• 20 Oct 2023

Compressed Biogas and Biodiesel Plant will be Built in the State

Why In News?

On October 19, 2023, the state level committee of Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) approved 12 proposals worth Rs 550 crore for setting up production plants of compressed biogas and biodiesel.

Key Points:

• In the meeting of the state level committee held under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary Energy and Additional Energy Sources Mahesh Kumar Gupta at UPNEDA headquarters, the proposals for completing land bank loan and other necessary formalities were approved.
• From the approved 12 projects, 93 tonnes of CBG and 44 kilo liters of biodiesel will be produced daily in the state.
• It is noteworthy that 13 projects have already been approved by the state government, on which necessary construction work has started. Thus, there will be an investment of Rs 1271 crore from the total 25 proposals approved so far.
• UPNEDA Director Anupam Shukla said that UPNEDA has so far received investment proposals worth about Rs 7 lakh crore in the new and renewable energy sector. Out of this, investment proposals worth about Rs 57 thousand crore are in the bio energy sector under Uttar Pradesh State Bio Energy Policy-2022.
• For the establishment of compressed biogas, biodiesel and bio coal plants, 354 investors have submitted their proposals to UPNEDA for approval of their projects, out of which 80 projects have been given in-principle approval from the UPNEDA level.
• The 12 projects of investors which have been approved by the committee are-
  • To Carbon Circle Private Limited in Bareilly for compressed biogas.
  • To Anand Mangal Infra Developers Private Limited in Meerut.
  • To Ecotaras Sustainable Solution Private Limited in Sitapur.
  • To Biospark Energy Private Limited in Muzaffarnagar.
  • Panchavati Food in Rae Bareli.
  • To Adani Total Energy Biomass Private Limited in Mathura.
  • To M/s Resolution India Private Limited at Muzaffarnagar.
  • To Organic Alternative Energy Limited in Moradabad.
  • To BK Investment Service Private Limited in Saharanpur.
  • To Shree Shatakshi Biotech Private Limited in Shamli.
  • To Sisodia Research Laboratories Private Limited in Lucknow for biodiesel.
  • Lucknow Mat Fusion Weld Pvt. Ltd.

President Attends the First Convocation of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari

Why In News?

President Draupadi Murmu attended the first convocation ceremony held in the auditorium of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari on October 19, 2023.

Key Points:

• The President first addressed the famous industrialist, writer and social thinker R.K. Sinha and Indian actor, film director and screenwriter Chandraprakash Dwivedi were awarded honorary doctorates.
• The President awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal by presenting medals and citations to the pass out students of various streams of undergraduate and postgraduate courses of Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari.
• In the convocation ceremony, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Sanjay Srivastava announced the opening of satellite campuses of the university in Bettiah and Sheohar. He also informed that a medical college will be opened in the university campus.

National Health Mission Haryana Successfully Completes all three Phases of IMI 5.O

Why In News?

On October 17, 2023, Mission Director of National Health Mission, Haryana, Rajnarayan Kaushik said that National Health Mission, Haryana has successfully achieved 100% target in all three phases of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.O vaccination.

Key Points:

• Mission Director Rajnarayan Kaushik said that children and pregnant women who were not vaccinated for some reason have been covered under the campaign IMI 5.O. 44895 pregnant women and 195268 children were vaccinated by the department under the campaign.
• He informed that after the successful implementation of Covin vaccination, the Government of India has linked U-WIN (Winning over Universal Immunization) with Health Care Professional Registration, Health Care Facility Registration and Ayushman Bharat Health Account as per ABDM.
• Its main objective is to make 100% vaccination coverage available on the digital platform. With this, records of beneficiaries visiting both government and private health centers will be linked.
• Once the records are digital, the Health Department will have information about the complete vaccination given to pregnant women and their children at any place in India. At the same time, information about the vaccination to be given at the prescribed time period is also sent to the beneficiary through message, so that no pregnant woman or child is left out of vaccination.
• Dr. Kuldeep, Director, National Health Mission, Haryana, said that India's MR eradication target is 2023, but recently there has been an increase in measles cases. To recapitulate the country's progress on the measles and rubella elimination roadmap and achieve 95 percent coverage of two doses of measles and rubella vaccine in the country through IMI 5.O as per the target given in the 5th meeting of MR-IEAG. More coverage is being given priority.
• To achieve these objectives, three rounds of Intensive Mission Indradhanush were conducted, covering all the districts. Beneficiaries All children up to 05 years of age and pregnant women who missed any dose are targeted.
• State Nodal Officer Dr. Virendra Ahlawat said that the third phase is pending in Nuh and Palwal, which will be organized soon. During the first phase in August, a target of 66463 children was set for vaccination, under which 58135 children were covered. In the second phase, 67036 children were covered against the target of 72591 and in the third phase, 70097 children were covered against the target of 69841, i.e. in the third phase, the department achieved 100.1 percent of the target.
• Similarly, pregnant women were covered in the first phase by vaccinating more than the target of 15472 against the target of 13660. In the second phase, 15712 pregnant women were covered by vaccination against the target of 13752 and in the third phase, 13711 pregnant women were covered by vaccination against the target of 13720.

