• 27 Aug 2024

Relief and Rehabilitation Fund for Wayanad

Why in News?

Recently, The Uttar Pradesh government has sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the Kerala government to support relief and rehabilitation efforts in the landslide-affected Wayanad district.

Key Points

• The Wayanad district of Kerala experienced a devastating landslide disaster in early July 2024 due to heavy rainfall and fragile ecological conditions.
• The landslides in Chooralmala and Mundakkai villages killed at least 144 people and injured 197, after the district received over 140 mm of rain in 24 hours, saturating the soil and weakening its binding to the underlying hard rocks.

Landslides

• About:
  • A landslide is the downward movement of rock, soil, and debris on a slope, ranging from small shifts to large, destructive events.
  • It can occur on natural or man-made slopes and is triggered by factors like heavy rainfall, earthquakes, volcanic activity, human activities, and changes in groundwater levels.
• Government Initiatives to Mitigate Landslide Risks in India:
  • National Landslide Risk Management Strategy (2019): National Landslide Risk Management Strategy (2019) is a comprehensive strategy addressing hazard mapping, monitoring, early warning systems, awareness programs, capacity building, policies, and stabilisation measures.
  • Landslide Risk Mitigation Scheme (LRMS): Landslide Risk Mitigation Scheme (LRMS) under preparation, aims to provide financial support for tailored landslide mitigation projects in vulnerable states, focusing on disaster prevention, mitigation strategies, and research and development for monitoring critical landslides.
    • This initiative will contribute to the establishment of an Early Warning System (EWS) and enhance capacity-building efforts.
  • Flood Risk Mitigation Scheme (FRMS): Flood Risk Mitigation Scheme (FRMS) for developing flood shelters, river basin-specific early warning systems, and digital elevation maps for flood preparedness and evacuation.
  • National Guidelines on Landslides and Snow Avalanches: Guidelines by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) covering hazard assessment, risk management, structural and non-structural measures, institutional mechanisms, financial arrangements, and community participation.
  • Landslide Atlas of India: It is a detailed resource that documents landslide events in the country's vulnerable areas and includes damage assessments for certain sites. Developed by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) under Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), it offers important information and insights related to landslides in India.

Rajasthan to Become a Medical Tourism Destination

Why in News?

Recently, the Rajasthan government decided to boost medical tourism by soon launching 'Heal in Rajasthan' policy to attract international visitors.

• To formulate the policy a medical value travel committee has been appointed which will comprise representatives from various departments and organizations.

Key Points

• The State government’s Medical and Health Department has collaborated with private hospitals, tour operators, and other stakeholders to gather suggestions for the policy.
  • The main focus is on wellness, rejuvenation, and traditional medicine-based treatments, aiming to develop Jaipur and other cities as leading medical tourism destinations.
• The State government had made an allocation of 8.26% of the Budget in 2024 to the health sector.
• It aimed at positioning Rajasthan as a model in healthcare through policy decisions, creation of opportunities for investment and employment, and growth in related industries such as pharmaceuticals and hospitality.
• The Medical and Health Department will collaborate closely with the Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to establish top-tier facilities aimed at attracting patients from other states and abroad seeking medical treatment.

Note: The Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP) is a government agency in Rajasthan that promotes investment and single-window clearances in the state. The BIP's main goal is to support investors and promote investment in Rajasthan.

Confederation of Indian Industries (CII)

• CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization.
• It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.
• Founded in 1895, it is headquartered in New delhi.

Rajasthan Lifts Ban on Government Employees

Why in News?

Recently, the Rajasthan government has lifted the restriction on government employees participating in activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Key Points

• The ban on joining the RSS has been in place in the State since 1972. The circular lifted the 52-year-old ban on the government officials.
  • Previous orders listed 17 organizations, with provisions for disciplinary action against government employees involved with them or participating in their activities.
  • Now, employees are permitted to join shakhas (morning assemblies) and engage in all other RSS activities.
• In July 2024, the Centre lifted the ban on government officials taking part in the RSS activities followed by Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, etc.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)

• About:
  • It is a Hindu nationalist volunteer organisation founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Dr. K.B. Hedgewar in response to perceived threats to Hindu culture and society, particularly during British colonial rule.
  • It aims to promote the idea of Hindutva, which emphasises Hindu cultural and national identity.
• Ideology:
  • The central ideology of the RSS, articulated by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, promotes the idea that India is fundamentally a Hindu nation.
  • The RSS emphasises the importance of Indian culture and heritage, aiming to unite people under a common national identity.
  • The organization engages in various social service activities, including education, health care, and disaster relief, promoting the idea of "Seva" (service) among its members.

