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The all-India tiger estimation conducted in 2022 stands out as the most extensive wildlife survey to date, encompassing 20 states and entailing an impressive foot survey of 6,41,449 kilometres, according to data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (<keyword id="49703" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ntca" source="Orion">NTCA</keyword>). The study team involved officials and experts from the NTCA and the states, research biologists, scientists, coordinators, interns and volunteers. As part of the exercise, the team sampled 3,24,003 habitat plots to gather data on vegetation, human impacts and ungulate dung. The camera traps installed at 32,588 locations resulted in an impressive 4,70,81,881 photographs, including 97,399 captures of <keyword id="43977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tigers" source="Orion">tigers</keyword>, according to the "Status of Tigers 2022" report released by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword> at an event in Mysuru on Sunday. The study required an immense amount of effort, with the team investing more than 6,41,102 man-days to complete it. "We believe that this is the world's largest effort invested in any wildlife survey till date, on all of the above counts," the report read. The camera traps captured the images of a total of 3,080 tigers (aged above one year). The number represents an increase compared to the figures (2,697) of 2018. "Based on the findings, the minimum population estimate of tigers in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> is 3,167 individuals, reflecting an encouraging upward trend in the tiger population," a senior environment ministry official said. In 2006, the country established a 100-square kilometre grid as the standard sampling space for monitoring tiger populations. This remains constant to date, with each grid assigned a unique code for subsequent analysis and comparison. The first phase of the 2022 estimation exercise involved data collection across the country, covering 10,146 grids of 100 square km each, the report said. The entire phase-1 data was collected using the MSTrIPES android application. The second phase, conducted at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, entailed generating landscape-level data using remote sensing and secondary data sources. Finally, the third phase involved sampling at 174 sites, encompassing 32,588 locations, which yielded 4,70,81,881 photographs, including 97,399 pictures of tigers. The effort invested in the data collection and collation was more than 6,41,102 man-days, making this the largest survey conducted ever, officials said. The 2022 all-India tiger estimation revealed a notable increase in tiger occupancy. It identified and photographed 3,080 unique tigers, representing an increase from the 2,461 tigers captured in 2018. According to the report, the minimum estimated population of tigers in India is 3,167, up from 2,697 in 2018. Tiger populations have increased significantly in the Shivalik and Gangetic floodplains as well as in central India, the Northeastern Hills-Brahmaputra floodplains and Sundarbans. However, the Western Ghats, recognised as one of the most notable biodiversity hotspots in India, showed a decline. The region recorded 824 "unique tigers" in 2022, as compared to 981 in 2018. According to the study team, aligning the aspirations of large-scale economic development while safeguarding forests and wildlife and mitigating human-tiger conflict is one of the major challenges.

Tiger census 2022 is world's most extensive wildlife survey says NTCA report

<ul><li>As per the report, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum number of tigers, followed by Karnataka. </li><li>Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a <keyword id="9403" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tiger">tiger</keyword> estimation report as per which India recorded 2,967 tigers, more than double the number from 1,411 in 2006. </li><li>Currently, the tiger population within the reserves is 1,923 (65 percent of the total tiger population of India), the report said. </li></ul>India is home to 8% of the world’s biodiversity, including 70% of the world’s tiger population, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said while releasing a report about the status of <keyword id="788302" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tigers-in-India">Tigers in India</keyword>, ahead of Global Tigers Day. "In 1973, there were just nine tiger reserves which have now increased to 50. It is important to know that none of these reserves are of poor quality. Either they are good or the best,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said. He added, “Despite India's constraint of 2.5% of global land, 4% of rainfall and 16 % of world's human population, India is home to 8% of world's biodiversity, which includes 70% of the world's tiger population.” Currently, the tiger population within the reserves is 1,923 (65 percent of the total tiger population of India), the report said. The 'Status of Tigers, Co-predators and Prey in India report for 2018' showed that out of the 50 tiger reserves in the country, three reserves - Mizoram's Dampa reserve, West Bengal's Buxa reserve and Jharkhand's Palamau reserve - have no tigers left. According to the population estimation of tigers in reserves for 2018-19, Corbett has 231 tigers, followed by Nagarhole and Bandipore reserves in Karnataka with 127 and 126 tigers respectively, reported PTI. India is ready to work with other tiger range countries According to Javadekar, India is ready to take a leadership role and work with all tiger range countries for the management of the reserves and the conservation of the big cat. There are currently 13 tiger range countries — India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam. According to the report, in the state-wise distribution of tigers, Madhya Pradesh was found with maximum tigers at 526 followed by Karnataka at 524 and 442 in Uttarakhand. Last year Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the four-yearly tiger census report according to which the tiger population in the country had grown from 1,400 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2019. (With inputs from PTI) SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/mahindra-and-mahindra-finance-managing-director-gets-candid-about-the-rights-issue/articleshow/77212386.cms">EXCLUSIVE: M&amp;M Financial Managing Director gets candid about the rights issue, the bleak prospects for this year and why there should be no more loan moratorium</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/india-stock-brokers-hit-by-sebi-direct-market-access/articleshow/77198064.cms">India's broking industry just got the shock of its life – SEBI may soon allow investors to trade directly on the exchanges</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/these-10-indian-colleges-have-produced-indias-most-funded-startup-owners/slidelist/77140792.cms">These 10 Indian colleges have produced India’s most funded startup owners</a>

