HIMACHAL PRADESH

The Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences has retained its number one position in the country for citation impact in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), worlds higher institution ranking agency for Asia, released today.

The 12-year old university has also improved its overall Asia ranking from 291-300 last year to 271-280 slot this year. Among over 9,000 universities in the country, Shoolini University was ranked 38th last year, and it has improved its position to 35 this year. Among all private universities in the country, the university has been ranked eighth in the country.

The rankings are done on the basis of a wide criteria, including academic reputation, staff-student ratio, papers per faculty, citation impact, international research Network, international staff and exchange students.

The state will get four more hydroelectric projects, which will produce 281 million units power annually.

The financial assistance agreement for the construction of these projects Sai Kothi-I (15 MW), Sai Kothi-II (18 MW), Devi Kothi (16 MW) and Hail (18 MW) in the Tissa region of Chamba was signed today in New Delhi between the Union Government and KfW , Germany.

Thakur said these projects would be executed by the HPSEBL under the Hydropower in the Himalaya programme. He said the state would soon emerge as the clean power state as the government was laying more emphasis on its development.

Addressing the 33rd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the SJVN here, he said the earning per share had increased from Rs 3.96 in 2019-20 to Rs 4.16 in 2020-21 and a dividend of Rs 2.20 per share had been declared for 2020-21, including the interim dividend of Rs 1.80 per share that was paid in February 2021.

In spite of Covid-19, the performance of the SJVN on the operational front was historic and 9,224 million units of electricity was generated from five power stations against the designated energy of 8,700 million units, he said.

In a surprise move, Ram Subhag Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, and Transport, was on Thursday appointed Chief Secretary, replacing Anil Khachi, who has been appointed the State Election Commissioner.

Khachi still had two years for his retirement.Khachi, a 1986-batch Ias officer had been appointed to the top post on December 31,2019 following the superannuation of Shrikant Baldi.

Ram Subhag, a 1987 batch IAS officer is the seniormost officer after Khachi.

The Himachal Pradesh government has intensified its efforts to secure its legitimate rights over the Union Territory of Chandigarh, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said.

The Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, clearly mentions Himachal Pradeshs entitlement to its share of 7.19 percent in Chandigarh but the state has been deprived of this right since the very beginning, Sukhu said in a statement and called it a grave injustice to the people of Himachal.

Now, the Himachal Pradesh government is raising its voice on all appropriate platforms to secure its legitimate rights, including the entitlement of a 7.19 percent share in Chandigarh, he added.Sukhu mentioned that a Cabinet sub-committee has been formed to look into all aspects of the issue and file a report.

The will decide its course of action after taking into consideration the findings and recommendations of the report, the chief minister said. He added that the state government is exploring all Options to recover its power share arrears as well.

The state has also demanded to raise its power share in all BBMB projects in Himachal Pradesh as the states Resources“>Natural Resources are being used to generate electricity.The chief minister said the current distribution from BBMB power projects allocates 51.8 percent to Punjab, 37.51 percent to Haryana and 7.19 percent to Himachal Pradesh.

To ensure effective implementation of ban on single-use plastics from July 1,Himachal Pradeshadditional chief secretary PrabodhSaxenahas directed various departments and deputy commissioners to ensure effective steps.

He said manufacturing, transport, storage, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastic items such as plastic stick earbuds, plastic sticks for balloons, ice cream sticks, candy sticks, plastic flags, polystyrene (thermocol) used in decoration, cutlery, plates, cups, knives, trays, glasses, forks, straws, etc would be prohibited.

Himachal Pradesh, a Himalayan state with dense temperate and alpine forest reserve and rich environmental heritage, has undergone tremendous infrastructural change over the years with influx of tourists and construction projects in the name of development. All these activities have had or will have negative consequences, disturbing the natural homeostatic balance of the Environment beyond its re-entering capacity.

There has been rapid contractions inglaciersurface area, and on the other hand, expansions in over the past few decades. Since these are tell-tale signs of a looming disaster in the coming years, a watchful eye, sustainable and planned Infrastructure development is the need of the hour.

Since Himachal is a green-fuel (Hydro Power) surplus state, there is certainly no need for arresting large rivers as planned for the Chandra and the Bhaga in Lahaul-Spiti district. The recent Chamoli disaster in Uttarakhand should serve as a warning for undertaking such ambitious but highly unsustainable developments. High-rise constructions in a highly earthquake prone area of Zone-V are an invitation to mass annihilation any day, a making of pre-planned bomb.

Himachal has to focus on imbibing all possible Sustainable Development practices towards economy“>Green Economy. The level of environmental awareness needs to be raised along with drafting of new legislations to support the environment. Eco village is an emerging concept in the hill state. It focuses on treating village life being in absolute sync with nature by developing low impact lifestyles that reduce the Ecological Footprint by as much as 50% of the base assessment from launch of the scheme.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ashish Butail said the government was preparing a special plan on solid Waste Management to make urban and rural areas garbage free.

At an event organised by the Municipal Council for the distribution of approval letters to the beneficiaries under the PM Awas Yojana (Urban) here, he said the cities were expanding but due to lack of suitable disposal places, heaps of waste were getting accumulated, creating pollution.

Butail underlined the need to increase income Resources of the local urban bodies in meeting their expenses. He distributed approval letters to 30 beneficiaries under the PM Awas Yojana.

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur exhorted elected representatives of Institutions (PRIs) to come forward to help in timely shifting of Covid patients under Home isolation to hospital.

The Chief Minister urged the elected representatives to keep a strict vigil during the current marriage season as it has been found that at many times, the people flout the SoPs issued by the government in this regard. He urged them to motivate people to conduct marriages at homes without people from outside as this would go a long way in helping to check the spread of this pandemic.

Thakur said that the PRIs must also keep a strict check of people coming to the villages from outside so that they could be motivated to remain under home quarantine. He said the representatives must also keep track of the people in home quarantine and effectively coordinate with them for any medical help.

Aimed at removing gender disparity, the passing of the Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Bill, 2023, by the Assembly will pave the way for the eldest adult daughter in a family to retain land as a separate unit.

Under HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, a family comprising husband, wife and minor children can retain a maximum of 150 bighas

The law till now entitled the eldest adult son, recognised as a separate unit, to hold additional 150 bighas, taking total permissible limit a family can retain to 300 bighas

Now, the families who do not have a son can also hold 300 bighas, as the adult eldest daughter will also be treated as a separate unit

It will entitle the adult eldest daughter, either married or unmarried, to hold 150 bighas

The Bill, which seeks to amend Section 3, 4 and 5 of the HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972, will become part of the legislation once it gets the assent of the President. Under this Act, the land possessed by any family over and above the permissible limit (of 300 bighas) was vested in the government.