movements.

Delhi to soon convert fossil fuel-based vehicles into EVs

neW Delhi: Vehicle owners in Delhi would soon get an option to convert their old diesel and petrol vehicles into electric vehicles. The Transport Department, government of ncT of Delhi has begun the registration procedure for centres that refit outdated diesel and gasoline vehicles with electric kits. An official from the transport department said that ten electric kit makers have been enlisted to convert outdated petrol and diesel vehicles, that can’t drive on city roads, into electric. electric kit installers must be approved by the kit maker or supplier to install the kit on their behalf, according to the requirements.

The rules stated that the installation should have trained technicians and the supplier should provide thorough training to the professionals. The installer must keep a record of vehicles equipped with electric kits and make it available to the Ministry of road Transport and highways, government of india, when requested. The installer is expected to conduct a vehicle fitness test at least once a year and keep track of the criteria that were audited. furthermore, they should evaluate the vehicle’s suitability for kit installation, explain the situation to the owner, and obtain their written consent.

New centres for carbon capture and utilization

in a bid to lead innovations in the field of climate change, the Department of Science & Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology, government of india, has created two centres of excellence in carbon capture and utilisation (ncoe-ccu) in Mumbai and Bengaluru. The centre of excellence thus established will explore and unlock the potential of ccu technologies to set india on the path to achieving its climate goals and commitments. With increasing emissions of carbon dioxide (co2), scientists worldwide have been working to develop technologies and processes to effectively capture, store, and re-utilise the co2 emitted by industrial and energy sector.

Underground tanks to ease waterlogging woes

Waterlogging woes has remained a perennial problem during the monsoon period. Keeping that in mind, municipal bodies of Jaipur have come up with a plan of laying underground tanks with a roundabout capacity of holding up to 2.5 lakh liters of rainwater within the urban area limits. There are various spots in the city which remains flooded for hours even after the moderate rainfall. Draining off the excess water remains a challenge. Thus, an underground tank will be constructed after recognizing such spots. The excess water would then be released into the drains including the Dravyavati river, informed Jaipur Development Authority officials.