Construction of 2 units begins at Dholera Special Investment Region

Five firms have been allotted land in the Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) and two have already started constructing their units.

• ReNew Power has 100 acres of land for a 2000 MW solar module manufacturing plant.
• Chiripal Group has 90 acres for a unit producing aluminium foil and PET Resin.
• The other three units which have been allotted land are Tata Chemicals Ltd (10 GwH Li-ion battery manufacturing plant on 126 acres, Hindustan Petroleum for petrol stations and Electric Vehicles charging stations on three acres, and Torrent Power for a power distribution network on 6 acres.
• Infrastructure worth Rs. 3,000 crore has been created in 22.5 square kilometers of activation area in the first phase..
• The SIR is spread over 920 square kilometers.

Vadodara has the highest coverage among cities for the second vaccine dose

Vadodara city has the highest coverage of second vaccinations compared to the large cities in the state.

• Over 85% of the persons who took the first dose of the have also taken the second dose.
• The city had recently reached the 100% vaccination mark.
• Against a target of 15,09,801 persons, 15,24,306 persons have been vaccinated.

Amul Dairy launches effort to reduce male progeny in cattle

Amul Dairy is making efforts to reduce unwanted male progeny in the state’s cattle population. KDCMPUL (Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union Ltd.) has started a mobile semen sorting laboratory to help farmers get sex-sorted semen for artificial insemination of cows and buffaloes at subsidised rates. The technology gives a 90% chance of a female calf being delivered. Amul Dairy will use ST Genetics India for this segregation process. This is the first time in the world that a mobile sorting laboratory will be used for this purpose. The lab was set up for Rs. 25 crore. Farmers will get semen of high-genetic bulls that can be used for artificial insemination to produce only female calves. The dairy will use ova of high-genetic females developed using embryo transplant. The goal is to double milk production. A farmer with 10 animals procuring 100 litres of milk will be able to procure 150 litres with 5 five animals. (05-12-2021)

Candidate declared unfit for ITBP post due to a tattoo

The Delhi High Court has upheld the decision of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to declare a candidate unfit for a post due to a tattoo on his right arm. He had been declared unfit during the medical examination. The tattoo is visible while saluting. The candidate had argued that the tattoo mark is his own name and does not cause any prejudice to anyone and no government guidelines prohibit a tattoo as a medical disqualification. However, the advertisement on the basis of which he had applied contained this particular disqualification. (04-12-2021)

University College Birmingham and Gujarat government to collaborate

The Gujarat government and the University College Birmingham (UCB) has signed an agreement to explore progression opportunities that will help meet India’s skills development goals. UCB will be a consultant in skills development for Gujarat’s vocational colleges and universities in many subject areas and promote co-operation in teaching and research. There will be significant industry involvement and standards, curriculum and quality assurance will be improved. (04-12-2021)

Capitalism must be, and can be, responsible

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) will start the Arun Duggal Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) Centre for Research and Innovation.

• It will contribute to the development of the Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance ecosystem in India and help Indian enterprises and organisations integrate ESG into their core business and investments decisions.
• Companies and policy makers are increasingly recognising ESG to be an intrinsic part of their long-term development strategy.
• The centre will facilitate dialogue and cutting-edge research to improve the ESG performance of organisations and enterprises, while nurturing an ecosystem for stakeholder capitalism in India.
• It is developing a unique India-centric ESG rating data framework to better measure the ESG performance of Indian companies.
• It will offer core and doctoral level courses in corporate sustainability.
• ESG performance of companies has emerged as one of the most important factors in flow of capital from investors all around the world.
• The goal is to be a centre of excellence fostering sustainable and ethical organisations defining the future of responsible capitalism.

Investments of about Rs. 11,000 crore committed in GIFT City

Talking about Gujarat International Finance Tech-City (GIFT City) with a investors and fintech firms in Mumbai, the state government said investments of Rs. 11,000 crore have been committed by 140 firms in GIFT City.

• GIFT City in Gujarat houses the international bullion exchange, fintech firms, aircraft leasing and ship leasing business activities and international stock exchanges.
• GIFT City will be a preferred financial hubs in the world in the years to come.
• The average daily turnover on international exchanges within GIFT City have exceeded USD 4 billion.
• Six aircraft leasing firms have been given licences to operate from GIFT City; seven more have applied for licences.
• 30 Alternate Investment Funds (AIFs) have lined up to enter IFSC.

Narmada district’s impressive project for the destitute

Eight districts of Gujarat have been directed to emulate the ‘Nirdharano Aadhar’ project initiated by the District Collector of Narmada to give support to destitute beggars and rehabilitate them.

• The districts are Banaskantha, Gir Somnath, Devbhumi Dwarka, Kheda, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Aravalli and Panchmahal.
• The Narmada district has seen 133 persons from 81 families who have been given more than 1,500 benefits and 53 beneficiaries who have been completely rehabilitated.
• The benefits of government schemes have been handed out to destitute persons: two meals through a central kitchen, kits of necessities of life, special identity card including QR code, health check-up and treatment, Covid vaccination, monthly haircut, a bath every week, income in the second phase after the first-phase operation like shaving arrangement and changing new clothes, etc.
• The district has sought the co-operation of social organisations in rehabilitating the helpless.

MoU between Gujarat University and University of Ladakh

The Indian Institute of Sustainability (IIS) of Gujarat University and the University of Ladakh (UoL) have signed an MoU to offer joint degree courses and joint research with transfer of credits. A Ladakh cultural centre will be set up on the Gujarat University campus by UoL. The courses to be offered: MBA, integrated MBA in tourism management and sustainability, agribusiness management and sustainability, executive courses related to spirituality and mental peace, skill development courses including solar power technology. The objective is also to promote co-operation in agriculture, sustainability, start-ups and innovation. (03-12-2021)

Nationalised banks in Gujarat may be closed on December 16 and 17

Employees and officers of nationalised banks in Gujarat have announced a strike and the banks may remain closed on December 16 and 17. They will protest the proposed privatisation of two public sector banks.

• At least 4,800 public sector bank branches will remain shut for two days.
• About 70,000 bank employees and officers will be on strike.
• Transactions worth about Rs. 20,000 crore can be impacted.
• NEFT and RTGS transactions can be made online, but the formalities from the banks will be done when banking operations resume.

Post of visiting teachers in Gujarat to overcome shortage

To overcome the shortage of teachers in Gujarat the post of visiting teachers (pravasi shikshak) has been sanctioned in government and grant-in-aid schools.

• Visiting teachers will fill the 15,000 posts in government primary schools and nearly 4,000 vacant posts in government and grant-in-aid schools in secondary and higher secondary schools.
• The visiting teachers will be able to conduct a maximum of six periods in a day with a maximum limit of Rs. 27,000 per month as remuneration.
• The services of an eligible person from the local community or even retired teachers can be availed to compensate for vacant seats.
• The additional number of students in schools due to mass promotion is about 3 lakh.

Common entrance test for admissions to central universities

The common university entrance test (CUET) envisaged in the National Education Policy 2020 will be organised by the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the central universities have been asked to take appropriate measures by the University Grants Commission UGC). The CUET will be for students who seek admissions in the sciences, humanities, languages, arts, as well as vocational subjects in higher education institutions. The central universities will admit students based on a common entrance test from 2022-23. For admissions to PhD, the NET score will be used wherever feasible. State universities, private universities and deemed to be universities may also adopt the common entrance test for admissions. These tests would be conducted in 13 languages in which the NTA already conducts JEE and NEET examinations. The UGC has not yet announced the modalities of the proposed test and the dates.
  (01-12-2021)

Certificate course in mountaineering at Savitribai Phule Pune University

Admissions have begun for a three-month certificate course in mountaineering and allied sports offered by the Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) and Guardian Giripremi Institute of Mountaineering.

• The 12-credit course, starting from January/February 2022, has 40 seats.
• It is open for anyone between 18 to 60 years who has passed Class 12 and can pass a basic fitness test.
• The course content includes technical skills and knowledge in the Sahyadri ranges, soft skills and life skills, management and administration, disaster management and emergency response, health science, and nutrition.
• The theory classes will be held on weekday evenings while the practical sessions would be for one week offline at Sinhagad and nearby forts around Pune.
• The subjects: basics of mountaineering, principles, weather conditions, skills like knots or packing, disaster management and specialised first-aid like treating snake or bee bites, managing frostbites and snow blindness, altitude sickness, etc.
• Admissions are open on a first-come-first served basis until December 15.

