Jharkhand

• 20 Dec 2022

25 Airports Across the Country, Including Ranchi, to be Leased out

Why in discussion?

On December 19, 2022, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation V.K. Singh informed that private sector companies are operating airports in major cities of the country. Airports in 25 other cities of the country, including Ranchi, have been selected for leasing out between 2022 and 2025 under the National Monetization Pipeline (NMP).

Key Points

• According to the Union Minister of Civil Aviation- Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi, Amritsar, Trichy, Indore, Raipur, Calicut, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Madurai, Surat, Jodhpur, Chennai, Vijayawada, Vadodara, Bhopal, Tirupati, Hubli, Imphal, Agartala, Udaipur, Dehradun and Rajahmundry have been selected for leasing in the country.
• The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has leased eight airports for long-term operations under PPP model. The ministry believes that in public interest, it is being leased out to the private sector so that modern airports can be built in the country.
• V.K. Singh said that airports have emerged as the center of economic activity. Airport infrastructure in the country is being developed with the revenue earned from leasing out airports. At the same time, the central government has approved the construction of 21 green field airports in the country, out of which 10 greenfield airports have started.

Jharkhand Receives Digital India Award for the First Time

Why in discussion?

On December 19, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Technology, Government of India has selected the concept of DEGS Computer Basic Training Centre run by Koderma District Administration of Jharkhand for the Digital India Award.

Key Points

• The Digital India Award will be received by Koderma DC Aditya Ranjan. According to Koderma DC, the honor will be conferred by the President in a program to be organized in Delhi on January 7, 2023.
• According to the information, the Ministry of Information and Technology, Government of India had invited applications for the Digital India Award in 2022, for which thousands of nominations were received. More than 100 projects were shortlisted in the first round of this award given in seven different categories. After this, everyone gave their presentation before a jury of nine members which included Secretary IT, two additional secretaries, professors of IIT Delhi etc.
• It is noteworthy that Koderma DC Aditya Ranjan had also put forward the plan of basic training center before the jury in Delhi on December 8, 2022, after which the final selection has now been done.
• Koderma has been selected for gold in the Digital Initiative at Grass Root level. In this category, Madhya Pradesh has got platinum for e-discussion app and Kerala has got silver for Shreyashree portal.
• It is known that on the initiative of the district administration in Koderma district, the DEGS Computer Center has been started in the recent year. At present, it is being operated in Koderma, Jhumritalaiyya, Satgawan, Domchanch, Chandwara and Jayanagar except Markacho Block. Apart from more than nine thousand children in these centres, certificates have also been given to ANNMs, Sahiyas, public representatives etc. after imparting computer training.
• Aditya Ranjan said that even at present, hundreds of trainees are undergoing computer training in these centers. Apart from six centers, there is a plan to open two more centers. One centre will be opened at Girls High School, Koderma and the other at JJ College, Jhumritalaiyya.