• 22 Apr 2022

Police Reform Exercise in Uttar Pradesh

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave many guidelines related to police reforms in a meeting.

Key Points

• In order to increase the efficiency of Uttar Pradesh ATS (Anti-Terrorist Squad), the Chief Minister has directed to prepare a proposal regarding training of its officers and jawans from agencies like US Federal Investigation Agency (FBI) and Home Land Security.
• Apart from this, the Chief Minister also gave some other instructions, the details of which are as follows-
  
  • Formation of UP Special Police Establishment on the lines of CBI.
  • To select and train the soldiers for the new Special Police Operation Team (Spot) of ATS, in the next 100 days,.
  • Formation of Special Task Force unit in Ayodhya in the next 100 days.
• Some decisions have also been taken regarding gender equality in police forces, such as-
  
  • Doubling the number of women workers.
  • Construction of pink booths near religious places.
  • To provide scooty to every female beat constable.
  • Formation of women commando team.

Uttar Pradesh Textiles and Garment Policy, 2022

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Navneet Sehgal, Additional Chief Secretary (Handlooms and Textiles) of Uttar Pradesh to finalize the draft Textiles and Garment Policy, 2022.

Key Points

• The objective of this policy is to make Uttar Pradesh a global textile hub and attract investors in the handloom and textile sector.
• Under this, arrangements will be made to provide various types of facilities to entrepreneurs along with a capital investment subsidy of up to 40%. Also, investors of Purvanchal and Bundelkhand will be given additional benefits in the proposed policy.
• In the new policy, a provision is being made to give 100% stamp duty and land cost subsidy.
• To increase exports from the state, exemption from export subsidy and electricity duty will also be given, as well as 100 percent reimbursement will be given to the developers who develop private textile parks.
• Significantly, under the Textiles and Apparel Policy, 2017, 79 proposals for investment in the handloom and textile sector were received, out of which 53 were for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and 26 for large, mega and super mega industries.

Lohar Caste Delisted From the List of Scheduled Tribes

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, the Bihar government withdrew the Scheduled Tribe status from the Lohar caste by issuing an order.

Key Points

• This decision has been taken by the state government after the decision of the Supreme Court.
• It is noteworthy that in the year 2016, the Lohar caste in Bihar was removed from the category of extremely backward class and given the status of Scheduled Tribe.
• The decision of the state government was challenged in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court in its judgment in Sunil Kumar & Ors vs State Government & Ors set aside the order of the State Government for the year 2016.
• Under this decision of the General Administration Department, due to the inclusion of the Lohar caste in the Annexure Forest like other backward castes, now the Lohar caste will be given the same facilities as other castes coming under the Other Backward Classes.
• Article 366 (25) defines Scheduled Tribes as such tribes or tribal communities or parts or groups of such tribes or tribal communities which are deemed to be Scheduled Tribes under Article 342 for the purposes of this Constitution.

Churu District Collector Honored for Excellence in Public Administration

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored Churu District Collector Siddharth Sihag with the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration at a function organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi on the occasion of Civil Services Day (April 21, 2022).

Key Points

• Under this award received by Churu district for excellent work and better achievements in the district under the 'Khelo India' campaign, the Prime Minister honored the district collector with a check of Rs 20 lakh and a citation.
• This award was given for the wide-scale participation of young players in the development of sports centers in the district, medals received by the players at national and international level, representation of women players, para-sportsmen, innovation done by the district administration in Fit India-Khelo India.
• It is noteworthy that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned 8 centers of Khelo India in the district Athletics Rajgarh, Dronacharya National Boxing Academy Rajgarh, Table Tennis District Stadium Churu, Hockey Gajuwas, Handball Academy Iron, Weightlifting, Wrestling, Boxing Urmila Sports Academy, Nyangal. There are big operations, this number is highest in Rajasthan.
• The newly built International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) certified world class synthetic athletic track has been built at District Stadium Churu from SAI's contribution of Rs 6.30 crores.
• It is worth mentioning that 34 players from the district were represented in the Khelo India Youth Games, 2019 and 2020. Out of these, medals were received by 10 players in Khelo India Youth Games, 2020, which was 20 percent of the medals received by Rajasthan.
• There was good representation of women and para-players in the district from 2019 to 2021 and women and para-players won medals. As an innovation by the district administration, the Fit India program was made successful by making children aware about nutrition and health by running a nutrition and health awareness campaign in the schools of the district.

Rajiv Gandhi Fintech Digital Institute

Why in News?

In the review meeting of Fintech Digital University, Jodhpur held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on April 21, 2022, a revised amount of Rs.672.5 crore was approved for the establishment of Rajiv Gandhi Fintech Digital Institute in Jodhpur.

