• 09 Dec 2022

Tender Issued for Opening Medical Colleges in 6 Districts of Uttar Pradesh

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, Principal Secretary of Medical Education of Uttar Pradesh Alok Kumar said that a tender has been issued for opening medical colleges on PPP model in 6 districts under 'One District, One Medical College' in the state.

Key Points

• Through the tender process, investors will be selected to open medical colleges in Mahoba, Mainpuri, Bagpat, Hamirpur, Hathras and Kasganj in the state.
• It is known that under the Central Government's Viability Gap Funding Scheme, in-principle consent has been received to open medical colleges in these 6 districts of Uttar Pradesh.
• Uttar Pradesh is the first state to issue a tender for opening a medical college on PPP model. The details of the tender have also been uploaded on the GeM portal.
• He said that about Rs 1525 crore will be spent to open medical colleges in 6 districts. Out of this, the central government will bear the burden of about Rs 1012 crore as subsidy. A college will get an average subsidy of Rs 160 crore.
• The work of selecting investors for opening medical colleges in Maharaj Ganj and Shamli of the state has started. Treatment is likely to start in Maharaj Ganj by next year. Apart from this, medical colleges in Shamli and Mau are under process.
• The Principal Secretary said that this is a big step towards providing better and accessible medical services to the common people of The Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The approval of the proposal by the central government will save the state's money.
• He said that the state district hospital and land will be given on lease for 33 years. After this, the investor will return the medical college to the government. It will be the property of the state as well as give stamp duty exemption and equipment subsidy.

Cargo Terminal

Why In News?

On December 7, 2022, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed that a cargo terminal will be built at Akbarnagar in Bhagalpur, Bihar.

Key Points

• Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the cargo terminal to be built in Akbarnagar will be built under the leadership of Malda Divisional Railway Manager Vikas Choubey, which is expected to be completed by the year 2024.
• It is known that a similar terminal in Malda division of Eastern Railway has been commissioned at Godda.
• The Railway Minister informed that Indian Railways will set up dozens of cargo terminals in the next three years. While 22 cargo terminals have already been commissioned, 125 applications have been received for development of such terminals and 79 have been given in-principle approval.
• Railways has given in-principle approval to Bihar Logistics Private Limited for construction of terminal for Food Corporation of India to facilitate the process.
• Silo type containers will be used in this cargo terminal. Silos are basically designed to store grains and other materials. This type of storage is rarely used in India.

'Revenue Decision Special Issue'

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, Rajasthan Revenue Board Chairman Rajeshwar Singh released the 'Revenue Decision Special Issue' of Ravira Patrika.

Key Points

• In the 'Revenue Decision Special Issue' published by the Revenue Board, an important article on passing lawful, quality and error-free decisions in the Revenue Courts, the best decisions passed at the level of State Revenue Board and Subordinate Courts and the functioning of the Revenue Courts organized at the state level. The best entries selected under the five-class essay writing competition on the subject of suggestions for improvement have been included.
• Apart from this, articles written on important topics through subject experts related to revenue administration, important circulars issued by the government, notifications have also been published prominently.

Signs of Potash Deposits in Satipura and Lakhasar

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, Additional Chief Secretary of Rajasthan Mines Department Dr. Subodh Agarwal said that there are signs of abundant storage of potash at a depth of only 500 to 700 meters in Lakhasar of Bikaner district and Satipura of Hanumangarh district of the state.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that in countries with potash reserves of the world, potash availability is seen at a depth of one thousand meters or more.
• Dr. Subodh Agarwal said that due to the signs of Sylvite and Polyhalite potash in Bikaner and Hanumangarh of the state, potash can be mined with conventional mining and solution mining techniques.
• He said that 26 borewells have been made in the 99.99 square meter area of Lakhasar in Bikaner, out of which 22 bore have been done by MECL and 4 bore by Geological Survey of India. There are signs of both types of Sylvite and Polyhalite potash.
• Apart from this, indications of potash have also been found in the exploration done by GSI in an area of 300 square meters in Satipura of Hanumangarh.
• It is known that at present the country is dependent on imports from abroad for potash fertilizer, while the process of potash mining in the state will reduce the dependence of imports from abroad and save foreign exchange.
• MECL CMD Ghanshyam Sharma said that Sylvite potash requires solution mining, whereas Polyhalite potash can be traditionally mined and both types of mining possibilities have emerged in the state.
• He said that the indication of potash exploration in the state is a growing step towards self-reliant India. Potash mining in Rajasthan will now meet the requirement of potash fertilizer for cultivation in the country to a great extent.

