State PCS

• 13 Aug 2021

Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath unveiled the statue of former Chief Minister Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna in the series of Chauri-Chaura Centenary Festival at the Yojna Bhawan complex in Lucknow.

Key Points

• Along with this, the Chief Minister inaugurated a photo exhibition based on the personality and works of Bahuguna and also released a book titled 'Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna'. A short film based on the life of Bahuguna was also screened on the occasion.
• Bahuguna ji was born on April 25, 1919 in Bughani village of Pauri district of present Uttarakhand, but he dedicated his life for the development of Uttar Pradesh. He led the youth in Allahabad (present-day Prayagraj) during the Quit India Movement in 1942 and later helped in industrial development around Naini.
• In 1952, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna was elected as the first member of the Legislative Assembly. Again he was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1969 and from 1974 to 1977.
• Bahuguna has been the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh twice. He was the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time from November 8, 1973 to March 4, 1974 and for the second time from March 5, 1974 to November 29, 1975.

'Home Minister's Excellence Medal for Investigation' 2021

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, nine policemen of the state, including Additional Superintendent of Police Ananth Kumar, Udaipur, Rajasthan, have been given 'Home Minister's Excellence in Investigation Post' for the year 2021.

Key Points

• The medal was instituted in the year 2018, with the objective of encouraging high professional standards in the investigation of crimes and to recognize the hard work of investigating officers who make excellent investigations.
• Ananth Kumar, who received the 'Home Minister's Investigation Excellence Medal', was the investigating officer of Rajasthan ATS in the case of investigating terrorist activities of Indian Mujahideen in Rajasthan. On the information of Delhi ATS, Rajasthan ATS started investigation of these terrorists by registering FIR on March 28, 2014.
• Ananth Kumar and his team conducted an excellent investigation keeping in mind the high professional standards and succeeded in apprehending those 12 terrorists. In this case, those 12 terrorists were sentenced to life imprisonment and fine.
• Additional Superintendent of Police Ananth Kumar along with Deputy SP Suresh Sharma, Inspector Anil Doria, Inspector Dinesh Lakhawat, Inspector Darjya Ram, Inspector Ashok Anjana, DCP Dharmendra Singh, Inspector Arun Kumar, Head Constable Bhavani Singh were also awarded Home Minister's Investigation Excellence Medal 2021.

Olympic Hockey Player Vivek Sagar

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan honored Olympic hockey player Vivek Sagar at Minto Hall, Bhopal.

Key Points

• Vivek Sagar, a member of the Indian hockey team, scored a goal against Argentina in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, as a result of which the Indian team could reach the quarter-finals and later the semi-finals.
• Vivek Sagar has been given the post of DSP and an amount of one crore rupees by the Madhya Pradesh government.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced a grant of Rs 31-31 lakh from the Madhya Pradesh government to the players of the Indian women's hockey team, which went to the Tokyo Olympics this week. Players trained at the Madhya Pradesh Women's Hockey Academy also represented India at the Rio Olympics ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
• Indian hockey team coach Ashok Kumar, assistant coach Shivendra Singh were also honored on the occasion.
• Vivek Sagar, a resident of Shivnagar Chandaun village of Hoshangabad district, represented the Indian team in international competitions like Four Nations Tournament, Commonwealth Games, Champion Trophy, Youth Olympics, New Zealand Test Series, Asian Games in the year 2018 and Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament, Australia Test Series and Final Series Bhubaneswar in 2019.
• Midfielder hockey player Vivek Sagar, who was part of the Indian team that won India a bronze medal in Asiad 2018, has played 62 international matches. Vivek Sagar was also honored with the 'Eklavya Award' by the Madhya Pradesh government in the year 2018.

Go-Buffalo Fertile Artificial Insemination Program

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, Madhya Pradesh has been sanctioned the highest amount of more than Rs 63 crore 43 lakh in the country for excellent implementation in the second phase of the nationwide artificial insemination program by the Government of India.

Key Points

• Out of the sanctioned amount for 14 states of the country, Madhya Pradesh has got the maximum amount due to artificial insemination of 17 lakh 55 thousand against the target of 50 thousand bovine cattle in the second phase of the nationwide artificial insemination program.
• The second phase of the program was completed from August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021 in all the districts of the state. In this, the target of artificial insemination was in 500 villages in 50 thousand cow-buffalo cattle.
• In this program, the third phase of the nationwide artificial insemination program (NAIP-III) will start from August 1, 2021 in all the districts of the state till May 31, 2022, the villages which were deprived in the first and second phase of the program will be covered in third phase.
• The first phase of the scheme was implemented from September 15, 2019 to May 31, 2020 and the second phase from August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021. In the first phase of the program 8 lakh 10 thousand and in the second phase 17 lakh 55 thousand artificial inseminations were done till July 31, 2021.
• In the third phase, a target of artificial insemination has been set in 17 lakh 24 thousand animals (51.70 lakh) in all the districts of the state.

National Youth Award

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, Union Youth and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur honored Shubham Chauhan of Raisen and Himanshu Kumar Gupta of Jabalpur with the National Youth Award at the National Youth Awards program organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on International Youth Day.

