1. Gold mines found in three districts of Odisha
Tags: State News
Odisha Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Kumar Malik has informed the state assembly that gold mines have been discovered at different places in three districts of the state.
An overview of the news:
Surveys by Odisha's Directorate of Mines and Geological Survey of India (GSI) have confirmed gold deposits in three districts including Deogarh, Keonjhar and Mayurbhanj.
These gold deposits have been found at four places in Keonjhar district, four places in Mayurbhanj district and one place in Deogarh district.
It is noteworthy that after the confirmation of lithium reserves in Jammu and Kashmir last month, now the indication of gold reserves in Odisha is an important achievement for the country.
Surveys were done in these areas of Odisha in the 1970s and 80s. The survey campaign was conducted by the Directorate of Mines and Geology and the GSI. At that time the report of this survey was not made public.
According to State Mining Minister Prafulla Kumar Malik, GSI had again conducted surveys in these three districts in the last two years.
Major minerals found in Odisha:
Major mining centres of iron ore:- Gurumahishani, Sulaipat, Badam Pahari (Mayurbhanj district), Keonir and Bonai (Sundergarh).
Major mining centres of Manganese:- Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Bonai, Kalahandi, Koraput
Major mining centres of bauxite:- Kalahandi, Raigarh, Kandhamal and Koraput districts.
Two huge deposits of high grade bauxite have been found in Bolangir and Sambalpur in Odisha.
Panchapattamalli (Koraput district) and Gandhamardan (border area of Bolangir and Bargarh district) areas of Odisha are famous for bauxite production.
Major mining centres of dolomite:- Sundergarh, Sambalpur, Koraput, Birmitrapur. It is a mixture of limestone and magnesium.
Odisha:
Capital: Bhubaneswar
Governor: Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister: Naveen Patnaik
2. Ministry of Tourism organises first snow-marathon in Jammu
Tags: State News
Union Ministry of Tourism in association with Real Sports India in collaboration with local administration, Amazing Bhaderwah Tourism Association (ABTA) organised Snow-Marathon at Bhaderwah, Jammu on 26th February, 2023.
An overview of the news:
The first ever Grand Snow Marathon event was organised to mark the completion of 75 years of India's Independence, G-20 India Presidency, Dekho Apna Desh, Youth Tourism Club and Fit India Movement.
Its objective is to inculcate the spirit of sportsmanship for thrilling sports like snow marathons among travellers and adventure enthusiasts across the country.
Apart from the marathon, several school children, teachers and school/college management were also invited as spectators.
School/college teachers/spokespersons were also informed about formation of youth tourism clubs and promotion of tourism through active participation of youth.
130 runners from across the country participated in the marathon. The marathon started from Guldanda. Runners were given the option of running for distances of 5 km, 10 km and 25 km.
Jammu and Kashmir:
Capital: Srinagar
Administrator: Manoj Sinha (Lieutenant Governor)
Lok Sabha Seats: 5
Assembly seats: 83 (recommended by the Delimitation Commission to be increased to 90 and provision of 24 seats has been made for Pakistan Occupied Kashmir which is currently vacant);
3. Prime Minister inaugurated Shivamogga Airport
Tags: State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 February 2023 launched the newly built Shivamogga airport along with various development projects worth over Rs 3,600 crore in Shivamogga, Karnataka.
An overview of the news:
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for two rail projects, the Shivamogga-Shikaripura-Ranebennur New Railway Line and the Koteganguru Railway Coaching Depot and several road development projects worth over Rs 215 crore.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated multi-village schemes worth over Rs 950 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission and 44 smart city projects worth over Rs 895 crore in Shivamogga city.
Shivamogga Airport:
Shivamogga Airport has been developed at a cost of about Rs 450 crore.
The passenger terminal building of this airport is spread over 4340 square metres which is capable of handling 300 passengers per hour.
There were only 74 airports in the whole country till the year 2014, while today the number of airports has doubled (148) after the inauguration of Shivamogga Airport.
The Shivamogga airport is designed in the shape of a lotus flower and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 450 crore.
It is suitable for A-320 type aircraft. This airport is spread over 758 acres of land.
Night landing facility is also available at this airport which will start after some time.
