IINRG celebrates 96th foundation day

Source: dailypioneer.com

Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) – Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums (IINRG) celebrated its 96th foundation day on Friday. Chairman, Jharkhand Public Service Commission, Sudhir Tripathi, was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

A large number of distinguished scientists from Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, ICAR-Indian Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, Regional Center of ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region and regional station of ICAR-NBPGR, dignitaries from NGO, Chhattisgarh, Sahabhagi Samaj Sevi Sanstha participated in the programme.

While welcoming the Chief Guest, Director of the Institute, KK Sharma apprised them of the achievements of the institute in terms of various technologies developed and transferred by the institute especially value added products from natural gums such as hydrogels, dietary fibers and gum based nano-particles for disease control in plants. He also mentioned how lac cultivation played a significant role in increasing farm income.

Speaking on the occasion Tripathi congratulated the institute for its significant contribution in research and development of natural resins and gums. He also wished the institute to receive more laurels during its centenary celebration.

Addressing the gathering as Guest of Honour, Inspector General of Police (HR), Navin Kumar Singh delivered the 9th Dorothy Norris Memorial Lecture on “Digital India, Cyber Crime Issues, Challenges and Way Forward” in which he explained the importance of digitization, cyber crime issues in the digital era and the precautions to be taken to safeguard from cyber crimes. A memorial lecture was delivered by Singh, in honour of the Founder Director of the erstwhile Indian Lac Research Institute Dorothy Norris.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between ICAR-IINRG and Sahabhagi Samaj Sevi Sanstha working on strengthening lac value chain in the State of Chhattisgarh in which the institute will provide technical support to the NGO.

On this occasion, distinguished workers of the institute like Scientist, Arnab Roy Chaudhury, Technical Officer, P Patmajhi, Janki Devi and Chaitu Kachhap, skilled supporting staff were awarded with certificates and trophies for their commendable contribution in their sphere of work.

Saturday was declared as an open day for the public in which over 800 students from 12 schools visited the institute. They were shown the Museum, Lac video film, Short video on Swachh Bharat Mission of Government of India and Institute Research Farm. A cultural function was also organized in the evening for the participants and the employees of the institute.

Retired staff of the ICAR-IINRG also attended the event.

Carry out admissions through Chancellor Portal: Guv

Source: dailypioneer.com

Governor Droupadi Murmu on Thursday directed universities in State to carry out admission at undergraduate courses through Chancellor Portal. The Governor, who is also Chancellor of Universities at the meeting with VCs, registrars and financial advisors of state universities at Raj Bhavan, asked universities to carry out admission through Chancellor Portal from next academic session.

With admission through Chancellor Portal, colleges will have no say in selecting meritorious students who have scored better in his/her intermediate exam. Previously, colleges used to announce cut off. Better ranked colleges had cut off for admission in honours courses. However, now the minimum criteria of seeking admission will be fixed and colleges will have to adhere to whatever list is sent by the Chancellor Portal authorities.

The Governor also directed the VCs to carry out National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) of their universities and colleges and get better ranking. The Governor meanwhile expressed happiness over universities regularizing their academic calendar.

The VC said, “It is please to know that academic calendar of universities are regularized. The examination is held on time and the results are declared timely, which is beneficial for students for pursuing higher studies in other universities.” The Chancellor claimed that irregular academic calendar they have received from Bihar, before the bifurcation of State. Murmu, on the occasion, also expressed happiness that Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) is taking up promotion issue of teachers in a priority basis. She said that with JPSC taking up the promotion issue on priority basis, backlog in State universities will be cleared paving way for fresh appointments at educational institutions.

The Chancellor also directed VCs to complete the process of installing WiFi at educational institutions and in this connection they can take the help of National Informatics Centre (NIC) for regular inspection and monitoring. The Governor also directed universities to work in direction of ACP/MACP so that non-teaching staff are benefitted with salary and other benefits.

