• 21 Jan 2023

Campaign to Promote the Cultivation of Coarse Grains in Uttar Pradesh

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Uttar Pradesh Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said the International Trade Fair on Millets and Organic-2023 held in Bengaluru that arrangements are being made for value addition and marketing by increasing cover, increasing production and productivity while promoting the cultivation of coarse grain crops in Uttar Pradesh.

Key points

• State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said that 55 coarse grain processing and packing centers will be set up under the system of value addition and marketing by increasing cover, increasing production and productivity, promoting cultivation of coarse cereal crops, which will benefit 72 thousand 500 farmers every year.
• Apart from this, the general public is also being made aware to include coarse grains in the diet.
• He said that coarse grains are the traditional food of India. Coarse grains are gluten-free, high in protein, fiber and antioxidant content.
• It is known that coarse grains were sown in 10.83 lakh hectare area in Uttar Pradesh in 2020-21. In this, only bajra was sown in 9.05 lakh hectare area. Sorghum, Kodo, Sawan, Madwa and Cocoon were sown in the remaining area. In this way, Uttar Pradesh is full of immense possibilities for coarse grains.
• The Agriculture Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, awareness about coarse grains has increased in the entire country. With the inspiration of the Prime Minister, millets were notified as nutritious food grains in the year 2018 and efforts are being made continuously to increase its production.
• In addition, millets were included as nutria grain sub-mission under the Food Security Mission for food nutrition and safety in the year 2018-19 by the Union Ministry of Agriculture Welfare. At present, coarse cereals are also being procured by the Government of India at the Minimum Support Price and their price is continuously increasing.

200 Farmers Cultivating Lychee with Organic Method will get Geo Tag

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Dharmendra Singh, General Manager of Muzaffarpur District Industry Center, Bihar, told during a workshop at the District Industry Center that 200 farmers producing Lychee from organic farming in Muzaffarpur will be linked with geo tags, on which their production will be linked. There will be a complete record.

Key points

• Dharmendra Singh, General Manager of District Industries Center, said that when the farmers producing Lychee are linked to the geo tag, people from anywhere in the country and abroad can contact the farmer directly with the help of the geo tag. For this, a team has also been formed by the District Industries Department for the record of farmers producing Lychee under 'One District One Product'.
• It is known that the main purpose of 'One District One Product' is to market the product. In such a situation, a complete action plan has been prepared for the marketing of Lychee.
• During the workshop of District Industries Center, farmers were motivated to promote organic farming of Lychee under 'One District One Product'.
• Nachiketa of Invest India said that organic cultivation of Lychee will provide maximum benefit to the farmers. He informed the small farmers of the district about the cultivation of Lychee together or by forming an FPO and also told about the benefits of turmeric, mustard, ginger etc. crops in Lychee orchards.

The Chief Minister Gave Approval for the Formation of a Committee to Study the Cases Related to Promotion

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved a proposal to set up a committee to study the matters related to promotion of employees in the state.

Key points

• The committee will be formed under the chairmanship of retired IAS Khemraj Chaudhary to study the matters related to promotion of employees. The member of the committee will be secretary, joint government secretary, personnel (A-2) department and administrative department of the committee will be personnel department.
• According to the proposal, a separate committee will be constituted by the Department of Personnel to study and recommend the cases to guide the departmental promotion committee meetings of cadres in various departments due to various reasons and to ensure compliance of the notification regarding reservation in promotions.
• It is noteworthy that earlier the Employees Pay Discrepancy Examination Committee was constituted by the Chief Minister, whose report was submitted to the State Government on 30.12.2022.

MoU Signing Ceremony

Why In News?

• According to information received from the Rajasthan Information and Public Relations Department on January 20, 2023, under the Investment Rajasthan Campaign, the state government will organize a MoU signing ceremony in Jaipur on January 23 under the chairmanship of State Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for an investment of about Rs 1.36 lakh crore .

Key points

• In the MoU signing ceremony, MoUs will be signed for 26 projects in the renewable energy and tourism sector, which will create about 13,000 direct and indirect jobs.
• Industries and Commerce Minister Shakuntala Rawat said that for the development of the state, the state government is committed to forge sustainable partnerships with investors. The Invest Rajasthan campaign is helping to collaborate with stakeholders and fulfill the promises made.
• Additional Chief Secretary of Industries and Commerce Department Veenu Gupta said that the industry has shown an encouraging trend towards the Investment Summit. This MoU signing ceremony will prove to be an effective step towards taking forward the commitments of the state government.
• It is noteworthy that the state government has taken one stop shop policy and sector specific policies such as NRR Policy 2022, Handicraft Policy 2022, MSME Policy 2022, Rajasthan Start-up Policy 2022, Rajasthan Film Tourism Promotion Policy 2022, Rajasthan Tourism Policy 2022, Rajasthan Tourism Policy with the aim of simplifying the process of setting up industries over the years. 2020, Rajasthan Agribusiness Policy 2019 etc. have been launched.