4. Ellora -Ajanta International Festival 2023 begins in Maharashtra
Tags: Festivals State News
After a gap of seven years, the three-day Ellora-Ajanta International Festival began on February 25 at the historic Sonari Palace, located on the campus of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University.
An overview of the news
Soneri Mahal is decorated with attractive replicas of Ellora and Ajanta. It reflects the rich tradition of Aurangabad.
The program started with Kathak dance by Mayur Vaidya and Mrinmoyee Deshpande.
Sitar player Ustad Sujat Hussain, tabla player Amit Choubey and Mukesh Jadhav performed.
Drum player Padamshri Shiv Mani, Sitar player Ravi Chari, Piano player Sangeet Haldipur, Khanjira player Selva Ganesh, bass guitar player Sheldon DeSilva and Aditi Bhagwat will also perform on kathak dance.
Union Minister of State for Finance Dr. Bhagwat Karad inaugurated this festival.
About Ellora -Ajanta International Festival
Ellora Ajanta Festival An annual festival, where singers and dancers from across the country gather to showcase their talents.
Indian classical art forms, especially Kathak and Odissi are performed by popular artistes.
Earlier, all the shows were held at Ellora, in recent times the venue has been changed to Soneri Mahal in Aurangabad.
The festival is not only for the dance shows but also serves as a platform for many local artists to promote their handicrafts and other amazing art pieces created by them.
The festival showcases the rich history of India and its cultural traditions to the world in the best possible way.
Other Festivals of Maharashtra
Gudi Padwa
This festival is generally celebrated by Maharashtrians as Hindu New Year celebrations.
Pola Festival
It is a harvest festival and is celebrated all over the state of Maharashtra, especially in the rural areas.
Elephanta Festival
Elephanta festival is held every year in February. Elephanta is a small island near Mumbai.
Kalidas Mahotsav
The Kalidas Samaroh is held annually in the month of November in Nagpur's Ramtek area, in honour of the famous Sanskrit poet and dramatist Kalidas.
5. Kerala to become first State to use robotics tech extensively for manhole cleaning
Tags: State News
The Kerala government on 24 February launched robotic scavenger, Bandicoot, to clean sewages in temple town of Guruvayur, becoming the first state in the country to use robotic technology to clean all its commissioned manholes.
An overview of the news
Water Resources Minister Roshi Augustine launched Bandicoot under Guruvayur sewerage project in Thrissur district by Kerala Water Authority.
Now Kerala has become the first state in the country to have robotic scavengers to clean manholes.
The robotic TRON unit, a key component of the Bandicoot, enters the manhole and removes sewage using robotic hands that resemble human limbs.
The machine has waterproof, HD vision cameras and sensors that can detect harmful gases inside.
Bandicoot, developed by Kerala-based Genrobotics, recently won the 'Kerala Pride' award at the Huddle Global 2022 Conclave organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).
Bandicoot will clean all existing sewerage and drains in Kerala.
Bandicoot robots are currently deployed in some cities across 17 states and three union territories of India.
6. Churchgate Railway Station in Mumbai will now be known as First Indian RBI Governor CD Deshmukh
Tags: State News
Recently Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has passed a resolution to rename the Churchgate railway station in Mumbai after CD Deshmukh, the first governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
An overview of the news
The name of the station will be 'Chintamanrao Deshmukh Station'.
Who is CD Deshmukh?
CD Deshmukh, a famous economist, was born on 14 January 1896 in a Marathi family in Raigad district of Maharashtra.
After studying in England, he joined thecivil service and became the first Indian governor of the RBI in 1943 under the British Raj.
Later, as the Union Finance Minister from 1950 to 1956, CD Deshmukh contributed to the economic development of the country.
One of Deshmukh's notable achievements as governor was the establishment of the Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI) in 1948.
IFCI was established to provide long-term finance to industrial projects, which was vital to the development of India's industrial sector.
He also played a major role in setting up the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) after World War II.
He represented India at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, where the IMF and the IBRD were established.
He was knighted by the British government in 1944 and awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award, in 1959.
7. Avian Influenza (H5N1) detected in Government Poultry Farm at Bokaro, Jharkhand
Tags: State News
National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (ICAR), Bhopal has confirmed Avian Influenza (H5N1) in samples received from Government Poultry Farm in Bokaro, Jharkhand on 7 February 2022.
