• 13 Dec 2022

Uttar Pradesh Tops in the Country in Providing Employment

Why In News?

• According to information given by the Rural Development Department on December 12, 2022, Uttar Pradesh has performed the best in the country in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in creating human days and providing 100 days of full employment.

Key Points

• According to the Rural Development Department, 2438.62 lakh man days have been created against the annual target of 2600 lakh man days under employment generation for the financial year 2022-23. In the financial year 2022-23, the state has spent an amount of Rs 7809.74 crore.
• In the financial year 2022-23, the state has provided employment to 61.53 lakh families. Not only this, in the financial year 2022-23 , 2,77,878 families have been provided 100 days of full employment and Uttar Pradesh ranks first in the country in providing 100 days of full employment.
• Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has directed the departmental officers to take concrete steps keeping in view the need for effective participation of line departments and convergence at the field level for the works to be carried out under MGNREGA Convergence. Along with this, progress should be increased under MGNREGA convergence.
• It is worth mentioning that under MGNREGA convergence, a financial target of Rs 1802.97 crore has been set in the year 2022-23 .
• Under MGNREGA convergence, labour, SRLM, groundwater department, public works department, Panchayati raj, horticulture, fallow land development, basic education, animal husbandry, youth welfare, silk, agricultural remote sensing application centre, child development and nutrition, Work is done by more than 24 departments like Greater Sharda Sahayak, Rural Engineering Dairy, Irrigation, Minor Irrigation etc.
• Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has directed the officials concerned to register with the BOCW Board (Labour Department) and benefit from the welfare schemes of the Labour Department.

Scheme Approved in Yamunapar Area of Rs 624 Crore

Why In News?

• On December 11, 2022 Union Minister of State for Law Prof. SP Singh Baghel told a press conference that a scheme of Rs 624 crore has been approved to provide potable water in Yamunapar area under the joint scheme 'Har Ghar Jal' of the Central and Uttar Pradesh government to solve the water problem of the residents of Yamunapar area of Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• The Minister of State for Law said that the Yamunapar area of Agra has been divided into two parts for the scheme, the first part is trans Yamuna zone, which includes Sita Nagar, Shahdara, Itimad-ud-Daulah, Prakash Nagar, Naval Ganj, Kachpura and Peela Khar areas. At the same time, the second zone has been created trans Yamuna Zone 2, in which Trans Yamuna Colony Phase One, Naraich, Nagla Jamuni, Nagla Rambal, Kalindi Vihar, Nai Ki Sarai, Ravi Nagar, Foundry Nagar and Islam Nagar have been included.
• He informed that under the scheme of water works in Yamunapar area, 44 MLD water will be arranged in the area. By the year 2040, if the population is about 4000000, then the demand for water will be 73 MLD. At the same time, if the population becomes 600,000 by 2055, the demand for water will increase to 107 MLD. In view of the increasing population, this plan has been prepared, so that the capacity of water works can be increased to 80 MLD in the future.
• Etmadpur MLA Dr. Dharampal Singh said that land has been identified at Poiya Ghat for construction of water works in Yamunapar area and this scheme has been planned according to the population till the year 2055.
• About 300,000 families of Etmadpur assembly constituency are sure to benefit from this scheme. Under this water works, 3 reservoirs, 14 new overhead tanks will be built and this scheme will be completed by 2024.

PM Inaugurates National Institute of Unani Medicine in Ghaziabad

Why In News?

• At the closing ceremony of the 9^th World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) in Goa on December 11, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi digitally inaugurated the National Institute of Unani Medicine in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh.

Key Points

• At the event, the Prime Minister digitally inaugurated two National AYUSH Institutes of Ayurveda and Homeopathy - All India Institute of Ayurveda in Goa and National Institute of Homeopathy in Delhi.
• The National Institute of Unani Medicine at Kamla Nehru Nagar in Ghaziabad, built on the lines of AIIMS, is the largest Unani hospital in north India. There is a facility of 200 beds for patients here.
• Patients will be treated with Unani method in this institute. With this, the people of Delhi-NCR will get new facilities in the field of health in the coming time. In this institute , 14 specialist doctors will treat patients.
• With the creation of the National Institute of Unani Medicine, patients from cities like Ghaziabad, Hapur, Noida, Bulandshahr and Meerut will be able to come here and get their treatment. A residence of doctors and staff has also been made in the hospital campus.
• This Unani hospital is built on about 10 acres of land at a cost of 381 crores. Its foundation stone was laid in the year 2019 by the then Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Naik and Union Minister of State General VK Singh.
• There are Piku-Niku wards for children and women in this institution. The Institute has five Operation Theatres, Maternity Wing, MRI, CT scan, Blood Bank, Digital X-Ray, Pathology Lab, ICU, Acupressure Room, Physiotherapy Room, Panchkarma Room, Gymnasium, CSSD, Canteen, Academic & Administrative Block, Tutorial Room, Seminar Hall There are facilities like Museum, Library, Lab, Multipurpose Research Department, Unani Pharmacy. Apart from this, patients here will also be able to avail facilities like steam bath, hip bath, gold bath.
• At present, patients will be treated in OPD in the institute, from the year 2023, studies of Unani mode will start. There will be 14 departments in this institute. Masters and research education will also be available here in the Unani system. These will focus on drug development, quality control, safety evaluation, scientific validation of Unani medicine and practices.
• Along with providing education to the students of Sri Lanka, Iran, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan and other countries, the institute will also spread the Unani method. In this, various types of research will be done on Unani medicines. Here, Masters and Ph.D. education will also be imparted in the Unani system.