India's tiger population has nearly doubled in 12 years

<ul><li>The population of the endangered Bengal tigers in India has increased by 33% from 2,226 in 2014 to 2,967 in 2018. </li><li>India counts its tigers every four years through a comprehensive survey. The latest <keyword id="91788" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tiger-census">tiger census</keyword> was carried out on 3,81,400 sq km in 20 tiger-occupied states. </li><li>The government official had to set up camera traps at 26,838 locations to capture pictures of wild tigers.</li></ul> After many years of rapid decline, the <keyword id="7927910" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="number-of-tigers-in-india">number of tigers in India</keyword> has gone up. The population of the endangered Bengal tigers rose by 33% to 2,967 in 2018 from 2014, the <a href="https://projecttiger.nic.in/WriteReadData/PublicationFile/Tiger%20Status%20Report_XPS220719032%20%20new%20layout(1).pdf">government said. </a> Prime Minister Narendra Modi too proudly proclaimed on July 29, that India is now home to almost 75% of the global tiger population. If all goes well, Indian tiger <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/world/asia/india-tiger.html">count can go up to 4,000 like it was in the 1980s</a>, said Valdmik Thapar, a prominent naturalist and conservationist in the country. A good picture A few experts however believe that the ‘good picture’ is because of better counting techniques, using cameras and improved placements. India counts its tigers every four years through a comprehensive survey. The latest tiger census was carried out across 3,81,400 sq km in 20 states. Government officials had set up camera traps at 26,838 locations to capture pictures of wild tigers. "There are a plethora of factors that have resulted in good numbers, including efficient management inputs, the density of camera, and supportive government efforts. Out of the 50 tiger habitats in India, 47 have shown positive numbers, said N Sunil Kumar, CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Foundation <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/29/world/asia/india-tiger.html">told</a> Business Insider India. He further added, "We should strive to keep improving the habitats because that is the objective." The c<a href="https://www.scmp.com/video/asia/3020592/wild-tigers-clashing-people-animal-population-rises-nearly-3000-india">ameras captured 3.5 crore pictures</a>, and using Capture-Mark-Recapture methodology, 76,651 pictures of tigers were identified. The authorities then used Artificial Intelligence (AI) to detect the presence of 3,000 tigers in 2018. Still endangered While the numbers have risen, India has also lost many tigers rapidly, due to increased urbanisation which cut into forest cover. In 1900, India <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/narendra-modi-on-international-tiger-day-says-population-doubled/articleshow/70428071.cms">was believed to be a home to 100,000 tigers</a>. By 2006, it went down to a fraction of it, at 1,411. To save their declining population, India along with 12 other countries, signed an agreement to double the number by 2022. According to Modi, India achieved this target four years earlier. "The results of the just declared tiger census would make every Indian, every nature lover happy," <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/PMOIndia/status/1155694808519680000?s=20">he said.</a> But, there is a lot more work to be done to save tigers. "It is about carrying capacity of the reserves. The challenge now is to look beyond protected areas and be ready with measures to address conflicts," said Rajesh Gopal, former head of National Tiger Conservation Authority. (With IANS) See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/narendra-modi-on-international-tiger-day-says-population-doubled/articleshow/70428071.cms">Prime Minister Modi says India has doubled its tiger population four years ahead of target</a>

India's tiger population is rising and it is not just because we can now count better

As many as 85 tigers, including 32 cubs, have died in the past four years due to various reasons in <keyword id="4679793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wildlife-habitats" source="Orion">wildlife habitats</keyword> of <keyword id="6355554" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="madhya-pradesh" source="Orion">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, the government has informed the state Assembly. <keyword id="202599" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-forest-minister" source="Orion">State forest minister</keyword> <keyword id="1137352" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kunwar-vijay-shah" source="Orion">Kunwar Vijay Shah</keyword> gave this information in a written reply to a question by Congress legislator from Jabalpur (East) Lakhan Ghanghoriya. The Congress MLA had sought to know how many tigers died in the state in four years from 2018-19 to 2021-22. The MLA had also sought information about how many big cats had escaped from various reserves, to which Shah said that the movement of the tigers through various forest corridors is a natural process in search for food, partners, better habitat and new territory. "State government spent ₹28,306.70 lakh on the conservation, security and monitoring of the big cats during 2018-19, while this amount was ₹22,049.98 lakh in 2019-20. In 2020-21 and 2021-22, ₹26,427.86 lakh and ₹12,882.82 lakh have been spent on this work respectively," Minister told the house. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) reports suggested that a total 202 tigers were reported to have died between 2012 and 2020 in Madhya Pradesh. The data available on the NTCA website said that 38 tigers died in the state between January and December this year so far. Madhya Pradesh had regained the tag of tiger state in the 2018 census for being home to 526 big cats, two more than Karnataka. Earlier, the MP had lost this tag to Karnataka in the all-India tiger estimation exercise for 2010, primarily due to alleged poaching in the Panna Tiger Reserve. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/paytm-mall-loses-its-unicorn-status/articleshow/88446807.cms">Paytm Mall loses its unicorn status</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/here-are-the-best-camera-phones-under-20000-in-india/slidelist/88447488.cms">Best camera phones under ₹20,000 in India</a>

