1. Zorba, the first dog of anti-poaching dogs squad K9 is no more
Tags: State News
The first dog of the anti-poaching dog’s squad K9 Zorba died in Guwahati, Assam on 22 November 2022 due to old age .He was 12 years old. He was given a warm farewell by wildlife activists.
India’s first dog squad named K9, raised to combat poaching of wildlife, was set up in Assam under the initiative of biodiversity organisation ‘Aaranyak’ in 2011.
The Zorba of Belgian Malinois breed was mainly deployed in Kaziranga National Parks and retired from service in 2019. He helped the authorities in tracking down the poachers of wildlife.
The K9 dog squad, comprising six Belgian Malinois dogs along with their handlers, has been actively assisting forest and police officials in Kaziranga and Manas National Parks as well as other rhino-inhabited areas in Assam resulting in the arrest of many poachers by law enforcement agencies.
Kaziranga National Park
It is spread in 430 sq.Km in the Golaghat and Nagaon district of Assam .
It was created in 1908 as a reserved forest area.
It was declared as a National Park in 1974 and as a Tiger Reserve in 2006 .
In 1985, the park was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Around two-third of the world's one horned Rhino population is found in Kaziranga National Park. As per the 14th Rhino census there are 2613 rhinos in the park.
2. Assam government to organise a 3 day Lachit divas in New Delhi
Tags: Festivals Person in news State News
The Assam government will organize Lachit Divas in New Delhi from 23-25th of November 2022. Lachit Divas is observed in Assam on 24th of November every year as a tribute to the Ahom General Lachit Borphukan who defeated a large Mughal Army on the banks of Brahmaputra in the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 to defend Guwahati. He was born on 24 November.
The 400th Birth Anniversary of great warrior of Ahom Dynasty Lachit Borphukan will be held with a grand programme with an exhibition on 600-year-old history of Ahom dynasty at Vigyan Bhawan.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will inaugurate the exhibition on November 23 with Union Home Minister Amit Shah gracing the occasion as chief guest on November 24.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the function of the 400th birth anniversary of Ahom General Lachit Borphukan in the national capital on November 25.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju will inaugurate a cultural program at Sunder Park on November 23.
In order to popularize Assamese culture the government of Assam has decided to organise Lachit divas in various parts of the country starting this year in New Delhi.
3. Biggest Manipur festival Sangai commences in the state
Tags: Festivals State News
Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the biggest tourism festival of Manipur -Sangai festival on 21 November 2022 at Moirang Khunou in Bishnupur district of Manipur.
The 11th Sangai festival will be held from 21 -30 November 2022. The festival which started in 2010 is being held after a 2 year gap due to covid. It is being held in 13 venues across six districts.
The festival is called Sangai festival to highlight the uniqueness of the shy and gentle deer popularly known as the Sangai in the region. It is a rare species of deer which is also the state animal of Manipur.
The theme of the Sangai festival 2022 is :‘ Festival of Oneness’.
The indigenous sagol kangjei, a sport that has now evolved into the modern game of polo, will also be featured during the festival in its very own birthplace. The Men’s International Polo Tournament will be held in Imphal and the CM’s Sagol Kangjei Tournament in Kangla as part of the festival.
Other major festivals of Manipur
Gang-Ngai
Celebrated for five days in the month of December/January, Gang-Ngai is an important festival of the Kabui Nagas.
Lui-Ngai-Ni
It is a collective festival of the Nagas observed on the 15th day of February every year. This is a seed sowing festival after which tribes belonging to the Naga group begin their cultivation.
Yaoshang
Celebrated for five days commencing from the full moon day of Phalguna (February/March), Yaoshang is the premier festival of Manipur. The Thabal Chongba – a kind of Manipuri fold dance, where boys and girls hold hands together and sing and dance in a circle, is particularly associated with this festival. Yaoshang to Manipur is what Durga Puja is to Bengal, Diwali in north India and Bihu to Assam.
Cheiraoba: The Manipuri New Year
It is celebrated during the month of April. Villagers climb the nearest hilltops in belief that it will enable them to rise to greater heights in their worldly life.
Kang: The Ratha Yatra of Manipur
One of the greatest festivals of the Hindus of Manipur, this festival is celebrated for ten days in the month of July. Lord Jagannath leaves his temple in a car known as “Kang” in Manipur pulled by devotees who vie with one another for this honour.
Heikru Hitongba
Celebrated in the month of September, Heikru Hitongba is a boat race. Long narrow boats are used to accommodate a large number of rowers. An idol of Lord Vishnu is installed before the commencement of the race.
Ningol Chak-kouba: A social festival of the Manipuris
It is a remarkable social festival of the Meiteis. Married daughters of the family come to their parental house along with their children and enjoy a sumptuous feast. It is celebrated on the second day of the new moon in the month of Hiyangei (November) as per Manipur Calendar system.
Kut: Festival of Kuki- Chin- Mizo
It is an autumn festival of the different tribes of Kuki-Chin-Mizo groups of Manipur. It is a happy occasion for the villagers whose food stock is bountiful after a year of hard labour. It is observed on the 1st November every year.
Chumpha: Festival of Tangkhul Nagas
Celebrated for seven days in the month of December, the Chumpha Festival is a great festival of the Rangkhul Nagas. The festival is held after harvest.
4. First Unani medicine Regional Center of Northeast inaugurated in Silchar, Assam
Tags: place in news Person in news State News
The Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the new, state of the art complex of Regional Research Institute of Unani Medicine (RRIUM) in Silchar, Assam on 20 November 2022. It is the first Unani medicine regional center in the North-East. The new complex is spread over an area of 3.5 acres built with an investment of Rs 48 crores.
