State PCS

• 09 Jan 2023

Bhagalpur Sipped Four Ranks in INSPIRE Award

Why In News?

• On January 8, 2023, Shiv Kumar, Additional Chief Program Coordinator of the Quality Treasury of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan in Bihar, said that Bhagalpur's ranking has come down this time in the INSPIRE Award, while in the last year Bhagalpur had secured the third rank in the state.

Key Points

• Coordinator Shiv Kumar said that this year 143 children of Bhagalpur district were selected, even after this Bhagalpur got the seventh rank in the state.
• It is noteworthy that INSPIRE Awards are organized every year with the aim of motivating the children of government schools in the state to innovate.
• To participate in the INSPIRE Award competition, children have to register online. In this award scheme, any student can send new and creative ideas. Ideas re selected on the basis of innovation, practicality, social utility, environmental adaptability and improvement from current technology.
• 1926 children from Bhagalpur district sent ideas to INSPIRE Award. In this, the ideas of 143 children have been selected for the first phase of INSPIRE Award. The selected children will now be given Ten thousand rupees each by the Department of Science and Technology to create models based on ideas.
• Fourteen students from seven schools under the guidance of Natkhat Science Lab in the state have been selected for the first phase of INSPIRE Award. These include Utkrit High School Khaira Bhagalpur, Bhawani Kanya Middle School Khanjarpur, Middle School Rampur, Urdu Middle School Champanagar, Madanlal Kanya Middle School Bhagalpur, Middle School Nathnagar Number One etc.

Rajasthan International Center

Why In News?

• On January 7, 2023, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot informed that the Rajasthan International Center is being constructed in Jhalana Institutional Area of Jaipur, on the lines of India International Center in Delhi, which will be inaugurated soon.

Key Points

• In April 2013, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had laid the foundation stone of the Rajasthan International Centre.
• After the construction of Rajasthan International Center, various types of government and non-government activities including art-culture, education, information technology and communication will be done here.
• It will have an auditorium of 700 people capacity, convention center of 500 capacity, two mini auditoriums of 170 seating capacity each, exhibition area of 500 capacity, 3 conference halls, e-library, 3 lecture halls, 2 restaurants, administrative section, double basement parking facilities. A guest house will also be built here, which will also have gym facilities.
• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the internal construction of the center is being done on the lines of Rajasthan's architecture. The walls of the auditorium will conform to jaisalmeri pattern. The convention hall and pre-functional area will have halls based on City Palace Jaipur and walls based on Hawa Mahal Jaipur style.
• He said that a mini auditorium is being prepared on the Marwar pattern. Conference halls, lecture halls and restaurants are being prepared to suit the arches and monuments of the ancient art of Mandor Garden of Jodhpur, according to the state-of-the-art interior pattern.

17th Blind Challenge Car Rally, 2022

Why In News?

• On January 8, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel launched the 17^th Blind Challenge Car Rally, 2022, organized in Bhopal by NGO Aarushi .

Key Points

• The rally was organised by NGO Arushi in association with Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Chief Electoral Officer and Hotel Taj Lake Front in collaboration with LIC, Madhya Pradesh Tourism and Aquarius.
• This year the rally was named 'Humsafar' by Gulzar Sahab giving the message that we have to make all tourist places and other public places disabled friendly and include the disabled in every way.
• The competition was divided into two categories-1. The expert category that has been the winner in any of Aarushi's car rallies in the past. 2. Novice classes who have not won any rally or are participating for the first time.
• The contestants who finished with minimum penalty points were declared winners. There were one penalty point for each minute delay and five penalty points for entering a minute earlier at check points.

INSPIRE Award Scheme

Why In News?

• On January 8, 2023, the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India released a list for the INSPIRE Award Scheme session 2022-23 for all the states, in which 329 students from Haryana state have been selected.

Key Points

• INSPIRE Award is organized every year with the aim of motivating the children of government schools to innovate. To participate in the INSPIRE Award competition, children have to register online. Then children have to send ideas online.
• The main objective of INSPIRE standard award scheme is to promote scientific thinking among students.
• Apart from Haryana, 1854 students from other states like Madhya Pradesh, 1657 students from Jharkhand, 901 students from Uttar Pradesh and 5993 students from Rajasthan have been selected under INSPIRE standard award scheme.
• Each student will be given ten thousand rupees to make a science model. This award money will be given to the selected students by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi.
• Students who develop new scientific ideas and build models based on science will get this amount. With this amount, students will prepare science models. They will be exhibited at the district level INSPIRE Standard Model Exhibition to be held in future.

President Gave Digital India Award to Koderma District Administration

Why In News?

