1. SC accepts Banthia Commission report for OBCs in Local Body Elections in Maharashtra
Tags: State News National News
On July 20, 2022, the Supreme Court of India accepted the report of the Jayant Kumar Banathia Commission on Reservation in Local Bodies.
Important facts
The court has directed the Maharashtra State Election Commission to conduct elections according to this report.
It also directed to take steps to hold the stalled elections in the state on an urgent basis and to announce the schedule of elections in the next two weeks.
The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Rahul Wagh against reservation in 2021.
Report of 'Jayant Kumar Banthia Commission’
This report has paved the way for OBC candidates in the local bodies elections in Maharashtra.
This commission has recommended 27 more reservations in local bodies. This recommendation has been accepted by the Supreme Court. Thus, OBCs will get 27% political reservation in the local self-government elections to be held in the state.
According to this report, reservation should be provided to OBCs in proportion to their population in every local body. However, this reservation should not affect the statutory reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This is subject to the reservation limit of 50%.
The Jayant Kumar Banthia Commission is a six-member commission, set up by the Maharashtra government in March 2022 to look into the matter of reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in local bodies.
It submitted its report on 7 July 2022.
2. Burhanpur of MP becomes first certified ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district in India
Tags: State News
Burhanpur also known as the ‘Darwaza of Dakhin’ in Madhya Pradesh became the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified district in the country on 22 July.
Important facts
Burhanpur is the only district in the country where all the people in 254 villages are getting safe drinking water through taps.
At the time of launch of Jal Jeevan Mission on 15 August 2019, only 36.54 per cent of the over one lakh households in Burhanpur had potable water through tap connections.
Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) have been constituted in all 254 villages.
The VWSC is responsible for the operation, maintenance and repair of the water supply infrastructure developed under the 'Har Ghar Jal' programme.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas", three states - Goa, Telangana and Haryana and three union territories - Andaman and Nicobar Islands, D&N Haveli and Daman and Diu and Puducherry have provided 100% tap water coverage.
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. Home Minister launched e-FIR system of Gujarat Police for vehicle and mobile thefts
Tags: State News
Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the e-FIR system of Gujarat Police for vehicle and mobile thefts in Gandhinagar on 23 July.
Important facts
With the introduction of e-FIR, citizens will not need to go to the police station to register a complaint of vehicle and mobile theft.
People can file an online FIR.
The concerned police will reach out to the complainant within 48 hours of receiving the complaint.
The police have been given a stipulated time frame within which it will be necessary to resolve the complaints.
The complainant will also be informed through email/SMS about the progress made in the registration and investigation of this online complaint.
The police will complete the investigation within 21 days and send a report to the court.
Failure to do so will result in action being taken against the concerned police personnel.
The Government of Gujarat launched Citizen First Mobile App, Citizen Portal in 2019 to enable the citizens of the state to access police services online using the e-GujCop database.
e-Gujcop Project
It was launched by the former Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi in 2013.
It is an application database of crime and criminal information developed by Home Department, Government of Gujarat for crime prevention and crime detection.
About Gujarat State
Formation - 1 May 1960
Gujarat is also known as 'The Land of Legends'.
The Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat is home to the only wild population of Asiatic Lions in the world.
Gujarat is the main producer of cotton, tobacco and groundnut in the country.
Garba is the main traditional dance of Gujarat.
Lothal was the ancient city of Gujarat where India's first port was established.
Capital- Gandhinagar
Governor- Acharya Devvrat
Chief Minister- Bhupendrabhai Patel (BJP)
Assembly seats-182
Rajya Sabha seats- 11
Lok Sabha seats- 26
4. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma unveils 131st Durand Cup trophy
Tags: State News Sports News
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister, Assam, unveiled the three Durand Cup trophies in a glittering ceremony at Guwahati on 21st July.
Important facts
Three trophies of the 134-year-old Durand Cup, Asia's oldest football tournament, were unveiled.
The tournament will be held for the first time in Assam's Guwahati from August 17 to September 4.
As part of the trophy tour involving five cities, Guwahati, the venue of 10 Group D games, was chosen as the first stop.
It will see participation of 20 teams from across the country including 11 ISL teams.
The matches of the tournament will be held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati.
Apart from Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati, Khuman Lampak Stadium in Imphal and Kishor Bharati Kridangan in Kolkata in West Bengal and Naihati Stadium in North 24-Parganas district will host the matches.
