Madhya Pradesh

• 21 Feb 2022

Tourism Board signed MoU with Saahas

Why in News

• On 20 February 2022, in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel, the pilot project 'Clean Destination' was launched in the Responsible Tourism Mission of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board at Khajuraho.
• To operate this project, an MoU was signed between the Tourism Board and partner organization 'Saahas' at Karnavati Interpretation Center, Madla.

Key Points

• In the first phase of the pilot project, 30 villages around Panna National Park will be developed as clean destinations.
• Under this project, work will be done in the direction of solid waste management. Tourist places and nearby villages will be developed as clean destinations through community awareness, cleanliness and waste management.
• The calendar of District Tourism, Culture and Archaeological Council Panna was also released on this occasion.

48th Khajuraho Dance Festival-2022

Why in News

On February 20, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel inaugurated the 48th 'Khajuraho Dance Festival-2022' at world famous tourist destination Khajuraho on the occasion of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'. The event will be organized till 26 February.

Key Points

• The Khajuraho dance festival was started in 1975 from the temple premises itself. It was not allowed to be performed in the temple premises only after two-three years, as a result this ceremony was performed outside the temple premises. Last year, the Culture Department's effort to organize this program in the temple premises was successful and this year also this function is being done in the temple premises itself.
• This year a 5-km 'Dil Khel Ke Ghoomo' marathon was also organized under the banner of 'Safe Tourism Project for Women' at the event. It aims to create a sense of security among women in tourist destinations with the slogan 'Hindustan Ke Dil Mein Aap Safe Hain'.
• Culture and Tourism Minister Usha Thakur announced that in view of the greatness of dance and its contribution in human life, a center of classical dance would be established in Khajuraho.
• Ambassadors and High Commissioners of 8 countries attended the family function to witness the performances of the 48th Khajuraho Dance Festival. These include ambassadors and high commissioners from Korea, Argentina, Vietnam, Brunei, Finland, Malaysia, Thailand and Lao.
• In the ceremony, Sunayana Hazari Lal was awarded the National Kalidas Samman for the year 2019-20 and Shanta and VP Dhananjayan for the year 2020-21. They were presented a prize money of Rs 2 lakh, a plaque, a shawl and a quince.
• Along with this, State Rupankar Kala Puraskars were given for the year 2022, which are as follows-

Award	Winner
Devkrishna Jata Shankar Joshi Award	Priya Sisodia (Badnawar)
Mukund Sakharam Bhand Award	Swapan Tarafdar (Indore)
Syed Haider Raza Award	Durgesh Birthare (Jabalpur)
Dattatreya Damodar Devlalikar Award	Narendra Jatav (Ashoknagar)
Jagdish Swaminathan Award	Sanjay Dhawale (Ashoknagar)
Vishnu Chinchalkar Award	Muni Sharma (Gwalior)
Narayan Shridhar Bendre Award	Agnesh Kerketta (Bhopal)
Raghunath Krishna Rao Phadke Award	Rituraj Srivastava (Jabalpur)
Ram Manohar Sinha Award	Jyoti Singh (Sagar)
Laxmi Shankar Rajput Award	Dr. Sonali Pithawe Chouhan (Dewas)

• This dance festival is being organized with the joint effort of Ustad Alauddin Khan Sangeet and Kala Akademi Madhya Pradesh Sanskriti Parishad of Culture Department, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board, Archaeological Survey of India and District Administration Chhatarpur. It is the topmost festival of the country focusing on Indian classical dance forms, and is well known nationally and internationally.

Gobar-Dhan Bio CNG Plant

Why in News

On February 19, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Asia's largest Gobar-Dhan Bio-CNG Plant at Devguradia area of Indore via virtual medium from Delhi.

Key Points

• The vision of a waste-to-wealth and circular economy has come true with the construction of Gobar-Dhan Bio-CNG Plant in Indore. This will give new strength to India's cleanliness campaign Part-II, under which in the coming 2 years all the cities of the country will be made green zone by freeing them from the mountains of garbage.
• Apart from CNG, 100 tonnes of organic manure will also be received daily from the Indore plant. With this, about 400 buses will be run every day in Indore city.
• This plant is the largest and the first plant in the country for Bio-CNG from organic waste in the entire Asian continent.
• Bio CNG Plant is based on the PPP model. On the one hand, the Municipal Corporation, Indore is not having to bear any financial burden on the establishment of this plant, on the other hand, the agency setting up the plant, IEISL, New Delhi, is paid Rs 2.5 crore per annum as premium to the Municipal Corporation, Indore.
• In this plant, 550 MT of wet waste (domestic organic waste) will be treated daily, which will generate 17 thousand 500 kg of Bio-CNG Gas and 100 tonnes of high quality organic compost will be produced.
• Out of the bio-CNG generated from this plant, 50 percent gas will be available to Municipal Corporation, Indore for the use of public transport buses, the remaining 50 percent gas can be sold to various industrial and commercial consumers.
• Since the waste segregation of Indore city is of excellent quality, it has been decided to set up this plant in Indore. Before the decision to set up the plant, the said company got the wet waste tested by taking more than 200 samples in the last one year. Based on the test results, it was revealed that only 0.5 to 0.9 percent of the rejects are available in wet waste, which was found to be of high quality as compared to other European countries.
• The Chief Minister informed that Jholadhari Indori campaign has also been started in Indore. Work is being done continuously to develop slum settlements of Indore urban area as green slums.
• The Chief Minister said that this plant would be a money making plant by purchasing cow dung and other waste from the cattle rearers and farmers from the nearby villages of Indore. Many families are getting permanent employment from this plant.
• The dung along with the waste will be used for processing to develop bacteria. In Indore, CNG will be available for city buses at Rs 5 per kg less than the market price.
• The plant will use 21 percent solar energy in the initial phase and 100 percent in the next three years. Indore city will get the benefit of carbon credit. Along with this, Indore Municipal Corporation will continue to get 2 crore 52 lakh premium per year from this plant for the next 20 years.

Solution to the Problem of Fake Fingerprints

Why in News

Recently, scientists from IIT Indore and Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) DAVV have developed such a fingerprint biometric system which can prevent crimes using fake fingerprints. This important research has been patented.

Key Points

• With the help of this technology, such a sensor can be installed in the biometric machines, which will identify the real and fake fingerprints. As soon as the person puts his finger on the scanner, the sensor will also read his pulse. This will also eliminate the possibility of using the fingerprint of a dead person.
• Success in identifying fake and genuine fingerprints will only improve the security of Aadhaar and all types of biometric devices.
• It is noteworthy that along with the banking sector, biometric machines are used in many offices and homes to prevent theft. Biometric machines are also used in many competitive and recruitment exams. Once new biometric machines are produced on the basis of research, fingerprints of fake or dead person will not be used.
• Many times hackers try to steal the fingerprint image and use it in Aadhaar, SIM and banking areas. Currently, biometric machines read the fingerprints of the finger and allow further processing. After placing a finger on the new type of machines, the sensor will also detect the cells and pulse of the blood.
• Professor of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) of Devi Ahilya University, who worked on research. Shashi Prakash and IIT Indore Prof. I am Vimal Bhatia.
• Those working on the research are Professor Shashi Prakash of the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) of Devi Ahilya University and Professor Vimal Bhatia of IIT Indore.