Even as India is inching closer to covering almost half of its adult population with at least the first dose of Covid vaccines, theCentreis concerned about the low uptake of jabs among women, particularly in states likeUttarPradesh,Biharand Madhya Pradesh. Overall, about 46% of total 52.2 crore doses administered so far have been given to women.

At present, the gap between the coverage among male and females is about 7-8%. This is slightly on the higher side given that there is not much difference in the overall adult male and female Population ratio. The gap in immunisation coverage between the two genders should not be more than 2-3%.

The current gender distortion is also more significant among elderly population than in younger females.

Cabinet nod to internship for foreign med graduates

The state cabinet approved the government’s proposal to facilitate internship for sevenforeign graduatesat its medical colleges after their registration with theBihar Medical Council.

Cabinet secretariat department additional chief secretary S Siddharth said the step was taken on the directions of the National Medical Commission (NMC). The proposal had been moved by the Health department.
The cabinet also gave its nod to the framing of Bihar Law Officer (Commitment) Rules, 2023. It has bearing on the commitment, salary, duty and other conditions related to the functioning of law officers.

The cabinet also gave its nod to the framing of Bihar Law Officer (Commitment) Rules, 2023. It has bearing on the commitment, salary, duty and other conditions related to the functioning of law officers.

PMGSY budget in state made without planning

The budget estimation for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) inBiharfor the year 2020-21 was prepared without any planning, observed the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), maintaining that the exercise was highly unrealistic and inaccurate.
National Quality Monitoring (NQM) found that 1,029 road and bridge projects were in the category of unsatisfactory during a period of five years till 2020-21.

There was a difference of Rs 1,579.58 crore in and Rs 3,183.63 crore in Revenue Expenditure between Bihar Rural Development Agency (BRRDA) and detailed appropriation accounts of government of Bihar, the CAG said.

For 278 PMGSY projects and 11,938Mukhya Mantri Gram Sampark Yojana(MMGSY) projects completed between 2006-07 and 2021-22, Rs 83.44 crore and Rs 1,561.52 crore, respectively, were not paid to the contractors even after the work was physically complete with the department having sufficient funds available, it said.

Despite repeated attempts, rural works department ministerJayant Rajcould not be reached for comments on the report. The PMGSY is a central scheme to provide all-weather connectivity roads to rural areas. Bihar launched the MMGSY in 2013 to connect rural areas with a Population of more than 250.

Bihar: IMA members adopt villages for awareness about immunisation

Doctors under the aegis ofIndian Medical Association(IMA) state branch has come forward to boost the ongoing immunisation drive against the Covid pandemic by adopting villages, mobilise people of 18 years and above and also make them aware of Covid appropriate behaviour for saving the humanity.

As many villagers wanted to get the Vaccines in the village itself, the IMA in association with the District Administration concerned would hold special immunisation camps at the panchayat bhavans or any other government premise very soon.

Comprehensive policy soon to minimise pollution in state

TheBiharStatePollutionControl Board (BSPCB) organized an event atGyan Bhawanhere on the occasion ofWorld Environment Day.

State environment, forest and https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change minister Tej Pratap and Arvind Kumar Choudhary, principal secretary of the department, were the chief guest and special guest of the event, respectively.

The final round of the quiz competition was held at Gyan Bhawan on Monday. The winners were awarded prizes at the event.

All efforts are being made for the conservation and promotion of the environment in the state. Peoples cooperation is needed to take the mission to the next level, Tej Pratap said.
He urged the audience to plant at least one sapling and avoid single-use plastic.

Increase milk and fish production in Bihar: Nitish kumar

CM Nitish Kumar asked the officials to work in mission mode to achieve the targets fixed under different development schemes.

Presiding over the 8th governing body meeting of the Bihar Vikas Mission (BVM) through videoconferencing, Nitish also called for taking all necessary steps to increase the milk processing capacity in the state.

The CM asked them to fast increase the number of Women milk Cooperative Societies in order to enhance milk production in the state. Work for improving the breed of cows through artificial insemination while keeping in mind the states Climate. Another aim is to improve the breed of indigenous cows, Nitish told the officials and asked them to work for the improvement of facilities at different gaushalas.

Nitish Kumar opens Bihars 2nd ethanol unit at Motipur in Muzaffarpur

Chief ministerNitish Kumar inaugurated Bihars second ethanol plant at Motipur in Muzaffarpur district. The plant has the capacity to produce 110 kilolitre of ethanol per day from maize. It has been developed with an expenditure of Rs 152 crore. The plant is expected to provide EMPLOYMENT to at least 700 people.

Nitish had inaugurated Indias first ethanol plant at Purnia in May last year. Altogether 17 ethanol-producing units have been approved in Bihar, including one in Purnia with a capacity of 65,000 litre per day.

Bihar government had launched Ethanol Production Promotion Policy in March 2021, making it the first state in the country to have its own ethanol promotion policy under National Policy of Biofuels, 2018. The state ethanol policy has allowed extraction of ethanol from surplus quantities of maize, which was earlier limited only to sugar cane.

Rajgir, Bodh Gaya set to be green energy towns

Rajgir and Bodh Gaya, important tourist hubs, are set to become the country s first fully green energy efficient towns, as Bihar vies with Delhi, Goa and Odisha to supply 24×7 clean power round the year through the first of its kind hybrid model.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a central government Psu, which will develop the system in Andhra Pradesh, has agreed in principle to Bihars proposal to feed clean power to the two towns and some important government installations in Patna, including the Raj Bhawan, chief ministers house, Legislative Assembly, MLA quarters, Patna High Court, Gyan Bhawan, Bihar museum and the Vidyut Bhawan.

The state pays an annualised Average power purchase at the cost of 4.90 to 4.96 per unit, with thermal power contributing to 78% of the states power share.

The Centre has also waived off the 1 per unit interstate transmission charges to encourage renewal energy projects commissioned by June 2023. It will also bear the transmission and distribution loss, which is generally up to 2%, in ferrying power from the south Indian state.

The SECI had floated the tender last year, inviting stakeholders to avail of green power round the clock through renewable energy. Bihar showed interest in February, this year.

What is delaying the SECI nod, said officials, was Bihars insistence on customised power supply 160 MW solar and 39.93 MW hydel as against the SECI formula to give 37.5 MW through hydel pump storage plant in a 200 MW renewable energy hybrid package.

New Buddhist pilgrimage site consecrated in Gaya

The Gayasisha hill, also known as Brahmayoni hill (south of theGayatown), has been developed has the new Buddhist pilgrimage site.

The place where Buddha delivered Adittapariyaya Sutta (fire sermon) was consecrated by the 12th Goshir Gyaltsab Rinpoche on Sunday. The new site, which includes a fire sermon stupa, has now been opened for the visit by Buddhists and other devotees.

The project has got support from Buddhist spiritual leaders from different countries including Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia and Hongkong.

Bihars second tiger reserve in Kaimur soon: Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey

Union minister of state for Environment, forests and https://exam.pscnotes.com/Climate-change”>Climate Change Ashwini KumarChoubey said thesecond tiger reserve in Biharwould be set up inKaimur.

He said a proposal in this regard was being finalised and deliberations on it were held at the meeting of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The state forest department had first spotted a tiger through camera traps in Kaimur wildlife sanctuary on March 26, 2020.

Till now, tiger spotting in Bihar has been confined to either VTR in West Champaran or Patna zoo. VTR, the lone tiger reserve in Bihar, has a good number of 31 tigers as per the last tiger census.