• 01 Aug 2022

Central Government Approves Opening Up of Two-thousand New Anganwadi Centers

Why in News

• On July 31, 2022, Bihar's Social Welfare Minister Madan Sahni informed that the central government has approved the proposal to set up two thousand new Anganwadi centers in Bihar.

Key Points

• Madan Sahni informed that the process of setting up two thousand new Anganwadi Centers approved by the Central Government is under process. Soon these will be opened in rural areas. Through these, the nutritional level of malnourished children and women will be improved.
• Sources in the Social Welfare Department said that Anganwadi centers are built on a population of 400 to 800. Depending on the population, there may be one or more than one Anganwadi Center in the Gram Panchayat area. Anganwadi workers and helpers run the centre.
• As per information, the Social Welfare Department had sent a proposal to the Central Government to set up 20 thousand new Anganwadi centers in the state and provide central assistance accordingly, has not been approved.
• It is noteworthy that in the operation of Anganwadi centers, the central and state governments together provide financial assistance.
• Anganwadi centers are a powerful means of making government schemes reach to the deprived and poor sections in remote rural areas.
• At present, 1 lakh 12 thousand 94 Anganwadi centers are operating in the state under the Directorate of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). Of these, only 1.10 lakh Anganwadi centers are functional at present.
• There are 99 lakh 23 thousand 915 beneficiaries in the Anganwadi centers currently operating in the state. These include children 0 to 6 years old, adolescent girls and pregnant and lactating women. Anganwadis play an important role in prenatal and postnatal health, child nutrition, school education and immunization of children.

Malkhamb, Yoga, Fencing and Pittu Included in the School Sports Annual Calendar

Why in News

• On July 31, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Directorate of Public Education released the revised calendar of state level school sports competitions in the annual calendar year 2022-23 by including traditional sports like Malkhambh, Yoga, Fencing and Pittu.

Key Points

• Directorate of Public Instruction has issued instructions related to the revised calendar to all the Divisional Joint Directors and District Education Officers.
• On the initiative of Minister of State for School Education (Independent Charge) and General Administration Inder Singh Parmar, these games have been included in the annual calendar year 2022-23 of the state level school sports competitions.
• Malkhamb is the 'State Game' of Madhya Pradesh. With this initiative of Minister of State Parmar, local traditional sports will get a boost in the state.
• It is worth mentioning that earlier on July 13, the list of sports for the annual calendar year 2022-23 of the state level school sports competitions was released.

CM Launches New Logo and Website of HSIIDC

Why in News

• On July 30, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the redesigned logo and website of Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC).

Key Points

• Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the State Government is working towards facilitating the lives of citizens, promoting economic development and making Haryana a trillion-dollar economy.
• Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that this new identity of HSIIDC is innovative, modern and professional. HSIIDC will provide services to entrepreneurs who want to grow and expand businesses.
• HSIIDC's new website and brand identity better reflect its market leading position and clearly highlight the wide range of services it offers to its customers. Designed to work seamlessly across digital and physical mediums, the new logo instils a spirit of inspiration, innovation and entrepreneurship.
• The butterfly motif in the new HSIIDC logo symbolizes the transformation from an idea to a successful business, like going through the process of living in a cocoon. The four wings represent Industry 4.0. Thus, this logo represents how HSIIDC helps companies to overcome business barriers.
• The newly designed website has a layout designed to provide a smooth user experience. The website also throws light on the services offered by HSIIDC and gives a glimpse of the redefined approach.
• HSIIDC is the nodal agency of the Government of Haryana for the development of industrial infrastructure in Haryana. The Corporation has developed 6 Industrial Model Townships (Manesar, Faridabad, Bawal, Rohtak, Sohna and Kharkhoda). In addition, 28 Industrial Estates and Theme Parks (Food Parks at Rai, Saha and Badi, Technology Parks at IMT Manesar and Rai and Footwear Parks at Bahadurgarh) have also been set up, with more than 16000 units functioning.
• With 55 years of unmatched expertise in industrial infrastructure development, HSIIDC has planned several flagship projects, including Mixed Land Use Development in an area of over 1080 acres in Global City Gurugram and over 886 acres in Nangal Choudhary District Mahendragarh to develop Logistics Park.

Haryana Land Pooling Policy-2022

Why in News

• On July 29, 2022, Haryana Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar approved the 'Haryana Land Pooling Policy-2022'. This policy is an important step towards creating land banks for the main urbanization and industrialization purposes.

