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By admin: July 9, 2022

Home Minister Amit Shah chair Northern Zonal Council meeting in Jaipur

Tags: State News

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 30th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Jaipur on July 9, where security, road, transport, industry, water, electricity and other issues of common interest were discussed.

• Important facts

• Chief Ministers, Governors and Lieutenant Governors of 8 states/union territories including Rajasthan attended the meeting.

• Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot delivered the welcome address.

• The meeting was held in Jaipur after 25 years.

• The Modi government has been holding regular meetings of regional councils as part of its overall strategy to strengthen and promote cooperative and competitive federalism in the country. 

• In the last eight years, the number of meetings of the Regional Councils and its Standing Committees has tripled.

• About Zonal Councils

• In 1956 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru give the idea of creation of Zonal Councils.

• There are five Zonal Councils in India which were established in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganization Act, 1956.

• A Standing Committee is constituted by each Zonal Council consisting of the Chief Secretaries of their respective Zonal Councils of the Member States.

• These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues.

• Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils

• Vice-chairman - Chief Minister of the host state

• Five Zonal Councils

1. The Northern Zonal Council - States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh are included.

2. The Central Zonal Council -  States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are included.

3. The Eastern Zonal Council - States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Sikkim and West Bengal are included.

4. The Western Zonal Council - States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are included.

5. The Southern Zonal Council - States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry are included.

• Objectives of the Zonal Councils

• National integration

• Enabling Centre and States to collaborate and exchange ideas and experiences

• Stopping the growth of regionalism, linguism and specific tendencies

• To establish an environment of cooperation among the states for successful and speedy execution of development projects

• Significance of Zonal Councils

• Zonal councils provide a forum for discussion on issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Centre and the states.

• It helps in developing a coordinated approach through deliberation and exchange of views among the states on important issues of social and economic development.

• They provide a forum for resolving disputes between the Centre and the states.

Kindly also see 11 June 2022 post

NMA recommends two sites connected to Ambedkar to be declared as monuments of national importance

Tags: Popular National News

The National Monuments Authority (NMA) on July 9 has recommended the declaration of two sites associated with BR Ambedkar in Gujarat and Maharashtra as monuments of national importance.

• These recommendations have been placed before Minister of State for Culture Arjun Ram Meghwal by the National Monuments Authority.

• Name the two sites

1. Sankalp Bhumi banyan tree campus

It is located in Vadodara, Gujrat where Dr. Ambedkar had taken a resolve to eradicate untouchability on 23th September, 1917. 

The site is more than a hundred years old and witnesses the beginning of the social respect revolution initiated by Ambedkar, who is regarded as the architect of the Constitution of India.

     2. PratapRao Bhosale High School, Satara, Maharashtra

         Dr Ambedkar received his primary education in PratapRao Bhosale     High School.

         This school is under Satara Zilla Parishad and presently the condition of the school is dilapidated.

         The school's register still shows the signature of a student, Bhim Rao, in Marathi.

• National Monuments Authority (NMA) 

• Established - in 2010 

• Ministry - Union Ministry of Culture

• Established under The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010

• Composition - a Chairperson and up to 5 Whole Time and 5 Part Time Members and a Member Secretary

• The Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is its ex-officio member.

• Headquarters - New Delhi 

State mourning across the country on July 9 over the death of Shinzo Abe

Tags: International News

The government has decided to observe a one-day state mourning across the country on July 9 in honour of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He passed away on 8 July.

• Important facts 

• Prime Minister Modi expressed deep grief over the incident and declared a day of national mourning on 9 July in the country as a mark of deep respect for him.

• On the day of mourning, on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly, the National Flag will remain at half-mast.

• Awarded Padma Vibhushan in 2021

• In January 2021, the Indian government honoured Shinzo Abe with the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award.

• Abe is considered to have played an important role in better relations between India and Japan.

• Visited India most times while being the PM of Japan

• Shinzo Abe visited India three times during his tenure as Prime Minister.

