• 11 Apr 2023

RLD Stripped of State Party Status by Election Commission

Why in News?

On 10 April 2023, the Election Commission of India issued an order stripping the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which won eight seats in the assembly elections, as a state-level party in Uttar Pradesh. After this order, now RLD has become a registered unrecognized political party.

Key Points

• According to the commission, a party participating in the assembly elections can be recognized as a state-level party if it secures at least 6% of the total votes. RLD won eight seats in the 2022 assembly elections, although it got only 2.85 percent of the votes. Similarly, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, RLD did not get any seats and got only 1.69 percent votes.
• Currently, the National President of the Rashtriya Lok Dal Party is Jayant Chowdhary, while the National General Secretary of the party is Girish Chowdhary. This party was founded by former Union Minister Chaudhary Ajit Singh, son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh.
• It is known that in the year 2022, the Rashtriya Lok Dal Party formed an alliance with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and contested 33 seats, out of which it won eight seats.
• Significantly, the Election Commission has withdrawn the regional party status from Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Andhra Pradesh and Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) in Uttar Pradesh. Whereas the Revolutionary Socialist Party has been declared invalid as a state party in West Bengal.
• Also, the Election Commission has given the status of the national party to Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is recognized as a state party in Nagaland, the Tripura Motha Party in Tripura and the Voice of the People Party in Meghalaya.
• In fact, the Election Commission itself reviews the status of recognized national and state political parties, which is an ongoing process under the Symbols Order, of 1968. Since 2019, the Election Commission has upgraded the status of 16 political parties and withdrawn the current status of 9 national/state political parties.
• It is noteworthy that all political parties in India have to register with the Election Commission. Anyone can contest elections in this country and form their political party. At present, all the political parties in the country have been divided into 3 categories-
  • National Party: Those who have been given the status of National Party by the Election Commission. There are currently 6 national parties in India.
  • Regional Party: Those who have got the status of the state-level party from the Election Commission. There are now more than 50 regional parties in India.
  • Unrecognized Party: Parties that are registered with the Election Commission, but not recognized, either because they are too new or because they have not secured enough votes to be given regional party status. Now RLD has also come in this category.

Bihar State School Teacher (Appointment, Transfer, Disciplinary Proceedings and Service Conditions) Rules 2023

Why in News?

On 10 April 2023, the Bihar cabinet approved the Bihar State School Teacher (Appointment, Transfer, Disciplinary Proceedings and Service Conditions) Rules, 2023. Along with this, the units making appointments on the old pattern have been disbanded.

Key Points

• The Bihar state government has approved the new rules for the appointment of teachers. This rule will be effective from the appointment of the seventh phase. Now teachers will be called state employees.
• Under the new rules, CTET and STET pass candidates will get a chance to become teachers directly and they will become state employees. Employed teachers must appear in the competitive examination to become state employees.
• Employed teachers will get age relaxation. The state government has reduced the minimum age for teacher recruitment to 21 years. Now teachers will be reinstated through the event.
• Apart from this, the cabinet has also approved the agenda of increasing the dearness allowance. Dearness allowance of state employees has been increased by 4 per cent from 38% to 42%. It will come into force on January 1, 2023. With effect from 1 January 2023, the Dearness Allowance (DA) will be available. Along with the state employees, pensioners will also get benefits.
• The Bihar cabinet has also approved temporarily increasing the Bihar Contingency Fund from Rs.300 crore to Rs.10,000 crore for this financial year.

Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Launched the Helpline of Departmental 'Whatsapp Chatbot'

Why in News?

On 10 April 2023, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully virtually inaugurated 'Whatsapp Chatbot' to provide information and other facilities through WhatsApp to the beneficiaries related to departmental schemes using information technology in the field of m-governance.

Key Points

• Services related to Social Security, Pension Schemes, Scholarship Schemes, Palanhar, Mukhyamantri Anuprati Coaching Scheme and Mukhyamantri Kanyadan Yojana are being made available at the initial level through WhatsApp chatbot.
• In the case of beneficiaries applying through E-Mitra, the fee is borne by the applicant, but applying on the link available through the WhatsApp chatbot can save both time and money with ease and ease.
• Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully said that the benefits of these schemes can be availed by applying on the departmental WhatsApp chatbot mobile number 9462745980.

