• 30 Jul 2022

Five-year roadmap ready in Uttar Pradesh, state government to connect 66 lakh women with employment

Why in News?

• Recently, the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission has prepared a five-year roadmap for women's empowerment under which about 66 lakh women in rural areas will be connected to new groups and employment in the next five years.

Key Point

• Under the roadmap prepared, 5 lakh 50 thousand 868 new livelihood clusters will be formed in the state within five years.
• The goal has been divided into many parts by the mission to achieve this larger goal. For this, the groups have been divided into six months, one year, two years and five years.
• On the completion of this goal, a large section of women in rural households will start contributing directly to the household as well as the economy of the village and the state. A group consists of a minimum of 10 to 14 women. If we consider 12 women per group, then 66 lakh 10 thousand 416 women will be directly connected to the new groups that will be formed in five years.
• At present, there are 4 lakh 81 thousand 793 Self Help Groups working in rural areas in the State. Out of these, 3 lakh 54 thousand 489 groups have been given Rs 531.73 crore as revolving fund in a phased manner so far to start group activities.
• 2 lakh 85 thousand 913 groups have been provided community investment funds and women belonging to these groups have been linked to livelihood related activities. Apart from RF and CIF, one lakh 81 thousand 82 groups have also been given loans from banks at low interest.
• Mission Director Bhanu Chandra Goswami said that in order to provide strength to the economic activities of the women of the groups, the state government has recently worked to connect the groups with several important schemes.
• These schemes include Allotment of Fair Price Shops, Management of Community Toilets, Electricity Bill Collection, Ojas (Solar Products), Livelihood Grameen Express Scheme, Participation in MGNREGA, Startup Village Entrepreneurship Programme, Distribution of Dry Ration, There are women farmers empowerment projects, farm value chains, etc.

MoU signed between Uttar Pradesh Culture Department and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

Why in news?

• On July 29, 2022, an Agreement (MoU) was signed between the Department of Culture of Uttar Pradesh and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts under 'Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat' and 'Cultural Exchange Scheme'.

Key Point

• Director of Ayodhya Research Institute of Uttar Pradesh, Dr. Lavkush Dwivedi and member secretary on behalf of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi. Director Priyanka Mishra signed the MoU as a representative of Sachchidanand Joshi.
• The MoU has paved the way for educational and cultural exchanges between all its institutions in the country, including the headquarters of The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi.
• In this MoU it has been first agreed by the Gujarat unit of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts to send the Ramlila of Gujarat to the Deepotsav to be held in Ayodhya.

Public transport vehicles in Bihar to have location tracking devices

Why in news?

• On July 28, 2022, the Transport Department of Bihar issued an order to install Vehicle Location Tracking Devices (VLTDs) and emergency buttons in public transport vehicles.

Key Point

• The Transport Department of Bihar has made it mandatory following a directive from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Along with this, instructions have also been issued to install panic buttons in school buses for the safety of school students.
• As per the order issued by the Transport Department, it has become mandatory to install VLTD and emergency buttons in all public transport trains registered before January, 2019.
• By August, it will also be made mandatory for all private buses to have VLTD and emergency buttons.
• Three agencies have been selected for this equipment to be installed in the trains for the safety of women.
• It may be recalled that the transport department had inaugurated the Command and Control Centre a few months ago, from where all the trains of public transport (bus, cab, taxi) will be monitored.
• If women or girls travelling in public vehicles press the emergency button in view of the danger, an alarm will sound in the control and command center, after which the police will immediately reach for help.
• Apart from this, the Command and Control Centre will also receive alerts if emergency alerts, over speeds and equipment is tampered with or broken. With the help of this, the command and control center will also get real-time information of the location of the vehicle. Vehicle owners can also find out the real-time status of their vehicles with the help of this software.

Constitution Park inaugurated at Rajasthan

Why in the news?

• On July 29, 2022, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra inaugurated the newly constructed Constitution Park at Rajasthan Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bikaner.

Key Point

• Apart from this, the Governor also inaugurated the Centre for Traditional Veterinary Systems and Alternative Pharmacology.
• Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said that The Constitution Park will help in strengthening the democratic faith of the young generation studying in the universities. This will motivate the youth to perform their duties in the interest of the nation by joining the nation's spirit.
• The Governor said that the basic spirit behind this is that the future citizens of the country can visit these parks and get a first-hand experience of the lofty culture of the Constitution. They should include fundamental duties, policy directive principles and they should feel the responsibility towards the country.
• Vice-Chancellor of the University Prof. Satish Kumar Garg said that the Constitution Pillar has been erected in the Constitution Park built in the Sardul Sadan campus of the university, which has the Ashoka insignia and the Tricolour on it. The marble stone has the Directive Principles of State Policy, the fundamental rights and fundamental duties of the citizens inscribed on it. The preamble of the Indian Constitution is shown on the main pillar.