• He was on official visits to India in January 2014, December 2015 and September 2017.

• No other Prime Minister of Japan has made so many visits to India.

• He was the first Japanese prime minister to be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade in 2014.

• India-Japan relations under Shinzo Abe

• The foundation for the "Global Partnership between Japan and India" was laid in 2001, and the annual bilateral summit was agreed in 2005, with Abe accelerating the pace of relations with India since 2012.

• In August 2007, during his first visit to India as Prime Minister, he delivered the famous "confluence of two seas" speech which laid the foundation for the concept of Indo-Pacific.

• In September 2014, Modi and Abe agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a "Special Strategic and Global Partnership".

• During Abe's tenure, the two countries decided to hold a meeting of foreign and defence ministers (2+2).

• In November 2019, the first 2+2 meeting was held in New Delhi.

• An agreement for transfer of defence equipment and technology was also signed in 2015.

• During his tenure, India and Japan came closer in the Indo-Pacific.

• Abe had given the concept of Quad in 2007 and it was formed.

• The Quad is a diplomatic network of four countries committed to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.

• During Abe's visit in 2015, India decided to introduce a bullet train.

• Under Abe's leadership, India and Japan formed the Act East Forum and it is important for development in Northeast India.

• Kindly also see 8 July 2022 post

Health and Panchayati Raj Ministry sign MoU to eliminate TB in India

Tags: National News

The Union Ministry of Health and Ministry of Panchayati Raj has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an aim to eliminate TB in India.

• Important facts 

• The MoU was signed by Dr. Bijay Kumar Behera, Economic Adviser on behalf of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Dr. P. Ashok Babu, Joint Secretary on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

• This MoU will create inter-ministerial cooperation and strategic partnership with the aim of achieving the Prime Minister's ambitious goal of eliminating TB in India by 2025.

• The MoU is expected to pave the way for coordinated efforts at the grassroots level to create public awareness in rural areas to end the stigma and discrimination associated with tuberculosis.

• This MoU will prove to be a milestone in achieving the objective and goal of TB Free India Campaign.

• What is Tuberculosis (TB)?

• It is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• The bacteria generally attack the lungs, but TB bacteria can attack any part of the body, such as the kidneys, spine, and brain.

• Tuberculosis infections began increasing in 1985 because of the emergence of HIV.

• HIV weakens a person's immune system, so it can't fight the TB germs.

• Transmission

• Its bacteria spread from person to person through the air.

• When people with pulmonary (Lung) TB cough, sneeze or spit, they spread TB germs into the air.

• Symptoms of TB

• cough for three or more weeks

• coughing up bloody sputum

• Chest pain, pain with breathing and coughing

• weight loss, Fatigue, Fever and Night sweats etc.

• Government Initiatives to Combat TB

• National Strategic Plan (NSP) for Tuberculosis (TB) Elimination (2017-2025)

• Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY- financial support)

• TB Harega Desh Jeetega Campaign

• Universal Immunisation Programme

• The government of India aims to have a TB-free India by 2025.

• Revised National TB Control Program under National Health Mission

• Ending the TB epidemic by 2030 under United Nations SDG target 3.3.

• Every year World TB Day is celebrated on 24 March.

• TB Burden

• Every year one crore people fall ill with TB and 1.5 million people die from TB every year.

• About half of all people with TB are found in eight countries – Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and South Africa.

• It is one of the top 10 leading causes of death worldwide.

• India accounts for 30 percent of the world's TB cases, the highest in the world, followed by Indonesia and China.

Sports Ministry launches online portal for schemes, awards for sportspersons

Tags: Sports News

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Thakur launched an online portal for schemes, awards for sportspersons on 8th July.

• Important facts

• The ministry launched an online portal for schemes of the sports department, website of National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) and revised scheme of cash rewards, national welfare and pension for sportspersons.

• Active sports persons can now apply online on the sports department's portal while corporates, PSUs and individuals can contribute to the NSDF fund on its new website.

