1. PM Modi participates in 'Gujarat Gaurav Abhiyan' at Vadodara
Tags: State News
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of various development projects worth 21,000 crore rupees digitally at Vadodara in Gujarat on 18 June.
This includes a series of railway projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore.
Different developmental projects
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the 357-km New Palanpur-Madar section of the Dedicated Freight Corridor, gauge conversion of the 166-km Ahmedabad-Botad section and electrification of the 81-km Palanpur-Mitha section.
He also laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Surat, Udhna, Somnath and Sabarmati stations along with some other initiatives in the railway sector.
These projects will help reduce logistics costs in the region and give a boost to the industry and agriculture sector.
He also laid the foundation stone of Gujarat Central University at Kundela village in Dabhoi taluka near Vadodara.
He also launched Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana and Poshan Sudha Yojna to further improve maternal and child health in the state.
Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana and Poshan Sudha Yojana
Under “Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana”, pregnant and lactating mothers will be given 2 kg gram, 1 kg tur dal and 1 kg edible oil free of cost every month from Anganwadi centers in Gujarat.
Poshan Sudha Yojana is presently being extended to all tribal beneficiaries in the State.
The scheme provides nutritious food once a day to pregnant and lactating women.
Objectives of the schemes
Helping during the first 1,000 days of a child's life, which is the period from pregnancy to the age of two.
To reduce the number of low birth weight newborns as well as improve infant mortality and maternal mortality.
2. Centre approves Rs.1,043 crores as Disaster Response Fund to Rajasthan and Nagaland
Tags: State News National News
A high-level committee headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 17 approved additional central assistance of Rs 1,043 crore under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to Rajasthan and Nagaland, which were affected by drought during 2021-22.
The committee approved additional central assistance of ₹ 1,043.23 crore, of which ₹ 1,003.95 crore would be received by Rajasthan and ₹ 39.28 crore for Nagaland.
During the financial year 2021-22, the central government has released Rs 17,747.20 crore to 28 states in their SDRF and Rs 7,342.30 crore from NDRF to 11 states.
National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)
It is a fund managed by the Central Government.
It is used to meet the expenses of emergency response, relief and rehabilitation for any disaster situation.
It was earlier called National Disaster Contingency Fund (NCCF).
In 2005, the Disaster Management Act was enacted and its name was changed to National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
NDRF was established in accordance with Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
In June 2020, the Finance Ministry approved a proposal to allow individuals and institutions to contribute directly to the NDRF.
State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF)
It has been constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
It was constituted on the recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission.
It is the primary fund available with the State Governments to meet the expenditure for providing immediate relief for the response to notified disasters.
The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF allocation for general category States and Union Territories.
The Centre contributes 90% for special category States and Union Territories (northeastern States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir).
Disaster covered under SDRF are Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves.
3. YSR Yantra Seva Scheme launched by Andhra Pradesh
Tags: Government Schemes State News
YSR Yantra Seva Scheme has been launched by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
About the Scheme
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy started this scheme from the village of Chuttugunta.
Under this scheme, tractors and combine harvesters will be provided to the farmers at low rates.
The total cost of this scheme is 2016 crores.
The government will give a 40 percent subsidy on all machinery and loans will also be provided to the farmers.
Apart from this, it was also decided by the state government to set up custom hiring centres in the entire state.
In this program, an amount of Rs 175 crore was sent to the accounts of 5260 farmers under the Ritu Bharosa scheme.
The Andhra Pradesh government aims to set up a total of 10,750 YSR Yantra Seva Kendras (CHCs).
About Andhra Pradesh State
Historically, Andhra Pradesh has been called the "Rice Bowl of India".
Andhra Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956.
Kuchipudi is the most famous classical dance form of the state.
Capital- Amravati
Official language - Telugu
Governor- Biswa Bhushan Harichandan
Chief Minister- Jagan Mohan Reddy (Congress)
Legislative Assembly seats- 176
Rajya Sabha Seats - 11
Lok Sabha seats - 25
4. India's first road constructed from steel slag inaugurated in Surat
Tags: State News National News
Union Steel Minister Ram Chandra Prasad Singh on June 15 inaugurated the first 6-lane highway built using steel slag in Gujarat's Surat city to connect the port with the city.
The road, built using 100 percent steel-processed slag, is a true example of "converting waste into wealth" and improving the sustainability of steel plants.
The Minister emphasized the need to promote circular economy and resource efficiency by converting all waste into money.
Promoting a circular economy is the need of the hour as all types of natural resources are getting depleted in the world.
