• 25 Aug 2022

Devesh Chandra Thakur appointed chairman of Bihar Legislative Council

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, JDU leader Devesh Chandra Thakur has been elected as the Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council. Mahagathbandhan candidate Devesh Chandra Thakur was elected unopposed for the post of chairman.

Key Points

• Devesh Chandra Thakur has been elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in place of Executive Chairman Awadhesh Narayan Singh.
• Devesh Chandra Thakur had filed his nomination for the post of Bihar Legislative Council Chairman on August 24 as the Grand Alliance candidate.
• A special meeting was scheduled to be held on August 25 to elect the chairman of the Legislative Council, but the grand alliance candidate Devesh Chandra Thakur was elected unopposed as no candidate filed nomination from the opposition.
• Devesh Chandra Thakur has been the Minister of Disaster Management in Nitish Kumar's government, having won the election in 2002 as an independent candidate from Tirhut graduate constituency. He then joined JDU in 2004. He was nominated by JDU from Tirhut graduate constituency in 2008 and he managed to win the election and became a minister in the Nitish government.

Sahitya Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2022

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, the Sahitya Akademi announced that the Akademi's Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2022 would be given to writers of 22 languages. It also includes two litterateurs from Bihar, Zafar Kamali and Dr. Virendra Jha.

Key Points

• Academy secretary K. Srinivas Rao said in a release that in the meeting of the Executive Board of the Akademi under the chairmanship of Dr. Chandrashekhar Kambar, the President of the Sahitya Akademi, approval was given to the writers for the Sahitya Akademi Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2022 and the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar.
• The Akademi has announced the Bal Sahitya Puraskar 2022 for writers in a total of 22 languages, while writers and writers in 23 languages will be given the Yuva Sahitya Puraskar.
• Zafar Kamali from Bihar's Siwan district has been selected for the award in Urdu language for 'Hauslon Ki Udaan', a collection of children's poetry published in 2020.
• At the same time, Dr. Virendra Jha has been announced for his Maithili Balkatha collection 'Udan-Chhu'.
• The Akademi secretary said that in the category of Bal Sahitya Puraskar, the award in Punjabi language is not being given this year, while the award in Santhali language will be announced later. At the same time, in the category of Youth Award, the winner will be announced later in Marathi.
• The selected authors will be given an engraved copper plaque and a sum of Rs 50,000 as prize money.

Investors Meet and MoU Signing Ceremony

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, MoUs worth Rs 69,789.93 crore were signed between the Government of Rajasthan and investors in the 'Investors' Meet and MoU Signing Ceremony' held in New Delhi under 'Invest Rajasthan 2022'. This will generate a total of 11846 direct employment opportunities in the state.

Key Points

• The 'Investors Meet and MoU Signing Ceremony' was held in New Delhi as part of 'Invest Rajasthan 2022' to be held in Jaipur on October 7 and 8. So far, MoUs and LoIs worth about Rs 11 lakh crore have been signed, including this MoU.
• The MoU worth Rs 69,789.93 crore includes about Rs 40,000 crore on green hydrogen and ammonia project by Avadda Power, Rs 25,000 crore in renewable energy and solar energy sector by O2 Power SG Pte, Rs 1400 crore by Asahi India Glass Limited, Rs 1000 by St Gobain There are proposals to set up a float glass manufacturing unit with an investment of Rs 1 crore.
• Apart from this, Varun Beverages Limited will set up a manufacturing unit of carbonated soft-drinks, fruit-juice and packaging products worth Rs 636 crore. Wipro will invest Rs 200 crore in the hydraulic cylinder project in Jaipur.
• On this occasion, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that there is immense potential for the establishment of industrial zones in Rajasthan. Many schemes are being run by the state government for industrial development. This has made it easier for investors to invest in the state.
• At present, Rajasthan has become the leading state in the entire country as a state with huge investments in refineries, petrochemicals, solar energy, education, health, infrastructure development etc. Rajasthan has become the first choice with the favorable policy framework available to investors.
• The Chief Minister said that industrial zones are being set up in every block of Rajasthan by RIICO. Rajasthan has better connectivity than the country as 25 percent of NCR is in power. Rajasthan ranks first in the country in the field of solar energy. A large part of the Dedicated Freight Corridor and Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor also pass through Rajasthan. This will give a big benefit to the investors.
• The Chief Minister said that under RIPS, investors are being given packages as per their requirement. Under MSME-2019, all government approvals are being made available at one place from the one stop shop system with no government permission required for 3 years to the new enterprise units.
• The state government has formulated a policy for every sector including solar energy, wind energy, MSME and RIPS. Jodhpur district has the world's largest solar park spread over 14 thousand acres.
• Speaking on the occasion, Industries and Commerce Minister Shakuntala Rawat said 40 percent of the DFC corridor area and about 60 percent of the DMIC pass through the state. Due to the largest state and strategic situation, Rajasthan offers huge investment potential. Recently, several steps have been taken to promote investment like One Stop Shop, Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme 2019, Facilitation of Establishment and Operation Act.
• Rajasthan Small Industries Corporation Limited Chairman Rajiv Arora said that Rajasthan has become the best place for investment. Rajasthan is called the land of opportunities. Investors are getting various approvals on the same portal in Rajasthan. The state government is committed to work towards the development of Rajasthan with new cargo complex in Jaipur, new facility for export clearance and new cargo complex in Udaipur, ICD in Bikaner.

