Daily News Notes: 23rd April, 2012

· The Centre has sent 280 special teams to various states to investigate alleged irregularities in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act or (MNREGA) scheme . The teams had been sent to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat. As per norms, investigation of graft under MNREGA rests with the State governments concerned. However, the Ministry sends its special teams of National Level Monitors , which constitute retired civil servants and ex-servicemen, in cases where it suspects large scale corruption. MNREGA was launched in 2005 to guarantee employment of minimum 100 days to people living below the poverty line.
· To commemorate the 150^th Birth Anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, the Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous body of the Union Ministry of Culture, has instituted a one-time honour to 100 artists called the ‘Tagore Samman’ (50 Tagore Ratna and 50 Tagore Puraskar) to persons of the age of 75 years and above, who have made a significant contribution in the field of performing arts.
· Today, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Processing Industries inaugurated National Crop Forecast Centre (NCFC). The NCFC, named after great Indian statistician P.C. Mahalanobis, has been set up in collaboration with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in a short period of 6 months. With the technical support from Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad and National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad, NCFC will start providing multiple in-season crops forecasts and drought assessments from this kharif season (2012-13). It has already initiated activities for jute crop assessment using microwave remote sensing data. Some Major objectives: [1.] Multiple forecasts of 11 major crops namely Rice (Kharif & Rabi), Jowar (Kharif & Rabi), Maize, Bajra, Jute, Ragi, Cotton, Sugarcane and Groundnut (Kharif & Rabi), Rapeseed & Mustard and Wheat at National/State/District Level; [2.] Operationalization of existing methodologies developed by ISRO regarding crop forecasts as part of Forecasting Agricultural output using Space, Agro-meteorological and Land based observations (FASAL) and drought assessment based on National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) Project on immediate basis.
· The Ministry of Panchayati Raj will be holding a day long National conference on the occasion of the 3^rd National Panchayati Raj Day. On the occasion, best performing Gram Panchayats would be conferred with” Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Purskar, 2012.” During the conference, the five different groups of delegates would be discussing the topics such as (i) Gram Sabha and People’s Participation, (ii) Devolution of 3Fs i.e Funds, Functions and Functionaries (iii) Issues related to Women (iv) Agriculture, Rural Development and Livelihood and (v) Management of Forest Produce/Natural Resources. The Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 that came into force with effect from 24th April, 1993 has institutionalized Panchayati Raj through the Village, Intermediate and District levels Panchayats. Accordingly, the Government of India decided in consultation with the States to celebrate 24th April as National Panchayati Raj Day. Ministry of Panchayati Raj organises National Conference on 24th April every year to commemorate the National Panchayati Raj Diwas.
· The Ministry of Labour and Employment is implementing its ‘Skill Development in 34 Districts Affected by Left Wing Extremism’ during the current financial year. The scheme is to create Skill Development infrastructure in these districts closer to the people by establishing one ITI & two Skill Development Centers (SDCs) in each district and to run demand driven vocational training courses both long term and short term.
· Speaking at UNCTAD General Debate at Doha today, Union Minister of Commerce, Industry and Textiles has said that the financial crisis in the developed countries should not serve as an excuse for the developed countries to retreat from their commitments and “without putting the developing countries especially LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS in the forefront of the global development agenda, it can hardly expect progress on the Millennium Development Goals.” Mr. Anand Sharma called for “further international financial regulatory oversight and reform, strengthening policy coordination and financial regulation, and promoting the sound development of global financial markets and banking systems”. It must be ensured that the developing countries have an equitable access to the decision making process in this regard, he added.
· The Sri Lankan Coast Guard is participating in a joint sea exercise with the Indian and Maldivian Coast Guards in the seas off Male. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen bonds of friendship and enhancing mutual operational capability and cooperation. The exercise will focus on Maritime Search and Rescue, Marine Pollution Response and Boarding Operations. Due to its geo-strategic significance, it is important for the Coast Guards of the three countries to ensure the safety and security of the Indian Ocean for all sea-farers.
· The supply of gas from Egypt to Israel has once again run into rough weather as the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company (a consortium of American, Egyptian and Israeli companies) has terminated its contract to ship gas to Israel, thus undermines the 1979 Camp David peace agreement between the two countries. The company alleged that Israel has not paid for its gas in four months.
· The annual meeting of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice opens in Vienna today. The meeting will attempt to gauge the effectiveness of measures designed to restrict the activities of cross-border criminal gangs. UN figures suggest that organised crime cost around two trillion dollars a year.
· The UAE Cabinet has urged Iran to resolve the row over three islands of the Emirates by bilateral negotiations or through the International Court of Justice to promote stability in the region. The Foreign Minister said the Iranian president's visit will not change historical and legal facts proving the UAE's sovereignty over its three islands. The three islands were taken over by Iran in 1971 when the British left the Emirates after its independence.
· In Nepal, the sixth anniversary of Loktantra Diwas is being celebrated today to mark the People’s Movement of 2006 restoring democratic rights .The day also commemorates the abdication of throne by King Gyanendra and reinstatement of the dissolved House of Representatives.
· In Tennis, Spain's World Number 2 Rafael Nadal has won the Monte Carlo Masters title by defeating top seeded Serb Novak Djokovic, played yesterday at Monaco. This was not only Nadal's eighth consecutive Monte Carlo Masters title, but the victory has also marked the end of his seven-match losing streak in the finals to Djokovic, whose last victory over Nadal came in a six-hour long Australian Open final.