The use of such material in road construction will not only increase the durability but will also help in reducing the cost of construction as the slag-based material has better properties.
The production of steel slag through various processes in India is expected to increase by 2030.
What is a steel slag road?
The slag is generated from a steel furnace burning at around 1,500-1,600 degree centigrade in the form of molten flux material as an impurity.
The molten material is then poured into slag pits for cooling as per the optimized process and further processed to develop stable steel slag aggregates.
It is a substitute for natural aggregates commonly used in road construction with better physical properties.
What is a circular economy?
In the current economy, products are made from materials taken from the earth, and they are finally thrown away as waste.
In a circular economy, by contrast, we first stop producing waste.
In such an economy, all kinds of waste such as clothing, scrap metals and obsolete electronics are returned to the economy or used more efficiently.
The circular economy is based on three principles-
Eliminate waste and pollution
Circulating products and materials (at their highest value)
Nature of regenerate
5. President lays foundation stone for new Raj Bhavan in Goa
Tags: State News
President Ram Nath Kovind on 15 June laid the foundation stone of the New Raj Bhavan building in Dona Paula, Goa near the capital Panaji.
The construction of the existing building began in the 16th century, which became the Governor's House at the end of the 19th century.
The new building is being constructed in the premises of the existing Governor's House, which was constructed during the then Portuguese rule.
While constructing the new building, care will be taken to reduce the impact of climate change by taking steps like rainwater harvesting.
The new building is inspired by Rashtrapati Bhavan, other Raj Bhavans and Goa architecture.
Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and other leaders were present on this occasion.
About Goa
Capital - Panaji
Established - 30 May 1987
District - two
Official language - Konkani
High Court - Bombay High Court bench in Panaji
Governor - P S Sreedharan Pillai
Chief Minister - Dr Pramod Sawant
6. Cabinet approves development of new Dholera greenfield airport in Gujarat
Tags: State News
On June 14, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the proposal for phase 1 development of the new greenfield airport at Dholera, Gujarat.
Estimated cost of the project is Rs 1305 crore and will be completed by 2025-26.
The project is being implemented by Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL).
DIACL is a Joint Venture Company comprising Airports Authority of India (AAI), Government of Gujarat (GoG) and National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) holding equity in the ratio of 51:33:16.
About Dholera Airport
It is situated at a distance of 80 Km from Ahmedabad Airport.
It is being constructed to facilitate passenger and cargo traffic from the Dholera Special Investment Zone (DSIR), which is expected to make the industrial area a major cargo hub.
The airport will serve as a second airport to Ahmedabad.
The initial passenger traffic is estimated to be three lakh passengers per year, which is expected to increase to 23 lakh over a period of 20 years.
Annual cargo traffic of 20,000 tonnes is also projected from the year 2025-26, which will increase to 2.73 lakh tonnes over a period of 20 years.
What is Greenfield Airport?
The Government of India has formulated the Greenfield Airport Policy, 2008.
This policy provides the existing guidelines for the development of greenfield airports in the country.
The term 'Greenfield' is derived from software engineering.
It refers to a project that is not hindered by prior work.
Such airports are constructed to meet the anticipated requirements of the existing airport traffic.
At present, there are 29 international airports in India. With the establishment of nine greenfield airports, the total number will reach 38.
7. Suraksha-Mitra project launched in Kerala
Tags: State News
Kerala State Transport Ministry has launched a vehicle monitoring system named 'Suraksha-Mitra Project'.
What is the Suraksha-mitra Project?
Suraksha-Mitra Project is a vehicle monitoring system.
It sends distress messages in case of any mishap.
The system will send a distress message to the mobile phones of the owners in case of any untoward incident during the journey.
The Motor Vehicles Department has started this project under the Nirbhaya scheme.
How the system will work?
A Vehicle Location Tracking Device (VLTD) will be fitted with the vehicles.
If the vehicle is involved in an accident or if the driver over-speeds the vehicle, the owners will receive an SMS alert from VLTD.
Alerts will be sent instantly through SMS and E-mail to the relevant number and email ID provided by the owners during the installation of the device.
About Kerala State
Kerala is located at the south-west end of India. Travancore-Cochin state was formed on July 1, 1949 by merging the princely states of Travancore and Cochin.
Under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the state of Kerala was formed on 1 November 1956 by joining Travancore-Cochin and Malabar.
Kerala was known as Aranyaka in ancient times.
It is the world's first Baby Friendly State recognized by UNICEF and World Health Organisation (WHO).
