1. Rising Sun Water Fest-2022 on ‘Umiam Lake’ ends in Meghalaya
Tags: Festivals State News
The first of its kind Rising Sun Water Fest ended on 5 November 2022 with a grand closing ceremony at Umiam Lake, Meghalaya showcasing the cultural heritage of the North eastern region.
The water sports and cultural extravaganza held from November 3-5 was aimed at encouraging the sports loving youth to take up water sports like Rowing and Sailing. It also aimed at promoting tourism in the North East.
Organizers of the Fest
The Rising Sun Water Fest was organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army in cooperation with the governments of Assam and Meghalaya.
The Festival was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma on 3 November.
The Chief minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma and Lt Gen RP Kalita, Army commander Eastern Command were the chief guests at the closing ceremony on 5 November.
Speaking on the occasion Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Assam and Meghalaya will work with the Indian Army to transform the Umiam Lake into a world-class venue for aquatic sports.
Umiam Lake
The Umiam Lake also known as Barapani Lake is an artificial lake which was created after a dam was built on the river Umiam in early 1960s. Umiam hydroelectric project supplies electricity to Meghalaya and Assam. The lake lies in the capital city of Meghalaya, Shillong.
State of Meghalaya
Meghalaya means the abode of clouds.
Meghalaya was created as an autonomous state within Assam in 1970 and achieved full statehood on January 21, 1972 by carving out hilly areas of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.
It has the wettest region in the world, Mawsynram village near Cherrapunji. Mawsynram has recorded rainfalls of 700mm per year.
The capital of Meghalaya is Shillong which was made Assam's capital in 1874, remained so till January 1972,
Some of the famous cultural festival of Meghalaya
Nongkrem dance festival
Ka Pomblang Nongkrem dance, also popularly known as Nongkrem dance, is a five day religious festival of the Khasis tribe. It is celebrated during November month. Nongkrem Dance Festival is performed to appease the all-powerful Goddess Ka Blei Synshar for a rich bumper harvest and prosperity of the people.
Wangala Festival
The Wangala Festival is also known as the 100 drums festival. It is a most popular festival among the Garos tribes of Meghalaya. Wangala Festival is a harvest festival held in honour of Saljong, the Sun-god of fertility.
Behdienkhlam Festival
Behdienkhlam Festival is the most celebrated Cultural festival among the Pnars tribes. Behdienkhlam (chasing away the Demon of Cholera) is celebrated annually in July after the sowing period, the most important dance festival of the Jaintia tribes
2. Novelist Sethu wins Ezhuthachan Puraskaram 2022
Tags: Awards State News
Noted Malayalam novelist Sethu (A. Sethumadhavan) has been honoured with the prestigious Ezhuthachan Award for the year 2022.
Important facts
It is the highest literary award of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and is given for lifelong contribution to literature.
Sethu was selected for the award by a committee headed by Kerala Sahitya Akademi president K Satchidanandan.
M K Sanu, Vaishakhan, MV Narayanan and Rani George, Principal Secretary, Department of Cultural Affairs, were the other jury members.
His writings cover innumerable streams of literature including short stories, novels and children's literature.
He also held key positions in the banking and publishing sector such as the Chairman of South Indian Bank, Director of State Bank of Travancore and Chairman of National Book Trust of India.
He has been honoured with Kendra Sahitya Akademi and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Awards.
His famous works include Pandavapuram, Kaimudrakal, Adayalangal, Kiratam, Aramathe Penkutty and Kilimozhikalkapppuram.
About Ezhuthachan Puraskaram
It is the Kerala state government’s highest literary honour.
It has been named after Thunchaththu Ramanujan Ezhuthachan, a 16th century devotional poet, considered to be the father of Malayalam language.
The award carries Rs 5 lakh and a citation.
3. Uttarakhand Chief Minister launches Lakhpati Didi Yojana
Tags: Government Schemes State News
The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ Yojana in Dehradun on 4 November 2022. The scheme is part of the government to empower the women of the state.
Lakhpati Didi Yojana
The Lakhpati Didi Yojana is being launched by the Rural Development department of the Uttarakhand government under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
The government is aiming to enable at least 1.25 lakh women’s associated with various self-help groups (SHG) in the state to earn over one lakh rupees per year (Lakhpati) by 2025.
Under the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme for women belonging to Self Help Groups (SHGs), will be encouraged to take up micro-enterprises with skill development.
The government will tie up e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Government e-Marketplace (GeM) so that the SHG products get national and International markets.
Uttarakhand which was formed on 9 November 2000 after the bifurcation of Uttar Pradesh will turn 25 in 2025. To commemorate the occasion the state government has set the target to make 1.25 lakh women Lakhpati by 2025.
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand was formed on 9th November 2000 as the 27th State of India. It was formed by carving out the hilly areas of Uttar Pradesh.
