1. Bihar Government begins caste survey in State
Tags: State News
The Bihar government has started caste surveys in different parts of the state on 7th January.
An overview of the news
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar clarified that castes will be listed along with the economic status of each family and not sub-castes.
The economic condition of each family will be duly mentioned in the survey.
This caste survey will help in taking the required measures for the upliftment of the deprived sections.
In the first phase, the number of all the families of the state will be counted and recorded.
In the second phase of the survey to be held from April 1 to 30, data will be collected regarding the people living in the houses, their caste and socio-economic status.
The survey will end on 31 May 2023. About five lakh people have been employed to carry out this entire process.
The state government will spend Rs 500 crore from its contingency fund for this exercise.
What is caste based census?
In independent India, data on Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has been published in every census from 1951 to 2011, but no data on other castes has been published.
Every census until 1931 contained caste figures.
Although, in 1941, caste-based data was collected but not published.
In the absence of such a census, there is no proper estimate of the population of OBC and others.
The Mandal Commission estimated the OBC population at 52%.
2. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurates three-day ‘North East Krishi Kumbha-2023’ in Meghalaya
Tags: Festivals State News
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar inaugurated the three-day 'Northeast Krishi Kumbh-2023' at Umiam in Meghalaya.
An overview of the news
The three-day 'Northeast Krishi Kumbh-2023' was organised on January 5-7, 2023.
He also participated in the 49th Foundation Day celebrations of NEH Region, ICAR Research Complex.
The Minister also inaugurated the Administrative cum Academic Block Office and Girls Hostel of Agriculture College at Kyrdemkulai in Ri Bhoi district.
The North East Krishi Kumbh-2023 included live exhibition of recent technologies through 102 stalls by all ICAR institutes along with the host institute and its regional centres.
The Union Minister said that the North East is the paradise of the country and Meghalaya's topography is such that it can be developed if efforts are made.
About Meghalaya
Chief Minister - Conrad Sangma
Governor - B.D. Mishra
Capital - Shillong
3. Odisha won the UN-Habitat's World Habitat Awards 2023 for Jaga Mission
Tags: Government Schemes State News
Odisha won the UN-Habitat World Habitat Awards 2023 for the state's 5T (Transparency, Technology, Teamwork, Time, Transformation) initiative Jaga Mission.
An overview of the news
Jaga Mission is a land ownership and slum upgradation program aimed at empowering the lives of slum dwellers.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the Odisha government has set an ambitious target of becoming the first slum-free state in India.
The state of Odisha is spearheading the Jaga Mission program to upgrade all 2,919 slums.
The initiative has provided land patta security to 1,75,000 families in the last five years.
100 percent households in 2,724 slums have been provided with piped water connections, 707 slums have been converted into fully livable housing, 100 percent households in 666 slums have individual toilets and 8 cities have become slum-free.
Earlier in 2019, Odisha's Jaga Mission received the World Habitat Award for its success in providing land security for slum dwellers.
World Habitat is a charity organisation recognized by the United Nations Department of Public Information.
4. The world's first museum of palm leaf manuscripts established in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Tags: State News
Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala, recently opened the world's first museum of palm leaf manuscripts, enriching the state culturally and educationally.
An overview of the news
The museum has 187 manuscripts, based on primary sources.
These documents are written on clean and clear palm leaves, which are furnished in the record rooms.
In that period these palm leaves were treated before writing the description.
The museum houses a collection of popular tales of Travancore, thefirst kingdom in Asia to defeat European powers on Indian soil.
The museum gives a glimpse of the administrative, socio-cultural and economic aspects of the Kingdom of Travancore, which ruled for about 650 years till the end of the 19th century, with the boundaries of Kochi in the centre of the state and Malabar in the north.
Apart from increasing the cultural wealth of the state, this museum is also important for academic and non-academic scholars.
Apart from manuscripts, the museum also has information about the famous Battle of Colachel, in which the heroic king Anijam Tirunal Marthanda Varma (1729-58) of Travancore defeated the Dutch East India Company.
The museum provides information on the complex land management of the Kingdom of Travancore, historical declarations and international agreements.
Colachel is located 20 km north-west of present-day Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.
Dutch expansion in India was halted by the victory of the Raja of Travancore in 1741, and under Marthanda Varma, Travancore became the first state in Asia to stop the expansionist thinking of a European power.
5. Parshottam Rupala inaugurates 29 Mobile Veterinary Units and Centralised call centre in Thiruvananthapuram
Tags: Government Schemes State News
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Purushottam Rupala inaugurated 29 Mobile Veterinary Units (MVUs) and Centralised Call Center in Thiruvananthapuram on 5 January.
An overview of the news
It is a major step for the benefit of the livestock farmers in Kerala. Kerala is deploying 50 MVUs in different districts.
It will help transform the dairy sector from subsistence-based agricultural livelihood to a commercially viable enterprise, resulting in gainful employment for the youth of Kerala.
These MVUs will be operated through a centralised call centre with a common helpline number - 1962.
It will receive calls from herders/cattle owners and the vet will prioritise all the cases based on emergency nature and forward them to the nearest MVU for attending at the doorstep of the farmer.
