1. M P government set up a task force to recommend regulation of online gambling and gaming
Tags: committee Person in news State News
In an order issued on 16 December 2022 the Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a high-level task force, which will make recommendations about regulating online gambling and gaming in the state after examining the technical and legal aspects.
This task force will be headed by the state chief secretary Iqbal Singh Bains.
The task force has been constituted to examine various judicial precedents, legal situations and technical aspects related to prevention and controlling online gambling and gaming and make recommendations to the state government.
The government took this step after a number of incidents were reported in the state where children addicted to online games were committing suicide after being scolded by parents.
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chauhan
2. PM to attend Golden Jubilee Celebrations of North Eastern Council in Shillong
Tags: Summits State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the golden jubilee celebrations of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong on 18 December 2022.
Important facts
He will address an official meeting of the NEC as well as a public meeting on this occasion.
The official meeting of the Council will be held at the State Convention Centre Auditorium while the public meeting will be organised at the Polo Grounds in Shillong.
Union Home Minister, Minister for Development of North Eastern Region, Governors and Chief Ministers of North Eastern States, Union Ministers dealing with North Eastern Region, local MPs and MLAs and nominated members of NEC will also attend the function.
During this, the Prime Minister will inaugurate various important projects of the North Eastern region including the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Shillong, NEC projects and Meghalaya state projects and lay the foundation stone for some other projects.
The “GOLDEN FOOTPRINTS”, a commemorative volume chronicling NEC’s contribution towards the development of the North Eastern Region over the last fifty years, will also be released during the Golden Jubilee event.
About North Eastern Council
It is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region.
It consists of the eight States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
It was constituted under the North Eastern Council Act in 1971.
The Council comprises Governors and Chief Ministers of constituent States and three members nominated by the President.
The Union Cabinet, in June 2018, approved the proposal of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) to nominate the Union Home Minister as the ex-officio Chairman of the North Eastern Council (NEC).
The Cabinet also approved that the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of DoNER will act as the Vice-Chairman of the Council.
It discusses any matter in which some or all the States represented on the Council have a common interest and advises the Central Government and the respective State Governments as to the action to be taken on any such matter.
The headquarters - Shillong
3. UPICON and Jadooz to create 1,000 rural entrepreneurs in Edutainment in Uttar Pradesh
Tags: Economy/Finance State News
U.P. Industrial Consultants Limited (UPICON) and Jadooz Company have joined hands to create 1,000 rural entrepreneurs in Uttar Pradesh through rural edutainment centres called ‘Magic Rooms’.
The Magic room is based on the concept of common infrastructure usage for Education and Cinema’. It will perform the dual function of big-screen-based live interactive education in the day and will double up as a ‘First Day First Show’ cinema in the evening.
Both UPICON and Jadooz will train 1000 entrepreneurs in rural Uttar Pradesh. UPICON expects every Magic Room to create direct and indirect employment to more than 25,000 people and create a new direct and indirect economy of Rs 1,000 Crores annually.
The first two ‘Magic Rooms’ are expected to be inaugurated in rural clusters surrounding Lucknow and Basti.
Jadooz is an entertainment start-up based in NOIDA, is in the business of setting up mini theaters in rural areas with an average seating capacity of 30-50. The mini theaters are normally used for educational purposes in the daytime and for cinema at night time.
UPICON Managing Director: Pravin Singh
4. Amit Shah chairs the Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Kolkata
Tags: Summits State News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting of the Eastern Zonal Council in Kolkata on 17th December.
Important facts
In the meeting issues like security along the inter-state borders, smuggling along the India-Bangladesh border, and connectivity were discussed.
It was attended by chief ministers, ministers, chief secretaries, principal secretaries, and senior officers of the member states and senior officers of central government.
The Eastern Zonal Council comprises West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha.
The Central government has been regularly holding meetings of the zonal councils as a part of its strategy to strengthen and promote cooperative and competitive federalism in the country.