Project 'Samagra'

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, an MoU was signed between the state government and the American India Foundation (AIF) for the implementation of project 'Samagra' to eliminate the level of malnutrition in the state and achieve the goal of well-nourished Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• Director Women and Child Development Dr. Ram Rao Bhonsle and Director Public Health American India Foundation Dr. Mahesh Shrivas signed the MoU in the presence of Additional Chief Secretary Women and Child Development Ashok Shah.
• Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Shah said that the main objective of project 'Samagra' is to improve the nutritional level of children, increase learning ability and create opportunities for empowerment of women and increase their income.
• Director, Women and Child Development Bhonsle said that in the project Samagra, about 10 thousand children of 6 years of age are being benefited from Zero in Gyaraspur block of Vidisha district. This pilot project will reach 229 Anganwadis, 184 self-help groups and 112 SHG kitchens in Gyaraspur block.
• He said that the American India Foundation Project Samagra Anganwadi Centers will skill frontline and health workers to provide THR and cooked hot meals for children under 6 years of age, quality home-based care and nutrition counseling to sick children.
• In addition, the American India Foundation will strengthen linkages for timely referral of severely malnourished children and ensure school readiness for children under the age of 6, as well as provide need-based learning materials to Anganwadi centres.
• AIF Country Director Matthew Joseph said that this partnership with the Women and Child Development Department in Madhya Pradesh will give special attention to women, children and youth. To assess the success of the project, end line surveys and regular assessment of progress and preparation of periodic process reports will be prepared and shared with the state from time to time.

Reconstitution of Monitoring Committee to Increase the use of Aadhaar and Implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh has reconstituted a committee constituted earlier (in 2016) under the chairmanship of The Chief Secretary to increase the use of Aadhaar and monitor the implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer .

Key Points

• The committee includes Principal Secretary/Secretary Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, School Education, Women and Child Development, Census Director, Chief Post Master General, Representatives of State Level Bankers Committee, State Nodal Officer e-Governance, Deputy Director General UIDAI The Regional Office, Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Electronic Development Corporation will be member and Principal Secretary/Secretary Science and Technology will be member secretary.
• The reconstituted committee will monitor the implementation of Aadhaar enrolment and updating ecosystem, review the use of Aadhaar identification platform and monitor the progress of redressal of citizen grievances for implementation of the recommendations of the Unique Identification Authority of India and the work related to registration of citizens.
• In addition, the Committee will undertake a review of information security and privacy practices of the Aadhaar ecosystem partner, supervision of district level Aadhaar Monitoring Committees, guidance and monitoring of the functioning of the State Government portal.

Biodiversity Park and Lake to be Built in Gurugram

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal and Union Minister of State Rao Inderjit Singh inaugurated a biodiversity park on about 420 acres in three villages of Gurugram district namely Damdama, Khedla and Abhaypur and re-established Damdama Lake on about 80 acres. A major construction project was started.

Key Points

• The project will be jointly developed by Gurujal, Haryana CSR Trust and EY Foundation.
• A tripartite agreement was signed with EY Foundation for this project by Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav, who is also the Chairman of Gurujal and Joint Secretary of Haryana State CSR Trust, in the presence of the Chief Minister and Union Minister of State. Bala Chandra Raja Raman, President of the organization signed the agreement on behalf of EY Foundation.
• On this occasion, in the program organized in village Damdama, apart from the project of reconstruction of Biodiversity Park and Damdama Lake, an exhibition was also organized on the activities being carried out for water conservation of Gurujal.
• The Chief Minister informed that this company is voluntarily spending Rs 70 crore on this project. Haryana CSR Trust has been formed to encourage companies to spend their CSR funds in the right way in social works. In the last one year, companies have spent Rs 542 crore for CSR in the state through this trust.
• The Chief Minister said that in the coming time, at least one thousand crore rupees should be spent in social works in the state through CSR. This money will be spent on environment, water conservation, health and education.
• He informed that apart from the development of biodiversity parks and lakes, work is also proposed to build jungle safari on about 10 thousand acres in the Aravalli hills in Gurugram and Nuh districts. This will also boost tourism and provide employment opportunities to the people.
• Bala Chandra Raja Raman, President of EY Foundation, said that his company does not come under the purview of CSR, yet is voluntarily spending on this project. Cooperation of institutions like TERI, Sidar, IIT, Columbia University etc. will be taken in developing this project.
• This project will be developed in four phases. In the first phase, along with studying the plants and soil of the area, construction of nursery and cleaning of the lake will be done. In the second phase, water shed management and tree plantation will be started, in the third phase the lake will be developed and in the fourth phase plantation will be done.
• Renovation of Damdama Lake will be completed in four years and the work of developing Biodiversity Park will be completed in 10 years.

