State PCS - Uttarakhand (UKPSC)

• 08 Apr 2025

Antar Drishti

Why in News? 

On 7th April 2025, the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities (Divyangjan), Dehradun, and the National Association for the Blind (NAB), New Delhi, jointly inaugurated ‘Antar Drishti’.  

Key Points 

• Objective and Features: 
  • ‘Antar Drishti’ is designed as a unique sensory dark room to simulate the daily experiences of persons with visual impairments. 
  • The facility enables sighted individuals to engage in activities in complete darkness, thereby promoting empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by persons with blindness or low vision. 
  • The initiative aims to foster inclusion by bridging the perceptual gap between the general public and the lived experiences of visually impaired individuals. 
• Implementation of the ‘Enable Inclusion’ App: 
  • Through this partnership, NIEPVD will implement the ‘Enable Inclusion’ App developed by Amar Seva Sangam for early detection, intervention, and tracking of children with developmental disabilities. 
  • NIEPVD will integrate its specialization in visual disabilities to enhance the app’s accessibility and responsiveness for users with visual impairments. 
  • The app will provide personalized support through tele-counseling, rehabilitation planning, and early intervention, advancing DEPwD’s vision of accessible, inclusive, and tech-driven empowerment for persons with disabilities across India. 

NIEPVD 

• The National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Impairment (NIEPVD), under Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), has been working since 1943 for the education, training, rehabilitation, and empowerment of the visually impaired. 
• It established a Regional Centre in Chennai in 1988 for serving the Southern Region, and coordinates four CRCs at Sundernagar (H.P.), Gorakhpur (U.P.), and Jaipur (Rajasthan) to provide rehabilitation and skill development services for persons with disabilities. 

 Other Initiatives for Persons with Disability 

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016:  
  • It aims to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities (PwDs).  
  • It aims to give effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which India ratified in 2007.  
  • A person with a benchmark disability is defined as someone with at least 40% of a specified disability. 
• Unique Disability Identification Portal: 
  • The project is being implemented with a view of creating a National Database for persons with disabilities (PwDs), and to issue a Unique Disability Identity Card to each PwDs. 
• DeenDayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS): 
  • DDRS is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India which has been implemented since 1999 for providing financial assistance to NGOs working for education and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. 
• National Fellowship for Students with Disabilities: 
  • It aims to increase opportunities for students with disabilities for pursuing higher education and grants 200 fellowships per year to students with disabilities. 

Chintan Shivir 2025

Why in News? 

The Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment launched the two-day Chintan Shivir 2025 in Dehradun, Uttarakhand to strengthen Centre-State partnerships for ensuring social justice for marginalized communities. 

Key Points 

• Key Focus Areas: 
  • The deliberations revolved around four core pillars—education, economic development, social protection, and accessibility. 
  • The Department showcased progress in schemes like Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP), scholarships for PwDs, skill development, and digital inclusion. 
  • States shared best practices such as mobile assessment camps, inclusive school infrastructure, and accessible transportation models. 
  • Discussions also covered Pre-Matric and Post-Matric Scholarships and PM-YASASVI, focusing on marginalised groups. 
    • States flagged issues in digital applications, verification systems, and outreach to rural and tribal communities. 
  • The Ministry urged adoption of proactive communication and grassroots-level mobilisation to improve scholarship implementation. 
• Livelihood and Economic Inclusion: 
  • The Ministry assessed performance of PM-AJAY and SEED, with states showcasing successful models in asset creation, cluster development, and entrepreneurship. 
  • Discussions focused on modernising sanitation work, eliminating manual scavenging, and promoting dignity for sanitation workers—especially women—through technology and inter-agency coordination. 

PM-YASASVI Scheme 

• About: Launched by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, it provides financial aid for quality education to marginalized students.  
• Eligibility: It is open to OBC, Economically Backward Classes (EBC), and DNT students with family income up to Rs 2.5 lakh per annum.  
• Sub-Schemes: It is an umbrella scheme consisting of sub-schemes like:   
  • Pre-Matric Scholarship: Rs. 4,000 annual academic allowance to families with income below Rs. 2.5 lakh.  
  • Post-Matric Scholarship: Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 depending on the course category.  
  • College Education: Top college students get full financial support, including tuition, living expenses, and education materials.  
  • Hostels: Accommodation facility near government schools and institutions. 

 SEED 

• The Scheme for Economic Empowerment of Denotified/Nomadic/SemiNomadic (SEED) communities was launched in February 2022 by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. 
• It aims to provide free competitive exam coaching to these students, to provide health insurance to families, to uplift clusters of these communities through livelihood initiatives, and to provide financial assistance for housing. 

Equine Influenza

Why in News? 

After detecting equine influenza in horses and mules in two villages of Rudraprayag, the Uttarakhand government has begun taking steps to contain its spread ahead of the Char Dham Yatra. 

 Key Points 

• Equine Influenza: Commonly known as "horse flu," is a fast-spreading respiratory illness affecting horses. 
  • The disease is primarily caused by two subtypes of the influenza A virus — H3N8 and H7N7. 
    • The virus spreads rapidly through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated environments. 
  • While equine influenza is rarely fatal, it can lead to serious complications, particularly in young foals, including secondary bacterial infections and prolonged respiratory issues. 
• Government Response and Action Plan: 
  • The Uttarakhand government has initiated containment measures to prevent the disease from spreading during the pilgrimage season. 
  • The State Animal Husbandry Minister chaired a review meeting to assess the situation and guide the response. 
    • The minister directed officials to prioritise the screening of all horses and mules before allowing their participation in the yatra. 
  • Horses and mules entering Uttarakhand from other states must carry a valid health certificate and a negative equine influenza test report. 
• Char Dham Yatra Schedule 2025: 
  • The Char Dham Yatra is set to begin with the opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dhams on 30th April 2025. 
  • Kedarnath Dham will open on 2nd May followed by Badrinath Dham on 4th May. 

Char Dham Yatra 

 

• Yamunotri Dham: 
  • Location: Uttarkashi district. 
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Yamuna. 
  • River Yamuna is the second-most sacred river in India after River Ganga. 
• Gangotri Dham: 
  • Location: Uttarkashi district. 
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Ganga. 
  • Considered the most sacred of all Indian rivers. 
• Kedarnath Dham: 
  • Location: Rudraprayag district. 
  • Dedicated to: Lord Shiva. 
  • Situated on the bank of the Mandakini River. 
  • One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (divine representations of Lord Shiva) in India. 
• Badrinath Dham: 
  • Location: Chamoli district. 
  • Home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple. 
  • Dedicated to: Lord Vishnu. 
  • One of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites.