• 24 Mar 2023

18 Ancient and Historical Sites of Uttar Pradesh Declared Protected

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Tourism and Culture Minister of Uttar Pradesh Jaiveer Singh said that the state government has issued a notification declaring 18 ancient and historical sites of the state as protected.

Key Points

• A notification has been issued by the state government declaring all these places protected under Section-3 of the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act-1904. These sites are located in six districts of the state
• Among the 18 monuments or sites declared protected by the State Archaeological Department, Jhansi-based Shivalaya, ancient Kolhu Kush Madiya, Champatrai's palace, post-medieval fort Banjaro's temple, Ber, Pisnari Dayi Mud, Pathamarhi, Tehrauli fort, Digara Garhi and Ram Janaki temple are included.
• Similarly, Kot Tila in Sant Kabir Nagar district, Rani's pond in Prayagraj, ancient Vishnu temple built by Ishtika, Gangola Shivala, Shiv Tandav in Mahoba district, Khankra Math, ancient Shiv temple in Farrukhabad district and Shiva temple (Tixi Temple) in Etawah have been declared protected.

Simulator Machine Made by NIT Patna Student Gets Patent

Why in News?

According to the information received from the media on March 23, 2023, the simulator machine made by Dr. Hilol Chakraborty, PhD student of NIT Patna, which will identify the moisture in the construction material of the road on the basis of the sample of the material, has got the patent.

Key Points

• According to PhD student Dr. Hilol Chakraborty, the simulator machine will help to identify, which material should be mixed with bitumen so that the road does not deteriorate quickly due to water or high heat or high pressure.
• This machine will tell how and how much cement or other materials should be mixed with bitumen depending on weather, pressure of vehicles and rocky places.
• It is known that Dr. Hilol Chakraborty, PhD student of NIT Patna, has invented the simulator machine after four years of research.
• NIT Dean Prof. Sanjeev Sinha said that due to floods in many areas of North Bihar, the road gets damaged every year. Due to this people have to face trouble. With the help of this machine, the roads will not deteriorate quickly, because the roads will be constructed after finding out the reasons for this.
• He said that this is the first machine for testing road construction material based on the new technology and it has been made at a very low cost.
• Now an agreement has to be made with any company or government for commercial use of the simulator machine. Billions of rupees are lost every year due to water and other reasons. While using this technique, the roads will not deteriorate quickly.

Four-Day Divisional Level Health Fair Started

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Rajasthan's Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully inaugurated the four-day divisional level health fair- Arogya Mela organised at the playground of Babu Shobharam Government Arts College, Alwar.

Key Points

• Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully said that fulfilling Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's vision of a healthy Rajasthan, divisional level health fairs are being organised in the state.
• He informed that better medical facilities are being provided to the people of the state through the 'Chiranjeevi Yojana'. Under this scheme, a health cover of up to Rs 25 lakh has been kept for the general public. Along with this, the state government has implemented 'Right to Health' providing the right to health to the common man.
• District head Balbir Singh Chhillar said that steps like Arogya Mela to promote Ayurveda will increase people's faith in Ayurveda.
• Deputy Director of Ayurveda Department Rajendra Singh said that 179 medical officers, 179 compounders and nurses from all the districts of Jaipur division participated in the fair.
• On this occasion, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Tikaram Jully inaugurated the green house medicinal plant exhibition at the divisional level health fair and shared information about various medicinal plants in the green house like Hadjod, Tulsi, Vasa, Harsingar, Ghrit Kumari, Amla, Anjeer, Arjun, Varun, Shigru, Giloy.
• 16 OPD stalls and 15 medical store stalls have been set up at the divisional level health fair, which include Homoeopathy medical consultation, Unani medicine, Agni Karma therapy, Shalya (Ksharsutra) therapy, Jaloka therapy, Panchakarma therapy, Geriatric therapy OPD.
• Specially stall of National Institute of Ayurveda Honorary University Jaipur was also set up in the fair, on which information about Ayurveda system was given through brochures and pamphlets.

Workshop on 'Early Childhood Care and Education in India'

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Rajasthan's Education Minister Zahida Khan inaugurated a two-day workshop on “Convergence and Management of Governance for Universalization and Quality Early Childhood Care and Education in India” by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) in Jaipur.