Indigenous Millet Cultivation Initiative

Why in News?

Recently, An Millet Cultivation Initiative in Udaipur district’s Jhadol block has revived the cultivation of indigenous millet varieties among a new generation of farmers, offering both livelihood incentives and a focus on natural farming.

Key Points

• The pilot project has sought to revive millet varieties such as finger millet, proso millet, foxtail millet, and kodo millet, with the objective of enhancing local livelihoods and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
  • The farmers in Jhadol have faced crop losses after adopting chemically intensive farm practices and replacing traditional crop diversification, such as multi-cropping, with fast-paying commercial mono-cropping.
• The millet varieties identified were essentially called minor millets and were locally known as kuri, batti, kodra, cheena, samlai, and maal.
• Anganwadi centres functioning in Udaipur district have started including millet-based recipes for children as a nutrition supplement.
• Udaipur-based voluntary group Seva Mandir took up the project through a programme associate to facilitate grassroots cultivation of minor millets.
  • Encouraged by the outcome of the millet intervention, Seva Mandir has recently come up with a framework for market access to be created with 1,000 farmers.

Madhya Pradesh to Develop Places Associated with Deities

Why in News?

On the occasion of Janmashtami, the Madhya Pradesh government has decided to develop places connected to the two revered deities Lord Ram and Krishna.

Key Points

• Madhya Pradesh has a glorious history as Lord Ram spent 11 years in the state while Lord Krishna got education in Acharya Sandipani Ashram in Ujjain.
• The initiative to establish 'Geeta Bhawans' in various urban areas of the state aims to promote the study of Lord Krishna.

Janmashtami

• Janmashtami, also called Gokulashtami or Shrikrishna Jayanti, is a major Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu.
• It is celebrated on the Ashtami (eighth day) of Krishna Paksha in the Bhadrapada month of the lunisolar Hindu calendar, usually in August or September.
• One of the key highlights of Janmashtami is the "Dahi Handi" event.

Acharya Sandipani Ashram

• Ancient Ujjain, apart from its political and religious importance, was a prestigious center of learning at the beginning of the Mahabharata period.
• Lord Krishna and Sudama received regular education in the ashram of Guru Sandipani.
  • The area near the ashram is known as Ankpat, a place believed to have been used by Lord Krishna to wash his writings.
• The numbers 1 to 100 found on a stone are believed to have been engraved by Guru Sandipani.
• The Gomti Kund mentioned in the Puranas was the source of water supply to the ashram in the olden days.
• The followers of the Vallabh sect consider this place as the 73^rd seat out of the 84 seats of Vallabhacharya where he gave his discourses across India.

Naxalites Surrendered in Chhattisgarh

Why in News?

Recently, Twenty-five Naxalites surrendered in Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh. They were active in Gangloor and Bhairamgarh area committees of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Key Points

• According to the officials, they surrendered, citing disillusionment with the empty Maoist ideology and the atrocities inflicted on tribal communities by the leaders of the outlawed movement.
• The Chhattisgarh government has a rehabilitation policy for Naxalites to bring them into the mainstream.
  • They have created an environment of equality and development by providing roads, health services, water and other facilities in villages under the Niyad Nellanar scheme.

Niyad Nellanar Scheme

• Niyad Nellanar, meaning “aapka achcha gaon” or “your good village” is the local Dandami dialect (spoken in south Bastar).
• Under this scheme, amenities and benefits will be provided in villages located within 5 kilometers of security camps in Bastar region.
  • 14 new security camps have been set up in Bastar. These camps will also help to facilitate the implementation of the new scheme. Around 25 basic amenities will be provided in such villages under Niyad Nellanar.