PIB 20th February

Contents:

1. International protection for Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Asian Elephant
2. Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) 
3. List of Formation Dates of All the States in India

INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION FOR GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD, BENGAL FLORICAN AND ASIAN ELEPHANT

• India’s proposal to include Great Indian Bustard, Asian Elephant and Bengal Florican in Appendix I of UN Convention on migratory species was unanimously accepted today at the ongoing thirteenth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) in Gandhinagar.

Asian Elephant

• The Government of India has declared Indian elephant as National Heritage Animal.
• Indian elephant is also provided highest degree of legal protection by listing it in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Great Indian Bustard

• The Great Indian Bustard, an iconic, critically endangered and conservation dependent species, exhibits transboundary movements, and its migration exposes it to threats such as hunting in boundary area of Pakistan-India and power-line collisions in India.
• Inclusion of the species in Appendix I of CMS will aide in transboundary conservation efforts facilitated by International conservation bodies and existing international laws and agreement

Bengal Florican

The Bengal Florican an iconic, critically endangered species of topmost conservation priority, exhibits transboundary movements, and its migration exposes it to threats such as land use changes, collision with power transmission line at boundary area of India-Nepal and probable power-line collisions

SHYAMA PRASAD MUKHERJI RURBAN MISSION (SPMRM) 

• Undertaken by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, the SPMRM focuses on cluster-based integrated development through Spatial Planning.
• Rurban clusters are identified across the country’s rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization – i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.
• Under the mission 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a timebound manner.
• Of these 296 clusters have been selected and number of Integrated Cluster Action Plans (ICAPs) approved are 288 and Detailed Project Reports of 240 have been approved.

LIST OF FORMATION DATES OF ALL STATES

India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 9 union territories, for a total of 37 entities