Chhattisgarh

• 09 Feb 2022

Country's First Idea Lab Inaugurated

Why in News

• On February 8, 2022, Chhattisgarh's School Education Minister Dr. Premsai Singh Tekam inaugurated the country's first All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) Idea Lab at Shri Shankaracharya Institute of Professional Management and Technology College, Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that many engineering colleges from all over the country had applied for the setting up of Idea Lab, out of which 49 colleges were selected. Out of these, AICTE has chosen Shankaracharya College, Raipur.
• Minister Dr Tekam said that the Idea Lab has been set up with the objective of making the students understand the basic principles of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and gain practical experience by using it. With the establishment of this lab, excellent facilities will be available to the students for research and innovation.
• This idea lab will play an important role in giving shape to the imagination and thinking of the students studying in technical institutions. This lab can be used by the students as well as the general public.
• Youth starting a new venture will be able to take full advantage of it. If any student has any technical idea, then they can come to this lab and make their dream come true and they can patent their idea. The products designed by him can be developed here. This will be a big step in the field of self-employment.
• Resource-rich laboratories and developed facilities can also be used by the students of remote areas, so that they can play their important role in all round development.
• It is noteworthy that under the Idea Lab scheme, grants are given in selected institutions of the country, from which institutions purchase state-of-the-art equipment. This does not cause any difficulty in the training of the students. Idea Lab helps students to develop innovation and startup ideas.
• The scheme has been designed keeping in mind the idea development, evaluation and applications under the National Education Policy-2020. This will develop skills like Imagination, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Design Thinking, Problem Solving and Collaboration in the students. This lab will be open for seven days and 24 hours.

Center Cuts by 45 Percent in Chhattisgarh's Fertilizer Demand

Why in News

• According to the information received from Chhattisgarh State Marketing Association on February 8, 2022, the central government has cut the demand quota of chemical fertilizers of the state by 45 percent. Against 7 lakh 50 thousand metric tonnes, the Center has given approval to supply only 4 lakh 11 thousand metric tonnes of fertilizers, due to which a situation of shortage of chemical fertilizers has been created in the state.

Key Points

• Due to non-supply of chemical fertilizers as per demand by the central government to the state of Chhattisgarh for the current Rabi season, farmers in the state are facing problems regarding chemical fertilizers. Despite this, fertilizers are being made available to the farmers of the state on the basis of availability of chemical fertilizers from the societies.
• A total of 7 lakh 50 thousand metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers have been demanded from the Government of India for the current Rabi season, but in today's situation, the state of Chhattisgarh has got only 3 lakh 20 thousand metric tonnes of fertilizers.
• The state of Chhattisgarh has so far received 1,17,522 metric tonnes of urea, which is only 34 percent of the state's demand. Similarly, the state of Chhattisgarh has got only 28 percent of the demand, potash 53 percent, NPK complex 43 percent.
• It is noteworthy that this year in the state of Chhattisgarh, the target of sowing various crops in 18 lakh 50 thousand hectares has been set in the Rabi season. So far 15 lakh 76 thousand hectares have been sown.
• Chhattisgarh government sent a demand for 7.50 lakh metric tonnes of chemical fertilizers to the central government, including urea 3.50 lakh metric tonnes, DAP 2 lakh metric tonnes, potash 50 thousand metric tonnes, NPK complex 75 thousand metric tonnes and super phosphate (ash) 75. 1000 Metric Tonnes, against which 4,11,000 Metric Tonnes have been approved by the Central Government, which is 55 percent of the demand of Chhattisgarh State. This is much less than the demand of the state.
• The state has received 93,214 MT of chemical fertilizers in the cooperative sector for the current Rabi season, which is 39 percent less than 1,52,027 MT received in the corresponding period of last year. Urea 31,500 MT has been obtained, which is 15 percent less than last year. The DAP has been received at 19,434 MT, which is 68 percent less than last year. Potash has been found at 4,191 MT, which is 74 percent less than last year's 15,847 MT. Similarly, there is less supply of NPK as compared to last year.

Intensive Mission Indradhanush 4.0 Launched in the State

Why in News

• Intensified Mission Indradhanush 4.0 was launched in Chhattisgarh on February 7, 2022 with the aim of expediting routine immunization. At present, it has been started in five districts of the state – Bastar, Dhamtari, Durg, Kanker and Rajnandgaon.

Key Points

• Under Mission Indradhanush 4.0, run by the Health Department, a list has been prepared by health workers and mitanins in the above five districts, after home visits and marking the children who were left out of routine vaccination.
• Under the campaign, a target has been set to vaccinate 5 thousand 435 children from birth to 2 years and 2 thousand 604 pregnant mothers. Through this campaign, children who are deprived of routine vaccination will be vaccinated.
• Mission Director of National Health Mission Chhattisgarh, Dr. Priyanka Shukla said that this campaign will be conducted in the state in three phases, in which the first phase will be from 7 February to 13 February, the second phase from 07 March to 13 March and the third phase from 4 April to 10 April. Each phase will be of seven days.
• The campaign covers those pregnant mothers who have not been able to get Td 1, Td 2 and Booster Td vaccines due to some reason. Under the campaign, children from birth to 2 years who were left out of routine vaccination were given BCG, polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, Hepatitis-B, Haemophilus, Influenza-B, Rotavirus, Pneumonia, Meningitis, Measles, Rubella, and Zapgene, Encephalitis vaccines are being administered.
• In the first phase, 2199 sessions will be organized in identified districts in the state, so that more than 5400 children up to 02 years and more than 2600 pregnant mothers will be vaccinated. All immunization sessions will be conducted at Anganwadi centers in the identified villages of the districts.