The Chancellor also asked for creation of posts at Tribal and regional language department of Ranchi University and Kolhan University. The Governor also assessed the progress in construction work of new buildings at Nilamber-Pitamber University Medininagar, Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University (Dhnabad) and Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University (Ranchi).

Directions were also issued for making Shikshit Bharat Abhiyan or Unnat Bharat Abhiyan successful in State along with following directions of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) department successful.   The Chancellor also directed universities to appoint ad-hoc teachers at colleges so that shortage of teachers can be addressed. The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary KK Khandelwal, Principal Secretary- Higher, Technical Education & Skill Development, Shailesh Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary to Governor Satendra Singh, Building Construction Secretary Sunil Kumar, JPSC Secretary Ranendra Kumar among others.

VCs and other officials from Ranchi University, Vinoba Bhave University Hazaribag, Sido Kanhu Murmu University Dumka, Nilamber-Pitamber University Medininagar, Binod Bihari Mahto Koylanchal University (Dhnabad), Kolhan University (Chaibasa) and Jharkhand Raksha Shakti University (Ranchi) were also present at the meeting.

JMM holds youth rally against Govt policies

Source: dailypioneer.com

In an attempt to intensify its attack on ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its “wrong employment policy”, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) held a ‘Yuva Aakrosh Rally’ to demand jobs for local and tribal youths in all district head quarters across the State including the State Capital on Monday.

The party organised the march to catch attention of youths and students before the State Assembly Election which is scheduled in the end of this year. A large numbers of youths participated in the march.

The march led by JMM Executive president and former Chief Minister of the State, Hemant Soren and it started from Ranchi College Football Ground and crossing through Radium Road, Kutchery Chowk and finally ended at Raj Bhawan and culminated in a public meeting

Addressing the crowd at the Raj Bhawan during public meeting, Soren said that the party called ‘Yuva Aakrosh Rally’ against wrong job policies of the State Government, which resulted in employment of outsiders and forced the youths of the State to migrate to earn their living. “The State Government’s job policy is completely against the local and tribal of the State, during the tenure of present State Government the local and tribal of the State has not been given jobs in any of the State Government’s department and all the jobs were sold to outsiders,” he added.

Hitting hard on the government for its wrong job policies the former Chief Minister said that the government is playing with the future of the youths and the students to make a particular section happy. During the last five years the State Government has not been successfully completed a single recruitment through Jharkhand Public Service Commission, he added

Announcing the party’s stand if voted to power in the upcoming State Assembly Elections, Soren said that the party will constitute a special job policy for the local and tribal of the State. “The party will provide 75 per cent reservation to local and tribal to jobs of private companies which are settled in the State. The party will also make provision to give 50 per cent reservation to women in all State Government’s job,” he added.

“The party will start recruitment in mission mode in the first year of its tenure to fill all five lakhs vacant posts in the State Government’s various departments and those who are working as contractual employee of the State Government for a long time will also be regularised,” said Soren.

It has also been announced at the meeting that the local will get priority in tender of up to Rs 25 crore of all State Government’s contract.

Almost all senior leader of the party were present in the march.

Road projects to get pace ahead of Assembly poll

Source: dailypioneer.com

The Raghubar Das Government ahead of year-end Assembly election is to focus on infrastructure improvement, especially road connectivity. The State Road Construction Department has set a 120 day deadline with a target to construct 400 km roads and 15 bridges in this duration. As the construction of roads and bridges will require technical expertise, the Road Construction Department is to recruit 969 engineers on the rank of assistant engineers and junior engineers in the coming days.

Department secretary KK Soan said, “The department, to fill up the vacancies of engineers, has decided to make appointment of 969 engineers. 732 posts of assistant engineers and 237 posts of junior engineers will be filled. The appointment process will be completed within two-three months.”

He added, “While the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) will carry out the appointment process of assistant engineers, the junior engineers will be appointed by Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).”

The appointed engineers will be placed at various projects of road construction department.

