State PCS

• 25 Mar 2022

Inauguration of Rajasthan Festival in New Delhi

Why in News

On March 24, 2022, the Rajasthan Utsav, organised on the occasion of Rajasthan Foundation Day (30 March), was duly inaugurated at Bikaner House Complex, New Delhi. The festival will continue till March 31, 2022.

Key Points

• In New Delhi, Principal Residential Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Shubhra Singh, Rajasthan Foundation Commissioner Dheeraj Srivastava and Executive Council member of Bikaner House Management Committee Mamta Singhania inaugurated the Rajasthan festival by lighting the lamp and cutting the ribbon.
• Along with this, the calendar of complete programs related to Rajasthani cultural arts, handicrafts fair organised by Rajasthan Tourism, Rajasthan Foundation, Bikaner House Management Committee and RUDA during the Rajasthan festival was also released.
• In this festival, items of Rajasthani art, culture and Rajasthani handicrafts will be available in the same premises.
• In this fair, more than 50 stalls of Rajasthani artisans have been set up by Rural Non-farm Development Agency (RUDA), in which art and handicraft items of artisans representing Rajasthani art and culture will be available for sale.
• In this week-long festival, a Vintage Car Rally will be organised on 27th March in association with Heritage Motoring Club of India and Rajasthan Foundation, in which the car of the then Bikaner Maharaja will be at the fore, which will be later displayed by the audience at the Bikaner House premises during the festival and will be displayed for the visitors to see.
• Handicraft products made by selected artisans of Rajasthan like Blue Pottery, Rajasthani Woollen Shawl, Rajasthani Jewellery, Marble, Brass Metal Work, Clay Face, Rajasthani Jootis, Barmeri Embroidery, Sanganeri Print, Rajasthani Sarees-Suits, Terracotta, Gota Various types of Rajasthani handicrafts will be available for sale including Patti, Tarkashi work, Rajasthani painting, Kota Doria, Ajrak print, Pokaran pottery, Kavad cast art, Rajasthani bangles.

Mahatma Gandhi English Medium School

Why in News

On March 24, 2022, in compliance with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's budget speech 2022-23, an approval was issued by the Education Department of Rajasthan to convert 179 government schools into Mahatma Gandhi English medium schools.

Key Points

• Education Minister Dr. B. D. Kalla said that with this decision taken by the department, students from all over the state and especially those coming from deprived sections would be able to get quality education in English medium free of cost.
• Dr. Kalla informed that all the approved Mahatma Gandhi English Medium Schools will start from the academic session 2022-23.
• Pawan Kumar Goel, Additional Chief Secretary, Education Department said that with this decision of the state government, parents who are unable to bear the heavy fees of private schools will be able to provide good education to their children.

'Clean School Healthy Children' campaign 2022

Why in News?

On March 24, 2022, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Education Minister Jagarnath Mahto launched the 'Clean School Healthy Children' campaign 2022 from the assembly premises and flagged off the cleanliness campaign vehicle.

Key Points

• With the aim of reactivating the infrastructure of the schools which were closed for a long period during the Corona period and in order to provide special training to children on cleanliness and hygiene, the 'Swachh Vidyalaya Healthy Children' campaign 2022 has been started with the joint effort of the Department of School Education and Literacy and UNICEF at the school level.
• This campaign will be run in all the schools of the state from March 24 to 30, 2022, under which efforts will be made to make the schools safe and organised.
• Under the campaign, a cleanliness campaign vehicle will be run in all 263 blocks of the state, which will help in organising 35000 schools through publicity.
• In this work, UNICEF and its affiliated organisations are providing technical support and training at the district/block, cluster and school level.
• With this campaign, schools will also get opportunity to improve their grading in force and clean school award competition.

2 Women of the State Honored in Delhi

Why in News

On March 24, 2022, Meera Yadav and Kunta Bai Yadav of district Narmadapuram were felicitated by the Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh at the Dr. Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi for their journey from wage to self-employment.

