State PCS

• 08 Jul 2023

Residential Sanskrit schools to be built in 15 Districts

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on July 6, 2023, the state government has decided to set up new North Madhyama (Intermediate Level) Residential Sanskrit Schools in many other districts of the state including Mathura and Etah of Braj to emphasize the upgradation of Sanskrit language in the districts being developed as religious places in Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points:

• Apart from Mathura and Etah, preparations have been started to open new residential Government Sanskrit Secondary Schools in 15 districts including Varanasi, Rae Bareli, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Jalaun, Amethi, Moradabad, Hardoi, Gorakhpur, Ayodhya, Prayagraj, Chitrakoot.
• In these schools, students will get a one-year diploma in Paurohitya (Karmakand/Ritual), Behavioral Vastu Shastra, Behavioral Astrology and Yoga Science. The diploma courses will be conducted on a self-financed basis in recognized schools.
• The course will be divided into one year and two semesters. More emphasis will be laid on practical knowledge through internships. Candidates who have passed the Uttar Madhyama (Class 12th) or equivalent examination in these courses will be eligible for admission. Candidates who have passed the higher examination can also take admission to it. There will be no age limit for admission.
• In a major improvement in the examination system, the state government has also decided to introduce an online examination application, advance registration and examination system in Sanskrit Schools under the supervision of CCTVs at the examination centres.
• The arrangement of teachers for running diploma courses in Sanskrit schools will be made by the managing committee through its own sources. For the first time, funds will also be given to these schools for decoration and furniture etc. For the first time, there will be a transparent selection process to overcome the shortage of teachers in aided Sanskrit schools.
• The state government has also started giving recognition to new Sanskrit Secondary Schools. Through the online process, new recognition has been given to 48 institutions in the state.
• Arrangements have been made for free textbooks and mid-day meals for students of classes 6 to 8 studying in government and aided Sanskrit Secondary Schools.
• In order to modernize and spread Sanskrit education, a new curriculum has been implemented in Sanskrit Secondary schools by including modern subjects and the NCERT syllabus along with traditional subjects.
• At present, only one Government Sanskrit Secondary and one Government Sanskrit Degree College are operating in the entire state. Apart from this, all other institutions teaching Sanskrit are being run privately.
• It is worth mentioning that the Uttar Pradesh government had announced the opening of Sanskrit schools in the state in the budget year of 2023-24. For this, a provision of Rs 100 crore was made in the budget.

10 Colleges Upgraded to Postgraduate

Why in News?

On July 6, 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has taken an important decision towards strengthening the education infrastructure in the state and approved the proposal to upgrade 10 government graduate colleges of the state to post-graduate and start new subjects.

Key Points:

• According to the proposal, new subjects of post-graduate level will be started in Government College Deshnok Bikaner, Government College Khajuwala Bikaner, Veer Shiromani Rao Devraj Rathore Government College Shergarh Jodhpur, Government College Jamwaramgarh Jaipur, Government College Sampau Dholpur, Government College Mangrol Baran, Government College Uchaun Bharatpur, Government College Mangalana Nagaur, Government College Marwar Junction Pali and Government Girls College Piplu Tonk.
• A total of 26 posts including 20 posts of assistant professor and 3 posts each of laboratory assistant and laboratory bearer will be created for conducting these subjects.
• With this approval of the Chief Minister, the education sector will develop in the state and students will get opportunities to study their favorite subject nearby.
• It is worth mentioning that the Chief Minister had announced in this regard during the discussion on the Finance and Appropriation Bill of the Budget 2023-24.

Committee Formation for Better Facilities to Home Guard Volunteers

Why in News?

On July 6, 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved the proposal to form a committee to provide better facilities to the volunteers of Rajasthan Home Defense and to solve their problems.

Key Points:

• According to the proposal, the committee will be set up at the Directorate level of Home Defence. The Principal Government Secretary of the Home Department will be its chairman.
• The Director General and Commander General (Commandant General), Home Defense and Inspector General of Police Home Defense will be the members of this committee. The Government Secretary of the Home Department will act as the Member Secretary of this committee.
• This committee will work for the employment of Home Defense Volunteers for 12 months, giving them equal to honorarium police reserves, giving dearness allowance and ESI/ PF facility and resolving problems arising from time to time to Home Defense volunteers.
• Apart from the formation of the committee, approval has also been given to increase the contract period of Rajasthan Home Defense Volunteers from 5 years to 15 years.
• The chief minister had made the announcement during the inauguration ceremony of the newly-built Home Guard headquarters in Jaipur in May 2023.

Approval of Annual Work Plans worth Rs 1371.91 crore in the State-Level Steering Committee Meeting

Why in News?

On July 5, 2023, the State Level Steering Committee of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana held in Chandigarh under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal approved annual action plans worth Rs 1371.91 crore for various schemes for the year 2023-24.

Key Points:

• These include various schemes of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Horticulture Department, Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural University, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Central Soil Equality Research Institute, Karnal, Indian Wheat & Millet Research Institute, Karnal.
• In the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that the Agricultural University will strengthen the Biopesticide Laboratory of Uchani and develop a new Natural Farming Pesticide Production Unit.
• Apart from this, an advanced soil testing laboratory and vermicompost demonstration unit will be set up.
• The Indian Wheat & Millet Research Institute will set up a wheat-based Agri-Preneurship Centre to increase the income of small and medium farmers where special programs will also be organized to promote natural farming.
• Work will be done by the Agriculture Department to promote organic farming. Apart from this, better work will also be done on soil execution and water conservation implementation.
• The Chief Secretary said that CSSRI Karnal will create a better infrastructure to recharge groundwater in the villages under a pilot project in the fields of farmers. Also, permanent production systems will also be developed for farmers to cultivate dates on saline land.
• He said that agricultural scientists should develop the latest varieties in the field of low-cost and low-water agriculture & horticulture and share them with the farmers so that the farmers can take advantage of them and become financially strong and strong.
• The Horticulture Department will provide training to the farmers at 7 places to move them towards horticulture. These include Guava at Bhuna, Vegetables at Gharaunda, CSTF Ladwa, PTC Sharamgarh, IHDC Sundrah, Hodal and Pinangwa Training and Facilitation Centre.
• Successful organic farmers in the state should make short video films of farms and horticulture farms and share them with the farmers so that other farmers can be encouraged by them and move towards the latest horticulture and agricultural crops.
• The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare will work on increasing and strengthening the capacity of community-based water drainage system, spray training and digital lab for scheduled caste farmers.
• Apart from this, special emphasis will be laid on traditional agriculture development scheme, the use of every drop and more crops and providing custom hiring, hi-tech, highly productive equipment to the farmers.
• Along with this, detailed work will be done on National Food Security and Nutrition Mission, National Mission on Edible Oil Seeds and Certified Seeds, National Bee Keeping and Honey Mission.
• DPR-based projects of National Agriculture Development Plans, Annual Action Plans, Soil Health Fertility, Development of Rainfed Areas, Agro-Forestry, and Annual Action Plans of PMDC, SMAM, and CRM were also discussed in detail in the meeting.

Saral Sanyojan Portal

Why In News?

According to the information provided by the Madhya Pradesh Public Relations Department on July 5, 2023, the Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company has started the 'Saral Sanyojan Portal' to provide new electricity connections to domestic and agricultural consumers.

Key Points

• So far, the company has given new electricity connections to 10 applicants from this portal within 24 hours of applying online for a new electricity connection along with the necessary documents after completing all the procedures.
• In case the application from this portal is incomplete, the company is also providing an opportunity for the applicant to complete the application through SMS. After applying online by the consumer on this portal, its status can also be seen and the consumer does not need to come to the office to get a new connection.
• Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar said that in order to make it easier for electricity consumers to get new electricity connections, the company is making available new connections in a very short time on duly completed applications by starting the implementation of the new portal 'Saral Sanyojan Portal'.
• Now after filling in all the necessary information for applying for a new connection, along with paying the demand note online, the terms of the contract will be displayed to the consumers, upon acceptance of which the contract will automatically be executed in the portal.
• Applicants will be required to upload their own photo, identity card, ownership documents and test reports etc. along with the online application on this portal.
• In case of rejection of the applicant's incomplete application from this portal, in addition to the registration fee, the deposited fee amount will be returned immediately to the account through online medium.

Traffic Children Park to be built in Ranchi Smart City

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on July 6, 2023, the way has been cleared to build the country's 11th Traffic Children's Park on four and a half acres of smart city land located in Dhurwa, Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. About Rs 14 crore will be spent on the construction of the park.

Key Points:

• The traffic load on the city roads is increasing, but the trend of drivers is not in that proportion. This is the reason why 10 people are dying every day in road accidents in the state. That's why it has been decided to make Traffic Children's Park here.
• With the formation of Traffic Children's Park, children and their parents will be able to get information about the way of driving vehicles, signs and rules related to traffic.
• At the same time, signboards installed at other places including underpasses, signals, railway gates and sharp turns of the road, where the speed of different types of vehicles should be and information about the damage caused by overtaking vehicles will be easily available in the traffic park.
• There will also be means of entertainment for children in the park. There will be arrangements for sports and battery vehicles. Children will also be informed about the importance of traffic signals while driving a battery vehicle.
• It is known that earlier the Transport Department had decided to build this park on the land allotted by the Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC). For this, after preparing the DPR, the work was allotted to the sensor after taking out the tender. But six months back, on the day the work was to start, the HEC lodged a protest and stayed the construction work.
• After this, Chief Secretary Sukhdev Singh had instructed the concerned department to give land for the construction of the Traffic Children Park in Smart City.

Jobs in Japan-Germany open for Ayurveda Students of the State

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on July 6, 2023, the state government has received a proposal from Japan and Germany to demand pass-out students or trained youth in Ayurveda Nursing, Yoga and Naturopathy, Panchakarma courses of Uttarakhand for jobs in nursing and hospitality sector, which has opened the doors of jobs for them there.

Key Points:

• Indian Medical Council, Uttarakhand has sent the details of pass-out students in Nursing, Yoga, Panchakarma, and Naturopathy courses from Ayurveda colleges, who will be given skill development training through the Skill and Employment Department. After this, they will be provided jobs abroad.
• For this, a list of students has been sought from 25 private Ayurveda and Paramedical colleges recognized by the Medical Council of India. A letter was issued to the colleges in this regard.
• AYUSH Secretary Dr. Pankaj Kumar Pandey has also given directions to the Council to provide job opportunities abroad by training Ayurveda students through the Department of Skills and Employment.
• Registrar of the Council Navarda Gusain said that to improve Ayurveda medical education, new courses will be implemented in nursing, panchakarma, yoga and naturopathy courses from the new session. Soon course books will be made available to all colleges by the council.
• Apart from this, examinations will start from the end of this month. The exam date will be announced by the council soon. A new pattern has been prepared for the examination.