• 14 Mar 2023

Online Game App 'Shastrarth' Made for Learning Sanskrit

Why In News?

• According to the information received from the media on March 13, 2023, Dr. Aruney Mishra, Chairman of the Department of Sanskrit at wing Ewing Christian College (ECC), a constituent college of Allahabad University, Uttar Pradesh, has created an online game app for learning Sanskrit, which is named 'Shastrarth'. Has been given.

Key points

• The Shastrartha app will not only useful for learning Sanskrit in sports but also for preparing competitive exams.
• Games can be played among Sanskrit students from all over India through this app prepared under the direction of Dr. Aruney, Chairman of the Sanskrit Department. There are three formats of the game. For all three formats, there will be 30 seconds to answer each question.
• While it will be played only alone in Play Elon, play with friends and play online will allow two people to play it online from anywhere on mobile or computer. The one who answers more questions correctly will be declared the winner. If the answer is equal, the person who gives the correct answer in a short time will be declared as the winner.
• Significantly, Dr. Aruney Mishra has designed this app for the promotion of Sanskrit language through healthy competition among students. This game app will also generate interest among students towards Sanskrit.
• Sanskrit language will also prove to be helpful for those preparing for competitive exams. In particular, the purpose of this app is that even economically weak students can perform better in competitive examinations through this app.
• Dr. Mishra said that work is also going on another app, which will help in attracting young and adolescent students towards Sanskrit.
• It is known that this is the first such app of online games related to Sanskrit language. This app is completely free.
• Dr. Aruney Mishra said that the app will also be updated from time to time according to the curriculum. At present, there is a compilation of 2000 questions on this app. Every month, 1000 new questions will be added along with old questions.
• This app can be downloaded from there by typing 'Shastrartha' on the Play Store.

Rajasthan Millets Conclave-2023

Why In News?

• On 13 March 2023 Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the Rajasthan Millets Conclave-2023 at the State Institute of Agricultural Management at Durgapura in Jaipur city of the state.

Key points

• On this occasion, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that the state government has played an important role in the welfare of farmers and development of agriculture sector. A historic initiative was taken across the country by presenting a separate agricultural budget twice in the Assembly.
• He said that strong infrastructure is available in the state to increase the production capacity of millets and agricultural research. About 42 agricultural colleges have been established, which are providing opportunities to the younger generation to take higher education in the agriculture sector and shape their future. Recently, veterinary university has also been announced.
• The Chief Minister said that agricultural research will benefit the farmers in preparing their crops for the future. The conclave will showcase important suggestions for better production, management and marketing of millets.
• On this occasion, he informed that a provision has been made in the budget to provide 2000 units of free electricity per month to the farmers. This will benefit approx.12 lakh farmers.
• At the Rajasthan Millets Conclave-2023, the Chief Minister launched the Rajkishan Suvidha App. In this, the application of the schemes and their status can be known. Apart from this, he also released a booklet related to success stories of Rajasthan Agro Processing, Agribusiness and Agricultural Export Promotion Policy-2019. A short film titled 'Samriddha Kisan-Khushal Rajasthan' was also screened.
• Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot congratulated Bhupendra Singh from Hanumangarh, Patasi Devi from Nagaur, Dinesh Kumar Chaudhary, Ghasiram Jat from Jaipur, Vishnu from Bhilwara, Kuresh Bagidora from Banswara, Hanumanram from Sikar, Suraj Bhan from Alwar and Jitendra Singh Sankhla from Jodhpur. He was awarded the State Level Farmer Award.

Rs. 14200 crores Approved for Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP)

Why In News?

• On March 11, 2023, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has approved a financial proposal of Rs 14200 crore for the construction of Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).

Key points

• Rs.14200 crore various works including Navnera-Galwa-Bisalpur-Isarda With the financial sanction of Link Project, construction of under-construction Navnera Barrage and Isarda Dam, Ramgarh and Mahalpur Barrage, Installation of Pumping and Power Stations in Navnera Barrage, Mej anikat and Galwa Dam and storage of flood water will be completed.
• In addition, the height of Bisalpur dam has been increased by 0.5 meters and increased to 202.42 km. Work can also be done to develop a long water transport system.
• Under the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP), water management works can be done keeping in view the additional drinking water requirements of Jaipur, Ajmer and Tonk districts and the additional demand of 16.82 TMC drinking water for the remaining rural areas of Jaipur district by the year 2040.
• It is notable that ERCP is an ambitious project to solve the problem of irrigation and drinking water in 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan. Under this, the excess water available in the rivers of the state, which flows wastefully into the sea every year through Yamuna River, will be used in the state after stopping it through dams.
• It is known that Ashok Gehlot had made the budget 2023-24 a provision of Rs 13 thousand crore for various works under this project. This approval has been given in compliance with this budget announcement.