An overview of the news
The presence of the H5N1 variant was confirmed in a protein-rich breed of chicken known as 'Kadaknath' at a farm in Lohanchal.
The last incident of Avian Influenza was reported in Godda district of Jharkhand during January 2019.
Areas falling within one km radius have been declared as affected zones and areas within 10 km radius have been declared as surveillance zones.
The health ministry has sent its central team to observe the surveillance in the human area.
About Avian Influenza (H5N1)
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza (AI), is a highly contagious viral disease that affects species of food-producing birds (chickens, turkeys, quail, guinea fowl, etc.), as well as domesticated birds and wild animals.
Avian influenza virus subtypes are A(H5N1), A(H7N9), A(H9N2) and A(H10N3).
Types B and C mostly infect humans and usually cause mild illness.
8. Northern India’s first nuclear plant to come up in Haryana’s Gorakhpur
Tags: State News
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on 19 February said that North India's first nuclear power plant is being set up in Gorakhpur, Haryana, about 150 km north of the national capital.
An overview of the news
The Center has approved the setting up of 10 nuclear reactors to increase India's nuclear capacity.
The Department of Atomic Energy has also been permitted to form joint ventures with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) for resources to set up nuclear power plants.
Nuclear power plants were earlier mostly confined to southern states such as Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and western Maharashtra but will now be developed across the country.
About first nuclear plant in Haryana’s Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Project (GHAVP) consists of two units of 700 MW each.
Each of these has indigenously designed Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR).
It is under implementation near Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district in Haryana.
So far, an amount of ₹4,906 crore has been spent out of the total allocated amount of ₹20,594 crore.
9. Khajuraho Dance Festival begin in Madhya Pradesh
Tags: Festivals State News
The 49th Khajuraho Dance Festival began on February 20 in Khajuraho.
An overview of the news
Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel inaugurated 'Khajuraho Dance Festival-2023'. The festival will end on February 26.
Madhya Pradesh State Rupankar Art Award will be given at the function and an exhibition of artefacts has also been organised at the venue.
Under the Department of Culture, this festival is being organised with the joint efforts of Ustad Alladin Khan Academy of Music and Arts, Department of Tourism, Archaeological Survey of India, World Dance Alliance and Chhatarpur District Administration.
The first meeting of the Culture Working Group under the chairmanship of India in G-20 is also being held in Khajuraho from 23 to 25 February.
Other festivals of Madhya Pradesh
Lokrang Festival, Bhopal
Akhil Bhartiya Kalidas Samaroh, Ujjain
Bhagoria Haat Festival, West Nimar (Khargon) and Jhabua
Ujjain Kumbh Mela, Ujjain
Malwa Utsav, Indore & Ujjain
Chethiyagiri Vihara Festival, Sanchi
Tansen Sangeet Samaroh, Gwalior
10. Arunachal Pradesh Statehood Day
Tags: State News Important Days
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people of Arunachal Pradesh on the state's 37th statehood day on February 20.
An overview of the news
Every year 20 February is celebrated as the foundation day of Arunachal Pradesh.
Through the 55th Amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1986, Arunachal Pradesh became the 24th state of the India on February 20, 1987.
Historical Background
During British colonial rule, until 1972, the state was known as the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA).
It became a Union Territory on January 20, 1972 and was named Arunachal Pradesh.
It was given full statehood by the Arunachal Pradesh State Act, 1986.
It was formed in the year 1987 by separating from Assam.
Geographical Situation
Arunachal Pradesh is bounded by Bhutan in the west and the Tibetan region of China in the north.
It is bounded by Nagaland and Myanmar in the South-Eastern region and Assam in the South-Western region.
Capital - Itanagar
Demography
Literacy rate of the state (as per Census 2011) 65.38% with male literacy rate 72.55% and females 57.70%.
Sex Ratio - 938 female per 1000 male (National- 943)
State Animal - Mithun (also known as Gayal)
State Bird - Hornbill
Protected Areas
Talle Wildlife Sanctuary (Protected area)
Dihang Dibang Biosphere Reserve
Namdapha Tiger Reserve
Sessa Orchid Sanctuary
Pakke Wildlife Sanctuary
Important Festivals
Tawang Festival
Solung, Losar
Torgya
Dree
Murung
Chalo Loku