Madhya Pradesh lost 85 tigers in the past four years

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Indian authorities are searching for a <keyword id="9403" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tiger">tiger</keyword> that has claimed its eighth victim in the space of two years. </li><li>RT1 recognizes any traps that are set up for him, only eats after dark, and uses his instincts cleverly.</li><li>A 70-year-old farmhand named Maroti Pendor was the latest victim of the vicious tiger.</li><li>Tigers have killed 225 people between 2014 and 2019 across <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, including 31 in Maharashtra in 2020 alone.</li></ul>Indian authorities are searching for a man-eating tiger that has claimed its eighth victim in the space of two years. On October 5, a 70-year-old farmhand named Maroti Pendor went into the forest to gather firewood. When he didn't come back, his family and other villagers from Khambada, Maharastra, went out looking for him. They found his clothes barely 200 meters beyond the treeline, then his leg, his head, and part of his shredded torso as they got deeper into the forest but the rest of his body was gone, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/tiger-lurking-in-indian-forest-kills-eighth-human-in-two-years-wzdzktnz9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Times</a> reported.He had become the latest person to be mauled to death by Rajuri Tiger One (RT1), an 8-year-old male who prowls the Tadoba National Park forests in the Chandrapur district, home to 175 tigers.Also known as the Tiger of Rajura, he has killed eight people and injured three others since January 2019, most of whom were also farm workers who had gone looking for firewood, according to the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hunt+for+indian+tiger+killed&amp;source=lnms&amp;tbm=nws&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwilzfG1qLTsAhWTN8AKHcPGCvgQ_AUoAXoECBIQAw&amp;biw=1409&amp;bih=955amp;biw=1409&amp;bih=955">Daily Mail</a>.It has brought the total of fatal tiger attacks in the district up to 27 as human settlements and industry encroach into the tigers' natural habitat and creating conflict, the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/maharashtra-sets-up-chandrapur-human-tiger-conflict-resolution-study-group-report-by-dec-31/story-StlilS7jY12LqkgqhiecBJ.html">Hindustan Times</a> reported. Hunters armed with tranquilizers have not yet been able to capture RT1 despite urgent calls from politicians, including a seven-day ultimatum from Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Subhash Dhote. Village Head, Malesh Atram, said: "The forest department has four teams but only two shooters; the lack of shooters means it is taking too long to capture the tiger," <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/tiger-lurking-in-indian-forest-kills-eighth-human-in-two-years-wzdzktnz9">The Times</a> reported. Nitin Kakodka, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) also renewed calls for the capture of the Tiger of Rajura for the fourth time since January this year.However, Bandu Dhotre, a district <keyword id="6360144" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wildlife">wildlife</keyword> warden and founder of the conservation group Eco-Pro said that officials ignored calls from locals to kill the tiger rather than trapping him, according to <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/world/tiger-lurking-in-indian-forest-kills-eighth-human-in-two-years-wzdzktnz9">The Times.</a>He said: "This animal is so intelligent that he recognizes the trap set-up. He eats only after dark and uses his instincts cleverly. Villagers are panicked, traumatized by this tiger. The situation is like an unofficial lockdown."The tracking teams are really working very hard. On many days, they have to even go without a bath. An urgent meeting should be held to decide how to put an end to RT1's killing spree. It is proving to be very difficult to catch."In 2018, a female tiger named Avni who killed at least 13 people was dramatically shot dead in a highly publicized case despite appeals against the order being lodged with the country's Supreme Court.More recently, in June, a tiger responsible for the death of three people was captured and sent to a zoo in the state of Madhya Pradesh after officials said it was too dangerous for it to roam freely, according to the <a href="https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2020/06/08/india-sends-man-eater-tiger-to-lifetime-in-captivity.html">Jakarta Post</a>.Meanwhile, a leopard was shot dead this week after killing two children in Teri Gharwal, Uttarakhand, a northeasterly state which has seen over 10 people killed in leopard attacks over the last two months, the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/human-leopard-conflict-rises-in-uttarakhand-over-10-people-killed-in-last-months/story-p9N6fnX31b6szpOL7rKdxK.html">Hindustan Times</a> reported.India is home to 70% of the world's tigers and 50 tiger reserves established in 1973 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to protect the endangered species. The main problem now is the increasing conflict between humans and tigers.Tigers killed 225 people between 2014 and 2019 across India, according to the country's tiger census, including 31 people killed in 2020 alone, the highest amount in a decade, the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai-news/31-killed-in-tiger-attacks-across-maharashtra-in-2020-highest-in-a-year-since-2010/story-uodHikRC1froTJRwIS5WVI.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hindustan Times</a> reported.The state government has since created an 11-member committee that will look into measures to reduce conflict between tigers and humans and submit their findings by December 31, 2020.

An 'intelligent' man-eating tiger that has killed its 8th victim in an Indian forest continues to evade the hunters sent to track it down

