• 21 Oct 2021

Kushinagar International Airport Inaugurated

Why in News

• On October 20, 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar International Airport constructed at a cost of about Rs 254 crore in district Kushinagar.

Key Points

• On this occasion, the Prime Minister inaugurated/laid the foundation stone of 12 development works worth Rs 180.66 crore including the foundation stone of Government Medical College, Kushinagar at a cost of Rs 281.45 crore in district Kushinagar.
• It is to be noted that from the year 1947 to the year 2014, only 2 airports in Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow, and Varanasi were functional. The connectivity of the state was also at that time only for 15 to 16 places.
• This will be the 9th functional airport of the state, now Uttar Pradesh is directly connected with air service at 75 destinations.
• It is the third international airport of the state after Kushinagar, Ayodhya and Noida International Airport. At present work is going on on 11 new airports in Uttar Pradesh.
• Kushinagar International Airport will be helpful in the development of East Uttar Pradesh as well as North West Bihar.
• Apart from becoming a medium of air connectivity, Kushinagar International Airport will directly benefit farmers, livestock farmers, shopkeepers, workers, entrepreneurs etc. Tourism, travel taxi, hotel-restaurant, small business people will get the most benefit here. Also, new employment opportunities will be created for the youth of this area.
• Diplomats from 12 countries participated in the opening ceremony of this airport. This airport will connect Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Laos and many countries of South-East Asia by international air service with India.
• Kushinagar is the center of faith and inspiration for the Buddhists of the world. This is the Mahaparinirvana site of Lord Buddha.

Bihar Vidhan Sabha Century Celebrations

Why in News

• On October 21, 2021, President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the centenary celebrations organized to mark the centenary of the Bihar Legislative Assembly building. Earlier, the President laid the foundation stone of the Centenary Memorial Stambh in the Assembly Complex.

Key Points

• This memorial pillar, 25 feet high, is being established to commemorate the completion of the hundred years of the main building. This building of the Legislative Assembly was completed in the month of March 1920.
• The first meeting of the Legislative Assembly was held on 7 February 1921 in the newly constructed building after Bihar and Orissa provinces got full statehood in 1920. Presently the term of the 17^th Vidhan Sabha is going on.
• The first meeting held on February 7, 1921 was attended by Lord Satyendra Prasad Sinha as governor. At the time of the British, this building was known as the Bihar-Orissa Legislative Council.
• After the introduction of the Government of India Act, 1919, Bihar and Orissa got full state status. Satyendra Prasad Sinha became the first governor of Bihar.
• After the first election after independence, the assembly met for the first time in 1952, when there were 331 members in the assembly. The present Bihar Legislative Assembly has 243 members.
• This building of the Bihar Legislative Assembly has been constructed in the Italian Renaissance style. It shows a proportional balance. The tall circular pillars and semicircular arches further enhance its beauty.
• This building has cut marks at a certain interval, which make it very beautiful. In the eyes of experts, it is an extension of the Indo-Saracenic style. The Proceeding Hall of the Vidhan Sabha is in a semicircular shape. The assembly complex has three halls, 12 rooms.
• Architect A.M. Millwood designed the Bihar Legislative Assembly building. Its internal structure is 60 feet long and 50 feet wide. The length of the front side of the assembly building is 230 feet. The building of the Legislature was divided into two parts after the Act of 1935. The Legislative Assembly was formed in the first part and the Legislative Council in the second.
• Shri Krishna Singh was the first Chief Minister of Bihar. During his chief ministership, the Zamindari Abolition Bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly on September 18, 1947 and the Land Reform Act was passed in 1950.
• Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that President Ram Nath Kovind was the Governor of Bihar for almost two years. After that he became the President. Prior to this, Zakir Hussain became the President from the Governor of Bihar.

'Jeeva Daya Award'

Why in News

• On October 20, 2021, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, under the Acharya Vidyasagar Jeevdaya Goseva Samman Yojna established by the Madhya Pradesh government in Jabalpur, has done excellent work in the field of cow protection and cow service in the year 2018-19 and in the year 2019-20. The 'Jeev Daya Puraskar' was given to the Gaushalas.