Chief Minister released the Book "Wellopathy-My Natural Healer”

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the collaborative book 'Wellopathy - My Natural Healer' in health safety at an auditorium in Bhopal.

Key points

• It is noteworthy that the author of the book 'Wellopathy - My Natural Healer' is dr. Santosh Gupta.
• The main objective of the book 'Wellopathy' is to lead the society towards health security with modern lifestyle. The effort of this book will be that without using modern medicine, a person can become self-sufficient in his health security.
• Divided into seven chapters, the book focuses on the three dimensions of lifestyle - food, how to get up and sit, and mind. It provides pictures and guidance in simple language on the principles of 'Wellopathy', rules of the body, diseases and protection from diseases, principles of diet and nutrition, cholesterol control, allergic food and lifestyle.

Gandisagar Floating Festival

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Shiv Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary and Managing Director of Tourism and Culture and Tourism Board of Madhya Pradesh, informed that the five-day Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival will be held in Mandsaur district of the state from February 1.

Key points

• Shiv Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary and Managing Director, Tourism and Culture and Tourism Board said that this is a unique and first-of-its-kind floating festival, which will have land, air and water-based adventure activities, giving a unique glamping and adventure activities experience to tourists visiting Mandsaur.
• The festival will continue till February 5. After that, tent city (Glamping) for tourists for 3 months and adventure activities for 6 months will continue and it can be increased on the response of tourists.
• Shiv Shekhar Shukla said that Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival is a great festival for nature lovers and adventurers, which takes them away from the hustle and bustle of the city into the natural surroundings.
• The floating festival will also feature floating stage, floating market, boat spa, boat safari, live music and others. Apart from this, many exciting adventure activities will be organized near Gandhi Sagar Reservoir.
• Each luxury tent at the Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival has been carefully designed to ensure a comfortable stay with premium amenities, delectable, local and international cuisine, indoor sports conference facilities.
• To give information to the people about nature based crafts, various types of workshops will be organized in the area. It's a great way to promote awareness and understanding of eco-friendly craftsmanship.
• Gandhi Sagar Floating Festival is an initiative of the first 10 years to boost the tourism sector of Madhya Pradesh and create new employment opportunities.
• Shiv Shekhar Shukla informed that the objective of this project is to attract both national and international tourists, which will give them a chance to experience various attractions of Madhya Pradesh. Many destinations are being explored within the state, which have the potential to develop as successful tourist destinations.

86 Daughters will be Awarded on National Girl Child Day

Why In News?

• Haryana Minister of State for Women and Child Development Kamlesh Dhanda said in a meeting with the officials of the concerned departments at the Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh that on the occasion of National Girl Child Day celebrated on January 24 every year, 86 daughters in the state will be honored with an amount of Rs 6,24,900 and certificates.

Key points

• Minister of State Kamlesh Dhanda said that due to various schemes run by the Central and State Government for the welfare of daughters, they are getting ample opportunities to move forward, as a result of which daughters have achieved many achievements not only in the country but also at the international level. In such a situation, girls who have achieved remarkable achievements in various fields will be honored with certificates and prize money.
• He said that for doing excellent work in various fields including sports, education, cultural, social work, girls will be given an amount of Rs 11-11 thousand and the participants who perform best in various competitions held at the state level will be given an amount of Rs 5100, 2100 and Rs 1100 and certificates.

Chhattisgarh Became the Second Largest State to Give Maximum Paddy in Central Bridge

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel informed that Chhattisgarh has become the second largest state in the country to deposit the highest amount of paddy in the central pool in the current Kharif marketing season.