Bihar Municipal Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Model Bye-laws 2022

Why In News?

• On December 12, 2022 Bihar Municipal Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Model Bye-law, 2022 was approved in a meeting of the Bihar Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Under this, for the first time, the government has made a provision to impose a fine on those who use single-use polythene.

Key Points

• After the cabinet meeting, Additional Chief Secretary of the Cabinet Irrigation Department Dr. S Siddhartha told the press conference that now those using single-use polythene and items made from it will have to pay a fine. The penalty amount has also been fixed on those who manufacture, import, store, distribute and sell it.
• According to the provision, it will also be illegal to organize any sports and gatherings and use single-use polythene in it without informing the local body and making arrangements according to this bye-laws.
• For depositing more than 100 persons, the organizer will have to pay a fine of Rs 1500 for the first time, Rs 2,000 for the second time and Rs 2500 every time thereafter. If there is more than one organizer, all of them will have to pay different fine amounts.
• Additional Chief Secretary said that single-use polythene and items made from it include plastic dandiya of ear buds, plastic dandiya of balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice cream dandiyas, items made of polystyrene (Pharmocol) for decoration, cups, plates, glasses, cutlery items such as thorns, spoons. These include plastic films wrapped or packaged around sweet cartons, invitation cards and cigarette packets, and plastic or PVC banners with a thickness of less than 100 microns.
• Those using materials like earbuds, flags, candy sticks, plate cups, forks and spoons will be fined Rs 2,000 for the first time, Rs 3,000 for the second time and Rs 5,000 for repeat offences. Similarly, commercial users of these materials will be fined Rs 1500 for the first time, Rs 2500 for the second beer and Rs 3500 for more.
• Apart from this, a fine of Two thousand rupees will be charged for the first time, three thousand rupees for the second time and five thousand rupees every time for the use of multi-layer packaging or plastic seat or cover made of plastic seat or sheet of similar item which is not labeled or marked according to plastic waste management.
• For the first time, a fine of Rs 2,000 will be imposed, Rs 3,000 for the second time and Rs 5,000 per time.
• The fine for littering plastic waste in public places, parks, drains, archaeological sites and other prohibited places will be Rs 1,000 for the first time, Rs 1,500 for the second time and Rs 2,000 every time thereafter.

Government Servants will be able to Sit for a Maximum of Five Times in the Competitive Examinations of BPSC and BTSC

Why In News?

• In the state cabinet meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on December 12, 2022, it was decided that the government servants of the state government will appear in competitive examinations conducted by Bihar Public Service Commission, Bihar Technical Service Commission and Bihar Staff Selection Commission throughout their service period. Now you can participate a maximum of five times.

Major points

• After the cabinet meeting, Additional Chief Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat Department, Dr. Siddharth told a press conference that the limit of opportunities has been approved for government servants of the Bihar government under the General Administration Department to appear in competitive examinations.
• According to the cabinet decision, a maximum of 5 (five) opportunities will be allowed separately for government servants of Bihar government to appear in the examinations conducted by each commission (BPSC, BTSC, BSSC) during their entire service period after coming to service.
• The calculation of the stipulated 5 occasions will commence from the date of issue of the resolution. Opportunities consumed in the past will be neglected.
• Government servants of The Government of Bihar will be allowed to appear in the competitive examination in the maximum age limit prescribed for regular appointment to participate in competitive examinations, but the said age limit will be allowed to appear in the competitive examination within a period of 5 years only if they have not consumed a maximum of 5 opportunities till then.
• Earlier, there was a provision for state government servants to appear in competitive examinations for a maximum of three times.

Rajasthan IT Cricket Tournament-2022

Why In News?

• On December 11, 2022 the final match of the third edition of the Rajasthan IT Cricket Tournament was held at the Bhawani Niketan ground in Jaipur, in which IT Devils (Yashpal Lions) won by performing well against Jodhpur Royals.

