1. Jharkhand government launches water conservation scheme to benefit drought-hit farmers
Tags: Government Schemes State News
Jharkhand Agriculture Minister Badal Patralekh launched a water conservation scheme with an outlay of Rs 467.32 crore to benefit farmers who faced drought last year in the state.
An overview of the news
Under the scheme, 2,133 ponds will be renovated and 2,795 percolation tanks will be built in all blocks of 24 districts of the state.
Foundation stone for renovation work of 71 ponds and 184 percolation tanks was also laid on the occasion.
Percolation tank is an artificially created surface water body to recharge groundwater storage.
The objective of this scheme is to provide water to the drought-affected farmers of the state so that they can get enough water to irrigate their fields.
Jharkhand State
Capital - Ranchi
Governor - Ramesh Bais
Chief Minister - Hemant Soren
Legislative Assembly - 82 seats
Lok Sabha - 14 seats
Major festivals of Jharkhand - Sarhul, Karam / Karma, Rohini, Sohrai
2. Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurates ‘International Craft Summit’
Tags: Summits State News
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on 20 January inaugurated an ‘International Craft Summit’ in Jajpur.
An overview of the news
It is a first of its kind Crafts Summit which brings together leading craftsmen, culture and art enthusiasts.
International delegates from 15 countries have reached Jajpur to engage with local artisans and other stakeholders.
Four United Nations agencies and five UNESCO Creative Cities have partnered to make this ambitious and forward-looking event a reality on behalf of the State Government.
Jajpur was the ancient capital of Odisha.
With its existing wealth of religious tourism, urban tourism and Buddhist tourism, it has the potential to become a major tourism hub.
The cultural heritage of Jajpur is reflected in its vibrant art forms.
Odisha is a glorious land of immaculate arts and crafts. This is an example of artistic culture. The artistic skills of the craftsmen are reflected in many forms.
It can be seen in temples, sculptures, Buddhist temples, hand-woven fabrics, Patta paintings, wood works, metal works, etc.
3. HCHF and Ladakh Tourism Department organised the annual Ethnic Mamani Festival
Tags: Festivals State News
In Ladakh, the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation (HCHF) and the Ladakh Tourism Department organised the annual Ethnic Mamani Festival at the historic Satyang Kung village and Chiktan Shagran on 22 January.
An overview of the news
Steyang Kung village is about 500 years old and is still preserved and being developed as one of the heritage villages in Ladakh.
The history of Mamani Festival in Ladakh is linked to the ancient tradition of offering food to departed family members.
During Mamni, people exchange food with their relatives and neighbours and worship a variety of spirits (Lha).
These festivals have helped in reviving more than 35 cuisines of Kargil Ladakh.
Dr. Ghulam Mehdi, Principal Scientist, KVK Kargil was the chief guest on the occasion and the program executive AIR Kargil Annendra Singh was the guest of honour and Maj. Dr. Raja C. was the guest of honour.
Significance of the festival
The festival has great cultural significance as it allows communities to bond together and celebrate their shared heritage.
It also facilitates communal harmony as members of both Buddhist and Muslim communities in Ladakh participate in the festival, which strengthens social harmony in the region.
In 2018, the Himalayan Cultural Heritage Foundation along with Anayat Ali Shotopa formally took the responsibility to organise the festival at various locations in order to preserve the heritage in the region.
4. PM Modi distributed land title deeds to Banjaras, an SC group in Karnataka
Tags: State News
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolically distributed Hakku Patra (land title deeds) to five families of the Banjara (Lambani) community in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka recently.
An overview of the news
The five families were among the 50,000-plus families to whom land title deeds were distributed during the programme.
The event was organised by the state Revenue Department at Malkhed, in the Kalaburagi district of Karnataka.
What are hakku patras or title deeds?
A title deed is a document of ownership of property, and the holder of the document is the owner of the land.
The title deed enables the owners of the land to get bank loans with the said document.
They will also be eligible to buy or sell the land for which the title deed has been given by the government.
It is issued to the underprivileged section of the country, which includes Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, urban slum dwellers, disabled and other disadvantaged populations.
About Banjara/Lambani Community
Banjara is a nomadic caste who in earlier times used to trade salt, bullocks and other essential commodities in different villages.
The word 'Banjara' is derived from the words 'Vanaj', which means trade and 'Jara' which means to travel.
They are mainly settled in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
The tribe is believed to have originated in the Marwar region of Rajasthan.
5. Punjab government launches 'School of Eminence' project
Tags: Government Schemes State News
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the ambitious project 'School of Eminence'.
An overview of the news
The objective of this project is to ensure holistic development of the students along with the rejuvenation of education in government schools so that they become responsible citizens.
Under the 'School of Eminence' project, 117 government schools in 23 districts will be upgraded.
Special emphasis will be given through the project from class 9th to 12th.
A budget provision of Rs 200 crore has been made for the 'School of Eminence' project.
State-of-the-art infrastructure, academics, human resource management, sports and co-curricular activities and community engagement are the major five pillars of the project.
Punjab State -
Capital – Chandigarh
Governor - Banwari Lal Purohit
Chief Minister - Bhagwant Mann
Legislative Assembly - 117 seats
Lok Sabha - 13 seats
6. India's deepest metro station to be built at Pune Civil Court
Tags: State News
The city of Pune will soon hold the distinction of having the country's deepest underground metro station.