Zonal councils provide a forum for discussion on issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Center and the states.
5. Airbnb sign a MOU with Goa government to promote tourism in the state
Tags: State News
Airbnb has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Tourism, Government of Goa to jointly promote Goa as a high potential tourism destination in the world.
Airbnb, an American multinational company which stands for Air Bed and Breakfast. It is an online marketplace that connects people who want to rent out their homes to tourists who intend to visit that locality. It helps the local people to earn extra income by renting out their spare home or room to people visiting the area. It also helps the tourist save money on boarding and lodging.
The Airbnb will help the Goa Tourism Department in developing such homestay capacity across the state. The local people will be trained to offer quality tourism experience to both domestic and international tourists. It will boost the income of the local population.
6. India’s longest escape tunnel on Banihal-Katra rail link completed
Tags: State News
India's longest escape tunnel, which is 12.89 km long, built on the 111 km under-construction Banihal-Katra railway line in Jammu and Kashmir, was completed by the Indian Railways on 15 December.
Important facts
This longest tunnel is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project.
This is the fourth tunnel on the Banihal-Katra route following the 12.75 km tunnel T-49, the longest tunnel of the Indian Railways, which was completed in January this year.
The escape tunnel ‘T-13’ has been constructed to facilitate rescue work in case of an emergency.
This tunnel is a horseshoe shaped tunnel which connects Sumber station yard and tunnel T-50 on the south side after crossing bridge no.04 over Khoda Nala on the north side at Khoda village.
Tunnel T-49 is a twin tube tunnel comprising the main tunnel (12.75 km) and escape tunnel (12.895 kms) connected with 33 cross-passages.
Longest Tunnels in India - Rail and Road Tunnels
Atal Road Tunnel, Himachal Pradesh - Longest High-Altitude Tunnel
Length: 8800 meters, or 5.5 miles, approximately.
Places Covered: West of the Rohtang Pass in the hilly terrain of the Pir Panjal Ranges on the highway that links Leh with Manali.
Location: Leh – Manali Highway, beneath the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh.
Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir
Length: 11,215 metres, or 11.22 km.
Places Covered: Begins at the northern part of the town of Banihal and comes to an end at Hillar Shahabad.
Location: Forest Block 185102, Pir Panjal Range, the Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Road Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir
Length: 9280 metres, or 9.34 km.
Places Covered: Starts from Chenani in NH44 and comes to an end at Nashri.
Location: NH44 of Chenani, Jammu and Kashmir.
Trivandrum Port Railway Tunnel, Kerala
Length: 9020 metres, or 9.02 km.
Places Covered: Balaramapuram Station, which is a part of the railway track that connects Kanyakumari to Thiruvananthapuram and comes to an end in Vizhinjam.
Location: Balaramapuram Station, Kanyakumari – Thiruvananthapuram Railway Line, Kerala
Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir
Length: 8500 meters, or roughly 8.5 km
Places Covered: The Tunnel is between two cities of Banihal and Qazigund.
Location: Pir Panjal Range of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sangaldan Railway Tunnel, Jammu and Kashmir
Length: 8000 meters, or approximately 8 km.
Places Covered: Lahli, Baramulla, Banihal, as well as Katra.
Location: Lahli Station, under the section of the Katra – Banihal, Jammu – Baramulla Railway Line, Jammu and Kashmir.
7. Assamese ‘Gamocha’ gets GI tag
Tags: State News
‘Gamocha’, a symbol of the culture and identity of Assam, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the central government, five years after the first application was made.
Important facts
The GI tag has been registered in favour of the Directorate of Handloom & Textiles of the Assam government under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
The process was started in 2017 when an application for a GI tag was filed by the Institute of Handicraft Development of Golaghat district.
About Assamese Gamocha
'Gamocha' literally means towel and is commonly used on a day-to-day basis in Assamese households.