Key Points

• The winning team was awarded the IT Cup by Sunil Chhabra, Joint Secretary and Technical Director, Department of Information Technology and Communication.
• Ritesh Kumar Sharma, the main organizer of the cricket league, said that the league was inaugurated on December 3 by Ashish Gupta, Commissioner, Department of Information Technology and Communication. As many as 26 teams from different districts participated in the competition, under which 400 players showcased their talents.
• In the final match, IT Devils captain Devarshi Sharma was awarded the Man of the Match award for his brilliant performance.

Garbage will now be Raised on the Lines of Cities in the Villages of Haryana

Why In News?

• Haryana Development and Panchayat Minister Devendra Singh Babli said that under the nine-point program, villages will be developed on the lines of cities and now garbage collection will be done on the lines of cities in the villages of the state.

Key Points

• Devendra Singh Babli said that the state government has implemented the NGT guidelines for garbage collection on the lines of cities in the villages of the state, under which end-to-end solutions have become mandatory. Apart from this, the company handling the cleaning will have to take NOC from the small government of the village, after which the payment will be made to the firm.
• He said that an amount of about Rs 300 crore will be released to the Panchayats which elect the representatives of the people with mutual consent in the elections of Panchayati Raj Institutions. All the people's representatives will do shramdaan every week by taking people along with them. Also, on the lines of cities, the work of waste management will be done by forming clusters in the villages.
• He told that in the coming two years, a big change will be made in the villages. E-libraries will be built in all villages in which women and youth will be able to sit and prepare up to UPSC. The old panchayat buildings of the villages or buildings built by the society will be beautified and developed on the lines of marriage palaces.
• In the villages, the fairs will be confirmed and solar lights will be installed and a rural plan will also be prepared to install CCTV cameras on the main roads of the villages. This will go a long way in curbing criminal activities in villages. Along with this, these cameras will be connected to the cities.
• Significantly, Haryana is the first state in the country where educated and youth panchayats have been elected. 70 to 80 percent of the public representatives in the state are below the age group of 45 to 50 years. Now there will be a special focus on quality in development works and development works will be done through e-tendering by forming a monitoring committee in all the villages.

Haryana's Water Atlas

Why In News?

• According to information received from the media on December 11, 2022, the Water Atlas of Haryana has now been prepared after working for decades by the Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA). It will be launched at the end of this month.

Key Points

• Through the atlas, information about the falling ground water level of the state will now be available every year. Along with this, water demand-supply data will also be prepared in five years. Soil erosion and rainfall patterns will also be explained through the atlas. The atlas will help the farmers of the state to understand the water level in their area.
• According to the Haryana Water Resources Authority (HWRA), which is working on making the atlas, the authority is mapping the aquifer (underground layer of rock holding water). Haryana Space Applications Centre (HARSAC) is also collaborating in this work.
• The state's water atlas will have data on the demand and supply of water for the next 5 years. In this, along with the need of water for every village family, the sources of water of the villages will also be mentioned. This data will help in mapping the water gap and strategizing on ways to reuse waste water.
• It is known that the ground water level in the state of Haryana has been declining since the formation of the state. Every year, groundwater is declining by one meter. The average ground water level in the state is 21.65 meters. In Kurukshetra, it has gone down to 42.4 meters, Karnal by 22.2 meters, Kaithal by 32.95 meters, while in Mahendragarh, the ground water level has gone down to 48.36 meters.

Haryana Approves Revised State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC-2)

Why In News?

• The revised State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC-2) was approved at a meeting of the Haryana State Level Steering Committee on Climate Change held in Chandigarh recently under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal.

Key Points

• The Chief Secretary informed that as per the Revised State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC Phase-II) 2021-30 approved revised plan, 73 works have been proposed, out of which 37 are related to adaptation. 28 are related to mitigation and 8 strategies are related to both adaptation and mitigation.
• The total proposed budget for these activities over 10 years (2021-30) is Rs 39,371.80 crore. The action plan will be submitted to the National Level Steering Committee, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) for final approval.
• He informed that the revised scheme aims to align and redefine the targets considering the 8 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.
• These eight NDCs include sustainable lifestyles, clean economic growth, reducing emission intensity of gross domestic product (GDP), increasing the share of non-fossil fuel-based electricity, enhancing carbon sink (forest) adaptation, financing and technology transfer and capacity building.
• In the meeting, the Chief Secretary directed all the concerned departments to update the plans, strategies and tasks for workable mitigation and adaptation action and strategy by 2030. Apart from this, directed to organize bi-monthly meeting of the State Advisory Group for monitoring and evaluation of SAPCC.
• It was informed in the meeting that in the revised SAPCC Phase-II, 8 different sectors have been added to different working groups under the Adaptation and Mitigation category. These five action groups under the Adaptation category include sustainable agriculture, water resources, forests and environment including biodiversity, strategic knowledge and skill development and mountain ecosystems. The three action groups for the mitigation category include promoting energy efficiency, solar missions, sustainable housing and industry.

