• 03 Apr 2023

Gonda’s 5 Railway Stations will get facilities like Airport

Why in News?

On 31 March 2023, Mahesh Gupta, Public Relations Officer of Northeastern Railway Lucknow Division told that under the 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme', five railway stations in Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh - Mankapur, Katra, Babhnan, Colonelganj and Chhapia will now get airport-like facilities.

Key Points

• Preparations are underway to provide high-end and modern facilities of shopping complexes, hotels, and parking at the five junctions selected under the 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme'. Modern entrances, circulating area, waiting hall and the retiring room will be made in the selected station. The passenger waiting room will be extended and connected to other waiting rooms.
• Roads will be widened, dedicated walkways, well-planned parking areas, and better lighting arrangements will be made for the station. Wi-Fi facilities will be provided free of cost to railway passengers while increasing the number of special toilets for women and differently-abled.
• At least two LED boards will be installed with the name of the station and the length of their platform will be increased. Keeping in mind the requirement of each station, one station, one product, a better passenger information system, executive lounge, and special places for business meetings will be made.
• The buildings of the green railway station will also attract visitors from far away. Along with this, by beautifying the local art and culture through message-oriented design painting, people will also feel the specialty of that area when they reach the station.
• An idol of Lord Swami Narayan will be installed at Chhapia station and paintings related to it will be done. Mankapur, Katra, Babhnan, and Colonelganj railway stations will be developed and beautified giving a feel of their specialty.
• At all stations a minimum of two stalls for 'one station one product', a better cafeteria and a 5G internet facility will be available.

Sports complex to be developed for Training of Athletes in Bihar

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on 30 March 2023, outdoor sports complexes i.e., stadiums are being developed in all district headquarters under the 'Aao Khelo-cum-Non-Residential Training Scheme' in Bihar.

Key Points

• Arrangements are being made to provide training in 14 sports under the 'Aao Khelo-cum-Non-Residential Training Scheme' under which training will be given to athletic, volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho, taekwondo, boxing, badminton, football, fencing, sepak takraw, chess, basketball, archery and yoga players.
• Games up to the state level will be organized in these stadiums. Players will not need to travel to Patna or other states to play.
• The art, Culture and Youth Department has made a plan to develop outdoor stadiums for all district headquarters on the lines of Patliputra Sports Complex located in Kankarbagh, Patna. In this mainly outdoor stadiums will be developed in Tirhut, Saran, Darbhanga, Kosi, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Munger and Magadha divisions.
• Emphasis is being laid on training to enhance the talent of the talented players of the state. The government has plans that if needed, the services of international-level coaches can also be taken.
• It is noteworthy that under the scheme, there is a plan to construct stadiums in all 534 blocks of the state. Under this scheme, approval has been given for construction in 312 blocks. In this, stadiums have been constructed in 221 blocks. Out of the remaining 222 blocks, approval has been given for the construction of stadiums in 27 blocks in the year 2022-23. Out of this 27, 400 meters in four blocks and 200 meters in the remaining 23. Track equipped stadium will be constructed.

A special Task Force(Anti Cheating) will be formed in SOG

Why in News?

According to the information given by the Rajasthan Information and Public Relations Department on March 31, 2023, the state government has taken strict steps to stop the paper leak cases in competitive examinations and take strict action against the culprit, Special Task Force (anti-cheating) is being formed in Special Operation Group (SOG).

Key Points

• With this decision, unemployed and hardworking candidates will get justice and fairness will be maintained in the examinations.
• Apart from this, effective investigation in cases related to cheating will help to give punishment to the criminals.
• The Chief Minister has also approved the financial proposal for the creation of 39 new posts and the resources necessary for the operation of this task force. These new posts include one post each of Superintendent of Police and Additional Superintendent of Police and various other posts.
• This task force will be equipped with modern resources. Through this, strict action will be ensured against the guilty candidates and institutions in the cases of paper leak.
• It is noteworthy that the announcement in this regard was made by the Chief Minister in the budget 2023-24.
• It may be noted that the Rajasthan Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Bill, 2022 has been passed by the State Government in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly. In this, strict provisions have been made like imprisonment of examinees, debarred from public examinations and demolition of the property of the culprits.

Cabinet & Minister of State Status to the Presidents and Vice-presidents of Corporations, Boards, Authorities, Commissions, Committees and Boards

Why in News?

On 31 March 2023 the Madhya Pradesh General Administration Department issued an order for the status of a cabinet minister and minister of state for the Presidents and Vice-presidents of Corporations, Boards, Authorities, Commissions, Committees and Boards.