Key Points

• This institute will be set up in 66 bighas of land in Jodhpur. In the budget announcement for the year 2021-22, Rs 400 crore was allocated for the establishment of Fintech Digital Institute.
• This institute will be developed as state of the art. The campus of the institute will be net zero campus with zero waste, zero electricity and zero water. This building will be an environment-friendly building. This will be the first of its kind construction in the state of Rajasthan.
• Initially, a capacity of 1,400 students was envisaged for the institute. Now considering the number of UG, PG and PhD programmes, the number of students has been revised up to 4,000.
• Four schools are proposed under Rajiv Gandhi Fintech Digital Institute. It houses the School of Financial Information Systems, the School of Financial Technology, Instruments and Markets, the School of Financial Systems and Analytics and the School of Fintech Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
• The institute will have smart classrooms, tutorial room, lecture theatre, flip classroom, computer lab, computer centre, central library center of excellence, seminar hall, board room, auditorium for 1,000 students, sports facilities etc.
• The institute will be constructed within an area of 11,55,500 sq. ft. with guest house, academic block, workshops, hostel, faculty block, non-teaching block, dean's and director's residence. It will have state-of-the-art IT facilities for teaching, research and development.

69th State Level Senior Kabaddi Competition

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, Minority Affairs Minister of Rajasthan Shale Mohammad duly inaugurated the 69^th state level three-day senior men's and women's kabaddi competition at Shaheed Poonam Singh Stadium in Jaisalmer.

Key Points

• The competition will be held till April 24.
• It is noteworthy that for the first time, the State Level Senior Kabaddi Competition is being organized by the District Kabaddi Association in Jaisalmer.
• In this competition teams from 31 districts are participating in the men's section and teams from 24 districts in women's section.
• On this occasion, the Minority Affairs Minister said that for the first time in the state, a provision of 2 percent reservation has been made for medal winning sportspersons in government jobs, which is an exemplary step for the sports world.

Datia District Received Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored Datia district administration with the Prime Minister's Award for excellence in public administration and promotion of public participation in the nutrition campaign on Civil Services Day (April 21, 2022).

Key Points

• Datia District Collector Sanjay Kumar received this award in a program organized at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Along with this, three other officers of Madhya Pradesh cadre were also conferred with PM Excellence Award.
• In Datia district, 'Mera Bachha Abhiyan' was started in the nutrition campaign through public participation. In the campaign, malnourished mothers and children were identified and included in the ‘Malnutrition to Nutrition’ program.
• The objective of this program is to remove underweight, stunting and physical wasting in children and to treat anemia in women. Along with this, the community was also motivated to provide food support to the families of malnourished children in the district under the theme 'Poshan Matka'.
• Indore District Collector Manish Singh has been honored with PM Excellence Award, 2020 for citizen-government interface for 'Clean Indore Abhiyan'.
• Madhya Pradesh MSME operator Vishesh Gadhpale has been awarded PM Excellence Award, 2019 for developing a software for different interface between government and citizen for day to day activities.
• In the same sequence, Ajay Tirkey, IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh, who is currently on deputation in the post of Secretary in the Central Land Resources Department, for the innovation of developing 'One Nation-One Software' application for registration of property documents and works etc. PM Excellence Award, 2021 given.

406 Mobile Veterinary Units Approved for Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister of Madhya Pradesh Prem Singh Patel informed that 406 mobile veterinary units have been approved by the Central Government at the rate of 4 crore 6 lakh livestock in the state.

Key Points

• A new component of the Veterinary Unit run by the Government of India has been included in the scheme for establishment and strengthening of Central Veterinary Hospitals and Dispensaries in the year 2021-22. Under the scheme, one mobile veterinary unit will be operated for every one lakh livestock.
• The vehicle of the Mobile Veterinary Unit will be fully equipped with modern equipment and staff. The vehicle will have a Veterinarian, a Paravet and a Driver Co-Assistant. Apart from this, necessary equipment related to veterinary, minor surgery, artificial insemination, disease investigation will be installed in the vehicle. Projectors, speakers etc. will also be installed for publicity.
• A provision of Rs 18 lakh 72 thousand per mobile veterinary unit has been made per year for the necessary human resources available in the vehicle, medicine, POL for the vehicle and maintenance etc. It will have 60 percent central share and 40 percent state share.
• A provision of Rs 16 lakh has also been made for vehicles, vehicle decoration, equipment required for veterinary medicine, publicity equipment and fabrication. This amount is based on 100% central assistance.
• A call center will also be set up for a mobile veterinary unit. Call Operators and Veterinary Doctors will be appointed in the Call Center. A provision of 60 percent central share and 40 percent state share has been made for the centre.

