• 05 Jun 2023

Khelo India University Games-2022 concludes in Varanasi

Why in News?

On 3 June 2023, the 3rd Khelo India University Games (KIUG)-2022 concluded at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus in Varanasi-the Spiritual Capital of India, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points:

• Panjab University, Chandigarh (PUC) was declared the overall champion with 26 gold, 17 silver and 26 bronze medals.
• Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (GNDU) stood 2nd with 24 gold, 27 silver, 17 bronze and Jain University, Karnataka stood 3rd with 16 gold, 10 silver, 6 bronze medals.
• It is worth mentioning that this year the 3rd edition of the Khelo India University Games was organized in Uttar Pradesh from May 25 to June 3. These competitions were organized in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
• The Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2022 saw over 4000 athletes from over 200 universities competing in 21 sports across 12 competition days.
• The mascot for the third edition of the Khelo India University Games was named Jeetu, representing the state animal of Uttar Pradesh, the Swamp Deer (Reindeer).
• It is worth mentioning that the 1st edition of the Khehjkjlo India University Games was held in Odisha in the year 2020 and the 2nd edition was held in Bangalore, Karnataka in the year 2022 (shifted from 2021 to 2022 due to the Covid-19 pandemic).

'Uttar Pradesh Mathrubhumi Scheme'

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on 2 June 2023, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the proposed 'Uttar Pradesh Mathrubhumi Yojana' of the Panchayati Raj Department.

Key Points:

• Under the 'Uttar Pradesh Mathrubhumi Yojana', residents of Uttar Pradesh settled abroad will now be able to get community centres, Baraat Ghars and other such construction works done in their native villages in the memory of their relatives and forefathers.
• It is known that a large number of people from Uttar Pradesh have left the rural environment who are living and working in different cities & states of the country and even abroad. Such people want to provide cooperation in the development of their native village of Uttar Pradesh, but due to the lack of any system in the past, they were not able to provide desired cooperation.
• Under the scheme, if a person, a private organization wants to get development work done in a Gram Panchayat, development of infrastructure facilities & work permitted under Section 15 of the Panchayati Raj Act, and is willing to bear a minimum of 60 percent of the cost of the work as a donation. If so, the state government will bear the remaining 40% cost.
• After the completion of the work, a plaque of the size and type prescribed by the state government will be installed on the top of the said building or infrastructure facility or according to the proposal of the person or institution that has cooperated.

BSEB launched a Mobile App

Why in News?

On 4 June 2023, Bihar School Examination Board Chairman Anand Kishore told that Bihar School Examination Board has launched the 'BSEB Mobile App' for students and teachers.

Key Points:

• On this app, students will get all the information related to studies and exams. Matriculation and intermediate students can get all the necessary information with the help of this app.
• Through the 'BSEB Mobile App', lakhs of matriculation and inter candidates can check their final admit card, dummy admit card, registration card, and online examination form along with other information here.
• Along with this, through this app, all the teachers, who do evaluation work in the Bihar School Examination Board examinations, will also be provided with all the information like their joining letter through the mobile app.
• BSEB Chairman Anand Kishore said that the use of the app has started and all the students have been given a unique ID number.
• Students will be identified with a unique ID. Students can also check their certificates and other documents on the app. They can also take a printout of it. From dummy admit cards to certificates, it will be available on the app itself.

Maithili singer Soni Chowdhary awarded by 'Bihar Ratna Samman'

Why in News?

On 3 June 2023, Bihar's National Youth Welfare Council President Vishwamohan Chaudhary awarded the 'Bihar Ratna Samman' to Soni Chaudhary, a poetess and Maithili folk singer from Darbhanga district of the state, for her excellent singing at a felicitation ceremony held in Patna.

Key Points:

• Soni Chaudhary has earlier been awarded 'Sangeet Ratna Samman 2022' by Assessment & Performance Appraisal Council, New Delhi and 'Sur Madhukar Samman' by Datia Gurukul (Madhya Pradesh) for better singing.
• Apart from these, Soni Chaudhary has also been honoured with 'the Tilkamanjhi National Award' by Tilkamanjhi University, Bhagalpur, 'Swami Vivekananda Yuva Samman' by Mithila Shiksha Manch, Samastipur, 'Bihar Samman' by Bihar Education & Cultural Development Council, Patna, 'Sant Shiromani Laxminath Gosai Samman' by Mahinathpur-based institution etc.
• After receiving the award, Soni Chaudhary said that this honour will work to increase the enthusiasm towards the preservation & prom

Rajasthan ranks 12th in the Jal Jeevan Mission connection

Why in News?

On 4 June 2023, Rajasthan Water Resources Minister Dr. Mahesh Joshi said that the total number of connections in the Jal Jeevan Mission has crossed 42.14 lakh so far and Rajasthan has reached the 12th position in the country.