696 Services of 48 Departments are Now under the Purview of the Guarantee Act for Provision of Public Services

Why In News?

• On March 13, 2023, in the meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Department held in the Vidhan Sabha premises under the chairmanship of Dr. Arvind Singh Bhadoria, Minister of Public Service Management and Cooperatives of Madhya Pradesh, it was told that 696 services of 48 departments were given in the Guarantee Act for the provision of Public Services.

Key points

• Minister of Public Service Management and Cooperation Arvind Singh Bhadoria, said that the applications made by the citizens on the CM helpline are being resolved. More than one crore 22 lakh persons have been benefited from the CM helpline.
• Out of 2 crore complaints registered in the CM Helpline, 98 percent have been resolved. Through the CM helpline, citizens are also being given the facility to inform about the status of complaints and schemes lodged through WhatsApp.
• In CM Public Service, the services of public service guarantee act are being provided to the citizens in daily life. These include income, domicile certificates and copies of the current Khasra-Khatauni, map and land rights booklet being supplied on the call received on CM helpline number 181.
• State Public Service Agency Executive Director Abhijit Agarwal said that in the last 6 months, remarkable work has been done by the Public Service Management Department to provide better services to the citizens. Aadhaar registration is being made from 230 public service centre and Ayushman cards are being made from 430 centre in the state.

Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad will Give Youth Award to Shekhar Mallick

Why In News?

• On March 13, 2023, according to media information received on, the prestigious Youth Award of The Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad, Kolkata will be given to young storyteller Shekhar Mallick from Jharkhand. In this regard, the writer Shekhar Mallick has been informed by the council through email.

Key points

• Shekhar Mallick said that the decision to give this award to him in the year 2020 was made, but due to the Corona pandemic, it could not be announced at that time.
• It is known that Shekhar Mallick is a resident of Ghatshila in East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.
• The award is given to young litterateurs of Hindi and other Indian languages for their outstanding contribution to literature. He has been selected for Hindi language.
• The award by the Bhartiya Bhasha Parishad will be presented to Shekhar Mallick on 8 April in Kolkata. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 41,000, a memento, a citation and a shawl.
• Shekhar Mallick, Deputy General Secretary of Jharkhand Progressive Writers Association, is a well-known contemporary young writer whose first story was nominated for the first Premchand Kahani Award 2004 in the prestigious magazine Hans.
• He has published three collections of stories, Accept and other stories, Tales of Town Women and Midnight Tales and a novel Kalchiti. Shekhar Mallick is also a cultural activist associated with IPTA.
• Shekhar Mallick said that two of his novels are yet to be published. Dramatization of his story works, translation into other languages and research work has also been done on them.
• His works have been published in prestigious literary magazines of the country, including Hans, Udghosh, Anya, Parikatha, Pakhi, Vagarth and Pragatisheel Vasudha.

'Education in Angana' Program Received SKOCH Award for the Year 2022

Why In News?

• On March 13, 2023, Chhattisgarh School Education Department has once again 2022 for its outstanding work done in under the 'Angana Ma Shiksha' program run by Samagra the year 2022 received SCOTCH Award Shiksha in the state.

