POWERLESS SOUTH GOA
THE entire South Goa district will witness a power cut for eight hours on Sunday March 27. This has been announced by the electricity department which has taken the shutdown for maintenance purposes. The entire taluka of Canacona, Salcette, Sanquem, Quepem, Marmogua and parts of Ponda will be affected. Since springtime is like summertime nowadays you are advised to take steps to stay cool!
UNIVERSITY ADMISSIONS
THE University Grants Commission has decided that no weightage will be given to board exam performance for admission to Central universities in the academic year 2022-2023 academic year. All those who want to join Central universities like the J & U for the National Institute of Design will have to appear for the common university entrance test. Admissions will be entirely based on the course obtained in this test. Moreover, universities will also be directed to set minimum eligibility on board exam marks. For admission to programs on performing arts and sports categories colleges may conduct and give weightage to practical trials.
PROVIDENT FUND INTEREST
THE central board of trustees of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will be shocked to know that the interest rate is being cut from the present 8.5% to 8.1%. The Employee Provident Fund has Rs6.12 crore subscribers. The new interest rate is the lowest in the history of the saving scheme. There is likely to be an industry wide protest against this cutting down of interest.
UKRAINE CONFLICT HITS GOA DAIRY
THE ongoing conflict in Ukraine has affected the dairy sector with Goa dairies facing huge losses courtesy the increase in cost of raw material for cattle feed. There are imported ingredients used in food offered to cattle which are imported from Ukraine. Local makers of cattle feed have also increased prices. The items affected are rice bran, cotton seed, etc. Goa Dairy expects to suffer a heavy loss due to the increase in cost of raw material. Last year for the first time Goa Dairy has registered a profit!
COVID-19 IMPACT ON SCHOOLS
THOUGH the State government has permitted school to operate at 100% capacity, most schools are asking students to come on alternate days. This is because they want to maintain their practice of one student on every bench as against the pre-covid two per bench. Classes are being conducted with reduced capacity to ensure protection for students. This is particularly true of the lower classes from one to four which are functioning at 50% capacity. Schools will function at 100% capacity only when the new academic year starts in June 2022.
SAVE MY BEACH CAMPAIGN!
DNYANPRASSARK Mandal’s College & Research Centre (DMC) is proud to be part of Save My Beach Campaign initiated by the Goa State Biodiversity Board. As a collaborative activity under MoU a workshop was organized at Anjuna-Vagator Beach and DMC College on March 23, 2022 with the title theme of Coastal Biodiversity.
The awareness campaign began with a field trip at Vagator beach by Pradip Sarmokadam and there was a live session on coastal geomorphology of the beach. He requested students to be passionate in their careers and avail of various job opportunities on Sustainable Development and Climate Change.
Principal Prof DB Arolkar in his welcome address highlighted the dangers of climate change and how it impact on life on earth. He appealed to the student community to be part of the Coastal Biodiversity Conservation efforts of the government. Co-ordinator Dr Rajesh Pednekar (MSc, Environment Science) proposed the vote of thanks for the inaugural function. Assistant Professor Dr Ashish Prabhu Gaonkar of Dhempe College explained how various marine species protect the beach and the need for their conservation. He also listed emerging threats to this important ecosystem due to non-sustainable development. Assistant Conservator of Forests Paresh Porob highlighted the importance of turtle conservation and other sessions were conducted by Dr Manoj Ibrahampurkar, NIO scientist Dr Baban Ingole shared his rich research experience with students on various aspects of marine biodiversity. Altogether 65 students, ten faculty members and Members of the Biodiversity Management Committees attended the program and there were also Yogita Karkhanis, Dr Purushottam Verlekar, Shreya Gadekar and Dr Ankita Amonkar who compered various programs.
COMMAND PERFORMANCE
THE swearing in ceremony of the double- engine Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh on Friday March 25, 2022 is scheduled to be witnessed by 60 leading industrialist of the country. Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Anand Mahindra, Rajiv Bajaj and heads of all corporate houses have been invited, as also Tata Group chairperson Chandrashekhar along with leading industrialists from the south like Shiv Nadar who have been virtually summoned to attend the swearing-in. Interestingly, no film stars will grace the swearing in ceremony for fear that they may distract attention from the real BJP stars who will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.
NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST
THE Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken a serious turn with President Vladimir Putin not ruling out the use of Nuclear weapons. Putin has put all the nuclear assets of Russia on high alert. The United States which is the only other country that has as many or more nuclear weapons have started preparing for a 3rd world war and nuclear attacks by Russia. The US president Joe Biden has asked the nuclear war command in the US to be alert. The US has a squadron of planes that are nuclear blast-proof which will serve as the command centre for the US president and its Generals in case nuclear war breaks out.
MANDOVI BRIDGES
TWO of the three bridges across the Mandovi river will shut for one hour on Saturday. Both old and new Mandovi bridges will be shut for vehicular traffic to facilitate inspection and recording the deck levels. However, the Atal Sethu bridge will remain open for all traffic.