33rd Provincial Child Class Sports Competition Ends in Lohardaga

Why In News?

• The three-day 33^rd Provincial Children's Category Sports Competition concluded at Sheela Agarwal Saraswati Vidya Mandir premises in Lohardaga, Jharkhand on December 12, 2022. Sundari Devi Saraswati Shishu Mandir Lohardaga was the overall champion in this competition.

Key Points

• Kamlesh Oraon of Lohardaga, a student of Sundari Devi Saraswati Shishu Mandir, won three gold medals individually in the 33^rd Provincial Children's Category Sports Competition and became the best athlete.
• In the boys' category, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Chaibasa, Shishu Mandir Lohardaga and Saraswati Shishu Mandir Kumhar Toli won the first, second and third positions respectively. In the girls' category, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Lohardaga, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Bharno and Saraswati Shishu Mandir Hazaribagh stood first, second and third respectively.
• In the 400 m relay race for boys, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Lohardaga, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Sitik Bona and Saraswati Shishu Mandir Sindri stood first, second and third respectively. In the girls' category, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Lohardaga stood first, Khalari second and Rajkamal third.
• In the girls' category, Saraswati Shishu Mandir Champi, Baghmara and Bokaro 9D stood first, second and third respectively. In the girls' category, Jyoti of Dakra, Anjali of Chaibasa and Ayushi of Medininagar stood first, second and third respectively.

Incentive Amount to Villagers for Extinguishing Forest Fires in Uttarakhand

Why In News?

• On December 12, 2022, Uttarakhand Forest Fire and Disaster Management Chief Conservator of Forests Nishant Verma said that forest management committees are being formed in the state with the aim of promoting public participation to control forest fires. For this, it has been decided to give them incentives.

Key Points

• Nishant Verma said that in the first phase of giving incentives to the villagers to extinguish the forest fire, pine-dominated forest divisions are being taken into the scheme. This will also include the area of forest panchayats. Forest management committees are being formed for this.
• On an average, 2,000 to 2,200 forest fire incidents occur every year in the forests of the state. More than three thousand hectares of forest are burnt every year. So far in the year 2022, 2,186 incidents of forest fire have been reported. Of these, 3,425.05 hectares of forest area was damaged, compared to 2,780 forest fire incidents in 2021.
• He said that in the past years, there have been incidents of forest fire even during the winter season. To overcome this problem, forest management committees are being formed at the gram panchayat level for the first time. So far, 48 forest management committees have been formed in three forest divisions Almora, Tehri and Gopeshwar. Along with the villagers, sarpanches of village panchayats, forest panchayats and forest personnel are being included in the committee.
• It is known that there are a total of 11,300 forest panchayats in the state. They will be temporarily given the responsibility of protecting the surrounding forests from forest fire.
• Nishant Verma said that if these committees show readiness and extinguish the forest fire, then they will be given incentives. How much this amount will be, it is still being considered. Around Rs 15 crore is spent every year to control forest fires in the state.

Uttarakhand State (for Remission/Premature Release of Convicted Prisoners Sentenced to Life Imprisonment by Courts) Permanent Policy, 2022

Why In News?

• On December 12, 2022, Additional Chief Secretary Home Radha Raturi issued notification of the Standing Policy, 2022 for remission/premature remission of conviction prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by the State of Uttarakhand (courts).

Key Points

• Under the State of Uttarakhand (For Remission/Premature Remission of Sentences/ Premature Remission of Convicted Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by courts) Permanent Policy, 2022, women and men lodged in life imprisonment will be able to be released after equal punishment. For release, they will be judged on the basis of good conduct, nature of crime and age. They will be released on a personal bond of 50 thousand rupees.
• The release of detainees will be decided with the nature of the offence. If a prisoner is released by mistake, he can be sent to jail again. Prisoners suffering from more than 13 serious diseases will also be able to get release.
• Under this policy, life imprisonment will now attract a maximum sentence of 14 years. So far, there was a provision of 14 years for women and 16 years for men. But now such convicted women and male prisoners whose sentence of 14 years without parole and 16 years with parole will be able to be waived.
• Similarly, prisoners above 70 years of age without parole will be able to be released at 12 years and prisoners on parole at 14 years and above 80 years without parole and 12 years with parole.
• According to the policy, a committee will be formed under the chairmanship of principal secretary or secretary home to look into such matters. The committee will have principal secretary or secretary justice and law advisor, principal secretary or secretary home and additional secretary home (Prisons) as members, while inspector general of prisons will be member secretary.