1. India’s first Digital Water Bank ‘AQVERIUM’ launched in Bengaluru
Tags: Popular State News
The country’s first Digital Water Bank ‘AQVERIUM’ was launched in Bengaluru on 14 March 2022. It has been launched by new age company AquaKraft Group Ventures.
It is a digital blockchain platform which would convert water conserved by companies and other institutions into water coins.
These coins will be traded like crypto currencies and will have economic value like other digital assets.
2. Kerala High Court to set up an all women bench on International Women's day
Tags: State News
For the first time, Kerala High court has constituted an all-women bench on the International Women's day. This is the first time an all-women judge bench has been set up in the Kerala High Court.
It will hear a review petition filed by the Kerala government on the case relating to the contribution of the Guruvayur Devaswom Fund to the state government’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Justice Anu Sivaraman, Justice V Shircy and Justice M R Anitha are the members of the women’s only full bench.
Important for Exam
The Kerala High Court is a joint High Court of Kerala and the Union Territory of Lakshadweep .
The seat of the High Court is Kochi, Kerala .
Women Judge in India
The first woman judge in India was Anna Chandy, who was born in Travancore, now in Kerala.
She was appointed as a judge in a munsif court in Travancore, Kerala in 1937.
She was appointed as the Kerala High Court Judge in 1959.
The first woman judge of the Supreme court in India was M. Fatima Bibi, also from Kerala. She was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1989.
The first woman Chief Justice of a High Court in India was Leila Seth. She was appointed as the chief Justice of the Himachal High Court in 1991.
3. Andhra Government cannot change the state capital; High Court
Tags: State News
The High Court of Andhra Pradesh has ruled that the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly does not have the power to make any law for shifting, bifurcating or trifurcating the capital. It instructed the government to build the capital of Amravati within six months.
The High court gave its verdict on a bunch of petitions filed by the farmers of Amravati who voluntarily gave up their land for development of Amaravati as the capital of Andhra Pradesh .
The decision to develop Amravati as a capital in and around Guntur and Vijayawada area of Andhra Pradesh was taken by the Telugu Desam Party government led by N. Chandra Babu Naidu after Hyderabad was made the capital of Telangana.
The High court held that the capital city and location of the High court can be set up only under the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Act, 2014 (APCRDA), and the land pooled under the Andhra Pradesh Capital City Land Pooling Scheme Rules, 2015.
Under these laws Amravati is to be the capital of Andhra Pradesh with the seat of the State Legislature and state High Court to be at Amravati.
The Jagan Mohan Reddy government which came into power in 2019 decided to make Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool as the state’s legislative, executive and judicial capitals, respectively.
Important for Exam
Andhra Pradesh reorganisation act 2014 passed by the Parliament divided the state of Andhra Pradesh into two states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
The new State came into being on 2 June 2014.
Hyderabad was to be the common capital of the two states for ten years and after that Hyderabad will come under Telangana .
4. Water Taxi in Mumbai
Tags: State News
The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways & AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal virtually flagged off the Water Taxi for citizens of Mumbai, from Belapur Jetty on 17 February, 2022. Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Mr Udhav Thackeray was also present at the occasion.
The water taxi service will connect the twin cities of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for the first time.
The water taxi services will commence from the Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) at Princess Dock, Mazgaon and will also connect nearby locations at Nerul, Belapur, Elephanta island and JNPT.
This is the first such service in the country.
5. Asia's largest Tribal festival Medharam Jathara starts in Telangana
Tags: State News
The Medaram Jathara festival is held every two years at Medaram Village of Tadvai Mandal in the Mulugu district of Telangana.
It is celebrated by the second largest tribal community of Telangana, Koyas.
It honours the goddess Sammakka and Saralamma.
Devotees come from all over Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states like Orissa, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.
It is the second-largest fair of India, after the Kumbh Mela.
At present, the Jathara festival is biennially celebrated and organised by the Koyas in collaboration with the Tribal Welfare Department, Government of Telangana.
6. Career counselling “Paramarsh 2022” launched in Bikaner
Tags: State News
The Minister of State for Culture & Parliamentary Affairs Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal launched the online career counselling workshop 'Pramarsh 2022' on 15 February 2022 for the students of the Bikaner District region of Rajasthan.
In this workshop one lakh students participated from more than thousands schools of Bikaner district mainly from rural area.
- The Paramarsh 2022 was organised by the The National Institute of Career Services (NICS) which comes under the Union Ministry of Labour & Employment, educational start-up Edumilestones and the Directorate of Education, Rajasthan.
7. Rajasthan to start sand mining
Tags: State News
River sand bed (bajri) mining will start in Rajasthan after it received clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The Supreme Court had on November 16, 2017, restrained 82 large lease holders in the State from carrying out mining of riverbed sand as it affected the river ecosystem.
The Supreme Court in its order banned the sand bed mining until a scientific replenishment study was completed and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest granted the clearance.
After the clearance from the Union Environment ministry, mining will start in almost all riverbeds of the State after the completion of necessary formalities.
River Bed Sands or Bajri
River sand bed is mixed with cement for construction of buildings. River sand is preferred for construction because it requires less processing and has better quality than other sources.
Ecological Problems
Indiscriminate river sand bed mining comes at a huge cost to the river and those living around it.
