24.12.21

General Category Commission gets Punjab Cabinet approval

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The Cabinet chaired by CM Charanjit Channi today approved setting up of Punjab State General Category Commission for unreserved classes.

The commission would go a long way in safeguarding the interests of the unreserved classes, besides effective implementation of various welfare schemes for the benefit of the poor. The commission was a long-standing demand of employees belonging to general categories (unreserved classes) that their interests were not being protected and that the must constitute a commission on the pattern of Gujarat.

Besides, the Cabinet gave a go-ahead for exemption of the Motor Vehicle Tax for Stage carriage buses (Big & Mini Buses) and Contract Carriage vehicles less than 16-seater vehicles, relieving the transport sector from financial loss. Various representations were received from private transporters through which they highlighted that rising diesel prices had further deteriorated their condition.

Modi to lay foundation of Dhaula Sidh hydel power project

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of 66 Mega Watt Dhaula Sidh hydel power project on December 27. It is learnt that the PM will lay the foundation through virtual mode while he would come to Mandi on completion of four years of the Jai Ram government in the state.

Significantly, the project would be constructed on Beas river and the work on the approach roads and 253 m long diversion tunnel of 10.20 m diameter has been completed by the executing agency Satluj Jal Vidhut Vikas Nigam Limited (SJVNL).

Dhaula Sidh Hydroelectric Project will be a run-of-the-river power project to harness the hydel potential of the Beas. It will have a storage of 6.87 million cusec meter water to utilize it during lean season. Rajesh Chandel, project head, said here that the main dam would be 69.75 m high and 195.14 m long concrete gravity dam would be constructed with two 62 m long pen stokes of 4.3 m diameter to produce the electric power.

Star cricketer Pant made brand ambassador of Ukhand

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The Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has appointed wicket keeper of Indian cricketer team Rishabh Pant as the brand ambassador of the state for promoting Sports and general Health. Dhami took to Twitter and shared the news of appointing Pant as the ‘State Brand Ambassador’ with the aim of encouraging the youth of the state towards sports and public health.

Pant was born on October 4, 1997 in Roorkee, Uttarakhand. He is primarily known for his swashbuckling batting and wicket-keeping skills. Currently Pant is in South Africa for a three-match test series which will begin from December 26.

UP emerges as new investment hub

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Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the new hub in India with some of the biggest businessmen, industrialists and entrepreneurs showing their interest in investing in the state.

In pursuit of creating an investor-friendly Environment, Uttar Pradesh has climbed up to the second rank in Ease of Doing Business (EODB) index. The State Government has also launched a single-window system named Nivesh Mitra Portal where there are over 70 Services of about 20 departments. Moreover, the state does not have any dearth of Resources or labour. With the kind of Population Uttar Pradesh has, the investors already have a gigantic consumer base to target.

The state government has been successful in facilitating investment in DEFENCE, Health, MSME, Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture, handloom, power and other sectors. Besides, the policy of the government has been to pursue eco-friendly solar power. Also, Uttar Pradesh has been successful in implementing 186 out of 187 reforms suggested under BRAP 19 (Business Reform Action Plan) by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) of the Central government.

Many major investment plans have also come to the state government for the next few years. The defence manufacturing corridor has an investment potential of Rs 50,000 crore. New and improved MSME policies are promoting industrial development at all levels across UP.

Defence, aerospace, Warehousing, data centre, electric vehicles and pharma are fast emerging as new investment sectors in Uttar Pradesh. Similarly, traditional sectors like electronics, information technology (IT), Food Processing, Dairy, textiles, tourism and film are also attracting investment. There is also investment potential in Solar Energy, bio-fuels and civil aviation. Most economists believe that the way to make India a five trillion dollar economy passes through Uttar Pradesh.

Decks cleared for first tribal varsity in Jharkhand

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TheJharkhandassembly, the final day of its winter session, gave its nod to Pundit Raghunath MurmuTribal UniversityBill 2021 paving the way for study and research on tribal culture, art and tradition. The university with its headquarters in Jamshedpur will have its jurisdiction all over the state and allow admission to candidates from all communities and religion.

Named after noted tribal laureate Pundit Raghunath Murmu, who holds the credit of developing Ol Chiki script for Santhal language, the university will be the first of its kind in any state where special focus will be on scientific preservation of tribal culture and study on the subjects pertinent to tribes all across the country.

