• 27 Sep 2022

Additional Budget Provision of Rs 40 crore for Special Backward Classes Post Matric Scholarship Scheme

Why In News?

• On September 26, 2022, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved the proposal for an additional budget provision of Rs 40 crore for the Special Backward Classes Post Matric Scholarship Scheme run under the Devnarayan Yojana.

Key Points

• With the additional approval of Rs 40 crore for the scheme by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, more and more students pursuing higher education of special backward classes will be able to get fees recharge and maintenance allowance and reduce the financial burden on their parents.
• It is noteworthy that the Post Matric Scholarship Scheme has been introduced to help the economically weaker students of special backward classes to bear the expenses incurred in pursuing higher education and to help them financially.
• Under the scheme, scholarships worth more than Rs 88 crore have already been given to eligible students in the current financial year.

MoU to Promote Natural Farming

Why In News?

• On September 26, 2022, an MoU was signed between Madhya Pradesh Department of Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development and National Coalition for Natural Farming (NCNF) to further promote natural farming.

Key Points

• Under the MoU, NCNF along with 23 like-minded partner organizations will play an important role in promoting natural farming in the state and benefiting the farmers.
• For natural farming, NCNF will support nature positive agriculture and nature based solutions. Apart from this, strong participation will also be done at the level of policy and implementation with the government.
• It is worth mentioning that continuous work is being done to promote natural farming in the state. 40 thousand farmers of the state have been trained in adopting natural farming, organic production, getting fair price, preparing bio-pesticides for Jeevamrut, Beejamrut, cow dung, vermicompost and diseases and pests.
• Natural farming will help in improving the health of the people and maintain the fertility of the land. Efforts are being made to work better in the field of natural farming in the state for the prevention of anthropogenic diseases that are getting destroyed due to continuous use of chemical fertilizers, the fertility of the land is getting destroyed.
• By increasing the area of natural farming, the government is working continuously to increase the income of the farmers progressively while reducing the cost of cultivation.

Madhya Pradesh Rewarded For Innovation and Best Efforts in Ayushman Bharat Niramayam Yojana

Why In News?

• On September 26, 2022, the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, in the concluding session of the Arogya Manthan 2022 program, awarded Madhya Pradesh for its best performance in Ayushman Bharat Niramayam and health schemes.

Key Points

• It is worth mentioning that on the completion of four years of Pradhan Mantri Jan-Arogya Yojana and one year of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the two-day 'Arogya Manthan' program organized in New Delhi on September 25 and 26, states that have done excellent work in Pradhan Mantri Jan-Arogya Yojana. was rewarded.
• The state has been selected as the 'Best Performing State on Innovation and Adoption of Best Practices' in the Ayushman Bharat Scheme in the year 2021-22. The National Health Authority has appreciated the exemplary work and progress made by Madhya Pradesh in Ayushman Bharat Niramayam and various health schemes.
• Significant progress has been made in Ayushman Bharat Niramayam Yojana in the state. More than 4 thousand beneficiaries are being given free treatment every day. Free transportation is being provided to the eligible persons of the scheme from the state ambulance service.
• Under the scheme, 26 beneficiary-centric inbound and outbound call centers have been set up. Information is being provided to the beneficiaries under the scheme from the inbound call center. An outbound call centre has been set up for concurrent audit and taking beneficiary feedback.
• Government hospitals are being strengthened with the PMJAY fund. Incentive amount is given to the doctors and treating staff for each case registered under the Niramayam Incentive Scheme. Efforts are being made to strengthen the infrastructure of the hospitals with the money deposited in the Rogi Kalyan Samitis. The State Government has adopted Swasthya Benefit Package 2.2 program to provide adequate package cost for the treatment to the hospitals.

Stage Home Policy Approved in Haryana

Why In News?

• On September 26, 2022, on the proposal of Haryana Tourism Minister Kanwar Pal Gurjar, Chief Minister Manohar Lal approved the home stay policy to make village tourism (rural tourism) more effective than hotels to promote culture and tourism in the state.

Key Points

• The state government is serious about promoting rural tourism. Under the home stay policy, tourists from India and abroad will get a chance to stay in a plain-rural environment instead of expensive hotels when they visit major tourist destinations in the state. They will be able to enjoy rural tourism.
• The Tourism Minister said that this policy has been first implemented in the hills of Morni in Panchkula, where so far 30 licenses have been granted by the state government.
• Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal directed the officials of the Tourism Department during his visit to Rakhigarhi that the process of granting licenses under the stay-home policy in Rakhigarhi of Hisar district, which was the site of the Indus Valley Civilization, should be expedited soon.
• Haryana has great potential for development of sites like Adibadri, Lohgarh, Kalesar, Buddhist Stupa, Aravalli forest area, Kurukshetra, Shivalik and Saraswati river. Village tourism can develop a lot here. For the tourists to stay at these places, the people in the respective villages will make huts of two rooms.
• The Haryana government plans to train villagers on how to interact with tourists, how to give good information about sightseeing and other food along with desi food. This will not only increase the income of the villagers, but tourists will not even experience distance while staying away from home.
• Additional Principal Secretary to CM, Who is looking after tourism work in the Chief Minister's Office, Dr. Amit Agarwal said that this will provide employment to the local people and tourists will be able to enjoy rural lifestyle and food.

