1. First Sanctuary for 'Slender Loris' to be set up in Tamil Nadu
Tags: Science and Technology State News
India’s first sanctuary for the endangered species, Slender Loris was notified by the Tamil Nadu government on 12 October 2022. The first 'Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary' in will be set up in the Karur and Dindigul districts of the state, in about 11,806 hectares of land.
Slender Loris
Slender Loris are small nocturnal mammals that are arboreal in nature as they spend most of their life on trees. These look like monkeys and are about 25 cm long and have long, thin arms. They weigh around 275 grams. They are mainly found in India and Sri Lanka.
Apart from insects they are also known to eat leaves, flowers, slugs and sometimes eggs of birds. The species acts as a biological predator of pests in agricultural crops and benefits farmers. The nocturnal mammal is listed as an endangered species as per the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUNC).
Sanctuary for Slender Loris
A total of 11,806 hectares of forest areas in the Karur and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu have been identified as important habitats for Slender Loris. The Kadavur Slender Loris sanctuary will cover Vedasandur, Dindigul East, and Natham taluks in the Dindigul district and Kadavur taluk in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu.
2. NGT fines Delhi government Rs 900 crore for its failure in ‘solid waste management’
Tags: Science and Technology State News
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in an order passed on 12 October 2022 has ordered the Delhi government to pay Rs 900 crore as environmental compensation for improper management of solid municipal waste, stating that "citizens cannot be faced with an emergency situation due to lack of governance."
The NGT bench heard by Justice Adarsh Goel held the Delhi government responsible for not taking remedial steps to deal with the solid waste at the three landfills sites of Delhi- Ghazipur, Bhalswa, and Okhla .
The Bench said that there was continuous emission of methane and other harmful gasses along with groundwater contamination which posed a direct threat to the environment and people of Delhi.
The Bench directed the Delhi government to deposit the fine amount in a separate account which will be used by the Delhi Chief Secretary to for restoration of the environment by remediation of waste and other measures.
The NGT is monitoring compliance of Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and other environmental issues by states and Union territories.
National Green Tribunal
- It deals with cases relating to the environment protection and conservation of forest.
- It was set up in 2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010.
- The Tribunal is not bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but is guided by principles of natural justice.
- New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata and Chennai are other four places of sitting of the Tribunal.
Chairperson : Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel
3. Bengaluru-Mysuru superfast Tipu Express train renamed as Wodeyar Express
Tags: State News
A popular train on the Bengaluru-Mysuru route, Tipu Express was renamed as 'Wodeyar Express' by the Ministry of Railways on 9 October.
Important facts
The name is given to the Wodeyar dynasty that ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from the late 1300s to the 1950s.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pratap Simha had written a letter to the Railway Ministry regarding the renaming of the train.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai also appreciated the move.
The Wodeyar Express, named after the Mysore royal family, covers a distance of two and a half hours from Bengaluru to Mysuru, which is faster than any other express train.
It has two stoppages at Mandya and Kengeri.
4. Anurag Thakur inaugurates Water Sports Centre in Himachal Pradesh
Tags: Sports State News Sports News
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur has inaugurated a Water Sports Centre in Koldam Barmana, Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh on 9 October.
Important facts
The water sports centre, a first of its kind in Himachal Pradesh, has been jointly started by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also exchanged between SAI and NTPC during the event.
It has been jointly initiated by Sports Authority of India (SAI) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
The centre will be dedicated to training athletes in water sports such as rowing, canoeing and kayaking.
The centre will select 40 players who will take part in rowing, kayaking and canoeing. The centre is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and will also provide hostel and training facilities to boys and girls.
About Himachal Pradesh
It was made the eighteenth state of India on 25 January 1971 under the Himachal Pradesh State Act, 1971.
Himachal Pradesh is also called the Land of Gods.
Himachal Pradesh is part of the Shivalik range of the Himalaya Mountains.