The newly built complex of RRIUM, which will be under Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), the apex government organization for research in Unani Medicine,
The RRIUM, besides providing a wide range of patient care services, will also focus on conducting scientific research on different aspects, fundamental and applied, of Unani medicine, and on diseases that are more prevalent in the North East. The centre is also equipped to screen patients with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) like cardiac, pulmonary, stroke, cancer and diabetes.
Unani System of Medicine
The Unani System of Medicine owes its origin to Greece. The roots of this system go to Egypt and its sister civilization Mesopotamia. It was further adopted by the Arabs, and was developed and improved tremendously by them.
The Unani System of Medicine was introduced to India by the Arabs in the eighth century.
To promote Unani Medicine in India, the government of India set up the Central Council for Research in Unani, Medicine (CCRUM). Now it comes under the Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy).
5. Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh amongst top ranked district of the country on the Jal Jeevan Mission
Tags: State News
Several districts of Uttar Pradesh have performed very well in the October month 2022 ranking of the Jal Jeevan Mission released by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry on its web site. The districts are ranked according to the target achieved by the districts in providing drinking water through tap to the houses of the identified beneficiaries in the rural areas.
Giving this information Principal secretary (Namami Gange and rural water supply) Anurag Srivastava said that several Uttar Pradesh districts have done well in the rankings, especially Shahjahanpur that has topped across the country in the “aspirant districts as well as best performing district” category..
Classification of Districts
In Jal Jeevan Survekshan-2023, districts across the country are grouped in various categories. They are as follows;
- The districts with 100% tap connections in a month are front- runners.
- Those with 75 to 100% tap connections are high achievers.
- Those providing 50 to 75% connections have been classified as performers.
- The ones with up to 25% tap water connections are included in the aspirant category.
Ranking District of Uttar Pradesh
Below is the list of the Uttar Pradesh districts which has performed well and top ranked in the country in various categories:
Aspirant’s category districts
No.1 ranked district in India, Shahjahanpur
No.2 ranked district in India, Bulandshahr
No.3 ranked district in India, Bareilly
Fastest moving districts within the categories (for month of October 2022)
Aspirant category
No.1 ranked district in India, Shahjahanpur
No2. Ranked district in India, Mirzapur
No.3 ranked district in India, Bulandshahr
Performers (ranked districts in India)
No1. Mon (Nagaland)
No 2. East Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya)
No 3. Mahoba (Uttar Pradesh)
Districts which graduated from one category to another in October month 2022
Districts which graduated to Performer category;
Bulandshahr graduated from Aspirant category to Performer and it was ranked 2nd in the country.
Mirzapur graduated from Aspirant category to Performer and it was ranked 4th in the country.
Lalitpur graduated from Aspirant category to Performer and it was ranked 28th in the country.
Saharanpur graduated from Aspirant category to Performer and it was ranked 38th in the country.
The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide functional household tap connection to every rural household with service level at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day. The whole country is to be covered by 2024.
Union Minister for Jal Shakti : Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
6. PM Modi to inaugurate Arunachal Pradesh’s first Greenfield airport Donyi Polo Airport
Tags: Environment Economy/Finance State News
In an aim to boost connectivity in the North East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first Greenfield airport built in Arunachal Pradesh on 19 November 2022. The newly constructed Donyi Polo Airport was opened at Hollangi, Itanagar on 19th November. The foundation stone for this airport was laid by PM Modi himself in February, 2019.
About the Donyi Polo Airport
This is the first Greenfield airport in Arunachal Pradesh developed by the Airport Authority of India at a cost of around Rs 650 crore. Green field means that it is newly constructed.
This will also be the third airport in Arunachal Pradesh after the Zero Airport and Tezu airport.
The airport has been designed to support the operations of an A-320 aircraft.
According to the Prime Minister Office (PMO) the name of the airport reflects the traditions and rich cultural heritage of Arunachal Pradesh and its age-old indigenous reverence for the Sun (‘Donyi’) and the Moon (‘Polo’).
Airport in North Eastern Region
According to the Prime Minister Office after Independence only 9 airports were built in the region till 2014. However in the last 8 years the present government has built 7 new airports in the region.
With the Donyi Polo Airport becoming operational the total airports in North East will be 16.
According to the PMO, aircraft movement in the North-East has also witnessed an increase by 113% since 2014, from 852 per week in 2014 to 1817 per week in 2022.
PM to inaugurate the 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station
During his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister will also dedicate 600 MW Kameng Hydro Power Station to the nation. The station has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 8450 crore and is located in the West Kameng District of Arunachal Pradesh.
Kameng Hydro Power Station is a run-of-the river scheme to harness the hydro power of Bichom and Tenga Rivers (both tributaries of the River Kameng). The Power Station has two dams, one at Bichom & the other at Tenga.
The project has been developed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited,(NEEPCO ltd), a wholly owned Subsidiary company of NTPC ltd.
Run of the River project
In the run of the river project, reservoirs are not built for water storage purposes and the natural flow of water from a height is used to run micro turbines to produce electricity.
Arunachal Pradesh
It is the easternmost region of India. It is also called ‘Land of the Dawn-lit-Mountains’ or land of rising sun.
It was earlier called as North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) and it was renamed as Arunachal Pradesh in 1972. It was a Union Territory.
It became a state on 20 February 1987.
Governor of the State: Brig BD Mishra (Retd)
Chief Minister: Pema Khandu
Capital: Itanagar
7. 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.
8. 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
9. 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.
10. 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
