• 31 Oct 2023

Government Schools of Purvanchal Top on Standards like Education and Discipline.

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, government schools in Purvanchal topped the rankings of the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Department for the month of August-September. In the latest report of 823 development blocks of the state, the blocks of Purvanchal have got a place in the top 10.

Key Points:

• Two blocks of Ballia district, Bairia and Maniyar, are ranked first and second, respectively, while Belhari is ninth. Sakaldiha of Chandauli district is third, Kerakat of Jaunpur district is fourth, Bhagalpur of Deoria district is fifth, Salempur is seventh, Bhaluani is tenth, and Abholi and Aurai of Bhadohi district are sixth and eighth, respectively. Kaurihar First of Prayagraj district has been ranked 14th in the entire state.
• Khatauli block in Muzaffarnagar district of western Uttar Pradesh is ranked 16th; Khair block of Aligarh district is ranked 49th; Saroorpur in Meerut district is ranked 56th; Kaira in Bareilly district is ranked 77th; Kheragarh in Agra district is ranked 97th; Dilari in Moradabad district is ranked 218th; and Swar block of Rampur district is ranked 250th in the ranking.
• Lucknow's Gosaiganj block has a 319th rank, which is the best among the blocks of the capital.
• The block-wise released rankings have been prepared based on several parameters. The rankings have been done on the basis of ongoing Mission Kayakalp, absence of teachers, attendance of students, meetings, etc. for the renovation of schools.

North Bihar's Largest Skill Training Center will Open in Bela Industrial Area of Muzaffarpur.

Why In News?

According to information received from the media on October 30, 2023, the largest skill training centre of North Bihar will open in Bela Industrial Area of Muzaffarpur, whose work is in the final stage.

Key Points:

• In the skill training centre, the youth will get training in 40 sectors, including construction, electronics and hardware, food processing, furniture and fittings, handicrafts, gems and jewellery, leather technology, and bag manufacturing. More than one thousand youth will be trained under one roof simultaneously.
• This centre will train the youth of other states, including North Bihar, in the field of employment and issue proficiency certificates to them.
• Production of fancy garments will start in December in Bela Industrial Area Phase I. A Delhi-based garment company has set up a factory here, which will start production in December. This will provide employment opportunities for more than 1,000 people.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana was started in 2015 to provide skill training to the unemployed youth of the country. After the successful operation of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana from 2015 to 2016, part-II of the scheme was launched in 2016, which lasted till 2020. Part-III of this scheme was started in 2020. About eight lakh youth have been trained in Part-III.

Shashi Bhushan of Bihar won Silver Medal in 37th National Games

Why In News?

Shashi Bhushan from Arrah district of Bihar won a silver medal in the 1500 meters race in the ongoing 37th National Games in Goa on October 30, 2023.

Key Points:

• Bihar State Sports Authority Director General and Chief Executive Officer Ravindran Sankaran said that Shashi Bhushan won the silver medal with a time of 3 minutes, 41.49 seconds.
• After 20 years, Bihar has won a medal in athletics at the National Games. This is the second silver medal for Bihar at the National Games. Earlier, Bihar had won a silver medal in women's rugby.
• The 37th National Games are being held in Goa from October 25 to November 9. A total of 223 people, including 208 male and female players and coaches from Bihar as well as 15 officials of Bihar Olympic Association, participated in 22 different sports disciplines.
• Players from Bihar state have participated in major sports like Athletics, Archery, Boxing, Fencing, Rugby, Cycling, Judo, Taekwondo, Yoga, Swimming, Penchak Silat, Sepak Takra, Weightlifting, Wushu, Triathlon, Martial Arts, Squash, Wrestling etc.
• The players here have been specially trained by the Bihar State Sports Authority for the National Games. For this, special training camps were organized in different sports, such as rugby and sepak takraw at IIT Bihta, Wushu at Muzaffarpur, and archery at Pataliputra Sports Complex.

Two-Day 29th Annual Conference of Bihar Unit of Cardiological Society of India

Why In News?

The two-day 29th Annual Conference of Bihar Unit of Cardiological Society of India from October 28–29, 2023 was held at Hotel Maurya.

