1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. West Bengal government blocks Governor’s Twitter account
Tags: State News
In an unprecedented move, the Chief Minister of West Bengal Ms Mamta Bannerjee has blocked the Twitter account of the state governor Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar on 31 January 2022.
- She accused the Governor of running a campaign against her government and was instructing the state government officials through twitter to work on his instructions.
- West Bengal governor who has been appointed by the Central government was earlier a BJP member.
- Since his appointment as the governor of West Bengal his relationship with the Mamata Bannerjee government has not been good.
6. Andhra Pradesh announces creation of 13 new Districts
Tags: State News
The Andhra Pradesh government announced the creation of 13 new districts in Andhra Pradesh on the Republic day. This was announced by the state Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan in his republic day speech at Vijayawada.
The new districts will come into being on the Telugu new year Ugadi. The total number of districts in the state will be 26.
7. A new under-bridge in Gujarat’s Rajkot named after Gen Bipin Rawat
Tags: State News
A new under-bridge in Gujarat’s Rajkot was named after General Bipin Rawat to honour the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff who died in a chopper crash in December
- The underbridge located at the Laxmi Nagar area was virtually inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Gujarat Bhupendra Patel on 24th January 2022.
- The bridge which will be known as CDS General Bipin Rawat Bridge was built at a cost of Rs 48 crore.
General Rawat died on December 8 when his military helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu. All 14 onboard, including the general’s wife, perished in the incident.
8. BSF to launch boat ambulance service in Odisha
Tags: State News
On the occasion of the Republic day,the Border Security Force (BSF) will launch a boat ambulance service in the Malkangiri district of Odisha tomorrow.
Border Security Forces are deployed in the naxal-hit Malkangiri district of Odisha for anti-naxal operations . This service is a part of the BSF initiative to strengthen developmental activities in the naxal hit area of the state.
9. Environment Ministry notice to Telangana on Dindi lift irrigation project
Tags: State News
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has recently issued a show cause notice to the Telangana government seeking explanation on the execution of the Sri Ramaraju Vidyasagar Rao Dindi lift irrigation project without taking appropriate environmental clearance from the ministry.
- This was done by the Ministry after the Andhra Pradesh government lodged a complaint with the National Green Tribunal.
- Dindi is a tributary of River Krishna and the Dindi lift irrigation project is located in Nalgonda, Telangana.
- It was aimed to lift 30 tmcft (one thousand million cubic feet) water from the reservoir of Palamuru Rangareddy at Vattem to provide drinking water to fluorosis affected villages of Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, and Khammam areas and to irrigate about 3.40 lakh acres.
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)
- Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was introduced in India in 1976-77 with respect to river development projects.
- Developmental activities like building of dams, power plants, setting up of Industries etc has a negative impact on the environment. To assess the damage done to the environment EIA was introduced.
- On 27 January 1994 the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest ,under the Environment (Protection) act 1986 promulgated an EIA notification making environment clearance mandatory for any projects mentioned in schedule I category A from the ministry. There are around 30 projects which need Environment Clearance form the Union Ministry after the EIA has been done .
- Andhra Pradesh complained that Telangana government has not sought environment clearance from the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment for river projects under schedule 1 .
- The projects mentioned in category B are to be cleared by the state government.
10. Jammu & Kashmir the first Union Territory in the country to have District Good Governance Index
Tags: State News
The Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah virtually released India’s First “District Good Governance Index” for 20 Districts of UT of Jammu and Kashmir, prepared by the Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, in the presence of the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha at Convention Centre Jammu.
- This is in pursuance of the announcements made in the “Behtar e-Hukumat – Kashmir Aelamia” resolution adopted on July 2, 2021, in the Regional Conference on Replication of Good Governance Practices held at Srinagar.
- The National Good Governance Index 2021 indicated that Jammu and Kashmir had registered an increase of 3.7 percent in Good Governance Indicators over the 2019 to 2021 period with noticeable improvements in Commerce and Industry, Agriculture, and Allied Sectors, Public Infrastructure & Utilities, Judiciary, and Public Safety Sectors.
- The District Good Governance Index has helped identify the impact of various governance interventions at the district level and provide a futuristic roadmap for improving district-level governance with targeted interventions.
The Sectors covered are-
- Agriculture and Allied Sector – Universal coverage has been achieved in the Kisan Credit Card scheme, Soil Health Card Scheme, and Animal Vaccination.
- Commerce and Industry Sector – There is a 109 percent increase in credit to handicrafts in the 2019-2021 period.
- Human Resources Development Sector – In almost 10 districts 100 percent of skill training have been imparted to registered students.
- Public Health Sector – Full Immunization represents a significant success story,
- Public Infrastructure and Utilities Sector – Ganderbal and Srinagar achieved 100 percent access to safe drinking water, 18 districts achieved 100 percent access to sanitation facilities.
- Social Welfare and Development Sector – 80 percent Aadhar seeding of ration cards represents a major milestone.
- Financial Inclusion Sector – Financial inclusion under Jan Dhan Yojana has achieved universal coverage.
- Judicial and Public Safety Sector- Disposal of court cases has gone up significantly.
- Citizen-Centric Governance Sector – Almost 100 percent progress in grievance redressal.
Highlights-
- The Jammu district has topped the composite ranking, followed by Doda and Samba districts of the Jammu Division.
- Srinagar district has come at the fifth position
- There is very marginal difference among the 20 districts in their composite score, showing all-round development in the UT
- Jammu district ranked best on the ‘Commerce and Industry sector, while Srinagar district ranked best on the ‘Public Infrastructure and Utilities’ sector.
- Kishtwar topped in ‘Agriculture and Allied Sector’, Pulwama topped in ‘Human Resource Development', Reasi topped in ‘Public Health’, Ramban topped in ‘Social Welfare and Development’, and Ganderbal topped in the ‘Financial Inclusion’ sector.