When the <keyword id="6662033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Big-Cats">big cats</keyword> world over are fast losing their <keyword id="1342788" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="natural-habitat">natural habitat</keyword>, it is heartening to see one Indian state setting up a new home for this endangered species. <keyword id="13126" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Maharashtra">Maharashtra</keyword> will soon be home to the state’s fifth <keyword id="51012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tiger-reserve">tiger reserve</keyword> if it gets approval from the <keyword id="49041" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="National-Tiger-Conservation-Authority">National Tiger Conservation Authority</keyword>, a senior official said in Mumbai. There are already four tiger reserves in the state including <keyword id="6416868" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Melghat">Melghat</keyword>, <keyword id="6364430" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tadoba">Tadoba</keyword>, <keyword id="378980" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pench">Pench</keyword> and <keyword id="305828" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sahyadri">Sahyadri</keyword>. 
 The sanctuary identified for the new tiger project is located at <keyword id="1957392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nagzira-Navegaon">Nagzira-Navegaon</keyword> – lying between Bhandara and Gondia districts. Earlier, <keyword id="1957393" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nagzira-sanctuary">Nagzira sanctuary</keyword> spanned some 150 sq km while the <keyword id="131360" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Navegaon-National-Park">Navegaon National Park</keyword> covered 130 sq km. With the upcoming tiger habitat in view, the entire area has been increased to 700 sq km, principal secretary (forests) Praveen Pardeshi told the media. 
 Some big cats housed in Tadoba often wander outside the core area and these will be moved to the <keyword id="612932" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nagzira-Navegaon-tiger-reserve">Nagzira-Navegaon tiger reserve</keyword>. There are more than 100 tigers in Tadoba while Nagzira alone shelters some 20 tigers. 
 As per the latest data, the average number of tigers in Maharashtra grew from 103 in 2006 to 168 in 2011. Other states like Kerala, <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>, Karnataka, <keyword id="6354915" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Assam">Assam</keyword> and the Western Ghats region also saw a rise in number, according to new surveys conducted via camera traps. 
 India is home to the world’s largest population of wild tigers and the number stood at 1,706 according to the last census in 2011 (ranging between a minimum of 1,571 and a maximum of 1,875 across 17 Indian states). In a bid to boost the <keyword id="110107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="tiger-population">tiger population</keyword>, the central government gave in-principle approval for the creation of five <keyword id="1186294" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="new-tiger-reserves">new tiger reserves</keyword> in 2012. These include <keyword id="42865" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pilibhit">Pilibhit</keyword> (<keyword id="6357713" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>), <keyword id="1089395" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ratapani">Ratapani</keyword> (<keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>), <keyword id="191956" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunabeda">Sunabeda</keyword> (<keyword id="6357961" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Odisha">Odisha</keyword>), <keyword id="1957401" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mukundara-Hills">Mukundara Hills</keyword> (<keyword id="6355588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword>) and <keyword id="119091" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sathyamangalam">Sathyamangalam</keyword> (Tamil Nadu). The proposed Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve constitutes three wildlife sanctuaries including Darrah, Jawahar Sagar and Chambal. 
 India is also planning to set up an all-new tiger sanctuary inside the <keyword id="63330" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sundarbans">Sundarbans</keyword>, <keyword id="1957403" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Worlds-largest-mangrove-forest">world’s largest mangrove forest</keyword> which straddles the border of <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword> with <keyword id="6354759" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword>. The Sundarbans, a <keyword id="6383012" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Unesco-World-Heritage-Site">UNESCO World Heritage Site</keyword> spanning some 10,000 sq km, already houses a tiger reserve but a second one could be coming up to accommodate the increasing tiger population in that region. 
 
With input from agencies 
Image: Wikipedia

Soon, Big Cats Will Find A New Home At Nagzira-Navegaon In Maharashtra

<ul><li>The Chinese government is forcing the $100 billion private tutoring and online <keyword id="6361862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="education-sector">education sector</keyword> to go non-profit.</li><li>The move is also said to be in line with Chinese president’s Xi Jinping’s top priority at the moment — boosting the declining birth rate in <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>.</li><li>India may turn out to be a possible beneficiary of China’s latest regulation on the <keyword id="1464841" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Edtech">edtech</keyword> industry.</li></ul>The government of China has pulled the rug from the edtech industry, with its latest regulation. The country is now forcing its $100 billion private tutoring and online education sector to go non-profit. To make matters worse, the Chinese government has also deprived the edtech companies from going public, taking foreign capital or issuing stocks if already public. This has shut all doors for these companies to make any form of capital and for investors to get their desired exits. Investors like Warburg Pincus, Temasek, General Insurance Corporation (GIC), Sequoia Capital, SoftBank, Tiger Global and many others have been affected by this decision, apart from the edtech startups that are operational in the country. Top Chinese edtech startups and their investors: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Chinese edtech firms </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Investors </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Yuanfudao </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">DST, CPE, Temasek, Trustbridge </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Huohua Siwei </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Trustbridge, GSR, GGV, Tencent, Carlyle, Sequoia China </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zuoyebang </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sequoia China, SoftBank Vision Fund, FountainVest, Tiger Global </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zhangmen </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Shunwei Capital, Warburg Pincus, CMC Capital </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Knowbox </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TAL Education Group, Bertelsmann Asia Investments, Alibaba Group </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">iTutorGroup </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Alibaba Capital Partners, Qiming Venture Partners </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Huike </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">China Oceanwide, Qianhe Capital, Fosun RZ Capital </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hujiang </td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Minsheng Investment Group, Baidu </td></tr></tbody></table> According to a Bloomberg<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-07-23/from-tiger-to-temasek-investors-scarred-by-china-edtech-assault"> report</a>, the nationwide crackdown on edtech actually stems out of a deeper backlash against the new-age educational businesses. The excessive tutoring not only torments youth, but also burdens parents with expensive fees, the report added. The edtech segment has also been accused of causing social inequalities. Edtech is allegedly triggering a social inequality among urban and rural citizens of China by providing additional coaching to those who can afford it. This especially has a greater impact in tutoring students for China’s university entrance exam, gaokao, according to media reports. The nine-hour-long test actually determines whether a student will attend an undergraduate institution or not. The test results will also determine the college a student can attend. Since there are no other alternatives in China, gaokao has turned out to be a really high stakes exam. Therefore, it is <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/2097512/gaokao-how-one-exam-can-set-course-students-life-china">seen</a> as one of the most brutal educational assessments in the world. According to a report by news and analysis platform Protocol, Chinese families are willing to shell out an average of 11% of their annual family expenses for their Children’s future success. This does create inequalities among those who cannot afford to pay for additional education systems. Besides this, the policy is said to be in line with Chinese president’s Xi Jingping’s top priority at the moment — boosting the declining birth rate in China. Affordable education is likely to promote people to have more than one child. China’s latest regulation on edtech: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Companies and institution that teach the school curriculum must go non-profit </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">These institutions cannot pursue an IPO or raise any foreign capital </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Listed companies will not be able to issue stock or raise money in stock market </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Foreign companies cannot acquire or hold shares in school tutoring companies </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">All vacation and holiday curriculum tutoring is prohibited </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Online curriculum for kids below six years of age in banned </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.8333325pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:2pt 2pt 2pt 2pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Companies cannot teach foreign curriculum or hire foreigners </td></tr></tbody></table> This is not the first time that the Chinese government has shown interest in the nation's edtech industry. On March 31 this year, China’s Minister of Education Chen Baosheng <a href="http://www.moe.gov.cn/srcsite/A06/s3321/202104/t20210401_523901.html">announced</a> that the education department should limit the timings for online learning to ensure that primary and secondary school students get enough sleep. The ministry added that all live online broadcasting training activities should end no later than 9 p.m. Chinese crackdown a boon for Indian edtech? China is the largest education market in the world, which has attracted venture capital, from all over the globe, over the last few years. Out of the 28 edtech unicorns in the world, eight are from China as per a market intelligence firm Holon IQ <a href="https://www.holoniq.com/edtech-unicorns/">report</a>. A unicorn, in startup parlance, is a private firm valued at or more than $1 billion. Online education has been booming around the world especially during the global pandemic. According to a weforum<a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning/"> report</a>, about 1.2 billion students across 186 countries were out of school in 2020 due to COVID-19 and related restrictions. The global investment in edtech will grow from $18.66 billion in 2019 to $350 billion by 2025, the report added. If China shuts its doors to global capital looking for opportunities in the edtech space, it is possible that money may seek out opportunities in countries like India with a large population of students and early career professionals. 81.3% of India’s population is under the age of 45, according to Census of India <a href="https://censusindia.gov.in/census_and_you/age_structure_and_marital_status.aspx">2011</a>. Though India has only two edtech unicorns at the moment — BYJU’s and Unacademy — the sector has been gaining a lot of momentum over the last one year. BYJU’s is currently the biggest edtech startup in the world in terms of valuation, at an estimated $16.5 billion. The Bengaluru-based company has raised $2.7 billion in the last decade, from marquee investors like Prosus, General Atlantic, Tencent, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Tiger Global, Silver Lake and more. Besides this, the Indian government’s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/india-revamps-its-education-policy-after-34-years-scraps-mphil-proposes-vocational-courses-from-class-6-ug-colleges-to-become-autonomous/articleshow/77241851.cms">National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020</a> that promotes digital and remote learning is going to further boost the segment in India. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/subscribe-to-glenmark-life-sciences-ipo-because-of-clean-regulatory-history-and-good-track-record-as-per-analysts/articleshow/84748115.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">One may subscribe to Glenmark Life Sciences IPO because of clean regulatory history, strong promoter backing and good track record, say analysts</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/yes-bank-shares-surge-5-after-it-reports-strong-profit-growth/articleshow/84751116.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">YES Bank shares surge 5% as investors see a ray of hope after bank reported four fold growth in profit</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/a-man-used-ai-to-bring-back-his-deceased-fianc-but-the-creators-of-the-tech-warn-it-could-be-dangerous-and-used-to-spread-misinformation-/articleshow/84717296.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">A man used AI to bring back his deceased fiancé. But the creators of the tech warn it could be dangerous and used to spread misinformation.</a>

