Uttar Pradesh

• 18 Aug 2021

ATS Commando Training Center in Deoband

Why in News

• On August 17, 2021, the state government decided to open a new ATS Commando Training Center at Deoband in Western Uttar Pradesh. For this, the government has allotted 20,000 square meters of land near Deoband in Saharanpur.

Key Points

• With the arrest of two terrorists of an al-Qaeda-backed organization in Lucknow, the state government has decided to expand the ambit of the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in the aftermath of terror threats in Uttar Pradesh.
• About one and a half dozen ATS officers selected from across the state will be posted in this center.
• Apart from Deoband, preparations are on to open ATS Commando Training Center in Lucknow and Noida.
• Only 30 kms distant from Deoband, more than eight terrorists and ISI agents have been arrested in Saharanpur recently.
• There are more than 300 madrasas in Deoband. It is because of Darul Uloom that students from all over the world come to Deoband for education. Deoband, which is called the city of knowledge, is now on the radar of the government due to terrorist activities. In view of this, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up an ATS Commando Training Center in Deoband.

Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan

Why in News

• Recently, the Uttar Pradesh Council of Ministers has approved the Adopt a Heritage Policy "Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan".

Key Points

• Under the policy, the terrestrial development, maintenance and management of public facilities will be done by the Uttar Pradesh State Directorate of Archeology (Culture Department) with the participation of public enterprise units and private sector.
• Under this, private sector entrepreneurs are proposed to be made memorial friends to develop protected monuments / sites.
• Arrangements for on-site development of monuments, public facilities management and annual maintenance in the memorial complex for tourists will be made by the selected memorial friends from their own resources.
• Under Adopt a Heritage Policy, MoU will be done between selected Smarak Mitra, Uttar Pradesh State Directorate of Archeology (Culture Department), Tourism Department and District Magistrate of the concerned district, for a maximum period of 5 years.
• The proposed work will be done by the Culture Department (Uttar Pradesh State Archaeological Directorate) and the Tourism Department through the District Magistrate of the concerned district with mutual cooperation.
• A joint committee of the Department of Culture and the Department of Tourism will be formed for the implementation of the scheme. The work will be done as per the action plan prescribed by the Joint Committee.
• In the first phase under the policy by the Council of Ministers, the Directorate of Archeology (Culture Department) has also given permission to the proposal to select 11 major monuments/sites of Uttar Pradesh State Archaeological Department to be made memorial friends.
• The selected monuments include Chhatarmanjil and Farhat Baksh Kothi, Kothi Gulistane Iram, Darshan Vilas Kothi (Kaiserbagh, Lucknow), Hulaskheda excavation site (Mohanlalganj, Lucknow), Kusumvan Sarovar, Govardhan ki Chhatris (Govardhan, Mathura), Raskhan Samadhi (Gokul, Mathura), Gurudham Temple (Varanasi), Kardameshwar Mahadev Temple (Kandwa, Varanasi), Chunar Fort (Mirzapur) and ancient forts (Baruasagar, Jhansi) are included.