Key Points

• In this ceremony, the first prize of the Institutional Category for the year 2018-19 was awarded to Acharya Vidyasagar Go-Vardhan Kendra, Leharda District Sagar, third prize to Dayodaya Animal Service Center, Ashok Nagar for excellent work in the field of cow protection and cow service.
• Consolation prizes were given to Gopal Gaushala Kachnariya (Dist. Ujjain), Raj Rajeshwari Goshala Gotegaon (Dist. Narsinghpur), Govansh Rakshak Samiti Varasivani (Dist. Balaghat) and Triveni Goshala Jhagadia (Dist. Betul).
• For doing excellent work in the field of Goseva, in the year 2018-19, first prize in the individual category was given to Suraj Soni (Goputra) of Sagar, second prize to SK Upadhyay of Rewa and third prize to Gyanchand Jain of Panna.
• In the year 2019-20, among the awards given for excellent work in the field of cow protection and cow service, the first prize in the institutional category was given to Bahubali Jeev Raksha Sansthan Meghasivani (District Chhindwara) and second prize to Shri Ram Go Samvardhan Goshala Birkuniya (District Singrauli) .
• Sheetla Mata Goseva Samiti (Dist. Ujjain), Shri Ganesh Goshala (Dist. Agarmalwa) and Shrimad Bhagwat Goshala Kanadia (Dist. Indore) were given consolation prizes in this category.
• For doing excellent work in the field of cow protection and cow service, Swami Rishabh Devanand of Gwalior was given first prize, Pawan Rajput Hatta of Damoh second and Dr Shweta Singh Maravi of Mandla third in the individual category awards for the year 2019-20.

11th National Junior Women's Hockey Championship

Why in News

• On October 20, 2021, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated the 11th National Junior Women's Hockey Championship at Astro Turf Stadium, Simdega. Teams from 27 states will participate in this competition, which will run till October 29.

Key Points

• The opening match was played between the hosts Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. This competition was to be held in the month of April, but it was canceled due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
• One of the most remote and backward districts of the state, Simdega is known as the hockey capital of the state. The 11^th National Sub-Junior Women's Hockey Championship was held here a few months back.
• The teams are divided into eight pools. Kerala, Tamil Nadu with Jharkhand in Pool-A, Haryana, Assam, Rajasthan in Pool-B, Mizoram in Pool-C, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh in Pool-D, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Maharashtra, Delhi in Pool-E and Gujarat, Chandigarh, Bihar, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir in Pool-F, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh in Pool-G and Karnataka, Punjab, West Bengal and Lakshadweep, Puducherry in Pool-H has gone.
• Apart from this, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the new Astro Turf Hockey Stadium in Simdega and Khunti districts.
• Simdega and Khunti districts of Jharkhand are recognized as the nursery of hockey. Salima Tete, who played for the Indian women's team in the Olympics held this year, and Nikki Pradhan are residents of Khunti. Ansuta Lakra, former captain of the Indian women's hockey team, is also from Simdega.

Shree Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store Scheme

Why in News

• On October 20, 2021, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel launched Shree Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store Yojna through video conferencing from his residence office. Under this scheme, he launched 84 shops in the state.

Key Points

• Under this scheme 15-15 in Durg district and Janjgir-Champa district, 6-6 in Dhamtari, Korba and Raigarh, 5 in Rajnandgaon, 3-3 in Bilaspur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Bijapur, Raipur, Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi, Two medical stores have been opened in Surajpur and Jashpur.
• One store each has been opened in Mahasamund, Balodabazar-Bhatapara, Gariaband, Bemetara, Kabirdham, Surguja, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kanker and Dantewada districts.
• Quality medicines will be available to the consumers at affordable rates from Shree Dhanwantri Generic Medical Stores. Consumers will get the benefit of minimum 50.09 percent and maximum 71 percent discount on the MRP of medicines.
• The Chief Minister also inaugurated home kits of medicines and travel kits on the occasion. This kit will be available for sale at Shree Dhanwantri Generic Medical Store. The home kit, priced at Rs 691, will be available in these medical stores at Rs 290 and the travel kit, which costs Rs 311, will be available at Rs 130.
• Under this scheme run by the Urban Administration and Development Department, there is a plan to start 190 medical stores in 169 cities of the state in the coming time. It will be mandatory to sell 251 types of generic medicines and 27 surgical products in these medical stores. Apart from this, Sanjeevani products of Forest Department, cosmetics products and baby food etc. will also be sold.
• The generic medicines available from these medical stores will be from 20 branded companies, which will be affordable as well as quality.