State PCS

• 14 May 2022

Plastic waste collection centres to be set up at 250 locations in the state

Why In News

• On May 13, 2022, a spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government informed that with an aim to make the villages free of plastic waste, the state government has planned to set up plastic waste collection centres at 250 locations in the state in the next two years.

Key Point

• The spokesman said that the Panchayati Raj Department is preparing an action plan for selection and construction of sites in the development blocks in the next six months so that garbage plastic collection centres can be set up there.
• In view of the ill-effects of plastic, the state government has taken the initiative to make cities as well as villages plastic-free. Along with this, the government has also planned to use waste plastic for road construction.
• Plastic waste management emphasizes on taking steps to reduce the production of plastic waste, prevent the spread of plastic waste and ensure separate storage for plastic waste.
• Under the new rule, it will be the responsibility of local bodies, gram panchayats, garbage producers, retailers and pavement vendors to manage plastic waste.
• Significantly, plastic is a major cause of pollution, it reduces the groundwater level by destroying the fertility of the land. Its use increases the risk of respiratory and skin diseases as well as cancer. It can also prevent fetal growth.
• The smoke emitted by burning polythene damages the ozone layer, which is a major cause of global warming.

Proposal to rename Gaya as 'Gayaji' passed

Why In News

• On May 13, 2022, Gaya Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Mohan Srivastava informed that the municipal corporation has unanimously passed a resolution to rename Gaya as 'Gayaji' and has submitted an application to the state and the Government of India.

Key Point

• It may be recalled that on May 11, 2022, a resolution was passed to rename Gaya as 'Gayaji' in a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Gaya Municipal Corporation.
• Gaya is an internationally renowned city. Gaya is very important in Sanatan Dharma. At the same time, there is the enlightenment of Mahatma Buddha in Bodh Gaya. Being a land of salvation, people from all over the country and abroad come here to do pinddaan.
• Historically Gaya was part of the ancient Magadha Empire. The city is situated on the banks of the Falgu River and is one of the holiest places recognized for hindus.
• Behind the naming of the city of Gaya, there is a belief that here Lord Vishnu killed Gayasur in a duel. It is mentioned in the ancient texts that here Lord Rama himself had done the pinddaan of his fathers.

350-year-old building in Patna taluka to be demolished

Why In News

• On May 13, 2022, the Supreme Court allowed the demolition of a 350-year-old building of the collectorate office in Bihar's capital Patna.

Key Point

• The Patna unit of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) had filed a petition in the Supreme Court to save the building. The court in its order said that not every building of the British Raj is fit to be protected.
• Challenging the state government's decision to demolish the building, the petition had said that the building is a major part of the city's cultural heritage. It should be preserved rather than demolished.
• The Bihar government had issued orders on July 31, 2019, deciding to demolish this dilapidated building of the Patna collector's office. The Supreme Court had in September 2020 directed to maintain the status quo in the building.
• The Bihar Urban Arts and Heritage Commission had on June 4, 2020 approved the demolition of the collectorate complex. In 1972, archaeological survey of India (ASI) conducted a survey in Bihar. It too had not included the Collectorate of Patna in the list of protected buildings.
• It is worth mentioning that this building was used by the British as a warehouse for opium and salt storage.

Country's first rural tribal technical training programme launched in Bhopal

Why In News

• On May 3, 2022, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the country's first rural tribal technical training in Bhopal under the 'Parliamentary Complex Project' for tribal youth.

Key Point

• In the 'Parliamentary Complex Project', technical training will be imparted to rural tribal youth. This training programme has been first started in Madhya Pradesh as an experiment.
• Under this, two-month training will provide employment opportunities to the youth to start their own business and employment opportunities in other sectors.
• The first phase will cover about 250 beneficiaries from 17 clusters of 17 selected districts from 6 states of India namely Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha as a 'pilot project'.
• A two-day conference of 40 MPs was held in Mumbai to discuss enhancing employment opportunities in tribal areas, where the idea of a 'Parliamentary Scheduled Tribe Cluster Development Project' was presented based on the experiences shared by various experts and government organisations from India.
• 49 groups from 15 States of India have been selected by 40 tribal MPs of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for implementation of the scheme.

UNDP to install solar panels at 75 health centres in the state

Why In News

• On May 13, 2022, Environment Minister Hardeep Singh Dang was informed by The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) representative Srinivas that UNDP will install digitalized monitoring systems with 75 primary health centres in Madhya Pradesh being solar-energized.

Key Point

• Undp's representative Srinivas informed that UNDP has decided to undertake solar energy and environment protection works in 10 states of India including Madhya Pradesh.
• UNDP will also set up 15 electric vehicle charging stations in the state, most of which will be in Indore. 15 solar cold storages in rural areas and energy audits in 50 micro and small scale industries units.
• Out of the target set by the UNDP for India, about Rs 12 crore has been earmarked for the works of Madhya Pradesh. Electronic vehicle training will benefit 500 to 1000 youth.

Labour department gets award for public welfare schemes at Self-Reliant India Conference

Why In News

• On May 13, 2022, a citation was presented to Amrit Kumar Khalkho, Secretary, Chhattisgarh Raj Bhavan and Secretary, Labour Department, for running several welfare schemes for the workers on behalf of the Self-Reliant India Conference Organizing Committee by the Elates Group.

Key Point

• It may be mentioned that on April 19-20, 2022, a self-reliant India conference was organized in New Delhi, in which the award was given to the Labour Department of Chhattisgarh for running several welfare schemes for the workers.
• Secretary Khalkho informed that the Integrated Labour Registration System for workers has been introduced by the Chhattisgarh government, in which workers from both organized and unorganized sectors can register themselves on the portal with the required minimum documents.
• The process of registration of migrant workers has been simplified by the department. Earlier it was offline, which has now been done online as well. Labour registration has been done using the PDS database.
• Labour Resource Centres have been opened in 148 blocks. Awareness is being brought among workers about maternity benefits and benefits of social schemes.
• Women migrant workers are being helped to make them aware of their rights. Shram Mitra Scheme and Educational Scholarship Scheme have been introduced to provide proper formal education to children.
• The workers are being assisted through helplines to provide information about their legal rights and safety.

Indore's young start-up creates made-in-Indore health alert device

Why In News

• Recently, Indore-based young computer engineers Sania Jeshwal and Lokant Jain have teamed up to create the AbhayaParimiti device, which can do a complete health checkup in 20 seconds.

Key Point

• Sania Jeshwal had decided to make this device at the time of corona's horror. This device can show in the screen in a few moments by recording not only the pulse rate, oxygen saturation, but also blood pressure as well as the body temperature and the respiratory rate.
• Sania is working on a pilot project to make 100 Abhaya Parimiti devices available to smart city hospitals and 100 devices to the Andhra Pradesh government.
• The made-in-Indore device is capable of performing respiratory rate alerts and blood pressure alerts in addition to infection alerts.

Agriculture Minister launches C-Mart at Bemetara

Why In News

• On May 13, 2022, Chhattisgarh Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Ravindra Choubey launched the C-Mart at Bemetara district headquarters.

Key Point

• It may be recalled that c-mart stores are being started across the state with the objective of providing an organized market to women self-help groups for their handmade products and to make women's groups financially viable in the gothans set up in rural areas.
• In the first phase, C-Marts are being opened at district headquarters for marketing of women's groups' products so that high quality products of the groups are available to the people at reasonable prices.
• A variety of herbal soaps, pickles, spices, murra, dona-patal, various types of sherbet, devbhog's dairy products, korean herbal tea, lemon grass tea, mushroom powder, honey, oil-jaggery, desi chana, Red rice poha and other local food items are also available for the people.
• Apart from this, herbal products like tamarind, harra, bahera, amla, honey are being sold.
• Gamchas and other attractive cotton fabrics made on handlooms can also be purchased from C-Mart. Apart from this, handicrafts made from banana stem fibre and handloom products produced in village Rakhi of Bemetara district will also be sold.

Helang-Marwari bypass cleared by Supreme Court

Why In News

• The Supreme Court has given a green signal to the construction of the proposed Helang-Marwari bypass road on badrinath highway under the Allweather Road project on May 13, 2022. The construction work will begin in July.

Key Point

• With the construction of this bypass route, the distance to Badrinath Dham will be reduced by 30 km. At the same time, the movement of troops in the China border area will become easier.
• The construction of the Helang-Marwari bypass road is proposed 13 km before Joshimath under the Allweather Road project. The route will be constructed for about 5 km in the lower part of Joshimath Nagar .
• It is worth mentioning that the 'Joshimath Bachao Sangharsh Samiti' agitated for nearly a year against the route, due to which the construction could not take place. The matter then reached the Supreme Court.
• Citing the ease of movement of troops to the China border area, the Union Transport Ministry has termed the construction of the bypass road as necessary, after which the construction of the route has got the green signal from the court.
• The construction of the bypass route will reduce the distance of Badrinath Dham by 30 km. So far, pilgrims have been reaching Marwari via Joshimath from Helang, a distance of 20 km, while the proposed bypass is about 5 km.