INTERNATIONAL

India continues to be top sourcing market for Sri Lankan tourism

India continued to be the top sourcing market for Sri Lankan tourism with Indian tourists constituting maximum 19 percent of total tourist arrivals to the island nation in 2019.

The latest data released by Sri Lankan tourism revealed that 355,002 Indian tourists visited Sri Lanka last year against total arrival of around 1.91 million.

Sri Lankan tourism suffered a setback following Easter Sunday attacks last April and the annual tourist arrival dropped by 18 percent since 2018 figures.

India, the United Kingdom, China, Germany and Australia were Sri Lanka’s top five international tourist generating markets last year.

NATIONAL

Worlds highest railway bridge to be built by 2021 December

The government has set a fresh deadline for the completion of the world’s highest railway bridge that connects Kashmir to the rest of India by December 2021. It is the most challenging project in the post-independent history of the Indian Railways.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project is important in order to provide an alternative and reliable transportation system to Jammu and Kashmir. It will connect Kashmir Valley to the Indian Railways. network. This project will provide seamless and hassle-free connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir.

Government to set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts

The Central Government has started a Scheme to set up 1023 Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs) across the country. FTSCs will be formed based on the pendency of subject cases obtained from various High Courts, which is 1,66,882 numbers as on 31 March 2018, for time-bound trial and disposal of pending cases related to rape and POCSO Act.
Earlier, the Supreme Court of India said out of 1023 FTSCs, 389 Courts have been proposed to be set up exclusively for POCSO Act related cases in Districts where pendency of such cases is more than 100. So far, 24 states/UTs have joined the government’s scheme to set up 792 numbers of FTSCs, including 354 exclusive POCSO courts. Govt. is making efforts to obtain consent and willingness of remaining States/UTs.

Scientists developed a viable scientific method to cultivate Indian Pompano fish in ponds

For the first time in India, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has developed a viable scientific method to cultivate Indian Pompano fish in ponds. Pompanos are marine fishes. The Indian government began the scientific study on Pompano in 2014.

The method will be of an alternative to shrimp. The funding was provided by the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB). With this, it will now be officially cultivated in ponds of Vishakhapatnam.

The experiment recorded 750 grams of meat per fish in open ponds and 1 kg in cages. The new scientific invention by CMFRI recorded 95% of the survival of the fishes. The method provided 3 tonnes per acre yield and a profit of 25% to 30% of input cost per acre.

The scientists also said that growing Pompano along with shrimp will increase the survival rate of the shrimp as the Pompanos breaks the life cycle of viruses that attack shrimps.
♦ The government is currently planning to implement inter-cropping of Shrimp and Pompanos.

Cabinet apprised of information about amendments to the 2019 Motor Vehicles Amendment Bill

The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi apprised of information about the amendments moved to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2019 as passed by the Rajya Sabha.

The amendments made to the Bill will ensure concurrence of the State Governments while formulating National Transport Policy and making schemes for national, multimodal and inter-state transportation of goods and passengers by the Central Government.

Fifteenth Finance Commission bats for higher financial grant for municipal bodies

Municipal bodies are likely to recieve at least Rs 29,000 crore grant during 2020-21, which is nearly 40% more than the assistance they received under the current fiscal. This is likely to bring some relief to the municipal bodies which are reeling under huge fund crunch and are failing to deliver.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission in its recommendations for 2020-21 has suggested this. The report was submitted on Saturday. A recent study carried out for the commission had flagged how the increasing dependence of civic bodies on grant from state governments and Centre was proving to be unsustainable.

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