Bhoomi Puja of Apollo Multi Super Specialty Hospital will be held in Ranchi Smart City Complex on 15th November.

Why In News?

On October 19, 2023, Chief Minister Hemant Soren was directed to perform the Bhoomi Pujan of Apollo Multi Super Specialty Hospital on the occasion of State Foundation Day on November 15 in Ranchi Smart City complex.

Key Points:

• Sub lease deed has been signed between Ranchi Municipal Corporation and Apollo Hospital Enterprises Limited, Chennai for the construction of Apollo Hospital in the Area Based Development area of Ranchi Smart City.
• This agreement with Apollo Hospital Enterprises Limited will prove to be a milestone in the direction of providing world class health care facilities.
• The hospital management said that the construction work of a 250 bed hospital will start soon. OPD will be started here in the first phase. He said that employment would be provided to local people in the hospital. Specialist doctors will be appointed in various departments.
• Apollo Hospital Enterprises will build a 250-bed multi super specialty hospital on approximately 2.75 acres of land in the Ranchi Smart City campus. Here, especially cardiology, orthopedic, gynecology, general surgery, general medicine, pediatrics, ENT services will be provided.
• Apart from this, arrangements for emergency services, radiology, pathology, dietary services will also be made here. 24 hour ambulance service will be available through Apollo Hospital. There will also be arrangements for parking, pharmacy, ATM, canteen etc. inside the hospital.
• Many institutions, schools, colleges, five-star hotels, malls, offices and commercial establishments will be built in the Ranchi Smart City complex. Apart from this, there will be about 16 thousand residential units and it is estimated that a population of about 1.5 lakh will reside in this developed area, which will directly benefit from this project.

Investment MoU worth Rs 5450 crore Signed in Presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dubai

Why In News?

Investment MoUs worth Rs 5450 crore were signed with groups related to tourism, education, infra, real estate in the presence of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dubai on October 17, 2023. Industries Secretary Vinay Shankar Pandey signed the MoU on behalf of the state government.

Key Points:

• Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a meeting with representatives of various industry groups at the road show organized in Dubai for the Uttarakhand Global Investor Summit 2023.
• Investment MoUs worth Rs 5450 crore have been signed with various industry groups in Dubai in the presence of the Chief Minister, while meetings are going on with many other industry groups. The Chief Minister also invited all the industrial houses for the summit to be organized in Dehradun on 8th and 9th December.
• So far, Rs 2,000 crore has been invested in Dubai with Sir Biotech and Hyatt India, Rs 950 crore with Carmilla Nutrition Technology Group for pharma production, Rs 800 crore with GTC Group, and Flow Conglomerate Group for investment in real estate, infra and tourism sectors. Investment MoUs worth Rs 500 crore, Rs 700 crore for manufacturing sector with Exley Group and Rs 500 crore with Sharaf Logistics have been signed.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that an investment friendly system has been developed in Uttarakhand. The Chief Minister said that bilateral relations between India and the United Arab Emirates have become stronger than before. Bilateral trade between the two countries is growing at the rate of about 20 percent.
• It may be noted that 'Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit 2023 (Destination Uttarakhand)' is being organized in December 2023 to attract global investment in Uttarakhand.
• So far, an MoU on investment worth Rs 40 thousand crore has been signed for the Global Investors Conference. Investment agreements have been signed with investors in road shows held in London, Birmingham and Delhi. The state government has set a target of Rs 2.50 lakh crore for this conference.
• Industrial electricity rates in the state are lower than other states of India, industrial harmony and excellent law and order in the state make it more special. Various policies, schemes and facilities are being provided by the state government to provide a better environment for the establishment of food processing industries in the state. At present, two mega food parks and four food clusters have been built in Uttarakhand, which are working at their full capacity.
• The state government is continuously making efforts in the direction of ease of doing business. Uttarakhand is in the achievers category. The state has taken specific initiatives towards reforming labor laws. Similarly, continuous improvements and simplification have been made in the direction of providing land to investors.

47th Agricultural Science Fair organized in VPKAS

Why In News?

On October 19, 2023, the 47th Agricultural Science Fair was organized at Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan (VPKAS), Almora. The Agricultural Science Fair was inaugurated by MP Ajay Tamta.

Key Points:

• This fair was organized on the theme 'Adopt food and increase nutritional security'.
• MP Ajay Tamta said that the institute has made significant achievements in the field of research work, especially in the field of soil testing, disease-pest control, crop production, white Manduva production as well as processing and technological development. He praised the delivery of produced seeds and technology to 24 states of India.
• Dr. Jai Prakash Jaiswal, Director of GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, praised the work being done in the field of development of varieties and small equipment of the institute and explained its importance.
• On this occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Institute and Parasar Agrotech Bio Private Limited, Varanasi for the construction of VL Polytunnel.
• In the Agricultural Science Fair, VL Cookies of wheat, VL Uphaar of vegetable pea and VL Masoor 150 of lentils developed in the institute were launched. CIAE VL Multicrop Thresher was also launched.