• 19 Jan 2024

Helicopter Services to Ayodhya

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to offer helicopter services to Ayodhya from Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Agra, and Mathura.

Key Points

• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the helicopter service from Lucknow on January 19.
  • The government has also set the fares for helicopter services and plans are underway to extend this to other districts in the state in the near future.
• The state government is also introducing an aerial darshan of Ayodhya city and the Ram Temple for devotees. The tourism department has been assigned responsibility for this initiative.
  • The helicopter rides will take off from the helipad near the Tourism Guest House along the banks of the Saryu river.
  • Devotees will enjoy an aerial tour covering renowned tourist destinations, including Ram Mandir, Hanumangarhi, and Saryu Ghat.
  • Helicopter services from Namo Ghat in Varanasi, from Ramabai in Lucknow from the helipad near the Tourism Guest House in Prayagraj are available.
  • Devotees can opt for helicopter services from the helipad near Govardhan Parikrama in Barsana, Mathura, and the helipad near Agra Expressway in Agra.
  • These longer routes, spanning 456 km and 440 km respectively, take 135 minutes to complete, with a fixed fare of Rs 35,399 per devotee.

Saryu River

• The Saryu is a river that flows through Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
• This river is of ancient significance as it is mentioned in the Vedas and the Ramayana.
• The river is formed at the confluence of rivers Karnali and Mahakali. It is a tributary of River Ganges.
• On Ram Navami, the festival that celebrates the birthday of Lord Rama, thousands of people take a dip in the Saryu River at Ayodhya.

UP Government Funds for Expansion of YEIDA, UPSIDA, UPEIDA

Why in News?

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government approved Rs 2,940 crore in funds for industrial bodies the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA), the UP State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) and UP Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA).

Key Points

• The newly formed Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority has earlier been granted Rs 3,000 crore for land acquisition.
• In the financial year 2023-24, Rs 8,000 crore was set aside for industrial expansion in the state. Of the remaining Rs 5,000 crore, Rs 1,000 crore has been approved for UPEIDA, Rs 1,500 crore for YEIDA and Rs 440 crore for UPSIDA.
• A total of Rs 7,042.67 crore has been approved for the expansion of all industrial development authorities.
• The state government is committed to attract investment and make Uttar Pradesh a leading investment destination in the country.

Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA)

• It has been created under the UP Industrial Development Act, 1976 for the systematic development of their respective notified areas abutting Delhi, which if not planned, would have been prone to unauthorized urban growth.

The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA)

• It is an authority set up in 2007 by the Government of Uttar Pradesh to develop expressway projects in the state.
• The headquarters of UPEIDA is located at Paryatan Bhawan in Gomti Nagar, Lucknow.

Rajasthan Declares Half-Day Holiday for Pran-Pratishtha Ceremony

Why in News?

The Rajasthan government declared a half-day holiday in the state on January 22 in view of the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Key Points

• The state's order comes after the Centre announced a half-day holiday for all its employees on January 22.
• Preparations for the ‘pran-pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22 includes:
  • Idols of elephants, lions, Lord Hanuman and Garuda, 'vahana' of Lord Vishnu, have been installed at the entrance gate of the Ram Temple.
  • Invitation cards for the consecration ceremony have been sent out to guests including VVIPs, priests, donors and several politicians.
• The city has undergone major improvements in preparation for the temple's inauguration:
  • Prior to the Ram temple’s opening, hotel rates in Ayodhya reportedly increased and many are already booked.
  • Vande Bharat Express will connect two prominent temples in Uttar Pradesh - Ram Janmabhoomi and Gorakhnath.
  • Airlines intend to provide service to and from major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Ahmedabad.
• The construction of the Ram Temple has already helped the economic condition in Ayodhya. The increasing number of tourists visiting the district creates new job opportunities for locals.

Uttarakhand CM Requests Coal Block for Thermal Power Plants

Why in News?

Recently, CM Dhami met Union coal and mines minister Pralhad Joshi in Delhi and requested him to allot a coal block with storage capacity of about 125 million tonnes to Uttarakhand on priority for setting up pit-head thermal power plants of minimum 1,000 MW.

Key Points

• Uttarakhand is among few states where no thermal power station is operational.
• Due to favourable industrial policy, there has been rapid industrial development in the state as a result of which demand for electricity has continuously increased.
• According to the CM, power shortage becomes severe during the winter as cold temperatures reduce the flow of water in rivers. The demand for electricity in the state is increasing at the rate of about 4% to 5 % each year.

Thermal Power Sector in India

• Thermal power plants or thermal power stations are power stations that generate electricity from heat. Thermal power plants use different sources of energy to produce heat, including coal, oil, natural gas, and geothermal sources.
• The thermal power sector has been a major source of electricity generation in India, accounting for around 75% of the country's total installed power capacity.
• India's thermal power plants rely heavily on coal, which is mostly imported from other countries. This can lead to supply disruptions and price volatility.
• The top five states with the highest installed capacity of thermal power are – Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Lentil Production in India

Why in News?

As per the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, India is set to become the world’s largest producer of lentils (masoor) during the 2023-24 crop year on account of higher acreage.

• The Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh is considered a lentil bowl which contributes nearly 25% to the total lentil production in the country.

Key Points

• Lentil production is estimated to touch an all-time high of 1.6 million tonnes in the 2023-24 rabi season on higher acreage.
• India is the largest producer (25% of global production), consumer (27% of world consumption) and importer (14%) of pulses in the world.
  • Pulses account for around 20% of the area under food grains and contribute around 7-10% of the total foodgrains production in the country.
  • Gram is the most dominant pulse having a share of around 40 % in the total production followed by Tur/Arhar at 15 to 20 % and Urad/Black Matpe and Moong at around 8-10 % each.
  • Though pulses are grown in both Kharif and Rabi seasons, Rabi pulses contribute more than 60% of the total production.
  • Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka are the top five pulses-producing states.
• The policy prescription for ensuring reasonable prices to the farmers largely centres around procuring the pulses by providing Minimum Support Prices (MSP) to the farmers through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and more recently through Small Farmers Agri Consortium (SFAC).

Lentils

• About:
  • Lentil is a bushy annual herbaceous plant of the legume family.
  • These are edible legumes, known for their lens-shaped, flat disced seed.
  • Lentil plants are typically short, and bear self-pollinated flowers.
  • Lentil grains are excellent sources of energy, carbohydrates, protein, fat, fibers, phosphorus, iron, zinc, carotene, vitamins, and antioxidants.
• Climatic Condition:
  • Lentil is primarily grown as a rainfed crop.
  • It requires cold temperature during its vegetative growth and warm temperature at the time of maturity.
  • Lentil is grown during rabi season.
• Soil Types:
  • Lentils can grow on various soil types, from sand to clay loam, growing best in deep sandy loam soils with moderate fertility.
  • A soil pH around 7 would be the best. Lentils do not tolerate flooding or water-logged conditions.

All India Conference of Director Generals of Police

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister of India attended the 58^th All India Conference of Director Generals/Inspector Generals of Police in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Key Points

• It was a three-day being held in hybrid mode with DGPs (Director general of police), IGPs (Inspector-General of Police) and Chiefs of Central Police Organisations.
• A wide range of policing and internal security issues including Cyber Crime, Technology in Policing, Counter Terrorism challenges, Left Wing Extremism, and Prison Reforms were discussed at the conference.
• Another key agenda of the conference is deliberations on the road map for implementation of the new Criminal Laws.
• The Intelligence Bureau organized the first-ever Conference of the IGPs in India in 1920 and since then, these conferences have been held regularly in New Delhi.
  • The first such conference held post-independence was inaugurated by the first Home Minister of the country, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, on January 12, 1950.
  • Initially, it was a biennial event, but after 1973, it became an annual meeting for the heads of police organizations of the states and union territories, as well as central police organizations.