Current Affairs Exam

The Union government has given its nod to the Uttar Pradesh governments proposal for developing two big industrial clusters in Agra and Prayagraj. The UP government had urged the Central government to allow the development of two Integrated Manufacturing Clusters (IMCs) in the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC). The Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA) will now develop the two IMCs at greenfield site near Saraswati Hi-Tech City in Prayagraj and near expressway in Agra.

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

The manufacturing clusters are expected to attract investments of more than Rs 15,000 crore and generate more than one lakh direct and indirect EMPLOYMENT.

According to UPSIDA Chief Executive Officer Mayur Maheshwari, the Central government has approved the proposals to set up these IMCs in order to strike a balance between the development of eastern and western UP.

UPSIDA, a nodal agency, plans to develop these IMCs on the pattern of Smart Cities with the best global practices and standards. With the establishment of these clusters, industrial and commercial activities are expected to accelerate in Prayagraj and Agra.

It is worth mentioning here that the total length of the Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC), which passes through seven states, is 1,839 kilometres of which about 57 per cent is in Uttar Pradesh. However, AKIC aims to develop one industrial cluster in each of the seven states. Only Uttar Pradesh will have two IMCs.

The Government of India will have an stake in the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to be created for building the clusters while a master planner of international repute will be appointed to conceptualise the world-class project.

Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS) will provide technical support to the schemes and programmes running under the Urban Livelihood Mission in the State. In order to implement it at ground level a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with the Rural Development Department and Urban Development Department.

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

Rural Development Department Secretary Dr Manish Ranjan said that it is a historic moment when two departments of the State are starting an initiative through mutual agreement to provide livelihood to urban masses which also affected immensely during the COVID period. Together, the two departments of the State will cooperate with each other to remove POVERTY in urban and rural areas, he added.

Health ministerMangal Pandey said in the state assembly that the government will spend Rs 3,959 crore in 243 assembly constituencies at the rate of Rs 16.29 crore per constituency over the next two years on improving the health infrastructure. He added the department is fully geared up to meet the challenge posed by the likely third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

He also presented details of the ongoing projects at various medical college hospitals and Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) andPatnaMedical College Hospital (PMCH) for improving Health in the state.

As to improving the health infrastructure in 243 assembly constituencies, Pandey said Rs 3,959 crore would be spent on opening wellness centres, improving and strengthening the existing additional primary health centres and opening 122 community health centres.

The supplementary budget demand of the health department was part of the slightly over Rs 27,050-crore first supplementary budget that was demanded by deputy CM Tarkishore Prasad, who is also the states finance minister, for the current fiscal. The House passed the first supplementary budget by voice vote.

In Chhattisgarh, 2.01 crore beneficiaries including 7.19 lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households are covered by the government for receiving benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti said this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

The Minister said that presently under NFSA, a total of 79.51 crore beneficiaries in the country were covered by the states and Union Territories for receiving the monthly benefits of highly subsidized foodgrains, an official statement said.As per the requirements of Chhattisgarh, only rice was allocated to it in 2018-91, 2019-20 and 2020-21.In 2021-22 (till July 2021), the allocation totalled 4.61 lakh tonnes. She said that under NFSA-2013, only foodgrains namely rice, wheat and coarse grains are allocated to states and Union Territories for distribution to NFSA eligible beneficiaries and households.

Sustained agricultural activity and stable milk prices for dairy farmers led to a 14% increase in milk procurement during the pandemic. Provisional data from dairy sector sources shows that milk procurement inGujarat, including from other states, increased from 215.65 lakh kg per day (LkgPD) in 2019-20 to 245.8 (LkgPD) in 2020-21.Data tabled inParliamentby theministry of agricultureshows that Gujarat had the highest milk procurement among Indian states. Milk procurement in Gujarat was 228.6 LkgPD in April 2021.

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

Farmers are paid between Rs 680 and Rs 710 per kg of fat as the procurement price by the dairies, according to GCMMF officials.

The Average milk procurement price remained stable throughout the country in the pandemic year, according to the data tabled in Parliament.
Even in the pandemic year, milk procurement continued to grow in Gujarat, as has been the case for a couple of decades. Collectively, the countrys largest co-operative handled 40 lakh litres of milk per day (LLPD) extra during the pandemic.

Mission Niryatak Bano by Rajasthan Government

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

The Rajasthan government’s enterprises division and the Rajasthan State Industrial Development and Corporation (RIICO) have dispatched the ‘Mission Niryatak Bano’ mission to advance hopeful exporters in the state.

Highlights:

The mission is pointed toward enrolling and handholding the neighborhood dealers willing to grow their business to unfamiliar nations, in six stages. This will cover help from preparing, getting vital documentation, enlistment in Rajasthan Export Promotion Council and even help in fares and exchange tasks. The State Government with regards to the difficulties of private ventures had deferred off the requirement for a few state-level clearances for the underlying three years of impending organizations. The exporter help crusade will be another progression in assisting the neighborhood business with creating understanding towards the techniques and increment their business.