Key Point

• This award carries a medal, a certificate and a cash amount of Rs. 1 lakh. A total of 14 awards were given for the National Youth Award for the year 2017-18 and 8 for the year 2018-19.
• Himanshu Kumar Gupta of Jabalpur has received this award for his outstanding services towards the community for the year 2017-18. He has done remarkable work in projects related to women empowerment, voice recording of books for visually impaired people and recycling of flowers through insect processing.
• He has also been honored with the Gram Mitra Samman at the New India Conclave.
• Shubham Chauhan of Raisen has been awarded for his outstanding services to the community for the year 2018-19. He demonstrated leadership ability in programs like cleanliness campaign, voting awareness program, tree plantation campaign, blood donation camp, health awareness program, making rural areas open defecation free, youth exchange program, women empowerment etc.
• The main objective of the awards is to motivate young persons to achieve excellence in the field of national development and social service, to encourage young people to develop a sense of responsibility to the community.

Soil Testing Laboratories

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar inaugurated 40 new soil testing laboratories set up at the block level in the state.

Key Point

• Soil testing laboratories have been set up under the 'Har Khet Swasth Khet' of the State Government.
• Its objective is to make available information to the farmers to be made aware of what crop should be sown based on the soil health.
• In the first phase, soil testing of 25 lakh acres of land will be done through these laboratories. while in the next three years, the soil testing of the entire 75 lakh acres of agricultural land in Haryana will be done.
• It was informed that during this financial year, two soil testing laboratories located at Panchkula and Karnal have been proposed to get accreditation from National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). With this, Haryana will be the first state in India to have NABL accreditation of land testing laboratories.

"BC Sakhi" initiative

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) along with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) launched the 'BC Sakhi Initiative' online to promote digital banking through a banking correspondent.

Key Point

• The online launch programme was attended by Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India as the Chief Guest, NN Sinha.
• At present, 4620 women of Sakhi Mandal are providing doorstep banking services to about 3137 Panchayats as BC Sakhis. Praising the BC Sakhi, he said that during the time of lockdown, these BC Sakhis of the Country did about Rs 6000 crore transactions and made banking services accessible in rural areas.
• The initiative of digital banking through BC Sakhis by SIDBI would get a new dimension and soon the Didi Banking Sakhi of Sakhi Mandal would be able to provide facilities at the doorstep in every Panchayat as Correspondent.
• The initiative of JSLPS under Rural Development Department to provide banking service to the sisters of Sakhi Mandal in the form of BC Sakhi will be provided technical support through SIDBI.
• SIDBI will provide its services in digital training material, MIS dashboard and capacity building for the BC Sakhi initiative.

Chhattisgarh Millet Mission

Why in News

• Recently, the Millet Mission has been started by the Government of Chhattisgarh to encourage the Kodo-Kutki and Ragi crops grown in the Vananchal of the state.

Key Point

• This mission will increase the nutritional level of the people in Vananchal. At the same time, the value addition of these crops will also provide employment and the economic condition of the farmers will also improve.
• On the special initiative of the Chief Minister, the State Government has decided to procure Kodo, Kutki and Ragi on support price and to include these crops under Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana.
• Keeping in view the rich nutrients found in small cereal crops, the district administration and Krishi Vigyan Kendra in North Bastar (Kanker) district are giving information to the farmers of the district for improved farming under Millet Mission.
• Kisan Vikas Samiti has been formed for the production and collection of Kodo-Kutki, in which 300 families are associated.
• Processing units have been set up at Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kanker and village Gotulmunda of Durgukondal block for value addition of minor cereal crops. Processing work is being done by one women group each in these two units.
• Women of self-help groups engaged in collection and processing work have been provided employment of more than 850 days. On the initiative of the district administration, farmers and women groups producing small cereal crops have been linked to this processing center.
• The products prepared in this center are being provided through Anganwadis to malnourished, anaemic and pregnant mothers and malnourished children in the form of Kodo Rice Khichdi and Ragi in the form of Halwa.
• The State Government is gearing up to implement the 'Chhattisgarh Millet Mission' in Chhattisgarh to increase the scientific production of Kodo-Kutki-Ragi. Chhattisgarh Government has declared the support price of Kodo-Kutki as Rs 3 thousand per quintal. And now expanding the scope of Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana, the State Government has decided to give incentives at the rate of Rs 9000/acre to the farmers for cultivating Kodo-Kutki crop.
• The State Government has also provisioned Rs 10,000 per acre for the farmers who take Kodo-Kutki crop, instead of paddy.

Medal for Excellent Deliberation

Why in News

• On August 12, 2021, the Government of India announced to award medals to three officers of Chhattisgarh Police for their excellent deliberation.

Key Point

• For 2021, the Union Home Ministry will reward Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajiv Sharma posted in Bemetara of Chhattisgarh Police, Indira Vaishnav posted in Rajnandgaon, and Assistant Sub Inspector Indu Sharma posted in Bastar for excellent deliberation in different cases.
• Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajeev Sharma in March 2020, Sub-Inspector Indira Vaishnav in June 2019 and Assistant Sub-Inspector Indu Sharma in October 2020 had excelled keeping in mind the high professional standard in the rape investigation.
• It is noteworthy that the medal is given every year by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, to police officers who have made excellent deliberations.
• It is noteworthy that the recommendation of these police officers was sent to the Union Home Ministry for excellent analysis by the Police Headquarters.