Night curfew in eight cities extended till December 10

The Gujarat government has extended the ongoing night curfew (1 am to 5 am) in eight cities from December 1 to December 10. The cities are Ahmedabad, Surat, Rajkot, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar, Jamnagar and Junagadh.

• All shops, financial institutions, shopping complexes, market yards, weekly markets, carts, salon and beauty parlours will be allowed to function till 12 am.
• Restaurants will be allowed to operate till 12 am with 75% of seating capacity, following all SOPs.
• Gyms with 75% capacity and cinema halls with 100% seating capacity will be allowed to function.
• Coaching centres with 50% seating capacity and libraries with 75% seating capacity can be open.
• Water parks and swimming pools with 75% capacity can function.
• Private and public buses with 100% capacity and state transport buses with 75% seating capacity will be allowed to function.
• In weddings, maximum 400 persons will be allowed to attend and in funerals maximum 100 persons.
• Weddings will not be allowed during night curfew hours.
• Similar SOP orders were also released for the rest of the state.

PM’s doctoral fellowship for MS University researcher Karan Joshi

Karan Joshi, a PhD student at MS University's Faculty of Pharmacy MS University has been selected for the Prime Minister’s doctoral fellowship. The researcher, working under the guidance of Dr. Prashant Murumkar, has bagged the fellowship for a project based on development of novel anti-Alzheimer’s agents along with developing alternative routes of synthesis of commercial drugs. The fellowship scheme for doctoral research is a public-private partnership between Science & Engineering Research Board (SERB), an autonomous body under the Government of India’s Department of Science and Technology and the Confederation of Indian Industry. It encourages young, talented, enthusiastic and result-oriented scholars to take up industry-relevant research. The full-time PhD scholars get a fellowship of around Rs. 70,000 a month contributed by the government and the partner industry. In all, 36 students from reputed institutes have received this fellowship. (30-11-2021)

Kedar Patel wins gold medal at national cycling meet

A 16-year-old boy – Kedar Patel, a Class 11 student at Ambe School, Manjalpur – has won a gold medal in the 26th National Road Cycling Championship held at Haryana. He won in the geared cycling category. He was selected for the nationals after he won a silver medal in the state championship organized by Gujarat Cycling Association. Riddhi Kadam and Vrushti Patel were also selected for the nationals after they won a silver medal in their respective categories. (30-11-2021)

Act very strictly against highrises without fire NOCs

The state and civic authorities have been ordered by the Gujarat high court to act immediately  and strictly against highrises without valid building use permissions or proper fire-safety prevention systems. The authorities should demolish a few buildings to set an example: it is better to put people out of their houses than watching them charred to death. The court recommended drastic steps – including sealing of the upper floors. The GDCR empowers authorities to take action against unauthorised or unsafe buildings. (30-11-2021)

Ahmedabad now has a well-equipped full-service veterinary hospital

The recently BestBuds Pets Hospital in Ahmedabad offers ventilator support and an isolation ward for pets. It is a not-for-profit facility founded by Shaival Desai, a person who had lost his own pet due to the lack of adequate treatment for a relatively minor health problem. The hospital has all facilities to be able to treat pets. It can treat dogs, cats, birds, turtles, iguanas and many other animals and birds. It has ventilator support, two operation theatres, a digital x-ray machine, a lift and stretchers for injured pets that cannot walk, an isolation ward for pets infected with communicable diseases, It has facilities for chemotherapy. It can also treat stray dogs and guard and sniffer dogs of the CISF and BSF. (29-11-2021)

Baroda Bar Association polls to be held on December 17

Baroda Bar Association (BBA) elections of office-bearers and committee members will be held on December 17. Election commissioners of the lawyers’ body have issued a notification in this regard. Voting will be conducted at advocate house in Nyay Mandir campus, and counting will take place immediately after voting ends at 5 pm. The nomination forms will be available from December 2 and the last date for submission of nominations is December 9. (29-11-2021)

Franchise model for vehicle scrappage centres

Tata Motors plans to establish vehicle scrappage centres with a franchise model. It has tied up with a European expert and with his help have made a model scrapping centre. The government is also keen because the facilities can be employment generation activities. The Ahmedabad-based scrappage centre will be for passenger and commercial vehicles and have a capacity to recycle 36,000 vehicles a year. (28-11-2021)