• 27 May 2024

Uttar Pradesh’s 6th Round Voter Turnout

Why in News?

Uttar Pradesh recorded a 54.03 % voter turnout in the sixth phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha election in 14 constituencies of the Purvanchal region.

Key Points

• According to Election Commission of India figures, the voter turnout fell marginally short of the 2019 polling percentage of 54.49 for the same seats.
  • A decline in voter turnout was observed as the polling moved from West UP constituencies (first three phases), to central UP (Phases 4 and 5), to east UP (14 Lok Sabha seats in Phase 6).
  • In the first phase, 61.11% voter turnout was recorded. In the second phase, it was 55.19%, 57.34% in the third phase, 58.22% in the fourth phase and 58.02% in the fifth phase. In Phase 6, 54.03% polling was witnessed in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in eastern UP.

Purvanchal Region of UP

• It covers the regions of Jaunpur, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Balia and Ghazipur.
• The northern parts of this plain have been formed by Rapti and Ghaghra rivers. It is given names of Rapti Khadar, Saryupar Maidan and Purabiya Plains from the south to north.

UCC Implementation in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

According to the sources, with the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) expected to be implemented in Uttarakhand by the end of 2024, a facility that will enable live-in and married couples to register their relationship is in the process of being introduced.

• The Uttarakhand Assembly passed the UCC bill on 7^th February 2024.

Key Points

• UCC calls for the registration of live-in relationships just like marriages and states that live-in partners must not be under 18.
  • According to the officials, the training of the government employees will be conducted in both online as well as offline modes.
  • The online registration facility will be beneficial for both government staff as well as the couple since this will reduce the need for visiting the registrar's office several times.
  • However, the parents of the couples aged between 18 and 21 will be informed about their children's live-in relationships.
• The bill that has been passed in the Parliament says that anyone staying in a live-in relationship for more than a month without getting it registered will be punishable with an imprisonment up to three months or a fine of up to Rs 10,000 or both.
  • If a woman in a live-in relationship gets deserted by her partner, she will be entitled to claim maintenance from him for which she may approach a competent court having jurisdiction over the place where they last cohabited.
  • The hill state’s small tribal community is exempted from the proposed law, which also mandates registration of live-in relationships.

Regulatory System for Chardham Pilgrimage

Why in News?

Compelled by the heavy rush of pilgrims, the Uttarakhand Government is set to introduce a regulatory system for the chardham pilgrimage, similar to the 2019 ‘Devasthanam Management Board’ which was abandoned due to protests by the priests.

Key Points

• The government has constituted a special High-Level Committee (HLC) to suggest the constitution of a ‘new authority or institution’ to regulate Chardham and other religious pilgrimages to the state.
• The HLC formed by the state government has been mandated to look into the smooth and uninterrupted regulation of the pilgrimages in Uttarakhand in the future.
  • It will also monitor and regulate the daily flow of devotees in the ongoing Chardham pilgrimage for Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath shrines.

Char Dham Yatra

• Yamunotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Yamuna.
  • River Yamuna is the second-most sacred river in India after River Ganga.
• Gangotri Dham:
  • Location: Uttarkashi district.
  • Dedicated to: Goddess Ganga.
  • Considered the most sacred of all Indian rivers.
• Kedarnath Dham:
  • Location: Rudraprayag district.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Shiva.
  • Situated on the bank of the Mandakini River.
  • One of the 12 Jyotirlingas (divine representations of Lord Shiva) in India.
• Badrinath Dham:
  • Location: Chamoli district.
  • Home to the sacred Badrinarayan Temple.
  • Dedicated to: Lord Vishnu.
  • One of the holy shrines for Vaishnavites.

Attack on Jharkhand Labourers in Manipur

Why in News?

Laborers from Jharkhand who had migrated to conflict-affected Manipur earlier in 2024, in search of improved opportunities, are now coming back in large numbers following the fatal shooting of one individual and the injury of two others by armed criminals in Imphal.

Key Points

• This marks the first instance of an attack on individuals from outside Manipur since the start of the state's ethnic conflict.
• Such acts of violence against non-locals have contributed to the Union government's decision to repeatedly extend the ban on seven Meitei extremist groups in the state.
  • The longstanding ethnic conflict in Manipur involves the Meitei majority and the Kuki-Zo Scheduled Tribe community.
  • Over 225 casualties have been recorded, with thousands injured and tens of thousands internally displaced as a result.
• An uptick in incidents like abductions and assaults on civilians is attributed to radical outfits such as Arambai Tenggol and members of valley-based insurgent groups like United National Liberation Front (UNLF), due to the large number of missing weapons in the State.
• Tensions between the two communities persist, leading to occasional attacks near the buffer zones separating the hill and valley districts.

Meitei Community

• The Meitei people are also known as Manipuri people.
  • Their primary language is the Meitei language, which is also called Manipuri and is the only official language of Manipur.
• They are predominantly settled in the Imphal Valley, although a significant number reside in other Indian states, such as Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.
  • There is also a notable presence of Meitei in the neighboring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh.
• The Meitei people are divided into clans, and members of the same clan do not intermarry.

Cyclone Remal

Why in News?

The deep depression brewing in the Bay of Bengal has escalated into Cyclone “Remal,” posing a potential threat to West Bengal and neighboring states, including Jharkhand.

Key Points

• Meteorologists from the Ranchi-based India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipate significant effects in the affected regions.
  • The IMD predicts thunderstorms, lightning, and strong winds across several parts of the state from 26^th May to 31^st May 2024.
  • These weather conditions are expected to affect various districts, including Jamshedpur, Ranchi, Bokaro, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Simdega, and more.
• The name 'Remal' in the list of tropical cyclones is given by Oman. It will be the first cyclone to hit the region this 2024 pre-monsoon season.
  • 'Remal,' meaning 'sand' in Arabic.

Green Hydrogen Plant Inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

GAIL (India) Ltd has successfully launched its first green hydrogen plant at Vijaipur in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.

Key Points

• The 10-megawatt proton exchange membrane electrolyser for the green-hydrogen producing unit at the Vijaipur complex has been imported from Canada.
• The plant will produce about 4.3 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, with a purity of about 99.999% by volume.
  • It uses electricity produced from renewable sources such as the sun's solar energy, to split water to produce green hydrogen.
  • The plant is in line with the National Green Hydrogen mission that has set out a goal of 5 million tons of annual green hydrogen production capacity for the country by 2030.
  • India is putting increased focus on hydrogen as an alternative fuel source to lower its carbon emissions, while also meeting its growing energy needs.
• Initially the hydrogen produced from this unit shall be used as a fuel along with natural gas for captive purpose in the various processes and equipment running in the existing plant at Vijaipur.
  • Further, this hydrogen is planned to be dispensed to retail customers in the nearby geographies, transported through high pressure cascades.
• GAIL is also setting up around 20 MW Solar power plants at Vijaipur (both ground mounted and floating) to meet the requirement of green power for the 10 MW PEM Electrolyzer.
• GAIL is currently experimenting in Indore by mixing hydrogen with natural gas in its CGD (city gas distribution) network to evaluate its effectiveness.
  • If successful, the plan is to increase the blending ratios with the required approvals as per the test outcomes.
  • Present rules permit blending up to 5% hydrogen with natural gas. Collaborative research is being conducted by GAIL along with Engineers India Limited and IIT Kanpur to explore higher blending levels of hydrogen with natural gas.