Meghalaya inks MoU with NIOS to bring dropouts back to schools

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

Concerned with the high dropout rate in Meghalaya, the on Tuesday signed an MoU with the National Institute of Open Schooling to facilitate the return of dropouts to educational institutions.

While Assam recorded the highest dropout rate in the country with 31 per cent of out-of-school students at the secondary level, Tripura with 29.8 per cent is ranked number 2, an official of the Education department said.

Meghalaya with 27.9 per cent dropout rate in secondary level is ranked third followed closely by Madhya Pradesh (26.1 per cent) and Nagaland (24.4 per cent), he said.

At present Meghalaya has only 25 NIOS study centres in 5 out of 12 districts -East Khasi Hills, West Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi, East Garo Hills and West Garo Hills districts.

Tembe urged the NIOS to increase the number of study centres to cover the remaining districts as well.

He said the state project office had already taken up the initiative for publicity through newspapers, FM Radio and organised road shows for generating awareness on the necessity of preventing drop-outs.

Those in the age group of 16-19 years who had dropped out of schools can enrol in educational institutions or NIOS study centres for completing their board exams in East Jaintia and Ri-Bhoi districts, he said.

Following the weekly cabinet meeting that took place in Janata Bhawan in Guwahati, the Assam Government on Wednesday decided to extend the food security net by multiplying the income criteria for families from existing Rs. 2.5 lakh per anum to Rs. 4 lakh.

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

The aim behind this decision is to facilitate more deserving families to apply for new ration cards under the National Act (NFSA), 2013.

The Council of ministers also decided to set up an Adivasi Welfare and Development Council in accordance with the Adivasi accord signed on September 15, 2022, Barua said. The Council will address political, economic and educational aspirations, protect, preserve and promote social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities and ensure accelerated and focussed development of Adivasi-inhabited areas and tea garden areas, the Minister said.

The cabinet also decided to pay Rs 1 lakh each as compensation to 1,496 casual labour families of Doloo Tea Estate and Rs2.50 lakh for construction of houses to 173 families who would be displaced for a proposed Greenfield airport.

The cabinet also decided to amend the Assam Gratuity Act to clear confusion regarding the definition of ‘gratuity wage’ and remove the wage ceiling of Rs 2,500, the Minister said.

Govt approves Rs 2,312 cr for drinking water

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

The State Cabinet has approved tenders for execution of eight rural drinking water supply projects worth Rs 2,312.11 crore in Ganjam, Balangir and Gajapati districts.

On the occasion of completion of the fourth year of the fifth term of his Government, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik chaired a State Cabinet meeting, in which 18 important proposals including the tenders for the drinking water supply projects were approved.

Accordingly, the State Cabinet has approved the lowest tender amounting to Rs 1,509.91 crore for execution of a mega piped water supply project to provide Safe drinking water in Ganjam district out of JJM (Jal Jeevan Mission) funding. By execution of the project, around 9,92,368 people of 770 villages under 228 GPs of 12 blocks of the district would be benefited, he said.

Similarly, the Cabinet also approved a tender worth Rs 379.17 crore for execution of two rural drinking water supply projects in Gajapati district to benefit more than 1.31 lakh residents of 346 villages.
The Government also cleared two tenders of Rs 423. crore for execution of five drinking water projects in Balangir district. All the drinking water projects would be completed in two years, Jena said.

The Cabinet also decided to spend Rs 364.40 crore in three years (2022-23 to 2024-25) for implementation of the State Plan scheme Sustainable Harnessing of Ground Water in Water Deficit Areas.
The Cabinet also approved allocation of Rs 330.17 crore for establishment of an Odisha University of Health Sciences.

It approved a tender worth Rs 209.73 crore for Konark Temple Complex. Konark Heritage Area Development Plan (KHADP) under Integrated Development of Heritage & Monuments and Tourist Destination scheme will transform the physical in and around the temple complex and upgrade the visitors experience, he said.

Tamil Nadu govt signs 6 MoUs worth Rs 800 crore with Japanese firms

June 14, 2024 by rawan239

GuidanceTamil Nadu signed six MoUs with Japanese companies and their Indian joint venture partners to cumulatively attract investments of close to Rs 820 crore.

These MoUs were signed in the presence of chief minister M K Stalin, at the end of an investors conclave, organised by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Tokyo.

Three of the six MoUs were signed by Guidance Nadu along with Chennai-based 2,800 crore Polyhose group with its three Japanese joint venture companies Kohyei, Sato-Shoji Metal Works and Tofle for expanding their existing operations near Chennai and manufacturing additional products.

These three MoUs would together facilitate Investment of 550 crore and pave way for manufacturing polycarbonate sheets, roofs and extrusion lines for electronic components for use in the construction Industry, high-end steel parts to be used in aerospace and defense industries and stainless steel specialised flexible hoses.

Guidance Tamil Nadu also entered into an MoU with Kyokuto Satrac for setting up a factory for manufacturing spare parts of trucks in Sipcot, Mambakkam in Kancheepuram district on 13 acres of land.
Stalin appealed to the Japanese business houses to diversify their investments in Tamil Nadu.