1. Zeliangrong United Front signs a peace agreement with Central and Manipur government
Tags: National State News
The government of India and the Manipur government have signed a Cessation of Operation Agreement with an insurgent group of Manipur, Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF), in New Delhi on 27 December 2022.
The agreement was signed by senior officers of the Union Home Ministry, the Manipur government, and the representatives of ZUF in the presence of State Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.
Under the agreement the ZUF has agreed to abjure violence and join the peaceful democratic process as established by law of the land. The agreement provides for the rehabilitation and resettlement of the armed cadres of ZUF. A Joint Monitoring Group will be constituted to oversee the enforcement of the agreed ground rules.
Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF)
The Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF) was established in 2011. It is a Naga group which is active in Manipur. The group claims its objective is to safeguard the interest of 'Zeliangrong Naga tribes in Manipur, Assam and Nagaland. It aimed to create a 'Zeliangrong’ state within the Indian Union comprising the Zeliangrong Naga tribe’s area in Manipur, Assam and Nagaland.
Some prominent Insurgent groups active in Manipur
- Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP)
- United National Liberation Front (UNLF),
- People’s Liberation Army (PLA)
- People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK)
- National Socialist Council of Nagaland – Khaplang (NSCN-K)
- Manipur People’s Liberation Front (MPLF)
- Kuki National Front (KNF)
- Kuki National Liberation Front (KNLF)
2. ADB to provide $125 million loan to improve Urban Services in Tamil Nadu
Tags: Economy/Finance State News
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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide USD 125 million loan to India to develop climate-resilient sewage collection and treatment, and drainage and water supply systems in three cities in the state of Tamil Nadu.
In 2018 ADB agreed to provide USD 500 million loan to build priority water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in strategic industrial corridors across 10 cities in Tamilnadu. The loan amount was to be provided in three tranches. Under the third tranche $125 million will be provided and the amount will be used to build priority water supply, sewerage, and drainage infrastructure in Coimbatore, Madurai and Thoothukudi.
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
It is a regional multilateral financial institution which focuses on the countries of Asia and Pacific region.
At present it has 68 members—of which 49 members are from within Asia and the Pacific and 19 outside.
President of ADB: Masatsugu Asakawa
Headquarters: Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines
3. Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak inaugurates ‘E-Sushrut’ hospital management information system in UP medical colleges
Tags: State News
The Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak and Minister of State for Medical Education Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh inaugurated the ‘E-Sushrut’ Hospital Management Information System on 26 December 2022.
In the first phase the ‘E-Sushrut’ hospital management information system in medical colleges has been started in 22 medical colleges of the state.
The software will help in the patient registration, admission, discharge, ambulance, food, medicines, and make available the details of doctors online. Through this system the availability of doctors in the hospital can also be easily ascertained and patients will be able to pay the fee through online and net banking.
Hospital management information system has been implemented in Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Kanpur, Prayagraj, Agra, Meerut, King George Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Science Saifai, GIMS Greater Noida, Lohia Institute, Sanjay Gandhi PGI, and Mirzapur Medical College.
4. Maharashtra Assembly passes resolution to 'legally pursue' inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking Karnataka villages into Maharashtra
Tags: State News
The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on 27 December 2022 unanimously passed a resolution to "legally pursue" inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into Maharashtra. The resolution was moved by Chief Minister of Maharashtra Eknath Shinde.
He said that the state government will legally pursue in the Supreme Court the case to include inch and inch of land of the 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka," said the resolution passed in the Maharashtra Assembly.
The Karnataka Legislative Assembly had on 22 December 2022 unanimously passed a resolution on border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the state's interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour Maharashtra.
Border Dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra
The genesis of the border dispute between Karnataka and Maharashtra lies in the reorganisation of states in India.
Mysore which was later renamed as Karnataka was formed under the State Reorganisation act 1956 on 1 November 1956.
Maharashtra which was known as Bombay state in 1956 claimed the northwestern district of Karnataka, Belagavi as it was dominated by Marathi speaking people.
An organization Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti was formed in Belagavi which led a violent agitation to merge Belagavi with Maharashtra.