Key Points:

• The Minister said that the state has reached the second position in terms of expenditure by spending Rs 16 thousand 36 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission so far. A total of Rs 1521 crore has been spent under the Mission so far in the current financial year.
• Due to continuous monitoring and review at the highest level, the graph of the mission in the state is progressing rapidly. Rajasthan had made 27,470 connections in a single day on 31 March, breaking the record for the highest-ever water connection.
• In the financial year 2022-23, a total of 14 lakh 13 thousand 679 water connections have been made. In the first quarter of the current financial year, the target is 4.75 lakh connections, out of which 3.05 lakh connections have been done till May 31.
• Among the top 5 districts that achieved the targets set by the Jal Jeevan Mission for the financial year 2022-23, Jhalawar recorded 76 per cent progress, Bhilwara 71 per cent, Kota 69 per cent, Chittorgarh 66 per cent and Udaipur 66 per cent. A total of 7 districts in the state have achieved the target of more than 50 percent water connections.
• Water Resources Minister Dr. Mahesh Joshi said that when the Jal Jeevan Mission was started, only 10 percent of water connections were available in Rajasthan. In December 2019, the number of households with water connection to every household in the state was 11 lakh 74 thousand 131, which has now increased to 42 lakh 14 thousand.
• It is known that since 2019, 30 lakh 50 thousand new water connections have been given in the state, which is an achievement for the state with adverse geographical conditions.

Increased Domestic Grant of Chief Minister Free Electricity Scheme

Why in News?

According to the information given by the Information and Public Relations Department of Rajasthan on 2 June 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has increased the scope of the Chief Minister's Free Electricity Scheme (Domestic Grant) to provide maximum relief to the domestic electricity consumers of the state.

Key Points:

• Under increasing the scope of the Chief Minister's Free Electricity Scheme (Domestic Grant), now the electricity bill of domestic consumers who consume electricity up to 100 units per month is zero, as well as all the domestic consumers, even if the consumption exceeds 100 units per month, the first 100 units of electricity will be given free of cost.
• Similarly, the first 100 units of free electricity for domestic consumers consuming up to 200 units per month, along with fixed charges up to 200 units, fuel surcharge and all other charges will also be waived off.
• Jaipur Discom Managing Director R.N. Kumawat said that the benefit of this scheme is to be given from the billing month of June 2023, for which necessary changes are being made in the billing software.
• As per the plan, it is likely to take 3 to 4 working days to make necessary changes in the billing software. Only after this, the billing of domestic consumers for June 2023 will be started.
• It is worth mentioning that necessary changes have been made in the billing software for providing free electricity to agricultural consumers consuming up to 2000 units. Therefore, apart from domestic consumers, billing for the month of June 2023 for all other categories like agriculture, industrial and commercial consumers has been started from 4 June.

Chief Minister laid the Foundation Stone of 8 Pilgrimage Projects

Why in News?

On 3 June 2023, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal laid the foundation stone of 8 pilgrimage projects of the Kurukshetra Development Board in Karnal district to be built at a cost of about Rs 1177 lakh.

Key Points:

• The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of 'Prithvi Tirth' at village Balu in Nissing block at a cost of Rs 86.89 lakh, 'Raghuvendra Dasaratha Tirth' at village Ongad at a cost of Rs 112.11 lakh, and 'Mishrak Tirth' at Nissing rural at a cost of Rs 159.31 lakh.
• Apart from these, 'Dhankshetra Tirtha' in Assandh at a cost of Rs 40 lakh, 'Anjani Tirtha' in village Anjanthali at a cost of Rs 229.77 lakh, 'Prakshant Tirtha' in village Patanpuri at a cost of Rs 231.29 lakh, 'Vedvati Tirth' in village Sitamai at a cost of Rs 134.52 lakh and also laid the foundation stone of the work of 'Vyas Sthal Teerth' in village Bastali at a cost of Rs 183.06 lakh.
• On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that earlier the Kurukshetra Development Board used to take care of only the pilgrimages of the Kurukshetra district, but now Dharmakshetra Kurukshetra is being renovated by the Kurukshetra Development Board, realizing the importance of 164 pilgrimages established in the periphery of 48 Kos under the famous pilgrimage.
• Kurukshetra Development Board is also deciding to develop Tirth Parikrama so that the people of the village, as well as people from outside, come for darshan at the centres of people's faith, this will increase the number of tourists and provide employment to the people.

Jharkhand started Spot Testing

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on 2 June 2023, the Jharkhand government has started spot testing, under which three children are randomly selected from each school during the school inspection by the Block Resource Person (BRP) / Cluster Resource Person (CRP).