Jacinta Kerketta Named in the Forbes’ list of ‘Self-Made Women’

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on December 8, 2022, Forbes India has included Jharkhand's young poet and independent journalist Jacinta Kerketta in the list of India's Self-Made Women 2022.

Key Points

• This year Forbes India's W-Power 2022 list features women who are breaking stereotypes, rejecting doubts and leading change.
• Apart from Jacinta Kerketta, the prominent names that figure in this list are Nikhat Zareen, Katrina Kaif, Anju Srivastava and Anjali Bansal.
• Forbes India's team researched and included such names in this list who made their own identity, who did not inherit money or position and such women who can be an inspiration to others. 20 names have been given a place in this list.
• Jacinta Kerketta is a well-known poet and independent journalist of the country, who constantly talked about women's rights, who openly discussed the atrocities on the tribal society. Apart from this, he has also openly opposed the superstitions prevailing in his society.
• These days Jacinta's poems have gained fame not only in the country but also abroad. Jacinta has discussed the more than a hundred years old Futkal tree planted in the courtyard of her house to show her intimacy with nature. It is a symbol of both his love and movement towards water-forest and land. Jacinta has written - Futkal Gach is published.

National Children's Science Congress

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, a three-day National Children's Science Congress sponsored by the National Council for Science, Technology and Communication, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and organized by Science for Society, Jharkhand, was inaugurated at DPS Bokaro in the state.

Key Points

• On the first day of the program, more than 100 child science participants from 13 different districts of the state registered themselves.
• On the first day, an orientation program was held for the members of the jury, in which the office bearers of the Society informed the judges about the theme of the Children's Science Congress, 'Understanding Ecosystem for Health and Well-being', the evaluation of the project, the parameters related to it. Gave information regarding various technical aspects and selection of participants on the basis of that.
• President of Jharkhand Science for Society Ali Imam Khan said that the society has been organizing the Children's Science Congress since the time of then Bihar since 1993. Its aim is to develop research in children, awaken scientific consciousness in them and involve children in research with innovation, breaking away from the traditional scope of school education .
• He said that research activities are done in the center on the basis of survey and experiment in the Children's Science Congress. There is no school obligation. In this, children from outside school also participate in their innovative projects in the science congress organized in four groups, urban, rural, senior and junior. About 15 successful participants will be selected for the national level in various categories from the state-level competition being held here.

Chief Minister transfers 57th Installment online to the account of beneficiaries of Godhan Nyay Yojana

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel made an online payment of Rs 7.83 crore as the 57^th installment of the scheme to the beneficiaries of Godhan Nyay Yojana in a virtual program held at his residence office.