Children should be vaccinated against Covid-19: Bihar health experts

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With the rising cases of Omicron infections in the country, demand for booster shots and vaccination of the children below 18 years of age are picking up.

Health experts of the state are also advocating the need of administering booster doses for the people already vaccinated with two doses. They also plead for vaccination of children to ensure their protection against the new variant.

Many countries like USA, UK, Spain, Russia, Germany and Australia are rolling out booster shots of the Covid-19 vaccine in view of the Omicron threat and hence, it is high time India should also start vaccinating people, especially the senior citizens with booster doses, they add.

Cgarh to ease process of passport issue, renewal

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The Chhattisgarh government has decided to simplify the process to issue and renew passports.

The government is going to launch a m-passport-app which will give relief to people from hassles of Police verification and lengthy procedures.

The pilot project will start in six districts including Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh and Surguja.

A decision in this regard was taken after discussions at a meeting of the Home Department chaired by Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain. Additional Chief Secretary Home Subrat Sahoo was present.

At the meeting, Director General of Police Ashok Juneja said the process of issuing passports has been simplified using m-passport app in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Odisha.

This app is proposed to be used in Chhattisgarh. A team of Home Department officials has been sent to Maharashtra to get a better understanding of its nitty-gritty.

This app will be used initially in six districts from where applications for making new passports or seeking renewal are received in large numbers.

Forest produce sale to be decentralised in Madhya Pradesh: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

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Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that the ongoing system of selling forest produce will be decentralized across the state. Under the pilot project, the work of making and selling products by forest dwellers and forest committees will also be encouraged. More attention will be given to processing of minor forest produce. The number of Van Dhan Kendras will be increased. Strong Marketing arrangements will be made to sell the produce.

The Chief Minister said that production of wheat, paddy and gram is traditionally done on a large scale in the state.

Along with these products, cultivation of sandalwood, bamboo production, production of forest produce useful in making edicines will be promoted. It is also necessary to save the forests for the Environment; efforts will be made to generate income for the forest dwellers from the forests. Organising buyer-seller meets in the fairs is commendable. More and more events should be organised so that forest dwellers can get good price of forest produce.

Vedic maths in Gujarat schools from next year

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TheGujaratgovernment has decided to introduce Vedic Maths in Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB) school curriculum from next year. Vedic maths is considered to be an easier and faster way to solve mathematics problems and helps in strengthening the foundation for students.

An ancient Indian method, Vedic maths simplifies mathematics by integrating arithmetic operations into 16 sutras or formulae. It will be rolled out in phases, beginning from Class 6 to Class 8 students in the academic year 2022-23, it said. Further, it will be introduced for Class 9 and Class 10 students in 2023-24, as per the notification.

While it is mandatory for the 20,000 schools under the Schools of Excellence (SoE) project to implement Vedic maths in a phased manner, other schools under the state board are to consider the local conditions and implement it voluntarily, it said.

Rajasthan sees sharp rise in crimes against SC, ST in five years

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There has been a rapid rise in the number of cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act) in Rajasthan in the past five years. From 6,329 cases in 2016, it has gone up to 8,744 in 2020, stated a Lok Sabha reply.

However, the conviction rates in such cases have declined. Against 1,121 convicted cases in 2019, it had dropped to 686 in 2020, which is 7.84% of the total cases registered (8,744) in the same year and the lowest in five years.

Minister of state (Mos) for social and Empowerment Ramdas Athawle gave a reply to an unstarred question on atrocities against SCs and STs in Lok Sabha on December 14. In Rajasthan, 6,329 cases were registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act) in 2016; 5222 cases were registered in 2017; and 5563 cases were registered in 2018. In 2019, 8418 cases were registered; and in 2020, 8,744 cases were registered.

Meanwhile, in 2016, there were convictions in 680 cases in crime against SCs and STs , which is 10.74% of the total cases registered in the same year. There were 1,845 convictions in 2017 (35.33% of total cases registered); 712 in 2018 (12.79% of the total cases registered); and 1,121 in 2019 (13.31% of the total cases registered). In 2020, there were convictions in 686 cases, which is 7.84% of the total cases registered in the same year.