• 03 Jan 2023

100% Attendance of MGNREGA Workers to be Done through App in Uttar Pradesh

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that arrangements are now being made to ensure 100 percent attendance through the National Mobile Monitoring System App for transparency in MNREGA works in the state.

Key Points

• In line with the instructions given by Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya, the Rfural Development Department is making arrangements to ensure 100 percent attendance through the National Mobile Monitoring System App (NMMS) to bring transparency in MGNREGA works.
• From this year, 100 percent attendance of MGNREGA workers will be available through this app. For this, Rural Development Commissioner GS Priyadarshi has given instructions to all district magistrates and district program coordinators.
• Referring to the guidelines of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, the Commissioner has written that the presence of workers should be ensured through the app and it should be reviewed at the development block level every week.
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Campaign (MGNREGA) is an employment guarantee scheme implemented in India, which was enacted by the Legislative Assembly on September 7, 2005 in the state.
• It aims to provide a legal guarantee of the right of rural households to work and enhance their livelihood by providing at least 100 days of unskilled manual labour to every rural household. The program is implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and is implemented in partnership with the State Governments and local Governments.

Private Schools can be Opened in Urban Areas Only if there is 3000 Square Meters of Land

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, Deepak Kumar, principal secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Board of Secondary Education, said that the state board has made it mandatory to have 3000 square meters of land for opening private schools in urban areas, which was earlier 650 square meters.

Key Points

• Principal Secretary of the Board of Secondary Education Deepak Kumar said that the government has approved the proposed new standards and conditions for recognition of private schools. The government has given this approval after the board rejected the suggestions and objections regarding the new rules, saying that there was no justification.
• Under the new conditions, it will now be necessary to have 3000 square meters of land to open a school in urban areas, which was earlier only 650 square meters. Similarly, 6000 square meters of land will be mandatory in rural areas, which was earlier 2000 square meters.
• Apart from this, the heritage amount has also been increased manifold. It has also been made necessary to have smart class, computer class and various resources.
• According to the order issued by Deepak Kumar, these changes i.e. minimum standards are being set for quality education under the National Education Policy-2020. Therefore, a proposal to amend the regulations of the Secondary Education Council to recognize unfunded schools has been approved.
• The government has directed the Chairman and Secretary of the Secondary Education Council Uttar Pradesh to publish the notification of the standards and conditions in the gazette as per the provision in Section-16(2) of the Intermediate Education Act-1921.
• The main mandatory conditions for new recognition of high school are:
  • Under Chapter 8 of the Society/Trust/Companies Act-2013, it will be mandatory for the registered company (Not for Profit) to be registered and renewed.
  • Rs 5 lakh will be deposited in the name of the school and will be mortgaged in the designation of the inspecting officer. Earlier, an amount of Rs 15,000 was earmarked for the private fund.
  • Rs 1.5 lakh will be deposited as a safe fund, whereas earlier it was mandatory to deposit only Rs 3000.
  • Audio video projectors, large-screen LED TVs will have to be arranged in smart classes and 25 computers will have to be arranged in the computer room.
  • A total of 3000 worm meters of school land in urban areas will have 1000 square meters of land and 2000 square meters of land in rural areas.
  • Athletics, Kabaddi, Wrestling, Kho-Kho, Volleyball, Basketball, Badminton, Lawn Tennis, Open Gymnasium and other outdoor games along with adequate arrangements for indoor games and physical fitness will be there in the sports venue. Earlier there was no condition of such recognition.
  • According to the number of students, chairs, tables, desk benches will have to be arranged for each student at the rate of one square meter. Also, laboratory arrangements will have to be ensured. In the earlier condition, it was mandatory to have 200 sets of decoration with junior classes.
  • There will be detailed conditions for adequate arrangement of clean drinking water, toilets etc., according to the convenience of students, students and disabled people. Earlier, there was only a condition of proper arrangement.
  • Large text material will have to be kept in the library. Detailed arrangements of teaching materials will have to be made.
  • For the presence of teachers and staff in the institution, it will be necessary to have biometric machines, CCTV cameras with voice recorder, DVR, high speed internet connection, Wi-Fi as well as the school website.
  • The school building should be built on safety standards and arrangements will have to be made for rainwater harvesting and drainage along with electricity, solar energy.
• For the recognition of the new school, after fulfilling the essential conditions of the high school, some other conditions will also have to be fulfilled for the operation of the intermediate. Under this, an additional deposit of Rs 1 lakh will have to be made for the security fund of Rs 2 lakh and the reserve fund.

