Bihar

• 16 Jan 2023

Jio True 5G Service Launched in Patna and Muzaffarpur

Why In News?

• On January 14, 2023, Reliance Jio launched its True 5G services in Bihar's capital Patna and Muzaffarpur city.

Key points

• The urban area of Patna from Patna Sahib to Danapur and the urban area of Muzaffarpur will now get coverage of Jio True 5G.
• The company claims that by December 2023, Jio True 5G will be available in every town and every village of Bihar and Jharkhand.
• According to the company, Jio users in Patna and Muzaffarpur are being invited under the Jio Welcome Offer. Invited users will get unlimited data at 1 Gbps speed at no additional cost.
• On the launch, a Jio spokesperson said that we have accelerated the speed of True 5G rollout across the country, because we want every Jio user to benefit from Jio True 5G technology in the year 2023 .
• The cities where True Jio has been launched are among the important tourist, business and industrial centers of the country.
• With the launch of Jio's True 5G services, consumers in the region will not only get the best of the best telecom network but also growth opportunities in the areas of e-governance, education, automation, artificial intelligence, gaming, healthcare, agriculture, IT.

Former DGP Singhal Became the Chairman of the Central Selection Council

Why In News?

• On January 14, 2023, Bihar state government has appointed former DGP SK Singhal as the new chairman of the Central Selection Council. The Home Department issued a notification for this.

Key points

• The extended term of the Council's current chairman KS Dwivedi will end on January 20, 2023. After this, Singhal will take over as the new chairman.
• The government has appointed SK Singhal as the chairman of the selection council for the next three years. On December 19, 2022, SK Singhal retired from the post of DGP.
• It is noteworthy that the current president KS Dwivedi was also given this responsibility by the government after retiring from the post of DPP of Bihar. He was also given a six-month extension.
• Apart from the post of constable in Bihar Police, the Central Selection Council also conducts examinations for appointments in other departments.
• Sanjeev Kumar Singhal is a 1988 batch officer of the Indian Police Service. As the chairman of the Central Selection Council, SK Singhal will continue to get salary and all facilities as per government provisions.

Union Ministry of Mines and Coal Allots Seven Blocks for Mining of Various Minerals in Bihar

Why In News?

• Recently, Union Ministry of Mines and Coal has allotted seven blocks to Bihar State Government for mining of Gluconite (Potash), Chromium, Nickel including Platinum Group of Elements, Magnetite (Iron), Bauxite and Rare Earth metals in Bihar.

Key points

• The mining of these minerals will start this year itself. For this, the proposal for approval of mining in all these will be presented in the meeting of the State Council of Ministers on behalf of the Department of Mines and Geology. In this, guidelines will also be set regarding the income from mineral elements to the state government and the mining agency.
• As soon as the approval of the State Council of Ministers is received, the auction process of the mines present in the four districts will start. It includes Rohtas, Gaya, Aurangabad and Jamui. The government is taking the services of 'SBI Caps' to prepare its report.
• It may be noted that the Department of Mines and Geology has sought a detailed report from SBI Caps-Investment Bank and Project Consultant. After the report is received, the state government will start the process of allowing mining of glauconite and iron ore deposits worth about Rs 20,000 crore on lease basis in all districts.
• Earlier in the survey, about 25 sq. km in Rohtas district. Gluconite was found in the area. In this, 10 sq. km in Nawadih block of the district, eight sq. km in Tipa. And 7 sq. km in Shahpur block. area is included.
• Along with this, Gaya and about eight square kilometers in Danjana and surrounding areas of Madanpur block on the border of Aurangabad district. Nickel and chromium have been found in the area.
• It is notable that Gluconite (Potash) is widely used in medicine and chemical fertilizers. Nickel is used to coat iron and other metals to protect them from rusting. It is an element having ferromagnetism and magnets made from it are used in many industries.
• Apart from this, nickel is added to steel to make it 'stainless' (corrosion-proof), while chromium is used to make alloys. To make steel harder, it is used in tanning. It is also effective in controlling glucose in the human body. It is effective in green tinting of glass, chrome plating and other works. It is used in the oil industry as a catalyst, electrical engineering and as a corrosion inhibitor.