• 28 Sep 2023

Two Villages of Rajasthan Got Silver and Bronze Medals on the Occasion of World Tourism Day

Why In News?

On World Tourism Day on September 27, 2023, two villages of Rajasthan, Meenal and Naurangabad, were awarded silver and bronze awards in the Rural Tourism Village Awards by the Union Ministry of Tourism for promoting and preserving the cultural heritage and sustainable development of the villagers through tourism.

Key Points:

• In the felicitation ceremony organized by the Ministry of Tourism at Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre, New Delhi, out of 35 rural tourism villages of the country, Minal village of Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan was awarded silver medal and Naurangabad village of Alwar district was awarded bronze medal.
• Pawan Kumar Jain, Joint Director of Rajasthan Tourism Department, received the awards from Rakesh Kumar Verma, Additional Secretary, Union Tourism Ministry.
• It is noteworthy that the Best Tourism Village competition was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Central Nodal Agency for Rural Tourism and Rural Homestay.
• Applications were received from a total of 795 villages from 36 states/union territories in the competition. Out of these, 35 villages were nominated in the gold category. Out of these 35 grams, the top 5 grams were awarded in the gold category, 10 grams in the silver category and 20 grams in the bronze category.

Vice President lays the Foundation Stone of ICAR's Regional Millet Research Center at Gudamalani, Barmer

Why In News?

On September 27, 2023, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar laid the foundation stone of ICAR's Regional Millet Research Center at Gudamalani in Barmer district.

Key Points:

• Addressing the gathering on the occasion, he said that awareness about millets has increased all over the world. The year 2023 has been declared International 'Shri Anna' Year, this is a big achievement for the country.
• He said that the center which is opening here today will have an impact not only on Rajasthan but also on the entire country and abroad.

Madhya Pradesh Won Two Awards in the Best Tourism Village Competition of the Ministry of Tourism

Why In News?

On the occasion of World Tourism Day on September 27, 2023, Madhya Pradesh has again topped and won two awards in the Best Tourism Village competition of the Ministry of Tourism. Villages Madla and Khokhra of the state have been selected as the best tourist villages of 2023.

Key Points:

• In the felicitation ceremony organized by the Ministry of Tourism at Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre, New Delhi, Madla village of Panna district has been honored in the gold category and Khokhara village of Sidhi district has been honored in the bronze category.
• In the felicitation ceremony, Secretary, Tourism, Government of India, Ms. V. Vidyavati was honored with a certificate. Additional Managing Director Vivek Shrotriya and Director Kaushal Dr. Manoj Kumar Singh received the award on behalf of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board.
• It is noteworthy that the Best Tourism Village competition was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and the Central Nodal Agency for Rural Tourism and Rural Homestay.
• Applications were received from a total of 795 villages from 36 states/union territories in the competition. Out of these, 35 villages were nominated in the gold category. Out of these 35 villages, the top 5 villages were awarded in the gold category, which also includes Madla village of Madhya Pradesh. 10 grams were awarded in silver and 20 grams were awarded in bronze category.
• Madla of Panna and Khokhra village of Sidhi
  • Madla village of Panna, situated on the banks of the beautiful Ken River, is also a gate to the Panna Tiger Reserve. Khokhra village of Sidhi is in the buffer zone of Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve.
  • Both the villages offer unique rural tourism tours, home-stay experiences, local food, arts and crafts. Rich cultural heritage and natural beauty are the specialties of these villages.
• Rural Tourism Project of Responsible Tourism Mission
  • Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board is not only working to increase the tourism potential but is also working to promote balanced and sustainable tourism. This enables socio-economic development and establishes Madhya Pradesh as a destination offering complete tourism experiences.
  • Keeping this objective in mind, the Tourism Board is running the Responsible Tourism Mission, under which the Rural Tourism Project is being implemented.
  • Madhya Pradesh is divided into six major cultural experience regions namely Baghelkhand, Bundelkhand, Chambal, Malwa, Nimar and Mahakaushal due to different cultural and geographical characteristics. Rural tourism projects are being implemented in 100 villages near the popular tourist destinations in these areas.
  • In these villages, local tours, accommodation based on local architecture, non-chemical traditional food, arts and crafts, local tours, comfortable accommodation, local food, local cultural experience and experience of folk songs, folk dances, sports, worship, celebrations and festivals. Work is being done under rural tourism for 6 major components like experience of arts and handicrafts and upgradation of skills of local people as per the need of tourism. Madla and Khokhra villages are newly developed villages under the Rural Tourism Project.