Excessive sand mining can alter the river bed, force the river to change course, erode banks and lead to flooding.
It also destroys the habitat of aquatic animals and micro-organisms besides affecting groundwater recharge.
Government rules say that the amount of sand which is to be extracted shall be equal to the replenishment level.
Replenishment Rate is the rate at which Bajri is transported into the river channel, which is subjected to sand extraction.
8. Uttar Pradesh selected as the best state tableau of Republic Day parade 2022
Tags: State News
The Government of India has announced the best tableaux and best marching contingents of the Republic Day parade 2022 on 4 February 2022.
A three member panel was appointed by the Government of India to judge the best performing marching contingent and tableaux at the Republic day 2022.
Best tableau among the States/Union Territories
12 States and Union Territories tableau participated in the Republic day parade 2022.
- The Uttar Pradesh tableau based on the theme ‘One District One Product and Kashi Vishwanath Dham’ was declared as the best
- At the second place was Karnataks’s for its tableau based on ‘Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts’.
- The third position went to Meghalaya for its tableau on ‘Meghalaya’s 50 years of Statehood and its tribute to women-led cooperative societies & SHGs’.
Best tableau in the category of Central Ministries/Departments.
Total nine tableaux of Central Ministries/Departments had participated in the parade.
- The tableaux of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Civil Aviation have been declared as joint winners.
- The theme of the tableau of Ministry of Education & Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship was ‘National Education Policy’.
- The theme of the tableau of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’.
Special Prize
The tableaux of the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (CPWD), based on the theme ‘Subhash @125’ and the ‘Vande Bharatam’ dance group have been selected for the special prize category.
Best Marching Contingent
Amongst Armed Forces: Indian Navy marching contingent was adjudged as the best marching contingent.
Central Armed Police Force (CAPF)/other auxiliary forces: Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has been named the best marching contingent.
Popular Choice
For the first time the general public chose the best marching contingents and tableaux. The voting period was open from January 25-31, 2022 at the MyGov platform.
Best tableau among the States/Union Territories
Maharashtra was voted as the best Tableau among the States/UTs in the popular choice category. The tableau of Maharashtra was based on the theme ‘Biodiversity and State Bio-symbols of Maharashtra’.
Best Marching Contingent
Amongst Armed Forces: Indian Air Force was voted as the best marching contingent among the three Services.
Central Armed Police Force (CAPF)/other auxiliary forces: Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) received maximum votes on MyGov as the best marching contingent.
9. Chhattisgarh Government launches RGGB KMNY scheme
Tags: State News
The Bhupesh Baghel led Congress party government in Chhattisgarh has launched ‘Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Bhoomihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana on 3 February 2022 at Raipur.
The scheme was inaugurated by the former Congress party president and Member of Lok Sabha from Wayanad constituency, Kerala, Rahul Gandhi.
- He also laid the foundation stone of the ‘Chhattisgarh Amar Jawan Jyoti’, which has been designed to resemble Delhi’s India Gate and the Amar Jawan Jyoti at the headquarters of the 4th battalion of Chhattisgarh Armed Force at Raipur. It will be an eternal flame as a tribute to the soldiers and security force who embraced martyrdom in the line of duty.
- He also launched the Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club scheme.
- He laid the foundation stone of “Gandhi Sevagram” in the upcoming new capital of Chhattisgarh at Nava Raipur.
Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Bhoomihin Krishi Majdoor Nyay Yojana (RGGB KMNY)
This is a first of its kind scheme in India where around 3.55 lakh families of the landless rural labourers, barbers, blacksmiths, priests, forest produce collectors and shepherds, among others will get the benefit of the scheme.
- This scheme is only for the residents of the state.
Benefits
The Chhaitsgarh government will transfer Rs 6000/year into the bank account of the beneficiaries.
- The amount will be transferred in three installments of Rs 2000 each.
Rajiv Yuva Mitan club
The Rajiv Yuva mitan scheme aims to connect the young people of the state for developing their leadership skills and inculcating social responsibilities in them.
- A total 13,269 such clubs will be formed in urban municipalities/corporations and in panchayats.
- People in the age group of 15 to 40 years will be part of these clubs.
- These clubs will get aid of Rs 1 lakh per year in four installments for various activities.
Nava Raipur Atal Nagar is being developed as a new capital of Chhattisgarh.
10. India’s first Graphene Innovation center to be set up in Kerala
Tags: State News
Kerala’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced that the country’s first Graphene innovation center will be set up at Thrissur, Kerala at the cost of Rs 86.41 crore.
- It is a joint venture of the Kerala government, Government of India and Tata Steel and other private enterprises.
- The Innovation center will be set up jointly by Digital University of Kerala, Pune based Government of India owned Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (C-MET), Tata Steel and other enterprises.
- The Union Government would invest Rs 49.18 crore and the private companies including Tata Steel will invest Rs 11.48 crore while the The Kerala Government will invest in the project by providing land and other basic infrastructure.
Graphene
- Graphene is also called as the wonder material is a one atom thick layer of carbon atom.
- It is the thinnest material known and is 200 times stronger than steel.
- Worldwide research is going on to figure out the application of this material in various products and its properties.
- It has a number of applications ranging from electronic wearable devices, biomedical devices, sensors, fuel cells, semiconductors, liquid-crystal devices (LCDs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), supercapacitors, fuel cells and batteries etc.