Rajasthan International Centre

Why in news?

• On July 29, 2022, Rajasthan Chief Secretary Usha Sharma, in a review meeting of the progress of the construction of the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, directed the officials to work by creating a JDA timeline to complete the work of the centre by November.

Key Point

• She directed that along with developing world-class facilities, the operation and maintenance of the centre should also be of world class. Let the centre develop like a centre that becomes iconic in the country and the world.
• She said that the centre should be developed on the lines of India International Centre in Delhi. A special team should be formed to run the centre, in which experienced people associated with this sector will be added.
• Jaipur Development Authority Commissioner Ravi Jain said that the Rajasthan international centre will showcase the beauty of art architecture of the entire state under one roof.
• Auditorium, Convention Hall, Conference Hall are being constructed here, where world class facilities for organizing conferences and seminars will be available.
• The walls of the auditorium will be based on a lattice built in the haveli of the Patwas of Jaisalmer. In the convention hall and pre-function area, windows of the city palace's waterfalls and hawamahals will be seen. The mini auditorium has been built according to marwar pattern.
• The conference hall is being built in Jodhpur's Marwar style, where a glimpse of the traditional arches and monuments of mandore park will be seen. The e-library of the centre will be in a fully modern form, where the best books of the country and the world will be available. Lecture rooms and restaurants are also being constructed at the centre.

District-wise Financial Inclusion Index Report Released

Why in news?

• Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 29, 2022 released the district-wise Financial Inclusion Index report prepared by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis at Kushabhau Thakre Auditorium.

Key Point

• Nabard booklet was also released at the event.
• This is the first financial inclusion report of Madhya Pradesh. The report has been prepared by The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis (AGPA). This report will serve as a guide in the development of the state.
• Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Mahesh Kumar Jain said Madhya Pradesh should adopt a 5-C approach (Content, Capacity, Community, Communication and Collaboration) for financial inclusion and focus on strengthening regional rural banks.
• The Chief Executive Officer of the Institute G. V. Rashmi informed that the Financial Inclusion Index has been prepared for the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21. The indices include the case of progress made in financial inclusion in the State and the demand and supply indicators.
• Access, dimensions of use and constraints have been used in the use of financial services to assess the level of financial inclusion.
• The index gives a score of zero to one on various aspects of financial inclusion. The state has improved its financial inclusion score from 0.238 to 0.283 in the last 2 years.
• According to this report, 16 districts like Shajapur, Mandla, Barwani, Bhind, Morena, Satna, Datia are lagging behind in banking facility. Among these, the tribal dominated districts are more, while 17 districts including Bhopal, Indore, Raisen, Dhar have performed well.
• In terms of financial transactions, use of ATMs and digital banking, including opening of bank accounts, the report has been prepared by classifying the districts into three categories (High Financial Inclusion District, Medium Financial Inclusion District and Low Financial Inclusion District).
• The average index of this report has been kept at 0.268. With an index of 0.640, Bhopal district has secured the leading position in the financial inclusion index. There are 17 districts in this category, which have scored 0.319 to 0.640 marks.
• In this study, the NITI Aayog has also presented the status of the identified aspirational districts (Vidisha, Rajgarh, Damoh, Guna, Chhatarpur, Khandwa, Barwani and Singrauli).
• High Financial Inclusion Districts: Bhopal, Indore, Hoshangabad, Harda, Dhar, Jabalpur, Sehore, Ujjain, Ratlam, Gwalior, Neemuch, Dewas, Raisen, Chhindwara, Jhabua, Narsinghpur and Rajgarh.
• Medium Financial Inclusion Districts: Shahdol, Balaghat, Damoh, Sagar, Mandsaur, Katni, Panna, Sidhi, Chhatarpur, Anuppur, Betul, Vidisha, Umaria, Seoni, Ashoknagar, Guna and Khargone districts are included. These districts have scored 0.229 to 0.316 marks.
• Low financial inclusion districts: Shajapur, Mandla, Barwani, Khandwa, Datia, Dindori, Satna, Tikamgarh, Sheopur, Alirajpur, Burhanpur, Rewa, Shivpuri, Singrauli, Bhind and Morena districts are included. These districts have scored 0.101 to 0.222 marks.
• The study has pointed out that due to reluctance in interacting with bank officials, people from tribal communities avoid going to the bank. Their relationship with the customer service centres is also not getting good.