It shares international boundaries with China (Tibet) in the north and Nepal in the east. On its north-west lies Himachal Pradesh, while on the south is Uttar Pradesh.
The state is also famous as God’s Land or Dev Bhoomi.
It has a total of 13 districts.
Official state symbols
- State animal – Musk Deer
- State flower – Brahma Kamal
- State tree – Buransh (Rhododendron)
- State Bird – Monal
- State musical Instrument – Dhol
4. Kerala to host Track Asia Cup 2022
Tags: Sports State News Sports News
Track Asia Cup-2022, one of the premier cycling competitions, will be held at the LNCPE Outdoor Velodrome in Kerala from November 25 to 28.
Important facts
The event will see participation of over 200 cyclists from over 25 Asian countries and will be held outside Delhi for the first time in history.
It is authorised by the Asian Cycling Confederation and Cycling Federation of India.
The Track Asia Cup is also used to select Asian countries for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
The highlight of the event will be the participation of cycling stalwarts from China, Japan, Korea and Kazakhstan.
Apart from these countries, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Indonesia will compete with India.
About Track Asia Cup 2022
It is a flagship event of the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC).
It showcases excellent competitive cycling exhibitions across Asia.
Star cyclists including Olympic medalists will compete in various individual and team events.
Track Asia Cup 2022 will play a vital role in developing cycling as a major sporting event in the state.
This is probably the first time that a sporting event is being held in Kerala in which more than 20 countries are participating.
5. NCST Gives Nod To Include Pahari Community In ST List
Tags: National State News National News
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) on 4 November, 2022 approved inclusion of Pahari Ethnic Group, Paddari Tribe, Koli and Gadda Brahmans in the Scheduled Tribes (STs).
Important facts
The proposal to include these groups in the list of STs was placed before the Commission on 7 October by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
The Commission studied and approved the proposal in its meetings.
The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs will now submit a memorandum to the cabinet to approve the reservation for Pahari ethnic group, Paddari tribe, Kolis and Gadda Brahmins under the ST category.
After the cabinet approval, the ministry will introduce a bill in the Parliament to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989 to include these communities in the STs.
When approved by the Parliament, the President shall notify the revised schedule of the ST list under Article 342 of the Constitution of India.
On October 4 and 5, 2022, Home Minister Amit Shah had announced ST status for Pahari based on the recommendations of the GD Sharma panel.
About Pahari Community
Pahari people is a term used for several heterogeneous communities settled in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Pahari is a term used to describe the various northern Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the people, most of them found in the lower Himalayas.
In 1989, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir had set up an advisory board for the development of the Pahari speaking people and the welfare of the Pahari people.
Four tribes to the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST)
The Hatti tribe in the Trans-Giri area in Himachal Pradesh.
The Narikoravan and Kurivikkaran hill tribes of Tamil Nadu.
The Binjhia tribe in Chhattisgarh.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal to bring the Gond community of Uttar Pradesh under the ST list.
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes
It has been established by amending Article 338 and inserting a new Article 338A in the Indian Constitution through the 89th Amendment Act.
It is a constitutional body.
It consists of a chairman, a vice-chairman and three whole-time members (including a woman member).
Its term is for 3 years and the chairman is appointed by the President.
It investigates and monitors matters relating to Safeguards provided for STs.
Chairman - Harsha Chauhan
- Union Minister of Tribal Affairs - Arjun Munda
6. 3rd National Tribal Dance festival comes to an end in Raipur, Chhattisgarh
Tags: Festivals State News
The third National Tribal Dance festival, organised by the Chhattisgarh government to promote tribal culture, folk dance, folk music, and folk art came to an end on 3 November 2022.
The three day (1-3 November) National Dance festival was held at the Chhattisgarh capital Raipur on the occasion of the 22nd foundation day of Chhattisgarh state. Chhattisgarh state was founded on 1 November 2000 after the bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh.
According to the 2011 census 30.62% of the population of the state were Scheduled Tribes.
Participants at the National Tribal Dance festival
In this year more than 1500 tribal performers from India and 10 other nations including Mozambique, Mongolia, Tonga, Russia, Indonesia, Maldives, Serbia, New Zealand, and Egypt, performed at the event.
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel inaugurated the festival on 1 November 2022.
National Tribal Dance Festival
To promote tribal culture Chhattisgarh organised the first national tribal dance festival from 27th December to 29th December 2019.
The second national tribal dance festival was organised from 28th October to 1st November 2021.
The third edition of this festival (NTDF) started from 1st of November on the occasion of 22nd foundation day of Chhattisgarh state. It concluded on 3 November 2022.
