• 23 Aug 2021

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh passes away

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021, Kalyan Singh, former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and former Governor of Rajasthan, passed away at the age of 89.

Key Points

• He died due to sepsis and multi organ failure. He breathed his last at SGPGI Hospital in Lucknow.
• Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has declared three-day state mourning in Uttar Pradesh in honor of Kalyan Singh, while August 23 has been declared a public holiday.
• Significantly, Kalyan Singh was the Chief Minister of India's most populous state 'Uttar Pradesh' twice (from June 1991 to December 1992 and from September 1997 to November 1999).
• His first term is remembered for the demolition of the long-controversial Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 26, 1992.
• Kalyan Singh also served as the Governor of Rajasthan between 2014-2019.

10 Oxygen Plants Inaugurated

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan virtually inaugurated newly installed oxygen plants costing Rs. 6.5 crore in 10 hospitals of Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• These 10 oxygen plants have the capacity to produce 5500 LPM (Litre Per Minute) of oxygen. With the establishment of these oxygen plants, Madhya Pradesh will become self-sufficient in oxygen.
• These plants have been set up at Ashta and Rehti in Sehore district, Vidisha and Sironj in Vidisha district, Khargone and Barwah in Khargone district, Khurai in Sagar district, besides Katni, Tikamgarh and Narsinghpur districts.
• No government hospital had an Oxygen Generation Plant in Madhya Pradesh as of March 2020. At present 190 oxygen plants are being set up in the state. Of these, 68 plants have been established and 65 plants have been made functional so far. All the remaining plants will be functional by the month of September.
• Following are the Oxygen Plants inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh-

Dedicated Oxygen Plant
Health Institution	Production Capability	Health Institution	Production Capability
Community Health Center Rehti, District Sehore	200 LPM	District Hospital, Khargone	250 LPM
Civil Hospital Ashta, District Sehore	300 LPM	Civil Hospital Barwah, District Khargone	500 LPM
District Hospital, Vidisha	1000 LPM	District Hospital, Tikamgarh	500 LPM
Civil Hospital Sironj, District Vidisha	250 LPM	District Hospital, Narsinghpur	1000 LPM
District Hospital, Katni	1000 LPM	Civil Hospital Khurai, District Sagar	500 LPM

Haryana Got Award for Water Management

Why in News

• On August 22, 2021, the Department of Irrigation and Water Resources, Haryana was awarded the 'Energy Environment Foundation Global Innovation in Water Technology Award 2021' in the platinum category by 'Energy and Environment Foundation' in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.

Key Points

• Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat gave this honor to Haryana during a virtual program.
• Haryana Irrigation Department Chief Engineer Satbir Kadian informed that Haryana has got this award for effective implementation of excellent schemes of water management.
• He said that the lift canal system of the state is being continuously appreciated and its water management policies have been appreciated at the national level.

Manendragarh is named as 'Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur'

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021 Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced that Manendragarh, one of the four new districts announced recently, will now be known as 'Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur'.

Key Points

• Chief Minister Baghel made this announcement while addressing a delegation of people from two newly declared districts – 'Manendragarh' and 'Shakti' at his official residence.
• He said that the main idea behind the announcement of new districts was to work fast in the areas of education, health, employment and other sectors.
• He said that Chhattisgarh is the ninth largest state in the country geographically, where there is a sparse population in many areas. Due to the geographical locations, the government faces difficulties in taking the government schemes to the general public. The creation of new districts will reduce the distance between the administration and the people and will help in strengthening the governance.
• Significantly, on August 15, 2021, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had announced the formation of four new districts including Manendragarh by reorganizing the districts in the state.

Raigarh Became the First District of the State to have 100% Vaccination

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021, it was officially announced by the state government that Raigarh has become the first district in Chhattisgarh where all adults have received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Key Points

• An official statement said that the target of the first dose of vaccination in the district was met on August 20, which was announced on August 21.
• According to the target, out of the total population of 16 lakh 94 thousand 234 in the district, 10 lakh 42 thousand 625 people were to be administered the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, which has been completed.
• Here as per the target, the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine has been given to 100% of the people above the age of 18 years. The health department and district administration took 217 days to complete the target.
• According to the Health Department, since the start of the vaccination campaign, Raigarh has been the leader in the entire state. On June 26, a mega-vaccination drive was carried out in the district, in which a record 1.43 lakh adults were vaccinated in a single day.

Sputnik-V Vaccine Launched in Uttarakhand

Why in News

• On August 22, 2021, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the use of Sputnik-V vaccine in the state at the Graphic Era Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun.

Key Points

• A total of 100 people were given the Sputnik-V vaccine at the launch event. RC Ghanshala, Chief Patron, Graphic Era Group received the first dose of Sputnik-V Vaccine.
• Dr. Ajay Patel, Principal Medical Officer, Graphic Era Hospital said that the Sputnik-V vaccine has been declared 95% effective against Covid-19 and in the case of the Delta variant, the vaccine is considered to be about 83% effective.
• After registering on the Cowin app, one can get the Sputnik-V vaccine at Graphic Era Hospital at a fee set by the government.
• To prevent coronavirus infection, 100% vaccination work has been done in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand. Along with Bageshwar, Khirsu block of Pauri district has also achieved its target and achieved 100% target of first dose in the entire block.
• Significantly, in Uttarakhand, more than 58 lakh people have received the first dose of Covid-19 vaccination so far, while the number of people who have received both the doses is more than 18 lakh.

Country's Highest Medicinal Garden

Why in News

• On August 21, 2021, India's highest medicinal garden was inaugurated at an altitude of 11,000 feet at Mana village, located near the Indo-China border in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Key Points

• The research wing of Uttarakhand Forest Department has developed the park on more than three acres of land given by Mana Van Panchayat. About 40 species of medicinal value of the high altitude alpine region of Himalayas have been preserved in this medicinal garden.
• According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), many of these species are endangered. Some are also included in the list of endangered species of the State Biodiversity Board.
• This park is divided into four sections. In this, the first category includes species associated with Badrinath (Lord Vishnu) - Badri Tulsi, Badri Ber, Badri Vriksha and the sacred tree Bhojpatra.
• The second class belongs to the Ashtavarga species, a group of eight herbs found in the Himalayan region. These include Riddhi, Vriddhi, Jivaka, Rishabhaka, Kakoli, Kshir Kakoli, Maida and Maha Maida, which are important ingredients of Chyawanprash. Four of these herbs belong to the lily family and four to the orchid family.
• In the third category are the species of snow lotus. These include the Brahma Kamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. Other species of snow lotus in the park include the Fem Kamal, Neel Kamal and Koot.
• The fourth group consists of alpine species including Atisha, Meethavish, Vanakkadi and Choru, all of which are important medicinal herbs and are in high demand.
• It is worth mentioning that Mana is the last Indian village in Chamoli district bordering China and it is close to the famous temple 'Badrinath' situated in the Himalayas.