Major rivers and dams- Sutlej (Bhakra Dam, Gobind Sagar Reservoir, Koldam Dam), Vyas (Pandoh Dam, Maharana Pratap Sagar Reservoir), Ravi (Chamera Dam), Parvati
Major Lakes- Renuka, Revalsar, Khajjiar, Dal, Beas Kund, Dasaur, Brighu, Parashar, Mani Mahesh, Chander Tal, Suraj Tal, Kareri, Sarolsar, Govind Sagar, Nako Lake
National Parks- Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Khirganga, Inderkilla and Simbalbara National Parks
Capital- Shimla
Governor- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Chief Minister- Jai Ram Thakur
Legislative Assembly seats- 68
Rajya Sabha seats- 3
Lok Sabha seats - 4
5. Central government appoints Chief Justices of Rajasthan, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir Ladakh High Court
Tags: Person in news State News
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice on 11 October 2022 announced the appointment of the new Chief Justices for the High Courts in Rajasthan, Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Union Minister of Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju informed that Justice Pankaj Mithal has been appointed as Chief Justice in the Rajasthan High Court here. He was earlier the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
Justice Prasanna B Varale has been appointed as the Karnataka HC’s Chief Justice. He was the senior most judge of the Bombay High Court.
Justice AM Magrey was elevated as the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court. Justice AM Magrey was earlier the Judge of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court.
The government has announced the appointment after the Supreme Court collegium had recommended their appointment.
Procedure for the appointment of High Court Chief Justice
- Under article 217 of the Indian constitution the Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed by the President in consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
- The Chief Justice of India consults two senior most Judges of the Supreme Court and other Judges who are conversant with the affairs of the concerned High Court.
- The Chief Justice of India will send the recommendation to the Union Minister of Law, Justice.
- The Union Minister of Law, Justice then obtains the views of the concerned State Government. After receipt of the views of the State Government, the Union Minister of Law, Justice and Company Affairs, will submit proposals to the Prime Minister, who will then advise the President as to the selection.
- As soon as the appointment is approved by the President, the Ministry of Law and Justice announces the appointment and issues necessary notification in the Gazette of India.
High Court | Seat of High Court | Additional Bench | Sanctioned number of Judges |
Karnataka | Bengaluru | Hubballi-Dharawada, Kalaburagi | 62 |
Rajasthan | Jodhpur | Jaipur | 50 |
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh(It is a common High Court of the Union Territory of Jammu And Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh ) | Srinagar and Jammu, | 17 |
6. PM inaugurated Shri Mahakal Lok temple complex at Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain
Tags: State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Shri Mahakal Lok at Shri Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on 11 October.
Important facts
Shri Mahakal Lok is a place where all the mythological stories of Lord Shankar will be seen at one place.
It is built in the Mahakaleshwar temple of Ujjain, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of the country.
Apart from this, the venue has been declared as a no fly zone.
The estimated cost of Shree Mahakal Corridor, built on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, is Rs 800 crore.
About Mahakal corridor
The construction work of Mahakal Corridor project in Ujjain city of Madhya Pradesh is in progress as per the plan.
Mahakal Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in Ujjain district.
Under the scheme, the Mahakaleshwar temple complex of about 2.82 hectares is being increased to 47 hectares, which will be developed by the Ujjain district administration in two phases.
The project will include a 17-hectare Rudrasagar lake.
This corridor is going to be four times bigger than Varanasi's Kashi Vishwanath Corridor.
Mahakaleshwar Temple
Shri Mahakaleshwar of Ujjain is considered one of the twelve famous Jyotirlingas of India.
According to Hindu mythology, the temple was built by Lord Brahma and is currently situated on the banks of the holy Kshipra River.
According to the records, the Mahakal lingam of the temple is believed to be swayambhu (self-manifested) and unlike any other Jyotirlinga in the country, the idol of Mahakaleshwar faces south.
The bhasma-aarti is the first ritual conducted at the temple in the morning to wake the God.
This temple is revered as one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas in India.
The present form of the temple was built in 1734 AD by the Maratha general Ranoji Shinde.
The temple is three-storeyed, with Mahakaleshwar at the bottom, Omkareshwar in the middle and the linga of Nagchandreshwar in the upper part.
The collectorate office of Ujjain district now manages the administration of the temple.