The Chinese government believes online education is bad for students, parents and the society

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) The Centre on Tuesday increased the budgetary allocation for the Union Environment Ministry from the last fiscal by 5.6 per cent but shrunk the allocation to control pollution by Rs 10 crore. The government, however, increased the Budget for National Mission for Green India from Rs 290 crore in the last financial year to Rs 361.69 crore this year with the national afforestation programme alone being allotted Rs 300 crore, more than last year's amount of Rs 235 crore. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, allocated Rs 3,030 crore for the ministry for financial year 2022-23, of which Rs 460 crore were allotted towards control of pollution, which is Rs 10 crore less than the last year's Budget. The minister, in her speech, underlined India's commitment to reduce its carbon footprint, saying the Budget proposes several near-term and long-term actions accordingly. "The risks of climate change are the strongest negative externalities that affect India and other countries. As the prime minister said at the COP26 summit in Glasgow last November, 'what is needed today is mindful and deliberate utilisation, instead of mindless and destructive consumption.' "The low carbon development strategy as enunciated in the 'Panchamrit' that he announced is an important reflection of our government's strong commitment towards sustainable development. This strategy opens up huge employment opportunities and will take the country on a sustainable development path. This budget proposes several near-term and long-term actions accordingly," Sitharaman said. The finance minister, however, kept the budgetary allocation under the heading of "climate change action plan" the same as the previous year at Rs 30 crore. The Union Budget also slashed the budgetary allocation for the statutory body Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), which works for air quality management in the national capital region and adjoining areas, from 20 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 17 crore this fiscal year. Control of Pollution has been conceptualized to provide financial assistance to Pollution control Boards/Committees and funding to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in January 2019. In the wildlife arena, the government-initiated projects -- Project Tiger and Project Elephant -- saw an increased allocation this year with the former getting bigger by Rs 50 crore and the latter being increased by Rs 2 crore. The fiscal's allocation for Project Tiger, an initiative for conserving the wildcat, has increased from Rs 250 crore last year to Rs 300 crore this time. The Project earlier saw a reduction of Rs 100 crore in two financial years consecutively which are 2020-21 and 2021-22. From Rs 350 crore allotted to it in 2019-20, it was reduced to Rs 300 crore in 2020-21 and to Rs 250 crore in 2021-22. The budget for Project Elephant, which was launched to conserve jumbos across the country, has been increased from Rs 33 crore from Rs 35 crore. The budget for National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the ministry responsible for tiger census and conservation of wild cats, remained unchanged at Rs 10 crore. The allocation for Central Zoo Authority was reduced from Rs 11 crore last year to Rs 10 crore this year. The budget for National Coastal Mission, which was nearly doubled in the last fiscal at Rs 200 crore was reduced by Rs 5 crore this year and stood at Rs 195 crore for 2022-23. In 2020-21, the NCM was allotted Rs 103 crore and the government doubled it in 2021-22 at Rs 200 crore. Under the National Coastal Mission, the environment ministry is responsible to ensure livelihood security of coastal communities including fisher folks, to conserve, protect the coastal stretches and to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles. The Centre also increased the budgetary allocation for National Mission for Himalayan Studies by Rs 8 crore and amount for various regional offices and statutory institutes like Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Forest Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, National Green Tribunal etc collectively from Rs 460 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 487 crore this year. Funds for 'environment knowledge and capacity building' were also increased from Rs 70 crore last year to Rs 78.62 crores. It is the umbrella central sector scheme which has two sub-schemes - Forestry Training and Capacity Building, and Eco Task Force. The Budget for environmental education, awareness and training was also reduced from Rs 77.13 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 58 crore in 2022-23. The total allocation of five autonomous bodies under the environment ministry has also been reduced in the Budget this year. The five autonomous bodies – G B Pant Himalayan Institute of Environment and Development, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) – were allocated Rs 287.45 crore for this year compared to Rs 305.5 crore allotted to them in the last fiscal. The budget for statutory and regulatory bodies was also cut down from Rs 160.5 crore last year to 154.5 crore this fiscal. The bodies include the Central Pollution Control Board, Animal Welfare Board, Central Zoo Authority, National Biodiversity Authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority and Commission for Air Quality Management. PTI AG TDS TDS

