• 07 Dec 2022

Ganga Mitras Model to be Implemented in Ganga Basin

Why In News?

On December 6, 2022, Prof. B.D Tripathi, chairman of Mahamana Malaviya Gangashodh Kendra and environmental scientist, told that the model of Ganga Mitras will be implemented in the entire Ganga basin to give an edge to the continuity of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh. For this, in the 315 kilometres long Ganga area from Prayagraj to Ballia, Ganga Mitra Janata will relate to the concerns of Ganga.

Key Points

• Prof. Tripathi said that under the 'National Mission for Clean Ganga', the exercise of connecting the people with the uninterrupted, clean, economic, spiritual and ecological Ganga is showing positive effect in just 10 months. Mahamana Malaviya Ganga Research Centre BHU has proposed to implement this model in the entire Ganga basin.
• It is noteworthy that the 'Ganga Conservation Campaign' was started from March. 700 are associated with Ganga Mitra campaign. Ganga Awareness Research Centres have been set up at a distance of 21 km between Prayagraj and Ballia at a cost of Rs 90 lakh. Ganga Mitras have selected more than 650 Ganga villages and 100 Ganga wards and made 15,000 water conservation committees and 15,000 water conservators as members.
• He said that common people are also joining this campaign. The thinking and working style of those living on the banks of ganga has changed a lot due to the efforts of Ganga Mitras. This project has been sent to the National Mission for Clean Ganga. It is planned to be implemented within a radius of 2525 km of the Ganga basin. The plan can also be implemented for the conservation of other rivers.
• For this, the focus will be on five points-
  • Clean Ganga: Ganga Mitras are giving edge to the Clean Ganga Campaign. Common people are being made aware about ganga cleanliness.
  • Uninterrupted Ganga: Ganga Mitras are making people aware of the uninterrupted Ganga.
  • Spiritual Ganga: 4500 women from 75 Ganga Chaupals and 10500 children from 150 schools have been connected to Namami Gange by putting Sanskar's.
  • Arth Ganga: Farmers of 75 Ganga villages are being made self-reliant by increasing their income by making them aware of the techniques of conjunctive consumption, vermicomposting, organic farming, Ganga branding of vegetables and fruits and new irrigation methods.
  • Ecological Development: Awareness campaign is being conducted for plantation and conservation of aquatic organisms around 150 schools, rivers, ponds, parks and temples. Youth have been trained through eco-skilled technology.
• It is known that the River Ganga originates from Gomukh, which goes through five states to the Bay of Bengal. The area through which the river water passes is called a basin. The Ganga basin is in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.

Asian Under-19 Rugby Championship

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on December 6, 2022, the Indian rugby team has been announced for the Asian Under-19 Rugby Championship to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal on December 10-11, 2022. In this team, four girls and four boys players from Bihar have been selected.

Key Points

• The training camp of the Indian team was held at Balewadi Stadium in Pune from November 8 to December 6, 30 boys and 30 girls' players from all over India participated in this training camp.
• Aarti Kumari, Sapna Kumari, Dharamshila Kumari and Archana Kumari have been selected in the girls' category from Bihar and Armaan Alam, Harsh Raj, Saurabh Kumar and Raju Kumar have been selected in the boys' category.
• Apart from this, Armaan Alam has also been made the captain of the Under-19 Indian Rugby Team, which is a big achievement for Bihar.
• It is known that 10 countries of the world are participating in this championship being held in Nepal.

Pali Tehsil Declared Severe Drought

Why In News?

On December 6, 2022, P.C. Kishan, Government Secretary, Department of Disaster Management, Relief and Civil Defence, Rajasthan, said that the state is facing problems related to lack of surface water and ground water availability, lack of rainfall, poor condition of crops and remote areas in Pali district. Keeping in view the information received from sensing, Pali tehsil has been declared as severe drought.

Key Points

• P. C. Kishan said that the Pali tehsil of Pali district has been declared as severe drought-hit under the Rajasthan Affected Areas (Suspension of Proceedings) Act 1952 by assessing the affected areas on the basis of drought management code 2016.
• It has been directed by the State Government that the provisions of Sections 5 to 10 of the Act shall remain in force in drought-hit villages of Pali Tehsil of Pali district for 6 months from the date of publication of the notification.

SBI Created QR Code for Governor's Relief Fund

Why In News?

On December 6, 2022, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra launched a QR code created for the Governor's Relief Fund in the state. This QR code has been produced by the State Bank of India.

Key Points

• The Governor said that this is an important initiative under 'Digital India' and with the launch of this QR code, the QR code for the Governor's Relief Fund will now be scanned and the contribution amount can be deposited directly in the bank account.
• He said that it has been started to expand the scope of the Governor's Relief Fund and to provide all possible effective support to the needy.
• State Bank of India Chief Manager Dhirendra Kumar Das said that with the creation of the QR code of the Governor's Relief Fund, people will now be able to donate their money to it in a completely safe form to help the needy. This amount will be transferred directly to the bank of the Governor's Relief Fund.

First Woman President of Table Tennis Federation of India

Why In News?

On December 5, 2022, According to information received from the media. Meghna Chautala, wife of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala, has been elected president of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).