• This will help in bringing transparency and accountability, besides giving a boost to the 'Digital India Mission' of the government.

• This will help the players to apply online and get their money in limited time.

• National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)

• Established in 1998 under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890

• Its purpose is to provide speed and flexibility in assisting sports.

• The fund helps sportspersons achieve excellence by providing them technical as well as opportunities to be trained by coaches of international repute.

• It provides financial assistance for development of infrastructure and other activities to promote sports.

• The fund is managed by a council constituted by the central government.

• Chairperson - Union Minister in charge of Youth Affairs and Sports

16 killed in cloudburst during Amarnath Yatra

Tags: State News

16 pilgrims lost their lives in flash floods triggered by cloudburst near the holy cave of Amarnath in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir.

• Important facts 

• The flash flood washed away a part of the camp.

• About 50 people are missing at the site of the flood.

• The injured were shifted to temporary medical camps set up in Baltal.

• The exact location of the cloudburst and flash floods is the Kali Mata Y Junction, which is located in the lower Amarnath cave towards the Baltal base camp.

• What is a Cloudburst?

• It is a sudden, very heavy rainfall that is usually local in nature and of short duration.

• Most cloudbursts occur in connection with thunderstorms.

• According to the IMD it is a weather phenomenon with "unexpected rainfall" in excess of 100 mm/h over a geographical area of about 20-30 sq km.

• In a cloudburst event, a large amount of water can accumulate at high levels, and if the upward currents weaken, all this water falls to the ground at once.

• Cloudburst is a common phenomenon especially in mountainous areas.

• About Amarnath Yatra

• Amarnath Yatra is an annual pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave temple of Lord Shiva located in the Himalayas.

• The cave is located at an altitude of 3,888 meters, about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar.

• According to religious beliefs, when Lord Shiva decided to tell Parvati the secret of his immortality (Amar Katha), he chose the Amarnath cave deep in the Himalayas in South Kashmir. 

• The ice lingam, representing Lord Shiva is formed by a trickle of water from a cleft in the roof of the cave.

• Shiva Lingam takes its full shape every year in May after which it starts melting.

• Other pilgrimage sites in Jammu and Kashmir

• Vaishno Devi Mandir

• It is a very popular Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu Goddess.

• It is located in the Trikuta Mountains of Jammu and Kashmir.

• It is situated at an altitude of 5200 feet above sea level.

• Shankracharya Temple

• It is situated on the Zabarwan Mountain in Srinagar.

• The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

• It is located about 1100 feet above the plains.

• It is said that the great saint Shankaracharya stayed there during his visit to Kashmir.

• Raghunath Temple

• It is one of the largest temples in North India and is located in Jammu.

• It was built by Maharaja Gulab Singh (founder of the state of Jammu and Kashmir) and his son Ranbir Singh.

• The temple has many idols of Hindu gods and goddesses, but its main deity is Lord Rama.

Mangarh Hill to be declared monument of national importance

Tags: National News

A report by the National Monuments Authority (NMA) has announced to name the top of Mangarh hill in Rajasthan as a national monument in honour of 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters.

• Mangarh Hill

• The hill, located on the Gujarat-Rajasthan border, is the site of a tribal revolt where more than 1500 Bhil tribal freedom fighters were killed in the year 1913.

• This place is also known as Adivasi Jallianwala and there has been a demand to build a memorial here.

• On November 17, 1913, the British army opened fire on tribals gathering in protest, led by a leader of the Govind Guru community, killing more than 1,500 people.

• Bhil tribe

• The Bhils are commonly known as the Dhanushdharis of Rajasthan. It is the largest tribal community in India.

• It is the largest tribe of South Asia.

• Generally these are classified into two forms:

• middle or pure bhil

• Eastern or Rajput Bhil

• Central Bhils are found in the mountainous regions of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Rajasthan in India and are also found in the north-western regions of Tripura.

• They are considered a Scheduled Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tripura.