Chief Minister Virtually Inaugurated the Newly Constructed 'Chhattisgarh Niwas' in New Delhi

Why In News?

On September 27, 2023, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel gave a big gift to the people of Chhattisgarh by virtually inaugurating the newly constructed 'Chhattisgarh Niwas' in Dwarka, national capital New Delhi from his residence office.

Key Points:

• On this occasion, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that the people of Chhattisgarh have got a new building in the form of Chhattisgarh Niwas to stay in New Delhi. This will remove the problem of accommodation for everyone including the needy people of the state.
• It is noteworthy that the total cost of this new Chhattisgarh Niwas building built in Sector 13 of New Delhi Dwarka is approximately Rs. 60 crore 42 lakh. 61 rooms, 13 suite rooms, a dining hall and waiting hall and meeting hall and residential tower for employees have been constructed in the building.
• It was conceived by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel for the convenience of the residents going from Chhattisgarh to Delhi for various government, non-government works and medical treatment.
• It is known that already two buildings of Chhattisgarh government ' Chhattisgarh Bhawan' Chanakyapuri and 'Chhattisgarh Sadan' are in New Delhi near Safdarjung Hospital, but the need for a third building was being felt for a long time to meet the growing need of modern and Chhattisgarh.
• It is noteworthy that the foundation stone for the construction of the new 'Chhattisgarh Niwas' in Dwarka, New Delhi was laid by the Chief Minister virtually on June 19, 2020. This is the first time that the construction of such an important state-of-the-art building has been successfully completed outside Chhattisgarh by the Government of Chhattisgarh.
• Public Works Department officials said that 43 thousand 803 square feet of land has been purchased for the construction of Chhattisgarh Niwas for Rs 22.50 crore. Nava Chhattisgarh Niwas gives a clear glimpse of Chhattisgarh culture and traditions.
• The newly constructed Chhattisgarh Niwas is in the prime location of Dwarka. Apart from the grand mall, five-star hotel, beautiful park, new Uttar Pradesh Bhawan, Arunachal Bhawan, Delhi's largest ISKCON temple etc., its location is also excellent in terms of connectivity. Dwarka Sector 13 metro station is near this newly constructed building.

Chief Minister Inaugurated Nirbhaya Command and Control Centre

Why In News?

On September 27, 2023, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel virtually inaugurated the Nirbhaya Command and Control Center (GPS) built by the Transport Department for the safe travel of women from his residence office.

Key Points:

• Apart from this, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also virtually inaugurated two other important projects of the Transport Department, in which to reduce the accidents caused by unfit vehicles, along with automated fitness centers in Raipur and Durg, monitoring of vehicles passing through various linkage routes is being done. This includes projects related to the installation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras.
• To ensure the safety of women in passenger buses and students in school buses in Chhattisgarh, under the Nirbhaya Framework, panic buttons will be installed in all school buses and vehicles will be tracked through vehicle tracking software.
• In case of any kind of accident or tampering in the bus due to the installation of a panic button, pressing the panic button will immediately inform the Nirbhaya Command Center and dial 112 of the police department.
• Along with this, the location, speed etc. of the buses will also be known. With this, the buses will run at a controlled speed, which will also reduce the possibility of accidents. The control room of the GPS system has been set up in the office of Dial 112.
• With the introduction of this system, it will be much easier for the public to deal with any kind of danger and untoward incident. At present, a total of 12 thousand buses are operating in the state, which are going to every corner of the state on different routes. Similarly, about 6000 school buses are also operating in the state. With the installation of panic buttons and GPS in buses, real-time information about the buses will be available.
• Under the new system, the route of the school bus will also be mapped, so that if the school bus carrying children goes somewhere other than the prescribed route, an automatic alert will be received. For this, the duty of four employees will be assigned shift-wise in the control room, who will continuously monitor all the buses and inform the police department in case of emergency.
• What is GPS?
  • Global Positioning System, i.e., GPS, is a device which, if fitted in the vehicle, can trace the location of the vehicle to a designated server. With the installation of GPS systems, criminal incidents will be curbed and information about the correct routes of buses will be available.
  • For the safety of women and children, all school buses and passenger buses of the state will be monitored through GPS equipped with panic buttons. For this, Nirbhaya Command Center has been created.
• Police will get information as soon as panic button is pressed
  • Transport Department Commissioner Dipanshu Kabra said that the Transport Department has taken many innovative initiatives for the safety of women. To promote safe traffic of women in public transport, a vehicle tracking platform has been set up under the Nirbhaya Fund as per the instructions of the Government of India, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
  • Under the project, passenger vehicles operating in the state will be fitted with GPS and panic buttons. In case of any emergency, pressing the panic button will immediately be received by the dial 112 of the police department through the command-and-control center of the Transport Department, which will make the journey of women and children safe in passenger vehicles and aid them in case of an emergency.
• Fitness check of vehicles will be done faster
  • In view of the increasing number of vehicles and accidents in the state, the Transport Department has established Automated Fitness Centers in Raipur and Durg. Fitness testing of more vehicles can be done in the fitness center as compared to manual tests.
  • Fitness tests of goods vehicles will be done by automated machines in the fitness center and vehicles failing the test will not be allowed to run on the road. Automated fitness centers will prove to be very helpful in ensuring fit vehicles operate on the roads and more and more vehicles can be tested in less time.
  • It is noteworthy that after Raipur and Durg, action is being taken to set up automatic fitness centers in Bilaspur, Ambikapur, Jagdalpur, Korba, Raigarh, Rajnandgaon.
• Action will be taken against vehicles without valid documents
  • The third project launched today by the Transport Department is Automatic Number Plate Recognition Camera with e-Detection. Under the project, action will be taken against such vehicles which are not operating on the highway but are passing through various lockdown routes.
  • ANPR cameras are being installed on these lockdown routes, the information about trains received through ANPR cameras will be matched with the database of vehicle software and e-challan will be issued on trains running without valid documents.
  • For this, e-detection software has been developed in collaboration with NIC. After receiving information from National Highway toll plazas through e-detection software, challan proceedings have been started on vehicles passing without valid documents.

Uttar Pradesh got Third Place in Smart City

Why In News?

President Draupadi Murmu awarded Uttar Pradesh for coming third in the best state category at the Smart City Awards distribution ceremony in Indore on September 27, 2023.

Key Points:

• The government had announced the India Smart City Awards Contest (ISAC) on August 25. This was a competition in various categories among hundreds of smart cities of the country.
• In the ceremony, Principal Secretary Urban Development Department Amrit Abhijat and Smart City Mission Director Dharmendra Pratap Singh received the award on behalf of the state government.
• Under the Smart City Mission, 10 cities of Uttar Pradesh include Agra, Aligarh, Bareilly, Jhansi, Kanpur, Lucknow, Moradabad, Prayagraj, Saharanpur and Varanasi.
• Uttar Pradesh has been selected among the top three states of the country in terms of best smart city. Apart from this, Agra has been chosen as the third best smart city of the country.
• Uttar Pradesh has won 10 awards in various categories at the India Smart City Conclave 2023.
• Varanasi has been awarded the number one position as the smartest city in the North Zone. Other cities of the state have also been awarded in different categories.
• Varanasi Smart City ranked first among cities with a population of more than 10 lakh.
• Kanpur gets third place for modernization work of Municipal Sports Stadium.
• Lucknow got third place for employment training center work in the economy category. Lucknow Smart City is working on various areas like cleanliness, solid waste management, efficient urban mobility, smart governance etc.
• Smart City Mission was launched on June 25, 2015. Its objective is to provide basic infrastructure, clean and decent quality of life to the citizens.

