1. Government of India extends license of Vedanta’s Barmer oil block by 10 years
Tags: place in news Economy/Finance State News
The government of India has extended the production sharing contract license of the Barmer oil block owned by Cairns Oil and Gas, a unit of Vedanta limited, till 14 May 2030. This information was given by the Anil Agarwal owned company in a stock exchange filing on 27 October 2022.The initial licence to explore and produce oil and gas from the Barmer block expired on May 14, 2020.
Barmer oil field
The Barmer block, with 38 discoveries, till date, has a reserve of hydrocarbons of 5.9 billion barrels of oil equivalent. The block has cumulatively produced more than 700 million barrels of oil in the last decade.
The main oil producing wells have been named by Cairns as Mangala, Bhagyam and Aishwarya.
On 21 February 2022, Cairns announced the fresh discovery of oil in the Barmer oil block of Rajasthan the oil well was named as“Durga ''.
Government of India Company ONGC holds a 30% stake in the block while Cairn Oil & Gas, a unit of Vedanta Ltd., is the operator with a 70% stake.
Fact files Oil
- Edwin L. Drake drilled the world's first oil well in 1859 at Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA, in 1866,
- The first oil well to be dug in India was at Digboi field in Assam in September 1889-1890 by Assam Railways and Trading Company Limited registered in London.
- In 1901, Asia's first oil refinery was set up at Digboi, Assam. It is still functional and the world's oldest operating refinery.
- The first oil discovery in independent India was made in 1953 in Naharkatia and then in Moran in 1956 both in Upper Assam.
- Within a year of being formed, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) discovered oil at Cambay (Gujarat), the giant Ankleshwar field in the state of Gujarat in 1960, Kalol (Gujarat) in 1961, Lakwa (Assam)in 1964, Geleki(Assam) in 1968.
- However, the biggest discovery of oil in India was made by ONGC in Mumbai High in 1974. It is an offshore oilfield 176 km off the west coast of Mumbai, in the Gulf of Cambay region of India, in about 75 m of water.
Source : Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India)
2. Gujarat achieves 100 percent household tap connections under Jal Jeevan Mission
Tags: State News
Gujarat has been declared as a 100 percent 'Har Ghar Jal' state. This means that all households in rural areas in the state have access to safe drinking water through taps.
Important facts
According to government data, all 91,73,378 households in the state now have water connections.
Gujarat is now the third largest state after Haryana and Telangana, which has now announced the completion of Jal Jeevan Mission.
Jal Jeevan Mission
Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019.
Under the mission, it is envisaged to supply 55 liters of water per person per day to each rural household through functional household tap connections by 2024.
Jal Jeevan Mission comes under Jal Shakti Ministry.
This mission ensures the functionality of existing water supply systems and water connections, monitoring and testing of water quality as well as sustainable agriculture.
3. Gujarati new year ‘Bestu Varsh’
Tags: State News
Gujarati New Year or Bestu Varsh was celebrated on 26 October, 2022.
Important facts
In Gujarat, the new year known as Bestu Varsh is celebrated as part of the five-day Diwali celebrations.
According to the Hindu calendar, it falls on the Pratipada of Shukla Paksha in the month of Kartik.
People start their new year by visiting temples in the morning.
To welcome the guests on the new year, houses are decorated with Asopalava Torans and marigold flowers and attractive rangolis are made at the entrance.
Relatives and friends visit each other's house to congratulate the new year. People enjoy traditional feasts.
This day also marks the beginning of the new financial year. New Year is considered an auspicious day in Gujarat.
The Gujarati New Year coincides with the Hindu festival Govardhan Puja or Annakoot Puja which is celebrated in other parts of India.
4. Odisha Government has started working on Sukapaika River revival plan
Tags: State News
The Odisha Government has started working on the Sukapaika River revival plan following a direction from the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Important facts
The Sukapaika river which stopped flowing 70 years ago is set to be rejuvenated as the Odisha government starts working on its revival plan.
About Sukapaika River
It is one of the several distributaries of the mighty Mahanadi river in Odisha.
The problem began in 1952, when the state government blocked the starting point of Sukapaika with an embankment to protect the surrounding villages from flooding.
Subsequently, in 1957, two major projects to control floods – Hirakud Dam in Sambalpur district and Naraj Barrage in Cuttack – were constructed upstream on the Mahanadi.
