Uttarakhand

• 06 Feb 2024

Uttarakhand High Court gets First Woman Chief Justice

Why in News?

On 4th February, Justice Ritu Bahri was sworn in as the first woman Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand High Court.

Key Points

• The Uttarakhand Governor, Lieutenant General Gurmeet Singh, administered the oath of office to Justice Bahri.
  • Prior to her appointment as the Chief Justice of Uttarakhand, Justice Bahri served as a judge in the Punjab and Haryana High Court from 2010.
• She is specialised in civil, constitutional, taxation, labor, and service matters.
• During her 24-year legal practice, she also served as Assistant Advocate General, Deputy Advocate General, and Senior Deputy Advocate General for the State of Haryana.

Advocate General

• Article 165 of Chapter 2 (The Executive) in Part VI (The States) of the Constitution of India provides for the office of the Advocate General for the States.
• He is appointed by the Governor of the State, who must be a person qualified to be appointed a judge of a High Court.
• The Advocate General is entitled to appear before any court of law within the State in the performance of his official duties.
• The Advocate General has the right to speak and to take part in the proceedings of both the Houses of the State legislature.

Uttarakhand Weather: Mercury Dips, Hills Jammed

Why in News?

Parts of Uttarakhand received a fresh round of snow and rainfall, offering respite from the prevailing dry spell and bringing down temperatures across the region.

• The overcast conditions led to a surge in tourist influx to Mussoorie and its vicinity.

Key Points

• According to India Meteorological Department's regional meteorological centre in Dehradun, upper reaches of the Garhwal Himalayas, such as Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Harsil received substantial snowfall.
• In the foothills, sporadic rainfall has occurred which led to a notable drop in daytime temperatures.

India Meteorological Department (IMD)

• IMD was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
  • It works as an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• IMD is also one of the six Regional Specialized Meteorological Centres of the World Meteorological Organization.

Yamunotri

• Location: Uttarkashi district.
• Dedicated to: Goddess Yamuna.
• River Yamuna is the second-most sacred river in India after River Ganga.

Gangotri

• Location: Uttarkashi district.
• Dedicated to: Goddess Ganga.
• Considered the most sacred of all Indian rivers.

Kedarnath

• Location: Rudraprayag district.
• Dedicated to: Lord Shiva.
• Situated on the bank of the Mandakini River.
• One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (divine representations of Lord Shiva) in India.

Badrinath

• Location: Chamoli district.
• Home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple.
• Dedicated to: Lord Vishnu.
• One of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites .