• 28 Oct 2022

Uttar Pradesh Ranks Eighth in Plastic Waste Emissions

Why in News?

• According to the Plastic Alternative Report-2022 released on October 27, 2022, Uttar Pradesh ranks eighth in terms of plastic waste emissions in the country.

Key Points

• The report also talks about innovative applications by various states for recycling and reusing waste.
• It is to be noted that Uttar Pradesh has banned the manufacture, collection, transportation, sale, recycling and use of single-use plastics since 2018 and two plants to convert plastic waste into fuel have been set up in the state.
• One such plant was set up in Prayagraj in the state last year. In this, single-use plastic is used to convert it into fuel. Apart from this, a plant is already functioning in Mathura. The capacity of both these plants is 2700 tonnes per annum.
• Apart from setting up plants, plastic waste is also being used in road construction and paper mills have taken the initiative to reuse such waste with cement mills.
• The Plastic Alternative Report-2022 states that Maharashtra ranks first in terms of plastic waste emissions in the country and Goa is ranked one in terms of per capita waste removal. It is followed by Delhi and Kerala and Uttar Pradesh at number 28. Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura top the list in terms of low per capita plastic waste emissions.
• Status of other states in plastic waste emissions-

Kingdom	Plastic waste emissions (in percentage)
Maharashtra	13
Tamil Nadu	12
Gujarat	12
West Bengal	9
Karnataka	9
Telangana	7
Delhi	7
Uttar Pradesh	5
Haryana	4
Kerala	4
Madhya Pradesh	3
Punjab	3
Other	11

• The report states that 34,69,780 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in the country every year. This figure is for the year 2019-20. The per capita plastic waste emissions in the country has been doubled in five years i.e. 2016-20.
• It has also been reported in the report that due to the Swachh Bharat Mission, the waste management infrastructure has become very strong in different states of the country and now the trend of converting plastic waste into other forms and using it elsewhere has increased with new technology. However, it needs to be taken to a wider level, as it is not enough right now.

Uttar Pradesh Police Will Now Be Hi-Tech

Why in News?

• According to information received from media sources on October 27, 2022, on the instructions of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh Police will now be hi-tech by spending more than 650 crores.

Key Points

• In order to make Uttar Pradesh Police hi-tech, it will soon be equipped with a body worn camera and full body protector.
• The home department has sanctioned Rs 4.8 crore for the purchase of 1,200 body worn cameras, Rs 2.48 crore for the purchase of 1,650 full-body protectors for women and Rs 6 crore for the purchase of 30,000 post-mortem kits under the police modernization scheme.
• Upgraded social media monitoring cells are going to be set up in 10 districts of the state by spending about Rs 641 crore. Similarly, QRTs for law and order will be set up in 10 other districts.
• Apart from this, a dedicated FSL will be set up for investigation and investigation of SIT, EOW, CBCID and ACO at a cost of Rs 6.75 crore. A dedicated mini technical lab is being developed in Kannauj.
• The crime scene videography app developed by NCRB has been launched in Muzaffarnagar, Barabanki and Aligarh in the first phase and an action plan has been prepared to implement it in other districts of the state. For this, the Technical Services Headquarters has constituted a technical committee for the entire process.
• It is known that cyber help desks have been established in all 1531 police stations of the state. The process of administrative building construction of all the 18 regional cyber police stations of the state has also been started and the organization responsible for seven regional cyber police stations Varanasi, Jhansi, Basti, Aligarh, Azamgarh, Gorakhpur and Banda has been designated.

Multi-lingual Dictionary Being Prepared for Schools in Bihar

Why in News?

• On October 27, 2022, Bihar SCERT Director Sajjan Raj Shekhar said that the State Education Department has prepared a roadmap to save tribal languages as well as regional languages/dialects in Bihar to teach in regional languages under the new education policy. It is preparing a multi-lingual dictionary for classes 1 to plus two in dialects.