The three trophies, the Durand Cup (a rolling trophy and the original prize), the Shimla Trophy (a rolling trophy and first given by the residents of Shimla in 1904) and the President’s Cup (for permanent keep and first presented by Dr Rajendra Prasad, India’s first President in 1956) are on a five-city tour.
It was flagged off from Kolkata on July 19, 2022 and will be the first time the host will leave for Imphal in Manipur after being in Guwahati for two days.
131st Durand Cup
There will be a total of 47 games in this tournament, with both Guwahati and Imphal hosting 10-games of group C and group D each.
All the seven knockout games will be held at three venues in West Bengal.
The inaugural pool matches will begin from 16 August at the Vivekananda Yuva Bharati Kreerangan (VYBK) Stadium in Kolkata.
The matches will be held on August 17 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati and on August 18 at the Khuman Lampakh Stadium in Imphal.
The tournament will culminate with the Grand Finale to be held at VYBK on 18 September 2022.
About Durand Cup
The tournament was started in 1888 under the leadership of Sir Henry Durand, a renowned Indian civil servant and Foreign Secretary of India.
It was first held in Shimla.
The most successful teams are East Bengal and Mohun Bagan with 16 wins each.
BSF comes in third place with 7 wins.
5. India's first AI-powered Lok Adalat launched in Rajasthan
Tags: State News
National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) Chairman Uday Umesh Lalit launched India's first AI-powered, end-to-end digital Lok Adalat in Rajasthan.
Important facts
AI-based Lok Adalat was launched during the 18th All India Legal Services Authority meeting held in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Digital Lok Adalat is designed and developed by Jupitis Justice Technologies, technology partner of Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority (RSLSA 22).
Digital Lok Adalat
Digital Lok Adalat will help in settlement of pending disputes or disputes which are in pre-litigation stage.
The disposal of cases will be done by the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority.
The platform will provide end-to-end dispute resolution processes like- easy drafting and filing of applications, smart templates for preparation of settlement agreements, e-notices at single-click, digital hearing through video conferencing tools, etc.
6. Himachal Pradesh becomes first state to connect all registered commercial vehicles with VLTD
Tags: State News
Himachal Pradesh has become the first state in India to integrate Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) with Emergency Response Support System (ERSS).
Important facts
This system was launched by the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur at Peterhof, Shimla.
All registered commercial vehicles equipped with VLTD will be linked to ERSS.
Through this mechanism, these vehicles can be tracked anywhere in India.
More than 9,423 vehicles have been registered and linked with ERSSS.
Under this mechanism, now both the police and the transport department can monitor the vehicles.
Panic button for safety
The Chief Minister also launched the facility of panic button for the safety of women and children in public vehicles.
Vehicle Location Tracking Device consisting of Emergency Panic Button System and Command Control Centre is integrated with Emergency Response Support System 112.
When this panic button is pressed in times of distress, it will send a signal to 112 via satellite.
Thereafter, the system will connect the person in distress and alert the police.
Importance of the system
This monitoring centre or command control centre will help in easy detection of vehicle thefts and vehicle accidents.
It will be easier to monitor the movement of the vehicle to ensure the safety of women and children.
This innovative initiative will make the roads safer in the states.
7. Karnataka NEP referred 'Pythagoras Theorem' as fake news
Tags: Popular State News
A position paper on National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 by the Government of Karnataka has described Pythagoras' theorem as "fake news".
Important facts
The Pythagorean theorem has been disputed in many international forums. Pythagoras claimed this to be his theory.
The Karnataka NEP mentions a text called the Baudhayana Sulbasutra, in which the specific verse refers to the theorem.
About Pythagoras
Based on evidence, the existence of the Greek philosopher Pythagoras is believed to be around 570–490 BC.
However, it is believed that mysterious elements were present around him, because of the secretive nature of the school/society he founded in Italy.
Relatively little is known about his mathematical achievements, as no evidence exists of his own writing today.
What is Pythagoras Theorem?
The Pythagorean theorem describes the relationship between the three sides of a right triangle (one of which is 90°).
Its Equation is a² + b² = c²
where a and b are the two perpendicular sides, and c is the length of the diagonal side.
If any two sides of a right triangle are known, the theorem helps you calculate the third side.
Reasons why Vedic mathematicians knew this before Pythagoras?
There are several references in the Sulbasutra, which are written by Vedic Indians and refer to the rituals performed during yaganas.
The oldest of these is the Baudhayana Sulbasutra.
The period of Baudhayana Sulbasutra is not certain. It is inferred on the basis of linguistic and other secondary historical considerations.
