Correct Answer :   Uttarakhand

Norway will help fund India’s ‘Hunger Project’ and help strengthen women leaders to protect the environment and promote food security in Uttarakhand.

The duration of the project would be three years, until September 2026 with a budget of ₹44.7 million, an official said.

The hunger project organizes capacity-building training for elected women representatives (EWRs) and federations, focusing on strengthening van panchayats (forest councils) which in turn will ensure food security and livelihood opportunities for marginalized households.

The programme will strengthen elected women’s leadership in gram panchayats so that they can play a pivotal role in conserving forests and natural resources, devise and adopt strategies to promote sustainable living, food security and collaborate with members of van panchayats and the local community, especially women.

The project will be implemented in 3 districts, 9 blocks, 172 gram panchayats and 145 van panchayats of Uttarakhand involving 900 EWRs for the protection of standing forests and nurturing their immediate environment that is crucial to the community’s livelihoods and food security.

Additionally, it will enhance awareness of local communities via 334 Jagrukh Manchs to effectively combat climate change risks collectively, the official informed.

The expected outcome of the project includes capacity building of elected women representatives (EWRs) and federations, an advanced environment, friendly development agendas in Panchayats, strengthening institutional processes to manage and conserve forest commons, mitigate climate risks, ensuring food security and livelihood opportunities for marginalised households, the official added.

Queries sent to spokespeople of the Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi and Indian ministries of finance, food & public distribution and climate change remained unanswered at press time..

Source : Mint