• 01 Jan 2025

DARPG Commission Visit Haryana

Why in News? 

Recently, a delegation from the Department of Administrative Reforms and Personnel Grievances (DARPG) visited the Right to Services Commission, Haryana.

Key Points 

• Institutions Visited: 
  • The delegation visited Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran, Haryana Discoms, and the Antyodaya Saral call center monitored by the Commission. 
  • They observed seamless service delivery processes and attended a session of citizen interactions via video conferencing. 
  • The session emphasized real-time grievance resolution through collaboration with senior officials. 
• Achievements of the Right to Services Commission: 
  • Service Delivery Transformation: 
    • The Commission has revolutionized service delivery with 422 notified services provided in a time-bound manner. 
    • Each office displays notice boards specifying timelines for service delivery. 
  • Digitization and Innovations: 
    • Comprehensive digitization of processes was implemented, integrating the call center, Antyodaya Saral portal, and field offices. 
    • An auto-appeal process was introduced and rigorously monitored, ensuring improved grievance redressal. 

Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG)  

• It is the Government of India's nodal agency for administrative reforms and public grievance redressal.  
• It is under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions. 
• It provides the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), an online platform for citizens to file grievances with the central and state government ministries and departments. 
• The DARPG also uses the Intelligent Grievance Management System (IGMS) to flag urgent grievances and detect spam, bulk, and repetitive grievances.  
  • IGMS also analyzes the text content and attachments of grievances to identify their semantic gist.

Savitiribai Phule Birth Anniversary

Why in News? 

On 3rd January 2024, Haryana Chief Minister is going to visit Bahadurgarh to attend an event to be organised to mark the birth anniversary of social reformer Savitiribai Phule.

Key Points 

• Instructions to Officials: 
  • All department officials were directed to complete preparations on time and with responsibility. 
  • Officials were instructed to remove encroachments and enhance sanitation in the area.

Digital Ticket Booking for Kumbh Mela 2025

Why in News? 

Recently, the Railways has introduced jackets with QR scanners for volunteers to digitize ticket bookings for passengers ahead of the Kumbh Mela 2025. 

Key Points

• Deployment of Officials: 
  • North Central Railway officials from the Prayagraj division will wear fluorescent green jackets with QR codes embedded at the back. 
    • Devotees can scan the QR code to access the Unreserved Ticketing System (UTS) mobile app. 
  • The app allows passengers to book unreserved tickets digitally, avoiding long queues. 
  • Railways will operate over 10,000 regular trains and more than 3,000 special trains during the event. 
• Mahakumbh Rail Seva 2025 App: 
  • The Railways has launched an app and portal to provide train schedules, guest house information, helpline numbers, and more. 
  • 28 guest houses with a capacity of 1.3 lakh devotees will accommodate visitors. 
  • A toll-free number 1800-4199-139 has been active since 1st November, 2024. 
    • From 1^st January 2025, the helpline will operate 24x7, with multilingual call operators proficient in Odia, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Bengali. 
  • Railway announcements will be made in 12 languages, including Hindi, English, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Punjabi, and Assamese.

Kumbh Mela

• About: 
  • It is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, during which participants bathe or take a dip in a sacred river. This gathering takes place at 4 different places, namely:  
    • In Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges.  
    • In Ujjain, on the banks of Shipra.  
    • In Nashik, on the banks of Godavari (Dakshin Ganga).  
    • In Prayagraj, at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna, and the mythical invisible Saraswati.  
• Different Types of Kumbh:  
  • The Kumbh Mela is celebrated 4 times over a course of 12 years.  
  • At Haridwar and Prayagraj, Ardh-Kumbh Mela is held every 6th year.  
  • The Maha Kumbh Mela is celebrated at Prayag after 144 years (after 12 ‘Purna Kumbh Melas’).  
  • Maagh Kumbh is celebrated every year in the month of Maagh (Jan-Feb) in Prayagraj.

NMCG's 59th Executive Committee Meeting

Why in News? 

Recently, the 59^th Executive Committee (EC) meeting of the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approved several critical projects dedicated to the conservation and rejuvenation of the Ganga River.  

