State PCS

• 07 Jun 2024

Sahastra Tal Trek

Why in News?

In Uttarakhand, nine trekkers from Karnataka died near the Sahastra Tal in Uttarakhand.

• These trekkers, part of a 22-member group, died after losing their way due to bad weather while on their way back from Sahastra Tal.

Key Points

• The state government is in touch with the rescue operations team, and the families of the deceased are informed.
• Sahastra Tal Trek:
  • It is a high-altitude trail at 15,000 feet located in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district.
  • The trek is surrounded on both sides by: the Bhagirathi Valley on the west and the Bhilangana Valley on the east.
  • The Kush Kalyan Plateau, surrounded by small lakes, is located north of the lake. Locals perform an annual ritual of carrying their god around the lake as they believe it to be auspicious.

Haryana CM Administered Oath

Why in News?

Recently, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was administered the oath of legislator by the Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta.

Key Points

• The CM contested the by-election for the Karnal assembly seat after he replaced the previous Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
  • Polling for the state's 10 Lok Sabha seats and the Karnal assembly constituency was held in the sixth phase of the general election on 25^th May 2024 and the results were declared on 4^th June 2024.

By-elections (Bypolls)

• About:
  • By-elections are also known as bypolls or special elections, which refer to elections held to fill vacant seats in the legislative bodies of India.
  • It serves as a vital component within the broader electoral cycle and complements regular elections by addressing unforeseen vacancies.
• Purpose:
  • The primary objective of bypolls is to ensure the timely filing of vacant seats, enabling the representation of the affected constituency or district in the legislative body.
• Occurrence:
  • Bypolls are conducted when a seat in the legislature becomes vacant due to reasons such as the death, resignation, disqualification, or expulsion of a sitting member.
• Timeframe:
  • Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 mandates the Election Commission to fill the casual vacancies in the Houses of Parliament and State Legislatures through bye elections within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy, provided that the remainder of the term of a member in relation to a vacancy is one year or more.
    • Hence, there is no need to hold bye elections if the remaining term of the Lok Sabha is less than one year from the date of occurrence of vacancies.

SC Directs Haryana to Facilitate Flow of Surplus Water

Why in News?

Recently, the Supreme Court allowed Himachal Pradesh to release 137 cusecs (a unit of flow equal to 1 cubic foot per second) of surplus water and directing the Haryana government to ensure uninterrupted flow of this water to Delhi from the Hathnikund barrage to address the drinking water crisis.

Key Points

• The court asked the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) to measure water released by Himachal Pradesh at Hathnikund in Haryana.
• Amid the water shortage in the national capital, the Delhi government had approached the Supreme Court to get immediate additional water from neighbouring Haryana.
  • Delhi government in its plea said that it is constrained to file the petition on account of the acute shortage of water being faced by the people of Delhi, triggered by the ongoing severe heat conditions in North India, particularly in Delhi.

Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB)

• Upper Yamuna River Board is a subordinate office under Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Chief Ministers of Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and National Capital Territory of Delhi on 12^th May, 1994 regarding allocation of utilizable surface flow of River Yamuna upto Okhla Barrage among the co-basin States.
  • The MoU provides for creation of a board called Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB).

Rajasthan to Build Water Harvesting Units

Why in News?

The Rajasthan government has chosen to increase efforts in water conservation in the state with the Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan 2.0 in response to water scarcity issues in various regions.

• Under the initiative, there is a plan to construct 500,000 water harvesting structures in 20,000 villages over the next four years.

Key Points

• As per the government statistics, Rajasthan, known as one of the driest areas in the country, has consistently dealt with a lack of water.
  • The state receives an annual rainfall varying from 100 mm to 800 mm, resulting in numerous regions experiencing water shortages, including for basic drinking needs.
• Rainfall is the main contributor to groundwater replenishment in the state, and water levels differ significantly throughout the region.
  • A government report highlighted Rajasthan as one of the prominent states where groundwater sources have been excessively utilized.
• Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation (RIICO) recently released a notification requiring all individuals leasing plots measuring 500 square meters or more to install rainwater harvesting systems on their property to enhance water conservation efforts and boost groundwater levels.
• Rajasthan Police Housing and Construction Corporation Limited (RPH&CCL) will also incorporate rainwater harvesting in its current building projects.

Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan

• CM launched the campaign from village Gardan Kheri in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan on 27^th January 2016.
• The Scheme is based on Four-waters Concept that involves harvesting of available runoff (rain water, ground water, under-ground water & in situ soil moisture) in rural areas by treatment of catchment, proper utilization, renovation & creation of new water harvesting structures.

Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Investment Corporation (RIICO)

• It is a premier agency of the Government of Rajasthan that has played an important role in the industrial development of Rajasthan, it was formed in 1980.
• A Government enterprise established under Companies Act, 1956 on 28^th March 1969 as Rajasthan State Industrial & Mineral Development Corporation (RSIMDC) was divided into two entities on 1^st January 1980:
  • Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation Limited (RIICO)
  • Rajasthan State Mineral Development Corporation (RSMDC)

NOTA Votes

Why in News?

In the recent general elections, Indore registered the highest-ever NOTA (none of the above) votes in the country at 2,18,674.

Key Points

• The NOTA option garnered 16.28% of the total vote cast in the Indore Lok Sabha seat.
  • A total of 5,33,705 voters pressed the NOTA (none of the above) option nationally, with the highest number of 2,18,674 such votes being registered in the Indore seat.
  • The 25.27 lakh eligible voters in Indore, 61.75% exercised their franchise. Of them, 13,43,294 ballots were found valid. Of it, 16.28% of the votes went to NOTA. In 2019, Indore recorded a 69% turnout with 5,045 voters opting for NOTA.
• According to a former Chief Election Commissioner, NOTA has a “symbolic” impact and if it gets more than 50% votes in a seat, only then making it legally effective on election results could be considered.

NOTA

• The NOTA option was introduced for the first time in the general elections in 2014.
• NOTA has no legal consequence attached to it as even if the highest number of votes in a seat are polled for NOTA, the second most successful candidate wins.
  • In Haryana, NOTA has been treated as a fictional candidate.