Key Points

• Both these women used to work as labourers in Mahatma Gandhi NREGA earlier. After joining a self-help group and getting training under Project Unnati of MNREGA, both of them started the work of dairy production, from which now both are earning 10 thousand to 15 thousand rupees monthly.
• It is worth mentioning that 75 participants trained in Project Unnati were selected from all the states in the Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi by the Union Ministry of Rural Development, which includes these two women from Madhya Pradesh.
• Project Unnati is a program of the MGNREGA Division of the Union Ministry of Rural Development. It has been started to make the members of rural families working in MNREGA employable and self-employed by training them on the basis of their interest.

Fourth Chitra Bharti Film Festival Exhibition

Why in News

On March 24, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan inaugurated the fourth Chitra Bharati Film Festival exhibition organised by Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bishankhedi.

Key Points

• Several paintings related to the film festival including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winners have been put in the exhibition.
• The theme of the exhibition is 'Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow'. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also inaugurated Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Auditorium.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was welcomed by presenting mementoes by the officials of the organising committee of Chitra Bharti Film Festival. The Chief Minister released the University's research journal Media Mimansa and the booklet of Chitra Bharti Film Festival.
• This film festival will be organised till March 27, in which 120 selected films will be screened.

Center of Excellence in Harda under Indo-Israel Project

Why in News

In a virtual meeting held on March 24, 2022, between Madhya Pradesh Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister Kamal Patel and the representatives of the Israel Embassy, it was decided that the third Center of Excellence for Micro Irrigation and Hi-Tech Agriculture would be opened in Harda in the state.

Key Points

• Minister Kamal Patel discussed with the agricultural representatives of the Israeli Embassy and apprised them about the suitable environment for cultivation of spices, medicinal and floriculture in the Nimar-Malwa region.
• In the meeting, representatives of the Israeli technology transfer company 'Mashav' said that soon Harda and surrounding areas would be surveyed. After which the Center of Excellence will be opened in Harda.
• It is noteworthy that the implementation of the Center of Excellence in Chhindwara and Morena is under process to promote improved agriculture with Israeli cooperation in Madhya Pradesh.
• With the opening of the third center in Harda, horticulture crops, medicinal crops and floriculture will be encouraged in the Nimar-Malwa and Narmada valley areas. Farmers will get information about new technology, so that along with crop diversity, productivity and quality can also be increased.

SWEEP-2022

Why in News

On March 24, 2022, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched 'Sweep 2022', a conference of Madhya Pradesh Mahila Entrepreneurs Organisation at Kushabhau Thackeray Auditorium. It is organised by the MP Association of Women Entrepreneurs (MAWAY).

Key Points

• On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that new beneficial provisions would be made to encourage women entrepreneurs. For this, necessary amendments will be made in the existing schemes.
• The Chief Minister said that 'Mukhya Mantri Mahila Udyami Yojana' would be started. Separate industrial clusters will be set up for women entrepreneurs in Bhopal and Indore. Arrangements will be made to reserve clusters for women in each district in the MSME sector in the districts.
• E-startup policy will also have provisions to increase facilities for women entrepreneurs. Women entrepreneurs will be given special facilities in 'Start Your Business in Thirty Days'.
• Establishment of 'Mukhyamantri Nari Samman Kosh' along with construction of Multi-Stories Factory Complex at Jabalpur and other places.

Union Rural Development Minister Honored 6 MGNREGA Workers of the State

Why in News?

On March 24, 2022, six MGNREGA workers of Chhattisgarh, who changed their lives by getting training in skill development through Project 'Unnati', were felicitated by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.

