• 08 Apr 2022

Ayodhya Airport

Why in News?

Recently, in the presence of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the land lease agreement was signed between the state government and the Airports Authority of India.

Key Points

• Ayodhya airport will be the fifth international airport in the state after Lucknow, Varanasi, Kushinagar and Jewar.
• Ayodhya Airport has been officially named as Maryada Purushottam Shriram International Airport in the year 2021.
• The Chief Minister informed that 9 airports are operational in the state, while work is going on for the development of 10 new airports.
• With the commencement of operation of the above airport, Uttar Pradesh will have the largest network of air connectivity in the country.

Rajasthan's thermal power plants will get coal from Chhattisgarh

Why in News?

Recently, Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam has got clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of Chhattisgarh to start mining work in Parsa coal block located in Surguja, Chhattisgarh. As soon as coal mining starts in this new block, additional coal will be available for thermal power plants of the state.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that on March 25, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot along with Energy Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati and officials urged Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel to give early permission to start coal mining in Parsa coal block and Parsa East Kanta Basan coal block in the second phase.
• The Chhattisgarh government gave permission for the second phase of coal mining of Parsa East Kanta Basan coal block on the very next day, while on April 6, the state's new coal block, Parsa coal block, was also allowed for coal mining.
• Instructions have been given to Vidyut Utpadan Nigam to complete the necessary preparations for coal mining at the earliest and necessary preparations have been started.
• ACS Mines, Petroleum and Energy Dr. Subodh Agrawal informed that 841.538 hectare area was allotted by the Central Government to Rajasthan Vidyut Utpadan Nigam in Chhattisgarh's Sarguja Parsa coal block in 2015. Mining work will be done in this new block after getting clearance from the Central Government and Chhattisgarh Government.
• When coal production will start from this new Parsa coal block, the state will get about 2.7 rakes of coal per day. According to an estimate, this block is expected to produce 5 million tonnes of coal per annum. One thousand rakes of coal will be available annually from this new block.
• It is worth mentioning that the state government was facing a coal crisis due to almost exhaustion of coal in phase one in Parsa East and Kanta basin. Clearance of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department has also been received in the 1136 hectare forest land of the second phase of Parsa East Kanta Basin.

'Chief Minister's Electricity Bills Relief Scheme, 2022'

Why in News?

On April 7, 2022, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the 'Chief Minister Electricity Bills Relief Scheme, 2022' at Sleemanabad in Katni district of Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• Till August 31, 2020, electricity bills of more than Rs 6400 crore have been waived on eligible domestic connections of 88 lakh electricity consumers of the state with a load of up to one kilowatt during the Covid period, will be paid by the state government.
• The consumers who have made payments against the deferred amount under the resolution plan, 2021, will also be adjusted in the subsequent bills.
• Bills with an amount of Rs. 5929 lakh 44 thousand form Katni district will be waived under this scheme.
• It is worth mentioning that under Bhopal, Narmadapuram, Gwalior and Chambal divisions of Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company, camps were organized at 362 distribution centers.
• Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company has said that under the 'Chief Minister Electricity Bills Relief Scheme, 2022' issued by the state government, the company has received applications from about 18 thousand 587 consumers on the very first day by organizing programs simultaneously in all the 16 districts of its jurisdiction. Certificates have been distributed after waiving more than 33 crore 15 lakhs Rs.
• The company has said that it will be mandatory for the permanently disconnected consumers to take advantage of the scheme and complete the formalities as per the provisions of the Electricity Supply Code to get the connection reconnected. Eligible consumers will be able to see the benefits of the scheme in the bills issued after April 1, 2022.

USha Award

Why in News?

On April 7, 2022, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh has decided to give state and district level 'USha Award' to encourage citizens in the Urja Saksharta Abhiyan (UShA).

Key Points.

• Both the awards will be given in 6 categories. The selection of the state level award will be done by the committee constituted under the chairmanship of Managing Director Energy Development Corporation and the district level award will be selected by the committee constituted under the chairmanship of the district president.
• The award will give away energy efficient appliances like fans, star rated LED tube lights, bulbs and other BEE star rated appliances and certificates.
• 'USha Award' will be given to the first district of the state on the basis of highest registration number in the energy literacy campaign per month, to the first district of the state on the basis of certification number per month, excellent buildings adopting energy conservation code and other buildings, which are certified energy saving.
• Universities, departments, industries and institutions doing excellent work in this campaign will be given first, second, third and consolation prizes. State level award will be given to the District Renewable Energy Officer who has performed best in the field of energy efficiency in the state.
• The best school, college and government office with maximum registration and certification in the 'USha Award' district campaign will get the first prize. First, second, third and consolation prizes will be given to the most outstanding individuals and institutions adopting energy efficiency in the district.
• First, second, third and consolation prizes will also be given to the most outstanding farmer and housewife who registers. Another category of first, second, third and consolation prizes has also been fixed for special achievement.
• Farmers can be selected by them to join Usha Abhiyan and do excellent work in agriculture, such as drip irrigation, solar pump etc. The housewife will be selected by them on the basis of their joining Usha Abhiyan and advanced suggestions for energy saving.
• Other special achievement categories will include outstanding performance, special cooperation or achievement of any person, institution, government office, school, college etc. on energy literacy campaigns at district level.

Medical Knowledge Sharing Mission Launched for the First Time in the Country

Why in News?

On April 7, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang launched the Medical Knowledge Sharing Mission Office.

Key Points

• With this mission, various dimensions of latest technology, innovation and research of medical education and medical treatment at national and international level will be taken to the doctors and medical students of Madhya Pradesh.
• Work will be done on various dimensions in this mission. MoUs will be signed with various medical institutions (government and private) of the country and abroad for education, research and treatment.
• Under this mission, programs like training, capacity building, knowledge exchange, exposure visit program etc. will be prepared for medical students and doctors. A knowledge exchange interactive digital platform will be developed to enable medical students and practitioners to share their experiences, research work and other innovations digitally with each other.
• Latest technologies (Artificial Intelligence-AI) and advanced software based on Google and Microsoft will be used in the field of medical education and medical systems.
• Under this mission, government and private medical institutions, such as Sankara Nethralaya Chennai, Tata Cancer Hospital Mumbai, Fortis Gurgaon and Apollo Hospital along with the use of medical robotics in the field of super specialty surgery, medical practice and treatment of serious diseases. Medical and educational exchanges will take place.
• MoU will be signed with Columbia University of America for bone marrow transplant and with Emory University for treatment and medical research of infectious diseases.
• Eminent doctors of various disciplines of the country and the world will sign an MoU for the treatment of complex diseases of the patients of the state, in which arrangements for health camp, medical consultation facility and surgery will be done in the hospital of the medical college.
• By developing a digital platform, doctors and medical students of the state as well as doctors working in famous medical institutions of the country and abroad after getting medical education from the state will be connected by registering on the digital platform. Research works and innovations being done in the medical field will be published in digital form.
• Early detection of TB, brain stroke, brain tumor, heart disease, cancer, such as liver, prostate, bladder, colon cancer, breast cancer, bone cancer and thyroid disease using AI technology and AI based digital pathology Dimensions of patient testing will be developed.
• Various algorithms for testing and treatment will be developed by software based machine learning by collecting data of patients' examination and treatment in medical college hospitals, which will help doctors and medical students in the treatment of patients.
• Incubation center will be developed at Gandhi Medical College for research and development of new medical devices through the Medical Knowledge Sharing Machine, which will give opportunity to doctors and medical students to research and develop new medical devices according to the needs of the patients.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojna, a skill development program will be started to provide special training to medical, nursing and paramedical students to provide them skills in their field of work.
• Efforts will also be made to connect international level institutions including World Health Organization, UNICEF, World Bank with the aim of establishing a Medical Knowledge Sharing Mission on the global platform.

'Vachan Purti' mission

Why in News?

On April 7, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the Mission Vachan Purti to give the rights of land purchased by the families of Kashmiri Pandits in Sector-2 of Bahadurgarh district from 1991 to 1993.

