SDG India Index and Dashboard 2019
Why in news?
- NITI Aayog released the second edition of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index.
About:
- The index documents the progress made by India’s States and Union Territories towards achieving the 2030 SDG targets.
- It has been developed by NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Ministry of Statistics, United Nations in India, and Global Green Growth Institute.
- The 2019 Index spans 16 out of 17 SDGs with a qualitative assessment on Goal 17. This marks an improvement over the 2018 Index, which covered only 13 goals.
- Classification criteria based on SDG India Index score is as follows:
- Aspirant: 0–49
- Performer: 50–64
- Front Runner: 65–99
- Achiever: 100
- If a State/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the 2030 national targets. The higher the score of a State/UT, the closer it is towards achieving the targets.
Key findings:
- India’s composite score has improved from 57 in 2018 to 60 in 2019, thereby showing.
- The maximum gains been made in Goals 6 (clean water and sanitation), 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure) and 7 (affordable and clean energy).
- Kerala achieved the first rank in the composite SDG Index with a score of 70, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 69.
- The biggest improvers since 2018 are UP (which has moved from the 29th position to the 23rd), Orissa (23rd to 15th), and Sikkim (15th to 7th).
DGCA launches phase 1 services of e-Governance project
Why in news?
- Phase-1 services of the e-Governance (eGCA) project of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) was launched by Ministry of Civil Aviation.
About:
- The eGCA project is being implemented with TCS as Service Provider and PWC as Project Management Consultant.
- The project has been conceptualized for automation of the processes and functions of DGCA.
- The project envisages an end-to-end solution including various software applications, connectivity with all the regional offices, a ‘portal’ for dissemination of information and for providing online and speedy service delivery in a secure environment.
- The eGCA project is expected to be completed by the end of year 2020.
- With this launch, the issue of Commercial Pilot License (CPL-A) with Flight Radio Telephony Operators License (FRTOL) and Instrument Rating has been automated.
- The services were launched on the new DGCA website (www.dgca.gov.in).
India State of Forest Report
Why in news?
- The forest-and-tree cover in India has risen by 5,188 square kilometres in the last two years, said the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2019, which showed Karnataka growing the maximum cover of 1,025 sq km.
Key facts of the report:
- The biennial report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), which is an assessment of the country’s forest resources, was released by Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday, who revealed that the total tree-and-forest cover in the country includes an increase of 3,976 sq. km (0.56 per cent) of forest cover and 1,212 sq. km (1.29 per cent) of tree cover, compared to the 2017 report.
- According to the report, the top three states in terms of forest cover are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. While Karnataka grew the maximum forest-and-tree cover at 1,025 sq km, Andhra Pradesh grew a 990-sq. km cover and a 823-sq. km of forest cover was created by Kerala in the last two years.
- Two other states that followed are Jammu and Kashmir, which grew a 371-sq. km forest cover, and Himachal Pradesh, where a 334-sq. km forest area was created.
- Forest cover in the hill districts of the country is 2,84,006 sq. km, which is 40.30% of the total geographical area of these districts. The current assessment shows an increase of 544 sq. km (0.19 per cent) in 140 hill districts of the country.
• It specified that the forest data of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded through satellite imaging, “covers areas outside LoC that is under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and China. - However, the north-east did not show positive results as the current assessment showed a decrease of forest cover to the extent of 765 sq. km (0.45%) in the region.
- Except Assam and Tripura, all states in the region show a decrease in the forest cover.
Maharashtra-Karnataka Belgaum tension flares again
Why in news?
- Bus services between Kolhapur and Belgaum were suspended after the decades-old border dispute related to Belgaum between Maharashtra and Karnataka flared up again.
States Reorganisation Act of 1956:
- The dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka over Belgaum and other border areas is a longstanding issue between the two states.
- The erstwhile Bombay Presidency, a multilingual province, included the present-day Karnataka districts of Bijapur, Belgaum, Dharwar and Uttara-Kannada (previously North Kanara).
- However, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which divided states on linguistic and administrative lines, made Belgaum a part of the then Mysore State (renamed Karnataka in 1973).
Mahajan commission:
- The Maharashtra government contested the inclusion and lodged a protest with the Centre in September 1957. This led to the formation of the Mahajan Commission under former Chief Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan in October 1966.
- The Commission, which submitted its report in August 1967, recommended that 264 villages be transferred to Maharashtra and that Belgaum and 247 villages remain with Karnataka.
- Maharashtra rejected the report and continues to claim over 865 villages along the border, as well as Belgaum city, which are currently part of Karnataka.
Madhya Pradesh gets its first elephant colony
Why in news?
- Madhya Pradesh has got its first elephant colony in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Key facts
- Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh.
- Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968 and then became Tiger Reserve in 1993.
- The park derives its name from the most prominent hillock of the area, which was said to be given by Hindu Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on Lanka. Hence the name Bandhavgarh (Sanskrit: Brother’s Fort).
- The ‘Tiger State’ of Madhya Pradesh, which in the 2019 census recorded the most number of estimated tigers at 526, thus securing the title.