Kerala is also known as 'God's own home'.
Kerala accounts for 98% of the country's black pepper production. The rubber sector in Kerala is 83% of the country. There are plantations of tea, coffee, rubber, cardamom and spices here.
Lake - Vembanad, Ashtamudi
Festival - Onam is celebrated at the time of harvesting.
Folk Dance - Kathakali
Major tribes - Adyan, Irrawalan, Kamar, Kurman
Capital - Thiruvananthapuram
Sex Ratio -1084 (State with Highest Sex Ratio)
Literacy -93.91% (Most literate state)
8. Bikram Keshari Arukh elected Speaker of Odisha Assembly
Tags: State News
Bikram Keshari Arukh, a six-time MLA of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), has been elected unopposed as the Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
He has been elected as the 21st Speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly.
Arukha replaces 'SN Patro', who resigned from the post of Speaker of the Assembly due to health reasons.
MLA Bikram Keshari Arukha was earlier serving as the Chief Whip of the government.
Arukha is a continuous MLA from Bhanjnagar since the year 1995.
About Odisha State
The modern state of Odisha was established as a state in India on 1 April 1936 at the Kanika Palace in Cuttack.
April 1 is celebrated as Utkal Divas (Odisha Day) in the state.
Hirakud Dam, located near Sambalpur in Odisha, is the longest earthen dam in the world.
Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar are the most popular tourist destinations in the state which is called the Golden Triangle of Eastern India.
Odisha is ahead of all the states of India in the production of Chromite, Manganese Ore and Dolomite.
Capital- Bhubaneshwar
Governor- Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister- Naveen Patnaik
Legislative Assembly seats- 147
Rajya Sabha Seats- 10
Lok Sabha seats - 20
9. J&K at the Top of all Union Territories in the delivery of e-Governance services
Tags: National State News
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh releases the e-governance service delivery assessment (NeSDA) 2021 Report.
Jammu and Kashmir has topped among all the Union territories in e-Governance services delivery.
J&K has managed to save around Rs 200 crore annually which was earlier spent on transportation of files.
According to the report, Kerala had the highest overall compliance score amongst all the States and UTs.
Meghalaya and Nagaland are the major state portals among the northeastern and hill states with an overall compliance of more than 90 per cent in all assessment parameters.
Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh had nearly 90 per cent compliance.
Among the central ministries, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Rural Development, Education, Environment, Forest and Climate Change are the major ministry portals with an overall compliance of over 80% in all assessment parameters.
The Home Ministry portal had the highest overall compliance score.
About National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA)
It was constituted in 2019 by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG).
It is a biennial study.
It assesses effectiveness of e-Governance service delivery of states, union Territories (UTs) and Central Ministries.
Criteria of NeSDA
Finance, Labour & Employment, Education, Local Governance & Utility Services, Social Welfare, Environment and Tourism sectors.
The evaluation covered 56 essential services for each of the states and union territories and 27 services for the central ministries.
10. e-Vidhan system in Uttar Pradesh
Tags: State News National News
A delegation of MLAs from Gujarat visited the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on 9th June to learn about the e-Vidhan system for paperless proceedings which has been recently adopted by the UP State Legislative Assembly.
Uttar Pradesh is one of the few state legislatures in India to have implemented the digital assembly system, and its last session was fully digitised.
Earlier in May, a training program was organized to familiarize the delegates with the technology.
What is the E-Vidhan System?
The E-Vidhan System is also called The National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA).
It is a system to digitize the legislative bodies of all the Indian states and Parliament through a single platform.
It consists of a website and a mobile app.
House proceedings, starred/unstarred questions and answers, committee reports etc. will be available on the portal.
By 2023, the proceedings of all the Legislative Assemblies, both the Houses of Parliament and the State Assemblies and Legislative Councils will be available on a single platform.
Other states that implemented this system
Nagaland became the first state to implement NeVA, in March 2022.
The Legislative Assembly of Himachal Pradesh implemented the pilot project of NeVA in 2014.
Although both the houses of Parliament are not fully digital yet, governments across the world are moving towards adopting digital mode.
In December 2021, the Government of Dubai became the world’s first government to go 100 percent paperless.
Significance
There has been a significant shift towards digitization by the government in recent years.
NeVA aims to streamline the information related to various state legislatures and eliminate the use of paper in day to day functioning.
The idea of "one nation one legislative platform" was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021.
A digital platform provides the necessary technological boost to our parliamentary system and at the same time connects all the democratic units of the country.