Key Points

• While making this historic announcement during the state level program, the Chief Minister handed over the ownership papers to the specially invited 182 family beneficiaries.
• This entitlement was paid to them through a draw, after verification of the measurements of the land recorded at that time on April 6, 2022.
• Apart from this, some families have already got their land. Thus till date, through this entire process, the promise given by the state government to 209 families has been fulfilled.
• It is noteworthy that after making some suitable amendments in the year 1997, some plots were issued in favor of Kashmiri Pandits, but the families who did not get the land at that time, had to wait for almost three decades.

Meeting of Northern Regional Police Coordination Committee in Gurugram

Why in News?

On 7^th April, 2022, a meeting of the Northern Regional Police Coordination Committee was organized in Gurugram to further strengthen the police coordination in North-Indian states to curb crime and discuss other serious issues.

Key Points

• The meeting was co-chaired by Commissioner of Police, Delhi Rakesh Asthana and Director General of Police, Haryana Prashant Kumar Agrawal, in which all the seniors from the northern states including Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi Senior officers of CAPFs including police officers also participated.
• During the meeting organized by Haryana Police, a mutual understanding was reached after the top officers of the police and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) discussed a number of matters to enhance inter-state police coordination to deal with crime in the states of northern India.
• In this important meeting, the emerging trends of terrorist-gangster-criminal nexus, sensitive issues like drug trafficking, sharing of best practices of social media surveillance, capacity building in the area of use of drones in police activities, terrorist/criminals in jailed etc. Matters like monitoring of activities etc. were also discussed closely.
• Police officials also decided to plan for enhanced coordination and cooperation during inter-state raids and searches.
• The sharing of real-time information related to any kind of inter-state criminal activities was also emphasized, which will help in increasing the coordination between the police forces. Along with working on serious issues like inter-state security system, crime, organized crime, cyber crime, drugs smuggling, human trafficking etc., importance was given in this meeting to maintain coordination between the police.

Simdega Will Soon Get International Stadium

Why in News?

Recently, the Information and Public Relations Department of the Government of Jharkhand informed that after the completion of 80 percent of the work of the stadium, sports can be organized in an international level hockey stadium soon.

Key Points

• The stadium is being constructed keeping in mind the international standards, the foundation stone of which was laid by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on October 20, 2021 at Simdega, the nursery of hockey.
• Hostels for male and female players of 50 beds are being constructed in the stadium premises. The stadium will have a seating arrangement of three thousand spectators with modern facilities.
• In its pavilion building, changing rooms for players, gym, room for doctors and coaches, and a huge podium near the stadium are also being constructed.
• It is noteworthy that on the same lines, about 70 percent construction work of the hockey stadium and sports hostel being constructed in Khunti has been completed.

About 1000 Transport Facilitation Centers will be Established in the State

Why in News?

On April 7, 2022, the process of opening about 1000 transport facilitation centers across the state was approved to make transport related services easier and closer to home in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• It is worth mentioning that Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had made an announcement on January 26 for the establishment of a Transport Facilitation Center across the state for expansion of transport related services.
• During this, a draft was prepared by the Transport Department regarding the establishment and role of Transport Facilitation Center. After approving this draft, the process has been started for further action. With the establishment of 1000 Transport Facilitation Centers, there is a possibility of generating employment for about five thousand youth.
• According to Gazette No. 240 (A) of the Government of India issued on March 31, 2021, the Transport Facilitation Center can be authorized to make a learning license. In order to give employment-oriented nature to this vision, it has been decided to establish a Transport Facilitation Center in Chhattisgarh.
• In addition to the learning license, applications can be made for other transport related services in transport facilitation centers. With this, while transport related services will be available to the general public easily and near to home, educated youth and unemployed will also get employment. Fees have also been fixed for various services in the Transport Facilitation Centers in the guide.
• Till now, due to lack of correct information, a large number of people have been applying for transport related service by contacting unauthorized agents, due to which they have to suffer financial loss along with taking more time. Now there will be no need to visit unauthorized agents for transport related facilities.