CHHATTISGARH

State Planning and Statistics Minister Punnulal Mohle tabled the State’s Economic Survey report 2017-18 on the floor of Chhattisgarh Assembly.
As per the report, the per capita income in the State as per 2016-17 has gone up from Rs 84,265 to an estimated Rs 92,035 — a 9.22 per cent jump compared to last financial year.

The growth estimates of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has remained stable while taking prices of base year 2011-12.

The advanced estimates of GSDP had gone up from Rs 2,13,649 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 2,27,866 crore in 2017-18 indicating a rise of 6.6 per cent.

The State Domestic Product estimates during 2015-16 has gone up from Rs 1,97,069 crore to Rs 2,13,649 crore in 2016-17- an increase of 8.41 per cent as compared to previous year.

During the last five years, the contribution of the industrial sector to GSDP at constant price (2011-12) in 2017-18 had been estimated at a high of 47.65.

INTERNATIONAL

Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Natural History Museum (NHM), UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of genetic/taxonomic studies, research and training, conservation in India, including species and habitat conservation assessments, etc.

NHM will help BSI in capacity building in areas of systematic botany and long-term conservation of plant genetic resources in India.

· Malacidins: Scientists discover new class of antibiotics from soil

Scientists from The Rockefeller University in New York have reported the discovery of a new class of antibiotics called maladies.
It produced by microorganisms living in soil and dirt and is capable of killing off several antibiotic-resistant pathogens.
The new family of antibiotics comes from molecules present in a large variety of soils. Scientists had analyzed more than 1000 unique soil samples across US to better understand how new class of antibiotics is produced and how it can be exploited for fighting bacteria.
They had used DNA information that encodes production of antibiotic in daptomycin to study it.
This discovery could be a useful weapon in the field of medicine.

· Indian Engineer Awarded Sci-Tech Oscar Award

Vikas Sathaye, a Pune-born person honored with the Scientific and Engineering Academy Award at the Oscars Scientific and Technical Awards 2018 at Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California.
Sathaye and his team received the award for his contribution towards conceptualization, designing, engineering, and the implementation of the ‘Shotover K1 Camera System’ during his stint at Shotover Camera Systems in Queenstown, New Zealand.

NATIONAL

The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) is organizing a National Conference under the title of “Agriculture 2022 – Doubling Farmers’ Income” at National Agriculture Science Complex (NASC), Pusa, New Delhi.

The Conference is being organized on the advice of the Hon’ble Prime Minister with a view to identify various critical issues relating to agriculture and farmers’ welfare and finding appropriate solutions.

The main aim of the conference is to build a consensus around appropriate recommendations that will help in shaping and sharpening the vision of the Government on Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022 into actionable points.

In a first in the country, Maharashtra government will be setting up an institute for artificial intelligence (AI) in Mumbai.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will unveil the plan for the institute during the Magnetic Maharashtra Summit.

The Magnetic Maharashtra Summit will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 18.

Milkbasket, India’s first and largest micro-delivery platform has been recognised as ‘Startup of the Year’ 2017 at the 7th Small Business Awards.

The Startup of the Year award is dedicated to young SMEs, aged 7 years or less, with great potential to become big in local/international markets.

Launched in early 2015, Milkbasket is India’s first and largest daily micro-delivery service.

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to launch Chandrayan-2 Mission around April this year.

He was addressing a press conference on the achievements of Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy.

Chandraayan-2 is a challenging mission as for the first time we will carry an orbiter, a lander and a rover to the moon.