Union Budget 2022-23: Rs 3,030 cr allocated to Environment Ministry

New Delhi, Feb 1 () The Centre on Monday earmarked a sum of Rs 2,217 crore for tackling air pollution in 42 urban centres, even as it shrunk the budgetary allocation for the environment ministry from the last fiscal by nearly eight percent for 2021-22 While it has reduced the amount allocated to the climate change action plan by Rs 10 crore and to Project Tiger by Rs 50 crore, the amount for National Coastal Mission has been almost doubled from Rs 103 crore in the last fiscal to Rs 200 crore in 2021-22. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech, allocated Rs 2869.93 crore for the ministry, out of which Rs 470 crore were allotted to control pollution -- Rs 10 crore more than the last budget. In addition to this amount, the minister also announced a sum of Rs 2,217 crore for combating air pollution in 42 urban centres. "To tackle the burgeoning problem of air pollution, I propose to provide an amount of Rs 2,217 crores for 42 urban centres with a million-plus population in this budget," Sitharaman said. For the first time, a budget provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for the newly formed statutory body Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for the national capital region and adjoining areas. The Rs 407 crore for 'Control of Pollution' includes financial assistance provided to pollution control Boards/Committees and funding to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in January 2019. In the last budget session, the climate change action plan was allotted Rs 40 crore which has been reduced to Rs 30 crore for the year 2021-22. The budgetary allocation for National Mission for Green India has been reduced from Rs 311 crore in the last financial year to Rs 290 crore this time with the national afforestation programme alone being allotted Rs 235 crore, lower than last year's amount of Rs 246 crore. In the area of wildlife conservation, the allocation for government-initiated projects -- Project Tiger and Project Elephant -- saw some changes, with the former getting Rs 50 crore less and the other being shrunk by Rs 2 crore. The allocation for Project Tiger saw a reduction of Rs 100 crore in two years. From Rs 350 crore allotted to it in 2019-20, it was reduced to Rs 300 crore in the last fiscal, and now the allocation stands at Rs 250 crore. The budget for Project Elephant, which was launched to conserve jumbos across the country, has been reduced to Rs 33 crore from Rs 35 crore last year. The budget for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the ministry responsible for tiger census and conservation of wild cats, saw a minor reduction of Rs 50 lakh from Rs 10.5 crore to Rs 10 crore. The budget for the National Coastal Mission was nearly doubled with the government allotting it Rs 200 crore from Rs 103 crore allotted to it last year. In 2019-20, the NCM was allotted Rs 95 crore. Under the National Coastal Mission, the environment ministry is responsible for ensuring livelihood security of coastal communities, including fisher folks, conserving, protecting the coastal stretches and promoting sustainable development based on scientific principles. AG RT RT

Govt earmarks Rs 2,217 crore for tackling air pollution; Env ministry's budget allocation shrinks