Permanent Bench of Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved the setting up of a permanent bench of the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal in Jodhpur. He also approved the proposal to hold a meeting of the Jodhpur Chala Bench on 8 effective days of every month till the formation of a permanent bench in Jodhpur.

Key Points

• It may be mentioned that the Hon'ble High Court of Rajasthan, Jodhpur, has been appointed as a judge of D. B. This decision has been taken in compliance with the interim order dated 19.7.2022 of the Hon'ble Court in the Civil Writ Petition.
• With this, the process will start for the establishment of a permanent bench of the tribunal at Jodhpur in accordance with the provisions prescribed in the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal Act, 1976 and the Rajasthan Civil Services Appellate Tribunal Rules, 1976.
• Till the formation of the Permanent Bench, the meeting period of the Circuit Bench in Jodhpur will be 8 effective days in every month.

Special Judicial Magistrate Court

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, the state government issued a notification declaring all the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Courts established at six district headquarters including Beawar (Ajmer district) as Special Judicial Magistrate Courts.

Key Points

• Principal Secretary, Law and Legal Affairs Department, Praveer Bhatnagar said that additional chief judicial magistrate courts have been declared as special judicial magistrate courts for speedy disposal of cases.
• Of these, all the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Courts established at Beawar (Ajmer district), Alwar, Chittorgarh, Pali, Rajsamand and Sikar headquarters have been declared as Special Judicial Magistrate Courts.
• The local jurisdiction of these courts shall be determined by the concerned District and Sessions Judge and Chief Judicial Magistrate under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

Gandhi Medical College to Start MBBS through Hindi

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that MBBS first year studies are being started through Hindi the session 2022-23 at Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal.

Key Points

• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave this information by joining the Education Summit-2022 organized by a newspaper group in New Delhi virtually from the residence office.
• The Chief Minister said that from July 2022, arrangements have been made to teach in mother tongue Hindi in 6 engineering colleges of the state and in diploma courses in 6 polytechnic colleges.
• The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described 5-C (Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Curiosity and Communication) as important for better education. Work is being done on all these in the field of education in the state.
• The National Policy on Education lays special emphasis on study and teaching in the mother tongue. The new education policy is a triveni confluence of knowledge, skills and values in the true sense. The importance of knowledge has been included in 5 forms in the new education policy.
• This includes handing over the Indian knowledge and philosophy tradition to new generations through studies, concept-based education system and converting education free from number games and cut-throat competition into grading and healthy competition. At the same time, promotion of research and research and making education multi-dimensional is also an important part of the new education policy.
• The Chief Minister said that effective work is going on in the state to link education with skill development and employment. A Global Skill Park is being set up in Bhopal for international level skill education. 10 divisional ITIs in the state The ideal I.T.I. as is being developed. A new startup policy has been implemented in the state.
• Biographies of great men, stories of immortal martyrs and moral education have been included in the curriculum of schools and colleges. It is our endeavor that three percent of the total students studying in the state should participate in the National Cadet Corps.
• Giving information about 'Mukhyamantri Medhavi Vidyarthi Protsahan' scheme and 'Mukhyamantri Chhatra Griha' scheme, the Chief Minister said that CM Rise School started in the state would usher in a revolution in the field of education.