Key Points:

• The conference was inaugurated by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Cardiologists from different states of the country participated in the event.
• The Chief Minister said that Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) is being made a 5462-bed state-of-the-art hospital so that patients can be treated better.
• Bal Hriday Yojana was started in Nishchay-2. Under this, children with holes in the heart from birth are treated free of cost. Now arrangements have been made for its treatment in Patna itself. 198 children in IGIC and IGIMS A total of 24 children have been treated.
• The Chief Minister said that earlier there were 6 medical colleges and hospitals in the state, which has now increased to 13. Many hospitals are being further expanded. 2500 in IGIMS Patna, 2500 in NMCH. 2500 beds are being expanded in Patna, 2500 beds in SKMCH, Muzaffarpur, 2500 beds in DMCH Darbhanga.
• Rajvanshi Nagar Hospital has been made a specialized hospital for the treatment of orthopedics, which has been named Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital. Rajendra Nagar Hospital has been made a special hospital for the eye. New Gardiner Hospital is being developed as a specialized hospital for diabetes.

Chief Minister Unveiled Statues of Freedom Fighters Late. Ram Bahadur Singh and Late. Padmanand Singh 'Brahmachari'

Why In News?

On October 27, 2023, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar paid tribute to 'Kosi Ka Gandhi' Swatantryaveer Late at Bhagwati Courtyard of Panchgachia village in Saharsa district. Ram Bahadur Singh and his eldest son were freedom fighters. Padmanand Singh unveiled a life-size statue of 'Brahmachari'.

Key Points:

• Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Ram Bahadur Babu was born in 1901 AD and died in 1950 AD. In 1919 AD, Rambahadur Babu met Swami Sahajanand Saraswati and gave his arrest while opposing the black law 'Rowlatt Act' brought by the British.
• To make Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation movement successful, Rambahadur Babu along with hundreds of people formed the Kosi Sevak Dal in 1920 AD and boycotted foreign clothes in the Kosi region and started the Khadi Village Industry.
• In 1925, when Gandhiji came to Bihar and went to Purnia, Araria, Forbesganj etc., Ram Bahadur Babu stayed with him during the tour. In 1930, he also participated in Gandhiji's Salt Satyagraha movement.
• In the year 1934, when there was an earthquake in Bihar and Gandhiji reached Munger to meet the earthquake victims, Panchgachia village also came and met Ram Bahadur Babu, because his house was also destroyed in the earthquake. Even in such a situation, Kunti Devi, wife of Ram Bahadur Babu, donated her money to Bapu, so that the victims could be helped. Ram Bahadur Babu also played an active role in the Quit India Movement of 1942 AD.
• The Chief Minister said that Padmanand Singh 'Brahmachari', son of Ram Bahadur Babu, also participated in the Quit India Movement of 1942 AD. Padmanand Singh was born in the year 1921 and died in the year 2016.

CSSRI Karnal Developed Sulphur Based Soil Improvement Technology

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, Dr. Arvind Kumar Roy, Chairman, Department of Crop and Soil Improvement, Central Institute of Soil and Salinity Research (CSSRI), Karnal, informed that after six years of research, CSSRI has developed Sulphur-based soil improvement technology.

Key Points:

• Dr. Arvind Kumar Roy said that at present, gypsum from the mines of Rajasthan is used for soil improvement, but it is continuously decreasing, due to which scientists have been looking for an alternative for many years.
• The study was conducted at several locations in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan along with CSSRI for the results of Sulphur based soil improvement technique. Also, it was used on various crops such as paddy, wheat, cotton, berseem etc.
• Using this technique, a large area of the country can be made fertile again, in which crops will be produced and the country's food grains will increase.
• At present, 3.78 lakh hectares of land in the country is affected by alkalinity. The land whose PH value exceeds 8.3 is considered alkaline land. Apart from this, the production of crops gradually falls due to the use of alkaline water. In 10 to 15 years, the situation becomes such that the yield of crops in that land stops and the land starts becoming barren.
• Scientists at CSSRI started research work on preparing an alternative. This research work was started by CSSRI in collaboration with Reliance Industries. After six years of hard work and research, the institute has now developed a Sulphur-based soil improvement technique.
• It is noteworthy that the Sulphur used in this technique is obtained from the petroleum refinery, which is unusable. The gases that come out of it will be removed by going through a process and Sulphur. Its biggest advantage is not only the improvement of alkaline land, but the second biggest benefit will also be that pollution from these gases will also be reduced.

