1. International Gita Mahotsav to be organised in Kurukshetra, Haryana
Tags: Festivals State News
International Gita Mahotsav will be held from November 19 to December 6, 2022 in Kurukshetra, Haryana.
Important facts
President Draupadi Murmu will formally inaugurate the main programs at the Geeta Yagya at Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra on November 29.
She will also inaugurate a three-day International Gita Seminar at Kurukshetra University on the same day.
In this seminar, renowned international and national scholars of Shrimadbhagwadgita and researchers from India and abroad will present their research papers on 'world peace and harmony'.
Saras and Craft Mela will also be organized from 19th November to 6th December.
Sculptors from across the country have created 21 special stone sculptures based on Mahabharata and Gita. Various artisans will display their talents in this.
A special pavilion has been set up by the Government of Madhya Pradesh at Purushottampura Bagh, Brahmasarovar, which highlights the culture, crafts and food of the state.
'Gita Sthali' Kurukshetra is a confluence of faith and tourism. Recently the grand form of Lord Krishna was unveiled at Jyotisar.
About International Gita Mahotsav
Haryana Government has been celebrating Gita Mahotsav festival since the year 1989 in Kurukshetra town in collaboration with Kurukshetra Development Board.
In the year 2016, the Haryana government decided to celebrate the festival of Gita Jayanti as International Gita Mahotsav.
Thereafter, in the years 2017, 2018 and 2019, International Gita Mahotsav was organised in Kurukshetra.
In this festival of the year 2022, Nepal will be the partner country and Madhya Pradesh will be the partner state.
About Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a city and administrative headquarter of Kurukshetra district in the Indian state of Haryana.
It is also known as 'Dharmakshetra' and as the "Land of the Bhagavad Gita".
It is believed that the Kurukshetra war of Mahabharata took place here.
Thaneshwar whose urban area is merged with Kurukshetra is a pilgrimage center with many places said to be related to the Mahabharata.
2. Google to nurture local startups in Karnataka
Tags: Economy/Finance State News
Tech giant Google has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Karnataka government on 17 November 2022 to promote local startups across the state and create new opportunities through digital skilling initiatives. The Indian start-up ecosystem is the world’s third largest such ecosystem, with Karnataka being the start-up hub of India.
Google will collaborate with the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) to offer women-led founders and startups across tier 2 and tier 3 cities access to essential training, partners, and expertise on Google’s suite of tools and technologies.
The company will also organise knowledge and mentorship sessions in areas such as cloud, user experience, Android, web, product strategy, leadership and marketing to help these founders with growth, monetisation and tech skills.
Google will equip teachers in local schools with essential training to teach students the necessary skills to promote the fundamentals of online safety and digital citizenship through an interactive curriculum as part of the company's ‘Be Internet Awesome’ programme.
Google’s Startup Mentorship initiative in India
According to Google, it has mentored over 1,500 startups that have collectively raised over $2 billion and created over 12,000 jobs. Through its Startup accelerator, the company says it has nurtured 116 startups across six batches since 2015.
In June 2022, the tech giant launched a dedicated Startup accelerator programme for women founders, designed to address challenges that are unique to their experience, including fundraising, hiring and many others.
It has also launched a virtual Startup mentoring programme called Startup School India in July 2022, aimed at nurturing 10,000 startups in tier 2 and tier 3 cities.
It was formed by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. In 2015, Google was reorganized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Company.
It is an American multinational technology company that focuses on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics.
Chief Executive Officer: Sundar Pichai
Global Headquarters: California, United States of America
Google India Headquarters: Hyderabad
3. Anandiben Patel inaugurates the 104th Annual Conference of the Indian Currency Council and Currency Fair in Lucknow
Tags: Festivals place in news State News
Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel inaugurated the 104th Annual Conference of the Indian Currency Council and Currency Fair held at the State Museum in the premises of the International Buddhist Institute, Gomtinagar, Lucknow. On this occasion, the Governor said that currency is the reflection of the culture and civilization of any country. This gives information about the history and economy of the time, due to which our future generations get the knowledge of our rich culture.
The Governor said that the dates and markings found on the coins are a powerful medium of information about the history and culture of that period, because the coins reflect contemporary religion, philosophy and social life.
She announced to keep a coin album in Raj Bhavan. On this occasion, the Governor released a souvenir based on the compilation of research papers.
On this occasion, President of the 104th Conference of the Indian Currency Council Prof. Makhan Lal, General Secretary of the Currency Council Prof. P.N. Singh, Special Secretary Culture Anand Kumar, Director of State Museum Dr. Anand Kumar Singh and a large number of currency custodians from all over the country were present.
Numismatics
The systematic accumulation and study of coins, tokens, paper money, and objects of similar form and purpose is called Numismatics.
4. President Murmu appoints DR CV Bose as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal
Tags: Person in news State News
The President of India Droupadi Murmu has appointed Dr CV Ananda Bose as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal on 17 November 2022. The post fell vacant after the previous governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was elected as the 14th Vice President of India.