Key Points

• Representatives from 16 states are participating in the workshop.
• Education Minister Zahida Khan told that many innovations are being done in Rajasthan with special focus on 'Early Childhood Care and Education' (ECCE), which is exemplary for other states of the country. . Rajasthan's innovations like integration of Anganwadi centres into schools have been included in the National Education Policy-2020.
• He informed that 'School Readiness Programme' has been implemented in more than 68 thousand schools of Rajasthan. At present, about 62 thousand Anganwadi centres are being operated in the state under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS), out of which more than 42 thousand Anganwadi centres will be linked with the education department, focusing on early childhood care and education.
• The optimal development of children in the age group of 1 to 6 years is considered to be the most critical in childhood. The state government is working vigorously in this direction by identifying the important components of ECCE according to the need of the hour.
• Commissioner of Rajasthan School Education Council and State Project Director Dr. Mohanlal Yadav said that in order to eliminate unnecessary mental pressure on children in Anganwadi centres, school and at home, an initiative has been taken to reduce the syllabus by condensing the textbooks of this level and to implement innovation like 'No Bag Day' on Saturdays in Rajasthan.
• By incorporating Anganwadi centres in schools in the state, 'Child Friendly Furniture' has been made available in more than 37 thousand Anganwadi centres and materials for outdoor games for children in more than 34 thousand Anganwadi centres so far. Rajasthan ranks first in the country in programs like National Achievement Survey, Performance Grading Index and Khelo India.
• NIEPA Professor Dr. Rashmita Das told about ECCE that the responsibility of education of children in the age group of 3 to 6 years in the country has been borne by the government, which earlier had the monopoly of the private sector; civil society is also contributing to this.
• A framework is being established for uniform pre-primary education across the country, which can be implemented in all states and union territories.

Sanjay Sarovar irrigation Project Approved

Why in News?

According to the information provided by the Public Relations Department of Madhya Pradesh on 23 March 2023, the Central Water Commission has approved the first phase of proposals for the ambitious Sanjay Sarovar irrigation project related to Balaghat and Seoni districts of Madhya Pradesh. The Water Commission has approved the feasibility of the project.

Key Points

• With the approval of the first phase, about 300 villages of Balaghat and Seoni districts will be benefited. Of these, there are 117 villages in Balaghat district. Along with this, 11 thousand hectares of additional land in both the districts will be irrigated.
• Rs 357 crore has been approved for the Sanjay Sarovar Irrigation Scheme. With this, works related to cementation, strengthening and modernization of canals will be done.
• It is notable that the left bank canal system of the Parswara assembly constituency of the state is a part of the Sanjay Sarovar project. This canal system was constructed from the year 1998 to the year 2005. At present, the main canal, distribution canals and sub-distribution canals of this canal system have been damaged so far, they will be repaired.

Eat Right Challenge Contest Result Released

Why in News?

According to the information given by the Public Relations Department of Madhya Pradesh on 23 March 2023, the result of the Eat Right Challenge competition run by the Central Government in the country last year has been published, in which Bhopal has got the second position among the 260 districts involved from across the country.

Key Points

• 10 districts of Madhya Pradesh are among the first 50 districts in the list of Eat Right Challenge competition. In this, Gwalior is fifth and Ujjain is eighth.
• On coming 7th June, the nodal officers of the leading districts of the competition will be awarded by the Union Health Minister.
• It is worth mentioning that due to the 'Milawat se Mukti Abhiyan’(Freedom from Adulteration Campaign), large numbers of sample collection, organising camps for increasing the number of food licences, awareness campaigns for food safety are being done continuously in the state, as a result of which the districts have made commendable achievements in the Eat Right Challenge competition.
• It is known that various activities of the nationwide Eat Right Challenge were conducted from 1 May, 2022 to 15 November, 2022, with the aim of promoting a positive change in the eating habits of the common man and promoting self-compliance in food establishments.
• In the competition, separate marks were awarded for increasing the number of licence/registration, sample collection, millet recipe and fortification demonstration, Eat Right campus/station certification, enjoyment certification, hygiene rating and innovative activities.
• Under the challenge, innovations like 'News paper mein de khana, to bolo na-na', 'Done mein do na' of Ujjain district, started by the Collector of Bhopal, were appreciated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, New Delhi.
• During this, the first Eat Right Millet Fair in the country was also organised in Bhopal. Millet fairs are being organised at many places in the state during the International Millet (Shri Anna) year.

Chhattisgarh Appropriation Bill-2023 Passed in Vidhan Sabha

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel informed that the Appropriation Bill-2023 has been passed in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly.

