Rajasthan State PCS

• 13 Jun 2023

Upper High Level Canal Project

Why in News?

On June 12, 2023, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Siphon on the Anas River under the Upper High-Level Canal Project at Lankai (Bagidaura) in Banswara district of the state and the Rs 2500 crore Upper High-Level Canal Project at Magarda.

Key Points:

• Six tehsils of the district - Banswara, Bagidaura, Gangad Talai, Anandpuri, Kushalgarh and Sajjangarh - have related to the Upper High-Level Canal Project. This will provide irrigation facility in 42-thousand-hectare area of 338 villages.
• Here a 105 km long main canal will be constructed from the dam of Mahi project. Irrigation facilities will be provided through fountain method by constructing diggi by removing distributors and minors from the main canal. The work is to be completed by November 2026. It will also have 210 diggies and a 4 km long tunnel.
• In this project, a siphon is being built on the Anas River. It is located in Lankai village of Gangad tehsil. This is an important structure of the Siphon project. In this, the main canal is proposed to be removed from the bottom of the Anas River through a pressurized pipeline.
• The canal project is an ambitious project of the tribal region. This will enable sustainable development in the region due to irrigation water assurance and increase employment opportunities. This project will play an important role in the socio-economic upliftment of the region.
• On this occasion, the Chief Minister also announced the upgradation of Gram Panchayat Chhoti Sarwa of Banswara district to Panchayat Samiti.

MoU between Haridev Joshi University & United Nations Population Fund

Why in News?

On June 12, 2023, at an event held at the administrative campus of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism & Mass Communication (HJU) in Jaipur, HJU and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) signed an MoU to enhance the understanding of issues related to health, gender and social concerns among students studying various fields of media.

Key Points:

• Andrea Voynar, Country Head, UNFPA and Prof. Sudhi Rajeev signed the MoU.
• UNFPA is a United Nations organization that works towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the field of gender, women & child rights and health. It participates in development works at the national level through its headquarters in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
• Speaking on the occasion, Andrea Voynar, Country Head, UNFPA said, "The MoU with HJU will help produce the best journalists who understand gender-related issues. When these students become part of the media, they will be able to highlight these issues in a better way which will help in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
• The UNFPA Country Head informed that during its 10th National Program (2023-2027), UNFPA is striving to reduce maternal mortality, family planning, eliminate gender-based violence and improve other human conditions.
• Under the MoU, training sessions will be organized for students on gender issues, demographics and issues related to adolescent health.
• HJU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhi Rajeev said that it is the responsibility of the media to prominently raise issues related to social concerns in a democratic system. In such a situation, awareness among future journalists towards issues related to gender, women and child development is very important. This agreement of UNFPA and HJU will prove to be an important step in the direction of creating aware and responsible media personnel towards social issues