Public Holiday Declared on Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jayanti

Why in News?

On 10 April 2023, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved the proposal of a public holiday on Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jayanti (April 11). Till now, Phule Jayanti was an optional holiday.

Key Points

• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has taken this decision keeping in mind the sentiments of the common people and the demands of public representatives.
• It is known that Women and Child Development Minister Mamta Bhupesh, State President of National Phule Brigade Team Rajasthan Dinesh Kumar Saini, Lokesh Malakar from Nagaur Parbatsar including various social organizations and people's representatives had demanded to declare a public holiday.
• It is noteworthy that Mahatma Phule played an important role in eradicating untouchability from the country and empowering society. He did the work of freeing society from evils, and connecting girls and Dalits with education. He also made organized efforts for the rights of farmers and labourers.
• It may be noted that on January 28, the optional holiday of Lord Shri Devnarayan Jayanti was also declared a public holiday by the state government. With this, now the number of public holidays in the state has increased to 30 and the number of optional holidays to 20.

In Effective Management of Tiger Reserve, Satpura Reserve is Second in the Country and Kanha Reserve is Fifth

Why in News?

On 9 April 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the summary report of the fifth round of Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) in Mysore, Karnataka, ranking Satpura Tiger Reserve second and Kanha Reserve fifth among the top 5 tiger reserves in the country's 51 tiger reserves. The position has been obtained.

Key Points

• It is worth mentioning that the first place was held by the Periyar Tiger Reserve of Kerala. Its Management Effectiveness Evaluation Score stood at 94.38%. On the other hand, Satpura Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh and Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka stood in third place. Both had a Management Effectiveness Evaluation score of 93.18%.
• Apart from this, the Kanha Tiger Reserve of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh has got the fifth rank and the Pench Tiger Reserve of Seoni has got the eighth rank.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve has got this rank due to better management, work, and a better team.
• Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve (Rajasthan) and Ranipur Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh) notified in the year 2022 have not been included in this report. Presently there are a total of 53 tiger reserves in the country.
• Significantly, Management Effectiveness and Evaluation is a third-party assessment, which releases its survey data once in 4 years. In the survey, the assessment team assesses the level of documentation, fieldwork, field staff and interactions with field staff & stakeholders, wildlife enhancement, protection and management systems.
• The community, streamlining tourism, good infrastructure for both the park and the animals, as well as active wildlife management, are some of the parameters on which the park is judged.
• Satpura Tiger Reserve
  • Satpura Tiger Reserve located in the Narmadapuram district is spread over 2130 square kilometres. It is part of the Deccan bio-geographic region. This is the country's oldest forest wealth full of unprecedented natural beauty, which has been preserved with great effort.
  • Some species of flora found in the Himalayan region and some species found in the forests of the south are also found in abundance in the forest area of Satpura Tiger Reserve. Some species like insectivorous Ghatparni, Bamboo, Hisalu, and Daruhaldi are found both in Satpura and the Himalayas.
  • There are 50 rock shelters in the hill range of Satpura which are between 1500 to 10 thousand years old. Along with natural importance, they also have archaeological importance. Thus the Satpura Tiger Reserve is the soul of the ecosystem of the central region of the country.
  • There are also plants like acai vat, and wild jasmine, which are not found elsewhere or very rarely. Apart from flora, there are 14 such wild animals whose life is in danger today, yet their habitat remains here, such as flying squirrels.
  • Satpura Tiger Reserve is famous for the presence of tigers and their breeding area. This reserve is one of the areas in central India with a good presence of tigers.
  • 17 percent of the country's tiger population and 12 percent of the tiger habitat area comes from Satpura.
  • The Satpura Tiger Reserve in a way forms a bridge of wildlife presence between the Himalayas and the Western Ghats. It is also an ideal habitat for Malabar Whistling Thrush i.e Oyster Bird, Dudhraj, Malabar Pied Hornbill i.e Dhanesh Bird.

Work is Being Done on the Zero Dropout Policy in Haryana

Why in News?

On 9 April 2023, Haryana's School Education Minister Kanwar Pal said that the zero dropout policy is being worked out to bring every child in the state through education to the mainstream of the country so that by the next year no dropout can be found in the state.

Key Points

• School Education Minister Kanwar Pal said that about 48 lakh children in the age group of 6 to 18 years are being tracked to know the status of education for the policy of zero dropouts.
• The Education Minister said that a National Education Policy has been prepared to provide education to children with values, which has been targeted to be implemented across the country by 2030 but it will be fully implemented in Haryana by 2025.
• He informed that under the Pradhan Mantri School for Rising India (PM-Shri) scheme, two schools each i.e. a total of 270 PM-Shri schools will be opened in 135 blocks of the state by next year. There will be model schools in every block and children will be given education in these schools according to the National Education Policy.
• He said that along with five S i.e. education, health, security, self-reliance and self-respect, good governance was also added in Haryana, which has yielded positive results in the last more than eight years. For the first time in the country, five and a half lakh tablets were distributed to the students of classes X to XII to connect the children of government schools with technology.
• Referring to another important cluster scheme to develop the system of education in Haryana, he said that a cluster has been formed in every four-five villages of the state, in which there will be a senior secondary school where along with the studies of all the three faculties-Arts, Science and Commerce, the skills of the children will also be developed for self-employment.
• Similarly, 150 new buses have also been purchased under the Chhapsu (Student Transport Security) scheme to make the movement of girl students to educational institutions safe and a nodal officer was also appointed in every institute for the transportation of girl students.

Haryana Ranks Fourth in the Country in GST Collection

Why in News?

On 8 April 2023, Haryana's Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that Haryana, which was at number six in the country last year in GST collection, has reached number four this time.

Key Points

• Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said that this time there has been an increase of 23 percent in GST collection as compared to last year. This time a total GST collection of Rs 33,527 crore has been done in the state.
• The deputy Chief minister, who also holds the charge of the Excise and Taxation Department, informed that last year the state received Rs 2,575 crore as compensation for the last three months. This year, the state government has received a total of Rs 30,951 crore as tax in the state.
• The only small states above Haryana in GST collection across the country are Sikkim, Union Territory of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Goa.
• Giving information about the important works done in the Excise Department, Dushyant Chautala said that compared to the revenue target of Rs 9,200 crore for the year 2022-23, the department has so far earned Rs 9,687 crore while there is still one month left. It is estimated that this figure will exceed Rs 10,200 crore.
• He informed that high-security CCTV cameras have been installed in all Godowns, distilleries, and bottling plants of the state, and it is expected that leakage has been controlled. He said that in distilleries and bottling plants, monitoring was done through CCTV from DETC's office, this time parallel monitoring will be done in headquarters also so that there is no tax evasion.
• He said that earlier roadside checking of vehicles was done manually, now in the next one-month new software will be prepared, and tablets will be given to the officers so that the location, time and tax evasion data of related goods will be filled on the spot from the GPS of the caught vehicle.

C-20 Summit on Integrated Holistic Health at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad

Why in News?

On 8 April 2023, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated the Civil 20 (C-20) Integrated Holistic Health Summit (one of the official working groups of G-20) by lighting the lamp at Amrita Hospital in Faridabad.