Some of the major road projects which the department has a target to complete within 120 days includes—Hazaribag-Barkagoan-Tandwa-Khelari-Bijupara Road (115.65km), Chhattarpur-Japla road (115.65km), Patratu-Hendegir-Mcluskiganj (45km), Vikas-booth More-Kantatoli to Rampur road (25.35km), Ghaghra-Netarhat road (54 km), Chanho (on NG 75)-Dighia (on MDR-001)-Purnapani (on NH-23)-Lapung (on MDR-030 road) among others.

Apart from these roads, there are around 41 other roads in which construction will begin or will be completed within the stipulated time frame.

Sources said that the Road Construction department has been asked by Government to speed up the construction work ahead of year-end Assembly election.  Sources said that as improvement and strengthening of road infrastructure has been the top priority of Raghubar’s Government, the Road Construction department has been asked complete or start work on all major road projects.

According to Road Construction department sources, the department has earmarked Rs 4,700 crore budgetary provision in the financial year 2019-20. Out of this, the department expenditure till July 2019 is Rs 1,904.34 crore which is nearly 40.51 per cent of the total allocation in the financial year.

As per the total allocation of the budget, the physical target for construction of roads is 1350 km while bridges are 40. Against the physical target, around 290 km road has been constructed at the same six bridges has been constructed.

A senior road construction department official requesting anonymity said, “As per target set by department, the construction work on major road projects will gain momentum. We have been asked to complete the construction work on new projects or to complete the pending projects.”

Where are the jobs? Angry students ask Jharkhand minister

Source: telegraphindia.com

Angry students at Birsa Agricultural University on Wednesday confronted state agriculture minister Randheer Kumar Singh with a question: Where are the jobs?

The minister had gone to attend the 39th foundation day event of the varsity in Kanke. When he was leaving after delivering his speech, around 50 students were waiting outside the auditorium to pepper him with questions such as why no student from Jharkhand’s only agriculture university has got a state government job for the last 20 years, and what future could they look forward to with such a bleak placement record.

The minister tried to duck the barrage by saying that he wishes for the students’ good academic performance. Agriculture, he said, is the priority sector of the government and steps are being taken to provide employment opportunities for students. He said that vice-chancellor Parvinder Kaushal would address the students’ concerns.

The students were not in the mood to be swayed by perfunctory assurances. They raised slogans against the minister and the vice-chancellor, and followed the minister till he reached his car.

“The last recruitment was done in 1989,” said Varunesh Kumar, a former student of the university, who secured a gold medal in 2016 for academic excellence. “In 2015, the government had started the recruitment process for 450 block agriculture officers through the Jharkhand Public Service Commission. The preliminary test was successfully conducted. But two days before the mains examination, the recruitment was cancelled without citing any reason. Students of B.Sc (agriculture) are the worst victims.”

Ruplal Prasad, a current student, said the university’s alumni can be the backbone of an agriculture revolution in the state.

“But then we are neglected,” Prasad said. “Where we will display our skills if employment opportunities are not given to us? Jharkhand’s achievement in agriculture is only on paper. The government may be opening new research centres and colleges for agriculture studies in the state but there is employment opportunity for students. We are under pressure of our parents to get jobs. Now we feel that we made a mistake by opting to study agriculture. Every year the minister visits BAU during the foundation day programme and assures to look into our matter, so today we decided to protest.”

A group of students from veterinary and allied subjects, who were also part of the protest on Wednesday, said the state has 16 Krishi Vigyan Kendras, each with six teaching faculty and scientists, but veterinary and allied sciences students are not deemed qualified for recruitment in the Kendras.

The varsity runs a number of courses such as animal husbandry, forestry, biotechnology, fisheries, agri-business management and horticulture. There are six colleges under the varsity, of which four are agricultural colleges, one is a veterinary college and the other is a forestry college. There are over 600 students at the varsity.

The angst at BAU is not isolated. The unemployment rate in India rose to 7.2 per cent in February 2019, the highest since September 2016, and up from 5.9 per cent in February 2018, according to data compiled by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy and released in March this year.