Key points

• Chief Minister Mr. Bhupesh Baghel described it as a big achievement and said that for four consecutive years, Chhattisgarh is constantly creating new records in the agriculture sector. This is the result of the hard work of the farmers and their trust in farming.
• He said that this year a new record of paddy procurement is also being set in the state. So far, 103 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured. He expressed hope that the estimated figure of 110 lakh metric tonnes will also be crossed by the scheduled deadline of January 31.
• According to the report released by the Government of India on January 15, Chhattisgarh had contributed 92 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to the central bridge. It has become the second state to collect the most paddy this season.
• The Chief Minister said that due to the farmer-friendly policies of the state government, there has been a pleasant change in agriculture and the lives of farmers. In order to promote crop productivity and crop diversification in the state, apart from the 'Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana' run by the Chhattisgarh government, 'Godhan Nyay Yojana', 'Suraji Gaon Yojana', farmers' loan waiver, irrigation tax waiver have given a new strength to the farmers of the state. Due to which the number of farmers and agricultural area in the state is constantly increasing.
• He said that due to the farmer friendly schemes of Chhattisgarh Government, the number of registration of farmers has increased continuously in these four years. This year, 24.96 lakh farmers have registered, of which 2.30 lakh are new farmers. To facilitate the sale of paddy to the farmers, 135 new procurement centers were started in the state this year, due to which the total number of procurement centers has increased to 2617.

Agriculture Minister Inaugurated 'Millet Cafe' at Indira Gandhi Agricultural University

Why In News?

• On January 20, 2023, Chhattisgarh Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey inaugurated the newly built 'Millet Cafe' at the Indira Gandhi Agricultural University campus in Raipur.

Key points

• Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey told that in this 'Millet Cafe' various dishes made from Kodo, Kutki, Ragi and other Small Grain Crops - Idli, Dosa, Doha, Upma, Bhajiya, Kheer, Halwa, Malt, Cookies are made from these. Traditional dishes of Chhattisgarh, Thethri, Khurmi, Arsa, Chakoli, Sevai, Pidhiya etc. will be available to the general public. Apart from this, other products made from small grain crops will also be available for sale.
• He informed that 'Millet Cafe' has been started to create awareness among the general public about small grain crops and to promote their use. This will be the first millet cafe to be run by a university in the country.
• This 'Millet Cafe' will be operated by Krishi Vigyan Kendra Raipur and small grain dishes made by various women self-help groups will be sold here.
• It is noteworthy that keeping in view the nutritional and healthy values of small grain crops, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the 'Millet Year' to promote its use.

Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation is Preparing Water Grid

Why In News?

• On January 19, 2023, Uttarakhand Drinking Water Secretary Nitesh Jha informed that Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation is going to create a water grid like power grid for smooth supply of 24-hour water in the cities of the state. This grid will be exactly like a power grid, to which all the water lines will be connected.

Key points

• Drinking Water Secretary Nitesh Jha said that the Drinking Water Corporation is preparing a proposal for the creation of a water grid, which will be presented in the Asian Development Bank (ADB) meeting in February so that the project can get funding from ADB.
• It is known that till now there is a shortage of water for several days when the motor of a Tube well is blown in a particular locality or area in the state. People ask for water from tankers. There are many areas where water scarcity starts as the heat increases. In many places, there is a problem of water even in winter.
• To solve all these problems, the Drinking Water Department is preparing a water grid. Drinking water lines of all cities will be connected to this grid. Wherever there is a shortage of water, water will be made available from the grid. This task of connecting drinking water lines is a bit challenging.
• This is how the grid will work-
  • Just as in the power grid, many times electricity is made available from another place in case of power problem in a particular area, similarly the water grid will also work.
  • If there is a shortage of water in a particular area of a city, then water will be made available immediately through the grid. The main drinking water lines of each locality will be connected to this grid.
• It is noteworthy that a water grid is being set up in Marathwada region of Maharashtra. This grid is being created to provide water for drinking, industrial and agricultural purposes throughout the year.
• Marathwada consists of eight districts. There is less rainfall in this area. Because of this, there is a shortage of water here every year. In Gujarat too, work has been done to create a water grid for water supply.
• Work is being done to create a water grid to ensure that water supply is not disrupted for any particular reason in many areas. This will make it possible to provide water 24 hours a day.

Now the Dominance of Women in Uttarakhand Home Department

Why In News?

• According to information received from the media on January 20, 2023, the departments of five officers in the Uttarakhand Home Department have been changed, due to which important posts of the Home Department have now been dominated by women.

Key points

• Additional Chief Secretary Home Radha Raturi, Special Home Secretary Ridhim Agarwal and Nivedita Kukreti have been posted as Additional Secretary.
• Apart from this, the responsibility of ITDA has now been brought from Amit Sinha. A.S. Nitika has been handed over to Khandelwal. Amit Sinha will continue to serve as Director Vigilance.
• At the same time, Harak Singh Rawat, Additional Secretary of Urban Development Department, has also been entrusted with the responsibility of Staff Officer Chairman Revenue Council. Shyam Singh Rana has been removed from this responsibility and has now been given the responsibility of only Smart City Additional CEO.