Key Points

• According to the order issued by the General Administration Department, the chairpersons of the following Corporation/Mandal/Authority/Commission/Committee/Board have been accorded the status of Cabinet Minister-
  • Krishna Mohan Soni - Chairman, Bhopal Development Authority
  • Ved Prakash Sharma - Chairman, Yoga Commission
  • Ramdayal Prajapati - Chairman, Mati Kala Board
  • Bhagchand Uikey - Chairman, State Migrant Commission
  • Bhagwandas Gondane - President, Labour Welfare Board
  • Ghanshyam Pironia - Chairman, Bamboo Development Authority
  • Ramlal Rotele - Chairman, Coal Development Authority
  • Rafat Warsi - Chairman, Haj Committee
• The chairpersons of the following Corporation/Board/Authority/Commission/Committee have been accorded the status of the Minister of the State-
  • Nandram Kushwaha - Vice President, State Livestock and Poultry Development Corporation
  • Sunil Pandey - Vice President, Bhopal Development Authority
  • Anil Agarwal 'Lily' - Vice President, Bhopal Development Authority
  • Rakesh Golu Shukla - Vice President, Indore Development Authority

Special Campaign against Human Trafficking by Haryana Police

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on 31 March 2023, the Haryana Police will conduct a one-month-long campaign against human trafficking in the entire state in the month of April. Through this, the police aim to raise awareness about human trafficking and encourage people to report any suspicious activity related to human trafficking.

Key Points

• It is known that this campaign will run from April 1 to April 30, 2023.
• The campaign will include various activities like seminars, workshops, street plays and awareness campaigns. Meanwhile, the Haryana Police will work closely with NGOs and other stakeholders to provide rehabilitation to the victims of human trafficking while undertaking rescue operations.
• Haryana Police has urged citizens to immediately report any suspicious activity related to human trafficking to the police on its emergency helpline number 112. The identity of the informer will be kept confidential.
• In the message sent to field units, all SPs and DCPs have been asked to run the campaign. CP and IG/ADG Range will review the progress weekly. The performance of the field units will be reviewed at the end of the month on the number of missing children and adults traced and beggars and laborers rescued.
• In this direction, the police will re-investigate missing person cases and send police teams to shelters and children's homes in neighboring states to see if any of them are living there. Cases of missing children are registered under sections 363-366 IPC, while cases of missing adults are registered under 346 IPC.
• It is noteworthy that Haryana Police traced 3379 missing female and 6340 male adults in the year 2022. Also, 1144 missing boys and 1426 girls were also recovered. In addition, it also freed 41 bonded laborers.
• In the same period, 22 Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) of the State Crime Branch traced 316 missing male adults and 373 female adults.
• As per the Supreme Court order, a missing person case is transferred to the State Crime Branch for further investigation if it remains unsolved in the district for more than four months.
• Through the campaign, Haryana Police in collaboration with the Women and Child Welfare Department, other state police and NGOs aims to bring back the smile in the family by reuniting the separated with their loved ones.

Ranchi's Birsa Munda Airport ranks 2nd in the Country in terms of Customer Satisfaction

Why in News?

Recently in the customer satisfaction survey conducted by the Airport Authority of India through a private agency on domestic flights between April 2022 and March 2023, Birsa Munda Airport of Ranchi, Jharkhand, ranked second in the country.

Key Points

• Airport Director of Ranchi K.L. Agarwal was given the award at a function organized by the Airport Authority of India in New Delhi.
• In this regard, Director of Ranchi Airport KL Aggarwal said that the customer satisfaction survey was conducted in 52 airports across the country. In this survey grading is given after observing the public facilities available at the airport and their functioning.
• More than 50 parameters were fixed in this grading, which include airport staff behaviour, cleanliness, shopping facilities, parking facilities etc.

Successful allotment of Graphite Block in Chhattisgarh through E-Auction

Why in News?

According to the information provided by the Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on 31 March 2023, the Kenapara graphite block located in the Balrampur district was successfully allotted as a composite license through e-auction by the Chhattisgarh Mineral Resources Department. The said block was explored by GSI at the G-4 level.