Madhya Pradesh wins 2 awards at ITCTA Conclave, Chandigarh

Why in news?

• Madhya Pradesh Tourism won two national level awards at the 8th edition of International Tourism Conclave and Travel Awards in Chandigarh on July 29, 2022.

Key Point

• Madhya Pradesh Tourism was awarded the award for promoting its Fairs Festivals and Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation for well-placed hotels.
• On behalf of Madhya Pradesh Tourism, deputy director Yuvraj Padole and General Manager Surendra Pratap Singh received the awards.
• Deputy Director (Organizing and Marketing) Tourism Board Yuvraj Padole briefed the PPT on tourism destinations of the state and other aspects of tourist attractions.
• He informed that madhya pradesh has immense potential for wildlife safaris, natural beauty, adventure activities, camping, water sports, delicious cuisine, heritage sites, tribal culture, handicrafts, wellness and mindful tourism.

Booklet 'Finance Department Bulletin' prepared by Finance Department released

Why in News?

• On July 29, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar released the booklet 'Finance Department Bulletin' prepared by the Finance Department.

Key Point

• The objective of the booklet is to facilitate the day-to-day functioning of all departments of the Government of Haryana and to provide them with criteria for assessing their performance in various indicators of sustainable development goals.
• This bulletin contains instructions and notifications issued by the Department from time to time. In addition, data relating to performance of districts and departments has also been included in various indicators of State Budget allocation as well as Sustainable Development Goals.
• Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Finance, T. V.S.N. Prasad said the document has been compiled with the intention of a single depository, where all the instructions and notifications issued by the finance department will be available simultaneously at one place.

Haryana SDG District Index-2022 Released

Why in news?

• On July 29, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar released the 'Haryana SDG District Index-2022' to assess the progress between the districts.

Key Point

• The 'Haryana SDGCC District Index-2022' has been prepared by the Finance Department and the Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute of Financial Management.
• UNDP representative, Shoko Noda said that the District Index is a mainframe tool to evaluate the progress of the districts and provides inputs for evidence-drain action for achieving the SDGs while instilling a sense of competition in them.
• Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Finance, T. V.S.N. Prasad said that districts have an important role to play in the SDG action agenda and have continued to achieve various SDG targets.
• As the nodal institutions of SDGs, NITI Aayog at national level and Swarna Jayanti Haryana Institute of Financial Management at state level have provided necessary incentives and support for collaborative momentum between districts.
• It may be mentioned that a Provisional District Index Framework was released by the Chief Minister on October 5, 2021. This is the second and updated version prepared after due consultation with the departments concerned and is based on 115 indicators, 62 goals and 15 goals.
• However, this second report is also an interim report for consultation with all concerned. The document will be sent to all stakeholders, ministers, MLAs, administrative secretaries, heads of departments and deputy commissioners.
• The final document will be launched along with other reports after receiving the comments, if any, in March 2023.
• This document will serve as a reference document for administrative secretaries, heads of departments, deputy commissioners and out-field officers to work towards achieving the SDG targets and vision 2030. The SDGs were set out by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, which are targeted to be achieved by 2030.
• In this index, Ambala retained its rank as the top district with a score of 74. Gurugram secured the second position, while Panchkula, Karnal and Yamuna Nagar are third in the table. Faridabad is at the sixth position, Kurukshetra and Sirsa are at the seventh position.
• Goals 4 and 6 have the highest number of 'front runners', while goal 8 has the most 'aspirants'.
• In SDG 4, SDG 10 and SDG 11, Haryana's score has shifted from the 'Performer' category to the 'Front Runner' category.

Top districts by goal
Goal 1: Not poverty	Gurugram
Goal 2: Zero Starvation	Ambala
Goal 3: Good health and well-being	Kaithal and Jind
Goal 4: Quality Education	Gurugram
Goal 5: Gender Equality	Charkhi Dadri
Goal 6: Clean water and cleanness	Rohtak
Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy	Ambala
Goal 8: Good work and economic growth	Gurugram
Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure	Gurugram
Goal 10: Low Inequality	Yamuna Nagar
Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	Sirsa
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production	Kurukshetra
Goal 13: Climate Action	Yamuna Nagar
Goal 15: Life on land	Yamuna Nagar
Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	Panchkula

Important decision taken at Haryana Cabinet meeting

Why in news?

• The Haryana Cabinet meeting held on 29th July, 2022 under the Chairmanship of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar gave ex-post facto approval to the revised policy/directions regarding payment of ex-gratia grant to the families/divyang soldiers of the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force).

