Daily News Notes

· State Human Rights Commission has asked the MP state government to pay five lakh rupees each to the kin of farmers who had committed suicides due to crop failure last year. It has recommended a series of solutions including framing an agriculture-industry policy and recommended that farmers should not be compelled to grow crops in accordance with the obligations of the international treaties.
· Assam is the only state to have Saturday Club under Sarva Siksha Mission, SSA which provides an opportunity to engage the students with the diversified and multi-dimensional activities like gardening, clay-modeling, campus cleaning, song, drama, art and craft works, literature and sports under the supervision and support of the community. Another achievement of the Saturday Club is that, Centre for Environment Education has implemented the “Paryavaran Mitra Programme” in Assam through 3000 such clubs.
· The Ministry of Tourism with the objective to tap the high end tourists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) organised Tourism Road Shows in the cities of Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah. One of the highlights of the Road Show was the focus on the ‘Medical & Wellness’ Tourism potential of India. The cost of medical services in India is almost 30% lower to that in Western countries and only 4hrs away from SA. According to travel statistics, 4.5 million Saudis representing nearly a quarter of the population, travelled abroad and spent about US $33 billion last year. India is fast emerging as a preferred destination for the Saudi tourists.
· India will encounter high cost in taking necessary steps for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Thus, First Time a Chapter on Climate Change to be Included in the Forthcoming Economic Survey of India.
· The Government has appointed Prasanna Kumar Pincha (a visually disabled) as the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities.
· The international ratings agency Standard and Poor's has downgraded the credit ratings of nine Euro zone countries including France the 2nd biggest economy in the zone, of its triple A rating. However, Germany retained its AAA rating.
· India’s ace shuttler Saina Nehwal today lost to World Number One Yihan Wang of China in the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open Super Series Badminton tournament at Kuala Lumpur. This was Yihan Wang's fifth consecutive victory over Saina.