State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 10 Apr 2025

UP First Bio-CNG Plant

Why in News? 

Uttar Pradesh's first and the country's second waste-to-CNG plant is being set up in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh . 

 Key Points 

• About the Plant: 
  • This plant will produce bio-fuel (Bio-CNG) from straw, poultry litter, cow dung and wet waste . 
  • It will produce  21.5 tonnes of bio-CNG , 200 tonnes of organic manure and 30 metric tonnes of briquettes per day. 
  • It will be operated on  the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model . 
  • To supply biofuel, a pipeline will be laid in the area by Adani Gas Limited . 
  • This will result in annual savings of about Rs 5 crore on waste disposal . 
  • About one-third of the city's waste will be used in this plant. 
• Objective: 
  • Streamlining waste management. 
  • Promoting renewable and clean energy sources. 
  • Reducing environmental pollution (especially caused by stubble burning). 
  • Making city gas supply accessible and affordable. 

Bio-CNG 

• Bio-CNG , also known as 'Biomethane', is a renewable and clean burning transportation fuel produced through the conversion of biogas to natural gas quality.  
• It is essentially purified biogas, made from the following organic waste materials: 
  • Agricultural waste: crop residues, straw, manure 
  • Food waste: spoiled food, leftovers 
  • Sewage sludge: Solid waste from wastewater treatment plants 

15th Hockey Men's National Championship 2025

Why in News? 

The 15th Men's National Championship 2025 is going to be held from 4 to 15 April at the Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh . 

Key Points 

• About the Championship: 
  • According to Hockey India, the tournament will follow the same division-based format that was followed in the Senior Women's National Championship. 
  • The competition will include promotion and relegation competitions , with a total of 30 teams participating and   divided into three divisions – Division A, Division B and Division C. 
  • Division A is the highest level of the competition, where teams will compete for the championship title . Division B teams will play with the aim of gaining promotion to Division A in the next season, while Division C teams will fight to secure a place in Division B in the upcoming edition. 

Major Dhyan Chand 

• Major Dhyan Chand was a field hockey player who played international hockey from the year 1926 to 1949 . 
  • He was a three-time Olympic gold medalist , winning gold in the 1928, 1932, and 1936 Olympic editions. 
• His exceptional skills in the game earned him the title of ‘Hockey Wizard’. 
  • Dhyan Chand, along with his brother Roop Singh, contributed significantly to India's tally of 35 goals, leading to them being known as the 'Hockey Twins' . 
  • In the year 1934, Dhyan Chand was honoured with the captaincy of the Indian team . 
• Major Dhyan Chand retired from the Army as a Major in the year 1956 and was awarded the Padma Bhushan. 
• National Sports Day is celebrated every year on 29 August on the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand to honour his contribution and promote sports culture . 

First in Digital Transactions and DBT

Why in News? 

Uttar Pradesh has secured first place in the country in terms of digital transactions . 

Key Points 

• About the issue: 
  • Under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme, the state government has transferred Rs 1,11,637 crore directly into the accounts of 9.08 crore beneficiaries through 207 schemes of 11 departments.  
    • This has not only brought transparency in the system but has also resulted in saving of Rs 10,000 crore by eliminating middlemen . 
  •  Uttar Pradesh has now become the second largest economic contributor to the country with a 9.2% share in the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).  
    • While the country's GDP growth rate was 9.6% in the year 2023-24, UP's growth rate was 11.6%. 
  • According to the NITI Aayog report, Uttar Pradesh has been declared  a ' front runner' in terms of 'fiscal position'. 
  • The role of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) was also important in this remarkable growth . Easy access to digital banking , availability of internet in villages and financial awareness further accelerated this progress. 

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme 

• Objective : The scheme is designed to aid faster flow of information and funds to the beneficiaries and to reduce fraud in the distribution system. 
• Implementation : It was launched by the Government of India on January 1, 2013 as a mission to reform the government delivery system. 
  • The old version of the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) of the Accountant General's Office i.e. 'Central Plan Scheme Monitoring System' was chosen as a platform for direct benefit transfer. 
• Components of DBT: The primary components for implementation of Direct Benefit Scheme include beneficiary account verification system; integrated, stable payment and settlement platform with RBI , NPCI , public and private sector banks, Regional Rural Banks and Co-operative Banks (viz. Core Banking Solution of banks, settlement systems of RBI and Aadhaar Payment System of NPCI etc.). 
• Aadhaar not mandatory: Aadhaar is not mandatory in DBT schemes. Since Aadhaar provides unique identification and is useful in targeting the intended beneficiaries, Aadhaar is preferred and beneficiaries are encouraged to have Aadhaar.