• 08 Dec 2021

Inauguration of Projects in Gorakhpur

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi inaugurated the projects set up at a cost of about 10 thousand crore rupees in Gorakhpur district. These projects are Hindustan Fertilizers and Rasayan Ltd. Gorakhpur, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Gorakhpur and ICMR- Regional Medical Research Center Gorakhpur.

Key Points

• About 12.7 lakh tonnes of neem-coated urea will be produced annually at the Gorakhpur Fertilizer Factory of Hindustan Fertilizers and Rasayan Limited, built at a cost of Rs 8603 crore.
• From this factory, sufficient quantities of urea will be available to the farmers of the state. Employment and self-employment opportunities will be generated in Purvanchal. Transportation service centers will be encouraged along with ancillary industries associated with fertilizer factories.
• It is noteworthy that the old Gorakhpur urea plant based on naphtha was established in 1969. This fertilizer factory was closed on June 10, 1990. A four times bigger green field urea plant has been installed by Hindustan Fertilizer Rasayan Limited in place of FCI's closed urea plant.
• In 2016, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of this fertilizer factory in Gorakhpur. The capacity of this new factory, built on the site of the fertilizer factory established earlier in Gorakhpur, is 4 times more.
• The height of the Prilling Tower of Gorakhpur Fertilizer Factory is more than twice that of Qutub Minar. The height of the Qutub Minar is 72.5 meters, while the height of the Priling Tower is 149.5 meters. The world's second tallest Priling Tower has been built by Agro Fertilizers Limited in Daharki, Pakistan. Its height is 125 meters, while the height of Gorakhpur Fertilizer Factory is about 25 meters more than this.
• The capacity of the Gorakhpur AIIMS, which is being built with a cost of about Rs 1011 crore, is 100 beds. The foundation stone of this central institute was laid by the Prime Minister in July 2016.
• Establishment of AIIMS Gorakhpur and Regional Medical Research Center will help in prevention of other infectious diseases including encephalitis. The state-of-the-art labs of the Regional Medical Research Center located in the BRD Medical College campus have been prepared at a cost of Rs 36 crores.

Natkhat Science Lab

Why in News

• Recently, an announcement has been made to open 'Natkhat Science Lab' in various government schools of Bhagalpur district.

Key Points

• With the opening of 'Natkhat Science Lab', students will be able to make other projects, teaching materials, models for exhibitions, from district to national level science competitions.
• In this, students of any school will be able to make models according to them and for this they will not have to pay any fee.
• On the initiative of the Department of Education, Bhagalpur, the Natkhat Science Lab, run by the Abaco Foundation and Karunodaya Foundation of America, has been opened in only one school in the district i.e.– Primary School Mokshada.
• Ten labs will be opened in Bhagalpur district by January. On its success, there are plans to open 300 more centers in two years.
• Lab's project head Shekhar Suman said that seven teachers are being made master trainers in the lab and teachers of other schools will be trained by them.
• This lab has facilities for making all kinds of models for the students of class 6^th to 10^th, in which understanding of making science models from waste material, understanding of making crafts from waste paper, understanding of making new toys from soil, will be developed.

Declaration of Essential Services

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, the state government issued a notification in which, 104 Janani Express Base Ambulances and 104 toll free medical advisory services, all offices and employees and all services related to their activities have been declared essential service for the next 6 months, in addition to 108 emergency services.

Key Points

• According to the order issued by the Home Department in this regard, the strike in the said services adversely affected the supply and maintenance of services and as a result the community had to face great hardship.
• Keeping this in view, the Rajasthan State Government has declared 108 emergency services as well as 104 Janani Express ambulances and 104 toll free medical consultation services which are being operated through the provider company GVK EMRI under the Integrated Ambulance Project, as essential services under the Essential Services Maintenance Act 1970 with immediate effect.

Meeting of Energy Efficiency Committee

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) of Rajasthan, Dr. Subodh Agrawal, in the meeting of Energy Efficiency Committee held at Vidyut Bhawan, directed to prepare a roadmap for the year-wise power availability, demand and supply system of electricity till 2026-27.

Key Points

• A Planning and Coordination Cell has also been constituted under the leadership of Joint Secretary Energy Alok Ranjan, which will coordinate and maintain dialogue with all the power companies of the state. This will ensure quick receipt of information as well as time bound execution.
• ACS Mines, Petroleum and Energy Secretary informed that PS Saxena, Director of Energy Development Corporation, Power Trading, will prepare the roadmap in eight to ten days with the expert officers of related institutions including Vidyut Utpadan Nigam, all three discoms, Renewable Energy Corporation and Energy Development Corporation.
• This team will also include in the roadmap the available potential and future possibilities of solar, wind and biomass etc. from renewable energy and renewable sources along with the conventional sources of power generation in the state. Later it will be finalized and made available to the state government.
• In 2019-20, it was announced to increase the generation capacity to 6000 MW in the state, which will be increased in a phased manner based on this roadmap. In this way, the budget announcement will be implemented in all the districts to provide electricity to the cultivators during the day.
• Dr. Subodh Agrawal informed that the first meeting of the Energy Efficiency Committee was held in June 2019. An immediate solution was discussed in the meeting held in July 2021 also. The action plan will be finalized at the department level by the end of December 2021.

Council of Ministers’ Meeting Under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, in a meeting of the Council of Ministers chaired by the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the amount of compensation per family in the state plan for the rehabilitation of villages from the corridors of national parks/sanctuaries (protected areas) and tiger reserves was approved to increase from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 15 lakh.

Key Points

• An amount of 75 crores was approved for the year 2021-22 to 2025-26 for the 'compensation' scheme for the rehabilitation of the villages of the forest department.
• Approval was also given to issue an approval of Rs 285 crore for a total of 4 years from the financial year 2022-23 to 2025-26 from the CAMPA fund.
• The cabinet decided to allot 57.952 hectares of government land, at zero interest and one rupee annual land rent, located in village Loharpur tehsil Murar, district Gwalior, to Airports Authority of India, Gwalior for expansion of the airport.
• The proposed amendment bill to rename 'Chhindwara University, Chhindwara' as 'Raja Shankar Shah University, Chhindwara' was approved by the Council of Ministers.
• The Council of Ministers approved the Gwalior Trade Fair Authority (Amendment) Bill 2021 with a view to conduct the Gwalior Trade Fair, Gwalior smoothly.
  
  • The 'Gwalior Trade Fair Authority Act' seeks to replace the phrase 'Department of Commerce and Industry' with 'Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises'.
• The Department of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has been authorized to take all the steps to get this bill introduced in the Legislative Assembly.

Armed Forces Flag Day

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was presented with a flag and a symbol of the day was presented by Director Sainik Welfare Directorate, Brigadier Arun Sehgal on Armed Forces Flag Day.

Key Points

• Soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces attain Veergati while performing their duty in defense of the country, internal security and natural calamities. To remember these soldiers, to honor them and to show respect for the soldiers by the citizens of the country, every year since 1949, 7 December is celebrated as Armed Forces Flag Day.
• On this day, financial assistance schemes related to the welfare and rehabilitation of dependent families of martyr soldiers, disabled soldiers, ex-servicemen, serving soldiers and their dependents are operated from the amount collected by distributing car flags and emblem flags in motor vehicles.

Madhya Pradesh HSVN to join Handloom Export Promotion Council

Why in News

• Recently, in the 138^th meeting of the Board of Directors of the Corporation under the chairmanship of Madhya Pradesh Public Works, Cottage and Village Industries Minister Gopal Bhargava, Madhya Pradesh Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation decided to take the membership of Handloom Development Corporation, New Delhi in order to provide national and international market for the handloom products produced.

Key Points

• Minister Gopal Bhargava said that the role of Mrignayani Emporium in providing a market for handloom and handicraft products of the state is commendable. In this sequence, membership of the Handloom Export Promotion Council is being taken.
• Decisions were also taken on the compliance report of the 137th meeting of the Board of Directors, contracts of outsourced employees, appointments in the Chief Minister's Covid-19 Compassionate Appointment Scheme.
• In the meeting, Anubha Srivastava the Managing Director of Sant Ravidas Madhya Pradesh Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation gave information regarding the activities of the corporation.