Key Points

• During this, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the Amrita School of Medicine in Faridabad. This medical college will have 150 MBBS seats. With the formation of this medical college, there have been three medical colleges in Faridabad, due to which better health facilities will be available to the people.
• Apart from this, the Chief Minister also inaugurated the newly constructed auditorium on the campus. There is a seating arrangement of about 1200 people in this auditorium.
• During the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister also released two new platforms namely Digital Education for Advanced Clinical Capacity Learning (DISHA) and We Are with You (Hum Aapke Saath Hain).
• During the two days of the summit, more than 700 CSOs, health professionals, educators and leaders from across the public health landscape will participate in policy meetings, discussions & workshops to design policies that support global health and wellness.
• Addressing the seminar, the Chief Minister said that to keep the body healthy, everyone has to move forward in the direction of environmental protection. Along with allopathy, it is necessary to give importance to Homoeopathy and Ayurvedic methods.
• He said that due to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, today the yoga system has got a different recognition in the whole world. The Haryana Government has also established Shri Krishna Ayurvedic University in Kurukshetra keeping in view the importance of the Ayurvedic system.
• All India Institute of Ayurveda is also being established on 250 acres (about the total floor space of the Pentagon) in Kurukshetra with the help of the Central Government. Work on 700 wellness centres is going on in the state. Apart from this, one thousand parks and gymnasiums are being prepared.
• The Chief Minister said that according to the WHO standard, there is a requirement of 28 thousand doctors in the state. Including private doctors, there are a total of 13,000 doctors in the state. The Haryana government is taking various steps to increase the number of doctors in the state. He said that permission has also been sought to establish a joint college of Ayurveda and Allopathy in the state.
• Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, addressed the delegates virtually. Former health ministers from countries such as Argentina, Rwanda and Malawi were also present at the summit. World-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian Mata Amrit Anandamayi (Amma) is the chairperson of C-20.
• Dr. Priya Nair, Coordinator of the C-20 Working Group Integrated Holistic Health, Amrita Hospital, said that the working group aims to focus on women's and children's health, nutrition, mental health, non-communicable diseases, elderly care and to identify, discuss and address major health challenges in the field of holistic health (traditional and alternative forms of medicine including yoga and meditation). This will help in formulating a policy framework to deal with such issues.
• It is noteworthy that G-20 is a forum, which includes 19 countries and the European Union. It works to address major issues related to the global economy. The C-20 provides a platform for civil society organizations from around the world to bring the voice of the people to the world leaders in the G-20.

Three-Day Program on 'Millets Agri Expo and Rising Haryana'

Why in News?

On 7 April 2023, Haryana's Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Jai Prakash Dalal inaugurated a three-day program organized by a media group on the theme 'Millets Agri Expo and Rising Haryana' by lighting the lamp here.

Key Points

• At the expo, a brainstorming session will be held for 3 days on the modern techniques of agriculture for farmers.
• On this occasion, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Jai Prakash Dalal also honoured progressive farmers by giving them the Kisan Ratna Award.
• The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that on the proposal of the Government of India, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Nutritious Food. Nutritious cereals like millet and Jowar hold immense potential in the fight against climate change, food, nutrition and livelihoods and poverty. It helps in mitigating the effects of climate change as compared to wheat and rice.
• He said that the state government is promoting millet as a nutritious food in the state under the National Food Security Mission from 2018-19. In Haryana, millet is grown in an area of about 10 lakh acres to 12 lakh acres, with an estimated yield of 800 kg per acre and production of 12 lakh metric tonnes. Besides this, Jowar is grown in an area of about 0.60 lakh acres to 1.10 lakh acres.
• Seeing its many health benefits, now people have started including it in their diet. Under the National Food Security Mission, grants are being given to farmers by the state government to promote jowar.
• The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister said that the Millets Conference to be held in this context is an important initiative. In this, many topics like the cultivation of millets, the economy related to it, its effect on health, and the income of farmers, will be discussed.
• It is known that during the recent G-20 program organized by the state government, foreign guests were also fed food prepared from millet, which was also appreciated by the delegation.
• Under the International Nutritious Food Year-2023, monthly programs are being organized by the state government in various districts, in which farmers are being made aware of nutritious food. Apart from this, they are also being informed about the various health benefits of including nutritious food in the diet.
• Nutritious foods are not only nutritious, but they can also be grown easily in dry land and with less rainfall. Several initiatives are being taken by the state government to promote bajra and jowar. Wide publicity is being spread by the Agriculture Department to make the International Nutritious Food Year-2023 a mass movement.

Chief Minister Inaugurated Two Important Projects worth 32 Crores in Gurugram

Why in News?