The Governor of Manipur La Ganesan Iyer was given the additional charge of West Bengal on 18 July 2022 by the President.
About Dr CV Ananda Bose
Dr CV Ananda Bose is a retired IAS officer. He served as the Secretary to the Chief Minister of Kerala and has held the rank of secretary to the government of India, been a Vice chancellor. He is currently the Chairman of the Habitat Alliance, in consultative status with the UN.
A prolific writer and columnist, Dr. Bose has published 32 books in English, Malayalam and Hindi including novels, short stories, poems and essays.
State Governor
Article 153 of the constitution provides for a Governor for each state. However a person can be appointed as Governor for two or more States.
Appointment of the Governor
The President of India appoints the Governor (article 155) of a state .
Qualification to be a Governor
- A person to be eligible for appointment as Governor should be citizen of India
- has completed the age of 35 years
- He shall not be a member of the Legislature or Parliament;
- Shall not hold any office of profit.
Term of the Governor
The constitution also says that the term of the governor shall be of five years but the constitution also says that the Governor holds office at the pleasure of the President. It means that he /she can be dismissed from office whenever the President wants so.
The Governor is the head of the state executive and his role is similar to the President of India. The governor exercises his power on the aid and advice of the State Cabinet headed by the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister of West Bengal : Mamata Banerjee
5. Uttar Pradesh becomes the second state after Maharashtra to register maximum number of new companies post covid-19
Tags: Economy/Finance State News
Uttar Pradesh has become the second state after Maharashtra to register the most number of companies since the outbreak of covid -19. Quoting the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) data, the Economic Times report says that Uttar Pradesh has left behind the traditional industrial hub states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in adding the number of new companies since the outbreak of covid -19 .
Main Highlights of the report
Uttar Pradesh is the third ranked state in terms of number of active companies behind Maharashtra and Delhi.
Uttar Pradesh is home to 1.08 lakh active companies as of September end while Maharashtra and Delhi have 3 lakh and 2.2 lakh active companies respectively.
Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are at fourth and fifth with 1.04 lakh and 99,038 active companies respectively.
Uttar Pradesh added 30,000 companies in the past three years.
Maharashtra on the other hand added 60,000 new companies in the past three years and continues to be on the top.
Maharashtra's dominance comes largely from the fact that its capital, Mumbai is the financial capital of India and serves as a hub for several mid-size and big companies.
6. 3-day International Tourism Mart begin in Mizoram
Tags: place in news State News
The three-day International Tourism Mart (ITM) began in Mizoram on November 17, 2022.
Important facts
It is the 10th edition of the International Tourism Mart, jointly organised by the Ministry of Tourism, GOI and the state tourism department.
State Commerce and Industries minister Dr. R Lalthangliana inaugurated the event.
The event will focus on "G20 Priorities for Tourism Track", as India will assume the upcoming G20 Presidency for one year starting from 1st December 2022.
The Mart was inaugurated at R Dengthuama Indoor Stadium in Mualpui, Aizawl in the presence of Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Tourism Ajay Bhatt and Chief Minister Zoramthanga.
On the occasion, a mega exhibition and food court pavilion was inaugurated at the Assam Rifles Ground in Aizawl by State Commerce and Industry Minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana.
The exhibition has hundreds of stalls set up on local food processing, cuisine, handloom and handicrafts and tourism.
It will have business-to-business sessions and panel discussions between buyers, sellers, government agencies and other stakeholders.
About International Tourism Marts
International Tourism Marts are organised on rotation basis in the North-Eastern States.
Mizoram is hosting this Mart for the first time.
The earlier editions of this mart have been held in Guwahati, Tawang, Shillong, Gangtok, Agartala, Imphal and Kohima.
The objective of the event is to showcase the tourism potential of the North-Eastern Region in the domestic and international markets.
7. Month-long Kashi Tamil Sangam begins in Varanasi
Tags: place in news State News
The month-long Kashi Tamil Sangam began on 17 November 2022 in Varanasi.
Important facts
The Sangam is being organised by the Government of India as a part of the 'Aazadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' and to uphold the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'.
This Sangam will bring together people from two different regions at the level of language.
Delegations from Tamil Nadu will visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ayodhya Temple and the famous Ganga Aarti of Varanasi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the event.
It aims to bring the two knowledge and cultural traditions closer, build upon and understand our shared heritage and deepen people-to-people bonds between the regions.
BHU and IIT-Madras are the knowledge partners for the event, and the Ministries of Culture, Tourism, Railways, Textiles and Food Processing have been included as stakeholders, apart from the Government of Uttar Pradesh and the Varanasi Administration.
Sangamam was proposed by academician Chamu Krishna Shastri, chairman of the Indian Language Committee under the Ministry of Education.
History of ties between Kashi and Tamil Nadu
The connection between Kashi and the Tamil region is deep and old.
King Adhiveer Rama Pandian, after returning from a pilgrimage to Kashi, built a Shiva temple at Tenkasi in the 19th century.