Centre set up Mahajan Commission
In October 1966 the central government set up a commission chaired by the retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Meharchand Mahajan on the border dispute between the two states. The commission submitted its report in August 1967, where it recommended merging 264 towns and villages of Karnataka (including Nippani, Nandgad and Khanapur) with Maharashtra, and 247 villages of Maharashtra (including South Solapur and Akkalkot) with Karnataka.
However there was no agreement between the two states on the Mahajan commission recommendation.
Why dispute erupts in winter
The border issues almost always flare up in winter. To assert its claim on the region, Karnataka has built its State legislative Assembly (Suvarna Vidhana Soudha) in Belagavi. The winter session of the Karnataka assembly is always held in winter in Belagavi and it is always opposed by the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti. The pro Kannada activist also opposes the demand of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti activities leading to clashes between the two.
Issue in the Supreme Court
Maharashtra approached the Supreme Court in 2004, challenging the State Reorganisation Act. It demanded 865 villages and towns from five Karnataka districts to be merged with the state. The five districts are Belagavi, Karwar, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi and Bidar. However the Supreme Court is yet to decide on the maintainability of the Maharashtra petition.
Chief Minister of Karnataka: Basavaraj Bommai
5. Home Ministry approves the name change of two places in Uttar Pradesh
Tags: place in news State News
The Union Home Ministry on 27 December 2022 gave its consent to change the names of two places in Uttar Pradesh following recommendations from the state government.
The 'no-objection' certificates were issued by the ministry for changing the name of municipal council 'Mundera Baazar' in Gorakhpur district to 'Chauri-Chaura' and that of 'Telia Afghan' village in Deoria district to 'Telia Shukla'.
Procedure to change the name of the cities in a state
- Under Article 3 of the constitution Parliament has the power to change the name of a state.
- However there is no mention of procedure to be followed in case of change in the name of cites of a state in the constitution.
- The procedure which is followed is based on the guidelines issued in 1953 by the Union Home Ministry to the state governments.
- Under these guidelines the state government which wants to change the name of cities has to send the proposal to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Home Affairs ministry consults other central agencies like Railways, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Survey of India, and Registrar General of India.
- After the approval from the agencies, the Home Ministry issues no objection certificate to the concerned state government.
- Only then the state government can change the name of the cities.
Union Minster for Home Affairs : Amit Shah
6. Indian Bank launches its flagship programme 'MSME Prerana 'in Rajasthan
Tags: Economy/Finance State News
Government of India owned Public Sector Bank, Indian Bank has launched its flagship business mentoring program for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) entrepreneurs – ‘MSME Prerana’ – in the state of Rajasthan.
“MSME Prerana”, is a first-of-its-kind initiative for the MSME sector in the country by any bank.
It aims at empowering MSME Entrepreneurs through skill development and capacity building training in their local languages, assisting them in acquiring necessary financial and managerial skills, capacity to handle crisis in business, understanding of dynamics of credit rating and risk management.
Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
MSMEs are regulated under the 'Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises Development Act, 2006'. The law had defined MSME in India.
The enterprises or businesses which are engaged in either manufacturing or service sector are defined as Micro Small or Medium enterprises on the basis of their turnover (sales) and investment in plant and machineries.
Micro enterprises
Enterprises with an annual turnover of less than Rs 5 crore and the maximum investment in plant and machinery or equipment shall not be more than one crore rupees.
Small Enterprise:
The enterprises where the investment in plant and machinery or equipment does not exceed ten crore rupees and turnover does not exceed fifty crore rupees;
Medium Enterprise:
The enterprises where the investment in plant and machinery or equipment does exceed fifty crore rupees and turnover does not exceed two hundred and fifty crore rupees.
Indian Bank
It is a public sector bank owned by the government of India.
The Indian bank was set up in 1907 as a private sector bank and it was nationalized by the government of India in 1969.
On 1 April 2020 Allahabad bank was merged with Indian Bank.
Bank’s Headquarters: Chennai
MD and CEO of Indian Bank: Shanti Lal Jain
Tagline of the bank: Your own Bank
7. Jio launches 5G services in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 6,500 crore
Tags: State News
Reliance Jio has launched its 5G services in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 6,500 crore, starting with the cities of Tirumala, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Guntur.
Important facts
Andhra Pradesh Information and Technology Minister Gudivada Amarnath and Chief Secretary KS Jawahar Reddy launched the Jio True 5G and Jio True 5G Powered wi-fi services on 26th December.