Key Points

• Under this, from November 16 to November 30, an amount of Rs 4.62 crore was transferred online to their accounts in lieu of cow dung purchased from cattle rearing villagers, farmers and landless in Gouthan's. Similarly, a dividend amount of Rs 1.28 crore was transferred to Gauthan committees and Rs 1.93 crore to the account of women's groups.
• Out of Rs 4.62 crore paid to cow dung vendors, Rs 2.88 crore has been paid by 4270 self-supporting Gouthan's and Rs 1.74 crore has been paid by the Agriculture Department.
• In the last fortnight, the self-supporting Gouthan's of the state have paid more amount than the Agriculture Department for the purchase of cow dung. So far cow dung has been procured by the self-supporting Gouthan's from their own resources with an amount of Rs 29.61 crore.
• On this occasion, Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel said that buying cow dung from their own deposits by Gouthan's is a big success of Godhan Nyay Yojana. More than half of the Gouthan's in rural areas of the state are procuring cow dung from their own resources. The state government does not need to give money to these Gouthan's to buy cow dung.
• The Chief Minister said that the youth and women of the state will play an important role in 'Garhbo Nava Chhattisgarh'. Youth and women are being involved in the activities of rural industrial parks being developed in Gauthans. This will provide good sources of employment and income to the youth and women.
• The Chief Minister said that farmers are doing paradan themselves in Gouthan's. Farmers should be encouraged more for paradan. When there will be fodder and water for the animals in the Gouthan's, the animals will live in Gouthan's instead of fields and roads. He directed the officers to make efforts to provide baler machines for making para bundles in more and more Gouthan's of the state.
• The Chief Minister said that in rural industrial parks, such products should be prepared on priority basis, which are needed by the government or which have good demand in the market. He said that training should be given to youth and women to prepare good products.
• Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said that 11 thousand 252 Gouthan's have been approved in the state, out of which 9 thousand 619 Gouthan's have been constructed, out of which 8440 Gouthan's have been constructed in rural areas. Out of these Gouthan's, 4270 Gouthan's have become self-sufficient.
• The work of cow dung purchase, production and distribution of vermicompost is being done in coordination with various departments. In the coming time, the production of vermicompost will become a big campaign in Chhattisgarh. He said that more will be increased by connecting the youth with the activities of RIPA.
• Managing Director of Godhan Nyay Mission Ayaz Tamboli said that since the launch of the Godhan Nyay Yojana, an amount of Rs 188.45 crore has been paid to Gouthan societies and women self-help groups as dividend amount and Rs 170.05 crore has been paid to Gouthan societies and women self-help groups.
• He informed that so far 19.82 lakh quintals of vermicompost has been produced in Gouthan's. Out of this , 16.24 lakh quintals of vermicompost has been sold. So far , 2.25 lakh quintals of para has been found in Gouthan's.

The President Inaugurated and Laid the Foundation Stone of Schemes worth Rs 2001.94 crore in Uttarakhand.

Why In News?

On December 8, 2022, President Draupadi Murmu inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of nine development schemes worth Rs 2001.94 crore for the state in a civic reception program organized at the Chief Minister's residence in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. This includes inauguration of three schemes worth Rs 528.35 crore and foundation stone laying of six schemes worth Rs 1473.59 crore.

Key Points

• The President also announced a 132 KV modern-tech power plant at Material in Haridwar district at a cost of Rs 84 crore on behalf of Soban Singh Jeena Government Medical College Almora, Pitkul constructed at a cost of Rs 330.64 crore, construction of its related line, 4.5 MW Kali Ganga constructed at a cost of Rs 113.71 crore in Rudraprayag district. The second small hydro power project has been inaugurated.
• Apart from this, he also inaugurated the 144 MW plan of Chila Power House at a cost of Rs 306 crore, construction of green building of Integrated Office Complex at a cost of Rs 204.46 crore under Dehradun Smart City Project, 220 KV substation at Mangalore in Haridwar at a cost of Rs 131 crore, 750 He laid the foundation stone of the underground overhead HT and LT power lines of Dehradun's main roads at a cost of Rs 32.93 crore, construction of second phase at Government Polytechnic Narendra Nagar at a cost of Rs 32.93 crore and modern inter-state bus terminal at Tanakpur in Champawat at a cost of Rs 49.20 crore.

Marketing Support Scheme

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on December 8, 2022, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council has announced a 'Marketing Support Scheme' for tour operators in the state to bring foreign tourists to the International Yoga Festival to be held next year.

Key Points

• In order to attract the country and the world towards yoga in Uttarakhand, the International Yoga Festival is organized by the Tourism Department in Rishikesh every year. In order to ensure that more and more foreign tourists participate in the festival, the Tourism Department has announced a 'Marketing Support Scheme' to provide financial incentives for tour operators.
• Under this scheme, tour operators booking international tourists will be given an amount of Rs 10,000 per tourist and a maximum of Five lakh rupees. This financial incentive will be given to tour operators in lieu of bringing foreign tourists to the yoga festival.
• The benefit of the scheme will be available to tour operators recognized by the International Association of Tour Operators, Ministry of Tourism and Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council. Accredited tour operators bringing tourists will have to submit proof of International Yoga Festival Marketing Promotion.
• Apart from this, they will have to submit documents like booking and registration details of foreign guests participating in the International Yoga Festival, copies of their passport and valid visas and hotel bookings for them.