Saint Kumara Gurupara of Thoothukudi district had negotiated with the princely state of Kashi to get a place for the installation of Kedarghat and Vishveswaralingam in Varanasi.
He also composed Kashi Kalambagam, a collection of grammar poems on Kashi.
8. UP government to build Ramayana, Mahabharata, Buddhist circuits under the New Tourism Policy
Tags: place in news State News
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet in a meeting held on 16 November 2022 and chaired by the Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved the New Tourism policy for the state on 16 November 2022. The government will focus on developing the Ramayana ,Krishna, Buddhist and Mahabharata circuit to promote religious tourism in the state .
Under the Ramayana circuit the places associated with Lord Rama will be developed . It will include Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Bithoor and other places of significance during the Ramayana period.
Under the Krishna Circuit the places associated with Lord Krishna will be developed. Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Govardhan, Barsana, Nandgaon, and Baldev will be included in the Krishna circuit.
Under the Buddhist circuit Kapilvastu, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kaushambi, Shravasti, Ramgram and other places associated with lord Buddha will be developed .
The Mahabharata circuit will include Hastinapur, Kampilya, Echhatra, Barnawa, Mathura, Kaushambi, Gonda, Lakshagriha.
Under the Shaktipeeth circuit Vindhyavasini Devi, Ashtabhuja to Devipatan, Naimisharanya, Maa Lalita Devi, Maa Jwala Devi, Shakumbhari Devi from Saharanpur to Shivani Devi, Chitrakoot and Sheetla Mata, Mau will be developed.
To boost spiritual tourism in the state, Gorakhpur, Balrampur, Mathura, Sant Ravidas Sthal, Maa Parameshwari Devi, Azamgarh, Bighu Ashram of Ballia, Bateshwar of Agra, Hanuman Dham Shahjahanpur have been included.
To boost wildlife and ecotourism,the government will focus on developing sanctuary and forest reserves.
Under the new tourism policy the government will develop places associated with the freedom struggle like Meerut, Shahjahanpur, Kakori and Chaurichaura will be developed as a tourist place .
To boost tourism in the Bundelkhand area the government will focus on districts like Charkhari, Chitrakoot, Kalinjar, Jhansi, Deogarh, Lalitpur, Banda, Mahoba, Hamirpur, and Jalaun.
Jaiveer Singh is the Minister of Tourism & Culture in the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
9. Assam government launches millet mission to double the income of state farmers
Tags: Economy/Finance Government Schemes State News
The Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 16 November 2022 launched the “Assam Millet Mission” aimed at increasing agricultural productivity and doubling the farmer’s income. The mission also aims at encouraging the farmers to diversify their crops. .
Along with the Millet mission the Chief Minister also launched six soil testing and quality control laboratories Bongaigaon, morigaon,Golaghat, Udalgiri,Karimganj and Darrang.
Initially the millet mission will cover 25,000 hectares of land and later it will be extended to 50,000 hectares.
Millets or coarse cereals or nutri cereals
- Millet is one of the oldest known foods to humans. However its consumption in the world has declined due to the emphasis given to wheat and rice by the governments.
- It is also called coarse cereals or nutri cereals due to its high nutritive value.
- Nutri-cereals refers to a group of crops comprising sorghum (Jowar), pearl millet (Bajra), finger millet (Ragi/Mandua), and small millets like little millet (Kutki), kodo millet (Kodo), barnyard millet (Sawa/Jhangora), foxtail millet (Kangni/Kakun), and proso millet (Cheena).
- They are called a superfood as they are rich in nutrients such as copper, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. They are low on glycemic index.
Millets and India
- According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) , India is the largest producer of millet in the world followed by Niger and China .
- The total production of millets in India in 2020-21 was 17.96 million tonnes which was nearly 41% of the world production.
- Rajasthan was the largest millet producing state in India.
- Millets are grown in about 21 states in the country including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana.
- India was the 5th largest exporter of millet in the world in 2020 according to the Union ministry of Commerce data.
International Year of Millets 2023
- To highlight the importance of millets, India proposed in the United Nations to declare 2023 as the International Year of the Millets.
- The proposal was accepted and passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and 2023 was declared as the International Year of Millets.
10. Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act implemented in Madhya Pradesh to protect the rights of tribals
Tags: State News
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The Madhya Pradesh government implemented the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act in the state on 15 November.
Important facts
It was formally announced by President Draupadi Murmu at a function organised by the state government in Shahdol district on the occasion of the birth anniversary of tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda.
On this occasion, Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangu Bhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and several tribal ministers from the state and the center were present.
It aims to protect the tribal population from exploitation with the active participation of Gram Sabhas.
Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act, 1996
The Parliament enacted a special law called the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas Act (PESA) in 1996 and came into force on 24 December 1996.
The Act is currently in force in areas included in the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with the administration of districts dominated by tribal communities, and is applicable to 10 states in the country.
These 10 states are Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Telangana.
The Objective of the Act is to ensure self-governance through Gram Sabhas for people living in the Scheduled Areas.
