Chhattisgarh State PCS

• 05 Apr 2023

Rubber Farming in Chhattisgarh on the lines of Kerala

Why in News?

On 3 April 2023, an agreement has been signed between Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh and Rubber Research Institute, Kottayam (Kerala), under which Rubber Research Institute, Kottayam will do experimental cultivation of rubber in an area of one hectare in Bastar to explore the possibilities of rubber cultivation in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• A Memorandum of understanding was signed by the Director (Research) of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University Dr. Vivek Kumar Tripathi and the Director (Research) of Rubber Research Institute Kottayam Dr. M.D. Jesse.
• According to this agreement, the Rubber Institute Agricultural Research Center in Bastar will provide plant material, manure-fertilizers, medicines and expenditure on labour to the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University for rubber cultivation in the one-hectare area in Bastar for a period of seven years. He will also provide necessary technical guidance for rubber cultivation and rubber extraction techniques.
• Plant management will be done by Indira Gandhi Agricultural University under the guidance of scientists from the Rubber Institute.
• Vice-Chancellor of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Dr. Girish Chandel said that rubber is a highly profitable crop. In India, rubber cultivation has played an important role in making farmers prosperous in the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc.
• He said that the scientists of Kottayam Rubber Research Institute have found the soil, climate, geo-ecology etc. of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region suitable for rubber cultivation and on an experimental basis rubber plants will be planted in one-hectare area. Farmers will be able to get more income from rubber cultivation here.

Angana Ma Shiksha' program received 'Scotch Award'

Why in News?

According to the information provided by the Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on 3 April 2023, the 'Angana Ma Shiksha' program started on the initiative of women teachers during the Covid lockdown in Chhattisgarh, India's highest civilian honour given by an independent organization for the year 2022 has been awarded the 'Scotch Award'.

Key Points

• Through this award, those projects are honored and make efforts to make the country a better nation.
• A core team of women teachers, represented from all the five divisions has been constituted for designing and implementing the program to take 'Angana Ma Shiksha' to every village of Chhattisgarh.
• For the last three years, these teachers have been trying to continuously improve this program by designing it. First, the 'Angana Ma Shiksha' fair is organized in every village. In this, local teachers, the community, Anganwadi workers and girls of higher classes are included.
• There are different counters in the fair where mothers get their children assessed and understand the process of teaching and learning at home. Mainly organizing activities like walking on a zig-zag line, colouring pictures, making various shapes from paper, classifying objects and arranging them in order, telling a story, describing a picture, counting, verbal addition and subtraction are done.
• By learning from the fair and orientation from time to time by the teachers, mothers start helping their children to learn at home.
• In this program, the mothers who are working better and doing activities are also honoured by giving them the title of 'smart mother' to get recognition in the village and to connect other mothers with this program.
• Smart mothers are also expected to activate other mothers by going to school and Anganwadi and take initiative towards improvement in children's education.
• Mothers also take a support card with them while taking their children to school for admission in the new session in which they assess the current status of the children's competencies and sign them themselves to inform them that they have achieved these competencies for their children, now co-operate in teaching ahead of it.
• Before the admission in the coming session, the next phase under this program in all the villages is being decided by the women teachers in collaboration with Pratham Education Foundation. This year, there is also a proposal for 'Angana Ma Shiksha' day and taking selfies of mothers with their children.