• The Bhils are members of the pre-Aryan caste.

• The name Bhil is also mentioned in the ancient epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana.

• About National Monuments Authority (NMA) 

• The National Monuments Authority was enacted in March 2010 in accordance with the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Recognition) Act, under the Ministry of Culture.

• The NMA has been entrusted with a number of functions related to the conservation of monuments and sites through the management of restricted and regulated areas around centrally protected monuments.

• National ancient monuments are defined under the Ancient Monuments, Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Chhattisgarh govt approves electric vehicle policy to create employment

Tags: State News

Chhattisgarh has become the 21st state in India to ratify its Electric Vehicle Policy.

• Important facts

• Chhattisgarh EV Policy 2022 was approved during the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

• The objective of the policy is not only to increase the number of electric vehicles on the roads, but also to develop the state as an EV manufacturing hub in the coming days.

• “Under the policy, the government has set a target of 15 percent new registrations of vehicles for personal use or commercial use as EVs by 2027.”

• Chhattisgarh EV policy will be applicable for commercial and non-commercial vehicles.

• Full rebate in road tax will be given on all electric vehicles purchased during the first two years from the date of official implementation of this policy.

• About Chhattisgarh State 

• Chhattisgarh is a densely forested state in central India known for its temples and waterfalls.

• It is also known as the rice bowl due to its abundant production of paddy.

• Chhattisgarh has the world's largest area of kimberlite deposits.

• Chhattisgarh accounts for 16 percent of the total mineral production of the country.

• It is the second largest state in the country in terms of mineral revenue.

• The state of Chhattisgarh was formed on 1 November 2000.

• Capital- Raipur

• Governor- Anusuiya Uike Baghel

• Chief Minister- Bhupesh Baghel

Gita Gopinath becomes first woman to feature on IMF’s ‘wall of former chief economists’

Tags: International News

inscribed on the wall of the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) former chief economists.

• Important facts 

• The first Indian to receive this honour was Raghuram Rajan, who was the IMF's Chief Economist and Director of Research between 2003 and 2006.

• Gita Gopinath was appointed Chief Economist of the IMF in October 2018 and was later promoted as the first Deputy Managing Director of the IMF in December 2021.

• Gita Gopinath served as the first female chief economist of the Washington-based Monetary Fund for three years.

• Gita Gopinath is one of the foremost economists. She is also known for her research on international finance and macroeconomics.

• Geeta is the third woman to become a tenured professor (permanent professor) of Harvard's Department of Economics and the second Indian after Nobel laureate Amartya Sen.

• In 2019, Geeta was awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, which is the highest honour for Indians living outside the country.

• About International Monetary Fund (IMF) 

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF), a United Nations (UN) specialised agency, was established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference to secure international monetary policies.

• The International Monetary Fund is an organisation with 189 member countries.

• First Deputy Managing Director- Geeta Gopinath

• Headquarters- Washington, D.C., U.S.

• Managing Director- Kristalina Georgieva

• Chief Economist - Pierre Olivier Gourinchas

Delhi Government launched Mission Kushal Karmi

Tags: State News

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has launched Mission Kushal Karmi to help construction workers improve their abilities.

• Important facts

• The program has been developed by the Delhi Government in association with Delhi University of Skills and Entrepreneurship (DSEU) and Delhi Construction Board.

• This program started by Skill University along with Simplex, NAREDCO and India Vision Foundation to make construction workers and masons etc., is very special.

• In this, the skill of the workers will be enhanced through a special training program of 15 days each.

• Two lakh workers will be given skill training in various fields in a year.

• With this effort, along with increasing the skill, the income of the workers will also increase by up to eight thousand rupees. Also, construction companies will get better and smarter workers by getting them to work in a better way, less wastage and there will be huge savings.

• 4200 will also be given to all the workers after completing the training.

• About Delhi 

• Delhi was accepted as the capital of the Union of India after independence in 1947.

• In 1956 it was given the status of a Union Territory.

