• 21 May 2022

Country's First Floating Swimming Pool to Come Up at Khirkiya (Namo) Ghat

Why in News?

• Recently, Varanasi's Divisional Commissioner Deepak Agarwal said that work is being done on a plan to build a floating swimming pool between the waves of the Ganges on behalf of Smart City at Khirkiya Ghat.

Key Points

• Keeping in view the importance of bathing in the Ganges on the ghats of Varanasi, Smart City will prepare this pool at Khirkiya (Namo) Ghat after monsoon.
• Here, separate pools for female and male devotees as well as changing rooms will also be built.
• If the use of these pools and changing rooms built on the waves of the Ganges is successful at the Khirkiya Ghat, then it will also be prepared on other ghats of Kashi, for which other ghats including Lalita, Dashashwamedh, Asi, Panchganga, Tulsi Ghat will be used. The study is being done for the construction of such type of pool.
• It is noteworthy that Khirkiya Ghat is being developed with modern facilities from Smart City with an investment of Rs 34 crore.

Rajasthan Architecture Festival

Why in News?

• On May 20, 2022, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot inaugurated the 'Rajasthan Architecture Festival' organised by the Rajasthan Chapter of the Indian Institute of Architects at Hotel Clarks, Amer in Jaipur.

Key Points

• Speaking on the occasion, Gehlot said that a panel of architects and town planners has been prepared by the state government to make cities planned as per the requirement of the next 20-25 years.
• Rajasthan is a state that has prepared master plans for all cities and modern building by-laws for the state.
• The Chief Minister said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had laid a strong foundation for the country's urban development by getting the Architects Act passed by the Parliament in the year 1972 and former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi by giving importance to the famous architect and city planner Charles Correa.
• Charles Correa had also done the design work of Jawahar Kala Kendra Bhawan to bring art and culture to the common people in Jaipur.
• In the function, Minister of Autonomous Government and Urban Development Shanti Kumar Dhariwal said that Jaipur Parkota has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List only due to the efforts of the State Government.

Controversy over Jama Masjid in Bhopal

Why in News?

• On May 19, 2022, Chandrashekhar Tiwari, president of the Sanskriti Bachao Manch in Bhopal, submitted a memorandum to Home Minister Narottam Mishra, claiming that there was a 'Shiva Temple' at Jama Masjid.

Key Points

• According to Chandrashekhar Tiwari, president of Sanskriti Bachao Manch, in the Bhopal State Gazetteer-1908 of the British, the mosque has been told to have a Shiva temple, while 50 years later, in 1958, the Waqf registration of the mosque was done.
• The first woman ruler of Bhopal, Kudsia Begum, built the mosque between 1832 and 1857 AD, which is mentioned in her book 'Hayate Qudsi'. In this book, it is also mentioned that there is a Shiva temple in the mosque.
• It is worth noting that this mosque, built on a nine-meter square high place, is also based on the Charbagh style, like the Jama Masjid of Delhi.
• There are 'hujaras' on the four corners of the mosque, there is a large courtyard inside and the prayer place of the mosque is based on a semi-pillar and an independent pillar.

Haryana-Delhi water dispute

Why in News?

• On May 20, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on the allegation of the Delhi government not giving its share of water, said that Haryana is giving 1049 cusecs of its share of water to Delhi as per the Supreme Court's order and the agreements of the states.

Key Points

• The Chief Minister said that Haryana has been supplying water for Delhi's Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant, Nangloi Water Treatment Plant and Wazirabad/Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant.
• On February 29, 1996, the Supreme Court had directed the Haryana government to provide 330 cusecs of additional water per day to Delhi. Earlier, Delhi's share of water was 719 cusecs per day.
• Last year, a petition was filed by the Delhi government against Haryana alleging contempt of the Supreme Court as the Supreme Court in its judgement in 1996 had directed to always maintain a high level of water at the Wazirabad plant to meet the requirements of Delhi. Whereas, according to the Delhi Government, it is not being followed by Haryana.

Bokaro to host Science Film Festival

Why in News?

• Recently, Dr. T. Pachal, President, Society for Science, informed that it has been decided to host the Science Film Festival for the first time in Bokaro, observing the 75th year of Independence as the Year of Science Awareness.

Key Points

• In a meeting of the Executive Committee of Science for Society, Jharkhand, Bokaro, it has been unanimously decided to celebrate the first ever Science Film Festival in Bokaro. The two-day event will be held in September this year.
• Around 30 award-winning films from across the country will be screened at the festival. Science films produced in Jharkhand, Bengal, Assam, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Odisha, Karnataka, Delhi and other states will also be screened.
• The producers and directors of the films will also participate in the festival. Apart from this, students, teachers, doctors, engineers and citizens of the district will participate in this programme.
• Rajendra Kumar, general secretary of the Society for Science, Bokaro, said the film festival will inspire children to a great extent to promote and promote science.

CM Inaugurates Gyan Gudi Education City in Bijapur

Why in News?

• On May 20, 2022, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel dedicated the Gyan Gudi Education City in Bijapur and planted a Rudraksha plant in the campus.

Key Points

• Free education is being provided to the children from class 9th to 12th for entrance exams like NEET, JEE Mains, Advance, Board exams etc. in the Chulo Aasman Coaching Center being run in the Education City campus. This year 3 children have been selected in JEE; 5 children have been selected in NEET.
• There are well-equipped hostels in the campus for boys and girls. Training is being imparted by the coaches in various sports like football, volleyball, archery, swimming, kabaddi, judo-karate, athletics etc.
• It has a capacity of 280 children and currently has 90 training children. 5 children were the winners in international games and 2 children in Khelo India.
• In Samarth Rehabilitation Centre, children are taught through teaching learning material. Samarth currently has 40 children from all development blocks of Bijapur district, who are being provided all facilities like food, shelter, etc. free of cost by the government. Here, other mentally, visually impaired children are being educated with the efforts of Samarth.
• Children with 21 types of physical disabilities are trained in the sensory room. Here, visually impaired children are also trained to identify objects and colours with the touch of hands and feet and to identify foods by tasting them.

'Mahadev Cave' to be included in Shiva circuit

Why in News?

• Recently, Dinesh Gururani, adventure tourism manager of Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, said that the mythical Mahadev cave near Sipu, a village in Uttarakhand bordering China, will be connected to the Shiva circuit.

Key Points

• According to Gururani, the inclusion of this cave in the Adi Kailash Yatra route by Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, the last village of the high Himalayan Darma valley of Dharchula, will give a new opportunity to religious tourism.
• According to mythological beliefs (Shiva Purana), Lord Shiva made this cave as his place of penance after Sati got absorbed in the fire.
• The Shiva Circuit has been started by the Tourism Department of Uttarakhand to develop the existing various Shiva temples in the state as centres of religious tourism.
• The circuit starts from Ekeshwar Mahadev Temple at Pauri Garhwal, covering 24 Shiva temples of Uttarakhand and ends at Dandeshwar Temple at Bageshwar.