Key Points

• Meghna Chautala has become the first woman president of the Table Tennis Federation of India. Orders to this effect have been issued by the TTFI. Earlier, her husband and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala was also the president of TTFI.
• Meghna Chautala said that she will fulfill this new responsibility with utmost sincerity and will try to provide a healthy and better environment in the federation, especially for the youth and women players.
• Significantly, national champion Kamlesh Mehta has been given charge as the new General Secretary of Table Tennis Federation of India and Patel Nagendra Reddy has been elected as treasurer.

Inter-College of Jharkhand will be Converted into Plus Two School

Why In News?

On December 6, 2022, According to information received from the media. inter colleges in Jharkhand will be converted into plus two Schools by removing inter studies from degree colleges.

Key Points

• Along with converting inter colleges in the state into plus two schools, the names of these colleges will also be changed.
• Shaheed Bhagat Singh Inter College Japla in Palamu will be known as Shaheed Singh Plus two School Japla from next year, while Lapung Inter College in Ranchi will now be called Lapung Plus Two School.
• In these schools, not only will 11th-12theducation be done, 9th-10th education will also start. The School Education and Literacy Department has started preparing for this.
• In order to change the name of inter colleges in the state to plus two schools, they will have to pass a proposal from the governing body of the college. The Education Department will send proposals to colleges through Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) for this.
• Only after converting colleges into plus two schools will they be able to get grants under that name.
• At present, Jharkhand has 635 plus two schools, 203 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya's, 57 Jharkhand Balika Vidyalaya's, 89 model schools and Samarth Vidyalaya's. Plus two lessons are taught in these schools.
• All the schools in the state, including Plus Two Schools, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Model School, Samarth Vidyalaya, where classes 11-12 are being studied, are being mapped. In these schools, it is being seen that how many students can study here.

Minor Forest Produce Product Park in Deobhog

Why In News?

On December 6, 2022, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel laid the foundation stone of a rural enterprise park based on Minor Forest Produce being built in village 'Indagaon' near Deobhog, the development block headquarters of remote Vananchal region of Gariaband district.

Key Points

• The objective of setting up a Rural Enterprise Park at Deobhog is to bring value addition considering the availability of raw materials found in the region. This park will be a catalyst for the empowerment of women in the social and economic structure of the villages.
• A total of 11 women self-help groups will be included in this center, under which about 150 women will be directly connected to the center and more than 16000 collector families will be able to raise their standard of living by getting higher income under the development block.
• It is worth noting that under the Indagaon forest range minor forest produce, such as Mahua flower dried, Chironji kernels, pulses, Mahua seeds, lac etc. are found.
• Proposed processing units in Rural Enterprise Park Deobhog are Chironji processing, lac processing, pulses processing, neem, mahua and safflower oil processing, spice processing unit.
• Chhattisgarh State Industries Development Corporation Limited. The rural enterprise park will be set up by Raipur at a cost of Rs 7.42 crore. Secretary, Government of India, Rs 3.75 crore will be provided from Ministry of Food Processing Industries, New Delhi, Rs 2.00 crore from Rural Enterprise Park and the remaining Rs 1.67 crore from Chhattisgarh State Minor Forest Produce Federation, District Forest Produce Cooperative Federation and Vandhan Vikas Kendra.
• The project will prove to be a milestone for overall socio-economic development in Deobhog area and its adjoining areas, which have been devoid of any cottage industry, processing centre.
• This project can bring about a major change in the block by ensuring marketing of agro-forest produce across the country to make Chhattisgarh state Minor Forest Produce Association and Gariaband district's identity.

Rs 500 Crore Action Plan to Stop Forest Fire

Why In News?

On December 6, 2022, Uttarakhand Forest and Environment Department's Principal Secretary R.K. Sudhanshu told in a meeting held in Dehradun that the forest department has prepared an action plan of Rs 500 crore to control forest fires in the state every year. For this, a presentation on the Forest Fire Mitigation Project was given by the Forest Department.

Key Points

• In this meeting, many measures have been suggested to control forest fires. It has been said to mark the role of local people and give them training and incentives. Apart from this, there was talk of connecting women and youth mars teams.
• The Principal Secretary of the Forest and Environment Department said that after the implementation of the scheme prepared for the next five years, the Forest Department will be able to spend Rs 100 crore every year on forest fire control. Even a helicopter can be used to extinguish the forest fire if needed.
• In this action plan, along with the villagers, the fire watcher will also be given money for the first time to extinguish the fire. A number of equipment have been proposed to be procured to make the master control room of the forest headquarters state-of-the-art. Apart from this, community institutions will be connected to the scheme to install automated weather sensors, model crew stations, AWS specialized equipment, vehicles, strengthen wireless network with the help of the Meteorological Department.
• He said that pine leaves (Pirul) are the main cause of forest fire, while many products are also made from Pirul. Industries associated with Pirul will be encouraged so that they can pick up Pirul from the forests as per the need.
• It is noteworthy that about two thousand incidents of forest fire take place in the state every year. About three thousand hectares of forest are burned every year. So far in 2022, there have been 2,186 incidents of forest fires, while 3425 hectares of forest have been damaged.
• It is known that the proposal prepared by the Forest Department for this action plan has been discussed primarily. Some other points have been asked to be added to it. Once the final draft is ready, it will be sent to the Centre for approval.