State PCS

• 24 Aug 2024

Supplementary Budget Tabled in Uttarakhand Assembly

Why in News?

Recently, The Uttarakhand government presented a Rs 5,013 crore supplementary budget in the state assembly.

Key Points

• The Uttarakhand Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2024, and an amendment to the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 were also introduced.
  • The supplementary budget included Rs 1,532 crore for centrally funded schemes and Rs 273 crore for externally aided schemes.
  • A total provision of Rs 749 crore has been made for major construction works in the state.
  • Rs 50 crore has been kept for Tehri Lake development, Rs 32 crore for Gau Sadan construction, Rs 25 crore for nursing colleges and Rs 14 crore for degree college construction.
• The Uttarakhand Prisons and Correctional Services Bill, 2024, aims to update the state's prison laws following the repeal of several older acts by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The bill addresses the management and rehabilitation of prisoners.
• The state government has proposed amendments to the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act to address issues arising from the expansion of municipal areas and related land disputes.

Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950

• It was one of the first important pieces of legislation that abolished the zamindari system in India.
• The main goal of this reform was to remove the intermediaries, such as Zamindars, Jagirdars, and Inamdars, who were exploiting tenant farmers.
• The reform also aimed to strengthen the landholders, or cultivators, by transferring land ownership directly to them.

Capacity Building Program at NCGG Mussoorie

Why in News?

Recently, The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Mussoorie, commenced the 5th Capacity Building Program for mid-career civil servants of Sri Lanka.

Key Points

• It is a two-week program being organized from 19th August 2024 to 30th August 2024, and is hosting 39 mid-career civil servants from Sri Lanka.
• The programme is curated to offer participants a broader understanding of cultural nuances and shared governance practices.
  • This exposure presents participants with valuable insights to adopt and implement good governance models for the benefit of the citizens.
    • The program encompasses a wide range of sessions covering topics such as the Changing Paradigm of Governance, Digital India, the Right to Service: Ease of Living, Land Records Management under the Swamitva Scheme, Aspirational District Programs, the Approach to Achieving SDGs by 2030, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, among others.

National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG)

• The National Centre for Good Governance was established in 2014. It is mandated to train civil servants from India and other countries.
  • Over the years, the center has successfully trained officers from various nations from various countries such as Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Seychelles, Gambia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, South Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Fiji, Mozambique and Cambodia.

District Isolation Facilities for Mpox

Why in News?

Recently, The Haryana health department instructed all districts to be highly vigilant for Mpox. They stressed the significance of educating healthcare workers and carrying out screening of suspected measles cases.

Key Points

• The screening is to be conducted through focused surveillance for locations identified by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) for men who have sex with men and female sex workers, as well as through hospital-based surveillance in dermatology clinics, STD clinics, medicine, and pediatrics outpatient departments.
• The department has advised all districts to identify isolation facilities and appoint nodal officers for effective patient management.
• All hospitals have been directed to remain alert, and if they encounter any suspected cases, they are to notify the integrated disease surveillance programme (IDSP) unit.
  • The incubation period for those infected is typically 7 to 14 days, but it can also range from 5 to 21 days, and the patient is usually contagious during this period.

Mpox

• Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is a DNA virus. It belongs to the family Poxviridae, which consists of large, double-stranded DNA viruses.
  • The virus was first identified in monkeys in 1958 but has since been found to infect humans as well.
• Transmission: Mpox is primarily transmitted to humans from animals, particularly rodents and primates, through direct contact or through contaminated objects.
• Symptoms: Mpox infection in humans typically presents with fever, headache, muscle aches, and a characteristic rash that progresses from macules to papules to vesicles and pustules.
• Vaccination: While a vaccine for mpox exists, its availability and effectiveness are limited, highlighting the need for improved prevention and control measures.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)

• It is a division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that provides leadership to HIV/AIDS control programme in India through 35 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Societies.
• NACO has played a very big role in significantly reducing the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country and that too faster than the global rates.

Tanot Temple Launches Online Pass System

Why in News?

Recently, an online pass system has been introduced to enable domestic tourists to visit the Tanot-Bablian tourism circuit located at the India-Pakistan international border in Jaisalmer district.

Key Points

• The website is developed by the Tanot Mata Trust and is managed by the Border Security Force (BSF).
  • It allows visitors to feel a sense of pride and patriotism while observing the border guarding activities.
  • Interested tourists must complete an online form with detailed information and identification.
• The central government has sanctioned Rs 17.67 crore for the Tanot tourism project at the temple complex.

Tanot Mata Mandir

• Shri Tanot Mata Mandir is an ancient Hindu temple situated in the Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan.
• It is dedicated to Tanot Rai, a manifestation of the Hindu goddess Hinglaj Mata.

Border Security Force (BSF)

• The BSF was raised in 1965, after the India-Pakistan war.
• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
  • Other Central Armed Police Forces are: Assam Rifles (AR), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), National Security Guards (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
• The 2.65-lakh force is deployed along the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders.
  • It is deployed on the Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, and Line of Control (LoC) along with the Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.
• BSF has been defending Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea and the Sundarbans delta in the Bay of Bengal with its state of the art fleet of Water Crafts.
• It contributes dedicated services to the UN peacekeeping Mission by sending a large contingent of its trained manpower every year.