State's First Solar city Sanchi will have 6 thousand kilowatt Solar System

Why in News

• In the meeting held in Sanchi in the presence of New and Renewable Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Dung and Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Prabhuram Chaudhary, an action plan was prepared to make Sanchi a Solar City and it was announced to install a solar system of 6 thousand kilowatt capacity in the Sanchi Grid under Solar City Project.

Key Points

• 20 acres of land has been identified in Nagori village to make Sanchi a ground-mounted solar system. Additional 4 hectares of land will be identified for setting up phase 1.5 MW of solar system capacity.
• It is worth mentioning that the central government has planned to develop one city in each state as a solar city.
• Keeping in view the tourism and proximity to the capital, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to develop Sanchi as a solar city.
• Every household, agriculture and industry in Sanchi will be connected to the solar system. This will give a boost to the local economy along with reducing the need for electricity bills, pollution, and government subsidies.
• Sanchi will become an exemplary model for other cities. Along with tourism, Sanchi will also have a different identity in the field of solar energy.

National Education Policy 2020 Task Force Meeting

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, a meeting of the Task Force constituted for the National Education Policy 2020 was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Key Points

• In this meeting, the Chief Minister said that Yoga would be developed as a sport and included in the curriculum of school education. A Yoga Commission will be formed in the state for the expansion of Yoga to the people.
• Integrating the education of yoga at the school level will help in making education interesting and promoting health of the students.
• The Chief Minister said that implementation of effective methods of imparting moral education along with vocational education would be ensured in the National Education Policy in the state. The National Education Policy has clear provisions for learning of local skills and important vocational crafts.
• To reduce the number of dropouts in class 6 and class 9, 'School Chalen Abhiyan' will be run for admission in class 5th to 6th and class 8th to 9th.
• Inder Singh Parmar, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for School Education said that a task force has been constituted for the implementation of National Education Policy 2020 in the state. In this, 4 Framework Groups for State Curriculum and 25 Focus Groups have been constituted at the State level for the development of State Curriculum Framework. There are 24 non-official members and 26 government members in the task force.

State Policy Conclave–2021

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan virtually interacted with the ministry in the State Policy Conclave - 2021 organized by PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Hotel Le Meridien New Delhi.

Key Points

• The Chief Minister said that the country will become self-reliant only when the states are self-reliant. A four-point based road map has been prepared for self-reliant Madhya Pradesh. These 4 points are:
  
  • Physical infrastructure
  • Good governance
  • Health and education
  • Economy and employment.
• The Madhya Pradesh government has two major goals-
  
  • First, to develop entrepreneurship qualities in the youth of Madhya Pradesh, so that they become job creators and not job seekers.
  • Second, to make Madhya Pradesh the most attractive state for investment.
• Atal Expressway and Narmada Expressway are being constructed from the east to west border of the state with the aim of giving a better environment for investment to the investors in the state.
  
  • Industrial centers and industrial townships will be developed around the expressway.
• With the aim of providing skilled human resources in the state, a Global Skill Park is being built in collaboration with Singapore.
• The concept of 'Start Your Business in 30 Days' is being implemented. In this, permission will be given to set up industry in 30 days.
  
  • Madhya Pradesh is a state providing surplus electricity.
• In the first phase of Bharatmala project, it has been decided to set up multi modal logistic parks at Indore and Bhopal.
• In the era of Covid, there has been an increase of 49 percent in industrial units in Madhya Pradesh in comparison to 2019 in 2021. There has been an increase of 33 per cent in allotment of land to industries, 67 per cent in proposed investment and 39 per cent in employment.
• Madhya Pradesh is among the first 5 states to avail additional loan amount due to successful implementation of Ease of Doing Business reforms.
• Madhya Pradesh has secured first position in the western region. This has provided additional financial resources of Rs 2,373 crore to the state. To accelerate industrial development, 'Dewas Investment Zone' and 'Ratlam Investment Zone' have been created.
• The Medical Device Park has been approved by the Government of India in the Mohasa-Babai industrial area of Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh.
• 16 clusters have been identified for laying a network of micro, small and medium industries in the state, out of which 13 clusters have been approved by the central government. In these activities like furniture, textile, powerloom, toys, jaggery, namkeen will be encouraged. Approval has been given for a furniture cluster in Indore.
• In order to make vocal from local, specific products have been selected for each district of the state under the 'One District-One Product' scheme.
• For guidance and publicity to exporters, 'MP Trade Portal' and 'Export Helpline' have been launched.
• The state of Madhya Pradesh has successfully implemented 1,896 reforms to reduce the regulatory compliance burden while remaining among the leading states. Online land allotment process has been implemented in industrial areas with a GIS based land allotment system.