Anish Banwala Achieved Olympic Quota with Two Bronzes

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, Karnal-based shooter Anish Banwala qualified for the Asian Shooting Championships, winning a bronze medal in the individual and team event as well as securing a quota for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Key Points:

• The 15th Asian Shooting Championships will be held in Changwon, South Korea from October 23 to November 3.
• Anish Banwala achieved this feat in the 25m rapid fire pistol. He has secured a ticket to Paris on the basis of score. He scored 588 out of 600 marks in the competition.
• Anish will now showcase his talent at the ongoing 37th National Games in Goa. Their event in Goa will be held on November 5-6. Apart from this, Anish will participate in the World Cup shooting to be held in Doha, Qatar in November.
• It is worth mentioning that in the Asian Games held in China this month, Anish played an important role in winning the bronze medal in the team event. Earlier, Anish had also won a gold medal in the Khelo India University Games. In May too, Anish participated in the Senior World Cup held in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
• Anish had won the bronze medal in the 25m rapid fire event at the 2023 Senior Shooting World Cup after 12 years. Prior to that, a team gold was won in the Senior World Cup in 2022. In 2018, Anish won gold in the 25m rapid fire event at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia. At that time, he was studying in 10th class.
• Anish's elder sister Muskan is also a shooter. In February 2018, Muskan and Anish won the gold medal together in the Junior World Cup held in Sydney. Muskan competed in the 25m sport pistol and Anish in the 25m rapid fire.
• Anish has so far won 70 medals at the national and around 33 at the international level.

Jind Becomes Second Most Polluted City Among 13 Cities of the Country

Why In News?

According to a statement issued by the Central Pollution Control Board on October 30, 2023, Jind city of Haryana is the second most polluted city in the country. The city's average AQI was recorded at 416.

Key Points:

• Six cities of Haryana were included in the 13 polluted cities of the country. The air quality index (AQI) in six districts of Haryana has crossed 300. An AQI above 300 means the city's air is in a very poor condition.
• At the same time, Hanumangarh in Rajasthan was the most polluted city in the country. The city's average AQI was recorded at 428.
• Among the 13 polluted cities in the country, six cities in Haryana are Jind (416), Jhajjar/Bahadurgarh (362), Kaithal (332), Bhiwani (330), Rohtak (314) and Karnal (303).

Chief Minister laid the Foundation Stone and Inaugurated Jharkhand's Longest Bridge

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, Chief Minister Hemant Soren inaugurated the state's largest bridge built over the Mayurakshi river at Kumdabad in Dumka. He also laid the foundation stone and inaugurated 21 other schemes to be constructed and constructed at a cost of Rs 543 crore.

Key Points:

• Built at a cost of Rs 198 crore, the bridge has a length of 2.34 km. The bridge has been named as Dishoom Guru Shibu Soren Setu.
• Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister said that with the construction of the bridge, the movement of people of dozens of villages of Dumka Masliya and Raneshwar blocks will be easier.
• The construction of the bridge will not only reduce the distance between West Bengal, Ranchi, Jamtara and Nala, but it will also lead to economic and tourism development.

Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, the Uttarakhand government approved the launch of 'Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana' to promote fisheries in the state.

Key Points:

• It may be noted that 'Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana' is operated by the Central Government. There is no incentive facility to fish farmers according to the hilly areas. In view of this, the state government has approved the launch of 'Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana'.
• Under this scheme, fish farmers will get a subsidy of five percent in the interest rate on loans for the construction of ponds, raceways and other infrastructure for fish farming. The state government will give a discount of three percent as an additional interest rate, while two percent will be given from the central scheme.
• The duration of the Chief Minister's Matsya Sampada Yojana will be five years. In this, a target has been set to connect four thousand people with the fish farming business.
• In this scheme, women groups will be linked to fish farming. Also, women groups will get up to 50 percent subsidy for fish farming.
• On the lines of farmers, now fish farmers will also get insurance facility. Fish farmers will be given insurance of one lakh rupees. In this, 90 percent premium will be given by the state government. Trout fish seed will be prepared in the state itself.

Suraj Panwar of Uttarakhand won Gold Medal in Race Walking.

Why In News?

In the 37th National Games held in Goa on October 30, 2023; Suraj Panwar of Uttarakhand won the first gold medal in athletics for the state 20 km (about 12.43 mi) race walking.

Key Points:

• Suraj Panwar completed the 20 km race in one hour and 27 minutes and won the gold medal. With this, Uttarakhand has so far won eight medals, including two gold and one silver, in the National Games.
• According to Uttarakhand Olympic Association General Secretary Dr. DK Singh, Uttarakhand has so far received two gold medals. Earlier, Nikhil Bharti of Rudrapur won the gold medal by defeating the Maharashtra player 41-29 in the final of the Penchak Silat game.
• Uttarakhand's Ankita Dhyani won the bronze medal in the 1500 m (about 4921.26 ft) race of the National Games. He completed the race in four minutes and 16 seconds. Ankita is originally from Meruda village in Jaiharikhal block of Pauri.
• Suraj Panwar had earlier won a silver medal in the 5000 m (about 3.11 mi) walking race of the Youth Olympics held in Argentina in 2018. In 2018, he won silver in the 5000 m (about 3.11 mi) race walking at the Asian Championships held in Thailand, while last year he finished 24th in the 20 km (about 12.43 mi) race walking in Doha.