An overview of the news
Pune's Civil Court interchange station will be 108.59 feet deep with a ceiling of 95 feet.
It will be used as an interchange facility for an underground station on the Pimpri-Chinchwad-Swargate route and one elevated route on Vanaz-Ramwadi route and Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar line.
The metro will be completed in February 2023 and will start in March.
The ceiling of the station will be so high that natural sunlight will fall on the floor of the station. Civil Court Station would be the only station with such a unique feature.
The station is being developed as a commercial complex which will also have a bus station and other facilities.
The station will be so large that 18 escalators will be required to cover it completely.
Seven entry-exit gates will be installed at Pune Metro Civil Court station.
Apart from the railway line, the headquarters of Pune Metro will also be built at the station.
7. Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic documents to all tribals
Tags: State News
Kerala's Wayanad district has become the first district in India to provide basic documents and facilities like Aadhaar card, ration card, birth/death certificate, election ID card, bank accounts and health insurance to all tribals.
An overview of the news
Wayanad district administration has achieved this feat by providing 1,42,563 services to 64,670 tribal beneficiaries as part of Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitization (ABCD) campaign.
Ration cards to 15,796 families, Aadhaar cards to 31,252, birth certificates to 11,300, voter ID cards to 22,488 and digital lockers to 22,888 individuals have been provided through the ABCD campaign.
The campaign was launched in November 2021 with the objective of ensuring basic documents for all citizens of Scheduled Tribe communities from Thondarandu Gram Panchayat.
Kerala first in other areas too -
Recently Kerala was declared as the first state to enable digital banking service.
Recently Dharmadum constituency of Kerala has become the first full library constituency in India.
Recently Kollam district of Kerala has become the first constitution literate district in the country.
India's first carbon neutral farm at Aluva in Ernakulam district of Kerala.
Recently, Kerala has become the first state in India to implement a uniform price of gold across the state.
Recently Kerala has become the first and only state in the country to have its own internet services.
8. Foundation Day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura
Tags: State News Important Days
The foundation day of the three northeastern states Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya is being celebrated on 21st January.
An overview of the news
Tripura, Manipur and Meghalaya were granted full statehood on January 21, 1972 under the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.
Merger of Manipur with India:
Manipur became a part of India from 15 October 1949 after the merger treaty on 21 September 1949.
Manipur was made a Union Territory in 1956.
Merger of Tripura with India:
Tripura was a princely state until its merger with the Indian Union on 15 November 1949.
After the death of Bir Bikram Singh, the last Maharaja of Tripura on 17 May 1947, Maharani Kanchan Prabha (wife of Maharaja Bir Bikram) represented the state of Tripura and merged it with India.
Merger of Meghalaya with India:
The rulers of the Garo and Khasi regions acceded to the Indian Union in the year 1947.
Meghalaya was created as an autonomous state within Assam under the Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969.
9. National AIDS Control Organisation forms Largest Human Red Ribbon Chain in Kalinga Stadium of Bhubaneswar
Tags: State News
On 19 January 2023 Odisha State AIDS Control Society organised an awareness program on HIV AIDS in coordination with the Department of Sports and Youth Services and Hockey India under the leadership of National AIDS Control Organization (NACO).
An overview of the news
The event created the 'Largest Human Red Ribbon Chain' at the East Gallery of the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
The event was attended by 4,800 students from various schools, Red Ribbon Club members from colleges, civil society and participants from Mission Shakti Department.
Odisha has a low HIV prevalence in the state, with an adult prevalence of 0.14% and an estimated 52,108 people living with HIV (PLHIV), according to government data.
Sustainable Development Goal 3.3 has been set to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.
To achieve this goal, awareness activities are being strengthened among the general public as well as high-risk groups in Odisha about the services offered under the leadership of the National AIDS Control Programme.
National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)
Established in 1992, NACO is a division of India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that provides leadership to HIV/AIDS control programs in India through 35 HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control Societies.
Along with drug control authorities, NACO also provides joint oversight of blood bank licensing, blood donation activities, and transfusion transmitted infection testing and reporting.
NACO also makes HIV estimates biennially (every 2 years) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Medical Statistics (NIMS).
10. Kollam becomes first constitution literate district in India
Tags: State News
In a remarkable achievement, Kerala's Kollam district has become the first constitution literate district in the country.
An overview of the news
This was announced on January 15 by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at a function presided over by Finance Minister KN Balagopal in Kollam.
This achievement of the district is the result of a seven-month long constitutional literacy campaign launched jointly by Kollam District Panchayat, District Planning Committee and Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KLA) to create awareness about the laws of the country and the rights of citizens
The Citizen Constitution Literacy campaign
The campaign has been launched to educate the residents of Kollam district of Kerala about the basics of the Constitution.
Its objective is to make Kollam district a constitutionally literate district.
Under this campaign, more than seven lakh families of the district are being educated on the basic principles of the Constitution.
As part of the campaign, the entire population of Kollam above the age of 10 years was informed about the Preamble of the Constitution and the historical background of the document, its basic principles, fundamental rights of citizens and legal remedies.
Under the campaign, about 20 to 25 persons from each municipality and 10 to 15 persons from each gram panchayat are selected for training and are called senators.