• These initiatives are aimed at promoting the cleanliness, sustainable development, and preservation of the environmental and cultural significance of the river.

Key Points

• Projects in Uttar Pradesh: 
  • Chandauli Project: 
    • Construction of a 45 million liters Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) using the hybrid annuity model. 
    • Includes supporting infrastructure and ensures operation and maintenance (O&M) for 15 years. 
  • Manikpur Project: 
    • Development of a 15 million liters Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant and a 35 kilowatts solar power plant. 
    • Designed for eco-friendly waste management and effective operations for 5 years. 
• River Conservation in Bihar: 
  • Buxar Project: 
    • Construction of a 50 million liters STP and supporting structure. 
    • Incorporates a nature-based 1 million liters capacity STP, three interception pumping stations, and an 8.68 km sewer network. 
    • Ensures robust O&M for 15 years, advancing sustainable river conservation efforts. 

National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) 

• About: 
  • On 12th August 2011, the NMCG was listed as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. 
  • It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986. 
    • NGRBA was dissolved in 2016 and replaced by the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management of River Ganga. 
• Objective: 
  • The objective of the NMCG is to reduce pollution and ensure the rejuvenation of the Ganga River. 
    • Namami Gange is one of the Coveted Programmes of NMCG to clean Ganga. 
  • This can be achieved by promoting intersectoral coordination for comprehensive planning & management and maintaining minimum ecological flow in the river, with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development. 

Digital Transformation of Mahakumbh

Why in News? 

The Uttar Pradesh government is going to use the Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled cameras, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) wristbands and mobile app tracking to track the headcount of pilgrims at the Mahakumbh 2025.

Key Points 

• Overview of Mahakumbh 2025: 
  • The government anticipates a footfall of approximately 450 million devotees during the Mahakumbh, a UNESCO-recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. 
  • It is the world’s largest peaceful congregation, where pilgrims take a sacred dip in the river. 
• Digital Transformation of Mahakumbh: 
  • Digital and AI-Based Initiatives: 
    • Launch of a dedicated website and app for event information. 
    • AI-powered chatbot available in 11 languages. 
    • QR code-based passes for people and vehicles. 
    • Multilingual digital lost-and-found centres for visitors. 
  • ICT and Monitoring Systems: 
    • ICT monitoring for cleanliness and tent accommodations. 
    • Software for land and facility allocation and multilingual digital signage. 
    • Automated ration supply system and drone-based surveillance and disaster management. 
    • Real-time monitoring software for 530 projects and an inventory tracking system. 
    • Integration of all event locations on Google Maps. 
• Infrastructure and Facilities: 
  • Ghats for Devotees: 
    • 35 permanent ghats and nine new ghats constructed to facilitate bathing. 
    • Aerial flower showers planned across all 44 ghats, covering a 12-km area. 
  • Enhanced Visitor Experience: 
    • Multilingual digital signage and other technological aids to enhance crowd management and convenience.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) 

 

• RFID is a type of passive wireless technology that allows for tracking or matching of an item or individual. 
• The system has two basic parts: Tags and Readers.  
  • The reader gives off radio waves and gets signals back from the RFID tag, while the tag uses radio waves to communicate its identity and other information. 
  • A tag can be read from up to several feet away and does not need to be within the direct line-of-sight of the reader to be tracked.  
• The technology has been approved since before the 1970s but has become much more prevalent in recent years due to its usages in things like global supply chain management and pet microchipping. 

Northern Command Chief Visits Kashmir

Why in News? 

Recently, Army’s Northern Commander Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar visited Kashmir to review the operational preparedness of the troops in the valley.

Key Points 

• Appreciation of Counter-Terrorism Success: 
  • Lt General commended the troops for their successful anti-terrorist operations in the valley. 
  • He also praised all ranks for their professional execution of counter-terrorism tasks. 

The Northern Command  

• It is a command of the Indian Army, with its headquarters in Udhampur.  
• The current General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command is Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar. 
• The Northern Command was originally formed in 1908 as the Northern Army of the British Indian Army. 
• It was disbanded in 1947 after India gained independence, but was re-established in 1972.