Asia's first Paper Factory Reopens

Why In News?

• On August 23, 2022, Union Minister of Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey inaugurated Asia's first paper mill NEPA Limited at Burhanpur. It has been revived after seven years.

Key Points

• Significantly, it was completely closed for renovation in 2015. The mill has been renovated with a revival package of about Rs 469 crore received from the central government.
• Earlier the production capacity of the mill was 88 thousand metric tonnes per annum, which has now been increased to more than 1 lakh metric tonnes per annum. Modern machines have been installed here.
• Two types of paper will be prepared here. The first news print, which will be of 44-45 GSM. This waste will be prepared by making pulp from paper, while the second will be writing printing paper.
• Nepa Limited was started as a private enterprise by Nair Press Syndicate Limited on January 26, 1947. The company, named 'The National News Print and Paper Mills Limited' for news print production, was the only news print manufacturing unit in India till 1981.
• In October 1949, the management of the company was acquired by the then state government of Central Provinces and Berar (present-day Madhya Pradesh). With the commencement of commercial production at the mill, the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru dedicated it to the nation on April 26, 1959. On February 21, 1989, the company's name was changed to Nepa Limited.

Country's Largest Hospital 'Amrita Hospital' Inaugurated in Faridabad

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and dedicated the country's largest hospital 'Amrita Hospital' in Faridabad to the public.

Key Points

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that with the opening of Amrita Hospital, not only the people of Faridabad and Haryana state will be facilitated but the entire population of Delhi NCR will also get treatment facility here.
• Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal said that Haryana is moving forward in terms of health facilities. In 2014, there were 7 medical colleges in the state, which has now increased to 13. In the coming time, 9 more medical colleges including this college will be opened. There will be a medical college in every district in the state. At the same time, the benefits of Ayushman Bharat Yojana will reach more than 21 lakh people in the state.
• Built by mother Amrita Anandmayi 'Amma', the hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. The hospital will have 2600 beds, including 534 ICU beds, and is to be equipped with 81 specialized departments, the highest in India.
• The hospital will have 64 state-of-the-art operation theatres. Apart from this, a fully residential MBBS program with 150 seats will be conducted here. There will also be a nursing college and a college for allied health sciences. It will have the largest, fully automated smart lab in the country for processing blood and other important samples.

'Implementation Directory' for Tobacco Free Educational Institute

Why In News?

• On August 24, 2022, Jharkhand Education Minister Jagarnath Mahato and Health Minister Banna Gupta jointly released the 'Implementation Directory' for tobacco-free educational institutions at MDI Bhawan auditorium, Dhurwa.

Key Points

• This 'Implementation Directory' has been prepared by the Department of School Education and Literacy, Government of Jharkhand and Socio Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS) to ensure compliance of the activities of Tobacco Free Educational Institute (TOFEI).
• Health Minister Banna Gupta said that saving the people of Jharkhand from tobacco consumption is the priority of the state government. For this reason, the government has kept the health of the people paramount regardless of the loss of revenue and banned tobacco in the state.
• Under the Food Safety Act, the government has banned 11 named tobacco products in the state. The tobacco eradication campaign has been strictly implemented. WHO has also encouraged, honored and rewarded the work of tobacco eradication campaign in Jharkhand.
• The Health Minister said that many efforts are being made to free school children from tobacco consumption, in which there is a complete ban on the purchase and sale of any kind of tobacco within 100 yards of the school premises. The COTPA law is in force, with provisions for punishment. Before the tobacco eradication campaign, 50 percent of the people in Jharkhand used to consume tobacco, but now it has come down to 38.9 percent.
• Deepak Mishra Executive Director Seeds, New Delhi gave information related to the ill-effects of tobacco, the provision of punishment for the sale and purchase of tobacco in the law through a presentation.
• He said that in India about 13 lakh people die every year due to diseases caused by tobacco consumption. In Jharkhand 38.9 percent people use tobacco, out of which 34.5 percent people use chewing tobacco. According to the Global Youth Tobacco Survey-19, 5.1 percent children/minors of 13.15 years in Jharkhand use tobacco in some form or the other.