E-Crop Compensation Portal

Why In News?

• On September 26, 2022, following the Haryana government's special girdawari order, the revenue department launched the e-crop compensation portal link to know the crop loss due to unseasonal rains.

Key Points

• On the 'Meri Fasal Mera Byora' portal in the state, farmers can link their mobile numbers and family ID cards and upload information and photos of the damaged crop within 72 hours of crop failure.
• On the portal, farmers will have to give complete information about the crop including the measles number of the land, whether there is crop insurance cover or not and how many acres the percentage of the crop is damaged. This will not include farmers covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Chief Minister Horticulture Insurance Scheme and Seed Development Corporation programme.
• Patwaris will have to physically check the report of damage on the portal in the next one week and then submit the report to the government.
• In this regard, instructions have been issued by issuing letters to all DCs on behalf of the Financial Commissioner and Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue Disaster Management, Haryana.
• The Additional Chief Secretary has instructed that all the complaints coming on the portal should be physically checked by Patwaris and Kanungo in the field. The patwaris will have to check the defect information and photograph given by the farmers. Patwaris will have to submit their report in the next seven days. After this, the government will compensate the affected farmers according to the rules of crop failure.

Bindu Ahuja Wins Star Teacher Award

Why In News?

• Bindu Ahuja, Assistant Teacher and Excellence Coordinator, Motilal Nehru Public School, Jamshedpur was honored with 'The Star Educator Awards 2022-Champion of Digital Transformation' by Learning Matters in a virtual ceremony held on September 25, 2022.

Key Points

• Bindu Ahuja has also received the Microsoft Innovator Award by Microsoft, the Out of Box Thinker Citation by Collins Publishers and the 'Educator Award' by Motilal Nehru Public School in 2022.
• During the Corona pandemic, Bindu Ahuja took the initiative to make teachers, students and parents digitally healthy. Under the guidance of Principal Ashu Tiwari, he started the hi-tech Future Kids Group during the pandemic, which still runs every Sunday for free. This teacher mentor makes students tech-savvy. She prepares students for flip teaching learning.
• He had undertaken several projects at MNPS and one of his projects 'e-Centralized Lesson Planning' was recognized as 'Best Practice' in a competition organized by Tata Education Excellence Programme.
• Bindu Ahuja with hi-tech group provides a multimedia platform with advanced content and trains students in immersive technology, which will provide them with personal and impactful growth.
• It may be mentioned that the Star Educator Award is an effort from Learning Matters to recognize and honor outstanding teachers, educational leaders and citizens who have shown exceptional dedication, commitment and passion for education.
• There were 11 categories for which various teachers and schools from India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines applied. These awards aim to highlight the exceptional work of teachers who are exceptionally creative, champions of digital transformation and impact the community.

Chhattisgarh was Rewarded under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission and Pradhan Mantri Jan-Arogya Yojana

Why In News?

• On September 25-26, 2022, Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya awarded Chhattisgarh for its outstanding work in 'Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission' and 'Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana' at the two-day 'Arogya Manthan' program held in New Delhi.

Key Points

• It is worth mentioning that on the completion of four years of Pradhan Mantri Jan-Arogya Yojana and one year of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, the two-day 'Arogya Manthan' program held on September 25 and September 26 in New Delhi awarded the states for outstanding work in the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Arogya Yojana.
• Chhattisgarh is the state with the highest number of government hospitals registered in the country under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. Chhattisgarh is also at the forefront of the country in the treatment of women under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
• Women constitute 58 percent of the total beneficiaries treated under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in the state. Chhattisgarh is the top state in the country to give the benefit of this scheme to women in such a large number. For this, Ayushman Excellence Award was given to the state by the National Health Authority.
• With this, Chhattisgarh has registered more than nine thousand government hospitals under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. For this, the state was awarded the Ayushman Excellence Award for securing the highest position at the national level.
• It is noteworthy that electronic health cards are being made through Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. Through this card, all the documents related to the patient's examination will be available online. Through the card these documents can be seen by the doctors of any hospital. Along with this, patients will also be able to see all the documents related to their investigation on their mobile. This card will relieve the patient from the documentation formalities. Work is being done at a rapid pace in this direction in Chhattisgarh.