Key Point

• As per the announcement of the Chief Minister dated 21st October, 2021, the Government of Haryana has increased the rates of ex-gratia grant on the basis of disability for the personnel killed/disabled in the Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) who have died/disabled in the war/operational area, in the war/operational area, terrorist activities and natural calamities etc.
• As per the revised rates, an ex-gratia of ₹35 lakh is being given to the Differently Abled Armed Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) in case ofn75% or more disability. Earlier, it was ₹15 lakhs.
• Similarly, an ex-gratia of ₹25 lakh is being provided in case of disability from 50% to 74% and Rs.15 lakhs in case of disability from 25% to 49%. Earlier, the amount was Rs 10 lakh and ₹5 lakh respectively.

'Haryana Targeted Public Distribution System (Licence and Control) Order, 2022'

Why in news?

• A cabinet meeting chaired by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on July 29, 2022 approved a proposal regarding approval of the 'Haryana Targeted Public Distribution System (Licence and Control) Order, 2022'.

Key Point

• Under this, 33% women's reservation will be given for issuing fair price shops. The fair price shop will be licensed for ration cards of at least 300 beneficiaries.
• A village will be treated as a unit for this purpose in rural areas. A fair price shop license will also be issued for less than 300 ration cards in the village.
• The distribution of essential commodities will be done after authentication on biometric basis under PDS through the selling machine point at the fair price shop.
• Under national portability, the beneficiary will be entitled to take his ration from any fair price shop as per his convenience across the country. The services of the ration shop will be delivered online or through other mechanisms.

World Trade Centre

Why in news?

• On July 29, 2022, Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren laid the foundation stone of the World Trade Centre in Ranchi, the capital with an aim to make Jharkhand a leading state in the field of exports, accelerate export business and provide better facilities.

Key Point

• The MoU was signed between Judco and SIDBI at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the World Trade Centre. Through this, assistance will be provided through SIDBI to those who develop industrial infrastructure and set up industries in the state.
• Judco will act as a technical and implementing agency for the execution of the project in the construction of the World Trade Center.
• Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that all the activities related to international trade, especially export promotion, will be carried out under one roof at the World Trade Centre. This centre will play an important role in strengthening the economic activities here.
• The State Government has constituted the State Export Promotion Committee and the District Export Promotion Committee to enhance the productivity of export related activities.
• It is known that Jharkhand produces the highest amount of silk in the country, accounting for 76.4% of the total production of the country. The total exports from the state in 2020-21 stood at $1,622.31 million. Exports from the state stood at $2,201.55 million in 2021-22 (as of February 2022).
• The major commodities exported from the state are iron, steel, auto parts, iron and steel products. The total exports of iron and steel from Jharkhand in the financial year 2021-22 were US$ 1.367 billion, which was 62.1% of the total exports. Jharkhand produces 53% of the total 5 States producing lakhs.
• Jharkhand’s 32% export go to South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal. state's 25% exports go to south-east Asian markets. Vietnam is at the top. 13% of exports are made to European countries like Italy and 11% to East Asian markets like China.
• Specialty of the World Trade Center-
  • All facilities related to international business will be available in one campus at the World Trade Center.
  • The centre will have regional offices of directorate general of trade and offices attached to export council of india. Apart from this, space will be provided for import-export companies. Here you will get facilities ranging from currency exchange to money transfer.
  • The World Trade Centre will be constructed in collaboration with the Central and State Governments. It will be built in 3.45 acres of land. Its total project cost will be Rs 44.59 crore.
  • The companies doing international business here will also be provided space to showcase and promote their products.
  • The World Trade Centre will boost exports of agricultural and food products, textiles, tasar products and engineering goods.
  • Construction of the World Trade Center will be completed in 2 years. It will have multipurpose conference halls, seminar halls, many more facilities besides the Import-Export Bank.

Two government de-addiction centers to be opened in the state, Devbhoomi

Why in news?

• On July 29, 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, while chairing a meeting of narco coordination, directed the officials to work in mission mode for drug-free Devbhoomi by 2025 and open two government de-addiction centres in the state.

Key Point

• In the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the officials to make arrangements for proper counselling of children and youth who are taking drugs. A special council should be held at the time of admission in colleges.
• He said special attention should be paid to rehabilitation of children caught taking drugs by not treating them like criminals. Parents-teachers' meetings in colleges should be held regularly.
• The Chief Minister directed Additional Chief Secretary Radha Raturi to regularly review the Drugs Free Devbhoomi campaign and said that the Anti Drugs Task Force should be activated in collaboration with the concerned departments.