Key Points:

• Under spot testing, all the children are then surveyed to see how much they are able to learn the things that are being taught to them. In this survey, all the students are tested in Hindi, Mathematics and English subjects, where basic literacy & numeracy of the children are checked.
• Through spot testing, learning outcome data has been collected for 2 lakh children per month in Jharkhand in the months prior to the pandemic. This is about 5% of all children in the state.
• BRP and CRP were given practical training on evaluation where the data was verified & cross-checked with a series of logical checks and field validation to ensure a high level of accuracy. Changes in data over time are accurate in the range of 0.5-1%.
• NITI Aayog in its report has said that considering the scale, granularity, accuracy & frequency, it is safe to say that Jharkhand has one of the best and most comprehensive learning data systems in the world.
• The state has also established a Learning Tracking Format (LTF), where each teacher inputs competency-level data for each student in the state. Data from spot testing will be used to cross-validate the LTF data and ensure accuracy.
• This survey data is being used for various types of decision-making:
  • District and block-wise monthly performance analysis.
  • Impact assessment of specific initiatives.
  • Use of learning data in district and block reviews to determine specific action plans.
  • Identification of specific competency gaps to determine teacher training needs.
  • Identification of necessary changes in textbooks and curriculum, accountability & reward system.

Culture Department, Chhattisgarh got the Golden Book of World Record

Why in News?

On 3 June 2023, the Culture Department of Chhattisgarh was given the Golden Book of World Records for presenting Aranya Kand continuously for 765 minutes at the National Ramayana Festival held in Raigarh.

Key Points:

• In the National Ramayana Festival organized by the Department of Culture, 375 artists, 17 groups from 13 states and 2 international countries (Cambodia and Indonesia) created this world record by presenting 765 minutes of continuous presentation in different languages on Aranya Kand.
• Most stage artists performing awards were given to the culture department along with the district administration.
• Raigad district administration has also been awarded for the successful organization of Ramayana Mahotsav, where more than 10,000 people collectively recited the Hanuman Chalisa.
• The first prize of Rs 5 lakh was given to the Karnataka team, the second prize of Rs 3 lakh to the Assam team and the third prize of Rs 2 lakh to the Jharkhand team.
• It is known that on the special initiative of Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel, a three-day grand National Ramayana Festival was organized in Raigad from 1 June to 3 June on the lines of the National Tribal Dance Festival.

Uttarakhand's 1st Tunnel Parking will be built in Kempty Fall, Mussoorie

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on 4 June 2023, the first tunnel parking in Uttarakhand will be built in Kempty Fall in front of Tehri-Kempty Fall Mussoorie, Masihi Mussoorie Road, for which a DPR of 120 crores has been prepared.

Key Points:

• To solve the parking problem in the state, tunnel parking is to be made in the mountains in 12 cities. These include 2 in Pauri, 6 in Tehri, 2 in Uttarkashi and 2 in Nainital.
• This parking lot will have the facility to park 400 vehicles.
• Tunnel parking will be built here:
  • Pauri-Laxman Jhula and Saud near Devprayag Railway Station.
  • Opposite Old Tehri Road Junkyard (Chamba), Nainbagh Dhanaulti, Chhilledi Village, Tegad Bazaar and Thatud Bazaar, Main Bazaar.
  • Uttarkashi-Gangotri and Gangnani.
  • On Nainital-Bhawali road, Cantt Board land and 1st turn near National Observatory.
• In hilly districts, where the large ground is not available for parking, the construction of parking will be done through tunnels inside the mountains. This parking will be made in such a way that the vehicle will enter for parking from one side and will exit on the other road.

Uttarakhand's Pratibha Thapliyal selected for Asia & World Bodybuilding Championship

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on 4 June 2023, only Pratibha Thapliyal of Uttarakhand has been selected from the whole country in the trials organized by the Indian Body Builders Federation in Goa for the Asia & World BodyBuilding Championships to be held in Nepal and South Korea.

Key Points:

• About 23 women bodybuilders from all over the country participated in the trials organized by the Federation of Indian Bodybuilders in Goa. Out of these only Pratibha Thapliyal was selected.
• It is known that from 6 to 12 September, the Asia BodyBuilding Championship is to be organized in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. Whereas, from 30 October to 6 November, the World BodyBuilding Competition is to be held in Seoul, the capital of South Korea.
• Significantly, Pratibha, a native of Yamkeshwar block of Pauri in the state, is the first female bodybuilder of Uttarakhand. Even before this, he has brought laurels to the country and the state by winning many competitions.
• Prior to this, she has represented Uttarakhand as a captain in volleyball and has played five times from North Zone. Apart from this, she has also played four times in cricket at the All-India level.