• 23 Jul 2022

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay State Employees Cashless Medical Scheme

Why In News?

• On July 21, 2022, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched the 'Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay State Employees Cashless Medical Scheme', in a move in the interest of all government employees of the state. Now all the government employees of the state will be able to avail the benefit of the system of cashless treatment.

Key Points

• Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to implement this scheme. Now 22 lakh serving and retired government employees of Uttar Pradesh will not have to make rounds of officials to pay their medical expenses
• Apart from the government employees of the state, the government has started this system for pensioners and their dependents as well, that is, about 75 lakh people will be benefited from this scheme.
• Under this scheme, apart from state employees and pensioners, their families will get free treatment up to five lakh rupees per annum in all private hospitals registered under Ayushman Yojana.
• Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak said that through the State Health Card, state employees, pensioners and their dependents will get medical facilities in all medical colleges, government hospitals and private hospitals registered in Ayushman Bharat.

New railway Junction will be built in Bhojpur

Why In News?

• Recently, the North Eastern Railway has taken 61 km. Preliminary survey of the long Ara-Ballia train route has been completed. Also, a proposal has been sent to make Jagjivan Halt located near Ara junction a new junction.

Key Points

• This information was given by Lok Sabha MP from Ballia Virendra Singh. He said that 61 km. After the completion of the preliminary survey of the long Ara-Ballia train route, the Railway Board has given permission to prepare a DPR (Detailed Project Report) for this new railway line.
• Along with this, a proposal has been sent to develop Jagjivan Halt near Ara Junction in Bhojpur district of Bihar as a railway junction.
• The total length of the proposed Ara-Ballia rail line project by the North Eastern Railway is 61.693 km. Will be There will be a total of 10 halts and stations in this route.
• The new railway line will cross the Ganges near Nainijor in Buxar district via Masad, Dhamar, Umraoganj and Dhamwal in Bhojpur district and join Chhapra-Varanasi rail line near Ballia via Kathi Kripalpur Haldi, Sohilpur in Uttar Pradesh. A new rail bridge will also be built on the river Ganga on this route.
• With the construction of the new railway line, the distance between Ara in Bihar and Ballia town of Uttar Pradesh is 36 km. It will be reduced and the people of Bhojpur district will be able to get a direct train to Ballia. This will also reduce their travel expenses.

Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart–2022

Why In News?

• On July 22, 2022, The Minister of Arts and Culture of Rajasthan, Dr. B.D. Kalla inaugurated the second edition of Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart (RDTM) 2022 at Hotel Clarks, Amer.

Key Points

• The RDTM is being jointly organised by the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism in Rajasthan (FHTR) and Rajasthan Tourism.
• On this occasion, the Rajasthan Film Tourism Promotion Policy 2022 was released and a booklet on the MoU for The Incredible Cultural Heritage with UNESCO was released.
• Dr. B.D. Kalla said that promotion of tourism is a high priority of the state government, so a budget favourable to the tourism sector was announced. The tourism-related visionary policies of the State Government will be beneficial in promoting innovations as a preferred tourist destination.
• Chief Secretary Usha Sharma said that for the first time in history, a budget of Rs 1000 crore has been allocated to the Tourism Development Fund. Out of this, Rs 600 crore will be spent on infrastructure development and Rs 400 crore for marketing and branding.
• Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary, Department of Tourism, said that the Rajasthan Film Tourism Promotion Policy aims to establish Rajasthan as the largest film-friendly state and destination for film shooting. At the same time, the state has to be made the most preferred film tourist destination.
• The policy will help in promoting the art and culture of the State, encouraging the production of high quality Rajasthani language films and creating employment opportunities related to the film industry in the State.
• FHTR Chairman Apoorva Kumar said public-private partnerships are the way to revive the industry. Rajasthan Domestic Travel Mart 2022 will be suitable for the respective travel partners to serve as a common platform for interaction and business creation.
• It is worth mentioning that Rajasthan is known in the country and the world for its rich culture, historical heritage, forts, palaces, art and culture, wildlife, fairs and festivals, adventure, wedding, film shoot sites.

Bar Council of Rajasthan's new building in High Court Jodhpur campus

Why In News?

• On July 22, 2022, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved a proposal of Rs. 14.37 crore for the construction of a new building of the Bar Council of Rajasthan in the premises of the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur.

Key Points

• With this approval, a 500-person capacity auditorium, strong room, electric room and staff room etc. will be constructed on the ground floor of the new building of the Bar Council and the room and other facilities of the Secretary and office bearers of the Bar Council on the ground floor will be developed.
• On the first and second floors of this, the room of the Chairman of the Council, the Vice Chairman' Hall, the Meeting Hall, the Library, the Driver's Dormitory, the Multipurpose Hall and the Office will be constructed.
• The building will be constructed by Rajasthan State Road Development and Construction Corporation (RSRDC).
• It is noteworthy that a financial provision of Rs 8.53 crore was announced in this regard by the Chief Minister in the budget for the year 2022-23. Expanding the facilities due to increase in the auditorium and construction area, the Chief Minister has given approval for a revised amount of Rs.14.37 crore.

Madhya Pradesh gets 'Most Film Friendly State' award

Why In News?

• The 68th National Film Awards 2020 were announced at the National Media Centre in New Delhi on July 22, 2022. In this, Madhya Pradesh was given the 'Most Film Friendly State' award.

Key Points

• For the second time since 2017, Madhya Pradesh has been awarded this award. Thirteen states participated in this category of National Film Awards.
• Apart from this, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand were given the award of 'Most Film Friendly State (Special Mention)'.
• In another achievement, the award for Best Ethnographic Film in the Non-Feature Film category went to the film Mandal Ke Bol directed by Rajendra Jangle. The film has been produced by Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum. The film depicts the Baiga tribal life and their rural environment.
• It is noteworthy that in order to attract and invite filmmakers, according to the Film Tourism Policy, 2020 in the state, various types of grants and exemptions are given along with the facility of single window system for filming permission.
• There is a provision of financial grant of up to Rs.10 crore for international films, TV serials and web series, 25% or Rs.2 crores for national feature films and 25% or rs.1 crore for TV serials and web series. Also, a maximum financial grant of Rs.40 lakh will be given for the documentary.
• There is a provision of additional financial grant of up to Rs.25 lakh to take local artistes of the state into filmmaking. A discount of 40% is provided for film crews to stay in hotels and resorts of the Tourism Department with a financial grant of up to 30% on film infrastructure development.
• Land reserved for private investors is available for setting up of film cities, film studios, skill development centres, etc. for the development of film industry in the state. At the same time, various workshops are organized in the state to enhance the skills of local artists. Due to all these efforts, more than 250 films, web series, serials etc. have been shot in the state.

Shree Singaji Thermal Power Station

Why In News?

• On July 22, 2022, unit number four of 660 MW capacity of power station no.2 of Shri Singaji Thermal Power Station Khandwa of Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company set a record of generating 100 consecutive days of power generation.

Key Points

• The plant load factor (PLF) of the unit during this period was 76.3 percent. The unit became operational on March 28, 2019.
• It is noteworthy that in Shree Singaji Thermal Power House Khandwa there are two units of 600-600 MW in power house number one and two units of 660-660 MW in power house number two.
• It is worth mentioning that the thermal power plants of Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company are continuously making records of uninterrupted power generation in the current financial year. Unit number one of 600 MW capacity of Shree Singaji Thermal Power Station has set a record of continuous uninterrupted power generation for 233 days.
• Similarly, unit number 10 of 250 MW capacity of Satpura Thermal Power House Sarni has created records of uninterrupted power generation for 130 days in 186 and 11 for 202 days and unit number 4 of 210 MW of Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power House, Birsingpur.

Burhanpur becomes country's first 'Har Ghar Jal' certified district

Why In News?

• On July 22, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said burhanpur district has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' certified district in the country, achieving the unprecedented and proud feat of providing tap-pure drinking water to every household through jal jeevan mission.

Key Points

• The Chief Minister said that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, so far more than 51 lakh 15 thousand rural households of the state are being provided tap water.
• All the 254 villages of Burhanpur district are being supplied with water from the 'Har Ghar Jal' scheme. These villages have been certified 'Every House Water'.
• Significantly, the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' launched in the year 2019 envisages supplying 55 liters of water per person per day to each rural household by the year 2024 through 'Functional Household Tap Connections' (FHTC).
• The mission, which comes under the 'Ministry of Jal Shakti', aims to develop water as a movement, so as to make it a priority of the people.
• In the Union Budget for the financial year 2021-22, as per The Sustainable Development Goal-6 (SDG-6), jal jeevan mission (urban) scheme has been announced under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to provide universal coverage of water supply to households through functional taps in all cities.

Direct Flight Launched between Jabalpur-Kolkata

Why In News?

• On July 22, 2022, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Minister of State for Civil Aviation General V.K. Singh (retd) launched a direct flight between Jabalpur and Kolkata by SpiceJet.

Key Points

• Speaking on the occasion, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said that there has been a massive expansion in air services in the country in the last one year. In Madhya Pradesh, which was operating 554 aircraft per week in July 2021, the figure has now gone up to 980.
• Providing direct air connectivity to the people of Jabalpur and its surrounding areas will facilitate smooth movement of passengers. The new direct flight will give a new option to the general public to travel, which will boost tourism potential and accelerate the economic activities of both the regions.
• He said Jabalpur was already connected to nine cities — Bengaluru, Delhi, Bilaspur, Hyderabad, Indore, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bhopal. It is now being linked to the 10th city of Kolkata.
• The air traffic in Jabalpur has increased to 182. Gwalior was connected to 4 cities in July 2021 with the movement of 56 aircraft, now this figure has increased to 100. Similarly, 308 aircraft were moving in Indore, which has increased to 468 and now it is connected to 20 cities.
• The state capital Bhopal, which had air connectivity with five cities in July 2021, has now been connected to 13 cities and is carrying 226 aircraft. Khajuraho is also connected to Delhi and has 4 flights per week operating from here.

India Innovation Index, 2021

Why In News?

• Madhya Pradesh has been ranked 13^th in the india innovation index-2021 released by NITI Aayog vice chairman Suman Beri on July 21, 2022 in the category of 17 major states.

Key Points

• In NITI Aayog's 3^rd India Innovation Index, the states and union territories were categorized into 17 major states, 10 northeastern and hill states and 9 union territories and city-states for an effective comparison of their performance.
• In the category of 17 major states, Karnataka topped the list with 18.01 points, followed by Telangana with 17.66 points and Haryana at the third position with 16.35 points. Whereas Chhattisgarh is ranked 17th (last) with 10.97 marks.
• Madhya Pradesh is ranked 13th in the category of 17 major states with 12.74 points.
• Manipur topped the northeastern and hill states category with 19.37 points. Uttarakhand (17.67 points) is at the second spot in this category, while Nagaland (11.00 points) is at the bottom.
• Chandigarh (27.88 marks) has topped the union territories and city-states category. In this category, Delhi (27.00 points) is at the second position, while Ladakh (5.91 points) is at the bottom.
• It is noteworthy that the India Innovation Index prepared by NITI Aayog and Competitiveness Institute is a means of evaluating and developing the country's innovation ecosystem. It ranks the states and union territories in order of their innovation performance, so that there is healthy competition among them.
• This innovation index has been prepared on the lines of Global Innovation Index. The analysis was based on 36 indicators in the previous editions, but this time used 66 indicators. The first and second innovation indexes were released in October 2019 and January 2021, respectively.

Online Service of Family Identity Card based Backward Class Certificate

Why In News?

• On July 22, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the online service of family identity card (PPP) based backward class certificate. Through this, now eligible persons will be able to get their backward class certificate made with just one click.

Key Points

• After the launch of the online service, the Chief Minister said that through this, people will not have to make rounds of offices.
• The Chief Minister informed that so far 22 lakh backward class families in Haryana have registered in the Family Identity Card (PPP). Out of these, the income of 19 lakh families has been verified through PPP. These families can make their backward class certificate through the 'Saral' portal.
• The Chief Minister said that those whose income verification is yet to be done and if they want backward class certificates, they can apply through the Saral portal. Giving immediate priority to their application, their income verification will be done and their Backward Classes certificate will be made at the earliest.
• The Chief Minister informed that the Backward Classes Certificate, which will be available from the Saral portal, will have the signature of the ADC.

Agriculture Schemes worth Rs.159 crore Approved

Why In News?

• On July 21, 2022, a meeting of the State Level Approval Committee was held under the chairmanship of Haryana Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal, in which projects worth Rs.159 crore were approved.

