State PCS

• 05 Aug 2023

Patna's 15-year-old student Pranav made Smart Inverter Many Times Cheaper than the market

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on August 3, 2023, Pranav, a student of Patna, has made an inverter with a touch screen many times cheaper than the inverter available in the market at the age of just 15 years.

Key Points:

• According to the information, Pranav got success in the 17th time and the smart inverter was ready.
• The inverter has a touchscreen display. All kinds of indicators are given on the touchscreen display. The most important thing is that this inverter is many times cheaper than the inverter found in the market.
• This inverter can give a backup of up to 3 hours when used with a very high load. Fans, bulbs, iron, and mixers can also run on it.
• Its system is designed in such a way that if there is a short circuit anywhere in the house due to this inverter, then it can automatically cut the power. There is also a bypass switch, which can cut power when overloaded.
• This smart inverter has a book-shaped battery, which is installed in the inverter itself. Its size is 25 cm in length, 18 cm in width and 3 cm in height.
• This battery is a lithium-ion dry cell, which is low cost and low weight. Its efficiency is 92%.

Organ Donation Campaign started

Why in News?

On August 3, 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched and released a poster of the organ donation campaign launched by the Medical and Health Department at the Chief Minister's residence with the aim of making people aware of organ donation.

Key Points:

• On this occasion, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 249 works worth Rs 771 crore. The Chief Minister also flagged off 10 Chiranjeevi, 104 Janani Express ambulances and 25 mobile food testing labs.
• He said that the health infrastructure has been strengthened by opening new district hospitals, primary health centres, community health centres, and sub-health centres continuously in the state. Rajasthan is the only state in the country to implement the Right to Health Act.
• He said that medical colleges are being opened in 30 districts of the state. In the remaining three districts, the government has decided to open medical colleges at its own expense. Rajasthan is the first state in the country to approve medical colleges in all districts.
• On this occasion, the Chief Minister extended the scope of free registration under the Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme to all EWS. Announced to do so. According to this, the premium amount of families with an income of less than Rs 8 lakh will be paid by the state government for all categories including general, other backward classes, extremely backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Tribes.
• On this occasion, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot felicitated the family members of organ donors and doctors who have done excellent work in the field of organ transplantation. A short film based on the theme of Model State Rajasthan in the field of health was also screened at the event.   
• On this occasion, Medical and Health Minister Parsadi Lal Meena said that 88 percent of the families have been covered under Chiranjeevi Health Insurance Scheme in the state. The insurance premium of 1.38 crore families is being paid by the state government.

National Handloom Week-2023

Why in News?

On August 3, 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the National Handloom Week-2023 being organized through video conference with an aim to promote and encourage weavers, handloom & khadi sector products in the state.

Key Points:

• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the handloom products of the state reflect the culture, heritage and history of the state. Handloom and Khadi also played an important role in the freedom struggle. This is the first time such an event is being organized in the state to give world-class recognition to these products and to give them a better platform.
• It is known that National Handloom Week-2023 is being organized from August 3 to 7 at Jawahar Kala Kendra.
• The Chief Minister said that the state government is working with commitment to increase the income and upliftment of handloom artisans. In this sequence, it was provided in the MSME Policy-2022 that such an event will be organized every year.
• This will attract buyers at the national and international levels towards the state's handloom products. Also, handloom weavers of the state and various Khadi products will be encouraged.
• He said that here handicrafts and artisans from different states of the country will be able to display and sell their artworks. This event will prove to be a better opportunity in terms of marketing.
• The Chief Minister said that Rajasthan's first Handicrafts Policy-2022 has been released for the upliftment of the products of handicrafts and the handloom sector and the artisans associated with them. This policy will create about 50 thousand new employment opportunities in the handloom sector in the state.
• Industries and Commerce Minister Shakuntala Rawat said about 85 percent of the weavers' population belongs to scheduled castes and minority communities. For their upliftment, many schemes and programs are being run through the Government's Department of Industry & Commerce, Rajasthan Handloom Development Corporation, Weavers Association, Khadi Board, RUDA etc.
• Vishwakarma Kamgar Kalyan Yojana-2023 has been implemented by the state government. Under this, financial assistance is being provided to 1 lakh youth of women, workers, handicrafts, hairstyles, pottery and nomadic class to start their own employment.
• Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) Veenu Gupta said that direct purchasing companies, buying agents, retailers associations, and national & international level marketing companies have been invited to the National Handloom Week-2023 to arrange sustainable marketing for handloom and Khadi products in the state.
• During this five-day event, 80 stalls have been set up to showcase handloom and khadi products, out of which 70 stalls will sell and display khadi and handloom products of the state and 10 stalls will sell and display excellent products of other state weavers.
• The event will also see the presence of 10 National Weaver Awardees who will showcase and sell their extraordinary creations.
• During the National Handloom Week, buyer-seller meets, exhibitions, theme pavilions, talk shows, quiz competitions, workshops and seminars as well as 'fashion shows' will be organized at the Rajasthan International Centre.

Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 campaign in the state in 3 phases

Why in News?

On August 3, 2023, Madhya Pradesh's Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Mohammad Suleman, while reviewing the preparation of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 campaign and U-WIN portal in all the districts of the state through video conferencing from Vallabh Bhavan said that the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 campaign will be implemented in three phases in the state.

Key Points:

• The Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 campaign will be conducted in three phases (August 7 to 12, September 11 to 16 and October 9 to 14, 2023) in the state.
• In the intensive Mission Indradhanush 5.0 campaign, children between the age group of 0 to 5 years and pregnant women who have been left out in vaccination are to be vaccinated.
• The Additional Chief Secretary, Health instructed to get 100% vaccination done by activating all the vaccinators.
• He said that the U-WIN portal digital platform is being used for the first time in the state. All abandoned children and pregnant women of the state should be identified and vaccinated by microplanning.
• The ACS directed that all the ANM cadre identified for vaccination at the institutional delivery point should be guided for the success of IMI. ANMs as vaccinators will provide vaccination services in 6 working days of advance three phases.

2 New and 2 Amendment Bills passed in the Jharkhand assembly

Why in News?

On August 2, 2023, the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly passed two new and two amendment bills, including the 'Factories (Jharkhand) Amendment Bill, 2023'.

Key Points:

• Provision has been made in the 'Factory (Jharkhand) Amendment Bill, 2023' that now women can work in a factory from 7:00 pm to 6:00 am. Earlier there was a provision of not working from 12:00 am to 6:00 am.
• Minister Satyanand Bhokta said that the government wants to give equal rights to women. With the new amendment, now women will be able to work in all the three shifts. The bill was passed by voice vote amid BJP's walkout.
• 'Arogyam International University Bill, 2023' and 'CV Raman Global University Bill-2023' were also passed in the House.
• Apart from these, the House also approved the 'Advocates Welfare Fund Amendment Bill, 2023'. In this, there is a provision to increase the amount going to the welfare fund from stamp duty from Rs 15 to Rs 30. In-charge minister Alamgir Alam said that people voluntarily give money under this head.

Senior journalist-writer Sudhir Saxena to be honoured with Vasundhara Samman

Why in News?

According to the information received from Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on August 3, 2023, Vasundhara Samman, established in the memory of Late Deviprasad Choubey and given for public awareness, will be given to senior journalist-writer Sudhir Saxena this year.

Key Points:

• This will be the 23rd continuous event of Vasundhara Samman. The felicitation ceremony will be held on August 14, 2023 at the Chief Minister's residence, Raipur, on the occasion of the 47th death anniversary of Late Devi Prasad Choubey. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will honor Sudhir Saxena with Vasundhara Samman.
• The members of the jury formed under the chairmanship of journalist Diwakar Muktibodh are Girish Pankaj, E. V. Murali, Sameer Diwan, Rajesh Ganodwale, Raghvendra Pratap Singh, Vasundhara Samman convenor Vinod Mishra, organizing committee chairman Dr. Arun Kumar Srivastava and Secretary Mumtaz have jointly informed about this decision.
• According to the information received from the jury, Sudhir Saxena is a journalist of national repute, who has contributed significantly to the journalism of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
• From 1978 till today, he has written extensively in various journals like Dharma Yuga, Dinman, Sunday, Kalpana, Sunday Observer, Jan Satta, Navbharat Times, Amar Ujala, Dainik Jagran, Dainik Bhaskar, Navbharat, Nai Duniya, Patrika, Deshbandhu, Maya, Wagarth, Pahal, Majority, Akshara Parv, contemporary Indian literature, plural etc.
• Sudhir Saxena's 14 poetry collections, 11 books of translation in foreign and Indian languages, and other 18 books of non-fiction prose have been published.
• He has written extensively on the socio-political background of Chhattisgarh through books like Gandhi in Chhattisgarh, freedom struggles in Madhya Pradesh & Adivasi, Bhoomkal, Muktisangram in Chhattisgarh and Adivasi, Gundadhur Ek Yoddha.
• He has been honoured with many prestigious honours like Madhavrao Sapre Award, Pushkin Award, Vagishwari Award, Pramod Verma Award, and Shamsher Award. These days he is editing the fortnightly magazine 'Duniya In Dinon'.
• Over the years, Vasundhara Samman has been conferred with Late Ramesh Nayyar, Late Shyamlal Chaturvedi, Late Kumar Sahu, Late Basant Kumar Tiwari, Late Vinod Shankar Shukla, Late Sharad Kothari, Late Baban Prasad Mishra, Dr. Himanshu Dwivedi, Diwakar Muktibodh, Asha Shukla, Girijashankar, Gyan Awasthi, Shyam Vetal, Abhay Kishore, Dr. Sushil Trivedi, Girish Pankaj, B. K. S. Ray, Prakash Dubey and Late Tushar Kanti Bose E. V. Murali, Satish Jaiswal & Liladhar Mandloi.

For the 1st time in 200 years, Mussoorie gets a Complete Tehsil Status

Why in News?

On August 3, 2023, the Uttarakhand cabinet approved the proposal to make Mussoorie, the queen of mountains, a tehsil. After the formation of Tehsil, the people of the city will get a lot of convenience and the administrative system of the city will be strengthened.

Key Points:

• Historian Jayaprakash Uttarakhandi said that Mussoorie never had a complete tehsil in two hundred years of its establishment. During the British period, the commissionerate was operated from Meerut. From 1840, the city magistrate was posted.
• The facilities which were available in England at that time, all those facilities were made available by the British in Mussoorie. To improve the arrangements, the British formed the Mussoorie City Board in 1850. Now the government has given Tehsil status to Mussoorie.
• Mussoorie, the queen of hill stations, is famous for its natural beauty, social life and entertainment. Mussoorie, 38 km from Dehradun, is an attractive hill station with its green hills and diverse flora & fauna.

Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor to be built on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath, Mahakal

Why in News?

On August 3, 2023, the Uttarakhand cabinet approved the proposal to build the Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath, Mahakal. Along with this, the cabinet has also approved the selection of the planning company for making the master plan of the Ganga corridor.

Key Points:

• Chief Secretary Dr. SS Sandhu informed that Haridwar and Rishikesh cities are being redeveloped. For this Haridwar-Rishikesh Ganga Corridor project will be prepared.
• Devipura to Bhupatwala (Doodhadhari Chowk) in Haridwar, 1.5-kilometre radius from Har Ki Pauri, Kankhal area (Daksh Mandir and Sanyas Road), Bhupatwala to Saptarishi Ashram (Bharat Mata Mandir area) and entire area of Tapovan in Rishikesh, Core area near railway station, area near ISBT and area near Triveni Ghat etc. have been included in this project.
• A target has been set to complete the Ganga Corridor work within two and a half years, for which the government will set up the Haridwar, Rishikesh Redevelopment Company Limited. The High Power Steering Committee will be constituted under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary for administrative, financial and technical approval of the project and monitoring of the project.