New Delhi, Feb 1 () The Centre on Monday earmarked a separate Rs 2,217 crore for 42 urban centres to tackle air pollution and announced the much-awaited voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and polluting vehicles, even as it shrunk the budgetary allocation for the environment ministry from the last fiscal by nearly eight percent. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her budget speech for 2021-22, announced a total of Rs 2869.93 crore for the ministry, Rs 230 crore less than the last fiscal. Officials said the outlay has been lesser this time as the economy is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. While the Centre almost doubled the amount allotted to National Coastal Mission from Rs 103 crore in the last fiscal to Rs 200 crore in 2021-22, the allocation for the climate change action plan has been reduced from Rs 40 crore to Rs 30 crore and for Project Tiger from Rs 300 crore to Rs 250 crore. The minister, in her speech, also announced a separate sum of Rs 2,217 crore for combating air pollution at 42 urban centres. "To tackle the burgeoning problem of air pollution, I propose to provide an amount of Rs 2,217 crore for 42 urban centres with a million plus population in this budget," Sitharaman said. Speaking to , Environment Secretary R P Gupta said the budget for the environment is less than last year as the economy is recovering from the pandemic. "Yes the budget may be less than last year but it is also because we are recovering from the pandemic," Gupta said. Out of Rs 2869.93 crore allocated to the ministry of environment, the minister allotted Rs 470 crore for 'control of pollution', which is Rs 10 crore more than last year. Control of Pollution has been conceptualized to provide financial assistance to Pollution control Boards/Committees and funding to National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), launched in January 2019. For the first time, a budget provision of Rs 20 crore has been made for the newly formed statutory body Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) for the national capital region and adjoining areas. In yet another step for combating air pollution, Sitharaman on Monday announced the voluntary vehicle scrapping policy under which personal vehicles would undergo fitness test after 20 years while commercial vehicles would require it after completion of 15 years. Road Transport, Highways and MSMEs Minister Nitin Gadkari said the policy would cover over one crore old light, medium and heavy motor vehicles that are estimated to cause 10-12 times more pollution than the latest vehicles. "We are separately announcing a voluntary vehicle scrapping policy to phase out old and unfit vehicles. This will help in encouraging fuel-efficient, environment-friendly vehicles, thereby reducing vehicular pollution and oil import bill," the finance minister said. The budgetary allocation for National Mission for Green India has been reduced from Rs 311 crore in the last financial year to Rs 290 crore this time with the national afforestation programme alone being allotted Rs 235 crore, lower than last year's amount of Rs 246 crore. In the wildlife conservation arena, the allocation for government-initiated projects -- Project Tiger and Project Elephant -- saw some changes with the former getting reduced by Rs 50 crore and the other being shrunk by Rs 2 crore. The fiscal's allocation for Project Tiger saw a reduction of Rs 100 crore in the last two years. From Rs 350 crore allotted to it in 2019-20, it was reduced to Rs 300 crore in the last fiscal, and now the allocation stands at Rs 250 crore. The budget for Project Elephant, which was launched to conserve jumbos across the country, has been reduced to Rs 33 crore from Rs 35 crore last year. The allocation for the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), a statutory body under the ministry responsible for tiger census and conservation of wild cats, saw a minor reduction of Rs 50 lakh from Rs 10.5 crore to Rs 10 crore. The budget for National Coastal Mission was nearly doubled with the government allotting it Rs 200 crore from Rs 103 crore allotted to it last year. In 2019-20, NCM was allotted Rs 95 crore. Under the National Coastal Mission, the environment ministry is responsible for ensuring livelihood security of coastal communities, including fisher folks, conserving, protecting the coastal stretches and promoting sustainable development based on scientific principles The minister also announced that under Urban Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, for which Rs 1.42 lakh crore have been set aside, main interventions include complete faecal sludge management and waste water treatment, source segregation of garbage, reduction in single-use plastic, reduction in air pollution by effectively managing waste from construction-and-demolition activities and bio-remediation of all legacy dump sites. The Centre reduced the budgetary allocation for National Mission for Himalayan Studies by 10 crore and the amount for various regional offices and statutory institutes like Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Forest Survey of India, Zoological Survey of India, National Green Tribunal etc collectively from Rs 506 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 460 crore this year. Funds for 'environment knowledge and capacity building' were also reduced from Rs 86.37 crore last year to Rs 70 crore. It is the umbrella central sector scheme with two sub-schemes - Forestry Training and Capacity Building, and Eco Task Force. The scheme Forestry Training and Capacity Building aims to cover the whole gamut of the training and exposure needs of the forestry sector personnel. The Eco Task Force scheme is being implemented through the Ministry of Defence for ecological restoration of terrains, rendered difficult either due to severe degradation or remote location. The budget for environmental education, awareness and training was also reduced from Rs 114 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 77.13 crore in 2021-22. The total allocation of five autonomous bodies under the environment ministry has also been reduced in the budget this year. The five autonomous bodies – G B Pant Himalayan Institute of Environment and Development, Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, Indian Institute of Forest Management, Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Institute and Wildlife Institute of India (WII) – were allocated Rs 305.5 crore for this year compared to Rs 340 crore allotted to them in the last fiscal. However, the budget for statutory and regulatory bodies rose from Rs 145.5 crore to Rs 160.5 crore this year. The bodies include Central Pollution Control Board, Animal Welfare Board, Central Zoo Authority, National Biodiversity Authority, National Tiger Conservation Authority and Commission for Air Quality Management. AG RT RT

Budget allocation of Rs 2,217 crore, new vehicle scrapping policy for tackling air pollution; Env ministry's outlay shrinks