Decline in Child Mortality Under the Age of Five

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, Haryana Health and Family Welfare Minister Anil Vij informed that as per the Registrar General of India and Sample Registration System (SRS) the latest child health data shows a five digit rate of infant mortality in Haryana under five years of age. There has been a significant decline.

Key Points

• Minister Anil Vij informed that Haryana has the highest drop of 5 points in U5MR as compared to neighboring states like Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
• He informed that Haryana is focusing on further improving child health services through continuous endeavor to provide quality healthcare to mothers and babies. Free surgeries under RBSK programs have also contributed to the decline of child mortality.
• Haryana has seen a five-point drop in the Under Five Mortality Rate (U5MR) from 36 (SRS, 2018) to 31 (SRS, 2019) per 1000 births.
• Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has come down from 30 (SRS 2018) to 27 (SRS 2019) and Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) has come down from 22 (SRS 2018) to 19 (SRS 2019), both these indicators also have a significant decline of 3 digit.
• The decline in child health indicators is due to various child health initiatives taken by the health department, which include 24 Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) along with functional Kangaroo Mother Care Units (KMC units). Two new SNCUs have been established at Sub Divisional Hospital (SDH), Ambala Cantonment and SDH Jagadhri.
• Mother Newborn Care Unit (MNCU) has been established at Nalhar Medical College, Nuh and Agroha Medical College, Hisar. 66 Neonatal Stabilization Units (NBSUs), 318 Newborn Care Centers as well as 11 Nutritional Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) have also played an important role in reducing the NMR and further IMR.

Inauguration of 33 Road Projects Costing Rs.9240 crore in Chhattisgarh

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari built a total of 1017 kms in Chhattisgarh costing Rs.9240 crores. Inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 33 road projects of length.

Key Points

• These projects were inaugurated and the foundation stone was laid in the program organized by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India and the National Highways Authority of India at Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College, Raipur.
• With the construction of these roads, the connectivity with the neighboring states of Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh will become better. A smooth road network will be developed for the backward areas of the state. This will result in savings in fuel, travel time, distance and overall transportation cost.

National Tribal Literature Festival

Why in News?

A three-day program of National Tribal Literature Festival, State Level Tribal Dance Festival and State Level Tribal Art and Painting Competition was organized in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh from 19-21 April, 2022.

Key Points

• It was organized in collaboration with the Government of India, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Tribal Research and Training Institute.
• During this event, along with various programs, eminent litterateurs of the country had in-depth discussions on tribal literature and culture.
• Literary discussion and research paper reading were done under Sahitya Mahotsav. A total of 08 sessions were organized under the literary discussion program, in which eminent litterateurs of the country participated.

Hi-tech Beekeeping Training Center to be Built in Champawat

Why in News?

On April 21, 2022, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami gave instructions to the officers of the Horticulture Department regarding the establishment of a training center in Champawat during the honey extraction program organized at the Chief Minister's residence.

Key Points

• It is worth mentioning that Chief Minister Dhami had recently directed to develop the premises of the Chief Minister's residence as a model of horticulture activities, so that the people visiting the Chief Minister's residence can get first-hand experience and information about modern techniques in horticulture.
• On this occasion Director Horticulture Harminder Singh Baweja informed that apart from honey production, bees increase agricultural production by increasing pollination.
• Similarly products like royal jelly, propolis, beeswax, pollen, comb honey and bee venom are also prepared by beekeepers.
• It is worth noting that Sweet Revolution is an ambitious initiative of the Government of India to promote beekeeping, which is known as 'beekeeping'. The National Beekeeping and Honey Mission was launched by the government in the year 2020 (under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) to promote the sweet revolution.

Pravesh Utsav

Why in News?

On April 20, 2022, Uttarakhand Education and Health Minister Dhan Singh Rawat launched a massive enrollment drive 'Pravesh Utsav'.

Key Points

• This massive enrollment drive is being run by the Education Department of Uttarakhand to increase student enrollment in government schools of the state.
• The 10-day 'Pravesh Utsav' campaign will be conducted till April 30.
• The Education Department will provide a computer system to the top ten schools with the highest enrollment in the campaign in their district.
• The student enrollment ratio in Uttarakhand is as follows-

Uttarakhand	Primary (1 to 5)			Upper Primary (6 to 8)			Elementary (1 to 8)
	Boys 113.7	Girls 116.7	total 115.2	Boys 97.3	Girls 99.2	Total 98.2	Boys 107.3	Girls 109.7	Total 108.5

(Source: Handbook of Statistics on Indian States, RBI)