Didi Adhikar Kendra will open in 174 Blocks of Bihar

Why In News?

On September 27, 2023, Neeraj Kumar, project manager of Jeevika in Bihar, informed that Didi Adhikar Kendra’s will be opened in 174 blocks of Bihar. Adhikar Didi will be a Didi selected from the Jeevika Group.

Key Points:

• Neeraj Kumar said that like the help desks opened in hospitals, Didi Adhikar Kendra’s will be opened in the blocks. People will meet Adhikar Didi before going to the block workers. He will give information about the work for which he has come to the block, after which Adhikar Didi will coordinate him with the concerned personnel.
• Many people are unable to reach officers and personnel, due to which their work is not able to be done. Some people don't even know where their work will be. Such people will get help from Adhikar Didi.
• This centre will be in the block premises only. Only Adhikari Didi will monitor the ongoing work and keep an eye on the brokers. At the same time, Cluster Level Federation (CLF) will keep an eye on the work of Adhikar Didi.

‘Mukhyamantri GST Bill Puraskar Yojana-2023’ implemented to increase GST revenue

Why In News?

According to the information given by Rajasthan Information and Public Relations Department on September 27, 2023, '‘Mukhyamantri GST Bill Puraskar Yojana-2023' has been implemented to increase GST revenue in the state. The scheme will be applicable to bills and invoices issued during the period from October 1 to March 31, 2024.

Key Points:

• Under the scheme, the bills received by the consumers in respect of taxable goods and services purchased from traders registered under the GST Act in the state will be payable as cash reward on the bills selected by the lottery after uploading it on the online portal or app available by the state government.
• This scheme will be India's largest bill award scheme at the state level, in which bumper prizes of up to Rs 1 crore will be given and prizes up to a total of Rs 45 lakh per month will be given to selected traders.
• The first, second and third prizes are Rs 10 lakh, Rs 5 lakh and Rs 50,000 respectively.
• The first, second and third prizes of Rs 1 crore, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 15 lakh will be given respectively.
• There is a provision of 50 additional 50 districts and 50 awards to give proper representation to each district. A total of 1,000 consolation prizes will also be given.
• For the monthly reward, the consumer will be able to upload the bill within 10 days (about 1 and a half weeks) after the end of the month.

Jabalpur will become the Third Metro City of the State

Why In News?

On September 27, 2023, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, while gifting development works worth thousands of crores of rupees to Jabalpur city, said that Jabalpur will be developed as a metro city after Indore and Bhopal.

Key Points:

• The Chief Minister said that the development work of Jabalpur is being done continuously. Jabalpur will be developed as a metro city. A metro network will be laid here, which will play an important role in its development.
• Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said this while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the fly-over constructed at a cost of Rs 155 crore in Jabalpur.
• He said that a 116 km (about 72.08 mi) long road will be constructed in Jabalpur city at a cost of Rs 5 thousand crores. Ring roads will be constructed. The flyovers to be built in Jabalpur at a cost of Rs 1100 crore will change the face of the city.
• The Chief Minister said that there is an airport terminal at a cost of Rs 450 crore, railway station at a cost of Rs 300 crore, technology center at a cost of Rs 200 crore, IT park at a cost of Rs 200 crore, Madan Mahal terminal at a cost of Rs 125 crore. The Geological Park will be built at a cost of Rs 100 crore and the Real Science Center will be built at a cost of Rs 48 crore.
• A 52 feet high statue of the heroic queen Durgavati will be installed in the proposed museum of Madan Mahal. Along with this, a grand memorial of Rani Durgavati will also be built at a cost of Rs 100 crore, which will be a symbol of her bravery and honour.
• The Chief Minister said that the fly-over inaugurated will be known as Veerangana Rani Durgavati and in Jabalpur, Barela will be made a tehsil and Majhgawan will be made a nagar panchayat.