Two Railway Stations of Begusarai will be Modernized

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on January 2, 2023, the Ministry of Railways has prepared a new policy called 'Amrut Bharat Station Scheme' for modernization of stations, in which two stations of Begusarai in Bihar have been included in the list of 15 stations selected by Sonpur division.

Key Points

• Under the 'Amrut Bharat Station Scheme', Lakhminia and Sahebpur Kamal stations located on Barauni-Katihar section of Bihar will be developed under the Amrut Bharat Station Scheme, which will be upgraded with the availability of various types of high capacity new facilities as well as the existing facilities.
• According to the information, the Ministry of Railways has developed a new plan to modernize more than one thousand small stations in the coming year. The scheme will be part of the Railway Ministry's Station Redevelopment Mission and Amrut Bharat Station Scheme.
• The objective of the scheme is to prepare master plans of railway stations and implement master plans at various stages to enhance the facilities.
• With the introduction of new facilities at the station, the old facilities will also be upgraded under this scheme. Amrut Bharat Station Scheme envisages development of stations on a continuous basis with a long term vision.
• Under this scheme, efforts will be made to club the waiting rooms of different grades and provide good cafeteria and retail facilities as far as possible. High level platforms (760-840 mm) will be built at all categories of stations and the length of the platforms will generally be six hundred meters. Free Wi-Fi facility will be available at the station, for which towers of 5G network will be installed.
• Under the 'Amrut Bharat Station Scheme', special care will be taken of women and disabled people. For this, adequate number of toilets will be built for women and disabled people at all categories of stations. Arrangements will be made to ensure properly designed signage, walkways, well-planned parking areas, better lighting by widening the roads, removing unwanted structures. Facilities for the disabled at the stations will be as per the guidelines issued by the Railway Board from time to time.
• Under this scheme, old or dilapidated buildings will be used for high priority passenger related activities. The waiting rooms will be divided through small divisions and there will also be spaces for executive lounges and small business meetings at the station. The station will be decorated with greenery and local art and cultural elements to make the passengers feel pleasant.

State Wetland Authority's Fifth Meeting

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, the fifth meeting of the State Wetlands Authority was held in Jaipur under the chairmanship of Rajasthan's Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Hemaram Chaudhary, in which the officials were instructed to work with commitment to preserve the wetlands.

Key Points

• In this meeting, forest, environment and climate change minister Hemaram Chaudhary gave permission to notify 50 wetlands located in 20 districts of the state and set a target to increase their number to more than 100 in the coming time.
• Apart from this, it was also decided to send a proposal for the approval of the Government of India for the proposed dedicated testing track in Sambhar area by the Indian Railways to carry out work in 28.04 hectares.
• Minister Hemram Chaudhary also released the 'State Environment Plan' made by the Environment Department in the meeting, under which various waste management, air pollution, water pollution, forest management, industrial pollution, wetland management, noise pollution, pollution by mining, Action Plan for Rural Waste Management etc. will be implemented.

Har Hit Store and Vita Booth Scheme

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, Haryana's Cooperation Minister Dr. Banwari Lal said that a better scheme is being implemented by The Haryana Dairy Federation's Vita Booth and Haryana Agro Industries to connect the youth of the state with self-employment.

Key Points

• Minister of Cooperation Banwari Lal said that if any eligible person of Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Parivar Utthan Yojana chooses to open every interest store, then the Dairy Federation has also decided to exempt the youth from families living below the poverty line in the security amount. In this way, without any security amount, the youth can make their future pleasant and happy by taking every interest store and making it a source of permanent income for livelihood.
• He informed that bank loan facility is also being provided to the youth for every interest store. To open each interest store, the eligible person should have rent or own 200 square feet of space in a rural or urban area. The age of the eligible person should be 18 to 55 years and educational qualification should be only 10th pass.
• He said that the cost of opening vita booths is about two lakh 70 thousand rupees. It also includes the cost of the shop rack and packed goods. Under this scheme, 15% loan is provided by Haryana Agro and 85% by bank.
• To open Vita booths in the state, a 12 by 12 square feet Vita booth can be set up. For this, security amount is also not taken from BPL family. Only Rs 10,000 is charged from an Antyodaya eligible and Rs 50,000 as security from general category applicants. For this, the educational qualification of the applicant should be 10th pass and age should be at least 18 and maximum 55 years.
• The Cooperation Minister said that the youth are being given a better option to open every hit store by The Haryana Dairy Federation's Vita booth and Haryana Agro Industries. Agro Industries' Har Hit Store and Vita Booth Scheme is becoming very popular in the state and it is an ambitious scheme for the youth. The Haryana government has set a target of opening 1000 every hit store and Vita booth.