Jio 5G services will be available throughout the state by the end of next year.
On December 26, Jio users in these cities were invited for the Jio Welcome Offer.
In addition to its existing investment of Rs 26,000 crore, Jio has invested over Rs 6,500 crore for the deployment of 5G network in Andhra Pradesh, showing its commitment towards the development of the state.
5G services in other states
Since the launch of 5G services on October 1, the telecom operators have expanded their 5G coverage in 50 Indian cities (till December 7).
Names of cities with Airtel 5G - Delhi, Siliguri, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Varanasi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Chennai, Gurugram, Panipat, Guwahati and Patna.
Name of cities with Jio 5G - Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Nathdwara, Pune, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and in all 33-district headquarters of Gujarat.
What is 5G technology?
The fifth generation mobile network is called 5G.
The 5G network will operate in the millimeter-wave spectrum (30-300 GHz) which can send huge amounts of data at very high speeds.
It is the newest upgrade in Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks.
Internet speeds in the high-band spectrum of 5G have been tested to exceed 20 Gbps (gigabit per second).
8. 225 kilometre journey to save the ending forests in Rajasthan
Tags: Environment State News
A unique journey of 225 kilometres was taken out from remote villages and hamlets of western Rajasthan. It ended at Jaisalmer district headquarters last week. The purpose of the journey was to demand the protection of the Oran or the sacred groves.
Important facts
The participants travelled 225 km with a pledge to preserve the sacred groves as a lifeline for the desert.
This raised a strong demand for the protection of Oran or the sacred groves that are facing the threat of destruction.
The Oran or sacred groves face the threat of destruction as their land is being allocated for renewable energy infrastructure and high-tension power lines.
Great Indian Bustards have died during the last few years because of collisions with power lines.
About Oran or the sacred groves
'Orans’ are community forests that act as a store of biodiversity, enable effective water management and serve as a community based regeneration system.
Oran has a rich diversity of traditional flora and fauna and water bodies and is considered sacred and protected by the local people.
It also ensures sustainable extraction of Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFPs) by villagers, in the world’s oldest Aravali Mountain Range and in the Great Indian Desert of Rajasthan.
Sacred groves have been a living expression of man's historical, cultural and emotional attachment to forests.
Oran also forms the natural habitat for India's most critically endangered bird, the Great Indian Bustard.
9. Losar Festival celebrated in Ladakh to mark the Ladakhi New Year
Tags: Festivals State News
Losar Festival was celebrated in Ladakh on 24 December 2022 to mark the Ladakhi New Year.
About Losar Festival
The Losar Festival or the Ladakhi New year is a major socio-religious festival of Ladakh celebrated during winter.
Prayer lamps are lit and buildings, homes, places of worship, stupas and business places are decorated during this festival which is held for 15 days from 24 December every year.
Khura and Kabse are served to the guests on this occasion.
During this time, in the memory of the departed relatives, on the eve of the Losar festival, people offer delicious food at their graves and offer prayers.
For the next nine days from January 1, people dance and sing in honour of Ibex and travel to Mount Kailash.
The new year is welcomed by drawing the ibex sun and moon and by drawing auspicious flour symbols on the walls of the kitchen.
The festival marks the Ladakhi New Year and is an important time for Buddhists in Ladakh to come together and celebrate their culture and heritage.
Other Famous Festivals in Ladakh
Hemis Tsechu - Late June and early July
Sindhu Darshan Festival - June
Ladakh Harvest Festival - September
Saka Dawa Festival - June
10. Bulandshahr prison foods becomes the 2nd jail in UP to be rated five star by FSSAI
Tags: place in news State News
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has awarded the food provided by the Bulandshahr prison of Uttar Pradesh a five-star rating and the tag 'Eat Right Campus'. Bulandshahr Jail is the second prison after Farrukhabad jail to get this tag from Uttar Pradesh.
The FSSAI team inspected the kitchen's food quality, storage and hygiene on stringent measures, based on which the Bulandshahr prison was given a five-star rating, the 'Eat Right Campus' tag in addition to the remark of 'Excellent' by the FSSAI.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been set up under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- It was set up on 5 September 2008.
- It comes under the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
- FSSAI is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairperson of FSSAI: Rita Teaotia
