State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 27 May 2025

MP Launches Key Development Projects

Why in News? 

To commemorate the 300th birth anniversary of Lokmata Devi Ahilyabai Holkar, Madhya Pradesh announced key initiatives to boost infrastructure, empower women, and create youth jobs.

Key Points 

• Key Cabinet Decisions: 
  • Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Training Program Scheme: 
    • Aims to link youth with employment through skill development. 
    • Provides interest subsidies up to Rs 10,000 per individual on skill-based loans. 
    • Annual government allocation will be Rs 100 crore. 
  • Madhya Pradesh Metropolitan Area Planning and Development Act, 2025: 
    • Enables creation of Metropolitan Planning Committees and Development Authorities for cities with population over 10 lakh. 
    • Focus areas will be urban planning, education, healthcare, and economic growth in cities like Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, and Dewas. 
  • Acharya Shankar Museum under Ekatma Dham Project: 
    • Revised budget of Rs 2,195 crore sanctioned. 
    • The museum, located at Omkareshwar, will focus on Advaita Vedanta and aims to promote education and tourism. 
  • Working Women’s Hostels in Industrial Areas: 
    • Approval for constructing 26 hostels across 4 industrial zones with the Budget of Rs 249 crore. 
    • Facilities to include food courts, entertainment zones, and childcare areas, creating a safe and enabling space for women workers. 
  • Upgradation of MYR Hospital and Shyam Shah Medical College: 
    • Approval of Rs 1,095 crore to upgrade Maharaja Yashwant Rao Hospital (Indore) and Shyam Shah Medical College (Rewa). 
    • Includes construction of new hospital blocks, nursing hostels, and improved medical infrastructure. 
  • Rahveer Yojana: 
    • Incentivises bystanders who transport accident victims within the “golden hour”. 
    • Reward increased from Rs 5,000 to Rs 25,000 per lifesaving act. 
  • Extension of Mukhyamantri Urban Sanitation Mission: 
    • The scheme extended till 2028–29 with a budget of Rs 227 crore. 
    • Focus on enhancing urban sanitation through purchase of sludge removal vehicles, sewer cleaning tools, and protective gear for sanitation workers. 

Ahilyabai Holkar 

 

• Birth & Background: Ahilyabai was born on 31st May 1725 in Chondi, Ahmednagar (Maharashtra), her father, Mankoji Rao Shinde, was the village head.  
• Marriage & Early Life: She was married to Khanderao Holkar in 1733, the son of Malhar Rao Holkar, the ruler of Malwa and the founder of the Holkar dynasty.  
  • Ahilyabai was widowed in 1745 after Khanderao died in the siege of Kumher Fort.   
  • Malhar Rao Holkar prevented Ahilyabai from committing sati and trained her in military and administrative matters.  
• Ascension to Power: After the death of Malhar Rao Holkar in 1766 and her son Male Rao Holkar in 1767, Ahilyabai Holkar took charge of Malwa and became the ruler of Indore in 1767.  
  • She appointed Tukoji Rao Holkar as army commander and made Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh the Holkar dynasty’s capital.  
• Social and Economic Contributions: Ahilyabai Holkar rebuilt the Somnath and Kashi Vishwanath temples, restoring key Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva. She patronised scholars like Khushali Ram, Marathi poet Moropant, and Shahir Anantaphandi.   
  • She promoted women’s education, widow remarriage, and opposed practices like sati, while uplifting Bhil, Gond tribes, and lower castes.  
  • She made Maheshwar and Indore major trade hubs, promoting the Maheshwari weaving industry and making Maheshwari sarees renowned across India, now registered with a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.