On 7 April 2023, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal inaugurated two important projects namely Basai Chowk to Dwarka Expressway Railway Over Bridge (ROB) and the rejuvenation & beautification of Sikandarpur water body in Gurugram district completed at Rs 32 crore.

Key Points

• With the realization of these projects on the ground, the infrastructural system has been expanded in the Gurugram district.
• Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the newly constructed Railway Over Bridge at Basai would provide better connectivity to the people living in the Hero-Honda Chowk to Dwarka Expressway and the surrounding sectors in the coming times, as well as it will the traffic pressure on the old ROB on Gurugram-Jhajjar road.
• The four-lane ROB, part of the project connecting Umang Bhardwaj Chowk to Northern Peripheral Road (NPR) in Gurgaon at a cost of about Rs 114 crore, is 910 meters long and was constructed at Rs 23 crore.
• Even before this, the Chief Minister had also inaugurated an 820-meter length and six-lane flyover and foot-over-bridge at Basai Chowk in November last year under this project.
• The Chief Minister also inaugurated the project related to the rejuvenation and beautification of the water body developed in a 90 acres area near Sikandarpur. To restore this water body area, an MoU was signed between GMDA and NGO IM Gurgaon in April 2019.
• Rejuvenation of this water body costs Rs 9.1 crores, thereby promoting forest cover and reviving the old water body as part of the comprehensive green strategy in the cities.
• Many private organizations provided financial help from CSR funds to make this project a reality.
• The main objective of the eco-restoration of Sikandarpur reservoir and watershed area spread over 90 acres is to provide a clean and green environment to the residents of Gurgaon and to increase the urban green cover of the city through the plantation of indigenous species in the area.
• Notably, the Sikandarpur water body has been revived and restored to its natural beauty. The work involved clearing the surrounding encroachments, among other initiatives, removing the garbage and debris accumulated in the water body and the flow of sewage into the water body was stopped.
• The plastic waste already present in this water body was segregated with the help of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and it was ensured that the waste is disposed of responsibly in the nearby landfill. In addition, pipelines were laid to carry rainwater to nearby residential areas.
• The revival of this water body has also reduced the risk of waterlogging in the area during the monsoon season. Along with this, fencing of the area, removal of debris, construction of natural trails and footpaths, and extensive plantation with local species of flora have also been done under Sikandarpur Eco-Restoration Project.

Angabhoomi Mahila Gaurav Samman Given to Poet Meenu Meena

Why in News?

On 9 April 2023, Meenu Meena Sinha, a poetess from Ranchi, Jharkhand, has been honoured with the Angbhumi Mahila Gaurav Samman-2023 for her contribution to the education and contribution of distinguished women writers in a function organized by Jeevan Jagruti Society in Bhagalpur, Bihar.

Key Points

• Meenu Meena was given this honour for taking care of the family in adverse circumstances and becoming a source of inspiration for the women of society.
• Meenu Meena Sinha, a resident of Morhabadi, Ranchi, has been associated with the field of writing for decades.
• He has served as a librarian for 2.2 years in the British Library and Kendriya Public School.
• Meenu Meena's three poetry collections Jeevandhara (2018), Bitiya (2021), and Anubhav Ke Darkht (2023) have been published while two other books are under publication.

Forest Fire in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

According to information received from media sources on 10 April 2023, 183.35 hectares of the forest area have been damaged so far in 120 incidents of forest fire in Uttarakhand this season.

Key Points

• According to the information received, 91.53 hectares of the forest area have been affected in Garhwal in 62 incidents so far. While in Kumaon, 55.30 hectares of forest area has been affected in 44 incidents and 36.52 hectares of forest area has been affected in 14 incidents in wildlife sanctuaries.
• Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Fire and Disaster Management Department said that with the changing trend of the weather, the temperature is also increasing continuously. Due to this, the risk of increasing incidents of fire in the forests increases.
• Due to irregular rainfall patterns in the state, incidents of fire have increased in winters also for the last few years. However, the risk of forest fire is highest in summer. The period from March to June is considered highly vulnerable to fire. Especially due to less rainfall and dry environment, forest fires spread rapidly.