Uttarakhand

• 23 Aug 2023

Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojna

Why in News?

On August 22, 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami gave approval to women groups to start the 'Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana'.

Key Points:

• The objective of the 'Mukhyamantri Sashakt Bahna Utsav Yojana' is to provide a wide market to the products made by women's groups.
• For this, efforts will be made to provide proper opportunities for marketing to women groups by organizing an exhibition of local products made by women groups in every development block at a public place.
• By getting the market at the block level for the material produced by women's groups, where they will get a platform to sell their products, on the other hand, the products will also get a new identity.
• At present, more than 37 thousand women (about twice the seating capacity of Madison Square Garden) groups are working in the state, through which various products are manufactured. However, many times they also have to face difficulties due to non-availability of the right market.
• This scheme will be operated by the Women Empowerment & Child Development Department.

Draft of UCC ready, will be implemented soon

Why in News?

On August 22, 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the media that the draft of the committee constituted to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the state has been prepared. After getting the government, it will be presented in the assembly session.

Key Points:

• Once approved in the assembly, Uttarakhand will become the first state in the country to implement Uniform Civil Code.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that there will be no harm to any particular community in the Uniform Civil Code.
• It is known that the draft committee constituted under the chairmanship of retired Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai has prepared the draft after talking to the major stakeholders of every class, every community and every caste in the state. The committee has taken suggestions and views of more than two lakh people in a year and a half.

Smart Snake-Trapping Device

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on August 22, 2023, research students at the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES), Dehradun, Uttarakhand, have developed a snake-catching device, which will catch a snake without harming anyone in the blink of an eye.

Key Points:

• The project, named Smart Snake-Trapping Device, has been approved by the Department of Science and Technology of the Central Government. Now permission has been sought from the university to test the device at the Wildlife Institute of India and the Forest Research Institute.
• The project, named Smart Snake-Trapping Device, has been approved by the Department of Science and Technology of the Central Government. Now permission has been sought from the university to test the device at the Wildlife Institute of India and the Forest Research Institute.
• Dr. Neelu Jyoti Ahuja told that the development of this device can be used in reducing the cases of snakebite death and in the development of anti-venom drugs.
• This device is specially designed for safe handling of snakes. It is equipped with an artificial prey, microcontroller, camera with GSM module and image processing algorithm, which can catch snakes in a very safe way, whereas till now snake stick etc. are used with traditional methods to catch snakes.
• He informed that permission has been sought from the Uttarakhand Forest Department for testing the device at Wildlife Institute of India and Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, so that the testing of the device can be completed.
• In this regard, Chief Wildlife Warden Dr. Sameer Sinha said that the letter received from the institute has been sent to the government for permission.
• It is worth mentioning that under Indian Wildlife (Conservation), it is necessary to take the permission of the state government for research etc. on any wildlife. In this sequence, a letter has been sent to the government through the Chief Wildlife Warden on behalf of the university.