Ranchi Received the Best Performer Award from Eastern Zone in Smart City.

Why In News?

At the India Smart City Conclave-2023 held in Indore on September 27, 2023, President Draupadi Murmu honored Ranchi with the award of Best Performer among the smart cities of the Eastern Zone.

Key Points:

• On behalf of the state government, Secretary of Urban Development and Housing Department and CEO cum Managing Director of Ranchi Smart City Corporation Vinay Kumar Choubey, Director of State Urban Development Agency Amit Kumar and General Manager of Smart City Ranchi Rakesh Kumar Nandkuliyar received this honour.
• Ranchi has been given the Best Performer City Award among the smart cities of the Eastern Zone for establishing itself as the best performer in the implementation of the Smart City Mission in the areas of security, traffic management, urban mobility, social aspect and land monetization etc.
• Smart City Mission was launched on June 25, 2015. Its objective is to provide basic infrastructure, clean and decent quality of life to the citizens.

Formation of State Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee

Why In News?

As per the instructions of the Election Commission of India on September 27, 2023, a State Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee has been constituted for the upcoming Assembly General Election-2023 in Chhattisgarh.

Key Points:

• A seven-member MCMC has been formed under the chairmanship of Chief Electoral Officer Smt. Reena Babasaheb Kangale. The order issued by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer regarding the formation of the committee became effective immediately.
• According to the order issued by the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Joint Chief Electoral Officer Nilesh Kumar Mahadev Kshirsagar has been made the member-secretary of the state level media certification and monitoring committee.
• Press Information Bureau (PIB) Raipur Deputy Director Ramesh Jaibhaye, Press Council of India member Dr. Suman Gupta and scientist at National Informatics Center in Mantralaya, Nava Raipur, Asim Kumar Thawait have been made members of the committee. Along with these, observers appointed by the Election Commission of India and skilled representatives nominated by the committee will also be its members.
• The State Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee will take decisions on the appeals received from both the District and Additional/Joint Chief Electoral Officers regarding certification of advertisements. The committee will investigate all cases of paid news on appeal against the decision of the District Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee or cases taken on its own motion. If cases of paid news are found true, the committee will direct the Returning Officer concerned to issue notice to the candidates.

Sarmoli Got the Award for the Best Tourist Village of the Country

Why In News?

Sarmoli of Uttarakhand was awarded the best tourism village of the country in a program organized in Delhi on the occasion of 'National Tourism Day' on September 27, 2023.

Key Points:

• Kamakshi Maheshwari, Nodal Officer of Rural Tourism India, Ministry of Tourism, honored village Sarpanch Mallika Virdi with the award.
• A massive cleanliness drive has been planned by the Tourism Ministry. The Government of India identified 108 tourist places for the launch of the cleanliness campaign. Along with these 108 sites, this campaign will also be run at other places of tourist importance.
• The campaign aims to clean up litter, ensure cleanliness and ban single use plastics (SUP) and promote the use of eco-friendly substances. For wider reach, students from schools and colleges and members of Youth Tourism Club (YTC) have also been included.
• The Best Rural Tourism Village Awards were given for promoting and preserving cultural heritage and sustainable development through tourism, which included 35 rural tourism villages from across the country in the gold, silver and bronze categories with 5, 10 and 20 villages respectively. In these, Sarmoli village of Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand was given the gold medal.
• It is noteworthy that in 2004, a community-based home stay and nature program was started under the guidance of Sarpanch Mallika Virdi of Sarmoli village. Mallika Virdi was the Sarpanch of Van Panchayat twice (2004 to 2010 and 2017 to 2022). Under his leadership, work was done to promote nature tourism and increase efforts for forest and water conservation. He made efforts to revive the forest and especially the Mesar Kund.
• From the year 2007 Messer Van started organizing a popular forest fair called Van Kautik as well as a nature and culture festival called Himal Kalasutra. During Himal Kalasutra, bird festival, butterfly and insect festival, traditional food festival, Damo Nagada Dhol festival, an innovative high-altitude marathon called Khaliya Challenge and many such events are organised.