Key Points

• The GSDP of Chhattisgarh was Rs 03 lakh 27 thousand 106 crore in the year 2018, which is estimated to increase to Rs 05 lakh 09 thousand 43 crore in 2023. The size of the economy has increased by 56 percent due to the policies of the state government, despite slowing down of economic activities due to the Covid-19 disaster for 02 consecutive years from March 2020.
• The growth in GSDP of the state is estimated at 8 percent in the year 2022-23, which is more than the estimated growth rate of All India GDP at 7 percent and the estimated growth rate of the state in agriculture sector, industrial sector and service sector in the year 2022-23 at constant price is higher than the national level.
• The state's growth rate in the agriculture sector was 5.93 percent, while the national growth rate was 3.50 percent; in the industrial sector, the state's growth rate was 7.83 percent, while the national growth rate was 4.10 percent. Similarly, the state's growth rate in the service sector was 9.21 percent and the national growth rate was 9.10 percent.
• The revenue of the state's own taxes is estimated to increase from Rs 21 thousand 427 crore in the year 2018-19 to Rs 38 thousand crore in the year 2023-24 (77 percent increase).
• Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, while making a big announcement in the Vidhansabha in the interest of farmers, also announced to purchase 20 quintals of paddy per acre at the support price.
• The Chief Minister informed that from 1 April, a survey will be conducted of the homeless, beneficiaries of Ujjwala Gas Yojana and toilets. All the eligible beneficiaries in the housing scheme will be given houses in a systematic manner.
• Capital expenditure in the year 2018-19 is Rs. 08 thousand 903 crore as compared to Rs. 18 thousand 660 crore estimated for the year 2023-24 (an increase of more than 2 times).
• The state government has not taken any loan from the market this year. In the last year 2021-22 also, the state had taken a net loan of 865 crores only. In the year 2022-23, by January 2023, the debt burden of Chhattisgarh is 17.9 percent of GSDP, which is much less than the limit of 25 percent set by the 15th Finance Commission.
• For the year 2023-24, 6.5 percent of revenue receipts by Chhattisgarh on interest payment of loans which is much less than the limit of 10 percent set by the 15th Finance Commission.

Chief Minister Made Many Important Announcements

Why in News?

On 23 March 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami made several important announcements for the state in a program organised on the completion of one year in office.

Key Points

• In the programme, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami informed that the 'Chief Minister's Competitive Examination Transport Scheme' has been implemented in the state, under which the candidates for competitive examinations of the state will have to pay only 50 percent fare in roadways buses. This facility will be available for both the journey going for the examination and coming back.
• Now computer and information technology education will be implemented from class six in the state. Apart from this, the pension received by the democracy fighter on his death will be given to the widowed wife.
• During this, the Chief Minister also released a one year new example development booklet of the Information and Public Relations Department.
• He also laid the foundation stone of the proposed City Forest Scheme at Tarla Nagar in Sahastradhara at a cost of Rs 37 crore.
• Other announcements of CM Dhami-
• Mobile laboratory - (Lab on Wheels) will be started in all 13 districts of Uttarakhand for government school children.
• Science and IT Corridor - Science technology and information technology corridor will be formed in the state. Science and Technology Innovation Policy will come soon.
• Sports University -The international stadium built at Goalapar in Haldwani will be upgraded to make it a sports university according to international standards.
• Chief Minister Horticulture Scheme - Chief Minister Horticulture Scheme will be started for the farmers of the state. At the same time, the Chief Minister's State Livestock Mission will start for the cattle rearers.
• Villages will be connected by roads - Mukhyamantri Gram Sadak Yojana will start soon. Under this scheme, the main roads of villages with more than 250 population will be constructed.
• Skill development scheme - Mukhyamantri Kaushal Vikas Evam Rozgar Yojana will start for the youth. In this, graduate pass students will be made proficient.
• Lake scheme - One Amrit Sarovar will be built in all the 70 assembly constituencies. These will be developed as tourist places and centres for water sports.
• Self Employment Center - The District Service Planning and Skill Development Office in all the districts will be developed as the nodal office of the Self Employment Centre.
• Mobile School - Mobile schools will be started to make the children of labourers literate, in which teachers will go on the spot and teach the children.
• The road will be widened till Gairsain -The road will be widened from Diwalikhal to summer capital Gairsain, due to which the Karnprayag-Gairsain road will be smooth.
• Importance of folk festivals - An integrated policy will be made to give wider recognition to folk festivals of Uttarakhand like Uttarayani, Fuldei, Harela, Egas, Budhi Diwali.

State Got 403 Crores for Jal Jeevan Mission

Why in News?

On 22 March 2023, Udayraj Singh, MD of Uttarakhand Drinking Water Corporation, said that the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has released the third instalment of Rs 403 crore to the state for the 'Jal Jeevan Mission' scheme of tap water from every house in the rural areas of the state.

Key Points

• It is noteworthy that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, there is a plan to supply tap water to 14 lakh 94 thousand 375 houses in the state.
• Under this mission, tap water has been supplied to 9 lakh 95 thousand 477 houses in the state so far.
• Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 17 thousand small and big projects have been made, for which the Ministry of Jal Shakti has already released about Rs 800 crore in two instalments so far.
• MD of Drinking Water Corporation Udayraj Singh said that from the third instalment, work will be done in this financial year as well as in the next financial year. This will speed up the work of the mission.
• Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water has been provided to about 72 percent of the households in the state through taps, but the pace is comparatively less.