In more recent literature, the Baudhayana Sulbasutra is taken from around 800 BCE.
There is a statement in the Baudhayana Sulbasutra called the Pythagorean theorem (this was known as a geometric fact, not a 'theorem').
Yagya rituals included the construction of altars (altars) and fire pits (fire) in various shapes such as isosceles triangles, symmetrical trapezia and rectangles.
The Sulabasutras describe the effort towards producing the prescribed shape of these figures.
How did the Knowledge of Equation Evolve?
The earliest evidence is from the Old Babylonian civilization (1900–1600 BC). They referred to this as the diagonal rule.
The earliest evidence comes from the later period of the Sulbasutras.
The oldest surviving axiomatic proof of the theorem is in Euclid's Elements from about 300 BC.
8. Ramayan Masam started in Kerala
Tags: State News
Ramayan Masam is starting from 17th July, 2022 in the state of Kerala.
Important facts
According to the Malayalam calendar, it marks the beginning of Karkidakam, the last month of the year.
During the month of Ramayana, verses from the Ramayana are recited throughout the month at dusk in Hindu homes in Kerala.
This month is considered favourable for Ayurvedic treatment and pilgrimage.
Ramayan Masam will conclude on 16th August.
The place of Tulsi Ramayana in North India is the same as that of the Adhyatma Ramayana 'Kihipant' composed by Eshutachchan in Kerala.
This popular work, composed in the sixteenth century, is recited continuously for a full month in the year in Shravana (Malayalam Karkidakam).
This ritual takes place before Onam, the famous festival of Kerala.
Kerala is also believed to be related to the forest journey of Sri Ramachandra ji.
A famous pilgrim centre in Kerala, the Shabripeeth, located near Pampasar on the way to Sabarimala, attests to the darshan of Rama-Shabari during the exile period. The word 'Mala' is used for a mountain in Malayalam.
9. CM Dhami launches Uttarakhand Police, e-FIR mobile apps
Tags: State News
Recently, e-FIR facility and Uttarakhand Police App have been launched by the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami.
Important facts
All the important apps like Gaura Shakti, Traffic Eye, Public Eye, Meri Yatra and Lakshya Nasha Mukt Uttarakhand have been made available in the Police App, operated by Uttarakhand Police.
The emergency number 112 and the cyber helpline number 1930 available for lodging complaints of cyber financial frauds have also been linked to this.
Through the Uttarakhand Police App, now the general public will be able to report their stolen vehicles and missing documents online from any district of the state through web portal or mobile phone.
About Uttarakhand State
Formation -9 November, 2000
State bordering the state -2 Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh
Countries bordering the state - Nepal, Tibet (China)
Most populated district - Haridwar
Minimum Population District - Rudraprayag
Largest district in terms of area - Chamoli
Smallest district in terms of area - Champawat
Country and state's first engineering college - Roorkee (established in 1847)
The country's and the state's first agricultural university - G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pant Nagar (1960)
No. of Vidhan Sabha Members-71 (70 Elected + 1 Nominated)
Number of Members in Lok Sabha-5
Seats for Rajya Sabha -3
Governor - Gurmeet Singh
Chief Minister - Pushkar Singh Dhami
10. Maharashtra cabinet approves renaming of Aurangabad, Osmanabad cities
Tags: State News
The Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra on July 16 gave cabinet approval to rename the cities of Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.
Important facts
The decision to rename these cities was taken in the cabinet meeting of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government headed by the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
During the cabinet meeting chaired by Thackeray last month, Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhajinagar, but the Shinde government on 16 July added 'Chhatrapati' prefix to it.
The fresh proposal approved by the cabinet will be sent to the center, after which the renaming of both the cities will be done at the divisional, district, taluka, municipal and council levels.
The cabinet also approved the decision to name the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport after farmer leader D. B. Patil.
The Navi Mumbai airport is being developed as a greenfield airport by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) under a public-private partnership.
Important facts about Maharashtra
Establishment - 1st May 1960
Official Language - Marathi
Neighbouring States - Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, Dadra And Nagar Haveli, Chhattisgarh
Members of Parliament - Lok Sabaha 48 (Rajya Sabha seats 19)
Legislature - Bicameral ( Assembly 289 and council 78 seats)
Literacy - 82.91%
Districts - 36
Major Rivers - Tributaries of Tapti, Bhima, Godavari and Krishna
Capital - Mumbai
Population - 11.23 crore (2011 census)
Chief Minister - Eknath Shinde
Governor - Bhagat Singh Koshyari
