• 25 Jan 2024

Late Former Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur to be Awarded Bharat Ratna

Why in News?

Late former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur will be posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

Key Points

• This prestigious recognition is a testament to Karpoori Thakur’s enduring efforts as a champion for the marginalised and a loyal, reliable, and hard-working supporter of equality and empowerment.
• His unwavering commitment to uplift the downtrodden and visionary leadership have left an indelible mark on India's socio-political fabric.
  • This award not only honours his remarkable contributions but also inspires the society to continue his mission of creating a more just and equitable society.

Karpoori Thakur

• He served as the Chief Minister of Bihar twice, and was known for championing the cause of the backward classes.
• His tenure as Chief Minister was marked by various pro-poor initiatives, including the implementation of land reforms and policies aimed at empowering the underprivileged.
• Popularly known as Jan Nayak (people's hero), he was widely respected for his integrity and dedication to the welfare of the common people.
• He was associated with multiple political parties throughout his career.
• He began his political journey with the Praja Socialist Party and later aligned himself with the Janata Party during his first term as the chief minister of Bihar from 1977 to 1979. Subsequently, he became affiliated with the Janata Dal.
• He passed away in February 1988.

Bharat Ratna

• It is the highest civilian award of the country. It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
• It is treated on a different footing from Padma Award. The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the President of India.
• The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.

Expansion of Tenughat Thermal Power Station

Why in News?

State-owned Coal India Limited (CIL) arm Central Coalfields Limited is exploring avenues to form a joint venture with the Jharkhand government for the second phase of expansion of Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS) in the state.

• The total installed capacity of the thermal station is 420 Megawatt (MW) having two units of 210 MW capacity each.

Key Points

• The first unit of 210 MW was put under commercial operation in September 1996 and second unit in September 1997.
• Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited (TVNL) intends to set up 2X660 MW coal fired supercritical units of extension project (Stage II) at the TPS located at Lalpania in Bokaro district of Jharkhand.
• Two panels would be constituted, which will work out the modalities, including percentage of partnership by both parties in the joint venture.

Central Coalfields Limited (CCL)

• CCL was formed on November 1, 1975. It is a mini-Ratna central public sector enterprise.
• It was one of the five subsidiaries of CCL which was the first holding company for coal in the country.
• CCL produced 76.09 million tonnes of coal in FY 2022-23. The production target for the company for the current FY 2023-24 is 84 million tonnes.

Tenughat Thermal Power Station (TTPS)

• It is a coal-based thermal power plant located at Lalpania in Bokaro district in the Indian state of Jharkhand.
• The power plant is owned by Jharkhand State owned Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited.

Super Specialty Block at GSVM Medical College in Kanpur

Why in News?

Recently, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare virtually inaugurated a Super Specialty Block at Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

• He also laid the foundation stone for an All India Institute of Speech and Hearing (AIISH) Satellite Centre in Kanpur.

Key Points

• The Super Specialty Block offers 12 specialized healthcare services and aims to provide these services locally, saving time and resources for the people.
  • The block is constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
• The AIISH Centre in Kanpur is the first state-of-the-art center in North India. It not only trains doctors but also provides care to the people.
  • The Centre handles four distinctive divisions including speech-language pathology, audiology, prevention of communication disorder, tele-assessment, and rehabilitation.
• The number of AIIMS in India has increased from 6 to 23., the total number of medical colleges has almost doubled, reaching 710, Jan Aushadhi Kendras have increased to more than 10,000 and over 1.60 lakh Ayushman Aarogya Mandirs have been established under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.
  • Uttar Pradesh is the only state with two AIIMS. Moreover, the number of medical colleges in the state has doubled in the last 10 years.
• The government has expanded the scope of quality care and treatment in both public and private hospitals.
  • 55 crore people are entitled to benefit from Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana and 50 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) ID cards have been created.

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)

• The scheme was launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in March 2006.
• It aims at correcting the imbalances in the availability of affordable healthcare facilities in the different parts of the country in general, and augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the under-served States in particular.
• It has two components:
  • Setting up of AIIMS like institutions.
  • Upgradation of Government medical college institutions.

Bhopal Ranks 5th in Swachh Survekshan 2023

Why in News?

Bhopal has ascended from the 6^th position in 2022 to secure the 5^th spot among cities with a population exceeding 1 lakh. The city has achieved a notable 5-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating, solidifying its status as the cleanest State capital in the nation.

• Furthermore, Bhopal holds the 5th position in the cleanliness rankings among cities with a population exceeding one million.

Key Points

• To ensure the effective processing and disposal of waste, a well-organized segregation system has been implemented at all 12 Transfer Stations in Bhopal. Currently, the city has 6 Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
• The transformation of the Bhanpur dumpsite into a green area underscores the State’s commitment to sustainable urban planning.
• Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has shifted from traditional waste treatment and utilizes hazardous waste as a valuable source of fuel.
  • The city has collaborated with Hazargo Industry Pithampur, marking the establishment of the first preprocessing plant in Bhopal to scientifically manage the hazardous waste released from homes, offices, and factories.
  • A common Bio-Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF) to effectively process the bio-medical waste has been established in the city.
    • This facility oversees the comprehensive handling, transportation, storage, and treatment of medical waste from various healthcare facilities in the surrounding areas.
• As part of the ongoing projects, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has signed an agreement with BMC for setting up of 400 Tonnes Per Day (TPD) dry Municipal Solid Waste to torrefied charcoal plant. The torrefied charcoal produced will be used as a by-product in the thermal power plants of NTPC.
• Going forward Bhopal MC plans to continue its upward journey towards a garbage-free city, setting benchmarks for others to follow.

Swachh Survekshan

• About:
  • Swachh Survekshan, conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) since 2016, is the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey.
    • It has been instrumental in fostering a spirit of healthy competition among towns and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens and towards creating cleaner cities.
• Some of the Highlights of Swachh Survekshan of 2023:
  • Madhya Pradesh secured the second position in state cleanliness rankings.
  • Bottom Five States: Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Nagaland, and Tripura were ranked as the bottom five states in cleanliness.
  • Chandigarh received the Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar award for the city with the best safety standards for sanitation workers.
  • Varanasi was recognized as the cleanest Ganga town.