Key Points

• Bihar SCERT Director said that under the new education policy, the strategy for teaching classes from class one to plus two in regional languages/dialects in Bihar will be that the school child, who is used to the mother tongue, should be taught all subjects in his mother tongue, so that he can understand what the words or related concept of the related subjects are called in his mother tongue.
• He said that the purpose behind preparing a multi-lingual dictionary for classes 1 to plus two is to bring students into the mainstream by teaching and explaining in regional dialects, so that they do not fall prey to language-based backwardness in higher education and especially its pronunciation will also be improved. In this context, the Education Department has also given guidelines especially to SCERT.
• Under this, a dictionary of local dialects and languages of Bihar will be prepared, in which words pronounced in the mother tongue of any subject material and related English-Hindi words will be included.
• Apart from the dictionary, a special resource material will also be made and this material will be given to the teachers, so that the teachers can be trained in it. Here the teacher will teach the subject to the children in the mother tongue and in this way the exercise of teaching mainstream subjects in regional languages like Angika, Bajjika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, Maithili etc. will be done and this exercise will be possible only till the next session.
• It should be noted that scheduled tribes constitute a little over one per cent of the total population of Bihar and the main languages of scheduled castes (forest dweller community) such as Mundari, Sadani, Santhali, Mungri, Garait, Chero etc. are languages are extremely endangered for various reasons.
• It is noteworthy that in Bihar, the forest dwellers like Khund, Bedia, Santhal, Khairwar, Gorait, Korwa, Munda etc. live in the districts of Champaran, Rohtas, Shahabad, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Saharsa, Bhojpur, Munger, Jamui, Katihar and Buxar etc.

Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Rajasthan Dalit, Adivasi Udyam Protsahan Yojana-2022

Why in News?

• On October 27, 2022, Rajasthan Industries Commissioner Mahendra Parakh held a meeting with state level controlling officers of all banks of the state at Udyog Bhawan and launched Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Rajasthan Dalit, Adivasi Udyam Protsahan Yojana-2022.

Key Points

• Commissioner Parakh said that under this scheme, provision has been made for 9 percent interest subsidy on loans up to Rs 25 lakh and 7 percent interest subsidy on loans up to Rs 5 crore as well as margin money up to 25 percent of the project cost in the range of Up to Rs 25 lakh. This will motivate the investors of Scheduled Castes and Tribes to set up new industries, service sector and also for business.
• It is noteworthy that in compliance with the budget announcement of the state government, the Industries Department had issued a notification of this scheme on September 8, 2022.
• Under the scheme, provisions have been made for various types of financial assistance grants and other facilities for the establishment or expansion of the enterprise to eligible persons including the first generation entrepreneurs of the targeted classes, which will enable economic empowerment of the said sections.
• Under this scheme, entrepreneurship and skill promotion program to the targeted categories of entrepreneurs will be benefited through a variety of facilities including, practical training through incubation center, availability of land at concessional rate and other benefits, low-cost loan facility, guarantee fee, margin money grant and interest grant under CGTMMSE etc.

Rs 13.88 Crore Grant Released to Industries in Rajasthan For Levying ETP

Why in News?

• On October 27, 2022, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot approved a proposal to release a grant of Rs 13.88 crore for setting up Waste Treatment Plants (ETPs) by industrial units in the state under the Rajasthan Investment Promotion Policy 2014 and 2019.

Key Points

• With the approval of the Chief Minister to install ETP in the state, the waste emitted by various industries will be properly treated and will help in environmental protection.
• This scheme has been brought to encourage more and more industries to set up Waste Treatment Plants (ETPs) in the state.
• It is to be known that while installing ETP helps in the disposal of harmful industrial waste, on the other hand, the adverse effects on the health of the general public due to the waste generated from the industries are also avoided.
• It is noteworthy that the state government has made a provision to give 20 percent subsidy of the cost of plant and machinery to industrial units for setting up Waste Treatment Plants (ETPs).

Union Home Minister Inaugurates and Lays Foundation Stone of Projects Worth over Rs 6,600 Crore in Haryana

Why in News?

• On October 27, 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of four projects worth over Rs 6,600 crore for the state at a function held in Faridabad, Haryana.

