• 01 Mar 2024

PM Unveiled Development Projects in Jharkhand

Why in News?

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled development projects worth Rs 35,700 crore in Jharkhand.

Key Points

• PM launched several development initiatives focused on fertilizer, rail, power, and coal sectors, collectively valued at Rs 35,700 crore in Sindri, Dhanbad district of Jharkhand.
  • The Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant, developed at a cost of Rs 8900 crore aims to boost indigenous urea production, benefiting farmers across the country.
    • It's the third fertilizer plant revived in India, following similar efforts in Gorakhpur and Ramagundam.
  • Unit 1 of the North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project (STPP) in Chatra developed at a cost of about Rs 7500 crore is also being inaugurated.
    • The project is expected to enhance power supply, generate employment, and foster development in the state.
• Several railway projects were inaugurated in Jharkhand worth more than Rs 17,600 crore, including the expansion of railway lines and new routes like the Sone Nagar-Andal line and the Mohanpur-Hansdiha line.
  • These projects are expected to enhance rail services and spur socio-economic growth in the region.
  • During the event three trains are to be flagged off , including Deoghar – Dibrugarh train service, MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) Train Service between Tatanagar and Badampahar (Daily) and long-haul freight train from the Shivpur station.

Uttar Pradesh: First State to Have Fire Stations at Tehsil Level

Why in News?

In an event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that Uttar Pradesh will soon become the first state in the country to have fire stations at the tehsil level.

Key Points

• During the event, the CM virtually inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 38 fire stations.
  • The UP Fire and Emergency Services was established in the state in the year 1944.
  • Until 2017, only 288 fire stations were established in the state, while in the last 7 years, over 70 new fire stations have been set up.
• CM also flagged off 35 firefighting vehicles.
• He emphasised the need to prioritise reducing response times for fire tenders to mitigate loss of life and property.
• The government also established the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in the state.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF)

• It constituted under Section 48 (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters.
• The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).
• The annual Central contribution is released in two equal installments as per the recommendation of the Finance Commission.
• SDRF shall be used only for meeting the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the victims.
• The headquarter of SDRF, Uttar Pradesh is located in Lucknow.

Supreme Court Upholds Rajasthan’s 2-Child Norm for Government Jobs

Why in News?

The Supreme Court has upheld the two-child eligibility criterion of the Rajasthan government for seeking public employment, ruling that it is not discriminatory and does not violate the Constitution.

Key Points

• The Rajasthan Various Service (Amendment) Rules, 2001 bar candidates who have more than two children from seeking government jobs.
  • While upholding the two-child norm, the top court dismissed the appeal filed by ex-serviceman Ramji Lal Jat, who had applied for a constable’s job in the Rajasthan Police on May 25, 2018 after his retirement from military in 2017.
  • The bench held that Rule 24(4) of the Rajasthan Police Subordinate Service Rules, 1989, which says “no candidate shall be eligible for appointment to the service who has more than two children on or after June 1, 2002” is non-discriminatory and does not violate the Constitution.
• The court held that the classification, which disqualifies candidates for having more than two living children, was non-discriminatory and intra-vires the Constitution, since the objective behind the provision was to promote family planning.

Human-Wildlife Conflict in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

According to the State Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal, 444 people in the Himalayan state have lost their lives to human-wildlife conflict since 2017.

Key Points

• The victims were killed in attacks by leopards, tigers, bears, snakes, elephants and crocodiles among others.
  • A total of Rs 21.3 crore has been disbursed to family members of the victims.
• In addition to increasing the compensation amount for victims, it is for the first time that the state has made the provision to give ex-gratia to those attacked by honeybee, hornet, monkey and langur.
  • Ex-gratia payment is the money which is paid due to moral obligation and not due to legal obligation.

Leopard Numbers Show 8% Rise from 2018 to 2022

Why in News?

According to a report made public by the Environment Ministry, India’s leopard numbers rose by 8% from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022.

Key Points

• The highest number of leopards were reported in Madhya Pradesh (3,907), only three other States reported over a 1,000 animals each — Maharashtra (1,985), Karnataka (1,879) and Tamil Nadu (1,070).
• Uttarakhand reported a 22% decline in the big cat numbers, due to poaching and human-animal conflict.
  • Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal saw a collective 150% rise to 349 animals.
• In the analysis coordinated by the Wildlife Institute of India, the Shivalik hills and the Gangetic plains recorded 3.4% yearly decline, while Central India and the Eastern Ghats, the Western Ghats and the hills of the northeast, and the Brahmaputra flood plains recorded growth of 1.5%, 1% and 1.3% per annum respectively.
• Leopard numbers have declined in Ramnagar forest division (Uttarakhand), where tiger numbers have shown a very steep growth in the past four years.
  • The significant increase in leopard population reported in the northeastern States was due to a "sampling artifact", indicating that there were few systematic surveys and fewer cameras installed in previous years.

Wildlife Institute of India

• It is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
• It was established in 1982.
• It is based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.
• It offers training programs, academic courses, and advisory in wildlife research and management.