The river dried up due to the development of the Taldanda Canal System, a major canal in the state.
It rises from the Mahanadi at Ayatpur village in Cuttack district and flows for about 40 kilometers (km) before joining its parent river at Tarapur.
The Sukapaika River is an important system of the Mahanadi river for controlling flood waters and maintaining the flow along the river into the Bay of Bengal.
About Mahanadi River
It is the third largest of peninsular India after Godavari and Krishna, and the largest river of Odisha state.
The catchment area of the river extends to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.
It originates near Sihawa in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.
5. Union Ministry of Home Affairs will organize a Chintan shivir of Home Ministers in Haryana
Tags: place in news Summits State News
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs will organises a two day (27-28 October 2022) Chintan Shivir at Surajkund, Haryana. The Chintan shivir will be presided by the Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Amit Shah. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, will address the Chintan Shivir through video conferencing on October 28, 2022.
Who will participate in the Chintan Shivir
Home Ministers of all States and Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of Union Territories have been invited to participate in the two-day Chintan Shivir.
State Home Secretaries, Director Generals of Police and Director Generals of Central Armed Police Forces and Central Police Organizations will also participate in the Chintan Shivir.
Objective of the Chintan Shivir
- The objective of the two-day Chintan Shivir is to prepare an Action Plan for the implementation of "Vision 2047" and ‘Panch Pran’ announced in the Independence Day speech of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi.
- In the conference of Home Ministers, development of eco-system for cybercrime management, modernization of police forces, increase in usage of IT in criminal justice system, land border management and coastal security and other internal security issues will be discussed.
- The role of ‘Nari Shakti’ is important to achieve the goal of 'Developed India by 2047' and special emphasis will be given to the safety of women and creating a safe environment for them.
- The aim of the Conference is also to facilitate national policy making and better planning and coordination in the above mentioned areas.
6. Thundi and Kadmat beaches receives Blue Beaches certification
Tags: Environment State News
In a tweet on 26 October 2022, the Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said that Thundi and Kadmat beaches in Lakshadweep have received the prestigious Blue Flag certification. Now there are 12 Blue beaches in India.
What is Blue Beach?
The Blue Beach certificate is given by Copenhagen, Denmark based organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE). It is an eco-label given to the cleanest beaches in the world.
The beaches have to meet the about 33 stringent requirements or criteria which includes environmental, educational, access and safety-related criteria.
Indian beaches which has been given the certification
Puri's Golden Beach in Odisha is the first Indian as well as Asia's first Blue Flag certified beach.
Other Beaches are Shivrajpur Beach (Gujarat), Kappad Beach (Kerala), Ghoghla Beach (Diu), Radhanagar Beach (Andaman and Nicobar), Kasarkod Beach (Karnataka), Padubidri Beach (Karnataka), Rushikonda Beach (Andhra Pradesh), Kovalam Beach (Tamil Nadu) and Eden Beach (Puducherry).
Last year, the certification was given to Kovalam beach in Tamil Nadu and Eden beach in Puducherry.
7. PM Modi hands over houses built under PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) in Madhya Pradesh to over 4.51 lakh families virtually
Tags: place in news Government Schemes State News
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 22 October 2022 handed over houses to 4 lakh 51 thousand families of Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Gramin virtually.
Virtually addressing the state-level program organized in Satna, the Prime Minister said that home brings progress for all as the village also progresses due to construction of houses along with the owner of the house. The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Shivraj Singh Chouhan was also present in the programme..
Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, about 38 Lakh houses have been sanctioned so far in Madhya Pradesh and construction of about 29 Lakh houses has been completed at a cost of more than Rs. 35,000 crores.
Housing for All
Government of India has launched Housing for All scheme to provide pucca houses to the eligible person by 2022.
The Housing for All target goal is to be achieved by two central government scheme ; Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana -Gramin (PMAY-U) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban(PMAY-U)
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana -Gramin (PMAY-U)
It was earlier known as Indira Awas Yojana . It was revamped and relaunched as Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana -Gramin (PMAY-U) on 20th November, 2016 with effect from 1st April 2016.
The program envisages the completion of 2.95 crore PMAY-G houses with all basic amenities for the identified beneficiaries by the year 2022.