The MVUs will act as one-stop centres for resolution of veterinary issues and dissemination of information in remote areas of the country.
The MVUs will provide diagnosis treatment, vaccination, artificial insemination, minor surgical intervention, audio-visual support to animal owners in far flung areas.
In the current financial year, Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), Govt of India has sanctioned 4332 MVUs across the country.
Background
MVUs are components under the Livestock Health and Disease Control (LH&DC) scheme.
Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to States/UTs for delivery of veterinary health services at the doorstep of farmers by providing 1 MVU per 1 lakh livestock population.
The scheme provides 100% financial assistance towards non-recurring expenditure (@Rs.16.00 lakh/1MVU) on purchase and adaptation of Mobile Veterinary Units (MVU).
Central share (100% for UTs, 90% for NE & Hilly States and 60% for all other States) towards recurring expenditure ( @ Rs.18.72 lakh/1 MVU) on running of these MVUs.
6. The first-ever “National Genome Editing & Training Centre” inaugurated at Mohali
Tags: Science and Technology State News
Union Minister of State for Science and TechnologyDr Jitendra Singh on 5 January inaugurated “National Genome Editing and Training Centre (NGETC)” at National Agri-food Biotechnology Institute (NABI) Mohali in Punjab.
An overview of the news
He also inaugurated the 4-day International Conference on Food and Nutrition Security 2023.
He said that Agri-tech start-ups have a unique potential in India and more awareness is needed to make it successful.
National Genome Editing and Training Centre (NGETC)
It is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and is a suitable platform for adoption of various genome editing methods including genome modification and to meet regional needs.
The center will also help in improving crops in present climate scenarios and making them more tolerant to changing environmental conditions.
NGETC will cater to the regional needs for adoption of various genome editing methods.
It will also empower young researchers by providing them training and guidance regarding its application in crops.
What is Genome Editing?
Genome editing, also known as gene editing, is a group of different technologies that provide scientists with the ability to alter the deoxy-ribonucleic acid (DNA) of an organism.
These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or changed at particular locations in the genome.
7. Varanasi Cantt Railway Station awarded ‘Eat Right Station’ with a 5-star rating certification by FSSAI
Tags: State News
The Varanasi Cantt Railway Station of the Indian Railways has been awarded the 5-Star 'Eat Right Station' certification for providing high quality nutritious food to the passengers.
What is ‘Eat Right Station’ certification?
The 'Eat Right Station' certification is provided by FSSAI to railway stations which set the standard in providing safe and nutritious food to the passengers.
This certificate is awarded based on the findings of an FSSAI-empaneled third-party audit agency with a rating of 1 to 5.
The 4-star rating indicates full compliance by the station to provide safe and hygienic food to the passengers.
This certification is part of the 'Eat Right India' initiative.
Other railway stations with this certification
The other railway stations with this certification include Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station (Mumbai), Vadodara Railway Station, Chandigarh Railway Station.
8. First G-20 meeting to take place in Puducherry on Jan 31
Tags: State News
Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said Puducherry would host the first G20 meeting on January 31.
An overview of the news
The Lt Governor released stickers, badges and posters with the G20 logo and also inaugurated a selfie booth in the presence of Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy at an event.
Representatives of different countries will participate in the meeting and many important decisions will be taken.
These programs will be organised in different parts of the country in different segments. Kolkata will host the first meeting on the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.
A working group meeting will be held on health in Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai will host a meeting on education, while Guwahati will host the first sustainable financial meeting and Chandigarh will host the first financial architecture meeting.
9. Union Cabinet approves naming of Mopa airport in Goa after Manohar Parrikar
Tags: place in news National State News
The Union cabinet in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 January 2023 has given ex-post facto approval for naming the Greenfield International Airport at Goa's Mopa as Manohar International Airport, after former defence minister and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi while inaugurating the first phase of the international airport at Mopa in north Goa on 11 December 2022 had announced that the airport will be named after the late Goa Chief Minister and former Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Manohar Parrikar was the Chief Minister of Goa from 2000 to 2005, 2012 to 2014 and from 14 March 2017 until his death in March 2019.
Manohar Parrikar was also the Union Defence Minister from October 2014-March 2017.
He was awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously in January 2020.
Manohar International Airport is the second airport in Goa after Dabolim airport.
10. Five-time MLA Kuldeep Singh Pathania to be next speaker of Himachal Assembly
Tags: Person in news State News
Senior Congress leader and five-time MLA from Bhatiyyat Kuldeep Singh Pathania is all set to be the next speaker of the Himachal Assembly. The election for the Speaker post is to be held on 5 January 2023.
With Kuldeep Singh Pathania being the only candidate his election is a mere formality. He will be the 18th Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh legislative Assembly.
His name was proposed by the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and was seconded by the leader of the opposition in the house and BJP leader Jai Ram Thakur.
Kuldeep Singh Pathania was elected to the Assembly in 1985, 1993, 2003, 2007, and 2022.
The first session of the 14th Himachal Pradesh legislative Assembly started on 4 January 2023 in the state capital Shimla. It is a three day session.
Jaiwant Ram was the first speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly.