Haryana Government Issued Notification of Merger of Departments

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, an official spokesman said that the Haryana government has merged and restructured some departments with the objective of improving administrative efficiency and its notification has also been issued.

Key Points

• The new department has been renamed as 'Energy Department' by merging the Department of New and Renewable Energy with the Department of Power and the Department of Forest and Wildlife and The Department of Environment and Climate Change has been merged to change its name to 'Department of Environment, Forest and Wildlife', an official spokesman said.
• The Department of Archaeology and Museums has been merged with the Department of Tourism and renamed as 'Department of Heritage and Tourism' and the department of Higher Education, Department of Technical Education and Department of Science and Technology has been merged to rename the new department as 'Department of Higher Education'.
• An official spokesman said that the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communication has been dissolved by the state government. The functions of this department, electronics manufacturing and private IT and Hartron have been brought under the purview of 'Department of Industry and Commerce'.
• Similarly, the Department of Art and Cultural Affairs has been merged with the Department of Information, Public Relations and Languages and renamed as 'Department of Information, Public Relations, Language and Culture' and the Department of Labour and Employment has now been renamed as 'Labour Department'.
• After the merger of the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Welfare Department and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, it has been renamed as 'Social Justice and Empowerment, Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Welfare and Antyodaya Department' and has now been renamed as 'Sports Department' in place of Sports and Youth Affairs Department.
• The spokesman said that the Haryana government has set up a new department named 'Department of Youth Empowerment and Entrepreneurship'. The Department of Skill Development and Industrial Training and the Department of Employment and the Department of Youth Affairs have been merged.

Regional Driving Training Center will open in Koderma and Chatra

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, DC Aditya Ranjan of Koderma, Jharkhand informed that Regional Driving Training Center will be opened by the Transport Department in two districts of the state, Koderma and Chatra, for the implementation of which approval has been given to prepare DPR.

Key Points

• Koderma DC Aditya Ranjan said that land has been identified at two places in Jayanagar in Koderma and Karanjia in Chandwara for opening regional driving training centers. It is proposed to build a center on about five acres of land at the best of these two places, which will provide convenience to the people in the coming time.
• At present, only Dhanbad district of Jharkhand has a heavy vehicle motor driving training centre.
• The trial of those applying for heavy vehicle license is taken in Dhanbad itself. After this the license is issued. In such a situation, the need to open driving training centers in other districts was being felt for a long time. In view of this demand, Labor Planning, Training and Skill Development Minister Satyanand Bhokta has approved the implementation of the scheme under the PPR prepared by Wapic India Private Limited Morabadi, Ranchi.
• He said that there will be many arrangements adopting advanced technology in the Regional Driving Training Center.

Approval will have to be Taken from the Civil Surgeon for Adopting a Child in Jharkhand

Why In News?

According to the information received from Jharkhand Children's Home and Adoption Organization Karuna NMO on January 1, 2023, as per rule-37 of the State Adoption Rules-2022, it has been made mandatory for the district hospital management to issue certificates, in which now child's social organizations and people will have to take permission from the civil surgeon for adoption.

Key Points

• As per the rule, if you get information about the child from an acquaintance, nursing home, hospital or any NGO, you cannot adopt the child on the basis of that. Under this, the medical board formed by the civil surgeon will first look at the child and conduct his physical verification (physical test) whether the child belongs to the general category or special.
• Karuna NMO, a children's home and adoption body in the state, has written a letter to the civil surgeon's office requesting it to issue the certificate as per the guidelines. In such a situation, if any family wants to adopt a child, then they will have to go through this process. The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) had issued clear guidelines in the matter on October 11, 2022.
• This organization mainly works for the adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children.
• There are about 31 million orphans in the country at present, but due to complicated legal process, only 16,353 children have been adopted in the last five years.