Key Points

• The Chief Secretary said that approval has been given in the meeting of the approval committee for the schemes being implemented to make agriculture a profitable economic activity through promotion of agricultural trade and entrepreneurship, to reduce the risk of farmers of the state.
• The implementation of these schemes will help in developing high-tech of agriculture and increase the income of the farmers.
• The Chief Secretary approved an incentive of Rs.2400 per acre to maize growing farmers in the state and Rs.3600 per acre for pulses crops. This will give a boost to oilseeds and pulses crops in the state.
• Apart from this, Rs 38.50 crore has been approved for crop diversification, so that farmers can strengthen their economic condition by adopting crop diversification in addition to traditional farming.
• For crop diversification, crop diversification schemes will be implemented in 50,000 acres of land to promote dench, maize and pulses crops in 10 districts of the state.
• He said that changing the crop cycle will also help in preventing serious exploitation of ground water and improve the soil health. He said that water conservation works should also be increased so that the underground water level can be improved.
• The Chief Secretary said that a portal has been made to provide relief to the farmers of the state from the problem of water logging. Farmers can voluntarily get drainage done from their agricultural land by uploading it on the portal. This year a target has been set to get rid of water logging problem of 20 thousand acres of farmers of Jhajjar, Rohtak, Sonepat.
• He informed that soil testing is being done under the Soil Health Card scheme and farmers are being motivated to use fertilizers, seeds etc. according to the quality of the land. For this 100 soil testing laboratories are being operated. So far 25 lakh samples have been taken through them and training is being given to farmers, farmer assistants. Along with this, demonstration plants are also being set up through self-help groups.

India Innovation Index, 2021

Why In News?

• Chhattisgarh has been ranked last (17^th) in the india innovation index-2021 released by NITI Aayog vice-chairman Suman Beri on July 21, 2022 in the category of 17 major states.

Key Points

• In NITI Aayog's 3^rd India Innovation Index, the states and union territories were categorized into 17 major states, 10 northeastern and hill states and 9 union territories and city-states for an effective comparison of their performance.
• In the category of 17 major states, Karnataka is at the top spot with 18.01 points, while Telangana is second with 17.66 points and Haryana is third with 16.35 points. Odisha is 16th with 11.42 points and Chhattisgarh is 17^th (last) with 10.97 points.
• Manipur topped the northeastern and hill states category with 19.37 points. Uttarakhand (17.67 points) is at the second spot in this category, while Nagaland (11.00 points) is at the bottom.
• Chandigarh (27.88 marks) has topped the union territories and city-states category. In this category, Delhi (27.00 points) is at the second position, while Ladakh (5.91 points) is at the bottom.
• It is noteworthy that the India Innovation Index prepared by NITI Aayog and Competitiveness Institute is a means of evaluating and developing the country's innovation ecosystem. It ranks the states and union territories in order of their innovation performance, so that there is healthy competition among them.
• This innovation index has been prepared on the lines of Global Innovation Index. The analysis was based on 36 indicators in the previous editions, but this time used 66 indicators. The first and second innovation indexes were released in October 2019 and January 2021, respectively.

'Most Film Friendly State (Special Mention)' Award

Why In News?

• The 68^th National Film Awards 2020 were announced at the National Media Centre in New Delhi on July 22, 2022. Uttarakhand has received the 'Most Film Friendly State (Special Mention)' award.

Key Points

• Uttarakhand Film Development Council nodal officer K.S. Chouhan informed that so far Uttarakhand has received National Film Award thrice under Best Film Friendly State.
• It is noteworthy that 13 states participated in this category of National Film Award. Madhya Pradesh got the 'Most Film Friendly State' award, while Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh were given the 'Most Film Friendly State (Special Mention)' award.
• According to K.S. Chauhan, Uttarakhand continues to be the favourite shooting destination for filmmakers. A conducive environment for shooting films and serials is available here. The natural beauty of Uttarakhand attracts filmmakers to shoot here.
• Attracted by the film policy of Uttarakhand, during the last five years, more than six hundred films and serials have been shot here. A total of 784 film permission certificates have been issued for shooting in Uttarakhand since 2015.
• He said that in the near future, Uttarakhand is going to become a film hub for shooting. Due to this, along with increasing the means of employment in Uttarakhand, there is a huge growth in the tourism sector as well.