7. Goa to host the 37 National Games
Tags: Sports State News
The Indian Olympics Association has announced that the 37th National games 2023 will be hosted by Goa in October. The dates will be announced later. This is the first time that Goa will host the National Games.
The 36th National Games was initially scheduled to be held in Goa in 2016 but was postponed a few times and later shifted to Gujarat.
It is being held in six cities of Gujarat -- Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar from September 27 to October 10.
The 35th National Games was held in Kerala in 2015.
The first National games was organized in India as Indian Olympics Games in 1924 in Lahore.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
It was set up in 1927. The Indian Olympic Association is the governing body for the Olympic Movement and the Commonwealth Games in India
It is an International Olympics Committee recognised body which sends Indian teams for the Olympics, Asian and other multinational sporting events.
Sir Dorabji Tata was the first President of the IOA.
Acting President: Anil Khanna
Headquarters: New Delhi
8. PM Modi officially declares 'Modhera village' as India’s first solar powered village
Tags: place in news State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three day(9-11 October 2022) visit to Gujarat, officially declared Modhera village in Mehsana district of Gujarat as India’s first 24x7 solar powered village on 9 October 2022.
The Modhera village is provided round the clock electricity by over 1000 rooftop solar power panels installed in the village and also through Battery Energy Storage System at night.
Modhera is the first modern village in India with a solar-based ultra-modern electric vehicle charging station.
Another distinction of this project is that it is India’s first grid-connected mega-watt hour scale battery energy storage system.
Project Modhera
In 2019 the Central government and the state government started the joint project to power the Modhera village in Mehsana district with solar power.
The Gujarat government had allotted 12 hectares of land for development of this project and an amount of Rs 80.66 crore was spent on a 50:50 basis by Centre and state government in two phases,
More than 1,300 1 kW rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses which generate electricity. And electricity is supplied free of cost to the villagers.
Modhera’s Sun Temple
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the 3-D projection facility powered by solar energy for the Modhera’s Sun Temple. The sun temple is a protected archaeological site and heritage lighting has been installed on the temple premise.
The solar-powered 3-D projection will educate visitors about the history of Modhera.
Sun Temple is situated on the bank of river Pushpavati. It was built by King Bhima-I of Chalukya dynasty in 1026-27.
9. Nitin Gadkari and Yogi Adityanath jointly inaugurates Indian Roads Congress in Lucknow
Tags: place in news Summits Person in news State News
Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath jointly inaugurated the 81st annual session of the Indian roads Congress in Lucknow on 8 October 2022.
The 81st Indian roads Congress is being hosted by the Uttar Pradesh government in Lucknow from 8-11 October 2022.
Speaking on the occasion Nitin Gadkari announced road projects worth eight thousand crore rupees for Uttar Pradesh including 13 Road Over Bridges with the fund of one thousand crore rupees.
Road Congress will discuss modern techniques in road construction and it will have many sessions regarding it.
The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) is the Apex Body of Highway Engineers in the country. The IRC was set up in December, 1934 on the recommendations of the Indian Road Development Committee best known as Jayakar Committee set up by the Government of India with the objective of Road Development in India.
10. PM Modi to declare Gujarat’s ‘Modhera’ as India’s First Solar-Powered Village on 9 October
Tags: place in news Science and Technology State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will declare Gujarat’s village Modhera as India’s first solar-powered village on October 9, 2022. The village is supplied electricity during the daytime through the rooftop solar panels installed in the village and during night the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) provides power supply to the houses.
In 2019 the Central government and the state government started the joint project to power the Modhera village in Mehsana district with solar power.
The Gujarat government had allotted 12 hectares of land for development of this project and an amount of Rs 80.66 crore was spent on a 50:50 basis by Centre and state government in two phases,
More than 1,300 1 kW rooftop solar systems have been installed on houses which generate electricity. And electricity is supplied free of cost to the villagers .
The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a solar-powered 3-D projection facility for the Modhera’s Sun Temple.The solar-powered 3-D projection will educate visitors about the history of Modhera.
Gujarat Chief Minister : Bhupendra Patel