Key Points

• The highest bid (final price offer) of 111.00 per cent was placed by the M/s Maa Kudargarhi Steels Pvt. Ltd. for allotment in the form of composite license through e-auction of Kenapara Graphite Block by Chhattisgarh Mineral Resources Department
• A total of 670 bids were placed in the e-auction conducted on 29 March 2023 in the MSTC portal under the direction of Director, Land and Mining Jayaprakash Maurya, in which the highest bid of 111.00 percent was placed by M/s Maa Kudargadi Steels Pvt. Ltd.
• It may be noted that for the first time, the e-auction of graphite blocks has been successfully done by the state. Prior to this, only Odisha and Madhya Pradesh allocated graphite blocks through e-auction in the country.
• Graphite is an important mineral for manufacturing refractories, batteries, lubricants, and crucibles. Presently it has major mines in Odisha and Jharkhand only.
• Joint Director and InCharge Auction Anurag Dewan said that allocation of mines through the e-auction method is a very important system for the purpose of transparency and revenue sharing to the state government.
• So far, a total of 28 mineral blocks of limestone, bauxite, iron ore, gold metal and nickel, chromium and PGE and graphite have been successfully allocated by the Chhattisgarh Mineral Department, which will generate royalty, DMF, environmental and financial resources in the coming years and In addition to the infrastructure cess, the state government will get an additional income of about 81 thousand crores.

CM launched Chhattisgarh's 1st Chhattisgarhi Digital Radio Station 'Radio Sangwari

Why in News?

On 31 March 2023, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched Chhattisgarh's first digital radio station 'Radio Sangwari' in a program organized at his residence office.

Key Points

• Apart from this, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel released the audio of the Chhattisgarhi song 'Kaka Zinda Hai' in the programme. Its creator is head constable Dilip Tamarkar.
• The Chief Minister said that through Radio Sangwari, it has been established to take Chhattisgarhi folk art, folk culture and song-music to the common people through digital radio stations.
• The art and culture of Chhattisgarh will be conveyed to the people of the whole world through the app, certainly it is a very commendable effort.
• Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that this platform can be a powerful medium to give new life to the vanishing cultural genres and art traditions of Chhattisgarh. The talents of new artists can also be easily brought to the world through this.
• There is no dearth of radio listeners even today. Many radio stations are still very popular today because of their innovations and fresh thinking. He expressed hope that the digital radio station being started by Radio Sangwari would also become such a popular medium.
• On this occasion, the founder of Radio Sangwari Rahul Sharma and co-founder Dr. Hemant Sirmour said that Radio Sangwari can be listened to comfortably even on 2G internet speed.

Union Health Minister lays Foundation Stone of Health -Projects in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

On 31 March 2023, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare inaugurated a 500-bed hospital in Dehradun, Uttarakhand and three critical care blocks of 50 beds each laid the foundation stone at Rudraprayag, Nainital and Srinagar through virtual medium from Joshimath at a function organized in Dehradun.

Key Points

• Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare informed that the work of upgradation and strengthening of medical infrastructure under the 'Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission' (PM-ABHIM) is in progress and in the wake of the global COVID pandemic, Important work is being done under ECRP-II (Emergency COVID Response Package-II) with the objective of strengthening the medical units of the future keeping in mind the experiences.
• In order to work fast in the health sector of Uttarakhand government, 7 under PM-ABHIM scheme and 7 under ECRP-II i.e. total 14 critical care blocks are being constructed.
• Through these initiatives, better health facilities for emergency care will be easily available to people living in remote mountain areas.
• Critical care blocks at Rudraprayag and Nainital will be constructed under the ECRP-II package. At the same time, it will be constructed in Srinagar under the PM-ABHIM scheme.
• A total of Rs 71.25 crore has been sanctioned for 3 critical care blocks at Pauri in Srinagar, Rudraprayag and Haldwani in Nainital in coordination with the Government of India and the Government of Uttarakhand to ensure the general public's access to health facilities.
• An amount of Rs 23.75 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of each of these critical care blocks. These critical care blocks will be provided with facilities like ICU beds, HDU beds, isolation ward beds, isolation rooms, emergency beds, operation theaters, labor delivery rooms, combined care laboratories and dialysis rooms.
• To upgrade and strengthen the medical infrastructure in the state, the facility of 500 beds will be expanded in the Doon Medical College with an amount of Rs 120 crore. With this initiative, patients coming from remote areas would be able to get better treatment facilities in the state capital.
• On this occasion, State Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, underlining the progress made in the health sector of Uttarakhand, said that with more than 80,000 people registered on the 'E-Raktkosh blood donation portal', the people of Uttarakhand have donated the most blood in the country.
• More than 50 lakh ABHA cards have been issued to the people of the state and out of them more than 7 lakh people have availed this free treatment facility.
• Uttarakhand has become the first state in India to cover 100% TB patients under the Ni-Kshaya Mitra initiative in the fight against TB.