Launch of Pilot Project for Tab Distribution

Why in News

• Recently, a pilot project has been started by the Education Department of Haryana Government to distribute tabs in the schools of five districts.

Key Points

• The Haryana government has selected five districts under the pilot project, which include Gurugram, Faridabad, Jind, Ambala and Karnal.
• Under the pilot project, tabs will be distributed in government schools and 2 GB data will also be available free of cost with the tabs.
• Although this project is for the children of class 9^th to 12^th, the Haryana Education Department has given approval to give tabs only to the children of class 11^th and 12^th. For this, the government will also upload a software named 'PAHAL'.
• It is noteworthy that in Gurugram and Faridabad schools are closed due to air pollution, so it is running as a pilot project in the remaining three districts.
• Any other two districts of the state will be included as a pilot project due to closure of schools in Gurugram and Faridabad.
• It is known that the Haryana Government has also issued a tender to buy 5 lakh tabs at a cost of 560 crores.

‘Aapke Adhikar Aapki Sarkar Aapke Dwar’ Program

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, Chief Minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren attended the program 'Aapke Adhikar Aapke Sarkar Aapke Dwar' at Bhognadih in Barhait block of Sahibganj district.

Key Points

• On this occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated art galleries related to Veer Shaheed Sido, Kanhu, Chand, Bhairav and Phoolo-Jhano.
• The Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of Phoolo-Jhano Memorial Forest to be built on the banks of river Gumani. A statue of flowers and Jhano will be installed here, while this place will also be developed as a tourist spot.
• The Chief Minister inaugurated the Krida Kislay Football Training Center in Bhognadih to promote sports.
• It is noteworthy that with the aim of making people a part of the government 'Aapke Adhikar Aapke Sarkar Aapke Dwar' program is being run from door to door.
• Under this program, information is being given about the public welfare schemes being run by the government by organizing camps in all the panchayats. People's problems are being solved and they are being linked with development plans.
• The Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 1296 schemes on this occasion. These include the foundation stone of 1289 schemes and inauguration of 7 schemes.
• Out of the total schemes to be laid, 1262 schemes are related to the Jal Jeevan Mission. Apart from this, along with distributing assets among the beneficiaries of various welfare schemes, the Chief Minister gave appointment letters to the newly selected personnel.

Crockery bank launched to make single use plastic free

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, Sarpanch Muktilata in Narayanpur Gram Panchayat of Chhattisgarh started a new initiative by opening a utensil bank to free her gram panchayat from single-use plastic.

Key Points

• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin, meaningful efforts are being made to make the district single-use plastic free, as a result, in Narayanpur gram panchayat of Kunkuri block, the Crockery bank was started by the sarpanch through the Swachhagrahi group with the amount available in the gram panchayat.
• Due to which, instead of plastic Dona Pattal, spoons, bowls, disposable glasses, utensils will be used in the social programs organized in the Gram Panchayat.

Khadi Village Industries and Tourism Sharadotsav Fair

Why in News

• On December 7, 2021, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the Himwant Kavi Chandrakuvar Bartwal Khadi Village Industries and Tourism Sharadotsav, 2021 fair at Chamoli Pokhari.

Key Points

• While inaugurating the fair, the Chief Minister clarified the importance of industries and businesses in the hills and said that employment would be created when industries would open in the mountains. He declared the Chamoli Pokhari fair as a state fair.
• It is noteworthy that the Pokhari fair is organized for five days.
• The Chief Minister has also announced an amount of Rs. 2 lakh for organizing this fair.