Key Points

• Time-limits have been prescribed in the policy at various stages, so that the interests of the land owners are protected and the objective of land development can be achieved in a time bound manner.
• The objective of Haryana Land Pooling Policy-2022 is to achieve the objective of planned development including infrastructure development and to acquire land through voluntary participation of land owners willing to participate in the said development.
• The objective of this policy is a fair and transparent mechanism for pooling of land for the development of a sector or part thereof within the prescribed area of the Development Plan published by the State Government under the provisions of the Haryana Scheduled Roads and Controlled Area Restriction, Unregulated Development Act, 1963. is to be developed.
• Another objective of this policy is to provide maximum benefit to the land owner by linking the allotment of land with the cost of raw land.
• Under this policy, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HSVP) will develop residential, commercial, institutional and infrastructure in case of areas located within urban area in the published development plan.
• In addition, Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (HSIIDC) will undertake development work for industrial infrastructure or institutional purposes anywhere in Haryana under this policy.
• Under this policy, HSIIDC and HSVP may authorize any department or any board, corporation or other organization owned and controlled by the State Government for any specified development purpose other than the above purposes.
• This policy will be applicable to the land owners offering land for the project for the specified development purpose. This policy will be applicable to those aggregators who collect land under agreement with several land owners to offer land for the project for specified development purpose.
• This policy will be applicable for land according to the land use specified in the development plan. Also, this policy will be applicable in respect of any other area in Haryana where the objective of development is infrastructure or industrial development.
• A land rights certificate will be issued by the developer organization to the land owners, which can be traded or mortgaged.
• Under this policy, any land owner, either directly or through an aggregator, may submit an application for offering land for a project for development purpose within the period specified in the publication, which shall not be less than 60 days. This period can also be extended by the Development Organization as per requirement, but it shall not exceed 30 days. There will be no fee for the application.
• The land owners will submit their application online on the website of the development organization along with the details of the proposed land for the project. Any application submitted manually will not be considered and such application will be rejected.
• Annual interim financial assistance will be provided to each landowner contributing towards the development project, which will be included in the total cost of the project.
• The total cost of the project will be the sum of the value of undeveloped land contributed by all landowners, cost of development, interim annual assistance and administrative fees.
• The land owner, either directly or through an aggregator, will be free to offer the land owned by him through the e-Bhoomi portal of the State Government for the project for the specified development purpose. In this situation, action will be taken on the said proposal as per the policy of Revenue and Disaster Management Department dated February 6, 2017.
• If land is offered through an aggregator, the aggregator shall be eligible to receive remuneration as agreed between the landowners and the aggregator, provided the remuneration is not less than 0.5 per cent.

Direct Flight Service Launched Between Delhi and Deoghar

Why in News

• On July 30, 2022, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Minister of State (General) for Civil Aviation Dr. V.K. Singh (Retd) launched the IndiGo airline's direct flight service between Delhi and Deoghar through the virtual medium.

Key Points

• With this new flight service, the total number of daily departures from Deoghar will be 11. This will help in seamless movement of pilgrims coming to Baba Baidyanath Dham. Apart from this, tourism will increase in Jharkhand.
• Significantly, the Deoghar airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 July this year. The Deoghar airport spread over 655 acres has been constructed at a cost of Rs 400 crore. With its completion, it has become the second airport in Jharkhand after Ranchi.
• The Civil Aviation Minister said that work is also being done to build 3 more airports in Jharkhand - at Bokaro, Jamshedpur and Dumka, which will take the total number of airports in Jharkhand to 5.
• He said that 14 new routes connecting Jharkhand have been announced, out of which work has started on 2 routes – Deoghar-Kolkata and Delhi-Deoghar. In the coming days, Deoghar will be connected with Ranchi and Patna and Dumka with Ranchi and Kolkata. Once the Bokaro airport is ready, it will connect Patna and Kolkata.
• Under the 'UDAN' scheme, 425 routes and 68 airports, heliports, water aerodromes have been operated. More than 1 lakh 90 thousand flights have been operated under this scheme.
• The Ministry of Civil Aviation has constructed 66 airports in the last 8 years. Earlier in the year 2014, the number of airports was only 74. 220 new airports are being planned, including a water aerodrome and heliport, in the next 5 years.

Mass Hysteria

Why in News

• Recently, there was an incident of some children crying, screaming, rolling on the ground, banging their heads and falling unconscious without any reason from a school in Uttarakhand, which is believed to be a case of 'mass hysteria'.

Key Points

• According to sources, this incident is from Raikholi Junior High School in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand, in which the crying, insensible girls are said to be of class 8th. This problem was found in a total of 8 children. Among them there were 6 girls and 2 boys.
• Bageshwar Deputy CMO Harish Pokhriyal said that after talking to the children, it was found that they were already nervous and had come to school empty stomach. He said whether this is a case of mass hysteria or not? It will be clear only after thorough investigation. However, according to media reports, cases of such 'mass hysteria' in Uttarakhand have already been seen in schools in Almora, Pithoragarh, Chamoli districts.
• All instances of 'mass hysteria' have been recorded of people suddenly screaming, crying and fainting. In the year 2018, a 9-year-old girl started crying and screaming at a school in Puthan district of Nepal, after seeing 47 children were found crying and screaming in the school. In the same school in the year 2017 and in the year 2016 as well, many children had similar behaviour or symptoms on the same day. This was considered a unique case of repeating 'mass hysteria'.
• Apart from this, the rumor of Monkeyman also took the form of mass hysteria in India's capital Delhi in May 2001. People had stopped leaving the house after sunset. Many people claimed that they were attacked by Monkeyman. Three people were killed, who fell from the roof while running out of fear. Nails and teeth marks were found on people's bodies. After investigating the whole matter, the police had told the monkeyman to be just a rumour. Later studies made it clear that this was 'mass hysteria'.
• According to a report by Healthline, most of the cases of 'mass hysteria' have been seen and heard, some incident has been seen to happen. Like the behavior, actions, or symptoms that people see or hear in others, they often start to do or feel the same themselves.
• Some experts also use the term 'mass hysteria' for a situation that is not a real threat, but is a fear in a group of people about that danger.
• Behind 'mass hysteria' there are things like rumours, actions, thoughts, fears or dangers. Its symptoms are real, even if there is no real danger or health problem behind it. Symptoms of mass hysteria start and end suddenly. Symptoms include chest pain, lethargy, headache, fainting, tremors, partial paralysis, laughing or crying. Even after investigation, the reason for the symptoms or movements seen in it is not known.