Rajasthan State PCS

• 05 Aug 2023

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.