Key Points

• Home Minister Amit Shah laid the foundation stone of Haryana 'Orbital Rail Corridor Project' worth about Rs 5,618 crore and inaugurated the Rs 590 crore Rail Coach Refurbishment Factory built at Badi village in Sonipat district.
• He inaugurated the country's first longest elevated railway track built at Rohtak at a cost of Rs 315 crore 40 lakh. He also inaugurated the Rs 106-crore Haryana Police Housing Complex at Bhondsi, which will house the families of 576 police personnel.
• On this occasion, Union Minister for Railways and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the Rail Coach Refurbishment Factory will create a huge eco-system and the Railways has done a complete redevelopment section of seven stations of Haryana.
• He said that the tender for world class railway station in Faridabad at a cost of Rs 262 crore has been finalized. Similarly, the master plan to build world class railway stations in Gurugram, Chandigarh, Ambala Cantt, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Panipat is being prepared.

Jharkhand's Dr Shrikant Pal Makes Smallest Antenna

Why in News?

• On October 26, 2022, 'Ultra-Wideband Antenna' of Prof. Dr. Shrikant Pal, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, BIT Mesra Ranchi located in Jharkhand has got approval from the Government of India and for this he has also been sent a patent certificate from the Government of India.

Key Points

• The prototype of the antenna was filed on July 9, 2013 and took eight years to get recognition. This antenna is developed as the smallest antenna in the country ever built for communication medium.
• Dr. Srikanth said that the size of this antenna is 14 x 11 mm and bandwidth capacity is 10:1 and it will work on the 'Twisted Helical Web' theory. The waves emanating from it are helpful in moving quickly from one place to another, like a spring, spring-like spiral web front and this will make it easier to send heavy data in a few seconds. Apart from this, its use will eliminate the problem of buffering.
• He said that this antenna has commercial value and given its specialty, Samsung Global Research team, head of research and development of South Korea has expressed interest in buying it. Research scholar Mrunmay Chakraborty has collaborated in preparing it.
• He said that this antenna is capable of doing the work of hundreds of antennas installed in a certain area alone. It does not require any connecting cable and can be used in civil communication, army database communication, satellite data transmission.
• It is known that Dr. Srikanth has achieved many successes at the international level. He designed a special bandstop filter for better operation of the Green Bank Telescope installed in West Virginia, US in 2009, which increased GBT's observation range, while also producing a super conducting device for the Jodrell Bank Telescope installed in Manchester in 2011.

Draft Ordinance on Women's Horizontal Reservation

Why in News?

• On October 27, 2022, Uttarakhand Personnel and Vigilance Secretary Shailesh Bagauli told the media that a draft ordinance has been prepared for horizontal reservation of women in the state. The draft will be sent to the legislative department next week, from where it will be sent to Raj Bhavan for the governor's approval.

Key Points

• Secretary Shailesh Bagauli said that a draft ordinance has been prepared to give 30 percent horizontal reservation in government jobs to women of Uttarakhand. After the approval of the Governor, the law of women horizontal reservation will be made in the state.
• It is known that the state government decided to bring an ordinance after the Nainital High Court stayed the government order of women horizontal reservation. It was agreed to bring an ordinance in the state cabinet meeting recently to restore horizontal reservation.
• According to Shailesh Bagauli, efforts have also started at the government level to restore 10 percent horizontal reservation to the state agitators in state government jobs. Discussions are underway with the Department of Justice in this regard. The proposal will be sent to the Department of Justice after preparing a solid legal basis in support of horizontal reservation.
• The high court had set aside the mandate of horizontal reservation of state agitators on a petition.
• On the request of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Governor Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh returned the state agitator horizontal reservation bill pending for several years at Raj Bhavan. After the bill returned, the government was asked to immediately bring an ordinance or bill for horizontal reservation.

Centre Hands Over 45.33 Acres of HMT Land to Uttarakhand

Why in News?

• On October 27, 2022, the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries transferred the much-awaited 45.33 acres of land of HMT located at Haldwani in Nainital to the Uttarakhand government. The ministry has issued land transfer orders.

Key Points

• According to the order, 45.33 acres of land of HMT at Ranibagh and Haldwani has been transferred to the Uttarakhand government at a reserve price of Rs 72 crore two lakh 10 thousand. There is a very high cost of land at market rate.
• Significantly, the state government had been requesting the central government to get the land for many years. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had also requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to transfer the land. The issue was also raised in a meeting with Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey in August.
• The state government can construct mini SIDCUL on HMT land. A large number of entrepreneurs are willing to invest in the state, but arranging land for industries is a big challenge before the government.