Krishi Panchang 2023

Why In News?

On January 1, 2023, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel released the 'Krishi Panchang 2023' published by Indira Gandhi Agricultural University Raipur at his residence office.

Key Points

• Chief Minister Mr. Baghel while releasing the Krishi Panchang 2023 said that in this publication, information about the new technology developed by the university and welfare schemes being run by the Agriculture and related departments of the Chhattisgarh Government has been included. This will provide better information to the farmers regarding farming.
• He said that the publication of Krishi Panchang is a powerful medium by Indira Gandhi Agricultural University in an effort to connect the latest information and research work directly to the farmers through various agricultural action schemes.
• He said that the state government has taken several decisions in the interest of farmers in the last four years in the state, as a result of which their social status and economic self-reliance have increased.
• In Krishi Panchang 2023, better information has been given about women empowerment, advanced row sowing techniques of paddy and vegetable production from grafted plants by scientific techniques, including the latest technology in farming.
• Similarly, profitable agriculture with the use of drones, profitable SCI (SCI) technology of gram production, new variety of heat tolerant wheat: C.G. 1029 (Kanishka), advanced techniques of mahua collection and economic prosperity from banana fiber etc. have been attractively displayed.
• Apart from this, the Chief Minister released the calendar of the year-2023 prepared by Satpura Wildlife Foundation and Dainik Vishwa Parivar newspaper during the New Year meeting at Raipur Press Club. The 12 pages of the calendar published by the Satpura Wildlife Foundation have attractive pictures of different wild animals. The calendar conveys the message of conservation of wild animals and their natural habitat.

Regular Police will Now Handle Law and Order in 1800 Villages of Uttarakhand

Why In News?

On January 2, 2023, Uttarakhand Additional Home Secretary Ridhim Agarwal said that law and order will now be maintained by regular police in 1800 revenue villages of the state. The state government has abolished the system of revenue police and notified these villages to be brought under regular police.

Key Points

• Additional Home Secretary Ridhim Agarwal said that there are about 7500 villages in the hilly areas of the state, where the responsibility of law and order is with the revenue police. But now the government is going to bring these villages under regular police by ending the years-old revenue policing system. Regular policing in these villages will reduce crime and anti-social activities.
• In the first phase, 52 police stations and 19 police outposts will be expanded under the law and order of regular police in the state.
• In the second phase , 6 new police stations and 20 police posts will be formed. Under this, the process of setting up new police stations and outposts and bringing about 1444 revenue villages under regular policing will be completed soon.
• He said that among the revenue villages notified by the government for regular policing, 4 in Dehradun district, 182 in Uttarkashi, 262 in Chamoli, 157 in Tehri, 148 in Pauri, 63 in Rudraprayag, 39 in Nainital, 231 in Almora, 595 in Pithoragarh, 106 in Bageshwar and 13 in Champawat. Villages are included.
• It is known that after the questions raised on the revenue police in the Ankita Bhandari murder case, the government has taken a big decision to bring it under the regular police.
• Actually, Uttarakhand has been divided into three regions. These three have different Acts, which empower revenue officials to make arrests and investigations. The first region is the mountainous belt of Kumaon and Garhwal division. The second is the hilly belt of Tehri and Uttarkashi districts and the third region is the Jaunsar-Bawar region of Dehradun district.

Country's First All-age All Weather Running Track

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on January 2, 2023, the Indian Army is building the country's first all-age all-weather running track at Jaswant Singh Ground (Mahindra Ground) in Garhi Cantt area of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, which will be inaugurated by the country's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on January 14.

Key Points

• According to information received from Uttarakhand sub-area, only plastic waste material is being used in the construction of this track. The construction work of the running track is in the final stage.
• The running track is being built in a modern way so that people of all ages can easily use it in summer, winter and rainy season. The youth will benefit the most from this. Often in the rainy season, they are not able to practice due to rain. Now they will be able to practice daily on this track.
• Along with the marathon, other events will also be held at the Jaswant Singh Ground in Dehradun. There is a plan to install a display on the side of the track so that it can be known while running that how much has been run. Efforts will also be made to make the youth aware through the display so that they can run well. There is also a plan to install solar lights all around the ground.
• Apart from the running track, the Defense Minister will also inaugurate the first war memorial of the state, which is being constructed in the Cantt area, Chirbagh.