• Under the 69th Constitutional Amendment, 1991, the Union Territory of Delhi was made 'National Capital Territory of Delhi', giving special status to it.

• A 70-member assembly and a 7-member council of ministers were also arranged for Delhi.

• NCR includes the districts of Uttar Pradesh (8), Haryana (14) and Rajasthan (2) adjoining Delhi.

• Lt. Governor- Vinai Kumar Saxena

• Chief Minister- Shri Arvind Kejriwal

IISc researchers develop an analog chipset named ARYABHAT-1

Tags: Science and Technology

Researchers at IISc Bengaluru have recently developed a prototype of an analog chipset named "Aryabhata-1".

• Important facts

• The team has created a design framework for developing the next generation of analog computing chipsets.

• These chipsets can work fast. It will use less power than the digital processors used in various electronic gadgets.

• It has been designed by Prateek Kumar, a PhD student at IISc.

• Aryabhata-1

• Aryabhata-1 stands for "Analog Reconfigurable Technology and Bias-scalable Hardware for AI Tasks".

• These chipsets could be beneficial for applications based on artificial intelligence (AI) such as object or speech recognition apps, including Alexa.

• It is able to be configured with multiple machine learning architectures such that its ability to perform robustly over different temperature ranges enables it to work with digital CPUs.

• About Indian Institute of Science (IISc) 

• IISc was established in the year 1909 at Bangalore, Karnataka State with the active support of Jamsetji Tata.

• Hence it is also known as 'Tata Institute'.

• It is a public research university for higher education and research in science, engineering, design and management.

• IISc was granted deemed university status in 1958 and Institute of Eminence in 2018.

R. Dinesh elected as President of CII for 2022-23

Tags: Economy/Finance Person in news

R Dinesh, Executive Vice President, TVS Supply Chain Solutions, has been named as the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for 2022-2023.

• Important facts

• He previously served as the Chairman of National Committees on Logistics, CII Family Business Network India Chapter Council, CII Tamil Nadu State Council and CII Institute of Logistics Advisory Council.

• From 2018 to 2019, he also served as the President of CII Southern Region.

• ITC's Chairman and Managing Director Sanjiv Puri has been elected as the Vice-Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the financial year 2022-23.

• Sanjeev Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director, Bajaj Finserv Limited will continue as the chairman of the organisation for the current financial year.

• About Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

• CII is a non-profit and non-governmental organisation.

• The objective of CII is to achieve a conducive environment for the development of industry and civil society in India.

• It was established in 1895.

• It has over 8,000 members from both the public and private sectors.

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri launches SVANidhi Mahotsav

Tags: National News

The Svanidhi Mahotsav, which runs from July 9 to 31, is being organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

• Important facts

• Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated the Svanidhi Festival.

• Svanidhi Mahotsav is a cultural festival being celebrated to commemorate the success of PM Svanidhi Yojana.

• It is being conducted in 75 cities across 33 states and union territories.

• Digital transaction training, loan fair and cultural activities will be organised during the festival.

• Street plays will also be organised to share the benefits, features and experiences of street vendors during this time.

• About PM Svanidhi Yojana 

• PM Svanidhi Yojana was launched on June 1, 2020.

• This scheme was started with the aim of providing financial support to small shopkeepers and hawkers.

• Under the PM Svanidhi Yojana, people who sell goods on the street tracks or do other small jobs can take a loan of up to ₹ 10,000 from the bank.

• After repaying the loan taken in the first instance, the beneficiary can get a loan of up to ₹ 20,000 in the second time and up to ₹ 50,000 in the third time.

• The tenure of the Svanidhi scheme was earlier till March 2022, but the government has extended the deadline of the Svanidhi scheme till December 2024.

• So far 53.7 lakh applications have been received under this scheme, out of which 36.6 lakh applications have been approved and 33.2 lakh loans have been disbursed.

• An amount of Rs 3,592 crore has been disbursed under the scheme so far.