Key points

• This entire program of 'Angana Ma Shiksha' is being conducted by a group of women teachers from Chhattisgarh. This year will be the third year of the programme and every year some new designs are incorporated by women leadership.
• The SCOTCH Award is the country's highest civilian honour given by an independent organisation, which recognizes people, projects and institutions who make extra efforts to make India a better nation.
• This award was instituted in the year 2003. This award is given for best efforts in the field of digital, financial and social inclusion.
• It is known that at the time of Corona, when the entire staff of the School Education Department was constantly trying to continue the education of the children and by encouraging the teachers for this work, efforts are being made to continue the education of the children in new ways. At the same time some women teachers of the state proposed their contribution in this state-wide program 'Padhai Tunhar Duar'. He trained the mothers and started the effort to teach the children while staying at home through them in the form of 'Angana Ma Shiksha'.
• Through the 'Angana Ma Shiksha' programme, it was successful in awakening the interest of the mothers towards the education of their children. Mothers and small children should be taught by organizing fairs in every village, by inviting mothers and children to the fair, using materials available at home like utensils, vegetables, fruits, clothes, etc. Work was done on this.
• In this program, mothers doing better work at the village level were selected and honored as smart mothers.
• Smart Mothers also used to help other mothers in this program and help in learning, as well as from time to time, they used to go to kindergartens and primary schools to help in the education of children and to get information about the learning work of their children from teachers. Through this program, mothers have been successful in developing a culture of teaching children at home.
• What the children learned was made to be made to ensure that the mothers gave it to their children's teachers by designing a support card instead of a report card. An attempt was made to show the status of the mothers in different competencies of the children using simple symbols in very easy ways.
• Arrangements were made by the groups of teachers to monitor the entire program through core groups at the cluster, development block, district and state level.

Air Force's Three-Day Exercise Begins in Chinyalisour

Why In News?

• According to information received from the media on March 13, 2023, a three-day exercise of the Air Force started at Chinyalisour airport in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand along the India-China border.

Key points

• Sources associated with the Air Force said that the landing and take-off of the Air Force's multi-purpose aircraft AN-32 will be practiced here in a three-day long exercise. Although the Air Force has successfully landed and taken-off AN-32 aircraft here earlier also. This is the first exercise of this year.
• Significantly, the Chinyalisour airport in Uttarkashi district along the India-China border is very important from a strategic point of view. This is the reason that the Indian Air Force wants to make this airport its Advance Landing Ground (ALG) and exercises its aircraft here from time to time.
• It is noteworthy that the full name of the AN-32 aircraft of the Air Force is Antonov-32. These were bought by the Air Force from the Soviet Union. It is a twin-engine military transport aircraft capable of operating in temperatures of 55 °C and altitudes of up to 14,500 feet, carrying five crew members including pilot, co-pilot, gunner, navigator and engineer and 50 people. This aircraft equipped with GPS also has radar and modern navigation system.

Uttarakhand Solar Energy Policy- 2023

Why In News?

• According to information received from the media on March 13, 2023, the cabinet meeting held in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand approved the new solar energy policy (Uttarakhand Solar Energy Policy - 2023).

Key points

• In the Uttarakhand State Solar Energy Policy-2023, the government has expressed the expectation that by December 2027, 2500, MW of electricity will be generated in the state from this project. These will create new employment opportunities in the field of solar energy and will also increase the livelihood opportunities of the villagers.
• Under the new solar energy policy, solar power projects can also be installed on government or private land for private use or third-party sale.
• Solar power projects can also be set up outside the state from the level of UPCL. This provision has been made because IT is mandatory for UPCL to buy a certain percentage of its purchased electricity from solar power projects.
• The new policy also guarantees employment for local youth. It has been told that whoever takes government land on lease and installs his solar project, he will have to provide employment to 70 percent of the local youth. UREDA will issue this condition in its tender.
• The policy also provides that UPCL will prepare a green tariff proposal for solar energy, which will be sent to the Regulatory Commission. The regulatory commission can give consumers the option to choose green tariffs.
• Apart from this, feed in tariff can encourage those who give solar energy to the grid in peak hours. Virtual Net Metering (VNM) and Group Net Metering (GNM) can be used for easy access and monitoring.
• The responsibilities of UREDA have also been increased in the new policy. Under this, UREDA will have to set up a solar policy cell, under which solar projects will be passed through a single window. UREDA will have to be made a landbank and make a list of all government lands and buildings where solar power projects can be set up. Similarly, such private land will also have to be identified on which a private person can set up his project on lease.
• Benefits of the New Policy:
  • Solar energy projects will be installed through a single window portal.
  • Land use conversion fee, court fee, registration, land use approval, external development fee, investigation fee and infrastructure development fee will be exempted.
  • Whatever project will be taken up, UPCL will have to compulsorily buy power from it. This will reduce the risk of investors.
  • Consumers generating additional power through feed in tariffs will get compensation. At the same time, Deendayal Upadhyay Home Stay Development and Self Employment Scheme will also benefit from this.
  • There will be free access for our own use and for collective use and exemption from SGST and electricity charges.