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Andaman And Nicobar Islands
There will be no environmental impact and no tribal will be displaced due to the Great Nicobar project, Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said in the Rajya Sabha while asserting that the project is important for the country owing to its strategic location. Oram said this while replying to supplementaries during the question hour after several opposition members raised objections to the minister not giving a written reply to the question on tribals who are expected to be relocated as part of the project. He said China is sitting in Hambantota (Sri Lanka) while noting that "why should India leave our land". "This project is very important socio-economically and commercially in the interest of the country. We are merely 40 kms away from the sea route. That is why we cannot leave this," the minister said. TMC member Saket Gokhale and Congress' Jairam Ramesh asked why the minister has not replied to the question. Gokhale had asked on the action taken on concerns raised by the National .
In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) seized a vessel with six Myanmarese crew carrying 6,000 kg of contraband Methamphetamine near Andaman and Nicobar Islands, an official said on Monday. The drugs were found packed in around 3,000 packets of 2 kg each, which are worth several crores of rupees in the international market. On November 23, the pilot of a Coast Guard Dornier aircraft while on routine patrolling noticed a suspicious movement of a fishing trawler near Barren Island which is nearly 150 km from Port Blair, the Defence official said. "The trawler was warned and asked to lower its speed and in the meantime, the pilot alerted the Andaman and Nicobar Command. Immediately, our nearby fast patrolling vessels rushed towards Barren Island and towed the fishing trawler to Port Blair on November 24 for further investigation," the official said. "We have arrested six Myanmarese nationals from the fishing trawler and it is believed that the Methamphetamin
Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh on Thursday urged investors to turn to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which has the potential to emerge as a hub for fisheries exports. Inaugurating an investors' meet here, the Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister stressed on creating modern fishing infrastructure to utilise the untapped resources in the Union Territory, an official statement said. Calling upon investors to seize the opportunities in the region, the minister said the Centre is also working to strengthen trade with Southeast Asian countries. Additionally, he outlined efforts to promote deep-sea fishing and develop post-harvest processing facilities to help achieve the export target of Rs 1 lakh crore. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands offer a prime opportunity for fisheries development, with about six lakh square km of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) rich in under-exploited sea resources, particularly tuna and tuna-like high-valued species, estimated at 60,000 tonnes. I
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that a cyclonic circulation has formed over Andaman Sea and it is likely to intensify into a low-pressure area by Monday. It may have an impact on coastal areas of north Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh next week. In a bulletin, IMD said, "The cyclonic circulation is formed over central Andaman Sea. Under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Andaman Sea around October 21. Thereafter, it is likely to move northwestwards and intensify further into a depression around October 23." Amid speculations on the formation of a cyclone this month as forecast by certain international models, IMD Director General Mrutyunjaya Mohapatra said that a clearer picture will emerge only after formation of the low-pressure area. "The IMD has made no prediction on whether the system will develop into a cyclonic storm. October is known as the month of cyclones and some weather models are
The gradual integration of tribals in Andaman and Nicobar Islands into mainstream society has sparked mixed reactions with some experts expressing concern that it could lead to their exploitation by outsiders, while others believe it is essential for their survival, advocating for education to help them adapt to societal changes. This trend is primarily noticed among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as Shompens, Jarawas (Ang), Onges, and the Great Andamanese who live in their respective reserved dense forests where non-tribals are barred. A watershed moment took place on April 19, 2024, when Nauaaw and six other Shompens, including Jetuwai, Thuwaee, and Chemai, voted in the Lok Sabha elections for the first time, marking a significant milestone for their community. Shompens are predominantly uncontacted nomadic hunters, with a population of 244 on Nicobar Island. Nicobar Island is currently in the news due to the Rs 72,000-crore international transshipment project
The BJP has set a target to increase its membership in Andaman and Nicobar Islands by 20,000 during a drive from September, a senior leader said on Friday. BJP national secretary and spokesperson Anil Antony asserted that the target is "ambitious but achievable". "BJP had only 8,126 members in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in 2014. The number increased to 55,000 in 2019," Antony said at a press conference here. "The membership drive would be held in phases from September 1 to November 10. Individuals can sign up through a missed call, via digital platforms or through a manual membership drive," he said. Antony said a series of events would be held in the coming months, including workshops at morcha, mandal and booth levels on August 31, to achieve the target. The membership campaign will be held in two phases from September 1 to September 25 and from October 1 to October 31. "On September 25, we will conduct a door-to-door membership drive and on October 1, a special meeting with .
LIC agents on an average earn Rs 10,328 per month in Himachal Pradesh, the lowest among the insurer's agents in all states and UTs. According to data provided by LIC to the Finance Ministry, the average monthly income was the highest at Rs 20,446 a month for LIC agents in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In terms of the number of agents, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has the lowest number of agents at 273 in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Himachal Pradesh has 12,731 agents. The PSU life insurer had 13,90,920 agents across the country, according to the data. Among the larger states, Uttar Pradesh had the maximum number of LIC agents at over 1.84 lakh with an average monthly income of Rs 11,887. Maharashtra had more than 1.61 lakh LIC agents with an average monthly income of Rs 14,931. West Bengal had the third-highest number of LIC agents at 1,19,975 with an average monthly income of Rs 13,512. In Tamil Nadu, there were 87,347 agents with an average monthly income of Rs ...
The detailed project report (DPR) of a Rs 41,000-crore international transhipment port project at Great Nicobar Island in the Bay of Bengal is being finalised by the government, and it will go ahead with the implementation of the project in the next few months, a senior official said on Sunday. Great Nicobar Transhipment port project has been under scrutiny over environmental concerns. "The project has received the environmental clearances and nod from National Green Tribunal (NGT) and now there is no hurdle in its implementation. "The DPR of the project is also finalised and we are going ahead for its further implementation in the next few months," Ports, Shipping and Waterways secretary T K Ramachandran told PTI in an interview. Last year, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways in a statement had said the project is expected to be completed with an investment of Rs 41,000 crore (USD 5 billion), including investments from both government and public-private partnership (PPP)