Key Points

• Under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav organised on the occasion of 75 years of independence of the country, 75 beneficiaries of Project 'Unnati' from across the country have been honoured.
• Krishi Vigyan Kendras, Rural Self-Employment Training Institutes (R-SETIs) and officials of Deendayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushal Yojana (DDU-GKY) were also honoured in the program for their outstanding contribution in skill development of MGNREGA workers under Project 'Unnati'.
• Union Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Giriraj Singh honoured these workers by presenting them mementoes and citations in a program organised at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi.
• Senior scientist of Balod Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the state, Dr. KR. Anita Tudu, in-charge of the Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (R-SETI) run by Bank of Baroda at Sahu and Dhamtari, was also honoured for her contribution to the project 'Unnati'.
• In the financial year 2018-19, these members of the families who got 100 days of employment under MNREGA have been prepared for self-employment by training them in skill development through the project 'Unnati'. All of them were provided training at the Rural Self-Employment Training Institute (R-SETI) located in their respective districts.
• These workers of families who got 100 days of employment under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) in the financial year 2018-19, are now doing their own business after skill upgradation.
• Among the MGNREGA workers to be honoured are Neetu Bai Sahu (mushroom production) of Bhanpuri gram panchayat of Dhamtari district, Poolwanti Kanwar (candle making work) of Sarangpuri panchayat, Geetanjali Dhruv of Loharsi of Fingeshwar block of Gariaband district and Omeshwari Kanwar of Patora panchayat (Sewing work), Krishna Kumar (goat rearing) of Podi Gram Panchayat of Sonhat block of Koriya district and Bimal Saw (mobile repairing) of Durgapali of Basna block of Mahasamund district.

Ishwari of Chhattisgarh Won Silver Medal in World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai

Why in News?

On March 23, 2022, visually impaired runner Ishwari Nishad from Mahasamund, Chhattisgarh won the silver medal for India in the running competition at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2022 under the 13th Faiza International Athletics Championships held in Dubai.

Key Points

• Ishwari Nishad secured second position by completing the 400 metres race in one minute 25 seconds. With this, Ishwari has managed to achieve the minimum standard qualification for the Asian Para Games to be held in Hangzhou, China in October this year.
• It is noteworthy that the 13^th Faiza International Athletics Championships was held in Dubai from March 17 to 25, 2022.
• Ishwari Nishad, native of village Samhar of Bagbahra tehsil of Mahasamund district, is studying in Fortune Foundation Blind Special School, Bagbahra.
• Ishwari started representing Chhattisgarh in national competition in 2016 and has been winning gold medals for five consecutive years. So far, she has won 11 medals in national events, including 5 gold, 5 silver and 1 bronze.
• She won the gold medal in the 200m race at the India National Open Para Athletics Championships held at Bangalore Sai Training Centre in 2021-22.
• It is worth mentioning that Social Welfare Minister Anila Bhediya had honoured Ishwari Nishad for receiving gold medal in para athletics at the national level at the state level honour ceremony held in the capital Raipur on March 5.
• After returning from Dubai, Ishwari will participate in the 20^th National Para Athletics Championships to be held in Bhubaneswar.

Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha Rules of Disqualification from Membership on Defection – 2006

Why in News?

On March 24, 2022, the Jharkhand assembly passed the amendments in “Jharkhand Vidhan Sabha Rules of Disqualification from Membership on Defection–2006”.

Key Points

• According to this, now any person can file a petition for defection in the Speaker's Tribunal under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. Earlier, only the Speaker had the right to take suo motu cognizance in the defection case. This arrangement has been abolished in the new amendment.
• This amendment has been made in the light of the decision given by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had ruled in 2013 that under the Anti-Defection Act, an outsider can raise the matter.
• In this regard, the special committee of the Legislative Assembly had recommended the removal of the power of suo motu cognizance of the Speaker in the defection case, which has now been abolished.
• Apart from this, the rules of Zero Hour and Question Hour have also been amended. The Chief Minister's Question Hour has been removed and the number of Zero Hour has been increased from 15 to 25 in the manual. Also, the system of putting questions 14 days in advance has been abolished.