Some of the famous Tribal dance form of India
Some of the famous tribal dance forms of are India are Cheraw Bamboo dance from Mizoram, the Kalbelia dance from Rajasthan, Elelakkaradi dance from Kerala, Bhagoria from Madhya Pradesh, Chhau dance from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, Dhimsa from Andhra Pradesh, Shad Suk Mynsiem from Meghalaya,Santhali dance by the Santhal tribals from West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha.
7. “Baji Rout National Football Tournament” inaugurated in Dhenkanal Odisha by Dharmendra Pradhan
Tags: place in news Sports State News
Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the “Baji Rout National Football Tournament in Dhenkanal, Odisha on 3 November 2022.
Speaking on the occasion he said that to promote football in India the government with FIFA and All India Football Federation (AIFF) has launched the 'Football 4 School' initiative.
The minister revealed that the programme has been targeted to rope in about two crore fifty lakh school students towards football. He said that ten lakh footballs will be distributed among the government and private schools in all the districts of the country through the Jawahar Navoday Vidyalaya.
8. President Murmu inaugurates the permanent Northeast Campus of IIMC in Aizawl
Tags: place in news State News
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) North East campus located at Aizawl in Mizoram University in virtual mode on 3 November 2022.
The IIMC North East Campus began functioning in 2011 from a temporary building made available by Mizoram University. The construction work for the campus began in 2015 and was completed in 2019.
Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC)
The Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) is a premiere Journalism Institute under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
It was inaugurated in 1965 to cater the training needs of media professionals in the country and other developing countries.
It has set up five regional center in India to cater the need of five regions of India
The Regional centers of IIMC are;
Eastern Regional Center : IIMC Dhenkanal near Bhubaneswar, Odisha
Western Regional Center: Amravati, Maharashtra
Northern Regional Center: Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir
Northeastern Regional Center: Aizawl, Mizoram
Southern Regional Center: Kottayam, Kerala
Headquarters: New Delhi
Chairman of IIMC: Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
State of Mizoram
It was created as a Union Territory on 21st January 1972 by bifurcating Assam.
It was granted statehood on 20 February 1987.
Chief Minister of Mizoram: PU Zoramthanga
Governor of Mizoram: Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati
Capital: Aizawl
9. ECI announces two phase election to elect 15th Gujarat Legislative Assembly
Tags: State News
The Election Commission of India(ECI) on 3 November 2022 has announced that the election to constitute the 15th Legislative Assembly of Gujarat will be held on 1st and 5th of December 2022 and the counting will be done on 8 December 2022.The term of the current and 14th Legislative Assembly will end on 18 February 2023.
Election in Gujarat
The Gujarat Assembly has 182 seats with 13 seats reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) and 27 seats are reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST).
In the first phase, 89 seats will go to the polls and elections will be held in 93 seats in the second phase.
According to the election commissioner around 4 crore 92 lakh people are eligible to vote in the election.
Announcing the schedule of the Assembly poll the Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said that counting of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly and Gujarat Legislative Assembly polls will be conducted on 8 December and the process will be completed by 10 December 2022.
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly goes to poll on 12 November 2022 to constitute the 14th Legislative Assembly.
Gujarat Legislative Assembly
The first Gujarat Legislative Assembly was constituted on 1 May 1960 when the Bombay State was bifurcated into Marathi speaking state of Maharashtra and Guajarati speaking state of Gujarat.
The Bombay State Legislative Assembly which was constituted in 1957 consisted of 389 members.
Out of this Gujarat Legislative Assembly was created with 132 members.
The first election to constitute the 2nd Gujarat Legislative Assembly election was held in 1962
The 14th and current Legislative Assembly was constituted on 19 February 2018.
10. Independent India’s first voter Shyam Saran Negi exercise his franchise in Himachal Poll
Tags: Person in news State News
106 years old Shyam Saran Negi of Himachal Pradesh exercised his right to franchise and voted for the 34th time in his life on 2 November 2022.
Shyam Saran Negi who is the first voter of the Independent India voted in the 14th Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha elections through postal ballot at his home in Kalpa, Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh.
Born in July 1917, Shyam Saran Negi voted for the first time in 1951 in general elections of India and has voted for sixteen times in Lok Sabha Elections.
He is also a state election icon since 2014.
A teacher by profession, the centenarian has voted in every election since 1951 and has never missed an opportunity to vote.
The election to constitute the 14th Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha will be held on 12 November 2022.
The Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly has 68 seats.
Postal Ballot
As the name suggests special ballot papers are issued to designated persons by the Election commission of India and the voters have to send the ballot paper back to the returning officer before the counting of the vote’s starts in the constituency.
.According to the Election Commission of India following Persons are entitled to vote by post:
- Special voter’s .It includes Persons with Disability, senior citizens above the age of 80 years and covid-19 positive patient,
- Service voters (Armed Forces personnel, paramilitary personnel)
- Voters on election duty and;
- Voters who are in jail and held under the preventive detention provision of law.
The colour of the postal ballot is Pink.
