1. 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.
2. 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)
3. 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
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. A biodiversity park to highlight importance of Tamil Nadu’s Sirumalai Hills
Tags: State News
The Government of Tamil Nadu is developing a Biodiversity Park in the Sirumalai Hill Range in Dindigul District.
Its main objective is to create awareness for sustainable management of ecologically sensitive areas.
The park is a nature preserve that shelters the region's natural heritage and has educational and cultural value, as well as enhances the quality of the environment.
Various biodiversity components such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians etc. are found here.
Various types of flowering plants have been planted around the park and necessary irrigation facilities have been provided.
Combinations of pollinating plants have also been planned to attract butterflies and host plants.
About Sirumalai Hill
This hill is spread over an area of 60,000 acres in Dindigul district. They are situated at a height of 400 to 1,650 metres above sea level, at a distance of about 25 km from Dindigul city.
Highly disturbed scrub forests are found in the lower hill ranges, while tropical mixed dry deciduous forests are found in the middle hill ranges and semi-evergreen forests are found in the higher hill ranges. Many rare and endemic plant species are found in this mountain range.
Gaur, leopard, spotted deer, mouse deer, jackal, sloth bear, wild boar, Indian pangolin and many species of reptiles are found in this area.
What is Biodiversity Park
A Biodiversity Park is a unique forest landscape that establishes an ecological assemblage of native plant and wildlife species as biotic communities in an area. This park is a nature reserve area that preserves natural heritage.
7. Amit Shah chairs the Western Zonal Council in Diu
Tags: Popular State News
Union Home and Co-operation Minister Amit Shah chaired the Western Zonal Council meeting at Diu on 11 June.
Various issues related to border, security, infrastructure, transport and industries in western states were discussed in the meeting.
About zonal council
In 1956 first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru give the idea of creation of Zonal Councils.
In the light of Pandit Nehru's vision, five Zonal Councils were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.
These are is as under-
The Northern Zonal Council - States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh are included.
The Central Zonal Council - States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are included.
The Eastern Zonal Council - States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Sikkim and West Bengal are included.
The Western Zonal Council - States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli are included.
The Southern Zonal Council - States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry are included.
A Standing Committee is constituted by each Zonal Council consisting of the Chief Secretaries of their respective Zonal Councils of the Member States.
These Standing Committees meet from time to time to resolve the issues.
Chairman - The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils
Objectives of the Zonal Councils
National integration
Enabling Centre and States to collaborate and exchange ideas and experiences
Stopping the growth of regionalism, linguism and specific tendencies
To establish an environment of cooperation among the states for successful and speedy execution of development projects
8. President Kovind visits Atal Tunnel Rohtang
Tags: State News
President Ram Nath Kovind on 11 June visited Atal Tunnel Rohtang (ATR) which connects Kullu and Lahul Spiti districts on the second and final day of his visit to Himachal Pradesh.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur welcomed him by presenting him with a Thanka painting.
Governor Rajendra Arlekar also present on the occasion.
About Atal Tunnel
The 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel globally and connects Manali with Lahaul-Spiti Valley throughout the year.
It provides a strategic advantage to the armed forces by providing an alternate link to the crucial Ladakh region.
It has also been a boon to the residents of Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh.
This tunnel, built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020.
It is equipped with a semi-transverse ventilation system, where large fans circulate air separately throughout the tunnel.
An emergency tunnel has been integrated into the tunnel cross-section under the main carriageway for evacuation during emergencies.
Fire inside the tunnel will be controlled within an area of 200 metres and fire hydrants will be provided at specific locations throughout the tunnel.
Pollution sensors continuously monitor the air quality in the tunnel and if the air quality in the tunnel is below the desired level, fresh air is injected into the tunnel through two heavy fins on each side of the tunnel.
9. Conflict between tribal and government over sale of tendu leaves
Tags: State News
In Chhattisgarh, the situation of controversy has started deepening these days over the sale of tendu patta i.e. Diospyros melanoxylon.
People of more than 50 villages in two districts have decided to sell tendu patta on their own.
Due to which the dispute between the tribal-dominated village and the forest department of Chhattisgarh government has started gaining momentum.
The state government says that tendu leaves have been nationalised, so only the government can sell them.
On the other hand, tendu patta collectors are referring to the Forest Rights Act and the 2013 Supreme Court judgement in the famous Niyamgiri case.
Tendu Patta collectors are preparing to register an FIR accusing forest department officials of committing excesses, illegal acts.
What are Tendu Leaves?
Leaves of Tendu tree are used as wrappers of tobacco to produce bidi.
Due to its wide availability, this leaf is considered as the most suitable cover.
Tendu is also known as 'Green Gold' and is a major minor forest produce in India.
Trade of Tendu leaves
In 1964, the trade of tendu leaves was nationalized in undivided Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, people were free to sell Tendu leaves in the market across the country.
This was followed by Maharashtra in 1969, Andhra Pradesh in 1971, Odisha in 1973, Gujarat in 1979, Rajasthan in 1974 and Chhattisgarh in 2000.
Under this arrangement, the forest department of the state gets the tendu leaves collected, gives the permission for transportation and also sells them to the traders.
Cause of dispute
The dispute is about who has the right to sell the leaves.
State governments claim they can sell due to nationalization.
Tendu leaf collectors, on the other hand, refer to the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and the 2013 Supreme Court judgement in the Niyamgiri case to say that private collectors can sell them on their own.
Tendupatta collectors allege that the government gives them a lower price for the leaves, while they get a higher price in the open market.
10. Ukraine war hits Surat’s diamond industry hard
Tags: State News National News
The diamond business of Surat has been badly affected due to the Russia-Ukraine war. The city is known for the cutting and polishing of diamonds, but the war has severely affected the supply chain of rough diamonds.
The big diamond factories in Surat have reduced the working days of the week and the small industries have stopped working for a while.
Diamond labourers have appealed to the Chief Minister of Gujarat for financial assistance.
In Mumbai and Surat, a large part of the diamond that comes as a raw material is imported from Russia, but the entire supply chain has been broken due to US sanctions.
Russian diamonds are generally smaller, accounting for 40 per cent of India's diamond trade by volume and about 30 per cent by value.
Its business worth $1800 million has been affected by the war with Ukraine.
Important facts about Diamond
Diamonds are a solid form of elemental carbon whose atoms are arranged in a crystal structure called a diamond cubic.
The diamond is the hardest material on Earth.
According to the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) in India, the diamond resources are concentrated only in three states, Madhya Pradesh has 90.17 percent, followed by Andhra Pradesh has 5.73 percent and Chhattisgarh 4.10 percent.
Russia and Botswana have the largest diamond reserves in the world.
India is known for its diamond cutting and polishing business, especially for small size diamonds.
Most of the world's diamond cutting and polishing business takes place in India, especially in Surat, Gujarat.
Diamonds are used in ornaments, grinding, drilling, cutting, and polishing tools.