Chief Minister Inaugurated Vigilance Week

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the 'Oppose Corruption, Be Dedicated to the Nation' programme as part of vigilance week. He also announced the creation of 103 new posts in the Vigilance Department.

Key Points:

• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that a team of surveillance and technical experts will be formed to effectively improve the functioning of the Vigilance Department.
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that during the 'Vigilance Awareness Week', awareness campaigns should be conducted regularly through various means for corruption-free Uttarakhand.
• The Chief Minister directed the officers of the Vigilance Department to submit a report twice a month on the action being taken by the department to prevent corruption. Regular monitoring of their departments should be done by all departmental secretaries to root out corruption.
• He said that the number 1064 issued for corruption-free Uttarakhand should also be widely publicized. Any complaint related to corruption should be responded to promptly, prompt action should be taken if the complaint is found to be true.

27 Proposals got Approval in the Cabinet Meeting

Why In News?

On October 30, 2023, 27 out of 30 proposals were approved in the cabinet meeting chaired by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. These include a scheme to link 1600 types of herbs with livelihood in 12 thousand van panchayats.

Key Points:

• To keep the climate of the state safe, the state cabinet has approved a plan to promote solar heaters and remove junk vehicles spewing poisonous smoke from the roads.
• If you sell junk vehicles, you will get a discount on buying a new vehicle.
  • Vehicles that are 15 years old will be sold for scrap in the state. This discount will be 15 percent for buying a new vehicle for commercial vehicles and 25 percent for private vehicles.
  • The Cabinet has approved the scrap policy. The central government will also provide a special assistance of Rs 50 crore for the implementation of the policy.
• 50 percent subsidy will be given for installing solar heaters in homes
  • The Cabinet has approved the Solar Water Heater Grant Scheme, in which if domestic consumers install solar heaters in their homes, then the government will give up to 50 percent subsidy for this. At the same time, 30 percent subsidy will be given on commercial use. Also, there will be a discount of Rs 150 per liter in the electricity bill.
  • The scheme was discontinued in 2014.
• More than 6000 employees have a chance to join the old pension
  • About 6000 employees serving in the new pension scheme will get a chance to join the old pension scheme, whose recruitment release and notification was issued before October 1, 2005.
  • The state cabinet has adopted the option given by the central government in March 2023.
• Thousands of check dams to be built in the mountains, authority approves
  • Thousands of check dams will be built in 11 hilly districts of the state for the use of rainwater. This will help prevent damage from rainwater in the low-lying plains.
  • For this, the Cabinet has approved the Ping and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARA) under the Directorate of Water Resources.
• Uniform allowance of 35,000 Class IV employees increased
  • About 35,000 class IV employees posted in the departments of the state except the secretariat will get uniform allowance of Rs 2400 every year. So far, in two years, a uniform allowance of Rs 4000 has been received in pants, shirts and other different items. The Cabinet has approved the proposal.
  • Also, in the typing test for becoming a driver-turned-clerk, a standard of 2400 words has been made in place of 4000 words.
• If you pass 8th standard ITI, then only Hindi exams will have to be given in high school.
  • Students who have passed class 8 in the state who complete the two-year course of ITI will not be required to take the full high school examination. To pass class 10, they only have to pass the Hindi exam.
  • Similarly, class 10 students will be able to pass only Hindi examination after doing ITI and do 12th.
• Rs 628 crore herbal production scheme approved in van panchayats
  • The Cabinet has approved a scheme worth Rs 628 crore in two phases to promote herb production in 12,000 forest panchayats of the state.
  • This scheme will be implemented in 5000 hectares in two phases for 10 years. Under this, emphasis will be laid on increasing the livelihood of local people.
• Other major cabinet decisions
  • Investment process will be easier in tourism policy, single window system implemented
  • Cabinet approves amendment in policy for expansion of industries
  • Powers given to District Magistrate for construction of new cow houses and animal protection
  • IAS, IRS and senior PCS officers to become Additional Tax Commissioner
  • ADB's project for upgradation of powerhouse was approved.
  • Cabinet approves setting up of Rajaji Tiger Conservation Foundation on the lines of Corbett
  • Govt to provide 3 per cent subsidy under Mukhyamantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
  • Prison manual to be made based on model jail manual