State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 23 Jul 2025

UP Government to Implement Samarth Portal

Why in News? 

The Uttar Pradesh government is set to fully implement the ‘Samarth’ portal across all universities and colleges in the state by the academic year 2025-26. 

• This initiative is part of the government’s mission to transform higher education into a more transparent, efficient, and technology-driven system. 

Key Points 

• Features of the Samarth Portal:  
  • The Samarth platform is designed to streamline administrative processes in higher education institutions. These functions will be managed entirely through this digital platform, reducing administrative overhead and improving workflow efficiency.  
  • According to the roadmap from the state’s Higher Education Department, by the end of 2025, all private ERP systems in educational institutions will be phased out, with Samarth becoming the exclusive system in use. 
  • The introduction of this new system is expected to ease the faculty promotion process, making it more transparent and trackable.  
    • Under the career advancement scheme, teachers will find it easier to apply for promotions, and the entire selection process will be visible to all. 
• Current Status: 
  • All government universities and affiliated colleges in Uttar Pradesh have already registered on the Samarth portal. 
  • Many institutions have started utilizing the system for functions like salary processing, expense management, leave tracking, admissions, and examinations. 
  • Online student registrations are already in progress, simplifying the admission process. 
• Centralised Admission System: 
  • To further enhance transparency, the state government has introduced a centralised admission system effective July 2025.  
  • All student admissions will now be conducted through a single unified portal, ensuring greater uniformity and transparency.  
    • The trial phase of this centralised system has already been successfully completed. 
• Future Developments: 
  • In addition to the Samarth portal, the UP government is working on a separate online portal dedicated to managing seminars, research projects, academic awards, and research grants.  
    • This will provide a more transparent and simplified process for academicians and researchers.

UP Ranks 1st in Amrit Sarovar Construction

Why in News? 

Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the state with the highest number of Amrit Sarovars in the country, having constructed and rejuvenated 16,630 ponds, three times the original target of 5,550 since the launch of the programme in 2022. 

Key Points 

• Mission Amrit Sarovar: It was launched on 24 April 2022 as part of India's "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" celebrations for the 75th year of independence. 
  • The mission aims to construct/rejuvenate at least 75 Amrit Sarovars in each district across India to overcome the water crisis in rural areas. 
  • The target for these water bodies serves as a crucial step towards ensuring water sustainability at the local level. 
  • Eight Central Ministries/Departments, including Dept. of Rural Development, Department of Land Resources, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Railway, Ministry of Road, Transport & Highways, actively contribute to the mission's execution. 
  • Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) has been engaged as Technical partner for the Mission. 
    • BISAG-N is an autonomous scientific society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. 
  • Geospatial data and technology play a pivotal role in identifying and executing the construction and rejuvenation of Amrit Sarovar. 
• State-wise Ranking — Amrit Sarovar Construction (2022–2025): 

Rank	State	Number of Ponds
1	Uttar Pradesh	16,630
2	Madhya Pradesh	5,839
3	Chhattisgarh	2,902
4	Bihar	2,613
5	Haryana	2,088
6	Jharkhand	2,048
7	Punjab	1,450

Other Initiatives for Water Conservation in UP 

• Groundwater Week Celebrations: The UP government recently observed Groundwater Week (16 July- 22 July), giving fresh momentum to ongoing water conservation projects and efforts to address the state's groundwater challenges. 
• Khet Talab Yojana: Focused on the construction of farm ponds, providing up to 50% subsidy to farmers for building ponds. Since its initiation in 2017-18, the government has helped construct 37,403 farm ponds under this scheme. 
• One District-One River Scheme: Aims to revive extinct rivers by assigning a river revival project to each district. 
• Promotion of Water-Saving Irrigation Techniques: This includes encouraging the use of sprinkler and drip irrigation systems to reduce water consumption. 
• Incorporation of Groundwater Harvesting: Encouraging the integration of groundwater harvesting structures in building construction. 
• Development of Multipurpose Ponds: These ponds are being developed along riverbanks for sustainable water management. 
• Groundwater Improvement in 29 Districts: In areas where groundwater levels have remained low for the past decade, the government is focusing on the adoption of water-saving technologies, encouraging at least one-fourth of farmers in these areas to implement such practices.

UP Cabinet Approves Key Development Projects

Why in News? 

The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a range of transformative decisions aimed at empowering women, boosting education, developing infrastructure, and advancing defence initiatives.  

Key Points 

• Stamp Duty Exemption for Women: The Cabinet approved a 1% stamp duty exemption for women purchasing property worth up to ₹1 crore, a significant increase from the previous limit of ₹10 lakh. 
  • The new exemption will allow women to claim up to ₹1 lakh in rebates on property registration, promoting property ownership among middle-class women. 
• Tata Technology Centres in Polytechnics: The partnership between the Uttar Pradesh government and Tata Technologies Limited (TTL) will result in the upgrading of 121 government polytechnic institutes. 
  • TTL will invest ₹6,935.86 crore, with 87% of the cost borne by TTL and the remaining ₹1,063.96 crore funded by the state. 
  • The initiative will enhance technical skills and employability by integrating industry-aligned curricula, with 45 institutes to be upgraded in the first phase. 
• Tablet Distribution for Youth Employment: The previous plan to procure 25 lakh smartphones under the Swami Vivekanand Yuva Sashaktikaran Yojana was scrapped. 
  • In place of smartphones, tablets with advanced features will be distributed to youth, with an allocated ₹2,000 crore budget for the 2025-26 financial year. 
  • The tablets will aid in employment opportunities by supporting software like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Google Sheets, thereby enhancing digital literacy and job readiness. 
• Chitrakoot Link Expressway Construction: The Cabinet gave the go-ahead for the ₹939.67 crore Chitrakoot Link Expressway project, which will stretch over 15.172 km and connect Bharatkoop in Chitrakoot to Ahmadganj village. 
  • The project, initially designed as a four-lane expressway (expandable to six lanes), will improve connectivity between the Varanasi-Banda National Highway and NH 135 BG, enhancing travel and trade routes in the region. 
• Incentives for Export-Oriented Investments: The Cabinet approved incentives for two companies—Aquabridge, UAE-based, which will set up an aquaculture project in Unnao, and Innova Food Park from Karnataka, which will establish an agri-export hub near the Jewar International Airport. 
  • These investments will not only bolster exports but also provide significant support to local farmers, enhancing agricultural development in the region. 
• Defence and Drone Manufacturing Expansion: The Cabinet approved the sale of a land parcel to RAPHE mPhibr Pvt Ltd for ₹4.67 crore. 
  • The firm, which already invested ₹800 crore in defence and drone manufacturing, will relocate the dairy unit and contribute an additional ₹10 crore to the local economy. 
  • The Cabinet also approved a token lease for 10 hectares of land in the UP Defence Corridor to Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) Instruments Research & Development Establishment (IRDE), which will create 150 direct and 500 indirect jobs.