• On January 7, 2023, President Draupadi Murmu awarded the Digital India Award to the Koderma district administration of Jharkhand for the excellent work done in providing computer information to the common people, especially the youth, at a program held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The award was received by Koderma DC Aditya Ranjan.

Key Points

• Koderma is the only district in Jharkhand to receive this honour.
• According to the information, on the initiative of DC Aditya Ranjan, the district's first DEGS Computer Basic Training Center was started on September 5, 2021 in the Collectorate premises. After the good response received by this center, this center was started in Koderma, Jhumritilaiya, Satgawan, Domchanch, Chandwara and Jayanagar except Markacho block. Two other centres were launched on January 4.
• Koderma DC Aditya Ranjan said that the number of eight DEGS Computer Basic Training Centers currently running will be increased to 11 soon. Apart from this, every year about 20 thousand people will be trained through these centers towards making them digitally literate.
• The Ministry of Information and Technology, Government of India, had selected Koderma to give the Digital India Award in view of the work done under this concept. Koderma DC Aditya Ranjan had on December 8 placed before the jury the plan for a basic training centre in Delhi.
• It is noteworthy that the Ministry of Information and Technology, Government of India had invited applications for the Digital India Award in 2022 . Thousands of nominations were made for this.
• More than 100 projects were included in the first round short list for the awards given in seven different categories. After this, everyone gave their presentation before the nine-member jury.

Chhattisgarhia Olympics will be held Every Year

Why In News?

• On January 8, 2022, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel while addressing the inaugural ceremony of Chhattisgarhia Olympics at Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium in Raipur announced that Chhattisgarhia Olympics will be organized in September-October every year to revive traditional sports in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• Apart from this, the Chief Minister also announced cash prizes for the participants who secured first, second and third positions in cluster, block, district, mandal and state level competitions.
• Addressing the players, the Chief Minister said that traditional sports have a special place in the culture of the state. Chhattisgarhia Olympics has been started to bring back the era of traditional sports and create an atmosphere for these sports to flourish.
• Addressing the function, Additional Chief Secretary, Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Renu G Pillai said that around 1,900 participants participated in the event. The final will be held in Raipur till January 10.
• People of all age groups, from children to adults, women and youth, participated in these games with great enthusiasm. Over 25 lakh people from rural areas and over 1.30 lakh from urban areas participated in the Olympics.

Website of Bilaspur District Administration of Chhattisgarh got National Award

Why In News?

• On January 7, 2022, President Draupadi Murmu awarded the National Platinum Award for Innovation to the website of Bilaspur District Administration of Chhattisgarh at a function held at Vigyan Bhawan. Bilaspur District Collector Saurabh Kumar received the award.

Key Points

• The website of the District Administration was selected for the National Platinum Award by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
• It is worth mentioning that this prestigious award is given to the government websites that are ranked first in different categories. Bilaspur district administration's website has been given this award under the category of Best Web and Mobile Initiative Compatibility with GIGW and Scability Guidelines.
• Bilaspur district website has innovated in the implementation of the central government's flagship scheme Digital India. Along with uploading information about central and state government schemes in the website prepared by NIC (National Informatics Center), special facilities have also been provided for the disabled.
• Visually impaired can also listen to the information given in this website through the software. Wherever the mouse cursor goes, the information written there will turn into a voice.
• However, this feature is currently in English only. In the coming days, this facility will also be provided in Hindi. For this, technical experts of NIC have started working.
• Significantly, a special type of software has also been uploaded in the website for the visually impaired. It can be used for free. For this, additional amount will not have to be paid.

Subject Related to Moral Education will be Included in the University Curriculum under the National Education Policy

Why In News?

• On January 8, 2023, Uttarakhand Higher Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat told a meeting with non-government and private educational institutions affiliated to Shri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University in the auditorium of Dehradun that the subject of moral education will be included in the university curriculum under the National Education Policy (NEP) for the development of quality in higher education and moral values among students.

Key Points

• Higher Education Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat said that one admission, one examination, one result and one election action plan will be implemented in all higher educational institutions to bring uniformity in the higher education system of the state.
• Digital health ID of students studying in all institutions of the state will be made mandatory. With this, all information related to the health of the students will be safe online and will be able to use it when needed.
• Apart from this, Ayushman cards of all students will also be made, for which the state health authority will share qr codes with the university.
• Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat said that students of higher educational institutions will have to register for voluntary blood donation on the e-blood bank, Arogya Setu app, departmental portal, so that they can be called for blood donation if needed.
• In the meeting, Vice-Chancellor of Sri Dev Suman University, Prof. Mahavir Singh Rawat said that drug-free campaign, tobacco-free campaign will be conducted in the institutions of the state. All private educational institutions were asked to compulsorily apply for good evaluation. For this, a fair evaluation workshop will be organized through the university in February.