20.12.21

Meghalaya CM lays foundation for sports complex upgrade

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Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma laid the foundation stone for the upgrade of JN Sports Complex at the Polo Grounds here and said the long-pending project was required for providing a boost to the sector.

He said the revamped sports complex will house a number of facilities and host activities that are important for the youth. He also spoke about a number of programmes in the pipeline for the youth and sportspersons which would be a part of the golden jubilee celebration of the state next year.

Conrad said the state sports policy which had suffered a setback because of the Covid pandemic will soon start rolling after improvement in the situation.

Assam Cricket Association to focus on infrastructure development: Officials

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TheAssam Cricket Association(ACA) is concentrating on developing at the grassroots rather than merely hosting international matches as showpiece events, its officials said.

It is also ensuring transparency in all its financial dealings after accusations of monetary misappropriation against the apex cricketing body in the state under its former regime, they added.

Addressing a press conference at the end of its General Body Meeting here, ACA presidentRomen Duttasaid, “We have taken a number of decisions to boost cricket infrastructure as well as increase our number of affiliations.”

The constitution for the State Cricket Academy was also adopted and a committee, headed by former player Rajinder Singh, formed to take it forward, he said.
The academy will look after the professional training needs of cricketers as well as professionals associated with the sport in the state.

Odisha: Govt nod to Rs 960 crore aid to food security beneficiaries

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With thepanchayat polla few months away, theOdisha governmenthas sanctioned distribution of livelihood assistance of Rs 1,000 each for nearly 96 lakh households under the National Act (NFSA), 2013, and the State Food Security Scheme (SFSS).
The initiative will cost the State Government Rs 960 crore. The state food supplies and consumer welfare department has already released the amount to various districts, while modalities have also been finalised for distribution of the amount within seven days.

Smart cards, recently distributed under theBiju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana, will be the primary identity proof of the beneficiaries to receive the assistance. Eligible families, who are yet to receive the smart cards, can produce the NFSA and SFSS cards as proof to claim the amount.

A similar list of panchayat beneficiaries will be prepared. The amount is likely to be distributed at the panchayat level. The district collectors will update the daily consolidated disbursement report to the food supplies department.

Tamil Nadu Government Announces Tamil Thaai Vazhthu as the State Song

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The Nadu government announced Thamizh Thaai Vaazhthu as the state song on 17 Dec 2021, requiring everyone to stand when it is sung on occasions.

Highlights:

Differently abled people and pregnant Women, on the other hand, will be exempt.
The order comes after the Madras High Court recently declared that the Tamil Thaai Vaazhthu was merely a prayer hymn, not a National Anthem and that no one needed to stand up.
According to an official statement, a G.O. has been issued in this regard, and the song must be sung at the start of all events hosted by educational institutions, universities, government offices, public sector businesses, and public organizations.

60,000 devotees to be allowed to visit Sabarimala per day

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The has come up with more relaxations in Sabarimala during the ongoing festival season in the wake of reduction in the Covid-19 spread in the state. The number of devotees who can visit the temple has been increased to 60,000 per day from 45,000 per day.
The government has also decided that 500 rooms that have been readied in Sannidhanam will be opened for devotees, with only one person allowed in each room. The Travancore devaswom board (TDB) has been asked to conduct sanitization in each of the rooms as per the Covid-19 protocols.

The TDB had requested the government to provide more relaxation in the wake of the decreasing number of Covid-19 cases in the state. However, the relaxations have been offered with certain conditions.

Anti-conversion bill tabled in Karnataka assembly

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Karnataka Home minister Araga Jnanendra tabled theanti-conversion billin the state legislative assembly.

TheKarnataka assemblyspeaker announced that he has allowed the government to introduce the anti-conversion bill as per procedure, and it will be taken up for discussion on December 22.

The Bill will provide for the protection of the right to freedom of religion and of unlawful conversion from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means. It proposes imprisonment up to 10 years for forced religious conversion.

International Arbitration and Mediation Centre

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International Arbitration and Mediation Centre were launched in .

Highlights:

India’s First International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) was launched at Phoenix VK Tower in Nanakramguda, Hyderabad, Telangana.

It was inaugurated by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice NV Ramana and Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao.

Internationally renowned arbitrators and mediators from countries such as Singapore and the United Kingdom are among those who have been appointed to the center.

The International Arbitration and Mediation Center (IAMC) was formed to promptly settle conflicts that emerge owing to a lack of sufficient judges.

IAMC will resolve commercial conflicts as well as disagreements between ordinary individua

Andhra Pradesh: Ruins of 13th century temple found in Rajupalem

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A 13th-century temple was discovered on the outskirts of Kota Nemalapuri village ofRajupalemmandal in the district.

Alerted by locals, PamulapatiSrinath Reddy, an archaeologist and member of Indian Trust for Art, Culture and Heritage (Intach), visited the village and found the temple amidst bushes and debris.

He cleared the jungle with the help of locals and found the beautiful ancient structure in a ruined state.

He said that the temple must have been built in the 13th century and needed to be protected as heritage structure.

App-based taxis possible with digital meters: Mauvin

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Even as implementation ofdigitaltaximetersis a big step towards digitisation, state transport ministerMauvinGodinho has requested the National Informatics Centre to develop an app to support these digital meters.

It will be like anapp-basedtaxi as a result. This way, we will not require other service providers, he said.
Godinho was responding to a q

uery on the possibility of introducing app-based aggregators Ola and Uber in Goa, following the launch of the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) in the state.

Maharashtra: 17.4 lakh farmers pay pending electricity bills to tune of Rs 2,100 crore

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TheMaharashtra Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture Pump Power Connectionpolicy, 2020, has succeeded in pursuing 17.4 lakh farmers across state in the past 12 months to repay pending electricity bill arrears to the tune of Rs 2,100 crore.

The new will involve strengthening of existing electricity distribution systems, installing high capacity transformers and substations. It will also involve repair and maintenance of existing feeders to ensure uninterrupted supply, an official said.

Sources said that the state has given Rs 10,428 crore as subsidies to offset arrears to some extent while Rs 4,676 crore was waived in the form of delayed payment charges and interests on arrears. This reduced the overall arrears to Rs 30,707 crore.
The state plans to give at least eight hours of electricity during the daytime to farmers and in the next five years, there are plans to generate 17,360 MW Solar Energy which can be distributed for agriculture pumps.