It is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban(PMAY-U)
It was launched on 25 June 2015 by the Government of India and it is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
The scheme aims to provide pucca houses to all the eligible beneficiaries by 2022.
Around 1.12 crore houses are to be constructed under the scheme .
8. PM Modi visits last Indian village along Indo -Tibetan border Mana to participate in the ‘Saras Mela’
Tags: place in news Person in news State News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is visiting Uttarakhand attended the 'Saras Mela' in Mana village of Chamoli district, on 21 October, 2022.
Mana Village on the banks of river Saraswati is also known as the last Indian village along the India-Tibetan border in Uttarakhand is just 3 kms from Badrinath town.
The Saras Mela is normally organized by the Union Ministry of Rural Development all over India with a focus on a particular state. In the mela products made by the women Self Help Groups (SHG) are displayed and cultural activities are also held.
However this Saras Mela was organised at the local level with the participation of the local women SHGs. PM Modi also interacted with the local artisans and visited the stalls in the Mela.
He laid the foundation stone for road widening projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore.
The two road widening projects - from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B), will not only provide last-mile all-weather road connectivity to the border areas but are also of strategic significance for the defence forces.
The Prime Minister also visited Badrinath Temple accompanied by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Governor of Uttarakhand, Retd. Gen Gurmit Singh.
Kedarnath
Before visiting the Badrinath temple PM Modi visited Kedarnath temple in Rudraprayag which is dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Ropeway Projects
The Prime Minister laid the foundation of two ropeway projects in the state to be built at the cost of Rs. 2430 crore.
In Kedarnath he laid the foundation stone of the Kedarnath Ropeway Project. The ropeway in Kedarnath will be around 9.7 Km long and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath.
The Hemkund ropeway project in Chamoli district will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. It will be around 12.4 Km long and will reduce the travel time from more than a day to only about 45 minutes. This ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to Valley of Flowers National Park in Chamoli.
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 Instrument – Dhol
9. Tamil Nadu forms panel for vulture conservation
Tags: State News
The Tamil Nadu government has set up a state-level committee for conservation vultures on 19 October, 2022.
Important facts
The 10-member committee will be headed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden.
The members include representatives of NGOs.
The committee's tenure is two years, and it will take steps to create safe zones for conservation, monitoring and mapping of vulture populations across the state, and existing vulture sites.
This committee will work to eliminate the use of toxic veterinary drugs, the main cause of death of vultures.
Four species of vultures in Tamil Nadu
Four species of vultures are found in Tamil Nadu -
1. White-tailed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis),
2. Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus),
3. Asian king vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) and
4. Egyptian Vulture (Neophron perknopterus)
About Vultures
Vultures are carcass eaters and play an important role in natural mechanisms of infection control.
It keeps the ecosystem clean and healthy.
There are 9 species of vultures found in India.
Most of these 9 species are in danger of extinction.
Bearded, long-billed, slender-billed, white-backed vultures are protected in Schedule-I of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
The rest are protected under 'Schedule IV'.
According to the IUCN Red List, out of 9 species of vultures in India, 4 species are critically endangered, 1 species is endangered, 3 are threatened and 1 is least threatened.
10. Dehradun to host 3-day “Akash for Life” Space Conference in November
Tags: Environment place in news Summits State News
The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said that the 3-day “Akash for Life” Space Conference will be held in Dehradun, Uttarakhand from 5-7 November 2022.
ISRO and all major scientific ministries and departments of the government of India in collaboration with Vijnana Bharati will organize this National conference. Vijnana Bharati is a dynamic Science Movement with a Swadeshi Spirit, interlinking traditional and modern sciences on the one hand, and natural and spiritual sciences on the other hand.
The Government of India is organizing a campaign “Sumangalam'' across the country for finding solutions to the environmental issues with an Indian perspective based on traditional knowledge .
Panchmahabhoot
In a blend of the modern and the traditional knowledge, the government of India is going to organise five national conventions across the country on the Panchmahabhoot- the five elements for solving environmental issues for the betterment of society.
In the traditional knowledge system the human body or the universe is made of Panchmahabhoot. It consists of Aakash, Vaayu Jal, Prithvi and Agni.
The government of India is organising the first conference based on Panchmahabhoot-Akash or Space in Dehradun.