It is a hand-woven rectangular cotton cloth with a red border and various designs, traditionally presented to elders and guests by the Assamese people as a mark of respect.
It is an integral part of all socio-religious celebrations in the state and is regarded as a form of Assamese identity and pride.
For specific purposes, it is also made of expensive materials like traditional Assamese 'Pat' silk and in different colours as well.
A 'gamocha' meant for exchange during 'Bihu' festival is known as 'Bihuwan'.
8. Geographical Indication tag sought for Beypore Uru
Tags: State News
The District Tourism Promotion Council, Kozhikode, Kerala has applied for a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the famous Beypore Uru (boat).
About Beypore Uru
It is a wooden ship/sailing boat handcrafted by skilled artisans and carpenters in Beypore, Kerala.
These boats are made purely from premium wood without using any modern technology.
Each Uru takes 1-4 years to make and the entire process is done manually.
It is a symbol of Kerala's trade relations and friendship with the Gulf countries.
The Beypore area has been a maritime hub for traders from around the world since the 1st century and the coveted Uru ships have been in high demand for almost 2000 years.
Many communities are traditionally associated with Uru-making. Prominent among these are the Odais.
Name of some items recently given Geographical Indication (GI) tag
Gamosa from Assam, Tandoor Redgram from Telangana, Raktse Carpo Apricot from Ladakh, Alibaug White Onion from Maharashtra etc. have been given GI tag.
With this, the total number of GI tags in India has gone up to 432.
Top 5 states with maximum GI tags - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala.
9. Meghalaya awarded for TB control programme
Tags: Awards State News
The Meghalaya government, which has adopted a 'people's movement' against tuberculosis, has recently been awarded for best practices in controlling the disease that affects 2.6 million people in India every year.
Important facts
Representatives of the health department were presented with awards for best practice in tuberculosis control, communication and social mobilisation at a national workshop aimed at ending TB infection in the national capital.
The state registered 4,189 TB cases in 2021 while in the first quarter of 2022, around 1,075 patients have been enrolled for treatment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set a national target to eliminate the disease, which affects more than 26 lakh Indians each year, by 2025, five years ahead of the WHO's Sustainable Development Goals.
A National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination (2017-25) has also been launched which ensures greater community engagement.
About Meghalaya
Capital: Shillong
Chief Minister: Conrad Kongkal Sangma
Governor: B. D. Mishra
10. Chief Justice of India inaugurates digitisation hubs in 10 districts of Odisha
Tags: State News
Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud on 12 December virtually inaugurated District Court Digitisation Hubs (DCDH) in 10 districts of Odisha.
Important facts
The hubs at Angul, Bhadrak, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Keonjhar, Koraput, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh and Sonepur, will take care of digitisation work of all 30 districts of the state.
Each DCDH will be assigned the task of digitizing the surrounding districts.
The objective of the Hub would be to digitize the disposed case records of the nearby assigned districts.
Scanning work for the paperless courts of the nearby districts would also be taken up at the DCDH concerned.
Initially, four District Court Digitization Centres (DCDC) were set up on a pilot basis in Cuttack, Ganjam, Sambalpur and Balasore districts on April 30, 2021.
Importance of Digitization Centers
The digitization work done by the Orissa High Court has emerged as a model for all the High Courts in the country.
Digitisation is the most important step towards ensuring modernisation of the judiciary, especially trial courts.
Digitization makes access to records easier for authorized persons and also ensures systematic information keeping, security of documents and records and reduction in the time taken to locate documents.
e-filing in courts
The CJI also emphasised that digitisation needs to be accompanied by e-filing otherwise it would be difficult to go on digitising everything that is filed in physical form in the long run.
The facility of e-filing is now available to advocates or litigants even in remote areas of the State.
The high court has decided to provide touch screen laptops to every judicial officer of the state to ensure paperless work.
Chief Justice Orissa High Court - S Muralidhar
Chief Minister of Odisha - Naveen Patnaik
