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Area under cash crops in India has gone up: Minister

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Area under cash crops in India has gone up: Minister

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) The area sown under commercial or cash crops such as sugarcane, cotton, jute and mesta has increased from 18,214.19 thousand hectares in in agriculture year 2021-22 to 18,935.22 thousand hectares in agriculture year 2023-24, Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Ram Nath Thakur told the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

The production of these cash crops has also increased from 4,80,692 thousand tonnes in agriculture year 2021-22 to 4,84,757 thousand tonnes in agriculture year 2023-24, the Minister said.

He further stated that according to the NITI Aayog Working Group Report, 2018, the demand and supply of foodgrains is projected to the tune of 337.01 million tonnes and 386.25 million tonnes, respectively, for the year 2032-2033, which indicates that the overall foodgrains position would be quite comfortable as far as food security is concerned.

Ram Nath Thakur said that the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare is implementing a National Food Security Mission to increase foodgrain production through area expansion and productivity enhancement in all 28 States and 2 Union Territories (Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh) of the country.

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Under the mission, assistance is given through state governments to farmers including small and marginal farmers for interventions like cluster demonstrations on an improved package of practices, demonstrations on cropping system, distribution of seeds of high-yielding varieties, improved farm machinery, efficient water application tools, plant protection measures, nutrient management/soil ameliorants, processing & post-harvest equipment, cropping system based training to the farmers, etc.

The mission also provides support to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for technology backstopping and transfer of technology to the farmer under the supervision of scientists, he added.

Further, the government ensures remunerative prices to the growers for their produce with a view to encouraging higher investment and production and to safeguard the interest of consumers by making supplies available at reasonable prices.

In this direction, the government announces Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops including commercial/cash crops by offering a higher MSP for these crops, the Minister said.

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Ram Nath Thakur also said that the government is declaring MSPs for all mandated crops including cash crops with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from the agricultural year 2018-19.

–IANS

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Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms

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rajnath singh with armed forces chief

On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry announced that 2025 will be designated as the “Year of Reforms,” with a primary focus on establishing integrated theatre commands to enhance collaboration among the three branches of the military.

These reforms are aimed at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations, the ministry stated.

The initiative will emphasize emerging domains such as cyber and space, alongside cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the “Year of Reforms” as a pivotal milestone in the modernization of the armed forces.

“It will set the stage for significant advancements in the nation’s defense capabilities, ensuring the security and sovereignty of India in the face of 21st-century challenges,” he said.

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A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning

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A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR).

The district administration reported no casualties or property damage following the quake.

The tremor occurred at 10:24 am, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers north-northeast (NNE) of Bhachau, as per the Gandhinagar-based ISR.

Last month, the region experienced four seismic events exceeding a magnitude of 3, including a 3.2 magnitude tremor just three days ago, with its epicenter also near Bhachau.

Earlier tremors in the area included a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on December 23 and a 3.2 magnitude event on December 7, according to ISR reports.

Kutch was also jolted by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on November 18, 2024. On November 15, a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Patan in north Gujarat, based on ISR data.

Gujarat is considered a high-risk earthquake zone, having experienced nine major earthquakes over the past 200 years, according to the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). The 2001 earthquake in Kutch, which occurred on January 26, was the third-largest and second-most destructive in India in the last two centuries, according to the GSDMA.

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Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs

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Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s much-anticipated New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana faced legal hurdles after a complaint was filed by Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh.

Following the complaint, the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department, Government of Punjab, issued a formal notice to Ludhiana’s District Commissioner, urging them to prohibit Dosanjh from performing specific songs during his live show on December 31, 2024.

The notice specifically targets songs accused of promoting alcohol, including Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya), even if the lyrics are slightly modified. The complaint points to previous warnings issued to Dosanjh by various commissions advising against performing these controversial tracks.

Despite these warnings, the singer allegedly continues to perform the songs with minor alterations. Dharenavar raised serious concerns about the influence of such music on young audiences, especially when minors are present at live events.

Adding to the controversy, Dharenavar referenced a 2019 Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling, which directed law enforcement to ensure that songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are not played at public events, including concerts. This ruling underscores the legal basis for the complaint and has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the event.

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UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured

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UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured

Five people sustained injuries when a vehicle in the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad overturned into a ditch near Januan village in the Khejuri Police Station area of Ballia district late last night.

Sanjay Nishad shared details of the incident, stating that the accident injured five party workers, including four women.

“I was traveling with the convoy to participate in the Constitutional Rights Yatra organized by the party on Tuesday night. Near Januan village in the Khejuri area, one of the vehicles following the convoy lost control while trying to avoid an animal and overturned into a ditch,” Nishad explained.

The injured individuals have been identified as Rakesh Nishad, Ramrati, Usha, Geeta, and Iravati Nishad.

Senior police and administrative officials quickly arrived at the scene following the incident to oversee the situation.

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Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder

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Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder

The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher found dead after accusing the company of copyright violations, has alleged that her son was “murdered” and called for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.

Poornima Rao, Suchir’s mother, claimed her son’s death was a “cold-blooded murder” that authorities wrongly ruled as suicide. She further disclosed that a private autopsy report conflicted with the findings of the initial police investigation.

Rao alleged that her son’s apartment had been “ransacked” and cited evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains that suggested he had been assaulted.

“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not confirm the cause of death stated by the police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and it appears he was hit based on blood spots. This is a cold-blooded murder being misclassified as a suicide. Lobbying in San Francisco won’t deter us from seeking justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” Rao wrote on X.

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Elon Musk reacted to Rao’s post, commenting, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”

Balaji was discovered dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of violating copyright laws during the development of ChatGPT, as reported by Fox News. Despite these claims, the San Francisco Police Department found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.

On October 24, shortly before his death, Balaji voiced doubts about the “fair use” defense in generative artificial intelligence. “I recently participated in a NYT story about fair use and generative AI, and why I’m skeptical ‘fair use’ would be a plausible defense for a lot of generative AI products,” he wrote on X.

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