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AMAZON'S B2B WHOLESALE MARKET IS A SLEEPING GIANT: Amazon is quietly building one of the most disruptive businesses online - <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2014/05/07/amazons-wholesale-slaughter-jeff-bezos-8-trillion-b2b-bet/">a business-to-business wholesale market called AmazonSupply</a>. Amazon launched the business in 2012, and it's seldom ever mentioned on earnings calls - or anywhere for that matter. Wholesalers generated $7.2 trillion in revenues in 2012 (that's online and offline sales), according to the U.S. Census, while retailers took in $4 trillion in revenues selling to consumers. If Amazon executes as well as it did in the retail market, AmazonSupply could grow into an even larger business than the merchandise it sells to consumers on Amazon.com. 
SIGNS THAT E-COMMERCE IS BOOMING FOR RETAIL CHAINS: <a href="http://www.internetretailer.com/2014/05/07/mobile-growth-drives-187-increase-q1-web-sales">Online sales increased nearly 20% year-over-year in the first quarter for more than 100 retailers</a>, according to e-commerce software company <a href="http://www.marketlive.com/">MarketLive</a>. Although the retailers weren't named specifically, we know that MarketLive's clientele includes major brands such as Aveeno, Design Within Reach, Modell's, Fossil Inc., and Helzberg Diamonds. This is the sixth straight quarter that MarketLive clients have posted double-digit online sales growth. All of MarketLive's top clients appear to be retailers that originated as physical stores, but now operate across channels (commonly referred to as "omnichannel" retailers). Bricks-and-mortars are becoming increasingly effective at leveraging e-commerce to gain new customers and also retain loyal ones who might be doing more shopping online, rather than in stores. 
ALIBABA IPO OFFERS GLIMPSE INTO CHINA MOBILE COMMERCE: E-commerce giant Alibaba filed for an IPO earlier this week in the U.S., giving us a better look at how consumers shop online in China. More than three in four mobile commerce dollars spent in China last year flowed through Alibaba's online marketplaces. That suggests that any further smartphone penetration in China will directly benefit Alibaba - and we predict a lot of upside. As of last month, only 37% of 1.3 billion Chinese mobile subscribers were on 3G and 4G wireless networks. <a href="https://intelligence.businessinsider.com/mobile-accounts-for-a-fifth-of-all-e-commerce-spending-flowing-through-chinas-alibaba-2014-5">Tablets and smartphones channeled 20% of Alibaba's purchase volume in the final quarter of 2013</a> (see chart below), roughly double the proportion as in the same period a year ago. We expect the share Alibaba sales attributable to mobile to increase significantly over the next year. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container click-to-enlarge"><div class="image"><a title_source="BI Intelligence" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/536aaf3cecad04cd65fb3b1d-960/bii-alibaba-mobile-gmv-1-1.png"></a>BI Intelligence</div></div>
WELCOME, E-COMMERCE INSIDERS: This is our new newsletter covering all things e-commerce. Please email <a href="mailto:csmith@businessinsider.com">csmith@businessinsider.com</a> with news and tips. 
ZULILY EARNINGS EXPOSE FULFILLMENT ISSUES: Zulily, a daily deals site for mothers, is growing its business faster than expected, but that's causing all sorts of growing pains for the company. <a href="http://investor.zulily.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=845791">Sales totaled $238 million for the first quarter, which is up 87% from the same time period last year, and the number of paying customers were up 93% to 3.7 million for the quarter</a>. This surge in business caused fulfillment problems at the end of March - shipment times were averaging 13 days. Zulily CEO Darrell Cavens said on the earnings call yesterday that he's not concerned about long shipping times when there's a surge in orders, because people don't purchase from Zulily based on need. That's risky thinking at a time when e-commerce sites are becoming ultra-competitive on shipping times.
COUPONS.COM EARNINGS SHOWS THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR COMPETITION IN ONLINE COUPONING: Coupons.com posted strong first quarter earnings yesterday. <a href="http://otp.investis.com/clients/us/coupons/usn/usnews-story.aspx?cid=789&amp;newsid=16339">Quarterly revenues totaled $51.5 million, which is up 41% from the same time period last year</a>. Earlier this week, one of the company's chief competitors, RetailMeNot, posted quarterly revenues of $61.3 million, an increase of 51% year-over-year. The fact that both companies are performing so well indicates that there is plenty of room in the growing business of online couponing. This is a result of more consumers going online to shop, and carrying their smartphones - ideal vehicles for coupons - when shopping offline. These shoppers are now being conditioned to check these coupon sites for discounts before making any kind of purchase. 
TRIPADVISOR'S BUSINESS PICKS UP AFTER WINTER WEATHER: TripAdvisor <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter-i6730-c1-Press_Releases.html">revenues totaled $281 million in the first quarter, which is a 32% increase over the previous quarter and 22% bump over the same time period last year</a>. The quarterly growth was a result of relatively mild weather compared to this year's harsh Northern Hemisphere winter, which led to an uptick in travel. We expect online travel bookings to continue to increase in volume over the next few months. On the company's earnings call, CEO and President Steve Kaufer announced that TripAdvisor now has more than 150 million customer reviews covering four million hospitality businesses and attractions around the globe. For comparison, Yelp has just over 57 million reviews about local businesses. 
<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tech/tech-news/Tiger-Global-leads-15m-funding-race-for-Limeroad/articleshow/34700751.cms?">Tiger Global led a $15 million investment in LimeRoad</a>, an online shopping site for women in India. Tiger Global seems to be investing heavily in Indian e-commerce, as it already has stakes in Flipkart and Myntra.
Apple's new Head of Retail Angela Ahrendts <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000118143114017960/xslF345X03/rrd408240.xml">has received more than 113,000 units of restricted Apple stock which is valued at more than $68 million</a>. The stock-options are a sign that Apple has high hopes for Ahrendts since a portion of her compensation will be directly tied to how the company performs. 
PERSONNEL MOVES:
Airbnb has hired Jonathan Mildenhall as its new chief marketing officer. Mildenhall previously worked at Coca-Cola where he was senior vice president of integrated marketing communication and design excellence. <a href="http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/airbnb-taps-coke-exec-jonathan-mildenhall-cmo/293053/">Mildenhall was recognized by Ad Age in 2012 as one of the most creative professionals working in advertising</a>. 
Travelocity CEO and President Carl Sparks <a href="http://skift.com/2014/05/06/travelocity-president-and-ceo-carl-sparks-leaves-the-company/">has reportedly left the company,</a>according to Skift. The reason for his departure is still unknown, and a replacement has not yet been named. 
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